in gold which hong downe vpon his brest all amounting to the value of two hundred Crownes in gould without any enamell or inriching with stones which coller should be carried daily about their necks vncouered vpon paine to cause a masse to bee said and to giue seauen souz sixe deniers for Gods sake In armies voiages and in their priuat houses it was sufficient to weare the image of Saint Michel at a little chaine of gould or a silke ryband The officers were a chancellor k No man might be Chancellor of this Order if he were not an Ecclesiasticall Prelate as an Archbishop Bishop or some notable dignitie in a Cathedrall or Collegiall Church or a Doctor of Diuinitie or Canon Law to keep the seale of the order Officers of the order to carry messages to make propositions in chapters and Assemblies to informe of the Actions of Knights to admonish and correct to gather the voyces in elections and the proofes of Nobility A register to write and inrowle the acts of the Order all the commendable prowesses worthy deeds of the head and knights their faults Iustifications corrections and punishments A Treasorer l The Treasurer must keep a Register of the guifts and good deeds which the Knights shall doe vnto the Order which shall haue in his custody the titles Relicks Iewells Ornaments Tapistry and Lybrary of the Order A King at armes called Mont Saint Michel who shall haue sixe score pound starling a yeare pension to carry the letters and commandements of the Order to informe of the prowesses of Knights and to make his report The reception and the oth After the decease of a Knight verified of his worthy deeds and merits They proceed to the election of an other to supply his place the voyces are giuen and receyued by writting in open chapter m The voices for the Election of a Knight are giuen in scroules and put into a basen of siluer which the Chancellor holds and the Chancellor declares who hath the greatest number if the rigour of such informations had lasted alwaies time which blemisheth the goodliest actions and weakens the strongest lawes had not altered any thing of the beauty and integrity of this Order They had not called it in contempt a hood for all heads for Nobility and vertue could not desier a quallity which brought them more honor and greatnesse when as he that merits to be chosen is aduertised of his election he presents him-selfe vnto the Chapter and addressing him-selfe vnto the King speakes these words Sir or my Lord if he bee of the bloud I haue seene your letters that by your fauour and of your most honored Bretheren and Champions of the worthy and honorable order of my Lord Saint Michel Bond of a Knight receiuing the Order I haue beene chosen n When the Knight chosen is absent the King sends the Herald of the Order vnto him with letters which carry the common consent of the order for his Election with a Coppy of the Statutes of the order to aduise if he will enter and bind himselfe by oath to the soueraigne and members of that body into the order and louing company where-with I thinke my selfe much honored and doe reuerently and thankefully accept it and doe thanke you as much as I may offering my selfe ready to obay and to doe all that I ought and may touching the said order Where-vnto shal be answered by the said Soueraigne being accompanied by the greatest number of Knights that may be Wee and our Bretheren Companions of the order for the good renown we haue heard of your worthy deeds vertues and merits hoping you will perseuere and augment them to the honour of the order and commendation of your selfe To defend the rights of the Crowne haue chosen you to be perpetually if it pleaseth God a brother and companion of the said order and louing company wherefore you must take the othe which followeth That withall your loyall power you shall helpe to keepe sustaine and defend o The Knights oweâ— personall seruice vnto the King in all his enterprises but wher there is some vrgent â—et the dignity and rights of the crowne and royall Maiesty and the authority of the soueraigne of the order and of his successors Soueraignes so long as you shall liue and be of the order You shall imploy your selfe with all your power to maintain the said order in state and honour and shall labour to augment it The affairs of the Order and not suffer it to decaie so long as you may preuent it If it should happen which God forbid that any fault should be found in you for the which according to the customes of the order p A Knight conuicted of any reprochfull act is depriued of the order and the Choller taken froÌ„ him The causes for which be may be degraded ar heresie treason and flight on day of Battell The Knight which is vniustly wronged by the King from whom he can obtaine no iustice Hee must deliuer vp his coller leaue the order not offending it in any sort but taking his leaue honorably you were to bee depriued sommoned and required to yeeld vp the said coller in that case you send it to the said Soueraigne or to the treasuror of the Order Degradation in Case of offence and shall neuer after the said Somation carry the said Coller and all other paines and corrections which may bee inioyned you for other lesse offences you shall beare and fulfill patiently and not beare by reason of the said things any hatred against the Soueraigne Companions and Officers of the Order You shall come and appeare in all Chapters q The day after St. Michaells â—east the Chapter of the order should be held there the Knights are inioyned to keepe the Councellls and corrections secret All the Knights are commanded to goe forth one after another the last come going first and the Soueraigne last An the Chancellor informes himselfe in taking the other of all the Knightes and of the Soueraigne himselfe of the wordes and actions of the Knight that is gone forth to know if he hath done any thing Against the honor renowne estate and duty of Knighthood Conuentions and Assemblies of the Orders Assistance at Chapters and obseruation of Orders or shall send according to the Statutes and Ordinances of the said Order and shall obey the Soueraigne and his Deputies in all reasoâ—able things concerning the duety and affaires of the same Order and shall with your loyall power accomplish all the Statutes Poynts Articles and Ordinances of the Order which you haue seene in writting and heard read and doe promise and sweare in generall as if you had taken an oath vppon euery poynt in particular Which things the said Knight shall promise and sweare in the hands of the said Soueraigne vpon his faith and honor The Coller habit cloke of him that is to be
will the gates are open for you and if they were not wide enough I would cause sixteene or twenty fadome of the wall to be beaten downe to make you a greater passage I am your father your will depends vppon mine g The fathers will iâ— soueraigne ouer that of the Sonne The power of the Father was in old time absosolute among the Romans Persians and Gaules ouer the liues deaths goods libertie actions and honor of their children I finde it very strange that you haue ingaged your word without knowing mine But it imports not The house of France by the grace of God is not so vnfurnished of Princes as it hath not some that will shew more affection then you haue done to maintaine her greatnes and honor This yong Prince desired rather to bee held a bad Sonne then a bad master Wilfulnes of the Dauphin Wee must beleeue that these clouds did not breake without some raine and that this fire of choller and loue was not quencht without teares The Duke of Bourbon who knew how to distinguish h Kings are offended when the subiects wil haue their children march equally with them The high Priests in the beginning of the yeare made publike prayers for the health and prospâ—ritie of the Emperor Tiberius blamed theÌ„ sharply for that they had added the names of Nero and Drusus his successors hearing it impatiently to see youâ—h march equall with his age Aequam adolescentes Senectae suae impatienter indoluit Tacit. betwixt the authoritie of the one and the age of the other and would not that there should remaine any conceit in the Kings minde that this wilfulnes was supported by his Councell at the same time tooke the oath of Allegeance promising to leaue the Dauphin and all intelligences and leagues contrarie to his Maiesties seruice The Dauphin could doe no lesse then apply himselfe to the obedience and humilitie which God and Nature had ordained him He humbles himselfe The King kept him neere him changed all his officers except his Confessor and his Cooke set good gards about him that no bad thing might enter into his eares i Hearing is the entrie vnto the Soule good or bad Counsells haue no other passage When the gardes of these gates are wonne they triumph ouer the sort Ad summam sapiens eris fi clauseris â—ures quibus ceram parum oft obdere Firmiori spissamento opus est quam vsum in sociis Vlissem ferunt Senec. and hee caused them to be obserued that came neere him to the end hee might call them to an account for the bad Impressions they gaue him He gaue him men The King reformes the Dauphins house better knowne and recommended for their wisedome and Integritie then for their cunning and subtiltie k Good men are alwaies necessarie about Princes they must chase away factious spirits who are more fit to disorder then to settle affaires It is also good to haue them that are cunning and politicke to imploy them against deceiuers commanding them to haue a care of this yong Prince who was of a good disposition but very tractable and might easily bee diuerted Many vitious inclinations creepe into mens mindes whereof wee must no more blame Nature then the Vine when as the Wine growes sower or Iron when it rusts How good soeuer the disposition be it corrupts and is spoiled if it be not entertained and education doth alwaies frame men after her owne fashion notwithstanding any lets of Nature They that are about this Prince Hee is watcht least he fall by the Kings commandement keepe him so short as notwithstanding that Will be a prerogatiue of humane libertie l The will which is in her libertie and depends onely on the power of reason aâ—mes at things which are desirable and to be affected The name of vertue among the Grecians came from that of desire for that it is properly and chiefly to be desired hee durst not will any thing contrarie to his dutie And for that the Dukes of Alençon and Bourbon had promised by the treatie to yeelde vp vnto the King the places which they held they hauing no other securitie but the Kings word and clemencie the Armie was not dismist before that all was executed Which beeing done a Peace was proclaimed and this reuolt which they called the Praguerie supprest in lesse then nine monthes The Dauphin remained still neere the King he serued him and followed him in diuers occasions It was an incomparable happines m It is a great contentment for a King to come to that age to fashion his successor and to make him partaker of his experience and authoritie for him to see his way made vnto the Crowne and to learne how to liue vnder so good a father Parts which frame a Prince The practise of warre vnder the conduct and instruction of so valiant a Captaine and so wise a King the essentiall parts which frame a Prince counsell force reputation n The same things which support the frame of an Estate as Councell force and reputation are the essentiall parts which fashion a Prince Councell teacheth him the true formes how to raigne well force consists in the 〈◊〉 of six conditions which make him mighty the which are to to haue his estate louing great armed rich and setled Reputation is the glorious brute of that efficacie as opinion giues it credit and respect amoÌ„g other Potentates and the instruments to raigne which be first knowledge to looke into the nature of subiects secondly wisedome to giue them fit lawes thirdly order of armes fourthly the art to make warre fiftly industrie to maintaine peace sixtly diligence to foresee accidents seuenthly meanes to amplisie his Empire eighthly iudgement to know the iealousies and interests of States ninthly dexteritie to temporise inconuenients tenthly quicknes to resolue eleuenthly celeritie to execute twelfthly constancie in matters resolued thirteenthly force in aduersitie foureenthly moderation in prosperitie fifteenthly and so firme a knowledge of diuine things that superstition make him not fearefull nor libertie rash He led him to the siege of Pontoise the Accademie of the most memorable exploits which had bin seen in those times Siege of Pontoise The English hauing indiscreetly o Eueâ—y man commits errors the FreÌ„ch haue and the English also in the deciding of their affaires King Iohn refused the offer which the Prince of Wales made him to yeeld vp all which he had conquered and the spoile Hee would beside al this haue the Prince and foure of the chiefe Noblemen of his Armie yeeld at his discretion This refusall was followed with the losse of a battell and the taking of the King King Charles offered the English in the confâ—rence at Calais to leaue them all that they held in doing him hâ—mage they refused it and had neither the one nor the other refused the kings offers who left them the quiet possession of that which
declaration of King of Gaule-Belgicke He came thither about S t Michell in the yeare 1473. the Emperor went to meet him D. of Bourgundy goes to the Emperour to 〈◊〉 conducted him into the Towne and offred him his lodging The Duke was contented to returne and lodge in a Monasterie without the Towne To haue that which he pretended he offred vnto the Emperor the marriage of his Daughter with the Arch-duke Maximilian his sonne who succeeded him in the Empire It was an Act of wisedome in the Duke z A Prince should alwaies prouide that his successor be not vncertaine Ne successor inâ—erto â—it This certaintie preuents practises and partialities to prouide for the succession of his Estates seeing that he had but one daughter but it was vanitie to buy the Title of a King so deerely The crowne the Scepter and other royall ornaments were made there was no let but in the Emperor why the Duke did not vse them but hauing demanded vnpleasing conditions their enteruiew brake off and neither Royaltie nor marriage succeeded The Emperor not to delay him and abuse him refused him the Crowne sodainely a Although they hold sodaine refusals to be the best and that he which denies speedily abuseth least yet when he that is refused mightie and may be reuenged they must win time wherewith all things are accommodated departed secretly from Treues and imbarked vpon the Rhin without giuing him any answere The Emperor mockes at the dukes demand not thinking himselfe bound to bid him farewell that was come without his priuitie The Duke was left alone with his mouth open to the ayre of his hopes swearing by S. George that Frederic should repent it and that he would haue by force that which he refused him vpon his intreatie and merit They continued a month together the publike discourses were of the meanes to make warre against the Turke the priuate past about this Royaltie Thus they parted both as much discontented as they seemed pleased at their meeting b Cranzius who writes this enterview hath these wordes Tandem minori alacritate digresti quam congressi sunt visi In the end they parted with lesser ioy then they came to gether The Duke of Bourgondy visited the Lands that were ingaged vnto him The Duke passeth by the County of Ferette where his soldiers intreated the poore Peasants so cruelly as from that time euery man studied how to returne to his first maister c The Duke was no sooner gone out of Brisac but the soldiers spoiled the towne coÌ„mitting a thousand insolencies and buâ—nt the Augustins Monastery Colmar refused to open her gates He past his Christmas at Brisac and there ended the yeare 1473. In the beginning of the next he returned to Montbelliard from thence to Besançon and then to Dijon The ministers of both Princes foreseeing that whilst the Constable liued Peace would be vncertaine 1474. and that one and the selfe same Sunne would see it spring vp and dye they make religious remonstrances and full of Conscience vnto their maisters and dispose them to a good reconciliation for the which by their consents there was a conference appointed at Bouuines Assembly at Bouines d This Conserence of Deputies for the K. and Duke of Bourgondy at Bouines in the yeare 1474. was sought by Imbercourt to reuenge the iniury which the Constable had done him at Roy. neere vnto Namur The King sent the Lord of Curton Gouernour of Limosin and Iohn Heberge Bishop of Eureux For the Duke of Bourgondy came William Hugonet his Chancellour and the Lord of Imbercourt The first proposition was to make away the Constable who was much aflicted for the Duke of Guiennes death it was the swarme which gaue him both hony and waxe e A great authority caÌ„not maintaine it selfe in a season when it is not respected that of the Constable could not continue but in warre warre was his element it entertained his Estats made him to bee respected both of the King and the D. of Bourgondy They held him to be a spirit of discord from whence came all Inuentions to make peace of no continuance and warre euerlasting Resolution taken to do iustice of the Constable and to maintaine his authority in Confusion They said that he was like vnto the bay tree in the hauen of Amicus which they called mad for that one branch of it being put into a ship all that were in it fell to iarres and deuision wherevppon they resolued that who so could first seaze on him should put him to death within eight dayes after his taking or deliuer him to the other party to dispose of him at his pleasure The best resolutions vanish away as soone as they are discouered The Constable had an inkling of this proposition f Great affairs should be managed with secrecy iudgement The resolution taken at 〈◊〉 against the Constable was not secret he was aduertised and by this meanes anoided the storme which threatâ—ed him but this was but to deferre an ineuitable mischefe and assembled all the trickes and deuises of his braine to breake off this assembly he aduertised the King how the Duke had sought him The Conble creepes into the Kings fauor to draw him to his party and of his great attempts to shake his loyalty and with what constancy and generosity hee had reiected his offers hauing no desire to affect any greatnes more assured nor any assurance more happy then the seruice of his King without the which there is not any thing in the world that deserued his loue or remembrance beseeching him Not to beleeue the passions g It is necessary to haue a sound and perfect Iudgment to discerne with what intention aduertisments are giuen which concerne the loyalty of a man of credit for oftentimes they are the practises of Enemies to make them frustrate When a Prince is iealous of his good seruants he remaines at the discretion of others Zenon vsed this policy against Phalaris of the Deputies of Bounines who set his head to sale to make a cruell sacrifice thereof to the Duke of Boâ—rgondies reâ—enge and to satisfie his discontent for that he could not draw him aliue vnto his seruice nor perswade him to so base a treason against his Prince The King beleeued him the more easily for that he knew well that the Deputies of Bouines were the Constables enemies in particular and desired to find their reuenge in his disgrace with the two Princes The priuate h A man that hath power authority and aspirces to more cannot indure to bee â—rost or contradicted Crastus being in an assembly which was held â—or the diuiding of the gouernmeÌ„ts of Prouinces seeing himselfe gainsayed by another bee flrooke him on the face with his first sent him away all bloudy Plut. hatred grew for that the Constable in an assembly held at Roy had giuen the lye vnto the Lord of
must alwaies accompany a Prince and if he will abate any thing it must not be in publike The Emperor Adrian was grieued when they tooke from him the content to lay aside Maiestie and be familiar with his seruants Dyon the barre for a greater proofe of his confidence and said vnto him That he was welcome that he would not haue him returne without all the assurances that he could desire of his loue That he would forget all that was past and respect him as the man whom hee did esteeme most and held most profitable for his Realme that whatsoeuer hee should do for him would be lesse then his merit and desire These words which seemed to come from the heart and from the purest of the Kings thoughtes bewitcht the Constables sences soe as hee could not consider that Princes doe couer their disdaine with false and deceitfull imbracings The Constable seeing that he had past so many sandes and shelfes without shipwrack was nothing the more humble not caring to oppose his modesty r Curtesie appeaseth hatred modestie Enuie Vertue Contempt and wisedome teacheth to march straight betwixt ennie and contempt to the enuy of some nor his discretion to the contempt of others He past the barre on the Kings side followed him to Noion renewes the promises of fidelity which he had made to abandon all Intelligences and practises which he had with his enemies and gaue a promise in writing vnto the King They were the seals whereof they spake in those times and are so often seene in the History of Alliances and Treaties of Peace This being done he returned to St. Quentin being amazed in himselfe how the King had so cunningly dissembled s The dissembling of apparant faults and which cannot be disguised is dangerous for a Prince for he whose fault bee dâ—ssebles growes more distrustful and feares that it is to take reuenge at a more conuenieÌ„t time which feare makes him resolue to preuent it Valens hauing discouered some soldiers faults did not punish theÌ„ yet he accused them least that dissembling should make them resolue to do worse Et ne dissimulans suspectâ—or foret so bold an affront The King sad that with patience and letting him alone hee would effect his will When as resolution and custome incounter with power and authority there is nothing impossible Moreouer a great courage maisters all things goe from one extreame vnto another that which is raised vp falls the hard is mollified the obseure profound and secret is discouered wee must onely win time which doth dayly produce changes contrary to mens immaginations yet the Kings seruants murmured that hee had indured the contempt of a Vassall That a subiect said they should bee so rash as to demand assurance to come vnto his Prince The Suisses t Caesar would not rest satisfied with the Suisses promises without bestages Diuico one of their CoÌ„manders answered for them that they had learned of their elders alwaies to receiue hostages and not to giue and that the people of Rome would know what to say Caes. lib. 1. were greeued although ruined and in disorder to giue it vnto Caesar saying that they had beene accustomed to receiue and not to giue What Insolency and presumption after that he had obtained assurance to choose out a place of aduantage vppon a Causey garded with soldiars presented himselfe armed vnto his maister and at need three hundred Gentlemen against him who had no meanes but by the fees u In France the fees are notable signes of the Princes soueraigne power they were in former times but for life Hugh Capet made them hereditary vpon condition that they should serue in the warre which they held and are not entertained among his men at Armes but with his money That a King should indure a barre betwixt him and his Vassall to talke together you will not beleeue it you that shall liue after vs and indure the paine of such an indiscretion A great Prince who dares not refuse his subiect any thing is faint hearted x To giue all that is demanded is the act of a man that is not of himselfe but depends of another Mucho pide el loco mas loco es elque lo da. A feale demands much but he is more foole that giues it It is an act of a free courage to refuse somthing of a great Prince to know what should be demanded or denyed and aboue all not to grant that lightly which being once giuen cannot be recalled nor taken away O Constable thou hast done thou hast done so bold an act as thou shouldst bee carefull it should not bee knowne that thou hadst once presumed to think it The King dessembled all and although he would willingly haue forgotten it yet he tried how difficult a thing it is not to remember an offence He could not loose that which he could not keepe and alwaies his memory was full of the portraits of the Causey and Barre The King still remembers the Causey and barre but he would giue the sinner time to repent y As soone as a subiect of quality straâ—es from his loue and duty they must seeke to reclaime him but first by mildnes before rigor It is good to take time to be aduised The second thoughts correct the first They 〈◊〉 Cecinna for too great heat in the punishing of offences giuing them no time to repent Proximam quamque culpam antequam penteret vltum ibat Tacit. Lib. 17. The first offence was punishâ—d before they could repent The euent doth iudge of his Counsell for by the mildnes of his words and his good vsage of the Constable he kept him from a leape which he was ready to make vnto the Duke of Burgundies discretion Yet the King did study of this insolency The Constable desiring rather to erre in aduancing himselfe too much then too little z We may faite equally in esteeming a thing too much or not enough shewed his contentment a Modesty requires that the great contentmens which ar râ—ceiued by the 〈◊〉 good countenance should not be shâ—wed by the excesse of ioy and insolency the pleasure of the mâ—â—d whicâ— is inuisible should participate of her nature and not be seene The King kept his discontent secret and bridled his choller vpon this consideration that a reuenge deferred may be executed and being once executed it cannot be recalled He keept his designe to be reuenged very secret vnder shewes of great loue yet resolued not to dye before he had troden the Constables pride vnder his feete and that he had made him stoope and eate the ground and his fingers to remember himselfe of his duty and that he must not play with his prince no not with his picture b Any thing that concernes the Prince is sacred it is a crime to touch it without respect It was a Capitall offâ—nce to sit neere vnto Augustus statue and to haue carried his imâ—ge into any place
