hauing discouered the abuse which they brought into the Church they condemned them for heretickes and deliuered them to the secular power so they call their Magistrates Now this seemed vnto them a cruell simplicitie in the said Magistrates to giue faith to persons passionate and not indifferent such as the aforesaid Priests were and to put to death so many poore innocent people neuer hearing them or examining the cause The tenth calumnie was to make them odious to Kings and Princes that is to say that a lay man in the state of grace had greater authoritie then a Prince liuing in his sinnes Against this imposture they affirme In the booke of the causes of their separation frō the Church of Rome p. 41. that euery one must be subiect to those that are in authoritie obey them loue them be at peace with them honour them with double honour in subiection and obedience and readinesse paying vnto them that which is their due The eleuenth calumnie was grounded vpon that assertion of the Waldenses that the Pope had no authoritie ouer the Kings and Princes of the earth who depend immediatly vpon God alone For from thence they take occasion to call them Manichees as appointing two Princes Against this imputation they say In the booke of the treasure of faith art 2. We beleeue that the holy Trinitie hath created all things visible and inuisible and that he is Lord of things celestiall terrestiall and infernall as it is said in S. Iohn All things are made by him and without him nothing is made The beginning of this calumnie was taken out of the Extrauagantes of Pope Boniface 8. who subiecting the authoritie of Emperours vnto his saith of his owne Quicunque huic potestati resistit Dei ordinationi resistit nisi duo sicut Manichaeus fingat esse principia De Maiorit obedientia Can. Vnam sanctam l. 1. tom 8. The twelfth calumnie imports thus much that they held that whatsoeuer is done with a good intention is good and that euery one shall be saued in whatsoeuer is done with the said good intention To this imposture we need no other answer then that which the Monke Raynerius who was alwaies their back-friend saith elsewhere Rain lib. de forma haeretic art 38. that is that they maintaine that euery man is saued by his faith which he cals a Sect. It is very necessary that a lyer should haue a better memorie then to affirme things contradictorie And to shew that they made no profession of any such beleefe that may suffice that they haue said against Antichrist That he hath brought these errors into the Church vnder a colour of good intention and a shew of faith The thirteenth calumnie was that they maintaine that a man may kill or detaine from the Priests their tithes without scruple of conscience It is certaine that if the Waldenses had power to employ their tithes to some other vse then to the nourishment of those whom they find to be dumbe dogs drowsie watchmen slow bellies seducing and being seduced they had done it It appeareth by the processe against the Waldenses of Dauphiné by Albert de Capitaneis other Monkes Inquisitors but there was neuer any as yet that hath occasioned the least troubles that may be in that regard It well appeareth that in whatsoeuer depended on their owne wils they haue neuer offered more or lesse vnto those people taking no thought for their Masses and Trentals after their death the which the Priests complaine of and from thence take occasion to accuse them for heretickes And as touching reuenge heare what they say The Lord knowing that we shall be deliuered saith In the booke of the Waldenses intituled of Tribulations p. 274. Beware of men but he doth not teach or counsell any of his chosen to kill any but rather to loue their enemies When his disciples said vnto him in the ninth of S. Luke Wilt thou that we command that fire come downe from heauen and consume them Christ answered and said Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of Againe the Lord saith vnto Peter Put vp thy sword into thy sheath c. For temporall aduersities are to be contemned and patiently to be endured for there happeneth nothing therein that is new We are here the Lords floore to be beaten as the corne when it is separated from the chaffe The last calumnie of the Waldenses which we haue gathered out of the writings of their aduersaries is that which Claud. Rubis layes vpon them as a foule aspersion Claud. Rubis in his historie of Lions p. 269. in his Historie of the Citie of Lions That being retired vnto the Alpes at their departure from Lions they became like the rest of the people of that countrey beesome riders And he is not content to tie himselfe to the Vaudois onely but he addeth These are things that ordinarily follow one another Heresie and Sorcerie as it is verified saith he in our times in those Cities and Prouinces that haue giuen entertainment vnto heresie We will first iustifie the Waldenses and then answer Rubis in the behalfe of those Cities and Prouinces which he hath inclosed within this calumnie All they offend against the first Commandemēt say the Vaudois in the exposition of the first Commandement that beleeue that the Planets can enforce the will of man These kind of men as much as in them lies accompt the Planets as gods for they attribute vnto the creature that which belongs vnto the Creator Against which the Prophet Ieremie 10. speaketh Learne not the way of the heathen and be not dismayed at the signes of heauen for the heathen are dismayed at them And S. Paul in the fourth to the Galathians Ye obserue moneths and dayes and times and yeares but I am afraid of you lest I haue bestowed vpon you labour in vaine All they offend against this commandement that beleeue Sorcerers and Soothsayers for these men beleeue the diuels are gods The reason is because they aske of diuels that which God alone can giue that is to manifest things hidden and to foreshew the truth of things to come which is forbidden of God Leuit. 19.31 Regard not them that haue familiar spirits neither seeke after wizards to be defiled with them And in the 20.6 The soule that turneth after such as haue familiar spirits and after wizards to go a whoring after them I will set my face against that soule and will cut him off from amongst his people And in the last verse of that Chapter A man or woman that hath a familiar spirit or that is a wizard shall surely be put to death they shall stone them with stones their bloud shall be vpon them As touching the punishment of this sinne and the vengeance that God taketh vpon such a one we reade in the 2. Kings 1.3 that the Angell of the Lord sent vnto Elijah to meete the messengers of Ahaziah and to say vnto them
them This Bishop not being satisfied by this triall sent a companie of yong Doctors that came lately from Sorbonne to confound them by the subtiltie of their questions But one there was among the rest that said at his returne with a lowde voice that he had learned more touching the doctrine necessarie to saluation in attending to the answers of the little children of the Waldenses in their catechizings then in all the disputations of diuinitie which he had euer heard in Paris Bernard de Girard Lord of Haillan saith Bern. de Gir. in his history of Fraunce lib. 10. that the Waldenses haue bene charged with more wicked opinions then they held because saith he they stirred the Popes and great men of the world to hate them for the libertie of their speech which they vsed in condemning the vices and dissolute behauiour of Princes and Ecclesiasticall persons King Lewis 12. hauing bene informed by the enemies of the Waldenses dwelling in Prouence Vesemb in his Oration of the Waldenses of many grieuous crimes which were imposed vpon them sent to make inquisition in those places the Lord Adam Fumee maister of Requests a Doctor of Sorbon called Parui who was his Confessour They visited all their Parishes and Temples and found neither images nor so much as the least shew of any ornaments belonging to their Masses and ceremonies of the Church of Rome much lesse any such crimes as were imposed vpon them but rather that they kept their Sabbathes duely causing their children to be baptized according to the order of the Primatiue Church teaching them the Articles of the Christian faith and the Commandements of God The king hearing the report of the said Commissioners said and he bound it with an oath that they were better men then he or his people The same king vnderstanding that in Dauphiney namely in the valley of Fraissiniere It appeareth by the memorials of the Archbishop of Ambrun named Rostain in the Diocesse of Ambrun there were a certaine people that liued like beasts without religion hauing an euill opinion of the Romish religion he sent a Confessour of his with the Officiall of Orleans to bring him true information thereof This Confessour with his colleague came vnto the place where they examined the Waldenses dwelling in the said valley touching their beleefe and conuersation The Archbishop of Ambrun who made account that the goods of the said Waldenses were annexed to the demaine of his Archbishopricke as being confiscable for the cause of heresie pressed the aforesaid Commissioners speedily to condemne them for heretickes but the said Commissioners would not obey his desire but rather iustified thē as much as in them lay insomuch that before their departure the said Confessour of the king in his chamber at the signe of the Angell in Ambrun wished in the presence of many that he were as good a Christian as the worst of the said valley of Fraissiniere King Francis the first of that name Ioachim Camer in his historie pag. 352. and successour to Lewis 12. vnderstanding that the Parliament of Prouence had laid heauie burthens vpon the Waldenses dwelling at Merindol and Cambriers and other places thereabout desired to be informed of the beleefe life and conuersation of the said Waldenses and to that end commanded William de Belay Lord of Langeay at that time his Lieutenant in Piemont to make a diligent inquiry into those affaires whereupon the said Lord sent into Prouence two honest reuerent men to whom he gaue in charge to make inquiry both of the liues and religion of the Waldenses as also of the proceedings of the Court of Parliament against them These two deputies to the Lord de Langeay reported that the greatest part of the countrie of Prouence did affirme that the said Waldenses were a kind of people very painfull and that about two hundred yeares since they departed from the countrie of Piemont and came to dwell in Prouence and taking vpon them the profession of husbandmen and sheepheards they made many villages that were destroyed in the wars and other desart sauage places very fertile by their labours And that they had found by informations in the said countrie of Prouence that the aforesaid men of Merindol were a peaceable people beloued of their neighbours men of a good and godly conuersation carefull to keepe their promises and to pay their debts without suites of law very charitable not suffering any amongst them to fall into want and beggery liberall to strangers and poore passengers to the vtmost of their power As also that the inhabitants of Prouence did affirme that they of Merindol were knowne from others of the countrie because they could neuer be perswaded to blaspheme or so much as to name the diuell or in any sort to sweare except it were vpon certaine contracts or in iudgement And that they were likewise knowne by this that whensoeuer they fell into company of such as vsed either idle or wanton or blasphemous discourse against the honour of God they presently departed Thus you see how many of the aduersaries of the Waldenses haue giuen honourable reports of them enforced thereunto by the force of truth it selfe Let vs now see in what esteeme they haue bene with those that succeeded them in the same beleefe CHAP. VI. Testimonies giuen of the Waldenses by many great personages that haue made profession of the reformed religion Beza in his historie of worthy men THeodor Beza calleth the Waldenses the seed of the most pure ancient Christian Church which was miraculously preserued in the middest of the darknesse and errours which haue bene hatched by Satan in these latter times Constans vpon the Reuelation Const vpon the Apocalypse sheweth that the reformatiō of the Church in the Westerne parts of the world began in France by the meanes of Waldo and that from this source it spread it selfe through the rest of Europe Bullinger in the Preface of his sermons vpon the Reuelation Bullinger speakes thus of the Waldenses What should we say saith he that aboue foure hundred yeares since throughout France Italy Germany Poland Bohemia and other countries and kingdomes of the world the Waldenses haue made profession of the Gospell of Christ Iesus and in many their writings and continuall preachings accused the Pope to be the true Antichrist of whom the Apostle Saint Iohn had prophesied and therefore we were to flie from him These people being tortured with diuerse most cruell torments haue with vnspeakable constancie giuen testimony of their faith by glorious martyrdomes and the like they suffer euen at this very day It is beyond the power of man to banish them or to roote them out notwithstanding it haue bene often attempted by most mightie kings and Princes stirred vp by the Pope but it is God saith he that hath hindred all their violent outrages Vesembecius in his Oration of the Waldenses Luther confessed that he hated the Waldenses as
