but some Affronts put upon him he sent Antelop his Pursuvant at Arms with Letters of defiance and having discovered and escaped a Conspiracy against his Life laid by the Contrivance of the French who had promised several of his Nobles a Million of Gold to effect his Death he embarked with his Army for France and landed at Harflew in Normandy where he had Burdeaux and many Towns of Note put into his Hands in which he left Garrisons and placed in them English Artizens with small Resistance which made him resolve to pass through the Countries of Caux and Ewe to his Town of Calais though his Army consisted of no more than 13000 Foot and 2000 Horse and so set forward with easie Marches the Country in his way being all destroyed before him for the French having notice of what he intended had not only removed the Forrage and Provisions but destroyed and brake down the Bridges fell'd Trees and plashed Woods in the way he was to take raising in the mean time great Forces in all parts of the Country as not doubting but they had him and his Army at their Pleasure and indeed for want of Necessaries and by reason of the Difficulties the Soldiers were forced to struggle with many oâ— them in a short time became sick and infirm so that the King finding himself in a strait began to repent him that he had so far advanced into the Enemies Country as knowing should he now retreat he must fight his way wherefore he made some Overtures to the French Generals proposing to surrender several Towns he had taken in Normandy but they rejected these Propositions with Derision as not doubting but himself and them together with his small Army wherein were many of the English Nobility would be at their disposal and so confident were they herein that the three Generals viz. The Dolphin the Dukes of Burgundia and Orleans had conditioned and agreed amongst themselves for the Prisoners and Spoils and with their huge Army consisting of 150000. Horse and 10000 Foot many of the former being the Nobility and Gentry of the Kingdom who hoped to win Honour in such as they thought it an assured Enterprize they advanced apace so that King Henry a Man of an undaunted Courage seeing no way but to fight disposed his Army to the best Advantage placing in the front a competent number of Archers who carried beside their Bows and Swords long Stakes pointed with Iron to fix in the Ground slauntwise that when they retired they might secure them against the Horse And in a Meddow with a convenient Ditch to defend it he placed as in an Amubush five hundred Archers who lay within half shot of the French Wing whilst in the main Battel stood the men at Arms and the Horse divided into two Squadrons were to charge as advantage gave them Opportunity And now whilst the French who covered the Country were advancing in three main Battels as to assured Victory the King with a moving Oration exhorted his Captains and Souldiers For the Honour of their Country and their own safety not to faint but stand to it manfully and confiding in the justness of their Cause not to despair of Victory nor should for his part let France see him a Captive or England be put to the Charge of his Ransom as being resolved to dye with Honour if things came to Extremity And so the Charge being sounded the thick squadrons of the French who scarcely had room for an orderly march came furiously on and were when within shot met by a flight of English Arrows which gauling their Horses and dismounting divers of their Chiefs command was given to press on and come to a close fight thereby to frustrate the Archers of the use of their Bows at what time a furious charge being given the Archers retreated a few Paces and left bare a triple tire of pointed Stakes which till that time they had covered upon which the French Horse-men rushing a great number of their Horses were gored and sticking as it were altogether disabled barrocaded the English Army from the approach of the rest so that not only the Archers in the front continued to pour in their shot but likewise those in the Meadow that flanked the squadron of the Right Wing began incessantly to deliver their shafts which in a short time wrought such Confusion that the French finding no place to retire amongst the thick Ranks that still pressed on and wedged as it were each other in began to fall into disorder many of them disranking as not being able to manage their wounded Horses nor could their Foot conveniently advance to their relief so that the men of Arms breaking in with great fury and the English Horse charging their Right Wing a miserable slaughter ensued nothing but death and flight being seen on their part throughout the field whilst the King himself distinguished by a Crown he wore on his Helmet fought courageously piercing their main Battel forcing his Horse over heaps of the slain which the Duke of Alanso who commanded on that part perceiving broke through the formost rank in a desperate manner and charged with his Sword so forcibly that with the blow he bruised the Kings Crown and made him a little recoil but the