to detain still the possessions of the Church 2. Others thought it was fit to give the King some contentment but in appearance only and to verifie the Edict assuring themselfs that it could never be put in execution it would meet with so many difficulties 3. Others thought it best to delay the verification to another time The King understanding that they were thus chopping of Logic and that the Synod also which was there then sitting did mainly resist the verification of his Edict He resolves to go thither himself though many disswaded him from the journey by reason of the uncouth wayes the sory lodgings the waters in some places poyson'd by Sorcerers and the scarcity of provision in the Lands of Bourdeaux But none of these reasons could deter the King therefore he prepares for his voyage and in the interim he sent a person of quality to the Rochellers to acquaint them with the Elusory answers which the Bearnois made to his commands and therefore he advis'd and requir'd them to have nothing to do in this busines They of Rochell little regarding what the King said but undertook the protection of the Bearnois The King being advanced in his journey neer Pau the Inhabitants sent to know how he would be receiv'd the King asked if there were ever a Church in the Town if there were he would enter as their Soverain if not he would receive no honor in a place where God Almighty had no House to be honor'd in so he entred without any Ceremony They of the Religion making three parts of the people forbore to send Commodities to Pau Market during the Kings sojourn there to constrain him to go away the sooner so that his train made hard shift to subsist all the while He goes thence to Navarrenz seven leagues neerer the hills a strong tenable place having 45. peeces of Ordnance and 40. Culverins the old Governor Bertrand de Sales sent the keys of the Town to the King where he peaceably entred contrary to all expectation he put in a new Garrison of French there and plac'd another Governor giving for recompence to the old 60000. Franks He also caus'd Masse to be sung there which had not bin done fifty yeers before so having settled all things at Navarrenx he return'd to Pau where the great Church which they of the Religion had turn'd to a Temple was restor'd to the Priests and two thousand crowns given for satisfaction In fine having cast the Church into its old mould and the Military with the Civill Government into a new and leaving a competent strength with La Force to preserve both he took post and came safely and triumphantly to Paris in a few dayes The Bearnois made their addresses to the French Churches and exhibited their complaints unto them and for their justification they alledg'd two reasons One was a possession of fifty yeers continued without interruption of those revenues the King had ravish'd them of The second was an Ordinance of the States Generall of Bearn confirm'd by a Declaration of Henry the Great to that effect The Roman Catholiks answer'd That for the possession they speak of it was violent and accompagnied with rebellion and felony Touching the Assembly of the States Generall which they urg'd it was altogether illegal because the first and most noble part which was the Clergy was excluded by a cruel persecution and for Henry the Great he was then himself a persecutor of the Catholiks The French Reformed Churches which are neer upon eight hundred did much resent the usage of the Bearnois thereupon there was a great Assembly held at Loudun without the Kings permission wherein they resolv'd to assist their brethren of Bearn They drew up Cayers or papers to present unto the King containing sundry demands 1. The first that his Majesty would please to revoke his arrest given in favor of the Ecclesiastiks of Bearn 2. A continuation of their Cautionary Towns foure yeers longer the time being now expir'd 3. They demanded leave to change two Governors which were turn'd Catholiks When these Papers were presented to the King he sent their Deputies word by Condé and Luynes that his will was that first of all they should separat the Assembly and six moneths after their separation they should be favourably answer'd They prai'd this promise might be digested in writing to an Act they were answer'd That it was an indecent and derogatory thing for a Monark to treat in that manner with his subjects as if his word were not sufficient The Deputies receiv'd little satisfaction in this so they returnd to Loudun wher the Assembly continued still notwithstanding two Declarations publish'd by the King wherein they were commanded to separat upon pain of being proclaim'd Traytors They little valu'd the Kings Declarations but dissolving their Assembly at Loudun they sent summons up and down to meet at Rochell where in a greater eagernes and zeal to the Cause then before they solemnly conven'd notwithstanding another new Prohibition of the Kings verifi'd by the Court of Parliament in Paris Hereupon the busines was put into deep deliberation at the Counsell of State whether the King should declare war against the whole body of the Religion or particularly against those that had met at Rochell and the latter opinion took place for these reasons 1. First it could not stand with justice to force consciences to quit that beleef which had bin so long tolerated 2. Secondly that declaring a war against the whole body of them of the Religion might bring in forren ayd 3. Thirdly that if a war were pronounc'd in generall many of the Kings best servants would be involv'd therein and provok'd as the Duks of Trimoville Bovillon Lesdigueres Suilly Chastillon Brassai Montgomery Blamville with divers other of his best sort of subjects The King in regard his Treasury was much drain'd was loth to plunge himself in a serious war again the Rochelers therefore to comply with them he accorded a continuation of their cautionary Towns for five yeers longer notwithstanding that they demanded but foure He also gave them leave to change the Governor of Lectour Castle and to choose a new Counsellor in the Parliament of Paris two things they insisted much upon but they prevail'd little with them unlesse the late Edict of Bearn were revok'd Hereupon the Gran Assembly at Rochell reinforc'd it self and went on more roundly then ever there were also up and down the Countrey divers other meetings as Synods Colloquies Circles and demy-circles which conven'd and consulted They of Rochell went higher and higher they had a new public sealemade they establish'd a new Court of Admiralty and stamp'd new Coines They made 47. Ordinances which were printed and commanded to be strictly observed through all the Reformed Churches They nominated Governors of Provinces and impos'd taxes at pleasure The King was much incens'd at these traverses yet nothing could move him to declare war against the whole body of them