the end of their confiscations haue held diuers tearmes against iustice VVe haue declared and doe declare by these Presents that we will not from hence forward for the said cause haue any confiscations taken leuied or exacted for vs or by our Officers and whatsoeuer right may come vnto vs we doe acquit our selues off and remit vnto the children or other inheritours thereof against whomsoeuer shall pretend aright to those confiscations As also to meet with those fraudes and abuses offered by the said Inquisitors of the faith we haue forbid and doe forbid that any man suffer any of the said Inquisitors of the faith to proceed from hence forward against any of the said Inhabitants of our country of Dauphine nor restraine any of them for the cause aboue mentioned without expresse letters from our selfe touching that matter Moreouer we haue forbid and doe forbid for the cause aforesaid and the like any of our Iudges and Officers of our Subiects to vndertake any iurisdiction or knowledge but all causes and proces in the said case to be sent vnto vs and those of our grand Counsell to vs to whom and not vnto others wee haue reserued the hearing and determination Wee therefore command and directly enioyne you that our Letters be put in execution from point to point according to the forme aboue said and not other waies as in such case is requisite For it is our pleasure it should bee done and to doe it we giue you full power and authority and commission and speciall commandement We charge and command all our Iustices Officers Subiects Commissioners and Deputies 1478. to giue their assistance for the due obedience thereunto Giuen at Arras the 18 of May 1578. The Arch-bishop of Ambrun ceaseth not to proceed against the accused yea he was much more animated then before grounding himself vpon that clause of the aforesaid Letters If there bee not any found rebellious and refractary and that obstinately harden themselues in their opinions And therefore he pretended not to doe any thing against the aforesaid Letters because they that had obtained them made not their appearance in iudgement for their iustification verifying that they were neither obstinate nor rebellious Moreouer the Arch-bishop extorted from the one part of the Inhabitants af Frassiniere Argentiere and the valley Loyse a disclaiming of those requests presented to the King declaring that there were no people in Dauphine lesse free from Heresie then they that were most forward to purge themselues before the King He caused information againe to be made and that which we haue obserued in the said informatiōs is that the witnesses produced by the Arch-bishop were almost all Priests or Officers of the said Arch-bishop as namely William Chabassal Canon of Ambrun Francis Magnici Priest of the valley Loyse Rostain Payan Curat of Saint Marcelin Anthony Garneri Priest Aimar Raimond Chaplin Michael Pierre Curat of Frassinieres al which deposed that all they that had recours vnto King Lewis the eleuenth were Waldenses The Arch-bishop being thus strengthned by their disclaime and these witnesses and the assertion of one Iohn Pelegrin who was corrupted with siluer to accuse the VValdenses of such ancient calumnies as long since haue been laid vpon the Christians of the Primatiue Church that is that they assembled themselues together in darke places to commit whoredom the candels being put out he sent to the Court to iustifie himself against those informations giuen to the King that the pursued the Waldenses rather to get their goods then for any zeale hee bare to the Catholicke faith but this onely witnes preuailed but little against many other who would neuer depose any thing against their cōscience that they had euer seen amongst the Waldenses any thing that had but the least appearance of that villany wherewith the aforesaid false witnes had charged them Neuertheles the Arch-bishop ceaseth not to annoy the foresaid accused to the vttermost of his power in such sort that wanting meanes to defray the charge the greatest part of them betooke themselues to flight there being only amongst those that were persecuted one Iames Patineri who openly auerred the vniust vexation to the preiudice of the Letters obtained of his maiesty and demanded a coppy of the proceeding that hee might right himselfe by Law The Arch-bishop leaues him in peace pursuing those that wanted courage to oppose themselues against his violences But the Consuls of Frassiniere Michael Ruffi and Iohn Girand sped not so well For hauing been cited to appeare before the said Arch-bishop to answere both in their owne name and of the inhabitants of their Valley hauing answered that they had nothing to say before the said Arch-Bishop because their cause was then depending before the King and his Counsell which they then openly auerred and demanded a Coppy off being pressed to answere notwithstanding their protestations and auerment to the contrary Michael Ruffi answered in his owne language and nodding his head Veici rages and vpon a new instance or importunity veici vna bella raison the Arch-bishop being strangely moued against the said Consuls for this their contempt sent them to the fire without any other Indictment But the Arch-bishop staied not long after them for he died and not without an euident proofe of the iustice of God presently after the said execution Thus ended the persecution of the said Arch-bishop and his Commissioner Iohn Veileti in the yeere one thousand foure hundred eighty seuen 1487. Now we may obserue one notorious villany in the proces framed by this Monke Veileti For hauing the said proces in our hands we found certaine bils or tickets in which the said Commissary tooke the answeres of those that were accused simply as they were taken from their mouthes but wee haue afterwards found them strangly stretched and extended in the proces and many times quite contrary to that which was in the sumptum as they call it inuerting and altering the intention of the said accused making him to say that which hee neuer thought of as for example Inquire whether hee beleeued that after the words of the Sacrament were pronounced by the Priest in the Masse the body of Christ was in the Hoste in as grosse a manner and as great as it was vpon the crosse If the Waldenses shall answere no Veileti sets downe the answere thus That hee had confessed that he beleeued not in God or at least wise his Scribe he dictating it Againe Inquire whether wee ought not to pray vnto Saints If he answere no they set it down that he railed and spake ill of the Saints Inquire whether we are to reuerence the Virgin Mary and pray vnto her in our necessities If hee answere no They set it downe in writing that he spake blasphemy against the virgin Mary Behold here the fidelity of the said Monkes inquisitors in an action so important and it could not be without the great prouidence of God that such impiety should be conserued and
dignity Episcopall rather by suspensions then excommunications and that I was a Iudge as well as he and more then that Ordinary I asked the Copy of their Commissions terminum ad respondendum according to the forme of the Law written Then Mousieur the Confessor answered that he had vsed the said Censures and Commands not long before against the Masters of the Parliament of Grenoble and that therefore he might vse it against my selfe Replying also vnto me You petty Clarkes know nothing but two C. C. Codice Capitulo and two ff Digestis and will take vpon you to suppresse Diuinity and that he heard the King speake it out of his owne mouth that the Arch-bishop of Ambrun would oppose himselfe against his Commission and bee an open accuser of the Waldenses To whom I answered that hee must pardon me for I did not beleeue but that the King had a better opinion of me because in this matter I had neuer trauelled but to a good end as I alwaies intended to doe Then Monsieur the Confessor continuing in his discourse spake these words Vos ad me in modum Scribarum Pharisaeorum Christum accusantium ad Pilatum accessistis cum tantis viris Ecclesiasticis ad terrendum me sed nihil teneo sub vobis aut domino vestro de nihilo vos timeo That is to say You are come vnto mee as the Scribes and Pharisies when they accused Christ before Pilate and with so many Ecclesiasticall persons to terrifie mee but I hold nothing vnder you or your dominion and I feare you not at all To which I answered that I brought no more with mee then those that were accustomed to beare mee company walking through the Citty And suddenly he commanded the lay-people to auoid the chamber then reuoked the sentences which hee had thundred out against mee against all forme of law saying that it was expedient to vse those rigorous tearmes in the presence of the lay-people and especially there being some of the Waldenses present as more at large touching the kind carriage of Monsier the Confessor and of matters aboue spoken of it appeares by a publike instrument Thus you see part of the notes of the Arch-bishop Rostain set downe word by word wherein we finde fundry falshoods as for example He writ in great griefe that the said Commissioners heard not aboue three or foure witnesses and we finde in the said bundle of writings for remembrance of the Arch-bishop Rostain a Coppy of informations wherein there were foure and twenty witnesses heard and examined Againe he saith that they asked no other question but if they were good Catholikes or no to which being well taught they answered yea and with that answere the Commissioners contented themselues And yet it appeareth that they demanded diuers questions touching the Eucharist Purgatory Inuocation of Saints and diuers other points Againe he saith that the witnesses were fearefull and durst not speake and yet it plainly appeareth that the witnesses produced were for the most part Priests and Monkes of the faction of the Arch-bishop exhibited by him Againe that they suffered nothing to be set downe in writing whereas it appeareth that there are no Indictments where there is more written then in those that were framed by the said Commissioners But that which troubled the Arch-bishop most was that