King soon advancing gave him such a stroke as beat him to the Ground at which time he cryed out he was Alanso and begged for quarter notwithstanding which and though the King laboured to save him he was there slain and now the French began to retire in great disorder nor was it in the power of the Commanders to restore the battel which advantage the English perceiving had the Execution of them with such a fearful slaughter that it is reported by divers Historians and some of them their own that no less that 4000 Noble-Men Knights and Esquire were slain together with 100000 of the meaner sort though all agree the French lost 60000 in that defeat and so many Prisoners many of them of the first Rank were taken that the King fearing upon fresâ— Troops showing themselves upon the Hills which were indeed come too late to the battel as not hearing of the overthrow thaâ— being more in number than his own men if the French reinforced should rally anâ— come to another tryal they might fall upon his Rear in the battel caused them all except some of the Chief to be slain â—thâ— which although it was a bloody Sentencâ—â— yet Self-preservation at that time made it State Policy And soon after this Victory which he ascribed to God alone the King had not only Paris put into his Hands but Marrying Catharine Daughter to Charles the French King he was Crowned King of France in Reversion and possessed himself of all the Cities and Towns of that Kingdom except a few the Dolphin held out against him in Berry Nor did this Glorious Victory cost the English much Blood there being not above 2500 slain and of Note only Edward Duke of
when drain'd near dry Thus our Pharsalia England's Tragedy Was Acted in a bloody Scene till Death With slaughter tir'd was almost out of breath What Lands what Kingdoms might our men have â—ane With that Bloods loss which Civil hands have drawn Such Pow'rs united as our Fields distain'd By Conquering on vast Empires might have gain'd Have overset bold Ott'mans Rising Throne And seen his Conquests far beneath their own A Description of the Battel of Bosworth-field fought between Richard the Third King of England and Henry Earl of Richmond known afterward by the Title of King Henry the Seventh c. AFter the Death of Edward the Fourth Richard Plantagenet Duke of Glocester having caused his two Nephews to be murthered usurped the Throne endeavouring to establish himself therein as he had first acquired it viz. by blood so that greatly oppressing his Subjects and especially the Nobility as also causing Queen Ann his Wife secretly to be made away that he might marry Elizabeth his Neece Daughter to his Brother King Edward the Fourth divers conspired against him and amongst the rest the Duke of Buckingham who had been the main Instrument in helping him into the Throne but raising Forces and being unsuccessful in his attempt his men flying and leaving him to shift for himself he resorted to the House of one Banister who had been his Steward and had got a good Estate under him where for a time he secured himself in disguise to attend his better fortune though it proved otherwise for King Richard seting 1000 l. upon his head the same Banister in whom he confided discovered him to the Sherif of the County who seizing upon him in the Disguise or Habit of a Gardiner carried him to Salisbury where by the Command of the King without Arraignment or Tryal he was beheaded And now by a secret Contract the Earl of Richmond being betroth'd to the Lady Elizabeth Eldest Daughter to Edward the Fourth after having escaped many Dangers beyond the Scas and his Faction being strong in England prepares with such an Army as he could well gather by the favour of the Duke of Brittany and increased by such English as fled to him for fear of the Usurper for England and landed at Milford-Haven his Retinue not exceeding 2000 but was soon increased to a far greater number by those that daily came to joyn him which made King Richard advance with his Army to oppose him and pitched his Tents at Radmore near Bosworth in Leicestershire and both Armies being drawn up in Battalia the Lord Stanly with a great Detachment kept aloof on the Hills and the King suspecting he intended to revolt from him to his Enemy sent to him to advance but he refused saying he would do it when he saw his time whereupon King Richard in a great Rage commanded his Son whom he had in Hostage for the Fathers Fidelity instantly to be beheaded but was by some of his Favorites perswaded to defer it till the Battel was over by which means the young man escaped for both Armies joyning with great fury a bloody and doubtful fight ensued so that for a long time the Scale of Victory hung in an equal poise King Richard commanding and fighting courageously in all parts but the Lord Stanly when both Armies had tried their Strengths and were weary with fighting coming in with his fresh men bore down all before him so that King Richard perceiving the Fortune of the War to go against him like a man in despair resolving not to survive it charged with great fury amongst the thickest Squadrons and having killed and beaten down many was at length over-pow'red and himself slain falling upon heaps of his Enemies his Crown was afterward found in a Hawthorn-bush and himself stripped naked was carried all bloody upon a Horse to Leicester and there buried in the Grey-Friars with much Solemnity after its being exposed two days to the People In this Battel called the Battel of Bosworth-field 6000 men on either side were slain and amongst them divers of Note And now the Earl of Richmond being Crowned in the Field marched to London and soon after solemnly married the Lady Elizabeth joyning the Houses of Lancaster and York he being the Heir of the one and she the Heiress of the other And so the Discord to soft Concord yields That with the Bones o' th' slain made white the Fields Dividing Friends in an unfriendly Jar Rending the tor'ring State with Impious War Whilst Father against Son Brothers with Brothers fight Not caring who was wrong or who was right But smeer'd with Blood in Cruelty delight Being emulous who most cou'd vent his Rage Such is the fate when Civil Arms ingage A description of the Battel of Seminara fought in the Kingdom of Naples between King Ferdinand then intituled to that Kingdom and the Great Gonsalves Caâ—tain of the Spaniards on the one part and the Lords Obignny and Persive for Charles the French King on the other part Anno 1495. CHarles the French King victorious in Italy having won many strong Places and Countries and amongst the rest the Rich and Fertile Kingdom of Naples Ferdinand in whose right it was raising an Army of Spaniards Sicilians Italians c. and entred the Provinces the French had a little before brought to their Subjection in order to recover them advancing as far as the Country of Seminara to oppose whom the Lord Obignny Governour of Calabria for the French King and the Lord Persive Governour of Bosilicula marched with their united Forces from their appointed Rendezvous at Terranova to Seminara to fight the King or besiege him in the Town who knowing nothing of their Conjunction and ignorant of their number issued out of the Town upon news of their approach to give them Battel not staying for the Troops he expected from Puglia Campagnia and Arbuzzo though Gonsalves counted the expertest Captain of his Age laboured to disswade him from fight for being in the flower of Youth and height of his Spirit he rather strove to expose his Valour than hearken to good Counsel and so having made an excellent Speech or Oration to animate the Captains and Souldiers to do their utmost he marched towards Terranova three miles along the Hills and coming to the River lodged his Foot on the left Bank and his Horse-men he stretched on the right to serve for a Wing and so continued to expect the Enemy By this time the French and Switzers came in sight and Obignny cast the latter into a firm Battalion placing the Foot raised in Calabria behind them as a Battel of Succour dividing the Squadron of Horse between them being Men at Arms and in the same order the light Horse-men and so in a square Battel they pass d the River whereupon the Spanish Horse advanced to oppose them but being hotly charged by the thick Battalion of the French in the Advaunt-guard after many of them were beaten down and slain the rest were obliged to retire by
for by the breaking in of Sebeius he was divided from his Foot-men in whom he reposed his greatest Confidence and now the Janizaries being hardly charged by Gazzeles who following the Fortune of Sebeius were brought to great distress nor could the routed Wing find any place of Retreat In this Confusion and Disorder Sinan Bassa who had been but lightly skirmished with by Kayerbeius came in with the Left wing of Horse and staid the fury of the Mamalukes whereat the disperced Squadrons of the Turks rallying and taking fresh Courage wrung the Victory out of their hands which they could not have done had Campson slighted the Baggage and come in in time with his Squadron or Kayerbeius been true to his Trust but the other Commanders having performed all that could be expected from men of Courage and Conduct and now the thundering Ordnance playing upon the ingaged Squadron as they had before on the Persian Horse-men they found the Place too hot and thereupon seering together in a thick Troop they broke through the midst of those that had enclosed them making great slaughter of the European Horse-men and Pentioners and so retir'd towards the Camp and City of Aleppo and being pursued by Sinan Bassa whist Campson Gaurus endeavoured to stay the flight and restore if possible the battel he was borne from his Horse in the Crowd and by reason of his Age and the weight of his Armour not being able to relieve himself he was in that Hurry and Confusion troden to death and being afterward found amongst the slain was expos'd to the view of the People that they might not flatter themselves with his being alive In this great battel fought on the 17th of August 1516 no less than thirty thousand Turks were slain and about the like number of Egyptians and Mamalukes so that after two other mortal battels with Tomombeus whom the Mamalukes chose their Sultan after the death of Campson one in the great City of Caire which lasted three days with great Effusion of blood and the other upon the banks of Nilus no less dreadful all the Rich Countries of Egypt and Palestine fell into the hands of the Turks who possess it to this day for Tomombeus flying after the last Defeat was taken in a Marish among the Flags up to the Neck in Water and brought to Selymus who would not admit him to his Presence but after he had rid upon a rugged Camel with his Face to the Tail quite thro' the City of Caire in derision he was hanged upon a Hook under the Gate of that City and all the Mamalukes that could be found put to the Sword. Thus Turkish Cruelty do's wider spread And Death in Triumph by their Swords is Lead Glutted with Slaughter he no Famine feels But Drunk with Blood profusely shed He reels A Description of the fatal Battel of Nugis fought between Lewis King of Hungary and Selymus the First of that Name Emperour of the Turks at Nugis in the Kingdom of Hungary c. LEwis King of Hungary upon notice that Solyman was advancing to Invade his Kingdom with a powerful Army and not being able to obtain Assistance of the neighbouring Princes raised the whole Power of his own Country not amounting to above 30000 Men and those but slenderly skill'd in the Trains of War yet at the Perswasions of one Tomoreus who promised him assured Victory telling him he had it by Revelation the King young and unexperienc'd rejected the Counsel of some grave Captains who foresaw the Danger of fighting eight to one with an approved Warrior for Solyman approached with no less than 300000 Men and resolved to give the Turks battel so that it was not long e'r both Armys confronted each other near to a small Town called Nugis between Belgrade and Buda whenas the Turkish Commanders seeing the weakness of the King besieged his Camp for many days yet the said Tomoreus desisted not to promise him Victory and undertook to set the Army in Battel-array and indeed it was now too late to think of Retreating without fighting their way through so that the Foot being stretch'd in a long Line as commodiously as the Place would allow they were supported by the Horse almost in the like manner that they might not be absolutely inclosed or if they were by doubling their Lines they might cast themselves into a Ring or Oval battel whilst the Camp intrenched or barrocado'd with chain'd Wagons was left on the right hand to secure the approach on that part though but slenderly guarded and near thereunto was placed a Regiment of the most experienc'd Horse-men for the security of the King's Person who would not be perswaded to reserve himself for a better Day by withdrawing from the Camp e're the battel was joyned so that now the great Guns on either part begun to play furiously though doing little damage yet the Turkish Squadrons advancing upon the first Charge the Hungarian Horse gave ground and soon after broke their Array which so discouraged the Foot-men that they scarcely made any Resistance but throwing away their Weapons were miserably slain and in less than two hours space the whole Army was in Rout upon which the Turks following the Execution not above 5000 escaped all the flower of the Nobility of that Kingdom being slain and the King attempting to escape plunged with his Horse into a miry Place where none coming to his Assistance he was stifled nor did Tomoreus escape but fell to augment the number of the slain After this fatal Blow was given to Hungary which was follow'd by innumerable Calamities occasioned by Civil Dissentions Solyman entred Buda and taking out of the Castle divers Brazen Statues placed there by Matthias Corvinus he departed to Constantinople leaving the Kingdom in a manner desolate especially of its Nobility Thus Rashness see a mighty Ruine wrought And a free Kingdom to Subjection brought Which almost ever since has Groan'd with War And hides more slain than in 't the living ar ' A Description of the Battel of Pavye fought between Francis the French King and Charles Duke of Burbon Charles de Lenoy and the Marquess of Picara Generals for Charles the Fifth Emperour of Germany THE French and Imperialists contending for the Sovereignty of Italy with various Fortunes and Francis the French King endeavouring to recover the Dutchy of Millain the Duke of Burbon Charles Lanoy Vice Roy of Naples and the Marquess of Piscara drew out an Army to oppose his proceedings so that after some time spent in training their Souldiers and putting them in order it came to a pitched Field and the Generals exhorting their Souldiers to do their utmost Endeavours to gain Honour and Fame the great Ordnance began to thunder on either part but that of the French being on the lower Ground had much the Advantage the shot whereof passing through the Ranks of the German Horsemen greatly incommoded them which the Commanders perceiving drew their battels closer and after some doubtful