these retraicts here do appeare great determinatiō but small arte which neuerthelesse is very necessarie in such affayres wherto I will also adde the instruction of the souldiers For when all these three things shall concurre in one troope I doubt not but it may worke greater meruailes then the former Some will say that the Frenchmen can at this day hardly helpe themselues with the pike which is true neither do I merueile thereat for in deliuering both it and the corcelet to any man men looke to no more but whether he hath good shoulders as if it were to carie some coffer like a moyle and as for the gentrie they haue quite giuen it ouer This is the reason why I wish the restoring of martiall discipline as also that they would againe practise the pike wherewith to fight at hand and open and to leaue to the youth and poore Souldiers the handling of the harquebuze because that therewith they ordinarily fight a farre of and in couert for the one is farre more honorable then the other Captaines in ould time venturing vpon some difficult enterprise wished to haue their Souldiers not only well ordered but also old beaten warriours because their assurance is the greater For it were but an ouersight to attempt any perillous aduenture with newe men Now will I come to Instruction which is as I haue sayd merueilously requisite in extraordinary matters And yet we now see that the Souldier contemneth it and the Captaine careth not for it But admit a Souldier bee valiant and that wheresoeuer he be placed he will doe his duetie thinke you he will not doe it much better or that he will not fight more resolutly when before he hath by good reasons bene perswaded that the horse cannot force a battaile in the face likewise that for the flancke they must vse such fortification as I will hereafter set downe then if he were vtterly ignorant and wist not what might happen I thinke no man will denie it for certainly ignorance is in parte cause of the feare that many men of warre doe oftentimes conceiue For that seeing the enemie in their faces they thinke they should according to the prouerbe euen eate yron charets I know that practise teacheth to knowe the true from the false but there is much time spent therein vnlesse it bee holpen by familier and ordinarie documents which those captaines that seeke to haue the best companies doe diligently giue to their souldiers The ordering of the footmen asorenamed to withstand the hotse in the fielde For marching but 80. paces asunder and coasting each other it followeth that the head of the battaile marked A can hardly bee charged because the side of the battaile marked 3 doth flancke it as likewise the sayd head doth as much for the sayd flancke by the same reason also one of the heads of the battaile marked 2. and the flancke of the other marked D doe also succour each other by their harquebuziers so as it is very daungerous for the horse to assayle in such places which enterflancke each other But may some man say although the two battailes cannot be assaulted but each vpon two sides why is it not as good to make but one onely which cannot be assailed in any more places For it seemeth the resistance would bee more gallant because that force vnited is much greater then deuided I am of opinion that in these actions it is not so requisite to looke to the greatnesse or smalnesse of the battailes as to the difficultie and hinderance when they finde themselues assayled on euery side For it is a great aduenture but there will growe some disorder when one bodie must make defence in foure places but when they neede not to looke but to two sides the men doe frame themselues thereto with greater ease and much better order This reason shall content me for the verifying of my speech notwithstanding I could alleadge others Concerning the ordering of the battailes I would wish euery rancke to conteyne fiftie Corcelets whereof there should be seauen at the head which would make three hundred and fiftie then tenne ranckes of harquebuziers and in the middest of them the rancke of Ensignes afterward for the tayle sixe ranckes of Corcelets which in all make sixe hundred and fiftie Corcelets and fiue hundred harquebuziers placed in foure and twentie rankes For the flanckes wherein al the difficultie doth consist they should be ordered in maner following I would neuer place there any harquebuziers as hath hetherto bene vsed but make sixe rankes of three hundred Corcelets in each fiftie men which should serue to make head on those sides The enemies being néere they should march otherwise then the rest namely close and carying their Pikes vpright leaning against their shoulders which is now sufficiently in vse Whereas at the heads of the battaile when any thing is to be done in their march they trayle them which maketh much distance betweene their rankes Now these sixe ranckes when the charge is offered after they stand shall doe nothing but make halfe a turne and so continue in their array with their face to the enemie and by my aduice they should take but threescore common paces in length which properly should bee the same which the battaile being closed to fight may haue open by the flanckes Thus should they bee armed to withstand the horsemen which cannot bee well done but with Pikes for the harquebuze shot without couert wil easely be ouerthrowne There remaine yet two hundred and fiftie harquebuziers to bee placed in the battaile counting the Muskets whom I would wish to bee distributed into foure partes in each threescore and somewhat more to stande as it were loose before the Pikes and at the charge to arange themselues vnder those of the first ranckes on the foure sides of the battaile Some will mislike I should make the heades so weake and only of sixe ranckes of Corcelets thinking them too fewe to beare the brunt of a whole hande of horse To whom I may say that if there were tenne it were the better but I haue cut my coate after my cloath howbeit I thinke such frontes sufficient to resist the horse which may easely bée done if the men haue courage and will be sure to stand strongly and fewe battailes haue wee seene ouerthrowne by any assault of the horse at the head As for the flankes which I haue described in such sorte as before they be as strong as the heades so long as they can keepe their order And this order I would wish them to keepe in their fight First while the horse were farre of it were good the battailes did goe forwarde but seeing them readie to charge to stay to the ende the better to settle themselues in order and with good footing to beare their first brunt The first rancke of Corcelets to plant the endes of their Pikes sure in the ground and not to stirre though a horse should goare
of importaunce thereby to make them to approche with theyr armie so as they shoulde hardlie escape battayle when they are come so neere with theyr carriage footemen and artillerie For when they come but with thirtie or fortie thousande horse to succour what so is besieged they cannot by anie meanes be ouercome by reason of the swiftenesse of theyr horse which neuerthelesse dooth greatly molest a campe I woulde also lyke verie well that in tenne or twelue dayes before the armie shoulde marche the Captaines euerie other daie shoulde cast them into seuerall orders of battayle whereby to choose the best to help themselues withall when neede shoulde require For it doe much better conceiue the trueth of thinges by liuely representations than by forecast figured vppon paper And by them is the generall the better resolued in his conception and the inferiour Captaines to bee the better prouided to the practise Heerein doo wee in our pettie warres ordinarilie faile in that wee neuer looke to the ordering of battayles vntill within two dayes before wee must fight and then dooth the Generall sette downe a fayre order in writing howe bee will haue it which hee sendeth vnto the leaders of the regimentes as well of the horsemen as of the footemen For such ordering many times as beeing made ouer rashly and without ripe deliberation proueth verie vnfit It is verie requisite that a Generall bee in minde verie perfecte in the order which hee purposeth to obserue as well in the large fieldes as in the straightes least hee bee amazed or driuen into much consultation when his businesse commeth vppon him For the chiefe groundes beeing well layde if through anie accident the order bee to be altered it is easilie performed There bee some that will saie that in so dooing wee shall warne the enimie of our order whereby hee maye prouide to preuent vs. I graunt if wee still vse but one forme it may be so But when wee practise sundrie wee shall put all men in doubt which we will cleaue vnto sauing the Generall who is to reserue the best in memorie For the well ordering of this armie it were good to haue the aduice of such Captaines as hauing serued in Hungarie doe by experience best knowe the most conuenient formes And sith I am entered so farre into this point I am content for the satisfying of those y t be curious to deliuer my opinion concerning whatsoeuer may serue agaynst these barbarous people In this case we are to cōsider of two kinds of coūtries y e one large y e other straight Concerning y e large or plaine as we terme it which is the most parte of Hungarie the battayle may be so aranged that the enimies innumerable strength of horse which wil amoūt to 200000 at the least shall not without great losse endomage them and verie hardly breake them The order were to dispearse the horsemen among the footmen as vpō the like consideration the late Duke of Guize did at the battel of Dreux I woulde therefore make a strong bodie of my armie consisting of eight battayles of footmen each comprehending 2500 pikes so as the sayd rankes should euerie of them containe ninetie men be 28. men thick besides the Ensignes to the flanks wold I ioyne 1000 harquebuziers They should be all ordered in an equal front with sufficient spaces to set in araie 2000. horse in foure squadrons each of them of fiue hundred men fortie horse in front two somewhat for warder than the other two These seauen spaces might serue them for places of aduantage and assured retraits to fall into order againe for it would be too hot to come vpon them into place where they should be so succoured by the harquebuzerie and pikes yea in my minde it were meere rashnesse Likewise in as much as the flankes of the battayles are not commonly armed but with harquebuziers which is but a weake defence against a great armie of horse I would thinke it were good both the flankes of the two battayles standing vppon the wings of the armie to bee fortefied with some other instrumentes like vnto those which the Duke of Alua inuented and vsed when the Prince of Orenge passed ouer Meuse or better which might be easily brought thether by two hundred pioners and those should suffice for one of each flanks as for the rest they shall neede none as well for that the force of this order shall supplie that want as also because it would be ouercumbersome On the right and lefte point without the battayles should stand at each sixe thousand horse euery squadron of one thousand and in two bodies the one to support the other And if anie man aske wherefore I make them so great I saie it is because the Turkes as I haue heard doe make theirs especiallie in any great combats of fiue or sixe thousand speares which swallowe vp three hundred horse as a lion would doe a mouse And therefore we must sette strength agaynst strength Then woulde I diuide my 5000. harquebuziers into ten troopes placing sixe as it were for the aduenturers at the heads of the battayles toward the wings and the other foure at the taile I would also place two thousand harquebuziers on horseback at y e head of the horsemen vpon the wings to serue in the first skirmishes Thus doe ye see in this great bodie 28000. horse 20000. Corcelets 13000. harquebuzes aranged which as I thinke will not take aboue 4000. cōmon paces in length wherin there is no great disproportion and I haue thus stretched it out to the ende to debarre the enemie from all hope of enclosing it There would be likewise in y e first ranke of this great front almost 1900. men which is sufficient The rest of the men I would thus appoynt I would make two small bodies which should be set in aray 800. paces behinde the two winges of the armie because the first shockes doe begin there In either of them would I place 4500. Corcelets in two battailes and 2500. Harquebuzes then in the spaces and poynts 4000. horse in eight squadrons which for the two bodies would amount vnto 22000. men euery wherof should stirre when they perceiued any of the first troopes to yeeld for vndoubtedly they should so make them to holde fast I would also place betweene these two troopes and 500. paces behinde them 3000. horse in three squadrons whom the Emperour or in his absence his Lieutenant should accompanie when it were requisite to fight And this should be the Holy ancker as we tearme it which should vpon great necessitie moue forward Yet doe there remaine 1000. Corcelets 2000. Harquebuzes and 1000. Reistres or Hungarian horsemen that should be appoynted to the keeping of the Campe which the Pioners should fortifie with small trenches for the safegard of the cariages for if through negligence the enemie who might appoynt twentie or thirtie thousand horse to doe the feate should peraduenture be suffered to
sacke it wee should afterward bee driuen through the inconueniences both generall and perticuler to breake vp our Campe. This armie thus ordered were able in my opinion to stand in a plaine fielde against y e whole power of the Turkes who being destitute of Corcelets Pikes and armed squadrons can hardly ouerthrowe our battailes Wee see likewise how our horse are surely prouided for in the spaces wherby I suppose that either the enemie must be endued with an extraordinarie valour or our men shewe great cowardlinesse if they lose the battaile This order haue I not here set downe as the best of all for other men may peraduenture deuise some more conuenient but it is done to the ende to inuite sundrie Captaines to seeke what may be more profitable The Christian armie thus in presence of the Turkes they after a few Canon shot I presume they will begin both because they be very proude and also that they bee ordinarily fower against one which greatly embouldeneth them and will peraduenture come with some three or fourescore thousande horse to charge gallantly vpon the flanckes of our formost horse yea euen in the middest of the head but I would thinke they should at this onset be well beaten and repulsed with y e losse of some fower or fiue thousand horse howbeit their horse being very swift they wil returne behind their maine battell to fall in aray againe Then I imagine that hauing discharged some two volees of their Artillerie whereof they haue plentie they will giue a strong charge with their whole bodie whereof so much as should strike into the battailes or spaces would bée handled God knoweth how But peraduenture the horsemen on the flanckes may bee ouerthrowne which so happening the other 2. small bodies appointed for their support should mooue who finding the victorers in disorderly pursuite which alwaies for the most part happeneth should so brauely inuade them as also should some of the Squadrons who stepping out of the spaces aforesaid should come vpon their slanckes that they should bée quite broken So should also their Harquebuzerie being ioyned with ours beare the punishment of their rashnesse Neuerthelesse the Christians should not vndiscréetly pursue them for they are very skilfull in rallying themselues and would peraduenture so doe within two Canon shot and so enclose fower or fiue thousand of the most eager vppon the chase as their forefathers did D. Iohn of Burgundie and all the French Nobilitie in their battaile against Amurathes Wherefore it were requisite for the whole Christian armie to march and sende after them some twentie thousand horse by squadrons each supporting other except the Hungarian and Polonian horse who might goe more dispersedly in chase And it may seeme enough to chase them thus one league To be briefe I suppose that in so notable a iourney they might bée defeated of halfe their footmen all their Artillerie and cariages and aboue twentie thousand horse but in case but one quarter of such an exployt were at the first performed yet would it breede great reputation and in the Souldiers harts confirme a confidence to ouercome For he who in warre winneth the first aduantages conceiueth a great hope of the issue Now must wee speake one worde of the straight countries It seemeth the armie to bée there in more safetie then in the large by reason of the great numbers of their footmen and there if the enemie should offer vpon them they might alter their order according to the places being still diligent to keepe their aduantages of the Woodes Uallies and Artillerie But especially they ought to beware of aranging their bodie in any such sorte that the first ouerthrowne should strike into the second for that was the losse of the battaile of Poictiers where King Iohn had fiftie thousande men and the English were but tenne thousand This so fauourable successe once obteyned no doubt afterwarde the rest of the great Artillerie prouided at Vienna being caused to march wee might in three moneths take from them fower or fiue of the best townes standing vppon Danowe as Strigon Bude Pest and others which the enhabitants there about do better knowe True it is there would be great lettes and the Turkish armie being refreshed would not faile to fauour their places where wee might see braue skirmishes In the meane tyme wee to keepe that earnest for our first yeeres worke I leaue to your imagination whether all Christendome would reioyce when they should heare of such a victorie obteyned ouer those who for these two hundred yeeres haue but tryumphed of our destruction Yea euen the small babes would sing foorth the praises of such valiant personages by whome such notable exploytes should haue bene performed Now let vs come to the Nauie which being so mightie must not the whiles lye idely in the Hauens but make saile to execute matters worthie thereof My best counsaile were that it should conforme it selfe to the lande power in trying to bring the enemie to a daie of battaile which peraduenture might bee easely done as being of no lesse pride by Sea then by lande so as seeing vs drawe towarde Greece they will by and by bee vpon our armie neither shall wee neede to counterfaite the besiedging of any place to bring them thereto And sith the battaile of Lepanto hath made them wise the Christians must also bee well resolued in their inuentions and other necessarie meanes to attaine to the victorie There are other reasons besides the equitie of a cause and vrgent necessitie that stirre vp men to fight couragiously As the presence of noble persons which detest cowardlinesse and exalt prowesse secondly the Captaines orations wherein they exhort their souldiers to behaue themselues manfully in solemne iorneys Thirdly confidence which encreaseth when we see men well disposed and the armie well ordered Finally hope of reward which is a good spurre to such purposes And aboue all other the Spanish and Italian Captaines are meetest to take order herein in whom being accompanied with choise of valiant persons we are to thinke that neither order courage nor prouocation shall want I will forbeare to discourse of the putting of Nauies in aray as one not so skilfull in Sea matters notwithstanding the order by Don Iohn obserued at Lepanto I haue alwaies thought to bee most conuenient and well inuented Some too fearefull or ouer circumspect person may say that the hazarding of all our strength at once is the way to bring all Christendome into great daunger Whereto I aunswer that he which voluntarily entereth the carrier doth purpose to runne and so he that shippeth himselfe in a warre as the assailant must aduenture otherwise all his former preparations and threates are in vayne For it is a greater daunger to suffer a mans selfe to be by little and little deuoured and to do nothing An other as farre too eager considering of all this power would to the contrary that wee should march directly to Constantinople
