VPon the nine and twenty day of September last past , there was an extraordinary Councell and secret meeting holden in the city of Cullen : which done , in the afternoone , it being S. Michaels day , ( which is to be noted ) all the Masons , Bricklayers , Carpenters and Slaters , were called and assembled together , before the Magistrates , by whom they were told and willed to make them selues ready , with pickaxes , shouels , and other tooles , the night ensuing about three of the clocke in the morning , therewith vtterly to raze and breake downe the towne of Muhleim , vpon paine of being put from their trades of liuing , if they refused so to doe . This vnexpected warnjng put the workemen into no little feare , and perplexity , so that at the first they vtterly refused and denied to doe it , saying that it behoued them to set better soldiers a worke , in that peece of seruice , then they were , alledging that they feared and greatly doubted that the stones thereof might and would then , or in time to come , breake their , or their childrens Shins : wherevnto the Magistrates made answere that they would be their warrant and protectors against all men for doing it . Wherevpon the worke men fully resolued , that if the Burgo-Master and the Magistrates of the city , would goe before them & be their guides , they would follow them : which they promised to doe . While this matter was in determination , the gates of the city were kept shut , that no man in the meane time should goe out , to make report thereof abroad , and that the townes men of Mulheim might not haue intelligence of their pretence , to saue them selues by flight . At the same time there was a rumor spread abroad , that in the new market place , in the city of Cullen , there was a murther committed , and that search was then to be made for the murtherer : vnder this pretence in the night time , about 3. of the clock , which was the pretended time and houre appointed : Iohn Bowlant the Burgermaster , and others of the Magistrates , went out of the gates ; with such a number of cressets , fackles , linkes , and lanternes , that the night seemed to be as light as day , and after them the towns men followed to the number of 800. at the least , besides straglers , hauing 200. soldiers , with pipes and drums , marching before them , to defend the worke men : before they fell to worke , there was a commission red vnto them to shew and certifie them , that it was not onely the Emperors and the Dukes pleasure , to haue it done , but also the new-Burgers and the Magistrates of Cullens will , who had sought and procured the same , for the good & welfare of the city of Cullen , & the preseruation of the citizens thereof : which done they fell to worke , first breaking downe the greatest houses , and so continued the spoyle the whole night , and all the next day vntill the first of October in the euening , whereby not a stone therof is left standing one vpon the other . The bricks , free stones , lead , and iron , and that which would serue for any thing , was giuen vnto the Capucins , and al the ruines of the great Church . The French Church , with all the ruines thereof , was giuen to the Fulldoers , which they themselues brake downe . The great deep cellers and vaults , which could not well be broken in hast , they tooke order that they should be blowne vp with gunpouder , and that then the new houses that had bin built in old Mulheim within the space of foure yeares , should be throwne downe . No man therein had any warning giuen him of the destruction thereof , nor any time permitted them to scape away : al the women ( were they neuer so great with childe , or lying in childe bed ) children , and men , were straightly charged and forbidden not to goe into Cologne , so that no man knowes whether they fled to saue them selues , for that , all thereabouts in some pesants houses , and also in old Mulheim there lay many Wallons , that had more desire to spoile and destroy the poore distressed people running away , then to saue and harbor them . This heauy and sorrowfull night , raysed a great cry , pitifull noyse , woe and clamor in the towne of Mulheim , specially among poore women and children , for that most part of the Merchants of the Towne were then at Fanckfort Mart , and those that dealt in wines , were gone vp into the country , to buy wine . To conclude , in this vnexpected and cruell action , all the fauour showed them was , that they murthered not the poore distressed men , whose wofull cries clime vp and pierce into heauen , and make complaint vnto the great reuenger of all iniuries , and oppressed people , that with deuout prayer recommend themselues vnto him .