the 11. time was al one with this of the Guises in these late troubles namely for that the warres only maintayned them in their greatnesse and forced the King to stand in need of them whereas the peace might be much preiudiciall to them and bring them to their accounts for many matters ill carried in their charges Hereupon the Count set on his King to enbarke himselfe in a warre against so great an enemy as the Duke of Burgogne and these euen forced their Master to war vpon his owne Subiects against so good a cause as true Religion And as he desired nothing lesse then that the Duke should condescend to his Maiestie and so make a peace so did these only wish that they of the Religion might still stand stiffe in their profession Likely also it is that at the first they did not so much as dreame of obtayning the Crowne as hauing foure Princes of the house of Valois al yong besides the house of Burbon standing in their way But when these one after another died and the times grew so fauourable through their popular carriage the onely signe of an ambitious mind as that all the eyes of France were bent vpoÌ„ them then they raysed their thoughts as high as the highest place and the rather because the Religion of the next Prince of the bloud who should bee serued before them was so contrary to the general liking of the French State Their only cause they said was Religion but true it is that Haillan saith that Religion is only the cloke and pretext selon les esprits des païs ou selon les menees et practiques des grands qui donnent cette opinion aux peuples According to the humors of the country or the driftes and practises of the Grandies who possesse the people with that opinion And in another place Diuisions sont comme fatales à la France et entre les causes qui l' ont trouble toutes les fois qu'il à este la diuision de grands a este la premiere et la principale et tousiours couuerte du nom du bien publique et de la Religion Diuisions haue beene as it were fatall to France and of all the causes of her trouble at any time the diuision among the Grandies hath euer beene the first and principall and alwayes cloaked with the name of the publike good and Religion The onely patterne and Mirrour whome the last Duke of Guise folowed in these his dangerous deseignes for the obtaining of the Crowne was Pepin who to depose his Master and to preferre himselfe found no way more compendious then to professe himselfe the Protectour of the Church and Rooter out of heresies For which good seruice the Romish Church inuested him with the Crowne of France and hee gaue them many Territories in Italy both large caruers of that which was not their owne But the vsurpation was most vniust as also the attempt it selfe howsoeuer they shadow it with the colour of Religion For Nulla iusta causa videri potest contra Remp. arma capiendi No cause of taking armes against the State can seeme truely iust It is a pitifull spectacle to see a happie State brought to ruine by the diuision of her great ones but when it is wrought by such of the Nobilitie as are newly infranchised and ennobled with all preferments who were but lately strangers it is much more lamentable and also insupportable The three great States of England Spaine and France can instance herein and giue you examples of Piers Gauestone Aluaro de Luna and this house of Lorraine These are they of whom all the late writers complaine Les François esloient lois speaking of former times vrays François n'auoyent point succéle laict de Lorraine qui donne les humeurs de toutes les sortes de Trahisons The French were then true French they had not yet sucked the milke of Lorrayne which breedes humors fit for all sorts of treasons And as it is sayd of Lalain a gallant Gentleman in Commines his time Estoit d'une race dont pens'en est trouue qui n'ayent esté vaillans quasi touts morts en seruant leurs Seigneurs en la guerre He was of a race whereof few can be found that haue not bene valiant and almost all of them slaine in the warres in their Princes seruice So may we say of these that it hath bin a valiant race and most of them haue dyed in the warres but with this difference that it hath still beene against the good of their Countrey howsoeuer they couered their treasons with the vaile of bien publique publique good as one saith of the Duke of Guyenne and Bretagne Mais en fin le bien publique estoit conuerti en bien particulier But in the end the publique good was turned to priuate profit The chiefest supporter of these Guisards and that still gaue oyle to the fire of this rebellion was the King of Spaine who the comparison of the State of France with the game of Primero saith that he stood by and looked on following that Machiauellian maxime or lesson which he had learned of the other Philippe of Macedon to suffer them to ruyne one another as did the Cities of Greece and then himselfe to take the aduantage and winne all for it is no question if Guise had wonne the game but this would haue had the rest He had this aduantage also while they were together by the eares to be in quiet himselfe for so saith the principle in the Mathematickes Ce qui faict mouuoir altruy est necessairement tousiours en repos That which giues motion to other things must needes it selfe be in rest The third cause I impute especially of the later troubles to the timorous nature and pusillanimity of Henry the 3. Ce qui donne volunté et moyens aux hommes de grands Esprits de conspirer contre leurs princes et d' attenter à l' vsurpation de la coronne est l'imbecillite et la neaâ—tise d'iceux Princes That which giues both will and meanes to men of great Spirits to conspire against their Princes attempt the vsurping of their Crowns is the weakenesse and worthlessenesse of the Princes themselues For in his time the Crowne of France was like the daughter and heire of Burgogne and the poore King like the crafty Duke made euery wooer and suter that she had beleeue that he should speede the King for feare lest by these corriuals hee should be brought lower the Duke in hope by intertaining them all to haue their aydes to raise himselfe higher Marry neither of them would gladly while they liued that this faire daughter should be married It is a dangerous thing in a State when the King dare not punish the ambitious desseignes of his Subiect Voyla le mal-heur d'vn siecle miserable iniuste de cognoistre l' iniustice ne
heires males to the house of Valois and for want of issue male in them is now come to the house of Burbon In this space of time you must obserue the three ages of France Her child-hood till Pepin her manhood till Capet her olde age till now For in the first age the Kings were like children content to be taught by others in matters of Religion as then ye may note that Clouis receiued the faith and was baptized as also in matter of policy they were content that others should beare the whole sway and rule them also such were the Maieurs de Palais whereof Pepin was one that vsurped In their manhood they did like men conquer kingdomes relieue distressed Christians ouercome Saracenes Infidels defend the Church against all assayles as ye may perceiue by the History of Charles the great and his successors And lastly now in her old age she grew wise erected Courts for iustice made lawes and ordinances to gouerne her inhabitants wherein no Countrey in Europe hath excelled her for so sayth my Author Il n'y a contré au monde ou la iustice soit mieux establit qu'n la nostre There is no Countrey in the world where Iustice is better established then ours which is true but with this addition of a later writer s'ilny en auoit tant et trop et s'ils estoient iustement exercez If the Officers thereof were not too too many if their places were rightlâ— executed This was the reason why many wise men of the world did imagine that this Feuer of the league which was entred at Peronne some 20. yeres since against France would haue shakeÌ„ the State from a Monarchy to an Aristocracy considering that in age nothing is more dangerous and besides it was now her climactetical yere of GouernmeÌ„t for this is the 63. King though this be but a curious and ill grounded conceit as also that other of the pourtreicts of the Kings in the Palace at Paris where because all the voyde places be fulfilled they would needes coniecture forsooth or rather conclude that there should be no moe Kings But this is but an idle dreame and presupposition for in the Cathedrall Church of Sienna in Italy all the roomes for the Popes are filled vp long ago euer since the time of Martin the 5. and yet notwithstanding that Sea of Rome stil hath a Pope But Du Haillan saith that as vertue was the cause that this State rose froÌ„ the ground of her base beginning to this height so Fortune hath beene the cause that she is not falne froÌ„ that high pitch to her first lownesse For he can see no reason of her standing considering these ciuill warres the difference of Religion the ambition of houses the conspiracies and reuoltes of the people the true causes of falling Therefore hee concludes La bonne Fortune nous a plus serui que nostre vertu Good fortune hath helped vs more then our owne vertue But without so much talking of the good Genius and bon-heur good hap of France hee should haue asscribed the first cause to God and the next to her Maiestie but this French is euer a thankelesse people I must not force this Relation with many notes of things here happening in former ages it is both impertinent and tedious onely I would wish you note that in 482. the Christian Faith was here receiued and in the yeere 800. the Romane Empire hither translated Concerning the Countrey of France the State is a Monarchy the gouernement is mixt for the authority of Maieurs Escheuins Consuls Iureurs c. is Democraticall the Paires the Counsels the Parliaments the Chambers of Counts the Generalities c. are Aristocraticall The calling of assemblies giuing of Offices sending Embassages concluding of Treaties pardoning of offences ennobling of Families legitimation of bastards coyning of moneys and diuers other to the number of 24. are meerely Regall called of the French Droicts Royaux And sure it is that no Prince in Europe is a more perfect Monarch then he for besides all these priuiledges named as we say of the Parliament of Paris that it hath the prerogatiue to bee appealed vnto from all other Courts which they call the Dernier ressort the