bulwarkes rampars and counterscarps whereof the first is called by the name of the Island TOLEN THis towne shewes the effect by the name beeing the towle or custome of marchandises due vnto the Prince and now vnto the Estates of the countrie who choose the Officers of Iustice as Bayliffs Sheriffs and others Saint Martins Dyke IS a pretty town some times belonging to Adolph of Bourgogne Siegnior of Beuren the which came afterwards to the house of Buren and now belongs to Philip of Nassau Prince of Orange Earle of Buren by his mother In this territory is the village of Saint Annelandt which is as much to say as a good Bourg belonging also to the sayd Prince Ioyning vnto it is a little Island called Philips Landt these are the foure principall Islands with theâ—r townes Noort-Beuelandt THis Island was drowned as wee haue sayd in the yeare of our Lord 1532. in which inundation there perished the townes of Coortgeen and of Cats the villages of Campen We le Emelisse Haemste and others beeing also the patrimonie of the Prince of Orange which Cont Philippe of Hohenloo his Brother in lawe within these tenne yeares by an agreement made betwixt them hath recouered from the sea and fortefied it rounde about with good bankes so as at this daie it is a good countrie both for tillage and pasture likelie to bee soone built againe with goodly villages as it was wont to bee WOLFERS-DYCK SO called by the name of the Lord Wolphart as much to say as the Dyck of Wolphart it is the least of all these Islands aboue mentioned in the which there are but three villages Wolfers Dyck Sabbinghe and Hogersdyck but there is good pasture for cattel the Inhabitants being most giuen to fishing There are moreouer in Zeeland some other small Islands which are daily recouered from the sea riseing first like bankes of sand so as seeing them thus rise by little and little and to beare grasse they send their sheepe ouer to feede there whereas the shepards haue little lodges and for their cattell they make great barnes or stables where they lie drie in foule weather and there the owners prouide them haye before winter It seemes also that these Islands of Zeeland haue beene recouered from the sea long before Charles Martel Duke of Brabant father to King Pepinne of France wherein the Danes laboured much who in those daies had continual war against the French and great Brittanie for they did choose these sand-hills as a safe retreat for their Incursions vpon the neighbour countries which they made their Rendezvous making it the magasin of their spoiles First they seazed vpon the Isle of Walchren the which they did fortefie as well as they could against the violence of the sea before which enterprise they made many high mounts of earth as are yet to be seene heere and there which remaine vnprofitable some neere vnto townes applied to the vse of Gardens vnto which mountes being any extraordinary tide they did driue their cattel and retyred thether them-selues vntill the waters haue falne and then they returned to their lodgings These Danes or Noortmans hauing thus recouered the country began to Tille it especially after the descent of their great Captaine Duke Rollo who was head of the Norman Nation in France But in the end the Danes being expelled out of great Brittaine they were chased also out of these Ilandes the which in succession of time were peopled and made ciuill And so after many Accidents reuolutions quarrels in these watery parts in the end they were by force made subiect to the Earles of Holland being giuen vnto them long before made a County by the Emperour Lewis the gentle as the Emperor Charles the bald his father had made Holland a County and giuen it to Thierry the first Lord of these two Earldomes But after that the Emperor Henry the third of that name had giuen vnto Baldwin Earle of Flanders this Iland of VValchren and other smal neigbour Ilands there fell great warres betwixt the Flemings and the Hollanders especially that furious battaile in the yeare one thousand two hundred fifty three wheras Floris brother to Cont VVilliam King of Romaines and the Prince of Cleues defeated the Ladie Maguerit Contesse of F landers neere vnto VValchren before the King came in which defeat as histories report there were fifty thousand Flemings slaine as many drowned and almost as many prisoners whom the victors intreated ignominiously stripping theÌ„ naked among the prisoners were the two Commaunders Iohn and Guy of Dompierre sonnes to the Contesse Marguerite with Thybault Earle of Guise Geffrie Earle of Bar and aboue 230. Noble men Knights and men of accoumpt King William being puft vppe with this victory hauing such prisoners would not giue eare to any conditions of peace but such as he propounded to the Contesse which shee would not yeeld vnto But the King beeing slaine two yeares after in Freezeland a peace was made betwixt the Contesse and Floris Brother to the deceased King Vncle and Gardien to his sonne who was Earle of Holland and Zealand named Florens the fift By the which peace it was said that all prisoners should be set at libertie paying great ransomes And that the young Cont Florens shoulde marry Beatrix Neece to the Contesse Marguerite Daughter to Cont Guy her eldest sonne By which Accord and marriage the Flemings did transport and giue in marriage to the said Beatrix all such rights and pretensions as they might haue in the Conties of Zealand and in the Conty of Alost But this was but a counterfet peace and of smal continuance for that Guy of Dompierre being Earle of FlaÌ„ders could not indure that the Earles of Holland should inioy this Iland of Walchren but began to make warre to his great dishonor and preiudice the which could neuer haue any end vntill that all thâ— Seigneuries of Henault Holland Zeland and Frisland fel to the house of Burgonne at one instant in a mâ—nner with the Dutchy of Brabant vnder the good Duke Philip. The Estates of the conty of Zealand which wee haue described consists of the Nobilitie and of the townes of the Ilands of Walchren Schouuen Zuit-Beuelandt Tolen Noort beuelandt newly recouered from the Sea Duyuelandt VVolfersdick and Philâ—ipslandt wherof Prince Maurice is Gouernor Admiral general which Estates hold their general AsseÌ„blie in the town of Middelbourg wheras commonly the colledge of their Deputies do reside who AsseÌ„ble euery day to treat and determine of all occurrents touching the Estate or otherwise in stead of the Court of Zeland in the said town the which was wont to be the Abbay of S. Martin At which Colledge doth first appeare by his Deputy the sayd Prince Maurice in quality of Marquis of La vere the first Gentleman of Zealand speaking for the whole Nobility of Zealand then the Treasoror generall of the country then the Deputies of the townes of Middelbourg Zirczee La-Vere Flissinghe Tergoes Tolen
middest of the Riuer of Issel and the body of his armie lay intrencht without the towne towards the fields whereas the Admiral thought to make his approches to besiege it but finding such lettes hee durst not affront the Prince who attended him long in battaile but retyred and went to winter vppon the Territory of the Empire where he carryed himselfe as you haue heard in the history of the Netherlands DOETECVM THis towne stands in ihe Champian country a League from Doesbourg vppon the old Issel it is a reasonable good towne with a double wall yet none of the strongest The Admiral of Arragon hauing past the Rhyne to besiege Doesbourg he went first before it and tooke it by composition within three daies But the Admirall beeing retyred Prince Maurice went and beseeged it againe the which was as easily yeelded to him as to the Spaniard remaining at this day vnder the obedience of the vnited Estates as it had beene aboue thirty yeares before except those few daies the Admirals men held it BRONCKHORST IT is within a league of Zutphen seated vppon the right side of the riuer of Issel erected to a Contie hauing a particular Earle The familie of Bronchoorst is ancient from the which are issued the houses of Battenbourg Anholt Megen and others The towne hath beene much ruined during these warres But the Castle which is of a reasonable strength stands still where there is a continuall garrison for one party or other LOCHEM IS a good little towne two leagues from Zutphen well fortified for the importance thereof beeing very necessary during the troubles for holding the States partie in the yeare one thousand fiue hundred eightie two the Duke of Parma sent Charles Earle of Mansfeldt to besiege it in the King of Spaines name But the Prince of Orange knowing that three of his Nephewes Herman Frederic and Adolph vanden Berghe sonnes of his Sister and of Cont Van Sheeren Berghen were within it hee sent the Earle of Hohenloe with an armie to raise the siege as he did and freed them forcing Mansfeldt to retire with losse Since which time the said town hath continued constant vnder the obedience of the Estates vntill that in the yeare 1605. the Marquis Spinola Lieutenant to the Arch-duke Albert of Austria besieged it and tooke it by composition but soone after it was recouered by Prince Maurice and continues as before GROLL IN old time was a good Borrough but by these last warres within these thirtie yeares it hath beene walled in with rampars and Bulwarks hauing broad and deepe ditches fortified with casemats and counterscarps Being held by the Spaniards Prince Maurice went and besieged it for the vnited Estates Whereof Peter Earle of Mansfeldt Lieutenant for the King of Spaine by prouision beeing aduertised he sent Collonel Mondragon Captaine of the Castle of Antwerp with a small Armie to raise his siege or at the least to cut of his victuals The Estates beeing ill informed of the strength of this Spanish armie which was made greater vnto them then it was they commanded Prince Maurice to retyre as he did But hearing what Mondragons forces were who retyred towards the Rhyne to passe at Berck hee pursued him beyond the town of VVezell in which pursuite Cont Philip and Ernest of Nassau Brethren Cousins to the Prince and Cont Ernest of Solms beeing too farre aduanced contrary to the Princes order after they had defeated two Cornets of Spaniards were them-selues in the end put to route and the two Earles Philip of Nassau and Ernest of Solms slaine and Cont Ernest of Nassau was taken prisoner Where-vppon the Prince leauing his pursuit brought backe his Armye and Mondragon repassing the Rhyn returned with his into Brabant But two yeares after in the yeare 1597. the Prince went agayne to beseege it in the which Cont Frederic Vanden Berghe commanded with 1200. men who finding him-selfe very hardly prest he yeelded it by composition Since in the yeare 1605. the Marquis Spinola recouered it although it were held very strong beeing yeelded vppon an honorable composition It is two leagues from Breefort SHEEREN BERGHE A Towne and Castle erected to an Earledome wherof the last Earle was called William whom King Philip the second made Earle he had to wife the Prince of Oranges sister by whome he had many sonnes the eldest called Herman is now Earle Hee with two of his bretheren being beseeged in Lochem were deliuered by the dilligence of the Prince their Vncle But soone after abandoning him vngratefully they followed the Spaniards partie yet the Estates seazed vppon the towne in the which they had their garrison vntill that the Prince passing that way in the yeare 1597. the Contesse their mother obtained of him that the town should remaine neuter and that she and her daughters liuing in the castle should bee freed from garrison The like she obtained from the Arch-duke Albert It is a little towne of small importance a League and a halfe from Dotecom BREDEFORT IS but a small Towne with a Castle situated in a Moore to the which there is but one passage to come vnto it vppon a Causey so as it is of hard accesse yet in the yeare 1597. Prince Maurice surmounting all difficulties did beseege and batter it and hauing caused it to be summond the Burgers hauing a disposition to yeeld yea the women and children falling on their knees vppon the Rampar and crying for mercy the Captaine who commanded them being resolued for to hold it the Prince caused an assault to be giuen and took it by force commanding the soldiars to spare the Inhabitants The Captaine like a coward fled with his soldiers into the castle and hid him-selfe The Prince caused certaine peeces of Ordinance to bee brought to batter the Port which the soldiers seeing they yeelded vpon condition that they should be all taken to ransome This braue Captaine was found hiddē in a seller yet he was no worse intreated then the rest only he indured many affrōts for his cowardly brauery This town lies two leagues from Anholt since it hath bene well fortified by the vnited Estates KEPPEL IS a little towne of small importance as al other Land-townes be it stands vpon the old streame of Issel halfe a league from Doesbourg BVRG IS not much better then Keppel seated vppon the same torrent a League from Doesbourg Heere you may see tenne townes as well great as small strong as weake in the Contie of Zutphen besides Boroughes Villages and Castles whereof there is good store which make this Prouince to haue a large Iurisdiction It hath indured much in these last warr but now they begin to take breath whereof they haue great need as well as diuers others but wee will content our selues with this description The Prouince and Seigneiurie of Vtrecht THis Estate and Seignieurie in old time belonging vnto a Prince and particular Prelat whom they called the Bishop of Vtrecht was first giuen by the meere liberalitie of the Kings
