of May. During this interval a French Cavalier in the Enemies Army came over to ours and gives advice to the Duke of Enguien that General Beck was to arrive the next morning by 7 a clock with 1000 Horse and 3000 Foot to re-inforce the Enemy hereupon it was resolved to fight by break of day which no sooner appeared but the General having taken the Right wing of the Army and the Mareschal de l' Hospital the Left about a quarter of a League from Rocroy they disposed themselves to do their best The Enemies Army being composed of 25000 men viz. 17000 Foot and 8000 Horse the Infantry commanded by the Comte d' Isemberg and the Cavalry by the Duke d'Alberquerque and the Comte de Fontaines Mareschal General du Camp under Fancisco de Mello General for the King of Spain The French Army was 14000 Foot and 6000 Horse The Duke of Enguien having visited the several Divisions and encouraged the Officers to perform their Duty the Skirmish begins and 1000 Musqueteers of the Enemy are forced to give ground On the Left the Sieur de la Ferté-Seneterre charging the Enemy the Combat was so obstinate that he was Wounded in ten several places and taken prisoner though a while after rescued During this advantage the Enemy took our Cannon but the Mareschal de l' Hospital with his succours charged and recovered them again In this lively action he was wounded in the Arm with a Musquet-shot so that he was forced to leave the fight This accident gave the Enemy such advantage that once more they took our Cannon and used them against us but the Baron de Siron Mareschal de Camp of the Cavalry having a body of reserve rallies our men and stops the Enemie's success In the mean while our Right wing having routed the Cavalry attaques the Spanish Foot which she cuts in pieces In fine the Sieur Gassion coming up they are all put to the Rout. We lost there about 20 Officers and as many Wounded On the Enemies side beside a great number of Dead of lesser note the Comte de Fontaines was killed and the Comte d' Isemberg wounded to death and 6000 Prisoners among whom 200 Officers and 20 pieces of Cannon From this signal Victory which has insencibly carried this Discourse beyond its intended Bounds we will proceed to the Funerals of Lewis the Just the preparatives for which were made the 22 of July the day preceding ended the * A space of forty days during which time Prayers are continually made for the Dead Quarantaine during all which time the Queen-Mother remained shut up thereby to give place more opportunely to the sensible regrets for the loss of her Spouse Monday was appointed for the Funeral-Ceremonies at which did assist the Princes Prelates and Soveraign Courts of Justice The Kings Body was placed in the midst of a Chappel all flaming with Lights and the Solemn Service made at St. Denis in France where also the Body was deposited in the Vault of his Predecessors The 29th of July Madam the Dutchess of Enguien was happily delivered of a Son who bears the Name of Duke d'Albert The 2 of August the Duke of Beaufort youngest of the two Sons of the Duke of Vendôme was arrested and imprisoned in the Bois de Vincennes The Duke of Enguien after the Victory at Rocroy and the taking of Cirq returns to Paris with the Comte de Rantzau and on the 7th of October the King and Queen Regent were pleased to leave the Louvre to inhabit at the Palais Royal about which time also was sent to the Abbey of St. Germains desprez one of St. Placidus's Arms by the great Master of Malta which Relique was solemnly received by the Religious The Civil troubles in England continuing the Comte de Harcour was sent on the part of his most Christian Majesty to compose if possible the discontents between the King of great Britain and his Parliament but he found the Spirits of the Dissenters so little disposed that way that he returned without success About the same time a crew of Raskals at Rovergüe who took the name of * Croquans Devourers did raise a Tumult which notwithstanding was soon after supprest by the Comte de Noüaille As our Kings have alwaies had this advantage to give Laws to Strangers and not to receive them so also have they been constant Mediators of Concord among Christian Princes and particularly of the reconciliation of the Duke of Parma with his Holiness of which the Treaty was concluded at Paris and the Articles signed by the Cardinal Dongly Plenipotentiary for his Holiness and by the Cardinal Bichy Plenipotentiary on the part of his Majestie for the Duke of Parma In which Treaty he continued the Title enjoyed by our former Kings of Arbiters of Christian Princes A while after les Sieurs de Servient and d'Avaux Plenipotentiaries for his Majesty parted from France to conclude the Peace which in fine was presently effected The 21 of November Monsieur Lesoit Doctor and professor at the Sorbonne who for his singular merits had been named to the Bishoprick of Chartres was consecrated at Paris The Mareschal de Guebriant a Breton whose valour was signalized in the last King's Raign being now at the siege of Rothweil in Germany was