the said Commissioners gaue sentence of absolution touching Contumacy sine praeiudicio causae principalis iuris cuicunque acquisiti against which the Arch-bishop protested and would not yeeld his consent to seale the said sentence complaining that Monsieur the Officiall of Orleans had made knowen by his proceedings that he fauoured the said Waldenses especially hauing said openly at his lodgiug at the signe of the Angell in Ambrun that he desired to be but as good a Christian as the worst of Frassiniere But the greatest hurt came to himselfe for he saw that hee must restore diuers viniards belonging to the said Waldenses situated at S. Clements S. Crespin and at the place Chanteloube and diuers inheritances at Chateau-Roux which his Predecessor named Iohn had ioyned to the Demaine of his Arch-bishopricke The Confessor of the King hauing reported vnto him and to his Counsell what he knew touching the Waldenses and how they were absolued of their contumacy did ordaine that the goods of the said Waldenses should be restored whereupon these Letters following were granted by King Lewis the twelfth of that name Lewis by the grace of God King of France c. FOr as much as it is come to our knowledge that the Inhabitants of Frassiniere haue endured great troubles and vexations punishments and trauels VVe desiring to releeue them and that they should be restored to their goods moueables and immoueables do by these Presents command all those that detaine the said goods that incontinently and without delay they desist and renounce the said goods and restore them to the said Suppliants or their Atturneies for them euery one in his place and ranke And in case of opposition refusall or delay Wee hauing regard to their pouerty and misery wherein they haue a long time and now are detained without power to obtaine iustice desiring withall Our heart it should bee administred vnto them Our will is to take notice thereof in Our owne proper person warning all those that shall oppose themselues or make delay to appeare before Vs at a certaine competent day c. Giuen at Lion the twelfth of Oct. 1501. These Letters being executed it was the opinion of most men that since the fairest and best part of the goods of the said Waldenses was possessed by the Lord Arch-bishop that there was great reason that hee should giue example vnto others seeing especially that that which they held came vnto some of them as a sallary or fee for their punishments and by the hands of the Arch-bishop Iohn his Predecessor The Arch-bishop Rostain answered that he held none of the goods of the Frassinieres onely certaine goods had been annexed to his Arch-bishopricke vpon good and iust cause and incorporated to his Church by his Predecessor the said goods being within the territories and iurisdiction thereof in which no commandement of the King hath euer been accustomed to be executed and therefore it is not to bee beleeued that it commeth from the will of the King being Protector of the Churches and following the example of his great predecessors But yet neuerthelesse the said Arch-bishop being willing to please our Lord the King will bee content to yeeld vnto the said Inhabitants of Frassiniere the said vineyards vpon condition that other the Lords and Masters of Dauphine deliuer that which they haue of the said goods and then the Arch-bishop will be content to restore that which hee and his Church doe possesse Thus these poore people were frustrated of their attempt For there was not any one that would restore any thing of that which he detained And therefore they summoned before the King
the faith is as wee haue promised when we were baptized being little infants As also in remembrance of that great benefit which Iesus Christ hath done vnto vs when hee died for our redemption washing vs with his most pretious bloud These Articles being resolued vpon by them astonished the Priests that were amongst them to gather vp the reuenewes of their Cures being out of all hope to see those people reclaimed and brought vnto the obedience of the Church of Rome by any force much lesse of their owne acord and perceiuing the dore to be shut against their gaine they retired themselues without speaking a word Vpon this their retrait the Masse vanished of it selfe in the Valleys of the said Waldenses And because they had onely the new Testament and some bookes of the old translated into the Waldensian tongue they resolued speedily to send to the presse the whole Bible their bookes being onely manuscripts and those but a few They sent therfore to Newcastle in Suitzerland Suisse See the Ecclesiasticall History of the Churches of France pag. 37 where they gaue fifteene hundred crownes of gold to a Printer who brought to light the first impression of the French Bible which was seen in France and incontinently in the yeere one thousand fiue hundred thirty six they sent to Geneua one Martin Gonin 1536. to prouide a large supply of such bookes which he should see to bee fit for the instruction of the people but they were frustrated of their intent because this good man was apprehended for a Spy passing ouer the hill de Gap by a certaine Gentleman named George Martin Lord de Champolion and so soone as hee was knowne to be a Waldensian he was sent to Grenoble and there kept in prison In the booke of Martyrs of our time lib. 3 fol. III. and afterwards in the night-time cast into the Riuer Lyzere for feare lest hee should speake of his beliefe before the people for the Monke Inquisitor that deliuered him to the secular power told them that it was not good that the world should hare him because saith hee it is to bee feared that they that heare him may become worse then himselfe There happened warres in Piedmont betweene King Francis the first of that name and the Prince of Piedmont which fell out happily for these poore people for so long as those confusions continued they were at quiet vntill Pope Paul the third of that name sollicited the Parliament of Turin to take some violent course against them in doing iustice vpon them as vpon pernicious Heretickes whensoeuer they should bee deliuered into their hands by the Inquisitors This Parliament caused a great number to be burnt at Turin in immitation of other Parliaments in France who burnt in those times those they called Lutherans They had recourse vnto the King presenting vnto him their petition that they might not be persecuted by the said Parliament for the profession of that Religion in the which they and their ancestors had liued for many hundred yeeres and that by the permission of their Princes But they made it worse with them then it was before for the King enioyned them to liue according to the laws of the Church of Rome vpon paine to bee chastised as Heretickes He likewise commanded the Court of Parliament at Turin to cause all his Subiects within their iurisdiction to professe his religion Adding withall that he did not burne the Lutherans throughout his whole Kingdome of France to make a reseruation of them among the Alpes The Parliament endeuoured speedily to put the commandement of the King in execution and for that cause enioyned them vpon paine of their liues to quit themselues presently of their Ministers and to receiue Priests to sing Masse liuing after the manner of other the Kings subiects They answered that they could not obey any such commands against the commandement of God whom in what belonges vnto his seruice they would rather obey then men But had not the King at that time had other imployments elsewhere without all doubt this Parliament would haue made them doe that by force which they would not be brought vnto by simple commands They therefore contented themselues to prosecute them by the Inquisition and to receiue from the Monkes those they condemned to the fire But afterwards in the yeere 1555 they increased the persecution 1555. For hauing condemned to the fire one Barthelmew Hector a Stationer who was executed at Turin because hee died with admirable constancy insomuch that hee edified the assistants and standers by in such manner that he drew teares from their eyes and words of compassion from their mouthes iustifying him with a mutuall applause which they gaue of his good speeches and prayers vnto God The Parliament tooke occasion herupon to do their best endeauor to ouerthrow this profession in the very source and to vse the authority of the King to enforce this people to liue vnder the lawes of the Church of Rome In the Booke of the martyrs of our time lib. 8. fol 122. or miserably to perish To this end and purpose the Parliament of Turin deputed a certaine President of Saint Iulian and a Collaterall named de Ecclesia to transport themselues vnto those places and there to put in practice whatsoeuer they thought good either to reduce or to exterminate the said people with promise to assist them with whatsoeuer shall be needfull to this purpose according to the aduise and counsell they should receiue from them This President with his Collaterall ttooke their iourney to Perouse and caused Proclamations publikly to be made in the name of the King that euery one of the Inhabitants was to goe to Masse vpon paine of his life Afterwards they came to Pignerol where they cited many to appeare before them Amongst others there appeared a poore simple labouring man whom the President commanded to cause his child to be re-baptized which had lately been baptized by the minister of Saint Iohn neere Angrongne This poore man requested so much respite as that he might pray vnto God before hee answered him Which being granted with some laughter he fell downe vpon his knees in the presence of all that were there and his prayer being ended he said to the President that hee would cause his childe to be re-baptised vpon condition that the said President would discharge him by a bill signed with his owne hand of the sinne which he should commit in causing it to be re-baptized and beare one day before God the punishment and condemnation which should befall him taking this iniquity vpon him and his Which the President vnderstanding hee commanded him out of his presence not pressing him any farther Now hauing framed diuers indictments against some particular persons of the said Valleys and made some collections of whatsoeuer the President could imagine might hurt the people hee assayed also to winne them by the preachings of the Monkes whom he brought with him into
