new Batauia To expres this name al that is comprized between the gulphes of the Flye the old Rheyne and the Meuze render them-selues into the Brittish sea the firmnesse of this middle gulph of the Rheyne being the cause hat al this land holds together The which by reason of the continual ditches or downes made to resist the rage of the Sea seperates Batauia from Freezland Pomponius Mela the Geographer calls it a great Lake which is not so vntil the flowing of the Ocean come into the Zuyderzee and so to Amsterdam and Sparendam and from thence by Scluses to Harlem Al which agrees very well with Tacitus who saies it is but a short passage from one side to the other yet it is so large from Encuysen to Harlinghen that with a faire season and a good wind it will aske some foure houres passage To conclude who wil know the manners fashion of liuing and military vertue of the ancient Batauians or Hollanders let him read for the ancient perticularly Cornelius Tacitus and for the moderne Hadrianus Iunius a Phisition of the towne of Horne in his Batauia wherein I doubt not but he shall find much to content him Concerning their vertue and military discipline I dare affirme that the Hollanders at this day doe not only equall their predecessors but farre exceed them both by Land and Sea wherein their Auncestors had no experience as it hath well appeared for these forty yeares against all the attempts of that puissant Monarch of Spayne Dordrecht THis towne is the first in order of 28. in the County of Holland hath the first voyce in the assembly of the Estates for that County It is seated vpon the Merwe but so as this riuer is cōposed of the Rhyne the Wahall the Meuze and Ling which all being ioined in one passe before the town so as we may say it is seated vpon 4. riuers the Merwe Wahal Meuz Ling. And so they represēted the portrait of it by these two lattin verses at the happy entrance of king Philip the 2. into their town in the yeare of our Lord 1549. Me Mosa et Wahalis cum Linga Meruaque cingūt Aeternam Batauae virginis ecce fidem Guirt with the Meuse Wahal the Merwe Ling See Hollands virgin faith vn-altering THere are great diuersities of opinions about the etimologie of the name of it some there are that would haue it called Durdrecht and not Dordrecht saying that this word Drecht was heretofore as much as to say a Fayre or a free market called in lattin Forum Of the which name there are diuers townes after the names of great personages as Forum Varronis not farre from Milan Forum Cornelii in Emilia which is now called Imola Forum Claudii now called Tarentaise Forum Iulii Forum Liuii and others and so by that reason Durarecht should haue its name from some certaine man called Duret yet the Annals of Holland make but small mention of any such The same may bee sayd of Haesstrecht three thousand paces from Tergoude heretofore a towne that had three Castles and two Monasteries now a Village in the middest of the Earldome of Blois between the townes of Schoonhouen and Goude which three townes were the proprietary inheritance of the Earles of Blois as you may more amply read in the general history of the Netherlands The same may likewise be said of Moore-drecht Papendrecht Suyndrecht Barendrecht and Slydrecht all Villages of Holland not farre from Dordrecht which is also witnessed by the old seale of the said towne the circumscription is Sigillum oppidanorum in Durdrecht The seale of the townsmen of Durdrecht It is also found in rec ords amongst others in the Bull of the Emperor Henry the fourth Thure-Drecht Be as it may be in regard of the ancientnesse of the vse and that it lasts to this day we wil giue it no other name but Dordrecht This Towne is long in forme of a compasse rich and well peopled and indeed a very store-house of all things necessary for mans life being since the yeare of our Lord 1421. become an Iland the Wahal the Meuze and the Sea by the breach of a ditch filleth all the gulph which before was firme land and ioyning to the Dutchy of Brabant and drowned 72. Villages where there perished aboue an hundreth thousand soules with al their substance The time of this deluge is expressed by these two lattin verses DurDreChto InCVBVItVIs atroXInCIta VentIs Vrbs quâdIssILVItprotInVs haVsta MarI In one thousand four hundred twenty and one DORT felt that feareful dissolution THis deluge hapned by the wickednesse of a country-man that enuying the prosperity of his neighbour assayed to drowne his land that lay neere the Sea or at least to spoyle it not thinking what would follow and to accomplish this his cursed resolution he wrought a hole through the earth and made a gutter that the water of the Sea might drowne his neighbours land but the vehemency of it was so great that of a little streame the Sea gayning more it