to submit himselfe to the mildest yoake seeing that hee could not remaine free o The miseries of ciuill diuision reduced Rome to that estate as hauing no hope euer to recouer her liberty she sought for nothing but for the mildest serâ—itude Hee left vnto Henry the name of King onely for all the authoritie was in his hands he gaue to the Earle of Salisbury the Office of Lord Chancellor of England and to Richard Neuell his Sonne the gouernment of Callis He disposed of publike charges as he pleased still giuing them vnto those of his faction In the end the king discouers the Duke of Yorkes designe Queene Margaret his wife who had been aduertised thereof le ts him vnderstand that he did temporise but vntill the partie were made to ceaze both of the king and Realme and among his partisans the king was held but for a Tyrant As if his Raigne had been by vsurpation or constraint p Among many differences betwixt a King and a Tyrant they put this that a King raigns with the loue anâ— consent of the people and a Tyrant rules by constraint The king imparted this to his principall seruants D. of Yorke retires from the Court of England who were of aduise to restraine this great authoritie which the Duke of Yorke had within the Realme The Duke beeing suddenly aduertised thereof retired secretly to Wigmore in Wales Richard Neuell to his Castle of Midleham in the North Countie and Richard Earle of Warwicke to Callis so as the cruell seditions in England grew more violent then before during the which the French spoiled the coasts of Kent and Iames king of Scotland inuited by the same occasion entred by Roxborge The same cause which made this warre ended it q The shaâ—pest Ciuill wars are pacified when as strangers meddle to gaine by them The two parties agree against the third and although the Prince be offended yet it is better to remit the punishment The king of England let the Duke of Yorke vnderstand that the ciuill discord and the bad intelligence which was betwixt them had opened a gate to the enemies to inuade England that the common danger did binde them to vnite their forces to defend it and that hee was contented to forget all matters past vpon hope of a better conduct hereafter English cease their ciuill discords to war against the French excusing himselfe that matters had not alwaies gone directly being impossible for a Prince to obserue all the kinds of Iustice and equitie r Many things vniust of themselues are made iust when they are countenanced by necessitie or profit wherfore Plutark obserues That if there were question to accomplish al the kindes of iustice Iupiter himself might not in that case bee a Prince The Kings intention was allowed by all men the Duke of Yorke being loth to be the author of the ruines of the Realme declared that all his affections tended to his greatnes and quiet and to take away all occasions of doubt He came vnto the King to London with the chiefe of his faction The feare of a forraine warre quenched the ciuill s There is no such indiscretion as to hazard ones own to get another mans and to draw forth the bloud which is needfull for the life of the bodie It is more glorie for a Prince to maintaine himselfe them to grow great Preseruation safety is the essence of an estate profit it but an accessary Mens mindes altered with things past grew milder and all their wills were vnited in one accord for the defence of the Realme detesting the discord which had drawne them into a warre which was not necessarie nor could bee happie and made them a prey and triumph to their auncient enemie But as the fire of sedition is neuer so well quenched but there remaines some sparks in the ashes Troubles renewed in England which kindle again if they be a little blowne that there be alwaies some which delights in troubles for that it is their rest t Seditions commonly are fed supported by three sorts of men First the heads of factions Secondly they that cannot liue in safety in the time of peace Thirdly they which are out of the presse find themselues free from dangers and in danger for that they come not neere them being like vnto those riuers which enter into the sea and doe not mingle their streames the Duke of Yorke and the Earle of Salisburie being retired to their houses after this accord were presently forced to leaue them to reuenge an affront done to the Earle of Warwick at VVestminster where he had been set vpon by the kings guard and forced to saue himselfe by the Riuer of Thames with the hazard of his life They said that Queene Margret was the author thereof being very desirous to ruine the Nobility of England and to ouerthrow the cheefe howses u A King should maintaine great families neither can hee suffer theÌ„ to be wâ—onged but hee shal weaken the greatnes of his maiesty wherof the Nobility is the cheese piller In all estates the Nobles haue beene respected and distinguished from others euen amongst the Thracians the genlâ—emen went only vppon horseback and at Rome Noblemens wiues went in Littors who were the pillers of the Realme The warre began as soone as it was declared The three Richards are in field King Henry hauing leuied great forces comes to York Andrew Trollop who was come from Calleis with the Earle of Warwick thinking to serue the King when as he saw their armes turned against him left the Earle of Warwick to follow the King who in moment scattered his enemies and forced the Duke of York to passe into Holland there to attend vntill his Partisans had raised the ruines of that party Battaile before London whereas K. Henry was defeated Presently after the three heads of the faction returne into England with an intent to vanquish or to dye they present themselues at the gates of London they giue and winne a great Battell whereas the Victors saw tenne thousand men slaine and as many prisoners King Henry who seemed to haue beene raised vp to show the inconstancy of Fortune and the misery and vanity of man remained at the Victors discretion The English remembring that his grandfather had caused King Richard to dye in prison began to acknowledge the iudgements of Gods iustice who punisheth the Children for the offences of their fathers x Henry Earle of Harford and Duke of Lancastre tooke armes against Richard the 2. seazed on him puts him into the Tower of London and caused himselfe to bee crowned King and after that he had forced him to resigne the Crowne hee sent him to Langleâ— where hee was murthered In this great prosperity the make falls from the Dukes face He speakes plainely Duke of York declared Regent that whatsoeuer he had done was grounded vppon the rightes of the house of Yorke the
could not be giuen to any other Plut. where they dranke to his health as to Iupiter the Deliuerer The Assembly of Noblemen and Ladies was great he related his great dangers his diligence and toyle He drew teares of ioy and pitty from the hearers euery man said all is well z The King reported his aduentures and in so doing spake and declared many goodly words and pittifull where at all wept aboundantly Chro Martin seeing the King is wel a The health of a good Prince is the health of his Estate the people said of Alexander Seuerus Saluâ— Roma quia saluns est Alexander Lamprid. Hee assured all his seruants that he would neuer cease vntill he had chased all his enemies out of his realme Yet his designe was to doe what he could to end it other-wise then by Armes He sent the Bishop of Paris to the Earle of Charolois Bishop of Paris sent to the Earle of Charolois to let him vnderstand that he desired to know to what end he was entred into his Realme with so great a troupe for that hee could remember that when as he went into Flanders in the time of King Charles the seauenth his Father hee was not followed with so great a traine He commanded him to let him know the iniustice of his desseine That he vndertooke a warre vnder collour of the publik-weale to vndermine the whole estate and to set fire of the house to driue them out that clensed it That there was no such Phrensey as to make ones selfe sick to vse remedies b Peace is sweet after warre but much more proffitable before It is better neuer to haue beene an enemy then to bee reconcyled being naturall for a sick man to desire health But for him that was found to make himself sicke vpon hope of cure was folly and madnesse The Bishop of Paris went and hauing represented vnto the Earle of Charolois the Kings intentions and complaints Say vnto the King answered the Earle fretting the bitternesse of his ambition with humanity and myldnesse c Princes desirous to raigne haue made seruitude sweete with courtesie and mildnesse By this poysoned mylâ—nesse Caesar ouer threw the common-wealth of Rome that I am not come to doe any ill but to procure the good of his Realme hauing liued in such sort with mine army as noe man hath occasion to complaine that being as I am able to serue and succor my friends and to anoy myne enemies I am not bound to yeeld any other reason of my desseignes But not to conceale them from him I am heere for two reasons the one not to fayle of my word to the Princes which haue taken armes for the publike good the other to haue two men which the King hath fauored and supported against me d Priuat interâ—st are alwaies mingled with the sublike causes of warre The E. of Charolois was an implacable enemy to the Earle of Neuers and the Lord of Croy be added this hatred to the causes of war If I be come well accompanied it is to defend my selfe in France from that harme which the king would haue done me in Flanders That when he came hee was receiued honorably richly and quietly and then was not that done vnto him which hee had a will to doe vnto mee That in a word France had more need of a warlike and armed liberty then of a quiet and miserable seruitude After the Battell the Earle of Charolois caused the whole army to bee lodged at Estampes and there abouts Armes of the League loged at Estampes The commodity of this lodging saued that which one more discomodious had lost e â—f time and occasion giue leaue to chose a lodging to stay there they must consider two things which the ancient Romans haue alwaies obserued in their lodgings The helthfulnesse of the place for one and water with commodity of victualls for the other They knew what places were not helthfull obseruing their scituation the coÌ„plexion of the inhabitants In this place as the Earle of Charolois spake vnto Mounsieur at a window with great attention and affection a Britton cast a squib which strooke against the barre where they leaned and being amazed at this accident they thought it done of purpose to hurt them The lodging was presently enuironed with souldiers to gard them There was a dilligent search made for him that had done it who beeing only couered with his inocency descouered him-selfe and said that it was but a squib which he had cast to shew them pastime wherevpon this great amazement was turned to a iest All their forces being vnited they tooke councell how they shold imploy them Their opinions were alwaies applyed to their passions and desseines Charles the Kings brother weary of the warre An ordinary mischiefe in enterprises where there are many commanders f The pluralâ—ty of heads is alwaies rumous and vnproffitable euery one seekes to prefeâ—re his owne reasons and counsells They doe and vndoe indespight on of another Tâ—ndendo ad sua quisque consilia cum aliud alii videtur ad inuasioneÌ„ loâ—um hosti apperiunt Tit. Lâ—u lib. 4. That of the duke of Brittain was not answerable to that of the Earle of Charolois Monsieur seemed already weary of the warre he lamented those that were slaine hurt or maymed in the army which shewed that matters were represented to his imagination of another collour in the vndertaking then in the executing g Matters wheÌ„ they are conceiued and proiected haue an other fâ—ce then when they are executed He wisht that they were to begin greeuing that they made him the cause of so many miseries h A generous spirit is not sensible of the ruines and desolations which grow by warre and ciuill broyles The Duke of Berry was heauy seeing so great a number slaine and hurt in the Battell of Mâ—ntlehery The first slaughters of warre sticke terror into them that haue not seene them as of humain miseries the most lamentable is that which proceeds from his fault that complaines He had kindled the fire yet could not endure the flame he had begun the tragedy nay rather a cruell game whereas men made but a sport to force spoyle burne and kill He is not esteemed a soldiar that cannot doe al this in ciuill wars the most wicked of all others whereas by a fatall disorder they saw the fathers bury their children i When Craesus was prisoner to Cyrus by this reason that in the time of peace the children buried the frather and â—n warre the fathers bury their children be preferred peace before warre And of all warres ciuill is the most vniust iâ—humaine furious SummuÌ„ Brute naefas ciuilia bella fatemur Luc. These words were well obserued by the Earle of Charolois King of England sends the garter to the Earle of Charolois who from that time perswaded him-selfe that there would be noe great difficulty to reconcyle the
soule as often as he returned from any exploits of war which were more admirable then imitable Wherefore hauing resolued to make warre against George Lord of Misia i Misia is commonly called by the Turke Segoria and comprehends Seruia Bosnia Russia and the Prince is called Despote of Seruia he made him Generall of his Armie as well for that he had not any one more capable as also to be rid of him thinking that being forward and fierie by nature hee would thrust himselfe into dangers from which he should not free himselfe for his braue and generous Captaine like an other Cato k Cato as Tit. Liu. saith wold be euery where and execute euery thing in person sparing himselfe no more then the least of his soldiors hauing no other aduantage ouer them but the honour of his commandements would see all himselfe and had no other aduantage in militarie labours then to haue the honor to command them and to be the first to execute them But as often as hee went so often did Andrinopolis see him returne laden with honor and victories A remarkeable worke of Gods prouidence to preserue this braue courage for his seruice At length Scanderbeg Scanderbeg leaues the Turke who had alwaies the heart of a Christian and an Albanois being wearie to liue in the continuall disquiettings of so many distrusts and conspiracies to kill him resolues to quit Amurath m Scāderbegs retreat was in the year 1444. hee conferred with Huniades of his enterprise that vnder a coulour of making warre against him hee might retire on his side whereupon hee ioined with Huniades Prince of Transiluania He ioynes with Iohn Huniades and with him defeates the Basha of Romania who had fourescore thousand men he caused his Secretarie to be taken and setting a dagger to his throat forced him to write letters to the Gouernor of Croy carrying a commandement in Amuraths name to consigne the place vnto him The Gouernor of Croy obayed and receiued Scanderbeg Entrie of Scanderbeg into Croy. all the Infidels were put to the sword and the Christians preserued and such as would become Christians He besieged the other places of Albania and in few daies with much paine and no money he recouered his forefathers estate and made the black Eagle n The house of Scanderbeg caried an Eagle sables in a field gules When as the people of Albania saw them in his Exsignes Standards they presently renewed the ancient affection they bare vnto their Princes with two heads to be seene in all places Hitherto hee had fought for himselfe now he fights for Christendome Ladislaus King of Hungary and Poland intreats him to assist him against Amurath hee was hindred by Huniades o Iohn Despote of Transiluania otherwise called Huniades being discōtented with the King of Hungary for that certaine places in Seruiae which had bin granted him in reward of his vertue were detained from him refused passage to Scāderbeg to ioin with the Christian Army Despote of Transiluania neither did the cause of the warre seeme iust for it brake a peace solemnely sworne with Amurath Battell of Varna It was decided in the valley of Varna on the limits of Misia or Segoria vppon the Euxin Sea within foure dayes iourney of Andrynopolis to the dishonour of the Christians who were put to flight but the triumph cost Amurath so many men as his ioy was turned to repentance If hee made some triumph Scanderbeg reapt the profit for seeing that hee had retired his forces hee went to field p These say that Amurath hauing escaped this danger grew more sad then he had been accustomed and being blamed by his followers he answered I would not win after this manner Amurath caused a pillar to be set whereas the Battell was giuen with an inscription of the victory and at this day the heapes of dead mens bones are to bee seene which shew that the slaughter had been wonderfull and made such sharpe warres as the Turke wrote vnto him rather to stay his exploites then to threaten him with reuenge and yet his Letters were full of reproches and pride Letters frō Amurath to Scanderbeg the ordinarie Passion of an incensed spirit Hee sweares that if hee will returne vnto him hee will forget all his offences past for that hee is more mindfull of the seruices hee hath done him then of his ingratitude hee offers to leaue him the Towne of Croy and the Lands which his Father held vpon condition that hee should yeeld vp all the other Townes of Albania and Misia These letters were receiued with that contempt they deserued q The letters beginne after this manner Amurath and Ottoman Soueraigne of the Turks and Emperour of the East sends no salutations to Scanderbeg his ingrateful nurschild He saith that he knowes not what wordes to vse to him for that hee doth not merit any good for his ingratitude and a rough sharp speech would make his arrogant nature more insolent Scanderbeg thinking that Amuraths feare who grew old and broken had made him to write them hauing a desire to leaue his Empire in some safety Scanderbegs answer yet he made him an answer and after that hee had told him that he should remember the good which he had receiued from him if the numbring did not renew the remembrance of a greater number of ills he concluded with these wordes Such fortune as it shall please God to giue vs we will beare In the meane time we aske no councell of the ennemy of that we intend to doe neither do we sue for peace of you but hope with the helpe of God r A Christian Prince should not referre any thing to fortune but to the prouidence of God who is the only cause of all causes guids al things after his will the moouable by their motions the immoueable by their firmenesse the voluntary by their liberty and the reasonable by their will to haue victory ouer you Within a while after he was victorious ouerthrew great armies which Amurath sent into Epirus the first led by the Basha Ferise and the other two by Mustapha He wonne the Battell of Drinon against the Venetians Battall of Drinon in Dalmatia and vsed this victory so well as the Venetians to make him raise the seege from before Dayne s Dayne is a little Towne planted vppon a high hill as in a manner all those of Epirus bee yet the soile of it is fat and the aire good and holsome they haue store of Venison and bees and all kindes of trees and fruites which was in their protection yeelded that he should haue a part of the Country of Scutarii which was very commodious for him Amurath besieged Sfetigarde where as Scanderberg flew in single Combate Seege of Sfetigarde Ferise Basha Generall of the Army yet it was taken and presently besieged againe by Scanderbeg but he was forced to raise the siege
borne late are soone Orphlins The losse of this infant which first had giuen him the name of Father was so sencible vnto him as Phillip de Comines saith that he made a vow neuer to loue any other woman but his owne wife and yet in many parts of his Cronicle we see him among women we find some lost some married and their husbands from base fortunes raised to great dignites with many other actions which argue not a continency equall to that of Alexander p Alexander being perswaded to see Darius daughters who were faire and yong made answer I will haue a care not to be vanquished by woemen seeing that I haue vanquished men who being a victor would not see those beauties which might vanquish him nor to that of Cyrus q They intreated Cyrna to see Panthea which he refused to doe and being told that shee was very faire it is for that reason said he I may not see her for if I doe visite her now that I haue leysure she will bind me another time when I shall be full of affaires who would by no meanes see her who he thought might bind him to see her more then once The King bare the absence of his sonne very impatiently it was a thorne in his heart which time could not pull out Death of Ladislaus King of Hungary Hee grew sicke and his sicknes was seconded by a great affliction for the death of Ladislaus r Sorrow creepes sodainly amidst ioy whiles they treat of a marriage at Toure betwixt the L. Magdalen of France and King Ladislans his Embassadors receiue newes of his death on Christmas 〈◊〉 1457. King of Hungary to whom he had promised the lady Magdalen his daughter After his recouery he thought that all the cause of his ill grew from the Duke whom he accused to haue drawne away his son and corrupted his good nature resoluing to seeke a remedy rather with deedes then wordes He leuied a great army and no man knew how he would imploy it the duke fearing that it was to make some enterprise vppon the townes of the riuer of Somme which had beene giuen him by the treaty of Arras staid not to demand the reason t In occasions which presse we must not loose time with wordes men of courage should not haue their handes on their tongues but their tongues in their handes he armes and goes into Picardy to prouide for the safety of his townes and to hinder the Kinges entry with forces The King sendes word to the Duke of Bourgondy that he was in armes to take into his protection the goods of the Lord of Rodemart u Princes haue alwaies pretextâ— to make warre and he that wil breake with his friend neuer failes to find occasions The Duke answered that he was no subiect of France that his lands lay in the Dutchy of Luxembourg that the King should speak more plainely and that he desired to know whether the king had a will to keepe the treaty of Arras or not The King had a desire to haue his sonne otherwise then by the hazard of Armes or breach of a truce which cost so much blood and drawn so many Princes into danger x In the assembly of Arras for a peace betweene King Charles the seuenth and Philip Duke of Bourgundy were present the Embossadors of the Pope of the Councell of Basill of the Emperor and of all Christian Princes They numbred about four thousand horses He feared to ingage hmselfe in new miseries and to bring France to the hazard of shipwrack which she had escaped He went to the west of his life and knew that the greatest of the Realme had their eyes turned to the East Age had coold his military heat the vigour of his nature was without edge the blood of his courage was nothing but slegme y Princes are men and borne men wherfore their best qualities and dispostions are mutable and in the and discouer their inconstancie And although that this first force of his spirits was not altogether deiected yet was it much altered France did still produce some fantastick humors vnknowne to other Prouinces as Egypt doth bring forth Beasts and Nile Fishes which are not found in other countries nor in other Riuers The house of Bourgundy had beene so beaten with the like storme as it desired to continue in this calme Declarâ—tion of the house of Bourgundy the couetousnes of great men was glutted with the calamities of innocents z The people are for the most part innocent of the causes of warre they suffer al the calamities The couetâ—usnes of Souldiers is neuer satisfied but with the miseries of innocents Calamitatibus insontium expletur auariâ—a Tac. lib. 2. the most greedy of troubles were forced to commend rest It would haue seemed hard vnto the subiects to see themselues ouerwhelmed so suddenly with waues a It is alwaies dangerous to take from the people the ease and commodities wherein they liue The iudgement of Tiberius was long in suspence before he could resolue to draw the people from the sweetnes of peace to the discommodities of warre Tac. saith Populum per tot annos moliter habitum non audebit ad durioâ—avertere The Duke would not leaue a doubtfull peace with his subiects he desired to be satisfied of the Kings intention saying that if they forced him to raise an armie they should bury him in his armes that he had no will vnto it vnlesse he were forced that the Trumper should make no noise if violence were not offered and that this Eccho should remaine quiet in the ease of solitarines but if they moued him hee would not be silent vntill that they who had caused him to speake did first hold their peace These practises past away and the King was glad that they raised no stormes not holding it reasonable to resolue to warre more by the occasion which hee had then by the inconueniences which he did foresee b All occasion to make warre should not be rashly nor ambitiously sought for what shew of profit soeuer they had It is better to haue a care to keepe subiects in peace is people townes and to increase the commerce so discipline souldiers and together treâ—sâ—re together least he be surprised in necessity besides being now opprest not with yeeres but with cares which seemes to be inseparable accidents of the life of great men and the excesse of those pleasures which Nature had made short for that they are pernicious hee suffered himselfe to be carried away with melancholly and waywardnes two rockes against which the vessell suffered shipwracke Hee grew wayward after the condemnation of Iohn Duke of Alençon to lose his head the tenth of October 1458. After which melancholly and heauines had seazed on him hee changed the troubles of his life into a perpetuall prison at Loches and gaue his goods to his wife and children c Iohn D. of
to his head with foure nayles f The Emperor Henry the sixt beeing in Sicile discouerâ—d some conspiracie against him and his estate He caused the chief of them to bee apprehended to punish his ambition he set a crowne of copper vpon his head caused it to be fastened with foure nayles Nic. li. 2. Queene Margaret to effect her designe had drawne some succours from Rene King of Cicile her Father The King lent her sonne two thousand pound sterling at Chinon vpon condition that as soone as King Henry should recouer Callice hee should deliuer the gouernment thereof to Iasper Earle of Pembroke or to Iohn of Foys Earle of Candalles paying him moreouer fortie thousand crownes But all this preuailed nothing the King remained a prisoner and the Queene had much adoe to saue her selfe with the Prince of Wales her Sonne g Monstrellet saith that Queene Margaret her Son La Varenne were met by theeues that she said vnto a theefe that met her bold my friend saue the son of thy King that shee went to Scluce and from thence to Bourges and that the Duke of Bourgundy caused her to be coÌ„ducted to her Father The Princes of the house of Lancaster retired themselues whether their feete and dispaire carried them Some were seene in the Duke of Burgundies Court in miserie Misery of the house of Lancaster begging their bread Fortune how cruell soeuer can doe no worse vnto a Prince then to reduce him to the apprehensions of hunger h Ph. de Commines saith hee had seene a Prince of this house of Lancaster follow the D. of Bourgundyes traine and without hose begging his bread from house to house and that being knowne they gaue him a small pention to liue on The beasts are freed from it The fishes pay no tribute to passe from Riuers into the sea Swallowes flying through so many regions dyed not of Hunger It is a pittifull thing that men and the chiefe among men haue difficultie to liue and to finde what to eate and drinke and wherewith to cloth themselues i Nature comprehends all the necessities of the world in these three words Non esurire Non sitire Non algere not to be hungry thirstie and cold all the rest is superfluous Edward in this great prosperitie of affayres troubles not his iudgement but considers that the house of Lancaster was ruined without hope of recouerie and the Red Rose withered That it was impossible euer to rise againe if it were not assisted with the forces of France Wherefore he desired to make his alliance with the king and sent the Earle of Warwicke to demand Bonna of Sauoye the Queenes sister in marriage Edward fals in loue with a Widdow But during this negotiation Loue which may be held a kinde of furie k Loue is put in the ranke of Melancholly diseases and kindes of fury it peruerts the iudgement and confounds the good with the euill for that it troubles the iudgement carried the affections of this Prince to the seruice of a Ladie who would haue held her selfe much honoured to haue serued the Queene of England and yet she had the ambition to be so Fortune agreed with her beauty Being widdow to Sir Iohn Grey her age bound her to follow rather the life of the Doue then of the Turtle l The Empresse Barba wife to Sigismond the Emperor being told after the death of her husband that she should imitate the Turtle If I must said shee initate beasts why rather the Turtle then the Doue or the sparrow Aeneas Sil. de dict Sigismondi et Frederici Imper. for her first marriage had scarce touched the flowers of her beauty nor of her youth Edward did not liue but for her his heart receiued no law but from her eyes to whom he did submit the full disposition of his fortunes She being powerfull in the charmes of loue let him presently vnderstand that she did not accept of the sacrifice of the hearts of Kings but of the Altar of honour that he might not hope to haue her for a Mistris if he would not assure her to make her his Queene They that loue ardently are easie and tractable m Hee that loues refuseth not any thing In loue there is force and pleasure force constraines the will and pleasure deceiues the iudgement they spare neither wordes nor oathes Edward transported with this fury forgets the sute which he made in France and changeth all his wills into the obedience of this Lady who seeing her selfe to command ouer the Kinges heart assures her selfe to raigne soone in his Realme He is not capable to refuse her any thing The wind of her disdaines and the couldnes of so faire a mistris may well quence the fire in the beginning but being once kindled it giues it nourishment and increase In the end Edward promised to make her Queene and his promise was presently followed with the consumation of the marriage to the great amazement of the Nobility of England who thought the King was bewitcht n Beauty and grace are the mighty charmes of loue said Olimpias the mother of Alexander Loue which growes from amorous drinckes continues not Plutarch gueth these Epithites 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 short toublesome changeable And he saith it doth easily change into hatred and disdaine and wisht him a more honorable alliance Lewis tooke it ill and the Earle of Warwick was so greeued as from that time he was wholly the French Kings who by his counsell plotted a reuenge which shall shew it selfe in the yeare one thousand foure hundred seauenty one Marriages and alliances vnworthy of the greatnes of Princes cause murmurings and discontentments in the people o The people which loue their Princes reioyce at their victories and prosperities They are aflicted at their losses especially if they do any thing which may impaire their honor as when they treat of alliances vnworthy the greatnes of their houses Tot luctibus funesta ciuitate pâ—rs maeroâ—is fuâ—t quod Iulia Drusi filia quondam Neronis vxor dempsit in domum Rubelliâ— Blandi cuius Auum Tiburtem equitem Romanum plerique meminerant Rome did mourne generally when as Iulia daughter to Drusus the sonne of Tiberius and widdow to Nero son of Germanicus married with Rubellius Blandus whose Grandfather had carried no other title then of a Knight The great Calme which was in France King Lewis goes into Guienne did notwithstanding presage a great storme and gaue the King meanes to visit some of the prouinces of his realme he went to Burdeaux whereas he treated of a marriage betweene the Lady Margret his sister and Gaston of Foix who was sonne to Elenor of Aragon daughter to Iohn King of Aragon and Blanch Queene of Nauarre He accepted this Alliance for that this yong Prince was valiant and coragious and that the successions of the Crowne of Nauarre Foyx Berne Bygorre and other Lands lying in
