[12] Edel Prince Cardinael
Een Victorie Liedeken Tot Lof van den Prins Cardinael op de wyse: Van 't Melck-meysken
Edel Prince Cardinael, Nederland mag u wel prysen Want gy zyt den principael Die men moet veel eer bewyzen. Door uw Edelheyd en deugd Zyn de menschen al verheugt.
Gy komt hier uyt liefden zoet Om ons Nederland te beschermen, Hoog geboren Edel bloed. Ik hoop Godt zal ons ontfermen. Vervolgt u victorie vry Tegen onze weer party.
Loven op kloek ontzet Al moet Thienen dat besueren want ten korte niet zyn belet Daer was al te groote furie, En men zag aen elken kant Thienen in den vollen brand.
Maer doen ons secours aenquam Moesten sy haest op gaen spelen, Godt was op de schenders gram. Door hun branden, moorden, stelen, Kregen sy zoo grooten slag, Duyzend wel op eenen dag.
Maer hoe wirden sy onthaelt Doen sy quamen 't huys gedoken Gelyk een die niet betaelt En met syn gelag gaet loopen Daer veel lieden daer wat schand Bleven voor 't gelag te pand.
Edel Prinz nemt dit in dank, Myn kleyn jonst met eenen iver. Al ben ik in dichten krank Nochtans doen ik 't langs hoe liever En ik rust vast op den schoof Van het Heilig Roomsch Geloof.
| [12] Edel Prince Cardinael (Noble Prince Cardinal, 1635)
Shortly afterwards, Ferdinand had to defend the country against a dangerous attack by the Dutch, who had made an alliance with the French. Their plan was to conquer the Southern Netherlands together and then divide it between them. The Dutch stadtholder Frederick Henry started the campaign from the city of Maastricht (which was in Dutch hands), and went westwards in the direction of Leuven and Brussels, which he eventually wanted to win. On their way to Leuven the combined Dutch and French armies first captured the weakly defended city of Tienen and burnt it down, killing and raping many innocent citizens. Today we would call this a war crime, and also in 1635 it was regarded as violating basic rules, for which some soldiers were punished by death. But it was also a military mistake, because during the fire the whole corn supply of the city was burnt, which caused a shortage of bread in the French army. Eventually the mission failed. In this song the withdrawal of the Dutch and the French is explained as a victory for Ferdinand.
A Victory Song In praise of the Prince Cardinal To the tune of: About the Milkmaid
Noble Prince Cardinal, The Netherlands should indeed praise you For you are the sovereign To whom men should pay great honor. Your nobility and virtue Have made the people glad.
You have come here out of dear love To protect our Netherlands, You of highborn noble blood. I hope that God will have mercy on us. Follow your great victory Against our opponents.
The siege of Leuven is broken, Although to Tienen's regret, For that could not be avoided - The fury there was all too great, And so on all sides we saw Tienen go up in flames.
But when our rescue troops arrived They quickly had to retreat; God was angry with the transgressors. Because of their burning, murder, and stealing They were struck down by a thousand blows In a single day.
But how they were received When they came to hide in the house Like someone who hasn't paid And runs off with the bill To some place full of people, But in shame still owes the debt.
Noble Prince, accept with thanks This my small gift, given with intense devotion. I may be a poor poet But I do this with ever more pleasure, Held as I am, secure in the sheaf Of Holy Roman Faith.
From a 19th-century handwritten copy in the Broadside Collection Wouters (Royal Library, The Hague), no. 04008. Melody by Tiburtius van Brussel from Den Boeck der gheestelijcke sanghen (Antwerp, 1631).
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