THE Lorde Diguires hauing receiued the Kings commaundement by two let­ters of his Maiesty to warre against the Duke of Sauoy, thought it good to delay no longer the execution of his will. But vpon the receipt of his Letters, which was about the latter ende of Maie (ha­uing delayed his purpose vntill then, but onely for the lets and hinderances hée had in Prouence which was assaulted in diuers places by the leagers of Sauoy, Lionnois, and Daulphine) purposed to put in all haste the Kings com­manndement in execution.

This deliberation was yet stayed for the aide which he in person was forced to giue to the Lord de la Valette, in the moneth of Iune and Iuly, which were almost who­ly spent in the affaires of Prouence, where they had so good a successe, that the enemy (hauing refused the combate, and lost the field) abandoned in token of his cowardnesse the Townes and Castels of Peruis, Pumichet, Vallansele, Montaignac, Soluiers, Pignauers, and Lorgis, some of them brought vnto the Kings obedience by force, and some by composition.

During this absence, the Captaine la Cazette, be­ing his Maiesties subiect, but yet affectionated vnto the Duke of Sauoy, compounded with the Duke vpon the ta­king of the Townes and Castels of Briancon, and Essiles, kept by those of the Neutralles, and hauing receiued com­mission to that ende, to leauie souldiours, expected the ar­riuall of foure and twentie Spanish companies for to bring his enterprise the more easier to effect by their aide and assi­staunce.

The Lorde Deguisires informed of long time of his practizes, and foreséeing the importance of that losse, which should hinder and shut vp the passage of the Artillery and French armie, and leaue no way to come by any meanes in Piemont, practised so purposely with the chiefe inhabi­tants of the ballies: that by their means the house of Ca­zette was blowen vp, and he slaine, the fiftéenth day of Iu­ly. And so the Duke was there for that time preuented of his purpose.

This newes being brought vnto the Lorde De­guisires, it caused him to turne backe into Daulphine, and to march in all haste towardes d'Ambrum, where the deputies of the saide vallies did méete him, who (after they had declared vnto him the treasons of Cazette, by the Pa­pers which were founde in his house) bounde themselues by oathe to be faithfull vnto the King: and so they were sent backe againe, to bring the people that had sent them more affectionated vnto his Maiesties seruice and obedi­ence.

In the meane while the saide Lorde Deguisires bée­ing aduertised of the wauering, which the said death, vo­luntarie yéelding of that people, and the Towne of Brian­con did cause, and knowing also, that those which were of the Kings side within the Towne, beganne to be incoura­ged, caused foure Cannons to be drawen and brought be­fore that place. Which when they were planted, and a breach made, the enemy did parlée, in so much, that the Towne and Castell thereof were rendred at the last, being the sixtéenth day of the moneth of August, by Clauison, who was appointed Gouernour by the Duke de Maine of that place.

From thence the Lorde Deguisiers went to Mont­geure, to take Essiles vpon a contract which he had made long before with the Gouernour thereof. And séeing that this bargaine was made but in wordes onely, and that he was not sufficiently prouided to force the saide place, and that the Lorde de la Valette did daily sosticite him to geue aide to Saint Maximine, beséeged by Martiningo, hée was contented to take, for that time, the oathes onely of the communaltie, who shewed themselues greately affe­ctionated vnto the Kings seruice.

After this hée tooke his way towardes Prouence, and lodged the fiftéenth day of August neare-vnto Barcelone-Salines an olde Spanish Captaine, being chiefe Colonell of the light horsemen of Piemont, during the Kinges warres, departed at that time from Barcelone, whereof kée was Gouernour vnder the Duke, and assaulted one quarter where one companie of the Infanterie of Boys [...]t, [Page 8]and twelue launces of the Lorde Brickmorte were lod­ged, who receiued them so valiantly, by the ayde of twoo other companies of footemen that came running thither in all haste vppon the noyse they hearde, that Salines lefte sixe score of his men dead, and thirtie Spaniardes taken, sauing himselfe but with sixe other. Voluant Capitaine of the Dukes guarde was there also taken, and hurte, whereof he died wythin a day after, receiuing by his death a iust rewarde and punishment according vnto his deserts, because he had solde vnto the deceased Duke of Sauoy, af­ter the death of the Marshall de Bellegarde, the Towne and Castell of Cramanolle, where he and his sather were Gouernours of for the King.

The nexte day following, being the sixtéenth day of August, the saide Lorde tooke by composition the Castell of Rosolez, which is the Dukes, and had there in garrison two companies of footemen that were permitted to departe with their armour, but lefte their colours behinde.

After this exploite, continuing his waie, hée came into Prouence so fitly for those of Saint Maximine, that Martiningo aduertised of his comming (his army béeing very weake and disordered) remooued his siege. And the Lorde Diguisiers now entered in the country, to the end, that hée might there leaue some token of his comming, caused thrée Cannons to be brought before the Castell of Barles to batter it. And after a siege of eight dayes tooke it at his owne discretion the last day of August.

