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
the chiefe Gamesters had their heeles blowne vp the Duke of Guise stabbed at Bloies the Cardinall strangled in the Castle the Duke of Parma poysoned at Arras the Duke Ioyense slayne at Coutras the Duke de Mayenne ruyned at Iuery the Duke de Mercaeure come in this March who lately marched afore his troupes in Bretaigne a capalto with an erected countenance now walketh vp and downe Paris like Dionisius in Corinth Capo chino hanging the head This was iust such an Hexarchie as Charles Duke of Burgogne wished in France who had hee liued till now had seene what hee wished When Mons. Durfé charged him that he loued not France but sought by all meanes possible to disturbe the State thereof â—ush sir saith he you are deceiued l' ayme mieux le bien du royaume que vous ne pensez car pour vn roy qu'il y a ie y en voudroy siâ— I wish better to the Kingdom then you imagine for one King that there is nowe I would there were halfe a dozen All these forsooth agreed that the Common-wealth was sicke and out of temper ech one pretended with his Phisicke to cure her The D. of Guise to ease the paine which was at the hart ment as he doth that giues the best remedy for the tooth-ake to pull them all out to strike off the head To which purpose at the Barucadoes of Paris hee had the King fast in the Castle of the Louure but yet most vnwisely hauing the bird in the cage let him flye away The Cardinall that should by his calling haue ministred the most gentle and lenitiue kind of Phisicke and if it had beene possible haue cured France with good counsell prescribing a good diet ministred nothing but corrasiues and bitter pilles of disdaine among the Nobles The Duke of Parma like a Doctor of good practise brings with him a whole shop ful of Phisicke inough to purge all France hee applieth his receipt of the Low-Countrey Souldiers to ease her of her malady but the weake stomacke of this Countrey could not brooke so strong an ingrediens and therefore shee vomited them out againe before they had done the deed The Duke Ioyeuse like a desperate young Doctor that would get credit in his trade vpon his first patient by putting all to the hazard without vsing any preparatiues or obseruation of criticke dayes giues the potion before Monsieur Matignon could come at him who came with other good phisicke to assist him in this practise but at that time they say that Mars a maleuolent Planet was retrograde in Aries or entring into Taurus and so it should seeme for one of the King of Nauarres troupes called Monsr Taurin as they say gaue him a Pistolade in the head Ioyeuse was not so precipitate to breake the Impostume before it was ripe but the Duke de Mayenne was as much a dreamer to forslow the occasion for wheÌ„ his brother Guise was stabbed and all the great Cities reuolted to him Ioe then was she sicke at the hart he should then haue plyed to haue applyed his medicines but then had he his Phisicke to seeke And after when the party was pretily recouered began to refuse Phisick hauing a little relished the wholesome diet of good counsell then comes he in such haste that hee brake his bottels by the way and so was a loser by the bargayne As for Monsieur de Mercaeure hee playd the good Kitchin Doctor of whome Rablais speaketh who gaue his patient the necke and bones to tyre vpon and kept the wings himselfe for he left them all France tyred and tewed as bare as a birdes bone and kept Bretaigne one of the fattest wings of the Countrey to himselfe purposing to haue entituled himselfe Duke thereof But these were all pretended Phisicians the poore King Henry the third ment wel indeed but wanted skill who found by experience after hee had slaine the Guise and left the rest of his house that were then in action how dangerous a thing it is in matter of execution to doe it to the halfe and that in ministring phisicke a violent potion is not so dangerous as one that is too weake which onely stirreth the humors and is not able to expell them Among so many Phisicians we must needes haue one woman to looke to the patient this was the Queene Mother of whom and her Sonne Charles 9. that consented to the Massacre of Paris we may say with the Poet Crudelis mater magis an puer improbus ille Improbus ille puer crudelis tu quoque mater Which hath poore France more ruinde and vndone The cruell Mother or her wicked Sonne A wicked Sonne was he A cruell Mother she This Queene who with the two other Queenes with whom she is before compared may be called the Alecto Tesiphone and Megera the three Furies of France in stead of being a Nurse and cherisher of her Infants and family which shee should haue bene by all law of reason became a Stepdame as shee was by nature being an Italian Who for more as it is thought then honest loue to the Guisard Doctors desired still to haue her people kept lowe and sickely that they might be aduanced by their practise These were they that left France in such pitifull taking vnder a false pretext of reformation of the State as we might well say of it as is said of the abandoned French Constable in Lewes 11. his time Il ne sçauoit à quel Saint se vouÄ›r se tenoit comme pour perdu He knew not to what Saint to vow himselfe but held himselfe for a lost man or as their prouerbe