Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	court_n	king_n	parliament_n	2,759	5	6.7580	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03723	A true and plaine report of the furious outrages of Fraunce & the horrible and shameful slaughter of Chastillion the admirall, and diuers other noble and excellent men, and of the wicked and straunge murder of godlie persons, committed in many cities of Fraunce, without any respect of sorte, kinde, age, or degree. By Ernest Varamund of Freseland.; De furoribus Gallicis. English	Hotman, François, 1524-1590.; Bèze, Théodore de, 1519-1605.; Languet, Hubert, 1518-1581.	1573 (1573)	STC 13847; ESTC S104242	59,763	145

himself he commaunded one day to be giuē a hundred thousand pounds of his owne treasure in recompence of his former losses VVhen his brother the Cardinall Chastillion endowed with many great and welthie benefices was departed his life the king gaue him the fruites of one whole yeare Also the kyng wrote to Philibert Duke of Sauoy that he should do him a most acceptable pleasure if he did not onely deale more gently with those that in the former warres had ayded those of the Religion but also would vse clemencie and mildenesse toward all other that professed the same Religion within his dominions And for that there was old enmitie betwene the Guisians and the Admirall wherby it was to be doubted that perillous contentions wold arise in the Realme of Fraunce the king willed it to be signified to them both in his name that they should for his sake and the common weales giue ouer those displeasures and he prescribed them a certaine fourme of reconciliation and agrement the same whereof the foundations had bene layed almost sixe yeares before in the towne of Molins where the king calling to him the greatest estates of his realme after consultation and deliberation had vpon the matter pronoūced the Admiral not guiltie of the death of the Duke of Guise wherwith he was charged by the yong Duke of Guise and his kinsmen and so the king by the aduise of his Counsell had ended that controuersie Furthermore the Cardinall of Loraine who as we haue sayd was the very forger of all the former warres to take away al ielousie of new practises was departed to Rome toke with him his familiar friend the late created Cardinall Peluey one reputed a most subtil craftie persō vnder pretēce of goyng to the election of a newe Pope in place of the olde Pope then lately deceassed But there was none greater and more assured tokē of publique peace quietnesse than this that the king purposed to giue hys sister Margaret in marriage to the Prince Henry the sōne of the Queene of Nauarre which Prince had in the last warre defended the cause of the Religion and bene soueraigne of their armie VVhiche mariage the kyng declared that it should be the most streight bond of ciuill concorde and the most assured testimonie of his good will to those of the Religion Yea and also bicause it was alleaged that the sayd Prince Henrie was restrayned in conscience so as he might not marrie the Lady Margaret being of a contrary Religion a Catholike and giuen to the rites of the Romish Church the king for aunswere sayd that he would discharge hir of the Popes lawes and notwithstanding the crying out of all his courtiers to the contrary he permitted him that withoute all ceremonies in the porch of the great church of Paris the mariage shoulde be celebrate in such a fourme as the ministers of the refourmed Church misliked not VVhiche thing being by reporte and letters spread through the world it cannot be expressed howe muche it made the hearts of those of the Religion assured and out of care and howe it cast out al feare ielosies out of their minds what a confidence it brought them of the kings good will toward them Finally how muche it reioyced forreine Princes and states that fauored the same Religion But the Admirals minde was much more stablished by a letter which about the same time Theligny brought him with the kings owne hand and sealed wherein was conteined that whatsoeuer the Admirall shuld do for the matter of the intended warre of the lowe coūntrey the king would allow and ratifie the same as done by his owne commaundement About that time Lodouic of Nassaw with the Queene of Nauarre a Lady most zelously affected to the Religion came to the Frenche Courte The league was made betweene king Charles and the Prince of Aurenge and the articles thereof put in writing The mariage was appointed to be holden in the towne of Paris For whiche cause the Queene of Nauarre during those fewe dayes repaired thether to prouide things for the solemnitie of the wedding For the same cause the king sente to the Admirall one Cauaignes a man of an excellent sharpe witte whome for the Admirals sake the king had aduanced to great honoure requiring the Admirall to go before to Paris as well for the said preparation as also for the matter of