Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	henry_n	king_n	normandy_n	8,654	5	11.5816	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51199	The commentaries of Messire Blaize de Montluc, mareschal of France wherein are describ'd all the combats, rencounters, skirmishes, battels, sieges, assaults, scalado's, the taking and surprizes of towns and fortresses, as also the defences of the assaulted and besieg'd : with several other signal and remarkable feats of war, wherein this great and renowned warriour was personally engag'd, in the space of fifty or threescore years that he bore arms under several kings of France : together with divers instructions, that such ought not to be ignorant of, as propose to themselves by the practice of arms to arrive at any eminent degree of honor, and prudently to carry on all the exploits of war.; Commentaires de messire Blaise de Monluc. English. 1674	Monluc, Blaise, seigneur de, 1500?-1577.; Cotton, Charles, 1630-1687.	1674 (1674)	Wing M2506; ESTC R37642	835,371	442

too late to say I should never have thought it You shall execute many things in your heat which if you give your selves leisure to consider of you will think of it thrice before you once attempt it Push home then venture and do not give your Enemies leisure to consult together for one will encourage another Being return'd to the Fort of Outrea● there was hardly a day past that the English did not come to tickle us upon the descent towards the Sea and would commonly brave our people up to our very Canon which was within ten or twelve paces of the Fort and we were all abus'd by what we had heard our Predecessors say that one English man would always beat two French men and that the English would never run away nor never yield I had retain'd something of the Camisado of Bullen and of the business of Oye and therefore said one day to Mousieur de Tais that I would discover to him the mystery of the English and wherefore they were reputed so hardy which was that they all carried arms of little reach and therefore were necessitated to come up close to us to loose their arrows which otherwise would do no execution whereas we who were accustomed to fire our Harquebuzes at a great distance seeing the Enemy use another manner of sight thought these near approaches of theirs very strange imputing their running on at this confident rate to absolute bravery but I will lay them an Ambuscado and then you shall see if I am in the right or no and whether a Gascon be not as good as an English-man In antient time their Fathers and ours were neighbours I then chose out sixscore men Harquebuzeers and Pikes with some Halberts amongst them and lodg'd them in a hollow which the water had made lying below on the right hand of the Fort and sent Captain Chaux at the time when it was low water straight to some little houses which were upon the Banks of the River almost over against the Town to skirmish with them with instructions that so soon as he should see them pass the River he should begin to retire and give them leave to make a charge Which he accordingly did but it fortun'd so that he was wounded in one of his arms with a Hurquebuz shot and the Soldiers took him and carried him back to the Fort so that the skirmish remained without a head The English were soon aware of it and gave them a very brisk charge driving them on fighting up to the very Canon Seeing then our men so ill handled I start up out of my Ambuscado sooner then I should have done running on full drive directly up to them commanding the Soldiers not to shoot till they came within the distance of their arrows They were two or three hundred men having some Italian Harquebuzeers amongst them which made me heartily repent that I had made my Ambuscado no stronger but it was now past remedy and so soon as they saw me coming towards them they left the pursuit of the others and came to charge upon me We marcht straight up to them and so soon as they were come up within arrow shot our Harquebuzeers gave their volley all at once and then clapt their hands to their swords as I had commanded and we ran on to come to blows but so soon as we came within two or three pikes length they turn'd their backs with as great facility as any Nation that ever I saw and we pursued them as far as the River close by the Town and there were four or five of our Soldiers who followed them to the other side I then made a halt at the ruins of the little houses where I rally'd my people together again some of whom were left by the way behind who were not able to run so fast as the rest Monsieur de Tais had seen all and was sally'd out of the Fort to relieve the Artillery to whom so soon as I came up to him I said Look you did I not tell you how it would be We must either conclude that the English of former times were more valiant then those of this present age or that we are better men than our forefathers I know not which of the two it is In good earnest said Monsieur de Tais these people retreat in very great hast I shall never again have so good an opinion of the English as I have had heretofore No Sir