A discourse of such things as are happened in the army of my lords the princes of Navarre, and of Condey, since the month of September last. 1568.  
Seen and allowed.  
¶ Imprinted at London, by Henry Bynneman, for Lucas Haryson. 1569.   

A Discourse of things happened in France, since the month of September. Anno. 1568.  
When God's goodness and providence, with manifest help and fatherly care had withdrawn (as all men know) the Prince of Condyes' grace, and my Lord the Admiral from the extreme peril, and almost unaduoydable danger of their lives, in which they were at Noyer's and Tanlag, he guided and conducted them to Rochel: (from one part of the Realm to the other) without any harm or danger, with their wives and children, yea their cradles and nurses, with small train, and great journeys, by buy ways & villages, unhandsome and ill appointed. Not long after, continuing his goodness and favour towards Monsieur Dandelot, which was in Britain, so assisted him, that though he were pursued by the Lords Montpensier and Martigues, accompanied with great strength both of footmen and horsemen, to hinder his joining with the prince, this notwithstanding, beyond all expectation he passed over the river of Loire, with all his troop in their sight, at a ford, which was never marked or known of the dwellers themselves. The favour of God appeared also in the passage of the Queen of Navarre and the Prince her son, which went through the whole country of Gascoigne passed the river of Garonne & Dordoigne, with other rivers, fords and perilous straits though they were straightly followed by the Lords of Montluc, Terides, Descare, and Losses with great force, without any hindrance at all. The like was seen also in the passage of Monsieur Dacier which marched with all his troop through the whole countries of Dalphine, Languedoc and Gascoigne, to meet with my lords the Princes, in the sight and knowledge of the Lord joyeuse, which had express charge to stay him: so that in despite of the said Princes enemies, they have gathered together from all corners of this realm, to the number of five and twenty thousand hargebouziers, and five or six thousand horsemen, notwithstanding the order taken by their said enemies at all ports, bridges, straits and passages, and having their army ready four months before, wherewith (God be thanked) they could never touch the said Lords princes, or let them from taking of their towns of S. Maxant, Fontenay, Nyort, Coignac, Xantes, S. john d' Angely, Angoulesme, Ponts, Bourg, Taillebourg, Taillemont, and other towns, from the river of Gyronde, unto the suburbs of Salmure upon Loire, some by composition and other some by force. And though the same were done in the sight of all men, but only that the said Lord Princes were at the siege before the said town of Ponts, they were advertised that the said Lord of Assier was arrived with his troop at Aubeterre, which was with a hundredth and three score ensigns of footmen, being in number a fourteen thousand harguebouziers, and six thousand pikemen, & twelve hundredth horsemen: and that the enemies had suddenly taken the Captain Mawance, and the Captain Pieregourdis, and had overthrown them with certain number of their soldiers, which caused the said Princes, fearing some greater mischief, to march with their army towards the said place of Aubeterre, minding to fight with the enemies if they would stand to it: who so soon as they had news of the Princes coming, removed incontinent. And because they understood they took the way to Poitiers, they determined to overtake them if it might be with as great journeys as was possible, seeking all means to make them come to the battle, wherein they used such diligence, that the third day they were so nigh them, that where the fore ward of the said Princes lodged, the enemies were unlodged a little before: and oftentimes they found their bread, munition and carriage, so that seeing themselves pursued so nigh, they were constrained to retire to Chastellerault and those parts, where they entrenched themselves and their artillery, and met with Monsieur the kings brother with new force. And for that it was reported by the Gentlemen that were sent to descry them near, that the coming to them was so dangerous and hard, that it had been to no purpose, and without reason to assail them in their camp, which they had so well fortified with trenches, and so well provided with munition and artillery, which did so beat the said comers thereto, that it had been unpossible to keep array without great loss of men: it was determined to present themselves to the sight of the army, to see if they would come out of their fort, which was done by the lord Admiral with his forward which he kept a whole day in battle ray on the top of a hill, from whence they might see the said town of Chastellerault, but the enemies made no countenance of coming out to them. For this cause devising how they might get them out of their fort, to a place where the said princes might fight with them, they caused their army to march