I Haue alreadie ſent word vnto the King with ſpeed (of the which the Lord Le Ferron was the bearer) how the Caſtle of St. Felix de Carmaine, having beene ſurpriſed by his Enemies, and the Towne which had barricadoed it ſelfe againſt the ſaid Caſtle, having demaunded aſſiſtance of me, I haue beene bound to engage the Armes of his Majeſtie in the ſiege of this place, although that (as he knoweth) I had neither Canons nor neceſſaries, very few of the Infantery, and ſaw Monſieur the Duke of Orleans drew neere towards with the moſt part of his Forces, but I judged it ſo important, to cauſe to be knowne at the entrance of his Majeſties Armes into this Province, that I would not refuſe to giue protection to people that would ſerue him. As I paſſed over all theſe conſiderations, and God hath ſo favoured me, that after I had held the aſſieged compaſſed as ſtraite as might be, the twelfth day, which was the laſt of Auguſt, they were conſtrained to Capitulate, and to depart out of the place the firſt of this Moneth. I ſent to the King the Capitulation, and humbly entreated his Majeſtie to commaund, that the pardon which I haue promiſed to theſe people might be ſent vnto me. I haue left in the Caſtle one Company of the Regiment of Chamblay, and committed the keeping of the Towne to the Inhabitants. Monſieur de Roques will certifie his Majeſtie of the importance of the place, and that it was of ſuch a conſequence to reduce it to his obedience, as without this all the little Townes of Lauraquez, would never be kept in their obedience. The happie end of this enterpriſe hath produced effects farre more advantageous, which were, that this hath obliged the Duke of Orleans and the Duke of Montmorency to ſet forward themſelues with all diligence to ſuccour this place, with 3000. foote, and 2000. horſe. Many voluntary Nobles, and three peices of Canon, whereof having notice, and that they were but three myles off vs, I reſolved with the advice of the Marquis de Breze, who made me the firſt propoſition thereof, that at the ſame houre that the Capitulation of St. Felix ſhould be finiſhed, that I would goe directly to the enemie, with two deſignes, the one to Combate with them, the other to ſaue Caſtelnau d'Ary, which they made full account was theirs. The place of St. Felix being ſuccoured, or fayling to follow their Army. Our determinations haue (thankes be vnto God) ſo proſperouſly ſucceeded, that arriving halfe a mile from this Towne, the Marquis de Breze, who conducted the head of the Army, certified me, that he ſaw that of the Enemy on the left hand within two Muſquet ſhot of our way, and that he beleeved, that they being to paſſe a River, whoſe bankes were inacceſſible, vpon a very long bridge; the deſigne of the enemies was to ſuffer halfe of our Armie to paſſe, which contained but a thouſand horſe, foure Companies of the Regiments of his Majeſties Guards, and ſix of thoſe of Chamblay, and then to ſet vpon the Arriere guard, and that there was vpon the ſame River a good paſſage two thouſand paces higher, where if I pleaſed he would cauſe the Avant-guard to paſſe over. I commended his judicious advice, and told him that he could not doe better than that he had propounded; Wee had gained the paſſage, and halfe of the Army was on the other ſide the River, before the enemies could judge what we would doe, in ſuch ſort, that all the troupes paſſed over, without the advancing forward of one man of the enemies to come vnto vs. The River being paſſed, we ſet our ſelues in Battaile-aray in a great Field, and ſet all the baggage vpon our right hand towards Caſtelnaud' Ary. The enemies ſeeing they had fayled of their deſigne, reſolved to paſſe the River, and to come lodge vpon our way of Caſtlenau d' Ary, in places very advantageous for the Infanterie; which ſeeing, I reſolved to get before them, and place the Armie of the King betweene Caſtlenau d' Ary and the enemies, to charge them when I ſhould ſee part of their people paſſed on this ſide the River. The place of Battaile which I ſent the Lords de l'Iſle and Eſpenay to view, ſeemed the faireſt place in the world; the which they having deſcribed vnto me, I cauſed the Armie diligently to ſet forward, and we had not leyſure to ſet our ſelues in order, when ſeeing the enemies would haue paſſed in great haſte, I reſolved not to deferre, Charging them, and the foure Companies of the Regiment of his Majeſties Guard having ſeparated the body of the Battalia into two parts, the one to take the right hand of our Cavallerie, and the other the left; and the two hundred and fiftie men of the Regiment of Chamblay being neere the ſaid Battalia on the left hand, I cauſed the Avant Couriers to ſet forward, and we marched forthwith againſt the enemy, who were encamped along the high-way in houſes and in ditches very advantageous, the diſcharge of the Infanterie being made, and likewiſe that of the enemies, our Cavallerie (in the front of whom the Marquis de Breze placed himſelfe) would goe vnto them by the right hand and by the left, but the moſt part of them met with ſo great ditches, that it was impoſſible for them to paſſe.

