BREDA 
try. The chief force of the torrent fell upon Spinola’s 
quarters, asd he exerted Iris utmoft ability to remove the 
couleauences. He dug large pits, and cut out ditches and 
canals to receive the water ; but thefe being filled, and 
the whole ground covered over, fo as to appear one uni¬ 
form mafs of water, ferved only to entrap his cavalry. 
The inundation was augmented by the rains which hap¬ 
pened to tall ; a mortality among the foldiers and hones 
enfued ; and of his whole army, Spinola had fcarcely 
twelve thoufand men fit for fervice by the month of De¬ 
cember. With thefe inconfiderable remains, tines of vaft 
extent were to be defended, the works were to be advan¬ 
ced, the falhes from the garrifon repulfed, and provitions 
to be conveyed into the camp, while Spinola, the foul of 
action, was confined to a fick bed. 
In the garrifon, an epidemical difeafe and fcarcity like- 
wife prevailed; but the excellent regulations made, ena¬ 
bled the town to hold out three or four months beyond 
the time expected. The tnagiftrates bought the corn for 
the bakers, obliging them to fell the bread at a price af¬ 
fixed, and returning the overplus of their pay to the fol¬ 
diers. A variety of other prudent regulations were efta- 
blifired, evincing the fteadinefs, fagacity, courage, and 
ability, of Judin de Nalfau. A kind of rivalthip appeared 
between him and Spinola, which fiiould heft fulfil their 
feveral duties.. The Spanifh general caufed hitnfelf to be 
carried about the works in a litter ; he infpedled and di¬ 
rected every thing; and difplayed the activity of full 
health, at the time his life was in imminent danger. He 
ordered feveral breaches in the lines to be repaired : thefe 
the Hollanders had made by fap, with a view of intro¬ 
ducing fuccours- to the befieged. He drove piles into all 
the ditches and canals through which their boats could 
pafs. He made drains, to clear off the waters of the river 
Mercke.; and fucceeded in a great meafure by dint of per- 
feverance, vigilance, and conduct. He was now reinforced 
with a body ot eight thoufand foot, and one thoufand five 
hundred horfe ; many of the lick were perfctly recovered 
by his extreme care ; and his army was again become for¬ 
midable, amounting to twenty-five thoufand infantry, and 
eight thoufand cavalry. Nor was prince Henry idle, who 
now fucceeded to the titles and dominions of his brother 
Maurice, and was elected governor of Holland, Zealand, 
G'uelderland, Utrecht, and Overyffel. He preffed France 
tor alliflance, and was joined by a body of cavalry under 
the conduct of the count de Rouffi and the marquis de 
Rantbures. With this reinforcement, and a body of Ger¬ 
man infantry, he attacked the enemy’s lines, and after an 
obftinate conflict was repulfed. He advanced a lecond 
time ; but Spinola, who entertained a high opinion of his 
valour and conduct, did not choofe to wait for him in his 
lilies ; he marched out with the greater part of his army, 
feized upon a convenient poft, and obliged the prince a 
fecond time to retire towards Bois-le-duc. Henry, find¬ 
ing no profpect of being able to relieve the garrifon, fent 
a permiflion to the governor to furrender on the beft con¬ 
ditions he could obtain. This plan, which was figned with 
no name, fell into the hands of the befiegers, and Spinola 
fent it open, by a trumpet, to Juftin de Naffau, offering 
him an honourable capitulation ; but that intrepid gover¬ 
nor, fufpefting the letter was forged, becaufe it was ano¬ 
nymous, replied civilly, that a permiflion was not an order 
to furrender; and that he (hould better follow the prince 
of Orange’s intention, and fhew lus refpeft for Spinola, 
by continuing to defend the city to the laft extremity. 
