vanished from among vs yet doth their goodnesse and memorie stil remaine fresh and fixed in the minds and harts of manie But how can it otherwise fare Illustrious Ladies but that you must needes succeede or rather abounde in all or greater worthinesse hauing the honour and blisse to bee trayned vpp in the same Schoole from the which they and all other borrow their light as the Moone doth frō the Sun at the mouth of that diuine Oracle Ex cuius ore melle dulcior fluit oratio that sacred Queene vnmachable and victorious Virgine Supereminens omnes Mans mirror Ioues darling worlds wonder and natures perfection whose Angelicall face so often as I doe beholde as behold to often I can not me thinketh J still with daseled eyes see as it were in full aspect Solarem Maiestatem cum Saturnina grauitate That the powerful and essentiall thing of things may number the peaceable yeeres of her Raigne like the sands of the Sea that the shadow gonne downe in the Dyall of Ahaz may be ten and ten degrees brought backward that the Sunne abide and the Moone stand still vntill she may be auenged of her enemies Let all her Subiects pray our age rest thankefull posteritie admire and the heauens eternise her name for euer The Historie of Fraunce THE FIRST BOOKE NOw that those our Actions are most worthy of praise which can both please profit together wherein a History ought to haue the aduantage to excell all other I do not wel know though I did hardly could I tell whether in representing vnto you the estate of Fraunce and nations neighbours vnto it since fortye yeeres past I might doe a generall pleasure considering the mallice enuye and diuersitie of iudgements of euery man True it is that if I be not deceiued through the selfe liking of my owne labour the truth herein so clearely represented the free desire of euery ones profit in sundry sortes the varietie and notable euente of so many accidents doe sufficiently promise vnto mee a gratious acceptance euen at the handes of the more gentle and better vnderstanding sort of strangers who being farre from my knowledge and thereby lesse tickled with enuie an ordinary compagnion of the liuing shall be more rightly able to iudge of my labours I doe lesse doubt how small or much pleasing soeuer the first Treatises of this Historie shal be but that all wil euen hasten to see the progresse and issue therof some allured thereunto through the pleasure which the diuersitie of so strange and memorable an Argument offereth vnto them and other of a curiositye praise worthie to be willing to know the meruailes of Gods iudgments the great hatreds and small charitie So many peaces broken so many warres renewed so strange cruelties so small fauours in summe al the Potentates of christendom at banding for and against the French who most miserably haue made themselues the foole in the play and the vnhappy end variable reencounter of more rare miseries then euer worldlings did practise I cleane contrarye knowing the verye causes and meanes through which wee haue beene cunningly ledde to such pouertye endeuour as much as possibly I may to estrange from my selfe the consideration of so miserable effects and fetch my history from more high reaching somewhat beyond the beginning of our ciuill warres where wandring in a true discourse of forraine affaires and such as are common vnto vs with our neighbours I seeke the recompence of my paines In this chiefely that as maister of my selfe I cōmand my owne affections for a while to forget our calamities passed from which I may boldely borrow so much leasure as I shall esteeme necessarie to turne awaye for a season so sorrowfull and pitious a remembrance as thereby I am howrely put in minde of and albeit the memory of such greefes ought not any wayes to cause a vertuous disposition to swarue from the truth no more then the frendship of some hatred of other or respect of great personages should doe and though hee is verye rarelye to be found which is not spyed in the ende if not throughlye gained yet at the least tempted by some one of these passions especially in so confuse graue and deepe a matter I will notwithstanding be found so little partiall as all men shall haue more cause in other matters to disgrace me then in the truth of such accidents as are heere set foorth which if they shal bring a form of a more agreeable setting forth either by the number of strange occurrents or exceeding by a more excellency of deliuery the rudenes of my naturall language howsoeuer it be so farre am I from enuying so great a benefite to those of my age that I shall holde my selfe for well satisfied when I shall not gather any other profite of my long watchings then to see my selfe at the end of so great trauailes to haue vndertaken more for the pleasure of others then my owne particular And now that among Historiographers my name resteth as obscured their high valour number which are able to shadow the light wil bring me some comfort ioyned therewithall is that my qualitie holding more of action then of contemplation doth dispence with me to make any profession of writing but in matter of consequence wherein I am most delighted which being the cause that I best iudge of my insufficiency for being able to conduct and profit so laboursome a trauaile I will call vpon his grace which is able to blesse the beginning pursuite and last end of such a labour Being then resolued to lay before your eyes the estate of Fraunce and her neighbours since fortye peares passed and considering how the causes of humaine accidents are maintained by an eternall bonde and knowne of fewe people I thought I should make my worke a great deale more commendable if I did fetch the matter from more high thogh not from the first spring yet at the least from the more apparāt occasions which haue brought forth so strange occurrents For when I should entreat but of the wars between Charles the Emperour and Philip his sonne against the Kings of Fraunce or of the change of Religion throughout Christendome or of the Seditions that ensued thereon I should worke you very small pleasure and lesse profit in laying downe these matters so rawly vnto you leauing in the meane time vndiscouered the roote and cause of these great ones enmities the beginning and progresse of the reformation the paines and pursuites against such as were wilfull in the faith when whence and how the Lutherans were dispersed throughout the whole world by what meanes and successe they haue beene maintained against the Catholiques in euery Countrie together with the motife and conduite which both the one and the other pretended to bring to the defence of the true and auncient religion And hereby in shewing you the beginnings and preparatiues of the stomacking warres among the Christians I shall make you to iudge
it was ordained that the Pope should obey the ordinances of the councell and ratified in the 3. and 8. session of that of Basle but Eugene 4. not willing to be present at that of Basle as much as he was thither cited declaring it of no force assigned another at Ferrara 1438. from Ferrara they went to Florence where the Popes soueraigntye was established aboue the Church and all Christians whereas Luther referred himselfe to the Vniuersitie of Paris it was for that Gerson a Doctor in Diuinity much renowned at Paris hauing bene at the councell of Constance sent thether among others by the vniuersitie and hauing greatlye allowed that decree by which the Pope was made in subiection he therin was followed by them of Paris and a number of others he died 1429. And before that Luther had euer put any thing in light that Vniuersitie had appealed from Pope Leo to a Councell because that he with Frauncis the first had abolished La Pragmatique Sanction verye profitable for Schollers to whome it opened the doore of offices charges and honors throughout the whole Realme Now as since vpon Leo his sending to Frederic Charles Miltit a Germane his groom of his Chamber with letters to sundry other to cause them to abandon Luther and Miltit seeing of him more supported had found sundrye meanes to appease him and reconcile himselfe to Leo had not the disputation of Eccius at Lipse against Luther which hee grounded vpon the difference of the Popes supremacie cleane dashed all these hopes for Luther not able to leaue his eagernesse against the Courte of Rome proffered greater iniuries then euer tearming it more wicked and corrupt then Babilon or Sodome that she was the sincke of impiety to wich nought could be added and that Antechrist put therto his helping hand saying that he greatly greeued that Leo did remain among them like a Lambe among wolues S. Bernard quoth he lamented the estate of Pope Eugene when as Rome was lesse filthye but now that she is the receate and bottomles gulfe of all villanies there is much more reason to bewaile her further he besought by letters the new Emperour Charles the fift as a puissance established by God to render iustice and to supporte the weake against the iniurie of the more mighty that he would protect him considering that he wrote nothing but by constraint of his aduersaries and what was approued by the best men of knowledge in all Germany ioyned withall that he offred to recant if his errors might be proued he professed as much before the Electors the B. of Magdebourg and others In summe all the Princes lightly regarded it saue Frederic who in the ende flatlye refused to send him to Rome and lesse to punish him Now Frederic standing in much awe of the Pope and yet carying some affection to Luther for that he saw him so much profite his Subiectes and other of his Vniuersitie was very desirous that this difference might haue bene passed ouer with meekenes without displeasing the one side or the other but being sollicited on both partes in the end hee resolued to behaue himselfe according to the aduise of the most sufficientest personages of all his Countrie therefore not attributing so great authoritie to himselfe as to be able alone to iudge of this doctrine hee demaunded the opinion of sundry aged and learned men yea oft of such Princes Lords and Gentlemen as were of his acquaintance Among other hee would needs heare Erasmus speake at a Diette which the Emperour Charles the fift helde in the Cittie of Cologne after his coronation causing him then to come vnto him hee declared amiably that amidst all these debates hee had rather the earth should open and swallowe him vp quicke then cleaue to any false opinions or fauour them the least that might be against the generall approued doctrine but that if Luther iustly taxed the errors and set forth the springes of a more pure doctrine he would neuer contrary the truth what euil soeuer should befall him or his as hee foresawe it that hee would not too much stick to his own aduise but desired to vnderstand the minde of the more learned coniuring Erasmus freelye to deliuer vnto him his opinion Who beginning his speech with a kinde of smyling saying that Luther had committed two great faults first in touching the bellye of the Monkes next the crowne of the Pope then comming to the matter confessed that Luther had great cause to taxe certaine errors considering that faults in the Church encreasing by as naturall a corruption as diseases did in mans bodye reformation then was and all times had beene necessarye in the Church but that it ought to be handled with discretion without difiorming the Church no more then mans bodie to restore it to health He added likewise that the summarye of Luthers doctrine was true but that hee could haue wished a greater temperance and modesty in the proceeding thereof Laurence Bishop of Virtzbourge wrote the very same to th'elector Frederic affirming he had taken the opinion of many learned men therin so as Frederic perswaded by the authoritie of such and like personages of valew made afterwards no difficultie in maintayning Luther against the Church-men About the sixt of Iulye 1520. Pope Leo hauing called together the Senate the Colledge of Cardinalles and a number of learned men as hee affirmed in his Letters to Frederic sent euery where his Bull out in which after alleadging certaine textes of Scripture fit for his purpose I pray Christ saith hee Saint Peter and Saint Paul and all the hee and she Saintes of Paradise to turne away such danger from the Church as Luthers writinges might bring afterwardes reciting certaine articles drawne out of his doctrine hee reproued them commaunding all Magistrates and other to shunne it vnder a paine set downe to euery one according to his qualitie as a thing repugnant to Christian charitie and to the reuerence which all men ought to beare towards the Sea of Rome further willing that such books of Luther as contained like doctrine should be publiquely burned commaunding him to meddle no more with teaching to whome he gaue threescore dayes to reforme himselfe abolish his bookes and publiquely recant his doctrine otherwise hee abandoned him as an Heretique and excommunicate person and willed hee should be punished according to the lawes forbidding all men to haunt him comprehending vnder the same lawe all such as should doe the contrarye But he standing aduertised of his condemnation at Rome repealed his appeale the seuenteenth of Nouember 1520. and more crossely then euer maintained the Pope to persist in his tiranny and impietie as being so farre out of the way as to haue condemned him without calling him hearing him or conuicting him of any errour his appeale grounded vpon many points First for that without hauing heard the matter and without being conuicted hee condemned him at his pleasure Secondly that hee commaunded him to reiect all
they were all as well strangled as burned There was not then any kinde of cruelty that was not practised some but very few escaped the slaughter who saued themselues at Geneue and places bordring vpon it Now for that the K. before continued the persecutions and burning paines against the Lutheranes In the moneth of May the Protestant Princes of Germany besought the K. by letters written from Ratisbone for his subiects who were so researched pursued for the same faith which they helde And for that some made their owne peace redeeming their life their goods and estates by abiuration of their faith they besought him that that condition might be taken away declaring how dāgerous a thing it was so to wound and make seruile the consciences of men But the brute of so strange an effusion of bloud animated them the more and offended many which greatly abated the credit which the King had gotten throughout Germanye no lesse then in Zuizerland where the reformed ceased not as neerest neighbors to be mediators towards the K. that he would take pittie of th'escaped but for a full answere he sent vnto thē word that for iust cause he had commaunded that execution to be done and that they had no more to doe with what he did in his owne country or what punishment of iustice he made ouer his malefactors then he had to intermeddle with their affairs See now how the will and nature of men changing with the affaires and reportes King Frauncis ordained a punishment for the Authors of this tragedie how his sonne Henry carryed himselfe in the execution thereof and all that which followed to serue for most remarqueable occurrences which may possible happen to any estate That which moued Henry 2. King of Fraunce to publishe his letters pattentes in forme of adiournement against those of the Parlament of Prouence who had shed the bloud of the inhabitants of Cabriere and Merindol and other neighbours about was that his Father King Francis at the point of death touched with remorce and greefe that he could not before he died make a punishment in example of such as vnder his name authority had wrought so strange cruelties against his subiectes of Prouence charged his son with great obtestations not to defer the punishment how otherwise God who leaueth no such outrages and sackings vnpunished would worke the reuenge and so much the more saith he as this affaire toucheth our honour among all nations it cannot be better repaired then in making all them suffer who in such cruelty abused the dutie of their charge without sparing great or small weake or mightye that by their example all men hereafter might take heede of any the like enterprises This was the occasion why King Henry decreede by his letters pattents as followeth Letters pattents against the executioners of the arrest in Prouence vpon Cabrieres and Merindol HEnry by the grace of God King of Fraunce to our first Hussier greeting Our Proctour in our great Councell appointed by vs Proctour in causes after mentioned hath caused to be deliuered and tolde vnto vs how in the yeare 1540. the 18. day of Nouember there was a certaine iudgement giuen in our Court of Prouence which they would call and terme the arrest of Merindol by vertue of which 14. or 16. particular men therin named inhabitantes of Merindol stoode condemned for defaulte and contumacy to be burned as heretiques and Vaudois and in case they could not be apprehended to be burned in picture and their wiues infants and maidens were defeated and abandoned and in case they could not be taken they were then pronounced banished and their goods confiscate a matter notoriously iniust against al law reason And albeit that the inhabitāts of the said Merindol were neuer heard nor called to their answer yet by the said iudgemēt it was set down that al the houses of the said Merindol should be thrown down the town made vnhabitable And in the yere 1544. the said inhabitāts made their repair to the late K. of famous memory our father last deceased whom God absolue others who were likewise helde for heretiques declaring how against all truth they were tearmed Vaudois and heretiques They obtained letters of our said late Lord and father whome they had let to vnderstand how they were dayly troubled and molested by the Bishops of the Countrie and by the Presidents and Councellors of our Parliament of Prouence who had already sued for their confiscations and landes for their kinsfolkes minding hereby to driue them cleane out of the Countrye beseeching our saide late Father that he would search out the truth Whereupon it was ordained that a Maister of Requests and a Doctor of Diuinity should goe downe to those places and throughly enquire of their manner of liuings and for that the said Lord could not so readilye send thither he should in the meane time take into his owne hands all such sutes as were depending by reason thereof and forbid all cognoissance thereof to the people of our courte of Parliamēt of Prouence the which euocation was signified to our said court the 25. of October following which standing much discontented with the contents therof sent to the K. an Hussier to pursue letters of reuocation which were obtained the first of Ianuary after by which vpon information made to the late Lord the King how they had beene in armes in great assemblie forcing towns and Castles pulling prisonners out of prisons and rebellious to all iustice keeping it in subiection the saide late Lord permitted them to execute the Arrestes giuen against them reuoking the saide letters of euocation in regarde of the relapse hauing not abiured And ordained that all such as should be found charged and culpable of heresie and the Vaudoise sect should be extermined And that to that end the Gouernour of the Countrie or his Lieuetenant should therto imploy his forces wherby iustice might be obeyed which letters were not signified but kept vntill the 12. of Aprill following which was the day of Quasimodo on which day after dinner the first President Master Iohn Minier caused the said Court to assemble and caused our Proctour to present the saide letters and require execution of the saide pretended Arrest of the 18. of Nouember 1540. of which no mention was made in the said letters but only in generall termes of arrests giuen against the Vaudois and hereupon it was set downe that the said pretended arrest should be executed according to the forme and tennor making like errour as before And that the saide Commissioners already deputed should goe to the saide place of Merindol and other places requisite and necessary for the execution thereof and that all those that were of the saide sect should be extermined and such as were taken prisonners should be led into the Gallyes for a prison there were appointed for the executioners Maister Francis de la Fond second President Honore de Tributiis and Bernard
