King of Spains power And none of them were well pleased to see the Provinces of Flanders joyned to his Crown which by reason of their situation circuit and opulency were of such consideration as when they were only in the hands of the house of Burgundy had oft-times reduced France to great straits and troubled England and the near adjacent parts of Germany more then once In France after the unfortunate mischance of Henry the second who was wounded as he was running a Tilt and died at the celebration of his daughters marriage with the King of Spain and his sisters with the Duke of Savoy Francis the second succeeded in the Crown whilst he was yet a child The Government of the Kingdom was therefore wholly in the hands of his mother Catherine of Medicis but so distracted and so full of factions as it could not be in greater disorder nor more confused Heresie which was first in secret and fraudulently crept into France shew'd it self now bare-faced And her Fautorers hiding their own ambitious ends under the deceitfull visard of conscience proceeded from their first Court-contentions to the taking up of arms to the great detriment of the whole Kingdom Those hereticks were called Hugonots nor is it well known from whence that word proceeded and Lodovick of Burbone Prince of Conde made himself the chief head thereof he was brother to Anthony King of Navar first Prince of the bloud-royal and his chief rather guider then follower was Jasper di Coligni Admiral of France who proved afterwards the plague of that Kingdom and at last his own ruine But the chief heads who maintained the Catholick cause were not less suspected and especially those of the house of Guise out of a received opinion that under the specious zeal to religion they hatched divers designes of bringing themselves to greater power France whilst thus afflicted within her self could not contribute much to the afflictions of others Yet it was evidently discerned that what fomentation from thence could be expected to the troubles of Flanders would never be wanting especially by the instigation of the Hugonots In England the succession of that Kingdom and of Ireland was fallen to Elizabeth daughter to Henry the eight Queen Mary who was wife to Philip King of Spain dying without issue Mary was not more resolute in restoring the Catholick faith in England then Elizabeth was in resuppressing it incited thereunto by the example of her mother Anne of Bullen and for fear lest by the Laws of the Church her succession might prove illegitemate from which fear she thought her self secure under the Dogmata of heresie Elizabeth making Religion thus subservient to State Interest would have heresie to be received throughout all England and Ireland And detesting the Pope and King of Spain by which two she might be the most indamaged she likewise endeavoured to prejudice them as much as she could She therefore persecuted the Church infinitely in England and was very intent upon all those sinister successes which might befall the King of Spain especially in Flanders where his power was nearest unto her and from whence she did most suspect it From those parts of Germany which lie nearest to Flanders all those heretick Princes who were there Masters of any States or Dominions shewed the same disposition against the Church and the King of Spain But the most considerable amongst them and of whom the greatest fear was had for that he was more amidst the Austrian Forces of Germany and Flanders was the Prince Elector Palatine of Rhine 'T was therefore much to be feared that from these external parts all the inward commotions of Flanders were upon all occasions to be fomented This was the condition of Affairs and the disposition of minds in Flanders when the King was there and upon his departure for Spain I will take my rise in the History which I undertake to write from hence after having with as much brevity as I could acquainted you with what hath already been said The King was resolved to go for Spain to the which he was moved not only out of his particular natural addiction to those Kingdoms as out of mature wisdome and advised choice He saw his vast Empire hardly well setled and consolidated after the so many voyages and great pains of his Father and finding it composed of so many members and so far divided one from another he thought it expedient that he should share out and disperce the vigor and spirit of government from out the principall part thereof as doth the heart in humane bodies and certainly Spain was to be reputed not onely the most important but the fittest place for this purpose there wanted not moreover many other urgent necessities which required the Kings presence and particularly those which were occasioned partly by the danger of Heresie which was already begun there and partly by jealousies of the Moors wherewith Spaine was greatly infected and with whom it was greatly feared that upon any intestine commotion the neighbouring Moors of Africa would joyn themselves The chiefest business which before the Kings departure was taken into consultation was to whom he should leave the government of Flanders in his absence Two Ladyes neerly allyde unto the King by blood were taken into consideration the one was Christierna Dutches of Loraine who was daughter to a sister of the Emperour Charls the fifth and the other Margaret Dutches of Parma naturall daughter to the same Emperour great was the contestation before it was resolved which of the two was to be preferred Christierna was the elder very well known in Flanders by reason of the neighbor-hood of Loraine praised for her great wisdom in having worthily discharged the Government of that State remaining still a Widdow and the afore mentioned Peace of Cambray which by her means she being there present in person was managed and concluded had very much increased her reputation By which successe Flanders being freed from the molestation of Arms she won more upon the affection of the Flemings Orange was chiefly for her out of the hopes he had of marrying one of her Daughters and therefore labored her Election as much as he could hoping also by that marriage that the government of Flanders might be more sway'd by him then by Christierna But the Kings inclination bore him at last to like best of Margaret as she who had been born and bred up in Flanders and who having her Husbands Estates of Parma and Piacensa in midst the forces of the Dukedom of Millan in Italy and resolving to send her onely son Alexander to the Court of Spain promised a more absolute dependency upon the King where on the contrary the house of Loraine by reason of the condition of the Country and more in respect of interest was inforced to depend almost wholly upon the Crown of France besides the great desire which the Flemish themselves shewed to have Christierna for their Regent made the King Spanish officers
to send a Commander in chief thither with a foreign army They said that the King would find greatest obedience they sought to honest as much as they could the Covenant and the Petition and though they detested the popular insolencies against the Church yet they would make it be believed that it was done out of ignorance or levity but not out of infidelity That therefore the King should come himself in person and that imitating his father and his fore-fathers in his benignity he might expect answerable effects in their obsequiousness from the Flemish The King himself had long nourisht this opinion of his going into Flanders and such a speech was spread abroad in Spain and such was the preparation of ships which were built in Biscay to make that voyage as it was given out as all Europe did firmly believe it and to say truth the aforesaid reasons being well considered it could not be judged but that the King had some such thought but oft-times those councels which are advisedly taken are out of necessity past by The consequences which made against it being therefore put into the contrary scale it appear'd almost impossible for the King to resolve upon such an action And first to keep a long time aloof off from the heart of his Monarchy bore with it those important considerations which were toucht upon in the beginning when it was shewed for what reasons the King resolved to make his residency in Spain And a double fear did still continue as well of the Moors who were spread thoroughout all those Kingdoms as also of some dangerous infectious heresie which might be brought amongst those people But suppose the King had been free of those suspitions how should he have gone into Flanders by sea or by land with or without forces by sea he must depend upon storms and wind and upon the meer will of fortune which useth to make her greatest sports of the most eminent amongst mortals And the King himself not many years before had experienced the danger of sea-voyages in his return from Flanders and had not his own example been sufficient that of his Grandfather Philip was yet very fresh who by the violence of the winds was thrown upon England and detained by force many days in that Kingdom Upon which occasion he notwithstanding received all fair entertainment and Courtly hospitality from Henry the seventh which the King could not exspect from Queen Elizabeth who did rather conspire with his enemies to his prejudice On the other side the journey by land seemed very difficult for the King was of necessity to pass through the Countries of several Princes and would depend with too much danger upon their wills The King of France would peradventure consent that he should pass through his Kingdom and would perhaps have received him with no less friendly demonstrations then King Francis had done the Emperour Charls the fifth but the hereticks wherewith all the parts of that Kingdom were then almost infected would have opposed his journey and would doubtlesly have made the event prove dangerous It remained then that he must land in Italy and afterwards take his way either through Savoy or by the Switzers so to enter into the Country of Burgundy and Lorain and from thence into Flanders On both which parts he was likewise to pass through the Countries of strangers and to coast so near upon France and Germany as he must needs be subject to many sinister accidents which easily might have befaln him These were the difficulties which were taken into consideration if the King were to pass into Flanders either by sea or by land with only his Court attendance But how much greater were to be feared if he should pass with an Army since carrying with him so great a â—ne as the occasion would doubtlesly require all States would be jealous of so great Forces and peradventure would have raised Forces likewise and instead of friends have become enemies lest that which was termed a passage might turn to an oppression Then the Councel of Spain not thinking it fit that the King should go himself in person into Flanders for the aforesaid reasons it remained to see whether it were better to send some warlick Commander thither with an Army or laying aside all asperity endeavour to compose the affairs by fair means The King was much at variance within himself upon this point He was naturally given to love quiet he loved the Flemish and would rather have been beloved then feared by them knowing very well how much securer the Garison is which Princes have in their subjects hearts then those of Citadels or Cities moreover that he might be very uncertain of what the event of his forces would be against a people by nature so fierce so far remote from all the rest of his Dominions and who were invironed on all sides by the Crown of Spains greatest enemies and enviers But on the contrary he saw how little good fair means had done as yet since the authors of the begun disorders had rather been incouraged thereunto then otherwise by too much tolleration and might likely if unpunished grow worse and worse Nor were the Kings Councelless at a stand then the King The Councel of Spain was then full of many eminent personages Amongst the rest Ferdinand de Tolledo Duke of Alva and Gomes de Figheroa Duke of Feria were in great esteem both with the King and Councel Feria chiefly for Civil affairs and Alva for Military actions who was so excellent therein as the first place in the profession of Militia was unquestionably given to him by all Spain These two were of differing opinions Feria thought it better to reduce the Flemish to their duties by fair means and Alva by force Upon a certain day then when the King himself was in Councel to resolve what was to be done in this so important business The Duke of Feria spake thus The cure of an evil most glorious Prince lies chiefly without all question in knowing what it is Cities and Monarchies are born and die grow sick and are cured as humane bodies are so as if diligence be used in the private indispositions of one onely man how much more necessary is it to be used in the publick maladies of whole Kingdoms To provide then for the evils wherewith Flanders is afflicted 't is very necessary first to know their causes And this without all doubt ought chiefly to be attributed to the terror which the Inquisition and the Edicts have infused into that Country The Flemish have apprehended and do apprehend now more then ever to have their consciences violated by such ways and to undergoe all other greater affliction and misery and this it is which hath made them fall at last into so many and so hainous outrages That under which Flanders doth at the present labour is if I may so call it a Frenzie of fear which is fomented by such as are ambitious and turbulent that they
of the Covenant Petition and of the violences used against the Churches and the Catholick religion He forthwith accompanied the terror of his Threats with the severity of Punishment He caused the Prince of Orange his brother Lodovick Count Hostrate Brederode and Colemburgh and the rest of the prime men who were gone out of Flanders to be publikely cited to appear before him within a certain prefixt time upon pain of rebellion and the loss of their goods in case they did not appear He caused a great many others of all sorts to be imprisoned in sundry parts of the Provinces who were fallen into the aforesaid faults and they were in so great numbers that all the prisons throughout the whole Country were on a sudden full of them To imprisonment he added Death and made the market-places the places of execution to the end that the publikeness thereof might infuse the greater terror At the same time he designed divers Citadels and began to lay their foundations where he thought either the situation of the Towns or the condition of the Inhabitants did most require it The first was placed in Antwerp with five royal Bulwarks upon the Scheld upon which River the City is seated to hasten the which he went in person to Antwerp and made the City contribute towards the expence thereof giving them assured hopes that as soon as the Citadel should be put into a posture of defence Lodroneas Regiment of High-Dutch which were there in garrison should be removed He began to build a Fort in Flushing the chief Haven of Zealand and which opens and shuts the entrance into the Scheld He designed another in Groninghen upon the confines of Germany and another in Valentiennes which lies towards France But unless it were that of Antwerp the rest were not built for so many troubles arose from so many parts as the Duke had not fitting opportunity to doe it He notwithstanding secured the Frontiers on all sides by good garrisons against all innovations which might be endeavoured from abroad and within he disarmed many of the most suspected Cities and distributed forces in divers parts where he thought it most needfull to curb the Flemish more straightly This so rigorous a beginning of Government put the Country every where into such fear as it was on a sudden abandoned by a great number of people of all sorts they were reported to be above thirty thousand Those who were no wayes concerned were affrighted to see the faults of others so severely punished and they groaned to see that Flanders which was wont to enjoy one of the ealiest governments of all Europe should now have no other object to behold but the Terror of Arms Flight Exiles Imprisonments blood death and confiscations The people fled to the neighbouring parts of Germany to France and England But those of best quality retired to Germany drawn thither by Orange who encouraged them more then all the rest to follow his example and run his fortune And who from thence did answer the Dukes citation in writing refusing to submit himself to his Tribunal as to that of a Judge too much suspected and of too inferior a condition to take cognisance of such a cause saying that he was a free Prince of Germany and therefore in the first place a Subject to the Emperour and that being a Knight of the Golden Fleece he was only to be judged by the King himself who was the supreme Head of that Order Hostrat answered almost in the same sort save only that he left out the reason of being Feudatory to the Emperour for he had no estate in Germany Horn had some estate of that nature and therefore his Mother when he was imprisoned had suddenly recourse to Caesars Authority and had from thence procured favourable offices in her sons behalf to the King and Duke of Alva The like is done by divers Princes of Germany in Orange his behalf and those that were joyned with him in the same cause for indeed the Catholike Princes were no less displeased then were the Hereticks of those parts with the Dukes severity and that such an alteration should be made in the Government of Flanders with which Country they had such conformity both in language customs and laws The King promised all fair intreatment so as the Citation might be obeyed But none of those that were cited daring to trust and the time of citation being already elapsed the Duke proceeded to punishment and amongst other things he made Colemburghs house in Brussels be pull'd down to the ground in memory of the detestation of the seditious practises which were there chiefly woven and concluded Orange was Master of divers fair Towns in sundry Provinces of Flanders The Principality of Orange is in France though not subject to that Crown and of a great many likewise in the County of Burgundy in Brabant amongst others he had Breda a noble pâ—ace having a stately Castle in it and of such consequence as the Duke of Alva would suddenly secure himself the better thereof by putting a garrison into it To the confiscation of his goods the Duke added the retension of the Count di Buren a Youth of twelve years of age who was the Prince of Orange his eldest son and who was then at the University of Lovain following his studies and under pretence that the King would have him follow the same studies and exercises in the University of Alcala d'Enares he sent him well guarded into Spain Orange and his companions together with other Nobles who were fled from Flanders exasperated at these proceedings did what they could to shew their resentment Their chief end was to raise Forces and lead them into Flanders hoping assuredly that when any Forces should appear from without they that were within the Country would suddenly rise This was therefore hotly endeavoured and it was managed by their Adherents in almost all the Provinces of Flanders The Duke of Alva's government infused horror into them and by all dreadful exagerations they endeavoured to make the people abhor it From without they themselves endeavoured by all possible means to draw other Princes to favour their cause From England 't was known the Queen had a great inclination to foment whatsoever novelties which might happen in the Low-Countries She considered that if the King of Spain should possess them peacefully his Forces would be too formidable both by sea and land throughout all Europe That she in particular was greatly to apprehend his Forces by Sea since England and Ireland would be as it were invironed by the Fleets which might be maintained on the one side in Spain and on the other in Flanders That the King would not be backward in molesting her having opportunity to doe it as he who knew she sought to indamage him as much as she might as he had already had several experiences These outward dangers appeared unto the Queen to be the greater when she considered also those within She saw
the Heretick government which she had introduced within her Kingdom began to totter that a great many Catholicks were still in England that Ireland was almost wholly Catholick and that to cause innovations in those parts particularly in matters of Religion no Prince would be more forward therein then the King of Spain She therefore desired to see her neighbour Countries involved in Heresie hoping that people withdrawing themselves from the obedience of the Church would the easelier be perswaded to doe the like from that of their Prince and that one rebellion added to another affairs should be so imbroiled in those parts as there should be no design of troubling her To this purpose the Hugonot Faction in France was at first favoured by her and now more then ever who joyed to see the progress thereof so great in that Kingdom But her design in this point was chiefly upon Flanders for from thence by reason of the vicinity of those Countries unto hers both before and much more after the Duke of Alva was entred there with his Forces grew the greatest suspitions which she had of the King of Spains power Wherefore she graciously received all those who fled from Flanders to England and nourisht the complaints which they made against the Spaniard and much more the hatred and ill will which they bore them Nor content to favour them in her own Dominions she did the like with the Hereticks of France and Germany with whom she held continual correspondencie and bore great sway But though these offices did help yet were they more then needed either for the one or the other faction That of the Hugonots was already so increased in France as they designed to ground a popular Commonwealth upon the ruines of the Monarchy The government in Religion which they had imbraced was of this form And desirous that their Politick interests should be guided by the like they pretended that the King should permit them to meet in the general and in the particular Assemblies and to treat of what concerned their body apart which was to make a total separation from the State within the State King Charles was then got out of his minority and shewed himself to be both generously and piously given But by reason of his youth the government was still managed by the Queen his mother who set upon by the ambition of the Hereticks and almost no less by the like of the Catholicks did temporise amongst so many and so fierce storms and sought to shun danger since she knew not how to oppose it Arms had already been several times both taken up and laid down and the King had endeavoured to allay the fire of Civil wars by divers Edicts of Pacification as they termed them since the times would not suffer him totally to extinguish it But the Edicts served but to little purpose to restore quiet to that Kingdom since the factions were more inflamed then ever Nor were Arms laid down but that they might be taken up again with more advantage To this end the Hugonots held close intelligence with the Queen of England and with the Hereticks of Germany And because the King of Spain assisted King Charles and did integrally favour the Catholick cause and especially by the Flanders Forces therefore did not the Hugonots omit to foment the Flemish in their bad inclinations Secret intelligence had ever past as we have already said between the Prince of Orange and Coligni the Admiral of France But after Orange his retreat to Germany their practises grew hotter The one of them plotted the ruine of France which was already begun the other the ruine of Flanders which was shortly to begin Nor is it to be said how much the Hugonots desired to see the like troubles ensue in Flanders as France did already suffer under that they might have companions abroad and to make but one cause of two to the end that it might be so much the better defended by common forces and honested by reciprocal examples So that Coligni and the other Chieftains of the Heretick faction used all possible diligence to make the Flemish who were fled into France suddenly endeavour the like novelty which they greatly desired to raise up of themselves in their Country From Germany likewise the Heretick Princes and the Hans-Towns of the same Faction seemed for the same reasons to have the same ends in the affairs of Flanders Yea before the rise of Luthers Heresie all the Princes and the Hans-Towns of Germany which together with the Emperor their head doe compose the body of the Empire were not well pleased to see that the House of Austria first by the addition of Flanders and then by that of Spain should be so much exalted Till then they had looked upon the fortune of that House with an envious eye When Charles the Fifth was come to the Imperial Crown they turned their envy into open fear lest from being Head of the German government he might become absolute Prince of that Empire They saw that how great soever his design might be his Forces were equivalent in greatness thereunto And their fear in this point was rather increased then diminished by the entry of Heresie into Germany For they apprehended lest under the colour of reordering the affairs concerning Religion he might intend to advantage his own Authority the more easily in those which regarded the State Hence in a great part were occasioned the troubles of those Countries hence their so many Dyets and particularly the Accords which insued in point of Religion And though when Charles dyed the House of Austria was divided and that the greatest power thereof remained in that Branch which was transplanted into Spain and that on the other side the Hereticks had great Forces in Germany yet feared they much the neighbourhood of Flanders They suspected that the Forces of that House might upon all occasions be on that side united against them to boot that by the opportunity of that situation they saw too great advantages arose to the Austrians in Germany to continue the enjoyment of the Empire and that in stead of being elective it might become hereditary in that Family and that the possession might remain in the Catholick part with the exclusion of the Heretical They therefore fauthor'd by all the means they might the Novelties which had insued in Flanders in the Government of the Dutchess of Parma They favoured Heresie fomented Sedition counsell'd their chief Leaders and endeavoured by all other means to cause such Troubles in those Provinces as that the King of Spain might either wholly lose them or not quietly enjoy them They termed Flanders the Lower-Germany and reputed it as joyned to the body of their own Upper-Germany by reason of the connexion of Countries the conformity of speech and manner of living and by the community of Traffick and Rivers of which 't is arguable whether the Rhine be more commodious to higher Germany by the longer course thereof or
