THe king continuing hys enterprise to fight with the duke of Parma , and of the Mayne , and to giue them battell according to the last order of his deparparture from Gouy : to the end nothing were forgotten that might draw and force the enemy to come to a battel : the king without any soiourning , came in great hast to lodge in Netiuille a league , & one halfe distant from Iuetot , where part of the forces of the said dukes was quartered , & intrenched . The duke de Mayne and the Guise were there themselues in person with the Cauallerie of Bourgonie , the which Mounsier . S. Paule had brought out of Champaigne , and Vitry hys owne Cornet . In the meane time that the marshials of the held were appointing of the quarters , his Maiestie aduanced forward with a hundred horses , and fiftie Hargebusiers a horsebacke , and to the end he might both discouer their intrenchment and iudge by theyr assurance in the combat , whether they had stomacke inough to defend their lodginges , & to come to a battell , commaunded in his prefence a skirmish , in which Mounsier de Contenant then commanding of the enemies troupes , comming out of their village , was taken prisoner and one souldier of the said Vitry his company : hauing yeelded so slender a skirmish , that the king did iudge by their countenance , the place to be more assured of it selfe , for the ditches round about it , then in the force that kept it . And hauing appointed the night before that all his armie shoulde marche directly the next morning towardes Yuetot , his Maiestie departed at the breake of the day , with twentie horses accompanied with two hundred more , and one hundred hargebusiers a horsebacke , and hauing placed all them he had brought with him so few as they were in such places of aduantage as serued best to his purpose : his Maiestie would haue procured a skirmishe , and seeing that among his enimies there was more feare , then will to fight , and that they were in amaze yet the army came , which followed the king , his Maiestie caused those that were before the village , to be charged so hotely , that ours entred pelle melle into the village with the enemies .

There were 18. or 20. of Vitry his companie slaine , and more then should haue been , if the ennemie had not put the sire into the village to hinder our passage , further to pursue them . In the meane time Vitry and the yong Lord of Chastres with their light horses , put themselues in battell without the village seconded by Mounsier S. Paule , and the Caualliere of Bourgonie & Champaigne . But they kept the place of their battell so cowardly , that as these few troupes which the king had brought with him , did approch and charge them , they had rather refuge to their spurres and to the quicknesse of their horses then to their swords or pistolles . Vitry his horse was slaine at that time vnder him , and should haue beene taken if he had not been disgaged againe by one of his souldiers . The yong Lord of Chastres was taken prisoner , and thirtie or fortie with him , and as many slaine . The rest saued themselues by their hastie retyring , which was so speedie that de Guise , and duke de Mayne , their horses were out of breath . They found verie fitly to their purpose some of their forces that had taken the Alarme in battell aray neere another village intrenched . They saued themselues from a small number who chased before them a great number of cowardlie runawaies . The scituation of the countreye is so close and aduantagious to them that are firste lodged in a place , that the Kinge coulde exploit nothing more that day , but quartered in Iuetot and his infanterie : in the villages where duke de Maine and de Aumale were lodged before with their troupes , which they abandoned after suche a sort , that they left a great part of their plate & all their dinner behind them to retire to theyr Camp intrenched and fortified where all their Army is lodged .

The nexte morning , those that were that night in guard told vnto his maiestie , that euer since mydnight they had heard in the Campe the sound of drummes and Trumpets a horsebacke , the noise of whippes and cartes and other great noise , as is commonlie accustomed in a dislodging of a campe , but they could not tell which waie the Enimie had taken : whether of Roan or else of Newhauen .

Insomuche that in this incertitude his Maiestie to lose no more of his araye , that was in a fit place to preuent the vaunt-garde of bothe the waies that the Armie could take : resolued to keepe his array in a readinesse , to rise vppon his first commandement , and himselfe to go in the meane time to discouer the truth : whiche he did , and went only accompanied with four of his gentlemen in their doublets .

His maiestie vppon the discouerie of the truth , tooke a prisoner vpon the head of theyr intrenchment , being a Spaniard of the company of Diego Dauillade , & hauing kept the Enemy al that daye in an Alarme within their intrenchement , discouered the lodginges where his campe should be quartered the next daye , and where to place his artillerie .