wise for albeit their meaning may be good yet may a man after some forte stumble because the sodainnesse of the matter may make him neglect diuerse circumstaunces therein to bee considered Yea although one shoulde thinke vpon all that were requisite to bee noted yet may many doe it much beter The worthinesse also of the matter in hande may be such and the number of confederates so great that euen the cheefest must haue respect as well to the one as to the other As likewise they must imagine that they to whome they promise although thinges vnreasonable will neuerthelesse vpon want oâ— performance finde themselues greeued and complaine thereof By what occasion the warre did first breake foorth betweene the two armies DUring the parlies afore mentioned there was as it were a trucâ— betweene both armies which caused that there was nothing enterprized at Paris or Orleance But when the Prince of Conde and his associats did well perâ—eiue that wordes were to weake to remedy the present alterations hee determined to adde effects and so immediately after the resolution vpon the offer made vnto the Queene hee called aside â—eauen or eight of his cheefest captaines and consulted vpon the most conuenient meanes to buckle with the enemy for the trucâ— was ended the daie before who all were of opinion that they must be preuented by diligence considering that they had two aduauntages the one that the Duke of Guise the Constable and the Marshall of S. Andrewes were then absent and so none but the king of Nauarre with the armie the other that the companies of men of armes were lodged scattering from the maine battaile That if they shoulde march forward by daie theyr light horse or forragers might giue them warning and therefore it were best to vse greate diligence in the night and so come vppon them in the dawning for thus might they vndoubtedlie be surprised likewise that because they had not ordinarily vsed any camizadoes they might nowe the more easilie put this in execution while the enimy least doubled anie such thing As for the waie it was most easie as being al plaine fields between them About one houre after the campe departed and came betimes to Feâ—te where the Generalles opened their intents to the Captaines willing them to cause their souldiours to put on shirtes and resolue them to beare themselues manfully in this so valyaunt an enterprise By eight of clocke at night the troops were in the field who after publike praier as was then vsed among the Protestants began to march with such a courage as I may in truth affirme that in souldiours I neuer see greater Before the departure did a gentleman commit a most villanous act in forcing of a maiden whose calling together with the shortnesse of the time were causes that it could not be punished This did many take to be a bad signe in this enterprise Presuming to finde the enemies in their lodginges the order to fight was this First the Lord Admirall marched formost with eight hundred speares to ouerthrowe whatsoeuer horsemen hee shoulde finde in armes then followed 1200. harquebuts in foure troopes with charge to assayle the watch of the enimies footmen and thence to enter theyr quarters Next marched eight hundred harquebuts supported with two great battayles of pikes to seaze vppon their artillerie after all came the Prince of Condee with one thousand horse in foure squadrons and the rest of the harque buzerie Now are we to vnderstand that considering at what time they set forward they should by all reason haue reached to the enimies lodging by three of the clocke in the morning for the waie lay ouer a playne field neither was there any straight passage but that the footemen might march a whole league in an houre and a halfe but when they had gone two leagues the guides perceiued that they went wrong and thinking to recouer their waie they strayed farther out remayning as men amazed and not knowing where they were to the no small discontent of the Captaines To be briefe hauing thus trauayled vntill one houre after daie they found themselues a long league of from the enimies lodgings whose scoutes descried the head of the Princes armie and so returning with al speed gaue a great alarum Heerevpon tooke they counsayle what was best to bee done but in the meane time they hearde the Canon discharged in the enemies campe for a warning to call in their horsemen which brake theyr deuise for passing any farther as well for that they weâ—e descried as also that they had yet a great waie to goe albeit if they had bene within halfe a league they were resolued to haue gone forward and fought Thus was this enterprise which in ontward appearaunce seemed verie certaine was vtterlie broken of I haue asked the opinion of sundrie good Captaines then present in the aduersaries campe what successe might haue followed if the Protestants had come in time who all affirme that they woulde haue fought albeit they were preuented by their separation from their most affectionate Captaines and the greatest parte of theyr horsemen The Lorde Marshall of Anuille a watchfull and verie skilfull Captaine was with his light horse lodged at the head of the Catholikes armie wo tolde mee that hee waked and was in armes almost all the night neuerthelesse if our whole power had come in time theyr armie had beene in daunger which is not in deede to bée doubted for albeit the hazardes of warre bee vncertaine yet the aduauntage of a surprise doth import apparaunt losse to those that suffer themselues to bee so farre ouertaken All the faulte was layde vppon the guides who to cleere themselues said that the Lord of Andelots putting the footemen in araie at the departure from the lodgings made their march the flower but I thinke this excuse more subtil than true considering there was neither bush nor hedge to stoppe them In deede if the Countrie had beene straighter it might haue had some likelihood Both armies albeit somewhat asunder stoode in araie vntill two of the clocke afternoone Afterwarde the Prince of Condie went to lodge at Lorges a small league of and the King of Nauarre with all speede certefied the Lorde of Guize and the Constable who laie at Chasteaudun of all that happened who immediatlie came to him Then fearing to be assayled by night because the Princes armie was strong in footmen and their owne lodgings verie vnfit for horsemen they made at the head of theyr battayle grounde vppon the comming in fiue or sixe great heapes of fagots with strawe inough vnder them to kindle if they were assaulted to the ende by the light thereof to discharge three or foure vollees of artillerie which woulde haue greatly annoied the assaylauntes There are that disdayne such inuentions albeit they may sometime be to good purpose In the morning they fell agayne into araie but see not one another neyther did anie but the light horsemen skirmishe The Captaines of
no difficulty for the keeping of their consciences vnspotted to leaue her countrie for a pray A most rare example in this world wherein wealth and honor are in such accompt that vnto many they be euen a domesticall God whom they serue Now likewise a maruellous encrease vnto the Protestants armie were the troopes which the Lord of Acier brought out of Daulphine Prouence and Languedoc The Prince had before written as well to him as to others the most notable in the sayd Prouinces to send him some good power to succour him and to withstand the armie Royall which came vppon him least so many Princes and excellent Captaines should encurre so great disaduantage as to see themselues besieged in the townes Whereof so farre were they from faâ—â—ing that it seemed they had dispeopled the places they came from so many men did they bring for they were not lesse then eighteene thousand bearing armes who vnder the conduct of the Lord of Acier marched But as the same was one way the 〈…〉 ole support of the armie so on the other it was the losse of sundrie places which the Catholikes after their departure seased vpon And many times I haue heard diuers Colonels reporte their departure in such numbers as if they should haue gone to seeke newe habitations for had the halfe onely come yet had they bene too many These could not neuerthelesse ioyne with the Prince of Condé without a great inconuenience that befell them for two of their regiments were ouerthrowne by the Duke of Montpensier the cause arising as I haue vnderstoode of that the Lords of Mouuans and Pierregoord finding some discommoditie in lodging so close as vntill then they had bene forced would needes scatter wéening that hauing two thousand harquebuziers no lesse then an armie could serue to offend them The said Mouuans was as braue a souldier as any in the Realme but his great valour experience brought him to attempt that which turned to his destructioÌ„ which is it also that many times bréedeth the losse of both Captaines and troopes He tought valiantly and both he and his fellow with two thousand of their men dyed in the fielde The Catholikes haue reported vnto me one course that they then tooke which I like well of That was that fearing least the Lord of Acier who lodged but two leagues of should come to the rescue they did at the same time that they charged vpoÌ„ the said Mouuans quarter with their whole footmen sende into the Lord of Aciers quarter eight or nine hundred speares and many harquebuziers on horsebacke with a great sound of Trumpets crying Battaile Battaile which they did to the ende to make him thinke that their drift was against himselfe Thus did they linger him while they performed their enterprise wherefro they caried seuenteene flagges This losse grieued the Price and his partakers howbeit the comming in of so many other regiments did soone blot out his sorow For the man of warre euen during his action against the enemie endeuoureth to abolish the memorie of all sorowfull accidents least the same should deminish this first furie which being in him doth sometimes make him terrible Of the first progresse of both the armies when being in their prime they sought with like desire to fight AFter the ouerthrowe of Mouuans the Catholicke armie retired to Chastellerault fearing least the Protestants being so mightie would come vpon them in some bad ground There was also the Duke of Anieow who brought other power very resolute in that their Captaine to whome they bare great honor and reuerence was such a Prince And in my opinion there had not of long time bene seene so many Frenchmen in both the armies The Prince of Condé his places furnished had in his eighteene thousand Harquebuziers and three thousand good horse and I take that in Monsiers were at the least eighteene thousand Souldiers and foure thousand Speares besides the Suitzers so as on both sides might haue bene found aboue fiue and thirtie thousand Frenchmen all trayned and peraduenture as bould Souldiers as any in Christendome The Protestants finding themselues strong would haue sought to ioyne and came within two leagues of Chastellerault But the Prince hauing aduice that the other campe was planted vppon a strong ground almost enuironed with a small marish whereto was in some places adioyned a slight Trench ment not rashly to attempt any thing but sought meanes to drawe them foorth to battell Hereto was he enuited by the heate that he perceiued in his souldiers likewise by his great number for he doubted that such an armie wanting pay would not long continue great as also that the sharpenesse of winter would soone deminish it It may be that in the Catholike army some of these considerations might likewise take place But there was a good vniformity in this that both the generalls were touched with equall desire to ioyne and like purpose each to goe liue vpon his enemies land so to preserue his owne from the extreeme spoyle which whole armies doe make Thus they both raised their campes and tooke their way to Lusignan neere whereto was a small quarter of land good in all perfection where each entended to lodge and albeit they were both neere together yet could neither heare newes of other which is not very straunge for we see it many times come so to passe Both parties therefore hauing appoynted their generall meeting at a great borowe named Pamprow plentifull in victualles the Marshals of both the campes came thether much about one time with their troopes from whence they beate each other forward and backward twise or thrise so desirous was euery man to catch that bone to knawe vpon which in the ende was giuen ouer Howbeit either of them knowing very well that they should haue support stood stiffe and would not flee but retired a quarter of a league of where they set themselues in battaile aray Afterward came the Lord Admirall and d'Andelot with fiue Cornets of horse onely and on the behalfe of the Catholickes came seauen or eight hundred Speares It is now sayd the Lord Admirall no speaking of lodging but of fighting and with all speede aduertised the Prince who was a long league of to set forwarde in the meane time he would set a good face on the matter He commaunded them to stand in aray vpon a small rising so to take from the enemies the viewe of a valley least they should discouer him and this did he to the ende to make theÌ„ think that we had some great power both of horsemen footmen hidden therein Being thus in aray within a Canon shot each of other he willed a Captaine of harquebuziers on horseback to set forwarde fiue hundred paces and to stay neere to a hedge which he did But as these people albeit they can discharge running are not neuerthelesse skilfull souldiers so had they not stayed there sixe paternosters while but halfe of them moued to
riuer Some Catholikes reporte that the discorde that fell betweene them hindred diuerse braue enterprises which they might haue executed if they had still agreed I wot not how it was but if that were true it was no meruaile that they fought noâ— or rather that they were not fought with all but thus 〈◊〉 I haue learned that the enimies had small notice of their braules This great barre the riuer of Loire might also haue bene a second verie great difficultie to staie this Dutch armie in that so lowe it was not wadeable besides that all the townes standing thervpon were enemies but the passage ouer was in necessarie for them that it so doubled the diligence rashnesse and inuentions of the French Protestants that they assayled the towne of Charite which had a goodly bridge and finding it but badly furnished with men they pressed so sore vpon it that what with countenaunce and threates before anie succour came they had carried it awaie which was vnto them a wonderfull ioy For had not that ben they were in a verie bâ—â— case must haue ben forced to haue sought the head of the faiâ—riuer which would haue lengthned their way 60 leagues and which was worse taking that course they should haue pestured themselues in a hilly and wood Countrie where their horsmen could haue stood them but in small stead I haue sometimes heard the Lord Admirall discoursing hereof among his familiars account this passage of the straungers almost impossible For sayd he we cannot helpe them by reason of Monsiers armie which lyeth in our waie and as for them they haue another vpoÌ„ their arm also so difficult a riuer to stop their course that it is to be feared that they shal not wel void this inconuenience without shame or losse Agayn albeit they had passed it yet the 2. armyes ioyned together wil haue ouerthrowen them before we can come neere by 20 leagues to succour them but when we hard of the successe of La Charite also y t they were determined to trie al dangers to ioyn with him he grew into better hope and sayd This is a Princes good prognostication les vs by diligence and resolution perfect it This caused the Lordes Princes of Nauarre Conde the same who had allowed and receiued leaue for generalles of the Protestants to march toward the marches of Limosin so to drawe neere the armie of Monsieur and to keepe it still occupied and to saie the truth wee were dayly as it were in a foure waiting when we should heare that two such mightie armies had oppressed our Reisters but it fel out otherwise for they watched their opportunitie so â—itlie and speedely that beeing guided by their French troopes wherein the Lorde of Auy bare himselfe most valyantlie they out went them and drew to the place where the Lorde Admirall had sent them worde that he woulde meet them with ten thousand harquebuziers and two thousand and fiue hundred horse Thus did these two armies ioyne with greate â—â—aâ—ulation I will not heere â—axe the Generalls and braue Captaines of the Catholikes for