AFter the winning of the Towne of Guingcamp, the purpose of the Prince was, to haue assailed the Towne of Morlaix, to the ende to haue reduced the sayd Town, and the rest of Basse-Britagne to the Kings obedience: howbeit vnderstanding that the D. of Mercoeur was remoued from Pontiuy, where he ioyned with 4000. Spaniards, vnder the leading of Don Iuan de Lagula and was marching towards Morlaix, by the way of Corlay: the Prince therevppon discouering the forces of the saide Duke, which were of seauen hundred horse, foure thousand Spaniards, and two thousand Harquebusiers French: considered how dangerous it might be to ingage his Army before a towne, vntill he were Maister of the fielde, the enemy being of more strength then he, and in a countrey of aduantage, and where he might bee assisted with a multitude of peisants, long before armed and resolued for the enemy.
[Page 4] Vpon these difficulties, the Prince made stay about the Towne of Guingcamp, aswell to amend the fortifications, as to repaire the breach made by hys Canon, (the better to assure the Towne from the enemy) as to attend the bringing of two Canons, & two Culuerings, drawne from Brest to Lagnon, with certayne powder, bullets, and other munition, conuayed out of England to Pinpaoul, to the end that the same being in place of assurance, the enemy might not take occasion to driue the Prince from his other enterprises.
The seuenth of Iune, the D. de Mercoeur arriued at Corlay, within three leagues of Guingcamp, a castle pretending to hold for the king, but in the possession of Madame de Guymenay, whose brother, Monsieur de Boydolphin is Lieutenant to the D. de Mercoeur, so that it seemed the partie was made before hand, for that the next day after they did arriue, the castle rendred without seeing the Canon, and the Captain remayned with the enemy: & frō that place the Duke sent to the Prince a Trompeter about certaine prisoners of ours, taken at Corlay, who signifyed to the sayd Prince that he had in charge frō the D. to entreat him to appoint som day & place of battel: wherunto the Prince made answere, that it was the most acceptable newes that could be brought vnto him, and a thing which he had often sought and desired, and wherevnto at this time, he hoped to enforce the said Duke to whom he would not return answer by the mouth of a Trompeter, which might be disaduowed, but [Page 5] by a writing signed with his owne hand, which was accordingly performed as followeth.
The Prince de Dombes Gouernour for the King in Daulphine, and Generall of his army in the Prouince of Britaigne.
VPPon a message deliuered to the sayd Prince by a Trompeter sent to him from the Duke of Mercoeur, for other causes, by the which hee was sollicited to assigne and make choise of some day & place of battaile, desired by the Duke: he considering how speaches of that nature deliuered by a Trompeter, might be disadvowed, and desiring as euer sithence his first comming into that Countrey, that some like occasion might be offered whereby the miseries and calamites of the same might haue an end, which he had made appeare by effects, thought meet for the better aduancing of so good a worke, by this writing signed with his hand, and sent by a Trompeter of his owne, to signify to the sayd D. de Mercoeur, that the thing he most desired, was to come to the issue of so happie a day, and therfore would yeeld to him the choyse of the day and place for that encounter, so that the place of meeting might be capable to receiue the two armies in order of Battaile, and to auoyd the delayes that might growe by want of resolution herein, he thought the Lawne of Menay very fitte for this purpose, concluding, that if this honorable resolution should chance to be differred vpon any alteration whatsoeuer on either part: he the said Prince doth protest before God and the world, that the honour and reputation of him that shall herein make default, shall incur [Page 6] the staine and preiudice that shall grow thereof.
Dated at the Campe before Guingcamp, the seuenth of Iune. 1591.
The 8. of Iune the Duke of Mercoeur remooued from Corlay to Saint Gilles, two small leagues distant frō Chasteau-Laudran: The same day also the Prince departed from Guingcamp, about three of the clocke in the morning, and lodged that night at Chasteau-Laudran, where his own Trumpeter with the Trumpeter of the Duke de Mercoeur met him, and deliuered an answere from the said Duke signed with his hand, the contents whereof followe.
HAuing perused the writing of the Prince de Dombes, sent, vpon the challenge of battel, deliuered by his trumpeter: euen as he hath many times sought the occasion, and desiring nothing more, then by a battel to free this Prouince from the miseries wherwith it hath bin ouerwhelmed, by the repaire of the said Prince into the same, and to withstand the apparant ruine thereof like to ensue, by the domination of an hereticall king, with the ouerthrow of our holy Catholike religion: for the desire he hath to see the issue of so happy a day, and because the day and place is referred to his election, is resolued to be ready with his army on Thorseday next at ten of the clocke in the morning, in the fittest place for such an action [Page 7] betweene Corlay and Guingcamp, and to come onward the best part of the way: which ought not to be refused or diferred in seeking of any place more remote or vnfit with out dishonour: the said Duke protesting before God (from whom as fighting in his cause he hopeth of victorie) that he neuer had other intent, and that if the saide Prince shal either refuse or diferre this offer, he shal shew to the world, that his actions are not answerable to his bragges, and shal thereby blemish his honour and reputation.