the warre of the lowe countrie promising that he himselfe would within fewe dayes followe after him assuring him that there was now no cause for him to feare the threatnings and mad outrages of the Parisians For in asmuch as the same towne is aboue all other giuen to superstitions and is with seditious preachings of Monks and Friers dayly enflamed to crueltie it is hard to expresse how bitterly they hated the Admirall and the professors of that Religion VVherto was added a griefe of their mind conceiued certaine dayes before by reason of a certaine stone crosse gilted and builte after the manner of a spire steeple commonly called Gastignes crosse whiche the Admirall with great earnest sute obtayned of the king to be ouerthrowne for he alleaged that being erected in the midst of the rage of the ciuill warre as it were in triumph to the reproch of one of the Religion it was a monumente of ciuill dissention and so a matter offensiue to peace and concord The King well knowing this deadly hate of the Parisians to the Admirall wrote his letters to Marcell the prouost of the marchauntes whiche is the highest dignitie in Paris with sharpe threatnings if there should be raised any stirre or trouble by reason of the Admirals comming To the same effect also the Duke of Aniow the kings brother and the Queene mother wrote to the same Marcell and the rest of the magistrates of Paris so that nowe there seemed vtterly no occasion lefte for the Admiral to feare or distrust And within few dayes after the king sente Briquemault a man of greate vertue and estimation to the Admirall with the same instructiōs saying that the matter of the lowe countrey could not well be delt in without his presence The Admirall perswaded by thus many meanes and filled with good hope and courage determined to go to Paris where so sone as he was ariued and had bene honorably and louingly entertayned of the king and his brethren and the Queene mother and consultation entred among them about the preparation for the low coūtrey he declared to the king at large how the Duke of Alua was in leuying of great power and preparing an armie and that if the king should dissemble his purpose it would come to passe that many thereby wold shew themselues slower and slacker to the enterprise and that nowe were offered greate meanes to do good whiche if he let slippe hee should not so easily recouer the like againe hereafter And therefore it was best to take the aduantage of this opportunitie A fewe dayes before Lodouie of Nassaw

of Frāce by the horssemen of Gonzague Duke of Niuers nere to the towne of la Charité whiche hath a bridge ouer the riuer of Loyre and remained till that time in the power of those of the Religion by reason of the great number of thē there inhabiting This troupe was of those horssemen whiche the King hath accustomed to keepe in ordinarie wages in euery countrey whereof the most parte were Italians countrey men to their Captaine Lewes Gonzague to whome the Queene mother had giuen the daughter and heire of the Duke of Niuers in mariage They requested of the townesmen that they might make their musters within the towne saying that they had receyued warrante from the King so to do and shewed the Kings letters therefore At Lions the gouernoure of the towne commaunded a view to be taken of all those that professed the Religion and their names to be written in a boke and broughte vnto him which booke shortly after according to the successe was called the bloudy booke After the mariage ended at Paris which was the time that the Admirall had appointed to returne to his owne house he moued the king concerning his departure But so great was the preparation of playes so great was the magnificence of banquets and shewes and the King so earnestly bent to those matters that he had no leysure not onely for waightie affaires but also not so much as to take his naturall sleepe For in the French court Dauncings Maskings stageplayes wherein the King exceedingly delighteth are commonly vsed in the night time and so the time that is fittest for counsell and matters of gouernance is by reason of nightly riottous sitting vp of necessitie consumed in sleepe So great also is the familiaritie of men and the womē of the Queene mothers traine and so great libertie of sporting entertainment and talking togither as to forein nations maye seeme incredible and be thought of all honest persons a matter not very conuenient for preseruatiō of noble yong Ladies chastitie Moreouer if there come any pandor or bawde oute of Italie or any Scholemaster of shameful and filthie lust he winneth in short time maruellous fauour and credit And such a multitude is there begonne to be of Italians commonly throughout all Fraunce specially in the court since the administration of the realme was cōmitted to the Queene mother that many doe commonly call it Fraunce-Italian and some terme it a Colonie and some a