CREDIBLE Reportes from France, and Flanders. In the moneth of May. 1590.
LONDON Printed by Iohn Wolfe, and are to be solde by William Wright. 1590.
Credible Reportes from France, and Flanders.
A Weeke since, came from Diepe a certaine Bark the which arriued at Plymmouth which reported, that the gouernor of Diepe, was come to Diep after the battaile sicke of an ague, and that during his sicknes, the Papistes murmured, and woulde not suffer the exercise of Religion, conspiring to betray the towne: But the Gouernour being certified of their ill intent, did banishe out of the town about one hundreth and twenty of them which were the authors of the conspiracy, amongst which are many of the chiefest and richest of the towns men, and many of their wiues, and the gouernour hath seased vppon their goods.
Cressy hath bene taken by the Marshall Byrron: a man of Parris was their Captaine, whose name was Pierre, for whose raunsome was offered seuen hundreth Frenche Crownes, but the King caused him to be hangd, and fiue and twentie of the Chiefest with him.
Beaumont sur Oyse hath beene taken by the Duke of Longueuille: there the Lord la Noe was hurt with a hargabuse in one of his thighes, but there is no perill: the duke of Longueuille neuerthelesse hath caused the chiefest men of the Citty to be hanged.
The Gouernour of Renes hath caused one friar to bee hanged, and halfe a dosen of the chiefest of the Citty, who did call the King hereticke.
From Flanders.
THe enemy battering the Skonce of Seuen Berghen with great fury on the fourth of this instant, a breache being made, they had first prouided a great ship to lie on the water, erecting a frame on the top of the mast propped vp with other postes, where diuers Muskettiers were placed to beate our men from the breache, giuing an assault also at y e instant with the choise men of their army, by chaunce fire salling from the top among certain poulder liyng in the shippe, spoiled them all, to the number of two hundreth that were aboue and below: which the assailants seeing, partly failing of corage (but in truth by the resolution of our men) were repulsed. One other attempt was geuen, and in conclusion there was lost of them in this seruice eight hundreth men, and thirteene Captaines of especiall account, so that Count Mansfield chiefe commander ther was enforced to retire with dishonor. The selfe same day, it was our happe with our troupes of horse to ouerthrow two hundreth of their best horse, we hauing taken some fiue and thirty prisoners and one hundreth & forty horses, the rest being put to the sword: the enemy maketh head againe at Furnholt, as it is thought for the reliefe of Numeghen, which our men haue beleagerd: the Duke of Parma continueth at Brussels full of infirmity and discontentments, the mindes of them all being so diuided, by reason of the continuing hatreds betweene the Spaniards and Italians, so amased with these daily misfortunes, and so weakened by reason of many ouerthrowes we haue geuen them, as a very reasonable force here, would worke no slender effects, and without question diuert many other dangerous resolutions.
Berghen vp Zoan this fiftéenth of May. 1590.
The late newes from France.
THey of Paris haue made a sally, in the which they haue lost a great many of their men: The Duke de Nemors their gouernour, and brother to the Duke de Main, issued out of Paris with them, and as it is thought is slaine.
The King doth prosper in all his actions.
It is sayd that the King hath taken Pontoise & S. Denis.
Paris is in great distresse and in desperation.
Rouen is in lyke sort.
The Duke de Maine is within Peronne, with verie small hope of any great succour.
The King hath taken Gisors.
