the King to compounde with the enimie who dyd ouermatche them in all thyngs so that they myghte thereby assuredly prouide for the safetie of the Kyng and hys whole army Finally there were fewe who thought that the life and libertie of the King was rashly to be putte into the daunger of vnequall fyghte when there was no man founde that béeyng more wofull for the Kings safetie than for his owne was not of the opinion that the euent of the battell woulde bée farre worse than all other things in somuch that they séemed vnable eyther to fynde ende to theyr aduices or assured meane to saue the armye in that daunger But then they reporte that Trivulzi on whome specially all mens eyes were cast dyd wyth the great expectation of all menne speake in this manner They that doe consulte of the doubtfull chaunces of warfare at suche tyme as perill is present ought to fetche that one way and meane both of safetie and also of victorie which is only lest from stoutenesse of courage fearelesse hearte for when force doth most vrge in a matter and there is most néede both of stoute aduice and couragious aduenture there a man to abate his stomacke dismisse his minde and to be attainted wyth feare is both shameful and also most times pernicious but yet the same séemeth to be muche more dishonorable vntimely when that by ouer wofully weighing and pondering the perils we do make and imagine them to be greater worse thā they are indéede Diuers that haue spoken before me graue men and whych byndeth greater credite vnto their words very couragious and valiaunt warriours haue doubted and that too very vehemently of the safetie of you most inuincible Soueraigne and of your whole army that is to witte by rehearsing what penurie of thyngs and famine do hang ouer both men and Horses what asperities of places what streightes doe hinder our iourney and pull from valiant mē the vse of prowesse and finally what kinde and how great an armye of oure enimies do foreshutte and stoppe the wayes agaynste vs béeyng fewe in number and wéeryed with the toyle of so great a iourney that we may not by any meanes escape so that it is better to trye all other wayes than wyth despayred victorie by contending with force to hazard the whole as though as it liketh some that to the ende we may escape vnto the safe Alpes the most noble and alwayes victorious King should take a most dishonorable and lamentable iourney ouer the Mountaynes of Liguria all the baggage of the army and the great ordinance being by secrete and shamefull flighte lest behinde for oure enimies or else that we turne oure backes towards thē and returne againe vnto Pisa that anone after our enimies enuironing vs both by sea land we being tamed by famine and yéelded may be a laughing stocke vnto that whole world Neither also do I like of the aduice that your Maiestie should by a shamefull cōpositiō obteine of your armed enimies a safe returne into France For by what other faith shall we assure ourselues all things to be peaceable thā by the selfesame whereby euen now they so impudētly brake the late leagues But in this let vs credite the perfidious for they also do somtime vse to kéepe their faith giuē that they may afterward deceiue more timely with greater gaine By this vnhappie couenanting are not so many valiaunt men that do nobly defende the kingdome of Naples beyng destitute of all hope of help forsaken and also betrayed vnto their most cruell enimies and if the garrison be withdrawen out of Nouara shal not the course that is begun to a more ample victorie be vtterly interrupted and cut off Doubtlesse I see that the same one only counsell is both safe and honorable whiche dothe séeme vnto other most hard and daungerous namely that abandoning all thought of peace or flighte wée make vs a way with our swords Neither bycause that I do promise that in the successe all things will be easie for you nor do despaire of the victorie would I séeme to foresée in mind more than the rest and more arrogantly to forefeele the whole euent of thys instante matter for this may be graunted not vnto my witte but vnto my practise in warfare and experience of Italian affayres sith that for the space of these many yeares I haue bin presente in all the warres of Italy whereby it was not hard for me aboundantly to learne the counsels mindes artes and the verye discipline both of the Princes and also the Captaines and souldyers thereof all which things haue at the length with my often not obscure perils so taught and instructed me that they haue made mée neyther foolishe-hardie nor altogither fearefull First of all wyll not I beléeue that whiche doth so vehemently feare their hartes that are moued with the greatenesse of the daunger that is that the Venetians will of their owne accorde bidde vs battell for besides that ye vnderstand by the letters of certaine that the Lieutenantes and Captaynes haue no commission from the Senate to fight who will beléeue that a people of nature giuen long to linger and draw forth warres will for an other mans cause without any their necessitie hazard all their power in a pitched fielde for it is too too foolishe for a common wealth that doth flourish in euerlasting wyse Counsellours and ryches that cannot bee consumed to couet gay triumphes by a doubtfull and bloudy battell when they may and not rashly looke for the mature and certayn victorie of the vniuersall warres that are not feared with the great charges of them Neyther indéede do I thinke that Lewes Sforza a man of nature fearefull suspitious and very wary dothe earnestly labour by his secret counsel to haue the french power quite destroyed by the Venetians For what other ende will there come of that victorie which God forfende than that the Duchie of Milan become a bootie vnto the Venetian victor which they by inuading and tearing with impotent armes haue alwayes with singular couetousnesse desired But admitte that Lewes will do nothing to day as a wise and wary man and that the Venetians by a new and suddayne coūsell wil committe the Empire of Italy to the arbitrement of doubtfull Mars is there any doubt therefore couragious Soueraigne Charles to be made of the victorie let vayne feares departe from valiant heartes séeyng that all things that euery good Chiefetaine doth wish to haue when he shall fight do promise vnto vs vndoubted hope of good successe Firste of all a cause passing good faithfull and olde Souldyers greate store of ordinance a very indifferents place and finally regarde of none other thing but common safetie and glory The prowesse of the Italian Souldyers héere to day neyther do I debase nor extoll for I should do foudly or impudently if I should vtter my iudgement thereof so that kéeping still my shamefastnesse vnuiolated I doubt not to
