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
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
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
of Cleremont died who by his will bequeathed them great gifts those legacies by them recouered happened the first troubles at the beginning whereof the conference of the French Church was holden in Possy From that time they began to breake their long silence and againe presented a request to the Court of Parltament to be receiued and approoued if not in sorme of religion yet as a simple Colledge Their aduancement The Parliament made account that this request touched the superiors of the Church wherevpnon they referred it to the assembly at Possy where the Cardinall of Turnon was President as the eldest Prelate who had founded a company of their name within the town of Turnon by his means they obtained licence to be receiued in forme of a societie a Colledge What they obtained at the first with charge to vse some other name and title then that of Iesuites and to conforme thēselues wholly to the canonicall order without enterprising any thing either spirituall or temporal against their Ordinaries and that likewise they shuld expresly renounce those priuiledges that had bin granted them by their buls otherwise for not performance therof or that thereafter they obtain any others this approbation should be voyde and of none effect This decree was set downe word for word in the registers of the Court Not long after they bought a house within Parris in S. Ieames street called the house of Langres which they diuided in two habitations the one for the religious the other for Schollers In this cōpany were diuers learned persons among the rest Fryer Edmond Anger Maldonnat the first a great Preacher the second one that had bin instructed in all kinds of learning and languages Their supports a great Diuine and Philosopher They being sent to anounce their doctrine were wel accepted and by that means drew great numbers of Schollers vnto them and perceiuing the wind to blow with them they presented a request to the Rector of Parris to be vnited and incorporated into the vniuersitie whervpon a Congregation was assembled at the Mathurins where it was concluded Who stroue against them that they should certifie before they passed forward whether they bare the name qualitie of regulers or seculers which reduced them to great perplexitie For that to denie themselues to be regulers was as much as to falcifie their vow and to affirme it Their deniall would be a contradiction to that which had bin inioyned them at Possy whervpon for that they tooke no precise quallitie vpon them the Vniuersitie denied them their request yet for all that they yeelded not but had recourse vnto the Parliament to the end that by force they might constraine the Vniuersitie to grant that which otherwise they would not once consent vnto And it was agreed that the parties shuld plead vpon the first day of the opening of the Court These are the words of M. Stephen Pasquier adding thervnto The vniuersitie vouchsafed me the honor The Vniuersitie pleaded against them to chuse me for their Aduocate The cause was pleaded two forenoones with such contentiō as the greatnesse of the cause required M. Peter Versoris pleading for the Iesuites and I for the Vniuersitie Lowing the plea made by M. Pasquier I will set downe some chiefe and notable poynts The Iesuites cause saith he is ful of dissimulatiō hypocrisie their sect is hereafter to be but a semenarie of partiallities between the christian the Iesuite the purpose and intent tendeth only to desolation and surprising of the estate both polliticque and Ecclesiasticall They bear the name of Iesus but with a false title I am of opinion that there is not any faithful christian or good and loyal Frenchman but that wil find the reasons and conclusions of the vniuersitie to be both iust and good which is Certain allegations to be noted in the declaration of the vniuersitie that not only this new world which by a title partiall arrogant and ambitious affirmeth it selfe onely to bee of the societie of Iesus ought not to bee adopted nor incorporated into the body of our Vniuersitie but that it ought wholly to bee bannished tooted out and exterminated out of France These new bretheren vnder a beautifull title exterior shew wold enter make a breach into our peace quiet estate Ignace a maimed souldier not for the zeale and deuotion that hee bare to any new austeritie of life but perceiuing himselfe to be impotent and vnable anylonger to beare armes entered into familiaritie with certaine persons and among others with one M. Pasquier Brouet borne in Dreux a man certain exterior quallities excepted that had no learning either in humane or diuine laws These two with some others for a time kept themselues in Venice a town by certain Italian authors well knowne and acknowledged to be the receptacle of diuers and peruerse things There for a time they vsed a certain hypocriticall austeritie of life perceiuing that their superstitiō begā to be followed they were so bold as to transport themselues to Rome wher they began to publish their sect And althogh the greatest part of them were neither seen in tongues nor diuinitie yet they began openly to promise two things The one to preach the gospel to the Infidels so to cōuert them to the faith the other to teach doctrine vnto al christians without any reward For that cause taking vpō them the name of religious people as if al those that cleaued not to their sect were separated from their societie Epithetes of the Iesuites In the same plea they are quallified with the titles of Subtile Authors of a superstitious sect vnhappy weed A sect condemned by the facultie of diuinitie as being replenished with all superstition and damnable ambition inuented and admitted for the desolation of all estates either seculer or reguler men in state to grow great by other mens falles aduanced by the ambitious vnwoorthie practises of the Cardinall of Turnon their supporter impudent irreguler disobedient hypocrites ignorant Teachers and wanderers deceiuers pardoners new men patched togither of many peeces full of ambitious superstitio Then doth he proceed to lay opē their stratagems whereby they haue deuised in short time to incroach infinite wealth yea euen whole kingdomes countries Their practises to grow great that their pretended societie consisteth of two manner of people whereof the first terme themselues to be of the greater obseruance the other of the lesse The first besides the three ordinarie vowes of the Monkes doo also make a fourth and that is that they doo acknowledge him to bee Soueraigne in earth ouer all thinges without exception or reseruation in whatsoeuer it shall please him to commaund The others of lesser obseruance are bound onely to two vowes the one respecting their fidelitie that they promise to the Pope the other their obedience to their superior These latter sorts do not vow pouertie but may lawfully
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
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
that which went for Poitou where hee assieged Bar Taking of la Charite and Issoire Anno. 1577. and tooke diuers Townes His Maiesties armie incamped at Brouage and costrained it to yeelde And Lansac Gouernour thereof would haue gone into the Isle of Re but hee could not And to conclude the warres were so long and tedious that the Generalles wel perceiued themselues to bee too olde to liue to see the end thereof And the king that neuer had tasted the sweetenesse of peace beganne to dsire it hauing first prooued so many troubles and vexations of warre therevppon hee determined to establish a good and holy peace Reason to induce peace and against warre in An. 1577. Great numbers are not the cause of victories God is the God of battelles A discourse polliticke and military The chance of warre vncertaine which should bee well obserued to the which end hee heard debated examined and considered diuers and all the reasons that could bee alleadged both for the establishing and dissoluing thereof Those that desired no peace deuised many arguments which they framed for the purpose as first they sayde That the king ought not to make peace hauing meanes to make warre with more men and aduantage then his enemies But they were aunswered that the multitude of men is not the cause of victorie and that a smal handful of desperate souldiers had ouerthrowne a great armie The kings cause is more iust The Princes shrowd themselues vnder a iust enterprise when God is offended and that the war is not made for the defence of his quarrell but for particular reuenge The Huguenots haue neither mony nor credite for the souldier himselfe among them is constrained to contribute mony to pay forraine ayde instead of receiuing his own wages With a little they do much necessitie is their vertue and the ground of their cause is so deare vnto them that they will rather fight without mony or meat then liue without their libertie or preaching of the Gospell There needs but one battell to ouerthrow and destroye them Victorie resteth in the hands of God it is a both doubtfull and vncertaine battels in these daies are prolonged and neuer giuen without aduantage of the one side or the other And again it is impossible with an armie of 10000. men to roote out a 100000. Huguenots The K. wil neuer hazard battel but he is assured to haue the victorie to triumph ouer his enemies This is as much to say as he reckoneth without his Host for it coÌ„sisteth in God there needeth but a small matter to put all your forces in disorder and make them a praye to their enemies For if in times past 500. Actolians Iustin lib. 24. Xâ—nop hist. lib. 7. Bap. Egnat The battell of Poictiers Lois the last Earle of Flaunders Froisart li. 2. cap. 95.96.97.98 better shepheards then souldiers put 900. Lacedemonians to flight If Epaminondas with 4000. men ouerthrew the Spartans armie beeing sixe times as many If among the Christians Baudonin brother to Godfrey of Bullon with 300. horse and 900. foot all Frenchmen caused the Caliphe to yeeld and leaue the field being inuironed with 9000. horse and 20000. foot If a litle troupe of English souldiers halfe in dispaire before Poictiers triumphed ouer a great armie of the most puissant warlike Nation in the world Is it not a most foolish temerite to put confidence in the doubtfull chance of a battell It is neuer good to assayle those that hope for nothing but dispaire The last Earle of Flaunders hauing brought the Towne of Gaunt to an extremitie of victuals would haue them to present themselues before him bare-headed footed with halters about their necks and so to aske pardon for their liues without any assurance thereof But 5000. of those miserable people that had nothing left but their armes and in dispaire He was constrained to hide himselfe in the strawe of a poore womans bedde where he saued himselfe and the next day went out disguised The peace of the low countries issued out vpon him like hungrie wolues fought so desperately that in fine they ouerthrew his whole armie coÌ„posed of more then fortie thousand men There is no peace to be granted to heretickes It is done continually for it is not yet a yeare since the king of Spaine granted peace to the Islands of Holand Zeland not only giuing them the libertie of their religion but withdrawing the exercise of his owne Peace giueth that to the Huguenots which warre taketh from them And what the libertie of conscience Many polliticke and wise men haue acknowledged and confessed that force constraineth not mens consciences that sword and fire haue not power to extirpe the opinions of religion that are once entered into the mindes of men that such victorie ouer mens consciences belongeth onely to God the father of light and trueth and that force may well make Hippocrites and Atheists but not religious or christian people If the king suffreth this libertie of conscience 1576. Libertie of conscience Catholicque religion will bee cleane consumed vnder these nouelties and all his Realme wil be poysoned with sects Schismes errors The free exercise of this new religion will be lesse aduantage to the perticipants thereof then it would be if it were but secretly vsed Religion increaseth more being persecuted and forbidden then wheÌ„ it is permitted Read a booke touching this point imprinted at Antwarpe An. 1579. Dialogus do Pace For the people are light impatient with long rest and quietnesse and to the contrary things least permitted and vneasie are most pleasant and agreeable And therefore desire nothing but change and dislike nouelties with more disdaine then euer they had affectioÌ„ or vehmeÌ„t desire to see theÌ„ aduaÌ„ced They alwaies fal headlong into that which is forbidden theÌ„ The more they presented tormeÌ„ted troubled the hereticques at Prague and in Ausbourg and the more they were forbidden to assemble and meet togither so much the more they in creased and had assemblles and with fiers whippings hanging and prisons became innumerable And when they haue the free libertie of that they desire when rigor is layde aside the thing becommeth so common and discouered that many refuse it entering againe into the great and broad way which they had left And therfore diuers men haue thought that there is no better means to shake Apollitike maxime Vnitie of the sectaries in matters of pollicie and in the end to ouerthrow a new religion then to permit the free exercise thereof For as a man of great iudgement in our time saith As much as man loueth his libertie and yet abuseth it so much the more hee hateth seruitude and constraint wherin notwithstanding he behaueth himselfe better then in the enioying of his freedome There ought to be but one religion in one Realme It is well said but when a king findeth more it is very hard for him to roote them out Would you