said I you must know that the English who antiently us'd to ●eat the French were half Gascons for they married into Gascony and so bred good Soldiers but now that race is worn out and they are no more the same men they were From that time forwards our people had no more the same opinion nor the same fear of the English that before Therefore Captains as much as you can keep your Soldiers from apprehending an Enemy for if they once conceive an extraordinary opinion of their valour they ever go on to fight in fear of being defeated You are neither to despise your Enemy neither should your Soldiers think them to be more valiant than themselves Ever after this charge I observ'd our men alwayes to go on more chearfully to ●●●aque the English and came still up closer to them and let any one remember when the Mareschal de Biez fought them betwixt the Fort of Andelot and the Town whether our people needed to be intreated to fall on The said Sieur de Biez there perform'd the part of a very valiant Gentleman for when his Cavalry were all run off the Field he came alone to put himself in the head of our Battallion and alighted taking a Pike in his hand to go on to the fight from whence he came off with very great honor I my self was not there and therefore shall say nothing of it for two or three months after our return out of the County of Oye I had askt leave of Monsieur do Tais to go to Court but the Historians in the mean time are very unjust to conceal such brave actions and that was a very remarkable one in this old Cavalier Being at Court I prevail'd so far with the Admiral that he procur'd me a dismission from the King for as much as I had reassum'd the office of Camp-Master upon no other terms but only to command in the first Expedition that the Admiral should go upon and having remain'd a month at Court attending the King in the quality of one of his Gentlemen Waiters who was now grown old and melancholic and did not caress men as he had wont to do only once he talkt with me about the Battail of Serisoles being at Fountain-Bleau I took my leave of his Majesty and never saw him after I then return'd into Gascony from whence I never stirr'd till King Henry by the death of his Father was become King having all that while been opprest with troubles and sickness And that is the reason why I can give you no account of the surrender of Bullen which the King of England by

the obstinacy of Francis the first was constrain'd to quit for some consideration in mony A little after he died and our King stay'd but a very little behind him We must all die but this Surrender of Bullen hapened in the reign of King Henry my good Master who succeeded his Father Our new King having peace with the Emperor and after the redelivery of Bullen being also friends with the King of England it seem'd that our arms were likely long to rust by the walls and indeed if these two Princes sit still France may be at rest After having continued some time at home the King was pleas'd to call me away and to give me the command of Camp-master and the government of Montcallier under the Prince of Malphé his Lieutenant-General in Piedmont Monsieur de Bonnevet being our Colonel he remembers me very well and if those who have govern'd since had lov'd me as well as he I had had as much riches and honour as any Gentleman that has come out of Gascony these many years I there remain'd eighteen moneths without doing any thing all the while worthy to be remembred for I will write nothing but that wherein I had some command Having obtain'd leave to retire my self to my own house I return'd into Gascony where I heard a little while after that by reason of the age and infirmness of the Prince of Malphé the King was about to send thither Monsieur de Brissac in the quality of his Lieutenant General there which was the occasion that Captain Tilladet who had also been dismist and my self went together to Court where at our coming we found that the said Seigneur had taken his leave of the King in order to his Journey We then presented our selves before his Majesty who very graciously received us and to the Constable who was return'd to Court and in greater favour than ever in the time of King Francis which many did hardly believe he would have been but the Ladies had now lost their credit and others were entred in Immediately upon our comming his said Majesty who was all this time in a little Town betwixt Melun and Paris called Ville-neufve Saint George commanded us to go to Paris and repair to Monsieur Brissac The next day after our arrival the said Sieur de Brissac departed being very glad that we were come to him and so we went as far as Suze where we found the Prince of Malphé who had put himself upon his way to come to end his life in France as also within an hour after our arrival he died Which though I serv'd some time under his command is all I shall say of him having very little opportunity to know more of him than what I have taken upon trust and it is a great misfortune to a Captain so often to change his General for before you can come to be throughly acquainted with him you