of the league and resistance made by the heads Arrest of the Parliament of Chaalons against the Popes bull and assembly of the estates of the league Proceedings of the heads of the same Death of the Duke of Parma Attempts of the Duke of Maine after his death His declaration against the king 93. The king maketh answere to the Duke And his Councell offer a proposition to the estates of the league who are turned aside out of the way of peace by the Popes Legate and Spanish Ambassadour The king is solicited to go to Masse wherevnto the leaguers apply all their pollicies ouerthrown before by the Parliament of Parris The king maketh profession of the Romaine religion wherevpon ensueth a generall truce and new practise of the leaguers to withdraw the people from acknowledging him In the meane while the tragedies of Peter Barriere are a playing who desirous to haue a part in the league conspired against the life of the king and Duke de Nemours The leaguers turne themselues on euery hand for ther owne maintenance and to ruinate those of the religion Stratagems of certaine Polititians against the king who expresseth his good will to those of the religion and looseth that which he had conquered in Piedmont 94. He bringeth the league vnder subiection enforceth rebellious townes to their former obedience namely Parris where the Parliament opposeth it selfe against the Spanyardes After certaine goings too and fro to Rome the lesse desperate Leaguers are receiued to fauour Amongst others the Parisians who are woont to chase away the auncient enemies of France published a decree or arrest against the league and the Duke de Maine What ensued vpon a fauourable declaration of the king who in Picardie pursued the remainders of this vnion During this the Vniuersitie prosecuted the Iesuites Warre is noysed in Brittain and towards the lowe Countries About the end of the yeare a disciple of the Iesuites attempted to kill the king 95. Processe against the Iesuites and their secret complots discouered Warre proclaimed against the king of Spaine Leaguers of Soisson hewen in peeces Spaniards discomfited in the Dukedome of Luxembourg Warre in Franch-Countie Beaune surrendred to the king Memorable explopts both of one and other part Duke d'Aumale executed in his image and portrature The siege of Fere. The king obtaineth absolution from the Pope Estates of Picardie 96. Marseilles reduced vnder the kings obedience The Cardinall of Austria releeueth Fere and by force of armes taketh Callais and Ardes Neuerthelesse Fere is by composition deliuered into the kings hands Afterwards Marshall Biron made diuers incoursions into Artois And the amitie betweene the king the Queen of England and the vnited Prouinces of the low Countries was confirmed The king conuocateth the estates at Roan discouering briefly vnto them his intention Henry the seconde M. D. XLVII HENRY the second of that name and the 59. King of France Pharamond the only sonne of Francis the first that died vppon the 30. day of the moneth of March in the year of our Lord 1547. succeeded in the Crowne by order of succession according to the auncient salicque lawe of the land Hee while the Nobilitie were busied to prouide for the obsequie and funerals of his deceased father and staying for his sacrying anoynting in the moneth of Aprill following made and ordained an edict An edict against blasphemers to be published against blasphemers of the name of God which action made shewe of a notable and commendable beginning yet that so laudable a worke continued no longer in force then many others had done before it Neuerthelesse it wrought this effect that thereby it euidently appeareth that succession and not the sacrying and annoynting of a Prince is the chiefe originall of royall authoritie The 16. of Iulie the Court was much troubled by a contention and memorable action that happened betweene Messieurs de Iarnac and Chastegneraye gentlemen of great account that had defied each other by reason of certaine words vsed by one of them which had procured the other to giue the lie The King in steade of ending their cause by aduise of his Councell and to constraine the offender to satisfie the offended graunted them the combat wherevpon according to the Kings appoyntment they appeared vpon the day aforesaid at S. Germaines in Laye where in the presence of the King Princes Lords and others they entred into the lists There Monsieur Iarnac who by all the company was esteemed the weaker by reason he was newly recouered of a certaine sicknesse withall despised and litle fauored ouercame the other to whom before they entered into the combat euery man adiudged the victorie and wounded him in such sort that not long after he died to the Kings great griefe who vppon that occasion expresly forbadde all combats whatsoeuer in this manner hee beganne with a bloodie tragedie and ended with the like as heereafter you shall heare The King sacred at Reims The 27. of Iulie after hee was sacried and annoynted at Reims with all the auncient accustomed ceremonies therevnto belonging in the presence of twelue Peeres spirituall and temporall The spiritual were the Arch-bishop of Reims the Bishop of Langres Beauuais Noyon Laon and Challons the temporall the Duke of Bourgongne Normandie and Guyenne the Earles of Champagne Flaunders and Thoulouse Most part of the Princes Nobilitie of the Realme being likewise present with diuers Ambassadours of straunge nations But the Ambassadours of Florence Mantoue and Ferrare came not by reason of a controuersie that fell out between them concerning their preheminence of places and for that they could not agree therevppon they absented themselues till the cause was further debated The Constable exalted Anne de Montmorency Constable of France who certaine yeares before had been bannished the Court and secretly held at Chantilly as soone as Francis the first died was repealed againe and the new king committed the principall charge of the affaires of the Realme vnto him which at that time were executed by the Cardinall de Tournon the Admirall Annebaut who as then had good leisure to repose themselues yeelding their place to him whom the king termed his Gossep one that in times past had done him many seruices as afterward hee did Mesieurs de Longueual d'Espars de Boncour de Framezelle de Antipe the Barron de la Garde the Generall Bayard and others were narrowly sought and pursued for diuers secret causes in such sort that some of them were forced to saue themselues by the gilded Gate others by meanes of their friends Warres in in Scotland The king hauing made a Progresse into Picardie went further into the Realme and caused an Armie to bee leuied vnder the conduct of Monsieur D'esse to ayde the Queene Dowager of Scotland against the Englishmen causing her to be safely conducted into Scotland to the end to impeach the vnion of both those Realmes which might bee to the preiudice of France and thereby to
Saylers cappes to beare pikes and so to march with this mutinous companie that constrained two brethren called Messieurs de Saulx one a Captaine of the Towne the other of the Castle called Trompette to bee their Leaders and to assist them at the spoyling and robbing of diuers houses of the Cittizens their friendes whom they massacred before their eyes Tho sacking of the towne-house and massacring of the Gouernour The Towne-house wherein there laye great quantitie of armour was sacked and Monsieur de Monneins beeing so ill aduised to leaue the Castle of Du Ha where he was in safetie to go out to intreat perswade the people was cruelly murthered with diuers wounds both before and after his death a Locke-smith giuing him the first blowe and the Fryers that within 3. houres after in the night-time sought to take vp his bodie all filthie and moyled with durt and lying in the streets with a gentlemen called Monteluen were in danger of massacring because they buried them within that Temple But the principall Leaders of this mutinie longing to put water into their wine and such as had made their pray by spoyling houses Execution of iustice against the mutinous hauing withdrawne themselues some in one place some into another the parliament beeing strengthened and assisted by honest and peaceable Cittizens beganne to shewe his authoritie and caused some of the notablest companions amongst them to bee taken whom they executed namely La Vergne that was drawne in peeces by foure horses The Constable with all rigor punished those of Burdeaux The king beeing certified thereof wrote vnto the commons assuring them with all speed to take order therein commanding them to laye downe their armes which was the cause that euery man withdrew himselfe But in the meane time an armie was prepared to enter into Saintonge and Quiennie Monsieur de la Deuese ceased vppon the Castle Trompette and put out l'Estonnac and his adherents The Constable had commissiō to punnish those of Guyenne followed by Francis de Lorraine Counte d'Anmalle after Duke of Guise much renowmed in the raignes of Francis the second and Charles the ninth This Earle conducting 4000. Lansquenets and great numbers of French Horsemen entred into Saintonge which hee pacified without resistance not punishing them for their offences past minding to obtaine the name of a milde and gentle Prince and leauing the report of crueltie and seueritie vnto the Constable who being accompanied with all the forces and both the armes ioyned in one entred into Bourdeaux all armed giuing most hard speeches vnto the Captaine of the towne that at his entrie presented him with the keyes of the towne that at his entry presented him with the keyes of the Citie beseeching him to be fauourable vnto the citizens but he being master of the town without blow giuen bereaued the citizens of al their titles registers priuiledges and franchises depriued them of all honours burnt all their priuiledges caused the Court of Parliament to cease wholly disarmed the citizens pulled downe their belles and constrained the principallest of the citie to the number of seuen score to goe to the Fryers there to fetch the body of Monsieur de Monneins and to conuey it to the Church of S. Andrewes where it should be buried each of them with a waxe candle lited in his hands hauing first before the Constables lodging asked mercy both of God and the king and Iustice Estonnoc the two brethren du Saul and others had their heads striken off He forgot not likewise those that had bene assistant at the murthering of the Gouernor and the sacking of the houses a Prouost Marshall with a great number of souldiers went through Bourdeaux Baradois and Agenois executing such as had rung the belles and in the ende he tooke the two chiefe Leaders of the Commons named Talemagne and Galaffie who were broken vpon a wheele hauing first bene crowned with a Crowne of Iron burning hot for their punishment in vsurping the soueraigne Maiestie Pastime in the Court. This Tragedie ended in Comedies at the court for Anthony de Burbon Duke de Vandosine espoused Ieane d'Albert Princesse of Nauarre and Francis de Lorraine Duke d'Aumalle the daughter of the Duke of Ferrare But among those sweete and pleasant conceits they mixed a most rigorous bitter ordinance establishing within Parris an extraordinary chamber Persecutions against those of the religion therein to proceed against those of the religion as then called Lutherans whom they burnt to death if they remained constant in their profession The coronation of the Queene The pleasures of the Court increased more by the deliuery of the Queene of a young sonne and great part of this yere was passed ouer in playes sumptuous sports The Q. being crowned at S. Dennis vpō the 10. of Iune the 16. of the same month the king made his magnificall entry into Parris there ran at tilt to showe some pleasure to the Ladies and Gentlewomen which being ended he sat openly in the Court of Parliment where in presence of the Princes and Peeres of his Realme he gaue iudgement in diuers causes according to the auncient custome of his predecessors Difference betweene the kings in times past those of our time For the auncient kings of France were carefull and vsed ordinarily to hear the complaints of their subiects but of late yeares they referred that maner of exercise vnto the consciences of their Officers seeing by other mens eyes almost concerning all their affaires which is neither good nor comfortable for the people nor yet any meanes to further Iustice And since this carelesnesse hath entred into the maiesty of our kings the estate of the realme hath bin weakned and the maiestie royall imbased so that in the end the peple haue not refused to rise against the person of the king and sometimes to murther him But remedy herein wil be had when our kings abstain from shameful actions and only do that whervnto God hath called them A generall procession After many sports and deuises the king caused a generall solemne procession to be made in the moneth of Iuly wherein hee was present assisted by the Queene the Princes of the bloud Lords Cardinals Orders Estates and dignities of Parris and at his returne from the Bishops Pallace where hee had dyned hee would see and beholde the burning of certaine Christians detesting the errours and abuses mainteined and holden by the Papists and their Doctors Among the which was a Taylor where not long before A notable Taylor by the force and vertue of the spirite of God had made answere and giuen notice of his saith and religion in presence of the king and diuers Courtiers where hee sung a wonderfull lesson vnto the Duches de Valentimois of whom I spake before saying vnto her that she ought to content her selfe to haue so much infected France without mixing her venome and filthiniesse with so holy
fatned by the confiscations of the goods of those of the religion and by borrowings neuer to be repayed hauing made offer of all that hee had to the house of Guise was receiued into their band The Constable sent home The Constable perceiuing that the king in open Parliament had declared that his meaning was that from thence foorth al men should haue recourse touching matters of estate the crowne and of his house vnto his two Vncles the Duke of Guise and the Cardinall of Lorraine and that by consequent his mortall enemie entered into his place and doing that which wholly apperteined to his offices of Constable and Great-Maister of France yea and in the presence of the Spaniards and other straungers who before had made so much account of him about eight daies after the kings death went to present himselfe vnto the king deliuering vppe the seales to him committed by King Henry and hauing been certified from the king that the charge of the treasures and other affaires concerning the estate were as then committed to the Cardinall and to the Duke of Guise the commandement of all things that belonged vnto the warres and that for his part the king permitted him leaue to depart and go vnto his house saying hee still retained him of his Councell and that whensoeuer hee would come vnto the Court hee should bee welcome he thāked the king for suffring him so to retire beseeching him that as touching his comming vnto the Councell his Maiestie would excuse him for two causes the one because hee could not serue vnder such men ouer whom he had alwaies commaunded the other for that beeing holden and accounted for an olde and simple man his counsell would not bee necessarie otherwise he offered both life and goods to serue the King Which done he went to see the Queene mother that handled him very rudely reproching him that he in presence of the king with smiling countenance should say that he had neuer a childe that in any thing resembled him but onely his bastard-daughter that married with the Marshall de Montmorency Yet for the loue of her deceased king and husband she said she was content to remit her owne particular quarrell for which if it pleased her she could haue caused him to loose his head yet she exhorted him not altogither to leaue the Court but to come thither sometimes He denied the accusation which she alledged touching her children affirming it to be false desiring her to haue in remembrance the many seruices by him done to her and to the Realme and not to regard the euill report of such as were his enemies that shuld not do him all the mischief which they pretended And so hauing taken his leaue and brought his maister vnto his Tombe he withdrew himselfe vnto his house The Princes of the blood scattered Touching the Princes of the blood the Prince of Conde was sent into Flanders there to confirme the peace to whom was deliuered a thousand Crownes to beare his charges The Prince of la Roche Suryon was sent thither likewise to beare the order of France vnto the king of Spaine and at his returne appointed with the Cardinal of Burbon to cōduct the Princesse Elizabeth into Spain The Parlimēts were appointed at the good pleasure of those of Guise The Cardinal de Turnō an old enimy to the Cōstable to al those of the religiō was repealed from Rome reestablished of the priuy councel The Kings Officers of his house chaunged part of the old officers of the kings house were discharged part sent home vnto their houses with half their pensions to giue place to others And to cōclude there staied not one in the Court that fauoured the Constable The Prouinces of the Realme and the frontier Townes were filled with Guisians and all Gouernours and men of warre commaunded to obey the Duke of Guise as the king himselfe All the Parliaments were aduertised Those of Guise haue charge of all that the Cardinall had the whole ordering and disposing of the treasures and of the estate The Queene Mother aduanced aboue all obtained the monies proceeding of the confirmation of Offices and the priuiledges of Townes and corporations whereof shee gaue a part to whome it pleased her although such summes ought not of right to be exacted vnlesse the Crowne fall into an other braunch First Edicts The first Edicts were made against such as bare Armes namely Pistols and Bastinadoes then against long Cloakes and great Hose It was a common saying in euery mans mouth that the Cardinall was a fearefull man if there were euer any in all the world hauing vnderstood by a certaine Magician in Rome that by enuie and then when he should be most in credit his enemies would cause him to be slaine with a Bastianado for that cause hee had procured that Edict being alwaies in great distrust euen at the time when all men were in most subiection to him Among so many affaires the 14. of Iuly Letters Pattents from the king confirmed the Commission vnto the Iudges appointed to proceed in iudgement against Anne du Bourg Proces against Anne de Bourg and other prisoners and foure other Councellours that were committed to prison Du Bourg stedfast in religion was hotly pursued Bertrand Cardinall and Archbishop of Siens beeing one of the principall wheeles of this criminall Chariot and the Cardinall of Lorraine the leader therof Those of the religion perceiuing themselues to be at the point of a more violent persecution by expresse Letters vnto the Queene besought her by her authoritie to commaund the leauing off to persecute them in such great rigor Shee promised the Prince of Conde Madame de Roy his mother in lawe and to the Admirall to cause the persecutions for to cease so they would leaue their assembling togither The Queen-mother promiseth to doo for those of the religion and that euery man wold liue according to his own conscience secretly and not to the hurt of others Shee had been most earnestly mooued by the letters of one named Villemadon that knew great part of his secrets putting her in minde of her great affection vnto pittie at such time as shee was barren exhorting her not to withdrawe the Princes of the blood from the mannaging of the affaires of the estate thereby to aduance and make Kings the house of Guise Those letters were written the 26. day of August and wrought with so great effect that from thenceforward for a certaine time the Queene seemed to hearken vnto the comfort and ease of those of the religion meane time those of Guise to make their gouernment seeme agreeable to al the people and to leese nothing in the kings name published letters of the reuocation of all alienations made Alienations made by king Henry reuoked as well for life as yeares beeing for recompences of any seruices past except those sales whereof the monies had beene imployed for the kings great vrgent
affaires the Dowries of the kings daughters and that of the late Queene Ellenor which as then the Princesse of Portingall enioyed the rest to be revnited vnto the Kings domaines ordinary receipts This reuocation was a Bowe to certaine Princes great Lords and notable personages who by such pollicie were defeated of their seruices and all rewards made vnto them by the late deceased King On the other side such as were in fauour with the house of Guise obtained other letters of exemption and by that meanes some were put out and others kept possession or else obtained some other new place The king of Nauarre solicited to come to the Court rideth thither The Constable perceiuing the King would die had sent vnto the King of Nauarre to counsell him with all speede to repaire vnto the Court and to ceise vppon the gouernment of the young King before any other This Prince not greatly desirous to deale with such affaires and as then somewhat distrusting the Constable stirred not giuing those of Guise the meanes leisure to thrust themselues into his place but certaine Princes Lords moouing him againe hee beganne to hearken vnto it communicating the same to foure of his principall Councellours being Iarnac the Bishop of Mande President of his Councell Descars his Chamberlin and Bouchart his Chancellour who were of aduise that without longer delay he should ride vnto the Court whereof those of Guise beeing aduertised promised hilles and mountaines to Mande and Descars if they could finde the meanes to staye him they mooued therewith staying till their maister was on horsebacke and onward of his iourney began to diswade him shewing him of certaine imminent daungers that were not to bee shunned by seeking to stand too much vppon his degree and that hee ought to proceede therein by indifferent meanes without seeking to hazard himselfe and to winne the good report and fauour of all men vpon this counsell beeing come to Poictiers where diuers Princes Noblemen went to meet him hee shewed many resolutions and gaue good hope and comfort vnto the Ministers of the Churches specially those in Parris Orleans and Tours desiring him that they might as yet bee ayded and assisted touching that which concerned the open profession of religion What entertainment hee had The first disliking shewed vnto him when hee approached neare the Court beeing at S. Germain in Laye was that his furriers found no place for him within the Castle and that the Duke of Guise said vnto his Marshall that it should cost him his life and tenne thousand more with him before any man should take the place and lodging which the king had giuen him to be neare vnto his person The second that not any of the Court went to meet and receiue him as the manner is specially to the Princes of the blood The third that being gone to do his dutie to the Queene-mother and after to the king those of Guise in stead of going to imbrace and bid him welcome stayed til he went vnto them and was constrained to accept the lodging of the Marshall of S. Andre who after the courtly manner had offered it vnto him not thinking to be so soone taken at his word The fourth that the next day in stead of being warned to sit in counsell no man was sent vnto him eyther to salute him or once to see what he did The fift that at the end of three or foure daies the king called him aside shewing him that his Vncle 's the Duke of Guise and the Cardinall of Lorraine had the whole charge of all affaires committed vnto them and that whosoeuer would seeke to please him must obey them in all things whatsoeuer But touching his pensions and estates hee confirmed them vnto him assuring him that whensoeuer he would come vnto the Court hee should be heartily welcome Diuers of the king of Nauarres traine perceiuing that he had quietly swallowed all those pilles withdrewe themselues or else claue to the surest side as Iarnac that ioyned with those of Guise Within fewe daies after this Prince went vnto Saint Dennis there to accomplish certaine ceremonies accustomed after the death of king Henry which done he went to Parris accompanied with his brother the Prince of Conde and some others but not many and beeing there hee sounded the aduise and minds of some whom he esteemed to be well affected vnto the Realme but he could not perceiue any thing by them Sacrying of the King as Reims Those of Guise following on their course vpon the 18. of September caused the king to be sacred at Reims and presently after the Queene-mother sent the Admirall and the Cardinall of Chastillon to the Constable to intreat him to resigne his place of Great-maister vnto the Duke of Guise to whom the yeare before king Henry had flatly denied it in exchange whereof she promised him one of the offices of Marshals of France for his eldest son The Constable resigneth his estate of great maister and the Admirall his gouernment which was giuen to Brissae The Constable resigned that office wholly into the kings hāds got the other with al speed to be giuen vnto his son the Duke of Guise was presently inuested therwith The Admirall being Gouernour of Picardie perceiuing that they sought to put him out and that for the same cause they had assayed to set diuision betweene him and the Prince of Conde and that they beganne to cut off some part of the mony that should bee imployed about the charges of the necessary fortifications of the Frontier-townes thereby to bring him in disgrace and so to thrust him out with shame preuented them and shewed the king that the same gouernment for many reasons belonged to the Prince of Gonde whose ancestors had long time held it He had no sooner spoken the word but they presently tooke him thereat as touching the resignation but not concerning the prouision for that in stead of giuing it to the Prince those of Guise got thē a new participant bestowing it vpon the Marshall de Brissac While in this sort Writings against the rule of strangers they vsed both the Princes and great Lords the meaner sort could not be content for that by diuers printed pamphlets whereof some were directed to the Queen-mother some in taunting verse and some in prose both by the behauiors past and present they fully discouered the intent of those of Guise A Target against those deuises whom they printed forth in all their colours they by those dealings perceiuing some secret matter working that their authoritie was but weakly built begā to think better vppō it which was the cause that at one time they made 18. knights of the order whereof sprang the common saying that the order of France is a collor for euery beast And because in those writings it was noted that to preuent such disorders it would bee necessarie to assemble and call a Parliament of all
