A treatise of the antiquity of the commonwealth of the Battavers, which is now the Hollanders first written in Latin by Hugo Grotius, advocat fiscall of Holland, Zealand, and Westfriesland, &c. And afterwards translated into the Netherlandish Dutch, and perused by the author himselfe. And now again translated out of both the Latin and Dutch, into English, by Tho. Woods, Gent.

The fourth Chapter. In what Estate the Common-wealth of the Battavers was after the fall of the Roman Mo∣narchy. (Book 4)

FRom these times untill the first installing of the Earls, which was about five hundred years after, the Histories are very defective: And in the meane time, as on the one side, The Saxons, the the Wiltons, the Slavens, and there∣after they of Norway and the Danes, by Invasions and Robberies had done them very much harm; so on the other part it is probable, that while they defended their lives and goods, and amongst ma∣ny losses, the valour of the Battavers increased; but all the rest is very

obscure. Also at this time they did begin to change their names, and the name of Battavia or Betow, being shut up in the highest part of the Iland, kept still that name: And the Battavers whose dwellings were lower in the Iland, began to be called Freises; the which is not to be marvelled at, in regard that in Pliny his time, one part of the Battavers were called little Freises or Frisiabons; and the very same may appeare in the old Superscrip∣tions, That amongst these Batta∣vers which were the Guards of the Emperours, were certaine Frisia∣bones.

Now it appeared well, that the name of Freises pleased them, ei∣ther because that same word in that Language is very neare unto Free∣dom or Liberty; or else, because that the Freises being invironed about with great Lakes and Pooles

were not very accessible the reunto, and being the more invincible, were a Refuge unto all other Batta∣vers, which lay more open to the Invasions of the barbarous Nati∣ons: And you shall ever finde, that the first Earls were called by no o∣ther Title, but of the Freises, before that ever the name of the Hollan∣ders was known: Like as Tacitus at this time, and in former times, makes mention of the Kings and Generals. And Ammianus a little before these times, makes mention of the Battavian Kings; in like manner also it is that the Antient Writers of the French and German Histories, about this time do no∣minate certain Kings of the Freises, which have held hard War against the Francks; and amongst others, the name of Radbond is very fa∣mous, whose head is to be seen in the Castle at Medenblick; after the

Kings, you shall finde certain Ge∣nerals expressed by their names; these were they which were called Potentates.

It is somewhat strange, that which wee read in Procopius, That in the great Sea, about the mouths of the Ryne, that there should be an Iland called Britton, lying oppo∣site against Great Brittain: That the same Iland was inhabited by three Nations, whose names were the Britons, English and Frieses; from whence yearly, many people went to inhabite the unha∣bited Countreys of the Francks: And that for this occasion, the Francks, although they had no other Interest in that Iland, the which also was governed by their own Kings, yet neverthelesse they endeavoured that it should be said and be believed, that it was subject under them: And hereupon, the

King of the Francks sending an Embassador unto Constantinople, un∣to the Emperour Iustinianus, did therewithall send some of the Peo∣ple of the fore-said Iland, that by that meanes he might have a pre∣tence of Authority over that Iland.

That this Britton was Battavia, or else a part of Battavia, bordering upon the Sea, may with some ap∣probation of the truth be spoken, because there is no other Iland in the Sea, that hath the mouthes of the Ryne in it. And moreover and above, it appeareth that upon the Sea shore of Battavia upon the middle mouth of the Ryne, there stood a House called Britton, whereof yet even in these dayes the remaining Foundations are yet seen; and it is no marvell then that either the House took this name from the Iland, or else the

Iland took its name from the house. In the like manner, as with us here in Holland the name of the River hath of old been called the Flie; then after, the House standing ther∣upon got the same name, so that even now the whole Iland is called Flieland; which if this bee true, then was there yet two other Na∣tions which inhabited that Iland, besides those that were born in the Iland, which we have said be∣fore were called Frieses, viz. the English, which were an old Germane people, and the Britons which per∣adventure were inforced by the violence of the Picks and men of Norway to leave their native Coun∣trey, and to seek them a place of a more strong refuge and retreat. It is therefore without all doubt, that the English and Saxons pos∣sessed the Sea Coasts which were the nearest unto the Battavers, and

that they divers times sayled from thence into Brittaine which is now called England. It is also manifest that Willebord an English man came hither out of England and preached the truth of the Christian Religi∣on unto our fore-fathers in the same language that was then spoken in England. It is also credible, that the Britons betook themselves for their refuge, as well unto the moorish parts of our Countrey as unto the Sea Coast of France, which is now called little Brit∣taine. But that the Francks striving for the Reputation of their King∣dome, doe affirme that it should have extended so farre, who indeed had no Command over this Iland, or at least, not below Utrecht, the which some doe affirm to be the period of the Kingdome of the Francks, then called Austrasians, which doe very well approve the

Liberty of the Sea-bordering Bat∣tavers; from whence it is credible, that they were multiplyed from time to time, by the encrease of new Nations. And that they having made peace with the Francks for fear of the People of Norway, and uniting themselves by a fast and sure league, have continued their old manner of Goverment, as well under their Kings, as under their Generals, even to the time of their Earles, whereunto wee now pro∣ceed.