are old and new friendships and new acquaintance are troublesome Monsieur de Brissac presently hereupon dispatcht away Monsieur de Forquevaux to the King with an account of all whom his Majesty sent speedily back again with the Patent of Mareschal of France which he was pleased to conferr upon him We lay idle five or six moneths without any war but it is hard for two so great Princes and so near neighbours to continue long without coming to arms and indeed soon after an occasion presented it self the King having taken upon him the protection of Duke Octavia whom the Pope and the Emperor his Father in Law would deprive of his Dukedome In order whereunto Don Ferrand de Gonzaga had laid siege to Parma wherein was Monsieur de Termes and to Miranda where Monsieur de Sansac commanded who ●ere acquir'd very great reputation for having worthily acquitted and approved himself a singular good Captain as in truth he was which he has also manifested in all places where-ever he has been He was one of the best Horse-men that ever was in France but being I can give no account of these affairs but by report only nor of what passed at these two Sieges I shall let them alone The King having intelligence that the Emperors forces were wholly taken up in Parmesan sent to the Mareschal de Brissac that he should break the Peace and upon the rupture to attempt to surprize some Town or other upon the Frontier which he did For he took Quiers and St. Damian but the attempt upon Cairas did not succeed as did the other two Monsieur de Bassé went to execute that of St. Damian which he surpriz'd betwixt break of day and Sun rise and the Mareschal himself executed that of Quiers after the manner I am going to relate and I think Monsieur le President de Birague who was there present will in this Book find that I have not much missed it in the relation Monsieur d' Ausun was chosen to goe execute the design upon Cairas who took with him the Baron de Cypi and two or three other French Companies together with Monsieur de Gental and some Italians The Scalado was given with great fury but they were as well receiv'd There died one of the Brothers of Monsieur de Charry who was gone as far as Savillan and being in their way as they marcht in the night went along with them and mounted a ladder the first man from which he was beaten down He was ill enough followed as it was said In the mean time Monsieur de Bassé took some Companies with him with which by break of day he arrived within half a mile of St. Damian they were once upon the point to return seeing they should be discover'd before they could come to the place but in the end marcht on to try their fortune The custom of St. Damian was that the Soldiers constantly opened the Gates every morning at break of day to let all the people out to work and afterwards placed some Centinels upon the wall so that the Sieur de Bassé entered with his ladders into the Graff and had rear'd them to the wall before he was discover'd The Captains mounted first and before they were espy'd by any the one half of our people were got into the Town where there was only one foot Company which retired into the Castle where there was not provision for one day and in the morning yielded up themselves By which Captains you may see of how great importance it is to be careful never to leave a wall naked of Centinels or at least to have them upon some Tower or Gate especially about break of day for that is the time of greatest danger People are weary of watching their walls but your Enemy is not weary of watching his opportunity All these three enterprizes of Cairas St. Damian and Quiers should

which case there is still some danger and it is hard to be subtle enough for a Traitor Before I departed from Bourdeaux I in the morning assembled the Attorney General the General de Gourgues Captain Verre and my Nephew the Si●ur de Leberon to whom I would communicate what I had fancied with my self upon the news that daily came from Court of the di●●idence and discontent the Prince of Condé was in and what I should do if I were in his place In which discourse they may remember I told them that if the Prince could pass he would infallibly come into Xaintonge having Rochelle and almost all the Country at his devotion that the Isles when they should see Forces in Xaintonge and at Rochelle and Monsieur de la Rochefoucault so near them would presently revolt and that then the said Prince and the Hugonots would resolutely turn all their designs this way for in France Roan was no longer theirs which being gone they had not one Port-Town at their devotion and that it would be in them a ridiculous and a senseless thing to begin a third War without first having a Sea-Port in their power Now they could not possibly make choice of one of greater advantage to them than that of Rochelle on which depends that of Brouage which is absolutely the fairest and the most commodious Haven in all the Kingdom for being there they might have succours out of Germany Flanders England Scotland Brittany and Normandy all of them Countries abounding in people of their own Religion so