AFter that great and happie victorie which it pleased God to giue the King against his enemies néere to Eury the fourtéenth of March last past , he also vouchsafed to grant him such peculiar fauour ( vnto conquerors not vsuall ) as therby to be no whit puffed vp either in déede or word , but contrariwise to growe the more gracious and tractable , as may appeare in his releasing of a great part of the rigour of his Edicts and declarations against his rebellious townes & subiects after the said victory more then before . Which cause was worth vnto him fiftene or sixtene good cities & townes , whereof only one held out the batterie , and all the rest yéelded vppon friendly composition , and haue since continued most firme , constant , and resolute in his seruice , as hauing tried that transferring themselues from a tyranous vsurpation to a lawfull dominion , their state was greatly amended . A fewe daies after this ouerthrowe , the Lord of Villeroy one of the chiefe of the contrarie faction , séeming desirous to reclaime himselfe , and to prouide for his particular safetie , drewe néere to Mant , where through his maiesties permission he had some communication with Monsieur du Plessis Mornay , who for his part vsed him with such fauorable spéeches concerning not onely his own particular cause , but also the generall , that he fained himselfe willing to enterprise some treatie of peace . Afterward he returned openly while the siege laie about Melune , and albeit his maiestie were aduertised that this his legation was nothing but deceit : also that the Embassadour might bee first deceiued , yet with this onelie confidence , that with his sole discretion and franchize he might conuert them from their bad purposes into contrarie resolutions , as many times it hath fallen out , that set conspiracies haue ben confounded by the innocent presence of those against whom they should haue bene put in execution , he forbare not to receiue him with as great humanitie , as if he had bene assured that his Commission imported as good purposes , as he was certaine of the contrarie , whereby the said Lord of Villeroy found himselfe so surprized , that hée did halfe confesse this his conuersion , and protested that hee woulde more faithfully emploie himselfe thereabouts then before hee had done . In the meane time his Maiestie hauing in a short space recouered all that laie vpon the riuers of Sein , Marne , Yonne , and Oyse , he determined to drawe néere vnto the Citie of Paris ( in purpose to recouer it , and to roote out the rebellion in the same place where it first began , yet with a milde and naturall death deuoide of violence , terror or conuulsion ) which he found so weakly defended , that he might haue carried it with as small labour as anie of the least towns in his kingdome : which his abilitie continued the space of foure moneths that he enuironed it , yea it not onely so continued , but became daily more easie in that they that were within , had towarde the end lost three parts of their men of seruice , and his maiesties armie was strengthened and augmented the one halfe : howbeit so oft as it came to deliberation , ( as there might be diuersitie of Councels ) his maiestie considering that Paris was the head Citie and principall ornament of his Realme : that therein remained so many Princesses that were allied vnto him , so many good and ancient families , so many Churches and religious houses , with persons appertaining to the seruice of the same , who for the most part peraduenture were innocent of this rebellion , and yet the said towne being taken by force , could not be exempt or fréed from such excesse and violence as in so furious an accident can no waie be eschued , could neuer bee induced to consent to that resolution before he had attempted all other meanes : yea hardly would he grant to take the suburbes , not as a matter vnnecessarie to be done , but for feare least the one might draw on the other : Also that the souldiers séeing themselues so néere to so good a bootie , should haue ben hardly restrained from procéeding farther , as in déed it was the greatest labour that the king and the chiefest of his Captaines had during the whole siege , to restraine their souldiours from anie farther enterprise : for there was no difference to be made betwéene the attempting to execute it and the taking of the suburbes , which was performed at once without anie resistance . Also that which since hath bene séene , albeit repugnant to rule , viz. that the lesse containeth not the greater , yet seuen or eight thousand souldiers that lodged in the suburbs , kept inclosed aboue thirty thousand armed men that were in the sayd towne , ought to be proofe sufficient , that the taking thereof perforce could not haue béene auoided .

