WHan Gods goodnesse and prouidence , with manifest help and fatherly care had withdrawn ( as al men know ) the Prince of Condyes grace , and my Lord the Admiral from the extreme perill , and almost vnaduoydable daunger of their liues , in whiche they were at Noyers and Tanlag , he guyded and conducted them to Rochel : ( from one parte of the Realme to the other ) without any harme or daunger , with their wyues and children , yea their cradles and nourses , with small trayne , and greate iourneys , by bye wayes & villages , vnhandsome and ill appoynted . Not long after , continuing his goodnesse and fauour towardes Monsieur Dandelot , which was in Britayne , so assisted him , that thoughe he were pursued by the Lordes Montpensier and Martigues , accompanied with great strength both of footemen and horsemen , to hynder his ioyning with the prince , this notwithstanding , beyonde al expectation he passed ouer the riuer of Loyre , with all his troupe in their sight , at a foorde , whiche was neuer marked or knowen of the dwellers them selues . The fauour of God appeared also in the passage of the Queene of Nauarre and the Prince hir sonne , whiche went through the whole countrey of Gascoigne passed the riuer of Garonne & Dordoigne , with other riuers , foordes and perillous streights though they were straightly followed by the Lordes of Montluc , Terides , Descare , and Losses with great force , without any hyndrance at all . The like was séene also in the passage of Monsieur Dacier whiche marched with all his troupe thorough the whole countreys of Dalphine , Languedoc and Gascoigne , to méete with my lordes the Princes , in the sight and knowledge of the Lorde Ioyeuse , which had expresse charge to stay hym : so that in despite of the sayd Princes enemies , they haue gathered together from all corners of this realme , to the number of fiue and twenty thousande hargebouziers , and fiue or sixe thousande horsemen , notwithstanding the order taken by their sayd enemies at all portes , bridges , straights and passages , and hauing their armie ready foure monethes before , wherwith ( God be thanked ) they coulde neuer touche the sayde Lordes princes , or let them from taking of their townes of S. Maxant , Fontenay , Nyort , Coignac , Xantes , S. Iohn d' Angely , Angoulesme , Ponts , Bourg , Taillebourg , Taillemont , and other townes , from the riuer of Gyronde , vnto the suburbes of Salmure vpon Loyre , some by composition and other some by force . And though the same were done in the sight of all men , but onely that the sayde Lorde Princes were at the siege before the sayd towne of Ponts , they were aduertised that the sayde Lord of Assier was arriued with his troupe at Aubeterre , whiche was with a hundreth and thrée score enseignes of footemen , beyng in number a fourtene thousand harguebouziers , and sixe thousande pikemen , & twelue hundreth horsemen : and that the enimies had sodenly taken the Captayne Mauuance , and the Captayne Pieregourdis , and had ouerthrowen them with certayne number of their souldiers , whiche caused the sayde Princes , fearyng some greater mischief , to marche with their armie towardes the sayde place of Aubeterre , myndyng to fyght with the enemies yf they woulde stande to it : who so soone as they had newes of the Princes comming , remoued incontinent . And bicause they vnderstoode they toke the way to Poitiers , they determined to ouertake them if it might be with as great iourneys as was possible , séeking al meanes to make them come to the battayle , wherein they vsed suche diligence , that the thirde day they were so nygh them , that where the fore warde of the sayde Princes lodged , the enemies were vnlodged a little before : and oftentimes they found their bread , munition and cariage , so that seing them selues pursued so nygh , they were constrained to retire to Chastellerault and those partes , where they entrenched them selues and their artillerie , and mette with Monsieur the kinges brother with new force . And for that it was reported by the Gentlemen that wer sent to descry them neare , that the commyng to them was so daungerouse and harde , that it had bene to no purpose , and without reason to assayle them in their campe , whiche they had so well fortified with trenches , and so well prouided with munition and artillery , whiche dyd so beate the sayde commers therto , that it had ben vnpossible to kepe aray without great losse of men : it was determined to present them selues to the sight of the army , to sée if they would come out of their fort , whiche was done by the lord Admiral with his foreward whiche he kept a whole day in battayle raye on the top of a hill , from whence they might sée the sayde towne of Chastellerault , but the enemies made no countenan e of comming out to them . For this cause deuising howe they might get them out of their forte , to a place where the sayd princes might fight with them , they caused their army to marche towardes Mirebalois , whiche is a very good and frutefull countrey , and whence their enemies had their most commoditie of vittayles , & where the said princes might best vittayle their