common sincke of Italie These madnesses of the Courte were the cause that the Admirall could not haue accese to the Kings speache nor entrance to deale in waightie matters But whē they that were sent from the refourmed Churches to complayne of iniuries commonlye done to those of the Religion vnderstode of the Admirals purpose to departe they did with all speede deliuer to him their bookes and petitions and besoughte him not to departe from the Court till he had dealte in the cause of the Churches and deliuered their petitions to the King and his counsell For this cause the Admirall resolued to deferre his goyng for a while till he mighte treat with the kings Counsell concerning those requests for the King had promised him that he would shortly entend those matters and be present with the Counsell himselfe Besides this delay there was another matter that stayed him There was owing to the Rutters of Germanie whiche had serued on the part of the Religion in the last warre great summes of money for their wages in whiche matter the Admirall trauelled with incredible earnestnesse and care Concerning all these affaires the Admirall as he determined before hauing accesse and opportunitie for that purpose moued the Kings priuie Counsell the .22 daye of August which was the fift daye after the king of Nauarres mariage and spent muche time in that treatie Aboute noone when he was in returning home from the coūsell with a great companie of noblemen and gentlemen beholde a Harquebuzier oute of a windowe of a house neere adioyning shotte the Admirall with two bullets of leade through both the armes VVhē the Admirall felt himselfe wounded nothing at all amazed but with the same countenance that he was accustomed he said through yonder windowe it was done go see who are in the house VVhat manner of trecherie is this Thē he sent a certayne gentleman of his company to the king to declare it vnto him The king at that time was playing at Tennise wyth the Duke of Guise Assoone as he heard of the Admirals hurte he was maruellously moued as it seemed and threw away his racket that hee played with on the grounde and taking with him his brother in lawe the king of Nauarre he retired into his castle The gentlemen that were with the Admiral brake into the house from whence he receyued his hurte there they found only one woman the keper of the house and shortly after also a boy his lackey that had done the deede and therewithall they founde the harquebuze lying vppon the table in that chamber from whēce the noyse was heard him that shot they found not for he in great hast was runne away out at the backe gate and getting on horssebacke which he had wayting for him redy sadled at the dore he rode a great pace to Sainte Anthonies gate where he had a freshe horsse tarying for him if neede were and another at Marcelles gate Then by the kings commandement a great number rode out in post into all partes to pursue him but for that he was slipped into bywayes and receiued into a certaine castle they could not ouertake him At the sure of the king of Nauarre and the Prince of Conde and other the King by and by gaue commission for enquirie to be made of the matter and committed the examining thereof to three chosen persons of the parliament of Paris Thuan and Morsant and Viol a counseller Firste it was found that the same house belonged to a Priest a Canon of saint Germaine whose name is Villemure which had bene the Duke of Guises scholemaster in his youthe and still continued a retayner towarde hym Then the woman whiche we said was founde in the house being taken and broughte before them confessed that a fewe dayes before there came to hir one Chally sometime a maister d'hostel of the Duke of Guises house and now of the Kings courte and commaunded hir to make muche of the man that had done thys deede and to lodge him in the same bed and chamber where Villemure was wont to lie for that he was his friende and very familiar acquaintance and that Villemure would be very glad of it The name of him that shot was very dilligently kepte secret Some say it was Manreuet whiche in the thirde ciuill warre traiterously slew his captaine monsieur de Mouy a most valiante and noble gentleman and straightway fled into the enimies campe Some saye it was Bondot one of the archers of the Kings guarde VVhen the womans confession was broughte to