at Sea might be dissipated without the employment of any Fleet Royall Finally that there hath bin a necessity to arme thus because there is no hope of accommodation otherwise the contrary will be most manifest to him who will consider the researches which have bin made at severall times as well by their own Ministers as by the Ministers of other Princes to the King my Master to treat of accommodating things at their instigation It appears by all this that the King my Master hath not bin forc'd to arme for any particular interest but only for the defence of the Churches for the security and freedom whereof he stood responsible Yet there are some who dare amuse the world that his Majesty hath a particular dessein in it and that he useth Religion for a pretext to gain a party by means whereof and by which conjunction he hopes to push on his purposes to the end at which they ayme No no our Religion teacheth us otherwise and the King my Master's piety wherein he gives place to no man living will never permit him His desscin is the establishment of the Churches his interest is their good and his ayme their contentment That being done these Drums beating these Ensignes displayed shall be folded up again And all this noyse of War shall be buried in night and silence which would never have bin but for their cause Given aboard of our Admiral this Wensday the 21. of Iuly 1627. Buckingham A good while before this Fleet was under sayle the French Cardinal by some pensionary Spies he had in the English Court had advertisement of the dessein therefore there was a Remonstrance sent from the King to his Town of Rochell to this effect That they were French and that the English were proud and insupportable that having vain pretentions upon this Kingdom if they took any place it was to reduce it to slavery That their Ancestors being acquainted with the nature of the English chose rather to lose half their goods then to be under their domination upon the accord made for the delivery of King John when he was prisoner in England That his Majesty had given proofs of the effects of his clemency so often and with so much favor that his grace seem'd to be above their crimes for their Religion if they thought to cast it upon the account he left them the free exercise of it touching Lewis Fort which seem'd to give some ombrage to their Town he assur'd them that continuing within the bounds of their obedience there should be a cours taken for their contentment but if it should come into the hands of the English doubtlesse they would turn it to a Cittadell to settle therein their tyranny That the present occasion was of that high importance that it might entirely and eternally gain them the affections of their King by their fidelity or that they might thereby offend him so sensibly that they might render themselfs incapable of grace ever after if they departed from their loyalty whereunto they were oblig'd as subjects towards their naturall Prince and as Frenchmen against a strange Nation and an ancient enemy of France By the Duke of Buckinghams Manifesto it appears the King of Great Britain had divers grounds of War against France first that his Merchants were so abus'd their ships seiz'd on and their goods taken away secondly that the French King grew so strong in ships which in former times was us'd to be a sufficient motif for War of it self and lastly that Articles were not perform'd of the peace which was made with them of the Religion wherein England was engag'd His Majesty of Great Britain waves the first two and layes hold of the last whereby the French Reformists had just cause to abet him in the quarrell it being more theirs then his Though there were reports blaz'd abroad of other odd motifs Howsoever the Policy of England was tax'd though her courage admir'd abroad to engolf her self into a War with France when she had another great neighbour King already on her back in actual hostility This Fleet gave a mighty alarme to France which made the King to send the Duke of Angoulesme before Rochell with three thousand foot and five hundred horse The King following a few dayes after fell sick upon the way and Monsieur was in mourning for his wife who died in Child-bed of a daughter The Duke of Angoulesms Quarter-masters when they came to take lodgings for the billeting of the Army in the small villages about Rochell took so much roome as would have serv'd an Army thrice as great and this was done of purpose for the report thereof being blown to Rochell and so to the English Fleet the Duke upon Soubize's advice cast anchor at the Isle of Ré whereas his first intention was for Lewis fort upon the Continent which dessein was diverted upon the false report of the greatnes of Angoulesms Army There were hardly 1200. English landed upon the Island of Ré but 1000. French foot and 200. choice horse who had layn invisible in a bottom all the while appear'd and charg'd them furiously the French horse did wonderful bravely and the English foot no lesse who having scarce step'd ashore were set upon and divers driven into the Sea and drown'd but by the brave example of their Commanders they resum'd courage and kill'd above one hundred and fifty of the enemies Cavalry put their foot to flight and remaind Masters of the field there was good pillage found among the French horsemen that fell divers of them being persons of quality and young spirits which being stripp'd many had their Mistesses favors tied about their genitories At this first act of invasion the English loss'd some hundreds of men amongst others Blaneart Monsieur Soubize companion who had bin one of the chief tracers of this voyage in the English Court was slain upon the sands and Sir Iohn Heyden was kill'd too who had afterwards honourable buriall The next day the English horse landed and so they began to intrench The chiefest Fort in the Island was Saint Martin where Monsieur Toiras a choice man had bin many dayes before he sent the next day in a bravado a Page and a Trumpet to tell the Duke he meant to give him a breakfast the Page had twenty peeces and the Trumpet five given him If the Duke had gon presently in pursuance of his victory for that breakfast toward Saint Martin he might in all probability have taken the Fort but he stayed divers dayes neer the Sea side and in the interim Toiras had time to fortifie and the cause he stay'd his march further was that Soubize Sir Will Beecher had gon to Rochell for more ayd which the Duke expected but the Rocheller gave them little countenance letting them in at the Postern gate Toiras after the first sent a second Trumpet to the Duke for burying the dead offering a thousand pounds for his brothers body and others
