hands of the Hamiltons when they ruled yet the citie it selfe was a wast thing nor populous for the greatnesse easie to enter in all parts Other reasoned on the contrarie part that all things doe depend on their first beginnings that their departure would be infamous and next coosen to flat running awaye that suspition of feare was then vtterly to be shunned least they did encrease the courage of the enimies and bring their friends out of hart that they were néere neighbours vnto the mightie families of the Cunigames and the Semples and on the other side to Lenneux the kings priuate patrimonie that from thence those that were next would come within few houres and the rest the next daye or at the farthest within thrée dayes that they would be a sufficient guard namely with the helpe of the citizens vntill the succours farther off were come This opinion preuailed at the Councell table The French Ambassadour went to and fro betwéene both parties rather like a spye then a peacemaker as he pretended For when he sawe at the first the forces at Glasquo small and the power about Hamilton shewed greate he vehemently encouraged the Quéene to giue battaile Now had the Regent gathered together his friends out of the néerer parts and looked for other out of Marchland and Lowthian And when they wer come being about 600. very choice men he graunting them but one day to rest themselues minded so march to Hamilton and out of hand to giue them battaile if he could for he thought delaye would be hurtfull to him and his but profitable for the enimie as whome the farthest parts of the kingdome did fauour In the meane time he was aduertised the next morning betimes before daie that the enimies were gathered together from many places where they lodged for they trusting in their number for they had in armes aboue 6500. and they knew that the Regent had not full 4000 were determined for to march by Glasquo and leauing the Quéene in the Castle of Dunbritton at the pleasure either to sight or draw forth the warres or if the Regent which they hoped not would méete them in the waie to giue him battaile neither did they doubt of the euent of the fight But he that had resolued of himselfe to prouoke them to battaile as soone as he could bring forth his men stoode certaine houres in araie of battaile before the Citie in the open field in the waie that he thought they would march But when he sawe that their army marched a long the farther side of the riuer he straight waie vnderstanding their purpose passed his footmen ouer the riuer by a bridge and his horsemen by the foords which were then frée of the tide of the Sea and commanded them to march to Langside That is a stréete vppon the riuer of Carth through which their enimies their waie laie seated at the foote of an hil on the Northwest the East the North with a descent but on other partes decreasing gentlie into a plaine They hasted thether with so great spéed that they had almost gotten the hill before that their intent coulde be perceiued by the enimie who also coucted that place yea and had the shorter waie But two things happened ill for them and well for vs the first that Gilespicke Cambel the Earle of Argile who was Generall of the Quéenes armie being taken with a sodaine paine had fallen downe into a sound and by his fall staied the whole armie a while the other was that their armie being euer and anone downe in a bottome could neuer sée at one time all the kings armie and therefore they taking it to be small as in truth it was did both contemne it and also the disaduantage of the place At length when the Quéenes armie drew néere and sawe that their enimie had gotten the place where they thought to haue lodged they tooke another little hill ouer against it and diuided their armie into two battailes All the strength they had they placed in their forward wherewith if they coulde ouerthrowe the enimies battaile that stoode against it they supposed that they should conquere the rest without fight they being feared with the flight of their fellowes The kings Chieftains had also diuided their armie into two battailes in the battaile on the right hand were Iames Douglasse the Earle of Morton Robert Lord Semple Alexander Lord Hume Patricke Lord Lindsey with euerie one his followers and in the left Iohn Alexander William Earles of Mar Gleucarne and Taich and the Citizens of Glasquo the harquebussiers kept the stréete below and the gardems by the high waie WheÌ„ both armies stood aranged the Quéenes gunners being beaten froÌ„ their ground by the kings abandoned the place and on the contrarie side the kings horsemen being inferiour to the Quéenes by one halfe were not able to abide the charge but fled And when the Quéenes horsmen had thus discomfited their counterpartie they assaied to mount the hill that they might also disorder the ranges of