from Verdun offered to open the hostilities, and promised to compensate richly them with the robs which this garrison has committed. He sent secretly to Pont-a-Mousson, immediately, for a high priority mission of information gathering, one of his trusted men and spies, two of whom were by his side, a man very knowledgeable about whatever to answer to the questions which people could ask him, and about whatever kind of information he has to notice carefully.
He should pretend to belong to the House of the widowed Duchess of Lorraine, Christine, a niece of the Emperor, and performing commissions for her at the imperial camp. He went in there late in the day using as a valid excuse, that he could not travel further on this day, hence giving himself in advance an occasion to observe the strengths of the enemies, and whatever they could be preparing. This skilful and decisive man put himself hence on his way, without anyone noticing, with his yellow banner which was the sign of neutrality in Lorraine; and arrived in less than three hours before the gates of Pont-a-Mousson. People asked him where he came from, where he would go to, what he intended to do and if had letters with him. He demanded to be led to the commanders; certainly, was the answer given to him. As he advanced before them (these were Don Alfonso of Arbolancqua, a Spaniard, and Fabricio Colonna, a Roman), he knew to answer so skilfully to all their questions, that they could not be discovering his very specific mission. He then asked the permission to retire in his place and inquired whether they have something to recommend to His Imperial Majesty. He hoped to be by him the next morning, and would do for them such faithful services.
They asked him, when he travelled through Toul, if he knew that troops from Verdun have come there, led by a certain Vieilleville. He then answered: ”Oh! These damned french frogs! He recently left Estain which he attacked, hanged one of my brothers, who was with my uncle and was officer there, because he has helped the Spaniards escape over the city walls. May he be plagued! If it did not cost me my life, I would have revenged myself against him; for the injustice committed was too great! We are all bound to do anything to serve our Lord, as it is our case with the Emperor and my Duchess. For if two of these Lords were captured; hence, people may learn about many secret actions to be done for His Imperial Majesty. And this enraged man has killed my poor brother, and he could not hide his bad deeds otherwise than by breaking the neutrality. May he be damned eternally!”
Fabricio Colonna and Don Alfonso who knew very well about Vieilleville’s expeditions and knew particularly this last detail, praised him highly. They took him aside and promised him to avenge the death of his brother, if he would do whatever they will ask to him. He answered, that he would not spare his life in that respect; however, he previously asked them to see the Emperor to bring him over the message from his Duchess. They asked him why he did not have any letter. “Because,” he said, “my message contained certain state secrets about the King of France. If I do not care now about transmitting the content of these letters; hence, I could put the whole province in jeopardy, for if I am caught, such letters would constitute a breach of neutrality, and I would also run the danger of being hanged, or at least, tortured!?”. They allowed themselves to be content with such explanation, and as they already believed to have won him to their cause, they had him led back to his place of stay, with the order to open him the gate of Metz at the earliest morning, without inquiring further about his occupations.
With the break of the day, he showed himself at the gate which would be opened to him without any further question. He went into the camp, remains there the whole day, and knew so well to appease the Duke of Alba, that he even received a letter from him for Fabricio and Alfonso concerning their affairs, in which they would be particularly commissioned to be attentive to a certain french commander, named Vieilleville, who has caused many damages to Margrave Albert's camp, and is now, from reliable information, for two days in Toul with his troops. They were ordered to treat well the messenger, whose zeal for His Majesty's service was known. They should, in that respect, not have any scruples to use him.
Immediately after receiving the letter, these spanish commanders praised him very much and said to him, that, indeed, it was not necessary for him to show his letter of recommendation to the Duke of Alba, for since yesterday, they have already, through his speeches, been convinced that he is imperially inclined. If he wanted to be rich, he should only use anything possible to bring into spanish hands the military leader Vieilleville who has so damaged the Margrave's camp. He answered that he wanted nothing else than to be able to kill him, so that he can pull his heart from his body, to avenge his brother's death. He demanded their help to that end, as a faithful servant of the Emperor, to assist him in this enterprise with all due power, for his brother was hanged at His Imperial Majesty's service.
Those who saw this zeal being expressed with tears, were now under his power for they did not have any more doubt about his motivation, embraced him; and Don Alfonso will hang around his neck a golden chain, worth fifty Thalers; however, he rejected this present with reluctance and said that he would never take something from them, if not in exchange of a distinctive service to the Emperor and in another occasion than this one where his own interest is mostly at play, for he has to avenge his own blood in this precise instance. At the same time, he offered them not to press him further, and only to give him free hand. They should only allow him now, to appear before the Duchess immediately; he promised, upon his return, to bring them good news.
Such a noble refusal to accept a present, and all the beautiful words totally convinced Don Alfonso and Fabricio; hence, they did not any more doubt his loyalty. They allowed him now to travel in order to see him again soon.
He put himself immediately on his way and came back to Vieilleville who held him already for lost, for he was already absent for three days. The news which he brought with himself, gave to this one a bold and strange tactical idea which he also immediately put into work, without entrusting it another human being. He instructed him to go back to Pont-a-Mousson and to tell the Spaniards, that Vieilleville would ride to Condé-upon-Moselle at the break of the day; to hold talk there with the Duchess who was staying there; for the Duchess feared that if the war between France and the Emperor should still last longer, people may have her son dance on a Piemontese song (to kill him for his land like the Duke of Savoy); he should, however, use the namely words. He should still add that Vieilleville who feared the garrison of Pont-a-Mousson, one hundred and twenty horses strong and with some equipped with cannons, would accompany him. He needs, by the way, really not very much to rush, so that Vieilleville has enough time to take his dispositions, and could only ride at his usual pace.
In the night, around eleven o’clock, the messenger left and arrived around two o’clock in the morning by the Spaniards in Pont-a-Mousson which would be set into a joyful surprise with his report. With the most possible rapidity, they took their dispositions for this lucky capture which completion they really did not doubt any more. The whole garrison which was still stronger than the enemy opposing it, must leave by horse, so that only somehow fifty guns were left in the city, and people can judge the victory already for certain.
Vieilleville has, in the meantime, as soon as the messenger has left the gates of Toul, called together all his senior staff with the Duke of Nevers, and declared them, that he projected a courageous enterprise whereby they must however be ready to spend ten hours on horse. He assured them that something important would come out thereby, and would give them much honour and advantage. All were happy with the project and made themselves immediately ready. They left the city, rode for three quarter of an hour up to the bridge toward the forest of Rouzières. There, Vieilleville divided the troops and put it in ambush in different places. He himself held the surrounding plains with hundred and twenty horses, and anyone coming his way, whether worker or wanderer, would be arrested, so that the enemy could not learn anything about their presence. As soon as the enemy would be in sight, everyone should do whatever he himself would be doing; the trumpets should not sound, until he ordered so, or else, it would be at the cost of their head. Readers must still be told that during the absence of his messenger, he has inspected the whole territory, in order to occupy the camp correctly, to see where he, as an experienced soldier, could set up his ambush most efficiently.
After ordering everything in this manner,