Charles the seauenth armes against his sonne the Dauphin and takes S. Maixaint and Niort 9. Estates asseÌ„bled at Clermont euery man seeks to recouer the kings fauour 10 Repentance of the Dauphin and the Princes of his party 11. King Charles the seauenth pardons his sonne and refuseth to pardon them thut had corrupted him 12 A new order in the Dauphins house 13. Instructions which King Charles giues him 14. Seige of Pontoise the Academies of military exercises The taking of Tartas 15. The taking of Diepe The Kings armie in Languedoc 16. Montbeliard taken Basil besieged 17. Suisses defeated at the Hospitall of St. Iames of Basil. 18. Truce betwixt France and England 19. Death of Margret Steward wife to Lewis the eleuenth 20. Life of King Charles the seauenth The idlenes of peace 21 Lewis the eleuenth retires into Dauphiné Refuseth to returne at the Kings command 22 He passeth into Flanders to Duke Philip who lodgeth him at Gueneppe 23. Practises of Lewis the eleuenth 24. Hatred and contrariety of humors betwixt Lewis and the Earle of Charolois 25. Birth of Ioachim of Valois first sonne to Lewis the eleuenth 26. Army of Charles the seauenth The Duke of Bourgondy in alarum 27. Distrustfull and suspicious nature of Charles the seauenth 28. His death with a collection of his principall actions THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE HISTORY of LEWIS the XI ISabel of Bauaria Disinheriting of Charles the Dauphin an ambitious Princesse and a cunning woman but a cruell mother a Humane wisdome 〈◊〉 deceiued in matters which it thinkes iâ— hath foreseenâ— Charles the 5. had desired to seeke an alliance in Germany for his sonne to fortifie hâ—m against the English Hâ— married Isabell daughter to Stâ—phen Dâ—â—e or Bauaria 〈…〉 nature â—anded against Charles her sonne to transport he Câ—owne to strangers had so great power ouer the will and weaknes of Charles the sixt her husband as he disinherited the Dauphin his sonne and gaue the Crowne of France to Henry the fift king of England his son in lawe by a treaty made at Troie the xxi of May 1420. This declaration published at the Marble table was followed by another of the Kings Councell which promised to vse all the seuerities of Iustice against the Dauphin to punish him for the murder of Duke Iohn slaine at Monstereau A murther which making an altar vnto Mars of all France gaue him for offerings not prodigious showes of vices but an infinite number of braue men worthy of a more happy age and a better end He that knowes not the History cannot vnderstand that of the warres which it hath caused betwixt the kings of Fraunce and the house of Burgundy nor of those tragicall effects of malice and hatred which continued all the raigne of Lewis the xi But behold a true Table Charles the vi b Charles the 6. going from Mans in Iuly in the extreaâ—most heat of the day his head being couered with a great hood of scarlet he meâ— with a man 〈◊〉 â—eaded and bare-legged 〈◊〉 in white rugge at the enâ—ry of the forest who staying his horse by the reyacâ— said vnto him King ride no farther for thou art betraid These wordes to a spirit weakened with care watching distemperature and distrust turned his braine and made him mad O what misery did this poore head bring to the whole body of France for the infirmity and weaknes of his spirit Distraction of Charles â—he 6. suffered himselfe to be gouerned by Lewis Duke of Orleance his brother whom he loued dearely Philip Duke of Burgundy Vncle to the king by the father grew first iealous then an enemy to this great authority and his hatred tooke such deepe roote as it died not with him for Iohn his sonne was his heire and sware the ruine of the house of Orleance The two factions are framed Faction of Orleanois and Burgonians and the heads discouer their hearts by their deuises the motto of that of the Duke of Orleance was Ie l'enuie hauing a knotted staffe that of the duke of Burgundy was a Ioyners plan with this motto Ie le tiens th' one shewing how he would maintaine his authority and the other how he would ouerthrow it The Duke of Burgundies designes succeeded both to the ruine of himselfe and his house He grounded himselfe vpon the practice of the Townes and especially of Paris supplanting the Duke of Orleance of all c The credit and confidence which they haue in a man of commandement is the cheife support of his authority for from thence proceeds the loue of the people which is a buckler vnto the 〈◊〉 and a stâ—ong ramâ—iâ—e against 〈…〉 and wicked credit and loue and seeking to make him hatefull in the speeches but worse in the affections of the people who were otherwise incensed against him for some new subsidies which he had raised The first effect of this cruell hatred was that after many combustions both within and without Paris Death of Charles D. of Orleans and euen then when as they thought their minds were least inflamed the Duke of Orleance returning from the Queenes Palace where she then lay in and hauing past most part of the night by her on the 20. of Nouember 1407. fell into the hands of xviij murtherers which slew him It was a spectacle full of pitty the next day to see about this poore sicke King the widow d Valentine of Milan widdow to the Duke of Orleance Charles Philip and Iohn her sons Isabâ—l of Fâ—ance the Kings daughter married to Charles eldâ—st sonne to the Duke of Orleance the Kings of Sicile and Nauarre with the Dukes of Berry Bourbon demaund iustice of the murther and her three sonnes assisted by the three Princes of the bloud imploring iustice They seek out the crime but they finde not the offenders The Duke of Burgundies hatred is a great presumption that these were the fruites of his reuenge The Duke of Burgundy flies into Flanders all mens eyes were cast vpon his which his conscience made him to hould downe He drawes the King of Sicile and the Duke of Berry apart and aduowes the fact he leaues Paris with fiue more in his company and recouers his country of Flanders in great hast so as the suspition was changed into apparant proofe Sone after he e The Duke of Bourgondy returning into France with a great army carried in a table two lances in saltire the one hauing a sâ—arpe head for the warre the other a burrhead for the tourney giuing the choyce of war or peace returnes with a mighty army they that would haue condemned him He returnes to Paris are now forced to seek his friendship Paris receiues him as the Demon Gardian of her wals he maintaines puqlikely that he had caused the Duke of Orleans to be slaine to free the estate from oppressions A Doctor of the Sorbonne vndertooke to iustifie him before the Kings Counsell with so great impudence and flatterie
preuailed in Normandy and Guyenne Peace treated at Pouilly and then a peace was treated betweene the Dauphin and the Duke of Burgundy vnder the assurance whereof the Duke came vnto the Dauphin being at Montereau Faut Yonne m The Dauphin sent Charles of Poitiers Bishoppe of Valence to the Duke of Burgundy to draw him to Monsteâ—cau in Gasteacis for that he had refused to come by Tanneguy du Chastel saying that it were better for the Dauphin to com to Troye The 10. of Nouember 1419. he came was slaine vpon the bridge which was fortified with 3. barres The Duke hauing past the first entred into some apprehension of his fortune and meeting Tanreguy du Chastel he laid his hand vpon his shoulder saying Behold hâ—m in whom I trust and presenting himselfe vpon his knee Robert de Loire taking him by the arme sayd vnto him rise you are but too honourable who rising laid his hand vpon his sword to drawe it forward for that it hung too much back then said de Loire vnto him Doe you lay your hand vpon your sword before my Lord the Dauphin whereupon Tanneguy du Chastell stroke him so forceably vpon the face with a battell-axe as he made him to fall vpon his knee and cut off his chin another thrust his sword into his belly The body being stript was drawne into a mill and buryed the next day This death reuenged the house of Orleans but it gaue so great a share of the Realme to strangers as there remained very little for Charles who presently after the death of the Duke of Burgundy was declared by the king his father at the perswasion of his mother vnworthy to succeede vnto the crowne of France Hee might iustly haue appealed from these declarations to the Kings good sence but seeing him decay daily and that hee was still vnder the gouernment of this Medea he chose rather to appeale to God n Priuate persons haue many Iudges kings haue none but God saies M. Anthony Dion Niceâ—s the Iudge of Kings and to his sword lamenting with teares drawne from the bottome of his heart his owne miserie and that of France This disorder Death of K. Henry the fifth Charles the sixth contrary to the reason of nature the lawes of the realme was followed with strange changes Henry the fifth dies and 50. daies after Charles the sixth king of France Henry the sixth king of England is crowned at Paris Charles the seauenth at Poictiers there were two kings in one Realm two parties two armies but the English holde Paris and the first o In all factions the authority of the Senate is of great force Otho to shew the difference of his partie that of Vitellius said Nationes aliquas occupauit Vitellius imaginem quandam exercitus habet Senatus nobis cum est Sic fit vt hâ—c Resp. inde hostes Reip. constiterint Tacitus Hist. lib. 1. Senate who thought that all authoritie and soueraigne command was in effect on their side that the king had but the image some calling him for pitty sake Dauphin of Viennois and others in mocking King of Bourges or Earle of Ponthieu there remaining nothing to make him knowne to be the fourth sonne of Charles p Charles the 6. had 5. sonnes Charles who died of a â—â—â—sumption at 9. yeeres Lewis D. of Guyenne who died at 19. Iohn Duke of Touraine married to Iacquet of Bauaria in the yeaâ—e 1404. Charles the seuenth borne in the yeer 1402. the fiâ—th was he of whom the Queene was brought to bed when the Duke of Orleans was slaine the sixth but a peece of the crowne He goes to field weake of all things of armes friends men and mony but strong in right and courage to maintaine the quality of his birth which the enuy of fortune and the conspiracie of his enemies could not take from him for his mother had brought him into the world vnder purple q The Emperors of Constantinople ordained that their wiues should bee brought in bed vnder purple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nicetas lib. 5. and the flower deluce There is nothing so powerfull as a good cause maintained with a good sword nothing doth so much comfort the soule in aduersity nor moderate it in prosperitie as the iudgement of conscience when as she feares not to haue her intentions knowne to God and men But seeing himselfe forced to vanquish before he raigne that victories depend of the force of Armes and that the triumphant Chariot of Mars is not moued but by the force of gold and iron r Fower things do perpetually follow warre men iron siluer and bread but of these 4. the two first are the most necessary for that mâ—n and iron cannot furnish siluer bread but bread and siluer may find men and Ironâ— that the springs of his treasure are drawne dry and the royall reuenues held by his enemies he procures his subiects to assist him with taxes Taxes ordained The French who haue alwaies excelled other nations in fidelitie and deuotion towards their Kings not knowing what it is to haue good when they want did contribute freely cheerefully to the necessities of Charles who like a good Shepheard was content to fleece his 〈◊〉 and not to flea them France which had beene besieged 70. yeares Miseries of France last 70. yeares with the miserie and calamitie of warre might well haue beene without this cruell diuision which was no other thing then a conspiracie of the Children s Ciuill warre is a mortall seuer in an estate This ardent desire in the Graecians to make warre in Greece is called by Plutarch a conspiracy against themselues by the which they staid with their own armes the fortune which led them to the height of felicity and turned their weapons against their owne bowels to turne the points of their swords against their owne bowels to inuite their Ancient enemies to the funerals of her liberty and to bring back those cruell and bloudy dayes for the which England hath giuen to the two Edwards the proud titles of Lightening Edward the third and the Prince of Wales and Eagle There was nothing in generall but miseries confusions amasements and desolation The pesant being stript both of flesh and fat had nothing left but bones and they were bruised The Historie admires that euen the cattell hearing the bell a signe of the enemies approch fledde of themselues to recouer their retreates She had so lost her first excellence as she seemed a building of whose beauty no man could iudge but by the peeces that remained of her ruines Vertue and Fortune t For the greatnes and continuance of an Empire fortune or to speak better prouidence and destiny must agree with vertue Roma vt ageretur sublimibus incrementis faedere pacis aeternae virtus conuenit atque forâ—una quarum si altera defuisset ad perfectam non venerat summitatem Ammianus which in the beginning
bene made and it was reason that he which had done the harme should shew some repentance and serue as a table in the history of France that a Prince which wants piety towards God and Iustice towards men falls alwayes into o He that hath pietie iustice for the guide of his actions frees himselfe happily from confusion in all sorts of affaires These bee the glorious titles which Demetrius purchased 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 religious to the gods and Iust to men confusion The Duke said that he pardoned him for the loue of God promising him to be his friend enemy to his enemies and to renounce the aliance of England and the deputies of the Councell dispenst him of the oath which he had made not to treat without the King of England This happie and memorable peace Peace of Arras sworne the 24. of Nouember 1435. was followed with great blessings for the French and great ruines for the English This was the Comet which threatned their ruine in France and which brought the Duke of Bedford vnto his graue Death of the Duke of Bedford Regent in France for the English With the like griefe six dayes after the treaty p Isabel of Bauaria contemned of the English and Bourgundian for whom shee had â—anded her selfe against her sonne dyed at S. Paul house the last of September 1435. she was carried by the Riuer of Seine to S. Dennis and buried without pomp Her tombe was built in the same place where her husbands was and her portrait is yet to bee sâ—ene in the window of that Chappell dyed that old malicious woman the Queene mother stepmother to the king and Realme She wanted meanes to liue before her death for being no more assisted by the Duke of Bourgundy the Duke of Bedford caused her to fast vpon dayes which were not commanded to be fasted lying in Saint Paule house She had alwaies liued full of honors and affayres and now she dyes plunged in miseries and contempts The reduction of Paris was the fruit of the peace she opened her gates vnto the King Reduction of Paris which shee had shut against him for the loue of the Duke of Bourgundy for she hath dealt with friendships as with flowers the new haue alwaies beene most pleasing vnto her The King was at Montpelier when Paris was reduc'd The q The English were chased out of Paris the 27. of February 1436. where they had entred in the yeere 1420. English depart the Lillies flourish and the Kings will with the lawes of the Realme are honored there The King made his entry and was receiued as victorious of his enemies by his valor and of himselfe by his clemencie forgetting so many iniuries whereby the people had incensed him Here I seeke the Dauphin and the Historie doth not showe me him 1437. although it be credible that the father did not forget to haue him seene in this great occasion in his capitall Citie no more then at the assembly of the estates which he called at Orleans But I finde him on horsebacke at the age of fourteene yeares and commanding the Kings armie before Monstreau Faut-Yonne Hee tooke the towne by assault and the Castle by composition and made so good warre with the English that were within it as they gaue him thankes in the Kings presence confessing that hee had giuen them cause in admiring his valor to commend his bounty to the which they were bound for their liues r A Prince which saues his life whom he may kil cannot do any thing that brings him sooner to the height of glory and reputation nec vlla re propius homines ad deum accedunt quam salute hominibus danda Cic. Neither is there any thing which makes meÌ„ liker vnto Gods then by giuing life vnto men This first beginning applauded by some old Knights flattering this yong Alexander who beganne to bee discontented for that his father left him no worke to doe made him to conceiue better of himselfe then hee ought For such flattering opinions s Flattery doth so transport young Princes with a good opinion of what they are or should be as it is easily conuerted into presumption and admits no counsell nor conduct are fruitlesse sproutes and vnprofitable leaues which grow too fast in these yong plants and in the end kils them The Father who had made him Captaine so soon repented as suddainely for he beganne to make showe that hee was not borne to follow but to goe before Martin Gouge Bishop of Cleremont Christopher of Harcourt and the Lord of Chaumont make him beleeue that his valor and courage would not suffer him to stay there that the more he should eleuate his trumpet of fame the farther it should bee heard that he could not beginne any exercise of glorie and reputation to t Alexander at 16. yeares of age defeated the Megariens and was at the battell of Cheronea wherefore Demosthenes called him child Hannibal was but eleuen yeares old when hee made open professioÌ„ of armes Wee must obserue saith Phil. de Commines That all men which haue don gret matters haue begunne very yong Warre is a science which is not learned by discourse It is a troublesome practise for him that hath not accustomed it from his youth Paul Emil. soone and that he should not attend vntill that fortune tooke him by the hand to lead him to the Empire of men but he should goe and meete her These Councellers were spirits that were not capable to command nor to be commanded and which could not liue vnder that great rigor of the Kings authoritie Bad counsell giuen to Lewis who knowing his humors allowed him not what he desired and made him giue eare to such as found no other course for their greatnes and who assured him that there was no other way for his rising then to absent himselfe from the presence of his father An aduise which could not bee commended but by such to whom all wickednes is commendable For of badde counsels such as was neuer giuen by men that were u Integrity or fidelitie sufficiencie or wisedome are the two principall qualities of good counsellors they add a third which depends of the precedent to haue his heart free from passion and priuate interest wise discreete and without any priuate interest three rare qualities but necessarie for him that takes vpon him to counsel another the worst and most pernicious is that which deuides the Sonne from the Father and withdrawes him from the dutie wherewith hee is bound by the lawes of nature and religion x The commandement of the Childrens dutie was halfe written in the first table which regards Gods right and halfe in the second table wherein are commâ—ndements which concerne our Neighbours as beeing partly diuine and partly humane nothing beeing able to extinguish this bond free this seruitude nor dispence him from the obedience due to the fathers commandements how
vnto fire but they haue neither the vertue nor the hardnes They found not any spirit well setled that would follow them but euery man stopt his eares at the first brute as if they had been inchantments All were amased i An vniust rash enterprise strikes horror into good men who foresee the miserable euents at the ignorant vulgar holds them fauorable they must stop their cares to their first prâ—positions for if they enter into the soule 〈…〉 it with confusion Claudendae sunt aures malis voelbus et quidem p. imis Nam cum initium fecerunt admissaeque sunt pâ—us audent Sen. at their boldnes and euery man said that fury would draw these wilde Bores into the toyle that the Foxes craft would not free them from the snare The Nobility of Auuergne giue them to vnderstand that if the Kinge came into the Country The declaration of the nobâ—lity of Auuergâ—e they could doe no lesse then to open their gates This name of Kinge and such a King against whâ— they could not arme but the reliques of his victories who had made so great proofes of his valor and courage made the most mutinous to tremble k A Prince whose great actions purchased the name of valiant and wise is alwaies feared and respected This authority disperseth all kind of factions and conspiracies when as carelesnes and contempt giues them life It was an Anuill which would weare all hammers Euery man said vnto the Dauphin I am yours without exception reseruing my duty to the Kings seruice The King could not yet dispatch his affaires with the English The Kinge of England had failed of the assignation made on the first day of May at S. Omer The King armes against the Dauphin to consider of a peace and made himselfe be sought vnto This trouble could not be but to the profit of the enemies of France He resolued to goe himselfe against this conspiracy before that time and the Innouation the auncient Idol m Caesar blamed the Gaules for a curious deâ—iâ—e of Inouations They are said he very inconstant in their opinions most commonly desire change of the French had giuen it more force Hauing fortified the frontiers against the English he aduertised his sonne of his duty but good wordes serue but as oyle to feede the lampe of this yong Princes desires He must vse sharper tearmes to force obedience n Good wordes are of no force to haue a difficult commandement â—bserued He that wil be obeyed in rigorous things must vse seueritie and authoritie So saies Machâ—auel in the third of his Discourses an vnpleasing commaund requires not milde speches He came to Poietiers he sent to the Duke of Bourbon to deliuer him his sonne and to the Duke of Alençon to yeeld him his Townes of Niort and St. Maixant and to both of them to yeeld an account of those combustions to come vnto him and to call their fidellity vnto them They were farre of this storme could not hurt them They were no Children to be afraid of this thunder The Duke of Bourbon would not obey at the first summons without caution for his obedience He had rather haue his absence o To flie iudgement is to confesse the fault but oftentimes the innocâ—nt teach no defence against the persecution of one more mightie but absence a witnesse against him then repent him for his presence He had a good pawne in his possession he had Townes and Subiectes which had sworne to follow his fortune thinking that the war being betwixt the Father and the Sonne all that were actors in it should gaine by it at the least they should be free from danger for the Fathers bounty would refuse nothing to his Sons humility and that oftentimes fidelity was worse rewarded then p There haue beene ages seene so full of confusion as they must haue done ill to reap good If vertue â—ere not of it selfe a great recoÌ„pence to good men they migâ—t haue some reason to repent themselues of doing well when as their condâ—tion is infeâ—iour to that of the wicked rebellion The Duke of Alençon thought he should alwaies haue Niort and St. Maixant to make his peace He had sent la Roche to defend the Castell of St. Maixant S. Maixan taken by the King but the Towne intrencht it selfe and put it selfe in armes against him It was presently assisted with the kinges forces who sent the Admirall Coitiui and la Varenne Seneâ—hall of Poictou thither The Castell being forced la Roche escaped making a shewe to goe for succors and the Captaines which he left within it were hanged The Kinges forces attempted not any Towne but they took it q A Prince that hath to deale with his subiects performes great matters in time how diffâ—cult soeuer Some endured the Cannon and were spoiled Rion and Aigues perces opened their gates at the first summons Clermont and Mont-Ferrand who had neuer giuen eare to the perswasion of the Princes of the league receiued the King The Estates of the Country assemble at Clermont to order this diuision Estates assembled at Clermont which separating the sonne from the father diuided one heart into two The King thinking it fit that a busines of that importance which concerned the safety of them all should be consulted of by many r Although that a soueraigne Prince may resolue of any thing of his own motion yet it is fit hee should commun cate it So Augustus made a pleasing sweet medlâ—y as Dion saitâ— of a Monarchie and a popular state hee appointed this assembly There they represented freely the ruines which threatned the Realme and that the English had occasion to mocke at the boldnes of the Princes of the bloud which had attempted against the head of their house and banded the Sonne against the Father That it was fit euery man should returne to his dutie the King by the way of his bounty and clemencie to them that had offended him by that of iustice to his estate to serue s To raign is to serue Tiberius comprhendâ—d the dutie of a Prince in three words and three kinds of subiects A good Prince who is ordained for the safety of his subiects must serue the Senat serue his subiects in generall and serue euery priuate man To serue the Senate is to follow their Councell to serue all is to procure the publike good and to serue euery man is to do him iustice that demands it the which hee was ordained of God as well as to command and the Princes by that of obedience and repentance with amendment for their faults that although the iustest cause to arme against the Prince were vniust yet the King should consider that a great Prince should apprehend nothing more then to see his subiects ill satisfied t A priuate man is pleased in satisfying himselfe but the condition of a Prince is bound to content his subiects and to saâ—isfiâ—
they held in France reseruing onely the soueraigntie were declared enemies to all parts Paris beeing freed from their command desired to see them out of Pontoise and therefore they supplied the king with money to expell them Behold an armie of twelue thousand men before Pontoise good souldiars and inured to dangers who could both incounter and passe them without feare and knew better how to dye then to kill the best and onely part of valour The approches to Pontoise were not so well garded but Talbot enters and relieues Talbot releeues Pontoise it both with men and victuals The Duke of Yorke Lieutenant Generall to the King of England presents himselfe at Cenery and Hotonuille with 8000. men He sent a Herald vnto the King to signifie vnto him that either he should accept of a Battell or raise his siege In this first furie of the French there was not any one but said that it were better to eate rootes p Perseuerance forceth places Caesars souldiours beeing before Duras they had no bread but a root called 〈◊〉 they wiâ—hin the townâ— laught at the 〈◊〉 of the be 〈◊〉 being so ill furnished But they told them that as long as they found such rootes about Duras whereof tâ—ere were 〈◊〉 they would not dislodge and die then to raise the siege But the King would not hazard any thing The riuer was betwixt both Armies the King caused the bridge at Beaumont to bee garded the onely conuenient passage for the enemies Armie The Duke of Yorke had small boates to passe ouer his souldiors beneath the bridge towards the Abbey yet with such difficultie as ten men had beene able to hinder a hundred But the order was so great and the night so fauourable as the Armie was in a manner all past before the Sentinels had giuen the alarum A happie passage and which strooke such an amazement into the Kings Armie as the Captaines were more busied to wonder how the English had past then to keepe the rest from passing q A 〈◊〉 and admiration are weake Armes to stay as enemie Tit. Lin. obserues how the Romans passe a riuer whilest that the Spaâ—iards wonder and consult what they should doe Qui tumultum iniicere 〈◊〉 in ipso 〈…〉 Tit. Liâ— who might haue caused a disorder in the very passage of the riuer from constreining him The King raiseth the siege seeing there was a riuer betwixt both He wanted not-courage but iudgement to embrace the occasion and opportunity r Agisilaus being demanded what parls made the commander of an Army excellent and brauc hee answered courage against his enemies and counsell with iudgement in occasions that aâ—e offered He dislodged from Maubuisson leauing Charles of Anâ—on and the Admirall of Cottiuy with 2000. men in the fort of St. Martin and so retires to Poisy The Duke of York followes him thinking to ingage him to fight but the King wil not change his resolution which was not to giue a battell but to take Pontoise s When as the Duke of York sent to offer battaile vnto the King hee made no other answer but that seeing hee had such a desire to fight he should haue 〈◊〉 belly full and sooner then he looked for The Duke of Yorke passeth at Mante to victuall and refresh the besieged The King remained scorned by the English and contemned by the Parisians who repent themselues for the mony they had giuen him vnprofitably for the charges of this enterprise The greatest of his Court murmured for that he had retired so vnseasonably He sees his reputation so blemished as he resolues to take the place or to dye there he returnes thither within ten dayes after causeth the Towne to be battered in three places and a breach being made goes himselfe to the assault hazarding all for all He was forced to play the soldier to be a King vnles he would of a King become a soldier and try how insupportable repentance is not to haue done in an opportunity that which can no more bee done when it is past and how shee scornes at those ouerweaning wits which think in all places to ioyne authority to wisdome imparting nothing to necessity The Kinges t Necessity bindes a Prince to cast â—imselfe intâ— dangers In the waâ—re which the Emperor Albert of Austria had against the 〈◊〉 they demanded of him to whom he would giue the charge of his army he answered If any other then my selfe were your Captaine you would no more call me Archduke of Austria AEneas Silu. â—ib 3. de 〈…〉 affaires were not in such termes as he should be ashamed to be whereas the Cannon might glance by his crowne u Charles bragd of the wouâ—ds that he hadâ—receiued in the war and shewed them Timothâ—us an Athenian Captaine said I was ashamed before Sâ—mon that an arrow came from the walls and fell neer vnto me for that I had aduanced farther then was fit for a commander of an Army Plut nor to trouble his thoughtes to consider how hee should escape out of danger nor how much it did import that hee should escape The besieged cannot withstand the fury of the assault Pontosse takâ—n by assault they enter they kill the enemies and saue the Cittizen they heare not those cruell wordes let the friend perish with the enemy Those whom the fury of armes could distinguish and know for French were saued and the English slaine But it is hard in these encounters 〈◊〉 with fury and foming with reuenge to obserue any Image of iustice in sparing his friend or his host x 〈◊〉 that great Captaâ—ne who neuer slew any one vanquished held him a wicked men how good a Citizen soeuer that did not spare his friend or his hoste They speak of God when they go to a charge or an assault they recommend them selues vnto him they pray vnto him they make vowes At their returne they speake no more of him then if he had not beene present But the first thing and the first action which the King did at his entry was to giue God thanks acknowledging him the sole author of this victory y The glory of 〈◊〉 belongs to the God of Batteâ—â—s The King of france haue alwaies bene carefull of this duty Phillip Angustâ—â— after the Battell of Bouines caused the Church of our â—ady of victory to be built 〈◊〉 vnto Senlâ—s K. Lewis the twelfth built a Chappel wheras he won the Battel of Ghiaradadda vnder the name of St. Marie of victory King Francis the 1. did the like vpon the place of battel wheras he defeated the Suisses at s. Donaâ— without whom he had beene as much troubled with his owne Subiects as with the enemy For the Duke of Bourgundy was not so well reconciled as he desired not to raise the greatnes of his house vpon the ruines of the Kings affaires and the greatest of the Realme had already made secret assemblies to reforme the disorders whereof euery one had complayned