river side and without much gainsaying quickly put them to the rout Many of them were drowned in the river many slain and many taken prisoners Amongst others Hostrat was wounded and soon after died of his wounds This action put a period to all Orange his hopes of seeing the Countrie rise and to the like of the Flemish malecontents of ever exciting any He was the more troubled at this success because his hopes were much increased at this time by advertisements that he had received of great succours sent from the French Hugonots which were at hand They were led on by Monsieur Genlis and sent by the Prince of Conde out of the abovesaid ends which the Hugonots had to foment the neighbourghring revolutions of Flanders that they might the better establish their own in France Orange thinking now on nothing else but how to put himself into some safe condition left Brabant and went into the Contiguous Provinces of Namures and Hennault to meet the French succour which he did and so make his retreat the surer Genlis had about some 4000 foot with him and 1500 horse Orange was somewhat inheartned by the coming of these men for many of his own men were missing and many ran away every day and the rest being ill disciplined and worse paid and threatning continually to mutiny he thought to return back the same way to Germany But finding the Mause at that time very high and greater opposition then before in the Legeiois he turned again into the Province of Hennault From thence he continued his retreat towards France and having in vain tryed the Castle of Cambray before he quitted Flanders being still close pursued by the Duke of Alva he at last went out of Flanders and staid near St. Quintains at the entrance into Picardy Here according to the diversity of designes he divided his men and those of France into several parts The High-Dutch quite spent by hunger and hardships returned to Germany Orange staid a while in France to renew the former practises with the chief Hugonots and his brother Lodovick tarryed there afterwards for the same end till their second coming from Germany and France against the Duke of Alva as shall be said in its due place The Duke having gotten so important a Victury without the loss of almost any one of his Army or rising of any place he distributed his soldiers into their several quarters and about the end of the year returned as in triumph into Brussels And for that it appeared he had merited no less for his service done to Religion then to the King Pope Pius Quintus sent him soon after the Helmet and Trunchion which are presented only to great Princes and particularly to such who by some famous action have deserved well of the Church This mean while these prosperous proceedings of the Spanish forces in Flanders were looked upon with a clean contrary eye by the Queen of England She had hitherto assisted the troubles in those parts rather in secret then barefaced but when she saw that those of Nassaw were driven out and that the King of Spains forces were now more potent there then ever she returning to her former fear of having them so near at hand resolved to let slip no occasion whereby she might more openly prejudice the Kings affairs in those parts There were two of her privy Councel who then bore great sway with her The one was Robert Dudly Earl of Lester a Gentleman of Noble descent and great imployment And the other William Cecil her Secretary of State who being but of mean bloud though of great wisdom passing through divers Court-Offices to the managing of State-affairs had drawn almost the whole Government of the Kingdom upon him Both these had chiefly perswaded the Queen still to establish the heresie of England and consequently to indamage the Catholick Church and the King of Spain as much as she could for those respects which have been formerly spoken or She persecuted the Church cruelly in her Kingdom And watching for an opportunity whereby she might still more incommodate the Kings affairs in Flanders it was not longere she met with one of very great consequence which was this The King by means of means of Givers Genua Merchants had raised a great sum of money for the affairs of Flanders whereof 400 thousand crowns were sent by sea to Antwerp the ships which brought this money met with some Pyrats so as to save themselves they were forced to fall in upon England The Spanish Ambassador who was then with the Queen hearing of this apply'd himself presently to the Queen that the money might be freely carried to Antwerp and received answer from her sutable to his desire But she being resolved within her self and councelled thereunto by Lester and Cecil to detain the money so as at one and the same time she might accommodate her self and disaccommodate the King of Spain let the Ambassador know that being informed that those monies were not really the King of Spains but that they belonged to some Italian Merchants she had resolved to make use thereof her self allowing them just consideration The Ambassador laboured to make it appear that the money belonged unto the King and sent by his direction to Flanders and to strengthen this the more he made the Duke of Alva write to her about it But she feigning one difficulty after another gave such delatory answers as it was plainly seen she had no mind the money should goe into Flanders The Duke stormed mightily hereat and presently dispatched away Assonville to London about it who with much earnestness renewed what the Ambassador had formerly prest for But look how much the Duke made his need of the monies appear the greater by his so earnest desiring them so much the more did the Queen by the interposal of new and subtill Impediments on her behalf deny them He being thus deluded in his Negotiation and being by nature inclined rather to overcome then to sweeten difficulties resolved at last to see if he could bring the English over to his will or no by reprisals He therefore first made the goods and the persons of such Merchants of that Nation be detained who did in great numbers traffick in the Low-Countries and made it be known unto the Queen that the like should be done in all the King of Spain's other Dominions unless the monies of Spain were set at liberty which were so unjustly detained in England The Queen was not inwardly displeased hereat but growing the bolder by such a pretence to make good the mony-business she began to pretend satisfaction in stead of giving it and complained bitterly of the Duke of Alva to the King himself To her complaints she added resentment on her behalf she commanded that the same reprisals should be made in England against the King of Spains subjects And appearing much incenst against the Duke of Alva's person she publikely threatned to indammage him as much as she
of novelties wind the people in those parts as he pleaseth and make them sencible of the evil of deceit before they can discover that they are deceived Flemish natures use to erre on this hand which if they ever did at any time 't was when they so easily believed what was suggested to them at this time in prejudice of Don John and to make the Spaniards seem hateful to them Don John was rather abandoned then put into the Government of the Country he enjoyed the bare name of Governour but not any authority at all The Spaniards were gone the Germans were to be gone and which imported most all the Castles were already in the custody of the natural Flemish and yet they returned as easily to their suspitions as if the Duke of Alva had been again at their gates with a more powerfull Army then before Don John endeavoured notwithstanding diligently to free them of them he made use of the abovesaid reasons and many others which he represented in confirmation of the Kings good will and his own towards the Nation But such endeavours availed but a little for there were too many deceits woven to the contrary and those who wove them wrought their end too easily One of the chiefest Articles which was established at Gaunt and afterwards confirmed at Marks was that as soon as the Foreign Souldiers should be gone the States Generall should be assembled with all solemnity just as they were the last time in the reign of Charles the 5. and that then it should be determined what should be thought most convenient in point of the Catholick religion in Holland and Zealand When Don John was admitted into the Government he prest the execution of that Article and the Councel of State seemed as if they would do the best they could with Orange But were it either that the endeavors were too cold on the one side or that the answers were more obdurat then usual on the other there could be nothing concluded therin The States did then resolve and did therin particularly request Don John to send the Duke of Arescot in their name into Holland as also the Lords Hierges and Viglierval and Doctor Leonino and the Treasurer Schets Lord of Grobendorick in the name of Don John to endeavour again to perswade Orange and the two aforesaid Provinces to joyn in one and the same opinion with the rest Which if it should not succeed Don John thought their obstinacie and pertinaciousness would the more evidently appear Upon this occasion Orange and the Deputies of Holland and Zealand came to a more determinate answer They said those two Provinces could not change the reformed religion which was now received throughout them both They complained with various interpretations that the Agreement made at Gaunt was not observed as it ought to be That the new Forts should of right be demolished and particularly that of Antwerp thereby to take away all occasion from the Spaniards of re-entring there Orange demanded the free redelivery of his Son And pretending complaints upon complaints they could not be satisfied because they would not be satisfied Ariscot returned to Brussels with a Non est inventus the States did not so much resent it as Don John expected they should But Orange his faction growing still more strong his adherents endeavoured to justifie boldly and to the very teeth of Don John every action that came from that Party Heez walked through the streets of Brussels with a particular Guard as if he acknowledged no other Command but his own in that Town and the People laying aside all reverence to Don John committed divers misbecoming actions to his Family the most hair-brain'd of all the meanest sort of people not sticking to give out insolent speeches tending to sedition For all this Don John dissembled and in many things seemed as if he either did not take notice of them or did not regard them He endeavoured all he could to win Ariscot and the other chief men and to divide them and Orange and to make them aware of his artificial designs shewing That they tended apparently to aggrandise himself with popular Authority by the abusing of all the other States of the Country That being already become an Heretick he had consequently made himself an Enemy to Church-men and did he not by making himself the Peoples prime Protector declare himself to be the chief against the Nobility To shew his greater confidence in Ariscot the King had put the Castle of Antwerp into his hands and had given him his eldest son the Prince of Samai for his Lieutenant And doubtlesly there was great emulation between Ariscot and Orange who should be the greater But the former was of an open and voluble nature whereas the other being a man of great knowledge and deeply subtile and already of so great repute both in Flanders and elswhere had too great advantage on his side in all things To this was added That the Popularity enjoying so great a part in the Government of Flanders especially in Towns and Cities for that the Monastical Abbots and the Nobles did usually live in the Country riscot nor no other Governour of any Province would distaste that sort of people upon which their chief attendance and authority in the Country did depend To boot that all the Nobility and amongst them those that were the greatest desirous to shew their zeal in favouring the welfare of the Country they could not vary much from those opinions which Orange appeared to be of since they were too speciously coloured over to that purpose The Viscount Gaunt was likewise then in great esteem who was afterwards Marqnis of Rubais and who in the divisions which fell out between the Provinces did afterwards serve the King very faithfully in military imployments of very great weight Don John desired likewise to make him his friend So as to shew his confidence in him he sent him into England to give account to the Queen of his being received into the Government and to keep all fair correspondencie with her at least in appearance since for other things he could not be ignorant that the Rebels in Flanders had in former times ever been most fomented from thence and were likely to be so more then ever in the future The States this mean while sollicited the payment of the German Souldiers that they might rid the Country likewise of that sort of Foreigners that yet remained there But the business proved very difficult for the States knew not where to find the mony which were greatly exhausted by reason of the so many past expences for what they had lately disbursed for the sending of the Spaniards away They liked therefore very well the Vicount of Gaunts being sent into England and thought to have intreated the Queen by him that she would furnish them with some monies to that purpose They owed her other sums of money before and peradventure she would not have been unwilling to have
him to leave us one of his sons to be our Prince in his stead As for Religion every one knows how great a freedom France enjoys therein Wherefore it is not to be doubted but that the Duke will allow a greater liberty therein in Flanders For though our intentions be that the Reformed Religion should be the most prevalent yet it will behove us to allow of the Catholick there being so great a part of our Provinces which is obstinate therein and chiefly the Walloon Countrys to the regaining whereof we must with all our industry apply our selves And as for what authority the Duke may assume unto himself by the example of what the Kings of France enjoy in their Kingdom May not we limit it as we shall please so as he may know he hath the Flemish to Govern and not the French and that he must use our Laws only without any participation of theirs I therefore conclude that all the reasons considered in this present affair make much more for the French then for the English And this is likewise my opinion The which I am not notwithstanding so far in love withall but that I shall be ready to quit it when I shall hear a better None shall be more ready then I to adhere unto the sence of this most vigilant Assembly nor be more willing to endeavour the fulfilling thereof after it shall be maturely advised upon This opinion of Aldegonds bore great weight with it And to enjoy a Prince who was in his own person to sustain the Government and the Interest of the Provinces was a business exceedingly considerable This so important business was not agitated without the Catholick Deputies For though those of the Walloon Provinces were wanting and that there was no respect at all had to the Ecclesiastical Orders yet were there a great many Catholicks in the Provinces who leaned more to heresie wherefore in this Assembly there were divers Catholick Deputies chosen together with the Hereticks The Propositions which were made by the others were generally very ill rescented by these For though they did likewise greatly hate the Spaniards yet they thought it a too desperate business to treat of changing a Prince and almost altogether Religion They shewed How much the King would be irritated by both these That if he would never tolerate any liberty at all of consequence in Flanders how much less then would he suffer heresie to domineer every where And what more unworthy thing could there be then to make Religion subservient to the State the ancient Church to the new Sects and the Piety for so many years professed in those Provinces to rescent Doctrins which had involved almost all Europe in mighty troubles To this injury which should be done to the Church and which certainly the King would own as his own how much would the other add which belonged wholly to himself of bereaving him of his due soveraignty which after so long a succession of his ancestors was past into him and so strictly acknowledged and solemnly sworn unto by the Provinces That therefore it was to be believed he would rescent both these injuries with the whole Forces of his Kingdoms That his Forces had been formerly formidable but how much more now that he had gotten the Kingdom of Portugal That there could no relyance be had upon those of France by reason of the divisions by which that Kingdom was at the present so terribly rent in pieces And say the King of France could he would not assist his brother lest he might thereby draw upon him the Forces of the King of Spain That the Catholick Faction in France held already great correspondency with the King of Spain And now having so justifiable a pretence how much more might that King foment it and how many foreign evils might he add to those home-bred ones That from England they could not receive the benefit of a Prince of their own So as the administration must pass by the hands of Governours And what certainty was there that the English would give better satisfaction then the Spaniards especially in a new Principallity wherein they would never proceed so far by fair means but that they would much more use force That the same King had great commodity of making diversions likewise against the Queen and to incite England to some insurrection either by open war or under-hand practises and much more easily Ireland a Country which was almost altogether Catholick greatly devoted to the Church and well affected also to the Crown of Spain And thus the Provinces having no foreign helps would be wholly exposed to the indignation and forces of a potent and injured enemy from whom they were afterwards to expect the greater punishment in that they had given so just an occasion thereof For these reasons the Catholick Deputies past on to this opinion That above all things an agreement between the Provinces should be endeavoured for that if they were well united their own union might furnish them with sufficient Forces at least to defend themselves That they should never lay down their Arms till the ancient form of Government were first restored by the King That touching Religion the peace of Gaunt should be observed which was so maturely handled and concluded by the full consent of the Provinces That if things should be brought to that necessity as that the Provinces of Flanders must needs be severed from the Crown of Spain they should procure as it was most reasonable a Prince of the House of Austria or one of the Kings sons if he should have more then one or some other body who should marry with a daughter of the Kings upon whom the Dominion of those Provinces might be transferred And that at last if they should fail of all these means the Provinces should take the Soveraignty into their own hands In which case it was not to be doubted but that they should have a much better Cause more justifiable to the world better made good by their people and more favoured by their neighbours But the Hereticks did so far prevail in this Assembly as there was little regard had to this opinion of the Catholicks so as the question remained between the other two But at last that which Aldegonde had maintained in the behalf of Alanson was preferred Orange out of some private considerations of his own to boot with what concerned the Publick leaned more willingly likewise to this side For his Principality of Orange lay in France his wife was at that time of French bloud And great correspondency was had as had always been between him and the chief of the Hugonot Faction in that Kingdom Yet by reason of the weight of the Affair the ultimate conclusion was not at that time taken but the Deputies departed that they might first acquaint each Province with their Opinions and to bring from thence an integral resolution This mean while the business of War past on but coolly on both
munite it on the one side and to Mandragone on the other Mansfield therefore fortified the Village of Cowstein from whence the counterdike was thrust out and that Fortification was called the strong House he inlarged and heightned the counterdike where it was most needfull he planted a little Fort upon the one side which was called La Motta because Signor de la Motta had the command thereof He made also another on the other side and named it Palata because for want of earth it was made of pales which want was found almost every where in fortifying the counterdike so as they were fain to supply it with fagots and other such like materials Where the counterdike joyned afterwards with the chief dike of the river Mandragone raised a Fort and called it the Cross in relation to the position of the place which was almost of the same form and because 't was doubted that the enemy might make a great cut in the chief bank of the river beneath Lillo which might have more prejudiced the counterdike Fernese caused three Forts be raised in that place which for that they were triangular were called the Forts of the Trinity All these Works which we have named were made from time to time according as need required which we have here set down the better to present them before your eyes and to give you the clearer intelligence thereof The Prince had shut up the Passes towards the land side about Antwerp which coasted upon Brabant by Garisons which were placed in Hostrat in Herentales in Breda in Lira in Diste and in divers other Towns by which Antwerp was kept from being relieved on that side Particularly the horse scoured the whole Country every where not only out of a bare intention of incommodating the Antwerpians but to keep them from having any communication with those of Brussels or Malines so to make both them Towns fall the sooner into their hands The fiege being thus ordered on each side the river it remained totally to block up the same river which was the chief business and which brought with it not only the greatest advantage but also the greatest necessary and met with greatest opposition The Marquis of Rubays General of the horse was of great authority and esteem in the Kings Camp Wherefore Fernese gave him the chief care of the bridg and gave unto him likewise the command of a great many men of War which were a preparing to facilitate the enterprise Rubays was not wanting in acting his part in all these imployments He was in action both day and night he uncessantly divided his labours now on this side now on that with infinite industry and valour So as by his dilligence all necessary provisions for the building of the bridg did in time so increase as all the Army began to hope to see their work soon brought to perfection Whilst the Kings Camp was amongst these labours and difficulties the besieged within the City were not agitated with less uncertainty and perturbances From the very beginning of the siege they had sent expresly into Holland and Zealand and to the rest of the Confederate Provinces to desire the best and speediest assistance which could be sent them from those parts But knowing that they could not receive sufficient succour from thence they had sent particular personages into France and into England to do the like in those Courts and endeavoured to interest both those Crowns again if it were possible in their cause They had good hopes from France but the effects were not answerable That Kingdom was still full of troubles and that King would not more irritate the King of Spain who was already too much incensed for what the Duke of Alanson had done in Flanders They received greater hopes from England and might much more easily come by them But the Queen after Alansons death willing to make such advantage of the Flemish as she could not do before made them believe she would assist them but was very slow in doing it It appeared at last that her end was to see them reduced to such necessity as they should be inforced to throw themselves into her hands and contenting her self at first with a bare title of protection she might come more easily afterwards so to be totally master of them These practises from abroad proceeding but very flowly and with much ambiguity the Antwerpians hopes consisted chiefly in succours from Holland and Zealand Provinces which were nearest them and which by their naval forces might best disturb the siege especially by way of the river Nor were these parts wanting in doing what possibly they could to this purpose But the work about the bridg advancing every day and the Forts of the Kings Camp being already increased on both sides and Rubays having commanded his barks to withstand those of the enemy victuals could not so freely be brought to Antwerp by water as formerly And all passes by land being shut up they had less hopes of any relief from thence Their wants therefore still increased But the Inhabitants were chiefly afflicted to see that Commerce began already to fail and that by continuation of the siege they were likely to be totally deprived thereof And peradventure not without danger of new plunder and firing which was that that they most apprehended calling to mind what they had undergone not many years before in that kind by the Spaniards A great part of their people especially of meaner sort lived upon Merchandizing and Traffick wherefore they began to complain very much of their already sufferings and of those yet greater which they daily feared more and more And those who were of better condition were not well pleased to see themselves thus incommodiated And those that were of the best condition and wealthiest amongst them the more they feared to lose so much more did they desire to avoid the danger thereof And though they did all of them abhor to return again under the Spanish Command especially those who were most infected with heresie yet well weighing all Interests they preferred that of their lives and estates before all other respects The meaner sort of people began already to speak freely of these inconveniences and dangers and whispers were heard to the same purpose amongst the more civiliz'd people So as wavering thus in their minds it appeared that they could not but grow very cool in sustaining such a siege so vigorously as they ought to do Il Signor di Santa Aldegonda was chief of the Magistracy which governed the City by the Title of Burgamaster Before Orange his death he was put into that Office that he might particularly advance Orange his ends as he had always endeavoured to do and as we have often told you And when Orange was dead there was not any one that more partially maintained his memory nor his passions with more vehemency then did Santa Aldegonda Wherefore occasion being one day offered when the Magistracy was much
