ouerrunne the plaine countrie of Sienois which he did with 12000. foote and one thousand fiue hundreth horse on the other side the king sent Monsieur de Termes that set good and strong Garrisons within all the places of the Segnerie of Siene hauing as then vnder the kings pay aboue twelue thousand foote not accounting the naturall countrimen sworne enemies vnto the Spaniards but very fewe horsemen And because the Emperours campe conducted by the Viceroy and Ascagne de la Corne seemed to threaten Siene they fortified the Towne with al diligence The Viceroy assailed Monselice Montelle Montalein where Monsieur de Termes tooke order and maintained himselfe in good sort vntill the king sent Pierre Strossi with a great companie of men and made him his Lieftenant Generall in Toscane Strossi came to Siene raised more Souldiers in Italie whereof Duke Cosme beeing aduertised solicited Pope Iulius and the Emperour in such sort that they ioyned with him to driue out the Frenchmen To this end Iaques de Medicis surnamed le Mediquin Marquis de Marignan hauing charge of the consederates armie about the beginning of the yeare 1554. besieged Siene and approaching it by night had almost surprised it by reason that as then the fortifications were not all finished but the Sienois withstood him and repulsed the Marques who at that time lost many of his men notwithstanding hee left not off to incampe himselfe before the towne and forraging the plaine countrie directed a furious batterie whereby in the end hee reduced the Inhabitants to great extremitie without the comming of Strossi who entering therein presently tooke order for the rampars and the reparation of the breaches not hauing forgotten to furnish all the places about Siene and because Rodolphus Baillon Generall of the Emperours horses and Ascagne de la Corne had made an enterprise vppon Chiusi Strossi by night went to meete them with sixe hundreth men and hauing taken them at an aduantage put their troupes in disorder slewe Baillon and sent la Corne prisoner into France The king with all speede sent new forces into Toscane and the I le of Corse wherein Monsieur de Termes had taken the Townes of S. Florent and S. Boniface a Port of the sea leauing good Garrison therin vnder the charge of Iourdan Vrsin with certaine Captaines Frenchmen and Gascous for the defence of the Yland part whereof as yet obeyed the Geneuois vppon whom being participants with the Emperour Monsieur de Termes had taken those Townes But to returne to Siene the last secorers that the king sent thither beeing of fiue thousand Switzers Gascons with some light-horse Strossi suddainly made a sallie with sixe thousand chosen footemen and fiue hundreth good horse and therewith tooke Montcatin and Montcarlo from the Duke of Florence which hee fortified The Marques of Marignan constrained to leaue the siege of Siene to ayde the Duke was in danger to bee wholly ouerthrowne if Storssi had taken occasion when it was offered But the Marques fortified with new ayde Strosci was constrained to bring his wearied forces to breath themselues within Siene meane time Leon Prior of Capoue and brother to Strossi hauing not the meanes to staye for the French Nauie ceased vpon certaine Geneuois shippes laden with corne and hauing filled them with Souldiers warred vppon the coast of Toscane and to spoyle the Ports of the sea belonging to the Duke of Florence After that hee went to lye before Scarlin where approaching to viewe the place he was stricken with a Harquebus-shot whereof hee died Strossi much greeued thereat went to continue the siege staying for the French ayde which not long after being arriued conducted by Monsieur de Monluc Strossi made his armie wherein he had sixe thousand Italians two thousand Gascons as many Switzers two thousand fiue hundreth Lansquenets and about a thousand horse wherewith he determined to set vppon his enemies if they would come foorth and perceiuing that they withdrewe themselues from Siene he committed the custodie thereof vnto Monsieur de Monluc and went to batter Ciuitelle lying in the territories of Florence to the ayde whereof the Marques of Marignan made so great hast that he had almost surprised the assaylants where there was much blood spilt on both sides Stressi constrained to discampe besieged Foyan a strong and very rich place which the first day of his arriuall was taken by force and Charlot Vrsin with all the souldiers that kept it put to the sword and the Towne spoyled and burnt The Marques hauing recouered certaine cannons approached the armie of Strossi that marched towards Montpulcian where the Italians began to forsake him and by that means his forces were lesse then those of the Marques which constrained him to retire The battell and ouerthrow of Strossi and the French armie in Toscan but in stead of dooing it couertly and by night for the safetie of his troupes he determined to march openly in the day time and to saue his Artillerie he sent it before him Whereof the Marques being aduertised with all speed pursued after him and hauing ouertaken him in the field betweene Martian Lucignan and Foyan gaue him battell where the fight was dangerous and bloodie but Strossi hauing the lesse and weaker companie the Frenchmen fled after Bighet an Italian Ensigne Coronel of the armie that first saued himself after that the horsemē were dispersed The Gascons Switzers that fought valiantly were ouerthrowne by aduancing thēselues too farre among their enemies and almost all their Leaders slaine in the field the number of the slaine is diuersly reported some said two thousand fiue hundreth others foure thousand besides many hurt that liued not long after and fiue or sixe hundreth prisoners The Marques wrote vnto the Emperour that all Strossies footemen were slaine at that bartaile but as then he forgot to pursue his victorie which if hee had done Strossi and all the Kings armie at that time had beene wholly ouerthrowne Strossi that had shewed maruellous prooses of his valour and noblenesse saued himselfe in Montalcin leauing Foyan that was presently taken by the Marques as also Martian Lucignan and other places wherewith the Sienois meruellously abashed were in mind to haue yeelded had it not been for Monluc that assured them and after did great seruice vnto the king as also to the Towne Bighet partly cause of the ouerthrowe of the armie and the Counte d'Alte that had cowardly yeelded vp Lucignan a most impregnable place were beheaded Presently after the Duke solicited those of Siene to yeeld vnto the Emperour and they about the end of Ianuary in the yeare of our Lord 1554. answered him most brauely but yet to vse so great loftie words they had need of better means of resistance while these things were effected Monsieur de Lanssac beeing gone on ambassage to Rome diuers articles were there drawne and set down to end the troubles of Siene The Pope gaue charge to his Legats that laye residents by the
field who hauing heard the Bishops Oration tending to a generall peace or perticular to Parris if the Duke de Maine would not seeke for a general made this answere after he had shewen how their Councel had infolded them in contraduction asking peace for him which would not acknowledge him saue onely for King of Nauarre that it was his will and desire to haue peace for the comfort of his people but not according to that which the Deputies held for expedient declaring that he loued the Cittie of Paris as his eldest daughter and that hee would doo more good for her then shee required at his hands prouided that she would seeke his fauor and not the Duke de Maines or the King of Spaines That the Deputies proceeded very ill and contrarie to the dutie of their Ecclesiasticall charges in suffering the Parisians to die so miserably while they sought vnto the Duke de Maine for a generall peace sith vppon that voyage though perhaps it would not bee long it might the while cost the liues of twentie thousand persons dying with meere hunger Then did hee dechipher with a maruellous good grace the ambitious practises of the king of Spaine and his people The most wicked and horrible disloyaltie of the chiefe of the league discouering the vanitities of their badde purpose hee drew his discourse into diuers articles to the Bishoppe of Parris the Archbishop of Lyons who in their excuses accused themselues more and more before a most noble companie of Princes Lords and Gentlemen of France who were attending round about the King Moreouer hee shewed that the report of the Spanish succoors for Parris made him nothing dismaid and caused them clearely to see wherevnto the Spanish forces tended and that it was not for nothing that the Prince of Parma tooke his way into France staying but till hee might bring his purposes about Parris and the kingdome beeing morsels too big for king Philips mouth the which hee told vnto them in a short and pithie speech discouering in diuers sorts the blindnesse of the Spaniards in their attempt for France He allowed them eight daies to thinke vppon the yeelding vp of Paris and the articles of peace for the whole kingdome adding that his dutie constrained him in the end to do iustice vppon those that were chiefe of the mutinies exhorting the Deputies to make a faithfull report of that which hee had aunswered The Bishop of Parris had before alleaged in his Oration the constancie of the people of Sancerre dispraising therein the victorie gotten by those of Gaunt to extoll the Parisians But the king auswered that such allegations were impertinent for those of Sancerre were resolued to indure the extremities of their siege because their enemies would haue depriued them without mercie both of their goods liberties religion and their liues But contrariwise said hee I will surrender to the Parisians the life which Mendoza the Spanish Ambassador doth at this present take from them by their sore famine As for the religion all these Princes and Catholicque Lords shall witnesse vnto you how I vse it nor wil I constraine them against their conscience were it neuer so litle either in the exercise of religion or otherwise Concerning goods and liberties I giue them to my subiects So that the comparison with those of Gaunt is not good The Parisians haue well shewen what hearts they haue hauing suffered me to possesse their subburbs I haue fiue thousand Gentlemen that neuer feared those of Gaunt The duke de Maines wicked proceedings beside I haue God for mee and the iustice of my cause After certaine other discourses witnessing the kings good conscience and the litle feare he had of the leaguers forces the Deputies tooke their way toward the Duke de Maine who sent them backe againe to his Maiestie with declaration that he desired nothing more then peace At the same time hee sent letters to those of Parris by one of his owne Secretaries euen at the said Deputies heeles aduertising his partakers not to bee discouraged for all the answere which he sent to the king and that hee would sooner die then make peace with him These letters beeing intercepted they were a great reproach to the Duke by reason of his vnconstancie but he made no other excuse but onely that they were surprised As for the king hee indured both before and after that which the Parisians vttered out of their rebellious mouthes that they had brought victuals for the Duke of Nemours and others which made them render him euill for good nor made hee any strong warre against his chiefe Cittie hauing an intent to preserue it if he could But hauing vnderstood that the Duke de Maine at his returne from Bruxelles accompanied with Balagni and Sainpol drewe toward Parris with certaine troupes The king departed from his armie with a small troupe of horsemen without any carriages seuenteene leagues outright to incounter with his foes and came but one houre too late to haue met with them The king goeth to meete his enemies who hearing of his comming were speedily constrained to cast themselues into the towne of Laon. Then the D. with his troupes made such haste that at last they came as farre as Meaux where hee reported that hee would fight with the king which occasioned him to repaire to his armie with a small troupe of horsemen onely whom hee pursued as farre as Meaux But hee found the Duke inclosed betwixt two riuers where hee stayed for the Prince of Parma at whose arriuall the battell was the second time published aduancing themselues to the Towne of Claye and the Castle of Fresnes about sixe leagues from Parris where they lodged about the ende of the moneth of August The king supposing hee should then haue battell with them after hee had recommended himselfe vnto God according to his custome in such affaires departed from Parris on the VVednesday the nine and twentieth of that moneth assigning the Rende-vous to all his armie for the next morrow in the plaine of Bondi which is at the end of the forrest of Liuâ—i the right way toward his enemies On the Friday following hee chased their forriers from the Towne of Chelles who beganne to marke out their lodgings and gaue a charge to a certaine troupe of eight hundreth horsemen whom he constrained to retire euen till they came within their armie On the morrowe beeing Saturday by eleuen of the clocke the first of September the Kings armie were all in battell array The Duke of Parma got vp vppon an hill to behold them and after he had throughly noted them hee said to the Duke de Maine that this was not the armie of tenne thousand which he tolde him might bee ouerthrown so easilie for hee sawe by estimation more then fiue and twentie thousand in the best manner prouided that euer hee beheld And indeed they consisted of eighteene thousand men on foote as well Frenchmen as straungers and of fiue or six
an enterprise vpon Douay which hauing not taken effect he tooke Lens a small Towne in Artois which he pilled whereby the Gates of warre were fully opened Picardie and Champagne exposed to continuall courses and the frontier places on both sides fortified The Queene of England sent a Herault of Armes into France to defie the King and to proclaime warre against him and about the middle of the month of Iulie the prince of Piedemōt accōpanied with the duke d'Arscot the Earles of Mansfeld d'Aiguemāt Meigue Barlaimōt begā to erect a puissant armie at Guiets staying for further ayde of Rutters and Bourguignons The Duke de Neuers prouided for Rocroy Mesieres and Mariembourg which he doubted would be assayled from whence the Prince retired perceiuing it to bee too dangerous an enterprise for him marching towards the Towne of Guise with 40000. foote and 15000. horse not accounting 10000. Englishmen which he daylie expected the French armie beeing 18000. foote and 6000. horse The Admirall with the Sieurs de Villebon de Senarpont and others were of aduise that the townes of Picardie should be fortified specially such as lay in greatest danger but they were not beleeued in such manner that the Prince of Piedemont hauing stayed a time before Guise presently sent his horsemen to inclose S. Quintins and marched thither with all his armie so that vpon the suddaine the Towne was besieged on all sides Monsieur de Teligny being within it S. Quintins besieged with a broken companie of launciers and one Bruiel a Gentleman of Breton was Gouernour of the Towne with very fewe footemen and the Inhabitants themselues wholly ignorant in Marshall affaires made great difficultie to receiue a greater Garrison being mooued thereunto The Admirall determined to enter therein and to the same end vppon the 2. of August he departed from Pierrepont with foure companies of launciers and three of light-horses and being at Han hee was constrained by reason of the danger of the voyage to take no more but 2. companies of foote wherof onely the third part entered with him into S. Quintins The Admirall entereth into Saint Quintins the rest stayed behinde and were constrained to retire because the towne was almost besieged round about touching the order therin taken by the Admiral concerning the fortifications other things it is most certaine that nothing was by him forgotten The towne being wel ayded by those fewe men that entered with him there was found disorder touching their victuals their powder beeing burnt and blowne vp by the Cittizens default that knew not how to behaue themselues in Marshall affaires which much troubled the Souldiers Aduise being giuen vnto the Constable Generall of the French armie what state S. Quintins was in he sent the Prince of Conde Generall of the light-horse the Marshall Saint Andre with foure hundreth launciers and Monsieur d'Andelot with tenne Ensignes of footemen from la Fere to enter into Han as well to bridle the campe as to seeke by all meanes to refresh and strengthen those of Saint Quintins d'Andelot offered to enter therein with two thousand men while the armie on all sides should giue an alarme vnto the enemie who by means of certaine prisoners hauing discouered the enterprise tooke such order therein that their pretence tooke not effect The Constable bringeth his armie vnto S. Quintins to cause certaine men to enter Meane time the Spanish armie increased by ayde of the Englishmen being to the number of tenne thousand foote and about one thousand fiue hundreth horse The Constable desirous to helpe those of S. Quintins hauing determined vpon all the meanes that might be vsed to helpe the Towne and being fully bent to execute the same the 9. of August he caused the French and Almaine footmē to passe ouer the bridge that lieth aboue la Fere with certain Peeces of artillerie and the tenth of August being S. Lawrence day the horsemen ioyned with the foote and so marched towards S. Quintins where about nine of the clocke in the morning they arriued and there rancked themselues in order of battell right before the subburbes of Isle as then taken by the Spaniards that were driuen out againe euen to the Chaussee meane time the artillerie played vpon the Prince of Piedemonts campe wherein it mooued great disorder and while that was done the Constable caused as many troupes to enter into the Towne as possible hee might which done the King of Spaines armie resolued with themselues by a prompt and generall resolution to set vppon the Constables forces and so constraine him to fight to the which end the Prince of Piedemont and the Counte d'Aiguemont ioyned togither at such time as the Duke de Neuers was gone to relieue Monsieur d'Eschenets that held play with the enemie while the rest that went to ayde the Towne should enter the Constable being vpon retrait not minding to giue battell the Duke ioyned with the Prince of Conde so made assault near vnto a wind-mill withall his light-horse and they two togither without any losse ioyned themselues with the maine battell but their enemies followed them and approaching with 8. great Squadrons of horsemen the Counte d'Aiguemont was the first that with two thousand horse charged the Frenchmen on the one side the Dukes Ernest Henry de Brunswic seconded by the Counte de Horme with two thousand Rutters and ten thousand lanciers fell on the other side the Counte de Mansfeld and other leaders entred vpon the middle part with three thousand horse with so great force that the Frenchmen were ouertrowne The Duke of Neuers being one of the first notwithstanding after many daungers hee got out of the preace and although the parties were vnequall yet the Frenchmen failed not to fight where the Constable was both hurt taken with him the Dukes of Montpensier de Longueuille the Prince of Mantoue the Marshal S. Andre and many others as wel knights of the Order as Lords and Gentlemen the chiefe of name that were slaine were Iohn de Burbon Duke de Anguien the Viscount of Turaine others most part of the Captains of the footemen who perceiuing the horsemē cōming placed themselues in a square battell but they were presently broken and part slaine the rest taken prisoners This bloodie fight indured for the space of 4. or 5. houres the Spaniards pursued the Frenchmen within a myle of the towne of la Fere. And surely al mē were much abashed how so many escaped considering the great fear disorder they thē were in The Prince of Conde the Duke de Neuers the Counte de Sancerre Messieurs de Bourdillon Grammont Cruecueur Piennes Descars and others escaped Montmorency the Constables eldest sonne tooke another way This ouerthrow caused great feare in Parris for in it the Frenchmen lost great numbers of men wherin the Histories seeme not to agree some say 5000. others 8000. slaine in the field The King came presently from Compiegne to Parris to
vppon to search their wittes and haue an eye to the prouision victualling of their armie which consisted of twentie thousand men vnpayed and vnprouided of any succour or retrait into Townes meanly furnished and marching through the middest of an infinite number of irreconciliable enemies They tooke order therefore to lodge their horsemen scattering in the good villages also to cause the commissaries for victualles besides their carriages to keep in euery cornet one Baker and two horses of burthen who presently vpon their comming to their quarter should fal to baking and send their bread to the body of footemen These pettie commodities proceeding from fortie Cornets being laide togither was no small reliefe besides that they sent both flesh and Wine yea the Gentlemen were so willing that from their lodgings they would send them priuate carriages to helpe to bring in the ammunition As for the hamlets that were taken they were reserued for the munitioners and the rest that had no Garrisons were threatned to bee burned one league round about vnlesse they sent in some amunition Thus the footemen who lodged close were vsually prouided for besides the booties and other commodities that the most aduenterous could catch frō the Romish Catholicques that incroached too neare vpon them Their forme of lodging Vpon two principall reasons was the Prince forced to scatter his armie in diuers places First for the benefite of victualling next to lodge them vnder couert from the raine snow and other discommodities Their form of lodging wherewith they had beene spoyled if they had lodged in the field The footemen were lodged in two bodies namely a battell and an Auantgard and the horsemen in the nearest villages vppon any alarme the horsemen drew to the Prince and Admirall so that if any stragling lodging chanced to bee assaulted it had present succour among the cornets they had some store of Harquebusiers on horse and presently after the troupes were come into their quarters the waies were sufficiently fortified and many times they vsed both Churches and Castles whereby to be able to hold out some two houres that their succour might come in The Lord de la Noue who in this discourse of the discipline of the Princes armie we do follow saith that sometimes he saw the Prince or the Admiral march with fiue or six thousand mē to the rescue of a lodging assaulted by a contrary partie but in such roads stil there fel out some losse on either side Besides for the preuenting of any notable surprise the Prince had framed the head of his troupes towards the enemie of fiue or six hundreth good horse and as many Harquebusiers on horsebacke with small store of baggage except some horses of burthen to the end stil to hold the enemie occupied to hinder his enterprise and to finde opportunitie still to giue warning to the whole campe which bare it self vnder the discreet conduct of their leaders While the Princes armie in Beausse ioyned with the Rutters making head against the puissant armie of the Duke d'Aniou Troupes gathered in diuers places for the prince who for his part had almost all the aduantages onely not resolued to fight Messieurs de Acier Sipierre and other Gentlemen of Languedoc Prouence and Dauphine gathered forces in diuers places seizing vpon Nismes and Montpeslier the Gascons rose vp in armes vnder the conduct of their Vicountes and forced certaine places vpon the Romish Catholicques and ioyning themselues with Monsieur d'Acier for the religion for whom likewise Poncenat and Verbelay assembled certain troupes in Bourbonnois Auuergne which were broken by the troupes of Guyenne marching to the Duke d'Aniou The Duke de Neuers likewise brought out of Italie foure companies of lanciers 2. companies of light horse 6. companies of fantasins being arriued at Lyons and strēgthened with new cōpanies with 6000. Switzers new raised he made an armie of 14000. men with the which he besieged took Mascon The Duke of Nemours for the Duke Aniou and certaine weeks after being desirous to go see the Duches his wife he was set vpō by 80. horse certain foot that issued out of Autrā cōducted by Beaunais Burgony Between thē ther was som losse on both sides the D. himself was hurt with a Harquebus-shot in the knee that while he liued he went lame In Guy Messs de Monluc with diuers others followed with 4000. foot 700. horse enterprised vpō the Iles of Sain surprised killed between 3. or 400. mē which don they determined to besiege Rochel but their intēt being deferred took no effect Mean time the troupes of Dauphine others that held with the Prince aduanced thēselues being vnder the cōduct of the Vicounte Mouans others at Ganap in Auergne ouerthrew al the horsmen of the countrie assembled by S. Heram Gouernor accompanied with S. Chaumont Gordes others wherof the boldest were slain the rest sauing thēselues with their heels but in their retrait they found thēselues in a new mischief for the hauing giuen charge expresse notice to al strong towns other places therabouts not to receiue any that fled whatsoeuer liuerie he bare vppon the vaine hope they had to haue the victorie The Pesants made hauocke of thē in such sort that the troupes led by the Viscountes others ariued at Orleans cōstrained Martinenghe Richelieu the Monke other leaders participants with the duke of Aniou who before that vsed to runne euen to the gates of the Towne to seeke some lodging further off and to keepe themselues in couert and not contenting themselues to haue driuen them away followed them which done they marched towards Blois where Richelieu with eight hundreth men hath made his retrait Blois taken who at the first made some resistance but perceiuing a breach to be made they bled at the nose and yeelded by composition liues armes and goods saued neuerthelesse the Gascons not contenting themselues to vse blowes made such meanes that Richelieus souldiers were for the most part spoyled of all they had what meanes soeuer the horsemen made to impeach them The Prince vnderstanding the arriuall of those troupes from Gascon and Dauphine sent them word to bee in a readinesse and to those of Orleans that they should prouide powder bullets and three or foure battering peeces The siege of Chartres After that he sent three thousand horse aboue 20. leagues from thence to besiege Chartres a towne of great importance and one of the barnes of the prouision of corne to serue Parris which being taken serued the Prince in some sort to preserue the places that laye behinde him Monsieur de Lignieres commaunded therein with 22. companies that were strengthened by a regiment of foot that lay about 4. myles frō thence that got into it before the Prince had executed his pretence The manner of this siege was diuers because the Prince had but 5. peeces of batterie 4. small coluerins which did
difficult a passage the Romish Catholiques could neuer finde fit opportunitie considering that many occasions befell them and the rather by reason of the impeachments of their maine carriages For besides these great forces of the Dukes of Aumale and Nemours the townes countrie and riuers were at their commaund they also knewe the purposes of their aduerse armie which consisted in making haste and either by force or surprise winning passage ouer Loyre whither it came maugre all their pollicies and deuises It was said that through some contention between them they lost sundrie good exployts which they ought haue performed had they beene at vnion besides they doubted the vigilancie of Moruilliers the industrie of Feuguieres and the readinesse and valiancie of Nouy Esternay and other Captaines who held them in continuall alarme and had not the news of the battell at Bassac comforted them Aumale and Nemours had been either defeated or forced to licence their troupes and so to retire into the townes If fell out well for the Germaines that they made such haste for this great blocke this riuer of Loire would haue been a second and most greeuous difficultie to stay these riuers as well for that it was not so shallow as to yeeld any foord as also for that all the townes standing therevppon were enemies yet was the passage so necessary that it made thē to vse great speed courage and inuention for contrary to all expectation of their enemies on each side the riuer they assaulted a towne called la Charitee where they had a good bridge Among al the ouersights of the Rom. Catholicques who were reenforced with a supply of Italians from the Pope of twelue hundreth horse and four thousand foote this was not the least that they left la Charitee destitute of men wherevppon the Protestants lay so hard to that place and terrified it with so many mines and threats that before it could haue any reliefe they had wonne it to their incredible ioy which neuerthelesse was abated by the decease of Feuquieres and other Captaines poysoned by the way according vnto Biragues precepts Had it not been for this prize the Germaine armie had bin hard bestead and their leaders forced to haue returned backe to the head of Loire which was sixtie leagues off yea which was woorse taking that course they should haue intangled themselues in a hilly wood countrie where their horse would haue been but a hinderance The Admirall accounted this passage impossible and still harkened after their ouerthrow The Admirals opinion touching the passage of the Rutters many times telling his familiars that he could not helpe this succor in regard that the Duke of Auious armie still lay before him and the Rutters and French had two armies more watching vpon them besides a most difficult passage ouer the riuer withall that albeit they had passed ouer yet their enemies ioyning their forces must needs defeate them before they could come neare them by twentie leagues to helpe them But hearing of the successe of the siege of la Charitee he grew againe into some hope saying This is a good prognostication let vs perfect it with diligence and resolution The Princes with their troupes marched immediately towards Limosin that so they might come nearer to the Duke of Anious power to keepe it in awe albeit in continuall feare still looking to heare that al the enemies armies beeing so strong should haue swallowed vp their Rutters which fell out contrary for they tooke so good opportunitie and vsed such speed that they out went them vnder the cōduct of the French troupes where among the rest Nouy bare himselfe more valiantly in sundrie roades of the enemies whom diuers times he sent backe gathered to the place where the Admirall had appoynted to meet them with one thousand shot and two thousand and fiue hundreth horse Thus towards the end of Iune the two armies ioyned in great ioy albeit somewhat abated by the death of the Duke of Deuxponts who died of a feuer a little before into whose place the Countie Mansfield succeeded This iourney and fauourable passage may put all Captaines in minde that notwithstanding whatsoeuer great difficulties they may bee inuironed yet are they not to distinct for they shall not need past one sole fauourable accident to free them and such do commonly fauor those that shunning sloth doo take a good heart Discourse of the encounter at the Rochebelle where Strossy was ouerthrown with two regimēss of foote The two armies as then very strong that of the Duke of Aniou beeing aboue thirtie thousand men and that of the Princes fiue and twentie thousand were constrained to depart one from the other to finde commoditie of victuals because the countrie of Limosin is vnfertile but they reapproched towards S. Yrier la Perche The Admirall perceiuing that the sterilitie of the countrie made his troupes to lye scattered and because of the hilles and woods the places of battel were oftē with disaduantage determined rather to preuent then bee preuented Not long before the Princes had sent an humble request vnto the king to haue peace but the Duke d'Anion would neuer graunt Passeport to their Deputies whereof the Admirall made great complaints to the Marshall de Montmorencie And perceiuing that his enemies sought nothing but warre hee counselled the Princes to surprise the Dukes armie not far from thence in a place named Rochebelle To the which end they departed before the breake of day resolute to giue battell and arriued in so good time that they were within a quarter of a league from the head of their enemies before they gaue the alarme The strong lodging serued those that were there in guard and stood them in great stead and Colonel Strossy at the noyse hasted in with 500. harquebusiers for the strengthening of 300. of his mē that kept the principall passage where hee found the skirmish begun His valor serued wel for his partakers for that for the space of one houre he held 4000. of the Princes shot good play whereby the D. armie had opportunitie to assemble and set themselues in array The Admiral wondring that they could not force that passage sent Brucil a wise and skilful Captaine who immediately espied the fault Herevpon hauing ordered certaine troups and disbanded 4. cornets of horse to scar them he began a sharp onset wherin vpon the breaking of certain Pallissades that couered Strossy his regiment his men were so disordered that the suruiuers fled leauing dead behind them 22. of their leaders and fiue or 600. foot besides their Colonel prisoner without whose resistance the Princes auantgard had gotten to the D. ordinance with all impeachment But withall it beganne to ioyne and so continued that the victors were forced to retire The next day they were imployed vpon alarmes and skirmishes in one of the which 200. Italians with some sallies of the company of the D. of Nemours being somewhat too far aduanced were charged by the Lord