the estates of the land they perswaded the king to hold him whatsoeuer he were for a mortall enemie to his authoritie and guiltie of treason that should once speake or mooue the question to bridle it or to appoynt a Protector ouer him that they were but practises and deuises of such as liued discontent solicited therevnto by Hereticques that onely sought to ouerthrowe and spoyle the religion of his fathers Meanes to interrupt the Parliament The Queene-mother likewise no lesse then they doubted the assembly of this Parliament and at that time things were so gouerned that the King of Spaine wrote letters to the King his brother in lawe which were openly read in the Councel-chamber the king of Nauarre being present wherin he said hee vnderstood that certaine mutunous and rebellious persons inforced thēselues to mooue and stirre vp troubles thereby to change the gouernment of the Realme as if the king as then raigning were not sufficient and capable thereof and to giue the charge to whom it pleaseth him without the consent and will of others or of any his subiects that for his part hee would imploye his whole forces to maintaine the authoritie of the King and of his officers whatsoeuer yea that it shuld cost both his and fortie thousand mens liues alreadie prepared if any man were so bolde to attempt the contrary for that hee bare him such affection The King of Spaines declaration as hee said that from thencefoorth hee declared himselfe both Tutor and Protector of him and of his Realme as also of his affaires which hee no lesse regarded then his owne Not long after the king of Nauarre returned vnto Bearg Petitions to the Queene and what ensued The pursuites against the Councellor du Bourg proceeding moued those of the religion in Parris to present a petition to the Queen-mother exhorting her vnto her dutie withall setting downe and threatning the vengeance of God and the daunger that might ensue by meanes of those so hard and rigorous dealings which in the end might turne vnto great troubles At the first she aunswered them with an angrie countenance but in the end she became somewhat milder making shew to desire to see one of the Ministers of Parris to conferre with him Madame de Roy prouided one and this Minister went as farre as Reims where hee stayed a certaine time but neuer could speake with her but shee still found some excuse when any man tolde her of him Besides du Bourg about the end of this yeare diuers were imprisoned within Parris for the religion and their houses pilled and robbed as if it had beene in a Towne taken by assault witnesses beeing seduced Slaunders and false witnesse against those of the religion to protest and verifie that in a certaine assembly made vppon the Thursday before Easter in the place of Manbert at a Councellours house great numbers of Lutherians men women and maides after the sermon and solemnisation of their Sabbaoth had eaten a Pig in stead of the Pascal-lambe and that the candles being put out euery man tooke his woman and had his pleasure with her The Cardinall by these informations mooued all the Court but the Queene-mother for that cause hauing spoken against certaine of her Gentlewomen that were of the religion they found the meanes that in her presence the two principall witnesses were examined beeing two young boyes who said and affirmed both then and many times before they had had their pleasures of that Councellours daughters but in fine they began to stagger and couertly to deny in neuerthelesse the accusation and proces went forward and because that at the taking of the prisoners there had beene some resistance in the subburbes of S. Germaine they sent from house to house to search for all their weapons and tooke them away not leauing them so much as a knise which were carried into the house of Guise The Councellour so shamefully slandered went with his wife and daughters and yeelded himselfe prisoner Innocency found but in no sort maintained as it appeareth where the daughters were sound to bee Virgins but without doing iustice vppon the false witnesses and such as had procured them by vertue of a certaine edict that set prisoners at libertie which were accused for religion and notwithstanding their complaints and declarations they were in a manner forcibly thrust out of the place and while they were holden prisoners diuers were burnt wiihin Parris and other Townes onely for the religion which among all those troubles did much increase A declaration against the authoritie vsurped by strangers On the other side hatred increased both from great and small against the house of Guise About the end of October a Proclamation was made touching the assembly of a Parliament wherein was prooued that it appertained vnto the Parliament to prouide for the gouernment of their kings that were in minoritie that the king spake nothing but by the mouthes of the Vncles of his wife that the Cardinall of Lorraine and the Duke of Guise were vncapable of the Gouernment the one beeing a Priest and a creature of the Pope the other and all his familie euen in the life of the late deceased king hauing beene so bolde to say that the Realme belonged to the house of Lorraine as issued from the race of Charlemaigne vpon the which Hugh Capet had vsurped that they had manisestly striuen for certain members thereof as the Counte of Pronince and the Duchie of Aniou they set downe the lamentable effects of their ambition in the breach of peace and in the last voyage into Italie cause of the ouerthrowe of the battell of S. Lawrence and danger of all the Realme which to auoyde they were constrained to yeeld vppe all the conquests of Francis the first and Henry the second they forgot not likewise their exactions their dealing with the treasures and the great debts of the king Meanes to vphold that authoritie They perceiuing that the king which beganne to growe vppe gaue no great hope eyther of long life or issue beganne likewise with more care to prouide for their affaires They sought to obtaine and procure vnto themselues diuers seruants and friends in the Parliamant inticed the Courtiers and all the captaines and men of warre to fauour them shewing a great zeale to the Romish religion thereby to winne the hearts both of the spiritualtie and the Cannons And in the month of Nouember to please them a rigorous edict was published against the assemblies of those of the religion who being found with the maner were presently condemned to die their houses rased and great recompence promised vnto such as should disclose their assemblies These edicts published the persecution followed but the spies beeing abashed of themselues there were other edicts published against all those that fauoured any of the religion and that once seemed to abash eyther the Iudges or the witnesses in any such proces The President Minard and
mee I will heare their complaints and doo them iustice Sometimes hee said to those of Guise I knowe not what the matter is but I vnderstand they haue nothing to say but vnto you I would that for a time you should absent your selues from hence to the end that men might see if it bee against mee or you that they complaine They very cunningly and presently bandied such blowes and to diuert the people from giuing credite vnto the demonstrations made touching the cause and iustification of their enterprise they sent letters in the kings name vnto all the Parliaments and Iudges of seuerall prouinces wherein those of the religion were accused to haue conspired against the King A combat of pennes against swords the Princes of the blood and the Estate of the Realme wherevnto was made a most large and ample aunswere wherein all the dealings of those of Guise were fully discouered with plaine and most euident proofes against them to bee guiltie of high treason and not those that had assembled to reduce the King and all his realme into true and perfect libertie There was likewise published an other pamphlet shewing by the example of Phillip de Commines in the last chap. of his first booke that such are open enemies vnto the Estate that say it is treason to speake o◠the assembly of a generall Parliament And that it is the meanes to lessen and diminish the kings authoritie There was likewise aduertisements vnto the people and complaints vnto the Parliament and so some ayded themselues with pen against the swords of their enemies Reuocation of the abolition giuen by the king The 22. of march other letters were sent foorth whereby the king declared that his meaning was not that the abolitiō of the 17. of March shuld extend further but vnto those that simply of ignorance had assembled and trauelled for the keeping of their promise and that therein were not comprehended such as had guided the conspiracie made against his person the Queens Princes and Noble personages that were about him in the which number are contained those that came in armes into the subburbes of the Towne and such as had beene taken about and within the Castle of Noisay which serued for a dispensation of the faith giuen by the Duke de Neuers vnto the Barron of Chastelnau and others Presently after these letters they returned to executions wherin neither day nor night passed but that a great number of prisoners were put to death and all men of quallitie some hanged some drowned the rest beheaded without any publike sentence giuen without declaring the causes of their deaths or without telling their names They constrained the king and his young bretheren to bee assistant at those spectacles Besides that the Duke of Guise many times for a pastime after his dinner caused some of those whom hee most hated of the prisoners to bee brought foorth and hanged out at his chamber windowes The Barron de Chastelnau made a maruellous proces against those of Guise and the Duke de Nemours they beeing present thereby made the Chauncellor stand still and all amazed that dealt in those affaires against his conscience and appealed from the sentence giuē against him before God the like did most of all the rest to the great astonishing of all the assistants perceiuing a most inuincible constancie in all those men but neither the stout courages of the prisoners nor yet the cries of both great and small that as then were present at those executions could not in any sort once mollifie the harts of those of Guise nor yet diuert the rigor of their cruelties A Gentleman named Villemongis beeing vppon the scaffold readie to bee beheaded hauing wet his hands in the blood of his companions lifting them vppe to heauen cryed out saying Lord behold the blood of thy children thou shalt reuenge our cause The death of the Chancellour Oliuier Among the prisoners that after the Barron spake most boldly vnto the Chancellor there were two the one named Picard the other Campagnac that shewed him his petegree from one poynt to the other but the last of them touched him so neare vnto the heart that with griefe thereof the poore Chancellour fell sicke wherein hee continually sighed and murmured to himselfe tormenting his bodie in most straunge manner for that all crooked aged as he was yet he stirred his bodie with such force that he made the bed to shake with greater force then a young man of Iustie yeares could doo The Cardinall going to visit him his paines beganne to increase and perceiuing him a farre of hee cried out and said Ha ha Cardinall thou haste made vs all to be damned But when the Cardinal went neare him saying vnto him that the wicked Spirit sought to seduce him and that hee should remaine constant in the faith That is well done now said hee and so turning his backe presently lost his speech in his great torments many times lamenting the death of the Councellour du Bourg Behold how the chiefe and principall condemners of the prisoners in Amboise was taken and first executed vppon the scaffold of the terrible and manifest iudgements of God The rest in time likewise were brought thither each of them in his turne Monsieur Michell de l'Hospitall an excellent man as then Chancellor of the Duchie of Sauoy was repealed from Nice where he remained to succeed in Oliuiers place and till he came Moruilliers Bishop of Orleans kept the Seales and vsed all the meanes hee could to please the house of Guise The Prince behaueth himselfe boldly in his innocencie against all men The Prince of Conde was in Amboise during those horrible tempests where hee behaued himselfe like a man wholly without feare as knowing himselfe to bee vnculpable Those of Guise animated the king against him setting and appoynting men to watch and looke into his behauiour whereof the Cardinall kept a Register specially of one word spoken by the Prince in chollor perceiuing certaine of the prisoners to bee executed at the Castle windowes saying that the king was counselled otherwise then hee ought to bee to cause such Lords and honest Gentlemen to bee put to death not considering the great seruices by them done vnto the late deceased king and all the Realme of whom beeing so depriued it was to bee feared that during those great troubles straungers would enterprise against the Realme and that if they should bee ayded by any of the Princes they would easilie ouercome it Presently after they caused du Vaux his Sewer to bee committed prisoner and caused the king to send for him into his chamber to shewe him that by the information giuen hee had vnderstood him to beee the chiefe of the conspiracie wherevpon the king added many sharpe threatnings The Prince for answere besought his Maiestie to assemble all the Princes and knights of the Order that as then were within Amboise togither with his priuie Councell to
credit The kings word giuen to the princes to intrap them This aunswere made those of Guise to seeke another course and therevppon dispatched an other message whereby the King sent word vnto the Princes that they might without all feare come vnto him and returne again when they thought good assuring them by the word of a King that nothing should be done or attempted against their persons in any sort whatsoeuer that he would peaceably heare both their causes and instifications without committing them to prison or once making proces against them that his desire was onely to haue an answereby word of mouth touching the poynts wherewith the Prince was charged which the King could not in any sort beleeue and to conclude that they should bee receiued and vsed according to their estates and dignities yea and that they should haue their places restored that of order and custome belonged vnto them touching the mannaging of the affaires of the land to the end to haue their counselles and aduise thereby to reduce all thinges into a good and polliticke order They were betraied by Amaury Bouchart Chancellor of Nauarre without any troubling or molesting the Prince concerning the religion which hee professed The like letters were written vnto them by the Queene-mother At the first the King of Nauarre had a good courage but hauing heard that the affaires in Lyonnois Dauphin had succeeded otherwise then he esteemed begunne to drawe backe although the Deputies of the Prouinces offered to assemble their troupes for his securitie before the French launciers had stopped the passages or if he found that not to be expedient they promised to assemble themselues in all places to strengthen him when hee should go vnto the Parliament He had a Chancellour named Amaury Bouchart Maister of Requests vnto the king who from the beginning had beene very earnest to mooue him to hearken vnto the declarations and requests daylie made vnto him from all the parts of the Realme but this Bouchart hauing heard that the enterprise made against Lyons by Maligny had taken an other effect then he expected wrote secretly vnto the king desiring him to separate the Prince of Conde from the king of Nauarre his brother because that without ceasing hee neuer left off to solicite him to doo diuers things against his Maiesties officers as also to trouble the Realme at the onely instance of certaine Lutherians and Preachers that came from Geneua wherevnto hee said his maister would by no meanes hearken but that it was to bee feared that in the end by long and importunate sute he would diuert him whereof hee said hee could not chuse but aduertise his Maiestie whose most humble natural and faithful subiect hee was and alwaies would bee as also one of the Ministers of his iustice Hee wrote other letters of the same effect vnto the Cardinall promising him by word of mouth to certifie him of certaine things of great importance which as then hee durst not write and to conclude hee promised him the meanes to giue him intelligence how and in what sort hee should deuise and frame proces against the greatest Lords of the Realme Speaking of Geneua hee ment Theodore de Beza whom the King had expressely sent for by the counsell of the said Bouchart himselfe to meete with diuers other notable personages from all the parts of France whose aduise specially of Beza was in any sort to procure that the conclusion of Fontainbleau touching the assembly of the Estates should bee obserued and fully executed But that aduise was not followed and that touching Beza hee returned with great daunger of his person hauing begun to preach publikely in Nerac where the king of Nauarre in person was assistant Some were of opinion that Iarnac who had wholly withdrawn himselfe from the Princes with S. Foy his brother before that Lieftenant of the company of launciers belonging to the Prince of Conde had practised with Bouchart to write those letters They determine to go to the king The Princes giuing credite vnto the kings word and vpon the protestations and promises made vnto them by his Agents and among others the Cardinal of Bourbon his brother sent expressely vnto them accepted the Kings offer and hauing writtē vnto the king that they would ride to Orleans with a small traine before the assembly of the Estates should bee prepared And beeing at Limoges they were presently visited by diuers Lords and Gentlemen to the number of seuen or eight hundreth well mounted and armed at all poyntes they made them offer of sixe thousand footemen out of Gascon Poicton mustered and reaeie to march 4000. both on horse and foote out of Languedoc and as many or more out of Normandie with ful assurance of the good willes of most part of the men at armes or launciers and presents of mony so it would please the king of Nauarre to declare himselfe Protector of the King and of the Realme against the house of Guise But the euill seruants which as then attended on him as Descars and his companions for Bouchart had withdrawn himselfe gaue him so many alarmes deuised such inconueniences vnder pretence that they did not deliuer vnto thē a summe of mony of three or foure hundreth thousand crownes to looke better into those affaires that beeing at Vertueil where another good Agent being the Cardinall of Armaignac came vnto him hee dismissed all his company and countermanded those that were comming with many thankes and promises most earnestly to imploy himselfe in the Parliament for the good and benefit of all the Estates of France They hauing shewed him many reasons for the same and desired that at the least the Prince of Conde might stay behinde thereby to hold their enemies insuspence he answered that their innocencie should suffice that it was no easie matter to put the Princes of the blood to death that if their liues were taken away they would receiue their deaths with patience that God had meanes sufficient to deliuer the Realme of France which that they should bee the cause of the losse and ruine of so many honest men that desired to ioyne with them The Princesse of Conde a Lady for her time as wise vertuous as any could be found vsed all the meanes shee could to diswade her husband from that voyage but all in vaine the Lords and Gentlemen that had accompanied the Princes being vppon the poynt of their retract after many humble congratulations protested that by those meanes being so vnfortunately destituted of their heads yet they doubted not but that God would raise them others thereby to saue and deliuer them from the oppression of Lyrants Those words vsed in the presence of their secret seruants being rehearsed to those of Guise were causes to hang newe belles at their eares and in the meane time vnderstanding that the Princes were alreadie entered into their iourney they caused Monsieur de Mompesat one of their confederates in the kings name
of those that tooke him to cause him as a Traitor to loose his head but all this was but words and nothing else The papers were not forgotten Bouchart taken and ledde to prisoâ— Imprisonment of the Bailiffe of Orleans and Bouchart was ledde to Orleans and then to Melun with other prisoners that came from Lyons by that meanes to make readie the proofes against the Prince whose proces was followed with all diligence Hierome Groslot Bailiffe of Orleans a man both learned vertuous and full of pietie a louer of the good and quietnesse of the Common-wealth and an enemie to all Tyrants and factious persons abhorring auarice ambition within two daies after the Princes arriuall was likewise committed prisoner hauing three daungerous witnesses against him which were his office a goodly house within the the Cittie and another in the countrie The cause pretended was that his father had beene Chancellour to the deceased king of Nauarre and he in Orleans the Protectour of those of the religion and an affected friend vnto the Princes Further when time came that hee should make an Oration vnto the king at his entrie into the Towne the Bailiffe mooued at some wrong offered vnto him as it appeared as he went towards the king togither with the kings countenance that looked frowningly vppon him hee could not vtter his minde as hee had first determined and therevpon those of Guise tooke some occasion to accuse him vnto the King saying that hee felt his owne conscience to be guiltie of his treason Being in prison false witnesses whereof the Curate of Saint Paterne and the Vicar of Saint Catherine were the principall with Iaques Aleaume Iaques L'huillier le Borgne le Alemant and Iaques Masnet accused him to haue determined to deliuer Orleans vnto the King of Nauarre to be of the intelligence of Amboise and to haue beene in a certaine assembly holden by night within the great Church-yard as also to haue manifestly supported those of the religion Dauanson maker of the proces The maker of the proces was Dananson a slaue to those of Guise that sent such witnesses as hee perceiued not to bee sufficiently instructed vnto the Curate of Saint Paterne that by him they might vnderstand their lesson Marshall de Brissac had alreadie laid hold vppon the house in the countrie named l'Isle and in fantasie made diuision of the goods in Sipierre and Boyuin his Secretarie was so bold to say vnto the wife of Groslot that if she would speake boldly shewing her that shee must come off with mony vnto his Maister the Bailiffes affaires might speede the better The Guises practises open the mouthes of the estates of the Prouinces Out of the Kealme those of Guise had made the Pope the king of Spaine and others to thinke that at that time they would roote out all those that bare the name of Lutherians within France whom they held bound both hand and foote hoping that winter to cleare them all out of the countrie in the spring-time to send them into Almaine and Switzerland to visit their friends but their deuises could not impeach diuers and seuerall assemblies in many Prouinces to determine and deuise what were best for them to present at the Parliament to giue them some new worke whereof the Orations made at Blois Anger 's Parris Bazin Plessis Grimaudet Capel and others are proofes sufficient as also in most part of the other Prouinces when the oppressours were discouered and the people disposed to prouide by lawfull meanes against so many disorders introduced and maintained by straungers many of them hauing openly said that they would not indure that those of Guise should so oppresse the Princes of the blood whereof most part that vsed that speech Conspiracie to extirpe those of the religion were men of the religion and those of Guise beeing aduertised could well shewe and propound this article of religion vnto the Duke de Montpensier and other great Lords in diuers places of the Realme to make them the readier and more prompt to leane vnto them The hope of confiscations being mixed therewith which made many rauening fellowes to looke about them there was nothing offered but Estates Offices Benefices Mountaines of Gold to such as would ayde and assist the King to extirpe and roote out the enemies of the Church of Rome Passages kept that no aide should come Besides that the kings forces were diuided by those of Guise into the Townes next about Orleans as farre as Bourges Moulins Blois Tours Saumur Anger 's Chinon Loudun and Poicton and in all the passages from whence they esteemed that any ayde might bee procured to helpe the Princes that were prisoners Those of the religion were narrowly looked vnto in diuers Townes specially in Parris meane time they proceeded vnto the framing of the proces against the Prince But because of the obseruation of the formes of iustice The maner of proceeding against the Prince neither the informations made at Lyons against the Marshall of Saint Andre nor the prisoners of Melun were sufficient they produced the Princes words vsed at Amboise lamenting the death of so many Gentlemen that were executed with that which hee had vttered riding to Bearn vnto Monsieur de Genlis that had renounced the Cerimonies of the Romish Church to the end that not being able to accuse him of high treason they would condemne him of Heresie To strengthen this second proofe those of Guise sent a Priest vnto him apparelled after the Romish manner which certified him that he had expresse commaundement from the King to sing Masse before him in his chamber But the Priest with a rude aunswere was sent backe againe by the Prince with commission to shewe the King from him that hee was not come thither in any sort to bee perticipant or communicate with the impieties and pollutions of the Romaine Antichrist His magnanimitie in Religion wherevnto long before hee had renounced but onely to yeelde him an aunswere vnto the false and forged accusations imposed against him Which answer was not forgotten but thereof a large article was framed both by the deposition of the Priest and of the guarde As also his accusations against those of Guise This magnanimitie much mooued those of Guise but much more in that the Prince spake openly against them to their discredits oftentimes shewing a bag which hee helde in his hand affirming it to be the processe of those Brigands and Guisian theeues by the which many points of high treaon whereof they were culpable were well prooued and verified which hee kept and reserued to present vnto the estates thereby to giue them knowledge of their subtill and vnlawfull gouernments that imputed their owne treasons vnto the Princes of the bloud that sought to oppose themselues against theyr tyrannies and that if euer any man euer sought or ment to enterprise any thing against the King and his Realme it would bee those Harpiers and vpsprung house of
confirmation of the accord aforesaid The States forced to agree to a thing that ouerthrew a lawe of the Realme and to finish vp the matter the King of Nauarre himself went thither in person to certifie them that he had resigned his right title vnto the Queene which notwithstanding the matter was much debated many great personages partly perceiuing the great mischiefs which by that disorder would in fine growe vp in such sort that the Estates agreed not therevnto but with protestation to the contrary in their billes which they presented vnto the king at Saint Germaines in Laye where the general assembly was holden the Chancellour commaunded by the king by a long Oration perswaded the company to determine with themselues whether it would be necessary and conuenient that the assembly of the religion should bee holden or forbidden And after him Lieftenant Autun surnamed Britaigne speaking for the communaltie in a large discourse shewed the abuse both in the goods and iurisdictions of Ecclesiasticall persons their duties the great charges that spoyled and ouerthrew the people required that the persecutions should be ceased against those of the religion that promise should bee made vnto them of an assembly and that to the same end Churches might bee permitted vnto them also that their principall Ministers should bee called to conferre with them of the differences of religion Touching the acquitting of the kings debts and ordering of other affaires the third Estate made a large couerture proposing diuers means to cease diuision and to reduce the Realme into as rich estate as euer it was But because diuers matters propounded touched and concerned many of the greatest personages specially the Spiritualtie it was all but words which likewise were the cause to hasten the principals of such Sects to inuent their conspiracies The Cleargie desiring to get out of the myre made offer that to acquit the king of his debts for the space of sixe months they would euery yeare paye foure tithes at the same time likewise the Imposts of fiue sols vpon euery Alme of Wine entering into euery walled Towne was raised for the terme of sixe yeares and no more besides the eighth and tenth part beeing ordinary custome While the Estates were busied to dispute and determine of matters concerning the Estate The Popes deuise to hinder the assembly of Poissy Pope Pius hauing beene aduertised what had beene determined touching the assembly at Poissy sent the Cardinall of Ferrare his Legat in France with charge to remit all things touching religion vnto his Councell because that among other articles agreed vppon by the States it had beene decreed that the benefices of the Realme should bee conferred by the Ordinaries euery man in his iurisdiction and not by the Pope Also that dispenses should more be allowed There was likewise a question among thē touching the reception of the Legat who in fine made such meanes that the Chancellour was commaunded to seale his letters of authoritie which the Chauncellour did not but after many commissions adding therevnto that it was done without his consent the Court of Parliament would not approoue them and touching the Courtiers at the first the Legat was but hardly vsed by them but he vsed such meanes by his friends that in the end hee got the vpper hand hauing with his assistants in France frustrated the assembly of Poissy Assembly of the Cleargie for the conference at Poissy At the same time the Prelates assembled for the conference at Poissy and because some of them were wholly without learning and the rest little studied in the holy Scriptures they brought with thē a great number of Sorbon Doctors and others whom they appoynted to dispute in their presence thereby to learne what were best for them to say Touching those among them that had any learning they were suspected so that in their particular conferences many times there happened great strife among them and many times blowes whereat the Courtiers made great sport While they were in this debate among themselues diuers Ministers of the Churches in France to the number of twelue with 22. Deputies The Ministers came to Poissy and present a request vnto the king with the confession of the faith by the kings safe conduct and commaundement arriued at Poissy not long after followed by Pierre Martir Theodore Beza whom the king of Nauarre and the Prince of Conde had caused to come from Zurche and Geneua Those that first arriued presented a petition vnto the king vpon the tenth of August wherein they desired that commaundement might bee made vnto the Prelates to peruse the declaration of the faith of the reformed Churches presented vnto the king since the ninth of Iune then last past to the end that at the first assembly they might shewe what cause they had to deny it and vppon their obiections to heare the defences of the said Churches by the mouths of their Ministers and Deputies They further desired that the Prelates and other Ecclesiastical persons might not bee iudges ouer them seeing they were parties against them that the king and his Councell would bee present at that assembly that all the differences might bee decreed by the onely word of God that two Secretaries might bee chosen on each part that euery day might conferre the notes of their disputations togither and that those notes should not bee holden nor accounted for lawfull before the parties had subscribed vnto them The king receiued the confession and petition The Kings answere by the hands of Augustin Marlorat and Francis de S. Paul in the presence of his Mother the king of Nauarre and other Princes of the blood with diuers Lords of the Councell and with a good countenance said vnto them I will referre your petition vnto my Councell and you shall receiue an aunswere from my Chancellour The 24. of August 1565 Th. de Beza preached at the Court. And the 24. of August 1574. the Massacre was committed against those of the religion Conference betweene Th. de Beza and the Cardinall Theodore de Beza beeing arriued at Saint Germaines in Laye vppon the 24. of August he preached publikely the next day at the Castle within the Prince of Condes Hall where hee had a great and notable assembly without any noyse or trouble The same day about euening beeing sent for into the king of Nauarres Chamber there he found the Queene the king of Nauarre the Prince the Cardinals of Burbon and Lorraine the Duke de Estampes Madame de Crussol where hauing made a lowe reuerence vnto the Queene in fewe words hee shewed her the cause of his comming thither togither with the desire he had as also all his company to serue God and his Maiestie in so holy commendable and necessary an enterprise Thervpon the Cardinall of Lorraine beganne to speake charging Beza to haue been authour of the troubles to haue dispearsed infamous libelles about the Realme of France and to haue