without any mercie slue euery man of our men that abode furthest in prease and a sixe me of Bulloners and other than I haue here named in all to the number of xxvj and most part gentlemen My Lord Grey yet and my Lord Edwarde as some grace was returned againe but neyther all in safetie nor without euident markes they had bene there for the one with a Pyke through the mouth was raced a long from the tip of the tongue thrust that way very daunger ously more than two inches within the necke my L. Edward had his horse vnder him with swords wounded sore I think to death Like as also a litle before this onset sir Thomas Darcie vpoÌ„ his approch to the enimies was stricken glauncing wise on the righte side with a bullet of one of the field péeces thereby his bodie brused with the bowing in of his harnesse his sword hilts broken and the forefinger of his right hand beaten flat euen so vpon the parting of this fray was sir Arthur slash at with swords so hurt vpon the wedding finger of his right hand also as it was counted for the first part of curing to haue it quite cut away About the same time certaine of the Scots ran out hastily to the kings Maiesties standard of the horsmen the which sir Andrew Flammake bare laying fast hold vpon the staffe therof cried a king a king that if both his strength his hart his horse had not ben good hereto somewhat aided at this pinch by sir Rafe Coppinger a Pencioner both he had bene slaine the standard lost which the Scots neuerthelesse helde so fast that they brake and bare away the nether ende of the staffe to the burrell and intended so much to the gayne of the standard that sir Andrew as happe was scaped home all safe and else without hurt At this busines also was my Lord Fitzwaters captaine of a number of demilances vnhorst but soone mounted againe scaped yet in great danger and his horse all hewen Hereat further were Cauerley the standard bearer of the men of armes and Clement Paston a pencioner thrust ech of them into the leg with pikes and Don Philip a Spaniard in the knée Diuers other mained and hurt and many horses wounded beside By this time had our fore ward accordingly gotten the full aduantage of the hils side and in respect of their march stood sidelong toward the enimie who neuerthelesse were not able in all parts to stande full square in aray by reason that at the west ende of them vpon their right hand and toward the enimie there was a square plot enclosed with turfe as their maner of fencing in those partes is one corner wherof did let the square of the same aray Our battel in good order next them but so as in continuance of aray the former part thereof stoode vpon the hilles side the tayle vpon the plaine and the rerewarde led by the Lord Dakers of the north wholy vpon the hill so that by the placing and countenaÌ„ce of our armie in this wyse we shewed our selues in a manner to compasse them in that they should no way scape vs the which by our power and number we were as well able to do as a Spiders web to catch a swarme of Bées These vndiscrete gadlings that so fondlye brake aray from the horsemen in the retire as I sayd ran so hastily through the orders and rankes of our fore ward as it stood that it both there disordred many feared manye was a great encouraging of the enimie The earle of VVarwicke who had the guyding of our fore ward right valiantly had conducted the same to their standing there did very nobly encourage and comfort them bidding them pluck vp their hearts and shew themselues meÌ„ for there was no cause of feare But to return vnto the Scots they were somwhat disordred with their coÌ„ming out about the slaughter of our meÌ„ the which they did so earnestly then entend that they tooke not one to mercy but more they were amased at this aduenturous hardy onset My Lords grace hauing before this for the causes aforesaid placed himselfe on this Fauâ—siae Bray thereby quickly perceiuing the great disorder of these stragâ—ng horsmen hemd the in froÌ„ further straying who sir â—â—se Vaâ—e sone after with great dexteritie brought in good order again therewith the rest of our strengths by the policie of my Lords grace diligence of euery captain officer beside were so aptly applied in their feate that where this repulse of the enimie retire of vs was doubted of many to turn to the danger of our lesse the same was wroughte according as it was deuised to our gayne and victorie For first at this slough where most of our horsemen had stood sir Peter Meutas captaine of all the hackbutters afoote did very valiantly conduct place a good number of his men in a maner at the faces of the enimies Wherevnto sir Peter Gamboa a Spaniarde Captaine of two C. hackbutters on horsebacke did readily bring his men also who with the hot continuance of their shot on both partes did so stoutly staye the enimies that they coulde not come further forwarde then our archers that marched in aray on the right hande of our footemen and next to the enimie prickt them sharply with arrowes as they stoode Therewith the maister of the ordinance to their great annoyance did gall them with hayleshot and other out of the great ordinaunce directlye from the hill toppe and certaine other gunners with their péeces a flanke from our rerewarde most of our artillerie and missiue engines then wholy thus at once with great puissance and vehemencie occupied about them here with the full sight of our footemen all shadowed from them before by our horsemen and duste raised whome then they were ware in such order to be so neare vpon them and to this the perfect aray of our horsemen againe comming couragiouslye to set on them a freshe The miserable men perceyuing themselues then all to late howe much too much they were misenformed began sodenly to shrinke Their gouernour that brought them firste to the bargaine like a doughtie Captaine tooke hastily his horse that he might runne foremoste away The Earle of Anguishe and other chiefe Captaines did quickly followe as their Gouernour ledde and with the foremost their Irishmen Therewith then turned all the whole route cast downe their weapons ranne out of their wardes off with their Iackes and with all that euer they might betooke them to the race that their gouernour began Our men had founde them at the first and sharply and quickly with an vniuersall outerie they flée they flée pursued after in chase amaine and thereto so egerly and with such fiercenesse that they ouertooke many and spared in déede fewe Before this at the time of our onsette came there Eastwarde fiue hundreth of their horsemen vp along thys Fauxside â—raye