Dated at the Campe at Corlay the 8. of Iune 1591.
Hereunto the Prince for many good resons, gaue such reply as the Duke might perceiue, hee woulde not contende with him onely in tearmes, but to giue him all the prouocation that possible hee might to come to handes returned him this answere.
HAuing seene the answere of Duke Mercoeur of the eight of this moneth signed with his hand, vpon the offer made of the day and place of battel to be giuen, saith, he was sent into this prouince to chastice and punish those that are traiterously rebelled against the King, of whome the saide Duke being chiefe, doth manifest how he shunneth and feareth the presence of the said Prince, and the paine and punishment of his rebellion: and in regard of the lewd imputations [Page 8] giuen by his answer to the King, & to the said Prince, he saith he lyeth, and shal lie as often as he shall so say.
At the Campe at Chasteau-Laudran the ninth of Iune. 1591.
This Cartel was sent by a trumpeter, and deliuered to the Duke in the presence of many of the principal men of his army.
THe Duke greatly moued with this Cartell, did openly by a solemne othe vowe, within 3. daies to offer battaile to the Prince, and on the 9. of Iune being wensday, dislodged, & that day incamped at Quelenec a Village about a league and a halfe from Chasteau-Laudran, scituate at the foote of a high hill, which by deepe hedges, ditches and inclosures, confronted a little heath of two miles compas, to which Heath vpon the discouery of the approach of the enemy by our army, the Prince mounteth on horsebacke, and goeth to discerne and make choise of the place for the battaile betweene the ennemy and him, and findeth about three quarters of a league of the Village aforesaide, a large plaine or Heath, skirted in the side of the ennemie with a Coppice, a litle hill, & the ground raised with ditches of great aduantage for the enemie, who by three large passages might without any difficulty, enter into the said Heath.
The tenth day of Iune, the ennemy, within one quarter of a league of the Heath, sheweth his whole army in order of battaile vpon the top of a hill: the [Page 9] Prince on the other side put his troups in ordonance within the Heath, disposing the same by the aduise of Sir Iohn Norreis into three Battallions, whereof the infanterie English made two, & the Lancekneights the third. This day was spent with some light skirmishes, entertained by our men, and followed euen to the maine of the enemies army.
The 11. of Iune being Friday, the enemy drew his army to the foot of the hill, and placed his artillerie vpon the side of the Heath, in a place of such aduantage, as it cōmanded in the nature of a Cauallier all the whole Heath, where he possessed the ground neare about him, & bordred al the hedges with shot: and by the time that this was perfourmed our army was marched into the Heath in order of battaile, and presently sent out two hundred footemen to viewe the countenance of the ennemy, who aduauncing themselues, charged the ennemy, draue them to their strengths, put them from their hedges and Barricades, and slewe diuerse of them. Vpon the retrait of these two hundred men, the Duke put forth fiue hundred French, and three hundred Spaniardes to repossesse the places, whom he followed with the great of his arme. Which perceiued by the Prince, remaining on the Heath with Monsieur de la Hunauldaye commanding the auantgard, and hauing his regiment of horse in battaile on the right hand of the white Cornet, and General Norreis (who in this action gaue good proofe of his wisedome and valour) Monsieur de Pogny, de Pruneaux, de Monmartin, and [Page 10] de Bastenay, order was giuen for the putting foorth of three hundred footemen, commanded by Captaine Anthony Wingfield Sergeant maior, and captaine Morton, and the English horse lead by Captaine Anthony Sherley, and the skirmish hotely prosecuted, the enemy let slippe a great number of shotte vnder the defence of the hedges, thinking to lodge them on the left hand, & to haue taken some two or three houses, & a small wood vpon the edge of the Heath. The Prince commaunded to be drawen out of the Battallion of the Lancekneights one hundred men, shotte and pikes, and one hundred and fiftie shotte French, lead by the Baron de Molac, backed with forty light horse, conducted by Monsieur de la Tremblaye, appointed to force the enemy from the place they had taken.