is here Il ne sçauoit de quel bois faire ses flesches He knewe not of what wood to make his arrowes But leauing France for a while in this grieuous sicknesse till the Hercules that now reignes conquered this monstrous Hidra and like a skilfull Esculapius recouered her of this pestilent feuer ye may obserue this one Epiphonema heere necessarily imployed namely That Diuision in an Estate is the most compendious way to her downefall Discordia res magnae dilabuntur By discord great matters melt away to nothing as hath well appeared by this great State of France Here is also a good lesson for other to beware by Tum tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardet The burning of your neighbours Towers Concernes you neere next turne is yours And as Rablaies saith Vn fol enseigne bien vn sage A foole may teach a wise man wit And if you would haue yet more instances of the miserable effects of Factions read Guicciardine and you shall bee plentifully furnished as with the Colonni and Vrsini in Rome the Bianchi and Neri in Florence the Adorni and Fregosi in Genoa and so almost through euery particular Citie and in generall ouer all Italy the Guelphi and Ghibellini Here was also one here in France about no greater cause then
consisted anciently of twelue sometimes fifteene thousand Gensdarmes But after the corruption thereof when the fiefs came to be in the hands of vnable and vnwoorthy men the Kings of France were forced of later times to erect the Gensdarmes des ordonnances The Gens-d'armes or men at Armes of his Ordinances in Charles 7. time For ye must consider that there haue beene foure principall causes of the ouerthrowe of this Ban and Arrierban The first was the gifts to the Clergie who it is reported haue the sixt part of these fiefs in their hands and contribute nothing to the warres for as one sayeth Ils ne veulent rien perdre rien payer rien contribuer pour leur garde neantmoins veulent estre gardez They will lose nothing pay nothing contribute nothing toward their garding yet notwithstaÌ„ding they will be garded The next was the voyages to the Holy land for wheÌ„ one had made a vow to go thither to serue against the Saracens Infidels he sold his Fief to furnish him for that purpose The third was the warres with the English wherein by force they lost them The last cause is the sales of them to all sortes of people without exception as to the Lawyer the Yeoman and any other vnable person whatsoeuer that will buy them which till Ch. 7. they might not do Yee see then how necessary it was this olde institution being corrupted and quite decayed to erect a new which they called Les gensdarmes des ordonnances because at their first erection there were diuers lawes and ordinances made for them to obserue which who so brake was surely punished They were at first only 1500. But after they were increased to a hundred Companies and giuen to diuers Princes of the bloud and Nobles of France to conduct and commaund with an honourable pension In these Companies should be 6000. for in some there is 100. in others but 50. howbeit it is thought in each company there wants some for the benefit of the Officers and that in truth there be not aboue foure thousand in all For the maintenance of this Gensdarmerie there is a taxe yerely leuyed vpon the people throughout all France called the Taille Concerning both the number of the Gensdarmes and their proportion of allowance by the Taille it is thus as La Nouë iudgeth Les gens de cheual du temps du Henry 2. passoient six mille lances mais elles ne sont maintenant que quattre mille Et il me semble que quattre regiments d' Infanterie se doinent entretenir en temps de paix reglez à six cens hommes chacun Et 15. mille escas per mois y suffiroit The Horsemen in the time of Henry 2. exceeded the number of 6000. Lances but they are now but 4000. and in mine opinion it were fit to entertayne in time of peace foure Regiments of Infantery of 600. men apeece As touching the Infantery Francis the first was the first that instituted the Legionaries which were in all 8. Legions and euery Legion to containe sixe thousand according to the rate of the ancient Romanes The first Legion was of Normandy The next of Bretagne One in Picardy One in Burgundy In Champagne and Niuernois one In Dolpheny and Prouence one In Lyonnois and Auuergne one And one in Languedocke These companies were shortly after caâ—â—ed and againe within eighteene yeres erected and are now againe of late yeeres dissolued and in their place the Regiments now intertayned which are fiue in number The Regiment of the Gard The Regiment of Picardy The Regiment of Champagne The Regiment of Piemont And lastly the Regiment of Gascoyne commonly called the Regiment of Nauarre In each of these is twelue hundred These are all now in time of peace bestowed in Garison Townes and frontier places except those of his Gard. Bodins opinion is that foure Legions of 5000. apeece would suffice to be maintayned in this land for saith he the Romane Empire which was tweÌ„ty times as great had neuer but 11. Legions in pay but this is to be vnderstood of them which were in pay ordinary in Italy besides those Legions which they had in other their CouÌ„tries as in England Spaine Low Countries c. For otherwise we read of those Emperors