believe he would have done with me had he known me for such as I am and therefore I most humbly beseech your Majesty ever to look upon him as one of your good and faithful Servants The King was pleas'd to take this address well and Monsieur De la ... and I went out very well satisfy'd with one another But I was not rid of my Suit for all this but forc'd to continue my prosecution against him who had held me in hand so long about the Donation from the King I obtain'd at last another Attachment against him which forc'd him to leave Paris a second time and flee to Lions I pursu'd him so close that he was fain to take Sanctuary in the Popes territories at Avignon Then I writ to the Kings Ambassador at Rome which was the Marquis d' Estree and having obtain'd leave of his Holiness I was about to arrest him and he escap'd from me again to Orange I was not discourag'd for all this but writ to the Prince of Orange at the Hague to demand Justice against this litigious Knave He had notice of it and seeing no reâ—uge left but either flying into Germany or Spain and hazarding the being taken in his flight too he writ to the Duke of St. Simon to desire an accommodation and chose at last to pay though against his will what at first he resolv'd never to give us rather than to banish himself the Kingdom So he paid the Duke twenty thousand Crowns and me about forty thousand Livres But this Suit tho upon a summ so trivial to so rich a man was the cause of his utter ruine For he spent above four hundred thousand Livres in it and was made a perfect Bankrupt So truly was the promise I made him kept that the Kingdom should grow too hot for one of us And I thought it not amiss by this remarkable instance to shew the world how very apt the false trust a man puts in his Credit and cunning in Law is to betray and undo him Yet for all this I did his Brother a very good office to the King for he having a mind to buy a Lieutenants place in the Guards and the King asking me what I thought of him I gave the best Character I could both of his valour and deserts Adding withal that since he had Money it was fit he should spend it in his Majesty's service who had an original right to it XVII It was near about this time that Monsieur Bouteville's misfortune happen'd who having fought as 't is well known contrary to the Kings express prohibition was seized just as he was upon the point to escape into Lorrain with the Count de Chapelles The Marquis de Buâ—â—y's Servant knowing his Master was kill'd follow'd them close and made so good haste that he overtook them at Vitry-le-Brushe It had been the easiest thing in the world for them to ride on till they had got into a place of safety for they waâ—ted but two Post-stages and the Count de Chapelles did all he could to perswade Monsieur Bouteville to it But providence so order'd it that himself should be the cause of his own ruine by pretending an unseasonable bravery and reproaching the Count with want of Courage for the necessary caution he advis'd him to In the mean while this Servant had time to go to Vitry-le-Francois of which the late Marquis de Bussy was Governour where he gave notice to the Provost Marshal of the place where the men that kill'd him were and this Provost with his Archers beset the house took them and carry'd them to Vitry-le-Francois The King heard of it and immediately order'd Monsieur de Gordes Captain of the Guards and me to go with two hundred men to Vitry and bring Monsieur Bouteville and des Chapelles to Paris I who had the honour to be particularly acquainted with Monsieur Bouteville was employed in such a Commission sore against my will and it went to my heart to do so sad a piece of service to one who had always exprest a great deal of favour and affection for me Tho on the other side I could not choose but disapprove and condemn so criminal a thing in them whose death I lamented before-hand As soon as we were arrived he exprest great joy for my coming and in complement said I was exceeding welcome for he knew now I was of the party there would be no foul play I answer'd that indeed he had reason to think so for Monsieur Gordes was a man of too much honour to suffer any such thing He was very pleasant all the Journey and shew'd little or no trouble depending no doubt upon his great relations and the Interest of his friends When we came to the Inn he would needs have me to play with him as being undisturb'd in his thoughts and perfectly master of himself There was a rumour abroad that the Duke of Orleans had put seven or eight hundred men into the field to rescue Monsieur Bouteville out of our hands The King was made acquainted with it and sent us a reinforcement of five hundred men a league beyond Loguy with positive order to defend our selves very well if any attempt were made upon us I observed Monsieur Bouteville was a little surpriz'd at the arrival of this great Convoy and said to me by way of confidence What 's the meaning of all this Company What are they afraid of Have I not given you my word and having given it can any body imagine I will break it But I who thought I might easily disengage a man from his promise who was so well guarded and had no great reason to hope well in this business told him again with the same freedom Look you Sir this is not a time to stand upon generosity and punctilio's of honour I release you of your promise and if you can make your escape do not scruple to do it In good earnest I could heartily have wisht it done provided it might have been without any fault of mine When we drew near Paris he began to be apprehensive and told me that if we carry'd him to the Conciergene he was a gone man But when he found he was to be convey'd to the Bastille he exprest great joy and assur'd himself he should not dye In the mean time we knew well enough his hopes would deceive him and that the King would make him an example the rather by reason of the Holy-days which he had proâ—an'd by his bloody Duels And not being to be prevail'd upon by the intercessions of the most eminent persons in this Kingdom he gave all his Nobility to understand by this instance of severity that it was their duty to reserve their valour for his service and the publick Interests of the Crown The End of the Sixth Book BOOK VII Several considerable particulars of the Siege of Rochelle Cardinal Richlieu tries to draw the Sieur de Pontis into his Service Father Joseph's Conference
Sempstress dying that night next morning by break of day several great persons as the Duke of Elbeuf the Marquis de Rambouillat Great Master of the Wardrobe and some others came to beg this Escheat of the King but his Majesty mindful of the promise he had made me told them all It was not in his power for he had dispos'd of it already He explain'd himself no farther as yet but presently after told the Duke of Elbeuf all who had a great kindness for me and declared himself very well satisfied with my having it protesting that had he known his Majestyâ—s inclination to do me that favour he would have joyned with me in the request but the rest were not of his temper and especially a great Officer in the Houshold who shew'd himself too importuning and troublesome when it was too late and after he knew it was given to me charged the Usher of the Chamber not to let me in the next day So that when I thought to prevent the ill offices which I knew very well were design'd me and came to present my self betimes in the morning at the Chamber-door to have audience one of the first the Usher a little roughly bad me stay till the King was up I guest whence this came and knew the shutting me out of the Kings Chamber was to shut me out from his bounty too But I believed that a Prince when he had declared himself as his Majesty had done would soon stop his Subjects mouths and that no one could be so bold to ask or so successful to obtain a Grace that his Majesty had so frankly bestow'd upon me I waited then till the Crowd came and went with some Lords into the Chamber as soon as I was in the room I made my reverence to the King and pray'd him to remember me to which his Majesty replyed I have remembred you I give you what I promised and what others have tryed in vain to take from you Go presently to la Vailliere and bid him from me draw up your Bill of Donation for this Escheat I entreated his Majesty to send some one immediately from himself telling him that Monsieur la Vailliere might otherwise make some difficulty of the thing I see said the King you are used to take your securities go you before and I will send some body after you I went away immediately and it fell out as I had foreseen for Monsieur la Vailliere told me he would speak to the King about it first that he was going to the Louvre and would discourse him about it I had a mind to be by and therefore going into the Coach with him we went together to the King There I found Mr L. and St. G. who not judging so favourably of me as his Majesty had done and thinking this gift more fit for them were so bold as to ask him If he knew what this Escheat was worth The King told them he thought it might be worth fifty thousand Francks How Sir said they Yes above two hundred thousand whereas if your Majesty had given Monsieur Pontis fifty or threescore thousand Livres would not he be well enough rewarded This confident answer very much displeased the King who not liking to have his actions so controul'd said with a voice of Authority Kings govern themselves by their own wills if this Escheat were worth a hundred thousand Crowns I would give it Pontis with a much better will You think because he has but little I should give him but little and I quite contrary would give him much more than I do because I know he hath a great deal of Merit tho but a small Estate This answer out of the mouth of a King and pronounced with a more than ordinary Emphasis struck them all dumb and gave me a joy past my power to express to see his Majesty take my part so warmly against the great ones who thought they had a right to oppose his favours to me My Bill being presently dispatched a Courtier who had a considerable Office made me this pretty Complement Sir You are not acquainted with affairs of this kind if you will give me one half of this Escheat I will quickly put you into secure possession of the rest without any trouble or dispute at all I knowing him a very cunning man and a little concern'd in the business thankt him civilly for his kind proffer to do me or rather indeed himself that good Office telling him the burden was not so heavy but that I both would and could bear it all my self I sent away some Souldiers of my Company into the Country-houses that belonged to this Sempstress whose Heir I was constituted and being desirous to acknowledge in some measure his Majesty's liberality toward me I sent him a Present of all the Holland and Baptiste which was in her Shop at Paris and among other things a great Pointâ—bed which the King gave the Queen valued at ten thousand Crowns The Hollands he gave among the Queens Maids of Honour But I afterwards found I had been too free thus to give back again a good part of what the King had given me For after I had cleared my hands of the rich Cloaths and sumptuous Bed and had taken posâ—ession of the Lands and other Estates of this Sempstress one of her Kinsmen presented a Request to the Parliament in pursuance of an old Letter by which he pretended to shew that this Spanish woman had been naturalized I was basely down in the mouth at this news and resolved to send one on purpose into Spain for more particular information but all the service that did me was only the throwing away five hundred Crowns more which this mans journey cost me For after the matter had lain a long time before the Parliament at last Judgment was given against me that all the Land should go to the Kinsman and the Movables should be mine Thus after I had given the best of the Goods away I was dispossest of the Land and that which should have been worth to me above two hundred thousand Livres was not worth above ten thousand all charges born The King not being able to forbear laughing at me said one day Well Pontis thou wert born to be a man of Honour but not a man of Fortune Sir rereply'd I smiling it has depended upon my self to make me a man of Honour but it will depend only upon your Majesty to make me a man of Fortune and that may be done whenever you please But how comes it to pass said the King that thou couldst not keep this Escheat Sir said I your Majesty gave it me but your Justice hath taken it from me but you have it in your power always to repair this loss of mine with advantage by some other Grant The King only laugh'd at what I said and I remain'd the same I was before For most certainly God who knew that Riches might have been my ruine by tying me faster to