Churches which were ruined either before or upon the occasion of this siege That the City should be fuly restored to her antient priviledges and to all her former liberty and prerogatives of Traffick That in the mean while she was to pay 40000 pounds sterling to help to relieve the Army for the so much pains and expence which it had been at in that siege That the Antwerpians should give way to the receiving into the City and longing of 2000 foot and 200 horse in Garison till it should be seen what resolution should be taken in Holland Zealand and the other confederate Provinces of turning to the Kings obedience which if they should do the Prince promised to free the City of all Garisons and not to remake the Citadel as it was before That prisoners on all sides should be set at liberty except Monsieur de Tiligni concerning whose person the Prince was of necessity to receive some particular Orders from Spain and that the Signor de Aldegonda should promise not to bear Arms against the King of Spain for the space of one year These were the chiefest Articles of the surrender to which many others were added touching the restitution of Goods the restoring of Traffick and Merchandizing to the City and divers other petty interests which respected the accommodation and satisfaction of the Inhabitants This agreement being made the Prince for his greater applause in having made such an atchievement received the Order of the Golden Fleece which the King had sent him a little before The Ceremony was performed in the Fort St Philip accompanied with all the greatest Military celebration of joy and Jubilee and 't was done by Count Mansfield one of the antientest of that Order in all Flanders The Prince entred afterwards solemnly into Antwerp not only as a Conqueror but in Triumph he appeared in stately Arms on horseback many horse and foot in arms went before him and many in the like sort followed him Long files of armed foot were on each side And a little before him was all the flowre of the Nobility on horseback whereof there were very many then in the Army Thus he entred by the Cesarian Gate where he was received by the Magistrate by the heads of all the Orders of the City and by an infinite number of common people He found many Arches many Statues many Colums erected in divers parts with whatsoever else of glory could be shewn upon the like occasion by the conquered to such a Conqueror He then returned all due thanks to God in the chiefest Church and being still accompanied with both Military and City-like acclamations he lighted at the Castle and staid awhile in Antwerp to put in order such things in the City as stood in most need thereof THE HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FLANDERS Written by CARDINAL BENTIVOGLIO The Second Part. BOOK IV. The Contents The Cities of Gaunt Brussels Malines and Niminghen return to the Kings obedience The Confederate Provinces are hereupon in so great straits as they offer the Queen of England the Soveraignty of their Provinces that they may the more freely enjoy her protection The Queen accepts not of the offer but takes upon her their defence much more then formerly In lieu whereof she hath some of their Towns deposited in her hands The Earl of Lester arrives in Holland sent by her as Supreme Head of the Confederate Provinces The Prince of Parma resolves to march into the field He besiegeth Graves and takes it He continuing his victories takes Venlo Nuys passes the Rhine and succours Zutfen Lester looking on Distastes between Lester and the United Provinces The Duke of Parma continues his acquisitions takes Sluce a place of mighty importance During the heat of War an endeavour is moved between the King of Spain and Queen of England to accommodate in some sort the affairs of Flanders but the endeavour is thought but artificiall on both sides The King this mean while considers whether he ought to make open War upon the Queen or no. Consultations had hereupon in Spain The King at last resolves to set upon England with most powerfull forces Preparations made hereupon in Flanders and in Spain Preparations made by the Queen The Spanish Fleet begins to move and with an unhappy beginning is detained many days by a great tempest it comes to the English Channel The English Fleet hasts to incounter it The Spanish ships begin to suffer prejudice Fire-boats like those of the siege of Antwerp The Spanish Fleet is afraid of them and grows into great confusion At the same time the sea grows rough and makes the disorder the greater Some of the Spanish ships are lost and the rest at last are forced to return for Spain A horrible tempest ariseth which occasions the loss of many of their ships as they return and their whole Fleet is parted torn and shattered by the fury of the sea THese were at this time the advantages of the Kings Forces We told you before that ere Antwerp was taken Gaunt Brussels and Malines were reduced And not to interrupt the siege of Antwerp we forbore as then to acquaint you with what befell them if at least they may be called sieges For they were taken by only stopping up their Passes and keeping the Cities from victuals on all sides We will now briefly relate the several successes together with what insued in other parts during the siege of Antwerp After that the City of Bruges was faln into Fernese's hands Gaunt began to suffer great scarcities especially of victuals The Confederate Provinces held two places of very great importance on that Maritine Coast of Flanders to wit Sluce and Ostend And because relief might be sent from thence to Gaunt Fernese after the getting of Bruges endeavoured to possess himself of all the Passes thereabouts so as there could no communication be had between Gaunt and those two places and the success was answerable to the designe Those of Gaunt not being able to receive any help from abroad fell suddenly into great necessities yet they continued still to be contumacious And persisting in their opiniatracy against the Church and King they seemed as if they would rather undergoe any thing then submit themselves again to the Kings obedience and to the Catholick Religion On the other side Fernese though already busied about Antwerp ceased not to use all diligence to reduce those of Gaunt to the utmost necessity of Famin. Wherefore scouring the Country round about with his horse and destroying all every where he kept those Inhabitants from receiving any help or security from without their own walls There were not wanting many in the City who were well minded towards the Church and King Famine increasing then every day more and more those that were better inclined took occasion to lessen the obstinacy of the most contumatious which Fernese had formerly indeavoured to moderate by many gratious offers And so finally to keep from falling into greater mischiefs the
Gauntesses resolved to come to an agreement which followed about the end of September the preceding year They obliged themselves to give all due obedience unto the King to admit onely of the Catholick profession as formerly to rebuild the Castle which was slighted on the side which lay towards the Town and to pay twenty thousand pound for maintenance of the Kings Army and Fernese on his part did in the Kings name grant them full pardon they were restored to their former priviledges and those who would not profess the Catholick Religion had two years space allowed them to be gone and to carry away their goods whether they would That in the first place their Provinces did in all integrity of soul thank her for her having been so gratiously pleased to favour them and protect them against the King of Spain 's violence since the very first time that he used any against them That be continuing more then ever to oppress Flanders and those Provinces not being able of themselvs to defend themselves from so powerful and cruel an enemy were inforced to seek for necessary protection elsewhere That therefore they had resolved to fly unto her for it A Princess so conjoyn'd to them in territories so united in religion and so interested in the cause That to say truth they were then in a very low condition that notwithstanding they were yet possest of Oestend and Sluce in the Province of Flanders which were both of them Maratine Towns of great concernment That Holland Zealand and Freisland Provinces which lay all of them upon the Sea were yet wholly free from the Spaniards and that within land there were yet many of the most secure places under their union and a great part of the best of the Country That they doubted not but that so puissant a Princess as she would Patronise their defence much more out of magnanimity then out of Interest so as leaving the first part to her and considering themselves the second they represented unto her how great an advantage the addition of such Provinces and particularly those of the Maritine Coast would be to England And what doubt could it be but that these two Naval Forces being joyned together would give the Law by sea to all the Western yea and Northern parts That they then offered to submit themselves wholly to her Soveraignity so to injoy not onely her ordinary protection but to be defended by her absolute authority as by their Princess hoping that she would be pleased to admit of such an offer under such fair and reasonable conditions as their people were to enjoy according to the moderate form of their ancient Government for what remained she might assure her self that the Flemish would alwayes vye for Loyalty towards her with the English in readiness in concurring to all her greater exaltations and in joy to see all her ends effected according to her own desire This was the substance of their Proposal Having said this by word of mouth they presented it in writing to the Queen who graciously received it and did in as gracious a manner reply That she would with all attention study to send them back as speedily as might be to their Provinces well satisfied That such an offer bore with it matter of great conseqnence and that therefore she would take particular care that it should be diligently discust by her Councel The English had at first seemed very much to desire this But as usually seen things move more then such as are but meerly imagined so when the weight of this affair was seen nearer hand the Councels differed much in their opinions concerning it Some more boldly were of opinion That so fair an offer was by all means to be imbraced That the United Provinces had already lawfully made themselves their own Soveragins out of their so requisite necessity of not being able to suffer the King of Spains so great oppression They might therefore lawfully dispose of that their Soveraignty as they should best please That they had once already confer'd it upon the Duke of Alanson and wherefore might they not now confer it upon the Queen The King of Spain would undoubtedly be scandalized hereat and would peradventure make war again upon England But how oft had he already offended the Queen Were not the Insurrections in Ireland fomented by him had he not a designe to do the like in England Did not he favour the Queen of Scots Cause as much as he might and did not he upon all other occasions shew his ill will to the English That if he would fall into open war with the Queen it was to be considered how greatly her usual strength at sea would be increased by this new Maritine addition of Flanders Let therefore the King of Spain assault England when he should please he should finde it as secure in forces as inexpugnable by situation But there wanted not those that were of a contrary opinion They said It was the common concernment of all Princes that their subjects should keep within their due obedience what a ruine would it be to Principality if the rendering or denying of obedience should be at the Subjects pleasure That hitherto the Queen had favoured the Flemish not as free people but as those that were opprest that she might still without proceeding any farther do the same justly for the future but to acknowledge a Soveraign power in them and then to accept of that Soveraignty offered by them was an action of bad example for other Princes and particularly of very dangerous consequence for the Queen her self How much more just reason would the King of Spain have in such a case to make her taste of the same evils at her own home How great a disposition was there generally thereunto in Ireland And how great in the so many Catholicks which were yet in England By her example the King would doubtlesly pass from fomenting secretly into open invasion To his Temporal Forces the Pope of Rome might likely enough add his Spiritual ones And it would then be seen what would be got by making so uncertain an acquisition in neighbouring Countries when by doing so certain hazard must be run at home in her own Dominions Amidst these two contrary opinions there was one in a middle way between them which was That the Queen without accepting of the Soveraignty or using any other title of Protection should assist the Flemish with a good strength of men That for security of the expence which she should be at in assisting them they should put some good Town of Zealand into her hands and some other also in Holland And that the Forces which should be maintained by the United Provinces should be under his command whom she should send in Chief with her men Thus having gotten footing in those Maritime parts and her Authority likewise being in the above said manner extended further within Land the Queen might wait for what time would produce who is the
exceeding great preparations both by Sea and Land He gave the care of the maritime preparations to the Marquis de la Croce and destin'd him to the Naval command As for the Land he would have the greatest Forces be raised in Flanders and that the Duke of Parma should carry that Army which was under his command over into England and that he should have the chief command thereof as also of all the rest who were brought in the Fleet to land in the Island These Orders being given out by the King the noise thereof began to be heard throughout all his Kingdoms each of them strove which should provide most ships greatest store of victuals and warlike ammunition in so great ampleness as so high a design did require Great preparations of all these things were made in Sicily in the Kingdom of Naples and in all the maritime Coasts of Spain and especially in the building of great abundance of ships whereof the Fleet was to be composed Such men as were necessary for the service were also raised in all parts and in fine the resolution was to make an Armado so powerfull in all conditions as the like had never been known at any time to be upon the Sea The Duke of Parma's diligence in making preparations in Flanders in behalf of the enterprise was this mean while no whit less After the getting of Sluce he went to Bruges and kept there as in the fittest place of all the Province of Flanders to dispose of all things necessary for the transporting of his Army into England To recrute it with men the King had given order that Biaggio Cappizucchi in Italy should raise a Brigado of Foot in the State of Urbin and that Carlo Spinulli should do the like in the Kingdom of Naples That the Marquess of Brogaut brother to the Cardinal Andrea d' Austrea should raise another in Germany greater then ordinary That the rest of the German Nation that were on foot should be filled up and that the like should be done amongst the Burgonians and Walloons That a good body of men should be sent from Spain to recruit the old Brigadoes That in in fine the field Army of Flanders should be composed of 30000 Foot and of 4000 choise Horse all of which or at least the greatest part were to be imployed in the expedition for England An infinite provision of things was required to transport such an Army and to provide it with all things necessary to lead on the enterprise successfully on that side They purposed to embarke the men at Newport and Dunkirk and a great number of vessels was necessary to transport them And though these were rather to be for burthen then war and rather low built then high yet the assembling so many of them brought with it both great expence of time and monies and amongst other things a great number of Artificers were requisite to be had to do the workmanship and of Mariners to govern them The Duke of Parma had great scarcity of both these and was likewise jealous of them by reason of such mens being inclined to follow rather the Hollanders and Zealanders in whose Seas they were for the most part born and bred up then the Kings party where their profession was but little practised insomuch as the Duke was glad to send for some from the Baltick Sea and to make provision of them in divers other parts of the lower side of Germany The aforesaid Vessels were most of them built in Antwerp and many in Gaunt Newport and Dunkirk Those of Antwerp were to be brought by the Scheld to Gaunt and from thence to Bruges by a Channel cut by hand which goes from the one City to the other And upon this occasion the Duke cut another channel likewise from Bruges to Newport to the end that the Vessels might fall the more commodiously into the sea and there joyn with those of Dunkirk During the noise of so great preparations made in all parts of Italy Spain and Flanders to assault England that year ended and the year 1588 commenced which was particularly remarkable for this enterprise sake The designe was not notwithstanding publickly declared but the King striving as much as he could to conceal it made it be given out that so great a preparation by land and by sea was intended against the Rebels in Flanders And to keep them likewise in suspence he caused the begun negotiation between him and the Queen touching the accommodation of the Affairs in those parts to be continued Other reports were given out that the King intended a good part of the Fleet by sea for new designes which he had upon the Indies Some times the preparations seemed to cool But at last they grew to such a greatness and so many signes appeared of their being precisely destin'd for England as there was no room left for doubt The Queen seeing her self threatned by so great a tempest betook her self to make all such preparations likewise on her part as might be necessary to withstand it She gave order to Charls Howard Admiral of England a Lord of a very Noble Family and of great imployment that he should powerfully reinforce her usual Fleet and that he should make all other such provisions as were needfull to furnish it with Souldiers Mariners Victuals and Ammunition of War But she gave unto him Sir Francis Drake for a particular assistant herein one that was then the most esteemed amongst all the English for sea affairs and famous likewise thorowout all other Nations for many memorable sea-voyages which he had made and for many enterprises which he with great boldness had effected Such a preparation required great expence and a great inclination of the Kingdom to effect it Wherefore the Queen called a Parliament without the Authority whereof the Kings of England cannot receive any supplies of monies upon any extraordinary occasion The Parliament being met at London the Queen would one day appear there in person and went thither in the greatest glory that might be Where being placed under her cloth of State and having so composed her countenance and other gestures of body as might most take the Assembly she spake thus What a weight of war my Lords and you my beloved of the House of Commons is threatned against me at this time by the King of Spain each of you who know the preparation will easily believe the designe nor is the pretence less apparent That King complains that I have always favoured his Rebels as he is pleased to term them of Flanders And especially with so many forces and so openly in these their last necessities I confess the action and do still more commend the advice given unto me therein by my Councel Since in effect I could do nothing which was more praise worthy for Justice or more necessary for convenience Every one knows the near Confederacies which past between the Kings my predecessors and the house of Burgony whilst
From thence they proceeded to Tumults from Tumults to Rebellion and from Rebellion to a cruel War The unquenchable fire whereof hath now burnt above these forty years and how oft to bring it to an end to boot by the way of force have you used treaties of concord But still in vain so unappeaseable hath the double rebellion of the Flemish proved against the Church and against your Crown and so very much have they continually been fomented by their neighbours on all sides insomuch as Holland and Zealand and many other of those Provinces which are up in Arms grow every day more obstenate in resolving never to return under the obedience of Spain Then if you who have lived whole years in those Provinces with such experience of their own particular affairs and of the affairs of the whole world with so many Forces and so many valiant Commanders when France was most grieved with inward wounds and England apprehended the like sufferings under a woman have not been able to shun such great losses in Flanders why should we not fear that your successors may yet suffer every day greater So as at last which God forbid this Crown may be wholly deprived of those Provinces How much better souldiers do those Rebels daily grow And how much better may France and England foment them now then they could have done formerly France being at peace within it self and England which daily expects the King of Scots for their King The vils which Spain suffers from Flanders reacheth even to the Indies it is to be feared they may indammage you more in the West-Indies then they have hitherto done in the East As a Canker in any one member of a mans body works upon and consumes the vigor of all the other members So the ulcerate part of Flanders makes the body of your whole Empire daily languish The gold of the Indies the people supplyed from Spain from Italy and those which for the like end are continually raised in Germany are not sufficient as by experience is found to maintain that war The hunger of that ravenous Beast is still increased by food and how much do mutinies devour Which are now grown so Domestick that as one ends another begins and often teo much to our loss divers happen at one and the same time This is the condition of Flanders and this is the state of the losses which the Crown of Spain hath thereby suffered till now and of what they may suffer hereafter My opinion therefore is that your Majesty shall do well to give the Low-Countries in Dowry to the most Illustrious Infanta whereof framing a principality in your daughter and honouring the Cardinal Infanta your Nephew with her by making him her husband the Flemish will by this means have at last a Prince of their own which is that which they at all times have so thirsted after If the marriage of these new Princes prove fruitful as it is to be hoped it will the yet obedient Provinces will continue their obedience to the Church and Austrian blood at least if not to the Crown of Spain Nor is it to be doubted but that the same good and profitable correspondency will pass between that branch and this as hath past betwixt this and that other established in Germany And to say truth of what use may such an example be In which it is seen that the Emperor your father in great wisdom would there agrandise that Austrian branch because he thought it impossible that the greatness of that and this joyned together should continue here in your Spain though the chief branch but too far remote from Germany Their neighbours will then rejoyce at this new Flemish Principality and will assist it as much hereafter for seeing it dismembred from this Crown as they have been formerly averse thereunto for that it was joyned to your Majesties Kingdom Jealousies will be succeeded by assurances instead of having the wars fomented from those parts friendly offices will be done for the introducing of Peace And the Flemish race being by this marriage established why should we not hope that at last even the rebellious Provinces should by degrees reunite themselves according to the ancient form with those which are obedient In sine either is this the remedy which remains to heal the wounds of those Countries or we shall never finde any sufficient to effect it When Moura had spoken the other Councellors gave their opinions Jovanni d' Ideaques a Councellor likewise of great authority with the King joyn'd with Moura Idiaques as we have told you upon another occasion had been Ambassador in Genua and Venice and after other imployments being returned to Spain did now exercise a place of the greatest importance belonging to that Crown But there were divers others of the Councel who adhered to Fuentes his opinion Wherefore the King was for a while in doubt what to doe yet at last those reasons prevailed with him which first inclined him to give the Low-Countries in Dowry to the Infanta his eldest Daughter He considered and foresaw how France would grow daily greater in power That the Queen of England being now very old was to be succeeded by the King of Scotland who would unite that Kingdom to England and of them both make but one of all Great-Britain That from those parts the Rebellion of Flanders would still be more and more fomented and still he should be in greater danger of losing all those Provinces He likewise foresaw the dangers wherewith the Indies might be continually threatned and thought that if Flanders were reunited under an Austrian Prince the Maritime Provinces returning again to enjoy as formerly the Commerce of the Indies in that of Spain they would no longer think of their new so long and so expensive Navigations But the King seemed to be chiefly affected with the losses which the Church had already suffered in Flanders and which they might again suffer at the same time together with him And lastly it was believed that to boot with the reasons formerly touched upon this consideration swayed much with him That in case his onely Son should dye and the Infanta being in such a case to succeed him he should doe wisely to give her a Husband who was already so well known already becom a Spaniard and who would cause no alteration in the affairs of Spain The King being thus fully resolved he caused the Articles of Marriage to be drawn up the chief whereof were these That he gave the Provinces of Flanders together with the County of Burgony in Dowry with his Daughter which she was to enjoy joyntly together with her Husband That either Males or Females which should proceed from that marriage should succeed the men being notwithstanding to be preferred before the women and still the first-born sons or daughters That if the inheritance should rest in a woman she should be bound to marry either a King or Prince of Spain That be the Heire
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
two peeces of Artillery and in it were twelve hundred choise souldiers picked out of all the Nations and this he assigned to Camp-master Antunes who was one of the valliantest and oldest souldiers of all Flanders A little behinde this followed two other Battalions of Foot with two peeces of Artillery likewise in the Fronts of each of them the one Spaniards under Camp-master Menesses the other Italians under the two Camp-masters Justinian and Branchatchio These two Battalions stood on equal brest but at a befitting distance one from another After these came another greater Battalion of Foot and because it was the last it had two peeces of Artillery on the Rear thereof and it was led on by Count d' Emden a German Camp-master and by Monsieur d' Ashshurt a Walloon Camp-master The Horse were placed on both the Flanks divided into divers Squadrons two whereof which were the greatest and which were called the reserve as being reserved for the greatest need were commanded by Cavalier Bentivoglio and Luca Cairo both of them Italians and who were the ancientest Captains On the Front of the Cavalry and in the Van stood Velasco their General on the right hand and Melzi Lieutenant General on the left And because the Enemy were much superior in Horse their wings were sheltered with long and redoubled Files of Carts which were likewise furnished with some Files of Musketteers and with a peece of Artillery on each side Spinola chose no particular place for himself that he might be at liberty to turn whither he listed This was the order of the Catholick Camp and in this manner they still drew nearer the Town and though they had all a great desire to fight yet Spinola to confirm it the more in them by shewing his own forwardness added such incitements as upon such an occasion was most requisite he told them That the preservation of Groll was not onely in dispute now but even the like of all that they had purchased at the price of so much blood and labour on the other side the Rhine That therefore they must either dye or relieve it But that he believed though the Enemy were more in numbers then they yet they would not come to the tryal of a battel That it was not numbers but valour that got the victory And had they not newly tryed even in those very parts that Count Maurice would still keep sheltered between Ditches and Rivers not ever coming forth to open battel And more of late at Reinberg when did he shew any true good will thereunto Let them then according to their custom play their parts valiantly That he would not fail on his behalf nor would he forget to let the King and Arch-dukes know their several good services and endeavour their reward But these exhortations needed not For Count Maurice were it either by express orders from the Confederate Provinces or for some particular sense of his own or that in reason of war he being so great a Commander it ought indeed to have been done he would not lead forth his Army into the field nor put himself upon the trial of a Battel And not being sufficiently fortified to attend the Catholick Camp within his Trenches he resolved to retreat and first staying in a certain place where he was safe on all sides he afterward withdrew from the Town and led his Army into other parts And Spinola after he had furnished the Town with what was necessary for the defence thereof did the like And sending his souldiers to their Garrisons he himself past back again over the Rhine and came to the Arch-duke at Brussels Spinola's designs had then been really very great as may be gathered by what we have said And though by reason of the unexpected difficulties which arose the success did not correspond to expectation yet these two affairs of Reinberg and Groll proved such as doubtlessly the one may be numbred amongst the noblest Sieges and the other amongst the most famous Reliefs that the War of Flanders had till then produced THE HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FLANDERS Written by CARDINAL BENTIVOGLIO The Third Part. BOOK VIII The Contents The opinion of the Popes of Rome in advantage to the affairs of Flanders A suspension of Armes insues in those Provinces They then fall to a setled Treaty that they might come either to a settlement of a perpetual Peace or of some long Truce The reasons why the King of Spain and the Arch-Dukes do incline to bring the Affairs to some accommodation Great consultations hereupon had in the Confederate Provinces The Emperors King of France and King of Englands sense therein Count Maurice his declared opposition yet the Treaty proceeds and Deputies on both sides meet The Businesses are propounded Great difficulties in those of the Indies and afterwards in other things Whereupon all Treaty of Peace soon ends They therefore enter upon the second Consideration Viz. Of a long Truce The Ambassadors of France and England labour hard therein Count Maurice does what he can again to interrupt it Yet the Treaty is held on foot by the said Ambassadors And the Ambassadors of France doe particularly stickle very servently therein Divers difficulties arise on the Spanish side And great diligence is had to overcome them Which at last is done and a Truce for twelve years is concluded IN this condition were the Affairs of Flanders when the year 1607 began the forty sixth year wherein those miserable Provinces had been so long and so surely agitated with the troubles of war was now on foot Nor for as many Treaties of agreement as had been begun was it ever possible to bring any of them to a good result The hottest negotiation was that of Cullen wherein Gregory the thirteenth had imployed an extraordinary Nuntio as was then shown that those Provinces might take into consideration the prejudice which the Church had suffered in Flanders by occasion of the Wars And on the contrary what benefit she might reap by the introducing of some sort of accommodation His successors did still retain the same sense And more modernly Clement the eighth in his having endeavoured and procured a peace between the two Kings did amongst his other ends ayme at making so good a corrispondency between them as that France might for the time to come afford all favorable assistance to the new Principallity of Flanders and might reduce the affairs of those Provinces to some peaceful end Leo the eleventh who succeeded Clement in the Pontifical See did abound yet more in the same sense as he who being imployed as Clements Legat in France had been the chief instrument of making that peace But being suddenly snatched away by death he could not witness it by his endeavours After him Paul the fifth was Pope a Prince very zealous in exercising the Pontificial office endowed with great worth and goodness and who being make Cardinal by Clement had drunk in the same sense of labouring peace in Christendom
unto it would be likewise a declaring that they were no longer able to maintain it what honour should they lose herein how could they with credit treat of peace or truce with their own rebels and how dangerous a president would it be to make liberty the reward of rebellion for such an example in favour of those Provinces which had rebelled would be an invitation to such as yet kept their obedience to doe the like This preparation of the affairs of Flanders was in the beginning of the year 1607. Father John Neyen a Franciscan Fryer was then at Brussels he was born at Antwerp and after having taken upon him that religious habit he had staid awhile in Spain to pass the course of his studies there and by that reason was well acquainted with the affairs of that Court He returned from thence to Flanders and being become Commissary General of his Order in those parts he kept very much at Brussels He was very religious of an eloquent tongue very well fitted to the nature of his Countey and therefore as well acceptable in private discourse as in the Pulpit and much versed in the negotiations of the age The Commissary had some acquaintance in Holland and by chance a Holland Merchant who was a friend of his was then in Brussels This Merchant was very inward with divers of the chiefest that sate at the Helm in the United Provinces The Arch-duke being at privat councel with Spinola and some others of the Kings Officers in Flanders 't was thought expedient that the Commissary should dispose the Merchant to go to the Hague in Holland to endeavour some new overture of Treaty The Merchant went but he found no ear would be given thereunto till the abovesaid Declaration of their being Free-States were granted and that this should precede all other things The Arch-duke was sencible of the aforesaid repugnancies in condescending thereunto yet all the former considerations being again weighed it was at last judged that it was best to yield to the present necessity and that all means should be used to procure a cessation of Arms and to enter into a Treaty of accommodation If the Treaty should have good success the success would sufficiently applaud the Treaty if it should not succeed well but that they must be forced to continue the war the making of such a verbal Declaration would not import much 't was added That to declare that they treated with the United Provinces as with Free States unto which the King and Arch-dukes laid no pretension was alwayes to be understood by way of supposition to wit as if they were free not signifying a true and legitimate liberty which they by their rebellion could never justly come by nor justly enjoy which being so manifest neither did the King nor the Arch-dukes lose any right which they formerly had to the United Provinces though they should make a Declaration thus limited Sudden advertisment was sent to Spain of what had been discovered by the Merchants means and all things were again represented unto the King which were thought likelyest to induce him to give way that some Treaty of agreement might be had with the United Provinces in such manner as hath been said The reasons which prevailed in Flanders did so likewise in Spain in perswading the King to give way to the Treaty which was desired Whereupon the Arch-duke resolved to send the Commissary General in person into Holland to endeavour once more some fairer way of commencing a Treaty and to yield at last if there were no remedy to what the United Provinces pretended unto The Commissary took his journey about the end of February and being come to the Hague he soon perceived there was no hopes of ever being heard in any thing whatsoeever unless the abovesaid Declaration should precede whereupon being admitted into the Councel of the States Generall which is the supreme magistracy by which the whole body of those Provinces is represented he opened himself thus unto them That the Arch-duke Albertus and the Arch-dutchess the Infanta his wife had alwayes desired to see the Low-Countries once free from civil wars that so many and so bitter calamities of war might be turned to the enjoyment of a happy peace That peace was the end of war which not being to be had but by the way of Treaty they did consent on their side that the Declaration of Liberty which they knew the United Provinces do pretend unto should precede that it became all good Princes to endeavour all means whereby to cause quiet unto their people and that to justifie this their so just and religious end to the world they had willingly descended now to an overture of Treaty and to second the success thereof would be as willing to do any thing that might tend to the good of the weal-publick This Proposition being well discust in the Councel of the States General they thought that whatsoever could be desired made then for the advantage of the Low-Countries whereupon they resolved to accept of the offer and before the Commissary departed a suspension of Arms for eight months was agreed upon which was to begin the next May and it was likewise concluded that the Treaty should begin the next September The Commissary went from Holland with this answer Not long after the Arch-dukes declared by a particular Edict or Proclamation that they came to suspension of Arms with the United Provinces as with Free Provinces and States unto which they did not lay any pretence the States-General did also the like on their side the Commissary did likewise promise that the King of Spain should by the Arch-dukes procurement ratifie the same within three months and he did likewise desire in the names of the Arch-dukes that the States would inhabit all hostility by sea promising that the Arch-dukes would oblige themselves that the King of Spain should do the same to the which the States after some difficulties condescended all this was afterwards published by the United Provinces to their people with great demonstrations of joy and they gave an account thereof to their Confederate Princes but more particularly to the King of France and King of England from both of which Ambassadors were forthwith sent to congratulate with them The affairs of Flanders were at this pass when I came to Brussels which was on Saint Laurence his eve 1607. It cannot be exprest how all men on all sides did rejoyce in expectation of what the event would prove Soon after my coming to Brussels the Kings ratification came to procure the which as also to give a more particular account of what had past the Arch-duke had dispatched away Commissary Neyen The ratification came in general terms and so pen'd as it was to be doubted the United Provinces would not allow of it yet Lewis Verreychen chief Secretary of State to the Arch-dukes was suddenly sent with it into Holland The United Provinces shewed strange arrogancy in these negotiations and particularly
sentence and for the most part the justice of the cause gives the victory It imports but little then whether their ends be sincere or fradulent in case of agreement for then they cannot oppress us by their forces We must above all things endeavour to secure our selves from this danger which necessarily consists in one of two remedies either in continuing the war out of hope that their necessity will daily grow greater or else in ending it by some accommodation after which our affairs might be better secured And from hence I come to the second point I deny not but that their present disorders and necessities are great but I cannot think them past remedy so far but that if the war in ure the Spaniards may finde sufficient Forces to do it I for 〈◊〉 own part finde the Monarchy of Spain to be the same thing that it hath alwaies 〈◊〉 during the whole course of this war nay rather increased in this interim by the addition of the Kingdom of Portugal and of the East-Indies which depend thereupon I finde it to be very strong both at land and sea Where hath the formidableness of their forces been better seen then here in Flanders What other power hath at any time maintained so long so far distant so hard and so expensive a war And shall we believe that the Spaniards cannot still maintain it And that they are not likely to finde a remedy for their disorders in these parts and for any hazard they may run in the East-Indies The very necessity of making war will doubtlessly furnish them with means enough to continue it So then we are again engaged in war in a new and more obstinate war then the former and what security can we have that fortune will alwaies favour us We have likewise our necessities and if they be at present great amongst the Spaniaads remember I pray you that they have been greater amongst us and that all humane things being subject to alteration and the events of war usually very uncertain the time may prove propitions again to them and averse to us Do not we know how much our war depends upon the aids from France and England May not the King of France die Is he not already very old May not the Kingdom afterwards alter And shall we not then be deprived of all succour from thence Do not we likewise know upon what fickle terms the affairs of England stand The King being a Scotch-man a stranger in that Kingdom and there being many other occasions which may cause some fear of alteration on his side How much would the affairs of Spain be bettered by any of these accidents How much worse would ours be We ought then to be taught by all reason and by all the rules of good Government not to let slip this happy conjuncture of coming to some good agreement with the Spaniards Fortune is flitting inconstant disdainful and exceeding apt to be provoked 'T is now the time to know how to lay hold of her So as my opinion is that by all means we ought to accept of this ratification come from Spain and proceed on to some Treaty of agreement I confess it is not alwaies in the power of man to enjoy the happiness of peace but I verily bel eve it is now in our power to shun the dangers of war which in my opinion ought by all means to be indeavoured and certainly we may hope for great advantages from the Spaniards by this accommodation which they do so much desire to make with these our Provinces in this their present necessity As all Pilots prefix the haven for their end all Travellers their Country and all motion rest so all war hath peace for its end wherein consists means chiefest happiness and shall the wa◠of Flanders be the onely thing which shall never have an end And shall all our most advantagious successes depend alwaies upon the so uncertain event of war We shall be free from the uncertainties and from so many dangers which troubles brings with them by reducing our selves at last to a quiet condition we shall then much better re-order the Government of every of our particular Provinces and of the intire body of the union when we shall be in a quiet condition This our Common-wealth will then break forth from out the duskishness and horror of arms which how wounderful a sight will it be and what unaccustomed praises will it produce in the Theatre of the Universe When it shall be seen how our Provinces do unite themselves in one body with what sort of Lawes and Magistracy they conspire together how unwounded the Liberties of each of them remain and how uninjured it passeth through every one of them as through so many veins to the intire body of their general Union We shall have Ambassadors sent to congratulate with us from all parts who will return rather envying then rejoycing at this our so great felicity We shall pay the debts we have contracted abroad we shall ease our selves of those we have here amongst our selves and we shall enrich our treasury by taking off so many and so grievous expences our people shall then know that they are truly free when they shall enjoy liberty without any contestation and being once got into such a condition what need we fear to be at any time reduced under the yoak of that proud cruel and tyrannical Spanish Government Barnevelt was listned unto with much attention and the reasons alledged by him appeared to be so weighty and wisely grounded as after some other consultations it was at last resolved on by the States General that they would accept of the ratification yet there was much ado before Zealand could be brought to joyn in this Vote so absolute Authority had Count Maurice in that Province whereof he was not onely Governour but had a great estate there and enjoyed such prerogatives as he appeared rather to be Prince then Governor of that Country The Arch-dukes were then acquainted with this the States Generals resolution and 't was almost in the same words which were used in the answer which was first given to the Commissary and Verreychin when they brought the ratification into Holland And because the term for suspension of Arms was already expired it was by both sides prorogued and continued to be so from time to time in new terms till the end of the Treaty which was after concluded I thought good to insert this in this place to shun the tedious repetition of the same things sundry times Now all the eyes of Flanders were fixt upon that Deputies the Arch-dukes would chose to send according to the first agreement into Holland The greatest weight of the Spanish affairs which were agitated in Flanders lay upon the Marquess Spinola Camp-master-general of the Army and upon Manchichidor the Spanish Secretary of War and as for the Arch-dukes business John Richardotto President of the Privy Councel and Verreychin so often named before
were chiefly trusted therewith These four were chosen for Deputies and Father Nyen was added for a fift as one who had hitherto had a great hand in the business Marquess Spinola was already got into great Authority by reason of his so many Imployments and Trusts He was Camp-master-general and Governor of the Army Administrator or Pay-master-general of the Kings monies of the Councel of State in Spain and through his hands all the Kings affairs in Flanders as hath been said did chiefly pass and the Arch-duke likewise seemed to put much confidence in him Indeed a States man of singular judgment and valour of incredible vigilancy and industry in the managing of whatsoever business either Military or Civil and indowed with so many other gallant parts as he had reason to be esteemed one of the greatest States-men that the Crown of Spain hath had these many years The Secretary Manchichidor was likewise highly esteemed of for his long experience in the affairs of Flanders for he had been Secretary of war even from the time that the Arch-duke whilst he was yet Cardinal was come to the Government of those Provinces In the affairs which belonged properly to the Arch-dukes the President Ricardetto was no less esteemed of he had for a long time been the man chiefly imployed in affairs of greatest importance by the Duke of Parma and other Governors and the Arch-Duke being made Prince of the Low-Countries chose him particularly to employ in making the last Peace with France and the like with the King of England so as almost all the important business of the Country passed through his hands Verreychin was likewise present at the making of the two above named Peaces and had long before exercised the place of first Secretary of State and was alwaies held a man of great wisdom and integrity Enough hath already been said of the Commissary-general and of his endowments But when the Spaniards who were in Flanders understood who the Deputies were and that they were to go to the Enemies own homes to treat of agreement with them it is not to be believed how much they stormed and how much they complained of the Arch-Dukes in particular Are the affairs of Spain said they come to so low an ebb that our King must abase himself thus hath so much time bloud and treasure been spent against the traâ—terous rebels to bring things to this end That the affairs of Spain were now in as glorious a condition as ever but that there wanted fitting instruments in Flanders to manage them That the Arch-duke had alwayes shewed himself to be better at peace then at war and that now that he saw himself not likely to have any children his only desire was to spend the remainder of his days in peace and quietness That it was impossible so great a Monarchy should be without a war nay it was to be desired that it should alwayes have an Army in the fields for its service And what other more fitting Theatre could there be found for the seat of its Arms then Flanders a place so opulent and of such extent and placed in the midst of Spains chiefest enemies and maligners That if the war could not be alwayes so plentifully maintained their Forces might be lessened and consequently their expences That thus the vigour of so great a Monarchy might be preserved even to eternity The Spaniards broke forth into these complaints and sent them from Flanders into Spain but to no purpose for it was then seen as also during the whole Treaty that the King and the Arch-duke did always jump in their opinions and â—s for the Deputies going into Holland without all doubt it might seem in all appearance no wayes to agree with the Kings and Arch-dukes dignity but the form of the Government of the United Provinces considered no other manner of negotiation could well be had for their Deputies were so many that Commissions so bounded and so many sendings to and fro as they were inforced to make Orders to receive new Orders and new Consents from every Province which if it had been to be done out of their own Country the Treaty would never have had an end and though afterwards as you shall hear it was concluded in Antwerp 't was because all things were already digested so as they went thither as it may be said to a business already concluded The Deputies departed about the end of January 1608. and being come into the United Provinces they were received by the Governors of their Frontier Towns with all honour and bravely lodged in all places They came to the Hague the first of February and were met half a league without the Town by Count Maurice of Nassaw accompanied by the other Counts of his House and all the chief men of those parts The Second BOOK of the TREATY of the TRUCE of FLANDERS HOLLAND is the greatest richest and best peopled Province of all the United seaven Nay it so far exceeds all the rest as it furnisheth half the monies which are issued out by the whole seaven Provinces It is made by the Sea and sundry Rivers a Peninsula it is incompassed on many sides by the Sea cut through in many parts by Rivers many Channels cut by hand joyn with these Rivers and there be many lakes within it so as it may be doubted whether it consist more of land or water Besides it doth so abound with shipping of all sorts as it may likewise be questioned whether the number of moveable habitations on water or of houses fixt on the land be the greater This Province is full of Cities and of a great many lesser Towns Amsterdam is its chiefest City and here is the greatest Traffick not only of Holland itself but almost of the whole North of all its Towns Hague is the principal an open Village but so large so well peopled and so delitious as it may compare with many Cities Here did the Counts of Holland formerly build a Palace for themselves to live in which the Vnited Provinces do now make use of for the meeting of their Councels which depend upon the Vnion Here likewise the Councel of the States General do meet almost every day wherein things of greatest importance are agitated and resoved by the Deputies of the whole seaven Provinces The chief affairs of the whole Vnion are then handled in the Hague and here staid the Catholick Deputies to give a beginning to the Treaty Before they arrived the Vnited Provinces had likewise chosen their Deputies one was chosen for every Province and two of the best of bloud amongst them in the common name of them all And these were Count William of Nassaw full Cousin German to Count Maurice and Min here Bredrode for Holland Barnevelt was named and by him the business on the behalf of the Vnited Provinces was chiefly to be agitated At their first meeting nothing was done but the producing of the credential Letters on all sides they then began to
discuss affairs with an intention to come to a perpetual peace if it were possible The Vnited Provinces offered one Article in the first place wherein they pretended that the King of Spain and the Arch-dukes should acknowledge them to be absolutely Free States and should at large renounce all right or claim which might be pretended unto by them or any of their successors to or over those Provinces with an obligation not to make use of their Arms or Titles or whatsoever other appearance This last addition appeared too arrogant to the Catholick Deputies who complained very much thereof to the Ambassadors of France and England with whom from the beginning they had had communication in what concerned the Treaty alleadging That it was an usual thing amongst Princes still to retain the Title of States or Kingdoms though they were lost or but pretended to whereof there was examples in the greatest Kings of Christendom That the Catholick King stiled himself King of Hierusalem and Duke of Burgony the King of France King of Navar and that the King of England did still keep the Title of King of France That the Vnited Provinces would be they alone who would introduce new Laws in the world and not content to pass from rebellion into liberty would pretend as it were by usurpation to such and so rash advantages in fine that this was a cause common to all Princes and wherein they were all by this one act injured The answer which the Catholick Deputies gave hereunto was that they had no Authority to admit of the Article in manner as was desired That they would acquaint the Arch-dukes therewith and expect their Answer but the Ambassadors thought these their complaints to be artificials they imagined that the Catholick Deputies meant to indear the said renuntiation as much as they might that they might the easilyer induce the Vnited Provinces to give way on their parts in other things in which opinion they were confirmed by the Answer which came from Brussels which was that the Arch-dukes would consent to the Article in the same manner as it was propounded if the Vnited Provinces by acknowledgement of so great a benefit would in lieu thereof abstain from their sayling into the Indies The Vnited Provinces seemed to be as much moved by this answer and their Deputies made equal complaints thereof to the Ambassadors of their Confederate Kings and Princes What do the King of Spain and the Arch-dukes grant said they more then what the Vnited Provinces do already possess that what should be granted by the King and Arch-dukes was nothing but wind and a bare Title whereas if the Vnited Provinces should give over their sailing to the Indies they should deprive themselves of the principal and most important part of their Traffick That they had begun and would continue that their Navigation which by the Laws of Nature and right of Nations is allowed to all men That some other thing might be thought upon which in this point might give reciprocal satisfaction to both sides But that they should exclude themselves from sailing into the Indies was neither to be thought on nor hoped for and why ought not the spoiles of that new world be common to all That it was of that immence vastness as more thereof was undiscovered then discovered as yet and that the right of the occupiers in those parts differed only in the better knowing how to manage what they possess Both parties argued this point touching the East Indies with great stifness and pertenacity nor would the Catholick Deputies ever discede from their first answer At last the Deputies of the United Provinces made three Propositions The first that according to the nature of all peaces Commerce might be free both by sea and land to both parties The second that for the space of seaven years the United Provinces might continue their Navigation to the Indies and that one year before the expiration of those seaven years some new composition might be made The third that upon the insuance of peace and due observation of all things on this side the line the Vnited Provinces might at their own peril continue their Navigation on the other side The Catholick Deputies were not pleased either with the first or the third Propositions Not with the first because it left the Vnited Provinces absolutely free to Traffick in the Indies Not with the third because they saw a peace mixt with hostility was not likely to last They did not appear to be totally averse from the second so as they would now agree that when those seaven years should be ended the United provinces should for ever forbear from their Navigation to the Indies To this their Deputies would by no means consent this point of the Indies was much stood upon and the difficulties thereof inlarged by the particular Company of Merchants in the Vnited Provinces which traffick into those parts The Company was chiefly composed of the Merchants of Amsterdam and of Midleburgh and one was sent in the name of that Company to the Hague to shew how great the gain was which they made by their trafficking in the East Indies and how much the continuation thereof did import in other respects They alleadged that they had already introduced Commerce in sundry parts of those Countries that many were the frienships and confederations which they had established there and that those seas were already frequented by above 150 of their Vessels and by above 8000 of their Mariners and Souldiers that great was the gain of particular men and the advantage no less which the publick received thereby that to keep so many of the baser sort of people imployed who would be alwayes troublesome when at quiet what was it but to purge their Publick of so much ill bloud ready to grow corrupt That the Navigation of the United Provinces into the Indies had already made Lisbon groan that the Merchant Towns of the Portugueses in those parts went to wrack and that their ships were seen to go and come much possest with fear and apprehension and were inforced to be at much greater expence then formerly for they had wont not to be greatly vigilant in that their Voyage not meeting with any contestation save from the seas and wind These and many other considerations were represented by the Company to keep the Vnited Provinces from consenting to the Spaniards demands touching the Indies So as both parties adhering to their opinions nothing was done therein The Catholick Deputies resolved therefore to send Father Neyen into Spain to acquaint the King with what past and particularly to receive Orders for what they should do concerning the Indies having first declared to the other Deputies that they had no Commission to conclude any thing in that business They told them also how that the Commissary should be back within two months whereupon he suddenly took his journey for Spain and I to shun the tedious prolixity of the less important affairs
Regent in Brussels 3. Offers to pacify the Spanish muciners but in vain 141. His opinion concerning Don Johns retreat to Namours 158 Count d'Aremberg 34. Sent against Lodovick of Nassaw 56. Cannot keep the Spaniaerds from falling on ib. Is slaine 57 Count di Bossu enters the Lake of Leyden with a Fleet 104. Overcomes the Harlemers there ib. Assaults the enemies Fleet in the Gulfe of Zuiderzee 110. Is routed and taken prisoner 111 Count of Swarzenburgh Ambassador to Flanders from Maximilian the Emperour 129. His negotiations with Orange and after with the Commissioners at the Conference in Breda ib. He returns into Germany 131 Count di Barlemont imprisoned by order from the States 143. His councel to Don John concerning his retreat to Namours 157 Correspondencies of Orange and his brother Lodowick in Germany 35 Their designes in Holland and Zealand ib. D THe Deputies for the States General relate to the Provinces the Duke of Alva's Proposition who make great complaints against it 68. What conditions the Kings Deputies offered in the Conference at Breda ib. What answers they had from the Rebels 69 A Description of the havock made in Churches by the heriticks in Antwerp 30. Of Mastrich 55. Of Friesland 56 Of the Battel of Friesland 57. Of Raremond and Liege 65. Of the Battel of Ceminghen 62. Of the Duke of Alvas Statue 71. Of Holland and Zealand 73. Of Mon. 83. Of Zuidt Beverland 90. Of Ter. Goes 91. Of Harlem 98. Of Alcmar 109 Of the sea-fight in the Gulf of Zuidt-Beverland 110. Of the Battel of Mooch 118. Of Leyden 124. Of the Castle of Antwerp 145. Of the taking and sacking of Antwerp 147. Of the City of Namours 158. Of the Battel of Geblours 168 Disorders caused by the hereticks in Antwerp 31 Don John of Austria comes into Flanders unexpected 150. His personal qualities ib. What Orders he had from the King at his parting ib. He gives the Councel of State notice of his arrival ib. His Declaration that he will send the Spaniards out of Flanders 151. He sends out the souldiers of Foreigne parts 153. His enlrance into Brussels ib. he endeavours to draw the Provinces of Holland and Zealand to some accommodation ib. His endustry to weaken Orange his Faction 154. The people in Brussels shew themselves very averse to him 155. Designes upon his person ib. He adviseth with the Counts of Mansfield and Barlemont ib He removes to Namours 159. He makes sure the Castle there ib. His demands to the States concerning his return to Brussels ib. He writes to the King in justification of his proceedings 160 Designes of his on foot in divers places 161. He gets the day at Geblours 168. Takes Nivelle 169. And after that Philippeville 169. Falls upon the Flemish Camp 174. Quarters his Army in a place of great strength near to Namur ib. He dies 177. His Character 178 Duke of Alva design'd by the Catholick King for Flanders 45. He comes into Italy the number and qualities of the men he brings with him into Flanders 46. He is made absolute Governor thereof 48. He frames a new Councel for examination of the late Tumults ib. His rigorous proceedings ib. He secures Ruremond 50. Is much troubled at the defeat in Friesland 58. His Maximes in War 59. The order of his march against Count Lodovick 61 He comes off Conqueror 62. His preparations against Orange 64. He gets the better of him 66. He returns to Brussels in Triumph ib. Laies new Impositions upon Flanders 67. Erects his own Statue in the Citadel of Antwerp 71. Besieges Mons 81. His memorable sayings 86. He hinders Orange from succouring Mons 87 And drives him the second time out of the Country 88. He resolves to relieve Ter-Goes 91. His resolution for continuing the siege of Harlem 103. He relieves Middleburg 107. Composes the Mutiny at Harlem 108. Goes to Amsterdam 110. Returns to Brussels 111. Gets leave to quit the Government of Flanders ib. And departs out of those Countries ib. D. of Alanson prepares to enter Flanders 172. He comes in with his Army 177. The Dutchess of Parma Lady Regent of Flanders 9. Her answer to the discourse the King had with her 10 Displeased at the actions done in contempt of Granvel 14. Sends Egmont over into Spain 20. Publisheth a new Edict in behalf of Religion 22. Is perswaded to take up Arms 23. Her answer to the licentious Petition of the Covenanters 27. She is troubled at their meeting in Geertruydenberk 30. Thinks her self not safe in Brussels 31. Declares in favour of the Petitioners that all use of the Inquisition should be taken away ib. Takes up Arms against Valentiennes 37. Seeks to compose matters in Antwerp 39 Defeats the seditious there and settles the Catholick Army ib. Her solemn entrance into that City 40. Not privy to the imprisonment of Egmont and Horne 47. Displeased at it she craves leave of the King to quit the Government ib. She departs with much sorrow to the Flemmings ib. Her praises ib. E THe Ecclesiasticks in Flanders do not well like the Kings courses 5 Edicts published in Flanders by Charls the fifth Emperor 4. Confirmed afterwards by Philip the second ib. Those of the King in favour of the Councel of Trent meet with great difficulties amongst the Flemings 18. An Edict of Rebellion against the Spaniards 143 An Elect a head set up by the Mutiners 120. Wherein his Office consisted ib. How strictly every Decree of his was observed ib. Elizabeth Queen of England 6. Gives courteous entertainment to the Low-Countrey fugitives 50. Is troubled at d'Alva's prosperity 66. Causeth a great sum of the King of Spains money to be stopped in England 67 Secretly cherishes Lumay a Low-Country runagate 73. Sends him souldiers to the Brill 89. Will not openly discover her self an enemy to the King of Spain 105. Justifies her self in Spain for concluding a League with the States in Flanders 165 F THe Fight between d' Alva and Orange 88. Between d' Alvas Camp and Count Lodovicks 62. Between the Kings men and those that were besieged in Mons 84. In the Lake of Leyden between the Kings men and the Rebels 104. Between the Spaniards and the States men near Lovain 144 Frederick of Toledo the Duke of Alva 's son commands the foot 64. Endeavours by the Amsterdammers mediation to bring over the Harlemers to the Kings side 97. Grows much inraged with those of Harlem and besiegeth the Town 98. He routs Lumay 99 Reinforces the siege of Harlem 103 Will not receive the Town upon Articles 106 The Flemings hold King Philip too much Hispanioliz'd 4. They speak against the Inquisition 8. They shew much contentment at the departure of Granvelle 17 Their extream sorrow for Egmonts death 58. Their bitter complaints against d'Alva for the new Impositions 68 Routed at Vicenac 144. They draw up a new form of agreement among themselves 151 The Flemish hereticks demand liberty of conscience 175 Flushing and the Haven thereof
Kingdom and especially in the two Cities of Tourney and Valenciennes On the side of Germany the Hereticks sought in like manner to infect Friesland and all that neighbouring part of the low Countryes within land But the infection was greater which was brought both by Sea and Land into Holland and Zealand by meanes of the commerce which the Cities in the Baltick Sea had in Amsterdam and in Midleburg both of them places of great Traffick as also in many other towns of great Traffick both in Holland and Zealand Great was the commerce of Traffickers likewise into both those Provinces from England And Hereticall Ministers entring on all sides under the profession of Merchants they accompanied their seditious writings with words of mouth yet more seditious reproving the Flemish in particular of their too much remisness and patience in bearing the yoke which as they said was laid upon their consciences That Germany had thrown it off long ago as they might see even against the forces of Charls the fifth that England had now happily done the like and that the reformed Religion made daily great advancements in France that they might then know their own power and how to make use of it that the Regent was a woman wholly in their power Granville a forreiner and hated by the Country that the King was far off and but little hopes of his ever returning thither in person and to what end did the disarmed Authority of the Princes serve but to make them be the more scorned and lesse feared The Heretical Ministers and other Sectaries fill'd the ears and mindes of the Flemish in all parts with these conceits which infused impiety and sedition And in concourse of time it was discovered that Orange held intelligence particularly with the Admirall of France which was contracted upon the occasion he had of entertaining himself in France with Henry the second as one of the hostages of Philip the second in performance of the Peace of Cambray as hath been said and time produced at last that Orange took for his fourth and last wife a daughter of the same Admirals though the Admirall was then dead as shall be said in its due place This correspondency in endeavours between them was easily contracted by the similitude of their natures For both of them were very Ambitious and Fraudulent and did equally endeavour to advance their own private Fortunes by the publike ruine In fine in the opinion of all men the one was born to be the cause of France's misfortunes the other of the calamities of Flanders And both of them by their Tragical ends shewed what punishment is reserved for those who losing all respects either of Lawes or God do erect their Altars here below to Ambition and impiety and to the Idols of other immoderate and blinde Humane passions The Kingdom of France was at this time involved in great troubles Francis the second was dead whom Charls the ninth succeeded at the age of ten years Catherine of Medicis mother to them both retained the chief place in Government in Charls his time as well as she had done in his Brothers who not able to sustain it but by intreaty or prayer was forced to devide it sometimes with the Catholikes sometime with the Hugonots But still in danger of the Ambitious designes which was discovered in both the parties France was never agitated with greater Tempests then these And the Hugonot faction prevailing then continually more in the Kingdom 't is no wonder if the Hereticks took the boldness to foment the evils from that part which were a hatching in Flanders expecting that by the conjuncture of times and actions they might come from secret fomenting to open conspiracy A midst so many forreine Plots and home difficulties the Regent was every day more straitened in matter of Religion On the one side Granville encouraged her to have the Edicts executed one the others side the Governours of the Provinces desired to be excused shewing that the number of the Hereticks was already too great and that in many places the Magistrates themselves were infected with Heresie It was known notwithstanding that they did not what they might have done were it either that they desired some dishonour and shame might redound to Granville from such disorders who had the chief stroke in Government or that the King should be the more inforced to seek for remedy therein by their means They continued their former complaints against Granville and discovered an apparent hatred and scorn of him as was particularly seen upon a certain occasion which was thus At a certain Feast there hapned to be Count Egmont the Marquess of Berghen who was likewise one of the chief Lords of the Country and Governour of Henault and Min Here Montigni Brother to Count Horne and divers other of their Friends where a discourse hapned were it casuall or premeditated upon the Liveries which the Pages and foot-men of the Lords and other chiefest of the Court wore here one of them rising up said Why doe we not all make one and the same Livery which by the similitude of our colours may denote the conformity of our mindes the proposition was instantly entertained and lots being drawn who should chuse the Livery it fell to Egmont and he chose one with a certain Odde Coule or Hood which in Flanders are Buffonelike and are wont to be put on the heads of Fools or Jesters Many others of the Court presently took up this livery and for divers dayes there was no other work done in Brussels The Dutchesse was hereat offended for none doubted but that this habit had relation to the Cardinals habit and that this was done in derision of him Besides it might be feared that this might be the beginning of a league and union within the Court which might soon spread abroad throughout the whole Country to the great prejudice of the King The Dutchess laid this particularly to Egmonts charge who excused it as a thing which had hapned casually and without any intention of offending the Cardinal and much lesse of proving prejudicial to the Kings service They then left off their Coule and took for their common impressa a bundoll of Arrowes tide up together which was an impressa often used in the Kings coyn They would have it beleeved that this signified their joynt union in the Kings service but it was generally thought that this union had for its end the defence of publike Priviledges and their conformable sense to conspire unanimously against Granville nor was it long ere this conspiracie broke forth for people growing still more haughty not being able to discend to dissimulation as neither was the Cardinal on his behalf nor yet to any sort of going lesse especially when he saw himself so bitterly provoked Orange Egmont and Horn together with divers others combined joyntly together against him and these three in particular resolved to write a letter to the King which was to this purpose How
to the lower by her breadth In these respects their friendships adherents and allyances were very great in those parts Moreover divers of the best Families of Flanders derived from Germany and amongst others that of the Prince of Orange who afterwards married with the house of Saxony as hath been said The heretick Princes held therefore their streightest corespondencies with him and to him did discover their most intimate sence of the affairs of Flanders because it was most conformable with his own Orange being afterwards gon to them by reason of the Duke of Alva's being come into Flanders he still indeavoured to increase in them a resolution not to tollerate that oppression which he in the most horrid manner he could invent affirmed to be already introduced by the Spaniards amongst the Flemish Affirming that this cause was common to both the Germanies he mingled the Interest of Religion together with that of State and by the strength and vivacity of wit made dangers a far off seem very near at hand He chiefly propounded a meeting between those Princes who were most to dread the Spanish forces in Flanders the Queen of England assisted him herein by her authority and the Hugonots of France by their practices So as the resolution was soon put on and divers Hans Towns joyned therein likewise by sending their Deputies thither particularly those which are situated upon the Rhine in which by reason of their neighbourhood with Flanders the aforesaid power of the Spanish forces was most dreaded Of the Princes the Count Palatine of Rhine was most remarkable his State lay nearest to Flanders he had the best forces and being past on from Luthers heresie to that of Calvin he held greater corespondency with the hereticks of France and with the Queen of England The rest were the Duke of Wittenberg the Landgrave of Hesse the Marquis of Bada the Marquis of Durlack and some neighbouring Counts besides those of Nassaw The King of Denmark and the house of Saxony sent likewise their particular Deputies to the Diet. Business doth still proceed slowly which is to be agitated by many either they differ in their ends or agree not in the means or for the most part are lost through confusion But their progress is more slow then ordinarily in Germany where negotiations are not had without much prolixity more by writing then by word of mouth and where more time is spent in banqueting then in business The Diet proceeded on then but slowly and by reason of the variety of opinions many difficulties were met with in the things proposed Whereupon the Prince of Orange being all on fire himself and that he might set others on fire likewise spake one day thus It is not assuredly any waies to be doubted most Noble Princes and worthy Deputies but that we now treat upon a common cause The one and the other Germany are sufficiently united in situation tongue name traffick life and in all things else And who knows not that in former times they both made but one body their people do chiefly affect liberty And though in Flanders the Prince be heriditory whereas in Germany he is elective yet almost the same preeminence is due by them to their States as is here attributed to your Dyets But how oft and with how much labour and danger hath it behoved the one and the other Nation to oppose themselves to the avaritiousness of their Princes I will leave the pursuit of ancient affairs that I may come to the more modern and those of Germany that I may descend to the present affairs of Flanders When the Emperour Charls the fifth was dead every one knows the King his son's chiefest desire was to leave those parts and settle himself in Spain Being there wholly transformed into the sence and Customs of that people he grew desirous to govern Flanders after the same manner and Empire as Spain was governed And what more imperious Minister of State could he leave behind him with the Dutchess of Parma then the Cardinal Granville Did I say Minister of State nay rather supream Governor since whilst he was there the Dutchess bore only the name of Regent the whole power lay in him base Burgundian The first Author of Flanders's mischiefs and who deserves chiefly to be punished since the fault was chiefly his The Government of the Ecclesiastical and Temporal affairs was suddenly altered in divers sorts by absolute Authority but chiefly by new Edicts still more grievous to the conscience and by introducing the Inquisition The secretest Oracles are come from the Councel of Spain and are executed by secret consultations in Flanders If the Nobility have complained their complaints have proved vain to Petition is counted treachery to seem troubled rebellion and the casual headdy giddiness of the common people a premeditated insurrection of the whole Country In fine nothing but to have a pretence to use force against Flanders was expected in Spain And what more light pretence could be taken then to go about to suppress those tumults which were seen to cease almost assoon as begun When so suddenly hereupon the Flemish are insolently declared in Spain to be rebels to God and to the King and a foreign Army marches to cause Flanders to be treated hereafter not as a successive Nation but as a Conquered Countrey And who could be better chosen to execute such violences then the Duke of Alva the most haughty minded man of all Spain Flanders greatest enemy and who knows better then any other how to extinguish all remainders of religion and in lieu thereof to use all sorts of Tyranny And just so it fell out He hath begun to raise Citadels in the chiefest Cities he hath placed Garisons every where the places of execution run down with bloud in all Towns no more home-Laws are heard of but forein ones The Country is almost unpeopled by exilement imprisonment and running away And nothing but gastly looks complaints misery desparation and calamity is seen every where In this deplorable estate is Flanders at the present How much more happie then is Germany which enjoys her former libertie and which abhorring all forein force knows no other Empire then her own I partake of this felicity for from hence I derive my bloud and my first stem remains still here Nay I am more hated in Spain then any other of the Flemish by reason of my German spirit I am held to be the contriver of Conspiracies the head of sedition the pestilence of those Countries Their greatest anger thunders against me and the severest punishments are already fallen upon me Thus they seek to turn my glory to infamy And what greater glory can there be then to maintain the liberty of a mans Country and to die rather then be inslaved I then most high Princes and Noble Deputies who am both a German and a Fleming after having laid before you the miseries of the Lower Germany whose tears and supplications I bring hither with me
bank At Avala his first advancement he found some of the Enemy who had opened the Sluces to overflow the Country and saw that the water entred already in abundance But putting them to flight suddenly he made the Sluces be shut and kept as they ought to be The Duke himself advanced this mean while together with Vitelli Norchernes and some few others who came in fight of the Enemies quarters He understood by the Spies that they were in some disorder as well for that they saw his Army so neer as that Lodovicks men were almost all of them tumultuous and so ill paid as some uprore was already feared in the Camp The first Spaniards had this mean while drawn the Enemy forth to skirmish who not thinking that the body of the Army was so neer thought they might easily break the forerunners There was no long delay made Two great Squadrons of Foot for as much as the narrowness of the place could permit vigorously assaulted the Spaniards by whom they were no less vigorously withstood The Dukes Van this mean while advanced and look how much courage this added to the Catholicks so much did it lessen in the Hereticks They then would have retreated but being hotly pursued by the Spaniards they began basely to run away and the Spaniards followed them so close at the heels as they fell in with them at the same instant into their quarters where the Dukes men shewed no less valour nor the Enemy any more resistance who being still more imbased and thinking only how to save themselves fell every where into disorder and confusion The rest was not to be termed fighting but execution The Spaniards more greedy of blood then booty by reason of the slaughter which the others had committed the preceding battel put as many of the Enemy as they could unto the sword but there were almost as many drowned as slain for seeing they could not escape the fury of the sword they blindly threw themselves into the River which was very large and deep in that place It was said that Lodovick swom it over with much adoe and that 7000 of his men perisht the rest ran away some here some there in so great terror as there hardly was left any remainder of that Army Few of the Dukes men were flam And the Battel was such as certainly few will be the like wherein the vanquished were more indamaged and the vanquishers less THE HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FLANDERS Written by CARDINAL BENTIVOGLIO BOOK V. The Contents Orange enters Flanders with great Forces raised in Germany The Duke of Alva goes to meet him They lie many dayes in the face of one another Orange at last gives way and must quit the Country The Duke returns triumphant to Brussels His necessity in matter of monies occasioned by a great reprisal made thereof in England He therefore resolves to impose unusual grievances Commotions which insue thereupon A general Pardon proclaimed by him The Arch-Dutchess Anne of Austria passeth through Flanders to marry with the Catholique King The Flemish are scandalized at a Statue of the Dukes which was set up in the Citadel at Antwerp The Castle of Lovestein is surprised by Orange his followers but is suddenly recovered by the Spaniard Lumay more luckily takes the Bril A particular Description of Holland and Zealand The troubles of Zealand Sancio d'Avila goes to the succour of Middleburgh Valentiennes fals into the Hugonots hands who not long after are made to quit it By their assistance Lodovick steals into the City of Mons and prepares to maintain the siege THe Duke of Alva after having obtained so notable a victory return'd to Groninghen and staid there some dayes the better to secure it from any new danger He therefore munited it according as was requisite And because he feared danger more from within then from without he left a Citadel begun to be built there according as he intended at first the better to bridle the Inhabitants From thence he past to Utrecht whose Province is as it were incorporated in Holland He thought to have stayed there some time the better to secure the affairs of Holland But the news which he heard from divers parts of Orange his approach or preparation so to do made him go from thence much sooner then he had intended From thence he went to Balduke giving at the same time such order as was requisite for the gathering together of the Army and the reinforcing it with Foot and Horse To this end he fill'd up the German and Walloon Regiments and added another Regiment of Walloons under Christophero Mandragone a Spaniard and commanded that the Train-Bands of Flanders which came to about 2000 Horse should be in a readiness This sort of Militia distinguished into Companies of Curasiers and Harquebusiers under the chief Lords of the Country was of great 〈◊〉 in time past but afterward it lessened much in reputation When there is need to make use thereof the charge is given apart to some one chief Lord of the Country who knows no other Superior then the Generalissimo of the Army Whilst the Duke was preparing in this manner the Prince of Orange used no less diligence in gathering together great Forces to enter Flanders with them where it might be more for his advantage He had received very considerable helps but more in men then mony from the aforesaid Princes and Free-Towns of Germany To boot with the German souldiers he and his adherents had assembled together a good number of those Flemish and Walloons who had left the Country and some French He was upon the banks of the Rhine with all these people part whereof were taken into pay and part were a taking in intending to pass the River and then to thrust into Ghelderland or Brabant as it hath been said and fix himself in the best parts of the Country He was not to expect any obstacle in his passing over the Rhine not wanting means to doe so in many of his friends territories in Germany His greatest difficulty lay in passing over the Mause which did wholly appertain unto the King of Spain except the State of Liege which was also wholly a Catholick Country and almost incorporated into the Kings Dominions But he hoped to possess himself of some important place upon that shore which might secure his passage both for his entrance if he should advance and for a safe retreat if he were necessitated to turn back Orange having thus mustered his whole Army together he past freely over the Rhine above Colen about the end of August and then over the Mosel at Trovers And winding to the right hand he advanced towards the Country of Juliers confining upon the Kings Provinces of Ghelderland and Limburg and upon the State of Liege The common report was that his Camp consisted of 20000 Foot and 9000 Horse all of them Germans except the aforesaid Flemish Walloons and French With Orange was his Brother Lodovick Count Hostrat