that had 31. Legions Bodin himselfe confesseth that Augustus had at one time entertayned in pay forty Legions at 11. millions charge the yere But this writer though he be approued as he well deserues yet I thinke if he fayled in any of his discourse it was in matter of Warre the profession whereof did ill agree with his long Robe yee shall therefore take the iudgement of a discreete Souldier of France for your direction what force the French can make or intertaine of others which is this Si nostre Roy sentoit qu'vn voisin luy vâ—lust veniâ— mugueter sa frontiere â—'estime qu'il pourroit aisement composer vâ—e Armâ—s de soixante coÌ„pagnies de gensdarmes vingt Cornettes de cheuaux legiers et cing coÌ„pagnies d'Harquebusiers à cheual le tout faisant dix mille cheuaux A quoy vn pourroit adioâ—ster trois ou quattre mille Reisters plus cent Enseignes d' Infanterie Françoise quarante de ses bons amys les Swisses Et cecy n' empescheroit que les autres frontieres ne demurassent suffisament poâ—rueües d' hommes If our King perceyued that any Neighbour of his meant to inuade his Frontiers I thinke he might easily compose an Army of sixty companies of men at Armes 20. Corners of light Horse and fiue companies of Harquebusiers on horsebacke amounting all to 10000. Horse To which hee might adde three or foure thousand Reysters one hundred Ensignes of French foot and fourty Ensignes of his good confederates the Swissers and yet mayntaine his other frontiers sufficiently manned So that yee may conclude that foure thousand men at Armes well complete and with a proportion of light Horse and foote answerable sheweth the whole Flower Beauty and force of France Howsoeuer the Author of the Cabinet confidently auoweth that there may easily bee mustred and maintayned fourescore and odde thousand horse of one sort and other that is Lance and light horse But I feare mee we may say of them as Plutarch sayth of the Noblesse of Athens hauing vsurped vpon the Democratie of that City Ils estoyent que quattre cens et toutesfois se faisoient appeller les cinq mille They were indeed but 400. and yet caused themselues to be stiled The fiue thousand So I feare me hee reckoneth after the Athenian rate ten for one The Cabinets reason is this There be in France fiftie thousand Gentlemen that are able to beare Armes for sayth he rate this proportion at a GentlemaÌ„ in eche league by the measure of France where are forty thousand in square and it wanteth but a fift Howbeit sayth hee in some Countries ye shall haue thirty
Gouernement of our gracious Soueraigne because they knew not the miseries of others murmure and grudge at the payment of a Taxe or Subsidie as a matter insupportable which in comparison of the impositions laide vpon others is a matter of nothing Touching the Gabell of Salt which is also comprised vnder this head Some say it was first erected by Philippe le Long Others by Philip de Valois 1328. True it is that the ordinance of Francis the first 1541. sets downe an impost of twentie foure Liures vpon euery Muy And in the yeere 1543. an ordinance was made for Gabell to be taken vpon all Sea-fish salted And in 1544. it was ordained that all Salt should bee sold and distributed into the Magazines or Storehouses of euery seuerall generalitie The benefit of this one commoditie hath beene very commodious to the Crowne till the yere eightie one whē the King was forced for want of money to let it out to others whereby he lost as is in my Authour prooued eight hundred thirtie sixe thousand Crownes yeerely Here is also a kinde of taxe called the Equiuallent that is an imposition laide vpon some persons and places but not generally to haue libertie to buy and sell Salt and to be exempt from the Magazines The Impost of Wine is laide vpon all without exception or exemption whatsoeuer it is the twentieth part to the King besides all other rights as of Billots entring into Cities passages by land or ryuer and such like Besides a later imposition of fiue Sols vpon euery Muy leuied by Charles the ninth 1561. Concerning the Traicte foraine it is of like nature with the Aides saue that it is leuiable vpon more particular sorts of Marchandise besides the Aides is an Impost vpon things spent in the Land and the Traicte forraine is of such commodities as are transported out As of Wheate Rie Barley Oates Wine Vineger Veriuice Cidre Beefes Muttons Veales Lambes Swine Horses Lard Bacon Tallow Oyle Cheese Fish of all sortes Drougs of all sorts Mettals of all sortes Silkes and clothes of all sorts Leather of all sorts and finally all other marchandise as Fruites Parchment Paper Glasse Wood Roopes c. 7 The seuenth ground or foundation of Finances is the Imposition vpon the Subiect that is not vpon the Wares or commodities but vpon the persons themselues according to their abilitie and it is much like the leuying of the taxe and subsidie in England where euery one payeth rateably to the lands and goods he possesseth And therefore Haillan iudgeth well to say they bee neither personall nor reall but mixt imposées au lieu du domicile ayant esgard à tousles biens du taillable en quelque part qu' ils soyent assis et posez Assessed in the place of their dwelling according to all the goods of the partie assessed in what part soeuer they lye or