A Marshall man principally deuoteth him selfe to hazard his lims and life in the seruice of his Prince & countrie for honour and crownes : as it were shame to eclipse him the one , so it is iniurie to scant him the other : for the surest whetstone of valour and vertue is renowne and glorie : in defrauding the souldier of his pay , you cut his purse and rebate his edge : in deprauing his honour , you cut his throate and strike him stone deade : whereby I was induced to publish the renowned seruice done lately by that honourable knight S. IOHN NORREYS in Britanie : to the end that neither he , neither the rest of the braue Captaines , gentlemen and souldiers should want their due commendation , that both they may be encouraged to continew their braue & heroicall mindes , and others inclined to aduance themselues to the like honorable attempts & actions . I am the better able to performe this my promise by reason of a letter I receiued thence from a gentleman so well qualified , that neither he wanted skill or wit to record the seruice with the pen , neither valour & courage to performe anie enterprise with the sword , being a principall actor in the execution thereof , the copie wherof I present to the reader , that he may be truely enformed of the seruice , and yeelde the actors their due commendation .

SIR , by my last letters I aduertised you of the safe ariuall of our armie in Britanie , the third of May , continewing about the Abbay of Beauport a weeke , for the arming of the souldiers , mounting the artillerie and marshaling our Campe . The tenth , we began our march , and lodged with our troupes before Guingand the 13. Since which time , through the wonderful paines and continuall trauel of Sir IOHN NORREYS our L. Generall , the towne is rendered to the Prince D'OMBES , sonne to the Duke MOMPENSIER of the house of Burbon , Gouernour of Britainie for the King . The reporte whereof may seeme straunge to you , for we our selues do wonder at it , considering the strength of the place by arte and nature , and how greatly the conseruation therof imported Philibert Emanuel , Duke Mercurie of the house of Vaudemont a collaterall branch of Lorrayne , Gouernour of Britanie for those rebellious Leaguers who murthered his brother in law the late king his owne sisters husband : as well in regarde of his honour and reputation , as of his profit and peculiar interest , the towne being his proper inheritance , in the right of his wife Marie daughter and heire to Sebastian Duke of Pontheiure , whose father Francis Vicount Martigues of the house of Luxemburg attained large territories in Britanie , marrying Charlotte sister and heire of Iohn de Brosse who descended of the house of Ponthieure a collateral line of the Dukes of Britanie . The duke Mercurie notwithstanding hee was thus particularly interessed in the town of Guingand wanting neither sufficient garison , munition or victuals , hauing Don Ioan de Lagula in a readinesse with foure thousand Spaniards at Pontiguy besides his owne troupes : yet suffered this defensible place to bee lost without blowes vpon dishonourable and base conditions , whereby we may see how God rebateth the edge of rebels harts , daunteth their courages and ranuerseth their actions with his by blows or vnlooked-for counterbuffes .

That the particularities of the matter may bee better knowne vnto you , you are to vnderstand that the town of Guingand is strongly waled round about inuironed with a large ditch and a deepe counterscarfe , extending it selfe in length from the South Southeast , to the North Norwest . Vpon the South end of the town where was sometimes an old castle , there is now a very strong bulwarke with three Flankers , and in the middest thereof a Cauallero which commandeth the whole towne . Not farre from it Eastwarde is the gate of the towne , of it selfe verie strong , and before it a verie great Rauelin within the counterscarfe of the ditch : at the bottom whereof there is a most daintie Sallye , insomuch as a thousand men may issue out at the same , and not one bee discouered vntill their heades appeare aboue the counterscarfe . And aboue them are two drawne briges for the Saliants , the one for horse , the other for foote , & right before the Raueling is a pretie conceited Turne-pike or Barricado to checke the throng and multitude of pursuers . From this place Northwarde the wall is embowed like a horne with three Flankers vpon it , and so ranforced within with earth , as it is accounted a Terra-pleyn . The West hath a very deepe ditch ful of water : neither could any aproch be made that way by reason of the marrishis . The North end of the towne hath manie Flankers and a deepe ditch , yet somewhat drie & fast by an Abbey of Iacopins which the villaines them selues pulled for the most part downe , lest it should anie way distresse the towne , standing within lesse then eightie paces of the towne wall . Notwithstanding this their prouident malice , the rebels left as much standing for vs as serued to cut their owne throates . My Lord Generall hauing quickly found that this part of the towne was fittest to receaue a breach , made shew to the quite contrarie parte thereof , as at the South parte hee caused trenches to be cast , and passages to be made through the walles of old houses , euen to the verie counterscarfe of the ditch , a long trench was likewise cast verie neare the walles of the East side of the towne , and in the middest therof a platforme of earth to be erected to some reasonable height , as if the canon should haue beene placed there : in the meane time all trauel was vsed in making of a Mine according to our Generals direction , neare to the entended breach , and the waies made for the bringing and dressing of the places fit for the Canon to play vpon , which was performed in so good sorte as that by the 20. day of this moneth our artillerie was brought downe to the Iacopines cloister , and there placed within losse then an hundreth paces of the wall . And this was one of our greatest combars both in respect of trauel & hazard , to both which how my L. did expose himselfe truely I could not but wonder , and in my hart was angry to see it , and yet if he had not so hazarded himselfe , I did partly perceiue that little woulde haue beene done .