immortall hatred betwéene the Frenche nation and the Switzers Hauing therefore communicated his counsell and purpose with the ensigne bearers and the most faithful chief men of the Cantons hée secretely admonished Mutio Colonna a Capitaine of the Popes horsemen that of a sette matche when he had receyued the signall hée shoulde cause an alarme to be cried and as thoughe the Frenchemen approched vnto the suburbs wyth a great power should issue out with the horsemen and with counterfaiting as greate fear perill as he could possibly shuld craue aide of the Switzers He also cōmanded the formost bands of the Switzers to do the same who being of great renoume of valor and hatred towardes the Frenchemen had still requested at the beginning of all wars to haue the places next vnto the enimies And so accordingly the Souldiours had no sooner dined and were gone to take their noone nappe but the trumpets and drummes sodainly sounded at the gates of Rome and anone the rumour of the comming of the Frenchemen waxing hotte all the bands one after another when the foremoste tolde them that followed the cause of the alarme made themselues ready and with incredible feruency of fight issued out at the gate whome also the mistrusted regiment folowing with aduanced ensignes hasted on heaps vnto the gate least they should séeme in that tumult whiche apperteyned vnto the publike safety and estimation eyther to haue forsaken those that were before or to be of another opinion touching the cause of the warres The Cardinall being notorious for his hatte and scarlet robe roade vpon a greate horse before the marching rankes wyth hys crosse borne before hym and still as he came vnto the ensigne bearers the pety Captaines or any Souldiours of marke for notable factes he would encourage and inkindle them to make spéede saying that God and the holy Saintes did promise them the victory of that daye in the which they shoulde not only by valiaunt fight destroye all the whole nobility of France brought vnder the conducte of a Princoxe King betwene two armies of his enimies but also breaking the power of the Venetians and Genouese by theyr fortitude and felicitie giue lawes and conditions vnto all Italy nor that the hyred Almaines in whom consisted the Kings chiefe strength whō yet they had often foyled in fight were so estranged frō the Emperor or were of so prodigall prowes that a man might thinke they would for the Frenchmens sakes who indéede were their vtter enimies fight against the honour of al Germany neither yet they should thinke that the Gascoignes very runaways or those horsemen that braued it in their silkes and chaynes of golde who had vsed to repose a little more safetie in their horses and spurres than in their swordes strengthe and stomackes would fight either more stoutly or constantly than they had done before But that labour and perill whiche was lefte was to bee vndertaken with a noble hearte in winning the ordinance of the enimies Where if any of them were slaine they might most constantly beleue that their soules being clensed from all spottes of sinne by hym with the Popes authoritie woulde forthwith flye into heauen leauing behinde on the earthe a notable memorye of their singular valiancy As the Cardinall ridde to the foremoste ranks euery where stil pronouncing these speches ther folowed hym Galeaze Visconti Iohn Gonzaga Cambero and Aquila the Popes Legates and diuers horsemen of those families that of auntient good will fauoured the name of Sforza and had ioyned themselues with the Switzers when they issued out And also certayne armed bands of the commons and cutters intermedled themselues of theyr owne accorde with the company passyng by They had scarcely marched thrée miles from Milan neyther was the French Campe aboue thirty furlongs from them when they began to shoot off their great ordinance which was ten falkons whych thing brought great hofulnesse admiration vnto the Italian horsemen for Mutius riding with changed cheare vnto the Capitaines of the first company began to aske them what madnesse had moued men skilfull in martiall matters and the maisters of that discipline to striue with the vnseasonable thundering of theyr ordynaunce to rouse the enimye whome they had thought best to inuade being vnprepared and looking for nothing lesse than battell Vnto whom it was couragiously aunswered by the foremoste rankes that they shoulde fight well enough according to the discipline of warre euen with the armed and prouided enimy if their mistrusted fellowes and the ensignes of al the Cantons with one counsell and intent descended into the field with them which thing they hoped might be brought to passe if that through that faining of more certaine signes that the battell was begun had come vnto the eares of their folowing fellows whose valor vanquished by infamous hire and mony if that there were no shame at all in them of the publike dignitie yet at the leaste the grones of their kinsfolke falling down dead before their eyes the religion of a souldiors othe and the fear of iudgement which wold anone after be giuen at home against the forsakers of their fellowes they thought woulde be able to stirre vp and inflame them for so greate truste of valor was in their proude heartes that they despised with very greate contempt the moste mightye and strong power of the enimies neyther did they thinke that any store and multitude of greate ordinance or any munitions of place would stay their force from breaking into their Campe by bearing them down and vanquishing Aboue al other there were thrée valiaunt fellowes but men of barbarous prowesse called Pelegrine Landaberg Centy Amerer and Rafe Long that led the thrée voluntary bandes of moste valiaunt Souldiours that were placed in the front As soone as euer these menne were come within the syghte of their ennimyes they incontinentely burned oute wyth so greate heate of fight that they coulde not be helde backe by the rest of the Captaines who with better counsell had commaunded the ensignes to staye and to take a place to lodge in and to refresh the Souldiours who were weary of their iourney but that they woulde néedes haste towardes the ennimyes wyth spéedye pace Burben and Trivulzi were encamped at Sainte Iulians Churche in a small village and wisely lodged at the lefte side of the high waye whyche was defenced on all partes wyth stiepe and déepe ditches and after the manner of the Countreys wyth hyghe bankes nexte vnto them the Kyng hym selfe and behynde hym the Duke of Alaunson vnto whome by right of bloude the kyngdome of France dydde appertayne if that Francis dyed wythout heyre male hadde placed the middle battell and rerewarde one being seuered from the other by a small distance They being thus lodged in thrée parts that the thrée great armies might the more commodiously and spéedily be an aide one vnto another when chaunce did require were enclosed within a large and very well defenced place for rounde aboute were
