THE Copy of a Letter, sent by an English Gentleman out of France, to a friend of his in England, concerning the great victory which the French King obtained against the Duke de Maine, and the Romish rebels in his Kingdom, upon the fourth day of March last passed. 1589.  
Wherein is particularly expressed the names of sundry noble men, with the number of horsemen & footmen which were drowned, slain, hurt, and taken prisoners in the said Battle.   printer's or publisher's device 
LONDON Printed for William Wright. 1590.   

THE COPY OF A LETter, sent by an English Gentleman forth of France, to a friend of his in England, concerning the great victory which the French King obtained against the Duke de Maine, and the Romish rebels in his Kingdom, upon the fourth day of March last passed. 1589.  
MY good Friend,  
the manifold courtesies by me sundry ways received at your hands, makes me not to be unmindful of you, and the rather for that I find you not slack to signify unto me from time to time, such news as England affordeth, I thought it good therefore to make requital of some part of your pains by certifying unto you, the most happy and joyful news now generally known for truth throughout the whole Realm of France. The circumstance whereof at large deserveth a stately style, a large volume, and to be registered in letters of gold, such and so rare an event the Almighty hath brought to pass, to the great comfort of the King's Majesty (whom God preserve and prosper) to the great benefit and joy of all his dutiful and loyal subjects, which now by the providence of God doth daily increase: and to the great discouragement of all the enemies to Christian religion, which to record or discourse by circumstance at large, I leave to those of deep skill and sufficient learning, to enrol amongst the noble acts of the most renowned and valiantest of our age. Only to you I do hear send a brief particular of his majesties good fortune happened upon the fourth day of March last passed. A matter containing so great certainty, and yet so incredible (for that the enemy was three to one in the field) as doth make men wonder at the same, and hardly believe it. But there is nothing unpossible to compass or obtain where God is the guide, nor nothing prospereth or prevaileth where God's assistance wanteth, as I could prove by many examples: What power can prevail to fight against God's truth, than the which, nothing is of more force, as appeareth by that which ensueth.  
It is not unknown unto you by our last conference together at your lodging, where conferring with a Gentleman that had traveled into France upon the present state of that Country, he declared that then the state was very dangerous, and the land was divided into three several factions, which is since altered into two, the one very lawful, being under the conduct of the lawful King: the other a greater and of more danger, for that they are Traitors to their King, stirred up in the life time of the bloodthirsty Duke of Guise, who became the only capital enemy against Christian religion, and the professors thereof throughout all Christendom, as appeared by the great murder, massacre and slaughter of many thousands by him and his associates inflicted and committed at Paris in his life time upon the professors of the reformed Religion: who as he lived, died: he slaughtered innocentes, and bathed in their blood, till other requited him with the like death.  
After which, 〈◊〉 in the right of the Guise for the succession to the Crowue and Kingdom of France, (who had no right at all thereunto) the Duke de Maine, a man supported and maintained by the Pope and all the sworn enemies to the Gospel, was found by them the fittest champion in that Country, to rebel and rise up in arms against the King, being no loyal subject, but a rebellious Traitor to the Crown of France. For after the death of the French King, he took upon him the title of the King, and in most disloyal sort repugned against the lawful and Christian King Henry of Navarre, now since proclaimed and reputed the lawful successor to the crown and kingdom. All which notwithstanding the Duke de Maine resisted his authority, by means of the great forces sent him by the Popish enemies, and to the intent to displace and depose him unlawfully, hath with his power sundry times set upon the kings Forces, and taken his chiefest Cities and walled Towns, and doth withhold them unlawfully from the King, contrary to the duty of a natural subject, so that after many late battles and skirmishes, one only battle was fought upon the fourth day of March aforesaid, where the enemy was thirty thousand strong in the field, the King not having above ten thousand in all: beside there was newly come forth of the low Countries five thousand footmen, and fourteen Coronets of Horsemen, all which were taken, slain, and put to the sword, twelve hundred of the Horses were drowned, and the rest taken by the King's Soldiers. Before the Battle began, for that the enemy was more than three to one, (the King then being in such a place where he must fight it out or die) took courage and comforted his Soldiers, showing them that the cause was a just cause, and did repose therefore his trust in God only: in whose quarrel he fought, and he would defend him from the fury of his enemies, as he had sundry times before delivered him from the like dangers: willing his Soldiers not to be daunted with the multitude which came towards them: for said he, I will be the foremost, and will spend my dearest blood before any of you shall perish: which words did so encourage the Soldiers that they fell to it, and got to a firm and fair piece of ground, being of great compass, and kept that ground still and would not give back, whereby the enemy might have any advantage: who for want of ground to fight and stir themselves, the multitude pestered one an other, so that their great multitude and want of room was the greatest cause of their overthrow, which the King perceived, and encouraged his men to fight, who very fiercely laid upon the enemy, and broke their rank and disordered their Battle, whereupon the King to the great discomfort of the enemy, stepped to the Standard bearer of the enemy's Army, he took away the Standard with his own hands, and slew the bearer thereof, which did so encourage his Soldiers, that they fell to it so fiercely, as that they constrained the Duke to fly, when he saw his own brother slain before his face, and was almost taken in the flight. The King had the enemy in the Chase seven Leagues, wherein there were a thousand men of name and account taken prisoners. The Countiss Egmont was slain in this Battle, and Mounsieur de la Mount, was taken prisoner. Four hundredth golden Chains and more, were found in the rifling of the Waggins, and seven hundred Chosts of pillage taken by the King, besides the Duke's Casket, wherein was enclosed his chiefest Letters of privity. All the Swissers have surrendered themselves to the subjection and obedience of the King: And the enemy's chiefest field Pieces were taken.  
Thus was the enemy's Forces, greatly weakened and scattered, so that it is very likely Paris and the chiefest Towns and places now repugnant against him, will not long hold out, but yield themselves speedily to his majesties mercy. God be blessed, he hath wonderfully preserved this godly and christian Prince from danger, being still the most forwardest in the fight, and chased them almost eight hours together. The God of heaven prosper him and all the favourers of the Christian Religion, that they may beat down such as seek the confusion thereof, and give his enemy's grace to see their own folly and leave their blind ignorance, that either their conversion may be speedily seen, with repentance of their former follies, or else their destruction presently come upon them, which God grant speedily, for his mercy's sake, Amen.  
This sixth of March. Your loving friend, T. B.   