LUSTRA LUDOVICI OR THE Life of the late Victorious King of FRANCE LEWIS the XIII And of his CARDINALL de Richelieu DIVIDED INTO SEVEN LUSTRES Consilium Armorum Cardo By IAMES HOWELL Esq. LONDON Printed for Humphrey Moseley and are to be sold at his shop at the Prince's Arms in S. Pauls Church-yard 1646. TO THE GROVVING GLORY OF GREAT BRITAIN The hopes of our Crown and the crown of our Hopes Prince Charles At his Court in Caesaria by vulgar contraction called IERSEY SIR I Present your Highnes with the Life of your Royal Oncle of France A successfull and triumphant King both at home and abroad throughout the whole course of his Raign and that in so constant a degree as if Fortune herself had bin his Companion and Victory his Handmayd They attended Him o're the Alps They usher'd Him o're the Pyreneys They were his Harbingers o're the Rhine and they brought his horses to drink of the Danube They were his Pilots at Sea and they fill'd his sayles upon the Ocean where he was incomparably more powerfull then all his Progenitors Nor would I adventure to expose thus to the present world and transmit to future Ages the Raign of a For rein King had not I bin Spectator of divers of his exploits and had occasion also to make my addresse to his Cardinal for the rest I have labour'd to gather as faithfull instructions and authentic notes as I could and those not upon loose trust or from light persons The Relations which are the ingredients of this Story were not taken at the Porters lodge but above staires and most of them from the Counsell Table and Courts of Parliament This Victorious King began to bear Arms and wear buff about the same yeers that your Highnes did for before he was thirteen He suppress'd in person two Insurrections in Poitou and Britany He quell'd divers more which at last turn'd to his advantage as we find great trees growing towards their full consistence corroborat and take firmer rooting being shaken with tempests by the resistance they make So by debelling so many civill commotions he came to finde his own strength the more and to be fear'd as well as belov'd of his Subjects and a mixture of these two passions make an excellent government For though the strongest Cittadel of a King be his Peoples love and their hearts his best Exchequer yet it is observ'd that Love without Feare commonly turns to Scorn and Fear without Love turns into Hatred In the perusall of this Royal Story if Your Highnes please to observe the circumstances and grounds of some intestin broyles You shall find that divers of them have a neer analogie with these of England for many grew from discontents that the great Convention of the three Estates was discontinued and that France adhaer'd to Spanish Counsels with other resemblances besides Of these and other kind of commotions there happen'd above ten in this Kings Raign Nor is it any news to hear that France hath such fits of distemper or indeed any Countrey else that labours with superfluous humors I mean that swels with exces of people and plentie for as the Natural body when it is too repleat must have some vent just so the Political must have some Evacuations at home or abroad when it is too full and t' will thrive the better upon 't afterward If we cast our eyes upon the great world we shall find restlesse motions reluctations and combatings between the Elements yet we cannot call this any incongruitie or disorder in the frame of things but it tends to the conservation of the whole and may be said to keep Nature herself in action and health That the Earth trembleth the Sea tumbleth that the Aire is alwayes in agitation that 't is rent with thunder coruscations and other Meteorological impressions that all the Elements are in an incessant feud it is for the Vniversal good and to keep things vigorous and fresh So in Man who is the microcosm the little world and made up of elements there be passions and humors which are in perpetuall reluctance within him and so break out into tumults preliations and war And where this war is well grounded 't is wholsom and the victories that are acquir'd thereby are Decreta Caeli the Decrees of Heaven but in an ill grounded war they are no other then Faelicia Scelera fortunat villanies Moreover to transcend the Elements if we mark the course of the heavenly bodies themselfs there are crosse motions amongst them they are in perpetuall revolutions and circumgyrations nay there are branlings and trepidations amongst them which yet the wisest of Philosophers held to be no other then an harmonious sound and sweet regular symphony And as the gran Vnivers runs thus alwayes round and carryeth all bodies after it So Man who is part or rather the Epitome thereof specially in reference to his actions may be said to dance in a circle For there is not any thing now acted but may be parallell'd and exemplified by some Age or other Therefore among other excellent fruits of Story this is none of the least to put one off from wondring at any thing because he meets with precedents and patterns of all sorts in former times He that wil observe how some of the great Roman Emperors were content to live in Capreae a petty Island how the Princes of Italy fled to the Lakes of Venice for safetie how some of our Kings to the Isle of Man how Charles the seventh had no other town to keep his Court in but Bourges in Berry one of the smallest Provinces in all France which made him call'd a good while King of Berry with a world of such examples will nothing wonder that your Highnes keeps his Court now at Iersey Nor is this present Story a plain down-right confus'd narration of things for to compile such a work is as easie as to make fagots or to trusse up a bundle of straw but besides other observations and excursions that which the Author chiefly aymes at is to make the method of providence in dispensing judgements and to make a research of the causes of them de longue main for they seldom come immediatly one upon another but many yeers and sometimes a whole age intervenes between the judgement and the cause Furthermore I have bin carefull in this Story to vindicat England touching the circumstance of some traverses of State and War twixt Her and France during this Kings Raign which are misreported by the French Chroniclers there will be other censures found here besides but this I have done as he that kill'd the Serpent upon the childs head without touching his body It remains that I implore your Highne's pardon not for the subject of this work because 't is rich and royal but for the forme thereof if it be not found adaequat to the height of the matter according to the desires and endeavours of Your Highne's most obedient most loyal and