the very nighte had not brought an ende vnto so great a slaughter Tomumbey who no doubt was vanquished distrusting the entier losse of the fielde first commanded the retreate to be founded that his men who now could not matche the esquadron myghte séeme not to haue bene beaten back but ledde backe The which thing he thought was of very great moment to establish the harts of his souldiors and also to reteyn his owne authoritie for that same dame Fortune who had deceyued his first hope did séeme to promise vnto him who hoped as meÌ„ in miserie do for better lot prosperous euents of things if that his heart quayled not and he sauyng that power whiche was yet lefte woulde repaire the warres The battell being broken off by the commyng of the night the Turkes who were victors and had gained the ordinance and tentes of the enimies pursued vntill it was late nights the Mamaluches that marched to Caire almost in fléeing manner In the flight were taken Biadarius who could make no spéede by reason of his gréeuous wounds and with him Bidon who had one of his knées broken with the shotte of a falcon whiche dyd also kill his horse The next day Selym commaunded both of them to be slayne either bycause they coulde not be healed or for that it was decent that he myght with so worthie sacrifices appease the spirite of Synambassa for whom he singularly lamented Although the Turks had nobly vanquished yet was their power vehemently decayed yea through these fortunate battells The fourth parts of them was quite spent with sicknesse and woundes and also a great number of their horsses were brought weake through the toyle of the long fourney and specially by the wearinesse of this day For the which causes Selym was constrained to renut somewhat of his olde manner in hasting for he knewe not as yet the myndes and deuotion of the Aegiptians that inhabited Cair neyther did he yet vnderstande by fame in what place Tomumbey soforned and what he intended to dâ— But before he had maturely and diligently learned out all these things hée in no case minded to commit the safety of his owne person and of his whole armye vnto the innumerable Citizens the greatest Citie of the whole worlde Wherefore staying foure dayes in his olde Campe at Rhodania he caused the wounded to be cured and the bodies of hys slaine souldiors to be buryed in the ground but lefte the carkasses of the enimies to be torne into péeces by byrdes and beastes And then hée dislodged and marching towarde Caire encâ—mped in a plaine betwéene olde Caire and Bulach for the Citie of Caire is diulded into thrée townes olde Caire new Caire and Bulach that they might be the more commodiously serued of water The Battell at Caire IN the meane tyme Tomumbey beyng nothyng broken with so many and so lamentable vnfortunate successes of things but gathering togyther the Mamaluches from all partes had pitched his campe in a commodious place betwéene newe Caire and the riuer of Nilus had armed an eight thousande Aethiopian bondmen the whyche kind of meÌ„ he had not vsed before by reason of the memorie of an olde rebellion Morcouer he opening the olde armoury had deliuered armour and weapons vnto the sonnes of the Mamaluches and the Moores their reteyners the Iewes and the Arabians with all diligence had prepared greater and more cruell wars against the Turkes than he had made before But after warde when his deuise to giue a camisado vnto the Turkishe campe had béene disclosed vnto the Turkes who beyng prepared therefore had with losse repelled his foremoste rankes hée by the adhortation of all hys captains entred the citie of Caire for the Mamaluches being vanquished in all battells thought that they muste take another way in administring the warres and therefore counselled him to strengthen the Citie by placing his army in guarde in the most commodious places thereof and to impeache the enimy from entring the towne for in this lamentable state seeing that they must néedes fight for their houses wiues children they thought it honorable correspoÌ„dent to the glory of their antient valor to dye fighting in the sight of them before the dores of their houses So euery horseman or Mamaluch going to his owne house furnished all his houshould and the toppe of his house with all kinde of weapons and euerye one suppliauntlye desired the Aegyptians of hys streate and warde that they woulde take armes against the common and cruell enimies nor suffer them selues to be slayne and their wiues and children to bée carried away for slaues for if the sauage and moste couetous enimy should win the victory which God forbidde they woulde not spare no not them yea though they woulde beare them selues indifferent and healye neyther the one parte nor the other bycause that victory being fraught ful of licentiousnesse and insolencie will knowe no man but hym that without staggering and doubting what to do did helpe with goodes and hand the fortune of their parte while that the warres were of vncertaine euent Moste of the richer sorte of the Aegiptians as they did foresée that the alteration of the state and of the Empire would be very hurteful and bring greate losse and hinderaunce vnto their traffique and wealth so in deuotion and healpe they failed not vnto the Mamaluchs Contrariwise moste of the meane sorte of the Citizens and a mightye multitude of the worser who being voide of danger do always gain by other mens losses remembring all the villanies and extreame oppressions that they hadde suffered almoste thrée hundreth yeares vnder the Mamaluches in wailefull and wretched slauery kept themselues within the dores waiting for the euent of the supreame fight and reioyced in their sléeues that not without the care of almighty God a time had come when their wicked and outragious lords shold be punished for so many heynours facts yea and the reuenge shold be sought by the bloud of strangers whereby it wold come to passe that they shold anone fully satisfy their eyes with a most desired and wished spectacle and sight In the meane tyme Tomumbey with most intentise labor and trauell fortified the gates and all the wayes into the Citie appointed Capitaines ouer euerye streate made adhortatorie orations in euery court market place and assemble of people suffered not any light loytering to be vsed in the works and finally whiche is thought to be the moste hardest thing in calamitie and danger shewed a surpassing great hope and a renued and singular valor in his vnappalled face and countenaunce But the Mamaluches ouer and aboue necessitie the whiche doe vse in extremities to enkindle and to make mad and desperate yea the very cowards being stirred vp by emulation did spéedily and couragiously execute the duties and offices of Captaines for euery one of them as his witte inuention and industrie did bear made ditches crosse the most notorious streats and also laid mighty greate péeces of