last appeale so is it likewise true that the King himselfe hath the meere and absolute authoritie ouer this For though no Edict or Proclamation no Warre or Peace which he makes bee good without the consent and Arrest as they call it of this Court Yet true it is that when he sending to them for their confirmation and ratifying thereof if at first they refuse send Deleguez Deputies to his Maiestie to informe him of their reasons and humble sute to reuoke the same he returnes them vpon paine of his displeasure and depriuation of their Offices to confirme it Sic volo sic iubeo Such is my pleasure and absolute commandement As touching the Lawes of France we must know that most of theÌ„ are grounded on the Ciuil Law of the Emperor but so as this State euer protesteth against theÌ„ so far as they be good and equall insomuch as in former times it was ordeined that he which alledged any Law of Iustinian should lose his head Of the Lawes here in force some are fundamentall as they call them and immortall such as nor King nor assembly can abrogate others are temporall Quemadmodum ex his legibus quae non in tempus sed perpetuae vtilitatis causa in aeternum latae sunt nullam abrogari fateor nisi quam aut vsus coarguit aut stâ—tus aliquis reip inutilem facit Sic quas tempora aliqua â—â—siderant leges mortales vt ita dicam ipsis temporibus mutabiles esse video I confesse none of those Lawes which are not Temporary but established as eternall for the vniuersall good are euer abrogated such onely excepted as either vse findes hurtfull or some state of the Commonwealth makes vnprofitable so I see that those Lawes that are applied to particular times occasions are mortall as I may call them and change times with change And therefore one saith Quae in pace latae sunt plerumque bellum abrogat quae in bello pax vt in nauis administratione alia in secunda alia in aduersa tempestate vsi sunt Warre commonly abolisheth Lawes made in peace and peace Lawes made in Warre Euen as Mariners in guiding a Ship vse one course in faire weather another in foule Of the first sort I will onely remember you of two examples the Law Salique and that of Appennages As for the first they would needes make the world beleeue that it is of great antiquitie wherewith they very wrongfully tromped the heires of Edward the third of their enioying this Crowne of France which to them is rightly descended by his Mother and whose claime is still good were the English sword well whetted to cut the Labels of this Law Of which
skill in sea-seruice I maruaile therefore why du Haillan reporteth that they were first made in Charlemagnes dayes and that one M. Ritland was the first that was made There are now foure Admiralties France Bretagne Guyenne and Prouence This last is alwayes annexed to the gouernourship of that Countrey So that of Guienne likewise till the King that now is came to the Crowne who before was Gouernour and Admirall of Guyenne but since he hath diuided the commandes Yee may obserue in histories that all the while the French voyages were vpon the Leuant Seas either to the Holy-land Sicile or Naples or whithersoeuer the French alwayes had their vessels and Commanders out of Italy La France empruntoit ses Admiraux de Genes Pise de Venise de Luques France borrowed their Admirals from Genoa Pisa Venice and Luca. These haue the tenth of all wracke prize or prisoners that are taken at Sea Before the inuention of Shot there was an Officer in France called Grand Maistre des arbalestiers et Cranequiners Great Master of the Crosse-bowes and Ingines for Cranequin is a generall word for all instrumeÌ„ts of battery which Office is now called The Grand Maistre de l' Artillerie Great Master of the Artillerie who at first also immediatly after the inuention of Shot was called Capitaine Generall de l' Artillerie Captaine Generall of the Artillerie You haue also Treasurers for the Warres which are either ordinarie or extraordinarie Those pay the Gensdarmes and these the Regiments of the Infanterie Treasurers ordinarie are so many as there bee places where they Muster Of extraordinary there be alwayes foure The Heraults of France are sixe Normandy Guyenne Valois Bretagne Burgogne so called of the Countreyes as with vs in England and Mont-ioy who is the chiefe of the rest Their ancient Office was to bee present at all Iusts and Tournements to carrie warre or peace to summon places to defie enemie-Princes to giue armes to men new ennobled But now they bee onely vsed at Feastes Coronations Solemnities Funerals and such like for they are no more vsed in the treatie and negotiation with forraine Princes I thinke the reason is because the Office hath of late yeeres beene bestowed vpon vnworthy and insufficient persons It shall here be needlesse to name all other his Officers of the Warres which are all one with those of other Countreyes as Collonell Captaine Sergeant Lieftenant Ensigne Capporall c. I will onely remember in a word the French maner of Mustering March Charge and seruice ingenerall and then proceed to the next branch of this relation We must obserue that excepting the gens d' armes and the Regiments abouenamed when any Souldiers are taken vp for the warres they are not pressed