to march in order His maiestie had not marched farre but he perceiued that he had not had certaine aduice for within halfe a league of the fort where the enemy was lodged he found them in battail array for a token that they went not scatering they discharged some canons But had he bene truly aduertized he would surely haue brought his army so vndoubtedly we had had battaile that with aduantage or at the least in equal ballance which is the thinge that the king chiefly desireth The king seyng how the case stood sent word to marshall Biron to stay the army where it was also to consider how to lodge like wise soon after hesent the Lord Baron of Biron sonne to the saide Marshall to appoint the seate which hee dyd at Iuetot twoo leagues from the ennemies campe who began allready to fortefie notwithstanding the strong scituation thereof which was vpon a hill betwene two valleis neither was there any accesse vnto it but at one onely heade and that very difficulte as being flancked with wood and vallies besides that attending vntill the trenches were made they had placed at the saide heade three rowes of carriages whereof they had great plenty The king seeing his army too farre off namely that his Rutters were lodged three leagues off and diuers of his troupes so farre away that they could not come together vntill it were very late determined to retire vntill the nexte morninge and then to see whether hee coulde woorke any good effect The seauenth day of the saide moneth of May the king departed with some of his forces to lodge at a place called Saint Katerines from whence hee might plainely discouer the ennemies Campe but perceyuing that hee was first to passe twoo greate vallies hee returned to the former lodging The eight day some went to discouer the ennemies army who found them within a great trench which they had augmented The ninth day the king tooke counsaile to assaile the ennemies horsemen who were lodged along a valley for the commodity of water and in three villages beneath their army Herevppon hee gaue charge to Baron Biron to take hys Regimente wherein were sixe hundred French footemen one hundred English pikes and one hundred Musquettiers and as many Wallons likewise the Launce knights to seise vppon this lodging Hee also appoynted that the Lorde Marshall de Aumont shoulde marche after wyth hys Regimente also that when they were neere the execution he should take on to the lefte hande so to keepe that side from hinderinge the same as also to sette a faâ—â— as if hee would fighte with such as should gather together namely wyth the laste villages or else wyth the whole army The Duke of Bouillon was likewise expresly appointed wyth hys Regimente to take on to the righte hande towarde the ennemies Campe where hee gotte vp aboue on to the top of the valley and marched towarde the ennemies trenches within the volley of a small culuering whereby hee stopped the ennemies from comming foorth of their Campe to succour those lodginges The Lord Marshall Biron marched after with eight hundred French two hundred footemen English and Wallons most of them pikes and then his owne Regiment Being come to the first village hee slayed and sent foure hundred hargabuziers into the wood on to the right hand to support the Duke of Bouillon if neede should require also two hundred to his sonne the Lord Barâ—â— of Biron The kinge remained on the toppe of the Hill to the ende to make heade against the army in case it should passe out at the ende or beginninge of the valley with his Cornet his Regiment and the Regiments of the Dukes of Montpensier and Longueuille the counties of Saint Paul and Do. for it was to bee feared that the ennemy would passe that waye to hinder and disturbe the execution aforesaid The fight was sore for ye are to note that where commonly men set vppon lodginges by night the king would haue this done by day to the ende that if the ennemy shoulde offer any attempt he might bee seene comminge and to bee fought withall Besides of the kinges troupes some tarried ouer long others shewed themselues in the view of the ennemies campe so that when the sayd Lord Baron drew neare the lodgings he found doble ward of Rutters and launces and almost all the troopes taking horse being in nomber betwene thirtie fortie cornets seuen companies of men of armes of the ordinances and the Rutters The said Lord Baron had but few men in respect that the passage was narrow albert in deede the Lord great Maister of the horse came vnto him with some fiueteene or twenty of the kinges Cornet and the County of Chasteau-Roux Marshall de Auments eldest sonne accompanied with some gentlemen was also with the said Lord Baron The sayd Lord Baâ—â—n seeing some threescore and tenne or fourescore Rutters comming to charge vpon him turned to them albeit but meanely accompanied in respecte that parte of his company had taken an other