The lives of all the princes of Orange, from William the Great, founder of the Common-wealth of the United Provinces written in French by the Baron Maurier, in the year 1682, and published at Paris, by order of the French King ; to which is added the life of His present Majesty King William the Third, from his birth to his landing in England, by Mr. Thomas Brown ; together with all the princes heads taken from original draughts.

Henry Frederick of Nassau Prince of Orange, and his Posterity.

THis Prince was born the 28^th of February 1584. He was of a good mein, and of a strong make, and his parts were as emi∣nent, as his person was agreeable. He was a very great Captain, and equall'd the Glory of his Brother Maurice, who taught him the Art of War, and lead him into the most dangerous Adventures; and amongst others, at the battle of Newport, where though he was very young, he contributed much by his Valor to the gaining that great Victory in a conjuncture, where the Army of the States Ge∣neral had before them a powerful body of men commanded by Albert the Arch-duke in person, and the Sea behind them, so that it was absolutely necessary, either to make themselves Conquerors or to perish.

When Prince Maurice died, in the year 1625, he advised his Brother Henry Frede∣rick his chief Heir, to marry Madam de Solmes (who was come into Holland with the Queen of Bohemia) whose Beauty and good Carriage were accompanied with a great deal

of Modesty and Prudence; she died a little while ago, being very antient, and her Name was Amelia, Daughter to Iohn Albert Count de Solmes.

This Prince had one Son, and four Daugh∣ters, the eldest of these Ladies married Fre∣derick William the Elector of Brandenburg, by whom she had several Children. This Prince has the greatest Territories in all Germany, they reaching from the Low Countries to Po∣land and Curland.

The 2^d Daughter Henrietta Emilia, mar∣ried the Count de Nassau. The 3^d Henrietta Catherina, married Iohn George Prince of An∣halt; and the 4^th married the Duke of Si∣meren, the youngest Son of the House Pala∣tine, who died a little while ago.

The Son was called William, was born in 1626, and died the 6^th of November 1650, after the business of Amsterdam. He was a Prince naturally ambitious, and of great Courage, so that his Enemies reported of him, that though he was so young, yet he aimed at the execution of that design, which had been laid to Prince Maurice's charge, by Barnevelt and his Adherents. His sudden death changed the whole face of affairs in the Low Countries. He had great prospects from his alliance of England, having married Princess Mary, Daughter of Charles the first King of Great Britain, by whom he left Prince William Henry of Nassau (now King of England, &c.) who was born the 14^th of

November 1650, some days after the death of his Father.

This young Prince William was very re∣markable in his Infancy, for his reservedness and moderation; his Prudence increased as he grew up, and such people as were nice observers of merit, and took great notice of him, have affirmed, that never Prince gave greater hopes than he, even in the most ten∣der years. He suffered with an admirable temper the injuries of Barnevelt's Party, which revived itself in the persons of the two De∣wits, who were Brothers; expecting with a silent patience, which was greater much than that of his Ancestor, the great Prince Willi∣am, what time would produce, and what favorable occasions might occur, at last for his Re-establishment; for having by a so∣lemn sentence been deprived of all the Em∣ployments of his Family, after the sudden death of the Prince his Father; he was re∣stored to them again, at the beginning of the last war, by an Ordinance that was made on purpose for it.

His Rise and Re-establishment were ow∣ing to France, which having made great Conquests for almost 8 years together; the greatest part of the Frontier Towns, and several capital places of the Provinces Utrecht and Zutphen among others, were rendered up at the very sight of their Armies, though these places were provided with large Garri∣sons, yet being composed of Officers and

Men without any experience, the King of France became Master of more than 40 places, in less than two months. These mis∣fortunes, which seemed to be the presages of greater, and had put the United Provinces into the utmost consternation, gave occasion to the People to complain of the ill conduct of the two De Wits, who governed till that time; and furnished those who adhered to the House of Nassau with a reasonable pretext to affirm, that the Princes of Orange were on∣ly able to uphold their tottering State, and defend them against their most potent Ene∣mies; and that, as heretofore, they had pro∣tected them against the Tyranny of Spain, so it was they alone who could preserve them from the Fury and Violence of the French Armies.