the footmen but being repelled by the kings archers and a part of his horsemen that had rallied and returned from their flight they returned backe In the meane time the left wing of the enimie dismarching into the high waie downe a long where the hill descendeth into a valley did although that they were galled by the harquebusses yet béeing gotten out of that straight spread forth their battailen There the two esquadrons hauing before them on both sides a thicke trench of pikes fought with such vaior on both sides for the space of halfe an houre the victorie inclining to neither parte that those that had broken their Pikes dyd hurle their daggers stones and péeces of their Pikes and finallie whatsoeuer came to hand at the heads of their enimies But when some of the hindermost rankes on the Kinges side fledde whether of feare or falsehoode it is not well knowen doubtlâ—sse their flight hadde affrighted them that fought but that the thicknesse of the rankes woulde not suffer them that were in the fore rankes to perceiue what was done in the hindermoste and also those of the second battaile hauing marked the daunger and séeing no man comming against them ioyned them selues with the auantgard by deflecting certaine of theyr bands by little and little towards the right hand with their ranges whole When those on the aduerse part were not able to abide their charge they being driuen back as it wer with a great ruine ranne away neither had the vanquished escaped without some notable losse séeing the hearts of many were priuately incited by anger and hatred if that the Regent sending out horsemen into all quartiers had not commaunded that none of them should be slaine that fledde The second battaile of the kings that had stoode still vntill they sawe the discomfited enimie to flye in euerye quarter without order and then at last turning themselues to pursue them that turned their backes loosed their rankes The Quéene that had stoode almost a mile of to behold the fight tooke her way towards England with the horsemen of her part that retired out of the battaile whole but the rest ran euery man that way that would soonest bring him home There dyed few in the fight moe being worne with wearinesse and wounds were found lying euery where along the countrie the number of all slaine was about 300. but the prisoners were moe On the kings side were not many hurt and among them men in the chiefe range Alexander Lord Hume and Andrew Stuart one man onely was slaine the rest of the armie except a few horsemen that folowed the fliers farrre went ioyfully to the towne where after they had giuen thankes to God who had giuen them almost an vnblouddie victorie against farre greater forces then their own they gratulating one an othâ—â— went to dinner This field was fought the xiii of May the eleuenth day after the Quéene escaped out of prison The French Ambassadour who had stayed the euent of the battaile and had in his conceite promised assured victorie vnto the Quéene being now defranded of his hope cast vp his visard and without once taking his leaue of the Regent to whome he 〈◊〉 presâ—â—ded to be sent and taking such horses and guides as he could for soonest get galoped towards England but being robbed by the way Iames Dowglasse the Lord of Drumlanrick procured that he had that againe which he lost for the honour that he bare to the name of an Ambassadour although that he knew that he tooke part with his enimies The Regent spent the rest of the daye of the battaile in taking view of the prisoners some he let goe frée some vpon suerties the principall were kept still and chiefely those of the familie of the Hamiltons and dispersed into diuers prisons The next daye the Regent went foorth with 500. horse and tooke the abandoned Castells of Hamilton and Defran The like terror forced the Quéene to goe into England either because she thought there was no place in that part of Scotland safe enough for her or because she did little credit the fidelitie of Iohn Maxwell Lord Heris FINIS
aboue a leage and a halfe when the vantcourers aduertised the Admirall that they had discouered on this side the water a great troupe of horse whome he hauing commanded them to assaile at a signall giuen as they did with assurance that himselfe would follow them at the héeles sodainlie the battaile which the Constable lead appeared at the side of a village The which being reported to the Admirall and afterward to the Prince they caused all their horsemen to set their launces vpright ranging their battailes within a good Culuerine shot of them Afterward séeing that their enimies came not forth they two went further with only Dandelut who had a third daie Ague was mounted on an hackney apparelled for all harnesse with a furred robe vntill they came to a place from whence they might easilie iudge who had the aduauntage