continuall instance of the Cardinals and other of the Cleargie about the King who besides would make him selfe appeare most Christian throughout all Europe especially for the reasons aboue mencioned the Court was so pressed that all the articles of the Edict were there in publique audience read the 3. of September 1551. in the Chamber called Doree Of all which Pierre Seguier the Kings Aduocate demaunding the ingrossing of the behalfe of the Proctor generall saide that it was well knowne how the Kinges of Fraunce had bene alwaies zealous protectors of christianitie of the faith and vnion of the Church for which they worthily deserued the name of most Christian that there was no doubt but zeale of Religion was one of the principall causes for which it pleased God to maintaine the estate of that Realme in that greatnes it was vntill that day that historyes did witnes among all the misfortunes and vnhappines which fell out betweene the Romaine Kings the raigne of Numa Pompilius to haue beene found most long happie and peaceable because hee was most zealous in Religion And Titus Liuius and Plutarch write Quod Numa Primus condidit templum fidei primus fidei solemne instituit And albeit that the Religion of Numa was not ruled after the worde of God yet hauing had so great an increase of good fortune in his Heathenishe Religion it may verye well cause vs to thinke that the care and zeale which the Kings of Fraunce haue had for Christian religion hath greatlye auailed and helped towards the maintenance and enlarging of the Monarchie of Fraunce Contrarywise negligence of Religion the leauing and apostacie of faith and the scismes and diuisions in the Church are the beginning and spring of all mischiefes and the forewarning of desolation and ruine to a Common-wealth The examples are verye common De neglecta Religione both in Valerius and other our owne Histories as the Bookes of Moses doe testifie that the children of Israel while they helde themselues vnited in the faith of God and precepts of Moses prospered and ouercame all aduersities but when they withdrew themselues from religion they fell into great ruine The most Christian King considering and well vnderstanding these things hath studiously diligently searched by all possible meanes how the error of the Pseudo-christians might bee extermined and cleane rooted out of this Realme and to this end hath commaunded these letters now read to be approued in this Courte and further said that he could not omit to yeelde due thankes vnto the King for his most gracious royall and most Christian will moste humblye beseeching God that it would please him to preserue the King in this charitie deuotion and zeale many yeares and hereupon concluded and required the publication and approuing of the letters enioyning the Prelates and Cleargy in what appertained to their charge to obey the contents thereof Then the Presidente after the counsellers had deliuered their opinions gaue this sentence The Court in obeying of the Kings will ordaineth that vpon the plight of the said letters shalbe set downe Lecta publicata Registrata audito requirente procuratore generale Regis and that the Iudges Presidiaux and such as assist them in iudgement of criminall enditementes shall vpon sight thereof cause the prisoners to be brought before them and heare them speake in person and such iudgements as shall be so giuen by the Presidiaux and their assistantes shall not be helde and reputed for sufficiently concluded and awarded except it passe the consent of two at the least according to the ordinance And gaue in charge to the Court of the said Iudges that after iudgement giuen vpon the said criminall enditements they should make them safely to be kept by such Greffiers as the court should appoint to haue diligent care of the same to the end they might both deliuer answere the same whatsoeuer they should be called vpon Moreouer he warned exhorted the Court the Archbishops and Prelates that resorted thereunto enioyning them to keepe and fulfill the contentes of the saide letters in whatsoeuer might concerne them the 3. of September 1551. Now let vs handle againe the imperials practises against the French you shal belowe see in place fitter for it the second meanes which the King had to iustifie himselfe for his actions in the occurrence of Parma If the Emperor were angry knowing of the Kings resolution in fauour of the Farnezes Pope Iulye made no lesse shew thereof and thereupon the 11. of Aprill hee bitterly accused Octauian by a writing published to that end When said he he receiued Parma at my hands and the estate of Supreame Gouernour hee promised me vpon his faith that he would neuer serue other Prince nor put any Garrison of Strangers into Parma without my leaue and assoone as any apparance was of any change I oftentimes very louingly admonished him by men expressely and by his own brother the Cardinall Alexander that he should remember his dutie But because he answered very strangely I threatned him by letters vnder great paines if hee should forget himselfe hoping in time to haue wonne him But since being aduertised how farre he swarueth from the accord I haue great cause to be extreamelye angrye that one whom I had enriched and aduanced to honor should offer me such an iniurye Now then though it were lawfull for me to pronounce iudgement in so apparante and cleare a matter yet to the end to make him know my curtesie I charge him to appeare at Rome within 30. daies to answere to his accusations and to put in good security for his comming if hereof he make no accompt I condemne and holde him for guilty of treason disloyaltie and other crimes willing and meaning that all his goods shalbe confiscat for which I require aide of th'emperour that he will holde a strong hand to helpe me to punish the same forbidding all in generall to yeelde him any releefe or succour The King of Fraunce in the meane time to appease the Pope and his Cardinals declared by his Embassador Paul de Termes of purpose sent vnto Rome that he was no whit at all to blame for receiuing of Octauian into his protection considering it a matter proper to the office of Kings to succour the afflicted Besides sayth hee he sought no particular profit to himselfe but all for the benefit of the Church of Rome according to the example of his progenitors which had inriched the same more than all other and oftentimes defended it with the sword for considering that Parma was of the patrimonie of the Church he would especially seeke to preuent that it might not fall into the handes of anie stranger which was the verie reason that hee was at so great ordinarie an expence Therfore he earnestly besought him to take it in good part and not to remaine in that harde opinion hee had conceiued of him a matter which should bring great profite to the commonwealth
and his Cardinals be of the same opinion and if the like be helde and taught at Rome there is no doubt but that it is the true seate of Antechrist wherefore Greece and Bohemia were most happie that were seperated from it and those contrariwise miserable that helde neuer so little thereof if then the Pope would not represse this Prieras if he made him not vnsay it he protested that hee would be at discorde with him and that he would be so far from acknowledging the Church of Rome for a true church that he would contrariwise holde her for a taste of all villanie and for a place vowed to all impiety vpon this difference heated by Siluestre he made him be cited to Rome to come and defend his propositions Leo commaunded Caietan rather by force of th'emperour to bring him to Ausbourghe and from thence to Rome commaunding all men to obey this commaundement on paine of infamie and losse of goods yea giuing entire absolution of all sinnes to such as would imploy themselues to the execution thereof as abouesaide and praying Frederic not to fauour him but to send him away with speede promising to send him back againe if hee were not found culpable he warned also that Gabriel a Venetian great Vicar of the Iacobins that hee should not suffer him to teach and earnestly sollicited him by letters and messages for by extreame diligence said he the fire alreadye kindled must bee quenched As things newly sprung vp cannot cary any great force but if by delay a mischiefe be suffered to grow stronger it is to be feared that afterwards it may grow vncurable considering that day by day the euill encreased in which nothing is more to be shunned then delay Luther would not goe thither saying that the place stood very suspitious and dangerous for him but sollicited to haue the cause debated in some free place of Germany The vniuersitie of Witemberg wrote in his fauour to Pope Leo to whom hauing protested that he would neither think nor speake against the faith receaued in the holy Sea gaue notwithstanding attestation of his good life and better doctrine and besought him to ordaine indifferent Iudges in Germanie Frederic in the end dealt so farre with Caietan that by the safe conduct of the Emperour hee should be admitted to defende his cause at Ausbourghe before him without going at all to Rome who set before him that hee should repent himselfe by acknowledging of his errour and that hee should no more wright ought which might trouble the peace of the Church for the first he said he could not acknowledge that he had failed but for the second he would obey it But Caietan telling him that he did not esteem so highly of the Popes authoritie as he ought that in his propositions he should say the merites of Christ were not the treasure of Indulgences contrarye to the decree of Clement the sixth and that faith is necessary to such as would receiue the holy SacrameÌ„t in sorte that they assured themselues their sinnes wer pardoned It is false said he before diuers witnesses one Notaire and foure Councellers of the Emperours protested that he had euer honoured reuerenced the Church of Rome and that if he had said ought repugnant thereunto he would not abide by it but in that hee was vrged to renounce his errour hee said hee did not think that euer hee spake any thing contrary to the scripture opinion of ancient fathers decree of Popes or the right reason it selfe Notwithstanding for that he confessed he might faile a matter naturall to man hee submitted himself to the knowledge of the holy church refused not that the vniuersities of Germany and Paris should yeeld their opinion requiring then that the knowledge of the fact might bee sent to the Pope nothing being able to come more pleasing vnto him then to haue the voice of the Church vpon the same he acknowledged how he had bene too bitter and lesse reuerent towards his dignitie but the faulte was to be laide vpon th'importunitye of the Questors and praied that hee might be pardoned promising euer after greater modesty and that euen in his preachings he would content the Pope and would speake no more of pardons if they would likewise shut vp the mouthes of his aduersaries wherupon seeing that Caietan pressed him so sore to recant otherwise threatned him with paines ordained by the Pope and excoÌ„munication if he repented not he was couÌ„celled to appeal from him to the Pope The appeale contained that the question of Pardons had bene disputed by many and yet neuer certainly determined that in such questions it was lawful especially for Diuines to dispute the which he the rather did by reason of so sottish Questors as exacted the people in so many kinde of sorts and yet not to affirme any thing therin but the better to know the truth leauing the whole to the iudgment of the most learned Leo himself Notwithstanding by the aduise of the B. of Scoli and Prieras his Iudges established by the Pope he had bene cited to Rome from theÌ„ce the cause sent back to Caietan whom as suspected he might well haue refused yet for all that he rendred all obedience but seeing himselfe still pressed to recant threatned with great paines yea and ready to haue had worse greeued with such preiudicies hee appealed from an ill informed Pope to a Pope better councelled The decree of Clement which hee so vrged is in the extrauagants of the Cannon where speaking of the benefite of Christ he saith that one droppe of his bloud was sufficient to haue redeemed mankinde but so much being shedde as nothing whole and entyre rested behinde it was lefte for a great treasure to the vse of the Church commaunding Peter and his successors to distribute the same as good Stewardes to such as should be truely repentant and confesse their sinnes in pardoning them such temporall paines as were due vnto their sinnes adding thereunto the merittes of the Virgin and other Saintes so as this treasure could not be drawen dâ—ye Now as hee founded the vertue of pardons vpon this decree Luther on the other side maintained that there was nothing committed to Saint Peter and his successors but the Keyes and administration of the word by which Christ would that in a full affiance in him they should pronounce remission of sinnes to the beleeuers and if that the decree did agree with so true a sence of the Scripture it was then good if otherwise false besides that the merittes of Saintes were cleane repugnant to the word for what men soeuer they be they doe neuer more then they ought nay they neuer come neere their dutie and therefore not saued but by the meere mercie of God As touching that councel which approued the souerainty of Popes to be aboue couÌ„cels see what it is in the 4. 5. session of the councell of Constance as in sundry other
aliue the first of Iuly 1523. Hereupon Adrian died the 13. of September 1523. to whome Clement of Medices 7. succeeded vnder whome the doctrine of Luther began to creepe in amidst the French among whom albeit couertly and secretly the Lutheranes were soone enough suspected and known afterwards examined of their faith were very often pursued by the Clergie so as the French army being broken vp and the King taken before Pauie by Fernand Daual Marquisse of Pescaire Charles of Bourbon and Charles De Launoy Viceroy of Naples 14. of Februarie 1525. who caried him prisoner into Spaine his mother Loyse regent in his absence desiring in this so great an affliction to entertaine the good fauour of Christian Princes especially of the Pope besides the good affection and singular reuerence which by her letters shee protested to carrie towards the Church of Rome demaunded at their hands succour against such an accident and Councell how shee might staie the course of heresies which were already hatched thorough out the whole Realme Then Clement the seuenth besides his priuate letters full of hope and comfort signified from Rome the 20. of March 1525. to the Parliament of Paris that he had vnderstoode by letters from the regent how those wicked heresies began to slide thorough the whole Realme and whom by great prudence and good aduise they had deputed certaine to whom they gaue charge to see the punishment of such as stroue to abolish the faith and auncient Religion whom so deputed he confirmed by his owne authoritie It is necessarie saith he that against this great and maruailous disorder sprong from the malice of Satan and the rage and impietie of his supporters the whole world should bend their forces to preserue the common health considering that this forcenerie woulde not onely confound and broyle Religion but also all principalitie Nobility lawes orders and degrees For his owne parte he would neither spare any diligence or labor to remedie such an inconuenience that they in like sorte whose prudence and vertue hath euery where beene highly renowned ought to employ themselues to the preseruing of the true and right faith And moreouer that to the end the weale of their Realme and dignitie of their estate should be exempt from the perill and domesticall misteries which this pernitious and pestilent heresie sowed round about they needed not to bee pricked forwards considering how great testimonie of their prudence they had already yeelded yet to make his dutie appeare and shew the good will which he bore vnto them he would doe no lesse then adde this For that which they hetherto had done was most agreeable vnto him and was the cause why he exhorted them from thence forth to keep good watch against so mischieuous a plague of heretiques for the honour of God and safetie of the Realme In some hee assured them that this their diligence should bee greatly acceptable to God and worthy of much praise before men that he in like sorte would set to his helping hand and giue vnto them aide and all possible fauour Vpon this then the Diuines of Paris during the imprisonment of King Francis the first tormented greatly among other Iacques Le Feure of Estaples who hath left behinde him many bookes in Philosophie and Diuinitie In sort that hee was enforced to retire out of Fraunce The King aduertised hereof especially by the recommendation of his sister Marguerite