He assembled all the Princes The King rewards his serâ—ants Noblemen and Captaines he commended them that had done well z After a victory a Prince must take knowledge of such as haue done him good seruice honor recompence valor blame cowardize Luce orta saith Liui. in his 6. Booke vocatis clafico ad concilium mili tibus Manlius primam ob virtutem Jaudatus donatusque and thanked theÌ„ for the fidelity and proofes which they had showne he made many knightes and gaue to the Lord of Iâ—longe the place of marshall of France and a pension to him that entred first into Pontoise by the breach If the History knew his name she would giue him a murall Crowne and would doe him the like honor as the Parthians did to him that mounted first vpon the walls of Seleucia a The names of such as go to apparant dangers for the publicke safety should not be forgotten in a history and yet they remaine vnknowne 〈◊〉 they be not noted by some other quality then a simple soldier Plutarch remembers the name of Surena who first sealed the wall of the great Citty Seleucia the reason is for that hee was the second among the Parthians next the King The King led the Dauphin to Tartas being assieged by the English and then to Limoges teaching him stil that wisdome and temporising surmount all difficulties The Dauphin besiegeth Tartas and that it is a more excellent thing to settle his estate in peace then to spoile and wast his enemies contry With the instructions and maximes of his father who had giuen him in his infancy good gouernours and in his youth good councellors b Great Princes hauing had good maisters beeing little wise Counsellors being great haue effected great matters he made him capable of the actions of a Prince to command well and to cary the commandements of the King his father into Languedoc to frustrate the practise of the Earle of Armagnac Bastard of Armagnac fauord by Lewis the eleuenth The Bastard c This Bastard was made Admirall of France by Lewis the eleuenth who gaue him the Earledome of Comminge and the gouerment of Guienne whereof bee disposest Iohn Duke of Bourbon his Brother in law of this house aduertised him that the Earle of Armagnack treated of some alliance with the English Ielousie vpon such aduertisements are alwayes excusable and there is nothing that doth so much bind the wisedome of Princes as to foresee that great houses doe not ally themselues against their liking and transport vnto strangers the goods which should remaine in their estates which cannot be carried away without preiudice vnto them Such practises are more easily preuented then broken when they are made The house of Armaignac is ancient ritch and mighty in Guienne and her beginning is found in that of the Crowne of d D. Sancho surnamed the great King of Naturre hauing conquered some land in Gascogne on this side the Pyrenees gaue it vnto Garsias his sonne Earle of Armagnâ—c in the yeare 1013. he made his second sonne Arnold Garcias â—arfe of Estarac whose dissent is entred into the house of Foix and a branch of Candalle Nauarre Iohn 4. Earle of Amagnac Constable of France had bought of Iohn Duke of Bourbon the Earledome of Lisle Iourdain in the yeare 1421. for 38000. crownes of gold of 64. to the marke He had married Isabell of Nauarre The greatnes of his house and that of his alliance made him presume during the troubles of France when as euery man cast his eyes vppon the peeces of her shipwrack to qualifie himselfe Prince by the grace of God and to seeke the allyance of the English by the marriage of his daughter The King who made no difference betwixt treason and such allyances sent Commissioners to make the Earles processe as guilty of high treason hauing offended against the Lawes of France e Marriages treated with strangers without the Kings permission haue been dangerous for them that treates it Valeran of Luxembourg Constable of France was disgract by King Charles the fifth and King Charles the sixth dislikâ— the treaty of the Duke of Berries daughter with the Duke of Lancaster Philistus for this reason was banished out of the estates of Denis King of Sicile which forbids any Nobleman to make any marriage with strangers without the Princes consent The King sent the Dauphin thither who besieged Lisle Iordain and tooke the Earle of Armagnac Earle of Armagnac a prisoner at Lisle Iourdain His sonne fled into Spaine Iohn de Meaux second President of the Parlament of Toulouse had heard the Earle of Armagnac vpon his practise and had drawne from his owne mouth the truth of the principall points He thought that he should be quit for this confession f Natures wel bred are â—asily bound by fauors they would haue corâ—upted Lewis King Charles his father giues him part of the gouernment of the estate and of his affaires by which meanes he was drawne from thoughtes contrary to his duty and the peace of the estate and that the President hauing no other force then that of Iustice could do him no great harme but when hee saw himselfe a prisoner in the Dauphins power hee said that whatsoeuer hee had confest was against his owne conscience and the truth hauing onely spoken it with a desire to recouer his goods which the King had seazed on After hee had expiated this offence in prison the King restored him his liberty giuing the Earledome of Foix for a caution The Dauphin at his returne from this voiage was sent into Normandy with the title of Lieftenant Generall But we must obserue that he was twenty yeares old before he had any gouernment and that the King gaue it him only to disappoint the deseignes of such as would haue drawne him elce-where and did busie themselues more then he himselfe did in the estate wherein he was He chased the English from Deepe The Dauphin takeâ— Deepe and this victory did presently carry the generosity of his courage and the happines of his conduct throughout all the Prouinces of France whereas nothing did diminish the greatnes of this growing reputation but this reason that being sonne to so braue a father it was not strange to see him so valiant The French said that the father had need of such a sonne and the sonne had need of such a father The King glories to haue made him with his owne hand and to see his instructions so well followed he augments his authority and praiseth his command and sends him into Languedoc The Dauphin goes into Languedoc with a thousand Lances whereas his sword made his way He staid not his courage at small g A Prince must flye vanity and seeke the effâ—ct â—f a soâ—lid and true glory nam vt â—â—uitatis est in mem aucupart rumorem omnes vmbras etiam falsae gloriae consectari sic ieiuni est
esteeme of so great a dignitie which made them which were aduanced companions to the Pope and the hinges whereon the gates of the church were set o Statult sancta synodus vt deinceps Cardinalium numerus adeo sit moderatus vt ne sit grauis ecclesia nec superflua numerositate vilescat qui de omnibus Christianitatis partibus quantum fieri commodè poterit astumantur vt notitia rerum in ecclesia emergentium facilius haberi super his maturius deliberari possit sic tamen quod numerum 24. inter eos qui nunc sunt ad assumeÌ„dos non excedat Ita quod de vnâ— natione vltra tertiaÌ„ partem respectu Cardinalium pro tempore existentium ac de vna ciuitate et dioe cesi vltra vnum inde oriundum de ea natione quae nunc vltra tertiaÌ„ partem habet vsque ad ipsius tertiae pattis reductionem else neâ—queant The quality of Cardinals It would haue them also thirtie yeares of age lawfull and not deformed in bodie nor defamed in manners Doctors or Licentiates in the one or the other lawe with a rigorous examination and that the third or at the least a fourth part should bee Diuines not suffering them to receiue the Nephewes of Popes or of Cardinals that were liuing The congregation of the French Church being assembled at Bourges found this Article too rigorous It did also ordaine due recompences for learning and merit And that there should be Prebends in Cathedrall and Metropolitane churches for Diuines to read and preach and that graduates should be preferred to prouisions of benefices It did not allow that commonalties or prouinces should bee interdicted for the offences of priuate men or of Magistrates nor that excommunications should be of force before the sentence had beene pronounced and published It disposed of that which was necessarie for the ornament policie and direction of Diuine seruice it did punish but gently publike concubinaries hauing been first aduertised to reform themselues p Publici concubinarii saith the Councell of Basill intelligeÌ„di sunt non solum hi quorum concubinatus per sententiam aut confessionem in iure factam seu per rei euidentiam quae nulla possit tergiuersatione celari notorius est sed qui mulierem de incontinentia suspectam tenet per superâ—orem admonitus eam non a dmittit Prag Sanct. ¶ Publici tit de concubinariis They were freed for the priuation of the fruits of their benefices during three monthes Pope Pius the second was not to be blamed if he did so earnestly presse this reuocation and his Ministers did often solicite the King filling his conscience with feare of excommunication and telling him continually that there was neither Iustice necessitie nor profit that could giue the title of a lawe to that which was ordained without authoritie and that it was a sinne to subiect his subiects thereunto The Cardinall of Albie managed this pursuite La Balue q Hierom Garimbert Bishop of Galicia hath written these words of Balue essendosi infignorito dell animo dele Re simulamente loteneus in contiâ—â—o disparer con la sede Apestolica per vligar pâ—i il Papa a riconoscer la Reconciliatione dall opera dall autorita sua per consequente a gratificar lo del capel rosso come fece who had great credit with the King interposed great difficulties to make the Pope know that the effect of his intensions depended of him But as soone as he had promised to make him a Cardinall hee did fit his head to that hat La Balue being of a turbulent Spirit The Bishop of Eureux vndertakes to satisfie the Pope being desirous to trouble the affayres and to excell rather in Authoritie then merit went to the parliament to haue this reuocation passe S. Roman the Kings Attourney Generall opposed himselfe whom they threatned with the losse of his estate and to make him repent it He who desired that all things should faile him rather then to faile of his dutie and the dignitie of his charge said vnto Balue I had rather loose my estate my goods and my life then to doe a thing contrary to my dutie and the good of the Realme What Prisâ—us Heluidius r Priscus Heluidius was aduised not to come vnto the senate hee answered It is in the Emperors power not to make mee of the Senate but whiles I am a Senator hee shal not let me from going to the Pallace You shal be suffered said the other to goe so as you speake not Helu I wil not speake a word if they demand nothing of mee But they will aske you Helu And I will answere what I shal thinke fit If you speake they will put you to death Heluid And wheÌ„ did I brag that I was immortall You shall doe your duty I mine It is in you to kill me and in mee to die without feare it is in you to banish me and in mee to goe vnto it cheerefully could haue answered more generously The Vniuersitie of Paris made her Remonstrances vnto the king not to suffer the decrees conformable to the purest constitutions of the Church for discipline pollicie and libertie to be broken In this great agitation of minde the Popes Ministers promised the king that the reuocation of the Pragmatick Sanction should bee made without preiudice of the ancient liberties of the French Church and that the Pope would send a Legate into France to conferre the prouisions of Benefices so as the French should not be bound to send money to Rome The king vpon this assurance consented to the abbrogation Pragmatick Sanction abolished dragged through the streets of Rome The Cardinall of Alby was sent to Rome with charge to tell the Pope that the King submitted all the busines of the Church and the goods thereof to the Holy Father to vse in this Realme prout vellet as he pleased without any regard of the liberties of the French Church But being satisfied he had no care to giue the king that contentment which hee promised and suffered the patents to bee shamefully drawne through the streetes of Rome Behold how choller spares not euen insensible things They shaddowed this choller with a reason that the Pragmatick Sanction was bred in a time of Schisme and Sedition The courts of Parliament of France which haue the rights of the church as it were in protection did not allow of this reuocation so as it was neuer obserued and the Clergie did not obserue the Popes command vpon this subiect s In the beginning of Pope Leo his Bull wee read this Licet Pius 2. Nunciâ—s ad clarae memoriae LudouicuÌ„ 11. Franciae Regem Christianissimum destinatis tâ—ntis eisdem persua serit rationibus rationibus vt Rex ipse Pragmaticam Sanctionem tanquam in seditione Scismatis tempore natam suis patentibus literis abrogaâ—erit tamen huiâ—smodi abrogatio nec etiam
of all the other members The complaints of the Rigor d When as the people are opprest they dare not accuse the Princes rigor but cast their complaints vpoÌ„ that of the time of the time became murmurings against the seueritie of the Prince Euery one lamented the Raigne of Charles and desired rather the end then the continuance of that of Lewis Great men beganne to make it knowne that they could not liue long in that seruitude shewing themselues more sencible of the contempt e The nature of man is more sensible of contempt then of losse The Senators of Rome were more discontented for that Caesar entred into the Senate without saluting them then for the enterprise which hee made vpon their libertie which was done them then of the miseries which the meaner sort suffered yet they found no better pretext of their priuate interest then that of the publike The King did not attend the consent of the Realme to haue money hee tooke it without asking They were not tributes of Loue f Princes finde pleasing names for things which are bittâ—r and hard Edward the fourth in posed vpoÌ„ the Realme of England a tribute which hee called a Bâ—â—euolenâ—â— Euerie one did contribute as hee pleased and according to his gifts they did iudge of his Loue to the King He that gaue much loued much Edward made vse of this tribute against the French found great succors Polid. lib. 24. 26. but of Rigour and constraint thinking that France was a meadow which he might mowe at all seasons A great sedition troubled the citie of Rheimes against those which had raised customes The Commissaries were slaine and their Commissions cast into the fire The King sent Souldiers disguised like Marchants and labourers who entring by diuers ports ioined with the Lord of Mouy their commander who caused a hundreth of the most seditious to bee hanged suppressed the sedition g The most frequent and knowne causes of sedition and mutenâ— grâ—w from new charges and excessiue impositions reuenged the Kings seruice and setled his authoritie there the which had not beene impugned but for the naturall impatiencie of the people to endure that whereunto they were not accustomed All France was quiet Combustions in England and beheld as from the shore the tempests which were in England and Arragon The King was glad to entertaine the warre farre from him and to assist the house of Lancaster in England and the house of Arragon in Spaine whiles that the clouds and windes prepared to draw the storme vpon his owne head England for the diuision of the houses of Yorke Lancaster saw at that time such terrible changes and accidents as it is a wonder the Realme did not passe vnder some forraine command and that they did not cry quittance with him seeing there is no surer meanes to ruine an estate then ciuill discord h Ciuill Diuisions transport and change estates Spaine vnder the raigne of fourescore and twelue Kings hath beene torne in as many peeces as it hath had Realmes France hath changed thrice England hath been commanded by the English Danes Saxons and in the end by the Normans The Empire hath been past from the East vnto the West Naples hath been vnder the power of the French Germans Arragâ—nois and since of Castitians But France had yet so many bad humors in her body as her disposition was more dying then liuing When as the English ceast to afflict her they began to quarrell and to ruine one another The end of forraine warres was the spring and renewing of ciuil Henry of Lancaster sonne to Henry the fift found himselfe without a crowne notwithstanding that in his infancie he had been crowned with that of France and England Richard Duke of Yorke an Ambitious Prince and who had both credit courage i Good things and which are commendable of themselues applied to il are perâ—itions Sepius industria acvigilancia noxiae quoties parando Regno fingatur Tac. lib. An. lib. â— industrie and vigilancie qualities to bee suspected in an Ambitious spirit became head of a great faction the intentions whereof he couloured with the onely zeale of the publicke good to change the bad gouernement of the Realme to deliuer England from the insolencie of the Duke of Somerset who alone gouerned the helme of the affaires whilest that the King suffered his spirits to be transported not to delights and voluptuousnes but to carelesnes k An idle Prince is a waies contemned Three things saith Zeâ—ophon make him excell ouer his subiects 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His carelesse life incensed his subiects hearts and his idlenes distasted all men of his raigne The estate was like vnto a sicke body which is so prest with his infirmitie as he is forced to trust him that comes to let him bloud and cannot attend the Phisitions which are farre off l In violent diseases wee may not attend far fetcht remedies although they answere him that they will come and cure him Such as were discontented with the present Conspiracy against King Henry the sixt and desired to see some change applyed them-selues to the Duke of Yorks desseigns and intentions and among others Richard Neuell Earle of Salisbury and Richard Neuill Earle of Warwick his brother who had wisdome and courrage rare parties for a great desseigne and therewith such great credit among the people as it was thought that not any one in England durst doe that which these would vndertake The Duke of Yorke hauing cast his bell made the sound thereof to be generally heard hee strake such a terror into the Court and made the wicked so audacious as the King who had neuer tasted of Domesticke troubles his spirit beeing like vnto a ship m Courages tried in dangers are to bee commended A ship is neuer esteemed which hath neuer felt of a storme which had neuer sailed but in a calme was amazed and confounded and not holding himselfe safe in the Citie of London by reason of the inconstancie of the people and the great credit which this faction had gotten resolued to leaue it The Duke of Yorke besieged S t. Albons n The battell of S t. Albons began early in the morning and continued vntil 9. of the clock in the yere 1556 Edmund D. of Sommerset and Henry Earle of NorthumberlaÌ„d were slaine the two armies meet Henry the sixt defeated and the Kings is put to rout with the losse of their chiefe commanders Hee lamented greatly for the Death of the Duke of Sommerset After this victorie the Duke of Yorke who had made declaration thâ—t hee had no other intention then the publicke good of the Realme and that his armes were not to offend the Prince accompanies King Henry to London as a Conqueror and freed from the Rule of the Duke of Sommerset which shewes that he had not taken armes but to free the King and the Realme who was ready
to submit himselfe to the mildest yoake seeing that hee could not remaine free o The miseries of ciuill diuision reduced Rome to that estate as hauing no hope euer to recouer her liberty she sought for nothing but for the mildest serâ—itude Hee left vnto Henry the name of King onely for all the authoritie was in his hands he gaue to the Earle of Salisbury the Office of Lord Chancellor of England and to Richard Neuell his Sonne the gouernment of Callis He disposed of publike charges as he pleased still giuing them vnto those of his faction In the end the king discouers the Duke of Yorkes designe Queene Margaret his wife who had been aduertised thereof le ts him vnderstand that he did temporise but vntill the partie were made to ceaze both of the king and Realme and among his partisans the king was held but for a Tyrant As if his Raigne had been by vsurpation or constraint p Among many differences betwixt a King and a Tyrant they put this that a King raigns with the loue anâ— consent of the people and a Tyrant rules by constraint The king imparted this to his principall seruants D. of Yorke retires from the Court of England who were of aduise to restraine this great authoritie which the Duke of Yorke had within the Realme The Duke beeing suddenly aduertised thereof retired secretly to Wigmore in Wales Richard Neuell to his Castle of Midleham in the North Countie and Richard Earle of Warwicke to Callis so as the cruell seditions in England grew more violent then before during the which the French spoiled the coasts of Kent and Iames king of Scotland inuited by the same occasion entred by Roxborge The same cause which made this warre ended it q The shaâ—pest Ciuill wars are pacified when as strangers meddle to gaine by them The two parties agree against the third and although the Prince be offended yet it is better to remit the punishment The king of England let the Duke of Yorke vnderstand that the ciuill discord and the bad intelligence which was betwixt them had opened a gate to the enemies to inuade England that the common danger did binde them to vnite their forces to defend it and that hee was contented to forget all matters past vpon hope of a better conduct hereafter English cease their ciuill discords to war against the French excusing himselfe that matters had not alwaies gone directly being impossible for a Prince to obserue all the kinds of Iustice and equitie r Many things vniust of themselues are made iust when they are countenanced by necessitie or profit wherfore Plutark obserues That if there were question to accomplish al the kindes of iustice Iupiter himself might not in that case bee a Prince The Kings intention was allowed by all men the Duke of Yorke being loth to be the author of the ruines of the Realme declared that all his affections tended to his greatnes and quiet and to take away all occasions of doubt He came vnto the King to London with the chiefe of his faction The feare of a forraine warre quenched the ciuill s There is no such indiscretion as to hazard ones own to get another mans and to draw forth the bloud which is needfull for the life of the bodie It is more glorie for a Prince to maintaine himselfe them to grow great Preseruation safety is the essence of an estate profit it but an accessary Mens mindes altered with things past grew milder and all their wills were vnited in one accord for the defence of the Realme detesting the discord which had drawne them into a warre which was not necessarie nor could bee happie and made them a prey and triumph to their auncient enemie But as the fire of sedition is neuer so well quenched but there remaines some sparks in the ashes Troubles renewed in England which kindle again if they be a little blowne that there be alwaies some which delights in troubles for that it is their rest t Seditions commonly are fed supported by three sorts of men First the heads of factions Secondly they that cannot liue in safety in the time of peace Thirdly they which are out of the presse find themselues free from dangers and in danger for that they come not neere them being like vnto those riuers which enter into the sea and doe not mingle their streames the Duke of Yorke and the Earle of Salisburie being retired to their houses after this accord were presently forced to leaue them to reuenge an affront done to the Earle of Warwick at VVestminster where he had been set vpon by the kings guard and forced to saue himselfe by the Riuer of Thames with the hazard of his life They said that Queene Margret was the author thereof being very desirous to ruine the Nobility of England and to ouerthrow the cheefe howses u A King should maintaine great families neither can hee suffer theÌ„ to be wâ—onged but hee shal weaken the greatnes of his maiesty wherof the Nobility is the cheese piller In all estates the Nobles haue beene respected and distinguished from others euen amongst the Thracians the genlâ—emen went only vppon horseback and at Rome Noblemens wiues went in Littors who were the pillers of the Realme The warre began as soone as it was declared The three Richards are in field King Henry hauing leuied great forces comes to York Andrew Trollop who was come from Calleis with the Earle of Warwick thinking to serue the King when as he saw their armes turned against him left the Earle of Warwick to follow the King who in moment scattered his enemies and forced the Duke of York to passe into Holland there to attend vntill his Partisans had raised the ruines of that party Battaile before London whereas K. Henry was defeated Presently after the three heads of the faction returne into England with an intent to vanquish or to dye they present themselues at the gates of London they giue and winne a great Battell whereas the Victors saw tenne thousand men slaine and as many prisoners King Henry who seemed to haue beene raised vp to show the inconstancy of Fortune and the misery and vanity of man remained at the Victors discretion The English remembring that his grandfather had caused King Richard to dye in prison began to acknowledge the iudgements of Gods iustice who punisheth the Children for the offences of their fathers x Henry Earle of Harford and Duke of Lancastre tooke armes against Richard the 2. seazed on him puts him into the Tower of London and caused himselfe to bee crowned King and after that he had forced him to resigne the Crowne hee sent him to Langleâ— where hee was murthered In this great prosperity the make falls from the Dukes face He speakes plainely Duke of York declared Regent that whatsoeuer he had done was grounded vppon the rightes of the house of Yorke the