On fryday the 21. we began our batterie , and notwithstanding it continued all the day , yet by reason of the few peeces of artillerie , not able to make sufficient batterie , the dayes worke brought forth no great effect other then the crushing of two Flankers , and the beating of the perrepet , so that the breach was very small and the same so repaired continually by the souldiers and inhabitants within the towne , maintaining the rampart with fetherbeds , horse dung and bags of earth almost to the lowest part of their perrepet . The next day verie earely once againe wee began our batterie , and continued it vntil two or three of the clocke in the after noone , by what time the breach seemed verie faire . Whereupon the French humor vrged verie hotely to an assault , and so importuned the Prince D'ombes that he consented thereunto . Our Generall although he was hardly drawne to yeeld his consent , vnderstanding by a Sergeant of a band whom he had sent to discouer the breach , that the rentrenchment within was exceeding deepe , and the mounting vp the breach very steepe , sliding and difficult , but especially because the myne was not so forwarde to be answerable to the breach : notwithstanding seeing the French men offering to attempt the place of them selues which had beene some disgrace vnto vs , yeelded to their humor , and most instantly demaunded the pointe and honour of the assault for the English men , which being graunted conditionally that they shoulde bee seconded by the French . Such was the emulation of our commanders and Captaines to winne honour , that all being willing to attempt the seruice , to auoide contention our Generall caused the dice to bee cast , so that it fell to Captaine IACKSON and Captaine HERON to leade the first two hundreth to the assault , which after their deuout prayers recommending them selues to God , they performed verie valiantly , scrambling vp with a notable resolution , standing a long halfe houre at the push of the pike in the face of a whole storme of the small shot , especially Captaine IACKSON who came to the point of the breach , but not being throughly seconded by the souldiers vnable to get vp by reason of the steepenes of the place , yet were they hardly commanded to retire , performing their retraite with no lesse good order then their attempt to the assault , Captaine HERON receiued a shot in the throate , whereof he presently dyed , and not aboue twelue others slaine : Captaine IACKSON sore hurt . Captaine WOLFE in the top of the breach had three daungerous woundes in the head , and others in his body : Captaine CATESBYE a voluntarie gentleman sore hurt in the arme . Also Captaine WHITTON and Maister Paule Wingfeeld with some other yonge gentlemen to the number of 30. Which losse can not be thought great in such a peece of seruice , considering the great strength within to defend the place . The second attempt was giuen by the Baron of Molac Collonel generall of the French infanterie in these partes , and very well answered by himselfe , and some few of the French gentlemen , but the common souldiers aduancing them selues coldly to the breach , receiued the greater hurt , and by that occasion were slaine of them many more then of our nation . Some others straight presented themselues for a third assault , but the breach being found so difficult , and resistance within strong and well prepared , it was aduised to stay vntill the next day that the battery had made the breach more easie . During the time of the assault Captaine DENNIS a braue gentleman being sent with some forces to make offer of a scalado to one other part of the towne , aduancing himselfe too farre , receiued a Musket shot in the bottome of his bellie , wherof he dyed about twelue of the clocke the same night . That night those within demanded a Parley , which being accorded , certaine deputies out of the towne repaired the next morning to the Prince Dombes , and in the end grew to a capitulation , the copie whereof you shall receiue herein inclosed . Which in my iudgement would haue beene accorded with much more aduantage to the Prince , if he had pleased to haue insisted vpon it : but being glad to recouer the towne , which is saide to be the strongest in Britanie , except Nantes and Dinant : withall doubting least the Duke Mercury with the helpe of Don Iuan de Lagula should come to the succour of the towne , ( which it is likelye had beene performed , if the French had beene in so good readines as the Spaniardes ) he woulde not treate anie long agreement . But all thinges being accorded on both sides , on Whitsonday the towne was surrendered into the handes of Monsieur Cargomart appointed gouernour for the Prince . And Captaine GARGANTON which before held the place for the Duke Mercurie , with one other named Contary , sent by the Duke Mercurie to assist the other , departed the towne the 24. of May , with an hundred and twentie horse , and about two hundreth and sixtie foot , in all mens iudgement able and strong enough to haue kept the place for a much longer time . We had in the towne foure Ensignes , one Cornet , one Cannon Perrier , one Demy Culuering , and sixe Sacres and Minions , two thousand waight of pouder , and great store of victuals . The hauing of this towne greatly importeth the King , for in a manner all base Britaine doth depend vpon it . The Courtes of Parlement , which was ordinarily held at Reynes were by the rebellious Leaguers transferred to Guingand , which argueth in what estimation they held the strength of the towne . Thus haue I plainly and truly reported the seruice of Guingand , and I perceiue our Generall meaneth to entertaine vs in action , for we are presently to march against Morlays a rebellious towne coasting vpon the sea , whereby I am enforced to leaue my penne , and betake my selfe to the launce , for the trompet soundeth , mont'a cauallo .