AFter your depar­ture (most honourable) out of Fraunce, we haue own nothing but rūning to and fro▪ taking & lay­ing siege to Towns and Citties, and all what wée haue taken in hand: hath prospered wel and gone forward, God haue the honour for it. And yet wée wil not ceasse, or leaue of: but go forward as place and time shall serue. And as we neuer douted of your good wil, and earnest desire to se the cō ­fusion of Gods & our enemies: so now we sée efféctually shewed your redy help and present comfort. And as wée haue had before in our ētreprises, or attēpts good succedings: so now we truste to doo the better, for your ayd which you haue sent vs. Not because we put any trust, or confidence eyther in our selues, or in any outwarde force: but that they are meanes, wherby our God I trust shall deliuer vs, and that shortly. God forbid that wée should make fleshe or blood our arme, or to put anye conridence in the [Page] multitude of horsemen. Neuerthelesse wée are many, and our number is thir­tie thousand footmen, of the which ther are fiue and twentie thousand Harke­busiers, or Gunners, and the rest wea­poned with Launces, and seuē or eight thousand horsemen: beside the multytude which is cōming from Montaban.

And as for our victories whiche God hath giuen vs: wée haue taken by force of weapon these townes following.

• S. Iehan Dangeli.
• Fontenay.
• Angoulesme.
• Chaueni. néer Poy­tiers.
• Chammi.
• Lodun.
• Bisamni.
• Ambeteni.
• Toillebourg.
• Niort.
• Partenay.
• Pont.
• Penni.
• Talmond.
• Montagni.
• Blay.
• Bōniūet.
• Sainctes.

And other more as Coingnac, New castel Bréeflye all what lyes vpon the riuer of Garrōne vntil the riuer of Loyre on the side of Samne.

Concerning the battails or skirmis­shings whiche we haue had against our enemies, we haue béen together twise [Page] or thrise, in suche a place, and field, as they might haue chosen for their aduantage to fight, wheras they were so layd an: that neuer since they durst méet vs any more, but alwayes auoyd and flée our companie, smelling vs a far of as a Fore dooth the pitched line.

Touching the méeting and a skirmishe betwéen vs fiue wéeks ago: they lost se­uen or eyght hundreth men, & the spoile was about two hundreth M. crownes worthe, but they saued them selues by the means of a riuer, some within Poy­tiers, some other at Lusignam.

My Lord the Prince of Conde caught the hat of an Italian Capitaine named Peter Strocij.

My Lorde Admiral, the Coate of one Brisac. My Lord the Duke Montgomery the stirrops and spurres of Monsieur of Guise.

One of my Lord Admirals lackeis hath for his part sixe and thirtie péeces of siluer vessels whiche did belonge to the lord of Guise. To be short: ther was none of them al but that they were th [...] better for it. After that my Lords the [Page] Princes being of minde to prouoke thē to fight a battail: applyed them selues in their fight towards the Towne and Castle of Chagny, a fortresse where as they trusted them selues for to be most sure, but these good soules had rather to saue them selues by flying then to de­fend their Townes & Castels, or to presēt thē selues to a Combat: for they say it is dangerous, to be there as their cō ­mon terme was at that time throughe out all their camp, as since it hath béen very often practised by them, louing rather to flée and to forsake their Towns and cities: then to hazard their liues, or to put in ieobardie their bodies, tho­row the whiche they hope to be reuen­ged. So the said Prince of Conde being néer Samny, for to haue besieged it: our enemies approched with their Artissē ­ry within a quarter of a leagne of Lo­dun, and required it to be rendred, wher of the Prince béeing aduertised: made haste towards them in suche sorte that they were constrained to break vp their siege and to go againe to their olde ac­customed remedy, whiche is to get thē [Page] away ouer the riuer. True it is that b [...] ­fore they came so far, there were slaine two hundred of their men, & the night following, seuen Ensignes more were vndoon and destroyed.

Moreouer two dayes past the compa­nie of Monsieur du Noye, ouertook, and found at the subburbs of the afore sayd town Chagny: about thrée or four score Zwitsers.

Also the Prouost and Archers of the Garde of my Lord the Kings brother, which was him self within the Town. And beyond the water was an Alarme very hote.

This day there came newes by two Gentlemen whiche arriued comming frō the Prince of Orenge, and the Duke of Bipont, whiche left the said Prince of Orenge within seuen & twētie leagues of Paris, hauing with him ten or eleuen thousand Kutters, or Horsemen, and foure thousand frenche men, and six­téen or seuentéen thousand footmen, whiche take their journey straight toward Paris, of the whiche armie Monsieur, de Iauliis leadeth the first warde. And the [Page] said Duke of Bipont hath béen cōming toward the prince of Orenge, euer since the tenth day of this Moneth, to ioyne him self with him.

Also newes came aswel in our camp, as also to oure enemies, that Monsieur D'arnalle hath lost foure thousand men, being constrayned throughe the armie of the Prince of Orenge (whiche came to ioine him self to the Duke of Bipont) to retire sudenlye with two thousand men whiche were left him to go to Ri­ens. It is said for a trouth that the Lord Guise is gone in poste to finde out the King. Also it is said that the moste patt of there camp goeth toward Paris, to set the against the straūge Princes. I beleeue wée shall follow. Cito. Cito.