The Grand-mother of this young Prince, who was a Woman of a Masculine courage, and suffered the indignities that had been offered to the House of Orange with great impatience, having beheld it, in its great∣est splendour, was not a little serviceable in stirring up all the creatures and dependants on the House of Nassau, who were very numerous; these people being angry to see themselves fallen from their credit, the prin∣cipal employments being given to the Sons of Burgomasters; and seconded by the fury of the people, that were grown out of all patience at so many disasters, and the sight of a victorious Army, through the very bow∣els

of the Countrey, massacred the Enemies of the Young Prince, who was afterwards restored to the possession of all the dignities that had belonged to his Ancestors, which is to say, that of General of their Forces, Stadt-holder and Admiral, which were more∣over by a solemn decree made hereditary to his Family.

Upon this occasion it cannot but be ad∣mired, how so powerful a State, that had made head for Fourscore years against the Crown of Spain, had taken such large Towns, and gained so many Battels, and had become formidable at Sea to all the Princes of the world, having carried its Arms and Victory to the farthest part of the Earth; that this State, I say, which had rendred itself so famous by the long defence of Ostend, which has equall'd the reputation of the famous Sieges of Tire, and the ancient Troy, should be reduced in less than two months to the very brink of its ruine; and it had as∣suredly been destroyed in the year 1672, if by a desperate resolution it had not resolved to save itself by drowning part of the Coun∣try; as a Pilot who throws all his Cargo overboard, during a furious Storm, that so he may preserve his Men and Vessel.

But those who knew the constitution of these Provinces, and were not ignorant that discord is the plague and certain destruction of the most flourishing States, were not so much amazed, considering it was more than

Threescore years since that Country had been torn in pieces by two contrary Factions, which threatned its subversion without any Foreign Forces: This Gangreen likewise had so seized upon the most noble parts of the United Provinces, that in the year 1672, by a strange fatality and an unaccountable passion, the greatest part of the chief Persons in that Country, desired the loss of their Land Army, and the defeat of the Prince of Orange, whose Rise and Power they so much envied: For this reason they had not suffici∣ently provided his Army with necessary pro∣visions, whilst they applied their principal cares to increase the Fleet, to resist the Kings of England and France, who attacked them jointly with a Navy of above Fourscore Men of War.

But it is not less surprizing to consider the expedition the French made in this Campaign, when as these people for fear of becoming subject to the House of Orange, allied to these great Monarchs, had committed a consi∣derable fault in their Politicks: for after the Peace of Munster, imagining themselves to be in perfect security, and that they had nothing more to be afraid of, and being acknowledged Soveraigns by Spain, they might rather give Laws than receive them from any body. They disbanded the greatest part of their old Forces, that were Strangers, and those experienced Officers who had gained so great Glory to their Country, imagining

that the surest means of freeing themselves from the Slavery which they thought them∣selves threatened with, was to take from the Prince of Orange the support of his Govern∣ment, by reforming those Troops which looked upon him as their Master, having taken an Oath to him, and were devoted perfectly to his service.

Besides the principal men in the Country had, as they thought, some interest in this change, for they gave all the Commands in the Army, and the Government of places to their own Relations, thinking by the assist∣ance of this Souldiery to sortifie themselves, and at the same time to weaken the House of Orange; but they found by sad experience, that endeavoring to avoid one inconvenience, they fell quickly into a greater. For having given the great Employments in the Army, and Government of places to Sons of Burgo∣masters, and Deputies of Towns; People without any experience, and who wanted Tutors for themselves, rather than to be Commanders; when a strong and powerful Enemy made War against them, these young men show'd none of their Northern courage in this storm and danger, for there were places that were garrisoned with 5000 Foot and 800 Horse, that rendred themselves all Prisoners of War, at the very sight of the French Army, without making any resist∣ance.

My Brother de la Villaumaine, who came into France a little before this last War, giv∣ing me an account of the state of the Army in Holland, told me that if a powerful Enemy should attack them, the Officers must resolve to perish and bear the brunt in their own persons; having no confidence in the Soul∣diers they commanded, who did not know how to manage their Arms; a Prophecy which was since accomplished at the expence of his Life; A little before he told me like∣wise, that the Dutch Horse were so ill equip∣ped, that 50 Reyters of Munster would put to flight two or three Hundred Dutch Troopers, who would fly before these Germans as Sheep before a Wolf.