fauor his retire from the Court Others bearing him no great affection spred foorth a rumour that they were in armes prepared to kill the king the Queene and his Councell The first aduise tooke place neuerthelesse to make the latter seeme likely yet vntrue euery man except it were the king Praclises of the Court whereinto sundrie not able to penetrate at the first the gentry of Normandy found themselues deceined whereof ensued the destruction of the Countie of Montgommery perswaded to stay with his traine in great haste dislodging from Saint Germains where they stayed till the lodgings of the Castle of Blois Saint Vincennes were prepared and rid to Parris from nine of the clock till midnight with most great noyse and tumult I must tell you that the Duke of Alencon was in minde to haue departed from the Court and to take the king of Nauarre with him and that this troupe composed of the Gentlemen their seruants came to bring them to the places appointed by them but imagining many difficulties in the executiō hee tooke aduise of la Mole a Gentleman of Prouence that gouerned him who gaue him counsell with al speed to aduerise the king his brother and his mother what his meaning was which was the cause that the king remooued not neuerthelèsse the mother that had som greater matter in her head made that voyage by night and went to the house of the Marshall de Retz in the subburbs of S. Honore The Parisians beleeuing whatsoeuer was told them touching those horses in short time made a great and puissant armie as they said The next day the king went vnto his mother and within eight daies after they went to Blois Saint Vincennes hauing holden diuers councels to deuise the means to intrap the Marshal d'Anuille that gaue them worke to do in Languedoc Meane time the Duke of Alencon and the king of Mauarre vppon the foure and twentieth of March published a declaration touching the matter of Saint Germains protesting their good wils towards the king and that they were resolued to oppose themselues with all their meanes against such as would rebell against him which was an occasion to bring the Marshall de Montmorencic vnto the Court who being come was arested as also the Marshall de Cosse and both most shamefully led prisoners to the Bastille On the other side la Mole Coconnas Tourtay seruants to the Duke of Alencon were committed within Parris and not long after executed hauing onely confessed to haue been of their Maisters counsell to depart out of the Court Diuers Lords and Gentlemen intangled in this processe saued themselues as well as they could the Duke of Alencon and the king of Nauarre were kept more straight and twise examined touching that action The estate of Dauphine Languedoc and poictou These troubles in the Court hindered not those of the religion their associates to looke vnto themselues In Dauphine Mombrun tooke Loriol Linron Alet Graue and Roinac and ouerthrew fiue companies of footmen that sought to impeach them Those of Villeneufue in Viuarais not long before had put certaine troupes to the swood that came against those of the religion without losse of one man and tooke Aubenas a Towne of great importance hauing cut the throates of all the Garrison for the most part composed of the massacres of Lyons The gouernment of Languedoc and Dauphine hauing bin committed to the Prince d'Auphine Monsieur d'Acier ioyned with him the Marshall d'Anuille by letters intercepted discouered what was pretended against him by which meanes hee beganne to draw to those of the religion consulting with Saint Romaine Gouernour of Nismes seized vppon Montpeslier Beaucaire Lunel and Pezenas In Poistou the Polititians ioyned with la Noue tooke Saint Maixaut Melle Fontenay Lusignan and other places In Normandie about the beginning of March What happened in Normandie to the Countie de Montgommery taken prisoner and after executed the Countie Montgommery accompanied with Lorges and Galardon his children departed from the Isle of Gerze and arriued at Rades where Colombieres de Fey with fistie Gentlemen came to meete him from whence hee went to Saint Lo and then with in three daies after assieged and took Carentan by compositiō Within a month after a strong armie of the enemie commaunded by Matignon and Feruaques set vppon him and inclosed him with a little weake towne and ill furnished called Danfrone accompanied with sixtie horse and eight harguebuziers conducted by Captaine la Touche the younger resoluing vppon a valiant defence euen in the beginning of the siege sent foorth siue and twentie horse and some small shot who giuing a sharpe onset slew seuen Gentlemen assaylants and nine horse and soretired with the losse of the Lord of Friaize who was slaine and two prisoners that they left behinde This was the eleuenth of May. The next day the besieged cut in peeces one Corps de garde but soone after some either for feare or won with faire woords forsooke the Countie and yeelded to the assaylants who in reward stripped and put them to their ransome The Queen-mother vnderstanding that the Countie whom shee hated to the death was in her nettes sent forces day and night to strengthen Matignon as also the armie that lay before Saint Lo was commanded with all speed to march to Danfrone where they had in the beginning of the siege six thousand small shot and fifteen hundreth horse The king being very sicke vpon the 23. of May the Castle was battered with six peeces of cannon that in fiue houres shot aboue fiue hundreth times and made a breach of fiue and fortie foote broad Then did most of the Counties men forsake him and in liew of entring the Castle with him fled out of the Towne into the campe where they receiued their deserued entailment as their former companions About two of the clock at after noone the assay lants came fiercely to the breach where they found the Countie on the right side with the lords of Brossay Chauuiny Cornieres Tere yong Touche Mahiliere Crosse Oulfe and others to the number of twentie On the left side were the Lords of Sey Hayes Vaudore Sanssaye Villenenfue and others in like number of twentie All togither fell vpon their knees to hear the prayer which one of the three Ministers there present made in the presence of the assay lants who when it was done came to handie blows in the order following Out of tenne companies of men at armes present at that siege Matignon the other Captains chose one hundreth Gentlemen even ten out of euerie companie well armed followed with 600. small shot with murrians 100. pikemen with their corselers These 800. men with some 200. voluntaries mixed among thē were led by the LL. of Fernaques Villermois S. Golombe Raberprey Lauerdin and others The fight lasted siue hours neither did the cannon cease which indomaged the defer dants with stones wherewith also the Countie was
certain charme vsed against the life of the king Althogh la Mole sustained the cōtrarie vntil the last point of his death affirmed it to be made only to continue him in the loue of that Gentlewoman whom he ment to marrie The king vsed all the meanes hee could to surmount and ouercome his sicknesse and as his yeares gaue him assayed diuers times to shewe his courage but all in vaine After the departure of the king of Polonia they perceiued him to bee more changed in minde then in bodie If he had liued longer it is without all doubt that the Councellours of the massacre had receiued their reward from him his heart was so much mooued against them so that he could not chuse but vtter his mind therin to some about him in the Court whom hee knew to bee vtter enemies to such iniustice and thereof wrote letters out of the Realme So that to conclude hee was determined to haue made some stirring among them vntill that finding himselfe to bee seized vppon and that hee had not the meanes as then to execute any thing beeing inuironed by men that helde him as it were bound both hand and foote his seruants slaine disgraced or banished from him wherein in time he thought to take order that might procure an ouerture to his haughtie desires not once thinking vntill hee was so weake that hee had beene so neare his death His letters to the Gouernors of Prouinces In the end of March hee wrote vnto the Gouernours of the Prouinces saying that seeing the discontentment of his subiects and the common cause of the religion produced so many troubles within his Realme hee desired them to vse peaceable meanes with those of the religion declaring that hee would not that any wrong should be done vnto them nor other dealing vsed towards them in their affaires then the other Catholicque subiects of his Realme hee commaunded that those of the religion should bee safegarded by those of the Romish Church to assure defend them from the violence that was to be done against them where any such should bee enterprised hee commaunded all his Officers to vse the speediest and readiest iustice that might bee willing them to looke vnto it calling God to witnesse that his onely intent was to see all his subiects liue in peace Hee likewise desired the same Gouernours to prouide that their companies should not in any sort bee chargeable to their subiects but should paye according to the order therein taken by the same letter also shewing that hee had been sicke of a quarterne ague hee was as then somewhat recouered so that the reports spred abroad of his death were wholy vntrueths The fourth of May hee aduertised the said Gouernors of the imprisonment of the two Marshals that were accused of conspiracie against his person and the estate inioyning them to ouerrunne all those that were vppe in armes to put them to the sword but the poore Prince as then was neither respected of friends nor enemies Euery day he receiued packets of new commotions that bredde nothing but discommodities wherein a firme peace and faithfull maintenance of those of the religion in the exercise thereof and in that which they had desired for the conseruations of their persons goods dignities rights and priuiledges had beene the onely remedie which his mother and her Councellours abhorred Hee perceiued the beginnings of new troubles in the captiuitie of his brother and his brother in law and the two Marshals as also in the exile of the Prince of Conde and of diuers great Lords his subiects armed one against the other and to bee short the fire of diuision kindled more then euer it was Wherevpon ouercome with the euill that raigned in his bodie and with so many horrible tempests in his brains he was forced to keepe his bed and yeelde to his disease For the space of certaine daies hee stroue and struggeled against nature not yeelding therevnto by extreame force The nine and twentieth of May letters were written in his name to the Gouernours of Prouinces to whom hee sent word that during his sicknesse if he chanced to die vntil the comming of the king of Polonia his brother successor they should obey the Queene his mother Letters in fauour of his mother whatsoeuer shee would commaund shewing that his bretheren the Duke of Alencon and the king of Nauarre had promised him to do the like in her behalfe in the two last weekes of his sicknesse hee lost much of his blood that issued out of many places of his bodie and once rowlde himselfe therein falling downe by weaknesse many times naming diuers Lords whom he particular hated and that till then had kept themselues out of his hands The thirtieth of May which was the day of his death the Queene-mother perceiuing that the simple letters made the day before The day of his death what passed as then specially touching the regency touching the charge to her committed sufficed not to strengthen her authoritie during the absence of the king of Polonia whom shee feared could not so soone returne againe into France determined for his sure establishment to cause her selfe to bee declared Regent in the absence of the king to come and to cause letters pattents thereof to bee sealed by the Chancellour Birague who with the seales was wholly at her commaundement which was as much as to ouerthrow subuert the fundamentall lawes of the Realme to abolish the right of the first Prince of the blood to lessen the authoritie of the estates generall to rule the Parliaments and to raigne in straunge manner ouer France Neuerthelesse the better to binde the hands of the two first Princes of the blood and the two Marshals whom shee held prisoners to beate her enemies to extirminate the Countie de Montgommerie kept prisoner against faith and promise made to sowe new diuisions in the estate and so to maintaine her selfe in those confusions without foreseeing the great disorders whereof shee should bee cause by that meanes giuing libertie to those that in the ende would bee her ouerthrowe as heereafter you shall heare her ambition blinded her eyes shee entered into the kings chamber with Birague by whom shee caused to bee shewed vnto him that seeing his sickenesse hindered him from dealing in the affaires that required his presence it should be good to giue the regencie of the Realme vnto the Queen his mother and commaunded that letters pattents to the same end should be giuen vnto her The king that was at his last houre by their aduise caused the Secretaries and Captaines of his guards to bee called in to whom hee saide Doo all that which the Queene my mother shall commaund you and obey her as my selfe The Duke of Alencon and the King of Nauarre were likewise called that they might knowe that the Regencie was committed to the Queene-mother and were expresly named in the letters that were presently dispatched for the same purpose
which is of the third estates of the land which represent the whole Realme Although since that time the name of Parliament is applyed to the companies of Soueraigne Courts that haue the ordering of causes both criminall and ciuill That first age of our Monarchie although rude and simple that held our kings like puples vnder the Maiors of the Pallace assembled the Parliament as often as the publike affaires of the Realme required The kings of France were not seene but once a yeare Aymon lib. 4. cap. 30. and the kings that as then retained the grosse vapors of the Daâ—ubian ayre and of the Orientall France were neuer seene but once euery yeare vppon the first day of May in their Parliaments that is in the assembly of the third orders or estates of their Realme in a place called the field of Mars where the king was borne in a Chariot of flowers Aymon li. 4. cap 30. drawne by foure oxen after the rusticall manner and there placed in a royall throne assisted with his Nobilitie hee heard the complaints of his subiects gaue order for all things that were to bee done that yeare and dispatched the Ambassadors of forrain Princes Vnder the second lyne of the kings of France The estate of France in the second line of the kings of France the Empire inlarging it by force and the kings leauing that seuere greatnesse to haue conuersation with their subiects the estates assembled more commonly not at a certaine and fixed day but according to the opportunitie and necessitie of their affaires therefore Pepin that had caused Childeric to bee shorne put into a Cloyster desiring to establish his vsurpation by the vniuersall consent of the people caused the States to bee assembled at Soissons that confirmed it and another time at Compiegne since that time the diuisions and iealousies of the Princes made those assembles to bee more difficult the kings contented themselues with the Parliament as an abridgement of the three estates wherein there was Prelates Noblemen and Deputies of all townes with the Councell of Parris to determine all things that belonged to iustice the Bailiffes and Stewards euery man in his iurisdiction administring the causes of the Common-wealth but when ignorance auarice and cupiditie entered into that first order that an euerlasting and continuall obscuritie had infolded the beautie of lawes men waxing more malicious and thereby fell into diuers deceits and frauds brablings and quarrellings tooke place Bailiffes and Stewards not administring iustice with such integretie and seueritie as was conuenient and our kings hauing not meanes in their Parliaments that alwaies held about them to bee still imployed in hearing particular mens suites the affaires of estate that daily increased as the Monarchie augmented King Philiple Bel caused the Pallace to bee made where soueraigne iudgements should bee giuen Since that Philip surnamed the Long ordained that it should bee composed of a certaine number of persons Controuersies vnder the raign of Philip le Bel. Vpon this President he tooke the order of knighthood one or two Presidents the first President beeing the Counte of Bourgongne a Prince of the blood eight Clarkes and twelue Lay-men foure Maisters of Request two chambers of Requests wherin were eight Lay-men eight Clarkes as Iudges and foure and twentie Atturneyes he called Clarkes men with long gownes married and vnmarried and the rest Laye-men Noblemen or GentlemeÌ„ The Parliament that serued only for iustice hindered not the assembly of the estates for the benefit of the Common-wealth not at a certaine or ordinary time as in England euery three yeares This is a false surmise of the Author Reasons and necessittes vrging the assembly of the Estates but as often as it pleased the king and no other to summon them for one of these three occasions The first when the succession or right of the Crowne was doubtfull and in controuersie or that it was necessarie to prouide for the ruling and gouerning of the Realme during the captiuitie or minoritie of the kings or when they were troubled and wanted the right vse of their memories and sences The second when it was necessarie to reforme the Realm to correct the abuse of Officers Magistrates by troubles and seditions and to reduce things to their first order and integretie The third for the necessities of the kings and their Realmes in those assemblies of the Deputies of all the parts of the Realme they shewed the people in what estate the kings affaires were and they were courteously mooued intreated and exhorted to graunt subsidies aydes and assistances vnto their kings which otherwise would haue contented themselues with their rents and reuenues to maintaine the glorie of royall dignitie they neuer vsed to impose any subsidies or tallages without the consent thereof and said not as Lewis the eleuenth said that Frunce was a medowe that vsed to bee mowed thrise a yeare so for one of these three causes the estates haue been seene to assemble in diuers places and times The yeare 1327.1380 Frosard li. 2. chap. 58.60 In the yeare 1484. In the yeare 1356. In the yeare 1412. Philip Earle of Vertus They assembled in Parris to chuse a Regent during the minoritie of S. Lewis an other time in the same place to prouide for the gouernment of king Charles the sixt in his minoritie and at Tours for Charles the eight that Lewis the eleuenth had left in infancie They assembled in Parris for the libertie of king Iohn prisoner in England and for the phrensie of Charles the sixt whose gouernment was referred to his two Vncles the Dukes of Berry and Bourgongne They assembled at Auxerre to sweare a peace betweene the children of the houses of Orleans and Bourgongne and by their aduice the marriage of the Counte of Vertus brother to the Duke of Orleans with the daughter of the Duke of Bourgongne was made among the ioyes of this peace the Dukes of Orleans and Bourgongne were seene booth vppon a horse sporting themselues with the other Princes to witnesse their amitie and reconciliation yet it was but a fained peace Monstrelet lib. 1. chap. 59. They were againe assembled in the raigne of Charles the sixt at Parris vnder Francis the second at Orleans and vnder Henry the third at Bloys to appease the difference of the new religion abuses desolations excesse to take order for the administring of iustice to rate the monies and to institute the offices for the gouernment of the treasures in the two last the Deputies required two things one the extirpation of heresies but without wars by a free legitimate Councell the second the easing of the poore people by taking accounts of such as abusing the fauour and libertie of the king had inriched themselues by the oppression of his subiects to the end that the blood being drawne into an other part might be brought into the emptie vaines to quicken the head and animate the most
vppon them in the extremitie of their afflictions and then yeelded most hartie thankes vnto his Maiestie who shewing his power ordained from aboue to rule and gouerne this Christian Monarchie with all courtesie and princely inclination hath not refused to bend his royall eares to their most humble petitions to heare their greefes and complaints and withall to shewe a most singular and speciall desire to restore his people to their auncient force to whom as then there rested but the onely libertie of speech and that very weake and feeble to reestablish holy religion in her pristinate estate by the extirpation of all errors and heresies to rule and remit all auncient orders altered by the iniurie and alteration of times vnto their first forme and manner of beeing and to comfort his poore people protesting that therein their most humble and most faithfull seruices should neuer bee wanting euen to the last gaspe which Oration beeing ended the assemblie with a maruellous contentment ended the first day of their meeting The second day of meeting vpon Tuesday the 18. of Octob. 1588. The second day of their meeting beganne vppon the Tuesday after in the same manner as it did vppon the first day and because the King had been mooued by the Archbishop of Ambrun the Counte de Brissac and the Aduocate Bernard Deputies for the three estates to renue his oathes of vnion and perceiuing their pursuite to proceede from the distrust they had in him seeing that hee hauing once sworne it within the Cittie of Roane it was as then needelesse to renue his oath againe hee went neuerthelesse to satisfie the importunitie of the League and so beganne that seconde meeting with the same action The Kings proposition made to the Senate at their meetings Silence beeing commaunded by a Herault his Maiestie saide that at their first meeting hee hadde shewed what great desire and care hee hadde that in his raigne hee might see and beholde his subiects revnited in the true Catholicque Apostolicque and Romane religion vnder the obedience which it hadde pleased GOD for their partes to giue vnto him and for that cause hauing made his Edict in the moneth of Iuly last ordaining it to bee confirmed and holden for a The Edict of vnion made a lawe fondamentall law of his Realm therby to binde both himself and them with all their posterities his meaning was as then to haue it redde openly before them all which done euery man should sweare to obserue it accordingly And with that hee commaunded Monsieur de Beaulieu his principal Secretarie to read it togither with the declaration made vpon the same so to giue it the force and authoritie of a law of his Realme and yet without derogating the liberties and priuiledges of his Nobilite The reading thereof with the declaration beeing ended the king desiring that the woorthinesse of the cause should bee preferred with as much Maiestie as it deserued thereby to mooue the whole assembly better to consider the importance of the contract which as then they were to make with God crauing his horrible and most fearefull vengeance might fall vppon all those that disloyally should falsifie their faiths therevnto giuen as assurances of the obseruation of his said Edict of vnion he commanded the Archbishop of Bourges to make an Oration vnto the states concerning the same The oration of the Archbishop of Bourges touching the Edict of the vnion This learned Prelate saide that seeing it pleased his Maiestie that the instruction of so solemne an oath should bee giuen vnto the people by the mouth of the Prelates hee exhorted all the assembly appoynted for that great and solemne actions to humble themselues vnder the mightie hand of God and to acknowledge his Maiestie togither with the effect and quallitie of the oath which they were as then to receiue considering that God is trueth it selfe and all oathes whatsoeuer which are not grounded vppon that trueth are false and vniust That the cause of the oath as then presented was for the Church the onely spouse of God The Church is visible Vniuersall Catholicque visible heere on earth because it comprehendeth all the faithfull that are the christian communaltie Inuisible in heauen where it is said triumphant vniuersall for that it maketh no distinction of persons nations quallities conditions or sects One without diuision or schisme One for that of Alexandria Ephese Ierusalem Affrica and Aegipt are but one Church and her doctrine is one Romane doctrine not in regard of the walles of the Cittie of Rome but by reason of a speciall nomination and demonstration that is saide of it that therein Saint Peter and after him Saint Clement and others their successors haue preached and announced the word of God witnessing the true christian doctrine and many other Martyrs with the price of their blood which they haue freely shed for the name and honour of God The vnion of the Church That the vnion of this Church is so strong that it cannot bee broken nor separated in it selfe beeing placed vppon the firme rocke which is Iesus Christ so that the gates of hell cannot preuaile against it it is called the Lords vinyard and the Gods sheepfolde vnder one head and shepheard of our soules That to preserue the vnitie of his Church it is conuenenient that all the children thereof should be vnited vnder Christ their Sauiour and vnder the king whose faith hath continued from posteritie to posteritie euen vnto his person and neuer separated it selfe from the vnitie of this holy and christian religion Let vs vnite our selues then said this Prelate let vs vnite our selues togither as true faithfull Catholicques let vs renue this great and solemne oath due vnto God let vs ioyne our vowes and hearts togither and so yeeld them and confirme them vnto God Obedience due to the king Let vs sweare vnto our Prince the obedience submission due vnto him by all lawes diuine and humane let vs imbrace christian charitie let vs abandon hatreds rancors both open and secret with all suspitions and distrusts which hitherto haue troubled and diuided vs and which haue hindered yea and broken so good intents and had it not beene for them France had long since enioyed a happie peace Let vs lift vp our hands to heauen to yeelde vnto that great God the oath wee owe vnto him that it may bee a memorie for euer vnto the world that our posterities may beholde our faiths and constancie in our oathes and not our periurie by the good and holy effects that shall insue And seeing it hath pleased your Maiestie most noble Prince to bee the first that heere in presence of vs all shall performe this oath for an example to all your subiects all wee with one accord will lift vp our hands to heauen and sweare by the liuing God to serue and honour him for euer to maintaine his Catholicque Apostolicque and Romane Church to defend your
