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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 driuen 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.