made such a gap that it was vnpossible to be stopt and so all the country about Dordrecht as it is yet to bee seene was lost Notwithstanding since by little and little Adrian Cornellis vander Mylen a Bourgue maistet of the said town and his children haue recouered and yet dayly doe recouer a good part of it by vertue of a grant giuen by Charles the fifth Emperour to the said Bourguemaister so that at this day there are fayre feeldes in firme land adioyning to the sayd Towne with the little Castell of Craesteyne belonging to the said Vander Mylen This Towne especially the streete called Den Langen-dike hath the most fayre and lofty buildings that are to bee found in all Holland with their store-houses and caues for Wines all vaulted so that they neuer see neither Sunne or Moone There is a fayre great Church where there had wont to bee a Colledge of Chanons The history of Holland sets downe certaine foolish fables of the foundation of this Church which I forbeare to repeat for that they are too ridiculous A Faucon shotte from that part of the towne towards Papendrecht there are high and eminent reliques of the Castle of Merwe neere to the ditch where before the Inundation was as also of the Village and Barony of Merwe from whence the Lords of Asperen and Langueraeck haue their Barony inioying yet both profits and preheminences in the towne of Dordrecht Holding vppon certaine dayes in the yeare either in his owne person or by his Bailyffe or sheriff as large power in iudging causes as the Bourguemaister and Councell of the town whose authority in case of iustice at this day ceases In this drown'd land and in the Merwe there are great store of Salmons and Sturgeons taken besides it abounds in sundry other sort of fishes the water beeing for foure or fiue leagues sweete The priuiledge and right of the staple for all sorts of Marchandise
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
to bee much admyred Being well prouided of money he bought a fayre house in the towne and a Castle called Benningen halfe a league out of the towne dwelling sometimes in the one and sometime in the other To augment his loue and reputation with the Cittizens hee matcht some of his children with the principall of the towne endowing them very ritchly still aduancing and teaching in priuate his most damnable heresie confirming those that were absent by letters and bookes which hee caused to bee printed in his Castle of Beningen Hee dyed in the sayd towne of Basil in the yeare of our Lord 1556. for meere greefe that one of his followers was reuolted fearing that by his meanes hee might be discouered and so punished Before his death his disciples that thought him to bee God seeing him draw towards death hee resolutely sayd vnto them bee not amazed I goe to beginne to shew my power Christ my predecessor to shew his power rose again the third day and I to shew my greater glory will rise againe at three yeares O horrible blasphemy The Magistrate beeing throughly informed of his life and doctrine caused his processe to be drawn after his death by a sentence his body was taken out of the ground and iustice done as if he had bin aliue his goods being confiscated his books burnt some of his followers acknowledged abiured their errors and imbracing again the reformed religion were with al courtesie and gentlenesse pardoned and the whole history of it set forth in print both in lattin and dutch to the view of the world In opposition to this wicked monster the town of Delf hath brought forth many excellent person ages among the rest Ioos Salsbout an excellent Poet and Chancellor of Gelderlād Arnoult his son who succeeded his father in the same office of Chancellor and since President of the priuy Counsell at Brussels and from that to be President for the affaires of the Netherlands in Spaine Cornelius Musa Prouost of S. Agatha a man of rare vertue and knowledge a great Diuine an excellent Poet. who was vniustly put to death by the Earle of March about thirty-fiue yeares since Leyden THere hath bin much dispute and great diuersity of opinions about the deriuation of this name of Leyden but I will content my selfe that Ptolemy called it Lugdunum Battauorum Antoninus in his Itinerary or guide for waies to Rome cals it Lugdunum Caput Germanorum the head citty of the Germaines or the first Citty of the Romaine Empire from it beginning his Iourney to Rome concerning the lattin and dutch woord of Leyden I will content my selfe with the antient vse for that many learned lattin Authors haue also called it Leyda bee it as it may yet this is most certayne that it hath beene here-to-fore a towne of great importance for the Romain Praetor that gouerned that quarter kept alwaies his residence and garrison in that towne and the historyes of Holland recount