THE TRUE Report of the service in Brittany.  
Performed lately by the Honourable Knight Sir john Norreys and other Captains and Gentlemen soldiers before Guingand.  
Together with the Articles which the Prince D'ombes accorded to the defendants of the Town.   fleur-de-lis 
LONDON Printed by john Wolf, and are to be sold at his shop right over against the great South-door of Paul's. 1591.   

❧ The true report of the service in Brittany, performed lately by the Honourable Knight Sir JOHN NORREYS and other Captains and gentlemen soldiers before Guingand: together with the articles which the Prince D'ombes accorded to the defendants of the town.  
A Marshal man principally devoteth himself to hazard his limbs and life in the service of his Prince & country for honour and crowns: as it were shame to eclipse him the one, so it is injury to scant him the other: for the surest whetstone of valour and virtue is renown and glory: in defrauding the soldier of his pay, you cut his purse and rebate his edge: in depraving his honour, you cut his throat and strike him stone dead: whereby I was induced to publish the renowned service done lately by that honourable knight S. JOHN NORREYS in Brittany: to the end that neither he, neither the rest of the brave Captains, gentlemen and soldiers should want their due commendation, that both they may be encouraged to continue their brave & heroical minds, and others inclined to advance themselves to the like honourable attempts & actions. I am the better able to perform this my promise by reason of a letter I received thence from a gentleman so well qualified, that neither he wanted skill or wit to record the service with the pen, neither valour & courage to perform any enterprise with the sword, being a principal actor in the execution thereof, the copy whereof I present to the reader, that he may be truly informed of the service, and yield the actors their due commendation.  
SIR, by my last letters I advertised you of the safe arrival of our army in Brittany, the third of May, continuing about the Abbay of Beauport a week, for the arming of the soldiers, mounting the artillery and marshaling our Campe. The tenth, we began our march, and lodged with our troops before Guingand the 13. Since which time, through the wonderful pains and continual travel of Sir JOHN NORREYS our L. General, the town is rendered to the Prince D'OMBES, son to the Duke MOMPENSIER of the house of Bourbon, Governor of Britainie for the King. The report whereof may seem strange to you, for we ourselves do wonder at it, considering the strength of the place by arte and nature, and how greatly the conservation thereof imported Philibert Emanuel, Duke Mercury of the house of Vaudemont a collateral branch of Lorraine, Governor of Brittany for those rebellious Leaguers who murdered his brother in law the late king his own sister's husband: as well in regard of his honour and reputation, as of his profit and peculiar interest, the town being his proper inheritance, in the right of his wife Marry daughter and heir to Sebastian Duke of Pontheiure, whose father Francis Viscount Martigues of the house of Luxemburg attained large territories in Brittany, marrying Charlotte sister and heir of john de Brosse who descended of the house of Ponthieure a collateral line of the Dukes of Brittany. The duke Mercury notwithstanding he was thus particularly interessed in the town of Guingand wanting neither sufficient garrison, munition or victuals, having Don joan de Lagula in a readiness with four thousand Spaniards at Pontiguy besides his own troops: yet suffered this defensible place to be lost without blows upon dishonourable and base conditions, whereby we may see how God rebateth the edge of rebels hearts, daunteth their courages and ranuerseth their actions with his by blows or unlookedfor counterbuffs.  
That the particularities of the matter may be better known unto you, you are to understand that the town of Guingand is strongly walled round about environed with a large ditch and a deep counterscarp, extending itself in length from the South Southeast, to the North Norwest. Upon the South end of the town where was sometimes an old castle, there is now a very strong bulwark with three Flankers, and in the midst thereof a Cavallero which commandeth the whole town. Not far from it Eastward is the gate of the town, of itself very strong, and before it a very great Ravelin within the counterscarp of the ditch: at the bottom whereof there is a most dainty sally, insomuch as a thousand men may issue out at the same, and not one be discovered until their heads appear above the counterscarp. And above them are two drawn briges for the Saliants, the one for horse, the other for foot, & right before the Ravelin is a pretty conceited Turnpike or Barricado to check the throng and multitude of pursuers. From this place Northward the wall is embowed like a horn with three Flankers upon it, and so ranforced within with earth, as it is accounted a Terra-pleyn. The West hath a very deep ditch full of water: neither could any approach be made that way by reason of the marrishiss. The North end of the town hath many Flankers and a deep ditch, yet somewhat dry & fast by an Abbey of Iacopins which the villains themselves pulled for the most part down, lest it should any way distress the town, standing within less than eighty paces of the town wall. Notwithstanding this their provident malice, the rebels left as much standing for us as served to cut their own throats. My Lord General having quickly found that this part of the town was fittest to receive a breach, made show to the quite contrary part thereof, as at the South part he caused trenches to be cast, and passages to be made through the walls of old houses, even to the very counterscarp of the ditch, a long trench was likewise cast very near the walls of the East side of the town, and in the midst thereof a platform of earth to be erected to some reasonable height, as if the canon should have been placed there: in the mean time all travel was used in making of a Mine according to our General's direction, near to the intended breach, and the ways made for the bringing and dressing of the places fit for the Canon to play upon, which was performed in so good sort as that by the 20. day of this month our artillery was brought down to the jacopines cloister, and there placed within loss then an hundredth paces of the wall. And this was one of our greatest combars both in respect of travel & hazard, to both which how my L. did expose himself truly I could not but wonder, and in my heart was angry to see it, and yet if he had not so hazarded himself, I did partly perceive that little would have been done.  