him by the Cardinall de Gondy to aduertise the Popes Legate which done shee went to visit the Cardinall of Bourbon that lay sicke and was kept prisoner And assoon as he espied her with tears in his eies he spake vnto her and said Ah Madame you haue brought vs hither vnto the slaughter She that seemed to be much abashed at so violent vnexpected change that then had happened assured him that shee neither had giuen consent nor aduise to any such thing and that it was a most incredible greefe vnto her soule The death of the Queene-mother vpon the fift of Ianuary 1589. But the Cardinal redoubling his complaints shee left him striken at the heart with so great greefe that presently shee went to bed and died therevppon the fift of Ianuary after much lamented by the king her sonne who as yet had need of her counsell The king going out of his mothers chamber went to heare masse where at large hee informed the Legate of the causes that had constrained him to put the Duke of Guise to death as hauing attempted against his person About euening the Cardinall and the Archbishop of Lyons were taken out of the chamber wherein they had been shut to leade them into an other stronger and darker then the first in the highest part of the Castle But sorrow and greefe had so much seized vppon the Cardinall that what apprehension of death so euer he must haue he could not chuse but sleepe assoone as hee was layde vppon the mattresse prepared for him After his first sleepe his spirits reuiued and considering the extream imbasing of his greatnesse and the fall of his house he complained to himselfe of his misfortunes The Archbishop of Lyons vsed al the meanes he could to disswade him from the thinking of any other thing then onely of death which he suspected to bee the ende of both their persons They imployed all their Philosophie to make it seeme easie and lesse fearefull thereby to dispoyle it of the horrible and straunge shape wherewith it is figured vnto vs. They confessed themselues each to other reconciling themselues to God committing their causes vnto him and in that conceit of death they only attended the commandement when and where they should receiue With that the Cardinall had desire to sleepe vntill morning that the Archbishop of Lyons rose vp left him sleeping not long after he waked him to rise to Martins The king in the mean time was counselled yea solicited by most violent reasons to put the Cardinal to death which counsel at the first Iustice regardeth not the qualities of men seemed perilous vnto him considering the quallitie of that Prelate beeing a Peer of France Archbishop of Reims Cardinall of Rome and President of his Order in the Parliament but after he had been shewed that iustice hath her eyes closed not to behold the quallities of men and that the greater authoritie a man is in the greater is his fault that treason is more apparant and a worse example in a Cardinall then in a simple Priest That the Cardinall of Guise would succeed in the credit of his brother and that hee had alreadie vsed threatning speeches hee determined to make him follow after his brother the Duke of Guise and therevppon commaunded Monsieur de Gast to kill him who excused himself of that commission saying it was not a thing conuenient for a Gentleman of his calling But in fine for foure hundreth Crownes they found foure instruments to execute that commission One of them went into the chamber where the Cardinal sat and making low reuerence told him the king sent for him The Cardinall before hee went asked if hee sent not likewise for the Archbishop of Lyons but aunswere was made that he onely must come vnto him wherevpon with an assured countenance that not seeming to thinke vpon the mischiefe that attended on him about three steps within the dore hee bad the Archbishop of Lyons farewell who perceiuing the Cardinall to go without any apprehention of death said vnto him Monsieur I pray you thinke vppon God at the which word the Cardinall ceised with feare was abashed and turned his head towards the Archbishop who at that instant fell downe vppon his knees before the Crucifix recommending his soule vnto God beleeuing stedfastly that they would do the like to him that he supposed they ment to execute vpon the Cardinall who beeing about three or foure pases without the chamber was inclosed by foure men that with blowes of rapiers poinyards and partisans dispatched him of his life and beeing slaine they stripped him The King going to Masse accompanied by the Cardinall of Vandosme and others met the Barron de Lux who falling downe on his feete offered his head to saue the Archbishop of Lyons his vncle The king that loued the Gentleman and that desired not to loose such a Prelate thinking by his meanes to attaine vnto the Quintessence of the Leaguers deuises assured him of his life but not of his libertie Not long after the king sent Monsieur Guiotard and Monsieur Languetot two of his priuie Councell with a Clarke to examine the Archbishop touching the causes and accusations layde against the Duke of Guise He said vnto them that they being Lay-men had not any iurisdiction ouer an Archbishop and that hee beeing such might not aunswere vnto them desiring them not to trouble him any more therein The answer of the Archbishop of Lyons vpon the Duke of Guises accusatiō They returned this answere vnto the King who presently sent the Cardinall de Gondy to perswade him to satisfie his commaundement and to aunswere to the propositions that should bee made vnto him the Archbishop aunswered him and saide that hee could say nothing against the Cardinall nor the Duke of Guise his brother with whom hee had imbarked himselfe that for his owne person hee neither could nor ought to aunswere before any man but the Pope or to those whom it should please him to appoynt and that as Primate of France he had no other Iudge And that that the Cardinall de Gondy himselfe beeing Bishop of Parris was vnder his primatie that if the Cadinall Morosin Legate for his holinesse by the aduise of other Prelates assembled in the parliament thought it conuenient for him to answere he wold follow their resolutiō and that so doing it shuld be they not the Arch. of Lyons that shuld break the Priuileges immunities of the church The king to the contrary esteemed that considering the quallitie and importance of the cause he was not bound to haue recourse vnto the Pope to examine the trueth of the Duke of Guises actions It was shewed him The king hath power ouer Bishops that the priuiledge which the Archbishop demaunded much derogated the soueraigntie and power of his Maiestie who at all times had iurisdiction ouer the Bishops of his Realme specially in things touching the Crowne and when processe was to be
field who hauing heard the Bishops Oration tending to a generall peace or perticular to Parris if the Duke de Maine would not seeke for a general made this answere after he had shewen how their Councel had infolded them in contraduction asking peace for him which would not acknowledge him saue onely for King of Nauarre that it was his will and desire to haue peace for the comfort of his people but not according to that which the Deputies held for expedient declaring that he loued the Cittie of Paris as his eldest daughter and that hee would doo more good for her then shee required at his hands prouided that she would seeke his fauor and not the Duke de Maines or the King of Spaines That the Deputies proceeded very ill and contrarie to the dutie of their Ecclesiasticall charges in suffering the Parisians to die so miserably while they sought vnto the Duke de Maine for a generall peace sith vppon that voyage though perhaps it would not bee long it might the while cost the liues of twentie thousand persons dying with meere hunger Then did hee dechipher with a maruellous good grace the ambitious practises of the king of Spaine and his people The most wicked and horrible disloyaltie of the chiefe of the league discouering the vanitities of their badde purpose hee drew his discourse into diuers articles to the Bishoppe of Parris the Archbishop of Lyons who in their excuses accused themselues more and more before a most noble companie of Princes Lords and Gentlemen of France who were attending round about the King Moreouer hee shewed that the report of the Spanish succoors for Parris made him nothing dismaid and caused them clearely to see wherevnto the Spanish forces tended and that it was not for nothing that the Prince of Parma tooke his way into France staying but till hee might bring his purposes about Parris and the kingdome beeing morsels too big for king Philips mouth the which hee told vnto them in a short and pithie speech discouering in diuers sorts the blindnesse of the Spaniards in their attempt for France He allowed them eight daies to thinke vppon the yeelding vp of Paris and the articles of peace for the whole kingdome adding that his dutie constrained him in the end to do iustice vppon those that were chiefe of the mutinies exhorting the Deputies to make a faithfull report of that which hee had aunswered The Bishop of Parris had before alleaged in his Oration the constancie of the people of Sancerre dispraising therein the victorie gotten by those of Gaunt to extoll the Parisians But the king auswered that such allegations were impertinent for those of Sancerre were resolued to indure the extremities of their siege because their enemies would haue depriued them without mercie both of their goods liberties religion and their liues But contrariwise said hee I will surrender to the Parisians the life which Mendoza the Spanish Ambassador doth at this present take from them by their sore famine As for the religion all these Princes and Catholicque Lords shall witnesse vnto you how I vse it nor wil I constraine them against their conscience were it neuer so litle either in the exercise of religion or otherwise Concerning goods and liberties I giue them to my subiects So that the comparison with those of Gaunt is not good The Parisians haue well shewen what hearts they haue hauing suffered me to possesse their subburbs I haue fiue thousand Gentlemen that neuer feared those of Gaunt The duke de Maines wicked proceedings beside I haue God for mee and the iustice of my cause After certaine other discourses witnessing the kings good conscience and the litle feare he had of the leaguers forces the Deputies tooke their way toward the Duke de Maine who sent them backe againe to his Maiestie with declaration that he desired nothing more then peace At the same time hee sent letters to those of Parris by one of his owne Secretaries euen at the said Deputies heeles aduertising his partakers not to bee discouraged for all the answere which he sent to the king and that hee would sooner die then make peace with him These letters beeing intercepted they were a great reproach to the Duke by reason of his vnconstancie but he made no other excuse but onely that they were surprised As for the king hee indured both before and after that which the Parisians vttered out of their rebellious mouthes that they had brought victuals for the Duke of Nemours and others which made them render him euill for good nor made hee any strong warre against his chiefe Cittie hauing an intent to preserue it if he could But hauing vnderstood that the Duke de Maine at his returne from Bruxelles accompanied with Balagni and Sainpol drewe toward Parris with certaine troupes The king departed from his armie with a small troupe of horsemen without any carriages seuenteene leagues outright to incounter with his foes and came but one houre too late to haue met with them The king goeth to meete his enemies who hearing of his comming were speedily constrained to cast themselues into the towne of Laon. Then the D. with his troupes made such haste that at last they came as farre as Meaux where hee reported that hee would fight with the king which occasioned him to repaire to his armie with a small troupe of horsemen onely whom hee pursued as farre as Meaux But hee found the Duke inclosed betwixt two riuers where hee stayed for the Prince of Parma at whose arriuall the battell was the second time published aduancing themselues to the Towne of Claye and the Castle of Fresnes about sixe leagues from Parris where they lodged about the ende of the moneth of August The king supposing hee should then haue battell with them after hee had recommended himselfe vnto God according to his custome in such affaires departed from Parris on the VVednesday the nine and twentieth of that moneth assigning the Rende-vous to all his armie for the next morrow in the plaine of Bondi which is at the end of the forrest of Liuâ—i the right way toward his enemies On the Friday following hee chased their forriers from the Towne of Chelles who beganne to marke out their lodgings and gaue a charge to a certaine troupe of eight hundreth horsemen whom he constrained to retire euen till they came within their armie On the morrowe beeing Saturday by eleuen of the clocke the first of September the Kings armie were all in battell array The Duke of Parma got vp vppon an hill to behold them and after he had throughly noted them hee said to the Duke de Maine that this was not the armie of tenne thousand which he tolde him might bee ouerthrown so easilie for hee sawe by estimation more then fiue and twentie thousand in the best manner prouided that euer hee beheld And indeed they consisted of eighteene thousand men on foote as well Frenchmen as straungers and of fiue or six
intended to compound and make agreement with the Emperour The kings answere to the Princes The King perceiuing that by meanes of his great armie the Protestant Princes had brought the Emperour to some reason and on the other side vnderstanding that the Queene of Hungary with her forces was entered into the field left the Almaines and at his departure made aunswere vnto the Princes that he contented himselfe to be esteemed the cause whereby the Princes that were prisoners should shortly bee deliuered and the countrie of Almaine enioy a happy peace and that if thereafter it should haue cause to vse his helpe hee would not spare what meanes soeuer hee had to doo them good Meane time the armie fedde vppon the poore pesants and the country belonging to those of Strasbourg that stood vpon their guard was nothing spared The Leaders notwithstanding repressing the insolencie of the Souldiers as much as possibly they might but in so great a multitude it is impossible that some disorder should not bee committed The meeting at Passau where the French Ambassadour was present Duke Maurice hauing driuen the Emperor out of Almaine and thereby procured an assembly and meeting to bee holden at Passau there to take order touching the reducing of the Countrie of Almaine into her anâ—â—er 〈◊〉 Ambassadours for the Emperour the Electors and diuers â—â—aces of Germanie met togither Where the Bishop of Bayonne Ambassadour for the King fayled not to come vpon the 3. of Iune in a learned Oration he shewed the ancient long coniunction of the countries of Almaine France the affectioÌ„ that the His Oration king bare vnto the Empire as then hardly and euill gouerned by the Spaniards and their adherents finding it good for the Protestant-Princes to agree and make an accord with the Emperour so the prisoners might be deliuered the ancient alliance of France with the Empire and the last capitilation made with the Princes ratified and confirmed that the Emperour should do him reason and that his whole desire was to consent and agree with them all and particularly with Duke Mauris the answere thervnto was composed with many thankes and declarations couched in such sort that neither the Emperour nor the king Their answere could in any sort bee discontent therewith Touching the renuing of auncient alliances they said that a matter of so great waight importance required great and more ample assembly meane time they desired that the amitie alwaies holden continued between the two nations might stil remaine in force and that the controuersies betweene the Emperour and the king might bee appeased promising therein to imploy all meanes possible meane time they desired the king to shew what wrong he could pretend had beene in any sort offered vnto him by the Emperour to whom they would not faile to write that thereby some end and finall agreement might be made VVarres in the Duchy of Luxenbourg with diuers exployts spotles and pilling of places During this assembly the Queene of Hungary hauing commaunded the Marshall of Cleueland to enter into the Duchy of Luxenberg with an armie of 3000. foote and 600. horse caused them to ioyne with the companies of the lowe countries in such sort that their armie being compassed of 12000. foote and 3000. horse beganne to worke many exployts and hauing taken Stenay vppon Meuse a small Towne belonging to the Duchie of Lorraine they enterprised against other places but not to any effect onely that they burnt certaine villages and small hamblets but the kings armie approaching they beganne to retire which made the Councell to determine vpon the conquest of the Duchie of Luxenbourg wherewith they first set vppon a strong Castle called Roc de Mars which was presently taken and spoyled The like was done to Mont S. Iohn Solieure and other places The Emperours and the kings forces skirmishing before Thionuille the armie passing by it made towards d'Auuille which beeing battered and yeelded vnto the king the Captaines were kept prisoners and the Souldiers suffered to depart without armes onely a white sticke in their hands Iuoy was likewise battered and after yeelded vpon the like condition The Gouernour beeing sent prisoner vnto Parris all the spoyle was giuen vnto the Constable who distributed the greatest part thereof among his troupes and particularly to that of his eldest sonne whereat the Souldiours of the olde companies began to mutinie next Iuoy they tooke Monmedy and while they were imployed therein the Marshall Sedan heire vnto the house la Marshe obtained certaine companies of the King wherewith hee recouered the Towne and Castle of Bouillon with all the places depending belonging to the Duchie VVinning of the Duchy of Bouillon which done the Castles of Lumes Treton Glaion and others were taken and ouerthrowne and to please the olde Souldiers they had the spoyle of Cimay a Towne and Castle belonging vnto the Duke d'Arscot giuen vnto them Where the assieged hauing withdrawne themselues into the Castle and desiring to make some composition were myned vnder the gate and other places of the Castle by the great fury of the assailantes wholly famished and thirsting after spoyle wherevnto they ranne with so great haste that some of their Matches fell into a certaine quantitie of powder The Castle and Towne of Cimay burnt whereby about sixe score of the most forwardest of them were burnt and blowne vp into the aire and to conclude the fury of warre burnt both the Towne and Castle but because the Army began to diminish and to weaken some being laden with spoyle and the greatest part sicke and not well at ease about the ende of Iuly such as were left were placed in Garrisons there to attend the Emperors resolution who hauing to do both with the Protestant Princes and the King determined to agree and compound with the Princes by their meanes to aide himselfe against the King and vpon the last of Iuly he made and concluded a peace with Almaine Peace in Almaine to beginne his warres with France The King was much moued at that agreement yet he discharged the Hostages of Duke Maurice who likewise released his beeing the Earles of Nantueil and Iametz The Emperours enterprises for the recouery of Metz Thoul and Verdun After this appointment with the Almaines the Emperor vsed such means that the Princes and Townes of Almaine by litle and litle agreed to furnish him with men money and Artillery therewith to driue the King out of Metz Thoul and Verdum imperiall Townes to the which ende he gathered an Armie of 50000. foote and 20000. horse with a great number of Artillery and while he was preparing this armie Albert Marquesse of Brandenburge who in the Kings name had made most cruell warre vpon many Townes and Bishopprickes in Almaine being secretly reconciled vnto the Emperour hauing to the number of 2000. horse and 8000. foote with certaine artillery approched the Frontiers of Luxembourge and of Lorraine where
the end that in so great a presence they all might heare what aunswere hee would make Presently therevppon the companie was assembled in the great Hall of the Castle and in the kings owne presence where the Prince hauing recited the speeches by the king vsed vnto him and what therevpon had followed said that the person of the king excepted with those of the Princes his bretheren and the Queenes and with reuerence vnto them all those that had said and reported vnto the king that hee should bee the head and conductor of certaine seditous persons that were reported to haue conspired against the person of the king and his estate had fallely and wickedly lyed And that to prooue his innocency therin he would leaue his place dignitie of a Prince of the blood to fight with them and cause them with his sword or launce to confesse themselues to bee right villaines and that they themselues onely sought the ruine of the Estate name and blood royall for the conseruation whereof hee said hee would imploy both life and goods as hee had alwaies made good proofe as also for his interest to the Crowne and house of France the title whereof hee ought to procure with much more right then those that were his accusers summoning all the company that if among them there were any that had made the report or that once would seeme to maintaine it presently to shewe themselues wherevppon no man presenting himselfe he besought the king to esteeme him for an honest man and from thencefoorth not to bend his his eares vnto the secret tales of such flaunderous and bad persons but rather to reiect and bannish them from his presence as enemies both to him and publike peace which done he went out of the Councell to giue them leaue to consult But at a certaine signe made by the Cardinall the king brake vppe the assembly without asking their aduise where as then hee might haue made some alteration or disaduantage to those of Guise The Admirall sheweth himselfe a faithfull seruant to the king and the Realme The Queene-mother much troubled in these tempests yet according to the maner and custome of all the world seeking to holde on the strongest side sent the Admirall into Normandie to know the cause of their commissions desiring him most earnestly without dissembling to certifie her the truth thereof with promise not onely to acknowledge his trauels in that behalfe but to keepe it secret Hee executed his commission with all diligence and without feare of any man nor long after sent a Gentleman to the Queene with large and ample letters therein containing that those of Guise were the onely cause and true originall of all the troubles that happened in France because of their violent and vnlawfull government shewing the proofes thereof adding that the faithful subiects of the Crowne held for certaine that the calamities would neuer be ended as long as straungers gouerned the King and his Estate hee exhorted her therevppon to take the cause in hand and to giue ease and quietnesse to those of the religion causing the edicts that tended therevnto to be well and truly obserued Comfort to the prisoners for religion These aduertisements bred letters that were directed to al the Parliaments and other Iudges freely to release all such prisoners as were detained in their Prisons for the cause of religion the execution of which letters neuerthelesse were long performing an other thing likewise draue forward this wheele which was that cerraine prisoners at Blois and Tours for the enterprise of Amboise hauing found the meanes for to escape out of prison wrote a letter vnto the Cardinall partly in iest and partly full of threatnings that it should not be long before they would come to see him with all the rest that were not in his keeping and that had wholly determined to spoyle his person Hee beeing a man very fearefull for that time put water in his wine which caused the generall inlargement of diuers prisoners throughout all the Realme and it was spoken by diuers men that the Cardinal verified the ancient Prouerbe which is If you touch pitch you shall bee defiled therewith Letters in fauour of those of Guise Further those of Guise perceiuing themselues to bee assayled on all sides by diuers writings beeing as it were the forerunners of some new onset the last of March they caused certaine letters to bee dispatched to all the Parliaments Bailiffes and Stewards as also to straunge Princes wherein such as had beene present at the enterprise of Amboise namely the heads were accused of high treason both against God and man specially those of the religion and their Ministers were therin abused in diuers sorts to the which was added a number of great and large promises of reformation both in the Politicque and Ecclesiasticall Estate Answere to their letters To these letters a most ample and large answer was framed directed vnto the Parliament which painted out the house of Guise in all their colours requiring that they in open Parliament of all the Estates might yeeld account of their behauiour in the gouernment of the Estate The Parliament of Parris sent this answere by one of their Vshers vnto the Cardinal But that of Rouen seeking to doo more their deputies beeing sent vnto the king were constrained presently ro retire and could do nothing Letters vnto the king of Nauarre The ninth of Aprill letters were written and sent in the kings name vnto the K. of Nauarre to the same effect as those that were sent vnto the parliamēts being desired to cease vpō certaine persons that attended about his person accused to be of the enterprise of Amboise therin likewise was set downe the acculatiō imposed against the prince of Conde who for the same cause had iustified himselfe mean time a consultation was holden to cease vpon the person of the Prince of Conde which the Duke of Guise wholly seemed to dislike Hee on the other side sent his Secretarie vnto his brother to aduertise him what had past to aske his counsell and to write him answere thereof This beeing discouered to those of Guise they wrote a letter vnto the Prince full of excuses to the end hee should content himselfe which hee likewise sent vnto his brother that made him a plaine answere fearing to bee discouered Warres in Scotland mooued by those of Guise At that time those of Guise thought to trouble and ouerthrowe the Estate of Scotland which their sister the Queen Dowager and monsieur d'Oisel gouerned peaceably they hauing made the marriage betweene their Cousin and King Francis caused their Cousin to take vpon her the title of Queene of England and of Scotland onely vpon some vaine imaginations and not content therewith they sent certaine intelligencers into England there to mooue the people to fauour their Cousin and to bring the Q. of England in hatred with her subiects specially because of thereligion Their intent