France did belong vnto him The Earle of Foyx sent his Ambassadors and Deputies to the King being at Bordeaux to conclude the treaty p The cheife condition of the Marriage was that the children which should be borne without distinction of malâ— or female should succeed in the counties of Foix and Bygorre He past to Bayonne to end a controuersie betweene the 2. Kinges of Nauarre and Aragon 1462. and Henry King of Castile his Nephew A controuersie begun with great spleene and was continued with the like and had not ended without excesse if he had not dealt in it for the parties flattered themselues in their pretentions were blind in their interests and found that the obscurenes proceeded rather from the thing then their owne blindnes But behold the causes and the effects After the death of Charles the third q Charles the third King of Nauarre taking delight to build at Olîta died suddenly in September 1425. the threescore and foure yeare of his age and the thirty nine of his raigne he was buryed at Pampeluna King of Nauarre the Crowne past from the house of France and Eureaux into that of Castile and Aragon not without trouble and discord Iohn second sonne to Ferdinand of Aragon married Blanch Infanta of Nauarre presumptiue heire of the Realme of Nauarre and widdow to Martin King of Sicilie and it was agreed by a treaty of marriage that in case she should die before her husband hee should raigne the rest of his life in Nauarre after king Charles the third his father in law Of this marriage was borne at Pegna Charles Prince of Viana born Charles Prince of Vianna a title belonging to the eldest Sonne of the King of Nauarre r Charles the the third King of Nauarre ereected Viana into a principalitie and did affect it to the eldest son of Nauarre in the yeere 1421. as Dauphin to that of France The Asturiez in Castille and Wales in England Charles the third his grandfather made him to bee sworne heyre of the Realme by the Estates after the death of Iohn his Father Charles being dead Iohn was declared King of Nauarre by some and Blanch his wife was acknowledged Queene by others yet both were crowned at Pampeluna Iohn had great warres with his brother the King of Castille Marriage betwiâ—t the Prince of the Asturies and Blanch of Nauarre who did confiscate the lands which he held in Castille Iohn Earle of Foyx reconciled them by a marriage betwixt Henry Prince of the Asturies sonne to Iohn King of Castille and Blanch Daughter to Iohn king of Nauarre s By the constitution of the marriage of this Princesse which was of 42112. Florens of gold wee may iudge in what estate K. Charles the third had left the Realme of Nauarre The marriage was celebrated with great pompe and solemnitie but the Prince was vnable to consummate it The which the Princesse did long dissemble Shee had great cause to complaine of this want and to wish her selfe to be a widdow or her husband vnmarried t The dissembling of couiuâ—all imperfections is very seemly especially in a woman Tullia a great Romane Lady is blamed for her ordinarie complaints murmùring at her husbands disabilitie De viro ad fratrem de sorore ad viruÌ„ se rectius viduam illuÌ„ caelibem futurum Tit. Liu. but like an other Eusebia shee did long suffer for the disabilitie of Constans desiring rather to wrong her youth and beautie then her modestie A while after Blanch Queene of Nauarre died and king Iohn married againe with Ione Henriques Charles Prince of Viana fearing that his alliance would keep him back from the hope of raigning and from the inheritance of the Queene his Mother did not dissemble his discontent u A desire to raigne makes the father iealous of the sonne Plutarc saith in the life of Demetrius that the greatest and most ancient of all Alexanders successors did glorie that he feared not his sonne but suffered him to approch neere his person holding a Iauelin in his band pretending that by the lawes of the Realme his Father by marrying againe had lost the fruit of the Crowne Behold all naturall affection is altered betwixt the Father and the Sonne The desire of rule makes them enemies the Father growes iealous and would not suffer his Sonne to come neere him armed On the other side this second wife seeing her selfe mother to Ferdinand did what she could to show that she was mother in law to Charles x What will not an ambitious mother doe and vndoe for her children D. Ioane lying in the bed of death by reason of a Cankar which did consume her remembring what she had done to assure the Realme vnto her Sonne spake often these words with sighes which are reported in the 21. booke of the history of Spaine O my Son thou hast cost me deare For him she had caused Don Charles to bee poysoned and neuer ceast vntill this young plant were quâ—â—â—ht by the nipping cold of her bad intentions seeking to haue a share in the regencie of the Realme in the absence of the king who had reuiued the warre in Castille Hence sprung those two great factions Factions of Beaumont and Grandmont that of Beaumont which followed the intent of of the Prince against the King and that of Grandmont which was for the father against the sonne so as presently the Realme was diuided into two kings two constables Lewis of Beaumont Earle of Lerin was Constable to the Prince and Peter of Perault was Constable to the king The kings cause as the better and more iust remained victorious the Prince beeing twice ouerthrowne is forced to flye to Alfonso king of Arragon Valencia Sardinia Maiorca Minorca and Sicile hee had recourse vnto his clemencie and besought him to pardon him The king who could not forget the loue of a Father vnto him who shewed the dutie of a Sonne receiues him but hee had new aduertisments that hee made secret practises to trouble him wherefore he sent him prisoner vnto the Alferie of Saragossa from whence hee was drawne by the Cattallans who tooke armes for his libertie Charles of Nâ—uarre poisoned by his mother in law but he went out of the prison to enter into a graue y Charles Prince of Viana died being forty yeares old a valiant Prince a great Historian a subtill Philosopher and a good Poet hee translated Aristotles Ethicks into the Castilain tongue and hee wrote the History of Nauarre vnto the time of King Charles his Grandfather For the very day of his deliuerie he was poisoned and dyed with much repentance for that hee had rebelled against the king his father The Infant Don Ferdinand was acknowledged heyre of the crowne of Arragon They of Cattellonia tooke armes to reuenge the death of Prince Charles The seditious who blow the cole of this desection said that his soule walked in the
D coÌ„plaines of the Kings breach of his word seeing you haue alwaies shewed such affection and goodwill vnto the King let him not now beleeue the contrarie in refusing so small a thing as hee demands It is true said the Duke I haue neuer failed in my affection and loue vnto the King but I may well say that he hath neuer granted me any thing that I haue demanded and hath kept nothing of that which hee hath promised me o WheÌ„ a Prince hath an opinion not to hold any thing that hee promiseth hee may say that â—e hath put himselfe out of the commerce and negotiation of all sorâ—s of aâ—â—aires for no man can treat with him that hath nothing valuable but words There is nothing but distrust and iealousie of his actions detracta opinione probitatis witnes the townes engaged which he should haue suffered mee to enioy during my life And for that Moruillier did still infist to haue Rubempre the which was a matter of consequence against the Dukes soueraigne command Peter of Goux a knight and master of the lawes said that although the Duke was vassell vnto the King for some lands yet he had others that did not acknowledge any other Soueraigne but himselfe holding of the simple grace of God who had honored him as well as the King with the Image of his eternall gouernment p A royalty is the figure of eternall gâ—uernment and the Image of the Diuine monarchy And therfore Kings haue been held as the fathers of the people Aristotle in the third booke of his Polâ—â—â—ckes saith that a realme is the power of one that doth gouerne the coÌ„monwealâ— not seeking his own pâ—iuatâ— profit but that of his subiects That the Duchies of Brabant Luxemburgh and Lotrech the Earledomes of Bourgundy Henalt Holland Zeland and Namure were soueraigne countries Yet he is no King said the Kings Embassadors to whom the Duke answered I would haue the world know that it was mine owne fault if I be not yet will I not tel how or by what meanes The next day the Earle of Charolois presented himselfe vnto his Father in the presence of the French Embassadors kneeling vpon a Cushion of Veluet an exemplary act of Reuerence and Humilitie of a Prince of thirtie yeares old vnto his Father and which assures this truth That who so will be honored of those which be vnder him should not faile to respect and honor those that bee aboue him The scope of his discourse was to iustifie himselfe for the taking of the Bastard of Rubempre and the confederacie betwixt the Duke of Brittaine and him wherein hee protested hee had no other designe then the Kings seruice and shewing that his condition had wherwith to content himselfe with his owne contempt of an other mans there beeing no lesse glorie in the contempt then in the possession q It is for great courages to contemne Riches The shortest way to riches is to contemne Riches It is easier to disdaine then to possesse all hee added that it was not for any discontent he had for the taking of his pension from him for that with the fauour of his father he could liue without the Kings bounty Whereupon Departurâ— of the FreÌ„ch Embassadors the Duke intreated the Embassadors to tell the king that hee besought him not to beleeue any thing lightly against him and his sonne and to hold them alwaies in his fauour r An Embassador must neuer supprâ—sse words of brauery nor threates which be heares spokâ— by the Prince vnto whom he is sent They presented a banket vnto the Embassadors the History saith wine and spices When they tooke their leaues the Earle of Charolois spake these words vnto the Archbishop of Narbonna Phil. de Com. lib. 1. one of the three Embassadors recommend me most humbly vnto the Kings good grace and tell him that hee hath sought to disgrace me by his Chancellor but before the yeere bee past he will repent it From these little sparkles grew that great fire of the warre of the commonweale The Duke of Burbonne s The visits of great persons are suspitious Iohn Duke of Bourbon making shew to go see the Ladie Agnes his mother at Bruxells treated the league of the publike weale with the Duke Periculosae suÌ„t secretae coitiones who was the intellectuall agent The D. of Bourgundy comes to see his mother at Bruxells faining to goe see his Mother at Bruxells conferred with the Duke but did not discouer the secret saying onely that the Princes had no other intent but to present a petition vn-the king to reforme the disorders of the state and to haue forces readie to the end hee might know how many were interressed in this reformation Such as entered into this league knew one another by a silken point which they carried at their girdles Although the king had spies in all places yet knew he nothing of these coniunctions and assemblies Princes are within and not aboue the world to see all that was done They must bee aboue the heauens to know the ecclipses by themselues and not descend low to see the effects t The effects of great designes doe often break forth before the causes are discouered A vigilant Prince doth alwaies vse peruensions and diuersions The league was borne before he knew the conception hee did not apprehend that it should show it selfe on the Burgundians side for he considered that although the sonne were violent and ill affected towards him yet the father wanted no iudgement to restraine him and iudging that the ayre could not be troubled but towards Brittanie he assembled both the Princes of his bloud and the chiefe of his Noblemen at Tours about Christmas 1464. and propounded vnto them the great occasions he had to preuent the designes of the Duke of Brittany u The King as Montstrelet saith made this assembly to coÌ„plaine that the D. of Brittaine had said that he had a designe to make warre against the Princes and to dispossesse them of their lands It was at this assembly that Charles Duke of Orleans could not forbeare to speake for the Princes of the bloud See Claud. Saysell in the life of Lewis the twelfth beseeching the king not to doubt of their loyalties and affections The king was offended at this remonstrance and reiected it with words full of spleene bitternes and contempt The Duke of Orleans being thus roughly handled and grieued that in an age of threescore and ten yeares he was not heard by him whose grandfather had vouchsafed to heare him in his youth could not endure them not considering that they came from the mouth of his king who was not bound to fit them to his humor and that he must swallow them sweetly without murmuring for the demonstration of the offence doth but augment it He died for sorrow two daies after the fourth of Ianuary 1465. Hee was interred at Bloys his bones were carried
Cardinals hat which Martin the fift had giuen him The masters pouertie forced him to take another He placed himselfe with the Bishop of Noara but seeing that hee was in like manner persecuted by Pope Eugenius hee left him and did serue Nicholas Cardinall of S t. Croix and followed him to Arras when as he was sent by Pope Eugenius to reconcile the French King to the King of England and the Duke of Bourgundy At his returne finding that he was in no grace with Pope Eugenius His dignities commissions he came to Basill where he was imployed in the goodliest actions of the Councell he had the charge of Abreuiator Secretarie President in the chamber of the faith l In the Councell of Basill there were foure chambers or foure assemblies which they called four deputations that of the faith of Peace of reformation and of common affaires Euery chamber had a president which was changed euery three monethes and Orator in diuers sessions When there was Question of an embassage to any Prince or commonweale there was not any one but He fit for it He was sent to Amedeus Duke of Sauoy then to the Emperor Frederick to Pope Eugenius to Philip Vicecount Duke of Milan and to Alfonso King of Arragon It was he which perswaded the Emperor Frederick to goe to Rome to be crowned there Frederick sent him to Sienna to receiue Ellenor of Portugall his wife and afterwards into Bohemia to pacifie a controuersie which was growne for that the Emperor Frederick did not restore them their King Ladislaus m The Emperor Frederick seeing the troubles schismes in the realme of Hungarie seazed vpon the yong King Ladislaus gaue him in charge to Eneas Siluius He was sent to the dyet of Ratisbona whereas Philip Duke of Bourgundy assisted His oration to arme against the Turke he laid open the necessities of a warre against the Turke with such efficacie and eloquence as many Princes resolued to employ both their liues and goods But these suddaine resolutions went presently into smoke n Platina saith that all which heard him were wonderfull resolute to this war Verū hoe natura cōper tum est eorum animos cito residere quorū affectus facile mouentur But it is found true by nature that their minds are soone changed whose affections are easily moued Hee also pacified a great complaint which Germany made against the Pope and the which hath been since continued the Princes and comminalties of the Empire being resolued not to acknowledge him in the policie and direction of spirituall things if he did not first grant them the same rights which Italy and France had by the Pragmatick Sanctions The Emperor found their first suite iust and was soone drawne to yeeld vnto it Aeneas Siluius changed his opinion representing vnto him that there was more honor and safety for him to haue good correspondence with the Pope then to fauour those who would diminish his authoritie whereof the Emperors were protectors o These complaints were pacified reuiued in the beginning of the Emperor Charles the fifths raigne when as they presented vnto the Popes Legate being at Nuremborg A. Remonstrance vnder this title Sacri Romani imperii Principum ac procerum grauamina aduersus sedem Romanam He was Archbishop of Sienna His bad affection to Lewis the eleuenth and after the death of Calixtus was aduanced to the Popedome in a manner without thinking of it Hee began with the assembly at Mantua whither all the Princes of the Empire sent their Embassadors Hee made open show that he loued not France as hath beene said and this affection continued after the death of Charles the seuenth for p Ludouieo Gallorum regi aduersatus est quod libertatem Ecclesiae minuere conaretur cum ab eo antea Pragmaticam Sanctionem Ecclesiae Romanae pernitiosissimam pestem extorsisset Platina saith that although he had wrested the Pragmatick Sanction out of the hands of Lewis the eleuenth yet he did not forbeare to crosse him for that hee thought to diminish the libertie of the Church Paul the second called Peter Barbo a Venetian succeeded him FINIS THE CONTENTS OF the third BOOKE 1 THe Wisedome of Lewis the eleuenth vppon the troubles of the League of the common weale 2 Hee sounds and discouers the intentions of the King of England 3 He labours to deuide the heades of the League and beginns with his Brother 4 The order which he set to preserue Paris He passeth into Bourbonois besiegeth Ryon and treats with the Dukes of Bourbon and Nemours 5 Entry of the Duke of Bourgondies army into Picardy that of Brittany musters at Chasteaubriant 6 Battell of Montleherry The victory is vncertaine and in a manner equall The Earle of Charolois is hurt The place of Battell remaines to him with a great disorder of either side 7 Obseruations of that which hapned both before and after the battell 8 The King passeth the night at Corbeil and goeth the next day to Paris 9 The army of the league lodged at Estampes whereas the Dukes of Berry and Brittanny arriue 10 It passeth the Riuer of Seine and besiegeth Paris 11 The Princes let the Parisians vnderstand the causes of their armes and demand a conference Paris sends her Deputies to St. Maur. 12 The Kinges army breakes the Conference and assures Paris yet he resolues to graunt all they should demand and to desperce this Army 13 Enteruiew of the King and the Earle of Charolois for a peace and the needles feare of the Dukes armie 14 Supplies of men and money sent by the Duke of Bourgundy to the Earle of Charrolois 15 The Kings second meeting with the Earle of Charrolois 16 Peace concluded and sworne at Bois de Vincennes 17 The Duke of Berrij is receiued into Roane with the Duke of Brittanie and the Earle of Charrolois returnes into Flanders 18 The King returnes to Paris and makes the Earle of S. Paul Constable of France 19 The Earle of S. Paul cannot liue in peace and takes for a maxime of his conduct to entertaine the two Princes in warre 20 Discords betwixt the Dukes of Normandy and Brittanie THE HISTORY of LEVVIS the XI THE THIRD BOOKE WHO so succeeds a good Prince hath a great aduantage ouer the affections of his owne subiects The loue the children for the fathers sake how rough and difficult soeuer his raigne be They hold themselues so much bound to the fathers bounty a The bounty of a Prince doth so binde the hearts as euen after his death they yeelde prootes of their affection to thier children although wicked Cambises was beloued for the loue of Cyrus his father Cō modus for the respect of Marcus Aurelius as they doe patiently endure the sonnes rigor France did owe her libertie to King Charles the seuenth he had freed her from the miseries of warre shee did acknowledge no other restorer then him This respect retained
de See and brought words and offers of affection and seruice on the Dukes behalfe who feared that the King would make some sodaine inuasion The D. of Brittaine demands a peace hauing an armie of fifty thousand men ready to fall vpon his country The King with all his forces p A Prince should neuer doe all that be may against his enemies would not doe what he might doe against these gyant-like enterprises reseruing his thunder-bolts to an other season The more slowly Princes take Armes the more difficult it is to draw them out of armies hee resolued to vanquish without fighting and considering that the Lord of Lescun was the first linke of the chaine of the Duke of Brittanies Councell that all the iudgement conduct and experience in Brittanie did lye in the person of this Nobleman q Phil. de Com. speaking of the Lord of Lescun saith that there was neither iudgement nor vertue in Brittanie but what proceeded from him who after the death of the Duke of Guienne his master had retired himselfe to the Duke of Brittanie a good and a loyall French man who neuer would consent that the places of Normandie should bee giuen vnto the English hee thought that if he could draw him to his seruice the accord which he should make with the Duke of Brittanie would be more firme and withdrawing him from the Duke of Bourgundies alliance hee should make him so weake as all his forces would not suffice for his defence The King drawes the D. of Brittanie from the Duke of Bourgundies alliance There r When as the Prince hath won him that is in most credit and authoritie with him with whom he treats hee doth worke his affaires safely and with aduantage is nothing so easie as to bring one whether necessitie driues him The Lord of Lescun being won giues the Duke his master to vnderstand that there is no other safety for his affaires but the Kings protection The accord was made so as the Duke might haue eight thousand pounds starling The Lord of Lescun had a pension of six hundred pounds starling foure thousand crownes in readie money the Order of S. Michel the Earledome of Cominges halfe the gouernement of Guienne the Seneshallships of Vennes and Bourdelois The Captainship of one of the Castells of Bourdeaux s K. Charles the seuenth hauing taken Bourdeaux againe he caused two Castles to be built Castell Trumpet towards the Sea and that of Du Han towards the firme land which King Charles the seuenth had caused to be built and those of Bayonne and St. Seuert Essars and Souppleinuille instruments of this negotiation were also rewarded t Phil. des Essars a GentlemaÌ„ of the house of Brittany had 4000. Crownes giuen and six score pounds starâ—ing for yearely pension with the Baillewike of Meaux and was made Master of the Riuers Forrests of France Souppleinuille who did belong to the Lord of Lescun had six thousand crownes in gift a pension and offices fit for his qualitie the Kings bounty could not suffer any seruice to passe without recompence Truce annuall betwixt the King and the Duke of Bourgundy The affaires of Brittany being compounded the King went into Picardie It was his and the Duke of Bourgundies custome euery yeare to make a truce for six monthes in the beginning of Winter during the which there were many voiages and conferences to quench the causes of warre which they held to be shut in the Constables thoughts who began to stand in feare of the Duke and to keep aloofe from the King Philip de Commines saith that the Chancellor of Bourgundy came to make it but as it was the first yeare of his comming to Court he was not very curious to vnderstand the truth the which is drawne out of the Articles that were published and signed by the Earle of S. Paul Constable of France and by Philip of Croy deputed for the King and Guy of Brunen Lord of Imbercourt and Anthony Rollin Lord of Emery for the Duke of Bourgundy The Deputies promised to cause this Truce to be ratified by the first of December it ended the first of Aprill following betwixt which they should meete at Amiens u This assembly was appointed in Amiens the first of December 1472. to treat a peace and the restitution of S t Valery which the D. of Bourgundy demanded to treat a Peace The Constable following the intention of the King his Master and that which had been treated with the Lord of Lescun would not haue the Duke of Brittany comprehended in the Truce among the Allies of Bourgundy The Deputies shewed that the Duke of Brittany their Ally did relye vpon them x To forget Allies in Treatiâ—s and Accords is an iniury against the lawe of friendship Vnde maiores cum qui socium feâ—ellisles in virorum bonorum numero non putaâ—â—erunt haberi oportere Cic. our Elders did not hold him worthy to bee put in the number of good men that deceiued his companion that they could not forget them in the number of their frends that he had not disclaimed their friendship that they held him yet for their Allie and that he had often abandoned them by Letters and words and yet had beene firme to them in effect That youth did inflame his bloud but reason did still reclaime him That the Duke did then name him among his Allies leauing it to his choise by the first of February whether he would be comprehended among the Kings Allies or the Dukes There was no remedy The King would haue fifteene daies to name his Allies and eight dayes after to adde such as he should forget The Duke of Bourgundy Ambitions designes of the Duke of Bourgundy who would spend the time of Truce in great imaginations which filled his head with fumes and his heart with perpetuall flames propounded to allye himselfe vnto the Emperor He desired to extend the bounds of his Empire from one Sea vnto the other his spirit went still on and neuer lookt backe y It is an error in Princes that they seldome or neuer look behind theÌ„ They consult vpon the passage but neuer vpon the returne Leopold Archduke of Austria talking how hee should passe an Army of twentie thousand men into the Canâ—on of Suâ—its Kune of Stocke his iâ—ster said vnto him I will not follow thee thou talkest how thou shalt enter but thou neuer dreamest how thou shalt come forth Leopold was defeated aâ— Morgarten Munster The like was said vnto K. Francis the first by Amaril vppon his proposition to passe thâ— Alpes He held himself King alreadie of one part of Gaule hee deuoured all Germany in Imagination God had giuen him great Prouinces which he thought deserued a more stately Title then of Duke of Earle for the obtaining whereof hee made a voyage to Treues to the Emperor Frederiâ— hauing made a very sumptuous preparation for the solemnitie of that publike
happened in Florence The Duke of Milan entred also into their League The warre was managed with that spleene wherewith their spirits were then transported The Venetians contemne these flashes of lightening and are amazed that Rome when it was Pagan had forbidden their Priest to looke vpon dead men o The Priestes at Rome diuerted their â—eyes from all funerall sights when as Tiberius made his sonnes funerall Oration there was said Seneca a vaile betwixt him and the body Quod Pontificis oculos à funere arecret That it might keepe the high Priests eies froÌ„ that mournfull sight Sen. in Cons. ad Mart. and being Christian that he suffers men to kill one another That Pallas Priests durst not cursse Alcibiades p Pallas Priests at Athens would not cursse Alcibiades although the people commanded it for I haue answered shee the office of a Priest to pray for men and not to cursse them and that the Pope being head of the Church should cursse a whole Common-wealth Italy became the force and store-house of the warres of Christendome there being no hope to quench the fire which his wilfulnesse had kindled but by the bloud of the vanquished 5 Lewis intreats the Pope for the peace of Italy The King knowing that the common enemy should reape all the profite of this warre sent his Embassadours to the Pope to beseech him not to show himselfe implacable to these two Christian Common-wealths The Pope receiued them with much contentment as the Angels and Messengers of peace They came to Rome in February q All this dâ—scourse is drawne out of the Oration which is in the Acts of the Vatican of Sixtus the 4. the which is cloquÌ„et iudicious for that time and for the estate of the businesse it begins after this manner Proximo Februario venientes ad nos dilectos filios Oratores Christianissimi Franceorum regis pro nostra in eum principem solita charitate laeti suscepimus Auxit laetitiam missionis tam longinquae causa Ad paceÌ„ enim in Italia procuranda dicebaÌ„tur venire Our deere sonnes the Embassadours of the most Christian French King coÌ„ming vnto vs we receiued theÌ„ ioyfully for our wonted charity vnto but Prince The cause of this long Embassage did encrease the ioy they were said to come to procure a peace in Italy and had audience as soone as they demanded it They let the Pope vnderstand that the Kings affection to the holy Sea and his zeale and piety to the seruice of the Church had bound him to seeke the meanes to quench this great diuision and to vnite the childrens will vnto the fathers for that he was well aduertised that Christendome should haue need to ioyne all her forces to resist the Turke who had a desire that yeare to inuade Christendome and it may be would begin with Italy and therefore the League did promise to giue care vnto a Pacification Offer made by the King for the League to the end they might contribute their forces and meanes for the common defence of Christendome The Pope r Egimus pro meritis gratias pium magni regis desideriumlaudibê° quibus potuimus extulimus NoÌ„ vinci nons tanti boni affectu monstrauimus Wee gaue them than thankes for their well deserning we did coÌ„mend as much as wee could the godly desire of that great King And we did shew that we could not be vanquished in affection to so great a good did thanke the Kings Embassadours with great affection he did much commend that commendable desire in Lewis whom he termed the Great King he that saith Great saith enough it was the glorious Title of the Kings of the East s For the title of Kings that of Great is excellent and common to the kings of Persia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and which comprehends all other greatnesse and desired that when there should be any occasion presented to seeke and aduance the good of Christendome his affection should neuer giue place to any other and that he had made it well knowne all the time of his Popedome by so many Legations which he had sent into all places The Pope desires Peace to maintaine the Publique Peace and make warre to cease and by that meanes supply the necessities and serue for the defence of the Faith That neuer Bishop t The History of Affricke saith that the Bishop of Nola after that he had sold all his goods to redeeme Christian slaues he sold himselfe vnto the Vandales for his brethren sold himselfe more willingly for his brethren then he would do for so many poore Christians which do groane vnder the yoake of Infidels The Kings Embassadours as Arbitrators and Iudges of the Controuersie Embassadours of France make an ouerture for a Peace propounded some Articles to end it and among others That there should be a suspension of Armes and Censures That the Cardinall of S. George should be set at liberty That they should ordaine certaine Suffrages and Prayers for them that had beene slaine in the Tumult of Florence That the Florentines and Laurence de Medicis should humble themselues vnto the Pope as they offered to do for the reuerence of the Apostolicke Sea And that all together should demand absolution after the forme ordained by the Church That they should giue caution and assurance for their obedience and fidelity and to maintaine the Liberties of the Church That all the forces of either side should be vnited together and paied for two or three yeares to make warre against the Turke The Pope hauing imparted the Articles and Instructions of the French Embassadours to the Colledge of Cardinals Articles of peace imparted to the Consistory Euery man commended the Kings Integrity Religion and Wisedome but they found them not full enough in matters which concerned the Holy Sea u Non multos post dies jideÌ„ oratores sicut internos atque aduersantes nobis mediatores accesseraÌ„t ita media quedam ad conueniendum scripta dederunt integritatem religionem sapientiaÌ„ deuoti regis monstraÌ„tia Iudicio tamen nostro venerabilium fratruÌ„ nostrorum ad honoreÌ„ sedis quem imprimis seruatum volebaÌ„t satis non plena After some few daies as there came aduerse mediators vnto vs so they propounded certaine meanes for an accord shewing the integrity Religion and wisedome of the Great King yet in our iudgemeÌ„t and of our reuerent brethren they were not ample enough for the honour of the Sea which they would haue chiefly kept which the Pope did chiefly regard and yet they were allowed vpon hope that they would produce a Peace and an vnion of Christian Forces against the enemy of the Church and also for that the King pretended to make the Venetians and Florentines consent to any thing that should be thought reasonable for satisfaction of the holy Sea Vpon this assurance The Pope receiues the Embassadours of Venice and Florence the Embassadours of Venice and