entrance and so of that word and of Ruer the name of this towne is compounded as many others are found in the Netherlands of the like definitions as Dendermond in Flanders Isselmond in Holland and others in Latin it is called Ruremunda fiue leagues from Maistricht three from Venloo A towne well peopled rich well built strong both by nature and by art of fortifications of rampars and bulwarkes It is one of the foure chiefe Townes of Gelders chiefe of one of the quarters vnder whose IurisdictioÌ„ are comprehended the Townes of Venlo Gelder Stralen Wachtendonck and Erâ—kelans al walled and strong with three small Bouroughes Montfort Vucht and Nyeustadt one a league distant from another which are vnder the Iudges and Officers of the said townes as also they of Kessel Middeler and Creykenbeeck Within sixty yeares this town was appointed to be the Bishops Sea for the whole Duchy of Gelders And there are at this day more Priestes and Monkes in iâ— then in any other Towne in the Country They haue had their share of troubles in these last warres but not in so great a measure as many others A good league from Ruremond is the goodly Village of Kessell with a strong Castle built vpon a Mountaine belonging to a priuate Lord from which Village there is a little Angle of the Country called Landt-van-Kessell which is of the demaines of the Duchie This place of Kessell was sometimes a towne of great importance the which Ptolomey calleth Castelleum makes it the Metropolitaine of the Menapians This towne of Ruremond with the whole Iurisdiction is at this day subiect to the Princes of Austria Venloo IT is vppon the right banke of the riuer of Meuse three leagues from Ruremond and halfe a league from Stralen it is a good and a strong Towne the people are martiall and giuen to Armes and hath in former times resisted an Imperiall Armie And although it hath often had garrisons of VVallons Germaines Spaniards and Italiens yet they haue alwaies found meanes to free them-selues by some deuice and to sette the garrison at diuision one against an other the Citizens fortefying one of the parties and chasing away the other then finding them strong ynough for that which remained and which had fauoured them they expelled them also as it hapned in the yeare 1578. to the Seignior of Esstournelles and in the yeare 1591. to Otto Bentinck their Gouernor remaning notwithstanding alwaies faithfull to the Princes of Austria to whom they knew wel how to excuse them-selues In the yeare 1601. Prince Maurice made a gallant enterprize vpon the said Towne but beeing ill seconded the Burgers hauing taken armes and recouered their Ports it succeeded not so as he was forced to retyre with the losse of two of his Captaines In this Towne VVilliam Duke of Cleues hauing lost all his Duchy and a good part of Iuilliers and Cleues came in the yeare 1543. and submitted him-selfe to the mercy of the Emperor Charles the fift where he was receiued into grace renouncing the league which hee had with the French and marrying the daughter of Ferdinand King of the Romaines the Emperors brother absolutely renounced al his interest to the Duchy of Gelders as we haue shewed more amply in another place Guelder THe Towne of Gelder is as we haue said that which hath giuen the name to the whole Ducthy being within two smal leagues of Stralen it hath a Castle which was wont to be without the towne but now it is comprehended within the fortification This was wont to be the Court of the Lords of Pont Aduocats and afterwards Earles of Gelders it is deuided into two habitations seperated by a water vppon the which there is a bridge which giues accesse from one to the other seated in a country some-what Moorish and not very accessible to plant the Canon This towne in the beginning of the last troubles was vnder the obedience of the vnited estates But the Earle of Lecester Lieutenant to the Queen of England Protectresse of the vnion hauing placed Collonel patton a Scottishman for Gouernor there hee sold it for thirtie thousand crownes in ready money to the duke of Parma in the King of Spaines name retaining to him-self the horses and moueables of Collonel Schenck and the ransomes of some of the ritchest and best Cittizens And so this towne returned vnder the power of the Princes of Austria as it is yet at this day Stralen THis towne is but a league and a halfe from Wachtendonck a small towne but sufficiently fortified for the importance thereof beeing too neere to Venlo in the which the Princes of Austria intertaine an ordinary garrison vnder some Gouernor or Captaine whome they place there Wachtendonch IS also a small Towne with a Castle belonging to a priuate Lord the which in the yeare 1588. holding the party of the vnited Estates the duke of Parma after that hee had fayled at the seege of Berghen vp Zoom sent Cont Charles of Mansfeldt to beseege it where in the end hee forced them to yeeld In the yeare 1600. Cont Lodowike of Nassau surprized it for the vnited Estates After which the garrison of Gelders Stralen and others thereabouts surprized it againe but not able to take the Castle they were forced to abandon it So as in the yeare 1605. the Marquis Spinola went and beseeged it who receiued it by composition for the Arch-Dukes of Austria Erchelens SOme will say that this towne hath taken his name of Hercules Allemanicus It is situated vpon the fronters of the Duchy of Iuilliers foure leagues from Ruremond it is a reasonable good towne obedient with the like garrison vnto the Princes of Austria But lette vs now come vnto the townes which are seated as wel vpon Zuyderzee as vpon the riuers of Rhyne Wahal Meuze and Issell First Echt IT is a league from the Meuze and as far from Montfort on the side of that goodly Wood which they call Echterwout Montfort IT is a Castle of importance the which was in ancient time a smal towne it lies a league from Ruermond Harderwick IT is a an indifferent good towne lying vppon the Zuyderzee yet the hauen is bad so as the shippes are forced to lye in the Road Notwithstanding Charles Duke of Gelders sending fiue shippes well manned with soldiers out of that towne thought to surprize the Towne of Horne in West-Freezeland whereof he fayled In the yeare 1503. this towne was by chance sette on fire the which was so violent as in lesse then three houres it was all consumed to ashes except fiue or sixe houses with the losse of all their goods and the death of many persons which were surprized by the fire or smothered vnder the ruynes of the houses and walles the which was a fearefull and pittyfull sight Since it hath beene in a short time new built and made more beautifull and stronger then before There are some rich and ciuil people in it The Magistrate intertaines a
yeelded vnto him with all the artillery and munition the souldiers being about 1100. and some 400. out of Creuecaeur remained in the Princes seruice who afterwards at the battaile of Nieuport shewed themselues both valiant and faithfull And so this Fort of Saint Andrew hath vnto this day remained vnder the obedience of the vnited Estates Culembourg ALthough this towne be a fee of Gueldres yet there is a question made whether it bee of that territory It is scituaed vpon the left banke of the riuer of Lecke a league from Buren two leagues from Vianen on the same side of the riuer It hath a goodly castle whereas the Lord doth ordinarily reside and a large iurisdiction wherevpon King Philippe the second erected it to an Earldome whereof Florent of Palant was the first Earle besides many other great possessions which hee enioyed whereof his sonne is now Lord and Earle Battenbourg ALthough this towne at this present ruined and the castle bee within the limmits of the Duchy of Geldres seated vpon the banke of the riuer of Meuse whereby the Barron of that place makes a great reuenew of the toule and custome which is paied by all the ships that passe that way yet the said signeury is merely held of the Empire as William of Bronchurst did take it vppe of Maximilliam the Emperour His Sonne succeeded him and dying without heires Maximillian of Bronckhurst his cousin Germaine did inherit and is now Lord of it This place is of very great antiquity The Chronicles of Holland affirme that it was the first Castle which Prince Battus of whome Batauia or Holland tooke his name did build vppon the Meuze in the Countie of Sicambrians which now is Gelders Buren THis Towne is neither a fee nor of the territory of Gelders but a little country of it selfe which holdes of the Empire carrying the title of an Earle with great Iurisdiction a large territory and many Villages and yet shut vp in the lymits of the Duchy of Gelders This place is seated neere vnto the riuer of Lingen vppon a little Brooke which in old time was called the ditch for muscles a league from Tyl it is not very bigge but hath a very strong Castle ioyning vnto it where there is an ordinary garrison for the vnited Estates That valiant and famous Prince Maximilian of Egmont was Earle of this place who for his great seruices done vnto the Emperor Charles the fift whereof diuers histories make mention left his memory immortail to posterity Dying at Brussels in the yeare one thousand four hundred nine to whom succeeded his only daughter the sole heire by her mother of the house of Lannoy Who was the first wife of William of Nassau Prince of Orange by whom she left a son and a daughter that is Philip William of Nassau now Prince of Orange Earle of Buren Seignior of Lannoy c. And the Lady Mary of Nassau widdow to Cont Philip of Hohenlo This may suffice for the description of the Townes and cheefe Forts comprehended in the Estate of the Dutchy of Gelders The people of this Prouince are valiant and warlike from whence they were wont to draw a good part of them at Armes and Archers of the bandes of Ordinance of the Low-countries These were the last among the Belgick Gaules that submitted them-selues to the yoake of the Romane Empire the first when this Monarchy began to decline that freed them-selues from their subiection Afterwards they were made subiect to the French yet imbracing the occasion when it it was offered they did shake of this yoak and began to be gouerned by priuat Lords of the country it selfe the which hapned in the time of the Emperour Chalres the bald King of France Which Lords were simply called Tutors ot Aduocats of the country The which according o their vertues and merits were chosen created by the people the first of which was Wrinchard as we haue shewed before to whome succeeded his sonne Gerlach in the yeare 910. so as there were seauen Lords or Feofes successiuely issued from this familie the last whereof was also called Winchard who left but one daughter called Aleyd or Alix maryed to Otto Earle of Nassau who was the first which carryed the title of the Earle of Gelders giuen him by the Emperor Henry the third in the yeare 1079. But the sayd Aleyd beeing dead hee marryed with the daughter of Gerlach Earle of Zutphen who was slaine in a battaile giuen betwixt Conrard Bishop of Vtrecht and Thiery the sixt Earle of Holland Where-vppon as wee haue sayd the Earldome of Zutphen was also vnited vnto the Duchy of Gelders Otto left these Earles after him Gerrard Henry Gerrard Otto the second surnamed the stump-foot It was he which did purchase the Seigneury of Nymeghen as wee haue sayd before which hee did wall in with diuers others which were but Burroughs as Ruremond Arnhem Harderwicke Bommel and Wageninghen all in the Prouince of Gelders and aboue it Goch in the country of Cleues to the which he gaue goodly priuiledges as to great Citties To this Otto succeeded his sonne Renald and to him a sonne of his owne name who obtained in the yeare 1329. the dignity and title of Duke of the Emperour Lewis of Bauaria in an imperiall Dyet held at Francfort As in like manner the Countie of Iuilliers was by him erected into a Dutchy After this Reginold the second Geldres was gouerned by Arnold Edward his two sons but not without great contentions Both of them dying Arnold left two daughters of diuers beddes Ioane and Isabell who continued the diuision which had beene betwixt their Father and Vncle but Isabell dying without children Ioane remained sole and peaceable Dutchesse to whom succeeded William her sonne who was the fourth duke of Geldres but dying without heires Reynold his brother the fourth Duke of Iuilliers succeeded him and was the fift Duke of Geldres who dying without issue male the succession went to his only daughter married to Arnold of Egmond issued from a daughter of the first Duke of Geldres by which meanes the sayd Arnold came vnto the principality whose Sonne called Adolphe who is numbred for the seauenth Duke repyning that his Father liued so long by the perswasion of his own Mother caused him to bee seazed on in a night and to bee put in prison in the castle of Buren where hee detained him many yeares Pope Paul the second and the Emperour Frederick the third not able to suffer so great an impiety gaue authority to Charles the Warlicke Duke of Bourgongne to free this miserable Father by force of armes out of the hands and tyranie of his sonne The which Adolph vnderstanding and seeing that the Pope and Emperor did imbrace the cause and that he was not able to resist Duke Charles his forces he drew his father out of prison and hauing obtayned a pasport from the Duke he came vnto him with his father to Dourlans in Picardy
before whome the father casting his gloue defied the sonne But the Duke who loued this Adolph labored to perswade the father to resigne the Duchy vnto his Sonne and that being now very old he should retire to Graue and content him-selfe with that peece and three thousand florins rent wherevpon Adolph like an vnnaturall and barbarous sonne hearing this proposition made by Duke Charles of Bourgongne answered that he had rather cast his father head-long into a wel and him selfe after then accept of that composition That it was reason seeing his father had gouerned forty foure yeares that he should also come in his rancke to the Principality and enioy it as his father had don Adding that he was well content his father should haue 3000 florins yerely for his entertainment but he must depart out of the country and siegneury of Gelders and neuer enter more into it Duke Charles hearing these speeches and noting the cruelty of a sonne towards his father seemed so much incensed thereat as Adolph fearing his fury fled in a disguised habit thinking to saue him-selfe in Gelders but beeing knowne neere vnto Namur hee was taken and put in prison at Villevord from thence carried to Courtray where hee remayned till after the death of Duke Charles In the mean time the father to be reuēged of his son sought to dis-inherit him resigning his Duthcy of Gelders County of Zutphē vnto Duke Charles vppon certaine conditions By which resignation the Princes of the house of Austria haue so much pretended vnto the sayd Dutchy as in the end after the death of the last Duke Charles of Egmont they haue inioyed it although by right it should descend to VVilliam Duke of Cleues whome the Emperor forced to yeeld it vnto him And to return to Adolph he was freed from his prison at Courtray by the Ganthois who made him their Generall against the Frēch king Lewis the 11. where this vngrateful son was slaine before Tournay receiuing the fruits of his desert hauing bin so cruel to his father Duke Arnould dying afterwards at Graue he instituted vpō caution the said duke of Bourgongne to be his heyre dis-inheriting his son Adolph of the succession as contumax ingrat rebellious But the Geldrois refusing to accept of Duke Arnolds disposition testament the duke of Bourgongne went with a mighty army and by force took possession of the country receiuing their othes of fealty homage whervnto he forced the townes the Nobility of Gelders And the better to assure this new Estate he purchased from Gerard Duke of Iuilliers and his children all the interest they had or might hereafter pretend vnto the Duchie of Gelders This done hee sent Charles and Philip the sons of Adolph whome he had by a Princesse of the house of Bourbon to be bred vp in Flanders and by that meanes the Duke of Bourgongne remained in quiet possession of the Estate of Gelders and dying left the succession to his onely daughter and heyre who was married to the Emperor Maximillian but the Geldrois refusing to obey him he raised a mighty Army and came to Boisleduc where-with the Estates of Gelders being terrified they acknowledged him for their Prince in the right of his wife and did sweare obedience vnto him And so Maximillian gotte the quiet possession without any effusion of blood the which he inioyed vntil that Charles the sonne of Adolph who had bene taken prisoner with the Earle of Nassau in an incounter neere vnto Bethune by the French and afterwards by reason of his Allyance by the mothers side set at liberty with the helpe of the French King and his Kinsmen and friendes returned into Gelders with a small Army where without any resistance or difficulty hee was receiued by the people as their lawful Prince and numbred for the eight Duke of Gelders This Duke Charles of Egmont was in his time a valiant and warlike Prince making war against all his neighbors especially against Albert duke of Saxony feudatary of Freezland of Groning Gouernor of a part of the Netherlands for the Emperour Maximillian and the Arch-Duke Philip his sonne who marryed the Lady Ioane of Castile and was afterwards Queen of Spaine after the death of the King Don Ferdinand of Arragon and of Queene Issabelle of Castile her father and mother whereby the Realmes of Spaine came vnto the house of Austria and haue continued vnto this day The said Duke had also great warre against the Lieutenant of the Emperor Charles the fift sonne and successor to the said Arch-Duke Philip so as in the end there was a peace made betwixt them at Gorcum in the yeare 1528. and afterwards in the yeare 1536. there was an other generall peace made in the Towne of Graue The conditions whereof were in substance that Duke Charles of Egmont should hold the Dutchy of Gelders and the County of Zutphen in fee of the Emperor or Duke of Brabant and Earle of Holland for him and his lawful heirs But if hee dyed without issue his Estates and Seigneuries should accrue vnto the Emperor and his heirs This duke died without children in the yeare 1538. And so according to the said Accord and transaction and the rights which his great grandfather the Duke of Burgongne had gotten these countries should descend vnto the said Emperor But Iohn Duke of Iuilliers pretending an interest by reason of their ancient rights renounced and sold as we haue sayd by his Ancestors was not receiued by the Estates so that after the death of Duke Charles of Egmont the Cleuois had laboured to draw some by loue and others by force vnder the subiection of the King and to make them his vassals where-vppon they tooke armes against him And worshipping the sunne rising more then the sunne seting neglecting the old Duke they did chose and receiue his sonne William who was made sure to the daughter of the Duke of Albret and heire to the Crowne of Nauarre which election was confirmed and better established in the yeare of our Lord 1539. by the death of the said Duke Iohn at which time neither the Emperors title nor authority could preuaile any thing to make him to be acknowledged Lord of this Prouince But this was not all for the Emperor being in Spaine his countries were sodainly inuaded by the French King and this Duke William Where-vppon the Emperour beeing returned from his last vnfortunate voyage of Affricke hee went into the Netherlands with a mighty army and sodainly subdued in a a manner all the townes of the Dutchy of Cleues and Iuilliers and among others those of Duren Sittant Where-with Duke William being amazed and fearing this mighty enemy by the perswasion of the Princes of Germany his Allies he went and humbled him-selfe vnto the Emperor in the towne of Venlo to whom he was reconciled yeelding absolutely vnto him the said Dutchy of Gelders and Earldome of Zutphen renouncing also the league which hee had with the French King and
