An Admonition published by the General States of the Netherlandish united Provinces: unto the States, and Cities their adversaries: touching his now intended proceed, against the Spaniards and their adherents.  
Whereunto is annexed a caveat, or Proclamation, to the United Netherlandish Provinces.  
Translated out of the Dutch Printed Copy▪  
LONDON, Printed for Walter Dight, and are to be sold by Thomas Pavier, at his shop at the sign of the Cat and Parrots near the Royal-exchange. 1602.   

An admonition published by the General States of the Netherlandish-Vnited Provinces: unto the States and Cities, their adversaries, touching his now intended proceed, against the Spaniards & their adherents.  
TO the high andwell borne, Reverend, Noble, right Worship. most learned, Wise, Provident, most discreet Lords, good friends & neighbours: The Prelates, Princes, Earls, Lords, Gentlemen and Cities of Brabant, Flaunders, Artois, Haynolt, Valenchien, Lylle, Donay, Orchies, Namen, Tornezie, Tournay and Mecheld, representing the States of the Netherlands, under the government of the Spaniards or the Archduke: & to every one of them in general & particular. MOst high and well-born, Reverend, Noble, right worshipful, worthy, learned, wise, provident, and most discreet Lords, good friends and loving neighbours:  
We doubt not but your Excellen. Lordsh, worsh. & beloved are: yet mindful of the manifold amiable exhortations done unto you by us at several times, tending to provoke your Excellencies, Lordships, worships etc. only once with a ripe and settled sense, to consider the wicked pretences of the Spaniards & their adherents: enemies to the welfare, rights, privileges, goods, and persons of the Netherlands: namely, utterly to destroy & ruinated (generally) all the inhabitants of the Netherlandes, of what estate, quality, or condition so ever: which indeed hath been their original, & deep noted mischievous and shameful pretence.  
It is not also unknown to us (although the said pretence be nothing less believed, & held for most unreplicable amongst you then with us) that yet notwithstanding some of your Excellencies, Worships etc. Partly through the natural instinct of their Noble kindness, and partly by persuasions, are reduced to a self feeling knowledge etc. & that through the Archdukes means, and their highnesses presences, these matters might be righted and brought to a better point. But considering that we have a perfect knowledge of the continuance of this Spanish pretence which ceaseth not, but with their adherents (by all means) endeavour to procure the ruin & overthrow of these Netherlands, thereby for ever to reduce them to the thraldom of the Spanish yoke, and according to their own appetites & pleasures to rule▪ not only over the good inhabiatantes of the same, but also over their consciences, bodies, rights & goods, which the Archduke himself shall not be able to prevent nor remedy. We have not been able to conform ourselves to any such liking but to the end your Excellency's Lordships, worships etc. nor ourselves, be not thrown down headlong into an eminent, Infallible, continual, & unrecoverable overthrow and servitude, we having compassionately found it better (with a steadfast courage) to continued & persist inour laudable resolution, originally, sprung from the chiefest & notablest Persons & members of the general Netherlandish Provinces of all estates & conditions. Trusting assuredly upon the merciful help of the Almighty God: upon the favours, aids, & assistaunces of the Kings, Princes, and common wealths, with which we are in league, & friendship, together with the justness of our cause: & with all patience to expect (especially by means of your Excellencies, Lordships, Worships etc. good furtherance, direction, & inward wise government in your states) a godly & most wished issue thereof. And to that end most willingly to bear all the burdens, perils, charges, & pains: which in so holy, laudable, honourable, serviceable, & needful a resolution shall be requisite: without that at any time we have, or ever shallbe moved to any kind of alteration, by means of that unworthy transportation, done of these Netherlands, by the late king of Spain unto their Highnesses: we having in regard of the same (after the said transportation) by our letters & verbal communications, held with your Exe Lo. Mo. etc. Commissioners: earnestly admonished, that good care might be taken upon the matters of war on your sides, aswell within & without the land: & we trust that if the same were censured with an unpassionate & unpartial mind, & with clear eyes well looked into, none were able uprighly to judge, but that the said deceitful transportation was unceplicable tending to the assured and eminent overthrow & suppression of the general Netherlands, & of all estates and persons therein. Your Excellenties, Lordships, Worships, etc. manifestly see, hear, understand & feel, what passeth among you, & you are able easily to conjecture what else is apparent to follow: in so much that we esteem it needles to write any tedious circumstance thereof. Only, as yet we will most friendly wish, exhort & pray your Excellen. Lord. Morsh. etc. earnestly to consider the worthy & laudable reputation, which by your Exc. Lor. Mor etc. and our forefathers, hath been purchased so many hundred years a go: & until this present is left us a leveled line, for us to follow thereby, & to be come true Champions & defenders of the free Netherlandish rights & privileges in general: and particularly of the countries, members, cities, & the inhabitants