of the place whereby they were perswaded that it was not for them to assaile the enimie whereas he was that is to wit at the head of a village betwéene Nogent and Lormay towardes the which place the Countrie séemed to be plaine but it was not so indéede but they must néeds go vp an hill and downe againe insomuch that the Prince to passe ouer his men and to auoide the furie of their artilerie wherwith all they were well furnished was forced to hasten his people to march so fast that he put them out of breath but because they marched slowlie they abid at the least thrée volées of their péeces which might make a great checke and affright the armie in the which not all men had their eares accustomed to the sound of such flutes Furthermore the armie Catholike did couer so great a compasse of ground that if they encountered in that place one part of them might compasse in and charge the Prince in the side and so by that meanes he being inclosed should bée at the mercie of his enimies These things being considred and presupposing also that the Catholikes were not verie sharplie set to fight a resolution was takeÌ„ to go directly for to lodge at Trion following the intention the they had when they departed froÌ„ Ormoy thether were the Marshals of the lodgings sent The better to represent vnto you one of the most renowmed battailes that euer was fought in this Realme I will first figure out vnto you the seate and qualitie of the place which afterward was embrued with the bloud of so many gallant men Afterward I will set as it were before your eies the estate and disposition wherein these two armies maintained themselues before during and after the conflict Which béeing done yée may easilie iudge to whom the aduantage of one so notable occurance ought to be giuen vpon the end of the league and leuell champains of Beause Nogent le Roy doth present it selfe to Normandie pretie néere to Dreux a little towne at the foote of an hill wherevpon stands a Castle of sufficient strength within the towne by the side whereof passeth the riuer a Countrie fertile well peopled betwéen the which two Countries that are separated by the course of Eure the which comming out of Beause for to water Chartres doth trauerie Noâ—mandie euen to Pont de L'arche below the same doth léese it selfe in the Seine the nurse of Paris is a couert of certaine woodes and a number of little Towneshippes of whome the Catholickes had alwaies to that daye kept the aduantages as they that séeing themselues stronger in footemen and weaker in horsemen then the Prince would not hazard ought but where the place did fauour footemen for lacke of whome the Prince was constrained to take a contrarie course The which was the cause that at his parting from Lormoy néere Nogent he had purposed to take Dreux more for to force the Catholickes to an open and generall fight then for the importaunce of the place where Sourdeual commanded with an hundreth light horse and fiue Ensignes of footemen But the Cheiftaines Catholickes followed him coasting alwaies within fiue or sixe leagues but holding their waye thorough countries so strong and such couerts that the Prince could not finde any possibilitie to encounter them but with his disaduantage And in the ende the Catholickes séeing occasions and meanes to preuaile in that countrie by reason of the great number of their footemen resolued for to fight and therefore the .xix. daye did set forward to get before the Protestants and if they could get to Dreux before the Prince there to offer him battaile at the head of the towne vpon an high péece of ground lodging in the village two great Bataillons of footemen which garded xiiii Canons placed and prest to play before them and a little before on the side a number of Enfans perdus whome they had chosen out of all the Regiments The two flankes of these Bataillons were two great troupes of horsemen for mutuall intersuccour of the footemen and horsemen as was best for their behoofe Moreouer they had chosen a place so fauourable that the Confederates could not charge neither th one nor the other but by one way of a xiiii or xv hundreth paces the which also the Herquebuzes Catholicke did no lesse scoure then dyd their Artillerie Also a little below they had a small vnwalled towne for to gard their baggage the Riuer of Eure néere to their back But being resolute hot to fight they aduanced themselues farther for to get betwen two Villages by a woods side with far greater aduantage then before Herevpon the Prince following his resolution begaÌ„ to turne head towards Trion shewing his right side to his enimies who perceuing the Argolets one esquadroÌ„ of Reisters to be a faire marke discharged vpon theÌ„ one volée of great Ordenance which did affraie them in such sort that almost all the Argolets ran awaye the Reisters tooke the way in a litle