white Damask imbrodered thick with fine gold of Cypres with buttons of gold furred with fables a little black hat of his head with a feather of gold On either side of him were the Cardinall of St Susanne Bishop of Anger 's and Rene Duke of Anjou and King of Sicile o At the foote of the Kings scaffold were set The Vicont of Narbonne George of Pem 〈◊〉 the Lords of Tancaruille Chasttillon Buell Longueuille Lauall Aigle Câ—aon Cruâ—â—ol la Forest The Prince of Piedmont a yong Infant was vppon one of the steps Princes which werâ— about the King and of either side stood the Earle of Foix Prince of Nauarre and the Kings brother in law with the Earles of Neuers and Eu The Earle of Dunois high Chamberlaine of France was by reason of his gowt set vpon a little stoole behinde the King of Sicile with many other Noblemen There were two other places rayled in the one in the middest of the Hall neere vnto the Kings for the Princes of the bloud the Constable the Chancellor the Patriarke of Ierusalem the Arch-bishop of Ierusalem the Arch-bishop of Tours and other Bishops p In the second place railed in were the Marquis of Pont the Earle of Perche the Earl of Guise the Earle of Vendosme the Earle Dauphin and the Earle of Montfort The other being great and spacious which did inuiron the first of either side was for the Deputies of the three Estates Betwixt the Kings Theater and that of the Princes were two formes directly against the King on the one were the Peeres of France and on the other were the Officers of the Crowne Euery man being set q It is obserued that the Earle of S t Paul CoÌ„stable of France was at the vpper end next vnto him Monâ—â—urde Trayâ—ell Chancellor of France in Crimson veluet coâ—es and a little beneath theÌ„ on the same forme the Archbishop of Tours the Bishops of Paris Charâ—res Perigueux Valences Limogis Senlis Soissons Aire Anranches Angoulesme Lodeue Neuers Agen Cominges Bayone and others and all the greatest of the State humbled before the Prince like vnto the rods and Maces of the ancient Magistrates of Rome r In the assemblies of the people of Rome the Magistrates did hold downe their rods and Mâ—ces in signe of humilitie and spake standing the people being set shewing that they had no power to command and all Magistrates dealt by Petition vsing these words velitis Iubeatis the Chancellor rose from his place and presented himselfe vpon his kneee on the right side of the King who told him in his eare what his intention was Oration made by the Chancellor Hee made the Estates acquainted therewith in a long Oration the Deputies beeing prepared vpon the Kings instructions finde that they neither could nor ought to grant vnto Charles of France the Duchie of Normandie for his portion It was said that it should remaine vnto the Crowne and the King was intreated to maintaine the auncient lawes of the Realme concerning his Patrimonie holy sacred and inalienable either by contracts or by prescription of time and against any whatsoeuer and that the Princes of the bloud should not therein haue any more fauour nor priuiledge then priuate men s That which may make an alienation perfect and giue â— title of iust possession doth not comprehend those demands which are inalienable may be reunited although the alienation were made for euer yet the purchaser shall not recouer the price of the thing alienated the King himselfe being bound by oath at his Coronation not to alienate any thing and in doing so to giue vnto his Brother a portion with the title of a Dutchy or an Earledome the which should be worth twelue hundred poundes starling a yeare and a yearely pension of foure thousand and eight hundred pounds starling without drawing it to consequence t This clause of coÌ„sequence was superstuous shewes from what respect it came For the portion was so small as no man would make it a President There are houses in France where the yonger sons would not bee so satisfied for the yonger brethren of the house of France The King gaue the Dutchy of Guienne besides the riuer of Charante Guienne giuen to the Kings Brother the countrie of Agenois Perigort Quercy Xanictonge the Gouernment of Rochell and the Bailewike of Auins hee changed the Parliament of Guienne from Bourdeaux to Poitiers This resolution was carried to Monsieur and to the Dukes of Brittany and Bourgundy his confederates Monsieur was so ill and so desirous to change the ayre as notwithstanding that hee found small profit in the change of his condition yet would he not refuse it the Lord of Lescun perswaded him to reconcile himselfe vnto the King and to accept of what he should giue him The Estates did also resolue that the Duke of Bourgundy should be adiourned to appeare in person before the Parliament at Paris Adiournement of the Duke to the Parliament of Paris to doe right vnto the Earle of Eu u Charles of Artois Earle of Eu dyed without children in the yeare 147â— Hee was taken prisoner at the Battel of Azincourt and remained three twenty years in England for St. Valery and other lands which he detained The King was well pleased with this resolution for that he knew well that when the Duke should see himselfe charged in this manner he would make an answer according to his humorfull of contempt and that some grose-headed fellow executing his commission indiscreetly for profit would moue him and prouoke him to do somthing whereat the Court should bee offended and vrged to seeke reparation The same Court of Parliament sent Iohn Loyselier Complaints for the Pragmatike Sanction x The Deputies of the Court of Parliament let the K. vnderstand that the abolitioÌ„ of this Pragmatick was shamefull and iniurious for the FraÌ„ce had neuer had in like causes Ordinances which had taken their authoritie from the vniuersall all Church That as long as she had obserued this Pragmatick she was full of all prosperitie and feared of her enemies whom she had chased out of Normandie and Guienne and had seene Prelates of such holines as they had done miracles and Iohn Henry Councellors of inquests to represent vnto the King to the Estates the great preiudice which France had receiued by the abolition of the Pragmaticke Sanction that it was depriued of a rule which comprehended all the liberties and freedomes of the French Church approued in the Conciles of Basill and Constance That by the cessation of such decrees France must needs looke for some great confusion of the Ecclesiasticall Order and a generall impouerishment by the transport of gold and siluer beyond the Alpes But the King hauing obtained what hee desired against his Brother and the Duke of Bourgundy hee carried his thoughts to other things then to that which the Estates expected for
his hand which descouered his heart l The discommodities of great Princes cannot be hiâ—den Ariston saith that pouerty is a lampe which doth lighten and make all the miseries of the world be seene The Kings affaires would not suffer him to bee more liberall to this Prince of good effects then of good words Lewis refuseth him succors If he had no other consideratioÌ„ but of the estate of Spaine he had taken an other course but he had alwaies for a perpetual obiect the greatnesse of the house of Bourgondy whereof he durst nor iudge so long as the Duke was armed and therefore he had rather fayle his friends then himselfe To resolue of the succors which the King of Portugall required of him hee consulted rather with reason then affection m Resolutions taken by the Counsell of affection are subiect to change those which are grounded vppoÌ„ reason last perpetually which layed before him his great expences in Germany and Lorraine for the entertainment of his armie which he might not dismisse vnlesse hee would runne the hazard of a surprize and scorne not to haue foreseene that which concerned himselfe n Wise men see all accidents in their thoughts they cannot bee surprized 〈◊〉 word I did not think it coms neuer out of their mouthes Seneca cals it the word of ignorant men Audimus aliquaÌ„do voces imperitoruÌ„ diceÌ„tiumâ— Neâ—ciebam hoc mihi restare sapiens scit sibi omnia restare quicquid fattum est dicit sciebam VVe sometimes heer the words of ignorant meÌ„ saying I did not know that this would haue happened A wise man knowes that all things may happen Hee saith whatsoeuer is done I knew it The King of Portugall thinking that if he might soe reconcile these two Princes affaires The King of Portugal mediats a peace in vaine as they might haue no subiect to doubt one another he should dâ—aw succors from them both he vndertook to goe into Lorraine to perswade the Duke to reconcile himselfe vnto the King His voyage was not long for vppon the first propositions he found that his enterprise was impossible and so returned to the King who continuing the honors which he had done him at his arriuall intreated him to see Paris and in the meane time procured a dispensation for him from Pope Sixtus the fourth o Notwithstanding that D. Ferdinand D. Isabella of Castille made great oppositioÌ„s at Rome against the marriage of King Alphonso of Portugall and D. Ioane his neece his sisters daughter yet the Pope granted a dispensation at King Lewis his instance to marry with D. Ioane his Neece The Chronicle and Martinienne make a curious relation of his entertainement which was the 23. of Nouember 1476. The Lord of Gaucour Gouernour of Paris Reception of the King of Portugal into Paris and Robert of Estouteuille Prouost of Paris went to meet him on the way to Orleance towards the wind-mill The Chancellor of Oriole with the Presidents and Councellors of Soueraigne Courts and many Prelats went forth The Magistrates presented him a Canopy at Saint Iames gate The Rector of the Vniuersity with the Doctor and Regents receiued him at St. Stephens the Bishop and Clergy of Paris at our Ladies Church The short dayes and the long speeches added fire to the greatnes of the ceremony p Fire carried before the Prince was one of the ornaments of Maiestie it was not in a Linke or Torch but in a Lampe or Lanthorne Prenuncius ante Signa dedit cursor posita de more Lucerna Corippus lib. 2. Herodian saith that Pertinax came vnto the Senate not suffring them to carrie fire or any other markes of the Empire before him The President Bertier saith that the same honor was giuen to the Patriarks in the Greeke Church and the tiâ—le of Balsamon In Respons de Patriarch Prâ—uileg They caused fifty torches to march before him to conduct him to a Marchants house called Laurence Herbelot in the street of Prouuelles The shewed him the singularities and beauties of Paris hee saw the Court of Parliament of peeres the most sacred Senate of Europe where he did number as many Kings as Senators Francis Hale Archdeacon of Paris A cause pleaded in Parliament by two 〈◊〉 the Kings aduocate and Peter of Brabant an aduocate of the Court and Curate of S. Eustache pleaded a cause the Chronicle saies that it was a goodly thing to heare Heere the ignorance of those times moues me to pitty few men were learned and few learned men taught in France Italy had gathered vp some wits of that great shipwrack of Greece The tyrant of the East would not allow of any exercise of learning q Greece hath giuen these goodly wits vnto Italy Emanuel Chrisoloras an Athenian George of Trebizoâ—de Theodore de Gaza a Macedonian Ierâ—nimo Spartiate Gâ—egory Typhernas Iohn Argyropile of Constantinople Laoâ—â—â—c Chalcondile Athenian Marcus Musurus of Candie and Iohn Lascaris For they make him beleeue that learned men are soone possest with great and heigh resolutions against the seruitude which keepes them vnder r Books Sciences teach men of iudgement more then any other thing to know themselues and to feele the smart of seruitude the losse of libertie But this light could not passe into France through squadrons of men of war and good books which are not preserued but in the Temple of peace lay yet in the dust of Cloysters they were not made common to the world and they feared much that the masters in speaking well and eloquently in a Chamber would not be so in doing well in field in sight of the enemies s Cato perswaded the Senate to send away Carneades who was come to Rome on the behalfe of the Atheniens for that his cloquence drew the youth of Rome to follow him disposed the rather to immitate to speake well the to doe well in war in the managing of affaires Plut. that all eloquence was growne rusty in Barbarisme These great and goodly actions of those times in the which they must spread the maine failes of eloquence were giuen to Doctors of the Sorbone They vndertooke to make Ouerture at the Estates and to iustifie or condemne Princes before the Kings Councell See heer a Curate of the greatest parish in Paris who makes proofe of the grace and greatnes of the French eloquence in the first Parliament of France before a strange King the Ignorance of those times found none more capable he deserued to haue money giuen him to be silent rather then to speake t The ancient Orators got money both to speak and to be sâ—â—et One demaÌ„ded of Demosthenes what he had gotten for speaking hee answered I haue sold the silence of one day for fiue talents Plut. After that the King of Portugall had stayed somtime in Paris they put into his immagination as iealousie doth easily possesse aflicted mindes that the King who had at the same time confirmed
which did to belong knowledge and they might say that France was betrayed by Asses as Troy had bene by a horse s That age was in the thicke darkenesse of ignorance the which doth weaken all resolutions of wel-doing Diogenes said that Troy had beene betrayed by horses and the common-weale of Athens was lost by Asses petty-fogging did triumph in the Pallace and did plunge them that came for iustice into gulfes of confusion It became insupportable by long and tedious delayes and therefore he vndertooke to cut off the proceedings of the instructions of suites and those long formalities which made iustice like vnto a Vine which not being cut brings forth much wood and little fruit Lawes are made for publike infirmities and yet when there were most lawes the Common-weale was most corrupted and weakest t To shorten tedious sutes and to cut off that which is vnprofitable and superflous in laws hath beene the enterprises of great Princes of Theodosius Iustinian Châ—rlemaigne and Frederick Emperours But such good thoughts came to late they say that the Moule opens her eyes when shee is ready to dye The functions of his soule were languishing and deiected It was no more that great Spirit which gaue life and motion to all the spirits of his Realme that first mouer which made all the spheares of Christendome to work and who remaining in his Cabinet u Wisedome workes great effects without mouing from one place Edward of England seeing that Charles the fift did so much annoy him and yâ—t neuer went out of one place said I neuer knew king that did Arme lesse He doth crosse me mâ—re with his letters then euer his Father and Grand-father did with their great forces Armies kept all his neighbours in awe The remainder of his life was at the discretion of all kindes of languishings This cold Melancholy could finde no heate it was chill in the hottest dayes of the yeare His waywardnesse melancholy and did plunge him into a perpetuall waywardnesse insupportable to his followers and much more vnto himselfe Melancholly and sicknesse drew him by one and the same way vnto death They sought all meanes to cheere him and caused Musitians to play before him they brought many sheepheards of the Countrey of Poictou to sing to make him merry and to keepe him from slumber which drew him to a perpetuall sleepe But as the flame is smothered by smoke so this great desire of life and this base feare of death blemisht the beauty of the goodliest actions of his age x We must drink this cup ioyfully when God presents it He that hath a firme hope of enternall life should not feare a temporall death This careful desire of life retaines nothing of the generosity of the minde Maroboduus non excessit Italia per duodeviginti annos consenuitque multum imminuta claritate ob nimiam viuendi cupidinem Maroboduus went not out of Italy for the space of two and twenty yeares and hee grew old hauing much blemished his glorry by his too great desire to liue Tacit. Annal. lib. 2. A yeare after hee fell into a relapse of his sicknesse at Tours where as he was taken with a more violent convulsion then at the first Relapse of the Kings sicknesse at Tours so as he was held for dead and remained some two houres laid vpon a mattresse The Signior of Bouchage and Philip de Commines made a vow for him to S. Claude and he writes that presently after he recouers his speech A change which the minde of man should consider as all other meruailes of the hand of God by the humility of his zeale and not by the subtilty of his iudgement y The reason of that which is done miraculously depends onely of his power that hath done it S. Gregory saith that miracles debent considerari per studium non discuti per intellectum He went to Argenton to change the aire and remained there a moneth very sicke then hee returned to Tours and from thence past to S. Claude to performe his vow where hee left an euerlasting memory of his piety and deuotion z The Chronicle saith that in this voyage for the safety of his person he led eight hundred Launces and sixe thousand foott At his returne hee past by Salins A Parliament erected at Salins where hee erected the Parliament of Bourgondy which the ruines and extreame fury of the warre had chased from Dole He made ordonances for the gouernment of Iustice the which are yet obserued in the Franch-County Being at Beaujeu in Beaujolois he was aduertised of the death of Mary Dutches of Bourgondy who had fallen from her horse going a hunting and had left two children Margaret and Philip for the which hee was not sorry foreseeing that this death would breed some alteration in Maximilians affaires for the Gantois could not suffer the command of Maximilian nor Maximilian endure the humors of the Gantois a When as Manlius was chosen Consull he said vnto the people Seeke another to whom you may giue this honour for I cannot indure your maners nor you my commaundements Liv. At this returne from this voyage he would see his sonne the Dauphin in the Castle of Ambois The King goâ—s to see his sonne at Ambois where he had remained since his birth and had not seene him neither did he suffer him to be seene by all sorts of men for remembring that at the same age the great men of the Realme had seized on him against his father Charles the seuenth he feared the like attempt b Clauâ— Seissel saith That the King would not haue his sonne seene by the Nobility and men of Estate so as many doubted whether hee were liuing or dead And I thinke it is one of the reasons which made him write that Charles the 8. was supposed One of the greatest griefes and discontents which he might haue at the end of his life was the apprehension of blame which France would giue him to haue neglected the breeding and Instruction of this Prince and to haue so late sought to repaire those defects he would that the admonitions which he gaue him in the presence of his most confident seruants should bee published in forme of an Edict and enrolled in soueraigne Courts to the end his subiects might know that if his sonnes reigne were not answerable to his hopes the cause should not be imputed to his fathers Instructions Lewis Admonition made by the king to the Dauphin by the grace of God King of France Dauphin of Viennois Earle of Valentinois and Dioys to all those to whom these Presents shall come greeting Wee let you vnderstand that considering the beginning of all things and the end thereof euen of humane Nature whose dayes are short And that God our Creator hath giuen vs such great graces as it hath pleased him to make vs the head Gouernour and Prince of the Noblest Region and Nation
might be helpt by his nourishment hee did not care to breed him vp in those vertues which are worthy of a Prince These defects proceeded not so much from the fathers fault as from the time p In thâ—se daies they held that learning did wrong to courage and the most valâ—ant of those times were very grosse and ignâ—rant They say also that Italy being giuen more to learning then Armes had giuen a great aduantage to them that had conquered it where the old errour was sworne by the greatest Families that the study of learning did daunt their courages Hee would not haue him learne any more Lattine then these few words Qui nescit dissmulare nescit regnare q King Lewis the 11. would not haue his sonne learne any other Art but how to dissemble in the which he had pasi Maister he also said that in reading bookes he should find so many accidents and perils as he would becomelesse couragious A Prince leaues his sonne learned enough when he hath made him capable to force obedience Obedience is the Science of Princes r There is not any Science necessary for a Prince but to command well and to bee well obeyed Of his two daughters hee loued none but her whom hee gaue to the Duke of Bourbon the eldest was a sadde encounter to his eyes Hee fayled also in the affection which hee ought vnto the mother for hee gaue her not so good a share of his heart as shee ought to haue had CLAVDIVS of Seyssell saith That whilst hee was in the vigour of his age hee was not loyall of his person Hee alwaies kept her meanely attended in some Castell for the most part whether hee went some times to see her Lewis the 11. a bad Husband more for a desire to haue Issue then for any delight hee tooke in her and for the feare shee had of him and his sowre vsage of her it is credible that shee had no great delight nor pleasure in his company But that which is worse towards the end of his daies hee sent her into Dauphiné and did expressely command that shee should not bee neere his sonne when hee should bee King Of all the contentments of life that of marriage is most to bee desired It is a roughs passage the waies are flanked with Bushes and Thomes it is impossible to go vnto the end of it but some Brier or Bramble will catch hold of you s Marriage is good of it selfe but it is subiect to bad accidents To explaine this truth Gregory brings a comparison of a way which is cleane and straight yet hath on either side brambles which may catch hold In via quidem munda non offendimur sed à latere nascitur quo pungamur We are not hurt in a cleane way but it growes from the sides wherewith we are prickt Greg. 12. Moral And the great Prince which did draw all sorts of Sciences aboundantly out of the Treasures of the Eternall Wisedome doth number the concord of Marriage among his chiefest felicities holding him happy that hath a wise wife and aduowing that there is not any thing more pleasing vnto God then Nuptiall Concord That of brethren is no lesse pleasing vnto him Lewis bad to his brother there was not any betwixt the King and the Duke of Guienne his brother and wee cannot say that of them which is written of the two Twinnes t Two brethren were held Twinnes for that being toucht with the same Infirmity the beginning progresse and declining was equall in either of them August lib 5. de Ciuit. that the one had a feeling of anothers infirmity There was no resemblance of Complexions and Will betwixt them The Duke of Guienne hauing seene that his presumptions in the League of the Common-weale and those of the Dukes of Brittany Bourgundy Bourbon had beene recompensed and to draw fauours from the King it was good to make himselfe to bee feared hee still continued his practises with them that might terrifie him and held his spirit in the apprehensions of warre This great rigour which the King vsed towards him might well bee excused and maintained with this great reason not to make the Princes of the bloud great in a time of trouble and liberty If his brother had had a greater share in the State and if his portion had lyen neerer to his enemies the League of the Common-weale had continued longer In the beginning hee thought to content him in giuing the Dutchy of Berry u The Dutchy of Berry was giuen him for his portion in Nouember 1461. in the yeare 1465. he entred into the Dutchy of Normandy and the Lands which the Duke of Orleance held there as the Counties of Mortaigne and Longueuille to him and to his Heires Male then the Dutchy of Normandy with power to impose all sorts of Subsidies But hee did all this onely for the necessity of his affaires and to dispierce and cut assunder the storme of the League Soone after hee draue him out of Normandy and compelled him to retire and with-draw himselfe into Brittany as poore as euer This seuere course was approued and allowed by the three Estates who held it not fit nor conuenient to pull so goodly a Flower from the Crowne saying that hee should rest himselfe contented and satisfied with the offer which the King made him of twelue hundred pounds Sterling yearely rent with the Title of a Dutchy and foure thousand eight hundred pounds Pension x This offer was made according to the Ordonance of King Charles the fift in October 1374. by the which he would that Lewis of France his second son should haue twelue hundred pound sterling yearely rent for his portion and 4000. pounds giuen him to furnish him In the end hee gaue him the gouernement of Guienne but hee commanded Iohn of Popincourt President of the Accounts at Paris not to inuest him with his Letters before hee had deliuered and resigned vp the others and made his renounciation This was but a scantling of the whole peece for of this great spacious and goodly Prouince of Guienne hee had nothing but the Country of Bourdelois Bazadois and Landesse Hee neither enioyed it long nor yet possessed it quietly for being there hee presently found great troubles for the limites and bounds which the Kings Officers stroue and contended for and for the which the Duke of Bourgundy would haue taken Armes but it was compounded and verefied by the Court of Parliament two yeares after Death gaue him a more contented quiet and certaine Portion in the other world If death had not done the like grace to the Duke of Orleance and drawne him out of the cares and afflictions of this life hee had declared the cause of the same resolution the which hee made knowne to King CHARLES the seuenth The violent death of LEVVIS Duke of Orleance his father hauing inuited the English to mount vpon the Stage and there to
vnto fire but they haue neither the vertue nor the hardnes They found not any spirit well setled that would follow them but euery man stopt his eares at the first brute as if they had been inchantments All were amased i An vniust rash enterprise strikes horror into good men who foresee the miserable euents at the ignorant vulgar holds them fauorable they must stop their cares to their first prâ—positions for if they enter into the soule 〈…〉 it with confusion Claudendae sunt aures malis voelbus et quidem p. imis Nam cum initium fecerunt admissaeque sunt pâ—us audent Sen. at their boldnes and euery man said that fury would draw these wilde Bores into the toyle that the Foxes craft would not free them from the snare The Nobility of Auuergne giue them to vnderstand that if the Kinge came into the Country The declaration of the nobâ—lity of Auuergâ—e they could doe no lesse then to open their gates This name of Kinge and such a King against whâ— they could not arme but the reliques of his victories who had made so great proofes of his valor and courage made the most mutinous to tremble k A Prince whose great actions purchased the name of valiant and wise is alwaies feared and respected This authority disperseth all kind of factions and conspiracies when as carelesnes and contempt giues them life It was an Anuill which would weare all hammers Euery man said vnto the Dauphin I am yours without exception reseruing my duty to the Kings seruice The King could not yet dispatch his affaires with the English The Kinge of England had failed of the assignation made on the first day of May at S. Omer The King armes against the Dauphin to consider of a peace and made himselfe be sought vnto This trouble could not be but to the profit of the enemies of France He resolued to goe himselfe against this conspiracy before that time and the Innouation the auncient Idol m Caesar blamed the Gaules for a curious deâ—iâ—e of Inouations They are said he very inconstant in their opinions most commonly desire change of the French had giuen it more force Hauing fortified the frontiers against the English he aduertised his sonne of his duty but good wordes serue but as oyle to feede the lampe of this yong Princes desires He must vse sharper tearmes to force obedience n Good wordes are of no force to haue a difficult commandement â—bserued He that wil be obeyed in rigorous things must vse seueritie and authoritie So saies Machâ—auel in the third of his Discourses an vnpleasing commaund requires not milde speches He came to Poietiers he sent to the Duke of Bourbon to deliuer him his sonne and to the Duke of Alençon to yeeld him his Townes of Niort and St. Maixant and to both of them to yeeld an account of those combustions to come vnto him and to call their fidellity vnto them They were farre of this storme could not hurt them They were no Children to be afraid of this thunder The Duke of Bourbon would not obey at the first summons without caution for his obedience He had rather haue his absence o To flie iudgement is to confesse the fault but oftentimes the innocâ—nt teach no defence against the persecution of one more mightie but absence a witnesse against him then repent him for his presence He had a good pawne in his possession he had Townes and Subiectes which had sworne to follow his fortune thinking that the war being betwixt the Father and the Sonne all that were actors in it should gaine by it at the least they should be free from danger for the Fathers bounty would refuse nothing to his Sons humility and that oftentimes fidelity was worse rewarded then p There haue beene ages seene so full of confusion as they must haue done ill to reap good If vertue â—ere not of it selfe a great recoÌ„pence to good men they migâ—t haue some reason to repent themselues of doing well when as their condâ—tion is infeâ—iour to that of the wicked rebellion The Duke of Alençon thought he should alwaies haue Niort and St. Maixant to make his peace He had sent la Roche to defend the Castell of St. Maixant S. Maixan taken by the King but the Towne intrencht it selfe and put it selfe in armes against him It was presently assisted with the kinges forces who sent the Admirall Coitiui and la Varenne Seneâ—hall of Poictou thither The Castell being forced la Roche escaped making a shewe to goe for succors and the Captaines which he left within it were hanged The Kinges forces attempted not any Towne but they took it q A Prince that hath to deale with his subiects performes great matters in time how diffâ—cult soeuer Some endured the Cannon and were spoiled Rion and Aigues perces opened their gates at the first summons Clermont and Mont-Ferrand who had neuer giuen eare to the perswasion of the Princes of the league receiued the King The Estates of the Country assemble at Clermont to order this diuision Estates assembled at Clermont which separating the sonne from the father diuided one heart into two The King thinking it fit that a busines of that importance which concerned the safety of them all should be consulted of by many r Although that a soueraigne Prince may resolue of any thing of his own motion yet it is fit hee should commun cate it So Augustus made a pleasing sweet medlâ—y as Dion saitâ— of a Monarchie and a popular state hee appointed this assembly There they represented freely the ruines which threatned the Realme and that the English had occasion to mocke at the boldnes of the Princes of the bloud which had attempted against the head of their house and banded the Sonne against the Father That it was fit euery man should returne to his dutie the King by the way of his bounty and clemencie to them that had offended him by that of iustice to his estate to serue s To raign is to serue Tiberius comprhendâ—d the dutie of a Prince in three words and three kinds of subiects A good Prince who is ordained for the safety of his subiects must serue the Senat serue his subiects in generall and serue euery priuate man To serue the Senate is to follow their Councell to serue all is to procure the publike good and to serue euery man is to do him iustice that demands it the which hee was ordained of God as well as to command and the Princes by that of obedience and repentance with amendment for their faults that although the iustest cause to arme against the Prince were vniust yet the King should consider that a great Prince should apprehend nothing more then to see his subiects ill satisfied t A priuate man is pleased in satisfying himselfe but the condition of a Prince is bound to content his subiects and to saâ—isfiâ—
of the Dauphins wife Death of Margaret Stuard and his heauines was so apparent as the whole Court did participate thereof But there was more then teares to witnesse that hee loued this Princesse and that the remembrance of her should not end with weeping k Affection is not tryed by teares onely To ceace to weepe is not to forget the remembrance is too short which lasteth no longer them teares for he receiued the Princesses of Scotland her Sisters with all kindes of honor whom she had greatly desired to see They came at the time of her Funerals and finding themselues as it were vnknowne in a country whereas that which should make them to be knowne and respected was wanting they dyed for griefe All consolations made their greefes comfortles l We must giue time and ayre to sorrow to euaporate it In those which are extremâ— it is a part of the griefe to heare of consolations and made them desire that the Queene their sister being in the bosome of the earth had them vpon hers But the King to witnes that the affection which he bare vnto their Sister was not dead made them to feele the effects He married the one to Francis Duke of Brittaine and the other to Sigismond Archduke of Austria m Iohn Duke of Brittanie sent Ambassadors into Scotland to treat the marriage of his Sonne with Isabel daughter to the King of Scotland at whose returne he enquired what the Princesse was Who made report That shee had beautie sufficient a bodie well disposed to beare children but shee had no ready speech To whom he answered That she was as he demanded and that he held a woman learned enough if she could make a difference betwixt her husbands doublet and shirt Annal. of Aquitaine It is impossible to finde truth in an enemies tongue The iudgement of two Historians of England Hony how sweet soeuer it be is sharpe and offensiue to a mouth vlcered with passion and slander Edward Hall and Grafton two writers of England seeing that their imposture would take no hold vpon the manners and actions of this Princesse haue indiscreetly written that she was vnpleasing to her husband n Buchanan in the tenth booke of the Historie of Scotland saith that two Historians of England hauing as little sufficiencie as modestie haue beene so Impudent as not finding any thing wherewith to slander this Princes haue said Ob oris graueolentiam marito fuisse ingratam But there are records yet to be seene both in France and Scotland of the griefe which Charles the seuenth and the Dauphin his Sonne had for her death and Monstrelet speakes as of a Princesse who excelled in beautie both of minde and bodie She fauoured the good wits of her age Alain Charretier was held at that time one of the first of the Court and this Princes did esteeme him so rare as shee honoured him with a singular fauour for passing by a Chamber whereas he slept vpon a forme she kist him and to satisfie the amazement of the Ladyes of her traine she added I kisse not the man I kisse the mouth from whence haue come so many goodly Discourses Yet it was one of those mouthes which haue learned to talke and not to bee silent o There is no such itching of the spirit as a desire to write It is not cured but by silence Eusenius demanded of Apolonius Thianeus why hee did not settle himselfe to write for that said hee I haue not yet learned to hold my peace This warlike and Marshall season was debarred both of learning and learned men For whereas warre speakes learning is silent The Prouinces troubled by armes neither teach nor are taught and the money which should serue for the stipend of publicke Readers is imployed for the musters of souldiers p The Emperor Leon made an answere to one that counselled him to imploy his treasure in the entertainement of souldiers vtinaÌ„ meis temporibus eueniat stipendia militum in doctores artium absumi I would it might happen in my time that the stipends of souldiers might bee imployed vpon Doctors of Arts. The yeares of Truce being expired The warre renues the warre was renued with all violence against the English The Historie speakes nothing of the actions of Lewis vntill his retreat into Dauphine neither are the causes thereof well exprest Shee hath well obserued his discontents His Father held him somewhat short and his actions were not so temperate The wretched life of a great King but they gaue him some cause of suspition that he had a desire to be master q The opinions of children should be limitted in that sort as it is not lawfull for them once to thinke to aduance the time they must suffer heauen the order of nature to work The King being come to an end of his affayres would recompence the troublesome nights which hee had past r A troubled youth requires a quiet age he that hath liued in the waues desires to dye in the Port. when as melancholly had dryed vp his bones that all his demeanes were engaged the chiefe forts of the Realme in the power of the English that his table often fayled and that hee liued in such frugalitie as hee had no need of excellent Cookes such as those of the Romans were 1446 for they found him not with three or foure Dishes like vnto Charlemaine but with a messe of Pottage made with a rumpe of Mutton and a couple of Chickens rosted for his whole seruice s The sobrietie of Charlemaine hath beene commended he had but foure dishes hee dranke but thrice and neuer betwixt meales he did eate some fruits after dinner Eghinard The great toyles which hee had past deserued some good daies but he sought them not in his family nor in his children t Rest after their trauels is iust and lawfull but it is most sweet in his owne house And therefore Hercules was represented playing with a little Child The familie hath consâ—iations Bella planè accinctis obeunda sed reuertentibus post laborem quid honestius quam vxorium leuamentum TAC. His spirit plunged it selfe in delights He giues himselfe to delights and to Ladies for the which like vnto another Iupiter he transformed himselfe into diuers shapes vnworthy of his Maiestie and although he was impatient of seruitude as all Kings be yet he vowed himselfe to the seruice of Ladies which followed the Queeene Aboue all their appeared the fayre Agnes beautifull in the flower of her age and as louely as worthily to bee beloued u The Obiect of Loue is Beauty and Beautie is the marke of many desires It is for blind men to demaund why Kings loue fayre things She stole the Kings heart who made her Mistris of the Castle of beautie as she was Queene of all the beauties but beauty was in her a bad Hostes in a goodly lodging The Historie which