Frontier I finde that Guerin le Groin Baliffe of Saint Peter le Moustier and Robinet of Quesnoy Either of them Captaine of a hundred Lances tooke a great Conuoy of Money which came to Doway and with a small Troupe defeated a great number of Horse which did gard it If the King of England had declared himselfe for the Princesse of Bourgundy there had beene a great alteration and she had lesse apprehended the power and hatred of the French King who had wisely preuented it Lewis entertaines friendship with the English He knowing that King Edward loued his ease and that he would not shew himselfe too passionate in his Neighbours quarrels caused his Embassadours to obserue him and entertained him often with Visits and Presents d To send wise and polliticke Embassadours to Princes whoÌ„ they feare vpon diuers pretexes is the true meanes to preuent their designes but especially with the hope of a Marriage betwixt his sonne and his daughter Whom in England they called the Dauphine He caused the fifty thousand Crownes due by the Treaty of Piquigny to be paied at the day in the Citty of London which the English called the Tribute of France He gaue great Pensions to the Chancellor Chamberlaine Admirall and Maister of the Horse in England This made some to speake and others to hold their peace touching the affaires of France e To cast Gold into a Princes Councell is a great charme for greedy minds Gold is a medecine which at one instant workes two contrary effects To speake and to be silent There neuer came any Embassadours but commended his bounty at their returne and held themselues in a manner bound to fauour his intentions by which proceedings hee held himselfe in a manner assured on that side This made the Princesse of Burgundy resolue to marry to follow the counsell of the Lady of Haluin Princesse of Bourgundy wil haue a maÌ„ to her husband her first Lady of Honour which was to take a man and not a child for she was capable to beare them f There was a great disparitie of age betwixt the Dauphin and thus Princesse who was mother of three children before the Prince was a eleuen yeares old Shee refused the king of Englands brother It was thought that if they had propounded the Earle of Angolesme father to King Francis the 1. she would haue hearkened vnto it g The Annales of Aquitane speake thus vpon this occasion King Lewis wanted indgment in this action for if he had not hee wold haue married her to Charles Duke ef Angolâ—sme father to King Francis that now is her affections inclining to haue a Prince of France although she were much discontented for that the King had beene the cause of the death of her two good seruants Hugonet and Imbercourt The Emperour Frederick sent his Embassadours vnto her to put her in minde of the letter which she had written by the commandement of Duke Charles her father carrying a promise of marriage to the Arch-duke Maxamilian his son The Duke of Cleues who had another designe instructed her to referre her selfe to her Councell h In a Councell held vpon the reception of the Embassadours the Duke of Cleues said that after they had deliuered their message the Princesse of Burgundy should say vnto them that they were very welcome and that shee would referre it to her Councell and no more Phil. de Com. and not to say any thing to the Embassadours but at the sight of this Letter and a Diamond which did accompany it she declared that she had written the Letter and giuen the Diamond Princesse of Bourgundy marries Maxmilian by her fathers commandement The marriage was treated and Maximilian came into Flanders to consomate it and before the yeare was expired Philip father to Charles the 5. was the first fruits of this marriage Maximilian was then but twenty yeares old i When as Maximilian came into Flanders he was but twenty yeares old Hee was borne in the yeare 1458. Elenor daughter to Edward king of Portugal was his mother desiring to shew that the loue of the Princesse of Burgundy was not blind in choosing him among so many Corriuals he sought to recouer that which she had lost The King sent Craon into Bourgundy Kings Army in the French County k Peter or George of Tremouile Lord of Craon Liuetenant of the Kings Army in Bourgundy who hauing a power and being assisted by Iohn of Chalons Prince of Orange reduced the Towne of Dijon vnder the Kings obedience The Prince of Orange seeing himselfe deluded by him and that he did not deliuer vp the places vnto him which he had taken according to the Kings commandement grew discontented reuolted and recouered in a manner all that Craon had wonne in the County and then cast himselfe into Gy. From thence Craon besieged Dole Dole besieged contemning them that were within it as men whom he held to be without courage or defence This contempt accompanied with carelessenesse made him to loose his honour the Kings fauour and the Towne which he might haue taken for the besieged made a sally in a night that was windy darke and rainy with such aduantage as they surprized him and forced him to ritire with the losse of some of his Ordinance and of three thousand men l The fault of a Generall of an Army is sufficiently punished by the losse of his honour and his Princes loue and fauour The Romanes had no punishment for such errours to the end their Commanders should not haue their minds troubled with the dangers and ordinary Inconueniences in such charges and with the examples of such whose faults had bene punished with death For it is impossible to resolue iudiciously betwixt feare and suspition Charles of Amboise Lord of Chaumont was substituted in his place who aduised the King to renew his aliance with the Suisses and thereby to weaken the house of Bourgondy The perswasion of this counsell was not difficult the King thought nothing more fit for the safety of his estate then to make his enemies weake of Intelligence and Friends He sent some to practise this league and pursued it with great vehemency He had receiued so great content in the ruine of the most obstinate of his enemies as after the Battels of Granson and Morat hee did nothing but speake of the Suisses valor m Lewis the â—1 greatly aduaÌ„ced the reputation of the Suisses After victories which they had wonne against Charles Duke of Bourgondy he caused them to bee much esteemed Hee sent Embassadours with rich presents hee gaue them after the battell of Granson vntill his death aboue a million of Florins of the Rhin and esteeme their Friendship He put them in greater reputation then euer they had beene although they had much honoured the establishment of their liberty with a triumph of nine or ten Battels and that we may say of them as Titus
she hath forsaken He was shot with an arrow at this siege by reason whereof he was carried secretly to Varna to the end it should not daunt the courage of the Turkes and fortefie the Christians Being drest he demanded what they did in the Campe Losse at the siege of Belgrade to whom it was answered That all was in disorder the Bassa of Asia slaine the chiefe Captaines put to rout forty thousand men dead vpon the field the Ordinance lost and that they lost time to thinke to take the Towne which the onely presence of Iohn Coruin made impregnable These words put Mahomet into such a rage and rage into such despaire as cursing both heauen and earth Mahomet seekes to poison himselfe and blaspheming God he called for poyson to kill himselfe which being refused him he set fire of his Campe and retired As the vnfortunate euent of the Seige of Belgrade made him to desire death so that of Rhodes and an extreme sorrow to see himselfe vanquished Mahomet dyes for griefe hauing done nothing but vanquish made him to dye x Mahomet coÌ„tinued sixe and forty daies before Belgrade the siege bganne the 13. of Iune and was raysed the sixt of August 1456. Dispairing then to subdue the Rhodians and hauing continued all his fury and violence of warre against that strong rampart of Christendome foure score daies he retired to Damiet in Nicomedia y It is hard for a Prince to bee vanquished hauing alwaies bin victor Boleslas the third King of Polonia hauing won 47. battles and being forced at last against the Russians to flye dyed for griefe Crâ—m lib. 6. where he was surprised with so violent a Cholick as he died Phil. de Comines saith That euery yeare in the beginning of Summer one of his legs did swell as big as his body and did fall againe after some time yet no man could giue a reason of this griefe He imputes it to his Gourmandize and to the punishment of God It may be it was that legge into the which Bladius brother to the Prince of Valachia stabd his knife to saue his honour from that Goat who would haue forced him to the infamous and vnnaturall lust of a barren Venus z Amurath his father would haue done the like to twelue yong Gentlemen of Polonia whoÌ„ he reserued for that abhomination they resolued to kill him but being dâ—scouered they slew one another to auoid a more miserable life or a more ignominious and cruell punishment His cruelties inhumanities made some Souldiours of his Gard resolue to kill him in his bed Excesse of Mahomet The Conspiracy being discouered by a Christian he caused the Conspirators to be strangled and from that time he suffered not any one aboue twelue yeares old to enter into his chamber For these reasons Mahomet is the second of those great Princes whom Phil. de Commines preferres before all others to haue raigned at one time King Lewis the eleuenth is the first and Mathias Huniades the third The King did not extend his thoughts so farre Designes of the King vpon Lorraine and Prouence for seeing himselfe approach neere vnto the West of his daies he carried them not into the East His thoughts were conuerted vpon his neerest neighbours as vpon Loraine and Prouence he held the Councels to plant the bounds of his Empire vnworthy the courage of a great Prince He would haue France like vnto a great Tree which with the spredding of his branches and shadow hindreth the growth of all that is about it a Augustus was authour of this Counsell to Tibeâ—â—us CoerceÌ„di intra terminos impeâ—ij To â—â—straine the Empire within certaine bounds A hard lesson for a Prince that hath courage Vna ea vetus causa bellandi est profunda cupido Impeâ—ij diuitiaâ—um A great desire of Empire and riches hath beene the old and onely cause of war Sal. The Estates of Nauarre Flanders Brittaine and Prouence were not more in the power of their Princes then in his and trembled vnder his authority as the Pigion or Partrige do vnder the flight of the Hauke The designes which hee had vpon Lorraine and Prouence were executed in adding wisedome to occasion and force to reason To vnderstand this proceeding we must know that Iohn Duke of Lorraine Estate of Loraine did first marry Sophia daughter to Eberhard Earle of Wirtemberg and had two sonnes Charles and Fredericke b The children of Charles Duke of Lorraine were Ralph Lewis Charles Robert Frederick Maâ—y married to Enguerand Earle of Coucy Margaret to the Earle of Baden and Isabell to René of Aniou Charles succeeding him in the Dutchy of Lorraine married Margaret daughter to Robert of Bauaria Count Pallatine by whom he had many children which dyed before him leauing no heire but Isabell. Fredericke Earle of Guise married Margaret daughter to Henry Earle of Vaudemont and had Anthony Earle of Vaudemont Charles married his daughter Isabel to René Duke of Aniou Calabria and Bar Earle of Prouence King of Sicily Naples and Ierusalem Of their marriage came Iohn Lewis René Charles Elizabeth Margaret Yoland and Anne After the death of Duke Charles René would haue entred the Dutchy as his wiues Inheritance Anthony Earle of Vaudemont opposed himselfe by this reason that the Males exclude the Females c At the Councell of Constance Anthony Earle of Vaudemont demanded of the Emperor Sigismond the inuestiture of the Dutchy of Lorraine against René of Aniou for that it was a see of the Empire wherof women were not capable The controuersy was first ended by Armes René lost the battell of Blanuille and was taken prisoner by Anthony Earle of Vaudemont who gaue him to Phillip Duke of Bourgundy for that hee had succoured him afterwards by the marriage of Yoland daughter to Renè and Isabel with Ferry sonne to Anthony of Vaudemont the Dutchy of Lorraine remained in effect to René the Husband of Isabell Renè of Aniou D. of Lorraine and in hope to Ferry husband to Yoland Iohn succeeded in the Dutchy of Lorraine Hee had married Mary d Iohn and Mary had foure children Isabel who was married to Iames King of Scotland Rene Iohn Nicholas daughter to Charles Duke of Bourgundy who dyed in her deliuery of Nicholas Marques of Pont her third sonne who succeeded in the Dutchy of Lorraine after the death of his father and brethren Hee left the affection which his Predecessours had borne to France and fell to the Duke of Bourgundies party vpon hope that he would giue him his daughter in Marriage Death surprised him in the yeare one thousand fiue hundred seuenty three in the thoughts of his Marriage and to renew a second enterprise vpon the Towne of Mets e Nicholas Duke of Lorraine would haue seized vpon Mets by this Stratâ—geme Hee caused certaine pipes to bee put into Wagons as if they had beene full of wine wherein there
sometimes in sachirresolution as not daring to make warre heâ— doth things preiudiciall to peace Phillip de Commines saith His Exercises and pleasures that hee had no thought but of Ladies and more then was fit of Hunting and to entreate his owne person well When hee went a Hunting hee caused many Pauillions to be carried for Ladies and in this sort made great feasts for hee had a body as fit for it as any that euer I saw being yong and as beautifull as any man that liued in his time q Edward was held in his youth to excell all the Princes of his age in beauty and stature but when as hee came into France in the yeare one thousand foure hundred three score and fifteene He was growne grosse Fâ—w men become so but by their owne meanes Entring into the Realme hee saw himselfe surprized with a storme and expelled by him who had assisted him to conquer it Hee retired into Holland with two Hulkes a little Ship and many men without mony seeing himselfe to giue a gowne furred with â—ables to satisfie the Marriner who had transported him At the end of sixe monthes he re-entred into London when as his enemies had held him to be lost In eleuen daies the Earle of Warwicke had wonne the whole Realme for Henry the sixth Edward recouers it in twenty daies with the hazard of two great battles The strongest carried it r They are sometimes bound to fortune and sometimes to pollicy for the happy euents of great enterprises but most coÌ„monly the stronger is the Maister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Occurrat forti qui mage fortis erat and remained peaceable King yet with some remorse to haue beene bound for the quiet possession of his Realme to the cruelties and inhumanities which he committed against his owne bloud For he put to death King Henry the sixth and Edward Prince of Wales his sonne with the Duke of Clarence his brother The cause of this brothers death is not very certaine The most common opinion is that hee would haue armed to succour the Princesse of Bourgundy contrary to his brothers liking Polydore Virgil saith that enforming himselfe he learned of them that liued in those times that King Edward being aduertised by a Coniurer s All the answeres of Sorcerers are doubtfull and deceiue them that trust in them They spake truely meaning the Duke of Glocester and the King deceiued himselfe vnderstanding it of his brother of Clarence that his name that should succeed him beganne with a G. had a conceit that George Duke of Clarence his brother should take the Crowne from his children Death of the Duke of Clarence the Kings brother and vpon this apprehension hee put him to death in a But of Malmesey Others haue written that hee sought the Alliance of the Princesse of Bourgundy and that the Dutchesse Margaret sister to Edward fauoured his Designes which the King not wishing so great a fortune to his brother hindred That at the same time one of the Dukes seruants hauing beene condemned to dye for poyson the Duke of Clarence was offended and spake in such sort as the King taking his words for threates of some great trouble caused him to die in pryson t George Duke of Clarence brother to the King of England made choice to dye in a But of Malmeâ—cy to die with some content which an 〈◊〉 disolution of the soule is wont to cause as Seneca saith or to make himselfe drunke and to free himselfe from the horrour end feeling of death Drusus meaning to dye of hunger would not cate any thing in nine daies but the flockes of his bed Tacit. l. 6. Annal. An act notwithstanding which did afflict him with such griefe and repentance as remembring the great precipitation of his iudgement procured by his brothers enemies when as any came to sue for a pardon for any one that was condemned to dye u Repentance doth vndoubtedly follow cruell and rash actions Caracalla hauing put his brother Getâ— to death hee did neuer thinke of him or looke vpon his stature but hee wept Hee caused Loetus who had perswaded him to this paracide to be imprisoned and did all kindes of honour vnto his Funerall Funus Gerae accuratius fuisse dicitur quam eius qui à fratre videretur occisus Getas Funerall was performed with more then his that seemed to bee murthered by his brother AELIVS SPARTIANVS he alwaies said My poore brother had not any to sue for him He left two children Margaret who was married to Richard Poole and Edward whom the King made Earle of Warwicke All the crosses which Edward had suffred did not so much afflict him as he receiued contentment at his returne from the warres of France for the peace which he had brought backe and the Treatie of marriage which he had made of his daughter with the Dauphin of France and the pension of fifty thousand Crownes So when he saw the Dauphin married vnto the Lady Margaret of Austria he was so grieued as hee resolued to returne into France to reuenge this iniury Choller and griefe were so violent in his soule as he dyed the tenth of Aprill at Westminster whereas the Parliament was assembled to resolue vpon the warre of France His body was carried to the Castle of Windsor and interred in S. Georges Chappell He had tenne children by Elizabeth his wife and left Edward Prince of Wales and Richard Duke of Yorke liuing All his life hee had beene liberall and dyed coueâ—ous Hee recommended his wife His brother murthers his children children and Realme to Richard Duke of Glocester who to haue the Crowne put Edward who had raigned but two monthes and Richard his Nephewes to death x Edward had a base sonne called Arthur his daughters were married to diuers Princes Brigit the last was a religious woman The daughters were declared Bastards by the Parliament for that a Bishop affirmed that hee had married Edward vnto a Lady of England before that hee was married to the Lady Elizabeth Riuers Hee caused himselfe to bee Crowned King in Iuly following The parricide of his two Nephewes caused so great scandall and horrour in all the orders of the Realme and the mother who had fledde into the Sanctuary at Westminster y This trust and recommendation of such precious Iewels bound the Duke of Glocester to haue a care of them IS DIGERDES King of Persia seeing that ARCADIVS the Emperour his enemy had recommended his some THEODOSIVS vnto him found himselfe bound to preserue his Estates and laying aside all passions of precedent hatred hee proclaimed warre against any one that should molest his pupill hauing fore-seene the rage of this Tiger filled the Citty of London with very pittifull and strange complaints as euery man found this greedy and vnsatiate desire to raigne inhumane and tyrannous hauing forced him brutishly to teare in peecees the Lawes of Nature and to pollute his hands with
had suffered vnder the gouernment of the Duke of Berrie his vncle hee commanded the Dukes of Berrie and Burgondy to retire and would not haue any other prince neâ—re vnto his presence but Lewis duke of Bourbon his vncle by the mothers side and Iohn of Burbon Earle of March of V endosme whom hee loued infinitâ—y giuing a reason hereof openly That he loued those Princes for that they had neuer serued any other maister and had neuer had any ambition nor design against the state neither had they euer giuen him any occasion to complaine of them This vertue was neuer found in a great spirit but it did purchase power and affection with others Pride is barren humility fructifieth a vine spreading vpon the earth beares excellent fruit the high and straightest Cypres-trees are vnfruitfull Hee was not so bountifull of his fauours to the Lord of Beaujeu but hee was as sparing to the Duke of Bourbon his brother he had an implacable hatred against Iohn Duke of Bourbon sonne to Charles the Achilles of France This hatred was nourished with a fresh apprehension for that this Prince lamenting the disorders of the State the miseries and oppressions of the people and the bad vsage which Charles Duke of Berrie suffered had laid the first foundations of the league had left it by the Treaty of Ryon and re-entred againe into it vpon despight for that during this Treaty the Duke of Millan by the Kings commandement had ouer-run and ruined his Countrey of Beaujolois and Forrest But for that hee was a Prince of great power great courage and great credit in the heart of all France hee would not euaporate this fire of reuenge and indignation which hee had against them and considered rather what he might doe then what he should do And the Duke who was acquainted with the disposition of this King knewe well that all Princes write offences done them in brasse and the seruice which they receiue vpon sand wherefore he remained long in his Dutchy of Bourbonois and would not come to Court The King whose chiefe care was to weaken his enemies and to diuide them gaue him the gouernement of Languedoc dissembling the remembrance of things past Vpon this assurance the Duke of Bourbon shewed that hee did not breathe any thing but the Kings seruice neither had he any greater content then to yeeld him proofes equall to his affection and therefore hee followed him to Peronne and we must beleeue that without him in this voyage hee had giuen his Enemies more courage to execute those dangerous councels hauing resolued to stay him For besides the respectes of Alliance the Duke of Bourgondy respected this Prince who had the two principall partes necessary in great Captaines Valour and good Fortune l The two qualities necessary in the Generall of an Army are Valour and good fortune Duo sunt quae Claros Duces faciunt summa virtus summa foelicitas Lat. Pac. Paneg. Wee haue formerly seene that the Constable of Saint Pol did what hee could to drawe him to the Duke of Bourgondies partie Fidelity of the Duke of Burbon and to make him ioyne with the King of Englands forces and that this braue Prince made it knowne that nothing was able to shake his loialty no not if he should be reduced to the misery of Iob m An extreme oppression is no lawfull cause to arme against the Prince rebels seeke pretexes and coulors to shadow their discontents but good subiects suffer with patience although that the sincery of his actions could neuer wipe away the blemish which distrust had put in this Princes eyes yet would he not trouble the content which hee had receiued by the testimony which his conscience gaue to fidelity and vertue The King also fore-seeing that if his enemies were fortefied with his fauour and forces hee should be much troubled hee coniured him to come vnto him The Duke excused himselfe vpon a resolution which hee had taken to liue quietly in his house the which no man could enuy him hauing purchased it with incomparable toyles and crosses Hee besought the King to suffer him to rest in the port of this tranquility after so many stormes and to content himselfe with the seruice which the other Princes of his house and his Bastard the Admirall did him The King entreated and coniured him to come and to reape the same fruits in Picardy which he had sometimes receiued in Guienne n The honour of the glorious victory of Fromigny is giuen to Iohn the second Duke of Bourbon who then tooke the title of Earle of Clermont for hee charged the English with such fury as with the losse of tenne men onely hee defeated fiue thousand English and tooke 1400. prisoners to the shame and confusion of the English sending the Bishop of Mande vnto him to deliuer his requests and recommendations more confidently and to assure him that the occasion was not lesse glorious then at Fromigny The Duke being loath to faile France in so great an occasion and remembring that his predecessours had not desired a more glorious graue then to die vpon a field of battell couered with the bloud of their enemies o The Princes of the house of Bourbon who haue dyed for the seruice of the Crowne are Peter of Bourbon slaine the 19. of September 1356. at the battell of Poicters Iames and Peter his sonne at the Battell of Brignay neere vnto Lyon Lewis at the Battell of Agincourt 1415. Francis at the battell of Saint Bridget on holy Crosse day in September 1525. Iohn at the battell of Saint Laurence 1557. and Anthony at the siege of Roan 1562. and to free the King from all conceite that he had a will to giue eare vnto the Constable who did solicite him with all vehemency he deliuered the Constables letters into the Bishops hands protesting that hee would neuer carry Armes against the Kings seruice The effects did not differ from his words for seeing the Duke of Bourgundies troupes approach to enter the Country he went to horse and put them to rout The Earle of Conches was slaine there the Earle of Rousillon Marshall of Bourgundy was taken prisoner there with the Earle of Dammartins sonne and the Signiors of Longy de Lisle Digoin Ruygny Chaligny and the two sonnes of the Signior of Viteaux one of which was Earle of Ioygny Being then assured of the discent of the English and that they had passed the Sea he came vnto the King with sixe hundred horse and commanded part of his Army which was neere vnto Beauuais Matters being reduced to those tearmes that the King desired and the King of England hauing repassed the Sea he retired himselfe to Moulins to performe the last duties to his mother p The Lady Agnes of Bourgundy dyed in December 1476. Shee was wife to Charles Duke of Bourbon and mother to Iohn the second of that name Duke of Bourbon to Charles Cardinall and Arch-bishop of Lyon
he haue force and authoritie where he liues ouer others if he bee learned and hath seene or read it will either amend him or impaire him For the bad impaire with much knowledge and the good amend Yet it is credible that knowledge doth rather amend him then impaire him were there nothing but the shame to know his owne euill it were sufficient toâ—keepe him from doing ill at the least not to wrong any man whereof I haue seene many experiences among great personages whom knowledge hath drawne from many bad desseignes and also the feare of Gods punishment whereof they haue greater knowledge then ignorant men who haue neither seen nor read History IT is a great aduantage for Princes to haue read Histories in their youth Lib. 2. Chap. 6. where they may plainely read of such assemblies and of the great fraudes deceipts and periuries which some of the ancients haue vsed one against another hauing taken and slaine them that haue relyed vpon such assurances It is not said that all haue vsed it but the example of one is sufficient to make many wise and to giue them a will to stand vpon their gard And in my opinion one of the greatest means to make a man wise is to haue read ancient Histories and to learne to gouerne himselfe wisely thereby and by the example of our predecessors For our life is so short as it sufficâ—th not to haue experience of so many thinges Besides we are decayed in age and the life of man is not so long as it was wont to be nor their bodies so strong All the Bookes that are written were to no vse if it were not to reduce things past to memory where we see more in one booke in three monthes then twenty men liuing successiuely one after another can see by the eye or learne by experience Although that enemies nor Princes be not alwaies alike notwithstanding that the subiect be yet is it good to be informed of thinges past Nourishment ALl men that haue beene great Lib. 1. Chap. 9. and done great matters haue begun very yong And it coÌ„sists in the education or coms from the grace of God This is spoken by the Author vppon the good education of Lewis the eleuenth without the which it had beene impossible for him to haue surmounted those great difficulties which he had in the beginning of his raigne and to blame that of the noblemen of his time who were not bred vp but to shew their folly in their speach and apparrell They haue no knowledge of any learning and there is not a wise man among them They haue Gouernors to whom they talk of their affaires and not to themselues and they dispose thereof and there are such Lords which haue not sixescore and ten pounds starling yearely rent which take a glory in saying speake vnto my officers thinking by these wordes to seeme great men In like manner I haue often seen such seruants make their profit of their maisters giuing them to vnderstand that they were beasts And if happily any one returnes and desires to know his owne it is so late as it serues him to small purpose A Princes subiects haue cause to greeue when they see his Children ill bred vp and in the hands of bad conditioned men Nature A Naturall wit perfectly good excells al other sciences that may bee learned in the world Example of Lewis the eleuenth who without any knowledge of learning had the reputation and the effects of the wisest Prince of his age Hope ALL well considered our only hope must be in God In the end of the first Book for in him lies all our assurance and all bounty which cannot be found in any worldly thing But euery man knowes it too late and after that he hath need yet it is better late then neuer Age. THe fathers old Age makes him to indure the Insolencies of his sonne patiently Lib. 1. Chap. 2. Example of Philip Duke of Bourgondy who dissembled the bad vsage of his sonne the Earle of Charolois to them of thâ— house of Croy. Foresight VVIsemen discerne so farre off as their life is not sufficient to see halfe of those things which they haue foreseene Lib. 3. Chap. â— Carelesnes and vigilancy MAd and distracted Princes are not to bee blamed if they gouerne their affairs ill Lib. 6. Cha. 4. but they that haue their iudgments sound and are well disposed of their persons if they spend their whole time in idlenes and folly they are not to be pittied if they fal into misfortunes But they which diuide their times according to their age somtimes seriously and in Councell and somtimes in feasts and pleasure are much to be commended and the subiects are happy to haue such a maister An Alphabeticall Table of the principall matters contained in the first seuen Bookes of this History A ACcord betwixt the King of Castile Portugal fol. 220. Affaires of a Prince are then effected with most safety and aduantage when he hath won that person who is most in credit and authority with the other with whom he Treates 166. Affection of Maisters to bad seruants is the cause of much disorder 14. Alphonso King of Portugall comes to demand succours in France 215. But is refused by the French King 218. Alphonso proclaimed King of Castile 217. His death Ibid. Amazment breeds strange effects 80. Ambition hath no other law then the fancy of the Ambitious 77. Amurath puts Scanderbegs brethren to death 120. growes fearefull of Scanderbegs valour Ibid. Army of the Earle of Charolois 79. Articlâ—s of a peace betweene France and England 165. Attempt against the Duke of Bourgundies life discouered by the King 206. B Balue the Cardinall imprisoned in a cage of his owne inuention 132. Basile besieged by Lewis the Dauphin 22. Battell of Firmigny 30. Battell at Montlehery 81. Battell at Wakefield 56. Battell of Varna 121. Battell of Morat 213. Battell of Nancy 224. Beauuais besieged 164. Birth of Charles the eight 146. Boldnesse after danger past 86. Bothwell in great fauour with the King of Scotland 232. C Cadet rescueth the Earle of Charolois 83. Challenge sent to the Duke of Bourgundy 3 Charles the seuenth disinherited by his father Charles the sixt 1. Hee armes against his sonne Lewis the Dauphin 12. He takes the Castle of S. Maxiant 13. His reprehension of the Duke of Bourbon 14. His fragility 26. His Death 27 Charles Duke of Orleans led prisoner into England 3. He dieth for sorrow 69. Charles of Nauarre poysoned by his Mother in Law 61. Charles Duke of Berry retires into Brittany 70. His solicitatioÌ„ of the Duke of Bourgundy to assist him for reformation of disorders in France Ibid. Campobasse his treason against the Duke of Bourgundy 223. Charles Earle of Charolois afterwards Duke of Bourgundy his negligence in trayning his Army 82. Is in danger to be slaine or taken 83. His repast among dead bodies 84. Runs into vnseene danger 94.