Garde venturing against the faith and promise made to set vppon Paulon beeing within a straight thing Periury of Captaine Paulon to put both him and his troupes vnto the sword not beeing aboue 50. Souldiers was himselfe inclosed by Paulon that offered him battell but the Barron forgetting his fence although he had tenne times more men then his enemie and a good intent do do great seruice to those of Guise that had dispoyled him of estate of Generall of the Galleyes to giue it vnto the great Prior of France their brother bledde at the nose and by means of a new Capitulation renounced the Councell of Constance and retired with great shame after that for a long time holding himselfe secretly his name seruing for a mockery and ieast to all the world Mouuans flattered by his enemies to be intrapped answereth them in plain French Paulon perceiuing himselfe to bee but hardly bestead in his owne countrie because of the successe of the enterprise of Amboise and of the particular threatnings against him made by the Duke of Guise because of the troubles he had raised in Prouence for a time withdrewee himselfe vnto Geneua whither the Duke sent men expressely to practise with him by infinit promises both by word of mouth and writing in commendations of his vertues and admiring of his valour aboue al the Captains in Prouence to mooue him to return into his countrie But Paulons aunswere to the Duke of Guise was that as long as hee knewe him to bee an enemie both to the religion and the State and that he vsurped the places of the Princes of the blood hee might well assure himselfe to haue Mouuans his mortall enemie and although a poore Gentleman yet one that hath so good credit with the true seruants subiects to the king that they at least fistie thousand where of hee was the least would imploye both liues and goods to cause him to make amends for al the wrongs by him committed against the good subiects and seruants to the king and that hee might be fully assured that as long as one of them both liued hee should neuer bee quiet nor liue in any assurance of his life nor any of his race seeing hee had so much incensed and prouoked the Nobilitie and people of France Not long before his departure out of France hee said Mouuans receiued letters from the king himselfe and from the Queene-mother wherein they gratified him very much as one of the most faithfull and affectioned seruants to his Maiestie promising him great fauour and withall ratifying the accord made by the Counte Gouernour of Prouence But at the same instant Mouuans was aduertised that the Queene-mother had expressely sent vnto the Parliament in Aix that they should finde the means to cause him to cause Mouuans Chasteauneuf and other Captaines that were of the enterprise of Amboise to bee slaine Aduancement of the religion in diuers Prouinces At the same time those of the religion multiplyed in Normandie and Preaching was publikely vsed in diuers places Those of Rouan were troubled by an Anabaptist that was taken and burnt The Church of Tours was much troubled by the seditious dealings of the runnagate Monke named Richelieu Captaine of the Kings new guard but by silence and patience is kept togither the Towne hauing failed twise or thrise to be lacked and spoyled in all the other Prouinces of the Realme those of the religion perceiuing themselues to be wholly destitute of humain ayde tooke a notable resolution not to addresse themselues any more to seeke the helpe of man but what daunger so euer might happen determined to assemble to pray to God to heare his word and to continue in true obedience thereof liuing in great loue and concord one with the other and with much edification to the Catholicques who in great troupes lest the Masse to make profession both of contrary life and doctrine The Queene-mother perceiuing that those of the religion addressed themselues no more to her willed one of her Maisters of Requests called Chastelleus to vse the meane that la Roche one of the Ministers of Parris should come vnto her or some other in his place to conferre with him about somes meanes whereby to procure the quietnesse of those the religion La Roche not being found and they of Tours beeing desired in his place to send Duplessi their Minister they excused themselues beseeching the Queen to content her selfe with letters that should bee written vnto her which shee seemed not to dislike Wherevppon a large discourse was written vnder a deuised name of Theophile for those of the religion wherein after certaine protestations of their sinceritie the depths and grounds of their great griefes against the house of Guise was fully showne then diuers remedies wisely propounded whereby to preuent a ciuell warre which were that prouision should bee made for the good gouernment of the Realme and a Councel to be giuen vnto the king according to the auncient customes of the Realme that to staye and remedie the differences of religion a holy and free councel should be holden and that in the meane time those of the religion should be permitted to liue in peace of conscience and according to the profession of their faith Declarationâ— of the religion against the house of Guise This declaration beeing by Camus deliuered to the Queen-mother fell into the hands of those of Guise which construed it in many sorts to know who that Theophilâ— might bee The messenger was oftentimes in danger of his life and in the end he beeing troubled and tormented in diuers kindes and knowing that such as had giuen it vnto him would not bee knowne but kept themselues secret hee shewed their names in presence of the Queene-mother and those of the house of Guise who likewise charged him to bee of the conspiracie of Ambotse but in stead of beeing secret he tolde them much more truth then they desired to heare and yet hee got out of their hands by vertue of the generall abolution made in the beginning of the raigne of Charles the ninth The Guises proceedings too The Guises perceiuing themselues to bee so much noted and daylie hated in euery place of the Realme specially by those of the religion determined wholly to roote them out and to the same end wrote vnto the King of Spaine and other Catholicque Princes laying the fault vppon those of the religion touching all the troubles that happened in France as also the conspiracie of Amboise To the Princes protestants they wrote that the many and great executions made in France was onely vppon certaine Sacrementaries open enemies vnto the confession of Ausbourg Besides that their intent was to establish the Inquisition in France wherein they thought the Chancellor de l'Hospitall would bee assistant which he did not but like a wise Polititian as he was hee withstood their blowes in such manner that when in the moneth of May the edict of Spaine should haue
and to shew a good countenance vnto the Constable and his Nephewes The Admirall presented a petition to the King in the behalfe of the religion The 21. of August they were assembled wherein there was not one of the Princes of the blood and before they began to debate of any matter the Admirall presented a request vnto the King for those of the religion in France whose desire was that it would please his Maiestie to graunt them libertie of Churches and free exercises of their religion in all places The King hauing hanked the Admirall for his vigilancie fidelitie and sincere affection caused the petition to be openly read and then hauing declared from poynt to poynt the cause of that assembly desired the assistance euery man in particular freely and without feare or passion to giue him counsell as occasion and necessitie therein should require that done the Queen-mother and the Chauncellour spake and the Duke of Guise and the Cardinall offered but in generall to render vp an account of their administration which finished that daies meeting the assembly beeing remitted vntill the 23. of August wherevnto Monluc Moruilliers du Mortier and d'Auanson al foure of the priuie Councel opposed themselues But hee that spake most to effect and that deserued most praise to bee a faithfull Councellour was Charles de Marillac Archbishop of Vienne Oration and aduise of Marillac who by notable reasons liuely desciphered shewed that it was requisite to assemble a nactionall Councell thereby to remedie the differences in religion and the third Estate to direct the gouernment of the Realme But hee liued not long after this Oration made and many spake diuersly of his death The Admirals Oration censured by those of Guise The next day beeing the 23. of the moneth of August the Admiralles turne fell out to speake whose Oration tended to the ordering of religion and the Estate before mentioned by Marillac but with farre more eloquent phraise wherevnto hee added a most graue and wise censure against those that by inuironing the king with double guardes learned him to feare his subiects and his subiects to hate their Prince desiring the king most certainly to be perswaded that all his subiects reuerenced him and bare most earnest and hartie affection vnto him The Duke of Guise much greeued and offended at that which the Admirall had spoken specially touching the new guards made a large discourse vnto the contrary in such sort that he shewed himselfe in great perplexitie with all the wit hee had to defend his broken cause His brother the Cardinal walked with some more deliberation vppon those pricking thornes assaying to refute the humble protestations contained in the request presented by the Admirall in the name of all those of the religion who from that time foorth was most extreamly hated by those of Cuise who neuerthelesse at that time made shewe not to dislike in any sort that a generall assembly of the Estates should bee assigned and that as touching religion they propounded an other aduise which likewise was allowed as in the articles following you may reade A Parlia-assigned the 10. of December And according to the resolution vpon the last of August letters were dispatched vnto all Bailiffes and Stewards signifying vnto them that the Estates generall were assigned to meete vppon the tenth of December next ensuing within the Towne of Meaux to the end they should take order to cause Deputies to bee chosen against that time But in this Commission there ranne a clause which was that during such elections the Gouernours and Lieftenants of Prouinces should seuerally visit the Townes to inquire and vnderstand the peoples griefes and to bring them vnto the King that prouision and good order might bee taken for the good of euery Prouince A Sinode of the Clargie the 20. of Ianuary By the same letters he assigned the Bishops Prelates and other Ecclesiasticall persons to bee at Parris vppon the 20. of Ianuary next after ensuing to aduise and take counsell what shall be fit and conuenient to be shewed vnto the generall Councell exhorting them in the meane time to reforme that which belongeth to bee reformed and amended by the Church further commaunding them to be watchfull ouer their aduersaries termed wicked spirits composed of the remnants of the rebellion and tumult of Amboise Gathering of troupes of Souldiers Those of Guise hauing by this means assured themselues against the Princes the next day sent letters in the kings name vnto all Bailiffes and Stewards for the assembly of men at armes or lanciers to be readie by the 20. day of the month of September the distribution whereof was done in such manner that the companies were all mingled the suspected inuironed with others that might set vpon them both before behinde the commanders hauing charge to take put to the sword al such as they once esteemed or suspected to march to ayde the Princes On the other side because the declaration which those of the religion had directed vnto the Princes in many points concerned those or Guise At the deniall of Iohn du Tillet a certain yong Councellour named Des Autels of Charrolois presented himselfe that vnder the title of an Oration vnto the people of France made an answere vnto it and with priuiledge from the King caused it to be imprinted But this Orarout was so well schooled by a replye made therevnto that neuer after hee durst hold vppe his nose and was disauouched by the Cardinall that onely had set him on worke saying that both time and his actions would soone procure him reason at the hands of his enemies And those of Guise hauing ioyned the forces Letters from the king to the king of Nauarre the prince of Conde with their answeres returned out of Scotland with the olde troupes of Piedemont Metz and Picardie they caused them to approach near vnto them with 1200. launciers reserued besides the deuisions made within the Prouinces sent a message in the Kings name vnto the King of Nauarre whereby the Prince of Conde was charged to haue enterprised against the Estate of France and to haue sought to cease vpon the least Townes to haue them in his possession for which cause hee desired the King of Nauarre to send his brother vnto him vnder strong and safe conduction which if hee refused hee said hee should in person be constrained to go thither with such a traine that it would not be for his commoditie The King of Nauarre and his brother made a graue and bolde answere which was that if their accusers would make themselues knowne and seeme to defend the accusation against them and beeing bereaued of that authoritie which they vsurped they with a small company would present themselues before the King where in his presence they would euidently shew him that such accusers were the parties guiltie to whose most false reports they besought his Maiestie in any sort not to giue
and little they assembled themselues about the Prince who beeing at Orleans first beganne to write into all places which caused diuers Townes to bee ceased vppon for those of the religion the onely cause to breake diuers intents of their most cruell aduersaries Likewise on both sides they beganne to rayse Souldiers out of the Realme meane time Declarations and protestations of the Prince meane time the Prince published diuers declarations and protestations for the iustification of his defensiue armes referring his enemies from that time named the Triumuirat to the edict of Ianuary and to leaue off armes thereby to set the King at libertie and his Realme in peace The Triumuirat that is The Triumuirats answere the Duke of Guise the Constable and the Marshal de S. Andre made diuers answeres onely tending vnto the suppression of that edict The Emperour and the protestant Princes were by the Prince fully certified of the whole Estate of France who in an open assembly of the Estates shewed the letters of the Queene Regent expresly written vnto him after the ceasing vppon the King and Parris recommending vnto him the mother and her children besides that hee made an agreement at Orleans with the Lords and Gentlemen there assembled to vse their forces and meanes for the deliuery of the king and Queene and for the maintenance of the edicts and state of the Realme this agreement sent vnto the Court the same day beeing the ninth of Aprill A greement made at Orleans a letter was published and registred in the Parliament whereby they certified the King his bretheren and the Queene that as then they were at libertie also by an other the King declared his intent to bee that the edict of Ianuary should bee executed in all places but onely in Parris The Prince for his part solicited those of the religion to send him men and mony The 25. of Aprill the Counte de Rochefoucaut with great troupes went out of Poicton and Xaintonge and arriued in Orleans The next day the Prince receiued a large aunswere Many proceedings on both partes before they proceed to armes vnto a certaine declaration by him made and sent thither but hauing vnderstood that the day before in all the places of the Cittie of Parris both hee and his partakers had publikely beene declared and termed seditious and euill Christians hee made a second declaration wherein hee openly declared and described the horrible cruelties alreadie committed against those of the religion imploring the edicts yeeldeth a reason of his actions and by letters written the 27. to the Parliament of Parris desired that his enemies hauing first raysed armes should laye them downe and that for his part he would do the like thereby to cease the calamities of the Realme And to the end to shewe all forraine Princes his intent two Gentlemen were by him deputed to stay in Almaine to the end that if the Triumuirat should there enterprise to leuie men they should procure that the Prince might there bee ayded and not others which done order was taken for the securitie of Orleans and there they coyned mony in the kings name The Queene therevppon beganne to solicite a peace writing letters vnto the Prince who vppon the first of May made her aunswere withall sending her a memoriall signed with his hand Meanes vsed by the Queene containing the meanes of pacification as hee had declared vnto the Parliament The fourth day after the Triumuirat made a declaration to the contrary requiring the abolution of the edict of Ianuary and of all exercise of religion onely that of Rome and that such as bare armes without the expresse commission and commaundement of the King of Nauarre the kings Lieftenant generall should leaue them off vppon paine to bee declared rebelles and enemies to the king and his Realme desiring likewise the Queene-mother to obtaine that all the forces on both partes might bee vnited and ioyned togither vnder the commaundement of the king of Nauarre and that so doing they were readie to retire vnto their houses The declaration of the Triumuirat but the king made a new declaration wherein the edict of Ianuary was still continued After many speeches in the end they grewe to blowes whereof I will speake as time serueth and first beginne with the Prince and his troupes Iu the beginning of the warre the Queene seeketh to accord and thē with a summary deductiō of that which happened in the Prouinces The companies of Lanciers beeing for the most part arriued at Parris with some of the olde companies of foote the king of Nauarre and the Triumuirat marched towards Chasteau Dun. The Prince at that time beeing as strong as they determined to enter into the field which mooued the Queene to seeke the procuration of a peace while the Triumuirat might haue meanes to gather a greater force One of the principall dealers therein was the Bishoppe of Valence The practises of the Bishop of Valence and what followed who in some sort perswaded the Prince extreamely greeued to see himselfe constrained to enter into a ciuill warre to offer the Queene to goe out of the Realme with all his friends to procure a peace Within two daies after he went to speake with the Queene and shewed her his minde which hee had no sooner vttered but hee was presently taken at his word the Queene making him great promises saying that the next day shee would send vnto him to knowe the conditions by him to bee propounded Wherevpon at his returne the Prince hauing communicated his intent vnto his companie not only the ordinary Councell but all the Coronelles and Captaines were summoned to giue their aduise which was wholly and directly against that declaration and the opinion of Monluc and the Queene-mother Among the rest Missieurs d'Andeloc and Boucard maruellously incouraged all the companie by their bolde and braue resolutions and if they had beleeued Monsieur d'Andelit presently they had set vppon the Triumuirats troupes After the Truce an enterprise of no small importance was begunne but your guides hauing not well conducted the Princes troupes and withall much raigne falling a great aduantage was lost Good discipline for a time in the Princes Armie At that time military discipline among the Princes souldiers was much to bee commended for the Gentlemen neuer molested their Hostes and such as had meanes payd honestly for that they tooke The Pesantes stirred not out of their houses such as offended were punished One named the Barron de Dampmartin that had violated a maide by great fauour escaped death but after continuing his follies hee had his head striken off within Parris this exemption in the beginning of the warres was taken for an euill signe No blasphemie was heard in al the Princes campe Among thē you sawe neither cards nor Dice for women they were from thē no man strayed out of his troup to forrage much lesse to boote-halling morning and euening at rising and
presently deliuered him to the prouost Marshall who hauing brought him to Anger 's caused him by the Dukes commaundement to be broken vppon a Crosse and there left aliue vpon it liuing in that miserie vntill the next morning at foure of the Clocke without releefe or ease of any man by ending his paine still tempted by two Fryers to conuert from the truth of the religion but hee remained constant The two Traytours that betrayed him to his enemies were likewise hanged and an other that hadde opened the Gate whereby they entred into Rochefort was slaine of whome they thought to bee rewarded Tours and the country about it Eight daies before Easter in Anno 1562. the Duke de Montpensier beeing come to Tours with a small troupe in diuers sorts discouered his euill will against those of the religion who hauing had aduice from the Prince how their affaires proceeded seized vppon the Towne without any disorder onely inregard of the Images that by no meanes could be releeued what counsell or aduice soeuer the stayder sort could giue or procure At the same time the cruell sentence giuen in the Parliament of Parris was published in the gouernment of Touraine Maine and Aniou committed to the charge of the Duke de Montpensier and of Chauigni his Lieftenant Which sentence was expressely to commaund all men of what estate soeuer presently to rise in Armes with permission to sounde belles in euery place to spoyle and destroy all those of the religion that could or might bee founde without respect of qualitie sexe or age and to assaile their houses to kill spoyle and vtterly subuert them This sentence was published euery sunday in al the Parishes and in the termes vsed by the Triumuirat Which is to let the greatest Gray hound loose and presently therevppon all kinde of bad persons assembled both pesants and Artificers and leauing their ordinary labors beganne in great fury to march with the rest against those of the religion Part of them entring into Ligueul where they hanged certaine men put out the ministers eyes and then burnt him with a small fier Others entred into Cormery l'Islebouchart Loches and other places bordering vpon it where they committed an infinit number of villanies Among diuers other murthers fleaing a young man named Mathurin Chaiseau of the age of 17. or 18. years An other troupe of 6. or 700. men fel vpon the village of Aze foure miles from Chinon and burnt it massacring to the number of 25. or 30. persons in presēce of the stuard Agenois who in stead of opening his gates to aide the poore distressed people vnderstanding of their comming stood at his windowes to Iudge what blowes they had In the beginning of Iuly they of Tours being sommoned to yeelde the Towne and hauing no meanes to bee releeued by the Prince departed from thence with their armes making three companies of foote two cornets of horse wēt to march to Poictiers Ioyning with those of Chinon and Chastelleraut Wherby they were about the number of 1000. men or there abouts And being followed by 7. or 8. cōmpanies of Lanciers some Cornets of light horse belonging to the Count de Villards their leaders fainted Wherevpon they were charched by the horsemen and ouerthrowne some beeing slaine the rest robbed and spoyled of all they hadde were ledde prisoners to Chastelleraut from whence they escaped by diuers meanes and some got to Poictiers Their Minister called Ihon de la Tour that had bin at the conference in Poissy aged 75. years was drowned in the riuer of Clain the first that yeelded themselues in that ouerthrow were sent to Tours and about three hundreth of the nimblest of them thought by running to get Tours but at their arriuall the Towns-men beganne to ring a bell at the sound whereof diuers of them saued themselues the rest to the number of two hundreth were taken and committed to prison and the next day sixe or seuen score of them were murthered cast into the riuer of Loire Others beeing found about the Towne were likewise throwne into the water not sparing man woman nor childe After that came Chauigny with his band of Priestes Monkes Friers Cannons and their companions and then the murthers and pillages beganne to bee renued The President of Tours named Bourgeau an ancient man of great credit and authoritie who although he neuer had made profession of the religion yet hee was esteemed to bee one hauing presented Clerueaux Lieftenant to Chauigny with 300. Crownes and a Bason of siluer was ledde foorth of the Gates but beeing perceiued and discouered by such as watched for such things hee was murthered with swords and staues and then stripped into his shirt and hanged by the foote his head in the water vp to the breast and beeing still liuing they cut open his bellie and casting his guttes into the riuer sticking his heart vppon the poynt of a Lance bare it about the Towne saying it was the heart of the President of the Huguenots Not long after the Duke de Montpensier arriued in the Towne causing diuers Gibbets wheeles and flakes to bee set vp and then vnder pretence of iustice the murthers beganne again so that the number of those that were executed before then and since amounted to aboue three hundreth persons most part beeing rich men and many of good account Assoone as the Commons or the Iustice had put any man or woman to death they enrered into their houses and killing their children tooke all they found therein in such manner that Richelieu the Monke boasted to haue as much Veluet Satin and Taffata which hee had gotten in Tours as would reach a league in length his companions likewise had their parts in such maner that such as sixe weeks before were not woorth a groate presently after offered to buy lands and to paye thirtie or fortie thousand Frankes readie mony Let vs now see what past during these first troubles in high and base Normandie and first beginne with Roane Rome the principall Towne in that Prouince The fifteenth of Aprill 1562. those of the religion foreseeing some danger ceased vpon the Towne and fiue daies after yeelded reason of their action vnto the Duke de Bouillon Gouernor thereof Their declaration beeing sent to the Court letters pattents were presently giuen vnto the Duke d'Aumale brother to the Duke de Guise to bee the kings Lieftenant in Normandie The third of May the Artificers with their wiues and children entered into the Churches and in lesse then foure and twentie houres had broken downe and defaced all the Images Altars and other superstitious Reliques in more then 50. Churches as wel of Parishes as of Abbayes and Couents not once taking any thing for themselues in such sort that from that time vntill the taking of the Towne the occupation of Priests and Friers wholly discontinued Seuen daies after the Cittizens mustered themselues and the Court of Parliament withdrew it selfe yet without any cause Meane time
of Mouy who slew some tooke some prisoners and sent away the rest faster then they came as in deede they were mounted to the aduantage vpō Spanish horses fit for such retraits Immediately after this incounter While the Duke tooke his ease the Princes seized vppon sundry places the D. licensed his armie to refresh themselues vntill the beginning of Octob. putting his footemen in Garrison in such places as bordered nearest vpon Guyenne The Princes in the meane time kept the field tooke Tiuiers S. Sulpice Brantonne Chasteau l'Euesque la Chapelle Confolant Chabanez and S. Genais some by force others by composition The Countie du Lude Gouernour in Poictou had promised the Duke to do wonders and while the Princes armie lay in Limosin followed by fiue thousand foot and some cornets of horse he besieged Nyort a town of consequence wherein Puuiaut valiantly entred with certaine horse and foote in despight of the assailants that were repulsed in three assaults and certaine scaladoes and after in the beginning of Iuly constrained to raise their siege hauing lost aboue fiue hundreth men before the towne not accounting foure Cornets of horse belonging to the Countie which la Noue not long before had ouerthrowne at Fontenay halfe a league from Nyort Terigny beeing sent to ayde the besieged was the cause that the Countie hasted his retrait lodging the rest of his armie at Saint Maixant Lusignon and Mirebean meane time the Princes approached Poictou and the 12. of Iuly tooke Chastelleraud by composition and three daies after battered the strong Castle of Lusignon that vpon the 21. of the same moneth was yeelded vnto them by composition establishing the Barron de Mirebeau for Gouernour therin with two Ensignes of footmen great store of cannons and sufficient amunition to resist a puissant armie Two daies after they marched towards Poictiers tooke Couhe where the Garrison of Catholicques chose rather to burne themselues in dispaire with in the Castle then to yeeld thēselues to Verac Lord of the place that held them besiesieged Sanssay Viuonne and other little places neare thereabouts therby to inclose those of Poictiers and to impeach them of victuals Before we depart from the siege of Poictiers Diuers exployts of war let vs adde some notable accidents that happened in diuers places In the month of Iuly Castillon sur Loing Chasteau-Regnard places belōging to the Admirall were surprised and the Admirals mooueables carried to Parris where part were solde in the open outcrie the best stoien and conueyed away by those that finde nothing either too heauie or too hotte Certaine horsemen to the number of fortie departing from the Princes campe after the taking of Strossy lodged themselues within Regeane a Castle belonging to the Bishop of Auxerre but they were presently besieged battered and slain within it onely captain Blosset and some other that escaped Amōg those on whom they exerciled most horrible vengeance was one of Auxerre surnamed Coeur de Roy who beeing taken prisoner was ledde to Auxerre and there presently stripped slaine and hewed in peeces The murtherers pulled the hart out of his bodie and cutting it in peeces was layde on the coales and eaten by certaine of his desperate enemies that during his life had threatned him with that canniball entertainment Horrible crueltie behold how zeale transporteth these Romish Catholicques The Lord of Terride Gouernor of Quercy was sent into Bearne Foix and the lād of Nauarrois there to bring al into the kings obedience in case the Q. of Nauarre and her sonne the Prince The Countie of Montgommeries exployts in Bearne against Terride would not forsake the religious side Terride accompanied with Negropelisse S. Colombe and diuers others had easily seized vpon all and had laid siege to Nauarron in the only place that held for the Q. The Princes hauing notice thereof dispatched away the Countie of Montgommery to withstand him who with 200. horse went and receiued the forces of the vicounties in Gascon so that in the month of Iuly with a smal armie of foure thousand shot and fiue hundreth horse with great diligence and vnwoonted speed which was the safetie of his voyage as deceiuing the Garrisons of the enemie namely the troupes of the Marchal d'Anuil◠Monluc Gohaz and others that with 1000. horse and 4000. shot marched but a daies iourney from the campe he came safe with one daies iourney of Nauarrin forced Terride who had lyen incamped from the beginning of Iune to raise the siege saue himself in Orthez by reason his troupes for their more commodious victualling lay disbanded The Countie followed Terride and to abridge him of all means to reassemble or muster his men besieged assaulted and forced the town with great slaughter then did he as suddainly plant the cannon found in the Towne against the Castle Terrides refuge who terrified with such terrible charges yeelded with the safetie of his life togither with six knights of the Order and many Captaines who all enioyed the benefit of the compositiō except 5 Colombe the Barron of Pordiac Gohas Fauas and some others that were executed because they were found to be the Qu. subiects consequently guiltie of treason for seizing vpon her places causing the most part of her subiects to reuolt seeking to deliuer the land into the dominion of a new Prince This mishap of Ter. being bruted abroad so terrified other the towns strong holds that the vsurpers making their packs in time Na. Foix Bearn were suddainly subdued to their princesse al fauing the town of Peu the principall wherin cōmanded one named Pere who had promised Monluc to defend it had executed some officers slaine the ministers yet vpon the sūmons of a trumpet sent by Montgom he departed with speed leauing the town to the right owner In the mean time Monluc practised some trecherie with Captain Bassillon who had born out the siege of Nauarrin against Terride This practise discouerd Bassillon was slaine Monluc cōming to seize vpō Nauarin was forced to retire whervpon ioyning with la Vallete he forced the town of Mont-Marsan where he discharged his rage vpon the besieged who were in maner all put to the sword Montgommery furnishing the places of his conquest came to Nerac and for a fewe daies warred vppon the next Garrisons and there with all speed returned to the Princes armie with some plentie of quoine gathered in his conquests and fiue hundreth horse that followed him The Duke d'Aniou considering how much the passage imported which the Princes had gotten vpon the riuer of Loire at la Charitee not much fortified since the taking resolued to take that place from them The siege of la Charitee by Lansac and the issue which was well aduised for that winning it hee should bereaue them of all meanes to molest the Prouinces on this side the riuer of Loire and reserue vnto himselfe the sinues of the warres with infinite commodities for the refreshing