a matter it was to get any footing there having no place upon the Confines which would receive them and more particularly upon the River and because the greatest hopes of new commotions lay yet in Germany therefore Orange his adherents spying out the conjuncture of time resolved to indeavour the taking of some opportune place upon the Mause on that side In this river after it hath changed its name to Wahell in one of its branches is contained the Island of Bomele of large circuit The situation of this Island could not be of more importance in respect also of its nearness to the Rhine And not far from thence was Balduke upon the utmost confines of Brabant which is one of the most populous Cities of that Province and one the best fortified both by Nature and Art of all Flanders One Captain Hermanno Reiter was a native of this City who depended upon the Prince of Orange and desired to signalize himself by doing him some service Upon the lower point of the abovesaid Island stands a little Castle called Lovesteyn more considerable for its situation then strength Reiter with some of his companions got in hither by fraud and brought in some fifty with him Roderigo de Tolledo lay in Balduke with some Spanish Companies who by reason of his being so near was advertised hereof He therefore presently dispatcht away 200 foot under Captain Lorenso Perea of the same Nation that he might indeavour by all means to recover the Castle The Invaders did not think to be so soon set upon so as not being able to defend themselves by their own forces nor having time to expect any from elsewhere they presently surrendred it to Perea not without some little dispute wherein Reiter was slain Thus was Lovesteyn recovered almost before it was lost But the Duke was notwithstanding much moved hereat weighing more the occasion then the effect of such a designe for he might fear that other more dangerous and more considerable designes were hatching as the event soon after shewed He being still more necessitated in expences and in monies to defray them and much incenst to see how hardly the hundreth penny was payed and more particularly upon the Maritine coast where no exaction thereof could ever be made and being yet more angred at the attempt of Lovesteyn he resolved by all means to recover not only the hundreth penny but the tenth and twentieth too he made the Kings mind in that affair be publisht having notwithstanding moderated the Imposition so as those of the Country were taxed less and foreigners more and thus he would have it executed But the people were no less resolved to the contrary notwithstanding any moderation which was added And this repugnancy grew so great as in some places no more meat was brought to the Markets nor did the Merchants expose to sale their wonted Merchandise Thus did affairs stand in the end of the year 1570. The other of 71 follows which will bring with it deplorable memorials for ever to Flanders For then the war broke forth almost every where in her and so great a fire was afterwards kindled as could never be extinguisht but by the truce of twelve years where with it was not quencht but smothered up Arms being suddenly afterwards reassumed and the War continued with more obstinacy on both sides We told you before how the Prince of Orange and his brother Lodovick were got into Picardy in France after the Duke of Alva had driven them out of Flanders and that Orange retiring from thence into Germany had left his brother in France Their Forces were almost quite disbanded for they wanted necessarie conveniences to maintain them But the whole strength which Genlis brought with him in assistance of those of Nassaw as hath been said was still intire Nor were the chief of the Hugonots in France wanting in nourishing in themselvs and in reviving in the Flemish runagates hopes of new revolutions which were to arise in those Provinces The Hugonots promised therefore all assistance on their sides and shewed how it would be easie to make themselves Masters of some good Town in the Walloon Provinces which as hath been said lie nearest France They therefore stood expecting all fit opportunities for this purpose Orange used all the means he could with the Princes his friends and other his adherents in Germany to prepare new Forces and facilitate his designe of entring Flanders again on that side He excused his first undertaking and promised better success in the next representing how ill-affected the Flemish were to the Spaniards and how much their hatred was increased by reason of the grievances which the Duke of Alva would lay upon the Countrie Nor was his indeavours and those of his associates in France ere a whit less fervent with the Queen of England so as by the opportunity of the Sea and for other aforesaid considerations 't was hoped that easier footing might be got in Holland and Zealand and easilyer maintained To this end some of the fled Flemish the better to raise some insurrection were got to sea in men of War to which they were driven even by despair For their goods being confiscated and not knowing how to live but by rapine they thought they might better do so by sea then by land The Lord Lumay Count of Marcia descended of Noble bloud and who neither wanted courage in undertaking nor industry in executing hard enterprises was one of the best qualified amongst them From this Maritine part where the danger appeared to be greatest the mischief first broke forth which Lumay was in this manner the Author of Having got together about 25 Vessels some of them fled Flemish and some of them English Pyrates and fomented in private by the Queen of England her self he steered about the end of March towards Holland and unexpectedly by underhand dealing got into the Town of Brill In the Western part of Holland there lies a little Island made by the Mause and by the Sea on the utmost part whereof towards the sea stands this Town which by the commodiousness of its Haven is held one of the chiefest Keys of those Maritine parts Lumay had with him about a thousand souldiers pickt up from several parts which were all hereticks of mean condition most of them fugitives or such as were driven from Flanders and such in fine as desired to raise tumults there Now because from this first commotion in Holland many others suddenly insued both in that Province and in Zealand so as the war was more kindled there then in other places and many of the most memorable accidents happened there I think it fit first to set down here briefly their situation and nature to the end that deliniating as I may so say the portraiture thereof the Reader may have the events as it were before his eyes Both these Provinces lie on the North and West side of Flanders In Holland the Rhine and the Mause and in Zealand
titular Command and Orange who was wholly taken up with Civil negotiations could not take upon him the Military government So as the management thereof lay chiefly on Monsieur de la Nue a French-man and Colonel Norris an English-man but the authority and estimation of the former was much greater then the others Their Forces being of this condition the military affairs proceeded but very slowly on both sides Each of them could rather withstand then overcome and each of them hoped for better success in time The year 1580. came now in which brought with it one of the most memorable events that ever the war of Flanders produced through the resolution which the Rebels then took of chusing a new Prince and of continuing no longer under the King of Spains obedience The Prince of Orange had driven on this design before now and being between Despair and Hope he could no longer resist their violences On the one side despair assailed him setting before him all the greatest and most dreadful dangers which could be expected from the wrath and power of the King of Spain being then made greater by the accession of the Kingdom of Portugal And on the other side he was highly invited by hope desire making him believe that new greatness would be added to his fortune by a new Principality He argued within himself That at least the two Provinces of Holland and Zealand would be well-nigh wholly at his disposal And wherefore in such a case might not greater good fortunes befall him since it might easily happen that the Flemish being again angry at or weary of a foreign Prince might at last resolve to choose one of their own Nation And if so wherefore should not he hope to be preferr'd before all others He then without any further delay having first prepared mens minds in every Province by his Adherents of which he had great store in each of them He I say caused the proposition of change of Prince be put and made all such things be suggested as might facilitate the business The Rebels had no more weighty affairs at this time then this was Therefore that they might treat and resolve thereof with such maturity and honour as was needfull it was thought necessary to call a meeting of the States Generall wherein they might afterwards come to such a resolution as might be best for the whole Country This advice was chiefly given by Orange and Antwerp appointed for the place of meeting Here then about the beginning of the abovesaid year the Deputies of the Provinces met and Orange was there himself so they began to fall close to the business The Heretick Deputies of which the greatest part of the Assembly did consist such industry and means had Orange used in causing them to be chosen inclined to choose a new Prince as also still to strengthen Heresie Yet they differed within themselves in their votes some of them were for the Queen of England and some for the Duke of Alanson the one holding they might receive more advantages from England the others from France The City of Gaunt in particular was much inclined to the Queen of England which was the chief City of all those that then followed the rebellion of the Confederate Provinces Wherefore James Tayard the Deputy thereof together with some others who represented the peculiar Province of Flanders that is to say the Flemicant part one day when the business was hottest in agitation spake thus When I consider most worthy Deputies how much France is at this time divided and afflicted within it self I confess I cannot be perswaded to preferrre the Duke of Alanson before the Queen of England in the subjecting of our Provinces under a new Principality Every one knows what the unhappy agitations of that Kingdom at the present are it totters on all sides amidst mighty dangers The several Factions strive who shall rend it most The King hath only the shew of a King and is forced to use intreaties much more then commands How often and with what prejudice to his authority hath he been inforced rather to yield to the will of others then to use his own So perverse under the variety of their specious pretences are they sometimes grown who favour the Catholick religion and sometimes they who follow the Reformed in causing one revolt after another all tending to the great diminution of the Royal majesty and splendor France being then in so low a condition what ease or advantage can Flanders expect from thence Our end is to put our selves under a Prince who who may by his Forces strengthen ours that we may the better defend our selves against so powerful and so bitter an Enemy as is the King of Spain Then tell me I pray you what State what Forces what advantages can the Duke of Alanson bring with him that should make him be desired for our Prince Doth he enjoy any thing else in France save the bare Title of being the only Brother to the King with other such Prerogatives much greater in shew then substance Hath not the King treated him sometimes more like a Prisoner then like a Brother hath not the Duke sometime gone from Court in form of a Fugitive endeavouring by all means to protect Faction but rather to receive assistance from thence then to give it To boot his being the Kings only Brother bears with it a condition which we may very well suspect For if he when he shall be our Prince shall peradventure succeed his Brother who is childless in what condition shall we be then what dangers will our Provinces be then again in we shall be under so great a King who peradventure may treat us so much worse then the King of Spain now doth by how much the Forces of France are nearer us and more ready to oppress us From what I have said against France I shall now come to what may be taken into consideration as making for England States doe then most flourish when they are mâ—st quiet which may easily be seen by the happiness which that Queen now enjoyes Her Kingdom enjoyes full Peace and her people strive who shall most witness their obedience to her An obedience notwithstanding which she hath very will deserved of them For what Princess was there ever seen of a more masculine spirit who indued with more excellent vertues She hath nothing of woman but the appearance She is born to Empires and to command those chiefly which require most merit to enjoy them It is confest her Kingdom is â—et a little divided in point of Religion but the Catholicks are so few and 〈◊〉 so low as they can in no sort weigh against the Reformed She maintains these and by these is she maintained her pleasure is that only their Religion shall be profest in England according to the custom of that Country and with this her pleasure hath the Authority of the Estates general met in Parliament often joyned And how much doth this
make for our advantage For the most of us having resolved to imbrace the Refoâ—med religion doubtlesly the Queen of England will in that respect much more concur in our defence then will the Duke of Alanson who is a profest Catholick Together with this advantage in matter of Religion we shall also receive from her all other things which we stand most in need of her Kingdom abounds in People nor wants she Mony proportionably How much ought we to esteem her so near and so potent Maritime forces We may by that means expect at all times all manner of Aid in a very few houres and by that means that Country will be joyned to ours as well as if we were both one firm land And how much is England and our Province already joyned in Commerce May not the English-House here in Antwerp be envied by their own hamber of London And if we consider the Form of Government how much more conformable to ours is that of England then that of France For in France the Kingly power may be said to be almost absolute whereas in England it is so limited as in al affair of greatest weight the Princes there can resolve of nothing without the supreme authority of Parliament Which ought to make us expect a much more moderate government certainly from the Queen of England then from the D. of Alanson who hath already too much drunk in the too haughty and Kingly spirits of France This my short comparing of the present condition of these two Kingdoms doth sufficiently discover my opinion touching the business now in hand Yet all private opinions ought to submit to the publike interest And so shal I do when the contrary shal be approv'd of by this most wise Assembly for I have no consideration of any foreign good which is not altogether subordinate to what concerns our selves This discourse wrought very much upon the Deputies But the Lord of St. Aldegonde one of those that was deputed for the Nobility one of the best esteemed amongst all those of the Flemish Union took upon him to defend the contrary opinion And spake thus I wish it had pleased God most worthy Deputies that our calamities had not clearly taught us what the remedy is to free us thereof This remedy consists in having one for our Prince who being amongst us in person may rather with a Fathers then Princes affection imbrace maintain and govern the concernments of these our Provinces as if they were altogether his own And to pass by the more ancient examples let each of us consider what happiness they enjoyed in more modern times 'T is very well known to all how they flourished under the House of Burgony And that out of no other respect but for that the Princes did then of themselves and in their own persons steer the Government and shewing themselves from time to time in almost every of our Provinces did both give and receive such satisfaction as was most to be desired by each in each of them The Government then altered and began to grow worse under the House of Austria nor was it to be otherwise expected by reason of the many States and Nations which fell under the Empire thereof A great bulk cannot long maintain it self and when one part thereof is wrested all the rest are usually out of frame So in States which are too far divided a sunder the good of Government not being able to be joyntly united in them all the most remote must needs suffer therein and afterwards those that are nearest joyned will rescent it But notwithstanding in the times of Maximilian of Philip the first and of Clarls Flanders enjoyed such a share of their own personages and presence as look how much it sometimes suffered by reason of their absence it reaped other whiles as much advantage by their being present And each of them did still retain as well the sence as the bloud of Germany and Flanders Countries both of them almost alike seated and of the same nature The â—ow King being afterwards born in Spain and being become a Spaniard more by will then by birth he resolves to keep there and not to absent himself in any manner from thence What our miseries have been since then and what those in particular which we have suffered through the pride and cruelty of Spanish Governours we may all very well know since we have all too well tryed it Then to conclude as I said at first that the only help for these our Provinces consists in having here a Prince of their own to govern them I confess I cannot see who can be fitter for that purpose then the Duke of Alanson The Dukes of Burgony descended as it is well known to all from the Royal bloud of France then since Fortune presents us again with a new Prince of the same bloud wherefore should not we greedily imbrace the occasion of receiving him would not the very Government be by this means rather continued then any other of a different Form instituted How great a part of our Provinces do yet retain the French tongue and the Customs more then the tongue Are not all the confines of the Walloons and half the Province of Flanders it self called more by the word Gallican then Flemican so as in respect of the conformity of nature 't is clearly seen that the French are much more conformable to us then the English who had never any dominion over us That France is now in great turmoyls cannot be denyed but what better remedy then this can be found out to rid her of them to wit by drawing Alanson himself out of her and with him so many others who at the present do molest that Kingdom In which case it is not to be doubted but that the Duke will abound sufficiently in Forces and that the King his brother will largely maintain them in so just a Cause Every one may clearly see how much better these of France will be then those we should receive from England France doth over-abound with people every where especially in gallant Cavalry The coming from thence into this our Country can receive no impediment neither by the seas nor wind since both their confines by land joyn together And how opportune for us ought their neighbourhood now to be thought since almost the whole Walloon Provinces being re-united to the King of Spain the French Forces will prove very commodious on that side to force that Country to return to their former Union with our other Provinces and to joyn with us in chusing the Duke of Alanson for our Prince For what concerns all the other rubs me thinks they may be easily removed As for the Kings having no children his age is such as may certainly promise enough The mean while the Duke his brother will likewise marry and have sons of his own to succeed him but say that the Duke were to succeed unto the Crown wherefore may not we in such accse oblige
should receive a full pardon from the King That the Citizens should return to the true obedience of the Church and King That those who would not live after the Catholick profession might enjoy their goods any where out of the Country That the souldiers should be suffered to march out with theirs Arms bagage and Colours flying That the City should pay 20000 pound to keep from being sackt And that the Princess of Espenoy might be suffered to go freely whether she pleased with all her wealth goods substance and family Thus was Tornay yielded and the Princess at her coming forth was received with such applause in the Kings Camp as it might be judged she came forth not as Conquered but as Conqueress The news this mean while continued that the Duke of Alanson would be quickly in Flanders and that without returning to France he would come directly from England and land in Zealand The Archduke Mathias had till this time kept in the Low-Countries and agita ted with many hopes could never fix upon any From the beginning he could not be Governour there by the Kings approbation He had enjoy'd nothing but likelyhoods in the Rebels Government and nothing but the Title in the management of the Militia yet he thought he merited by suffering Wherefore discovering the Rebels resolution of changing Prince he flattered himself mainly upon that occasion with new and ardent hopes He omitted not to make those things be suggested which might make most for his advantage and particularly his Austrian bloud of Germany which for so many years and with such satisfaction to the people had Governed Flanders But being but little listned unto and less considered and afterwards excluded out of all he was fain to be content and to return to his friends and former condition in Germany VVhen therefore it was noised that Alanson was in England and that he would be speedily in Flanders Mathias tarryed no longer but going by Cullen past over the Rhine and returned to his usual abode in the Emperours Court This year ended with his departure and with the Signior d' Altapenna's indeavour to surprise Bergen ap Zome which Town he was very near surprising for he and his men had already won one Gate and were begun to get more inward when the Garison betaking themselves to their Arms and the people flocking from all parts the Royalists were forced to go out many of them being slain and many wounded In the beginning of the year 1582. certain news was brought to Flanders at last that the Duke of Alanson was departed from England with intention of landing in Zealand After having been entertained many days with much feasting and honourable treatment he went from London and within three days came to Flushing The Queen made him be attended with a great Fleet of her ships which were commanded by Charls Howard Lord Admiral of England and would have him waited upon by divers of the chiefest Lords of her Kingdom amongst which was the Earl of Lester who was then in great Authority and favour with her When Alanson was come to Flushing he was received by Orange Espenoy and a great many other personages of quality who were come thither to that purpose They brought him from thence to Midleburg where staying a few days he came to Antwerp attended by above 50 Flemish ships gloriously trimed he landed upon the banks of Scheld near the Citadel and was met with an incredible applause and concourse of people After the wonted ceremonies of interchangeable oaths he entred on horseback into the City which was every where set out with triumphant Arches and other publick demonstrations of joy for his arrival Alanson being thus brought into his new Principality it was not long ere he began to know that hardly was the appearances or shadow thereof left unto him On the other side the Flemish began quickly to comprehend that he had brought with him nothing but the outside of vain hopes and of spetious titles He could not obtain any Forces of consequence from the King his brother and from the Queen of England such and so many only as by his means the Dominion of those Countries might rather be taken from the King of Spain then enjoyed by himself Wherefore the heat of that first welcome quickly cooled and the Inhabitants of Antwerp began to take some distaste at the Duke in point of Religion The Hereticks were already so prevalent there as but very little share of exercise remained for the Catholicks who had recourse unto the Duke to remedy the oppression which they received On the contrary the others endeavoured by all means to continue their advantages and though some satisfaction was at last given to the Catholicks yet were not they therewithall quieted nor did the Hereticks on their sides seem to be satisfied But an untoward accident which happened not long after had likely to have given him an â—ll favoured welcome and to have indangered his life Which was this A young Spaniard of mean birth in Biscay having resolved to kill Orange and taking bothtime and place fitting for his purpose in Orange his own hous discharg'd a musket in his face and wounded him so as at the first he was thought to be dead The noise being heard many hasted thither and astonished at the spectacle without further adoe slew the offender The news of this flew suddenly from the house to the Piazza and from the Piazza to every least corner of the City Nor is it to be said what a commotion it caused amongst the people Every one ran with anxiety from one place to another to know the truth thereof and lamenting one another and as if not only the Father of the Country but even the Father of every particular Family had been slain they bewailed the privat and publick misfortune which they thought had befaln them In this agitation it was whispered that the French had been the authors of this misdeed that they might rid their hands of Orange and thereby make the Duke of Alansons Authority the more free The baser sort of people turning their commisseration into fury ran headlong to Alansons house intending to kill all the French that they should find there and peradventure not to spare his own person In this interim the first fear was seised in Orange his house for the wound being searched was found not to be mortal the bullet had only past through both his cheeks beaten out some of his teeth and occasioned the loss of much bloud which for a while hindred his speech But when he knew it was a Spaniard who had shot him and heard what danger the French were in and even Alanson himself he writ some Tickets with him own hand and sent abroad divers in his own name who cleared the business and freed the multitude of their suspitions When all tumults were ceased they fell to search into the fact that they might make the juster resentment The most common opinion was
