THE Quenes Maiestie consyderyng the returne of no small numbers of her faythfull Subiectes, hauyng truely and valiauntly serued at New­hauen, and beyng many of the same sicke, or touched with infection of such sickenes as reigned there: hath thought meete, because the same numbers shall returne to sundry places of her Realme, beyng clere from such contagious sickenesse, to wyll and require her sayd Capteynes and souldiours, and euery of them, to haue charitable and neyghbourly re­garde to the preseruation of theyr neyghbours from infection, and to forbeare for some season to be conuersaunt with any mo then of meere necessitie they ought. And for such souldiers as be poore, and haue any contagious sicknes vpon them, beyng no otherwyse prouided for, her Maiestie earnestly requireth, and in Gods name chargeth, the principall officers, aswell Ecclesiasticall as Ciuill, of all Cities, Townes, and Paryshes, where the same poore sicke souldiours shall of necessitie come, to prouide some remote places, where the same poore and sicke persons may be seperated from conuersation with other beyng whole, and haue reliefe by common prouision and almes to be ministred and geuen by the rycher, which besyde that christian charitie requireth it, the same is also requisite and expedient to be done by them whiche be whole and ryche, for theyr owne preseruation: For otherwyse, they may feele the sharpe hande of God ouer them for theyr vnmercifulnes.

And because no persons shoulde of malice or ignoraunce, haue any mislykyng of such faythfull cap­teynes and souldiours, as shall returne to theyr countreys and habitations, because the Towne where they were in garryson, is left by composition to the Frenche kyng, as it was alwayes so intended, vp­pon reasonable conditions: It is to be knowen and vnderstand, that there wanted no trueth, courage, nor manhood in any one of the sayde garryson, from the hyghest to the lowest, who were fully, yea ra­ther as it were obstinatly, determined with one full assent, to haue abydden the whole force of Fraunce and theyr helpers, to the vttermost of theyr lyues. But when it pleased almyghtie God, agaynst whose wyll there is no standyng, to permit the sayde garryson to be visited with so great and incessable plage of infectuous mortall sickenesse, as heretofore great noble armies haue ben, and therby forced to yelde and decline from theyr enterprises: It was thought the part and office of Christian wysdome, not to tempte the Almightie, nor to contende with the ineuitable inwarde mortall enemie of plage, assayling all sortes, aswell the strongest as the weakest, the armed as vnarmed, the captaynes as the labourer, neyther repulsable by weapon, shot, nor ingin, and therefore ioynyng therwith the enemies offers, not vnreasonable, proceadyng of the opinion which they had conceaued by the sundry ouerthrowes geuen to them by the Capteynes and souldiours of the garryson, that they shoulde neuer gette the Towne without great effusion of bloud on both partes, wherof they had lamentablye loste for theyr parte this last yere, in theyr cyuill tumultes, more then in any warres, as it is esteemed .vii. yeres before. The Quenes Maiestie being aduertised that the Constable of Fraunce had by messages sollicited the Earle of Warwyke, her Maiesties lieuetenaunt, a Captayne right nobly renowmed, to come to some commu­nication, for the delyuery of the sayde Towne, with honorable conditions, whereby Christian bloud myght be saued on bothe partes, quietnes & peace might the rather folowe betwixt both the Realmes: was contented that the sayde Earle and the counsell of that Towne, should not thus lamentably con­tende and stryue any longer with the plague, with the which they had nowe for the space of .v. or .vi. monethes continually fought, leesyng dayly more and more great numbers therby: but should (consi­deryng he and his company had so nobly acquited them selues) accorde to common with the sayd Con­stable, and hearyng his conditions to be (as they were reported) honorable, (which were, a free & quiet departure in conuenient tyme for the sayde Lieuetenaunt, Capteynes, souldiours, and people, with [Page] all theyr artyllery, munitions, shyppes, vesselles, vittell, armure, weapon, and goodes, any wyse be­longyng to her Maiestie, or to any Englyshe person) the said Lieuetenaunt should accorde thervnto.

Whervpon the said Liuetenaunt beyng with all the whole garrison (of theyr owne disposition) of a contrary determination, rather to hazarde the rest of theyr liues with the plague, and with the assaul­tes of thennemy, whereof they had abidden and repulsed some, then to leaue the Towne by treatie, comettyng with the counsell and Captaynes there, and consideryng her Maiesties Princely mynde and intention towardes the preseruation of her subiectes, wherof he had charge, beyng in dede many­festly and ineuitably subiect styll both to the plague, and to the enemyes approche, by the whiche they had possessed the entry of the hauen, and made sundry Bulwarkes by large breaches saltable, and were entred into the diches: was contented at length, to set apart theyr owne great stomakes, and by encly­nyng to wysdome, to open theyr eares to the Constables motions and offers. And so by treatie and ho­norable compact, accorded to deliuer the Towne to the frenche king, after the space of eyght dayes, or more, yf tyme so required, wherein he myght honorably, safely, freely, and warlykely retyre by Sea the whole garrison vnder his charge, with all maner of ryches, artyllery, munition, & other thinges belongyng to any Englyshe person. For the doyng wherof, beyng hym selfe hurt in the thygh with a shot at a breache, he committed the principall charge therof to sir Hugh Pawlet, sir Maurice Denis, knyghtes, and the knyght Marshall maister Randolph, who at this present are therin occupyed. And this is the trueth of the iust and necessary cause of returne of the sayd Lieuetenaunt, Capteynes, and garrison: Such a cause as hath constrayned both Heathen and Christian Emperours, to do the lyke, or sometymes thynges of lesse aduauntage to them selues. And therefore the courrages and actiuities of the sayde garrison, hauyng ben such, as thennemies haue not let by many meanes to re­commende beyonde theyr accustomed maner: And sythen it can not be denyed, but that the plage in the Towne hath herein brought that to passe, that by mans force was eyther not possible, or other­wise not lykely: Her Maiestie doubteth not, but all these her true, good, and valiaunt subiectes, ha­uyng thus serued, and nowe returnyng to theyr habitations, shall fynde at this tyme (as they haue well merited) fauour, helpe, and charitable succour, accordyng to theyr estates, and hereafter honor, loue, and prayse of theyr countrey, whylest they lyue.

Yeuen at Richemond the fyrst day of August, the fyfth yere of her Maiesties reigne.