During these iourneys the Duke of Sauoy, being ac­companed with thrée thousand footemen or there-aboutes, and foure hundreth light Horsemen came to besiege and batter with thrée Cannons, a Church called, Saint Paules, which the saide Lorde Diguisiers had but in pas­sing by fortiffed, scituated in the dominion of the said Duke, foure or fiue leagues from Ambrum, and tooke it by com­position, the garrison thereof going away with their ar­mour, coulours, and drumme in battaile aray, the verie same day that Barles was taken.

The same day also the sawe Lorde Diguisiers béeing aduertised of the séege of Saint Paule, Marched in all haste and diligence to succour it, with intent to offer the Duke a battaile, vsing to that ende so great a celeritie, that the third day of September hée lodged in Varret, thrée leagues from his Highnesse, whe béeing dismayed at his sodaine and vnlooked for arriuall, tooke the paines to retire in per­son the same night from the mountaine of Larche, and marched all that night with Linkes, béeing the nerte day followed by his owne forces, whereof some in the rere­warde were slaine and taken, and amongest other, Don Pedro de Vegiers a Spaniard, and archer of the Dukes sooteguarde was taken.

The nexte day following, which was the firte day of the sawe moneth, the Lorde Diguisiers was resolutely de­termined to force and assault Saint Paule againe, and al­though he had not his Cannons ready at hand, yet did hée lay séege vnto it, assaulting it with handiblowes, and ha­tting blowne vp the gates, and made a breach caused twoo [Page 10]hundreth of the souldfours that were within it, to be put to the Sworde taking none prisoner, but the Captaine de Strata, gouernour of the said place, and his Ensigne ral­led Hercules Couero of Millan. This Forte remained but foure dayes in the ennemies hande, and was taken a­gaine in a skirmish which continued thrée houres, where­in, of the Kings side, but one Captame was flaine, called Bolleuene, and some fewe Souleiours hurte, al­though that the Forte had Flanquers and Ditches round about it.

At the same time that the Duke did batter Saint Paule, he had caused his army with some parte of the for­ces of Sauoy and Piemont to march towardes the valley of Essiles, hoping by his forces which were of foure thou­sand footemen, and thrée humdeth horse, to sake and spoils all the Countrie of Briancon, to batter Guilester, and o­uer-runne Lambriuois. But the lorde Deguisiers bée­ing hereof infourmed, and desirous fo disapporint the Duke of his purpose, presently after the taking of Saint Paule, which he racrd vnto the grounde, tooke his tourney to­wardes Briancon, and knowing that the ennemie, who was lodged in Cheumont, made preparation to force the passage of Selte, kopt and fortified by the inhabitants of the valleis, sent thither Monsieur de Morges his nephew with his company of fiftie horsemen, and two Ensignes of footement, and arriuing thither, vppon the point and in­stant that they were in a skirmish, he lighted with his men, and setting them in battell aray, incouraged so much the heartes of euery man, that the ennemy (affaulting in thrée sundry places the Forte and Bulwarks with fiftéene hundreth footemen, and foure score or a hundreth men of [Page 11]armes) was repulsed, leauing sixe score of his men dead vp­on the place: which happened vpon the ninth day of Sep­tember.

The thirtéenth day of the same moneth the lorde De­guisires arriued in Douley, thrée leagues from Essiles, where newes was brought him, that the Duke hauing sent one parte of his forces vnto Monsieur de Sonnes, was gone himselfe to Nice, which did cause him for to iudge, that the saide Sonnes, béeing nowe strengthened with a newe supply of men, would aduenture and hazarde the bolder the combate. Whereunto the saide lorde desi­rous to drawe and bring him, determined to batter Es­siles, and to that ende brought foure Cannons from Ambrum, making them to passe the mountaines, and to be planted in sight of the place, not ceasing neuerthe­lesse to shewe himselfe euery other day before Chamois, where the saide Sonnes was. Who being gréeued with his importunacie, lefte Chamois, and retired to Suze, where the saide lorde Deguisiers following him the sixe and twentith day of September, to view the place and to marke the countenaunce of his ennemy, encountred him by chaunce not farre from Ialasle, and halfe a league from Suze, accompanyed with fiftéene hundrethe harque­buziers, and fiue cornets of horsemen, whome he assaul­ted so furiously at the entring of the plaine, that the enne­my being charged with one hundred and thrée score horse­men, was discomfited and put to flight, leauing foure hun­dred launciers dead vppon the place. Amongest whome were Clapot the elder, sergeant of the battaile, the lorde Montaignes and Valuernes. There were seauentéene head Captaines or chiefe officers slaine and taken. And a­mongest [Page 12]the prisoners was Clapot the yonger Marishal or the campe, who also dyed two dayes after, Labras lieue­tenant of the Marquesse of Traforts cornet, the gouernour of Bresche, Captaine Trisolts of Sauoy, Captaine de la Riuier, and the Captaine S. Orens. And if they had not retired in time, not one shoulde haue escapes. As touching the Generall Sonnes, he was lost, in so much, that his men supposed him to be slaine till about midnight, that he came before the gates of Sauze.

