I went the common Road to Brussels, and from thence through Breda and Gorcum, to Utrecht; having a desire to see in what state the Congress was, which was then held at that place.
Breda, which is a Place of Strength, situate on the River of Mercke, is part of Dutch Brabant, and one of the most considerable Towns in the Netherlands. This City and its Territory has the Title of a Barony, and has had several Masters. The last Owners of it were the Princes of Nassau, who acquired it in 1404, by Eagelbert of Nassau's Marriage with Joan the only Daughter of the Lord of Leck, who was Sovereign of Breda. Henry de Nassau founded the Castle in this Town, and the Tomb of René is still to be seen in the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, which was founded about the Year 1303. This City suffer'd very much towards the latter end of the sixteenth Century, during the Wars for Religion. 'Twas at first seiz'd by the Confederates, who form'd the Republic of the United Provinces. The Prince of Parma took it
from them the 18th of June 1581; but Prince Maurice of Orange made himself Master of it in 1590, by means of a Boat laden with Turf, under which he had caus'd about threescore Soldiers to be conceal'd, who made themselves Masters of the Castle, and thereby gave the Prince an Opportunity to take the Town by Capitulation. They tell a very remarkable Story of one of the Soldiers that was hid in that Boat, viz. That having a Necessity of coughing, he desir'd one of his Comrades to kill him outright, for fear that his impertinent Cough should discover the Stratagem. This Soldier richly deserv'd to have his Name transmitted to Posterity; for sure a Roman could not have said a more gallant Thing, and an Instance of inferior Courage to this would perhaps have been rewarded with a Statue. Some Years after the Reduction of Breda, the great Spinola General of the Spanish Forces, besieg'd and took it after a Siege, or rather Blockade of eleven Months. 'Twas a fourth time besieg'd by Frederic-Henry Prince of Orange, who took it after a Siege of four Months, and then it came into the hands of the Dutch, who have remain'd Masters of it ever since, and have considerably augmented its Fortifications; and as the Place is situate in very Marshy Ground, they have erected Sluices there, by means of which they can easily lay all the neighbouring Country under Water. For the rest, this is not one of the best built Cities in the Netherlands, and were it not for its Ramparts would be a very inconsiderable Place. The King of Prussia, by virtue of his Pretensions to the Succession of William III. King of England, adds to his Titles that of Baron of Breda.
Having pass'd through Gorcum, which I thought a Town of very little consequence, I came to Utrecht[43], which is one of the most noted Cities in the Netherlands, and gives Name to one of the seven Provinces, whereof it is the Capital. It was formerly a Bishop's See, and the Bishops were Sovereigns of the Province, and Princes of the Empire. The Dukes of Brabant and Cleves, the Counts of Holland and Guelderland, and other Sovereigns to the number of twenty-eight, were Feudataries to its Bishop. The Emperor Charlemain, that great Founder of Bishoprics, annex'd so Many Prerogatives to this with a View of engaging the Bishops to act with Zeal for Conversion of the Pagans who possess'd a Part of the Neighbouring Countries. Philip II. erected this Bishopric into an Archbishopric in favor of Schenck of Tautenbourg; but he did not enjoy the new Dignity long, for at the same time that this Country revolted from Spain, the Protestant Religion was introduc'd into it, and the Archbishop was expell'd. Henry of Bavaria was the last Bishop who was Sovereign of this Country, but his Subjects rebell'd against him and turn'd him out. This Bishop implor'd the Protection of Charles V. to whom with the Consent of his Clergy and States he transferr'd the Temporal Dominion of the Country in 1528, and from thence he was translated to the Bishopric of Worms. The famous Union of the seven Provinces, to which the Establishment of the Republic is owing, was concluded at Utrecht the 13th of January, 1579.
The City of Utrecht is famous also for the Birth of Pope Adrian VI, in 1459. They say this Pontiff was of mean Extraction, and was
only oblig'd to his own Merit for his Advancement. The Emperor Maximilian trusted him with the Education of Charles his Grandson. He was afterwards sent to Spain with the Title of Ambassador to King Ferdinand, who gave him the Bishopric of Tortosa. Upon that Monarch's Death he shar'd the Regency of Spain with the Cardinal Ximenes, and afterwards remained sole Viceroy of that Kingdom. He was made a Cardinal the first of July 1517, by Pope Leo X. and chose Pope the ninth of January 1522.
While I am thus making Digressions in speaking of the City of Utrecht, you will also permit me to tell you that this City gave birth to the famous Anna-Maria Schuurman, that learned Lady who spoke Latin, Greek, Hebrew, the Syriac, Chaldee, Italian, Spanish, and French Languages as fluently as the Low Dutch, which was her Mother-Tongue. She also knew how to paint in Miniature, and to engrave both with the Graving Tool and the Diamond upon Copper and Glass. Queen Christina of Sweden did her the same Honor, as Alexander formerly did to Diogenes, for she went to pay her a Visit, and was surpriz'd at the Beauty of her Performances. This most ingenious Artist of her Sex died in 1678, at 71 Years of Age.
Balderic of Cleves the fifteenth Bishop of Utrecht, caus'd this City to be encompass'd with Walls; and Charles V. built its Castle, which has at present nine Bastions, two Half-moons, and a Hornwork. They say that the great Church dedicated to St. Martin, was built in the Year 630 by King Dagobert; and after it was destroy'd, together with all the other Buildings in the City by the Normans, Adelbolde the 19th Bishop caus'd it to be rebuilt and consecrated in
1024, in presence of the Emperor Henry II. and twelve Bishops. It was ruin'd a second time, but was magnificently rebuilt. There's a very fine Tower at the Entrance 388 Foot high, from whence fifteen or sixteen Towns may be seen distinctly.