done and ministred to our Subjects without partiality hatred or favour which is one of the principal means to keep peace and concord among them we have and do ordain that a Chamber shall be establish'd in our Court of Parliament of Paris consisting of a President and 16 Councellors of the said Parliament the which shall be called and entitled The Chamber of the Edict which shall not only judge the Causes and Processes of those of the said pretended Reform'd Religion within the Jurisdiction of the said Court but also those of the Jurisdiction of the Parliaments of Normandy and Britany according to the Jurisdiction hereafter conferr'd upon it by this present Edict and that until a Chamber be establish'd in each of the said Parliaments to minister Justice upon the place We also ordain that the four Offices of Councellors in our said Parliament of Paris remaining of the last election by us made shall be forthwith bestowed on four of those of the said pretended Reform'd Religion fitly qualify'd and capable to serve in the said Parliament who shall be distributed viz. The first shall be receiv'd into the Chamber of the Edict and the other three in order as they shall be receiv'd into three of the Chambers of the Inquests Moreover the two first Offices of * Laiz Councellors that shall become vacant by Death shall also be given to two of those of the said pretended Reform'd Religion and the persons thus receiv'd shall be distributed into the two other Chambers of Inquests XXXI Besides the Chamber heretofore establish'd at Castres for the Jurisdiction of our Court of Parliament of Thoulouse which shall be continu'd in the state it now stands we have for the same considerations ordain'd and do ordain that in each of our Courts of Parliament of Grenoble and Bourdeaux shall also be establish'd a Chamber consisting of two Presidents the one Catholick and the other of the said pretended Reform'd Religion and of twelve Councellors six of which shall be Catholicks and the other six of the said Religion which Catholick Presidents and Councellors shall be by us selected and chosen out of the body of our said Courts And as to those of the said Religion a new Creation shall be made of a President and six Councellors for the Parliament of Bourdeaux and of a President and three Councellors for that of Grenoble the which with the three Councellors of the said Religion that are at present of the said Parliament shall be employ'd in the said Chamber of Dauphine And the said Offices of new creation shall be allow'd the same Salleries Honours Authorities and Preheminencies as the others of the said Courts And the said Sessions of the said Chamber of Bourdeaux shall be held at Bourdeaux or at Nerac and that of Dauphine at Grenoble XXXII The said Chamber of Dauphine shall determine the Causes of those of the said pretended Reform'd Religion of the Jurisdiction of our Parliament of Provence without being oblig'd to take Letters of Summons or other Citations any where but in our Chancery of Dauphine Neither shall those of the said Religion of Normandy or Britany be oblig'd to take out Summons or other Citations any where but in our Chancery of Paris XXXIII Our Subjects of the said Religion of the Parliament of Burgundy shall have the choice and election to plead in the Chamber ordain'd in the Parliament of Paris or in that of Dauphine neither shall they be oblig'd to take out Letters of Summons or any other Citations but in the said Chanceries of Paris and of Dauphine according to their own choice XXXIV All the said Chambers compos'd as abovesaid shall determine and judge in sovereignty by Sentence Definitive by Decrees excluding all others of Suits and Differences mov'd and to be mov'd in which those of the said pretended Reform'd Religion are concern'd as Principals or Warranties either as Plaintiffs or Defendants in all matters as well Civil as Criminal whether the said Processes be by Writ or Verbal Appeal if the said Parties like it so and one of them requires it before any Plea in the Cause in relation to Suits to be mov'd always excepting all matters of Benefices and the Possessors of Tythes not enfeoff'd Ecclesiastical Patronages and Causes wherein the Demean of the Church shall be concern'd which shall all be try'd and judg'd in the Courts of Parliament and the said Chambers of the Edict shall not be allow'd to take cognizance of the same It is also our Will and Pleasure that in order to judge and decide Criminal Causes that shall happen among the said Ecclesiasticks and those of the said pretended Reform'd Religion if the Ecclesistick is Defendant the Judgment of the Criminal Cause shall belong to our Sovereign Courts exclusively to the said Chambers and the Ecclesiastick being Plaintiff and he of the said Religion Defendant the Cognizance and Judgment of the Criminal Cause shall belong by Appeal and in last reference to the said Establish'd Chambers The said Chambers also in Vacation-times shall determine of Matters referr'd by the Edicts and Ordinances to the Chambers establish'd in times of Vacation each one in their Jurisdiction XXXV The Chambers of Grenoble shall from this present be united and incorporated to the Body of the said Court of Parliament and the Presidents and Councillors of the said pretended Reform'd Religion entitled Presidents and Councellors of the said Court and held in the number and rank of them To this end they shall be first dispos'd of in the other Chambers and then call'd and drawn out of them to be employ'd and to serve in that which we institute a-new yet they shall assist and have a Voice and Session in all the Deliberations that shall be made when the Chambers are assembled and shall enjoy the same Sallaries Authorities and Preheminencies as the othe Presidents and Councellors do XXXVI It is also our Will and Pleasure that the said Chambers of Castres and Bourdeaux shall be reunited and incorporated into the said Parliaments in the same manner as the others when it shall be needful and the Causes that have mov'd us to establish them shall cease and subsist no longer among our Subjects And therefore the Presidents and Councellors of the said Chambers being of the same Religion shall be call'd and held for Presidents and Counsellors of the said Courts XXXVII There shall be also newly created and erected in the Chamber ordain'd for the Parliament of Bourdeaux two Substitutes of our Attorney and Advocate General of which the Attorney's Substitutes shall be a Catholick and the other of the said Religion who shall be invested with the said Offices with competent Pensions XXXVIII All the said Substitutes shall take no other quality than that of Substitutes and when the Chambers ordain'd for the Parliaments of Bourdeaux and Thoulouse shall be united and incorporated into the said Parliaments the said Substitutes shall be provided with Councellors Places in the same XXXIX The Expeditions of the