all that I was baulkt of my expectation Insomuch that the King at his coming out from Council gave himself the trouble of speaking to me in these remarkable expressions We have been taken short we have lâ—st our cause but trouble not your self I will make you amends I will give you something that shall be better for you I confess it was some astonishment to me that a Prince should thus lose his cause in his own Council and in a business that depended entirely upon his own free bounty and that when he had an inclination to grant a favour and reward the services of one of his Officers it should not be in his power to effect it But it is no hard matter to see from what cause this want of power grew But still tho the King had made me this promise to assist and make me amends some other way I did not much care to depend upon a promise which I saw so plainly when it came to the push might possibly not be in his power to make good I should have been better pleased with ready Money and finding my self thus engaged upon the confidence the King had given me at first fearing now that my Creditors might be in danger of losing by me I had enough of my Command already before ever I got possesion of it However the King was so urgent upon the thing that I found my self constrain'd whether I would or no to get over all difficulties and enter upon my Office III. At my taking the usual Oath it was required I should appear in a Swisse habit which was a Coat of Black Velvet with a border round it I had a very rich Cap which the King had given me upon which was wrought a fine large Heron a Bird of Paradice and some other Ornamental devices I sent for a good many Officers some three or fourscore and coming at the head of them into the Hall where the King was I addrest my self to him after the Swisse fashion The King receiv'd me as he us'd to do Ambassadours standing at the side of his Couch and taking off his Hat to me he gave me his Hand to kiss and then said by way of Gallantry Come Swisse now speak I answer'd That his Majesty had not allow'd me time enough to learn the language After I had taken the customary Oath I was placed by the King and as each of the Swisse Officers advanced to pay him their respects I presented them to him intimating their qualifications and excellencies and giving a short Character of every one of them to inform the King of their several tempers which I was throughly acquainted with which was a sort of a little Farce that the King and Lords who were by thought a good pleasant entertainment For I strove in my speech and all my motions to mimick these honest fellows as naturally as I could affecting to appear a true Swisse while I was habited like one IV. The King was pleas'd to discourse me very largely about my Office and told me he intended to make it one of the most honourable Commands about the Court to me And so he really did He annexed several very considerable priviledges to it and himself gave me directions how to behave my self with regard to the other Officers in the Army telling me where I ought to give the precedence and where not There was but one Swisse Officer above me which was the Mareschal de Bassompier our Collonel and as to the Commanding part I was first both of the Regiment of Swisse Guards and all the rest of them that were in France to the number of seven or eight thousand all which was agreeable to their primitive institution It was likewise the Kings pleasure that in Mareschal Bassompier's absence I should command in chief as well in time of action as in matters of ordinary discipline And I must needs say this to me was the most desirable Office that I could possibly have thought of About a week or a fortnight after I was actually in my Office and had taken the Oaths before his Majesty I exercis'd the Regiment before a great deal of company and a great many persons of Quality I began with the Oath which the Lieutenant Collonel is oblig'd to take the Ceremony whereof is this The Commissary General representing the Kings person sits with his Hat on the Lieutenaâ—t Collonel and all the Regiment stand bare Then the Commissary General directing himself to the Lieutenant Collonel requires him to take the Oath in these words Do you swear as you hope for Salvation to be faithful to the King as long as you live and rather to dye than do any thing contrary to his Interest to discover or cause to be discovered to his Majesty whatever you shall know may turn to the prejudice of him or his Kingdom c. After the Lieutenant Collonel hath taken this Oath as I have described it the Commissary General orders him to give the whole Regiment the same and then they proceed to their Exercise V. But tho this Office which I enjoy'd with all its ancient priviledges had nothing but what was great and honourable belonging to it yet I found several reasons to be quickly weary of it The King was every day giving me fresh orders for the regulation of all the Swisse Souldiers and would have me bring them to a discipline as strict as the severest Monastery was under So that I was cruelly perplext with the trouble he laid upon me and the accounts he expected to be given him of them His Majesty talkt of nothing else but new reformations and I found my self a thousand times more a Slave than I was formerly To what purpose then said I to my self is all this honour that only enslaves and makes me wretched and why should I sell my liberty and all the enjoyment of my life for a little breath and empty vanity Besides all this I saw my friend run a great risque in the Money they had lent me for the purchase for when the King exprest never so much inclination to do me good he was not suffer'd to bring it to any effect and the favours he intended me were constantly opposed Some of my friends too laid before me the unhappy consequences of the employment I was now engag'd in very feelingly and tho my own sense and experience taught me all that better than they could yet these considerations laid all together produced in me a strong resolution to throw up this Command where I found the honour did by no means answer the burden for tho that was great yet this was not to be endured The great difficulty was which way to bring the King to consent to it and but to mention such a thing to him I saw plainly was utterly to lose his favour But yet I found my self ready to undergo the worst that could happen and waiting upon him one day I told him that I was reduced to a very sad extremity
our Motions and Quarters V. I was not away above seven or eight days upon this Journey but yet my absence gave occasion to a new sedition in the Queen's Regiment against Monsieur de Vitry The Officers had a great dispute about precedence and not satisfied with standing to Monsieur Vitry's determination because he was young and had not authority enough to regulate them they without his knowledge deputed one Fortiniere a Lieutenant among them to complain to his Majesty Monsieur Vitry being as yet unexperienc'd knew not what course to take nor how to manage himself to get clear of this affront and expected my return with great impatience In this condition I found things when I came back and soon was informed of the quarrel by the Officers who had a mind to possess me in their favour and came immediately to ask me if I who was one of them my self would not take the part of all the Officers of the body At first I suspected some quarrel with Monsieur Vitry and not caring to engage my self Gentlemen said I I perceive here hath something happened in my absence I can give you no positive answer till I have consulted Monsieur de Vitry You would be the first that should blame me if I should proceed so rashly It is strange you can neither give nor submit to command and that being appointed by the King to keep up discipline among the Souldiers you your selves break it every day and refuse obedience to the person who hath authority to command you I went then to give the Marquis of Vitry an account of my Journey who was very well pleased at the Prince's answer I expected he should mention this matter to me first and took no notice of it my self And so he did telling me he had met with some difficulty since I left him That all the Officers of the Regiment had carried it so high as to send a Deputy to complain at Court without his knowledge How Sir said I are not you Maistre de Camp of the Queen's Regiment Hath not the Kings Commission submitted all the Officers to your command Are not all their fortunes owing to you their Commands were in your gift and it was in your own power as well to have preferred any other persons as those Such an affront therefore Sir to your authority which is indeed the Kings Auâ—hority should by no means have been endured A man must put himself forward and exeâ—t all his power upon such occasions as these How said I send a Deputy to Court without ever consulting you Oh Sir you must not put it up farewel to all respect and authority if this be suffered If you keep these people under your first Campagne they will stand in awe of you hereafter but if they exceed their duty and once get the upper hand of you they will be continually mutineering and you will never be able to restrain them There is no middle state in these cases you must either govern them or they will govern you Monsieur de Vitry answered Alas What would you have me do I was all alone no body took my part and I waited for your return Oh Sir said I what does your being alone signify when you had your command to bear you out What is a single Officers in opposition to so many private Souldiers and yet must not he be accountable with his life to the King for the discipline and good order of all the men under his command Are not all the Officers of your Regiment bound to submit to you and have not you the Kings Authority to command them There is no ground for fear Sir when a man hath right on his â—ide and the Kings power to back him in it Mutineers must be reduced by methods of prudence and resolution But since they have put a slight upon your Youth I will take a course to make them respect your Person and repent of their Disobedience Then I desired he would send away a Courier to the Mareschal of Vitry and I would do my self the honour of writing to him and representing the whole matter Come said I for fifty Crowns you shall make these Officers know themselves and so Monsieur Vitry agreeing to it I wrote to his Father the Mareschal to this purpose My Lord BEing obliged to go for a few days to Longvic and there receive his Highness the Prince's Orders there happen'd in my absence an unhappy disorder among the Officers of your Sons Regiment They have shewn themselves so disrespectful to his Authority so ungrateful to their Benefactor and so unmindful from what hand they enjoy the benefit of their Commands as unknown to him to depute one Fortiniere a Lieutenant to make their Complaints to the King and Queen concerning their Precedences Thus casting a slight upon my young Lord your Son who is the proper Judge of such disputes If this Deputy hath not been to wait on your Lordship this is still a farther slight upon your Authority too for tho they refus'd to be determined by the Son yet they ought to have demanded Justice from the Father The concern I have in the Interests of your Family made me think it my duty to give your Lordship an account of this Insolence that they may be convinced of your Authority at Court and what will be the consequences of your and your Son's honour being thus injured Pray my Lord see this Fellow cashier'd and let all the world know that if any shall presume to oppose the Authority of a person whom the King hath set over him he must expect to be punish'd as such insolence and disobedience deserves I am My Lord Your Lordship 's most Humble and most Obedient Servant De Pontis Upon the receipt of this Letter the Mareschal of Vitry went immediately to the Queens Court and there found that Fortiniere had been caballing and made a mighty bustle But the powerful arguments on his side backt with his Quality and Credit at Court prevail'd so far upon the Queen as to undo all that Fortiniere had done and besides that to obtain leave for confining him which he did accordingly After this he gave me the favour of a most kind obliging Letter much extolling my affection for his Son in standing by him against all the Officers of the Regiment and conjur'd me to continue my kindness to him he told me there was no danger now from Fortiniere that he had imprison'd him and undeceiv'd the Queen in several things of which she had been prepossest At the same time he writ to his Son upon my account in such a manner as made me rather full of confusion than proud telling him that till this considerable accident he did not perfectly understand the person to whose care he had committed him That there are but few such friends to be found who will prefer another mans Honour before their own Interest that he thought himself more oblig'd to me than it was possible for him to