after and ther reloiued to besiege Saint Iohn d'Angely In the mean time Puuiaut forsook Fontenay as not able to stand against such an armie and so came to Rochel where hee craued and obtained succours to defend Marans the keye of that countrie The Protestants troupes retire to la Charite The Princes Garrisons of Chastelleraud Chauuigny Roche-pose castle d' Angle Prully Cleruant and other small places departed to passe through Berry and so with Briguemaut to draw to Sancerre Charite They tooke breath at Bourg Dieu lately surprised to their vse by Captaine Gournay from young Monluc for by the way the Commons of Berry and Chastre the Gouernor of the Countrie had greatly molested them but Guerchy Gouernor of Charite came to free them and maugre all the indeuors of Chastre and the resistance or a fewe Priests of Chasteauneaf a town standing vpon the riuer of Cher who foolishly and with the losse of their liues had changed their portuises into swords and their copes into corslets brought them into couert Asconcerning those of Dauphine and Languedoc Viuarets and Auuergne some of them to the number of sixe or seuen hundreth horse with the princes leaue tooke their way homeward purposing by leisure to prouide for some places in Viuaretz and Auuergne where after many difficulties they did arriue loosing by the way some hundreth men besides such as were stripped for no sooner could any man scatter ortarrie behind but he was presently taken vp by the Pesants who studied onely how to robbe and spoyle The chiefe of these troupes that retired thus were Monbrun Mirabel and Verbelay who afterward commaunded in Orillac in Auuergne from whence Saint Heran the Gouernour did his vtter indeuor to debarre the Princes entrie for indeed there was aspeech that they purposed to come and winter in the plaine countrie called la Limagne but they went an other way for hauing prouided for Rochel Saint Iohn d'Angely and some other places they passed ouer Dordogne drew towards Quercy and below Cadenat passed ouer the riuer of Lot from whence they followed that course which heereafter we will set downe Among other Townes that serued the Princes in these warres we must not for get Rochel a port of the sea well knowne to all men Rochel a great refuge for the Princes for that among other commodities which it did for those of the religion it rigged and prepared great numbers of shippes that tooke many rich prizes whereby great profit ensued for the common cause Although at that time they tooke but the tenth part for the Admiraltie yet the profit amounted vnto aboue three hundreth thousand frankes diuers courses were made by many Captains among the which Sore bare a great name wherewith the Spaniards were not well content Nismes in Languedoc serued likewise greatly for the Prince after they had taken it from one named Saint Andre As also Nismos in Languedoc gotten by a notable denice by meanes of their participants in those quarters that got it by a notable deuice entering by a grate of Iron filed diuers nights with a soft file by a souldier liuing at hazard This grate stood at the foote of the Town wall shutting in a sinke throgh the which there ranne in a fountaine out of a little spring for the commoditie of the Inhabitants The enterprises whereof one named Captaine Saint Cosme was the leader beeing entred by this conduct were presently discouered by the Sintinell that stood vpon it In such sort that the fluee of a mill not farre from thence was presently left open vpon them and some peeces out of the Castle shot against them Neuerthelesse they shunned it being entered and dispearsed in troupes Saint Cosme went to the grate called Carmes where hee put a court of guard to the swoord consisting onely of Priests and going to the Crowne gate hee met a Corporall whom hee constrained to giue him the word forced an other court of guard and slew them all The gate beeing opened certaine souldiers that stayed withour entered with their boyes and running with three trumpets through the streetes of the Towne made a great noyse Chaissi Mingelle and other Captaines companions of Saint Cosme went round about the Towne Saint Andre and his Liefetenant not hauing the meanes to get into the Castle and beeing hardly pursued for they went to bee reuenged vpon them because of their wicked liues and as then also they had those of the religion that had fledde from Nismes against them to whom they had done a thousand mischieses threw themselues off from the wall into the ditches where the one brake his necke the other his thigh and the next day being taken was slaine Captaine Astoul that commanded in the Castle held out almost three months against the Towne but hauing lost part of his souldiers by a mine others dead of sicknesse and the rest poore and miserable hee agreed to yeelde liues and goods saued and so this towne restored to the commandement of the Princes did after serue them to great end in many of their affaires The fiege of Vizelay by Sansac with the successe thereof After the battell of Moncontour the Duke of Aniou commaunded Sanssacto take from those of the religionall that they held beyond Loire According to this commission Sanssac with two and twentie Ensignes of foote and eight cornets of horse foure cannons and two coluerins entered into Donzi which beeing very weake had beene abandoned tooke Noyers vpon composition that the besieged should enioy both liues and goods which notwithstanding the most part of the souliers were transported to Troy in Champagne and threescore of them slaine by the people in the streets Irom thence Sanssac mached toward Vezelay a towne standing vpon the top of a high hil hauing but one way to come at it whereby the Inhabitants came in and out All other waies are so steepe that without many breathings it is vnpossible to climbe to the foote of the walles which are reasonable thicke and strong Therein were inclosed these Captaines Blosset Sarasin Besansen and Ribourpierre with three companies of footemen and two Cornets of horse Most of these souldiers were such as had come thither as to a place of resuge The 8. of Octob. Sanssac caused three companies to make the first approach but the besieged came foorth very resolutely defeated two companies slew their Captaines and about fortie souldiers the third saued themselues in a valley among Then did Sansac with greater forces make his approaches and within two daies after beganne the batterie which continued eight and fortie houres then gaue the assault at two breaches and an escalado neare the Franciscan Fryers But hee had as sharpe a repulse with losse of three hundreth men and aboue as also the defendants lost some thirtie men with their Captain named Sarazin Then did Sansac remooue his batterie into diuers places and gaue an assault which the besieged did valiantly defend and slew euen without
exception of persons and the failers and delayers therein shall bee punished by authoritie of the General and as hee shall appoynt wherevnto his said associates shal submit themselues Practising with townes All Catholicques of Townes and Villages shall bee aduertised and secretly summoned by the particular Gouernours to enter into the said association and dutie to furnish men and munition for the execution thereof according to the power and facultie of euerie man That such as will not enter into the said association shal be reputed as enemie thereof be pursued by all means sorts of troubles molestations Contribution of men and mony and it shal be forbidden vnto the said associates to enter into debates quarrels one with the other without permission of the Generall at whose arbitrement the contradistors shall bee punished as wel touching reparation of honour as for all other causes If for fortification or greater assurance of the said associates there is any appoyntment made with the Prouinces of this Realm it shal be made in forme aforesaid vpō the same conditions whether the said associations be sought for by the said Townes or Prouinces or that it bee offered vnto them if it bee not otherwise ordained by the Generall I sweare by God the Father touching this Ghospel and vppon paine of cursing and eternall damnation that I haue entered into this holy and Catholicque association The forme of the leaguers oath according to the forme and manner of the extract that hath been presently read vnto mee faithfully and sincerely whether it bee therein to commaund or to serue and obey and promise both vppon mine honor and life to continue therein as long as one drop of blood last within my body without resisting or withdrawing my selfe from the same vnder pretence of any commaundement excuse cause or occasion whatsoeuer The instructions of the Aduocate Dauid About that time the Aduocate Dauid was taken with certaine aduertisements and notes about him concerning the meanes whereby to authorise this league and to breake the ordinary course of the succession of France by impossible meanes which ought neither to be known nor be beleeued and wherewith I meane not to dishonour this discourse Packets of the league of Peronne cast about the streetes Nature of the people Meane time Postes were sent into all places to spread the newes and first aduise of those pretences masked with faire and shining vizardes of holinesse thereby to bleare the eyes of the people and libels were cast about the streets diuers men of good account trauelling about the countrie to serue for bellows to this new forge made to kindle a great warre And the people that ranne from one extremitie to another which loue changes a troupe that followeth such as lead it a sea that neuer riseth without winde and a Monster with many heads suffered themselues to be borne away with the first waues of this tempest The Parliament at Blois 1576 Meane time the king minding to put cold water into the boyling pot and to cut off the meane to this new motion caused the Parliament to be holden which by the last peace he had promised thinking and certainly perswading himself that not any one in his Realme but loued rather to entertain a sworne and solemne peace then to seeke the continuance of warres the ouerthrowe of Townes and the desolation of the people or that the Rutter should once againe return to sucke the blood gnawe the bones and eate the marrowe of their childrē At the first assembly of the Parliament An Oration of Henry the third at the Parliament in Blois and after he had saluted welcommed all the Estates with a most heroyicall and Princely grace he made an Oration vnto them concerning the miseries and afflictions of his Realme and the hope he had that so great an assembly beeing the very quintessence of the finest wits in al France wold prouide some remedie therin shewing that the minoritie of himselfe his brother at the beginning of those ciuill wars was reason sufficient why they should not be esteemed or once thought to bee the causes therof commending the wisdome of his mother touching the gouernment of the Realme protesting that for his own part he had no other care desire nor intent then only to procure the rest welfare of his subiects whose miseries he wold be alwaies readie to relieu with the price of his dearest blood The Crowne of France layde to pawne for 100. millions of gold charging al the assembly to ayde assist him therein to deuise the means to release his Crowne at that time pawned for aboue the sum of 100. millions of golde to vnite themselues togither thereby to puck vp the seeds of partialities to reforme abuses and to restore iustice to herintegritie and to reduce it into the pristinate holinesse splendure That don Pierre d'Epinac Archbishop of Lyons rose vp and before them al declared his reasons touching the Clargie The Lord of Senscey with a militarie franke true French tongue spake for the Nobilitie and Versoris for the common The two first by a multitude of reasons and wonderfull speeches concluded that it was most fit and conuenient that there should bee but one religion in the Realme The third shewed that the people wholly desired the revnion thereof so it might bee done by peaceable and quiet meanes without warres But the Cleargie and Nobilitie after many difficulties caused the Parliament to breake vp so that vnder the ashes of the last warres which as yet were hotte there might be found the sparkes of a great fire For after many messages although in vaine sent by the king to the Protestant Princes Protestation of the Prince of Conde in Ann. 1577. vnder which was placed Deo victricibus armis the warre beganne againe For the Prince of Conde rose vppe in armes and swore not to leaue them vntill he had brought the realme into her pristinate splendure and dignitie restored libertie to the Estates eased the poore people of insupportable tributes inuēted by the Italians deliuered the Frenchmen from the seruitude tyrannicall infamie whervnto they were subiected not onely by their owne carelessenesse and disvnion but by artificiall practises of such as would rayse the foundations of their greatnesse with the blood of the true Princes of France and of the Nobilitie to the great disaduantage and ouerthrow of the auncient lawes and customes of the realme Wherevppon the king hauing enterprised those warres the rather because his Estates shewed him the reasons VVarre beganne about Easter 1577 necessities and commodities although of his owne nature he rather desired not to haue broken the peace but onely to abridge it of certaine particular articles by the Huguenots esteemed most aduantage for them caused two great armies to be leuied wherof Monsieur was Generall of the one that marched towards la Charite and Issoire and the Duke Demain commaunding
God The Pagan sweareth very sildome the Sarazin knoweth not what it meaneth the Turke abstaineth from it and the Huguenot detesteth it but our Catholicques are Maisters of the Art and make account to ride vppō diuinitie The second branch of our mischiefs is iniustice The first foundation of an estate and authoritie of a Realm yea that which giueth it forme and being is iustice Vertue which maketh kings and without it they would change their royalties Iniustice is the roote of miseries in France into tyrannies It is the feare of the wicked and the encouragement of the good because it is the principall office of aking when the Hebrieux desired Samuel to giue them a king among other points of their request they added these words to Iudgevs and to doo iustice as among other people All the world complayneth of the peruerting thereof estates are no more giuen by Geometrical proportion France maketh lawes of waxe to be tempered with mens hands and subiect to melt at the warme fauors of great persons There are lawes ynough to gouernall Europe yea and all the pluralitie of epicures but they haue their vertue onely in paper and some seeth them both published and violated Now there is no conscience made to sell that which is bought of the king and most commonly iustice is diuided to such as haue no mony but this iniustice is much more to bee deplored for the heauie and insupportable burthens it layeth vpon the poore people and maketh them not onely a medowe which is cut thrice a yeare but a bodie that is fleane or rather an anaotomie Theking which hath tenne millions of golde for his reuenue liueth by impositions and new dances wherewith hee deuoureth his people he bloweth their noses so often that hee maketh them bleed pulleth vp both hearb and roote cuttes the feathers so neare that they can growe no more putteth his subiects out of breath and constraineth them to hate and detest the Authors of these miseries Iniustice is yet more seene in the disorder and crueltie of souldiers that are without discipline rule feare of God respect of the good compassion to the miserable and that afflict torment the friend as much as the enemie persecute both masse and religion kill Priests assoone as Ministers robbe Churches burne Temples spoyle Merchants torment olde men violate virgins cause women with childe to bring foorth vntimely fruite ransome Pesants by cruelties which in times past were neuer known but of Scithians Lestrigons and Turkes but none vnwoorthily practised among vs to the great dishonour of the courtesie and fauour that hath so much beautified our nation But the desolation which entereth into al the members of France maketh it another Babylon a puddle of filthinesse and a sinke of all sorts of corruptions whereof the wounds are so old that they are in a manner become naturall desperate and incurable The Court of our kings which in times past were wont to bee the seed of the vertues of French Nobilitie did neuer abound in more disorders lusts excesse then vnder the raigne of Henry the third specially in the yeares 1586. and 1587. So that it may bee sayd of some Townes as it is reported by straungers that all things are printed therein only not to be vertuous The kings Court is like a Theator which the people stād to behold it is a fire which transformeth such as approach it into her nature the most modest come foorth insolent the most chaste Lucresse becommeth Faustina From the disorder of great persons proceedeth the misbehauiour of the meaner sort and there hath bin carters that haue beene so superfluous in their vanities that there wanted nothing in their houses but a chappel of musicke and to serue them by quarters to counterfeit little kings I must confesse the truth not make you beleeue that a mā with a crooke shoulder is of goodly proportion The K. gaue a great furtherance to these desolations his exāple was a directiō to all his subiects as the influctiō of the head runneth into al the mēbers Men do not only imitate but approoue the actiōs of great mē and according to their humours voluptuousnesse disorder superstition molestation and crueltie enter into credite The people suffer their mindes to bee cut and cautherised at Princes pleasures as the greater the authoritie is the more affectionate is their immutation euery man taketh that colour men perfume themselues with those drugues and the example of the Prince is so contagious to the subiects that they receiue it entereth sooner into their eyes then their eares Alexander cast his head a side and all the Court held their neckes awry Denis was purblind and his Courtiers stumbled at euery steppe and iusteled each other as if they had beene euill sighted Plutarke telleth that Courtiers put away their wiues following the kings example that loued not his wife Lewis the eleuenth would haue Charles his sonne to learne but one word of Latine and all the Court despised learning King Francis established learning and all the Nobilitie caused their children to bee instructed Henry she third loued ryots and pleasures and al the Court abounded in desolation He considered not that the vices which ranged in his Realme are the same that caused the whole world to bee drowned ouerthrew fiue Townes caused the tribe of Beniamin to bee slaine destroyed Sparta Carthage and Athens spoyled Troye and procured the Cicilian euening prayer He considered not that this voluptuousnes which maketh him swallow poyson in his milke and Ippocras maketh him fitter to bee a woman then a man that to maintaine it all France is rent in peeces The treasures that Caligula found after the death of Tibera being 1800. horse load nor the nineteene millions of Crownes that the Vitellius spent in one yeare in making of banquets will not suffice that from thence spring the new impositions wherereof the monies proceeding are died and tempered in the blood and teares of the poore people that aske vengeance of God and that in the end deal to ease their oppressions and ouerthrow the oppressors Prodigious sights seene in the raigne of Henry the third If the complaints of the people cannot pearse the eares of the king yet let him looke vnto the effects of Gods iudgement as strange signes monsters comers and earthquakes which are the messengers thereof let him consider that these leagues and partiallities are the windes that rise before a tempest and the shipwracke of this estate And that with a little push this edifice which hath been built so many hundreth yeares will in a moment be ouerthrowne But not to prolong our Historie with many tedious words let vs return to the armie of Protestants which were left in Lorraine And there we shal see great wants which soone produce many infalliable faults without remedie and reparations that are presently made to the ruine and confusion of such as commit them It was destitute of a Generall capable of so dangerous
diuers braue and expert Admiralles issued out of France as Enguerrand de Coucy and Hugues Quieret Lewis of Spaine vnder Philip le Bel Aâ—ory Vicount de Narbonne and Iohn de Vienne vnder King Iohn Charles the sixt in whose time the Admiral of France furnished the great armie of twelue hundreth sayle of shippes against the Englishmen Cliret of Brabant Lewis de Coulant vnder Charles the seuenth and Lewis Bastard of Bourbon Iohn of Vienne Admirall and since Constable 1586. Anne de Ioyeuse Admirall 1582. The Duke d'Espernon made Admirall of FraÌ„ce by Parliament the 11. of Ianuarie 1588. The Duke d'Espernon Gouernor of Normandie entred Roanâ— the fourth of May. Earle of Rossillon vnder Lewis the eleuenth and vnder king Frances the Lord of Brion d'Anebaut and la Trimouille for whom the Admiralles of Brittaine and Guyenne were ioyned and made one Gaspart de Coligny was Admirall vnder the same king and confirmed by Henry the second and his children Honorat de Sauoye Marquesse de Villars succeeded him and caused it to bee giuen to Charles de Lorraine Duke of Mayenne that resigned it to Anne de Ioyeuse and after his death the king gaue it to the Duke d'Espernon And to establish him therein presented him in the Court of Parliament and putting off his sword bare-headed and kneeling on his knee hee tooke his oath before the chiefe President where the eloquence of Monsicur d'Espesses the kings Atturney much commended and set foorth the prayses of the Duke Hee succeeded likewise in the gouernment of Normandie and made his entrie into Roane nine daies before the Barricadoes at Parrs Not long before that hee had sent the Regiment of Picardie to lye about Bullen and caused certaine small English boates to descend before the Towne so to impeach the enterprise of the Duke d'Aumale and to preuent that which the said Duke intended against the Towne When the Duke of Guise vnderstood of those troubles in Picardie hee thought the time as then to bee fitte for him to constraine the king eyther to bow or breake to confirme the articles drawne deuised at Nancy and Dyon and to helpe the weakenesse of the Parrissians that without him would haue lost courage And for the same cause hee arriued at Soissons where his Maiestie by Monsieur de Bellieure gaue him to vnderstand that he should do him apleasure if he wold abstaine froÌ„ coÌ„ming to Parris in so troublesome a time wherin so many factioÌ„s raigned that if he came thither against his wil he wold lay the cause The arriuall of the Duke of Guise at Soissons The king prayeth him not to come to Parris vntill the distrusts were laid of the troubles that might arise by his presence vpon him Monsieur de Bellieure who by reason of greatnesse and soundnesse of his iudgement concerning matters of estate and the execution of wise and notable charges to him committed held one of the chiefe places of Councellor about the king vsed many and great reasons to restraine the impetuositie of that prince and to conclude departed from him assuring himselfe that hee had fully disswaded him But his heart attainted with a burning Feuer could finde neither appetite nor pleasure but in that which liked his stomacke beleeued that nothing could hinder him that the heaueÌ„s oght to giue him place that striking with his foote vpon the ground he would make a 100. legions of men to rise that without fear of Iupiters thunderbolts he could rule the chariot of the sun The Parissians had sent for him Left no meanes between the two extremities of his firme resolution but whatsoeuer fell out hee would see the Louure or die in the way And therevppon mounted on horsebacke with eight Gentlemen about nine of the clocke at night leauing his brother the Cardinall of Guise and the Prince de Iuinuille his sonne at Soissons desiring the Archbishop of Lyons to follow him in the morning And so within three houres after the arriuall of Monsieur de Bellieure and about Monday at noone beeing the 9. of May he entered into Parris Sunday the 8. of May 1588. and lighted at the Queen-mothers lodging the Filles Repenties where in great feare half trembling she receiued him led him to the Louure If the streets of Parris had bin as broad as the way of AppieÌ„ they wold hardly haue contained halfe the quantitie of the people that followed this Prince euery man thought himself happy that might put off his hat and kneel on his knee for to salute him The Duke of Guise arriued the Kings not knowing onit all being full of ioyfull cries clapping of hands pleasures and wishes to welcome him He for his part holding his hat in hand answering by his countenaÌ„ce to those populer reioycings marked the most prompt affections to his desire they striuing among themselues who should begin to crie Viue Guise Viue le Pillier del'Eglise Which being heard into the street called S. Honnore where a Gentlewoman sat in a shop she pulled down her maske and spake aloude vnto him vtterring these words Good Prince now you are here we are al safe That done he entered into the kings chamber where he did his dutie to the king but with lesse assurance then ordinary knowing the King would not like well of his comming and in trueth he shewed him no great countenance answering him vnto the reasons hee made touching his iourney to Parris that by M. de Bellieure he had desired him not to come But dinner time approaching they left off the D. of Guise departed to his lodging After dinner he went to visit the Q. in her garden where the king finding him as well as he could dissembled the exterier apparance of yâ— suspition he had conceiued in his heart the D. of Guise iustified his actions with a braue and bolde courage He went to visit the Queen-mother by so much the more as he perceiued thesecret fear of the Kings trembling mind his seruant followers one after the other still entered into Parris for the Archbishop of Lyons being the principal Agent of his Councell arriued vppon Tuesday about dinner time and came not out of the house of Guise vntill the next day that he went to see the Queen-mother being at Masse from thence went with her to her garden where the K. found them he stepped forward to kisse the Kings hand who receiued him with pleasant and chearefull countenance hauing alwayes discouered a certaine inclination that hee had to loue him as knowing him to bee one of the woorthiest Prelates of his order of a prompt and readie witte and wonderfull eloquent and withall remembring that at all times when the stormes of words and reasons were vsed in any matter of estate hee surprised all his Councell Wherevppon hee willingly desired hee had been as much affected to his seruice as to the league wherein hee had entered as al-also in an assured
