Your Highness most Renowned Father, with such an
excellent spirit of Government, would double his portion upon
Your Highness, and so strengthen Your hands against
the Designs and Malice of all such unreasonable men. And
that the Enemies of Your Highness and these Nations Peace
may see we are not a People given to change, nor addicted
in the least (by our silence) to cherish the discontented
humors of any ill affected person whatsoever; We therefore
Your Highness most faithful Subjects Officers and Soldiers
(as we stand bound both by our Civil and Military capacities)
do in the presence of God and Men, promise and
declare, That we will be true, faithful and obedient unto
Your Highness Person and Government, as, unto our lawful
Sovereign and General. In the defence and preservation
whereof against all opposition) we will be ready to expose
our Lives and Fortunes to the greatest hazards; trusting
that upon all occasions that God will enable us to express
ourselves
Your Highness most Loyal and Faithful Subjects,
From Dover, October 11.
The account we have here out of Flanders is, that the
French have taken the garrison of Comines, and are set
down before Armentieres, a place not able to withstand them
any long time, and which being possessed will have a considerable
influence upon Gaunt, and quite spoile the Enemies
correspondence betwixt the garrisons of Aire and St.
Omer. When Comines was taken, it was done upon so easie
termes, that the Officers were glad to march out with Switches
in their hands, all save two, whom Marshal Tureine was
pleased to favor, and permit to march out with their swords
in hand.
The French are fortifying the Towns of Menin and Oudenard,
and placing strong garrisons therein, by which means the
principal parts of Flanders will be held under contribution.
An Action hath lately passed, being acted by the Spaniards
garrison of St. Omer; they lately marched (a party of them)
thence to the Town of Boloigne; and when they drew