publickly read by a clerk of the Counsell, the Duke of Lenox then said, that he thought Sir John Ayres the most miserable man living, for his wife had not only given him the lie, as he found by her letter, but his father had disinherited him for attempting to kill me, in that barbarous fashion, which was most true as I found afterwards. For the rest, that I might content myself with what I had done, it being more almost than cou'd be believed, but that I had so many witnesses thereof; for all which reasons he commanded me in the name of his Majesty, and all their lordships, not to send any more to Sir John Ayres, nor to receive any message from him, in the way of fighting, which commandment I observed: howbeit I must not omit to tell, that some years afterwards Sir John Ayres returning from Ireland, by Beaumaris, where I then was, some of my servants and followers broke open the doors where he was, and wou'd (1 believe) have cut him into pieces, but that 1 hearing thereof came suddenly to the house and recalled them, sending him word also, that I scorned to give him the usage he gave me, and that I wou'd set him free out of the town, which courtesie of mine (as I was told afterwards) he did thankfully acknowledge. About a month after that Sir John Ayres attempted to assassinate me; the news thereof was carried (I know not · how) to the Duke of Montmorency, who presently dispatcht a gentleman with a letter to me (which I keep) and a kind offer, that if I wou'd come to him, I shou'd be used as his own son, neither had this gentleman (as I know of) any other business in England; I was told besides by this gentleman, that the Duke heard I had greater and more enemies than did publickly declare themselves (which indeed was true) and that he doubted I might have a mischief before I was aware. My answer hereunto by letter was, That I render'd most humble thanks for this great favor, in sending to me; that no enemies how great or many soever cou'd force me out of the kingdome; but if ever there were occasion to serve him in particular, I shou'd not fail to come; for performance whereof, it hap'ning there were some overtures of a civil war in France the next year, I sent over a French gentleman who attended me, unto the Duke of Montmorency, expressly to tell him, that if he had occasion to use my service in the designed war, I wou'd bring over one hundred horse at my own cost and charges to him, which that good old Duke and constable took so kindly that (as the Duchess of * Antedor his daughter told me afterwards, when I was ambassador,) there were few days 'till the last of his life that he did not speak of me with much affection. I can say little more memorable concerning myself from the year 1611 when I was hurt, untill the year of our Lord 1614, than that I past my time sometimes in the court, where (I protest before God) I had more favors than I desired, and sometimes in the country without any memorable accident; but only that it happened one time going from St. Gillian's to Abergaveney, in the way to Montgomery Castle, Richard Griffiths, a servant of mine, being come near a bridge over Husk not far from the town, thought fit to water his horse, but the river being deep and strong in that place where he ent'red it, he was carried down the stream; my servants that were before me seeing this, cried aloud Dick Griffiths was drowning, which I no sooner heard, but I put spurs to my horse, and coming up to the place, where I saw him as high as his middle in water, leapt into the river a little below him, and swimming up to him bore him up with one of my hands, and brought him unto the middle of the river, where (through God's great providence) was a bank of sand; coming hither not without some difficulty, we rested ourselves, and advised whether it were better to return back unto the side from whence we came, or to go on forwards; but Dick Griffiths saying we were sure to swim if we returned back, and that perchance the river might be shallow the other way, I followed his counsell and putting my horse below him, bore him up in the manner I did formerly, and swimming through the river brought him safe to the other side. The horse I rode upon I remember cost me forty pounds, and was the same horse which Sir John Ayres hurt under me, and did swim excellently well, carrying me and his back above water; whereas that little nag upon which Richard Griffiths rid, swam so low, that he must needs have drowned, if I had not supported him. I will tell one history more of this horse, which I bought of my cozen Fowler of the Grange, because it is memorable; * Ventadour. I was passing over a bridge not far from Colnbrook which had no barrier on the one side, and a hole in the bridge not far from the middle, my horse though lusty yet being very timerous, and seeing besides but very little on the right eye, started so much at the hole, that upon a suddain he had put half his body lengthwise over the side of the bridge, and was ready to fall into the river, with his fore-foot and hinder foot on the right side, when I foreseeing the danger I was in if I fell down, clapt my left foot together with the stirrop and spurr flat-long to the left side, and so made him leap upon all four into the river, whence after some three or four plunges he brought me to land. The year 1614 was now ent'ring, when I understood that the Low-Country and Spanish army wou'd be in the field that year; this made me resolve to offer my service to the Prince of Orange, who upon my coming did much welcome me, not suffering me almost to eat any where but at his table, and carrying me abroad the afternoon in his coach, to partake of those entertainments he delighted in when there was no pressing occasion. The Low-Country army being now ready, his Excellency prepared to go into the field; in the way to which he took me