THE honorable attēpts which that renowned Knight Sir Roger VVilliams, hath sundry times made vpon the enemy, not onely by entering by force of Armes into his strongest holdes, but also in withstanding and resisting his mightie and huge multitude of Armed men, that haue sundry times to theyr great losse, assaulted, & made offers for entrance into such Townes and holds wherof hee hath had charge: hath giuen mee iust cause to publish this hys most laudable enterprise, which was lately performed against two Regiments of Souldiours, both hardie and skilfull, (although on the enemies side,) who hauing a wrong cause in hand, are ouerthrown by the outstretched Arme of the Almighty, the one Regiment appertaining to Lorrayne, the other to Mounsier de la Lownde.

These two Regiments came from Roan, and planted thēselues at Cinque Saunce, supposing there to inhabite, and to surprise and gette victuals for theyr maintenaunce. To this end they fortified themselues rounde about with Barricadoes, which kinde of fortification is very strong: yet for that it may the more easily be vnderstoode of the simple sort of people, I haue thought good to describe it heere in more plaine manner, that they may as well know and vnderstand it, as those that haue beene continually trayned vppe in Martiall exercises.

Thys kinde of fortification called the Barricadoes, is Pipes, Hogs-heads, Wine vessels, and such like, which beeing filled and harde rammed with earth, are sette close one by one, each by other, and one vppon another, which is of such force and weight, that they can not be easily remooued or entred into, but standeth as strong as any Mudde-wall, whereinto shotte of verie great force cannot enter but recoyle: thus were they enclosed, as is aforesaide, within this Barricadoes, and none durst passe by them for feare of theyr liues.

But these two Regiments, for theyr better safetie, omitted not the hammering in theyr heades, howe they might find meanes for the same: and so consented, that for theyr more assurance, they placed a troupe of horsmen in a Wood, distant two leagues off from the place where they had fortified thēselues, the same Wood beeing full in the passage or high-way from Deepe, supposing therby, that if any resistance shoulde come from Deepe, (which they greatly doubted) that some of those horse-men might retyre backe, onelie to giue intelligence vnto the two Regiments, whereby they might not onely come themselues, for the surprysing of the power, but thereby also procure a fresh supply frō Roan, to backe them if occasion should serue.

The Gouernour of Deepe, named Mounsier de Chartres, with Sir Roger VVilliams, who lately came thether, and being there at that present, hauing receiued intelligence of the fortification, and intent of the Enemie, together with the great strength of the Barricadoes, resolued speedily to depart from Deepe, which they did the same euening, taking theyr iourney towardes Cinque Saunce, which is nine Leagues from thence. Thys was on Wednesday in the euening, before Whitsonday last, and trauailing all the night, came to the Wood no the next morning being Thursday, hauing with them foure hundred French-men, & three hundred Englishmen, where they found a troupe of horsmen to resist theyr passage, vpon whom they made a very fierce assault: but the Englishmen gaue such a hote charge vpō them, that all those horse-men were soone surprised & slaine, so that none of thē escaped any waie, to discouer any thing heereof vnto those that lay fortified in the Barricadoes. Thus leauing the dead bodies of the hors-mē in the wood, & taking some of their horsses, the Gouernor & sir Roger VVilliams passed along to Cinque Saunce, & being come thether before noone, they descried the enemy with their Ensignes displaied within their fortification. But the Gouernour of Deepe, perceiuing their fortification to be wonderful strong, alleaged that it was vnpossible to enter it, & therefore perswaded sir Roger to goe back againe, and the rather considering that the enemie was two to their one.

But sir Roger who hath alwaies borne an vndaunted minde, and known to be a man greatly approued in such Martiall attempts, replyed, saying, that it were a great dishonor for him so to do, wherefore he chose to haue sette vpon them with his own three hundred men, though it should cost both him & them their liues, rather then to shrinke from them, or to be daunted by their great countenance of strength, without attempting to enter thē, considering they were neere in sight one of another, and with this resolution aduaunced his colours, marched towards them, meaning himselfe wyth his small company, by the assistance of God, vpon whom he onely trusted, eyther to enter and surprise them, or els to lose his life in that place.

The Gouernour of Deepe, seeing the braue and most honourable resolution of Sir Roger, was wonderfully encouraged to the enterprise, and thereuppon protested to take part also in the saide attempt with his 4. hundred souldiours, whatsoeuer shold chaunce or betide vnto him, and thereuppon displaied hys Ensigne, and together with Sir Roger, vowed by Gods assistance to enter the Barricadoes, and to charge vpon the enemie. Whereupon the Gouernour cheered vp his souldiours, & willed thē to fight in the behalfe of their lawful King, whose right they were bound to defend, & whose right doubtles Almighty God wil prosper to the confusion of his enemies.

Sir Roger VVilliams also in very louing and familiar sort, as his vsuall custome is, cheered vp his Souldiours, and vttered vnto them this effectuall speech following.

Thus doone, they prayed together hartily (to God) vpō their knees, to giue them the vpper hand ouer their enemies.

After they had prayed vnto Almighty God, and promised each to other, either to vanquish the enemie, or to die euery man at the others feete, rather then they would flye one foote: they immediatlie refreshed thēselues with such victuall as they had, and then marched forwarde with great courage, displayed their Ensignes, strooke vppe theyr Drums, & with their Trumpets sounded defiance to the enemies face. Thus with an vndaunted resolution, the valiant English Souldiours gaue a fierce charge vpon the enemy, & did assault them in such sorte, as if they had not trauailed al night, or skirmished with any other before their cōming thither. This fight continued two houres space, in which tyme, much powder & shotte was spent against the Barricadoes, into which the Souldiours by strong hand valiantly entred, Sir Roger being one of the formost, who buckled and fought hand to hand with the principal Gouernours of the enemies souldiours: against whom also the Gouernour of Deepe issuing, did valiantly behaue himselfe. In the ende, such was the good successe of the English souldiours by stil hartening on the French-men, that the enemies were constrained to turne their backes, being not able to fight any longer, or to flye from them, by reason they were all enclosed within the compasse of the Barricadoes, as if it had been in a stone wall. Thus did the English and French souldiours put those two Regiments of souldiours to the sworde, suffering none to escape aliue.

After it had pleased God to giue them this happy victory, they humbly vpon their knees gaue thanks vnto him for the same, singing Psalmes of prayse to the Highest, for prospering them in their enterprise, acknowledging that it was the outstretched Arme of GOD which had brought this miraculous thing to passe.

In thys battaile sir Roger and the Gouernour of Deepe lost very fewe men, for in al, there was not slain of their side aboue eleuen men, besides a few that were hurt, and in such sort, as that they are like soone to be cured.

The Generals heereupon tooke order, not to stay at anie hand, but speedily to returne againe to Deepe, suspecting, least some fresh supply should come from Roan vppon them, or by casting about, meete them in the midway homeward: and therefore gaue order immediatly that the Souldiours should leaue their spoyle behind them, to the ende they might not ouer-charge themselues with carriage: to which they were obedient, taking nothing with them, but those things which were light & easie of carriage. Thus they returned safely to Deepe, without carrying, shewing therein a notable fore-sight that Sir Roger had to preuent the comming of the enemie: who as it is credibly reported, came with a great power to meete thē in the midst of the high way, but Sir Roger & his troupes, were gone past foure houres before; by meanes whereof, the Enemie (God be thanked) was preuented of his purpose, and lost his labour.