suffering them to passe because I 〈◊〉 not what reasons they had to diuert them neither will I extreamely command those that passed but rather must thinke it to haue ben a great good hap for them the lyke whereof doe sometimes appeare in militarie action where in great Captaines in their warre are to learne in their greatest extremities not to abandon all hope for one onely fauourable accident which commonly followeth the diligent and shunneth the slothfull may suffice to free them Both the armies being then verie mightie for there were in the Kings campe aboue thirtie thousand men and in the Princes full 25000. were forced for theyr better commoditie of virtualles to seuer themselues for the countrie of Limosin is but barren but they drew togither ward againe about Yries La Perche The Lord Admirall perceiuing that the barrennesse of the Countrie forced them to lodge scâ—â—teringlie also that beeing craggie and full of wood the places for the armies were oftentimes verie discommodious determined rather to preuent then to bee preuented Wherefore hee counsayled the Princes to goe and surprise the Catholike armie which was not farre of at a place called Roch-labelle They set forward before breake of daie in purpose to giue battayle and came so fitlie that before anie allarum taken they were within a quarter of a league of the enemies front who were lodged strongly and the Lord of Stossy at the noise comming in with fiue hundred harquebuziers to support three hundred of his men who kept watch at the chiefe entrie found the skirmishe verie hot And wee may well saie that hee bare himselfe verie valyantlie for hee helde foure thousande Protestant harquebuziers plaie a long houre which time stood the Catholike armie in good stead to set themselues in order The Lorde Admirall meruailing that they could not force the passage sent thether Captaine Bruel a skilfull man Hee by and by perceiued that our shotte endeauoured to ouercome the others rather by multitude than by arte wherefore to make short worke hee spake to the Captaines and hauing ordered the troopes assayled their flanks and withal setting forwarde foure Cornets to sustayne them he beganne a sharpe onsette wherein our men hauing broken certain casemates that couered the enimies did so disorder theÌ„ that soone after they fled leauing diuerse of their menâ— dead with 22. of their officers also their Colonell prisoner who that daie had done Monsieur good seruice for had it not bene his resistance the Protestants had come without leâ—te to their ordinance But because it rayned all the daie and the Catholike army was placed vpon the aduauntage they could not worke anie great effect and therfore retired hauing shewed themselues too rigorous in their execution for they tooke verie fewe prisoners whereaâ— the Catholikes were â—ore prouoked and reuenged themselues intime and place It is a commendation to fight well but it deserueth no lesse praise to bâ— genele and courteous to those whome the first furâ—e of our weapons haue pardoned and into whose handes our selues may another time fal vnlesse there be great cause to the contrarie And in skirmishes skill and pollicie is in my opinion as necessarie as violence which experience doth 〈◊〉 coufirme For if the lande be somewhat couerd a man may vse sundrie aduantages which the Spaniards and Italians can verie wel practise as being ingenious people but it is alwaies most profitable to order their men in smal troopes to assayle on the flankes ere they bee aware to place the troope that beareth the brunt verie well and finallie to come resosolutely to the sword The siege of Poictiers MAny enterprises doe men attempt in the wars which were neuer premeditated as also they giue ouer others long before thought vppon which proceedeth of the alterations which time bringeth foorth and as it is a signe of valiantâ—e well to execute so is
that they haue made slaughters and ouerthrowne the speares whereby their Captaines haue learned wit and doe now make them to keepe better orders Now let vs speake of the meeting of two squadrons whervpon I will say that although the squadron of Speares doe giue a valiant charge yet can it worke no great effect for at the onset it killeth none yea it is a miracle if any be slayne with the speare onely it may wound some horse and as for the shocke it is many times of small force where the perfect Reistres doe neuer discharge their Pistols but in ioyning and striking at hand they wound ayming alwaies either at the face or thigh The second ranck likewise shooteth of so as the forefront of the men of armes squadron is at the first meeting halfe ouerthrowne and maymed Also although the first rancke may with their speares doe some hurt especially to the horse yet the other ranckes following cannot doe so at the least the second and third but are driuen to cast away their speares helpe themselues with their swordes Herein wee are to consider two things which experience hath confirmed The one that the Reistres are neuer so daungerous as when they bee mingled with the enemie for then be they all fire The other the two squadrons meeting they haue scarce discharged the second pistoll but either the one or the other turneth away For they contest no lenger as the Romaines did against other nations who oftentimes kept the field two houres fighting face to face before either partie turned backe By all the aforesaid reasons I am driuen to aduowe that a squadron of pistols doing their dueties shall breake a squadron of speares It may hereto bee replied that the man of armes carieth also one pistoll which he vseth when his speare is broken It is soone sayd but coldly practised for the most of them scarce caring to charge doe referre that to their men who haue no greater vse of it then themselues and when they come to fight the one halfe doe faile as hath bene oft enough tryed or at the least through euill charging doe no hurt He that will haue any vse of those weapons must bee as carefull of them as of a horse whereto it is hard to bring other nations which accompt this a base and seruile occupation Some man may in the fauour of the men of armes say that they may in such sorte ioyne the squadron of Reistres that they may ouerthrowe them That is that comming within 80. paces they may sende foorth their three last ranckes of speares gallantly to assaile their flancke so shall they open it breake the force therof and bring such a feare vpō them that-the squadron of speares may the better deale with them Hereto I aunswer the obseruation is good though not greatly in vse Neuerthelesse it is a matter common as well to the one as to the other For teach it to the Reistre and he will pay you in the same coyne by sending foorth parte of his troope to strike into your sides so shall your inuentions be a remedie to him and peraduenture he shall preuaile more therewith then your selues Now notwithstanding whatsoeuer I haue herein discoursed my entent is not to bring the French nation in dislike with the speare which I take to be wonderfull proper weapons for them so long as their mindes are no otherwise disposed then yet they bee And vntill they haue learned more stedfastly to keepe order and to be more carefull of their weapons they will neuer worke the like effects with the pistoll as the Reistres Such as imagine the pistoll to bee such a terrible and offensiue weapon are not greatly deceiued neither will I gainsay them in case it come in valiant hands The ende of the first Paradoxe The second Paradoxe That 2500. Corcelets and 1500. Harquebuziers may more easely retire three French leagues in a plaine fielde then 2000. Speares AMong all militarie actions accompted notable this hath the first place as one of the most difficult as also it is a great testimonie of the sufficiencie of the. Captaine that can compasse it And as there are fewe willing to vndertake it for feare of fayling so peraduenture shall we finde fewer that will beleeue that it may be done because it is a thing that happeneth so sieldome Neither would I reproue their opinion if they ment that in the weakenesse wherein our infantery now cōsisteth it were vnpossible to attaine to y t effect For hauing no vse of the pike voyd of discipline I do not thinke that 10000. harquebuziers taken frō thence durst shew themselues in the plaine before 600. speares But with the 4000. men of whō I meane to speake all of our owne nation and of no other reduced into good order and obedience and in their auncient armes I will vphould that the retraict propounded may be performed Such as will gainsay of whome there are many will propound an argument gathered of experience saying that no Historiographer setteth downe any such example at the least none of those that haue written of the warres happened since the yeere 1494. hetherto which haue bene very notable also that these proofes appeared only in the time of the Romaines Whereto for my aunswer sith they beate me with experience I will defend my selfe by the same and say that it maketh no more against me then with me For regarding what is past we may note such happes as verifie my proposition not to bee vnpossible First I will alleadge the braue retraict of Don Aluares of Sande in Afflicke He had as I haue heard 4000. Spanyards souldiers of great valour and to come where he purposed he was to passe a plaine of foure or fiue miles which trusting to his men he aduentured to doe But he was not so soone set forward but eightéene or twentie thousand horse of the Moores were at his heeles who coueted to catch him in this bad aduantage He then hauing ordered his battaile and exhorted his men went forward on his way where all these horse did fiue or sixe times set vpon him but he bare their brunt and so brauely repulsed them that with the losse of 80. men at the most he brought the rest into safetie and slew seuen or eight hundred of the enemies Some will say that they wanting armour did not pearce so sharply as do the Christian horsemen who doe farre passe them in courage I graunt ours are more valiant but theirs did not assaile very slackly or els they had not lost so many And by this exployt it appeareth that footmen resolute and well led may passe any where Guicciardine also in his historie reporteth a gallant retraict of 2000. Spanyards after the Frenchmen had broken their armie at Rauenna for being ioyned againe into their bodie although the horsemen did follow and charge them yet did they saue themselues yea and slewe Gaston de Foix the conquerour that pursued them In
himselfe thereon also to hould them about the middest and vnder the foreends should the threescore Muskets and Harquebuzes appoynted arange themselues with one knee on the ground to shoote the surer as also to be somewhat defended The other ranckes of Corcelets to stande vpright almost close with the first rancke and to make the bodie of the battaile Then the horsemen comming to charge I doubt not but they shall finde themselues shrewdly anoyed by the Harquebuziers which shooting within twentie paâ—es iust in the face of the horse in my opinion will mayme the whole first rancke of the squadron but if any thinke them in small suretie there I will aunswer that they can no where bee better placed at the head then here for they must bee where they may anoye at the first brunt and although the Speares or breastes of the horse doe ouerthrowe some foure or fiue on a side it were but a small losse For it is most certaine that when a Squadron of horse shall see nine or tenne horse fall downe at the first comming such as followe will haue an eye to their consciences Thus after the Squadron shall haue borne this sharpe welcome it must likewise strike vppon the Pikes of the first rancke or els moderate the first heate as also because the first gored horses shall bee forced to stande and so stay the rest that followeth And although this defence might somewhat yeeld yet should they still finde the bodie of the battaile readie to beare their brunt wherein consisteth the principall force And in trueth I should thinke it vnpossible if the Souldiers would not bee afeard to ouerthrowe such a barre for we must thinke that though the horses runne with great force yet a small thing letteth them the smoake and noyse of the Harquebuziers scarreth them hurtes stoppe them mens conceiued feares doe make them to pull backe and the crye of the battaile hath some effect notwithstanding the greatest of all proceedeth of the resistance of the Pikes Besides all this some rancke of Harquebuziers placed in the middest of the battaile might likewise shoote ouer the heads of the Pikes who bending themselues to the fight doe somewhat stoope whereby parte of the horsemans bodie may be seene Some peraduenture will scorne hereat and say that all these small obseruations were more fit to bee practised in Dances and Maskes rather then in the warre likewise the ould custome haue alwaies bene best though wee trouble not our selues with so many impractiseable nouelties But I am not of their mindes for they put me in remembrance of many of our fathers that laughed at so many inuentions for the fortifying of the Houlds tearming them Italian deuises affirming that one good great Rampier would suffice to warrant men from the force of the Canon vppon the which they might defende themselues Pike to Pike And yet experience hath taught vs that then townes were taken within eight daies where now we coÌ„sume almost a whole season so often must wee fight before wee can winne a Raueline then the ditch then the Rampier then the inwarde trench For if in the should there bee one ingenious person and a Souldier withall such a one as was Captaine Bastian in Maistrict he maketh them that are without to sweate water and blood I would thinke that that which I require in our battell should not be so hard to practise sith our newe Souldiers when wee traine them doe make many more turnes and returnes for pleasure Why then should not the olde Souldiers labour to learne any thing that may breede their honor and safegard Two other obiections may yet be here made The first that the flankes of the battell shall still be much weaker then the heads because the couer that I haue giuen them consisting in so difficult an order it is easie to bee disordered I confesse that the saide flanks should be too weake to assaile because the battelles doe still march forwarde and not sideling but strongly to beare a brunt I thinke that obseruing the same which I haue set downe they shall be able to doe it as well as the heades To the ende likewise the conduct may be the better I would wish to each flanke two Capteynes with the pike and of the notablest souldiers The second obiection is that the fower corners of the battell though closed doe yet remaine somewhat open and weake as it were for the space of seuen or eight steppes where the horse may get entrie Truely this consideration is not amisse and for the remedie hereof it were requisite in these corners to place seuen or eight of the brauest Harquebuziers who should not discharge but vpon great necessitie as also to appoynt the Corcelets of the 4. 5. and 6. rankes that should be néerest thereto to turne their Pikes that way to beare the brunt when they see the enemie approach The greatest daunger to all the sayd footmen consisteth in the two first charges of the horse which it is to be presumed will bee braue but being borne out they may conceiue great hope in that they haue quenched the first heate of the enemie and so march forward ouer the field casting forth some lose mosquets to keepe the horsemen a loofe but when they see it come vpon them then wholy to close And bearing themselues thus I am verely perswaded they may make a gallant retraict The better to comprehende this matter the Colonels who in their regiments haue many Pikes should sometimes proue in fayned things how this order standeth with reason and peraduenture they shall finde them selues the better satisfied when they see a picture and liuely representation thereof concurre with that which they may haue imagined according to this reporte Some man will replye that the horsemen may so vndiscreetly assaile the footmen that they may indeede saue themselues before them but if they would charge them in small troopes namely of one squadron of 300. to make 3. each of 100. which might followe one after an other it would much shake the battaile For the Harquebuzery hauing discharged vpon the first as it cannot bee denyed but it will greatly endomage them the two other squadrons following shall haue great aduantage in being exempt from that daunger and so there is some likelihoode that they may shake them Truely this kinde of charge is very good but it may be prouided for for some of those Harquebuziers that should lye vnder the first rancke of the Pikes may haue charged againe before the second troope commeth vpon them also from the two sides that are not charged or from the one the harquebuzers may be brought to succour that which may bee in daunger as also some of those in the middest may likewise shoote which being handsomely performed the Corcelets shall still haue succour from their Harquebuzerie for without this their defence would be but colde To conclude I rather feare that wee shall want occasion to attempt so braue a retraict either