Herevpon his Maiestie , to the end not to lose the said town , but to preserue the honor of so many families , and to spare the shedding of such innocent blood as might haue bin spilt , resolued to tame them with want of foode , and rather with patience to beare out the delay of whatsoeuer siege , then to practise any farther indeuour : wherein he had two purposes , either that it would fall out through the said siege , that vpon the said want , they that were within should not be able to hold out , or else that the Duke of Maine would approch to their succour , whereby he might haue oportunitie to fight with him , which was the thing that he most desired , as séeking thereby rather to plucke vp the roote of the mischiefe , then to cut off the branches . And had his maiestie béene as resolute and implacable in the first , as he hath shewed himselfe most carefull in the second , the towne had vndoubtedly bene his . Indéede the reason of war willeth that being once resolued to fight and conquer the obstinacie of the besieged with fasting and abstinence , we should not suffer any victuals whatsoeuer to be brought in by any whomsoeuer , also that we should shut in al that were within and not suffer any , so much as one , to come forth , to the end that the more there were within , the sooner the victuals might be consumed : and this rule ought to haue bin obserued with all seueritie and without fauour or exception . Yet during the last moneth of the siege that want and miserie within the towne were so extreme , the cries so fearefull of such numbers as dayly dyed in the stréetes for hunger , & of so many others , whose rage was such that openly they eate the dogs raw : the houlings of the people , the lamentations of such mothers as missed their children , did pearce not onely the aire but the stone wals , so as his maiestie could not abide to heare them with such beastly obstinacie , as they that were the causers did sée them with their eyes : yea those that had yet some prouision of victuals accounted all this people but vnprofitable soules , and thought long to haue them all dead and cast away , so that as the kings courage and magnanimitie are inuincible , so were his humanitie and clemencie easie to be ouercome and did soone stoope to these monstrous pities , choosing rather to erre in the rules of warre than of nature , euen of his owne nature which aboundeth in mildnesse and clemencie . He considered that all this people were Christians , that they were his subiectes , that the most part were peraduenture innocent , & that therefore it was requisite to release them from this dispaire wherein they were lost , and in the end his good nature brake all barres of the lawes of warre . First he granted a Passeport for all the women , maidens , and children , and for all the Schollers that were willing to come forth : afterward he extended it to religious persons and Church men : And finally he enlarged it to those that had bene his greatest enimies , yea he tooke care that at their comming forth they might be curteously receiued throughout all his Townes , whither they list to repaire . He suffered the Princes and Princesses that were in the Towne to be relieued with some proportion of victuals , which since hath bene but badly considered : so that it may be confessed that the siege continued longer by one moneth than it should , and so consequently had not the due effect : howbeit , sith this is the cause , it is so holy and agréeable vnto God , that certainly it shall be rewarded double , and will be worth the recouerie not onely of Paris , but of the whole estate or more , so infinite are Gods graces and heauenly rewards .

Moreouer his maiestie in all these extremities neuer failed in al fatherly dueties that might be , exhorting them by publike letters and messengers to receiue him , with assurance of all things concerning Catholike Religion , & whatsoeuer other good vsage & quiet peace . He permitted the Cardinall of Gondy and the Archbishop of Lions to haue recourse from them vnto him , who departed again so well satisfied and contented , that they wept to consider how many did erre in an opinion that they had conceiued of his maiestie , farre other then they ought to haue : He also gaue them leaue to passe to the Duke of Maine , yet did all these his curtesies turne to poison and venim in their corrupted stomakes : whereof appeared a most certaine , but shamefull proofe , in that when the said Duke of Mayne returned the said Cardinall of Gondy and the Archbishop of Lions vnto his maiestie , with protestation that he desired nothing so much as peace . He wrote likewise at the same time to the Parisians by one of his Secretaries that followed their traine , that they should not be dismayd for this Parley , and that he would rather dye then conclude any peace : which letter falling from him that carried it , and being shewed to the said Duke of Mayne , he could not denie the signing thereof : which when the Archbishop of Lions obiected vnto him , he had no other excuse but that he was surprised : yet might he more truely haue said that thereby he purposed to haue surprised as well the one as the other .