had stayed in a wardrobe adioyning to his owne chamber and caused them to lodge there al night A little afore day hearing of the running of men and noyse of armor and cries and killings they rose in hast and immediatly de Nance whome we haue before spoken of came to them and cōmanded them in the kings name to come downe into the court and to leaue their weapons behind them and lastly to depart out of the castle VVhen de Pilles sawe himselfe thrust out among the multitude of the murthering souldiers and beheld the bodies of them that were slayne he cried out with a very lowde voyce that the king might well heare him protesting vpon the kings fidelitie and detesting his trayterous infidelitie therwith he toke off a rich cloake whiche he wore and gaue it to one of his acquaintāce saying take here this token of Pilles and hereafter remember Pilles moste vnworthyly and shamefully slayne Oh my good Monsieur de Pilles saide the other I am none of them I thanke you for your cloake but I will not receiue it with that condition and so refused to take the cloake and immediatly de Pilles was thrust through by one of the guarde with a partisan and died And this ende had this most valiante and noble gentleman And then his body was throwen into the quarrey with the rest whiche when they that passed by did behold the souldiers cryed out there they be that made assault vpon vs and would haue killed the king Leranne beeing thrust through with a sword escaped and ran into the Queene of Nauarres chamber and was by hir kept and preserued from the violence of those that pursued him Shortly after she obtayned his pardon of hir brother and committing him to hir owne Phisitions restored him both to life and health VVhile things were in doing at Paris Strozzi which as we haue aforesayd was come with all his power to Rochell sent a great number of his souldiers into the towne vnder colour of a banket to be made to his friends in the castell called la Cheine but by reasō of the iealosie watches of the townes men by whom he sawe his treason was espied he went away without his purpose But they of la Charité which as we haue before shewed were trapped by the Italian horssemen taking lesse heed to the safe keeping of their towne were a little before night surprized and within fewe dayes after put to the sweard The next day following where any that had hidden themselues in corners at Paris coulde be found out the slaughter was renewed also common labourers and porters and other of the most rascals of the people and desperate villaines to haue the spoile of their clothes stripped the dead bodies starke naked threw them into the riuer of Seane The profit of all the robberies and spoyles came all for the most part to the handes of these laborers and the souldiers and to the Kings treasure came very little or nothing The onely gaine that came to him was that which might be made of the vacations as they terme them of offices and of places of Magistrates Captaines other romes of charge wherof yet he gaue a great part freely away to diuers of the court For the Admirals office he gaue to the Marques de Villars the Chancellorship of Nauarre after the murther of Francourt he by and by gaue to Henry Memne de Malassise which had been the truchman and messenger in the treatie of the last peace the office of the maister of the Finances after the slaughter of Prunes he gaue to Villequier the office of President des aides when Plateau was slaine he gaue to de Nully the other offices he sold as his maner is to such as gaue ready money for them For it hath ben the custome now lately of certaine Kings of Fraunce such as among forein nations hath not bene heard of to put to sale all the profits rights and benefites of the crowne and to kepe an open market for money of all iudiciall offices and of all the roomes belonging to his treasure and finances according to a rate of price set vpon euerie one of them and there is not in maner one in all Fraunce that doth not opēly iustifie that he bought his office for readie money and that no man ought to maruell if he desire to fill vp the empty hole of his stock againe And therefore iustice is throughe all Fraunce vsually bought for money though there be neuer so many murders committed yet is there no processe awarded to enquire thereof till present coyne be payde to the rakehelles and scribes This butcherly slaughter of Paris thus perfourmed and foure hundred houses as is abouesayd sacked immediatly messengers were sent in post into all partes of the Realme with ofte shifting their horsses for hast to command all other Cities in the Kings name to follow the example of Paris and to cause to be killed as many as they had among them of the refourmed Religion These commaundments it is wonderfull to tell how readily and cherefully the greatest part of the Cities of Fraunce did obey and execute But the king fearing as it was likely the dishonour of false treacherie and periurie sent letters to the gouernours of his prouinces and also speedie messangers into England Germanie and Switzerland to declare in his name that there was a great commotion and seditious stirre happened at Paris which he was very sorie for that the Duke of Guise had raised the people and with armed men made assaulte vpon the band that was assigned to the Admirall for his guarde and had broken into the house and slaine the Admirall and all his companie and houshold seruants and that the king had hardly kept safe from those