the largenesse of the gulfe where as the Meuse and the Rhine ioyned together fall into the Ocean or Brittish seas in which place they say that Claudius Ciuilis issued from the bloud royall of the Battauians did fight with the Romaine fleete but with-out any great gaine to eyther parte This word of Briele doth well agree with that of Hiele in Plinie which for the largenesse of the gulph may bee called Bre-heile which is a large heele and by corruption of the tongue Briele This towne with that of Gheervlyet a small towne in the same Island of Vorne are reasonablie good the Inhabitants for the most part are sea-faring men which gette their liuing by fishing and that which belongs therevnto The ayre of this towne is grosse and heauie lying so neere vnto the sea so as it is euery yeare visited with some disease or other The countrie about it is very fertill and yeelds aboundance of good wheate and all other victuals are plentifull and good cheape there SCHOONHOVEN THis towne takes his name of the goodly and pleasant gardens which are both within and about it abounding in diuerse sorts of fruites For this worde Schoonhoven signifies goodly gardens It is situated vpon the left banke of the riuer of Leck they hold that it was built of the ruines of the towne of Nieuport the which at this day is but a Bourg on the other side of the sayd riuer opposite to Schoonhouen In all this passage euen vnto the village of Leckerke there is great fishing for Salmons which they sell in the said towne and the villages there-abouts Christopher Longolius that excellent Orator was borne in this Towne although that some would haue him a French-man or a Wallon The which Peter Longolius his Vncle a very learned man did witnesse whose testimonie is sufficient to confute all other opinions There passeth a channell through this towne which comes out of the riuer of Yssell very commodious to passe from one riuer vnto the other ISELSTEYN IT is a small towne but very strong beeing so fortified by reason of their great warres It is so called of a little channell which passeth comming out of the riuer of Yssell There had beene a long controuersie betwixt the Hollanders and them of Vtrecht for the iurisdiction of this towne either partie pretending an interest Some foure and thirtie yeares since the Church steeple was burnt by lightning from heauen but did no other harme vnto the towne It is of the patrimonie of the house of Egmont whereof the last Lord was Maximilian of Egmont Earle of Buren and Iseisteyn who left one daughter sole heyre to the Lord of Launoy whom William Prince of Orange did marry being his first wife so as all the inheritance of these houses of Buren and Launoy came to Phillip William and to the Lady Mary of Nassau Countesse of Hohenloo his sister WOERDEN IS a reasonable good towne and well built with a market place whereas all prouisions are to bee solde once a weeke it stands in a moore hauing a strong castle whereas they keepe prisoners of importance as of late dayes the Admirall of Arragon the Earle of Busquoy and others The Lord of Hierges hauing taken Oudewater as wee haue said for the Duke of Alua the towne of Schoonhoven he went to besiege Woerden where hauing begun to make his approches and to plant boates for his batterie they of the towne let goe all their Sluses the which in one night drowned the countrie about so as hee was forced to rise and leaue two peeces of ordinance This towne was built by Godfrey Bishop of Vtrecht a man giuen to armes to suppresse the courses of the Hollanders And therefore the superioritie thereof was for a long time questionable betwixt the Earles of Holland and the Bishops of Vtrecht It hath for long time had a particular Lord among others a brother to the Lord of Amstel who being one of the conspirators of the death of Cont Flo is the fift fled and continued a vagabond since bâ— the law of Armes the Hollanders haue enioyed it VIANE IT is a little square towne seated vppon the left banke of the riuer of Leck a free Baronie belonging to the house of Brederode which would neither be subiect to the King of Spaine nor to the Earles of Holland whereof there hath bin some question yet it is held of the dependances of Holland but it is not yet decided It hath a faire Castle which is the ordinarie aboade of Walrard Lord of Brederode Baron of Viane Ameide c. hauing a large iurisdiction It hath endured much after the retreate of Henry Lord of Brederode in the yeare 1567. SAINT GERTRVYDENBERGHE THis word signifieth the mount of Saint Geertruyde it may be for that the place had beene dedicated to that Saint It is a strong towne both by nature and art situated vpon the left bankâ— of the riuer of Meruve more famous for the taking of great Salmons then any part of all the Netherlands and such aboundance of Aloses or troutes as on a market day you may see aboue 18000. great and small and many great stuâ—gions which in a conuenient season are transported to Antwerp Brusselles Gand Bruges and other places besides that which is distributed into Holland Zeeland and the rest of the vnited Prouinces The like is found in the riuer of Yssel nere vnto the towne of Campen in the country of Oueryssel In former times there hath beene great controuersie for the proprietie of the sayd towne the Brabansons pretending a title therevnto for that it stand on their side and the Hollanders making claime also vnto it by reason of their ancient possession Which question proceeded so farre there beeing no meanes to reconcile it as the Estates of Holland when they did receiue their Earles bound them by a sollemne oâ—h to keepe it vnder the sayd Earldome and they of Brabant on the other side did binde their Dukes to recouer it Yet it appeeres plainely by the Chronicle of Holland that when as their Earle who was also Earle of Henault intended to goe to Mons Valenciennes or any other place of the sayd Earldome the Nobility of Holland came to accompanie him to this towne whether they of Henault came to attend him and did conduct him whether he would goe as also in his returne they brought him thether where as they of Holland did incounter him to conuoie him into Holland This towne is of the inheritance of the house of Nassau in whose name it was cunningly surprized in the yeare 1573. and so continued vnder the vnion of the vnited Estates vntill that some leud persons vnder collour of an ill grounded mutynie sold it in the yeare 1588. to the Duke of Parma for readie money But since in the yeare 1593. it was recouered by siege in viewe of the old Earle of Manffeldt who was generall of the King of Spaines armie and gouernor by prouision after the death of the Duke of Parma
wars and troubles since the yeare one thousand fiue hundred seauenty two they haue with all their meanes both of bodies and goodes with them of Flissinghe more then any other of their neighbours repulst the tyrannie of the Inquisition of Spaine in diuers exploits and enterprizes of warre both by Land and Sea And especially with their braue Captaines at Sea in the beginning of the yeare 1578. they did before Bergen vp Zoom aid to defeate that mightie Spanish Fleete in view of the great Commander of Castille which went to victuall Middelbourg beeing straightly beseeged by the Prince of Orange so as this victualling fayling them they were forced to yeelde vnto the Prince Afterwardes their Captaines did in the like manner helpe to confound that feareful and inuincible sea-armie as they did write it which the King of Spaine sent in the yeare one thousand fiue hundred eighty eight to inuade England Flisinghee OR Vlissinghen is the third town of the Iland of Walchren right against Flanders and a league from Middelbourg It is also a Marquisate belonging to Prince Maurice of Nassau as La Vere not that they are two Marquisats but one onely euery one apart carrying diuers armes Flissinghe was in old time but a country village and did serue onely for a passage into Flanders But within these hundred yeares Adolph of Bourgongne Lord of La Vere and Flissinghe caused it to be walled in and then it began to take the forme of a good towne So as in the yeare one thousand fiue hundred seauenty one the Duke of Alua pretending to build a Castell on the ditch side towards Ramekins which should also command the hauen After that the Prince of Orange Gouernor of Holland and Zealand had by the Earle of Marche Lord of Lumay his Lieutenant surprized the Iland and towne of Bryel when as the Seignior of Wakenes the Vice admirall pretended to put a Spanish garrison into the towne beeing fauored by the Magistrate the people discouering it fell to armes forced the Arcenall and chased away the Burguemaisters and Aldermen and being maister of the Ordinance and of the towne gates they shotte at fiue or sixe shippes full of Spaniards which thought to enter into the Towne who by reason of the contrary tide sent a man swimming to land to intreat them that they would not sinke them promising them to retire vpon the first â—â—oud as they did going towards Berghen vp Zoom whereas they could not be entertained This town being thus freed from the Spanish yoake it was in a short time fortified and in a short time with the helpe of the Prince of Orange who presently sent them a garrison of Wallons they made sharpe wars with them of La Vere against Middelbourg and Arnemuyden which were held by the Spaniards going to Sea with their ships of warre they brought in good prizes and many good prisoners among others the Duke of Aluas Cousin who notwithstanding any ransom that he offered could not redeem him-selfe from the gallowes so hatefull the Spaniards were vnto the Flessingers in the first warres as al that they took they either cast them ouer-boord or hung them at land wherein the women and children tooke great delight They had an Admirall called Captaine Worst who did continually annoy them of Antwerp and Scluse and did set vppon all ships going vp to Antwerp one day he incountred a Spanish Fleetâ— in the which was the Duke of Medina Celi who came to gouerne the Netherlands in the Duke of Aluas place The combat was very furious neere vnto Sâ—luse but in the end the Duke was forced to leap into a boat and to saue him-selfe in Sluse It is infinit to tell what the captaines both by sea and land that were at time in Flissinghe did against the Spaniards They besieged the strong castle of Ramekin called Zeebourg both by sea and land standing vpon the Dyke betwixt Flissinghe and the head of Middelbourg the which they tooke in lesse then ten daies At the battaile of Berghen and in all other incounters the Flissinghers were alwaies the formost Snce they haue much inlarged their towne especially on that side where as the Duke of Alua had begun to build the castle where there are three goodly Bulwarkes two towardes the land and one to the sea which defends the hauen on that side flanking it at the port In this inlargement they haue drawne in a new hauen and a Sluse capable for many great shippes where they haue also built a new temple for the English nation within these twelue yeares they haue built a faire towne-house vpon the market place not in greatnesse but in building much like to that of Antwerp To conclude the towne as wel in fortifications as in buildings is now so changed as hee that hath not seene it these thirty yeares would not now know it It is second to Middelbourg in marchandise but it exceedes it in herrings where they are barreled vp and marked and from thence are transported throughout all Christendome This important towne to speake trâ—elie nay rightly be termed the Key of the Netherlands for the sea for at all times it cuts off the nauigation from Antwerp so as nothing can come vnto them by sea wherefore the Duke of Alua should haue beene more carefull to keepe it in time and not to haue esteemed it so little as hee did when the newes of their reuolt came vnto him answering onely Pitcilingo so he called it es nada And in truth the Emperor Charles the fift knowing better the importance of that place then the Duke of Alua going last out of the Netherlands to returne into Spaine where hee died vpon his departure hee did secretly and seriously recommend this towne vnto the King his sonne But as they say He that contemnes the fathers admonitions will be deceiued as it prooued in this towne ARNEMVYDEN OLd Arnemuyden which was wont to be situated in an other place not far from that where it now stands was a goodly village with a good castle well peopled with ritch Bourgers Marchants hauing a good commodious hauen wheras many great shippes might lie safely where at that time there was greater traffick then at Middelbourg it selfe This old Arnemuyden is by Inundations quite eaten vp by the sea so as there are no reliks to be seene neither can they coniecture that it stood in any other place but betwixt the hauen of Middelbourg and new Arnemuyden vpon the plaine which is betwixt S. Ioes Lands and the right chanel of Arnemuyden as it is at this day The greatest breach which happened to old Arnemuyden was in the yeare 1438 in the time of Gyles of Arnemuyden the Lord of that place who caused all the Bourgers and the Inhabitants to go with their families vnto the Dyke out of the danger of the sea whereas now the town of Arnemuyden stands The which as well for the coÌ„modity of Roads and Deeps as for the situation vpon the sea hath and doth
