appointed by the Diocesan Their methode here and prodigality in bestowing degrees Orleans a great conflux of strangers The language there The Corporation of Germans there Their house and priviledges Dutch and Latine The difference between an Academie and an University I Have now done with the Town and City of Orleans and am come unto the University or Schools of Law which are in it this being one of the first places in which the study of the Civill Lawes was revived in Europe For immediately after the death of Justinian who out of no lesse then 2000 volumes of law writers had collected that bodie of the Imperiall Lawes which we now call the Digests or the Pandects the study of them grew neglected in these Western parts nor did any for a long time professe or read them the reason was because Italy France Spain England and Germany having received new Lords over them as the Franks Lâ—…mbards Saxons Saracens and others were fain to submit themselves to their Laws It happened afterwards that Lotharius Saxo the Emperour who began his reign anno 1126. being 560 years after the death of Justinian having taken the City of Melphy in Naples found there an old copy of the Pandects This he gave to the Pisans his confederates as a most reverend relick of Learning and Antiquity whence it is called Littera Pisana Moreover he founded the University of Bologne or Bononia ordering the Civill Law to be profest there one Wirner being the first Professor upon whose advice the said Emperor ordained that Bononia should be Legum juriâ—… Sâ—…hola una sola and here was the first time and place of that study in the Western Empire But it was not the fate only of the Civill Laws to be thus neglected All other parts of learning both Arts and languages were in the same desperate estaâ—…s the Poets exclamation of O saeclum insipiens infacetum never being so applyable as in those times For it is with the knowledge of good letters as it was with the effects of nature they have times of groweth alike of perfection and of death Like the sea it hath its ebbs as well as its flouds and like the earth it hath its Winter wherein the seeds of it are deaded and bound up as well as a Spring wherein it reflourisheth Thus the learning of the Greeks lay forgotten and lost in Europe for 700 years even untill Emanuâ—…l Chrysolaras taught it at Venice being driven out of his Countrey by the Turks Thus the Philosophy of Aâ—…istotle lay hidden in the moaâ—…h of dust and libraries â—…t nominabatur potius quod legebatur as Ludovious Vives observeth in his notes upon St. Austine untill the time of Alexander Aphrodiseus And thus also lay the elegancies of the Roman tongue obscured till that Erasmus More and Reuchlyn in the severall Kingdomes of Germany England and France endeavoured the râ—…stauration of it But to return to the Civill Law After the foundation of the University of Bologne it pleased Philip le bel King of France to found another here at Orleans for the same purpose anno 1312. which was the first School of that profession on this â—…de the mountains This is evident by the Bull of Clement V. dated at Lyons in the year 1367. where he giveth it this tiâ—…le Fruâ—…erum universitatis Aurelianensis intra caetera citramontana studia prius sâ—…lennius antiquius tam civilis quam 〈◊〉 facultatis studium At the first there were instituted eight Prosessors now they are reduced to four only the reason of this decrease being the increase of Universities The place in which they read their Lectures is called Les grand escoles and part of the City La Universite neither of which attributes it can any way â—…emit Colledge they have none either to lodge the students or entertain the Professors the former sojourning in divers places of the Town these last in their severall houses As for their place of reading which they call Les grans escolâ—…s it is only an old barn converted into a School by the addition of five ranks of formes and a pew in the middle you never saw a thing so mock its own name Lucus not being more properly called so a non lucendo then this ruinous house is a great School because it is little The present professors are Mr. Furner the Rector at my being there Mr. Tuiâ—…erie and Mr. Grand The fourth of them named Mr. Augrand was newly dead and his place like a dead pay among Souldiers not supplyed in which estate was the function of Mr. Brâ—…dee whose office it was to read the Book of Institutions unto such as come newly to the Town They read each of them an hour in their turns every morning in the week unlesse Holydayes and Thursdayes their hearers taking their Lectures in their tables Their principall office is that of the Rector which every three months descends down unto the next so that once in a year every one of the professors hath his turn of being Rector The next in dignity unto him is the Chancellour whose office is during life and in whose name all degrees are given and the Letters Authenticall as they term them granted The present Chancellour is