of Eugenius They did alwaies obiect vnto his Nuncios that it was a shame to gainesay himselfe to ouerthrow the worke of his owne hands and that Dignities had changed the Maximes of conscience Wherefore in the end of Aprill 1463. he made a declaration containing a great repentance of that which hee had done in the Councell of Basill against the Pope i This Bull was directed to the vniuersitie of Collin to the which he wrot many things against Engenius ending with these wordes Haec est nostra sententia filii haec credimus profiteâ—ur haec iam senes et in Apostolatus aeque constituti pro veritate asserimus si qua vel nobis vel aliis conscripsimus aliquando quae huic doctrinae repugnent illa tanquam erronea â—uueneli animo parum pensata iudicia reuocamus atque omnino respuâ—mus and directed it to the Vniuersitie of Collin He excused himselfe by his youth comming but newly from the Schooles the force of the perswasions of so many great prelates whom hee saw banded against Eugenius the example which had seduced him and ignorance which should excuse him thinking not to erre after so many great Doctors and especially of the Schoole of Paris whose reputation was then very famous and of the vniuersities of Germany k Nos homines vt homines errauimus neque imus inficias multa quae diximus scripsimus egimus damnari posse verum non vt Arrius â—â—thyces Macedonius aut Nestorins alia blasphemorum turba ex animo damnatum viam eligimâ—s seducti peccauimus vt Paulus ignoranter persecuti fuimus Ecclesiam Dei Romanam primamque sedem propter quod prostrati ante oculos diuinae pietatis supplices oranâ—us Delicta inuentutis meâ— ignorantias ne memineris pudet erroris paeniteut fecisse vt male dictorum scriptorumque vehe menter poenitet plus scripto quam facto nocuim us Who declared Eugenius vnworthy of Peters chayre for that he had broken and hindered the course of the counsell which he himselfe had called and refused to approue and effect their decrees But that now knowing this Error he coniured all the world to note the distinction betwixt Aeneas Stluius and Pius the second betwixt a priuate man and the great Vicar of Iesus Christ betwixt the errors of a youth without experience and the thoughts of an age touched with the Spirit of God Then hauing made a great repentance of his opinions he published his beliefe of the Popes Authoritie Words of S. Bernard and said of the person of Eugenius the fourth that which S. Bernard had said of Eugenius l Tu es sacer dos magnus summus pontifex tu princeps EpiscoruÌ„ tu haeres Apostolorum tu primatu Abel gilbernatu Noe Patriarchatu AbrahaÌ„ erdine Melchisedech dignitate Aaron auctoritate Moyâ—es iudicata Samuel potetestate Pâ—tâ—us Vnctione Christus Tu es cui claues traditae cui oues creditae sunt Sunt alijquideÌ„ coeli ianitores gregum pastores sed tu tanto dignius quanto differentius vtrumque prae illis nomeÌ„ haereditasti Habentilli signatos sibi greges singuli singulos tibi vniuersi crediti vni sumus Nec modo â—uium sed et pastoruÌ„ tu vnus omniuÌ„ pastor Haec Bernardus ad Eugenium 3. scribit cui supremaÌ„ omnimodam in ecclesia potestatem concedit quod ille in tertio testatur Eugenio hoc nos de quarto omnibus aliis Romanis Pontificibus profitemur the third Thou art the great Priest the Soueraigne pastor the prince of Bishops the Heyre of the Apostles thou art Abel in primacie Noah in gouernment Abraham in the Patriarchat Melchisedech in Order Aaron in Dignitie Moses in Authoritie Samuel in Iustice Peter in Power and Christ in vnction Notwithstanding all these goodly words and the great reasons wherewith the Nucios were armed to let the King know the great wrongs he did vnto himselfe The â—talians called the Council of Basill a conuenticle to breake with the Pope in fauouring the Decrees of a Councell which Rome held to be but a Conuenticle a monopole and Schisme They found not any one in his Councell which thought it fit to breake such holsome Decrees and the King who had been with King Charles his Father at the assembly at Bourges remembred how carefully they had beene examined solemnely published and profitably obserued fiue and twenty whole yeeres The Pragmatick Sanction was a law also for all the accidents of the policie of the Church a soueraigne balme for all the vlcers The summe of the Pragmaticke Sanction which auarice dissolution and ignorance might cause in her members m Frustra iâ—hiberetur inferioribus â—â—ipse qui aluÌ„s debet esse omnium bonerum virtutum exemplar non abstineret Vt enim ille sanctissimus doctissimus Leo Papa inquit totius familia domini status or do nutabit si quod inquiritur in corpore non inuenitur in capite Integritas enim praesidentium salus dignoscitur esse inferiorum Pragm Sanct. tit de collatib ¶ frustr And for that they labour in vaine to keepe the body in health if the head bee sicke it did somewhat restraine the Popes authoritie binding him to hold a Councell euery ten yeares and to obserue the Decrees which should be made yea that which the councell of Basill had made touching the Elections Reseruations and Collations of benefices It did forbid expectatiue graces and citations to the Court of Rome but in certaine great causes and as for Appellations they did no more passe the mountaines the Pope did appoint Iudges vpon the places for Appellants which depended immediately vpon the sea of Rome and as for others they might appeale to the next superiour It tooke from the Pope a great part of the profits of his Chancerie forbidding the payments of vacances and Anuates and reseruing onely the iust fees for expedition of Buls Pope Eugenius considering the consequence of this Decree sent his Nuncios to the Councell of Basill to haue it suspended but the fathers intreated him not to suffer such an abuse any longer then declaring such as should pay them Simoniacall it added that if the Pope did scandalize the Church in contemning the obseruation it should be referred to a Councell n Etsi quod absit Romanus Pontifex qui prae caeteris vniuersalium conciliorum exequi custodire debet canones aduertus hanc sanctionem aliquid facien do ecclesiam scandalizet vt generali concilio deferatur Caeteri vero pro modo culpa iuxta canonicas sancti â—nes per suas superiores digna vltione puniantur Prag Sanct. tit de Annat ¶ Non fiant It would not allow the Pope to make Cardinals after his owne phantasie but with aduise of the other Cardinals that there should not be aboue foure and twenty chosen out of all the churches of Christendome to the end the number should not abase the
which belonged vnto him The Parlament did then consider the iustice not the fortune and respected the Maiesty of the King though hee were a prisoner intreating the King to rest satisfyed with the Regency of the Realm and to assure the succession to his house after the death of Henry He accepted the declaration of the Parlament but considering that Queene Margaret had a great Army on foot to set her husband at liberty Battell at Wakefield he resolued to fight with her He gaue her battell at Wakefield against the aduise of his Councell who intreated him to stay vntill the troupes which his sonne Edward Earle of March brought him were arriued Presumption troubleth his spirits with a motion contrary to that of Reason which should haue diswaded him from fighting y The violence of courage is dangerous vppon the point of a battell for it darkens the clearenes of Iudgement doth easily change it to the trouble of reason and to that perturbation which the Philosoph call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— Some haue written that the Queene caused the head of the Duke of York to bee cut off carrying a Crowne of paper others say it was the Lord Cliffords deed for their forces were not equall although in the courage of the Commanders there was no other difference but that of sexe No no it shall not be said that the Duke of York who had so often fought in France without any other trench or defence then his owne armes is shut vp that he attends a woman and doth not go forth to fight with her He spake this and went forth with 5000. men and met her The Combate in the beginning was terrible and furious The Queen cuts off the Earle of Salisburies head The Queene shewed her selfe among the troupes exhorting the Souldiers to honour glory Richard Duke of York was slaine Richard Earle of Salisbury whose head soon after the Commons who hated him cut off the which with many others of the same faction was set vpon the walles of York to bee a terror and an example to other Rebells After this victory the Queene whose courage was eleuated vppon the apprehension of all sorts of dangers 2. Battell at St. Albons and who held them lesse then the captiuity of her husband resolues to loose her life or to restore him to liberty She goes directly to London and comming to S. Albons she encounters the Earle of Warwick who aduanced to succour his generall with the same courage that she had defeated the Duke of Yorke shee chargeth the Earle of Warwick puts him to rout and frees the King a The excellency of courage shewes it selfe when as the soule is carried beyond all showes and apprehensions of dangers fortitudo contemptrix est timendorum Senec. Epi. 89. Edward Earle of March being aduertised of the death of the Duke of York his father refused not to tread in his steppes and to imbrace the toile Edward Earle of March succeeds the Duke of York his father in his authority from whence he expected his greatnes and glory He staid in the Prouince of Wales and expelled Iasper Earle of Pembrooke The Earle of Warwick ioyned with him and with all their forces he came to London where he was receiued with incredible ioy and acclamations He was one of the goodliest Princes of his time and in great reputation his bounty courage and liberality were powerfull charmes to winne mens hearts the English thinking that hauing him they had all and that their felicity was tyed to the long continuance of his Raigne b A Prince can desire no greater proofes of the affection of his people then when hee beleeues that nothing can saile him so as hee faile not them From thence are come these goodly acclamations Augusto Constantine Dâ—te nobis seruent vestra salus nostra salus â—od Theod lib. 7. tit 20. In te omnia per te omnia Antonine habemus A El. Lamprid Dion reports an excellent one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we haue all in hauing you He is proclaimed King and for that hee would haue no companion in his royalty hee resolues to fight with King Henry and marched directly to York lodging in a little village called Touton Henry being prepared to receiue him would not shew himselfe for that it was Palme sunday desiring to spend that day in the seruice of God but the souldiers seeing themselues so neere would not referre the partie vntill the next day They come to hands the combat continued tenne howers and the victory hauing beene long doubtfull and in ballance betwixt both Armies sodainely inclined to Edward The King and Queene seeing all their troopes put to flight they saued themselues in Scotland with their seruants c The Regent of Scotland led K. Iames the third to meet with King Henry the 6. and Q. Margaret The good reception with the succor which he receiued caused him to restore Barwick to the Realm of Scotland and from thence Margaret passed into France to her father to demand succors Henry the 6. flies into Scotland Edward returned triumphing to London and caused himselfe to be crowned King at Westminster the 28. of Iune 1461. he called a Parlement where all that had bene decreed by King Henry the sixt was reuoked After that Henry had gathered together some forces in Scotland he returnes into England being followed by a great number of his ould seruants The Iustice of his cause gaue him good hope d Hee that hath reason on his side is alwaies accompanied with good hope hee pursues his quarrell with more courage and assurance be exposeth himselfe to all dangers and his subiects serue and succour him more willingly and in all accidents the iustice of his cause doth comfort him but he was repulsed with great dishonor by Iohn Marques of Mountague King Edward beeing aduertised of the practises of Margaret both in France Scotland and England to restore her husband to his crowne he sets guards vpon the Ports and passages of Scotland to stop her entrie but as there is no miserie more insupportable then the remembrance of what we haue been King Henry bare this change of condition so impatiently as not apprehending the danger neither of his life nor of his first captiuitie and not considering that fortune had neuer done him so much good but might doe him more harme e Miseries doe but begin when as they seeme to end There is not any man but may haue more harme then hee hath had good Neminem eo Fortuna pronexit vt non tantum illi minaretur quantum permiserat Sen. Epi. 4. he returned into England in a disguised habite where hee was discouered taken and presented to Edward Hen. the sixt put into the Tower of London who lodged him in the Tower of London If he had thought that he had gone forth as hee did to get the crowne hee would haue giuen him one of copper made fast
Himbercourt A lye giuen â— the Lord â— Himbercourt A man of authority and great dignity will not be contradicted all the reynes of patience breake but truth is so precious an ornament vnto thersoule as when it is disroabed thereof it is no more knowne A lyar is like vnto a counterfeit peece no man will take it and when as the tongue hath once learned to lye and to gainsay her Conscience it is hard to reclaime her Euery lye especially in a gentleman deserues degradation of Armes for a Month or bannishment from Court and algood company for certaine daies i Alfonso K. of Castile sonne to King Ferdinand being at Burgos in the yeare 1368. made an order of Knighthood which he called the order of the hand wher among other statutes there were three remarkable That the knight shold bee alwaies true and that he that should tel a lye should goe a month without a sword That a Knight should alwaies haue good armes in hisâ— Chamber good horses in his stable a good laâ—ce at his gate and a good sword at his girdle vppoÌ„ pain to loose thâ—e name of a Knight That who so had eateÌ„ any stinking things as Garlick and Onyons should absent himselfe a month from the Court and not sit at the Knight tables Wherevppon the King who considered what force this iniury might haue with Himbercourt dispatcht a Gentleman presently with commandement not to probeed in any resolutions which concerned the Constable The Constable gets a saâ—e conduct to come vnto the King whom he commanded to come vnto him and gaue him all assurances which hee demanded hee so much desied to draw him from the Precipice whether his Ambition led him The King came neere vnto S t. Quentin spending the time in hunting about Noion Compeigne and la Fere to busie himselfe during his expectation of the Constable who knowing the humor of this Prince to be full of reuenge and disdaine and that contrary to the nature of Caesar hee neuer forgat iniurie hee did capitulate for his safety of going and returning with conditions too hardy for a subiect His health was in humility and he sought it in pride k It is a great error in a Prince to intreat a subiect like vnto a Soueraigne Prince By enteruiewes of such inequalitie there cannot grow any thing but contempt of the greater and vndoubted danger for the inferior which made his precedent faults to be more apparant and the least to bee reputed great They were forced to make a barre vppon a Causey three leagues from Noyon He comes vnto the K. vpon a Cauley toward la Fere vppon a riuer where the Constable had caused the Foards to be raisâ—d This barre did assure that which was on his side for the King had twise as many men as hee not daring to limit the number of those that should follow his maiesty He came first vnto the Causey the King sent Phillip de Commiâ—es to make his excuse for that he made him attend The King came presently after and found the Constable armed with his Cuirasse vnder a loose Cassock and followed by 300. Gentlemen An act of a distrustfull spirit and a guilty Conscience l Bodies which are easie to purge are also to cure but when the humor resists the Phisicke the cure is very difficult The Constable was sicke of a burning Feuer of Ambition the humor which entertained it was pride insteed of purging it hee nourished it withall that might augment it presenting himselfe before his Prince as before his companion A vassall should neuer m In certaine Nations barbarously wise no man how great soeuer presents himselfe before the King but in a tatâ—ered roabe which couers his good garments to the end that al the poÌ„pe should remain in the King shew himselfe with too much pomp or too great a traine before his Prince They are well aduised who do therin rather follow the way of the ancient simplicity then the new pollicy vain ostentation which the flattery of the late-come hath so much commended But in the most perfect iudgements we see great imperfections To stand alwaies firme and neuer trippe is an admirable and diuine thing The King obserued the Constables brauery yet made no shew of it The King dissembles the Constables pride insolencie and for that hee held dissimulation the cheefe of all royall vertues he did not forbeare to commend his wisedom and gouernment desiring that he should beleeue the contrary to that which his heart thought n It is a means to reclaime a spirit which hath strayed from his loyalty duâ—y not to seeme to doubt of either of them a seruant hath been ofâ—times made faithfull in thinking him to bee so Fiue or sixe Noblemen Gentlemen which were at this Parle grew amazed at his arrogancy which in the end would ruine him that did relye vpon it would ouerthrow this Colosse and break it in as many peeces as it had designes It was a very sensible discontent vnto the King o It is a Corosâ—ue to a great Prince to see a trecherous subiect treat and capitulate with him like vnto enemies Tiberius could not indure it in Tacfarinates although hee had great aduantages in Affrike demanding certaine Townes of safety and retreat he held himself contemned and the Senate of Rome wronged saith â—acitus to see that a trecher and a theefe treated with him like a iust enemy Quod deserto et Predo hostium more ageret to see that a subiect who had left him treated with him like vnto a iust enemy As he aduanced on his side of the barre the Constable did the like to meet him and doing his duty to his maiesty he began to make his excuse for that the iust apprehension of his enemies bad designes The Constable excused himselfe for that hee came armed who were about his maiesty and not able to charge him with any crime charged him with enuy had forced him to come in that equipage and to seeke a place of safety and an assured traine least their bad intents should be more powerfull then his maiesties wisedom and bounty That he knew many built their hopes vpon his graue and the succession of the office of Constable p Many times great men haue no greater enemies then their great offices and dignities Those that effect them handie to their ruine My house of Albe said a condemned Citizen is the cause of my miseries A quality which he desired not to hold but for his maiesties seruice and to make it knowne that it could not bee conferred vppon an honester man That in all thinges which did concerne the seruice of so great a Prince and of so good a King his affections should be without bounds The King receiued him graciously intreated him as his equall and seemed not to come with the maiesty of a King The King receiued him graciously Hee past q Maiestie
loyall Officers Seruants and Subiects g Bodâ—n writes in the fourth booke of his Common-weale Chap. 4. that K. Lewis the 〈◊〉 made another Edict declaring all offices perpetuall if resignation death or Fortune did not cause some change and hee ordained that a Destitution by forfeite should not take place if the forfeiture were not adiudged Item Wee haue also expressely commanded and enioyned him that when it shall please God he come vnto the said Crowne of France that he shall maintaine all the Noble-men of our Bloud and Linage and all other Noble-men Barons Gouernours Knights Esquires Captaines and Commanders at warre in their Offices and charges and all other hauing the command of men and guard of Townes places and Forts and all other Officers either of Iustice or other of what condition soeuer not changing or disappointing any of them vnlesse they bee duely found faulty and disloyall h An Officer which feares to be disappointed holds all his actions pure and keepes himselfe from failing Yet a Prince should neuer displace without cause and one of the greatest commendations which they giue to king Robert is that he neuer disappâ—â—â—ed any Officer if he had not offended and that there may be a due declaration made by Iustice as is requisite in that case Item Vnto the end our sonne may and will consider of entertaine and accomplish our said Ordinance Iniunction and commandement wee haue laid before him the great miseries inconueniences and ir-repairable losses which befell vs soone after our comming vnto the Crowne for that we had not maintained them in their estates charges Offices i King Lewis the eleuenth coming to the Crowne did suddenly disappoint all his fathers ancient seruants who handled him in such sort as he was ready as hee confest after-ward to quit his Crowne and his estate the which hath continued long to the great oppression and ruine of many of our Countries and Subiects and doth yet continue although that God be thanked we haue not lost any thing of the Crowne but haue augmented it with great Lands and possessions hoping shortly with the pleasure and good will of our Creator to settle peace and tranquility And that if our said sonne should doe the like and should not continue the said Noble-men and Officers the like or worse might happen vnto him and that as hee loues the good honour and increase of himselfe the said Realme and others our Countries and Signiories hee should haue a speciall care not to doe any thing to the Contrary for what cause soeuer Which Remonstrances made by vs to our sonne the Dauphin for the good of the Crowne of France and to the end the said Ordonances Commandements and Iniunctions made vnto him should take effect and bee in perpetuall memory wee haue demanded of our said sonne k A marke of great mildnesse in a seuere Prince and of great bounty in a difficult Father hee doth not vse his authority ouer his sonne for so iust a command Hee first sounds his will then hee suffers him to consult with his obedience the bond whereof is sealed with the Seale of Nature the which hath not giuen to men any Commission to command others and to make them subiect except the Father whom Procles calleth The Image of the Soueraigne GOD. what hee thought and whether he were content willing and resolued to entertaine the same things and other deliuered by vs and especially touching the said Charges and Offices Whereunto he hath humbly made answere and said That he would willingly obey acomplish and performe with all his power the Commandements Instructions Ordonances and Iniunctions which we gaue him for the which he did most humbly thanke vs. Moreouer wee commanded him to retire himselfe with some of his Officers which were there present and conferre with him vpon those matters which hee had propounded vnto him and resolue whether hee would entertaine all that wee had enioyned him The which hee hath done and then he spake these or such like words vnto vs Sir with the helpe of God and when it shall bee his pleasure that these things happen I will obey your commandement and pleasure and will performe and accomplish all that you haue enioyned me Wherevpon we said vnto him That seeing he would doe it for the loue of vs he should hold vp his hand and promise so to do and hold The which he hath done Item After many other things declared by vs concerning the same matter and also of many Noble-men our aduersaries within our realme l A Prince cannot leaue a more profitable and fruitful precept vnto his sonne then to make him knowe the friends of his Estate to cherish them and the enemies to beware of them the one and the other are known by the effects but men regard but the face and God seeth the heart who haue alwayes beene contrary to vs and our said Crowne from whom part of the miseries and inconueniences aboue mentioned haue sprung to the end he might haue a watchfull eye ouer them we haue recommended vnto him some of our good and loyall Seruants and Officers which were there present and some absent letting him vnderstand how well and faithfully they had serued vs as well against our enemies and about our person as also in many and diuers sorts Of which things and of euery their circumstances and dependances we haue ordained and commanded our louing and faithfull Notary and Secretary M r. Peter Parrent to make all Letters Provisions Patents and declaratory clauses of our said will and commandement that shall bee needfull as well during our said Reigne as that of our Sonne and in the beginning of his said Reigne by manner of confirmation to the said Officers and confirming theÌ„ in their said Charges and Offices and we haue so coÌ„manded enioyned our said sonne to cause it to be done by the said Parrent as our Secretary and his Wee also command by these Presents our louing and faithfull Councellours of our Courts of Parliament m Presently after the death of Lewis the Parliament of Paris decreed that the Officers should continue in their charges as they had done before attending the answere of the new King the which shewes that charges are suspended vntil that his pleasure hee knowne according to an ancient Decree made in October 1382. of the said Realme and Dauphine Exchequer of Normandy Maisters of our Accounts Generals and Councellors of our Treasurie of Iustice and of our Aids Maisters of requests of our houshold Prouâ—st of Paris and all Bailiffes Seneshals Provosts and other our Iustices and officers or their Lieuetenants and euery of them to whom it shall belong which are at this present or shall be hereafter in our time or our sonnes that they obserue entertaine and accomplish and cause to be obserued entertained and accomplished from point to point inviolably our present Ordonances and Declarations and all and euery thing contained in these Presents with their
of Paris This dissolution was one of the causes of the rarenesse of Gold and Siluer which was no more to bee found but in Chaines of gold and in their purses who had had meanes to transport it out of the Realme to haue Silkes The Estates of France complained at Tours and it was said That euery man was clad in Veluet and Silkes and that there was not a Fidler Groome of the Chamber Barber nor Souldier but ware it that they had Collers or Rings of Gold on their fingers like the Princes and that there was not treason nor villany but they committed to continue this disordered sumptuousnesse of apparrell Science Science If hee were learned by Art or by Practise wee must looke vnto the effects of his good Conduct with the which like vnto Perseus with Mineruas Courtelax he had cut off the head of the Medusa of reuolts and sedition in his Realme If it bee true that in his time simple honesty q Innocency doth commonly lodge with Ignorance and Simplicity The troubles which haue molested the world are not come from the simple The learned or they which presumed to know all things haue framed them Simplex illa aperta virtus in obscuram solertem scientiam versa est That simple and open vertue is turned into obscure and cunning knowledge and ignorant vertue were degenerated into a Science or knowledge of dissembling or subtilty we must hold him for the most learned Prince that euer bare Scepter in his hand or Crowne vpon his head Hee had saith Philip de Commines his speech at commandement and his wit perfectly good without the which bookes serue to small purpose They make men learned but not wise and the difference is great to haue a full head or a head well made to bee sufficient or learned instructed in contemplation or in action r They teach men diuers Sciences for their vse and to excell in them Princes should learne Regere Imperio populos To gouerne the people A Princes Science is to know how to command Philip de Commines saith that hee was learned enough The Author of the Annals of Aquitane writes That hee had gotten more knowledge as well Legall as Historicall then the Kings of France were accustomed to haue And although hee were not of those times when as they met with Emperours going to the Schooles with Bookes vnder their Armes s Lucius met with M. Antony who went to see Cyrus the Philosopher son to one of Plutarkes sisters this Prince said vnto him That it was a goodly thing to learne euen for a man that grew old To whom Lucius all amazed answered O Iupiter RomanoruÌ„ Imperator iam apetente senio gestans librum qui pueris mos est preceptoreÌ„ adit O Iupiter the Roman Emperour growing old goes vnto his maister carying a book as school-boyes vse to doe nor was not of the humour of that other Emperour who forgat his Dinner to heare Lessons t Charles 4. Emperour loued learning in such sort as being in in the schooles at Pragne some comming to put him in minde of dinner hee said vnto them that hee had dined preferringâ— the contentment of the mind before that of the body Aen. Silv. yet that great leasure which hee had in Dauphiné and afterwardes in Flanders accompanied with a desire to learne which is the first steppe to mount vnto knowledge could not leaue him in the ignorance of things necessary to reigne well On a time he vsed his Latine to good purpose Pope Sixtus had sent Cardinall Bessarion u Cardinall Bessarion borne at Trebisond and Monke of S. Basil was made Cardinall at the Councell of Florence by Eugenius the fourth and sent Legat into Germany to reconcile the Emperour and the Archduke Sigismond brethren a Grecian borne to mediate a peace betwixt him and the Duke of Bourgondy Hee had beene imployed in great Embassies in the time of Pope Eugenius who had made him Cardinall and of Pius the second the which hee ended happily This was the cause of his death for hauing begun with the Duke of Bourgondy as holding him the most difficult to draw to reason the King tooke it ill and imputing it to contempt or to some priuate passion as hee presented himselfe at his Audience hee laid his hand vpon his great beard and said vnto him Barbara Greca genus retinent quod habere solebant x The Grecians called all other nations barbarous Plat. in Menoxeno An Arrow shotte not against Greece which gaue the name of Barbarous to all other Nations but against the Birth and Inciuilite or Indiscretion of this Cardinall whom hee left there and commanded to bee so speedily dispatched as he knew his stay there was no more pleasing vnto him then his Indiscretion The feeling hereof did so afflict him as soone after returning to Rome hee fell sicke at Thurin died at Reuenna and confirmed that Truth That Embassages ambitiously affected doe neuer succeed happily z A graue and true sentence spoken by Iohn Caruagial Cardinal of S. Agnolo Nessuna legatione ambita puo hauer desiderato fine No Embassage affected can haue a desired end Ier. Garimbert Who so had the Apothegmes the goodly speeches and good words of this Prince should enrich this discourse with so many pearles and pretious stones There comes nothing from the mouth of a great King full of wisedome and experience but should be as curiously gathered vp as the crums which fall from the table of the Gods a Damis did curiously collect the words of Appollonius Some misliking that â—e busied himselfe with such trifles said that he had done like vnto dogs which gather vp all the crums and fragments which fall from their maisters tables Damis answered You say well but this is a banquet of the Gods and all that assist at it are Gods also the Officers suffer nothing to be lost Philip de Commines hath obserued this A King hath more force and vertue in his Realme where he was annointed and crowned then he had without it To haue serued well doth sometimes loose men and great seruices are recompenst with great ingratitude Iudgment vpon the recoÌ„pence of seruices but this may happen as well through the errour of them that haue done the seruices who too arrogantly abuse their good fortune as well to their Maisters as their Companions as through the mistaking and forgetfulnesse of the Prince b Princes seeing the merites and seruices to bee so great as they cannot recompence them but by great aduancemets they doe not willingly looke vpon them who as often as they present themselues vnto their eyes seeme to demand recompence Beneficia eo vsque laeta sunt dum videntur exolui posse Vbi multum antevenere pro gratia odium redditur Benefits are so long pleasing as they thinke they can bee payd but when they haue exceeded hatred is repayed for thankes Tacitus lib. 4. To haue