May. Second parley of peace I said before that the first aunswere made by the king to Messieur de Teligny de Beauuais and la Nocle Deputies for the Princes to parley of a peace at Anger 's was such that after it the warre was rather increased then diminished For those of the religion perceiuing that they sought onely to ouerthrow and destroy them determined to proceed and to make of necessitie a vertue And as time breedeth changes those that happened were to their aduantages in such sort that their courages were increased and their hopes fortified The king the Queen and their Councell perceiuing that since the losse receiued before Saint Iohn d'Angely they found themselues new to beginne determined to beginne a parley of peace wherein for their part Biron was imployed with charge as like wise Teligny Deputie for the Princes to say vnto the Admirall that the king and the Queen his mother desired more then euer they did to receiue him into their fauours with many such like words whereof the effects may well bee seen in the discourse of the yeare 1572. The king was greeued that the continuance of warre bereaued him of his pleasures ouerthrew the loue and obedience due vnto him fouraged his countrie diminished his treasures and consumed his forces His wicked Councellours ceased not to kindle in his heart the fier of rancor and desire of reuenge against the Admirall his associates and all those of the religion because of the iourney of Meaux in the beginning of the second troubles and of so many resistances as they had made The Queen his mother was much offended because that from the beginning of the first troubles it was discouered that her intents were to rule and to cause the one part to spoyle the other Her chiefe obiect beeing wholly against those of the religion specially against the Admirall and other commaunders There was too much paine and daunger to bring them to her bow by dint of sword murtherers and impoysoners durst hardly approach the Princes applyed themselues to the time and from their youths beganne to know the friends and enemies of rest and quietnesse of France On the other side the Queen of Nauarre and the Admirall as also diuers great Lords of their part affected to the good of the Common-wealth and foreseeing that the ingrafted enemies thereof desired nothing but the weakning of the same by the meanes of ciuill warres there to erect their practises and to open the way to their ambitious deuises desired by an assured peace to see some end of the miseries of France hoping that mens mindes being somewhat cooled good counsell would bee taken for the benefit of the Common-wealth to the vtter confusion of the secret and open enemies thereof the diuine prouidence of the almightie God and ruler of the world directeth our affaires partly according to our desires but for the most part it guideth all things in such manner that calling to mind that which past after vntill the death of the Duke of Aniou which was Henry the third wee cannot marke nor say otherwise but that the iudgements of God are vnsearchable and that his waies are impossible to bee found out To returne vnto the Princes they were constrained after the battell of Of the great voyage made by the Princes after thâ—ir tourney of Moncontour vntill the peace Moncontour to keepe themselues farre from the Dukes armie to assure their troupes to stay their enemies about townes and so to consume them while they strengthened themselues and became busier then before thereby to constraine those that tooke so much pleasure in war to seeke for peace This counsel was good because of the improuidence of the Romish Catholicks who without resistance suffering this smal snowball to retire in time it became as great as a house for that the authoritie of the Princes drew and moued many people The Admiral by his prouidence surmounted the occurrent difficulties and the Rutters to the number of three thousand horse for the field gaue reputation to the armie They indured much vntill they entered into Gascon where they strengthened themselues with Harquebusiers beeing most necessarie for them specially to defend the horsemen nightly surprises much vsed in that countrie because of the nearenesse of Townes and Castles They were mingled among the Cornets of Rutters and other French troupes in such sort that both plaine countries and couert they were alwaies ready to defend theÌ„ Staying of the Princes Armie The longest way that this demy armie made was towards Agenois and Quercy where it stayed almost all the winter and by the good entertainment it receiued there both great and little spedde wel In this voyage the Princes abandoned the enemies countrie for a pray vnto their souldiers and whosoeuer would hazard wanted no meanes those Prouinces were so abundant Monluc went about to hinder their passage ouer Garonne but the diligence of la Loue that ledde the Princes light-horse hauing taken those places that serued for resistance forced him in all haste to retire to Agen so that in the moneth of December 1599. all the armie passed ouer Garonne at Saint Maries port without impeachmeÌ„t at the second time for at the first Monluc had broken their bridge The twentieth of the same moneth Captaine Piles ioyned with the Princes armie and hauing obtained three Cornets made them flye that followed him so neare La Loue and his Argolitiers made diuers courses and picorees into Agenois and the countries thereabout The first forces that ioyned with the Princes were those of the Countie Montgommery comming from Bearn and it is not to bee doubted if he were welcommed at his returne The two and twentieth of December Bole a strong Towne was taken that done Exployts of this armie in their voyage that armie went to lye at the Bastille Saint Surin two leagues from Thoulouse The next day and others ensuing beganne a manner of war most violent by reason of the burnings that were permitted to be made about that great Towne onely vpon the houses of Presidents and Councellours of the parliament it beeing alleaged that they had been most earnest and as it were inraged to burne and massacre those of the religion beheaded Captaine Rapin that brought them the Edict of peace from the king and committed diuers insolencies oppressions for the which as then it was requisite to punish them for that omitting that occasion it would possible not be found againe The Marshall d'Anuille Gouernour of Languedoc la Valette and diuers others of account were within Thoulouse accompanied with fiue hundreth Gentlemen and 9000. harquebusiers as well straungers as of the countrie wherewith they made many sallies with diuers effects yet neuer went farre from their walles for fear of some surprise after Thoulouse had receiued those small checkes the armie went towards Carmaine Thoulouse checked a small towne which was forced and such as resisted put to the sword The like was done to those
mother and his bretheren But the freedome of the Ministers being impatient to staye the resolution of a Councell made them to preach openly whereby they so much tempted and altered mens consciences that suddainly the ceremonies traditions of the Church were abated and the temples seased vpon destroyed And the Constable beeing descended of the first Barron and first Christian in France opposed himselfe against this diuersitie of religion in one realm The Edict of Iuly made at S. Germains in Laye 1561. The assembly at Poissy The murther of Vassy the 1. of Mars 1562. The battaile of Dreux the 19. of Decēber 1561. The Constable was first taken then the Prince of Conde The king of Nauarre was slaine at the siege of Rouē 1562. The Duke of Guise slaine before Orleans the 24. of Febru 1563. 1. Edict of peace Anno. 1563. Reconciliatiō betweene the D. of Guise and the Admirall 1566. Counsell of the Duke of Alue The enterprise at Meaux at the feast of S. Michael 1567. The battaile of S. Denis on S. Martins euen 1567. VVhere the Constable was slaine The second Edict of peace at Lōiumeau which from the time of king Clouis had bin holden maintained in paritie and integritie vnder the ancient faith of their forefathers The Cardinal of Lorraine on the other side tooke the matter in hand and counselled the king to make an Edict against those of the religion the presumption of certain men was such that they cōsented to the disputation at Poissy wher in place of remedie we found but an increasing of our miseries After that the Edict of Ianuarie so much renoumed in all the troubles and solemnized by the Huguenots folowed the breach whereof by the means of Vassy caused both parts to fall to armes vpon the plaines of Dreux which gaue the name to that me morable battell not onely for the number of men there assembled being 1900. foot 2000. horse for the kings part 4000. horse called White-coates 6000. foot of the contrarie as for diuers other accidents that therin were marked besides the taking of two of their chiefe leaders For the Prince of Conde that imputed the first motions of his imprisonmēt of his separatiō frō the fauor and presence of K. Francis the 2. to the practises of the Duke de Guise that euening of the battell was his prisoner accepted the halfe of his auncient enemies bed that was offered vnto him a right discription of this variable world wher you see one triumphing the other captiue Among so many prosperities that inuironed the Duke of Guise by the death of the king of N. Generall of the kings armie followed by all the Catholicque Nobilitie Tutor cōductor of the king Queen-mothers whole affaires death being iealous that the Capitall citie of the realme at his arriuall had cried Viue Guise Viue Guise with as great ioy gladnes as euer they cried Viue le Roy dispatched him out of the way by Poltrots means that slew him at Orleans therby finished the first ciuill war at which time the Prince of Conde was deliuered out of prison the Constable brought the first Edict of peace By this peace France had means to breath and her subiects to liue in some assurance but the corrupted humours that caused the disease of the estate were not so wel disiested but that ther rested some remnants whereby it might be feared it would fall into a much more dangerous sicknesse which happened 3. years after whē the most troublesome alterers of estate renued the fire which although it were not vtterly quenched yet it was half cōsumed The Queen hauing performed that generall visitation of all the kings Prouinces at Moulins taken vp the quarrel between the houses of Guise Chastillon and made thē friends caused 6000. Switzers to be sent for vndera fained sear of the D. of Albes passage throgh France with whom she had conferred at Bayonne wher they concluded that to liue in peace it was best for her to fish after great Samons to leaue the frogs The Admiral perceiuing it determined rather to saue himselfe by his armes then with his legs and went so near vnto the king that he had almost taken him at Meaux and so caused him to retire to Parris being conducted by Pfiffers regiment And the Prince of Conde tooke the town of S. Dennis assieged Parris burned the milles And in fine the two armies met fought before S. Dennis wher the Protestants retired the K. had the victorie but it cost him the life of the Constable beeing one of the valiantest Captains in al Europe who hauing commanded in 7. battels died in the sight of the citie of Parris and of his king at the head of an armie victorious by his cōduction hauing cut his enemies in the cheeks that had wounded him in the face he was by a Scot shot into the raines with a Pistolle so died of the seuenth wound he had receiued in that seuenth battel being of the age of 60. and 7. yeares This death procured an other little peace cōmonly called the lined peace which continued but 6. months and made a war that The Prince of Conde slaine at Bassac the 21 of March 1569. The battaile of Montcontour the 3. of October 1569. The 3. Edict of peace An. 1570. indured for the space of 2. whole years wherein the Prince of Conde died and where the Princes of Nauarre and Conde the Dukes de Guise and Maine were Captains the one of the protestants armie vnder the conduct of the Admiral the other for the defence of Poictiers vnder Monsieur the kings brother General of his Maiesties armie whereby the battell of Moncontour happened where all the protestants footemen were slaine and the Rutters spurs were not sharp ynough to make their horses flie but Monsieur not pursuing his victorie suffered his enemies to range meet togither again who in short time were foūd strong ynough to constrain him to the wars or else to make another Edict of peace with more aduantage then the two first This peace being sworned by al those that had any publike authorite therin caused the Frenchmen to feele the sweetnesse of tranquillitie to be much different from the sharpnesse and bitternesse of ciuill diuisions Therein the king the Queen-mother his bretheren and the Princes did nothing but breath and aspire vnto contentment nothing was spoken of in France but only assurance and of remoouing their wars vnto the frontiers or within the bowelles of forrain countries and euery place was filled with marriages bankets c. But this goodly shew was put only a presaging of the torment that ensued and Saylers iudged that those great calmes would in the end cause some great tempest For presently after ensued the great and terrible day so full of blood teares and sorrow where without respect The massacre vppon Bartholomewe day Ann. 1573. so many
that which went for Poitou where hee assieged Bar Taking of la Charite and Issoire Anno. 1577. and tooke diuers Townes His Maiesties armie incamped at Brouage and costrained it to yeelde And Lansac Gouernour thereof would haue gone into the Isle of Re but hee could not And to conclude the warres were so long and tedious that the Generalles wel perceiued themselues to bee too olde to liue to see the end thereof And the king that neuer had tasted the sweetenesse of peace beganne to dsire it hauing first prooued so many troubles and vexations of warre therevppon hee determined to establish a good and holy peace Reason to induce peace and against warre in An. 1577. Great numbers are not the cause of victories God is the God of battelles A discourse polliticke and military The chance of warre vncertaine which should bee well obserued to the which end hee heard debated examined and considered diuers and all the reasons that could bee alleadged both for the establishing and dissoluing thereof Those that desired no peace deuised many arguments which they framed for the purpose as first they sayde That the king ought not to make peace hauing meanes to make warre with more men and aduantage then his enemies But they were aunswered that the multitude of men is not the cause of victorie and that a smal handful of desperate souldiers had ouerthrowne a great armie The kings cause is more iust The Princes shrowd themselues vnder a iust enterprise when God is offended and that the war is not made for the defence of his quarrell but for particular reuenge The Huguenots haue neither mony nor credite for the souldier himselfe among them is constrained to contribute mony to pay forraine ayde instead of receiuing his own wages With a little they do much necessitie is their vertue and the ground of their cause is so deare vnto them that they will rather fight without mony or meat then liue without their libertie or preaching of the Gospell There needs but one battell to ouerthrow and destroye them Victorie resteth in the hands of God it is a both doubtfull and vncertaine battels in these daies are prolonged and neuer giuen without aduantage of the one side or the other And again it is impossible with an armie of 10000. men to roote out a 100000. Huguenots The K. wil neuer hazard battel but he is assured to haue the victorie to triumph ouer his enemies This is as much to say as he reckoneth without his Host for it coÌ„sisteth in God there needeth but a small matter to put all your forces in disorder and make them a praye to their enemies For if in times past 500. Actolians Iustin lib. 24. Xâ—nop hist. lib. 7. Bap. Egnat The battell of Poictiers Lois the last Earle of Flaunders Froisart li. 2. cap. 95.96.97.98 better shepheards then souldiers put 900. Lacedemonians to flight If Epaminondas with 4000. men ouerthrew the Spartans armie beeing sixe times as many If among the Christians Baudonin brother to Godfrey of Bullon with 300. horse and 900. foot all Frenchmen caused the Caliphe to yeeld and leaue the field being inuironed with 9000. horse and 20000. foot If a litle troupe of English souldiers halfe in dispaire before Poictiers triumphed ouer a great armie of the most puissant warlike Nation in the world Is it not a most foolish temerite to put confidence in the doubtfull chance of a battell It is neuer good to assayle those that hope for nothing but dispaire The last Earle of Flaunders hauing brought the Towne of Gaunt to an extremitie of victuals would haue them to present themselues before him bare-headed footed with halters about their necks and so to aske pardon for their liues without any assurance thereof But 5000. of those miserable people that had nothing left but their armes and in dispaire He was constrained to hide himselfe in the strawe of a poore womans bedde where he saued himselfe and the next day went out disguised The peace of the low countries issued out vpon him like hungrie wolues fought so desperately that in fine they ouerthrew his whole armie coÌ„posed of more then fortie thousand men There is no peace to be granted to heretickes It is done continually for it is not yet a yeare since the king of Spaine granted peace to the Islands of Holand Zeland not only giuing them the libertie of their religion but withdrawing the exercise of his owne Peace giueth that to the Huguenots which warre taketh from them And what the libertie of conscience Many polliticke and wise men haue acknowledged and confessed that force constraineth not mens consciences that sword and fire haue not power to extirpe the opinions of religion that are once entered into the mindes of men that such victorie ouer mens consciences belongeth onely to God the father of light and trueth and that force may well make Hippocrites and Atheists but not religious or christian people If the king suffreth this libertie of conscience 1576. Libertie of conscience Catholicque religion will bee cleane consumed vnder these nouelties and all his Realme wil be poysoned with sects Schismes errors The free exercise of this new religion will be lesse aduantage to the perticipants thereof then it would be if it were but secretly vsed Religion increaseth more being persecuted and forbidden then wheÌ„ it is permitted Read a booke touching this point imprinted at Antwarpe An. 1579. Dialogus do Pace For the people are light impatient with long rest and quietnesse and to the contrary things least permitted and vneasie are most pleasant and agreeable And therefore desire nothing but change and dislike nouelties with more disdaine then euer they had affectioÌ„ or vehmeÌ„t desire to see theÌ„ aduaÌ„ced They alwaies fal headlong into that which is forbidden theÌ„ The more they presented tormeÌ„ted troubled the hereticques at Prague and in Ausbourg and the more they were forbidden to assemble and meet togither so much the more they in creased and had assemblles and with fiers whippings hanging and prisons became innumerable And when they haue the free libertie of that they desire when rigor is layde aside the thing becommeth so common and discouered that many refuse it entering againe into the great and broad way which they had left And therfore diuers men haue thought that there is no better means to shake Apollitike maxime Vnitie of the sectaries in matters of pollicie and in the end to ouerthrow a new religion then to permit the free exercise thereof For as a man of great iudgement in our time saith As much as man loueth his libertie and yet abuseth it so much the more hee hateth seruitude and constraint wherin notwithstanding he behaueth himselfe better then in the enioying of his freedome There ought to be but one religion in one Realme It is well said but when a king findeth more it is very hard for him to roote them out Would you
to order his battell The battell of Yurie and the kings notable exploicts And after they had cōmended all their successe vnto God he broke his fast and so about nine of the clocke in the foorenoone they were in the field readie to giue battell and the king beeing at the head of his squadron of which the first ranckes were composed of Princes Earles Knights and principall Gentlemen of the noblest families of France beganne to make his prayers vnto God with an exhortation that all the other squadrons should do the like Then passing along from the head of his armie hee encouraged his people to the fight And returning to his place without further delay he caused the great artillerie to bee shot off which gaue nine daungerous vollies to the great hurt of the leaguers Who after three or foure other vollies giuen on both sides aduanced forward fiue or six hundreth light horsemen to giue charge against the Marshal d'Aumont but he without stay ran vpon them and pearced thē in such sort that he might soone see their heeles In the mean space while they were thus busie the squadron of the Rutters which were on their right hand in comming toward the artillerie lighted vpon the Kings light horsmen aduancing thēselues against thē very manfully and being as valiantly receiued at last they were constrained to retire without performing any thing woorthie of memorie The whilest another squadron of launciers of the low Countries would haue giuen a fresh charge to these light horsemen But the Barron of Biron aduancing himselfe forward hauing no meane to meete the Vantgard set presently vpon the reareward and in breaking their array was hurt in two places The Duke de Montpensier ranne before the rest and gaue them a most braue charge in the which hee himselfe was once vnhorst but beeing againe mounted hee behaued himselfe in such valourous sort that he became Maister of the place The selfe-same the Duke de Maines great squadron consisting of eighteene hundreth horse among whom were the Duke of Nemours and the knight of Aumale with others of the Captains of the league aduanced themselues to the battel causing foure hundreth Carbines to march vpon their left wing who made a sallie of small shot some fiue and twentie paces from the kings squadron This sallie beeing ended the great squadron of the leaguers came on the forefront of the kings where they sawe his Highnesse before his company fiue long paces off who furiously rushed among the leaguers which could not by any meanes with all their huge forrest of launciers keepe backe the kings squadron But his Maiestie did in such warre like sorts assayle them that this great squadron was at last scattered hauing beene fighting among the thickest of them a good quarter of an houre In the end this huge heape of enemies who had thus the foundation of their strength abated were at last brought to hand-strokes who beginning to shrinke in the turning of a hand men might see their backes which before shewed such furious faces who tooke their flight by straunge passges This ioyfull victorie was at first intermixt with much sorrow in the royall armie when they saw not the king returne but within a while after they spied him comming all stained with the blood of his enemies not hauing shed one drop of his owne whom they described onely by the great plume of white feathers which hee bore in his creast and that which his Palfraye had on his head There was not so much sorrow among the leaguers for their losse but there was as much ioy recouered on the kings partie hauing been so happily returned from such an intermixture of blood and death But as hee came from the chase of his enemies with twelue or fifteen of his followers hee chancst to meete betwixt two companies of the enemies Switzers three cornets of Wallons accompanied with other that had ioyned with them whom his Maiestie charged with such high courager that hee wonne their colours they which carried them lying dead in the place with many other of their companions The king then beeing arriued at the place from whence he parted all the armie gaue humble thanks to the Lord for his safetie crying with one voyce God saue the king His Maiestie hauing set in order certaine of his troupes and seeing his enemies flying before him hee left the field surcharged with their dead so that there remained none aliue sauing the Switzers who beeing forsaken by their horsemen did notwithstanding stay without mouing and althogh the king might well haue ouerrun them yet hee receiued them to mercie who hauing cast down their weapons were discharged and sent into their own countries The Frenchmen also which were mingled among them had their liues saued This beeing done the king accompanied with his horsemen and the troups of Picardie followed the league which tooke their flight two waies In the one was the Duke of Nemours Bassompierre the Vicount of Tauannes Rosne and others which tooke their way to Chartres In the other the Duke de Maine with his most trustiest Captaines drew toward Yury to passe ouer the riuer The Leaguers artillerie and all their baggage were left in the campe and in the high-waies neare adioyning The time which the king spent in receiuing and sending away of the Switzers gaue leisure vnto them that fledde to put themselues vnder couert in such sort that comming vnto Yuri they perceiued that the Duke de Maine was alreadie entered who neuer thinking on any new charge broke vp the bridge before his owne people were all come which was the cause of the death of a great number of his armie especially of the Rutters of whom a great sort were drowned The others to hinder those that followed them stopt vp the streetes of Yuri with dead and wounded horses which stood in stead of chaines or inclosers whereof followed a new losse for all those that sought to passe the deepe streame perished for the most part The king was counselled to passe the riuer at the sord of Anet and although it were an houre and an halfe losse of his way yet hee ouertooke a great number of those that fledde which for their liues rested at his discretion Those that thought to escape putting themselues into the woods fell into the Pesants hands which handled them in cruell sort This pursuit continued euen to the Towne of Mant where neither the Duke de Maine nor any of his turned once their face to see who pursued them But if the Mantois had continued in their first opinion to keepe the gates shut all those that fled had beene vtterly ouerthrowne But beeing in the end ouercome by the D. de Maines earnest intreaties they gaue them leaue to enter the Towne vpon condition that those of his side should passe by tenne and tenne in the night beyond the bridge which indeed wrought their safetie The king seeing his enemies ouercome both with shame and losse rested himself
to beholde what miserie the souldiers at that time endured by reason of the winter The Italians left the Emperours campe constrained to do it by force of colde and famine and went vnto the Duke to bee imployed vnder the king The state of the Emperours armie before Metz. and while the Duke d'Alue vsed all the meanes hee could to place his batterie those within Metz made many assaults sometime on horse-backe sometimes on foote to the great discommoditie and losse of the Emperours campe much abashed at the boldnesse and valour of the Frenchmen who at that time did many straunge and vnaccustomed actions as entering so farre into the campe that they set vpon the Artillerie ranne into the enemies Tents and in small troupes neuer ceased to giue alarmes vnto the Emperours campe About the 20. of Nouember Valour of the assieged Batterie the batterie beganne to playe vpon the Towne in three seueral places and the 26. of the same moneth the walles of the Towne were battered with 40. great Peeces that shot both night and day without ceasing but onely to refresh them beeing one of the most furious batteries that euer was seene at any time The assieged not only Princes and Lords but euery man whatsoeuer carried earth to make rampiers by which their diligence they no lesse abashed the Emperours campe then by their valour Hesdin takē by the Frenchmen from the Emperour The French armie conducted by the Admirall de Chastillon entering into Picardie where the Duke de Vandosme commanded as Lieftenant for the king caused the Emperours armie conducted by the Counte de Reux to withdrawe themselues from thence who left his sonne with a strong Garrison within the Castle of Hesdin which beeing assieged vpon the 17. of December and furiously battered with 4066. cannon shots without any reasonable breach feare so much ceased vpon the assieged that the next day after they yeelded themselues with liues and goods saued On the other side the Duke de Neuers continued his course molesting the Emperours armie and by the conduct of Monsieur de Mouy cut off a great Conuoy of victuals and munitions from them without the losse of any man wherein Mouy obtained great honour by hauing aduanced himselfe so farre and brauely returned from among a great company of the enemies without leauing one man behinde him and yet bereauing them of a great reliefe The Emperour retrait and raysing of his campe from Metz to the great honour of the assieged Touching the Emperour his batteries beeing spent in vaine and his Mines countermyned by the diligence and industrie of the assieged that neuer ceased by sallies and continuall charge to molest and dispearse his armie wholly afflicted with cold and necessitie about the 18. of December hee caused the greatest cannons of his batterie to bee dismounted with resolution to retire with honour and commoditie wherevnto the Counte d'Aigremont was imployed to discouer and to assure his passage The Duke de Neuers prouided with great diligence for Thoul thereby to shunne a surprise and by diuers courties made the Emperour to make haste away who being aduertised of the condition of Hesdin perceiuing the dispotition of his armie and his forces vsed against Metz to take no effect hauing lost a great number of men and much treasure and part of the reputation which before hee had obteyned Vpon the fift of Ianuarie he beganne to retire leauing all the charge vnto the Duke d'Alue to seperate and retire his armie Great pittie it was to see and beholde the number of poore Souldiours that as then were discharged and sent away without any meanes to helpe themselues The Duke d'Alue and the Counte de Brabancon The dislodging of the campe with the most part of the armie dislodged in great disorder departing by night onely with two fiers for their guide making no noyse without sounding of trumpet drum or fife leauing their Tents standing with some quantities of armour barrells full of pouder and great store of necessarie prouisions part of the artillerie vnder ground many poore sicke men whom the Duke of Guise and others caused to bee friendly vsed and comforted Vidasme de Chartres set vpon the rereward of the Duke of d'Alues campe where he ouerthrew a company of light horse burnt great quantitie of pouder and brought more persons then he desired without any losse of his owne men The rereward was left vnto the Marques of Brandebourge The retrait of Albert Marques of Brandebourge vppon whose campe many issues were made but hee kept himselfe so close and wrought in such manner that he escaped safely away with all his troupes Solemne prayers and thanksgiuings were yeelded vnto God through all the Realme of France for the happie successe of that great siege specially the Duke of Guise caused a general procession to bee made within the Towne of Metz where hee was accompanied by all the Princes and Lords that had assisted at that siege Deliuerie of Metz. as the Princes of Anguien the Counte Montpensier and the Counte de la Rochesuryon the Duke de Neuers Horace Fernese who not long after espoused Diane Bastard-daughter to the king Pierre Strossie le Vidame de Chartres Monsieurs de Montmorency d'Anuille de Gonnor la Brosse Lieftenant of the companie of the Duke of Lorraine la Rochefoucant the Vicomtes de Turaine and de Martigues Delangues Entragues de Biron S. Remi and others in great number which done hee went vnto the Court leauing the gouernment of the Towne vnto la Gonnor that commaunded in it before the siege Siege batteries assault taking and vtter destruction of the towne of Terouenne About the end of the spring the Emperour sent Monsieur de Binecourt with a puissant armie to besiege the Towne of Terouenne a very strong place wherunto in great diligence was sent Monsieur d'Esse and with him Francis de Montmorency eldest sonne vnto the Constable with their companies followed by diuers Lords Gentlemen and Souldiers The Towne was most furiously battered and the assieged sustained three assaults such as neuer had been seene the like where on both sides many men were slaine On the French part were slaine Messieurs de Esse de Vienne de Beaudisne de la Roche Pose de Blandi and captaine Ferrteres with many Gentlemen and souldiers after that the Assaylants vsed great meanes to mine the walles so that in the ende by a mine very properly and promptly made they filled the diche which Monsieur de Montmorency perceiuing by aduise of all the Captaines demanded a composition but while they were in parley the Almaines and Burgonians entred in diuers places and began to kill all that they met the Spaniards couetous of money warranted many Gentlemen and French souldiers Monsieur de Ouerti to saue the life of Monsieur de Montmorency his Generall was sore wounded whereof not long after he died which newes much pleased the Emperour who therevppon caused the