named Mr. Bouchier Dr. of Divinity and of both the Laws and Prebend also of St. Croix his place is in the gift of the Bishop of Orleans and so are the Chancellors places in all France at the bestowing of the Diocesan Antiently it was thus also with us at Oxford the Bishop of Lincolne nominating to us our Chancellors till the year 1370. William of Remington being the first Chancellour elected by the University In the bestowing of their degrees here they are very liberall and deny no man that is able to pay his â—…ees Legem ponere is with them more powerfull then legem dicere and he that hath but his gold ready shall have a sooner dispatch then the best Scholar upon ticket Ipse licet vâ—…nias Musis comitatus Homere Si nihil attuleris ibis Homere foras It is the money which disputeth best with them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 money makes the man said the Greek and English proverb The exercise which is to be performed before the degree taken is very little and as trivially performed When you have chosen the Law which you mean to defend they conduct you into an old ruinous chamber Thâ—…y call it their Library for my part I should have thought it to have been the warehouse of some second hand Bookseller Those few books which were there were as old as Printing and could hardly make amongst them one cover to resist the violence of a rat They stood not up endlong but lay one upon the other and were joyned together with cobwebs in stead of strings He that would ever guesse them to have been looked into since the long reign of ignorance might justly have condemned his own â—…harity for my part I was prone to believe that the three last centuries
without variety of lascivious Songs which they spare not to sing in what company soever You would think modesty were quite banished the Kingdom or rather that it had never been there Neither is this the weaknesse of some few It is an epidemicall disease Maids and Wives are alike sick of it though not both so desperately the galliardy of the maids being of the two a little more tolerable that of the women coming hard upon the confines of shamelesnesse As for the Ladies of the Court I cannot say this but upon hear-say they are as much above them in their lightnesse as they are in their place and so much the worse in that they have made their lightnesse impudent For whereas the daughter of Pythagoras being demanded what most shamed her to discourse of made answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those parts which made her woman these French dames will speak of them even in the hearing of men as freely and almost as broadly as a Midwife or a Barber-surgeon Nay I have heard a Gentleman of good credence relate that being at a tilting he saw a Courtier going to remove a boy which very roguishly looked under a Ladies clothes but when her Ladiship perceived his intention she hindred him with this complement Laisse Monseuir laisse les yeuxne sont pas larrens the boyes eyes would steal nothing away a very mercifull and gentle Lady If that of Justine be still true Vera mulierum ornamenta pudicitiam esse non vestes that modesty were the best apparell of a woman I am afraid many of the female sex in France would be thinly clad and the rest go naked Being a people thus prone to a suddain familiarity and so prodigall of their tongue and company you would scarce imagine them to be coy of their lips Yet this is their humor It seemed to me strange at first and uncivill that a woman should turn away from the proffer of a salutation Afterward I liked the custome very well and I have good cause for it for it saved me from many an unsavory piece of mannerlinesse This notwithstanding could not but amazeme that they who in their actions were so light and wanton should yet think themselves modest and confine all lasciviousnesse unto a kisse A woman that is kissed they account more then half whored be her other deportment never so becoming which maketh them very sparing of receiving such kindnesses But this is but a dissembled unwillingnesse and hath somewhat in it of the Italian For as they had rather murder a man in private then openly speak ill of him so it may be thought that these Damosels would hardly resuse a mans bed though education hath taught them to flie from his lip Night and the curtains may conceal the one the other can obtain no pardon in the eye of such as may happen to observe it Upon this ground your French Traveller that perhaps may see their Hostesse kissed at Dover and a Gentleman salute a Lady in the streets of London relateth at his coming home strange Chimera's of the English modesty To further this sinister opinion he will not spare to tell his Camerades for this I have noted to you to be a part of his humor what Merchants wives he enjoyed in London and in what familiarity such a Lady entertained him at Westminster Horrible untruths and yet my poor gallant thinketh he lyeth not I remember I met in Paris with an English Doctor and the Master of