honors and deserued great aduancements in the house of Bourgondy he receiued the Coller of the golden Fleece when as D. Charles did first solemnize the order at Bruges after his fathers death f Charles 〈…〉 should haue stood with these words which are read in a Chronicle M. S. of the Kings library The Earle of Neuers being adiourned by the letters patents of the most high and most excellent Prince my redoubted Lord the Duke sealed with the seale of his order of the Fleece to appeare in person at this present Chapter there to answere vpoÌ„ his honor touching witchcraft and abusing the holy Sacraments of the Church hath not appeared but hath made default And to auoid the sute and depriuation of the order to bee made against him he hath sent back the Coller and therefore hath been and is declared out of the order and not called in the offring when as the Earle of Neuers was degraded more vnworthily then the respect of his house made him to hope from a Prince his neere kinsman The Duke gaue him the gouernment of the County of Boullein afterwards of Artois He came vnto the Kings seruice and deliuered into his hands the Towne of Arras after the Dukes death It seemes that Philip de Comines would not speake all he knew nor call a Fig a Fig. He knits it vp shortly in these words He could not mistake in submitting himselfe vnto the Kings seruice vnlesse he had taken a new oath to the yong Lady of Bourgondy and in yelding vp that vnto her which he held of hers They haue and will speake diuersly hereof wherfore I referre my selfe to the truth Tristan the Hermit whom the rigor of this reigne hath made so famous for the suddennesse of his executions was high Prouost Tristan the Hermit King Charles the 7 th made him knight after the siege of Fronsac g After the siege of Fronsac there were made knights Iohn of Bourbon Earle of Vendosâ—ne Iohn of â—ourbon his base brother the Vicount of Turaine the Lords of Rochefautaut Commery Rochechouart Grignaux de Barres Mommorin Bordeilles Fontenelles and Estauge The name of Tristan was giuen to Princes borne in some great affliction Iohn of France was surnamed Tristan for that he was borne at Damiete during the Imprisonment of S. Lewis his father In like manner the sonne to the King of Sicile was called Tristan for that he was borne in Catelonia when his father was a prisoner Philip de Commines Lords of Argenton Philip de Commines Some haue thought that he freed the king from the danger of Peronne and that it was the cause of the great fauour which he had purchased with the king I haue wondred why the king did not adde the honour of the Order of S. Michael and how it was possible that it should faile a man who wanted not any thing and who was so much fauoured and so familiar with the king as he did often lye in his Bed eate at his Table sit at his Councell and carried his most secret designes to Princes treated q Wee doe often finde the 〈…〉 of the secrets in Lawyers books Procopius sayth that the wâ—ters of 〈◊〉 were called a Secretis Honor qui tunc dabaâ—ur egregijs dum ad Imperiale Secretum tales constet eligi in quibus reprehonsionis vitium nequeat inveniâ—i An honour which was then giuen to worthy men whilst such are chosen to the secrets of the Empire in whoÌ„ no vice of reprehension can bee found happily but by them that know them by the beginning Secretarie of state a necessary Office progresse and effects by whose eyes and hands they see them and then dispatch them Sufficiency Experience and Fidelity serue as a lampe in obscurest deliberations and giues them Ariadâ—es threed which keepes them from meeting the Minotaure of repentance r The Venetians whose state is Aristocraticall change all their Officers yearely and some euery two moneths but the Duke the 〈◊〉 of S t. Marke the Chancellor and the Secretaries of State are for life the which the Florentines ordained in their state whâ—â— as Lewis the twelfth freed them from the tyranny of Count Valentine in the intricate Labyrinth of Enterprises For this reason in some well-gouerned Common-weales where as Offices are annuall that of Secretary is perpetual to the end that one alone may be Register of that which is concluded by many and an inviolable Guardian of Secrecie which is the soule of affaires and returnes neuer when it is once let slip s Secrecie is the soule of affaires and as Valerius calles it Optimum ac 〈…〉 agendâ—rum vinculum The best and safest hand for the managing of Affaires France cannot passe without the Counsell and experience of him who for that hee hath serued foure Kings in that great and painfull charge is held by all Europe for the Oracle of all resolutions and reuolutions There is not any thing vnpenetrable to his Iudgement who entring into the most confused and obscure affaires doth presently draw light But it is time to go to land This name so famous and renowned throughout all the world is the rocke of Adamant which drawes my ship Hee is the Port of this Nauigation which I finish he shall be the North-starre of another which I continue The profit of them shall redound to all in generall the thankes vnto the King and the glory vnto God The end of the History of Lewis the eleuenth MAXIMES IVDGEMENTS AND POLITIKE OBSERVATIONS OF PHILIP DE COMMINES Lord of Argenton VPON THE LIFE REIGNE AND ACTIONS OF LEWIS the eleuenth and of diuers other occurrents PLACES AND TITLES of these Maximes Prouidence of God Princes Realme Salique Law Enter-view of Princes Gouernments Councels and Councellors Court of Parliament Embassadors Treasure of the Prince Assemblies and Treaties People and Subiects Townes and Nations House of Bourgondy Enemies Enterprises Battels Warre Souldiars Sieges Victories Changes Prosperity and Aduersity Diuision Tumults and Sedition Liberalitie Iustice and Iniustice Punishment Iniury and Offence Wisedome Secresie Experience Knowledge Historie Nourishment Nature Hope Age. Fore-sight Carelesnesse and Vigilance Pride and Presumption Treacherie Dutie A good Man POLLITICKE MAXIMES PROVIDENCE OF GOD. ALL well considered our onely hope should be in God In the end of the first booke for in him consists all our assurance and all goodnesse which cannot bee found in any other thing in the world But wee do euery man acknowledge it too late and after that wee haue neede yet it is better late then neuer Grace and good fortune comes from God Lib. 1. chap. 4. In all enterprises wee must haue God of our side Lib. 2. chap. 1. God hath alwaies loued the Realme of France Lib. 4. chap. 1. To see things which God hath done in our time Lib. 4. chap. 13. and doth daily shewes that he will leaue nothing vnpunished And we may see plainely that these strange workes come
pride or folly for any one to hold himselfe too strong Lib. 2. Cha. 10 and yet Captaines doe it sometimes to be held valiant or for that they doe not well vnderstand the busines which they haue in hand Among other things that are fit to make conquest if there bee not a great iudgement all the rest is of no force and I thinke that it must come from the grace of God He that hath the profit of the Warre hath the honor There must bee no hast nor precipitation when they vndertake Lib. 5. Chap. 28 and begin a warre And I tell you that Kings and Princes are much the stronger when they vndertake it with the consents of the subiects and are more feared of their enemies When it is a defensiue warre this cloud is seene comming a farre off especially if it be from strangers and therein good subiects should not complaine nor refuse any thing and the accident cannot be so sudden but they may call some men such as shall bee named It is not done without cause and therein they vse no fixion nor entertaine a pettie warre at pleasure and without cause to haue occasion to leuy money The greatest miseries come commonly from the stronger For the weaker seeke nothing but patience Souldiours I Hold that men at Armes entertained are well imployed vnder the authoritie of a wise King or Prince Lib. 3. Chap. 3. but when he is otherwise or that he leaues Infants the vse wherevnto their Gouernours imploy them is not alwaies profitable neither for the King nor for his subiects Men at Armes lie continually vpon the Country without paying any thing committing infinite insolencies and excesse as all others know For which they are not content with an ordinarie life and with that which they finde in a labourers house from whom they are payed But contrariwise they beat the poore men and force them to fetch bread wine and victuals from abroad And if he hath a faire Wife or a Daughter hee shall doe well to keepe her safely Yet seeing there is pay it were easie to reforme it so as the men at Armes were payed euery two monethes at the farthest and so they should haue no excuse to commit those insolencies which they doe vnder coulour of want of pay For the money is leuied and comes at the end of the yeare I speake this for our Realme which is more opprest in this case then any other that I know and no man can help it but a wise King Other neighbour countries haue other punishments Sieges ALthough that sometimes sallies bee very necessarie yet are they dangerous for them that are in a place for the losse of Ten men is greater to them then a hundred to the enemie without their numbers not being equal neither can they recouer more when they will and they may loose a Commander or a Leader which oftentimes is the cause that the rest of the souldiors demand nothing more then to abandon the place In sieges of places the losse of one man alone is the cause to preserue his Master from a great inconuenience Lib. 5. Chap. 3. although he be not of his house nor of any great extraction but onely hath iudgment and vertue Example in Cohin an Englishman who being slaine with a Canon shot within Nancy the Englishmen whom he commanded mutined and caused the Towne to be yeelded After that a Prince hath laid siege against a place Lib. 5. Chap. 6. and planted his Artilerie if any come to enter and to relieue it against him they are worthy of death by the law of Armes Yet it is not practised in our Warres which are more cruell then the wars of Italy or Spaine whereas they vse this custome Despaire of succors make men besieged to put all things in hazard Example by the furious sallie of them of Liege who had like to haue taken or slaine the King or the Duke of Bourgundy Victorie THey doe alwaies augment the number of the vanquished Lib. 2 Chap. 2. I haue seene in many places whereas for one man they said they had slaine a hundred to please them and with such lies they doe sometimes abuse their masters Hee that gaines in warre growes in greater reputation with his Souldiors then before Lib. 2. Chap. 2. His obedience encreaseth They grant him what hee demands and his men are more hardie and couragious Changes THe changes are great after the death of great and mighty Princes In the Prologue where some loose and others gaine Great changes proceed not from fortune Lib. 1. Chap. 12. which is nothing but a Poeticall fiction The Author speakes this vppon the Constables ruine and concludes in these tearmes He should be very ignorant that should beleeue that fortune or any such like thing should cause so wise a man to be hated of these two Princes at one instant who in their liues did neuer agree in any thing but in this and most of all of the King of England who had married his Neece and did wonderfully loue all his wiues kindred and especially those of this house of S t Pol. It is likely and very certaine that hee was depriued of the grace of GOD to haue made himselfe an enemie to these three Princes and not to haue any one friend that durst lodge him one night and there was no other fortune that had any hand in it but God and so it hath happened and will happen to many others who after great and long prosperities fall into great aduersities When as a great man hath lost all his owne he soone wearies them that support him Example of Rene Duke of Lorraine who retired into France after the Duke of Bourgundie had taken his Country God giues extraordinarie willes vnto Princes when it pleaseth him to change their fortunes Lib. 5. Chap. 5. Example of Charles Duke of Bourgundie who grew obstinate at the second siege of Nancy against the aduice of his Councell Prosperitie Aduersitie A Misfortune neuer comes alone Lib. 3. Chap. 5. Prosperitie makes people proud Lib. 4. Chap. 3. Example of them of Arras Princes are proud and seeke not the true remedies in their misfortunes Lib. 5. Chap. 5. whereof the first is to returne vnto God and to consider if they haue offended him in any thing and to humble themselues before him and acknowledge their errors For it is he that iudges of such suites whereas no error can bee propounded After this it will doe him great good to conferre with some priuate friend and boldly to discouer his griefes vnto him for it doth ease and comfort the heart and the spirits recouer their vertue conferring thus with some one in priuate or else he must seeke another remedy by exercise and labour for of necessitie seeing we be men such griefes must passe with great passion either in publike or in priuate In time of aduersitie euerie one murmures and contemnes all the actions of the
as it seemed he would canonize him before his f Flattery giues honors to mortall men which belong not vnto them Tertullian reprocheth the Pagans of lying and flattery which made them declare men Gods and Tacitus saith Deum honor Principi non ante habetur quam agere inter homines desierit Tac. An. lib. 15. The honor of the Gods is not to bee giuen vnto the Prince vntil hee hath left to liue among men death after this followed an accord by the which the Duke of Burgundy should for a reparation aske pardon of the King vpon his knee The Queene the Dauphin the Kinges of Sicile and Nauarre the Duke of Berry making the like request for him in the presence of the Children of the Duke of Orleans melting with teares and weeping with sobs to see the bloud of their Father put to compromise and themselues forced to forget so sencible an Iniurie France was presently deuided into two factions of Orleanois and Burgundians A league of Armagnacs Th' one taking his fauour and authority from the ruines disgrace of the other The Duke of Burgundy hath the soueraigne gouernment of affaires and forceth them of the howse of Orleans to make an offensiue and defensiue league against that of Burgundy g League of Orleanois at Gâ—en the tenth of March 1410. the heads were Charles Duke of Orleance and his brethren Iohn Duke of Berry Lewis Duke of Bourbon Iohn Earle of Alanson Francis Earle of Clermont Bernard Lord of Armagnac and Charles of Albert Constable of France The heads of the Bourgundy faction were Iohn Duke of Bourgundy his brethren Charles King of Nauarre son to Charles the bad the Dukes of Lorraine Brabant Brittaine the Marques of Pont the Earles of Neuers Vaudemont St. Paul Ponthure The name was of Armanacks the marke a white scarfe the cause the Kinges liberty who was in captiuity vnder the law and will of the Duke of Burgundy Challenge sent to the Du. of Burgundy and to the end the quarel might be ended with lesse danger losse of men and time Charles Duke of Orleans sent a challenge to the Duke of Burgundy to fight a combate with him and to be reuenged of his fathers death The Duke of Burgundy who had drawn the Queene vnto his party had noe great dificultie to perswade the King that the designe of the howse of Orleans was nothing but ambition and rebellion in denying him to demaund succors from Henry the fourth king of England The Dolphin being of yeares able to iudge of the intentions of the one and the other The sonne in lawe against the father in lawe found that the interest of the house of Orleans was that of the Crowne and that the ambition of the Duke of Bourgondy his father in law h Queene Isabel being banded against her nephewes of Orleans adhered to the Duke of Burgundy made the marriage of his daughter Catherinâ— with the Dauphin Lewis was the cheefe motiue of those troubles wherefore he vndertooke to crosse his designes and to make a peace this soule was seasond with good thoughts at the siege of Burges for when they told him that in a salley which the besieged had made some of his seruants were slaine and that the souldiers dyed of poisoned waters he said vnto the King his Father and the Duke of Burgundy That this warre lasted too long and that he would make an end of it Iohn of France Duke of Berry and i Enguerand of Monstrelet notes in what manner the Duke of Berry came to this treaty in his armes notwithstanding that hee was 70. yeares old for he llued aboue 80 hauing vpon theÌ„ a Cassocke of purple with a band poudred with marigolds and so he is painted in the gallery of the â—oâ—ure Philebert of Lignac great master of Rhodes employed themselues vertuously to reconcile the nephewes and the vnckle The conditions of this peace were concluded at Burges Peace of Burges sworn in a great assembly at Auxerre the names of that fatall faction of Armagnac and Burgundian were comprehended in the forgetfulnes of things past and Philip Earle of Vertus was married to the Duke of Burgundies daughter But all the parts of France recouer not their former health The warre renues againe and the Dauphin is no more for the Burgundian whose principall force consists in the sedition of Paris and the succours of the English who making their profit of ciuill diuisions win the battell of Azingcourt which was called the vnfortunate day of the 25. of October 1415. The battle of Azing-Court The Duke of Orleans armed to reuenge his fathers death and the libertie of his country was led prisoner into England and if religion had not comforted him he had no lesse reason then Pompey k The Mitcleniens came to salute Pompey after the battel intreating him to land which he refused and aduised them to obey the victor and not to feare any thing for that Caesar was a iust man and of a mild nature and then turning to the Philosopher Cratippus who was also come to see him he complained and disputed a little with him touching the diuine prouidence wherein Cratippus yeilded mildly vnto him putting him still in better hope to be amazed at the prouidence of God which seemeth to fauour the most vniust party tyranny against libertie and couetousnes against freedome Death of the Dolphin and Duke of Turraine This losse was followed by the death of Lewis the Dauphin and of Iohn Duke of Touraine the Kings second sonne By the death of these two Charles Earle of Ponthieu saw himselfe in the first degree of the Princes of the bloud and presently made show that he had been bred vp to apprehend the iniury which the Duke of Burgundy had done vnto his vncle All the Princes and Noble men which had followed the house of Orleans came vnto him and among others the Constable of Armagnac but his greatest affliction was for the vnnaturall hatred which the Queene his mother bare him who declared her selfe against him Regent of the Realme was maintained in that quarrel by the Duke of Burgundy vnder her was that cruell massacre committed the 12. of Iune 1418 whereas the l Amassacre at Paris vpon the Armagnacks from 4 of the clock in the morning the 12 of Iune vntil the next day 10. of the clock To note the Constable by the scarse which he carried they flead a bend of his skin and tyed it crosse his body his office was confirmed to the Duke of Lorraine and the Chancellors to Eustace de Lastre Constable of Armagnac and the Chancellor de Marle were slaine and the Dauphin ranne a daungerous fortune if Tanneguy du Chastel Prouost of Paris and his faithfull seruant had not saued him in the Bastille Paris saw it selfe reduc'd to that miserable estate as it seemed a retrait for Beares and Tigers During this fatall diuision the English
they were able to resist the most violent stormes of Enuie Vertue and good fortune had alwaies held the helme and sailes of his nauigation The troupes which he led had been well beaten vpon the fronter of Bourgundy The Dauphin said vnto him by way of iest yet without bitternes for he knew that this spirit would be easily moued g Euery iest that containes truth in it offends although it he spoken by a superiour The more mens cour ages are raised vp the lesse they endure and the longer they remember it 〈…〉 facenis irridete follius quarum apud praepotentes in longâ—â—â— memoria est Tac. An lib. 5. 〈…〉 wont to scoffe at Tiberius 〈…〉 neither did he dwell vpon it for iests should end when as they begin to moue laughter How now Earle of Dammartin by the faith of my bodie the Marshall of Bourgundy hath vnshod you he doth contrarie to other Smithes who shooe horses and he vnshooes them You say well answered the Earle but I haue gotten ten thousand crownes to make new shooes for my horses He was very inward with him and of that credit as meaning to be reuenged of any one that had offended him Reuenge against the Seneshall of Normandy he imparted his deseine vnto him and gaue him mony to execute it h The Chronicle Martinienne speakes plainely of this proceeding A rack which euery Prince should shun if hee will not make shipwrack of his reputation To cause an enemy to be slaine is an act of feare and not of brauery It is a proud abstinency to refuse his prince but a great misery when it is for the recompence of a seruice which subiects the consience vnder the tyranie of repentance and remorse Iames of Chabannes Lord Steward of France blamed his brother for this match making by the which he gaue his friends cause to repent themselues for the esteeme they had made of him i He that doth an act to ruine his reputation forceth many to repent themselues of the admiration esteeme they haue had of him The King was aduertised and not able to dissemble an Act so vnworthy the generosity of the blood of France Excuse of the Dauphin to accuse Chabannes which knoweth not how to shed blood neither for delight nor reuenge but onely for necessity k Tyrants saith Seneca shed blood for pleasure and Kings for necessity reprehended him bitterly The Dauphin to excuse himselfe accused the Earle of Dammartin saying that it was by his counsell The Earle desuring rather to wrong his fortune then his honour did not accord with the Dauphin but tolde the King that therein he had but giuen eare and obayed The Dauphin seeing himselfe discouered and contradicted saide vnto the Earle reseruing my duty to the King my Lord you haue lyed The reproch of a lye is the most sensible offence that may be done by words but it is neither weaknes nor basenes to endure it of his prince it were indiscretion to be moued therewith Yet the Earle of Dammartin sought to reueÌ„ge those words with this speach Reseruing the respect I owe vnto the King if you were not the Kings sonne I would make answer with my person against yours The Dauphin leaues the Court. but if there be any gentleman of your howse that will charge me with this matter I will make him say the contrary The King iudging by their countenances the truth of their intentions commanded the Dauphin to absent himselfe for fower Monthes l A Prince which hath many Children great capable to command should not keepe them about him hee must giue them some obiect to consume their ambition The idlenes of Court giues them vitious inclinations had deseignes Wherefore Tiberius absented himselfe Vrbano â—uxu laseiuientem His spirit began to grow disordered by the excesse of the City and idlenes which make men humerous from Court and to go into Dauphine The Dauphin going out of the Kings Chamber bare headed and his heart full of reuenge and collor spake these words By this head which hath no hood I will be reuenged on those that haue cast me out of my howse And he kept his word for he was too true in his threats and promises of reuenge He did neuer loue that which he had hated and his disposition was far from that generous precept that wee must hate to loue more ardently m We must not 〈◊〉 hate but we wâ—st so dispose of hatred as it may be conuerted into more ardent friendship Whether the Kinges iealousie or the dislike of faire Agnes the wordes of the Earle of Dammartin or spies or flatterers had caused the absence of Lewis the father bare it with much greefe and repented himselfe that he had no more regarded his owne age then the age of his sonne and that he had neuer showed him his face but fraught with waiwardnes not opened his heart but full of wrath and disdaine n The youth of Primers hath their lawes and priuiledges The fathers seuerity should not seeke to breake them quite but to bend them gently He that had nothing refused to his owne youth should not deny all thinges to his sonnes Time which should haue cured this wound The Kings griefe for the Dauphins absence did but augment the griefe He is victorious ouer forraine enemies but he hath in his heart ciuill war which is more cruell He hath giuen peace vnto France and his soule is in trouble It was a great griefe not to see himselfe assisted and serued by a sonne so great and so valiant in those goodly occasions which hee ended so happily to make all France French Battell of Firmigny The siege of Rone and the reduction of all Normandy in one yeare and sixe dayes hauing remained English the space of 30. yeares the battell of Firmigny o The Battell of Firmigni the 15. of Aprill 1450. whereas there were slaine in the place and put into 14. pits 4574. english except 12. or 13. that were prisoners Our Histories report this battel diuersly we must giue credit to that geadly ould peece of tapestry which is at Fountainble au whereas the whole is represented A thousand fighting defeated 6000. English which for the death of 8. or 10. Frenchmen gaue the victory against the English of whom there were 4574. slaine vppon the place The Conquest of all Guienne The siege of Chastillion whereas Talbot p The English called Iohn Talbot their Achilles Hee is interred at VVhitechurch to whom they haue giuen this Epitaph Orate pro anima praenobilis Domini D. Iohannis Talbot quondam Comitis Saloprae D. Talbot D. Furniual D. verden D. Strange de Blaemere at Marescalli Franciae qui â—biit in bello apud Bourdeaur the 7. of Iuly 1453. the Achilles of the English was slaine whose name doth yet terrifie the little children in Guienne The taking of Bourdeaux with other great and goodly occasions which should haue beene as
so many fields of Marathon to Lewis The king seeing that he made no hast to returne Complaints against the Dauphin grew easily into a conceit that he had some desseine he is glad they should flatter his iudgements and allow of his apprehensions Princes haue alwaies about their eares men-pleasers which haue wordes for all incounters and know how to make maskes for all faces and buskins for all feete They make complaints vnto him of the rigorous commands of his sonne oppressing his people with all sorts of charges to haue wherewith to maintaine himselfe They told him that hee sent aduertisements to the Dukes of Bourgundy q The Counrty of Dauphiny did long feele of the discommodities of the Dauphins abode there for the King held him short and would not heare of the complaints he made of his necessities so as for his entertainement he drew rigorous subsideis out of Dauphine Alençon and Bourbon and that he receiued from them that the cloudes were gathered together for some great storme The poore father beleeues all and feares all making proofe that there is nothing more insupportable then the infidelity of his owne blood and as the Lyon is neuer mooued more furiously then at the sight of his owne blood so when this yong Prince sees his bloud r Conspiracies which passe beyond the respects of nature are cruell Of mans blood may be made a most violent poison against man diuerted from the veines and spirits which nourish the hart he enters into extreame passions of greife the which he doth hold cruell for that they do not cause him to dye soone enough He is aduertised that the Dauphin hath sent into Sauoy for men and money The Earle of Dammartin sent into Sauoy He sent the Earle of Damartin to the Duke to let him vnderstand that he would hold the succours which he should giue him for an iniury The Duke answered s The Annulles of Bourgandy report that King Charles being at Feurs in Forest Levvis Duke of Sauoy came to see him where there were two marriages concluded the one of the Dauphin and the Lady 〈◊〉 of Sauoy the other of the Lady 〈◊〉 of France the Kings daughter with Ame Prince of Piemont That he did not carry his affections against his duty and knew how to order his desires to his power and that he had no other but to his maiesties contentment The Dauphin had married his daughter and yet the Kings respect was greater with the Duke then the consideration of this alliance The King sends to the Dauphin to haue him come and the Dauphin promiseth at a certaine time but the terme being come the effects of his promise are excuses and delayes The King sends the Earle of Damartin to seaze on his person and the Lord Chastillon to comand in the Prouince The dilligence in the execution of this comandement put the Dauphin in danger to be taken at Oranges but hauing made shew to go a hunting he deceiued the ambush which the Earle had laid for him t The Dauphin did rely in two noble men who did counsell conduct him Lewis of Chalons and Iohn de Lestore a bastard of the house of Armagnac He was at Oranges when hee was aduertised of the Earle of Dammatius comming and escaping their snares he tooke another way and with sixe or seauen gentlemen recouered St. Claud. If he had fallen into his fathers collor hee would haue vsed him with more rigour then he thought But he went nor without making it knowne that hee would one day make the Earle of Dammartin repent it u The offence which Princes receiue are deeply ingrauen in their memories in brasse gratia onori vltio in quaestu habetur The Dauphin had a feeling of that which the Earle of Dammartia did him in executing his fathers comandements and was reuenged so soone as hee came to the Crowne And that it was not the respect of his father made him flye from his fathers wrath but the very weaknes of the Earle of Dammartin saying that if he had had halfe his forces hee would haue met him Being at S. Claude he 〈◊〉 vnto the King that he desired with his permission The Dauphin retires into Flanders and the meanes that he should giue him to make a voyage against the Turke It was at such time as all Christendome did mourne for the losse of that Citty which had beene sometimes the Metropolitane of the world x After the example of Rome Constantinople was called the head of the world and new Rome and was honored with the like dignities and prerogatiues lib. 1. de priuil Vrb. Sid. App. Salue sceptrerum columen Regins orientis orbis Romatui The Emperor Constans nephew to Heraclius resoluing to restore the seat of the Empire to old Rome said that they must honor the mother more them the daughter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zonarasin the life of Constans and the common starre of the vniuerse The Queene of all Realmes the faire daughter of that faire mother Rome the new Rome Constantinople which at the the time of her desolation was nothing but a great masse of stone made subiect to the Tirant of the East who hauing filled it with all impieties and cruelties hath made it the vnexpugnable dongeon of his tirranny and cruelty Charles sends word vnto his sonne that if the desire of glory reputation carried him to this enterprise he had lost great and goodly occasions against the enemies of France the Dutchies of Guienne and Normandy hauing beene reduc'd during his absence as for the voyage of Turkey he might not vndertake it vnlesse he were assisted by his Nobility the which hee had cause to employ elsewhere And to speake the truth Lewis lost much time which hee should haue imployed to serue the King and the Realme or to make new Empires tributary to France Hee should not haue beene in any place but in armies and the father should no more meddle but with the Counsell of affaires and to command bonfires to be made for his sonnes victories Nature gaue vnto the one wisdome and experience for his part and to the other force and execution y Age should resolue youth execute The one hath sorce the other wisdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist. Polit. 6. Lewis auoiding one danger fell into another and as Caesar found himselfe among Pirats thinking to flye from Scilla He trusts his enemy so he saw himselfe at the discretion of the Marshall of Bourgondy after that he had escapedthe ambush of the Earle of Dammartin who loued him not and had charged his troupes when as they aduanced vpon the marches of Bourgundy whereof the Duke was so iealous as hee could not endure that the French should approch them knowing well that a Prince looseth much of his reputation within which doth not stirre when hee is set vppon without z A Prince which suffers himselfe to bee molested vppon
of all the other members The complaints of the Rigor d When as the people are opprest they dare not accuse the Princes rigor but cast their complaints vpoÌ„ that of the time of the time became murmurings against the seueritie of the Prince Euery one lamented the Raigne of Charles and desired rather the end then the continuance of that of Lewis Great men beganne to make it knowne that they could not liue long in that seruitude shewing themselues more sencible of the contempt e The nature of man is more sensible of contempt then of losse The Senators of Rome were more discontented for that Caesar entred into the Senate without saluting them then for the enterprise which hee made vpon their libertie which was done them then of the miseries which the meaner sort suffered yet they found no better pretext of their priuate interest then that of the publike The King did not attend the consent of the Realme to haue money hee tooke it without asking They were not tributes of Loue f Princes finde pleasing names for things which are bittâ—r and hard Edward the fourth in posed vpoÌ„ the Realme of England a tribute which hee called a Bâ—â—euolenâ—â— Euerie one did contribute as hee pleased and according to his gifts they did iudge of his Loue to the King He that gaue much loued much Edward made vse of this tribute against the French found great succors Polid. lib. 24. 26. but of Rigour and constraint thinking that France was a meadow which he might mowe at all seasons A great sedition troubled the citie of Rheimes against those which had raised customes The Commissaries were slaine and their Commissions cast into the fire The King sent Souldiers disguised like Marchants and labourers who entring by diuers ports ioined with the Lord of Mouy their commander who caused a hundreth of the most seditious to bee hanged suppressed the sedition g The most frequent and knowne causes of sedition and mutenâ— grâ—w from new charges and excessiue impositions reuenged the Kings seruice and setled his authoritie there the which had not beene impugned but for the naturall impatiencie of the people to endure that whereunto they were not accustomed All France was quiet Combustions in England and beheld as from the shore the tempests which were in England and Arragon The King was glad to entertaine the warre farre from him and to assist the house of Lancaster in England and the house of Arragon in Spaine whiles that the clouds and windes prepared to draw the storme vpon his owne head England for the diuision of the houses of Yorke Lancaster saw at that time such terrible changes and accidents as it is a wonder the Realme did not passe vnder some forraine command and that they did not cry quittance with him seeing there is no surer meanes to ruine an estate then ciuill discord h Ciuill Diuisions transport and change estates Spaine vnder the raigne of fourescore and twelue Kings hath beene torne in as many peeces as it hath had Realmes France hath changed thrice England hath been commanded by the English Danes Saxons and in the end by the Normans The Empire hath been past from the East vnto the West Naples hath been vnder the power of the French Germans Arragâ—nois and since of Castitians But France had yet so many bad humors in her body as her disposition was more dying then liuing When as the English ceast to afflict her they began to quarrell and to ruine one another The end of forraine warres was the spring and renewing of ciuil Henry of Lancaster sonne to Henry the fift found himselfe without a crowne notwithstanding that in his infancie he had been crowned with that of France and England Richard Duke of Yorke an Ambitious Prince and who had both credit courage i Good things and which are commendable of themselues applied to il are perâ—itions Sepius industria acvigilancia noxiae quoties parando Regno fingatur Tac. lib. An. lib. â— industrie and vigilancie qualities to bee suspected in an Ambitious spirit became head of a great faction the intentions whereof he couloured with the onely zeale of the publicke good to change the bad gouernement of the Realme to deliuer England from the insolencie of the Duke of Somerset who alone gouerned the helme of the affaires whilest that the King suffered his spirits to be transported not to delights and voluptuousnes but to carelesnes k An idle Prince is a waies contemned Three things saith Zeâ—ophon make him excell ouer his subiects 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His carelesse life incensed his subiects hearts and his idlenes distasted all men of his raigne The estate was like vnto a sicke body which is so prest with his infirmitie as he is forced to trust him that comes to let him bloud and cannot attend the Phisitions which are farre off l In violent diseases wee may not attend far fetcht remedies although they answere him that they will come and cure him Such as were discontented with the present Conspiracy against King Henry the sixt and desired to see some change applyed them-selues to the Duke of Yorks desseigns and intentions and among others Richard Neuell Earle of Salisbury and Richard Neuill Earle of Warwick his brother who had wisdome and courrage rare parties for a great desseigne and therewith such great credit among the people as it was thought that not any one in England durst doe that which these would vndertake The Duke of Yorke hauing cast his bell made the sound thereof to be generally heard hee strake such a terror into the Court and made the wicked so audacious as the King who had neuer tasted of Domesticke troubles his spirit beeing like vnto a ship m Courages tried in dangers are to bee commended A ship is neuer esteemed which hath neuer felt of a storme which had neuer sailed but in a calme was amazed and confounded and not holding himselfe safe in the Citie of London by reason of the inconstancie of the people and the great credit which this faction had gotten resolued to leaue it The Duke of Yorke besieged S t. Albons n The battell of S t. Albons began early in the morning and continued vntil 9. of the clock in the yere 1556 Edmund D. of Sommerset and Henry Earle of NorthumberlaÌ„d were slaine the two armies meet Henry the sixt defeated and the Kings is put to rout with the losse of their chiefe commanders Hee lamented greatly for the Death of the Duke of Sommerset After this victorie the Duke of Yorke who had made declaration thâ—t hee had no other intention then the publicke good of the Realme and that his armes were not to offend the Prince accompanies King Henry to London as a Conqueror and freed from the Rule of the Duke of Sommerset which shewes that he had not taken armes but to free the King and the Realme who was ready
to submit himselfe to the mildest yoake seeing that hee could not remaine free o The miseries of ciuill diuision reduced Rome to that estate as hauing no hope euer to recouer her liberty she sought for nothing but for the mildest serâ—itude Hee left vnto Henry the name of King onely for all the authoritie was in his hands he gaue to the Earle of Salisbury the Office of Lord Chancellor of England and to Richard Neuell his Sonne the gouernment of Callis He disposed of publike charges as he pleased still giuing them vnto those of his faction In the end the king discouers the Duke of Yorkes designe Queene Margaret his wife who had been aduertised thereof le ts him vnderstand that he did temporise but vntill the partie were made to ceaze both of the king and Realme and among his partisans the king was held but for a Tyrant As if his Raigne had been by vsurpation or constraint p Among many differences betwixt a King and a Tyrant they put this that a King raigns with the loue anâ— consent of the people and a Tyrant rules by constraint The king imparted this to his principall seruants D. of Yorke retires from the Court of England who were of aduise to restraine this great authoritie which the Duke of Yorke had within the Realme The Duke beeing suddenly aduertised thereof retired secretly to Wigmore in Wales Richard Neuell to his Castle of Midleham in the North Countie and Richard Earle of Warwicke to Callis so as the cruell seditions in England grew more violent then before during the which the French spoiled the coasts of Kent and Iames king of Scotland inuited by the same occasion entred by Roxborge The same cause which made this warre ended it q The shaâ—pest Ciuill wars are pacified when as strangers meddle to gaine by them The two parties agree against the third and although the Prince be offended yet it is better to remit the punishment The king of England let the Duke of Yorke vnderstand that the ciuill discord and the bad intelligence which was betwixt them had opened a gate to the enemies to inuade England that the common danger did binde them to vnite their forces to defend it and that hee was contented to forget all matters past vpon hope of a better conduct hereafter English cease their ciuill discords to war against the French excusing himselfe that matters had not alwaies gone directly being impossible for a Prince to obserue all the kinds of Iustice and equitie r Many things vniust of themselues are made iust when they are countenanced by necessitie or profit wherfore Plutark obserues That if there were question to accomplish al the kindes of iustice Iupiter himself might not in that case bee a Prince The Kings intention was allowed by all men the Duke of Yorke being loth to be the author of the ruines of the Realme declared that all his affections tended to his greatnes and quiet and to take away all occasions of doubt He came vnto the King to London with the chiefe of his faction The feare of a forraine warre quenched the ciuill s There is no such indiscretion as to hazard ones own to get another mans and to draw forth the bloud which is needfull for the life of the bodie It is more glorie for a Prince to maintaine himselfe them to grow great Preseruation safety is the essence of an estate profit it but an accessary Mens mindes altered with things past grew milder and all their wills were vnited in one accord for the defence of the Realme detesting the discord which had drawne them into a warre which was not necessarie nor could bee happie and made them a prey and triumph to their auncient enemie But as the fire of sedition is neuer so well quenched but there remaines some sparks in the ashes Troubles renewed in England which kindle again if they be a little blowne that there be alwaies some which delights in troubles for that it is their rest t Seditions commonly are fed supported by three sorts of men First the heads of factions Secondly they that cannot liue in safety in the time of peace Thirdly they which are out of the presse find themselues free from dangers and in danger for that they come not neere them being like vnto those riuers which enter into the sea and doe not mingle their streames the Duke of Yorke and the Earle of Salisburie being retired to their houses after this accord were presently forced to leaue them to reuenge an affront done to the Earle of Warwick at VVestminster where he had been set vpon by the kings guard and forced to saue himselfe by the Riuer of Thames with the hazard of his life They said that Queene Margret was the author thereof being very desirous to ruine the Nobility of England and to ouerthrow the cheefe howses u A King should maintaine great families neither can hee suffer theÌ„ to be wâ—onged but hee shal weaken the greatnes of his maiesty wherof the Nobility is the cheese piller In all estates the Nobles haue beene respected and distinguished from others euen amongst the Thracians the genlâ—emen went only vppon horseback and at Rome Noblemens wiues went in Littors who were the pillers of the Realme The warre began as soone as it was declared The three Richards are in field King Henry hauing leuied great forces comes to York Andrew Trollop who was come from Calleis with the Earle of Warwick thinking to serue the King when as he saw their armes turned against him left the Earle of Warwick to follow the King who in moment scattered his enemies and forced the Duke of York to passe into Holland there to attend vntill his Partisans had raised the ruines of that party Battaile before London whereas K. Henry was defeated Presently after the three heads of the faction returne into England with an intent to vanquish or to dye they present themselues at the gates of London they giue and winne a great Battell whereas the Victors saw tenne thousand men slaine and as many prisoners King Henry who seemed to haue beene raised vp to show the inconstancy of Fortune and the misery and vanity of man remained at the Victors discretion The English remembring that his grandfather had caused King Richard to dye in prison began to acknowledge the iudgements of Gods iustice who punisheth the Children for the offences of their fathers x Henry Earle of Harford and Duke of Lancastre tooke armes against Richard the 2. seazed on him puts him into the Tower of London and caused himselfe to bee crowned King and after that he had forced him to resigne the Crowne hee sent him to Langleâ— where hee was murthered In this great prosperity the make falls from the Dukes face He speakes plainely Duke of York declared Regent that whatsoeuer he had done was grounded vppon the rightes of the house of Yorke the
France did belong vnto him The Earle of Foyx sent his Ambassadors and Deputies to the King being at Bordeaux to conclude the treaty p The cheife condition of the Marriage was that the children which should be borne without distinction of malâ— or female should succeed in the counties of Foix and Bygorre He past to Bayonne to end a controuersie betweene the 2. Kinges of Nauarre and Aragon 1462. and Henry King of Castile his Nephew A controuersie begun with great spleene and was continued with the like and had not ended without excesse if he had not dealt in it for the parties flattered themselues in their pretentions were blind in their interests and found that the obscurenes proceeded rather from the thing then their owne blindnes But behold the causes and the effects After the death of Charles the third q Charles the third King of Nauarre taking delight to build at Olîta died suddenly in September 1425. the threescore and foure yeare of his age and the thirty nine of his raigne he was buryed at Pampeluna King of Nauarre the Crowne past from the house of France and Eureaux into that of Castile and Aragon not without trouble and discord Iohn second sonne to Ferdinand of Aragon married Blanch Infanta of Nauarre presumptiue heire of the Realme of Nauarre and widdow to Martin King of Sicilie and it was agreed by a treaty of marriage that in case she should die before her husband hee should raigne the rest of his life in Nauarre after king Charles the third his father in law Of this marriage was borne at Pegna Charles Prince of Viana born Charles Prince of Vianna a title belonging to the eldest Sonne of the King of Nauarre r Charles the the third King of Nauarre ereected Viana into a principalitie and did affect it to the eldest son of Nauarre in the yeere 1421. as Dauphin to that of France The Asturiez in Castille and Wales in England Charles the third his grandfather made him to bee sworne heyre of the Realme by the Estates after the death of Iohn his Father Charles being dead Iohn was declared King of Nauarre by some and Blanch his wife was acknowledged Queene by others yet both were crowned at Pampeluna Iohn had great warres with his brother the King of Castille Marriage betwiâ—t the Prince of the Asturies and Blanch of Nauarre who did confiscate the lands which he held in Castille Iohn Earle of Foyx reconciled them by a marriage betwixt Henry Prince of the Asturies sonne to Iohn King of Castille and Blanch Daughter to Iohn king of Nauarre s By the constitution of the marriage of this Princesse which was of 42112. Florens of gold wee may iudge in what estate K. Charles the third had left the Realme of Nauarre The marriage was celebrated with great pompe and solemnitie but the Prince was vnable to consummate it The which the Princesse did long dissemble Shee had great cause to complaine of this want and to wish her selfe to be a widdow or her husband vnmarried t The dissembling of couiuâ—all imperfections is very seemly especially in a woman Tullia a great Romane Lady is blamed for her ordinarie complaints murmùring at her husbands disabilitie De viro ad fratrem de sorore ad viruÌ„ se rectius viduam illuÌ„ caelibem futurum Tit. Liu. but like an other Eusebia shee did long suffer for the disabilitie of Constans desiring rather to wrong her youth and beautie then her modestie A while after Blanch Queene of Nauarre died and king Iohn married againe with Ione Henriques Charles Prince of Viana fearing that his alliance would keep him back from the hope of raigning and from the inheritance of the Queene his Mother did not dissemble his discontent u A desire to raigne makes the father iealous of the sonne Plutarc saith in the life of Demetrius that the greatest and most ancient of all Alexanders successors did glorie that he feared not his sonne but suffered him to approch neere his person holding a Iauelin in his band pretending that by the lawes of the Realme his Father by marrying againe had lost the fruit of the Crowne Behold all naturall affection is altered betwixt the Father and the Sonne The desire of rule makes them enemies the Father growes iealous and would not suffer his Sonne to come neere him armed On the other side this second wife seeing her selfe mother to Ferdinand did what she could to show that she was mother in law to Charles x What will not an ambitious mother doe and vndoe for her children D. Ioane lying in the bed of death by reason of a Cankar which did consume her remembring what she had done to assure the Realme vnto her Sonne spake often these words with sighes which are reported in the 21. booke of the history of Spaine O my Son thou hast cost me deare For him she had caused Don Charles to bee poysoned and neuer ceast vntill this young plant were quâ—â—â—ht by the nipping cold of her bad intentions seeking to haue a share in the regencie of the Realme in the absence of the king who had reuiued the warre in Castille Hence sprung those two great factions Factions of Beaumont and Grandmont that of Beaumont which followed the intent of of the Prince against the King and that of Grandmont which was for the father against the sonne so as presently the Realme was diuided into two kings two constables Lewis of Beaumont Earle of Lerin was Constable to the Prince and Peter of Perault was Constable to the king The kings cause as the better and more iust remained victorious the Prince beeing twice ouerthrowne is forced to flye to Alfonso king of Arragon Valencia Sardinia Maiorca Minorca and Sicile hee had recourse vnto his clemencie and besought him to pardon him The king who could not forget the loue of a Father vnto him who shewed the dutie of a Sonne receiues him but hee had new aduertisments that hee made secret practises to trouble him wherefore he sent him prisoner vnto the Alferie of Saragossa from whence hee was drawne by the Cattallans who tooke armes for his libertie Charles of Nâ—uarre poisoned by his mother in law but he went out of the prison to enter into a graue y Charles Prince of Viana died being forty yeares old a valiant Prince a great Historian a subtill Philosopher and a good Poet hee translated Aristotles Ethicks into the Castilain tongue and hee wrote the History of Nauarre vnto the time of King Charles his Grandfather For the very day of his deliuerie he was poisoned and dyed with much repentance for that hee had rebelled against the king his father The Infant Don Ferdinand was acknowledged heyre of the crowne of Arragon They of Cattellonia tooke armes to reuenge the death of Prince Charles The seditious who blow the cole of this desection said that his soule walked in the
night through the streetes of Barcellona complaining that the Queene his mother in law had separated it from his bodie by the violence of poison The Queene who was come to Girona saw her selfe besieged with Prince Ferdinand her Sonne and the Tower wherein she was retyred furiously battered The king seeing this great reuolt of his subiects entreates Lewis the eleuenth to succour him with men and money hee ingageth the Counties of Rousillion and Sardaigne vnto him for three hundred thousand crownes King of Nauarre demaunds succors froÌ„ the French King The king sent vnto him Gaston Earle of Foix Prince of Berne z Gaston Earl of Foâ—x married the second Daughter of Iohn King of Nauarre and of Queen Blanch his first wife and sonne in law to the king of Nauarre who freed the Queene and raised the siege of Gironna The Cattellanes nothing tractable to endure the humors of their Prince made a proclamation against the king declaring him falne from all the authoritie which he might haue ouer them and a murtherer of his owne sonne and violating the lawes of the country a They of Cattellonia declaâ—ed the K. an enemy vnto the countrey by diuers informations proceedings against his actions and the murther of his son the which they sent to Pope Pius the second They sent to Henry King of Castile to embrace their defence and protection submitting themselues vnder his obedience and offering him the crowne of Arragon beseeching him to adde vnto the iust title which their election gaue him vnto the Realme the right of Armes they alone doe purchase Empires b There are fiue kindes of Titles to Realmes the first by Armes so Cyrus Alexander anâ— Caesar made themselues Monarches secondly by the grace of God and in this manner raigned Moses Dauid thirdly by succession fourthly by election and the fist by the nomination of the Prince Marc. Anthony named Lucius Verus for his successor Dioclesian Maximinian and Gratian Theodosius and being gotten defend and preserue them He gaue them for succors two thousand and fiue hundred horse vnder the command of Iohn of Beaumont Prior of S t. Iohn of Nauarre The K. of Castill aides the Cattellans when the French and the Castillians met neere vnto Ixar they would not fight c No man can dispose as hee pleaseth of Auxiliary troupes they haue respects coÌ„trary to the designe of such as imploy them and the French intreated the king of Nauarre to take it in good part if they sought rather to end then entertaine their quarrels The Earle of Foix who was brother in law to the king of Castill and sonne in law to the king of Nauarre disposed the two Princes to referre themselues to the iudgement of the French king They yeelded sending their embassadors to Baiona where the French king was an honor pleasing to the humor of Lewis who would be interessed in all things and very deere to the reputation of France which was in possession not onely to iudge of the controuersies of forraine crownes but also to giue kings vnto those which had not any d The realmes of Christendome haue taken Princes out of the house of France to raign ouer them Alphonso son to the Earle of Tollousaraigned in Spaine the house of Eureux in Nauarre the Dukes of Normandy in England they of Aniou at Naples and Sicilie The Empire of Constantinople was held three yeres by the French They haue raigned a hundred yeares in Sora Cipres Palestina Charlemain Lewis the gentle haue added vnto the Empire of the Gaules all Italy Bohemia Hungarie and Germany In a word the seat of Popes haue beene in France The king of Nauarre went not from Saragossa Lewis the French K. made arbitrator betwixt the Kings of Castill and Arragon nor king Henry from S t. Sebastians in the prouince of Guipuscoa relying vppon that which their Embassadors treated The king hauing conferred of the controuersie betwixt them and of the causes which had moued the Cattellans to reuolt did iudge in such sort as to reconcile the parties it was necessarie they should meete and speake together vpon the frontier The enterview was at Endaia whereas the sentence giuen at Bayona was read by Aluaro Gomes The Cattellans were not content with this Iudgement saying that as the king of Castille had abandoned them so his Embassadors had betrayed them The king of Nauarre being offended for that hee was condemned to yeeld the towne of Estella to the king of Castille Enteruiew of the Kings of France and Castill to the preiudice of the reuenues of the crowne of Nauarre made the estates of Nauarre protest of nullity King Lewis reaped the greatest profit of this action for he practised and drew vnto his seruice some Ministers of these two kings and made them his pensioners e The King of Castille suffered himselfe to be gouerned by the great master of Castille and the Archbishop of Tolledo King Lewis made much of them to be informed of the state of Castille or at the least to drew them to his deuotion It is the least a Prince can attend of one that comes to see him This assembly did not confirme the affections which the crownes of France Castill had had together f The friendship and alliance betwixt the French and the Castâ—llans haue continued long Vpon which assurance K. Charles the sixt sent his Embassadors to Iohn King of Castill in the yeare 1418. to 〈◊〉 succors against the English The Castillians who could not lodge at Bayona with the French without quarrelling did not forbe are to scoffe at them at this enteruiew vpon the Riuer of Vidasa g The riuer of Vidâ—so diâ—ides the two realmes the Spaniards hold it is all theirs The King of Castill past the Riuer and came vnto the king The Castillians seeing him attired in cloth and very short with a hat differing from the rest and for a Iewell an image of lead imputed it to miserablenes h Apparell doth often minister cause of laughter The Siciliens did not esteeme of Gilippus their generall seeing him simply apparelled in a poore cloake wearing long bayre yet Syâ—â—â—â—s saith that the ancient Kings were knowne and distinguished rather by the minde then the pompe and 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syn Orat 〈◊〉 regno There are Nations whereas they contemne the Prince if hee bee not so gorgeously attired as if he should show himselfe vpon a theater It is impossible to abstaine from laughter looking vpon the portraites of the Emperors of Greece which are so couered with Pearle and precious stones as they can not bee knowne but by their beards The French finding also the habites of the Castillians vnpleasing their king very hard fauoured and their manners insolent and full of African pride Of all this there could grow no great Alliance for such enteruiewes are alwaies noted more by the alienation of mindes then by alliances of estates
Cardinals hat which Martin the fift had giuen him The masters pouertie forced him to take another He placed himselfe with the Bishop of Noara but seeing that hee was in like manner persecuted by Pope Eugenius hee left him and did serue Nicholas Cardinall of S t. Croix and followed him to Arras when as he was sent by Pope Eugenius to reconcile the French King to the King of England and the Duke of Bourgundy At his returne finding that he was in no grace with Pope Eugenius His dignities commissions he came to Basill where he was imployed in the goodliest actions of the Councell he had the charge of Abreuiator Secretarie President in the chamber of the faith l In the Councell of Basill there were foure chambers or foure assemblies which they called four deputations that of the faith of Peace of reformation and of common affaires Euery chamber had a president which was changed euery three monethes and Orator in diuers sessions When there was Question of an embassage to any Prince or commonweale there was not any one but He fit for it He was sent to Amedeus Duke of Sauoy then to the Emperor Frederick to Pope Eugenius to Philip Vicecount Duke of Milan and to Alfonso King of Arragon It was he which perswaded the Emperor Frederick to goe to Rome to be crowned there Frederick sent him to Sienna to receiue Ellenor of Portugall his wife and afterwards into Bohemia to pacifie a controuersie which was growne for that the Emperor Frederick did not restore them their King Ladislaus m The Emperor Frederick seeing the troubles schismes in the realme of Hungarie seazed vpon the yong King Ladislaus gaue him in charge to Eneas Siluius He was sent to the dyet of Ratisbona whereas Philip Duke of Bourgundy assisted His oration to arme against the Turke he laid open the necessities of a warre against the Turke with such efficacie and eloquence as many Princes resolued to employ both their liues and goods But these suddaine resolutions went presently into smoke n Platina saith that all which heard him were wonderfull resolute to this war Verū hoe natura cōper tum est eorum animos cito residere quorū affectus facile mouentur But it is found true by nature that their minds are soone changed whose affections are easily moued Hee also pacified a great complaint which Germany made against the Pope and the which hath been since continued the Princes and comminalties of the Empire being resolued not to acknowledge him in the policie and direction of spirituall things if he did not first grant them the same rights which Italy and France had by the Pragmatick Sanctions The Emperor found their first suite iust and was soone drawne to yeeld vnto it Aeneas Siluius changed his opinion representing vnto him that there was more honor and safety for him to haue good correspondence with the Pope then to fauour those who would diminish his authoritie whereof the Emperors were protectors o These complaints were pacified reuiued in the beginning of the Emperor Charles the fifths raigne when as they presented vnto the Popes Legate being at Nuremborg A. Remonstrance vnder this title Sacri Romani imperii Principum ac procerum grauamina aduersus sedem Romanam He was Archbishop of Sienna His bad affection to Lewis the eleuenth and after the death of Calixtus was aduanced to the Popedome in a manner without thinking of it Hee began with the assembly at Mantua whither all the Princes of the Empire sent their Embassadors Hee made open show that he loued not France as hath beene said and this affection continued after the death of Charles the seuenth for p Ludouieo Gallorum regi aduersatus est quod libertatem Ecclesiae minuere conaretur cum ab eo antea Pragmaticam Sanctionem Ecclesiae Romanae pernitiosissimam pestem extorsisset Platina saith that although he had wrested the Pragmatick Sanction out of the hands of Lewis the eleuenth yet he did not forbeare to crosse him for that hee thought to diminish the libertie of the Church Paul the second called Peter Barbo a Venetian succeeded him FINIS THE CONTENTS OF the third BOOKE 1 THe Wisedome of Lewis the eleuenth vppon the troubles of the League of the common weale 2 Hee sounds and discouers the intentions of the King of England 3 He labours to deuide the heades of the League and beginns with his Brother 4 The order which he set to preserue Paris He passeth into Bourbonois besiegeth Ryon and treats with the Dukes of Bourbon and Nemours 5 Entry of the Duke of Bourgondies army into Picardy that of Brittany musters at Chasteaubriant 6 Battell of Montleherry The victory is vncertaine and in a manner equall The Earle of Charolois is hurt The place of Battell remaines to him with a great disorder of either side 7 Obseruations of that which hapned both before and after the battell 8 The King passeth the night at Corbeil and goeth the next day to Paris 9 The army of the league lodged at Estampes whereas the Dukes of Berry and Brittanny arriue 10 It passeth the Riuer of Seine and besiegeth Paris 11 The Princes let the Parisians vnderstand the causes of their armes and demand a conference Paris sends her Deputies to St. Maur. 12 The Kinges army breakes the Conference and assures Paris yet he resolues to graunt all they should demand and to desperce this Army 13 Enteruiew of the King and the Earle of Charolois for a peace and the needles feare of the Dukes armie 14 Supplies of men and money sent by the Duke of Bourgundy to the Earle of Charrolois 15 The Kings second meeting with the Earle of Charrolois 16 Peace concluded and sworne at Bois de Vincennes 17 The Duke of Berrij is receiued into Roane with the Duke of Brittanie and the Earle of Charrolois returnes into Flanders 18 The King returnes to Paris and makes the Earle of S. Paul Constable of France 19 The Earle of S. Paul cannot liue in peace and takes for a maxime of his conduct to entertaine the two Princes in warre 20 Discords betwixt the Dukes of Normandy and Brittanie THE HISTORY of LEVVIS the XI THE THIRD BOOKE WHO so succeeds a good Prince hath a great aduantage ouer the affections of his owne subiects The loue the children for the fathers sake how rough and difficult soeuer his raigne be They hold themselues so much bound to the fathers bounty a The bounty of a Prince doth so binde the hearts as euen after his death they yeelde prootes of their affection to thier children although wicked Cambises was beloued for the loue of Cyrus his father Cō modus for the respect of Marcus Aurelius as they doe patiently endure the sonnes rigor France did owe her libertie to King Charles the seuenth he had freed her from the miseries of warre shee did acknowledge no other restorer then him This respect retained
could not be giuen to any other Plut. where they dranke to his health as to Iupiter the Deliuerer The Assembly of Noblemen and Ladies was great he related his great dangers his diligence and toyle He drew teares of ioy and pitty from the hearers euery man said all is well z The King reported his aduentures and in so doing spake and declared many goodly words and pittifull where at all wept aboundantly Chro Martin seeing the King is wel a The health of a good Prince is the health of his Estate the people said of Alexander Seuerus Saluâ— Roma quia saluns est Alexander Lamprid. Hee assured all his seruants that he would neuer cease vntill he had chased all his enemies out of his realme Yet his designe was to doe what he could to end it other-wise then by Armes He sent the Bishop of Paris to the Earle of Charolois Bishop of Paris sent to the Earle of Charolois to let him vnderstand that he desired to know to what end he was entred into his Realme with so great a troupe for that hee could remember that when as he went into Flanders in the time of King Charles the seauenth his Father hee was not followed with so great a traine He commanded him to let him know the iniustice of his desseine That he vndertooke a warre vnder collour of the publik-weale to vndermine the whole estate and to set fire of the house to driue them out that clensed it That there was no such Phrensey as to make ones selfe sick to vse remedies b Peace is sweet after warre but much more proffitable before It is better neuer to haue beene an enemy then to bee reconcyled being naturall for a sick man to desire health But for him that was found to make himself sicke vpon hope of cure was folly and madnesse The Bishop of Paris went and hauing represented vnto the Earle of Charolois the Kings intentions and complaints Say vnto the King answered the Earle fretting the bitternesse of his ambition with humanity and myldnesse c Princes desirous to raigne haue made seruitude sweete with courtesie and mildnesse By this poysoned mylâ—nesse Caesar ouer threw the common-wealth of Rome that I am not come to doe any ill but to procure the good of his Realme hauing liued in such sort with mine army as noe man hath occasion to complaine that being as I am able to serue and succor my friends and to anoy myne enemies I am not bound to yeeld any other reason of my desseignes But not to conceale them from him I am heere for two reasons the one not to fayle of my word to the Princes which haue taken armes for the publike good the other to haue two men which the King hath fauored and supported against me d Priuat interâ—st are alwaies mingled with the sublike causes of warre The E. of Charolois was an implacable enemy to the Earle of Neuers and the Lord of Croy be added this hatred to the causes of war If I be come well accompanied it is to defend my selfe in France from that harme which the king would haue done me in Flanders That when he came hee was receiued honorably richly and quietly and then was not that done vnto him which hee had a will to doe vnto mee That in a word France had more need of a warlike and armed liberty then of a quiet and miserable seruitude After the Battell the Earle of Charolois caused the whole army to bee lodged at Estampes and there abouts Armes of the League loged at Estampes The commodity of this lodging saued that which one more discomodious had lost e â—f time and occasion giue leaue to chose a lodging to stay there they must consider two things which the ancient Romans haue alwaies obserued in their lodgings The helthfulnesse of the place for one and water with commodity of victualls for the other They knew what places were not helthfull obseruing their scituation the coÌ„plexion of the inhabitants In this place as the Earle of Charolois spake vnto Mounsieur at a window with great attention and affection a Britton cast a squib which strooke against the barre where they leaned and being amazed at this accident they thought it done of purpose to hurt them The lodging was presently enuironed with souldiers to gard them There was a dilligent search made for him that had done it who beeing only couered with his inocency descouered him-selfe and said that it was but a squib which he had cast to shew them pastime wherevpon this great amazement was turned to a iest All their forces being vnited they tooke councell how they shold imploy them Their opinions were alwaies applyed to their passions and desseines Charles the Kings brother weary of the warre An ordinary mischiefe in enterprises where there are many commanders f The pluralâ—ty of heads is alwaies rumous and vnproffitable euery one seekes to prefeâ—re his owne reasons and counsells They doe and vndoe indespight on of another Tâ—ndendo ad sua quisque consilia cum aliud alii videtur ad inuasioneÌ„ loâ—um hosti apperiunt Tit. Lâ—u lib. 4. That of the duke of Brittain was not answerable to that of the Earle of Charolois Monsieur seemed already weary of the warre he lamented those that were slaine hurt or maymed in the army which shewed that matters were represented to his imagination of another collour in the vndertaking then in the executing g Matters wheÌ„ they are conceiued and proiected haue an other fâ—ce then when they are executed He wisht that they were to begin greeuing that they made him the cause of so many miseries h A generous spirit is not sensible of the ruines and desolations which grow by warre and ciuill broyles The Duke of Berry was heauy seeing so great a number slaine and hurt in the Battell of Mâ—ntlehery The first slaughters of warre sticke terror into them that haue not seene them as of humain miseries the most lamentable is that which proceeds from his fault that complaines He had kindled the fire yet could not endure the flame he had begun the tragedy nay rather a cruell game whereas men made but a sport to force spoyle burne and kill He is not esteemed a soldiar that cannot doe al this in ciuill wars the most wicked of all others whereas by a fatall disorder they saw the fathers bury their children i When Craesus was prisoner to Cyrus by this reason that in the time of peace the children buried the frather and â—n warre the fathers bury their children be preferred peace before warre And of all warres ciuill is the most vniust iâ—humaine furious SummuÌ„ Brute naefas ciuilia bella fatemur Luc. These words were well obserued by the Earle of Charolois King of England sends the garter to the Earle of Charolois who from that time perswaded him-selfe that there would be noe great difficulty to reconcyle the
Prince should neuer be present to make his opinion g When as a Prince will doâ— any thing by Councell hee should not bee here for his presâ—nce hinâ—ders the liberty of their opinions especially when the question is of the death of any one accused Tiberius would not that Drusus his Sonne should giue his opinion first in Lepidus cause aâ—cused of treason So when Piso was commaÌ„ded to speak his opinion touching Granius Marcellus being accused to haue set his Statue higher then the Emperours He said directing his speech vnto the Emperor And you Sir in whatâ— rank will you giue your opinion for if you speak last I feare my opinion will be coÌ„trarie to yours Quo loco censebis Caesar si primus habebo quod sequar si post omnes vereor ne imprudens dissentiam knowne to the end it may not be followed as a Decree and that such as will contradict it may doe it freely The Marshall of Bourgundy and the Signior of Contay concluded to haue them put to death grounding their opinion vpon this reason that so strange a reuolt should bee extraordinarily reuenged that these Mutyns were vnworthy of the Princes Clemencie and that the bonds whereby they contained such wilde spirits in their duties must be taken in the terror of punishments h â—There are crimes as diseaeases which require violent and extraordinarie cures It is not good alwaies to vse to great mildnes in the peoples folly and madnes Dennis of Syracusa scorned at that shâ—me saying that the chaines of demands wherewith Estates were bound are the terror of punishments Armes and Armes The Innocencie of the Hostages found fauour in the opinions of the Earle of S t Paul and the Sig r of Imbercourt who detested this crueltie against the poore Bourgesses which had willingly sacrificed themselues for the publike perswaded the Duke to take God of his side this reason was sufficient and words were superfluous to oppose against it But in these occasions whereas all is disputable it is good that the Prince haue more then one or two of his Councell to the end that wandring opinions may bee set right by others for men are no Angels i There somtimes escape from the wisest absurd and iâ—considerate opinions and therefore the Councell of one â—lone is dangerous the which must consist of diuers heads For the spirits of men haue their seasons as wel as their bodies and the wisest man liuing is not alwaies wise without passion they bring them with them in all their Actions and sometimes hatred or enuie feare or hope the waywardnes and indisposition of the person are as it were the moulds and formes of Councels Besides there are many which doe not speake but after others The mildest and most iust opinion was followed and the Hostages sent back to Liege being aduised not to meddle in the contagion of the infidelitie of others and to tell them that if they abused their Princes clemencie they should feele his rigour One of the assistants k The Sig r of Coâ—tay was reputed a wise and discrect Knight they had neuer noted crâ—eâ—tie nor indiscretion in his 〈◊〉 and yet hee was 〈◊〉 for this cruell Councell and his death they imputed to a iust iudgement of heauen according to Phil. of Commines at this Councel foretold the death of the Sig r of Coâ—tay within a yeare Death of the Sig r of Contay for that hee had concluded the death of the Hostage and it was true In the meane time the Duke of Brittanie cryed out for succors The Duke of Bourgundy sent vnto the King to intreat him to cease that warre and to consider that the Duke of Brittanies cause was his The King to pay him with the same reason sent him word that if hee would leaue the protection of his brother and the Duke of Brittanie hee would abandon the Liegeois The Constable of St. Paul and la Balue carried this message to whom the Duke answered that he could not abandon his friends Nor we ours replied the Constable you choose not but take all you will neither haue vs succour our friends nor make warre against our enemies Well said the Duke going to horse the Liegeois are in field I haue proclaimed warre l The Heraulds which proclaimed this war carried in the right hand a naked sword and in the other a flaming torch a fearefull threat of fire bloud against them with a naked sword and a flaming torch I will fight with them before three daies passe if I loose the battell you may doe as you please but if I winne it you shall leaue the Brittons in peace The Duke besieged Saintron Siege of Saintron the Leigois beeing 30000. came to succour the besieged and lodge in a great Village enuironed with a marish a mile from the Dukes Armie there they are charged and repulsed euen vnto their trenches with the shot of Arrowes and Canon but when they that assailed had no more arrowes the Liegeois recouered courage charged them with their pikes and in an instant slew fiue hundred and made the rest to wauer betwixt flight and amazement The Duke seeing his foreward turne their backes caused the Archers of the battell to aduance by whom the Leigeois were beaten and slaine to the number of nine thousand A number according to the truth not to flatterie and passion which sometimes makes Gyants of Dwarfes m The true number of the dead in a battel is seldome set down the victors make â—t greater the vanquished lesser and many as Phil. de CoÌ„mines saith to flatter Princes for one slaine number a hundred The number of the dead in the Battell of Marignan was neuer truely knowne The Frâ—ch said that they had cut halfe the Suisses Army in pieces which was of 25000. men The Suisses say that being returned into their countrey they found but 5000. wanting and that the French had lost more Gradenic saith that in al there were 22000. Iustin numbers aboue 15000. Suisses and Guichardin as many A varietie which proceeds eyther from error or passion The rest retired to Liege and if there had not been a Moore betwixt them and the Dukes horse-men Saintron yeelds to discretion yeelded to the Dukes discretion deliuering ten men to his Iustice. Whose heads saued the rest and serued for an example against their rebellion He did the like to Tongres which yeelded vpon the same condition and in this decimation n Decimation was inuented to punish a multitude in such sort as the fear might seeme generall to all the Offenders and the punishment to a small number all felt it not but euery man feared it some of those hostages were found which he had sent home Hee presented himselfe before Liege Leige yeelds demands pardon one of the mightiest and best peopled townes of the countrie The Dukes presence made some resolue to trust vnto his clemencie and others to feare his Iustice. Three
prest by two powerfull and violent motions despaire and boldnes and had alreadie made knowne how deerely they would sell their liues n When as a multitude begins to know that matters are reduced to these termes as nothing caÌ„ happen but misery they assure theÌ„selues in dangers they change their boldnes into fury their hopes into despaire yet he would be present with the rest and had no reason to goe to Namur He might haue safely retired for he had a hundred Archers a good number of Gentlemen and three hundred men at Armes Yet for more danger then hee apprehended hee would not haue made one dishonourable step The respect of his honour o There is not any great courage but starts at this word Honor. A Prince must go into all places where his reputation is ingaged The King saith Phil. de Com. where it coÌ„cerned his honour would not bee blamed of cowâ—dise and that great desire of glorie the onely Obiect of great spirits was more deere vnto him then his life About eight of the clocke on Sunday morning being the 30. of October 1468. the signe for the assault was giuen the inhabitants hauing no thought that they would trouble their rest on Sunday p The Earle of Montfort who was caled Iohn the valiant D. of Brittany sent to intreate the Earle of Blois his enenmy to referre the Battel which hee ment to giue him vntil the next day for that it was Sunday St. Michels feast and it was one of those dayes on the which the Countesse of Blois his wife had forbidden him to fight but the Earle of Blois would not beleeue any of them and was slain there This hapened in the yeare 1364. a day by the scrupulous of that time held vnfortunate to fight in and moreouer much tired for that euery day they had beene in gard and now they were gone to dinner They were surprised without any resistance euery man sauing himselfe either in the Forrest of Ardennes or in Churches he that escaped the fury of the sword fell into that of cold and hunger and all tryed that in vaine q King Ferdinand going out of Naples with Don Frederic the Queene his Grandmother the Princesse Ioan his daughter and imbarked in the Galleys to recouer the Iland of Ischia which the Ancients called Enaria thirty miles from Naples had no other words in his mouth but this Verse of Dauid saying That Sentinels and gards auaile not if God keep not the Citie men keep the Citie if God take not the care The Duke being master of the Citie came and conducted the King vnto the Pallace This prince fitting his words vnto the time and to the Dukes humors commended his victorie and spake to all that past of the Dukes valour and good conduct who tooke a wonderfull delight to haue a King for a Panegyrist The Towne was reduced to that estate as it might serue to posteritie for an example not of conseruation Ruine and desolation of the Liegeois but of extreame miserie The gates and walles were ouerthrowne the ditches filled vp the priuiledges reuoked the lawes changed and all the Churches except the Cathedrall spoiled The Duke caused it to bee kept by some of his houshold against the souldiers who sought to force the two doores A strange thing to see churches r Seeing that God ought to be feared and worshipped in all places that which belongs vnto his seruice should also hee religiously respected euen in the Armies Zenophon saith that Agesylaus would not allow them to touch any Temples in the enemies country in daunger among Christians whose impieties are such as euen the most Barbarous Nations doe abhorre them for they haue alwaies respected holy places but it was so peruerse and corrupted an age as there were men without soules and soules without religion The Duke not able to restraine this furie slew a souldiour to make the rest dislodge all was reduced to a vast and fearefull wildernes The Duke repented himselfe of the cruelties which had been committed in the furie of the Sacke and offered for an expiation the S t. George wherewith S t. Lamberts church in Liege is at this day adorned The King fiue daies after the desolation of a countrey which relyed vpon the succors of his power and which stumbled into seruitude for it could not goe straight in libertie s Liberty is to be desired when as they that will not be subiect to haue meanes to liue free but as Plato saith Epist. 8. Many haue fallen into seruitude for that they could not vse their libertie vvell tooke leaue of the Duke and told him that if he had any more cause to vse him that he should not spare him but if all were done he desired to goe to Paris to haue their Treatie verified yet hoping to meet againe the next Summer in Bourgundy I will said he The King desires to returne to Paris that wee remaine a month together to make good cheere t Princes as all other men are by nature subiect to passions and alterations and not able to endure the toyle of the body and minde long without tiring and haue need of some rest and recreation It is that which K. Lewis the eleuenth in this place cals good cheere The forme and manner of his words did much help the matter for he deliuered them with an open countenance and a heart which seemed free which did binde the Duke to please him An Act of incomparable wisedome to fit his words and actions for the necessitie of the time and place wherein he was and humilitie in these actions doth no wrong vnto a great Prince u Humilitie abates nothing of a princes greatnes for either hee that humbles himselfe is inferior and then it becomes him well or superior but brought to such a straight as he is forced to beÌ„d if he escapes he greeues not at his humility although that doe him good who hath intreated him with pride and arrogancy which knoweth there is no other meanes to continue with spirits that are insolent of their fortunes but dissembling The Duke also knowing the humor of this Prince murmured still Treatie made without liberty bindes not made his distrust knowne he did consider that bonds of promises made by men which cannot say they are in libertie are light that force hath no power to prescribe a force sufficiently noted in the solemne words of the oath wherevnto they desired the King should consent that in case of contrauention to the Treatie all his subiects should retire from his obedience and adhere to the Earle of Charolois And therefore he would that before the kings departure their Treatie should be read and read againe and all the points expounded x In Treaties of peace they must vnderstand one an other well Al words must be made plaine and those that are comprehended or excluded expressed and that vpon all hee declared his intention
in gold which hong downe vpon his brest all amounting to the value of two hundred Crownes in gould without any enamell or inriching with stones which coller should be carried daily about their necks vncouered vpon paine to cause a masse to bee said and to giue seauen souz sixe deniers for Gods sake In armies voiages and in their priuat houses it was sufficient to weare the image of Saint Michel at a little chaine of gould or a silke ryband The officers were a chancellor k No man might be Chancellor of this Order if he were not an Ecclesiasticall Prelate as an Archbishop Bishop or some notable dignitie in a Cathedrall or Collegiall Church or a Doctor of Diuinitie or Canon Law to keep the seale of the order Officers of the order to carry messages to make propositions in chapters and Assemblies to informe of the Actions of Knights to admonish and correct to gather the voyces in elections and the proofes of Nobility A register to write and inrowle the acts of the Order all the commendable prowesses worthy deeds of the head and knights their faults Iustifications corrections and punishments A Treasorer l The Treasurer must keep a Register of the guifts and good deeds which the Knights shall doe vnto the Order which shall haue in his custody the titles Relicks Iewells Ornaments Tapistry and Lybrary of the Order A King at armes called Mont Saint Michel who shall haue sixe score pound starling a yeare pension to carry the letters and commandements of the Order to informe of the prowesses of Knights and to make his report The reception and the oth After the decease of a Knight verified of his worthy deeds and merits They proceed to the election of an other to supply his place the voyces are giuen and receyued by writting in open chapter m The voices for the Election of a Knight are giuen in scroules and put into a basen of siluer which the Chancellor holds and the Chancellor declares who hath the greatest number if the rigour of such informations had lasted alwaies time which blemisheth the goodliest actions and weakens the strongest lawes had not altered any thing of the beauty and integrity of this Order They had not called it in contempt a hood for all heads for Nobility and vertue could not desier a quallity which brought them more honor and greatnesse when as he that merits to be chosen is aduertised of his election he presents him-selfe vnto the Chapter and addressing him-selfe vnto the King speakes these words Sir or my Lord if he bee of the bloud I haue seene your letters that by your fauour and of your most honored Bretheren and Champions of the worthy and honorable order of my Lord Saint Michel Bond of a Knight receiuing the Order I haue beene chosen n When the Knight chosen is absent the King sends the Herald of the Order vnto him with letters which carry the common consent of the order for his Election with a Coppy of the Statutes of the order to aduise if he will enter and bind himselfe by oath to the soueraigne and members of that body into the order and louing company where-with I thinke my selfe much honored and doe reuerently and thankefully accept it and doe thanke you as much as I may offering my selfe ready to obay and to doe all that I ought and may touching the said order Where-vnto shal be answered by the said Soueraigne being accompanied by the greatest number of Knights that may be Wee and our Bretheren Companions of the order for the good renown we haue heard of your worthy deeds vertues and merits hoping you will perseuere and augment them to the honour of the order and commendation of your selfe To defend the rights of the Crowne haue chosen you to be perpetually if it pleaseth God a brother and companion of the said order and louing company wherefore you must take the othe which followeth That withall your loyall power you shall helpe to keepe sustaine and defend o The Knights oweâ— personall seruice vnto the King in all his enterprises but wher there is some vrgent â—et the dignity and rights of the crowne and royall Maiesty and the authority of the soueraigne of the order and of his successors Soueraignes so long as you shall liue and be of the order You shall imploy your selfe with all your power to maintain the said order in state and honour and shall labour to augment it The affairs of the Order and not suffer it to decaie so long as you may preuent it If it should happen which God forbid that any fault should be found in you for the which according to the customes of the order p A Knight conuicted of any reprochfull act is depriued of the order and the Choller taken froÌ„ him The causes for which be may be degraded ar heresie treason and flight on day of Battell The Knight which is vniustly wronged by the King from whom he can obtaine no iustice Hee must deliuer vp his coller leaue the order not offending it in any sort but taking his leaue honorably you were to bee depriued sommoned and required to yeeld vp the said coller in that case you send it to the said Soueraigne or to the treasuror of the Order Degradation in Case of offence and shall neuer after the said Somation carry the said Coller and all other paines and corrections which may bee inioyned you for other lesse offences you shall beare and fulfill patiently and not beare by reason of the said things any hatred against the Soueraigne Companions and Officers of the Order You shall come and appeare in all Chapters q The day after St. Michaells â—east the Chapter of the order should be held there the Knights are inioyned to keepe the Councellls and corrections secret All the Knights are commanded to goe forth one after another the last come going first and the Soueraigne last An the Chancellor informes himselfe in taking the other of all the Knightes and of the Soueraigne himselfe of the wordes and actions of the Knight that is gone forth to know if he hath done any thing Against the honor renowne estate and duty of Knighthood Conuentions and Assemblies of the Orders Assistance at Chapters and obseruation of Orders or shall send according to the Statutes and Ordinances of the said Order and shall obey the Soueraigne and his Deputies in all reasoâ—able things concerning the duety and affaires of the same Order and shall with your loyall power accomplish all the Statutes Poynts Articles and Ordinances of the Order which you haue seene in writting and heard read and doe promise and sweare in generall as if you had taken an oath vppon euery poynt in particular Which things the said Knight shall promise and sweare in the hands of the said Soueraigne vpon his faith and honor The Coller habit cloke of him that is to be
de See and brought words and offers of affection and seruice on the Dukes behalfe who feared that the King would make some sodaine inuasion The D. of Brittaine demands a peace hauing an armie of fifty thousand men ready to fall vpon his country The King with all his forces p A Prince should neuer doe all that be may against his enemies would not doe what he might doe against these gyant-like enterprises reseruing his thunder-bolts to an other season The more slowly Princes take Armes the more difficult it is to draw them out of armies hee resolued to vanquish without fighting and considering that the Lord of Lescun was the first linke of the chaine of the Duke of Brittanies Councell that all the iudgement conduct and experience in Brittanie did lye in the person of this Nobleman q Phil. de Com. speaking of the Lord of Lescun saith that there was neither iudgement nor vertue in Brittanie but what proceeded from him who after the death of the Duke of Guienne his master had retired himselfe to the Duke of Brittanie a good and a loyall French man who neuer would consent that the places of Normandie should bee giuen vnto the English hee thought that if he could draw him to his seruice the accord which he should make with the Duke of Brittanie would be more firme and withdrawing him from the Duke of Bourgundies alliance hee should make him so weake as all his forces would not suffice for his defence The King drawes the D. of Brittanie from the Duke of Bourgundies alliance There r When as the Prince hath won him that is in most credit and authoritie with him with whom he treats hee doth worke his affaires safely and with aduantage is nothing so easie as to bring one whether necessitie driues him The Lord of Lescun being won giues the Duke his master to vnderstand that there is no other safety for his affaires but the Kings protection The accord was made so as the Duke might haue eight thousand pounds starling The Lord of Lescun had a pension of six hundred pounds starling foure thousand crownes in readie money the Order of S. Michel the Earledome of Cominges halfe the gouernement of Guienne the Seneshallships of Vennes and Bourdelois The Captainship of one of the Castells of Bourdeaux s K. Charles the seuenth hauing taken Bourdeaux againe he caused two Castles to be built Castell Trumpet towards the Sea and that of Du Han towards the firme land which King Charles the seuenth had caused to be built and those of Bayonne and St. Seuert Essars and Souppleinuille instruments of this negotiation were also rewarded t Phil. des Essars a GentlemaÌ„ of the house of Brittany had 4000. Crownes giuen and six score pounds starâ—ing for yearely pension with the Baillewike of Meaux and was made Master of the Riuers Forrests of France Souppleinuille who did belong to the Lord of Lescun had six thousand crownes in gift a pension and offices fit for his qualitie the Kings bounty could not suffer any seruice to passe without recompence Truce annuall betwixt the King and the Duke of Bourgundy The affaires of Brittany being compounded the King went into Picardie It was his and the Duke of Bourgundies custome euery yeare to make a truce for six monthes in the beginning of Winter during the which there were many voiages and conferences to quench the causes of warre which they held to be shut in the Constables thoughts who began to stand in feare of the Duke and to keep aloofe from the King Philip de Commines saith that the Chancellor of Bourgundy came to make it but as it was the first yeare of his comming to Court he was not very curious to vnderstand the truth the which is drawne out of the Articles that were published and signed by the Earle of S. Paul Constable of France and by Philip of Croy deputed for the King and Guy of Brunen Lord of Imbercourt and Anthony Rollin Lord of Emery for the Duke of Bourgundy The Deputies promised to cause this Truce to be ratified by the first of December it ended the first of Aprill following betwixt which they should meete at Amiens u This assembly was appointed in Amiens the first of December 1472. to treat a peace and the restitution of S t Valery which the D. of Bourgundy demanded to treat a Peace The Constable following the intention of the King his Master and that which had been treated with the Lord of Lescun would not haue the Duke of Brittany comprehended in the Truce among the Allies of Bourgundy The Deputies shewed that the Duke of Brittany their Ally did relye vpon them x To forget Allies in Treatiâ—s and Accords is an iniury against the lawe of friendship Vnde maiores cum qui socium feâ—ellisles in virorum bonorum numero non putaâ—â—erunt haberi oportere Cic. our Elders did not hold him worthy to bee put in the number of good men that deceiued his companion that they could not forget them in the number of their frends that he had not disclaimed their friendship that they held him yet for their Allie and that he had often abandoned them by Letters and words and yet had beene firme to them in effect That youth did inflame his bloud but reason did still reclaime him That the Duke did then name him among his Allies leauing it to his choise by the first of February whether he would be comprehended among the Kings Allies or the Dukes There was no remedy The King would haue fifteene daies to name his Allies and eight dayes after to adde such as he should forget The Duke of Bourgundy Ambitions designes of the Duke of Bourgundy who would spend the time of Truce in great imaginations which filled his head with fumes and his heart with perpetuall flames propounded to allye himselfe vnto the Emperor He desired to extend the bounds of his Empire from one Sea vnto the other his spirit went still on and neuer lookt backe y It is an error in Princes that they seldome or neuer look behind theÌ„ They consult vpon the passage but neuer vpon the returne Leopold Archduke of Austria talking how hee should passe an Army of twentie thousand men into the Canâ—on of Suâ—its Kune of Stocke his iâ—ster said vnto him I will not follow thee thou talkest how thou shalt enter but thou neuer dreamest how thou shalt come forth Leopold was defeated aâ— Morgarten Munster The like was said vnto K. Francis the first by Amaril vppon his proposition to passe thâ— Alpes He held himself King alreadie of one part of Gaule hee deuoured all Germany in Imagination God had giuen him great Prouinces which he thought deserued a more stately Title then of Duke of Earle for the obtaining whereof hee made a voyage to Treues to the Emperor Frederiâ— hauing made a very sumptuous preparation for the solemnitie of that publike
Body hath no cause to grieue when the head is wounded Suet. The Admirall tould them that by the Kings commandement hee did deliuer the Constable ouer vnto them to make his processe with all speede vppon the letters written and sealed which the King of England and the Duke of Bourgundie and Bourbon had sent the which he presented vnto them d The want of rewarding the good is not so preiudiciall to an estate as the impunity of the wicked The Empires of the world martcht vppon two feete vppon the recompence of good and the punnishment of ill and they must goe streight on the one and not halt on the other and yet it is better to faile on the right foote which is the reward of good then on the left which is the punnishment of whomesoeuer On this foote they went against the Constable but somewhat to swiftly Hee saw him selfe reduced vnto those termes as they did not regard his seruices past but his present offences He beares this affliction as impatiently e They carry prosperities insolently and aduersities impatiently which thinke that neither the one nor the other can euer chaÌ„ge as hee past his prosperities insolently They began his processe by his answers Hee must eyther speake or beee silent His processe is made his words discouer the treason his silence the Traytor There is nothing but pitty to speake for him and there is not any to be fouÌ„d for crimes of this sort His own writings were against him He coÌ„fest that to maintaine his office of Constable and trouble the Kings estate he had alwayes entertayned war betwixt the king the Duke of Bourgundy His Conâ—â—ssions to this effect had giuen him his seale and promise that when as the souldiers which martcht vnder his commaundement should be ready to strik hee would cause them retyre That seing a marriage f He that desires to continue warre in an Estate let him follow the Maxime of the Constable of S t. Paul alwaies to keepe the King in bad termes with the neerest of his bloud As the Princes of the bloud beeing well vnited vnto the Prince make him to bee more assured and redoubted so when as they are drawne away the state must needs suffer Hereof we reade two goodly examples one of Hipparcus in Thucid the other of Sext Tarquinius in Tit Liâ—ius treated and concluded betwixt the Duke of Guyenne the kings brother the princesse of Castill he wrote vnto M sr aduising him to haue a care how he proceeded as soon as he should be gone into Spayne to fetch his wife the King was resolued to send an Army into the Dutchie of Guienne to dispossesse him to make him miserable and that if he would giue eare to marry with the Duke of Bourgundies daughter he assured himselfe to make him haue her so as hee would send his seale to the Duke of Bourgundie that he would passe a procuration to obtaine a dispensation of the oth for his promse of marriage with the Princesse of Castill That the Duke of Bourgundie hauing sent a man expressely to him to haue his seale the which he would send to the Duke of Sauoy he would that they should paffe to the Duke of Bourbon to draw him vnto their league and intelligence against the King who answered them that he had rather be as poore as Iob g There is no misery comparable to that which treason and infidelâ—ty causeth and therefore the Duke of Bourben did rather choose the condition of Iob then to reuolt against his K. then consent to their conspiracie and that the end would be miserable That the king hauing commanded him to write to the king of England to the Queen to the Earle of Somerset and to M sr de Candalles touching the E. of Warwick that he had writen quite contrary to the kings intentions They desired to heare him touching the barre and Causey of Compeigne At that word he found his owne mistaking and that the perfection of mans actions depends of well knowing himselfe h The first precept or rather the summary of the Instructions of the conduct of mans life is to know himselfe wel Theron depends the good or bad issues of actions Heraclitus speaking of a great and high cogitation of his spirit said that he sought himselfe He could not denie but that he had there played the companion with his master He confest that when he spake with the king neere vnto Compiegne he had caused a barre to be made betwixt the King and him to the end he might talke in safety and yet the king notwithstanding past the barre to imbrace him and to intreat him to holde his partie the which he promised and sware notwithstanding two dayes after the Duke of Bourgundy sent one vnto him to know if he would performe that which he promised him to offer him a pension of a thousand pounds sterling That he had writen vnto the Duke of Bourgundie that he could finde meanes to seaze vppon the king and then kill him or carry him to any place and that he would lodg the Quene and the Dauphin where as they should be allwaies found They shewed him the letters which he had written to the king of England He acknowledgeth his letters written and he doth acknowledg them and if there had bene no other cryme i Phil. de Commines saith that the hast of this proceeding was sound strange and that the King did much presse the Commissioners The Historiens haue not well obserued the time but wee may coniecturâ— it in that the Earle of Mâ—rle the Constables sonne sent on the 4. of December a herald called Montioy who did reside commonly with the Constable to Iohn Ladreche President of the accounts borne in Brabant to intreat him to succour and to stay the Constable if this were the beginning of his â—mprisonment as it is credible his processe was made in fifteene or sixteene dayes it had bene sufficient to conuict him The king did presse the Commissioners very earnestly and they proceeded but slowly in a matter of that weight The treason being apparent their opinions tended to death by the courses of extremitie and of the highest point of Iustice and the sentence was pronounced in Parliament by the President of Popincourt It was necessary that the prisoner should heare it in Parliament Hee is sent for to the Court of Parliament and therefore the Siegneur of S t. Pierre went early in the morning to the Bastile to fetch him comming into his Chamber he demanded of him what he did and if he slept he answered that he had been long awake but he kept his bed hauing his head full of fancies The Siegneur of S t. Pierre told him that the Court of Parliament had viewed his processe for the expedition whereof it was necessary hee should be heard He rose and prepared himselfe to goe vnto the Pallace not thinking that
from thence he should be led vnto his death And for that the Court had ordained that the Seignieur of Estouteuille Knight and Prouost of Paris should accompany him he grew into some iealousie that it was to draw him out of the hands of Philip Huâ—llier Captaine of the Bastile who was his friend and intreated him mildly to deliuer him vnto the Prouost of Paris his enemy who he thought by an inhumane voluptuousnes k To laugh at another mans miserie is an inhumaine voluptuousnesse and to weepe at another mans harme is an eternall miserie receiued great content at his misery Hated and detested of the ParisieÌ„s He feared also that the people who hated him as much in the end as they had admired him in the beginning l It is in our selues to be esteemed or scorned Neuer maÌ„ was more contemned in the beginning nor lesse in the ending then Brutus and had conceiued an implacable hatred against him and defamed his reputation both by writings m In Iune 1471. the K. by a publike proclamation promised 300. Crownes to him that should discouer the author of Libels that were made against the Constables honor Henry Mariette who had bin LiefienaÌ„t criminal of Paris and Peter Mercier a Scholler were committed to prison for that fact but they were absolued and wordes publikely would do him some outrage as he past through the streetes The Siegneur of S t. Pierre assured him and freed him from either feare telling him that he went not out of one prison to go into another and that he would neuer suffer him to be wronged in his company Thus he went to the Pallace on horseback betwixt S t Pierre and Estouteuille Being come to the staires foot of the Pallace the Lord of Gaucourt Gouernour of Paris and Denis Hesselin came to meet him to lead him to the Tournelle where he found the Chancellor who hauing exhorted him to patience demanded of him the order of S t. Michel The Constable took it from his neck kist it and gaue it him He had receiued it from the Kings owne hand beeing the third of fourteene which first receiued it The Chancellor did also demand the Constables sword of him n VVhen men in high degrees are condemned to lose their liues the death of honor by degradation goes before that of the body by punishment hee answered that it had beene taken from him when he was committed to prison This done the Chancellor retired himselfe and left the Constable in some hope that iustice would bee satisfied with this degradation of honor and leaue him the remainder of his life as a guift the which notwithstanding he should neither desire nor accept being offred hauing lost that which was dearer then it o There remaines nothing to loose for him that hath lost his reputation Hee dies too late that suruiues his honor But behold the President of Popincourt which pronounceth his sentence and speakes to him after this manner His sentence pronounced The Court hath and doth declare you guilty of high treason for the which it doth depriue you of the office of Constable of France and of all your offices honors estates and dignities and for punishment it doth condemne you to suffer death and to loose your head at the greue in Paris it declares all your goods moueable and immoueable forfeited to the King And although considering the foulenes of the great and execrable crimes of treason which you haue committed you should be quartered p By the greatnes of punishments they iudge of the foulnes of offeÌ„ce Treason felony haue alwaies beene seuerely punished your foure quarters to bee hanged on the high waies and your body on a Gibbet yet for some considerations mouing the Court namely for your last marriage of which were issued Children and other causes it hath ordained that after publike execution done of your person your body shal be laid in holy buriall if you require it The Constable with an amazement ordinarie in such strange and sodaine accidents and excusable in the most constant men who suffer death resolutely Foure Diuines exhort the Constable to dye and yet abhorre to see it q Nature abhors death A valiant man goes freely vnto daungers and yet is moued at them that miscarrie There are some which receiue the stroake more Constantly theâ— they apprehend it Sene. Epist. 58. answered Ha God be praised behold a hard sentence I beseech him to giue me the grace to acknoledge him well this day They gaue him foure Diuines to comfort him but in these extremities consolation is a part of the misery They dispose him to vnite all his thoughts to the last and most important act of his life to end it to his health r Iustice in destroying the bodie giues allwayes time to thinke of the health of the soule At the point of death man sets vp his rest that being lost their is noe more to loose for it concernes the losse both of body and soule Death being a game which if it be well played they hazard little to gaine much He demanded of the Chancellor if he might not be allowed to receiue the Sacrament but it was denyed him s If the Sacrament be denied to them that are condemned by Iustice the resolutions are drawne from the Coap Super eo de heret in 6 and c. question 13. 9. 2. They thought it fit that a Masse should be said before him and that at the end they should giue him holy bread and so 〈◊〉 continued with the Diuines about the examination of his conscience till betwixt two and three of the clocke in the afeernoone and then hee was carried on horsebacke to the Towne-house where hee disposed of that which the King suffered him to giue by his last will Hee deuided among the foure companies of begging Friers threescore halfe Crownes which were all the iewells he had sowed in his doublet whereof the Hangman thought to make booty t Iohn King of HaÌ„gary whom Sultan Soliman made K. of Buda paying a tribut caused the head of Gritti sonne to a Duke of Venice to be cut off When the executioner had stript him he found in his breeches a little purseful of precious stones which were valued at 4000. crownes Paul Iou. lib. 32. Many Princes noblemen held it then and do yet hold it an act of wisedome and foresight not to be without some peeces of gold for that they may be driuen to that distresse and so ill asisted by their followers as for want of an hundred Crownes or much lesse to stay the bad designe of some desperate fellow they may sodainely runne into some dangerous fortune He had vppon his finger a ring with a small diamond he intreated the Bishop of Paris his confessor to put it on the finger of the Image of our Lady of Paris and to offer it on his behalfe He charged another to giue vnto his Grandchild a stone
his life Hee liued six yeares eleuen monthes Philip Earle of Bresse sonne to Lewis and great Grandfather to Charles Emanuel who had been prisoner at Loches succeeded him a great Prince as all they haue been whose fortunes haue been tost and crost z They whom a variable vnconstaÌ„t fortune hath exercised and tryed gouerne theÌ„selues better then others Tacitus speaks it of Caractatus QueÌ„ multa ambigua multa prospeta extâ—lerant vt câ—teros Britannorum Imperato resprâ—mineret Whom many crosses and many good fortunes had raised vp that he might exceed the rest of the Brittish commanders After that Iustus Lipsius to confirme this truth hath spoken of Charles the fiâ—t and Lewis the eleuenth he addes Emanuel Philibert Duke of Sauoy and concludes that the Greeke word is true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue learned of them that haue hurt me Miseria brudentiae bona mater Misery iâ— a good mother of wisedome At the Kings returne from Lyon Alfonso K. of Portugal comes to demand succors in France Alfonso King of Portugall came to salute him being at Tours hee came vnto him as to his last refuge being no longer able to resist the power of King Ferdinand and Isabelta The cause of their contention is well worthy the knowing and to vnderstand it wee must remember that it was formerly said that by the peace made betwixt Iohn King of Castille and Iohn of Nauarre Blanche the eldest Daughter of Nauarre was married to Henry of Castille Prince of the Asturies and that the marriage was not consummated by reason of the disabilitie and coldnes of the husband a Pope Eugenius the third gaue a dispensation for the degree of proximitie that was betwixt the married couple and the marriage was celebrated at Madrid in the yeare 1440. The bashfulnes and modestie of this Princesse made her dissemble her misfortune Disabilitie of Henry K. of Castillâ— whereof no man might inconsiderately grow in doubt for the Prince was of a manlike and braue aspect but his actions were faint and languishing They were but fiue and twentie yeares old when they were married At one and thirty he succeeded to his father who died in the yeare 1454 of a quartaine Ague after that he had put Aluaro de Luna b Dom Aluato de Luna abusing the greatnes of his charge and the great loue the King bare him was hated of the Princes Noblemen of Castille they forced the King to banish him six yeares from the Court His faction won the Prince D. Henry who armed against his father wroght so as he was restored to fauor and made Master of the Order of S. Iames but seeking to be reuenged of his enemies and making many enterprises against them Queene Isabel fauoring them made the King resclue to put him in prison to haue him exâ—cuted at Vaile dosâ—t The King did forfeit al his goods they did set a siluer Basin whereas his head was to receiu that which passers by would giue for his entertainment A remarkable example of the inconstancy of Kings and fortunes fauours Al sin 〈…〉 vita a la tarde loa el dia. The life is commended by the end and the day by the Euening his Constable to death and had raigned nine and forty yeares and six monethes Henry succeeded him and Alfonso his second sonne was great Master of the Order of St. Iames hee would willingly haue giuen him his Crowne for the griefe he had conceiued for Henries disobedience His Daughter Isabella was but three yeares old to whom he gaue the Towne of Cuellar and a great summe of money for her mariage All things succeeded otherwise then he had proiected The eternall prouidence which hath written in his tables of Diamond the aduentures of things which are haue been and shall be had disposed after another manner But as the most constant patience is tired at length this Princesse The Pope dissolues the mariage for sterilitie hauing for a long time endured her husbands disabilitie began to murmure and he preuented her complaints presenting a request vnto the Pope to bee seperated from her and shewed that she was barren and could not be a mother and that the affaires of Castille required an heire The Pope dissolued the first marriage and suffered him to marry againe with Ione Infanta of Portugall Sister to King Alfonso and Daughter to King Edward a Princesse exceeding faire who more desirous to bee a Queene then a wife consented to this marriage notwithstanding that shee was fully aduertised of the disabilitie of the husband which she tooke who although he were a great Prince could not haue found a woman where as euery one may haue for his money But shee made it knowne that a politick woman neuer dyes without an heyre On the other side the King held the blemish of disabilitie to be so dishonourable as to make the contrarie knowne and to haue children to succeed vnto his Crowne he consented that Bernard de la Cueua one of his fauourites c Some write that D. Ioane consented therevnto by force but when she had once made this leape she had more need of a bridle then a spurre A wonderfull incontinency and impudency Being at it were confined to the Castell of Alacaes vnder the custody of the Archbishop of Seuelle she had by D. Pedro the Archbishops Nephew two children D. Ferdinand and D. Apostol should lye with the Queene who presently conceiued with child and to the end it should not bee thought to be done by supposition he would haue her deliuered in the presence of Henry Earle of Alba de Lista the Archbishop of Toledo and the Marquis of Vellena It was a Daughter which had for her Godfather the Earle of Armagnaâ— who was at that time Embassador in Castille to King Lewis the eleuenth Wisedome and discretion might haue made this deceit more fortunate then it was Henry the king of Castille degraded for all Spaine made demonstration of incredible Ioy for the birth of this Daughter but there was follie and indiscretion of all sides The King who would confirme this opinion that he was a gallant man sought the loue of other women who soone discouered the deceit The Queene made shew to be iealous entertained her loue securely with D. Bernard so as the great familiaritie he had with her made the world doubt of her chastitie and when as they saw that the King honored him with the chiefe charges of the Realme making him master of the order of St Iames and then Duke of Albuquergue they did imagine that he made him play his part in this Comedie which ended with cruel tragicall effects for the Great men of the realme made a league to seaze vpon D. Alfonso and D. Isabella brother Sister to the end that this Bastard should not depriue them of their rights Alfonso being about twelue yeeres old was proclaimed K. of Castille by them and then did D. Henry shew
the imbecillitie and weaknes of his Nature for whereas hee should haue opposed himselfe against those mutinies he suffred them to get such credit and authoritie as the Archbishop of Toledo being sent for to come vnto him to the end hee might pacifie those troubles he said vnto him that brought him this charge Tell your King that I am weary of him his affaires and that he shall shortly see who is the true King of Castille The Grandos of the Realme assembled in a great plaine neere vnto Auila to degrade the King from the royall dignity That which they could not doe vnto his person Alfonso proclained K. of Castille they did vnto his statue d When as King Henry vnderstood of this degradation which was in Iune 1â—65 he said I haue bred vp children and they haue contemned me I came naked from my mothers wombe and the earth atâ—ends me naked No man can liue so poorely as hee is borne and it God expels mee now for my fins he wil comfort and preserue mee afterwards for his infinite power is that which kils and restores to life which wouÌ„ds and cures that which giues Siegneuries takes them away which raiseth vp Kings puls them downe when he pleaseth which they presented vpon a scaffold when as the Herad said that D. Henry was degraded from the royall dignity the Archbishop of Toledo tooke the Crowne from his image the Earle of Plaisance the sword and the Earle of Beneuent the Scepter this done Diego Lopes cast it out of the royall seat Alfonsos standard was aduanced and poore Henry shouted at and contemned They would end the quarrell by a battell before Olivedo e The Battell of Oluiedo was in the yeare 1467. They doe not agree who had the victory D. Alfonso was seen armed aâ— all peeces incouraging his men D. Henry appeared not in the fight but entered triumphing towards night into Medina del Campo The two Armies fought by order one squadron against another The Archbishop of Toledo led his army hauing a white stole vpon his armes The combat continewed three houres and ended with so great disorder of either side as both parties made bonfiers for the victory The Pope sent his Legat f Anthony de Veneris Bishop of Lyon the Popes Legate being in Spain coÌ„manded them to lay downe Armes vpon paine of excommunication the great men of Spaine opposed themselues said that they appealed to a Councill The Licentiat Iohn D. Alcacer and Doctor Alphonso of Madrigall were committed for this appeale to pacefie these troubles during the which King D. Alfonso hauing raigned three yeares died of the plague at Cardegnosa Death of Alfonso King of Castille The League would haue declared Isabella heire of the Realme the which she would not accept the King her brother lyuing wherevpon a peace was made by which she was declared Princesse of Castille the nineteenth of September 1468. vpon condition that she should not marry without the consent of the King hir brother They would haue married her to Alfonso of Portugall who was a widower and D. Ioane to Iohn the eldest Sonne of Portugall vpon condition that if there came no children of the marriage of the Pincesse Isabell g D. Isabella was sought for in marriage by the brother of King Lewis by the King of Englands brother She made choise of D. Ferdinand Prince of Arragon He came to see her vnknown D. Guttiere of Cardona who coÌ„ducted him shewed him her saiing in Spanish Esse es It is he To whome the Princesse answerered sodenly and S. Shal be thine armes vpon this cause the family of this knight doth at this day carry an S in tâ—eir armes and deuice those which issued from the marriage of D. Ioane should succeed to the realme Castille But D. Isabella had other thoughts she loued Ferdinand sonne to Iohn King of Navarre and Arragon whome shee caused to come to Vaillidolet in a disguized habit and marryed him the eighteenth of October 1469. Isabella of Castille marries Ferdinand of Arragon King Henry was so incensed at this marriage as hee declared his Sister fallen from all the rights which shee might pretend to the crowne of Castille and caused Ioane his daughter to be proclaymed his true heire who was married to Charles Duke of Guienne as hath beene formerly said This treaty of marriage was broken by the death of the Dukd of Guienne King Henry died also h The death of Henry the 4. King of Castille was in the yere 1474. the one and forty yeare of his age and the on twenteth of his raign Hee was interred in the great Chappell of the Monastery of Guadalupe He appointed 52. lampes of siluer to burne day night vpon his tombe And notwithstanding that the Crowne were assured to Ferdinand and Isabel yet Ioane continued the title of Queene of Castille Troupes sent out of France into Castille and in this quality she married with Alfonso King of Portugall which was an occasion of great warres The French King being discontented with the house of Arragon and the warre of Pergignan sent troupes to the King of Portugal vnder the command of Aman of Albret i Ambassadors haue oste ingaged their Maisters in very ruin ous voiages Philip de CoÌ„mines who had treated with them of the K. of Portugall saith that if they had beene well aduised they would haue informed themselues better of matters here before they had councelled their Maister to this voiage wâ—ich was very preiudiciall vnto him But the King of Portugal hauing lost his enterprises and his Partisans was forced to retyer himselfe into Portugall carring away no other triumph of the warre of Castille but the Princesse D. Ioane his wife whome notwithstanding hee would not mary before hee were assured of the Realme of Castille and therefore he went into France to implore ayde from King Lewis with whome he had treated an alliance by his Ambassadors who vnder the good chere which was made them and the good words which were giuen them during the treaty without any other intent perswaded their Maister to come into France assuring him that he should doe more by his presence for the succors which he demanded then by the mediation of his servants and that there might bee a marriage made betwixt the Dauphin and D. Ioane his Neece He landed at Marseille Alfonsâ— K of Portugall comes to Tours came to Lyons and so went downe the riuer of Loire to Tours where he acquainted the King with the cause of his voyage k Necessity â—orceth Princes euen to things vnworthy of their quality They write that this Prince besought the King to succor him with such vehemency and humanity as hee fell on his knees at his heete It had not beene secret though he had beene silent Kings come neuer to the gates of other Kings to offer or to giue but to demand and entreat He carried a Lampe in
the ancient alliances u The Allâ—ances betwixt France Castille were confirmed by the Dâ—puties of both Kings betwixt Baâ—onne Fontaraby of France with Castile Alphonso retires into Portugall would cause him to be taken he thought to retire himselfe with an intent to shut himselfe into a Monastery or to make a voyage to Ierusalem hoping for no succours but from God hauing in vaine attended them from men The King being loth to abandon him in this preplexity caused certaine ships to bee armed in Normandy to conduct him into Portugall where his sonne dispairing of his returne had already taken the title of King D. Beatrice widdow to D. Ferdinand of Portugall Aunt to the Qâ—eene of Castile Accord betwixt the Kings of Castile and Portugall vndertooke to reconcile them intreating her Neece to come to Alcantara to conferre together Their Conference did produce a peace for a hundred yeares x It was said by this accord that the peace should bee kept betwixt the Kings of â—astile Porâ—ugal for a huÌ„dred years one to come to the content of both Realmes and to the glory of both Kings who then carried their armes and their designes to the conquest of new contries y In the yeare 1475. the first voyage was made to Guinee by the marriners of Castile after they had conquered the canaries in the yeare 1417. Of this enterprise Iohn of Batencourt a french was Generall and carried the title of King Of that of Guinee Pedro de Colied s. By this peace it was said that the King of Portugall should not marry D. Ioane that shee should depart out of Portugall or if shee would remaine there she should haue her choise either to marry with D. Iohn Prince of Castile newly borne when he should come to age or enter into a monastery This Princesse did rather choose a monastery then marriage and tooke vpon her the habit of S ta Clara in the royall Monastery of Coimbra who for the greatnes of her courage and contempt of the world deserued of posterity the surname of excellent The flight of Granson and the losse of Morat two fatall accidents to a spirit insupportable both in prosperity and aduersity z There are spirits like vnto sick bodyes which are distempered with heat and cold they cannot iud ure prosperity nor aduersity brought comfortles aflictions vnto the Duke Afliction of the Duke of Bourgondy after the Battell of Morat and made him continue sixe weekes solitary at Riuiere suffring his beard to grow carelesly feeling his vnderstanding to grow weake and his naturall heat so cold as they made him to drinke wine alone in stead of Ptysan which before was his ordinary drinke And to recouer his spirits and to cheere his heart they applyed therevnto diuers sorts of remedies and if by fits he came to his good sence it was but to make him haue a more liuely apprehension of his vnfortunate Estate a A great courage is very seÌ„sible of puâ—lâ—â—e disgraces Mahomet seeing himselfâ— forced to raise the siege from Belgâ—ade with losse and shâ—me called for poison to Râ—l himselfe He neuer remembred this ahhâ—oâ—t but 〈…〉 his is head against the wall and â—are his mustastachos The solitarines which hee vsed to passe away his greefe did but augment it and let him know that there is no worse estate then that of a discontented mind in an vnsound body Hee woould not endure any one to talke vnto him and was mad when they spake If hee would haue suffred himselfe to be seene it would haue giuen him ease and by the cheerfulnesse of his countenance his soldiers would haue recouered their spirits which this accident had danted b Princes in the change of their fortunes entâ—r into fury against them 〈◊〉 at seek to adâ—â—se them Perseus hauing been defeated by Paulus AEmilius slue 2. of his greatest fâ—iendes wâ—o sâ—ept foreward to tell him some truth Euery thing disâ—leaseth an aflicted mind Great sorrows must be euaporated for the more they are restrained the more they swell and grow more violent but beeing past they must shew a countenance free from all perplexity or basenes He is contemned of his friends Time did but increase the wound in the Soule of this Prince his friends and allies contemned him Galâ—as Duke of Milan seeing that by this losse all his Intelligences were crost in Italy turned his back to him Frederie Prince of Tarentum abused with a hope to marry his daughter allies himselfe to the house of France whilst that this triumphant Chariot went well euery one would be on the top of it but now it is ouerthrowne they abandon it c Prosperity fiâ—ds many friends kinsmen misfortune and misery hath noâ—any 〈◊〉 shiâ— doth most commonly fellow fâ—rtune who hath hauour good successe at her sides The Duke of Lorraine seeking to make his profit of the Duke of Bourgundies misfortune recouers his places lost in Lorraine with the horsemen he had of France Duke of Lorraine recouers his own CoÌ„try and beâ—leegeth Nancy and some footemen from the Suisses and the Townes of Germanie He besieged Nancy forced the Lord of Bures of the house of Croy to yeeld after that hee had in vaine sollicited succors from his Master d Râ—ne Duk of Lorraine recouered many places which the Bourgâ—ndians held Eâ—pinal wouâ—d not yeeld without seeing him for that they were made beleeue that he was dead Nancy hauing indured ten weekes seege it yeelded the 7. of Nouember 1476. The English which were within it hauing lost Cohin their leader began to murmure more at the length of the succors then the languishing of the siege for they had no other torment then the impatiencie of that which they attended They told de Bures that if hee did not compound they would make their owne appointment De Bures in steed of opposing himselfe to so vniust dishonourable a demand yeelded vnto them The Pilot beleeued the Galley slaues and the Phisition yeelded to the pleasure of his sicke patient e Pompey resolued to makewarre at the appetite of his soldiers the which the Captaine of a shâ—p should not doe much lesse the Generall of an army and against his owne mind for he was wont to commend those Phisitions which did not please the disordred Appetiâ—e of their Patienâ—s Plut. The composition was made and three daies after succors came The Duke of Bourgundy Army of the Duke of Bourgon dies before Nancy not to giue the Duke of Lorraine leisure to fortifie Nancy nor to furnish it with men and victuals blockt it in on euery side hauing Pont a Mousson for his retreat This was not done with the aduice of his best Captaines f Notâ—ing doth more aduance the ruine of a Prince then not to beleeue Counsâ—ll and to presume to know more then any They hold him saith Paulus AEmilius that would manage all thinges after his owne braine for an arrogâ—nt
France Parricides and cruelties with his wife Daughter to the Earle of Bullen being forced to make that his contrie where he found his fortune thinking to see the same sunne euery where which he saw in Scotland He besought K. Lewis the eleuenth to assist him with sufficient forces to make war in Scotland t Euery soile is the Countrie of a great courage Quo modo lucem noctem que omnibus hominibus ita omnes terras fortibus viris natura aperuit As nature hath opened the day and night for all men so hath she al contries for men of courage Tac. lib. 4. The bad vsage he had receiued froÌ„ his brother caried him to these motions to ouerthrow all that hee could not remoue The K. thought it not fit to ground a war against his allies vpon an other mans passions so as the Duke of Albany seeing that he could not obtain that he expected froÌ„ the king he past ouer into England and perswaded K. Edward to make war against the K. of Scotland u It is alwaies dangerous to make warre vpon the Councels of men that are banished from their countries and reduced to those extremities to ruine it for reuenge Passion doth easily transport them they promise that which they cannot hold and their wils are subiect to change The Noblemen of the Realme apprehending this storme assembled together by night in a Church where they resolued to cast all that into the Sea which was the cause of this tempest and which made the King to play at tenis with his subiects heads x Nothing is of so little respect to a cruell Prince as the bloud of his subiects Stratocles seeing them buy the heads and nâ—ckes of beasts for his supper said it was that wherwith they that gouerned the commonweale played at tosse-ball Plut. in Demet. being necessary to rid himselfe of domesticke enemies before he did incounter strangers The King who had spies in all places was aduertised of this assembly and sent Cocheran one of his fauorites to discouer it he was met by Archembald Douglas Earle of Anguse Conspiracie of the Nobilitie executed who took him by the neck and made him fast with the same chaine of gold which he himselfe ware and then he gaue him in gard to certaine soldiors vntill it was day at the breake of which hee was carried vnto a gibbet lamenting his hard fortune which had raised him vp to ruine him Some cried out to haue him dispacht others were moued to pittie y In these changes of fortune some sing others weâ—p wâ—â—n Radamystus caused Mithridates to bee taken vnchained the people remembering the rigour of his coÌ„mandemenâ—s added blows to his misfortune others lamâ—nted the change of his fortune Vulgus duto Imperio habitum probra ac verbera intentabat Et erant contra qui tantuÌ„ fortunae commutationem miseretentur The common people required his hard command with reproches and blows And there were others which Pittied the change of his fortune Tac. lib. 4. To be wise we must fly the conuersation of fooles Magna pars sanitatis est hortatores Insaniae reliquisse Sen. Epist. 94. It is a great part of health to haue left the perswades to madnes All reioiced to see the Court purged from this contagious plague He goes directly to the Kings Chamber and seazeth vpon all these Empericks of state vnder whose gouernment impietie had so raigned and iniustice been in such credit in Scotland and causeth them all to be hanged The King of England made his profit of these broiles King of England sends an armie into Scotland for hauing sent Richard Duke of Glocester his brother into Scotland with a mighty Armie he forced the King to restore him Barwick which the Scottishmen had kept one and twenty yeares by meanes wherof a Peace was treated and sworne The Nobilitie of Scotland thought that the King would grow wise hauing no more these instruments of folly about him z but hee made them to change their opinions for hauing setled his affaires abroad he began to call them to an account at home and to be reuenged of them which had prescribed him a law This caused anew reuolt to pacifie the which the King fled to the Pope who sent a Legate to draw the Rebels to their duties and hee intreated the King of France and England by his Embassadors to assist him to quench a mischiefe the contagion whereof might creep in among their subiects Not holding himselfe safe in Edinbourg hee would haue retired to Sterling but the Gouernour would not giue him entry He was then forced to keep the field hauing no retreat his enemies incounter him he accepts the Battel which they presented King of Scotland â—â—airne and fought valiantly but finding his horse wounded he retires vnto a Mill whether hee was pursued and slaine in the yeare 1488. the 31. of his age and the eight and twentith of his raigne FINIS THE CONTENTS OF of the eighth BOOKE 1 THe King is aduised to make his profit of the diuisions of Italy but he will not heare of it 2 Troubles at Florence and conspiracies against the house of Medicis 3 The Pope excommunicates the Florentines and for their sakes the Venetians arming the King of Naples against them 4 The King declares himselfe for the Florentines and forbids to send money to Rome The Venetians ioine in league with the Florentines 5 He sends his Embassadors to Rome and is arbitrator of the controuersie Ouerture for a Peace The lets of the Venetians side 6 The Popes complaint against them 7 Intelligences of the Duke of Brittany discouered and Letters surprized by the King 8 Punishment of Peter Landais 9 Townes of the Riuer of Somme recouered by the King 10 Negotiation of Oliuer le Dain at Gand. Taking of the Towne of Tournay 11 Princesse of Bourgundy sends Embassadors vnto the King to haue his Peace and protection 12 The King wins the Embassadors Restoring of the Townes of Hesdin Therouenne and Monstreuil Siege of Bullen two and twenty Deputies of Arras hanged 13 Arras yeelds vpon a composition which is not obserued 14 The Gantois rise against their Princesse and will haue part in the gouernment of affaires Their Embassadors sent vnto the King bring back a letter which the Princesse had written contrarie to their Embassage 15 The Princesse Chancellor and the Lord of Himbercourt Gouernor of Liege put to death 16 Ingratitude and impietie of Adolpe of Gueldres against his father 17 The King entertaines friendship with the King of England and keepes him from inclining to the Princesse of Bourgundy 18 Marriage of Maximilian Archduke of Austria with the Princesse of Bourgundy 19 The Kings armie in the Franch Countie 20 The fiâ—st alliance of France with the Suisses 21 Estate of the affaires of Castille vnder the new raigne of Ferdinand and Isabella 22 Death of Iohn the second King of Nauarre and Arragon 23 Peace and alliances renued
happened in Florence The Duke of Milan entred also into their League The warre was managed with that spleene wherewith their spirits were then transported The Venetians contemne these flashes of lightening and are amazed that Rome when it was Pagan had forbidden their Priest to looke vpon dead men o The Priestes at Rome diuerted their â—eyes from all funerall sights when as Tiberius made his sonnes funerall Oration there was said Seneca a vaile betwixt him and the body Quod Pontificis oculos à funere arecret That it might keepe the high Priests eies froÌ„ that mournfull sight Sen. in Cons. ad Mart. and being Christian that he suffers men to kill one another That Pallas Priests durst not cursse Alcibiades p Pallas Priests at Athens would not cursse Alcibiades although the people commanded it for I haue answered shee the office of a Priest to pray for men and not to cursse them and that the Pope being head of the Church should cursse a whole Common-wealth Italy became the force and store-house of the warres of Christendome there being no hope to quench the fire which his wilfulnesse had kindled but by the bloud of the vanquished 5 Lewis intreats the Pope for the peace of Italy The King knowing that the common enemy should reape all the profite of this warre sent his Embassadours to the Pope to beseech him not to show himselfe implacable to these two Christian Common-wealths The Pope receiued them with much contentment as the Angels and Messengers of peace They came to Rome in February q All this dâ—scourse is drawne out of the Oration which is in the Acts of the Vatican of Sixtus the 4. the which is cloquÌ„et iudicious for that time and for the estate of the businesse it begins after this manner Proximo Februario venientes ad nos dilectos filios Oratores Christianissimi Franceorum regis pro nostra in eum principem solita charitate laeti suscepimus Auxit laetitiam missionis tam longinquae causa Ad paceÌ„ enim in Italia procuranda dicebaÌ„tur venire Our deere sonnes the Embassadours of the most Christian French King coÌ„ming vnto vs we receiued theÌ„ ioyfully for our wonted charity vnto but Prince The cause of this long Embassage did encrease the ioy they were said to come to procure a peace in Italy and had audience as soone as they demanded it They let the Pope vnderstand that the Kings affection to the holy Sea and his zeale and piety to the seruice of the Church had bound him to seeke the meanes to quench this great diuision and to vnite the childrens will vnto the fathers for that he was well aduertised that Christendome should haue need to ioyne all her forces to resist the Turke who had a desire that yeare to inuade Christendome and it may be would begin with Italy and therefore the League did promise to giue care vnto a Pacification Offer made by the King for the League to the end they might contribute their forces and meanes for the common defence of Christendome The Pope r Egimus pro meritis gratias pium magni regis desideriumlaudibê° quibus potuimus extulimus NoÌ„ vinci nons tanti boni affectu monstrauimus Wee gaue them than thankes for their well deserning we did coÌ„mend as much as wee could the godly desire of that great King And we did shew that we could not be vanquished in affection to so great a good did thanke the Kings Embassadours with great affection he did much commend that commendable desire in Lewis whom he termed the Great King he that saith Great saith enough it was the glorious Title of the Kings of the East s For the title of Kings that of Great is excellent and common to the kings of Persia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and which comprehends all other greatnesse and desired that when there should be any occasion presented to seeke and aduance the good of Christendome his affection should neuer giue place to any other and that he had made it well knowne all the time of his Popedome by so many Legations which he had sent into all places The Pope desires Peace to maintaine the Publique Peace and make warre to cease and by that meanes supply the necessities and serue for the defence of the Faith That neuer Bishop t The History of Affricke saith that the Bishop of Nola after that he had sold all his goods to redeeme Christian slaues he sold himselfe vnto the Vandales for his brethren sold himselfe more willingly for his brethren then he would do for so many poore Christians which do groane vnder the yoake of Infidels The Kings Embassadours as Arbitrators and Iudges of the Controuersie Embassadours of France make an ouerture for a Peace propounded some Articles to end it and among others That there should be a suspension of Armes and Censures That the Cardinall of S. George should be set at liberty That they should ordaine certaine Suffrages and Prayers for them that had beene slaine in the Tumult of Florence That the Florentines and Laurence de Medicis should humble themselues vnto the Pope as they offered to do for the reuerence of the Apostolicke Sea And that all together should demand absolution after the forme ordained by the Church That they should giue caution and assurance for their obedience and fidelity and to maintaine the Liberties of the Church That all the forces of either side should be vnited together and paied for two or three yeares to make warre against the Turke The Pope hauing imparted the Articles and Instructions of the French Embassadours to the Colledge of Cardinals Articles of peace imparted to the Consistory Euery man commended the Kings Integrity Religion and Wisedome but they found them not full enough in matters which concerned the Holy Sea u Non multos post dies jideÌ„ oratores sicut internos atque aduersantes nobis mediatores accesseraÌ„t ita media quedam ad conueniendum scripta dederunt integritatem religionem sapientiaÌ„ deuoti regis monstraÌ„tia Iudicio tamen nostro venerabilium fratruÌ„ nostrorum ad honoreÌ„ sedis quem imprimis seruatum volebaÌ„t satis non plena After some few daies as there came aduerse mediators vnto vs so they propounded certaine meanes for an accord shewing the integrity Religion and wisedome of the Great King yet in our iudgemeÌ„t and of our reuerent brethren they were not ample enough for the honour of the Sea which they would haue chiefly kept which the Pope did chiefly regard and yet they were allowed vpon hope that they would produce a Peace and an vnion of Christian Forces against the enemy of the Church and also for that the King pretended to make the Venetians and Florentines consent to any thing that should be thought reasonable for satisfaction of the holy Sea Vpon this assurance The Pope receiues the Embassadours of Venice and Florence the Embassadours of Venice and
Florence were welcome for the Pope did beleeue that they came to performe all that which the King had promised on their behalfe without this beliefe he had not receiued them for the Church dores are alwaies shut against them that are Excommunicate x They that bee excōmunicated are not heard but to demand pardon and absolution Pope Nicholas in the ninth Epistle to Lewis and Charles Kings of France saith vnto them That hee could not heare King Lothaire in his reasons for that hee had beene disobedient to his commandements Quod si contra propositum nostrum forte presumpserit venire Roman minime cum qua cupit honestate vel hic suscipitur vel hinc profecto regreditur That if hee shall presumne to come to Rome contrary to our purpose he shall neither bee receiued with the honesty that hee desires neither shall he depart when as they present themselues to contradict his iudgements and to excuse their faults But as they were about this Treaty the Pope supposing there would be no other difficulty but for the Ceremonies and Circumstances of the Reparation which was due for the offence done vnto the holy Sea a Post comes vnto the Venetians bringing them newes of an accord which they had made with Mahomet by the which they did giue vnto him Scudry Tenare the Promontory of Lyconia with the Iland of Lemnos and they did promise to pay him yearely eight thousand Crownes for the liberty of the Traffique This Peace brought ioy vnto the Venetians but it did terrefie all the Princes of Italy For this Tyrant was so neere as he saw them from the Port which he had newly gotten y Mahomet did besiege Scudry the fifth of Iune with foure score and fiue thousand men the siege continued nine monthes The Pope was wonderfully discontented seeing that the foundations of the Peace of Christendome were ouerthrowne and that the King was disauowed by them in whose name he had made such instance for a League against the Turke z Indoluimus pro fidei causa vehementius quia potissimum conficiendae pacis fundamentum submoneri ex hoc videbamus nec minus ipsius Regis Christianissimi gratia in cuius dedecus maximopere redundat quo dum se huius pacis ad Ligae requisitionem autorem profitetur ab ijs tamen pro quibus orati tam iniuriose contra fidei caussam affectus fuerit Wee were much grieued for the Faiths cause and for that he did see the foundations of making of a Peace shaken and no lesse for the most Christian kings sake to whose dishonour it doth much redound who whilst be doth professe himselfe author of the Peace at the instance of the League yet he is iniuriously delt withall by them for whom he had entreated yet he did acquaint the Venice Embassadours with the Articles and they demanded respite to answere and to haue aduice from their Superiours This answere was attended two and twenty daies Venetians demand suspension of Armes and Censures The Pope thinking that the longer they were to consult the more iust and reasonable the resolution would be a Fatemur errorem dilecti filij dies tam multos ad saniora consilia pertinere credidimus quanto inter eos consulebant diutius tanto iustius reuerentius ad salutem animarum vtilius responsuros putauimus Deere sonnes wee confesse our errour that there were so many daies of respite giuen wee did thinke they had bene employed in sounder counsels the longer they did consult among themselues the more iust and reuerent we thought their answere would haue bene and more for their soules health But for their answere they demanded before all things a Suspension of Armes and Censures adding great cōplaints the which Sixtus maintained to be contrary to the truth intreating them to resolue within eight daies The Pope reports all this vnto the Consistory and they finde it hard to suspend the Excommunication Vnpleasing to the Cōsistory b Dura res videbaturminusque aestimationi Apostolicae dignitatis conueniens ad corum condemnatorumque nutum nullā poenitentiae significationē edentium irrogatas poenas suspendi diesque tantum octo ad eam suspensionem edici Peruersa cōfusa iustitiae norma haud dubiè apparebat ex reo iudicem ex iudice reū constitui Porro autē cum Censurae ipsae nostrae ludibtio habitae esset magistratumque imperio interdictum nullibi obseruatū omnibus in locis omnia profanata ridiculum iudicabatur id suspendi quod seruatum non esset id concecedi quod sibi peccatores ante sumpsissent Et enim si censuras timebāt quaerebatur cur eas spreuissent si non timebant expediens non videbatur rem iudicio peccatorum non necessariam vel concedi vel peti before that they which were excommunicated had made any satisfaction to the Church nor made demonstration of repentance It was held a distastefull thing that the Accused should prescribe a Law vnto his Iudge that the Iudge should do the duty of the Accused and the Accused performe the office of the Iudge It was a ridiculous thing to demand suspension of that which had not beene obserued and that they should grant that which they had already taken of their owne authorities and they said if they feare Censures why do they contemne them if they feare them not why desire they to haue things granted which in their iudgement they hold not necessary Moreouer they considered Suspensiō of Armes not alwaies necessary to make a peace that it was not alwaies expedient to haue a cessation of Armes to make a Peace That many Treaties had beene made both within and without Italy in the heate of Armes That in this suspension there might not onely be losse but also danger for that the course of the correction being broken mens minds grew incorrigible more obstinate And yet the Embassadours of France did shew that priuate considerations could not haue such great effect as the generall for the common good of Christendome That the peace which the Venetians had made was no let but the other Soueraigne powers of Italy might ioyne together to resist the Turke euery one binding himselfe to entertaine a certaine number of Souldiers for so long time as should be thought fit Vpon this consideration Censures suspended a Truce made the Censures and Armes are suspended c In ijs disceptandis augustijs publica charitas priuatum nostrorum periculum vicit defiderio intenti ad ea quae Gallici Oratores finem procurandae pacis oratione sua mandatis medijs regio nomine ediderunt de iure nostro decessimus acquiescendumque putauimus In disscussing of those doubts the publicke charity preuailed ouer our priuate interest and inclining with a desire to that which the French Embassadours had deliuered in the Kings name and by his mediation and commandement for the procuring of a a peace we