Emperour and the king to bring them to an agreement but nothing tooke effect each of thē seeming to haue right on his side meane time the differences touching religion began to increase such as would not receiue and acknowledge the traditions of the Pope were cruelly burnt They suffered the Turke to win diuers places in Europe and his Gallies as then came before Corse to ayde the Frenchmen were at the siege of Calui and Boniface among the Christians and holpe to conquer the Island and then returning homeward spoyled the coast of Toscane besieged Plombin and the I le of Elbe belonging to the Duke of Florence passing further executed an infinit of mischieses vpon the realmes of Naples Sicile and Calabre and so laden with great spoyles and numbers of Christians their prisoners they arriued in Constantinople other places without any impeachment so much so great was the hatred between the Emperour and the King that they had rather see the Turke inriched with Christians teasure then once to consent agree in one to inuade so common an enemie But returning to Siene Siene besicged and taken the Marques of Marignan came to besiege it with all his forces onely vpon the hope he had that Strossi beeing wounded and Monluc lying at the poynt of death being dead for it was thought they could not liue long Lanssac and Fourqueuau taken the Sienois being wholly destitute of counsell and French secorers would yeeld vnto him Strossi beeing somewhat recouered and hauing been certified of the death of Monluc hazarded himselfe with sixe companies of foote and two of launciers to come to Siene Where by the prudence and resolution of Serillac Nephew to Monluc he entered who by a stratageme of trompets caused an alarme in the Marquesse campe that thought verily some new armie had been come to set vppon them but hauing found Monluc liuing and in some better estate then he had been he returned againe yet not without great daunger Monluc hauing made many skirmishes vppon the enemie perceiued that in fine they would take the Towne whervpon hauing shewed the Souldiers and the Townes-men what he thought the Marques would do hee gaue order that euery man should be stinted in his victuals and that they should liue by prescript rules of war The Sienois very willing to followe his counsell and aduise did as he commanded The Marques hauing assayed by scaling the walles in the night-time to enter into the Citadell and the Fort of Camollia was valiantly repulsed with the losse of sixe hundreth of his men and by many skirmishes batteries intelligences and combats seeking to become maister of the towne being not able to effect his will determined to proceed with the first and surest resolution which was to constraine them by famin by which meanes his campe indured much miserie and euery moneth diminished more and more neuerthelesse in fine his perseuerance ouercame them so that vpon the 20. day of Aprill 1555. an honourable composition hauing been made and agreed vpon with Monsieur de Monluc his troupes and those of Siene the towne was yeelded vnto the Marques and after into the hands of the Duke of Florence Touching that which after happened to the territories of Siene I meane not at this present to intreate further thereof leauing that to the description of the warres of Italie from whence I must returne vnto Picardie Warres in Picardie Mariembourg being revictualled the Leaders that cōmanded in those quarters for the Emperour hauing erected an armie of twentie thousand foote fiue or sixe thousand Rutters and some Enfignes of olde bands of Spaniards caused a place called Giuets to bee fortified from whence they forraged the Country lying nearest vnto it and famished Mariembourg The king assembled his forces at Maubert Fontaine whereof Francis de Cleues Duke de Veuers was Lieftenant Generall hauing eight hundreth launciers as many light-horse about eight thousand footemen who once againe revictualled Mariembourg The 26. of Iulie the Rutters and the French light-horsemen met togither but the Rutters were presently constrained to reenter into their fort and the Count de Barlaimont General of the Emperors Armie refusing battaile the French men retired presently after the prince of Orange entred in to the kings country and spoiled the Castle of Faignolles After that in winter time Messieurs de Sanssac and Bourdillon the third time reuictualled Mariembourg The raigne and troublesome season togither with the want of victualls on both sides impeached the armies from meeting togither During this last voiage the king hauing gotten the writings and euidences whereby Iohn de Brosse Duke d'Estampes claymed a right and title vnto the Duchie of Bretaigne into his hands gaue the Count of Ponthieure in exchange thereof vnto the said Duke The Emperor resigneth all his estates vnto his son and his brother At the same time the Emperor a prince of great valour and courage as all Histories do witnesse hauing so long time borne a world of affaires troubles within his braines determined to discharge himselfe thereof and hauing sent for the Prince Don Philip his sonne vnto Brissels then king of England resigned vnto him his kingdomes of Spaine Naples Cicile and others whereof hee gaue him letters pattents commanding all his subiects to obey him Those letters being deliuered vpon the 25. of october 1555. were read in open counsel by the Chancelor And among many notable instructions aduises by the father giuen vnto the Prince his son he exhorted him to make peace with the King of France and to haue pittie vpon Christendome miserably tormented by so long and cruell warres He likewise left off the Empire and by letters vnto the Electors desired them to giue that dignitie vnto Ferdinand his brother to whom by right it ought to appertaine hauing by them bin chosen and elected for king of the Romanes Wars in the Isle of Corse About the same time the Geneuois assaied to win the Isle of Corse not long before taken from them by Monsieur de Termes and sent thither the Prince d'Aurie that assailed the port of S. Florent which yeelded by composition the souldiers issuing armed and their goods saued returning to Boniface to Iourdā Vrsin d'Aurie following after them thinking to win it but he was soone repulsed to his great losse About the moneth of the same yeare died the Marquesse of Marignā The death of the Marques of Marignā being out of fauor with the Emperor For hauing too long prolōged the taking of Siene consuming a whole armie about it he was solemnly buried at Millan the Duke d'Alue being assistant at his funerall King Philip following his fathers counsaile and solicited therunto by Mary Queene of England his wife inclined to peace which to effect after many meetings and conferences a truce for 5. yeares was agreed vpon between thē The Count de Lalain Truce for 5. yeares between the 2. Kings came to Blois to sweare the truce vnto
returning from Orleans were drowned with three Marchants of Dauphine Besides that diuers were put to death the hangmaÌ„ or executioner by Montare called Gossop seruing the peoples humour and executing either without lawe or processe such as they deliuered vnto him to be put to death The leuen and twentieth of May 1562. the Counte de Montgommery accompanied with fixe score horses entered into Bourges wherein many secret conspiracies were vsed and executed against those of the religion and kept it for the Prince bringing from thence great summes of mony for the payment of the Souldiers vnder the Princes conduct taking the great Tower likewise into his custodie In the month of Iune after Monsieur de Iuoy was sent thither by the Prince with two thousand foote to prouide for all things necessarie against the Towne shuld be besieged as the enemie determined to do it Three Corners of Argolitiers came thither likewise who beeing arriued therein they vsed to make certaine sallies by which meanes the Towne of Meun sur Loire was taken to the great periudice of the Priestes the Monkes and Images As likewise they forced the Castles of Saint Florent and Coudrai the Gentleman of the place dying with feare Iuoy hauing made an enterprise vpoÌ„ Issoudun preuailed not wherevppon his troupes beganne to mutin against him which being appeased the fifteenth of August the armie of Triumuirat approaching to Bourges Iuoy and the Sheriffes were summoned to yeeld the Towne vnto the King The Sheriffes referring the matter vnto Iuoy hee made refusall wherevppon ensued diuers issues and skirmishes coÌ„monly to the great disaduantage of the enemies and there was an open combatte fought betweene Captaine S. Martin the Huguenot and the Monke Lichelieu Maister of the Triumuirats campe Bourges in Berry the Monke was thrust into the bodie with a sword and lost his coate armour which Saint Martin bare away The twentieth day of the Month a strong batterie was made and in one day they shot at the least a thousand cannon shot but because it preuailed not much the Duke de Nemours was imployed to perswade the besieged and beeing at the wall to speake with them making many goodly promises which hee assured vppon his faith one of the Souldiers within the Towne said openly vnto him that the faith hee then offered was the same which he had holden to the Barron of Chastelnau had it not been for certaine Gentlemen he had as then been slaine That which constrained the Triumuirat to parley with the Towne was because the Admirall issuing out of Orleans about Chasteaudun had surprised burnt the powder munition that was sent theÌ„ from Parris and for that cause vsed such means with Iuoy by the Counte Rhingraue and the Queen-mother that vpon the last of August and the next day he graunted to their request and yeelded vp the Towne to the great disliking of his souldiers whereof part with the Captaines la Porte S. Martin that hurt Richelieu S. Remi and Brion Maister of the campe went to the Duke of Guise and from thence to the siege of Roane where they were slaine the rest had part of the bootie The rest of the Souldiers and Captaines got to Orleans with many difficulties and losse of 30. or 40. men Iuoy had great displeasure at the Princes bands both for his faintnesse and the loosing of the place beeing of so great importance Wherevppon hee withdrewe himselfe vnto his house much greeued for his misfortune specially because hee had left great store of Houshold-stuffe and other necessaries within Bourges and among the rest a Chalice set with diuers rich and precious stones which hee was constrained to giue vnto the Queene-mother who with great deuotion receiued it of him and kept it as a most rich Iewell as likewise many other precious lewelles of the holy Chappel which were kept from the hands of little theeues to bee the better and safelier kept by her Monterud Lieftenant to the Prince de la Rochesuryon in Berry hauing armed himselfe with letters from the Triumuirat contrary to the capitulation made with Iuoy draue those of the religion out of the Towne their houses beeing ransacked and at their issuing some of them were robbed some beaten and some slaine within the Gates An edict beeing made that forbidding those of the religion that stayed in the Towne not to speake or assemble togither aboue two in a company and so Bourges remained in that sort vntill the edict of pacification The third of Aprill 5562. those of the religion in Mans ceased peaceably vppon the Towne Le Mans. Charles d'Agennes Bishoppe of the place retiring vnto a Castle where hauing fortified himselfe he coÌ„mitted many murthers spoyles vppon the people Their affaires within the Towne holding in a meane vntill the moneth of May that for want of a man of authoritie and well affected to the religion and to the estate of the common and particular commoditie of the people the souldiers beganne to fall to extremities and in fleed of assayling their enemies in the field they busied themselues in the Towne to breake downe Images and Priests Altars to the great disliking of the Ministers and other peaceable persons shewing them that it was against the edict of Ianuary the treatie of association holden in Orleans the declaration which those of Mans not long before had made sent vnto the king by Monsieur de Mortier From the â—hurches in the Towne they ranne vnto the Villages bordering about it and adding euill to euill committed certaine spoyles which caused the Pesants to fall vppon them and to slaye some of them as they retired laden with their praye Those that remained within the Towne were diuided some commaunding in the Castle others within the Towne Those of the religion beeing abashed at the insolences of the Captaines and souldiers newes was brought that the Triumuirats armie was as then at Blois and that the Duke de Montpensieur made preparation to assayle them They likewise had intelligence that of three Captaines that commanded within the Cittie two of them had secret conference with the enemie which considered as also that the Towne was weake and slenderly furnished of men the twelfe of Iuly it was confusedly and in great haste forsaken about eight of the clocke at night at which their issuing were found to the number of eight hundreth men all armed that by Captaine la Mothe Tibergeau with great difficulties were conducted vnto Alancon The other two Captains presently yeelded vnto the enemie those that saued themselues at Alancon tooke diuers parties some not accustomed to beare armes stayed there others went to finde the Counte de Montgommery or the Duke de Bouillon For the Ladies and Gentlewomen some withdrew themselues to Deep or to New-hauen or else into England The next day after the Towne so forsaken such of the Romish religion as had absented themselues from thence entered againe and then beganne a terrible trouble verie fewe of the
Villebon Bailiffe of Roan ceased vpon Pont de l'Arche the Baron de Clere took Caudebec the one aboue the other belowe the riuer of Siene Whereby it prooued great discommoditie for the Towne of Roan that by those meanes could get no victualls by water besides the ceasing of the Courts of iustice the staye of trade of merchandise and all sorts of handy workes these discommodities made the Citizens to looke vnto themselues In the beginning of Iune Villebon came with great troupes to besiege Saint Catherins fort where in a fierce skirmish he lost his cornet and fourteene men and they of the fort 8. mē Presētly after him came the Duke de Aumale Saint Catherins Fort besieged gaue an alarme vnto the Towne where presently he lost 25. of his horsemen But for renenge he assayd all means he could to impeach the Towne of Roan from necessary prouisions But not long after it was relieued by Monsieur de Moruilliers sent thither by the Prince from Orleans assisted by Monsieur de Languetot a gentleman of great wisdome The Duke d'Aumale dispersed the Churches of those of the religiō in Hafleur Montuilier and l'Islebonne where he hanged three auncients and three Gentlemen of the Religion And not long after besieged Saint Catherins fort with thirteene Cannons and two coluerins where Monsieur de Languetot had his legge shotte off with a great peece whereof hee died Many skirmishes beeing daylie performed between them till in the end the Duke left the Fort and fledde from thence and within fiue daies after beeing before Ponteau de Mer faining to parley with them within the Towne he surprised them vppon a suddaine and so entered by force where hee vsed all kind of hostilitie specially vppon the Minister named Brionne and the third day after hee besieged and tooke Honfleur The sixe and twentieth of August the Parliament of Roane being at Louniers made a declaration whereby those of the religion in Normandie were declared Traitors permitting all men Declaration of the Parliament of Roane against those of the religion that eyther would or had the meanes to spoyle and ouerrunne them wholly disallowing the edict of Ianuary established the Inquisition of Spaine and appoynted the Duke d'Aumale Lieftenant for the King And by that declaration and sentence this Court of Parliament executed many of the religion commanding all such as would not make profession of the Romish religion to depart out of the Towne of Louuiers within foure and twentie houres after vpon paine of confiscation both of body and goods On the other side they draue all the Friers out of Roane and hauing discouered treason pretended by some of their companions they tooke order therein from thence forward The siege of Roane giuing good eye to those of the Romish religion whereof they thrust out great numbers In August Monsieur de Moruilliers withdrew himselfe from Roane and kept himselfe peaceably within his house and so continued during the warres neuer forsaking the open profession of the religion In the meane time Monsieur de Montgommery was by those of Roane desired to assist them which hee presently did and arriued at Roane vppon the 18. of September within rennedaies after the Towne was summoned to yeelde it selfe vnto the armie of the Triumuirat whose campe wherein were the king the Queen and the king of Nauarre being composed of sixteen thousand foot and two thousand horse besides Rutters and Lansquenets came before the Towne where at their arriuall they had a hotte and fierce skirmish which continued all that day and three daies after successiuely The fixt of October the king armie hauing intelligence from Captaine Louis out of Saint Catherins Saint Catherins fort taken for they surprised it by force wherein they slewe al they found And Louis himselfe ayding the enemie to mount vp was slaine by one of his Souldiers another fort called Montgommery was taken by the like means where the Queene-mother ledde the king beeing but twelue yeares of age to see the dead bodies of the women and made him behold them bathing in their blood The thirteenth of October an assault was giuen vnto the Towne but they within repulsed the enemie where some couragious women bringing meate vnto the souldiers were slaine The next day they gaue another assault at the Rampart of Saint Hilary but were repulsed and for the space of 6. houres that the skirmish indured they lost to the number of eight hundreth of their best souldiers and they within foure or fiue hundreth accounting women and children that were slaine with the Artillerie The same day the king of Nauarre beeing visited by a certaine Lord told him Hurt and death of the King of Nauarre that if hee escaped safely from that siege hee would neuer beare armes againe for that quarrell but the next day he would go see the trenches where by fortune as hee made water he was striken with a Harquebushotte into the shoulder which done hee was borne by certaine Gentlemen to his lodging at Dartenal where the Surgians vsed all the meanes they could to get out the bullet but hauing deferred it ouerlong they could not one of the Phisitians named Vincentius a voluptious man entertained him with sports and companies of Gentlewomē among therest a Gentlewoman named Rouet came to see him which was some meanes to inflame his wound and hauing intelligence that Roane was taken he was borne thither where gouerning not himselfe as his wound and time required it began to growe to further paine and in the end a feuer tooke him wherwith he began to be faint and thē perceiued they had deceiued him Notwithstanding his seruāts had so great credit with him that they caused him to be cōfessed to receiue the Sacrament after the Romish maner The other of his Phisitians called Raphuel being of the religiō vttered many reasons vnto him so farre that he seemed to charge him with sin against the holy Ghost wherevnto hee answered nothing but lay still Not long after the Queen aduertised by his Phisitians that he could not liue being come to see him willed some of his men to read vnto him Shee being departed hee commaunded Raphael to take the Bible and to read the Historie of Iob which beeing done adding therevnto certaine wordes of the iustice and mercie of God the king beeing mooued in spirit lifting vp his hands vnto heauen and with teares in his eyes hee asked mercie of God making a large and ample declaration of his faith protesting that if it pleased God to graunt him life hee would cause the Gospell to bee preached throughout the Realme of France His disease waxing more vehement and Raphael continually attending vppon him hauing made his will hee caused himselfe to bee borne into a boate to go to Saint Maur des Fosses hard by Parris But not long after his entrie into the boate a great cold ceased vppon him and therevppon insued a sweate wherewith hee beganne to talke idly
Nouember those of Beziers sent two companies to ayde Montpeslier and at the end of ten daies those of Beziers ouerthrew Captaine Lauragues with his companie neare to Cessenon Not long after there happened a thing worthie memorie thereby to note the couetous desire of some men and by the iudgement of God to shewe the mischiefe of ciuill warres Anthony Sauin seruant to a Cittizen of Beziers beeing taken in a skirmish the enemie offered to exchange him for a horse that one of their Captaines had lost in the same skirmish But they had rather suffer Sauin to bee hanged then part from the horse yet not long after at another sallie this horse being strong in the mouth running with great force bare a Gentleman to whom it had been giuen into the middle of his enemies who presently killed the man and got the horse againe The same month those of Beziers beeing much troubled for mony to pay their souldiers digging a ditch in the place where the Chapitre of Saint Nazaire vsed to melt their belles they found a great table of siluer which was presently broken and coyned into mony at Montpeslier wherewith they payed their souldiers that done they heard newes of the battell of Dreux so that as then it was necessarie for them to looke better to the safetie of the place so that hauing brought victualles out of all places into their Towne they tooke Seruian by assault forced the Garrison of Casouls by meanes of Monsieur Crussol they tooke order within it to end certaine controuersies that rose betweene those of the Towne and certaine strangers wherevppon it happened that one within the Towne moued that they had driuen his companions out of the place meeting Anthony Duchemin a Doctor of Phisicke a man of great learning and iudgement vppon the Rampiers threwe him ouer the wall whereof hee died to the great griefe of all the Towne the murtherer sauing himself in the enemies campe These things happened in the monthes of Ianuary and February and in the beginning of March vpon the seuenteenth day of the same month Captaine la Coste commaunding within Beziers tooke Villeneufue les Beziers by assault Presently after peace being made the Garrisons that laye about Beziers retired and the Powne remained in quiet inioying the exercise of the religion which not long after Marshall de Danuille tooke from them Those of the religion in Montpeslier vnderstanding what had past in Thoulouse and else where made themselues the strongest to them came Baudine Montpeslier Grille Bouillargues Thouras and Montuaillant that enterprised to besiege Frontignan but there hee found a hard partie Ioyeuse going thither to ayde them was repulsed by Bouillargues and Grille but in the meane time two fregates of Prouinciers entered into the towne which constrained Baudine to return vnto Montpeslier where hee found warre causing the Subburbes to bee raised that in a manner were as great as the Towne by which meanes there were 30. Churches throwne downe This beating downe of the Subburbes was a great discommoditie to the enemie that were constrained to incampe a French league from the Towne where they assayled an olde Tower without flancards and constrained certaine Harquebusiers that were within it to saue thēselues with promise of their liues but at their comming foorth they slewe them all They did as much to the Captaine and twentie souldiers that solde them the Castle of Maguelonne for as they issued they were all put to the sword At the same time the Barron des Adrets vpon the thirteenth of September arriued in Baudines campe the same day at night assayled the enemies campe with so great courage that if they had pursued their enterprise vntill morning they had ouerthrowne the whole armie but about midnight they sounded a retrait and three daies after both he and his went backe againe with as much haste as they made thither yet he left three companies of Argolitiers hard by Montpeslier that made sharp warre vpon the Bandoliers The enemies hauing taken and presently hanged two Ministers some of their prisoners within Montpeslier were serued in the like sort The memorable tourney of S. Gilles Baudine vnderstanding that Messieurs de Suze and Sommeriue principalles of the Army Triumuirat in a part of Languedoc had passed the riuer of Rhosne with about three thousand foote and foure hundreth horse two Canons and a Culuerin brought his Campe into Montpeslier and sent Grille to put certaine shot within S. Gilles a little Towne lying vpon the Rhosne hee hauing the conduct of three companies of prouinciall Argolitiers with six hundreth foote vnder the charge of Captaine Rapin. Bouillargues and Albenas with their horse went to Nismes All these troupes ioyned togither minded to ayde S. Gilles and made in all six hundreth horse and eight hundreth foote departing from Nismes vpon the 27. of September about halfe a mile from S. Gilles they surprised three horsemen of Prouence whereof they slew two and sauing the third by him they vnderstood the disorder of the enemies Camp by which meanes they set forward and beeing discouered the army of Suze and Sommeriue both Captaines and soldiers began to flie with the greatest feare that euer was heard Bouuillargues in stead of going straight to S. Gilles began to set vpon those that fled where hee founde no resistance but had worke inough to kill them at his pseasure not one of them once turning his face Grille on the other side charged them likewise in such sort that there were slain and drowned to the number of two thousand men The boates being stayed by some of the horsemen the rest flying as fast as they coulde towards Fourques an Aiguesmortes where they could not safely arriue but some of them were met withall all the carriage and prouision of the Camp was taken and in Suze and Sommeriues chests were foūd diuers strange commissions The bootie was great because they were furnished in all sorts as if they had gone to a wedding and among others of theyr Armours they found great numbers of violes and bookes of loue that were all broken and cut in peeces The two cannons were taken with twentie two ensignes and the guydon of the Coronel and laid vp in Nismes The Culuerin being sunke in the riuer of Rhosne where it could not bee halled vp againe Not one man of the religion dyed at that time by the hands of the enemie that vsed nothing but their feete as their best instruments for that time Onely two of their men slaine by their own companie hauing forgotten the watch-word which at that time was Salomon and to the contrary certaine Spaniards and Italians remembring it entred among them but their tōgues bewraying them they sped as wel as the rest An Ambuscado of importance Not long before those of the religion had receiued great greefe by the death of one of the Gremians braue Captaines and of young Maillane hauing beene surprised and ouerthrowne in an ambuscado by them
and it fell out so that Acier Mouuans and others not neglecting this commaundement made so great a troupe of men Forces out of Dauphin Prouence and Languedoc for the Prince as it seemed that they had wholly vnpeopled those three Prouinces hauing at the least sixteene or seuenteene thousand Harquebusiers marching along Gourdes Gouernour of Dauphine vsed all the meanes hee could to impeach their passage ouer the riuer of Rhosne but they hauing seized vppon diuers places that might bee commodious for them and with ease crossing that great riuer went to Allais and so marched towards Millaud to enter into Perigueux Now as on the one side this troupe of footemen was the strength of the Princes armie so was it the cause of the losse of diuers places which the Catholicques seized vppon after the departure of Acier and other commanders whereof diuers repented themselues to haue leuyed so many men whereof the halfe would haue sufficed marching close and in good order but the iealousie among the principall leaders the staying of some and the aduauncing of others was the meanes that they could not ioyne with the Prince before they had receiued a hard checke two of their regiments beeing defeated by the Duke de Montpensieur because that Mouuans and Pierre Gourdes Collonels perceiuing themselues hindered by lodging so close as they had done till they were not farre from Perigort sought to separate themselues and lie in a village called Mensignac beeing of opinion that with two thousany Harquebusiers they might withstand a whole armie Mouuans had both valour and pollicie as much as any Captain of footmen euer had in his time But his courage caused him at that time to take vpon him too great a charge for beeing set vpon on all sides The ouerthrowe of Mouans Gourde and by sixe times as many men yet he refused not to fight valiantly but in fine both hee and his companions were slaine in the field with the number of a thousand of their men and to impeach Acier lodging about two small leagues from thence with sixe thousand foote from comming to ayde them at the same time that Mouuans was charged by the Dukes footemen they sent eight or nine launciers and diuers Harquebusiers on horsebacke towards Acier that cried battell and made a great noyse with trumpets A stratagem to hinder aide Whereat Acier was so much busied to looke vnto himselfe that in the mean time Mouuans and his troupes sustained the force of their enemies selling their liues as well as they might in such sort that the Catholicques lost aboue a hundreth men and were so moyled with the fight and the trauell their horse had made at that same day that they could not pursue nor charge Aciers troupes abashed at the report of those that had escaped that made the Duke of Montpensiers forces to bee farre greater then they were What the two armies did lying so neare togither After this ouerthrow of Mouuans the Duke of Montpensieurs armie returned to Chastelleraut as fearing least the Prince beeing growne so strong by the arriuall of the Dauphinois of their companions should haue set vpon him in some place of disaduantage There he found the Duke of Anion accompanied with very resolutetroupes and a great number of Noble men and Captaines greatly affectionate to this poore Prince There had not been many daies seene two such armies of French men The Prince of Conde his places furnished had eighteene thousand Harquebusiers and three thousand good horse In the Dukes armie they had no lesse then tenne thousand footmen besides the Switzers and foure thousand lances so that on both sides there were fiue and thirtie thousand Frenchmen all trained men and peraduenture as good souldiers as any in Europe They of the religion considering their strength endeuored to haue come to handie blowes and came within two leagues of Chastelleraud but the Prince beeing giuen to vnderstand that the other campe was lodged in a very conuenient place and almost inuironed with a small marish holpen with some sleight intrenchment in diuers places would not make any rash attempt but soght all other meanes to drawe his enemie to the field The Prince seeketh battell and way Heerevnto was he especially inuited in regard as well of his number as their forwardnesse withall fearing that such armies wanting scope sufficient could not continue or hold any long time besides that the winter which this yeare was most extreame would soone duminish the same The Romish Catholiques were not altogither so outragious but expected a supply withall thinking themselues able in time to wearie their enemie and by litle and little to breake them The two leaders were very desirous to ioyne namely the Duke of Aniou who fretted mightily to see so many men at the Princes commaund besides that he heard that the Germaines were bustling and preparing in the spring to come into France for him Moreouer they both had one intent namely each to liue vppon the enemies countrie and so to spare their owne from the extreame waste committed by the man of warre But the prouidence of the almightie The purposes of both the leaders would not permit the French to put in execution the mallice of their harts for had they then buckeled the sinues of the kingdome had been cut in peeces and by all likelyhood it had been past recouery and beene made a pray to any mightie forraine enemie that lists suddainly to haue seized thervpon Now let vs beholde how his wise prouidence ordered all matters at that time Both the armies breaking vp drewe towards Lusignan neare wherevnto there lyeth a smal quarter most fruitfull where each pretended to lodge The Admirall and his brother in danger of an ouerthrow and albeit they were so neare togither yet did not the one know of the other whereby it fell out that the generall Rendez-vous of both armies was appoynted in a great Burrow called Pampron some fiue leagues from Poictiers a town plentifully prouided of victuals where the Marshals of both the campes met in maner at one instant with their troupes so that twise or thrise they driue and were driuē each side coueting that lodging which at length was abandoned But knowing that they should be relieued neither side would flie but took their stands some quarter of a league off where they put themselues in array for the support of the one side came the Admiral and his brother with fiue cornets of horse and for the Duke of Anious part some seuen or eight hundreth launces Now are wee not said the Admirall to stand vppon lodgings but to fight and so suddainly aduised the Prince heereof who was a long league behinde willing him to come forward whilest hee kept the enemie playe Then did he set his men in order vppon a little rising the rather to take from the Romish Catholicques the sight of a small valley whereby they might haue had a perfect view of him as also