a Colledge there who complained much of the lasciviousness of the English women and how infamously every French Taylor that came from us reported of them withall he protested that it did not grieve him much because he thought it a just judgement of God upon our Nation that all the married men should be cuckolds A strange piece of Divinity to me who never before had heard such preaching but this was the reason of the Doctrine In the old English masse-Masse-book called Secundum usum Sarum the woman at the time of marriage promiseth her suture husband to be bonny and buxom at bed and at board till death us depart c. This being too light for the gravity of the action then in hand and in mine opinion somewhat lesse reverend then a Church duty would require the reformers of that book thought good to alter and have put in the place of it to love cherish and obey That this was a sufficient assurance of a conjugal faith he would not grant because the promise of being Buxom in bed was excluded Besides he accounted the supposed dishonesty of the English wives as a vengeance plucked down upon the heads of the people for chopping and changing the words of the holy Sacrament for such they esteem the form of Matrimony though his argument needed no answer yet this accusation might expect one and an English Gentleman though not of the English Faith thus laid open the abuse and seemed to speak it out of knowledge When the Monsieurs come over full pursed to London the French Pandars which lie in wait for such booties grow into their acquaintance and promise them the embraces of such a Dame of the City or such a Lady of the Court women perchance famed for admirable beauties But as Iâ—…ion amongst the Poets expected Juno and enjoyed a cloud so these beguiled wretches in stead of those eminent persons mentioned to them take into their bosomes some of the common prostitutes of the Town Thus are they cousen'd in their desires thus do they lie in their reports whilest poor souls they think themselves guilty of neither imposture For the other accusation which would seem to fasten a note of immodesty upon our English womens lips I should be like enough to confess the crime were the English kisses like unto those of the French As therefore Dr. Dale Master of the Requests said unto Mendoza the Spanish Ambassador upon his dislike of the promiscuous sitting of men and women in our Churches Turpe quidem id esse apud Hispanos qui etiam in locis sacris cogitarent de explenda libidine a qua procul aberant Anglorum mentes So do I answer to the bill of the complainant An Oxford Doctor upon this text Betrayest thru the Son of man with a kisse made mention of four manner of kisses viz. Osculum charitatis osculum gratioris familiaritatis osculum calliditatis and osculum carnalitatis Of these I will bestow the last on the French and the third on the Spaniards retaining the two first unto ourselves whereas the one is enjoyned by the precept and the other warranted by the examples of holy Scripture For my part I see nothing in the innocent and harmless salutations of the English which the Doctor calleth Osculum gratioris familiaritatis that may move a French mans suspicion much I confess to stir his envie Perhaps a want of the like happiness to himself maketh him dislike it in us as the Fox that had lost his taile perswaded
and Guise in particular the Duke of Maien the Duke of Vendosme the Dukes of Longueville Espernon Nemours the Grand Prior the Dukes of Thovars Retz and Rohan the Viscount of Aubeterre c. who all withdrâ—…w themselves from the Court made themselves masters of the best places in their governments and were united presently to an open faction of which the Queen Mother declared herself head As for the Commons without whom the Nobility may quarrel but never fight they are more zealous in behalf of the Count as being brought up alwayes a Papist and born of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereas the Prince though at this 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 yet non fuit sic ab initio he was born they say and brought up an Hugonot and perhaps the alteration is but â—…mbled Concerning the Prince of Conde he hath a sentence of Parliament on his side and a verdict of Pâ—…ians bâ—…th weak helpes to a Soverainty unlesse well backed by the sword And for the verdict of the Phyâ—…tians thus the case is stated by the Doctors of that faculty 〈◊〉 a professour of Montpellier in Langueâ—… in his â—…xcellent Treatise of Anatomie maketh three terms of a womans delivery primus intermedius and ultimus The first is the seventh moneth after conception in each of which the childe is vitall and may live if it be borne To this also consenteth the Doctor of their chaire Hippocrates saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that a child born in the seventh moneth if it be well looked to may live We read also how in Spain the women are oftentimes lightned in the end of the seventh moneth and commonly in the end of the