There happened the like inconvenience to the Swedes, for having committed the same fault as the Hollanders, because after the Peace of Munster, they likewise disband∣ed the old Troops which had done such great actions, and revived the antient Glory of the Goths, who had conquered a great part of Europe, being so bold as to attack the Elector of Brandenburg and his old Souldiers, with their new Levies, that never durst maintain their ground against him, and were always beaten when he could joyn them; so that if by an extraordinary good fortune they had not had so faithful, and so mighty a Protector as the French King, they had quite lost Pomerania, and been sent back to their own cold Countries beyond the Baltick Sea:

All which shows us that a Prince ought always to keep a large body of old Troops to defend his State, which without such a sup∣port runs the hazard of becoming a prey to the first Enemy that shall be bold, and strong enough to attack it.

To these two causes of the extremities to which Holland was reduced in 1672, that is to say, to the intestine divisions, and to the disbanding of the old foreign Souldiers; there may a third be likewise added, which was the extraordinary and unheard of drowth that happen'd that year; for it was so great, that the Rhine, one of the greatest Rivers in Europe, that carries Men of War, was so low, that the French Troops were able to ford it; so the Country being frightned to see itself attacked both by Sea and Land, by the powers of France and England united to its ruine, was reduced to the utmost despair, seeing Heaven conspire to their destruction, by taking away those Ramparts which Nature had designed for its preservation.

The French Army for the reasons before mentioned, had penetrated into the very Heart of the Country, and 40 places were taken in a small space of time, whereas the State thought they might have found work for 20 years, these people that were a little too haughty in their prosperity, lay then under a terrible consternation; almost in the same condition as the Venetians were hereto∣fore, when King Lewis the 12th made himself

Master of the greatest part of the Territories which they had upon the Continent. Being in this despair, they were constrained to the last Remedy, which was to overflow their Country, and breaking down their Dykes to oppose a Sea to the French forces, so hin∣dring them from passing further, they avert∣ed the ruine of the Commonwealth, which else had assuredly run its period.

Heretofore seeing themselves reduced to a like extremity, they made use of the same Remedy against the Spanish Army at the Siege of Leyden, having succoured the place then at the very point of being lost, with an innumerable company of Boats, which swum upon the Land, which they had over∣flow'd; and then the United Provinces were reduced to so strange circumstances, and to such a height of despair, that the principal persons amongst them proposed, in imitation of the ancient Switzers, to burn all their Towns, Villages and Castles, and to spoyl the Country as much as they could, and go on board their Ships to settle themselves in the Indies, so to be delivered from the Spa∣nish Tyranny; but they had not Vessels enough to transport a fourth part of the people, and were unwilling to leave the greater number to the mercy of so pityless an Enemy: and for a Motto of the lamen∣table condition which this Country was then reduced to, they engraved upon the Money which they coyned at that time, a Vessel

without Masts and Sayls, tost by the waves and storm, with these words, Incertum quó fata ferant: words which represented the ex∣tremity of their condition.

But to return to the Prince of Orange; He appeared at the head of an Army at 22 years old; as his Great Grandfather Prince William, who was Generalissimo to the Em∣perour Charles the V. at the same Age; and throughout the course of this great War, he show'd so much Courage and Conduct, both in Sieges and Battels, that he had assuredly pass'd the Actions of his Illustrious Ancest∣ors, who for 200 years serv'd for a model to the greatest Generals, if he had not had the misfortune to be born in the age of a King, whose Genius and Power no common forces could stand against. I do not design to make an exact Journal of the Actions of his Illu∣strious Father Prince Henry Frederick, since they may be learnt from other. Histories, but speak of them in general, and relate some certain passages not commonly known.

In the year 1626 he took Oldensell, Capi∣tal of the Country of Tui•…•…z, in the Neigh∣bourhood of Friezeland and Groninghen: and the same year Peter Hein, one of his Vice-Admirals, in the Bay of Todos los▪ Santos, in the Road of St. Salvador, took a Spanish Fleet laden with Sugar.