wounded with a Faulcon-shot the 24th of November of which he died his Body being conveyed to Paris by the King 's express order his Funerals were performed with great solemnity Anno 1644. The Year 1644. was no less fertile in producing new Lawrels for France than the former But before we attempt to display these Victories it is not impertinent to observe by the by the Death of Anne de Montasie Widow of Charles of Bourbon Comte of Soissons Prince of the Blood and great Master of France who died at Paris aged 67 years she left by her Will 100000 Crowns to the Chevalier de Soissons bastard-Bastard-son to the deceased Comte de Soissons who was slain in the Battle of Sedan The Town of Gravelines was besieged by Monsieur the Duke of Orleans who invested it the 6. of June assisted by the Dukes of Guise and Nemours the Comte de Harcour Eldest son of the Duke d'Elbeuf and the Mareschals de la Meleraye de Gassion de Cossé and the Marquess d'Alegre This Siege may be placed in the number of the most difficult such was the stout resistance of the besieged which notwithstanding had no power to stop the Victories of France Here in one of our Attaques fell the Marquess de Nangis In fine the Besieged under the Conduct of Ferdinando de Solis finding himself out of all hope of Relief which Picolomini had once made a shew of giving surrendered to the Duke of Orleans the 29th of July And at the same time died Vrban 8th after he had possess'd the Holy Seat 21 years Now also past an Arrest in the Parliament of Paris prohibiting all Physitians whatsoever except those of the University of
Marquiss d'Aietone prepared to fight us and with designe to engage them marches towards Belpouche about three hours journey from Lesborges between Lerida and the Enemy but perceiving them to retreat towards Lerida he sends the Marquiss de la Trousse to intercept their way and follows himself upon their Rear The Enemy who thought of nothing but a safe Retreat to Lerida and now seeing themselves encompast by the Mareschal de Gramont's Forces prepare for fight and they had undoubtedly beat our party had not Monsieur the Prince seeing the hazard advanced and stopt their success but by the favour of the Night which came on apace they repast the Segre with the loss of seven or eight hundred men cut in pieces by our Forces We lost there the Sieur de Lupes St. Remy a Captain de Serre a Cornet and some Common Souldiers The 24th of October Tutavilla Governour of Terragona presenting himself again before Constantin was again beaten off by the Troops of Monsieur the Prince of Condé and the diligence of the Sieur de la Baume Governour of the place This year 1647. concludes with the Duke of Guise's entry into Naples the Neapolitans who of a long time had been opprest with the Spanish Yoak having invited him and put themselves under his protection during his abode at Rome Embarquing then the third of November attended onely with his Aumosnier and the Gentleman of his Chamber he arrived happily at Naples the fifth and was there received with incredible joy of the Inhabitants who had made a shift to defend themselves to that present against the Spanish Domination notwithstanding their many Conspiracies and had also expel'd all those whom they suspected of the Spanish Faction Here the Machinations of the other party were so great and dangerous that the Duke run many hazards From the year 1280 in which happened the Massacre of the French in Sicily under Charles of Anjou first of that Name and Brother of St. Lewis to the time of René d'Anjou Naples had been the constant Field of Battle in all the Contests between the Houses of Anjou and Aragon as is observed in the course of the French History where we may see how Charles the 2d succeeded to his Father in that Kingdom and after his death his son Robert Afterwards about the year 1344 Joan the first of that Name Daughter of Charles a Son of the said Robert succeeded to the Crown of Naples Joan ending her life by a sad and shameful death Ladislaus son to Charles of Durazo succeeded about the year 1387. and remained in possession of the Kingdom of Naples till his death Ladislaus dying Joan the 2d his Sister succeeds in the year 1417. who finding her self continually molested by those of the House of Aragon declares René d'Anjou her Heir and Successor about the year 1435. But whether it was that his own peaceful Inclinations or the Inconstancies of the Neapolitan humour stop'd his designes is uncertain this is apparent he never did any thing effectually towards the Conquest of that Kingdom to which his Birth-right did call him This gave opportunity to Ferdinand son of Alphonso to seize the Scepter notwithstanding John Duke of Calabria son of René attempted though in vain to recover the right of his Grandfathers But Charles the 8th King of France undertook this Enterprize with such a courage that all Italy lay open to his Arms and having first made his entry into Rome he was received at Naples with extraordinary magnificence in the year 1494. Charles after this retiring into France and