to make them thinke that the said valley had been full both of horsemen and footmen Standing thus within cannon shot each of other the Admirall commanded a Captaine of Argoletiers to march some fiue hundreth paces and there to stay near vnto a hedge but as such men are not alwaies of like wisedome courage and readinesse the one halfe immediately made to the skirmish whom their Cornet followed to relieue them The Duke of Martigues leader of the other side weening that they would haue fought stood close and sent forth three or foure squadrons of lanciers The Admirall and his brother greeuing that they had not foreseene the folly of this Captaine of the Argoletiers wist not wherevpon to resolue because they saw the enemie much stronger then themselues but comming to giue their opinions they both concluded contrary to their custome and nature Andelot a knight without feare and one that neuer found any thing too hotte A notable example of the infirmitie of mans iudgement in matters of importance though it best to retire a soft pace and so giue a foyle to the enemie that was much stronger then they which was to bee preserred before the danger which being once auoyded besides the profit they shuld also reape honour The Admirall thought it better to staye and with a good face to hide their weaknesse and thervpon immediately called back his skirmishers wherevpon the enemies lanciers made at This counsell had best successe notwithstanding the other seemed the better and of more safetie For Martiques afterward gaue out that had hee knowne the Admirall and his bretheren to haue been so weake it should haue cost him the liues of all his lanciers but he wold haue had those two Lords either quicke or dead that he tooke their fiue cornets to haue been the troupes of the Marshals of the field whom they had charged and so doubted they had been supported by some store of Harquebusiers which he seemed to discerne in a village behinde them who indeed were no other but their varlets besides that for want of footemen whom he expected hee had lost the opportunitie of a field The Prince looseth opportunitie to defeate the D. of Anious anuantgard Thus do the hazards of warre depend vpon very suddaine moments Within one houre after this aduenture they all looked for a field for on all sides ye might discerne the footemens Ensignes and troupes of horsemen come marching on but it was late before they were all come togither so as they had onely a hotte skirmish which the night brake off There was no more but the D. of Anious auantgard whose leaders perceiuing the Princes campe to be too strong deuised a pollicie to make them thinke it to be their whole armie for they caused part of the French drummes to strike vppe the Switzers march forbidding their souldiers not to disband but only to defend themselues least by the taking of any prisoner the enemies should haue knowne the truth for had the Prince knowne of it this auantgard had been ouerthrown and defeated Besides they doubled their guards made great fires and caused their souldiers to hang burning matches vpon the bushes and so hauing taken their repast they departed with small noyse and drewe some to Iasenueil where the D. of Aniou lodged with his battell and some to the borought of Sanssay which is within one league of it The Prince at three of the clocke after midnight had notice of their going and at fiue followed with his whole armie as doubting that theirs came not then Thus in one day we may see two notable opportunities lost the first by the Duke the second by the prince yet may we not greatly blame either the one or the other for such occasions are hardly found at the first and in two or three houres they are passed Then it is that some small aduertisement might plainly haue reuealed them but that is a benefit of felicitie which dependeth not vppon the Captains sufficiencie All that we haue spoken of the former daies work is nothing in regard of that which happened the next day at Iasenueil where it seemeth that God verified the saying of his Prophet that he would subuert the counsels of men also that al the waies of the mightie are in his hands as well as of the meaner For many things fell out rather by hazard at all aduenture then by any counsell or aduise The Princes determination was to follow his enemies campe that as then dislodged The battelt of Iasenueil and wheresoeuer hee found it to fight with them wherevpon the Admirall and the Prince pursued after them Now comming to two waies the one leading to the village called Sanssay the other to Iasenueil the Prince left the first and tooke the last which hee did because of a mist that rose before the breake of day The forefront which the Admirall had set before him and was very strong about eight of the clocke in the morning entered into Sanssay wherein fiue or six hundreth horses were lodged that were presently constrained in haste to dislodge hauing lost all their carriage and were pursued very farre Mean time the Prince keeping on the way which he had chosen hauing marched aboue two leagues found himselfe in the face of the armie of the Duke of Anion not knowing what was become of his vantgard He perceiuing himselfe to bee so neare determined not to retire and because the countrie was strong he caused his Harquebusiers to bee placed in the head beeing aboue 12000 beginning to skirmish sending to the Admirall whom he knew not where to finde to certifie him that he was constrained to make shew to fight finding himselfe so neare to the D. of Anious campe and that he should make all the haste hee could to come vnto him Before the messenger was halfe way the Admiral aduertised by the cānon shot doubted the woorst in all haste made towards the noyse with those troupes he could assemble But at his arriual the sun began to go down which kept them from determining viewing or enterprising vpon the great armies Al doing nothing but skirmished in such sort as of long time the like had not been seene and which put the D. armie in some feare as being in a place of great disaduantage althogh it made a good shew not one seeing the other beeing hidden within the hedges valleis none but the Harquebusiers being scattered could bee perceiued The Princes side was very couragious A pleasant conceit but their cōduction not answerable shooting as in a shew of pleasure very close a whole Regiment discharging togither To the contrary the Dukes were separated shooting at leisure in small troupes in such sort that 200. Harq stayed a whole regiment of the Princes The losse fel on both sides many hurt as it happeneth in such conflicts At the same time there chanced a merrie conceit that put many in great feare while they made alte al the
Princes cariage stayed along by the wood not far froÌ„ the reaward of the horsemeÌ„ wher the Pages other Ieruants placed themselues thinking they shuld haue camped in that place making at the least aboue 4000. fiers perceiued not the armie to retire because it was night in such maner that diuers of their maisters supped but sleÌ„derly that euening Some of the D. armie that held the watch perceiuing so many fiers great noyse they thought verily it had bin the Princes armie wherby they looked for battel the next day in the morning which made them vse more diligence to fortifie their passages Cap. Garies offered to view theÌ„ but they wold not hazard theÌ„selues against those braue warriors the sat prating by their fiers About midnight the Prince was certified that al his carriages were entangled and made account they were lost neuerthelesse he deferred not to send four or fiue cornets of horse to fetch them commaunding that an houre after a thousand horse and two thousand Harquebusiers should march thither to ayde them if the enemie should follow The first that arriued among them found them in goodly ordinance warming themselues singing and making good cheare and being farre from them you would verily haue thought they had beene aboue ten thousand men they thinking no more vppon the matter then if they had beene within a walled towne They began to laugh at the behauiour of those braue fellowes who ordinarily are as fearefull as hares although they are in safetie and there beeing readie to be slaine they did nothing but hoope and hollow because they supped well with their Maisters victuals The first of the Princes horsemen being come to the head of this goodly campe were not ouer courteously receiued for that the most assured among them had placed their guards and Sentinels and as farre as they could discerne a man althogh they cried at the least a hundreth times friends yet they aunswered not but with caliuer shot withall crying out like mad men but in the end they knew each other and perceiuing where they were their resistance turned into feare and dislodged themselues without any trumpet These two armies hauing somewhat breathed themselues for the space of a the Prince marched towards Mirebeau which he tooke and the duke retired to Poictiers The enterprise of the Admirall against Countie Brissacks Regiment each of them lodging somewhat more at large to rest their wearied troupes Withing 8. or 10. daies the Admirall deuised an enterprise wherby to cut off Countie Brissacks Regiment which was wel lodged and blocked vp at Ances a village within one league of Poictiers Now hee imagined that all the Dukes auantgard had stil lodged in that subburb of the towne that led to the said village but indeed more then the one halfe was passed ouer the water the day before onely the Switzers and some few horse stayed behind and therefore he brought with him 6000. Harquebusiers and 1500. horse that by break of day came to the village and after some smal resistance forced it The Regiment with the losse of fiftie or sixtie men saued it selfe by the fauour of a small valley in the campe where they found but small support how be it they set so good a face of the matter vpon a banke with their varlets that the Admirall who could not take any certaine view of them and was loath to hazard any thing left them and carried away the most part of their carriages The two armies after so me small rest fell to their former resolution of fighting The Duke taking the field recouered Mircâ—eau where couenants were but slenderly kept for after the yeelding of it many of the souldiers coÌ„trary to promise were slaine whervpon Andelot soone after taking the Abbey of S. Florent neare Saumur put the whole Garrison to the sword The Duke meaning to come nearer to the Prince tooke vp his lodgings about Monstrueil-Bellay and Thouers for the better commoditie of victuals Here he was aduised that it was not amisse to seize vpon the towne of Loudun which lay in his way was kept by one of the Princes regimeÌ„ts to the end there to lodge his armie theÌ„ to bear himself according as things might fall out for by keeping of that he should cut off his enemies from a plentifull countrie able to feed his armie for one month The Prince confidering this deuise rather then to take such a scorne as to see one of his regiments cut off before his face and so by loosing a Towne able to hold out to prooue himself either faint-harted or too feeble resolued to march night and day towards Lodun and so at his comming quartered all his footemen in the subburbes fiue or sixe hundreth horse in the towne and the rest in the next villages The Dukes armie the night before had incamped within a small French league of the place in part weening that the Prince would not obstinately aduenture his forces for the obseruation of so meane a place but the next day the D. vnderstood that the Princes armie fell into battell array along the subburbes wherevpon he caused his men to do the like and the artillerie on both sides began to play euen into the squadrons and sometimes not in vaine There might a man haue seene aboue 4000. men almost all French in battell array not far asunder as fierce in courage as gallant in countenance who for the most part did all expect onely the watch word to fight There was between both the armies onely a plaine field without any aduantage which might cause meÌ„ to maruel that for foure daies space both the armies lying in sight and within cannon shot each of other they neuer came to handy blowes neither to any skirmish of importance and that but seldome in respect of other times But theÌ„ we are to remember that ther was not so sharpe a winter in 20. yeares before The colde kept the Frenchmen from killing one another because that as it was a most hard frost so the sleete that fell continually made it so slipperie hat the footemen were not able to stand on their legs yet much more dangerous was it for the horses neither could a horse get ouer a bancke three foote high so slippery was the grownd Many such bancks there were between the two armies which had bin cast as partitions of mens lands which were euen so many trenches wherby he that would haue giuen the first onset must needs haue been disordered and that was the cause that each stood fast looking vppon other to see which side would so vnaduisedly aduenture the hazerd Thus they stood straining of courtesie and this first day there fell out onely some small skirmishes whervpon all the troupes an houre before night retired into their quarters The next day the armies set themselues again in battell and saluted each other with cannon shot some there were that as the day before went out to skirmish but they either
put into his discourses who was then as I said with the Admiral say that Brissac might haue atchieued this enterprise but as we are to pray to god to watch ouer such as sleep and the conseruation of their fates so as the Countie was vppon the way about the performance of his purpose a small chance crossed yea vtterly subuerted all his deuises For comming with a dozen of lathers and his men very reolute being within two leagues of the place hee met with 200. of the enemies horse who seeing this small armie at that time of night in the field retired in hast and raised an alarme at Monstrueil and other places thereabout where their horsemen were lodged whervpon the Countie was driuen to retire afterward the Admirall strengthened his night watches better beat the fields more often yet neuer could finde any newes of the enterprise or know how it was vntill the next peace After this the Prince other commaunders withdrew themselues towards Rochel Other exployts to the aduantage of those of the religion determining vpon means to prouide mony for the furnishing of those warres and beganne to sell the goods of the Romish Cleargie finding such as would hazard to buy them who therin vsed the matter to their aduantage the Rochelers lent fourescore thousand frankes The Q. of England sent 50000. pound six cannons certaine thousand waight of powder great store of bullets for the which she was paide in salt woolls and bel mettal All base Poitou being in the hands of those of the religion except the Abbay of S. Michael in Loire where laye a good Garrison of Friers and souldiers which serued for a restraint to many courses into the countrie but some souldiers of Poitou obtained licence of the Prince to besiege the Abbey which sustained two light assaults At the third assault it was battered and taken by force and 4. or 500. men that were in it put to the sword because of their wilfulnesse On the other side Martineugue Entragues and la Chastre Gouernors of Gyon Orleans Bourges accompanied with other leaders and certain troupes of souldiers The siege of Sancerre besieged Sancerre a small towne being the refuge of diuers families of the religion and gaue diuers assaults which the besieged sustained and repulsed wearying the enemie in diuers sorts who hauing lost sixe or seuen hundreth of their best men left that small town in peace but after that the Sancerrois seeking to enterprise to build a sort vpon the riuer of Loire they were surprised and hauing lost fiftie of their men and the fort were content to keepe good watch within their towne In the beginning of the yeare 1569. the warre beganne to renue the Viscounts of Bourniquet Montclar Paulin and Gourdon with seuen thousand Harquebusiers and some horsemen made warre for the Prince against those of Thoulouse and others the towne of Montauban beeing their chiefe retrait And beeing summoned by the Prince to ioyne with him Piles punisheth the pesants in Perigord made aunswere that they had rather keepe that Prouince and defend their owne Countrimen from Monluc and other enemies then leaue them as a pray while they bare armes in an other Prouince Captaine Piles that had charge to conduct them gathered certaine troupes in Quercy Agenois and other places and hauing taken Bergerac and Saint Foy hee made a road into Perigord where hee burnt all the villages and slewe all those that hee suspected to bee at the ouerthrow of Mouuans and Gourde And not long after hee marched with twelue hundreth Harquebusiers and about two hundreth horse to ioyne with the Prince Diuers warlike exployts About the beginning of February fiue hundreth horse comming forth of Saumur surprised defeated the Court of Bressant of Anigeuin neare vnto Thours and within eight daies after Countie Brissac had like to haue defeated the troupes of Montgommery whose brother he tooke prisoner with some others and slew some eighteene or twentie men The seuenteenth of the same moneth the Castle of Lusignon holden in the name of the Duke of Aniou was surprised by intelligence the Garrison thereof beeing for the most part gone into the towne to banquet and make good cheere But for want of speedie ayde the surprisers to the number of nine or ten were slaine there was likewise many other enterprises in diuers places as against New-hauen and Deepe but they tooke no effect The Protestants that bare armes with the Prince tired with the winter toyle and so many skirmishes found some sweetnesse in resting in Poitou whither they were retired But about the end of February the Prince began to gather his armie report beeing giuen out that the Duke was alreadie in field and marched with all his forces to Angoulesme To armies enter the field To whom the Counte of Tende had brought three thousand foote and some horse besides two thousand Rutters vnder the leading of the Rhingraue Bassompierre that were come to supply him Whervpon he purposed to end the war either by forcing the Prince to fight or else constraining him to shut his men within the townes The Prince and Admirall therevpon hauing assembled their forces determined to march along by the Charante a riuer in Poictou to behold the dukes countenance but yet not to hazard himselfe As also to ayde their townes which they strengthened with men making their armie so much the weaker But nothing worth memorie was done vntill the Duke came to Chasteauneuf a town cituate vppon Charante where at his arriuall hee tooke the Castle kept by a Scot and some Harquebusiers that yeelded themselues with their liues saued but with small honour The taking of Chasteauneuf occasion and beginning of the battel of Bassac And because the bridge of Chasteauneuf had been broken in two places the Admirall desirous to know the countenance and passage of the enemie went thither followed by seuen or eight hundreth horse and as many Harquebufiers There hee had a light skirmish with certaine troupes that had passed in certaine barkes or ouer certaine plankes speedily cast ouer The Admirall thinking that the Duke would passe ouer and thinking to haue time to aduertise the Prince to prouide for him minded to stop that passage vntill the next day And appoynted two Regiments of foote to lodge within a quarter of a myle from the bridge and eight hundreth horse somewhat further off wherof the third part should keepe watch hard by it as well to aduertise as to offer fight which done hee withdrew himselfe to Bassac about a league frō the bridge with the rest of the vantgard the Prince came to Iarnac which lyeth a league further but this commandement was not executed For both the horse and foote knowing that in the places appoynted them to staye there was but fewe houses with lesse victuals and fourage hauing wholly forgotten how to incampe themselues to be without commoditie in their lodgings went to finde some other quarter
Whereby the most part of this troupe left that place to lodge themselues with more ease left but a small number of men in place that laye about halfe a league from it This great fault produced another which was that the watch was too weake A notable fault which could not come time ynough to hear nor giue alarme to the enemies troups as they had beene instructed thereby to make them thinke that all the Princes Auantgard lay there The Dukes armie beeing very strong resolued to seize vpon the passage although all the Princes power had opposed themselues against him and by the diligence of Monsieur de Biron not onely repaired the bridge but made a new bridge of barkes which are carried with armies royall and before midnight had finished it which done without great noyse they began to passe ouer both horse and foote The Princes men that stood in gard with fiftie horse about a small quarter of a league from the passage in a manner could scarce perceiue them to passe vntill about the breake of day wherewith they presently aduertised the Admirall who knowing that most part of his men had lodged in other places namely on that side where the enemies came sent them word that they passed and with all speed to march towards him that they might retire altogither that in the meane time hee would stay for them at Bassac At the same time also hee commaunded that all the carriage and footmen should retire which was presently done If then within one houre after all his forces had beene assembled hee had easily retired without much labor Slacking of things daungerous in warre but the time being about three houres that passed in staying for them was the principal cause of their ouerthrow The Admirall would not loose those troupes being nine Cornets of horse and certaine companies of foot wherof the Coronels were the Counte Montgommery Acier and Puuiaut Beeing all come onely Acier that tooke the way towards Angoulesme all the Dukes armie beeing past and hard by the Admirall the skirmish began so hot that each man perceiued that day would bee a battell beeing the thirteenth of March which made the Prince turne backe being half a league from them passing forward for hauing vnderstood that hee should bee constrained to fall to blowes hee hauing a Lyons heart would bee one among the rest WheÌ„ the Admiral for his retrait came to forsake a small chanel which might bee passed ouer but in two or three places the Duke was counselled to aduance the flower of his horsemen composed of seuen or eight hundreth horse which ouerthrew foure cornets that made the retrait where la Noue and la Loue were taken prisoners The Princes magnanimitie ended not but with his life Valiant charges hauing couragiosly sustained the fight as also Coronel Puuiant who not long after reassembled his dispearsed troupe the same horsemen of the Dukes campe not long after charged d'Andelot in a village but he valiantly resisted them and slew Monsalez and diuers others of good account to the number of fifteene or sixteene the Prince and the Admirall ranged in two great squadrons of horse perceiuing that the enemie went about to inclose them betweene all the Dukes forces Charante prepared themselues to giue the charge The Admirall began the Prince seconding which was with greater force then the first and at the beginning made al those that flood against him to turne their backs after that sustaining a new charge where for a time the battell was hot and fierce but in the end he and the Admirall hauing all the enemies armie vpon them the Prince being falleÌ„ vnder his dead horse therby ensued the ouerthrow of the horsemen hauing lost about one hundreth Gentlemen and among the rest the Prince himselfe who lying vnder his horse could not bee relieued by his troupes and yeelding himselfe to Monsieur d'Argences at the report of his taking The death of the Prince of Conde and others a Gentleman of Gascon called Montesqueon Captain of the Dukes guard ran thither and discharging a Pistoll at him shot him in the head wherewith hee presently died His death bredde great sorrow among those of the religion and much ioy to diuers that loued him not namely to the king the Queen the Duke of Aniou and all the house of of Guise specially the Cardinall of Lorraine who the next day after the news was brought vnto the king as then beeing at Metz touching the battell wherin the Catholicques had lost two hundreth Gentlemen among the which were diuers Lords and men of name comming to salute the king after the maner of Courtiers smiling said vnto him your Grace as I suppose is now better disposed then you were the other day beeing eased of much corrupt blood In that manner iested hee who vpon the bodies of the Princes of the blood and the Nobilitie of France placed the foundation of the rule and gouernment which his familie would after haue vsurped as you shall wel perceiue From Metz they sent certaine cornets that had bin taken from the Prince vnto the Pope whereat that good Pastor so much reioyced that he went a foote on procession from his Castle of Saint Ange to the temple of the holy ghost withall the Cardinals to thanke his Imagess with out flatterie this praise may wel be giuen vnto the Prince of whom we will now speake that not any man liuing in his time did euer surpasse him in courage nor courtesie He spake very wisely more by nature then art liberall and readie to all men an execellent leader in warre yet a louer of peace most firme in his religion inuincible in aduersitie but milde in prosperitie a great iester subiect to vanitie louer of women and collor but one that gaue place to reprehensions and aduises of such as hee loued and respected but by this ouerthrow wee may gather that when a matter of importance and hazard is to bee effected it ought not to bee done by halues for that either we must leaue it and not be ashamed to retire or else do it withall our forces If the Admirall and the Prince had had all their forces the Duke would not haue set vpon them also when armies lye scattered they fall into inconueniences which the sufficiencie of the best leaders cannot remedie After this battell the Duke sent to besiege Cognac and began to imbrace diuers other enterprises as if nothing had bin impossible vnto him Exployts after the battell of Brâ—ssac for that not long before certaine places in Poictou had been taken from those of the religion but Cognac stayed the course of this victorie in such sort as that after the Duke had lost the boldest of his footemen in that siege hee thought to get as much by intelligence against Saint Iohn d'Angely where dooing nothing hee summoned Angoulesme that made him no other aunswere but with threatnings to send him away with losse and shame
if his armie came thither while the Dukes Councell were consulting of the means to imploy his forces in other places those of the religion had time and leisure to ioyne themselues togither The Admirall brought the Princes of Nauarre and Conde from Saint Iohn to Tone Charante where hee met the Queene of Nauarre to incourage such as were in doubt and to take Councell what was to bee done Their horsemen were mustered whereof the Prince of Nauarre was appoynted Generall to whom all of them being the number of foure thousand Gentlemen made oathes of fidelitie The young Prince of Conde was ioyned with him d'Andelot went to the Garrisons to take a view of the footemen which done hee made a voyage into Poitou to assemble the dispearsed troupes to prouide for mony and to bridle the courses of the enemies but comming from thence The death of Monsieur d'Andelot beeing taken with a burning feuer hee went to Sainctes where hee died vppon the seuenteenth of May to the great greefe and sorrow of all his friends and seruants His bodie beeing opened was found to bee poysoned which not long after was practised against diuers Lords Gentlemen of the religion by the aduise of Rene de Birague an Italian as then Keeper of the seales and after Chancellor of France who vsed openly to say that it was not necessary to make warre with so much labour and charges but to imploy the Cookes meaning prisoners The estate of Colonell of the French Infanterie was giuen to Acier and his company to Beauuais la Nocle his Lieftenant but the charge of all the armie and the care of the principall affaires fell vppon the Admirall much respected by the Queene of Nauarre Princes Lords Gentlemen Captaines and to bee short of both great and small that as then made profession of the religion The siege of Mucidan where Pompadon the Countie Brissac are slaine As concerning the Dukes army it ouerranne Xaintoigne Angoulesme and Limosin taking in some places namely Aubeterre The Countie de Brissac Colonel of the French footemen in that armie and Captaine of a Regiment of fortie Ensignes with the most part of their forces tooke vpon him the siege of Mucidan They that were within after they had a while defended the Towne set it on fire and retired into the Castle which they held valiantly and abide some assaults slew the notable men of the regements of Brissac Monluc and Cars among the rest the Vicount of Pompadou lastly Brissac himselfe who comming neare to view the breach and defences had no sooner put foorth his nose but a Harquebuse pearced his head and layde him starke dead vpon the Counterstarp hee was betweene fiue and six and twentie yeares of age and was much bewayled of many that hoped to haue seene him in time one of the greatest leaders of our daies A while after the besieged yeelding vpon composition to haue both liues and goods saued were scarce out of sight of the walles but that contrarie to faith and promise the most part were cut in peeces by the besiegers vpon a desperate reuenge of the death of their two Coronels and their best souldiers that they had there lost The taking of the I le of Medoc On the other side Captaine Piles tooke the Isle of Medoc lying betweene Rochel and Bourdeaux where all the souldiers inriched themselues And the Duke abandoned Guyen and tooke his way towards Berry there to ioyne with the forces of the D. d'Aumale that togither they might stop the Dutch armie brought in by the Duke of Deaxponts from ioyning with the Princes The Lords of Nouy Ienly Moruilliers Fequieres Esternay and others soone after the beginning of this third ciuill warre A small French army commeth in fit time to the Rutters throgh Frāce maugre all the enemies armies had gathered togither some fifteene or six hundreth horse and two thousand Harquebusiers whom when in regard of the difficultie of the passages they could not bring into Guyen they led into Brabant to the prince of Orenge and Countie Lodowick his brother who after they had a while with variable successe continued warre against the Spaniards passed ouer the riuer of Meuse maugre the duke of Alue to whom they offered battell which the Spaniard refused as hoping to waste them with want of victuals which grew so short that they were driuen to passe into France where comming to Vitry they consulted vpon their affaires whether it were best to passe further into the Realm alreadie daunted with so many armies and to returne toward Germanie and so to ioyne with the armie that VVolfgang Counte Palatine of Rhyne D. of Deux Ponts leuyed for the Princes but the second aduise tooke place Now more narrowly to consider what a long walke this Dutch armie made from the Rhine euen vnto Limosin togither with their great and continuall impeachment it cannot but breed much maruell that a forraine armie watched so narrowly and hauing so many backe-friends could thus compasse their drifts True it is that ciuill warres haue at al times made a plaine path to forraine nations who otherwise durst scarce looke towards the Gates without the support of the one partie But where the fauour is but small on the one side and the resistance great on the other we are the more to admire the exployts of those that do so aduenture themselues It was a great comfort to the Germaine Duke to haue the assistance of the Prince of Orenge the Countie Lodowick and the Countie VVolrad of Mansfield The description of the Dutch army with the French afore mentioned His troupes contained fiue thousand Lansquenets and sixe thousand Rutters With this small armie hee marched publishing by writing the causes of his iourney to the Princes The kings Councell finding themselues to seeke did speedily conclude of a small armie vnder the leading of the Duke of Aumale to stop this succour yet doubting of the weakenesse of such a Leader vnskilfull and vnfortunate in matter of warre leuied yet an other vnder the conduct of the Duke of Nemours a man in manner like vnto the other These two bodies assembled in footemen farre surmounted the Dutch Dukes but in horsemen hee was the stronger They were resoluted not to linger vntill hee entered France and so make hauocke but marched euen to the borders of Germanie and neare to Saumur where they defeated the regiment of Captain la Coche of Dauphine composed of sundrie parcels patched togither which purposed to haue ioyned with the Lansquenets Notwithstanding this defeate the Germaine Duke proceeded into France through Bourgongne where the enemie coasted him vntill hee had gotten to the riuer of Lotre hauing marched full fourescore leagues they neuer left him but were still in his flancke or vppon the taile yea many times the armies were each in sight of other and had many great skirmishes The Prince of Orenge hath since sundrie times reported that he maruelled that in so long and