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
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
the 25. of Aprill insuing Bullen was deliuered into the hands of the king of France who made his entrie into it vpon the 25. of May after About that time died Claude de Lorraine first Duke of Guise and Iohn Cardinall of Lorraine both beeing poysoned with Humieres the Cardinall of Amboise and Iohn of Caracciol Prince of Melphe Lieftenant generall for the King in Piedemont and Marshall of France after whom succeeded Charles de Cosse Barron de Brissac in his time a most valiant Captaine Now wee enter into warres Occasion of warres begun betweene France and Spaine as hotly begunne as euer they were betweene the Frenchmen and the Spaniards The king from time to time casting his eyes vppon the Duchie of Millan and withall remembring the titles therevnto pretended by the house of Orleans wherevnto they neuer renounced beeing no lesse sorrie for that which had happened in Plaisance in regard of Pierre Louis sonne to Pope Paul Fernese who therin had been slaine by his houshold-seruants For besides that the report went that it had been done and practised by the subtill meanes of Ferdinand de Gonzague Lieftenant for the Emperour in Lombardie thereby to aduance his maisters affaires he had ceased vppon Plaisance The Pope desirous to reuenge himselfe and hauing not an arme as strong as his heart had sent Camille Vrsin to keepe and defend Parma and accepted the offer by the king in ayde vnto him which was to receiue the familie of Farneses and al their lands and goods into his protection The Pope had giuen Parma vnto his Nephew Octauian who not long after was inuested therewith by Iulius the third successour vnto Paul but the Emperour pretending that the Title of protector belonged better to him then to the King that had nothing to doo in Italie and perceiuing that accord between the king and the Pope to be as a thorne within his foote determined to assure himselfe of Parma wrought in such maner that Pope Iulius abandoned his vassall Octauian that had espoused the Emperours Bastard-daughter Octauian repaired to the king that named himselfe Protector of the lands of the Church and of the Ferneses and Pope Iulius being solicited to take order therein made no account thereof wherevppon the king determined to ayde Octauian and not long after Gonzague besieged Parma which caused the king to commaund the Marishall of Brissac his Lieftenant in Peidemont to fortifie and strengthen Mirandole but Gonzague hauing discouered the enterprise surprised the Soldiours that Marshiall Brissac sent thither and caused them to stay On the other side the Pope began to threaten the king because hee had receiued Octauian into his protection and said he would excommunicate him and all the Realme of France To coole the Popes chollor the king expresly forbadde all his subiects not to carrie any mony to Rome neyther yet to go thither for any cause whatsoeuer ordaining the Metropolitans of his Realme to supply their default therein vntill further order should bee taken This was no small blowe vnto the Court of Rome and surely if the king had still continued in that mind the Popes had neuer pilled France in such maner as afterward they did but thereby they had beene taught to become wise Which had surely beene a beginning of reformation throughout Christendome but it being grounded onely vppon temporall considerations and commodities it proceeded to no good end Octauian was declared a rebell vnto the Sea of Rome and presently war was proclaimed against him Gonzague entering by armes into the territories of Parma Beginning of warres beyond the Mountaines On the other side the king dispatched newe forces into Piedemont commaunding the Marshall of Brissac to ayde those of Parma and Mirandole From whence proceeded the taking of Quiers S. Damian with certaine Forts Castles in the Marquisall of Montferrat Whereby Gonzague was constrained to leaue Parma to defend the Millannois At that time the Emperour found himselfe much busied with many important affaires hauing to doo both with the king of Fance the Turkes and Affrica besides the troubles which as then were not fully ended in Almaine The Histories are very diuers touching the breach of this peace betweene the Emperour and the king but it must bee vnderstood by this newe commotion happened betweene two so puissant Princes for asmall matter as it outwardly appeared that they sought some former quarrell whereinto both of them most willingly entred vnder pretence of their new warre for Parma but aboue all things the iust iudgement of God minding to scourge Christendome as then filled with all disorders and culpable of greeuous crimes was the onely cause thereof Preparation for warres in Picardie In the beginning of the yeare 1551. Marie Queene of Hungaria sister to the Emperour and Gouernour in the lowe Countries made great preparations for warres both by sea and land And vnderstanding that the Marshall de S. Andre was readie to sayle into England to beare the order of France vnto Edward king of England sent certaine shippes to lye betweene Douer and Calis to take the Marshal who taking shippe at Deepe held an other course and so performed his voyage And for his securitie hee caused certaine Flemish shippes to bee stayed at Deepe which were presently released assoone as they vnderstood of his arriuall in England On the other side Queene Marie caused an arest to be made of all French Marchants shippes that as then were in any Port within the lowe Countries wherewith diuers Marchants were not very well pleased by reason of the disorders and losses that commonly happen by such arrests Monsieur de Villebon minding to refresh Turouenne wherein hee commaunded with new victuals Monsieur du Reux a great aduersarie to France sent certaine Souldiours to lye in Ambuscado and to impeach that enterprise but in the end hee was constrained to retire without effecting that they went for Irons in this sort beeing heated commaundement was giuen to the Ambassadors on both parts to depart The Queene of Hungaria stayed the Ambassadour of France prisoner in a certaine Castle with a great guard where hee stayed for a time The kings proceedings towards the Pope the Emperour and the Councell of Trent But before further proceeding vnto warres the king sent Monsieur de Termes to Pope Iulius to excuse himselfe in respect of that which he had done in the behalf of Octauian Fernese hee likewise shewed vnto the Emperour what reason mooued him to take armes and sent the Abbot of Bellosanne to signifie vnto the councel of Trent that hee could not send the Bishops of his Realme vnto such a Councell neyther yet esteeme that assembly to bee a generall Councell that they should respect the animositie of the Pope against the Realme of France and the eldest sonne of the Church and therefore that they should not finde it straunge if hee seemed not to shewe obedience to that assembly not made for the common benefite of Christendome but onely for
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 king and the Admirall de Chastillon went to Bruxelles to the Emperor and king Philip to do the like For certaine moneths that this peace endured one called Villegagnon a knight of Malthe rigged and prepared certaine vessels and made a voiage vnto Amerique Villegagnon saileth for Amerique promising to do woonders for the king in that new world but his minde not well setled and his vniust behauiours wrought him discredit whereby he did nothing to any effect But if this enterprise had beene taken in hand by a wise leader it had surely beene an ouerturne to the execution of great matters But the ruler and disposer of all mens actions had otherwise ordained Beginning of the breach of peace Pope Paul the fourth of the familie of Caraffes in Naples enemie to the Spaniard being aduertised that within Rome certaine assemblies were made and holden in the houses of Marke Anthonie Colonne the Cardinall of Saint Fior enemies to the King of France tooke that for an occasion to reuenge himselfe and without much examination caused the Cardinal Camille Colonne Iulian Cesarin and the Abbot of Bresegue to be committed prisoners in the castle of S. Ange summoned Marke Anthonie watched carefully to take intercept all letters and pacquets disarmed all strangers and placed straight and hard watches and sentinelles throughout all the Citie of Rome Some write that the Colonels suspecting the Pope to be a French man and fearing some surprise thought in time to prouide for their affaires And the Pope taking the matter to bee other then it was vsed the meanes aforesaid The oppressed beeing seruants vnto the king of Spaine gaue him to vnderstand howe they were vsed hee commaunded the Duke of Alue to ayde the Colomnes and others their participants Whereuppon the Duke presently went to Naples and did what hee could to reestablish the Colomnes and Vrsins in their Segneries They on the other side fortifying themselues about Rome and holding the Pope inclosed he determined to demaund ayde of the king of France For the which cause hee sent his Nephewe Cardinall Caraffe that bare a triumphant hat and a sword vnto the king beeing at Fontainebelleau about the ende of the moneth of Iune The king granted his request adding that he would aduertise the king of Spaine thereof which hee likewise did but the answere hee receiued litle pleased Caraffe Whereof ensued the beginning of a fyer that after produced great flames The Annalistes and Hystories of France Italie and Spaine make different discourses of the breach and rupture of this peace which would desire a bigger volume It suffiseth mee to passe it ouer in breefe The Pope was the first that put the Irons into the fyer and the Kings did not greatlye withdrawe theyr eares to lende theyr helping handes as not wishing great good vnto each other Theyr principall officers prouoked by many and diuers passions and those that gouerned them hauing desire to mount aloft and to rise higher and perceiuing that truce imbased them were very well pleased that within Rome they had begun to erect the Scaffold whereon to act some newe tragidie in Christendome and specially in France Warres betweene the kings begun about Rome So the French men would oppose himselfe against the Spaniard for the Popes cause Strossi Marshall of France in place of Monsieur de Sedan deceased at his returne from prison out of the lowe countries was sent to Rome there to resist the Spaniards vntill the ayde of France came thither on the otherside Don Iohn de Lume gouernour of Millan came into France and Duke Octauian Farnese restored to the possession of Plaisance by the Spaniards forsooke the King of France In the meane time the Duke d'Alue forraged the country about Rome tooke Anagne Pilastrine Segne Tiuoli and besieged Ostie cutting off their victualles holding Strossi with Monluc and theyr troupes inclosed within Rome about the end of December the king sent the Duke of Guise to be his Lieftenant General in the armie that marched to help the Pope The Duke of Guise being in Piedemōt giueth alarū to Italie In the month of Ianuary 1557. the Duke of Guise well accompanied being arriued at Turin the Capitall towne of Piedemont the Spaniards fortified Millan and refreshed the Garrisons of the places of importaunce in Italy The Duke of Ferrare armed and lodged souldiers vpon the frontiers of Ferrare garrishing Florence and other townes vnder his obedience specially those that bordered vppon Bologne The Duke of Alue prouided for the townes within the Realme of Naples and vppon the sea coast of Calabria as then all Italie was in armes euery one standing vpon his guard diuersly discoursing vpō the Duke of Guises arriual intents hauing a strōg armie of 14. or 15000. foote 8000. launces and 1200. light-horses some say more the report being giuen forth of an other supply readie to march forward