and to continue a war in France There were divers other Propositions tending to the kind usage of the Catholiques and withall a request That the Dukes pension from fourteen thousand crowns might be augmented to eighteen thousand and that his Catholic Majesty would please to add to his brother Soubize's pension of eight thousand crowns a yeer two thousand more For performance of these propositions the said Clausel could give no other caution but the word of an Honorable and most Religious Prince meaning the Duke These offers were accepted by the Spaniard but the sum was reduc'd to three hundred thousand crowns payable in two payments every yeer The Articles being sent by Clausel to France by a Zeland Gentleman he was suspected and taken in a Pond up to the neck so he was hang'd at Tholouse The King at his return to Provence took Privas from them of the Religion after many bloudy sallies and assaults on both sides a place of mighty consequence In the Campe before Privas the Peace was proclaym'd 'twixt France and England to dishearten them in the Town the more for they thought that the King of Great Britain was still involv'd in their Cause This Peace was negotiated by Georgi and Contarini Ambassadors to the Mayden Republic who yet may be call'd the Mother of Policy and able to read Lectures on that Thesis to the rest of Europe nor did there small glory redound to her by her succesfull intervention herein and by making her Saint Mark Mediator 'twixt two such mighty Monarks The words of the Proclamation before Privas pronounc'd alowd by a king of Arms were these Let the world know there is peace amity and good intelligence between his Majesty and his good Brother and Brother in law the King of Great Britain acessation of all acts of hostility betwixt them and their subjects with an entire confirmation of the ancient Alliances and of the Articles and Contract of Mariage with the Queen of Great Britain and an overture of a free and safe commerce between the subjects of the two Crowns Therefore all persons are prohibited to attempt any think in prejudice of the said Peace under pain of being punish'd as Disturbers of the public repose c. The generall Articles also were signed there interchangeably in the ordinary forme where of there were some extraordinary as that In regard it would be difficult to make restitution on either side of divers prises which have been taken in this war the two Crowns are accorded that there shall be no reprisall made by sea or in any other maner for that which is pass'd 'twixt the two Kings and their subjects during the said war And because there are divers vessels at Sea with Letters of Mart which give Commission to combat the enemies which cannot presently have notice of this Peace or receive Order to abstain from acts of hostility It is accorded that whatsoever shall passe the space of the two next moneths after this accord shall not derogate from or empeach this Peace or the good will of the two Crowns The King having dismantled Privas and secur'd other petty places he march'd to Alets a very considerable Garrison Town of them of the Religion which being also surrendred he march'd to Languedoc took Castres and Nismes once the darling of Rome when she had her Legions in those parts though now no Town throughout France be a greater enemy unto her These monstrous successes of the Kings made the Duke of Rohan hearken unto a Treaty therefore being at Anduza he convokes a kind of Assembly of the chiefest of them of the Religion to whom he made this notable speech Sirs You know well enough that the King doing me the honor as to acknowledge me his kinsman hath had particular consideration of me in all generall Treaties made with your party and that he hath made me to be perpetually sollicited to separat my self from you with assurances that he would raise my condition to such a point that might draw upon it the envy of the Princes and the greatest of his Kingdom Neither are you ignorant that the generall interests of the party being deerer unto me then mine own I have bin so far from lending an ear unto those charming propositions that to the contrary I have broak with his Majesty whensoever he hath refus'd or delay'd the execution of the Edicts pass'd in favor of us and exposing my self to his indignation I have run the hazard of my fortun my honor and life Gentlemen I pray do not think that since our Cause is conjoyn'd with that of God but that I continu as strong a zeal and inclination as ever towards it But in regard our affaires are in another condition perchance then you do imagin I have call'd you hither to instruct you and then to take such order that your wisdoms shall afford me to put in punctuall execution with as much fidelity as courage You must then consider that any time these eight yeers that the King hath warr'd with us heaven hath bin so favorable unto him that it seems he rather went to the routing of our troupes then to combat and by assaulting our strongest Towns he prepar'd rather for triumphant entries then sieges so that now the number of our combatants and the strength of our strongest places doth not serve as much to maintain our party as to augment his glory so many Towns in Poitou Saintonge Guyen and Languedoc which have not bin able toresist him as many dayes as we count moneths are most sensible proofs hereof Rochell alas with that he fetcht a profound sigh accompagnied with tears Rochell which we thought inexpugnable that prowd Town one of the miracles of Europe being now reduc'd to an open village on all sides doth carry and shall eternally beare the marks of the valour and good fortune of this glorious Monark Having demolish'd this strong rampart of the Gospel by which the whole party subsisted he hath penetrated the Kingdom from one Diameter to the other and travers'd in five or six dayes the Alps in the most rigorous season of the yeer which Julius Caesar accounted amongst his heroiquest actions and Hannibal could not do it in fifteen dayes without inestimable losse He hath forc'd the passe of Susa marching ore the belly of an Army entrench'd and fortified in a straight He hath deliver'd the Duke of Mantova from the oppression of the King of Spain and the Savoyard and oblig'd the latter who was Author of the War to receive such conditions of peace that he pleas'd to prescribe him Repassing the Alps with like celeritie he hath depriv'd us of Privas and taken multitudes of places more by the terror only of his victorious Arms. He is continually assisted by the Cardinal of Richelieu who for the fertility of his Invention for the solidity of his Counsels for the secrecy of his desseins for his hardines in execution and for his addresse in all affairs of consequence I