as it seemed he would canonize him before his f Flattery giues honors to mortall men which belong not vnto them Tertullian reprocheth the Pagans of lying and flattery which made them declare men Gods and Tacitus saith Deum honor Principi non ante habetur quam agere inter homines desierit Tac. An. lib. 15. The honor of the Gods is not to bee giuen vnto the Prince vntil hee hath left to liue among men death after this followed an accord by the which the Duke of Burgundy should for a reparation aske pardon of the King vpon his knee The Queene the Dauphin the Kinges of Sicile and Nauarre the Duke of Berry making the like request for him in the presence of the Children of the Duke of Orleans melting with teares and weeping with sobs to see the bloud of their Father put to compromise and themselues forced to forget so sencible an Iniurie France was presently deuided into two factions of Orleanois and Burgundians A league of Armagnacs Th' one taking his fauour and authority from the ruines disgrace of the other The Duke of Burgundy hath the soueraigne gouernment of affaires and forceth them of the howse of Orleans to make an offensiue and defensiue league against that of Burgundy g League of Orleanois at Gâ—en the tenth of March 1410. the heads were Charles Duke of Orleance and his brethren Iohn Duke of Berry Lewis Duke of Bourbon Iohn Earle of Alanson Francis Earle of Clermont Bernard Lord of Armagnac and Charles of Albert Constable of France The heads of the Bourgundy faction were Iohn Duke of Bourgundy his brethren Charles King of Nauarre son to Charles the bad the Dukes of Lorraine Brabant Brittaine the Marques of Pont the Earles of Neuers Vaudemont St. Paul Ponthure The name was of Armanacks the marke a white scarfe the cause the Kinges liberty who was in captiuity vnder the law and will of the Duke of Burgundy Challenge sent to the Du. of Burgundy and to the end the quarel might be ended with lesse danger losse of men and time Charles Duke of Orleans sent a challenge to the Duke of Burgundy to fight a combate with him and to be reuenged of his fathers death The Duke of Burgundy who had drawn the Queene vnto his party had noe great dificultie to perswade the King that the designe of the howse of Orleans was nothing but ambition and rebellion in denying him to demaund succors from Henry the fourth king of England The Dolphin being of yeares able to iudge of the intentions of the one and the other The sonne in lawe against the father in lawe found that the interest of the house of Orleans was that of the Crowne and that the ambition of the Duke of Bourgondy his father in law h Queene Isabel being banded against her nephewes of Orleans adhered to the Duke of Burgundy made the marriage of his daughter Catherinâ— with the Dauphin Lewis was the cheefe motiue of those troubles wherefore he vndertooke to crosse his designes and to make a peace this soule was seasond with good thoughts at the siege of Burges for when they told him that in a salley which the besieged had made some of his seruants were slaine and that the souldiers dyed of poisoned waters he said vnto the King his Father and the Duke of Burgundy That this warre lasted too long and that he would make an end of it Iohn of France Duke of Berry and i Enguerand of Monstrelet notes in what manner the Duke of Berry came to this treaty in his armes notwithstanding that hee was 70. yeares old for he llued aboue 80 hauing vpon theÌ„ a Cassocke of purple with a band poudred with marigolds and so he is painted in the gallery of the â—oâ—ure Philebert of Lignac great master of Rhodes employed themselues vertuously to reconcile the nephewes and the vnckle The conditions of this peace were concluded at Burges Peace of Burges sworn in a great assembly at Auxerre the names of that fatall faction of Armagnac and Burgundian were comprehended in the forgetfulnes of things past and Philip Earle of Vertus was married to the Duke of Burgundies daughter But all the parts of France recouer not their former health The warre renues againe and the Dauphin is no more for the Burgundian whose principall force consists in the sedition of Paris and the succours of the English who making their profit of ciuill diuisions win the battell of Azingcourt which was called the vnfortunate day of the 25. of October 1415. The battle of Azing-Court The Duke of Orleans armed to reuenge his fathers death and the libertie of his country was led prisoner into England and if religion had not comforted him he had no lesse reason then Pompey k The Mitcleniens came to salute Pompey after the battel intreating him to land which he refused and aduised them to obey the victor and not to feare any thing for that Caesar was a iust man and of a mild nature and then turning to the Philosopher Cratippus who was also come to see him he complained and disputed a little with him touching the diuine prouidence wherein Cratippus yeilded mildly vnto him putting him still in better hope to be amazed at the prouidence of God which seemeth to fauour the most vniust party tyranny against libertie and couetousnes against freedome Death of the Dolphin and Duke of Turraine This losse was followed by the death of Lewis the Dauphin and of Iohn Duke of Touraine the Kings second sonne By the death of these two Charles Earle of Ponthieu saw himselfe in the first degree of the Princes of the bloud and presently made show that he had been bred vp to apprehend the iniury which the Duke of Burgundy had done vnto his vncle All the Princes and Noble men which had followed the house of Orleans came vnto him and among others the Constable of Armagnac but his greatest affliction was for the vnnaturall hatred which the Queene his mother bare him who declared her selfe against him Regent of the Realme was maintained in that quarrel by the Duke of Burgundy vnder her was that cruell massacre committed the 12. of Iune 1418 whereas the l Amassacre at Paris vpon the Armagnacks from 4 of the clock in the morning the 12 of Iune vntil the next day 10. of the clock To note the Constable by the scarse which he carried they flead a bend of his skin and tyed it crosse his body his office was confirmed to the Duke of Lorraine and the Chancellors to Eustace de Lastre Constable of Armagnac and the Chancellor de Marle were slaine and the Dauphin ranne a daungerous fortune if Tanneguy du Chastel Prouost of Paris and his faithfull seruant had not saued him in the Bastille Paris saw it selfe reduc'd to that miserable estate as it seemed a retrait for Beares and Tigers During this fatall diuision the English
bene made and it was reason that he which had done the harme should shew some repentance and serue as a table in the history of France that a Prince which wants piety towards God and Iustice towards men falls alwayes into o He that hath pietie iustice for the guide of his actions frees himselfe happily from confusion in all sorts of affaires These bee the glorious titles which Demetrius purchased 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 religious to the gods and Iust to men confusion The Duke said that he pardoned him for the loue of God promising him to be his friend enemy to his enemies and to renounce the aliance of England and the deputies of the Councell dispenst him of the oath which he had made not to treat without the King of England This happie and memorable peace Peace of Arras sworne the 24. of Nouember 1435. was followed with great blessings for the French and great ruines for the English This was the Comet which threatned their ruine in France and which brought the Duke of Bedford vnto his graue Death of the Duke of Bedford Regent in France for the English With the like griefe six dayes after the treaty p Isabel of Bauaria contemned of the English and Bourgundian for whom shee had â—anded her selfe against her sonne dyed at S. Paul house the last of September 1435. she was carried by the Riuer of Seine to S. Dennis and buried without pomp Her tombe was built in the same place where her husbands was and her portrait is yet to bee sâ—ene in the window of that Chappell dyed that old malicious woman the Queene mother stepmother to the king and Realme She wanted meanes to liue before her death for being no more assisted by the Duke of Bourgundy the Duke of Bedford caused her to fast vpon dayes which were not commanded to be fasted lying in Saint Paule house She had alwaies liued full of honors and affayres and now she dyes plunged in miseries and contempts The reduction of Paris was the fruit of the peace she opened her gates vnto the King Reduction of Paris which shee had shut against him for the loue of the Duke of Bourgundy for she hath dealt with friendships as with flowers the new haue alwaies beene most pleasing vnto her The King was at Montpelier when Paris was reduc'd The q The English were chased out of Paris the 27. of February 1436. where they had entred in the yeere 1420. English depart the Lillies flourish and the Kings will with the lawes of the Realme are honored there The King made his entry and was receiued as victorious of his enemies by his valor and of himselfe by his clemencie forgetting so many iniuries whereby the people had incensed him Here I seeke the Dauphin and the Historie doth not showe me him 1437. although it be credible that the father did not forget to haue him seene in this great occasion in his capitall Citie no more then at the assembly of the estates which he called at Orleans But I finde him on horsebacke at the age of fourteene yeares and commanding the Kings armie before Monstreau Faut-Yonne Hee tooke the towne by assault and the Castle by composition and made so good warre with the English that were within it as they gaue him thankes in the Kings presence confessing that hee had giuen them cause in admiring his valor to commend his bounty to the which they were bound for their liues r A Prince which saues his life whom he may kil cannot do any thing that brings him sooner to the height of glory and reputation nec vlla re propius homines ad deum accedunt quam salute hominibus danda Cic. Neither is there any thing which makes meÌ„ liker vnto Gods then by giuing life vnto men This first beginning applauded by some old Knights flattering this yong Alexander who beganne to bee discontented for that his father left him no worke to doe made him to conceiue better of himselfe then hee ought For such flattering opinions s Flattery doth so transport young Princes with a good opinion of what they are or should be as it is easily conuerted into presumption and admits no counsell nor conduct are fruitlesse sproutes and vnprofitable leaues which grow too fast in these yong plants and in the end kils them The Father who had made him Captaine so soon repented as suddainely for he beganne to make showe that hee was not borne to follow but to goe before Martin Gouge Bishop of Cleremont Christopher of Harcourt and the Lord of Chaumont make him beleeue that his valor and courage would not suffer him to stay there that the more he should eleuate his trumpet of fame the farther it should bee heard that he could not beginne any exercise of glorie and reputation to t Alexander at 16. yeares of age defeated the Megariens and was at the battell of Cheronea wherefore Demosthenes called him child Hannibal was but eleuen yeares old when hee made open professioÌ„ of armes Wee must obserue saith Phil. de Commines That all men which haue don gret matters haue begunne very yong Warre is a science which is not learned by discourse It is a troublesome practise for him that hath not accustomed it from his youth Paul Emil. soone and that he should not attend vntill that fortune tooke him by the hand to lead him to the Empire of men but he should goe and meete her These Councellers were spirits that were not capable to command nor to be commanded and which could not liue vnder that great rigor of the Kings authoritie Bad counsell giuen to Lewis who knowing his humors allowed him not what he desired and made him giue eare to such as found no other course for their greatnes and who assured him that there was no other way for his rising then to absent himselfe from the presence of his father An aduise which could not bee commended but by such to whom all wickednes is commendable For of badde counsels such as was neuer giuen by men that were u Integrity or fidelitie sufficiencie or wisedome are the two principall qualities of good counsellors they add a third which depends of the precedent to haue his heart free from passion and priuate interest wise discreete and without any priuate interest three rare qualities but necessarie for him that takes vpon him to counsel another the worst and most pernicious is that which deuides the Sonne from the Father and withdrawes him from the dutie wherewith hee is bound by the lawes of nature and religion x The commandement of the Childrens dutie was halfe written in the first table which regards Gods right and halfe in the second table wherein are commâ—ndements which concerne our Neighbours as beeing partly diuine and partly humane nothing beeing able to extinguish this bond free this seruitude nor dispence him from the obedience due to the fathers commandements how
seuere and difficult so euer The Duke of Bourbon 1411. who would make his profit of this diuision betwixt the father and the sonne Charles Duke of Bourbon and who was discontented to see the King contemne and reiect the Princes to fauour priuate men practised this diuision The Dauphin who was bred vp in the Castle of Loches vnder the charge of Iohn Earle of March y The Earle of March was gouernour to the Dauphin He wrought meanes to get out of his hands and to bee at libertie They said then that King Charles should not haue married him so soone to entreat him like a child saw him carried away by the bastard of Bourbon and was content to goe and to be ridde of his gouernor who suffered him to enioy conuenient libertie thinking it vnfit to treat the first sonne of France seuerely being now great and married Hee was led to Moulins whereas the Duke of Bourbon attended him Thither came the Duke of Alençon and Chabannes Earle of Damartin beeing incensed for that the King had called him Captaine of Bandilieres These were men who after the peace of Arras like vnto some after the treaty of Bretigny z When as treaties of peace are concluded they must prouide for the retreat of forraine troopes elâ—e they wil ouerrun the Prouinces After the treaty of Brâ—tigny in the yeare 1360. the English trooopes did ouerrâ—n and spoile France and defeated them that sought to stop their violencâ—s at â—regnay neere to Lyon did ouercome and spoyle all the whole country leauing the peasant nothing but his shirt There imbarked in the same ship the Earle of Vandome the Earle of Dunois Bastard of Orleans and the Lord of Chaumont Tremouille Boucicaut and Prye There resolution was not to yeelde him vntill that an order were setled in France the Princes in Authoritie and the malecontents in fauour If their intention had appeared in her true and naturall forme her deformitie had displeased all the world for it was nothing but a meere conspiracie of great men who abusing the youth of this Prince ingaged him in an vnnaturall ingratitude and thought to make him greater then eyther nature or God himselfe had yet ordained that vnder his shadow a He that wil enioy the shadow of his Prince must reioyce at his greatnes so as it be not raised vppon a foundation of Iniustice and ingratitude they might liue at their ease and make their profit of the publicke ruines To giue some forme to this illusion they deuise supposed members and giue it for a face the b All deformities and imperfections are so foule being seene bare as like vnto them that haue both their armes and â—egs cut off make other of Ironâ— or wood euen so they that haue had deseignes do couer them with some goodly pretext maske of reformation of disorders protesting that they had no other intention but to settle the Dauphin to the end that all things might bee done by his authoritie with the aduise of the Princes of bloud They had sought to imbarke the Duke of Bourgundy with them Duke of Burgundy refuse to enter into the league but he who would not reuiue a quarrell if not altogether quencht yet at the least smothered And knowing the folly of this designe sent them word that he would liue in peace and that at the end of the course whereinto they were entred there was an ineuitable downefall c of rash designes we may easily foretell theâ— vnfortunate euents and hopes whcih haue vniust foundations cannot long continue That they should doe wisely to returne into the way which they had left for that they more they went into this the more they should wander that of all the miseries that would fall abundantly vpon them they should not be d He that is the cause of his owne misery hath small reason to complaine and few men pitty him lamented of any for that they were knowne to bee the causers That although there were some disorder in the state yet could it not be so great as that which should grow by this diuision and France should be little beholding for her help to those which had made her so sicke to cure her e It is a desperatee cure when as healtâ— must be beholding to siicknes and peace to Ciuil warre for that neither the disordred gouernement of affayres nor the vaiust commandement of the Prince would not cause so many ruines and inconueniences as disobedience and rebellion f Ruines and miseries grow not by them that command but by such as obey Obedience hath made Estates to prosper and florish vnder vniust and tiâ—ranous commâ—n â—ementâ— The common weale of Spaâ—ta was happy not for that their Kings commanded wel but for that this subiects obeyed well Theopompus That for his part he could not seperate himselfe from the King his Lord without forsaking himselfe That his armes and forces were alwaies at the Dauphins commandement so as his designes were not disauowed and that he would more willingly employ himselfe to bring him to his fathers presence then to withdraw him The Princes of this league were very sorrie for this declaration For they considered that if they could haue kindled a hatred betwixt these two houses they would haue beene more violent and yet they made this yong Prince beleeue by reasons fuller of oftentations then truth Letters of Lewis to the good Townes that all would doe well They dissembled the g In enterprises of 〈…〉 â—onsiâ—er the ground and iustice of the cause rather 〈◊〉 the issuâ— and successe The Romans had this glory neuer to enter into it wrongfully They did not so mucâ— glory saith Titus Liuius in the prosperous successe as to hauâ— beguâ— it vppon a reasonabâ—e and lawfull occasion Iniustice of this warre and flatter him with sweet hopes of the euent They write letters in his name to the townes of Auuergne and other prouinces whereas they thought these designes would be well liked of and this Innouation pleasing But they were reeeiued of the wise with more amazement for this defection then desired to adhere vnto them and although there be no cause so bad but it findes some refuge and some one to fauour it and that which is held a crime h All the actions of men are taken by two ends some commend them others blame them Coesar is commended for that he attemptâ—d against the liberty of Rome Brutus iâ— blamed who opposed himself to his deseignes to reuenge his contries libertâ—es Some blame Cateline for that hee would haue done and others commend Caesar for that hee did in some is commended by others as a publique seruice yet all the townes did abhor this rebellion They held it impossible that such a diuision could prosper and that France would bee made a Theatre of a new Tragedie that the reasons whereof they did ground it were like vnto false stones which haue some transparant shining like
of the Dauphins wife Death of Margaret Stuard and his heauines was so apparent as the whole Court did participate thereof But there was more then teares to witnesse that hee loued this Princesse and that the remembrance of her should not end with weeping k Affection is not tryed by teares onely To ceace to weepe is not to forget the remembrance is too short which lasteth no longer them teares for he receiued the Princesses of Scotland her Sisters with all kindes of honor whom she had greatly desired to see They came at the time of her Funerals and finding themselues as it were vnknowne in a country whereas that which should make them to be knowne and respected was wanting they dyed for griefe All consolations made their greefes comfortles l We must giue time and ayre to sorrow to euaporate it In those which are extremâ— it is a part of the griefe to heare of consolations and made them desire that the Queene their sister being in the bosome of the earth had them vpon hers But the King to witnes that the affection which he bare vnto their Sister was not dead made them to feele the effects He married the one to Francis Duke of Brittaine and the other to Sigismond Archduke of Austria m Iohn Duke of Brittanie sent Ambassadors into Scotland to treat the marriage of his Sonne with Isabel daughter to the King of Scotland at whose returne he enquired what the Princesse was Who made report That shee had beautie sufficient a bodie well disposed to beare children but shee had no ready speech To whom he answered That she was as he demanded and that he held a woman learned enough if she could make a difference betwixt her husbands doublet and shirt Annal. of Aquitaine It is impossible to finde truth in an enemies tongue The iudgement of two Historians of England Hony how sweet soeuer it be is sharpe and offensiue to a mouth vlcered with passion and slander Edward Hall and Grafton two writers of England seeing that their imposture would take no hold vpon the manners and actions of this Princesse haue indiscreetly written that she was vnpleasing to her husband n Buchanan in the tenth booke of the Historie of Scotland saith that two Historians of England hauing as little sufficiencie as modestie haue beene so Impudent as not finding any thing wherewith to slander this Princes haue said Ob oris graueolentiam marito fuisse ingratam But there are records yet to be seene both in France and Scotland of the griefe which Charles the seuenth and the Dauphin his Sonne had for her death and Monstrelet speakes as of a Princesse who excelled in beautie both of minde and bodie She fauoured the good wits of her age Alain Charretier was held at that time one of the first of the Court and this Princes did esteeme him so rare as shee honoured him with a singular fauour for passing by a Chamber whereas he slept vpon a forme she kist him and to satisfie the amazement of the Ladyes of her traine she added I kisse not the man I kisse the mouth from whence haue come so many goodly Discourses Yet it was one of those mouthes which haue learned to talke and not to bee silent o There is no such itching of the spirit as a desire to write It is not cured but by silence Eusenius demanded of Apolonius Thianeus why hee did not settle himselfe to write for that said hee I haue not yet learned to hold my peace This warlike and Marshall season was debarred both of learning and learned men For whereas warre speakes learning is silent The Prouinces troubled by armes neither teach nor are taught and the money which should serue for the stipend of publicke Readers is imployed for the musters of souldiers p The Emperor Leon made an answere to one that counselled him to imploy his treasure in the entertainement of souldiers vtinaÌ„ meis temporibus eueniat stipendia militum in doctores artium absumi I would it might happen in my time that the stipends of souldiers might bee imployed vpon Doctors of Arts. The yeares of Truce being expired The warre renues the warre was renued with all violence against the English The Historie speakes nothing of the actions of Lewis vntill his retreat into Dauphine neither are the causes thereof well exprest Shee hath well obserued his discontents His Father held him somewhat short and his actions were not so temperate The wretched life of a great King but they gaue him some cause of suspition that he had a desire to be master q The opinions of children should be limitted in that sort as it is not lawfull for them once to thinke to aduance the time they must suffer heauen the order of nature to work The King being come to an end of his affayres would recompence the troublesome nights which hee had past r A troubled youth requires a quiet age he that hath liued in the waues desires to dye in the Port. when as melancholly had dryed vp his bones that all his demeanes were engaged the chiefe forts of the Realme in the power of the English that his table often fayled and that hee liued in such frugalitie as hee had no need of excellent Cookes such as those of the Romans were 1446 for they found him not with three or foure Dishes like vnto Charlemaine but with a messe of Pottage made with a rumpe of Mutton and a couple of Chickens rosted for his whole seruice s The sobrietie of Charlemaine hath beene commended he had but foure dishes hee dranke but thrice and neuer betwixt meales he did eate some fruits after dinner Eghinard The great toyles which hee had past deserued some good daies but he sought them not in his family nor in his children t Rest after their trauels is iust and lawfull but it is most sweet in his owne house And therefore Hercules was represented playing with a little Child The familie hath consâ—iations Bella planè accinctis obeunda sed reuertentibus post laborem quid honestius quam vxorium leuamentum TAC. His spirit plunged it selfe in delights He giues himselfe to delights and to Ladies for the which like vnto another Iupiter he transformed himselfe into diuers shapes vnworthy of his Maiestie and although he was impatient of seruitude as all Kings be yet he vowed himselfe to the seruice of Ladies which followed the Queeene Aboue all their appeared the fayre Agnes beautifull in the flower of her age and as louely as worthily to bee beloued u The Obiect of Loue is Beauty and Beautie is the marke of many desires It is for blind men to demaund why Kings loue fayre things She stole the Kings heart who made her Mistris of the Castle of beautie as she was Queene of all the beauties but beauty was in her a bad Hostes in a goodly lodging The Historie which
owne head and that he had no other Law then his will desired her a longer life for her presence had been a causey to stop these torrents m The great name of mother well bred and of vnderstanding is a great restraint vnto a Prince Tacitus saith that after that Nero had lost his mother he fell to all dissolutions and excesse Quaâ— malâ— coâ—rcit as qualiscunque matris reuerentia tardauerat Seâ—anus did aâ—so keep Tiberius in awe and the same author saith that hee gaue himselfe to wicked and vnseemely things postquam remoto pudore et metu suo tantum ingenio vtebatur when as hauing banished shame and feare hee followed his own wit It falls out ill with a Prince who sees nothing betwixt God and himselfe whereof the respect should restraine him and be a bridle vnto him She had endured much before her death The Chronicle of Lewis the eleuenth commends her patience vnder her husbands raigne and humors but she could not dissemble the discontent which she receiued at the pleasure of her Augustus n They demanded of Liuia Augustus wife how shee had done to win and enioy Augustus To whom she answered in doing willingly whatsoeuer pleased him dissembling the plesures which he tooke in secret Dion As a good constitution of the body doth easily endure both heat and cold so the force and vigour of the mind doth without any great paine resist these crosses and discontents which are thornes amidst the roses of marriage This passion seazing vppon a weake spirit and without defence transports it to dislikes and extreame hatred About the end of the yeare he went to Tours the Earle of Charolois after his returne from pilgrimage came thither to him where after they had spent some daies in the pleasure of hunting he had the Commission of Lieftenant Generall in Normandy with 36000. Crownes for his entertainement This guift was without asking The benefits of Princes are sweeter offred then granted He had but one third part paid which defect made him to faile in his affection and transported him to other thoughts o Men are more discontented to see themselues frustrated of thinges promised then of those which are but hoped for In the one there is but misâ—ap and they complaine only of fortune In the other contempt and they challenge him that hath broken his promise Hee went to Rouen to take possession of his gouernment It was at Tours that he began to frame his intelligences with the Duke of Brittanny These two Princes were yong both discontented and they which know one another salute a farre off The Earle of Charolois did conferre secretly with Romille Vicechancellor and Ambassador of Brittany to whom he gaue the seale of alliance wherewith hee shall be soone reprocht Lewis entered into France a friend to all his neighbours There was not any but Pope Pius 2 p Pius 2. called a Councile at Mantoâ—a in the yeare 1459. to consult of the meanes to resist Mohomet 2. who had made great ruines in Hungary Albania Constantinople who let him know that he could not be so Pius 2. presseth the abolition of the Pragmatike Sanction if the pragmatike Sanction were obserued To vnderstand how France hath lost that which she had preserued so deerely we must take the discourse somwhat higher The Pope had called an q Eugenius the 4. in the yeare 1443. gaue the Inuestitiure of the Realme of Naples to Alphonso King of Aragon with the two Sicities Bartho Flaccius in the life of Alphonse the 5. Pins 2. gaue the inuestiture of the Crowne of Naples to Ferdinand bastard to Alphonso King of Arragon Alexander 6. confirmed it to Alphonso 2. who left it to Ferdinand of Aragon and he held it when as Charles the eight conquered the Realme an assembly of Princes at Mantoua to consult of the meanes to make warre against the Turke land to preuent the great deseignes which hee had against Christendome King Charles the seauenth sent his Ambassadors thither Prelates Knightes and Doctors to let them vnderstand his intentions for the generall good of the Church They made a priuate request vnto the Pope that if hee would be pleased to giue the inuestiture of the Realmes of Naples and Sicile to King Rene who had beene wrongfully dispossest against the hereditary rightes of the house of Aniou the which the King desired the more earnestly for that besides the affection of blood which bound him to loue his kinsman and brother in Law he saw that the generall cause of Christendome would bee much fortefied against the common enemy for the Duke of Calabria the sonne of Renne entring into the inheritance of his predecessors propounded to aduance his armes and to expell the Ottomans out of the Empire of Constantinople when as they thought that the Christian Religion was at her period and could go no farther r Albunasat said that the Christian Relligion should last vnto the yeare 1460. Abraham the Iewe said that in the yeare 1464. the Iewish religion should bee in her glory liberity when as it was most afflicted An enterprise whereof they had great hope as well for the generosity of this Princes courage as for that he was in an age fit and capable of such actions whereby the holy Sea might reape great profit the possessions depending of his patrimony being by this meanesrestored vnto him The Pope vpon this proposition s This Act was imparted vnto mee by Gaspar Dauvet Siegneur of Marets Stuard of the kings house The chiefe clauses are reported here in the margent Post quaÌ„ plurimade laudibus Francorum S. D. N. praeclare dixerat adiecit etiam loqui in fanorem partis aduersae antedicti D. Regis Rentai de graÌ„di exaltatione ille gitime natorum aliqua in ijs interserendo quae potius tacenda fuisse videntur hauing made a long discourse in commendation of the French The Popes affection to the house of Arragon hee added many things touching bastards fauoring couertly those which vsurped the rights of the house of Aniou and then falling vpon the decrees of the councile of Basill and of the Pragimatike sanction he said that it was a spot which did blemish the beauty of the face of France and vnder pretext whereof the Authority of the Apostolik Sea was disgrac'd the forces of Christian Relligion were weakened the vnity and liberty of the Church violated and troden downe and therefore hee was forced to speake Popes threat against France least his silence should bee reputed a conniuence or carelesnesse and that the wound which might bee cured grew not incurable and hee should be forced to abstaine from all intelligence and communication with the French alledging this passage of Scripture t Alledging that it is written in the old law Surper omnem animaÌ„ quae mortua est non ingredietur Pontifex The high Priest shall not see a dead soule and shall not bee whereas there
literae expeditae per Praelatos personas Ecclesiasticas dictiregni receptae non fuerunt nec ipsi Praelati personae Ecclesiastâ—cae illis parere nec monitis Sixti Innocentii Iulii aures praebere sed eidem Pragmaticae constitutioni inhaerere voluerint The Buls of Sixtus the third Innocent the eight Alexander the sixt and Iulio the second were fruitlesse The Decre of the Councell of Lateran serued to no purpose and this Pragmatick Sanction ended not before the Concordants were past at Bolonia betwixt Pope Leo the tenth and king Francis the first They did iudge by the kings first actions 1461. what the manner of his gouernment would be The King discontents the Nobilitie and that he would beautifie the diuinations of his raigne with other trophies then of clemencie t Clemencie is the Ornament of the raigne of Kings they should begin with it Nouuâ— imperium occupantibus vtilis clementiae â—ama Tacit. lib. 4. Hist. Hee disappointed in a manner all the officers and seruants of king Charles his Father taking a great delight to vndoe that which hee had raised and to raise that which hee had puld downe He gaue Berry onely to his brother for his portion vpon condition that it should returne vnto the Crowne if he dyed without issue male u There was a time when as the Kings of France left vnto the Princes of their bloud the proprieties of their portions Philip of Valoiâ— left the Countie of Valois to Charles his younger brother Philip the Faire was the first that ordained by his Câ—dicill that the County of Poictou giuen by him with other lands to his yonger sonne Philip of France who afterwards was K. Philip the Long should returne to the crowne for waÌ„t of Heyres male vpon condition the King which should then raigne should marrie his Daughter Hee tooke the Seales from Iuuenall of Vrsins and gaue them to Peter of Moruilliers The Duke of Alençon was a prisoner in the Castle of Loches whom he set at libertie Hee caused the Earle of Dammartins processe to be made and after that the Court of Parliament had condemned him to dye hee gaue him his life vpon coÌ„dition that he should imploy the remainder in the I le of Rhodes for the seruice of Christendome and should put in caution but not able to find any hee had the Bastil for his prison from whence he escaped in the night by a hole which he had made in the wall at the same time when as the Duke of Berry passed into Brittanny Taneguy of Chastell x Taneguy of Coastel Nephew te him that â—lâ—w the Duke of Bourgunay was master of the horse to K. Charles the seuenth hee retired into Brittany where the Duke made him his high steward Chamberlaine being discontented for that he was not satisfied the money which he had aduanced for the funerals of Charles the seuenth retired himselfe to Francis Duke of Brittany This Prince had succeeded to Arthur of Brittany Earle of Richmond his Vncle Francis the second Du of Brittany and was well informed of the humor and designes of Lewis and therefore in the beginning hee sent his seruants throughout the Realme disguised in the habites of Iacobins and Franciscans to moue the people to looke vnto the beginning of this Raigne and to coniure them to defend their libertie with tooth and nayle y The Embassadors of Sparta beeing sent to Xerxes said vnto Gidarne who commended the felicity of such as serued the King If thou didst know Gidarne what libertie were thou wouldest counsell vs to defend it not with the launce and target onely but with our teeth and nayles aduising them that this King entered into the Realme as into a countrey of Conquest that he held all that pleased him to be lawfull That he forced great men not to obey but to serue The people not to bee gouerned but tiranized and to prepare themselues to liue in such sort as they might say they had not any thing Being aduertised of the Duke of Brittaines practises The Kings voyage into Brittany he went to see him vnder coulour to visit the Church of S. Sauiour of Redon Deuotion was the pretext and a desire to know the Dukes country and forces the cause of this Pilgrimage z It is a great aduantage to know the forces of an estate which one meanes to assaile and to measure them with his It was the aduise of Xenophon Chabrias said that theron consists a part of the Generals dutie He was not resolued to leaue him in peace He knew well that three or foure yeares before hee had sought to make himselfe a companion to King Charles the seuenth hauing refused to doe him homage vpon his knee and without his sword for the Dutchie of Brittanie a In the homage which Francis the second Duke of Brittany did vnto King Charles the seuenth at Moâ—bason in February 1458. Iohn of Estoteuille said vnto him My Lord of Brittanie you should put off your girdle And Chauuâ—n Chancellor of Brittany answered He ought not It were an innouation he is as he should be hee had also discouered that hee and the Earle of Charolois had giuen their faith to runne the selfe same fortune although that the remembrance of the Death of the Duke of Orleans his grandfather by the mothers side had beene able to disswade him from the house of Bourgundy and that it had beene better for him to ioyne with his Cozens the Dukes of Orleans and Angolesme and to continue his designe vpon the Duchie of Milan to recouer his grandmothers inheritance whereof Francis Sforce had ceazed b Francis Duke of Brittanie sonne to Richard of Brittanie and Margaret of Orleans Daughter to Lewis D. of Orleans and Valantyn of Milan had vndertaken to make warre against Francis Sforce Anâ—al of Brittanie The Venetians and Borso of Este Duke of Ferrara gaue eare to the propositions which they made giuing hope to assist the rights of the house of Orleans These first years of the Raigne of Lewis were very sharpe and those which followed altogether insupportable Great men were depriued of their Dignities Rigor in the beginning of Lewis raigne and the meaner opprest with great charges There was couetousnes for men of merite and prodigalitie for the rest c It is good aâ—ter a prodigall Prince to haue one that is couâ—tous who may restraine those excessiue prâ—fusion he that findes not any thing to giue cannot be liberall He said he would gather money together to redeeme the townes vpon the Riuer of Some He had knowne what a crowne was worth and how many peeces would make one They that haue past by the indiscretions of necessitie proceed very discreetely in their expences If all the time that hee had beene banished from the Court he had no want of necessarie things so had he no great abundance superfluous His sparing was the lights which swelled by the leannesse