way by reason of a hedge where were fiue and thirty men For he considered that if he should retire from before this troupe it mighte breeâ—e some daunger of feare to the rest of those that came behinde and therefore he resolued to set vpon them There followed some store of Pistoll shotte and handye blowes wherein the sayd Rutters were ouerthrowne and so he entred the village where he found certaine Spanyardes that stoode at defence and therevpon the sayd Lord Baron staid for hys Harguebuziers to distodge them from the hedges and ditches where the County Chasteau-Roux was hurte on the legge which was great pittie in respect hee was both valiant and forward Those that parted from the said Lord Baron did report that they met with a troope of lancers whom they withstod to the end so to fauour the excecution which was great both in slaine wounded and prisoners as also was the spoyle and losse For the ennemyes doe giue out that they lost foure hundred horse of seruice and sixtene hundred other a great deale of baggage and moueables and much siluer in vessel and coyne There were sundrye conflicts and the Lord Baron of Biron fought three or foure times against both horsmen and footemen who gathered together both in the lodginges and among the hedges and ditches yet in the end they were all broken the rather for that the Lord Marshall de Aumont put some of the spanish troops in feare as also those that gathered again together The duke of Bouillon was forsed to put selfe vnder couuert from the ennemyes artilery The king also sent a great troope of horse toward the enimies campe or trenches to hold them still in feare that the said troup wold enter theyr Campe whilest the rest of the army assaulted the trenches This execution perfourmed the Lord Baron began to cause those whome he brought to retire but in great disorder by reason of their booty and those two hundred fresh
A Iournall wherein is truely sette downe from day to day what was doone and worthy of noting in both the Armies from the last comming of the D. of Parma into Fraunce vntill the eighteenth of May 1592. according to the French computation Wherevnto is added other newes from Genes the which are confirmed by sondry letters of credite Translated out of French by E. A. LONDON Printed by Iohn Wolfe and are to bee solde at his shop right ouer agaiâ—â—â— the great South doore of Poules 1592 A Iournall wherein is set downe from day to day what was done in both the Armies from the comming of the Duke of Parma into France vntill the eighteenth of May 1592. according to the French computation THe Duke of Parma perceiuinge himselfe notwithstanding his great and well prepared forces assembled namely the king his maisters power consisting of Spanyardes Launceknights Wallons Italians and Neapolitanes footemen also his horsemen Wallons Flemminges Italians and Rutters together with the late Popes forces consisting of Suitzers and good nombers of Italians on horsebacke and on foote likewise the aide of the Duke of Mayenne which was no small nomber vnable to force the king to raise his sieg from before Roan determining to practise the Spanish manner of Stratagemes vsed in the dayes of the late kinges Lewes the twelfe and Fraunces the first thereby to shonne the fury of the French retired out of the way into a place of safety there waitinge vntill their heat were ouer and all the French army in processe of time of it self â—roken vp and scattered To this end he sâ—t a face as if hee purposed to besiege S. Esprit de Rue a place lying beyond the Riuer of Some the rather at the request of the Duke of Aumale and the inhabitantes of Abbeuille and others who found them selues greatly annoied therby still lookinge for the departure of the kinges French troupes wherein he was no whit deceiued For the French who for the most part serued vpon their owne charges did retire as being perswaded that the Duke of Parma considering hee was past the Riuer of Some meant onely to take his way into the Low countries There hee lay a whole moneth prouiding to plant his artillery before Rue but vnderstanding that the king had no more remayning with him but onely of French fiue hundred footemen and as many horse also that the rest of his army consisting of straungers was scattered into seuerall places because of the scituation of the towne of Roan which was enuironed with great Barricanes valleis whereby they could not passe from one lodging to an other in lesse then two houres also that some troupes of his forces were in the subvrbes of S. Seuere beyond the riuer of Seyne The enemies army vpon the aduantages that their leaders found themselues to haue ouer the king marched toward Roan and in foure dayes approched within foure leagues thereof Herevpon his Maiesty retired a league and a halfe from Roan drawing towardes Pont-del-Arch to a village named Gouy there to assemble his forces