of water will be as long and the inner trench being almost equall with the heigth of the rampier that is beaten downe may be kept as long or longer prouided alwaies that it be made 60. or 80. foote from the Courtine Now I take this at the worst for there bee such weake assailants of Houlds as shall labour two moneths about the winning of a Raueline There are that thinke it an easie matter to keepe them from passing the ditch but for my parte I thinke it harde for they will enter either by night or day Thus when a frontier towne shal haue stopped a mightie armie so long as I haue sayd it shall haue quit it selfe well for there bee fewe townes inpregnable and the Prince that may haue lost it shall haue this comfort That as the fencing of it had cost him little so his enemie shall haue spent much time many men and money enough in the winning of it Some Ingeniour may say that water vndermindeth the foundations of a Rampier and that from tenne yeeres to tenne yeeres they runne out which they do not if they be walled within It is so indeede where the water is a running water but the repairing cost little as also doe the props that beare vp nothing but earth Howbeit I say that a man may fortifie a whole small towne with earth with the charges of one enclosure to a Bastion made of bricke or stone with the countermynes thereof This maner do I here alow for an other respect which is that Potentates Commonwelths are better able to prouide for the inward fortifications which must accompanie the outward do consist in al kinds of necessarie prouision that want in many townes though not in whole yet in parte And as many are lost through this default as for lack of Bastions They may likewise spare great sommes which are spent in these great workes and with the same maintaine a sufficient armie through want whereof the strongest places are taken as hath bene seene in Flanders Many thinges more may bee obiected to beate downe this our Bulwarke which is much more profitable to the weake then beautifull to the mightie Monarkes In the meane time such as shall followe this construction shall not finde themselues the worse thereby as the future experience peraduenture will teach better then the passed The ninetenth Discourse That the continuation of the wicked proceedings of the warres of these daies doe make a iust cause to seeme vniust PHilippe Comines in his remembrances reporteth that the Duke of Guyenne the brother of King Lewes the 11. ioyning with Duke Charles of Burgundy in the warre for the Commonwealth when he considered the number of the wounded and slayne at the battaile of Montleherie with the spoyles that the Souldiers made all ouer the Countrie was merueilously daunted thereat and tolde Duke Charles that it had bene better neuer to haue begunne that warre that bred such mischiefe and ruine who aunswered him that those things were not to bee meruailed at sith such were the naturall fruites thereof But being afterward alone among his familiers he scorned that yong Prince which brought pitie and compassion vnto the Theaters of Mars where rigour and vengeaunce doe holde their soueraigne Empyre In these daies wee heare some make almost the like aunswers to many that curse our ciuill stormes for they tell them It is the warre and so doe weene that that word being heard should make them to shrinke vp the shoulder after the Italian maner and prouide to suffer worse matter But in my opinion such reasons are to bee suspected as procéeding from those that hauing no other delight or sustenance but in other mens spoyles would make men to accompt warre to be a necessary euill to the end they should not be slacke in giuing to them that foode which they do desire Truely these men are not altogether to be beleeued least wee confound crueltie and iniustice with equitie and humanitie and so of an extraordinarie accident make an ordinary custume Neither must we print in our phantasies the imaginations of many others who wish to sée a warre exempt from the things that of long time haue bene proper thereto and are as it were essentials namely rapine disorder and crueltie for in these daies wherein wee liue vertue being tyed vp and vice let loose wee cannot atteyne to this perfection What shall we then say hereof For sooth that to the ende well to measure the matters whereof we now speake wee must take the olde rules not of Iron which cannot bend but of leade which are somewhat plyable and frame them to the crooked and difformed stones whereof our ciuill warres are composed that is to say to our confusions and then finding what is somewhat â—ollerable as also what is to bee reiected to patch vp againe so well as wee may this house of bondage wherein so many persons within these fiue and twentie yeeres haue bene tormented or els quite to rase it to the foundation by an assured peace which were the better way I meane not here curiously to examine or way the right or wrong of those that are in armes because I will not offend any Only I am content generally to say that such on either side as loue godlinesse or vertue doe for the satisfying of themselues either inwardly or outwardly vnderproppe their actions with iustice Neither should any warres bee vndertaken without that good faundation least otherwise wee bee found guiltie before God who will not that men vse such vyolent remedies but vpon great necessitie neither guide them after their owne disordinate affections Now in these controuersies and publique quarelles as well ciuill as others furiously raised through mans mallice it often falleth out that all the right lighteth on one side and all the wrong on the other Sometimes that both parties are led by like mallice and sometime that he which in deede hath the right doth seeme to haue the wrong and so to the contrary As also that sometimes in some one of the poynts thereof a man may be in the right and in all the rest in the wrong of all which differences I meane not here to entreate Only I would aduertise the readers to note them in reading the histories wherein the diuersities of so many martiall purposes are liuely set out But for my self I wil procéed in discoursing vpon my first proposition of the euill behauiours which are to bée seene in our sayd ciuill warres together with their consequences I thinke they cannot bee better compared then to an ouer flowing brooke which with the vyolent force thereof not only destroyeth the whole â—roppe of a plaine but also carieth downe the trees buildings and bridges where it goeth so as neither arte nor diligence are able to preuent it Whosoeuer would walke through France and Flanders might see euen vpon insensible things the footsteps of our daily furies which are not neuerthelesse the greatest domages for those
Caesar and to God the things that appertaine to God But when I remember my selfe how can you you Souldiers fulfill this who haue forgotten the arte of rendering and can doe nothing but take Who sometimes doo saie well and alwayes liue euill What are your troupes and armies in these dayes but shoppes of all vice which where they passe doe leaue more horrible footsteps than doe the Grashoppers where they liue continuallie Your enimies do hate your crueltie your friends doe feare your sackings and all people doe flie from before you as from the flouds Who wil beleeue that your cause is iust when your behauiours are so vniust And although it were iust doe not you yet hazard it to all rebuke and slaunder To be briefe learne to liue better or thinke not much that no man beleeueth your wordes but cry out against your deeds This truly were a very free speech which neuertheles I think to approch so neere y e truth y t I wil not giue it the lie least they y t haue indured it should come in for witnesses against mee and so returne my lie vpon my selfe Out of this ranke I will exempt the honorable and good mem that professe armes as well noble as others of whome there be yet many abroad Neither must the whole blame of these disorders be layde vpon the small whose wantes doe oftentimes stirre vp their mallice For there be great ones who because they care not for moderating or suppressing them must haue their parts those especiallie are most guiltie that had rather see whole riuers of mischiefe than loose anie part of their reuenges or dominion If anie man aske the souldiours why they make such hauock they will answere that want of paie compelleth them which is a reason to be considered of If they tel the Princes y t these behauiors sauour verie euill and must be taken awaie with golde they wil say that all the Indias will not suffice for so many high payes and other subtill proulings Which cause must be well waied In the meane time vnder these excuses the mischiefes doe on both sides continue and feede vpon the infortunate Prouinces that beare theÌ„ which cannot possiblie be eschued so long as the mightie ones are so obstinately bent to make the wars perpetuall by keeping great armies all Winter and Summer in the fielde whereof it followeth that in the ende most of the men become rauening beastes the country is disinhabited the treasure is wasted the great curse themselues and God is displeased If we should call to minde how in the wars betweene the French and Spanish especially in Piedmont we should often see a Cornet of speares passe through a village where they might see banqueting dauncing the people without anie force come bring them all kinds of refreshing Againe within halfe an houre after another troope enimie to the former to passe in like sort and to receiue all kinds of curtesies Also these 2. troops within a while after to meet and beate each other well fauouredly Then the conquerer to carie into the sayd village the sore wounded as well of the one partie as of the other to be dressed and to lie all in one hostrie the vanquished vpon their faiths and the vanquishers in the custody of the aforenamed vnto their ful â—nre when each ought to returne to theyr Captains Thus should we see that these and such maner of proceeding purchased to both nations great fame among strangers and more amitie than is now to be found among pareuts This I say being reported vnto them they would account for fables because our present customes are cleane repugnant thereto And yet if in any wars ciuill behauiour be to be practised than in these wherein fellow Citizens after they haue ben together by the eares in their natiue soile doe fall agayne into familiaritie and loue one with another which neuer happeneth with strangers for the controuersies ended they neuer lightly haue occasioÌ„ to see one another again yea they ought to behaue themselus herein as kinsmen who among their hatred force doe intermingle equitie and honestie Finally such as do better note pollicie and good order and withall doe shew themselues most curteous doe giue the lookers on to thinke that they haue the better cause who therefore do fauour them with their prayers and themselues likewise by their good actions are the more satisfied and confirmed in their opinions which make them the bolder Contrariwise those who through their dissolutions doe make their warre which of it selfe is terrible vtterly detestable notwithstanding the cause be neuer so iust God will not fayle to punish for prosecuting it by such sinister meanes The 20. Discourse That a king of France is of himselfe mightie enough though he neither couet nor seeke other greatnesse than his owne Realme doth afford him ALL such as professe the reading and diligent examination of histories doe with one voice confesse that most of the calamities miseries fallen vpon diuerse lands and nations haue proceeded of the ambition of Princes and common wealthes who haue raysed such warres as â—red the same To auoide all the doubtes whereof reade but the liues of Philippe of Macedon Alexander Pirhus and Demetrius with the warres of the Romaines against the Catthaginians wherein ye shall finde that nothing is more true And although time by little and little suppresseth the force of the strongest things yet coulde it neuer much extinguish the flames of so vehement a passion which passing from the Father to the sonne heaping the former ages with mischiefe hath reached euen to ours I will forbeare to speake of things happened within these fifty yeres in respect of so many people yet liuing which may haue considered thereof but of foure score yeres ago Phillip Commines Fran. Guicciardine doe yeeld such testimonie that wee may say that the desire of dominion haue caused infinite disorders which haue disfigured the beautie of politike gouernment It cannot be denied but ours haue danced at the feast among others and peraduenture oftner but it hath likewise soone after mourned for it as wel as y e rest as hauing reaped no other commoditie of the greate warres of Charles the eight and Lewes the twelfth which neuerthelesse were not quite deuoide of all grounds of iustice but wast of money and consumption of men Which might admonish all Princes to undertake none but such as be necessarie vtterly to reiect those that containe no necessitie I knowe they haue a wonderfull quick desire to increase which neuertheles they maye moderate by a representation of the mischiefes and difficulties of warres were it not that they find themselues strengthned and vnderpropped with the counsayle of the young together with custome which not onely maintaineth it in force but also dooth greatly increase it For assuredlie the mightier that a Prince is the more is hee pricked forwarde with such stings as leaue him but small rest
Turkes and in many places for fower Turkish families wee shall finde aboue ten Christian but they bee so quayled and terrified that when they be layd on with slaues they dare not complaine Some man will laugh at me sore for iudgeing the euents of warre as if they should fall out as I prescribe them But I am not so presumpeâ—ous as to imagine that men can forsee the things that are to them vnknowne For I doe onely discourse here vpon by likely reasons leaning vnto certaine rules and experiences as men are accustomed in humaine affaires as also I speake of CouÌ„tries Townes Riuers and Passages not that I haue bene there but by noting their â—â—ituation in the Cardes and withall to cause the common forte to conceiue-good hope in this enterprise knowing well enough that in matter concerning battailes men doe ordinarily take counsaile in the field and it is the proper duetie of the Captaines there present to deliberate vpon such matters The third yeere comining on I thinke the like cheerefulnesse as had moued so many braue warriers to employe themselues in the two former would still bee of like force in them And albeit the enemies Iron their owne passed labours and sicknesse shall haue taken some away yet many other who hetherto shall not haue stirred from home being desirous to perticipate in the common commendation would goe to supplye the emptie roumes so as there would bee no want of men The tyme to take the fielde thus drawing on the armie by land hauing passed Draue should march to the riuer of Saue whether it is not past twentie Hungarian leagues here doe I not thinke that the barbarous people will meete with them in grosse by the way but rather employe their whole studies and endeuours to stoppe their passages ouer the riuer which is such an aduantage as being good Captaines they will preuaile of Uppon those tearmes may a man see on both sides the practise of all sortes of braue pollicies and inuentions But because experience hath alwaies taught that a mightie riuer can hardly bridle a mightie armie for if they can not passe vnder the fauour of some commodious place together with their Artillerie they will doe it by subteltie dallying in one parte while they cast their bridges and doing their endeuours in an other I will speake no more thereof sauing that I am perswaded that they may compasse it in eight daies This done the most profitable exployt will consist in the assault of Belgrade a famous towne standing vpon the fall of Saue into Danowe neither haue any action be 〈…〉 in my opinion of greater difficultie then this For besides that wee shall finde the-towne well prouided for defence wee must also haue an especiall eye to the Turkish armie which will not bee farre of keepe some great bridge vpon Saue haue an other passage on the side of Danowe make Fortes and Trenches and goe safely on forraging with conducts so as the taking of it were a notable peece of worke And to iudge thereof may wee not boldly say that those that are accustomed to conquer will surmount all these difficulties This place once wonne must speedily bee repayred and a strong garrison left therein as being the most conuenient place to establish a great storehouse wherein to gather all necessarie prouision There about doe there fall three great riuers not farre asunder into Danowe namely Draue Saue and Tibise which springeth about the borders of Transiluania which are as great at the Rhine or Mense By these fower chanels might wee bring all commodities in case wee first take order that the Turkes remayning in some places in the harte of the countrie molest not the boates Also because wee shall not haue spent past halfe the yere the rest may be employed in driuing them forth which peraduenture may be easely done Hauing thus spoken of the exployts of the land power we must likewise say somewhat of the Nauie which in the beginning of May should make saile toward the conquered I le of Negroponte where if the Turkish were desirous of battaile it should not be refused but if it would not aduenture but lye in waite for good oportunitie the best deuise were to surprise and force the towne of Salonike in olde tyme called Thessalonica which is in the borders of Macedon vpon the sea coast and being but weake might soone bée wonne Then by all meanes possible to deuise how to make it defensible because it were good there to leaue a strong garrison both of footmen and horsemen to scoure the countrie Here it is to bée noted that whatsoeuer were to bee left in the conquered Houlds should bee an ouerplus of men aboue the number for the armies both by sea and land should still retayne their number furnished according as is prescribed to the ende to bee alwaies prepared to the battaile Wee might as well haue enterprised vpon the coastes of Sclauonia where the Turkes doe keepe many townes but by seasing vpon these which are more easie to be taken we shall come behinde them and so make them thinke as well vpon flight as fight Hauing thus soiourned there one moneth or two it might scoure the Iles of the maine sea as well to the ende to sacke all the Turks there to bee found as also to assure the Christian enhabitants It may bee the Turkes fearing the first heate of the Christians may suffer our armie to trye it selfe two or three moneths in the siedges of Forts and then while they be al occupied about some one place to come vpon them fresh and lustely as they did at Gerbes where the Spanish forces were defeated for the which the Spanyards likewise toward the ende of the siedge of Malta in parte requited them and ouerthrewe fiue or sixe thousand Turkes For this inconuenience I hope the Captaines will well enough prouide for being surprised and before our armie withdrawe to their wintering it were good to leaue fortie gallies in the I le of Candy there to bée readie vpon neede In the winter time likewise it were not amisse on the edge of Hungary to deale with the Walachians and Moldanians the Turkes subiects though his great enemies in respect of their remembrance of the iniuries and mischiefes lately inflicted vpon them to procure them to rise against them and to send some choyse of men waged to ioyne with the Christian forces or to worke any other profitable commotions As for the Transiluanians the Turkes tributaries they will also be easely stirred vp so as this supplye would stande vs in great steade to withstande the Tartarians if peraduenture the Turkes should procure them to inuade Christendome to the ende to turne away our power from them For 50000. Duckats by moneth they can cause 50000. horsemen to march who as Grashoppers doe make innumerable waste It were good also at the same tyme to practise with the enhabitants of Greece to declare themselues at the next spring wheÌ„ they should see the
