The Continuation of our weekly newes containing these particulers following, the warlike proceedins and good successe of the French and their confederates in the Grisons and Valtoline, the great victories which the Hollanders haue gotten in Perue ...

From Bergen op Zoom, Noucmb. 12.

VVE receiued Letters from Bergen op Zoom bearing dare this twelfth of Nouember, 1624, that the handmaid of Warre, and scourge of great armies, a cruell Pestilence, rageth and reigneth in his Excellencies armie in the Nether∣lands: by the contagion whereof more haue pe∣rished then by the enemies sword or bullet. It doth not onely rage in the field, as at Rosendale and Longstraten, where the Prince of Oranges forces lye encamped, but the next good townes feele a portion of this calamity, as Breda, Bergen op Zoom, and others.

The Prince of Orange, to the great griefe of euery good man, was grieuously sicke of this ma∣lady, but God be thanked, hee is reasonable well recouered, to the vnspeakable comfort of al those who fight vnder his banners.

The enemies did much reioyce at the report of this disaster: and it was giuen out in the Spa∣nish quarters, that either he was dead, or else so desperately sicke, that hee was past all recouery. Quae volumus, facile credimus: It being an easie matter to beleeue those things which our wils with affectation and earnestnesse doe desire. But yet he liues, and long may liue to fight the battels of the Lord of Hosts, and defend the in∣nocent from the sword of the oppressor.

But see how the Sunneshine of this ioy is sud∣denly ouershadowed with a cloud of sorrow for my Lord Wriothesly, sonne and heyre to that ho∣nourable Lord my Lord of Southampton, who went ouer in this last expedition into the Ne∣therlands, Captaine of a foot Company vnder his fathers command, being Coronell of one of the foure new Regiments, fell sicke at Roscndale in the Princes Leaguer; and to auoid the discom∣modities of the field, he retired himselfe to Ber∣gen op Zoom, a towne not farre distant, there to vse the best meanes he could for the recouery and re-establishing of his health.

But marke how Gods prouidence ouerswayeth mens prouisions and purposes. He had not lyen there many dayes vnder the tortures of this con∣tagion, but he exchanged this mortall life into immortality, deceasing vpon Sunday last was a sennight, it being the seuenth of Nouember. His noble father comming to visit his son to Bergen, fell sicke of this Pestilence also, and what with the violence of the sicknesse, and the griefe of mind for his sonnes decease, hee gaue vp his glo∣rious and now glorified ghost into the hands of his Creator, the Wednesday following, the tenth of Nouember.

These two, both the father and the sonne, wee cannot too much condole nor mourne for their losses, they being as truly honorable in their con∣ditions, as they were in their dignities and cal∣lings.

My old Lord in his younger yeares had tooke a taste of the French and Netherland warres, and after that he was thought worthy by Queene Elizabeth of famous memory, to be Generall of her horse in that expedition, which was made vn∣der the conduct of the Earle of Essex, against the Earle of Tiroan, and other Rebels of Ireland, where he caried himselfe brauely and vnblemish∣ed. He was a braue Souldier, both for his execu∣tion and knowledge, and likewise learned, as hee was military and valiant.

Besides he was a great fauorer and Mecaenas vnto Armes and Artes, and a liberall acknowledger and rewarder of those who could challenge any dignity from these professions.

His Sonne was the True Image and Chara∣cter of his Father, so that without wronging others by way of comparrison, he was as hope∣full as any young Noble-man in Christendome whatsoeuer. But Is feare me that my poore Panegericke, and commendation doth rather dis∣grace them: then dignifie their Worthynesse; wherefore I will fall from it and a little looke vpon Marquis Spinolaes: Leagur, where you shall see the sicknesse raine as bad, as in our Mauritian Quarters.

The Famine griping the hungry maw of your poore souldier, the Itallians and Spani∣ards two Nations who can better indure the Schorching heat, then the cold of Winter, most vehement for the most partes in these Northerne Countries, cursing the ambition of their Prince, which must make their bodies fight against the in∣sufferable difficulties of nature; and therefore for these respects inclining to mutiny and hardly to be commanded.

To aggriuate which calamities, the Marques his Souldiers runne away by parties euery day, their pay falls short, and their Conuoyes which bring their Ammunition bread and other victualls, are dayly cut off by the States Souldiers comming from Rosendale, Long straten and elsewhere. A∣mongst the rest it is commonly reported, and

most certainely auerred by Letters written from Geertruydenbergh, and dated the ninth of this Moneth, that my Lord of Essex, and my Lord of Oxford, going out vppon a party to seeke some aduenture, met with a Conuoy of the ene∣mies as they were trauailing from the further most parts of Brabante, vnto Marquesse Spinolaes quarter.

Our English greedy of the pray and Honour besides, giue in roundly vpon these Conuoyes, and after some resistance make themselues Masters of the Waggon-men, and victualls.

But yet it was not Incruento Victoria, for some men were lost of both sides, and my Lord of Oxford carryed away an Honorable Skarre, and the testimony of his vallor, being wounded in this conflict.

There were twenty waggons or vpwards lost by the Enemies with diuers spoyles of good vallew, which was truely and equally deuided amongst the Souldiers who were Actors in this exployt.