thereof. And to examine if the contents of the said anullated and unworthy transportation, and the dealings which sithence have followed (& yet daily are continuing) do agree together, with the duties wherewith your Excel. Lord. Wor. etc. their worthy houses, estates, posterities (but especially our beloved natural country) is bound unto: if ye, (which we by no means can persuade ourselves unto) we must beseech God Almighty of his mercy to illuminate & endue your Excel. Lor. Wor. etc. with a more sounder judgement and understanding: But if in case your Exc. Lo. Woe doiudge the said pretended unworthy transportation (although it hath been accepted through necessity, d to shun a further or greater mischief) to be dishonourable, deceitful, & a shameful spot & blemish unto all worthy Netherlanders: Considered moreover, that the proceedings of the Spaniards & their adherents follow thereon, & until this present, do continue from bad to worse, aswell in matters of State as in war, are (as we assure ourselves, that most of your Excellences, Lordships, Worships, etc. well know) are altogether ruinous & intolerable: And consequently your Excellences, Lordships, Worships, etc. are not bound nor beholden unto them, as those which war and strive against the general good, and the Netherlandish Laws, Rights, and Privileges. If likewise your Excellences, Lordships, Worships, etc. consider how all the extremity of Forces, Interdictors of trade and commerce, conspiracies and plots, to entrap her princely Majesty of England, and th'united Provinces, daily appear and are discovered: and not only their pretences are vain and forceless, but allo have a quite contrary operation. That the treacherous enterprises upon Cities and Forts of the French Kings, give great occasion, that some day or other, a sudden & tirrible revenge may be undertaken. That the Books, and famous Libels and odious Ballads, whereby they seek to make the French King and his proceedings, hateful in the Commons hearts, and to make the Rights of Succession of the Crowns of France and England doubtful, are nothing e●●e but idle prepositions, only tending to the iritation and provoking of their Majesties: And that in vain it is attempted, to raise tumults and dissensions among the Commonalty of th'united Provinces, since that the● (praise unto Go●) their Condition considered, are in estate a hundred times better, and more assured, than the Commonalty on the Spanish, or their Highness' side: and that they not having any reason of mistrust in their lawful Magistrates, nor of their actions, do bear themselves most quiet and obedient. But that to the contrary, the Commons of the Spanish or Archdukes side being that all matters do daily ware worse and worse,) That the authority of the States, Prelates, Princes, Lords, Nobles, and Cities, of the Counties both generally and particularly, more than ever tosore, is trodden under foot and reduced to no regard nor respect. Yea, that a●l matters have their foundation and ground upon Strangers, with a dejection of all worthy Inhabitants and home-born Nobility, not only in the government of the principal Cities and Forts, but sufficiently in general in every thing: except that sometime here and there Proforma, in some matters they seem to do some thing to the purpose, the which also (they once being Masters) would soon leave aside.  
That the Countries and Inhabitants are rob, disrobed, and disfurnished, not only of a●l traffic, negotiation, navigation, welfare, and dealings; but also the very three fourth parts of the good Inhabitants, are utterly destitute of all means of maintenance. The principal Cities converted to Dovecots, the Villages and Country grounds even brought to the extremest point of poverty, eaten up and ransacked by the men of War: and ●et the Soul●iers themselves to ill paid, that the mutiny o● one party cannot be appeased, but there are two l●ke, or worse, to be expected. And that in brie●e, it is most evident, that all ●ill fall into a most apparent dangerous desperation.  
This then all considered, we pray your Excellencies, Lordships, Worships, etc. that in effect, the needful remedies hereto may be taken in hand and ministered. And namely, that it may please you to effect thus much, as that their Highness will vouchsafe to departed out of the Netherlandes, to purchase a more quieter and securer partage or portion: At which time, it will be little difficult for your Excellencies, Lordships, Worships, etc. and us together, to make the Spaniards & other Strangers to follow them: and for the best part of their adherentes, to make and convert unto good and worthy Netherlanders.  
If now by any one this were held for an Impossibility, & that your Excellency's, Lordships, Worships, etc. could not securely take, nor use this court; that it may please them then to the contrary to believe: that if in case your Excellen●es, Lordship's, Worships, etc. will furnish us with so much Money and means for six Months, as imports the half of the old ordinary Tax of Brabant, Flaunders, Artois, Haynolt, Valencinen, Lylle, Dovay, Orchies, Namen, Tournez●e, Tourrage, and Mechelen, to the same: which through God's gracious permission, we intense this▪ ●eere to perform in manner of War: And in respect of their Highnesses, keep themselves quiet, or tall to us▪ (which we put to your Excellencies, Lordships, Worships, etc. choice and good liking, that the matter by Go●s help) shall be brought to that pass, that your Excellencies, Lordship's, Worships, etc. themselves, shall iu●ge therein to be most apparent lignes of good success.  