Following this resolution , the last day of Aprill , his Maiestie came and lodged in Variar-ville , and procured some skirmishes of horssemen in the meane while that the rest of the armie was in quartering of themselues , without any other great exploit doon that day of both parties that is worthy the writing . But betwixt six and seuen of the clocke in the euening , his maiestie beeing accompanyed with the Duke Longeuille the County saint Paule , the Marshall of France , and with eighteene or twenty gentlemen all in their doublets , going to see hys guardes and to discouer certeine things known only to himselfe : sixe score Englishmen pykes and shot , vnder the leading of Sir Roger Willyams , beganne a great skirmish , which grewe so hot , that there were of the enimies about 900 or a thousand shot , aswell French and Italians , as Spanyards , and foure hundred horsses , who after many a shot bestowed on both sides came to charge our pikes , but they were by them so valiantlie receyued ( Monsier Biron being then in place , Monsieur de Belle-garde great Esquire of France , and diuers other Barons , all in their doublets only ) that the coronet of Bentiuoglio was slaine vpon the place . The Captaine , the Liefetenant and Ensigne , and more then sitteene or twenty other notable men slaine , and stript of their braue and riche attire , with their scarfes of fauour , besides the great number of men and horsses that were hurte at that time .

And being not contented with this , as they saw certeine regimentes of foote comming behind the hedges to surprise them , they ioined with the Flemings that were come to the Alarme , and making togither about 500. or 600. pikes , and 300. or 400. harquebushers , went to charge those that came to surprise them so resolutelie , that they slue about three or foure score of them , and draue the reste before them into their trenches , without any greater losse of the Englishmen then six men , and twentie hurt .

It was thought that Friday next a day particular to the Duke of Parma for his enterpryses , and a feast of saint Iames , whom the Spaniards hold for their Patron : they would haue had their reuenge , but being contented with their losse , without hazzarding themselues any further , their trenches haue beene their resting place without any shew of a desire of sallyeng foorth . Which his maiestie seeing , hath set such order in the affaires of his Armie , that victuals are there in great store and abundance and hope will not faile there heereafter .

Since this victorie , and from the next morning forward , his maiestie will vse all meanes possible he can , to drawe his Enemie to a battell , with such a resolution , not to leaue them before he hath defeated them , which his Maiesties hopes to compasse yer it be long , either by a victorie of a battell if they doo accept it , or by necessitie which shal force them to abandon their trenches , which is suche alreadie in their Army , that all things are three times dearer then in our Campe .

And this by the grace of God whoe is the Lord of hostes protector of the Kinge , reuenger of all vsurping powers , in whome at all times the King hath onlie put his trust & confidence .

Aduertisement is giuen by letters from the fourth of May , that the duke of Parma is greatlie discontented with the Frenchmen that are with him , sayeng that they doo betraye him . He is verie ill of his hurt , and hee hath an ague which weakeneth him very much , and forseth him to keepe his bed : three bones or shyuerings are drawne out of his wound .

The Duke Longeuille tooke the third of this month , manie of their chariots and cartes loaden with victuals . Their Frenchmen run dailie away for want of necessaries They are not able to tarrie there long . The sicknes is great in their campe . In the skirmish that was vpon the fourth day of May , the horsse of the yong Prince was slaine , and he escaped very dangerouslie and hardly .

The King seeing the Enimies to fortifie themselues within a wood , which did lie betwixte him and the troupes but fiue hundred pases , ioyning vpon their trenches where they might plant some ordinance , and foreseeing the damage that might ensue by it , resolued by the aduise of his Princes , Lords , and chiefest captaynes , to raise them from thence by force with a village therevnto belonging , being one of their chiefest quarters , and to that effecte it was appointed that all the troups should meet vpon the appointed Rendeuous to set vppon that wood in the breake of the daie : but the darkenesse of the night hauing beene partelye the cause that they were not so diligent , it was neere night before al were arriued , which took away all hope to effectuate any thing that day .

The enemie seeing our forces assembled , it gaue them occasion to beleeue that it was vpon intention to enterprise some exploit vppon them .