The Lord Vigues had besieged Ponterson, and had alreadie made two breaches, the one of fiue and twentie paces, and the other of fiftéene, and had giuen thrée assaults, in the which hee had bene repulsed, but hee hearing that the Earle of Torigny was comming with great force to rayse vp his siege, he retyred within mount Saint Michael, and wrote his Letters to the Duke of Mercurie who was at Nantes, requiring him to come to his aide, for his honour and profites sake, or else he should be forced to yéeld
He that carried the Letters, came straight to the Earle of Torigny, who did sée his Letters, & sent y e coppy of it to the Prince of Ombes, who was betwéene Saint Malo and Vitre, and forthwith sent the messenger to the Duke of Mercurie with his Letters, who after hee had séene them, did write by and by an answere to the Lorde Viques, and praied him to be strong, saying, that within thrée dayes hée would come to his aide with thrée thousand men, to the end that their forces being ioyned together, they might set vpon the Earle, being assured that he could not haue the helpe of the Prince, because hee knew him to bee verie busie in base Britaine. The messenger came againe to the Earle, and shewed him the answere of the letters, the coppies wherof were sent to y e Prince, who caused al the horsemen to march in hast betwéen Nantez & the Duke, whē he did know that [Page 6] hee was out of Nantez, and when the Duke did knowe that he was betwéene two armies, hee ventured to fight with the Prince, but whiles they were fighting, the Earle came vpon him, and the Duke was there so sore beaten, that he lost seuentéene Ensignes and twelue hundred of his men, who were there slaine, besides them that were taken and wounded, and hee himselfe fled to a little Castle called Chasteau Iosselin, in the which he is besieged, and cannot long indure.
This Castell Iosselin is in Britagnie, and is thought to be the strongest place in the world, beeing a tower, builded vpon a high rocke, and almost not possible to be batterrd.
When the Lord Vignes vnderstood this, he yelded, and to make his peace, hee gaue to wife his daughter and onely heire, to the yonger brother of the Earle Montgomery, who was his prisoner, and kepte onely mount Saint Michael for the safetie of his person.
The inhabitants of Dinau, which is the strongest place of Britanie, hearing the discomfiture of the Duke, did chase out of their Citie their gouernour, who is the Dukes brother, and did kill many of his men, amongst which was the chiefe of his Captaines called Captaine Iean, and yéelded themselues to the King.
VVIthin the riuer of Bilbow, there are 4. great ships. In the Passage there are thirtéen great ships & two pataches, that haue béene ready sixe wéeks since, and haue staied only for the Kings order: which was, that they should with all spéed go to Saint Andrewes, there to take in men, bisket, and other prouosion for the whole Fléete, and from thence presently to go to Farole.
At Farole there are sixe Pinnaces, of ten and twelue tunnes a péece.
It is supposed that the Kings force will be in this action one hundreth and fiftie sailes, that is, thrée score and ten, or foure score great ships, eight gallies, foure galliasses, and thrée score and ten, or thrée score and fiftéene pataches and [Page 7] pinnaces of small effect.
It is sayd also, that he hath caused to bee made certaine broad Boates, for the landing of men, which the ships shall drawe after them.
There be thrée thousand oares carried out of Biskay to Farole.
One hundreth Dutch gunners are come into Spaine, to go in this Fléete.
Their greatest want is Mariners and gunpouder, but they haue great store of other prouision.
The chiefest general in this Fléete, is Don Iuan de Belsam, brother to the Marques of Saint a Cruce.
For sea Captaines of same, there be few or none: but ordinarie and new found fellowes are allowed.
The souldiers for this action are verie simple and vnexpert in warres.
The Fléete is appointed to come forth in the end of May, or about the tenth of Iune.
The report is, that this Fléete shall go for Bel Ile, or for Nantz, and some saie, that it is onely to kéepe their owne coast, and not for England.
There are in the Court of Spaine diuers Embassadours, one is from the Duke de Maine, another from the Duke de Mercury, and another from the Duke of Lorain, and another from the whole bodie of the League.
They demand thrée millions of gold, and thirty thousand men.
There came of late to the Court of Spaine, an Irish man, about forty yeares of age, as Embassador, who was well receiued, and is well thought off: but what his busines is, that is not knowen.
There be sixe thousand Germans looked for in Spaine, about the end of May.
It is sayd that the king of Spaine is very sicke, and it is thought that he will hardlie escape.