assoone as war shuld bee opened in those parts but it was as necessary to imploy them elsewhere Ostie taken from the Pope by the Spaniards In the meane time the siege of Ostie continued those that kept the Fort hauing sustained many assaults their powder fayling and the Souldiers and Cittizens for the most part beeing hurt a composition was graunted and the place yeelded vnto the Spaniards that agreed with Cardinall Caraffe for fortie daies truce to the end the Pope might haue some time and leisure to thinke vppon some good agreement The Cardinall to the contrary stayed for the Frenchmen and solicited the Venetians to take part with them which they refused Agreement betweene the Pope the King of France and the Duke of Ferrare desiring not to obtaine the King of Spaines ill will but the Duke of Ferrare tooke the French Kings part and receiued the title of Defendor of the Church and betweene the Pope the King and the Duke it was agreed that hee should prouide 20000. foote and 1000. horse and pay al the charges of the armie The King should furnish as many foote and twise as many horse and the Duke sixe thousand foote two hundreth launciers foure hundreth light-horses and twentie Peeces for batterie which had beene sufficient forces to haue made and wrought great conquests if the Popes Cofers had not beene stirred but that Article made all the rest of no effect And how would hee haue furnished mony for so great and puissant an armie whē in effect he suffered the like armie of the Duke of Guise to maintain it selfe or rather to bee dispearsed in such sort that the returne therof seemed rather a company of men ouerthrown and spoyled then a braue retrait of Souldiers comming victorious The nature of the Popes The Popes in these latter times haue alwaies vsed to hold on the stronger side to aduance their affaires at the cost and charges of those that hearken vnto them and when they haue obtained their desires to leaue forsake such as assist them in their greatest need as
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
hauing inuironed the Castle with a strong guard brought them two vnto Amboise after dinner returned againe with a troupe of fiue or sixe hundreth horses The Barron had sent Renaudie to make haste to come to relieue him not minding to abandon the place wherein hee found both armes powder and munition But perceiuing himselfe inclosed and the Duke returned againe hee beganne to parley being required therevnto and hauing at large declared the causes of that their enterprise the Duke oftentimes desired him to leaue his armes and to come and speake with the king binding himselfe vnto him by the faith of a Prince that neyther hee nor any of his should once be hurt but all freely set at libertie The Barron assuring himselfe vppon the word of a Prince was content to doo as hee desired the like did all the rest But beeing in Amboise they spake not vnto any man but onely to such as the Duke of Guise would send vnto them La Renaudie the same day being aduertised what had past at Noisay commaunded the troupes that were beyond the riuer to march straight vnto Amboise which they did within the wood but beeing stayed and intrapped The troupes sent by Renaudie taken and surprised by the horsemen sent thither by those of Guise most of them were taken who being ledde prisoners were presently hanged and then cast into the water those that were best apparrelled and likeliest men were slaine within the woods to spoyle them of that they had Therest of the troupes stayed for in the place appoynted were taken and the Souldiers were tyed by 15. in a companie at horses tailes and so cast into prison The Duke of Guise king in effect Therevppon the 17. of March letter were sent out by the which after a long discourse made against the prisoners of Amboise the Duke of Guise was by the king declared his Lieftenant Genenerall with all power to raise in both foote horse therewith to punish the rebelles without any other forme or manner of Iustice Other letters were sent out the same day with commmaundement vnto al those that were in armes readie to come vnto Amboise beeing aduertised by their leaders Meanes to dispearse the troupes and vppon their faiths giuen should within 24. houres after the sight of those letters depart and get them home into their countries vpon paine to bee hanged if they once presumed to do the contrary The death of Renaudie The next day as Renaudie sought to assemble his troupes hee was met in the Forrest of the Castle Regnaut by one named Pardillan that shot a Pistole at him but hauing fayled Renaudie slewe him but one of Pardillans seruaunts with a shot of a Caliuer flewe Renaudie his bodie was carried vnto Amboise hanged vppon the Bridge with a writing made fast to his necke containing these words La Renaudie called la Forest chiefe of the rebels The death of la Renaudie was the cause that diuers of those which ment to assemble separated themselues and so retired But no man made any great pursuite after them Renaudie had with him fiue hundreth horse followed by 1000. more not accounting the footemen Among the rest of the prisoners there was one la Bigne that had beene Secretarie vnto la Renaudie about whom was found a paper written in Ciphers and to saue his lise he disciphered the paper which contained nothing but onely that which had been concluded by al the Associates with their expresse protestation not to attempt any thing against the kings Maiestie the Princes of his blood nor against the State of the Realme the articles tending onely to this poynt to take the Gouernment from those of Guise and to cause the auncient custome of France to be obserued by a lawfull Parliament Hee was likewise found ceased with an humble petition vnto the king in the behalfe of those of the religion wherein the vniust proceedings of the Cardinall against the Parliament of Parris Anna du Bourg with others were fully discouered Those of Guise at the first The souldt-diers that were prisoners released wold not haue saued any of the prisoners but thinking that the ouer great number that should bee executed would make them to be hated of all men caused the souldiers to bee set at libertie and to each man they gaue a teston to bring them on their way The Captaines la Motte Cocqueuille and others had not lost courage but gaue a whot alarme vnto the Courtiers of Amboise and had it not beene by meanes of some wrong intelligence that constrained them to retire without losse of their horsemen the enterprise had surely been executed but it was nothing but a meanes to kindle the chollor of those of Guise who that last time caused all the footemen that might bee taken presently to bee hanged and as then it was a most daungerous time for all sorts of men eyther souldiers Marshants or others to bee found abroad without Amboise for that the least hurt they could receiue was presently to bee spoyled and stripped of all they had and then the theeues who vnder colour to ayde the king to whom a new guard was giuen composed onely of such kinde of men both horse and foote committed most straunge and cruell extortions The first execution of the prisoners Those of Guise perceiuing the troupes that ment to cease vpon them to bee gone and the rest in prison and being ayded by those that from all places came to helpe them beganne to make pursuit after such as were retiring whereof some they tooke they commaunded the Prince of Conde in the Kings name not to depart from the Court without expresse licence and beganne to hang drowne and behead their prisoners which continued for the space of one whole moneth All the riuer of Loire being couered with dead bodies tyed by sixe eight tenne twelue and fifteene at long Poles the streetes of Amboise lay full of dead mens blood and euery place was hanged with dead bodies many were hanged at the windowes of the Castle and to make men beleeue that all this proceeded onely from those of the religion that sought to establish themselues by armes they questioned with the greatest part of them touching the Articles of their faith The kings complaints against the Guisians and disputed with them of the poynts of the religion now in controuersie therby to blinde matters and not once touching that which wholly concerned the Estate and for which cause the enterprise was taken inhand Some that returned according to the kings permission being intrapped and brought prisoners to Blois found frends that sent vnto the king the Queen his mother to procure their deliuerance but by no meanes they could be spoken withall the soliciters beeing threatned to bee cut and hewed in peeces if they happened to present themselues before the king he would oftentimes in weeping say vnto them What haue I done vnto my people what mean they to deale thus with
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
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
with them Hee likewise made a long answere touching the accusation made against the Prince of Conde shewing it to bee a meere falschood once to thinke or suppose that the enterprise of Amboise was thought or ment against the person of the king or for to trouble the Estate After that he desciphered the originall of those of Guise behauing himselfe in such sort in all his aunsweres like a good Politian and that with so good reasons that thereby hee escaped from the Court and nothing was done either touching him or against the Constable nor any of his Those of the religion next to God commit themselues vnto the protection of the Princes of the blood Those of the religion hauing vnderstood by aduises giuē thē by many Gentlemen in diuers Prouinces that their ouerthrow beganne to approach if with all speed and readinesse they prouided not for themselues Hauing recommended themselues by heartie prayers vnto God determined to cast themselues into the armes of the Princes of the blood as Fathers Tutors and Conseruers of the innocencies of the poore afflicted people and that by the natural lawes of the countrie were called vnto that charge during the minoritie of the kings And for the same cause certaine notable personages were appoynted among them to go vnto the king of Nauarre and the Prince of Conde at Nerac to whom with all their meanes he offered a large declaration containing a rehearsall of all the wrongs by those of Guise committed against the king and the Realme with a most humble supplication that it would please the said Princes to deuise the meanes to deliuer the king and his Estate out of their hands The explort of Monsieur de Mombrun About this time Monsieur de Mombrun a Gentleman well affected to thereligion beeing narrowly sifted by the Parliament of Grenoble and brauely escaped out of his enemies hands was desired by diuers of the Venitian Marchants to ayde and assist them against the violences and extortions vsed in their behalfes by the Popes Vicelegat contrary vnto their priuiledges and auncient franchises La Motte Goudrin Lieftenant for the Duke of Guise in Dauphine was likewise entertained by the Vicelegat to helpe him with all his forces And although Mombrun had very fewe men yet hee constrained his enemies to seeke for an accord which hauing but violated and broken in all the articles by the Vicelegat and la Motte Goudrin Mombrun raised armes againe and handled the Priests hardly that had slaine some of his men after the accord was made and sworne which done hee put a great number of la Motte Goudrins souldiers vnto the sword and vsed him in such sort that hee made him leaue his fence but hauing beene constrained to dispearse his little troupe and soone after betrayed by one of his domesticall seruants hee saued himselfe by flying out of the Realme hauing trauersed through many daungers and saued himselfe in the territories of Geneua and about the countrie of Berne The Princes counsels discouered by la Sagne wherof ensued the imprisonment of Vidame de Chartres To returne vnto the Princes they beeing much confirmed in the resolution by thē taken to discharge their duties touching the relieuing of the realme of France by the declarations and offers of those of the religion they began to deale therein and among other agents imployed in those affaires the Prince of Conde sent one named la Sagne vnto diuers great Lords to desire them not to saile him of their aydes La Sagne hauing receiued an answere from the Constable and Vidame de Chartres came vnto the Court where hee deliuered certaine letters and as hee stayed fro an aunswere hee was so vndiscreet that hee suffered himselfe to bee vndermined by one Captaine Bonual who hauing discouered it vnto those of Guise ranne after him and brought him prisoner to Fountainebleau where the letters of Vidame de Chartres beeing read wherein he promised the Prince to maintaine his iust quarrell against all men except the king his bretheren and the Queenes those of Guise sent to apprehend him within Parris and to