valley for to couer theÌ„ against the Canon shot Wherevpon Anna de Montmorency Constable of France general of that Armie taking occasion to goe to the charge for to ouerthrow break theÌ„ all intirely as he had assured many the his owne battel alone was more then sufficient for to ouerthrow all the Protestant Armie caused the principal of his troupes to come néere to him vnto whome he made such a like speach At the length my maisters friends I haue brought you within sight of our enimies who haue alwaies hetherto made semblance that they sought battel the which now they cannot flye but also with the losse thereof coÌ„sequentlie of all the rest the they haue possesse in France For whether ye be assailants or defeÌ„dants the aduantage is assured you as well for number of men that doubleth theirs for the order disposition of the Armie for the qualities of the armes furniture as also for the commoditie of the places which fauoreth vs in all sorts if they wil come to vs. Adde therevnto a thing more considerable that we doe maintaine
battaillon béeing charged at one end by the Admirall and the Battaillon of the Suisses that made the other ende by the Prince as I will tell you But as the troupes of the horsemen Protestant were seuered in diuerse small Battaillons of two or thrée companies Frenchmen with as manye or moe Reisters on their side so they made diuerse charges And to set the battaile abroach the Prince set forth out of a little valley wherevpon he marched and resolued to go to the charge because that the Artillerie of the Catholikes being well leuelled lighted among his bandes with great slaughter of good men as well of one Nation as of the other but in stead of going directlie against the auantgard Catholike which was farre from him hée left it on his left hand tourning head against the side of the esquadron of the Suisses which strenthened the end and vttermost side of the battaile of the Constable the which some went about to disswade him from as well because he should thereby leaue all the auantgard of the enimie whole who might charge him on the backe or side at their pleasure as also because his footemen tarried thereby behinde all naked and abandoned to the mercie of the rest of the Catholikes Moreouer seeing that he was the stronger in horsemen he ought not to assaile the footmen of the enimies who would of themselues either break or yéeld shortlie after if the horsemen of the Catholikes were defaited but the heate of the Prince pricked him forward to effects and inconueniences which yée shall sée For hauing assembled the principal chiefe men of the armie with the Marshall of Hessen and certaine other that vnderstoode French for to report afterward the substaunce of that hée shoulde saie vnto their Captaines and souldiers hée spake to this effect My companions and good friends if that I had not long time and namelie by the false alarme yesterdaie knowen your couragiousnesse and resolution to fight I woulde stretch out my selfe in discourses and remonstraunces as much as my leasure woulde permit for to represent vnto you your deuoire in an accident of so greate consequence as this is but the néerenesse of these tyrantes which doe attend vs without daring to attach vs and your determinate courages which are knowen vnto mée by so many feates of armes whereby ye haue alwaies gotten honour ouer your enimies doe dispense with me for saying of anie other thing vnto you but that time occasion meanes doe present themselues to daie more than euer héeretofore not onelie to make the fame of your valiance to runne throughout the whole world but that which is farre greater and iuster praise of so many paines passed and of the vertuous indeauour which you haue shewed in this action the rest and tranquilitie of your Gentlemanlie soules the enfranchisment of your bond consciences and the free exercise of your religion for maintenance whereof God yea the great God of Hosts hath assembled you héere out of so many Countries and quarters so that it is more than a worldlie hononour that yée ought to séeke for in the issue of this battaile although that you cannot want it as also yée shall gaine and get an incredible bootie of so many noble men who haue alwaies feared you and fledde your fight neither durst they now approch you in anie equall and indifferent manner but fortified on all partes for the iust distrust that they haue of their partie the feare of your approued prowesse But for the honor of God by whose secret motion wée bée incited to the defence of his holie name yée must assure your selues that hée will leade and guide you himselfe that hée will double the force and dexteritie of your arme and will in such sorte fauour your furious esfortes to the mischiefe of this rascall Papist which is nothing but a blowen bladder and a vaine bragger without heart or hardinesse