AFter the winning of the Towne of Guingcamp, the purpoſe of the Prince was, to haue aſſailed the Towne of Morlaix, to the ende to haue reduced the ſayd Town, and the reſt of Baſſe-Britagne to the Kings obedience: howbeit vnderſtanding that the D. of Mercoeur was remoued from Pontiuy, where he ioyned with 4000. Spaniards, vnder the leading of Don Iuan de Lagula and was marching towards Morlaix, by the way of Corlay: the Prince therevppon diſcouering the forces of the ſaide Duke, which were of ſeauen hundred horſe, foure thouſand Spaniards, and two thouſand Harquebuſiers French: conſidered how dangerous it might be to ingage his Army before a towne, vntill he were Maiſter of the fielde, the enemy being of more ſtrength then he, and in a countrey of aduantage, and where he might bee aſſiſted with a multitude of peiſants, long before armed and reſolued for the enemy.

Vpon theſe difficulties, the Prince made ſtay about the Towne of Guingcamp, aſwell to amend the fortifications, as to repaire the breach made by hys Canon, (the better to aſſure the Towne from the enemy) as to attend the bringing of two Canons, & two Culuerings, drawne from Breſt to Lagnon, with certayne powder, bullets, and other munition, conuayed out of England to Pinpaoul, to the end that the ſame being in place of aſſurance, the enemy might not take occaſion to driue the Prince from his other enterpriſes.

The ſeuenth of Iune, the D. de Mercoeur arriued at Corlay, within three leagues of Guingcamp, a caſtle pretending to hold for the king, but in the poſſeſſion of Madame de Guymenay, whoſe brother, Monſieur de Boydolphin is Lieutenant to the D. de Mercoeur, ſo that it ſeemed the partie was made before hand, for that the next day after they did arriue, the caſtle rendred without ſeeing the Canon, and the Captain remayned with the enemy: & frō that place the Duke ſent to the Prince a Trompeter about certaine priſoners of ours, taken at Corlay, who ſignifyed to the ſayd Prince that he had in charge frō the D. to entreat him to appoint ſom day & place of battel: wherunto the Prince made anſwere, that it was the moſt acceptable newes that could be brought vnto him, and a thing which he had often ſought and deſired, and wherevnto at this time, he hoped to enforce the ſaid Duke to whom he would not return anſwer by the mouth of a Trompeter, which might be diſaduowed, but by a writing ſigned with his owne hand, which was accordingly performed as followeth.

The 8. of Iune the Duke of Mercoeur remooued from Corlay to Saint Gilles, two ſmall leagues diſtant frō Chaſteau-Laudran: The ſame day alſo the Prince departed from Guingcamp, about three of the clocke in the morning, and lodged that night at Chaſteau-Laudran, where his own Trumpeter with the Trumpeter of the Duke de Mercoeur met him, and deliuered an anſwere from the ſaid Duke ſigned with his hand, the contents whereof followe.

Hereunto the Prince for many good reſons, gaue ſuch reply as the Duke might perceiue, hee woulde not contende with him onely in tearmes, but to giue him all the prouocation that poſſible hee might to come to handes returned him this anſwere.

THe Duke greatly moued with this Cartell, did openly by a ſolemne othe vowe, within 3. daies to offer battaile to the Prince, and on the 9. of Iune being wenſday, diſlodged, & that day incamped at Quelenec a Village about a league and a halfe from Chaſteau-Laudran, ſcituate at the foote of a high hill, which by deepe hedges, ditches and incloſures, confronted a little heath of two miles compas, to which Heath vpon the diſcouery of the approach of the enemy by our army, the Prince mounteth on horſebacke, and goeth to diſcerne and make choiſe of the place for the battaile betweene the ennemy and him, and findeth about three quarters of a league of the Village aforeſaide, a large plaine or Heath, skirted in the ſide of the ennemie with a Coppice, a litle hill, & the ground raiſed with ditches of great aduantage for the enemie, who by three large paſſages might without any difficulty, enter into the ſaid Heath.

The tenth day of Iune, the ennemy, within one quarter of a league of the Heath, ſheweth his whole army in order of battaile vpon the top of a hill: the Prince on the other ſide put his troups in ordonance within the Heath, diſpoſing the ſame by the aduiſe of Sir Iohn Norreis into three Battallions, whereof the infanterie Engliſh made two, & the Lancekneights the third. This day was ſpent with ſome light skirmiſhes, entertained by our men, and followed euen to the maine of the enemies army.