that of Arragon We heare often in their pleadings Id quod nostrum est sinâ— causa nostra à nobis aufeâ—ri non potest and to fill vp the measure of his sorrow hee saw the first Branch of this Powerfull and Royall house of Aniou wither in his sonne and grand-childe René surviuing his sonne and grand-childe dyed in the yeare 1480. A Prince who had great and eminent qualities worthy of a better fortune hee was a great Iusticer and an enemy to long dispatches He said sometimes when as they presented him any thing to signe being a hunting or at the warre that the Pen was a kinde of Armes which a Prince should vse at all seasons u K. René although he were in Armes did not forbeare to doe iustice to them that demanded it saying That the pen of Princes should neuer be idle that long expeditions made them to loose the loue of their subiects They write that he drank not any wine and when as the Noble-men of Naples demaÌ„ded the reason he answered that it had made Tit. Liuius to ly who had said that the good wines caused the French to passe the Alpes The reigne of so good a Prince was much lamented for he intreated his subiects like a Pastor and Father Commendation of René of Aniou They say that when as his Treasurers brought vnto him the Royall taxe which was sixteene Florins for euery fire wherof Prouence might haue about three thousand fiue hundred hee enformed himselfe of the aboundance or barenesse of the season and when as they told him that a * The Northeast wind Mestrall winde had reigned long he remitted the moity and sometimes the whole taxe Hee contented himselfe with his reuenues and did not charge his people with new tributes Hee x Michael de Montagne in the 2 d booke of his Essaies C. 17. of presumption saith that being at Bar-le-Duc he saw presented vnto K. Francis the 2 d. a portrait which René K. of Sicile had made of himselfe spent his time in painting the which were so excellent as they are yet to be seene in the Citty of Aix he was drawing of a partridge when as they brought him newes of the losse of the Realme of Naples yet he would not draw his hand from the worke such pleasure hee tooke therein He liued long A President of Prouence making an Oration before King Charles the ninth in the yeare 1573. said that hee had beene seene by some that were then liuing Hee instituted an Order which hee called of the Cressant The Knights carried a Cressant or halfe Moone vpon their right arme with this Motto l'Os en Croissant encouraging them thereby to seeke and desire the encrease of their valour and reputation Hee dyed at Aix his wife caused his body to bee transported into France and by a witty pollicie deceiued the Prouençals who would haue had it His death made no other change in Prouencae but of the person Charles Nephew to René succeeds him Charles his Nephew sonne to the Earle of Mayne was acknowledged Earle of Prouence but his time was very short for hee dyed before he could finish the second yeare of his reigne Some few dayes before his death on the tenth of December 1481. he made the King his heire and after his decease Charles his sonne and the other Kings his Successors y The institution of the heire is set down in thâ—se tearmes in his Testament Et quia haeredis institutio est caput fundamentâ—Ì„ cuiuslibet testamenti dictus Serenissimâ—s Domiâ—uâ— noster rex in omnibusâ— regnâ—s commitatibus Vicecomitatibus c. fecit instituit ordinauit ac ore suo proprio nominauit sibi haeredem suuÌ„ vniuersalem insoliduÌ„ Christianissimum excellentissimum principem ac dominum Ludouicum Dei gratia Francorum Regem eiusdem consobrinum Dominum chariffimum atque reuerendissimum post eius obitum illustrissimun clarissimum D. Delphinum c. beseeching him with all his heart to suffer his subiects of Prouence to enioy the graces liberties and priuiledges which they held of King René Prouence giuen to K. Lewis recommending vnto him his Cousen Francis Lord of Luxembourg to keepe him in his Court and to maintaine him in the lands of Martigues which he gaue him he did not recommend him vnto any one of his seruants in particular but one Archer of his guard called the great Pickard There was little difference betwixt his Testament and his death K. Lewis takes possession of Prouence and lesse betwixt his death and the taking of possession for on the nineteenth of the same moneth of December one thousand foure hundred eighty one the King sent a Commission to Palamedes Forbin a Knight Lord of Sollier Chamberlaine to the Earle of Prouence to take possession and to command in the Countrey in quality Lieuetenant generall with absolute power to dispose of Offices to place and displace Officers to remit and abolish crimes yea high Treason to confirme or reuoke ancient Priuiledges and to grant new to assemble the Estates to impose Tributes and to leuy Souldiers for to force obedience z This commission was dated at Thouars the 29. of December 1481. in the presence of the Earle of Marâ—e Marshall of of France and of Estellan Bailiffe of Rouen The quality of this Commission was a great Testimony of the seruice which he had done the King hauing solely disposed his Maister to make this goodly present vnto France But as all changes cause amazement there was some trouble to execute this Donation some holding the party of Lorraine and others of France René René duke of Lorraine discontented Duke of Lorraine finding his friends feeble and his power weake against the King was not willing to grow obstinate in Prouence a Hee that encounters one that is more mighty doth but vndoe himselfe More mighty is to be vnderstood in dominions subiects force and treasure A wise Italian saith to this purpurpose Si tu truoui vna machina cresciuta per la felicita disciplina d'ottocento anni discostati da essa che è cosa impossibile quando pur ella cadesse che tu non rouini sotto If thou findest a worke grown by the felicity and dâ—scipline of 800 yeares auoyd it being impossible if it falles but thou shalt bee ruined vnder it He passed the Alpes with an hundred men at Armes and a regiment of a thousand foote The King sent a garrison of Scottish men vnto Bar vnder the command of the Lord of Aubigny hee caused the Walles to bee repaired and the Armes of France to be set vpon the gate such as are yet to be seene Hee remained in Italy till after the Kings death which day hee held to be the rising of his hopes the which were onely supported by the assurance which the Duke of Bourbon b This hope was not vaine for in the first yeare of the reigne
of his wrath and peace Fussero in potesta d'â—n huomo ambiciosissimo superbissimo sotto posto al vino à molte altre in honeste volunta che la â—ssercitasse ad arbiâ—â—o delle sue cupidita non secondo la consideratione della iustitia o del bono publico â—ella Christianita should be in the power of an ambitious and proud man subiect to wine and many other dâ—shâ—nest lusts and should vse it after his owne will and not according to iustice and the good of Christendome Pope Sixtus hearing of this Accord Griefe of P. Sixtus for the Peace died for griefe He had incensed all the Potentates of Italy at the Assembly of Cremona against the Venetians his courage and resolution went beyond all the designes threats and attempts of his Enemies And when as to terrifie him they declared that they would cause him to bee cited to appeare before a Councell hee made it knowne that hee endured these threats Resolution of Pope Sixtus as the Physitian doth the iniuries of a madde man answering h Sixtus ingeâ—ti animo summaque constantia respondisse fertur Se concilium quidem libenter admissurum vbi speraâ—â—â— se omnium horum Principum criminibus parâ—factis res plurimas Ecclesia ablatas ab ijs repetiturum Vnde qui illum metu expugnare sperabant ab eodem preterriti alia perfugia quaesiere That he would alwaies take the holding of a Councell for a great happinesse when as there should be hope by the discouery of their wickednesse to force them to yeeld vnto the Church the goods which they had taken from it Platina addes that this answere was a proofe of the vigor of this Popes spirit and of the greatnesse of his courage which amazed them that thought to amaze him The Church notwithstanding had great need of this Phlebotomy or letting bloud as the most wholesome remedy for the disorders which time doth breed in the most holy and best ordered things Lewis 11. neglects the calling of a councell It hath serued happily in the first yeares of her birth vnder the conduct and direction of the Apostles i In the Apostles time and in the first Infancy of the Church when as allwaâ—s pure according to her institution there were 4 Councels or Apostolicall Assemblies The first the 34 th yeare after the comming of our Sauiour whereas Matthias was named to the Apostleship and the Assembly might be of 120 faithfull The second in the same yeare for the election of Deacons of which number S t. Stephen was The 3 d in the 48 th yeare according to Onuphrius and 51 th according to Baronius for circumcision and the heresie of Cerinthus The 4 th for the the tolleration of circumcision for a time that they might bury the Synagogue with honor in the 58 th yeare Of these foure Councels the Acts of the Apostles speakes cap. 1. 15. 21. and hath beene euer since vsed The King was not very carefull to procure this remedy being incensed for that which Pope Sixtus had done against the Florentines he forbad the transport of gold and siluer to Rome and commanded the Bishops and Prelates of his realme to assemble at Orleans whither he sent the Earle of Beaujeu to preside But he shewed not the like zeale and courage which his father had done in the Assembly of the French Church at Bourges Where there is question of Gods seruice they must proceed after another maner then when it concernes but the Interest of men Publicke buildings must be made after another manner and of another matter then priuate Moses sustained the peoples cause before God with teares he defended that of God against the people with Armes The King came to Orleans to passe to Clery remaining there but halfe a day to breake off the Assembly hee was satisfied to haue drawne from the Pope that which he desired in fauour of the Florentiâ—es and promised to continue it at Lyons This did but make the sights of good men more vehement who burne with the zeale of Gods house Estate of the Church lamentable and who saw that the wound was â—neurable and that the canker had seized vpon the vitall parts that the Church was at peace with Heretickes and Infidels and in perpetuall trouble with her owne Children I haue nourished said she by the report of S. Bernard Children I haue exalted them and they haue contemned me k Vox plangentis in tempore isto Filios enutriui exaltaui ipsi autem spreuerunt me spreuerunt maculauerunt me à turpi vita à turpi quaestu à turpi commercio à negotio denique perambulante tenebris They haue dishonoured me by the filthinesse of their liues and the foulnesse of their commerse and by workes which are done in darknesse The Chronicle of Basill reports a strange History of the passion or rather furie wherewith a Iacobin Frier was transported whom it names Andrew Archbishop of Krane a man of learning and courage who thrust on by presumption l Presumption carries mens minds out of the common way it followes vnknowen courses embraceth nouelties A spirit presuming little of it selfe remaines in the bouâ—ds of innocency and simplicity a vice diuerting mens mindes from their duties Andrew Archbishop of Krane preacheth against the Pope to wander out of the common way past the mountaines came to Basill and preached in the Cathedrall Church against Rome as against a new Babylon coniuring the Emperour and K. Lewis the eleuenth to procure the Assembly of a Councell against her scandals Pope Sixtus the fourth was no sooner aduertised hereof but he commanded the Magistrate of Basill to deliuer him into the hands of his Iustice. The Senate answered that they had already giuen aduertisement thereof to the Emperour Fredericke and attended his pleasure beseeching the Popes Nuntio to haue patience and to assure himselfe that there should not be any thing done in preiudice of the holy Sea The Archbishop on the 13 of Iuly the same yeare 1482. caused a declaration to be published by the which lamenting the ruines of the Church he coniured and entreated all Ministers Pastors to succour it xcomE nicated by the Pope and by vertue of the Decree of Constance to assemble at Basill m The Councell of Constance in the 39 Session decreed that euery ten yeares they should assemble a general Councell to aduise of the remedies and for that the Pope had declared him excommunicate he appealed against his sentence and hauing no better reason to obiect against this excommunication then the want of power he maintained that Sixtus the fourth had not entred into S. Peters Chaire by the doore but like a thiefe that he made trafficke of holy things and that he tooke delight not to feed but to fley Christs Flocke The Princes and Common-weales of Italy were not in good termes with him all threatned him with a Councell And although
dangerously sicke hee found himselfe very ill and fell into a great weakenesse and faintings loosing his speech and all knowledge Hee was speedily succoured by the Signior of Bouchages who was his Phisition and afterwards Arch-bishop of Vienna hauing taken a glister he recouered his spirits went to horse returned to the Forges and there dyned But hee had so great a difficulty in his speech as hee could not be vnderstood but by signes Phillip de Commines who serued him as Grome of his Chamber in this sickenesse was also his Truchman e He vnderstood little of what was said vnto him but he felt no paine Hee made mee a signe to lye in his chamber he did not pronounce many words I did serue him fifteene daies at his meate and about his person as Groome of his Chamber the which I held for a great honour and was well respected Phil. de Com. when as he confest himselfe to the Officiall of Tours And for that being surprised with this sickenesse they carried him from the Table vnto the fire An Apoplexy vnperfect and would not suffer him to come neere vnto the windowes hee remembred all this and being come vnto himselfe he demanded who they were that had staid him by force and kept him from taking of the aire being named vnto him he chased them away and would no more see them for hee did neuer like that King Charles his father should be forced to eate for that the Subiect should not in any thing force his Prince f Wee doe not willingly see theÌ„ that haue beene the secret witnesses of our faults or imperfections The Ape beholding it selfe and seeing his foulenesse his wrinkles and deformed shape breaks the glasse He thought that as soone as a Prince suffered himselfe to bee gouerned by his seruants he was as it were in tutelage and seruitude Lewis maintaines his authority to the last gaspe and he would not that this great authority the which he had so absolutely maintained all his life should bee in any thing restrained so as immagination being weakned and troubled by age Melancholy and distrust could not endure that he should bee contradicted or disswaded from any thing hauing these words often in his mouth Do you thinke that I know not what I do Nothing did so much afflict him He feares contempt the forerunner of sedition as the feare that his infirmity should be knowne g There is nothing that a Prince which beginnes to grow old should so much preuent as to make it knowne that hee grows heauy that the vigour of his spirits is weakened For ambition of rule is so itching a thing as euery man will giue order to these defects For hee thought that as soone as his weakenesse and infirmity should be discouered they would hold him as dead and vnprofitable to the world that he should be contemned of his Subiects who would passe sudenly from contempt to sedition Hee feared that in the end they would make him beleeue that his sences were distracted and that they would controule him in the expedition of affaires wherefore as soone as he felt his faintings past and that his spirits beganne to returne hee would dye in action and standing h Vespasian being tormented with a bloudyflixe whereof he dyed did not forbeare to rise and stirre his Physitions told him that it did encrease his griefe perswading him to lye quiet but he answered them The Emperour must dye standing he caused all the dispatches made by his Secretaries Hee cals for dispatches and expeditions to be brought vnto him seeming to vnderstand more then he had vigor or light of vnderstanding Hee made shew to reade the letters and although he sometimes turned them vpside downe and had little knowledge yet no man durst aduise him The misfortune of this accident was happy for Cardinaâ—l Balue i Cardinall Balue was imprisoned in August in the yeare 1469. Cardinall Balue set at liberty whom hee remembred among the scruples of his consciences Hee had taken as much pleasure to ruine him as he had receiued content to raise and aduance him He was first imprisoned at Montbasson hee did confiscate his goods and gaue his moueables to the Commissioners which made his Processe His plate was sold and the money deliuered to the Treasurer of the warres Tanneguy of Chastell Gouernour of Rousillon had his Tapestry-hangings Peter of Orioles Generall of the Finances his Library the Lord of Crussoll a peece of Tapestry of twenty elles with the ground of Gold certaine skinnes of Sables and a peece of skarlet of Florence If wee should onely consider the malice of this mans nature who was a deceiuer treacherous and ambitious and so knowne by the Italians amongst whom hee had liued and there dyed k Ierome Garimbert â—speakes of this Cardinall after this manner Egli fu di natione Francesce da Verdune pouero plâ—beio triste cupido sempre di nouae rapacitae ribaldâ—rie Hee was a Frenchman borne of Verdune a poore Plebeian wicked and alwaies couetous of gaine and filthinesse the cause of his imprisonment cannot be but iust His spirit which had lodged him there twelue yeare for that hee had employed all his pollicies and inuentions to nourish ciuill discord and which like vnto the serpent drew in the whole body where he might passe the head furnisht him with a notable stratageme to set him at liberty He pist and dranke his Vrine so secretly as they thought this retention would kill him His pollicy to get out of prison The King caused him to bee visited his Physitions told him that his life was desperate whereupon the King who was weakned with his infirmity entred into some scruple that hee had done wrongfully to haue kept a Cardinall twelue whole yeares in a Cage of Iron that the Church was scandalized and his liberty wronged The Cardinall of Saint Peter ad vincula who afterwards was called Iulio the second and was come into France to mediate a peace tooke the King in this good thought l The question is great vpon the exemption of Church-men out of the power of Princes Some hold it is ordained by the Law of God and others by grace and concession made him to apprehend the offence of the Church in the long captiuity of such a Minister and entreated for his liberty the which was presently granted Balue went to Rome and was all the remainder of his life an enemy to France and for this cause was much fauoured by Ferdinand King of Naples he dyed Bishop of Preneste and was interred at Saint Praxede This Prelate had all his life time warlike thoughts and inclinations and a chollericke and stirring spirit The Cronicle saith that in the warre of the Common-weale hee went day and night on horse-backe to visite the Guards Hee got a Commission from the King to go and muster the Souldiers at Paris The Earle of Dammartin seeing the confusion and
sometimes in sachirresolution as not daring to make warre heâ— doth things preiudiciall to peace Phillip de Commines saith His Exercises and pleasures that hee had no thought but of Ladies and more then was fit of Hunting and to entreate his owne person well When hee went a Hunting hee caused many Pauillions to be carried for Ladies and in this sort made great feasts for hee had a body as fit for it as any that euer I saw being yong and as beautifull as any man that liued in his time q Edward was held in his youth to excell all the Princes of his age in beauty and stature but when as hee came into France in the yeare one thousand foure hundred three score and fifteene He was growne grosse Fâ—w men become so but by their owne meanes Entring into the Realme hee saw himselfe surprized with a storme and expelled by him who had assisted him to conquer it Hee retired into Holland with two Hulkes a little Ship and many men without mony seeing himselfe to giue a gowne furred with â—ables to satisfie the Marriner who had transported him At the end of sixe monthes he re-entred into London when as his enemies had held him to be lost In eleuen daies the Earle of Warwicke had wonne the whole Realme for Henry the sixth Edward recouers it in twenty daies with the hazard of two great battles The strongest carried it r They are sometimes bound to fortune and sometimes to pollicy for the happy euents of great enterprises but most coÌ„monly the stronger is the Maister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Occurrat forti qui mage fortis erat and remained peaceable King yet with some remorse to haue beene bound for the quiet possession of his Realme to the cruelties and inhumanities which he committed against his owne bloud For he put to death King Henry the sixth and Edward Prince of Wales his sonne with the Duke of Clarence his brother The cause of this brothers death is not very certaine The most common opinion is that hee would haue armed to succour the Princesse of Bourgundy contrary to his brothers liking Polydore Virgil saith that enforming himselfe he learned of them that liued in those times that King Edward being aduertised by a Coniurer s All the answeres of Sorcerers are doubtfull and deceiue them that trust in them They spake truely meaning the Duke of Glocester and the King deceiued himselfe vnderstanding it of his brother of Clarence that his name that should succeed him beganne with a G. had a conceit that George Duke of Clarence his brother should take the Crowne from his children Death of the Duke of Clarence the Kings brother and vpon this apprehension hee put him to death in a But of Malmesey Others haue written that hee sought the Alliance of the Princesse of Bourgundy and that the Dutchesse Margaret sister to Edward fauoured his Designes which the King not wishing so great a fortune to his brother hindred That at the same time one of the Dukes seruants hauing beene condemned to dye for poyson the Duke of Clarence was offended and spake in such sort as the King taking his words for threates of some great trouble caused him to die in pryson t George Duke of Clarence brother to the King of England made choice to dye in a But of Malmeâ—cy to die with some content which an 〈◊〉 disolution of the soule is wont to cause as Seneca saith or to make himselfe drunke and to free himselfe from the horrour end feeling of death Drusus meaning to dye of hunger would not cate any thing in nine daies but the flockes of his bed Tacit. l. 6. Annal. An act notwithstanding which did afflict him with such griefe and repentance as remembring the great precipitation of his iudgement procured by his brothers enemies when as any came to sue for a pardon for any one that was condemned to dye u Repentance doth vndoubtedly follow cruell and rash actions Caracalla hauing put his brother Getâ— to death hee did neuer thinke of him or looke vpon his stature but hee wept Hee caused Loetus who had perswaded him to this paracide to be imprisoned and did all kindes of honour vnto his Funerall Funus Gerae accuratius fuisse dicitur quam eius qui à fratre videretur occisus Getas Funerall was performed with more then his that seemed to bee murthered by his brother AELIVS SPARTIANVS he alwaies said My poore brother had not any to sue for him He left two children Margaret who was married to Richard Poole and Edward whom the King made Earle of Warwicke All the crosses which Edward had suffred did not so much afflict him as he receiued contentment at his returne from the warres of France for the peace which he had brought backe and the Treatie of marriage which he had made of his daughter with the Dauphin of France and the pension of fifty thousand Crownes So when he saw the Dauphin married vnto the Lady Margaret of Austria he was so grieued as hee resolued to returne into France to reuenge this iniury Choller and griefe were so violent in his soule as he dyed the tenth of Aprill at Westminster whereas the Parliament was assembled to resolue vpon the warre of France His body was carried to the Castle of Windsor and interred in S. Georges Chappell He had tenne children by Elizabeth his wife and left Edward Prince of Wales and Richard Duke of Yorke liuing All his life hee had beene liberall and dyed coueâ—ous Hee recommended his wife His brother murthers his children children and Realme to Richard Duke of Glocester who to haue the Crowne put Edward who had raigned but two monthes and Richard his Nephewes to death x Edward had a base sonne called Arthur his daughters were married to diuers Princes Brigit the last was a religious woman The daughters were declared Bastards by the Parliament for that a Bishop affirmed that hee had married Edward vnto a Lady of England before that hee was married to the Lady Elizabeth Riuers Hee caused himselfe to bee Crowned King in Iuly following The parricide of his two Nephewes caused so great scandall and horrour in all the orders of the Realme and the mother who had fledde into the Sanctuary at Westminster y This trust and recommendation of such precious Iewels bound the Duke of Glocester to haue a care of them IS DIGERDES King of Persia seeing that ARCADIVS the Emperour his enemy had recommended his some THEODOSIVS vnto him found himselfe bound to preserue his Estates and laying aside all passions of precedent hatred hee proclaimed warre against any one that should molest his pupill hauing fore-seene the rage of this Tiger filled the Citty of London with very pittifull and strange complaints as euery man found this greedy and vnsatiate desire to raigne inhumane and tyrannous hauing forced him brutishly to teare in peecees the Lawes of Nature and to pollute his hands with
it selfe to the tyrany of vice hee is not wicked with one kind of crime onely Quisnam hominum est quem tu coâ—tentum videris vno Flagitio What is hee among men whom thou shalt sâ—e content with enâ— villany Iuvâ—n killing his children so soone as they were borne Hee was hanged at Paris and his daughter was burned at Magny neere vnto Pontoise Three Serieants forced a Priests chamber in Paris and did beate him outragiously they were condemned to bee whipt through the Streetes of Paris A Religious man of the Temple had his Throate cut by one of his brethren The great Prior of France being assisted by the Commanders and Knights condemned him to bee kept prisoner in a Dungeon and there to be fed with the bread of sorrow and water of heauinesse A faire Burgesse of Paris who was much esteemed among the women of best fame gaue eare to the Earle of Foix who attempted against her honour suffered her selfe to be wonne and left father mother husband and children to follow him A Hosier being accused of many Thefts cut out his owne tongue for that hee would not confesse any thing There were many scandalous Libels cast abroad in Paris against the Kings chiefe Officers namely against the Constable of Saint Paul An Archer was condemned to be hanged at Paris for e â—he Schoole oâ— Physitions at Paâ—â—s dere an 〈◊〉 to be cut that they might see how the stone is framed and how it lyeth in mans body for that there were many troubled therewith in those daies he was cured and his life saued sacriledge hauing robbed the Church of Meudon A Franciscan Frier Preaching indiscretly was banished the Realme in the yeare one thousand foure hundred three score and eighteene in the month of October a Monke Hermaphrodite vsing both Sexes became great with childe Behold how that in those times as well as in ours excesse and disorders were common The world is nothing but a sincke of all filthinesse O what a vile and abiect thing said an Ancient is man if hee doe not raise himselfe aboue man Wee see few become good men for the onely respect of integrity and honesty If they enter into the Temple of Vertue it is alwaies by some false dore Lewis the eleuenth had three sonnes and three daughters Ioachim died yong Children of Lewis the 11. and this death drew with sorrow from the fathers heart a Vow neuer to know any other woman but the Queene Francis Duke of Berry died in the yeare one thousand foure hundred three score and foureteene This losse caused him to shut himselfe vp for some few daies in the Castle of Amboise refusing to see or to bee seene of any not considering that Kings children were men borne in the cries and groanes of their mothers and bewayling their owne miseries like to other men f Stratonicus an Artificer of Athens hearing that the mother of Timotheus cryed out at her deliuery said How wold she haue cryed if she had made an Artificer Hee mocked at that common slattery which spake of Kings children as of the children of the Gods Atheneus This griefe was humane and should haue beene lamented humanely and comforted by this reason That the thing which is restored to him to whom it belongeth cannot be said to bee lost But it is hard to see a goodly flower die at the breake of day A vaine reason he that maketh it to grow may gather it when and how he pleaseth Louyse his eldest daughter dyed also in her Infancy Anne was betrothed to Nicholas Marquesse of Pont Grand-childe to René Duke of Anjou but hee did not marry her for the Duke of Bourgundy being iealous of this Alliance propounded vnto him the marriage of Mary his onely daughter to draw him by this vaine hope from the seruice of this Crowne Shee was married to Peter of Bourbon Ioane his third to daughter was married to Lewis the twelfth and put away in the first yeare of his raigne So as finding her selfe hatefull vnto her husband and vnpleasing to many shee left the world g Being vnmarried she wedded herselfe to solitarinesse the which shee had desired all her life In her Infancy the King demanded of her of what Order shee would haue her Confessour and shee made choice of the Gardien of the Franciscan Fryers at Amboise Her father loued her not for that Nature had giuen him cause to complaine of her deformity hauing not ingrauen any makes of her fauours neither vpon her face nor on her person for she was blacke little and crooked h Beauty is a peece of so great recommendation as they that are not fauored there-with are lesse pleasing eueÌ„ to them that by Nature should loue them The Signior of Lesguiere her Gouernour did hide her often vnder his Gowne when as the King met her to the end hee should not bee troubled with the sight of her The hatred of King Lewis the eleuenth her father the death of Charles the eighth her brother and the diuorce of King Lewis the twelfth her husband changed all the sweetenesse of her life into the bitternesse of the Crosse and imbarkt her as in a tempestuous Sea whereas shee found no other Port but that of death The children of great men to become the children of God are bound to drinke of the cuppe of affliction i Happy are those paines and afflictions which are to amend saue not to ruine destroy the afflicted The Crosse is the marke of the Cittizens of heauen they whom the hand of God disdlaines to strike are such as he disdaines to amend as well as the meanest The way to heauen is full of Thornes The flaming sword appeared at the entring of Paradice The Land promised to the faithfull aboundeth with plenty of Milke and Honny Milke is first bloud before Milke Honny is drawne from bitter flowers Roses grow among Thornes Her husband loued her not Cause of the dissolution of the marriage of Lewis the twelfth and yet during the time of his imprisonment in the great tower of Bourges he receiued no other succour nor assistance but from this Princesse The cause of their Diuorce was Sterrility and want of consent in marriage CLAVDIVS of Seyssell saith that hee gaue her vnto him to the end that sterrility and barrenesse might depriue him of all meanes to haue children so much he hated and abhorred the Bloud Royall k The cause of this diuorce was fterility and want of consent in marriage Lewis declaring that King Lewis the 11. had forced him to marry her Her consolation was in this solitarinesse for that shee recouered the liberty which shee had long desired The King gaue her the Dutchy of Berry for her portion the Towne of Bourges was her retreate with a yeerely pension of one thousand two hundred pounds Sterling Shee made the Order of the Religious of the Annunciado otherwise called the Order of the Virgin Mary the which was allowed and
the Piramides were vnprofitable workes but the structure was profitable for the Prince who by this meanes made his subiects to labor whom idlenesse had corrupted and drawne to reuolt and sedition and studied more for vanity then profite Wherefore Princes haue caused their Magnificence to be renowned in publicke works Workes of vanity and ostentation and in the bâ—autifying of Townes which seemed not to haue bene ruined but to be re-edified more stately and which haue purchased the honour to haue left them to their Successours much fairer then they had receiued them from their Predecessours t The Citty of Romewas bound to the Emperor Augustus for her decoration and most glorious ornaments therfore he said Roman lateritiam accepi marmoreaÌ„ relinquo I receiued Rome built of Brick I leaue it of Marble Wee do not see that he did any great workes in Buildings for it is a hard matter for a Prince to hold a Sword in one hand and a Trowell in another Hee caused the Church of our Lady of Clery to be built and repaired that of Victory neere to Senlis he did enrich and beautify by his bounty the High Altar with 16. Lampes of Siluer His Statue stands on the right hand wee see it also on the Portall with that of Queene Charlot and their Armes round about with those of the Dauphin Phillip Augustus had caused this Church to be built in remembrance of the happy victory which he had against the Flemmings u The battell of Bovines in Iuly 1214. wonne by Phillip Augustus against Otho of Saxony and Iohn King of England Ferdinand Earle of Flanders was takeÌ„ prisoner there and carried to the uure and the Earle of Salisbury an Englishman to Saint Quentin There remaines nothing of the ancient building but the Body and the Cloister the Inclosure of the Church all the Quire and the Portall are new and carry a remarkable difference of the Architecture of these two raignes The first is plaine and low the other is stately and more raysed then those times did beare He hath not left in France any other marke of this publicke care and although that Phillip de Commines giues him the honour to haue done more then his Predecessours in the fortification of his Realme yet it was so little as neither the memory nor the fruite hath remained to his successours x The Romane Emperours haue preserued their memory by the reparatioÌ„ of publicke ruines Augustus restored the Theater of P. Emilius Tiberius that of Pompey Caligula the walles of Syracusa Vespasian the Capitoll Titus the Theaters Antonyn that of Adrian and Alexander Seuerus Traians Bridges This glory which hath beautified the Bayes of victorious Princes and which hath giuen a dumbe eloquence to Marbles to eternise their names did belong to Henry the fourth the restorer of ruines whereof France imputed the cause as well to the liberty of the French and carlessenes of her Kings as to the iniury of times the designes of her enemies As wee may giue him the glory to haue restored life order liberty to France so we may say that he hath giuen her a new face new force and new beauty The Fortresses of France which did tremble and humble themselues at the first approach of any enemy are become inexpugnable The Kings houses which seemed desart had felt with the rest the fury and liberty of troubles do now cary vpon their Frontespice the glorious markes of the felicity of his Raigne Barren and inhabitable places are become fertile and frequented Townes are added to Townes and Riuers ioyned vnto Riuers for the facillity of the Commerce All Bridges Ports Passages and High-waies are honoured with the eternall Monuments of this Princes care for the greatnesse of his estate and the necessities of his people who besides his part of these publicke workes retires with one hand for the reward of his toyles that which he paies with the other for the tribute of his duty for the Treasury of France which hath a continuall ebbing of that which it receiues doth not resemble that of some Emperours which neuer restores any thing of that which it takes and therefore it hath beene compared to Charibdis y The treasure of a couetous Prince is compared by Latinus Pacatius to the Gulph of Charybdus Noster ille pirata quicquid vndecunque coÌ„uenerat id nobis sibique periturum in illaÌ„ specus sui Caribdim congerebat Boni nostra ad aerariunâ— vna perpetua via ibaÌ„t nullas eorum reliquias nulla fragmenta vel sero victa fastidio illa coÌ„munis vorago reuomebat That our Pirate whatsoeuer came from any place that did hee thrust into his Carybdis to perish both for vs and himselfe Our goods went one way continually to his treasure and that common Gulphe and being glutted did not vomite forth againe any relickes or fragments but with this difference that this Gulph casts to shore whatsoeuer it hath deuoured but nothing comes out of that bottomelesse pit Thus the profite made the toyle pleasing and they which labour so profitably complaine during the Solstice of Summer that the day passeth away too fast Thus the poore cannot excuse their misery whilst they haue armes left them z A Prince should entertain publike workes least that idlenesse bred sedition and that the poore may haue no excuse that they want meanes to get their liuings for where there is idlenesse they alwaies find Mutines and Theeues Thus idlenesse the plague of States is banisht and finds no retreat but among idle hands which steales the fruits from them which labour The structure of these great and incomparable workes whereas we see the marueiles of the industry of Mirons of Phidies Appelles and Lysippus and which are worthy to be accounted the eighth wonder of the world if it bee true that there were seuen could not be effected but by that great Augustus and most victorious Prince the best of the Kings of France and Nauarre a The most glorious Title of a Prince is that which the Senate ordained for Traiane Nee videri potest optimis in sua cuiusque laude praestantior Minus est enim Imperatorem Caesarem Augustum quam omnibus Imperatoribus Caesaribus Augustis esse meliorem Hee cannot seeme the best that doth not excel them all in their own vertues It is lesse to be an Emperour a Caesar and an Augustus then to be better then all Emperours Caesars and Augustus Plin. Panegeric None but the Duke of Suilly great Surueiour of France could execute his Commandements with more order courage and care France is bound vnto him for her decoration the enriching of her Crowne the restoring of her rights and the recouery of her first beauty and felicity For her he hath first put in practise that great Maxime of polliticke knowledge To mainetaine fertile places by commerce and barren by handy Trades This Eloge is not mine owne I receiued it from the