who greatly fauoured Le Feure for his vertue sent letters to the Parliament of Paris in which he signified how hee had beene giuen to vnderstand that they had indited Iacques De Feure and sundry other of excellent knowledge before them at the pursute of the Diuines who deepely hated Le Feure for euen before his departure out of France some of that facultie had highly accused him before himselfe but wrongfully and without cause That if it had beene so saith he he gaue charge to the greatest personages and most notable in all erudition to canuisse out his bookes and writings wherewith he was charged which they diligently executing euery thing thoroughly examined a most ample and honorable testimonie was deliuered vnto him touching the said Feure considering then that the truth is such as hee did afterwards vnderstand that he was highly esteemed among the Italians and Spaniards for his doctrine and vertue he would stand maruailously discontented if they should offer any iniurie or put in any danger so innocent a person And for that at that instant he ment to haue iustice more rightly rigorously administred thoroughout his Realme then before as also for that he resolued to shew all fauour and amitie towards learned men to that end hee commaunded that if they had put any men of knowledge in question since his departure that it should be suspended by his mother the regent to the end he might be aduertised by her and that they should therein attend his intention and good pleasure In the meane time not to proceede any further but surcease vntill his returne which he hoped would be shortly by the grace of God or vntill that he or his mother should bee otherwise aduised These letters were dispatched to goe from Madrila Cittie in Spaine the 12. of Nouember and presented vnto the Parliament of Paris the 28. of the same month Loyse shortly after seeing that she was not able to winde the Emperour to such an accord as shee desired for the deliuerie of her sonne made alliance with Henrie the 8. King of England about the end of August 1525. The first Article purported that they should imploy them selues to the repelling of the Turkes strength and courses together with the pestiferous sect of Luther no lesse dangerous then the Turkes Now as the Emperour perceiuing the King to grow verie sicke in respect the pretended accord could take no good effect feared least by the encreasing of his sicknesse he might loose thorough a suddain death so certaine aduantages as presented themselues he went to see him at Madril comforted him and put him in better hope then euer In the end the 14. of Ianuarie 1526. the treatie was concluded Among the Articles whereof it was specially set down that the Emperours and Kings principall end was to haue the enemies of the faith and heresies of the Lutherans cleane rooted out And that a peace being concluded between them they should settle the common wealth and vndertake a warre against the Turkes and heretiques excommunicate and cut off from the communion of the Church A matter aboue al most necessarie and to which the Pope had often dealt and sollicited them to become watchfull To satisfie then his good pleasure they resolued to beseech him to commaunde Embassadours from all Kinges and Princes to meete at a day in some certaine place with generall charge and commission to aduise how they might well make a war against the Turke and defeate the heretiques enemies of the Church that the Pope would permit euerie Prince according
colloquie continued Hereupon the councel of Trent published the yere passed on the 15. of March began in the end of the yeare 1546. The Pope hauing sent thither as his Legats Iohn Maria de Monte Marcel Seruin and Reinold Pole an Englishmā all Cardinals Iacques Mendose came thither to excuse the emperours absence vpon the testimony which he had often rēdred of his diligence in purchasing of that assembly and his dutie and obedience towards the holy Sea and that which should be ordayned But more then the Monkes orations to the fathers and publication of the Bul of the Popes great pardons there was nothing done because the Fathers hastned no whit thither sauing that the 7. of Ianuary where besides the Cardinalles were foure Archbishops thirtie three Bishops two French fiue Spaniards one Illiric the other Italians thirtie fiue Monkes and twelue not Monkes as the number of Bishoppes grewe somewhat greater the Councell began and after they were all assembled in the great Temple and that Masse was saide the Legats read their Orations to the Fathers Afterwards it was declared how that the Councell was helde for three causes to roote out heresies restore the discipline of the Church and recouer peace vpon that they said that the fault of the present calamitie ought to be imputed to the Ecclesiasticall estate considering that none did their dutie nor diligent to labour in the fielde of the Lord whence heresies sprung vp like thornes and albeit that they were not of their owne parte the inuenters of any heresies yet they were to be charged for not well tylling of the Vineyard they haue not sowen the fielde they haue not plucked vp the Darnell which began to spring vp that they then ought to aduise and euery man to examine his owne conscience and trye if he haue perfourmed his dutie it is certaine that they were to be blamed for that all the discipline of the Church had been so trodden vnder foot the third euill is warre which is a punishment sent from God in respect of carelesnesse in religion and want of discipline for Christendome standeth not onely inuaded by Turkes and strangers but also by ciuil and domesticall armes during that the Kings combate or that they which are reuolted from the obedience of their Pastors doe ouerthrowe all order and pyll the goods of the Church they haue administred the occasion to the euils by their most wicked example of life through ambition and couetousnes God then is the iust Iudge which afflicteth them by these meanes and yet the paine is much more gentle then their deserte True it is that such are happy as endure for righteousnes sake which may not be applyed to those which are worthye of more rude chastisement that euery one then acknowledge his sinne and endeuour to appease the wrath of God for if they doe not acknowledge that there will neuer be any amendment and for no end shall the Councell be helde and in vaine shall the ayde of the holye Ghost bee called vpon it is a singular benefite of God to haue giuen vnto vs the meanes to begin a councell after the Church deliuered from so long and greeuous a shipwrack taking harbour is no more nor lesse restored then was Hierusalem after so long a captiuitye Esdras Nehemias and the other Captaines being returned out of Iudea earnestly admonished the people of Israel to confesse their owne sinnes and their Fathers and to call vpon the diuine mercie we ought to follow the like example He found in that time scoffers which sought to hinder and mocked the Iewes which reedified the Cittie of Hierusalem we in our time haue no want of people which vndertake the like and in effect perfourme it but we must march on hardly in the assurance of Christ whose commaundement is heere executed and the busines set in hand But for so much they are heere as Iudges they ought well to aduise not to suffer themselues to be ledde by their affections but holde themselues neate from the hatred of wrath and enmitie not ordaining ought to please man in this world nor accommodating themselues to the eares or desire of any person but contrariwise yeeld all honor and glory to God alone for all estates are straied out of the right way and there is none which doth good God himselfe and his Angels are the beholders of this assembly and there is no thought of any the assistantes which is hid from him that they should then proceede roundly and soundly and that the Bishops which are sent from Kinges and Princes should so furnishe their charges that aboue all thinges they haue the reuerence and honor of God before their eyes without respect of hatred or fauour for considering the assembly is helde to establish peace they must cast farre from them all contention and partialitye The Oration finished the decree of the Synod was read by Iohn Fonseca B. of Castrimare a Spaniard by which all Christians were admonished to amend their liues feare God often confesse themselues and often visite the Monasteries of Saintes that they should pray to God for a publique peace that the Bishops and other Priestes should be attentiue to praiers and say Masse at the least euery Sunday praying for the Pope Emperour and whole Christendome that they likewise exercise themselues in fasting and doing of almes in the great Temple that euery Thursday in the weeke they say a Masse of the holy Ghost and during the saying thereof that all be attentiue to the Priest especially in time of the Sacrifice and that they keepe themselues from chatting that the Bishops liue soberly taking away all superfluitie of their tables shunning all idle and light discourse that they accustome their people to like discipline in sorte that they shew themselues honest in words apparell and whatsoeuer they shall doe And for so much as the end of the Councell is to endeuour that the darkenes of errors and heresies which since a good while haue raigned vpon the earth being chased away the light of the truth may shine forth all are admonished and especially men of knowledge carefully to aduise by what meanes this may be brought to passe in deliuering of their opinions that they followe the decree of the Councell of Toledo and doe all thinges modestlye without cryes nor be riotous or obstinate but pronounce all sweetely and leasurely The other Session was the fourth of Februarye where nothing was dispatched nor resolued saue onelye that they confessed the Creede of the faith and put ouer the other Session vntill the eight of Aprill by reason of such as were already on their way whom they thought good to attend to the end the authority of the decrees might be of greater waight During this Councell Luther of the age of threescore and three yeares sicke of a disease in his stomacke dyed the 18. of February 1546. at Illebe in the Countye of Mansfielde whether he was gone to appease certaine differents
de Badet Councellors with whome likewise M. Iohn Minier President went as Lieuetenant to our saide late Father to giue as hee sayde a strong hand onely to iustice and to that should be needefull thereunto and carried with him men and artillerie who neuer keeping the way to Merindol went to Cadenet in which place the said Minier held a councel in the said quality of liuetenant of our said late father and vpon that they said it was reported vnto thē how ther were a great nūber of the said inhabitants in arms who made a bulwark without any further inquiry they concluded to go assaile them to break the said Bulwark and kill them all if they resisted and if they fled that their houses shuld be burned distributing to the Captains sundry villages to be burned consequently ransackt albeit there was no mention made at all thereof in the said pretended arrest which they would seeme to execute nor any of the said inhabitants either in generall or particular at any time called to their answere Sundry villages were distributed to Captain Poulin appertaining to the Lady of Cental who had both aduertised him and also the said Minier how her Senates were good labouring men and good christians and not of the Vaudois sect praying them not to offer vnto thē any iniury offring to make them submit thēselues and obedient to iustice wherof the said Poulin aduertised the said Minier President and how hee had sent vnto him a man of the long roabe to know what he should do Notwithstanding without hauing any regarde at all to the saide aduertisements there were 22. townes burned pillaged without any inquisition or cognoisance of cause of those which were culpable or innocent without any resistance made of the inhabitants parte or any bulwarke and therwithall the goods of the said inhabitants had bene pilled and many women maidens forced and other execrable crimes committed that done the said pretended Commissioners went to Merindol where they found onely one poore boy of 18. or 20. yeares of age who had hid himselfe whome they caused to be tied to an oliue tree and killed with harquebuses shot then pillaged the towne and burned it and that done they went to Cabrieres where were slaine men women and maidens rauished euen within the Church great number of men bound together and carried into a Medow and there cut in peeces and sundry other most execrable cases committed the said Minier there assistant About La Coste were many men slaine women maidens rauished to the number of 25. within one grange and infinite pillages committed for the space of more then 3. weekes and the said Minier imagining the better to be able to couer the said cruelties and inhumanities made a commission narratiue how he was aduertised that they had as well pillaged and sacked the good as the bad Christian and Vaudois by which he cōmanded to be proclaimed by sound of trumpet a forbidding to pill any saue such as leaue should be giuen against by our said late Father or himselfe Also he set forth another cōmission in these termes yee Captaines and Souldiers who haue in charge to ruine and waste the persons goods of the Vaudois touch not the tennants of the L. of Faulcon who was his kinseman forbiddance was also made by sound of trumpet as well by the authoritie of the said Minier as of the sayde de la Fond not to giue either to eate or to drinke to any of the Vaudois without knowing who they were and that vpon paine of the Iibbet by reason whereof many women children and olde people were found along the waies eating and feeding vpon grasse like brute beasts and in the end dead for extremitie of hunger After the said cruelties and inhumanites thus committed and done they sent cōmissioners to informe who they were which were suspected of heresie and made a number be caried to the Gallies by forme of prison where a great parte since is dead other their inditements being made they enlarged quousque sauing vnto our Proctor more amply to informe and other they condemned in little fines other they purely and simply absolued and chiefly the subiects of the Lady Cental as appeareth by the iudgements produced and yet all their houses should remain burned and their goods pillaged for this cause the said first second Presidents and the said de Tributijs Badet councellors seeing how euilly they had proceeded and contrary to the tenor of the said letters of our said late Father which required cognoisance of the cause seeing also how the people of our said parlament of Prouence had giuen iudgement contrary to al right reason the better imagining to be able to couer their faultes assembled together the 5. of May following and vpon the speech report of the said Minier de la Fond they gaue another iudgement vpon the pretended arrest that the execution begun shuld be perfected and that to this end should be sent of the cōmissioners of our said Court into eche of the benches to make their proces and declare the confiscations of goods and againe the 20. of the said moneth yeare they againe assembled gaue an other iudgemēt according to the precedents containing sundry heads still thinking to couer their faults and knowing that the complaint was come as far as to the eares of our said late Father they sent the saide de la Fond towardes him who vnder his information and proces verbal obtained letters yeouen at Arques the 18. of August 1545. approuing vnder hand the said execution neuer hauing let our said late father to vnderstand the truth of the fact but supposed by those letters that al the inhabitants of such towns as were burned were condemned and adiudged for heretiques Vaudois by which letters they were commanded to receaue to mercy all such as would repent and abiure and since we being aduertised of the truth of the fact how without any distinction between the culpable and the innocent contrary to all forme order of iustice and without any iudgment or condēnation before giuen against them they proceeded by way of fact and of force whereupon those cases and crimes abouesaid ensued had appointed cōmissioners to informe and that the criminall proces should be made to the said Minier la Fond de Tributijs Badet in the proceeding to whose iudgements our Proctor did require from the first day cōmission to call the people of our court of parlament of Prouence to come to answer by Proctor or Sindic to such conclusions as he purposed to take against them for the iniquitie occular error of the saide iudgements which were the causes of the said crimes cruelties iniquities vpon which there hath not as yet beene done him any right and seeing that they passed further in iudgement of proces without therupon doing any right doubting he would say that he was not the appellant he presented a request to the