that from the first Earles and long after it was called the chamber of Holland It is seated in a low and euen country full of ditches and chanels beutified with farmes gardens and other delights round about It incloses in it selfe thirty one Isles passing from the one to the other in boates besides nineteene more that haue bridges to passe ouer To conclude there are in this towne 145 bridges an hundreth and foure built of free stone and the rest of wood It is one of the six chiefe townes of Holland and the fourth in preheminence and suffrage It is the cheefe for that quarter of Rind-Land hauing vnder it 49. townes and villages the most part of which bring their commodities thether as butter milke cheese lard foule fruites and other necessaryes to bee sold in the Market abounding in all thinges else that the earth may bring forth and sufficiently stored with fish the Sea being not aboue a league from it and compassed with many fresh waters It is likewise so stored with sundry kinds of fowle that it is incredible but to them that know it This town is fairly seated in a delicate prospectiue euen in the heart of Holland neatly built and fit for the muses to dwel in for which cause the Sates of Holland in the yeare of our Lord 1575 after they were released of their long and dangerous siege erected an vniuersity there furnishing it with professions in all languages giuing them good and sufficient stipends drawing to them the sufficients men in all professions that can be found in Christendome as at this day the Seignior of L'escale Clusius Baudius and others professing Phylosophy Physicke and the lawes They want not also most excellent and learned Diuines hauing within this tenne yeares lost three as rare ones as any were in Christendome to wit the Lord of Saint Aldegond D. Francis Iunius and Trelcatius◠professors in the greeke and lattin tongues and in Diuinity In the middest of this towne there is an old Castle seated vppon a higher mote in the which there is a great large and deepe Well all of stone but now dry there is not a house in this Castle to dwell in but compassed about the more and aboue with some trees and although it bee of no vse yet it is reserued for the antiquity of it Ianus Douza a learned Gentleman and Poet of Leyden hath written of it in these verses Putatur Engistus Brittanno orbe Redux posuisse victor T is held victorious Hengist builded me At his returne from conquered Britanie SInce called Bourg of which came the name of Burgraue which is as much as to say an Earle of a Towne which wee call Viscounts the title remained long in the Noble family of the Lordes of Wassenare who held the Viconty of Leyden and the Iurisdiction of Rhyn-landt with the Dependances both of it and Ter-goud vntill the yeare of our LORD 1251. after the death of Vicont Iames his daughter Christienne beeing vnder the protection of the Earle of Holland who vtterly spoyled it yet the possession thereof was deliuered againe by the Countesse Iaqueline vnto the sayd family of the Wassenares but Philip Duke of Burgondy succeeding in the said County tooke it away againe where-vppon Viscount Iames the sonne of Henry in a full assembly of the Estates contested against the Duke demaunding againe his antient patrimony but his meanes beeing too weake against so puissant a Prince hee was constrayned to cease his title and to content him-selfe with what it pleased the Duke to giue him which was but the bare title of Viscount There are in this Towne three parish Churches in Saint Pancratius there is a company of Chanoins and in Saint Peeters there is a lofe of bread turned to a stone safely kept in a place yrond about for a perpetuall remembrance of the strangenesse of the accident and this it was In the yeare of our Lord 1316. a great famine happening in the towne a poore woman went to her owne sister that
arriue was made in the time of the Count William when there was not water inough without the Sluce of Horne but that the great shippes of Denmarke and Hambourge were forced to stay at the sea ditch and therefore they caused a little long ditch to bee made which they called the New Dam beginning at the great ditch a good distance from the mouth of the sea from whence they brought their horses and oxen to the towne All this is now within the towne fairely built and called the New Damme In the yeare of our Lord 1350. Duke William of Bauaria the sonne of the Emperour Lodowick and Marguerite Countesse of Holland gaue to the Burgeses of Horne as large and ample priuiledges as they had giuen to them of Medenblick which to this day they enioy There is a streete in the said towne called Heer Gerits Landt so called of Gerard of Hemskerke who caused a faire house to bee built in a large garden now full of houses the which Gerard died in the sayd