night through the streetes of Barcellona complaining that the Queene his mother in law had separated it from his bodie by the violence of poison The Queene who was come to Girona saw her selfe besieged with Prince Ferdinand her Sonne and the Tower wherein she was retyred furiously battered The king seeing this great reuolt of his subiects entreates Lewis the eleuenth to succour him with men and money hee ingageth the Counties of Rousillion and Sardaigne vnto him for three hundred thousand crownes King of Nauarre demaunds succors froÌ„ the French King The king sent vnto him Gaston Earle of Foix Prince of Berne z Gaston Earl of Foâ—x married the second Daughter of Iohn King of Nauarre and of Queen Blanch his first wife and sonne in law to the king of Nauarre who freed the Queene and raised the siege of Gironna The Cattellanes nothing tractable to endure the humors of their Prince made a proclamation against the king declaring him falne from all the authoritie which he might haue ouer them and a murtherer of his owne sonne and violating the lawes of the country a They of Cattellonia declaâ—ed the K. an enemy vnto the countrey by diuers informations proceedings against his actions and the murther of his son the which they sent to Pope Pius the second They sent to Henry King of Castile to embrace their defence and protection submitting themselues vnder his obedience and offering him the crowne of Arragon beseeching him to adde vnto the iust title which their election gaue him vnto the Realme the right of Armes they alone doe purchase Empires b There are fiue kindes of Titles to Realmes the first by Armes so Cyrus Alexander anâ— Caesar made themselues Monarches secondly by the grace of God and in this manner raigned Moses Dauid thirdly by succession fourthly by election and the fist by the nomination of the Prince Marc. Anthony named Lucius Verus for his successor Dioclesian Maximinian and Gratian Theodosius and being gotten defend and preserue them He gaue them for succors two thousand and fiue hundred horse vnder the command of Iohn of Beaumont Prior of S t. Iohn of Nauarre The K. of Castill aides the Cattellans when the French and the Castillians met neere vnto Ixar they would not fight c No man can dispose as hee pleaseth of Auxiliary troupes they haue respects coÌ„trary to the designe of such as imploy them and the French intreated the king of Nauarre to take it in good part if they sought rather to end then entertaine their quarrels The Earle of Foix who was brother in law to the king of Castill and sonne in law to the king of Nauarre disposed the two Princes to referre themselues to the iudgement of the French king They yeelded sending their embassadors to Baiona where the French king was an honor pleasing to the humor of Lewis who would be interessed in all things and very deere to the reputation of France which was in possession not onely to iudge of the controuersies of forraine crownes but also to giue kings vnto those which had not any d The realmes of Christendome haue taken Princes out of the house of France to raign ouer them Alphonso son to the Earle of Tollousaraigned in Spaine the house of Eureux in Nauarre the Dukes of Normandy in England they of Aniou at Naples and Sicilie The Empire of Constantinople was held three yeres by the French They haue raigned a hundred yeares in Sora Cipres Palestina Charlemain Lewis the gentle haue added vnto the Empire of the Gaules all Italy Bohemia Hungarie and Germany In a word the seat of Popes haue beene in France The king of Nauarre went not from Saragossa Lewis the French K. made arbitrator betwixt the Kings of Castill and Arragon nor king Henry from S t. Sebastians in the prouince of Guipuscoa relying vppon that which their Embassadors treated The king hauing conferred of the controuersie betwixt them and of the causes which had moued the Cattellans to reuolt did iudge in such sort as to reconcile the parties it was necessarie they should meete and speake together vpon the frontier The enterview was at Endaia whereas the sentence giuen at Bayona was read by Aluaro Gomes The Cattellans were not content with this Iudgement saying that as the king of Castille had abandoned them so his Embassadors had betrayed them The king of Nauarre being offended for that hee was condemned to yeeld the towne of Estella to the king of Castille Enteruiew of the Kings of France and Castill to the preiudice of the reuenues of the crowne of Nauarre made the estates of Nauarre protest of nullity King Lewis reaped the greatest profit of this action for he practised and drew vnto his seruice some Ministers of these two kings and made them his pensioners e The King of Castille suffered himselfe to be gouerned by the great master of Castille and the Archbishop of Tolledo King Lewis made much of them to be informed of the state of Castille or at the least to drew them to his deuotion It is the least a Prince can attend of one that comes to see him This assembly did not confirme the affections which the crownes of France Castill had had together f The friendship and alliance betwixt the French and the Castâ—llans haue continued long Vpon which assurance K. Charles the sixt sent his Embassadors to Iohn King of Castill in the yeare 1418. to 〈◊〉 succors against the English The Castillians who could not lodge at Bayona with the French without quarrelling did not forbe are to scoffe at them at this enteruiew vpon the Riuer of Vidasa g The riuer of Vidâ—so diâ—ides the two realmes the Spaniards hold it is all theirs The King of Castill past the Riuer and came vnto the king The Castillians seeing him attired in cloth and very short with a hat differing from the rest and for a Iewell an image of lead imputed it to miserablenes h Apparell doth often minister cause of laughter The Siciliens did not esteeme of Gilippus their generall seeing him simply apparelled in a poore cloake wearing long bayre yet Syâ—â—â—â—s saith that the ancient Kings were knowne and distinguished rather by the minde then the pompe and 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syn Orat 〈◊〉 regno There are Nations whereas they contemne the Prince if hee bee not so gorgeously attired as if he should show himselfe vpon a theater It is impossible to abstaine from laughter looking vpon the portraites of the Emperors of Greece which are so couered with Pearle and precious stones as they can not bee knowne but by their beards The French finding also the habites of the Castillians vnpleasing their king very hard fauoured and their manners insolent and full of African pride Of all this there could grow no great Alliance for such enteruiewes are alwaies noted more by the alienation of mindes then by alliances of estates
embroydered He is receiued with great pomp into Tournay as a signe that their heartes were all French This Towne bragging that they had neuer knowne any other command then French There the Lord of Crouy came vnto the King who made him Lord Steward of his howse and gaue him the County of Guisnes In the beginning of Lent and at the end of the yeare whose beginning was then accompted from the resurrection the King went to Lisle whether the Duke of Bourgondy came to conferre with him of his voyage to the holy land Crâ—ysado published against the Turke Pope Pius the second continuing the designes of Calixtus the third had published a Croysado to releiue the Christians of the East t Calixtus the 3. perswaded all Christian Princes to make warre against the Turke he sent Lewis of 〈◊〉 a â—rier to Vsâ—m Casâ—an King of Persia and Armenia and to the great Tartarâ— hee exhorteth them with such vehemency as they were resolued Platin. Hee inuited all the Princes who imbraced his designe with such resolution as Mahomet was terrified with the great preparation u The deuise of this Câ—oysado carâ—ied these words Dieu la veut God will haue it Mahomet was so amased as writing to Pius the second he said I am not guilty of the death of Iesus Christ do abhorre the Iewes who crucified him The Pope declared that he would go thither in person Croysado published against the Turke But great Cosmo de Medicis said that it was the designe of a yong man in a great age The Kinges of Naples and Hungary were resolued to accompany him The Duke of Bourgondy promised also to be of that party and demanded aduise and leaue of the King who represented vnto him the discommodities both of his age and voyage finding him much broken to beginne such a building x The age must be considered in great and lâ—ng enterprises Marcus Crasâ—us found King Deiotarus in the Realme of Galacia who being very old built a new Citty who said vnto him in mockage O King mee thinkes you build very late beginning at the last hower of the day To whom the K. answered sodainely And you O Captaine came not forth very early to make warre against the Parâ—hians Foâ— Crassus was aboue 60. yeareâ— old But the Duke carried his courage beyond all these difficulties The king propounded so many vnto him as hee diswaded him for a yeare assuring him that after that yeare hee would giue him 10000. men entertained for foure monthes to accompany him The Duke of Bourgondy for that hee would not giue the Pope any subiect of discontent sent Anthony his Bastard thither with 2000. men The king left the Duke of Bourgondy at Lisle and returned to Paris Duke of Sauoy comes into France He found Lewis Duke of Sauoy the Queenes father at S t. Clou who was come to see him and to complaine of Phillip his yonger sonne who for that he had a more generous and actiue spirit then the elder had wonne the heartes of the chiefe of the Noblemen of Sauoy and of his Subiects y The Duke of Sauoy was a simple and a mild Prince Amy Prince of Piemont his eldest sonne was of the same humâ—r and had great inclinations to solitariâ—â—s Phillip his yonger Brother giuing greater impressions of his generosity and courage was followed by all the great men of the Country vppon this complaint the king commands Prâ—â—ce Phillip to repaire vnto him z Lewis Duke of Sauoy dyed at Lyon the 24. of Ianuary 1466 his heart and bowels were interred in the Celestins Church which he had caused to be built His body was carried to Geneua and laid by Ame of Lusignan his wife and he comes with speed beeing arriued hee was sent prisoner to Loches The Duke being well satisfied to see his sonne lodged whereas hee repented him of his ambitious and extrauagant humors returned into Sauoy and two yeares after dyed at Lion whereas hee attended the king who was at Molyns Amy his sonne succeeded him The king being at Paris made it presently knowne that he was not to indure that which the necessity of time had caused his forefathers to suffer to the preiudice of the rights of the Crowne and hauing prepared his designes he made choyce of the occasion to execute them a To haue a will to doe and disposition to know how to doe and yet to attend the occasion of well doing it the act of a Prince of great patience and wisdome he sent Moruillierre his Chancellor to the Duke of Brittaine to let him vnderstand that if he called himselfe any more Duke of Brittaine by the grace of God if hee continued to coine any gold b The Duke of Brittaine as a souâ—raigne Prince had right to coyne â—â—â—uer but that of gold was reserued by treaty to the Crowne of France the great whereof should bee expresâ— Charles the fift gaue it to the Duke of Berry who did coyne peeces of gold stampâ— with a sheepe which Bodin affâ—rmes to be the finest gold that euer was since within this Realme or if he hindred him from leuying of taxes and from the collation of Benefices in his country he proclaimed warre against him The Duke being amazed at this demaund answered that it was so great and of such importance as hee could make no answer without the aduise of his estates intreating the King to giue him three monthes respite to assemble them But this was to plead law to men that were armed c PoÌ„pey being in Sicile pressing the Mammartines to acknowledge his authoritie they sought to auoid it pretending that they had priuiledges and ancient Decrees from the people of Rome to whom Pompey answered in Choller will you plead law vnto vs who haue our swords by our sides Plut. The King had an Army vppon the frontier The Duke was prest and surprised yet resolute rather to loose himselfe then to quit that which his fathers had purchased for him wherefore he thought to make answer vnto the Kings intentions by armes rather then by wordes He aduertised the Duke of Bourgondy of the estate of his affaires and coniurd him to thinke of their common safety seeing that the Kinges designe was to entreat them alike and to ruine them Romille Vice Chancellor of Brittanny made many voiages into Flanders vppon that subiect The King who had eyes and eares in euery place being aduertised thereof commanded the Bastard of Rubenpre d The King sent a sea Captaine and the bastard RubeÌ„pre with him into Holland he landed at the Hage with three others in his coÌ„pany Hee was examined what hee was and wheÌ„ce he came but hee made some difficultie to discouer his name and the cause of his coÌ„ming The Earl of Charolois being their caused him to be apprehended as a Pirate to passe with a ship along the Coast of Holland to surprise Rommille and to bring him vnto him or to
and restored them to Iuuenall of Vrsins from whom he had taken them The treaty c Treaty of Conflans proclaimed at Paris the 28. of October 1465. signed and sworne was proclaimed and thereby the warre for the publicke weale was ended Contentment of priuat men maks them forget the publike contenting the interests of priuate men The King desired to quench the fire of this deuision rather with siluer then with blood and teares of his subiects To the Duke of Bourbon was assigned the like pension that he receiued of Charles the seauenth Anthony of Chabannes Earle of Dammartin was restored to his landes and soone after made Lord Steward of France in the place of the lord of Crouy d Ther was neuer so great a marriage but some dined ill some did what they listed and others had nothing Phil de Com. lib. 1. Cap. 14. Many others suffered themselues to bee vanquished by the King thinking themselues more happy to fall vnder his power then to escape e Those that were subdued by Alexaâ—der were more happy 〈◊〉 they that escaped his power for these had not any one to free theÌ„ from their misery the others were made happy by the Victor Plut. for they were freed from miseries and such as remained with the Earle of Charolois could not hope for any great felicity knowing his Councells and designes to be vnfortunate and it seemed his head was not made but to aflict ruine his body Earle of S t. Paul made Constable of France And for that the Earle of St. Paul was as it were Arbitrator of all the Earles Councels the King wonne him offring him the sword of France which Valeran or Luxembourg f Valeran of Luxembourg Earle of St. Paul was made Constabâ—e of France Anno 1411. two yeares after be yâ—elded vp the sword to Charles Earl of Albret Suylly from whom Kiâ—g Charles the sixth had taken it had sometimes carried It is the first dignity of all the orders of France First dignity of the State hee carries the sword not in a scabberd behind the King as they do before the Duke of Venice to shew that the vse and authority depends of them that follow it but naked before the King who alone commands to draw it and to put it vp when he pleaseth as hauing the only power of the sword ouer his subiects That of his Iustice remaines in the hands of his soueraigne Courts for the punishment of Crimes wherewith he meddles not Iupiter doth not strike hurt nor condemne any man Not only the Princes eyes but his pictures and his statues g A Prince should abhorre all that is inhumane and cruel The Emperor Claudius caused Augustus Image to bee taken froÌ„ the place wheras slaues were punished which had slandered their Maisters vnder the Empire of Caius or Tiberius to the end it should not be violated nor behold those punishments Dion should be farre from executions The Kings of France haue held this course to reserue vnto themselues pardons benefits and rewards leauing the distribution of punishments to their officers Lewis of Luxembourg was declared Constable at the marble table he tooke his oath and his authoritie was verified by the Court of Parliament As Arthur h Arthur of Brittaine was chosen Constable of France by the suffrages of all the Princes and great Counsell and although the King was then troubled in his iudgement and the seales of France stampt with the Queenes picture yet by letters of prâ—uâ—sion But the keeping of the Kings sword is giuen for the Kings sâ—rvice in fealty and homage and to be the chiefe in warre aboue all next vnto the King of Brittanie Earle of Richmont was the first whose letters of Constable were there published so Lewis of Luxembourg was the first that tooke his oath there We must not iudge of a mans fortune by the glorie of such dignities they bee peeces of Christall which as they glister so they will breake To hold a man happie that enters into great charges is to giue the name of the image to the mettle which is not yet molten Wee must see him come liue and runne to the end of the course to know what the issue will be With this charge Lewis of Luxembourg was wedded to his own ruine and did himselfe adde much vnto it for notwithstanding that he were bound vnto the King both by reason and oath Affection of the Constable S t. Paul yet as it is hard but the tree will retaine something of the soyle where it first tooke roote i Strangers 〈◊〉 not at the first leaue their affection to their party although they quit it Solon would not allow a stranger to be a Bourgesse in Athens if he were not banished from his Country the affections of men beeing like vnto a streame which ouerflowes and waters a field and is nothing the cleerer He still kept a naturall inclination to the seruice of his first Prince grounding his affections vpon one maxime in the which hee found his ruine in stead of greatnes whereunto he aspired k Theramenes an Atheâ—â—an the sonne of Aignon for that he was not firme in his opinions holding sometimes one party somtimes another was called Cothureue which is a kind of buskin vsed in Tragedies fit for either foot Pluâ— in the life of Niceas He thought to play k Theramenes an Atheâ—â—an the sonne of Aignon for that he was not firme in his opinions holding somtimes one party somtimes another was called Cothureue which is a kind of buskin vsed in Tragedies fit for either foot Plut. in the life of Niceas Theramenes in this Tragedie to remaine a neuter betwixt these two great Potentates to make them quarrell when he pleased to iudge of the blowes and to keep himselfe from danger thinking to be alwaies supported by the one when the other should seek to ruine him and to make both of them depend so vpon his will as as hee should prescribe them a lawe of warre and peace when hee pleased nt considering that newtrality which may bee commended in a prince when by reason of wisedome or weaknes he cannot doe otherwise is meere trechery and treason in a subiect who can haue but one maister It was a great miserie for him to be betwixt two Princes which could not agree He that is in this estate is not like vnto the towne of Siria l Pliny saith that the towne of Palmira in Syria remained without touch amidst the powers of the Romane and Parthian Empires which was nothing anoyed being inuironed by the Armies of the Romans and Parthians Hee finds his condition oftentimes like vnto the miserable marriner of Tire whom one waue cast out of the ship and another brought him in againe His humor did fauor his bad fortune wauering alwaies amidst the vncertainty of his resolutions and a spirit of contradiction When he was freed from one businesse he intangled himselfe with another
King by him q It was neuer a wâ—se and aduised resolution to hazard all his fortune and not all his forces and being in danger to loose all if he had been too weake distrust was auailable The Duke commanded the Marshall of Bourgondy who led the foreward Siege of Liege to lodge with in the Citty either with their wills or by force The Pope had a Nuncio within the Citty to end the Controuersies which were in a manner perpetuall betwixt the Bishop and the people who changing his power and forgetting his duty vppon a designe to haue this Bishoprick exhorted the inhabitants to defend themselues and caused them to make a sally with such fury as they that were without had no hope to enter but victors Clearchus made a sally put all his 〈◊〉 in battell then he commanded the gates to be shut and the keyes to be cast ouer the wall to take all hope of entry from the Soldiers vntill they had lost or wenne This Sally was so vnfortunate as he repented him of his Councell and apprehending the danger gets out of the towne and flies away but he was stayed by the Dukes men who promised to them that had taken him to make their profit vsing no speech to him But whilst they contended for their shares in his ransome they came vnto the Duke being at Table who blamed that in publique which he had commended in secret Popes Non cio set at liberty declaring the prize not good and causing the Bishop to come vnto him â—he honored him and caused all his goods to be restored leauing repentance vnto the rest who had not done that without brute which they should haue done s There are some things to be done before they aske if they shall doe them It is the answer which Pompey supping with Anthony in a ship made vnto an officer who told him that he had a good opportunity to be reuenged of them and that if hee would ther should not one remaine before they asked leaue The marshall of Bourgondy and Iâ—bercourt winne the suburbs and march directly to the Towne-gate which stayed not vntill that necessity should force the Inhabitants to demand a peace in mourning gownes t Although the Athenians had no reputation of great courage yet they neuer demanded any accord but in mourning robes prest with extreame necessity vpon their first approch the Deputies present themselues to Parle The beseeged demand a Parle but hope and desire of spoile would not giue them hearing Night surprised the assailants before they were lodged and doth so disorder them as they know not whether to goe but calling one another in confusion they gaue courage to the besieged to make a Salley u Hee that chargeth first by night hath the aduantage for it is alwaiesâ— presumed that he is the strongerâ— flight doth coÌ„monly follow amazement The night hath no shame They arme some for feare others without feare Sallie made by them of Liege and issue out vppon them by diuers places for their walles being razed the yeare before gaue them passage where they slew seauen or eight hundred Foure Canâ—ons discharged against the gate along the great street crye quittance and keep them from comming forth who through fauour of this first Sally had a great desire Yet for all this they that were come forth would not retire into the Towne but barricadoed themselues or as Phillip de Commines saith insconsed themselues with wagons which they had wonne and remained there vntill day Iohn de vilette x In sallies the Commander should alwaies stand firme to maintaine the besieged in their duties by his presence and to fauour their retreat hauing a care that being repulst the enemy doth not enter pel mel with them When as they of Liege had lost their head in the first sally their defence was desperate the sole Commander of the people was hurt and slaine The suburb was kept by the Marshall of Bourgondy who had committed a grosse error hauing giuen no better order for his lodging y The first duty of a good Captaine is to know how to lodge his men For this only respect Hanibal in the iudgement of Phirrhus was the first Captaine of Greece next to Alexander a principall part of the duty of a good Captaine The Prince of Orange was hurt there and in this action the History giues him the glorious surname of a man of vertue as it commends the valour of the Lordes of Lau and Vrfe and reprocheth the contempt of honor to aboue two thousand men who vnder fauour of this night had sacrifized their safeties and honors to flight This first defeat aflicted the Duke and hee would not that the King should haue knowne it if he could haue concealed it amidst so many passions and diuers Interests The Dukes troupes ill intreated in the suburbs Beleeuing that the brute was greater then the losse he went himselfe to tell it him The King was very glad but this ioy was more grounded vppon discretion then iustice for if the Dukes designes had not prospered the King had had cause to repent him and therefore he did apply his spirit to the motions of the Dukes approuing that it is a hard seruitude for a great man to force himselfe to the humors of his inferiour He was aduised to goe and refresh his foreward plunged in the mire besieged with hunger and benummed with cold The Duke sent 300. horse with some victualls to refresh them that were ready to faint z A famished soldier hath neither courage nor force to fight It was a great negligence in the Dukes Captaines to haue ingaged the soldiers so neere the enemy and not prouide to make them eat Asdruball lost his men against Scipio by this defect Vliffes blames Achilles for that hee would lead his men to the warre before they had eaten hauing not eaten of two dayes Hee came also and lodlodged in the midst of the suburbe and the King in a farme halfe a mile off This first night about midnight there was a hot alarme although it were in the heart of a very sharp winter The King shewed himselfe vnto the Towne as soone as the Duke Alarum giuen and the King goes to horse and they were amazed at his diligence the name of King and his presence put the Duke out of countenance a The Duke saith Phil. de Commines held not soe good a countenance as many men wisht for that the King was present tooke the word and authority of Command The Adamant hath no vertue neer vnto the Diamond the King would not seeme other then a King he takes the word and commands what should be done b It is an act of a great Captaine in accidents not forescene to reduce things speedily into order No other but he in so sodaine an accident could haue assured the amazed and that with such iudgement courage and maiesty as
the Bastard was excluded and that they pretended not to change any thing of the rights which he had ouer the Crowne of Cypres as Protector o After that the Christians affaires were ruined in Soria and the East the Kings of Cypres of the house of Lusignan put themselues vnder the protection of the Souldiers of Egypt This reason had pacified him being resolued to quit the Protection of the Bastard But Mahomet sent him word that it was a thing worthy of his greatnes and profitable to their common religion to restore this Prince to his Estates exhorting him to remember the iniuries which they of that Nation and those of Lewis his house had done vnto the Mahometans protesting that if hee had a desire to haue peace with Christians he should be sure to haue warre with him The assistance which the Souldan of Egypt gaue vnto the Bastard was the cause that he was presently acknowledged by them who could not oppose against his power He coÌ„manded ouer their bodies more then their hearts which being full of feare were also so of wishes and desires of his death who made them feare p Feare is a bad gard for them that command For they that feare studie still how they may be rid of him that keepes them in feare Quem metuunt oderunt queÌ„ quisque odiit periisque expedit Lewis was forced to quit the field and to retyre himselfe into the Castle of Cerines where he was besieged by the Bastard who seeing it impossible to take this place and that all the Princes of Christendome were offended at this vsurpation he sent his Embassadors â—ope Pius the second to yeeld him obedience and to beseech him to hold him in the ranke of Catholike Kings The Pope would not see them but sent them away with bitter words Hereupon Lewis saw himselfe forced to retire to the Duke his Father King and Queene of Cypres driuen out of their owne Realme and the Queene Charlotte to Rome to seeke succors but the diuisions of Italy hindred that which they desired and stayed her there during the time of Pius the second of Paul the second and of Sixtus the fourth and Lewis remained at Ripaille Pope Pius the second q It was tâ—oght that Lewis D. of Saucy had some secret spleene against Pope Pius the second for that he had been Secretarie to his father when he was but in base condition and had abandoned him to follow Eugenius his enemie said that hee had beene chased out of Cypres for that his father had failed of his promise at the assembly at Mantoua for the holy warre and that the same Lewis his Sonne being then neere vnto Mantoua and hauing not vouchsafed to see him and demand his blessing hee had saied by prediction vnto the Embassadors of Sauoy that it would happen his Sonne would loose the Realme of Cypres for a punishment of that the father did and that one day hee would demand those succors in vaine from others which his father had denied vnto the Church The Bastard seeing himselfe in quiet possession of the Crowne of Cypres remembred that Marc Cornaro a Gentleman of Venice had assisted him in his necessitie with ships r Good deedes neuer dye in great courages others forget the good remember the ill Quid autem est eo miserius cui beneficia excidunt hereÌ„t iniuriae Sen. money and Councell Catherine Carnaro adopted by the Venetians and had giuen him meanes to goe vnto the Souldan of Egypt hee resolued to marry his Daughter named Catherine whom the Senate of Venice after the death of Marc Cornaro her Father had adopted as their Daughter The mariage was treated with the consent of the Siegneurie who gaue her a great dowrie this marriage was made in the yeare 1466. Iames King of Cypres fell sicke of a bloudy Flix and seeing that his cure was desperate hee had not the trouble which great Princes as well as priuate men haue when they die to know to whom hee should recommend his realme hauing the Senate of Venice wholly at his deuotion but it troubled him what his successor should be which was yet in the mothers wombe s Princes haue no lesse need then mean persons of strong consolations to help them to depart the world to leaue their affaires in some safety Mocenigo assured him that neither the Venetians forces nor his priuate seruice should neuer faile him After his death Charlotte demanded succors of the Venetians the Duke answered that the Siegneurie was bound to defend her who was her adopted Daughter and that King Iames had instituted her heyre with the fruit in her womb That moreouer he wondred that she vnderstood not that rights of Realmes were debated rather by Armes then by Lawes t In former times wheÌ„ they haue demanded of conquerors of Prouinces the titles of their CoÌ„quests some haue shewed them their Canons and others their swords and that the Realme of Cypres had not been solely to her but also to the Geneuois who at that time held a great part The widdow of King Iames was presently troubled with new Combustions within the Realme A Bishop of the house of the Gotholans Tumults in Cypres who had great authoritie and credit in the Iland being Embassador to Ferdinand King of Naples when as King Iames dyed propounded to marry the Bastard of the deceased King of Cypres Many were of his partie but the wiser sort were contented to passe these rockes with open eyes and deafeeares u There are some things which are good to be seene but dangerous to be harkened vnto They saw the ruines whereinto they did runne and did not giue eare to the promises inchantments that were made them The designe of marriage tooke effect x The Cipriòts seazed vpon the Kings Palace and made his base daughter beeing but six yeares old sure to King Ferdinands base son and gaue him the title of Prince of Galilee but that of the royalty was preuented by the Venetians who sent Mocenigo thither The courage of the conspirators quailed their iudgement failed them at his arriuall their last refuge was flight The soueraigne Authoritie remained peaceably in the Queene who in acknowledgement of the succours she had receiued from Venice Presents of the Queene of Cypres to Mocenigo presented Mocenigo with a Target richly wrought and a standard of the same Shee was brought in bed of a Sonne who dyed at the end of the yeare By this death shee remained Queene alone vnder the Protection and defence of the Siegneurie of Venice Ferdinand King of Naples seeing that his first designe did not succeed for the marriage of the Bastard hee sought the Queene widdow for his Sonne imploying in this Treatie Riccius Marineus a Neapolitaine Ferdinand K. of Naples seeke the alliance of the Queene of Cypres a very deere friend to the deceased King and Tristan Cybellet a Cypriot who had a Sister