daungers hys owne castell of the Louure where he kept him selfe close with his mother and his brethren the true copie of which letters is hereafter inserted But the same most mightie and by the consent of all nations commonlye called the most Christian King within two dayes after came into the Parliament accompanied with a great traine of his brethren and other Princes The counsell being assembled he sitting in his throne began to speake vnto them he declared that he was certified that the Admiral with certaine of his complices had conspired hys death and had intended the like purpose against his brethren the Queene his mother the king of Nauarre and that for this cause he had commaunded his friends to slay the sayde Admiral and all his confederates and so to preuent the treason of his enimies This his testification and declaratiō the king commaunded to be written and entred in the recordes of Parliament and that it should be proclamed by the heraldes and published by Printers And he willed a boke to be set forth to this effect that the slaughter of the Admirall his adherentes was done by the Kings commaundement for so was his maiesties expresse pleasure bicause they had

conspired to kill him and his brethren and the Queene his mother and the King of Nauarre And farther that the King did forbid that from thenceforth there should be no moe assemblies holden nor preachings vsed of the Religion After the kings oration ended Christopher Thuane President of that Parliament a man verie notable for his lighte brayne and his cruell heart did with very large words congratulate vnto the king that he had nowe with guile and subtiltie ouercome these his enimies whom he could neuer vanquishe by armes and battell saying that therein the King had most fully verified the olde saying of Lewes the eleuenth his progenitor King of France which was wont to say that he knew neuer a Latine sentence but this one Qui nescit dissimulare nescit regnare He that can not skill to dissemble can not skill to be a king But Pibrace the aduocate of the Finances made a short oration the summe wherof was to this effect that although the king had iust and great cause to be displeased yet he thoughte it more agreable with his maiesties clemencie and goodnesse to make an ende of the slaughters and common spoyle and not to suffer suche outrages to be any longer committed without iudiciall proceding in the cause and besoughte his maiestie that from thenceforth it woulde please him to vse the lawe which is well knowne to be the onely stablishment of kingdomes and empires and that there had bene alreadie giuen to the commonaltie too perilous an example to followe An arrest of Parliament with the Kings royall assent being made to that effecte there were immediately Haroldes and trumpeter● sent round about all the towne and an Edict proclaimed in the kings name that frō thenceforth the slaughters cōmon butcherly murtherings shuld ceasse and that all persons shuld abstaine from pillage and robberie This being knowne there were diuers speeches vsed of this matter throughout the town and specially of learned men The most parte sayd that they had read many histories but in all memorie of all ages they neuer heard of any suche thing as this They compared this case with the horrible doings of king Mithridates which with one messenger and with the aduertisement of one letter caused a hundreth and fiftie thousand Romaines to be slaine Some compared it with the doing of Peter of Arragone which slewe eight thousand Frenchmen in Sicile which Isle they had surprised in his absence But yet this difference appeared betwene those cases and this that those Kings had exercised their crueltie vpon foreins and strangers but this king had done his outrage vpon his owne subiectes being yelded not so much to his power as to his fayth and credit Those kings were bounde by no promise but such as was giuen to the strangers themselues this king was with newe made league bounde to the Kings and Princes his neighbours to kepe the peace that he had sworn Those kings vsed no guilefull meanes vnworthie for the maiestie of a king to deceiue this king for a baite and allurement abused the mariage of his owne sister and in a manner besprinkled hir wedding robe with blood VVhich dishonor indignitie no posteritie of all ages can forget Some againe discoursed that though this cruell aduise semed to many Courtiers to haue bene profitable yet not onely the honor of a King but also the estimation and good same of the whole nation was against that shewe of profit They alleaged how Aristides did openly in the audience of all the people reiect the coūsell of Themistocles cōcerning the burning of the Lacedemoniās nauie although it must nedes haue followed that the power of the Lacedemonians their enimies should therby haue bene vtterly weakened Furius Camillus receiued not the childrē of the chiefe Lords of the