it with the losse of our liues goods and honours and to continue therein the remainder of our liues And if any shall pretend that we are in an error we require him to make vs see our error and offer incontinently to abiure and do likewise promise to follow that which shall be proued vnto vs to be the better desiring nothing so much as with an assured and safe conscience to follow the true and lawfull seruice which we poore creatures owe vnto our Creator and by that meanes to attaine to the true and eternall felicity But if any shall goe about by force and constraint to cause vs to forsake and abandon the true way of our saluation and to enforce vs to follow the errours and superstitions and false doctrines inuented by men wee desire a great deale rather to abandon our houses our goods and liues too We therefore humbly beseech his Highnesse whom we acknowledge to bee our lawfull Prince and Lord not to suffer vs to molested without cause but rather permit vs to continue so long as wee liue and our children and posterity after vs in that obedience and seruice which vnto this day wee haue rendred vnto him as faithfull and loyall Subiects and so much the rather because we demand no other thing of him but that we yeelding faithfully vnto him that which we are bound vnto by the expresse commandement of God it may likewise bee lawfull for vs to render vnto God that homage and seruice which wee owe vnto him and he requires at our hands in his holy word Beseeching in the meane time in the middle of our exile and calamity the Reformed Churches to hold vs and acknowledge vs to bee true members therereof being willing to seale with our blood if God will haue it so the Confession of faith made and published by them which we acknowledge in all things and throughout conformable to the doctrine taught and written by the holy Apostles and therefore truely Apostolicall Wee promise to liue and die therein And if so doing we be afflicted and persecuted we yeeld hearty thanks vnto God who hath done vs that honour to suffer for his name leauing the issue of our affaires and the iustice of our cause in the hands of his diuine prouidence who will deliuer vs when and by what meanes it pleaseth him Humbly beseeching him that as he hath the hearts of Kings and Princes in his hands he will be pleased to mollifie the heart of his Highnesse to take pitty of those that haue neuer offended him or purpose to offend him to the end hee may hold and acknowledge those to be more faithfull loyall and obedient to his seruice then they are that prouoke him to such persecutions In the the meane time that hee would bee pleased to support vs in the middest of these temptations and strengthen vs with Patience and Constancy to perseuere in the profession of the truth vnto the end of our liues and our posterity after vs Amen This persecution hath cotinued vnto this present time at the instance of Pope Paul the fift and his Nuntio who still troubleth and vexeth this poore people by his Monkes the Inquisitors They haue made some to alter their opinions who had no power to quit themselues of their goods but haue accommodated themselues to the world but the greatest number persisted constant in calling on the name of God chusing rather to be banished here on earth from their natiue countries then to be depriued of eternall life hating their Possessions their Country their Houses being the places where they could not inhabit whithout the deniall of Christ and his truth CHAP. VI. Of the Waldenses inhabiting in the New Lands and the persecutions which they haue suffered THe New lands of which wee are here to speake are in the Alpes in the Frontiers of Piedmont Dauphine and Prouence of which the cheefe Citty is Barcelona or Barcelonetie Within the said Lands there are certaine Villages which haue been peopled by the Waldenses time out of minde placed in the best part of the said Lands amongst others Iosiers These places haue continued a long time the Princes of Piedmont nothing regarding the abode of the said peoples within their Prouinces but the Priests made them odious to the world because they were vnprofitable vnto them by not liuing after the manner of other people who contributed vnto them for the liuing and for the dead in such sort that when his Highnesse persecuted in his state those that had quit themselues of the Lawes of the Romish Church these were not forgotten especially when the Gouernours of the said Valley opposed themselues against them These were therefore of the number of those that were summoned in the yeere 1576 to goe to the Masse or to forsake his Highnesse Country 1576. wherein they found not better meanes to helpe themselues then to ioyne themselues vnto others who being threatned with the same banishment had recourse to the Protestant Princes beseeching them to intercede for them to their Prince that he would be pleased not to trouble them in such manner for their beliefe which they had made profession off from the father to the sonne for many hundred yeeres during which time their Princes haue not had any Subiects that haue yeelded vnto them more faithfull obedience then they not giuing place vnto any other in their duties submissions and contributions which they haue alwaies most willingly payed to their Princes as they were still ready to continue yeelding obedience to their commands onely that that they might not be troubled in their consciences The Prince Palatine of the Rhine delegated to the Prince of Piedmont a Counseller of his State with certaine other honorable personages Being arriued at Turin they saluted his Highnesse in the name of the said Prince Palatine and deliuered their Letters of Credence He was heard by the Prince Emanuel Philibert very peaceably This Councellor gaue him to vnderstand that the onely charity of their Master towards Christians of the same Religion that he professed had moued him to mediate for them that his Highnesse would bee pleased to suffer them to liue peaceably in the exercise of their Religion not offering any violence to their consciences That he would account this benefit as done vnto himselfe and hee should oblige vnto him all the Protestant Princes of Germany who likewise made the selfesame request by their mouthes That he should haue God the more fauourable and his Subiects the more faithfull if he did not shew himselfe inexorable That the confusions that haue happened in all the States of Kings and Princes that haue indeauoured to raigne and reclaime the soules of their Subiects by armes and to reduce them by violence may make wise all other Princes which were not yet come to such extremities That forasmuch as they that haue not vsed rigorous courses haue won the hearts of their people to be more faithfull vnto them this meanes being in his power
the fire with pikes and holberds The rest of these men that were found hidden in the caues were brought into the Hall of the Castle where they were horribly massacred in the presence of the said Opede As for the women and children that were found in the Temple they were exposed to the chiefe Bauds and Ruffians of Anignon who slew about eight hundred persons without distinction of age or sexe About the end of this execution le Sieur de la Coste kinsman to Opede came thither who intreated him to send him some men of warre offering to bring all his souldiers into Aix and to make as many breaches in the wall as hee would which was granted by word of mouth but not wholly performed For three Ensignes of foot men were sent thither who pillaged whatsoeuer seemed good vnto them burnt a part of the Towne rauished women and their daughters and killed some Boores not finding any resistance In this meane time the rest of those of Merindol and other places were in great extremities in the mountaines and rockes persecuted by Opede and his army They intreated him that hee would permit them to retire themselues to Geneua with the rest of their wiues and children promising to leaue behind them all their goods Hee answered that hee would send them all to dwell in the Country of hell with all the diuels them their wiues and children in such a manner that there should be no memory left of them King Francis being aduertised of those cruelties that were executed in pursuit of the said arrest was much displeased therewith in such sort that at the very point of death being wounded with some remorse of conscience principally because it had all passed vnder his name and authority being sorry because hee could inflict no punishment vpon them before his death that had shed so much innocent blood hee gaue in charge to his sonne Henry to bee reuenged on them in prosecution whereof after the decease of his father hee sent out his Letters Patents in the yeere one thousand fiue hundred forty nine by which hee tooke vnto himselfe and into his owne hands the cause of the said Waldenses of Prouence but there was none but the Aduocate Guerin that was hanged because hee had falsty informed the King when hee kept backe the reuocation of the first retention of the cause of those of Merindoll whereupon presently followed the execution of the Arrest of the Court of Parliament of Aix And all the rest that were faulty escaped vpon this consideration that it was to no purpose to attempt any more against the Lutherans at that time Touching the rest that escaped this massacre some there were that retired themselues to Geneua others into Switzerland others into Germany and others continued neere thereabouts tilling their land by stealth and so by little and little returned home to their old habitations which they built and repaired at such times as they could by the benefit of the aforesaid Edicts and were afterwards the seed of many goodly Churches which at this day are gathered together flourishing in all piety and zeale as other Churches in the Kingdome of France CHAP. IX Of the Waldenses that did flie into Bohemia and those persecutions which they suffred that haue come to our knowledge DIuers haue written Albertus de Capitaneis lib. de origine Waldensium Thuanus in historia sui temporis pa. 457. Petrus Valdus eorum Antesignanus patria relicta in velgium venit atque in Picardiam quam hodie vocant multos sectatores nactus cum inde in Germaniam transisset per Vandalicas ciuitates diu diuersatus est ac postremo in Bohemia consedit See what is said of these two Barbes before in the first booke Chap. 9. that Waldo at his departure from Lion came into Dauphine and from thence hauing erected and ordered some Churches and laid the foundations of them which haue been miraculously preserued vnto this present time he went into Languedoc and there he left excellent Pastors who ordered and instructed those Churches that afterwards cost the Pope and his Clergy so much to destroy and from thence he went into Picardy from whence being chased he tooke his iourney into Germany and from Germany he retired himselfe into Bohemia where according to the opinion of some he ended his dayes The Waldenses inhabiting in Dauphine Piedmont and Prouence haue had communion and intelligence with their Brethren retired into Bohemia for proofe whereof we haue the message of Daniel de Valence and Iohn de Molin Pastors in Bohemia who did much hurt to the Churches of that Country by reuealing vnto the aduersaries those flockes or companies which before were hidden and vnknowne because of the great and grieuous persecutions that then were We haue also a certaine Apology of the Waldenses of Bohemia in the Waldensian tongue Vineaux in his memor fol. 15 in the forme of a Letter which they wirt to King Ladislaus wherof the Inscription is Al Serenissimo Princi Rey Lancelao A li Duc Barons a liplus veil del Regne Lo petit tropel de li Christians appella per falce nom falsament Pauuers o Valdes Gratia siaâ—en Dio lo Paire en Iesus lo Filli de luy This Letter makes proofe of the Communion which the Waldenses of Dauphine haue had with those of Bohemia in that they haue had in their language this Letter which containes a iust Apology against those impostures and other faults which in former times haue been imputed to the one and to the other and haue been common with the Christians of the primitiue Church We haue also in the same volume a treatise the inscription whereof is this Aico es la causa del nostre despartiment de la Gleisa Romana That is to say This is the cause of our separation from the Church of Rome Causes which haue been common with all those that haue withdrawen themselues from that Church for feare of participating of her plagues The Author of the Catalogue of witnesses of the truth Flat Ill. in catal test verit p. 116. makes mention of a certaine forme of Inquisition which was practised against the Waldenses of Bohemia vnder King Iohn which was about the yeere 1330. As also in another Inquisition this is noted that the Waldenses of Bohemia sent into Lombardy to the Waldensian Doctors those whom they would haue trained vp in the profession of Diuinity In the treatise of the beginning of the Churches of Bohemia Lib. de origine Ecclesiaris Bohemiae pa. 273. Sed cum oppressae tyrannide Pontificia conuentus publicos nullos haberent neque scripta horum extarent vilâ— ignotae nostris prorsus fuerc Esrom Rudiger in narratiancula de Ecclesijs fratrum in Bohemia Valdenses ad minimum CCXL annis originem nostram antecedunt at what time the doctrine of Iohn Hus was there receiued the Pastors Ancients and faithfull of Bohemia say that the Waldensian Churches of Bohemia had