he held of the temporaltie to the end hee might succor him to preserue that which belonged vnto the spiritualtie in this towne and state And for that the Emperour was then in Spaine hee did impart it to the Lady Marguerite his Aunte who was Douager of Sauoy and Regent of the Netherlands so as in the end it was concluded that on the 15 of Nouember 1â—27 he should come in person to Schoonhouen whether the Emperor should send some men of account on his behalfe amongst which were the Earles of Buren Hochstraten the chancellor of Brabant and the President of the Prouincial councel of Holland where being arriued at the day appointed after many consultations they concluded that the Bishop should yeeld vp resigne transport all the rights interest and pretensions which hee had to the temporall iurisdiction in the diocese of Vtrecht and the country of Oueryssel to the benifit profit of the sayd Emperor of which rights he did put his Imperial Maiesty in possession as Duke of Brabant Earle of Holland not in quality of Emperor as well for himselfe as for his successors descended of his bloud whervpon the Earls of Buren and Hochstraten the chancellor and other deputies did promise vnto the bishop in the Emperors name their maister and did bind themselues to make war against his enemies and to settle him in his Episcopal seat and make him duly to enioy his spirituall dignity The Duke of Geldres beeing aduertised of this treatie and accorde hee made sharper warres then before and so incensed the cittizens of Vtrecht against their Bishoppe Henry as they sought by all meanes to depriue him of his Episcopall dignitie choosing in his place by the Dukes instigation and councell the Earle of Bilg a chanonine of Cologne TheÌ„ did there grow a furious warre betwixt the Emperor and Bishop Henry against the Duke of Geldres and the comunalty of Vtrecht holding the Dukes partie and their new Bishops So as after much bloud spilt and many spoiles done in the country there were some citizens of Vtrecht well affected to Bishop Henry who brought the Emperors men into the towne the 1. of Iuly 1528. who entred early in a morning by surprize where there was some little opposition the Earle of Maeurs lieutenant to the Duke was taken prisoner with many of the chiefe of the towne and some chanoins Three daies after the bishop entred and caused some of the mutines to bee executed by the sword yea he made two chanoins to bee put into a sack and cast into the riuer and he would haue taken a sharper reuenge without the intercession of the Earle of Hochstraten eight daies after he asseÌ„bled the three Estates in the publick place by the which he was acknowledged to bee their bishop Prince all sollemnly swearing fidelity obedience vnto him Afterwards the bishop hauing conferred againe with the said Estates hee propounded vnto them how that being in the town of Schonhouen he had let them vnderstand his resolution to submit the temporalty of his Siegneury to the Emperour shewing them how necessary it was for their quiet and publike preseruation to the end that this Estate being vnder the gard and protection of so mighty a Monarke it should bee defended and preserued from all enemies which did enuiron it intreating them to like well of that which he had resolued and to yeeld vnto it The matter being diuersly debated after many allegations on either side in the end for that they could not auoide it the Emperors men being already in possession of the town seeing they had coÌ„mitted an error and that their oppposition would auaile them nothing but incense the Emperor their Prelat they yeelded vnto it That is that the citty of Vtrecht with the iurisdiction and limmits of al the townes villages borroughes forts territory champian country mountaines woods forests riuers pooles lakes mills rents and reuenues to conclude all that was of the temporall demeins of the sayd Estate and countrie of Vtrecht together with all the right title and interest which hee had to the high diocese that is to say to the country of Oueryssel and ouer the town of Groning the iurisdiction of the Groningers and the Omelands with all their rights should be vnited and incorporated to the demeins of the Dukes of Brabant and Earles of Holland The which hauing beene agreed vpon and concluded the Traiectins were absolued of their othe of fealtie which they had taken vnto the sayd bishoppe who freely discharged them vpon condition that they should take the like othe and doe homage to the Emperour and to his lawfull heires issued of his bloud Dukes of Brabant and Earles of Holland The Bishop reseruing nothing for himselfe and his successors but the spirituall iurisdiction and reuenues and that sumptuos Palace in the towne ioyning to the cathedrall church built by Charles Martel Duke of Brabant father to Pepin King of France who gaue it to Gregorie the third Bishop of Vtrecht All things being thus concluded betwixt the Bishoppe Henry of Bauaria and the Emperor Charles Duke of Geldres finding his forces to weake to incounter so great a Monarke hee purchased a peace with his Maiesty the which was concluded the first of October following And the 21. of Nouember the Earle of Hochstraten as gouernor of Holland for the Emperor was sent by the Ladie Marguerite Regent into the sayd towne of Vtrecht who tooke a sollemne possession in his Maiesties name as Duke of Brabant and Earle of Holland and receiued their othes and homages the like hee did at Amersfoort Wyck-ter-Duyrsted Renen and Montfort as for the soueraigntie this last towne hauing a particular Lord and Vicont of that place returning back to Vtrecht the chiefe towne of the country he disposed of the Estate gouernment And as al things were well setled vnder the Emperors authority bishop Henry had a desire for some reasons to retire into Germanie to his other Bishoppricke of Wormes chosing for Bishop substituting in his place William of Enckwoort borne at Boisleduc Cardinall and Bishop of Tortone as Pope Adrian the sixt had beene before hee was Pope who resigned the said Bishopprike vnto him before hee came to the Popedome This Enckwoort was a Courtier at Rome and came not to his Bishoprike of Vtrecht making Iames Vteâ—engen his Vicar vntill he died in the yeare 1533. In the meane time Pope Clement the seauenth hauing seene the Contracts and Instruments of the cession and transport made by the Bishop Henry of Bauaria to the Emperour of the temporaltie of Vtrecht and the appourtenances hauing had therein the aduice and consent of the Colledge of Cardinals they did approue and ratifie all decreeing that this cession and transport should be of force and take full effect But for that this Estate and Seignieury is a fee of the Empire and doth hold of the Imperiall Chamber the Emperour was forced to demand the Inuestiture of the said Chamber in his
owne priuate name as well for him-selfe as for his successors lawfully descended from him The which he did easily obtaine And by this meanes the Citties Townes Territorie and Iurisdiction of the Estate and Seigneiury of Vtrecht which had bene gouerned by their proper Princes and Bishops aboue nine hundred yeare came vnder the obedience of the Emperor Charles the fift and after him to his sonne Philip the second King of Spaine Duke of Brabant Earle of Holland c. Of which Estate of Vtrecht being two Diocesses the Emperor made two Estates reducing them into two Prouinces which make the number of seauenteene in the Netherlands that is into the prouince of Vtrecht that of Oueryssel That of Vtrecht making the fourth in ranke of the confederate Belgick Prouinces vnder the generall Estates and that of Oueryssel the fift hauing their voyces and suffrages in that order in their Cessions The Estates of which Prouince of Vtrecht consist at this day as in former times of three members the Clergie of fiue Colledges that haue Chanoins the Nobility and the townes Of which Colledges the Deputies are indifferently chosen to assist daily in their Assemblies with them of the Nobility and townes who haue their Secretaries and other Officers This Seigneury of Vtrecht hath as we haue said a Prouincial Councel from which at this present there is no appellation as had bin heretofore to the Imperial Chamber at Spier at such time as it was meerly a member of the Empire but since that the Emperor Charles the 5. did vnite it to his demaines excluding the said Imperiall Chamber hee made it subiect to the great Councel at Macklyn vntil that the Estates of the said country and of Oueryssel hauing within these thirty yeares recouered their libertie it hath bene discontinued Notwithstanding in case of remission they may haue their recourse vnto the Estates of the Prouince where as the reuision is made by the same Acts In which Prouincial Councel there is a president six Councellors an Attourney general and a Register The Chamber of accoumpt is kept by the colledge of the Estates wheras the Tresorers as well generall as particular are bound to come and yeeld vp their Accoumpt The said Seigneury hath also a particular Mynt as it hath alwaies had the which is also subiect to the general of the Mynte for the vnited Estates The gouernment and Religion is generally maintained as in other Prouinces their confederats There are foure Marshals for the whole Seigneury euery one of which hauing charge in the quarters that are assigned them where they are to command their Archers to apprehend all vagabonds and other offenders which they shall meet in the country The deceased Prince of Orange of famous memory was Gouernor of this Prouince as of Holland and Zealand placed there by King Philip before his last returne towards Spaine after the violent death of the said Prince the vnited Estates did subrogat Prince Maurice of Nassau his sonne Marquis of La Vere and Flissingue making him more ouer their Captain General and Admirall of all the vnited Prouinces as he is at this present FRISLAND NO man can denie but this Frison Nation is very ancient as it appeares by the ancient greeke and latin writers as Strabo Ptolomey Plinie Tacitus and others for it retaines at this day the same seat and the same name which they gaue them and had before them Seeing that in a manner al other Nations of Germany haue either quit their old abodes or else haue receiued new names the which needes no farre fetcht proofes seeing their neerest neighbours do verifie it For the names of Holland Vtrecht Ouerissel Westphalia and others were neuer knowne by any of the aboue named Authors neither was the name of Geldre euer in vse the Inhabitants whereof and of Cleues Iuilliers Monts Berghe were then called Sicambres but eight hundred seauenty eight yeares after the Natiuitie of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST That which they now call the country of Saxony was not the abode of the ancient Saxons wherof Ptolomey makes mention So as it is hard for moderne writers to iudge by reason of the alteratiō of names if those which be at this present neighbours vnto Frisland bee the same Nations which in ancient time were wont to be or whether they bee now more remote But as for the Frisons there is no dispute nor doubt wherof to giue more firme and solide reasons both of the name and of the Antiquity the Reader shal vnderstand that the succession of their Princes the families the foundation of townes castles and villages may in their regard bee drawne if not farther yet with more certainty then any other Nation of Germany The Danes although they bee very ancient and equal touching their beginning with the Frisons cannot make a true extraction nor giue a reason of the time but since their King Frotho the third during whose raigne our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST was borne The Franconians likewise although they bee very old whatsoeuer they pretend that their freedome was purchased in the seruice of the Romaine Emperours yet are they in doubt of their first beginning issue and denomination so as they cannot decipher their true and continned Chronologie but since Charlemaignes time But the Frisons hauing to this day alwaies kept one name and one dwelling may directly and by a plain computation of times report their gestes from the beginning vnto the ending so hauing taken beginning 313. yeares before CHRIST and since that time foure times made proofe of the change and Estate of their Common weale they may by a cleer computation of yeares shew how long they were vnder princes then vnder dukes after vnder Kings vnto Charlemaigne and since vnder Podestates vntill their Anarchia how long also vnder the Factions vnto the resignation which George Duke of Saxony made vnto the Emperour Charles the fift and how long vnder the house of Austria vntil their Emancepation and liberty which they inioy at this present prouing from the beginning of their Princes the foundation and building of the towne of Staueren which then was the cheefe of al the Realme of Frisland By reason of which Antiquity this town hath had a prerogatiue from the Kinges of Denmarke that in passing the straight of the Sonde their ships haue priuiledge to go first before all others either going or comming out which must attend their turnes but not those of Staueren which must bee presently dispatcht by the Impost gatherers To describe the questions which are betwixt the ancient and moderne Authors to find out the truth from what place Friso and his two bretheren Bruno and Saxo are first descended were in my opinion a tedious and endlesse labour seeing they can determine nothing that is certaine no more then of the Ancestors of these three princes which some maintained to be descended from Ragau sonne to Sem the sonne of Noe But it appeares plainely that they were of the reliques of the Macedonian
and there made his aboad calling it new Frisland whereof the Inhabitants were called Frisiabenes And on a certain place where as since the towne of Alcmar was built he seated a towne which by his wiues name hee called Frougast But as in the Frison tongue as wel as in the Germaine they do vsually pronounce a V. consonant for an F. In succession of times this word is changed into Vrougast or Vroulegast with which word Geyst there are many places end in Frisland This towne of Vrougast became afterwards great and of good trafficke The which the Romaines making warre against the Battauians and Frisons for the affinitie which this name had with their towne of Verona in Italie they also called it Verone Of this VVest-Frisland is that to be vnderstood which Tacitus writes was done by the Frisons for their neighbourhood with the Battauians In this Estate was Frisland maintained since the comming of Friso their first prince the space of one hundred ninety three yeares wherof Staueren was the chiefe town whereas the Princes kept their Court gouerning the other quarters called Zeelandts by their Lieutenants This Towne of Staueren grew so proud by their wealth and Nauigation as they seemed all gold gilding the posts of their houses and their vanitie was so great as a rich widdow hauing commaunded the Maister of her shippe to bring her the best Marchandise hee should finde in the East Countries For that hee brought nothing backe but Wheat which hee held to bee best This vaine woman commaunded the Maister that if hee had laden it on the larboord side hee should cast it into the Sea on the starboord side which hauing done God sent a tempest which did so moue the sandes of the sea as in the same place where the Wheat had beene cast forth there did rise a barre or banke of sand which hath euer since spoyled the Hauen of the said Towne which hath depriued them quite both of their Nauigation and wealth so as since the Inhabitants hauing beene often spoyled are now growne more modest All that Prince Friso had left in writing was not done in the Frison tongue but in Greeke letters hauing raigned sixtie yeare hee died two hundred twenty seauen yeares before Christ Adel his eldest sonne succeeded him who raigned ninetie foure yeares and dyed one hundred thirty one yeares before Christ After him came Vbbo his sonne who gouerned eighty yeares and died fifty one yeares before Christ. Friso or Frisius son to Grunnius who built the towne of Groning as wee haue said marryed the Ladie Frou To whome succeeded his sonne Asniga Ascou 4. Prince of Frisland who raigned 82. yeares and died 31. yeares after the birth of Christ Diogarus Segon was 5. Dibaldus Segon 6. Tabbo 7. al which together liued 443. yeares theÌ„ had they as many Dukes whereof Ascon was the first who had foure sonnes whereof Adelbold the eldest succeeded