armies both by land and sea set forward and so fall vpon the Turkes scattered and dwelling in those Prouinces The effects of the fourth yeere which wee haue appoynted for the ende of this glorious conquest should be more notable then the former wherefore it were most expedient that the good vnion of the Princes should continue least necessary prouision should fayle Neither is it likely but it should perseuer considering that prosperitie hauing alwaies accompanied these enterprises euery man replenished with hope would straine himself to attaine to the wished ende With greater courage therefore and the same men of other yeeres should the whole armie by land take the fielde more tymely then aforetyme At Belgrade should there bee alreadie prouided plentie of munition for the Artillerie with a surplusage of two thousand horse to performe the furniture therof and three hundred Chariots for victuals at the least for going from thence they must giue ouer the riuers Thus should they march to performe their worke toward the towne of Sophy which is the beginning of Bulgarie for that doe the Cardes shewe to bee the direct way to Constantinople not past two hundred french leagues therfro It standeth in a plaine and is vnfortified It is likely the Turkes will not there make their head but hauing gotten out the enhabitants and either consumed or transported the victuals that they will leaue quite emptie and goe to Philippopoli there to make vp their whole campe The same is a towne of Thrace famous through the battaile that Brutus and Cassius there lost It standeth in a fruitfull soyle vppon a small hill at the foote whereof runneth a small riuer scarce wadeable This were a fit place and well chosen to make great resistance yea and to hazard a fielde for it is not so neere their Empire that by the losse of a fielde they may being in feares bee preuented neither so farre of but that they may if Fortune so farre frowne vpon them there gather vp good relliques of their armie wherefore I suppose they will fight there yea and their Emperour came thether in person And how can he suffer vs to inuade him euen to his denne and not defend himselfe after the examples of the noblest beastes Albeit also that this nation bee replenished with al vniustice and crueltie yet are they withall fierce and hardie and such as make great accompt of their reputation The Christians likewise should haue matter whereon to encrease their hope considering there are no more great Riuers or strong Houldes before they come to Constantinople their onely hinderance will bee a mightie armie to resist them whereat valiant persons doe reioyce neither is there any other thing that troubleth them but when they are forced to fight against Hunger Thirst Sicknesse great heate or extreme colde because there is no vertue but may be suppressed by such inconueniences The Christian armie may as I suppose ariue at Philippopoli about the middest of June where if the Turkes should be entrenched and lodged in any ground of aduantage it will be hard pulling of them foorth But because they haue neuer vsed so to doe especially their Emperour being present I will rather presume that they wil after their wonted maner come bouldly into the field as did the first Baiazet against Tamerlane notwithstanding his armie were innumerable I thinke the Turkish power would amount vnto 220000. men and the Christians to fourescore thousand for some must haue bene left in the last warres in garrisons and some to safeconduct victualles c. And I dare assure that as well the one parte as the other will bee well bent to ouercome because this battaile should bee as it were a definitiue sentnce of the whole warre Of the order I will not speake for if the same which I haue before prescribed bee not good they may deuise of a better and there referre the euent to God who as wee are to hope will fauour those that worshippe him against such as doe dishonor him When I consider with my selfe of this great warre and stately armies and conferre them with our small ones in these partes I remember the aunswer of Alexander to Antipater whom he left in Macedonia at his going to the conquest of Asia Antipater wrote vnto him that certaine of his enemies were risen against him and had alreadie brought into the fielde tenne or twelue thousand men and therefore did desire him to sende him succour he returned him this aunswer All your small warres in Macedonia now that I fight against the mightie armies of Daryus and am conquering of the great Empire of Asia doe seeme vnto me to bee battailes betweene Cattes and Rattes and therefore resist them as well as you may Some man may say that sometime in our ciuill warres we may note some braue martiall exploytes albeit with small power as at the battailes of Dreux S. Denis Montcontour fought in France with the siedges of Roan and Rochell also seuen or eight great ouerthrowes in Flanders with the siedges of Harlem Maistrict Tournay and Oudenard I graunt it howbeit they are no whit to be compared to the battaile of Lepanto which D. Iohn wonne As also I beléeue the siedge of Malta which withstoode foure score thousand Canon shot and that of Nicosia in Cyprus which as some write bare out fifteene are to be preferred before the afore alleadged The wars against Infidels are the same which our braue Captaines souldiers ought to seeke 100. leagues of where they ought likewise to flee 50. from the ciuill which by their continuall course doe deuoure and consume and that with small husbandrie the flower of kingdomes and Commonwelths I neede not to deseribe the maner of this great battaile for wee must imagine that in the former conflicts were neuer seene such stomackes or so furious charges To be briefe after three howers fight I suppose they will leaue vs but a bloodie victorie But such as may there perish shall build to themselues more honorable sepulchers than those that are purchased by perticuler quarels wherin the soules doe for the most parte encurre shipwracke In this case shall their desire be iust and their cause good both which conioyned with that excellent courage that many shall haue here shewed will breede perpetuall renowme which shall yet crowne the posteritie of noble persons that still may remayne The Turkes thus ouerthrowne and their campe spoyled wee shall bée driuen to soiourne eight or tenne daies at Philippopoli which after this great losse would make no resistance to rest our selues and prouide for the wounded and there were it requisite to hazard sundrie Greekes seuerally to goe to carie newes of this good successe to Salonike as also to sende the Nauie worde to the ende the same might drawe toward Constantinople for it were hard to besiedge it without both the powers togethers The Turkes losse in this battaile cannot bee such but he shall saue 130000. men of whome some may
scatter ouer the countrie to see to the preseruation of their families which they may haue left so abroade but the great bodie will drawe toward Constantinople with their Emperour there to make their last resistance for in the plaine fielde dare they shewe themselues no more Because also the towne is nothing strong we must imagine they would with all diligence raise fortifications of earth make their planes erect their spurres to plant their Artillerie vpon All the victuall also there about would they take into the towne leauing for the defence thereof at the least fortie thousand men but for their great Lord it is to be presumed that he would passe forward into Natolia which is the lesser Asia with all his treasure and Concubines there to prouide for newe succour Our power by land according as they could make their preparations should by little and little set forward leauing a sufficient garrison in Philippopoli to keepe the waies Thence should it passe to Adrianople a great Citie which being very weak would neuer make resistance where also it were good to leaue some garrison and there to lay vp whatsoeuer victualles might bee gotten wherof through diligence we should neuer want This order were likewise to be obserued That the Souldier should neuer spoyle any but of the Turkish nation also that all Christians should bee exempt from pillage and seruitude so would they bring you in virtuals from fiftie leagues about Also good order and seuere iustice ought to bee established in great armies otherwise through the multitude of wicked and vnthriftie persons all would runne into confusion were not their mallice by such meanes brideled and punished During three or fower daies rest at Adrianople wee must cause our Nauie to set forward whereto hearing of this good successe it will not be very slack It should draw toward the straights of Hellespont where it is likely the Turkes remembring their losses and not willing rashly to hazard vsing the aduantage of the place will settle themselues to fight where they may bee flancked with the artillerie of the Castles besides that they shall haue that commoditie that they cannot bee assailed without fower score or an hundred gallies in front The first day that our armie should shewe it selfe to the enemie in good order to behould their countenance they will discharge sundrie Canons which must be aunswered with the like and so to retire considering the strength of the place In the euening they should take counsaile and the expert Marriners to giue their opinions how to attempt nothing out of season Finally the Captaines should resolue to land some of their men and artillerie on the side of Europe to beate and take some one of the Castles to the ende to displace the Turkes from this aduantage considering they shall there finde but fower or fiue hundred horse on that side where on the side of Asia they shall meete with aboue two thousand By breake of day they must put forth fower thousand Corcelets sixe thousand Harquebuziers and thirtie Canons out of the gallies landed by the forsats or gallie slaues While they shal thus march the enemies horse will come to prouoke them but the number of Musket shot shall scatter them well enough So soone as night is come they shall make their approaches to the forteresse and the artillerie bring planted they shall by breake of day fall to beating of it This will make the Turkes to prouide to bring vppon them twentie thousand men to cut them in péeces or els with some 150. gallies to inuade our Nauie there to doe the like sith they shall finde it vnfurnished But the Turkes liking best of this second counsaile will seeke to put in execution Which our armie perceiuing they must goe on halfe the way with their furnished gallies which may bee about two hundred and so each armie deuided into three parts to ioyne bouldly but after a long houres fight our men hauing the victorie scarce the third parte of the enemies gallies shall saue themselues The same tyme also may the Castle that our men shal haue besiedged after the brunt of a furious assault be taken Thus should wée become maisters of this proude passage where Xerxes built a wonderfull bridge of vesselles and such as shall bée escaped amounting to some one hundred gallies may carie the newes of their mishappe to Constantinople Our men hauing then soiourned there fiue or sixe daies as well to prouide for their wounded as to take the other Castle hauing put good garrisons into both shall take the way to Constantinople where they may ariue within two daies after the armie by lande Then on both sides knowing of the arriuall of their long looked for and victorious forces it is not to bee demaunded what ioyes there will be But wee may in trueth affirme this last deede to bée more difficult then the rest For a battaile though well fought is but one daies worke whereas the forcing of so many men couered with rampiers and prouided of all prouision to be atchieued in two moneths is a testimonie of the experience of the Captaines and valiancie of the Souldiers The land armie being come within two leagues of the towne the best Captaines with 20000. horse and 7. or 8000. Harquebuziers should goe within halfe a league therof to discouer the lodgings and well to consider what may anoye or empeach their safetie Neither is it to bee doubted but they may thereby growe to a hot skirmish for the Turkes being so strong in the towne will shewe their couragies and small astonishment The next day they shall come to take their lodgings betime and to furnish themselues with some sleight trenches at the head and middest of the flanckes To the ende also the Nauie may conferre with the land power and safely sende their prouisions it will bee good at euery thousand steppes to make small fortes with trenches for the safetie of the passages from the sea about which workes both the Pyoners and the most parte of the Souldiers may labour 7. or 8. daies This done they should goe neerer to discouer the towne whereon they must stay at the least fower or fiue daies for my self haue ordinarily seene that of hasty and rash discoueries haue ensued great ouersights Now must wee looke what way will bee best to giue the assault which I would wish to doe but in one place for separating the armie the garde of the trenches may proue too weake and so not bee able to beare their sailies I would not thinke it amisse to place 6000. Corcelets and as many Harquebuziers at the least with 3000. horse vpon the flanckes in some place vnder couert hauing also the whole bodie of the armie to support them which should not be aboue a Canonshot of The first trench should bee made a thousand paces from the Campe in forme defensiue with conuenient flanckers and two long wings of fiue or sixe hundred paces stretching toward
defeated by the Lord of Mouluc which encreased his care notwithstanding in all these aduersities he quayled not either in courage or countenance This mishap as I haue heard light vpon the Lord of Duras through two especiall reasons The one that to the end to bring with his troopes two Canons he marched heauely the other that vpon the commoditie of this ordinance he stayed by the way to beate certaine Castles replenished with great booties Thus had his enemies oportunitie to ouertake him whose streÌ„gth consisting in horse did by and by ouerthrowe him for such as are to bring any succour must alwaies free themselues from combersome cariage and crowne their expeditions with diligence During these affayres I remember I once heard the Lord Admirall talking of these matters say vnto the Prince of Condé That one mischiefe followeth an other howbeit that he must yet expect the third aduenture meaning his brothers passage which would either lift them vp againe or quite cast them downe As in deede if it had miscaried they looked to haue bene besieged which so happening they were very secretly resolued that one of them should haue gone into Germany to haue endeuoured there to haue yet raised some power being of opinion that the Prince of Condé in respect of the greatnesse of his familie should bee the best able to perswade the Protestant Princes of Germany to assist him in a cause wherein themselues did partly participate Howbeit all the difficultie consisted in the conueying of him thether safely wherevpon some gentlemen there present did euidently declare that going from one of his partakers houses to another and alwaies marching by night and resting all day he might easely passe with twentie horse and no more But he was not put to that plonge for within tenne or twelue daies after they had newes that the Lord of Andelot hauing passed the chiefest difficulties of his iorney was come within thirtie leagues of Orleance which was also supplied with a second comforte viz. that the Earle of Rochefouâ—ault accompanied with three hundred gentlemen and the remainder of the Lord of Duras armie would very shortly ioyne with him Wherevpon the Prince of Condé sayd Our enemies haue giuen vs two shrewde checkes in taking our rookes meaning Râ—an and Bourges but I hope that now we may catch their knights if they take the fielde Neither is it to bee demaunded whether euery man reioyced or was glad at Orleance for commonly the Souldier the more oportunitie that he hath to hurt and molest his enemie that iniureth him the gladder he is such sway doe wrath beare among theÌ„ And how should not their affections be sometimes alittle spotted with blood when many Clergie mens are so red with the dye of reueÌ„ge in whose harts should nothing but charitie be harbored Of the Prince of Condées purposes when he sawe his forreine succour approach and how he came before Paris from whence after he had there soiourned eleuen daies done nothing he departed toward Normandie IN as much as good counsailes are the fountaines of good exploytes and encrease of force the instruments to atteyne thereto the Lords Prince of Condé and Admirall finding their succour to be at hand deuised with themselues vpon the choyse of some good purpose Finally with their most trustiest they resolued to march toward Paris not meaning to force it for they doubted that the enemies would immediatly thrust in their armie thereinto but only to terrifie the Parisians whome they accompted the bellowes of the warres and kitchen that fedde the same as imagining that they seeing their countrie houses forreyed and burnt and so many insolent Souldiers lodged euen within their towne would either vrge the King and Queene to hearken vnto peace or els so quarel with those that should be so enclosed within their walles that they should euen force them into the field where they might finde oportunitie to fight with them and so recouer that aduantage that they lost at the skirmish of Tally and that in the meane time they would send into Normandie to make readie the hundred and fiftie thousand crownes which as the voyce went were borowed of certaine English Marchants and vpon good pawnes for therevpon did their only hope to wage the forreine armie wholly depend as also because necessitie constrayned them to cause it to liue out of their Thus did spite shame resolue them to attempt a difficult matter which before vpoÌ„ ripe deliberation wheÌ„ it was more easie they accompted vnprofitable and the like haue I seene happen many times euen among many good men of warre At night therefore order being giuen out euery man armed himselfe and marched by by waies toward the side of the Suburbes of S. Germain where they vnderstood that the trenches were small and the gard weake which was true Now the Lord of Guize had some inckeling of this enterprise that it should be performed at midnight whervpon he kept all his horsemen and footmen in armes al the night long in the trenches euery one in his quarter appoynted But when the clocke had stroke foure in the morning and that they perceiued no noyse from our campe they all sayd that it was but some false allarum and that the Protestants harts would not serue to set vppon them also that it was to no purpose considering the extreame colde to freeze them vp a whole nights space vpon a simple suspition peraduenture without any ground To be briefe one after an other they all returned each one to his lodging so as there remayned no more but y e ordinary guard The Protestants in the meane time fetthing a great compasse for feare of descrying lost themselues so as they could not come néere the place that they should assayle before broad day wherevpon perceiuing themselues discouered and the alarum great they retired but had they come three quarters of an houre sooner it was likely they might in that place haue forced the trenches In this enterprise we may see how some mens impatiencie had like to haue put them to a great foyle also how the small foresight of the others in the conduct of their men made them lose the occasion that they had vndertaken and so remaine a scorne to their enemies I haue heard that the Lordes of Guize and Constable did feare the forcing of those Suburbes rather for the shame then for the hurt as affirming that the same would haue bene the destruction of the Protestants if they had taken them For whiles they had bene dispersed about the spoyle they made accompt to haue sent foorth at sundrie gaâ—es and other places foure or fiue thousande Harquebuziers and two thousande Corcelets to fall vpon theÌ„ who surprizing them would haue slaine a great parte and put the rest to flight We did so farre ouershoote our selues as three daies after to purpose the like againe and I beleeue we should haue bene well beaten But at the chaunge of our watch one of our