more great then usual for the heads of all Trades and all those who bore any Office amongst the People were then present he spake thus Since we that are here most worthy Citizens represent the whole body of the City and that through your goodness I enjoy the prime place amongst you I conceive it belongs properly to me to propound unto you that wherein the publike service in these present occurrences is most concern'd We are besieged round doubtlesly a sad spectacle the inconveniences being great which must be suffered within besieged wals It is no wonder therefore if many amongst us doe already wisely foresee this sort of evil and fear it But then we must be wary lest through too much apprehension and fear of the necessity which those that are besieged must undergo we forget not the mischiefs which so cruelly doe oft-times befall those who surrender We have seen two memorable Sieges these late years past in Holland the out of Harlem the other of Leiden The Harlemists would at last yield and rather then to come to the last desperate resolutions try the humanity and clemencie of the Conquerors But how much did they repent it afterwards and doubtlesly they had better have sallied out and with their swords in hand have willingly incountred their own deaths then to die as many of them afterwards did suffering such barbarous and horrid punishments On the contrary those of Leyden resolving rather to dye then surrender the Town did so maintain it though reduced to the utmost extremity of difficulties as at last they were freed from that so cruel siege by that so miraculous succour Which of these two examples shall we follow I believe it will be soon resolved Who can doubt that it is not better to under go not one but a thousand deaths rather then to fall again under the cruel proud and unsupportable Spanish yoke The Countrey groans every where through the so many horrible calamities which it yet suffers thereby But especially for the loss of so much famous bloud Where are the Egmonts Where the Horns Where so many of the Nobility of all sorts Finally where is our glorious Orange that true Father of his Country that unconquerable defender of the Liberties thereof It is no ways to be doubted but that as the first blow came from the hand of a Spaniard whereby he had then almost lost his life so did the second likewise from Spanish orders which brought him so miserably to his end If this our City shall ever prove so unfortunate which God forbid as to fall into their hands what doe you think their first actions will be They will certainly put the Citadel into its former condition which is as much as to say they will put the former insupportable yoke upon us To these and many other violences which they will use upon our persons we shall suddenly have many no less intolerable put upon our consciences The Reformed religion will be forbidden the very first day and the Inquisition will soon after be brought in And thus Antwerp being no longer a Flemish City but a Spanish Colony all Foreigners will forsake it all Traffick will decay and it will finally be intombed like an unhappy Carkass under its own desolate and decaying wals But let us talk no more thus dejectedly Let good auguries prevail And very well they may doe so if we consider the condition of the Enemies siege It is in vain to think that they will ever be able to finish the Bridg or to maintain it when it shall be finished The River it self will oppose them the flowing and reflowing of the Tide will oppose them our Ships will continually oppose them on all sides the Winter with her ice will fight against the Bridg nor will there be wanting many other inventions to discompose and break it down and leave that passage always free unto us And how much more easily may we open their Counterdike On Lillo's side our men have already begun to drown the neighbouring fields We will doe the like on Ordams side towards the City And the Counterdike being inclosed round between these two inundations and between our two Fleets it must of necessity either be born down by the water at the highest tides or being so often assailed by us we may cut it destroy it and freely receive all assistance likewise on that side In which case when we shall have commodity of being succour'd the Enemies can have no hopes in the continuation of their siege This mean while the Forces of our Confederates will still the more unite they will be accompanied with aids from France but chiefly with those which we may in greater numbers and with much more ease receive from England And having so many Forces both by land and sea why shall we not hope to see Antwerp restored to her full and entire liberty and to her former happy condition Let us then most honoured Citizens return all joyfully to our own homes And being to encourage others let us first take courage our selves But let us return always with an immutable resolution of rather perishing let our condition be what it will then of surrendring In fine Or Liberty or Death Thus ended stout Aldegonde Nor can it be said what power this and his other discourses had alwayes with the Antwerpians in making them receive his advices By his perswasion a new form of Oath was composed by which the City obliged it self never to return to the obedience of the King of Spain And an Edict was likewise published wherein it was prohibited under severe punishment for any one to listen to any whatsoever agreement which should at any time be propounded on the Kings behalf They then applied themselves with great fervencie to withstand the Siege Great care was had in the delivering out of victuals Such Citizens as were fit to bear Arms were put under Colours and disposed of in several Companies each of them having a Commander given them But above all things they betook themselves by all possible means to hinder the building of the Bridg and the defence of the Counterdike To boot with the Men of War which annoyed the Bridg they ordered some artificial Fire-boats whereby to assault indammage and utterly destroy the Bridg if it were possible And because the Kings Forts which were upon the River banks did very much hinder any thing that could be done by the Enemies ships the Antwerpians bethought themselves of building a Ship of such a vast greatness as being too good for the Kings Forts and furiously playing upon them with Cannon shot the absolute command of the River might by means thereof remain unto the City It was to be of a bulk answerable to a manageable Castle in the water And the Antwerpians confiding mainly therein and falling to work thereupon they gave it a no less vast title then was the bulk calling it The Wars End They ordered likewise all things which were necessary for the
Treaty of accommodation in the Affairs of Flanders Which it may be believed she was chiefly perswaded unto thereby to try whether she could avoid the Tempest of Arms which the King of Spain already threatned her withall She thought the King of Denmark might be a fitting Instrument for this purpose wherefore she turned her self to him Nor was he backward therein but readily imbracing it sent John Ronsovio forthwith to Brussels who was well received by the Duke of Parma and was afterwards well approved of by the King of Spain The Schools from whence the negotiations of Princes proceed are always full of deep mysteries And though it be desired their hidden and reserv'd ends either cannot or ought not to be penitrated into It was notwithstanding conjectured that the Queen and King desired interchangeably to delude one another in this kind of negotiation so as those provisions which were making on both sides might be a little slackned The United Provinces seemed most averse to this kind of negotiation For their answer to Leicester who had sundry times made several proposals to them about it was resolutely this That they would never return again under the King of Spains obedience and that though the Queen should abandon them they would not notwithstanding desist from doing what they could in their own defence even till the last gasp But whatsoever should come of it or what ever the end of this Treaty might be the King and Queen resolved to set it on foot and chosing Burborg a little Town between Dunkirk and Gravelin for the place they sent some perticular Commissioners thither to that end In the Kings name there did intervene Count Aremberg Knight of the golden Fleece Mousieur de Campigni Lord Treasurer and John Richardotto President of the Councel of Artois And for the Queen the Earl of Darby Knight of the Garter and two others of her privy Councel whilst arms were handled in Flanders in one part and this Treaty was in hand in another many frequent consultations had been had and were yet had in Spain touching in what manner the King should rescent the injuries done unto him by the Queen of England The King had been provoked long before this by the Queen of England by her continual fomenting the troubles of Flanders yet he thought he might dissemble the offence because she dissembled the injuries But the King was so moved at this last action wherein she had by so many helps so openly revived the rebellion of Flanders when it was almost extinguished as he thought he could no longer forbear shewing how ill he took it by declaring open war against her Yet openly to make war upon England was of great consequence to the affairs of Spain so as the King before he would resolve thereupon would have it very well disputed by his ablest ministers of State Alvaro di Bassano Marquess of Sancta Croce a Personage very much cryed up for Naval Militia was one of those that perswaded him most to this enterprise he bore a great command at this time over the Kings Fleets in the Ocean and by reason of his imploymenr hoped it would fall to his share to be the prime man in this famous expedition Wherefore whilst they were treating one day of this business in presence of the King he spoke thus When I consider most mighty Prince the glory and advantage of the proposition in hand and the hopes of seeing it happily effected I confess I cannot forbear exhorting your Majesty with all the power and efficacy I have by all means to lay hold of it your Majesty may chiefly glory in the August Cognomen of most Catholick and that you have much more made it good in your actions then used it in your Title What greater glory can you then desire then in the first place to restore so great and so noble a Kingdom as is England to due obedience to the Church and to the ancient veneration of the Altars And what greater renown then to beat down Heresie there where her most rebellious ensignes are raised up that Island being made as it were an inexpugnable Sanctuary thereof How much hath Piety and Religion flourish'd formerly in that Kingdom How many Catholicks are there yet there And how do they long to see an end of that bitter persecution which they suffer there And to proceed to the advantage of the proposal It is well known that Spain can reap no greater advantage then in being no longer opposed by England From thence are the Indies infested and your Fleets threatned From thence is the Rebellion of Flanders fomented and the manifest usurpation of the Dominion therefore aspired unto And finally From thence proceeds all the greatest damages which the Crown of Spain suffers at this present and from thence will the greatest evils alwaies derive which shall at any time hereafter befall it And for the happy success of the enterprise why should not your Majesty assure your selfe thereof Your Forces at Sea have formerly been most powerful How much more formidable wil they be made now by the addition of Portugal And your resent succession to that Kingdom does plainly denote that God hath been thereby pleased the more to facilitate this enterprise 'T is then to be beleeved that the Spanish Fleet by Sea will be of that Potency as it will not to be withstood by all the maritime Forces of England though assisted by Holland and Zealand The Army by land which the Duke of Parma hath lately increased in Flanders may at the same time correspond with the Fleet which shall come from Spain When the Channel shall be possest by your Fleet the Army may be easily conveyed over into the Island where when it shall be landed and all your Majesties Forces joyned what shall withctand them from entring suddenly into the heart of the Kingdom For it being an Island nature defends it onely by situation no use being made to fortifie it by industry When this shall be once done and England 's fomenting be ceased it is not to be doubted but that the Rebellion in Flanders will soon cease likewise Fire lasts as long as do the materials where with it is fed when those fail the greatest fires go out and end in ashes John Idiaques one of the Kings Officers most imployed in Court at that time appeared in Councel to be of a contrary opinion Idiaques had been for many years Ambassador first at Genua then at Venice and after his return to Court the King had always imployed him in managing the most important affairs of the Crown He spake thus The first thing that is to be taken into consideration most mighty Prince is in my opinion the difficulties of the undertaking which is now in dispute And to speak my mind freely I think them so great as there is but very little hope of good success England as every one knows is so situated hath such Forces such Inhabitants and is governed after so peculiar a
General and Admiral were ill handled by their Cannon shot and upon that occasion a Galleass was likewise but ill treated which at last ran on ground on the Coast of France neer Haure de Grace the Captain thereof being slain and but few saved that were in her The Catholick Fleet advanced afterwards further into the Channel and came at last between Calis and Dover from thence the Duke of Medina sent Rodergio di Telio to the Duke of Parma who was still at Bruges to advertise him thereof and did very much solicit him to imbark his men and to do whatsoever fell to his share The Duke of Parma went presently from Bruges to Newport and began to imbark his men shewing notwithstanding that it was impossible for him to put from that place and Dunkirk unless the D. of Medina would first free those two Havens from the ships wherewith the Hollanders and Zealanders did as it were besiege them He affirmed That this was the agreement made with the King That his ships were therefore only to transport the Army That they had no provision of Artillery That they were no waies able to buckle with those of the Hollanders and Zealanders And that in fine he would not rashly make the King of Spain lose the most flourishing Army that was ever seen in Flanders and consequently Flanders it self which would be left without any Forces or defence This mean while the Spanish Fleet was advanced so far as it might be seen from Dunkirk where it cast anchor by reason of a great calm which rendred it immoveable and so happened to be in the midst between the English Fleet and that of the Hollanders and Zealanders Thus did all the Fleets stand still for one whole day till the night came when it was dark some vessels all on fire of a middle size might be seen to come at unawares towards the Spanish ships they were eight in number and came at a distance one from another that they might enter on divers sides upon the Spanish ships they had not yet forgot the so hideous Fire-boats which were seen in the siege of Antwerp Wherefore the Spaniards on the sudden thought that these flaming vessels of the enemies were of the same sort and were to work the same effect They made no delayes but astonished with blinde fear which was yet made more blinde by the darkness of the night not staying till the Enemies fire-boats came amongst them they began to weigh anchor that they might run away And such was the fear that many of the ships cut their cables lest they should not save themselves time enough And as if Fortune would favour the Enemies invention the winde rose on a sudden by the blowing whereof the Spaniards feared the flames would gather force One ship gave against another those that were farthest off thought the danger nearest the confusion was such as would allow of no command and the horror of the night increased the disorder every where which howsoever would have been great enough by day The aforesaid fire-boats were notwithstanding chiefly made for terror and to make it be beleeved that they were such as were those of the siege of Antwerp The Spanish Ships having avoided those imaginary fears of fire could not shun the other true apprehension of indamagement by a storm which arose at Sea At the appearing of day the Fleet found it self in a great disorder and so parted as many of the greatest Galleouns being sever'd from the rest they were suddenly set upon by the two adverse Fleets In one of those Galleouns called the St. Mathew was the Camp-master Diego di Pimentel and in another which was called the S. Philip was Francis of Toledo for Captain Both these ships fought a good while and were succour'd by the Capitana which made them hold out the longer but she being likewise many times shot through and through was at last forced to leave the other two and seek to save her self the other two continued a valiant fight till being born by the winde upon the sands both of them perisht Francisco Tolledo being drowned in the Sea and Pimentel with some others taken prisoners A Galleass of Naples over-set likewise upon the Coast of Calis in which was Hugo di Moncada who together with almost all that were in her betaking themselves to swim were most of them drowned These great losses being had and the Sea still threatning greater the Duke of Medina and his Councel thought fit by all means to carry back the Fleet to Spain as soon as possible might be and it was already plainly seen that it was impossible to cleanse the coast of Flanders from the Enemies ships as it was absolutely necessary to do if the Catholick Army were to be transported into England Moreover it was already known how well the Queen was provided for them within land to which purpose she being pleased to shew her self couragiously on Horse-back to both the abovesaid Armies the applause of such an action is not to be exprest nor what courage the Queen did both receive her self and infuse into others by doing it The Duke of Medina resolving then to return for Spain it was thought best to lanch farther into the Northern Sea and take a greater compass to shun the danger of the shelves of sand which lye so thick upon the Western coasts of England Scotland and Ireland The General gave orders to this purpose and amongst other orders commanded that if the Fleet by occasion of new Tempest should be again disordered all the ships should come to Corugna and there stay one for another nor was it long ere the apprehended danger hapned and so unfortunately as the former order could by no means be obeyed Hardly had the Fleet set sail towards the North when one of the fiercest tempests arose that peradventure was ever seen at Sea The day was at an instant turned to night nothing but thunder and lightning and other fatal signes were seen or heard every where throughout the air the winde arose and grew so high as the waves transformed into mountains and mounting up unto the skies made voraginous caverns in the Sea insomuch as the Mariners did almost lose the use of their eyes all the operation of their hands and all such orders as are used to be observed between Pilot and Pilot between ship and ship Which driven on by the fury of the winds gave forceably one against another till enlarging themselves by the same violence they were at last disperst here and there and whither so great an opposition of fortune would carry them The Admiral Ricalde was one of the first that vanisht from the Navy and some other ships followed after his more by constraint then choice They thought at first that they were carried to the Islands of Orkney in Scotland but at last they fell upon Ireland where after being ill dealt withall by the Sea they were but badly treated by the Inhabitants of those parts Yet
was severely carefull of Piety and Justice And did always imploy his worthiest Subjects in the administration of them both chusing them of himself unexpectedly according as their merits did suggest unto him His so great age and so long Government made him try the more various turns of Fortune and made it the more appear how equal how constant and how much superior to himself he was in all successes And indeed it may be doubted whether prosperous or adverse Fortune swayed most with him For what greater felicity could he desire then to enjoy Spain with so much quiet then to command it wholly every where with the addition of Portugal then to enjoy so peaceably his Territories in Italy and see himself so much respected in those that appertained to others then to have the memmorable victory of Lepanto in favour of the Christians in so great a part attributed unto him then to have so highly maintained the reputation of his name and made the Majesty of his Empire be still so reverenced and feared But he accounted it his greated fortune and glory to be held so great a defender of the Church and that upon so many occasions and in so many parts recourse was had to his zeal for the favouring and protecting thereof These and many others were his prosperities sundry times both in peace and in war On the contrary what greater adversity could befall him then to see Flanders amidst so long and so horrible troubles then to lose so much of that his most antient patrimony then to have his most remotest Countrys of the Indies wounded by that wound Then to have so unfortunately lost that great Armado which was to have assaulted England Nor had his designs in the revolutions of France any ways answered his hopes The domestical events of his own house may likewise be said to have been not very fortunate Having hardly one son by so many marriages The fatal death of the first with the suspitions also of Don Johns death So much more seeming then true are the felicities which the vulgar do so much adore in Princes And so much greater proof thereof do they give who are in highest places with them But in affairs of Fortune as most of these were humane wisdom is not to be blamed For what remains so eminent were Philip the second 's vertues and which made him so memorable a Prince as doubtlesly few like him have been found either in former or in latter times THE HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FLANDERS Written by CARDINAL BENTIVOGLIO The Third Part. BOOK V. The Contents The Archduke goes to carry the new Queen of Spain from Germany They arrive happily at the King her husbands Court. The King hath this mean while powerfull Forces in Flanders But great mutinies insue and great sums of money are spent in appeasing them So as for want of pay the Army is wintered in the neighbouring Countrys of Cleves and Westfalia and in other places under the jurisdiction of the Empire The Princes that are interessed are sensible of this Novelty They indeavour to receive satisfaction by way of Treaty which not obtaining they at last resolve to have it by force Yet they move but slowly The Kings Army is this mean while drawn out into the field under the Government of the Admiral of Arragon General of the Horse They advise what to fall upon and by Cardinal Andrea's intervention they resolve to enter the Island of Bomel and to besiege the Town of Bomel which denominates that Island But Count Maurice opposeth them with such Forces as the Admiral is forced to forgoe that design The Cardinal resolves afterwards to plant a great Fort upon a narrow passage of the Island to the end that so he might command the chiefest passes over the Mause and Wahal and cals it the Fort of St. Andrea Great haste is made in the erecting of it and notwithstanding all the enemy could do it is brought to perfection The German Camp begins at last to move It first besiegeth Reinberg but soon retreats with no great honour From thence it goes to recover the Town of Res and rises from thence likewise in great disorder and confusion Great discords happen between the Commanders thereof So as it soon disbands and is afterwards dissolved The new Princes of Flanders part from Spain They come to Italy and pass the Alpes at Turin They come to their own Country An Interview between them and Cardinal Andrea who returns into Germany and the new Princes are received with all solemnity in Brussels PHILIP the second King of Spain being dead the Archduke hastens his journey that he might the sooner bring a wife to the succeeding Philip the third to which purpose the Archduke was gone for Germany as you heard before He came with all speed to Prague where having visited his brother the Emperor he went to Grats and from thence to Italy by the way of Tirol with the new Queen and her mother the Archdutchess Pope Glement the eight was then in the City of Ferrara which together with the Dukedome thereof was devolved the year before to the Apostolick See The occasion of this his neighbourhood was very acceptable to the new Queen and the Archduke that so they might have their marriages celebrated by the Pope Nor was the Pope less glad to celebrate them They therefore passed from Trent with all their attendance to Ferrara where being received as became so great Princes both their marriages were effected by the Pope in the Cathedral Church with such solemnity and magnificence as was most requisite for such an action by such a hand between such personages The Kings part was supplyed by way of Proxy by the Archduke and the Infanta Isabella's by the Duke of Lasse the King of Spains Ambassador in the Popes Court. The Queen departing then from that City together with her Mother and the Archduke they followed on their journey towards Milan where having staid a while they went to Genua and taking ship there they in a few days fail arrived happily in Spain Where we will leave them and continuing to relate the affairs of Flanders we will with all brevity acquaint you with what passed there till such time as the new Princes came thither The Archduke at his departure had left these particular directions with the Admiral of Aragon That he should endeavour to preserve the Army as much as he could till his return from Spain That therefore he should shun all difficult sieges so not to lose his men nor be at greater expences That by all means be should endeavour to get some good pass over the Rhine that so if it were possible he might enter the Enemies Country on the other side and quarter his Army there Which if he could not do that then he should strive to quarter it in the neutral Countries of the Duke of Cleves and others of the like nature thereabouts The Archduke left this last condition in particular to
the first into Holland the truest and most intrinsecal end whereof was that he might have a share in what was to be done and specially to cause jealousie in the Spaniards and by this means to induce them to make use of him and to make him Arbitrator in the differences The King of France was then in his chiefest greatness and prosperity and enjoying his Kingdom in perfect peace and honour after having arrived thereat through many difficulties all which he had overcome with incredible constancy and valour He considered the Affairs in Flanders after several manners on one side he could have wished that the war might continue and that thereby the affairs of Spain might still be impaired even till at last they might lose whole Flanders On the other side he saw himself well stricken in years his children very young and that in case he should fail fresh troubles might in a short time arise in his Kingdom which might chiefly be fomented by the Spanish Forces of Flanders that the disorders of those Forces were not so many but that if the war should continue very necessity would force them to finde out a remedy nor the danger of their losses such as might not be evaded by the power of so great a Monarch which made him desire to see Flanders without war and the Spaniards without Forces so near at hand Neither did he like that the United Provinces who were already become so formidable at Sea might by their growing too great be as dreadful at Land For the Hereticks of his Kingdom could from no part else be better fomented to rebel The King amidst these various considerations had his eye fixt upon these passages of Flanders and because his authority was very great in the United Provinces he beleeved they would never come to any accommodation with the Spaniards without his consent At the first he seemed to be averse to the affairs in hand though to say truth he did not well know what he had best to do but he did this of purpose to enforce the Spaniards to put the Negotiations into his hands Great dexterity and cunning was requisite to the leading on of these designs He therefore chose for this so important affair the President Jannine a man of great experience and abilities and one who was then chieflyest employed by him in State affairs He sent Mr. de Rosse along with Jannine who was then extraordinary Ambassador into Flanders to continue afterwards his ordinary Ambassador in the United Provinces Having both of them exercised their Offices in the entrance into the affairs spoken of they stayed in Holland Jannine did diligently observe the whole carriages and wrought himself every day more and more into the affairs which still increased the jealousie of the King of Spain and the Arch-dukes who then began to see clearly that it behoved them to have recourse to the King of France his mediation who already had complained to the Commissary General in his return to Flanders that the King of Spain and the Arch-dukes had proceeded so far without his knowledge in the aforesaid business Almost the like passions and artifices appeared in James the first King of England who was newly come to that Crown The same reasons appeared in him for desiring the continuance of the war in Flanders as did in the King of France for the King of England being strong at Sea and confiding in the strength of all his Kingdoms situation as also in the conformity of his ends with those of the United Provinces in favouring heresie he could not much fear their Forces though they should grow greater He was the more secure likewise by having Flushing and the Ramechins in Zealand and the Brill in Holland Sea Towns of great importance in his hands as pawned for monies lent by Queen Elizabeth to the United Provinces and for that their chiefest strength consisted in English and Scottish souldiers who were in their Army He foresaw he should have greater cause to be jealous of the Spaniards if being free from the war of Flanders they might endeavour to molest him in any part of his Dominions especially in Ireland an Island which is almost wholly Catholick well-affected to them and much dis-affected to England Out of these reasons it was believed that the King of England desired the war in Flanders might continue But being a great lover of Quiet and much given to Hunting and to his Book and wholly fixt in warring by writings with the Church it was therefore judged he would not at last shew himself totally averse to see the affairs of Flanders in some sort pacified To boot that not being able for scarcity of Monies to give any considerable succour to the United Provinces his power would be but small in perswading or counselling the continuance of war since he could not much assist it by his Forces Yet it very much imported those Provinces to preserve his friendship were it onely that they might raise souldiers out of his Kingdom Wherefore they entertained his Ambassadors which were sent into Holland at the beginning of this Negotiation with very much respect and treated with them with all confidency The King of Englands end in sending of them was almost the same as was that of the King of France To wit that he likewise would have a share in the business which was in hand and to enforce the Spaniards to make use of him likewise therein The King of Denmark sent likewise Ambassadors to Holland as also the Prince Elector Palatin the Elector of Brandenburgh the Lantgrave of Hesse and other German Heretick Princes who all of them seemed to shew their good affections towards the united Provinces in so important an occasion These businesses which were thus begun grew very hot in Holland every thing was in motion and great was the expectation what the united Provinces would resolve as well touching the second ratification come from Spain as also whether they would continue or break the Treaty But of all others Count Maurice of Nassaws thoughts were most busied at this time His father the Prince of Orange being dead he being yet but a youth of sixteen years of age had got into all his fathers Military and Civil employments with the great good will and approbation of the united Provinces And encreasing no less in valour then in years after so many enterprises and prosperous successes his authority grew daily greater amongst them He had won it by arms and he thought he could best preserve it by arms And by means of the publick trouble of war he hoped some favourable conjuncture might the easilier be opened unto him of making himself one day Prince of those Provinces It is not to be doubted but that his ambition carried him thus high for his Father was very near attaining thereunto and his own deserts being added to his Fathers his hopes ought rather to be augmented then diminished To boot with the Supreme Government of the Army he had