of Mouy who slew some tooke some prisoners and sent away the rest faster then they came as in deede they were mounted to the aduantage vpō Spanish horses fit for such retraits Immediately after this incounter While the Duke tooke his ease the Princes seized vppon sundry places the D. licensed his armie to refresh themselues vntill the beginning of Octob. putting his footemen in Garrison in such places as bordered nearest vpon Guyenne The Princes in the meane time kept the field tooke Tiuiers S. Sulpice Brantonne Chasteau l'Euesque la Chapelle Confolant Chabanez and S. Genais some by force others by composition The Countie du Lude Gouernour in Poictou had promised the Duke to do wonders and while the Princes armie lay in Limosin followed by fiue thousand foot and some cornets of horse he besieged Nyort a town of consequence wherein Puuiaut valiantly entred with certaine horse and foote in despight of the assailants that were repulsed in three assaults and certaine scaladoes and after in the beginning of Iuly constrained to raise their siege hauing lost aboue fiue hundreth men before the towne not accounting foure Cornets of horse belonging to the Countie which la Noue not long before had ouerthrowne at Fontenay halfe a league from Nyort Terigny beeing sent to ayde the besieged was the cause that the Countie hasted his retrait lodging the rest of his armie at Saint Maixant Lusignon and Mirebean meane time the Princes approached Poictou and the 12. of Iuly tooke Chastelleraud by composition and three daies after battered the strong Castle of Lusignon that vpon the 21. of the same moneth was yeelded vnto them by composition establishing the Barron de Mirebeau for Gouernour therin with two Ensignes of footmen great store of cannons and sufficient amunition to resist a puissant armie Two daies after they marched towards Poictiers tooke Couhe where the Garrison of Catholicques chose rather to burne themselues in dispaire with in the Castle then to yeeld thēselues to Verac Lord of the place that held them besiesieged Sanssay Viuonne and other little places neare thereabouts therby to inclose those of Poictiers and to impeach them of victuals Before we depart from the siege of Poictiers Diuers exployts of war let vs adde some notable accidents that happened in diuers places In the month of Iuly Castillon sur Loing Chasteau-Regnard places belōging to the Admirall were surprised and the Admirals mooueables carried to Parris where part were solde in the open outcrie the best stoien and conueyed away by those that finde nothing either too heauie or too hotte Certaine horsemen to the number of fortie departing from the Princes campe after the taking of Strossy lodged themselues within Regeane a Castle belonging to the Bishop of Auxerre but they were presently besieged battered and slain within it onely captain Blosset and some other that escaped Amōg those on whom they exerciled most horrible vengeance was one of Auxerre surnamed Coeur de Roy who beeing taken prisoner was ledde to Auxerre and there presently stripped slaine and hewed in peeces The murtherers pulled the hart out of his bodie and cutting it in peeces was layde on the coales and eaten by certaine of his desperate enemies that during his life had threatned him with that canniball entertainment Horrible crueltie behold how zeale transporteth these Romish Catholicques The Lord of Terride Gouernor of Quercy was sent into Bearne Foix and the lād of Nauarrois there to bring al into the kings obedience in case the Q. of Nauarre and her sonne the Prince The Countie of Montgommeries exployts in Bearne against Terride would not forsake the religious side Terride accompanied with Negropelisse S. Colombe and diuers others had easily seized vpon all and had laid siege to Nauarron in the only place that held for the Q. The Princes hauing notice thereof dispatched away the Countie of Montgommery to withstand him who with 200. horse went and receiued the forces of the vicounties in Gascon so that in the month of Iuly with a smal armie of foure thousand shot and fiue hundreth horse with great diligence and vnwoonted speed which was the safetie of his voyage as deceiuing the Garrisons of the enemie namely the troupes of the Marchal d'Anuil◠Monluc Gohaz and others that with 1000. horse and 4000. shot marched but a daies iourney from the campe he came safe with one daies iourney of Nauarrin forced Terride who had lyen incamped from the beginning of Iune to raise the siege saue himself in Orthez by reason his troupes for their more commodious victualling lay disbanded The Countie followed Terride and to abridge him of all means to reassemble or muster his men besieged assaulted and forced the town with great slaughter then did he as suddainly plant the cannon found in the Towne against the Castle Terrides refuge who terrified with such terrible charges yeelded with the safetie of his life togither with six knights of the Order and many Captaines who all enioyed the benefit of the compositiō except 5 Colombe the Barron of Pordiac Gohas Fauas and some others that were executed because they were found to be the Qu. subiects consequently guiltie of treason for seizing vpon her places causing the most part of her subiects to reuolt seeking to deliuer the land into the dominion of a new Prince This mishap of Ter. being bruted abroad so terrified other the towns strong holds that the vsurpers making their packs in time Na. Foix Bearn were suddainly subdued to their princesse al fauing the town of Peu the principall wherin cōmanded one named Pere who had promised Monluc to defend it had executed some officers slaine the ministers yet vpon the sūmons of a trumpet sent by Montgom he departed with speed leauing the town to the right owner In the mean time Monluc practised some trecherie with Captain Bassillon who had born out the siege of Nauarrin against Terride This practise discouerd Bassillon was slaine Monluc cōming to seize vpō Nauarin was forced to retire whervpon ioyning with la Vallete he forced the town of Mont-Marsan where he discharged his rage vpon the besieged who were in maner all put to the sword Montgommery furnishing the places of his conquest came to Nerac and for a fewe daies warred vppon the next Garrisons and there with all speed returned to the Princes armie with some plentie of quoine gathered in his conquests and fiue hundreth horse that followed him The Duke d'Aniou considering how much the passage imported which the Princes had gotten vpon the riuer of Loire at la Charitee not much fortified since the taking resolued to take that place from them The siege of la Charitee by Lansac and the issue which was well aduised for that winning it hee should bereaue them of all meanes to molest the Prouinces on this side the riuer of Loire and reserue vnto himselfe the sinues of the warres with infinite commodities for the refreshing
The Princes had sixe thousand horse Frenchmen and Almaines sixe thousand Harquebusiers foure thousand Lansquenets sixe cannons two coluerins and three other peeces hauing left therest at Lusignan Before the battell two Gentlemen bearing armes in the Dukes campe beeing strayed came to some of those of thereligion Notable aduertisement neglected hauing certaine ditches betweene them and hauing protested vnto them that they bare no malice vnto the Princes willed them to aduertise the Admirall to keepe his armie from fighting because the Dukes armie was very strong by reason of new strength but that hee should driue off the time for the space of a moneth because all the Nobilitie had protested not to stay any longer but that if they were imployed within that time they would doo their best to aduance his seruice That it was daungerous to striue against the French furie which in short time would be abated and by that meanes the Duke with his Councell should bee constrained to seeke for peace and to graunt it with aduantage to those of the religion which aduertisment giuen those two Gentlemen retired Those of the religion went presently to the Admirall to certifie him therof which counsell liked him well They shewed it likewise to others of the principall commaunders whereof some reiected it not and desired it might bee followed but the greatest part esteemed it to be but an artificial deuise to put them in feare adding that although this aduise seemed to bee good yet it was not to be accounted of because it proceeded from suspect persons and such as vsually exercise deceits commonly such as are neare to any mischiefe despise the good counsell wherewith men seeke to relieue them The Princes Councell assembling to resolue vpon their proceedings some sayd it was best for them to get to Ernaux and to set the riuer which runneth by it Euill counsell followed between both the armies and to depart about nine of the clocke in the euening and to march all night that they might get thither in safetie because the Duke was at hand Others replyed that those nightly retraits put feare into such as make them imbasing their reputations giuing courage to the enemies and that it were best to depart about the breake of day This second aduise beeing the woorst was followed The Admirall as then was in great distrust fearing that the Rutters would mutin for want of pay and that three or foure of his Regiments of far countries would leaue him because they had alreadie asked him licence to depart He knew likewise that diuers Gentlemen were retired vnto their houses wherefore to hold the armie in vnitie hee besought the Princes that were at Partenay to come thither which they did bringing with them one hundreth and fiftie good horse The next day in the morning the horsemen were readie mounted to ryde to Ernaux all in white cassockes the better to know them if they should bee forced to fight But then the Lansquenets refused to march except they might haue mony And within a quarter of an houre after Blind auarice cause of a great mischiefe fiue cornets of Rutters said as much by which meanes aboue an houre and a hafe past ouer before they could bee appeased whereby the troupes could not haue the meanes to get a place wherein they could hardly haue been fought withall And hauing marched a quarter of a league they discouered the Dukes armie aduancing it selfe in such manner that all the leisure they had was to range themselues in order and to place themselues in a valley in couert from the cannon shot After this ensued an other mischiefe in the Princes armie which was that the Admirall perceiuing the Dukes vantgard to set forward wherein was nineteene cornets of Rutters in two squadrons and to come right vpon him hee sent to the Countie Lodowicke that commaunded the battell that he should send him three cornets of horse which the Countie did but hee himselfe led them and at that instant beganne the battell hee remaining in fight whereby the bodie of the battell remained without a head not knowing how to gouerne it selfe it is thought that if the Countie a wise and valiant Gentleman had beene there the body of the battell had mades good resistance The body of the battell without a head seeing that being so discouered it had almost put the dukes battell to fight The fight hauing continued almost three quarters of an houre the Princes as yet very young beeing not long before retired and with them diuers others vnder colour of safer conduction of their persons the Admirall likewise beeing hurt in the face at the first conflict in the ende the Princes horsemen were constrained to leaue the field part of the foote beeing slaine the rest flying to saue themselues The artillerie and Ensignes of the footemen were taken Countie Lodowicke was pursued a whole league Notable retrait but made a gallant retraict with three thousand horse in one maine The rest of the troupes hauing gotten away before the leaguerors made shew many times to set vpon the Countie but hee alwaies turned so brauely vpon them that they durst not ioyne In this manner hee marched towards Eruaux and from thence to Partenay where they arriued about tenne of the clocke at night fiue houres after the ouerthrow where the rest likewise came The Princes in this battell of Moncontour lost four thousand Launsquenets ' fifteen hundreth French souldiers and great numbers of pages and other boyes of the horsemen about three hundreth and many horses dead or hurt of men of name there were slaine Puigreffier Autricourt Biron brother to him that ledde the Dukes vantgard and Saint Bonet Cornet of the Admirals launciers La Noue and Acier taken prisoners the Rutters carriage was sacked only the horses which the boyes saued but the French carriage being further aduanced towards Partenay and Nyort was saued of the Dukes troupes there was not many footemen slaine but of horse about fiue or sixe hundreth and twise as many more wounded most part of them dying not long after and of men of name the elder Rhingraue the Marquesse of Bade and Cleremont of Dauphine The number of slaine on both parts The Duke caused the dead to bee buried and commanded the villages and townes neare there abouts to burie such as lay nearest vnto them Such was this daies chance whereof diuers discourses haue bin published whose vanities I haue not vndertaken to tet downe contenting my selfe to haue approached nearest vnto the trueth which of it selfe will sufficiently be desended The Marshall de Rez was presently willed by the Duke to ride to Tours to certifie the king and the Queene of his victorie wherewith all Europe was presently filled and as the report is made greater by passing through many mens mouthes nothing was then spoken of in Italie and else where but of the vtter ouerthrow of all the Princes armie Consultation in the Dukes councel what was to
answered that for the losse of such a battell their hope in the strong God of whose aide they were assured was not diminished And the next day after this parley was made the sallie aforesaid wherein Partso◠was slaine and at their returne into the towne they sung the 50. Psalme beginning The mightie God c. And not long after Martigues felt that the strong God is liuing to ayde the weake and to abate those that thinke themselues to be stronger then he During this batterie la Motte Puiols and S. Seurin with eightie horse and two hundreth foot made a braue sallie vpon the besiegers court of guard which consisted of foure Ensignes slew fiftie or sixtie of the principall wounded a great number cloyed sixe coluerins and burned fifteen barrels of powder belonging to the munition also la Motte charged the Switzers that kept the store house wherein were some hundreth barrels and more slew part of the Switzers and scarred the rest so that had they not made speede to the rescue all the powder of the armie had vanished in smoke The besieged retired with two Ensignes many drūmes weapons great bootie without losse of any one man Afterward the furie of the cannon was redoubled and the besiegers resolued to abide but not to fight but with cannon shot Finally the siege hauing continued for the space of two monethes there was a capitulation signed with the kings owne hand importing that the besieged should issue out with their goods armes and horses their Ensignes wound vp and that for the space of foure monethes after they should not beare armes for the generall cause of the religion that as well straungers as others might retire whither they would with all securitie and that they should be conducted by Biron Cosseins Now it remained that they should prouide to depart the next day being the third of Decemb. which they did euery man as well as hee might In the meane time the sicke and wounded the aged impotent and women tooke on mightily neither was there anything heard but weeping and lamentation especially at the departure which was about noone The Duke of Aumale was at the gate of Mattas where the footemen were the first that came forth The vn worthee dealing with those that came foorth of Saint Iohn d'Angelie vpon compesition vnder the leading of Captaine Serido and other Captaines to whom Marshal Vieillenille said Follow me and let your men come after you Beeing come to the midst of the subburbs the Romish Catholicquesouldiers began to discharge vppon therest and with force draue them into their lodgings where they stripped them of their armes apparrel and mony the marshal being hereof aduertised commanded his mēto follow him with their weapons readie but as he ran one way there was much iniurie offered an other Whervpon Serido went twise to complain to the D. d'Aumale and to summon him to see the kings promise performed but Aumale in liew of going himselfe commanded certaine Captaines to take order for it About 50. paces without the subburbs stood the D. of Aniou whose countenance did somwhat represse the insolencie of the Rutters but so soone as they were passed him his foot mē spoiled their cariages seized vpō their spare horses set the horsemē besides their saddles robbed them Neither did they the escaped this first spoyle go scot free for passing by S. Iulians which was halfe a league of they incurred greater iniuries then before The regiment of Sarrieu that stood there at guard suffered not any to escape but tooke from them all that they could finde euen to their hose and shooes yea sometimes to the very shirt Many were beaten murthered and slaine and some cast into the riuer Thus were the footemen intreated that vppon the kings faith royall came foorth of S. Iohn d'Angely The horsemen at their departure did Biron and Cosseyns bring foorth which notwithstanding they were stripped by their carriages armour and horses and being passed Saint Iulians three cornets appoynted for their conduct began to strip and iniurie any that scattered neuer so little yea euen at Siech whither they were that day to march diuers were robbed stripped and slaine And the next day vppon the way to Saint Cibardean this disorder continued to the contempt and infamie of the authoritie royall notwithstanding the kings safe conduct his Herault and Trumpet whom Biron had commanded to bring them to Angoulesme where both foote and horse thus hardly intreated arriued vppon Sunday the fourth of December about tenne of the clocke in the morning where they were honeftly receiued by the Lord of Mesines the Gonernour and diuers other Lords and Gentlemen that wondred at the former treacherie and aduised to complaine to the king and other principall men and to craue amends Aumale and the rest made much ado but in wordes onely so that thus the solemne promise was broken and the dignitie royall exposed to infamie neither could the Captains notwithstanding their complaints procure any satisfaction Indeede some fewe of the veriest rascals and treachers were bannished the campe and recompence promised for the loft baggage besides that the king seemed to be mightily discontent that his name shuld be so villainously prophaned but this second promise was as well obserued as the first Piles and some others accounting themselues in regard of this treacherie freed from their promise contained in one of the articles of the capitulation departed from Angoulesme and went to the Princes notwithstanding the disturbance by Vauguyon and eight Cornets of horse offered at the passage ouer Dordogne In this siege the assaylants loft aboue 10000. men of war and discharged 35000. cannon shot 25. or 30. commissaries of the artillerie were slaine by the besieged who for want of munition let 12. or 15. peeces mounted vpon wheeles stand vnoccupied many left the campe which found it selfe diminished of 18. or 20000. men yet litle esteemed in respect of the D. de Martigues and other cōmanders Whilest the Romish Catholicques armie lay spending thēselues before S. Iohn d'Angely la Chastre and others warred vpon the religious in Berry the borders with variable successe on both sides The protestants in two or three places trusting to their enemies promises were hardly intreated but they had their reuenge by weapons and valiant resistance in sundrie places where they bare out sundrie assaults forced their enemies to retire The kings armie by want of victuals and other discommodities presently after went from Saint Iohn de Angely leauing the Princes and the Admirall to thinke vpon their voyage And the king about the end of the yeare went to Anger 's assigning the Princes Deputies to bee there in the beginning of Ianuary to intreat of peace The King 1570. the Queene the Duke of Aniou and their Councell thinking that the Princes had lost courage and after the battell of Montcontour Why a parley of peace was made about the beginning of the yeare to be wholly destitute
of all means to ayde themselues determined to sound them to see if they would enter into request and acceptation of peace hoping that hauing brought them to the poynt there could bee no condition how hard soeuer it were but they would gladly accept it so they might bee assured of their liues and the possession of their goods in their houses And according to this aduise in the moneth of Nouember 1569. a meeting was practised betweene the Marshall de Cosse and the Deputies of the Queene of Nauarre the Deputies hauing presented their articles although the matter ought rather to bee handled by conference then by writings which haue no replies the meanes therein vsed and the delaies practised for aunswering therevnto made the Princes know and perceiue that their enemiesment to helpe themselues by that deuice to hinder their affaires After the first audience giuen vnto their Deputies they were giuen to vnderstand that the king could not indure the exercise of their religion and that they ought to content theÌ„selues with the libertie of their consciences An other deuice was wrought which was that messengers were sent into England and Almaine to certifie them that the peace was made by that meanes to stay the ayde that they might procure from thence And on the other side Postes went in all haste to procure money and forraine souldiers They discouered diuers practises against them both within without the Realme the effect beeing that first they would disarme them and then vse them and all those of the religion as the iudgement giuen against the Admiral sufficiently shewed Notwithstanding they determined to send Messieurs de Beauuais la Nocle Theligny to Anger 's to enter into conference with the kings commissioners and on the other side to pursue their warlike affaires and so make peace with weapon in hand After the battel of Moncontour we see how the forces of the Protestants were scattered in diuers Prouinces Such as were dispearsed in Berry determined through intelligence with a certaine souldier that betrayed them The Progresse of the warlike exployts in Poictou against the Prostestants to surprize Bourges but missing of their purpose by a counter intelligence lost in that exployt some 30. men besides as many more taken prisoners hauing but homely entertainment with the cannon were forced to retire from the town wherto they had brought 1000. horse 2000. foot The Countie of Lude Puigaillard Sanzay Colonel of the Arrierebands of France after the recouerie of Poictou got possessions of Marans wherby the whole Prouince round about was won for the Princes except Angoulesme and Rochel where the Protestants were shut vp after that Sanzay had gotten the Castle of Beauâ—oir on the sea from yong Rohan Lusignon was lost through the cowardize of the Barron of Mirambean whom the souldiers made their scoffing stock witnesse the scoffe of the L. of Losses who comming to speake with the Queen of Nauarre at Rochel saide openly that Mirambeau came to composition not for want of victual or munition but be cause he could get no more mustard to eate with his poudered beese The Councel weening to terrifie the L. of Pardaillan Gouernour of Blay caused the King to write his letter vnto him importing both threats and promises to cause him to yeelde vp the place which gotten they hoped to haue Rochel cheape ynogh which he held for the Princes into the haÌ„ds of Lansac who in his letters threatened Pardaillon in case he denied to obey But Pardaillan answered the K. discreetly and Lansac as couragiously to whom hee wrote thus You can conceiue no greater greefe in enterprising to force mee in this place then I should by yeelding reape shame losse hinderance and confusion whereto I doubt not to put you or any other that shall put mee to it Neither am I or any vnder my charge so base minded to graunt you any greater aduantage then the like force as you pretend against vs. Lansac finding nothing to bee had there but stripes turned an other way and tried Romegou the Gouernour of Tayllebourg whose aunswere was not vnlike to Pardaillans Then because the Isles of Xaintongne Marennes and Brouage had much molested the armie that besieged Saint Iohn d'Angely by letting their Garrisons rode vp and downe and cut off their victuallers they now sent the Countie of Lude Puigaillard and Riuiere Puitaille with eight cornets of horse and twentie Ensignes of foote who tooke all by force and there slew the remainder of the Lansquenets that escaped at the battell of Moncontour so as there were left aliue not aboue three hundreth fighting men or thereabout Whilest the wars continued in those quarters in a rode they caught a souldier whom Riutere Puitaille sought to practise for the surprising of Rochel Sundrie warlike exployts on either part in Poictou Guyenne but the souldier laboured a double intelligence whereby Riuiere and others in hope to take had almost been taken but hauing warning thereof by the way they returned to their Garrisons On the other side la Noue the Princes Lieftenant in Guyen sought to recouer Brouage a place that greatly annoyed the Rochellers but as hee went about it hee discouered an other enterprise practised by the Barron de la Garde against Thonne Charente so as the purposes of the one countermaunded the other At that time which was the beginning of the yeare Rochel was as it were blocked vp on euery side For towards Poictou the Countie of Lude and Puigaillard had a great armie Riuiere Puitaille the elder held Marans and other places thereabout and the younger commaunded in Brouage Landereau the Viceadmirall a sworne enemie to the religion which before himselfe had professed lay in Olone then the Brittons and Bourdelois by sea did what they could to cut off all victuall from Rochel wherein also the Barron de la Gard then Generall of the galleyes did greatly annoy them running many times euen to their hauen He now to the end on all sides to blocke vp the towne with the helpe of the yonger Puitaille broached a practise against Thonne Charente to the effecting whereof he sent Captaine Beaulieus Lieftenant to make the first descent La Noue vnderstanding his deuice vndertooke to keepe the place and so ordered his Harquebusiers that had they forborne vntill the souldiers of this Galley had landed they had caught either dead or aliue not onely these but also their followers who came onâ— row into Charente and so purposing to land had cast away themselues in Sparte But they forgetting their Captaines direction so soone as Beaulieus Lieftenant was comming on shore receiued him with such a storme of shot that they slew him and l'Argoussin withall they proclaimed libertie to the Galley-slaues who therevppon let go their owers and so la Noue tooke the Galley and all that was in it The prisoners were carried to Rochel and the Galleye to Taillebourg wherewith as also with an other Romegouse did afterward make sundrie
businesse The kings excuses to his friends The king sent his excuses to the Pope and to the Duke of Alue touching the rumor of warres in the low countries he called the Spanish Ambassadour and shewed him that all the former counsels tended onely to the rooting out of the Huguenots and that hee ment to continue in peace and good correspondence with the king of Spaine to whom he sent a Gentleman purposely with letters of his owne hand to assure him of his intent On the other side vpon the foureteenth of Septemb. there was a precept sent to the Gouernours of the Prouinces to inquire of al such protestants as during the troubles had borne any office in the armies or townes of warre In Prouence Precepts against the Protestants through the discretion of the Countie of Tende there was no murther committed neither in Bourgondy through the subtiltie of the Guisians who purposed to lay all the hatred vpon the king notwithstanding themselues were the executioners in Parris and that their seruants Troyes in Champagne had shed the blood of sundrie innocents as also in sundrie other Townes Some murthers but indeed but few were committed in Auuergne and Dauphine Picardie and Brittaine were reasonably quiet The two and twentieth day of September there was a new precept sent to the Gouernors and Lieftenants of Prouinces for the disgrading of all protestants from their estates and publike offices which they exercised notwithstanding they were content to renounce their religion except such as had inferiour offices whom the king permitted to enioy them in case they would abiure according to a forme deuised by the facultie of Sorbon and adioyned to the same precept .. Excusers of the massacre Besides all this they hired certaine writers to excuse the massacre and thereof to publish their bookes both in Latine and French Some Lawyers were dealers that way but they met with those that so tooke them vp that afterwards a hundreth times and a hundreth they condemned such purposes The Rochelers spent the whole moneth of September in consultations vppon new letters from the king the Quesne-mother the king of Nauarre the Duke of Aniou and Biron also vpon sundrie negotiations for the receiuing of the said Biron for their Gouernour who to that end was come within halfe a daies iourney of their Towne Their finall resolution was this not to accept of Biron before the whole armie at hand were cassuered and quite scattered retaining the free exercise of religion and that Biron should not bring them any other troupes In the beginning of October those of Sancerre were inuested by certaine Garrisons that beganne to molest them but they made so braue a sallie that hauing forced the barricadoes of their enemies slaine 45. of them in the streets and houses scattered the rest and taken some prisoners What entertainment the King of Na. the Prince of Conde had after the massacre they were released of thē for a fewe daies The Rochelers at the same time were sūmoned either to accept of Biron who wold haue entered with certain troups without causing the armie to retire or else to accept the war while they consulted therevpon Let vs see what entertainment the king of N. and the Prince of Conde had within Parris their enemies not cōtent to haue led thē to the Masse after abiuration of the religion made thē be assistant at the ceremonies of S. Michael published in their presence so many precepts and libels made and deuised against the innocencie of the massacred constrained them to heare the means deuised for the extirping of therest Besides their said enemies ayded themselues by the Cardinall of Bourbon vncle to those two Princes to induce them to acknowledge and do homage to the Pope in such sort that messages dated the third of October were sent in their names whereby they desired to bee receiued into the bosome of the Romish Church The Pope sent them his pardons vpon the first of Nouember To returne to the Rochelers that persisted in their determination About the beginning of October the enemie beganne by sundrie means to cut off their victualles and prouision vnder pretence of relieuing the Nauy that might depart farre ynough from them but they soone blew vp that myne Then was there an other aduise which was this Diuers Gentlemen and good souldiers were withdrawne thither for succour who purposed to set a large price vpon their skinnes to any that should assayle them and many others likewise were departed the Realme Heervppon the king by his letters pattents of the eight of October saith that as a good housholder he pittieth his subiects that liue in penurie out of their own houses and so emoyneth his Gouernors of Prouinces throughout their iurisdictions by publike proclamation to call home such as were absent whose goods hee decreeth to be confiscate in case they returne not within a certaine time limitted them The same day the Barron de la Garde intruding himself by letters to threaten the Rochelers had his aunswere That they were the kings faithful seruants though hee were none who wrongfully molested them with his Gallies and would not retire That they prayed God to mollifie the Barrons heart that hee might not trouble them but set them at libertie That they were resolued to maintaine themselues in their priuiledges to keep their towne safe from like murther as were committed in other Towns which they accounted innocent from the crime of rebellion wherewith the Barron charged them That so long as they heard and beheld such and so horrible nouelties and were by the Barron so boldly intreated as they had beene they might and would iustly poure foorth their complaints to God and the King Whilest Biron and others did thus but in vaine solicit the Rochelers there was at Parris contriued an Edict of the tenth of October in the name of the king of Nauarre wherein he prohibited all publike exercise of any but the Romish religion throughout his countries But his subiects of Bearne euen at the first discouering manifest falshoods in that writing withall knowing that their soueraigne was in his enemies hands neither had about him any seruants but such as were foisted in by the Queene-mother or the house of Guise made no account of that paper but vsing all lawfull meanes to auoyde surprises did with many difficulties beare themselues in that estate wherein the Queene had left them hoping if their king might once escape prison he would tell them another tale The one and twentieth day of October Troubles befallen the Rochelers and how they remedied the same Biron writ by du Vigean to the Rochelers who would not graunt this Deputie entrie albeit hee came vppon safe conduct to Tadon a village neare vnto the towne when he had his answere in like terme as the former He going the next day to lye at Sigongnes which was three leagues thence certaine souldiers of the companie of Saint Stephen forced his lodging slewe