lodge scattering abroade in the good villages the sayde commissaries besides theyr ordinarie carriages kept still in euery cornet a baker and two horse of burthen which came no sooner to their quarter but they fell to making of bread and so sent it to the footemen All these small helpes proceeding from fortie cornets for there about wee then were being gathered together amounted vnto a great deale yea and thence sometimes they sent both flesh and wine whereto the Gentrie were so affectionate that from their lodgings they would not spare their carriages for conduct of whatsoeuer was requisite The small Townes that were taken were reserued for the munitionaries and they threatned the rest that kept no garrisons to fire all a league rounde about if they sent in no prouision whereby our footmen who lodged close were ordinarilie well prouided I doe not heere speake of the booties which as well the footemen as horsemen wonne from the aduersaries neyther is it anie doubt but this denouring animall passing through so many Prouinces could still finde soule pasture where with was sometimes mixed the poore mans garment yea and the friendes to so sore did necessitie and desire to catch incite those that wanted no excuses to coulour their spoile Of these fruites were many prouided of those things which besides foode the soldiour is to buy as garments weapons which are most neâ—essarie things Now must I speake of the lodging of the armie which they were forced to scatter abroade and that for two principall reasons The one for the commoditie of virtuall the other that it might be vnder couert whereby to be defended from the iniurie of the winter for without this help it could not consist I know this to be a verie bad kinde of lodging also that in imperial royall warres men would beware of committing such ouer sights least they might be straight wayes surprised But in ciuill warres both partes were forced and accustomed so to doe at the least in France The footmen were lodged in two bodies viz. in a maine battayle and an auantgarde and the horsemen in the villages next to hand Uppon anie earnest allarum the horsemen drewe to their quarters likewise if one seuerall lodging were assayled the others went straight to the rescue Among the Cornets there were many harquebuziers on horsback and when they were come to their quarter all the wayes were very well fortefied and many times they prouided themselues in the Churches and Castles so to holde out two good houres vntill they might haue succour I haue sometimes seene one of the Generals march with fiue or sixe hundred men and beate back the enimie that had assayled some lodging Howbeit notwithstanding whatsoeuer watch on all sides yet there happened many surprises albeit the waies were beaten both night and daie Many times wee had our best aduice from the Picorers who buzzing abroade like flyes did ordinarilie meet with the enimie and so some one brought in word for these men to flie are as swift as hares and when they goe about some bootie they euen flie The head towarde the enimie who had light horsmen did commonlie consist of fiue hundred good horse and as many harquebuziers on horsebacke with small store of carriage except horse of burthen which was done to the end to keepe the enimies busie that they should make no enterprise also that the armie might alwayes haue warning Concerning the order of the march all the troopes had theyr meeting nominated at a certaine houre in place conuenient for the diuision of the lodgings and thence they repayred each to his quarter as also they vsed greate speede when they were to trauayle sundrie wayes One inconuenience there was in marching thus scatteringlie namelie that oftentimes they did vse many false allarums Neuerthelesse it was neuer noted that the Prince of Condie had euer anie notable surprise Neither woulde I that anie man should build anie rule vpon these examples which necessitie engendered vnlesse vppon the lyke reason as then bare swaie for so may they be vsed in accomodating them to time place and persons But the surest waie were to reforme our customes by the ancient militarie rules wherin is more perfection than in those which wee now a dayes doe practise Yet must we not saie that these great Captaines ought to haue done otherwise than they did for they neuer fayled in ought that either could or should be done As also their most notable actions are since their deathes vanished away Of the new forces out of sundrie Prouinces that met at Orleance which inuitéd the Prince of Condy to vndertake the voiage to Chartres IN the first ciuill warres most of the Protestants namely their heads toke this for a principle That it was hard without an armie in y e field to make anie honourable warre or profitable peace In consideration heereof they exhorted their partakers to helpe to make a braue power the benefit wher of should redound to the whole body which was the reason that made so many readie to come in But they found an inconuenience in abandoning to this effecte such good places as before they held in the prouinces for afterward they had no place of retreate as also they haue somtimes failed in the other point viz. by keeping ouer many Wherin we may learne to auoid all extremities Which notwithstanding yet were not the prouinces free froÌ„ war as wel in the first troubles as in these Yea who so list well to consider the dealings of the Baron of Adrets and other the braue exploites of sundrie Captaines both Catholikes and Protestants recorded in the histories shall see miserable matters valiantly and wisely executed But because I haue tied my selfe to speake of no more than I haue either seene or learned in good places I haue abstained from entering the carrier of vnknowen Countries for feare of stumbling Now the Prince of Condie being enformed that his forces out of Gascoyne and Daulphine amounting neere to sixe thousand men were ariued at Orleance thought it good to imploie them therefore sent them worde to be ready as also to prouide pouder and shot with three or foure bad peeces of artillerie that were left for albeit the Catholiks accounted the Protestants fierie people yet were they alwayes but meanelie prouided of such instrumentes neither haue they as themselues anie Saint Anthonie whome men saie to be president of this element His intent was before his enimies knew his purpose to haue enuironed the town that he meant to besiege whereof he thought none so commodious for his affayres as Chartres which being taken he purposed to fortefie so to keepe a continuall thorne in the Parisians foote and vnder the fauour therof somewhat to preserue his Countries which were behinde To this effect being aboue twentie leagues of he sent three thousande horse to enclose it which diligence turned to no greate profite for a regiment of footmen which lay but foure leagues off
all olde souldiours and the others newe did so disorder them as they were forced to abandon the village and leaue him free passage Finallie within two leagues of Saumure hee founde yet another companie of footemen lodged in a Church whome hee forced and tooke theyr Ensigne and so at the shutting in of the euening came safe with his men well wearyed with fighting and marching hauing lost but twentie of them but slayne foure times as many of his enemies and scarred aboue a thousande This exploit did I thinke good to sette downe as seeming to bee replenished with a braue determination albeit it was â—o meruayle that the Lorde of Andelots troopes entered not within them for they were sodainelie surprised beeing all scattered a sunder besides that the horsemen were in too straight a roome to fight well and although they had beene gathered agayne together yet were the enemies alreadie in safetie Thus do we see how much it standeth a body in hand both to march in order and to be well determined and this is it that causeth those small troopes that are willing in valour to supplie their weaknesse ordinarily to ouercome Notwithstanding this checke yet was not the Lord of Andelot past hope of passage ouer the riuer hauing therfore closed his men in two bodies he caused them to trye euery where In the ende they found a foord as it were miraculously where no man had in mans memorie passed and the next morning both he and all his being very glad that they had met that which they hoped not of he passed ouer vnto the other side Remaining in these vncerteynties I could him that it were good for vs to consider what wee had to doe if our passage were stopped wherevpon he aunswered What can wee elâ— doe but take some extreeme partie either to dye as Souldiers or to saue our selues as Souldiers My opinion is sayd he that wee all ioyne and so retire seauen or eight leagues hence into the open countrie and thence to aduertise the Lordes of Montpensier and Martigues that we be fled are scattered euery man seking to escape the daunger which they will soone beleeue In the meane time we will encourage and prepare our men to ouercome Then if they approach neere vnto vs as vndoubtedly they will rather to spoile than to fight let vs valiantlie set vppon them so shall we bâ—eake them and afterwarde will no troope for one moneths space bee so bolde as to come before vs thus maye wee easilie gette into Germanie or vp the riuers This readie and couragious counsayle of so gallant a knight is no more in my opinion to bee concealed than the braue determination of the Lord of Martigues two personages vndoubtedly worthie the best militarie offices The last woâ—ne farre greater honour in his passage and the first much more profite as getting him and his into safetie For within eight dayes after hee ioyned with the Prince of Condie which was a greate strengthening vnto him This the Protestants so badde a beginning and enterie into the warre by such headelong retreates was a foretoken that they would vse these remedies in the continuation thereof which also came to passe albeit in the former they had but verie seldome had anie such happe whereof if there bee anie that desire to knowe the causes I will set them downe It proceeded of the contempt of discipline and the multiplication of vice the which dooth breede greate disorder and engendreth bouldnesse in many not in all who vnder colour of necessitie doo take vpon them too much libertie That the respite which his Maiestie gaue to the Prince of Conde without sending any armie against him was a meanes for him to preuaile of a great Prouince without the support whereof he could not haue continued the warre THE Protestants whole refuge in these last troubles coÌ„sisted in retiring to Rochel which hauing embraced the Gospell and reiected the doctrine of the Pope rested alreadie at their deuotion The towne is reasonable large and wel seated vpon the sea coast in a soyle abounding with victuals full of rich Marchants and good artificers which was very profitable for the preseruation of sundrie families the reaping of al commodities necessarie for the Souldiers and whole armie both by sea by land Now after the Lord of Andelots arriuall the Captaines were aduised to lose no time so as hauing taken some artillerie out of Rochell they assayled the townes of Poictow and Xantoigne which then were but weake and meanly prouided of garrisons and so became maisters of as many as they might as Nyort Fontenay S. Maixant Saintes S. Iohn d'Angely Ponts and Coignac Afterward they tooke also Blay and Angolesme some being wonne easely others with batterie and assault To bee briefe in lesse then two moneths of poore vagabonds as at the first they were they had gotten into their hands meanes sufficient to coÌ„tinue a long warre In all these places they lodged about thirtie companies of footmen and seauen or eight cornets of horse which was a great ease to the countrie and so formed a braue politicke and militarie order as well for the Frenchmen as for the guiding of the armie Herein do I consider how necessitie being followed by occasion the Protestants could helpe themselues with both Being oppressed with the first they layd open all inuentions of the minde and strength of bodie to eschue destruction And when the second came in place they found themselues readie to embrace it I sometime heard the Lord Admirall applie the goodly saying of Themistocles to the state of the affayres of that time viz. We were lost if we had not bene lost thereby meaning that had we not fled we could not haue recouered that good spring which was farre better then the same that we had before I knowe not how it fell out that the Catholikes did no sooner knowe that they whome they had driuen from about them did settle themselues a farre of and so send remedies there against for vndoubtedly if they had it might haue cut off halfe our conquestes but I thinke that at Paris they were so glad to see those Prouinces and Townes which before had made them so sharpe warre abandoned that many of their harts were so puffed vp that afterward they disdained the Protestants effects who thought Rochell only able to resist them wherein in three moneths they might bee shut vp These be the forecastes of man after some fauourable accident The Queene of Nauarre perceiuing these stirres was very diligent to draw to those quarters bringing with her her childreÌ„ and some good power which serued as well to authorise the cause as to strengthen the armie She feared least staying in her owne countries she should bee forced as well by the commotions of her subiects as by other power to let her sonne go to the Court where vndoubtedly at the least in outward shewe he should be driuen to change his religion In consideratioÌ„ wherof she made