The 11. of Iune being Friday, the enemy drew his army to the foot of the hill, and placed his artillerie vpon the ſide of the Heath, in a place of ſuch aduantage, as it cōmanded in the nature of a Cauallier all the whole Heath, where he poſſeſſed the ground neare about him, & bordred al the hedges with ſhot: and by the time that this was perfourmed our army was marched into the Heath in order of battaile, and preſently ſent out two hundred footemen to viewe the countenance of the ennemy, who aduauncing themſelues, charged the ennemy, draue them to their ſtrengths, put them from their hedges and Barricades, and ſlewe diuerſe of them. Vpon the retrait of theſe two hundred men, the Duke put forth fiue hundred French, and three hundred Spaniardes to repoſſeſſe the places, whom he followed with the great of his arme. Which perceiued by the Prince, remaining on the Heath with Monſieur de la Hunauldaye commanding the auantgard, and hauing his regiment of horſe in battaile on the right hand of the white Cornet, and General Norreis (who in this action gaue good proofe of his wiſedome and valour) Monſieur de Pogny, de Pruneaux, de Monmartin, and de Baſtenay, order was giuen for the putting foorth of three hundred footemen, commanded by Captaine Anthony Wingfield Sergeant maior, and captaine Morton, and the Engliſh horſe lead by Captaine Anthony Sherley, and the skirmiſh hotely proſecuted, the enemy let ſlippe a great number of ſhotte vnder the defence of the hedges, thinking to lodge them on the left hand, & to haue taken ſome two or three houſes, & a ſmall wood vpon the edge of the Heath. The Prince commaunded to be drawen out of the Battallion of the Lancekneights one hundred men, ſhotte and pikes, and one hundred and fiftie ſhotte French, lead by the Baron de Molac, backed with forty light horſe, conducted by Monſieur de la Tremblaye, appointed to force the enemy from the place they had taken.

This direction was valiantly proſecuted by ours, but ſpecially by the Engliſh, ſo as the enimies horſe and footemen which were in the plaine were forced to flie, many ſlaine, and the reſt driuen to ſaue them ſelues wythin their Artillerie, where the whole ſtrength of Spaniardes, with the reſt of their armie was placed. There was taken in this charge Monſieur de Guebrian Colonell of the footemen of the ennemy by Monſieur de la Tremblay, and ſlaine Don Roderigo, chiefe Mareſchall of the Spaniards, a Spaniſh Captaine, and to the number of two hundred French, and three ſcore Spaniards.

This reſolute charge ſo amazed the army of the enemy, that our men were ſuffered within tenne paces of their Cannon to diſarme the dead, lead away priſoners, and retired at their eaſe, the enemy neuer proffering to followe.

In this charge Captaine Anthony Sherley gaue ſuch an example to the French horſe, as was admired and much commended in al the army, and the commanders on foote perfourmed their partes with no leſſe valour and reputation, namely, the Sergeant Maior, Captaine Dolphin, and Lieutenant Long, who behaued himſelfe moſt valiantly, and receiued in his body fiue harquebuz ſhotte: but all ſuch as by Gods helpe within fewe dayes he will be able to returne againe into the field.

The reſidue of the day wherein this charge was giuen, was ſpent in ſlight skirmiſhes and canonades.

The twelfth of Iune, the enemy made a very great ſhewe to come foorth to the battaile, but at the laſt, ſent out ſome number of ſhotte to the skirmiſh, againſt whom captaine Anthony Sherley with fifteen horſe and a fewe foote, made head, and put them ſpeedily to their heeles, purſuing them to their Barricades, where his horſe was ſhotte in the head, and Maiſter Kempe a Gentleman of that Cornet ſlaine, and Maiſter Charles Blunt his horſe killed vnder him with the Canon, and himſelfe ſomewhat wounded.

The thirteenth of Iune, the ennemy alſo offered ſome light skirmiſhes, but woulde not abide anie charge either of horſe or foote.

On Monday the 14. of Iune we expected the battaile, as vndertaken by Don Iuan de Lagula General of the Spaniards, in the honor of S. Iohn whoſe day it was with them, but nothing was done: and that day ſeemed to ende their choler, for that the Duke did prepare the ſame night to diſlodge, withdrawing his Cannons from the place where they were planted, and the day following repaſſed the hil where he firſt appeared, and from thence retired to Quelenec, where yet he remaineth.

The Prince hereuppon after he had continued his army on the Heath, from Friday the eleauenth of Iune, till the fifteenth of the ſame, alwayes in a readines to haue giuen battaile (the weather hauing bin for the moſt part exceeding wet) withdrew his artillerie, diſlodged his army, and returned euery troupe to the ſeuerall quarters, where they had before lodged, expecting the intention of the enemy, thereby to aduiſe of the meanes to attempt vpon him.

The two armies continued encamped the one neere to the other by the ſpace of ſixe dayes, in all which time the enimy neuer durſt preſume to draw his army into the Heath, nor make choiſe of ground for battaile, notwithſtanding the brauery of his challenge.

On Wedneſday the ſixteenth day of Iune, Monſieur de la Nouë with the troupe of the Conte Montgomery being an hundred Curates, and the Conte de Combourg came vnto Chaſteau-Laudran, whoſe arriuall giueth hope of good ſucceſſe in the Kinges affaires, to the ruine and confuſion of his enemies.

And Monſieur de la Nouë in a Letter of the 21. of Iune to the ſaide Embaſſadour, yeeldeth his opinion of the actions, and of the General and our Nation in theſe termes: