Page 1167
The Voyage of the battell of Moncontor. 1569.
DVring the battell of Moncontour King Charles was at Plessei the Towers, where he neard they had wonne it; a great number of hurt gentlemen and Souldiers with drew themselves into the Citty and suburbes of Towers, to be drest and help••, where the King and Queene Mother commanded me to shew my duty with the o∣ther Chirurgions, who were then in quarter, as Pigray, du Bois, Portail, and one na∣med Siret, a Chirurgion of Towers, a man very skilfull in Chirurgery, and at that time Chirurgion to the Kings brother; and for the multitude of the wounded wee were but little in repose, nor the Physitions likewise. Count Mansfield Governer of the Duchy of Luxembourge, Knight of the King of Spaines order, was greatly hurt in the battell, in the left arme, with a Pistoll shot, which broke a great part of the joynt of the elbow, and had retired himselfe to Bourgueil neere Towers; be∣ing there he sent a gentlemen to the King, affectionately to beseech him to send one of his Chirurgions to helpe him in his hurt. Counsell was held what Chirurgion should be sent. Monsieur the Marshall of Montmorency told the King and the Queene, that it were best to send him his cheefe Chirurgion, and declared to them that the sayd Lord Mansfield was one part of the cause of winning the battell. The King sayd flat he would not that I should goe, but would have me remaine close to him. Then the Queene Mother sayd, I should but goe and come, and that he must consider it was a strange Lord, who was come from the King of Spaines side, to help and succour him. And upon this he permitted me to goe, provided that I should returne quick∣ly. After this resolution he sent for me, and likewise the Queene Mother, and commanded me to goe finde the sayd Lord Mansfield in the place, where I was to serve him in all I could, for the cure of his hurt; I went and found him, having with me a letter from their Majesties: having seene it, he received me with a good will, and from thenceforth discharged three other Chirurgions that drest him; which was to my great greefe, because his hurt seemed to me uncureable. Now at Bourgueil there were retired divers gentlmen, who had beene hurt at the sayd battell, knowing that Mounsieur de Guise was there, who had beene also very much hurt with a Pistoll shot through one legge, well assured that he would have good Chirurgions to dresse him, and also that hee being kind and liberall, would assist them with a great part of their necessities. And for my part, I did helpe and ayd them in my Art as much as it was possible; some dyed, some recovered, according to their hurts. The Count Rin∣grave died, who had such a shot in the shoulder, as the King of Navarro before Roüen, Monsieure de Bassompiere Colonell of twelve hundred horse, was hurt also in such a like place as Count Mansfield, whom I drest and God cured. God so well blessed my worke that within three weekes I led him back to Paris, where I must yet make some incisions in the arme of the sayd Lord Mansfield, to draw out the bones which were greatly broken and caries'd, he was cured by the grace of God, and gave me an ho∣nest reward, so that I was well contented with him and he with me, as he hath since made it appeare: he writ a letter to the Duke of Ascot how that he was cured of his hurt, and also Monsieur de Bassompiere of his, and divers others, which I had dress'•• after the battell of Montcontour, and counselled him to beseech the King of France my good master, to give me leave to goe see Monsieur the Marquesse of Auret his brother.