On friday the 21. we began our battery, and notwithstanding it continued all the day, yet by reason of the few pieces of artillery, not able to make sufficient battery, the days work brought forth no great effect other than the crushing of two Flankers, and the beating of the perrepet, so that the breach was very small and the same so repaired continually by the soldiers and inhabitants within the town, maintaining the rampart with featherbeds, horse dung and bags of earth almost to the lowest part of their perrepet. The next day very early once again we began our battery, and continued it until two or three of the clock in the after noon, by what time the breach seemed very fair. Whereupon the French humour urged very hotly to an assault, and so importuned the Prince D'ombes that he consented thereunto. Our General although he was hardly drawn to yield his consent, understanding by a Sergeant of a band whom he had sent to discover the breach, that the rentrenchment within was exceeding deep, and the mounting up the breach very steep, sliding and difficult, but especially because the mine was not so forward to be answerable to the breach: notwithstanding seeing the French men offering to attempt the place of themselves which had been some disgrace unto us, yielded to their humour, and most instantly demanded the point and honour of the assault for the English men, which being granted conditionally that they should be seconded by the French. Such was the emulation of our commanders and Captains to win honour, that all being willing to attempt the service, to avoid contention our General caused the dice to be cast, so that it fell to Captain JACKSON and Captain HERON to lead the first two hundredth to the assault, which after their devout prayers recommending themselves to God, they performed very valiantly, scrambling up with a notable resolution, standing a long half hour at the push of the pike in the face of a whole storm of the small shot, especially Captain JACKSON who came to the point of the breach, but not being thoroughly seconded by the soldiers unable to get up by reason of the steepness of the place, yet were they hardly commanded to retire, performing their retreat with no less good order then their attempt to the assault, Captain HERON received a shot in the throat, whereof he presently died, and not above twelve others slain: Captain JACKSON sore hurt. Captain WOLF in the top of the breach had three dangerous wounds in the head, and others in his body: Captain CATESBYE a voluntary gentleman sore hurt in the arm. Also Captain WHITTON and Master Paul Wingfeeld with some other young gentlemen to the number of 30. Which loss can not be thought great in such a piece of service, considering the great strength within to defend the place. The second attempt was given by the Baron of Molac Colonel general of the French infantry in these parts, and very well answered by himself, and some few of the French gentlemen, but the common soldiers advancing themselves coldly to the breach, received the greater hurt, and by that occasion were slain of them many more than of our nation. Some others strait presented themselves for a third assault, but the breach being found so difficult, and resistance within strong and well prepared, it was advised to stay until the next day that the battery had made the breach more easy. During the time of the assault Captain DENNIS a brave gentleman being sent with some forces to make offer of a scalado to one other part of the town, advancing himself too far, received a Musket shot in the bottom of his belly, whereof he died about twelve of the clock the same night. That night those within demanded a Parley, which being accorded, certain deputies out of the town repaired the next morning to the Prince Dombes, and in the end grew to a capitulation, the copy whereof you shall receive herein enclosed. Which in my judgement would have been accorded with much more advantage to the Prince, if he had pleased to have insisted upon it: but being glad to recover the town, which is said to be the strongest in Brittany, except Nantes and Dinant: withal doubting lest the Duke Mercury with the help of Don ivan de Lagula should come to the succour of the town, (which it is likely had been performed, if the French had been in so good readiness as the Spaniards) he would not treat any long agreement. But all things being accorded on both sides, on Whitsonday the town was surrendered into the hands of Monsieur Cargomart appointed governor for the Prince. And Captain GARGANTON which before held the place for the Duke Mercury, with one other named Contrary, sent by the Duke Mercury to assist the other, departed the town the 24. of May, with an hundred and twenty horse, and about two hundredth and sixty foot, in all men's judgement able and strong enough to have kept the place for a much longer time. We had in the town four Ensigns, one Cornet, one Cannon Perrier, one Demy Culvering, and six Sacres and Minions, two thousand weight of powder, and great store of victuals. The having of this town greatly importeth the King, for in a manner all base Britain doth depend upon it. The Courts of Parliament, which was ordinarily held at reins were by the rebellious Leaguers transferred to Guingand, which argueth in what estimation they held the strength of the town. Thus have I plainly and truly reported the service of Guingand, and I perceive our General meaneth to entertain us in action, for we are presently to march against Morlays a rebellious town coasting upon the sea, whereby I am enforced to leave my pen, and betake myself to the lance, for the trumpet soundeth, mont'a cauallo.  

Articles accorded by the Prince Dombes to the besieged within the town of Guingand, in Brittany.  
1 THe Governor, Captains and Soldiers of Guingand shall render the town into the Prince's hands to morrow the 23. of May, being Whitsonday, before noon.  
2 The Prince will permit that the horsemen shall departed the town with their horses and furniture, and the footmen with their arqebus and sword by their side.  
3 The Cornets, Ensigns, and Drums which are in the town, shall be delivered to the Prince, and all their artillery and munition of war.  
4 All Englishmen and Irishmen, if there be any, shall be put into the hands of the Prince.  
5 All Spaniards shall remain prisoners.  
6 The gentlemen who have no charge of soldiers, who retired themselves to the town for refuge, shall pay 15000. crowns, and thereby freed to enjoy their possessions and movables.  
7 The inhabitants of the town shall pay 25000. crowns, and thereby shall be warranted from all pillage, enjoying the kings protection according to his late ordinances.  
8 The prisoners the kings servants, shall be set at liberty, and delivered to the Prince.  
9 For the assurance of this treaty, they shall presently give hostages, two for the gentlemen, two for the soldiers, and two for the inhabitants.   
FINIS.