of May. During this interval a French Cavalier in the Enemies Army came over to ours and gives advice to the Duke of Enguien that General Beck was to arrive the next morning by 7 a clock with 1000 Horse and 3000 Foot to re-inforce the Enemy hereupon it was resolved to fight by break of day which no sooner appeared but the General having taken the Right wing of the Army and the Mareschal de l' Hospital the Left about a quarter of a League from Rocroy they disposed themselves to do their best The Enemies Army being composed of 25000 men viz. 17000 Foot and 8000 Horse the Infantry commanded by the Comte d' Isemberg and the Cavalry by the Duke d'Alberquerque and the Comte de Fontaines Mareschal General du Camp under Fancisco de Mello General for the King of Spain The French Army was 14000 Foot and 6000 Horse The Duke of Enguien having visited the several Divisions and encouraged the Officers to perform their Duty the Skirmish begins and 1000 Musqueteers of the Enemy are forced to give ground On the Left the Sieur de la Ferté-Seneterre charging the Enemy the Combat was so obstinate that he was Wounded in ten several places and taken prisoner though a while after rescued During this advantage the Enemy took our Cannon but the Mareschal de l' Hospital with his succours charged and recovered them again In this lively action he was wounded in the Arm with a Musquet-shot so that he was forced to leave the fight This accident gave the Enemy such advantage that once more they took our Cannon and used them against us but the Baron de Siron Mareschal de Camp of the Cavalry having a body of reserve rallies our men and stops the Enemie's success In the mean while our Right wing having routed the Cavalry attaques the Spanish Foot which she cuts in pieces In fine the Sieur Gassion coming up they are all put to the Rout. We lost there about 20 Officers and as many Wounded On the Enemies side beside a great number of Dead of lesser note the Comte de Fontaines was killed and the Comte d' Isemberg wounded to death and 6000 Prisoners among whom 200 Officers and 20 pieces of Cannon From this signal Victory which has insencibly carried this Discourse beyond its intended Bounds we will proceed to the Funerals of Lewis the Just the preparatives for which were made the 22 of July the day preceding ended the * A space of forty days during which time Prayers are continually made for the Dead Quarantaine during all which time the Queen-Mother remained shut up thereby to give place more opportunely to the sensible regrets for the loss of her Spouse Monday was appointed for the Funeral-Ceremonies at which did assist the Princes Prelates and Soveraign Courts of Justice The Kings Body was placed in the midst of a Chappel all flaming with Lights and the Solemn Service made at St. Denis in France where also the Body was deposited in the Vault of his Predecessors The 29th of July Madam the Dutchess of Enguien was happily delivered of a Son who bears the Name of Duke d'Albert The 2 of August the Duke of Beaufort youngest of the two Sons of the Duke of Vendôme was arrested and imprisoned in the Bois de Vincennes The Duke of Enguien after the Victory at Rocroy and the taking of Cirq returns to Paris with the Comte de Rantzau and on the 7th of October the King and Queen Regent were pleased to leave the Louvre to inhabit at the Palais Royal about which time also was sent to the Abbey of St. Germains desprez one of St. Placidus's Arms by the great Master of Malta which Relique was solemnly received by the Religious The Civil troubles in England continuing the Comte de Harcour was sent on the part of his most Christian Majesty to compose if possible the discontents between the King of great Britain and his Parliament but he found the Spirits of the Dissenters so little disposed that way that he returned without success About the same time a crew of Raskals at Rovergüe who took the name of * Croquans Devourers did raise a Tumult which notwithstanding was soon after supprest by the Comte de Noüaille As our Kings have alwaies had this advantage to give Laws to Strangers and not to receive them so also have they been constant Mediators of Concord among Christian Princes and particularly of the reconciliation of the Duke of Parma with his Holiness of which the Treaty was concluded at Paris and the Articles signed by the Cardinal Dongly Plenipotentiary for his Holiness and by the Cardinal Bichy Plenipotentiary on the part of his Majestie for the Duke of Parma In which Treaty he continued the Title enjoyed by our former Kings of Arbiters of Christian Princes A while after les Sieurs de Servient and d'Avaux Plenipotentiaries for his Majesty parted from France to conclude the Peace which in fine was presently effected The 21 of November Monsieur Lesoit Doctor and professor at the Sorbonne who for his singular merits had been named to the Bishoprick of Chartres was consecrated at Paris The Mareschal de Guebriant a Breton whose valour was signalized in the last King's