Commissioners chosen by vs Iudges of the saide proces to the end hee might be receaued appellant of the execution of Merindol and of that which ensued thereon And for that to receaue our saide Proctor appellant of an approued execution by an arrest or iudgement of a courte of Parlament depended onely of our authority and the power and commission of our said commissioners stretched not so far and for that it grew also a case wherein iudgement was to be giuen against one of the courts of our parlaments we willed ordained that our court of parlament of Paris which is the first and principall court of all our soueraigne courts should haue the proceeding and triall thereof and to that end we made our letters pattents be dispatched the 21. of Ianuary but it was found how the very day that the said first appellations which were of the saide conclusion to burne made at Cadenet of the execution done in the person of him which was shotte thorough with harquebusies of the forbiddance to giue no foode were pleaded by our saide Proctor before our said Commissioners and that in pleading of the said appellations the said Presedents Minier de la Fond de Tributijs Badet coūcellors stood principally to the points not to receiue saying that they were the arrests iudgments of our court of parlament of Prouence that by the letters pattents of our said late Father the said execution was allowed so as he could not be receaued appellant but that his request and appellations were ioyned to the proces criminall for that cause he presented another request to be receaued appellant of the said iudgments or pretēded arrests as giuen by such as were no iudges without euer hearing of the parties vpon simple requests of the Proctors of our said late father without cognoisance of the cause and contayning vnrighteous errors cruelties inhumanities persisting to that that according to our said letters pattents the said appellations might be pleaded in the great Chamber of our Parlament of Paris c. For this cause it is that we after hauing vnderstoode the quality of the fact which is in question the scandale which was and is not only throughout this Realme but also strange countries and to the end that in like sorte as so miserable executions hauing bene done in the said places were publiquely done so they may be publiquely repaired if there be any faultes and the trueth knowne not onelye to our Iudges but also to all our Subiectes and Strangers who may stand therein amisse conceaued as well as for the dutie of iustice and preseruation of the memory of our saide late L. and Father haue by these presents of our certaine knowledge full of puissance and royall authoritie euoked and doe euoke to our parson the instance of the request made by our said Proctor of the Queenes Chamber presented before the Iudges of the said chamber and the appellations formed by him of the executions done in the said place of Merindol and other Villages vpon which the parties haue already bene heard before the saide Iudges appointed to councell and ioyned to principall proces to be anew pleaded as the saide requests and appellations being inseparable with the request and appellations a new cast in by our Proctor with the request likewise presented tending to the end to be receiued to carry himselfe for appellant of the pretended iudgements and executions of the saide letters pattentes aboue specified and all the whole we haue by these said presents sent back and do send back into our Court of Parlament of Paris in the saide great Chamber of pleading on the 20. day of May next comming there for to be publiquely and with doore wide open pleaded and the parties being heard to ordaine theron what shall seeme fit by reason So we command and ordaine by these presents that the people of our Parlament of Prouence together the saide Minier De la Fond Badet and Tributijs and others to whome it may appertain be cited at the saide day to our said court of Parlament at Paris in the said great chamber of pleading to maintaine and defend their said iudgements and executions and of the said letters pattentes and the proceedinges and other wronges and greefes and to see them repaired corrected and amended if neede so require if not to proceede further according to reason and to adiourne at the saide day the saide people of our Parlament of Prouence to appeare in our saide Court by Sindic or Proctor who shalbe appointed by them to defend the saide appellations and answere to our saide Proctor and likewise the said Minier De la Fond de Tributijs Badet and other the aduerse parties of our saide Proctor if any there be commaunding them that they be and appeare at the saide daie in our saide Court if they see it needfull and that the saide appellations may any waies touch them or appertaine vnto them making vnto them such inhibitions and forbiddances as are in such cases required to which our said Court of Palament of Paris in the said chamber of pleading of our speciall grace full of puissance and royall authoritie we haue as is aboue saide attributed and do attribute the cognoisance and decision of the saide appellations notwithstanding any establishing of our saide Parlament of Prouence or any appointments giuen by our said Commissioners vpon the request of our said Proctor ioyned to the criminal proces with the first appellations already pleaded wheerin we wil not preiudice our said Proctor and what other edicts soeuer cōmandements restraints forbiddances to the contrary notwithstanding from which wherin it shalbe needfull we haue derogated and doe derogate of our said puissance authority by these said presents for such is our pleasure Yeouen at Montereau the 17. of March in the yeare of grace 1549. of our Raigne the 3. So by the King Sealed with the great seale of yellow waxe vpon a single Lable These letters of euocation being signified and the Parlament of Paris possessed of the cause there appeared in person the President Minier L. of Opide de la Fond de Tributijs Badet and the ouerplus of the Parlament of Aix by a Proctor The cause was pleaded in the great Chamber of the Pallace by the most famous aduocates of that time Riant was for the King Robert for the Iudges of Prouence Auberi for thē of Merindol Cabrieres an other for the Lady of Cantal to the number of 12. their pleadings and declarations endured a long time more then 50 hearings Euery man ran thither out of al parts to hear such matters as neuer were heard the like for excesse of cruelty and albeit the Aduocates of the Plaintifes parte did not recite the tenth parte of that which was yea rather dissembled the cause for which so much innocent bloud had bene shed yet so it was as all men were rauished with a kinde of astonishment hearing so great and strange matters
out of their country to practise the war vnder a certain Lord vpon geldings and little nags swift prompt without being much armed clad in short Ierkins red caps according to their māner and a lance like a halfe pike which they very well know how to handle They are good men desirous to know and exercise the warres as such haue very well proued as haue bene with them But as all men muzed much at the sight of this armie euen such as were appointed to keep the baggage a number of souldiers seruāts pesants come out of Theonuille brake in cheefely on the side of the Lance-knightes from whom they caried the better before people could be appointed to follow thē which occasioned since many yong Frenchmen especially of the light horse to attache the garrison and to try thēselues against those of Theonuille with more pleasure warlike exercise notwithstanding thē harme that happened to the one part or the other The King hauing taken great pleasure at the order equipage behauiour and salutation which all they did vnto him commanded them to march continually in battaile armed at all peaces afterwards he was saluted by his artillerie placed a little aboue the army within the vignes vpon a platforme to wit 16. great Canons 6. long Culuerines 6. lesser 12. bastard culuerins the whole conducted by D'Estre great master and generall of the artillerie of Fraunce the next morrowe the King entred into Metz at the gate Champanoise with great magnificence vnder a Canapie carryed by foure of the best Gentlemen of marke in the Countrie marching after the Officers the Cleargie before followed by Cardinals then the Constable barehead armed at all peaces bearing a naked Sworde before the King who at the gate of the great Temple sware vpon the Euangelists to maintaine them in their rights and ancient priuiledges after hauing giuen order to the gouernement and fortifications aboue all to cut the towne to raise there a rampier vpon the height of a mount which commaunded and hauing lefte Arthus de Cosse called Gonor brother to the Marshall Brissac gouernor with 200. light horse a cōpany of ordinance twelue ensignes for the garde of victuals which from all partes was to come to the army he departed the 20. of Aprill after his Auantgare ledde by the Constable and leauing behinde him in forme of arreregarde foure hundred men at armes with a number of light horse to aduaunce and assure the rearegarde in like sorte the three troupes marched continually in battaile and all their armes on their back how dangerous a time and place soeuer they found An occasion that many who before had liued at great ease and delicacie died and many more for hauing drunke too much of those olde waters fel sick at their returne The armie rested two dayes in the faire and rich plaine of Sauerne about the beginning of May 1552. to refresh the Souldiers after the Caualiere gaue within one league of Strasbourg In the meane season and while the King remained at Sauerne to repose his armie and attende newes from the Germane Princes they of Strasbourg wise by the example of the Messins negociated with the King as well for the commoditie of his armie as suretie of their towne the King had already demaunded them to prouide victuals for the armie and for that cause they deputed Pierre Sturme Gotessem and Sleiden who brought vnto him great quantity of Come and wine but the Constable no whit regarded what they offered by reason of the greatnes of the armie And albeit the Embassadors were departed from him in such sorte that they were to aduertise the Senate and after to yeeld him answere yet the very next morning he sent two gentlemen by whom he pressed thē to answere with a long discourse of the Kings good will towards Germany and for what cause he had entred into armes and bene at so great a charge to wit to recouer their libertie now eslaued by the Imperials his other demaund was that by reason the men at armes stoode in need of sundry things that it might be lawfull for them to buie them within the town and that it might be permitted to the artificers to bring their ware to the Campe and sell it there whereupon the Senate answered that in matters of so great importance they were not accustomed to conclude of ought but by aduise of the generall councell of all their Seignory and that after hauing consulted with them they would send Deputies to declare their minde so leaue being giuen them to departe the next morrowe the same men were sent to the Campe which as yet remayned at Sauernes Their tale being heard ioyned thereto that they brought a little more munition then at first and their reasons set downe why they might not suffer anye men at armes to enter the towne the Constable began to speake in choller and in deliuering how vniustly they iudged of the benefites of the King and of the iniuries of the Emperour he added certaine biting tearmes the end of his tale was that the next morrow the King would speake with them in person and confirme whatsoeuer he had vttered The same daye the Embassadours repaired to the King with whom was the Cardinal of Lorrain the Prince of Vendosme and the Constable where they recited as much as had bene deliuered by them to the Constable at two parlies and presented vnto him as much Oates as they had done before Wheate and a little more Wine beseeching him that for the ancient amitie which the signorie of Strasbourg had with the King of Fraunce and for his owne curtesie hee would take in good parte their offer the rather for that there was a great Garrison within the Towne called thether for feare of surprise and a great number of Paisants were likewise retired thither out of the Countrie which caused the Cittie not to be so well able to spare her prouision The King after hauing conferred with his Councell began himselfe to repeate the cause which made him come into Germany in like sorte as the Constable had the day before deliuered how that victuals was a matter most necessary and not to be denyed to any person in the warde offring to pay for them were he not an enemy otherwise if his stoode in any need he would finde meanes to finde it cost as it could which would turne to a great damage as euery man might perceiue In the meane time he refused nothing which was offred but would needs haue bread the Deputies on the other side besought him that hee would be contented with corne as they could not fall to agreement so away they went without doing ought the Deputies being returned into the Towne the Senate ordained that albeit they were not able to deliuer any of the Corne within the towne yet they should make bread in the Countries neere hand as much as they might be able for they had both tolde the King and
to be the freest of all other was gouerned by strangers how the authoritye of the Princes Electors was from day to daye diminished how many thinges were done without euer once demaunding their aduice how sundrye appertinances were dismembred and cleane aliened from the Empire and the meanes sought how their right might be vtterly taken away from the chusing of the Emperour how in the imperiall daies for the most part they left behinde the opinions of the Electors how the particular assemblies of the Electors remained there I know not with what feare how their iurisdiction diminished for so much as contrarye to the ancient custome the Chamber receiued the griefes and complaints of those which were the appellants of that which they had ordained the differents of the estates of the Empire were therby increased and could not be pacified vntil both partes were greatly interessed how it grew to too great an expence and trouble but to haue audience in the Emperours Court for that causes could not ordinarily be throughlye vnderstoode for want of well vnderstanding the language how not onely great charge grewe thereof but much time there spent without any profit how at the imperiall dayes there was small amitye for if any one proposed ought for the benefite of the cōmon wealth it was strait construed in the worst part how Germany drew it selfe clean dry through these so often and long assemblies and in the meane time many things went to racke at home and yet for all that the publicke estate waxed not better but worse and stil enwrapped in more miseries how it was forbidden by a rigorous Edict that none shuld be entertained in wages by strangers how such as are reconciled are bound not to carrie armes against any of the Emperours prouinces and by that means are seperate from the Empire how those which in the warre of Smalcade serued but their owne Lords were condemned in great fines and how they leuied monie in like sorte of those which during the saide warre continually remained in the amitye of the Emperour yea vpon paine of seeing their goods solde before their eyes except they made a quick dispatch and because their Deputies accorded together incontinently proclamation was made that they should departe from the Court vpon paine of death how often they had brought strangers men at armes into Germany and after the last watre dispersed them throughout the prouinces where they committed a thousand villanies and disorders and bragging how they had tamed Germany and boasted that she should be annexed to the Emperours patrimony and how in the cheefe and principall Citties should be erected fortes and bulwarkes to bridle them in how as it were in mockery they carried out of Germany to strange nations great quantity of peeces of artillerie and furniture of warre how some for extreme couetousnes of vaine glorye haue engraued in such peeces as they caused to bee newe cast the armes of the Princes of Germanye as who would say that they had wonne them from them how they had imprinted little bookes yea with priuiledge of the Emperour to the great dishonour of Germany as if she had bene vtterly tamed and brought into bondage how at publique assemblies some were receaued to the number of the Princes and estates vnder the name of the Emperours prouinces which was craftily done to the end that the number being encreased they might gain their wils by multitude of voyces how foure yeares passed they had erected a Parlament of the Chamber and how lawes were priuatelye made by some and since published not without the great damage of a number and especially of those of the religion of Ausbourg for they gaue vnto them no place at all in this assemblye it is then most necessary said he that the lawes should be examined at the very first assembly Maurice proposed these things and sundry other more requiring to haue them amended considering how they touched the Empire and that the Empire might be restored to her antient brightnes and that it might not be lawfull for other to scoffe them or despise them the Commissioners after hauing consulted together iudged that these demaunds contained nothing in them but great equitie and yet to the ende the Emperours honour might be preserued and that himselfe might the rather be perswaded thereunto they were of opinion that many matters which concerned the reformation of the publique estate might very well be reserued to an imperiall day There was also Du Fresne the French Embassadour who made his oration in full audience of all the Princes the 13. of Iune saying That in olde time and long before euer the name of French was heard of among men there had bene so great a conformitie of life betweene the Gaulois and the Almans that at other times they were called by the Latins Germanes as brethren to the Gaulois but after that the French had seated themselues in Gaul the two nations were so vnited together that it was one selfe same Empire vnder the same Prince and the same lawes Afterwards as in change of time the empire was transferred to Germany so did the Saxons and other Emperours alwaies entertaine amitie with the French for because they were descended from the Kings of Fraunce in such sorte as Philip Augustus caused to be engraued in letters of golde that ancient alliance which was as it were cleane abolished thorough antiquitie and to be set vp in the most holye place and not without cause for whilest that this coniunction endured the common welth of both the people flourished and the force of Germany was so great as it gaue lawes not onely to the Hungarians Bohemians Pollakes Danes but also to the very Italians and the Kings of Fraunce in like sorte curious to amplifie Religion did often beare armes against Sarazins Turkes and other enemies of Christendome through Asia Affrica and Europe in atchiuing of most glorious victories Since that we are come in a more vnhappie age when as some Emperours as it were engraffed in and not of the naturall stocke of Germanes and vnworthye of their estate haue cleane abandoned this amitie of the Kings of Fraunce whereupon there ensued great misfortunes in the Common wealth But this soare was healed by the grace of God by meanes of the noble families of the Princes of Luxembourg out of which some Emperours descended men of high renowne and great freendes to the Kings of Fraunce for the Father of Charles the fourth died in fighting for the King of Fraunce The Princes of Austria haue bene in like sorte affected among whome Albert the first could not possibly be induced by any of the Popes promises or threats to make warre against Fraunce which hee recited to the end it might be vnderstoode how ill some of the familiars and and seruants to the most puissant emperour Charles the fifth order the common wealth not only seeking by all their trauell to disioyne these two most excellent Nations the one from the other