MEMOIRS OF THE Sieur De PONTIS Who served in the Army Six and fifty Years UNDER King Henry IV. Lewis the XIII and Lewis the XIV CONTAINING Many remarkable passages relating to the WAR the COURT and the GOVERNMENT of those Princes Faithfully Englished By CHARLES COTTON Esq IMPRIMATUR July 7. 1693. Charnock Heron. LONDON Printed by F. Leach for James Knapton at the Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard MDCXCIV Academiae Cantabrigiensis Liber To His GRACE THE Duke of ORMOND May it please your Grace IF a Present so mean as this Book 〈◊〉 worth a Dispute of Title none could pâ—â—tend to so good a one as YOUR GRAâ—E The Subject and Character of the Person arâ— suitable in some though a much inferiour degree to that Generous Gallantry and Exemplary Courage by which you have attracted the Esteem and Admiration of all Mankind and so Eminently and Early signaliz'd your self as not only to Answer but Exceed what the World expected from a Person so descended For it is an Honour peculiar to YOUR GRACE that as No Man ever received more Lustre from Noble Ancestors so None ever reflected it back again upon them with greater Advantage But that MY LORD which gives YOU an Inherent Right to these Memoirs is that they were put into our own Language by the particular Choice and Recommendation of Your Illustrious Grandfather And therefore the Heir of His Honours and His Virtues may so justly challenge this Address that it were a Rudeness at least if not a Robbery to appropriate it to any other Person The Sieur de Pontis therefore for himself and I for the Translator my deceased Father beg leave to plead Succession and Descent And I am very sensible that aâ—ter the Approbation of one such great Person already there remains no farther possible Addition oâ— Honour to these Writings but only to have that Judgment confirm'd by YOUR GRACES Acceptance and Protection These Considerations My LORD give me the Confidence to hope that YOUR GRACE will pardon a Man who presumes to lay at Your Feet what is upon so many accounts your own and who in so doing is proud to tell the World that he is My LORD YOUR GRACE's most Obedient and most Devoted Servant Beresford Cotton THE Publishers Preface THat the Reader may have no scruple left upon him concerning the following Papers I shall beg his leave to remove two Objections which it is not improbable may be raised against them The first relates to the subject of the Book it self which perhaps may suffer in some peoples esteem because the Person whose Life is described attained to no higher a Post than that of a Captain in the Guards and Commissary General of the Swisse Troops This tho it may seem a reasonable disadvantage yet when well examin'd is what men should rather be asham'd to pretend For the bottom of it all is that vulgar Error that Titles and Preferments are the only marks of Merit as if a mans Accomplishments and his Valour were not to be measured by any instances of Wisdom and Gallantry in his actions but by the Rewards and Advancements he hath met with in consideration of them Which is in effect to make unsuccessful Vertue none at all and to set up Chance and Partiality a lucky Hit or a powerful Interest for the only Standard to judge men by Vpon these terms indeed the Sieur de Pontis is like to find but little respect but if True Courage and Conduct inviolable Fidelity and generous Friendship be still Characters of any figure in Story these Memoirs may have the advantage of many more pompous Writers And it would be a double hardship that not only his Fortunes while he was living but his Memory now too should suffer for those disappointments which were chiefly owing to his Vertue and Constancy and the Spightful Resentments of an Arbitrary and Intriguing Statesman I own that Persons of the first Quality are more entertaining subjects as their Vertues and their Vices commonly bear proportion to their high station They have it most in their power to be eminently Good or Bad and consequently such relations fill our minds with greater and more surprizing Ideas But since the principal Benefit of History is to present us with Examples proper to be imitated or to be declined those of a middle size must needs be exceeding useful because they fall more within the compass of mankind The actions of persons a great deal above us are matter of Contemplation rather than Practice for when we have done all we can mens Virtues are suited and peculiar to their Conditions in this World We must be content with the things in our own Sphere and consequently are best instructed by Examples that come within our Imitation We may admire and gaze at those that stand higher and shall do well to make their good Qualities our Patterns because there is no such inequality in Souls but if we hope to exert them in the same manner and make their way of Living and Management a Rule for our own behaviour while we want their Fortunes and their Advantages we may as well pretend to fly without Wings Our Ruine in this case will be as certain and our Folly as ridiculous as the Frogs in the Fable which swell'd and would fain have come up to the bigness of the Ox but burst in the vain attempt There must go something more than Nature to the making a very great man Just worth is therefore to be duly regarded where-ever we find it and a noble Soul is not the less but really the more so when it shines by its own light without any of that borrowed lustre which is so often owing to Greatness and Fortune These and possibly some other and better Considerations might incline some persons of Great Quality and particularly One whose Judgment all the World knew and whose Memory they will ever honour to propose the putting this Book into our own Language and it were unreasonable to doubt the good acceptance of a Work recommended by so Judicious a person and performed by so known and so faithful a hand But because this performance too may be called in some question I will here give a very brief account of the Translation it self which is the other Objection I suppose these Papers liable too Mr. Cotton began it some six Months before his Death and at his leisure hours had made so considerable a progress that some of the first Part was transcribed fair for the Press The Papers left in the Hands of one of his Children lay neglected for some Years till at last a Relation happening to read some of them undertook to see them corrected and perfected for the World as you now have them Had the Author himself been living they had appeared long ago or had Good Fortune directed to the perusing them sooner there had been no place for an objection of coming out five Years after the Author's Decease I know what injuries Men receive
secure us In the mean time I imagin'd that he might know nothing of this proceeding and that till he could be inform'd of it I might return the Usher this answer That I knew him not and that he must bring me a Letter under Monsieur de Crequy's own hand who had put me into this Castle The Usher return'd to carry back my answer to Madam de Monravel who had sent him and who sollicited this affair with the Parliament with so much heat that immediately she went to demand of them that since the Garrison had not thought fit to obey their Arrest they would please to send a Councellour for whom doubtless we should have more respect Her request was granted and the Court appointed a Commissary to come presently to us Now I having taken a resolution to stay for Monsieur de Crequy's order before I would deliver up the Castle return'd the same answer to the Councellor that I had done to the Usher telling him withal That I was infinitely sorry I could not obey him in the extreme necessity wherein I found my self of executing my Collonels commands The Councellour was offended to the last degree to see that we should thus refuse to obey him and in that heat presently commanded a Boat to be brought from Juvisy to set over men to scale the Walls This Order was immediately executed by reason that Madam de Monravel who had provided for all things had made ready for it before-hand The first Provost who came to the place commanded one of his Archers to mount the Ladder but this Archer having made a little too much haste had no sooner clapt his hand upon the top of the Wall but that he was made to quit his hold and tumble headlong into the Water This accident put all the party into a very great fury and another who would be braver than the rest having said that give him but a Pistol and he would take order that they should not serve him so mounted resolutely with his Pistol in his hand but when he thought himself already Masteâ— of the Castle one of my Comrades and I who lay conceald behind the Wall so soon as ever he put up his head caught him by the collar of his doublet strongly pull'd him in to us and having held him down below bound him and clapt him in prison After this second adventure none of the Assailants had the courage to mount the Wall so that Madam de Monravel conceiving it was necessary to have more company call'd in yet another Provost with all the Rabble of four or five neighbouring Villages and of all these people gather'd together made several Corps de Guard which blockt up the Castle She caus'd the Draw-bridge to be under-propt that the besieged might not let it down and escape when they found themselves too nearly prest and sent to Paris for Cannon to force us resolv'd to take us alive or dead For she was perswaded that we were above fifty by reason that every night we set out above fifty light Matches upon forkt sticks that held ten or twelve apiece every one plac'd at the due distance of Musketeers We moreover plac'd others at the corners of the house and mov'd them from time to time to make them believe that we reliev'd the Centinels In the mean time seeing our selves thus destitute and hearing no news of Monsieur de Creâ—uy we found means to let him know the condition we were in and the night following he commanded two hundred men of the Regiment of Guards under the command of some Serjeants to go betimes in the morning to Savigny to charge all the besiegers and afterwards to enter into the Castle But this Order could not be so private but that Madam de Monravel who was return'd to Paris had notice of it which made her come away in an instant and she made so great haste that she kill'd two of her Coach-horses She came but just before the relief and having plac'd her Coach just before the Bridge she being on foot told the Serjeants of the Guards who commanded the two hundred men that they should not pass but over her and therefore they were to consider whether they would destroy her or no for she was resolv'd not to stir from the place This discourse did so confound the Commanders that they alter'd their design having respect to a Lady of her quality and the Sister of him for whom they had undertaken the Journey So that they only try'd to put some men into the Castle by a little Bridge on the backside of the House but it was so rotten that it broke under ten or twelve that were upon it and there were but two that could recover the door of which one was the Valet de Chambre of Monsieur de Crequy All this relief ended there and the rest retir'd without having done any other thing than to give us at least some little comfort in the reiterated word of Monsieur de Crequy who assur'd us afresh that he would bring us off with honour whatever came on 't XI But a whole day being past and we seeing all the Machines making ready and every one preparing himself to come on to the Assault we began with good reason to apprehend that in longer expecting the effect of our Collonels promises we should be forc'd and reduc'd to the necessity either of dying with our Swords in our hands or to undergo the severity of an offended Parliament Yet before we would resolve in this strange extremity wherein we saw our selves I plac'd a Centinel to look if he could not discover any Troops coming to our relief but instead of Troops he saw only one man appear on the top of a little eminence close by who making a sign to him with his hand threw him a stone wrapt about with paper wherein I read these words I am at my wits end Save your selves as well as you can for it is not in my power without perishing my self to disengage you but if you can get out come forthwith to Juvisy where you will find in the Inn Horses ready and all things necessary De Crequy This Ticket put us into no less despair than our Collonel to see our selves so far engagâ—d upon his word so oft reiterated and yet that he would not keep it with us Nevertheless we were to think of getting out one way or another and seeing we must of necessity perish if we should suffer our selves to be forc'd we resolv'd to prevent an Assault not despairing but that we should be able to open our selves some way to escape I contriv'd then the night following to cause a great noise to be made behind the Castle to draw the besiegers to that part and I was busie in the mean time as softly as I could in unnailing the plank of the Draw-bridge to make us way Having at last drawn it to me I let down from the top of the Wall a Ladder by a Rope