The Carabins found a way more to the purpoſe then the other, and paſſing the firſt made their diſcharge vpon their enemies, which ſo ſtrongly reſiſted them with their Infantery, that they could not proceed further; Arnauld and Bideyran valiantly behaved themſelues therein, and the laſt hath ſlaine the Lord de la Feuillade.

During theſe actions on both ſides, Monſieur de Lauriers and de Beau-regard Champron, who ſought a paſſage for to depart out of the field, and to enter into the way, found the paſſage very hard, and nevertheleſſe reſolved with themſelues, to adventure into the way, where being deſcended, with the ſonne of the ſaid Laurier, and twelue or fifteene of their companions, the Duke of Montmorancy came to charge them with an hundred Gentlemen; They withſtood the ſhocke, where the ſaid Duke was hurt, the Count de Rieux ſlaine, and foure or fiue others borne to the ground; our Muſquettiers diſcharging vpon the Cavallery, droue many of them from the fight, in ſuch ſort, that in an inſtant the Duke de Montmorancie was abandoned of all thoſe that followed, except foure or fiue, the which he ſeeing, and being incenſed with his wounds, he found meanes to depart out of the way, with thoſe few that remained with him, and entring into the field, met my Company of men of Armes, gaue and received ſome blowes by ſword and Piſtoll in paſſing, and proceeded forward vntill he came before the Troupes of the Guards and Chamblay, where he being ſhot at by many Muſquettiers, his Horſe which had beene alreadie very much hurt by Monſieur de Lauriers fell, and he vpon him, where he was taken by the Officers and Souldiers of the Regiment of Guards.

The place as I haue alreadie ſaid before, being found ſo hard for the Cavallery to paſſe, Monſieur the Marquis de Breze, and my ſelfe thought it fitting that having made one ſo ſucceſſefull incounter, wherein were ſlaine ſo many men of qualitie, it was not neceſſary to hazard a ſecond, and we having remained an houre on our place of fight, without any ſhew of the enemies advancing forward.

I commaunded that they ſhould beginne to retire themſelues towards Caſtelnau-d' Ary, cauſing to retreate alſo the Companies of the Guards, and thoſe of Chamblay.

The enemies moved not from their ſtation, and I am come to lodge with all the Troupes in the Towne and Suburbes of Caſtelnau d' Ary, Monſieur the Duke of Orleans was preſent at the fight, notwithſtanding they ſought to hinder him.

The intelligence which I haue is that the taking of the Duke of Montmorancie doth ſo aſtoniſh their Armie, that the moſt part of thoſe of Lanquedock retire themſelues; and as for the Duke of Orleans, he is gone with the reſt of his Armie towards Beſiers.

I ſuppoſe there was never ſeene a Skirmiſh of ſo ſmall durance, wherein ſo many men of quality were ſlaine, wounded, and taken Priſoners.

Thoſe which are come to my knowledge, are the Duke of Montmorancie, wounded in ſeaven or eight places, and taken priſoner.

Monſieur the Count de Moret, ſhot through the body with a Muſquet, whereof he is thought to haue dyed.

The Count of Rieux ſlaine.

The Count of de la Feuillado ſlaine.

Monſieur de Puylanrens hurt in the arme but ſlight.

Monſieur de S. Florent hurt and taken priſoner, and ſince dead.

The Chevalier de Rare hurt and taken.

Monſieur de la veue Cornet of Sauueboeaf priſoner.

Monſieur de la None, dead as it is ſaid.

Monſieur the Count de Bueil hurt and taken.

Monſieur de Rochedagon hurt.

Monſieur de Ovailly, Captaine of the Guards to the Duke of Orleans, hurt in the face.

Foure Captaines of the Regiments of Lanquedock ſlaine.

There are divers other by the report of the Country people, which were carried away in foure Waggons, whoſe names are not yet knowne.