Afterwards Arnold made a request that forasmuch as the Bishops and himselfe in the beginning of their conference were bound to proue whatsoeuer they affirmed by the onely word of God it might bee imposed vpon the Bishops and Priests to make good their Masse such as they sing it part by part to haue beene instituted by the Sonne of God and sung in the like manner by his Apostles beginning at the entrance vnto the Ite Missa est as they terme it but the Bishops were not able to proue that the Masse or any part thereof was ordained in such an action either by Iesus Christ or his Apostles With this the Bishops were much discontented and ashamed For Arnold had brought them to the onely Canon which they pretended to be the best part of their Masse touching which point he proued That the holy Supper of our Lord was not the Masse For if the Masse were the holy Supper instituted by our Sauiour there would remaine after the Consecration all that which was in the Supper of the Lord that is to say Bread but in the Masse there is no bread for by Transubstantiation the bread is vanished away therefore the Masse saith he without bread is not the holy Supper of the Lord for there is bread Iesus Christ brake bread The Priest breakes the body not the bread St. Paul brake the bread The Priest breakes the body not the bread Therefore the Priest doth not that which Christ Iesus hath done and St. Paul Vpon these Antitheses which Arnold made touching the Supper of the Lord and the Masse to proue that it came not from Christ nor his Apostles the Monkes Bishops Legats and Priests retired themselues not being willing to heare any more and fearing lest they should worke such an impression in those that were present as might shake their beleefe touching the Masse The Monke of the Valley Seruay in his Hist of the Albing chap. 5. The Monke of the Valley Seruay endeuoureth to bring this action into suspition affirming that at what time the Hereticall Iudges exceeded in number seeing the badnesse of their cause and the wretchednesse of their disputation they would not saith hee giue any iudgement thereof nor deliuer their writings to their aduersaries for feare lest they should come to light and render to the Heretikes their owne But how should two Legats of the Pope the Bishops Abbots Monkes and Priests put themselues into any such place where they could bee thus ouercharged with number This Monke saith in the same place that the principall Arch-heretikes came to the Catholikes at the Castle of Montreal to dispute with them So that they held then the Castle and therefore there was no occasion of doubt or any such violence And furthermore how could it be that the Bishops should request the moderators to giue iudgement in a point of disputation when they hold that there needs no other sentence than the Popes who cannot erre Againe how did the Monke know that the Albingenses were ouercome if there were no iudgement or sentence giuen against them There were about the same time many other disputations as at Serignan Pannies but this was onely to delay the Albingenses from further proceeding For in the meane time whilest the Bishop of Toulouze and the Bishop of Onezimonde disputed at Pamies and the Popes two Legats with Arnold at Montreal B. of Villeneufue Arbitrator and Moderator for the Bishops signified That there could bee nothing determined or agreed vpon by reason of the comming of those Armies that were to fight vnder the badge of the Crosse This was the subtiltie of the Pope Hilagaray in his Hist of Foix pa. 126. to entertaine them in conferences touching matter of Religion that in the meane time he might prepare great Armies to roote out if hee could both themselues and their Religion CHAP. III. The end of the disputation touching Religion it was not long continued by the Pope and his Legats The presence of the Pope to publish the expedition against the Albingenses The Earle Remond humbleth himselfe before the Popes Legat he is whipped by the Legat and depriued of his Earledome of Venessin by the Pope hee is made chiefe Leader of the Armie of those that fought vnder the badge of the Crosse at the siege of Beziers So tearmed because euery one that vndertaketh the iourney weares on his Cassocke or Coate-armour the badge of the Crosse NOw when Pope Innocent had prepared his Armies of the Crosse and had dispersed them here and there about the Countries of the Albingenses there were no longer any disputations except it were with Fire and Faggots the chiefe disputers being the Executioners and the Monkes Inquisitors the Harpies or rauenous birds which the Pope made vse of for the extirpation of the Albingenses The pretence of this so famous an expedition was made against the Earle Remond of Toulouze about the death of a certaine Iacobin Monke who was slaine by the Albingenses For the Pope tooke from thence occasion to send throughout all Europe Preachers to assemble men together to take vengeance of the innocent bloud of Frier Peter de Casteauneuf who had beene slaine by the Heretikes promising Paradice to whomsoeuer would come to this warre and beare armes for fortie daies This warre he called the holy warre and for which he gaue the selfe-same Pardons the selfe-same Indulgences as he did vnto those who went to the warres of the holy Land for the conquest thereof He likewise termed it the warre for the Crucifixe and the Army of the Church And as for the Earle Remond heare with what termes he thundered against him in his Bull. We ordaine saith hee that all Archbishops and Bishops A Bull giuen at Latran in the yeer 1208. are to denounce throughout all their Dioceses the Earle Remond accursed and excommunicated as being murderer of a good seruant of God and that with the sound of the Bell and the extinction of Candles euery Sunday and Festiuall daies Wee promise moreouer to all those that shall take armes to reuenge the said murder forgiuenesse of their sinnes seeing that these pestilent Long Slops seeke nothing else but to take away our liues And forasmuch as according to the Law of the holy Canons faith is not to be kept to him that keepes not his faith to God we would haue all to vnderstand that euery man that is bound to the said Earle by oath of fidelitie societie alliance or otherwaies by the Apostolicall authoritie is absolued from any such bands and it shal bee lawfull for euery Catholike man not onely to pursue the person of the said Earle but also to hold and possesse his land c. And as touching the Albingenses see how hee handleth them Wee therefore admonish you more carefully and exhort you more speedily as being a matter of great necessitie c. That yee endeuour to vnderstand by all the meanes that God shall reueale vnto you and studie to abolish the
head seruing vs for an example a watch-tower a conduct So shall we engage our wills and our liues to shew our selues your most humble seruants in time of need and valorous Souldiers when occasion shall be offered And though I be now worne with yeares yet neuer had I greater courage or better resolution The Earle Remond on the other side intreated the King of Aragon not to abandon their cause offering vnto him both his goods and his life to fight vnder his authoritie The King of Aragon being ouercome with these intreaties and moued with compassion towards the afflicted in the end tooke armes and sent this ticket of defiance to the Earle Simon by two Trumpetters Indeuour without delay to execute the will of the Pope or to fight with your Lord and if you fall into my hands you shall pay for it It is your dutie and I will haue it so and I rather desire it than to put my selfe to the charge of a great Army for your ruine The Earle Simon made good vse of this Letter of defiance for hee sent it into diuers parts of Europe shewing by the Bishops and Monkes that preached the Croisade that the care was not now for the Earle of Toulouze Foix Comminge or the Prince of Bearne but for a puissant King who had made himselfe the Generall of the Albingenses and that if he were not assisted extraordinarily the cause of the Church was at an end and therefore he entreated all good Christians especially the King of France to giue his best assistance in these holy warres and extreme necessitie On the other side the King of Aragon writ to the King of France that the Earle Simon of Montfort had a spirit puffed vp with high conceits farre exceeding both the capacitie of his vnderstanding and his forces That al his intentions were no other than plaisterings vnder the pretence of Religion and in the meane time he intended nothing so much as to bee a King in deed and Simon by name He beseecheth the King by Letters and by his Agents that hee would not interpose himselfe in this warre neither on the one part nor the other Which he obtained of the King insomuch that it troubled him to see his Subiects continually drawne to the shambles of this warre of the Albingenses vnder a pretence of the Popes pardon and to see so many of his great Lords his Kinsmen so vexed by the Earle Simon When the Earle Simon vnderstood that the King of France was made a Neuter he was much afflicted therewith hauing now no other recourse but to the threats of the Legat to excommunicate him if he should proceed any farther The Legat sent him an Ambassage and Letters The King of Aragon returned this answer Goe speedily and tell your Master that I will come and see him and giue him an answer with ten thousand fighting men and will him to defend himselfe for I will teach him to play with his Peere The Monke of the Valleis Sernay Chap. 83. Euery one makes preparation The Earle Simon sent into France to the Archdeacon of Paris and Master Iaques de Vitri to preach the Croisade The King Phillip Anguste would not haue this Leuy to bee made in his Realme but yet neuerthelesse there went a great number from Auuergne Normandie and about Lion The Pilgrims arriued before the King of Aragon had prepared his Armie which gaue great aduantage to the Earle Simon for hee tooke in the meane time Graue came into the Earle dome of Foix tooke Tudelle of the Albingenses Chass chap. 17. pag. 177. and slew all that hee found in it without distinction of age or sex besieged St. Antonin and tooke it and caused thirtie of the principall of that place to bee hanged and strangled and that in cold bloud and after he had granted them their liues and permitted the Conuent of Monkes that was in that place to be sacked and ransacked He besieged Penes and receiued it by composition as he did likewise Marmande He ceased vpon the Castle of Biron neere the Sea The Earle Simon caused Martin Alquay to bee tyed to the taile of a horse and to be dragged through his Armie and afterwards hanged him because he had before deliuered vp the place to the Earle Remond Moreouer the Castle Sarrazin and Agen were yeelded to the Earle Moissac opened the gates to the Souldiers of the Crosse and all this did the Earle Simon before the King of Aragon or his Armie did appeare CHAP. XI The exploits of the Earle Simon before the King of Aragon had prepared his Armie The King of Aragon would come to no composition with the Earle Simon being weakned The Citie of Muret taken by the King of Aragon Battell giuen The King of Aragon is slaine and his Armie dissipated IN the yeere of our Lord one thousand two hundred and thirteene and the thirteenth of September the King of Aragon with the Earle Remond of Toulouze Remond Earle of Foix and the Earle of Comminge and Prince of Bearne appeared in the field with their Armie composed of seuen thousand horses and thirtie thousand