Phalisce betrayed to him by their schoolemaster but stripped him naked and deliuered him to be whipped home with rods by the same childrē Pausanias hath lefte it reported that the posteritie of Philip of Macedon fell into moste greate calamities for this cause that he was wont to set light by the reuerend conscience of an oth and his faith giuen in leagues Some cited the lawe of the twelue tables Si patronu● clienti fraudem facit facer est● If the patrone or soueraigne defraude his client or vassal be he out of protectiō They disputed also that like faith as the vassall oweth to his Lord the Lord oweth also to his vassall and for what causes and for what fellonies the vassal loseth his tenancie for the same causes and fellonies the Lord loseth his segniorie Some saide that the right hand in auncient time was called the pledge of the faith of a king and that this if a king shall despise there is no communion of right with him and he is no more to be accoūted a king neither of his owne subiects nor of straungers Kingly vertues in times past haue bene reported to be these iustice gentlenesse and clemencie but crueltie and outrage haue euer bene dispraised both in all persons and spec●ally in princes Scipio hath in all ages bene praysed who was wont to say that he had rather saue one citizen than kill a thousand enimies whiche sentence ▪ Antoninus the Emperour surnamed Pius the kind or vertuous did ofte repete It was a most shamefull by worde of yong Tiberius to be called Clay tempered with bloud They said also that kings haue power of life and death ouer their subiects but not without hering the cause and iudicial proceding that there cannot be alleaged a greater authoritie than the dictators had at Rome in whome was the soueraigne power of peace and warre of life and death and without appeale yet was it not lawfull for them to execute a citizen his cause vnheard Only theeues and murderers take away mens liues withoute order of lawe and hearing their cause VVho can doubt said they but that this so great outra●e so great sheading of Christian bloud is the frute of the curssed life of the courtiers For saide they nowe throughout all Fraunce whoredome and loose leudnesse of life are so free and vsuall that nowe the most part of the women of Fraunce seeme to be in manner common and the wicked blasphemies and continuall execrations and dishonorings of Gods most holy name and maiestie are suche as God cannot longer beare and true it is though incredible among foreine Nations that the catholikes of Fraunce haue prescribed them selues this for a speciall marke to bee knowne from other men that at euery thirde word they blasphemously sweare by the head death bloud and bellie of God and wonderfull it is that the King him selfe is so much delighted in this custome of swearing and blaspheming and this as it were a pestilente infection is spred abrode and common among the very plowmen and paysants so as none among them now speaketh three words without most filthy blaspheming and horrible execration of god VVho can longer beare the vile vnchastities the bawdes and

ruffians of the Courte Finally very nature it selfe doth now as it wer expostulate with God for his so long sufferāce and forbearing and the very earth can no longer beare these monsters Nowe as touching the Admirals supposed conspiracie who can thinke it likely that hee shoulde enterprise any suche thing within the walles of Paris For in the Court there is continually watching and warding a garrison of the kings and at the entrie of his castell the guardes of Gascoines Scottes and Switzers are continually attending the king hymselfe both alwayes before and specially at that time by reason of his sisters marriage had a great trayne of Princes great Lords noblemen and gentlemen about him Moreouer it was well knowne that in Paris within three hours space might be assembled and put in armoure threescore thousand chosen armed men specially against the Admiral whom no man is ignorāt that the Parisians most deadly hated beside that the noble yōg men that came thither with the king of Nauarre and the Prince of Conde by reason of the mariage and brought wyth them their wiues their sisters and their kinswomen thoughte at that time vpon nothing but vpon triumph and exercises of pastime gaye furniture of apparell and ornamentes Finally at whither of these two times can it be likely that the Admirall attempted this conspiracie was it before he was hurt why at that time he found the king his most louing or at leaste his moste liberall and bountifull good Lord neither coulde he hope euer to haue a more fauourable soueraigne in France VVas it then after he was hurt as though forsothe helying sore of two so great woundes aged maimed of both his armes the one wherof the Phisitions consulted whether it were to be cut off accompanied with three hundreth yong men would set vpō threscore thousand armed men or