eight And further that Sempronius and Corbulo both Roman Consuls were born in the seventh moneth Pliny in his Naturall History reporteth it as a truth though perchance the women which told him either misreckoned their time or â—…lse dissembled it to conceal their honesties The middle time terminus intermedius is in the ninth and tenth moneths at which time children do seldome miscarry In the former two moneths they hâ—…d gathered life in these latter they only consummate strength so said the Physitians generally Non enim in duâ—…us sequentibus mensibus they speak it of the intermedâ—…i adâ—…tur aliquod od perfectionum partium sed perfectionem roboris Thâ—… lâ—…st time terminus ultimus in the common account of this profession is the eleaventh moneth which some of them hold neither unlikely nor rare Massurius recordeth Papiâ—…us a Roman Praetor to have recovered his inheritance 〈◊〉 open Court though his Mother confessed 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 in the thirteeenth moneth And Avicen a Moore of Coâ—…ba reâ—…eth as he is cited in Laurentius that he had sâ—…n a a childe born after the fourteenth But these are but the impostures of women and yet indeed the modern Doctors are more charitable and refer it to supernaturall causes Et extraordinariam artis considerationem On the other side Hippocrates giveth it out definitively 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that in ten moneths at the furthest understand ten moneths compleat the childe is borne And Ulpian the great Civilian of his times in the title of the Digests de Testamentis is of opinion that a childe born after the tenth moneth compleat is not to be admitted to the inheritance of his pretended father As for the Common Law of England as I remember I have read it in a book written of Wils and Testaments it taketh a middle course between the charity of nature and the severity of the Law leaving it meerly to the conscience and circumstance of the Judge But all this must be conceived as it was afterwards alleaged by the party of the Earl of Soissons taking it in the most favourable construction of the time alter the conception of the mother and by no means after the death of the Father and so no way to advantage the Prince of Conde His Father had been extremely sick no small time before his death for the particular and supposed since his poison taken anno 1552. to be little prone to women in the generall They therefore who would have him set besides the Cushion have cunningly but maliciously caused it to be whisppered abroad that he was one of the by-blowes of King Henry IV. and to make the matter more suspiciously probable they have cast out these conjectures for it but being but conj ctures only and prosecuted for the carrying on of so great a project they were not thought to be convincing or of any considerable weight or moment amongst sober and impartiall men They therefore argued it First From the Kings care of his education assigning him for his Tutor Nicholas de Fâ—…bure whom he also designed for his Son King Lewis Secondly From his care to work the Prince then young 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agi to become a Catholick Third y The infirmity of Henry of Conde and the privacy of this King with his Lady being then King of Navarre in the prime of his strength and in discontent with the Lady Marguerite of Valoys his first wife add to this that Kings love to fair Ladies in the generall and then conclude this probability to be no miracle For besides the Dutchesse of Beauforte the Marchionesse of Verneville and the Countesse of Morret already mentioned he is believâ—…d to have been the Father of Mr. Luynes the great favourite of King Lewis And certain it is that the very year before his death when he was even in the winter of his days he took such an amorous liking to the Prince of Condes wife a very beautifull Lady and daughter to the Constable Duke of Montmorencie that the Prince to save his honour was compelled to flie together with his Princesse into the Arch-Dukes Countrey whence he returned not till long after the death of King Henry If Mary de Medices iâ—… her husbands life time had found her self agrievâ—…d it I cannot blame her she only made good that of Quinâ—…ian Et uxor mariti exemplo incitata aut imitari se putat aut vind core And yet perhaps a consciousnesse of some injuries not only mooved her to back the Count of Soissâ—…ns and his faction against the Prince and his but also to resolve upon him for the husband of her daughter From the Princes of the bloud descend we to the Princes of the Court and there in the first place we meet with Mr. Barradas the Kings present favourite a young Gentleman of a fresh and lively hew little bearded and one whom as yet the people cannot accuse for â—…ny oppression or misgovernment Honours the King hath conâ—…erred none upon him but only pensions and offices he is the Governour of the Kings children of honour Pages we câ—…ll them in England a place of more trouble then wealth or credite He is also the Master of the horse or Legrand 〈◊〉 the esteem of which place recompenseth the empâ—…inesse of the other for by vertue of this office he carryeth the Kiâ—…s sword sheathed before