towne in the yeare of our Lord 1398. after hee had serued Duke Albert in his wars against the Frisons In the time of the Lady Iaqueline Countesse of Holland c. certaine townes of West-Freesland rebelled against her and called in Philippe Duke of Burgundie the Sonne of her Aunt vnwilling to bee gouerned any longer by a woman wherevpon grew great warres the Kennemers taking part with their Princesse and making warres against the Waterlanders and East Frisons the Hornois by reason of their ritches and great traffick that they had from North to South being growne proud It happened at this time that a young man of the said towne the sonne of one of the cheefest marchants called Ian Lambrechts Cruyf being in the towne of Goude where the Countesse Iaqueline kept her residence seeing the said Countesse passe by said without thinking any hurt It is great pitty and shame to vse so noble a Dame in this sort as if she were a common woman These words were worse taken then they were meant Where-vpon â—hee was committed to prison Lambert Cruyff hearing of his sonnes restraint posted thether with a good summe of money to redeeme him Hauing treated with the Iudges and presented this money they gaue him good words telling him that his sonne should not dye but should be onely lead to the place of execution Whereas the executioner drawing out his sword the Countesse should crye out which should cause the heads-man to staye and so his sonne should bee freed The father was somewhat comforted with this answer and seeing there was no other meanes hee recommended the cause vnto God The sonne being vpon the Scaffold and the eâ— ecutioner hauing drawne his sword the Countesse made no shew of crying out so as this poore young man was vniustly executed wherewith the father being much moued he sayed vnto himselfe being vnderstood by some other Thou shalt not remaine Contesse of Holland neither shalt thou hereafter enioâ—e that Country in peace And therevpon he returned with his money to his owne house Beeing come to Horne hee acquainted the Magistrates and the Bourgers with the wrong which the Contesse had done vnto his sonne in the towne of Goude wherevpon a councell was held of all the chiefe of the towne who concluded ioyntly neuer more to acknowledge her for their Princesse and to fortefie themselues against her The father of this young man that was executed full of discontent and desire of reuenge did giue or lend a great sum of money to beginne the fortification of the towne And this beeing in the yeare 1427. they began to compasse in this towne with goodly walls and deepe and large ditches Doctor Adrianus Iunius a curious sercher out of Antiquities as appeeres by his history of Battauia was borne in that town sonne to Peter de Iouge a Bourguemaster This towne abounds with all sorts of victualls halfe of it all along the sea is defended with good palissadoes and banks made of a small grasse which they call Vlyer in Latin Alga wherewith most of the bankes in that quarter of Westfrisland are armed for that it settles close together and doth not rot in a long time and being rotten it becomes firme earth They gather shippes ladings of this grasse in a certaine season of the yeare in the sea about the Island of Wyeringhe from the which it is named and they keepe great heaps thereof in store to repaire their bankes at neede when as they are any way decaied It is strange that is reported of this herbe that wild swannes at a lowe water pull it out of the botome of the sea the which floting vpon the water staies in a certaine place whereas they goe to gather it This Island of Wyeringhe is not farre from that of Texel nor consequently from Enchuysen Medenbilck nor Horne the which besides all other delights which it yeelds brings forth aboundance of great Skirrit rootes as delicate a meate as can bee presented before a King wherein Plinie reports that the Emperor Tiberius did so delight as hee caused them to bee brought out of Germanie to Rome ALCMAR THis towne is three leagues distant from Horne where ends the iurisdiction of the Canenefates or Kennemers in the countrie language It is in a manner enuironed round about with diuers great Lakes the which are made by the brookes which fall from the sandie Downes so as in my opinion this name was giuen it by reason of the multitude of these Lakes the which in the Cymbrians tongue they call Meerâ—n as if they would say Almeer and some in Latin call it Almeria There are tenne of these Lakes the which by Sluses and Mills to draine out the water vpon hope of greater profit haue beene laide drie partly at the charge of the Lords of Brederode and Egmont as also by Thierry Teyling a Receyuor and other good Bourgers of Alcmar the names of which Lakes thus recouered were Bergen conteyning 1200. Acres of ground