and to receiue such as he had sommoned out of the Ile of France out of Picardy and out of the gouernements of Orleance Chartres and Normandy attending the ennemy notwithstandinge in the same place with such power as he had about him The Duke of Parma and Mayenne seing Roan set at liberty hauing tarried there about two dayes where the Spanish faction boasted greatly that they had remoued the king whome they thought certainely would passe the Riuer of Seyne marched thence towarde Caudebeck a village lying downewarde vppon the same Riuer with full purpose to take it The fiue and twentieth day of Aprill the king vpon the arriuall of some French troupes both of horsemen and footemen marched toward the enemy and lodged at Fountaine le Bourg but by the way he tooke three Castels which the ennemy had before seized vpon The next day being the six and twentieth the Rendez-uous was at Fresnoy and the army passed on to Outeuille and there abouts where the Dukes of Montpensier and Longueuille with the Countie S. Paul came in with diuers other Lordes some together with them others leading troupes a part The seauen and twentieth day the king vndertooke to passe on to Iuetot where the Dukes of Mayenne and Guize were lodged who were somewhat brauely displaced and more lustely had beene but for certaine ditches that enuironed the groundes euery way whereby the Duke of Bouillon could not passe as he would to backe the Baron of Byron yet were there some slaine and some taken among the rest Blanque-Fort who is one of the saide Barons traine tooke young Chastre Iuetot is not past one league from Lauetot where the Duke of Parma was lodged who was somewhat abashed when he perceiued the king so neere him with his army hunting after him whereby finding himselfe enclosed betweene his Maiestie and the Riuer of Seyne hauing besides receyued a harquebuze shotte in hys arm at the siege of Caudebeck which was not worth the paines and being in great necessitie of victuals he fortefied his lodging with trenches After the king had remained two dayes at Iuctot on the last of Aprill he drew neerer to the ennemy to a village named Varicaruille and there abouts The enemies purposed two hours before night to set vppon the English wherevpon the king returned and sent the Baron of Biron to conduct the English who were gone too farre out of their lodginges The ennemy came with some fourteene or fiueteene hundred footemen also in the fore-fronte there were a nomber of horse besides sondry other troupes that followed The skirmish was hoate but in the end coming to handy blowes the Duke of Parmaes horsemen gaue a charge of whome there were slaine sixteene or seauenteene parsons of accompt euery one in veluet hosen besides diuers others and fiue and twenty or thirty wounded The Baron Biron in the view of them al stew one of the principals and Sir Roger Williams Coronell of the English slew an other At which tyme they also tooke one Cornet very well furnished with all manner of weapons and some that carried money This was a great disgrace to their whole power as being done in the sight of the rest of their army which was allmost all in battaile aray and the Prince of Parma the Dukes sonne had the repulse The first of May the enemies army was betimes in battaile aray in their fort and thereabout yet not without suspect of some mening to dislodge For there were passed some troupes both of horse and foote towardes the wayes whereby they receiued their victuals namely toward Lislebonne Tankeruille Arfleur Newhauen Eescam and Honflew which standeth beyonde the Riuer so that the same day there were taken three or foure thousand loaues about 400. carriage horses that were gone on a forraging and twenty faire horses belonginge to the artillery There returned also many carriages that came from the sayde places loaden with victuall
There were also taken some horsemen that went foorth for to safeconduct them so that the loafe of bread that was worth but one souse before was now sould amonge them for twelue and fiueteene souses and the pot of wine the worst for three franckes and that that was somewhat good was sould for foure This first of May was the Feast of Iames and Philip and it fell vpon a Friday all which concurred for the Spanyardes to lay the platformes of all their enterprises and purposes howbeit the king tooke so good order in euery quarter that we incurred no inconuenience but contrarywise the enemy finding our troupes to bee as they terme it frollicke stood in greater doubt of being assaulted then in desire to assaile The second day most of the enemies army stood still in battaile ray parte of them passinge into a wood which lyeth betweene their Forte and the kinges army which was but fiue hundred paces from one of their trenches was enuironed with a very deepe ditch the trees standing on both sides in manner of a hedge so enterlaced that it