being this Lilium Rosa which they interpret and in my mind not uâ—…happily to be intended to the conjunction of the French Lilly and English Rose To take from me any suspicion of Imposture he shewed an old book printed almost 200 years agoe written by one Wion a Flemming and comparing the number of the Mottos with the Catalogue of the Popes I found the name of Urban the now Pope to answer it On this ground an English Catholick whose acquaintance I gained in France made a copy of Verses in French and presented them to the English Ambassadours the Earls of Carlile and Holland Because he is my friend and the conceit is not to be despised I begged them of him and these are they Lilia juncta Rosis Embleme de bon presage de l' Alliance de la France avec l' Angle terre Ce grand dieu qui d'un oeil voit tout ce queles aâ—…s Soubs leurs voiles sacrez vont a nous yeux cachans Decouure quelque fois anisi qui bon lui semble Et les maux a venâ—…r et les biens teut ensemble Anisi fit-il jades a celui qui primier Dans l' Ireland porta de la froy le laurier Malachie son nom qu' au tymon de leglise On verra seoir un jour cil qui pouâ—… sa devise Aura les lys chenus ioints aux plus belles fleures Qui dorent le prin-temps de leurs doubles colours CHARLES est le flâ—…uron de la Rose pourpree Henritte est le Lys que la plus belle pree De la France nourrtit pour estre quelque jour Et la Reina des fleurs et des roses l' amour Adorable banquet b en heureuse couronne Que la bonte du ciel e parrage nous donne Heureuse ma partie heureuse mille fois Celle qui te fera reflorier en les roys With these Verses I take my leave of his Holinesse wishing none of his successors would presage worse luck unto England I go now to see hiâ—… Nuncio to whose house the same English Catholick brought me but he was not at home his name is Bernardino d' Espada a man as he informed me able to discharge the trust reposed in him by his Master and one that very well affected the English Nation He hath the fairest house and keepeth the largest retinue of any ordinary Ambassador in the Realm and maketh good his Masters Supremacies by his own precedency To honour him against he was to take his charge his Holinesse created him Bishop of Damiata in Egypt a place which I am certain never any of them saw but in a map and for the profits he recâ—…iveth thence they will never be able to pay for his Crâ—…zier But this is one oâ—… his Hâ—…linesse usuall policies to satisfie his followers with empty titles So he made Bishop whom he sent to govern for him in England Bishop oâ—… Chalâ—…don in Asia and Smith also who is come over about â—…he same businesse with the Queen Bishop of Archidala a City of Thraâ—…e An old English Doctor used it as an especiall argument to prove the universality of power in the Pope because he could ordâ—…in Bishops over al Cities in Christendom iâ—… he could as easily give them also the revenue thâ—…s reason I confesse would much sway me till then I am sorry that mâ—…n should still be boyes and play with bubbles By the same authority he might do well to make all his Courtiers Kings and then he were sure to have a most royall and beggerly Court of it To proceed a little further in the Allegory so it is that when Jacob saw Esau to have incurred his â—…athers and mothers anger for his heathenish marriage he set himself to bereave his elder brother of his blessing Prayers and the sweet smell of his Venison the sweet smelling of his sacrifices obtained of his Lord and Father a blessing for him for indeed the Lord hath given unto this his French Jacob as it is in the text the dew of heaven and the fatnesse of the earth and plenty of corne and wine Gen. 27. 28. It followeth in the 41. vers oâ—… the Chapter And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father had blessed him and Esau said in his heart The days of mourning for my father are at hand then will I slay my brother Jacob. The event of which his bloudy resolution was that Jacob was â—…ain to relinquish all that he had and flie unto his Uncle This last part of the story expresseth very much of the present estate of the French Church The Papists hated the Protestants to see them thrive and increase so much amongst them This hatred moved them to a war by which they hoped to root them out altogether and this war compelled the Protestants to abandon their good Towns their strong holds and all their possessions and to flie to their friends wheresoever they could finde them And indeed the present estate of the Protestants is not much better then that of Jacob in Mesopotamia nor much different The blessing which they expect lyeth more in the seed then the harvest For their strength it consisteth principally in their prayers to God and secondly in their obedience to their