succeeded his Father in the Civil Administration of Holland Zealand Utricht Overisel His brother Count Henry General of the Horse of the united Provinces and the Counts William and Eâ—rnestus the one of them Governour of Friesland and Groninghen and the other Governor of Ghelderland were all of them of his House and depended on him almost in all things so as the whole Government of the united Provinces as well Military as Civil may be said to be in his hands and his domestick power was the greater by his great friendship and alliance with Forraign Princes The Negotiation in hand made nothing at all for his present condition nor for that which peradventure he had an intention to raise up unto himself And say he had a minde to have hindred it at the beginning what colour or what pretence had he so to do Since the united Provinces in the Proposal made by the Arch-dukes for a Treaty had gotten all that they desired when the first ratification which came therefore from Spain proved vain Maurice began to hope well in the begun breach of the Negotiation by occasion thereof augmented the coÌ„mmon jealousies He inlarged himself very much and with great fervency in calling to minde their late good successes so many mischiefs cruelties and horrible in humanities committed as he affirmed by the Spaniards together with many other things to make all manner of Treaties with them suspitious and to encrease the hatred which those of the united Provinces alwaies bore to that Nation And though the second ratification was come in very ample manner yet did not he go less in continuing to do the same hoping to make this second appear likewise faulty in many things The time drew near of giving their resolution therein concerning which they had had many meetings at last one day when the Councel of 〈◊〉 States General was fuller then usual by reason of the importancy of the business 't is said Count Maurice spoke thus How much most worthy Deputies I have alwayes desired the prosperity of our Republick all my precedent actions which have made me appear no less my Fathers competitor then his son in her service may sufficiently manifest I have not laboured less then did my father in all wayes procuring the common good and if he lost his life in the publique cause I have exposed my self to no less dangers in the defence thereof and certainly it would have redounded much more to my honour and glory to have died amidst Arms then it did to him to perish by the hand of that base and detestable Paricide who so unworthily slew him None therefore should more rejoyce then I to hear our Provinces declared to be Free-States even by our Enemies themselves did I not think that all these proceedings were but couzenages whereby more easily to draw our Liberties again into their subjection I apprehended this even from the beginning of these practises so that as I have hitherto ever abhorred them so do I now abhor them more then ever and think it now more necessary then ever to break them wholly off and to throw back this second ratification with the same resoluteness as we did the former How many tricks and how many cheats the Spaniards have alwayes used in their like Treaties is too well known to us all But what need we look after past-times hath not the like been seen and is it not now seen in these present negotiations The first ratification came in general terms nor did it contain any thing of ratification but the bare name The second is come since which is likewise so defective as in my opinion it ought in no way to be excepted Do you perceive how the King would have it sent in the Spanish tongue a tongue unknown to us the true meaning and efficacy whereof we do not understand Do you observe how he uses the same subscription as he useth to his Vassals Not having changed any of the other things excepted against And the addition of the last clause doth it not evidently enough shew his pretensions that it shall wholly depend upon his will whether we shall be free or no As if from the time that the Duke d' Alva that Fury and Firebrand of all the troubles of Flanders and after him the other Governours had bereft their Countrie of its priviledges brought forein colonies thereinto put the whole Country to fire and sword and given sentence themselves against our Liberties and we had not known how to defend it by our unconquered Forces We then are free whether the King declare us to be so or no. And our pretence to this Declaration is because it is due to us from all the world and due to us by him absolutely without any conditional limitation of insuing agreement as he pretends in the additional clause so as it is now too well seen that the Spaniards treat with their wonted frauds and that they would pretend they can never lose by any whatsoever accord that should insue the right which they presume to have over our Provinces that they may afterwards expect new opportunities to oppress them again it may then be granted that it is not any publique respect but their own particular necessity which induceth them now to come to agreement with us The necessity I say of their disorders which doubtlesly are so many and so great as we may expect their utter losing of Flanders What darkness what obscurity is it then that doth possess our senses or what hoodwinkt and untimely wisdom is it which teacheth us to intermit and slacken the course of our Victories whence they are nearest and most certain their Army is in very great confusion without any discipline without any obedience corrupted by perpetual mutinies And if the war continue we shall doubtlesly see the whole body of the soldiery mutiny and then their whole Countrey will rise How great a part thereof does there already abound in our sense We on the other side have a flourishing Army well disciplin'd well paid and well provided of all things We have the assistance of France of England and of the greatest part of Germany We maintain a Cause then vvhich none can be more just nor can there be more constancy desired in our peoples wills to defend it To these our advantages by land our other progresses at sea do fully correspond What greater blovv could the Spaniards receive from us then that which we have given them in the East-Indies What will the other prove vvhich vve are preparing for them likevvise in the West To this end to boot vvith the publicke forces particular Companies of the richest Merchants of all our Provinces are oppointed so as when we shall get footing there to what straits and hazards shall we reduce the Spanish Fleet On the contrary side how much both publick and private advantages how much honour and glory shall our Common-wealth receive thereby Our having gon round the Sea where ever the
almost after the same manner he had at this time made also a new League with the united Provinces and though his Authority was nothing near so great with them yet was it such as it might much impede the proceedings of the new Treaty for a long Truce and he had already complained to the Spanish and Flemish Ambassadors who were resident in England that the King of Spain had sent Don Piedro de Tolledo to Paris putting thereby so great an esteem upon the King of France and that he had made no manner of address at all to him For these respects the King of Spain resolved to send likewise Don Fernando Girone who was then in Flanders and who was one of the chiefest Commanders in his Army to the King of England who seemed to be very well satisfied therewith and made large promises to intercede for the continuing of the negotiation in Holland being thereunto perswaded by his natural addiction to peace as also for the aforesaid Reasons Before the Catholick Deputies departed from Holland the Ambassadors of France and England began to set again on foot this new Treaty of a long Truce insomuch as the Ambassadors meeting one day Jannines in the name of both the Kings made this insuing Proposition in the Councel of the States General That both their Kings had alwaies considered the affairs of the United Provinces as their own particular concernment having maintained them all this while as such by their Councels and defended them by their Forces but that the end of War must be Peace That to this purpose the United Provinces had been assisted by both of them and that both of them were therefore much troubled to see the Treaty of Peace which was begun thus broken and that they thinking it howsoever much better for the United Provinces to enjoy a commodious and honorable quiet then to return to the former difficulties and dangers of war were pleased to propound unto them by their Ambassadors joyntly a long Truce instead of Peace That notwithstanding in this Truce in the first place and before all other things it should be declared both by the King of Spain and by the Arch-dukes that it was made with the united Provinces as with free Provinces and States unto which they made no pretence at all and that they should be left Free in point of their Navigation to the Indies That both their Kings did believe that the United Provinces might be content with a Truce which was to bring with it such important advantages for them and not onely these but peradventure some others also That greater difficulties were to be foared on the other part but in case the war were to continue by reason of the Spaniards fault the Forces of the United Provinces would be thereby the more justified and both their Kings still the more obliged to mantain their Cause The States General took time to advice upon the whole with their Provinces The Ambassadors with like conformity applyed themselves to the Catholick Deputies who having lost all hopes of Peace did very much desire to come to some other accommodation or composition so they willingly listned to this new proposal of a long Truce though they thought many difficulties would be met withal in Spain touching the form thereof They promised the Ambassadors notwithstanding to use all the diligence they could to overcome them and having received assurances from the Ambassadors that they would do all good offices for the continuation of the Treaty and especially from Jannines on whose means and authority they did chiefly relye they at last went from the Hague after having been eight months entertained there and went to Brussels The Negotiation of the Truce lying then chiefly on Jannines hand he did all he could to perswade the United Provinces to allow of it in the same manner as had been propounded by him and the English Ambassadors Those Provinces seemed well inclined in general toward the Truce though they wanted not some amongst them who would have had the King of Spain and the Arch-dukes make the same renunciation in the Treaty of Truce as they pretended unto in that of Peace but the wiser and more moderate men amongst them considered that this would be too unjust a pretention due regard being had to the difference between a Truce and a Peace This difficulty proceeded chiefly from Zealand and was Fauter'd by Count Maurice by reason of his abovesaid power in that Province and the almost absolute dependency which Maldereo the particular Deputy of Zealand had upon him Maldereo had been a menual servant of the late Prince of Orange and to say truth the Interest of Zealand did accord with Count Maurice his particular ends for the Traffick and wealth of that Province was greatly increased by the war the choice Marriners who had served and did as yet serve in the voyages to the Indies were likewise Zealanders and next unto Holland certainly this was the chiefest and most considerable of all the United Provinces The same difficulties out of the same reasons were insisted upon by the City of Amsterdam in Holland but it was thought that at last the rest of that Province would prevail over the particular opposition of that City in a favourable acceptation of the Truce which Zealand did still pertenaciously resist And Maldereo very zealous in the cause endeavoured to make those words suspected wherein the King of Spain and the Arch-dukes were to denounce the United Provinces to be Free-States in form abovesaid Whereupon one day that this Clause was treated on he with great fervency broke forth into these words Are we Free-men or still Subjects If we be Free-men why ought we not to be publickly acknowledged for such Shall it depend upon the Spaniards to allow us what sort of liberty they please now that they cannot impose that slavery upon us which they would To wit a liberty more servile then our former servitude since it must depend upon the interpretation of their own words Do not we know what interpretation they have already given to those words Do not we know that they take them in such a sense as doth not take from them any pretended right to our Provinces At this rate we shall get nothing more by this long Truce then what was had in the bare suspension of Arms And yet this Truce shall rather look like a Peace and it may so fall out as by often prolongation it may at last be insensibly turned into the nature of a Peace Then as in the Treaty of Peace we did pretend in the first place That that absolute abnegation should be made by the King of Spain and the Arch-dukes which is now Treated of so ought we still to pretend unto it and in that form which may clearlyest declare our Provinces to be Free and Soveraign Shall not he ackowledge them when all the world Treats with them as such To what corner of the Earth or of the Sea is it that
the same 118. The Order the Spaniards observ'd in marching through the foord of Zirickzee 130. Octavio Farnese D. of Parma at Brussels 21. Octavio Gonzaga 150. takes in Lovain 168. routs some Companies of French 170. Oudewater in Holland and its situation 132. Besieged by the Spaniard ibid. Utterly ruined ibid. P. PEace establisht between the Provinces of Flanders 148 Pope Urban the eight 123 The Popes General Pardon proclaimed by the D. of Alva 70 Pius Quintus his particular demonstration of honour to the D. of Alva 66 Practises of the Germain Princes to foment the Flemish Hereticks 51. Of Orange and the Flemish vagabonds with the neighbouring Princes 73 The Predicants driven out of Antwerp 40 The Prince of Orange born in Germany 5. Coming over yong into Flanders he became a Catholick ibid His Nature and Cústom ibid. Opposeth Granvel 12. Proposes that there may be a Convocation of the States General ibid. His intelligence with the Admiral of France 13. He opposeth the bringing in of the Councel of Trent into Flanders ibid. His propositions to the Covenanters in Geertruydenberg 30. He goes into Holland and Zealand to pacifie the tumults there 32. terrified at the news of d'Alva's coming into Flanders he leavs the countrey 4o His Answer to the D. of Alva's citation 49. He seeks to interess Germany in the revolt of the low Countreys to which end he procures a Diet there 52. His discourse at it ibid. He raises an Army to enter Flanders 64. He desires to come to a battel with d'Alva his reasons for it 65. A great part of his men routed 66. He retires into Flanders where his Army disbands it self ibid. He assembleth new Forces to enter those Provinces a second time 85. He masters Ruremond and sacks it ibid. He takes in Malines ibid. He makes a hault in Henault ibid. He offers to give the D. of Alva battel 86. He retires with his Army defeated 88. He goes into Holland ibid. He passes to Leyden to ayd the Harlemers 98. He attempts the relief of the besieged there but those whom he sends are routed by the Royalists 102. He makes many inroads about Nimegen 122. In the conference at Breda he is absolute Umpire for the Rebels 131. He doth his utmost to relieve Zirickzee 138. He makes use of the Commendadors death for cherishing of the Flemish rebellion 140. his opinion concerning Don Johns coming 151. His ends in the affairs of Flanders ibid. He approves not of the Agreement made at Marck 153. He expresses his conceit of Don Johns retreat to Namure 160. He is received into Brussels by the States Generall 162. Created Governor of Brabant ibid. His Judgement concerning the Archduke Matthias his comming into Flanders 163. his diligence to compose the discords between the Provinces of the Low-Countreys 176 The Prince of Parma comes into Flanders 166. his Military employment ibid. He fights with singular valor at Geblours 168. storms the Town of Sichen 169. substituted by Don John in the Government of Flanders 177 The Propositions of the Provinces concerning the citadels designed by the D of Alva 71 Philip the second son to Charls the fifth 4 comes into Flanders ibid. Returns into Spain and upon what occasions 7 Before his departure he cals together the States Generall in Gaunt Ibid. creates some Knights of the Golden Fleece 9. his discourse with the Dutchesse of Parma ibid. his secret Orders to her about the Tumults in Flanders 33. his perplexity about sending an Army thither 45. he prepares a fleet in Spain to be sent into Flanders 134 with great secrecy he sends away his brother Don John of Austria for Governor to the Low-Countries 150 endevors by his means to compose matters in the Low-Countries ibid. is again constrained to take up armes against the Flemmings 164. makes great complaints in France about Alansons march into Flanders 177. the Provinces of the Low-Countries divided into many Principalities 1 Q. QUeen of England 6. see Elizabeth The Queen of Navarre passeth by the Frontiers of Flanders 158. A Book of hers ibid. R. RAphael Barberino and his qualilities 123. Uncle by the Fathers side to Pope Urban the VIII ibid. how bravely he caryed himself at the taking of the Fort of Bomell 138. he is wounded at Visenac 144 Efficacious Reasons for the Inquisitin 26. For King Philips going into Flanders 41. Against it ibid. Count Lodovicks Ruyters rout the Catholicks German horse 119. They are defeated by the Kings Lanciers ibid. The Rebels in Holland doe their utmost to cut off all Victuals from the Kings camp before Harlem 101. they attempt ter Tolen 107. they seize upon Ramechins 108. they become Masters of the Isle of Walcheren 114. a Treaty of accommodation with them 123 but it goes not forward ibid. they prepare for the defence of Leyden 124. they drown the Country all about it 126. they raise the Siege 127 A Relation of the Mutinies 120. The wonderfull Obedience yeelded to their Laws ibid. The course that was taken to reduce them to an agreement 121 A Rising in Maestricht against the Spaniards 145 Rodulphus the Emperor interposeth for the quiet of Flanders 152. he continues the Treaty of agreement by the bishop of Liege 164 Ruremond made a Bishoprick 9. Sacked by Orange's army 85 S. THe Sacking of Valenciennes 78 Sancio d'Avila comes into Flanders with the Duke of Alva 46. Sent against the Flemish Vagabonds 50 Captain of Antwerp castle 76. Routs the Enemy and secures Middleburgh ibid. brings Relief to ter-Goes 91 Overcome by the Rebels in a Sea-fight 107. is commander over a Fleet for the relief of Middleburgh 113. he enters Mastricht with the Kings men 115. he assaults the Enemy and routs him 116. he discovers Lodowicks designs and prevents them ibid. Conqueror at the battel of Mooch 119. Made Admiral of the fleet in ter-Tolen 135. Fordeth the channel of Scowen 136. his counsel to defend the Kings Souldiers against the States Militia 141. His words to Don John at the departure of the Spaniards out of Flanders 154 Sconhoven a Town in Holland besieged by the Royalists 132. It yeilds 133 The Suspicion of the Flemings and the conceit of the chiefest among them concerning the Inquisition 4 Spain greatly infested with the Moors 7 The Spaniards assault Harlem disorderly and are made to retire by Romero 100 They mutiny after the battel of Mooch 119. They take the way of Antwerp which they enter without any more adoe 121. They make the Garison there retreat ib. They are satisfied and return to their obedience 122. Many of them perish before Leyden 127. They prepare to defend themselves against the Flemings 141. Their designe to meet in Antwerp ib. The difficulties they met with ere they could get together 144. They assault and take Antwerp 146 States General of the Provinces of Flanders 2. Called together by the Duke of Alva 67 The States of Holland meet to consult upon the relief of Leyden 126 The States of
Golden-fleece 234 his solemn entrance into Antwerp ib. he besieges the Grave and carries it 241. he incamps before Venlo ibid. which at length is yeelded to him 242 thence he goes against Nuys ibid. which is storm'd and sack'd ibid. He takes on him the title of Duke upon the death of his Father ibid. the Honour conferred upon him by Pope Sixtus the fifth ibid. he goes to the Relief of Zutfen he takes in Deventer 243. and after that the castle of VVowe 244. he layes Siege to Sluce 245. which at last is yeelded to him 247. his Opinion concerning Spains making war upon England 250 he goes over to Newport to further that enterprize 255. a Designe of his upon Berghen-ap-Zome 260. but it hits not 261. he falls sick of the Dropsie and passeth into France ibid. he joines with Du Main at Meaux 270. He besiegeth and stormeth Laigny 271. storms and sacks Corbeil 274. Returns into Flanders 275. Encamps before the fort of Nimeghen 278. but can do no good upon it 279. He receives order from the King to pass again into France ib. In the fight of Aumale against the K. of Navar he carries the day 285. He sends a supply of men into Roan and thence marcheth into Picardy where he besiegeth the Town of Rue 287. He returns speedily towards Roan and raiseth the King of Navars siege 288 Is wounded in one of his arms before Caudebec ib. resolves to pass the Seine performs it fortunately 290. marcheth towards Flanders 291. Petitions the King for leave to quit the Government 292. He prepares for the third expedition into France ib. He dies in Arras ib. His Character ib. Prince Ranuccio the Duke of Parmas eldest son brings off safe the Kings army in their retreat from the Fort of Nimeghen 279. He marcheth in the van with the horse of the Leaguers Camp 284. In the retreat from Caudebeck he makes good the rear with singular valour 291 Philip the second confirms Parma in the Government of Flanders 180. Resolves to send back the Dutchess of Parma into Flanders 194. yet afterwards gives her leave to return into Italy 195. Declares that he will aid the Catholick League in France 266 Q. THe Queen of England how she liked of the new Principality of Alanson 202. She examins in her councel the offer of the Severaignty of the United Provinces that had been made to her 239. Endeavours to compose the differences between the United Provinces and Leicester 244. She procures a Treaty of agreement in the affairs of Flanders to be moved for by the King of Denmark 248. But all Treaties come to nothing 252. She resolves to oppose the Spanish Fleet and prepares for it with great Forces both by Sea and Land ib. Her Oration to the Parliament ib. R. REberg besieged by the Marquiss of Barambone 262. Relieved by Skinck ib. and after by Colonel Vere 264. At last it is yeilded up to the Royalists ib. The Flemish Rebels at great difference among themselves 180. For want of moneys they cannot maintain the souldiers that flock to them from other parts 181 They feed with fair hopes of relief those that are besieged in Mastrick 184. They resolve upon chusing a new Prince 189. and publickly declare the election they have made 201. Their complaints against Alanson 207. How much they were inraged at the surprisal of Antwerp by him attempted 211 They are reconciled to the French by the workings of Orange 212. They rout the Kings party near Nimegen 279 Roan besieged by the King of Navar. 281 Receives a supply of men 363. Is in very great danger ib. S SEbastian Tappin a French-man and Swarzemburg at the defence of Mastrick 182. Their vigilance 184 They very stoutly beat back the Royalists 185 The Signior of St. Aldegond in great esteem with the Flemish Union 191. He is Governor of Antwerp 223. His speech to encourage the Antwerpians to hold out the siege ib. Sixtus Quintus Pope sends a Present to the Duke of Parma 242. Exhorteth Philip the second to the enterprise against England 250 Skinck See Martin Skinck T TOrnay besieged 202. The batteries that are raised against it 203. It stands out the first assault ib. Takes in a small supply 204. At length is yeilded up to the Duke of Parma ib. V VErdugo See Francis Verdugo Venlo besieged by Farnese 241. It yeildeth before it comes to an assault 242 Sign di Villars at the defence of Roan 281. Falls very valiantly upon the Camp without and sorely annoys it 286. Adviseth that the Forces of the League should turn some other way 286 Makes great suit for relief 287 W WAchtendonck yeilded to Mansfield 261 The Wallon Provinces contest with the Gantois 181. they come to an Agreement with the Prince of Parma 186. And upon what conditions 187. They consent to the return of the Foraign soldiers 201 Z. ZUtfen besieged by Leicester 243 Relieved by Farnese 244. Taken in by Count Maurice A Table of the most remarkable things contained in this THIRD PART A AUgustin Messia a Spanish Camp-master 309. Enters Cambray with Forces 329 Is declared Governour of that City 332 The Admiral of Arragon seizes upon the Town of Montulin 363. Made Governour of the Militia in Flanders 369. The Orders left him by the Archduke 372. He takes in Remberg 373 He distributes his Army in divers neutral places 374. His opinion for besieging Skincks Sconce 377. He makes the enemy retreat from the fort of Durang 382. Is taken prisoner 397 Being after released he attempts to relieve the Grave but in vain 409 Amiens the Metropolis of Piccardy 350 Surprised by the Spaniard 352. and after sackt 353. The description therof ib. besieged by the K. of France 355 The rendring of it up 362 Admiral Villars Governor of Normandy 320. Routed and slain at Dorlan 322 Archduke Albertus by way of Proxie espouseth in the Kings name the new Queen in the City of Ferrara 372 Departs from Madrid with the Infanta his wife 386. They both come into Flanders ib. He cals a consultation of the Officers of the Army 393. Resolves to assault the enemies Camp at Newport 394. His words to the souldiers 396. He is wounded in the battel of Newport ib. He besieges Ostend 399. His constancy in pursuing that Enterprise 406. His speech to the magistrates of Balduke 412. He commits the care of the siege of Ostend to Marquiss Spinola 413. He goes thither in person 418. He sends his Confessor into Spain to facilitate the conclusion of the truce 457 Archduke Ernestus Governor of Flanders 302. Sends with fresh men Count Mansfield into France ib. Endeavours to bring in some treaty of peace with the United Provinces 303. He sends Campmaster Velasco against the mutiners of Sichen 311. He aies 313 The Archdutchess Margaret of Austria intended for wife to the Prince of Spain 369 Ardres besieged by the Spaniards 339 It is yeilded up 341 Arras suddenly assaulted by the French 454 Articles of Marriage