so that yée hauing resolutelie charged broken dispoiled and slaine these men the rest of the runawayes will send vnto you the white paper for to permit you to liue as yée will your selues Haue not yée made them runne away in all parts of France Haue ye not couped them vp in Paris as it were foxes in their earthes Haue not ye beseaged and beate them so often in this the chiefe Citie of the world out of the which they durst not put their heads for feare of blowes doe ye think that they are now more hardie What other spurre doe you expect to prick you forward for to purchase their ruine then so many losses of your goods so many of your places ruined so many of your wiues so many of your daughters defiled so manie blasphemies so many denyings of the name of God Such and infinit other barbarous facts farre more detestable will be I doe assure my selfe a sufficient occasioÌ„ for you to grow in heart strength and diligence for to clense the world of such wicked soules This doth greatly gréeue mée that wée must blouddie our hands in the bodies of our cosins of our allies of our neighbours and good friends Our victorie cannot be but lamentable but theirs deadly and what ende so euer then counter shall haue it will rest pitifull to either of the two that shal be blessed and embraced with a good houre But because we must iudge of the desert of all actions by the vprightnesse of the occasions of them we haue a strong consolation in this that seeing the motife of these diuisions came of the ambition of the Triumuirate So beâ—â—â— Guys◠〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 CoÌ„â—â—â—â—â— we shall neuer be thought to haue caused much lesse to haue begunne these warres We haue neuer sought ought then to liue peaceably vnder the Edicts of our king On the contrarie side they armed themselues for to destroy and murder our poore bretheren at Vassy onely for this because they dyd pray vnto God according to the libertie which the king had caused to be published thoroughout his whole Realme Seing then that they would take our liues from vs what dishonour and punishable vilanie will that be not to vse meanes desensiue True it is that first nature then a certaine conformitie of maners entertained by certaine lawes which we doe call bandes politicke the spring of the amiable ciuilitie that goeth betweene man and man hath so allied vs that few doe hold them for friends But if that they degenerating from vertuous passions doe pursue vs as enimies we haue so much the more iust cause to estéeme them for such because the honor of God is the true and first foundation of their hatred for the maintenance whereof we ought to expose all that we haue and leaue vs nothing at all And for the rest assure your selues that a multitude of men assembled against the ordinance of God against right against all reason diuine humane shall neuer doe faire exploite vertue hath no sympathie with wickednesse So then kéepe your selues together without
rested himselfe as he could finding meanes the next daie to get againe to the armie both finelie and fortunatelie Vpon this the Prince and the Admiral séeing the auantgard also to come vppon them who hadde not yet rallyed moe than about two hundred Frenchmen of whome one onelie hadde a Launce praied the Reisters to staie readie for the recharge But they being alrâ—â—ie packing away sayd that they must goe to recharge their Pistolles Moreouer when they saw their footemen both French and Allemans ranne away themselues pursuen they flung away a galloppe and the French men with them so that the Prince was constrained to doe so likewise was hurt in the hand his horse that had receaued an Harquebusse shot in his legge had not gone aboue 300. pace but that he halted downe right and before he could be remounted O. Anuille was on the backe of him to whome he yéelded The Reisters and the French men hauing crossed a woode cut downe found a little valley the which they passed stayed vpon an high péece of ground in the sight of the Admiral who had taken his flight more on the right hande with a number of other a long the side of the same wood to make head to their enimies that closed it vpon thother side and both th one thother were aboue a good quarter of an houre without other aduauncing or making in one to thother wherein a number of Catholickes curious quite to ouerthrow thenimie noted a grosse fault committed by S. Andre and the Duke of Guyse assuring that if they had liuely folowed their victorie the Protestants trembling at such fearefull accidents would neuer haue rallyed together in grosse But the Admirall as a wise resolute and diligent Capitaine had done all that he could possible to rallye his horsemen dispersed thorough the whole field and in great disorder and finding that he had assembled about 250. horses French that had nothing but their swords