party the next morning towards Langues which held out for the King Upon this intelligence I immediately sent in all post haste to tell Monsieur de Franciere who was Governor of Langues to Monsieur de Rhesnel Governor of Chaumont and to Monsieur de Saint Aubin Governor of Montigny which were three places united to Nogent and which had all promised mutual assistance against these Invaders that if they would send me some Troops I did assure them the next morning to take Aurillot Prisoner that it was of moment to the publick quiet since it was he almost that disturbed the whole Country Monsieur de Rhesnel and Monsieur de St. Aubin sent me forthwith some Horse and Monsieur de Franciere would come himself in person but he came a little too late for the very moment that the men from the two others arriv'd having no time to lose I made those men I had which were about 60 Horse and as many Foot ready to march and with them set out about midnight and came to invest the Village of Persigny into which Aurillot was retir'd I plac'd Corps de Guard on all the Avenues and with the rest of my men without any noise went to storm the House yet could I not do it so softly but that those within heard us and did what they could to oppose us but we made our selves Masters of it and having forc'd the doors we struck so great a terror into all those within that they made little or no resistance Aurillot seeing no possible way to escape barricadoâ—d himself in a Chamber and having a Pistol in his hand cry'd out that he would kill the first man that advanc'd and that he would dye before he would surrender himself to me being conscious without doubt that he was guilty enough to know that he was not to have any very good composition from me He enquir'd at the same time whither there was no other Commander to which he was answer'd that Monsieur de Franciere was just arriv'd and that if he had a desire to surrender himself into his hands I was willing to consent to it Aurillot took the course and so became a Prisoner as also were all the rest of his men some few excepted who by the favour of the night escap'd into the neighb'ring Houses and there conceal'd themselves VI. Monsieur de Franciere and I were of opinion that we ought to carry our Prisoners to Langues and being accordingly about to enter the Town we were very much surpriz'd to see all the Citizens come out of the Gates to meet us The joy wherein they were to hear that we were bringing in Aurillot Prisoner would not give them leave to stay till he came within the Walls of their City and one of them more foreseeing and zealous than the rest fearing lest he should compound for his Ransome as he might have done had he not committed that barbarity at Bonnecourt thought it best in good time to prevent it and fir'd a Musquet at him but was so ill a Marks-man that instead of his Head he hit mine the ball cutting my Hat-band in two and graz'd upon my Hat yet without any other harm to me at all This heat did a little surprize us and made me tell Monsieur de Franciere that there was no safety there for Aurillot and that it was better to carry him to Nogent but he made answer that he would go and speak to the people and going immediately up to them he there gave them to understand that if they would permit Justice to have its course against this publick Enemy they should have all satisfaction but if they would make use of violence he should be constrain'd to convey him to some other place This remonstrance stopt their fury and they past their words that they would do him no harm wishing much rather to see him dye upon a Scaffold and so they brought him into the Town and clapt him up in Prison VII This news of taking Aurillot made a mighty noise in the Country all the Gentry mounted to Horse and sent to Monsieur de Franciere that he might be ransom'd as being a Prisoner of War Monsieur de Franciere return'd them answer that it was I who had taken him and that he being my right they were to apply themselves to me but that if he was absolutely at his disposal he could not treat him as a Prisoner of War having been taken not only as an Enemy to the King but as a Destroyer of the Country and a publick Incendiary who had burnt Men and Villages and committed Outrages that were not according to the ordinary Rules of War To which the Nobless return'd answer again that all this could be no other but an occasion of inhancing his ransom that due satisfaction might be made and therefore did humbly beseech him to set his rate and to consent that every Gentleman amongst them might have a particular obligation to him for the favour Monsieur de Franciere found himself in a very great straight being unwilling to fall out with all the Gentlemen of the Country and very well foreseeing all the consequences of this affair told me that he thought he should not be able to detain this Prisoner any longer and that therefore I was to consider whither or no I would take him into my own Custody for that otherwise he should be compell'd to deliver him upon Ransom I for my part who thought I ought not to prefer any consideration to my duty made answer that I would take the charge of him upon me and would keep him safe enough and accordingly two hours before day in the morning I took him and with my Horse convey'd him to Chaumont where I secur'd him in a good strong Prison Monsieur de Franciere at the same time sent to acquaint the Nobless that he had him no longer in his power not having been able to deny him to him by whom he had been taken and to whom he did of right appertain This news troubled them very much not doubting but that I was resolv'd to proceed to the last as I had begun The only remaining comfort they had was that being condemned at Chaumont he might appeal to Paris and that in so long a way they might find some means or other to rescue him They sent nevertheless to demand him of me and upon my refusal said that I should make haste then to bring him to his Trial hoping for the forementioned reason to procure his deliverance so much the sooner They had the satisfaction they desir'd for in a few days he was condemned to have his Head cut off and to make restitution to all those he had undone He appeal'd from this Sentence to Paris demanding to be carried thither and withal gave notice to all his Friends that if they would rescue him now was the time to do it His Relations hereupon drew all their Friends together and mounting to Horse came to place
inform'd of the truth his Majesty might perhaps accuse my zeal of some excess I entreated Monsieur de Poyenne that when he writ to Court as he frequently did he would put in a word in my behalf to prevent all the ill reports by which my enemies might have decry'd my conduct He did accordingly and so effectually withal that the King to assure me he was satisfied with my service gave me the Government of the Tower of Oleron a little Fortress that commanded the Town which though a little thing in it self and that no great revenue belong'd to it yet was it of consequence that this Tower should be in the hands of a faithful person to keep the Town in its duty and it was no less advantagâ—ous to me after the Act I had committed that had made a great noise in the Country that the King should publickly manifest his being satisfied with it in giving me this Government whilst Monsieur de la Force was making my process at Pau. For though it was not hard for him to cause me to be condemn'd there to have my Head cut off he did not find it so easie to execute the Sentence seeing I was of his Majesty's Party and under his protection XVI The War breaking out still more fiercely our Regiment of Champagne was commanded to the Rendezvous of the Army which oblig'd me to think of divesting my self of my Government being unwilling to be stinted to so small a preferment I thought fit therefore to resign it into the hands of Monsieur de Poyenne who had procur'd it for me who after having been very importunate with me to stay there and giving me many assurances to procure for me something morâ— considerable for the future seeing me absolutely resolv'd to leave it compell'd me however whether I would or no to name another in my stead I therefore presented him a Gentleman call'd Domvidaut who was indeed a Hâ—gonot but who had always manifested so great a zeal for the Kings service that I thought it impossible for him ever to fail in his duty And because I would tye him yet faster to Monsieur dâ— Poyenne I gave him to understand that he was oblig'd to him only for this Government He on his part thought he could not better express his acknowledgment than by entrusting me with his Son whom he entreated me to receive in the quality of Cadet into the Company of which I was Lieutenant XVII We went presently after to the Siege of Saint John d' Angely which the king in person came to besiege in the year 1620 of which Siege I shall only make report of one action wherein I with several others underwent a very great peril from which it appears we were only deliver'd by a kind of miracle Being upon the point to spring a Mine I was commanded with 40 Men to charge into the breach so soon as ever it should be open by that means to deprive the Enemy of the means to repair it We were therefore of necessity to approach very near and to have something to cover us in case we should be forc'd to retrench our selves I therefore desired Baskets instead of Sacks which were commonly made use of upon such occasions arguing that it would be much more easie to fill them that stood open and stiff of themselves than Sacks that did not so and accordingly we had forty deliver'd to us which serv'd us very much but after another manner than we propos'd to our selves We then advanc'd as near as we could to the Mine which in playing had an effect quite contrary to what was expected for instead of throwing the Earth into the Town it threw it back upon us the soil being lighter on our side and buried us under its ruines But by the greatest good fortune imaginable having made all our Souldiers by my example carry all their Baskets upon their heads that our hands might be at liberty to handle all our arms they not only broke part of the force of the Earth and Stones and preserv'd us from having our brains beaten out but moreover serv'd to give us a little breath in leaving us a little vacuity that preserv'd us from being stifled before we could be reliev'd Monsieur de Cominges who was at the end of the Trench having seen some Souldiers hurt with the Stones that the Mine had blown about and judging in what extremity we were likely to be came running to assist us and disengag'd us from under the Rubbish whilst the Enemy were busie in repairing the breach without thinking of us In the mean time that which by accident sav'd our lives on this occasion was afterwards put into practice in other Sieges and they have â—ince often made use of these Baskets as very proper to make quick lodgments and speedily to cover themselves which also made the King himself to confess that I had herein done him a very considerable service which was almost all the recompence I had for having ran so great a hazard My inclination for War and the aversion I have ever had for all remedies hindred me from causing my self to be let blood as I had been advis'd but I found my self so ill by having been so bruis'd and overwhelm'd by these ruines and by having been more led by my own inconsiderate heat than the counsel of my Friends that I had the Jaundice for a month together to that degree that I was hardly to be known But my better parts being still in their vigour and my heart always whole and good I never excus'd my self from my ordinary duty upon the Guard in one of which I receiv'd a Carabine shot in the body which entring but a little way kept me but a very short time in bed The End of the Second Book BOOK III. What past at the Siege of Montaubon The great and strict Friendship that was contracted betwixt the Sieur de Pontis and Monsieur Zamet Camp-master of the Regiment of Picardy who makes him his own Lieutenant of his Majesty's Armies The Sieur de Pontis withdraws all the Army from a very great Danger The Siege is rais'd from before Montaubon An excellent Discourse of Monsieur de Zamet upthat subject I. THE City of St. John d' Angely having surrendred it self to the King his Majesty went before Montaubon with an army of four and twenty Thousand men or thereabouts commanded by Monsieur le Connestable de Luines and invested it the 17th of August in the year 1621. The Constable had for Lieutenant Generals his Brothers Messieurs du Maine de Chevreuse and de Lesdiguieres Monsieur de Schomberg was grand Master of the Artillery and Surintendant de Finances and executed also in part the command of a Lieutenant General Of these Forces and of these Chiefs the King made three Attacks of which the first was his own wherein the Constable and his Brothers commanded the second was commanded by Monsieur du Maine and the third by Messieurs de
