A Letter from AMSTERDAM Conteining the full relation of the Proceedings of the Prince of Orange Againſt that City, and the tranſactions betwixt him, and the Citizens, their opening of the Sluces to drown the ſaid City, with ſeverall other paſſages thereupon, and the Copy of the Prince of Orange his Letter the Magiſtrates of the City.
WITH An exact relation of the five days ſeige or blocking up, of Amſterdam by the Prince of Orange, and Grave William of Naſſaw.
TOGETHER With a particular diſcovery of the whole deſign and opening the Sluces to let in the Sea, which hath over flown great part of the Land.
LONDON Printed by Bernard Alſop for T. P. and are to be ſold at the Royall-Exchange in Cornhil. 1650.
I Doubt not but the news of the Armies comming down againſt Amſterdam; hath by this time diſperſed it ſelf throughout Europe, but the occaſion and the tranſactions between the Prince of Orange, and the Citizens may be worthy of your obſervation, viz. The Prince having a high diſpleaſure2 and indgnation againſt the Magiſtrates of Amſterdam contrived away whereby he intended to ſurprize this rich & famous City by a ſtratagem, and to effect this deſign without giving cauſe of ſuſpicion what his intent was, He ordred Grave William of Naſſaw to empty all frontier Garriſons, upon pretence of conveying the old Prince of Orange into Germany, and to be ready at the ſame time with his horſe to enter the City, which was contrived to be done on Saturday the thirty of July about 3 or 4 in the morning at the opening of the Gates; for effecting of which deſign with the more certainty and ſecrecie, about two hundred foot ſouldiers were put privately into ſeveral Turf boats, which were to come up to the City at the ſame time by water, and lying undiſcovered, were to fall in at the very ſame inſtant when the horſe ſhould enter the gates, and ſurprize the Guard at the Regulaters high-way, which being done, he thought good to make the City without any reſiſtance. But ſo it was, that when the Plot was almoſt ready to be put in execution, it pleaſed God to diſappoint al their purpoſes, partly by reaſon of the great rain which fell all Friday (July 29.) in the afternoon, and all the ſame night, which made the ways very deep and rotten; ſo that the Prince his horſe having a long march, of four and twenty miles tyred.
Then they turned to a City about ten miles off, but the Citizens refuſed to paſſe through or let them in, in regard they knew not what they were; whereupon they were forced to march another way, which was to their great diſadvantage, and that nigh3 being very dark, and wanting good guides, they miſtook their way, which hindred them above three hours time, by reaſon whereof they could not get unto Amſterdam before nine of the clock on Saturday, which was ſix houres after the time appointed to enter the City, ſo that before they got thither, their deſign was diſcovered to the Magiſtrates, by the Poſt of Hambrough, who accidentally fel mongſt the horſe, when they were doubtfull of their way, which made his company very acceptable to them, in regard they might make uſe of him to be their guide, but when he perceived their deſign, he ſtole away from them and haſted to Amſterdam, and made known to the Magiſtrates, what he had learned by riding a while amongſt their troops.
Grave William perceiving that Providence fought againſt him (to the loſſe of the time appointed, and beſt opportunity) was filled with diſcontent, and quartered his Forces at Over-Qirtie, which is three miles from the City, attending there to receive further Orders from the Prince of Orange, who was at the Hague, and had there impriſoned many publique perſons that were ſent from Dort, Horten, Delf, and other places, and ſo confident was he, that the deſign on which he had ſent Grave William, would take effect, that he told the impriſoned with his own mouth, Amſterdam was his own, but immediately after news was brought him to the contrary, which ſo much ſtartled him that its•aid, he took his hat, threw it one the ground, and ſet his feet upon it. When his heat of paſſion was over, he haſted away and on Sunday came to4 Grave William, but his comming was to little purpoſe, for ſo ſoon as the Magiſtrates of Amſterdam, received the information from the Poſt at Hamborough as aforeſaid, they cauſed all the gates of the City to be ſhut up, and the booms to be lockt, which are as ſo many gates by water, and put all the City-Garriſon into arms, with their muskets ready charged with bullet, They alſo cauſed ſeverall Braſſe Guns to be mounted on their works, and ſent many veſſels well man'd and provided to lie upon Sinſter, which is an inland River, and ſome men of war rode at Anchor upon the Tij, which is an arm of the Sea, So that good guards were quickly placed about the City, both by land and water, and the apparence of men in their Arms was the more ſpeedier for that at the beat of Drum they were commanded forth in the name of the Magiſtrates of Amſterdam, which was a thing not uſuall.
The city being in ſuch a poſture of defence, Grave William moved the Prince to block up the city at a diſtance on the South ſide of Tij, conceiving that if they could keep proviſions from it, in time he ſhould obtain his Deſires. But the Magiſtrates wiſely foreſeeing the danger, cauſed all the Sluces to be opened, on Sunday about noon, it pleaſed God a little before to turn the wind Northweſt, which uſually brings in much water; by this means all the low grounds for many miles without Amſterdam lay under water in ſhort time, ſo that the Princes horſes could have no graſſe, nor make nearer approaches, unleſſe upon banks, where above three a breſt could not march5 and then it muſt have been upon the mouth of the cannon: hereupon on ſunday the Prince ſent a Trumpeter into the city, and 4 of the Cities Councel was ſent to the Prince at ſeveral times, on Munday, Tueſday, and Wedneſday, and ſtayed all Tueſday and Wedneſday night with him; in all which time ſeveral other meſſengers came from him to the Magiſtrates. During all theſe tranſactions, ſeveral Letters came from the moſt eminent towns in Holland, and from Utritch to the Magiſtrates of Amſterdam, certifying their diſlike of the Princes proceedings, and ſeveral other Magiſtrates came alſo in perſon, affirming the ſame, which much encouraged the City, and diſheartned the Prince, who on Wedneſday was commanded by the States General (as is reported) to appear preſently in the Hague, and in four and twenty hours to cauſe all the Forces to repair to their ſeveral Garriſons; and to that end on Thurſday morning as ſoon as the day appeared, he removed from before Amſterdam, at which there was no ſmall rejoycing. During the Prince his abſence from the Hague, there hath been mutenies, and the inhabitants would have plundered the Princes Court.
Thus you have a Relation of the 5 days blocking up of the famous City of Amſterdam, who in the Hague (no doubt) will proſecute the chief authors of this deſign, of which more hereafter.
RIght worſhipfull, wiſe, diſcreet, and ſingular good friends; Being laſt time in your Citie, I was ſo ſtrangly entreated by you, that (to bee no more ſubject to the like) I have appointed Count William of Naſſaw, with certain Troops in your Citie, with an Order, to keepe all things therein in peace and tranquillity. To the end, that what I have further to propound unto you, touching the ſervice of the State, may not be interrupted by ſome ill-meaning people: To which J deſire you to put too your helping hand. And relying hereupon, we commend you to the protection of the moſt High, and remain,
(EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A87939)
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