foot They tooke Muret a little Citie vpon the borders of the Earledome of Foix seated vpon Garonne but they tooke not the Castle The Earle Simon was of opinion that that was the place where the Armie of his enemies should waste and spend it selfe because the Castle was good and strong and that if he made resistance for sometime it would of it selfe bee scattered and ouerthrowne Hee therefore put himselfe into that Castle with some small number of his most expert and valorous Souldiers and furnihed it with munition and gaue by his presence such assurance vnto the besieged that they thought themselues inuincible of such power is the good opinion that the Souldiers haue of their Captaine to confirme those that are most weake There were some that began to enter into consideration of the proceedings of the King of Aragon in that he would not accept of a composition so aduantagious for himselfe and the Lords of the Albingenses as the Earle Simon had offered him when hee saw the inequalitie of their forces For the Earle Simon had not aboue seuen hundred men on foot and fiue hundred horse It is not good to assault a man that hath no hope to escape but by armes for there is not a more violent Schoole-mistris than necessitie But the King of Aragon thought it no time to smoothe and to flatter after so many insolent brauados against his Lord of which the Monke hath noted some The Monke of the Valleis Sernay Chap. 126. as where hee saith that hee writ certaine letters vnto him without any salutation containing these tearmes that if hee continued in his obstinate defiance hee returned the defiance vpon himselfe and that from thence forward he held not himselfe bound to doe him any seruice and that hee doubted not by the helpe of God to defend himselfe against him and his confederates
So king Iohn hauing an armie of sixty thousand men was discomfited and taken prisoner by the Prince of Wales who had not aboue eight thousand men notwithstanding the cause of the king of France were very iust defending himselfe against his enemie who assaulted him in his owne countrey The warre of the Albingenses encreased for the Earle Simon thought it was necessary hee should pursue his enemies being halfe dead and ouerthrowne and the Albingenses for their part knew that they must of necessiâ—ie defend themselues or bee vanquished and brought into thraldome CHAP. XII Pope Innocent the third sent against the Albingenses a new Legat named Bonauenture Prince Lewis the sonne of Philip tooke on him the Crosse and caused Toulouze and Narbonne to be dismantled and the walles laid euen with the ground THe Earle Simon being puffed vp with this victorie sent one to summon the Earle of Toulouze Foix and Comminge and the Prince of Bearne to deliuer vnto him the keis of those cities and castles that they possessed and that they should subscribe to what it pleased the Legat or resolue miserably to perish He receiued no answer but euery one betooke himselfe to his owne territories there to prouide the best they could possibly for their affaires The Earle Remond retired himselfe to Montauban and writ to those of Toulouze from whence he was but then departed that he vnderstood that Rodolph the Bishop of Arras was comming with a great number of Pilgrims and therefore forasmuch as he saw that they had no meanes to defend their city against so great a force that they should treat and grow to some composition with the Earle Simon reseruing only their hearts vnto himselfe vntill God should giue meanes to free them from those miseries wherein they were plunged by the insatiable auarice of their common enemie In the meane time he the Earle of Foix Comminge and the Prince of Bearne did their endeuours to trouble and to infest the enemies Armies with all the power they could for their common good The citie of Toulouze deputed six of the principall men of the city to offer to the Earle Simon the keies of Toulouze He receiued them honourably and commanded them not to depart from him without his permission In the meane time he writ to Lewis the sonne of king Philip that since the battle of Muret they of Toulouze offered to yeeld themselues vnto him but his desire was that he should haue the praise of that conquest being onely worthy of himselfe King Philip his father would not heretofore permit that he should war against the Albingenses because he had promised the King of Aragon to carry himselfe as a neuter betwixt both but now hearing of the death of the said King of Aragon he suffered him to goe The Prince being at Toulouze the citie was deliuered into his hands and presently the Legat hauing assembled the Bishops of his ranke it was concluded that the pillage should be granted to the Pilgrims and that the city should be dismantled the Castle of Narbonne excepted which was incontinently executed contrary to the promise which had beene giuen them that nothing should be altered within the citie This good vse did the Earle Simon make of the presence and forces of Prince Lewis for otherwise he durst not haue enterprised the saccage and dismantling of this goodly and great citie without the endangering of his fortunes were his forces neuer so great At this very time arriued Bonauenture the Popes new Legat and of those that tooke on them the Crosse the Bishop of Beauuois the Earle of Saint Paul the Earle of Sauoy the Earle of Alençon the Vicount of Melun Mathew de Montmorenci and other great Lords that accompanied him The Legat seeing so many Pilgrims began to feare lest Prince Lewis should dispose of diuers places which the Albingenses held to the preiudice of the Popes authoritie vnder whose name all those conquests were made for the auoiding whereof he sent vnto all those places that held for the said Albingenses the absolution and safeguard of the Church in such sort that the Prince thinking to make an assault vpon any of them they produced their absolution and shewed that they were vnder the protection of the Church And this Legat grew so audacious as to tell Prince Lewis that since he was become a souldier of the Crosse he was subiect to his commands because he did represent the person of the Pope whose pardons he was come to obtaine by obeying â—â—e Church not by commanding as the sonne of a King reproching him besides that the King his father made no account to contribute to the extirpation of the Albingenses when the time and season serued and there was best opportunity but now after those victories miraculously obtained he came to gleane the eares of that glory which was due vnto those only that had prodigally spent their liues for the Church The Prince dissembled this audacious boldnesse Narbonne was dismantled by the agreement of the said Prince which neither the Legat nor the Earle Simon would not haue durst to enterprise without his presence The Bishop of Narbonne did what he could to hinder the dismantling of it affirming that it did much import that a place in the frontiers of Spaine should bee preserued with the walles and rampiers thereof but the Earle Simon and the Legat were very instant to the contrary they obtained their desires Here endeth the good fortune of the Earle Simon for in the end of this leuy of Pilgrims which Prince Lewis brought with him he had enough to doe to defend himselfe from blowes notwithstanding the Albingenses were also wearied with continuall warres and visited from time to time with new expeditions insomuch that they sunke vnder the burthen of them Now forasmuch as this warre changeth countenance in the person of the chiefe Leaders and that from hence forward we shall speake more of the sonne of the Earle Remond of Toulouze another Remond and of Roger the sonne of the Earle of Foix then of the old Earles We here make a second booke of the actions of the children succeeding their fathers miserably afflicted only for that they had for in effect there was not any of these great Lords that was deseâ—â—edly assaulted for Religion for many times they had their recourse to the Pope as to the fountaine of all their euills and in all respects to a poore remedy neuer bringing with them from Rome other thing than good words with very dangerous effects The end of the first booke THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE HISTORY OF the WALDENSES called ALBINGENSES containing the warres which they maintained after the yeare one thousand two hundred and thirteene vntill they were vtterly exterminated CHAP. I. The warre is renewed against the Earle of Foix the Aragonians make hostile incursions vpon the Lands of the Earle Simon he is discomfited by the Earle of Foix Simon is called into Dauphine The Legat Bonauenture perswades the Earle of
Foix and of Toulouze to goe to Rome they further their cause nothing at all the sonne of the Earle Remond came from England thither but in vaine THE Prince Lewis sonne of Philip King of France 1213. his quarantine or fortie daies being expired retired himselfe not without much discontent to see in those warres against the Albingenses so much tyranny The Earle Simon endeuored to get a pardon for those last Pilgrims come from France against the Earle of Foix. Hologaray in his Hist of Foix pag. 157. Hee besieged the Castle of Foix but with his great losse for there died before it many gallant men Hauing laine before the Citie ten daies hee raised his siege finding to his great cost that the place was inexpugnable The Earle Simon his Brother kept his quarter at Varilles the Earle of Foix vnlodged him slew with his Lance the said Brother of the Earle Simon and put to flight his whole troope This was a counterpoise to Monfort his prosperitie which had made him ouer-insolent And as one vnhappy chance comes seldome alone euen then when he did grinde his teeth against the Earle of Foix swearing that hee would make him flie ouer the Pereney mountaines a messenger brought him tidings of the arriuall in the Earledome of Beziers and about Carcassonne of diuers troopes of Arragonians and Catalans who put all they met to sword and fire saying That they would reuenge the death of their good King Alphonsus Hee was therefore aduertised that if hee did not speedily succour them the whole Country would be lost He departed therefore from Foix with great diligence The Earle of Foix Idâ—â— fel. 158. who better knew the streights and by-waies of his Country than he stopped his passage and lay in ambush for him in a place so fitting for his ouerthrow that he slew a great part of his troopes without any Alarum Hee saued himselfe with a few of his people Being come to Carcassonne it was well for him that he found not a man to speake a word vnto for the Arragonians had retired themselues Whereas had they attended his comming they might easily haue discomfited him considering the small number that were with him At this very time other Letters were brought vnto him whereby he was called into Dauphine where there was one Ademar of Poitiers and one Ponce of Monlaur who hindred the passage of the Pilgrims who came downe by the Riuer Rhosne and were conducted by the Archbishops of Lion and Vienne There were likewise the Cities of Monteil-Aimar and Crest Arnaud who tooke part with the Albingenses who were a great hindrance to the Pilgrims Simon came to treatie and composition with Ademar of Poitiers and Monlaur not hauing power to encounter so many enemies Againe he was giuen to vnderstand that the Arragonians were returned about Carcassonne and thither he came and was well beaten insomuch that he was constrained to shut vp himselfe within Carcassonne hauing not wherewithall to keepe the field before hee had new supply of Pilgrims to succour him Seeing at the last that he got nothing of the Earle of Foix by armes he had recourse to his ordinary wiles and subtilties hoping to worke his ruine vnder a pretence of amitie He caused therefore