IT happened, that our No­ble Prince Count Maurice of Nassaw Gouernor generall of the vnited Prouinces, & the valiant Prince Count William gouernor of Fries­land, hauing assembled a great power of men and souldiers, on horsse & foot, as well by sea as by land, being wel pro­uided of all kinde of munition appertaining to war, ioyned their forces togither and brought them before the Cittie of Steenwich, vppon the [Page 2] xxviii. day of May, being Corpus Christi day, a­bout nine of the clocke in the morning, where they besieged the said Cittie verye straightlie and strongly, parting their powers into foure Campes, and planting them in foure sundrye places about the Cittie.

Parma had sent into Steenwich sixteen com­panies, of all kind of Nations and people min­gled togither, among which were diuers free­buyters and marchants, that had been dealers in the betrayeng and selling of Gertruynberch.

Also diuers others that had beene at Deuen­ter, and had sworne not to serue against Count Maurice in three yeares: with manye more that had reuolted from Count Maurice to the e­nimie, and for some crime or euill act committed, runne from their captaines to escape de­serued punishment.

The Enimies seeing that they were so strait­ly besieged, the Maiestrates and chiefe officers called all the Souldiers vnto them, where they all swore very solemnelie both Souldiers and Citizens to sticke one to the other, and not to forsake one another, but to stande to the full triall of their fortune, and rather to die enerye man, then to yeelde to their enimy.

Wherevpon they beganne to resiste the as­saultes which were by vs made vppon them and valiantlie to defend themselues to the vt­termost: insomuch that in the very beginning [Page 3] they slewe and spoiled many pioners and En­glishmen.

The fourth daye of Iune did they of Steen­wich make an issue vpon vs, at which time they slew many Englishmen, and the most parte of Olthofs souldiers, besides many whome they wounded, and fiue whome they tooke Pryso­ners, one of them be [...]ng an Englishman, whom they hanged: but we draue them into the Ci­tie againe so speedilie, that they were forced to shut out two of their souldiers, whome wee slew vnder the gates of the Citie.

After this they planted their field peeces on the top of their towne house steeple, whence they shot stones, chaines, and iron barres, into our Campe, which much hurt our Souldiors: although we were told that they had but seuen Cannon shot in all.

The sixt day of Iune, Count Maurice, caused all the great shot to bee discharged vppon the Cittie, which made such a terrible and fearfull noise, that the very earth semed to shake aboue three miles from the place: beginning at foure of the clocke in the morning and continueng till nine: insomuch that there wer aboue four thousande shottes displaied vppon the Cittye. But the rampire which our men had made, was something to lowe, by reason whereof the bullets flew over the Citty into Counte Williams Campe, whereby we were compelled to cease [Page 4] the play of the Cannon.

After which storme they of the Citie came with broomes to sweepe the walles in a moo­kage, least forsooth the dust of the shot should haue fouled the walles, making so light of the matter, as if they had no harme by the cannon that had so furiouslye barked at them all that while, but only that the walles were somthing strewed with the fragments of the bullets, that being broken into smal peeces, might be swee­ped away with a broome.

The eighteenth day of Iune being Saturday at night and eleuen of the clocke, they issued againe out of the Cittie into our campe, with white linnen shirtes ouer their armour: hauing Axes, Demye-pikes, two hande swordes, and Dagges, but no peeces at all with them. Olthof with his companie hauing drunke well, al­though he was aduertised of their comminge yet made light of it, and feared not the Ene­mies at all: who fell vpon him very furiouslie and taking him, not making great preparation to withstand them, slewe Olthof himselfe, his lieutenant, his Corporall, and some of his Souldiers. But our men hauinge intelligence thereof, speedilie forced them to turne theyr backs and run to their hold.

Our Lord the Counte Maurice caused a kinde of warlike engine had in such ca [...]es to be made higher then the Cittie with their loftes, which [Page 5] each of them could hold an hundreth menne, insomuch that no man could by day peepe out of his house, but he was shot through.