If his maiestie hath bene somewhat tender , and not altogither so strict as the lawes of war do command in such rigor as was to be practised against the Parisians , he hath sufficiently recompenced the same in his care and diligence to méete with his enimies in the fielde , which hath alwayes bene his greatest desire , rather then with the Cannon to beat his townes and the poore inhabitants of the same . Immediatly after the beginning of the siege the King being aduertised that the Duke of Mayne , at his returne out of Flanders , whither he went to craue succour of the Duke of Parma , hauing alreadie gathered some troopes , was departed with Balagny & S. Paul to march and approch toward Paris , went from his armie with a troope of Horsemen without any baggage , and marched seuentéene leagues without a baite to méete with him , and came short but one houre , hauing forced him to shut vp himselfe in the towne of Laon.

After that the Duke of Maine hauing gathered great succour and being come to Meaux , still giuing out that he came to giue battaile , his said maiestie departed againe from his armie with a troupe of horse , and came to méet him almost to Meaux , where he found him enclosed betwéene the riuer of Marne , and that which commeth from Grecy , as fearing rather to be besieged , than indeuoring to besiege others , & this he did expecting the comming of the Duke of Parma , at whose arriuall and the daie following , they published euery where that they wold giue battel , whereat his maiestie reioyced more than at anie other thing . And in deede the Duke of Parma beeing come and ioyned with the said Duke of Maine , they began within two daies after to march , and passed the brooke that runneth by the towne of Claye , and the Castle of Fresne where they lodged , so that his maiestie hoping the next daie to haue battaile , hauing commended himselfe to God ( as in all such occasions he there beginneth ) and exhorted euerie one to do the like , he departed from the Village of Challiot neere to Paris vpon Wednesday the nine and twentith of the last moneth , and appointed the generall méeting of his whole army the next day in the plaine of Bondy , which lieth vpon the head of the forest of Eurie which was the direct way for the enimie , and to the end also to be ready to méete them if they tooke the way on the side whereby to shunne the passage thorough the said forest : hauing also the same day brought his footemen that lay in the suburbes of Paris to be at the battaile , the armie all the while stood vpon the said plaine of Bondie in battaile array , but had no newes of the enimie . Thither did his maiestie cause his power to come and stay two dayes , where there appeared no enimy in any corner . Herevpon he resolued vpon Friday to draw nearer to them and to lodge at Chelles , to which end hauing sent the Lord of Lauerdin one of the marshals of his campe , and the Lord of Chastillion : at their arriuall they found the enimies marshals and harbingers that had begunne to prouide the lodgings , whom they droue away : and his maiestie comming soone after , descried some seuen or eight hundred of the enimies Horse , among whom the two Generals were said to be , whom he charged with a farre lesse number , and followed beating of them euen to their lodgings . Vpon Saturday the first of this moneth , his highnes stood assured of battaile aboue the said village of Chelles , which was a plaine that hath behinde it two small hilles , at the head deuided from a smal wood with a brooke , and in the said wood is a Castle called Brou , and beyond it a moore separate from a little plaine that lieth betwéene the said castle and the moore , with an other small brooke , which was the lodging that the enimie had taken . His maiesties armie stoode in battaile aray : About eleuen of the clocke the Duke of Parma got vnto one of the hilles , to the end to view it , and hauing séene it , it is said he fetched as great a sigh as if it should haue bene his last : and turning to the Duked of Mayne , did greatly reproch him , saying , that this was not the armie of tenne thousand men , that he had assured him to fight withall , but that he there descried aboue fiue and twentie thousand , the best in order that euer he had séene . This astonishment is not to be obiected vnto him as a fault : for here had bene matter to haue daunted one that had both séene and lead greater armies than he , as indéed it may be truely said to haue bene the brauest armie that had bene séene in France a long time . It contained at the least eightéene thousand footemen , whereof sixe thousand were strangers , and fiue or sixe thousand Horses , of whom almost foure thousand were french Gentlemen , and of the best houses in France . Therin were sixe Princes , two Mashals of France , and more Captaines and leaders of armies then are in all the rest of Christendome . The Prince of Parma in liew of comming to battaile , changed all his mens weapons , and for speares furnished them with Mattockes and Shouels , wherewith all the night they entrenched themselues within the moore , wherein both the Horsemen and footmen were lodged .