men to the hinderance of their enemies . And drawing thetherward , it hapned that the enimies appoynted to lodge at the same place where the Princes army was appointed . And that monsieur the Admiral and Monsieur Dandelot his brother approchyng nyghe their lodgyng , accompanyed wyth foure or fiue Hundreth horsemen at the most , they discryed their enimies whiche had all their horsemen of the fore warde , to the number of two thousande horse . So that the sayd Admirall sent incontinently on all partes for al the troupes of horsemen , as well of the battayle as of the foreward , delaying still tyll the sayde Princes began to appeare with their battayle and other troupes of the fore warde , which somewhat abashed the enemies , & then they caused certayn harquebouziers to approche nygh the enimies , and there was shot on bothe sides : but bicause it was vpon the closing in of day , and beganne to waxe very darke , the battayle was deferred tyll the next day , at which tyme the sayd Princes with al their armies began to marche by breake of day straight to the place where they had left their enemies the euen before , and the sayde princes perceyuing that they were departed , caused certayne cornettes of horsemen to post after the said enemies , to descry whiche way they toke , and to assay once againe if they coulde prouoke them to fight . Whiche they dyd to a village named Sausay , where the lordes of Guyse , Martigues , Brissac , Tauannes , Sansac , and diuerse other had lyen that night , who were not the last that toke their héeles , and that with such hast , that they left all their cariage behinde them , whiche was not lesse woorth than two hundreth thousand crownes , and eyght or nyne score drawing horses , with certayne pouder . The sayd Princes being aduertised that all the fore warde of the enemies was out of aray and confused , and that Mountsalan amongest others was put to flight , and the most part of his company slayne and taken , and had their cornettes and enseignes , they began to marche as fast as they coulde after them to ouertake them , whiche they coulde not do till they came to a village named Iazeneuil , into whiche the enemies retyred , and where the Kings brother had fortified and trenched himselfe with his artillerye . Where the Princes gaue them the brauest skirmishe that euer was geuen by memory of man , which lasted no lesse than fower or fyue long houres , where was shot on bothe sides , aboue fourescore thousand harquebouze shot , and three hundreth seuen and thirtie great shot on the enemies syde only , for that the Princes great shot was not brought from the siege of Ponts : and it was found by the confession of the enimies themselues , that they lost at this skirmishe fiue or sixe hundreth Souldioures , and fiftene or sixtene Captaines : and on the Princes side there were two hundreth hurt and slain . Yet it was written to the Quéene by some of hir trusty seruaunts that are in the enimies campe , that neuer French kings sonne was in so great danger , as my Lord the kings brother , for the space of thrée dayes and thrée nights : and in déede it is moste certaine that at the same skirmish , the said Princes footemen wanne the trenches twise or thrise , and set vpon the Artillerie , and killed some at their péeces , yea that many of the Souldioures entred into certaine houses which were within the enimies Fort , and brought away armor , and eate and dranke , whereof they had great nede : for that thrée dayes togither they wanted vitailes , yet were they so pacient , and so desirous to fight , that they forgatte the hunger that they suffred . This skirmish being ended , by the means of the night , the saide Princes ordained that the next day by breake of day , they should present them selues in the same place of Iazeuenil , to sée if they coulde prouoke the enimie to fight . Which was done , but none of the enimies durst shew their heades , sauing a hundreth or sixe score horsemen , and that so nighe their fort , that it was impossible to buckle with them . Since they had newes that they were retired to Luzignon , and thence to Poitiers : which caused the said Princes to lodge their armie in the Countrey of Myrebalois , wher they found great quantity of bread and munition , that the enimies had caused to be prouided , and understanding that they wer come to lodge at Ausance , which is within a league of Poitiers , and foure leagues from the place wher the said Princes lodged , they prepared them suche an enterprise , that the saide Lord Admirall with a thousande horsmen and only two thousand harquebouziers , droue the said enimies into the sayd village of Ausance , bet them from a bridge which was there , and put all the armie to flight , who retired into Poitiers in great disorder and confusion with the losse of many of their men , & of all their cariage . And although things passed in this wise , yet are the said enimies so shamelesse , that they giue out rumours wholly contrary to the truthe , yea they sent letters to the Court wherein they were not ashamed to send worde , that they withstoode the said Princes , where continually they put