keepe him prisoner in the Bastille where they vsed him with most great rigor vntill hee died They found not so good a baite in the Constables letters or at the least would make no shewe thereof because they would not trouble themselues with so many things at once La Sagne was well payed for his prating for that his nostrils were stretched in such sort that hee tolde all whatsoeuer hee knew and more then truth to prolong his miserable life Mean time his cōfessions made vppon the racke caused those of Guise in all haste to dispatch their affaires for first to their great dishonour and disaduantage of their kinswoman they agreed with the Queene of England prouided for the frontiers of Lorraine caused the olde troupes that came out of Dauphine and Piedemont to lye along by the riuer of Loire writing on both sides to their partakers A proposition in the Councell for calling a Parliament at Fontainebleau On the other side the Queene-mother that feared least shee should bee disgraced whatsoeuer might happen by the aduise of the Chancellor and the Admirall to whom as then she made shewe willingly to hearken she resolued to cause a motion to bee made in open councell that it were requisit that the king should assemble all the Princes Lords knights of the Order and men of authoritie in his Realme to take order for the pacifying of the troubles which they esteemed specially to proceed because of the persecutions against those of the religion Those of Guise found this resolution to bee good thinking thereby to finde a meanes to intrap both the king of Nauarre and his brother trusting likewise for that most part of those that should assemble were of their retinue that nothing should passe therein but for their aduantage and that this meeting would wholly breake off the calling of the generall States and by that meanes make a sure ground for their affaires Wherevppon they began to write into all places in the Kings name who desired euery man to bee at Fontainebleau vppon the 15. day of August for the causes aforesaid Those of Guise sent letters likewise from themselues full of all good promises and rewards The King likewise wrote vnto the King of Nauarre desiring him to bee there with his brother and all such Lords who as then were with him But couertly by the meanes of secret practises those of Guise dealt in such sort that the King of Nauarre resolued not to come and that against the aduise of the Constable and diuers great Lords who said and affirmed that as then the meanes presented it selfe whereby to put downe those of Guise and to reestablish the lawfull gouernment of the Realme And to conclude the Constable verilie supposing that the Princes would bee theee sayled not to come thither with aboue 800. horse which constrained those of Guise as then weake to flie softly
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
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
spoken with vnreuerēt speeches touching the presence of our Lord in his holy supper But he hauing in fewe words shewed the vanitie of the two first articles hee entered into a reasonable large discourse of the third wherein hee so well satisfied all the common questions of the Cardinall that hee said expresly vnto the Queene that hee was very well pleased to heare him speake and greatly in hope that the conference of Poissy wold proceed to a hat pie end with so courteous and reasonable disputation and with that speaking to Beza he said I am glad that I haue both seen and heard you speake I protest in the name of God that you shall conferre with me to the end that I may vnderstand your reasons and your minds and you shal finde that I am not so blacke as I am desciphered Beza thanked him and besought God to continue him in that good minde promising for his part to imploy himselfe for the aduancement of the good of Gods flocke as much as in him lay Madam de Crussul there vppon said as shee was alwaies bolde to speake that it would be necessarie to haue Inke and paper A pleasant and notable speeche of Madame de Crussull to cause the Cardinall to signe avow his saying For said shee in the morning hee will speake cleane contrary and she diuined right for in the morning a report was spread about the Court that at the first meeting the Cardinall had confounded and reduced Theodore de Beza In such manner that the Queene was costrained to tel the Constable who much reioyced thereat as thinking it to be certaine that hee was wrong informed Not long after the queen of Nauarre arriued at the court which made the assemblies to increase The second request of the Ministers The eight of September the ministers presented a second request wherein they shewed a reason of the articles propounded in their first requiring answere The Queene mother receiued this petition in the presence of the King of Nauarre the Prince the Admirall the Chancelor and one of his Secretaries which done she dismissed Beza and three others that accompanied him with good speeches and assurances that the Cleargie should not be their iudges The beginning of the conference at Poissy The next day about noone the king accompanied as his estate required entered into the great Refectorie of the noones in Poissy where the Princes and Princesses beeing set on each side and behinde him somewhat lower fat sixe Cardinals 36. Bishoppes and Archbishoppes and behinde them diuers Doctors and men of the Cleargie Right before him at the end of the hal stood his guard and behinde them a great number of men of all estates there hee made a short and small declaration touching the cause of that assembly commaunding the Chauncellour in larger manner to make it knowne vnto them The Cardinall de Tournon in the name of all the Prelates humbly thanked the king which done hee desired that the Chancellor might deliuer his proposition in writing and that leisure might be giuen them to consider thereof which was refused them Therevppon the Ministers to the number of twelue with 22. Deputies of the Churches in the Prouinces that assisted them The Ministers and deputies for the religion appeared before one of the greatest assemblies that euer was in our time and there confessed their faith being called and brought in by the Duke of Guise that had the charge with Monsieur de la Ferte Captaine of the guard were ledde vnto the barres where all bare-headed they stayed and Theodore de Beza being chosen by them all beganne to speake and first hauing made a briefe Preface vnto the king hee began his Oration with an humble and ardent prayer vnto God deuised and imployed to the time and occasion of that assembly which done standing vppe hee shewed the most singular contentment which al those of the relgion receiued at that time by hauing such recourse vnto their Soueraigne and lawfull Prince the Queene the Princes of the blood with all the Lords and notable persons at that time and in that place assembled that done hee shewed the sinceritie and good desire of all those of the religion which being ended he entered into the principal poynt making a most ample large collection of the articles of Christian doctrine not forgetting any poynt that is in controuersie but hee expounded it sufficiently withall saying somewhat touching the Discipline of the Church concluding that both hee and his companions with all those that were of the religion desired nothing but the reformation of the Church which onely desires to liue and die vnder the obedience and protection of the king detesting all those that soght the contrary praying to God for the prosperitie of the king his mother his Councell and the Estate and therevppon hauing made a great reuerence he pursued with his matter presenting to the king The confession deliuered to the king and receiued by him the confession of the faith of the Churches of France requiring that the conference might bee made vppon the same His long Oration was pronounced with a most acceptable voice to al the assistants and heard with a most singular contentment euen to the end where hee spake very openly to the Prelates likings against the opinion of the presences of the Lords bodie in the bread For this article put them in a great murmuration although before hee had spoken many other things that expresly condemned the Doctrine of the Church of Rome neuerthelesse hee proceeded and ended the king nor any of the Prelates not once offering to rise His Oration ended the king receiued the confession of the Churches by the hands of the aforesaid Monsieur de Ferte Captaine of the guard which hee deliuered vnto the Prelates The Prelates behauior after the Oration in the name of the Churches Among other Prelates that were in a hotte case the Cardinall de Tourno◠boyling in hotte chollour hauing desired the King to perseuer in the religion of his auncestor asked time to aunswere to that Oration saying that it should bee well aunswered and that hee hoped that the King hauing heard the answere would be reduced and remembring that word hee said not reduced but holden and kept in the good and perfect way the Queene sought to qualifie his chollor The next day Theodore de Beza wrote and sent the Queene an ample exposition of that which he had spoken touching the Lords Supper to the great misliking of the Prelates who beeing assembled to consult touching their affaires the Cardinall of Lorraine beganne with these words In my opinion I would that hee meaning Theodore de Beza had either beene dumbe or we deafe And after many opinions giuen it was determined that the Cardinall assisted by diuers Doctors The mean to be Iudges in their owne cause specially of Claude Despense that framed the answere and serued for a prompter vnto his Disciple should answere
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
courtelasses ponyards kniues and other such bloodie instruments ranne swearing and blaspheming the sacred Maiestie of God throughout the streets and into the houses where most cruelly they massacred all whosoeuer they met without regard of estate condition sexe or age the streets paued with bodies out and hewed in peeces the gates and enteries of houses Pallaces and publicque places died with blood A horrible plague of shoutings and hollowings of the murtherers mixed with continuall blowes of Pistolles and caliuers the pittifull cries of those that were murthered the bodies cast out at windowes vppon the stones drawne through the durt with straunge noyse and whistlings the breaking of doores and windowes with billes stones and other furies the spoyling and sacking of houses Carts carrying away the spoyles and others the dead bodies which were throwne into the riuer of Seine all redde with blood which likewise ranne out of the towne and from the kings owne Pallace The king of Nauarre and the Prince of Conde being called to speake with the King and by his owne mouth were certified what had past adding The entertainment of the king of Nauarre and the Prince of Conde that hee saued their liues vppon condition that they should renounce their religion and follow his otherwise that they should looke for the like punishment that their adherents had and should receiue The King of Nauarre besought the king to remember his promise of the alliance newly contracted and not to constraine him in his religion the Prince of Conde more feruent aunswered that the King had giuen his faith to him and to all those of the religion with so solemne protestation that hee could not be perswaded that he would falsifie so authenticque an oath In respect of the obedience which the King required of him hee had faithfully yeelded vnto him not minding in time to come to depart from it in any sort whatsoeuer But touching the religion wherof the king had granted him the exercise and God the knowledge to whom hee was to yeeld account for his bodie and goods hee left them to the Kings disposition to do with them as pleased him but for his religion hee said hee was fully determined to remaine constant therein which hee would alwaies maintaine to bee true although it were with the losse of his life This aunswere of the Prince set the King in such a chollor that hee beganne to call him rebell seditious and sonne of a seditious person with horrible threatnings to cause him to loose his head if within three daies he took not better counsell which was done in presence of the Queene-mother the Duke of Aniou Birague and others of his secret Councell whose other proceedings must bee set downe They perceiuing that the massacre of Parris would not quench the fire but rather kindle it more because those of the religion might assemble and vnite themselues togither as it happeneth in such miserable chances giue them new worke these Councellours made two messengers the one from the same Sunday to the Gouernours and seditious Catholicques of Towns wherein were diuers of the religion with expresse commaundement to massacre them The other message contained certaine