of all the other members The complaints of the Rigor d When as the people are opprest they dare not accuse the Princes rigor but cast their complaints vpoÌ„ that of the time of the time became murmurings against the seueritie of the Prince Euery one lamented the Raigne of Charles and desired rather the end then the continuance of that of Lewis Great men beganne to make it knowne that they could not liue long in that seruitude shewing themselues more sencible of the contempt e The nature of man is more sensible of contempt then of losse The Senators of Rome were more discontented for that Caesar entred into the Senate without saluting them then for the enterprise which hee made vpon their libertie which was done them then of the miseries which the meaner sort suffered yet they found no better pretext of their priuate interest then that of the publike The King did not attend the consent of the Realme to haue money hee tooke it without asking They were not tributes of Loue f Princes finde pleasing names for things which are bittâ—r and hard Edward the fourth in posed vpoÌ„ the Realme of England a tribute which hee called a Bâ—â—euolenâ—â— Euerie one did contribute as hee pleased and according to his gifts they did iudge of his Loue to the King He that gaue much loued much Edward made vse of this tribute against the French found great succors Polid. lib. 24. 26. but of Rigour and constraint thinking that France was a meadow which he might mowe at all seasons A great sedition troubled the citie of Rheimes against those which had raised customes The Commissaries were slaine and their Commissions cast into the fire The King sent Souldiers disguised like Marchants and labourers who entring by diuers ports ioined with the Lord of Mouy their commander who caused a hundreth of the most seditious to bee hanged suppressed the sedition g The most frequent and knowne causes of sedition and mutenâ— grâ—w from new charges and excessiue impositions reuenged the Kings seruice and setled his authoritie there the which had not beene impugned but for the naturall impatiencie of the people to endure that whereunto they were not accustomed All France was quiet Combustions in England and beheld as from the shore the tempests which were in England and Arragon The King was glad to entertaine the warre farre from him and to assist the house of Lancaster in England and the house of Arragon in Spaine whiles that the clouds and windes prepared to draw the storme vpon his owne head England for the diuision of the houses of Yorke Lancaster saw at that time such terrible changes and accidents as it is a wonder the Realme did not passe vnder some forraine command and that they did not cry quittance with him seeing there is no surer meanes to ruine an estate then ciuill discord h Ciuill Diuisions transport and change estates Spaine vnder the raigne of fourescore and twelue Kings hath beene torne in as many peeces as it hath had Realmes France hath changed thrice England hath been commanded by the English Danes Saxons and in the end by the Normans The Empire hath been past from the East vnto the West Naples hath been vnder the power of the French Germans Arragâ—nois and since of Castitians But France had yet so many bad humors in her body as her disposition was more dying then liuing When as the English ceast to afflict her they began to quarrell and to ruine one another The end of forraine warres was the spring and renewing of ciuil Henry of Lancaster sonne to Henry the fift found himselfe without a crowne notwithstanding that in his infancie he had been crowned with that of France and England Richard Duke of Yorke an Ambitious Prince and who had both credit courage i Good things and which are commendable of themselues applied to il are perâ—itions Sepius industria acvigilancia noxiae quoties parando Regno fingatur Tac. lib. An. lib. â— industrie and vigilancie qualities to bee suspected in an Ambitious spirit became head of a great faction the intentions whereof he couloured with the onely zeale of the publicke good to change the bad gouernement of the Realme to deliuer England from the insolencie of the Duke of Somerset who alone gouerned the helme of the affaires whilest that the King suffered his spirits to be transported not to delights and voluptuousnes but to carelesnes k An idle Prince is a waies contemned Three things saith Zeâ—ophon make him excell ouer his subiects 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His carelesse life incensed his subiects hearts and his idlenes distasted all men of his raigne The estate was like vnto a sicke body which is so prest with his infirmitie as he is forced to trust him that comes to let him bloud and cannot attend the Phisitions which are farre off l In violent diseases wee may not attend far fetcht remedies although they answere him that they will come and cure him Such as were discontented with the present Conspiracy against King Henry the sixt and desired to see some change applyed them-selues to the Duke of Yorks desseigns and intentions and among others Richard Neuell Earle of Salisbury and Richard Neuill Earle of Warwick his brother who had wisdome and courrage rare parties for a great desseigne and therewith such great credit among the people as it was thought that not any one in England durst doe that which these would vndertake The Duke of Yorke hauing cast his bell made the sound thereof to be generally heard hee strake such a terror into the Court and made the wicked so audacious as the King who had neuer tasted of Domesticke troubles his spirit beeing like vnto a ship m Courages tried in dangers are to bee commended A ship is neuer esteemed which hath neuer felt of a storme which had neuer sailed but in a calme was amazed and confounded and not holding himselfe safe in the Citie of London by reason of the inconstancie of the people and the great credit which this faction had gotten resolued to leaue it The Duke of Yorke besieged S t. Albons n The battell of S t. Albons began early in the morning and continued vntil 9. of the clock in the yere 1556 Edmund D. of Sommerset and Henry Earle of NorthumberlaÌ„d were slaine the two armies meet Henry the sixt defeated and the Kings is put to rout with the losse of their chiefe commanders Hee lamented greatly for the Death of the Duke of Sommerset After this victorie the Duke of Yorke who had made declaration thâ—t hee had no other intention then the publicke good of the Realme and that his armes were not to offend the Prince accompanies King Henry to London as a Conqueror and freed from the Rule of the Duke of Sommerset which shewes that he had not taken armes but to free the King and the Realme who was ready
which belonged vnto him The Parlament did then consider the iustice not the fortune and respected the Maiesty of the King though hee were a prisoner intreating the King to rest satisfyed with the Regency of the Realm and to assure the succession to his house after the death of Henry He accepted the declaration of the Parlament but considering that Queene Margaret had a great Army on foot to set her husband at liberty Battell at Wakefield he resolued to fight with her He gaue her battell at Wakefield against the aduise of his Councell who intreated him to stay vntill the troupes which his sonne Edward Earle of March brought him were arriued Presumption troubleth his spirits with a motion contrary to that of Reason which should haue diswaded him from fighting y The violence of courage is dangerous vppon the point of a battell for it darkens the clearenes of Iudgement doth easily change it to the trouble of reason and to that perturbation which the Philosoph call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— Some haue written that the Queene caused the head of the Duke of York to bee cut off carrying a Crowne of paper others say it was the Lord Cliffords deed for their forces were not equall although in the courage of the Commanders there was no other difference but that of sexe No no it shall not be said that the Duke of York who had so often fought in France without any other trench or defence then his owne armes is shut vp that he attends a woman and doth not go forth to fight with her He spake this and went forth with 5000. men and met her The Combate in the beginning was terrible and furious The Queen cuts off the Earle of Salisburies head The Queene shewed her selfe among the troupes exhorting the Souldiers to honour glory Richard Duke of York was slaine Richard Earle of Salisbury whose head soon after the Commons who hated him cut off the which with many others of the same faction was set vpon the walles of York to bee a terror and an example to other Rebells After this victory the Queene whose courage was eleuated vppon the apprehension of all sorts of dangers 2. Battell at St. Albons and who held them lesse then the captiuity of her husband resolues to loose her life or to restore him to liberty She goes directly to London and comming to S. Albons she encounters the Earle of Warwick who aduanced to succour his generall with the same courage that she had defeated the Duke of Yorke shee chargeth the Earle of Warwick puts him to rout and frees the King a The excellency of courage shewes it selfe when as the soule is carried beyond all showes and apprehensions of dangers fortitudo contemptrix est timendorum Senec. Epi. 89. Edward Earle of March being aduertised of the death of the Duke of York his father refused not to tread in his steppes and to imbrace the toile Edward Earle of March succeeds the Duke of York his father in his authority from whence he expected his greatnes and glory He staid in the Prouince of Wales and expelled Iasper Earle of Pembrooke The Earle of Warwick ioyned with him and with all their forces he came to London where he was receiued with incredible ioy and acclamations He was one of the goodliest Princes of his time and in great reputation his bounty courage and liberality were powerfull charmes to winne mens hearts the English thinking that hauing him they had all and that their felicity was tyed to the long continuance of his Raigne b A Prince can desire no greater proofes of the affection of his people then when hee beleeues that nothing can saile him so as hee faile not them From thence are come these goodly acclamations Augusto Constantine Dâ—te nobis seruent vestra salus nostra salus â—od Theod lib. 7. tit 20. In te omnia per te omnia Antonine habemus A El. Lamprid Dion reports an excellent one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we haue all in hauing you He is proclaimed King and for that hee would haue no companion in his royalty hee resolues to fight with King Henry and marched directly to York lodging in a little village called Touton Henry being prepared to receiue him would not shew himselfe for that it was Palme sunday desiring to spend that day in the seruice of God but the souldiers seeing themselues so neere would not referre the partie vntill the next day They come to hands the combat continued tenne howers and the victory hauing beene long doubtfull and in ballance betwixt both Armies sodainely inclined to Edward The King and Queene seeing all their troopes put to flight they saued themselues in Scotland with their seruants c The Regent of Scotland led K. Iames the third to meet with King Henry the 6. and Q. Margaret The good reception with the succor which he receiued caused him to restore Barwick to the Realm of Scotland and from thence Margaret passed into France to her father to demand succors Henry the 6. flies into Scotland Edward returned triumphing to London and caused himselfe to be crowned King at Westminster the 28. of Iune 1461. he called a Parlement where all that had bene decreed by King Henry the sixt was reuoked After that Henry had gathered together some forces in Scotland he returnes into England being followed by a great number of his ould seruants The Iustice of his cause gaue him good hope d Hee that hath reason on his side is alwaies accompanied with good hope hee pursues his quarrell with more courage and assurance be exposeth himselfe to all dangers and his subiects serue and succour him more willingly and in all accidents the iustice of his cause doth comfort him but he was repulsed with great dishonor by Iohn Marques of Mountague King Edward beeing aduertised of the practises of Margaret both in France Scotland and England to restore her husband to his crowne he sets guards vpon the Ports and passages of Scotland to stop her entrie but as there is no miserie more insupportable then the remembrance of what we haue been King Henry bare this change of condition so impatiently as not apprehending the danger neither of his life nor of his first captiuitie and not considering that fortune had neuer done him so much good but might doe him more harme e Miseries doe but begin when as they seeme to end There is not any man but may haue more harme then hee hath had good Neminem eo Fortuna pronexit vt non tantum illi minaretur quantum permiserat Sen. Epi. 4. he returned into England in a disguised habite where hee was discouered taken and presented to Edward Hen. the sixt put into the Tower of London who lodged him in the Tower of London If he had thought that he had gone forth as hee did to get the crowne hee would haue giuen him one of copper made fast
night through the streetes of Barcellona complaining that the Queene his mother in law had separated it from his bodie by the violence of poison The Queene who was come to Girona saw her selfe besieged with Prince Ferdinand her Sonne and the Tower wherein she was retyred furiously battered The king seeing this great reuolt of his subiects entreates Lewis the eleuenth to succour him with men and money hee ingageth the Counties of Rousillion and Sardaigne vnto him for three hundred thousand crownes King of Nauarre demaunds succors froÌ„ the French King The king sent vnto him Gaston Earle of Foix Prince of Berne z Gaston Earl of Foâ—x married the second Daughter of Iohn King of Nauarre and of Queen Blanch his first wife and sonne in law to the king of Nauarre who freed the Queene and raised the siege of Gironna The Cattellanes nothing tractable to endure the humors of their Prince made a proclamation against the king declaring him falne from all the authoritie which he might haue ouer them and a murtherer of his owne sonne and violating the lawes of the country a They of Cattellonia declaâ—ed the K. an enemy vnto the countrey by diuers informations proceedings against his actions and the murther of his son the which they sent to Pope Pius the second They sent to Henry King of Castile to embrace their defence and protection submitting themselues vnder his obedience and offering him the crowne of Arragon beseeching him to adde vnto the iust title which their election gaue him vnto the Realme the right of Armes they alone doe purchase Empires b There are fiue kindes of Titles to Realmes the first by Armes so Cyrus Alexander anâ— Caesar made themselues Monarches secondly by the grace of God and in this manner raigned Moses Dauid thirdly by succession fourthly by election and the fist by the nomination of the Prince Marc. Anthony named Lucius Verus for his successor Dioclesian Maximinian and Gratian Theodosius and being gotten defend and preserue them He gaue them for succors two thousand and fiue hundred horse vnder the command of Iohn of Beaumont Prior of S t. Iohn of Nauarre The K. of Castill aides the Cattellans when the French and the Castillians met neere vnto Ixar they would not fight c No man can dispose as hee pleaseth of Auxiliary troupes they haue respects coÌ„trary to the designe of such as imploy them and the French intreated the king of Nauarre to take it in good part if they sought rather to end then entertaine their quarrels The Earle of Foix who was brother in law to the king of Castill and sonne in law to the king of Nauarre disposed the two Princes to referre themselues to the iudgement of the French king They yeelded sending their embassadors to Baiona where the French king was an honor pleasing to the humor of Lewis who would be interessed in all things and very deere to the reputation of France which was in possession not onely to iudge of the controuersies of forraine crownes but also to giue kings vnto those which had not any d The realmes of Christendome haue taken Princes out of the house of France to raign ouer them Alphonso son to the Earle of Tollousaraigned in Spaine the house of Eureux in Nauarre the Dukes of Normandy in England they of Aniou at Naples and Sicilie The Empire of Constantinople was held three yeres by the French They haue raigned a hundred yeares in Sora Cipres Palestina Charlemain Lewis the gentle haue added vnto the Empire of the Gaules all Italy Bohemia Hungarie and Germany In a word the seat of Popes haue beene in France The king of Nauarre went not from Saragossa Lewis the French K. made arbitrator betwixt the Kings of Castill and Arragon nor king Henry from S t. Sebastians in the prouince of Guipuscoa relying vppon that which their Embassadors treated The king hauing conferred of the controuersie betwixt them and of the causes which had moued the Cattellans to reuolt did iudge in such sort as to reconcile the parties it was necessarie they should meete and speake together vpon the frontier The enterview was at Endaia whereas the sentence giuen at Bayona was read by Aluaro Gomes The Cattellans were not content with this Iudgement saying that as the king of Castille had abandoned them so his Embassadors had betrayed them The king of Nauarre being offended for that hee was condemned to yeeld the towne of Estella to the king of Castille Enteruiew of the Kings of France and Castill to the preiudice of the reuenues of the crowne of Nauarre made the estates of Nauarre protest of nullity King Lewis reaped the greatest profit of this action for he practised and drew vnto his seruice some Ministers of these two kings and made them his pensioners e The King of Castille suffered himselfe to be gouerned by the great master of Castille and the Archbishop of Tolledo King Lewis made much of them to be informed of the state of Castille or at the least to drew them to his deuotion It is the least a Prince can attend of one that comes to see him This assembly did not confirme the affections which the crownes of France Castill had had together f The friendship and alliance betwixt the French and the Castâ—llans haue continued long Vpon which assurance K. Charles the sixt sent his Embassadors to Iohn King of Castill in the yeare 1418. to 〈◊〉 succors against the English The Castillians who could not lodge at Bayona with the French without quarrelling did not forbe are to scoffe at them at this enteruiew vpon the Riuer of Vidasa g The riuer of Vidâ—so diâ—ides the two realmes the Spaniards hold it is all theirs The King of Castill past the Riuer and came vnto the king The Castillians seeing him attired in cloth and very short with a hat differing from the rest and for a Iewell an image of lead imputed it to miserablenes h Apparell doth often minister cause of laughter The Siciliens did not esteeme of Gilippus their generall seeing him simply apparelled in a poore cloake wearing long bayre yet Syâ—â—â—â—s saith that the ancient Kings were knowne and distinguished rather by the minde then the pompe and 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syn Orat 〈◊〉 regno There are Nations whereas they contemne the Prince if hee bee not so gorgeously attired as if he should show himselfe vpon a theater It is impossible to abstaine from laughter looking vpon the portraites of the Emperors of Greece which are so couered with Pearle and precious stones as they can not bee knowne but by their beards The French finding also the habites of the Castillians vnpleasing their king very hard fauoured and their manners insolent and full of African pride Of all this there could grow no great Alliance for such enteruiewes are alwaies noted more by the alienation of mindes then by alliances of estates
embroydered He is receiued with great pomp into Tournay as a signe that their heartes were all French This Towne bragging that they had neuer knowne any other command then French There the Lord of Crouy came vnto the King who made him Lord Steward of his howse and gaue him the County of Guisnes In the beginning of Lent and at the end of the yeare whose beginning was then accompted from the resurrection the King went to Lisle whether the Duke of Bourgondy came to conferre with him of his voyage to the holy land Crâ—ysado published against the Turke Pope Pius the second continuing the designes of Calixtus the third had published a Croysado to releiue the Christians of the East t Calixtus the 3. perswaded all Christian Princes to make warre against the Turke he sent Lewis of 〈◊〉 a â—rier to Vsâ—m Casâ—an King of Persia and Armenia and to the great Tartarâ— hee exhorteth them with such vehemency as they were resolued Platin. Hee inuited all the Princes who imbraced his designe with such resolution as Mahomet was terrified with the great preparation u The deuise of this Câ—oysado carâ—ied these words Dieu la veut God will haue it Mahomet was so amased as writing to Pius the second he said I am not guilty of the death of Iesus Christ do abhorre the Iewes who crucified him The Pope declared that he would go thither in person Croysado published against the Turke But great Cosmo de Medicis said that it was the designe of a yong man in a great age The Kinges of Naples and Hungary were resolued to accompany him The Duke of Bourgondy promised also to be of that party and demanded aduise and leaue of the King who represented vnto him the discommodities both of his age and voyage finding him much broken to beginne such a building x The age must be considered in great and lâ—ng enterprises Marcus Crasâ—us found King Deiotarus in the Realme of Galacia who being very old built a new Citty who said vnto him in mockage O King mee thinkes you build very late beginning at the last hower of the day To whom the K. answered sodainely And you O Captaine came not forth very early to make warre against the Parâ—hians Foâ— Crassus was aboue 60. yeareâ— old But the Duke carried his courage beyond all these difficulties The king propounded so many vnto him as hee diswaded him for a yeare assuring him that after that yeare hee would giue him 10000. men entertained for foure monthes to accompany him The Duke of Bourgondy for that hee would not giue the Pope any subiect of discontent sent Anthony his Bastard thither with 2000. men The king left the Duke of Bourgondy at Lisle and returned to Paris Duke of Sauoy comes into France He found Lewis Duke of Sauoy the Queenes father at S t. Clou who was come to see him and to complaine of Phillip his yonger sonne who for that he had a more generous and actiue spirit then the elder had wonne the heartes of the chiefe of the Noblemen of Sauoy and of his Subiects y The Duke of Sauoy was a simple and a mild Prince Amy Prince of Piemont his eldest sonne was of the same humâ—r and had great inclinations to solitariâ—â—s Phillip his yonger Brother giuing greater impressions of his generosity and courage was followed by all the great men of the Country vppon this complaint the king commands Prâ—â—ce Phillip to repaire vnto him z Lewis Duke of Sauoy dyed at Lyon the 24. of Ianuary 1466 his heart and bowels were interred in the Celestins Church which he had caused to be built His body was carried to Geneua and laid by Ame of Lusignan his wife and he comes with speed beeing arriued hee was sent prisoner to Loches The Duke being well satisfied to see his sonne lodged whereas hee repented him of his ambitious and extrauagant humors returned into Sauoy and two yeares after dyed at Lion whereas hee attended the king who was at Molyns Amy his sonne succeeded him The king being at Paris made it presently knowne that he was not to indure that which the necessity of time had caused his forefathers to suffer to the preiudice of the rights of the Crowne and hauing prepared his designes he made choyce of the occasion to execute them a To haue a will to doe and disposition to know how to doe and yet to attend the occasion of well doing it the act of a Prince of great patience and wisdome he sent Moruillierre his Chancellor to the Duke of Brittaine to let him vnderstand that if he called himselfe any more Duke of Brittaine by the grace of God if hee continued to coine any gold b The Duke of Brittaine as a souâ—raigne Prince had right to coyne â—â—â—uer but that of gold was reserued by treaty to the Crowne of France the great whereof should bee expresâ— Charles the fift gaue it to the Duke of Berry who did coyne peeces of gold stampâ— with a sheepe which Bodin affâ—rmes to be the finest gold that euer was since within this Realme or if he hindred him from leuying of taxes and from the collation of Benefices in his country he proclaimed warre against him The Duke being amazed at this demaund answered that it was so great and of such importance as hee could make no answer without the aduise of his estates intreating the King to giue him three monthes respite to assemble them But this was to plead law to men that were armed c PoÌ„pey being in Sicile pressing the Mammartines to acknowledge his authoritie they sought to auoid it pretending that they had priuiledges and ancient Decrees from the people of Rome to whom Pompey answered in Choller will you plead law vnto vs who haue our swords by our sides Plut. The King had an Army vppon the frontier The Duke was prest and surprised yet resolute rather to loose himselfe then to quit that which his fathers had purchased for him wherefore he thought to make answer vnto the Kings intentions by armes rather then by wordes He aduertised the Duke of Bourgondy of the estate of his affaires and coniurd him to thinke of their common safety seeing that the Kinges designe was to entreat them alike and to ruine them Romille Vice Chancellor of Brittanny made many voiages into Flanders vppon that subiect The King who had eyes and eares in euery place being aduertised thereof commanded the Bastard of Rubenpre d The King sent a sea Captaine and the bastard RubeÌ„pre with him into Holland he landed at the Hage with three others in his coÌ„pany Hee was examined what hee was and wheÌ„ce he came but hee made some difficultie to discouer his name and the cause of his coÌ„ming The Earl of Charolois being their caused him to be apprehended as a Pirate to passe with a ship along the Coast of Holland to surprise Rommille and to bring him vnto him or to
kill him The Earle of Charolois being at the Hage in Holland Rubempre staid at the Hage Rubenpre lands with three other disguised like a Marchant The Earle caused him to be stayed and gaue it out that he had attempted by the Kinges commandement to take him or to kill him At such time as the Duke was at Hedin with the King it was generally bruted and the king was blamed for this designe in open pulpit by the Preachers of the multitude who intermixt their discourses with matters wherewith they should not meddle e It is an insupportable abuse to make the word of God an instrument of seditioÌ„ to moue mens mindes to follow the passions and interests of the world beeing onely ordained to guide them in the waies of saluation Of such Doctors or rather busie bodies we may say with Laâ—â—tantius lib. 3. cap. 30. Facessant omnes isti qui vitam humanam nâ—n instruunt sed turbant Let all these be silent which rather trouble then instruct mans life Oliuer de la March the Dukes cheife steward hauing made many voiages vpon this occasion could not hold his peace but spake what he thought to the preiudice of the Kings honor The Duke vppon this aduertisement fearing to be staid parted secretly from Hedin without the kings leaue or priuity The King was offended at this iniury done vnto Rubenpre and at the repors which were diuulged vpon his voyage into Holland Complaints and discontents of the King It had been a timiditie both dishonorable dangerous to dissemble f In fearefull and induring humâ—rs contempt is infallible They feare not to wrong him who hath no care to reuenge it He sent Moruillier his Chanceller the Archbishop of Narbonne and the Earle of Eu to the Duke of Bourgundy to complaine of the detention of the Bastard of Rubenpre and for that he had suffered his Maiesties name and respect to bee wronged publikely and taxt That Oliuer de la March and a religious man had spoken il of him and that the Earle of Charolois had allied himselfe vnto the Duke of Brittany These were the complaints whereon their embassy was grounded Moruillier represented the Kings intentions with much bitternes and passion quallifying this intelligence of the Duke of Brittanie and the Earle of Charrolois with no milder name then crime and conspiracy adding that he could not conceiue why it had been made but for that the Earle of Charolois was discontented for that his pension was not paid him g The Earle of Charolois was much moued at that word which imputed his discontent to a matter due which the greatnes of his courage made him to contemne thinking that Moruillier would inferre thereby that hee could not liue without his pension The Earle of Charrolois thinking that his silence would preiudice himselfe and wrong his friends defence Impatience of the Earle of Charolois did still interrupt Moruilliers discourse The father who had bred him vp more to heare then to speake h staid his impatiencie to giue Moruillier leasure to discourse of the Kings complaints with the like heate as he had begunne them The Duke hauing heard him with patience answered coldly and wisely that the bastard of Rubempre being charged with crimes had giuen his sonne cause to doubt of his stay in Holland where hee had been taken a countrey which did not acknowledge any other Soueraigne then himselfe i laqueline Countesse of Henalt Holland was wife to two â—usbaÌ„ds the Du. â—oâ— Glocester brother to the D. of Bedford and the D. of Bâ—abant Being dâ—famed for her adulteries shee declared Philip Du â—f Burgundy heyre to her countries Henalt Holland and Zeland in the yeere 1426. The first cause of the bad intelligence which was betwixt the BurguÌ„dians and English and reconciled Philip and Charles the seuenth That Oliuer de la March was borne in the Franche County k Oliuer de la March was son to Philip de la March who serued the house of Bourgundy fifty yeares and is author of the obsâ—ruations which are published in his name and was not answerable before any Iudges of France That if he had erred against the Kings respect hee would cause him to bee punished And as for the preacher of Bruges he knew not what was become of him and that he was a man of that condition as his conscience would not suffer him to lay hold of him The Earle of Charolois did still interrupt Moruillier in his discourse who told him that hee was come to speake to the Duke his Father and not to him Whereupon the Earle entreated his father to suffer him to speake I haue answered said the Duke for thee as in mine opinon a father should answere for his sonne yet if thou hast so great a desire thinke of it to day and to morrow speake what thou wilt He would not haue his sonne carried away with those blind guides Choller and l Ia affaires of consequence especially when one that is more mighty is to bee satisfied nothing is to bee answered suddenly nor with choller They suffer troubled water to settle that it may bee cleare Choller precipitaâ—ion are enemies to Counsell Precipation Moruillier persisted in the bitternes of his discourse forgetting nothing that might be said to blemish and disgrace a Prince Hee shewed that the Bastard of Rubempre had been sent by the King to stay the Vice-chancellor of Brittanie returning out of England That hauing landed at the Hage in Holland the Earle of Charralois had been too suspitious The Duke answered that the Bastard of Rubempree had been found faulty As for his Sonne the Earle of Charolois if he were suspicious hee had it not from him but from his mother who was a very suspicious and distrustfull woman and yet notwithstanding if hee had been at the Hage at the passage of Rubempre he had done no lesse then his sonne m D. Isabella Infanta of Portugal daughter to the King Don Iohn was married to Philip Duke of Bourgundy in the yeare 1429. and was mother to Charles Moruillier coÌ„plained also that the D. went from Hedin without taking leaue of the King and against that which he had promised Ha said the Duke with some little perturbation and heate finding himselfe toucht with the breath of his word n Nothing can be reproched more sensible to a Prince then the breach of his word who should rather faile himselfe then his promises wherein he should be 〈◊〉 lesse iâ—dicious then constant I neuer promised any thing but what I haue kept And fearing that in speaking this they should finde that he was moued he added smiling that hee had neuer failed of his word but to Ladies that hauing promised the King not to goe from Hedin he had added this condition if there came no other newes That the discouerie of the Bastard of Rubempre and other important matters had caused him to goe to horse Hereunto Moruillier The
