1573 SPANISH-DUTCH EIGHTY YEARS' WAR
"SPANISH FURY" LETTER WITH  "BODE VAN MECHELEN" MARK

FROM THE GOLD MEDAL COLLECTION OF KEES ADEMA
"MANUSCRIPT MARKINGS OF THE 16TH CENTURY"

1573 - SPANISH OFFICIAL FROM THE "BLOOD COUNCIL" IN BRUSSELS WRITES TO THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT IN MECHELEN AT CRITICAL MOMENT IN THE EIGHTY YEARS WAR. THE COVER BEARS THE MARKINGS OF THE "BODE VAN MECHELEN" PRIVATE COURIER POST

LETTER DATELINE DECEMBER 1, 1573

A handwritten letter from De La Torres, a Spanish Official Member of the "Blood Council" of Brussels, to the Governor and Council of Magistrates in Mechelen. As beautiful and ornate an historical letter as you can find from this critical time in the Eighty Years War that led to the Formation of the Dutch Republic and its rise to world power with a special rare "Bode de Mechelen" Private Courier Post marking

Historical Note

Before 1581, the area of the Low Countries consisted of a number of duchies, counties, and independent bishoprics, not all of them part of the Holy Roman Empire. Today that area is divided between the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and parts of France and Germany. The Low Countries in the 16th century roughly corresponded to the Seventeen Provinces covered by the Pragmatic Sanction of 1549 of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Through marriage, war or sale, these states all ended up in the hands of the Habsburg emperor, Charles V, and his son, King Philip II of Spain. In 1568, the Netherlands, led by William of Orange, revolted against Philip II because of his efforts to modernize and centralize the devolved medieval government structures of the provinces, high taxes, and persecution of Protestants by the Catholic church. This was the start of the Eighty Years' War.

The Spanish King Philip II, a zealous persecutor of Protestants, sent the Duke of Alba into the Netherlands in 1567 at the head of an army of 12,000 men, with unlimited powers for the extirpation of heretics. When he arrived he soon showed how much he merited the confidence which his master reposed in him, and instantly erected a tribunal which soon became known to its victims as the "Blood Council," to try all persons who had been engaged in the late commotions that the rule of Philip had excited. During the six years of his governorship, thousands of people were executed. Dutch accounts refer to 18,000; while in Spanish history only a few hundred are mentioned. About 6,000 casualties can be considered as the most accurate estimate. He imprisoned Lamoral, Count of Egmont and Philip de Montmorency, Count of Hoorn, the two popular leaders of the dissatisfied Dutch nobles, and had them condemned to death even though they were opposed to the Protestants. His attempt to raise money by imposing the Spanish "alcabala", a tax of 10% on all sales ("tenth penny" tax), aroused the opposition of the even the Catholic Netherlanders. The exiles from the Low Countries, who called themselves Geuzen (French gueux, "beggars"), encouraged by the general resistance to Alba's government, fitted out a fleet of privateers called the Sea Beggars. The fleet of the exiles met the Spanish fleet, defeated it, and reduced Holland and Mons. The States-General, assembling at Dordrecht, openly declared against Alba's government and marshaled under the banner of William the Prince of Orange.

Alba, under the conduct of his son Don Federico, succeeded in recovering Mons, Mechelen and Zutphen. With the exception of Zeeland and Holland, he regained all the provinces. His son stormed Naarden, massacring its inhabitants, and then proceeded to invest the city of Haarlem, which, after standing an obstinate siege, was taken and pillaged. Don Federico left Mechelen, Zutphen and Naarden in ashes on the way north, slaughtering thousands of citizens in a demonstration of Spain's absolute power. In December 1572, they reached Haarlem. After a protracted siege, Don Federico won the city's unconditional surrender, but it cost him 10,000 men and a crippling seven month delay. The myth of the all-conquering Spanish military machine had been exposed by the resolve of the citizens of a poor Dutch town, who had succumbed, not to arms but to famine. Reneging on a promise to spare the city, Federico proceeded to exact a punishing revenge. Yet is can be considered that these atrocities ultimately worked against the Spanish as other Dutch towns took heart and were forewarned that the Spanish would indulge in wholesale slaughter whether challenged or not. The only way forward was open resistance. The horrors of the Siege of Haarlem were somewhat offset by subsequent events. King Philip diverted funds to his Mediterranean campaign against the Turks and Don Federico's troops mutinied due to the resultant lack of wages. They eventually moved on but failed to capture Alkmaar and Leiden. Furthermore, the Sea Beggars regrouped and wiped out the Amsterdam fleet which had initiated Haarlem's downfall. William of Orange later set up independence for the Dutch states and Calvinism became the state-favoured religion, with Catholicism still tolerated in private.

