Page 761
The Voyage of the Castle of Compt. 1552.
A Little while after, King Henry levied an Army of thirty thousand men,* 1.1 to go make spoil about Hedin. The King of Navarre who was then called Monsieur de Vendosme, was chief of the Army, and the Kings Lieutenant. Being at S. Denis in France, staying while the Companies passed by, he sent for me to Paris to come speak with him? being there, he prayed me, and his request was a command, that I would follow him this Voyage; and I about to make my excuse, told him my wife was sick in her bed; he made me answer, That there were Physicians at Paris for to cure her; and that he as well left his own, who was as well descended as mine; promising me that he would use me well, and forthwith gave command that I should be lodged as one of his Train. Seeing this great affection, which he had to lead me with him, I durst not refuse him. I went and met with him at the Castle of Compt, within three or four leagues of Hedin, there where there was the Emperors Souldiers in garrison with a number of Pessants round about: he cau∣sed them to be summoned to render themselves; and they made answer they should never have them but by pieces, and let them do their worst, and they would do their best to defend them∣selves. They put confidence in their ditches full of water, and in two hours with a great number of Bavins, and certain empty Casks way was made to pass over the Foot, when they must go to the assault, and were beaten with five pieces of Cannon, till a breach was made large enough to enter in, where they within received the assault very valiantly, and not without killing and hurting a great number of our people with musket-shot, pikes, and ••ones. In the end when they saw themselves constrained, they put fire to their powder and munition, which was the cause of burning many of our people, and theirs likewise, and they were all almost put to the sword.* 1.2 Not∣withstanding some of our souldiers had taken twenty or thirty, hoping to have ransome for them. That was known, and ordered by the Councel, that it should be proclamed by the Trumpet through the Camp, that all Souldiers who had any Spaniards prisoners, were to kill them, upon pain to be hanged and strangled, which was done upon cold blood. From thence we went and burnt divers Villages whose barns were full of all kinde of Grain, to my grief. We went along even to Tournahan, where there was a very great Tower where the Enemies retired,* 1.3 but there was no man found in it, all was pillaged, and the tower was made to leap by a Mine, and then with Gun-powder turned topsie-turvy. After that, the Camp was broken up, and I returned to Paris. I will not yet forget to write that the day after the Castle of Compt was taken, Monsieur de Vendosme sent a Gentleman to the King to make report to him of all which had passed, and a∣mongst other things, told the King that I had greatly done my duty in dressing those that were wounded, and that I had shewed him eighteen bullets which I had taken or drawn out of the hurt bodies, and that there were divers more which I could neither finde, nor draw out; and told more good of me then there was by half. Then the King said he would have me into his service, and commanded Monsieur de Goguier his chief Physician to write me down as entertained one of his Surgeons in ordinary, and that I should go meet with him at Rheimes within ten or twelve dayes, which I did, where he did me the honor to command me that I would dwell near him, and that he would do me good. Then I thankt him most humbly for the honor it pleased him to do me, in calling me to his service.