was almost vnaccessible albeit there were none to defende the same The third day the king with his chiefest Captaines went to take a view of the head of the enemies army to the end there to endeuour to woorke some effect He found that the enemy had made fiue rauelinges about the said wood which flancked the champion whereby he was to goe to the head also that he had lodged two thousande footemen in certaine houses that stood as in a villadge vnder the side thereof compassed with the same ditches yet in some place ther were three ditches one with in an other that deuided the fieldes from the sayd head which was with in the reach of a smal coluering on the one side of the Switzers lodgings so that planting the Canon he might haue strooke into some of our lodginges namely into the Englishmens Neuer the lesse the king hauing taken counsaile in the field resolued to seaze vpon the said wood together with the vilage therein comprehended which was one of their chiefest lodginges and to that effect appointed all his troopes to be in place before day in battaile array so to giue the assault at the breake of daye but the darknesse of the night was in parte the cause that some that were lodged farre of were not so dilligent but that it was almost eight of the clocke before they arryued in estate to perfourme the purposed effect Neither could this assembly be so secrete but that the enemie did some what perceiue it which caused him to beleue that it was neuer gathered with out intent to enterprize some matter whatsoeuer they for their parts put them selues in battail vsing all diligence to fortify raise the said rauelings shoting of two canons to aduertize all their troupes where vpon some were of opinion to referre the enterprise to an other time But the king finding al his troupes full of courage and heat resolued to assault them in sundry places On the one side the English and Wallons and the rest to support thē on an other side the French the lance knights to support them The first who were as aduenturers strok in so valeantly that they entred the trenches with hard sight rather with the pike and sworde then with the harquebuze and forced the enemy out of the said wood and village albeit they were two thousād men some Spanish Captaines that were come at the bruite of the assembly of our forces There were left dead vpon the place aboue three hundred men whereof some were Spaniards and some Wallons Amongst them were six or seauen Captaines and the Liefetenant Coronell of la Verlette and he himselfe wounded without any losse of ours except two or three slaine and seauen or eight hurt The Lord Baron Biron aduaunced himselfe according to his Office of Marshall Generall of the field whereby hee beheld the countenance and retraict of the enemies and aduertised the king therof who sent him fifty horse led by the Lord of Maligni Vidam of Chartres Vpon their comming he pursued them that fledde euen vntill they came within fifty paces of their first entrenchment where their army stood in battaile ray Here were also slaine betweene six and seauen score with the losse of onely one of ours who passed so farre that he was slayne at the foote of the trench So likewise were there some horses slaine and some hurt yea there were some such enemies slaine as offered tenne six and foure thousand crownes The king stood about eight houres offering the battaile hauing to that end aduaunced his Switzers horsemen and artillery The enemies trenches were raised very high in respect as they were at the beginning in the field and they somewhat annoyed vs with their artillery but the king placed his forces els where in place where the Canon could not hurt His Maiesty perceiuing after so long expectation and the night comming on that the enemies made no countenaunce to come foorth of their Fort returned euery man to his lodginge vntill further occasion to do more hauing by this effect with their great hurt giuen the enemies to know that our footmen are as good or better then theirs at the cost of the Spanish brauery and presumption who can now graunt that the footemen the which the king now hath are very good for of his horsemen they make no doubt considering the many proufes that they haue had The next day being the fifth of May about eleuen of the clock ther came other aduice that the ennemie dislodged from their Forte whereof grew sondry opinions the greatest importing that they meant secreately to steale away to Roan and from thence to the Forrest of Andely which is but three leagues thence leauing in Roan their munition and most heauiest baggage and truly had they ben able so to haue done and to gotten sixe or seauen houres before hand whereby to haue 〈◊〉 into the 〈◊〉 with that aduantadge they might easily haue sent their horsmen and baggage before and lefte their footmen vpon the tayl whome our horsemen could not haue broken or