Kings Within these two â—…ortresses if they can keep themselves they need fear none ill because they shall deserve none The only outward strengths they have left them are the two Towns oâ—… 〈◊〉 and Rochell the one deemed invincible the other threatned a speedy destruction The Duke of Espernon at my being there lay round about it and it was said that the Town was in very bad termâ—… all the neighbouring Towns to whose opposition they much trusted having yeelded at the first fight of the Canon Rochell it is thought cannot be forced by assâ—…ult nor compelled by a â—…amine Some Protestaâ—…ts are glad of and hâ—…pe to see the French Church restâ—…d to iâ—…s former powerâ—…ulnesse by the râ—…ance of â—…hat Town meerly I rather think that the perverse and stubborn condition of it will at last drive the young King into a sury and incite him to revenge their contradiction on their innocent friends now dâ—…armed and disabled Then will thâ—…y see at last the issue of their own peremptory resolutions and begin to believe that the Heathen Hiâ—…an was of the two the better Christian when he gave us this note Non turpe est ab eo vinci quem vincere essâ—…t nefas â—…que illi inâ—…nesie etiam submitti quem fortuna super omnes 〈◊〉 This weâ—…knesse and misery whicâ—… hath now beâ—…allen the Protestants was an effect I confesse of the illwiâ—…l which the other party bare them but that they bare them ill will was a fruit of their own graffing In this circumstance they were nothing like Jacob who in the hâ—…red which his brother Esau had to him was simply passive they being active also in the birth of it And inâ—…d that
withall but affirme that the Princes and Nobles of France do for as much as concerneth themselves upon all advantages flie off from the Kings obedience but all this while the poor Paisant is ruined let the poor Tenant starve or eat the bread of carefulnesse it matters not so they may have their pleasure and be counted firme zelots of the common liberty And certainly this is the issue of it the former liveth the life of a slave to maintain his Lord in pride and lazinesse the Lord liveth the life of a King to oppresse his Tenant by fines and exactions An equality little answering to the old platformes of Republicks Aristotle Genius ille naturae as a learned man calleth him in his fourth book of Politicks hath an excellent discourse concerning this disproportion In that Chapter his project is to have a correspondency so far between Subjects under the King or people of the same City that neither the one might be over rich nor the other too miserably poor They saith he which are too happy strong or rich or greatly favoured and the like can not nor will not obey with which evill they are infected from their infancy The other through want of these things are too abjectly minded and base so that the one cannot but command nor the other but serve And this he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a City inhabited onely by Slaves and Tyrants That questionlesse is the most perfect and compleat forme of Government Ubi veneratur protentem humilis non timet antecedit non contemnit humiliorem potens as Velleius But this is an unhappinesse of which France is not capable their Lords being Kings and their Commons Villains And not to say lesse of them then indeed they are the Princes of this Countrey are but little inferiour in matter of Royalty to any King abroad and by consequence little respective in matter of obedience to their own King at home Upon the least discontent they withdraw themselves from the Court or put themselves into armes and of all other comforts are ever sure of this that they shall never want partizans Neither do they use to stand off from him fearfully and at distance but justifie their revolt by publick Declaration and think the King much indebted to them if upon fair terms and an honourable reconcilement they will please to put themselves again into his obedience Henry IV. was a Prince of as undaâ—…nted and uncontroulable a spirit as ever any of his predecessors and one that loved to be obeyed yet was he also very frequently baffled by these Roytelets and at the last dyed in an affront The Prince of Conde perceiving the Kings affection to his new Lady began to grow jealous of him for which reason he retired unto Bruxells the King offended at his retreat sent after him and commanded him home The Prince returned answer that he was the Kings most humble Subjâ—…ct and servant but into France he would not come unlesse he might have a Town for his assurance withall he protested in publick writing a nullity of any thing that should be done to his prejudice in his absence A stomachfull resolution and misbecoming a Subject yet in this opposition he 〈◊〉 his humor of disobedience out-living the King whom he had thus affronted But these tricks are ordinary here â—…therwise a man 〈◊〉 have construed this action by the term of Rebellion The 〈◊〉 means whereby these Princes 〈◊〉 so head stâ—…ng are an immunity given