Lewis the 12th extending his Conquests to Milain Francis the first desiring to extend them still further at such time as he Besieged Pavie divided his Army and sent half for Naples but his being taken Prisoner on the 24th of February in the year 1525 put a period to those designes From that time to the present Naples ever remained under the Dominion of the Spaniards And this last Change being so notorious we have made this short recapitulation of the several vicissitudes of that Kingdom From the time of Francis the first to Lewis 13th and Lewis 14th so happily raigning at present the power of Spain was arrived to that point that in fine it seemed all Europe should speak no other Language than Spanish but God whose Dominion extends over all Monarchies hath in a few years diminish'd the swelling extent of this which now of late begins by little and little to fall within its ancient limits But to return to the Duke of Guise after this little digression and observe some of the principal actions which at that time he performed in those parts we must know then in short This Prince on his arrival perceiving how much the people were oppress'd by the Spanish Dominion in the first place dispatches several Couriers to all those Towns which he conceived most material to contribute to the overthrow of their Authority and after he had duly disposed of all things by his rare Conduct he visits the said places severally and takes an exact view of all their Ammunitions after this he raises 26000 men which he distributes into three Bodies And at the same time Salerne falls off to the Republick Hereupon Dom John of Austria and the Duke of Tursi arrive in Naples with a Counter Force to stop the peoples Mutinies but they having joyn'd Policy and Address to the Arms they had levied the Spaniards could not possibly prevent their Choice of our Prince for Duke of the Republick and Generalissimo of all their Forces But since events of War are so uncertain and what seems most assured often wants success Fortune was so indulgent to the Spaniards that our Duke was taken Prisoner by Tutavilla at the Pass of a little River and this was the utter ruine of the Neapolitans designes Anno 1648. Let us now return to France The King and Queen Regent his Mother having been at Chartres to pay their Vows to our Lady return to Paris the 27th of March 1648. In April the Generals of our Armies prepare for a new Campagne expecting the usual Progress in adding to their former Conquests Accordingly on the 20th of August his Majesty obtained a signal Victory before Lens where the Prince of Condé Commanding in chief took Prisoner the General Bek who died soon after of his Wounds This had filled all France with joy had not an unexpected accident disturbed the Feast On the 26th Te Deum was sung in the Cathedral of Nostre Dame at Paris and on the same day the Sieurs de Broussel and de Blanc-mesnil were Arrested which caused a great disorder through all the City till by the Queens bounty in restoring their Liberty it was appeased In the moneth of January the same year the Rebels of England had the horrid Impudence to Condemn their King to the Scaffold After that forbid the having any other King for the future and changed the Government to a Republick Fairfax was declared General of
retakes Barbesieux Pondesat and la Reole though the Baron of Vatteville was come into the River of Bourdeaux to assist the Princes on the part of the Catholick King who serving himself of the present troubles sent Dom John of Austria to Besiege Barcelona of which with much ease he became Master However the loss was in some sort repaired by the reduction of Mont-rond of which place the Mareschal de Palluau who Commanded at the Siege had order to cast down the Fortifications Towards the end of this Campagne the measure of our disgraces was arrived to that fulness as to loose also Dunkirk and Casal the first to the Spaniards the other to the Duke of Mantua The Cardinal de Rets Coadjutor of Paris having been arrested in the Louvre by the Sieur de Villequier was conducted to the Bois de Vincennes where having been detained for a considerable time was from thence conveyed by the Mareschal de la Mêleraye to the Castle of Nantes from which in the open day he escaped first to Belle-Isle and then to Rome The Marquiss of Vieville Super-Intendant of the Finances being deceased the Sieur de Servient and the Sieur Fouquet Attorney-General were joyntly put into the Office Also the Cardinal Antonio Barberin had the Office of Grand Aumosnier of France confer'd the 8th of April late void by the death of the Cardinal of Lyons Anno 1653. The year 1653. began successfully in Bourgogne Bellegarde is besieged by the Duke of Espernon Governour of that Province and in spite of the Marquiss of Bouteville's resistance who Commanded the place for the Prince of Condé he forced a submission to the Arms of his Majesty Rhetel Mouzon and St. Menehou not long after followed the same fortune But the taking of Rocroy by the Prince abated a little the publick joy for these advantages