remember the Letter you did me the favour to write in my behalf to Monsieur Canaples wherein you blam'd him for presuming to suspend me when the King and you were present in the Army and commanded him from the King to let me alone in the free discharge of my Command When after this he went about to dishonour me against the Kings and your Lordships express Order I conceiv'd that both the King and you your self my Lord had put the Sword in my hand to repell the injury that was offer'd to the Kings authority and at the same time to defend my self from the affront they would have put upon me These reasons were of force to work upon Monsieur Espernon whose honour and authority seem'd to be engaged in my quarrel but he not being then at leisure to consider of it and possest too by what Monsieur Canaples had told him and in regard my action appear'd really very foul and odious in it self when all the circumstances were laid aside that might make it appear more excusable I plainly perceiv'd that he was very ill dispos'd toward me and that I ought to take my leave And withal thinking my self not very safe I resolv'd to withdraw to Mareschal Schomberg who hath ever done me the honour to love me and to protect me with extraordinary kindness and favour XII Then it was that I began to reflect on the inconstancy of mens fortune I sigh'd heartily to see that after serving the world so faithfully so many years I should be so ill rewarded by it that after exposing my life a thousand times in the service of my Prince I was now like to lose it ignominiously by the rigour of publick Justice or at least to pass the remainder of it in exile and oblivion I represented to my self the misery of a fugitive and a vagabond who fears every thing hath nothing to hope looks upon all Creatures as combin'd against him to render him unhappy and one that can only expect from death the end of all his miseries and misfortunes And indeed I never wisht to dye but that day for then I thought death the greatest good fortune that could have befallen me fearing above all things the hand of Justice and almost as much as that to live wretchedly out of the Court and my native Country Such were the thoughts meeâ—ly humane and the low considerations that wholly possest my mind I was not then sensible that it is a happiness for a man who hath liv'd long in Courts and Armies to be oblig'd to leave them and driven to think of something more serious to dedicate the remainder of his life at least to God when the World will have no more to do with him But God was pleased thus at a distance and by degrees to prepare me for renouncing the world by giving me a taste of its bitterness and tho I did not then apprehend it yet the various afflictions he try'd me with were so many earnests of his mercy to me While I was thus intent upon my self with regard to the outward consequences of this extremity to which I was then reduc'd God was pleased to look upon me and inspire me with a thought of begging his assistance This made me with deep sighs say Lord thou knowest my misery and I know thy mercy take upon thee my defence for I have no defender My prayer was short but my devotion was ardent and sincere But my grief and disquiet were so excessive that within a few days I was so chang'd as hardly to be known my very hair turn'd grey in that short time and I am sure none who have not experimentally known what it is for a man of Honour and Courage to see himself reduc'd to fear the hand of a common Executioner can be a competent Judge of the condition I was in XIII When I had withdrawn to Mareschal Schomberg's house they began to examine my business The usual informations were made and the Drum beat throughout all the Quarters to cite me to a personal appearance but I chusing rather to pass for a Criminal when at Liberty than to surrender my self up a Prisoner and be expos'd to all the violent designs of my Enemies was interdicted and cashiered and all Souldies and Officers of the Regiment were forbid to own me for an Officer The Proceedings when concluded were carry'd to Monsieur Espernon as Collonel of the Infantry and so the principal Judge He spoke of it to the King who not being able utterly to cast off the extraordinary goodness he had ever had for me and designing to save my Life had a mind not to oppose Justice publickly but to spin the Cause out as long as he could that so when time had qualify'd mens Spirits he might the more easily grant my Pardon without being blamed by the principal Officers of the Army whose authority seem'd to be concern'd for my punishment The King therefore answer'd the Duke of Espernon that they were to have the opinion of the Mareschals of France and the principal Officers of the Army and so the business was ended But that which made very much for my Justification was the extraordinary generosity of Mareschal Creâ—uy Monsieur Canaples his Father who as soon as ever he heard of our quarrel declar'd highly in my favour against his own Son He condemn'd Monsieur Canaples publickly as a person that broke his word and commended what I had done as an argument of my Courage and repelling an extraordinary injury by an extraordinary action This declaration from Mareschal Crequy who thus renounc'd his natural inclination for the sake of Justice was of very great weight in my Cause for it could not easily be imagin'd that a Father would pronounce against his own Son if he could have found any Justice on his side Nevertheless my business was examinâ—d in the Council In the mean while Mareschal Schomberg wrought privately with the King to have compassion upon an Officer who had serv'd him all along with so great fidelity and zeal and to incline him to order it so that all things might be composed The King as I said was pretty well inclined to this of his own accord and had often spoken of it to several people but every body answer'd cautiously fearing on one side to offend his Majesty and doubting on the other lest they should offend Monsieur Canaples who was a person of great Interest and Power There was one however that spoke his thoughts freely to the King upon this subject But this mans opinion was as base and unworthy as Mareschal Crequy's my adversary's Father was generous He had formerly been my Captain under Henry the Great when I was a young Cadet in the Regiment of Guards And the King being pleas'd one day to do him the honor to unbosom himself to him upon my concern said You have known Pontis longer than any body He seems to me to be patient tho he be a little hot and provencal doubtless
different pretences Upon which the Duke to make sure work sends an Engineer in the habit of a Souldier who was received into the Governours own Company that he might see all without any manner of suspicion The Guard in the mean while was kept but negligently both in the Cittadel and the lines of Communication by which the Duke of Rohan with four hundred men was to storm the Wall and the Ditches which were but of a moderate height and so make himself Master of the Esplanade which lay between the Cittadel and the City When all things were ready Baron M. gave notice it was time to execute their design The Duke of Rohan to prevent all jealousies from the drawing his Forces together gave out as if he intended to besiege the Castle of Courconne three leagues from Montpellier to which place he came with seven thousand Foot and three hundred Horse The night appointed came and Baron M. and Guitaut a Captain of the Regiment of Normandy to whom the Governour had entrusted the secret mounted the Guard in the Cittadel The Engineer disguised in the habit of a Souldier saw all that past so that he could not have the least jealousy of foul play Monsieur M. after this opened all the Gates Draw-bridges and Posterns and the Engineer went out with Cadet to go fetch the Duke of Rohan They agreed before that when the Duke should be near with his Army two Officers should be sent to know whether any alteration had happened As soon as ever the Engineer was gone the Governour understanding it from Monsieur M. call'd all the Captains together and made the Regiments of Picardy and Normandy stand to their arms which might all make up two thousand eight hundred men Of these eight hundred were posted in the principal places and avenues of the City with order to kill all the Citizens that should stir out of their houses or that attempted to throw themselves over the Walls by reason four thousand Hâ—gonot Inhabitants were to take arms He posted twelve hundred at the breaches of the Wall of the City that looked into the Esplanade going to the Cittadel and there threw up in haste great retrenchments with very good barricadoes behind and openings to give way for the twelve hundred men who had order to sally out upon the Enemy as they entred the Esplanade by the Lines of Communication He set eight hundred men in the Cittadel of which five hundred were likewise to sally at the same time and the other three who were all chosen men to remain with him in the Cittadel He caused besides all this twenty pieces of Cannon to be planted upon the Esplanade and loaded them with Musquet Bullets and placed a certain number of good Souldiers with Halberts behind the inner door within the Cittadel On the top of the Draw-bridge which was made like a Trap-door he set Beine the Engineer of the place with a Hatchet in his hand and express order not to cut the Rope of the Bridge till Monsieur Goustonville should cry out to him Harle la main All things being thus disposed with incredible diligence Baron M. told the Governour that if the two men they were to send would have him go back with them to Monsieur de Rohan he was absolutely resolv'd to go rather than give them any suspicion tho he were very well assur'd they would give him a thousand stabs after he was dead when they saw themselves so cheated but he valued not death provided he could do the King service in revenging himself upon those who thought him capable of failing in his duty II. All things being husht at last two Officers according to agreement came to the Postern to meet Baron M. He told them things were in a very geod condition and that if they pleased he would bring them into the place But they made answer that knowing him to be a man of bravery they had an absolute confidence in him that Monsieur de Rohan was hard by and would give his orders out and be with them in half a quarter of an hour The Baron reply'd he would go in then and keep himself behind the door within the Cittadel to open it for them when they came Thus they return'd back and immediately all the Enemies Forces drew near Monsieur de Rohan in coming altered his first design of falling on by the lines of Communication hoping that if he could get into the Cittadel at first he should in three hours be master of the Town He had with him seven thousand Foot and three hundred Horse and the next morning came three thousand more of Vevarets The order was that two hundred chosen men among which were a great many Gentlemen and Officers were to fall on first that they should be backt with a thousand more and the rest according as need should require The Baron of Bretigny author of the Enterprize who marcht foremost of all came and knockt very softly at the outward Gate of the Cittadel and addressing himself to Baron M. ask'd Cousin are you there To which a Serjeant who was well instructed what to say made answer Sir He is gone to take a turn at the Guard but he hath left me to assure you that he will come again immediately to receive you in the mean time draw your men up close into order of Battel With that Baron Bretigny gave the word from hand to hand Close close One and fifty of these first two hundred being advanced with him Beine who was afraid to see so many let in cut the Rope with his Hatchet without staying for the word and immediately the Bridge fell down behind and one part being inclosed between the Gate of the Cittadel and the Bridge the rest fell into the Ditch Those of the Cittadel immediately threw a great many Fire-works both into the Ditch and all about it that they might the better see what they did and shot at the main body without of which a great many were kill'd and wounded As for those that were trapt between the Gate and the Bridge there were nine and thirty kill'd and twelve taken prisoners of whom most part were very much wounded Cadet who guided them naming himself and our men having let down a Rope to pull him up to them they who were near him drew him back and detain'd him by force saying They would never suffer him to escape unless the Governor or some body in his name would promise them their lives And accordingly when they saw that they shot at them without proffering them any thing at all they gave him above twenty wounds of which however he did not dye Monsieur Rohan withdrew full of concern and passion and ordering his Ammunition-bread to be thrown away he loaded his Carriages with as many of his dead and wounded as he could recover What judgment others may pass upon this action I cannot tell but for my own part though some perhaps may excuse it by reason of the