And touching th'assurance, whereon divers kind hearted and well inclined persons trouble themselves, are kept back and stand reselute, your Excellences, Lordships, Worships, etc. shall themselves set or hold such orders, as well of the Government as of Religion, as themselves shall think most meet and convenient: neither need to put any doubt therein, but may be assured that therein by us nothing shall be done nor attempted. Assuring moreover your Excellences, Lordships, Worships, etc. that in so laudable, honourable, serviceable, and needful a cause, neither your Excellences, Lordships, Worships, etc. nor we, shall want any backing, support, or succour, from the neighbour Kings, Princes, Commonweals, our neighbours and allies. Whereupon, once more most friendly we require your Excellences, Lordships, Worships, etc. that you will commit to oblivion all passions, suspicions, and former mistakinges: and with this good opportunity and occasion, to accept and embrace this ground, as being the right and only way to bring the Netherlands into their ancient rights, welfare, peace, tranquillity; and to her most famous and flourishing former estate: without giving any ear unto the new pretended Forces, which are nought else▪ but such as will cause a greater destruction & misery. Otherwise, and in default hereof, we foresee that the damages, calamities, and miseris, are destined this year to fall more greater, than ever heretofore: whereof, before all the world, we will be held guiltless. Herewith, we beseech th' Almighty GOD, most high and well reverent, Noble, Right Worshipful, Worthy, Learned, Wise, Prudent, and most discreet Lords, Friends, and Neighbours, to inspire your Excellences Lordships, Worship's &c. with that which may stretch to the good an● Welfare of the Netherlandes, and the good inhabitants thereof.  
Given from S'Grauen-hage the 7. o●●●●e. 1602. The Lord of Hero van Hottinga, Vt.  
Your Excellences, Lordships, Worships, etc. good friends and neighbours. The general estates of the united Provinces: And by order of the same signed.  
C. Aerssen.   

The Proclamation, or Letter of Saveguard, Which according to the former Letter of admonishment, is to be published to the before named Countries.  
WHereas, by means of the General Estates of th'united Netherlands, through the grace of GOD, the a●de o● Potentate's and Prince's, with whom they are in league & ●r●endsh●ppe, together with their good endeavours, the welfare of the general Neth●rlandes is intende●: jointly with her deliverance from the bondage of the Spanish, & her adherent●s ●●●●rame. And since equity and reas●n requireth, that also all Provinces, Cities, Towns, Villages, and Inhabitants of the Netherlandes, which are overburdened and suppressed by the Spanish yoke, should be assisters and furtherers thereof: By these presented therefore, are now for the first and last time summoned and admonished, the Governors of the City of _____ that within three days after the receipt hereof, they pay and deliver into the hands of the Deputy unto our General Receiver of the Netherlands, being in our Camp, the sum of pounces, in deducting the consented sums of money both heretofore borne, and hereafter to be disbursed, for the freeing of the Netherlandes. Also, the said Governors at the sight hereof) shall send into our Camp two Pledges, for the said payment: as also with charge, to deal further w●th our Commissioners, as well upon a reasonable Contribution as for their defence against the incursions and spoils of the resolute Soldiers of this party: for the which, these presents shall serve for a Saveguard and passport: Or, in default of not accomplishing these our Letters, we shall to our griefs) befores actually to proceed against them with the Martial executions. Thus done, resolved and concluded in the assembly of the said Lords the general States:  
In S'Grauen-hage the. 7. or June. 1602. Hero van Hottinga, Vt. At the appointment of the above named Lords the general States. C. Aerssen.  
BY Letters received from the Brill, dated the 19 of June, (according unto their Computation) is credibly reported, that the Camp of his Excellency Prince Maurice, was mustered about ●●tten, near to Skencke his Scour being in number about 24000 Foot men and 70●0. Horse, and about 2200. Wagons, to each Wagon belonging three Horse and two Men. with great quan●ite of ordinance▪ with drawing Horses and their furniture thereunto belonging: Th●se Wagons being all laden with all necessary Implem●ntes great quantity of Meal, Milles, Ovens to bake, S●●●…s Flails Boats and Bridges of Leather, with other such like necessaries: his Excellency did begin to set his Martial and discipline orders for the M●t●h. And was reported, that certain Cap●●i●es were hanged for their falsehood and deceit in th●●● Master's, and a Soldier, for having stolen a 〈◊〉 from the friends party▪ so that now each day is to be 〈◊〉 to hear of their ●●●●tention & proceedings; which 〈◊〉 must daily may and beseech th' Almighty with his all●●●●p●ng 〈…〉 give such success, as shall ●ende to the praise an● 〈…〉 ●a●e, the protection of his faith, and to 〈…〉.  
FINIS.