ordinance nor the force of the horsemen tooke the woode adioyning to saue themselues by the garde of the trées from the violence of the insulting horsemen So the Frenchmen quickly cutting off the legs of the drawing beastes doe get the ordinance and with the same violent pursuite doe enter the woode where being oppressed with the disaduauntage of vnaccustomed encounter Sebastian Squaccia a man of passing prowes was slayne and with him certaine stout petie Captaynes and Ensigne bearers yea and foure whole bandes This exployt being prosperously done in the sight of both armies as it did greatlye augment the courage of the King and the French men so did it strike Pescara with incredible sorowe bicause he coulde not succour them But on the other side he being gréedie of fight as soone as he sawe the Kings armie the which he did not thinke woulde haue come forth into the fielde out of their campe wonderfully reioyced as though he had conceyued the victorie Neyther stayed he but immediatlye sent Falzi an horseman of his acquaintance vnto Lanoy to admonishe him to stay his marche and all things set apart and turning the Guidons towardes the enimies incontinently to encounter them he also signifieth the same vnto Burbon and Nicolas Earle of Salern and gallopeth himselfe to call Guasto but Guasto as soone as he had séene his enimies leauing Mirabello marched backe to Vernacula and setting his men in aray of battel had turned the ensignes towardes the enimies for he did not thinke that in this moment of time he ought to obey that which had bene at the firste commaunded him but spéedily to vse the newe counsell whiche chaunce did present Then Pescara sayde this is well brother you haue done that which I woulde you should wherefore haste you on the lefte hande vnto the ennimie with spéedie pace and valiauntlye endeuour that the victorie maye moste speciallyâ— aryse at your wing When he had thus sayde he flewe vnto the Lansquenets in whose valor and strength he did foresée that the weyght of the battayle and the whole victorie did consiste In the meane time a troupe of the Emperiall light horsemen boldly charging the blacke Esquadron of Almaines were easilye repelled and thrust backe with foule disorder into the valley of Vernacula that laye vnderneath and also the Frenche ordinaunce being commodiously drawen with swift horses into all quarters with marueylous skill and celeritie did so annoye the enimies that the Spaniardes yea laying their brestes flatte vpon the grounde coulde scarse escape the fléeing pellets through the benefite of the lower greunde and Lanoy and Alarco were forced to bring their fearefull troupes of horsemen behinde a countrie Cottage which happily defended them But then the king being vohemently incited by these as it were beginnings of not doubtfull victorie and moued both by the disposition of his owne nature and also through the adhortation of his Captaines doubted nothing to giue the signall to dismarche to giue the charge The rest do the same and before all other Palice the leader of the auantgarde did in the right wing charge the Emperiall horsemen who were now lustily turned This fease and charge of the Frenchmen as it was gréeuous and terrible to Lanoy so by the opinion of many men it séemed to haue afterward not doubtfully caried away the victorie from the Frenchmen for by that headlong and spéedie departure not onely the Switzers and Almaines who coulde not followe after with equall pace were bared of the guarde of the horsemen but also the vse of the ordinaunce was for a great part taken awaye for that the Gunners were forced to cease shooting least that they shoulde strike both the sides and backes of the kings troupes who were runne forth farre before them But neuer in our age did horsemen encounter togither more couragiouslye and strongly for on both sides olde beaten Captaines and horsemen fought with burning heartes not for only glorie a thing yet that doth most sharpen the edge of true prowesse but also for the Empire of Italie The Frenchmen being gréedie of reuenge sought in all places of the encounter most narrowly for Burbon as a forsaker of the King and his countrie with the ignominie of treason and perfidiousnesse but all in vaine for Burbon that he might more safely shewe his valor had giuen his Cognizaunces vnto his familiar freude the Lord Pomperant and fought himselfe in his coate and apparailed like vnto a priuate souldiour But the King himselfe being notorious for his coate of cloth of siluer and specially for his tall stature fullye perfourmed the dutie of an encouraging Captaine and a valiant warrier he setting spurres to his horse brake throughe the enimies battayles he encountred those that he mette and namelye those that were moste of marke for veluet and golde In thys vprore Ferdinand Castriâ—ta who broughte his pedigrue from the Kings of Macedon and was also a noble Captaine was slayne by the Kynges owne hande and Hugh of Cardona the Lieutenaunt of Pescara his companye of Horsemen was also beaten downe twoo Guidons were torne into péeces and the horsemen of Baâ—ier whome Ferdinande the Emperours brother had sent lustilye attaching the encounter and most constantlye fighting were defeated so that nowe the Guidons and troupes of Lanoy and Barbon did almoste swaye and shrinke backe For the Frenche men were superiour in horsemen both for number and strength bicause the Emperiall men of armes did lacke the ayde of light horsemen for of the thrée troupes the firste had gone to Mirabello with Guasto the seconde as wée haue toldo you béeing shamefullye repulsed by the blacke Almaynes had fledde backe But the thirde beyng lefte wythoute the Parke vnder the conducte and guyding of Guy Gaino did garde the cariages and baggage of the whole armye Also that surpassyng companye of horsemen whyche consisted wholye of Italian and Spanishe Gentlemen and was the peculiar companie of the Viceroy ayded them not at all as they which were not at the battell For Lanoy had coÌ„maunded Monsieur Verereis a Fleming his cosin and Lieutenant ouer that hande to staye without the wall of the Parke nor by any meanes to stirre from thence vntil that he had receyued from him by assured messenger the token of departure and of entring the fight But when the battaile was incontinently attached and very hote and Lanoy had all his senses and memorie so vehemently occupied about the present and terrible matter that he sent no man to call his cosin the yong Gentleman thinking that he must in any case obey his vncles commaundementes and the preceptes of Martiall discipline stoode still and moued not vntill the ende of the battaile neyther could he be adduced to go forth into the field by any intreatie or chasing of the horsemen vnto Lanoy being for these causes in great distresse and hardlye susteyning the force of the Kings battayle Pescara who viewing all things and places with wonderfull and present prudence and specially with intentiue