The said Saterday after dinner his maiestie draue them from the brooke , the wood and the house that stood in the wood , so that they retired into the said moore , and from thence forth the duke of Parma in liew of battaile , sought onely to intrench & fortifie himselfe , which he did verie strongly . At night his maiestie returned to lodge at the saide village of Chelles . Euerie daie after he laboured by al meanes to drawe them to the battell , causing continual skirmishes , wherein still some of their men stayed behinde , all which notwithstanding there was no meanes to prouoke them anie farther , openly confessing that vppon the saturdaie at afternoone they lost all stomacke to battell . Within a few dayes after they determined to assaile the little towne of Laigny that was within halfe a league behind them , & hauing made a bridge of Boates almost hard by the towne , vpon the eight day by breake of day , they passed ouer the most part of their footemen , beating it from ouer the riuer with nine péeces , the breach was made before his highnesse had in manner anie notice thereof , by reason the winde was so turned , and the mist so great and thick that the Canon could not be heard . There was in it some two or thrée hundred men , who defended it so well , that the enimy lost the greater number , and had the succour that was sent come neuer so little sooner , they had not so easily carried it awaie .

It appeared well that there was neuer a village in France better able to defend it selfe , considering that they neuer forced it vpon any other consideration , but caused it to be dismantelled so soone as they had taken it . His maiesty imagining that this might haue chéered vp their courage , commanded the skirmish the next day hotter then before , wherewith they were the lesse prouoked . Finally , considering that the most part of this gentrie , who at the onely report of this battaile were come in without any furniture , knowing themselues out of hope thereof , did vrge their departure . He thought it time to think vpon some other kind of warre against the enimie , then to linger vpon drawing them to a generall fight , whereof they had sufficiently shewed themselues vnwilling to tast : yet before he would enter into this determination he purposed to trie one meanes more to draw them thereto . Wherefore he determined to make shew as if he would force Paris , and to the same end departed the tenth day at night from Chelles with a good troope of footemen and some gentrie , so to get by the breake of day to the gates of Paris and to offer the assault , hauing with all giuen commandement that the armie should the next morning depart and returne to Bondy : And this he did with this intent , that the enimie knowing of his returne to Paris should follow his armie , which might be an occasion of battaile : But the enterprise of Paris being discouered had no successe , as also had not the other : for all this notwithstanding , the enimie durst not come forth of his moore , as standing in continuall feare of some false baite whereby to draw them where they were not resolued to come : which by this occasion rather then any other , was fully confirmed , because that seing his maiesties forces separate they stirred not , as also that now there was no hope of any other than such as leasure might afford .