DETAIL OF TEXT OF LETTER

English Translation: A certain Jan Van Beersele has debts and had sent a petition to the Blood Council of the King. Van Beersele had asked for a delay of payment in that petition and in this letter the Councilors of Mechelen are asked to summon all the creditors of Jan Van Beersele who live on their territory and to convince them to allow a delay for the payment. If the creditors refuse, the Councilors of Mechelen are to inform the Blood Council of the King and then the King will take further measures. This letter was written in Brussels on the first day of December 1573.

The Councilors of Mechelen to whom the letter is addressed are not the regular magistrates of Mechelen. In that period the regular magistrates had been replaced by a governor and four Councilors. So the "beloved and loyal" Councilors to whom the letter is addressed are the four Special Councilors. The reason for that replacement is the rebellion of the Netherlands against Spain. In September 1572 Mechelen was in the hands of the rebels of William of Orange. Beginning in October 1572 Viceroy Duke Alva’s Spanish soldiers re-conquered the city, sacked it (Spanish Fury) and replaced the magistrate by a Governor and four Councilors. The regular magistrate was restored in 1574-1575 under the new Viceroy Luis de Requesens.

Dutch Transcription: Lieve ende getrouwe ? zeynden u hier inne besloeten zekere supplicatie gepresenteert in onsen secreten rade van weghen Jan van Beersele, u ordonnerende ende bevelende dat die zelve u ghesien ende geins?teert zynde ghy ontbiedt ende doet voer ulieden commen alle des suppliants crediteuren woenachtich onder uwe jurisdictie ende die zelve om redenen inde voerseide supplicatie geallegeert ende deur andere goede middelen van persuasien die ghy daertoe wel zult connen weghen, induceert ende onderwyst te vreden te zijne den voerseide suppliant te accorderen uuytstellinge ende termyn zyne schult te betaelen zulcke als hy verzueckende es ende indien zy daertoe nyet en willen verstaen die zwaricheden by u daerinne bevonden, zult ons overscriven met ulieder advis daerop ofte onsen lieven ende getrouwen die luyden van onsen voerseiden secreten rade mits wederseukende die voerseide supplicatie om al tzelve ghesien voirts daer inne geordonneert te worden alzoet ons van rechtswegen goet duncken zal ende desen wilt nyet laten, lieve ende getrouwe den Heere God zy met u ghescreven te Bruessele den eersten dach van decembre anno 1573.

FRONT OF LETTER

REVERSE OF COVER

HEADING OF LETTER
[Click to Enlarge]
Dutch Transcription: "Byden Coninck"
English Translation: (ordered) by the king

ORNATE SIGNATURE OF SPANISH OFFICIAL
"De La Torre"
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DOCKETING NOTATION

Dutch Transcription: Tot desen inductien es geadmitteert myn here Liebart raedt ? actum 25n juny 1574 ?

English Translation: The docketing notation states that Sir Liebaert, Councilor, has the permission to do what the king has ordered "In the Matter of Jan van Beersele". The date of the docketing is 25 June 1574. It is unclear who Liebaert was as he does not appear in the list of the City's magistrates. Likely he was one of the Four Councilors, who along with a Governor, ruled the city of Mechelen at this time. In 1574 the city regained its normal magistrate. Regarding the signature beneath: that is also likely someone of the Blood Council named Stael.

Document Description: A very fine handwritten and signed official document from a crucial moment in the Eighty Years War, coming at the moment of the Iron Duke of Alba's disgraceful recall to Spain and the appointment of Luis de Zúñiga y Requesens as Spanish Governor of the Low Countries, who, despite efforts to mollify the Dutch, failed and died at his post in Brussels, March 5, 1576. Opened letter measures 13" x 8.5" (325mm x 215). On single sheet of batonne laid paper. Some slight separations at folds not affecting signature. A very scarce document from the Eighty Year's War.

Offered by Berryhill & Sturgeon, Ltd.