them to flight , & sought all meanes possible to prouoke them to fight . Whereto the said Lords Princes séeing their enimies haue so little lust , by reson of the ill successe that they had in the former encounters , to enforce them to fight , and ( will they nill they ) to preuent such subtilties and disguisings as they commonly vsed , this other day in the sight of their enimies , and of all theyr campe , they toke a towne and castle belonging to one of the principall heads of their armie , although the sayd Towne was furnished with men , artillerie , & all other kinde of munition , as he to whom it belongeth , hathe had good meane and leisure to do : the taking whereof shal be so cleare and euident witnesse of it self , of the faint courage that they haue to fight , that they shall neuer be able hereafter to disguise & coloure their cowardise as they haue done heretofore . Afterward the said Lord Princes , séeing that neither the taking of the sayde towne & castle , nor anye other occasion that they could giue to the enimies , could prouoke them to fight , and that they kept them selues alwayes on the farther side of the riuer of Clain , whyther they fled when they were driuen from Ausance , hauing further a good riuer before them , & sonke all the boates to hinder any enterprise that might be attempted against them : giuing out that they taried for the strength that came with the Seigneur of Ioyeuse which they saide was of sixe thousande hargebouziers & fiftene hundreth horse men : and then they determined to fight with the armie of the said princes . This caused the Princes ( to giue them newe occasion to passe the riuer , & to encrease their will and desire to fight ) to force in their sight the towne of Salmure , which is a passage of the Riuer of Loire , which draue the enimies into suche a ielousie , that they prepared themselues to hinder the said Princes from taking of that towne , and for this cause they marched forth their armie , lodging their fotemen in one of the Suburbes , but when the batterie was readie , tidings came that the ennimies had passed ouer the Riuer of Clain , making a countenaunce to come to the rescuing of Salmure , with the forse of the Lorde of Ioyeuse , which was arriued two or thrée dayes before , which made the saide Princes immediately to raise their siege from Salmure , causing their armie to marche straight vpon the enimies , which was easie to be done , for that there was no riuer betwéene them and the said enimies which they mette before the towne of Loudun , which were appointed to lodge in the Suburbes , wher their lodging was ordained , from whence my Lorde the Admirall raised them , so that they retired and camped in the places & villages about the saide Loudun . The next day the two armies faced one an other , their scoutes being within an hundreth paces the one of the other . They shot their Ordinaunce on bothe partes , and so passed all that day with certain small skirmishes only . And although the enimies had encamped them selues to the vauntage , which commonly they do that chose their place first , and might haue approched the sayd Princes armie without any daunger , which the said Princes could not doe to them , yet when they stept two paces , the Princes armie stept foure to ioyne with them : two dayes after the sayde two armies met againe in the same places , as they likewise did the day after yt. But the Princes could neuer gette them from theyr vauntage , which is maruellous , considering the bruites that they gaue abrode , that they were so strengthned with the Lord of Ioyeuses power , that they determined not to depart the places till they had fought with the said Princes army , and said also that they had expresse commaundement so to doe , or at the least to raise them from that place , for thereon depended the honor of both the armies . But how soone this hot corage was cooled , is easie to be iudged by their sodain retiring a league backe from the place which they had taken , & getting a brooke betwéene them , and the said Princes armie . Who being not content wyth the vauntage that they wanne of their sayd enimies , in raising them from the place that they sayd they chose to fight on , folowed them to the second place , and althoughe the sayd enimies had a great vauntage by reason of the brooke which made them hard to be come by , yet what with cannon shot and continual skirmishes that they gaue them , they constrained them againe to leane that seconde place , & to retire , ( yea the kings brother himself ) towards Chinon , & to passe the riuer of Vienna , leauing all their sicke behinde them , and much of their cariage & munitions . The Princes séeing this , appointed certaine troupes of horsemen and foote men to follow them which set vpon one place of the enimies where there were seuen Ensignes , whereof foure were put to flight , and the other thrée wholly discomfited , and theyr ensignes were burned in a house , where some of the souldiours had withdrawne them selues . Afterwarde the said Princes séeyng all meanes of fighting to be taken away , by reason of a great and strong riuer betwene them , determined to marche with their army towardes Towars and Montreuilbellay , as well to refreshe them and for commoditie of vitayles , whereof they had great néede for fiue or sixe dayes , as to coast the army of the enemies , which being thus retired , diminisheth and breaketh away dayly by litle and litle , so that we heare from diuers places , that they talke of passing ouer the riuer of Loyre agayne : to place part of their Armie in all the townes that lye on the sayd riuer , and to border it with warriours at all the brydges , gates , passages and villages , and the other part to send towardes the campe that the King leuyeth against the Prince of Orenge , and the Duke of Swebrug . Which causeth the sayd Princes nowe to determine , that as soone as they haue receiued those ten thousand footemen , and twelue hundreth horsemen that the foure Vicountes of Bourniquel , Poulin , Monclay and Calmont , bring vnto them to strenghten them , and which are almost arriued at their campe , to marche forewarde to the siege of some one of those townes on the sayde riuer , that they may with all expedition ioyne with the prince of Orange , & the duke of Swebrug . From whom they haue receiued newes by certayne Gentlemen that they haue sent vnto them , that they are not lesse than fiue and twentie or thirtie thousande horsemen , and thrée score thousande footemen when they be al mette . In the meane whyle the sayde Lord Princes haue 35. enseignes of footmen and twelue guydons whiche they haue wonne of the enemies , besides the seuen enseignes of companies of footemen that were discomfited , at the departing from before Loudun , which wer burnt in the lodgyng to haue the Souldiers that were within . On the other side , the sayde foure Vicountes lost no time where they were , but toke and put to fire and sworde the towne of Gaillac in whiche diuers cruelties with maruellous stoutnesse had bene committed against those of the Religion , and also the lowe towne of Carcassonne was taken by them , with twelue or fiftene other townes Monsieur of Grammont in the countrey of Basque hath also discomfited the seigneur of Luye which had raised foure thousand men against those of the Religion , & won certayne péeces of artillerie from him . The Cardinal of Lorayne perceyuyng that al things went not on his side as he hoped and purposed , caused the Quene to send out Mons. Portall the generall receiuer , to make some motion of peace , to the sayd Princes , to whom the lyke aunswere was made , that was made to the maister of requestes Malassise , that was also sent by the Quene to the lyke ende , whiche is this , that as long as the Cardinall of Lorayne ruled and vsed suche tiranny ouer Fraunce , and namely the kinges counsel , out of whiche they haue driuen away my Lorde the Chancelour , and the principall Officers of the crowne , they woulde accept no letters nor messages made vnder the name of his maiestie , but onely as commyng from the forge and inuention of the sayde Cardinall , and that they had vsed so muche vnfaithfulnesse in the treaty of peaces heretofore , that those of the Religion are driuen to this extremitie , to beleue that there is none other safetie for them , but by the meane of the sworde .

Since that tyme the companye of Monsieur Dinoy , tooke the last of Decembre in the suburbes of Chynon four score Switsers with the Prouost of the Kings Brothers garde , whiche was on the far syde the water , from whence the armye fled in great hast . This is the happy successe that it hath pleased God hitherto to giue to the affaires of the sayd Princes , and the reward and recompence that the enemies haue receyued for their treason and vnfaithfulnesse , which is more then sufficiently verified by the contentes of the Popes Bull , whiche they sewed for in the Month of Iune & Iuly last , & dispatched at Rome , the last of August folowing , which sayd sute shal alwayes euidently conuict them , that they neuer intended but to breake the faith and publique safetye , both promised and sworne , & further to reuoke the Edict : whiche came forth anon after , and in substance hath relation to the layd Bull. Wherby they reuoke all the Edictes whiche haue béen heretofore made in the fauour of those of the Religion , as being made in the assemblies of men hyred or brybed therto : thoughe it be well knowen , that it was done in the solemnest assemblye that euer was made in this realme , namely the Edict of Ianuarie , where all the Princes and Lordes of the Councell of both Religions , with the greatest and most notable personages of all the highe Courts of this Realme were present , and further beinge made at the Request of the Estates . And for sufficient proofe to all those of the Religion , that they neuer ment but to abolish & bring to naught the said Religion , they declare in expresse wordes by the same Edict , that they neuer mynded or intended any other thing , notwithstanding any commandements , Lettres patents , and declarations that haue béen giuen forth or otherwise , and notwithstanding the great assurance of words , that his Maiestie hath giuen , as wel to his subiects , as to straunge Princes .