him and was second Duke of Frisland dying without children hee left his brother Tito Bocaial his successor who dying also without children had Vbbo sonne to his brother Richold Nephew to Ascon for his heire who was 4. Duke of Frisland To whome succeeded his sonne Haron fift Duke who dyed in the yeare of Christ three hundred thirty fiue After him came his son Odibald sixt Duke then Vdolph Haron seauenth and last Duke For after him vnto Charlemaigne Frisland had nine Kings These seauen dukes altogether raigned two hundred sixty two yeares Then came Richold Vtto who was first King of East Frisland wee call it so in regard of VVest-Freezeland into the which Friso the young sonne of Grunnius ledde the first Collonies To him succeeded Odibaldus second King of Frisland Then Richold third King And after him Beroald sonne to Valck fourth King of Frisland in the time of Clotaire King of France and by him slaine in battaile Adgil was fift King of Frisland Radbod the first of that name 6. King of Frisland After whom came Adgil the 2. the 7. King who had three sons Gombauld the 8. King of Frisons Iohn called the Priest Radbod GoÌ„bauld was a good Christian went to serue Charlemaigne where he was slain with Rolland and other peeres of France at the battaile of Ronseual Iohn called the Priest so called for his holynes of life followed Charlemaigne in his voyage to Ierusalem from whence as Suffridus Petri a Frison writer sayeth hee past on with a Collonie to the East Indies where hee erected a Kingdome the which was called by his name the Kingdome of Prestre Iean whose successors which came afterwards into Affricke into the Kingdome of the Abissens are at this day called Prestres Ieans Radbod the third son of Adgil the second of that name was King of Frisland a great persecuter of Christians he was twise vanquished by the French It was he which retyred from the font being ready to be baptized vppon a foolish answer which the Bishop of Soissons made him going to baptize him He did great spoyles vnto Christians as farre as Vtrechtâ— the which hee ruined aud destroyed the Temple of S. Thomas which King Dagobert had built He raigned fifty yeares and with him ended the Kings of Frisland the Realme beeing after that anexed to the Crowne of France Wee haue before made mention of Friso the yong who led the first Collony into West Frisland let vs now speake of the second who was brought into that quarâ—er which is now called Waterlandt which hapned in this manner wee haue before said that Ascon first duke of Frisland had four sons Adelbod Tito Richold Radbod that the two first were dukes successiuely and that Vbbe the son of Richold was the 4. Duke of Frisland there then remained Radbod the 4. son of Ascon hauing taken a wife out of West-Frisland of the race of Friso the yong hee had by her one son called Thierry who in the 300. yeare of CHRISTS natiuity which was the 2. of the raign of Haron the 5. duke of the old Frisons his cousin led a Collony into that quarter of West-frisland with the help of the said Haron and other four of his cousins the which at that time by reason of the multitude of Ilands Moores Lakes and other stil waters was not yet inhabited yet with that aid and the interest he had by his wife he made this second part which at this present is Waterlandt habitable and fertil in the which are Edam Monikendam Purmerends Woormer Ryp Graft and other good villages so as of these two parts ioined togither with that which he added afterwards on the west part he made an Estate and built a Pallace at Medenblike which he made the cheefe town of the whole country VVho pretending to make it a Kingdome Haron his Cousin Duke of East Frisland hindred him for the which they were long in controuersie til in the end Haron forced him to content him-selfe with the title of a Duke This Thierry Duke of West-Frisland had one sonne which
the yeare 1543. when as hee conquered it from William Duke of Cleues who maintained himself to be true and lawfull heire to Charles of Egmont last Duke of Gelders which councell did serue as well for the Duchy of Gelders as the County of Zutphen ioyntly consisting of a Chancellor and ten councellors that is foure of the Nobility of the foure quarters aboue mentioned and sixe Lawiers or others the which administer Iustice with great authority hauing an Attorney generall a Register and other Officers from whose sentence there is no appeale In which towne the Chamber of accounts was also placed by Philip the second King of Spaine and Duke of Geldres succeeding the Emperor Charles his Father in the yeare 1559. whereas all the Officers of Geldres and Zutphen as well of Iustice as of the treasure must yeeld an account of their charges and offices This towne within these thirty yeares is wonderfully changed as well in fortifications and Boulwarks as otherwise it hath beene often threatned and attempted to be surprized by the Spanish faction but it was fruit-lesse the which might seeme strange considering the easie accesse they had when as they held the townes of Deuenter and Zutphen Nymegen IT is a free towne and a fee of the Empire of ancient foundation Of the which we read that Magus King of Gaule the Sonne of Dis had beene the first founder who called it Maga by his owne name And that afterwards Batto King of the Catthes as we will shew more amply in the description of Holland comming into that quarter pleasing himselfe in the scituation and in the remarkable antiquity caused it to be repaired and did both amplefie and fortefie it with new walls wherevpon it was called Nouiomagum the which in the country speech answeres to Nyenmegen vnlesse that in fauoring the little town of Megen seated vpon the riuer of Meuse prefering it in antiquity we will maintaine that Nymegen hath beene built since vpon the riuer of Wahal by the same Magus or his successor the which I leaue doubtfull Hessel Sonne to Batto fauored this towne of Nymeghen for that he was borne there and did so inlarge it as the lower part of the towne is called Hessel-marckt vnto this day Among all the singularities and antiquities of this towne the castle is yet standing vpon the toppe of a little hill and ouer lookes the towne the which some affirme was built and re-edefied by Iulius Caesar to discouer the Country there-aboutes and to commaund it Neither is there any place in all that quarter to be found which yeelds so goodly a prospect of the country riuers townes and villages as this Fort doth the which vnto this day they call Des Wallicks Hoff which is as much to say as the Gaules Court the which is a probable argument that Magus or some other of the Gaules haue built it They haue found in this towne about it within few yeares memories of the Romans antiquity as medals and goodly stones of sumptuous buildings and sepulchers with inscriptions and Epitaphes of some Captaines famous men There are also many ruines of the Romaines time along the riuer of Wahal where as some thinke they planted their campe and placed their garrisons so as the passage which is neere vnto the towne is at this day called in the country language Roomsche Vort which signifieth a Romaine Fort. So as they haue found great stones in the wall of the chiefe Port which they call Hessell-Port whereas these words are grauen Hâ—c pes Romani Imperii Here is the foote of the Romaine Empire And on the other side Hic finis regni Stauriae Here is the end of the command of Staurius whereof we will speake here-after in the description of Frisland There was also found in St. Stephens church-yard a great stone on the which these verses were grauen Anno milleno postquam salus est data saeclo Centeno iuncto quinguageno quoque quinto Caesar in orbe situs Fredericus pacis amicus Lapsum confractum vetus in nihil ante redactum Arte nitore pari reparauit opus Neomagi Iulius in primo tamen extitit eius origo Impar pacifico reparateri Frederico Twelue hundred years wanting but forty fiue After Saluation did appeare to men Frederick then peacefull Emperor did reuiue The Pristine fame of ruin'd Nymegen Iulius did build it long before as then His first foundations stood but farre vnlike To the repaires of peacefull Frederick This was when as the Emperor Frederick caused the old ruines to be repaired Vnder this towne are comprehended as making one quarter of the Dutchie of Gelders the townes of Bomel and Tyel which are walled in and Ghendt which lyes open but yet it enioyes the priuiledges of a towne The iurisdictions are first that of the Bourgraue that is to say the Vicont of Nymegen of the officers of the said two townes and of Bomelweerd then that of the higher and lower Betuwe and afterwards they that lye betwixt the riuers of Wahal and Meuse In the yeare 1248. this towne came vnder the subiection of the Princes of Gelders by the meanes which follow Otto Earle of Gelders did lend vnto William King of the Romanes Earle of Holland Zeeland c. the summe of 21000. markes of pure siluer vpon condition that if within a certaine time limited hee did not pay the sayd summe hee should inioy the sayd Towne with the iurisdiction as his owne proper inheritance The which the Emperor Rodolphus did continue since did augment the conditions for the Earles aduantage And withall the said money was not satisfied whether it were through the negligence of the Princes of the Empire or that they had not meanes to pay it wherby the Vicontie and Seigneury of Nymeghen hath remained incorporated vpon certain conditions to the Duchy of Gelders retaining the iurisdiction soueraignty and prerogatiue to coyne money as an Imperiall Towne In the yeare 1589. Collonell Martin Schencke of Nydeck made an vnfortunate enterprize vppon the towne who retyring vnto his boate beeing ouerladen it sunke and he was drownd Since the vnited Estates hauing built a mighty fort called Knotsenbourg on the other banke of the Riuer of Wahal opposite vnto the Towne the which did hinder their nauigation and much anoy them with their Canon the townse-men did presse the Duke of Parma to free them from this Fort and to beseege it But Prince Maurice comming thether out of Frieseland and hauing defeated some of the Dukes men hee was forced to raize his seege and to retyre with his Army into Brabant he him-selfe going to the Spaw The Prince seeing him retyred made haste to beseege the sayd towne which he soone forced to yeeld vnto the vnited Estates In the yeare 1592. vnder whose obedience it hath euer since continued Ruermond IT is a reasonable good towne seated vpon the Riuer of Meuze ioyning to the mouth of that of Ruoer For Mondt in the duch tongue signifies mouth or
Cornelius Tacitus attributing much to their industry and dexterity in the disposing of an armie and also in obeying their Commaunders to take or put of the combat as it should be thought fit of great courage firme and hard bodies wel lymmed of a fierce and menacing aspect fearefull for the horrible length of their beardes and hayre which fashion and countenance hee saith was not lawfull for them to leaue off or change although they had brought victory from their enemies Some say that Batto issued from the royall bloud of the Cattes was moued to change his naturall abode to a new one not for the desire hee had to finde a better or more fertile country or in regard of too great a multitude of people which are the two maine occasions that nations remoue their ancient habitations but that his step-mother laid diuers ambushes for him and fearing to bee poysoned beeing at oddes with her his father consenting thereto or at least not opposing it By reason whereof what with the splendor of his heroicall vertues his gratious and amiable carryage and his condition truly royall hee drew vnto him a good part of the Nobility and a great number of the people who beeing out of hope of better times followed him willingly and by the councell of the King of Tongres his good father hee addrest him-selfe to the confines of Belgiae there to inhabit and hauing past the Rhyne not farre from the riuers of VVahal and of Meuze hee happily built the Castle of Battengbourgh vppon the riuer of Meuze which hauing past at the parting of the Rhyne where the VVahal retyres and takes his course apart hee inioyed all the whole circuit euen to the Ocean Sea parting the land amongst the Nobles and common people so that of his name it was called Battauia which signifies nothing else but the heritage of Batto as if one should say Batous Haue for Haue in the old Dutch and yet at this present signifies heritage So that then this Prouince hath taken his name and that lawfully from a Prince the son of a King al which is witnessed by diuers authors amongst whom the most worthy of beleefe is Cornelius Tacitus a Romaine Knight a rare writer of the Story of Augustus and Commissary for Gaule Belgique who makes mention of Claudius Ciuilis descended from Batto issued from a royal branch of the Batauians or Hollanders Here you may see that Plyny not without great reason called this Isle the most noble Isle of Batto The which name of Batto hath heretofore spread it selfe very far amongst the Allemans and Dalmatians and Dion a Romaine Historiographer makes mention of two Battoes the first Batto duke of Bruces which is a part of Pannonia which I now hold to be the country of Prussia confining Poland Hungary the other Batto Desidiate who stirred vp the Dalmatians beeing too much exacted vpon by impositions to take armes against the Romanes to whom hee gaue many affronts The same Dion reports in his 55. 56. booke a memorable answere that the said Battus gaue Tyberius Caesar who demaunding of him why he had stirred vp the people to so long and bloody a war Answered that the RomaÌ„es theÌ„-selues were cause in that they had sent them wolues for their gardiens not dogs sheapheards But as it commonly happens amongst these barbarous natioÌ„s through the weaknes or ignoraÌ„ce of the men of those times wee haue nothing left vs whereby wee may know who were the kinsmen or successors to this Batto of Holland so that we know not any thing for certaine of their customes or manner of liuing but that Tacitus hath toucht at theÌ„ as if it were in passing by and that breefly Some say that this Batto re-edefied the Castle of Nymeghen and compast the town with wals that he being dead his son Hesus augmented it by adding therto that quarter which is called Heselbergh or the hil of Hesus The which town the Kings that succeeded after him caused to be the metropolitaine of Batauia or Holland and their seege royal Al which Gerard of Nymeghen recites affirming that he had drawn them from the commentaries of Princes Strabo the Geographer makes mention of one Peremire king of the Batauians who had a daughter called Rhamis married to the son of Siquier Duke of the Cherusques who afterwards was led in triumph to Rome by Germanicus Caesar I haue not known any man that hath writ how great the limits were or how far the inheritance of Batto extended some haue made it too little in taking away a great part from it wherefore I wil assigne him his confines to a haire as it were to remaine firme and stable for euer Batauia then which I cal the antient took heretofore his beginning from the separation of the Rhyne at the castle of Lober was inclos'd on one side with that which we properly call the Rhyne which had wont to fal neer unto Catwick into the Brittish Ocean which gulph is now choakt vp as wee will shew hereafter and the Wahal from whence falling again into the Merwe and from thence into that which we cal the Meuze passing by Bryel renders him self into the same Sea In which coÌ„passe and circuit of the Rhyne ther are a great number of Townes and to beginne aboue first Huessen Tyell Buiren Wickterduirsted Vtrecht Viane Culembourg Aspeney Henâ—lâ—â— Leerdan Iselsteyne Montfort VVoerden Oudewater Gorcum Wandrichom Schoonhouen Dordrecht Goud Leyden Delft Rotterdam SchiedaÌ„ and the Bryell I will not meddle with Nieuport right ouer against Schoonhouen and Haesrecht for that by their ruines other townes haue beene augmented If any oppose to the designements of the limits saying that the Betuwe which is a part of the Dutchy of Gelderland is that which properly ought to bee called Batauia I will send him to the iudge and principall defender of the cause Ptolomeus of Alexandria who puts Lugodunum which is Leyden amongst the Batautans where hee sayes expresly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lugodunum Battauorum which is a Towne distant foure thousand paces from thence What will this controuler say of Caesars measuring of it who reckons it to bee fourscore thousand paces after it parts from the Rhyne before it enters into the Sea between which two riuers hee cannot deny but that the Batauian Isle is inclosed Tacitus him-selfe ends it at the Meuze from whence it descends to the Sea This inheritance of Battus which I willingly cal the old Batauia for that certaine hundreths of years after his death Drusus of two branches or gulphs made three the 3. falling into the middle sea coÌ„monly called Zuyderzee first passing by Campen in the country of Oueryssell amplifying thereby the territory of Batauia the which he did to excercise his army to preuent idlenesse in them beginning at Iseloort which braÌ„ch is called the riuer of Isell it seemes also that he gaue them an other Isle of the Rhyne more large and spatious which we may cal a