Raign being now at the siege of Rothweil in Germany was wounded with a Faulcon-shot the 24th of November of which he died his Body being conveyed to Paris by the King 's express order his Funerals were performed with great solemnity Anno 1644. The Year 1644. was no less fertile in producing new Lawrels for France than the former But before we attempt to display these Victories it is not impertinent to observe by the by the Death of Anne de Montasie Widow of Charles of Bourbon Comte of Soissons Prince of the Blood and great Master of France who died at Paris aged 67 years she left by her Will 100000 Crowns to the Chevalier de Soissons Bastard-son to the deceased Comte de Soissons who was slain in the Battle of Sedan The Town of Gravelines was besieged by Monsieur the Duke of Orleans who invested it the 6. of June assisted by the Dukes of Guise and Nemours the Comte de Harcour Eldest son of the Duke d'Elbeuf and the Mareschals de la Meleraye de Gassion de Cossé and the Marquess d'Alegre This Siege may be placed in the number of the most difficult such was the stout resistance of the besieged which notwithstanding had no power to stop the Victories of France Here in one of our Attaques fell the Marquess de Nangis In fine the Besieged under the Conduct of Ferdinando de Solis finding himself out of all hope of Relief which Picolomini had once made a shew of giving surrendered to the Duke of Orleans the 29th of July And at the same time died Vrban 8th after he had possess'd the Holy Seat 21 years Now also past an Arrest in the Parliament of Paris prohibiting all Physitians whatsoever except those of the University of
disguise being there Besieged by the Parliament-Forces and fled to the Scots who shewed him no part of that due reception which belongs to their King but sent him under a strong Convoy to Newcastle to which place also the King of France sends the Sieur de Montreüil to reside neer him and reconcile him to the Parliament On the 9th of May the Comte de Harcour lays siege to Lerida where in our first Attaques we lost the Comte de Chabot and the Marquiss de Gévres Sons to the Comte de Tremes On the 14th of June the Town of Courtray in Flanders was taken by the French Army notwithstanding that Duke Charles Picolomini and Lamboy made a shew of Relief In Italy the Town Orbitello in Tuscany was besieged by the Prince Thomas Here our Admiral Commanding a Fleet on the part of the Besiegers was killed by a Cannon-shot in a Naval fight In fine Prince Thomas was forced to retire the Enemies Forces being augmented by fresh succours July 8th the Prince of Wales Eldest son to the King of England arrived at Caën in Normandy and from thence directly to the Queen his Mother at St. Germain en Laye The 13th of July died Messire Roger de Bellegarde Duke and Pair of France and Grand Escuyer aged 83 years and 7 moneths and the 26th of the same moneth died also his Brother Octavius de Bellegarde Arch-Bishop of Sens. His decease was preceded by two other Prelates viz. Messire Abra de Raconis Bishop of Lavaur in Languedoc and Messire François de Pericard Bishop of Eureux Longuvy the onely place that remained in the Duke of Lorain's Territories was taken about this time by the Marquiss de la Ferté Seneterre The Assembly of the Clergy ending about the 30th of July Messire Jean François Paul de Gondy Arch-Bishop of Corinth and Coadjutor in the Arch-bishoprick of Paris made an Harangue to the King in the name of all the Clergy And now Messire le President Believre was sent Embassador into England where he had favourable Audience by the Parliament at London the 27 of July and the first of August by the King at Newcastle In the beginning of August the Fort of Mardike was Besieged by Monsieur the Duke of Orleans the brisk Attaques which we gave took from us at the very first the Chivalier de la Füeillade le Sieur du Terrail of the same Race with Captain Bayard and three days after the Comte de Fley and the Chevalier de Fiesque The Duke of Nemours was Wounded by a Musquet-shot in his Leg but without hurting the Bone and as favourably the Prince de Marsillac Eldest son to the Duke de la Rochfoucault The 22 of August the Sieur de Grignan had his Head taken off by a Cannon-shot This resistance by the Besieged enflamed the Courage of our party and the mouth of the Channel being stopt by six ships of Holland so that the Besieged were forced to receive all their Relief from Gravelines to which they had been as a Bulwork Mardike finding her self so severely prest began to Parley the Besieged were received to Composition by Monsieur the Duke of Orleans and the chief Articles were that 3000 men then and there in Garrison should come out Life and Baggage safe but should remain Prisoners of War The place thus taken the Sieur de Chalen was made Governour The 6th of September the Comte Magnus Gabriel de la Gardie Embassador extraordinary from Swedeland arrived at Paris where he was extream kindely received by their Majesties and lodged at the Hostel de