out for the Duke of Anjou the French quickly hearkens unto them so there was a Treaty at Narbona whither they sent twelve persons of quality for hostages and an Order issued out that he should be branded with a hot iron who spake of any accommodation with Castile It was agreed upon that upon putting themselfs under the Royall protection of the most Christian King he should furnish them with an Army of six thousand foot and two thousand horse to be maintain'd by the Catalans Whereupon three Commissioners were sent to Paris one for the Clergy another for the Nobility and a third for the Gentry and Cominalty They who were most busy herein and indeed the chiefest bellowes that blew this terrible fire were the Preaching Fryers and Monks who in lieu of obedience and conformity to Government and compliance with the necessities of the King having so many irons in the fire did teach and obtrude to the people nothing more then common priviledge and resumption of liberty whereby the affection of the vassall was imbitter'd and at last quite poyson'd against his Prince whence this Aphorisme may be collected That the best Instruments misapplied do greatest mischief and prove most dangerous to any State And as of the sweetest wines is made the sharpest Vineger so Churchmen who by their holy function and white robes of innocence should be the sweetest of all professions who should breath nothing but peace unity allegeance and love if they misapply their talent and abandon themselfs to the spirit of faction they become the bitterest enemies the most corroding cankers and worst vipers in any Common-wealth and most pernicious to the Prince In regard that they having the sway ore the conscience which is the Rudder that steers the actions words and thoughts of the rationall creature they transport and snatch it away whither they will making the Beast with many heads conceive according to the colour of those rods they use to cast before them The French having thus undertaken the protection of the revolted Catalan and cut the Spaniard work enough that way he did miracles against him about this time in the Netherlands for he made the Rat to eat the Cat and a Cow to spin out a bundle of Flax by rendring himself Master of Arras the chiefest Town of the Province of Artois after a strong stubborn siege which place the Flemins held to be inpregnable and as impossible to take as it was for the Rat and the Cow to do what was above said His Generall also in Italy the Count of Harcour did do strange exploits who having entred Piemont was besieg'd by the Spaniard in Chieri but he got through routs the enemy and succours Casal This he did with 1500. horse and a few foot who were nothing equall in number to the Spaniards who were thrice as many This ventrous achievement which some interpreted rashnes rather then true valor got him a mighty reputation Then he marcheth to Turin and besiegeth it but the gates were open'd to him within a short time so he made a glorious entrance into the Town and returns triumphantly ore the Hills to France having setled the King his Master in the protection of the Infant Duke of Savoy his Nephew which protection or tutele the Emperour seconded by the Spaniard alledg'd did belong to him by Imperial right during his minority There came a Messenger of State to Paris who brought notice of the Great Turks death in the flower of his youth though of a robust huge constitution He died by excesse of drinking some sorts of wine wherewith he was us'd to be oft distemper'd notwithstanding the strict law of Mahomet who us'd to preach this Doctrine That there was a Devill in every berry of the grape and therefore absolutly interdicted the use of wine in his Alchoran But such is the power of sensuall appetit in man that the spirit oftentimes is too weake to resist the motion of sense though the conscience should dictat that Hell it self stands gaping for him in the very fruition of the pleasure The genius of this great Potentat is very remarkable for when he came first to sit upon the throne of that mighty Empire he was of a mild gentle and peacefull nature but the Janizaries who may in time prove the bane of that Tyranicall Monarchy having violently cut off many of his great Officers and committed other acts of high insolencies whereat he had conniv'd and looked on as a sufferer a great while at last patience so often abus'd and stretch'd as it were upon the Tenter turn'd to fury in him and that in so high a degree that it came to alter and quite change his disposition and the very instinct of nature in him for of a soft easie and candid humour he became afterwards having bin so often provok'd by such bloudy spectacles as cruell and sanguinary as any that ever sway'd the Ottoman Empire And he order'd matters so that he found an opportunity to be reveng'd of all those that had affronted him before and bereft him of his Favourits and Officers He commonly carried with him a Ghelad an Executioner who at his sudden beck and in his sight took off many heads to offer up as Victimes for the life 's of his slain servants He grew to be so flesh'd in bloud that he was scarce capable of any compassion or appre hension of fear notwithstanding that his predecessor had been hacked to peeces not long before by one of his meanest soldiers for attempting to remove his Court from Constantinople t'other side the Hellespont to Damasco to be reveng'd of his cowardly Janizaries who would not fight the yeer before against the Pole as also of the Constantinopolitans for refusing to furnish him with moneys for that war Hence may be drawn this Caution That Princes natures are ticklish things to be tamper'd withall that it is dangerous to trench too far upon the softnesse of their dispositions as appears in this Monark who by often irritations fell from one extreme to another The horrid flames we spake of before which were kindled amongst those fiery Mountains the Pyreneys in Catalonia the chiefest part of Hispania Tarraconensis according to the old division did rage with such fury that the sparkles of them by a strong East-wind were caried into Portugall of old Hispania Lusitanica And as one torch lights another or any other thing whose matter is combustible and apt to take so this other Revolt was kindled by the first and Portugall was very well prepar'd to receive it as well for the aversnes and strong disaffection her Inhabitants have to the Castillan for I have heard them complain often that the greatest misery which could befall them was to lose their King Don Sebastian and to fall under the yoak of the Castillan as also for divers other causes First she complain'd that the King neglected to protect her against the Hollander in Brasil where he had taken Fernanbuck her chief