Kings owne mouth Clemency Clemency This goodly Pearle is not seene in his Crowne b The vertue which rayseth Kings to heauen is Clemency Consulere patriae pâ—rcere afflictis fera Caede abstinere tempus arque ira dare Orbi quietem saeculo pacem suo Haec summa virtus petitur hac coelum via Sen. in Octau this great and royall vertue which pardons the afflicted rayseth vp them that are deiected Lewis the 11. knew not how to pardon and breakes the current of choller was vnknowne vnto him Yet neuer Prince found more occasion to winne himselfe honour but that deceitfull Maxime that a Princes iustice may alwaies and in all cases dissemble c A Prince may mingle prudence with Iustice he may bee a Doue and a Serpent with these three conditions that it be for the necessary apparant and important good of the State that it be with measure and discretion and that it be for an offence and not to offend and sow the Foxes skinne vnto the Lyons fil'd his raigne with tragicall examples of seuerity and gaue him in dying that contentment not to haue left any offence vnpunished Phillip de Commines being to liue vnder the sonnes raigne hath not written all he knew and could haue spoken vpon the fathers and yet he saies but too much to shew his rigour Hee was these are his words suspitious as all Princes bee which haue many enemies and which haue offended many as he had done Hee was not beloued of great men nor of many of the meaner sort and had charged his Subiects more then euer King had done If Commines would haue painted out a cruell Prince hee could not haue imployed other coulours then those wherewith hee sets forth his rigorous prisons his Cages of Iron and his fetters d Cardinall Balue inuentor of these Cages of Iron was lodged there with the first and continued 14. yeares Lacum fodit aperuit eum incidit in foueaÌ„ quam fecit He digged a pit and opened it and fell into the Ditch whicâ— hee had made Hee saith That they were of wood couered with plates of Iron that he had caused Germanes to make most heauy and terrible fetters for mens feete Rigorous prisons of Lewis the eleuenth and there was a ring to put vpon the legge very hard to open like vnto a choller the chaine was great and waighty with a great bullet of Iron at the end much more weighty then was fit and they were called the Kings Snares Although that punishments be the effects of Iustice and very necessary for that hee hurts the good which pardons the wicked yet it caries some shew of cruelty when as the Prince himselfe seemes more carefull thereof then he ought and that hee doth employ them as well against innocents as those that are guilty e The more rare executions bee the more profitable is the example Remedies which curemildly are to be preferred before theÌ„ which burâ—ne mutulate To affect new punishment and against accustomed manners of the Country are markes of cruelty I haue seene saith Phillip de Commines good men prisoners with fetters on their feete who afterwards came forth with great honour and receiued great fauours from him amongst others a sonne to the Lord of Gruture of Flanders taken in battell whom the King married and made his Chamberlaine and Seneschall of Anjou and gaue him a hundred Lances Also the Lord of Pieâ—â—es a prisoner in the warre and the Lord of Vergy For hee found in the end that vigour doth but distract mens minds the violent gust of the Northen wind cannot make a passenger to abandon his Cloake whereas the Sunne casting his beames by little and little doth heate him in such sort as hee will bee ready to strip himselfe into his shirit Generous horses obey the shaddow of a small Wand whereas Asses tell their paces by the number of their blowes The raigne of this Prince was wonderfull stormy they could not say of him as of Antonyn that hee had shedde no bloud f The raigne of the Emperour Antonyn was so good as Herodian called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say without bloud Tristan his great Prouost who for his barbarous and seuere behauiour did as iustly as Maximin deserue the name of Sowre was so ready in the execution of his rigorous commandements as hee hath sometimes caused the innocent to bee ruined for the offendor Hee alwaies disposed this Prince rather to vse a sword to punish faults then a Bridle to keepe them from falling A more temperate Spirit would haue staid him and Princes in these stormes doe but what pleaseth them which guide the effects of their Wils A Prince is no lesse dishonoured by the multitude of executions g A multitude of executions saith Seneca breeds as bad a reputation to the Prince as a multitude of Burials to a Physitian too great rigours makes the paines contemptible augments the number of offendours and makes them to become wicked through despight then a Physitian receiues blame by the death of his Patient Claud of Seyssell could not say any thing more bitter to the memory of this Prince then that which hee writes That there were seene about the places of his abode many men hanged vpon Trees and the prisons and other houses neere full of prisoners who were often heard day and night crying out for the torments which they endured besides others which were cast into the Riuer Many great Princes haue felt the seuerity of his humours Iohn Duke of Alençon had in the end as much cause to murmurre against his iustice as hee had to commend his Clemency in the beginning of his Raigne Hee had beene condâ—mned to loose his head vnder Charles the seuenth The King restored him to his liberty and honour to make him some yeares after vndergoe the like censure h The Duke of Alençon being prisoner in the Casile of Loches was led to Paris the sixt of Iune 1473. by the Lord of Gaucort Chaletiere Steward of the Kings house with 24. Gentlemen and 50. Archers Hee caused him to bee apprehended and carried to the Towre at the Louure His Processe was made in the yeare one thousand foure hundred three score and foureteene and a Sentence pronounc't the eightenth of Iuly in these termes Sentence against the Duke of Alençon The Court hauing seene the Charges Informations and Confrontations of witnesses against Iohn of Alenâ—con his voluntary confessions the Processe and other things which were to bee seene touching the great and heynous crimes committed by him by the conspiracies practises and treaties which hee hath many and sundry times had and made with the English the ancient enemies and aduersaries of this Realme and other Rebels disobedient to the King and to the great preiudice of the King and subuersion of the publique good of the Realme forgetting through ingratitude the great grace that the King had done
Ministers of England Philip de Commines saith that he was imployed to win the Lord Hastings as the Duke of Bourgondy had formerly done to haue him his friend at a thousand Crownes pension Hee was very difficult to resolue but as Siluer is like vnto Cephalus Arrow which is neuer shot in vaine that a long pursute shakes the most constant resolutions hee suffered himselfe to be wonne for two thousand Crownes pension The King sent Peter Cleret one of the Stewards of his House vnto him to carry him this Money and to bring backe a quittance to bee put with the rest and to iustifie hereafter that not onely Hastings Lord Chamberlaine but also the Lord Howard high Admirall the Lord Chainey Maister of the Horse and Thomas of Montgomery had beene Pensioners to the French King This was said to make a gaine in giuing and to make a Trade of liberality q To hope for profite of that which is giuen is to trafficke and to put money to vsury it is to thinke to â—old in letting goe and to receiue in giuing Philip de Commines doth plainly set downe what past betwixt them Cleret demanded a quittance and Hastings was not so ill aduised as to giue him any Cleret let him vnderstand that hee had to doe with a Maister who was very distrustfull and if he did not make it appeare how he had deliuered this summe vnto him he might say he had stolne it and therefore he desired onely a letter of three lines vnto the King Hastings seeing that there was some colour in his reasons but much more in those which did not allow him to write gaue him to vnderstand Wisedome of the Lord Hastings that they should trust his Faith and Word r There is nothing that doth binde more then the assurance which wee take of the fidelity conscience of any one It is easier to breake ciuill bonds then them of honour which hee esteemed more then an hundred bondes in writing Hee therefore answered after this manner Sir that which you say is reasonable but this gift comes voluntarily from the King your Maister and not at my suite if you will haue mee take it you shall put it into my sleeue and you shall haue no other letter nor testimony â— will not that it shall bee said by me that the Chamberlaine of England hath beene a Pensioner to the French King nor that my quittances bee found in his chamber of accounts s It is iniustice to cause benefit to be hurtfull infamous to him that receiues it The said Cleret rested satisfied left him the money and came and made this report vnto the king who was much offended that he had not brought him a quittance but he commended the said Chamberlaine more then all the other seruants of the King of England and he was euer after paid without giuing quittance He was so great an Architect as he imployed all sorts of spirits fortunes and conditions in the building of his designes Hee did not only seeke to haue at his deuotion the chiefe Ministers of kings but hee also drew them vnto him that had credit and authority in free Townes and Common-weales therefore he loued great Cosmo de Medicis and was grieued for his death which happened in the first yeares of his reigne The lawes of wisedome did binde him to enter frendship with a house Commendation of the house of Medicis whose great felicity drew the greatest of Europe to admiration Vertue doth force euen Enuy it selfe to suffer this Palme to grow which sprung vp the higher the more they sought to depresse it t When as Enuy hath stormed striuen against the growing glory of a house in the end shee is forced to yeeld her eyes can no more endure such a glistering light Est aliquod meriti spatium quod nulla furentis Inuidiae mensura capit Claud. in laud. Stiliconis and made it knowne that it is no lesse indiscretion to maligne the glory and prosperity of merit as to bee angry when the sun shines which Iupiter commandes and Apollo pronounceth his Oracles In those dayes to enuy the glory of the greatnesse of the house of Medicis was to depriue the Colossus of vertue of his shadow which is glory Lewis 11. had great reasons to esteeme him knowing that great Cosmo de Medicis had made Francis Sforce Duke of Millan that the wealth of his seruants had raised the hopes of many great Princes Riches of the house of Medicis which were in a maner deiected u A seruant vnto Peter de Medicis lent vnto Edward the fourth an hundreth and twenty thousand Crownes and another 50000 to the Duke of Bourgondy at one time and 80000. at another that without him Edward 4. had not returned into his Realme and the Duke of Bourgondy had lost his credit in Italy In those times they did not speake but of the Piety and Magnificence of great Cosmo de Medicis who had opened the barre to his posterity to attaine vnto the soueraigne command of Tuscanie Hee liued as a Cittizen commanded as a Prince and his Countrey gaue him the Title of Father His vertue was a Rampart to good Men x A good man is a great Rampart to good man against a powerfull Citizen that persecutes them Such was Nicias at Athens against the insolency and rashnesse of Cleon. Plut. in Nicias his House a refuge to good Wittes out-raged by Fâ—â—tune and a Port to the Muses chased out of Greece His bâ—unty appeared in foure Millions of Gold The Kings of Perou haue their newes carried after this manner They haue vpon the high wayes posts or Cabanes appointed at euery mile the first Carrier cries vnto the second what is commanded him the second carries it vnto the third with the like speede and so vntill it comes vnto the place appointed e 〈◊〉 as Suetonius reports Iâ—uenes Pâ—â—ro modicis interâ—alles per militatis vias dehinc vehicula disposuit He first set yong men by small distances vpon the high wayes and then hee appointed Coches Hee speakes also of Caesars diligence by Coches Longissimas vias incredibili celeritate confecit expeditus meritoria rheda centena passuum millia in dies singulos Hee went long iourneyes with incredible speed a hundred miles euery day being set in a hired Coch. The Emperour Augustus ordained Coaches in certaine places to conduct them that carried his commandements through the Prouinces or that brought him any newes before time they did hire them and Caesar did vse them when as he went in so short a time from Rome to the bankes of Rosne Paris the Rome of France the miracle of the Citties of Europe whereof it should be the Dyamond if it were a Ring owes vnto this Prince the most fauourable concession and confirmation of the priuiledge which it enioyeth and wherewith Kings haue alwayes gratified it holding it reasonable that it should beare the markes of their fauour
the Kings Authority to restraine him from this liberty Hee made of men as an Auditor doth of Counters placing some for hundreds others for thousands some for ten and some for vnits He allowed many petty Companions in his Cabinet who could not remember the condition of their fore-fathers without blushing or disavowing them s Honor meeting with an vnworthy subiect hath lesse luster and esteeme When as the people of Athens saw that Yperbolâ—◠〈◊〉 decayed man and who had nothing to loose was intreatreated equally with good men they dissolued the 〈◊〉 an honorable punishment for those whose vertue was suspected In like manner they tooke it ill at Roma when as Flauius being freed by Appius was made Edilis Curulis But for all that he did not leaue to haue about him and to imploy in great charges Noble-men issued from houses which were then illustrious both by their owne vertues and by those of their fore-fathers Of this number was Iohn of Daillon Lord of Lude The Lord of Lude and Imbert of Baterney Lord of Bouchages They came in fauour with this Prince by diuers meanes and maintained it in like maner The Lord of Lude had been bred vp with this Prince and the affection which begins so soone doth not wither easily Philip de Commines addes this reason that he knew well how to please the King Fortune fauoured the merits of Imbert of Baterney Imbert of Baterney Lewis Dauphin of France retiring himselfe into Dauphiné and going from Moras to Romans hee staied in a valley vnder the Castle of Baterney to take the coole aire and demanding some refreshing in the heate of the season and the tediousnesse of the way the Lord of Baterney sent some things vnto him and came himselfe to doe his duty hee brought with him Imbert of Baterney being then but a youg man who carried a Hauke with the which hee kild some Partridges t The pleasure of hunting which had beene the raâ—ing of his fortune was in a manner the cause of his ruine Claude of Seyell saith that going to 〈◊〉 to see the Dauphin hauing had him to field to see his Haukes flye the king was much incâ—sed thinking that he had a designe to make him see the woâ—ld and to know it The Dauphin tooke pleasure in it and commanded him to come vnto him to Romans for that hee had a desire to see that Hauke flye againe He went and did so please this Prince as he demanded him of his father and from that time he neuer abandoned him vntill his death He made him great in riches and honor as he was in merit and vertue Charles of Artois Charles of Artoix Earle of Eu hauing remained three and twenty yeares prisoner in England returned into France and was much beloued of king Lewis the eleuenth for that he held nothing of the sower arrogant humors of his predecessors he continued in the Kings seruice at such time as the Noble-men left him to follow the Princes Armie He reconciled the King and the Duke of Brittanie and soone after died in Iuly in the yeare 1471. without any children Iohn of Bourgondy Earle of Neuers his Nephew was his heire u The accord betwixt the king and the Duke of Brittany was made at Saumur in the yeare 1469. and the difficulties were decided by the deâ—terity of the Earles of Eu and Dunois Iohn of Orleans Bastard of Orleans Earle of Longueville base sonne to Lewis Duke of Orleans was the greatest and most fortunate Captaine of his time he alone of all the Noblemen of the league of the Common-weale pursued the fruits which France expected of such an enterprise He was chiefe and President of the Commissioners appointed for the reformation of the disorders of the Realme and died before he could see the effects of that which hee had so earnestly pursued in the yeare 1470. Andrew of Laual Andrew of Laual Lord of Loheac Lewis 11. tooke from him the dignity of Marshall of France wherewith Charles 7 had honoured him and rewarded his seruice Hee restored it vnto him againe when as necessity made him know that none was more capable then he For his sake he gaue vnto his brother the Lord of Chastillon the Office of great Maister of the Waters and Forrests Alaine of Albret purchased the surname of Great by the same greatnesse of courage which gaue the sword of France to Charles of Albret his grand-father Alaine of Albret x Charles of Albret was not onely entreated but in a manner forced by the King to receiue the sword of Costable The king pâ—t it into his hand the Dukes of Orleans Burgondy Berry Bourbo girt him with it a little before hee had caried Charles the seuenth vnto the font He left the league of the Common-weale as soone as he was entred into it and remained more constant in the assurance of his word then the Duke of Nemours his great corage found nothing impossible He was often wont to say that he which had force in hand needed no other thing He married Francis Vicountesse of Limoges and was father to Iohn of Albret King of Nauarre Iohn of Bueil Iohn of Bueil Earle of Sancerre presently after the coronation of Lewis the eleuenth was dismist from his Office of Admirally y The Earle of Sancerre was Admirall of France by the death of Pregent of Coitiuy Son-in-Law to Giles of Raix Marshall of France for no other reason but for that he had serued Charles the seuenth He returned to Court and fauour but yet he stood alwayes vpon his guard against that Lyon which strooke with his paw when they least thought of him Iohn of Andie Iohn of Andie Bastard of Armagnac Lord of Lescun and Earle of Cominges was Admiral of France after the dismission of the Earle of Sancerre and then Marshall of France he chased the Brittains from Baieux and was Gouernour of Dauphine Ioachim of Rouvault Ioachim of Rouvault z Hee had done great sâ—ruices vnder King Charles the seuenth and had beene present at the battell of Fromigny and at the siege of Bourdeaux The King gaue him the place of Marshall of France and Monstrelet saith that Charles the seuenth made him constable of Bourdeaux and that hee tooke his oath in the hands of the Chancellors of France Lord of Gamasches serued him worthily and couragiously in the warre of the Common-weale and was the cause of the preseruation of Paris He alwayes coasted the Duke of Bourgondy his Army to keepe it from scattering to the hurt of the Kings subiects and that it should not make profit by the surprise of any places in passing Then he cast himselfe into Paris and by his presence fortified the courages which an accident rather feared then foreseene had much deiected The King gaue him the gouernment with a troope of two hundred maisters and made him Marshall of France Tanneguy of Chastel Tanneguy
of Chastel a He was one of the Commissioners whom the King appointed for the accusation and Imprisonment of the Cardinall of Balue one of the Architects of the league found in the end that there was no better lodging then at the kings armes His fortune was ruined in Brittany and raised in France Hee did negotiate the enter-view of the King and Duke of Bourgondy at Peronne he was imployed in the Truce of nine yeares 1475. and was aduanced to the gouernment of Rousillon The Lord of Nantoillet had for a time the authority ouer all the Armies of France Lord of Nantoillet he wanted nothing but the name of Constable for he did exercise the Functions the King hauing made him his Lieutenant Generall throughout his whole Realme and afterwards Lord Steward of France He was so fauoured as the King gaue him often the moity of his bed This fauour lasted not long The Chronicle of the Kings library saith That the King could not pardon any one of whom he had suspition Death of the Lord of Nantoillet He caused his head to be cut off in the yeare 1468. and that the Hangman hauing cut off but a peece at the first blow hee lest him force and courage enough to stand vp and to protest before heauen and the people that hee died an Innocent After that Philip de Commines had said that he had serued the king well in Paris in the warre of the Common-weale he addes In the end he was ill rewarded more by the pursuite of his enemies then by the Kings fault but neither the one nor the other can well excuse themselues Anthony of Chabannes Anthony of Chabannes Earle of Dammartin brother to Iames of Chabannes Lord Steward of France saw the ship of his fortune cast vpon the shelfe in the beginning of this Princes Reigne His good fotune drew him out of the Bastille to go to the warre of the Common-weale in the end whereof hee was made Lord Steward of France hee had the chiefe charge of the Kings Army in Guyenne and was then much fauoured by this Prince with whom hee was so inward as when hee meant to marry his second Daughter to the Duke of Orleans hee discouered his secret affections vnto him by a letter which hee did write vnto him vpon that subiect wher of the Chronicle in written hand of King Lewis the twelfth makes mention hee sent him word that whatsoeuer they said hee was resolued to giue his daughter to the yong Duke of Orleans but no man should bee troubled to nourish the Children that should bee borne of that marriage Peter of Termouille Peter of Tremouille Lord of Croan saw not his life to end with the fauours and honors hee had had of this Prince His Predecessors Guy of Tremouille and Iohn of Tremouille Lord of Ionuelle were made great in following the Duke of Bourgondies party The eldest of this house married Ioane Countesse of Boulleyn and Comminges Widow to Iohn of France Duke of Berry b K. Charles 〈…〉 yeare 1430. King Charles 7 supported George of Tremouille Lord of Craon in the quarrell which he had with the Earle of Richmont for the Lands of Thouars and Benon Peter of Tremouille defeated the troopes of the Prince of Orange before Gy in the Franch-County but hauing beene repulst from the siege of Dole hee was disgraced by Lewis the eleuenth who loued the seruices better then the seruants Hee was saith Philip de Commines a very fat man who being reasonably well content and rich retired himselfe to his house Charles of Ambois did long feele the disgrace of Peter of Chaumont his father Charles of Ambois who retired himselfe in the begining of the reigne of Lewis with the Duke of Berry c The House of 〈…〉 by the Kings Commandement in the 〈◊〉 1465. He was afterwards imployed in great affaires and continued vnto the end His brother was Bishop of Alby and then Cardinall and the greatest fauourite of Lewis the twelfth who called him M r. George Philip de Commines calleth Charles of Ambois a most Valiant Wife and Diligent Man Peter of Rohan Peter of Rohan Lord of Gy did gouerne his fortune happily amidst the waues and stormes of this Princes reigne who made him Marshall of France He was one of the foure which vndertooke the gouernment of affaires during the Kings infirmity and disability d 〈…〉 the Bishop of 〈◊〉 the Lord of Châ—umont the Marshall of Gye and the Lord of Lude gouerned the Estate for 10 or 12 dayes Hee continued this great Authority vnder the reigne of Charles the eighth for the respect whereof the Lady Anne of France Regent to the King and Wife to Peter of Bourbon offended that the Duke of Orleans attempted vpon her Authority would haue taken him prisoner by the Marshall of Gye The Duke of Orleans retired himselfe and hee that was chosen to stay him was the Instrument of his returne and made his peace with the Regent Iohn of Chalons Prince of Orange Iohn of Chalons left the Duke of Bourgondy to serue Lewis the eleuenth then hee left Lewis to serue Mary daugther to the Duke of Bourgondy This first discontentment against his first maister grew for that disputing the succession of Iohn of Chalons Prince of Orange his Grand-father e Iohn of Chalons sonne to Lewis Margaret of Vienne was married to Mary of Baussac heire of the principalitie of Orange by whom hee had Lewis surnamed the Good Lewis first maried Ioane of Montbelâ—art by whom hee had William and then hee maâ—â—ied Elenor of Armagnaâ— by whom hee had Lewis and Hugh Williaâ— was married to Katherine of 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Iohn of Chalons was borne of whom wee now make mention against Lewis and Hughe his vncles the Duke of Bourgondy being President in his Councell when as the cause was pleaded made a Decree against him This despight drew him to the Kings seruice who promised to restore him to his lands and to giue him the gouernment of Bourgondy but when as he saw that he had but the name and that the Lord of Tremouille had the command of all the forces he returned to the seruice of the Princesse of Bourgondy and caused the whole Countrey to reuolt from the King He troubled him much and let him see that a great Prince hath no small enemies that a Hornet is able to put a Bull into fury Iohn of Esteteuille Iohn of Eâ—â—teuille Lord of Torcy gouerned his fortune amidst so many rockes and shelues vnto a safe port The King made him maister of the Cross-bowes and committed vnto him the guard of the Cardinal of Balue in the Castell of Montbason It was he that came and aduertised the King of the danger in suffering such numbers of English to enter into Amiens during the Treaty of Piquigny Philip of Creuecoeur Philip of Creuecoeur Lord of Esquerdes or Cordes Marshall of France He had great
afflicted Lib. 5. Chap 7. Example in the Duke of Bourgundy after the losse of the battels of Granson and Morat Wee must hold for certaine that the great prosperities of Princes Lib. 5. Chap. 6. or their great aduersities proceed from the Diuine prouidence If men were alwaies wise Lib. 1. Cha. 15. they should bee so temperate in their speeches in time of prosperitie as they should haue no cause to change in time of aduersitie The Flemings during the life and prosperitie of their Duke spake not to the King nor of the King with such reuerence as they haue done since Affliction troubles the minde and alters the complexion This was knowne in the Duke of Bourgundy after the Battell of Granson He was neuer so wise as he had been his choller and naturall heat was so great before as he dranke no wine and after this they caused him to drinke it pure Diuision ALl good things in this world are ouerthrowne by diuision Lib. 2. Cha. 16. and it is almost impossible that many great Noblemen of like estate can long entertaine themselues together if there bee not a head aboue them and if it were necessarie he should be wise and well esteemed to draw obedience from them all A wise Prince hauing the command of ten thousand men Lib. 1. Chap. 16. and meanes to entertaine them is more to bee feared then ten hauing either of them six thousand all allyed and confederate together for that they haue so many things to decide among them as halfe the time is spent before any thing can bee conceiued The true signe of the ruine of a Countrey is when as they that should hold together are deuided and abandon it Lib. 2. Chap. 1. Example in the Towne of Dinand which left the alliance of them of Liege Factions are much to be feared in a Realme when as they happen Lib. 3. Chap. 7. and cause great ruines Example of the diuisions of England betwixt the houses of Lancaster and Yorke When as a faction begins Lib. 3 Chap. 8. although there be but two or three Princes or meaner men that deale in it yet before the feast hath continued two yeares all the neighbours are inuited There was neuer any faction begun in the countrie but the end was preiudiciall and hard to be quencht Lib. 4. Chap. 9. Diuisions are the springs of Warre from whence grow mortalitie and famine Lib. 5. Cha. 18 and all these miseries proceed for want of faith Wee must confesse considering the wickednes of men and especially of great men who know not neither doe beleeue that there is a God that it is necessarie that euery Nobleman and Prince should haue his contrarie to keep him in feare and humilitie else no man should bee able to liue vnder them or neere them Commotions and Seditions IN tumults and Seditions the most wicked are most bold and hardie In the Prologue Liberality RIches and Honors are not giuen at their pleasures that demand them In the Apology King Lewis the eleuenth gaue much to Churches Lib. 5. Cha. 18. In some things lesse had done better â—or he tooke from the poore to giue to them which had no neede To conclude there is no perfect measure in this world Iustice and Iniustice THere are Princes which punish vnder a colour of Iustice and haue Instruments fit for their humours who of a venialll sinne make it mortall If they haue no matter they finde meanes to delay the hearing of the parties and witnesses to ruine them in expences expecting still if any one will complaine of him which is in durance and whom they hate If this course will not serue to compasse their intention they haue others more suddaine saying that it were necessary to make him an example making his case as they thinke good To others that hold of them and are somewhat stronger they proceede by way of fact and say Thou disobaiest or doest contrary to the homage which thou owest me and so by force they take from him that which he hath if they can at the least they doe their best and make him to liue miserably He that is but their Neighbour if he be strong and resolute they suffer him not to liue but if he be weake he knowes not what course to take They will say vnto him he hath supported their enemies or they will send their men at Armes to liue in his Country or will buy quarâ—els or finde occasions to ruine him or will maintaine his Neighbour against him and will lend them men Of their Subiects they will disgrace such as haue serued their Predecessors well to raise new men Punishment TO see the things which God hath done in the World Lib. 4. Chap. 13. and doth daily it seemes that he will leaue nothing vnpunished and we may see plainly that these strange workes come from him for they are beyond the workes of nature and his punishments are so suddaine especially against them that vse violence and cruelty who commonly are no meane persons but great either in Signeurie or the Princes Authority Iniuries Offences and Outrages PRinces and they that are in great Authority should feare to doe or speake outragiously and haue a care to whom they speake them For the greater they are the more sencible and distastfull are the outrages they doe for it seemes that outrages will bee morâ— noted for the greatnesse and authoritie of the person that commits them and if he be their Maister or Lord they will dispaire euer to receiue honour or fauour from him and more men serue for the hope of future good then for that which they haue receiued Example of the lye which the Constable gaue to the Lord of Imbercourt at the conference of Roy. Prudence Experience and Occasion I Haue seene few men that could flye time Lib. â— Chap. 3 and auoyd their misfortunes neither heere nor in any place else For the one hath no experience hauing not seene their neighbour Countries which is a great error in all men of worth for it giues a great iudgement resolution to haue seene thinges by experience Others haue to great a loue to their Goods Wiues and Children And these reasons haue beene the causes of the ruine of many good men Men which haue no experience Lib. 1. Chap. 3. maintaine many ill grounded arguments and with smâ—ll reason Wherefore it is good to follow the opinion of him which saith That no man repents himselfe of speaking little but oftentimes for speaking to much Secrecy AS soone as Princes depart one from another Lib. 11. Cha. 8. they secretly whisper whatsoeuer hath beene obserued in them and then through indiscretion speake of it openly at dinner and supper and then it is reported of both sides for few thinges are kept secret in this world especially of those which are spoken Knowledge A Prince Lib. 5. Cha. 18. or man of any Estate whatsoeuer if
he haue force and authoritie where he liues ouer others if he bee learned and hath seene or read it will either amend him or impaire him For the bad impaire with much knowledge and the good amend Yet it is credible that knowledge doth rather amend him then impaire him were there nothing but the shame to know his owne euill it were sufficient toâ—keepe him from doing ill at the least not to wrong any man whereof I haue seene many experiences among great personages whom knowledge hath drawne from many bad desseignes and also the feare of Gods punishment whereof they haue greater knowledge then ignorant men who haue neither seen nor read History IT is a great aduantage for Princes to haue read Histories in their youth Lib. 2. Chap. 6. where they may plainely read of such assemblies and of the great fraudes deceipts and periuries which some of the ancients haue vsed one against another hauing taken and slaine them that haue relyed vpon such assurances It is not said that all haue vsed it but the example of one is sufficient to make many wise and to giue them a will to stand vpon their gard And in my opinion one of the greatest means to make a man wise is to haue read ancient Histories and to learne to gouerne himselfe wisely thereby and by the example of our predecessors For our life is so short as it sufficâ—th not to haue experience of so many thinges Besides we are decayed in age and the life of man is not so long as it was wont to be nor their bodies so strong All the Bookes that are written were to no vse if it were not to reduce things past to memory where we see more in one booke in three monthes then twenty men liuing successiuely one after another can see by the eye or learne by experience Although that enemies nor Princes be not alwaies alike notwithstanding that the subiect be yet is it good to be informed of thinges past Nourishment ALl men that haue beene great Lib. 1. Chap. 9. and done great matters haue begun very yong And it coÌ„sists in the education or coms from the grace of God This is spoken by the Author vppon the good education of Lewis the eleuenth without the which it had beene impossible for him to haue surmounted those great difficulties which he had in the beginning of his raigne and to blame that of the noblemen of his time who were not bred vp but to shew their folly in their speach and apparrell They haue no knowledge of any learning and there is not a wise man among them They haue Gouernors to whom they talk of their affaires and not to themselues and they dispose thereof and there are such Lords which haue not sixescore and ten pounds starling yearely rent which take a glory in saying speake vnto my officers thinking by these wordes to seeme great men In like manner I haue often seen such seruants make their profit of their maisters giuing them to vnderstand that they were beasts And if happily any one returnes and desires to know his owne it is so late as it serues him to small purpose A Princes subiects haue cause to greeue when they see his Children ill bred vp and in the hands of bad conditioned men Nature A Naturall wit perfectly good excells al other sciences that may bee learned in the world Example of Lewis the eleuenth who without any knowledge of learning had the reputation and the effects of the wisest Prince of his age Hope ALL well considered our only hope must be in God In the end of the first Book for in him lies all our assurance and all bounty which cannot be found in any worldly thing But euery man knowes it too late and after that he hath need yet it is better late then neuer Age. THe fathers old Age makes him to indure the Insolencies of his sonne patiently Lib. 1. Chap. 2. Example of Philip Duke of Bourgondy who dissembled the bad vsage of his sonne the Earle of Charolois to them of thâ— house of Croy. Foresight VVIsemen discerne so farre off as their life is not sufficient to see halfe of those things which they haue foreseene Lib. 3. Chap. â— Carelesnes and vigilancy MAd and distracted Princes are not to bee blamed if they gouerne their affairs ill Lib. 6. Cha. 4. but they that haue their iudgments sound and are well disposed of their persons if they spend their whole time in idlenes and folly they are not to be pittied if they fal into misfortunes But they which diuide their times according to their age somtimes seriously and in Councell and somtimes in feasts and pleasure are much to be commended and the subiects are happy to haue such a maister An Alphabeticall Table of the principall matters contained in the first seuen Bookes of this History A ACcord betwixt the King of Castile Portugal fol. 220. Affaires of a Prince are then effected with most safety and aduantage when he hath won that person who is most in credit and authority with the other with whom he Treates 166. Affection of Maisters to bad seruants is the cause of much disorder 14. Alphonso King of Portugall comes to demand succours in France 215. But is refused by the French King 218. Alphonso proclaimed King of Castile 217. His death Ibid. Amazment breeds strange effects 80. Ambition hath no other law then the fancy of the Ambitious 77. Amurath puts Scanderbegs brethren to death 120. growes fearefull of Scanderbegs valour Ibid. Army of the Earle of Charolois 79. Articlâ—s of a peace betweene France and England 165. Attempt against the Duke of Bourgundies life discouered by the King 206. B Balue the Cardinall imprisoned in a cage of his owne inuention 132. Basile besieged by Lewis the Dauphin 22. Battell of Firmigny 30. Battell at Montlehery 81. Battell at Wakefield 56. Battell of Varna 121. Battell of Morat 213. Battell of Nancy 224. Beauuais besieged 164. Birth of Charles the eight 146. Boldnesse after danger past 86. Bothwell in great fauour with the King of Scotland 232. C Cadet rescueth the Earle of Charolois 83. Challenge sent to the Duke of Bourgundy 3 Charles the seuenth disinherited by his father Charles the sixt 1. Hee armes against his sonne Lewis the Dauphin 12. He takes the Castle of S. Maxiant 13. His reprehension of the Duke of Bourbon 14. His fragility 26. His Death 27 Charles Duke of Orleans led prisoner into England 3. He dieth for sorrow 69. Charles of Nauarre poysoned by his Mother in Law 61. Charles Duke of Berry retires into Brittany 70. His solicitatioÌ„ of the Duke of Bourgundy to assist him for reformation of disorders in France Ibid. Campobasse his treason against the Duke of Bourgundy 223. Charles Earle of Charolois afterwards Duke of Bourgundy his negligence in trayning his Army 82. Is in danger to be slaine or taken 83. His repast among dead bodies 84. Runs into vnseene danger 94.