The ouerthrovv of the most part of the Prince of Parma his forces, both horse and foote. Performed on the twelfth and fifteenth of Iuly last, by the Graue Maurice his excellencie, generall of the armies in the lovve countries. With the breaking of the huge bridge leading to the Valew, neere Arnham. Seene and allowed.

A Letter written in Arnham by a Gen∣tleman of account on the sixteenth of Iuly, concerning the great ouerthrow which the Prince of Parma lately sustained.

THe honourable serui∣ces, assaultes and battels, lately made by his excellency vppon sundry Townes in the Lowe Countries, together with the good successe which hee hath had therein, hath of late giuen a great feare & terrour to all the Towns neere there∣about, who although some of them doe still stub∣bornly resist & withstand his forces, hazarding their liues in the defence of the most capitall enemie vnto all true professors of Christian religion: yet the vn∣expected victories which it hath pleased God to giue him of late, hath so daunted the most parte of those, who-doe still wilfully resist him, as they did his excellencies Father, namely, the wise and valiaunt Prince of Orange, that the chiefest of them knowe not well what to do, nor which way to turne them.

Wonderful hath bene his successe since he tooke the cause of his country in hande, yea he hath daun∣ted the enemie more within the space of one yeare, then was done by any other in seauen yeares before. How many Townes hath he lately obtained, wherein the enemie hath not made triall of his valour Nay, what Towne or Cittie in all the Low Countries that doth forcibly resist the states, which with an vndaun∣ted courage he doth not attempt to conquere? Sure∣ly there is none that hee can easily come at, but hee seeketh meanes to compasse and countermaund the same, either by the Cannon or Cutlasse.

For proofe wherof looke into his politike attempt lately made at Bredau, a thing most worthie of me∣morie, where vnder the colour of bringing in Turfes to serue the Towne with some kinde of fuell (where∣of then they were in great want) he brought into the harbour hoyes laden with Turfes on the toppe, and armed men vnderneath, who in the dead time of the night, came forth and surprized the Towne.

Call to minde his forwardnes at Graue sconce Zurphen, Deuenter, Delftes Ile, and sundry other Townes, whole honourable seruice, prowes, and va∣lour performed at the same, maketh truth to spreade foorth his rare renowne into all Christian nations, in so much as euerie one saith, his deedes deserue to be chronicled, and his inuincible courage to bee re∣gistred in letters of gold.

The Lorde of hostes hath assisted him, yea hath preserued him, as the apple of his eie, euen as hee did

defend Dauid from the handes of the mightie Cap∣taine of the Philistines: And although his excellen∣cies power at the first was but very weake, and then the enemies armie verie strong, yet hath almightie God nowe greatly increased his power, and in most wonderful sort pulled downe and weakened the for∣ces of the said Capitall enemie, yea, and that in such sort, as the same may seeme most wonderfull and straunge to those that enter into the due considerati∣on thereof.

This Capitall enemie of whom I make recitall, is the Prince of Parma, who, although hee were (not long since) sortie thousand strong, he is now greatly weakened, and his forces not aboue eight thousand sighting men in the field. The reason is, because some of his chiefest Townes are reuolted, and his greatest strength of horses and horsemen lately by Gods prouidence scattered, slaine, and taken prisoners, be∣sides sundry of his footmen maymed, discomfited, & put to the sword, as appeareth by this historie parti∣cularly ensuing.

The Prince of Parma for truth, lying at Huffen, a Townescituate betweene Nimweghen and Arnham, after that hee perceiued his strength was impaired, by reason of the Townes of Deuenter and Zutphen, which haue lately yeelded by con∣straint, mustered vp his men, hauing in all about ten thobsand soldiers, namely, two thousand horse, and eight thousand foote, of which power, the greater

part came and lay before Knotsenburgh sconce, a fort builded verie strong, and holden by the Graue Maurice his excellencie. This his armie hath made two seuerall assaults vpon the said fort or sconce, ne∣uerth elesse he hath beene repulsed to his great hin∣derance & losse, for in the first assault the said Prince of Parma hath lost about six hundred men, & twen∣tie seuerall Captaines, the principall wherof was the Countie Octauio de Manfuelt, with Lamberlot his Lieutenant, and an Italian Prince. Besides those a∣foresaid which were slaine, there was also about the number of foure hundred more, who beeing sore hurt, wcre carried into Nimweghen. This was vpon Monday beeing the 12 day of Iuly last past after our English computation: in which fight they seemed on both sides verie hardie and couragious.