By this time the garrifon was diminifhed by difeafe, 
fatigue, want, and hardfhip, to half the original number; 
but Juftin put on fuch a countenance, as concealed his 
iituation from Spinola. He frequently fallied out upon 
Baglioni’s quarters, where the Italians were perifhing with 
cold and hunger, the whole fubliftence of the befiegers 
♦lependmg on the contributions railed in the neighbouring 
territories. This inconvenience produced a mutiny in the 
camp, that could not be appealed without applying vio¬ 
lent remedies, and executing within fight of the whole 
3 
army the chief ringleaders. One of the mutineers blew 
Up Spinola’s chief magazine, valued at two hundred thou¬ 
fand livres. Urged more by neccllity than companion for 
the befieged, Spinola fent a meflage to the governor, ex¬ 
horting him not to force him to extremities, which might 
be attended with fatal confequences to ,a brave garrifon; 
but Juftin, with equal art and ditfimulation anfwered, that 
Spinola was certainly ill ferved by his Ipies, as he ap¬ 
peared wholly unacquainted with the ftate of affairs in 
Breda, which was fully provided for a liege of feveral 
months, and defended by foldiers who preferred death to 
the neceflity of furrendering. At that time the befieged 
were not informed of the death of the prince of Orange. 
They flattered themfelves with the hopes of fpeedy fuc- 
cour, and were entirely ignorant of prince Henry’s late 
difappointment. When they wrote to the army an account 
of their milerable condition, Henry returned an anfwer, 
written with his own hand, and ligned with his name, ap- 
prifing them of the death of Maurice, the unfuccelsful 
attempts made to raile the liege and throw in fuccours, 
the great inferiority of his troops in point of numbers, and 
the death of »:ng James, whereby he was difappointed of 
a ftrong reinforcement; concluding, that be left the city 
entirely to the diferetion of the governor and other prin¬ 
cipal officers. Juftin was thunderftruck with the contents 
of this letter. He had hitherto concealed the total want 
of provifion and ammunition from the enemy, and his own 
garrifon, except a few officers and other perfons in whom 
he repofed confidence. The colonels Hauterive and Mor¬ 
gan would liften to no propolitions, faying, that the ho¬ 
nour of their feveral countries were concerned, and that 
they were refponlible for the conduct of the Englilh and 
French forces. They therefore required an exprefs orc*er 
from the prince of Orange to furrender, notwithftanding 
they pined under the united preffure of fatigue, fcarcity, 
and difeafe. Juftin acquainted the prince with their refo- 
lution, and he fent back an order to furrender, threatening 
with capital puniihment whoever ffiould dilobey ; but he 
requerted that the garrifon would firft acqdaint him by a 
certain number of fires, lighted up in different parts of 
the city, how many days they (liould be able to hold out. 
Upon receipt of this order, eleven fires were kindled; but 
as the prince had fent a duplicate of the order by apother 
meffenger, and this fell into the hands of the enemy, 
Spinola w r as now acquainted with the defperate circum- 
ftances of the befieged. By this acquilition he likewife 
difeovered the myllery of the eleven fires: a council of 
war was affembled to deliberate whether they fliould ftay 
the eleven days, and then oblige the garrifon to furrender 
at diferetion, or immediately offer conditions worthy of fo 
brave a garrifon. The Spanifh officers were of the former 
opinion ; the count de Berg and Spinola fupported the lat¬ 
ter. At laft the marquis, determined to purfue the didlates 
of his noble generolity, fent fuch terms as could not be 
refufed. The count de Berg conducted the negociation. 
Two feparate capitulations were drawn up, one for the 
garrifon and the other for the city, and both the moll ho¬ 
nourable and advantageous that could be devifed. 1 They 
were accepted, and the garrifon marched out on the 6th 
of June. Spinola drew up his army to falute them, and, 
furrounded by his field-officers, paid particular compli¬ 
ments to the governor, the colonels Morgan, Hauterive, 
and Lolire. He diftributed money among the foldiers, or¬ 
dered the fick and wounded to be treated with the utmoft 
tendernefs, conveyed the reft in the manner mod commo¬ 
dious for them to Gertruydenburgh, and difplayed all the, 
fentiments of a hero in the regard paid to the valour and 
merit of his enemies. 
Breda was retaken by Frederic Henry prince of Orange, 
for the United Provinces, in 1637. The Dutch after that 
conliderably augmented the fortifications, which are ef- 
teemed fome of the completed in the Netherlands. It is 
furrounded on all tides by water and moraffes, which ren¬ 
der the approach exceedingly difficult; notwithftanding 
which, it furrendered to the French the 24th of February 
M93, 