shoulde go backe vnto Cassiano vpon Adda and suffer nothing to be brought into the Citie out of the moste fertile Countrie of Martia but in another quarter S. Poule should lie at Abiato and cut off all victuals that might be brought vnto Milan by an arme of the riuer of Tesino For they did hope that their enimies which coulde not be subdued by force woulde not be able to abide the incommodities of a long siege This being determined at a village called Landriano ten myles from Milan Vrbine dislodging marched vnto Cassiano admonishing S. Poule with equall digresse to bende his iourney to Abbiato But the day being well spent S. Poule sayde that he woulde not remooue that daye but woulde go the next morowe vnto Pauia and leaue there certaine great ordinance and other weightie cariages But Leua who most diligently watched for all occasion to hurt his enimies vnderstanding that Vrbine was departed from S. Poule and coniecturing that the French men would not spéedily set forward called togither all the Captaines and commaunded them to be in a readinesse with all their souldiours to go forth with him about one of the clocke in the morning cohorting them to go this iourney chearefully and promised to giue them for a bootie the vanquished French men before the sunne arose But if sayd he they do more hastily flée as surely I do not thinke but they will yet the tayle of them will fall vnto vs for an assured bootie The souldiours crying out answered that he shoulde procéede to conceiue in his mightie minde valiant actes correspondent to his former victories for they woulde with chearefull and fearelesse heartes take vpon them this daungerous iourney and doubtfull hasarde that he had commaunded them And without stay he putting on his glittering armour althoughe he were tormented with the payne of the goute almost in euery ioynt sent the horsemen before and he himselfe with two battels on ech side the Almaines on the one side and on the other the Spaniardes flanking the Italians that were appointel to the garde of the great ordinance hasted to the enimies whome he founde not yet remoued and busied about dispatching away of their baggage S. Poule who had thought nothing lesse than that Leua woulde come vpon him with all his power aranged in battell when he was preparing to dislodge séeing the sunne was nowe risen the battels of his enimies with shirtes ouer their armour after the manner of them that giue a Camisado in the night was astomed and as it doth commonly happen vnto those that are so caught vnwares was attached with great feare and not without cause namely for that he had commaunded the Conte Guido de Rangoni to go before with the auantgarde vnto Pauia and there to prouide lodging for him and the rest of the armie Thus he being vnprepared and vnreadie and also disioyned farre from the forewarde was circumuented with so greate perturbation of the middle battell and rerewarde that he was forced with wonderfull vprore and tumultuously to set his men in araye and in vayne to repugne being quite put out of heart by the violence and celeritie of hys vrging enimie Fortune also gaue Leua space to winne the victorie by an vnlooked for chaunce For when one of the great péeces had broken his whéele and fallen in the middes of a dirtie waye it was a great discommoditie vnto them for the French horsemen yea and the best of them were lighted on foote to lifte vp and amende it For by an olde vsage of theirs they doe accounte it a great dishonor to leaue any of their ordinaunce behinde them as they march to be gotten by the enimie Through this staying both Rangoni was gotten so farre before that he coulde neyther be called backe nor in time tolde of the sodaine comming of the enimie and also Leua had time to bring forwarde his footemen who being aduaunced forth and the horsemen fighting very couragiously the middle battell of the Conte S. Poule with whom the rerewarde had also ioyned began in a moment of time both to turne their backes When that Antonie de Leua cladde in glysteting armour and adorned with a braue crest commaundeth him self to be brought into the forefront borne â—y force of me noâ— with terrible voice adhorteth his souldiors and terrifieth the Frenche men with his fierce looke and fierie eyes In the meane time the Almaines that serued the French king a thing which had almost neuer happened at other times shamefully turned their backes as they that were of the omnigatherum that had in former time serued the French King or else had bene taken vp in the region which is on this side the Rhein and doth abutte vpon Lâ—râ—iâ—â— who haue no greate estination for Almaine valor and discipline The Almeynes and the French footemen and after them also the Italian bandes followed without any care had of dishonor and small was the slaughter bicause that neyther the harquebusiers coulde shoote among the confounded and blended rankes nor the great ordinance be discharged without equall perill The Conte S. Poule assaying daungerously to take a dich with his horse was taken by the horsemen nor far froÌ„ him the valiant Claude de Rangoni the Captaine of the rerewarde had the like lucke but Sâ—â—phan de Colonna escaped although he had bene cast by his horse headlong into a diche Leua hauing gotten all the Ensignes and ordinance and taken the Generall prisoner wanne great estimation in the worlde But the French men openly complayned of Guido de Rangoni whome they sayde had left them to the spoyle through his ouer hastie pasting but Guido defended his honor by alledging the commaundement of his Generall chalenging all his obtrectors to the combat But afterwarde in familiar talkâ— the Duke of Vrbine decided this controuersie both Leua and the Marques of Guasto assenting vnto him who gaue iudgement that they had both with almost equall error swarued from the discipline of warre the which doth will that in marching the Captaines that leade distict and seuerall bandes doe with mutuall diligence by horsemen ryding to fro measure the march nor suffer the Ensignes to go any thing out of sight the auantgard to obserue with what pace the middle battell marcheth and so likewise the middle battayle the rerewarde that euerye battayle mayâ— be readis at hande for al sodeyne incursions of the enimie and to succour that battayle which is circumuented and finally to sight with all their power vuited into one This victorie vtterly destroyed the French power in Milan and made Francis Sfuza whome the French King maintayned to come in and suppliantly yéelde himselfe vnto the Emperour ¶ The Battell of Frumentaria fought on the sea by Rodoricke Portundo Admirall vnto Charles the fift and Aidin and other miscreant Pirates in Anno Domini 1529. AFter that Rhedoricke Portundo had brought Charles the Emperour out of Spayne into Italie to be crowned He in his returne hearing that fiftéene vessels