towards Mirebalois, which is a very good and fruitful country, and whence their enemies had their most commodity of victuals, & where the said princes might best victual their men to the hindrance of their enemies. And drawing thitherward, it happened that the enemies appointed to lodge at the same place where the Prince's army was appointed. And that monsieur the Admiral and Monsieur Dandelot his brother approaching nigh their lodging, accompanied with four or five hundredth horsemen at the most, they descried their enemies which had all their horsemen of the fore ward, to the number of two thousand horse. So that the said Admiral sent incontinently on all parts for all the troops of horsemen, as well of the battle as of the forward, delaying still till the said Princes began to appear with their battle and other troops of the fore ward, which somewhat abashed the enemies, & then they caused certain harquebouziers to approach nigh the enemies, and there was shot on both sides: but because it was upon the closing in of day, and began to wax very dark, the battle was deferred till the next day, at which time the said Princes with all their armies began to march by break of day strait to the place where they had left their enemies the even before, and the said princes perceiving that they were departed, caused certain cornets of horsemen to post after the said enemies, to descry which way they took, and to assay once again if they could provoke them to fight. Which they did to a village named Sausay, where the lords of Guise, Martigues, Brissac, Tauannes, Sansac, and diverse other had lain that night, who were not the last that took their heels, and that with such haste, that they left all their carriage behind them, which was not less worth than two hundredth thousand crowns, and eight or nine score drawing horses, with certain powder. The said Princes being advertised that all the fore ward of the enemies was out of array and confused, and that Mountsalan amongst others was put to flight, and the most part of his company slain and taken, and had their cornets and ensigns, they began to march as fast as they could after them to overtake them, which they could not do till they came to a village named jazenevil, into which the enemies retired, and where the King's brother had fortified and trenched himself with his artillery. Where the Princes gave them the bravest skirmish that ever was given by memory of man, which lasted no less than four or five long hours, where was shot on both sides, above fourscore thousand harquebouze shot, and three hundredth seven and thirty great shot on the enemy's side only, for that the Princes great shot was not brought from the siege of Ponts: and it was found by the confession of the enemies themselves, that they lost at this skirmish five or six hundredth soldiers, and fifteen or sixteen Captains: and on the Prince's side there were two hundredth hurt and slain. Yet it was written to the Queen by some of her trusty servants that are in the enemies camp, that never French king's son was in so great danger, as my Lord the king's brother, for the space of three days and three nights: and in deed it is most certain that at the same skirmish, the said Princes footmen wan the trenches twice or thrice, and set upon the Artillery, and killed some at their pieces, yea that many of the soldiers entered into certain houses which were within the enemies Fort, and brought away armour, and eat and drank, whereof they had great need: for that three days together they wanted victuals, yet were they so patient, and so desirous to fight, that they forgot the hunger that they suffered. This skirmish being ended, by the means of the night, the said Princes ordained that the next day by break of day, they should present themselves in the same place of jazevenil, to see if they could provoke the enemy to fight. Which was done, but none of the enemies durst show their heads, saving a hundredth or six score horsemen, and that so nigh their fort, that it was impossible to buckle with them. Since they had news that they were retired to Luzignon, and thence to Poitiers: which caused the said Princes to lodge their army in the Country of Myrebalois, where they found great quantity of bread and munition, that the enemies had caused to be provided, and understanding that they were come to lodge at Ausance, which is within a league of Poitiers, and four leagues from the place where the said Princes lodged, they prepared them such an enterprise, that the said Lord Admiral with a thousand horsemen and only two thousand harquebouziers, drove the said enemies into the said village of Ausance, bet them from a bridge which was there, and put all the army to flight, who retired into Poitiers in great disorder and confusion with the loss of many of their men, & of all their carriage. And although things passed in this wise, yet are the said enemies so shameless, that they give out rumours wholly contrary to the truth, yea they sent letters to the Court wherein they were not ashamed to send