mention'd shall also take place in relation to others who have been ingag'd in the Party of those of the said Religion or that have absented themselves out of our Kingdom by reason of the Troubles And as for the Children under Age of those of the Quality abovesaid who dyed during the Troubles we restore the Parties to the same Estate in which they were before without refunding the Charges or being bound to consign the Fines or Amerciaments but yet we do not mean that Judgments given by Presidial or other Inferior Judges against those of the said Religion or those who have been ingag'd in their Party should remain void if given by Judges holding Sessions in Cities held by them to which they had a free access LX. The Decrees given in our Courts of Parliament in matters the Cognizance whereof belongs to the Chambers ordain'd by the Edict in the year 1577. and the Articles of Nerac and Flex in which Courts the Parties have not proceeded voluntarily that is they have alledg'd and propos'd ends declinatory or that have been given by default or Exclusion either in matters Civil or Criminal notwithstanding which ends the said Parties have been constrain'd to go forward shall likewise be annihilated and of no value And as for the Decrees given against those of the said Religion who have proceeded voluntarily without proposing declinatory Ends the said Decrees shall remain in force yet nevertheless without prejudice to the Execution thereof they shall be allow'd if they think good to take some course by Civil Request before the Chambers ordain'd by the present Edict and the time run on mention'd by the Ordinances shall be no prejudice to them and until the said Chambers and their Chanceries are establish'd the Verbal Appeals or those by Writ brought in by those of the said Religion before the Judges Registers or Committees Executors of Decrees and Judgments shall take the same Effect as if they had been sued out by Letters Patent LXI In all Inquiries that shall be made upon any occasion whatsoever in Civil Matters if the Inquisitor or Commissary is a Catholick the Parties shall be oblig'd to agree about an Associate and in case they cannot agree about one the said Inquisitor or Commissary shall take one out of the Office being of the said pretended Reform'd Religion and the same shall be practis'd when the Commissary or Inquisitor shall be of the said Religion for a Catholick Adjunct LXII We Will and Ordain That our Judges shall determine the Validity of Testaments in which those of the said Religion shall be concern'd if they require it and the Appeals of the said Judgments may be sued out by those of the said Religion notwithstanding all Customs contrary thereunto even those of Brittany LXIII To prevent all differences that might happen between our Courts of Parliament and the Chambers of the said Courts ordain'd by our present Edict We will set down an ample and plain Order between the said Courts and Chambers by which those of the said pretended Reform'd Religion shall fully injoy the benefit of the said Edict Which Order shall be verified in our Courts of Parliament which shall be kept and observ'd without having a respect to those that have been made before LXIV We prohibit and forbid all our Soveraign Courts and others of this Kingdom to take Cognizance and judge the Processes Civil and Criminal of those of the said Religion the Tryal whereof by our Edict is referr'd to the said Chambers provided the return be demanded as it is specifi'd by the 40 Articles abovewriten LXV Our Will also is by way of Provision until we have otherwise ordain'd it that in all Suits mov'd or to be mov'd in which those of the said Religion shall stand as Plaintiffs or Defendants principal Parties or Warrantees in Civil Causes in which our Officers and Presidial Tribunals have power to Judge definitively they be permitted to demand that two of the Chamber where the Cause is to be try'd abstain from the Judgment of them who without alledging any cause shall be bound in this case to abstain notwithstanding the Ordinance by which the Judges cannot be excepted against without just cause there remaining to them besides refusals of Right against the others And in Criminal Cases in which the said Presidial Judges and other Subaltern or Inferior Judges Royal judge definitively the Persons impeach'd being of the said Religion shall also be allow'd to challenge three of the Judges peremptorily The Provosts of the Marshals of France Vice-Bailiffs Vice-Seneschals Lieutenants of the Short Robe and other Officers of the like Quality shall also judge according to the Ordinance and Rules heretofore given in relation to Vagabonds And as for Housholders charg'd and impeach'd with any Provostal or Publick Crime if they be of the said Religion they shall also be allow'd to demand that three of the said Judges who may take Cognizance thereof abstain from the Judgment of their Causes which the said Judges shall be oblig'd to do without any expression of Cause except when in the Assembly where the said Causes shall be judg'd there happen to be to the number of two in Civil matters and