halfe a league from Mezieres to which it had doone many shrewde turnes because the Lord pretended certaine rightes besides that it was a retraite to all lewde persons an occasion that Frauncis the first had there builded a blockhouse which for all that serued to no purpose by meanes of the euil gouernement thereof The Lord of which had beene brought vp a Page in the Kinges house and euer held the French partie vntill that vpon some spite he changed for the Bourgonion crosse with which he dyed of the shiuer of a peece which hee tryed afterwards the King being determined of his returne and hauing made the D. of Niuernois Gouernour of Luxembourg all also furnished Roc de Mars and the other places with all necessaries notwithstanding the daily roades of Theonuille and other imperial places sent his armye to batter take and cut in peeces all those that were retired into the Castle of Trelon which was vndermined and raised as Glaion and other places and to content the olde Ensignes the sacke of Cimetz was bestowed on them a Towne and Castle of the Duke of Ascottes whither many of the Countrie and of Ardennes were retired with cheefest goods of valewe but seeing the batterye they cleane lefte the towne and ranne into the Castle the great Tower whereof was no sooner battered downe but those that were besieged being willing to parley were knocked downe by the Portail and other places where they found an entrance to sacke and rifle with so great greedines and indiscretion as within one of the towre vautes where the Powder lay were aboue sixe score Souldiars roasted by meanes of the fire which the kindled matches of some of the Harquebusiers put thereto After the Towne and Castle was consumed to ashes which greatly astonied the Bourguinions and other the borderers which already feared the siege of Auanes whether the King had indeede caused his armye to marche had it not beene for the sickenes which day by day encreased among the Souldiers of whome a good parte were alreadye secretly stolne away some charged with good booties some with sicknesse some with tedious and long paines and many with blowes more then riches hard to be endured in warre although but soddaine and of small continuance euen of the most hazardous An occasion that in the end of Iuly the armye was parted into Garrisons attending what the Emperour now would vndertake who much troubled with the Protestant Princes army of Germany saw him selfe then brought as it were into two extremeties either to accorde almost whatsoeuer Maurice and his cōpanions would demaund as well for Religion as the libertye of Germanye and so to enter into Fraunce and reuenge such iniuries as he had receiued by King Henry or else to let him alone at his ease to gaine the Countrie whereby he might another time enforce the Germanes to submitte themselues to the yoke of his power notwithstanding whether it were that an iniurye receiued from an equall seemed vnto him more hard to be abidden then the offence of an inferiour and one especially bound with a kinde of dutie of subiection or whether hee thought himselfe in better readines against the French or whether as some say that his hatred conceaued against King Henry did more passionate him then against any other Prince the Emperour resolued himselfe of a peace with Germany as it were to espouse a warre with Fraunce by such meanes as I will deliuer vnto you Maurice stood principally vpon two pointes besides the deliuerye of the Landgraue the one that Ferdinand with Maximilian his Sonne and the commissioners might from thence take notice of such matters as were hurtefull to the libertye of Germanye and iudge thereof according to the ancient custome of Germanye the other that Religion should be let alone in peace and no harme in respect thereof to any man in the Worlde vntill the difference might be decided The Commissioners allowed of this forme but the Emperour shewed what hee desired and iudged fitte how it was reasonable that such as had euer remained loyall towards him and thereby greatly fallen into calamities might receiue recompence for their losses After long debating and some articles eased it was concluded that the Emperour should giue his full answere by the third of Iulye and that in the meane time there should bee a truce and cessation of armes The Commissioners then sent their letters to the Emperour the 26. of Iune to exhorte him to a peace Afterwards the French Embassadour being pressed to deliuer the occasions of his Maisters discontentment and vnder what conditions he would enter into a peace hauing receaued newes from his Master answered that the King had not vndertaken this warre in respect of his own particular but to succour Germany so farre going to decay as touching the conditions of peace it was not the custome of the Kings of Fraunce to demaund it as became themselues in all respects therefore he did not thinke he had any cause to propose ought without an assured hope of obtaining the same especiallye considering that the Emperour had most vniustly made warre against him while he marched for their succours notwithstanding he would quit much for a peace so as he might see it generall and refused not but that they might take knowledge and determine of these differents to which if Charles would not doe reason he protested the fault shuld onely light of his necke for all the miseries which might ensue thereon In summe that these Princes perceiuing the delaies of the Emperour had no sooner besieged Francforte where was a great Garrison of the Emperours but by the aduise of the most parte of the Princes of Germanye the peace was concluded the last of Iulye 1552. See the occasions which draue the one and the other to conclude the same Among other reasons the great danger was laide before Maurice which he should stand in as well on the Emperours side which had alreadye prepared a great armie as of his Cosins behalfe Iean Frederic whom the Emperour meant to send home free into his Countrie The Emperour likewise stoode in feare of the force of the Germanes and of the French The Landgraues sonne for the long detention of his Father Among other articles the Captiue Princes were to be set at libertie no disquiet for their Religion which they would aduise of at the first assembly within sixe moneths the King of Fraunce was to declare vnto Maurice his demaunds Albert was comprehended therein if he layde downe armes The King misliked with the whole course yet hee sent back the Hostages and Maurice his to wit the Earle of Nanteuil and Iametz The Historie of Fraunce THE SECOND BOOKE YOu haue heere before seene what preparatiues the Emperour and the Catholicke Princes confederate for Religion made of all partes against the Protestant Princes to furnish the great armye that they might be able to the end they might range them at deuotion The Germanes notwithstanding
hee was not ignorant of permitted not that one should disfurnish a place of guarde chiefely of such importance of Metz of victuals and prouisions whereof it should be furnished to distribute them to a Campe which might be master of the field and follow any other way or Country as towards Sallines a most fertile Countrie wherin he should not onely finde all commodities but in eating and consuming thereof he should the more disaduantage the enemye in not being able to recouer the like there At which seeming to content himselfe he demanded some guide which knew the Country and might conduct him and lead him thither whereto was ordained by the Duke of Guise and expressely sent from Metz one Gaspard de Hus a natiue Gentleman of Metz notwithstanding in very short space he changed his minde for insteed of taking the waye towardes Sallines hee came the more neerer within one legue to Metz and encamped in a place called Aey where he made some stay vsing all the scales which he could imagine for vnder colour to gaine the good grace of the Emperour by some remarqueable seruice entising the Duke of Guise to giue him some trauerses or to trouble him by some disorder had not the Prudence of that Prince bene so great as to foresee and remedy the same Then hauing by diuers remoues trauersed all that Countrie and being turned towards Treues to fetche there a number of Souldiers which he had left there he came downe to Pont Camouson neuer hauing for al that resolued any thing with the B. of Bayonne either of his own appointment or pay of his people albeit that the King had againe sent back Lonsac vnto him for the very same cause notwithstanding he could conclude vpon nothing with him training alwaies the effect in diuersitie of demaundes coloured with faire wordes whereon it was a very vneasie matter to laye any foundation and therefore they entred into the greater suspition of him so as the first mistrust began to encrease more then before wherefore with as much speed as might be the King who hauing knowne the Emperours intents and preparatiues had alreadye caused all his Garrisons bandes and arriere bandes and other new companies to repaire vnto Champagne made his Campe to assemble at S. Michel a little towne of Lorraine vpon the riuer of Meuse sixe leagues on the side of Pont Camouson as farre from Verdun and ten long ones from Metz whether likewise repaired the Constable the D. of Neuers the Earle of Anguien the Prince of Conde the Earle of Aumale the Vice-count of Rohan the Marshall S. Andre Chastillon generall of the French Fanterie the Earle of Villars Bourdillon then ordained Marshall of the Campe the Earle Reingraue and Reiroc with their Regimentes of Lansquenets and sundrye other great Lords and Captains As touching the Imperiall armie it was altogether readie and grew great by view of the eye hauing so farre already marched as being arriued at Deuxponts it extended it selfe throughout all the Countrie of Vaulges in sorte that it was very requisite to lodge and cause to enter into Metz all such succours as well of men of artillerie and other munition as had beene determined to be sent thether and therefore the most commodiously that hee was able the Constable sent from Saint Michael the companies of horse and foote which were ordained to this purpose vnder the charge and conduct of Horace Farneze Duke of Castres carrying with him a number of pioners and store of pouder for the better strengthning of the towne though not in so great quantitie for all that as the Constable could haue wished and as hee had done without the feare he had of the Marquesse who was alwayes at Pont Camouson his men being ouer the plaine Country round about giuen to all insolencies of warre pilling leauing not ought but what they made no account of or could not carrie or beare away The which was found very strange and greatly augmented the distrust which might be had of him Notwithstanding to bring him to some reason they sent vnto him the Duke of Aumalle de Chastillon and the Earle of Reingraue to praye him to cause his people to leaue of their wasting and spoiling of the Countrie and finally to resolue with him the last accord of his appointment and paye of men Then they soone inough discouered what had bin before conceiued of him but as it were in a cloud rendering so ambiguous haughtie an answere with a spitefull and malecontent iesture that he demanded almost the moitie of a kings ransome for appointment And as touching the order of his mens liuing hee shewed that he had alreadie setled his affaires answering in the end with an assured resolution that he was a friend to the king and an allie to the house of Lorrain but hee meant that his souldiers should haue wherewithall to liue and take it where they could find it in case of refusall he was resolued what he had to do and whether to retire himselfe yea so far as refusing to receiue such monie as the Constable had sent vnto him Whereby they well perceiued how he was reconciled to the Emperor by the practise of some Who perceiuing that he was out of his reach for doing him any harme and that he had himselfe great need of people pardoned him all his faults and forbad that any should make his processe in respect of the war passed ratified the contracts made with the B. of Bamberg and Wicibourg released him of going to the war in Hungary yea so farre as to agree with him the more he pardoned the Earles of Itigen both father and son Albert de Mansfeld and his children Now the Emperor lying sicke of his gouts and as well for this cause as for the importunitie of the time his armie soiourning in the countye of Vaulges with as great dilligence as was possible they placed againe the French army at S. Michel strengthned it as well with the French Fanterie Germans Zuizers to the number neere hand of 30000. footmen and betweene seuen and eight thousand horse wherefore the French began to hope better than euer so as the aduise of some was to charge vpon the Marques whilest that the greater armie of the enemie was so far of the meanes were the gallantnes of the French armie the discontentment of the Marquesses people not able besides to make anie retrait into anie place wherein they should not be pursued as enemies for their insolencies passed present to come Other preuailed in councell which perswaded that it would be better to goe more couertly to worke and vnderhand to withdraw the better part of his captains souldiers by meanes of such Germanes as were alreadie come to the kings seruice with assurance of redie paie good intertainment to come Which was so wel handled that with a great mutiny hapned between themselues the colonell Reif-berg with his regiment accepted from thence forward
of the French party Wherat the marques being extreamly despited and seeing otherwise how the armie of France which euerie day was mightily increased grew neere neighbor vnto him how alredie men murmured agaynst him and how his souldiers mutined among themselues whereof many both couertly and in sight were retired to the French and how through all these accidents he was in danger to be surprised and inclosed hee certefied the Constable howe that since it pleased not the King to entertaine him into his seruice not willing to accorde vnto him reasonable appoyntment and paie his request was to haue a safe conduct to depart protesting that in other places of his enemies Countrie he was able to doo vnto him as good or better seruice as there and could conquere landes which might perpetually remaine vnto him without sticking at a trifle assuring him notwithstanding vpon his faith neuer to take parte wyth the Emperour agaynst him The King beeing aduertised heereof and the matter thoroughly debated of in Councell grew of opinion howe it was much more expedient to make a bridge to a mans enemie seeking to retire than to put armes into the furnace to heate him anie more as well to assure the people of the violent comming of the man seeking nought but his owne aduenture wythout respect of his lyfe as also honestly to conuoie and conduct him for in beeing willing to fight with him by strong hande albeit that fortune were fauourable yet coulde not the victorie remayne but wyth great losse peraduenture of many braue men whereof the King as then stoode in great neede a farre greater enemie beeing at hande than the other as also to the ende it might not bee reproached vnto him to haue defeated one which came to his succours especially a Germane one of the most auncient friendes and confederates of the French To this end was the Bishoppe of Bayonne lefte neere about him for his better suretie and conduct to cause him to haue a safe and free passage thoroughout all the Kinges Countries Of the other parte the Duke of Aumalle was appoynted to accompanie him with two hundred men at armes and fiue hundred light horse to hinder anie of his men from spoyling or ruining anie of the kings subiects For during the three weekes that Albert made his abode neere de Thoul vppon Mozelle they vnderstood of so straunge disorder and most excessiue excesses which his people dyd as well to the Nobles as pesants and church men that in the ende perceiuing howe the Duke of Aumalle to whome they addressed themselues tolde them that hee was not able to haue anie other reason at his handes albeit hee had certefied him thereof they assembled themselues to kil and trusse vp as many as they were able Whereof he greatly complained to the Duke who aunswered him that hee woulde haue regarde to his duetie leauing him the passage free but hee had gone agaynst his worde in permitting so great an insolencie Constrayned in the ende to displace hee went and incamped neere vnto a poole vppon a marish where in the night it rayned so harde as hee thought hee shoulde neuer haue founde meanes to escape thence especiallye his Artillerie sticking fast in the myre and bemoyled euen to the verie axiltree and truckes of the carriages where the Duke of Aumalle had fayre meanes to haue cleane ruyned him wythout the losse of anie one man had hee beene so disposed to haue done October was now well spent when the imperiall armie as yet remained in the Countrie of Vaulges and towardes Deuxponts the Emperour still continuing very ill disposed as also for that hee attended succours out of the Low Countries which were not as yet arriued and his artillerie and munition which hee caused to bee brought downe the Rhine as farre as Confluence from thence the easier all along the riuer of Moselle to make it bee landed almost harde by Metz. And for that the sharpest coldes of the winter beginne in this season such a delaie caused a number of persons to bee of opinion that the Emperour woulde not so late vndertake a siege of so great consequence and that he would not expose so fayre and well compleat an armie to thinke to vanquish both the rigor of the time and a Towne so well prouided as all the Captaines imagined who councelled him rather to assaie the recouerie of the rest of the townes as wel of the Dutchie of Lorraine as of Barois and Luxenbourg in which hee might well cause his armie to winter and keepe it couered from the euill season in which meane time they of Metz shoulde bee constrayned to spend theyr victuals and consume their munitions beeing continually notwithstanding held in subiection by such roads as the souldiers should dayly make vppon them and the Countrie about more and more to affeeble them and cleane take awaie all meanes from them to recouer victualles whereof towardes the spring they woulde stande in so great necessitie as they might then easily set vppon them to their greater aduantage Shewing further how that before he cold wel dispose and appoint the siege of this so great a towne and that his artillerie could be planted and prepared for the batterie winter would so hardly bee come on that it woulde be a cause of interrupting all his meanes as well by reason of snowes windes raines and extreame frosts causing a great number of his souldiers to die as through the difficultie which they should haue to recouer victualls beeing detayned and stayed backe by the constraint and indisposition of the time as also in hauing them oftentimes bee met with and taken awaie by the French Besides all that together with the losse that myght fortune him to receiue there such and so great a shame as hee would rather wish it had cost him the crowne of his Empire so as hee had not beene at all there For after hauing combatted and beene in part defeated by the furie and violence of the time he should finde besides another enemie strong and puissant which attended but onely an occasion to ruine him for euer This aduice though it were the most certayne for the Emperours securitie yet could it not by anie meanes bee receiued of him for his spirite beeing pricked forward and solicited by an extreame desire of beeing reuenged forgot all accidents and perils to bee happily resolued in the end of one onely point whereby hee might knowe but how to bee reuenged of the King And among others it seemed best vnto him first to addresse himselfe to the towne of Metz within which hee well knew were many of the principall Princes and great Lords of France and that besides it was perfectly furnished and prouided with great store of munition Wherfore it seemed vnto him that if by the surplus of the rest of that yere hee could worke so wel as to be able only to recouer it hee might easily by meanes of such prisoners as he should find therein