them by their Kings and a liberty 〈◊〉 they have taken to themselves By thâ—…ir Kings they have been absolutely exâ—…mpted from all Tributes Tolles Taxes Customes Impoâ—…tions and Subsidies By them also they have been estated in whole entire Provinces with a power of haute aâ—…d mâ—…n Justice as the Lawyers term it passed over to 〈◊〉 the Kings having scarce an homage or acknowledgment of them To this they have added much for their strength and security by the insconcing and fortifying of their 〈◊〉 which both oftâ—…n moveth and afterwards inableth them â—…o câ—…ntemn his Mâ—…jesty An example we have of this in the Castle of Rochfort belonging to the Duke of Tremoville which in the long Civill wars endured a 〈◊〉 of 5000 shot and yet was not taken A very impâ—…tick course in my conceit of the French to bestow honours and immunities upon those Qui as the Historian noteth eâ—… suo arbitrio aut reposituri aâ—…t retenturi videantur quique modum habent in sua voluntate For upon a knowledge of this strength in themselves the Princes have been always prone to Civill wars as having suffâ—…nt means for safety and resistance On this ground also they slight the Kings au hority aud disobey his Justice In so much that the greater sort of Nobles in this Kingdome can seldome be arraigned or executed in person and therefore the Lawes condâ—…mn them in their images and hang them in their pictures A pretty device to mock Justice If by chance or some handsome sleight any of them are apprehended they are put under a sure guard and not done to death without great fear of tumult and unquietnesse Neither is it unus alter only some two or three that thus stand upon their dâ—…stance with the Kâ—…ng but even all the Nobility of the Realm a rout so disordeâ—…ed unconfined and numberlesse that even Fabius himself would be out of breath in making the â—…eckoning I speak not here of those that are styled La Noblesse but of Titulados men only of titular Nobility of the degree of Baron and above Of these there is in this Countrey a number almost innumerable Quot Coelum Stellas take quantity for quantity and I dare be of the opinion that heaven hath not more Stars then France Nobles You shall meet with them so thick in the Kings Court especially that you would think it almost impossible the Countrey should bear any other fruit This I think I may safely affirme and without Hyperbole that they have there as many Princes as we in England have Dukes as many Dukes as we Earls as many Earls as we Barons and as many Barons as we have Knights a jolly company and such as know their own strength too I cannot therefore but much marvell that these Kings should be so prodigall in conferring honours considering this that every Noble man he createth is so great a weakning to his power On the other side I cannot but as much wonder at some of our Nation who have murmured against our late Soveraign and accused him of an unpardonable unthriftiness in bestowing the dignities of his Realm with so full and liberall a hand Certainly could there any danger have arisen by it unto the State I could have been as impatient of it as another But with us titles and ennoblings in this kind are only either the Kings favour or the parties merit and maketh whomsoever he be that receiveth them rather reverenced then powerfull Raro eorum honoribus invidetur quorum
of the whole crop the Farmer in the counting of his sheafes casting aside the 10 for the King and the 12 which is the Champart for the Lord. Now here in Guernzey for those of the other Isle have no such custome there is a double Champart that namely Du Roy belonging to the King whereof the Clergy have the tithe and that of St. Michael en leval not titheable The reasâ—…n is because at the suppression of the Priorie of St. Michael which was the only Religious house in these Islands which subsisted of it self the Tenants made no tendry of this Champart and so it lay amongst concealments At the last Sir Thomas Leighton the Governour here recovered it unto the Crown by course of Law and at his own charges whereupon the Queen licenced him to make sale of it to his best advantage which accordingly he did For the Religion in these Islands it haâ—…h been generally such as that professed with us in England and as much varied When the Priors Aliens were banished England by King Henry V. they also were exiled from hence Upon the demolition of our Abbeys the Priory of St. Michael and that little Oratory of our Lady of Lehu became a ruine The Masse was here also trodden down whilest King Edward stood and raised again at the exaltation of Queen Mary Nay even that fiery tryall which so many of Gods servants underwent in the short Reign of that misguided Lady extended even unto these poor Islanders and that as I conceive in a more fearfull tragedy then any all that time presented on the Stage of England The story in the brief is this Katharine Gowches a poor widow of St. Pâ—…ters in Guernzey was noted to be much absent from the Church and