letters to the Gouernours of Prouence by the which hee charged those of Guise with the murther committed vppon the person of the Admirall because of their particular quarrell and of the sedition happened in Parris ceased the same day it began as those letters of the foure and twentieth of August specified by the authoritie and vigilancie of the King whose meaning and commaundement was that his Edict of pacification should be holden as much as euer it was Strange deuises to roote out those of the religion and to couer the action of the massacre through all his Realme Wherevnto he added these words And because it is greatly to bee feared that such execution which by other letters was published to bee made vpon a very small number should cause my subiects to rise one against the other and that great massacres should bee committed within the townes of my Realme which would bee great griefe vnto me I pray you to publish and make it knowne in all the places of your Gouernment that euery man should liue in peace without raising armes nor offending each other vpon paine of death causing our edict of pacification to be carefully obserued and kept and to punish the contradictors and ouerrunne those that would seem to rise and bee disobedient to our will you shall presently assemble all the forces you can make as well of friends as of your ordinarie companies aduertising the Captaines of the Townes and Castles of your gouernment to looke well to the safetie and preseruation of the said places that no fault may bee escaped aduertising mee assoone as possible you may what order you haue taken therein and how all things passe within your gouernment Other notable practises but all to the eternall confusion and reproach of the authors The same day were likewise dispatched other pattents prohibiting the carrying of all forbidden weapons all fraudulent assemblies orrepugnant to the Edict of pacification vnder the benefit whereof the king commaunded all his subiects to liue in quiet and peace each with other The Queene-mother likewise wrote her letters to the Gouernours and Ambassadours in like substance as the king It was agreed betweene the King the Queen-mother his brother Birague the Duke of Neuers and the Countie of Retz and other the Guisians should auoyde Parris and immediately after the deaths of the Admirall and his partakers withdrew thēselues in some of their houses that so the French and their neighbours might the rather think it to be some particular reuenge that bred also the tumult in Parris Vppon this counsell the King had in his Sunday letters layd the whole rage vppon the Guisians who considering more deeply the inormitie of the act wherein they had not spared an infinite number of learned men honorable olde age honest Ladies chaste matrones women with childe young schollers virgins sucking babes but most cruelly cut their throates perceiuing that so they should bring vpon themselues their posteritie the indignation of all men indued with any sparke of vertue or that had any regard of humane societie and consequently make themselues the marke for euery man to ayme at as the sole authors thereof and men guiltie of the most wicked action that could bee deuised refused to forsake Parris But contrariwise insisted and most earnestly laboured that the king should aduow all that had beene done This did they and their Councell so cunningly mannage besides that they were very strong and greatly in the peoples fauour who had been followers of the Duke of Guise in this execution that the king with the aduice of his Councell soone after writ other letters to his Ambassadours Gouernours of Prouin ces and chiefe Townes of France wherein hee gaue them to vnderstand that whatsoeuer had fallen out at Parris was nothing concerning religion but
not any any thing requisite for them and their associates The mischiefe by the which an entrie was made for the ruine and ouerthrow of those of the religion was that diuers Catholickes that termed theÌ„selues polliticques and discontented thrust themselues among them And comming in credite made themselues companions with them in such manner that if those of the religion had kept themselues a part the king had bin constrained to graunt them peace and by that meanes their affaires had fallen out happily which they did not by reason of this mixture whereof inuited by the course of yeares wee will now speake somewhat Certaine polliticque Courtiers to bring the matter to a better poynt esteemed it necessarie to haue a Lieftenant generall nominating the D. of Alencon as most fit for that place they set before him the little estimation made of him his small meanes the inquisitions made of his seruants the distrusts that were had touching his fidelitie the refusall of graunting him the Lieftenancie generall the kings sicknesse and the meanes that offered it selfe vnto him to restore the estate of the Realme counselling him to withdraw himselfe from the Court and so beginne to mooue the matter While this was doing where the Queene-mother was presently certified and could serue her turne thereby as you shall see the practises to surprise Rochel wherein Puigaillard Landereau the Barron de la Garde and others were dealers Enterprise vpon Rochel beganne to worke but in such sort that by little and and little the Rochelers discouered the deuise whereby they intrapped certaine principalles of the enterprise who about the end of the yeare they caused to be executed Presently after the king wrote letters vnto them saying that the execution pleased him well and willed them to looke vnto themselues which was the occasion that after many disputations to cause theÌ„ to enter into consideracie with those of Languedoc and others to defend themselues staying till some leaders were raised vpon vnto them as hope was giuen them That which made them stay was that they perceiued diuers men of good quallitie enemies to the religion to ioyne with them to aske reformation of thee-state which made many good men to presume that some peece of cunning was in hand to bee wrought and that the Queene-mother and her Councellours caused this tragedie to bee playde to entertaine a mutinie during the Kings sicknesse that they might crie hola when it pleased them and in time to ouerthrow the one by the other Those of the religion vnderstanding the deuise against the Rochelers and the practises inuented to surprise them in Languedoc and all the while the truce indured Beginning of the fift troubles in FraÌ„ce and the raising of men to runne vppon them suddainly determined truce beeing expired to prouide for themselues and first published an ample discourse of the causes and reasons that mooued them to defend themselues wherein they shewed an infinite number of wrongs done vnto them within the space of sixe moneths without any hope of iustice perceiuing a manifest apparance of their totall ruine and destruction if they opposed not themselues against it Further they set forth certaine aduises humble declarations vnto the Princes Nobilitie Parliaments and third estate thereby to stirre them vp The Duke of Alencon that had been solicited by his most faithfull Councellours to looke vnto himselfe was put in minde to seeke for the place of Lieftenant generall and if hee obtained it to keepe himselfe aloofe or if they sought to imploy him against those of Languedoc to thinke vpon the meanes to restore the affaires of the Realme to some better estate His mother was perswaded that the Marshals de Montmorency and de Cosse were dealers therin at the instance of the king of Nauarre and the Prince of Conde wherevppon with her Councell shee determined to assure her selfe and to ridde her selfe of those that seemed to take other part then hers which was the entrie into diuers strange alterations wherin those of Guise holpe with both their hands wherevppon it happened that the Court beeing at Saint Germain in Laye the Duke Alencon made request vnto the king to graunt him the estate of Lieftenant generall to represent the kings person throughout the Realme Whervppon the Marshall de Montmorencie entering into speech thereof with the king and the Queen-mother shewed them that if they graunted not that request vnto the Duke they should do him wrong for that it would be an occasion for euery man to iudge of his vnsufficiencie for that the same estate had been giuen vnto the Duke of Aniou without his request alleaging other reasons as the desert of such a place might mooue him for the quietnesse of the Realme How the Lieftenants place was graunted to the Duke of Alencon This request was in maner graunted but in stead of letters pattents certaine priuate letters were made and sent vnto the Gouernrs besides a declaration made by the K. by word of mouth vnto the Deputies of the Prouinces The Duke of Alencon not content therwith pursued his request which made his aduersaries thinke that hee vnderstood somewhat of his mothers meaning which was to put the estate of Lieftenant into the hands of the Duke of Lorraine who not long after came into the Court whither hee had been sent for by expresse messengers They proceeded further for that at the same time a report beeing sowen abroad that the Duke of Alencon secretly held certaine men about him therby to effect some bad exployt the Queene his mother went personally to search within his chamber not long after putting I know not what feare and distrusts into the kings minde counselled him to approach nearer to Parris that hee might lodge in more safetie at Bois de Vincennes a strong and pleasant place Before hee dislodged happened an other matter the Duke of Guise making a quarrell in the Court yeard of the Castle of Saint Germain against one named Ventabran in time past one of his seruants layd haÌ„d vpon his sword Ventabran fledde and got to the staires running to the chamber of the Marshall de Montmorencic which beeing shutte hee ranne higher to the chamber of the Ladie widdow to the Constable and finding Monsicur de Thore the Marshaâ—s brother stayed there where hee got certaine blows but yet without hurt the Duke affirming that Ventabran had conspired to kil him and that hee would plague him for it This deuile thus wrought the Marshall being a wise Gentleman fought to finde out the trueth and caused Ventabran to be committed to prison who within two daies after was set at libertie which was the occasion that the Marshall by licence from the king departed from the Court This was done in the moneth of Februarie at the end whereof newes came to the Court that on Normandie side about a daies iourney from thence there lay two or three hundreth horsemen that were said to been assembled by the Duke of Alencon to
by the marriages of daughters capable by succession to the kingdome of Nauarre And for such hee was esteemed and accounted vntil the death of the Duke of Alencon the kings brother VVhen presently the good olde Cardinall of Bourbon was titled in the head and made beleeue that in the age of sixtie yeares hee should liue and succeede a king who beside his yong yeares and strength of bodie liued not in any such disordered maner whereby hee should once haue occasion to thinke vpon his successor for it was shewed him that hee was the first Prince of the blood and that the right of inheritance and succession consisted in his person But when this deuise was found too weake and the absurditie too much discouered thereby seeking to impugne or deny the king of Nauarre to be the chief and eldest branch of his house in the right and title of his father who in a manner liued in him besides the reuocation by his vncle made vnto him of all rights names voyces and actions whatsoeuer both present and to come that might appertaine or belong vnto him as beeing issued from the house of Bourbon expresly acknowledging the said king of Nauarre his Nephew for the true sonne heire successor and representation of the chiefe branch of the said house they inuented other obiections and subtile pollicies that vnder those pretences they might bleare the eyes of the common and simple people affirming the Crowne of France to bee vacant and so belonged to the first Conqueror aâ—leaging for reason that as in the populer successions of common people such as are of the kindred and familie of any houses beeing in the tenth degree of consanguinitie cannot bee heires of their kinsmans lands so farre in discent from them and therby the inheritance falleth into the Lords hands and that so the house of Bourbon had no title or any right to the Crowne of France as beeing in the tenth degree of consanguinitie from it wherof they caused diuers discourses and whole volumes to bee written But that not beeing able to bee beaten into the heads of true Frenchmen nor once set footing or enter into the opinions of the commun people altogither incapable of such Sophisteries they beganne to enter into an other course of iniuries accusations