facile puellas oculis adiiceret easque deperiret the Earle of Warwick being wounded in so sensible and tender a part began to distaste the seruice which he did him and repenting him of that which he had formerly done hee retired from Court into his Earldome of Warwicke The Earle of Warwick reuolts whereas his hard fortune made him know the difference of his friends b In the disgrace and crosses of fortune friends are knowne Namertes answered him that required a rule to know them by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. and where he shews that a great courage had rather die reuenged then liue with the reproch of a wrong or an affront The Duke of Clarence the Kings Brother the Archbishop of Yorke and the Marquis of Montague came vnto him Euery one brought his complaint with him and the vlcer he had in his heart against Edward The Earle of Warwick represented vnto them the miserable estate they ranne into if they did not labour to restore King Henry to his Fathers throne and themselues to libertie To binde the Duke of Clarence to this designe hee giues him his Daughter He makes a league with the Duâ— of Clarence Proximitie of bloud did sufficiently binde the other two being his Brethren whose friendship he might account among the sweet fruits of his felicitie c It is a part of the sweetnes felicitie of life to see Telemachus recounting his miseries amoÌ„g which he reports that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a broâ—â—er Plut. The partie was made and the resolution taken vpon the consideration of things present to come was that he should goe to Calice and in his absence they should make some stirres in the Prouince of Yorke to the end hee might haue a subiect to come thither and to arme The pretext of rising was for the deniall of some Corne which they of the Earle of Warwicks faction refused to pay for the entertainment of St Leonards Hospitall in Yorke and there were others which did murmure giuing it out that what should serue the poore was spent by great men d Sedition can haue no iust causes but the most apparant are wheâ— as priuate men make their profit of that which belongs to the publike In a word it is inequalitie and Iniustice This refusall did so incense the people Commotion in Yorkshire as in a short time there were fifteene thousand men in armes which marched directly to Yorke to haue reason of them which refused to pay what they ought vnto the Hospitall But when as they found themselues too weake An Armie at the gaâ—es of London being a multitude of seditious and mutenous fellowes who are naturally cowards and hauing no Canon to force an entrie they past to London to demand Iustice of the King with torches of rebellion in their fists e Seâ—ition is alwaies saint and cowardly and cowards are euer most seditioâ—s QuantuÌ„â—abes ad â—ustinendum laboreÌ„ miles tanto ad discordias proÌ„ptior Tac. Hist. Lib. 2. The Earle of Warwick was no sooner aduertised of these broiles but he parted from Calice with the Duke of Clarence and came and ioined with this multitude who wanted not any thing but a head King Henries presence and the Earles did countenance the faction and increase it with a greater number with the which he resolued to giue Battell to recompence the errors ruines and occasion past f Hee that knowes how to giue a Battell recouers â—is reputation if it were blemished it restores him if he be ruined excuseth all errors which he hath coÌ„mitted in warre for a Battell won defaceth all misfortunes reproch of other precedent actions The Earle of Pembroke whom the King of England had sent not to fight but to punish those rebels was put to route and they had the victory Richard Lord Riuers father to Queene Elizabeth and his sonne Iohn Wooduille with some other Gentlemen lost their heads The King sought to make some accord with the Earle of Warwicke and vpon the assurance which he gaue him neglected to keep good gard in his Campe the which should not bee omitted euen among friends Loue goes naked by day and armed by night g Crates said that loue went al day naked but at night hee caried a Cuirasse that a prince which trusts in the loue of his subiects may by day goe in safety and without feare but by night he should haue his gard The Earle of Warwicke hauing obserued this carelesse guard by his spies he vndertooke to charge him by night â—dward defeated and taken prisoner with so great aduantage as killing all he found in the trenches hee came without any resistance to the place where the King was whom he tooke prisoner and led away But for that they could not make good vse of this fortune they ruined themselues and vndid King Henry for whom they had taken Armes God who hath a speciall care of Kings depriued them of Iudgement for although they knew well that it was impossible to settle King Henry peaceably in the Realme during Edwards life yet could they not keep him so well but hee escaped hauing corrupted his gards with hopes and goodly promises whereof great men are no nigards when they haue need of their inferiors Edward being at libertie recouers Yorke where he was receiued with ioy which was as great as it was vnexpected From thence he went to London to confirme their wils whom his captiuitie had made to wauer and considering that victory doth alwaies fauour them which haue the aduantage both of Councell and force h A prince hath a great aduantage ouer his enemie when he exceeds him in Armes and that hee hath the CouÌ„cels executions sooner readie then he he raised a might Armie and went to seeke out the Earle of Warwicke Earle of Warwick defeated whom he put to rout and returned triumphantly the victorie was made famous by the death of ten thousand men Queene Margaret Prince Edward her Sonne the Duke of Clarence and his wife the Earle of Warwick with their children and friends were forced to flye They came to Calice but the Earle of Warwicks Lieutenant would not receiue them nor scarce suffer them to carrie two bottels of Wine for the Duchesse of Clarence who was deliuered of a Sonne whilest the ship rode at an Anchor This rudenes and indiscretion did so please King Edward and the Duke of Bourgundy as the one sent him authoritie to command as Gouernor of Calais and the other a good pension to increase his entertainement The Earle of Warwicke who was much esteemed in France and in great credit with the King for his worthy deeds which had made his reputation great and not easie to bee shaken i ReputatioÌ„ is a Colosse which is hardly raised by reason of its waight buy wheÌ„ it is vp it staÌ„ds firme and supports it selfe by his owne heauines It is hard to lay the
de See and brought words and offers of affection and seruice on the Dukes behalfe who feared that the King would make some sodaine inuasion The D. of Brittaine demands a peace hauing an armie of fifty thousand men ready to fall vpon his country The King with all his forces p A Prince should neuer doe all that be may against his enemies would not doe what he might doe against these gyant-like enterprises reseruing his thunder-bolts to an other season The more slowly Princes take Armes the more difficult it is to draw them out of armies hee resolued to vanquish without fighting and considering that the Lord of Lescun was the first linke of the chaine of the Duke of Brittanies Councell that all the iudgement conduct and experience in Brittanie did lye in the person of this Nobleman q Phil. de Com. speaking of the Lord of Lescun saith that there was neither iudgement nor vertue in Brittanie but what proceeded from him who after the death of the Duke of Guienne his master had retired himselfe to the Duke of Brittanie a good and a loyall French man who neuer would consent that the places of Normandie should bee giuen vnto the English hee thought that if he could draw him to his seruice the accord which he should make with the Duke of Brittanie would be more firme and withdrawing him from the Duke of Bourgundies alliance hee should make him so weake as all his forces would not suffice for his defence The King drawes the D. of Brittanie from the Duke of Bourgundies alliance There r When as the Prince hath won him that is in most credit and authoritie with him with whom he treats hee doth worke his affaires safely and with aduantage is nothing so easie as to bring one whether necessitie driues him The Lord of Lescun being won giues the Duke his master to vnderstand that there is no other safety for his affaires but the Kings protection The accord was made so as the Duke might haue eight thousand pounds starling The Lord of Lescun had a pension of six hundred pounds starling foure thousand crownes in readie money the Order of S. Michel the Earledome of Cominges halfe the gouernement of Guienne the Seneshallships of Vennes and Bourdelois The Captainship of one of the Castells of Bourdeaux s K. Charles the seuenth hauing taken Bourdeaux againe he caused two Castles to be built Castell Trumpet towards the Sea and that of Du Han towards the firme land which King Charles the seuenth had caused to be built and those of Bayonne and St. Seuert Essars and Souppleinuille instruments of this negotiation were also rewarded t Phil. des Essars a GentlemaÌ„ of the house of Brittany had 4000. Crownes giuen and six score pounds starâ—ing for yearely pension with the Baillewike of Meaux and was made Master of the Riuers Forrests of France Souppleinuille who did belong to the Lord of Lescun had six thousand crownes in gift a pension and offices fit for his qualitie the Kings bounty could not suffer any seruice to passe without recompence Truce annuall betwixt the King and the Duke of Bourgundy The affaires of Brittany being compounded the King went into Picardie It was his and the Duke of Bourgundies custome euery yeare to make a truce for six monthes in the beginning of Winter during the which there were many voiages and conferences to quench the causes of warre which they held to be shut in the Constables thoughts who began to stand in feare of the Duke and to keep aloofe from the King Philip de Commines saith that the Chancellor of Bourgundy came to make it but as it was the first yeare of his comming to Court he was not very curious to vnderstand the truth the which is drawne out of the Articles that were published and signed by the Earle of S. Paul Constable of France and by Philip of Croy deputed for the King and Guy of Brunen Lord of Imbercourt and Anthony Rollin Lord of Emery for the Duke of Bourgundy The Deputies promised to cause this Truce to be ratified by the first of December it ended the first of Aprill following betwixt which they should meete at Amiens u This assembly was appointed in Amiens the first of December 1472. to treat a peace and the restitution of S t Valery which the D. of Bourgundy demanded to treat a Peace The Constable following the intention of the King his Master and that which had been treated with the Lord of Lescun would not haue the Duke of Brittany comprehended in the Truce among the Allies of Bourgundy The Deputies shewed that the Duke of Brittany their Ally did relye vpon them x To forget Allies in Treatiâ—s and Accords is an iniury against the lawe of friendship Vnde maiores cum qui socium feâ—ellisles in virorum bonorum numero non putaâ—â—erunt haberi oportere Cic. our Elders did not hold him worthy to bee put in the number of good men that deceiued his companion that they could not forget them in the number of their frends that he had not disclaimed their friendship that they held him yet for their Allie and that he had often abandoned them by Letters and words and yet had beene firme to them in effect That youth did inflame his bloud but reason did still reclaime him That the Duke did then name him among his Allies leauing it to his choise by the first of February whether he would be comprehended among the Kings Allies or the Dukes There was no remedy The King would haue fifteene daies to name his Allies and eight dayes after to adde such as he should forget The Duke of Bourgundy Ambitions designes of the Duke of Bourgundy who would spend the time of Truce in great imaginations which filled his head with fumes and his heart with perpetuall flames propounded to allye himselfe vnto the Emperor He desired to extend the bounds of his Empire from one Sea vnto the other his spirit went still on and neuer lookt backe y It is an error in Princes that they seldome or neuer look behind theÌ„ They consult vpon the passage but neuer vpon the returne Leopold Archduke of Austria talking how hee should passe an Army of twentie thousand men into the Canâ—on of Suâ—its Kune of Stocke his iâ—ster said vnto him I will not follow thee thou talkest how thou shalt enter but thou neuer dreamest how thou shalt come forth Leopold was defeated aâ— Morgarten Munster The like was said vnto K. Francis the first by Amaril vppon his proposition to passe thâ— Alpes He held himself King alreadie of one part of Gaule hee deuoured all Germany in Imagination God had giuen him great Prouinces which he thought deserued a more stately Title then of Duke of Earle for the obtaining whereof hee made a voyage to Treues to the Emperor Frederiâ— hauing made a very sumptuous preparation for the solemnitie of that publike
an enemie who departs discontented x Words of contempt or mockery inflame mens hearts to other resolutions theÌ„ are expected Cabades a Captaine of Persia besieging Amida and finding 〈◊〉 that the siâ—ge would be long difficult resoluâ—a to leaue it The inhabitaÌ„ts grown proud thereat came running to the waâ—s calling him coward and mocking at his retreat Wherewith Cabadeâ— was so incensed as â—e returned prest forced and spoiled the Towne The Deputies of either side met but could not agree euerie one seeking to maintaine his owne The King told his that he would not haue so many words and causing the Dukes deputies to come he shut himselfe in with them and before they parted concluded a Truce for nine yeares beginning the 13. of September 1475. and ending the same day in the yeare 1484. The Duke would haue Baldwin Bastard of Bourgundy the Lord of Renty Iohn de Chata and Philip de Commines excluded and to loose the benefit of this Truce the which notwithstanding was not so soone published to saue the Dukes oth who had sworne not to hearken vnto it so soone As they were vpon the Treatie the King of England being discontented that the Duke of Bourgundy treated apart sent Thomas of Montgomerie vnto the King to assure him that be would return in the Spring with a mighty Armie to finish the Duke of Bourgundies ruine but the King who loued him well where he was answered that the Truce which was then in question was no other then what had been made with him without any alteration but that the Duke desired to haue his Letters Patents apart Thus a peace was made both with the English and Bourgundians These mists which were so thick as there was no hope to see the Sunne all the day were disperced in a moment leauing France in the same cleerenes that it was before The wisemen of those times saw and did acknowledge the particular care of Gods prouidence ouer this Monarchy hauing by his singular grace escaped so terrible a storme It was not the first brunt nor the greatest fit which tryed the firmenes of her forces The foundations of this Estate are so well layed y Al the estates in the world haue tried her Inconstancie what are become of the Empires of Assiria of Persia of Media of Egypt of Iudea of Macedon Quicquid in altum â—ortuna tulit ruitura leuat Whatsoeuer fortune hath raised on high is to fall againe And Plato saies that euery thing is in this world as vpon Euripus sometimes aboue sometimes beneath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 her lawes haue so wisely preuented all kindes of accidents that although there bee nothing constant in the world and that nature turnes euery thing sometimes aboue sometimes beneath yet it stands amidst the greatest shakings and supports it selfe like a Colosse with his owne waight The composition of this body is so strong and vigorous as it entertaines it selfe euen with his excesse and disorders other Estates with all their good order are not in better case and the least disorder they commit brings their life in danger z Plutark said that the reputation of Sparta was like vnto a body which alwaies tooke a dyet which was distempered with the least disorder The Kings wisedome was the Instrument of Gods prouidence to free this Realme from the danger which did threaten it It is true that if necessitie which hath no law did not excuse the proceedings of this Prince and if the honour of the action did not remaine to him that hath the profit there might be exceptions taken to that which the King did to haue this Peace A wise Prince and lesse fearefull would haue aduentured a Battell rather then be subiect to his enemies pride but these high and generous formes of treating are buried in the ruines of proud and triumphant Rome and there is nothing remaining but admiration which the History represents The Romans neuer receiued condition nor capitulation a As the Romans did neuer receiue offers nor conditions from an enemy so long as he was armed so did they neuer goe whether they called them If thou beest mighty thou maist force me if thou canst not I must goe whether my commoditie leades me from an armed enemie they neuer made retreat in disorder Neuer did Generall of a Roman Armie giue place to any one were he a King Neuer did they in strange Prouinces quit the markes of their authoritie Neuer did they allow a stranger how great so euer to enter into their lodging on horseback b When as Tigranes came to Pompey to yeeld himselfe into his hands the Sargeants told him that he must light for that no man was euer seene to enter on horseback into the Romans lodgings Plâ—t And in a word neuer had Prince his minde and resolutions raised to more generositie FINIS THE CONTENTS OF of the seuenth BOOKE 1 THe Constables perplexitie after the peace 2 The King sends for the Constable 3 The Constable leaues S. Quentin and retires to Mons in Hainault 4 The King seazeth on S. Quentin and summons the Duke of Bourgundy to effect the Article of the Assembly of Bouuines touching the Constable 5 Hee is deliuered to the King and conducted to the Bastille his processe made condemned to die and executed 6 Profit and blame which the Duke of Bourgundy receiued by the Constables death 7 Armie of the Duke of Bourgundy in Lorraine 8 Attempt vpon the Dukes life discouered by the King 9 Armie of the Dukes against the Suisses 10 The Kings voyage to Lyon 11 Siege of Granson The Suisses giue and winne a Battell and recouer Granson with a great spoile 12 The Duke seeks vnto the King for a continuance of the Truce 13 Rene of Aniou King of Sicile comes to the King at Lyon 14 Duke of Bourgundies Army before Morat defeated by the Suisses 15 The Suisses enter into the countrie of Vau and the Duke retires into the Franche Conty 16 Yoland Duchesse of Sauoy the Kings Sister leaues the Bourgundian party 17 Alfonso of Portugall comes to demand succors of the King 18 Henry the fourth King of Castille declared vnworthy of the Crowne 19 Accord betwixt the King of Castille and the King of Portugall 20 Affliction heauines and griefe of the Duke of Bourgundy after the Battel of Morat 21 Rene Duke of Lorraine besiegeth and takes Nancy 22 Armie of the Duke of Bourgundy before Nancy and treason of Cont Campobasso 23 Defeat of the Duke of Bourgundy and his death an obseruation of his courage and a memorable example of his Iustice. 24 Death of Galeas Duke of Milan THE HISTORY of LEVVIS the XI THE SEVENTH BOOKE AT the Treaty of Piquigny the Constable of Saint Paul resembled a Tree beaten with three contrary winds which notwithstanding conspyre all together to teare it vp by the roote The Constable in ill terms with all men a Great wits doe often-times commit great errors and you
inuenias Quorsum enim eâ—rei nomen imposuissent cuius ipsi nullum penitus vsum habuissent nec imposterum vilum fore sperabant Quas enim Reginas alii suo quisque sermone nos Regum vxores appellamus Our Elders were so farre from giuing the gouernment of publike affaires to women as if you will examine all words there is not any one to be found with them of a womans gouernment why should they giue that a name whereof they had no vse neither did they hope there should be Those whom other Nations in their language tearme Queenes we call Kings wiues That for these reasons he could not councell the Estate of the Realme to preferre the gouernment of a woman before that of a man not to the Queene to attempt it beseeching her to thinke that they which councelled her did it more for their owne fortunes then for her honour That although her vertues were not vnknown to Scotland and that they must hope well of the vigour of her spirits and the greatnesse of her courage yet they had but two many examples of the ruines which verie sufficient women had brought to States when as striuing to excell their sexe they would exceed the bounds ordained by nature g Zenobia Palâ—â—yrenâ— hauing vanquished the Parthians and valiantly defended the Romaine Empire in the end she saw her selfe vanquished and a prisoner In a moment she lost the realme which her husband had inlarged and inricht This seemes to shew that the enterprises of women beyond their reach are alwaies dangerous His aduice was that they should chuse one or more capable to gouerne the Realme vntill the King had force of minde and body to discharge them This opinion was followed by the greatest part and they that would willinglie haue crost it Councell appointed for the Regency of Scotland seeing themselues ouerswaied by the multitude consented But to the end one faction should haue no aduantage ouer the other they tooke two of either giuing them power to keepe the Prince and to gouerne the Realme They left vnto the Queene the care to bring vp his two Brethren Alexander Duke of Albany and Iohn Earle of Marre and his two Sisters but she died the yeare following The affaires being thus setled in Scotland the King of England made a truce with the Scottish men for fifteene yeares About the sixt yeare of his raigne Robert Bothwell fauoured by the King Robert Bothwell a bold spirit being desirous to haue a share in the affaires found meanes to approach neere vnto this young Prince and told him that hee had beene long enough vnder the gouernment of these old men that it was time to make himselfe knowne and what God had ordained him to be Perswasions to raigne and commaund are alwaies sweet especiallie to Princes who thinke they cannot begin their raignes too soone nor end theÌ„ too late Vpon this discourse the King suffered himselfe to be led to Edingbrough to begin his raigne The Regents of the Realme were incensed at this presumption make Bothwells processe But the King declaring that hee had done nothing but for his seruice and by his commaundement makes him Lieutenant Generall of the Realme and a Companion both in his authoritie and affaires h Tiberius called Seianus Socium laborum a Companion of his labouâ—s he caused his statue to be honored in Pallaces and Theaters Tacit. lib. 4. He commits vnto his charge his owne person his Brethren and Sisters his Forts and Townes vntill hee should come to the age of one and twenty yeares he bindes all the Noblemen that were about him to acknowledge him in this qualitie and he giues his eldest Sister in marriage to Thomas Bothwell the sonne of Robert i The points reserued to Soueraigne Maiesty should neuer be imparted to any Subiect no not by Commission least they open a way to the Subiect to enter into the Princes place That which the King thought to do to assure this breeding greatnesse was that which ouerthrew it Nobility of Scotland conspire against Bothwell for the Nobles of the Realme did so enuy it and did pretend so many dangers in this great Communication of the Royall Authoritie to a priuate person as they coniured the ruine of this house The King had demaunded Margaret the King of Denmarkes Daughter in marriage whereunto they did the more willinglie accord for that by the treatie the controuersie was ended betwixt those two Crownes for the Ilands of Orcades The question was to send one to conduct the Queene This charge was giuen to Thomas Bothwell by the aduice of his enemies to the end that this absence might coole the great heare of the Kings loue as commonly Princes affections fauour that onelie which they see and weaken his faction giuing more courage to his enemies to make their party against him They that had neuer spoken word during his great prosperitie cry now against those Horseleeches of State against those Rauens and Harpies k For a time they suffer and dissemble the publike iniuries and oppressions of priuate men but when as any one begins to cry all pursue them All the complaints which had beene made against the Father for the bad gouernment of affaires were reuiued with such vehemencie as the King saw himselfe in a manner forced to heare them and to prouide for it A Parlament being called at Edinbourg they make a great instance vnto him he cannot bandie himselfe against such wholesome resolutions and they let him vnderstand that the force of his Estate consists in the Accord of his Will with those of his Senate l A Prince cannot shâ—w to much fauour loue and protection to the generall Councell of his Estate from whence goe all the resolutions for the good of the CoÌ„mon-weale Otho speaking of the Senate of Rome said vnto his Armie Quid vos pulcherimaÌ„ hanc vrbem domibus tectis congestu lapidum stare creditis Muta ista et inanima intercidere reparari promiscue possuÌ„t aeternitas rerum par gentium mea cum vestra salus in columitate Senatus firmatur What doe you thinke that this goodly Citty consists in houses buildings and heapes of stâ—nes these dumb sencelesse things may fall and bee repaired againe the eternitie of things the peace of Nations and my health with yours is setled by the safety of the Senate Robert Bothwell is sent for to appeare in person and to giue an account of his actions Bothwell coÌ„demned by the Parliament His flight into England did conuict him His Sonne being ficke and not able to flie away was staied a prisoner and condemned to loose his head in the Spring following Thomas Bothwel being come to Edingbourg with the Queen much amazed after so many dangers which hee had runne for his seruice to see his house thus ruined and vpon the aduice which his Wife gaue him of the small hope there was to returne into fauour he