word, that they withstood the said Princes, where continually they put them to flight, & sought all means possible to provoke them to fight. Whereto the said Lords Princes seeing their enemies have so little lust, by reason of the ill success that they had in the former encounters, to enforce them to fight, and (will they nill they) to prevent such subtleties and disguisings as they commonly used, this other day in the sight of their enemies, and of all their camp, they took a town and castle belonging to one of the principal heads of their army, although the said Town was furnished with men, artillery, & all other kind of munition, as he to whom it belongeth, hath had good mean and leisure to do: the taking whereof shallbe so clear and evident witness of itself, of the faint courage that they have to fight, that they shall never be able hereafter to disguise & colour their cowardice as they have done heretofore. Afterward the said Lord Princes, seeing that neither the taking of the said town & castle, nor any other occasion that they could give to the enemies, could provoke them to fight, and that they kept themselves always on the farther side of the river of Clain, whither they fled when they were driven from Ausance, having further a good river before them, & sunk all the boats to hinder any enterprise that might be attempted against them: giving out that they tarried for the strength that came with the Seigneur of joyeuse which they said was of six thousand hargebouziers & fifteen hundredth horse men: and then they determined to fight with the army of the said princes. This caused the Princes (to give them new occasion to pass the river, & to increase their will and desire to fight) to force in their sight the town of Salmure, which is a passage of the River of Loire, which drove the enemies into such a jealousy, that they prepared themselves to hinder the said Princes from taking of that town, and for this cause they marched forth their army, lodging their footmen in one of the Suburbs, but when the battery was ready, tidings came that the enemies had passed over the River of Clain, making a countenance to come to the rescuing of Salmure, with the force of the Lord of joyeuse, which was arrived two or three days before, which made the said Princes immediately to raise their siege from Salmure, causing their army to march strait upon the enemies, which was easy to be done, for that there was no river between them and the said enemies which they met before the town of Loudun, which were appointed to lodge in the Suburbs, where their lodging was ordained, from whence my Lord the Admiral raised them, so that they retired and camped in the places & villages about the said Loudun. The next day the two armies faced one an other, their scouts being within an hundredth paces the one of the other. They shot their Ordinance on both parts, and so passed all that day with certain small skirmishes only. And although the enemies had encamped themselves to the vantage, which commonly they do that chose their place first, and might have approached the said Prince's army without any danger, which the said Princes could not do to them, yet when they stepped two paces, the Prince's army stepped four to join with them: two days after the said two armies met again in the same places, as they likewise did the day after yt. But the Princes could never get them from their vantage, which is marvelous, considering the bruits that they gave abroad, that they were so strengthened with the Lord of joyeuses power, that they determined not to departed the places till they had fought with the said Prince's army, and said also that they had express commandment so to do, or at the least to raise them from that place, for thereon depended the honour of both the armies. But how soon this hot courage was cooled, is easy to be judged by their sudden retiring a league back from the place which they had taken, & getting a brook between them, and the said Prince's army. Who being not content with the vantage that they wan of their said enemies, in raising them from the place that they said they chose to fight on, followed them to the second place, and although the said enemies had a great vantage by reason of the brook which made them hard to be come by, yet what with cannon shot and continual skirmishes that they gave them, they constrained them again to lean that second place, & to retire, (yea the king's brother himself) towards Chinon, & to pass the river of Vienna, leaving all their sick behind them, and much of their carriage & munitions. The Princes seeing this, appointed certain troops of horsemen and foot men to follow them which set upon one place of the enemies where there were seven Ensigns, whereof four were put to flight, and the other three wholly discomfited, and their ensigns were burned in a house, where some of the soldiers had withdrawn themselves. afterward the said Princes seeing all means of fight to be taken away, by reason of a great and strong river between them, determined to march with their