and inuections wherein they contented not themselues onely to crie out and make war against the said king and to produce and cause to bee published a perpetuall incapacitie in his person and that without the Popes consent but they accused him of treason they condemned him they named him vnwoorthie and incapable to rule in France they assembled all the estates of France at Blois wherein a manner they vtterly reiected him euery man shewed to bee his enemie if not in his right and title yet touching the religion which hee then held and finally went about to frame his proces But to the contrarie those that pursued him were themselues executed before they heard their condemnation or iudgement In this maner the fire beganne to bee kindled in all the foure quarters of the realme and the blow was of such force that all neighbour Princes were mooued there at such as were offended arming themselues to bee reuenged and the people in a manner led by a furie helping them and with them turned their faces against the king whereof the Towne of Parris was the first and by example therof all the Towns in lesse then 6. weeks made that great strange coÌ„motion that continued for the space of fiue whole yeares ensuing Shee mooued them to this dissention by the smooth and speciall reasons by her alleaged against heresie periurie and tiranny coniuring them by dutie to their countrie and by the loue they ought to beare to the preseruation thereof to ioyne with her in so iust a cause and to passe one of these two waies hauing no other meanes either to bee vanquishers or die in the quarrell rather then to submit themselues to the king And among the rest the Cittie of Lyons neuer inferiour to any Cittie in the world touching fidelitie and obedience to their kings that had no other obiect then onely zeale of religion in the defence whereof it espied many euident and mortall signes suffered it selfe to bee borne away among this troupe not once considering or apprehending the multitude of miseries by her after that indured And in this manner the warres beganne with so straunge an alteration and motion of all estates yea euen of the very pillers of the land and the reuolt was such that in fine the royaltie of the king was reduced to a small corner of the countrie about Tours and Blois where without doubt the league had buried it if suddainly the king of Nauarre had not ayded him who therevpon tooke courage againe hauing on his side the Hercules of France scourge of rebels to their Prince but when this disordered and great mutinie beganne somewhat to decline and that the presence and authoritie of the Soueraigne Prince held the most assured within the bounds of their duties and that Parris perceiued it self in way and course of extreame desolation suddainly the king was slaine And then O the great and deepe iudgements of God hee that about three moneths before had passed ther riuer of Loire onely with foure hundreth horse a thousand shot and certaine pikes was presently made chiefe soueraigne and commaunder of a most faire and great armie to whom the Magistrates and Officers of the Crowne and all the Nobilitie yeelded their obedience thereby seeking to impeach the desolation and ouerthrow of the whole estate and to preferre the dutie of naturall fidelitie before the vaine hope of straungers and the last hazard of the rest and suretie of their liues and goods And so behold him king that not seuen moneths before had been depriued of the title of the first Prince of the blood and of the hope of the name Sacrying and Crowne of the Princes his auncestors that had so many times beene driuen from the Court that in foure yeares had seene tenne armies and tenne Generals to a king marching before the heads of the forces of the greatest Prince of the most warrelike nation in all the world against him that after the ouerthrow of a great forraine power had withdrawne himselfe into a corner of the Realme without land men or mony and a Prince altogither poore vnlesse it were in hope He that had been declared vnable for the Crowne that had beene made one of the Cardinall of Bourbons retinue that was no more acknowledged to be of the race or progenie of S. Lewis as beeing ten degrees in consanguinitie from it he that the countrie of Spaine esteemed the subiect of all our miseries who in the life of â—ur kings was the only argument of all the tragedies that had been acted in the countrie of France he that thought not to haue succeded a king being in the flower of his liuely and gallant youth that had bin an occasion to
Princes of his blood But God shewed that he loueth not disturbers of the estate nor such as bath their handes in their owne blood that take courage by the indiscreet opinions of certaine pretences The enterprise of Amboise ciscouered in Ann. 1560. the enterprisors pursued by the Duke de Nemours The gate of Hugon in Tours by the which they assembled or of the first accords of the declaration of protestants made in Latin which are Huc nos venimus and that vse remedies crueller then the disease it selfe For that he ouerthrew this first enterprise and the actors thereof beeing taken vppon the suddaine obtained paine and punishment for reward and so were hanged in their bootes and spurs at the castle of Amboise But the sparks that issued out of this flint after that set fire to the ciuill warres of France and because the greatest part of those alterers of estates were of the new religion that as then were called Huguenots of the place where they first assembled themselues in Tours the Cardinall of Lorraine beganne to crie out against Hereticques and to make them more odious he caused it to be reported throughout the Realme that their enterprise was against the king wherein they induced the Prince of Conde who to iustifie his innocencie and to shewe the integritie of his heart to the seruice of the king in his presence and others the Princes Lords and Officers of the Crowne spake openly and said That his Maiestie excepted and with reuerence to the Princes his bretheren the Queene his mother and the Queene then raigning those that had reported him to bee of the enterprise of Amboise lyed falsely and if they would seeme to iustifie it hee offered to fight with them and that if they were not comparable vnto him for degree hee would imbase himselfe for that time and make them either by sword or launce confesse themselues to bee vilaines and traitors And thervpon this Prince not induring to liue among so many suspitions and distrusts as beeing the But and marke of his enemies left the Court and went vnto his brother the king of Nauarre whither such as professed reformation withdrewe themselues This disease increasing more more and the corrupted humors therof breeding to a dangerous and mortall palsie the Queen-mother that knewe better the disease then the cause thereof The assembly of Fontainbleau Anno. 1560. the 21 of August where the King the Queene and diuers Princes sat there the Admirall presented a Petition and said that he would cause it to be signed by 50000. men and the Cardinall of Lorrain said the King should oppose 100000. against it They were not permitted to alight as the manner is at the kings Pallace She said that no man euer bandieth against the blood of France with out repētāce Iustification of the Prince of Conde Agreement made betweene the Prince of Conde and the house of Guise the 14. of August 1561. La Popelimere saith that the king of Na. promised the am bassador of the K. of Dēmark to cause the religiō to be preached throughout France within one yeare after perceiuing that by sharp and bitter remedies it was nothing healed beganne to vse gentlier and more easie and to the same end she caused the most learned and wisest men in al France to be assembled at Fontainbleau there to debate the causes of religion Where the Admiral presented the request of those whō he supported which was to haue libertie of churches and freedome of conscience wherevnto the Cardinall opposed himselfe And the Lords of Monluc Marillac were of opiniō that the most assured means to stop those new sprung sects was to submit themselues to a generall Councell and in fine the conclusion of this assembly was that a Parliament of the generall States should be holden at Meaux in the moneth of December after and a nationall Councell the tenth of Ianuary then next after ensuing The Parliament was holden at Orleans and the king sent for the king of Nauarre to come thither and to bring the Prince of Conde his brother with him that there hee might cleare himselfe of the hard report that ranne against him to the which end they set forward and arriued at Orleans presenting themselues vnto the king that intertained them not as their qualities and nearenesse of blood required For the Prince of Conde was committed prisoner whose deliuerance was sued by the Ladie Renee duches of Ferrare neuerthelesse his processe was framed wherevnto hee pleaded not guiltie yet in fine hee was condemned to haue his head striken off before the kings Pallace and at the entrie of the States vpon the which iudgement he continually expected the houre of death But by Gods prouidence the death of the king procured both his life and libertie for king Charles iudged him to be innocent At the same time the Court of Parliament in Parris made an Edict the Parliament of Estate continued and the difference of religion was appeased by staying for a generall Councell Meanetime Messieurs de Guise being in hope that their greatnesse would still increase and spread abroad were much abashed to see it shortened by the death of the king their Nephewe and thereby to be constrained and put in minde to thinke that they were no more as they had been So that they yeelded their place to the King of Nauarre but not the opinion nor the hope to recouer it once againe By that means their great affaires left off but they forsooke them not seeking by all meanes to be reconciled to the Prince of Conde alwaies keeping their owne like the Maister of a shippe that hoyseth and pulleth downe his sayles as time serueth and alwaies stopped the holes wherein they foresawe the round world enter ceasing not to speake most assuredly and openly against heresie which they so much the more detested as that they perceiued the Princes of the blood to lend their helping hand towards the aduancement and establishing thereof and that the king of Nauarre that made account thereof began to like it hauing more desire to the Realm of Nauarre that was promised to be restored vnto him and to that of Sardaigne offered him if he would separate himselfe from the Princes reformed and the protection of the protestants Churches then to the consideration of the quarrell of his house The greatnesse of those Princes could not continue equall by reason of the vnequallitie of their houses Yet they sought to go all in one ranke whereby the kings fauor could no sooner giue countenance to the one but it mooued the other His fauour is like a faire Ladie euery man seeketh and courteth her and if she smile more vpon one then vppon the other it breedeth but iealousie despight quarrell she cannot diuide her heart in two without a a mortall diuision Euery man hath his turne and both Catholicque and Huguenot vnder pretence and zeale of religion seeketh to get the good wil of the king his
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
