Catalogue description SIR EDWARD VERE to ----.

--Sir, my last told you of the taking of the two skonces from those of the towne [Bois-le-Duc], and of the enemies departure with his army after three weeks lying by us towards the Isell. I will now relate unto you what hath happened since. Whilest the Count Harry laie hovering with his army about Monck as if hee meant to passe over into the Bettowe, the Governor of Lingen and Dulkum, with certen firelocks and the garrisons of those upper quarters, putt over betweene Iselwort and Velup some three hundred men in halfe a dozen sloopes which was all they had. There were certen pesants of the villages thereabouts in guard at the place for the lords of Arnheim, to save theire appletrees, would not suffer the soldiers to go out of the Towne, though there were sufficient nombers sent by his Excellencie. These pesants seeing the Enemy preparing to passe, abandoned the place and fledd like true pesants. Upon this Capten Dobbs with a Scottish companie were sent thither, in which interim more were part [sic]. Dobbs inconsideratlie without anie second chargeth the Enemy and was there slaine with some ten of his companie, his Ensigne and divers others hurt, this happened on Mundaie morning the 13-23 of Julie. The Enemy all that dale and the next night entrencht himselfe in the forme of an horne worke, with two halfe moones upon the pointes. On Tuesdaie the Count Stirum comaunding the companies beeing drawne out, whereof ten were English, they assaulted the worke, but for want of officers our men putt not home enough to the Enemy and lost manie men in theire falling of, there were not two officers present that were not hurt; our horse charging the enemies horse which were four troupes in favour of our men over a Bridge, fell within the reach of the Enemies workes and lost upon two hundred of theire horse, two Captaines of horse, Bassom and Congett, slaine, and Swartsenburgh soarelie hurt, two coronetts with theire collors taken. My Lord Wimbledon out of his troopes lost twenty seven horse, the foot left not above forty behind them, and not fewer then two hundred as I heare hurt, whereof thirty and odd officers; this was the scuffling our men and the enemy had upon theire coming over, After this the Count Henry marching with all speed upp to them with his army, they made a bridge and past over both horse and foote at theire pleasure, came on to the portes of Arneheim, burnt two villages and the horses [? houses] in the contrey close to the Towne, but the people were fledd with all theire goodes and cattell before not onlie thereabouts but from all quarters of the Vellowe into the Townes, which they had time enough to doe, during the time that Count Harry was marching upp to the second of his first troopes : this bredd such a fright and consternation throughout all the countrey even upp to the Hage, as is incredible to anie that knowes not the nature of those people.

" This accident begott also a consultation here in the army of the Collonells and Lieutenant Collonells of everie nation. The proposition was whether wee should maintaine the seige or rise to the releife of Gildersland and the Isell, and if it were found fitt to staie, what troopes to retaine which might bee sufficient for the maintenance of our quarter, the compas whereof was verie great. The opinion of all in generall was, not to abandon the seige. The reasons that the States had poured out all their meanes upon this action to the uttermost of theire abilities, and that now if they should rise without it, it was more then probable some great alteracion would followe in the humor of the people, devided into sundrie factions and affections, and having the Enemy at hand to uphold them, that therefore it was necessarie to maintaine theire reputation, both at home and abroad, least they cast themselves into such a miserable condicion as would disable them for ever lifting upp theire heades againe, and peradventure suddenly ruyne them. Furthermore it was alleadged that to arise and abandon the enterprise would putt them into a worse condition then if they staied; and that theire departure would bee to no purpose but leave them in a worse condicion by losse of theire creditt, by which States did more subsist then by theire meanes, and by the losse of theire charges and fruitles endeavours, because if they rose they would never hazard a battell, but stand upon the defensive for feare of the consequence, and a defensive warr might as effectuallie bee managed by the forces alreadie there, naie, more comodiouslie, then by the whole army. Moreover it was alleadged that the enemy would never maintaine himself long in theire quarters, the upper Vellowe being a wild poore woodland countrey, not able to feed an army three weeks, much lesse furnish himselfe for the staie of a seige, wanting monies and provision, if the Townes upon the Isell were carefullie lookt unto and provided : That hee had thrust himselfe desperatlie with hope by the fright of the people to drawe us from hence, betweene our garrisons, stretched out farr before him and round about him, where his convoyes for victualls must bee verie great, his supplies small and verie uncerten. As for them that alleadged hee would depart back again if wee departed, it was answered, that that was uncertaine and at his pleasure, and to give him that hee fought [? sought] to oure losse and disparagement, whereas if wee staled, all the damage hee could do us was the burning of the corne and howses, which like haire cutt off, would grow againe. These were the reasons and discourses upon this point of staie. For the other, what troopes to send awaie, it was left to his Excellency, who best knew the accesses and avenues of the campe, with the grounds and fortifications round about and the reasons of them. But wee said, besides some preparation of foote, hee might well spare the most part of his horse, of which wee had here no use, retayning onlie so manie as was fitt for the ordinarie duties of the campe. These reasons carried it, and the resolucion to staie was taken, and not to stirr till wee had the Towne. The Count Ernest was dispatcht with horse and foote and marched awaie the same night to mannage the affaires of those quarters, and to keepe the enemy out of the Bettowe. All the horse that are with him are thirty two troopes, besides a hundred and thirty six companies of foote. To this you maie add thirteen thousand foote, partlie entertained by theis, that presented theire service from Denmarke, being English, Scottish, French, and Dutch, alreadie arived, and partlie three thousand five hundred taken upp for the King of Swethland, and the three thousand by the West India companie, which they make use of for the present time, so that you maie gather by this and of our garrisons round about him and before him, what the Count Harry is likelie to effect.