Montferrin Officer such as they should name The Articles being mutually signed the Generals parted after great Complements on both sides and our Army retired about a quarter of a league that they might give the Enemies no Jealousie and encamped there that night in their Arms for fear of any surprize The Enemies also encampâ—d that night in their Trenches and decamp'd next day very early that they might pass the River the same day according to our agreement That night there fell such abundance of rain that the Souldiers Arms were all spoyled with it and they wet to the skin Wherefore next morning the greatest part dispersed themselves into the Villages all thereabouts to dry themselves and left their arms at the Camp in much disorder In the mean while Monsieur Thoiras came from the Cittadel to our Camp to wait on the Mareschals Monsieur Schomberg who had no great kindness for him said at first meeting So Sir this is the second time meaning that he had relieved him once before at the Isle of Rhe when he was besieged in St. Martin by Bouquinquan the English General Monsieur Thoiras return'd him a civil but cold answer Yes Sir I am beholden to the King's Arms and to you Sir Afterwards Monsieur Schomberg invited him and the two other Mareschals to dinner While they sat at Table in the great Hall with a great many persons of quality where I also was and saw all that past immediately the Spanish Generals Picolomini and Colalto had passed through our Camp and came into the Hall Monsieur Schomberg being extremely surprized as well as the rest of the company said to them Really Gentlemen I am much concerned that I had no notice of your coming for I would have rode to meet you Whereupon Picolomini who was a man of Wit as well as Courage reply'd Sir we did it on purpose and since we could not surprize you in War had a mind to try if we could do it in Peace But I must confess that I my self was a little surpriz'd as I came through your Camp For whereas I must own that tho I have commanded several Armies and in several Countries I never saw any that lookt better and more orderly nor more eager of sighting than yours was yesterday when drawn up in Battel and ready to attack our Trenches yet to day I see no body in your Camp nor any thing but the Souldiers Arms lying up and down in great confusion and disorder Monsieur Schomberg tipping us the wink to go and get the Souldiers to their Colours presently answer'd Picolomini with great readiness of wit This need be no surprize to you at all Sir for I who am a German born when I came to settle in France and put my self into the King's service was in truth at first at a loss what this humour of the French should mean But when I had been a Commander some time and was used to the Genius of the Country I presently â—ound that the French were the briskest Fellows in the world when there was occasion for fighting and the most inclined to ease and divert themselves when there was none One good quality they have is that as they quickly lay down their arms so they quickly stand to them again And that you your self may bear me witness that I say true I will immediately shew you an instance of the French temper I will order the Drum to beat through the Quarters and dare promise you that before we have gone through the Camp you shall see all the Army in good order At the same time all the Officers that were there wâ—nt out and getting on Horseback rode about to get the Souldiers together In the mean while Monsieur Schomberg employed all his dexterity to hold the Spanish Geneaals in discourse and detain them insensibly Afterwards he prevailed with them to take a little walk and amused them a good while without their suspecting any thing At last the diligence and address of the Officers was such that when Picolomini and Colalto return'd they found the Army in excellent order The Officers with their Pikes in their hands and the Souldiers their Arms made a very graceful appearance which the Spanish Generals were so much surpriz'd at that they could scarce perswade themselves this was the same way they came before fancying it was rather delusion upon their senses so much was it beyond any thing they had ever seen either in Spain or any other part of Europe Picolomini observing this good order and the courage of the men could not fobear expressing his admiration of it in very complaisant terms saying to Schomberg That it could not be any dishonour to be vanquisht by so many brave Souldiers and such great Commanders After this they took leave of one another and returnâ—d each to their own Army IX But what follow'd was not agreeable to all this civility and our Generals ill conduct had like to have lost the whole Army The Treaty of Peace was broken in some of the principal Articles and whereas it was agreed that our men should give safe conduct to all the Enemies Baggage Cannon and Artillery as far as the River the French behaved themselves very unworthily and in such a manner as all the world condemned fell to pillaging the Ropes Bridles Horse-collars and the rest of the Baggage that belonged to the Spanish Army And whereas we had engag'd as I said before to draw all the French out of the Cittadel and put Montferrins in their Rooms they set men on work night and day to make Montferrin Habits and so many Taylors were employed on this occasion that in four and twenty hours time near eight hundred of these Habits were made in which they drest up as many French Souldiers and after having taught them two or three words of the language of the Country put them into Cazal under pretence of so many Montferrins Thus by means of their Coats with Hanging Sleeves and the help of these words Seignor se Seignor la they possest themselves of the Castle and which helpt to conceal the cheat yet more they migled some real Montferrins whom they had bribed among these French Souldiers that so one part might keep all the rest from being discovered Nay they went farther still and fail'd in making good the chief Article of all which was that concerning the Governour who was appointed as I said by the common consent of both parties For resolving to remove him from this Post upon pretence that he was a Spaniard in his heart they chous'd and surpriz'd him as you shall hear Two days after the Enemy had past the Po with their Baggage and Ordnance our Army divided it self into two bodies Eight thousand Foot and some Squadrons of Horse past the River also without any Cannon at Libourne the remainder of the Foot and all the Horse that staid behind with the Cannon for greater security march'd along the River side without passing it fearing lest
it for this honour was not without a design at the bottom I who was pretty well acquainted with the blind side of great men fell into discourse of his Highnesses great exploits and enlarg'd much upon the action of Bray and several other things which I thought most likely to please him But I knew well enough how to distinguish between my respects and gratitude for his kindness to me and my main duty and natural obligations Therefore when he sent me a purse full of Pistoles next day telling me that I might possibly have occasion for Money in the condition I was in I would not take it But sent it back again with this Compliment That since it did not become a private man as I was to refuse a present from one of his Quality I begg'd him not wanting Money at this time to do me the favour to keep that Purse for me till I had more occasion for it And it was very happy I behav'd my self thus to him For Mareschal Chatillon did me the favour to write me word as a friend presently after that my stay at Sedan made a great noise at Court and the King took it ill my Lodging should be the rendezvous of the Count's Family This news confounded me and made it necessary for me to be gone next morning for Paris desiring only a Gentleman to make my excuse to the Count de Soissons and acquaint him that an order from the King occasioned my so sudden leaving of the place XVIII The next year which was 1640 I went to the Siege of Arras which was invested about June by Mareschal Chatillon and Mareschal Melleray The two Generals intending to surprize the Town parted their Forces and made a shew of besieging some other place So a good part of the Garrison within this strong Town drew off to reinforce some other Garrisons which they were in fear for But Arras was much surprized to see themselves invested all on a sudden at the same instant of time with two Armies in two different parts so that it was impossible to put in any succours to them They presently drew the Lines of Circumvallation and Trenches for the Camp Imagining this Siege might be a work of time I built me a wooden house glazed and two pretty lodging rooms in it into one of which Monsieur Chatillon used to withdraw sometimes and there steal a Nap to be free from disturbance The Count of Isembourg Governour of Arras having sallied out before we invested it to reinforce the Garrison of Bethune which he apprehended we had a design upon was terribly inraged to see Arras thus blocked up and resolved to put some relief into it but all the passes were so strongly kept that he could find no way of doing it with safety Therefore he sollicited the Count de Lamboy Commander of the Spanish Army in the Low Countries to come and raise the Siege The Count accordingly came and encamped some leagues from Arras and detached some Troops to charge our Trenches We were at a Council 〈…〉 Mareschal Melleray's Tent when this alarm was given As soon as ever I heard the noise I thought of getting to Horse and repairing to my Post. Monsieur de Comminges Gâ—itaâ—t my very good friend seeing the risque I ran of falling into the Enemies hands who would cut off my passage cryed out that I ought not be suffered to run so upon certain death So the Generals proffer'd me a Convoy of Horse to see me safe at my Quarter But I depended upon the goodness of my Horse and desired they would let me go alone assuring them that I thought this method the less dangerous of the two and so away I went immediately I had a most excellent Pâ—d under me for which I have since refus'd fourscore Pistoles and I had reason to value him at more for he saved my life upon this occasion For as I galloped to recover my Quarter a Squadron of Horse spy'd me and rid up full speed to stop me presenting their Pistols and crying Stand stand I did not care for obeying those orders so long as there were any hopes of escaping left and therefore spurr'd on with my Pistol in my hand and without regarding them past by There was a little beyond this a very steep Hill which I must of necessity get up to save my self for the Horsemen still pursued after me and had blockt up the common road Finding my self thus streightned I put my Horse to it for his own and his Masters life And the poor creature as if he had been sensible of our danger scrambled up this sharp ascent so fast that he had like to have burst for want of breath The Enemies were amazed to see me get up at this rate and not daring to follow me this steep way they went up another part of the Hill to try if they could stop me once more But I getting up a great while before them gave my Horse a little breath and made much of him for the good service he had done me and then put on again so that I got the heels of them quite and at last reach'd my quarter Our Generals hearing I was pursued by a Squadron of Horse were concern'd to know what was become of me But Mareschal Melleray coming to my quarter a little after found me at the head of my Regiment which I had drawn out and put into a readiness to do their duty But there was no occasion for it at that time for the Enemy only shewed themselves and percieving our Camp was in a posture to recieve them they wheel'd off again XIX In this Siege I lost several things contrary to my custom for I us'd to have the good fortune of keeping what I had One day I sent out my Servants to get forrage for my Horses which were in all about eighteen or twenty I charg'd them not to carry out above two or three that if any unlucky accident should happen I might not hazard the loss of them all at a time My Servants for all that greedy of bringing home more booty took out seven or eight Some Troops of the Enemy came upon them and my stout blades took no further care but to save themselves and left my Horses for pawns Among the rest there was one draught Horse the best of that sort in the world he was naturally stout and fierce enough for a War Horse and only wanted tail and shape to make him fit for a General This Horse not being used to the Spanish Dialect and percieving he was got into Enemies hands began to fall on with his feet and teeth upon every body that came near him and grew so mad all of a sudden that those who had taken him not being able to rule him let him go again and said they were sure it was the Devil in the shape of a Horse He was tyed to another and so brought him off too and they were seen come full tilt into the Camp and