abide These tailles were first raysed by Saint Lewes but by way of extraordinary Subsidie Charles the 7. made them ordinary for the maintenance of his Gendarmerie And whereas at first they were neuer leuyed but by consent of the three States and to endure but while the warre lasted he made them perpetuall Therefore saith one Ce qu'estoit accordè par grace est depuis venu patrimonial et hereditaire aux roys That which was at first yeelded of fauour is become since patrimoniall and hereditarie to our Kings But this is a common course I thinke there is no countrey in Europe but can giue instances therof There is yet to be obserued that these tailles are onely lyable vpon the Plat païs the County all Cities are exempt as also all Officers of the Kings house all Counsellors Lawyers and Officers of Courtes of Parliament all the Nobilitie the Gensdarmes the Officers of warre the Graduates of Vniuersities c. The taillon is another imposition raised by Henrie 2. anno 1549. which was to amend the wages of the gensdarmes who by reason of the smalnesse of their pay lay vpon the poore villages and ate them vp for the ease whereof this imposition was deuised which also lyeth vpon the poore Countrey-man whereby at first hee was somewhat eased But now all is peruerted the poore is still oppressed and yet he payeth still both taille and taillon Lastly there is the sold or pay of 50000. foote which ye may remember were erected by Lewes the eleuenth in eight legions sixe thousand to a legion which with their Officers come about this number To maintaine these Legions there was a taxe leuyed vpon all sortes of persons priuiledged in the taille but onely the Nobles There are also the Decymes Tenthes leuyed vpon the Church For the leuying of the taille taillon and sold de 50000. gens a pied wages of 50000. foote Ye must note that the King sends his Letters Patentes by Commissioners to the Treasurers of each Generalitie these according to the summe rate each Election this is as yee would say a hundred in a shire or a Bailywike and then send to these Elections to haue the said summe gathered in their seuerall Townes and Hamlets according as they be rated So doe they to the Maieures Consuls Escheuins and chiefe Officers of euery City that are lyable to any of these payments who rating euery man according to his abilitie giue these Rolles to certayne Collectors to gather it vp These are bound to bring it quarterly to the Receiuers These carry it to the Receiuers generall in the same species that they receiued it and from them to haue an Acquittance after the Accounts haue beene perused by the Controler generall And these are all the meanes by which Princes rayse their Finances whereof yee see some nothing to pertayne to the French King but to others and some to him onely not to others 8 There yet remayneth one other meanes though extraordinary to a Prince to get money which the necessities of the times and the want of other meanes haue forced the French Kings of late yeeres to vse This is the vent or sales of Offices a very dangerous hurtfull Marchandize both for the Prince and subiect This Lesson sayth Bodin the French Kings first learned of the Popes with whom it is still as familiar as olde to sell Bishopricks liuings Ecclesiasticall promotions A course saith one de grāde consequence tres-perilleuse mais couuerte de necessité of great and dangerous consequence but cloked with necessity It is indeed thrice dangerous because sales of offices cause sales of Iustice for what these Purchasers pay in grosse they must needs get in retayle forgetting what was sayd to Sophocles the Gouernour of Athens Il faut qu'vn Gouerneur ait non seulement les mains nettes mais les yeur aussi A Gouernour must not onely haue his hands cleane but his eyes also They cannot say as Pericles did on his death-bed Que nul Athenien pour occasion de luy n' auoit onc porte robbe
to speake of his Officers of warre So here likewise after mention made of his Finances and Reuenewes to remember his Financers and Officers vsed for the Collection keeping and disposing of the same Of which officers we may say as the Philosopher sayes of wiues that they be Mala necessaria Necessarie euils And as he saith of them The lesse of euils is the best so say we of these The fewer the better But when wee reade that the olde Romanes had of these but one in a Prouince you shall obserue heere in some Prouince not so fewe as one thousand The chiefe of these is the Treasurer d'Espargne of the Exchequer instituted in Francis the first his time in place of the Receyuer generall There is also another Treasurer of the parties casuelles Casualties The third sort are the Treasurers generaux des Finances whom also they call Treasurers of France for as for the Treasurers ordinary and extraordinary of the Warres we haue already spoke of them in the relation of his forces and of the Treasurer de menus plaisirs of his petty pleasures when we spoke of his Court. The number of these Treasurers generall as also of all other Officers of Finances ye may partly conceaue by the number of Generalities which are in France and the seuerall Offices of eche one of these Of these Generalities are twenty one in all France Paris Rouen Caen Nantes Toures Burges Poictiers Agâ—n Tholouse Montpellier