fought withal in the forrest neither could our footmen haue marched in time to ouertake theirs but that afterward through this forrest they might haue retired euen to New castel or toward Beauuais The king here vpon sent out some to vew the enemie who returned answeare that they dislodged then in the morning he sent more stronger troops who gaue him to wit that the enemies were departed ouer night that they were broken here vpon his Maiestie resolued to bring his maine battayle toward Clayre so to winne the fore part of the said forrest whiles himselfe with his horsmen folowed the enemie in the taile to the end truly to learne the order of their march what way they toke what iourneys they might be able to make leauing the Lord Marshall Biron to conduct the armie to cause it
harguebuziers whome the Lord Marshall had sent him stoode them in good stead When most of hys troupes were on their way himselfe began also to retire toward the right hande at which tyme the Duke of Bouillon beganne to discend into the valley being seconded by the small shotte that was sent into the wood and hedges All these troupes aforesaid thus passed the Lord Marshall Biron sounded the retreat with his booty and the ennemies sette a face as they would haue followed in the taile but they were so well wellcommed that sondry of them were slayne and hurte And heere came his sonne the Lord Baron vnto him wyth sondry men of acaccompt that were with him This was perfourmed thus honourably for the execution of the kinges purpose to the ennemies great losse as is aforesayde and hys Maiesty was also come downe to see how thinges wente from whence hee commaunded whatsoeuer was requisite The eleuenth day of May the king was aduertised that the enemy had brought a great many of boates which he caused to bee fastened by two and two making thereof small bridges to passe ouer and that they transported vppon each bridge some sixty horse with many footemen and some baggage in the bottome so to get ouer the Riuer of Seyne A matter scarse to bee imagined Also that as for forrage there came great plenty a long the way towarde Lislebonne and along the riuer likewise that they had some store comming a longe from towarde Newhauen Harfleur Fescam c. Herevpon the king determined to follow their army to the ende to cutte of their victuals and forrage also to assault Caudebeck or compell the ennemies to battaile The which day hee departed from Iuetot and came to lodge in a village called Lauetot The twelfth day hee wente to take the view of Caudebeck where he found that they had made a Fort at halfe the mountaine wherein were a good nomber of people likewise in the towne But his Maiesty had brought but few troupes and therfore he referred al to the next day being the thirteenth Likewise hee might beholde the boates loaden with menne horse and baggage passing ouer the Riuer with all diligence The same day hee marched with part of his army and some artilery and at the coming of our footmen the enimies began to retire to a place of execution where they made as it were a litle fort but passing forward they habandoned their fort which was at the mid mountain neither could we any lenger perceaue the number of boats at the kay But the most of them marched toward Roan and as for their forces they wer al alredy passed ouer the riuer sauing those that marched as it is aforsaid toward Roan and foure hundred of the towne garison Hard by the other side of the riuer the enimies had before made a fort for the safetie of the passage where they had 7. peeces of ordinance which being taken forth of their boates they left behinde them In the forte had they lefte some men also in a smale vilage thereby some both horsmen and footmen who set themselues in battail aray without the daunger of the canon which the kinge caused to be often times discharged against those that were in the forte and about the peces Herevpon the enimies sent three teemes of horse to draw away the said pieces against the which we shot sundrie times and slew some of theit horses which notwithstanding they drew them away one after another The king lefte certaine French in the aforenamed fort aboue the towne with some Wallons and English also some artillery vpon the toppe of the mountayne and ther he lodged the Suitzers Likewise some of the shippes approched and shot off howbeit but few The fourteenth day of May the king caused his company to shoote into the towne they that were within made a brag wherevpon the king sent them word that he would hang them all But towarde eueninge they craued parley and so the king sent the Lord Baron of Byron to make the composition There came foorth of the towne of Caudebeck foure hundred men whereof two hundred were Spanyardes whose composition was the easier to the ende they mighte haue no cause of delaies or longer stay Because it is hard to plant a siege also that the water stood in many partes of the ditch and could not be voyded There were also threescore and tenne artillery horses that coulde not passe away and some mulets namely the Prince of Parmaes owne Besides the king determined to departe and to follow the ennemy and therefore tooke his way to Pont-del-Arch there to passe ouer the Riuer of Seyne to keepe the ennemy from temporising on the other side of the Riuer and to force him to some action The king being on the way to Pont-del-Arch had aduice that the enimies horsmen that could not passe at Caudebeck but tooke to Roan had passed the Riuer at Roan and so marched wholy toward Paris wherevpon he resolued with diligence to make way to learne the trueth where the ennemy would become He left his French horsemen with the Duke of Montpensier to proceede forward also his footemen with the Lord Marshall Biron to the ende vpon aduertisement from himselfe to passe ouer Seyne or to march toward Paris either to passe ouer the Riuer of Oyse at Creil or at Ile-Adam so to cut off the ennemies retraict into the Low countries The sixteenth day the king receyued letters from the Lord of Archant gouernour of Eureux importing the ouerthrow of a great nomber of the ennemies whome hee surprised lodged in the suburbes of the saide towne of whome fifty were left deade in the place and many were taken prisoners He writeth moreouer that vppon Friday the fiueteenth day of thys moneth of May the Prince of Parma sonne to the Duke had passed a long not farre from Eureux accompanied with seauentene ensignes of footemen and two maine troupes of horse who marched the one before and the other behind so disorderly and fearfully that it had bene an easie matter with a thousande horse to haue defeated them all and that he marched directly towarde Paris where he hoped vpon the Sonday after being the seauenteenth of the same moneth to arriue The king purposeth shortly to returne to the assault of Roan who hath found her death in place where she hoped for health For the same towne hath had no supply of the thinges that it standeth in moste neede of neyther neede wee to feare so long as the king is maister of the fielde and keepeth the Riuer of Seine shut vp that the ennemies shall deliuer themselues from their misery and want of victuals By letters of the eighteenth day from the Campe neere to Caudebeck wee heare that the Duke of Parma remayneth at Roan sicke of his hurt also that the Duke of Mayenne is likewise sicke in the towne of a sore and in a manner incurable disease likewise that the most parte of the saide Dukes army is also there enclosed and most certaine it is that the Switzers are there shut vp There is newes come sence that the Duke of Parma hauinge passed the Riuer of Seyne and vnderstanding that the king lay for him toward Paris hath passed the Riuer of Marne at Charenton bridge toward Meaux also that the said Duke is very sicke The Lord of Fay is at Guillebocus which he fortefieth as being a place that may greatly hinder all trafficke betweene Roan and Newhauen The Lorde Marshall Biron on the nine and twentieth day of May entered vpon Newcastle and it is thoughte that the businesse will not bee long Roan is brought into great extremity as being victualed but from day to day The king purposeth very shortly to kepe it shorter Other newes there is written from Genes the fifth of Aprill 1592. the which are confirmed by diuers letters The Duke of Sauoy is retourned out of Prouence vnto Nice thence to departe to Thurine to take order for the affaires of Piedmont where they greatly feare the comming of the Lorde of Diguieres That both before and since hys departure from the same place hee hath still lost namely the good willes of the people also that particularlye Aix was reuolted against him and had expelled all the straungers hys adherents had chaunged magistrates and slayne the consull three counselers That the gouernor of Antibe hauing receiued monie of the duke for deliuery of the same to him had mocked him and with the canon chased away foure hundred souldiers sent to take the possession The Marquse Seralin is come out of Spaine into Piedemont to serue the Duke in his warres of Prouence as also to the same effect there are leauyed new forces in Lombardy The states of Arragon Catalogne and Valence by comon accord consent sent vnto king Philip to complaine of his executing of the cheife Iustice of the state of Arragon whereto he aunswered that he executed him not as in qualitie of chiefe Iustice but as a perticuler rebell wher of they craued declaration in writing togither with the confirmation of theyr priuiledges Furthermore in as much as it seemed that the king ment to send some men toward the Pirinean mountaynes they withall besought him not to sende aboue fiue hundred at once according to their saide priuiledges whereto the king hath as yet returned no aunswere FINIS