Prince should neuer be present to make his opinion g When as a Prince will doâ— any thing by Councell hee should not bee here for his presâ—nce hinâ—ders the liberty of their opinions especially when the question is of the death of any one accused Tiberius would not that Drusus his Sonne should giue his opinion first in Lepidus cause aâ—cused of treason So when Piso was commaÌ„ded to speak his opinion touching Granius Marcellus being accused to haue set his Statue higher then the Emperours He said directing his speech vnto the Emperor And you Sir in whatâ— rank will you giue your opinion for if you speak last I feare my opinion will be coÌ„trarie to yours Quo loco censebis Caesar si primus habebo quod sequar si post omnes vereor ne imprudens dissentiam knowne to the end it may not be followed as a Decree and that such as will contradict it may doe it freely The Marshall of Bourgundy and the Signior of Contay concluded to haue them put to death grounding their opinion vpon this reason that so strange a reuolt should bee extraordinarily reuenged that these Mutyns were vnworthy of the Princes Clemencie and that the bonds whereby they contained such wilde spirits in their duties must be taken in the terror of punishments h â—There are crimes as diseaeases which require violent and extraordinarie cures It is not good alwaies to vse to great mildnes in the peoples folly and madnes Dennis of Syracusa scorned at that shâ—me saying that the chaines of demands wherewith Estates were bound are the terror of punishments Armes and Armes The Innocencie of the Hostages found fauour in the opinions of the Earle of S t Paul and the Sig r of Imbercourt who detested this crueltie against the poore Bourgesses which had willingly sacrificed themselues for the publike perswaded the Duke to take God of his side this reason was sufficient and words were superfluous to oppose against it But in these occasions whereas all is disputable it is good that the Prince haue more then one or two of his Councell to the end that wandring opinions may bee set right by others for men are no Angels i There somtimes escape from the wisest absurd and iâ—considerate opinions and therefore the Councell of one â—lone is dangerous the which must consist of diuers heads For the spirits of men haue their seasons as wel as their bodies and the wisest man liuing is not alwaies wise without passion they bring them with them in all their Actions and sometimes hatred or enuie feare or hope the waywardnes and indisposition of the person are as it were the moulds and formes of Councels Besides there are many which doe not speake but after others The mildest and most iust opinion was followed and the Hostages sent back to Liege being aduised not to meddle in the contagion of the infidelitie of others and to tell them that if they abused their Princes clemencie they should feele his rigour One of the assistants k The Sig r of Coâ—tay was reputed a wise and discrect Knight they had neuer noted crâ—eâ—tie nor indiscretion in his 〈◊〉 and yet hee was 〈◊〉 for this cruell Councell and his death they imputed to a iust iudgement of heauen according to Phil. of Commines at this Councel foretold the death of the Sig r of Coâ—tay within a yeare Death of the Sig r of Contay for that hee had concluded the death of the Hostage and it was true In the meane time the Duke of Brittanie cryed out for succors The Duke of Bourgundy sent vnto the King to intreat him to cease that warre and to consider that the Duke of Brittanies cause was his The King to pay him with the same reason sent him word that if hee would leaue the protection of his brother and the Duke of Brittanie hee would abandon the Liegeois The Constable of St. Paul and la Balue carried this message to whom the Duke answered that he could not abandon his friends Nor we ours replied the Constable you choose not but take all you will neither haue vs succour our friends nor make warre against our enemies Well said the Duke going to horse the Liegeois are in field I haue proclaimed warre l The Heraulds which proclaimed this war carried in the right hand a naked sword and in the other a flaming torch a fearefull threat of fire bloud against them with a naked sword and a flaming torch I will fight with them before three daies passe if I loose the battell you may doe as you please but if I winne it you shall leaue the Brittons in peace The Duke besieged Saintron Siege of Saintron the Leigois beeing 30000. came to succour the besieged and lodge in a great Village enuironed with a marish a mile from the Dukes Armie there they are charged and repulsed euen vnto their trenches with the shot of Arrowes and Canon but when they that assailed had no more arrowes the Liegeois recouered courage charged them with their pikes and in an instant slew fiue hundred and made the rest to wauer betwixt flight and amazement The Duke seeing his foreward turne their backes caused the Archers of the battell to aduance by whom the Leigeois were beaten and slaine to the number of nine thousand A number according to the truth not to flatterie and passion which sometimes makes Gyants of Dwarfes m The true number of the dead in a battel is seldome set down the victors make â—t greater the vanquished lesser and many as Phil. de CoÌ„mines saith to flatter Princes for one slaine number a hundred The number of the dead in the Battell of Marignan was neuer truely knowne The Frâ—ch said that they had cut halfe the Suisses Army in pieces which was of 25000. men The Suisses say that being returned into their countrey they found but 5000. wanting and that the French had lost more Gradenic saith that in al there were 22000. Iustin numbers aboue 15000. Suisses and Guichardin as many A varietie which proceeds eyther from error or passion The rest retired to Liege and if there had not been a Moore betwixt them and the Dukes horse-men Saintron yeelds to discretion yeelded to the Dukes discretion deliuering ten men to his Iustice. Whose heads saued the rest and serued for an example against their rebellion He did the like to Tongres which yeelded vpon the same condition and in this decimation n Decimation was inuented to punish a multitude in such sort as the fear might seeme generall to all the Offenders and the punishment to a small number all felt it not but euery man feared it some of those hostages were found which he had sent home Hee presented himselfe before Liege Leige yeelds demands pardon one of the mightiest and best peopled townes of the countrie The Dukes presence made some resolue to trust vnto his clemencie and others to feare his Iustice. Three
King by him q It was neuer a wâ—se and aduised resolution to hazard all his fortune and not all his forces and being in danger to loose all if he had been too weake distrust was auailable The Duke commanded the Marshall of Bourgondy who led the foreward Siege of Liege to lodge with in the Citty either with their wills or by force The Pope had a Nuncio within the Citty to end the Controuersies which were in a manner perpetuall betwixt the Bishop and the people who changing his power and forgetting his duty vppon a designe to haue this Bishoprick exhorted the inhabitants to defend themselues and caused them to make a sally with such fury as they that were without had no hope to enter but victors Clearchus made a sally put all his 〈◊〉 in battell then he commanded the gates to be shut and the keyes to be cast ouer the wall to take all hope of entry from the Soldiers vntill they had lost or wenne This Sally was so vnfortunate as he repented him of his Councell and apprehending the danger gets out of the towne and flies away but he was stayed by the Dukes men who promised to them that had taken him to make their profit vsing no speech to him But whilst they contended for their shares in his ransome they came vnto the Duke being at Table who blamed that in publique which he had commended in secret Popes Non cio set at liberty declaring the prize not good and causing the Bishop to come vnto him â—he honored him and caused all his goods to be restored leauing repentance vnto the rest who had not done that without brute which they should haue done s There are some things to be done before they aske if they shall doe them It is the answer which Pompey supping with Anthony in a ship made vnto an officer who told him that he had a good opportunity to be reuenged of them and that if hee would ther should not one remaine before they asked leaue The marshall of Bourgondy and Iâ—bercourt winne the suburbs and march directly to the Towne-gate which stayed not vntill that necessity should force the Inhabitants to demand a peace in mourning gownes t Although the Athenians had no reputation of great courage yet they neuer demanded any accord but in mourning robes prest with extreame necessity vpon their first approch the Deputies present themselues to Parle The beseeged demand a Parle but hope and desire of spoile would not giue them hearing Night surprised the assailants before they were lodged and doth so disorder them as they know not whether to goe but calling one another in confusion they gaue courage to the besieged to make a Salley u Hee that chargeth first by night hath the aduantage for it is alwaiesâ— presumed that he is the strongerâ— flight doth coÌ„monly follow amazement The night hath no shame They arme some for feare others without feare Sallie made by them of Liege and issue out vppon them by diuers places for their walles being razed the yeare before gaue them passage where they slew seauen or eight hundred Foure Canâ—ons discharged against the gate along the great street crye quittance and keep them from comming forth who through fauour of this first Sally had a great desire Yet for all this they that were come forth would not retire into the Towne but barricadoed themselues or as Phillip de Commines saith insconsed themselues with wagons which they had wonne and remained there vntill day Iohn de vilette x In sallies the Commander should alwaies stand firme to maintaine the besieged in their duties by his presence and to fauour their retreat hauing a care that being repulst the enemy doth not enter pel mel with them When as they of Liege had lost their head in the first sally their defence was desperate the sole Commander of the people was hurt and slaine The suburb was kept by the Marshall of Bourgondy who had committed a grosse error hauing giuen no better order for his lodging y The first duty of a good Captaine is to know how to lodge his men For this only respect Hanibal in the iudgement of Phirrhus was the first Captaine of Greece next to Alexander a principall part of the duty of a good Captaine The Prince of Orange was hurt there and in this action the History giues him the glorious surname of a man of vertue as it commends the valour of the Lordes of Lau and Vrfe and reprocheth the contempt of honor to aboue two thousand men who vnder fauour of this night had sacrifized their safeties and honors to flight This first defeat aflicted the Duke and hee would not that the King should haue knowne it if he could haue concealed it amidst so many passions and diuers Interests The Dukes troupes ill intreated in the suburbs Beleeuing that the brute was greater then the losse he went himselfe to tell it him The King was very glad but this ioy was more grounded vppon discretion then iustice for if the Dukes designes had not prospered the King had had cause to repent him and therefore he did apply his spirit to the motions of the Dukes approuing that it is a hard seruitude for a great man to force himselfe to the humors of his inferiour He was aduised to goe and refresh his foreward plunged in the mire besieged with hunger and benummed with cold The Duke sent 300. horse with some victualls to refresh them that were ready to faint z A famished soldier hath neither courage nor force to fight It was a great negligence in the Dukes Captaines to haue ingaged the soldiers so neere the enemy and not prouide to make them eat Asdruball lost his men against Scipio by this defect Vliffes blames Achilles for that hee would lead his men to the warre before they had eaten hauing not eaten of two dayes Hee came also and lodlodged in the midst of the suburbe and the King in a farme halfe a mile off This first night about midnight there was a hot alarme although it were in the heart of a very sharp winter The King shewed himselfe vnto the Towne as soone as the Duke Alarum giuen and the King goes to horse and they were amazed at his diligence the name of King and his presence put the Duke out of countenance a The Duke saith Phil. de Commines held not soe good a countenance as many men wisht for that the King was present tooke the word and authority of Command The Adamant hath no vertue neer vnto the Diamond the King would not seeme other then a King he takes the word and commands what should be done b It is an act of a great Captaine in accidents not forescene to reduce things speedily into order No other but he in so sodaine an accident could haue assured the amazed and that with such iudgement courage and maiesty as
letter being surprised lodged him in a Cage of Iron c Cardinall Balue was coÌ„mitted to prison in Aprill 1468. The Commission to examine him was giuen to Tanequy of Chastel gouernour of Roussillon William Cousinot the maister of Torsy and Peter of Oriolo Generall of the finances for a prison from the which hee was not freed but by the Popes intercession and towards the end of this raigne These Cages were of his inuention d Wicked and bad inuentions fall vppon the inuentors the forger is fettered is fettered in his owne 〈◊〉 Arantius Paterculus is rosted in his brazen horse part wood part iron and couered with plates of Iron so Perillus was rosted in the bull which he had inuented The King being returned into France whereas they talked of his indiscretion and great credulity in trusting his enemie set a good countenance of it and made shew that what had beene done at Peronne had been as beneficiall vnto him as if it had beene resolued in Paris e To make shew to doe that willingly which was extorted by force is an act of wisedome not to loose the credit and opinion which is bad of him to be aduised aâ—d alwayes equall but to put other fancies into the heads of the Parisiens and other discourses into their mouthes hee caused a proclamation to be made by the trumpet that all birds which are kept in Cages as Pyes Iayes and such like should bee brought vnto him to Amboise They that had the Charge of this commission should informe themselues what euery Bird could say and where it had been taken and taught f It is good to diuert brues the peoples discouâ—ses but oftentimes if they be not allowed to speake that which is true they inuent fables which are more preiudiciall Fractis apud CremonaÌ„ rebus prohibuit per ciuitatem sermones eoque plutes ac si liceret vera narraturi quia vetabantur atrociora vulgaueraâ—â— Tacâ—t Hist. l. 3. An act of iudgement which did preuent many inconfiderate speeches A ridiculous Edict 19. Nouemb. which would haue been vsed against this Prince for that he had thrust himselfe so rashly into his enemies power and brought himselfe to that estate as he was like vnto the Elephant who paies his ransome with the Iuory of his teeth To repaire this error and to preuent his Brother and the Duke of Bourgundy of their pretensions he labours to breake the Treatie but he will doe all with solemnitie and if hee must cast forth the Thunderbolts of warre it shall not be done without the Councell of the Gods h A Prince should not alone resloue to make war Iupiter did not cast forth his lightning without the Councel of twelue Gods The Kings of France did not vndertake any war but with the aduice of the twelue Peeres imitating the wisedome of his Predecessors who did not vndertake any warre without the aduice of a Parliament So Pepin past the Alpes to succour the Pope so he armed against the Saxons so hee expelled Gaifre out of Aquitaine so Charlemaine went against the King of the Lombards and the Duke of Bauaria hauing first acquainted the Parliament with these designes 1468 Conuocation of the Estates at Tours To this end he assembled the Estates of the Realme at Tours i The Estates assemble for one of these three reasons for the regencie of the Realme in the Kings minoritie for the reformatioÌ„ of the realme and to prouide meanes to succour the necessities of the Crowne It is a bodie of three Orders hath been alwaies obserued among the Gaules the pretext was to preuent the ruines of the Realme but the essentiall cause was to resolue two things a portion for Monsieur and the restitution of the Townes vpon the riuer of Some both depending vpon this Lawe which is one of the pillars of the Estate That the Lands of the Crowne are inalienable and portions are not giuen but with condition to returne againe for want of heires masle k A Monarchy suffers no diuision nor estimation for the yongers portions of the house of France are not diuided but for want of Masles returne to the Crowne The tongue hath done great seruices to this Prince in diuers actions Eloquence naturall to K. Lewis the eleuenth in this yet without any Art or affection l It is necessarie for the Prince to speake well but without affectation his eloquence should more appeare in the facillitie of his owne nature then in any curious Art for there are more parts required to make a man eloquent then to make a Cuptaine to know and discourse of particular things we must vnderstand the generall he strikes fire to inflame the coldest spirits to what he will and speakes to all the Deputies and lets euery man know the importance of the Duchie of Normandie and the preiudice which other Prouinces receiued when it was in the power of the English with the incredible to ile which King Charles his Father had past to wrest it out of their hands That although he did not hold his brother to be of so bad a disposition as to haue intelligence with them Importance of the Duchy of Normandie yet he knew well that they of his intelligence bad great practises in England that he might haue children which should not bee of his humor beeing most certaine that the Princes of the same bloud extend their thoughts farther then they should m Ambition neuer takes root but in hearts that are vigorous hardy and desirous of innovations When as it incounters with any preheminence of bloud or fauour of the people it is 〈◊〉 to retaine it or may goe aspire to great matters and are not content with their condition That for these reasons he could not leaue the Duchie of Normandie That his promises in that regard should be soundly vnderstood and that affaires of State were not managed with such scrupulous considerations That hee offered notwithstanding to giue him such a portion as the Estates should aduise making them Iudges and Arbitrators therein but aboue all he commanded that the lawes of the Realme should not be infringed n The Realme of France is seated vpon a triangular basis the Salique 〈◊〉 the holding of the Estates and the reuenewes inalâ—enable Hauing thus prepared their minds he opens the Estates came thither with greater Maiesty then he did euer shew in any action during his raigne A Prince cannot adde too much in such great occasions for besides that this light doth please it dazels and transports mens mindes he must allwayes hold himselfe in admiration it is a toile which is neuer set but some one is taken His throne was vpon a stage three foot high railed in containing all the bredth of the vpper end of the hall his chaire was of blew veluet pouldred with flowers-de-luce vnder a cloth of estate of the same and vpon three steps He was attired in a long robe of
and without condition C. Blosius said that he would do all that Tiberius Gracchus should coÌ„mand him yea hee would burne Iupiters Temple if â—e would Val. Max. lib. 45. 7. if he pleased He should not haue perswaded the Duke of Bourgondy to this marriage with reasons of feare and amazement A great courage doth neuer any thing to shew that he feares This course was odious vnto the Duke but much more vnto the King being offended that the Constable would make such an alliance and not acquaint them with it for the same fault a Nobleman of the same quality dignity lost his head in Spaine u Amongst the causes for the which the Coâ—stable of Aâ—alos was beheaded at Vailledâ—lit in the yeare 1453. They marke for that he presumed to make the marriage of the Sonne of D. Pedro of Portugal without the permission of the K. of Castile his maister The Duke had other thoughtes then to marry his Daughter Many beleeued that he would not do it whilst hee liued contenting himselfe to leaue her pleased in this liberty Desseins of the Duke vppon his Daughters marriage to hold many hopes in seruitude for he entertained them that might assist him or anoy him with goodly discourses of this allyance The Daughters of Soueraigne houses are not married to all them they are made sure vnto x When as they wondred why Hercules of Este Duke of Fâ—rrara had married Lucretia daughter to Pope Alexander the sixth hauing been made sure to three husbands was then widdow to Gismond Prince of Bisselli whom the Duke of Valentinois had â—â—aine the only coÌ„sideration of the safety of his estate and of his affaires tooke away the amazement Guichard Lib. 5. Princes in marrying do not regard their pleasure but the necessity and profit of their affaires But seeing the Constable propound no other remedy but this marriage of Monsieur and his daughter and that yeelding vnto it hee should fill the world with a beleefe that hee had consented for feare of his enemies y A free spirit cannot indure â—o bee forced Vt in Principaâ—â— beatisâ—imum est non cogi ita miserrimum non suaderi he beganne then to hate him deadly and to sweare his ruine The King who iudged of the future by the knowledge of things past z Things past carry a light before iudgment which searcheth into the obscurity of future things The world goes alwaies after his manner There is not anything spoken or done but hath some ancient example Thinges goe and come vnder diuers names and other coullers â—â—ut a wise man doth discernâ— them trusted him no more for he had discouered that in this war he regarded his own priuate interest more then the good of his seruice that hee had made himselfe the instrument of an allyance which was so much the more vnpleasing vnto him for that hee ment to keepe him in Iealousie with his brother and to hold his greatnesse suspect Although the Duke of Brittany did still intertaine the Duke with feares and amazements sending him word that the King had desseins vpon Amiens Bruges and Brussells that hee was resolued to beseege him a These aduertisements were deliuered vnto the Duke of Bourgondy by mouth by a footman of the Duke of Brittaines To whom the Duke answered sodainely that his maister was ill aduertised and that the Townes whereof he spake were too great to bee beseeged where hee should find himselfe deceaued euen in Gand The King discouers the Constable yet hee went to field with his Armie beeing resolute to passe the riuer of Somme vppon a bridge which hee had made at Piqueny and to fight with the King if hee sought to hinder him Hee remained sixe weekes before Amiens saying that hee attended vntill the King who was then at Beauuais should come and force him to dislodge But the King by his temporizing let him know that hee did not fight by the fortune of his enemies but by his owne b A Prince should not suffer himselfe to be driuento that extremity as his eâ—nemy should prescribe him a Law and bind him to fight Biorix King of the Cimbrians seeing the Consull Marius to lye still offred him Battell But Marius answered that the Romans were not accustomed to fight at their enemies pleasures Romanorum reos est suo non hostrium Arbirrio dimicare The Towne was fortified with the presence of the chiefe men of the realme the Constable the Lord Steward the Admirall and Marshall were within it with one thousand and foure hundred men at Armes and foure thousand franke Archers They had resolued to sally foorth vppon the Duke and to ingage him betwixt the king and them Seâ—ge of Amens but the King would not his mind was so resolute to end or to continue the warre as any wauering might cause his will tend to the one side or the other c When themind is in suspence betwixt doing and not doing a small matter turnes the ballance A lâ—ght reasonor any president makes the waight but there is a great difference betwixt the irresolution and suspencion of the mind which growes by the concurrence equality of reasons When as a mighty Prince doth not all he can vnto his inferiours it argues that eyther hee hath some great desseine to circumuent him or that warre is vnpleasing vnto him Wherefore the Duke beeing aduertised that the King had not allowed of this desseine sent Simon of Quingey with a letter of six lines written with his owne hand in tearmes of great humility and exceeding greefe to see that warre begun vnder coullor of his seruice to satisfie another mans passions adding that he beleeued if the King had beene well informed of all things hee would not haue done it The King who would not doe all hee could for oftentimes hee that would haue all looseth all d A Prince should not desire to haue the extremity of all things The wise men of Italy say Volere ostinatamente ill sommo di turte cose Somtimes in thinking to draw more frute from an occasion then it can in honesty yeeld it ruines the affaires tooke delight in this letter hauing discouered the practises of his Brother of the Duke of Brittany and the Constable wherefore hee sent backe Simon of Quingey with good words and granted a truce to the Duke of Bourgondy which sent euery man home A Truce granted dissolues the Armies the King into Touraine Monsieur into Guienne the Duke into Flanders and the Constable to Saint Quentin where he still continued his practises and not onely tormented himselfe with his owne discommodities but with that which succeeded happily to either of these two Princes e A miserable folly and a foolish misery of those which ar not content to torment themselues with their owne miseries which are but too great but they aflâ—ct theÌ„selues with the felicities of other men The King who knew well that the Duke of Bourgondy
his life Hee liued six yeares eleuen monthes Philip Earle of Bresse sonne to Lewis and great Grandfather to Charles Emanuel who had been prisoner at Loches succeeded him a great Prince as all they haue been whose fortunes haue been tost and crost z They whom a variable vnconstaÌ„t fortune hath exercised and tryed gouerne theÌ„selues better then others Tacitus speaks it of Caractatus QueÌ„ multa ambigua multa prospeta extâ—lerant vt câ—teros Britannorum Imperato resprâ—mineret Whom many crosses and many good fortunes had raised vp that he might exceed the rest of the Brittish commanders After that Iustus Lipsius to confirme this truth hath spoken of Charles the fiâ—t and Lewis the eleuenth he addes Emanuel Philibert Duke of Sauoy and concludes that the Greeke word is true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue learned of them that haue hurt me Miseria brudentiae bona mater Misery iâ— a good mother of wisedome At the Kings returne from Lyon Alfonso K. of Portugal comes to demand succors in France Alfonso King of Portugall came to salute him being at Tours hee came vnto him as to his last refuge being no longer able to resist the power of King Ferdinand and Isabelta The cause of their contention is well worthy the knowing and to vnderstand it wee must remember that it was formerly said that by the peace made betwixt Iohn King of Castille and Iohn of Nauarre Blanche the eldest Daughter of Nauarre was married to Henry of Castille Prince of the Asturies and that the marriage was not consummated by reason of the disabilitie and coldnes of the husband a Pope Eugenius the third gaue a dispensation for the degree of proximitie that was betwixt the married couple and the marriage was celebrated at Madrid in the yeare 1440. The bashfulnes and modestie of this Princesse made her dissemble her misfortune Disabilitie of Henry K. of Castillâ— whereof no man might inconsiderately grow in doubt for the Prince was of a manlike and braue aspect but his actions were faint and languishing They were but fiue and twentie yeares old when they were married At one and thirty he succeeded to his father who died in the yeare 1454 of a quartaine Ague after that he had put Aluaro de Luna b Dom Aluato de Luna abusing the greatnes of his charge and the great loue the King bare him was hated of the Princes Noblemen of Castille they forced the King to banish him six yeares from the Court His faction won the Prince D. Henry who armed against his father wroght so as he was restored to fauor and made Master of the Order of S. Iames but seeking to be reuenged of his enemies and making many enterprises against them Queene Isabel fauoring them made the King resclue to put him in prison to haue him exâ—cuted at Vaile dosâ—t The King did forfeit al his goods they did set a siluer Basin whereas his head was to receiu that which passers by would giue for his entertainment A remarkable example of the inconstancy of Kings and fortunes fauours Al sin 〈…〉 vita a la tarde loa el dia. The life is commended by the end and the day by the Euening his Constable to death and had raigned nine and forty yeares and six monethes Henry succeeded him and Alfonso his second sonne was great Master of the Order of St. Iames hee would willingly haue giuen him his Crowne for the griefe he had conceiued for Henries disobedience His Daughter Isabella was but three yeares old to whom he gaue the Towne of Cuellar and a great summe of money for her mariage All things succeeded otherwise then he had proiected The eternall prouidence which hath written in his tables of Diamond the aduentures of things which are haue been and shall be had disposed after another manner But as the most constant patience is tired at length this Princesse The Pope dissolues the mariage for sterilitie hauing for a long time endured her husbands disabilitie began to murmure and he preuented her complaints presenting a request vnto the Pope to bee seperated from her and shewed that she was barren and could not be a mother and that the affaires of Castille required an heire The Pope dissolued the first marriage and suffered him to marry againe with Ione Infanta of Portugall Sister to King Alfonso and Daughter to King Edward a Princesse exceeding faire who more desirous to bee a Queene then a wife consented to this marriage notwithstanding that shee was fully aduertised of the disabilitie of the husband which she tooke who although he were a great Prince could not haue found a woman where as euery one may haue for his money But shee made it knowne that a politick woman neuer dyes without an heyre On the other side the King held the blemish of disabilitie to be so dishonourable as to make the contrarie knowne and to haue children to succeed vnto his Crowne he consented that Bernard de la Cueua one of his fauourites c Some write that D. Ioane consented therevnto by force but when she had once made this leape she had more need of a bridle then a spurre A wonderfull incontinency and impudency Being at it were confined to the Castell of Alacaes vnder the custody of the Archbishop of Seuelle she had by D. Pedro the Archbishops Nephew two children D. Ferdinand and D. Apostol should lye with the Queene who presently conceiued with child and to the end it should not bee thought to be done by supposition he would haue her deliuered in the presence of Henry Earle of Alba de Lista the Archbishop of Toledo and the Marquis of Vellena It was a Daughter which had for her Godfather the Earle of Armagnaâ— who was at that time Embassador in Castille to King Lewis the eleuenth Wisedome and discretion might haue made this deceit more fortunate then it was Henry the king of Castille degraded for all Spaine made demonstration of incredible Ioy for the birth of this Daughter but there was follie and indiscretion of all sides The King who would confirme this opinion that he was a gallant man sought the loue of other women who soone discouered the deceit The Queene made shew to be iealous entertained her loue securely with D. Bernard so as the great familiaritie he had with her made the world doubt of her chastitie and when as they saw that the King honored him with the chiefe charges of the Realme making him master of the order of St Iames and then Duke of Albuquergue they did imagine that he made him play his part in this Comedie which ended with cruel tragicall effects for the Great men of the realme made a league to seaze vpon D. Alfonso and D. Isabella brother Sister to the end that this Bastard should not depriue them of their rights Alfonso being about twelue yeeres old was proclaimed K. of Castille by them and then did D. Henry shew
the imbecillitie and weaknes of his Nature for whereas hee should haue opposed himselfe against those mutinies he suffred them to get such credit and authoritie as the Archbishop of Toledo being sent for to come vnto him to the end hee might pacifie those troubles he said vnto him that brought him this charge Tell your King that I am weary of him his affaires and that he shall shortly see who is the true King of Castille The Grandos of the Realme assembled in a great plaine neere vnto Auila to degrade the King from the royall dignity That which they could not doe vnto his person Alfonso proclained K. of Castille they did vnto his statue d When as King Henry vnderstood of this degradation which was in Iune 1â—65 he said I haue bred vp children and they haue contemned me I came naked from my mothers wombe and the earth atâ—ends me naked No man can liue so poorely as hee is borne and it God expels mee now for my fins he wil comfort and preserue mee afterwards for his infinite power is that which kils and restores to life which wouÌ„ds and cures that which giues Siegneuries takes them away which raiseth vp Kings puls them downe when he pleaseth which they presented vpon a scaffold when as the Herad said that D. Henry was degraded from the royall dignity the Archbishop of Toledo tooke the Crowne from his image the Earle of Plaisance the sword and the Earle of Beneuent the Scepter this done Diego Lopes cast it out of the royall seat Alfonsos standard was aduanced and poore Henry shouted at and contemned They would end the quarrell by a battell before Olivedo e The Battell of Oluiedo was in the yeare 1467. They doe not agree who had the victory D. Alfonso was seen armed aâ— all peeces incouraging his men D. Henry appeared not in the fight but entered triumphing towards night into Medina del Campo The two Armies fought by order one squadron against another The Archbishop of Toledo led his army hauing a white stole vpon his armes The combat continewed three houres and ended with so great disorder of either side as both parties made bonfiers for the victory The Pope sent his Legat f Anthony de Veneris Bishop of Lyon the Popes Legate being in Spain coÌ„manded them to lay downe Armes vpon paine of excommunication the great men of Spaine opposed themselues said that they appealed to a Councill The Licentiat Iohn D. Alcacer and Doctor Alphonso of Madrigall were committed for this appeale to pacefie these troubles during the which King D. Alfonso hauing raigned three yeares died of the plague at Cardegnosa Death of Alfonso King of Castille The League would haue declared Isabella heire of the Realme the which she would not accept the King her brother lyuing wherevpon a peace was made by which she was declared Princesse of Castille the nineteenth of September 1468. vpon condition that she should not marry without the consent of the King hir brother They would haue married her to Alfonso of Portugall who was a widower and D. Ioane to Iohn the eldest Sonne of Portugall vpon condition that if there came no children of the marriage of the Pincesse Isabell g D. Isabella was sought for in marriage by the brother of King Lewis by the King of Englands brother She made choise of D. Ferdinand Prince of Arragon He came to see her vnknown D. Guttiere of Cardona who coÌ„ducted him shewed him her saiing in Spanish Esse es It is he To whome the Princesse answerered sodenly and S. Shal be thine armes vpon this cause the family of this knight doth at this day carry an S in tâ—eir armes and deuice those which issued from the marriage of D. Ioane should succeed to the realme Castille But D. Isabella had other thoughts she loued Ferdinand sonne to Iohn King of Navarre and Arragon whome shee caused to come to Vaillidolet in a disguized habit and marryed him the eighteenth of October 1469. Isabella of Castille marries Ferdinand of Arragon King Henry was so incensed at this marriage as hee declared his Sister fallen from all the rights which shee might pretend to the crowne of Castille and caused Ioane his daughter to be proclaymed his true heire who was married to Charles Duke of Guienne as hath beene formerly said This treaty of marriage was broken by the death of the Dukd of Guienne King Henry died also h The death of Henry the 4. King of Castille was in the yere 1474. the one and forty yeare of his age and the on twenteth of his raign Hee was interred in the great Chappell of the Monastery of Guadalupe He appointed 52. lampes of siluer to burne day night vpon his tombe And notwithstanding that the Crowne were assured to Ferdinand and Isabel yet Ioane continued the title of Queene of Castille Troupes sent out of France into Castille and in this quality she married with Alfonso King of Portugall which was an occasion of great warres The French King being discontented with the house of Arragon and the warre of Pergignan sent troupes to the King of Portugal vnder the command of Aman of Albret i Ambassadors haue oste ingaged their Maisters in very ruin ous voiages Philip de CoÌ„mines who had treated with them of the K. of Portugall saith that if they had beene well aduised they would haue informed themselues better of matters here before they had councelled their Maister to this voiage wâ—ich was very preiudiciall vnto him But the King of Portugal hauing lost his enterprises and his Partisans was forced to retyer himselfe into Portugall carring away no other triumph of the warre of Castille but the Princesse D. Ioane his wife whome notwithstanding hee would not mary before hee were assured of the Realme of Castille and therefore he went into France to implore ayde from King Lewis with whome he had treated an alliance by his Ambassadors who vnder the good chere which was made them and the good words which were giuen them during the treaty without any other intent perswaded their Maister to come into France assuring him that he should doe more by his presence for the succors which he demanded then by the mediation of his servants and that there might bee a marriage made betwixt the Dauphin and D. Ioane his Neece He landed at Marseille Alfonsâ— K of Portugall comes to Tours came to Lyons and so went downe the riuer of Loire to Tours where he acquainted the King with the cause of his voyage k Necessity â—orceth Princes euen to things vnworthy of their quality They write that this Prince besought the King to succor him with such vehemency and humanity as hee fell on his knees at his heete It had not beene secret though he had beene silent Kings come neuer to the gates of other Kings to offer or to giue but to demand and entreat He carried a Lampe in