that in truth should the King give them their choice to Canton themselves in any Port of the Kingdom they could not possibly choose a more advantageous nor a more commodious place They all approv'd of my discourse as being near the truth which I had fram'd in the Night as I lay considering the state of our affairs for so I used to pass part of the time in bed and this waking fancy of mine seem'd to presage almost as much disaster and misfortune as the dreams I had dreamt of King Henry and King Charles Having entertain'd them with this discourse I then proceeded to tell them that it would be convenient to find out some fit remedies against the evil before it should arrive for to communicate this conceipt to their Majesties without proposing at the same time some way to frustrate the Enemies designs were I thought to make them neglect my intelligence and to slight my advice We therefore fell to considering that to prevent the mishaps which seem'd to threaten us there was no other way than by making Forts upon the sea and betimes to secure the Ports which with four Ships and as many Shalops to lie at Chedebois la Palice and the mouth of the Harbour at Broüage might sufficiently be provided for and that the Ports being once our own neither English nor any other of their Party could or would attempt to come into their assistance knowing they were to land at places where they are almost always certain to meet with very tempestuous weather and that Seamen will never venture out to sea to go to any place unless they are first sure of a free and a secure Harbour to lie in and on the other side that our Ships lying about the Isles would so awe the Inhabitants that they would never dare to revolt and our men of War would so keep Rochelle as it were besieged that it must of necessity in a little time either wholly submit to the Kings devotion or at least contein themselves quiet without attempting any thing of commotion All which being remonstrated to them we unanimously concluded that I ought to send an account thereof to the King and Queen Now the next thing we were to consider of was which way the money was to be raised to equip these Vessels and to pay the men and as to that we made account that with ten thousand Francs and two thousand sacks of Corn which I offer'd of my own for the making of Biscuit we should set them out to sea General Gorgues would undertake also to cause Cattel to be sent from the upper Country upon the account of his own credit and all upon the confidence we had that his Majesty would in time reinburse us The Attor●ey General then dealt very earnestly with the said Sieur de Gorgues to perswade the Jurats monethly to advance something towards the charge and moreover to levy the Custom which the present T●easurer had obtein'd from the Privy Council and snipt from the Kings Revenue though the Graunt had not yet been executed by reason that the Receiver of Bourdeaux had oppos'd him in his claim pretending it to be a Member of his Farm insomuch that the Treasurer out of spite had forborn to execute his Warrant which when the Jurats should see was to be laid out for the publick good not only in the behalf of his Majesties particular interest but moreover for the benefit of their own City every one would lay to his helping hand so that what with this and what with the foremention'd advance it would not for the future cost the King a penny The Attorney General and the said Sieur de Gorgues then with Captain Verre cast up the account before me which being done we concluded that the Sieur de Leberon should go carry an account of all to the Queen very well knowing that her Majesty would better understand the business than any of the Council whereupon I accordingly dispatcht away the said Sieur de Leberon post to Court The Queen hearkned to all my said Nephew had to deliver with very great patience returning him answer thereupon that she would propound is to the Council which she did and three dayes after told him that the Council did by no means approve of the motion which I believe was occasion'd by some ones buzzing into their ears that I made this Proposition more out of a desire to range along the Coast than out of any reason there was to suspect any such thing as I fancied should fall out I remember very well that I gave my said Nephew further in charge to tell the Queen that I had been so unfortunate in all the advices I had presum'd to offer to her Majesty that she had never been pleased to give any credit to any of them notwithstanding that her Majesty had so often been convinc'd that they had been alwayes good and my intelligences continually true but that I did most humbly beseech her to give credit to me once in her life only which if she did not she would I doubted repent it and that it would be too late to be remedied when the misfortune should be once arriv'd but all these remonstrances signified nothing and she sent me back my said Nephew without any other answer but this that the Kings Council had not approv'd of the thing Which prov'd very ill I believe had her Majesty been pleased to follow my counsel the