The day before being the fiue and twentith day, vp­on aduice that the ennemy shoulde make a course in Pre­rallo Monsieur de Briquemault was sent thither, and arriued in good tyme with his cornet of light horsemen, and founde the ennemy vppon his retire, of whome hie caught a dozen.

The seuen and twentith day the lord Diguisiers fin­ding hunselfe renforced by those of Ponts and Briancon, who had sent vnto him two hundred Souloiours as well of their troupes as of the goueruours, and S. Sauuois com­panies, and two or thrée hundred shot, chaunged and alte­red wholy his purpose vpon Essiles, which beganne alrea­dy to parlée.

The rest of that moneth was spent in the séege of Es­siles, whereof the gouernour called Ponsonnes, and was there by the Duke de Maines appointment, séeing the ill estate of the Duke of Sauoys affaires, the Cannon plan­ters, the lorde Diguisiers fortified with newe supplies, all [Page 13]the communatty bent against him, and no likelshoode of any aide and reléefe, yéelded at last the towne vpon com­position, that all the Souldiors shoulde fréely departe with bagge and baggage, which happened the last day of September. And by these meanes the passage of the moun­taines remained in the Kings power. And Daulphine was limited with his olde limites, long bofore fortified by the French Kings during the warres of Italie.

Nerte day after this yéewing, the lorde Diguisiers hauing vnderstoode, that Monsieur Morges his nephewe had assigned a day to fight fiftie against fiftre on horse backe with Generall Sonnes, conducted his nephew vnto the place appointed, where hée remained with his forces from nine of the clocke in the morning, vntill thrée of the clacke in the afternoone, without any appearaunce of the e­nenay, but by a Trumpetter, who brought a letter from Sonnes, the contentes where of were, that vppon the [...] he had taken, he thad demaunrded the Infant her [...] had as yet receiued no answere.

[...] same day being the first day of October, the lorde [...] in attending the comming of his ennemie, had [...] passage neare Iallon, where the enemy had intren­thed hunselfe, and lodged eight companies of Infanterie, vnder the leading and conduct of the Generall Venust, and perceining by the saws Sonnes answere, that there was no more hope of the combate, determined to spend the rest of the day in assaulting the saide place, lying vpon the hang­ing of the mountaine, betwéene Suze and Noualise. And hauing found meanes to lodge and place a hundreth Mus­quettiers, [Page 14]who battered the enemy vpon the side of thest Skonse, their treuches were forced, and foure score of them slaine, but he rest saued themselues by their swiftencsse. The saide Venust, Captaine Cassard, and Charband, were slaine vpon the place, the Captaine Villars, and some other taken prisoners, undfoure commpanies of Sen­ton Maister of the campe were so scattered, that they cams not since together.

From thence the saide lorde Diguisiers reinrned a­gaine to Essiles, and sent backe againe the foure cannens to Ambrmn, causing at the same time two orrat péecrs to be drawen from Gap to Barcellona, a place belenging vnto the Doke, and srituated in the Countie of Nice, the which being befieged with his forces whom he had sent before, at his arriual with the Canons, battered the towne the Satterday following, And vpon the same day a breach being made, the enemy did parlec, and yéelded themselues, their liues saued, vnto hun, leauing neuerthelesse their ar­mour, colours, horses, and baggage behinde them: except the Captaines who were permitted to departe with their Swordes vpon a backney. Vnto the inhabitants was graunted the enjoying of their goodes, abiding vnder the Kings obedience, as all subiects of his Maiestie, vpon con­dition also to pay fire thousand crownes for the army and fraight of the artifllerie. The Gouernour called Core­loere, departed from thence the fouretéenth day with thrée other forraine Soiddiors, and with as many Citizens and Countriemen, who went to their houses vnder the Kings safegarde.

The foureteenth day, the saooe lorde lasde batterie be­fore the Castell of Metans, which be battered but flender­ly ths fifteenth day, onely to viewe the ennemies rounte­naimee, who (being afraide of the cannon shot) nexte night saued themselues, except thirtie of them that were faken prisoners by the watch. Here is the summarie of that which to passed in the beginning of this warre, where the lorde Diguisires had neuer aboue thrée hundred horses and twelue hundred shot, hauing also no greater ennemy then the inaccessible height of the mountaines, where he was forced to passe his cannons, and chiefly in his fourhey to­wardes Barcellona. But care and daligence did nuer­come all difficulties. The praise whereof be giuen to God. Amen.