he made directly for Flanders and troopt off with all that he had borrow'd But by good Fortune the Knave was taken Prisoner by a Party out of Aire or Bethune and my Horse was afterwards retaken by another Party from Arras and there fell into the hands of an Officer for whom I had procur'd the Command of a Company In the mean while hearing no news of my Horse and knowing how the poor Taylor and some others that had been concern'd with him were left in the lurch I began to be satisfy'd that I was robb'd as well as they I wrote away into Catalonia Provence Flanders Germany and every place where I had any acquaintance that if they could light of my Horse for he was very remarkable and generally known they should seize him and send him back to me for he had been stolen away from me Shortly after Monsieur Bourgailles who succeeded me as Major of the Regiment of Brezay and to whom I had given my Command of first Captain freely being then at Arras wrote me word that the Officer I had spoke of had my Horse I sent away to him presently and thought he had more honour and more friendship for me than to keep my Horse which I valu'd so much from me But truly his answer was He had swapp'd another for him and there was no reason he should lose by the bargain A little after this Officer's occasions call'd him to Paris and the Major sent me word he came upon my Horse I went strait to his Lodgings as soon as I had this notice and not finding him within examined the Stable There I found my own Horse and bade the Groom saddle him and when his Master came in tell him I had taken him out to go to such a place and he would not be angry So I went home with my Millefleurs but never heard any more of my Captain who did not think fit to come and make his demands for what he knew well enough he had no right to I lost this fine Horse afterwards when I was taken Prisoner and carry'd into Germany an account whereof you will find in the sequel of these Memoirs VIII The particular friendship that had been all along between Monsieur St. Preuil and me ever since my being Lieutenant in his Company of Guards obliges me to give an account of his disgrace and his death which happen'd at this time while I my self was out of favour I imagine that a Relation of the whole matter will not be thought tedious or impertinent and shall therefore lay down the several heads of Accusation brought against him because the great intimacy between us gave me an opportunity of knowing the whole truth of the Case and as well what might be said in his justification as what he was really guilty in You must know then that Monsieur St. Preuil was grown odious and at last lost his Head upon four or five Articles and all this by the judgment of God who thought fit to make an Example of the most obstinate Man that perhaps ever was in the Army Though the greatest part of the matters alledg'd against him and which brought him to ruine were not in truth so much to his disadvantage as the World generally believ'd The first Article was this A Monk of the famous Abby of St. Vast at Arras bearing a grudge to his Prior and resolving to be reveng'd on him came to see or some other way gave information to Monsieur St. Preuil that there were a great many Arms in that Abby which had lay'n conceal'd there ever since the Spaniards had been in possession of the Town To confirm this he left a Note with him that signify'd the several places exactly where these Arms were to be found and he assur'd him that there were a great many more besides conceal'd in a Nunnery of the same Town Upon this News Monsieur St. Preuil made a Visit to the Prior of that Abby and told him He was much surpriz'd at an Information that had been brought him concerning some Arms that lay hid in his Monastery and that he must deliver all those Arms to him because they were the King 's Right The Prior would own nothing of the matter and Monsieur St. Preuil told him at last He knew well enough where to find them and went away in a passion But presently after he came again with his Guards and ordering search to be made according to the Monk's instructions he found and carried them away and gave the Prior very rough and threatning language telling him That he would lay all the Monks Monasteries in the Town flat to the ground and that they were only a Nest of Roguish Monks that were Traytors to the King and held Correspondence with the Spaniard Still this Prior stood it out that he knew nothing of the matter and possibly he might say true for it is a very common thing for such Religious Houses to change their Superiors frequently and sometimes to keep the new comers in ignorance of many things done the time of their Predecessors From this Abby Monsieur St. Preuil went to the Lady Abbess of the Nunnery which the same Monk had told him of and said He was much concerned to hear that they should offer to conceal a great many Arms that belonged to the King and that he was â—ome in his Majesties Name to demand them The Lady answer'd That truly she had been but a Year Abbess and for her part was privy to nothing of that kind That she believed her Nuns knew nothing of it neither but if he would please to come and satisfy himself the Gates should be opened and no opposition made there to the Service and Interests of his Majesty Monsieur St. Preuil took the liberty they offer'd him and coming at mid-day with a great deal of company he went into the Monastery and took all the Arms away which were found exactly in the place he had been directed to But this created Monsieur St. Preuil a world of Enemies and rais'd a mighty Clamor against him The Nuns Relations gave out That he broke into the Monastery by Force that he abused the Nuns and expos'd them to be abused by vile profligate Fellows There was indeed one Nun in that Monastery exceeding handsom and all the Town knew it well enough and this was it that gave ground to that part of the Accusation But I who knew Monsieur St. Preuil throughly dare engage for him that he could never have been guilty of so brutish an Action 'T is possible he might throw out some reproachful words against the Nuns in the passion he was in to find Arms conceal'd in their Monastery But this was excusable in a person of his hasty temper and upon such an occasion as the Service of his Majesty was concern'd in and this was so far countenanc'd above that when this business came to be known at Court the King immediately sent his Mandate to depose the Prior.
them pretty roughly That he had his orders and it was not their business to correct his Commission that he would take his own time to prevent false musters and do it when they least expected it The Officers as much provoked with his answer as he was with their demand came streight to Monsieur St. Preuil and complained to him of Monsieur Aubray that he would not pay them that he always cheated them and put them off c. Monsieur St. Preuil went presently to Monsieur Aubray's lodging and desir'd me to go along with him which both I and the Officers did He told him at first that he was come to see if he would please to appoint a muster that day Monsieur Aubray made answer that his order was his direction and he should take his own time How said Monsieur St. Preuil you gave me your word it should be done when I pleased Sir said the Commissary I must not depart from the King's orders I must look after my own business and you to yours I will make you do it said St. Preuil So from compliments they fell to sharp words and at last from words they fell to blows For Monsieur St. Preuil being extremely passionate was transported so far as to Cane him and if I had not immediately stept between to part them this scuffle had gone a great deal further I was the only man indeed that was for it or took Monsieur Aubray's part at all for all the Officers were exceeding glad to see him so ill used I foreseeing what scurvy consequences this unhappy business might have and that this single action was enough to ruine Monsieur St. Preuil did all that ever I could to make it up before Monsieur Aubray who was related to Monsieur Noyers writ any thing of the matter to Court and I brought Monsieur St. Preuil so far as to agree to make him any satisfaction But he would accept of none threatning continually to complain to the Cardinal and the King At last finding it was not in my power to bring this business to any good conclusion I went my way back to Paris without troubling my self any farther about the affair that brought me to Arras where I could plainly foresee there would in a little time be great changes and confusion XII Going one day to wait on Monsieur des Noyers as I was coming in at the Chamber I saw him in discourse with the Count de Charost and therefore stood still at the door They happened just then to be talking of Monsieur St. Preuil and Monsieur Noyers in a great heat said so loud that I could hear him That he made mad work in the Garrison at Arras that he had raised several imposts upon the City that he broke into a Monastery by force and abused some of the Nuns that he first debauch'd a Mealman's Wife and then hang'd her Husband to have her more absolutely at his command and that he had abus'd a Commissary of the Army The Count de Charost seeing me as this discourse past said Yonder is one hears you who can inform you of him for he was his Lieutenant Monsieur des Noyers answered Ho I know Monsieur Pontis was St. Preuil 's Lieutenant and therefore he will be sure to excuse him Then I went up to them and said to Monsieur Noyers I must confess I had been particularly obliged to Monsieur St. Preuil but yet I should be very far from excusing any thing he had done ill in because I was sensible whatever I was indebted to him I owed the King a great deal more Well then said he is not it true that he broke into a Monastery and forc'd some of the Nuns Sir said I I dare give you my Oath nay I will forfeit my hand if he ever did I know very well he went thither to take away some Arms that lay concealed in their Monastery but the King himself declared his approbation of that by the Mandate he sent to remove the Prior from the Abby of St. Vast and the Abbess from her Nunnery Upon this Monsieur Noyers grew warm and maintain'd that he said nothing but what he certainly knew to be true and he had it from very good hands that he hang'd the Mealman on purpose to enjoy his Wife I answered he did not hang him till he had been caught three times and plainly convicted of holding correspondence with the Enemies I kept my self still to those things I was well assured of and said not a word of the rest to shew him that I was concern'd to justify the innocence only and not the real faults of Monsieur St. Preuil But Monsieur Noyers who was violently prejudiced against him inveigh'd against him still warmly insomuch that at our going out the Count de Charost told me It would become me as St. Preuil's friend to desire him that he would take some course to compose this business and lose no time in making his peace I went presently and told Mareschal Brezay all I had heard Monsieur Noyers say against St. Preuil He told me I had best go to him as fast as I could and let him know from him that it was absolutely necessary he should come to Paris and reconcile himself with Mareschal Melleray and Monsieur Noyers whatever came on 't that all his friends would use their interest for him and that if he himself that was the Cardinal's Brother-in-law had those two Enemies they would have it in their power to ruine him I entreated him to write a Note that Monsieur St. Preuil might be more inclin'd to believe me But he utterly refused that and said No not I for though I say this to thee now if thou shouldst tell any one that I said it I should give thee the lye I told him I hoped there would be no occasion for that for I should be sure to tell no body Immediately then away went I post to Arras and after discoursing Monsieur St. Preuil till three a clock in the morning I brought him at last to resolve for Paris next day We took Horse and travelled together accordingly but after a little while he changed his mind For by that time he had gone six or seven leagues he turn'd his Horse head all on a sudden and told me He would not stir from Arras for when once they had him at Paris they would take his Government away from him All that ever I could say would not perswade him otherwise For in truth he was struck from Heaven and condemned already by a decree of the divine Justice So we both went back to Arras and I finding it was impossible for me to prevail with him or do him any good was loth to stay and partake in his misery and therefore return'd to Paris XIII In the mean while his Enemies made it their business to possess the King and Carninal Richelieu against him especially Mareschal Melleray who was grievously offended at him for the accident to the Garrison of