In the year 1627 he took Grolle, before the face of Count Henry de Bergues, General of a powerful Spanish Army, that could put

no succours into it, nor make the Prince raise his Siege, he being so well entrenched against the Enemies Army. At the end of the year 1627 the same Peter Hein mentioned before, took the Spanish Silver Fleet near the Isle of Cuba. This prize, without reckoning the Galeons and Vessels, was esteemed at more than twenty Millions; there were, besides other Riches, 356000 Marks of Sil∣ver, and 300000 Marks of Gold, abundance of Pearls, Cochinele, Jewels, Bezoar, Musk, Ambergreese, 250 Chests of Sugar, and an infinite number of Stuffs, and other mer∣chandizes of great value. This Vice-admi∣ral Peter Hein arrived gloriously in Holland in the beginning of the year 1629, which was remarkable by the Conquest of the strong Town of Bolduc, where by a Siege that was very long and difficult, Prince Henry Frede∣rick show'd by his conduct and valour that he could overcome that which had resisted his Brother Maurice, who had heretofore attacqued that important place without suc∣cess. But what was more marvellous was, that whilst Prince Henry Frederick lay before the place, Count Henry de Bergues having pass'd the River Isell with a great Army, ra∣vaged all the Country of Utrecht, where he seized upon Amersfort, and put Holland into such a consternation that several people counselled the Prince to quit his enterprize upon Bolduc, and succor the heart of his Country which was made desolate by the

Enemy; but he had the constancy to perse∣vere, till he had made himself Master of so considerable a Town, without being moved by the Councels of his chief Officers, or the Lamentations of the People that had been plundered.

At the same time the Prince by the vigi∣lance and resolution of Otho de Guent Lord of Dieden, Governour of Emeric, having happily surprized the Town of Wesel, where was the Magazine and Artillery of the Spa∣nish Army (which obliged Count Henry de Bergues to repass the Issel in all the haste imaginable) he gained by this double con∣quest the reputation not only of a very brave, but likewise of a very fortunate Captain; a quality so desirable to a General, that Scilla the Dictator preferred the surname of Happy to that of Great.

In the year 1630 he seized upon the Town of Olind in Brazil, by the conduct of his Vice-Admirals; and the same year Count Iohn de Nassau, his Cousin, who for some discontent had gone out of the Dutch service to that of Spain, was defeated near the Rhine, and taken by Collonel Illestein, who was not half so strong; he was carried Prisoner to Wesel, from whence he was ransomed for 18000 Rix Dollers.

The year following the same Count Iohn de Nassau, who had gathered together a very strong Fleet in hopes to surprize Willemstat, he was totally defeated by the

Hollanders, above 4000 of his men taken Prisoners, and the rest either slain or wound∣ed, and the Count had much ado to save himself with the Prince of Brabanzoon.

In the same year 1631, the States General, to gratify the Prince of Orange, and to testi∣fy their acknowledgment for the services which he had continually done his Country, gave the reversion of all his Offices to his Son Prince William, and the writings for it were presented to the young Prince in a Box of Gold.

In the year 1632, Prince Henry after hav∣ing taken Ruremond, Venlo and Strale, he set about the conquest of Maestricht, a place somewhat distant from Holland, scituated upon the River Meuse, in the confines of Brabant, where he provided his Ammuni∣tion and Victuals for the Siege with so much Prudence, that he had enough to make him∣self Master of the place; he had surrounded it with a great circumvallation, which the Spanish Army could not force, no more than another German Army, under Henry Godfry, Count of Papenheim, a famous Captain; both which were constrained to retire with disgrace, after several efforts that were un∣successful, and many considerable losses.

In the year 1633 the Prince besieged and took Rhineberg, and the year following the Spaniards having besieged the Fort of Phillip∣in, which incommoded the Town of Ghent, the Prince of Orange made them raise the

