Fol. 1. A 5 a YANT esté employé en l'armée du Roy1 qui estois " en Bretaigne soubz messieurs le mareschal d'Aumont, de St. Luc, et mareschal de Brissac, en qualité de marechal des logis de ladicte armée durant quelques années, et jusques à ce que sa maiesté eust en l'année 1598 reduict en son obeissance ledis" païs de Brestaigne, eus licencier son armée, me voyant par ce moyen sans aucune charge ny enploy, je me resolus, pour ne demeurer oysif, de trouuer moyen de faire vng voiage en a a Sic. BRIEF NARRATIVE H AVING been employed in the king's1 army which was in Brittany, under Messieurs the Maréchal d'Aumont, de St. Luc, and the Maréchal de Brissac, in the capacity of quartermaster 5 in the said army for some years, and until his Majesty, in the year 1598, reduced the said country of Brittany to obedience, and dismissed his army; and seeing myself thereby without any charge or employment, I resolved, so as not to remain idle, to find means to make a voyage to Spain, and, being there, to 1 Henri IV. * Jean d'Aumont (1522-95), created Marshal of France in 1579 by Henri III. He was sent to Brittany by Henri IV to oppose the Duc de Mercœur, and was killed at the siege of Caniper, August 19, 1595. 3 François d'Espinay de Saint-Luc (1554-97), made Grand Master of the Artillery' in 1596. He was killed in battle, September 8, 1597. • Charles II de Cossé-Brissac, brother-in-law of Saint-Luc, created Marshal of France in 1594. He served in the war in Brittany until its close. 5 A non-commissioned officer of cavalry, corresponding in rank to a sergeant of infantry. His duties related chiefly to the housing of his troop. Espaigne, en y estant pratiquer et acquerir des cognoissances pour par leur faueur [et] entremise faire en sorte de pouuoir m'enbarquer dans quelqu'vn des nauires de la flotte que le Roy d'Espaigne enuoye tous les ans aux Indes occidentalles, affin d'y pouuoir m'y enbarquer des particuliarités qui n'ons peu estre recongneues par aucuns Françoys, à cause qu'ilz n'y ont nul accez libre, pour à mon retour en faire rapport au vray à sa magesté. Pour donc paruenir à mon desseing, je m'en allay à Blauet,' où lors il y auoit garnison d'Espaignolz, auquel lieu je trouuay vng mien oncle nommé Fol. 1o. le Cappitainne Pr[ouençal,] teneu pour vng des bons mariniers de France, et qui en ceste qualité auoict esté entreteneu par le Roy d'Espaigne comme pillotte general en leurs armées de mer. Mondict oncle ayant receu commandement a Déchirure. acquire and cultivate acquaintances, in order, by their favour and intermediary, to manage to embark in some one of the ships of the fleet which the king of Spain sends every year to the West Indies; to the end that I might be able there to make inquiries into particulars of which no Frenchmen have succeeded in obtaining cognizance, because they have no free access there, in order to make true report of them to his Majesty on my return. To accomplish my design then, I went to Blavet,' where at that time was a garrison of Spaniards, in which place I found an uncle of mine named Captain Provençal, who was considered to be one of France's first-rate seamen, and who, in that capacity, had been commissioned by the king of Spain as Pilot-General of their sea forces. My said uncle having received command 1 Now Port Louis, a fortified town on the south coast of Brittany, opposite Lorient at the mouth of the river Blavet. It was the last place to be evacuated by the Spaniards after the peace of Vervins, concluded in Lescarbot's birthplace, May 2, 1598. |