excellent Poesie as appeareth by the Lawrel crowne that the Emperor Maximillian the first sent him by his orator Stephanus of Crocouia It was he that first controlled Gerard of Nymegen in his booke that he writt of the true situation of Batauia or Holland betweene the Hornes of the Rhine which the said Gerard of Nymegen would haue attributed to the Betuwe a part of Gelderland wherein the said Aurelius liuely expresses the honor of the Hollanders who in his youth was brought vp by that so much renowned Erasmus of Rotterdam being begotten at Goude but by remooue of dwelling borne and brought vp at Rotterdam There are many other learned famous persons sprung from this towne too long here to rehearse of whom Iustus Lypsius Ianus Gruterus and Dominicus Baudius of Lille in Flanders haue amply written in their workes Notwithstanding that throughout all the townes of the Netherlands many bloody decrees haue beene executed for religion on both parts yet they of this towne haue bin so moderate euen to great Papists their neighbors and in their power that in a hundreth years more there haue bin but three executed vpon those placarts or decrees whereof one was an Anabaptist who being secretly aduertised by the Magistrat that he should retire himselfe yet hee came and rendred himselfe into the hands of the officer whereby it may appeare that they of Goude haue euer detested tyrannie and persecution beleeuing that it belongs onely to God to command the conscience ENCHVYSEN THis towne of Enchuysen hath taken name from the fewnesse of houses it had at the first being by little and little become a great towne as is to be seene at this day this word Enckle huysen signifying little â—r simple houses It is a faire towne and by the naturall situation very strong opposed to the rigor of the sea standing vpon a corner of the land their traffique by sea makes them riche and opulent it is for the most part built of faire masonrie hauing very few houses of wood for feare of fire which they haue once or twice before had experience of for you may read in the Annales of Holland that in the yeare of our Lord 1297. the Lords of Arkell Putten burnt it all and yet within twenty yeares after it was made greater by the halfe for all the salt pitts that were along the sea banke and the marishes behind are now within the walls with many faire gardens fish-ponds There are two passages out to sea and three hauens at one of the which entrances there is a great tower wherevpon is engrauen a Lattin distique made by D' Adrianus Iunius vpon the attempt that Charles the last Duke of Gelders made for the surprize of it that he might get an entrance into Holland it expresses the time of the attempt and is this EnChVsaM InsIdIIs taCitIs sVh noCte sILentI Obâ—Vere adnI Xa est Ge LrICa perfIdIa The trecheroVs GeLDrols soVght by Violent Might T' haVe tane EnchVIsen through the Vayle of n Ight. This town is rich in salt pits the InhabitaÌ„ts fetching grosse salt from Brouage by Rochel or in Spaine and some-times from the salt Ilands where they haue it for nothing and after boile it again and refine it multiplying it with sea-water brought them in boates taking the heate away making it white fit for the table their are as sufficient store of sluces in this town and about it for the passage of sea-water as in France or Spaine but the sharpnesse of the sunne is not of that force to congeale and harden it as in other places heretofore they made great aboundance of salt of the ashes of turues sea-water after the manner of making of salt-peeter at this day which they call Silt-sout whereof they make a great traffick but since that they haue traded to Spaine and France from thence brought in their great shippes what quantity the will this maner of making it is come to nothing it beeing vnpossible that that which they made in diuerse places should be so good as that which is made of the pure sea-water This towne may very fitly be called Neptunes seate for that their ships passe all the seas of the world and haue had the honor to carry and bring backe the Emperor in diuerse of his expeditions and likewise sundry times King Philip his sonne and since â—nne of Austria his wife the daughter of the Emperor Maximillian the second They carry in their armes three herrings argent and two stars or in a field Azure as a fatall and certaine Augure presaging that after the manner of herrings they should cut through all seas and trade to the one and other pole which at this time they doe In this towne dwelt Doctor Paludanus an exquisite Phisition and great gatherer together of strange and rare antiquities to such an Infinite number that they could hardly bee seene peece by peece in three daies the maruelous workes of nature as well proceeding from the land as the sea and the secret workes of God being therein to bee contemplated admired but I vnderstand since a great part of them haue bin sould to the Lantgraue of Hessen HORNE ABout the yeare 1316. in the time of Count William the third of that name called the good Earle of Holland Zeeland Henault and West-freezeland this towne tooke his little beginning in this manner When the towne of Veronne neere Alckmar was destroyed by the Frisons there was a great sluce in the ditch where at this day the market place of the sayd towne stands which was called Roestein by the which the country people entred into the sea with their barkes It happened that three brothers cittizens of Hambourgh came and went thither with shippes laden with beere who caused three high houses of stone to be built there for the Frisons for the Danes came thither ordinarily with oxen kine horses and other marchandise passing the sea with their little ships from the Cimbrique Chersonesus or the country of Holstein so that from time to time by little and little it began to augment in buildings first became a village afterwardes a towne and at last a good city one of these three houses remained entire 220. years after vntill the yeare 1430. The other two beeing ruined were built againe but not with so great stones as this third There is some diuersity of opinion about the etymology of the name of Horne which signifies as well a hunters horne as otherwise some say it is of the hauen of the towne that turnes in forme of a little horne others say that this same place was full of bogges where now the ditches and walls of the towne are and that there grew there certaine plants in great quantity in forme of a horne the which beeing cut either aboue or below one might winde as of a cornet The streete of the said towne that is called the New Dam where the woodmongers and shoomakers dwell and where the turue boats
wrath retyred into Freezeland and there without his priuity he marryed the Potestats daughter of the country by whome hee had two sonnes Thierry and Simon Being afterwards reconciled to his Father he had certaine land alotted him for his portion which was measured by the great rod the which in the country language is Brederode fâ—om whence they tooke their name His father gaue him also the Castle and Territory of Theylingen the which Zyphard at his death disposed to his two sons to Thierry he gaue Brederode and to Simon Teylingen from whence are issued the two families of Brederode and Teylinge the which ended by the death of two bretheren who were slaine with their Prince VVilliam King of Romans in the warre against the Frisons As for that of Brederode we haue seene foure bretheren of the right lyne dye also in the warres against the French in few yeares so as it fell by a collaterall line vnto VValrauen Lord of the said Brederode Vianen Ameyden c. who hauing not any children and not likely to haue any by reason of his age and his wiues all must returne to Floris of Brederode his Brothers sonne who may raise vp the house being now halfe extinct The beginning of the house of Egmont is doubtfull for the Lordes thereof cannot truly shewe a continuance of their descent for three hundred yeares yet they say they are issued from Radbod I know not which King of the Frisons but I thinke it would bee a tedious thing to finde out this pedigree Such as contradict it say that they are descended from a Receiuer of the Abbay of Egmond which Office had beene called Aduoe and vnder this title hauing inriched them-selues with the goods of this Abbaie by little and little they attained to great wealth and thereby to great allyances which haue augmented their house as well in possessions as degrees of honour so as in the end they marryed a daughter of the famous house of Arckel the which was heire to the Dutchie of Geldres Whereas Arnold of Egmond the first Duke of that house had one sonne called Adolph who did much trouble his father yea hee detained him in prison vntill that Charles Duke of Burgongne sette him free Adolph retyring into France marryed a Lady of the house of Bourbon who hauing one son named Charles hee was afterterwards slaine being Generall of the Ganthois before Tournay After whose death the Emperour Charles the fift vnder coullor of some transport which hee pretended that Duke Arnold had made vnto duke Charles of Burgongne beeing in dislike with his son hee seazed vppon the whole Duchy but Charles of Egmond sonne to Prince Adolph for he was neuer Duke with the helpe of the Princes of the house of Bourbon who stirred vp the French King returning into his Countrie hee was receiued and acknowledged for Duke in many townes the Emperors men chased away Afterwards being of a turbulent spirit hee had great warres so as in the end hee dyed about the yeare 1536. without any children and in him failed the distrect lyne of this house of Egmond The Seignieury of Egmond falling to the yonger house who was father to Iohn the first Earle of Egmond which Iohn had one brother MaximliaÌ„ of Egmond Earle of Buren Lord of Iselsteine whose daughter being issued of a Lady of the house of Launoy and the onely heire marryed with William of Nassau Prince of Orange so as the possessions of these two houses of Buren and Launoy are discended to Prince Philip eldest son to the deceased Prince of Orange as wel by his grandfather as by his father Some do account next among the most ancient and Noble families that of Vander Merwue as descended from Merouee King of France in honour of whome some beleeue that in that place the riuer of Wahall was changed into Meruwe but this Original is farre fetcht There is yet some remainder of a Tower in the midst of Meruve which in old time was the place where they payed toll the which is now receiued in Dordrect whereas the Baron of Meruve who is also Lord of Aspren hath one day in the yeare all right of superiority and power to pardon murthers and al other offences The house of Arckel did for a long time command insolently in the Earldome of Teysterbandt betwixt the Wahal and the Leck the which the riuer of Linge doth crosse and passing through Gorichom it fals into the Meruve In this County there are many other Townes then Gorichom with the Castle as Leerdam Henkelom Haerstricht Aspren Euersteyn Hagesteyn and Gasprien wherof the three last and Haarstrecht haue beene burnt and ruined It seemes that all the neighbour Princes haue conspired against this house for their great pride For Frederick Bishop of Vtrecht hauing taken Gaspren Hagestein and Euersteyn he ruined them quite The Lord of Vianen wrested Rhynstein from him Arnold Duke of Geldres tooke Leerdam and Steenvoerd Albert Duke Bauaria Earle of Holland took Haestrecht from him and ruined it Afterwards the said Duke bought of Iohn the last Lord of so many townes and Seigieuries that of Gorichom with consent of his sonne and vnder his hand writing who notwithstanding soone after disavowed the contract the which hee brake after his fathers death and found meanes to surprize the said towne The Countesse Iaqueline went thether with an armie besieged it and took it by assault whereas the said young Lord receiued the reward of his disloyalty for he was slain there These Lords of Arckel were so mighty as besides the County of Teysterband in the which are the townes aboue mentioned they had liuing in Brabant Lembourg Bar Vtrecht Geldre Holland and Zeland which possessions made them proud arrogant hatefull vnto their neighbours ouer whom they did insult vntill they came to the end which we haue spoken of The house of Batenbourg is without al question one of the most ancient taking their name from Prince Batto from whome Battauia is come whereof there were of great fame for their vertue some fiue hundred yeares since Albert Rodolphus and Thierry Lordes of Battenbourg as of late Thierry Gâ—sbercht and VVilliam who beeing Lieutenant to the Prince of Orange leading an army to victuall Harlem beseeged by the Duke of Alua was defeated by the Spaniards This Towne of Battenbourg was afterwards burnt and the Castell held long by the Spaniardes The sayd Ghisbrecht had besides William three other sons wherof one was traiterously slayne at Collogne Ghisbrecht and Thierry beeing taken prisoners in the Warre by the Earle of Arembergh hee deliuered them to the Duke of Alua who caused their heades to bee cutte off at Brusselles with other Gentlemen of their religion But it was not long before this Earle receiued his due punishment for before a yeare past hee was slayne in Battaile in the same Countrie where hee falsified his faith to these two young Barons The race of the Lordes of Harlem is also very ancient and noble who they say