three in Criminal Cases of those of the said Religion in which Case they shall not be allow'd to challenge peremptorily without showing cause the which shall be common and reciprocal to Catholicks in manner and form abovemention'd in respect to the Refusal of Judges where those of the said pretended Reform'd Religion shall exceed the others in number Nevertheless we do not mean that the said Presidial Tribunals Provosts-Marshals Vice-Bailiffs Vice-Seneschals and others who judge definitively should by virtue of what is abovesaid take Cognizance of the Troubles past And as for Crimes and Excesses committed upon other occasions than that of the Troubles past from the beginning of March 1585. to the end of the year 1597. in case they do take Cognizance of them It is our Will that Appeals may be had from their Judgments before the Chambers ordain'd by the present Edict as shall in the like manner be practis'd for Catholick Accomplices where some of those of the pretended Reform'd Religion shall be Parties LXVI We also will and ordain That henceforward in all Instructions except Informations of Criminal Causes in the Seneschalships of Thoulouse Carcassonne Rovergue Loragais Beziers Montpelier and Nimes the Magistrate or Commissary deputed for the said Instruction if he be a Catholick shall be bound to take an Associate of the pretended Reform'd Religion which the Parties shall agree about and in case they cannot agree one of the said Religion shall be taken out of the Office by the aforesaid Magistrate or Commissary As in like manner If the Magistrate or Commissary be of the said Religion he shall be oblig'd in the manner and form aforesaid to take a Catholick Assistant LXVII When any Housholder of the said Religion being charg'd and accus'd of any publick Crime shall be try'd before the
and 12 Councellors of which eight shall be Catholicks and the other four of the said Religion Which Catholick Presidents and Councellors shall be by us selected and nominated out of the number of the Presidents and Councellors of the said Courts And as to those of the said Religion such shall be employ'd as shall be found at this very time in possession of the said Offices in the said Courts And in such places where their number shall not be sufficient we shall erect other Offices as much as shall be necessary to accomplish the aforesaid number with the same Salleries Honours Authorities and Prerogatives as the others of our said Courts for persons of the said Religion XXIII A Chamber shall also be establish'd for the Jurisdiction of our Court of Parliament of Thoulouse compos'd as the others of two Presidents the one a Catholick and the other of the said Religion and of twelve Councellors eight Catholicks and the other four of the said Religion Which Catholicks shall be by us chosen out of our other Courts of Parliament and out of the Great Council And as for those of the said Religion such shall be employ'd there as shall be found still at this present time provided with Offices in the said Parliament of Thoulouse besides which a sufficient number shall be created to supply the said Chamber as is above said for the others Which Chamber being thus compos'd shall by us be sent into the City of And as for that of Dauphine it shall sit six Months in our City of Grenoble and the other six Months in such another City as we shall hereafter order XXIV The said Chambers compos'd as abovesaid and establish'd in all our said Parliaments shall take cognisance and judge sovereignly and definitively by Decree exclusively to all others of Suits and Differences mov'd or to be mov'd In which Suits those of the said pretended Reform'd Religion and others that have been ingag'd in their Party shall be Principals or Warrantees either Plaintiffs or Defendants in all Causes Civil or Criminal whether the said Processes be by Writ or Verbal Appeals in case the said Parties like it so and one of them requires it before any Plea in the Cause in respect to Suits to be commenc'd XXV It is also our Pleasure by way of Care and Circumspection until we have otherwise ordain'd it that in all Processes mov'd or to be mov'd in which those of the said Religion shall stand as Plaintiffs or Defendants Principals or Warrantees in Civil Causes in which our Officers of Presidial Seats have power to judge Sovereignly and definitively they shall be allow'd to demand that two of those of the Chamber where the said Cause is to be try'd shall abstain from the Judgment of the same Who without alledging any cause shall be oblig'd to abstain in this case Notwithstanding the Ordinance by which the Judges cannot be excepted against without a just cause besides their still retaining the Refusals of Right against the others And in Criminal matters in which they also judge Sovereignly the accus'd of the said Religion shall be allow'd to demand that three of the Judges may abstain from the Judgment of their process without shewing cause And the Provosts of the Marshals of France Vice-Bailiffs Vice-Seneschals Lieutenants of the Short Robe and other Officers of the like Quality shall judge according to the Ordinances and Rules heretofore given in respect to Vagabonds And as for Housholders charg'd and accus'd of Provostal or Criminal cases if they be of the said Religion they shall be allow'd to demand that three of the Presidial Judges before whom the said Cases are to be try'd by the Statutes may abstain from the Judgment of their Process And they shall be oblig'd to abstain from the same without shewing cause except when in the Chamber of the said Presidial Seats where the said Processes are to be judg'd there be to the number of Two in Civil Cases and Three in Criminal matters of the said Religion In which Case it shall not be allow'd to refuse without shewing cause But yet we do not mean that the said Presidial Tribunals Provosts Marshals Vice-Bailiffs and Vice-Seneschals by vertue hereof should take cognisance of the Troubles past XXVI It is farther our Will and Pleasure that our most Dearly