Siege. A little before Count Henry de Bergue, complaining that he was ill used by the Spani∣ards, had quitted their service and retired into Holland, upon which he published a Manifesto; and two years after, in the year 1634, he was condemned as contumacious, to have his Head cut off, by the sentence of the Court of Mechlin. In this place I must tell you how in the year 1628, after the taking of Rochel, the Cardinal Richelieu, who was absolute Governour in France, was mighty desirous to gain the reputation of having destroyed all the retreats of Heresie, having an unmeasurable desire of making himself be canoniz'd; and to arrive at it the more easily he made his Confessors say, that he had never committed so much as a Venial Sin, as I have often heard from Mr. Lescot de S. Quintin, his Confessor, whom he made Bishop of Chartes: as crafty a man as ever came out of Picardy, who under the pretence of freedom and apparent simplicity, conceal'd a great deal of subtilty and artifice. The Cardinal to gain a reputation among the Zealots for the Catholic Religion, had treated underhand with Iohn Osmael Lord of Walkem∣bourg, Governour of Orange, who seemed discontented with his Master, to deliver up the place to him. This man bred up by the Family of Orange, and intrusted by Prince Henry with the charge of his Soveraignty, was gained by the promise of four hundred thousand Livres in ready Money, and an

Estate of twenty thousand Livres a Year in Provence, whither he designed to retire and renounce Calvinism, having no other Religi∣on besides his interest. But this affair being long in hand, and Walkembourg resolving not to render the place till the Money was paid down, the Prince was so happy as to get some intimation of this Treason: He dis∣patched the Sieur Knuth, a Zealander, a man of Resolution, in whom he had an entire confidence, with an express order to dispatch this Traytor; but that he might not cause the least suspicion, he sent him to Orange alone, as pretending other business. This Knuth with whom I was acquainted, and who was a very bold and dexterous person, having made sure of the principal Inhabitants of the Town, and of several Gentlemen in the Principality of Orange, watched his opportunity to surprize the Governour; who being one day come down from the Castle into the Town, with very little company, contrary to his usual custom, he attack'd and killed him in the house of one Pyse a Scrivener, whether he was retired. Afterwards Knuth went directly to the Castle, where the Lieutenant after having levelled the Cannon against the Town, and being doubtful for some time what he should do, at last received him upon sight of the Prince's order, and took a new Oath of Fidelity to Prince. Henry Frederick of Nassau, together with all the Garrison; the Prince

afterwards sent the Baron de Dona his Brother-in-law to command in the place.

This Walkembourg had married the Daughter of the Sieur de Bic, Treasurer to the States, a Lady of great probity and merit, who had used all possible endeavours to alter his pernicious designs. She had the trouble as well as his Daughters to see him expire, for he was forced to render himself to Knuth, after having been wounded through a Chamber-door, where he had for a long time defended himself. I have heard my Father relate this story with great indignation, he being a professed Enemy to all Ingrati∣tude and Unfaithfulness: and to shew me and my Brothers the horrors of those crimes, he related to us upon this occasion, the Treason of Bernardine de Corte, who delivered up the Castle of Millan to King Lewis the 12th, for a Hundred thousand Crowns, that had been intrusted to him by Duke Lodowick Sforza his Master, by whom he had been bred in the quality of a Page, and was at present preferred before all his other Subjects to the command of that place, where he had put all that he thought most precious, whilst he was going to seek for succour in Germany. He recounted likewise to us such another Treason of Donat Rafag∣nine, who sold Valencia to the same King for fifty thousand Crowns; and remarked to us from Guicciardine that these Traytors were so look'd on, and detested in the

French Army, and that shame made them die with discontent.

This M^r. Knuth rendred an important piece of service to his Master, who re∣warded him with a Present, and a Pension of two thousand Livers a year for his Life.

No body can imagine but that the Prince of Orange must bear some ill will to Cardi∣nal Richelieu, for having endeavoured to take away this Soveraignty, which was as dear to him as his Eyes; but he concealed his resentment, as expecting some favourable opportunity of shewing it, which it was not long before it was offered him: for some time after the Cardinal having some difference with Mary de Medicis, the Queen Mother, who being of the house of Austria by the mothers side, was upheld by all the power of Spain and Germany, he was forced to have recourse to foreign Alliances, and to caress those whom he had before despised and of∣fended.