discretion their liues saued he would cause them al to passe by the edge of the sword so as hauing a while considered of the danger they yeelded themselues to the mercy and discretion of the Duke which happened in very good time for there remained no more but two bullets of a Culuerin left they being gone out to the end no leasure should be giuen to the French souldiers to amuse about the spoile fire was put in diuers places of the Towne as for the Prisonners the Duke of Neuers had alreadye giuen them leaue to departe when as they were as well known vnto the Captaine Sapoigne their neighbour Sonne to Gilles de Leuant sometimes gouernour of Luxembourg against whom Sapoigne declared vnto the Duke that the honestest man among them all had one hundred times deserued death and how hee should shew them too much fauour to saue their liues for if he should set thē at liberty it would be a means to make them do more harme to the French Therefore the greatest part of them were retained and carried prisonners to Satenaye afterwardes some were sent backe the principall being reserued cheefely the Captain Dalumont otherwise Malladerie and his ensigne named Arbonniere all these matters being thus happely atchieued in one onely day the armie returned the same very night to lodge at Satenay with all the companies except those of Mommedy who in respect they were neere hand retired as then from the place cōmandement being giuen that they should dayly repaire thither by hundreds to make euen with the ground the rest of Vireton which the fire was not able to waste or consume and on the next morrowe hauing dispatched S. Simon to carry newes vnto the K. who continually remained at Reims and cōmanded Despotz Gouernour of Satenay to receaue of the inhabitants within the town the oath of fidelity in the K. name he dparted towards the cōstable who caused the armye to temporise attending what the Emperour would attempt who finding all his forces assembled and the succours which he attended out of the low Countries being arriued took the high way againe towards Metz and was approched as farre as Sarabuc seuen leagues from thence and a few dayes after the D. of Alua Lieutenant generall of the Emperour and the Marquesse of Marignan Colonell of the Italian Fantassins with fourteene thousand foote foure thousand horse and sixe fielde peeces approched so neere as to discouer the Towne and the fittest places for to pitch their Campe in which was not doone without a furious and braue skirmish of the French souldiars who being sallied forth for a beginning made them well to perceiue and feele with what affection they were determined to defend themselues and maintaine the place wherein the French as then atchiued great reputation as well of the Duke of Guise as of their enemies who afterwardes retired themselues to S. Barbe two leagues back with small aduauntage and losse of neere hand eight or nine score men and of French men there was lost Marigny Picard issued out of the auncient and most renowmed house of Salezart and fiue Souldiers which were slaine on the place Sylly Mompha and the Captaine La Vaure dyed there of their wounds In the meane time the D of Aumalle standing well assured of all the plattes and sollicitings which they practised with the Marquesse Albert aduertised the K. thereof who was at Reims to the end to prouide of all sides as wel on that part as towards Picardie certifying him that the most expedient way was rather to set vpon him thē to suffer him to ioyne with the enemy and so to make him the stronger and to bring that to passe he let him to vnderstand that with such meanes as hee already had two hundred men at armes would be sufficient to defeate him The King made answere that hee liked his deuice very well prouided that it were wisely executed and without too much hazard and presently hee commaunded Bourdillon to goe and ioyne with him with a hundred men at armes and obey him wherein soeuer for his seruice hee would imploye him whereupon hee came towardes him within three leagues neere vnto which place hee readily aduertised him how by the Kings commaundement with all possible diligence he had made his repaire towards him to obey him beseeching him to signifie his pleasure and what he was to doe The D. of Aumalle answered him that he was maruelously contented at his so great diligence vsed and that the Marquesse hauing already passed ouer the riuer of Muze was ready likewise to goe ouer the other of Madon to retire himselfe to the Emperours Campe and he knew not any great means how to follow him any longer wherfore in breefe he determined to retire himselfe to Thoul to make warre against the enemie This answere was the cause that Bourdillon stirred not from Blanieau attending his returne Three daies after notwithstanding the D. of Aumalle sent his Trumpetter with letters to the Marquesse to suck alwaies some intelligence from him but so it was as finding him at the borough of S. Nicolas whether he was gone with a small companie to conclude with the Emperours Deputies making small account of those letters the Trumpetter was staied to the end that readily returning hee might not discouer the secret nor make reporte of what he had seene who maruelling greatlye at this strange entertainement went to the Marquesses truchman for it was tolde him that hee had beene brought vp in Fraunce thinking by that meanes that hee would haue carried some good affection to haue pleasured those of that Nation whence he had receaued all kinde of curtesie but contrariwise hee found him a braue and presumptuous Gallant who iudged himselfe of the highest valour by reason of the familiaritie which he had with his Master The Trumpetter be sought him to procure his dispatch and returne He contrariwise without making any answere at al to his request railed extreamely at the French and wishing vnto them a thousand curses he protested with great oaths that before it were long he would bathe himselfe in their bloud So the Trumpetter was enforced to tarrie vntill the Thursday before the day wherein the defeate should be accomplished as they tolde him and how that the morrowe after he should returne with his answere which came not to passe for all that for that day all things being changed to the worse the Trumpeter was more rigorously entreated then before led bound fast wrong hard and trained as if how-erlye hee expected nought else then to be hanged or dye miserably Thus the Marquesse had determined the next morrowe to take his way to the Emperours Camp and there rested nothing but to vnite and appease some of his Captains Souldiers who had no great minde to turne their face to take oath to the Emperor in respect of the euill entertainment which they had found both at his hands and the Spaniards in the wars passed The
the first for that there were spoyled consumed to ashes the most faire Castles and gentlemens houses which were possible to be builded Among the rest the most sumtuous house of Marimont was set on fire curiously builded for the singular pleasure of Q. Mary furnished with as many singularities as was possible to be imagined An other excellent faire Castle called Tragny was burned and the greatest part ruined where were found sundry moueables and rich vestements as well of men as women The 22. of Iuly the Towne of Bains being summoned and no waies willing to yeeld was most furiously presented with the Cannon and in another manner of sorte then when D'Alegre lost his life there Which hauing endured out sixe volleyes of the Cannon yeelded themselues to the Kinges mercie who for all that commaunded it to bee destroyed and burned not forgetting his Castle of Foulembray and other Townes of Picardie which Q. Marie had before caused to be burned entirely ruined at such time as he was in Germanie They did as much to a sumtuous Castle which she had newly caused to be built replenished with all exquisite things as of sundrie varieties of Marble Tables plate pictures and embost statues colours of all sortes whereof notwithstanding in smal space was made great wast destruction De Blosse who was gouernour thereof was brought away prisonner with the chiefest of marke which were found both there and within the towne the K. still vsing all meekenes towards the women young maidens litle children which he made be conducted put in safty by a Harrowld a trumpetor Afterwards the same morning de Giry Leiutenāt of the D. of Neuers company was sent with 4. other companies of men at armes to keepe scoute to those which set fire on the Castle of Reux which the late maister therof had caused to be reedified and better masonned then euer it was when it was first builded beeing vowted from the bottome to the toppe from thence they were at Bais sur Bais a village afterwards at a litle towne of Bauets very anucient first builded by the Troians as they of the country tell which passed beyond the forest of Mormant calling it after the name of their Prince Bauo At this time smally inhabited but to ruine it the more fire was put in many places The imperial armie stil followed thē very neere being better strengthned as well by the succours of Almanes which the D. of Brunswich brought of 2000. Reistres which they cal in France Pistoliers as for that all the Emperors Garrisons which hee had distributed among the towns which he had left behind were retired thither The which caused the French to march in better order closer then before as alwaies ready to fight frō one place to another for doubt of the enemy being very vigilant subtil couragious wher he could spie any aduantage to assaile thē whereat the Constable well aduising to support the charges enterprises which the enemie might giue vpō their skirts ordinarily remained there with the vauward and dislodged euer last Thus the alarums redoubled at their departure thence hauing as it were couped thēselues in betwene six great Towns of their enemies to wit Mons in Haynault Auanes Landrecy Lequesnoy Valenciennes Cambray and the imperiall armie which was at their heeles had assailed them as by a dispaire had not been the good conduct of their chefes the imperials hauing aduentred so far as in clere day to force their whatch after they had surprised one of the sentinels of Tauannes his company notwithstāding not daring to aduenture further as sone as they were perceiued they were driuen in as farre as Lequesnoy Now this night their light cauallery skirmished long with lucke enough which was a cause to make thē forbeare take som rest the surplus of that night Hauing then frō Villie encamped at Souleine and frō thence at the burrowes Castle of Gommigny which they burned they marched forward the 24. of the month whē as their enemies as it were desperate in seing their country burned destroied sacked by thē without any doubt of being followed or feare of being famished proposed to giue thē a charge taking vantage of the raynie misty weather knowing likewise that they had two reasonable bad riuers to passe which were swelled that night where they hoped to delay thē and put thē in such dioder as they would haue them at deuotion hauing all their own garrisons ioyned together Therefore they deuided into two troupes about 4000. of the best horse they had laying part of thē in ambush within the woods vpon the way part of them within certaine villages at hand according as they might most cōmodiously sustaine one another the D. of Sauoy remaining behind with other 4000 horse some footmen hauing belaid the field with 4. or 5. hūdred couriers to entise forth their light horse wherby they being first discouered by the D. D' Aumale it was thought fit to send to the Marshall S. Andre who remained at their taile with two regiments of men at armes to know if it were best to charge thē who sent back word that he was not of that opiniō fearing they had a greter company Wherefore Paul Baptista the capitane Lanque were sent to view them more neere who made report each one of his side that they had descried two other troupes of 2000. horse a peece which anon after as soone as the wether grew clearer discouered thēselues at ful so neere as they attacked skirmish with the light cauallery of the French hard by the camp without setting or giuing in earnest vpon any of the other ranks of cauallery and men at armes which made thē hedlong enough in their view retired and passed this last riuer afterwards they returned without carrying the honour to haue had any aduantage at all ouer them The regiment of the Duke of Neuers was sent another way where certaine of their scoutes were defeated which brought great quantitie of baggage but parte thereof was againe reskewed Afterwardes they encamped that night in a village which the yeere before had beene burned called Viellie The same day a trumpetour which the Duke of Neuers had sent to the campe called La Capelle to vnderstand what was become of a man at armes of his company returned almost al naked stript by some souldiers of the enemies smally experiēced in feates of war But at the instant he was sent backe againe in the same estate with a trumpetor who was charged by the K. to tel the D. of Sauoy the Emperors Leiutenant general that if hereafter they vsed any more the like fashions al the priueledges liberties of war shold be thus abolished he wold do the like at his next siege Which being vnderstood by this gentle Prince to shew how sore he was displeased therat he caused diligent search to be made thoroughout his whole campe for
and safe In such and like reencounters and skirmishes there passed 8. daies in great necessitie of victuals and maruelous discommodities of the ayre before Mariembourg vntill that almost all the waggons and carriages were entred in Then they retired themselues to the garrisons neere at hand as also the Prince of Orenge to Bruxels to the Emperor hauing sufficiently prouided for Philippeuille and Charlemont To enter againe into the estate of Almane Ferdinande K. of Bohemia assigned in that time in the name of the Emperour a diet at Ausbourg of the estates of Almane to accorde about the point of Religion and prouide as well for the necessities of the Empire as the particular of each one the yeare 1555. The Protestant Princes sent thither their Embassadors shewing that they held with the confession of Ausbourg according to which if they would giue them suretie they would contribute to all reasonable charges Hereupon August Duke of Saxe and elector by the decease of his Brother the D. Maurice whom the Pistoll shot which hee receaued the daye of the battaile against the Marquesse Albert caused to dye as elsewhere I haue tolde you and Touachin Marquesse of Brandebourg electors the Sonnes of Iean Frederic the Lantgraue and some other Princes neighbours about assembled at Numbourg vpon the Riuer Solo and there renewed the alliance which is hereditaire betweene the houses of Saxe and Hesse And vpon that they concluded constantly to stick to the confession of Ausbourg But fearing least some suspition might growe of any new and secret enterprise the fift day of their assemblie they wrote the cause therof vnto the Emperor insisting vpon the article of the treatie of Passau where the peace was concluded as I haue shewed vnto you and protesting that in all thinges they sought the repose of Almanie they proposed the confession of Ausbourg exhorting euery one to a generall quiet and beseeching that hee would not beleeue any which perhaps sought to trouble the tranquility of the Empire The K. Ferdinande had proposed vpon the fifth day of February such matters as were to be entreated of but for that many came so slackely thither they began not vntill the 7. of March Then the Deputies of the Princes Electors consulted of the byls and against the aduise of many they all consented in the end to begin with the point of religion The like was concluded in the councel of the Princes and townes After a long debate it was agreede that they should leaue religion in peace but they differed in that the associates of the confession of Ausbourg would haue it to be indifferently permitted to all kinde of men to follow their doctrine and that they might likewise be partakers of the benefit of the peace The other side stronglye withstoode that alleadging that that ought not to be permitted to any Townes which since seauen yeares had receaued the decree made at Ausbourg touching religion nor to any ecclesiasticall person And in case that a Bishop or Abbot should change his religion they would haue him depriued of his place and another put into his roome They of the confession of Ausbourg alleadged that the diuine promises as wel of the olde as new Testament in which our saluation is contained appertained to all men in generall by meanes whereof it was not lawfull for them to curtall or straighten them for feare of shutting both themselues and others out of the kingdome of heauen There was neither Iewe nor Turk were he neuer so little affectionate to his religion but would wish to drawe the whole worlde vnto it how much more ought we to be thus encouraged seeing we haue an expresse commandement from God for the fame it must needs be then that all remaine in their libertie Notwithstanding to gain peace they permitted vnto them that they should keepe their fashions and