Beloved Brother the King of Navar our most Dearly Beloved Cousin the Prince of Conde as well as all other Lords Knights Gentlemen and others of what Quality and Condition soever of the said Religion and others that have been ingag'd in their Party shall be restor'd and effectually preserv'd in the possession of their Governments Places Estates and Royal Offices which they enjoy'd before the 24th of August 1572. the said to hold and to use in the said form and manner as other Governors and Officers of this our same Kingdom without being oblig'd to take new Letters Patents all Decrees and Judgments given against them and Letters Patent obtain'd by others for the said Employments notwithstanding As also that they shall re-enter inpossession of all and singular their Estates Rights Names Dues and Actions all Judgments and Sentences given upon the account of the said Troubles notwithstanding The which Decrees Judgments Letters Patent and all that may have follow'd we have to that end declar'd and do declare null and of no effect and value XXVII Not intending however that those of the said Religion and others that have been ingag'd in their Party who have resign'd their Employments and Offices by vertue of our Letters Patent or of the Late King our most honour'd Lord and Brother whom God absolve should recover the same and re-enter into the possession thereof reserving to them however all Actions against the Possessors and Titularies of the said Offices for the payment of the price agreed on between them upon the account of the said Resignations And as for those who have been constrain'd by particular persons by Fact and Force to resign their said Employments and Offices we do permit them and their Heirs to sue for the same by Law in a civil manner both against those that have us'd the said Force and against their Heirs and Successors XXVIII And as for those of the said Religion and others who have been ingag'd in their Party and had the grant of the said Offices before the 24th of August 1572. and were not yet receiv'd into the same It is our will and pleasure that they be receiv'd into the said Employments and that all necessary Patents be expedited them to that End XXIX It is also our will and pleasure That in case any Commanderships of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem belonging to those of the said pretended Reform'd Religion and others who have been ingag'd in their Party shall be found seiz'd by Authority of Justice or otherwise barely upon the account and pretence of the Troubles and they any wise dispossess'd of the same they shall be immediately restor'd to the said Commanders
have their Exercise free therein although they were inclos'd in Episcopal Towns and that the King shou'd forbid any farther searching in Booksellers Houses for Books of Religion at Rouen Bourdeaux and elsewhere and seizing upon 'em tho not expos'd to Sale 'T was Remonstrated that in many Colleges they had refus'd to admit the Regents and the Scholars for the sake of their Religion only That in many places the Reformed had no Church-yards That to avoid the Inconveniencies of Funeral Attendance in the Night and which expos'd the Reformed to a Thousand Affronts from which they cou'd not Guard themselves they ought to be permitted to Bury in the Day To this were added Complaints against several Curates who had caus'd divers Bodies to be digg'd up again in the very places which had been assign'd to the Reformed for their Burial-places before the Civil Wars of which they demanded leave to inform But above all they aggravated the Outrage done to the Body of a Lady by Cardinal de Sourdis Archbishop of Bourdeaux a Man the most Passionate and most Rash of his time and who perplex'd himself in all sorts of Affairs with the least consideration He order'd the Body to be taken up Eighteen Years after it had been Bury'd and made the Bones to be thrown into the High-way There was a long Train of Articles that concern'd the Chambers of the Edict or Miparties and by their diversity it may be observ'd that the Catholics wou'd have subjected these Chambers to the Parlaments and have made 'em a kind of an Inferiour Jurisdiction whereas they ought properly to have been Little Parlaments which having nothing to do with those of which they were Members but that they were compos'd in part of Judges taken out of those greater Bodies had the same extent of Jurisdiction and Privileges These Articles then requir'd that the Six Counsellors of the Parlament of Paris and the Three of the Parlament of Rouen might be admitted all together into the Chambers of the Edict because of those Acts of Injustice that one alone cou'd not hinder That the Invasions of the Parlament of Tholouse upon the Jurisdiction of the Chamber Establish'd at Castres of which Examples wholly new were produc'd might be repress'd That the Reformed Counsellers that serv'd at Rouen in the Chambers of Inquests might judge of Clerical Priviledges and of Crimes of which the Ecclesiastics were accus'd That the Chambers of the Edict might take Cognizance of all Causes where the Reformed should be Parties as also of Causes relating to Benefices in Possession of Tithes of Ecclesiastical Rights and Demains of Criminal Causes where the Ecclesiastics were Defendants That there shou'd be an Expedient found to Protect the Reformed from the severity of the Parlaments of Tholouse of Bourdeaux and Grenoble from which no Justice was to be expected in Affairs the Cognizance of which was taken away from the Chambers That in Causes relating to a pretended Ecclesiastical Fund the Chambers might have power to examine the Nature of the Fund to retain the Cause if the Fund was not of the Quality pretended That the Affairs of the Reformed against the Ecclesiastics in some Parlaments where the Judges had their Children possess'd of Benefices and Church-Employments shou'd be brought before the Parlament of Paris or the Grand Council That the Chambers shou'd take Cognizance of the Affairs of the Reformed