league And perceiuing himselfe to bee Maister of Douzy and Rocroy and by that meanes of the passage of the riuer of Meuze hee caused his troupes to enter vppon the lands of the soueraigntie of Sedan vexing the poore countrimen that dwelt in the villages with al kinds of warlike cruelties Mean time that famine plagued them within the towns the D. de Bouillon to diuert him from thence sent the Lord de Schelandre Gouernor of Iamets to make an attempt against Verdun which is the first towne lying in the frontiers of Champaigne and most tumulteously entered into the coniulation of the leaguers pretences The Duke of Guise followed him with the most part of his forces which his departure gaue time and leisure to the Duke de Bouillon to victuall Sedan and the Queene-mother in the meane time disposed the two Dukes to make a truce first for fifteene daies in the which time the Duke of Guise practised certaine souldiers more for gaine then for conscience to surprise the Castle of Iamets but the enterprise failed and the instruments therof were punished and from that time they began againe to renue their courses and spoylings more then they did before The Queene layde an other plaister vppon this sore by a second truce of a month which the Duke de Bouillon imployed in Alsace with foure hundreth horse and eight hundreth Harquebusiers therby to aduance the armie of Germains that were to meete in the plaines of Strausbourg there to bee mustred And the Duke of Guise had leisure to go vnto the King to receiue his instructions and commaundements vppon so great and vrgent an occasion Hee found him at Meaux where hee shewed him that since the Edict of Iuly and the resolution taken by his Maiestie to make warre against the Huguenots it had been so coldly begunne and pursued with so many wants that it was not to bee found straunge if the issue had been as vnfortunate as the cause iust and woorthie to bee done by a king of France that contrary to the edict they had let their hereticques continue in their houses enioye as in a publike peace their lands and goods that ought to be imployed for their destruction and to the taking away of the means that continued their crimes towards god and their rebellion against the estate That in stead of selling and confiscating thereof Borne in France and spaniolized in Rome the reuenues of the Cardinall of Pelleue were ceased vppon because in open consistorie hee had most vertuously sustained the iust occasion of the leuying of armes by the Catholicke Princes against Hereticques That in those warres the Cleargie had indured most and receiued least profit or aduantage hauing continued more for the aduancement of Mignons then for the ruine of Hereticques and that so great summes of money cut off from the possessions of the Cleargie from the nourishing of the poore from the reliefe of Pilgrims from the ransome of captiues and other necessities of the Church had serued to no other end then onely for the entertaining of the enemies of the Cleargie Hee complained of the contradictions of the edict and among other things in that the kings Councell the Court of Parliament in Parris the Iustices nor the Prouost in Parris had not sworne to the edict Of the hard measure shewed to the Townes that had desired the exterpation of heresies and the reuocation of the last edict of peace Of the ouerthrowing of the citadel of Mascon of surprising the of Valēce of the disgrace of the Sieurs de Brissac Crusilles Gessan and Antragues and of the countermaunding of the assignations giuen vnto him for the restoring of the charges by him made in that last raising of souldiers The king to the contrary had well considered how the insolent passion of the league could not finde a firmer footing within all the articles contained in the treatie of Nemours and that it aspired to some greater matter Hee knew well it had demaunded Townes for assurance against the Huguenots in the Prouinces where they had no cause to feare them neither in soule nor bodie That the surprise made by the D. d'Aumalle of the towns of Dourlan Pontdormy and the intelligence discouered at Bollogne were som of the operations of the medicine which they had takē to auoyde this monarchie of vigor strength That for to fortifie themselues with numbers of Townes and participants it had caused a Citadell to bee erected at Vitry le Francois therein to place an Italian in whose countrie a Frenchman cannot so much as obtaine the base office of a Sergeant That the Duke of Guise would not receiue the gouernment of Raucroy vntill his Maiestie had promised him they should hold it in his owne name That it had prodigally spent the 100000. crownes raised for the building of the Citadell in Verdun not desiring other fortresse thererein but the hearts of the people abused with pretences and goodly apparances of the intents of this conspiracie The contrarieties of the edict being well wayed and debated on both partes the Duke of Guise turned his pursuites vppon the meanes to assayle the Huguenots in the same places where they had receiued the foyle in Poitou Dauphine and in the countries of the Duke de Bouillon desired the king to cast his eyes vppon decaying religion if the armie of straungers should beare the triumph into Allemaigne both of France and of the Catholicke Church and to imbrace the conseruation thereof without esteeming any thing to bee difficult or daungerous for so memorable a victorie calling to minde that he was a king of a people that neuer feared any thing but the falling of heauen and assured thēselues to ouercome all whatsoeuer that durst assayle or set vpon them heere on earth The King whose intent was onely to liue and raigne could not consent to warre The Kings oath the 10. of Ianuary 1587. notwithstanding the oath hee made when hee instituted the order of the holy Ghost nor the last resolution sent to the king of Nauarre by Monsieur de Rambouillet that hee would not permit or suffer other religion in his Realme then the auncient Catholieque faith and abolish that which they called reformed yet he desired most earnestly to haue had a good peace therby to diuert the miseries which the armie of strangers would bring with it but when hee perceiued himselfe not strong ynough The kings resolution to make the King of Nanarre and the Duke of Guise to consent by reason of their differences and that hee could not sustaine the one without oppressing the other that hee had not the courage to bee indifferent between both without leaning to the one or to the other and to bee short that hee durst not vse the authoritie of a King hee was constrained to suffer all the heads of the league to counterfeit with him If hee consented to the libertie of reformed religion and restored them the Edict of peace hee thought hee heard
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
iust complaints wee most humbly beseech your Maiestie to accept our declarations in good part and beleeue so that wee may liue assuredly vnder your protection in the religion whereof you giue vs so good examples that there is nothing heeretofore happened that can take away the deuotion which is in vs for the executing of all your pleasures and the intire obedience of your Graces commaundements and that there is not any kinde of humilitie submission or satisfaction that wee are not readie to yeeld vnto you not onely in word but indeed protesting in trueth both before God and man that in that which is past wee haue not sought to offend your Maiestie or any of your subiects and that our onely desire is to seeke all the meanes we can to liue in your gracious fauour and to please you A request presented to the king at Chartres Wherein when you shall haue satisfied the expectation of all the world yet we shall not satisfie our selues by reason of the insatiable desire that burneth in our harts to continue still more and more agreeable vnto you The Oration ended they presented their petition to the king containing fiue specipall poynts that is the extirpation of heresie by leuying of armes both by the king and the League giuing it the name of the holy vnion the bannishment and proscription of the Duke d'Espernon and Monsieur de la Valette the performance of the kings voyage to Guyenne and a voyage to be made by the Duke de Maine into Dauphine the forgetting of the commotions of Parris the confirmatiō of officers chosen for the mānaging of the affaires of the said Towne since the Barricadoes the reestablishing of the good and auncient ordinances of the Realme leauing the verification of the new edicts and the declarations made vppon the same to the Court of Parliament abolishing the pernicious vse of parties defending the acquitting of gifts but onely in the end of the yeare wholy abolishing and that vpon greeuous punishment the suppositiō of names that had bin practised the easlier to ratifie gifts made contrarie to the ancient lawes of the Realm altogither forbidding the practise of Receiuers and all the abuses indured by meanes of the Duke d'Espernon and Monsieur de la Valette The longest articles of their request tending onely to that end Now let vs see how the allegations made by the League against them are confuted by their aunsweres and first you shall heare what it saith to the King against them and what they aunswere against it Sir faith the League the Duke of Espernon Monsieur de Vallette his brother whom your Maiestie hath eleuated and inuested with the greatest offices and dignities of this Realme are known not onely throughout France but in all Christendome to be the principall fauourers and supporters of hereticques in this Realme The aunswere of the Duke de Espernon Your Maiestie may now wel perceiue Apologie of the Duke d'Espernon to his enemies that at this present the league pretending their quarrell against vs doth beginne their processe against you and hauing failed in their last enterprise at Paris to bereaue your grace both of your authority liberty which God graunt may neuer be effected they would now spoyle your most faithfull and bounden seruants and make them the excuse and whole pretence of their so late commotion but the thing is so euident that this their deuise deserueth not any aunswere seeing your Maiestie and all the world haue manifestly seene it What parance should they haue to beginne an enterprise in Parris to take the Duke d'Espernon who as then was resident in Normandie And what cause mooued them to erect Barricadoes euen to the Gates of the Lounre to arme and raise the people in a mutinie and to cease vppon all the keyes of the Cittie thereby to driue Monsieur de Valette out of Valence and Dauphine where as then hee continued These are the effects of the confession of Salcede which onely are pretended against your Maiestie and not against the Duke d'Espernon nor Monsieur de la Valette his brother who since it pleased your Maiestie to giue them any charge within this Realme Confession of Salcede haue most faithfully and worthily acquitted themselues therein immitating the steps of their deceased father The house of the Nogarets hath well deserued in the Realme Monsieur de la Valette one of the greatest Captains in our time whose seruices done for the aduantage of this crowne and dignitie are yet so fresh and imprinted in the hearts of all Frenchmen that their enemies cannot chuse but confesse that hee hath deserued a recompence therein towards his children whom it hath pleased your Maiestie to chuse as children worthie of such a father and in them to acknowledge the deserts of his seruice victories against the heriticques of this Realme An example whereof the Duke of Espernon in lesse then sixe months An explort done by the Duke d'Espernon in Prouence hath clensed all Prouence which it pleased your Maiestie to commit vnto their charge of all whatsoeuer the Hereticques for the space of twentie yeares hath holden therein and from whence they had not been driuen by all their predecessors Gouernours of the same and hauing bannished the Ministers and principall Leaders from Seine they haue so well pacified and gouerned that Prouence that euer since it hath remained in the entire obedience to your Maiestie The taking of Sorgues The Duke d'Espernons voyage to Guyenne His fanour to the enemies of the league His enterprise vpon Cambray His deeds in Dauphine The reason for which the league doth band themselues against the Duke d'Espernon The taking of Sorgues in Dauphine in winter reason by those two bretheren witnesseth what mindes they beare And since the ouerthrow of Huguenot Switzers spoyled by Monsieur de la Valette sheweth the intelligence and conference they are likely to haue with hereticques The League specifieth the places where they shewed those fauors as the Duke of Espernons voyage into Guyenne the treaties there by him made the counsels that hee gaue the fauour hee shewed to such as hee knewe to beare them affection the hatred hee shewed towards all good Catholicques specially such as hee esteemed to hold with the League the intelligence hee had with the affaires that Cleruant followed for the Huguenots in Metz. The enterprises he made vppon Cambray a towne belonging to the Queene The suspition hee hath giuen to all honest men The ayde hee gaue to the Rutters beeing ouerthrowne concerning their returne seruing them for a guard The counsell by him giuen touching the last troubles happened in Parris The secret conferences hee hath had with Chastillon the actions of his brother as the taking of Valence Tallard Guillestre and other places which he hath taken from the Catholicques of Dauphine the meanes hee hath vsed therein to aduance the power of the hereticques by the destruction of that Prouence and the subtilties
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