his hand which descouered his heart l The discommodities of great Princes cannot be hiâ—den Ariston saith that pouerty is a lampe which doth lighten and make all the miseries of the world be seene The Kings affaires would not suffer him to bee more liberall to this Prince of good effects then of good words Lewis refuseth him succors If he had no other consideratioÌ„ but of the estate of Spaine he had taken an other course but he had alwaies for a perpetual obiect the greatnesse of the house of Bourgondy whereof he durst nor iudge so long as the Duke was armed and therefore he had rather fayle his friends then himselfe To resolue of the succors which the King of Portugall required of him hee consulted rather with reason then affection m Resolutions taken by the Counsell of affection are subiect to change those which are grounded vppoÌ„ reason last perpetually which layed before him his great expences in Germany and Lorraine for the entertainment of his armie which he might not dismisse vnlesse hee would runne the hazard of a surprize and scorne not to haue foreseene that which concerned himselfe n Wise men see all accidents in their thoughts they cannot bee surprized 〈◊〉 word I did not think it coms neuer out of their mouthes Seneca cals it the word of ignorant men Audimus aliquaÌ„do voces imperitoruÌ„ diceÌ„tiumâ— Neâ—ciebam hoc mihi restare sapiens scit sibi omnia restare quicquid fattum est dicit sciebam VVe sometimes heer the words of ignorant meÌ„ saying I did not know that this would haue happened A wise man knowes that all things may happen Hee saith whatsoeuer is done I knew it The King of Portugall thinking that if he might soe reconcile these two Princes affaires The King of Portugal mediats a peace in vaine as they might haue no subiect to doubt one another he should dâ—aw succors from them both he vndertook to goe into Lorraine to perswade the Duke to reconcile himselfe vnto the King His voyage was not long for vppon the first propositions he found that his enterprise was impossible and so returned to the King who continuing the honors which he had done him at his arriuall intreated him to see Paris and in the meane time procured a dispensation for him from Pope Sixtus the fourth o Notwithstanding that D. Ferdinand D. Isabella of Castille made great oppositioÌ„s at Rome against the marriage of King Alphonso of Portugall and D. Ioane his neece his sisters daughter yet the Pope granted a dispensation at King Lewis his instance to marry with D. Ioane his Neece The Chronicle and Martinienne make a curious relation of his entertainement which was the 23. of Nouember 1476. The Lord of Gaucour Gouernour of Paris Reception of the King of Portugal into Paris and Robert of Estouteuille Prouost of Paris went to meet him on the way to Orleance towards the wind-mill The Chancellor of Oriole with the Presidents and Councellors of Soueraigne Courts and many Prelats went forth The Magistrates presented him a Canopy at Saint Iames gate The Rector of the Vniuersity with the Doctor and Regents receiued him at St. Stephens the Bishop and Clergy of Paris at our Ladies Church The short dayes and the long speeches added fire to the greatnes of the ceremony p Fire carried before the Prince was one of the ornaments of Maiestie it was not in a Linke or Torch but in a Lampe or Lanthorne Prenuncius ante Signa dedit cursor posita de more Lucerna Corippus lib. 2. Herodian saith that Pertinax came vnto the Senate not suffring them to carrie fire or any other markes of the Empire before him The President Bertier saith that the same honor was giuen to the Patriarks in the Greeke Church and the tiâ—le of Balsamon In Respons de Patriarch Prâ—uileg They caused fifty torches to march before him to conduct him to a Marchants house called Laurence Herbelot in the street of Prouuelles The shewed him the singularities and beauties of Paris hee saw the Court of Parliament of peeres the most sacred Senate of Europe where he did number as many Kings as Senators Francis Hale Archdeacon of Paris A cause pleaded in Parliament by two 〈◊〉 the Kings aduocate and Peter of Brabant an aduocate of the Court and Curate of S. Eustache pleaded a cause the Chronicle saies that it was a goodly thing to heare Heere the ignorance of those times moues me to pitty few men were learned and few learned men taught in France Italy had gathered vp some wits of that great shipwrack of Greece The tyrant of the East would not allow of any exercise of learning q Greece hath giuen these goodly wits vnto Italy Emanuel Chrisoloras an Athenian George of Trebizoâ—de Theodore de Gaza a Macedonian Ierâ—nimo Spartiate Gâ—egory Typhernas Iohn Argyropile of Constantinople Laoâ—â—â—c Chalcondile Athenian Marcus Musurus of Candie and Iohn Lascaris For they make him beleeue that learned men are soone possest with great and heigh resolutions against the seruitude which keepes them vnder r Books Sciences teach men of iudgement more then any other thing to know themselues and to feele the smart of seruitude the losse of libertie But this light could not passe into France through squadrons of men of war and good books which are not preserued but in the Temple of peace lay yet in the dust of Cloysters they were not made common to the world and they feared much that the masters in speaking well and eloquently in a Chamber would not be so in doing well in field in sight of the enemies s Cato perswaded the Senate to send away Carneades who was come to Rome on the behalfe of the Atheniens for that his cloquence drew the youth of Rome to follow him disposed the rather to immitate to speake well the to doe well in war in the managing of affaires Plut. that all eloquence was growne rusty in Barbarisme These great and goodly actions of those times in the which they must spread the maine failes of eloquence were giuen to Doctors of the Sorbone They vndertooke to make Ouerture at the Estates and to iustifie or condemne Princes before the Kings Councell See heer a Curate of the greatest parish in Paris who makes proofe of the grace and greatnes of the French eloquence in the first Parliament of France before a strange King the Ignorance of those times found none more capable he deserued to haue money giuen him to be silent rather then to speake t The ancient Orators got money both to speak and to be sâ—â—et One demaÌ„ded of Demosthenes what he had gotten for speaking hee answered I haue sold the silence of one day for fiue talents Plut. After that the King of Portugall had stayed somtime in Paris they put into his immagination as iealousie doth easily possesse aflicted mindes that the King who had at the same time confirmed
the ancient alliances u The Allâ—ances betwixt France Castille were confirmed by the Dâ—puties of both Kings betwixt Baâ—onne Fontaraby of France with Castile Alphonso retires into Portugall would cause him to be taken he thought to retire himselfe with an intent to shut himselfe into a Monastery or to make a voyage to Ierusalem hoping for no succours but from God hauing in vaine attended them from men The King being loth to abandon him in this preplexity caused certaine ships to bee armed in Normandy to conduct him into Portugall where his sonne dispairing of his returne had already taken the title of King D. Beatrice widdow to D. Ferdinand of Portugall Aunt to the Qâ—eene of Castile Accord betwixt the Kings of Castile and Portugall vndertooke to reconcile them intreating her Neece to come to Alcantara to conferre together Their Conference did produce a peace for a hundred yeares x It was said by this accord that the peace should bee kept betwixt the Kings of â—astile Porâ—ugal for a huÌ„dred years one to come to the content of both Realmes and to the glory of both Kings who then carried their armes and their designes to the conquest of new contries y In the yeare 1475. the first voyage was made to Guinee by the marriners of Castile after they had conquered the canaries in the yeare 1417. Of this enterprise Iohn of Batencourt a french was Generall and carried the title of King Of that of Guinee Pedro de Colied s. By this peace it was said that the King of Portugall should not marry D. Ioane that shee should depart out of Portugall or if shee would remaine there she should haue her choise either to marry with D. Iohn Prince of Castile newly borne when he should come to age or enter into a monastery This Princesse did rather choose a monastery then marriage and tooke vpon her the habit of S ta Clara in the royall Monastery of Coimbra who for the greatnes of her courage and contempt of the world deserued of posterity the surname of excellent The flight of Granson and the losse of Morat two fatall accidents to a spirit insupportable both in prosperity and aduersity z There are spirits like vnto sick bodyes which are distempered with heat and cold they cannot iud ure prosperity nor aduersity brought comfortles aflictions vnto the Duke Afliction of the Duke of Bourgondy after the Battell of Morat and made him continue sixe weekes solitary at Riuiere suffring his beard to grow carelesly feeling his vnderstanding to grow weake and his naturall heat so cold as they made him to drinke wine alone in stead of Ptysan which before was his ordinary drinke And to recouer his spirits and to cheere his heart they applyed therevnto diuers sorts of remedies and if by fits he came to his good sence it was but to make him haue a more liuely apprehension of his vnfortunate Estate a A great courage is very seÌ„sible of puâ—lâ—â—e disgraces Mahomet seeing himselfâ— forced to raise the siege from Belgâ—ade with losse and shâ—me called for poison to Râ—l himselfe He neuer remembred this ahhâ—oâ—t but 〈…〉 his is head against the wall and â—are his mustastachos The solitarines which hee vsed to passe away his greefe did but augment it and let him know that there is no worse estate then that of a discontented mind in an vnsound body Hee woould not endure any one to talke vnto him and was mad when they spake If hee would haue suffred himselfe to be seene it would haue giuen him ease and by the cheerfulnesse of his countenance his soldiers would haue recouered their spirits which this accident had danted b Princes in the change of their fortunes entâ—r into fury against them 〈◊〉 at seek to adâ—â—se them Perseus hauing been defeated by Paulus AEmilius slue 2. of his greatest fâ—iendes wâ—o sâ—ept foreward to tell him some truth Euery thing disâ—leaseth an aflicted mind Great sorrows must be euaporated for the more they are restrained the more they swell and grow more violent but beeing past they must shew a countenance free from all perplexity or basenes He is contemned of his friends Time did but increase the wound in the Soule of this Prince his friends and allies contemned him Galâ—as Duke of Milan seeing that by this losse all his Intelligences were crost in Italy turned his back to him Frederie Prince of Tarentum abused with a hope to marry his daughter allies himselfe to the house of France whilst that this triumphant Chariot went well euery one would be on the top of it but now it is ouerthrowne they abandon it c Prosperity fiâ—ds many friends kinsmen misfortune and misery hath noâ—any 〈◊〉 shiâ— doth most commonly fellow fâ—rtune who hath hauour good successe at her sides The Duke of Lorraine seeking to make his profit of the Duke of Bourgundies misfortune recouers his places lost in Lorraine with the horsemen he had of France Duke of Lorraine recouers his own CoÌ„try and beâ—leegeth Nancy and some footemen from the Suisses and the Townes of Germanie He besieged Nancy forced the Lord of Bures of the house of Croy to yeeld after that hee had in vaine sollicited succors from his Master d Râ—ne Duk of Lorraine recouered many places which the Bourgâ—ndians held Eâ—pinal wouâ—d not yeeld without seeing him for that they were made beleeue that he was dead Nancy hauing indured ten weekes seege it yeelded the 7. of Nouember 1476. The English which were within it hauing lost Cohin their leader began to murmure more at the length of the succors then the languishing of the siege for they had no other torment then the impatiencie of that which they attended They told de Bures that if hee did not compound they would make their owne appointment De Bures in steed of opposing himselfe to so vniust dishonourable a demand yeelded vnto them The Pilot beleeued the Galley slaues and the Phisition yeelded to the pleasure of his sicke patient e Pompey resolued to makewarre at the appetite of his soldiers the which the Captaine of a shâ—p should not doe much lesse the Generall of an army and against his owne mind for he was wont to commend those Phisitions which did not please the disordred Appetiâ—e of their Patienâ—s Plut. The composition was made and three daies after succors came The Duke of Bourgundy Army of the Duke of Bourgon dies before Nancy not to giue the Duke of Lorraine leisure to fortifie Nancy nor to furnish it with men and victuals blockt it in on euery side hauing Pont a Mousson for his retreat This was not done with the aduice of his best Captaines f Notâ—ing doth more aduance the ruine of a Prince then not to beleeue Counsâ—ll and to presume to know more then any They hold him saith Paulus AEmilius that would manage all thinges after his owne braine for an arrogâ—nt
many of stone in the quarries of Peronne Since that men grew so ingenious not to imitate Nature 〈…〉 as Xeuxis in his Vine Appelles in his Venus Memnon in his Statue Miron in his Cow Architas in his Doue Sapor in his Heauen of Glasse Mont-royall in the Eagle of Wood and in his Flie of Iron Albert the great in his brazen head but to offend and destroy Artâ—llery inuented that Mens wits haue giuen wings and fire to Iron to hasten death more speedily that a German Monke y The inuention of Gun-powder and Ordinance was found out by Bartholmew le Noiâ— a German Monk The yeare is diuersly reported some date it 1330. others 1334 and others 1380. went downe into Hell to finde fire there for the ruine of Man as Prometheus had mounted vp vnto Heauen to fetch that there wherewith hee thought to giue them life and that Europe hath knowne that which was not in vse Nothing strong without Cannons but to vnknowne Nations z The Portugals found Peeces of ordinance in the realme of Pegu which the Chinois had broght thither 2500. yeares before and the Chinois attribute this invention to an euill spirit who taught it to their first King called Vitey to defend himselfe against the Tartars aboue a thousand yeares before the birth of Christ. Artillery hath beene a marke of the power and greatnesse of Estates which cannot bee held strong nor assured if they be vnfurnished seeing that nothing can be gotten nor preserued without it Artillery shewes those Forts to bee weake which the Ancients held impregnable there is not any but feares this thunder and if they ouer-throw the Attemps and consume the meanes and patience of the assailant Formes of war changed it is onely by the Cannon It workes such terrible effects and so farre from the vse of the Engines in old time as it hath changed a Artillery is the cause that warre is at this day more iuditiously managed then in former times when as quarrels were ended by battels Euery man seeketh to win time and to force his enemy to necessity They trust nothing to fortune that may be committed to wisedome they gouerne their designes with longer time and more safety all the old formes of Sieges and Battels Gun-powder and wilde-fire are multiplied in so many sorts and are growne to such perfection as the warre which in former times was made onely with Iron is now done with Artillery and Powder They cause the Cannon to martch in the head of the Army All yeeldeth vnto the Cannon and that holdeth the ranke of Elephants a Elephants haue beene employed in the head of Armies Siquidem Tirio seruire sedebam Anâ— ibali When I did sit to serue Anniball of Tire and Chariots armed with Sythes which did cut in sunder all they incounter They giue them the honour to begin those great battels whereupon depend the healthes of Estates they open passages and make new all that come by one way scatter themselues into a dozen because they would not encounter them nothing preserueth it selfe but to receiue death or fight They are absolute Iudges of the doubs of victorie and if a battalion of foote presents it selfe so strong so well armed with Pikes and so couered with Muskets as they mock at all the attempts of a victorious Prince and merite that glorious name of an Armed wall b Dion calles the fourth Legion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See what hath beene spoken thereon in the first Booke they must at the sight of the Cannon yeeld their Armes or suffer the paine of their rashnesse and see themselues sooner ouerthrowne then Grasse or Corne is mowne downe and reaped c The terrible effects of Artillery is wittily represented by the Signior of Bartas in his Poëme of the Law Euen as when many Cannons shot at once Affront an Army th' earth with thunder grones Here flyes a broken arme and breakes another There stands th' one halfe of a halu'd body th' other Falles downe a furlong thence here flies a shield And deepe-wide windowes make they in the field It is Ordinance then which maketh a Prince equall to thundering Iupiter who maketh the Rockes to leape and ouerthrowes the Gyants vnder the mountaines which they had raised against him The Brazen-mouthes which vomit forth Iron winged with fire shew the greatnesse and augment the reputation of them that make them speake All the Trumpets of their glory sound not so loud and are not heard so farre as these Flutes They be the most certaine Titles of the right of Armes and are not subiect to contradiction so the charge is Royall and there is not any Prince how great and powerfull soeuer but in processe of time will finde it insupportable They write that King Henry the second in his voyage to Germany neuer made Cannon-shot but cost him three hundred Crownes d Blaise of Vigenere â— saith That in the voiage of K. Henry in the yeare 1552. at Danwilliers Iuoy places of small importance which notwithstanding endured thousands of Cannon-shot there was not any one shot but cost the King accounting all the equipage furniture belonging to the Artillery two or three hundred Crownes so as a dozen of those balles came to a thousand six huÌ„dred crowns All the Instruments and Engines of Warre knowne vnto the Antiens haue beene contemned to bring Artillery in vse which hath all the effects and force of Bowes Arrowes Rammes Slings Crosse-bowes Scorpions and those terrible Engines which did raise vp men into the Aire carried away whole Gallies heaped vp and carried with great violence Rockes Mill-stones and Men e The Cross-bow was an Engine which carried farre off and with great violence Somtimes they did put in men aliue or dead Pelagius a young man of Spaine seeing himselfe forced to yeeld to the infamous execrable lust of Almansor strooke him on the face wherewith being incensed he caused him to be cast by one of his Slings beyond the Riuer of Betis or Guadalquibir in the yeare 895. Iussit â—um funda machinali trans Betim mitti scopulosis rupibus illidendum whom they made to leap beyond the Walles the Riuers and the Mountaines of those places which they would make subiect to ruine But as Inventions are not perfect in the beginning the first Peeces of Ordinance were all of Iron InuentioÌ„s at the first rude and imperfect with bandes and hoopes of the same so heauy and ill made so difficult to gouerne so ill mounted and of so bad a bore as they had more shew then execution and did onely serue to amaze them that would bee amazed with the noyse f All Mechanicke Inuentions are rude and grosse in their Infancy as appeares in Artillery and Printing The Batteries of those times were ridiculous they did onely serue for an vnprofitable expence of powder They shotâ— a farre off and at randon and fiue or six vollies in a whole
that of Arragon We heare often in their pleadings Id quod nostrum est sinâ— causa nostra à nobis aufeâ—ri non potest and to fill vp the measure of his sorrow hee saw the first Branch of this Powerfull and Royall house of Aniou wither in his sonne and grand-childe René surviuing his sonne and grand-childe dyed in the yeare 1480. A Prince who had great and eminent qualities worthy of a better fortune hee was a great Iusticer and an enemy to long dispatches He said sometimes when as they presented him any thing to signe being a hunting or at the warre that the Pen was a kinde of Armes which a Prince should vse at all seasons u K. René although he were in Armes did not forbeare to doe iustice to them that demanded it saying That the pen of Princes should neuer be idle that long expeditions made them to loose the loue of their subiects They write that he drank not any wine and when as the Noble-men of Naples demaÌ„ded the reason he answered that it had made Tit. Liuius to ly who had said that the good wines caused the French to passe the Alpes The reigne of so good a Prince was much lamented for he intreated his subiects like a Pastor and Father Commendation of René of Aniou They say that when as his Treasurers brought vnto him the Royall taxe which was sixteene Florins for euery fire wherof Prouence might haue about three thousand fiue hundred hee enformed himselfe of the aboundance or barenesse of the season and when as they told him that a * The Northeast wind Mestrall winde had reigned long he remitted the moity and sometimes the whole taxe Hee contented himselfe with his reuenues and did not charge his people with new tributes Hee x Michael de Montagne in the 2 d booke of his Essaies C. 17. of presumption saith that being at Bar-le-Duc he saw presented vnto K. Francis the 2 d. a portrait which René K. of Sicile had made of himselfe spent his time in painting the which were so excellent as they are yet to be seene in the Citty of Aix he was drawing of a partridge when as they brought him newes of the losse of the Realme of Naples yet he would not draw his hand from the worke such pleasure hee tooke therein He liued long A President of Prouence making an Oration before King Charles the ninth in the yeare 1573. said that hee had beene seene by some that were then liuing Hee instituted an Order which hee called of the Cressant The Knights carried a Cressant or halfe Moone vpon their right arme with this Motto l'Os en Croissant encouraging them thereby to seeke and desire the encrease of their valour and reputation Hee dyed at Aix his wife caused his body to bee transported into France and by a witty pollicie deceiued the Prouençals who would haue had it His death made no other change in Prouencae but of the person Charles Nephew to René succeeds him Charles his Nephew sonne to the Earle of Mayne was acknowledged Earle of Prouence but his time was very short for hee dyed before he could finish the second yeare of his reigne Some few dayes before his death on the tenth of December 1481. he made the King his heire and after his decease Charles his sonne and the other Kings his Successors y The institution of the heire is set down in thâ—se tearmes in his Testament Et quia haeredis institutio est caput fundamentâ—Ì„ cuiuslibet testamenti dictus Serenissimâ—s Domiâ—uâ— noster rex in omnibusâ— regnâ—s commitatibus Vicecomitatibus c. fecit instituit ordinauit ac ore suo proprio nominauit sibi haeredem suuÌ„ vniuersalem insoliduÌ„ Christianissimum excellentissimum principem ac dominum Ludouicum Dei gratia Francorum Regem eiusdem consobrinum Dominum chariffimum atque reuerendissimum post eius obitum illustrissimun clarissimum D. Delphinum c. beseeching him with all his heart to suffer his subiects of Prouence to enioy the graces liberties and priuiledges which they held of King René Prouence giuen to K. Lewis recommending vnto him his Cousen Francis Lord of Luxembourg to keepe him in his Court and to maintaine him in the lands of Martigues which he gaue him he did not recommend him vnto any one of his seruants in particular but one Archer of his guard called the great Pickard There was little difference betwixt his Testament and his death K. Lewis takes possession of Prouence and lesse betwixt his death and the taking of possession for on the nineteenth of the same moneth of December one thousand foure hundred eighty one the King sent a Commission to Palamedes Forbin a Knight Lord of Sollier Chamberlaine to the Earle of Prouence to take possession and to command in the Countrey in quality Lieuetenant generall with absolute power to dispose of Offices to place and displace Officers to remit and abolish crimes yea high Treason to confirme or reuoke ancient Priuiledges and to grant new to assemble the Estates to impose Tributes and to leuy Souldiers for to force obedience z This commission was dated at Thouars the 29. of December 1481. in the presence of the Earle of Marâ—e Marshall of of France and of Estellan Bailiffe of Rouen The quality of this Commission was a great Testimony of the seruice which he had done the King hauing solely disposed his Maister to make this goodly present vnto France But as all changes cause amazement there was some trouble to execute this Donation some holding the party of Lorraine and others of France René René duke of Lorraine discontented Duke of Lorraine finding his friends feeble and his power weake against the King was not willing to grow obstinate in Prouence a Hee that encounters one that is more mighty doth but vndoe himselfe More mighty is to be vnderstood in dominions subiects force and treasure A wise Italian saith to this purpurpose Si tu truoui vna machina cresciuta per la felicita disciplina d'ottocento anni discostati da essa che è cosa impossibile quando pur ella cadesse che tu non rouini sotto If thou findest a worke grown by the felicity and dâ—scipline of 800 yeares auoyd it being impossible if it falles but thou shalt bee ruined vnder it He passed the Alpes with an hundred men at Armes and a regiment of a thousand foote The King sent a garrison of Scottish men vnto Bar vnder the command of the Lord of Aubigny hee caused the Walles to bee repaired and the Armes of France to be set vpon the gate such as are yet to be seene Hee remained in Italy till after the Kings death which day hee held to be the rising of his hopes the which were onely supported by the assurance which the Duke of Bourbon b This hope was not vaine for in the first yeare of the reigne
dangerously sicke hee found himselfe very ill and fell into a great weakenesse and faintings loosing his speech and all knowledge Hee was speedily succoured by the Signior of Bouchages who was his Phisition and afterwards Arch-bishop of Vienna hauing taken a glister he recouered his spirits went to horse returned to the Forges and there dyned But hee had so great a difficulty in his speech as hee could not be vnderstood but by signes Phillip de Commines who serued him as Grome of his Chamber in this sickenesse was also his Truchman e He vnderstood little of what was said vnto him but he felt no paine Hee made mee a signe to lye in his chamber he did not pronounce many words I did serue him fifteene daies at his meate and about his person as Groome of his Chamber the which I held for a great honour and was well respected Phil. de Com. when as he confest himselfe to the Officiall of Tours And for that being surprised with this sickenesse they carried him from the Table vnto the fire An Apoplexy vnperfect and would not suffer him to come neere vnto the windowes hee remembred all this and being come vnto himselfe he demanded who they were that had staid him by force and kept him from taking of the aire being named vnto him he chased them away and would no more see them for hee did neuer like that King Charles his father should be forced to eate for that the Subiect should not in any thing force his Prince f Wee doe not willingly see theÌ„ that haue beene the secret witnesses of our faults or imperfections The Ape beholding it selfe and seeing his foulenesse his wrinkles and deformed shape breaks the glasse He thought that as soone as a Prince suffered himselfe to bee gouerned by his seruants he was as it were in tutelage and seruitude Lewis maintaines his authority to the last gaspe and he would not that this great authority the which he had so absolutely maintained all his life should bee in any thing restrained so as immagination being weakned and troubled by age Melancholy and distrust could not endure that he should bee contradicted or disswaded from any thing hauing these words often in his mouth Do you thinke that I know not what I do Nothing did so much afflict him He feares contempt the forerunner of sedition as the feare that his infirmity should be knowne g There is nothing that a Prince which beginnes to grow old should so much preuent as to make it knowne that hee grows heauy that the vigour of his spirits is weakened For ambition of rule is so itching a thing as euery man will giue order to these defects For hee thought that as soone as his weakenesse and infirmity should be discouered they would hold him as dead and vnprofitable to the world that he should be contemned of his Subiects who would passe sudenly from contempt to sedition Hee feared that in the end they would make him beleeue that his sences were distracted and that they would controule him in the expedition of affaires wherefore as soone as he felt his faintings past and that his spirits beganne to returne hee would dye in action and standing h Vespasian being tormented with a bloudyflixe whereof he dyed did not forbeare to rise and stirre his Physitions told him that it did encrease his griefe perswading him to lye quiet but he answered them The Emperour must dye standing he caused all the dispatches made by his Secretaries Hee cals for dispatches and expeditions to be brought vnto him seeming to vnderstand more then he had vigor or light of vnderstanding Hee made shew to reade the letters and although he sometimes turned them vpside downe and had little knowledge yet no man durst aduise him The misfortune of this accident was happy for Cardinaâ—l Balue i Cardinall Balue was imprisoned in August in the yeare 1469. Cardinall Balue set at liberty whom hee remembred among the scruples of his consciences Hee had taken as much pleasure to ruine him as he had receiued content to raise and aduance him He was first imprisoned at Montbasson hee did confiscate his goods and gaue his moueables to the Commissioners which made his Processe His plate was sold and the money deliuered to the Treasurer of the warres Tanneguy of Chastell Gouernour of Rousillon had his Tapestry-hangings Peter of Orioles Generall of the Finances his Library the Lord of Crussoll a peece of Tapestry of twenty elles with the ground of Gold certaine skinnes of Sables and a peece of skarlet of Florence If wee should onely consider the malice of this mans nature who was a deceiuer treacherous and ambitious and so knowne by the Italians amongst whom hee had liued and there dyed k Ierome Garimbert â—speakes of this Cardinall after this manner Egli fu di natione Francesce da Verdune pouero plâ—beio triste cupido sempre di nouae rapacitae ribaldâ—rie Hee was a Frenchman borne of Verdune a poore Plebeian wicked and alwaies couetous of gaine and filthinesse the cause of his imprisonment cannot be but iust His spirit which had lodged him there twelue yeare for that hee had employed all his pollicies and inuentions to nourish ciuill discord and which like vnto the serpent drew in the whole body where he might passe the head furnisht him with a notable stratageme to set him at liberty He pist and dranke his Vrine so secretly as they thought this retention would kill him His pollicy to get out of prison The King caused him to bee visited his Physitions told him that his life was desperate whereupon the King who was weakned with his infirmity entred into some scruple that hee had done wrongfully to haue kept a Cardinall twelue whole yeares in a Cage of Iron that the Church was scandalized and his liberty wronged The Cardinall of Saint Peter ad vincula who afterwards was called Iulio the second and was come into France to mediate a peace tooke the King in this good thought l The question is great vpon the exemption of Church-men out of the power of Princes Some hold it is ordained by the Law of God and others by grace and concession made him to apprehend the offence of the Church in the long captiuity of such a Minister and entreated for his liberty the which was presently granted Balue went to Rome and was all the remainder of his life an enemy to France and for this cause was much fauoured by Ferdinand King of Naples he dyed Bishop of Preneste and was interred at Saint Praxede This Prelate had all his life time warlike thoughts and inclinations and a chollericke and stirring spirit The Cronicle saith that in the warre of the Common-weale hee went day and night on horse-backe to visite the Guards Hee got a Commission from the King to go and muster the Souldiers at Paris The Earle of Dammartin seeing the confusion and
most famous actions As there are iniuries which are repaired by the quality only of them that doe them y The basenesse of him that doth a wrong defaceth the fearing of the iniurie Crates hauing receiued a blow on the face by Nicodromus a Man of base condition was contented for revenge to set these words vpon his wound Nicodromus faciebat so we see writings of so poore a fashion as it is indiffrent whether they be inserted or not But how comes it to passe that so diligent so exact and so iuditious a Writer had neuer cast his eyes vpon this house which had held all them of France in admiration and had not spoken of the actions of Iohn the second Earle of Vendosme which were no workes of ambition but of vertue and had not glory for their simple obiect but the contentment of his owne conscience desiring rather they should be grauen in the memory of good men then vpon the front of publicke workes An Historian that doth surpasse honour wrongs the publicke and as a sacriledge doth rauish the recompence of vertue z The sweetest fruit of a great and heroicke action is to haue done it they are deceiued which thinke to giue any other glory vnto vertue then it selfe She cannot finde out of her selfe any recompence worthy of her selfe and doth enuy the fruit that may grow thereby For although that men may be borne generous and full of heate for the loue of vertue yet it is needfull that the precepts and Images be often represented vnto them and that the statues which 〈◊〉 set vp in the Temple of memory grauen with the sciffers of eternity should bee shewed them yet it is not sufficient to shew them adorned with the Palmes and Crownes of their Triumphes they would haue them represented in such sort as they may seeme to breath speake and say vnto them a Mens mindes are excited to the loue of vertue by the examples of glory honor which adornes the memory of men whom she hath made famous werefore Polybius saith that they did represent to the youth of Rome their Images as liuing breathing to encourage them to that desire of honour which doth accompany good men Poly. lib. 6. You shall be as we are if you will liue as we did This labour may haue great defects they are found in the most perfect A History should be free from loue or hatred but they shall rather seeme to come from want of Iudgement then of will the which I finde free in this kinde of writing from hatred and loue furious passions which disguise both truth and false-hood They shall rather reproch me with ignorance then with lying and my writings shall alwayes haue more salt then spleene with what face shall they appeare in this age so much bound vnto the Kings glorious actions if they were dishonored as the rest with so iniurious a forgetfulnesse of his Predecessors Iohn Earle of Vendosme great great Grand-father to Henry the fourth King of France and Nauarre was sonne to Lewis Lord Steward of France and Gouernour of Picardy sonne to Lewis Earle of vendosme sonne to Iohn Earle of Marche sonne to Iames Constable of France the yonger sonne of Lewis of Clermont Duke of Bourbon eldest sonne to Robert of France second sonne to S. Lewis His Grand-mother was Katherine heire to the house of Vendosme his mother Ioane of Lauall daughter to Guy of Lavall surnamed dé Gaure b The Signiory of Laual was erected to an Earldome by K. Charles the seuenth at the instance of Lewis of Burbon Earle of Vandosme was the first act of Soueraignety which he did after his Coronation His father dyed in the yeare of our Lord 1447. and this death happened in a time so full of troubles as hee was forced to gird his sword vnto him more for the necessity of common defence then by reason of his quality or for seemelinesse Hee past his first Apprentiship in Armes vnder the braue Achilles of France Iohn of Orleans Earle of Dunois and was at the siege of Rouen Bourdeaux and Fronsac with Iohn Earle of Clermont sonne of Charles Duke of Bourbon and Carles of Bourgondy Duke of Neuers He serued King Charles the seuenth in all occasions that were offered to restore France and to free it from the oppressions of her enemies and did merit the Title of Most faithfull seruant of his Kings will and an inuincible companion of his dangers These two qualities which should haue purchased him loue with his successor Loialty of the Earle of Vandosme were the cause of his disgrace wherein hee did comfort himselfe by the knowledge he had of this Princes humor who did not loue any of his bloud nor them whom his Father had loued This was not able to withdraw him from his duty for hee still preserued the reputation of the ancient fidelity of them of his house vnto the Crowne c This branch of Vandosme hath that of glorious that it hath neuer left their kings in a maner all the Princes of France were of the league of the Common-weale yet Iohn Earle of Vandosme would not hearken to it When as the Duke of Orleans tooke Armes against the Lady Anne of France he drew vnto his party Charles Earle of Angoulesme the chiefe Noblemen of France onely the house of Vendosme remained with the Kings Gouernesse And although that Iohn the second Duke of Bourbon had declared himselfe of the league of the Common-weale for that the King had dispossest him of the gouernment of Guienne from whence he had expelled the English and had reduced it vnder the obedience of the Crowne yet would he not imbark himselfe in the same ship and for that he would not looke vpon this storme from a safe shore he was present at the battell at Montlehery with Francis and Lewis his children one of which was prisoner to the Earle of Charolois As the example of the head of his house did not make him reuolt so the feeling of his owne interest did not make him discontented His father had carried the Staffe of Lord Steward and his great grand-father the sword of Constable of France King Lewis the eleuenth disposed of the one and the other in fauour of men as farre inferiour in comparison of his merites as in qualities of his birth yet he did not murmure nor seeme discōtented considering that it is no more lawful for the greatest Prince of the bloud then for the least Officer of the Crowne to prescribe a law to the Soueraignes will to make it yeeld vnto his passions and that the elections of Kings in the distributions of honors are not subiect to the rules of distributiue Iustice which obserues a proportion betwixt recompence and merit d The King of France holding his Crowne of God only the ancient Law of the Realme distributes honors as he pleaseth It is a great violence to force a a minde full of courage to hate