army towards Towars and Montrevilbellay, as well to refresh them and for commodity of victuals, whereof they had great need for five or six days, as to coast the army of the enemies, which being thus retired, diminisheth and breaketh away daily by little and little, so that we hear from divers places, that they talk of passing over the river of Loire again: to place part of their Army in all the towns that lie on the said river, and to border it with warriors at all the bridges, gates, passages and villages, and the other part to send towards the camp that the King levieth against the Prince of Orange, and the Duke of Swebrug. Which causeth the said Princes now to determine, that as soon as they have received those ten thousand footmen, and twelve hundredth horsemen that the four viscounts of Bourniquel, Poulin, Monclay and Calmont, bring unto them to strengthen them, and which are almost arrived at their camp, to march forward to the siege of some one of those towns on the said river, that they may with all expedition join with the prince of Orange, & the duke of Swebrug. From whom they have received news by certain Gentlemen that they have sent unto them, that they are not less than five and twenty or thirty thousand horsemen, and three score thousand footmen when they be all met. In the mean while the said Lord Princes have 35. ensigns of footmen and twelve guydons which they have won of the enemies, besides the seven ensigns of companies of footmen that were discomfited, at the departing from before Loudun, which were burnt in the lodging to have the Soldiers that were within. On the other side, the said four viscounts lost no time where they were, but took and put to fire and sword the town of Gaillac in which divers cruelties with marvelous stoutness had been committed against those of the Religion, and also the low town of Carcassonne was taken by them, with twelve or fifteen other towns Monsieur of Grammont in the country of Basque hath also discomfited the seigneur of Luye which had raised four thousand men against those of the Religion, & won certain pieces of artillery from him. The Cardinal of Lorraine perceiving that all things went not on his side as he hoped and purposed, caused the Queen to send out Mons. portal the general receiver, to make some motion of peace, to the said Princes, to whom the like answer was made, that was made to the master of requests Malassise, that was also sent by the Queen to the like end, which is this, that as long as the Cardinal of Lorraine ruled and used such tyranny over France, and namely the kings counsel, out of which they have driven away my Lord the Chancellor, and the principal Officers of the crown, they would accept no letters nor messages made under the name of his majesty, but only as coming from the forge and invention of the said Cardinal, and that they had used so much unfaithfulness in the treaty of pieces heretofore, that those of the Religion are driven to this extremity, to believe that there is none other safety for them, but by the mean of the sword.  
Since that time the company of Monsieur Dinoy, took the last of Decembre in the suburbs of Chynon four score Switsers with the Provost of the King's Brothers guard, which was on the far side the water, from whence the army fled in great haste. This is the happy success that it hath pleased God hitherto to give to the affairs of the said Princes, and the reward and recompense that the enemies have received for their treason and unfaithfulness, which is more than sufficiently verified by the contents of the Pope's Bull, which they sewed for in the Month of june & july last, & dispatched at Rome, the last of August following, which said suit shall always evidently convict them, that they never intended but to break the faith and public safety, both promised and sworn, & further to revoke the Edict: which came forth anon after, and in substance hath relation to the laid Bull. Whereby they revoke all the Edicts which have been heretofore made in the favour of those of the Religion, as being made in the assemblies of men hired or bribed thereto: though it be well known, that it was done in the solemnest assembly that ever was made in this realm, namely the Edict of januarie, where all the Princes and Lords of the Council of both Religions, with the greatest and most notable personages of all the high Courts of this Realm were present, and further being made at the Request of the Estates. And for sufficient proof to all those of the Religion, that they never meant but to abolish & bring to nought the said Religion, they declare in express words by the same Edict, that they never minded or intended any other thing, notwithstanding any commandments, letters patents, and declarations that have been given forth or otherwise, and notwithstanding the great assurance of words, that his Majesty hath given, as well to his subjects, as to strange Princes.   

¶ Imprinted at London, by Henry Bynneman, dwelling in Knight Rider street, at the sign of the mermaid, for Lucas Haryson.  
1569.