Aix Grenoble Lion Ryon Dyon Chaalons Amyens Orleans Soissons Lymoges Moulin In eche of these Generalities are diuers Elections that is diuers places for the Receipt of the Finances As in that of Orleans are eleuen Elections in the rest some more and some lesse to the number of 170. in al. In euery Generality are ten Treasurers three Receiuers generall of the Finances three Receyuers generall of the Taillon one Receiuer generall of the Dismes two Receyuers generall of the Woods And for euery Receiuer so many Controlers generall two Treasurers generall of the extraordinary of the Warre for the payment of Garrisons and Souldiers in time of Warre Besides all these generall Officers there are also in eche particular Election three Receyuers of the Taille three of the Aides two of the Taillon as many Controlers besides all other inferior Officers If then there be thus many in one Election onely ye may iudge the infinite number in all France vpon which they lye as thicke as the Grassehoppers in Aegypt I must here also remember the Chamber of Accounts the chiefe Court of the Finances wherein are foure Presidents twelue Masters eighteene Auditors foure Correctors one Procuror generall one aduocate one greffier sixe huissiers or Sergeants and other inferior Officers to the number as Bodin sayth of two hundred besides seruants and it is likely the number is not lessened since his time In conclusion the Officers here and of other places are so exceeding many as a President of this Court shewed the Estates of France in the assembly at Blois that of the Escu sixe shillings which was payd by the Subiect there came but a teston 1. shilling 8. pence to the Kings Cofers Many motions haue beene made from time to time for the redresse hereof but the faction of Financers is so strong and the summe so huge which the King owes them that it is remedilesse The Court of Aides also is as full of Offices as that other These Finances saith one ont esté brouillées alterées changées et reduictes en art si obscure que peu de gens y entendent ou peuuent y entendre s' ils ne sont nourrys en la Caballe de ceux qui l'ont obscurcie haue bene so shuffled altered changed and reduced into so obscure an Arte that very few either do or can vnderstand it except they haue bene brought vp in their Cabale that haue obscured it No maruell therefore though there bee much difference among men about the certayntie thereof either for the truth of the summe or number of the Officers Howbeit hauing now wound my selfe out of the laborsome Laborinth thereof directed by the clew of the best writers and most iudicious Informers that as yet I could meete withall I will proceede to relate of the rest and first of the Kings Coyne for that ye know these Financers are neuer without money and next that I will remember the Administration of Iustice and so by consequent speake of the Courts Iudges Lawyers and such like who of all people in the world hunt after it with greatest greedinesse The Coynes of France are either of Gold Siluer or Brasse In those of Gold I must be better instructed my selfe for I know not but the Crowne which is of three or foure sorts whereof that of the Sunne is the best and the halfe Crowne Those of Siluer are these the Liure or Franc which is 2. shillings sterling The quart d' escu which is 1. shilling 6. pence The Teston which is halfe a soubs lesse The peece of tenne soubs which is 1. shilling sterling the halfe quardescu the halfe teston and the peece of fiue soubs that is sixe pence sterling Those of Brasse is the peece of sixe Blanks which is three pence that of three blankes three halfe pence The soubs of 12. deniers the liard of foure deniers the double of two and lastly the denier it selfe whereof tenne make 1. peny sterling This baser and smaller kinde of money hath not beene vsed in France but since the beginning of the ciuill warres The Teston is the best siluer It is a general and a true complaint that the Coyne is much lesse in France then it hath beene and that there is the better halfe of French Crownes gone out of the land within these twenty yeres whereof is no maruell considering that marchandise hath almost lien dead the Countrey vnfruitfull because vntilled and many troups of forrayne Soldiers especially of Swisses and Reisters heere all the while payd Howsoeuer it decrease in France true it is that Bodin sayth that it increaseth generally in all these West countries of the world as also that they haue lesse and lesse in the East parts For so he reporteth out of Strabo that in former times the Kings of Egypt raysed yeerely vpon their people seuen millions and a halfe And Plutarch sayth that Scylla taxed Asia minor at twelue millions of Crownes which is little more then the sixt part of that the Turke holds who notwithstanding at this present rayseth not aboue so much in all his dominions But in these Countries as yee see by this Realme of France the Reuenues still grow greater and greater of this the abundance of money is no little cause So is it also the cause that the prices of all wares are growne not that things are now more scarce or people more plentifull which some will needs perswade themselues to beleeue And therefore one reasons well that
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