in so small a time could lay the plot for so great and so long and so heynous a fact for he liued scarce fortie houres after his hurte in which time he was enioyned by the Phisitions to forbeare talke Againe if he had bene detected of any such crime was he not committed to Cossin and to his keping and so enuironed all the wayes beset about him and so in the kings power that if it had pleased the king he might at all times in a moment be caried to prison why was not orderly enquir●e and iudiciall proceeding vsed according to the custome and lawes and generall right of nations and witnesses produced according to the form of lawe but be it that the Admirall and a fewe other of his confederats and followers had cōspired why yet proceded the outragious crueltie vpon the rest that were innocent why vpon ancient matrones why vpon noble Ladies and yong gentlewomen and virgins that came thither for the honor of the wedding why were so many women greate with childe against the lawes of al natiōs and of nature before their deliuery throwen into the riuer why were so many aged persons manye that lay sicke in their beds many gownemen manye counsellers aduocates proctors Phisitions many singularly learned professors and teachers of good artes and among the reste Petrus Ramus that renoumed man throughout the world many yong students executed with out hearing withoute pleading their cause without sentence of condemnation moreouer if the Admirall had slaine the three brethren who doubteth but that all countreyes al Cities all Parliaments finally all sortes and degrees of men would haue spedily taken armor and easily haue destroyed all of the Religion hauing them enclosed within their townes hauing iust cause to render to al forrein nations for their common slaughters and killing of them As to that which toucheth the king of Nauarre what can be imagined more absurde and vnlikely had not the Admirall him foure yeares in his power Did not he professe the same Religion that the Admirall did which of those of the Religion which of them I say as Cassius was wont to reason shoulde haue gained or receiued profit by the killing of the king of Nauarre did not the Catholikes hate him and the Admirall coulde not hope to haue any man more friendly to him nor by any other mans meanes to haue reuenge of his iniurie Lastlye in their houses that were slaine what armour what weapons were foūd by which coniectures iudges vse to be lead to trace oute a facte These matters wise men throughout the towne of Paris commonlye muttered But now to retourne to our purpose At such time as the Kings prohibition abouesaide was proclaimed at Paris not only in other townes as at Orleaunce Angiers Viaron Troys and Auxe●●e the like butcheries and slaughters were vsed but also in the towne of Paris it selfe in the very gaoles that are ordeined for the keeping of prisoners if any had escaped the crueltie of the day before they were nowe tumultuously slayne by the raging and outraging multitude in which number were three Gentlemen of great reputation captaine Monins a man very famous in marciall prowesse Lomen the kings secretarie a man of greate estimation for his long seruice in the Courte and Chappes a lawyer neere fourscore yeare olde a man of great renowne in the Courte of Paris And bycause we haue made mention of Angiers we thinke it good not to omitte the case of Masson de Riuers This man was a past●r of the Church and esteemed a singular mā both in vertuousnesse of life in excellēce of wit and learning was the first that had layd the foundation of the Church at Paris As sone as the slaughter was begon at Paris Monsorel a most cruell enimie of the Religion was sente to Angiers in post to preuente all other that might carie tidings of the murdering As sone as he came into the towne he caused himselfe to be brought to Massons house There he met Massons wife in the entrie and gently saluted hir and after the maner of Fraūce specially of the Court he kissed hir and asked hir where hir husbād was she answered that he was walking in the garden and by by she broughte Mōsorel to hir husband who gētly embraced Masson and said vnto him Canst thou tell why I am come hither It is to kill thee by the Kings commaundement at this very instant time for so hath the king commaunded as thou mayst perceiue by these letters and therewith he shewed him his dag ready charged Massō answered that he was not guiltie of any crime howbeit this one thing only he besoughte him to giue him space to call to the mercie of God and to commende his spirit into Gods hande VVhiche prayer as soone as he had ended in fewe wordes he meekely receiued the death offered by the other and was shotte through with a pellet and dyed Now to retourne to Paris the Admirals body being hanged vp by the heeles vppon the common gallowes of Paris as is aforesaid the Parisians went thither by heapes to see it And the Queene mother to