A TRUE DECLARAtion of the straight siege laid to the Cytty of Steenwich, and of the Skirmishes and Battles which happened on both sides, very strange and adventurous.  
Hereunto is also annexed, in what manner the Enemy besought to parley with Count Maurice his Excellency, concerning the yielding up of the City into his hands.  
Together with the yielding up of the same.  
Printed first in Dutch, and truly translated into English, by I.T.   fleur-de-lis 
LONDON ●●●●●ed by john Wolf, and are to be sold 〈◊〉 his shop, right over against the great South door of Paul's. 1592.   

The Translators Preface to the Reader.  
GEntle Reader, as you may by this present declaration perceive the miseries and calamities which are daily suffered in the Low-countries by the people there, so can you not but withal acknowledge how greatly you are bounden unto almighty God for all the benefits wherewith it hath pleased his Divine majesty so many years to bless our country for these four and thirty years and more, what age hath seen a more happy estate than ours? What Nation hath had so well guided a government as this? what people have enjoyed the free disposing of themselves and their goods more than we? what country under the vale of heaven hath been more adorned with the ensigns of peace than England? O England! England! Peace hath been thy bliss, Take heed it be not thy bane. For if through peace you become so put out of memory of war, that the remembrance thereof is not able to put you in mind how ingratitude and wickedness will be punished by war, then undoubtedly as you grow by Peace, so by Peace you shall fall. Wherefore let us beseech God of his mercy to give us grace to eschew sin; the cause of war and all misery, for so the cause being avoided, the effect will take no place. Which God grant for his glories sake, and the good of all Christian people.  
Farewell.  
 Tudor rose   

A True declaration of the siege laid to the City of Steenwich, and of the Skirmishes and Battles which happened on both sides, very strange and adventurous.  
Hear is also annexed, in what manner the enemy besought Count Maurice to parley with him, concerning the condition of yielding up the City into the hands of his Excellency.  
IT happened, that our Noble Prince Count Maurice of Nassaw Governor general of the united Provinces, & the valiant Prince Count William governor of Friesland, having assembled a great power of men and soldiers, on horse & foot, as well by sea as by land, being well provided of all kind of munition appertaining to war, joined their forces together and brought them before the City of Steenwich, upon the xxviii. day of May, being Corpus Christi day, about nine of the clock in the morning, where they besieged the said City very straightly and strongly, parting their powers into four Camps, and planting them in four sundry places about the City.  
Parma had sent into Steenwich sixteen companies, of all kind of Nations and people mingled together, among which were divers freebuyters and merchants, that had been dealers in the betraying and selling of Gertruynberch.  
Also divers others that had been at Deventer, and had sworn not to serve against Count Maurice in three years: with many more that had revolted from Count Maurice to the enemy, and for some crime or evil act committed, run from their captains to escape deserved punishment.  
The Enemies seeing that they were so straightly besieged, the Magistrates and chief officers called all the Soldiers unto them, where they all swore very solemnly both Soldiers and Citizens to stick one to the other, and not to forsake one another, but to stand to the full trial of their fortune, and rather to die enerye man, then to yield to their enemy.  
Whereupon they began to resist the assaults which were by us made upon them and valiantly to defend themselves to the uttermost: insomuch that in the very beginning they slew and spoiled many pioneers and Englishmen.  
The fourth day of june did they of Steenwich make an issue upon us, at which time they slew many Englishmen, and the most part of Olthofs soldiers, besides many whom they wounded, and five whom they took Prisoners, one of them being an Englishman, whom they hanged: but we drove them into the City again so speedily, that they were forced to shut out two of their soldiers, whom we slew under the gates of the City.  
After this they planted their field pieces on the top of their town house steeple, whence they shot stones, chains, and iron bars, into our Camp, which much hurt our Soldiers: although we were told that they had but seven Cannon shot in all.  
The sixth day of june, Count Maurice, caused all the great shot to be discharged upon the City, which made such a terrible and fearful noise, that the very earth seemed to shake above three miles from the place: beginning at four of the clock in the morning and continuing till nine: insomuch that there were above four thousand shots displayed upon the City. But the rampire which our men had made, was something to low, by reason whereof the bullets flew over the City into Count William's Camp, whereby we were compelled to cease the play of the Cannon.  