as with vs but the Captayne hauing his Commission gathereth them vp by sound of Drumme entertayning onely such as will which may be some cause of the badnesse and basenesse of the French foote for being commonly the rascall sort and such as haue no other meanes there cannot settle in their abiect mindes that true and honourable resolution requisite in a Souldier This Commission must first be shewed to the Gouernour LieutenaÌ„t-generall Bailiffe or Seneshall of the Prouince vpon paine of death Neither is it good except it bee signed by the King and one of the Secretaries of estate and sealed with the great Seale The Souldiers leuyed are at the charge of the Prouince where they be taken vp till they depart the same Their March it should seeme is somewhat more sharpe then ours For I remember I haue heard say that vpon a time the olde Marshall Biron should bid Sir Roger Williams bring vp his companies faster taxing the slow March of the English Sir sayth he with this March our forefathers conquered your Countrey of France and I meane not to alter it A memorable answere of an honourable Souldier For the French Charge ye shall heare the Spanyards opinion out of La Nouë L'infanterie Françoise escaramouche brauement de loin et la Cauellerie a vne furieuse boutée à l' affront puis apres qu' elle s' accommode The French Infantery skirmisheth brauely afarre off the Cauallery giues a furious onset at the first charge but after that first heate they will take egges for their money And indeed this is that which all writers giue them and which best agrees with their nature for we may say of them as is said of Themistocles he was so hote at the onset que perdit le souffle au mileu de la carriere That he lost his winde in the midst of the carriere Or say of them as Fabius of Hannibal His valour is comme vn feâ— de paille et vne flamme allumée en vne matiere de peu de durée Like a fire of straw and a flame kindled in matter of small continuance Concerning the French discipline Caesar himselfe saith they had it first from vs Gallorum disciplina in Britannia reperta atque inde in Galliâ—m translata esse dicitur et nunc qui eam rem diligentiùs cognoscere volunt plerunque illò discendi causa proficiscuntur T is said the discipline of the Gaules was first inuented in Britanny from thence translated into Gallia now such as desire to attaine the perfectioÌ„ thereof commonly trauell thither to learne it But they haue long since degenerated froÌ„ their old discipline of war they theÌ„selues confesse that since the beginning of these late ciuill wars where Soldiers in all disordred dissolute maner haue bin giueÌ„ to pillage volleries the euery that it is very much abbastardie abastardized Whereof La Nouë coÌ„playneth in his discourses Quant à la discipline Militaire iâ— faut confesser qu'elle est gisante aulict tourmentée d'vne griefue maladie As for the military discipline we must coÌ„fesse that she keeps her bed sicke of a very deadly disease The Noblesse fight always on hors thinke it a dishonor to serue on foot But Com. saith of the Nobility of Burgundy in the wars with Lewes the eleuenth that they all quit their horses car lors ils estoyent le plus honorez qui descendoyent à fin que le peuple en fust plus asseure et combattist mieux et tenoyent cela des Anglois For they were then most honored that lighted on foot to the end the people might be the more encouraged and fight more valiantly and this they learned of the English And it is no questioÌ„ but if some of the French Nobilitie would doe so it would much confirme their foote by the example of their valour and abiding and recouer that reputation which now their foote haue lost in the world Neither do I thinke this the least reason why our Ancestors haue wonne so many battelles vpon them namely for that wee euer haue had men of Noble houses to lead serue on foot with our forces A notable cause to
as to get that from another which is not our owne For as it is truely said of the Spanish King that hee hath not got vpon the French money by victories but victories by money And as Plutarch saith of Philip of Macedon It was not Philip but his golde and siluer that tooke the townes of Greece So may we say of his Treaties which hee hath had with France whereunto hee hath of force beene driuen euen as Ennius saith of Fabius Our State which witlesse force made wayne His wise delayes made waxe agayne For that this nation will rather yeeld the enemie what he demandeth then bee troubled with long deliberation a thing so contrarie to his nature as nothing more You may obserue by the course of later Histories that the Spaniards purpose was to deale with France as Alcibiades said the Athenians would deale by them of Patrae They will eate you out by litle and little To which purpose in all these late ciuill Warres King Philip played the Fire-brand like the Priests of Mars who when two Armies were met threw fire betweene them for a signall of battell to set them together and then retired themselues from the danger He set the Popes on also to kindle this fire who were but Barkers and could not bite their leaden Buls did but butt they could not hurt abler to curse then to kill whose force is like that of a