ALthoughe all thynges ( welbeloued and christian Reader ) whiche by the grace of God , are come to passe within the renowmed Citie of Harlam in Holand , are worthye , not by peeces , but from the beginning vnto the end to bee rehearsed , and set before the eyes of all men : that the wonderful and worthy works of God therby may bee knowen , and his name for euer magnified & praised . Notwithstandynge , ( I thought it good ) before the whole Discourse and rehearsall of all these thyngs ( peraduenture ) shal bee geuen vnto all Nations and people to bee red , heere shortly to noate ( & that with trueth , ) vnto all such as are louers of the same , a notable worke of God , and such a deede of the moste highest , that euen with out eyes , we maye see and perceiue that which he worthely hath brought to passe , the .xxv. Daye of Marche . 1573. by them of the same Citie .

For , when as that worthy and before named Cytie , had now ben besieged of the Spanish and Albanisshe power more then three Monethes , and in great distresse : howbeit , the ennemyes hauynge their head twise mightely brused and their worthyest and stoutest oulde Souldyers , yea & manlyest Captaynes we are loste : so that their weakenesse and feare suffred them not any more to geue any assault : Besides that , shame and neede forced them styll to abyde : For shame , they durste not go away , because that thus long they had alwayes prospered very well : and beynge nowe come to this Cytie , whiche was the simplest and weakest in all Holland , and at the firste , worste of all prouyded : eyther of Armour , Souldyers , or Vittayle , amongste the rest , that was to be founde : And therfore , not able ( as it weare ) to to doo any thyng . And for that cause , ( as they supposed ) should it be counted vnto them , an euer lastynge ignomynie and shame , with a perpetuall Dishonour .

And for neede , they durste not departe , ( for feare ) leaste by the waye , they should be mette with at home , meanynge therfore with a contynual Siege , and priuie practises and treason : lyke as before they had recouered other Cyties again , ment in lyke case to catch this within their Clawes also . But at the last , when they of the Cyttie began to be greened therwith , and were certain , that God dyd manifestly vnderstande their cause , and that he was the onely Defender of the same , ( as hee is in deede , to all innocentes which wholly put their truste in him : ) thei haue often and diuers times gone about with sundrie assaultes and Skyrmyssbes , for to trappe ( not onely theirs but also Gods Enemies , ) in the same pittes , which for their Destruction , theyr Enemies , had redye dygged and prouyded . And although , that they neuer haue attempted any thynge , but that they haue therby gotten both Honour & prayse : yet neuerthelesse , when God at their great pryde & intollerable Cirrannie and crueltie : and to be shorte , at all the wronges whiche thei had vsed day by day , began at length to begreued , with the vngodly behauiour of these Blood-hounds so that their Houreglasse at last is runne out and ended :

For then , the good and mercyfull Lorde hath delyuered them into the handes of his people , to be taken in the same snares which they had prepared for the other .

For , they of the Cyttie aboute ten of the Clocke before Noone , with a smal company were gone out of the Cytie to skirmish with the .xvi. Ensignes of Dutchmen , and the .xv. Ensigns of Wallons , whiche did lye before in the wood at the South ende of the Cytie , from the whiche place , they had purposed from that tyme foorth to batter the Cyttie with shotte .

And thus , they beynge withoute in the forenoone , brought speciallie nothynge to passe : but marchynge vp and downe a certayne space , and when they saw their tyme to retyre , entred into the Cyttie agayne .

When the Ennemie sawe this , and supposynge it too bee good , and all daunger to bee paste , and all thynges ended for that daye : ( after a whyle ) gaue hym selfe to reste , and sette his heart on softe grounde . Then ( in the meane tyme , ) our men makynge them selues cheereful and couragious , and hauynge respecte vnto their tyme and purpose , ( and chieflye ) vnto their iust quarrell : So that of Wallones , Dutchmen , French men , & Englishmen : about .ix. or a x. hundreth men , aboute two of the Clocke in the afternoone , yssued oute of the Cyttie agayne , and without any stoppe or feare , and without any noyse makyng , ranne strayght vnto their Trenches . The Enemie , seynge that he was taken vnawares , and his Enemies vnlookte for , sodaynly fallen vppon hym , at the first defended hymselfe very lytle : And at laste seynge hym selfe inclosed and ouerrunne , by and by sought meanes , whiche waye best for to escape . Our men ( to the contrarye , ) with burnynge and vnspeakeable boldenesse , fell vppon them , and so raysed them oute of their Nestes and chased them , that they ranne thorowe and thorowe the wood , hither and thyther : that of all the Dutchmen , whiche ( in deede ) best kept their standynge , but sewe escaped : And of the Wallones which first tooke the flight , there are some runne awaye , some : slayne with shotte , and some drowned : being al bereft of their Weapon : and as the moste parte say , about two thousand men were slayne . And it is sayd also , of one Monseur de Luckes , Generall of the Wallons , with other Captaynes should there be slaine also at that present . This beyng done , they haue ouertourned their Tentes and Trenches , and set them on fyre , pursuynge them to the laste man : And then returnyng with great Tryumph & Ioye , brought with them into the Cyttie , fyue Brasen Peeces , with other Munytion : as Headpeeces , Harnesse , Pikes , Dagges , Swordes and Rapiers , with vittayle and Money , which was sent from DALBA , to pay them : and also great store and much abundance of Apparell . For at their retyryng to the Citie was heard .viii. of their Drommes herefully soundyng , with tenne ●nsignes displaying , bryngyng ●ith them great spoyles of Mo●ey , Iewelles and Armour , and ●ll kynde of thynges , wherwith ●uery one being loden : with great Ioye , came all clustryng into the Cittie . When the Cytizyns , with all them that feared the Lord , sawe ●ow that they had obtayned the ●ictorie , and had put their Foes 〈◊〉 flight , with one consent gaue ●artie thankes and praises vnto God , that so mercifullye of his goodnesse , had brought the same ●o passe . This also , hath mo●●d me and reioysed my hart and ●aynde that I ( euen of gladnesse ) ●oulde not leaue , but participate this vnto the gentle Reader and ●o make manyfest and set before the eyes of all such as from their hartes doe hate the intollerable yoke of bondage and Spanysh t●rannie : and with body and goods seeke to withstande them . The Lorde open the eyes of them that are yet remayning , that they may acknowledge their vniuste dealyngs and return from their euil and turne vnto the lyuyng God , against whom ( euen as Giants ) they haue waged Battel : tha● they with vs and all faithful● People maye liue in peace and vnitie from this time forthe for euermore : the whiche God , defende vs , and all sorowfull an● sighinge harts . Amen .