Vendôme In the mean while News arrives at Court that on the 17th of September his Holiness at the Kings Instance had restored those of the House of Barberins to their Goods conditionally that the two Cardinals should abide some while at Avignon At the same time the Mareschal de Bassompierre aged 68 years dies suddainly at Provins Dunkirk which hitherto had been the receptacle of Pirates who had continually scowred the Seas on all the Coasts of France was Invested by the Duke of Enguien on the 17th of September and assaulted so vigorously by our Souldiers excited by the courage of their Commander that on the tenth of October it surrendered by Composition The Marquiss de Leide the Governour march'd out with 1500 men of which 400 Sick and Wounded and he confest to have lost 600 of his best Souldiers The Mareschal of Rantzau succeeded to the place of Governour for the French Dunkirk was first built 600 years since by Baudoüin Earl of Flanders After that it was burnt down by the English in the year 1388. Rebuilt by the French and after taken by the Spaniards who kept it till the present Conquest The King's Army in Italy commanded by the Mareschals de la Mêleraye take the Town Castle and Citadel of Piambino in Tuscany at which time Monsieur the Marquiss Villeroy the King's Governour received from the hands of their Majesties the Oath of Mareschal of France Portolongona a place scituated in the Isle of Elb lying in the Tuscan-Sea between the Continent of Italy and Corsica which was heretofore usurp'd from its own lawful Lord by a Captain of the Emperour Charles the 5th in the year 1548. after that delivered into the possession of his son Philip the 2d and whose Successors held it ever since was now Besieged and taken by the French Army In the midst of this Island rises a Spring on this account the more admirable that its Waters are observed to hold proportion with the length of the daies of the year in such manner that when they are at the longest the Stream is able to drive a Mill but when at the shortest 't is almost dry Lerida in Catalonia having been besieged by the Comte de Harcour for the space of 7 moneths was relieved the 21 of November in the night by the Marquiss de Leganez General of the Spanish Army who forcing our Lines with 7000 Foot and 3000 Horse our party though at the first they made a stout resistance encouraged by the Valour of their Commander yet finding themselves o'repower'd by the number of the Enemy were constrained to retire but in good order into Cerveres with 6000 Foot and 1000 Horse by that means to secure the Country We lost there the Comte de Origny In revenge of this action the Sieur de St. Colom-Marin Mareschal of the Field took from the Enemy the Town of Arbera the 6th of December following The 26th of the same moneth Madam la Dutchess of Orleans was happily delivered of a second Daughter The same day the 26th of December being the Feast of St. Steven Henry de Bourbon Prince of Condé deceased at Paris aged 58 years and three moneths he left two Sons and a Daughter the * Formerly called Duke of Enguien Eldest of which makes no inconsiderable part in the French History of these last years by reason of his many Renowned Exploits of War Sieges and Battles in which things
Marquiss d'Aietone prepared to fight us and with designe to engage them marches towards Belpouche about three hours journey from Lesborges between Lerida and the Enemy but perceiving them to retreat towards Lerida he sends the Marquiss de la Trousse to intercept their way and follows himself upon their Rear The Enemy who thought of nothing but a safe Retreat to Lerida and now seeing themselves encompast by the Mareschal de Gramont's Forces prepare for fight and they had undoubtedly beat our party had not Monsieur the Prince seeing the hazard advanced and stopt their success but by the favour of the Night which came on apace they repast the Segre with the loss of seven or eight hundred men cut in pieces by our Forces We lost there the Sieur de Lupes St. Remy a Captain de Serre a Cornet and some Common Souldiers The 24th of October Tutavilla Governour of Terragona presenting himself again before Constantin was again beaten off by the Troops of Monsieur the Prince of Condé and the diligence of the Sieur de la Baume Governour of the place This year 1647. concludes with the Duke of Guise's entry into Naples the Neapolitans who of a long time had been opprest with the Spanish Yoak having invited him and put themselves under his protection during his abode at Rome Embarquing then the third of November attended onely with his Aumosnier and the Gentleman of his Chamber he arrived happily at Naples the fifth and was there received with incredible joy of the Inhabitants who had made a shift to defend themselves to that present against the Spanish Domination notwithstanding their many Conspiracies and had also expel'd all those whom they suspected of the Spanish Faction Here the Machinations of the other party were so great and dangerous