haue relinquished our owne right and thought good to surcease The Embassadours of Venice and Florence fall to an examination of the Articles They finde not any pleasing vnto them they make new demands wil haue all restored which had ben taken during the war they passe ouer the Popes interests respects highly and say plainely that the affaires are changed being no more in the estate they were in before they had made a peace with the Turke the which they declared they would maintain constantly and fully ConditioÌ„s of Peace refused As for demanding absolution after the forme of the Church there was no such meaning d Pia insuper sanctaque impiè nefandissimè occisorum Christianorum Domini suffragià Cardinalis legati detensioneÌ„ ambagibus quibusdam praetereunt Qui vero monumentuÌ„ declinandum existiment si nostram eam infamiam putant aequo animo per Deum superflui officij curam deponant Nam conscientia pluris est nobis quam omniuÌ„ sermo benefactis quorum testis est Deus maloruÌ„ calumnias veras nobis laudes adscribimus Discrimen iniustae criminationis malumus subire quam tot defunctorum animas refrigerio iusto carere Qui si ad seipsos eam infamiam referunt imièque factoruÌ„ delere de ciuitaâ—e memoriaÌ„ cupiunt sunt haud dubiè in seipsos mortuos duri Ad iterandam enim contritionem proximisque praebendum exemplum subleu andumque imprimis extinctorum animas stare ante oculos peccatum volunt durae nimirum recusationis suae culpa haec est non misericordis postulati nostri They thinke it would be no honour for them to entertaine an odious remembrance of things past causing Anniuersaries to be said for the soules of the dead to giue new assurance of their affection toward the Church there was no mention When as the Pope saw this Popes coÌ„plaint against the League he assembled the Consistory with the Embassadors e Vertimur ad vos Itali CoÌ„federati Oratores quoruÌ„ causa haec agimus lamentamur primo 〈◊〉 Deo fratribus nostris ceterisque Legatis in hoc loco presentibê° vocem patris plena salutis coÌ„silia ad hunc diem non audita esse Clementia nostra vestâ—os Principes pie non vsos plus apud eos armorum belli fiduciam quam Matris vestrae Apostolici Sedis charitateÌ„ obseruantiam valuisse Angimur quoque tam longinquam missionem amicissi Regis curamque eius vigilias pro viribus susceptas sanctumque pro fide proposituÌ„ successum per vos non habuisse of the Emperour Frederick of Lewis the French King of Edward King of England of Ferdinand King of Arragon of Maximilian Arch-Duke of Austria and of the Confederates He complained of the contempt of his authority and told the Embassadors of the league that he lamented the obstinacy of their Princes who would not hearken to the voyce and wholesome counsell of their father whose bounty they did abuse and had more confidence in their owne Armes then affection to the Church their mother That he was exceeding sorry that the Kings Embassage and the good Offices which he had done to the holy Sea should remaine without effect that for his part his conscience should neuer accuse him to haue contemned any thing for the good of the Church that his armes were alwayes open to receiue them that would repent And for that the Embassadors of Venice Florence and Millan demanded leaue to depart he declared that they were free that he would not force the necessity of their returne but if they would stay they might with all safety that it might be time and their presence might make those things easie which seemed difficult IntelligeÌ„ces of the Duke of Brittaine discouered and that sometimes Treaties were broken off to be vnited againe more firmely But it is more time to repasse the mountaines and see how the King makes his profite of these last accidents Estates are like vnto ships all things are not so well but there is still some disorder It seemed that the Duke of Bourgundies death had brought France to that estate as she could not desire any thing else to make her felicity perfect But there is yet another Duke which hinders this perfection It is he of Brittany who since the Treaty made at Victoire neere vnto Senlis hath not discontinued his practises in England forgetting that the English had alwayes reserued this Prouince for the exercise of their Armes when they should be weary of peace f Edward the third King of England would not haue the Duke of Brittaine compreheÌ„ded in the Treaty of Bretigny to the end he might haue meanes to vent in this prouince the boiling humours of his Realme haue where to discharge himselfe of his Souldiers and that they haue taken delight to see him in bad tearmes with the King The Duke was more earnest and carefull hereof when he saw that he had lost the Duke of Bourgundy assuring himselfe that the King would fall vpon him and that it would be verified of him what the Fable sayes of the Larke in the Hawkes tallants g The weake receiues from one that is more strong what Law he pleaseth The Larke saith Hesiodus demanded of the Spar-hawke why he offered him violence Miserable answered the Spar-hawke why dost thou complaine a stronger hath thee in his power Wherefore he sent often to visit the King to entertain him in a good opinion of his pains and the fidelity of his promises and yet he continued his practises with the King of England The secret of this practise depended of Peter Landays Disposition of Peter Landais Superintendant of the Dukes affaires and Treasure an able and sufficient man to manage such Monopolies He had Flattery for great men arrogancy and brauery for Inferiors and he was difficult and seuere to them that were his equals h These three qualities attributed to Landays haue been giuen to Cutius Râ—fus a man whom Tiberius to â—â—de the bâ—sâ—nesse of his extraction said to be borne of himselfe Curtius Rufus videtur mihi ex se nâ—tus Curtius Ruâ—us seemes to me to be borne of himselfe Tacitus addes that hee was Aduâ—rsus superiores tristi adulati ne arroâ—aâ—â—s minoribus inter pares difficilis To his superiours a sowre flatterer arrogant to his inferiors and difficult to his equals Tacit. Animal Lib. 11. He imployed and called Maurice Bromell who carried and recarried the Packets The King who had spies euery where discouers the messenger and wins Bromell who by meanes of a Norman that could counterfeit the King of Englands hand the Duke of Brittaines and their Secretaries sent the originall letters vnto the King and carried the counterfeit Copies into England The Duke of Brittaine who thought he had no other witnesse in this action then the Sunne and that the king could haue no knowledge therof i In Actions which
got made him contemptible for they knew well that the place of battell was not left him but to present vnto him the inequallity of the losse hauing lost a greater number of men then the King who was still Maister of Artois without the which the Earles of Flanders are but petty Princes Those Estates are vnhappy which are forced to seeke strange Maisters they are like vnto counterfeite legges and armes set on to naturall bodies It fareth not much better with Princes which are alwaies hated who being not loued cannot bee well obeyed b It is a glorious Title for a Prince when hee can say that hee is well beloued of his subiects It cannot be purchased but by royall vertues which are more to be esteemed then Kingdomes Iâ— regnare depende spesso della fortunà ma il Re che si proponga per vnico fine la salute la felicità de populi suoi depende solamente da se medesimo della propriavirtu To raigne depends often vpon fortune but that King which propounds vnto himselfe for his onely end the health and felicity of his people depends â—oly of himselfe and his owne vertue Guic. lib. 1. Maximilian had not beene bred vp in affaires His age without experience his youth could not be ripe before his time The Emperour Fredericke his father one of the most couetous Princes in the world had neither giuen him men nor mony sufficient to performe those wonders which were expected from him before they saw him In a word hee had not done sacrifice to reputation c By the first iudgements which are made of a new Prince his reputation is weake or strong and therefore the wise aduise Instandum famae nam prout prima cedunt censentur vniuersa We must stand vpon fame for as the first succeed all the rest are censured entring into the Country Moreouer as men are more grieued for the fayling of things promised then for those which are but in expectation they saw the Emperour Fredericke did not care to assist him nor to releeue him with forces equall to the subiect which did presse him For he had written vnto the chiefe Townes that as soone as he had setled the affaires of the Empire he would follow his sonne and yet he left him in a confusion of miseries d By the Emperor Fredericks letters written to the Towne of Dole bearing date the 12. of February 1477. wee see that hee promised to follow him presently Nos vero coÌ„positis paulisper negotijs nostris eundem fillium nostruÌ„ ducem Maximilianum illico subsequemur ad vos in propria persona accedere volumus parati inclinati vt ad omnem gratiam fauorem quos vos intuitu dictorum ducis Maximiliani contoralis Ducissae Mariae impartiri possumus Ann. of Bourg hauing not where with at all to defray the charges of his owne house so as the Princesse was forced to sell and pawne part of her reueneues So the battell of Guinegaste was not followed by any other losse Onely the Prince of Orange would make vse of it hauing found that what he had designed against the Kings person brought him nothing but shame and repentance Reuenge inuents villanous practises to please it selfe Being offended with the King for that he had not giuen him so great authority as he thought he had deserued he was not content to haue left his seruice to follow the Arch-duke and to haue caused the Townes of Bourgundy to reuolt Attempt against the Kings person discouered but he attempted against his life thinking that to free himselfe from feare hee should vtterly ruine himselfe e To attempt against an enemies life is a testimony of feare and cowardise vpon an apprehension that hee will bee reuenged It is a counsell of safety not of courage Mons r. d'Espilly the Kings Atturny Generall in the Parliament of Dauphine who is one of those that in merite and sufficiency finde more men to imitate him then to go before him sent mee an extract out of the Register of the Chamber of Accompts of Dauphine which related a strange example thereof and serues as in a cleere Lanthorne that the eternall Prouidence hath neuer failed in the preseruation of this Monarchy diuerting those stormes which hell had raised to ouerthrow it And behold the History Iohn Renond Iohn Renond a Lionois Borne at Saint Chaumond in Lionois and making profession of a Mercer and an Apothecary f By the Processe verball it is said that this Renond was married at Clermont that hee had two brethen at Lion one Beneficed in the great Church and Peter Renond a Hosier Tenant to Maister Michael Lambert in the Towne of Clermont in Auuergne vndertooke to go to Florence to see one called Francisquin whom he had sometimes serued and who was a seruant in the house of Medicis carrying him a horse of some twenty Crownes price being in hope that he would do him some good for men of that sort giue not but to receiue He beganne his iourney before Easter past the holy weeke at Lyon and past the Monday after towards Mantua where he was incountred by fiue men who led him to Saint Claude to the Signeor of Erbens who committed him to prison Prisoner to the Prince of Orange for that he said hee was a French-man and sent him to the Prince of Orange who was then at Arbois The Prince of Orange informed himselfe curiously of all that he knew and finding by his discourse that a desire to draw some-thing from the Maister which hee had serued at Florence had made him vndertake so great a voiage that necessity made him capable of any thing and that it made him of a sicke mans humour to whom a smal matter fitly administred giues ease g Benefits which preuent the demands of them that haue need and whom necessity doth pâ—esse worke great effects and are like vnto those easy remedies which being fitly giuen doe much case the Patient In aegris oportunitas cibi saluâ—aris est aqua tempestiue data remedij locum obtinet In sicke persons the opportunity of meatâ—s healthfull and water fitly giuen is in stead of a remedy Sen. he began to cast forth some words of the tediousnesse and difficulty of the way assuring him of greater good with lesse paine he demanded of him if he would not be as well pleased to haue it done him there as to seeke it so farre off Hee offers to do any thing Renond answered that he was well content and that he was ready to serue him against all men yea were it to go against the King The Prince of Orange replyed Thou sayst well thou art the man I seeke for commanding they should make him good cheere and after that time they suffered him to go vp and downe the Towne where he listed yet they caused a Legeois to accompany him least he should escape The Bastard of Orange did
paine his basenesse was the cause of it and that death might giue him a free passage he changed his patience into dispaire so as on the Thursday after Saint Martins day in yeare one thousand foure hundred foure score and foure hee was found strangled with the cord of his bed This execrable kind of death was kept secret vntill that they vnderstood the Popes minde after which the executioner of Iustice entred into the prison put the body into a pipe and cast it into the Riuer of Rhine c To kill himselfe hath beene held an act of courageâ— Plato forbids it in his Lawes The Thebians detested it and the Athenians did cut off his hand that had slaine himselfe did cast it on the common dunghill The Popes Deputies returned to Basill and the Excommunication hauing beene obserued three daies was taken away and the Towne deliuered from the Popes censures Yet for all this they did not cease to wish that the Pope would earnestly embrace the reformation of the disorders of the Church Desires of this kind are iust but wee may not presse them with heate of passion and indiscretion of zeale An example shewing that it is not reasonable in such sufferings and perplexities of the Church that the pride of any priuate person should presume to reforme it Wee must leaue those thoughts to Princes and Magistrates The simple multitude must attend with patience at the foote of the Mountaine vntil that Moses descend to let them vnderstand the will of God The Ship wherein that holy Family is included which hath neither sight nor day but towards heauen shall in the end appeare most glorious ouer the waues of the deluge and shall come vnto the Mountaine of a happy tranquillity * ⎠* ⸪ The end of the ninth Booke THE CONTENTS OF the tenth Booke 1 VVEakning and alteration of the Kings health in the beginning of the yeare 1480. 2 An Apoplexy seazeth on him His actions to maintaine his authority and to keepe himselfe from contempt 3 Liberty of Cardinall Balue and his pollicy to obtaine it 4 Generosity of the Cardinall of Estouteville to maintaine his dignity and that of the Clergy His death 5 Oppressions of the people 6 Desire of the King to reforme Iustice and tedious Sutes 7 Relapse of his sickenesse at Tours he goes to Saint Claude in his returne passeth by Salins and there setteth a Parliament for the Franche County 8 Death of Mary Dutchesse of Bourgundy wife to Maximilian the Emperour 9 Admonition made by the King to the Dauphin at Amboise 10 Estate of the Low Countries at the discretion of the Gantoies 11 Treatie of peace and marriage betwixt the Dauphin and Margaret Princesse of Austria 12 Death of the King of England and troubles for his succession 13 Earle of Richmond prisoner to the Duke of Brittaine comes to the Crowne of England by the Kings assistance 14 Death of Francis Phoebus King of Nauarre suite for the succession 15 Death of Alphonso King of Portugall 16 Lewis fals into new apprehensions of death and shuts himselfe into his Pallace at Plessis 17 Zizimi son to Mahomet reuolts against Bajazeth flyes to Rhodes and is conducted into France 18 Commendation of Mathias Coruinus King of Hungary 19 Impairing of the Kings health 20 Hee sends for Francis Paulo a Calabrois strange distemperatures of his sickenesse 21 His aistrust of Iohn Duke of Bourbon 22 Publication of the peace betwixt the King and Maximilian of Austria Marriage of Charles the Dauphin with the Princesse Margaret Magnificence at their entrance into Paris 23 The third and last relapse of the Kings Infirmity his last actions His perfect sence euen vnto the last gaspe His death ⧠THE HISTORY Of LEWIS the eleuenth THE TENTH BOOKE IN the beginning of the yeare 1480. 1480. Lewis beganne to dye and to feare death the which comes neuer so fitly but it brings with it terrour and amazement a Life must bee considered by the end If it bee good and glorious all the rest is proportionable Quomodo fabula sic vita non quandiu sed quam bene acta sit refert Nil ad rem pertinet quo loâ—o desinas quocunque voles desine tantum bonam clausulam imponas Life is like vnto a fable It imports not how long but how well it be acted It skils not where thou leauest leaue where thou wilt so thy conclusion be good Sen. His forces grew weake but his courage was fortefied strong vpon an apprehensioÌ„ which he had that they would make designes vpon his graue and that they would not stay vntill hee came to the end of his Carriere Hee desired to end it with the Authority Maiesty and Reputation that he had begonne and would not that they should know him dying nor that they should hold him mortall Hee workes so as in the West of his life the shadow of his reputation and respect is as great as at the Noone-day of his raigne Yet he finds that his iudgement hath not the force and vigour which it formerly had that the remainder of his life is become sower Age is alwaies accompanied that age comes not alone b When as wine and life grow low they become sowre Antiphanes hauing brought him diuers discommodities an incorrigible melancholy agitations of the minde a slow Feuer and the paines of the Emerauds He hath more prouision then he hath way to go he gathers and laies vp when hee should abandon and let go c Age becomes couetous when it hath not any need of goods it feares the earth should faile it One demanded of Symonides why he was so sparing in the extremity of his age for that said he I had rather leaue my goods after my death to my enemies then in my life time to haue neede of my friends His designes are great and spacious and his desires grow yong hee cannot free himselfe from new hopes his soule is as it were hung betwixt the feare of death and the hope of life his vnderstanding is a Milstone which the continuall course of affaires doth turne day and night And although his life passeth away in languishing and griefe yet had he rather endure the paine then not to be desiring rather to be freed from it then from life the which how painefull soeuer it be hath some houre of ease d There iâ— no life so languishing and full of paine but it is supported by some hope freed from the feares of death When aâ— Antisthenes the Philosopher was in extreame paine hee cryed out Who shall deliuer me froÌ„ these miseries Diogenes presenting a knife vnto him said This if thou wilt and that soone I do not say of my life replyed the Philosopher but of my paine For if paines be violent they are short and if they be short they giue no leasure to complaine Going to heare Masse at a little Parish neere to the Forges of Saint Chinon The King suddenly and
disorder which this Prelates ambition caused in publicke charges besought the King to suffer him to go and hold a chapter in the Cathedrall Church at Eureux If contrary aspects and shadowes raise and grace things opposite Generosity of Cardinall Estouteuille the great and excellent vertues of William of Estouteuille Cardinall of Rouan will shew themselues heere gloriously Hee was the ornament of the Cardinals of his age and neither feare of danger nor apprehension of ill did m To do good where there is no danger is a vulgar thing but to do good where there is perill is the proper office of a good man to do euill is too easy and too base hinder him from doing good Rome cast her eyes vpon him as Athens did sometimes on Aristides He was wonderfull iealous of the dignity of his Robe and considering that the world was but a Theater on the which euery man was bound to play the part which his vertue or fortune had giuen him hee would alwaies performe his with constancy and honour King Charles the seuenth commanded him to go to Rome with the Embassadours which hee sent to Pope Calixtus the third to yeeld him obedience but hee excused himselfe not for feare to expose his sufficiency n Ignorance weaknesse feare any encounter for that they thinke being coÌ„pared one with another their imperfections will presently appeare to the encounter of a greater but not to offend the honour of his Cardinals place which did not allow him to accept of any Legation but from the Popes authority With the same courage that he maintained the honour of his Hat hee defended that of the Church and of France The Barrisell or Prouost of Rome finding a man in committing a flagrant delict or heynous crime and hauing no hangman to execute him presently forced a poore Priest whom hee found begging in the streete to doe this office Hee laboured in vaine to tell him that he was a Priest and a Frenchman and that he had neuer done an act vnworthy the one or the other Cruelty of the Prouost of Rome The Prouost who had abandoned the Helme of reason to the storme of choller o A iudgement transported with choller is like vnto a Shippe without Pilate and without helme or a lodging out of the which the maister is expelled by the fire and smoake which is in it The end of all that is done in choller is the beginning of re-repentance the which had fild his spirit with fumes felt himselfe so transported with passion to punish the crime as hee would not hearken vnto the innocent but threatned to make him play the part of the offendor if he would not do that of the Hang-man The feare of death which had forced greater men to doe worse made him resolue to this infamous excution after which he retired himselfe holding downe his head for shame into the house of Cardinall Estouteville where hee complained of this wrong and demanded iustice The Cardinall considering that by the iniury of this poore man the dignity of the Church and the honour of the Nation was interressed sent for the Prouost and hauing let him know his fault commanded his Muletier to hang him at the barre in his Hall with one of his Mules halters At the sight of this Prouost hanging at the window the Popes Officers made great complaints and the Cardinall Estouteuille was ready to retire into France but Pope Nicholas being aduertised thereof blamed the cruelty and iniustice of the said Prouost who had so affected the punishment of another p It is the ordinary course of iniustice to plunge it selfe into the mischiefe wherhinto she would draw others Dat poenas dum exigit They bee ruines which breake vpon that whereon they fall as hee had not considered into what danger hee engaged himselfe Hee commended the Cardinals iustice and entreated him not to leaue Rome He remained 28. yeares there and dyed the same yeare when as King Lewis the eleuenth left this life Hee was made Chamberlaine to Sixtus the fourth Bishop of Ostia and Deane of the Colledge Hee caused Saint Augustines Church to be built and did much inrich that of Saint Mary the Great The Chanons of this Church and the Monkes of the other did not yeeld that respect vnto his memory which they ought For being ready to interre him they fell to quarrell for his Roabes with so great a disorder as the rings were taken from his fingers and hee had like to haue beene stript naked by the indiscretion of those whom he had cloathed This first sickenesse of the Kings continued some 15. daies q During this sickenesse all â—ffaires were dispatcht by the Bishop of Alby by his brother the gouernour â—f Bourgundy by the Marshall of Gâ—e and the Lord of Lude who were lodged in two little chambers vnder his at the end whereof he went to see the Campe of his new disciplined souldiers which hee had erected and caused them to bee put in battell in a Valley neere to Pontdelarche in Normandy hauing caused a great number of Tents and Pauillions to be made to lodge them in field and Carts to enclose them and to serue as a Trench For the entertainement whereof hee must make new leuies for money and excessiue taxes for it did amount yearely to a hundred and fifty thousand pounds Sterling They that were about him when this sickenesse tooke him OppressioÌ„ of the people considering how much the people were opprest and thinking that hee would neuer recouer it made diuers decrees for the suppression of this Taxe Many thought that this sickenesse had toucht his heart and made him more sencible of the miseries and calamities of his subiects for the remonstrances so often made vpon this subiect had not preuailed any thing and they expected no ease but what should come from his owne motion r Hee had much opprest his people saith Phil. de Comines and more then euer any King did Authority and perswasions could not moue him to ease them It must come froÌ„ himselfe as theÌ„ he would haue done if God had preserued him from sicknesse therefore it is good to doe well whilst we haue leasure that God giues health and vnderstanding to men He propounded to reforme all the disorders of his Realme If hee might not haue the honour to haue reigned well he desires to make his reigne better at his death then in his life thinking nothing makes a Prince to be more lamented then when he dies in some great action for the good of his Realme He meant to begin this Reformation by Iustice The Kings desire to reforme Iustice. and Phillip de Commines saith that he loued not the Court of Parliament of Paris for that he disliked many things He had so much contemned to giue great Offices to the recommendation of merite and sufficiency and therein to consider the honour and condition of persons as ignorance had the reputation