in his coach, and sometimes in a waggon after the Low-Country fashion, to the great envy of the English and French chief commanders who expected that honor. Being now arrived near Emerick, one with a most humble petition came from a monastery of nuns, most humbly desiring that the soldiers might not violate their honor nor their monastery, whereupon I was a most humble suitor to his Excellency to spare them, which he granted; but said he, we will go and see them ourselves; and thus his Excellency, and I, and Sir Charles Morgan only, not long after going to the monastery, found it deserted in great part. Having put a guard upon this monastery, his Excellency marched with his army on 'till we came near the city of Emerick, which upon summoning yielded; and now leaving a garrison here, we resolved to march towards * Rice; this place having the Spanish army under the command of Monsieur Spinola on the one side, and the Low-Country army on the other, being able to resist neither, sent word to both armies, that which soever came first shou'd have the place. * Rees in the Duchy of Cleve near Emerick. Spinola hereupon sent word to his Excellency, that if we intended to take Rice, he wou'd give him battle, in a plain near before the town. His Excellency nothing astonished hereat, marched on, his pioneers making his way for the army still, through hedges and ditchés, 'till he came to that hedge and ditch which was next the plain; and here drawing his men into battle, resolved to attend the coming of Spinola into the field; while his men were putting in order, I was so desirous to see whether Spinola with his army appeared, I leapt over a great hedge and ditch, attended only with one footman, purposing to change a pistol-shot or two with the first I met; I found thus some single horse in the field, who perceiving me to come on, rid away as fast as they could, believing perchance that more wou'd follow me; having thus past to the further end of the field, and finding no shew of the enemy, I returned back that I might inform his Excellency there was no hope of fighting as I cou'd perceive. In the mean time his Excellency having prepared all things for the battle, sent out five or six scouts to discover whether the enemy were come according to promise; these men finding me now coming towards them, thought I was one of the enemies, which being perceiv'd by me, and I as little knowing at that time who they were, rode up with my sword in my hand, and pistol, to encounter them; and now being come within reasonable distance, one of the persons there that knew me told his fellows who I was, whereupon I passed quietly to his Excellency and told him what I had done, and that I found no appearance of an army: his Excellency then caused the hedge and ditch before him to be levelled, and marched in front with his army into the middle of the field, from whence sending some of his forces to summon the town, it yielded without resistance. Our army made that haste to come to the place appointed for the battle, that all our baggage and provision were left behind, in so much that I was without any meat, but what my footman spared me out of his pocket, and my lodging that night was no better, for extream rain falling at that time in the open field, I had no shelter, but was glad to get on the top of a waggon which had straw in it, and to cover myself with my cloak as well as I could, and so endure that stormy night. Morning being come, and no enemy appearing, I went to the town of Rice, into which his Excellency having now put a garrison, marched on with the rest of his army towards Wezel, before which Spinola with his army lay, and in the way intrenched himself strongly, and attended Spinola's motions. For the rest, nothing memorable happ'ned after this, betwixt those two great generals for the space of many weeks. I must yet not omit with thankfullness to remember a favor his Excellency did me at this time, for a soldier having killed his fellow soldier, in the quarter where they were lodged, which is an unpardonable fault, insomuch that no man wou'd speak for him; the poor fellow comes to me and desires me to beg his life of his Excellency; whereupon I demanding whether he had ever heard of a man pardon'd in this kind, and he saying no, I told him it was in vain then for me to speak; when the poor fellow writhing his neck a little, said, Sir, but were it not better you shall cast away a few words, than I loose my life? This piece of eloquence moved me so much that I went streight to his Excelllency, and told him what the poor fellow had said, desiring him to excuse me, if upon these terms I took the boldness to speak for him. There was present at that time the * Earl of Southampton as also Sir Edward Cecill, and Sir Horace Vere, as also Monsieur de Chastillion, and divers other French commanders; to whom his Excellency turning himself said in French, do you see this cavalier? with all that courage you know, hath yet that good nature to pray for the life of a poor soldier: though I had never pardon'd any before in this kind, yet I will pardon this at his request: so commanding him to be brought me, and disposed of as I thought fit, whom therefore I released and set free. It was now so far advanced in autumn both armies thought of retiring themselves into their garrisons, when a trumpeter comes from the Spanish army to ours, with a challenge from a Spanish cavalier to this effect, That if any cavalier in our army wou'd fight a single combat for the sake of his mistress, the said Spaniard wou'd meet him, upon assurance of the camp in our army. This challenge being brought early in the morning was accepted by nobody 'till about ten or ele * Henry Wriothesley, third Earl of Southampton. He had been attainted with the Earl of Essex, but was restored by King James and made Knight of the Garter. K |