concerning Hospitals That they shou'd be allow'd the Cognizance of Affairs of Subsidies and Accounts given to the Parlaments of Rouen and Provence in Causes where the King was not to Intervene and where only his Farmers were to be dealt with That Matters of Corporation-Government where the Reformed were Parties shou'd be sent back to the Chambers of the Edict when they demanded it That the Chamber of Grenoble might give Audience with open Doors and that the Parlament shou'd admit Advocates of the Reformed Religion That the Orders of this Chamber might be executed in Provence without demanding Pareatis That in each Bailliage an Office shou'd be Erected for which the Patents should be given at the Nomination of the Reformed empowring 'em to do whatever concern'd the Edict and the Execution of it because that in Normandy and other parts the Parlament refus'd Pareatis's for the Execution of Decrees of Council Letters Patents and other Acts of the same Nature That at Paris shou'd be Created a Substitute to the Advocate-General who shou'd be of the Reformed Religion That removing of Causes to the Grand Council shou'd not be granted to the prejudice of the Chambers That the Causes of Presidents and Counsellors shou'd be kept in the Chambers where they serv'd without being constrain'd to go Plead at the nearest Chamber That Causes shou'd not be remov'd under pretence of Kindred which the Parties shou'd have in the Chambers That the Exceptions shou'd be Judg'd there before the King gave his Letters of Removal That there shou'd be a Fund rais'd for the Maintenance of the Sessions of Vacations in the Chambers as for those of Parlaments That the Commissioners of Registers in the Chambers of Castres and Nerac shou'd be half Papists half Protestants That the Parlaments shou'd not oblige the Counsellors which they sent to serve in those Chambers to Judge according to certain Rules that should too much limit the Jurisdiction That in the Criminal Instructions to Parlaments Reformed Assistants should taken in such as the Parties should agree upon or who should be Nam'd ex Officio if the Inquisitors were Catholics There were other Articles which spoke of Employments There was a Complaint that the Catholics held Contests with the most Ancient Counsellors upon the point of Precedency and that at Paris upon the Request of the Attorney-General those of the Catholic Apostolic and Roman Religion had inform'd against Molâ— Possess'd of Presidents place There was a General Regulation demanded conformable to the Declaration which the King had Verbally made on many particular Affairs touching the Right of admitting indifferently to Consulships and other Elective places without distinction of Religion those who shou'd be call'd thereto by ordinary means Ancient and Accustom'd The Reason of this demand was That the Reformed being the strongest in almost all the good Towns of Guyenne and Languedoc and persons capable of these employs being no where to be found but amongst them it happen'd that they always fill'd the most Honourable places if they were given according to the Ordinary Forms to those who should be judg'd worthy by the plurality of Voices On the contrary the Catholics would deprive the Reformed of this advantage and obstinately persisted almost every where that there might be an equal Division of these Places between Papists and Protestants In which they buoy'd themselves up by the Example of certain Treaties which had been made in some places before the last Edict that equally divided the Consulships between the Reformed and the Catholics But there arose daily Law-Suits upon these opposite pretensions which being carry'd to
to put off the Cause to be heard before the Council for other Reasons then those that appear'd in the Decree That is to say That nothing might be pronounc'd in an Affair of this Nature and to give place for an Accommodation A very passionate Author who has inserted Servin's Pleading in his Work says That the Decree was agreeable to the Evidence but he does not relate the Terms of the Decree whereas the Advocate General Talon relates 'em in his Reports such as I have said In a word this Affair was one of the principal Reasons of making the Nine and Thirtieth Article of Particulars so as it is and the opposite Interests of the Widow and the Defendants gave room for greater Contests since the year 1600. The Cause of a Carthusian who had lest his Cloyster before the Edict and who demanded a share with his Brothers and in 1605. that of a Capuchin whose Case was the same were Judg'd according to the Tenor of the Article If they deviated a little in this Widows Cause 't is easie to see that there was more regard had to the Quality of the Persons concern'd then to the Nature of the business The Duke of Rohan this year likewise receiv'd a Check at the Court He was not willing to live unprofitable to the World and with a design to advance himself therein he made some steps which did not please the King But that was calm'd by the submission of the Duke who referr'd himself to the Discretion of his Master But the following year the Reformed and all good Frenchmen with no small disgust beheld the Pyramid thrown down which was rear'd to Eternize in a Plate of Brass the Decree of the Banishment of the Jesuits after the wicked attempt of Chatel Those Assassins who had the Credit to Re-establish themselves in spite of the Decree had yet a greater Reputation to demolish that Monument of what they were capable to do nor could the Parlament who were troubl'd beyond imagination to see the noblest mark of their Zeal for the good of France destroy'd prevent it either by Oppositions or Remonstrances All that they obtain'd was That they were not constrain'd themselves to undo their own Work and that it was Demolish'd without Formality of Justice Discourses Writings and Verses were on this Subject but the Jesuits who had what they desir'd took little notice of these slight storms well knowing it to be a Liberty of no consequence which may be Granted