footemen to garde the great ordinance and this Esquadron was guarded with a wing of Reystres Thus Conde went towardes the enimie in aray somewhat broade déepe But his enimies were redy aranged in this order the Duke of Guise led the one wing of the auantgarde with a strong troupe of horsemen nere vnto whoÌ„ stoode two Esquadrons of Spaniardes footemen and of Frenche footemen olde souldiours with fouretene péeces of ordinance and the Marshall of Saint Andrewes guided the other wing with a strong troupe of horsemen and was garded on the one side with a battallion of Lansquenets and on the other with a battallion of horsemen Of the maine battell the Constable led one wing with a strong troupe of horsemen neare to whome were placed a battallion of seuentene ensignes of French footemen whome there followed xxij ensignes of Switzers with eyghtene péeces of greate ordinance the other wing his soune Danuille ledde with a strong troupe of horsemen Thus stoode the battels of the Catholikes in grat length on a row here footemen and there horsemen being still interserted The Admirall stoode ouer right against the Constable and Conde against Danuille and the Switzers but no bodie againste Guise and the Marshall of Saint Andrewes who were in the auantgarde Conde first gaue commaundement that the souldiours shoulde be present at diuine seruice and that being ended he ryding about vnto the rankes abhorted them to constancie and confidence and hauing thus prepared their heartes he gaue the signall and he himselfe Curey going before with the light horsmen charged vpon the Switzers in that part where he sawe they were bared of horsemen and strongly brake thorowe them Rochfocault in the meane time standing still The Switzers at the first stoutly susteyned the charge partly through the power of their ordinaunce and also the strengthe of their owne weapons but yet through the thicke hayle of the shotte they began to giue grounde and anon after not being able to beare the force of the horsemen their Launces brake their aray and forsooke the great ordinance and were scattered the Condeans raging with great slaughter And almost at the same momeÌ„t the Admirall charged the Constable and in the meane time the vpper troupes of the Reysters ryding vnto Danuils troupes skirmished with their pistolets WheÌ„ Conde had with great slaughter defeated and put to flight the Switzers he gaue a charge on the next battallion of French footemen and breaking throughe their rankes discomfited and put them to flighte But there was a furious fighte betwéene the Admirall and the Constable but at length the Constable his men begaune to shrinke backe and after that the Constable being wounded in the face with a Curtelace and sore bruised with small shot of pistolets was taken they fledde the Admirall and Conde pursuing them But whyle that Conde his horsemen were busied in pursuing of the enimie the French and Almaine footemen were left naked which Danuill espying charged vpon the Almaine footmen who fledde at the first sight of the enimye towardes a village called Blinuill Then a strong troupe of Guises horsemen gaue a charge on the French footemen and brake their araye and quyte defeated them at the first shocke taking the ordinaunce and committing great slaughter yet when that diuers of the Frenche footemen fought couragiouslye manye of the Guisian horsemen were slayne Moreouer Danuill séeing Conde his horsemen to be disordered and dispersed by pursuing the Switzers and the Constables troupes charged vpon them wounding the Conde with a Pistolet and vnhorsing him did take him prisoner When the Admirall sawe his fellowes fléeing in all places and also the Reysters giuing backe vnto a woode in a thicke troupe after their guyse that when they had recharged their Pistolets they might lustily altogither recharge the ennimie the which vsage of theirs being vnknowen vnto manye did put them in greate feare they suspecting them to flée and finally when he perceyued that all the Condeans were nowe in dispayre bicause that Conde was taken prisoner he was verye pensife namely when he saw thrée mightie troupes of horsmen of the auantgard of the enimie wysely reserued by Guise for the last brunt to make towardes him In these troupes were the Marshall of Saint Andrewe the Dukes Daumall and of Neuers and other noble men but they saye that the Duke of Guise stoode still with other bandes that had not yet foughte for to beholde the ende of the battell then the Idmirall spéedilye relying all the Frenche and Almaine horsemen that he was able to make and also by the returne of those Reisters that I sayde went aside vnto the woode their heartes being confirmed stoutlye susteyned the charge of their enimies Then there beganne a sharpe encounter bothe sides fighting full suriouslye their heartes being constantlye sette to murther one another with almoste equall fortune yet the Guisians gaue grounde and by little and little drewe backe and more grieuous had bene the fighte namelye the souldiours of Conde being chased if that the nighte had not parted them who were wearied with long labour of fighte Both partes caused the retire to be sounded and returned vnto their Campes The Admirall for lacke of horses lefte foure fielde péeces behinde him In this laste encounter were slayne the Marshall of Saint Andrewes with a Pistolet after he was taken Monbrun the Constables sonne the Lorde Piennes the grand Prior one of the Guises two Brosseys Giures Anneboult and a greate number of other of the Nobilitie Daumâ—ll was grieuouslye hurte and also Neuers who died thereof and manye other and an hundreth of the nobler sorte were taken prisoners and also certaine of the order as Beauâ—ayâ— Roâ—â—fort â—t Of the faithfull or Protestantes Mouy and diuers other noble men and Captaynes were eyther taken or slayne God so mode rated the euent of so great a battell that neither part coulde be sayde eyther to haue wonne or to haue lost the fielde for on the part of the faithfull was Conde the patron of the cause taken and on the Catholikes their side the Constable was taken and the Marshall of Sains Andrewes slayne And as the faythfull flewe a greate number of the Catholikes their footemen so did the Catholikes of the faithfull their footemen but mo horsemen were slayne on the Catholikes part and also footemen for of the xxij ensignes of the Switzers few were saued but Conde his losse was more difficill to be borne and repaired but Guise being better furnished for the warres had great incommoditie by the losse of so many great Captaines and noblemen as were there slayne taken This battel was fought the xix of December The Admirall gathering togither his power returned vnto Orleans and the Guise vnto Paris eyther of them to repayre their sore weakened armies ¶ The Battell foughte at Saint Dennis neare to Paris in France betvvene Levves of Burbon Prince of Conde and Annas Montmorencie Constable of France in Anno. 1567. Taken out of the booke intituled