their lodgings they were all so sterued with colde that they had no mindes to molest their enemies not so much as to giue one alarum as if there had bene some perfect truce betweene them On the morowe after the departure of Monsiers armie there fell out a braue occasion which the Lord Admirall had before foreseene and was reasonably hotly pursued which neuerthelesse had not the hoped successe He gessed that the Catholickes who the daies before were lodged half along the hedges would being gotten a little aloofe scatter into the good villages which in déede they did so as in the bodie of the armie there remayned none but Monsiers owne person the artillerie the Suitzers three or foure hundred horse and about twelue hundred harquebuziers The rest were some one league some two leagues of Now about nine of the clocke in the morning so soone as the Princes horse were arriued they sent foorth twelue or foreteene thousand harquebuziers with foure small peeces determining to set full vpon the bodie of the enemies armie which was but a small league and a halfe of They knewe well enough that there was a small brooke with diuers foords ouer it which by the report of their guides they tooke not to bee very difficult also hauing ouer night discouered and tasted the guardes thereof they found them forceable Thus they marched making a braue head and when they came to the passage which was within a quarter of a league of their campe they found it kept by some footmen who doubted no such matter The same did they charge very liuely but could not force it so stayed there vpon the skirmish Their campe hauing hereof taken a very hot alarum began to shoote of Canon after Canon to call in their scattered people and very certaine it is that at the beginning they were greatly astonied then their Captaines prouided for the reenforcing of the guard of this passage howbeit within a good quarter of an houre after the Lord Admirall set vpon an other passage which was also as well defended but could they haue bene wonne there was some likelihood that their armie might haue bene ouertaken For before they could haue had the succour of a thousand men wee should at the first comming haue set in their faces 1500. horse and 6000. harquebuziers which would haue shaken them shrewdly About two houres after being encreased they planted some peeces vpon a rising and after some shot on each side the colde caused euery man to retire As well the gentrie as common Souldiers on both sides did much murmure against their Captaines in that without any profite they were made a pray vnto the frostes and colde as also they complayned that famine assaulted them so as if they would not prouide for them in safe fortified places they being no loger able to endure such extremities would place themselues Hereto was there no contradiction for their Captaines entents did concurre with their desires The Catholicks went to lodge beyond Loyre about Saumure The Protestants returned to Montreuill-bellay and Touars In this last action I consider that many good occasions doe fall out when the armies are lodged scatteringly which should dispose their leaders to watch diligently for feare of trying one vnfortunate houre At the least ought they to labour to be able with Alexander to say I haue slept soundly for Antipater hath watched for me Some there are that thinke that the readers can gather but small instruction in the view of things not performed which they tearme vnperfect workes but I am not of their minde For whensoeuer any action together with the circumstances thereof is truely set downe albeit it reacheth but halfe the way yet may there still bee some fruite gathered thereof euen as men may take some examples by such as liue but to the third or fourth parte of the common course of mans life for vertue will somewhat appeare in all parts of mans age or actions and this shall cause me yet to set downe here one bould attempt which albeit it came not to effect is neuerthelesse worthie to be knowne The Countie of Brissack was the dealer and attempter thereof during the aboade of both armies He was bould and for his age very wise but his excessiue desire of glorie did euen rauish him to high and difficult attempts The Lords Admirall and Andelot were lodged in the towne of Montreuill-belay with their cornets which were great In one of the suburbes at hand was there also two cōpanies of footmen in the rou 〈…〉 e of a simple watch as well before their lodgings as at the gates The gentlemen did onely keepe the rounds euery houre about the walles and this seemed to suffice For by reason that vppon the way from Saumure there were in a great suburbe beyond the riuer sixe or seauen regiments of footmen the towne was couered on that side On the other side there were great marishes a league about which could not be passed but in certaine places also nine or tenne Cornets of horsemen lodged in the villages on the hether side who beate the waies both night and day All this so assured the towne as there was small likelihood that it could fall into any daunger Now as in these ciuill warres men haue alwaies had good aduertisements by reason that the secrete enemies are still hidden in the parties bowels so the sayd Countie was first aduertised of the small watch kept in the towne secondly that by going two leagues about out of the high way he might come without the daunger of our horsemens watch Howbeit he would not trust hereto but for his better assurance requested a French Captaine and an Italian by night to goe and discouer the truth One of them did assure me that they came to the foote of the wall and with a long pike and a corde with an yron hooke vpon it they gat vp for it was but lowe and about nine of the clocke at night came euen to the Lord Admirals lodging and returned againe vndescried He vnderstanding of this facilitie was very glad thereof and therevpon layed his purpose aforesaid in maner following Himselfe would with a thousand chosen and nimble harquebuziers fiue hundred horse depart in such time that he might come to Montreuill-bellay by three of y e clock in the morning so to haue at the least two houres of night to fauour his retraict if he should faile of his purpose but in case he did compasse it he should haue made great fires about the Castle so to aduertise the Catholicke armie which was at Saumure to march with all speede to his succour as assuring himselfe not to be forced without the Canon neither is it to bée doubted but in sixe houres they might haue bene there So doing he should take two notable Captaines in the middest of their assurance and 100. gentlemen of name moreouer he should disperse this aduantguard there lodged which would neuer haue abidden
the comming of the Catholicks succour so sore would they haue bene astonied yea peradueÌ„ture other inconueniences might haue ensued I for my parte who was then there haue wel viewed both the inside the outside also the state of the affaires do not think the execution therof to haue bene vnpossible But as it is requisite that God should watch ouer theÌ„ that sleep vpon the preseruation of cities so when the Countie was vpon his way to performe his enterprise he light vpon an vnlooked for mishap which ouerthrew all his entent For hauing to y t effect see forward with 12. ladders his men well resolued being within two good leagues of the towne by chaunce he met with two hundred Protestants horsemen that were going to beate about who seeing this great troope of horsemen and footmen in the fielde did suddenly returne and giue the alarum both to the towne and to the other quarters of the horsemen whereby the Countie was forced to retire Afterward the Lord Admirall caused greater watch vpon the waies and to beate the fieldes oftner albeit he neuer knewe of this enterprise nor my selfe neither vntill after the peace concluded Truely I doe greatly commend this valiant enterprise of this yong noble gentleman to whom the only daring to attempt it was an honor Howbeit I meruaile not that the Lord Admirall neuer doubted any such matter for he must as a man should say haue foreseene it by inspiration Neuerthelesse it is good for a man when he is neere a great power and such resolute Captaines to haue a double care and to thinke that the desire of honor will furnish them of wings Of the death of the Prince of Condé at Bassac THE Protestants hauing in the former daies endured much founde the more sweetnesse in their aboade in Poictow whether they were retired where they were aduertised that Monsiers armie was in the field marching toward Angolesme There were newly come to him two thousand Reistres and as I suppose to the end the sooner to ende the warre he purposed to force his enemies either to fight or els to shut vp themselues in the townes In the one he had the aduantage in the other he deminished their reputation The Prince and Admirall vpon this aduice caused their men to close determining to keepe themselues along the banckes of the riuer of Charente so to behould their countenances but to hazard nothing as also to fauour their Houlds for the furnishing wherof with men they must diminish there armie There was nothing done worthie remembranee vntil the Catholiks came to Chasteaunueuf which staÌ„deth vpon the same riuer where at theyr first comming they tooke the Castle which had but a bad keeper And because the bridge was broken in two places the Admirall himselfe to the end to discouer their countenance and the passage would needs come thether with 7. or 800. horse as many harque buziers hauing the riuer still betweene theÌ„ where he began a skirmish with some people whoÌ„ they had sent ouer either by bôate or vpon some plankes sodeinly laide which lasted not long In the meane time it might bee easily perceiued that they would labour to passe ouer there The Lord Admirall desiring as much as he might to preserue his credite and to giue his enimies to vnderstand that he would not giue them ground foote by foote that he purposed to stop their passage yet for one daie in the same place appointed two regiments of footmen to lodge within a quarter of a league of the bridge and eight hundred horse a little behinde This done with the rest of the auanâ—gard he retyred to Bassac which was a league of and the Prince came to Iarnae which is one league farther but his commandement was not performed for both horsemen and footemen seeing that in the places appointed there were fewe houses and no virtuals or forrage hauing quite forgotten the custome of the camp and wanting of prouision at home tooke their quarters else where Thus most of the troop departed to take their lodgings so as there remayned but few vppon the place who setteled themselues halfe a league from the passage whereof it ensued that the gard was very weake neither could it approch neere inough to heare or giue allarum to the enemies gard from time to time according as was deuised so to haue made them beleeue that our whole auantgard had bene there lodged The Catholikes who were resolued albeit our whole campe would haue letted them to seaze vppon this passage through the diligence of the Lord of Biron not onelie repaired the olde bridge but also made a new of such beates as are ordinarilie transported in armies royall which was also finished before midnight and then they began to passe ouer without anie noise both horsemen and footmen The Protestants that watched there did scarce perceiue their passage before breake of daie whereof immediatly they certefied the L. Admiral who vnderstanding that most of his men were lodged scatteringlie euen on the same side that the enemies came sent them worde of their passage warning them to drawe to him withall speede so to retire together in the meane time that hee woulde houer at Bassac he also commaunded the carriages and footemen to retire which was performed Now if then yea an howre after his whole troopes had beene come together they might easily haue departed euen a soft pace But the delay of time being at the leaste three howres while he stayed for them was the cheefe cause of our mishap neither woulde hee loose such troopes conteining eight or nine corners of horse-men and some ensignes of foote-men whose captains were the County of Montgomery the Lord of Acier and Colonell Pluuiault In the end beeing all ioyned with him except Colonell Acier who tooke the way to Angolesme the enimies that still passed ouer weare waren so mighty and come so neere vnto vs also the skirmish so whot that it appeared that needes wee must fight Hereupon the Prince of Condee who was already a good halfe league vpon his retraict vnderstanding that they shoulde be forced to buckle hauing the stonracke of a Lion woulde needes haue a share When to the end to retire we forsooke a small brooke which coulde not be passed but in two or three places the Catholicks set forwarde the flowre of their horsemen vnder the conduct of the Lordes of Guize Martigues and Brissac who ouerthrew fower cornets of Protestants beeing vpon the retraict where my selfe was taken prisoner then did they set vpon the Lord of Andelot in a village who bare their brunt wel ynough hauing ouerpassed him they perceiued two great battailes of horse among whome were the Prince and Admirall who seeing themselues beset prepared to charge The Lorde Admirall gaue the first onset and the Prince the second which was fiercer then y e first at the beginning they forced al y t came to turne their backs truely it was well
fought on euery side Howbeit in as much as the whole army of the Catholicks still came on the Protestants were forced to flee after they had lost in the field about a hundred Gentlemen but especially the Princes owne person who being borne downe coulde haue no succour and hauing yeelded himselfe to the Lorde of Argences there came a Gascoigne Gentleman named Montesquion and discharged a pistoll through his head whereof he died His death bred wonderfull sorrowe among the Protestantes and as great ioy to some of his aduersaries who supposed they shoulde soone ouercome the whole body nowe that they had cut of so good a head howbeit as some did greatly blame him so others there were that commended his valour As also this commendation may iustly be giuen him that in bouldnesse or curtesy no man of his time excelled him Of speech hee was eloquent rather by nature then art he was liberall and affable vnto all men and withall an excellent Captaine although he loued peace Hee bare him selfe better in aduersity then in prosperitie His greatest commendation of all was his stedfastnesse in religion My best is to holde my peace for feare of saying to little albeit I thought good to speake somewhat leaste I shoulde be accounted ingratefull to the memory of so valiant a Prince Many a worthy person both Catholike and Protestant whome our ciuill stormes haue caried away are to be lamented for they honored our Fraunce and might well haue holpen to encrease it had not discord prouoked the valour of the one to the destruction of the valour of the other After this blowe the Protestantes army was wonderfully astonied and it fell out well for them that the country whereinto they were withdrawne was all full of water for thereby were the Catholicks restrained and they had time to recouer themselues Hauing atchieued such a victory the Catholicks imagined that such of our townes as were not very strong woulde bee amazed But the Admirall had placed in them the most part of his footemen thereby breake this first fury so as when they set forward to assalt Coignac they well found that such catts were not caught without mittens for therein were fowre regimentes of footemen but as when they had sent three or fowre hundred shot vnto the parkeside to disceuer that part they that were within sent foorth 10 or 1200 who sent them so quickly away that they came no more as also they had in their army but sowre Canons and as many Culuerines Monsieur contenting him selfe with his victory and perceiuing that hee coulde not performe any greate matter in his tender youth triumphing ouer moste excellent captaines as also hee had good counsaile and assistaunce of other worthy Captaines that accompanied him retired to refresh his men In this action we are to gather that in whatsoeuer waighty and daungerous attempt it must not bee followed to halues for we must either quight leaue it off or else employ whatsoeuer our senses and force Moreouer this is to be noted that when armies are lodged scatteringly they incurre viuerse inconueniences which the sufficiencie of the best Captaines is not able withstand Of the notable passage of the Duke of Aipont from the borders of Rhine euen into Aquitaine MAny that shall heere see it set downe as it were for a meruayle that a forraine enimies armie coulde pierce so very far into the realme of France wyll not peraduenture thinke it straunge because that considering other examples namelie that of the Emperour Charles the fifth when hee came to besiege Saint Desier they will not take such expeditions to be so extraordinarie as we wold make them beleeue for Howbeit if they list well to waigh the length of the iourney also the mightie and continuall lets and hinderances that this had I doubt they wil be of another opinion Yet will I confesse that ciuill warres doe greatly fauour the entrie of our neighbours who otherwise without the support of one of the factions neuer durst haue enterprised the same But when on the one side the fauour is small and on the other side the resistance great we are the more to admire the deeds of those that haue so aduentured Touching that which is alleadged of the Emperour Charles I will aunswere in fewe wordes First for his person hee was the mightiest Captaine in Christendome then for his campe it consisted of fiftie thousand men lastlie that at such time as hee came in the King of England had alreadie taken Bollein which caused King Fraunces who woulde not aduenture anie thing rashlie to leaue the passage more free Nowe the Duke of Biponts case is farre otherwise for notwithstandinge he were a valyaunt valyant Prince yet did he not any thing neere approch the militarie sufficiencie of the other and a great helpe and ease it was for him that he was accompanied with the Prince of Orenge Countie Lodowicke Countie Wolrad of Mansfield besides other braue French Captaines and two thousand footmen and horsemen of the same nation that ioyned with him His number of Germaines was fiue thousand Lance knights and sixe thousand Reisters With this small armie did he passe forward in purpose to ioyne with the Princes power The King vnderstanding that he prepared for their succour did immediatlie appoint a small armie vnder the leading of the Duke of Aumale to withstand him and doubting of the weaknesse therof he also ioyned thereto another vnder the gouernment of the D. of Nemours These two bodies vnited did in footmen exceede the Duke of Bipont but in horse were inferiour vnto him They determined not to state his comming into the realme to molest them and therefore marched euen into the borders of Germanie and toward Sauerne ouerthrew the regiment of one named Le Coche composed of certaine straies gathered together who meant to haue ioyned with him Neuerthelesse he entered into France on the side of Burgundie whether they came to coast him and vntill he came to the riuer of Loire which was little lesse than foure score leagues they neuer gaue him ouer but still were either on his flankes or tayle yea many times the armies were in sight each of other and had great skirmishes I haue oft heard the Prince of Orenge report that he meruayled in so long and difficult a waie that the Catholikes could neuer finde anie fit occasion to their aduauntage for sometimes they had fayre offers by reason of the pestering with store of carriages Neither can I omit this that besides the braue forces of the Kings armie they had other aduantages which were not smal as the fauour of the townes Countries and riuers yea and one point more was to be noted that is their notise of the enemies purposes which consisted in making of way and winning by power or pollicy some passage ouer Loire For albeit both the Dukes of Nemours and Aumale were braue Captains yet notwithstanding all their pollicies and endeauours this armie gate to the sayd