for his Consolation to an Enemy that can do no more mischief then only evaporate his Anger in Satyrs and Pasquills After this nothing but Favours were granted to this Society nothing but Benefices united to the Colledges but Houses built to Lodge their Novices more at their Ease In the mean time the Kingdom was full of Alarms and the King received from all parts Advice of the great designs that the Spaniards had upon several places Several Parties of the Male-contents got together of which the one had for pretence the Publick Good others design'd to raise up the Nobility again which had bin too much humbled others to pull down Roni whose Fortune they compared to that which Sejanus had done under Tiberius and wish'd that his end might be like to the downfal of that Favourite as there had been a resemblance in the advancement of the one and of the other and in the abuse which as they pretended the one in imitation of the other made of his Masters favour Others pretended to Revenge the Death of Biron whose Relations they were or else his Creatures The greatest part of these Intrigues were Spun by the Marshal de Bouillon who thought to render himself formidable in hopes perhaps to be recall'd and who had every where such great Intelligences that he seem'd capable of putting all Europe in Combustion He Labour'd above all things to engage the Reformed in some League by insinuating a dread in 'em from the King 's having promis'd the Legate to Ruin them And he caused Propositions to be made them for Establishing fixed Councels in all the Provinces to Treat of the Affairs of the Common Cause to exclude the Kings Officers of all the Politick Debates of their Assemblies to draw up Models for Raising Men and Money and to make Alliances with Strangers for their Common Defence But I know not how they could impute to him any other Projects Inconsistant with these as to design to change the Religion to conspire the Dismembring of the Kingdom to desire the Dauphinate for his share to disturb the Succession of the Dauphin to make a League with the Spaniards to make Peace between them and the Vnited Provinces It is impossible to join these Designs with the other for his part he deny'd constantly ever to have had such thoughts and it was so much the more easie for him to justifie himself in that it was not possible to find the least Proof against him in Writing Some body deposed that Money brought from Spain was distributed by the Orders of the Marshal to some private Gentlemen of Querci Guyenne and Languedoc and that they were promis'd at the same time that they should be assisted with greater Succours but the Sum which did not exceed Ten or Twelve Thousand Crowns was so little that it could not be thought to come from Spain which would never have confin'd her Profusions to so small a Matter It was believed that the Marshal had drawn this Sum out of his own Purse to keep his Friends in hope of a more considerable Profit Nevertheless every thing caus'd a Jealousie in a Kingdom where the Remains of so many old Factions gave occasion to fear that new ones were forming and the Assembly of Chattelleraud being come unlook'd for in this state of Affairs redoubled the perplexity of the Suspicious they well knew at Court that great matters were there to be Debated They were to consult which way to preserve their places of Security of which they knew that the Council would all at once take two Thirds away from them by distinguishing those which belong'd to particular Lords from those which were the Kings only The Revolt of Gentlemen of which already many Examples had been seen made the consequence to be feared in regard that if one Person of Estate happen'd to change his Religion all his Places would be lost from the Party Moreover the King talk'd openly of making War against the Marshal de Bouillon and of seizing his strong Holds and nothing could divert him from it but the Consideration of his Breeves which allow'd the Reform'd the keeping of the Places or Garisons for a time which was not yet expir'd But the difficulty was remov'd in case the Places belonging to particular Persons were not included with those they call'd Places of Surety from whence it follow'd that when ever the King should think fit he might dispossess the Reform'd of all those Places one after another and the Breach being
do declare All Sentences Judgments Decrees and Proceedings Seisures Sales and Statutes made and given against the said of the pretended Reform'd Religion as well dead as alive since the Death of our said most honoured Lord and Father King Henry on the account of the said Religion Tumults and Troubles happen'd since together with the Execution of the said Judgments and Orders from this moment Void Revok'd and Annull'd and therefore order the same to be raz'd and taken out of the Registers of our Courts both Sovereign and Inferior as also all Marks Tracts and Monuments of the said Executions defamatory Books and Acts against their Persons Memories and Posterities and order the whole to be raz'd out And the Places that have been demolish'd and raz'd on that account restor'd to the owners thereof to be us'd and dispos'd of according to their pleasure XXXIII And as for the Procedures made Judgments and Decrees given against those of the said Religion upon other accounts than the said Religion and Troubles together with Prescriptions and Feodal Seizures accruing during the present last and precedent Troubles beginning the Year 1567. they shall be void as never having been made given nor happen'd neither shall the Parties derive any advantages by them but shall be put again into the same condition in which they were before the same XXXIV We also ordain That those of the said Religion shall keep to the Political Laws of our Kingdom in observing Festivals neither shall they labour or sell in open Shops on the said days nor yet open their Shambles to sell meat on such days in which the use of meat is prohibited by the Roman-Catholick Church XXXV And to the end that