the Legat Bonauenture to write vnto him that he had compassion on him for that he was so obstinate in so great a warre to his great charge and the losse of the bloud of his Subiects which if he would he might end in a short time by taking his iourny to Rome declaring his innocency to the Pope that he would giue him his best assistance as far forth as possibly he could to procure the restitution of all his Lands But yet it was very necessarie that the Church should haue some gages of his fidelitie that is that he should deliuer into his hands the Castle of Foix the one onely meanes to take away all shadow and shew of false play and that incontinently after his returne it should be restored vnto him with the rest of his houses He suffered himselfe to be cheated and gulled by these promises deliuered vnto him the Castle of Foix and tooke his iourney to Rome but if he went a foole thither a foole he returned For the Legat had written to Rome to the Conclaue and to the Pope that the Earle of Foix was one of the most dangerous Heretiques that was amongst the Albingenses a man of great courage and valiant and most to be feared that if he were subdued the Earle of Toulouze would be much weakned that he had gotten from him the meanes to doe any hurt by obtaining by faire words those places which the Church would neuer haue gotten by armes namely the Castle of Foix and that they were to take heed that they made no restitution of his lands which if they did it would bee impossible that the Church should euer bring the Albingenses to their vtter ruine The Pope was willing enough to ioyne in his ouerthrow but because hee came vnto him with submissions he feared least it might bee a meanes to hinder others from euer putting any confidence in the Pope He was prodigall of his Crosses his Bulls and his Words but in effect he commanded his Legat that he should not restore vnto him those places vntill hee had giuen good proofes of his obedience and iustification Presently vpon his returne hee addressed himselfe to the Legat to enioy the effect of his faire promises The Legat gaue him to vnderstand that his hands were bound by the Pope because there were some clauses in his Bulls that did binde him to a new proceeding and to know in good earnest what his innocency was but yet he should assure himselfe of his affection and that he should not attribute to him if he receiued not his full content and that he would doe his best endeuour to make loue and friendship betwixt the Earle Simon and himselfe The Earle of Foix by little and little with-drew himselfe fearing to be arrested walking about the fields and houses of his Subiects as for his owne they were all in the hands of the Earle Simon There he cursed his owne facilitie to suffer himselfe to be gulled by a Priest bites his fingers for anger to see himselfe so blockishly abused after so many trickes and stratagems plaid against him The Earle of Toulouze and the King of Aragon resolue to make a leuy of their Subiects and presently to build a Fort at Montgranier a place very strong by nature In a few daies they made it a place of defence by the means labours of their poore subiects who bewailing their own miseries their Lords trauelled day night very willingly to bring the work to an end This place being built he put therin a garison left there his son Roger. The Earle Simon besieged it in the end took it by famine The coÌ„position was that Roger should not beare armes for one whole yeare
against the Church An Article that troubled much this valiant Lord. For he withdrew himselfe for the same yeare into a house where he counted the moneths and the daies till the time was expired wherein he might either die valiantly in fight or vanquish his enemies And to this purpose he many times conferred with the sonne of the King of Aragon lately slaine how he might carrie himselfe to finde a meanes to be reuenged of his Fathers death The Legat Bonauenture in the meane time vseth the same subtletie with the Earle Remond of Toulouze He perswadeth him to goe to Rome to determine his affaires with the Pope more peaceably than with the Earle Simon The Monke of the Valley Sernay Chap. 133. especially because he was charged with the death of his owne Brother the Earle Baudoin taken in the Castle d'Olme in the Country of Cahors because he had there borne Armes against him an action that had made him odious both to God and men and which his enemies did exaggerate to the end they might stirre vp the Pilgrims to take vengeance on him saying That at the very point of death they had denied him a Confessor and that the said Bodoin prayed vnto God that he would raise vp some good Christians to reuenge the wrong done vnto him by his brother as by another Caine. The son of the Earle of Toulouze named also Remond vnderstanding that his Father was to take his iourney to Rome he went with letters from his Vncle the King of England to the Pope intreating him to doe iustice to his brother in Law The young Lord had beene brought vp vntill then in England where he could no longer spend time seeing his Father oppressed with warres and continuall trauels he therefore resolued to vse his best endeuours for his deliuerance either by composition or by armes The cause of the Earle Remond was debated before the Pope There was a Cardinall that maintained Idem Chap. 152. that great wrong had beene offered those Lords who had many times giuen of their best lands to the Church to witnesse their obedience The Abbot of St. Vberi also tooke their part with great courage and resolution The Earle Remond likewise defended his owne cause charging the Bishop of Toulouze with many outrages and that if hee had beene constrained to defend himselfe he must accuse those that had driuen him to that necessitie for had he not made resistance he had long agoe beene vtterly ouerthrowne That the Bishop of Toulouze had many times caught vnto him the fairest of his reuenewes and being neuer satisfied did still continue to vex him parting his goods with the Earle Simon of Montfort and that their onely auarice had beene the cause of the death of ten thousand men of Toulouze and of the pillage of that faire and great Citie a losse which could neuer be repaired The Charterie of Lion did also shew vnto the Pope that the Bishop of Toulouze had alwaies kindled the fire and warmed himselfe at the flame Arnaud de Villemur did also present himselfe before the Pope demanding Iustice for that the Legat and the Earle Simon had inuaded his lands he knew not wherefore since he had neuer bin but obedient to the Church of Rome relating at large the euils murders saccages robberies burnings which the said Legat and Earle vnder the cloake of the seruice of the Pope and the Church had done and therefore it was necessarie that that maske should be taken away which would otherwise turne to the dishonour of the Pope and the Church and some speedy course should be taken for the establishing of peace and procuring the good of the Church Remond of Roquefeuil of the Country of Querci Chass lib. 4. Ibid. related also many villanies committed by the said Earle of Montfort beginning with that which had beene done against the Earle of Beziers whom he caused miserably to die in prison inuaded his Lands and ruinated his Subiects and so proceeded to all that had passed against the other Lords who were constrained to defend themselues against his violences The Pope was much moued with these outrages and would willingly haue done some iustice but that it was told him that if hee should cause the Earle of Montfort to make restitution of that which was taken for the seruice of the Church that he should not from hence-forward finde any that would fight either for the Pope or the Church As also that if hee should determine the restitution yet the Earle Simon had reason not to giue ouer his hold vntill hee were fully satisfied for his trauels and expences The Pope returned these affaires to the Legat commanding him in generall termes to restore the Lands to all those that shewed themselues faithfull to the Church and as touching the sonne of the Earle Remond his pleasure was The Monke of the Valleis Sernay Chap. 152. that that Land that the Earle Remond had in Prouence that is to say The Earl dome of Venisse should be reserued either in part or all for the maintenance of his sonne prouided that he gaue good and assured testimonies of his loyaltie and good conuersation shewing himselfe worthy of diuine mercy They being returned demanded of the Legat the execution of their Bulls requiring the restitution of their Lands The Legat answered that he had certaine restraints for the determining whereof there needed some time that therefore they should in the meane time shew fruits worthy their amendment and that then they should receiue what the Pope had decreed otherwise not When the Earles saw how they were deluded they resolued to come to blowes CHAP. II. Remond the sonne of the Earle Remond tooke Beaucaire The Bishop of Tholouze betrayeth the Citizens of Thoulouze The Earle Simon vseth the Inhabitants of Tholouze very ill They defend themselues to his confusion A new expedition Remond taketh Thoulouze Simon of Montfort comes thither and after many combats he is in the end slaine with a stone cast by a woman His armie is put to flight THe first exploit of warre of Remond the the sonne of the Earle Remond was the taking of Beaucaire where hee made himselfe Master of the Citie afterwards hauing almost famished those in the Castle the Earle Simon being no way able to succour them made a composition for those that were within it that is that they should depart onely carrying with them their baggage and necessary furniture The Earle Simon lost at that place a hundred Gentlemen which he laid in ambush neere the Citie which they within perceiuing made a salley forth and cut them in peeces The young Earle Remond wonne great renowne at this siege and gaue the Earle Simon to vnderstand that his sonne Aimeri should haue in this young Lord a thorne in his foot that should make him smart as much as in his time he had giuen cause of trouble and vexation to his father The Earle Montfort went from hence to rauage and make spoile