her two daughters guilty of the same neglect Upon this they were presented before Jaques Amy then Dean of the Island who finding in them that they held opinions contrary unto those then allowed about the Sacrament of the Altar pronounced them Heretiâ—… and condemned them to the fire The poor women on the other side pleaded for themselves that that Doctrine had been taught them in the time of King Edward but if the Queen was otherwise disposed they were content to be of her Religion This was fair but this would not serve for by the Dean they were delivered unto Elier Gosselin the then Bailiffe and by him unto the fire July 18. Anno Dom. 1556. One of these daughters Perotine Massey she was called was at that time great with childe her husband which was a Minister being in those dangerous times fled the Island in the middle of the flames and anguish of her torments her belly brake in sunder and her child a goodly boy fell down into the fire but was presently snatched up by one W. House one of the by-standers Upon the noise of this strange accident the cruell Bailiffe returned command that the poor Infant must be cast again into the flames which was accordingly performed and so that pretty babe was borne a Martyr and added to the number of the Holy Innocents A cruelty not paralleld in any story not heard of amongst the Nations But such was the pleasure of the Magistate as one in the Massacre of the younger Maximinus viz. Canis pessimi ne catulum esse relinquendum that not any issue should be left alive of an Heretick Parent The horrror of which fact stirred in me some Poeâ—…icall Fancies or Furies rather which having long lien dormant did break out at last indignation thus supplying those suppressed conceptions Si natura negat dabit indignatio versum Holla ye pampred Sires of Rome forbear To act suâ—… murders as a Christian ear Hears with moâ—…e horrour then the Jews relate The dire effects of Herods fear and hate When that vilde Butcher caus'd to out in sunder Every Male câ—…ilde of two years old and under These Martyrs in their cradles from the womb This pass'd directly to the fiery tomb Baptiz'd in Flames and Bloud a Martyr born A setting sun in the first dawn of morn Yet shining with more heat and brighter glory Then all Burnt-offerings in the Churches story Holla ye pampred Rabines of the West Where learnt you thus to furnish out a Feast With Lambs of the first minute What disguise Finde you to mask this horrid Sacrifice When the old Law so meekly did forbid In the Dams milk to boil the tender Kid. What Riddles have we here an unborn birth Hurried to Heaven when not made ripe for Earth Condemned to die before it liv'd a twin To its own mother not impeached of sin Yet doom'd to death that breath'd but to expire That sâ—…ap'd the flames to perish in the fire Rejoyce ye Tyrants of old times your name Is made lesse odious on the breath of fame By our most monstrâ—…us cruelties the Males Slaughtered in Egypt waigh not down these seales A Fod to equâ—…ll this no former age Hath given in Books or fancie on the Stage This fit of indignation being thus passed over I can proceed with greater patience to the râ—…st of the story of this Island which in briâ—… is this That after the death of 〈◊〉 Maâ—…y Religion was again restored in the reformation of it to these Islands In which state it hath ever since continued in the main and substance of it but not without some alteration in the circumstance and forme of Government For whereas notwithstandâ—…ng the alteration of Religion in these Islands they still continued under the Diocese of Constance during the whole Empire of King Henry the VIII and Edward the VI. yet it seemed good to Queen Elizabeâ—… upon some reasons of State to annex them unto that of Winton The first motive of it was because that Bishop refused to abjure the pretended power which the Pope challengeth in Kingdomes as other of the English Prelates did but this displeasure held not long For presently upon a consideration of much service and intelligence which might reasonably be expected from that Prelate as having such a necessary dependence on this Crown they were again permitted to his jurisdiction At the last and if I well remember about the 12 year of that excellent Ladies Reign at the perswasion of Sir Amias Paulet and Sir Tho. Leighton then Governours they were for ever united unto Winchester The p etences that so there might a fairer way be opened to the reformation of Religion to which that Bishop was an enemy and that the secrets of the State might not be carryed over into France by reason of that entercourse which needs must be between a Bishop and his Ministers The truth is they were both resolved to settle the Geneva discipline in every Parish in each Island for which cause they had sent for Snape and Cartwright those great incendiaries of the English Church to lay the ground-work of that building Add to this that there was some glimmering also of a Confiscation in the ruine of the Deanries with the