ceremonies vse and enioy all their goods possessions customes rightes and priuiledges vntil the different of religion should be determined But they would not allow the same condition to be prescribed vnto Bishops for thereby it might growe that they should be bound to make warre against their allies of the same religion and with great dishonour condemne their own cause for it were as much as to confesse said they that our doctrine and religion were not worthy of ecclesiasticall goods and that vntill this day such goods had bene vniustly bestowed vpon our Churches Ministers Moreouer we should confesse the Papists doctrine to be holy and their ministerye grounded vpon the word of God and that their goods were iustly deuoted to their order life statutes and ceremonies and what a scandall would it growe if we should defend their cause and goods which serue to no end in the Church and contrariwise we should betray them whome we ought to holde in singular recommendation by reason of the same religion The Catholiques alleadged other reasons that if it shuld be lawfull for ecclesiasticall persons to change religion within a while Bishops and like chapitres would be prophaned and being cut of from the Churches would fall into the Princes hands and so remaine vnto them as an heritage to which they answered that there was neuer any such matter meant but that their entent was to reduce things to their first institution and appropriate them to their true vsages annexing the goods for euer vnto the Churches and to take away all doubt they promised to giue caution that no goods of Bishops or chaptres should be aliened in case their religion should be changed prouided that after the decease or resignation of the Bishop or superiour the election and administration should be left free to them of the Colledge Now after many differents of the one part and other as well by wrighting as by speeche there was in the end agreede and enacted the fiue twentith of September and read in publicque audience according to the custome such decree as followeth the which being well obserued hath maintained the Empire and the Almanes in good peace vntill this present The decree of Ausbourg THat Emperour the K. Ferdinande and the rest of the Princes and estates should doe no wrong to any of the Empire in case whatsoeuer in respect of the doctrine of the confession of Ausbourg concerning the point of Religion and faith receiued nor hereafter compel by their commaundements or other meanes those which were confederate in the saide confession to abandon their religion ceremonies and lawes instituted by them within their territories or to be instituted hereafter especially that they haue not their religion in contempt but leaue them free with their goods enheritances customes possessions and all other rightes so as they may peaceably holde them That the different of religion be no otherwise determined but by holye amiable and peaceable meanes They of the confession of Ausbourg shall in like sort behaue themselues towardes the Emperour the K. Ferdinande and the rest of the Princes and estates addicted to the ancient religion
be giuen of such as shall be appelants that therin they take some of your Ecclesiasticall Councellors such as shall be chosen or for default of them some other notable and sufficient personages In regard of the inquisition that it be obserued to haue the Popes inquisitor deputed vnder him thoroughout all prouinces to be men of good renowne and of entire life And that the Bishop be at the charge and not the accused vpon condition notwithstanding that the processe being ended the charges be recouered of those to whom it appertaineth These things are proper to bound in and enclose such processe within certaine limits Moreouer for that it appeareth that by the punishments of Heretiques how necessarie soeuer they be they haue not amended them vntill this present but onely it hath beene shewed thereby how detestable the thing is and further for that it is farre better to preuent a sickenesse then to giue it leasure to grow and afterwardes apply a remedie you must herein most gracious Prince follow the customes and pathes of the primitiue and auncient Church for shee was not established either by sword or fire but the diligence of Bishoppes hath alwaies resisted against Heretiques because that they alwaies insisted to preach the word of God shew good example in their life Considering then how the Church was by this meanes confirmed there is no doubt but shee would still be able to maintaine and countergarde her selfe if you woulde therein vse your power causing Bishops and Pastors in their owne persons to gouerne their Churches and likewise all inferiour ministers That they liue holily and teach the word of God or cause it to be taught by persons sit And that hereafter the charge of Churches be not giuen but to men able of themselues to teach without substituting Vicars in their roomes This is the roote whereunto the hand must be put this is the foundation vpon which the building must be framed for by this meanes there is hope that heresies will by little and little vanish away But if no account be made of following this course there is danger that heresies will encrease more and more what Edict soeuer can be made or remedies vsed to the contrarie In summe few of the Lordes of the priuie Councell remaining there which would any waies contrarie the same the Edict which I will speake of else where was engrossed in the end coÌ„cluded and after published thoroughout the whole Realm to the contentment of some and displeasure of many other In this same time Charles of Austria Emperour of the Romanes tyred with the enterprise of humane actions no lesse then pressed with his particular inconueniences resolued to put end thereunto So that as well to appease the violence of his Goutes feeblenes of stomacke megromes headach and an infinite of other diseases which day by day diminished his naturall strength as to see the inconstancie of mundane accidents and small assurance in the fairest desseins of man good fortune the compagnion of manie his actions hauing bene often times enterlaced by the encounter of some Signal desastre Iointe the presages of Vesalins his Phisition and other vpon the breuitie of his daies he determined to exchange a publique life vntill then reasonable well gouerned with a particular and solitarie which rather carryed a Religious deuotion then any mundane managing Therefore hauing from the moneth of September caused his sonne Phillip King of England to come vnto him to whome for sixe weakes together he communicated his most important affaires and the meanes which he ought to holde in the gouerment of his estates hee caused the generall estates of all his low Countries to bee assembled at Bruxelles where hee declared the indisposition of his person the good they had receiued from himselfe and the fauour which they might receiue from his sonne whome as then rising out of his chayre and kneeling barehead before and ouer against the Emperour putting his hand vpon his head he inuested in all his patrimoniall goodes hauing recommended vnto him Religion Iustice he gaue him his blessing Then the Prince rysen vp and due reuerence made vnto his Father and Queene Mary his Aunt in the ende turning vnto the people thanked God for his present aduantages besought him to assist him in all his actions to come rendred thanks vnto the Emperour for the care he had of his person from his first age vntill that day vnto the people for the acceptaunce they had made of him assuring them of so good a gouernement as they should not haue cause to repent themselues of this happe and consent Afterwardes Queene Marye dowager of Hungarie Gouernesse of the Lowe countries seeing the teares trickle downe the graye bearde of the Emperour his pale and earthly face rose vp to declare vnto the people that for thirteene yeeres together while her charge endured which shee had receyued from the Ceasareal and she had employed all the meanes which God had lente vnto her to acquitte her selfe of her duetie that if any faulte happened it was vnwitting and not of any her malice for which shee besought all them to pardon her assuring her selfe that her brother the Emperour rested contente This done the Emperour publiquely acquited all his Subiectes of their oathes made vnto him and rising out of his Throane caused his Sonne to sitte therein who presently receyued the homages and oathes of all his Vassalles Afterwardes all the first Seales of Charles were broken in pieces and in their place King Philips were brought wherewith there were presentlye sealed certayne pardons and other dispatches Thus did hee disseaze himselfe of all his goodes and estates to leade a peaceable life in a house of pleasure which hee had builded in Castilia called Iust reseruing onely to himselfe the vsufruite of Castilia and the superintendaunce of all the commaundaries Afterwardes by his gratious Letters to the Electours and Princes of Germanie he besought them to reconcile themselues together vnfoulding vnto them the small occasion which they had to quarrell one with another aduertising them of his purpose to passe into Spayne and howe he had resigned the Empire into their handes counselling and beseeching them to chuse his brother the King of the Romanes whome they knewe to bee of desarte and age Fearing least if some younge Emperour shoulde bee chosen hee woulde encrease the warres among the Christians a fitte onuerture to the Turkes to empayre Christendome especially vpon his nearest neyghbours In the ende hee recommended vnto them his Sonne beseeching them that if euer hee had done any matter of woorth for them and their Countrey they woulde acknowledge it in the behalfe of his Sonne who beeyng charged with great affayres had neede of his friendes assistaunce At the least that they woulde not bee contrary vnto him though some particularities might turne them from ayding of him Hee sent likewise Sâ—uler a doctour to his brother Ferdinando to yeelde ouer vnto him on his parte
the olde bandes which were in extreame necessitie many monethes hauing bene due vnto them Yea and in steade of remedying the necessities of Piemont his Maiesties pleasure was to accept the offer which vnwitting to the Mareschall was made vnto him by the Vidasme of Chartres Colonell of the Infanterie for carrying into Fraunce from thence two thousand Frenche harquebusiers and as many Italians Which being accordingly put in execution it was altogether apparaunt that thereby his Maiesties affayres were put into extreame perill and ruyne the enemies being strong and the Frenche feeble ill payde and comming so lately from receyuing the desastre of the defeate of the Armie and losse of Saint Quentins As the time thus passed away with verie small aduauntage to the Kings affayres the President Baillif made offer vnto the King of himselfe and vnwitting to the Mareschall that hee mought leuie in Piemont two or three hundred thousande crownes leuying three crownes vpon euery housholder which offer was not onely accepted without any aduise at all demaunded of the Mareschall but there was likewise preste money deliuered vnto him vpon the assignations of Piemont And whilest that his Maiestie made difficultie to heare such reasons as mought bee alleadged touching the impossibilitie of such a leuie there was no prouision made for succour of men nor money in so much as many losses and inconueniences were readye to ensue Especially for that the Vidasme still pursued the execution of his Leuie of two thousande harquebusiers For if any man woulde haue constrayned the bandes of Piemont to muster without paye it was to be feared that it would haue happened worse then it did at Cony The more likely considering in what vnfauourable tearmes his Maiesties affayres as then stoode Who mought very well haue called to minde howe diuers and sundrye times woorde was sente vnto him that the prolonging of the Musters was onely wrought and occasioned by the delaye of the money the wante whereof rendred the souldiers poore and made them disobedient and an euidente losse to the finances of his Maiestie which notwithstanding they colde by no meanes remedie without hauing meanes to make a rigorous muster All thinges being thus conducted in this sort and the death of Salueson happening gouernour of Casal his Maiestie as he was accustomed to doe in like vacances neuer tarying for the aduice nomination of the Marshall placed Francisque Bernardin therein fayning as though he had vnderstoode that hee and not La motte Gondrin had beene put into Casal after the death of Salueson And albeit that his Maiestie did afterwardes reuoke this nomination yet matters were in such sorte handeled as Francisque Bernardin stil stomached the Marshal the rather for that at his return from the Court into Piemont he was not gratefied nor honoured in such sorte as hee expected hee recommended likewise Mont basin to haue the place of gentleman of the chamber which Salueson before had But he was not able to obtaine it so as he many other of the Kings seruantes seeing how little credite was giuen to the Marshals recommendations albeit they were for men of merite began to diminish their affection and some of them to aske leaue to depart homewardes to follow their aduauncement alleadging that none but such as went to the court were aduaunced and recompensed Thus vpon these occasions began many complaintes disobediences and quarrels to arise which notwithstandinge receiued an other kinde of construction then this so as being inforced thereunto the twenty and eyght of September hee let the King to vnderstand how many Captaines gentlemen and other officers daylie departed away without leaue as wel for want of pay as that they perceiued right wel how they should neuer receiue any preferment through his recommendation among whome Pauan had for this occasion quitted and giuen ouer his Lieuetenancie and the Baron of Ardrets the Captaine Bouuall Sergent Maior of Casal and sundry other personages who had long and faithfully serued But notwithstanding he made light account thereof so as euerie man began to seeke an other supporte then his and to perke vp the nose against him Now as his Maiesty stoode aduertised how that the enemies had leuied great companies of resolute men in readines after the comming of the D. of Alua whome they attended within fewe dayes at Gennes with the forces of the kingdome of Naples to assaile eyther Piemonte or the D. of Ferrara who for that cause had made great instance that his Maiesties forces might approch to the D. of Milan the Marshall besought him to prouide thereto aswell with force as money to the end he might preuent in time and place such inconueniences which a man mought perceiue prepared as well on the one side as the other And for so much as his maiestie had made semblance to mislike the difficultie which the Marshal made vpon the leuy of two thousande Harquebusiers whō the Vidasme offred to bring into Fraunce dispatching the eighteene the Secretarie Bounin for instance of supplie and prouision of money he gaue him in charge to declare vnto his saide Maiestie that whatsoeuer he had done was not with any intention to contrary his will but for so much as his Maiestie had not as then countermand as he had done since the thirteenth the Ensignes of the Zuizers who not returning backe and the saide two thousande Harquebusiers going away there was smal likelihood But Piemont would remaine altogether at the enemies discreation And whē as this consideration could not preuaile Yet he saide that he had otherwise occasion enough to remaine euill satisfied seeing that such an offer had beene made without euer communicating the same vnto him and afterwards accepted without euer demaunding his aduise as it seemed reasonable since that he gouerned Piemont the principall charge whereof it pleased his Maiestie to bestowe vpon him Notwithstanding he ceased not all thinges layde by rather to fauour then hinder the Vidasme And as it was giuen him in charge at the same time to leuie according to the proposition made by the Presidente Bailly three crownes of taxe vpon euery housholder whereof his Maiestie made full accounte without demaunding his aduise at all therein yet resting onely vpon the seruice of his Maiestie hee did so much as that he leuyed vpon the Countrey sixe score thousande liuers wherewith he relieued himselfe attending better prouision Vpon which leuie what fayre wordes soeuer or amiablenesse he could vse many inconueniences were readie to ensewe Shortly after the King in like sorte commaunded him that hee shoulde sende vnto him by Lodun the Commissions for the Captaynes which ought to be prouided of vacant Companies which hee must needes doe albeit he had neuer meddled with those Companies since the comming of the Vidasme notwithstanding that all his predecessours had bene accustomed to nominate the same companies as had bene practised as well by himselfe in his owne right being Colonell of