Daele Veronne Suyn Bouckler Heyuluen Grobber Temple Argillar and the Lake behind There are yet fiue remayning that of Diepee Voere Scherme Byems and that of Waerd the which they haue no meaning to lay dry by reason of their depth and the benifit they reape by the fresh water-fish which they yeelde They say that this towne was first founded by Adgill King of Frisland a Godly man nothing resembling his impious father Radbod who mocking at the Saints in Paradise hauing demanded what was become of his predecessors which had dyed Infydells and answere being made him that they were in hell going to the Font to bee baptized by the Bishoppe of Soissons hee retired backe saying that after his death hee would goe where his Parents were Of whome these rough verses were made O' Iocus ò dirum et tibi formidabile semper Elogium Radbode tuum post tristia fata O ieast and dismall memory withall Radbode for thee and thy dire funerall This Adgill raygned in Frisland in
olde time named Yedam of a current of water which is called Ye vry Yde the which running about the Câ—urch fell by a Sluse which they call Damme into the great chanell of the towne which goes vnto the sea that is to say the Sluse of Yde There is a certaine village in the midest of this water called Middelye The towne is at this present well walled in and ditcht it is famous for the good cheese which is maâ—e there it hath a long hauen to the which there belongs many great and goodly shippes which are built there euery yeare beeing as stately and of as great charge as any in Holland or Zeeland bee it either for warre or Marchandise In the yeare of our Lord 1404. some women of this towne going in barkes to feed their cattell in the neere pastures of Purmermeer they did often see at the ebbing of the water a sea woman playing in the water whereat in the beginning they were afraied but beeing accustomed to see it often they incourraged one an other and with their barkes entred into this water into the which shee was come at a full sea and could not finde the waie out againe these women hauing descouered her made with their boates towardes her and the water beeing not deepe ynough for her to diue vnto the bottome they tooke her by force drewe her into a boate and carried her to Edam where in time shee grew familiar accustoming her selfe to feede of ordynarie meates They of Harlem desired much to haue her to whom shee was sent and liued some fifteene yeares shee neuer spake seeking often to gette againe into the water you may reade this discourse at large in the History of the Netherlands This towne is two leagues equally distant as well by sea as by land from Horne MONICKENDAM THis towne on the South-side lookes towards the I le of Mark which is opposite vnto it the sea therein reasonably still for that it lies vnder the Lee of the sayd Island It is not verie spatious and towardes the Land it is walled and ditcht It takes the name of a Lake neere vnto it called Monicker-meere the which beeing at this daie defended with bankes is made a sea whereas great shippes lie safely beeing couered with that Land The armes of this towne are a Monke clad in blacke holding a mase in his hand whereby wee may conclude that both the Lake and the towne tooke their names from a Monke but why or what hee was it is not knowne This towne was built in the yeare of our Lord and Sauiour 1297. When as the Frisons came thether with a fleete of shippes to goe and succor the Bishoppe of Vtrecht it is but a league from Edam PVRMERENDE THis towne stands in the midest of Moores lying at the end of the Purmer sea where is a Sluce by the which they of the towne sayle towardes Edam Monickendam and other places that border vpon the sayd sea on the other side there is nothing but Lakes which coast the townes of Ryp Graft Wormer euen vnto Alcmar In these three Bouroughes they are ritch men which imploy themselues most at sea as well in fishing for herring as in trade of marchandise At Wormer they make aboundance of good by scuit which they carry to sell in all the townes of Holland Zeeland and Frisland for the prouision of their shippes This towne is verie small it hath beene fortefied during these last warres against the towne of Amsterdam the which in the beginning of the troubles held the Duke of Aluas party but this was allied to the townes of Alcmar Horne Enchuysen Medenblick Edam Monickendam with other places of West-Frisland against whom the Spaniards could not preuaile but lost many men in this watrish countrie the which is rightly called Waterland in the which are the sayd townes of Purmerende the three Boroughes aboue mentioned and many other villages This towne was first built by a priuate person but verie ritch the which came afterwardes with the castle to the Earles of Egmont and ioynes