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Uit de KB, Knottel 9987, de openbare aanbesteding voor de troepen van het jaar 1672.
From the Dutch Royal library, the pay lists for the troops for the year 1672, with the note that a month was 40 days and privates didn't have the guarantee that they were paid accrding to this list, as captains and colonels had the right to deduct from the wages things like clothing and weaponry.
I hope my boss doesn't see that.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenIndeed, a "month" could be lengthened at will (well, not quite of course) but on the other hand, you got cash money when you joined the army (Handgeld "hand money), yo could run off and join another regiment and do the same trick again. And again..
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThere is a famous example of, I believe, an Irishman who joined the English, Dutch, French armies, and possibly that of one of the German states.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenDrawback for common men was, of course, that punishment would be severe. However, for officers it was somehow quite common, and accepted, to make cross-border career moves (the Duke of Schomberg is the famous example I guess).