small profit finding this people so impatient of a strangers yoake in the end Duke George resigned all his interest vnto the Emperour Charles the fifth who enioyed it quietly as his sonne Philip King of Spaine also did till within these thirty yeares that they freed themselues by their adiunction vnto the generall vnion of the confederate Prouinces of the Netherlands Thus much we haue thought good to speake of the beginning and Estate of Frisland in generall Now wee will describe the townes in particular LEEWARDEN IS at this day as in old time Staueren was wont to bee the chiefe towne of Frisland situated almost in the center of the countrie called in ancient time during the Paganisine Aula Dei and in the vulgar tongue Godts hoff that it to say the court of God in the which was a colledge or schole for the Druides Philosophers and wise men of that time which were come out of France to plant their colleges there In witnesse whereof there are yet in this towne two Temples the one named the ancient court the other the new whereof the gentlemen of the country were in former times called Hovelingen that is to say courtiers for that they were constituted publike defenders of this house of God taught by the Druides And in truth this towne hath more gentlemen in it then any other in Frisland Of this schoole of the Druides Synard the wise a diuine and councellor to Radbod the last King of the Frisons was Rector whom hee councelled to persecute the Christians hee censured and caused Tullies bookes of the nature of the Gods to bee burnt condemning them as full of errors and contrarie to the doctrine which they taught of the false Gods of the gentills This towne in processe of time hauing taken the name of Leewarden and the country beeing conuerted to the christian Religion this schoole of the Druides was changed into a cloister of Nunnes by Vboalt in the yeare 1233. the which Dodo the fourth Abbot of Fleurencamp would haue also called Aulam Dei for that he would not haue the memory of that name lost But in the vulgar tongue it hatth beene called Nyen-clooster that is to say a New cloister They of Leewarden haue alwaies continued as it appeeres by all ancient and moderne writers and entertained their schoole in good learning which hath euer beene the chiefe of all Frisland Vntil that within these 20. yeares the Estates of the Prouince haue erected an vniuersity in the town of Franiker two leagues from thence for the entertainement of which schoole as at this present of the vniuersitie and of the learned professors which are there in all faculties the magistrates of Leuwarden haue neuer spared any charge In this towne is the court of Parliament for all Frisland which doth determine of all causes both criminall and ciuill whether all causes come and are to bee decided according to the sincerity of the Romaine lawes the which are obserued there with the like purity as they were made by the Emperor Iustinian and as they are taught in vniuersities hauing not aboue twenty municipall lawes or customes derogating from the written law All proceedings and other publike acts are made in the Dutch tongue their stile of writing and the forme of their letters and caracters as wel printed as written are as pure and neate as in any other courts of Brabant Flanders Holland Vtrecht and other places of the Netherlands So as the naturall Frisons as also the Brabansons Hollanders Flemings and other Dutche may easilie execute all Offices of Magistrates Secretaries and Notaries as well in one countrie as in an other depending vpon writing bee it of Iustice Pollicy Account Treasure or otherwise This town of Leuwarden is seated in the quarter of Ostergoe being great and spacious and conteyning in circuit neere halfe a French league the streetes are faire large and straight in the which it is not lawfull to leaue any filthinesse euery house hauing a boate into the which they cast it the which beeing full they transport it by barkes into the fieldes the towne beeing so diuided by nauigable chanells whereon there are manie bridges to serue as well for the trafficke of marchandise as for other commodities so as most houses maie bring their prouisions vppe to their doores or not farre from them The which doe also serue greatly for the clensing of the streetes the raine washing awaie all the filth if any remaines in the streetes into the chanelles The ayre is cleere but some-what brackish by reason of the exhalations of the sea which is nere which is the cause that it doth not lightly ingender any putrifaction neither is it often infected with any contagious disease It standes in a verie pleasant countrie full of goodlie Medowes euen vnto the towne-ditches beeing a pleasant sight on Sundaies and Festiuall dayes to beholde the Bourgers walking and supping vppon the greene grasse by troupes It hath also many pleasant villages round about the towne which seeme as walkes for the Inhabitants The situation is as we haue said in the midest of Frisland so as on a sommers day they may goe either in wagon or horse-backe or on foote on which side they please either to Ostergoe Westergoe or the Seauen Forests out of the country where they haue good meanes to goe and transport their marchandise by shipping either great or small In regard of which commodities and the goodnesse of the seat Albertus Duke of Saxony and George his son hauing obtained the hereditary gouernment of Frisland from Maximilian the Emperor did there settle the Parliament for the whole Prouince which the Emperour Charles the fifth and his sonne King Philippe haue since allowed and confirmed moreouer Friseland hath good hauens on euery side by the which they may commodiously and speedely bring all sorts of marchandise and commodities vnto the town which makes it cheape lyuing there This towne hath vnder his Griteny that is to say Baylewicke or Iurisdiction which they call Leewarderadeel seauenteene good villages depending thereon for in all the quarter of Ostergoe whereof this towne is the chiefe there are ten Gritenies euery one of which hath his villages depending thereon some more some lesse conteyning alltogither one hundred thirty and two villages in the sayd ten Gritenies besides the towne of Dockum which is the second towne of that quarter of Ostergoe wherof we will presently speak In this towne doth commonly reside the colledge of deputies for the Estates of the whole Prouince consisting of the nobility and townes which gouerne the whole Estate as well for matters of policy and warre as for religion who with the voices of the Gritenies dispose of all Estates and Offices both of Iustice treasure and demains as also of captaines places and others concerning the war and the Ecclesiasticall Estate There is also the minte for money for the whole country both for gold and siluer according to the order which the deputies for the Estates shall fet downe
Lilloo beeing opposite vnto it vpon the riuer of Escault so as all ship s that come from the sea to goe to Antwerp must passe betwixt these two forts But it could not resist the enemies attempts like vnto Lilloo for in the yeare 1584. the Vicont of Gant Marquis of Roubay besieged it and tooke it by assault by a stratageme which he made with a heape of strawe and haie which he caused to bee burnt on the dicke-side where hee gaue the assault so as the smoake being driuen with the winde did so trouble their sights that defended the breach as they were forced with great furie the Vicont killing Collonel Petain who commanded there with his owne hand in cold bloud and causing many Burgers of Antwerp to bee hanged the which was afterwards reuenged vpon the Spaniards and other prisoners which they held in the vnited Prouinces It was since recouered by the Estates vnder whose obedience it hath continued vnto this day Yet it is not like to continue as Lilloo but may well be razed vpon the conclusion of a peace beeing of no such importance as the other TERNEVSE Is a good village of that quarter of Flanders which hath a Baylife Alderman and other officers whereas the vnited Estates did long since build a fort and entertained a good garrison it is situated in the midest of a drowned Land and therefore not easie to approch nor to campe before it for which consideration the Spaniard who will not willingly wet his feet would not attempt it remaining vnto this day vnder the Estates being commanded by a captaine superintendent for them AXELLE IS a little towne in the land of Waes which is one of the best quarters of Flanders which Seruaes van Steelandt great Bayliffe of the said country of Waes deliuered vnto the Spaniard when as the Duke of Aniou was retired after that great folly committed at Antwerp Six or seauen years after Sir Phillip Sidney Gouernor of Flessingue and Collonel Ihon Peron surprised it and deliuered it vnto the Estates in the yeare 1587. the which they much fortefied since by drowning of the great part of the country which makes it inaccessible whereof the said Peron hath recouered a good part during the time that the Estates left him gouernor of the place There are other forts in that quarter of Axelle and of â—erneuse vpon Flanders side as that of Blockersdyek Saint Marguerits and Saint Anthonis-hoeck the which we omit beeing of no great importance nor likely to continue Forts beyond the riuer of Rhine BOERENTANGHE IT is a goodly fort none of the greatest but at this present like a little towne vpon the fronters of the countie of Lingen which is the high-way to goe out of Friseland and Groning into the country of Westphalia and by Cloppenbourg to Delmenhorst and Breme and so to Hamburg Lubecke and other towns of the East country along the Baltique sea Is is entertained with a good ordinary garrison consisting of many halfe companies at the least when I was there wherby in my opinion the Estates did wisely cutting off many Monopolies and occasions of mutynies for that there is seldome any accord where there is diuersitie The countrie about is all moorish or full of turfes wherewith they doe both furnish the place and the countrie about it BELLINGER-WOLDER-ZYEL IS a good village or rather a Borrough at the end of the Dullard where as the riuer of Ems growes narrowest by the which they must passe comming from Embden by water to goe to Boerentanghe leauing the castle of Wedde vpon the right hand where the Estates haue made a fort to defend the county of Lingen yet is it not so well fortefied but it must yeeld to the first enemy if he be Maister of the field As for the other forts dispersed here and therevpon riuers fronters and passages beeing many in number throughout all the vnited Prouinces I haue thought it superfluous to describe them here particularly hauing onely vndertaken the chiefe By this description may be seene that in the said eight vnited Prouinces which make the Estates of the Belgike Common-weale there are aboue sixescore townes great and small and aboue a hundred castles and forts of all sorts entertained with ordinarie garrisons besides their troupes of reserue which they put into townes especiallie in winter or when they haue neede to refresh their companies either of foote or horse where they are well lodged and accommodated Touching the shippes of warre which the vnited Estates doe vsually entertaine as well at sea as vpon the riuers of Rhine Meuse Wahal Ems and others I cannot set downe the number the which is great some-times more some-times lesse according to the necessitie of their affaires they haue some-times a hundred and twenty shippes of warre in paie well armed and appointed with men and munition Their nauigation and trafficke of marchandise extends to the East West North and South I dare boldly saie that the Common-weale of Venice which is held so ritch and mighty an Estate could not haue continued such intestine wars three years as they haue done many and doyet like the ebbing and flowing of the sea whom all the forces of Spaine could neuer vanquish Wherefore wee must conclude that the King of Spaine was ill aduised to intreate them with such rigor as they haue beene forced to oppose themselues and to shake off his yoake Whereas contrary-wise the King his sonne now raigning for feare of some greater inconuenience hath with good aduice declared them free Estates seeing that his father could not with all his forces and treasure depriue them of their liberties and freedomes offring then peace without attending the preiudiciall euent of a warre of a hundred yeares as the Princes of Austria his Predecessors had against the Cantons of Suisses who almost for the like occasions did shake off their yoake neere three hundred yeares since Let vs praie vnto God that their vnion may continue the which may restraine the insolency of some of their Neighbours and norrish peace among them Which God grant FINIS
of France vnto S. Wildeboord the first Bishop and afterwards by the Emperours to his successors all vnder a coullor of pietie which Estate did consist of two Diocesses the one called the lower Diocese where are the capitol Towne of Vtrecht Wick-ter-Duyrsted called Batauodurum Amersfort Rhenen and Montfort with aboue sixtie Boroughs and villages The other was called the high Dioces which contained all the country of Ouerissel where there are fourteene or fifteene townes wherof the three Imperiall and Hans townes are Deuenter Campen and Swolle the which together with the rest now make a Prouince a part which wee will describe hereafter The lower Dioces is good and fertill better manured then the vpper a higher ground and much dryer then Holland which is neere neighbour vnto it to describe which we wil begin with the cheefe towne VTRECHT WAs first as some write it called Antonia or Antonina of one Antony a Romaine Senator who flying Neros tyranie retyred into that quarter and did begin this place Others say that Marc Antony was the founder from whome it tooke the name Some also maintaine that it was so called of Antoninus Pius But be it what it may it is most sure as many affirme and as it may bee gathered by Medalles and other Antiquities that this towne of Vtrecht was for a long time called Antonina whereof there are yet some markes to be seene vpon the Town-house After that the Wiltes had taken and ruined it they built a Fort which they call Wiltenbourg the which was taken by Dagobert sonne to Clotaire King of France who did fortifie it more then before and called it Traiectum for it was a trauers or passage whereas an Impost was paid which in many places in France they call Le droit de Travers the due or right of trauers or passage for all Marchandise that was carryed and recarried on either side and it retaines at this day the name of Traiectum It standes vppon the head of the Rhyne the which past directly there before that they forced it in making a Scluse at Wicter-duyrsted some eight hundred yeares since to cast it selfe into the riuer of Leck passing through which towne it did pierce through Woerden Oudwater and Leyden and did ingulph into the Sea at Catwick yea since it had an other course the waters and chanels which passe by the said townes are at this day called the old Rhyn It is an admirable thing that this towne is so situated that they may go to what towne they please of fiftie which lye round about them in a day the which being shewed visible to Philip the 2. King of Spaine being vppon the place he tooke a wonderful delight And it is most certaine that there were some Noblemen which layed great wagers for the tryal thereof and found it true Moreouer in one of the longest daies in Summer if one parts early in a morning from Vtrecht he may dine at any one of 26. townes where he please return to his own house to supper the Emperor Charles the 5. in the yeare 1542. caused a castle to bee built neere vnto S. Catherins port to keep the town in awe when as by the cession of the Bishop of that place he was put in temporal possession of the said town the dependances the which hee called Vredenbourg that is to say a Castle of peace The Cittie is great mighty wel fortified with ten good Bulwarks flanking one another with their counterscarps and diches al of Masons work and the rampars in like manner some Bulwarks are also of stone the rest only of earth there are goodly buildings furnished with caues vauted sellers There are also goodly churches among the which there are fiue that haue chanoins The first which is the cathedrall church is called Saint Martins the second Saint Sauiour neere vnto it but now pulled downe the 3. Saint Peter the 4. Saint Iohn and the 5. of our Ladies founded by the Emperor Frederic Barberossa hauing bin enioyned therevnto by the Pope to expiate the fault which he had committed in ruining the towne and all the churches and monasteries of Milan But aboue all the cathedrall church is stately hauing a faire high goodly tower transparent in the which the sayd Emperor Charles the 5. did celebrate the order of the golden fleece in the yeare 1546. the old temple was pulled down by the bishop Adelbold for that he held it to bee too little and did