vnfold the whole part of the Table Behold by the grace of God wee are come to the banke It is sufficient to haue written the Fathers History leauing the Sonnes to some other But before wee end wee must repasse vnto the Iudgements of the actions of this Prince That done wee will enter into the great Carriere of the toyles and glory the Combates and victories the Vertue and Fortune of the greatest Prince that euer was before or after Lewis the 11 th The end of the tenth Booke THE CONTENTS OF the eleuenth Booke 1 LIberty of Iudgements vpon the life of Lewis the eleuenth 2 A particular examination of his actions his piety his deuotions pilgrimages his good deeds to Churches his behauiour toward the Pope 3 What he was towards King Charles the seuenth his father towards his sonne his wife and the Princes of his bloud 4 Maiesty The care hee had to preserue the respect hee did not affect pompe who were the chiefe officers of his Crowne hee is very wary to confer titles of honor and dignity he contemnes the mark of maiesty 5. Magnificence The order and expences of his house he receiues the Embassadors of forraigne Princes with great state His buldings 6 Clemency He leaues no offence vnpunished his Prisons and Cages of Iron a rigorous vsage of the Dukes of Alençon and Nemours Hee reuengeth old offences which he had receiued before he was King and forgets not them of the league Seuerity in the end makes him fearefull and distrustfull 7 Iustice He institutes the Parliaments of Bourdeaux and Dijon hee loues not the Parliament of Paris a free and couragious admonition made by the President La Vacquerie how chiefe Ministers should carry themselues to Princes Of the Kings Audiences 8 Wisedome He was alwayes accompanied with feare he let slip the occasion to do his businesse in England and Flanders he can choose men and draw forraigne Princes to his deuotion as the Archduke of Austria Cosmo di Medicis and others he drew vnto his seruice the Lord of Lescun and Creuecoeur and Philip de Commines His tongue offends his wisedome 9 Liberality He is neither couetous nor liberall he hath formes to giue which bind much hee entertaines many Pentioners his liberality passeth to excesse empties his Coffers driues him to necessity and to lay rigorous Impositions vpon the people 10 Valour Proofe of the greatnesse of his courage in diuers encounters what care he had of warre His policie and military discipline 11 Knowledge He had more knowledge of learning the sâ—yences then other kings his predecessors The pittifull estate of the profession of learning vnder his reigne his Apothegmes and Answeres 12 Temperance Hee had two base daughters his priuate kind of life his domesticke pleasures his exercises and his confident seruants Diuers other obseruations vpon his life and Historie ¶ THE HISTORY Of LEWIS the eleuenth THE ELEVENTH BOOKE MEN iudge freely of the liues of Princes after their deaths IudgmeÌ„ts are free after death the glistering of their Purple-Robes doth no more dazle their eyes a Themistâ—us 〈◊〉 that the court of the Emperour Iovinian was full of flatterers said that then adored the pâ—rple more then the person and that the Court was an Euripus whose waues did fâ—ow and eâ—be in an instaÌ„t Nicep Cal. l. 10. c. 42. and the Iudgements which are made are purged from flattery which doth alwayes augment the good and diminish the ill which they do That King doth greatly binde him which speakes of his life when he giues him no occasion to lye in commending him For Princes are neuer so perfect but Truth may finde great exceptions in the goodliest qualities of their praises and before that the Statue be made perfect there must much Marble bee taken away and the forme exactly sought in the substance Philip de Commines saying that hee had seene the greatest Princes of his time and in them all there was both good and euill for that they were men he addes for truth freed from all flattery That God had created Lewis the eleuenth more wise more liberall and more vertuous then all they and that in him there were more things belonging to the office of a King and Prince then in any of the other I haue in a manner saith he seene them all and knowne what they could doe wherefore I deuine not This great authority which hee preserued vnto the last gaspe Liberty of iudgment vpon the life of Lewis 11. and carried into death was supported by three mighty pillars which his owne wisedome had raised Seuerity Constancy and Reputation b Maiesty is the inuincible fâ—â—t of a Prince it is better preserued by sâ—uerity then by too great 〈…〉 But for that these good soules are like vnto the Mill-dew of the starres which looseth much of her purenesse passing by the Regions of the aire and by the entrailes of Bees which forme it and that the gold of Princes vertues cannot bee drawne absolutely pure from their liues being alwayes mixt with diuers strange matters we must consider if the piety which was in him hath retained nothing of superstition or hypocrisie his elemency of feare Iustice of cruelty wisedome of subtilty liberality of prodigality and his other goodly qualities of Art and dissimulation Euery man may now speake his opinion without feare of displeasing or blame of flattery c Praises which are not necessary are best Neminem magis laudare Imperatoâ—em decet quam queÌ„ minus necesse est praise may passe on freely and boldly without any other necessity or bond then the respect which euery man should haue to preserue the memory of Princes against the outrages of slander Posterity which vnderstands not things but by the voice of such whom benefites or offences haue bound to remember them doth alwayes receiue flatteries and lies for truth d Flattery or hatred do most coÌ„monly turne an History out of the right way of truth therefore Tacitus protests that they of whom he speakes are not known vnto him neither by offences done nor by benefits receiued Mihi Galba Otho Vitellius nec beneficio nec iniuria cogniti It is fitting in painting to represent Hanniball and Antigonus halfe-faced to hide the eye which they wanted but a History must shew the whole face to the end that Princes may find their owne vices in the portrait of others This hath noted them to shew that there is nothing perfect in this world and if the Tapestry of this Princes life bee faire and pleasing viewing it on the right side you shall finde the backe very much disfigured with knots and seames We must not seeke his Elogies in the Histories of strangers e Buchanan saith that Lewis 11. Tyrannidem exercebat practised tyranny and that there was nothing more common Quam ex vsu suis coÌ„modis sine discrimine â—idem fall re quibuscunque sed precipue agnatis Principibus then of custome and for his owne
question treated by Bodin in the second booke fourth chapter of his Common-weale but very superfluous for there is not any one but knowes therein what he should doe the President la Vacquery whom hee had drawne from the seruice of the Princesse of Flanders came vnto him with a good number of other Presidents and Councellors in their scarlet roabes The King being amazed to see this red procession demanded wherefore they came Sir answered la Vacquerie we come to resigne vp our places into your hands and to endure whatsoeuer it shall please you rather then to wrong our consciences in verifying the Edicts which you haue sent vs. Hee was very sensible of these words of Conscience and did not willingly like of any thing that was spoken to charge it he presently called them backe and promised neuer to doe any thing but what should bee iust and reasonable yet this course was not commended by them who compare a Magistrate leauing his charge for that he cannot allow of the Princes will to a Marriner which abandons the Helme during a Tempest A Magistratâ— should not quit his charge for any respect or to a Physitian who iudging the Disease incurable doth not vovchsafe to apply Remedies to asswage the paine when as hee sees those that may cure it are in vaine In these occasions the examples of good men whom wee must imitate and the aduice of wise men whom wee must honour should carry a light before iudgement Hee who first in France had the keeping of the sacred Seales of two Crownes seeing himselfe sometimes forced to haue the constancy of his duety striue with the absolute commandements of the King shewes how others ouer whom the dignity of his Office his vertues experience and merits giue preheminence should compose and gouerne their Actions When as the King to free himselfe from the Importunity of some Spirites which are hard to content and who abusing discretion in demanding grow discontented when they vse liberty in refusing commandes him to passe the Seale for things which exceede the ordinary formes of Iustice and are both without President and Reason o Example is a cleere light in doubtful things for those which are not grounded vpon example cannot bee maintained by reason Quod exemplo fit id etiam iure fieri putant That which is done ly example that they thinke lawfully done Cic. ad Sulpitium Hee hath beene heard to say that hee should hold himselfe inexcusable vnworthy of his charge and to carry the Title of the first Minister of the Kings Soueraigne Iustice if hee did represent vnto him the wrongs which it receiued in commaunding him things forbidden by the lawes and which should bee odious to his owne iudgement if importunity had not rather wrested then obtained them from his bounty Iustice is the felicity of Empires they haue seene how discreetly to his Admonitions hee added most humble prayers not to wrong the most sacred thing which the wisedome of God hath left to Princes for the felicity of their estates And when these Admonitions haue not preuailed that his Maiestie hath had other motions and that the effects which seemed contrary to Iustice haue made him see causes which Time the Men and the Affaires haue made lawfull and necessary hee hath alwayes conuerted his Reason into Obedience contenting himselfe to haue shewed the integrity of his minde without opposition against the will of his Prince which is aboue the Lawes and doth declare all that iust which doth accomodate his Affaires for there is no Lawe which commaundes a Magistrate to ruine himselfe in maintaining Iustice against the power of his Prince and Wisedome which carries a light before all other vertues will that a man faile in any thing rather then himselfe p Among the Precepts which Polybius sent to Demetrius to draw him out of the danger into which youth and indiscretion had ingaged him this is remarkable Quit all rather then thy selfe When as the Princes will strayes from reason it must bee reclaimed mildly by discretion wee must thinke that hee can doe nothing without the aduice of his Parliaments q Kings haue alwayes had a Councell a part to consult resolue vpon the great affaires of their estate The peeres of France did not enter into the Kings Councel their quality did not priuiledge them if they did not please the King It is also obserued in the Ordonances for the gouernment of the realme and for the Regency in the absence and minority of Kings they doe not in any sort speake of the Peeres of France The King should bee no King if there were in his Realme an Authority aboue his Great resolutions which concerne the safety of the State are not treated of in great Assemblies where as the secret which is as the soule cannot bee long kept in but doth euaporate r Matters are neuer kept secret in great Assemblies whatsoeuer was done in the Senat of Rome was blowne abroad the Senators Children told newes to their Mothers and Titus Liuius wonders that the Embassadors of Greece and Asia had discouered nothing of the speech which King Eumenes had vsed in open Senat against King Perseus Monarkes haue alwayes had a Councell separated from the Senate which is otherwise busied enough with the flowing and ebbing of Sutes and they haue not onely reserued great affaires to their Councell but they would haue chosen persons confifidently to impart vnto them their most important affaires This is not without President for the greatest and most happy Founders of the Roman Empire had besides the Senate a Priuie Councell of few persons s Iulius Caesar had for his priuy Councellors Q. Paedius and Corn. Balbus Augustus had Maecenas and Agrippa with whom hee treated his greatest and most important Affaires The Parliaments haue the care of the execution of the Kings Edicts they publish them and cause them to bee obserued they keepe the Registers that at neede they may haue recourse to them It is true that Princes haue sometimes shewed themselues so absolute in their willes as the wise men of their Councell not beeing able to restraine or moderate them haue often allowed the oppositions which the Parliaments haue made to their Edicts and fauoured them for that they were conformable to reason and agreeing with the publicke good For although the Soueraigne bee aboue the Lawes and that hee may derogate from Right and Law wherein Soueraignty doth properly consist yet it is necessary that the absolute power bee restrained by the Ciuill and that he consider that in destroying the Law and offending Iustice he is like vnto the Iuy which puls downe the wall that beares it vp I leaue it vnto the wise to consider if they did well to put into the mouth of King Charles the ninth Words of K. Charles to the parliament the thirteenth yeare of his Age and the second of his Reigne these wordes t These wordes are
Ministers of England Philip de Commines saith that he was imployed to win the Lord Hastings as the Duke of Bourgondy had formerly done to haue him his friend at a thousand Crownes pension Hee was very difficult to resolue but as Siluer is like vnto Cephalus Arrow which is neuer shot in vaine that a long pursute shakes the most constant resolutions hee suffered himselfe to be wonne for two thousand Crownes pension The King sent Peter Cleret one of the Stewards of his House vnto him to carry him this Money and to bring backe a quittance to bee put with the rest and to iustifie hereafter that not onely Hastings Lord Chamberlaine but also the Lord Howard high Admirall the Lord Chainey Maister of the Horse and Thomas of Montgomery had beene Pensioners to the French King This was said to make a gaine in giuing and to make a Trade of liberality q To hope for profite of that which is giuen is to trafficke and to put money to vsury it is to thinke to â—old in letting goe and to receiue in giuing Philip de Commines doth plainly set downe what past betwixt them Cleret demanded a quittance and Hastings was not so ill aduised as to giue him any Cleret let him vnderstand that hee had to doe with a Maister who was very distrustfull and if he did not make it appeare how he had deliuered this summe vnto him he might say he had stolne it and therefore he desired onely a letter of three lines vnto the King Hastings seeing that there was some colour in his reasons but much more in those which did not allow him to write gaue him to vnderstand Wisedome of the Lord Hastings that they should trust his Faith and Word r There is nothing that doth binde more then the assurance which wee take of the fidelity conscience of any one It is easier to breake ciuill bonds then them of honour which hee esteemed more then an hundred bondes in writing Hee therefore answered after this manner Sir that which you say is reasonable but this gift comes voluntarily from the King your Maister and not at my suite if you will haue mee take it you shall put it into my sleeue and you shall haue no other letter nor testimony â— will not that it shall bee said by me that the Chamberlaine of England hath beene a Pensioner to the French King nor that my quittances bee found in his chamber of accounts s It is iniustice to cause benefit to be hurtfull infamous to him that receiues it The said Cleret rested satisfied left him the money and came and made this report vnto the king who was much offended that he had not brought him a quittance but he commended the said Chamberlaine more then all the other seruants of the King of England and he was euer after paid without giuing quittance He was so great an Architect as he imployed all sorts of spirits fortunes and conditions in the building of his designes Hee did not only seeke to haue at his deuotion the chiefe Ministers of kings but hee also drew them vnto him that had credit and authority in free Townes and Common-weales therefore he loued great Cosmo de Medicis and was grieued for his death which happened in the first yeares of his reigne The lawes of wisedome did binde him to enter frendship with a house Commendation of the house of Medicis whose great felicity drew the greatest of Europe to admiration Vertue doth force euen Enuy it selfe to suffer this Palme to grow which sprung vp the higher the more they sought to depresse it t When as Enuy hath stormed striuen against the growing glory of a house in the end shee is forced to yeeld her eyes can no more endure such a glistering light Est aliquod meriti spatium quod nulla furentis Inuidiae mensura capit Claud. in laud. Stiliconis and made it knowne that it is no lesse indiscretion to maligne the glory and prosperity of merit as to bee angry when the sun shines which Iupiter commandes and Apollo pronounceth his Oracles In those dayes to enuy the glory of the greatnesse of the house of Medicis was to depriue the Colossus of vertue of his shadow which is glory Lewis 11. had great reasons to esteeme him knowing that great Cosmo de Medicis had made Francis Sforce Duke of Millan that the wealth of his seruants had raised the hopes of many great Princes Riches of the house of Medicis which were in a maner deiected u A seruant vnto Peter de Medicis lent vnto Edward the fourth an hundreth and twenty thousand Crownes and another 50000 to the Duke of Bourgondy at one time and 80000. at another that without him Edward 4. had not returned into his Realme and the Duke of Bourgondy had lost his credit in Italy In those times they did not speake but of the Piety and Magnificence of great Cosmo de Medicis who had opened the barre to his posterity to attaine vnto the soueraigne command of Tuscanie Hee liued as a Cittizen commanded as a Prince and his Countrey gaue him the Title of Father His vertue was a Rampart to good Men x A good man is a great Rampart to good man against a powerfull Citizen that persecutes them Such was Nicias at Athens against the insolency and rashnesse of Cleon. Plut. in Nicias his House a refuge to good Wittes out-raged by Fâ—â—tune and a Port to the Muses chased out of Greece His bâ—unty appeared in foure Millions of Gold The Kings of Perou haue their newes carried after this manner They haue vpon the high wayes posts or Cabanes appointed at euery mile the first Carrier cries vnto the second what is commanded him the second carries it vnto the third with the like speede and so vntill it comes vnto the place appointed e 〈◊〉 as Suetonius reports Iâ—uenes Pâ—â—ro modicis interâ—alles per militatis vias dehinc vehicula disposuit He first set yong men by small distances vpon the high wayes and then hee appointed Coches Hee speakes also of Caesars diligence by Coches Longissimas vias incredibili celeritate confecit expeditus meritoria rheda centena passuum millia in dies singulos Hee went long iourneyes with incredible speed a hundred miles euery day being set in a hired Coch. The Emperour Augustus ordained Coaches in certaine places to conduct them that carried his commandements through the Prouinces or that brought him any newes before time they did hire them and Caesar did vse them when as he went in so short a time from Rome to the bankes of Rosne Paris the Rome of France the miracle of the Citties of Europe whereof it should be the Dyamond if it were a Ring owes vnto this Prince the most fauourable concession and confirmation of the priuiledge which it enioyeth and wherewith Kings haue alwayes gratified it holding it reasonable that it should beare the markes of their fauour
the Kings Authority to restraine him from this liberty Hee made of men as an Auditor doth of Counters placing some for hundreds others for thousands some for ten and some for vnits He allowed many petty Companions in his Cabinet who could not remember the condition of their fore-fathers without blushing or disavowing them s Honor meeting with an vnworthy subiect hath lesse luster and esteeme When as the people of Athens saw that Yperbolâ—◠〈◊〉 decayed man and who had nothing to loose was intreatreated equally with good men they dissolued the 〈◊〉 an honorable punishment for those whose vertue was suspected In like manner they tooke it ill at Roma when as Flauius being freed by Appius was made Edilis Curulis But for all that he did not leaue to haue about him and to imploy in great charges Noble-men issued from houses which were then illustrious both by their owne vertues and by those of their fore-fathers Of this number was Iohn of Daillon Lord of Lude The Lord of Lude and Imbert of Baterney Lord of Bouchages They came in fauour with this Prince by diuers meanes and maintained it in like maner The Lord of Lude had been bred vp with this Prince and the affection which begins so soone doth not wither easily Philip de Commines addes this reason that he knew well how to please the King Fortune fauoured the merits of Imbert of Baterney Imbert of Baterney Lewis Dauphin of France retiring himselfe into Dauphiné and going from Moras to Romans hee staied in a valley vnder the Castle of Baterney to take the coole aire and demanding some refreshing in the heate of the season and the tediousnesse of the way the Lord of Baterney sent some things vnto him and came himselfe to doe his duty hee brought with him Imbert of Baterney being then but a youg man who carried a Hauke with the which hee kild some Partridges t The pleasure of hunting which had beene the raâ—ing of his fortune was in a manner the cause of his ruine Claude of Seyell saith that going to 〈◊〉 to see the Dauphin hauing had him to field to see his Haukes flye the king was much incâ—sed thinking that he had a designe to make him see the woâ—ld and to know it The Dauphin tooke pleasure in it and commanded him to come vnto him to Romans for that hee had a desire to see that Hauke flye againe He went and did so please this Prince as he demanded him of his father and from that time he neuer abandoned him vntill his death He made him great in riches and honor as he was in merit and vertue Charles of Artois Charles of Artoix Earle of Eu hauing remained three and twenty yeares prisoner in England returned into France and was much beloued of king Lewis the eleuenth for that he held nothing of the sower arrogant humors of his predecessors he continued in the Kings seruice at such time as the Noble-men left him to follow the Princes Armie He reconciled the King and the Duke of Brittanie and soone after died in Iuly in the yeare 1471. without any children Iohn of Bourgondy Earle of Neuers his Nephew was his heire u The accord betwixt the king and the Duke of Brittany was made at Saumur in the yeare 1469. and the difficulties were decided by the deâ—terity of the Earles of Eu and Dunois Iohn of Orleans Bastard of Orleans Earle of Longueville base sonne to Lewis Duke of Orleans was the greatest and most fortunate Captaine of his time he alone of all the Noblemen of the league of the Common-weale pursued the fruits which France expected of such an enterprise He was chiefe and President of the Commissioners appointed for the reformation of the disorders of the Realme and died before he could see the effects of that which hee had so earnestly pursued in the yeare 1470. Andrew of Laual Andrew of Laual Lord of Loheac Lewis 11. tooke from him the dignity of Marshall of France wherewith Charles 7 had honoured him and rewarded his seruice Hee restored it vnto him againe when as necessity made him know that none was more capable then he For his sake he gaue vnto his brother the Lord of Chastillon the Office of great Maister of the Waters and Forrests Alaine of Albret purchased the surname of Great by the same greatnesse of courage which gaue the sword of France to Charles of Albret his grand-father Alaine of Albret x Charles of Albret was not onely entreated but in a manner forced by the King to receiue the sword of Costable The king pâ—t it into his hand the Dukes of Orleans Burgondy Berry Bourbo girt him with it a little before hee had caried Charles the seuenth vnto the font He left the league of the Common-weale as soone as he was entred into it and remained more constant in the assurance of his word then the Duke of Nemours his great corage found nothing impossible He was often wont to say that he which had force in hand needed no other thing He married Francis Vicountesse of Limoges and was father to Iohn of Albret King of Nauarre Iohn of Bueil Iohn of Bueil Earle of Sancerre presently after the coronation of Lewis the eleuenth was dismist from his Office of Admirally y The Earle of Sancerre was Admirall of France by the death of Pregent of Coitiuy Son-in-Law to Giles of Raix Marshall of France for no other reason but for that he had serued Charles the seuenth He returned to Court and fauour but yet he stood alwayes vpon his guard against that Lyon which strooke with his paw when they least thought of him Iohn of Andie Iohn of Andie Bastard of Armagnac Lord of Lescun and Earle of Cominges was Admiral of France after the dismission of the Earle of Sancerre and then Marshall of France he chased the Brittains from Baieux and was Gouernour of Dauphine Ioachim of Rouvault Ioachim of Rouvault z Hee had done great sâ—ruices vnder King Charles the seuenth and had beene present at the battell of Fromigny and at the siege of Bourdeaux The King gaue him the place of Marshall of France and Monstrelet saith that Charles the seuenth made him constable of Bourdeaux and that hee tooke his oath in the hands of the Chancellors of France Lord of Gamasches serued him worthily and couragiously in the warre of the Common-weale and was the cause of the preseruation of Paris He alwayes coasted the Duke of Bourgondy his Army to keepe it from scattering to the hurt of the Kings subiects and that it should not make profit by the surprise of any places in passing Then he cast himselfe into Paris and by his presence fortified the courages which an accident rather feared then foreseene had much deiected The King gaue him the gouernment with a troope of two hundred maisters and made him Marshall of France Tanneguy of Chastel Tanneguy
of Chastel a He was one of the Commissioners whom the King appointed for the accusation and Imprisonment of the Cardinall of Balue one of the Architects of the league found in the end that there was no better lodging then at the kings armes His fortune was ruined in Brittany and raised in France Hee did negotiate the enter-view of the King and Duke of Bourgondy at Peronne he was imployed in the Truce of nine yeares 1475. and was aduanced to the gouernment of Rousillon The Lord of Nantoillet had for a time the authority ouer all the Armies of France Lord of Nantoillet he wanted nothing but the name of Constable for he did exercise the Functions the King hauing made him his Lieutenant Generall throughout his whole Realme and afterwards Lord Steward of France He was so fauoured as the King gaue him often the moity of his bed This fauour lasted not long The Chronicle of the Kings library saith That the King could not pardon any one of whom he had suspition Death of the Lord of Nantoillet He caused his head to be cut off in the yeare 1468. and that the Hangman hauing cut off but a peece at the first blow hee lest him force and courage enough to stand vp and to protest before heauen and the people that hee died an Innocent After that Philip de Commines had said that he had serued the king well in Paris in the warre of the Common-weale he addes In the end he was ill rewarded more by the pursuite of his enemies then by the Kings fault but neither the one nor the other can well excuse themselues Anthony of Chabannes Anthony of Chabannes Earle of Dammartin brother to Iames of Chabannes Lord Steward of France saw the ship of his fortune cast vpon the shelfe in the beginning of this Princes Reigne His good fotune drew him out of the Bastille to go to the warre of the Common-weale in the end whereof hee was made Lord Steward of France hee had the chiefe charge of the Kings Army in Guyenne and was then much fauoured by this Prince with whom hee was so inward as when hee meant to marry his second Daughter to the Duke of Orleans hee discouered his secret affections vnto him by a letter which hee did write vnto him vpon that subiect wher of the Chronicle in written hand of King Lewis the twelfth makes mention hee sent him word that whatsoeuer they said hee was resolued to giue his daughter to the yong Duke of Orleans but no man should bee troubled to nourish the Children that should bee borne of that marriage Peter of Termouille Peter of Tremouille Lord of Croan saw not his life to end with the fauours and honors hee had had of this Prince His Predecessors Guy of Tremouille and Iohn of Tremouille Lord of Ionuelle were made great in following the Duke of Bourgondies party The eldest of this house married Ioane Countesse of Boulleyn and Comminges Widow to Iohn of France Duke of Berry b K. Charles 〈…〉 yeare 1430. King Charles 7 supported George of Tremouille Lord of Craon in the quarrell which he had with the Earle of Richmont for the Lands of Thouars and Benon Peter of Tremouille defeated the troopes of the Prince of Orange before Gy in the Franch-County but hauing beene repulst from the siege of Dole hee was disgraced by Lewis the eleuenth who loued the seruices better then the seruants Hee was saith Philip de Commines a very fat man who being reasonably well content and rich retired himselfe to his house Charles of Ambois did long feele the disgrace of Peter of Chaumont his father Charles of Ambois who retired himselfe in the begining of the reigne of Lewis with the Duke of Berry c The House of 〈…〉 by the Kings Commandement in the 〈◊〉 1465. He was afterwards imployed in great affaires and continued vnto the end His brother was Bishop of Alby and then Cardinall and the greatest fauourite of Lewis the twelfth who called him M r. George Philip de Commines calleth Charles of Ambois a most Valiant Wife and Diligent Man Peter of Rohan Peter of Rohan Lord of Gy did gouerne his fortune happily amidst the waues and stormes of this Princes reigne who made him Marshall of France He was one of the foure which vndertooke the gouernment of affaires during the Kings infirmity and disability d 〈…〉 the Bishop of 〈◊〉 the Lord of Châ—umont the Marshall of Gye and the Lord of Lude gouerned the Estate for 10 or 12 dayes Hee continued this great Authority vnder the reigne of Charles the eighth for the respect whereof the Lady Anne of France Regent to the King and Wife to Peter of Bourbon offended that the Duke of Orleans attempted vpon her Authority would haue taken him prisoner by the Marshall of Gye The Duke of Orleans retired himselfe and hee that was chosen to stay him was the Instrument of his returne and made his peace with the Regent Iohn of Chalons Prince of Orange Iohn of Chalons left the Duke of Bourgondy to serue Lewis the eleuenth then hee left Lewis to serue Mary daugther to the Duke of Bourgondy This first discontentment against his first maister grew for that disputing the succession of Iohn of Chalons Prince of Orange his Grand-father e Iohn of Chalons sonne to Lewis Margaret of Vienne was married to Mary of Baussac heire of the principalitie of Orange by whom hee had Lewis surnamed the Good Lewis first maried Ioane of Montbelâ—art by whom hee had William and then hee maâ—â—ied Elenor of Armagnaâ— by whom hee had Lewis and Hugh Williaâ— was married to Katherine of 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Iohn of Chalons was borne of whom wee now make mention against Lewis and Hughe his vncles the Duke of Bourgondy being President in his Councell when as the cause was pleaded made a Decree against him This despight drew him to the Kings seruice who promised to restore him to his lands and to giue him the gouernment of Bourgondy but when as he saw that he had but the name and that the Lord of Tremouille had the command of all the forces he returned to the seruice of the Princesse of Bourgondy and caused the whole Countrey to reuolt from the King He troubled him much and let him see that a great Prince hath no small enemies that a Hornet is able to put a Bull into fury Iohn of Esteteuille Iohn of Eâ—â—teuille Lord of Torcy gouerned his fortune amidst so many rockes and shelues vnto a safe port The King made him maister of the Cross-bowes and committed vnto him the guard of the Cardinal of Balue in the Castell of Montbason It was he that came and aduertised the King of the danger in suffering such numbers of English to enter into Amiens during the Treaty of Piquigny Philip of Creuecoeur Philip of Creuecoeur Lord of Esquerdes or Cordes Marshall of France He had great