assooâ—â— as he came he ought to haue spoken vnto him like a king Francis the second his brother Francis the second cast the Prince of Conde into prison beeing younger then hee vsed the like speech to the Princes of his blood if he had commanded him to depart without doubt he had gone because as theÌ„ he would not haue begunne his tragedie and thereby haue borne the report of so manifest disobedience And in truth assoone as the king spake vnto him and said Cousin wherefore do you come his aunswere was giuen in faintnesse and trembling his visage pale and the Maiestie that God imprinteth in his Samoris his Lieftenants and his liuely Images ceased and changed as if from that time he had feared that the king would dislike the breach that hee had made of his commaundement and say And it liketh your grace I am heere present to aunswere to the slaunders that are raised against mee thereby to bring me in hatred to your Maiestie But said the king I sent you expresse word not to come hither in this time so full of troubles and distrusts and that you should stay for a time My Lord said the Duke I was not so aduertised The Indians call their kings Samories that is to say god on earth Speeches betweene the King and the Duke of Guise at Louure that thereby I did in any sort beleeue that my comming hither would bee offensiue to your Grace Wherevpon the king turning to Monsieur de Bellieure asked him and said Did not I commaund you to tell him that he should not come hither at this time But as Monsieur de Bellieure began to certifie the king of his message the Duke of Guise entered between them wherewith the Queene-mother drewe the king aside and so mittigated that first quarrell They ought not to haue mooued this contention and leaue dispight and disdaine in Monsieur de Guises minde nor leaue the knife in the vaine which hee had opened hee ought to haue giuen feare and punishment both at one time or to haue done neither the one nor the other but it is a most strange thing that men do alwaies faile in doing their authorities and in the principall poynt which is the cause thereof It was vainly done of the king to cause himselfe to be esteemed a good penitent a good Hermit a good versefier a good discourser and a good Orator if hee remembred not himselfe to bee as hee was and to bee knowne for king and speake like a king I say like a king for this word of King containeth all whatsoeuer belongeth to his charge Senec. Epist 77. Id in quoque optimum est cui cascitur cui con setur Maximoimperio maxima cura in est Sallu Hee ought to haue spoken to the Duke of Guise like a king and haue made him depart out of Parris with his adherents and hee ought to haue stayed therein like a king for if his actions bee not performed like a king they are of no account Euery thing saith Seneca is commended for that which is proper vnto it and for the principall part that giueth it the forme being A Vine is praised for the fertilitie the wine for the liquor the Hart for his swiftnesse In a dogge wee commend a good nose to smell finde out and follow the beast his lighnesse for running both to approach and assayle and his heart and courage And to conclude the speciall vtilitie proper vse of euery thing belongeth to it selfe The Kings of the Sabans publikely durst not come abroad because of an oracle that forbad them The shippe is called good not because shee is painted with diuers faire and costly colours his stearne all gilt her boords inlaide with Iuorie or that it is laden with treasures and Princely riches but because the seames of the plankes are well closed and calked that it leaketh not that it is strong and firme against the force of the waues easie to stirre and swift of sayle Likewise you will not saye that a sword is good because the hilts and handle are gilt and the sheath of veluet set with precious stones but you say it is good if it hath a good edge and the poynt sharpe to enter well So the king should not make himselfe knowne by the Crowne and Scepter which hee beareth but by the actions that depend vppon his royaltie and that make him to bee esteemed for a king alwaies remembring that great offices require great wisdome Among the carters and waggoners hee is esteemed most vnfit for the charge that knoweth not how to behaue himselfe therein If your grace will take away the pendants that trouble your eares you are a king and not king of Denmarke or of Arragon to be both Maister and seruant all at one time nor king of Saba not daring to be seene publickely but king of France and of Frenchmen a people gentle tractable and obedient that did not disobey nor retire from you but when they knew you wold not bee King and that there was one of your subiects that prescribed you a lawe in this case the sun rising is alwaies fairer then descending And as a wise polititian once said vnto you when a king maketh it knowne that he feareth some one man within his Realme that there is one that may be greater then hee there is no more Maiestie hee is no more that hee was but all the world runneth to the other The nature of Henry the third If wee cannot bee free yet will wee haue but one Maister if that Maister haue an other Maister aboue him wee presently leaue the first to runne to the last it is the nature of man There is this fault in you that if you finde no resistance if you bee in peace you commaund absolutely and you speake like a king but if you finde neuer so small difficultie you alwaies preferre a gentle and fearefull before a bolde and seuere remedie God graunt that in the end you seeke earnestly and effectually to be that which you are that is Maister and the greatest Lord in your Realme which cannot bee if you bee not king Beholde the opinion that the wisest Pollititians had of the king see how they lamented the fal of his authoritie the spawn of his forces the dazeling or rather astonishing of his sences I shall neuer bee no more a king to counsell nor disswade him my ambition clymeth not to that degree yet I will neuer counsell them vnto mildnesse and to simplicitie without wisedome that pardoneth and suffereth all There is nothing so royal as Clemencie and nothing that more winneth the hearts of men or that maketh a Prince more reuerenced and beloued then affable and courteous nature Antonius surnamed the curteous It is that said the Emperour Antonius to Faustina his wife that placed Iulius Caezar among the number of the Gods that consecrated Augustus and that gaue the title of Pius to thy father But when
vpon such as were rather Knights then Noblemen The Queene-mother shewed her selfe therein to bee a woman when shee called all sorts of people to that degree without discretion making one collor for euery mans head receiuing into that order of the greatest Monarches in the world such as meane Princes would not haue bestowed better places in their houses then to make them Groomes of their stables what order soeuer they weare about their neckes The first article of the institution cōtaineth that the number of knights shal be of sixe and thirtie Gentlemen both of name armes without reproach whereof the King shall bee one that should be called bretheren and companions of the Order In the 48. article it is ordained that at the disease of any of the bretheren of the said Order there shall be an election made of another knight of the same conditions as aforesaid and that by the greatest numbers of the voyces of the Soueraigne and bretheren of the Order and that the Soueraignes voyce should bee counted for two When Princes are too much addicted to such as they fauor that they thrust their meanes ouer liberally into their owne pleasures those that perceiue themselues eleuated into such authorities not to descend but therein to maintaine themselues do willingly conspire against the Prince himself raising the subiects seeking to get al that Ambition Iealousie two plagues among great men wherof alreadie they haue obtained great part thinking they can haue no better nor sufficienter lodging then the place of those by whō they were preferred The aduancemēt of the Maiors of the Pallace caused great mutations in the estate of France about the end of the first geneologie of our Kings Seian perceiuing himselfe so strong enterprised against Tiberius Perennius against Commodus Eutropus against Theodosius Belissairius against Iustinien and Artaban against Xerxes desire to commaund is an ouer daintie morsell which to taste wee tread vnderfoote and suppresse both respect dutie honour and conscience such disorders arme mens hearts to resolution their weapons to mutinies and their armes with Iron Lastly when a king without reason putteth great Princes and Noblemen of his Realm to death bannisheth the honest and wise men of his Councel nourisheth partiallities and diuisions fauoreth warres to impouerish his people loueth none but strangers and distrusteth his subiects suffereth the peruersion of his lawes the corruption of iustice the inuention of new subsidies against the ancient form equallitie without doubt he giueth the first shaking ouerthrow to his estate prouoketh his subiects to conspire rise and mutin but whatsoeuer may bee said the principall motiue to sedition is iniustice which is a great crime Whē kings or their Lieftenants conuert their Soueraignes authorities into iniuries insolences iniustices and reward the good wils of their subiects with outrage violences The Switzers rose vp slew Grisler Landberg their Gouernours The sure guard of Princes in the house of Austria for their violent behauiour wherin they were esteemed the first scourges of Tyrants When the K. despiseth great personages to fauor men of base condition or when he oppresseth altogither ouerthroweth the meaner sort to eleuate the greater it is a fault both in the one the other the remedie is equallitie the mother of peace nurse of cōcord not that which maketh a platonical cōmunion of al things but that which iustly considereth ballanceth the merits qualities of euery man The K. should cause himself to be beloued of al without despising or hatred of any man if it be possible Such as perceiue kings to be like figtrees that grow vpō the top of an vnaccessable hill and that the fruits thereof serue onely for food vnto crowes kites and other foules of the ayre and that they are put from publike charges by such as are not capable thereof doo willingly rise and such as haue great authorities to commaund despise the meaner sort in such manner that the despight of the first and the insolencie of the last stirreth vp seditions But tell me if it pleaseth you my Maisters of Parris vppon which of these causes do you begin your rebellion or whether it bee of pride that you raised your reuolt Tarquin Neron Demetrius Ptolomee Lucullus Muleasses Phocas Heliogabal Vitellius Gallus Gallien Roboan Cofroas Iul. Apostat Chilperic Thomas Lewis 11. Poptelking of Polonia Maximin Caracalla Perseus Lewis de Bauiere Pertinax Isaac Frotho Ferdinand King of Naples Berot a Span yard Maior of the Pallace Iean Constance Ladislaus Lewis Plaints of the Parrisians Disorder in iustice and promises Hath the king rauished your wiues like Tarquinus hath he burnt your houses like Nero haue you seene in his apparrell the supersluities of Demetrius king of Macedonia in his recreations the pleasures of Ptolomee at his table the disorders of Lucullus in his pastimes the luxuriousnesse of Muleasses king of Tunnes haue you marked in him the miserablenesse of Maurice and Phocas the confusion and monstrous prodigallitie of Heliogabalus and Vitellius or the toyes of your Emperors Gallus and Gallien Hath hee ransomed his subiects like Roboam despised the seruice of God like Cofroas renounced Christianitie like Iulien the Apostate pilled Churches like Chilperic abolished holy ceremonies of diuince seruice like Thomas Emperour of Constantinople Hath hee driuen away and displaced his fathers seruants like Lewis the eleuenth hath hee tormented his subiects and the Suffregans like Popiel that was eaten with rats Hath he put any of his subiects to death without iusticie like Maximin hath hee falsified his faith like Bassianus Caracala hath hee broken the treaties of peace like Perseus Hath hee despised learning like Lewis de Bauiere or men of warre like Pertinax Hath hee raised Subsidies and impositions vpon the fruites of gardens like Isaac Emperour of Constantinople vpon beasts and members of men like Frotho King of Denmarke or vppon vrines like Ferdinand King of Naples Hath hee giuen great offices vnto straungers like Ochozias King of Iuda who to please Athalie his mother being a Samaritane filled his Court with Samaritans or like Lewis le Debonnaire that made a Spaniard Maior of his Pallace And among so many examples of a iust distrust to mooue your commotions hath hee built a Tower for his dwelling place inuironed with profound ditches full of water not to enter therein but by a Draw-bridge like Denis the Tyrant of Sicile Hath hee done nothing woorthie memorie no more then the two last kings of Constantinople and Hungarie And if hee hath done nothing proportionable to so strange defections tell mee you Parrissians wherein hath hee so much displeased and mooued you I vnderstand you well he hath made intollerable leuies of monies and straunge subsidies hee hath placed men of ignorance and anarice in the seat of Iustice hee hath oppressed his subiects by a thousand means to inrich his mignions hee hath subuerted the order of his treasures and inuented the practise of
Edict made whereby the king shall ordaine an intire and generall revnion of the same with his Maiestie where hee shall bee and remaine the head for the defence conseruation of the Catholicque Apostolicque and Romaine religion by his said Maiesties authoritie To the which end by the said Edict it shall bee promised and sworne as well by his said Maiestie as by his said vnited subiects to imploy their treasures and persons yea and their proper liues wholly to extirpe the heresies of this Realme and of the countries vnder the obedience of his said Maiestie Not to receiue nor shew obedience after his Maiesties descease without children to any Prince whatsoeuer that is an hereticque or fauourer of heresies what right or pretence soeuer hee may haue To defend and conserue the person of his Maiestie his estate crown and authoritie and of the children which it shal please God to send him with and against all men none excepted To protect defend and conserue all those that shall enter into the said vnion and namely the Princes Lords and other Catholicques heeretofore associated from all violence and oppression which the hereticques with their fateurs and adherents would vse against them To leaue all other vnions practises and intelligences leagues and associations as well within as without the Realme contrary and preindiciall to this present vnion and to the person and authoritie of his Maiestie his estate and crowne and the children that it shall please God to send him His Maiestie shall promise and sweare the obseruations of the said Edict and cause it to bee sworne and obserued by the Princes Cardinals Prelates and others of the Cleargie Peeres of France Officers of the Crowne Knights of the holy Ghost Councellours of his Maiestie Gouernours Lieftenants Generall of Prouinces Presidents Councellours of Soueraigne Courts Bailiffes Stewards and other his Officers Maiors Sheriffes and bodies and communalties of Towns of whom oathes acts and verball processes shall be taken made and registred by the Clarkes of the said Courts Baliages and bodies of Townes that when need requireth they may bee seene And to execute the said Edict and proceede to the extirpation of the said heresies his Maiestie with all conuenient speed shall raise two great and strong armies to send against the said hereticques one into Poitou and Xainctonge that shall be ledde and commaunded by whom soeuer it shall please his said Maiestie the other into Dauphine which hee shall commit to the charge of Monsieur de Maine The Councell of Trent shall bee published with all speed without preiudice neuerthelesse to rights and authoritie of the king and the liberties of the French Churches which within three moneths shall bee more amply specified and layde open by certaine Prelates and Officers of his Court of Parliament and others whom his Maiestie shall appoynt therevnto It shall bee agreed for the suretie of these present articles that the keeping of the Townes graunted by the Edict of Nemours vnto the said League shall yet continue for the space of foure yeares longer and more then the two yeares that rest to bee expired of the time agreed vppon before and likewise of the Towne of Dourlans The said Lords Princes and others that shall haue the custodie of the said Townes shall promise vppon their faiths honours and losse of all their goods altogither and euery one in particular to deliuer into the hands of his said Maiestie or to whom hee shall appoynt within sixe yeares without delay or excuse staying ordifficultie whatsoeuer for what cause or pretence soeuer it may bee the said townes and places that are giuen in keeping for the suretie aforesaid Further his said Maiestie for the saide securitie of these present articles and the said time of sixe yeares that if the Captaines and Gouernours of the Townes of Orleans Bourges and Monstreuil die during the said time his Maiestie during the said time of sixe yeares shall commit the gouernment of the said townes to those that the said Princes shall appoynt But the said time beeing expired the said townes shall no more remaine ingaged for the said securitie but shall bee left off and maintained in the same sort and manner as they were before The Towne and Citadell of Valence shall bee deliuered into the hands of the Sieurs de Gessans therein to commaund for the seruice of his Maiestie as it did before The Sieur de Belloy shall also berestored to his charge and Captains place of Crottoy to enioy it as hee did at other times His Maiestie shall cause le Bernet to issue out of Bullen giue the charge to a Gentlemen of Picardie such as hee thinketh good which being done the said Princes will cause their forces to withdrawe themselues from about the Towne and wholly dispearse their souldiers that are there and as touching the Townes that are declared and shall declare themselues before this present conclusion to bee vnited with the said Princes they shall continue in the protection and sauegard of the king as other townes and left in that estate wherein they are without any innouation nor putting of Garrisons or surcharges in considerations of things forepassed The Captaines and Gouernours of the places that haue beene dispossessed of their places since the twelfth of May shall bee reftored to the same on all parts and the Townes shall bee discharged of men of warre that haue bin placed in Garrison therein since the said day Processe shall bee made and executed touching the sale of hereticques goods and of those that beare armes with them against his Maiestie by the best readiest and certaine meanes that may bee deuised to the ende that his Maiesties meaning and intent may in that poynt bee executed according to the edicts and declarations aforesaid and that hee may bee better ayded with the monies that shall proceede thereof to make war against the hereticques then it hath beene heeretofore The Regiment of footemen of Saint Paul and of Sacremore late deceased beeing in armes shall be payde like others that shall serue and when they are in Garrison within the Prouinces assignation shall be giuen to the Treasurer of the warres from the beginning of the yeare to paye them for foure months at the least which may not bee denied The Garrisons of Thoul Verdun and Marsal when they are imployed for the kings seruice shall bee vsed as well for musters as for leadings in the same sort and like to those of Metz. When the king shall imploy his companies of horsemen hee shall imploy those whom the said Princes haue required to bee vsed and payde as others are Those who at this present execute the charges of Prouost of Merchants and Sheriffes of the Towne of Parris shall presently remit their said charges into the hands of the king who hauing regard to the declaration made vnto him touching the necessitie the said Town hath of their continuance in the seruice of the same shall ordaine that they shall bee reestablished and
Ouerseer of them a Great-maister or Steward of the Hospitall and sixtie two seruants There were religious persons proportionall to that great number first eight Obseruants of Castille 20. Obseruants of Portugall nine and twentie Friers of Castille Their Cleargie men ten Friers of Portugal 9. Augustins of Castille 14. Augustins of Portugall sixe Friers of Portugall of the Order called del Pagna twelue Carmes of Castille nine Carmes of Portugall eight Fryers of the third order of S. Francis in Portugall two and twentie Iacobins fifteene Iesuites of Castille and eight Iesuites of Portugall so that besides the number of fighting men there was almost tenne thousand that had nothing to do with armes An armie how great soeuer it bee and well conducted if it hath not prouisions and amunitions accordingly it receiueth but blasone shame and dishonor but the king of Spaine tooke not that great enterprise in hand without prouiding as great furniture as should bee requisite whereby the Generall had no cause to feare any want to put the armie out of courage Munitions and prouisions For they had eleuen thousand Quintals of Biscat foureteen thousand one hundreth and seuentie Pipes of Wine sixe thousand fiue hundreth Quintals of Bacon three thousand foure hundreth thirtie three Quintalles of cheese eight thousand Quintals of dried fishes of all sorts Rice to furnish euery vessell with three Quintals for sixe moneths six thousand three hundreth and twentie vesselles of beanes and pease eleuen thousand three hundreth ninetie eight roues or measures of oyle twentie three thousand eight hundreth and seuentie roues of vinegre and eleuen thousand eight hundreth and fiftie Pipes of fresh water besides the victuals and the necessaries of houshold that were in great number and of all sorts as platters goblets pots funnels and vessels of wood candlestickes lanterns lampes falots candles of waxe and tallowe plates of lead and Oxe hides to stoppe holes made with great shotte bags of leather canuaffe and buckeram hoopes for pipes and barrels eight thousand sadles of leather fiue thousand paire of common shooes eleuen thousand paire of shooes with strings cords nayles horses waggons wheeles milles apple trees and all whatsoeuer belongeth eyther by water or by land twelue great peeces for batterie and twelue field peeces with bagges of calues skins for powder and bullets The armes reserued for store were seuen thousand caliuers and their furnitures one thousand muskets tenne thousand launces one thousand partisans and halbardes sixe thousand pikes more pickaxes payles Their armes and other instruments then would serue for seuen hundreth pioners With this number and in this manner being prepared the armie departed out of Lisbon vnder the conduct of the Duke de Medina Sidonia assisted with two and twentie Lords of Estate Councell and experience eightie pages and tenne young Gentlemen or knights and seruants in great number But it had scarse entered into the sea sayling towards the Grongnes in Gallicia but there rose a storme with so great force that it was constrained to put to land and there staye till winde and weather serued hauing lost in that storme three Gallies of Portugals and many of them so scattered and brused that they were not seruiceable for that voyage The storme beeing ceased and the winde bettering about the two and twentieth day of the moneth of Iuly the Generall caused them to set sayle so fortunately that in lesse then fiue daies after they discouered the point or end of Cornwall and at the same time they were seene from Plimmouth by the Admiral of England and Sir Francis Drake Viceadmiral that made them turne their faces and gaue them such a skirmish and that so neare that the shippes were in disorder and a great gallion lost wherein was found a part of the treasures that the armie brought with it all the instructions that the Duke of Medina had what hee should do hauing conquered England At the last it got as farre as Calais where it should haue ioyned with the Duke of Parma but the armie of England that sought to impeach it followed it and that so neare that it was forced to leaue her anker-hold and confusedly to flie away Their principal Galleasse among other vesselles was by the streame cast vpon the sands hard by the Hauen of Calais and there with her ordinances was left for the Gouernours of Calais the rest of the shippes were strongly beaten with cannon shot and by the English shippes scattered abroad in such sort that in those skirmishes the armie was lessened of twelue shippes and aboue fiue thousand men Which done it made towards the North seas passing betweene Norway The scattering of the Spanish armie Scotland so towards Ireland where those Northen seas being as the risen according to the time of the year were very tempestious vsed the rest of the army very hardly for it drowned and sunke seuenteene great vesselles vpon the coast of Ireland and spoyled brake and ouerthrew diuers others in such manner that of one hundreth and thirtie shippes there were scarce thirtie that returned into Spaine The coppie of a Letter sent to Deepe touching the encoumer of the English and Spanish armie and howe the Spaniards had wonne the victorie The report of the successe of this Fleet was giuen out cleane contrary to that which happened vnto it or then was trueth and the innocency of diuers men was so great that they assured and affirmed for certaine that the Spaniards had the victorie for the which they made fiers of ioy and printed whole discourses thereby to couer the shamefull flight of the Duke de Medina that could make no other excuse vnto the king his Maister of that ouerthrow but the infidelitie and ignorance of the Sailors and the little experience they had of those Northen Seas the want of ayde from the Prince of Parma and the great stormes and tempests vpon the seas This great ouerthrow abashed not the league that more vnpatiently then euer it did pursued the execution of the Edict of vnion it sawe that the king by words and oaths not common but solemne had sworne in the Cathedrall Church of Roane in presence of the Cleargie Princes and Lords of the Court that hee had sent vnto the Bishoppes touching those affaires that their Priestes in euery Diocesse should cause their parisioners to make profession of their faith that the Huguenots should abiure their errors in open Courts of Parliaments Courts royall and publike places to make them obserue it but not contenting themselues therewith they would haue the Edict christened with the speciall name of a fondamentall lawe and because it could not bee done but by the third estates of France they besought the king to hold Parliament as by the said articles of peace hee had promised De Commines lib. 5. cap. 4. The authoritie which the Senate had among the Romanes the same authoritie hath the Parliament deuised by the first familie of the kings of France
for his part wrought the hearts and mindes of his Adherents by faire promises and most artificiall subtilties to procure the more strength on his side and to cause all the Deputies to haue no other desire and memoriall in their remembrances then the aduancement and triumph of the league The king that would not returne to Parris excusing himselfe by the preparation for the estates went first to Bloys to take order for their place of assembly partition of chambers and lodgings for the Deputies He gaue the charge of the preparation to the Lord of Marle one of the ordinary controwlers of his house in the absence of the Lord of Roddez Great-Maister of the ceremonies of France to take order for the commodious placings of so great a company cōmanded him to bring the deputies one after the other as they arriued into his chamber that he might see heare know them And because the number of those that made most haste were not sufficient in the the kings minde to debate such waightie affaires hee prolonged their meeting till the last day of the same moneth and in the meanetime all the Deputies arriued out of euery place So that in lesse then tenne daies Bloys was as it were the receptacle of all the Realme of France This most religious Prince desiring to begin this assembly with a publike inuocation vppon the name of God commaunded a solemne procession from the Church of Saint Saueor in the great Court of the Castle at Blois vnto the Church of our Ladie des Aydes in the subburbes of Vienne It was a generall shewe of the French pompe and magnificence and specially of the beautie of the Court of so great a king Their order was in this manner first there went the communalties of the Churches after them the Deputies of the people foure in a ranke then followed the Nobilitie seconded by Ecclesiasticall persons after them came Albon Bishops Archbishops and Cardinals foure knights of the Order of the holy Ghost carried the Canape the Archbishop of Aix bearing the holy Sacrament Then followed his Maieftic on foote with the Queenes Princes and Princesses Monsieur de Saintes Bishop of Eureux made the Sermon and the Archbishop of Bourges saide the Masse in our Lady Church all hanged with the kings richest hangings his Maiestie sat in the Quier vpon a seat couered with veluet This procession was made vpon Sunday the second of October and the next day they were to buy their meeting but as then all the Deputies were not come therefore that day there was nothing done but appoynting of places and chambers for conference The spiritualtie met in the Iacobins the Nobilitie in the Pallace the Deputies for the people in the Towne-house the Presidents and officers of euery Order were chosen the Cardinals of Bourbon Guise for the clargie in their absence the Archbishop of Bourges for the Nobilitie the Earles of Brissac the Lord of Marrignac For the third estate or people Michael Marteau Prouost of Merchants of the towne of Parris the Secretaries of the Cleargie were Master Iues le Tartier Dean of S. Stenens church in Troy Iohn Martin Cannon of Perigueux Deputies for the Cleargie of the same places For the Nobilitie Florimond de Dorne Lord of that place Bailiffe of S. Prerrele Monstier Claude de Moniournal Sieur de Sindre Deputies de Bourbonnois Francis d'Alonuille Sieur d'Oisonuille Deputie of the Baliage and Duchy of Estampes The Secretary of the chamber of the third estate was Iohn Courtin Sieur de Nanteuil Deputie for the 3. estate of the Baliage of Boys The first sitting was put off till the 17. day of the same month for two causes the first because they stayed the comming of the Princes of the blood that as then were not arriued in the Towne and the rest of the Deputies The other to haue time to auoyde the differences and iealousies that happened because of the preuentations and delaies made touching the elections and procurations of Deputies The king at that same time caused a fast to bee published and an abstinence from flesh for the space of three whole daies that men might prepare themselues to the holy communion which was receiued by the king in the Church of Saint Saueor within the Castle the Princes and Lords of the Court in diuers Churches all the other Deputies of the third Estate in the Couent of Iacobins where the Cardinall of Bourbon celebrated the Masse and communicated vnto them The sixteenth of October the Hall where the States should sit was opened which was in this maner It is in length fiue twentie paces and nine in bredth with sixe great stone Pillers in the middle hanged with rich cloth of Arras wrought with golde the Pillers couered with hangings of purple veluet imbrodered with flower deluces of gold the toppe of the Hall couered with Tapistrie betweene the third and fourth piller was placed a great seate in manner of a scaffold rising with three steppes about eleuen or twelue inches high fiue paces long and foure broad in the middle whereof stood a great footstoole about foure or fiue inches high foure foot long and eight foote broad and vppon that an other litle footestoole of sixe foote square whereon stood the kings chaire on the right side vppon the great footestoole was the Queene-mothers chaire on the other side the Queen the kings wife behinde their chaires stood the Captaines of the guard and all along the scaffold the two hundreth Gentlemen with their hatchets or poleaxes on the right hand of the king vppon the great scaffold there were two bankes togither couered with purple veluet imbrodred with flower deluces of gold vpon one of thērnearest towads the king sat the princes of the blood the Cardinal of Vendosme the Earle of Soissons and the D. de Monpeslier on the other banke somewhat further sat the Dukes of Nemours de Neuers and de Retz right against those bankes on the left hand the Cardinalles de Guise de Lenoncourt and de Gondy and behinde them two Priors of the Church the Archbishoppe of Langres and the Bishoppe of Chaalons Before the footeftoole vppon the scaffold there stood a chaire without abacke right before the king couered with purple veluet and imbrodered with flower deluces of gold for the Duke of Guise as great Maister of France his backe towards the king and his face to the people on the left hand and vppon the same scaffold stood a chaire for Monsieur de Monthelon keeper of the great seales of France his face towards the Princes of the blood and his backe to the Cardinalles of Guise and Lenoncourt the place at the kings foote that belonged to the Duke de Maine as Chamberlaine of France and that of the Marshall of France that should bee vppon the last steppe of the scaffold were emptie at the foote of the scaffold right before the kings chaire stood atable for the kings Secretaries beeing Monsieur Ruze Lord