This storm which was raising against the Cardinal for his destruction as well within as without the Kingdom, obliged him to seek the friendship of the Prince of Orange, who tho he had not the title of Soveraign, disposed of all things belonging to the United Provin∣ces. There was a Treaty concluded between France and the States General, by which they were to attack the Spaniards, and to di∣vide the Conquest of the Low Countries,

which they had already devoured in their imaginations; the Prince of Orange was to enter Holland with the Dutch Army, and France was to joyn him with thirty thousand Men, and the French Generals had orders from the King to obey the Prince of Orange; so much it seems at that time they thought him neces∣sary to their affairs. In short, the Spring fol∣lowing the year 1635, the French Army under the Command of the Marshals Chatil∣lon and Breze enter'd the Low Countries, and defeated the Spanish Forces at Avein commanded by Prince Thomas of Savoy, who afterwards took the name of Prince of Carignon; all the Baggage and Cannon re∣mained in the possession of the French, with abundance of Prisoners, several of which that were of the best quality were carried to Maestricht: These Generals after this Victory joined the Prince of Orange, and sacked part of Brabant, but the Prince who did not love the Neighbourhood of the French better than that of the Spaniard, and had still the remembrance of the affair at Orange very fresh in his mind, for want of victuals and subsistence ruin'd the French Army that had been so victorious: which being retired into Holland after raising the Siege of Lovain, under pretence of the ap∣proach of Picolomini with a German Army, the greater part of it perished there with Hunger and Sickness; the sixth part of it

never returning back again into their own Kingdom.

The Prince of Orange looked upon Car∣dinal Richelieu as an Enemy, that was re∣concil'd to him only out of the necessity that he had for him in his present circumstances, and for this reason he under-hand did him all the displeasure, and gave him all the mor∣tification that he could possibly; granting a favourable reception to such as had been disgrac'd by him in France; honouring them with his confidence and considerable im∣ployments; as amongst others it appeared by M^r. Hauterive and M^r. Beringhen, whom he respected not only in spight of the Car∣dinal, but because they deserved it; and Cardinal Richelieu as powerful as he was, was forced to swallow those Pills, having necessary occasion for Holland to make some diversions, which conduced to the good of his other affairs; this made the Cardinal know, that it was not good to offend people of courage, and being a very great Politician, he could dissemble so far as not to be angry at this ill treatment; so he continued to seek the Prince of Orange's Friendship, and it was agreed that each should attack the common Enemy from his own side; he maintained a faithful and perfect correspon∣dence with the French; and the Prince who was sufficiently revenged, and drew great advantages from his alliance with France,

executed the Treaties he had made with great sincerity.

The same year in which happened the battle of Avein, and the Siege of Louvain, the Spaniards surprized the Fort of Skink, by means of Lieutenant Collonel Enhold, who made himself Master of it by a party of the Garrison of Guelders, whom he made use of to execute so bold an Enterprize. The Sieur Veld the Governour being waked with the noise of the attack, and rising in his Shirt, had his Arm immediately broken, and being in despair to see himself surprized, would not render himself Prisoner, what∣ever offers of quarter they could make him, still defending himself till he was over∣whelm'd with blows.

The Father of this Enhold had been be∣headed at the Hague for some Crime, and the Son to revenge the death of his Father, quitted the Dutch service, and put himself under the Spaniard; which happened very luckily for him, for by the surprize of so important a place, beside the inward sa∣tisfaction which he had, to cause so great a loss to the States, the Cardinal Infant Ferdinand of Austria being newly arrived in the Low Countries, where he had the Sove∣raign Command presented him, for so bold and happy an action, with a Chain of Gold of great value, and gave him the summ of fifty thousand Livres. But Prince Henry was so set upon the regaining of this place,

that he gave the Spaniards free entrance into the Countries of Guelders and Utrecht; having besieged it in the month of August 1635, he re-took it in April 1636, by a Siege of six months.

In the year 1637, Cardinal Richelieu, to oblige the Prince of Orange, gave him the Title of Highness, in a discourse made on purpose by Monsieur de Charnasse, Am∣bassadour of France to Holland, in the Name of his Majesty; and at an Assembly of the States General, which was soon after printed: In which he was followed by the Ambassadors of all other Princes, who before had used no other Title but that of Excellence.

In the same year 1637, Prince Henry, by a Siege of four months, re-took the Town and Castle of Breda, which the Marquis Ambrose Spinola had conquered in the year 1625, by a long Blockade of a whole year, with incredible Expences; although this place was defended by France, England and Denmark; so the Marquis put over one of the Gates of the Town, that he had carry'd it, tribus Regibus frustra renitentibus, notwith∣standing the Resistance of three Kings.

