[223] How important a matter this was, may be inferred from the fact that the Admiral took pains to dwell upon it, in a letter to Queen Elizabeth, written two or three days before his departure: "Advisant au reste vostre Majeste, Madame, que j'ay faict condescendre les reistres a laisser tous leur bagages et empechemens en ceste ville (_chose non auparavant ouye_): de sorte que dedans le dix ou douziesme de ce moys de Febvrier prochain au plus tard, avec l'aide de Dieu, nous serons bien prez du Havre de Grace," etc. Letter from Orleans, Jan. 29, 1563, Forbes, ii. 319. [224] "En cest equipage, nous faisions telle diligence, que souvent nous prevenions la renommee de nous mesmes en plusieurs lieux ou nous arrivions." Mem. de la Noue, c. xi. La Noue states the force at two thousand reiters, five hundred French horse, and one thousand mounted arquebusiers. [225] "The 8th of that moneth" (February), says Stow, "the said Admirall came before Hunflew with six thousand horsemen, reisters and others of his owne retinues, beside footmen, and one hundred horsemen of the countries thereabout, and about sixe of the clocke at night, there was a great peale of ordinance shot off at Newhaven (Havre) for a welcome to the sayd Admirall." Annals (London, 1631), 653. The passage is inaccurately quoted by Wright, Queen Eliz., i. 125, note. [226] Hist. des egl. ref., ii. 156, 157; Mem. de Castelnau, liv. iv., c. vii. and viii. [227] Mem. de Castelnau, liv. iv., c. ix. [228] OEuvres (Ed. Feugere), ii. 254; and again, ii. 257. [229] Davila, bk. iii., p. 85. [230] Castelnau (liv. iv., c. ix.), who was present, gives a less graphic account than Davila (bk. iii., pp. 85, 86), who was not. Hist. eccles. des egl. ref., ii. 159-161; La Noue, c. xi. 607-609. [231] Feb. 9th--the day before Sir Thomas Smith reached Blois. Letter to Privy Council, Feb. 17, 1563, State Paper Office; Hist. eccles. des egl. ref., ii. 160. [232] Hist. eccles. des egl. ref., ii. 162. [233] Sir Thomas Smith to the Privy Council, Feb. 15th and 17th, 1563, State Paper Office, Calendar, pp. 138, 141. It is now known, of course, that _bombs_ had been occasionally used long before 1563, by the Arabs in Spain, and others. But this kind of missile was practically a novelty, and was not adopted in ordinary warfare till near a century later.