Justice may be render'd and ministred to all our Subjects without Partiality Hatred or Favour we have and do Ordain Will and it is our Pleasure That Suits and Differences mov'd or to be commenc'd among Parties being of contrary Religion as well in being Plaintiffs as Defendants in any Civil or Criminal Causes whatever shall be heard in the first place before the Bailiffs Seneschals and other our ordinary Judges according to our Ordinances And where Appeals shall lye in any of our Courts of Parliament in relation to that of Paris which is compos'd of Seven Chambers The great Chamber La Tournelle and five Chambers of the Inquests it shall be lawful for those of the pretended Reform'd Religion if they please in the Causes they shall have depending in each of the said Chambers to demand that four either Presidents or Counsellors may abstain from the Judgment of their Processes who without alledging any Cause shall be bound in this case to abstain notwithstanding the Ordinance by which the Presidents and Counsellors cannot be excepted against without just Cause And besides that all Refusals of Right shall be allowed them against all others Presidents and Counsellors according to the Ordinances or Statutes XXXVI As for the Suits they shall have depending in the Parliament of Thoulouse if the Parties cannot agree about another Parliament they shall be return'd before the Masters of Request of our Hostel in their Court in the Palace at Paris who shall judg their Suits Impartially and Sovereignly without Appeal as if they had been judg'd in our said Parliaments XXXVII And as to what relates to those of Roan Dijon Provence Bretagne and Grenoble they shall be allowed to challenge Six Presidents or Counsellors to abstain from the Judgment of their Suits that is three out of each Chamber And in that of Bourdeaux four out of every Chamber XXXVIII The Catholicks shall also be allow'd to challenge if they think fit all such Members of the said Courts as have been discharg'd of their Offices upon the account of Religion by the said Parliaments â—o abstain from the Judgment of their Suits also peremptorily and they shall be oblig'd to abstain from the same They shall also be allow'd all usual Recusations against all other Presidents and Counsellors according as they are of Right allow'd by the Statutes XXXâ—X And whereas several persons have receiv'd and suffer such Injuries and Damages in their Estates and Persons that it will be difficult for them to lose the remembrance thereof so soon as it should be requisite for the execution of our Intention being desirous to avoid all Inconveniences that might arise from peoples being disturb'd in their Houses until all Grudges and Animosities are allay'd we have given in keeping to those of the said Religion the Cities of Rochel Montauban Coignac and La Charité in which all such as shall be unwilling to repair so soon to their own Houses shall be free to retire and to inhabit And for the surety of the same our said Brother and Cousin the Princes of Navar and Condé together with Twenty Gentlemen of the said Religion who shall be by us nominated shall swear and promise one and for the whole for themselves and for those of their said Religion to preserve the said Cities for us and at the end of two years to deliver them again into the hands of such a one as we shall think fit to depute in the same condition they now are in without innovating or altering any thing in the same and that without any delay or difficulty upon any account or occasion whatever At the expiration of which term the exercise of the said Religion shall be continued there as while they held them It being nevertheless our Will and Pleasure that in the same all Ecclesiasticks shall freely re-enter and perform Divine Service in all Liberty and enjoy their Estates as well as all the Catholick Inhabitants of the said Cities which said Ecclesiasticks and other Inhabitants shall be taken into the Protection and Safeguard of our said Brother and Cousin and other Lords to the end that they may not be hindred from performing the said Divine Service molested nor disturb'd in their Persons or in the enjoyment of their Estates but on the contrary restored and reintegrated into the full possession of the same Willing moreover that in the said four Cities our Judges shall be re-establish'd and the exercise of Justice restor'd as it us'd to be before the Troubles XL. It is also our Will and Pleasure That immediately after the Publication of this Edict made in the Two Camps Arms shall strait be laid down every where the which shall only remain in our hands and those of our most Dear and most Beloved Brother the Duke of Anjou XLI A Free Commerce and Passage shall be re-established through all Cities Towns Villages Bridges and Passages of our said Kingdom in the same condition as they were before the present and last Troubles XLII And in order to avoid the Violences and Transgressions that might be committed in several of our Cities those who shall be by us appointed for the Execution of the present Edict in the absence of one another shall make the chief Inhabitants of the said Cities of both Religions whom they