of the Crowne hee departed with his bloodie troupes and laden with spoyles tooke the way that led to Reims where the Cardinall of Lorraine stayed for him but not content to haue delt so cruelly with those of Vassy he becaused certaine informations to bee made against them wherein the principall murtherers were witnesses And eight daies after the Duches Dowager of Guise sent Monsieur de Thou thither that made search for their weapons and would constraine them all to go to Masse which notwithstanding those of the religion tooke courage comforting themselues and assembling euery Sunday and Festiuall day to praise the Lord vntill such time as ciuill warres dispearsed and separated them The prince of Conde beeing at Parris and receiuing newes of that massacre hauing consulted with diuers Lords and Gentlemen that kept him company with all speed certified the Queene and others in the Court Iustice demaunded but in vaine for the massacre of Vassy all was past ouer in words or notable preductions of troubles what had happened and fallen out who thereby tooke it for an alarme and counselled him to seeke the meanes of preseruation for the Realme and those of the religion whom he presently aduertised looked vnto themselues The greatest part as Frenchmen are alway full of hopes imagined nothing but quietnesse and troubled themselues to build Churches not much thinking vppon warlike prouision therwith to defend themselues But by the Princes aduise they were indifferently awaked Much more the Lords and Gentlemen of the religion dispearced throughout the Prouinces which beganne to make prouision of armes and horses staying for news both from the Court and Parris from whence in the name of the Nobilitie Churches of France Monsieur de Francourt and Theodore de Beza beeing sent to Monceaux to aske iustice of the king against the Duke of Guise because of the massacre at Vassy The Queene made gentle aunswere but to the contrary the King of Nauarre beganne to be offended saying that whosoeuer presumed to touch but the fingers end of his brother the Duke of Guise should haue to doo with all his bodie Theodore de Beza thervpon hauing most humbly shewed him that the Iustice which kings ought to shewe vnto their subiects is the worke and rule of God and that to demaund iustice was no hurt or iniurie vnto any man Hee replyed that they had throwne stones at the Duke of Guise and that hee could not staye the furie of his troupe and that Princes are not to indure the dishonour to be cast at with stones Wherevppon Beza very grauely and with all due reuerence aunswered that if it were so the Duke of Cuise might haue had iustice against all those that in such vile maner had despised his estate and dignitie and therewith speaking vnto the King of Nauarre hee said My Lord it is most true that it belongeth to the Church of God in whose name I speake rather to take then giue blowes but may it please your Grace to remember that it is an anuile which hath indured many and seuerall hammers The Triumuirat coaseth vpon the King and Parris From that time the estate of France might well bee resembled vnto a Sea that beginneth to rise and rage in euery place for that in euery Prouince great and wonderfull troubles beganne to rise whereof in the end of the Historie of the first troubles wee meane to speake for now wee must returne vnto the principall instruments of the most bloodiest Tragedie that euer was seene in France Presently after the returne of Francourt and Beza those of Guise the Constable the Marshall de Saint Andre and after the King of Nauarre openly holding with them arriued in Parris from whence they constrained the Prince of Conde beeing very weake with a Towne beeing his enemie and such as in short space might swallow vppe both him and his The Prince went to Meaux thē to Orleans if they had beene tenne times as many more to withdrawe himselfe vnto the Towne of Meaux with a good troupe of Gentlemen It was straunge that as then his enemies fell not vppon him but the haste they had to assure themselues of Parris and the king and the feare that at that entrance she should bee constrained to fight and to hazard them ouermuch caused them to worke by great The Prince beeing at Meaux wrote vnto the Admirall and other Lords sending them word that want of courage had not constrained him to leaue Parris but rather want of ayde and that with all speed they should meete him which they did all armed which those of the contrary part had alreadie opēly discouered and beeing in minde to withdrawe themselues and to retire men came vnto them from all places and the Prince determining to ride vnto the Court to the end that beeing strong about the king who as then laye at Fontainbleau hee might constraine his enemies to seeke to agree hee vnderstood that they had gotten both the king and the Court into their power in such sort that the Prince rode towards Orleans whereon hee ceased and there beganne to take order in his affaires while those of Guise ledde the King and Queene to the Castle of Melun and that in the most part of the Prouinces of the Realme they vsed those of the religion withall the insolencies and cruelties that possibly may bee deuised From Melun the King and Queene were brought to Parris where the Constable had ouerthrowne and defaced ihe places Beginning of the first and horrible troubles in France where those of the religion vsed to assemble The people beginning to mutin to assemble in great troupes in such manner that both there and in other places where those of the Romish Church were strongest those of the religion receiued such entertainment as the most cruell Barbarians would haue beene ashamed to vse it which likewise in some places mooued those of the religion whereby the Churches Images some Priests and others bare away the blowes But this was little or nothing in respect of all the mischiefe that those of the Romish Churches indured throughout France in those first troubles in comparison of the miseries which those of the religion indured in one of the seuenteene Prouinces as the Histories published by Iohn le Frere de Laual Belleforest Monluc and others of the Guises part do witnesse and thereat reioyce and make great triumph If the massacre of Vassy had not chanced the Prince and the Admirall had bin constrained eyther to loose all or to haue forsaken the Realme because that before that time they neuer thought vppon defence The euill committed at Vassy cause of some good nor of any thing that after happened and fell out much lesse to bee offensiue The edict of Ianuary and the Queenes promises staying their hands but when the Lords and great Gentlemen of the religion dispearsed throughout the Realme had once heard of that bloodie exploit committed by the Duke of Guise by little
Villebon Bailiffe of Roan ceased vpon Pont de l'Arche the Baron de Clere took Caudebec the one aboue the other belowe the riuer of Siene Whereby it prooued great discommoditie for the Towne of Roan that by those meanes could get no victualls by water besides the ceasing of the Courts of iustice the staye of trade of merchandise and all sorts of handy workes these discommodities made the Citizens to looke vnto themselues In the beginning of Iune Villebon came with great troupes to besiege Saint Catherins fort where in a fierce skirmish he lost his cornet and fourteene men and they of the fort 8. mē Presētly after him came the Duke de Aumale Saint Catherins Fort besieged gaue an alarme vnto the Towne where presently he lost 25. of his horsemen But for renenge he assayd all means he could to impeach the Towne of Roan from necessary prouisions But not long after it was relieued by Monsieur de Moruilliers sent thither by the Prince from Orleans assisted by Monsieur de Languetot a gentleman of great wisdome The Duke d'Aumale dispersed the Churches of those of the religiō in Hafleur Montuilier and l'Islebonne where he hanged three auncients and three Gentlemen of the Religion And not long after besieged Saint Catherins fort with thirteene Cannons and two coluerins where Monsieur de Languetot had his legge shotte off with a great peece whereof hee died Many skirmishes beeing daylie performed between them till in the end the Duke left the Fort and fledde from thence and within fiue daies after beeing before Ponteau de Mer faining to parley with them within the Towne he surprised them vppon a suddaine and so entered by force where hee vsed all kind of hostilitie specially vppon the Minister named Brionne and the third day after hee besieged and tooke Honfleur The sixe and twentieth of August the Parliament of Roane being at Louniers made a declaration whereby those of the religion in Normandie were declared Traitors permitting all men Declaration of the Parliament of Roane against those of the religion that eyther would or had the meanes to spoyle and ouerrunne them wholly disallowing the edict of Ianuary established the Inquisition of Spaine and appoynted the Duke d'Aumale Lieftenant for the King And by that declaration and sentence this Court of Parliament executed many of the religion commanding all such as would not make profession of the Romish religion to depart out of the Towne of Louuiers within foure and twentie houres after vpon paine of confiscation both of body and goods On the other side they draue all the Friers out of Roane and hauing discouered treason pretended by some of their companions they tooke order therein from thence forward The siege of Roane giuing good eye to those of the Romish religion whereof they thrust out great numbers In August Monsieur de Moruilliers withdrew himselfe from Roane and kept himselfe peaceably within his house and so continued during the warres neuer forsaking the open profession of the religion In the meane time Monsieur de Montgommery was by those of Roane desired to assist them which hee presently did and arriued at Roane vppon the 18. of September within rennedaies after the Towne was summoned to yeelde it selfe vnto the armie of the Triumuirat whose campe wherein were the king the Queen and the king of Nauarre being composed of sixteen thousand foot and two thousand horse besides Rutters and Lansquenets came before the Towne where at their arriuall they had a hotte and fierce skirmish which continued all that day and three daies after successiuely The fixt of October the king armie hauing intelligence from Captaine Louis out of Saint Catherins Saint Catherins fort taken for they surprised it by force wherein they slewe al they found And Louis himselfe ayding the enemie to mount vp was slaine by one of his Souldiers another fort called Montgommery was taken by the like means where the Queene-mother ledde the king beeing but twelue yeares of age to see the dead bodies of the women and made him behold them bathing in their blood The thirteenth of October an assault was giuen vnto the Towne but they within repulsed the enemie where some couragious women bringing meate vnto the souldiers were slaine The next day they gaue another assault at the Rampart of Saint Hilary but were repulsed and for the space of 6. houres that the skirmish indured they lost to the number of eight hundreth of their best souldiers and they within foure or fiue hundreth accounting women and children that were slaine with the Artillerie The same day the king of Nauarre beeing visited by a certaine Lord told him Hurt and death of the King of Nauarre that if hee escaped safely from that siege hee would neuer beare armes againe for that quarrell but the next day he would go see the trenches where by fortune as hee made water he was striken with a Harquebushotte into the shoulder which done hee was borne by certaine Gentlemen to his lodging at Dartenal where the Surgians vsed all the meanes they could to get out the bullet but hauing deferred it ouerlong they could not one of the Phisitians named Vincentius a voluptious man entertained him with sports and companies of Gentlewomē among therest a Gentlewoman named Rouet came to see him which was some meanes to inflame his wound and hauing intelligence that Roane was taken he was borne thither where gouerning not himselfe as his wound and time required it began to growe to further paine and in the end a feuer tooke him wherwith he began to be faint and thē perceiued they had deceiued him Notwithstanding his seruāts had so great credit with him that they caused him to be cōfessed to receiue the Sacrament after the Romish maner The other of his Phisitians called Raphuel being of the religiō vttered many reasons vnto him so farre that he seemed to charge him with sin against the holy Ghost wherevnto hee answered nothing but lay still Not long after the Queen aduertised by his Phisitians that he could not liue being come to see him willed some of his men to read vnto him Shee being departed hee commaunded Raphael to take the Bible and to read the Historie of Iob which beeing done adding therevnto certaine wordes of the iustice and mercie of God the king beeing mooued in spirit lifting vp his hands vnto heauen and with teares in his eyes hee asked mercie of God making a large and ample declaration of his faith protesting that if it pleased God to graunt him life hee would cause the Gospell to bee preached throughout the Realme of France His disease waxing more vehement and Raphael continually attending vppon him hauing made his will hee caused himselfe to bee borne into a boate to go to Saint Maur des Fosses hard by Parris But not long after his entrie into the boate a great cold ceased vppon him and therevppon insued a sweate wherewith hee beganne to talke idly