Wherevpon they put themselues in battell aray , and vsed suche diligence in fortifieng of themselues in the wood , besides the Ditches and trenches which they had cast alreadie , that the king was of opinion to haue slacked his enterprise till another time : but seeing all his troupes full of courage and boldnesse , hee resolued to make a triall of it , causing it to bee assaulted on sundry sides . Where the Englishmen , Wallons , French , and Lanceknightes , carried themselues so valiantlie , that the firste that were of the forlorne hope , forced all the said trenches with a gret fight of pikes of both sides , forcing the enimie finallye to abandon both the wood and the village , being in number about two thousand men , whereof remained dead vpon the place , more then three hundred Spaniards , with certaine Wallons , and among the rest six or seauen Captaines , with their Liefetenant , Collonel de la Bolette , with out losse but of three or foure men of the kings and seuen or eight hurt .

The king gaue at the same time to Baron Biron , fiftie horsses of those that were with him , conducted by Monsieur le Vedame de Chartres , who pursued them that did retire til twentie pases from their intrenchement , where all their Armie stood in battell , and slue yet sixe or seuen score more , with the losse onelie of one of ours , and bearing himselfe so forwarde that he was slaine euen vppon their trenches . Some of our horsses were slaine , and manye hurt .

After this we remained yet eight houres in battell , to present then the combat , where they did vs some harme at first with their great Ordinance , which they had placed in a place of aduauntage without their trenches , but wee tooke another place where the Cannon could not do vs more harme , and so hauing notstaied for them thus long , and the night to approch , that they made no showe of comming foorth , the king sent euerie man to his quarter , till other occasion were offered to exploit more : hauing sufficiently shewed to the enemy , and that to their losse that our Infantrie is better then theirs , whereof they haue had the triall oftentimes , and yeeld that honour vnto our horsemen . I hope that God will fauour vs , as to continue our good successe .

Two daies after the king had perforce taken from the enemy the wood that on his side did couer him , as is aforesaid : the enemies finding no great safetie in their campe resolued to dislodge , and so departed vpon Wednesday last , the sixth of this moneth before day without sound of trumpet or drumme , in a rainie and windie weather , which in recompence of the hinderance that is ministred to their marche , brought them the commoditie to helpe to couer their departure , so that the king coulde not be so readie to followe them , which notwithstanding hee did about six of the clocke in the morning , with a thousand or 1200. horse , causinge also his armie to come forwarde , so that easily hee might haue ouertaken them , in case they had prosecuted their iourney towardes Roane , as it was likely they did intend : But within one houre after his departure he found them alreadie lodged in a strong place and of aduantage , their taile reaching euen to Caudebee , wherefore he also resolued to lodge that day at Iuetot , and the next day to set forward to get afore them toward Roane : but being come to the Rendezuous that he had giuen to his whole armie , he vnderstoode by such as he had sent to discouer the enemies doinges , that they made no semblance to stirre : whereupon hee tooke againe his former lodging , from whence he was gone , and made it conuenient . For they imagining him to be passed forward , there were some of their troupes found marching to seize vppon the same lodging , from whence they might afterward haue easily escaped , and could no more haue been entrapped , but seeing their way still stopped , such as were gone abroad returned . And since they haue kept themselues in their lodgings . Three daies togither by reason of the bad raynie wether , the king was driuen to let his army soiourne in their trenches , and could do no more but dayly go himselfe , his cosens , the Marshals Biron , Aumont & Bouillon . The Baron of Biron , marshal of the campe , and other the captaines to take a view of their feate , and of the waies to come to the enemies campe , to the end vppon the first oportunity to march & to set vpon them . Then hauing seene and well noted all that might be done , the king yesterday determined to go and giue an onset .

This morning hauing brought all footmen neere , and the most part of his horsemen , with three peeces of artillerie , who came so early to the place appointed , that about eight or nine of the clocke , they strooke into a bottome that made the head of their camp , where were lodged seuen cornets of the ordinances of the low countries , and twentie of light horse , seuen of Carabins , and all their rutters , who all were ouerthrown with the slaughter of two or three hundred , among others , of sundrie Captaines , whose names as yet wee cannot learne . The booty amounted vnto aboue 150000. crowns . Most of their baggage being taken , with almost 4000. horse , some of carriage , and some of seruice , with foure Cornets that were wonne . We trust that God continuing his blessinges toward the good and iust cause , wil shortly make an end of the Spanish ambition and tyrannie , and graunt happie peace vnto his Maiestie , and all his good subiectes , whereof wee are dayly most earnestly to desire him .