should be a generall peace now 'twixt the French people because of the businesse of the Valtolin where the Spaniard had a purpose to block out France in all places towards Italy which was very necessary to be prevented so that it was not fit to enfeeble France at this time by attempting to extinguish them of the Religion and to plunge the whole Countrey in an intestine war for it was as if one would cut off his left hand with the right This last counsell took more with the King and so he left no way unessayed to reunite all his subjects Hereupon to content the Reformists he caus'd their Temples to be reedified he appointed 60000. Franks for the payment of their Ministers and permitted them to call a Synod at Charenton with divers other acts of compliance provided that on their part they should entertain no strangers for preachers nor admit Ministers into politic Assemblies In these difficulties and anxious traverses of things the King made the Cardinal of Richelieu his principall Minister of State chiefe of his Counsell and Director generall under his authority in the government of the State He made this election by the advice of the Queen Mother principally nor was it an improper choice for the party had a concurrence of high abilities in him answerable to that transcendent trust and he prov'd as will appear by the sequele of things a succesfull Instrument though many doubt whether his Counsel was as succesfull to France as it was fatall to the rest of Christendom which he hath plung'd in an eternall war touching this we leave the Ingenious Reader a freedom of censure according as his judgement shall be guided by an unpartiall and unbiass'd relation of matters as they ly connected in the ensuing part of this story Thus our third Lustre concludes with the commencement of Richelieus greatnes The fourth Lustre of the Life of Lewis the thirteenth VVE began the last lustre with the espousals of the Lady Christina second daughter of France with the Prince of Piemont this begins with the mariage of the Lady Henriette Marie de Bourbon the yongest Royall branch of Henry the Great and this was the first great act that the Cardinal of Richelieu performed after he was come to the superintendency of affairs of State France had two causes of perpetuall apprehensions of fear one external th' other internal The still growing greatnesse of Spain without and They of the Religion within doors which were made frequent use of by any discontented Princes upon all occasions and were cryed up by the Jesuits to be as Matches to set France on fire at any time Therefore the first gran dessein that he projected with himself was to clip their wings and diminish their strength by dismantling their Cautionary Towns and making them dismisse their Garrisons The Cardinal knew the King his Master did not affect them since the Treaty at Lodun wherein they forc'd him to put another interpretation upon his Coronation Oth then his conscience did dictat unto him or the Prelat who administred it unto him meant which appear'd in a churlish answer that he gave them not long after when he was solicited to prolong the terme of holding their Cautionary Towns as Henry the Third and Henry the Great his father had done Which answer was That what grace the first did shew you was out of fear what my father did was out of love but I would have you know that I neither fear you nor love you To compasse that great work of taking from them their Garrison Towns it was thought very expedient to secure forren Princes from assisting them specially England and the united Provinces Touching the latter they were charm'd with money for in a fresh Treaty the King accorded them a million of Franks and six hundred thousand Franks every one of the two yeers next ensuing which they were to re-inburse the next two yeers that they should conclude a peace or truce with Spain The Holland-Ambassadors who were employed in this Treatie did promise the King that there should be libertie of conscience given the Catholiks at his Majesties request That the States should associat the French with them in the commerce of the Indies give them some choice ports for traffic and repaire some depraedations they had made by sea but the money being once got there was little care taken to perform these promises which were no more then parol engagements or rather complements whereupon an Ambassador was expressely sent to complain hereof but he effected little To secure England from succouring Them of the Religion the first overture that the Erl of Holland made for an alliance was yeelded unto to whom the Erl of Carlile was sent in joynt commission to conclude it The King told them that he took it for an honour that they sought his sister for the sole sonne of so illustrious a King his neighbour and Allie onely he desir'd that he might send to Rome to have the Popes consent for better satisfaction of his conscience and in the mean time the English Ambassadors might send for a more plenary power to England so in lesse then the revolution of nine moons this great businesse was propos'd poursued and perfected whereas the Sun ran his carreer through the Zodiac ten times before that Spain could come to any point of perfection This may serve to shew the difference twixt the two Nations the leaden heel'd pace of the one and the quicksilver'd motions of the other it shewes also how the French is more round and frank in his proceedings not so full of scruples reservations and jealousies as the Spaniard And one reason that the Statists of the time alledg'd why Spain amus'd the English and protracted the Treaty of the Match so long was that all the daughters of France might be first married to prevent an alliance 'twixt England and her There was a concurrence of many things that favor'd the effecting and expediting of this alliance some previous Offices and Letters of invitation from France wherein there were strains of extraordinary endearments wherewith the King of Great Britain corresponded also in an unusuall stile as appears by this Letter following Most high most excellent and most puissant Prince Our most deer and most beloved good Brother Cousen and ancient Ally Although the deceased King of happy memory was justly call'd Henry the Great for having re-conquer'd by arms his Kingdom of France though it appertain'd unto him as his proper inheritance Yet you have made now a greater conquest for the Kingdom of France though it was regain'd by the victorious arms of your dead father it was his de jure and so he got but his own But you have lately carried away a greater victory having by your two last Letters so full of cordiall courtesies overcome your good Brother and ancient Ally and all the Kingdoms appertaining unto him for We acknowledge Our self so conquer'd by your more then