Whet-stone Which though it sharpnesse lacke Yet yron sharpe can make But when hee saw that little England which is to Spaine as Alcibiades said the I le Aegina was to Athens Vne paille en l'ail a mote in his eye did trump in his way and crosse his dessignes and when as hee considered that as Henry the second of France was the only cause of hindering his father Charles the fift from vsurping vpon all Germanie for which cause hee is called in their publike writings The Protector of the Empire and deliuerer of the Princes So her Maiestie by defending the oppressed and withstanding his Forces deserueth the Title of Protectrix of France and deliuerer of the Estates Hee was then content to motion a Peace and like a false friend when he could doe no more hurt to shake hands Herevpon he did capitulate to render Calâ—is Durlens Ardres Blauet and other places conquered or surprised vpon the French A course no question wisely taken by the Spaniard considering the termes wherein hee stoode the want of money hee had the credit hee had lost in all Bankes the decrepit age wherein he was and lastly the sudden and incredible good fortunes of the French King and State after so many yeres of miserie and losse As for the French what could he haue done more dishonourable to himselfe or profitable to his enemies or preiudiciall to his late Allies what lesse agreeing with the time with his cause with his oath then to yeeld to this peace But it hath bene an old tricke of the French to obserue neither promise nor oath as Clouis the first saith Haill lib. 1. Wee may say of their purpose as Plutarch of Lisanders Children are deceiued with chance bones and mâ—n with oathes In this schoole of Fraude Pope Iulius 2. was well read who professed to his priuate friends that all the Treaties which he made with the Princes of France Germanie and Spaine was but to deceiue the one of them by the other But let the French take heede there come not a day of payment for this who are so hastie to abandon their friends and make peace with their foes onely vpon a foolish naturel of theirs to desire change and to enioy their present ease and pleasure not foreseeing future daungers like Schoole-boyes who care not so they may play to day though they be britcht to morrow When the Dukes of Burgondie Berrie and Bretaine were combined against Lewes the 11. of France as were lately England France and States against Spaine the counsell of Francis Zforce to the King was for the present to agree to all things they desired and after saith hee in short time ye shall haue occasion when they are disleagued to deale with them one by one And we may well say of this King present as the Count Charollois feared of the Duke of Berrie the French Kings brother That he was a likely man to be soone drawen to agree leaue vs in the mire forgetting the olde sentence It is the true signe of the approching ruine of a Countrey when those that should holde together diuide themselues and abandon one another And howsoeuer for the present the French bragge to be gayners by the bargayn I am sure their Allies haue no part of the Gasteau Cake It is true therefore that Commines saith There was neuer so plentifull a mariage feast but some went without their dinners Wherein me thinks we haue great wrong to beare a burden with them in their Warres and not to partake with them in the benefit of their Peace Maximilian the first Emperour said hee made Peace for no other end with Lewes the twelfth but to be reuenged of seuenteene wrongs he had done him The King present by the policie of this age and law Talionis might say and doe the like to the Spaniard not for seuenteene wrongs but for seuenteene yeeres wrongs hee hath receiued which when hee shall haue done it is but quittance and the other shall be but iustly serued for saith Bodin He which is falsly dealt with hauing himselfe first played false hath no cause to complaine And surely the French must againe shortly bee doing with him or some other or at least one with another at home he will soone be as wearie of Peace as he is now of warre La nation Françoise est insolent en pain impatiente de demurer long temps en la maison The French nation is insolent in Peace impatient of tarrying long at home ¶ Thus haue you a superficiall suruey of this Country and People of France of whom we may conclude with La Nouë Plus de la moitié de la Noblesse est perié le peuple diminué les finances espuisées les debts accreuës la discipline renuersée la pieté languisant les moeurs desbordées la iustice corrumpuë les hommes diuises More then halfe the Noblesse is perished the people diminished the Treasure exhausted the debts increased good Order ouerthrowen Religion languished maners debaucked Iustice corrupted and the men diuided I make no doubt but to these slender obseruations you wil after adde better of your own Collection vsing this onely as the patterne of a method how to discourse of the Cosmography Policie and Oeconomy of such other Countries wherein you shall trauaile FINIS Caesar Com. lib. 1. P. Commines Limits P. Commines Cabinet du Roy Bodin lib. 6. La Noüe Prouinces La Guide CoÌ„modities La Noüe Bod. li. 6. Bod. contra Malatest Bod. contra Mal. Iustin. Poggio Cabinet