three of his houshold seruants gaue him fiue woundes with their swoords in his bedde carried away his horses and best stuffe which the next day they sold to the most giuer in a village where Captaine Saint Stephen was lodged This scandall troubled the Rochelers who ended it thus That Stephen and Guymeniere should depart from Rochel Besides the aunswere expresly giuen to Biron the Rochelers by seueral letters did greatly excuse thēselues of this mishap which fell out without their notice and to the great griefe of their Deputie beseeching him as also they did du Vigean not to impute vnto them such an action whereto they had giuen neither counsell nor consent but were wonderfully sorrie that Vigean should bee so wronged at his returne from his Ambassage Many misliked that Vigean a Gentleman of the religion and a man of calling should take vpon him such a commission but his reward caused him to bee afterward better aduised Now the Rochelers beeing diuersly aduertised that shortly they should see an armie before their walles also that their Towne was the marke whereat their enemies aymed gaue a new onset vppon the Countrie of Montgommery the Vidame of Chartres and other Noble men fledde into England to craue some succour at their hands Their Deputies set saile in the euening the fiue and twentieth day of October Thus was it open warre for so many as were known to be Rochelers were euery where taken prisoners and put to their ransome all vessels sayling towards their hauen stayed all marchandize found to belong to any Rocheler seized and confiscate to bee short all actions of hostilitie put in practise against them Neither were the Sancerreans at that time much quieter for Cadaillet one of the Groomes of the chamber and the kings Hunter sometimes seruant to the Earle of Sancerre a man well knowne in the Towne was sent to confer with them Hee played the cunning Courtier setting debate among them that before were good friends wherof ensued a tumult whilest one would grant and an other would denie the comming in of the Lord of Fontaines who was sent to roote out the protestants Hereof grew murther and confusion wherof wee will speake heereafter For the aduancement of the Bishop of Valence Negotiation in Poland where the French name was miserably rent in peeces and to cut off the deuises of the protestants both within and without the Realme Diuers deuises to extirpe those of the religion and to roote out their memorie The king was perswaded that it would bee good to take some of them that were found to haue escaped the massacre and as then kept in prison and to make processe against them in forme of iustice and to put to the torture some of those that had escaped the massacre and beeing fetched out of their corners had beene committed to prison that they might be condemned by sentence of certaine Iudges appoynted for the purpose and so executed in the presence of the people and to the same to adde a sentence against the Admirall of whose bodie taken away as I said before they should make a similitude or image which the executioner should drawe along the streetes and then hang it on the Gibbet Then that there might bee published the kings letters pattents wherein it should bee decreed that the protestants should bee preserued both in body and goods and suffered to liue in all libertie of conscience so to allure them peaceably by this declaration that afterward they might speede as the rest besides to publish many bookes in excuse of all that was past and the same to dispearse in all places especially in Poland and Almaine and withall to charge the Ambassadours in England Suizerland and other forraine countries to iustifie the king and the Romish Catholicques All this was diligently put in execution Notable persons executed vnder colour of iustice Touching the first poynt Briquemant the father a Gentleman of the age of seuentie yeares one that had valiantly imployed himselfe in the seruice of the kings of France hauing beene found in the house of the Ambassadour of England wherein hee had saued himselfe while the greatest furies of the massacre were executed was put in close prison with Cauagnes Maister of the Requests These two bare great affection both vnto the religion and the Admirall and otherwise were of great reputation in France they were threatned to be torne in peeces vppon the racke if they would not write and signe with their hands that they had conspired with the Admirall to kill the king his bretheren the Queene and the king of Nauarre but they hauing constantly refused to auouch so horrible a lye against their innocencies and themselues they were racked and cruelly tormented by sentence of the Court of Parliament in Parris dated the seuen and twentieth of October were declared guiltie of treason and condemned to be hanged vpon a Gibbot which was executed The Queen-mother leading the king her two other sonnes and the king of Nauarre her sonne in lawe to see the execution Her Councellours thinking that at that last exployt it would bee wrought if Briquemaut in presence of all the people would aske pardon of the king sending some vnto him to certifie him that so hee might easily saue his life that the king was mercifull and that hee should haue pardon if hee asked it confessing this fact wherewith hee was charged Briquemaut aunswered boldly and with a good courage that it belonged not vnto him but to the king to aske pardon of God for such an offence that he wold neuer aske pardon for a fault wherin hee had not offended but knew himselfe to bee innocent whereof hee called God to witnesse desiring him to pardon the kings so great disloyaltie Cauagnes did the like vntill hee died in such sort that this execution serued to no other ende but more to publish theiniquitie of so many pernicious councels Asnare discouered and anoyded With these two notable persons they hung a man of haye made like the Admirall against whom also was pronounced a smal sentence of death Touching the declarations in fauour of those of the religion the Duke of Guise discouered the snare so that fewe of them were taken For that by letters sent by his mother the same day that Briquemaut was executed shee wrote vnto him that the king had the said day determined with his Councell wholly to roote out those of the religion whom hee termed seditious vermine not sparing the children nor straungers that had giuen them ayde therein discouering enterprises against the Prince of Orenge and others which vanished like smoke Among the Ambassadours that excused the king Monluc was one the easiler to aduance his affaires of Polonia whereof we meane not to recite any particularities as not pertaining properly to our intent The beginning of open war against the Sancerrans Yee heard before how Cadaillet had sowen diuision among the Sancerreans now shall you see the haruest of that graine
The same day toward fiue of the clocke at night the Sarreant Maior of the Towne made a sallie and fired part of their wodden bridge and foure and twentie houres after returned to burne the corps degard that was hard by the sald bridge About this time at three seuerall courses certaine of the enemies horsemen sought to keepe the poore people of the towne after the tide from gathering of Muscles Shrimps such like but some of them lost their horses and Petronels and some were taken carried away prisoners as vnable soone ynough to get forth out of the bogges where their horses sunck vpto the shoulders The eight assault The sixteenth of May a little before day the enemie gaue the eight assault to the afore named bulwarke which was very sharpe yet had the repulse on both sides The same day and the two next follwing the Cannon playing vppon the Towne made no spare of powder or bullet The twentieth day came in a small vessell loden with powder and corne sent by the Countie Montgommery vnder the conduct of Captaine Arnaud who passed in spire of the enemies fleet and forces who discharged many a shot at him but hurt him not A notable sallie Three daies after some foure or fiue hundreth men after noone sallied foorth of the towne and surprised and mightily amazed the enemie that lay toward the Cognee gate whom they killed without resistance to the number of two hundreth both Captains soldiers besides a great number of wounded The whole campe taking the alarm many came in so that the Rochelers lost 20. of their men but carried into their towne eight Ensignes with many cuiraces Halbards Targets Harguebuzes guilt swords They did greatly bewaile Maronniere a braue Gentleman who died of his wounds within two daies after as a little before they had done the death of Vergerbeanlieu a Poeteuine Gentleman highly esteemed for his valour whereof be had made proofe especially in the eight assault where hee tooke his deadly wound The fiue and twentieth day of May the batterie beganne very furious and lasted till nine the reason was that fiue mynes which the enemie had digged were shut and readie to play The next morning by breake of day the batterie beganne againe as wel againe the bulwarke as against the defences and so continued vntill night The next morning about seuen of the clocke all the companies of the campe were mustered The Switzers being new come to the number of 16. Ensignes in a great battaillon were by the Rochelers welcommed with cannon short which fell so iust among them that they made a great lane and forced the rest to go further from the Towne About eleuen of the clocke the regiments of the campe beeing readie to the assault discharging their artillerie blew vp their mynes wherein rested their whole hope The ninth assault but all this stood them in no stead for some of their mines did greatly helpe to fortifie the besieged and to flancke the breach from the olde fountaine to the Gospel-bulwarke a fatall and vnhappie name for the enemie who were expected and repulsed by the women maides and seruants who that day did incredible things The assault was fiue times renued and lasted vntill sixe of the clocke at night alwaies more fierce and greater then any of the former And indeed the enemie lost foure hundreth men that stayed in the ditches and carried away sixe hundreth wounded The Rochelers lost thirtie or fortie souldiers and women and three or foure Captaines among the rest one very valiant named Blays who was slaine with a peece of a stone The Countie Montgommery did his endeuour to succour the Rochelers by sea but in vaine in that he was ouerweake both in shipping and men to fight with the fleet royall Murmurings in Rochell which was verie strong Towards the beginning of Iune victualles beganne to grow short with the besieged wherevppon some considering that the enemies cannon plaied continually also that some souldiers fledde the Towne began to doubt and haue some speech of composition so that some of the most apparant were imprisoned for that togither with some three hundreth they had signed a bill that imported the making of peace vpon whatsoeuer conditions for their parts they were weary of the warres and the great want of corne would shortly breede a famine Others had in open street consulted vppon taking of the gates whereby to go foorth at their pleasures Of these murmures ensued new parleyes which the Duke of Aniou solicited that so hee might depart thence for the newes was come that he was chosen king of Poland and that the Ambassadors were comming to him In the meane time vpon Fryday the twelfth of Iune the enemie gaue a suddaine escalado at the little breach neare to the old fountaine some hundreth or sixscore Gentlemen gat vppe and some vnto the Caualier where they stayed long ynough to take a view of the inward trenches and counterscarpe that was fortified within the retrenchment and so beganne to retire neither escaped they al the greeting of the smal shot which diminished their number and slew some fifteene or twentie in the place The next day they returned to their parleyes and because the Rochelers had counsell to send their Deputies to the Duke of Aniou at whose hands as they were told they might obtaine more then they demaunded they stayed for a pasport which they found so badly penned that they might well perceiue that it stood them vppon to beware and therefore they caused their Deputies to retire which so netled the D. that he resolued before the cōming of the Polonian Ambassadors to trie all meanes and to the same end came in person to take a view of the mine by the old fountaine The Duke of Anious aduentures where one of the Towne souldiers discerning him shot off a harguebuze charged with a bullet and some haile shot but his great Esquier named Deuin perceiuing the match stepped before him and was slaine the Duke reserued to an other end was slightly touched with some of the haile shot but not hurt After this notwithstanding their shooting and sallying on both sides yet was it nothing in regard of that which was past But vpon the 17. of Iune the Polish Ambassadors being arriued in France truce was made and lastly the articles of peace agreed vpon and sent vnto the king which hee approoued and framed them in manner of an Edict graunting to those of the religion Rochel Montauban Nismes and other Townes wherein the free exercise of religion was permitted and to others permission to liue without trouble in their houses An Edict of pacification for Rochell and all those of the religion therein to solemnize baptisme and marriage after their manner without greater assembly besides the Parents then the number of tenne except in the Court at Parris and within tenne leagues round about it hee restored those of Rochel to their rights and auncient
fauor his retire from the Court Others bearing him no great affection spred foorth a rumour that they were in armes prepared to kill the king the Queene and his Councell The first aduise tooke place neuerthelesse to make the latter seeme likely yet vntrue euery man except it were the king Praclises of the Court whereinto sundrie not able to penetrate at the first the gentry of Normandy found themselues deceined whereof ensued the destruction of the Countie of Montgommery perswaded to stay with his traine in great haste dislodging from Saint Germains where they stayed till the lodgings of the Castle of Blois Saint Vincennes were prepared and rid to Parris from nine of the clock till midnight with most great noyse and tumult I must tell you that the Duke of Alencon was in minde to haue departed from the Court and to take the king of Nauarre with him and that this troupe composed of the Gentlemen their seruants came to bring them to the places appointed by them but imagining many difficulties in the executiō hee tooke aduise of la Mole a Gentleman of Prouence that gouerned him who gaue him counsell with al speed to aduerise the king his brother and his mother what his meaning was which was the cause that the king remooued not neuerthelèsse the mother that had som greater matter in her head made that voyage by night and went to the house of the Marshall de Retz in the subburbs of S. Honore The Parisians beleeuing whatsoeuer was told them touching those horses in short time made a great and puissant armie as they said The next day the king went vnto his mother and within eight daies after they went to Blois Saint Vincennes hauing holden diuers councels to deuise the means to intrap the Marshal d'Anuille that gaue them worke to do in Languedoc Meane time the Duke of Alencon and the king of Mauarre vppon the foure and twentieth of March published a declaration touching the matter of Saint Germains protesting their good wils towards the king and that they were resolued to oppose themselues with all their meanes against such as would rebell against him which was an occasion to bring the Marshall de Montmorencic vnto the Court who being come was arested as also the Marshall de Cosse and both most shamefully led prisoners to the Bastille On the other side la Mole Coconnas Tourtay seruants to the Duke of Alencon were committed within Parris and not long after executed hauing onely confessed to haue been of their Maisters counsell to depart out of the Court Diuers Lords and Gentlemen intangled in this processe saued themselues as well as they could the Duke of Alencon and the king of Nauarre were kept more straight and twise examined touching that action The estate of Dauphine Languedoc and poictou These troubles in the Court hindered not those of the religion their associates to looke vnto themselues In Dauphine Mombrun tooke Loriol Linron Alet Graue and Roinac and ouerthrew fiue companies of footmen that sought to impeach them Those of Villeneufue in Viuarais not long before had put certaine troupes to the swood that came against those of the religion without losse of one man and tooke Aubenas a Towne of great importance hauing cut the throates of all the Garrison for the most part composed of the massacres of Lyons The gouernment of Languedoc and Dauphine hauing bin committed to the Prince d'Auphine Monsieur d'Acier ioyned with him the Marshall d'Anuille by letters intercepted discouered what was pretended against him by which meanes hee beganne to draw to those of the religion consulting with Saint Romaine Gouernour of Nismes seized vppon Montpeslier Beaucaire Lunel and Pezenas In Poistou the Polititians ioyned with la Noue tooke Saint Maixaut Melle Fontenay Lusignan and other places In Normandie about the beginning of March What happened in Normandie to the Countie de Montgommery taken prisoner and after executed the Countie Montgommery accompanied with Lorges and Galardon his children departed from the Isle of Gerze and arriued at Rades where Colombieres de Fey with fistie Gentlemen came to meete him from whence hee went to Saint Lo and then with in three daies after assieged and took Carentan by compositiō Within a month after a strong armie of the enemie commaunded by Matignon and Feruaques set vppon him and inclosed him with a little weake towne and ill furnished called Danfrone accompanied with sixtie horse and eight harguebuziers conducted by Captaine la Touche the younger resoluing vppon a valiant defence euen in the beginning of the siege sent foorth siue and twentie horse and some small shot who giuing a sharpe onset slew seuen Gentlemen assaylants and nine horse and soretired with the losse of the Lord of Friaize who was slaine and two prisoners that they left behinde This was the eleuenth of May. The next day the besieged cut in peeces one Corps de garde but soone after some either for feare or won with faire woords forsooke the Countie and yeelded to the assaylants who in reward stripped and put them to their ransome The Queen-mother vnderstanding that the Countie whom shee hated to the death was in her nettes sent forces day and night to strengthen Matignon as also the armie that lay before Saint Lo was commanded with all speed to march to Danfrone where they had in the beginning of the siege six thousand small shot and fifteen hundreth horse The king being very sicke vpon the 23. of May the Castle was battered with six peeces of cannon that in fiue houres shot aboue fiue hundreth times and made a breach of fiue and fortie foote broad Then did most of the Counties men forsake him and in liew of entring the Castle with him fled out of the Towne into the campe where they receiued their deserued entailment as their former companions About two of the clock at after noone the assay lants came fiercely to the breach where they found the Countie on the right side with the lords of Brossay Chauuiny Cornieres Tere yong Touche Mahiliere Crosse Oulfe and others to the number of twentie On the left side were the Lords of Sey Hayes Vaudore Sanssaye Villenenfue and others in like number of twentie All togither fell vpon their knees to hear the prayer which one of the three Ministers there present made in the presence of the assay lants who when it was done came to handie blows in the order following Out of tenne companies of men at armes present at that siege Matignon the other Captains chose one hundreth Gentlemen even ten out of euerie companie well armed followed with 600. small shot with murrians 100. pikemen with their corselers These 800. men with some 200. voluntaries mixed among thē were led by the LL. of Fernaques Villermois S. Golombe Raberprey Lauerdin and others The fight lasted siue hours neither did the cannon cease which indomaged the defer dants with stones wherewith also the Countie was
Sieurs de Laual Boulaye and others who presently after hauing receiued intelligence that Tiercelin was come from Oleron to go to Marennes and so to returne to Sainctes he went to watch him on the way very neare to the plain where certaine horsemen would haue issued out of Sainctes but they were set vppon and dispearsed by Cargrois that ledde the Argolitiers of Monsieur de Laual After this skirmish the Prince returned to Taillebourg As for Tiercelin although he knew that his enemies watched his returne hee made no account thereof trusting in the strength of his Regiment and so resolued to fight with them wheresoeuer they should assayle him and vppon the seuenteenth of Aprill he marched towards Sainctes in very good order Which the Prince vnderstanding mounted on horse bocke with his brother in lawe the Sieur de Trimouille la Boulaye Auantigny and others to the number of thirtie persons with as many Harquebusiers so made towards Tiercelin whom he found about a thousand paces from the subburbs of Sainctes where hee set vppon his reareward and slewe about thirtie or fortie of them the rest of the Regiment ranged themselues in order of battel vnder the hedges and in the high-way In that first charge the Sieur de Trimouille had his horse flain betweene his legges and without speedie succour had been in great daunger La Batarderaye Ensigne-bearer to Boulaye was there slaine Chanterelles and Captiane Nauarre wounded to death Auantigny hurt both in the hand the knee and notwithstanding the Prince perceiuing the Sieur de Lanal to bee gone to fetch his company not farre from thence and that in great haste came golloping with about fiue and thirtie horse commaunded him to set vpon the enemie where that yong Lord readier to execute the charge then the Prince to commaund leaping ouer hedges and ditches made right vppon the Colnelles Ensigne being as then guarded with a battell of pikes which he braste fighting with him that bare the Ensigne and put him with all the pikes to flight whereof there were flaine to the number of sixtie men and tooke the Ensigne with him Tiercelin beeing hurt in the arme saued himselfe with a great number of hurt men There the Sieur de Laual lost Sailli called Tanlay because the other died not long before at Saint Iohns and Rieux his two bretheren greeuously wounded one in the head the other in his groyne whereof they dyed within two daies after Cargrois was shot into the knee and the Prince himself gaue two braue charges to the horsemen of Sainctes that thought to ayde Tiercelin and put them twise in disorder bearing with him their armes and other furnitures togither with the Collonels Ensigne but it greeued him much for the mortall wounds of those two young Lords that were followed by the Sieur de Lanal their brother that died within eight daies after The armie of the Duke de Maine in Poitou The Duke de Maine minding to make his profit at other mens costes and thought by the ouerthrow of the Prince of Condes armie to spoyle the rest of the forces that were in Guyen departed from Poictiers with a faire and goodly company of men This Prince valiant and wise that hath alwaies holden his reputation by keeping promises both with his enemies and friends neuer knewe what is ment by ioyning a peece of a Fox skinne to the skinne of a Lyon not being large ynough But as there are many who not withstanding they haue contrary windes yet doo arriue in safetie at their desired port so diuers men receiue so many crosses in their enterprises that fortune neuer fauoureth neither their valour nor their vertues In times past hee had done many valiant acts in Dauphine and now hee imployed time mony and great labour to do no great matter in Guyen His armie was of fiue hundreth French horsemen eight hundreth Rutters foure hundreth Lanciers Albanois and about fiue thousand foote with diuers peeces of artillery Hee made his account to force Townes not so much by fight as by famine wherevnto the season of it selfe was sufficiently disposed which should sooner bee ouerthrowne then fought withall and sooner fought withall then assayled At his arriuall Xaintonge and Poitou trembled being as then afflicted with three poynts of Gods horrible punishments plague famine war where the souldiers found no other booties but famished rattes Hee imployed them first in the taking of Montignac Beaulieu and Gaignac small Towns and thē to the impeaching of the passage of the riuer of Garonne wher he thought to surprise the king of Nauarre and alreadie had written vnto him that hee could not shunne his nettes Saint Bazeille lying vppon the same ruier was taken by force and spoyled and Mont-segur taken by composition The Duke de Maines ficknesse at that time bredde great disorder in his campe and want of mony weakened the courages of the resolute neuerthelesse hee tooke Chastillon a place fortified by the valour of the Barron de Sauignac Gouernour thereof and after that Normand in Perigueux But their want was so great in the armie and the extremitie so much that it fluttered but with one whing And the chiefe Generall that looked for nothing but a reuolt and perceiuing that where he thought to winne in Guyen hee had lost Aussonne in Bourgongne gaue the king to vnderstand that it was more then a yeare since his souldiers were forced to march on foote alwaies fighting in the enemies countrie with men and with the ayre the difficultie of the passages the ouerflowings of riuers the coldnesse of the weather and the long raines without being once succoured neither with new forces mony nor amunition for the warres and sayde that of seuenteene hundreth and three score thousand crownes wherevnto the wages of the armie amounted vnto Read the declaration of the Duke de Maine touching his exployts in Guyenne hee had receiued but three hundreth and foure thousand Crownes From that voyage hee brought with him the daughter of Madame de Chaumont beeing of the age of twelue yeares to marry her to one of his children Behold the triumphs of the league in Guyenne in an other place I haue said something touching the king of N. voyage out of Gascongne into Poitou which requireth a larger discourse which is that in the moneth of Febr. 1000. fiue hundreth eightie sixe the Marshall de Matignon hauing besieged Chastelles the king of Mauarre accompanied with two or three hundreth Gentlemen about eighteene hundreth Harquebusiers raised the siege What the K. of Nauarre did to impeach 4. armies of the league and determined to diue within the Castle Then he made a voyage into Bearn there to take order for his affaires which done he returned towards Nerac and passing at Lanse a Towne belonging to himselfe hee had intelligence that the Duke de Maine marched forward to impeach his passage ouer Garonne Notwithstanding hee went to Nerac to fortifie the place and issuing out he marched
times to hold a Parliament to reforme the abuses of his Court which hee caused to bee assembled making shewe to redresse the maladie of his Realme but it was to intrap his Princes and Lords and put them to death which he did apprehending the number of two and twentie whose heads hee caused to bee striken off Hee was degraded and deposed of his royall dignitie and the Lords of his Realm caused him to die by thrusting a redde hotte spit into his fondament The Duke d'Espernon complained of the wretchednesse of that time and of the infamous libertie of Erenchmen in dishonouring their Prince and abhorred that manner of writing wishing a seuere punishment might bee executed both vpon the composers and readers thereof for example to others The League hauing dispatched the kings Councellours from his presence and established their tyranny in his affections desired nothing more but the ouerthrow of the Huguenots for that thorne sticking still in their foote they could not march with good assurance so that they ceased not till they sawe them assayled in two places The Duke de Neuers Generall of the armie at Poiton that is Poitou and Dauphine His Maiestie gaue the conduction of the armie into Poitou to the D. de Neuers a Prince full of zeale in religion and fidelitie to the king and valerous in armes who The Duke de Neuers Generall of the armie at Poiton perceiuing that the warre stayed but onely for want of money lent the king fortie thousand Crowns proceeding frō his part of the partage of the goods of his fathers house The Duke of Guise knowing that the armie would not bee so soone prepared and that while it was prouiding the king of Nauarre might take the field and get the aduantage sent the Regiment of Saint Paul to Monsieur de Mercurie and desired him to begin to prepare the way for the armie of Monsieur de Neuers which marched forward and to giue the enemie as much as hee could thereby not to giue him libertie to march vppon them The comming of the Duke de Mercury in Poitou The Duke de Mercury with his troupes marched along by the riuer of Loire to enter into base Poitou and because the towne of Montagu although not long before spoyled and vnwalled had been repaired and fortified by Monsieur de Colombiers that held it for the king of Nauarre and that the Garrison thereof continually molested and hindered those of Nantes hee determined to besiege it and so take that retrait from the Huguenots and to the same end caused three cannons to bee layde at Pontrousseau to batter it but beeing aduertised that the king of Nauarre had issued out of Rochell vppon the ninth of August minding to ayde Montagu he left it and retired to Nantes leauing the Regiment of Gersey to make his retrait which was surprised and ouerthrowne within two myles of Pillemil beeing the subburbes of Nantes This Prince of so generous nature that he gloried not in vanquishing those he had ouercome perceiuing that Regiment to yeelde vnto his mercie Victorie without bloodshed contented himselfe with eight Ensignes and foure hundreth and fiftie prisoners and giuing thankes to God in open field dined vnder a tree and there forgetting the great way hee had marched the night before not to leese occasion of intrapping that Regiment the same day hee hunted the Partrige and in the euening entered into Montagu to take order for the fortification and Garrison thereof It is said that Caezars tongue did him great seruice in many enterprises his eloquence did in such sort stirre vppe the courages of his souldiers that bending their heads forward they passed on whether fortune and his commandement would push them Promptnesse and celeritie crowned all the enterprises of the king of Nauarre with laurell triumphs esteeming that long discourses are to no effect where it is more necessarie to doo then to speake The action which is not done with speed can neuer take any notable effect Pompey was blasoned and Hanniball likewise as being too slacke in taking occasions offered And most part of our armies are broken ouerthrown more by delaies then speedinesse wee must haue so long preparation for our men before they bee readie while they are preparing the aduantage is lost An army from Spaine while the king prepared and appoynted the two armies for Poitou and Dauphine that the king of Nauarre returned victorious vnto Rochel and that the Duke d'Espernon tolde how he had escaped the furie of the people of Augoulesme The estate of the army and remained eight and twentie houres besieged without meate or drinke newes was spred in all places of France Their Commaunders Captaines of the approaching of the great and horrible Spanish armie that had cast anker before Calais on Dunkerke side staying the ayde of the Prince of Parma that was to ioyn with the Fleet with great forces and numbers of horses to make their discent in England more easie to bee performed The armie was called inuincible and of a most admirable preparation which might bee seene by the description thereof printed at Lisbon and after that translated into French Dutch and Italian It contained one hundreth and thirtie shippes one hundreth nine and twentie men of quallitie that went voluntary at their owne charges and with them foure hundreth fiftie sixe seruants to attend on them The number of the Regiments two hundreth sixe and twentie Lords Gentlemen Captaines Ensign-bearers Lieftenants and other principall officers of companies with one hundreth sixtie and three seruants one hundreth and thirtie regiments hauing one hundreth seuentie two Ensignes and twentie thousand fighting men among the which many were appoynted to be horsemen according to the preparations made in the Prince of Parmaes ships that prepared diuers furnitures for horses which they expected to be readie for them in England Euery Vessel and Regiment had his visitor farrier treasurer Commissarie for prouissions Their Officers Commissaries and his Surgeon The Officers of Iustice were an Auditor generall his Lieftenant an Alquazil for the king and his Lieftenant foure other Alquazils foure Secretaries sixe Vshers and one Geolier The Marshall of the field The great Maister of the Artillerie The Maister of the field Alphonse de Cepede assisted with twentie Gentlemen to prouide both by land and sea for all difficulties that might happen with two Ingenieurs The chiefe Maister of the ordinances and artillery had his Lieftenants beeing fiftie nine Maister Gunners with a Generall of the carriages and cartes prepared for the land and a Generall for al the instruments of Iron that were to bee vsed about them and for the entertaining and conduction thereof a Commissarie of the Mulets and twentie two Groomes to lead them In the Hospitall of the sicke there was a General ouerseer and his Lieftenant fiue Phisitians The Hospitall fiue Surgeons fiue Assistants to them foure binders vp of wounds one