into a Sepulcher that he that by his valour had restored all his Subiects to their houses Holaga pag. 164 and their Citie to it former greatnesse he whose death they lamented as a Father should be cast out like a Dogge It is neither true nor hath it any resemblance of truth that they should deny him this last office of charitie which they haue not refused to bestow vpon their greatest enemies for it was neuer heard of that the Albingenses haue denied sepulture vnto any As touching the Earle of Foix Remond he was a Prince of whom the Historie giues this testimony that he was a Patron of Iustice clemency prudence valour magnanimitie patience and continency a good Warriour a good Husband a good Father a good House-keeper a good Iusticer worthy to haue his name honoured and his vertues remembred throughout all generations When this good Prince saw that he was to change the earth for heauen he defied death with an assured constant carriage and tooke comfort in forsaking the world and the vanities thereof and calling his sonne Roger vnto him hee exhorted him to serue God to liue vertuously to gouerne his people like a Father vnder the obedience of his Lawes and so gaue vp the ghost His Wife the Lady Philippe of Moncade followed him shortly after not without suspition of poyson by some domesticall enemy of the Albingenses whose religion she professed with all deuotion A Princesse of a great and admirable prouidence faith constancy and loyaltie She vttered before her death many excellent sentences full of edification as well in the Castilian tongue as the French in contempt of death which she receiued with a maruellous grace fortifying her speeches with most Christian consolations to the great comfort and edification of all that were present and in this estate she changed her life All these deaths made a great alteration in the wars of the Albingenses both on the one side and the other CHAP. V. Almaric of Montfort restored to King Lewis the eight the conquered Countries of the Albingenses the siege of Auignon the King appointeth a Gouernor in Languedoc The warre continues against the Albingenses Toulouze is besieged a treatie of peace with the Earle Remond and the Toulouzains ALmaric of Montfort had not the fortune of his Father in the warres of the Albingenses For he had neither King Philip Auguste who permitted the leuie of the Pilgrims nor Pope Innocent the third to appoint them Moreouer there was neither Citie nor Village in France where there were not widowes and fatherlesse children by reason of the passed warres of the Albingenses And besides all this the Prelats were many times put into great feares by those cruell combats that were ordinarily made and many of them left behinde them their Miters and some Abbots their Crosses The speech of the expeditions of the Crosse was not so common This was the cause why Almaric did not long enioy his conquered Countries wherewith being much afflicted hee went into France Inuentory of Serres in the life of Lewis the eight and deliuered vp vnto Lewis the eight of that name King of France all the right that he had to the said Countries which the Pope the Councels of Vaur Montpelier and Lotran had granted vnto him and in recompence thereof King Lewis created him Constable of France 1224. in the yeare 1224. To put himselfe into possession King Lewis the eight came into Languedoc and comming to the gates of Auignon he was denied entrance because professing the Religion of the Albingenses they had beene excommunicated and giuen by the Pope to the first Conquerour for then Auignon was no chiefe Citie of the Earldome of Venessin as at this present but belonged to the King of Naples and Sicily The King being much moued with this deniall resolued to besiege it which continued for the space of eight moneths in the end whereof they yeelded themselues about Whitsontide in the yeare 1225. 1225. During this siege almost all the cities of Languedoc acknowledged the king of France by the mediation of Mr. Amelin Archbishop of Narbonne The King established for Gouernour in Languedoc Imbert de Beauieu and tooke his way to France but hee died by the way at Montpensier in September in the yeare 1226. The young Remond Earle of Toulouze was bound by promise to the king to goe to receiue his absolution of Pope Honorius and afterwards he should giue him peaceable possession of all his lands but the death of the king in the meane time happening he saw the Realme of France in the hands of king Lewis a childe and in his minority and the regency in the power and gouernment of his mother Hee thought that hauing to deale with an infant king and a woman regent he might recouer by force that which he had quit himselfe of by agreement He therefore resolued to take armes being encouraged thereunto by the succours of the Albingenses his subjects who were in great hope to maintaine their part in strength and vigor during the Non-age of the King of France but they were deceiued in their proiect For though Lewis the ninth were in his ninoritie yet he was so happie as to haue a wise and a prudent mother if euer there were any For King Lewis the eighth before his death had appointed her the Tutrix or Gardianesse of his sonne and Regent of the Realme knowing very well her great capacity and sufficiency Besides Imbert de Beauieu maintained the authority of the king in Languedoc tooke armes and made opposition against the Earle Remond and the Albingenses The Queene sent him diuers troopes The History of Languedoc sol 31. by the helpe whereof he recouered the Castle de Bonteque neare to Toulouze which was a great hinderance to Imbert and his portizans All the Albingenses that were found within the Castle were put to death and a certaine Deacon with others that would not abiure their Religion by the commandement of the said Imbert Amel the Popes Legat and the aduise of Guyon Bishop of Carcassonne they were burnt aliue 1227. in the yeare 1227. suffring death with admirable constancy The more the persecution increased the more the number of the Albingenses multiplied which Imber of Beauieu perceiuing he went to the Court to let them vnderstand that without succours he could no longer defend the countrey and the places newly annexed to the Crowne and patrimony of France against the Albingenses and the Earle Remond In the meane time whilest he was absent the Earle Remond tooke the Castle Sarrazin one of the strongest places that Imbert had in his keeping and holding the field did much hurt to his enemies Imbert came from France 1228. at the spring of the yeare one thousand two hundred twenty eight accompanied with a great Armie of the Crosse in which there was the Archbishop of Bourges the Archbishop of Aouch and of Burdeaux euery one with the Pilgrims of their iurisdiction The Earle
make the Kings Princes Emperours and Potentates of the world to seale and set to their hands to whatsoeuer they found fitting to persecute those that resisted the ordinances of the Popes neither did they dare to refuse to doe it vpon paine that the selfe-same constitutions should be executed against them Now after the treatie made with the Earle Remond hee remained a prisoner vntill the payment of the summes specified therein and in the meane time Master Peter de Colmieu Vice-Legat tooke his iourney to Toulouze to bring the Citie vnder the obedience of the King and caused the Walls to be razed and the Towers to bee beaten downe to the end they might haue no more meanes to rebell against the King He brought likewise to the Queene-mother Ioan the only daughter of the Earle Remond being of the age of nine yeeres to the end she might bee brought vp with her vntill she were of yeeres sufficient to marry Alphonsus brother to King Lewis The remouall of this young Princesse did much afflict the subiects of the Earle Remond for seeing that this change of domination would bring with it an alteration of their peace as it came to passe CHAP. VIII The Earle Remond of Toulouze solliciteth the Earle of Foix to range himselfe vnder the obedience of the Pope What practises he vseth to make him forsake the part of the Albingenses and hee suffereth himselfe to be handled by the Popes Legat. THe Earle of Foix of Comminges and the Prince of Bearne were yet to be conquered or wonne by practises The Legat Colmieu thought the Earle Remond a fit instrument to worke the latter of the two and therefore he commandeth him to write to the Earle of Foix That he should follow his example or resolue miserably to perish Hee writ vnto him in louing termes That the vnion that had alwaies beene betwixt their houses did binde him to procure their good as his owne that if he did not yeeld himselfe into the bosome of the Church of Rome hee saw such a tempest like to fall vpon him that it must needs ouerwhelme him That hauing so great an enemie as a King of France hee could not possibly stand out Hee therefore entreated him to receiue his counsell and withall the gift that hee bestowed on him for a farther proofe of his loue that is if hee would conforme himselfe to this submission to the Pope and the Church of Rome hee would hold him from this day forward quit of that homage which hee anciently did vnto him for the Earledome of Foix. Hee likewise entreated him to procure the like submission from the Earle of Comminge and the Prince of Bearne The Answer of the Earle of Foix was That hee could not forsake his part nor his beleefe in a time wherein hee should giue men occasion to thinke that hee had more feare than reason and that it was necessary for so fruitfull a change such as they expected of him that the truth should ouercome not the allurements of promises nor the violence of armes That he would see that world of Pilgrims come that was threatned and he did trust in God that hee should make them to know the iustice of his cause and deplore the temeritie of their vow The Earle Remond was not satisfied with this answer much lesse the Legat who found another way to winne him vnto them And that was that there were within his lands and territories and about the said Earledome subiects of his who being frighted with an apprehension of their ruine should intreat him to haue compassion both of himselfe and his poore subiects who should doubtlesse be ouerthrowne by this last violence And at the very same time hee caused the Earle Remond of Toulouze to write to the principall men of the Countries of the said Roger Earle of Foix that there was an excellent opportunitie offered their Lord if hee made not himselfe vnworthy thereof by his obstinacie that it was the onely meanes to make them liue in perfect peace that they should perswade him whilest the occasion and time serued before the expedition of the Crosse were on foot The subiects of the Earle of Foix partly for their owne interest partly for feare lest their Lord being strooken in yeeres without wife and children should leaue them to the mercie of the first Conquerour if he should depart this life without a lawfull heire they ioyned together in humble supplication to their Lord at the instant reasons and perswasions of the said Earle of Toulouze They obtained by their requests and teares that which the Earle of Toulouze could not by threats prayers nor promises for hee promised them that hee would treat with the Legat for their peace and would accept thereof for their good and contentment The Pope was aduertised of the intention of the Earle of Foix and therefore hee ioyned with the first Legat in the Earledome of Foix another that is to say the Cardinall of St. Ange accompanied by the Archbishop of Narbonnes de Folae Guillaume de Torration Bishop of Couserans Bernard de la grace Peter Abbot of Bolbonne Iohn Abbot of Comelonge William Abbot of Foix Peter de Thalames the Legats Lieutenant Lamkert de la Tour and diuers others Being arriued at St. Iohn de Berges in the Earledome of Foix there appeared also the Earle of Foix with the Nobilitie and principall men of the Land The Legat related to the Earle of Foix the great contentment that the Pope had Holagaray in the life of Roger Earle of Foix. to heare that after so many combats and bloudy warres there was hope to finish them in peace that he was come to conclude that and to bring it to effect that was begunne in behalfe of the Pope that there remained nothing but to know what his resolution was and to receiue from him the promises and oathes of fidelitie to the Church which are requisite in such a case The Earle Roger replyed to the Legat and the rest that were present as followeth Messieurs I haue long since bid Rhetorick a dieu hauing made profession to pleade my cause and to make my entries with engins and speares which must be my excuse if like a Souldier I vtter my intentions My Couzen the Earle of Toulouze hath procured for which I thanke him that my enemies will now be pleased with reason to heare the causes of our leuies and why wee haue taken Armes which to this present would neuer be granted as also hee desireth that we should giue ouer the pursuit of those that desire to wrong vs vpon an assurance saith he that the King of France shall maintaine euery one with Iustice and Equitie Truly I confesse that I neuer desired any thing more than to maintaine my libertie being as yet as it were in the swadling clouts of my freedome Our Country owes onely one simple homage to the Earle of Toulouze for raising it to an Earldome but it acknowledgeth no other Master but my selfe and as