The tops of all the housen in the citty were broken downe, and nothing could be seen ex­cept the steeple: and by reason that no bodye durst come into the streets for fear of our shot, they broke downe the side walles of their houses and made a passage through their hou­ses to come by one another, and to take order what should be doone: for they beganne to faint and waxe discouraged with the greate losse of the people, and the want of powder: and especially bicause our men had woon one of their skonses or fortresses, called the halfe moone.

Within the Citie of Steenwich is a great square Market place, which they had so strongly for­tified, that the Cittie being taken, yet it would be scarce possible to driue the enimie out of it without losse of men.

The 24 of Iune there were about two hun­dred Spaniards, Wallons, and Germans toge­ther slaine and taken, who were sent from Kaeuerden, each hauing a little bagge of Gun­powder about his neck, and thinking by some subtill sleight to haue entered into the Citie, and in that manner to haue furnished it with prouision of powder.

In the end the enemie perceiuing how they [Page 6] lost their Fortresses, and seeing their forces woonderfully empaired, their prouision say­ling, their souldiors slaine and wounded, and all the people astonished with the miserie of their present estate, and terrified with the cala­mitie which they were like to sustayne if they rendered not in time, began to beseech his ex­cellencie to take them to his mercie, promising that they would yeeld vp the Citie vpon con­dition that they might saue both their life and goods.

His Excellencie promised vnto them, that he would according to the law of warre suffer their free souldiors to passe without any hurte or harme any way done vnto them, but as for the Merchaunts of the Berch and certaine o­ther Souldiors that had taken oth in Deuen­ter not to serue against his Excellencie within three yeares after, those he would in any case haue deliuered into his handes to deale with them according to his owne good liking.

This stirred vp a great and sodaine mutinie in the Citie betweene the sayd Deuenter soul­diers and the Merchaunts of Berch against the Citizens, saieug that they had great wrong of­fered them, considering they had aduentured their liues and spilt their blood in the behalfe of the citie vpon their promise to doe the like for them, and that nowe they woulde in their greatest neede leaue them, yea giue them vp [Page 7] into their enimies hands, and therefore they were resolued to fight while they could breath against the Citizens themselues, and so die in reuenging the iniurie offred them, rather than to suffer themselues to bee hanged by their e­nimies.

Wherevpon they sent a drum vnto Count Maurice to know of him whether it would not please his Excellencie to let his mercie bee ge­nerally graunted vnto all that were in the Ci­tie; for that then the woulde without delaye render vp the citie vnto him? which he would not graunt.

Then our men presentlye blowed vp the Mine which they had made vnder the earth with gunpowder, which being raised on the walles, caused many of their Wallon Captains Ensigns & other Souldiors, to flie vp into the Skie as blacke as crowes, which so daunted the courage of the enimies, that they presentlye compounded with Count Maurice, and rende­red the Citie vpon promise that their life and goods should be saued. In so much that his Excellencie tooke them to his mercie, and gaue to them all as well Souldiors as Citizens both life and goods, suffering no violence or iniurie to bee offered them by his Souldiors, wherevpon they promised that they woulde not serue against him within six moneths after on that side of the riuer Rhyne. And so they pas­sed [Page 8] with their Rapier and Dagger through out Campe out of the Citie, carrieng whatsoeuer they would with them, and were conducted with his Excellencies Horsse-men nine miles off, hauing carts and waggins allowed them to conuay away their baggage, and maymed per­sons with them. For which merciful and gen­tle dealing, they all greatly thanked his Excel­lencie. Onely the Merchants of the Berch and Deuenter souldiors were driuē into the church where they stoode at his mercie to bee dealt withall as he should thinke good.

Thus may we thanke almightie God for his great goodnesse towards vs, in graunting vs so great a victorie against our enemies, in the enterprise vndertaken at the Citie of Steenewyke. The 4 day of Iuly 1592.