who were kill'd but he had them gratis Soubize afterwards came with five hundred from Rochell and so the English Army march'd towards Saint Martin in the way there was the little Fort calld Lapree wherein as there was advice had afterwards there was but one old woman Soubize counsell'd the Duke to march another way through the Vineyards and to leave the Fort this prov'd fatall and indeed the greatest cause of the ruine of the English for had they tane that little Fort it might have serv'd for a handsome retreat Being come before Saint Martins Fort Sir Io Burrowes view'd it and said positively it was impregnable but by starving and so advis'd the Duke to take what booty could be had in that Isle and go to Oleron but this counsell took not While the English Army lay before Saint Martin there was an Engineer came out of the Castle who desired conference with the Duke but being suspected by his looks he was search'd and a poyson'd dagger was found about him wherewith being put to the torment he confess'd to have bin sent to kill the Duke so he had no quarter All the time the Duke was there though it was concluded by the Counsell of War 't was impossible to take the Fort but by famin yet no intrenchments were made all the while to block them up but a way was taken to raise batteries before the Army had made its approaches which prov'd chargeable and fruitlesse for with the infinit company of shot made against the Hill there was nothing done by way of breach but more powder and shot spent then the spoyles of the Isle was worth and still the passage was open for the Town round about to carry in any thing At last the English began to entrench yet they could not hinder provision to come by Sea from the main at last a sicknes happned in the Army whereby many dropp'd away Sir Iohn Burrowes was kill'd and divers other ilfavor'd accidents fell out and discontents began to be fomented for there came divers messages from the Cittadell to the Duke which he made shy to impart to the Counsell of war whereat there was some distast taken The King of France was now recover'd and he his Cardinal were come before Rochell there were all means under heaven us'd to preserve Toiras the Cittadel of Ré whereupon the King writ his Letter encouragement unto him Monsieur Toiras understanding the rare vertis and courage wherewith you and the rest that are in that Cittadel do defend your selfs against the English I was willing to express unto you by this Letter the singular satisfaction that I receive thereby Therefore you ought to beleeve that I will acknowledge such signal service to every one who shall have a share therein in such a manner that they shall beare all the dayes of their life 's some mark of honor according to their merits Therefore I desire you would send Me the names of all those that are shut in with you in that Cittadell that neither Gentleman Officer or Soldier remain without his reward This Letter being safely arriv'd to Toiras it rais'd every ones spirit to a great height of resolution as also the Kings Person being come so neer them There were divers complements pass'd 'twixt the Duke and Toiras during the siege and Master Io. Ashburnham being sent to the Cittadel upon a Message and afterwards to the King of France himself Toiras was complaining of want of Melons the Duke sent him a basketfull the next day He return'd the Duke some bottles of Orenge flower water for which the Duke gave the Messenger twenty Iacobuses whereas Troiras gave but five for the Melons When the English had planted a serious siege before the Town Buckingham sent Toiras this Letter Monsieur The desire I have to witnesse upon all occasions how much I esteeme and prize persons of quality and merit shall make me alwayes proceed towards them with all courtesie I think I have comported my self towards you in that manner hitherto as far as the law of armes would permit me In poursuance whereof before the quality of my affaires obligeme to take other counsels and to alter my procedure I thought good to exhort you to the consideration of your necessities which you have already endured with much patience and your courage haply might transport you to continue under vain hopes of succour to the prejudice of your safety For these reasons and for the regret I should have to see greater displeasure befall you we judge it convenient to invite you to render your self into our hands with those that are of your company and under your command and withall the place possess'd by you upon such termes of honor that you may not expect hereafter if you oblige me to poursue the means I have in hand to accomplish my dessein and that you let matters go on to extremity So expecting your answer accordingly I rest Sir your most humble and most obedient servant Buckingham Toiras returned this Answer Monsieur Your courtesies are known to all the world and being done with that judgement they use to carry with them they ought to be chiefly expected by them who do good actions Now I do not find there can be a better then for one to employ his life for the service of his King I am here to that purpose with a number of brave men 'mongst whom he that is the least resolut would not beleeve to have satisfied himself if he did not surmount all difficulties to help to conserve this place In so much that neither despair of succour nor fear of being ill us'd in point of extremity are able to make me quit so generous a dessein Besides I should judge my self unworthy of any of your favors if I should omit the least point of my duty in this action the issue whereof must needs be honorable And the more you shall contribut to this glory the more I shall be oblig'd to be Monsieur Your most humble and most obedient servant Toiras The English assayed all means imaginable to render themselfs Masters of the Cittadell by their Ships and inventions at Sea and by assaults and storming a shore nor did they fayle in any thing that human strength and courage could contribut They took divers bottoms as they were transporting provisions from the Continent but at last the Marshall of Schomberg had the hap upon a high floud and in a dark night to bring safely into the Cittadell a mighty supply of all things that might conduce not only to releeve but to raise the spirits of the souldier so the approach of Winter sicknes with other inconveniences forc'd the English to be gone which the Duke though often advis'd and importun'd by the Counsell of War was loth to do having provision for two moneths longer and that he must be forc'd to leave a number of sick men behind to the mercy of the enemy But after a conference with