told me and made a report of the same nature to the great Master of their Order that if the Christian Princes would once unite together it were a very easie matter for them to make themselves Masters of that famous City and that he always thought the support of the Ottoman Empire was owing not so much to any strength of its own as to the divisions among its Enemies He had the reputation at Maltha of a Man of bravery and courage and for my own part I think in my Conscience I was but a Coward and a meer Chicken in comparison of him In one of his probational Expeditions aboard a Vessel of their Order he was attacked and taken by some Algerines He immediately threw his Cross overâ—board knowing that the Turks hate the Knights mortally and either kill them or set very extravagant Ransoms upon them He had some good Fortune with his bad for he fell into the hands of a Master much more generous and civil than the generality of those barbarous People use to be The Turk asked him what he could do he answered he had skill in Horses and could manage them and teach them all that would make them valuable that he could draw too and design and do a great many such things The Turk who had travell'd and was well accomplished was very well satisfied with so dextrous a Slave and buying up some young Horses the Knight managed them to his Master's content and convinced him he had pretended to no more than he was able to perform Thus three years past on in which the Knight made several attempts to escape but could not At the end of this term the Turk highly pleased wiâ—h his Slave's service â—aid to him I am very well satisfied with you and am ready to give you good proofs of it if you have any kindness to ask me The Knight answered him That he was infinitely obliged to him and thought a Slave ought to ask nothing more of his Master than that his services may be well accepted I commend your Modesty replyed the Turk and understand your meaning tho you dare not speak it out Serve me one year more and then you shall see what I will do for you One may easily imagine what care and pains this Knight took all that year to confirm himself in his Master's favour So when that was expired his Master sent for him into his Chamber and said to him You have served me not like a Slave but a man of honour and now I will use you like such a man and reward the care and affection you have shewn in my service Tell me therefore to what place you desire to be conveyed how you would be habited and what you have occasion for Ask every thing freely and you shall have it as freely of me as you should from the best friend you have in the world Being told that he was desirous to go to Marseilles he clothed him according to his own mind and found out a Vessel for him paid his fraight and gave him more Money than he asked for And thus he was sent back as highly favoured by this Turk as the Turk had been satisfied before with the faithful service of the Knight without ever discovering who or what he was VII Upon his arrival at Marseilles he writ me word how extremely dissatisfied he was with my elder Brother who was not so generous and kind to him as he ought to have been and betrayed a great deal of coldness and indifferency for his sufferings during the time of his Slavery The hot disposition which I knew the Knight to be of and the angry terms in which he exprest himself in his Letter made me apprehensive some mischief might come of this So I askt the King for it was in his life time that I might take a Journey into Provence and went thither post When I was once upon the spot it was no hard matter for me to compose all quarrels For I furnished the Knight with whatever he desired and when I had equipped him sufficiently for his return to Maltha I was inclined to oblige my elder Brother too with new proofs of my affection I begg'd that when his Son was a little grown up he would send him to Paris and promis'd to see him instructed in Philosophy and all other exercises of a Gentleman that were fit to accomplish him for the world He was very willing to embrace the proposal and accordingly sent him to me when he was about thirteen or fourteen I took all imaginable care of him and spared nothing for him but had him educated as my own Son This happened some months before the Siege of Rochelle of which you have an account in the first part of this Book VIII But before I give a relation how this Nephew of mine was marry'd I must tell one story more which tho it be strictly true yet I am sensible will look something Romantick and that is how my Brother the Knight of Maltha found an opportunity of making the Turk whose Slave he had been a grateful return by an act of generosity greater than that had been shewn him before Five or six years after he had been set at liberty happening one day to be at Marseilles and walking with a friend of his upon the Key he saw a Vessel make into Harbour and some Souldiers coming to shore with several Slaves that they had taken There was amongst the rest one Turk who presently a wakened in him the Idea of some face he had seen before but he could not suddenly recollect whether he were the very person he imagin'd him to be or not At last coming up closer and taking a nicerâ—view he found it to be his old Master Upon this he threw his arms about his neck and embracing him in a great rapture of joy he said Providence hath ordered that you should meet me at Marseilles because you were so generous to dismiss me from Algiers and used me with all the kindness and respect of a Friend And now you shall be convinced that God does not let good works go unrewarded and that a French-man thinks it a reflection upon him to be out-done in civility by any forreigner whatsoever Then he enquir'd whose this Slave was and what his Ransome which when he had paid he gave him a noble Entertainment shew'd him all the curiosities of Marseilles and then supply'd all his occasions gave him a great deal more than he had formerly receiv'd from him and so sent him back safe to Algiers again according to his own desire The Duke of Guise who was then at Marseilles had a mind to speak with this Turk himself and having several times heard the story from the Knight was us'd to say Well now I believe you because I have seen your Turk and am an Eye-witness of your kindness and what you do for him in return but otherwise I should have lookt upon your story as no better than a fiction and
sometimes from Posthumous Pieces and were not this genuine the most part now by me under his own hand and such as I know to have been certainly intended for the Publick I durst not have made bold with his Memory and his Name I would not have done it with any Man's but especially not with his which hath suffered too much already by the indirect Publication of another Piece The only thing I shall say though not the only one that deserves to be said on this occasion is that if the Person who disposed of those Poems to the Booksellers had consulted Mr. Cotton's Relations as he ought to have done both his Memory and the World had been much more obliged to him For by these ungenerous Proceedings he hath obstructed the publishing of a Collection very different from that and well chosen by the Author with a Preface prepared by himself and all copied out for the Press This digression I thought due to the Character of a Person whose other Performances have been so well received who knew how to distiuguish between writing for his own Diversion and the Entertainment of others and had a better Judgment than to thrust any thing abroad unworthy himself or his Readers I only beg pardon for being in one sense very unseasonable for in truth the World ought to have been undeceived in this point a great deal sooner and by an Advertisement very different from this MEMOIRS OF THE Sieur De PONTIS PART I. BOOK I. Containing what past during the time that the Sieur De Pontis was a Cadet in the Regiment of Guards He is forc'd to retire into Holland from whence he returns after having run a great hazard of his life He comes back into France and sustains a Siege in the Castle of Savigny I. BEing grown up to fourteen years of age and my Father and Mother being both dead I found in my self an extraordinary inclination to a Souldiers life and presently resolved to begin to learn the Trade I accordingly serv'd a year in the Regiment of Bonne where I carried a Carabine the Musket being as yet not there in use After which I returned back to Pontis to try if my elder Brother who according to the custom of the Country had the whole estate of the Family would be disposed to do something for me and stay'd some months with him where finding that he would only employ me in the care of Husbandry a thing that I found my self very averse to and unfit for I took up a resolution to go to Paris there my self to labour my own Advancement in the World as well as I could I therefore entreated of my Brother so much as was necessary for me in order to this design but his coldness compell'd me to seek out to my other Relations and particularly to address my self to an Aunt I had who had a great affection for me From her I received all I could desire for my Journey and from an Unkle who also lov'd me very well a little Horse and with this younger Brothers equipage after having taken leave of my friends I set forward for Paris Going by Grenoble which is two days Journey from Pontis I thought my self oblig'd to go wait upon Monsieur de L'Ediguieres to whom I had the honour to be a-kin I was by him receiv'd with great demonstrations of bounty and favour and he was pleas'd to ask me what was my design in the Journey I had in hand I made answer That I had a desire to learn to become an honest man and to render my self fit to make him a tender of my service He was pleas'd with my answer and being willing to serve me in my design gave me a Letter of Recommendation to Monsieur de Crequy his Son-in-law who was then in treaty about the Regiment of Guards to receive me into them as a Kinsman of his and a young Gentleman for whom he had a particular esteem But Monsieur de Crequy did not so soon conclude his bargain which hindred him from executing the order he had receiv'd In the mean time the violent desire I had to enter into the Regiment of Guards as the best School wherein to learn the Trade I had so great a passion for pusht me on to go and present my self to Monsieur de Grillon who was Camp-master of it of him to entreat the favour that I might be there receiv'd But Monsieur de Grillon who would not allow that any one should enter so young told me that he could not admit me he accompanied his denyal nevertheless with the greatest testimony of friendship that it was possible for him ever to give promising that he would entertain me a year in his own house till I should be strong enough to enter the body And accordingly he fail'd not some time after to receive me into it with a particular affection which he also continued to me ever since as in the progress of these Memoirs I shall make appear II. Seeing that Acts of Generosity ought to be recorded for example to other I think my self oblig'd in this place to give an account of one which Monsieur de Vitry Captain of the Guards du Corps practic'd in my favour at the time when I was a Cadet in the Regiment of Guards under King Henry IV. Being one day at Melun I went a hunting with three of my Comrades in the Forrest of Fontain-bleau At the entring into the Forrest we were aware of a great Stag that came running directly towards us The ardour of the Chase transported me so far on the sudden that without demur or giving my self the leisure to consider whether this Beast was priviledg'd or no I presently discharg'd my Fusee upon him and laid him dead upon the place I presently charg'd again for fear of surprize and immediately we heard the Hounds that were in chase of him and saw a Cavalier who was Monsieur de Vitry galloping towards us who began to cry out to us So-ho Cadets down with your Arms but seeing we were not dispos'd to obey him he drew his Pistol and I presenting my Fusee against him at the same time call'd out to him to approach no nearer and not to compel me to fire upon him It had been a great rashness in him to have advanc'd and he took the wisest course which was to turn about and go make his complaint to the king In the mean time as it was not safe for us to stay any longer there we retired as privately as we could to Meluâ— and very well believing that this affair might have some ill consequences I askt leave of my Captain Monsieur de Briâ—ac to make a little Journey to Paris where I pretended to have some business My three other Comrades also found out one way or other to absent themselves from the Company So that the King having given order to the Officers of the Regiment to make a review in the presence of Monsieur de Vitry