purpose moreouer he had no place to retire but for halfe a leage nor other remedie for to couer defende himselfe than to chase the enimie out of their forte Whervpon he commaunded the Prior Dom Ferdinand his sonne to make all the Esquadrons to march forwarde and he himself retired whither he thought good The skirmish had beguÌ„ at x. a clock the Prior arriued there about two in the afternone whose succours did so set on fire the courage of the other that they giuing vpon all the rest of the Flemmings forced them to abandon the fort with so great mortality that this victorie may well he accounted equall vnto the other that Lewes gaue vnto Aremberge For they gayned all the artillerie and a good number of the Ensignes The Conte Lodowicke and Antonie de Lalain Conte de Hochstrate who had giuen place to the Catholikes two dayes before retired into Embden a Citie subiect vnto the Earle of Aldenburg After this the Duke of Alua recouered all Freselande marched euen vnto Amsterdam in Hollande where he caused the heades of the Captaynes of Sardâ—gones regiment to be cut off for that they had bene the cause of the defaite of Aremberguâ— But bicause that Popelleniere séemeth ouer briefe in the enarration of them that were slayne I doe thinke it good to set downe the wordes of Schard one of the Iudges of the Emperiall chamber in his Chronicle inserted in Corpus hystoricum Germaniae The Spaniardes sayth he followed the chase foure myles and tooke prisoner Henrie van Sygen Lodowickes Lieutenant with twentye ensignes sixtene péeces of ordinance and slewe some saye seauen thousande but the number must néedes be lesse séeing that the whole armie was scarce so many of whome yet it is manifest that many escaped There were slaine many of the banished Nobilitie whose plate and monye fell vnto Alua his share The Earle of Schwartzburg fledde away at the beginning of the fight ¶ The battell of Bassac fought in Poitou in France betvvene Henrie Duke of Aniou brother and Lieutenant Generall of Charles the ninth King of Fraunce and Lewes Prince of Conde Generall of the Protestantes in Anno. 1569. AFter the battell fought at Saint Denys the armie of the French Protestantes as I tolde you before marched into the confines of Loreyne to méete with Casimire sonne vnto the Pfaliz graue with whome they returned backe againe and besieged the Citie of Chartres when a peace was concluded in March 1568. but it helde but a little whyle for in August following the Protestants were againe in the field with an arme of fourescore and fouretene cornets of horsemen and two hundreth and fortie ensignes of footmen of whome d Acer brought twentie thousande out of Prouence and Daulâ—hinte and eyght hundred horsmen Against this power being in Xaintoigne a power of Catholikes came vnder the conduct of Henrie Duke of Anieu the kings brother betwene whome were diuers skirmishes vntill that the colde of the winter forced them both to abandon the field the which they did take agayn as soon as euer the time of the yeare and state of the ayre woulde permitte But in March 1569. Monsieur de Anioiâ— hauing a little before doubled his forces had intelligence that the Lorde Piles was comming oute of Gascogne with a newe supplye of Souldiours for the Conde who hadde loste by sicknesse foure or fiue thousand of his footemen Wherefore his Excellence aduauncing his armie thorowe Poitois Limosin and the countrie of Augomois descended along the riuer of Charente as though he woulde take Chasteau-neuf there for to passe the riuer and that done barre Piles from ioyning with the Prince and be at choyce to fighte with eyther of them The which the Prince doubting passed the Charente at Cognac But Monsieur hauing taken Chastean-neus standing vpon the riuer of Charente betwéene Cognac and Angoulesme commanded the bridge to be repayred that the Protestantes had broken downe And the next morning being the xj of March his Excellence marched towardes Cognac as well to doe some enterprice vpon the Protestants and to put them in doubte what he ment to doe as also for to cause them to thinke that he woulde not returne againe to Chasteau-neuf to passe the water The Princes who were at Cognac only with their ordinarie traynes the men of warre being in their quarter sent one sodenlye to demaunde ayde of the Admirall who was at Iarnac with the auantgarde Dandelor hasting thitherwarde vnderstoode that Monsieur was turned towards Chasteau-neuf and therefore the Prince being assured returned to Iarnac the twelfth of March. And in the meane time to impeach the reparation of the Bridges of Chasteau-neuf he caused the Admirall and the auantgarde to aduaunce themselues selues vnto the encounter whilest that he went to Iarnac But the Admirall séeing the diligence that was vsed in making of the passage retired himselfe vnto Bassac and for the retrayte ordeyned Soubize Puviant and other companies of Poitou who shoulde remayne there in battell vntill midnight As the diligence of Monsieur was greate in making of the Bridges so was it extreme in passing ouer them all the night on the other side the Prince all things being well weyghed was not willing to resolue vpon the battell but commaunded the Admirall that he shoulde cause the auantgarde to dislodge and he with him at larnac vppon the breake of the daye The whiche was done but not by all For the companyes that Puviant ledde coulde not marche so spéedilye the whiche was the occasion that they sawe the companies of the Catholikes at their tayle and were so strongly pressed by them that they muste néedes disgage and succour them to the perill and discomfiture of all the Protestantes for the Chiefe was charged by so many Catholikes that be being in the heade of the armie was in great perill if that the discouerie of the troupes which the Admirall ledde had not made them that were aduaunced nearest to staye a little Then the footemen of the Catholikes were no sooner passed the Bridges but that without resting they doubled their pace for to gayne a little hill that was directly ouer agaynst the Bridge The Protestantes also made for warde verye fast for to sease it but sodenly when they perceyued the crossed men whome they there discouered verye easilye they retired a two or thrée harquebusse shottes from thence for to take a place for the battell the which they found in a place of indifferent good aduantage the whiche was a playne couered in one quarter with a great village whiche did afforde manye commodities vnto their footemen Neare vnto the sayde village there was a little hill and more lower theâ—e ranne along before them a riuer that did deuyde the playne There they rested them and all being set in aray of battell stayed there a good while whilest that the Captaines Catholikes did take a place for their armie vpon the playne neare vnto the hill Then they that were lesse lasie remayned