that competency which beasts use to have to satisfie the necessities of Nature for there is not upon earth a more plentiful Countrey and a poorer people generally then the Pesantry of France There vvas another reach of State vvhy the common people vvere kept so poore and indigent vvhich vvas that he might be supplied with soldiers to furnish his Infantry for the vvars vvhereunto necessity vvill drive any one At the sound of his Drum they came alvvaies in multitudes to serve him because he had alvvayes store of treasure to pay them He had at one time above 120000. of them in severall Armies nor vvere there ever such services perform'd by French foot vvho formerly had but small repute in the vvorld vvith these and his cavalry he perform'd such exploits that as I said before posterity must have a strong faith to beleeve them such exploits that Mars himself the ascendent of France might have bin invited to partake of his triumphs vel et ipse vocari Iupiter ad praedam posset With these he drew the overwhelmings of Spain into a narrower channel and put her to cast her policy into a new mould for whereas before she was for many yeers upon the conquering and offensive part she is now content to stand upon her guard and put her self upon the conserving and defensive part By these performances of France against the Monarchy of Spain it visibly appears what advantage a little body that hath his joynts well knit and compacted and hath also his radicall moisture and radicall heat the two gran columns of life dispers'd in equall proportion throughout all parts to actuate the whole and make it vigorous for such is France may have over a huge unweldy bulk whose members by vast uneven distances are so loosly kept together as the Spanish Monarchy is known to be which were she as closely knit as France or the Ottoman Empire either which extends two and thirty hundred miles and but the Hellespont between in one continued peece from Buda in Hungary to Bagdad or Babylon in Asia I say if the modern Monarchy of Spain were so closely united she might compare with the greatest that hath bin yet upon Earth And now will we put an absolut period to the history of the life of Lewis the Thirteenth Which we have illustrated in the best manner we could as also to this Corollary and short transcurrence of his raign which lasted thirty three yeers and his whole life hardly reach'd to forty three a time which as was said before in a well dispos'd body is accounted but the Meridian of manhood whether nature posted away and hastned thus her course in him and made him old before his time by her own weaknes or by accident as some mutter we will not determin but rather give faith to the first cause and to divers dangerous sicknesses whereof he had pass'd the brunt formerly as also to exces of care and intentivenes of mind and personall pains in the war He had a long time to study the art of dying his disease being a Consumption which afforded him space enough to set his House in order He spoak oft times of the troubles of Great Britain in his sicknes and once he was overheard to say that it was a just judgement because his Brother of England would have assisted his subjects once against him So this great King died in the highest glory of his actions for his sayles swell'd with prosperous winds till he came to his last port He had settled all things so exactly that when he came to die he had nothing els to do but to die which he did so gently that it was rather a soft dissolution then death By his high exemplary vertues and strangenes to vice he was a Saint amongst Kings on earth and now may be a King among Saints in heaven whither he went on Ascension day For his acts of prowesse he deserves to have the Alps for his tomb the Pyrenean Mountains for his monument for he made them both to stoop unto him He left his Queen a yeer and some moneths younger then himself Regent as it was her due by Saint Lewis law which she might have clam'd by merit as well as by right for she had bin marvailously complying carefull and indulgent of him A Lady of admirable sweetnes moderation and prudence for she never tamper'd with the Government in his time nor would she meddle with the Election of any Officer or Minister of State nor interpose in any thing but in matters of mercy and pardon and then she would be sure to have an inkling how the King was inclin'd which made her receive few denials so that being much importun'd for Monmorency's pardon whose first crime was the last action of his life she would by no means attempt it The young King was foure yeers and eight moneths old when his father died so that the Queen is to rule in chief till he be fourteen whereby France in statu quo nunc may be said to have fallen under the government of Strangers the Queen Regent being a Spaniard and Mazarini the Prime Minister of State an Italian THE LIFE OF ARMAND IOHN DE PLESSIS Cardinal of RICHELIEU HAving done with the Master we will now descend to his Minister the Cardinal of Richelieu a man so cryed up that every corner of Christendom rang of his report for twenty yeers together nay the walls of the Seraglio ecchoed with his fame and fear of the mighty doings of France which made the Turks to think oftner upon that famous Prophecy they have amongst them that the Ottomans should at last get Kenzal almai the Red Apple which they interpret to be Rome but not long after their Empire should be destroy'd by a Flower by which they think are meant the Freinks He was a Gentleman of very ancient descent for in the Tree of his genealogie I find that by the House of Dreux his Ancestors were allied to Lewis the gros one of the Kings of France and by a direct uninterrupted line he came for thirteene degrees from Father to Son from William of Plessis who was a Gentleman of high account in Philip Augustus time 1179. When his father Francis De Plessis died he was but five yeers old and so remain'd under the tutele of his Mother Susanna de Porta who gave him all the advantagious breeding that could be in Paris where he was born both in an Academy for riding and handling of armes and in the University for learning he made choice of the Colledge of Sorbon to finish the course of his studies where he took the profession of a Theologue and so became a Sorbonist Doctor He had two brothers Francis the eldest was kill'd by the Marquis of Themines in duel Alphonso the second being elected Bishop of Lusson forsook the pomp of the world and betook himself to the austere life of a Carthusian whose rule is never to eat flesh and so resign'd the Bishoprick