And whereas the Prince of Parma had compac∣ted a great and mightie bridge made of Lighters, sir poles, and great planks, which reached ouer the Ri∣uer of Rhine, into an Iland called Valew, the same beeiug chained together, was of such breadth and strength, that the Princcs armies, and troupes of ar∣med men did easily march and passe ouer it, when & so often as they pleased. The like bridge hee had also made from the wall by Nimweghen, ouer to the o∣ther wal or land side, leading toward Arnham, both which bridges are fortified with sconces at the end, so that there was no easie way to come vnto them: betweene which lieth that Towne of Hussen, where the Prince of Parma remained, thinking himselfe

there in greatest safetie. But the Graue Maurice per∣ceiuing that the bridge leading into the Valew was a great hinderance to his purpose, for passing vp the riuer before Nimweghen, polititikely and secretlie set forth a great many vessels togither called Drum∣medaries, which being well manned, came early in the morning forceably with Sea and Tide, and beate vppon the bridge with great labour, for the space of foure howers together, in which time they had broken, cut, and sawed the same in sunder: this done, the force of the sea tore the rest of the bridge in pieces: by meanes whereof the Graue Maurice hath now free passage with his forces to passe vp to Nimweghen by the riuer, so that the Prince of Par∣ma finding his holde weakened, was constrained to flie to Nimweghen, where since his comming hee hath taken from them al their armour, and weapons of defence and deliuered the same into the custodie of his owne soldiours, who are ioyned in equallitie with the principall surueiors and gouernors of that Cittie. The Princes armie and the Graue Maurices, do now lie within three English miles one of an o∣ther, and it is supposed that their armies haue mette and fought together before this time, whereof you shall haue certaine intelligence by the next Post.

After that his excellencie had receiued this good successe ouer his enemies, hee with his forces gaue thankes vnto Almighty God, which done, they re∣freshed themselues, and rested without dooing anie thing vntill the Thursday morning following.

Vpon which day, his excellencies forces hauing intelligence by some scoutes appertaining to their army, that the Prince of Parmas tenne Coronets of horsemen were at hand, yet secretly ambusht, vntill some troupes of footmen should haue come vp to them, prepared themselues to fight, setting them selues in battell ray, and so marched forwards.

The Prince of Parma, by reason he saw the Graue Maurice his company growe & increase stil in grea∣ter multitude, was resolued to bid his excellencie battell, thinking that if he should not do it, his pow∣er would in short space grow mightier than his, yet not meaning to aduertise him thereof, but what hee did should be on the suddaine, to the ende he might take the greater aduauntage of his excellencie, and to that end he prepared these Cornets of horsemen, who being placed in an ambush, was commaunded to keepe silence, and not beseene vntill the footmen were come vnto them, which were preparing with all speed, at what time these horsemen should sud∣denly haue come vpon the forces of the Graue Mau∣rice, and in a moment to haue wrought the spoile & ouerthrow of them all. But of this politike pretence he was meerely defeated, for his excellencie hauing perfect knowledge of their strength, and place of a∣bode, did forth with set vpon them in most couragi∣ous sort, which was at Betue, and there like ven∣trous and most hardy soldiers, within foure howers space did obtaine a most happy and famous victory ouer them. Of which tenne Coronets of horse∣men,

seuen companies were slaine and taken priso∣ners forthwith.

The first company of these horsemen so taken & slaine, was Don Pedro Francisco de Nicello, Cap∣taine of the Guard to the Prince of Parma, hee was chiefe Generall ouer all these companies of horse∣men, in the absence of the Marques del Guasto: al∣so his Coronet, and Sir Tarquinio Geapido, being a Gentleman of a great house, was taken.

In the second company or Coronet of horsemen was Conto de Fio de Mantere, Lieutenant of Cap∣taine Ieronimo Caraffa.

In the third company or Cornet, was Captaine Paradilla, being grieuously hurt with three wounds, whereof hee died the next day, yet offered for his ransome before his death, fifteen thousand crowns.

In the fourth company or Coronet was taken don de Aualos Altiueso, brother to the Marques del Guasto, who offereth for his raunsome thirtie thou∣sand Duckats: his Coronet was also taken.

In the fift company was taken Don Antonio le Iaio with sundry Gentlemen of account.

In the sixt company or Coronet was taken Bia∣gio Cappizucca with sundry other Gentlemen.

In the seuenth Coronet was no men of name, they were all common Rutters, yet all taken priso∣ners.

Of these aforesaid companies or Coronets of horsemen, there was foure hundred and odde hor∣ses taken aliue, who were all by his excellencies for∣ces conducted and brought into the towne of Arn∣ham, on the day aforesaid, who were all taken at Be∣tue.

Besides the taking of all these Captaines, Coro∣nets, and horsemen, the enemies bloudy auncient was taken, which remaineth in the saide Towne of Arnham.

Graue Maurice his excellencie, in all these two assaults, hath not lost aboue twentie men, being com∣mon soldier, and no one man of name or account a∣mong them.

His excellencies forces is at this present fifteene hundred horse, and ten thousand footmen. He lyeth in the field ready to giue the enemie battell euery houre. As for the Prince of Parma he commeth not into the field, but keepeth himselfe close for feare of daunger that might thereby insue vnto his person.

It was a great incouragement and comfort vnto all the common soldiers, to see his excellencie con∣tinually in the field all the time of the battell, who promised vnto them all, that they should not goe one foote further than he would hazard his owne person.

Besides those seuen Coronets of horsemen before recited, there was foure Coronets all Rutters more, which they followed in chase, of whose successe I haue not as yet receiued the particulars, but it is likely that they are taken, for that the passages were laid round about.

Thus I cease to write any more of his excellencie till further occasion, whom I beseech God to pros∣per with all his Army, and to graunt him victory, that he may ouerthrow the enemies of Gods truth, and build vp the decaied Tem∣ple in the land of Israel, which he graunt for his mercie sake. Amen.

FINIS.