a million of iniuries and vilanies against the king but in stead of preaching the Gospell they kindled a reuolt sedition within the hearts of the people that neuer came from hearing them but their heades were set on fire and their handes prepared to seize vppon those poore Pollititians that were set before their eyes All this is drawne out of the discourses that were published at that time in Parris or from the report made of such sermons One reproached the forgetting of the seruices done by Claude Duke of Guise vnto King Francis that was found almost slaine among the dead at the battell of Marignan against the Switzers of Francis de Lorraine to the Kings Henry Francis the second who after so many notable exployts was slaine during the siege of Orleans of Henry de Lorraine to Charles the ninth and Henry the third at Iarnac Sens Poitiers Moncontour Auneau and Vimory and slaine at Blois An other made his Auditorie weepe by shewing the manner of this execution The third blasphemed against heauen speaking against the prouidence of God and the maner he vsed in his iudgements touching the death of those two Princes The fourth said that the Duke of Guise for a terrestriall and mortall had obtained a celestiall and perpetuall Crowne in heauen and by his death had opened the passage vnto his successors by that meanes to possesse the thing which hee with so great reason and iustice had pursued The fift taking the simple people to witnesse for the remembrance of things past cried out in open Pulpit Who knoweth not and that most euidently as it were at his fingers endes that the Prince of France and the brauest knight that euer set foote in stirrope lyeth now vpon the ground Was it not hee that by his onely presence defended Parris the most puissant Cittie in the world from an vniuersall spoyle and destrustion Was it not this Prince that tooke the naked sworde out of the souldiers hands that helde it readie at the breasts of the poore Cittizens of this towne Was it not that valiant Leader and Generall of armies who so many times and so happily beate downe and cut in peeces the enemies of our God who for reward and recompence of all his good and valiant seruices is now stabbed to death They added that France was sicke and that it could not be healed of her sicknesse if it had not a drinke of French blood administred vnto it The sixt the better to kindle and increase the fires of commotions openly cried out to armes and made the word of God a trumpet of sedition saying Bee of good courage my maisters you must slumber no more the God of battels is on your side hee stretceth forth his armes vnto you you know not your owne forces Parris knoweth not what it is woorth it hath sufficient treasure to warre against foure Kings Take courage turne backe the weapon that is readie to strike you a good warre will procure a peace without this warre peace will be your ouerthrow and destruction For what hath Christ to do with Belial this warre will bee your libertie and freedome which if you neglect God that reuengeth the iniurie done vnto his seruaunts will make you pay the interests of your so cowardly slacknesse So that sufficient perswasions were vsed to stirre vppe and mooue the most colde and fearefull minde and to cause the veriest coward to arme himselfe Such was the end of the Duke of Guise a Prince without all doubt of valour and courage the League called him her Caezar and made goodly comparisons betweene them For my part take away the name of Christian and I cannot finde so good a comparison betweene Camille and The mistocles Read a booke imprinted at Zurich vnder this title Carolus Magnus rediuinus Numa Licurgus Scipio and Epaminondas Marcellus and Pelopidas Pompey and Agesilaus Silla and Lysander Charles the great Henry the fourth at this present raigning the wonder of kings and the king of woonders as there is betweene the liues of Iulius Caezar and Henry de Lorraine the one being cause of the ouerthrow and ruine of his Common-wealth the other of all the miseries in France A comparisō between Casar and the duke of Guise Abanco Martio sunt Martii reges quo nomine fuit mater à Venere Iulis cuius gentis familia est nostrae Caezar alleadged himselfe to be issued on his mother side from the Kings of Alba and that his father had his originall from the Gods the race of Iules beeing descended from Venus and therefore hee caused a Temple to bee erected Veneri Genetrici The Duke of Guise and all his familie affirmed themselues to bee issued from the king of Ierusalem and the Dukes of Lorraine by their father and from the king of France by Anne d'Est daughter to Renee of France daughter vnto King Lewis the twelfth Caezar was of a goodly and tall stature well limbed full faced and quicke attractiue eyes The Duke of Guise was one of the fairest Princes of the Court big high of proportion an amiable face so quicke of eye that therby he pearced into all places Plut in the notable saying of auncient Kings Princes and Captains to know and chuse out his seruants farthest distant from him and in the greatest prease Caezar increased in ambition as wel as in yeares in greatnesse of courage as well as in bodie And as willingly a generous nature in good time discouereth it selfe beeing but young fell into the hands of Pyrates that asked him 20. tallents for his ransome but hee smiled at them because they knew not how much their prize was woorth and gaue them fiftie and beeing kept and watched carefully by them he sent commandement vnto them to be quiet and not to make any noyse that he might take his rest The Duke of Guise as young and Eagle as hee was assayed by all means to take his flight farther then any of his time very haughtie dissembling and aduised hee could not submitte himselfe to those from whom hee ought to haue expected his aduācement he differed in nothing from a kings childe of France with whom he had bin nourished brought vp shewing most euidently that his nature was to command not to obey to go before and not to follow after in his first action hee so much disposed the thoughts of the Frenchmen that they beleeued such parts to bee in him as were most fit and proper to cause a great change and alteraion in the Realme where hee should liue His first exployts in Nauarre Caezar began very young to beare armes and yet not so soone as Alexander and reading his actions beganne to weep when he perceiued that at his age Alexander had alreadie conquered Darius that as then he had done nothing The Duke of Guise in the spring time of his yeares was in the wars of Hungary against the Turke defended Sens and Poctiers fought valiantly
at Moncontour and brought honourable markes of his courage from the battel fought against the Rutters Caezar vsed so great diligence in trauelling that hee departed from Rome Hic diligeÌ„ce and within three daies after he arriued at Rhosne The Duke of Guise made such speedie iourneyes that when some thought him to be fiftie leagues off hee was found to bee in a manner at their heeles The promptnesse of his exploits Caezar had no sooner begun an enterprise but he finished it with speede The duke of Guise was so vehement and hastie to execute his enterprises that many esteemed his celeritie to bee a kinde of rashnesse Veni vidi vici His dissimulation Caezar vsed dissimulation wisely and happily to serue him for aduantage The Duke of Guise was so expert therein that hee dealt in his exteriour affaires as hee thought good to hide the secrets of his heart and although hee desired nothing so much as the raising of armes by the league yet hee made his bretheren beleeue when they prouoked him to take occasions offered that it was not his desire wisely dissembling it to the end that if the effect had not fallen out as they desired hee might impute the fault vnto their Councelles or at the least obiect against their pursuites or else he did it to the end hee might holde them stricktly bound and ingaged vnto the enterprises which of themselues they counselled him to take in hand His foresight His cunning and slights Com. de Caezar Lib. 1. of ciuill wars Caezar was maruellous expert in the science of taking occasions when time serued and to vse them to his aduantage whatsoeuer it cost him oftentimes hee made shewe to agree to that which he sought to impeach as the meanes which the Switzers desired of him to passe through France wherein hee made a good shew and countenance vnto their Ambassadors that made suite vnto him for the same vntill hee had meanes and force to withstand them The Duke of Guise was an excellent cunning Prince to vse both time and occasion and his subtilties were notable stratagems against the most violent effects of his enemies The Reisters bare with them into Saxen and Pomerland the effects of his so subtil practises by their incounters at Auueau and Vimory Caezar with a small force and wholly contrary to militarie reason enterprised all things and durst set vppon the forces of Scipio and Iuba beeing ten times greater then his owne His armie were of more courage then number The Duke of Guise saide with Caezar that high enterprises ought speedily to bee done and not long consulted vppon and with a small handfull of men determined to oppose himself against the furious armie of the Almains he discommended and disliked the monstrous multitudes full of disorders and confusions that forme and frame a most daungerous confidence in the hearts of the greatest cowards that trusting to their great numbers despised the power of their enemie he had a small number of souldiers ruled and gouerned within certaine limittes that need no great quantitie of ammunitions nor retrait His courtesie towards his souldiers Dux plerumque in opere in agmine gregatio militi mixtus in corrupto ducis honore Tacitus His credit with his souldiers Caezar flattered and fauoured his souldiers terming them companions and calling them by his owne name The Duke of Guise knowing the humour of his souldiers and that there is nothing which so much inflameth the heart of the souldier to a desire of honour and glory then when he is noted and marked by his Generall hee fauoured his souldiers and honoured his Captaines promising them more then hee could do and neuer denied them any thing that lay in his power Caezar had such credite among his souldiers that they offered him in the beginning of the ciuill warres to follow him at their owne expences and many of his souldiers that were taken prisoners offered rather to die theÌ„ to bee constrained to change parties and sooner to indure most extream famine then to yeeld vppe the Townes they held for him witnesse the honorable siege of Salone wherein beeing vexed with famine and constrained to cut off the haires of their wiues heades thereof to make stringes for their bowes hauing placed their women and childreÌ„ vpoÌ„ the wals to make shew they made so furious an issue that therewith they put their enemies to flight The Duke of Guise ordinarily termed the father of men of war so much respected and beloued of his souldiers that neither for want of pay nor discommodities there was euer any mutinie seene among his troupes and fewe or none were euer found that during his life forsooke him to serue vnder any other Generall And yet the Captaines that were brought vp vnder him are still imployed The execution of his commaunds Facta non dicta mea vos milities sequi voloâ—nee disciplinam modo sed exemplum etiam à me petere Liuius His strange ambition Caezar neuer sent to any place where hee might go himselfe nor commaunded that to bee done by other which by himselfe might bee effected The Duke of Guise alwaies beeing first at any exployt neuer trusting to any thing but his owne watchfulnesse and diligence the enemie found him alwaies before them with a magnanimitie and resolution rather to die then to bee vanquished Caezar suffered himselfe to bee wholly led by the furious passion of ambition to make himselfe great by the ruine of the Common-wealth of Rome The same vice was the cause that the Duke of Guise lost the greatest part of his praise Caezar enterprised to ouerthrow the lawes and orders of the Common-wealth passed the Rubicon entered Italie with armes tooke the treasures of the Common-wealth vsurped the office of perpetuall Dictator wan towns by force The Duke of Guise enterprised to trouble the order of succession caused the drumbe to strike vp in the midle of peace tooke the kings towns placed Garrison therein and fortified himselfe He could not indure acompanion Caezar could not indure a companion in his gouernment The Duke of Guise for the same cause mooued the great trouble of Barricadoes and constrained the king to quit him the place His debts Caezar when hee passed Rubicon hazarded either to winne or loose all The Duke of Guise by a popular fury hazarded both his life his honour and his place Caezar was indebted a million of gold more theÌ„ he was worth The Duke of Guise to accomplish his enterprises died poore and almost as much indebted Caezar vsed the fauour of the people and the tribunes for the whing of his ambition His purposes grounded vpon the common people His popularitie The Duke of Guise found the principall support of the League to consist in the good wil of the people and in the multitude being desirous of nouelties Caezar marched alwaies bare-headed to make himselfe more common gentle and amiable The Duke of Guise to commaund great men
in the right line Charles the fift which makes the second branch from the end of the first line had two sonnes Charles Duke of Orleans and Iohn Earle of Angoulesme Charles the eight dying then without children Charles Duke of Orleans successiuely came into the right line so that Lewis his sonne was found the first heir who also raigned after Charles the eight who was surnamed father of the people Lewis their dying without issue male the right of inheritance came into the branch of Iohn Earle of Angoulesme so that the lawe set the Crowne on the head of Francis the first the Earles onely sonne And from Francis it came to his sonne Henry the second from whom succeeded orderly Francis the second Charles the ninth and Henry the third his childreÌ„ one after the other froÌ„ brother to brother In this right line ended the last King of the race of Valois who died without children The law then tooke hold on the second sonne of Saint Lewis named Robert who was Earle of Clermont and married with Beatrix daughter to d'Archambaut of Bourbon by her hee had one sonne named Lewis from whom the lands were made errigible in Counte the yeare one thousand three hundreth twentie seuen After this Lewis succeeded Peter and Iames his sonnes Peter had one sonne named Charles Duke of Bourbon and Constable of France who was slaine at the taking of Rome in the yeare one thousand fiue hundreth twentie seuen And in him dying without issue male ended the line masculine of this branch Iames his vncle the sonne of Lewis had then a sonne named Iohn who espoused Catherine Countesse of Vendosme of Castres and Ladie of Conde This Iohn sonne of Iames had three sonnes Iames Lewis and Iohn The first last to wit Iames and Iohn left no posteritie Lewis sonne of Iohn had two sonnes Francis and Lewis the younger hath issue the Duke de Montpensier who liueth at this present The Prince de la Rochesur-yon the eldest of this branch died without children The eldest named Francis the sonne of Lewis which espoused Marie of Luxembourg had three sonnes Charles Francis and Lewis Charles the eldest had by the Ladie Frances of Alencon fiue sonnes Anthony Francis Charles Lewis and Iohn Anthony of Bourbon eldest sonne of Charles married Iane d'Albert Queene of Nauarre the yeare one thousand fiue hundreth fortie nine The twelfth of December 1553. was borne of this marriage in the ninth degree of the heires male after Saint Lewis Henry of Bourâ—â—n the onely sonne of Anthony Now by the decease of Henry the third the last king of the race of Valois descending by the masculine line from Philip the eldest son of king Lewis the Saint the right of the Crowne came vnto Robert his youngest sonne and from him consequently to Henry of Bourbon the fourth of that name king of France and Nauarre who at this day raigneth and of whom we are specially to speake in this Breuiarie That which the king did in his beginning This king hauing accompanied the corps of the deceased king to his tombe and put it in safe keeping to the Maister of Meulan Gisors and Clermont diuided his forces into three armies the first for himselfe with the which he marched vnto Touraine the other twaine hee committed to the Duke de Longueuille and to the Marshall d'Aumont for Picardie and Champagne Before hee had taken the way to Touraine with his troupes which were composed of twelue hundreth horse three thousand footemen and two Regiments of Switzers hee purposed to take his iourney into Normandie where the Pont de l'Arche was yeelded vnto him Then he came to Deepe won Caen vnto his side and constrained Neufchastel to bee rendered vnto his hands hauing disappoynted by his Lieftenants the succours which they had sent vnto them And hauing made a shew to besiege Roane it caused the Duke de Maine beeing called to the succor by Aumalle and Brissac to set himselfe in the field with more then three thousand horse and fiue thousande footemen who promised to the Parisians at that time to make an ende of all warre and to bring the king their enemie vnto them bound both hand and foote The king vnderstaÌ„ding that this mightie armie of his enemies increased euery day more and more by the assistance of the low countries of Picardie and Lorruine asked of the Duke de Longueuille and of the Marshall d'Aumont if they should go and meete them A notable exployt at Arques against the League And then marching toward his enemies they incamped at a certaine Village called Arques about two leagues from the Towne of Deepe And within three daies he made such entrenchments for his troups that the bancke in the lowest place was seuen or eight foote high on the one side aboue the towne where the artillerie were placed vnder the keeping of foure companies of Switzers The approach of the campe was espied by the Castle wherevppon was placed certaine peeces that shot off with great aduantage Meane space the Duke de Maine was greatly busied to thinke how hee might take againe the Townes of Gourney Neufchastel and Euison at what time both hee and his whole armie was perswaded that they might take Arques at the first But the Duke found it at his comming farre more troublesome then he imagined by reason of the newe Trenches which the king hadde made on euery side thereof for his commoditie by the which meanes hee might the better and the more easier ouer-runne his enemies at all times A sore skirmige The two armies continued there from the end of August to the midst of September And vpon the sixteenth of that moneth two fierce and cruell skirmiges was made in the which the Leaguers lost a great number of their approoued souldiers and nine or tenne of their Captaines This did truely presage and shew vnto them what successe they were like to haue in their attempts to come whereof followed nothing else but shame and sorrow to the leaguers VVhose foolish hope was also made frustrate which they hadde to chase the king himselfe into England or to kill him with all his followers or else to bring them in triumph prisoners to the Cittie of Parris The furie of these skirmiges was at last conuerted to the playing of the cannons both on the one side and the other which indured three or foure dayes togither On the Thursday the three and twentieth of September the Leaguers Armie or a part thereof containing a thousand horse and about six or eight thousand foote came to a place named la Maladerie which was strengthened with eight hundred smal shot foure coÌ„panies of Rutters Lanceknights sustained moreouer with three companies of light horsmen three companies of great ordenance and with the forces of the Princes of Conde and Counte Furthermore at the top of the Trench stood the companies belonging to the Lords of Chastillon and Maligni with a good number of the Nobilitie who were vnder
neare vnto Mant the which soone after the Leaguers were departed thence yeelded themselues to the king as also the Towne of Vernon and other Cittie To bee brief in this battel of Yuri al the footmen of the leaguers were ouerthrown Of the horsemen there were about fifteen hundreth slaine and drowned and about foure hundreth taken prisoners Among the dead there was knowne to be slaine the Earle of Egmont who was Colonell of the troupes sent by the Duke of Parma one of the Dukes of Brunswic Chastegneray beside those whose names could not bee found VVee will make no mention heere of those prisoners which afterward abused the kings benignitie and gracious fauours who might iustly haue put them all to death Who after their releasment tooke part against him More then twentie Cornets of horsemen was at that time wonne by the King among the which was the white Cornet the chiefe standard belonging to the Spanish Generall and to the Flemmings the Cornets of the Rutters and more then threescore ensignes of footemen beside the foure and twentie Ensignes of the Switzers which were yeelded presently after the slaughter The king lost the Lords of Clermont d'Antragues Captaine of his Guards the Lord Schomberg de Bongaulnay de Crenay Fesquieres and 15. or 20. other Gentlemen a fewe souldiers and fewe hurt The Duke de Maine and other Captaines of the League beeing frustrate of their hope and seeing their armie thus spoyled betooke themselues to their ordinarie shifts which was to feede the Parisians with lies and fables publishing many bookes wherein it was shewen that at the first assault giuen at Dreux the Inhabitants had slaine more then fiue hundreth men of the kings armie greeuously hurt a great number more at what time also the Marshal of Biron was slaine how in an other incounter near vnto Poissy the league had gotten a great victorie In which battell they had a long fight and almost equall losse And that if the king were not alreadie dead hee was very neare vnto it The people beeing not satified with such false quoyne and hearing euery day more then other contrarie reports by certaine men that had escaped from the said bloodie fight on the leaguers side murmured greatly thereat as people that desired peace The seditious preachers stopt the report of the Leaguers losse by all the meanes they might And whilest the Duke de Maine and others after certaine meetings at Saint Dennis because that the pauement of Paris was too hot for them tooke his way toward the Duke of Parma to obtaine succour from him The Parliament of Roane that according to their olde custome did bend themselues against their king and gracious soueraigne did execute and put to death the seuenth of Aprill certaine prisoners which were seruants to the king And three daies after declared by an Edict all those to bee traitors which were of the king of Nauarres campe as they called him that would not linke themselues to king Charles the tenth vnderstanding by that name the Cardinall of Bourbon to ioyne themselues to the league and beare weapons in the Duke de Maines armie vsing many threatnings in written papers which they set vp at the corners of euerie lane and afterward put them in print And whilest the leaguers applyed these businesses the king hoping by gentlenesse to win the Parisians to obedience continued stil at Mant without any further hot following his victorie But the trumpets of sedition imputing this mildnesse to the kings want of courage perswaded with the people that he whom they called their sworn and irreconcileably enemie shuld be shortly brought to such a hard exegent that he would bee glad either to graunt them their owne request or else that they should see him vtterly ouerthrowne Breefly their great bragges and insolencies constrained the King to draw toward Paris in this month of Aprill In fewe daies after Corbeil vpon Seine was yeelded vnto him the towne of Lagni vpon Marne and Melun Then hee assailed Sens in Bourgongne where hee did nothing onely through their fault of whom he thought to haue had better seruice The Parisians had such confidence in the promises of the leaguers that they assured themselves the king was not able to hold out many weekes against their forces insomuch that they respected not the strengthening of their Cittie to repell the batterie of any foe or the strength of any siege In time of peace that great and goodly Cittie was daily maintained and serued with fresh prouision as well one weeke as an other by the infinite commodities that was brought thervnto both far and neare by the help of the riuers of Seine Marne and Oise Diuers particular persons wisely foreseeing a storme made prouision before hand for their families But the number of the Inhabitants in that little world was so mightie great that for one prudent housekeeper there was found an hundreth that neuer thought to prouide against the time to come or sought to shun a mischiefe before it fell vppon their pates whereof followed the strange and wofull desolations which I will briefly present heere vnto you The fiue and twentieth day of Aprill the king returning toward Paris tooke and seized vpon the bridge Charenton and diuers other places thereabout for the commoditie of this armie which consisted of twelue thousand foote or thereabout three thousand horses The Parisians were six times as many in respect of the number of those that carried armes who were vnder the commaund of the Duke of Nemours in the absence of the Lieftenant generall his brother beeing assisted by the Cheualier d'Aumale and certaine other Captaines of the league In the beginning of this siege the affaires were horribly tossed They had in the Cittie certaine Preachers The siege of Parris and among many more were these following Boucher Pilletier Guincestre Feuerdant Guarin Christin little Fueillant and others in diuers Churches which mooued the people to indure all the miseries that might bee imagined rather then to submit themselues to an hereticall Prince as they called him These Preachers beeing poysoned with Spanish golde and maintained by the chiefe Ladies of the league did so inuenome the people with subtill perswasions against their lawfull king and soueraigne Lord that they resolued to perish miserably in the siege propounding on the other side questions to the facultie of Sorbonne that is to say if it come so to passe that the Cardinall of Bourbon should die being prisoner whom they called king Charles the tenth whether then they might receiue Henry of Bourbon for their king or no though hee would reconcile himselfe to the Pope Also whether they that should seeke to make peace with the said Henry or that permitted the same might not giue cause to bee held and suspected or counted a fauourer of heresies if it were according to the law of God if they might faile therein without mortall sinne and paine of damnation Contrariwise if it were a thing meritorious to
hereby preuented being also depriued of the plain of the Isle of France by the taking in of S. Dennis Now vpon intelligence giuen to the Duke de Maine that the extreame want of victualles would constraine Parris verie shortly to yeelde vnto the king answered that the taking thereof should bee very preiudiciall vnto him who would scatter his armie by that conquest in such sort that soone after the league should make a good match thereof But the kings minde or intent was not to possesse Parris in such sort as his enemies imagined For although the same were in a manner vnpossible by reason of the smal number of his people yet would he not see and behold much lesse procure the ruine of his chiefe and capitall Cittie although that many therein especially the chiefest deserued for their offences most greeuous punishment Hee tooke much pittie on the great number of people misled by euill counsell and hoped that their afflictions would giue them warning that if the Dukes of Maine of Parma comming to their succors would hazard themselues to a battell their discomfiture would constraine the besieged to acknowledge it But the miserie of the Parisians was so great that some of them were inforest to yeelde the other would rather indure an hundreth deathes by famine So that within twelue or fifteene weekes there was an extreame desolation among them They eate vp both their mooueables and their mony The souldiers had license to bee so bold that they broke vp their walles and defiled the chastitie of many families The principal men of the League rose vp and tooke to themselues the relicques of their Churches The anucient Iuels and the Crownes of the kings of France were put in the font Those householders which were rich were subtilly spoyled the subburbes ruined the Cittie become full of sorrow and need the rents of the chamber of the Cittie lay dead the lands all about vntilled and desolate An hundreth thousand persons died with hunger with nakednesse with pouertie in the streetes and in the Hospitals without all mercie or reliefe in the space of three moneths The Vniuersitie was conuerted to a desart place wherevnto all the Pesants resorted for lodging and the Cloisters of the Colledges were conuerted into stables for beasts VVithin the great hall of the Pallace there was none found but Leaguers and forgers of newes In the streetes grasse did growe plenteously and the shoppes for the most part were shut in continually In stead of Chariots and Coches appeared on the one side certaine troupes of men of warre who were more imployed to fight with hunger then with any other enemie on the other side an horrible desolation The besieged could by no meanes come by victuall but through the mercie of the Kings Garrisons which hee had set within Saint Dennis in the Fort of Gourney at Cheureuse and at Corbel The most part of the furie of this famine fell vpon the third estate as for the Cleargie who for the most part were well prouided they preached nothing but patience And the Prelates before mentioned vttered still vilde things against the king and his followers and in all their sermons assured the poore famished people that the Spanish succours would come very speedily On the one side those whom they called the sixteene on the other the fortie with the factious sort that wore long gownes wrought in the wheel The Parliament which continued as it were slaues both to the Spaniard to the Guise published an Edict the fifteenth day of Iune wherin it was prohibited vnto all of what estate quallitie dignitie and condition so euer they were not to speake of any composition with Henry of Bourbon on paine of death but thereby were inioyned to oppose themselues against him by all the meanes they might and not to spare any practise whatsoeuer ye◠though it were to the very spilling of their heart bloods Moreouer this court ordained that all the Inhabitants of the Towne should bee obedient to the Duke of Nemours Gouernour of the I le of France in all things which they should bee commaunded to do on his behalfe and that this Edict should bee read and published throughout all the streets and lanes of Parris to the end that more should pretend cause of ignorance But the people who could not liue by paper nor the windie promises of the Duke de Maine and his Preachers after they had eaten dogges and cats horses asses mules hearbes rootes and all that they could imagine to get in their necessitie came in a shole to the Pallace requiring peace of the councell there assembled where they made among them a certaine tumult but the Captaines who were before aduertised of their comming at last appeased The Parifiās desire peace and cannot obtaine it them the people beeing content by the meanes of certaine small comforts for the space of nine or tenne daies but in the end there assembled to the same place a greater troupe of people then before euery one prouided with weapons boldly demaunding that they might either haue peace or bread Then a certaine Captaine of Parris named le Glois ranne foorth vnto them to send them away with faire words but it is to bee remembred that famished bellies haue no eares VVherevpon they required him in the field with his own Oration where hee was so beaten that within a small time after hee departed the world The Cheualier d'Aumalle beeing followed by his adherents went among the multitude causing all the gates of the Pallace to bee shut and imprisoned a great number of them of whome there were some afterward hanged The chiefe of the leaguers perceiuing that in the end the discontented multitude would worke their confusion if in time they did not preuent them The chiefe of the league seeketh to de ceiue both the king and the people assembled themselues togither with the principall of their Towne and after many writings notwithstanding the diuision of the Sorbonnists and the act made in the Leaguers Parliament were resolued that the Bishoppe of Parris and the Archbishop of Lyon should go to seeke out the king to conferre vpon means of pacification This was done in the beginning of August but before they departed they would haue leaue of the Legate to the end they might not be excommunicated by the Pope Before they had obtained it the Legat made a consultation with Panigarde Bellermin and Terius Rector to the Iesuites comprised in these articles that is to say If the Parisians did runne into excommunication being constrained by famine to yeelde themselues to an hereticall Prince If the Deputies going to such a Prince to seeke his conuersion or to better the condition of the Catholicque Church were comprised in the excommunication of the bull of Pope Sixtus the fift The Doctors answered to these articles no. Deputies of the leaguers sent to the King and his aunswere Then went the Deputies to seeke the king at Saint Anthonies in the