reedefie it in the estate we now see it This new temple was consecrated in the yeare 1023. in the presence of the Emperor Henry the 2. by 12. bishops There are also in the same towne two commanders one of the knights of Malta and the other of the order of the Teutons vnder the great Maister of Prussia both hauing churches and very stately lodgings either of them hauing his commander Hee of Malta is called the Bayliff of S. Catherins and the other carries the name of commander or great Prior of the Prouince by reason that he hath vnder him many small commanderies and great possessions in many places of the Netherlands They hold an honorable ranke and doe good to many which are entertained by the bounty of these men as chanoins abbayes and monasteries which are in the sayd towne who although there be no other publicke exercise then of the reformed religion hold their prebends and entertainments the cloysters within precinct of the towne standing as they did except the houses of begging Friars which are applied to other vses Of which abbaies and cloisters there is that of Saint Paul of the order of Saint Benet and two of gentlewomen There were also three of gentlewomen without the town but these last warres haue beene the cause of their ruine fearing to leaue lodgings for their enemies beeing to neere the towne but the Nunnes enioye their entertainement and when any Monke or Nunne dies the Estates of the Prouince put others in their places to ease the poorer sort of the gentrie The cittizens of this cittie are courteous ciuill industrious and ritche amongst whome there are and haue alwaies beene men that are vertuous and of great valour and aboue all Pope Adrian the sixth of that name first of all a Doctor of both lawes whereon hee hath written goodly workes and withall hee was a great Mathematician Hee obtained in the vniuersitie of Lovaine where hee studied long without seeking it diuers degrees of honour and not without profit and so sparing his reuenues hee founded and built a colledge which at this day doth honour his memorie whose fame was so pleasing to all men as hee was chosen to bee Scholemaster to the Emperour Charles the fifth in his Infancie by whose Maiestie hee was sent Ambassador into Spaine to the King Don Fernando of Arragon who for his merittes made him bishoppe of Tortoso Beeing afterwardes recommended to the Pope by the Emperour Maximilian the first hee was made Cardinall The King Don Fernando and
the Archduke Philippe his Sonne in law beeing dead cardinall Adrian was chosen for a time to be Gouernor and Viceroy of Spaine in the name of Prince Charles who was soone after Emperour In the end on the sixth day of Ianuary in the yeare of our Lord 1522. hee was chosen Pope the newes whereof being carried him into Spaine hee made no shew of ioye beeing anoynted hee would not change his name as others did hee liued but twentie monethes and some daies after in continuall trouble of minde and griefe Amongst all his Epitaphes this agrees best with him Hadrianus sextus hic situs est qui nihil sibi infelicius in vita duxit quam quod imperaret Heere lies Adrian the sixth who thought nothing had happened vnto him more vnfortunate in all his life then that hee had commanded Hee caused a goodly house to bee built in Vtrecht the place of his birth which they call at this day the lodging of Pope Adrian In this cittie resides a Prouinciall councell to the which all the appeales of the towne country and Siegniory of Vtrecht do resort In which councell there is a president and nine councellors a receiuer of the Prouince Registers and other Officers This Siegneury was greater in the time of King Dagobert who ioyned the temporalty to the spiritualty giuing it to Saint Willebrord who was an English man borne and the first bishop to whome succeeded Boniface in whose times this cittie was in great reputation hauing the title and dignitie of Archbishop but Boniface hauing beene martired by the Frisons this preheminence and authority was with the consent of the chapter then much afflicted by the Danes and Normans confersed to the bishops of Cologne who haue euer since retayned this dignity notwithstanding Pepin and Charlemayne Kings of France restored this cittie who not onely established the Episcopall dignitie but to the end the bishoppe might defend himselfe from his aduersary hee did so augment his iurisdiction as his Siegneury did extend it selfe in a manner ouer all the country of the Battauians And although the Frisons Danes and Nortmans did spoyle and burne it often yet they did soone recouer their former estate and gather new forces To confirme that which wee haue sayd it shall not bee from the purpose to insert here some Latin verses though ill pollished sauoring of the harshnesse of the stile in those daies the which were written in two great tables of wood hung vpon two pillers before the Quier of the sayd cathedrall church written in great Letters halfe worne out by continuance of time those of the right side were Circumquaque fluens Hollandia gurgite Rheni cingitur Oceano fluminibusque maris In qua cum muris vrbs Antonina nouellis tempore Neronis aedificata fuit Hanc deuastauit fera Slauica gens et ibidem castrum Wiltorum conditur inde novum Turribus excelsis quod adhuc plebs Abroditorum funditur euertens dirruit vsque Solum Hinc Traiectense castrum cum maentbus altis conditur a Francis Christicolis sed idem Vulgus Danorum confregit humo tenùs omnes cum clero ciues insimul ense necans Denique Baldricus Praesul noua maenia struxit quae modo subsistunt auxiliante Deo Sic Hollandensi terrae veraciter omni Traiectum constat vrbs capitalis adhuc The famous Rhine through Hollands bosome glides and with the sea enguirts it on all sides Here Vtrecht stands first built as authors say in Neroes time and called Antonia These walles the Slauons raz'd vpon repaire of which the name of Wiltenburch it bare Then came the Abrodites a nation wood and leuell'd it euen with the place it stood In place whereof the christian Frankeners came and built a fort cal'd Vtrecht but the same Was by the Danes made a rude heape of stones and they that held it slanghtered all at ones stand yet But bishop Baldrick since repaired it and rais'd those walls which God bee thankt And thus remaines it Vtrecht still of all the land of Holland first and principall On the second piller on the left hand hung these verses Tempore Francorum Dagoberti regis in isto presenti fundo conditus ecce decens Primitus Ecclaesia Sancti Thomae prope castrum Traiectum quam gens Frisica fregit atrox Sed prior Antistes Dominus c. This church which men S. Thomas-his do call vpon this plot was founded first of all When Dagobert rul'd France nere to the towne of Vtrecht the fierce Frisons raz'd it downe But the first prelat Lord. c. The rest of these verses were so worne as it was not possible to read them WYCK-TER-DVYRSTED IT appeeres by the ancient Histories that this towne of Wyck-ter-Duyrsted hath in ancient time beene a great and spatious towne in the which they write were 32. parish churches It was before this towne that the Rhine was dambde vp and forced some 8â—0 yeares since to leaue his right course and to cast it selfe into the Lecke as we haue shewed before But they set not downe the cause why they cut it off in this place and made it take the course it now holds The which happened for that when as the winde was at the Norwest and blew hard the riuer of Rhine being driuen backe and not able to passe out by his gulfe at Catwyck into the British sea was forced to disperce it selfe ouer all the conntries of Holland Vtrecht and the Betuve which is of the Dutchy of Geldres The which happened often whereby they sustained great losses wherfore the Estates of these 3. Prouinces assembling together they consulted how they might preueÌ„t it in the end resolued to turne the Rhine from his right course which was to the Norwest and to giue it an other which shold fall crokedly into the sea as it doth at this present for the effecting wherof they dambd it vp drawing it by little little into the Lecke which is nere vnto it making high bancks of either side so as in succession of time it is become a good nauigable riuer falling into the Meuse beneath Dordrecht and so enters into the Ocean sea before Bryele This towne of Wyck is verie ancient Whereon Cornelius Tacitus a Knight and Romaine Historiographer makes honorable mention calling it Batauodurum It was ruined by the Danes and Normans but afterwards built againe yet nothing so bigge as at the first notwithstanding it hath alwaies beene as it is at this present for the commoditie of the situation a good and a ritch towne hauing a verie strong castle whereas the Princes Bishoppes of Vtrecht did for a long time keepe their court when as they would lie in the lower diocese as they did at the castle of Vollenhof Gheelmuyden in Oueryssel a league from Campen when as they kept in the higher Diocese This town had in former times a priuat Lord who was also Siegnior of Abcoude But the bishops of Vtrecht would neuer be quiet vntill they had gotten it this
succeeded him named VVilliam the first who had Dibauldi Dibauld had VVilliam the second who had Elim hee dyed without heires male and in him fayled the lyne of this Thierry Hauing before his death adopted Beroald beeing but seauen yeares old the son of Richold the second of that name the third King of Frisland so as al these Dukes of West-Frisland successiuely raigned two hundred thirty three yeares fiue and twentie yeares after the death of Elim in the yeare of Christ fiue hundred thirty three Beroald after the death of Richold his father did inherit the Realme of East Frisland Thus were the two Frislands vnited together the which Beroald inioyed sixtie yeares whereof he was afterwards depriued and of his life also by Clotaire the second of that name King of France father to Dagobert Notwithstanding Adgill the second succeeded him and after him Gombauld then Radbod the second whome Charlemaigne vanquished and freed the Frisons from the yoake of Kinges restoring them to their liberty to whome hee gaue goodly priuiledges the which they haue long maintained with the prise of their bloods Since the Frisons were long vnder an Aristocraticall Gouernment sometimes vnder Potestates whom they did chose them-selues and not able to agree vppon the election by reason of dangerous factions the Earles of Holland hauing in succession of time and long warres seazed vpon that part which they now call West-Frisland and Waterlandt the which the Hollanders will haue but the Inhabitants of the country cannot indure it called Northolland On the other side the dukes of Brunswicke the Hans townes of Breme and Hambourg the Earle of Oldenbourg Schowenbourg and Embden haue vsurped much of East Frislād euen vnto the Territory of Groning the which although it be an Estate territory apart is cōprehended notwithstanding vnder the territory of that which hereafter we will simply call Frisland inclosed betwixt the Flye and Ems to distinguish it from East-Frisland held by the Earles of Embden and West-Frisland anexed to the county of Holland That then which we will simply call Frisland and the Inhabitants Frisons as Tolomcy and Tacitus tearme them saying that they are Germaines and people from beyond the Rhine whom Pliny calls Cauches the great and the lesse are Aborigines or originally come from that place who aboue all the people of Germanie retaine their ancient appellation keeping in their ancient and first seat hauing the same language they haue alwaies had True it is that in the chiefe townes they vse the Dutch-tongue but in the champian country they keepe their Frison language which the gentlemen take pleasure to entertaine in regard of the antiquitie Although I bee well acquainted with the high and low Dutch tongue yet I must confesse that in this ancient Frison language I vnderstand nothing Wee haue sayd before that the Frisons did for a time entertaine themselues vnder factions wee must therefore relate succinctly the beginning thereof which was that in the yeare of our redemption 1390. there did rise two factions in the country of Frisland the one Vetcoopers which signifies in their vulgar tongue marchants of grease that is to say marchants of fat oxen which they hold for an honest kinde of marchandise and of Schyeringers which are butchers and sellers of tripes which is a base kinde of trade which factions they say came from East and West Frisland The first spring and beginning thereof was that all these marchants of cattell and the butchers beeing togither at a publick banket according to their custome there was a guest to choose a Prouost a Deane or a King amongst them whose charge should bee to looke that no disorder should bee committed which might trouble the companie There was amongst them of either of these two companies one that exceeded the rest and both equall in wealth in respect and loue towards all the guests Whom both the one and the other partie contended to chose their Deane Prouost or King the one and the other maintayning that this dignity authority at the table was most befitting him that had the honestest trade Wherevpon a question grew among them which of those two marchandise was the honestest the one preferring the marchants of cattell the other the butchers Vpon which dispute their braines being het with wine in the end they fell from words to blowes one against an other party against party euery one with his Allies and Kinsmen meaning to maintaine the one quarrell or the other so as in the end there was a great fight in the which many were either hurt or slaine In reuenge whereof either party holding it selfe wronged they began to make factions and to bandie one against an other so as this canker eating more and more strangers who had no interest nor were any way wronged ingaged themselues vpon hope of bootie of the one or the other partie euerie one wresting what hee could from his Aduersarie without either lawe or iustice so confused were things then and full of disorder but such as they made by the sworde where as the strongest carried it The fruits of these factions were such as they not onely rained amongst priuate persons but amongst whole fam lies villages bourrougs and townes yea among whole Prouinces so as the whole country was ful of thefts and murthers and no man was free from their insolencies In like maner about that time Hollād was afflicted with the factions of Hoecks and Cabillaux that is to say the Hamesons and the Merlus wherof we haue made mentiō heretofore which was that the one party as the Merlus or Coddes bee fishes which prey did threaten to deuower the other and they of the Hamesons did threaten to take the others by the throat which to speake truth were quarrels scarce fit for children And at that time were the factions of Gelphes Gibelins in Italy Of the diuersity of colloured caps in Flanders of those of the starre in France al which were factions raised from the diuill This mischiefe proceeded so farre in Frisland as from the lesse it came to the greater and from Marchants and Bourgers to the Nobility and Clergie The gentlemen ruining the houses castles one of an other and the Abbots and Monks doing al the mischief they could one vnto an other So as to appease these factions and to reconcile the Noblemen the Emperor Maximilian the first sent Otto van Langen to perswade them to choose a Potestat amongst them which should gouerne the country according to their preuiledges vnder the authority of the Empire But their splene was so great as euery one seeking to choose one of their faction the sayd commissioner preuailed nothing but returned as hee came So as the Emperour to force them to an accord tooke occasion to giue the gouernment hereditary of all Frisland and Groning to the house of Saxony to hold it in fee of the Empire For the attayning whereof the Dukes of Saxony hauing spent a great part of their means with