The commentaries of Sr. Francis Vere being diverse pieces of service, wherein he had command / written by himself in way of commentary ; published by William Dillingham ...

The siege of DEVENTER.

IN the siege of Deventer, by reason of the shortnesse of a bridge of boats laid over the ditch for our men to go to the assault, the troops could not so roundly pass as had been requisite, and so were forced to retire with no small losse.

The Count Maurice was so discouraged that he purposed that night to have withdrawn his Ordnance. I desired that he would have pati∣ence till the next day, and resolve in the mor∣ning to begin the battery again for five or six volleys, and then to summon them, assuring

him that I would guard the bridge that night, if the enemy should attempt to burn it, as they did, though in vain.

The Count Maurice liked well of the advise, and it had good successe; for upon the sum∣mons they yielded. Their town had no flank on that part; the wall, which was of brick without any Rampire, was in a manner rased to the foundation, the town so close behinde it that they could not make any new defences; which as they might be just causes of discou∣ragement to the besieged, so they made me confident that with this shew of perseverance they would yield.

The Count Herman of Bergh, who com∣manded the town was sore bruised with a Cannon. There marched of the enemy out with him seven or eight hundred able men, amongst which was an English Gentleman, whom for his using unreverent and slanderous speeches of her Majestie I had long held in pri∣son, out of which he had during that siege made an escape; he was excepted in the com∣position, taken from them, and executed, as he well deserved, not for his first but second of∣fence.