CERTAIN ARTICLES OR ORDINANCES Made by the French King/ And the Duke D'ESPERNON, To be Observed by the French Soldiers in the ARMY, for the better Government of them.  
AT AMSTERDAM, Printed by George Veseler/ Anno 1621.   

1. HE that shall steal any Cattles shallbe hanged/ and the like punishment all Thiefs that rob houses shall received.  
2. All those that shall rob any man and kill him/ shall be broken upon a wheel.  
3. Who-so-ever he be that doth strike/ hurt/ or ransom his host or hosts/ or any poor people/ shallbe hanged.  
4. He that is paid his wages/ and shall take any thing of his host without paying for it/ by force/ and against his will shall be hanged.  
5. He that shall be fowd to be a false witness shallbe hanged.  
6. He that shall burn/ break/ or carry away the household stuff in the house where he is lodged/ shallbe hanged/ and further: the value of the said household stuff shallbe deducted out of his pay that did it upon the host's oath taken/ what they were worth, which shallbe arbitrated by the Provost Martial.  
7. He that shall cut down a fruit three/ or shall break any Vines branches/ shoot at Pigeons in dove coats or when they fly shall be punished with all arbitrable amends for the first time/ and the second time with corporal punishment.  
8 He that shall have a whore to keep him company in the Camp/ shallbe discharged/ and the whore whipped.  
9 He that shallbe attainted and found to have been assistant in any crime committed/ or seeing it done/ did not oppose himself against it nor called the Neighbours / to stay the malefactor shallbe punished corporally.  
10. All Captains/ Officers/ and Soldiers/ shallbe bound every night to sleep in their quarters not only to impeach and hinder the Soldiers from committing any disorders/ but also to be ready to receive such commandments and commissions as shall be given them.  
11. We forbid all soldiers to abandon or leave their quarters/ and from going into Villages there about'ts/ without leave or commandment upon pain of death.  
12. When the Companies come into a Garrison the Officers of the places shall set a price upon victuales/ and take order that the prize thereof be not raised/ wherein the Provost Marshal of the place shall assist the Officers.  
13. We prohibit the constraining of hosts to go to buy any thing for Soldiers upon pain of death.  
14. We forbid all Harbingers of Companies to give Billets to any man/ whatsoever he be to long lodge in the Lords houses of the Villages or Parishes that shallbe allotted them to lodge in/ nor in ecclesiastical persons houses/ or to lodge more Soldiers in a house then the number appointed by their Captains upon pain for the first fault to be whipped and the second to be hanged.  
15. To know and find out the bad actions and faults commicted in the quarters that are allotted out we charge the said Harbingers upon pain of death/ to make a note every day of the lodgings that they shall appoint unto Soldpers/ which they shall upon demmannd made by the Provost/ Marshals of the bands or cheire Deputies) deliver unto them.  
16. If it shall fall out/ that two Soldiers should quarrel/ one with the other/ he that is next unto than/ shall separate them/ and if they continue and perfect in the said quarrel/ the Soldiers that are ne'er unto them shall presently advertise the Captain thereof/ that he may commit them to the Provost Martial that justice may be done/ and if he that should be aprehended seeks to run away it shallbe known in the Captain's roll where he was quartered/ that the Officers of the said place may be advertised/ that they may apprehend and keep him in prison/ until the next muster following shallbe made/ to be afterward delivered to the Provost Martial/ or to cause him to be punished openly in the place/ as he shallbe found to have deserved/ or as it shall be thought good by advice at the said muster.  
17. According to the Ordinances aforesaid touching footmen all persons that are under our pay/ that shallbe taken/ and aprehended by any judges/ for any action that concerns the said military ordinances shallbe sent before the Colonel or his Provost Martial/ that justice may be done/ upon those whose honour shallbe chargeable/ and in the places where there is a Garrison. The knowledge thereof shallbe best to him or them that shall have authority to administer justice among the said Soldiers.  
18. And for that some persons that are under our paid/ in the said bands to avoid punishment according to our Marshal orders/ may seek to infringe the jurisdiction of the said Provost Martial / under pretence of naming themselves to be house houlders/ or such like/ we ordain/ that all persons being under our paid in the said Lands/ their servants and boys/ having committed any crime or offence/ that Provost Marshal privily take knowledge of the rest/ and shall Iudg them according to our said Ordinances/ notwithstanding any oppositions/ or appellations that they may make or allege/ and that without respect thereof/ he shall proceed to the execution of the judgement/ that shall be given against them/ having first taken the advice of the Colonel and Master of the Camp as the manner is.  
19 And for that there are many crimes and public offences/ that are not named/ declared/ nor specified/ in the Ordinances made for the footmen. The said Provost Martial of the bands/ shall take knowledge thereof/ and Iudg/ and punish the offenders by ways and punishements/ set down and found in the civil Laws/ and our general ordinances.  
20. When any of the said Captains shall find any Soldier that breaketh the Ordinances made for the Government of i footmen/ as well of his own company or an other/ he shall deliver him unto the Provost Martial to do justice on him which Captains and Officers shall aid and assist the said Provost Martial and deputy where soever they be/ and to assist at the executions of justice with their companies/ as the manner is.  
21. And where by connivance or otherwise/ the Captains will not assemble/ in the absence of the said Colonel and Master of the Camp/ to give their advise/ to Iudg any man by the said Provost Martial/ according to our ordinances/ The process of offenders which shallbe in his hands/ shall by the said Provost Marshal/ proceed further to the judgement of those that shallbe called there unto by him/ being as counsellors or other graduates/ according to our ordinances/ which he shall cause to be executed/ notwithstanding any oppositions or appellations what soever made to the contrary.  
22. And for that under pretence of the said bands/ diverse vagabonds and people of no account will retire themselves into the same/ and keep about them/ that commit diverse faults and offences/ we command the Provost Martial/ to have an eye and special care there unto/ as belonging unto his charge.  
23. As well the Geoliers and kepers of our prisons and others shall be bound to receive and keep in their prisons and geoles/ such malefactors as the said Provost Martial shall commit unto them/ or by his appointment shall be sent thither/ until definitive sentence shallbe given against them/ paying them their fees/ and for their victuales.  
24. And touching that which concerneth the civil law/ as obligations/ bills/ or arrests for actions of acconpts/ victuales/ or other matters made between Captain's Soldiers and others of our Subjects inhabitants of Towns/ Villages/ marchand's/ and Victuallers being present/ in our march/ Camps/ Armies or garrisons/ or that are of the said bands/ the Provost Marschall of the same shall do good/ and speedy justice unto everp one.  
25. We prohibit upon pain of death/ all Captains and Soldiers from injuring/ or wronging in any manner/ either by word or deed/ the Provost Marshals of our bands/ but to obey unto that which he shall ordain for execution of justice/ as being our Magistratt and Officer/ nor any of their Deputies Clerks/ or servants/ willing that such as are culpable therein shallbe pwished/ as having resisted our power and authority.  
26. And to the end that no Captain/ officer/ nor soldier/ may be ignorant of our ordinances and Marshal orders/ we have ordained that all Captains/ shall cause them to be read unto their Soldiers by their Officers/ 3 or 4 times a month/ both in the courts of guard/ and particularly/ thereby always to hold and retain them their due obedience.  
27. We will and ordain that the Provost Martial of our bands/ his deputy and servants/ shall enjoy the same Privileges/ franchises/ and liberties/ that the Provosts of our trusty aid faithful Marshals of France/ do.  
FINIS.