to force their enemies withdrew to their lodginges as also did the Princes who hauing considered that their staie might be hurtfull as also that they wanted pouder marched by great ionrneis vnto La Charitee and other townes their partakers there to furnish themselues anewe with all commodities necessarie Shortlie after there was a truce taken betweene both armies which grew to a peace wherevpon euerie man laid downe his weapons It had bene verie noisome lieng so long in the field in heate in colde in bad wayes and almost alwayes in the enemies lande where the verie peasant made them as sharp warre as the souldier which inconueniences many times troubled that great Captaine Hannibal when he was in Italie It is therefore a braue schoole point to marke how men can fit their counsayles to necessitie such labours are in the beginning so odious that they make the sculdiours to murmure against their owne Captaines but being a litle accustomed hardned in these painful exercises they begin to grow into a good opinion of themselues when they see that they haue as it were ouercome y t which terrefieth so many chieflie the delicate These be the braue galleryes beautifull walks of the souldiours then their bed of honour is the graue wherinto a harquebuze shot may haue ouerthrowen them But in truth all this is worthie reward commendation namely when they that tread these pathes and endure these labours doe maintaine an honest cause and in their proceedings shew themselues replenished with valor and monestie Now if anie man in this woful warre laboured sore both in bodie minde we may saie that it was the Admirall for the waightiest part of the burthen of the affaires and military labours did he with great constancie and facilitie beare as also hee bare him selfe as reuerentlie among the Princes his superiours as modestie with his inferiours Godlinesse he alwayes helde in great estimation and bare greate loue to iustice which made him to be esteemed honored of all that part which he had taken he neuer ambiciously sought offices or honors but in eschuing them was in respect of his sufficiencie and honestie forced to take them When hee dealt with weapons he shewed himselfe as skilful in them as anie Captaine of his time and alwayes couragiouslie hazarded himselfe to all daungers In aduersities he was noted to be endued with magnanimitie and inuention to get out and shewed himselfe alwayes free from glosing and dissimulation In summe he was a man worthie to restore any weake and corrupt estate Thus much I thought good by the waie to saie of him as hauing knowen and kept his companie yea and profited in his schoole and so should doe him iniurie if I should not make true and honest mention of him The causes of the third peace The comparison thereof with the former also whether the same were necessarie NOne of the three ciuill warres lasted so long as this which coÌ„tinued two whole yeres where the first was ended in one yere the second in sixe moneths and many doyet thinke that had not y e Protestants draweÌ„ toward Paris it would not haue bene done so soone of which experience they haue gathered this rule that to purchase peace war must be brought beere this mightie Citie which I also take to haue ben one of the chiefe causes to help it forward for y e stripes which threaten the head do greatly terrefie the Catholike strangers hauing also wasted innumerable coin had left such want that they knew not how to furnish paie Ruine and robberie was rife euerie where Moreouer good hap seemed to begin to raise vp those that had ben wearied For the Princes armie had made a braue head against the Kings at Rene le Duc. Gascogne LaÌ„guedock Daulphine held sorer than war before Bearne was recouered in Poictou Xantoigne the Protestants had spead well in ouerthrowing the two old regiments and taking sundrie townes Al these things gathered together which other secret perticular oceasions disposed y e King and Queene to grant to the peace which was published in August The Protestants also desired stood in great need of it for hauing neuer a crowne wherewith to satiffie their Reisters their necessitie would haue driuen them to abandon the Princes as by the Countie of Mansfield they gaue them to vnderstande Likewise seeing them neere their owne Countrie it was to bee feared least they would haue resolued so to doe which falling out would haue beene the ouerthrow of their affaires Many other discommodities which I omit vrged heereunto among the rest the misrule of our souldiours was such as it could not be remedied Insomuch that the Admirall who loued good order and hated viâ—e did many times since saie that he had rather die than fall into the like confusions againe and to see so many mischiefes committed before his face To bee briefe the peace was accepted vpon tollerable conditions also for y e assurance thereof was added that which in the former they neither durst demand nor coulde obtaine namelie foure townes The beginning of this communication was after the siege of S. Iohn d'Angelie wherin were emploied the Lords of Thelignie Beaunois la Nocle gentlemeÌ„ endued w t diuerse vertues who faithfully discharged their duties and if before when the Protestants affaires were at a latter hand the Catholiks had offered smaller conditions I thinke they would haue bene taken But when they saw that they would not graunt them anie exercise of religion but onely a simple libertie of conscience it brought them into such despaire that they made of necessitie vertue And as time breedeth alterations so those that ensued turned so far to their fauour that their courages were raised and their hope corroborated The best time then to treate of peace is when we haue the aduantage in war But that doth ordinarilie so puffe vp men that they will not heare thereof howbeit either earlie or late the king did wiser to graunt it for the continuation of warre depriued him of his pleasure supplanted the loue and obedience due vnto him forâ—aied the Countries sacked the treasurie consumed his power But may some man say the king of Spaine hath not done so in Flanders Truely may another aunswere he hath not wonne much and per aduenture in the end for the ceasing of these troublesome tragedies hee will followe the same counsaile that his neighbours haue done Now albeit peace was necessarie for the Protestants yet haue this â—shap almost euer ensued that the same haue not continued neither so much as beene established according to the couenant I will speak first of that which was framed before Orleance lasted foure yeeres and a halfe was nothing neere so profitable for them as the edict of Ianuarie howbeit it followeth not but that it was at that time acceptable for theyr affayres were not in state to refuse it and time discouered the fruit that it
the Turkes Prediction of the Turkes Alcoran The meanes to set vpon the Turkes Guicciard lib. 13. To what vse the former discourse of Guicards may serue what is to be altered in these daies How to deuide the Christian forces also to what number they should amouÌ„t What Captaines were meet to command in the Christians armie Of the principall members of this army At what time the Christian power should begine their warre how The troupes of the army that should march by lande Their first endeuors Their exercises The ordering therof in warre Their order in a large contry Of the battaile by lande betweene the Christians and Turkes Of the ordring of the army in the straights Of the exploits of the nauy That the armies as well by land as by sea should inuade and how The continuation of the warre in the second yere with the order to be taken as well by sea as by lande Of the nations of Greece the Turkes bondmen Of the exploits and behauiors of both the Christian armies the third yeare The exployts of the nauy Of the exployts and effects of both the armies in the fourth and last yere of their warres against the Turkes Of what importance this warre against the Turke is in respect of all other warres Of the principal battaile against the Turkes The following of the victorie The exp 〈…〉 of the Nauie Of the siege assaults and taking of Constantinople The behauiors after the Conquest Partition of the Conquest The conclusion of this discourse The fruits of learning Of such as are to curious in the search for gould by Alcumie The summe of this discourse Three sorts of men that deale Alcumie Their principles Their curiositie examined Of the partes of Phillosophie also whether Alcumie hath relation to any of the same That habundancie and pleÌ„ty of Gould hath done more harme then good in the world Of the coÌ„moditie and vse of gould also of the mischiefes arising of the abuse thereof How dangerous the abuse of Gold is also in what estimatioÌ„ and vse it is in these dayes Of the mischiefes proceeding of those mens vanitie who because they haue much Golde doe thinke themselues to be rich Gold hath brought the barbarousnesse of sauages into Europe and finally made the sauages very wilde men indede Aunswer to the allegations of the Alcumists concerning the substance of mettall Whether they can minister any forme to the thing by them imagined To what vse experience may serue the Alchumists The examination of the multiplication of their pouder Whether any of the 〈◊〉 writers did euer find out this secret Examination of the examples of antiquitie with the Alcumistis doe aleadge Of the mischiefes wherin the Alcumistes doe plague themselues Of the vse of true Alcumie Of the vanitie of those that aspire to haue heapes of gold and Siluer Who it is that in deed coÌ„uerteth mettals Of some Alchumistes who ween vnder pretence of piety to attaine to their purposes Psal 2â— Of the true Philosophers stone taught by Solomon Eccle 3. That the true goodes are spirituall and vncorruptible Also the meanes to attaine thereto Pâ—o. 3. Answer to those that loke only vpon earth Prouer. 8. Prouer. 3. The excellency of heauenly wisdome Wisdome 8. How liberally God doth communitate this treasure to all men also the vse and abuse of the same The subtiltie of the Epicures How dangerous they are also how to beware of them How they may be knowen Of the Epicures of the Court. Their speches to those whoÌ„ they seeke to seduce Of the Epicures and Libertines which enhabit the Townes Their speeches Of Epicures and Libertines brought vp in the warres Their speeches Why the speeches of the Epicures are heere set downe also the meanes to eschue the infection of the same A more briefe order of the discourses of the sundry sortes of these Libertines The examination of the arguments or sophismes aforegoing Confutation of the Libertines argumet touching the pleasure The second part of the confutation touching the sorow which the Libertines doecoÌ„demne The cowardlines of those Libertines that enhabit the townes Answere to their argument concerning the motions of nature also whether it be well done to hide their liues Plutarke in his treatise whether this common speech Hide thy life be well saide Aunswer to the errors of the courtly Libertine A refutation of the errors of the Souldier-like Libertine Whether Christian profession doe banish ioy out of the harte In his treatise that by the doctrine of Epicurus no man can liue merely The confutation of the Libertines alligations against the terrors of hell A consolation to the good against the apprehension of hell also how fore affliction tormenteth the Libertines The comforts of the true Catholicks both in affliction and prosperitie The abuse of the Libertines in the vse of the thinges that they feele after wherein they ground their schcitie The Christanmanes delight That the pleasures of the body which the Christians do enioie are more delectable and firme then those wherin the Liibertines doe plague themselues Plutarke in the banker of the seuen Sages Of the contentation of Christians in the vse of temperall goods Against those that haue depriued most men of contemplatiue life That all men are capeable of coÌ„templation The miserie of many 〈…〉 sake their parte of this priuiledge and reprooue it Of contemplatiue power and the true obiects thereof Of such persones as may entend thereto The Gentrie Aunswer to a common obiection touching contemplation Of the contemplation that beseemeth Studentâ— Lawiers and Churchmen Aunswer to the obiection of such as imagine the contemplatiue life to belong onely to them selues Whereto Monasteries did in old time serue Of Monasteries of our daies and of Moncks contemplations A comparation of the ould and newe Monckes Of the contemplation of the Students in humaine sciences Whether contemplation beseemeth Princes Soldiers Lawiers and those that haue the care of bodely health 2. Chron. 14. Of contemplation meete for the commonoltie both of the towne contrie Math. 11. The conclusion conioyned with a notable aduertisment to such as giue themselues to vice and pollution Psal 42. Gene. 3. The beginning of the first troubles The Princes retire from Paris Occasion of the assemblie of his troupes A notible coÌ„sideration vpon the former discourse The Princes intent in these beginninges Why he could not possibly be the stronger about the Kinge and courte That Historiographers cannot possibly note all perticularities How the Prince of Conde seased vpon Orleance Of writinges published for the taking of armes in the first troubles Of the parlie betweene the Queene mother and the Prince of Condie The approches of the two coÌ„trary armies Treatie of peace Of the Princes offer made to the Queene The counsell and aduice vpon this matter Obseruations vpon this matter The Princes resolation to sette vpon his enemies Now this enterprise might haue succeded and what happened the next daie An accedent fauorable to the Princes enemies
The causes of good discipline The notable perticularities of the same The begining of disorders The remedies applied Discontentment in the Princes armie Of the taking of Burges and the counsaile to besiedge Orleance The reasons of those that counsailed the fiedge of Roan rather then of Orleance The taking of Roan Of the ouerthrowe of the Lorde of Duras troupes The execution of the Prince of Condes purposes staied through the succour that the Lorde of Andelot brought in The Princes armie marched toward Paris A Camisado enterprised against the suburbes of Paris also the retreat of the Princes army A notable battayle 1 The countenaunce of both the armies 2 The Generositie of the Suitâ—ers 3 The Lorde of Guizes patience cause of his victorie 4 The long continuance of the battell 5 The taking of the two generalles of the armies 6 The retraite of both the armies How the Lord of Guyze intreated the Lord Prince of Conde The foundation of the Duke of Guizes hope The Lorde Admirals resolution the Siege of Orleance and the notablest perticularities of the same The wouÌ„ding and death of the Duke of Guize whereof ensued the pacification of the first trobles also what the Lord Admirall did in Normandie The causes of the taking of armes in the second troble The resolution to take armes also the difficulties in the beginning Of the successe of the Princes attempts The first A generall taking of armes vpon one selfe day The second Their courage in setting vpon 6000. Suitzers The third The taking of Saint Dennis The Prince of Condies first entent to force his aduersaries to harken to accorde The second and third cotent The Lord Constables purposes The meanes that were practised to ouerthrow the Prince and his armie The behauiors of the Princes armie in Loraine A notable historie A meane to attaine to peace The Lord Admirals care for the entertainement of the armie Of the lodging of the armie The march Into what Difficulties the Protestants were reduced during the ciuill warres The beginning of the siege of Chartres A counter enterprise of the Lord Admirales during the seege Of Chartres The second peace cause of more mischief then the warre it selfe Part of the Protestantes causers of their owne mischiefe The notable reuolution of these warres also of the Princes retrait The Lord of Martigues braue resolution to gette to Saumure What helpe the towne of Rochel was to the Prince and his who therby became maisters of a large country The arriuall of the Queene of Nauarre and her children in the armie also of the troupes of Daulphine The ouerthrow of the Colonels Mouuans and Pierre-gourd Of the power of both the armies which albeit they desired it could neuer haue opportunitie to ioyne The Duke of Aniâ—ous armie lost a braue opportunitie to ouerthrowe the Lord Admirall an d 〈…〉 Andelot Aduice vppon the aforesaid aduenture The Prince lost the occasion to ouerthrow the enemies Auantguard Of the iourney of Iasnueil A pleasant chance which troubled many The extreame could kept the 2. armies from executing their pretenses The Lord Admirals enterprise voide of his pretended effect The retract of both the armies through the extreamitie of the colde The Earle of Brissackes bould enterprise and what came of it What happened before the battaile of Bassac The euell keeping of the passage and their smale diligence to ioyne together cause of the ouerthrow shortly ensuing The battaile of Bassac with the taking and cause of the Prince of Condees death The praise of the Prince of Conde also what happened after his death The lets to keepe the Duke of Biponts army from ioining with the Princes Of the ioining of the Germaines with the Princes The occurrences betweene both the armies at Rochell The purpose of the Princes army before the siege of Poictiers also the taking of Lusignan The cause of the siege of Poictiers The notablesâ— perticularities of the siege of Poicters Vpon what occasions the siege was raised from before Poicters Diuers causes of the ouerthrow of the Princes armie at Montcontour The charge sâ—irmishes about Saint Cler. A notable aduertisement giuen before the battaile but not followed The Counsells and difficulties in the Princes armie whereof ensued the meanes to the aduersaries armie to assaile them The battaile fought and wonne by Monsiers army Ouer sight of MoÌ„sieurs army after their victorie A notable counsaile houlden by the chief Captaines of this armie and so their resolution What helpe Rochel hath ministred to the Princes and their warlick affaires CoÌ„modities of warres by sea also the abuses therein committed By what meanes the Princes armie was restored Of the forces that ioyned with the Princes The voiage of the Princes armie The meeting of both armies at Rhene le Duc. Of the third peace Of the behauiors of the Lord Admiral during the three first ciuil waries Sundry causes of this mention of him this third peace as well on the one side as on the other When they beginne to breake of peace also what is to be noted therein Consideration vpon these th 〈…〉 pacifications of the ciuill warres The diuers affections of those that long after warre and how they haue bene prouided for Against such as like of euerie peace and mislike euery warre