After which storm they of the City came with brooms to sweep the walls in a mookage, lest forsooth the dust of the shot should have fouled the walls, making so light of the matter, as if they had no harm by the cannon that had so furiously barked at them all that while, but only that the walls were something strewed with the fragments of the bullets, that being broken into small pieces, might be sweeped away with a broom.  
The eighteenth day of june being Saturday at night and eleven of the clock, they issued again out of the City into our camp, with white linen shirts over their armour: having Axes, Demye-pikes, two hand sword, and Dags, but no pieces at all with them. Olthof with his company having drunk well, although he was advertised of their coming yet made light of it, and feared not the Enemies at all: who fell upon him very furiously and taking him, not making great preparation to withstand them, slew Olthof himself, his lieutenant, his corporal, and some of his Soldiers. But our men having intelligence thereof, speedily forced them to turn their backs and run to their hold.  
Our Lord the Count Maurice caused a kind of warlike engine had in such ca●es to be made higher than the City with their lofts, which each of them could hold an hundredth men, insomuch that no man could by day peep out of his house, but he was shot through.  
The tops of all the houses in the city were broken down, and nothing could be seen except the steeple: and by reason that no body durst come into the streets for fear of our shot, they broke down the side walls of their houses and made a passage through their houses to come by one another, and to take order what should be done: for they began to faint and wax discouraged with the great loss of the people, and the want of powder: and especially because our men had won one of their skonses or fortresses, called the half moon.  
Within the City of Steenwich is a great square Market place, which they had so strongly fortified, that the City being taken, yet it would be scarce possible to drive the enemy out of it without loss of men.  
The 24 of june there were about two hundred Spaniards, Walloons, and Germans together slain and taken, who were sent from Kaeverden, each having a little bag of Gunpowder about his neck, and thinking by some subtle sleight to have entered into the City, and in that manner to have furnished it with provision of powder.  
In the end the enemy perceiving how they lost their Fortresses, and seeing their forces wonderfully impaired, their provision sailing, their soldiers slain and wounded, and all the people astonished with the misery of their present estate, and terrified with the calamity which they were like to sustain if they rendered not in time, began to beseech his excellency to take them to his mercy, promising that they would yield up the City upon condition that they might save both their life and goods.  
His Excellency promised unto them, that he would according to the law of war suffer their free soldiers to pass without any hurt or harm any way done unto them, but as for the merchants of the Berch and certain other Soldiers that had taken oath in Deventer not to serve against his Excellency within three years after, those he would in any case have delivered into his hands to deal with them according to his own good liking.  
This stirred up a great and sudden mutiny in the City between the said Deventer soldiers and the merchants of Berch against the Citizens, saieug that they had great wrong offered them, considering they had adventured their lives and spilled their blood in the behalf of the city upon their promise to do the like for them, and that now they would in their greatest need leave them, yea give them up into their enemies hands, and therefore they were resolved to fight while they could breathe against the Citizens themselves, and so die in revenging the injury offered them, rather than to suffer themselves to be hanged by their enemies.  
Whereupon they sent a drum unto Count Maurice to know of him whether it would not please his Excellency to let his mercy be generally granted unto all that were in the City; for that then the would without delay render up the city unto him? which he would not grant.  
Then our men presently blowed up the Mine which they had made under the earth with gunpowder, which being raised on the walls, caused many of their Wallon Captains Ensigns & other Soldiers, to fly up into the Sky as black as crows, which so daunted the courage of the enemies, that they presently compounded with Count Maurice, and rendered the City upon promise that their life and goods should be saved. In so much that his Excellency took them to his mercy, and gave to them all as well Soldiers as Citizens both life and goods, suffering no violence or injury to be offered them by his Soldiers, whereupon they promised that they would not serve against him within six months after on that side of the river Rhyne. And so they passed with their Rapier and Dagger through out Camp out of the City, caring whatsoever they would with them, and were conducted with his Excellency's Horsemen nine miles off, having carts and waggins allowed them to convey away their baggage, and maimed persons with them. For which merciful and gentle dealing, they all greatly thanked his Excellency. Only the Merchants of the Berch and Deventer soldiers were driven into the church where they stood at his mercy to be dealt withal as he should think good.  
Thus may we thank almighty God for his great goodness towards us, in granting us so great a victory against our enemies, in the enterprise undertaken at the City of Steenewyke. The 4 day of july 1592.