It was at this last Siege of Breda that Monsieur de Charnasse was killed; for though he was Ambassadour of France, yet he would serve at the Head of his Regiment, which he had in the Low Countries; hop∣ing to become a Mareschal of France, by

the favour of the Mareschal de Breze, whose Aunt he had married, and who had gained him his Employments.

In the year 1639 the Hollanders gained a considerable Victory at Sea over the Spa∣niards, the Fleet of Don Antonio Doquendo, consisting of 67 Men of War, that had been equipping so long in Spain; joyned to some Vessels from Dunkirk, who were considerable in that time, came for some great design, (which none yet have ever penetrated) were stopped in St. George's Channel by the Renowned Admiral Martin Erpez Tromp, with only-twelve Ships; but being afterwards reinforced with ninety Men of War, and several Fire-ships; that came from diverse places, he encompassed the Spanish Fleet, (that had put itself into the Downes, near the Fleet of the King of Great Britain, as thinking itself to be there in safety); and then attacqued it with so great resolution, that after a long Combat, where abundance of persons of France, En∣gland, and the Low Countries, ran from all parts to see from the shore so extraordinary a spectacle: The greatest part of so pow∣erful a Fleet was burnt, destroyed, or se∣parated; and those which escaped put themselves under the covert of some English Vessels; and so retreated into the River of Thames, or some Port in Flanders. The Spaniards lost above 7000 men, that were burnt, or drowned, besides 2000 who were

made Prisoners by the Hollanders. This Victory was very great and memorable, for there were 40 large Vessels sunk, burnt, or taken; and amongst others the great Galeon of Portugal, called Mater Tereza was burnt, which was 62 foot broad, and had 800 men on board, who all perished. This Tromp was the Father of Count Tromp, who was engaged in the King of Denmark's service, and gained great advantages over the Swedes.

In the year 1641, Prince Henry Frederick married his only Son Prince William, to the Princess Mary of England, eldest Daughter to Charles I. King of Great Britain, and Madam Henrietta of France; and this Marriage was celebrated with a great deal of Pomp and Magnificence.

The year 1645 was remarkable for the taking of the important Town of Hulsh in Flanders, which was carried in spite of the Spaniards, who could neither put succors into it, nor make Prince Henry raise the Siege.

This Prince during the space of two and twenty years that he had the Government in his hands, was remarkable for his wife and moderate conduct. Because the Prin∣cess Louise de Coligny his Mother, had main∣tained Barnevelt's Party, some people thought that the Prince following his Mothers inclinations, would re-establish that Party, and recall such of them as had

been banished, and among others Mr Grotius: But this Prince, like a good Politician, thought it better to let things continue in the posture he found them in, than to embroil'em afresh, by bringing a prevailing party upon his back: I have seen Mr. Gro∣tius in a great passion upon this occasion, and he has spoke very ill of the Prince, accusing him of Ingratitude, and of having no respect for those who had been Friends to his Mother.

Prince Henry was very rich; but instead of finding any support from England, he was forc'd to help King Charles in his ne∣cessity, with all his ready Money: The greatest part of which has been repaid by the King of England, since his Restauration, to his Nephew the Prince of Orange.

Henry Frederick died the 14th of March 1647, and was buried with a great deal of State. Besides his Children that we have mentioned before, he left a Natural Son, remarkable for his Valor, his name was Mr. Zulestein, Collonel of the Dutch Infantry, who died at the attack of Vorden.

Prince William of Orange, laid the Foun∣dation of the Commonwealth of the United Provinces, and was their first Founder; his eldest Son Maurice secured and established this Commonwealth by his Victories, which forced the Spaniards in the Treaty of Truce for 12 years to acknowledge the United Provinces for a free State; and Henry

Frederick Brother to Maurice, and Grand∣father to the present King of England, by the continuation of his Conquests, at last forced the Spaniards to renounce entirely the right which they had pretended to that Country; so that we may say with reason and justice, that this illustrious Father, and his two generous Sons, who have imitated his Vertues, are the Founders of this Com∣monwealth, which sends Ambassadors that are covered before the most powerful Kings in Christendom, even before the King of Spain himself, whose Vassals they were about 100 years ago.

Henry Frederick had for his devise this word, Patriae{que} Patri{que} intimating thereby, that he thought of nothing but serving his Country, and revenging the Death of his Father.