the footemen as by them which had bene before him This disgrace was likewise offered vnto him that notwithstanding any request which had bene made by him in the fauour of Ossun and Frauncisque Bernardin to be a meanes they mought receyue the order hee coulde neuer yeilde them any assurance thereof but it was D'Anuille which carried it away so as euer after they depended on the Conestable In summe the Mareschall still continuing to make instaunce of supplie wherewith he mought be able to oppose himselfe against his enemies forces who might vndertake eyther the forcing of some holde or fortifiyng themselues in some new and by that meanes mought abate their nomber it was aunswered him that they were matters easier talked of then done and that he must needes confesse that winter was alwayes winter during which season men were accustomed to surcease armes An aunswere in deede coyned by his enemies who woulde not so much as call to minde the taking of Lans Valence Iuree and sundry other places in the monethes of December and Ianuarie in the very hearte of Winter Thus did the complayntes of the Mareschall moue the Kinges Counsell bente to turne their eyes an other waye no more then the newes of their enemies comming into Piemont no not so much as the descente of the Duke of Alua at Gennes with 7000. men and that attending their ariuall in Piemont the enemies had put themselues within Galliany which the Mareschall willing to haue fortified onely for a time to haue founde the enemie occupyed was constrayned for want of money to leaue and rayse it which they beganne to fortifie And lesse the going away of many Captaines and souldiers day by day especially the Captaine Benes who demaunded leaue to departe home to his owne house and replie being made vnto him that hee did but come thence hee persisted to say that hee woulde goe come what woulde and whereas he was aduised to take time to consider thereof and afterwardes deliuer his minde vnto the Mareschall he refused it and the nexte morning wente home without once bidding farewell For this cause he besought his Maiestie that such disobedience mought not goe vnpunished and that his Companie mought be bestowed on the Captaine Lisle which the King liked well of and yet was it afterwardes rendred agayne vnto him Of which the Mareschall afterwardes complayning and standing vpon it had bene deliuered and bestowed on the Captaine Lisle Serieant of the Battayle who had long and faithfully serued they woulde yeelde no credite at all vnto him but the companie was bestowed vpon La Roche a gentleman of D'Anuilles who had beene nothing so long a Seruitour True it is that complainte beeing made of the wrong which thereby was done to the Mareschall it was in the ende restored to the Captaine Lisle In fine the Mareschall well weighing howe he was handled how that the instances and importunities which he continued as well by letters as expresse messengers to haue the affaires of Piemont better prouided for brought forth no fruit at all as small credit being yeelded thereunto he besought leaue of his Maiesty that he might come home and kisse his hande especially to declare vnto him the estate of his affaires and to deliuer vp an account of the gouernement which hee had receyued the which his Maiestie graunted for this cause hauing setled all thinges as conuenientlie as he was able hee departed out of Piemont leauing Gonner his brother the Kinges Liuetenant Generall in his absence Being arriued at the Court vnderstanding how some bad impressions had beene put into the Kinges heade as well against him as sundry other Gouernours and Captaines in Piemont he besought his Maiesttie hat he would sende thither to sift out the matters to the ende that hee and they might be punished in case they were founde true and if they were found contrary that the accusers might beare the punishment which the accused should haue deserued to the ende that by this example all false accusers might bee taught Notwithstanding his Maiestie woulde doe nothing saying that hee beleeued no whit at all the accusers that he should speake no more thereof but perseuer wel diligentlie to doe him seruice Let vs leaue the Mareschall at the Courte to looke backe into the olde pursuites which they began to renew against the Lutheranes for expiation of the desastre and misfortune of S. Quentins As the managing of forraine affayres doeth ordinarily breede a carelessenes amonge men at home the great ones bare such an affection to these warres and the Churchmen and iustices turned their eye so far fixed thereon for feare least the euent thereof would giue some shrewde checke to all Fraunce And besides they dispensed by little and little in such sorte with the pursuites of those which had beene accused for the euill opinions which they held of the faith as now a man could not see in all places but an incredible number of Lutheranes to the great disaduantage of the Catholicques notwithstanding any seuere ordinances or rigorous punishment which had beene before made against them There was no speech but of the secrete assemblies which night and day were made in many places and especially in Paris where in the end they discouered one in S. Iacques streete right ouer against the Colledge of Plessis Many saued themselues yet some were slayne in their owne defence and a great number remained there of prisoners of all sexes ages and qualities the women were the vnchoifed beaten and railed at in all sortes Among whom the Ladies Douartie de Rentigny and de Champaigne with mistresse Graueron de Guienne neere S. Foy were prisoners De Grauelles a younge aduocate in Parlement Clinet a schoolemaister renowned for his knowledge and sundry other to the number of sixe score were taken and clapt fast in holde afterwardes these two with Graueron hauing their tongue cut out because they shold not speake were burned together in the place Maubert and a number of other in sundrye other places Certaine daies after Graueron his confiscation was begged and obtayned by the Marquesse of Trans sonne in Lawe to Bertrandie keeper of the great Seale But these Ladies after long detayning were restored to their husbandes cleane contrary to them in religion and the widowe D'ouartie was sent backe to the Queene for this cause sundry Articles were added as then to the former aswell against these assemblies as agaynst bookes brought from Geneua and they began a fresh a newe pursuite agaynst the people giuing out that they assembled by night together and hauing put the candels out each man adressed himselfe to her that liked him best to abuse her at his pleasure Vpon these proceedinges and persecutions about which there grew a great sturre betweene the Liuetenant Ciuile and Criminel of Paris before which of them the cause should bee tryed Musnier being the Ciuill shewed himselfe so sharpe vpon this pursuit as he tooke the matter vpon
which the Lorde Admirall caused to be made were onely but to take breathe and to be aduertised of what his enemies meant to vndertake for so much as hee doubted least they woulde worke some newe Mynes whereof hee coulde not haue any knoweledge at all That daye as soone as euer it beganne to breake they saluted the Towne with a full Batterie For all the shotte that had beene before came from the platfourme of the Fauxbourg D'Isle whence they sawe them worke and countermine continuing the playe of the Cannon all the whole day long and not at one onely place not much of the night passing ouer but that they still remooued their Pieces from one place to another to make a newe batterie For from the seconde day they beganne to digge and carrie forth the earth of the Ditche on their side and shortly after they propped vp coueringes with great Timber vnder which they mought trauerse to and fro and enter within the Ditches without any man beeing able to doe them harme Because there were not any Flanckers at all to commaunde the Ditch where they mought eyther viewe or laye batterie vnto them And all the stones which they were able to fling at them coulde not endammage them by reason of the coueringes vnder which they creapte They began their Batterie at the Windemyll which was neare vnto Saint Iohns gate and afterwardes scowred this place as farre as the Tower on the water with such a furie that there was not lefte one sole Tower which was not rent and razed with the better parte of the Courtayne laying the Batterie in diuerse places with fiue and fourtie Peeces All those which were within were greatly cousined and deceyued in one thing that they thought the Masons worke and Cyment of the towres and courtines much more stronger and better then it was the steares and thicknesse of the walles being very large But the stuffe was so naught that as soone as the toppe was but a little shaken and loosed all the rest fell downe of it selfe in great lumpes whereby many were slayne and hurte with the crestes and battlementes of the Parapettes On the 4 day of their Batterie they carried twelue peces alongest the side of Bourg D'Isle and mounted them within the Abbey from whence they battered the gate where the fire was put into powder vntill they had made themselues Maisters of the Ditches S. Remy still well hoped to haue perfourmed some matter of worthe but when he sawe them once lodged within he tolde the Admirall that he was not able to doe them any more harme for that they had gotten the vpper grounde of him Reiterating many times that he neuer set his foote in so badde a place and that long before that hee had aduertised the late King thereof Not for that he was the more dismayed thereat or spoke of any pusillanimitie but angrie for that hee founde no remedie at all nor such meanes as he coulde haue wished being for the rest a man very resolute and wise From the very first day of the Batterie vntill the ende thereof the Admirall D' Andelot and S. Remy went euery night to viewe the damages and onvertures which the Artillerie had made and on the day resolued with those Captaynes of the Quarters whome it concerned of that which they had to execute After that the Batterie had continued foure dayes there was a great feare engendred among those of the Towne yea and the men of Warre themselues which the Admirall getting knowledge of walking by night to remedie the same hee helde one language common and generall to them all in a place where almost all the Captaines and many souldiers were assembled together which was that hee had firmely agreed and resolued in his minde to keepe that place with those men which he had and if any man did at any time see him varie or offer any speache of composition hee gaue him leaue to throwe him downe as a cowarde into the Ditches and in like case if he founde any of them to parley to the contrary he woulde doe no lesse by them And by this occasion there neuer passed ouer daye but two or three times hee woulde walke himselfe about the quarters and in passing by would demaunde the Captaines opinions conferring and communicating with them what was done in the rest of the places according vnto that which hee had prayed them the first day that he entred within the Towne that euery man woulde aduertise him of that which he esteemed best for the conseruation of the place The batterie continued vntill the sixte daye about two of the clocke in the afternoone that they likewise presented themselues in sundry places within the ditches as farre as the Parapettes at a pikes leangth At this presente the Sentinell from the steeple of the great Churche aduertised the Admirall howe that of all handes the Armie raunged themselues into battaile and that many footemen martched towards the Trenches The which he caused to be made knowne in all places and quarters of the Towne to the ende that euery man might stande vpon his guarde imagining that they meant that day to giue the assaulte and he himselfe wente to three of the nexte breaches vnto him to see what order was there kept Where hee founde euerie man in all apparaunce willing to perfourme his duetie the like whereof he also vnderstoode from all the rest of the places whither he had sente Gentlemen to viewe Which was the cause that himselfe returned backe agayne verie well content to the Breache Which he kept being that which he supposed the enemies meante to turne their principallest strength against for that they euer most sought to batter this place to leaue nothing which might serue for Flanckes especially for that it laye iust ouer against the entrie which they had made into the Ditche As they were all thus attending the assaulte the enemies put fire to three mines all which were right vnder the Rampire the principallest were in the quarter of D' Auphin But the dammage was nothing so great as they looked for being the cause that they gaue no assaulte that day So afterwardes they did not ouermuch heate them selues but were contented to goe and viewe the breaches on the Admirals side and descende into the Ditche which D' Andelot kept After that the Spanyardes were retyred the Admirall wente to viewe what hurte those Mines had made and founde that by that onuerture they were not very like to receyue or incurre any great danger but that for all that it was fitte to worke vpon it which hee deferred vntill night for that they durste not touche there or shewe themselues by day by reason of the full viewe which their enemies Artillerie had of them Nowe were there eleauen breaches many mines the ditche gayned and the Souldiers therein well couered the Armie great to gayne the breaches against eight hundred souldiers and men at armes of all sorts distributed as the Admirall
the Duke of Guise that after that hee had to his best aduauntage accorded with the Pope and the Spaniardes hee shoulde bringe awaye the Armye into Fraunce with as much speede as were possible This Prince sodenlie let the Pope to vnderstand thereof and made him priuie of the necessity which called him backe into Fraunce and how his Princes affayres went Beinge the cause which made him to beseech his holines to license him and permit him to retyre after such time notwithstanding as he had compounded to his owne profit the estate of his affaires The Pope then being alredy desirous to ende this warre from which hee knewe that on the other side to bee proceeded as hee sawe it euidently and doubted least it woulde take ende with the ruine of one of these Princes and finally with his owne together with a confusion of the Ecclesiasticall estate and infinitnes of other mischeefes purposed more then before to bee agreed with Kinge Philip which wrought that ende whereof I before made mention So as the peace beinge concluded and published with all magnificence on Sonday being the 19. of that moneth the Duke of Alua entred into Rome about one of the clocke in the after noone with great apparances of ioy aswell by the salutations of the artillarie as an infinite number of squibs and other merimentes which they are accustomed to make especially in those parts at the welcome and amiable entertainement of any great Prince The Monday following they helde Consistorie where there were chosen deputed two Legates to intreate of an vniuersall peace The one which was the Cardinall of Tiuoli towardes the most Christian Kinge of France and the other which was the Cardinall Carlo Caraffe towardes the Catholique King Philip. The Duke of Guise in the meane space departed out of Italie to take his way into Fraunce and to imbarke himselfe at Ostia in the gallies french vessels which attended him with a sorte of Lordes Captaines and two thousande harquebusiers the other parte of the Armye vnder the conducte of the Duke D' Aumalle returned through the Popes lands towardes Bologne and Ferrara and so from thence they passed all for the most parte through the Grisons and Zuizers into Fraunce where the Duke of Guise beinge arriued was sodenly sent for to addresse an armie at Compienne At which place the Kinge being anone after arriued declared all such as were then in Courte beeing present howe that the Duke of Guise was come iumpe for the preseruation of his Realme and it was proposed to treate him Viceroy of Fraunce But this title beinge thought strange it was commaunded that letters shoulde bee dispatched to make him Lieuetenante Generall ouer all the Countries within his obedience The which were dispatched by Du Thier secretarie of the Commaundementes and afterwardes receyued and verified by the Parlamente of Paris and other soueraigne Courtes of the Realme whereof notwithstanding shortely after the Kinge excused himselfe towardes his Goship so he named the Constable sendinge him worde by secreate Letters that hee was constrained to doe as hee did and that hee shoulde not bee greeued for ought in that hee still reserued his place for him for he was so farre off from hauing the frendshippe which hee boare vnto him any wayes cooled through his absence and captiuitie that contrariwise it inflamed him the more so farre as that hee most diligently aduertysed him of all his secretest affayres without communicating ought gently aduertysed him of all his secretest affayres without communicating ought to any other Whereof Kinge Philip being aduertysed knew well enough how to make his profit as you shall see else where In this same tyme there happened in like sorte straunge floudes and inundations of Riuers at Rome and likewise at Florence That at Rome fell out the same day of the peace beeing the fourteenth of September Tiber one of the most renowned Riuers of Europe which some notwithstandinge number amonge the swift snowie streames being greatly swelled as though it woulde threaten Rome with great ruines encreasinge howrely for the night followinge it began to inlarge it selfe ouer all the lowe groundes of the medowes and vineyardes rounde about The next day it being encreased and broken in throughout the towne all the channels and gutters of the streetes and houses standing full the depth thereof was found in some places of the towne of the height of a man and more in the place D'Agone A la Roconde and A la Doanâ— So farre was this meruelous and dreadfull inundation from giuing leasure to the people to reioyce at this peace as that it made them more astonished and desolate then before which caused a number to thinke that it happened as a signe and aduertisement from God eyther for matters present or to come or rather to moue vs to a conuersion and amendement of our sinnes Nowe this furie of the water endured all that day and vntill foure of the clocke at night that it began a little to ebbe and decrease so as by the next morning at breake of day it was ebbed more then a shaftemente and then by little and little decreasing euery man in the afternoone might easily goe about this busines The depth of the water as some haue saide in many places exceeded the marke which was left at the other inundation in the yeare 1530. Others were of opinion that it wanted an handbredth Whereupon they alleadged many reasons among other that the Caues which were made and coured within Rome for it is augmented in buildinges a third parte had receiued and swallowed vp a great parte of the water Some iudged that the great number of newe streetes was a cause of the depth and other affirmed howe that the earth which was raysed vp since that time caused it seeme higher then it was But they which iudged it to bee the greatest say that it fell out so for that in the towne of Horta and Narin and all other places where it passed alongest it left behinde it a great abatement and ruine of houses hauing caried away halfe the bridge of Saint Marie together with the excellent chappell which Pope Iulie the thirde caused to bee builded there it vndermined and remoued certaine great peeces of marble great quarters of stone which defended the bridge of Saint Ange. It raysed and renuersed a great parte of the bulwarkes and bastions which they had caused to bee builded a yeare since ioyning to the Castle Besides that it threwe downe halfe the Temple and most parte of the buildinges of Saint Barthlemewes monasterie seated in the Ilande of Tiber. Briefely there was not within all Rome either pallace or building alongest which this furious rage of waters had passed which carried not some marke and testimonye of the wrath and violence of this angrie Element As touching that of Florence by the breaking forth of the Riuer Arno men iudged it farre greater then that at Rome and to haue