Another letter the 6. of March.  
THe king's Majesty sent for the governor and the Nobility, and for provision of powder to give battle to the Duke de Maine. The Duke pressed upon the King, by reason of his Walloons, being four thousand foot and one thousand horse. The governor in the way met with two companies of footmen and discomforted them: and took their Captain prisoners to Font delarche, upon his arrival the King gave battle to the Duke, and put him to the worse. The Duke fled, most of the Burgonians were slain, his ordinance lost: and four thousand Swissers were received to mercy and the service of the King. monsieur Mountpensier did very valiantly, he was a little hurt in the head, the Cownt Egmont Conductor of the Spaniards and Walloons, was slain and their standard taken: the King was forced to the battle by the Duke, and therefore could not refuse it. The Duke was moved thereto by the Pope's legate, through discontemnent grown among them of Paris, by reason of the charges they had … e put unto by the Duke and no ser … e done, and therefore grew to a …tation, whether better to yield to the King, or to those of the league: Sundry of the chiefest murmured at the motion of spain, which being observed, were the night following apprehended and committed to prison. This division was the chief cause that the leggat made … e of battle, whereas the Duke was obedient. To conclude, the enemy was three to one, and yet God be praised few on the King's side were hurt and the most part of the enemies were drowned, slain, hurt, and taken prisoners in the battle.  

The names of such chief persons as were slain and hurt on the enemy's side.  


Slain.  
The County Egmont  
The Duke Brunswick general of the Reisters.     
FINIS.