This Success was followed by the reduction of Bourdeaux and all the other Towns of Guyenne who had taken Arms in the Rebellion As also by the accommodement of the Prince of Conty and the Dutchess of Longueville who came in to the Amnestie but the Princess of Condé refusing to use that favour put her self directly on the way to Flanders with her son the Duke of Enguien Anno 1654. On the 19th of January 1654 the King being seated in his Court of Parliament at which were present a sufficient number of Peers Process was commenced against Lewis de Bourbon Prince of Condé which ended the 27th of March. About the end of May his Majesty took his Journey towards Rheims to be there Crowned and Anointed he arrived the third of June and being received by the Burgesses and Inhabitants with extraordinary testimonials of love he was conducted to the Cathedral of Nostre-Dame where the Bishop of Soissons attended him with the Quire and Canons of the Church The 7th following was performed that admirable Ceremony of his Anointing and Coronation by the said Bishop who in that Office represented the Arch-Bishop of Rheims At the same time the Town of Stenay was Besieged and forced to surrender to the King's obedience though the Prince of Condé did his utmost to relieve it But the Prince acknowledging the loss unavoidable immediately march'd the whole Force of the Spanish Army towards Arras to which he lays siege with 30000 men and all this before our Generals could possibly put into the place any Succours considerable Here he made a Circumvallation that seemed to defie all the force of the World notwithstanding the Lines that compassed it how dreadful soever were so vigorously attaqued by our Army sent to endeavour the relief that the Enemies were constrained to abandon their designes sufficient to intimidate any Nation but the French We gained by this flight of theirs which happened on St. Lewis's day sixty pieces of Cannon and all the Baggage of the Besiegers 'T is also possible they had all found their Graves on the place had not the Prince the Arch-Duke and other Chiefs having left him bestir'd himself more than ordinary to asswage the precipitate violence of the retreat The Mareschal de la Ferte-Seneterre desirous to end the Campagne as gloriously as it was begun and continued this year led the Body which he commanded before Clermont which he Besieges and takes In the mean time our other Chiefs observe the broken condition of the Spanish Army which all the Winter did nothing but onely threaten Quesnoy which place was so well furnish'd by the Marquiss de Chastelnau assisted by the Marquiss de Monpoüillon and the Chevalier de Maupeou that she found her self in no condition to fear her Enemies Anno 1655. The beginning of the year 1655 was remarkable for the decease of Pope Innocent 10th happening on the 7th of January after whose death the Cardinals entering the Conclave the 17th of the same moneth and there continuing till the 7th of April where all the Embassadors were also present to perform their Complements they elected to the Holy Seat Cardinal Chisi a Gentleman of Sienna as the most worthy in the Sacred Colledge he had been in all the considerable Offices belonging to the Chair of Rome and being now in the supreamest took the name of Alexander 7th His inclination to Peace gave hopes that he would procure it to Christendom provided he found the Spaniard as much disposed to it as France which hopes we have at length seen happily effected About this time the Duke of Guise arrived from Naples And the Court thought convenient to send into Portugal to purchase there a certain number of Ships for the King's service In May 1655 Monsieur the Prince of Conty Lieutenant-Generalissimo and Vice-roy for his Majesty in Catalonia took by Assault Cap-de Tiers and in July continuing the course of his Victories he took Chastillon and Saulsone No less glorious success had our Arms in Flanders than in Catalonia by the taking of Landrecy in the face of 35000 men which being all their force our Enemies had united if possible to secure this important place but the event rendered their endeavours to no purpose Following the course of our succesful projects in August the same year we took Condé and St. Guillain the King commanding there in person and having for his Lieutenant-Generals de Turenne and la Ferté-Seneterre In November following Peace was concluded and proclaimed between France and England the Treaty was made at Westminster Monsieur de Bourdeaux being Embassador from his Majesty to the said Republick During this year the Dukes of Mantua and Modena arrived in France to perform to his Majesty their several Homages Then arrived also his Enemy Cardinal Antonio Barberin Nephew to the late Pope Vrban the 8th named by his Majesty for his Grand Aumosnier in place of the decased Cardinal of Lyons Anno 1656. On the third of January being the Feast of St. Geneviefve 1656 Messire Matthew Molé Gardes Sceaux of France deceased about seven in the Morning after three daies sickness in the 72 year of his age during