pistolles and about 1000. Reisters of whome he set th one halfe on his right side and thother on his left and being accompanied with the Prince of Portian Rochfoucaut and other gentlemen well deliberated he resolued to goe yet once more to fight with thenimie what price so euer if shold cost him after that he had vsed a few words to the Chiefe men of the Horsemen that accompanied him and the Marshall of Hessen the Truchmen and certaine Captaines Allemains that vnderstoode French for to encourage them the better to the charge Although it séemeth to mée a matter néedelesse to vse anie speach to them that haue sufficient assurance in their owne vertue and valour and to make tryall whereof ye are come yet whilest we doe stay vntill all our people be rallied I may well saye vnto you that vnlesse great enterprises were accompanied with great perills and difficulties the praise could be but small to them that should attaine to the honour of them But as the high desseines for to maintaine the honour of God and the good of theyr Countrie can not be executed without infinite bazardes and paines incredible so must they also assure themselues that the price and rewarde of so manie extreame labours is not onelie prest and certaine but also great when the vertue is great whereof we constantlie poursue the end This is the reason why that hearts that would be knowen to be gentlemanly doe alwayes pourpose and attempt enterprises of great hazard because that they doe know that héereby they shall gette them eternall honour and their long trauailes be recognised with immortall renowne On the contrarie part those that are of small stomacke baselie minded and of a vile cowardise doe neuer addresse themselues but to things base and easie as also their name doeth dye as soone as the effect of that they enterprised Moreouer as assurance of the will of God is necessarie for to testifie all actions can we fight more lawfully or for a thing of so great importaunce then for the libertie of our conscience and doe they not take away the bright light of the worlde that will take from vs the libertie of our faith or can wée kéepe warres more iust then this which is of necessitie Be not our weapons forced and therefore consequently holy and religious in the handes of them that haue no other hope to liue but by the helpe and endeuour of them In in valiant hearts In in It is not the multitude but the valour of courage that giueth the victorie God fighteth for vs as he hath done heretofore for so manie small troupes which you haue séene and heard of being well conducted to haue broken those that were ten times greater then themselues And otherwise also ye shall mightely enrich your selues as well by the incredible bootie and spoile as for the great raunsomes that ye shall get As touching the rest ye haue alreadie vanquished the greatest part which are rallied with them that durst not aduaunce themselues vppon vs after the taking of their Generall Is it likely to be true that they which haue bene alreadie tamed and subdued haue taken force by their fall and that the victorious haue ben made more vile worse by their felicitie March then resolutely to the defaite of the rest folowing the good houre that hath louingly welcomed you It is a common saying he that hath begon well hath halfe done which is not spoken to make slouthfull or to bring a sléepe him whose first attempts haue bene happie no but contrarie for to prick him forward still so much the more to the poursuit and perfecting of his desseine But as it is more dishonor for him that through negligence or lack of courage doth let the satisfaction contentment to be lost the which he had almost thoroughly gotten theÌ„ for him that had alwaies bene infortunate at the beginning in the poursuite and at the ende of his enterprise so you must assure your selues that God dyd not send into your hands the beginning of so renowmed victorie through the strange hardinesse and not credible valoure of my Lord the Prince but for to heate and enchafe you to attempt the aduauncement and entier gaine of accomplished happinesse O thrise fortunate ye that shall retourne vnto your houses triumphing of the victorie loaden with the spoiles of your enimies which ye shall bring out of the field and sée your selues embrased and swéetely welcomed home by your kinsfolkes wiues children neighbours and allies who shall for euer from Father to sonne sing the eternall praises of you that haue so willniglie exposed your liues for the honour and glorie of God suretie of the king and publick good of your countrie For although to die be a thing common both to the good and the wicked whatsoeuer they be yet death is not honorable nor worthie of praise in any man but in those the shot at no other marke then the vertuous actions of their life Goe then my maisters and shew thenimie by effect