thousand horse among the which he had foure thousand Gentlemen of the chiefe houses in the Realme Hee had also sixe Princes two Marshals of France and many gallant Captaines The leaguers being not disposed to fight intrench thēselues in a strong place The Duke of Parma tooke then a resolution the which saued himselfe and all his armie which was not to fight at al. And following this opinions his people changed their swords and launces into pickaxes doing no other thing all the euening long and that Saturday night but to intrench and fortifie themselues within a great Marsh into the which they were all withdrawne The daies following they had diuers skirmiges made vppon them but they kept still within their trenches And soone after they besieged and battered with nine peeces the Towne of Lagne vppon Marne which was a little weake towne and kept with two or three hundreth men which for a space valiantly defended themselues but in the end they were ouerthrown by great multitude of the besiegers This place was not passing halfe a little myle from the Marsh and hard at the back of the Spanish armie by meanes whereof the chiefe of the leaguers caused a bridge of boats speedily to be made wherewith they did as it were ioyne the place And the eight of the same moneth by breake of day the most of their footemen passed away by the same causing nine peeces of Ordenance to bee shot off the riuer beeing betweene them the breach was made before the king could haue knowledge thereof by reason that the winde was turned contrarie and the blustering so great that the sound of the cannons could not bee heard in the royall armie After the taking of this the Dukes of Parma and of Maine seeing the weaknesse of the place did dismantle it And although the king to draw them vnto fight fained as though hee would assaile Parris and published a purpose to scale it beeing departed from them in the euening the tenth of this moneth with a good troupe notwithstanding they would not stirre out of the Marsh VVherfore the king by aduise of his Councell dismissed his armie and fortified the Townes which hee held about Paris chiefly those on the riuer of Seine sending a part of his troups into Touraine Normandie Champagne and Bourgongne and kept notwithstanding a sufficient armie to amaze his enemies Some haue boldly written that the king was then very ill counselled and in fauour of the Prince of Parma who in fewe daies had beene inforest to fight or to haue fled that it was not possible for so great an armie as hee had to continue long in a Marsh where they should indure much harme That Parris and the league were now in safetie That the fault came through part of the Nobilitie induced therevnto by certaine enemies to the religion and the kings prosperities who was forsaken at his need Other some also being accustomed to fish in troubled waters would not it should bee yet cleared and others pretended to serue the king as it seemed best vnto them alwaies to see one confusion rise of another The Duke of Parma commeth to Paris and taketh Corbeil By meanes of which proceedings the Dukes were incouraged to go out of the Marshes to enter triumphantly into Paris whereof the Duke of Parma named himselfe the deliuerer And to make his valour appeare the greater hee departed incontinent to besiege Corbeil about halfe a daies iourney from thence vpon the riuer of Seine Captain Rigaud commaunding ouer certaine companies of footemen behaued himselfe so valiantly that he slew a great number of the leaguers As for the Duke of Parma after the heating of his troupes of whom many were slaine he lost much of his reputation For it was there wher his armie was so weakned and during the time hee rested in that place the king got togither his troupes addressing them to new purposes which brought the league into greater incumbrances then before The king of Spaines Agents thought to fill his good Cittie of Paris so the Spaniard called it in his letters with Spanish companies and VVallons But on the one side they had nothing to eate and on the other so soone as those of Guise and other Captaines of the league moreouer the sixteen and the fortie of Paris sawe themselues somewhat at large they began to giue the Duke of Parma thankes for his good will and intreated him to go with his people to Bruxelles againe This request or secret commaundement fell out verie well for the Duke for on the one part his armie in all mens sight was seene daily to waste and himselfe did plainely behold that hee stood in the midst of an vnconstant multitude and that it was not good for him to put confidence in faithlesse peple The leauing of his forces there to glut Paris euen as Antwerp had bin was to turne all vpside downe and build a new and perilous matter for the Spaniards that the king watcht to giue them a shameful ouerthrow if they should separate themselues neuer so little Therefore hee determined to get him gone with all speed possible hauing consumed a world of money leauing the Leaguers Captaines more altered with the gold of Peru then euer they were before The Duke of Parma returned to Bruxels hauing done nothing but growne unto shame and euill report with the Leaguers Of all his forces hee had great neede for the king ceased not to runne vpon him pursuing him to the verie frontiers of Arroys and diminishing his armie euery day more and more to signifie vnto the Spaniards that France could not bee ruinated or taken but through their owne follie Now assoone as they were thus departed Corbeil and other small townes which they had taken were againe recouered by the kings troupes the which brought the Parisians into new confusions The D. of Parmas comming serued to no other end but to fil their purses and to intangle and bring all their affaires to a remedilesse end In diuers parts of the kingdome as in Brittaine Prouence and Languedoc the League stirred and did many outragious and wicked acts working desolation to the great preiudice of the kings subiects but it little aduantaged the Leaguers whose armies consisted of such people that sought no other thing but disorders Also they could neither grow nor continue but by the confusion of others which they raised by their forces bad purposes for whereas they fained that they wold haue the Spaniard to ioyne with them it was for no other thing but to draw into their hands his double Pistollets in lieu whereof they would present him a new nothing betwixt two dishes And if hee shewed himselfe discontent they would helpe to throwe him out of those places which hee had vsurped as it came to passe soone after In the beginning of this year the king continued his inclosing of the Parisians which were fallen into their wonted distresses as before The Queen of England with
or any of his but to withstand him incontinent vppon paine to bee presently hanged vp Also the same Court ordaineth that absolution shall bee obtained for the said Atturney generall Nemine dempto to informe against all those that shall fauour the said Henry of Bourbon and his adherents That the oath made by the holy Vnion the two and twentieth day of Ianuarie 1589. shall bee renued from mouth to month in the generall assembly which for that purpose shall bee held in the Abbey of Saint Ouen within the same Cittie Further it inioyneth all the Inhabitants to keepe and inuiolably to obserue the said Edict from poynt to poynt according to the tenure and true meaning of the same vpon paine of death without any hope of grace or fauor to be had therein Villars a notable Leaguer Moreuer the same Court doth expresly inioyne all the Inhabitants to bee obedient to the Lord of Villars Lieftenant generall to our soueraigne Lord Henry of Lorraine eldest son to the Duke de Maine in this gouernment in all things which shall bee by him commanded for the conseruation of this Cittie The Bishop d'Euereux hanged A little before the siege of Roane the King hauing in the month of September 1591. taken Louuiers chastised certaine seditious persons and sent the Bishoppe d'Euereux surnamed the holy prisoner vnto Tours who was one of the Arches and Pillers of the league to the end he should there haue the law and after be hanged the which was done without the Cardinal of Bourbons knowledge least hee should repriue him from the Gallowes hee prouided for all things necessarie to the siege causing diuers engines to be made at Caen at Pont de l'Arche at Ponteau de Mer and in other places The D. de Maines sonne hauing encouraged the Cittizens to perseuere in their actions for their reliefe Baquemare at that time their chiefe President procured that all the Inhabitants should sweare before the Maior named Londe that they should reueale all those whom they knewe either in word or deede to fauour the King of Nauarre that they might bee punished for example to others Villars was there entered to strengthen them with sixe hundreth horse and twelue hundreth muskets and gaue such order for his affaires that they yeelded him soone after the Roiteler of Roane without any respect to the Lieftenant generals sonne in so much that when they commaunded him any thing which hee thought not good to bee done his aunswere to the Duke de Maine was that being both of them companions spoylers of the estate hee would not obey him whom hee knewe not for his Lord and Maister And the better to apply himselfe he caused all those to be chased out of Roane that were by him suspected writing letters full of outrage to the King who summoned his subiects to an acknowledgement of their rebellion placing artillerie and vsing all acts of hostillitie against his soueraigne Lord and King Moreouer he caused a new search for victuals hee subborned Friers Priests and Preachers to poyson the multitude by their seditious perswasions broght his troupes into the fielde indomaging the armie as much as possibly hee might the which beside the obstinate dealings of the besieged had a shrewd fight with the extreame rigour of the sharpe winter with sickenesse and the want of food Notwithstanding all which at the last the besieged were constrained to come to composition But vnderstanding that the Dukes de Maine and of Parma were comming with succours and were withall become Maisters of Neufchastel giuen ouer by the Kings garrison they held it till the 20. of March the which armie of the Dukes came to Franqueuille which is about halfe a daies iourney from Roane The Leaguers armie The Duke of Guise la Chastre and Vitri ledde the vantgard the Dukes of Maine of Parma and Sfondrate Nephew to Pope Gregorie the fourteenth deceased cōducted the maine battel the rearward had for their leaders the D of Aumale the Earle of Chaligni Boisdaufin Balagni and Sainpol Bassompierre and Monsieurle Motte were Captains ouer the Switzers and the artillerie The Kings troupes being ouer weake to match with this great armie of leaguers left them to worke their woorst seeking opportunitie to meete with them at aduantage staying for the Kings comming who with all speed iournied toward Deepe on necessarie causes the which broke the great intended purposes of his enemies And the whilest the Marshall of Biron caused seuen peeces of artillerie to be conueyed to Bans which is a towne about one mile from Darnetal where hee set himselfe in battell array planting his cannons in their seuerall places therewith to entertaine the Duke of Parma who came to lie in the valley on the side thereof The King stayed all that night within a Mill hard by Bans who continued in fight well near thirtie houres making continuall skirmiges vppon the forwardest of his enemies The Duke of Parma which made as though he would giue battell after some excuses and delaies drewe this armie on the side of Barnetal But the more to drawe and intangle him straight after his comming the king hadde dismissed his Nobilitie in such sort that they were all neare ynough to bee heard with intent to bring an euill bargaine both vpon the Spaniards and Italians The rest of the moneth of March and the most part of Aprill was spent in continuing small skirmiges In the end on Tuesday the one and twentieth day of Aprill about tenne of the clocke in the morning the Dukes de Maine of Guise and of Parma put themselues into Roane where they stayed but certaine houres Villars would not haue any partners much lesse such Maisters The Leaguers armie had vpon the same day of the Dukes enterance taken Caudebec neare adioyning from whence the garrison dislodged in the night following and left the towne for the Duke of Parma which was yeelded vnto him but he kept it not long The king ouerrunneth his enemies and breakes their Campe chasing the rest out of Normandis For the king seeing his enemies had not victualled Roane passed to Pont de l'Arche le Mercredi on the Wednesday aduanced his armie toward Fontain le Bourg sent to all the neighbour owns as Louiers Mante Mulean Vernon and otherswhere the Garrisons were that they should march toward him the which was speedily performed Then grew his armie to more then three thousand horse of Frenchmen and sixe thousand foote in lesse then sixe daies Then turned he his forces toward the Towne d'Yuetot where the Dukes of Maine and of Guise were then lodged who had no leisure to go to dinner hauing news brought that their vantgard was suddainly set vpon and wholly ouerthrowne This constrained them by flight to saue themselues two myles off in the Duke of Parmas quarter leauing behinde them all their baggage and siluer vessels a good bootie for the Lord de la Guich The first of May they were raised to an other
hee hauing committed so many hainous acts against the Crowne and his soueraigne Lord that hee was vnwoorthie too bee esteemed the kings subiect but to receiue punishment according to his deserts blaming the kings too much gentlenesse therein to whom might bee applyed that which was of olde time spoken of by Charillans who being greatly praised for his courtesie equally shewed to all was thus answered by Archidamidas the Spartane that such a Prince deserued small praise that shewed himselfe fauourable to wicked persons But such matters pertaines to other discourses and not to bee intreated of in so briefe a collection as this is Vpon this receiued grace the Duke de Maine wrought the yeelding vp of Soisson Pierfont and other places to the King Now among all the chiefe leaguers there onely remained the Duke of Aumale who had not time ynough to make his peace with the King The Duke of Aumale executed in his picture Things fell out so contrarie on his side that lawe was prosecuted against him in the Parliament of Parris which found him guiltie of treason in the highest degree so that his image or likenesse being made it was drawne in peeces with foure horses and his goods and lands confiscate to the King It hath been said that his faire house at Annet was iudged to be raced to the ground and the woods all about the same cut downe in detestation of the said Dukes treasons But this article was not executed This Duke of Aumale went since that toward Albert. Cardinall of Austridge came into the low Countries to succeed in his brothers charge who was Arch-duke of Ernest of whō he was honourably receiued and royall entertained so that he might say with the renowmed Greeke I was lost if I had not been lost and since he hath made sore warres against the Frenchmen Certaine members of the league as some of the sixteene of Parris diuers principall Councellours and Agents of that side togither with some Preachers and seditious writers durst not shewe themselues knowing lawe to bee proceeded against them Th. Towne of Fere besieged While the Cardinal of Austrige made his voyage from Spaine into Italie to become Gouernour to the low Countries taking with him Philip of Nassau Prince of Orange who had a long time beene kept prisoner among the Spaniards the King besieged Fere the onely place possessed by his enemies in Picardie before the taking of Capelle Chastelot Cambray and Dourlans hee set there all the succours that could enter in where a great number of Spaniardes were slaine then gaue he leaue to the most part of his horsemen to refresh themselues because the Earle of Fuentes hauing set garrisons in the Towns for a new conquest was retired into Hainaut The king being willing more and more to plant quietnesse in his realme made an edict the same time whereby all persons that were fled might returne againe to their lands and houses where their passed faults should neuer bee sought after but wholly forgiuen those onely excepted that were confederates in the murther of the deceased king In middest of these matters Ossat and Perron the Kings Agents towards the Pope demanded and obtained a bull of absolution hauing aforehand made all the submissions obeysances and accustomed reuerences promising that the King had performed the penance and accomplished the conditions to him prescribed This bull was committed to Alexander d'Elbene to bee carried into France to bring thereby in the kings behalfe confirmation and approbation of all that which had been done by his Agents one of the which namely Ossat for recompence of his seruices wonne a Cardinals Hat Perron being but a Ministers sonne in the Lord of Bearns land became by his worthy seruices Bishoppe of Eureux a Courtly Poet and a new Diuine was sent with good hope to see that hee should continue as hee had begunne that is to say to oppose himselfe against those of the religion and to drawe by his example all other that hee might by their praaching and writing to maintaine the vocation and doctrine of their Ministers and the publicke articles of the inreprehencible perfection of the Romaine Church Hee was carefull to keepe promise vnderstanding that the Pope had an eye ouer him The estates of Picardie In the moneth of Nouember the King assembled within Amiens all the estates of Picardie of Boulongne Vermandois and Thierafche to take counsell for the affaires of Prouence Certaine Captaines were there beheaded hauing been by their couetousnesse cause of all the losses afore mentioned The siege of Fere continued those within it being more restrained yet neuerthelesse resolued to hold the same to the vttermost poynts of extremitie The garrisons of Peronne Amiens and other places that held for the King beganne againe in Ianuarie their former courses against the enemies countrie still killing and sleying certaine Spaniards and Wallons The king was at this time in great care touching the countrie of Prouence by reason that a man of great authoritie named Casaux commanded within Marseille who made means to the Spanish king that this goodly Towne might bee solde vnto him Charles Dore of Geneua was now approaching with certaine gallies for the Spaniardes The Duke of Guise drew also neare with certaine troupes but knowing well Casaux euill will toward him retired to the port of Thoulon where a farre off he thought on such affaires whereof proceeded the death of the said Casaux who was suddainly stabbed as he was going forth of his owne lodging to runne toward one of the gates which they were readie to open to the Frenchmen the sixteenth of Februarie The Duke of Guise his troupes beeing mingled among the rest in the Cittie was cause that all the Spaniardes with their adherents ranne their waies Marseille brought to the kings subiection Thus was Marseille deliuered out of their hands and brought to the kings subiection togither with all other villages thereabout that might any way annoy them The arriuall of the Cardinal of Austriche in Flanders caused the King to summon the Nobilitie of Picardie and Normandie to be present in the Towne of Guise there to be readie according as need required There he forbad by an expresse proclamation the transporting of gold or siluer coyned or otherwise out of his realme In the beginning of March the Cardinall gaue such order that the besieged within the Towne of Fere were succored with some munition And for his first exployt against The Cardinall of Austriche releeueth Fere winneth Carl◠and Ardres with maine force France in the beginning of Aprill did so dispose of his armie at that time most mightie so dexteriously secretly that in few daies he besieged assailed and with plain force won the town and Castle of Calais in spight of al the kings forces and the resistance of the besieged there died in the taking thereof a great number of the Nobilitie of France especially in the Castle whereinto they had sent a good supply
priuiledges disanulling all Edicts made against them approouing their defensiue war and consenting that the keeping of their towns towres and fortresses should remaine vnto themselues according to their auncient priuiledges receiuing such gouernours as were not by them to bee suspected And by vertue of this Edict vpon the tenth of Iuly about tenne of the clocke in the morning Monsieur de Biron entered into the Towne at Coigne gate with a Herauld at armes and four of the kings trumpets at which time hee caused the peace to bee published in the principall places accompanied by the Lieftenant of the Towne and of Monsieur de Villiers and then dined at the Maiors house which done presently after hee returned conducted out of the Towne End of the siege of Rochell The same day diuers barkes and other vessels laden with bisquet corne meale fish and other ammunitions entered into the Towne as they did before the siege which we haue briefly discribed in the principal circumstāces thereof The enemie had both by sea and land between fortie and fiftie thousand men whereof more then the halfe of them died before Rochel as well in skirmishes encounters surprises and assaults as of wounds miseries and diseases sixtie peeces of artillerie great middle and small shot into the Towne and against the defences rampiers and wals thereof at the least two and thirtie thousand times The bulwarke of the Gospel because of the surname was least spared The enemie lost therewith the Duke d'Aumale Cosseins Maister of the field that entered by force into the Admirals lodging in Parris and began the massacre Ligardes his brother Goas and Poilac Maisters of the campe diuers great Lords and Gentlemen aboue 60. Captaines and cōmanders as many Lieftenāts Ensigne-bearers most part of the massacres of Parris other places being come thither to receiue their reward either present death or woūds which speedily cut off their daies The cōming of the Polish Ambassadors was the means the defended Rochel which began to want both victuals ammunitiō of war that had lost many hundreths of soldiers in the skirmishes breaches Another means serued which was the diuision in the Duke of Anious campe the friends which the Rochelers found therin from whom they receiued many good aduertisements which greatly relieued them during the siege the end wherof made the king to call to minde many great faults by him committed which hee had beene aduised and counselled vnto and to inuent the meanes to preuent them but too late for beeing imbarked and in the middle of the sea then when he discouered a desire to see the port of his arriuall not long after hee found himselfe to bee fallen into the deepe gulfes of death with most great grief vnto his heart was constrained to behold the fire in his Realme which some perswaded him to be quenched and to haue recouered an euerlasting peace vppon Saint Bartholomewes day But in his mischiefe hee sound this comfort that many others that thoght themselues very nimble in their turnes found themselues no lesse deceiued then they wickedly abused the youth boyling passions of this poore Prince I must not forget to set downe the prouision of victuals that God sent vnto the besieged in Rochel which was an infinite number of small fishes neuer before that time seene within that Hauen and that euerie day came in and as it were yeelding themselues to the mercie of the poore people of the Towne And presently after the publishing of the Edict and libertie graunted to Rochel at the comming of the Polonians retired againe Now let vs see how sundrie others of the religion in other parts of the Realme The estate of the churches in Quercy Langucdoc and other places bare themselues this yeare 1573. The Barron of Serignac with other Lords and Gentlemen both of Quercy Foix and other Prouinces adioyning beeing aduertised of the intent of the Romish Catholickes repaired to Montauban where they held a common Councell and after sundrie conferences resolued as well the Inhabitants as strangers refugied to take armes which they did in warre like manner and thereof aduertised those towns where the religious were any thing strong The Inhabitāts of Chastres in Albigeois slacking and refusing the succours of Vicountie Paulin and the Barron of Panas were surprised and some slaine and the Towne brought into the subiection of the Romish Catholicques They of Montauban sent foorth their troupes into the field vnder the leading of the Lord of Serignac a man zealous in religion discreet and vertuous and a wel-willer to millitarie discipline They placed a Garrison in Terride whereof Serignac chalenged the Barronage and by escalade tooke Buzet vpon Tar within three leagues of Toulouse They also strengthened Villemur surprised diuers other places fortified such as they held in the former troubles placed garrisons at the passages and appoynted a day of meeting at Realmont in Albigeois to consider of their common affaires There made they a diuision of their gouernmēts Vicountie Gourdon had one part of Quercy toward Cadenac Terride or Serignac had the other part towards Montauban and Gascon To Vicountie Paulin fell Lauragais and in Rouergue they established the Vicountie of Panas with his brother the Barron The Counte of Foix with the hilly countrie was alotted to the Vicountie of Canmont There they decreed that if one stood in necessitie the other Generalles should repaire to him with all their forces and be vnder his obedience so to auoyde all iealouzie that might otherwise take hold of such as were of like authoritie Sundry warlike exploits euery man returned into his gouernment Serignac by compositon tooke Villedieu Chasteau Vasin and the Towre of Orgueil places neare to Montauban encamped with two thousand small shot and some horse before Mōricou maketh a breach giueth the assaults one escalade but taketh the repulse as also from before Real-ville and Vioule at which places many of his men were hurt and slaine In his return from an other assembly holden at Realmont for aduise vpon the Rochelers affaires who craued succour but could haue none in regard of such difficulties as befell them Serignac passing by Puylaurence vnderstood that Captaine Angely with eightie souldiers was besieged in a village three leagues of and therefore with all speed marched thither with one hundreth and sixtie men and thus hee on the one side and the besieged on the other so charged the enemie that they slew two hundreth of their men and scattered the rest About this time the Inhabitants of Bearne sent to Nismes and Montauban a coppie of the letters sent to them from the Court in the name of their Prince to recall them to the Romish Church togither with their excuses and aunsweres to the same protesting to perseuere and abide in the religion In Aprill the Countie of Villards newly made Admirall of France Admirall Villards warreth vpon the Protestants with small success◠and Generall of an armie against
the protestants in Quercy and the countries round about gathered his troupes dispearsed in Garrisons besieged tooke Saint Gemmes in high Quercy The Lord of the Towne notwithstanding his composition for life and goods was carried prisoner to Cahors and there executed at the instance of many his enemies whom hee had hardly intreated His men saued themselues in a rocke where they could not possibly bee indammaged and after ioyned with succours that came from Montauban A fewe weekes after the Admirall besieged Brifenel a small Towne in high Rouergue wher Montilliere gallantly withstood him and slew some hundreth of his men but at the last departed with life and goods Albeit in exchange the Adm. in May lost Soreze surprised by escalade Montesquiou within two leagues of Thoulouse Also toward the end of Iuly the BarroÌ„ of Fougeres took Lâ—desue a Bishops sea and a rich Towne scituate in the mountaines of Languedoc at the same time that Captain Graue seized vpon Mas Sainctes Puelles within one league of Castelnau Darry The Duke of Aniou had before solicited those of Montauban to send him their Deputies with articles for peace intreating them in the meane time to desist from all hostilitie This was one meanes to disvnite the Prouinces and so to get them one after an other At the first this seemed to grow to some course but it was easily remedied and the siege of Rochel togither with the election of Poland made voyde many of their deuises Marshall d'Anuille Gouernour of Languedoc tooke armes also against the protestants assembled six Cornets of horse Marshall d'Anuille besiegeth Sommieres wher he looseth his Armie fiue thousand harguebuziers besides the companies of Lyonnois and Volunatries his footemen amounting to ten thousand that led foureteen battering peeces wherewith hee pretended to besiege Nismes But Sommiere a small Towne neare to Bezieres and Montpeslier wonne from the Barron of Ioyeuse by Captaine Gremian brake this purpose and an other enterprise of the Marshals against Vzes so that seeing himselfe frustrate before hee came to Nismes hee besieged Sommieres both the Towne and Castle made a reasonable breach and gaue an assault repulsed by the besieged who slew aboue one hundreth of his men and wounded many more But in his second assault hee had yet woorse successe Herevpon came to him his brother in law the Countie of Candale with his company of one hundreth horse and twelue companies of Gascons who gaue the third assault wherein three hundreth of the hottest left their liues The besieged stood in want of many things but their neighbours sent one hundreth and twentie souldiers who with much ado got in brought all that they could to succour and strengthen them One of the hundreth and twentie beeing lag was taken and brought before the Marshall to informe him of all that he knew Albeit they racked and tormented him that he grew as bigge as a tunne and so died vppon the torture yet could not his tormentors wrest out of this souldiers mouth any word preiudiciall either to the besieged or to the protestants The besieged hauing holden out foure months suffered fiue thousand cannon shot that had beaten downe all their defenses and layde their wals in the dust craued composition but the Marshall would haue them by force and to that end gaue foorth a general assault committing the leading to Candale whom hee exhorted to reuenge the death of his Captaines and souldiers This young Lord who before had seemed desirous that matters should haue been otherwise ordered marched resolutely to the breach where hee performed the dutie both of a valiant Captaine and couragious souldier but after a little fight wherein hee saw a number of his souldiers ouerthrowne himselfe was slaine in the place The besieged hauing performed all that was to be desired in valiant men in Aprill did accept of composition for life and goods and so the Marshall sending hostages to Nismes for their safetie they came foorth with the drum sounding the Ensignes displayed their matches lighted and in the cock hauing seuen daies respite to carrie away their goods and to retire where they list The Marshall vnderstanding that Mismes in great resolution expected his comming and withall considering that hee had lost two thousand fiue hundreth of his best men cashiered the rest of his troupes who scattred euery way The Admirall warring in Gascon had other successe for he took Terride Flaugnac and all that the protestants had gotten in Gascon beyond Garonne Then did hee besiege Caussade a small towne kept with sixe hundreth small shot Caussade subuertech al Admirall Villars purposes vnder the coÌ„duct of Puiols who forced the Admirall after great losses to forsake the place after which repulse he did nothing woorthie memorie The Vicountie Gourdon vnderstanding that part of the Adm. troups after this siege marched towards Rochel watched them at the passage ouer Dordogue cut in peeces one company and made the rest to runne On the other side the Barron of Grandmont whom the king of Nauarre had sent into Bearne to replant the Masse was taken and most of his men defeated by the countrie people The estate of Viuaretz and Dauphine In the meane time the estates of Languedoc met at Anduge where they formed an order and rule for the warre and administration of iustice In May the protestants chusing the Lord of Saint Romain for their Generall surprised Villeneufue in Viuaretz Marshall d'Anuille vnder colour of iustice seizeth and selleth all the protestants goods that he may In Dauphine the protestants took Orpierre Serres and other places in the Bishoppricke of Die also Meuse and other villages in the mountaines vnder the leading of Mombrun who with his courses exploiâ—s driue his enemies to feare him The K. hoping by the peace granted to Rochel Montauban Nismes to take some rest hauing reuoked the edict of 1570. sent his brother into Poland found al new to begin for those of Quercy Lanquedoc their neighbours did immediately protest against this edict Complaints against the pacification granted before Rochel which they termed captious a preamble into new massacres considering that their capitall enemies authors of all disorders remained sole Councellours and Gouernors of the K. and his estate that all the French Churches were debarred the publike exercise of religion to them so solemnely graunted by the Edict of 1570. that al the contents of this pacification of Rochel and whatsoeuer was otherwise promised was but a collection of words without effect that there was no speech of iustice against the massacres but an abolition of all that was past which was the absoluing of the threatned that all Ecclesiastical discipline was taken froÌ„ the protestants whom thereby they ment to plunge in all Atheisme that this treatie was formed with some particulars without their commission whose aduice could not preiudice the generall cause of al the Churches to whom they had promised not to do or graunt any thing without