" But to give you a more particular satisfaction, all the Garrisons round about and everie place well guarded, the Count Ernest will have a bodie of ten thousand good foot and thirty two troopes of horse to attend anie enterprize the enemy shall undertake, and if hee engage himselfe desperatlie upon anie place, bee able to drawe a greater proporcion together. In the meane space till wee see where hee will settle or what other course hee will take, there lies thirty seven companies of foot and six troopes of horse to guard the Rhyne, from Skinsconce to Arneheim, commaunded by Sir Edward Herwood and Sir Philip Pogenham, and I know not what Rutmaster from Arneheim to Rhyne [Rhenen]; my Heere of Diden, Governor of Emerick [Amerongen], with the like proportion of horse and foote, and the Governor of Sluce Haultaine from Rhyne to Vianen. Hauterive is about the quarters of the Gribb [Grebbe] and Wagheningh to keepe that passage into the lower Vellowe, the dike at the Gribb being cutt through and a fortification made upon it, which drownes all the lower grounds to Amersfort and Binschoten.

" At Utrecht lies the lord of Brederodes with a bodie of eight thousand men, a part whereof lye in Amersfort and other troopes in Naerden and the lesser townes to save guard them from surprise and sudden assault, the Count Ernest in person lies at Arneheim with a good bodie both of horse and foote but I cannot tell you well thiere numbers. Prisoners wee take dailie in abundance, which are left unransomed for want of money. Theire foote are verie poore, theire horse in good order, but they have suffered much since theire coming over, there being neither man nor beast left within all those partes without our fortificacions. I have given you now a large [view] of all on that side, onlie I must tell you that the second of this month the enemy forsooke his worke where hee came over, and lett his bridge fall downe betweene Dieren and Michdachts neerer Dosborough, his army marching on our side, and the troopes of the Emperor on the other, which troopes, whatsoever they talke, are not above ten thousand, not to bee kept together without pillage, for money they have none. Now to our seige, the primum mobile of all this toile, since the taking of theire fortes the French and wee are joyned together by turnes; wee have contynued our approaches towardes an halfe moone or rather a traverse bending horned wise, cast upp betweene water and water over thwart the narrow waie leading to the towne, for you must understand all theire workes are guarded before and on the flancks with the River, and ditches cutt out of the River, this worke lies some two hundred and fifty paces from the lesser fort. Being come upp with our approaches to the ditch, wee passed it with a Bridge of rushes and presentlie began to myne, but they finding our myne readie left it without dispute, since this, wee have approched another worke of theirs, the forme wherof is like a roman M inverted. This worke four daies since wee left to the French, with the rush bridge laid over to theire handes. They have two daies together, one after the other, myned and blowne and assaulted, but bene beaten out againe; you must understand this worke is verie strong, made upp with long trees, the rootes outwards, so that all the mynes wee spring are of little effect, the powder working onlie upon the earth, and breaking but betweene the trees without stirring them, and our spademen wanting earth to cover themselves withall. If they take it not this night and to morrowe, which I hope they will, they leave it againe to us that begun to them ; there is onlie a traverse and a halfe moone betweene this worke and the moate which are nothing of that strength ; but this they dispute as theere master peece. Theere is newes come this morning that Wolfe the Governor of Brufort [Brevoort] hath surprised Ryneberke*, the truth of which report I cannot verifie. The enemy hath sent out of the Vellowe twenty four troopes of horse : whether hee hath donne it upon the newes of the surprise or to refresh them in Gulick land, or to defend Little Brabant, which they feare well [? wee] will fall into, or to secure his convoy of victuall which they saied is coming towards them, time will learne us. I left this letter unfinished yesternyght, and now this morning hearing that the enemy had quitt theire worke at the beginning of the nyght. I went down to take a vewe of it and the rest behind, where I found alreadie the breast turned to the towneward, baskettes sett upp for musketteeres to plaie and the sapp advanced towards the half moone almost half waie, for they keepe no men in the travers before theire half moone, by reason wee have a batterie of five peeces that lookes upon theire backes. The distance betweene this worke last quitted and theire half moone, I guesse to bee upon a hundred paces, and I hope wee shall run to the ditch of it this nyght. There is the under maior of the towne came over to us yesterdaie in the afternoone, the cause of his departure was that Grobendaick promised him an Ensigne's place, which hee hath given to another, hee was a man imploied and trusted by the Governor, and knowes all the seacretts of the Towne. Hee assures us that they want men, and have not powder to maintaine themselves three weeks or a moneth at most, with many other perticulars, which I cannott of the sudden informe myself of. I praie remember my humble service to the twoe lords, and lett them have theis perticulars from you, for I am to go upon the guard and this bearer cannott staie, you are, verie slow in writing, and I should bee gladd to heare from you. ..."

Postscript.--" There was a prettie fort built the last summer by us wherein were about a hundred men of the Garrisons of Doesburgh and Zutphen, betweene which two townes this fort standes at a place called Bramman. In it were likewise four iron peeces, notwithstanding theis men stole out of it by nyght, and left it to the Enemy, sutch good soldiers are my lordes the States cosens, whoe notwithstanding must have all that is to bee had. Upon the worke the Enemy quitted last nyght, wee are making a batterie of ten peeces.

* This appears to be a first (and inaccurate) rumour of the taking of Wesel by Stierum, the project for which was designed by one Wolfe, " a young man, son of a horse captain.'