vnto his hauen vpon Alcmar side It is verie cheape lyuing there by reason of the aboundance of flesh and fish MVDEN THe towne of Mâ—den is seated at the mouth of the riuer of Vecte some fortie yeares since it was but a poore paltrie village feeling then the miseries which it had endured by the burning and spoiles of the Duke of Guelders but within two yeares it was repaired Since the last troubles yea within these twelue yeares it hath beene wholy finished and beautified with ramparts goodly bridges and faire houses It hath a strong castle vpon the gulphe whereas the Vecte runnes into the Zuyderzee This castle is famous by the taking of Floris the fift Earle of Holland who hauing forced the wife of a Knight called Gerard van Velsen was by the conspiracâ—e of many noble men of Holland taken being a Hawking and carried into this castle thinking to transport him from thence into England there to end his dayes and to call home Earle Iohn who had married the Kings daughter but they found no opportunitie to effect it besides the commons of the Waterlanders did rise of all sides to succour him the which the conspirators finding meaning to carry him by land into some other countrie they ledde him from thence but as they were egerly poursued Van Velsen being loth to abandon his prisoner whom hee had mounted vpon a paltrie Iade comming to leape oâ—er a ditch as all the country is full of trenches the horse falling ouerthrew the Earle into the ditch Van Velsen seeing that he could no longer keepe him with a furious desire of reuenge gaue him eighteene wounds with his sword whereof hee died vpon the mount of Naerden whether the pesants carried him Van Velsen and the other conspirators saued themselues in the castle of Croenenburg where they were taken and grieuously punished The Lords of Amstel Woerden and some others escaped and wandred long vp and downe The Siegnior of Nyuclt is captaine of this castle of Muyden with a good garrison well prouided of all things NAERDEN ALthough that this towne hath suffered much being first ruined by that warlike Prelate the Bishop of Vtrecht of the house of Arckel who changed the place of situation and did cause them to build it where it now stands being a faire and a strong towne the which we may iustly say is but a shopp of Weauers whereas they make great aboundance of very fine cloath The houses of this towne are very faire being newly built within foure and thirtie yeares For the Duke of Alua meaning to bee reuenged of the Hollanders who were for the most part reuolted by reason of his tyrannie he sent Don Frederick his sonne thether with an armie who approching neere vnto the towne of Naerden the Bourguemaister councell of the towne went forth to meete him and to present him the Keyes of the towne when being entred with his troops the Bourgers
as Wine Corne Wood and other commodities that passe by them comming out of Germanie Gelderland Cleues and Iuilliers belonging to this towne of Dordrecht VVell seeing wee haue made mention of this word Staple it followes necessarily for the true vnderstanding of it that we say something both for the name and vse of it The word Estaple is a French word deriued from the lattin word Stabulum so that the word Staple is a market or publicke place in a towne ordained for the bestowing of VVine Corne VVood and other Marchandise that comes frō other countries euery Towne hauing their seuerall priuiledges according to the graunt of the Prince Not without great greefe and vexation to others both Marchants and Marryners that bring them thether As for example The towne of Arras is the Staple for Arthois and Valenciennes for Henault for Wines that are brought out of France by land into the Low-Countries So that the Marchants or Carryers are constrained to bring them thether before any other place and there to bee stayde a certayne time in the Staple to see who will buy in the Market the which beeing done they may carrie them away whether they thinke best The towne of Middlebourgh in Zealand is the Staple for Wines that come from France Spayne Portugal and other Countryes brought thether by Sea But the priuiledges of the town of Dordrecht are more strickt and compelling for they are of fuch force and vertue that what-souer is brought either by the Rhyne or Meuze be it corne wine pitch cole or any other Marchandise passing by them they are compelled vppon paine of forfeyture of all if they bee taken not hauing payed their duty to discharge their boates or barkes in their Hauen and to paie all rights customes impostes and other duties what-soeuer and also to discharge their Marchaundise in Shippes of the towne or of the Cittizens and free Marryners or else to make some agreement with them and so they may passe them in those that belong to the custome or impost