made against Giles Bishop of Reims Didier Archbishop of Vienne the king vsed the helpe of the Bishops of France and had no recourse vnto the Pope Chilperic sent Pretextatus Archbishop of Roane to the Councell holden in Parris to bee iudged by them but with this clause Although that of our owne authoritie wee could deale therein it beeing treason for the which he is accused neuerthelesse Gregorie de Tours Atmon Ado Vincent because it concerneth our own person to the end it shall not bee thought that wee will do otherwise then by iustice and reason wee giue you leaue to deale therein The Emperours themselues neuer remitted the examinatioÌ„ of causes that touched the estate of their Empire vnto the long solemne daies of the Popes Councel The Emperour Zenon condemned and bannished two Bishops the one of Alexandria named Iohn the other of Antioche named Calendion Euagriuâ—s lib. 4. whereat Pope Simplicius was offended and for the same cause wrote vnto the Emperour who made him answere that the execution was not done for any Ecclesiasticall crime neyther yet touching religion but that one of them had lyed in his owne presence and the other fauored Basiliscus his enemie And good Popes neuer sought into that iurisdiction whereby to peruert the order of polliticque lawes Saint Gregory admonished Victor and Iohn C. experientiae ca. sequ 11. q. 1. Bishop of Taurese which as theÌ„ was the Metropolitane Church of Dalmatia founded by Iustinian in the Towne by him called Iustinian after his own name to cause two Bishops that had troubled the state of Aquilee and Millan with a good guard and all speede to bee ledde vnto the Emperour and such was the institution of the fathers assembled in the first general Councels of Constantinople vnder Theodose and in that of Carthage to remit Ecclesiasticall causes to the iudgement of the Cleargie Pauliuus Bishop of Aquilee but the persons to the temporall Magistrate when it is a crime the punishment whereof dependeth not vpon the authoritie of the Ecclesiasticall Iudge is to be otherwise ordered then by Ecclesiastical Canonical censures It is true that the ordinances of France ful of respect reuerence towards the church haue induced the ConcordaÌ„ce of the spirituall the teÌ„poral Iudge when the cause dependeth vpon priuiledge ordaine that the processe should be ioyntly made to the end CoÌ„currance of the spirituall temporal Iurisdiction that if the offender be found guiltie he should be degraded according to the prescript order ordinance of the cannons then sent to the secular power to be coÌ„deÌ„ned to death or other punishmeÌ„t according to his offence but wher it coÌ„cerneth the CoÌ„mon-wealth suretie preseruation of an estate it is not the maner to follow the ordinarie course therby to auoyde a great disorder and the extreame necessitie to prouide things present ought not to bee restrained vnto the long detractions of the Romish Courts The king prouoked by these reasons after he had let the Archbishop rest in prison for the space of fifteene daies with resolution to refuse all the Iudges that should bee sent vnto him but such as were appoynted him from Rome sent the Bishop of Beauuais and Mousieur Ruze his Secretarie to certifie his pleasure vnto him which was that hee should aunswere to the Articles by them to bee propounded vnto him wherein they perswaded him not to deny the King that had not refused to graunt him pardon of his life The Archbishop of Beauuais The Archbishop asked the Bishop of Beauuais in what quallitie he had taken that charge vpon him framing an argument consisting in two points Asking him if he came thither as a Bishop or as a Peere of France It as Bishop he saide hee could not examine him hee in that poynt beeing his superiour If as a Peere of France it was a temporall office and therefore hee could not aunswere nor the Bishop examine saying You haue beene in the Courts of Parliament where you neuer sawe processe framed against a simple Priest without the consent of his superior I thanke God I haue red what authoritie and priuiledge belongeth vnto the Church and cannot beleeue that the King in any wise is minded to infringe it nor yet to beginne with mee and seeing hee hath graunted me my life hee meaneth likewise that my conscience should bee at libertie the honour and respect whereof is dearer vnto mee then a thousand liues The Bishop of Beauuais perceiuing that hee could not effect his charge withdrew himselfe the Archbishop desiring him to acquaint the king with his reasons and to beseech his Maiestie that hee might bee comforted by some religious persons and to haue Masse within his chamber Which the Bishop of Beauuais certified vnto the King who made aunswere that hee would put the Archbishop in such a place where hee should haue both religious persons and Masses as many as hee would desire In the meane time vpon aduise giuen vnto him that the great blow which hee had giuen the league had not in such manner astonished it The rising of Parris but that alreadie diuers of them began to rise and to leuie armes he had recourse vnto his first remedies and to that dangerous maxime by him vsually obserued as neuer doing any thing but by halues And while he sent tongues and not armes therwith to retaine the people so well prepared vnto sedition hee found the towne of Orleans to reuolt both against him and Monsieur d'Antragues Orleans is declared against the Citadel and the Gouernour Gouernour of the Citadell that the Towne of Parris had alreadie shewed the beginning of their mutenie against his Castle of Louure his armes and his seruants But the contentment hee had receiued to see his enemie dead made him so carelesse touching the rest of his affairs that in stead of mounting on horsebacke to shewe himselfe to those of Parris and Orleans and to send for the armie in Poitou therwith to stoppe the passages and forces of the Duke de Maine hee contented himselfe to publish a forgetting and remitting of things past and renued the Edict of vnion thinking that the Catholicques of the League The Kings declaration touching the things past vpon the 23. and 24. of December would lay downe their armes raised against their king to imploy the same against the King of Nauarre In his declaration hee saith that at all times and especially since his Edict made in the month of Iuly last he had assayed by all means possible to vnite all his good Catholicque subiects in peace concord vnder his authoritie by the same vnion and the effects thereof to reape the fruite by him alwaies expected and sought to purge his Realme of heresies therein wholly to establish the faith Catholicque religion foreseeing that by the diuisioÌ„ of his said subiects there could rise nothing but a total desolatioÌ„ of religion ruine of his estate that althogh
bound to giue iudgement according vnto the lawes as they haue sworne and promised at their admitting Neuerthelesse part of the Iudges at this day haue so great a pride in themselues that they affirme themselues not to bee bound to iudge according to the laws written by the Iurisconsules that they are not bound to the imperiall lawes but onely in those poynts which they find not decided by the ordinances royall which haue handled but fewe causes touching lawe but onely containe certaine generall constitutions they will iudge according to their owne equities and therein as euery mans wit and sence serueth him so many heades so many opinions so many soueraigne Courts so many sentences and iudgements Frō thēce proceedeth the cōtrarietie of sentēces diuersitie of iudgemēts in one cause and in one matter whereby the poore suters fall into an infinit of charges and continuall sutes This mischiefe happeneth many times by the ignorance of youth which runne to ruine by presumption and philautie for that such as are learned in the lawes and that haue a good conscience take paines to satisfie their offices and to limit their zeale of iustice according to conscience and the doctrine they haue attained vnto Otherwise there should bee no difference betweene the Iudge and the Artificer but onely in the gowne and the cappe togither with their pattents receiued from the king Remedie This sore cannot bee healed but by good and faithfull examiners in soueraigne Courts for they do lightly prooue and sound the depth of the learning of such as present themselues to bee admitted they throwe iustice and the subiects of this Realme into the waters and puddles of errors and ignorances from whence they cannot get out But if it were permitted vnto young men by their Parents to studie the time in that case appoynted without taking them from the Vniuersities as fruite from a tree before it is ripe to place them in the seate of Iustice this would bee a great meanes to make them capable but the ambition of fathers at this day is so great and they are in such feare to leaue their children without offices that they had rather therein see them vnwoorthie and deridid then wise and honoured which partly to remedie all reuersions must bee cut off and no more graunted The sale of Offices 5. Disorder The corruption that is vsed in iustice by the sale and infamous building of offices belonging to the same a great shame to this estate and in our time time wherein this Realme onely among all Monarchies and Potentates yea the most barbarous iustice and the Iustices office is solde by publike authoritie and giuen to him that offereth most although he be the most vnwoorthie The excuse is made vppon the publike necessitie of this Realme as if the sale of offices the mony whereof for the most part is disposed and goeth to the receiuers that inrich them that smal summe which is clearely left can be so great maintenance to the Realme from this first sale of offices which is done by publike authoritie ensueth a consequence which seemeth to bee naturall yet very euill that whosoeuer hath bought an office by great may sell iustice by retale to make vp his mony From thence proceedeth the corruption of Iudges that euen as at the entery into their offices they are forsworne affirming that they neither gaue nor payde any mony to attaine the same they become much more periured in their consciences betraying and selling iustice drawing vppon them the curse of Iudas the perpetuall trembling of Cain and the Leprosie of Ciesi with other such like executions and maledictions It is the corruption and damnation of the wicked Iudges which maketh honest men abstaine from the places and yet some of them how honest soeuer they shewe they haue some sparke of couetous desire to handle spices and sweete sugar yet much more bitter then the hony of Sarde And as this sale of offices hath increased a great number of Iudges Councellors Atturneyes Clarkes and Soliciters whereof there are so many that make their aduantage by sucking the treasure blood of the people that it is well knowne that lawe costeth the people of this Realme twise as much more as all the tallages and not onely the common people but also the Nobilitie and great personages whereby many good houses are ouerthrowne Remedie Is the reducing and surprising of this great number of Iudges to the ancient iust and first number and the interdiction of the sale of offices by publike and perpetuall lawe The Archbishop of Bourges hauing set downe the other disorders that spring and haue their issues out of the first he besought the king to take order therein by a good and perfect reformation which shall cause the people to increase iustice to flourish and assure the tranquilitie of this Realme to make it continue as long as the moone continueth in the Elements and so hee ended his Oration The Oration for the Nobilitie The same day Charles de Cosse Counte de Brissac Lord of Estland Great-Panetier and Falconer of France who after the death of the Duke of Guise had reobtained the kings fauour and continued in the honour which before hee had to bee President of the Nobilitie of France beganne his Oration and hauing excused his insufficiencie he assured himselfe that the king considering that the profession of a Gentleman consisteth more in deede then in word hee would with his Graces fauour couer the imperfection of his discourse and that as in the disputation betweene two Musitions Piton and Cephiseus Pirrus gaue iudgement that Pelibercon was the better Captaine so his Maiestie hearing the thundering eloquence of Monsieur de Bourges and Monsieur Bernard would iudge him but to be a souldier which done hee saide That the long raigne of the king had sufficiently shewen that it is not the hand of fortune that haue inuironed the forehead of his Maiestie with a double Diademe but God that hath established him for our King and that before chose him for Monarch of a people further distant not for the greatnesse of his royall linage nor for the vniuersall signes and tokens of the valour of Frenchmen but for the pietie faith clemencie and magnanimitie wherewith it hath pleased his gracious goodnesse to haue adorned his Maiestie in his most tender yeares That it is sufficiently knowne that in his raigne onely the heauens haue not permitted the birth of so many mischiefes but that during the times of great kings his predecessors heresie schisme disorder and diuision hath entered into the peoples hearts and that we must beleeue that God hath caused him to bee borne in the middle of the troubles of France reseruing vnto him that hath supported the paines and trauels the honor and glory vnto so iust a labour to the end that by the hands of so famous a Prince France hauing prostrated it selfe vnto the furies of hereticques may not onely be succoured but reuenged not
finally had indeuoured to kill the king by the meanes of Barriere who was executed at Meleun as hee deposed a little before his death These considerations were cause that the first resolution taken by the Vniuersitie of Paris since the Citties reduction was to require the banishing of the Iesuites To this effect a supplication was presented to the Court of Parliament who hauing a certaine time despised the authoritie thereof in the end constrained by an act made the seuenth of Iuly containing that the indightment which was to be giuen against them should be heard the Monday following in a publicque audience to be iudged in open field they did that day entertaine their Aduocates and men of law in the great chamber before the audience were readie who did declare that to defend the cause on their behalfe he was constrained to say many hard things against diuers that were knowne to bee the kings true seruaunts and for this occasion they requested that the cause might bee pleaded within doores This deuice was made to hinder the people from the cleare knowledge of the corrupt and pernicious purposes of the Iesuites pretending to make all Europe subiect to the Spaniards but for as much as they had obtained their request this inuention had no such successe as they looked for For all their pleadings which were done close within doores was afterward openly published in print where the Aduocates of the vniuersitie men learned and deepely affectioned to the Romaine Church did particularly represent and discouer to the full the horrible wicked and insupportable malice of that sect But the deciding of the matter was suspended Gods prouidence reseruing the same to an othertime which came sooner then many looked for The Spaniards being desirous to continue the fire of discention in France instantly solicited the Duke de Mercoeur Warres in Britaine one of the chiefe of the league and an vsurper of a part of the Duchie of Brittaine alwaies to continue warre His sister Loyse of Vaudemont king Henry the thirds widdow did all shee might to make his peace Certaine troubles hapning in the meane time broke all that was done The Spaniards which were Maisters of Blauet a Fortresse almost inuincible had builded during the Sommer of the yeare 1594. a strong Fort neare vnto Croysil to stoppe◠he enterance to the port of Brest which would haue beene better for them if they had made another right against it and on the other side of the hauen Sir Iohn Norris Captaine Forbisher To hinder them came the Marshall d'Aumont and S. Iohn Norris Generall of the Englishmen to whom was sent a supply by sea vnder the conduct of Captaine Forbisher they soone became Maisters of Quimpercorencin and of the Towne and Castle of Morlay Soone after they assailed the Spaniards new fort and slew foure hundreth souldiers that kept it not without losse of their own men among other the said Forbisher The king on the other side deliberating to make war out of his own realm against the Spaniards agreed with the States of Holland and their confederates to beginne in the Duchie of Luxembourg where the Marshall of Bouillon who married one of the daughters of the deceased Prince of Orange and Earle Philip of Nassau assayed to enter in the moneth of October where they found all the passages shut vp and Earle Charles of Mansfield making head against them especially on the troupes of Holland The king on the other side sought to ouerrunne the frontiers of Picardie and gaue the estates of Artois and Hainaut to vnderstand that if they fauoured him so little to suffer the Spanish forces to molest Cambray and the countries adioyning that hee would then make warre vppon them incontinent This message beeing sent in writing from Amiens by a Trumpetter about the midst of December the estates knew not what to say vnto it and before they would make answere they opened the matter vnto the Arch-duke Ernest the king of Spaines Lieftenant in the lowe Countries whom they intreated that the warre might not continue perceiuing the desolations that were like to follow therevppon and that which had alreadie afflicted them but this Prince who deceased shortly after could neither doo any thing for himselfe nor in their behalfe The seuen and twentieth of December as the king was returning from Picardie to Parris readie booted and spurd within a chamber at Louure hauing about him his cousins the Prince of Countie the Earle of Soissons the Earle of Saint Paul and thirtie or fortie other Lords Gentlemen of his Court there came also in the Lords of Ragne and Montigni who had not as yet taken their leaue of his Maiestie And euen as hee was receiuing them Iohn Chastill attempteth to kil the king hurts him in the mouth and is for the same put to death and in Princely manner kissing them for his farewell a young stripling named Iohn Chastill of a small stature and about eighteene or nineteene yeares of age a Drapers sonne of Parris who was slid into the chamber among the preace drew neare vnto the king before hee was almost perceiued of any bodie and suddainly would haue smote him in the bodie with a knife which hee had in his hand but by reason that his Ma. was verie readie to take vp the Lords which were on their knees before him in his stooping hee strooke him in the face on the vpper iaw on the right side therewithall cutting out one of his teeth Presently this miserable catiue was taken and after hee would haue excused the deed incontinent vppon examination hee confessed the whole trueth voluntarily and without compulcion The king commaunded the Captaine of his guard that had taken him after that hee had throwne his knife to the ground to let him go saying that hee freely forgaue him But afterward vnderstanding that he was a scholler to the Iesuites he said And must it needs be that the Iesuites should bee confounded by my mouth This Parriside beeing brought vnto the Bishops prison freely declared the circumstance of his euill intent discouering many of the Iesuites secret practises Among many other things hee remembred that he heard the fathers of that holy societie say that it was lawfull to kill the king that hee was excommunicate out of the Church that hee was not to bee obeyed nor to be taken for their king vntill such time as he was allowed by the Pope The Court of Parliament cōdemning this Chastil of treason in the highest degree caused him honourably to be brought naked in his shirt before the principal gate of the Cathedrall Church in Parris holding in his hand a taper of waxe lighted of two pound waight and there on his knees to confesse and declare that most wickedly and traiterously hee had attempted this most inhumane and most traiterous parriside hauing hurt the king with a knife in the face That by false and damnable instructions hee had maintained by argument that it was lawfull to
kill these kings and that king Henry the fourth at that present raigning was not of the Church till such time he was allowed by the Pope of all which hee repented himselfe asking forgiuenesse of God of the King and of the lawes which done hee was conueyed vnto the place of execution carrying in his hand the murthering knife wherewith hee intended to murther the king the which was there first cut off his flesh puld off with hotte burning pincers hoth from his armes and thighes after that his bodie was drawne and halde in peeces with foure horses and his quarters cast into the fire and consumed to ashes and the ashes scattered in the winde Moreouer by the same act of Parliament it was forbidden to all persons of what estate condition or quallitie soeuer they were on paine to be punished as traitors to say or publish in any place whatsoeuer the aforesaid slaunder to witte that the king was not of the Church till hee had the Popes allowance or approbation or that it was lawfull to kill the kings By which they Henry 3. Henry 4. vnderstood kings that were not authorised by the Pope In what reputatiō were the Iesuites before the first Parliamēt in Frāce The Court hauing declared the said reports to be scandelous seditious contrarie to the word of God and condemned as false and hereticall by all holy decrees Ordaining also that all the Priests and Schollers of Clermont Colledge and all other of the same societie of Iesus to bee held and reputed as corrupters of youth disturbers of the publicke peace enemies to the king and the estate to auoyde within three daies after the proclamation of the said Edict out of Parris and all other places and Townes where their Colledges are and within fifteene daies after out of the kingdome on paine that being found or taken after the said time prefixed to be punished as guiltie of the said crime of treason That their goodes mooueable and immooueable shall be forfeited and imployed as the said Court shall giue order Forbidding moreouer from thencefoorth all the kings subiects to send their children to any Colledges of that societie out of the kingdome to bee their instructed or trained vppe on the same paine to bee punished as guiltie of high treason This Edict was pronounced to Iohn Chastel executed on thursday the 29. of December During the imprisonment of Chastel some of the Deputies of the Court which were sent to search the Iesuites Colledges hauing seized vppon many papers found among them certaine written bookes made by a Iesuite Priest named Iohn Guignard since the generall pardon giuen by the King to the people of Parris there was written in these bookes many vilde matters both against Henry the third deceased as against Henry the fourth now liuing containing nothing but traiterous practises among the rest these words were found The king was born at Bern for which cause they cal him Bernois That the Bernois being now conuerted to the Catholicke faith was more gently vsed then he deserued that if they would inuest him with the royall Crown they shuld do it in some wel reformed couent wher hee might doo penance for all the euils which hee hath done in France that thankes might be also giuen to God for that hee had giuen him grace to acknowledge his wickednesse before his death That if he might not be deposed without war they ought to war against him and to kill him if he did not otherwise That the Crowne of France ought to be transferred to an other familie then that of Bourbon That Iames Clement did an heroicall act in murthering Henry the third The Court hauing seene such writings sent for Guignard before them who auouched all he had written by meanes whereof he was found guiltie and condemned to be hanged to death which thing was executed the seuenth of Ianuarie Peter Chastel father to Iohn and Iohn Gueret Schoolemaister or Tutor to the young traitor were the same time banished the father for a certaine time out of Parris the tutor for euer out of the realm not to returne on paine of death Moreouer the father was condemned to pay for a fine 2000. Crowns and commadement giuen that his house shuld he puld downe to the ground and a stone piller set in the place where it did stand with an inscription of the cause wherfore it was thus raced The court at that time did again looke ouer Peter Barrieres iudgements wherin the wicked counsel of Varade a notable Iesuite was more throughly marked who had principally and more then any other induced Barriere to kil the K. whom he called tyrant It was also testified that two Switzers passing by Besancon a fewe daies before Chastelles deede was attempted did meet two men attired like Iesuites who said one to the other for shortly the king of Nauarre shall bee either slaine or hurt which deede they esteemed most meritorious in the kingdome of heauen It was also noted that a Iubelie had bin published at Rome which the kings enemies called a peece of ordenance to confound the Bernois as if it had been a good worke the same was also vnderstood by the Spaniards lately arriued in Brittain to succor the rebels This was also hoped for by the Iesuits namely by those that were at Paris some of whom as their Colledges were inuironed about with watchmen incontinent after the king was hurt cried at their gates to their companions in these words Surge frater agitur de religione There were also found among these Iesuites many Anagrames against the king and certain rimes made in their Chases wherof the argument was to suffer death constantly and to assaile the tyrants Againe there was it found that the Maisters of the Colledges of Clermont depriued and forbad the Schollers at any time to pray for the king since the yeelding of Parris to his Maiestie saying that all such as went to heare his Masse were excommunicate Moreouer it was prooued and iustified against an other Iesuite a Scotchman named Alexander Haius that hee taught the people publickly that they might dissemble and obey the King for a time oftentimes faintly speaking these words Iesuita est omnis homo This Iesuite was also charged that he had oftentimes vsed these speeches that if the king did at any time passe before their Colledge that hee would fall out of the window vpon him to the end he might breake his necke On these accusations his inditements being drawne and that his words were found to bee spoken before the yeelding of Parris the Court did onely banish him out of the Realme of France for euer It appeared also by other informations sent from Bourges made the seuenth of Ianuarie that one named Francis Iacobe a Scholler of the Iesuites at Bourges vanted that he wold kill the King but that he thought he was dead alreadie thinking that an other had done the deed In consideration of these matters aforesaid and other prooues