observ'd â—t only to put them in force again in those where they â—â—re not observ'd The King also granted that the Reform'dâ—ould â—ould not be lyable to be Sequestrators of the Ecclesiastiâ— Estates seiz'd upon for the Tithes but it was his pleasure that incase they should accept it voluntarily they â—ould be subject to the ordinary jurisdiction and should â—t pretend a removal to the Chambers The third which related to the Affairs of Dauphine which were commonly treated of apart was also answer'd the same day and among several other Articles the King particularly granted these That the Grounds given to serve for Church-yards should be freed from paying of Tailles and Rents due to the King or that incase they should Lay in the Royalty of any other Lord they should have the same discharge the said Lords being indemnifi'd at the charge of the Communities injoyning the exemption That the number of the Judges allow'd of requir'd to judge according to the Ordinances not being found in the Chamber of Grenoble the Parties might of Right and without having recourse to the King or to the great Council apply themselves to the next Chamber as it was already allow'd in Case the Judges were divided in their Opinions That the Reform'd Associate who should be taken by the Catholick Judge to assist at the Information of Criminal Causes should also be taken for Assessor with a deliberative Voice in the Judgment That the Parliament should not be allow'd to give a Pareatis nor to give a Decree in Causes depending in the Chamber against persons who publickly profess'd the Reform'd Religion That the King should create a Reform'd Secretary and a Messenger to be officiated by such persons 〈◊〉 should be nominated by the Churches of the Province with the same Sallarys and Prerogatives as others who had the same Offices That the Parties who had reason to complaâ—… of the Ordinances made by the Commissioners which thâ—… late King had deputed for the Verification of the Country Debts might appeal from their Judgment in three Months time to the Party-Chamber It appears by those Cahiers that the Chambers had daily new disputes with the Parliaments concerning their Jurisdiction and Power So that those Judges allow'd to the Reform'd to exempt them from putting their Affairs and Lives into the hands of other suspected or partial Judges for the most part only serv'd to engage them into disputes of Jurisdiction which almost distracted them The Parliaments could not accustom themselves to that dismembring of their own Jurisdiction which depriv'd them of the major part of Afâ—…rs Therefore upon the least ground they retain'd the â—…uses of the Reform'd and refus'd their appeals At Paris man pretending to have a right of sight upon a certain â—…ace the Possessors opposs'd it and after the appeal of â—…e Sentence of the first Judge the Defendants resolv'd â—…t to submit the Cause to the Chamber of the Edict The â—…use was Civil if ever any was so since the thing debate was only a little Right pretended upon the â—…ound of a Community but whereas the owners of the â—…d Ground were Monks the Parliament retain'd the Cause â—…etending that it was an Ecclesiastical Cause Another â—…an being condemn'd for some pretended Irreverence by the Inferior Judge to keep and be at the charge of a burnâ—…g Lamp in a Church was like wise refus'd the removal he desir'd under pretence that it was a Cause that was excepâ—…d So that it was sufficient in order to deprive a Reform'dâ—…f â—…f the Privilege of a removal granted by the Edict for â—…e Subaltern Judge to condemn'd him to any thing in which the Church of Rome was concern'd by this Wile â—…ey gave the Parliaments a pretence to retain the Causes of Appeal In other places the Parliaments oblig'd the Messengers who were to execute any Decrees made by the â—…hamber establish'd within their Precinct to take Letters of â—…junction as not acknowledging that the said Chambers â—…ad an Authority to cause their Judgments to be observ'd independantly from the Parliaments This was the reason for which the Chamber of Grenoble desir'd the aforesaid â—…ettlement Nevertheless the Chambers of the Edict still retain'd â—…me notwithstanding these pretences and then they were â—…s severe in their Judgments as the Parliaments The Chamber of Paris gave one that year in the Month of April upon a very singular Case A Curate in resigning â—…is Cure had retain'd a Pension upon his Revenue and in order not to be liable to the Consequences of such Agreements when sufficient precautions have not been taken to Authorise them he had caus'd his contract to be approv'd of at the Court of Rome His said Pension was constantly paid him while he was a Catholick but as soon as he had embrac'd the Reform'd Religion the Assignee would no longer pay it The said Cause was brought before the Chamber of the Edict I know not why since it was at least as much Ecclesiastical as the others I have mention'd And they declar'd the Pensionary incapable of injoying the said Revenue by reason of his change of Religion The Proselite really acted contrary to the Disipline of the Reform'd which oblig'd all those of his Character when they embrac'd the Reform'd Religion to renounce their Benefices to preserve none of the Revenues of the same directly or indirectly But the Chamber of the Edict did not judge according to the said Discipline they only consider'd the Religion of the Parties As I have heretofore observ'd that the Reform'd complain'd that the Commissioners sent into the Provinces had made their condition worse than it was in some places it will not be amiss to give another proof of it The Commisioners who had the District of Burgundy and who made the alterations I have already mention'd in the Country of Gex did a thing in the Parish of Chalemant a dependency of the Diocess of Nevers which the Reform'd were very much concern'd at by reason of the Consequence of it A Reform'd Gentleman whose Family pretended to have a right of Burial in the Parochial Church had been bury'd there The Bishop complain'd to the Commissioners about it as of a great attempt and desir'd the Corps to be remov'd in order to reconcile the Church which was profan'd by the Burial of an Heretick Genicourt Master of Requests the Catholick Commisioner caus'd the said Corps to be taken out of the Ground and to be transported to the place which was allow'd to the Reform'd for their Burials The Reform'd Commissioner was absent at that time whither it were that he had no mind to have a hand in that extraordinary proceeding or whither being one of those complaisant persons nominated by the Duke Bouillon he absented himself on purpose not to be obâ—…d to do an Act of Courage by opposing that novelty â—…l this was done with a great deal of Ceremony and great â—…rmality which only serv'd to make the more noise and give a greater lusture