And notwithstanding that the priuiledges are at this present diuers and vary one from another according to the nature of the marchandise and condition of the townes to whome such priuileges are graunted yet they haue euer from the first beginning beene called by the name of Estaple The which being sometimes in one towne sometimes in another either for the scituation or some other occation cause a great commodity and benifit to the country both in generall and particuler and a faire reuenew and large profit to the Prince of the same This towne as the first in rancke hath power to coyne both siluer and gold a priueledge denied to any other towne of Holland what-so-euer In this towne the Prince or Earle of Holland is put in possession of this county taking his oth to the states of the country and receiuing their homage and feallty Harlem THe second towne of Holland in rancke and prerogatiue is the towne of Harlem which within this thirty yeares before Amsterdam was made greater was the greatest and fairest of all Holland as well in faire buildings as sweete and good temperature of ayre hauing neither the Sea nor Marishes or Fens to annoy it feared in the middest of a good land fit both for tillage and for pasture enuironed with faire country houses Farmes little woods and many castles and villages and to conclude seated reasonable high and very pleasant It hath one very great Church with a high steeple supported with great columnes or pillars and much longer then any other in the Low-countries There passeth now through it a riuer called Sparre which falls out of a lake of fresh water into the chanell that runnes towards the townes of Amsterdam and Leyden which is called the sea of Harlem which riuer hath bene drawne with great labour and charge from that of Tye by the sluces of Sparendam about halfe a league from thence before the towne on that side towards Leyden there was heretofore a very pleasant wood which during the seege of the Spaniards was cut downe by the Allamaines that were quartred on that side in the village of Hemsted But within a few yeares after the Magistrate of the towne caused it to be replanted so as in a short time it became as pleasant as it was before seruing the inhabitants of the towne for delightfull walkes for the excersise of their spirits and keeping many people of the towne from the Tauernes and such other places in passing their time there There is there likewise made very great store of fine white linnen cloth much desired and sought for from Spaine Italy and other countries and also good wollen cloth which for the dye equalls any other country and is like-wise transported into forraine regions Touching the Etymology or deriuation of the name I may not rely vpon Lewis Guichardine who hath followed the old Dutch chronicle of Holland but rather follow that learned Phisition and Historiographer of Horne Doctor Adrianus Iunius who affirmes that the Harlemois are issued from the bloud of the Kings of Freezland who first built both the their towne and castle in the yeare of the natiuity of our Sauiour Iesus Christ fiue hundred and sixe The castle was seated vpon the chanell that runnes towards Egmont not farre from Heimskirk all built of great and large bricke as yet at this day is to be seene by the ruines and ground worke of the walls The demolishment whereof some attribute to the tyrany of the Lord of the place others to the fury of the people who sought to extirpe and roote out the Nobility This castle alone at this time was not demolished but like a violent thunder they threw downe all to the ground Seeing wee are speaking of this castle I thinke it not amisse although it be set downe in the history of the Netherlands to relate a memorable accident that then hapned as a strange note of true coniugall loue And thus it was The Lord of the place hauing by his exaction and cruelty made him-selfe odious to all his people and he and his wife being beseeged and so prest for want of victualls that he was compelled hauing no other meanes to escape to enter into treaty for the rendering of the towne His wife atrue mirror of piety and loue towards her husband among other articles for the rendring of the towne capitulated that shee might haue as much of her most pretious mooueables as she could carry out at one time the which being graunted shee with the helpe of her chamber-maide carried her husband lockt in a chest out of the castle leauing all her rings and iewells behind her In imitation of the wife of Guelphe Duke of Bauaria who in the like necessity prayed the Emperor Conrad that she and her Ladies might carry out that which they held most deare and pretious the Emperor imagining it was nothing but their rings and iewels shee and all the Ladies after her example tooke her husband on her