from him for they are supernaturall and his sodaine punishments and especially against them that vse violence and cruelty Who commonly are no meane men but great Personages either by their owne absolute power or by the Princes authority When God meanes to change the fortune of a Prince Lib. 1. chap. 3. from good to bad or from prosperity to aduersity he prepares him enemies of no force suffers his seruants to become treacherous and makes him distrustfull and iealous of them that are most faithfull Example of Charles Duke of Bourgundy God giues the Prince as he meanes to punish Subiects Lib. 5. chap. 9. and to Princes Subiects and disposeth of their affections towards them as he meanes to raise or ruine them God hath not created any thing in this world Lib. 5. chap. 18. neither men nor beasts but he hath made him some thing opposite to keepe him in feare and humility God speakes no more to men neither are there any more Prophets which speake by his Mouth For his Faith is ample and plaine to all those that will heare and vnderstand it and no man shall be excused for Ignorance at least they which haue had hope and time to liue and which haue had their naturall wits The misery of Princes is when as God is so offended as hee will no longer endure them Lib. 5. chap. 18. but will shew his force and his Diuine Iustice and then he doth first of all take away their iudgements which is a great wound for them it toucheth He troubles their house and suffers them to fall into diuision and murmure The Prince fals into such indignation with God as hee flies the counsell and company of wise men and doth aduance Vp-starts Indiscreete Vnreasonable Violent men and Flatterers who applaud whatsoeuer he saith If he must impose a peny they say two If he threatens a man they say he must be hanged and in like manner of all other things And that aboue all things they cause themselues to be feared They carry themselues insolently and proudly hoping that they shall be respected and feared by this meanes as if Authority were their inheritance Princes THere is good and euill in Princes In the Prologue for they are men like vnto vs and to God onely belongs perfection When as the vertues and good conditions of a Prince are greater then his vices In the same he deserues great praise for that such personages are more inclined to all voluntary things then other men as well for their breeding and little correction they haue had in their youth as for that comming to the age of man most men seeke to please them and to applaude their humours No man should attribute any thing to himselfe Lib. 1. chap. 4. especially a great Prince but should acknowledge that grace and good fortune comes from God Great Princes are much more suspitious then other men Lib. 1. chap. 5. for the doubts and aduertisements which are giuen them and oftentimes through flattery without any necessity Princes and they which rule in great Estates should bee very carefull not to suffer any faction to grow in their house from whence this fire flies throughout the whole Prouince But this happens not but by a Diuine instigation For when as Princes or Realmes haue beene in great prosperity and wealth and haue forgotten from whence that Grace did come God hath raysed them enemies of whom no man doubted God doth a great fauour vnto a Prince when he makes him capable to winne men Lib. 1. chap. 9. and it is a signe that he is not infected with the odious vice and sinne of pride which doth purchase hatred with all men Princes and great men that are proud and will not giue eare to any Lib. 1. chap. 10. are sooner deceiued then they that are affable and heare willingly God shewes a great grace vnto a Prince Lib. 1. chap. 10. when he knowes good and euill especially when the good precedes Aduersity teacheth a Prince to be humble Lib. 1. chap. 10. and to please them that he hath need of Example of Lewis the eleuenth expelled from his fathers Court in his youth A Prince which hath entred into league with others Lib. 2. chap. 12. should dissemble many things which may breed diuision betwixt them and as he is the stronger so should hee bee more wise It is the counsell which the Lord of Contay gaue vnto the Earle of Charolois who was discontented for that the Dukes of Berry and Britany held councels in his chamber and presence diuided from him I neuer knew Prince that could discerne the difference of men Lib. 2. chap. 12. vntill he had beene in necessity and in action Princes haue sometimes need of them whom they haue contemned Example in King Lewis the 11. Edward the 4. and the Earle of Charolois Princes impart their authority to them that are most pleasing vnto them both for the age which is most sortable vnto them and for that they are well conceipted of them or sometimes they are led by them who know and gouerne their delights But they which haue vnderstanding returne soone when there is neede I haue seene Princes of two humours some so subtile and suspitious Lib. 1. chap. 16. as no man knew how to liue with them and they did still imagine that they were deceiued the others trusted enough in their seruants but they were so grosse and vnderstood their owne affaires so ill as they could not discerne who did them good or euill And these are presently changed from loue to hatred and from hatred to loue And although that of both sorts there are few found good nor any great assurance in them yet I had rather liue vnder the wise then vnder fooles For there is more meanes to purchase their fauour but with the ignorant there is no meanes to be found for that there is nothing done with them but with their seruants whom many change often Yet euery man must serue and obey them in the Countries where they are for they are bound vnto it To pardon to be bountifull or to do any other grace are things belonging to the Office of Princes A Prince or any other man that was neuer deceiued cannot be but a beast nor haue knowledge of good and euill nor what difference there is Men are not all of one complexion Lib. 1. and therefore the Prince for the lewdnesse of one or two should not forbeare to doe pleasure to many For one alone being the least of all those to whom he hath done any good may happily do such seruice as it shall recompence all the villanies which the others haue committed Example in the Hostages of Leige whom the Duke sent away free contrary to the opinion of the Lord of Contay who concluded to put them to death some made the Liegeois grow obstinate in their reuolt others were the cause of their reduction and the instruments
he haue force and authoritie where he liues ouer others if he bee learned and hath seene or read it will either amend him or impaire him For the bad impaire with much knowledge and the good amend Yet it is credible that knowledge doth rather amend him then impaire him were there nothing but the shame to know his owne euill it were sufficient toâ—keepe him from doing ill at the least not to wrong any man whereof I haue seene many experiences among great personages whom knowledge hath drawne from many bad desseignes and also the feare of Gods punishment whereof they haue greater knowledge then ignorant men who haue neither seen nor read History IT is a great aduantage for Princes to haue read Histories in their youth Lib. 2. Chap. 6. where they may plainely read of such assemblies and of the great fraudes deceipts and periuries which some of the ancients haue vsed one against another hauing taken and slaine them that haue relyed vpon such assurances It is not said that all haue vsed it but the example of one is sufficient to make many wise and to giue them a will to stand vpon their gard And in my opinion one of the greatest means to make a man wise is to haue read ancient Histories and to learne to gouerne himselfe wisely thereby and by the example of our predecessors For our life is so short as it sufficâ—th not to haue experience of so many thinges Besides we are decayed in age and the life of man is not so long as it was wont to be nor their bodies so strong All the Bookes that are written were to no vse if it were not to reduce things past to memory where we see more in one booke in three monthes then twenty men liuing successiuely one after another can see by the eye or learne by experience Although that enemies nor Princes be not alwaies alike notwithstanding that the subiect be yet is it good to be informed of thinges past Nourishment ALl men that haue beene great Lib. 1. Chap. 9. and done great matters haue begun very yong And it coÌ„sists in the education or coms from the grace of God This is spoken by the Author vppon the good education of Lewis the eleuenth without the which it had beene impossible for him to haue surmounted those great difficulties which he had in the beginning of his raigne and to blame that of the noblemen of his time who were not bred vp but to shew their folly in their speach and apparrell They haue no knowledge of any learning and there is not a wise man among them They haue Gouernors to whom they talk of their affaires and not to themselues and they dispose thereof and there are such Lords which haue not sixescore and ten pounds starling yearely rent which take a glory in saying speake vnto my officers thinking by these wordes to seeme great men In like manner I haue often seen such seruants make their profit of their maisters giuing them to vnderstand that they were beasts And if happily any one returnes and desires to know his owne it is so late as it serues him to small purpose A Princes subiects haue cause to greeue when they see his Children ill bred vp and in the hands of bad conditioned men Nature A Naturall wit perfectly good excells al other sciences that may bee learned in the world Example of Lewis the eleuenth who without any knowledge of learning had the reputation and the effects of the wisest Prince of his age Hope ALL well considered our only hope must be in God In the end of the first Book for in him lies all our assurance and all bounty which cannot be found in any worldly thing But euery man knowes it too late and after that he hath need yet it is better late then neuer Age. THe fathers old Age makes him to indure the Insolencies of his sonne patiently Lib. 1. Chap. 2. Example of Philip Duke of Bourgondy who dissembled the bad vsage of his sonne the Earle of Charolois to them of thâ— house of Croy. Foresight VVIsemen discerne so farre off as their life is not sufficient to see halfe of those things which they haue foreseene Lib. 3. Chap. â— Carelesnes and vigilancy MAd and distracted Princes are not to bee blamed if they gouerne their affairs ill Lib. 6. Cha. 4. but they that haue their iudgments sound and are well disposed of their persons if they spend their whole time in idlenes and folly they are not to be pittied if they fal into misfortunes But they which diuide their times according to their age somtimes seriously and in Councell and somtimes in feasts and pleasure are much to be commended and the subiects are happy to haue such a maister An Alphabeticall Table of the principall matters contained in the first seuen Bookes of this History A ACcord betwixt the King of Castile Portugal fol. 220. Affaires of a Prince are then effected with most safety and aduantage when he hath won that person who is most in credit and authority with the other with whom he Treates 166. Affection of Maisters to bad seruants is the cause of much disorder 14. Alphonso King of Portugall comes to demand succours in France 215. But is refused by the French King 218. Alphonso proclaimed King of Castile 217. His death Ibid. Amazment breeds strange effects 80. Ambition hath no other law then the fancy of the Ambitious 77. Amurath puts Scanderbegs brethren to death 120. growes fearefull of Scanderbegs valour Ibid. Army of the Earle of Charolois 79. Articlâ—s of a peace betweene France and England 165. Attempt against the Duke of Bourgundies life discouered by the King 206. B Balue the Cardinall imprisoned in a cage of his owne inuention 132. Basile besieged by Lewis the Dauphin 22. Battell of Firmigny 30. Battell at Montlehery 81. Battell at Wakefield 56. Battell of Varna 121. Battell of Morat 213. Battell of Nancy 224. Beauuais besieged 164. Birth of Charles the eight 146. Boldnesse after danger past 86. Bothwell in great fauour with the King of Scotland 232. C Cadet rescueth the Earle of Charolois 83. Challenge sent to the Duke of Bourgundy 3 Charles the seuenth disinherited by his father Charles the sixt 1. Hee armes against his sonne Lewis the Dauphin 12. He takes the Castle of S. Maxiant 13. His reprehension of the Duke of Bourbon 14. His fragility 26. His Death 27 Charles Duke of Orleans led prisoner into England 3. He dieth for sorrow 69. Charles of Nauarre poysoned by his Mother in Law 61. Charles Duke of Berry retires into Brittany 70. His solicitatioÌ„ of the Duke of Bourgundy to assist him for reformation of disorders in France Ibid. Campobasse his treason against the Duke of Bourgundy 223. Charles Earle of Charolois afterwards Duke of Bourgundy his negligence in trayning his Army 82. Is in danger to be slaine or taken 83. His repast among dead bodies 84. Runs into vnseene danger 94.
with great pompe into Tournay 64. His message to the Duke of Britany 65. Hee separates the heads of the League 107. Two errours which he cōmitted in the assurance of his person 111. 112 His politick dissimulation with the Constable 170. His iudgement to distinguish spirits 183 His message to the King of England Ibid. He discouers the Constables double dealing to the Bourgundian 186. His iests vpon the peace made with Edward 4 th and his feare to haue them related againe 191. Learning disalowed by the Turke 219. Liberty the ancient coulour for innouation 80. Lie especially in a Gentleman how to be punished 169. Leige reuolts against the Duke of Bourgundy 103. Is supported by the French king 107. Submits it selfe and demands pardon 109 Hath her wals beaten downe 110. Is againe besieged by the Bourgundian 114. Loue without regard of honour or profite 58. Loue continued towards children for their fathers sake 76. M Marriage of Lewis the 11 th 6. Misery of imprisonment mittigated by kind vsage 177. miseries of France for 70. yeares 5. Modesty of Blanch daughter to Iohn King of Nauarre 6. Mony leuied vnder the pretext of warre and ill employed 46. Multiplicity of Popes 38. Murder iustified by the Duke of Bourgundy 2. N Nauigation contemned by the French 180. Neutrality in a subiect is meere Treason 98. Normandy yeelded to the King 99 O Obedience in a Souldier is as much commendable as courage 177. Obseruations of the Duke of Guiennes life 150. Occasion which caused an ouerture of peace betwixt the French and English 182. Opinion causeth terrible motions in the soule 15. Opportunity of fight neglected 81 Ostentation of Maiesty not suteable with misery 6. P Paris reduced to the French Kings obedience 9. Famisheth the Army which would haue famished it 91. Almost vnpeopled 99. Parpignan besieged and wonne by famine 154. Parts which frame a Prince 16. Peace of Bourges 3. Peter Hagembach his crimes iniustice and death 174. Phillip Duke of Bourgundy wins Dinan by force and ruines it 104. His death the greatnes of his house Ibid. His bounty courage and moderation 105. Pius 2 presseth the abolition of the Pragmaticall sanction 44. His affection to the house of Arragō and his threat against France 45. He disauowes his own writings 48. His death birth fortune and dignities 72. Plurallity of chiefes is for the most part ruinous vnprofitable 88 Pontoise taken by assault 18. Power which is not feared by strāgers is not well obeyed by Subiects 32. Pragmaticke Sanction abolished and dragged through the streets of Rome 51. Praecipitation is a shelfe couered with the shipwrackes which she hath caused in great occasions 78. Princes are especially to provide that great houses vnder their gouernment ally not themselues against their liking 19 Princes seeme very weake or very fearefull which giue an Enemy-army leasure to make a bridg 89 Princes in marrying regard not their pleasure but the necessity and profit of their affaires 144. They are no lesse bound by simple words then priuate persons are by Oathes 163 Q Quality of Cardinals 50 R Reasons which perswaded the English to peace 184 Reformations of the disorders of the Realme 95 Reception of the King of Portugall into Paris 219 Representations ridiculous 43 Reputation of a generous Father makes a valiant sonne lesse remarkeable 20 Rigor of Lewis in the beginning of his reigne 53 Royalty endures no equall 8 Rubempre staid at the Hage by the Earle of Charalois 66 Ruine and desolation of the Legeois 118 S Sedition ought to be smothered in the beginning 76 Sedition cloked by Religion 106 Siege of Pontoise 17 Siege of Saintron 109 Siege of Nancy 221 Seuerity of discipline is hardly obseruable in ciuill warres 80 Son-in-law against father-in-law 3 Succours of Men and Money sent to the Earle of Charalois 94 Suisses before Zurich 21. defeated 23. they send succours to the Duke of Lorraine 222 Summe of the Pragmaticke Sanction 49 T Talbot relieues Pontoise 17 Temporising profitable 149 Thornes and Roses of Marriage 44 Trechery most damnable 158 Treaty made without Liberty bindes not 119 Treaty of peace between the Frēch King and the Bourgondian 192 Trifles want not their moment and serue many times to driue weightier matters out of the heads of the people 132 Troubles in England 140 Truce betweene France and England prolonged 24 Truth not to be found in an enemies tongue 25 Tumults in Cyprus 127 Turkes make their profit of the diuision of Christendome 46 V Valour and bounty of Lewis the Dauphin 9 Valour and fidelity of the Scottishmen 117 W Water not to bee digged for in a neighbours house before we haue sought for it in our owne 148 Wisedome and temporising surmount all difficulties Words of S. Bernard 49 Words of the Duke of Bourgondy 79 Words of K. Lewis at his departure from the Duke of Bourgondy 119 Words betwixt the King of England and the Duke of Bourgondy 187 Y Youth and Inconstancy are Sisters of one Mother 78 A Table of the principall Matters contained in the last foure Bookes ADmonition made by the king to the Dauphin 70 Age becomes couetous when it hath not any need of goods 64 Alponso King of Castille his death 87 Anaxagoras his speech of the Sunne 11 Andrew Archbishop of Krane preacheth against the Pope 58. and persisteth in his proposition 60 Armies are not to bee entertained without tribute 42. Arras yeelded to the French King by composition 14 Artillery inuented 43 Audiences of Henry the third at his returne from Poland 159 Authority of the King is an Ocean 135 B Balue the Cardinall his policy to get out of prison 66 Barbarisme in the time of Lewis the eleuenth 190 Basnesse aduanced forgets it selfe the fauor which raised it 10. Basill excommunicated by the Pope 58 Beginnings of the diminution of Flanders 76. Bishop of Liege trecherously slaine being abandoned of his owne people 37. 38 Boloigne vnder the virgin Maries homage 13 Bosio's errour in the History of Malta 137 C Changes of gouernment at Florence 2 Charlemaine founder of the Vniversity at Paris 124 Chauvin Chancellor of Brittanie his lamentable end 10 Chronicles often follow toyes and leaue out most famous actions 88 Claudius Seissel his hard iudgement 121. Comandements extraordinary of the King 110 Confession of the fault is the best rethorick to appease iust choler 9 Conspiracy against the life of the French King miraculously discouered 31. 32. c. Contempt is the fore-runer of sedition 65 Contempt of discipline in Souldiers 184 Controuersie for the Lands of Berne Foix and Bigorre 84 Cosmo de Medicis his great riches and bounty 167. his exile and returne 168 Credit of Astrologians 188 Cruelties of Mahomet at the taking of Constantinople 46 Curing of the kings euill 123 D Danger in employing forraigne Souldiers 39 Death of the Lord of Nantoillet 199 Desolation is the house of Bourgondy 161 Discourse of a powerfull charme 127 Discommodities of prouision for Horse-men 39
Disposition of Charles the 8 th 117 Dispute of the Authority of the Pope and Councell 61 Dissimulation of the Duke of Brittanie 9 E Edict to reforme Souldiers 185 Edward the fourth his death 81 Embassadours of France make Ouerture for a peace 5 Embassages ambitiously affected neuer succed happily 185. Error of learned men not to communicate 194 Estate of Lorraine 49 Estate of the Low-countries at the discretion of the Gantois 75 Estates that are popular haue alwayes some one priuat man more eminent then all the rest 2 Estates vnhappy which are forced to seeke strange Maisters 30 Example is a cleare light in doubtfull things 154 Examples of diuers disorders 114 Excesse esteems nothing but what is rare and chargeable 158 Expences ruled by occasions 176 F Fauours of Princes last not 148 Ferdinando base son to Alphonso of Arragon crowned King of Naples by Pope Pius the 2 d. 52. is ouerthrowne by Iohn Duke of Calabria Ibid. and restored by Scanderbeg 53 Flatterers pleasing to Princes 106 Florence in one hundred yeares changed estate seuen times 3 Formes of warre changed 43 France cannot bee disarmed of foot-men 40. it sends Spaine to the Indies 177 Francisco de Paulo an Hermit of admirable holinesse 105 G Garniers Oke 178 Generosity of a yong Boy of Sparta 47 God the Iudge of hearts 122 Grauity ridiculous 133 Griefe of Pope Sixtus for the peace betweene the Venetians and Ferrarois 57 H Henry the fourth the last French King his worthy commendations 143 Heralds creation 137 History should be free from loue or hatred 89 Hugonet and Imbercourt condemned to dye 15 I Iames of Luxemburg his generous answer to the King 172 Ignorance and Weaknesse feare any encounter 67 Impiety ouertaken by Iustice. 10 Ingratitude and Impiety of Adolph of Guelders 16 Inhumanity of Mahomet 45 Intelligences of the Duke of Brittanie discouered 8 Inuentions are not perfect in the beginning 44 Iudgement transported with choler is like a shippe without a Pilot. 67 Iudgements are free after death 120 Iudgement vpon the recompence of seruices 187 Iustice is the felicity of Empires 154 K Katherine of Foix Queene of Nauarre 84 Kings haue long hands and many snares to entrap their enemies 51 L Lewis counselled to make his profit of the diuision in Italy 1. He declares himselfe for the Florentines 3. Hee seeketh a peace of Maximilian 38. His designes vpon Lorraine and Prouence 48 Hetakes possession of Prouēce 54 He neglects the calling of a councell 57. His waywardnesse and melancholy 69. his visitation of his son at Ambois 70. he fals into new apprehēsions of death 95. his distrust 104. his deuotion 107. his curiosity 108. his last actions 109. he could not indure to heare of death 111. his superstition Ibid. his death 112. his children 115. his pilgrimages 122. the Latine which he would haue his sonne to learne 130. his custome at Ceremonies 134. his contempt of the markes of Maiesty 136. hee knew not how to pardon 144. his rigorus prisons 145. his feare of the reuenge of women 150. he was neither liberall nor couetous 171. his meane borrowings 175. his proper Science 185. his letters pattents wherby he gaue Armes to his base daughter 193. his great popularity 196. his delight in hunting 197. his fauorites and Contemporaries Ibid. c. Lightnesse Choler and Facility do not well become a Prince 37 Loyalty of the Earle of Vandosme 89 Loue of God and contempt of the world 106 M Magistrates should not quit their charge for any respect 153 Magnificence of the house of Burgondy 137 Magnificence of Lewis 11 th 140 Magnificence how far it extends 141. Religious Magnificence 142 Mahomet dies for griefe after the losse at Belgrade 48 Maiesty compared to Moses rod. 133 Mariages of France Sauoy 164 Mathias Coruinus his resolute answere to the Turkes Embassadors 28. his commendation 98. is chosen king of Hungary 100. his valor and conduct with other worthy acts 101. his war against the Emperour 103. his death Ib. Maxime of Machiuel 122 Miscounting in the History 74 Misery of the Duke of Brittanie 11 N Necessity of Horse-men 41 Neighbour-estates haue alwayes some disputes 38 New discipline for Souldiers Ib. Nobility of Hungary discontented 102 O Oath of the gouernment of Florence 3. an Oath should haue three conditions Truth Iudgement and Iustice. 32 Obedience is the Science of Princes 130 Obseruations of the aduantages of foot-men ouer horse-men 39 Offers of Bajazet to the King 95 Office of Heralds at Armes 137 Offices that are great should not be hereditary 138 Offices are to bee maintained if they be good 139 Oppression of the people 68 P Philip Earle of Bresse his marriages and children 165 Policie to bring an enemy into suspition of his owne people 2 Policie in England for the Titles of families 135 Popes bound to the Crowne of France 125 Pouerty of France in the time of King Iohn 176 Practise against the life of an enemy by any other meanes then by Armes is vnworthy of of a Prince 35 Predictions vpon the Life of Lewis the eleuenth 189 Presumption of Oliuer le Daine 12 Pride troden vnder foot 47 Princes rely vpon their Ministers 157 Priuiledges of the Parisians 170 R Relapse of the Kings sicknesse at Tours 69 René of Anjou his commmendation 53 Reputation grounded vpon great and eminent vertues 155 Reuenge taken by a woman 46 Rhodes besieged by Mahomet 25 S Sacke and desolation of Dole 166 Science of Treasure 179 Sentence against the Duke of Alençon 146 Sentence very rigorous 150 Sermons of sedition 126 Silence the soule of great actions 163 Simplicity of the eloquence in old time 129 Sleping for a Benefice 173 Stablishment of Posts 169 Sterrility of Suisserland 180 Suspension of Armes not alwayes necessary to make a peace 7 T Temperance wherein it consists 193. the fruits thereof 195 Treaty of peace and marriage between France Bourgondy 75 Tributes by which the meanes to make war are maintained may not be touched 42 Tristan his barbarous behauiour 145 V Valour is naturall to the French Kings 183 Vanity of iuditiary Astrology 189 Venetians contempt of the Popes fulminations 4. their Accord with the great Turke 6. They proclaime warre against the Duke of Ferrara and soone after conclude a peace with him 56 Vertue enuied for the lustre thereof 10 Vision miraculous 27 W Wisedome of the Lord Hastings 167 Witnesses of our faults and imperfections wee seldome desire to see 65. Workes of vanity and ostentation Z Zizimi reuolts against Bajazet 95. his letter to Bajazet 96. he repaireth to Rhodes and is conducted into France 97 FINIS