This was the cause why his maiestie being returned to his armie at the said place of Bondy , where al the day it had waited for the enimies approch , and hearing no newes of their dislodging , determined the same day to take vp his lodging at Gonesse . The next morning hauing assembled the Princes , the officers of the crowne , and other great Captaines present in the said armie , it was among them thoroughly discoursed and debated , that it was euident and plaine that the Prince of Parmas intent was not for to fight : that to hope to force him therto in time by lodging still neere vnto him , he should haue the aduantage of them , his armie beeing fresh and vnder paie , consisting of strangers , who doe not lightly scatter , where contrariwise his maiesties forces were for the most part tired , expecting no paie : That to returne to the siege of Paris , sith his maiestie was not minded to take it perforce , but rather to exspect their last extremitie , the time wold be ouer long , the rather because they hauing had libertie toward the parties of Beausse , euer since the departure of the army toward Chelles , might haue sufficiently refurnished themselues for the time . That sith the enemie would not warre after our manner , it was meete we should applie our selues to his : and sith hee woulde not haue the honour to fight with so many honorable personages , as to that end were assembled , it was requisite to fight and distresse him with the want of victualles and other such discommodities . That his maiestie furnishing his townes that lie vpon the riuer of Seine with victualls and strong garrisons , shoulde still keepe Paris as straightly besieged , as with the presence of an armie , & therefore that he should not neede so strong a one therabout as his was . That it might suffice to haue a meane power wherwith so ofte as the enemie should attempt any thing , still be at his héeles . That returning his forces into their Prouinces from whence they came , woulde be a greate reliefe to the sayd prouinces , and by refreshing his sayd troupes , he should stil yeld them opportunitie to get somewhat . That when the forrein forces shal chance to enter , vpon the returne of his troups thus refreshed , and their ioyning with him , his maiestie shall finde himselfe twice as stronge as hee now is , and withall , shall so bridel the enemies , as they may not performe any great exploite : besides that , the others comming vppon them , it will be a meanes to force them farther then to entrench in the moore . This opinion , with sundrie good and sufficient reasons being best liked , his maiestie in this famous councell concluded and decréed to followe the sayd proposition , purposing to begin with the towne of Saint Denis , for the defence whereof they stroue who should get the charge , euerie one hoping that therein rested some honour to be purchased . In the end it fel to the Lord of Lauerdin , who thankfully accepted it . He prouided also strong garrisons to fortifie the townes of Melune , Corbeile , Senlis , Meulan , Maunt , and sundrie others , of which the least might suffice to bring the sayde Duke of Parmas power on their knées . His maiestie also resolued to returne into Touraine , Aniou and Maine , the Lorde Prince of Contie , into Normandie the Duke of Montpenfier , into Picardy the D. of Longueuil , into Champaigne the D. of Neuers , & into Burgondie the Marshall Aumont , euerie of them with good forces sufficient to keepe the said prouinces in peace .

He also retained still about himselfe a meane power , yet strong and mighty enough to make head against the enemie , and to keepe him from anie enterprise , before he would be at their elbowes : withall purposing to holde them so short , that in a small time he might still be with them as occasion might require . This forme of warre did he iudge , ( considering that the enemies resolution tended not to fight ) to bee more to their discommoditie and hinderance than anie other . Whereupon as the Lordes of Guich , Ragnie , & Ciper were vpon their retreat , not hauing aboue sixe score fighting men , they met with the Vicount Tauannes retiring into Normandie with about fiue hundred Horse , whereof aboue halfe were Cuirasses and the rest Harcubuziers , whom in the end they charged and ouerthrew néere to Meulay , leauing of them aboue fiftie deade in the place , and taking as many prisoners togither with all their baggage .

This is the true Historie of all that hath passed in his maiesties armie since the Duke of Parma ioyned with his enimies . Also the principall reasons that moued him to resolue vpon the dissoluing of his forces , whereof he wisheth by these remembrances all his Gouernors and Lieutenants general of his prouinces , his courtes of parliament , his Nobilitie , his townes and all other his officers to be informed , that they may certifie all other his good and faithfull subiects , to the end they may know that this resolution was not sleightly taken , neither by force nor compulsion , but vpon ripe deliberation and militarie discretion , with the aduice and consent of the greatest and wisest Captaines at this daie in Europe , who still are assistant vnto the King , also that of the said resolution there is no other to be expected but all good successe : that God himselfe hath earnestly dealt in the matter , alwaies shewing that he hath taken this so iust a cause into his protection , as not permitting so many Princes , so many great Lords and wise Captaines , euen sufficient to purchase to this crowne thrée or foure others , to hazarde themselues in battell against those strangers , who all for the most part are mercinarie men , so as their whole losse is not to counteruaile the least of a hundred Princes and Lordes which might haue bene cast awaie .