that the Duke run many hazards From the year 1280 in which happened the Massacre of the French in Sicily under Charles of Anjou first of that Name and Brother of St. Lewis to the time of René d'Anjou Naples had been the constant Field of Battle in all the Contests between the Houses of Anjou and Aragon as is observed in the course of the French History where we may see how Charles the 2d succeeded to his Father in that Kingdom and after his death his son Robert Afterwards about the year 1344 Joan the first of that Name Daughter of Charles a Son of the said Robert succeeded to the Crown of Naples Joan ending her life by a sad and shameful death Ladislaus son to Charles of Durazo succeeded about the year 1387. and remained in possession of the Kingdom of Naples till his death Ladislaus dying Joan the 2d his Sister succeeds in the year 1417. who finding her self continually molested by those of the House of Aragon declares René d'Anjou her Heir and Successor about the year 1435. But whether it was that his own peaceful Inclinations or the Inconstancies of the Neapolitan humour stop'd his designes is uncertain this is apparent he never did any thing effectually towards the Conquest of that Kingdom to which his Birth-right did call him This gave opportunity to Ferdinand son of Alphonso to seize the Scepter notwithstanding John Duke of Calabria son of René attempted though in vain to recover the right of his Grandfathers But Charles the 8th King of France undertook this Enterprize with such a courage that all Italy lay open to his Arms and having first made his entry into Rome he was received at Naples with extraordinary magnificence in the year 1494. Charles after this retiring into France and Lewis the 12th extending his Conquests to Milain Francis the first desiring to extend them still further at such time as he Besieged Pavie divided his Army and sent half for Naples but his being taken Prisoner on the 24th of February in the year 1525 put a period to those designes From that time to the present Naples ever remained under the Dominion of the Spaniards And this last Change being so notorious we have made this short recapitulation of the several vicissitudes of that Kingdom From the time of Francis the first to Lewis 13th and Lewis 14th so happily raigning at present the power of Spain was arrived to that point that in fine it seemed all Europe should speak no other Language than Spanish but God whose Dominion extends over all Monarchies hath in a few years diminish'd the swelling extent of this which now of late begins by little and little to fall within its ancient limits But to return to the Duke of Guise after this little digression and observe some of the principal actions which at that time he performed in those parts we must know then in short This Prince on his arrival perceiving how much the people were oppress'd by the Spanish Dominion in the first place dispatches several Couriers to all those Towns which he conceived most material to contribute to the overthrow of their Authority and after he had duly disposed of all things by his rare Conduct he visits the said places severally and takes an exact view of all their Ammunitions after this he raises 26000 men which he distributes into three Bodies And at the same time Salerne falls off to the Republick Hereupon Dom John of Austria and the Duke of Tursi arrive in Naples with a Counter Force to stop the peoples Mutinies but they having joyn'd Policy and Address to the Arms they had levied the Spaniards could not possibly prevent their Choice of our Prince for Duke of the Republick and Generalissimo of all their Forces But since events of War are so uncertain and what seems most assured often wants success Fortune was so indulgent to the Spaniards that our Duke was taken Prisoner by Tutavilla at the Pass of a little River and this was the utter ruine of the Neapolitans designes Anno 1648. Let us now return to France The King and Queen Regent his Mother having been at Chartres to pay their Vows to our Lady return to Paris the 27th of March 1648. In April the Generals of our Armies prepare for a new Campagne expecting the usual Progress in adding to their former Conquests Accordingly on the 20th of August his Majesty obtained a signal Victory before Lens where the Prince of Condé Commanding in chief took Prisoner the General Bek who died soon after of his Wounds This had filled all France with joy had not an unexpected accident disturbed the Feast On the 26th Te Deum was sung in the Cathedral of Nostre Dame at Paris and on the same day the Sieurs de Broussel and de Blanc-mesnil were Arrested which caused a great disorder through all the City till by the Queens bounty in restoring their Liberty it was appeased In the moneth of January the same year the Rebels of England had the horrid Impudence to Condemn their King to the Scaffold After that forbid the having any other King for the future and changed the Government to a Republick Fairfax was declared General of