This direction was valiantly prosecuted by ours, but specially by the English, so as the enimies horse and footemen which were in the plaine were forced to flie, many slaine, and the rest driuen to saue them selues wythin their Artillerie, where the whole strength of Spaniardes, with the rest of their armie was placed. There was taken in this charge Monsieur de Guebrian Colonell of the footemen of the ennemy by Monsieur de la Tremblay, and slaine Don Roderigo, chiefe Mareschall of the Spaniards, a Spanish Captaine, and to the number of two hundred French, and three score Spaniards.
This resolute charge so amazed the army of the enemy, that our men were suffered within tenne paces [Page 11] of their Cannon to disarme the dead, lead away prisoners, and retired at their ease, the enemy neuer proffering to followe.
In this charge Captaine Anthony Sherley gaue such an example to the French horse, as was admired and much commended in al the army, and the commanders on foote perfourmed their partes with no lesse valour and reputation, namely, the Sergeant Maior, Captaine Dolphin, and Lieutenant Long, who behaued himselfe most valiantly, and receiued in his body fiue harquebuz shotte: but all such as by Gods helpe within fewe dayes he will be able to returne againe into the field.
The residue of the day wherein this charge was giuen, was spent in slight skirmishes and canonades.
The twelfth of Iune, the enemy made a very great shewe to come foorth to the battaile, but at the last, sent out some number of shotte to the skirmish, against whom captaine Anthony Sherley with fifteen horse and a fewe foote, made head, and put them speedily to their heeles, pursuing them to their Barricades, where his horse was shotte in the head, and Maister Kempe a Gentleman of that Cornet slaine, and Maister Charles Blunt his horse killed vnder him with the Canon, and himselfe somewhat wounded.
The thirteenth of Iune, the ennemy also offered some light skirmishes, but woulde not abide anie charge either of horse or foote.
On Monday the 14. of Iune we expected the battaile, as vndertaken by Don Iuan de Lagula General [Page 12] of the Spaniards, in the honor of S. Iohn whose day it was with them, but nothing was done: and that day seemed to ende their choler, for that the Duke did prepare the same night to dislodge, withdrawing his Cannons from the place where they were planted, and the day following repassed the hil where he first appeared, and from thence retired to Quelenec, where yet he remaineth.
The Prince hereuppon after he had continued his army on the Heath, from Friday the eleauenth of Iune, till the fifteenth of the same, alwayes in a readines to haue giuen battaile (the weather hauing bin for the most part exceeding wet) withdrew his artillerie, dislodged his army, and returned euery troupe to the seuerall quarters, where they had before lodged, expecting the intention of the enemy, thereby to aduise of the meanes to attempt vpon him.
The two armies continued encamped the one neere to the other by the space of sixe dayes, in all which time the enimy neuer durst presume to draw his army into the Heath, nor make choise of ground for battaile, notwithstanding the brauery of his challenge.
On Wednesday the sixteenth day of Iune, Monsieur de la Nouë with the troupe of the Conte Montgomery being an hundred Curates, and the Conte de Combourg came vnto Chasteau-Laudran, whose arriuall giueth hope of good successe in the Kinges affaires, to the ruine and confusion of his enemies.
The Prince de Dombes in a particular Letter of the twentith of Iune, sent to the Kings Embassadour heere resident with her Maiesty giueth this testimony of the valour of our Generall and Nation.
I Send this briefe discourse of the late action, wherewith you may acquaint her Maiestie, protesting truely vnto you, that I obserue daily more and more the valour and woorth of Generall Norreis, who hath so worthely carried himselfe in all these actions, that he hath wonne greate honour and reputation here, and so haue all the Captaines and Souldiours of that Nation vnder his conduct: and if the Spaniardes had had courage and valour like to these English troupes which it hath pleased her Maiestie to send vnto vs, we had made an ende of the miseries of this Prouince, by the happy issue of a battaile.
And Monsieur de la Nouë in a Letter of the 21. of Iune to the saide Embassadour, yeeldeth his opinion of the actions, and of the General and our Nation in these termes:
THe enemy was retired two leagues from our Army before my arriuall, and is sithence gon further off: beleeue mee there was made a braue attempt vppon him, [Page 14] as Generall Norreis can best signifie vnto you, who was present at all that was offered. Our determination is still to draw thē to Battail, which can not at al times at our choise bee effected, as well by reason of the qualtiy of the Countrey, as that the Duke of Mercoeur will commit nothing to hazarde. Without the succour sent hither by the Queene of England, Brittaigne had beene greatly in danger, (I meane so much thereof as is possessed by the King) who in that respect is greatly bound vnto her Maiesty. It is a verie faire and gallant troupe of men, and are commanded by a most braue Captain Generall Norreis, a man very tractable, and with whom we are well fitted in disposition.