returne to Amboise not holding if fit that this new Sonne should rise before the West of his life This great reioycing of all France did but augment his heauinesse to see himselfe forced to quit the place vnto his sonne All the helpes which the Art of man could inuent were imployed He caused the holy Oile to be brought l This Vyall of holy Oile was seene by Philip de Commines vpon the Cupbord in the Kings Chamber at Plessis at the houre of his death Others baue written that the gaue vp the Ghost as it arriued the Clergy of Paris the Court of Parliament the Vniuersity and other Companies went in Procession the last day of Iuly 1483. to meete it at Saint Anthonies in the field it was lodged that night in the holy Chappell and the next day passed on and was followed with the same company vnto our Lady in the fields Phillip de Commines saith that he had an intent to take the like vnction that he did at his Coronation Others haue written that it was to know the declining of his life for when the King is dead it is empty and filleth againe miraculously for the Coronation of a new On Monday the 25. of August he fell into that extremity of sickenesse which ended his daies Last actions of Lewis the eleuenth and forced him to acknowledge himselfe not onely mortall and dying but as death At that time he sent vnto his sonne all such as came to see him saying vnto them Go vnto my sonne your King serue him well giuing to euery one some charge to deliuer vnto him but most confidently to Stephen de Vers Baliffe of Meaux who had bene his Gouernour He sent vnto him also his chiefe Officers the Chancellour with his Seales and all his traine the Captaines and Archers of his Guard his Hunts-men and Faulkeners But his intent was not to suffer them long there if hee recouered his health as assuredly as he felt his courage firme and his iudgement strong the braine not being troubled with the maligne fumes of his infirmity for he had a continuall loosenesse So wee see that the soule in this seperation of the lodging wherein it hath beene shut and whereof it hath great cause to complaine m 〈…〉 of the 〈…〉 some guest the soule complainâ—s of the body 〈◊〉 of a troublesome lodging Vt qui in alieno habitant multis aguntur in commodis semperque de aliqua domicilij parte queruntur Ita animus nunc de capite nunc de pedibus nunc de stomacho nonc aliud de alioqueritur significans se esse non in suo domicâ—o sed vnde breui sit emigrandum As they that dwell in another mans house haue many discommodities and doe still complaine of some part of it So the soule doth complaine sometimes of the head of the legs of the stomacke and other parts shewing that she is not in her own mansioan but froÌ„ whence she must soone depart SeÌ„ recouereth new strength by the ioy which it conceiues to re-enter into this spheare of her rest She disposeth saith a great man of this age more wisely and more holily of all things fore-seeth more certainely that which is to come fore-telleth it and doth prophecy for that shee beginnes to approach to her first beginning to be ioyned againe to that immortall being and to participate with the life eternall Soone after hee fell into great faintings which made him to loose his speech but he recouered it to will the Duke of Bourbon to go vnto the King his sonne and that hee should haue a care of him Commandements extraordinary of the King charging him with many extraordinarie things the which had caused terrible accidents if they had encountred a froward and difficult spirit Philip de Commines in this place speakes what hee thinkes good and confirmeth his opinion by the euents Hee gaue him all the charge and gouernement of the King and commanded him that some men should not come neere him telling him many good and not able causes and if the Lord of Beaujeu had obserued his commandements in euery point or at least in part for there were some extraordinary coÌ„mandements which were not to be kept that in the generality be had obserued theÌ„ better I think it had been profitable both for the Realme and himselfe considering those things which haue since happened n Phi. de Com. doth notâ— heere the diuâ—sioâ—which was betwixt the Lady Anne of France and the D. of Orleance whereof he hath not written any thing in the câ—urse of the history A diuision which caused the Assembly of the Estates at Tours and then of a league whose first attempts appeared before Orleance the second ended in Brittany by the battell of Saint Aubin the 28. of Iuly 1488. and by the taking of the Duke of Orleans This commandement of the King incountering a spirit which was milde tractable and temperate had not the effects it should haue had Bounty and mildenesse are sometimes negligent in matters which require heate and quickenesse This Prince was one of the best of his age being nothing but mildenesse and courtesie The more rare these qualities are in Princes o Humility and courtesie are goodly qualities in great men Humanitas tam clara in imperatore quam rara est Nam quum indiscreta felicium predissequa sit superbia vix cuiquam contingit abundare fortuna indigere arrogantia Cuius quidem ita maiores nostros semper praetesum est vt grauiorem semper putaueâ—nt sâ—ruitutae contemptum Humanity is as glorious as rare in an Emperour For as arrogancy is an indiscreeet 〈…〉 to fortune it seldome happens that any one abounds with good fortune and wants arrogancy The which was alwaies so hatefull to our fore-fathers as they held contempt more grieuous then seruitude Lat. Pac. Pan. the more excellent they are arrogancy neuer faileth in them who haue no wants and pride doth alwaies follow felicity It is a miracle to see a great Prince courteous milde and affable Rome found not any Surname more odious for the last of her Kings then that of Proud and comprehended in that word all the vices for the which she changed the forme of her gouernment and supprest the Royalty in despite of the King Yet the mildenesse and facillity of this Prince gaue a great foundation to the troubles which happened for the Regency of the Realme The King had often said in his life time Lewis the 11. would not haue theÌ„ speake of death vnto him that in what extremity soeuer they saw him they should neuer pronounce that word of death vnto him p These feares which happen at the dissâ—lution of such sweete company as the body and the soule cometh not through faihtnes of heart or want of courage this word Death hath drawne words of griefe from the soule of the Son of God it hath made the heart of the most constant to treâ—ble
it selfe to the tyrany of vice hee is not wicked with one kind of crime onely Quisnam hominum est quem tu coâ—tentum videris vno Flagitio What is hee among men whom thou shalt sâ—e content with enâ— villany Iuvâ—n killing his children so soone as they were borne Hee was hanged at Paris and his daughter was burned at Magny neere vnto Pontoise Three Serieants forced a Priests chamber in Paris and did beate him outragiously they were condemned to bee whipt through the Streetes of Paris A Religious man of the Temple had his Throate cut by one of his brethren The great Prior of France being assisted by the Commanders and Knights condemned him to bee kept prisoner in a Dungeon and there to be fed with the bread of sorrow and water of heauinesse A faire Burgesse of Paris who was much esteemed among the women of best fame gaue eare to the Earle of Foix who attempted against her honour suffered her selfe to be wonne and left father mother husband and children to follow him A Hosier being accused of many Thefts cut out his owne tongue for that hee would not confesse any thing There were many scandalous Libels cast abroad in Paris against the Kings chiefe Officers namely against the Constable of Saint Paul An Archer was condemned to be hanged at Paris for e â—he Schoole oâ— Physitions at Paâ—â—s dere an 〈◊〉 to be cut that they might see how the stone is framed and how it lyeth in mans body for that there were many troubled therewith in those daies he was cured and his life saued sacriledge hauing robbed the Church of Meudon A Franciscan Frier Preaching indiscretly was banished the Realme in the yeare one thousand foure hundred three score and eighteene in the month of October a Monke Hermaphrodite vsing both Sexes became great with childe Behold how that in those times as well as in ours excesse and disorders were common The world is nothing but a sincke of all filthinesse O what a vile and abiect thing said an Ancient is man if hee doe not raise himselfe aboue man Wee see few become good men for the onely respect of integrity and honesty If they enter into the Temple of Vertue it is alwaies by some false dore Lewis the eleuenth had three sonnes and three daughters Ioachim died yong Children of Lewis the 11. and this death drew with sorrow from the fathers heart a Vow neuer to know any other woman but the Queene Francis Duke of Berry died in the yeare one thousand foure hundred three score and foureteene This losse caused him to shut himselfe vp for some few daies in the Castle of Amboise refusing to see or to bee seene of any not considering that Kings children were men borne in the cries and groanes of their mothers and bewayling their owne miseries like to other men f Stratonicus an Artificer of Athens hearing that the mother of Timotheus cryed out at her deliuery said How wold she haue cryed if she had made an Artificer Hee mocked at that common slattery which spake of Kings children as of the children of the Gods Atheneus This griefe was humane and should haue beene lamented humanely and comforted by this reason That the thing which is restored to him to whom it belongeth cannot be said to bee lost But it is hard to see a goodly flower die at the breake of day A vaine reason he that maketh it to grow may gather it when and how he pleaseth Louyse his eldest daughter dyed also in her Infancy Anne was betrothed to Nicholas Marquesse of Pont Grand-childe to René Duke of Anjou but hee did not marry her for the Duke of Bourgundy being iealous of this Alliance propounded vnto him the marriage of Mary his onely daughter to draw him by this vaine hope from the seruice of this Crowne Shee was married to Peter of Bourbon Ioane his third to daughter was married to Lewis the twelfth and put away in the first yeare of his raigne So as finding her selfe hatefull vnto her husband and vnpleasing to many shee left the world g Being vnmarried she wedded herselfe to solitarinesse the which shee had desired all her life In her Infancy the King demanded of her of what Order shee would haue her Confessour and shee made choice of the Gardien of the Franciscan Fryers at Amboise Her father loued her not for that Nature had giuen him cause to complaine of her deformity hauing not ingrauen any makes of her fauours neither vpon her face nor on her person for she was blacke little and crooked h Beauty is a peece of so great recommendation as they that are not fauored there-with are lesse pleasing eueÌ„ to them that by Nature should loue them The Signior of Lesguiere her Gouernour did hide her often vnder his Gowne when as the King met her to the end hee should not bee troubled with the sight of her The hatred of King Lewis the eleuenth her father the death of Charles the eighth her brother and the diuorce of King Lewis the twelfth her husband changed all the sweetenesse of her life into the bitternesse of the Crosse and imbarkt her as in a tempestuous Sea whereas shee found no other Port but that of death The children of great men to become the children of God are bound to drinke of the cuppe of affliction i Happy are those paines and afflictions which are to amend saue not to ruine destroy the afflicted The Crosse is the marke of the Cittizens of heauen they whom the hand of God disdlaines to strike are such as he disdaines to amend as well as the meanest The way to heauen is full of Thornes The flaming sword appeared at the entring of Paradice The Land promised to the faithfull aboundeth with plenty of Milke and Honny Milke is first bloud before Milke Honny is drawne from bitter flowers Roses grow among Thornes Her husband loued her not Cause of the dissolution of the marriage of Lewis the twelfth and yet during the time of his imprisonment in the great tower of Bourges he receiued no other succour nor assistance but from this Princesse The cause of their Diuorce was Sterrility and want of consent in marriage CLAVDIVS of Seyssell saith that hee gaue her vnto him to the end that sterrility and barrenesse might depriue him of all meanes to haue children so much he hated and abhorred the Bloud Royall k The cause of this diuorce was fterility and want of consent in marriage Lewis declaring that King Lewis the 11. had forced him to marry her Her consolation was in this solitarinesse for that shee recouered the liberty which shee had long desired The King gaue her the Dutchy of Berry for her portion the Towne of Bourges was her retreate with a yeerely pension of one thousand two hundred pounds Sterling Shee made the Order of the Religious of the Annunciado otherwise called the Order of the Virgin Mary the which was allowed and
profit to deceiue any without distinction especially the Princes of the bloud who speake as if God had suffred him to liue for the miserie of the Common-weale and the ruine desolation of the people whose fatnesse and good estate he held dangerous for the health of the whole body holding for a Maxime that they should not do ill vnto the people nor attend any good of them In the end the Chronicle speakes after this manner This King in his life time by reason of some men that were about his person as Oliuer the Diuell called Dain his Barber Iohn Doyac and many others to whom hee gaue more credit then to any men of his Realme did during his Reigne many Iniustices wrongs and violences and had brought his people so low as at the time of his death they were almost in despaire All this is nothing but a rough draught of his humours Plety and Religion of Lewis the 11 th To view the whole Table wee must consider what his Religion and Piety was towardes God and his obedience towardes the Pope then wee will passe to his affection toward his Wife his Sonne Father and his neerest Kinsmen the Princes of his Bloud and his Seruants Of all these things the Iudgement shall bee reserued to truth and discretion which will haue the memory of Princes to be alwayes reuerenced and that they speake of their defects not as of vices but as of imperfect vertues f The vertues of Princes shold be spoken without flattery their vices by discretion they must not set downe their defectes plainly but passe them ouer as vertues which are not perfect It is the aduice which Plutarke giue writing the life of Simon For the first the good is alwayes good and the euill is alwayes euill Opinion cannot change the essence of things they are very hardy which will haue actions to bee other then they appeare Slander hauing no strong sight to behold the brightnesse of vertue vseth false spectacles and calleth that Feare which is Wisedome Hypocrisie that which is Deuotion â—arde iudgment of Claudius Seissel and Inhumanity that which is Iustice I finde that Claudius Seissell hath iudged very boldly of the Deuotion and Piety of this Prince thinking that he hath pierced into the very inward parts by the obseruation which he hath made of the outward man He hath represented him very melancholicke and superstitious alwayes trembling and terrified with the horrour of eternall paine His deuotion g True pâ—ety supports it selfe she will haue the soule cheerefull obedient and that a good man bee so although that nothing should bee euer knowne said he seemed to bee more Superstitions then Religious For to what Image or Church of GOD and Saints and namely of our Lady that he vnderstood the people had any deuotion or where there were any miracles done he went thither to make his Offering or sent some expresly thither Hee had moreouer his Hat full of Images the most part of Lead and Tinne the which whensoeuer any good or bad newes came vnto him or that the humour tooke him hee kist falling sometimes suddenly downe vpon his knees in what place soeuer hee were so as hee seemed rather a man distracted then wise Such censures belong to him who doth keepe and iudge the hearts of Kings God the Iudge of Hearts but it is true this Princes Religion was wholy outward retaining nothing in his heart It was popular and ceremonious as if he had had for the obiect of his worship a visible dignity and that it were sufficient to appeare holy and not to bee so h Religion will haue an exterior and publicke exercise with her Ceremonies The Prince is bound vnto it and it is Impiety for any other to contradict it and to trouble the order But the seruice which is done by the Spirit is answerable to the essence of God who is all Spirit and that which is done outwardly is more for vs them for him His Chronicle saith that on a Sunday the eighth of September going from the Tournelles to our Ladies Church hee past by the Church of Mary Magdalen to subscribe himselfe a brother and companion of the great brotherhood of the Bourgeses of Paris The God of the people is the God of Kings but the exterior seruice of Religion allowes many things to the simplicity of the people which are not fitting for the maiesty of Kings If wee shall iudge of causes by the euents wee may say that the Pilgrimages on Foote and Horse-backe Pilgrimages of Lewis 11 and the most zealous deuotions of this Prince haue often couered designes which were repugnant to Piety and Iustice Hee did therein alwayes circumvent some one and vpon this opinion that the shew of religion workes wonders in the beleefe of men i The people opinion of their Princes holinesse workes great effects Sertorius with his Hinde had graâ—en such a superstition in his Souldiers mindes as they did not thinke that they were gouerned by a man who had more iudgement theÌ„ they but they did firmly beleeue that it was some God which guided them keeping them from iudging rashly of his life and actions whom they saw so familiar with God They say that he did fit his religion to his designes and not his designes to his religion They did not in those times speake of that most impious Maxime Maxim of Machiuel That it is sufficient for a Prince to seeme outwardly religious and deuout although he be not so A Maxime of Atheisme which mockes at God to deceiue men at God who in the end confounds hypocrites wil be serued with an vnfaigned heart whereof hee sees and sounds the deepest bottome k They make Machiuel Author of this Maxime that a new Princce cannot obserue all things for the which men are esteemed good being often constrained for the maintaining of his estate to doe things contrary to faith and religion to leaue the good when he may and to do the euill when he is forced We may well say that the world lookes but to the exterior and that which is in shew It is not possible in matters of religion whose actions must be so often reiterated that hypocrisie should still ioyne them so well together but some one will dis-band and discouer the deceite The Signior of Haillan Historiographer of France who hath promised to publish the whole History of this King and hath giuen vs an abridgement in his booke which is excellent and iuditious touching the affaires of France speakes of his Religion after this manner Neuer Man was more superstitious then hee hee did things which were good in shew but to a bad intent thinking by his superstition to deceiue both GOD and the world The superstitious feare not to doe euill for the opinion they haue to obtaine absolution by the acts of their superstition l Hipocrisie cannot continue long lying cannot deceiued long The night lasts not but wheÌ„
the Sun is far from the Horizon Iudgements are setled vpon that which they see wherefore Machiuel saith It concernes euery man to see and few to feele but in the end the maske falles Hee tooke from the poore to giue vnto Churches and did more oppresse his people with Tributes and Taxes then any other King of his Predecessors and therefore hee made his subiects to bee ill affected vnto him Hee confest himselfe often for that once a weeke hee touched them that were troubled with the Kings euill Curing of the Kings euill It is the onely miracle which hath remained perpetuall in the Christians religion and in the house of France That this griefe whose beginning is an incorrigible ill digestion a hidious vlcer to looke on dangerous to touch and for the most part incurable should bee healed by these words The King toucheth thee and God cures thee is a wonder beyond the reach of discourse and iudgement m That Clouis did first cure the Kings Euill is drawne out of the Epistle of Hormisda a Pope S. Lewis addes to the Ceremony of touching the signe of the Crosse. His arme is at Poblette whither they that are sick of that discase go in pilgrimage to be cured I say aperpetuall miracle The Kings of England haue the same vertue for since Clouis the first Christian King it hath continued to them which succeeded to his Religion and Crowne Other Realmes haue had the like graces giuen them but they haue not continued The Kings of England cured the falling sickenesse they of Hungary the Iaundise and they of Castille those that were possest I could not finde what men he imployed for the seruice of God and the conduct of his conscience n Wee finde that he who was the head directer of Gods seruice in the Kings house was cald Apocrisâ—ire vnder the first race Arch-chaplain in the secoÌ„d and great Chaplain or great Almoner vnder the third I reade that besides the great Chaplin or Arch-chaplin hee had two Chaplins and one Clarke of the Chappell and that a Franciscan Fryer called Iohn Vouste did for a long time exercise one of these charges The Chronicle saith that a little before his death hee made a Doctor of Tours called Maister Martin Magistri his Councellour and Almoner who dyed at Clerry after the voyage of Saint Claude In the accounts and expences of his House wee finde that hee bound the Citty of Tours to giue euery day in the Weeke Friday and Saturday excepted a peece of Royall Beefe a foote square to the Lepers and Hospitall of Tours and for the performance thereof gaue a hundred pounds sterling to bee imployed in the purchase of lands for the foundation of this peece Leprosie which growes from an Adust and Melancholy bloud demands meates that are lesse earthly o The aire water and nourishmeÌ„t may not only alter the temperature of bodies but also of the minde Sunt qui non corpora tantuÌ„ verum etiam animos valeaÌ„t mutare liquores being certaine that nourishment ingenders diseases and being ingendred entertaines them Hee granted vnto the holy Chappell at the Palace of Paris the moities of the Regalities to bee imployed in the entertainment of the Church and Ornaments Hee founded the Religious Nuns of the Aue Marie which was the ancient Conuent of the Beguines a kinde of Religion which was as it were Neuter betwixt the Maries and other religious Women his picture and that of Queene Charlotte is to bee seene in the quire in glasse He did enrich the Church of our Lady of Clery and of Victory with great reuenues Being at Lyon in the yeare 1476. he gaue vnto the Chapter of the Church of Foruiere p This Church is onâ—â— of the most remarkable Antiquities of the Câ—tty of Lyons The word of â— oruiere comes from Forum veneris or Forum vetus It is much boâ—nd to the memory of Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury the rents and guards of S. Simphorien le Chastel and the Farme of the Chastelenie of Charlien to binde them to say certaine Masses daily in a Chappell called Our Lady of good Councell The letters of dispatch shewe the great deuotion of this Prince to the seruice of the virgin Mary and begin in these tearmes Hauing had consideration of the great and singular graces which God our Creator hath heretofore done vs at the Intercession of his blessed Mother the glorious virgin Mary in whom after God her sonne we haue alwayes had our chiefe refuge and hope and who in the conduct of our greatest affaires hath alwayes imparted vnto vs her grace and Intercession to God her sonne so as by her meanes and aid our Realmes and Signiories are by the grace of God preserued entertained and remaine in peace vnder vs and our true obedience notwithstanding any enterprises practises and conspiracies which haue beene made since our comming to the Crowne against vs and our said Realme Signiory and Subiects as well by our enemies and aduersaries as other our rebels and disobedient subiects their adherents and complices He did institute many godly things the obseruation whereof hath continued vnto our times q The institution of the prayer which is made at noone by the sound of a bed was the first day of May 1472. his deuotion to the virgin Mary made him ordaine that at noon-day euery man should pray at the sound of a bell and say the salutation of the Angell for the peace of the Realme The Emperour Charlemaine had great and eminent vertues The commendatioÌ„ of Charlemaigne hee declared himselfe enemy to Didier King of the Lombardes who had reuolted against the Pope he pacified Italy subdued the Saxons and expelled the Sarazens out of Spaine But this enterprise was greater and more hardy then profitable and needfull for Gannes otherwise called Gannelon betrayed him and was the cause of that memorable defeat of Roncivaux r In the valley of Ronceuaux dyed these valiant Captaines Rowland Reynold of Montauban and Ogier the Dane Charlemaigne made these foure verses vpon the death of Rowland his sisters sonnes Tu patriam repetis tristi nos orbe relinquis Te tenet aula nitens nos lachrymosa dies Sed qui lustra geris octo binos super annos Ereptus terris iustus ad astra redis where those braue and generous knights were lost whose incredible valour is no more beleeued then the truth of the Romance He ioyned the Roman Empire to the Monarchy of France But the Emperiall Diadem did not cure the great afflictions of the minde which he had all the time of his Empire by the reuolt of the Sarazens in Spaine the Sclauonians or Danes and the Normans Three yeares before his death at the age of 68 yeares he gaue himselfe to holy contemplation and to the care of Religion and the Church Founder of the Vniuersity of Paris he erected the Vniuersity of Paris by the aduice of Alcuin
act the part of Kings of France for many yeares made him to take Armes and to ioyne the reuenge of this death to the defence of the Crowne Hee was taken prisoner at the battell of Agincourt and carried into England where hee remained fiue and twenty yeares His liberty and rest came from thence from whence proceeded the causes of the miseries of his house and of his captiuity Phillip Duke of Bourgundy paied two hundred thousand Crownes for his ransome married him to Mary of Cleues his Neece and gaue him the Order of the Golden Fleece y The Duke of Orleance receiued the Order of the Duke of Bourgundy after his returne out of EnglaÌ„d in the yeare 1440. Hee was not receiued by King Charles the seuenth according to his hopes and the greatnesse of his quality Assembly at Neuers in the yeare 1442. This discontent made him to ioyne with the intentions of the Dukes of Bourgundy Brittany Alençon and other Noble men who assembled at Neuers to make King Charles the 7. regard them better then he did and to reforme the disorders of the Realme z The discontented Princes assembled at Neuers in the yeare 1442. The Archbishop of Rheims Chancellour of France was sent to moderate their choller and to assure them of all they desired This was presently repaired for the English made their profite and the Duke of Orleance recouered the ranke and authority which the dignity of his birth gaue him neere the King Who employed him in the conference which was made at Tours for a Truce betwixt France and England vnder the fauour whereof hee vndertooke the conquest of Milan after the death of PHILLIP MARIA The successe of this enterprise did shew that hee had beleeued them too lightly who had represented it so easy as the first day hee should arme Lombardy would giue him the Castle of Milan Hee past into Italy to take possession of the Dutchy a It is a great errour in a Prince to beleeue that lightly which is represented vnto him of the facillity of a great designe notwithstanding that the most temperate are subiect to suffer themselues to bee carried away with these goodly perswasions Credulitas error magisest quam culpa quidem in optimis cuiusque mentem facillimè irripit Credulity is an errour rather then a fault and it doth easily creepe into the best mens minds Cicero But as it hath beene alwaies reproached vnto the French neuer to thinke of their returne when they passe the Mountaines being there hee was presently vnfurnished of all necessary meanes to worke any great effect and was forced to end his enterprises as soone as they beganne The conquest of the County of Ast was the fruite of his voiage the rest remained to FRANCIS SFORCE This County of Ast serued him for a retreate for some time after the greatnesse of his courage not suffering him to remaine neere the King Cause of the Duke of Orleans death for the small esteeme he made of him A contempt which did wound his heart with so sencible a griefe as CLAVDIVS of Seyssell finds no other cause of his death Lewis Duke of Orleance was successour to this bad vsage and to the end that this contempt might bee a counterpoise to the greatnesse of his courage hee would haue his breeding lesse exquisite then his generous disposition could beare and forced him to marry his daughter who was weake and crooked b The Author of the remembrances of the Royall House of Bourbon saith that Lewis the eleuenth caused Lewis Duke of Orleance to bee bred vp as grossely as he could to abate that generous heart of the house of Orleance Claudius of Seyssell saith that he vsed him very roughly and sought to kill him giuing him a boane of griefe and repentance to gnawe for aboue twenty yeares According to the Maxime to humble the Princes of his bloud hee intreated the Earle of Angoulesme no better and would not suffer him to thinke of marrying the Princesse of Bourgondy desiring rather that that great and mighty Estate should be in the power of a forraigne Prince Hee doubted the courage of them that were neerest allied vnto him and held them as it were ouerwhelmed vnder the rocke of contempt and necessity and kept them from great charges The springs of his bounty were drawne dry for them for he vsed France like vnto an Orchard where as they cut pull vp and transplant trees at their pleasure That great and wonderfull house of Bourbon which alone can reckon as many triumphes as France hath had enemies and which before all others carried a Ducal Crowne auoided these stormes c This royall family of Bourbon hath bin so much esteemed by our ancieÌ„t Monarks as it was the first among the Princes of bloud that was honoured with the Title of a Duke for although the Dutchy of Bourgondy were long before the erection of the Dutchy of Bourbon yet it was neuer compreheÌ„ded in the house of France but since Charlâ—s the fift and the Dutchie of Bourbon was erected by Philip of Valois Grand-father to Charles the 5. He would haue vsed it with the like rigor but hee found it more firme Greatnes of the house of Bourbon forcing him to conuert his spleene and hatred into other effects of loue and affection For he he gaue the first Coller of the Order to Iohn Duke of Bourbon his brother who had married the Lady Ioane of France daughter to Charles the seuenth and the Lady Agnes his daughter to Peter of Bourbon to whom he committed all his important affaires hee gaue him the inheritance of the Earle of Armagnac yet he would not haue him carry the Title of Earle Maiesty Next to the duties which binde a Prince to serue God and to loue his Allies there is not any thing which should keepe his spirit more in action then the care of Maiesty for it is so delicate a spring as if it slip or breake the whole frame of authority is in disorder and he becomes a king of a Tragedie When I speak of Maiesty I meane not that to maintaine that a Prince should liue like vnto the Kings of Persia in a Castle with three Ditches Ridiculous grauitie of Princes and as many Walles d The Kings of Persia were rather worshipped then reuerenced by their subiects They remained in a Castle with three Ditches three walles speaking to few and yet had news daily from all parts of their Empire from the straight of Hellespont to the East Indies by Centinels which were set vpon the mountaines that they should not speake vnto him but through a trauers like vnto the Kings of Borney that hee should not see his subiects but bare-headed and couered with ashes or that hee should not shew himselfe but once a yeare like to the first Kings of France But my meaning is to speake of that inuiolable and glorious respect which bindes a Prince not to say do or
Ministers of England Philip de Commines saith that he was imployed to win the Lord Hastings as the Duke of Bourgondy had formerly done to haue him his friend at a thousand Crownes pension Hee was very difficult to resolue but as Siluer is like vnto Cephalus Arrow which is neuer shot in vaine that a long pursute shakes the most constant resolutions hee suffered himselfe to be wonne for two thousand Crownes pension The King sent Peter Cleret one of the Stewards of his House vnto him to carry him this Money and to bring backe a quittance to bee put with the rest and to iustifie hereafter that not onely Hastings Lord Chamberlaine but also the Lord Howard high Admirall the Lord Chainey Maister of the Horse and Thomas of Montgomery had beene Pensioners to the French King This was said to make a gaine in giuing and to make a Trade of liberality q To hope for profite of that which is giuen is to trafficke and to put money to vsury it is to thinke to â—old in letting goe and to receiue in giuing Philip de Commines doth plainly set downe what past betwixt them Cleret demanded a quittance and Hastings was not so ill aduised as to giue him any Cleret let him vnderstand that hee had to doe with a Maister who was very distrustfull and if he did not make it appeare how he had deliuered this summe vnto him he might say he had stolne it and therefore he desired onely a letter of three lines vnto the King Hastings seeing that there was some colour in his reasons but much more in those which did not allow him to write gaue him to vnderstand Wisedome of the Lord Hastings that they should trust his Faith and Word r There is nothing that doth binde more then the assurance which wee take of the fidelity conscience of any one It is easier to breake ciuill bonds then them of honour which hee esteemed more then an hundred bondes in writing Hee therefore answered after this manner Sir that which you say is reasonable but this gift comes voluntarily from the King your Maister and not at my suite if you will haue mee take it you shall put it into my sleeue and you shall haue no other letter nor testimony â— will not that it shall bee said by me that the Chamberlaine of England hath beene a Pensioner to the French King nor that my quittances bee found in his chamber of accounts s It is iniustice to cause benefit to be hurtfull infamous to him that receiues it The said Cleret rested satisfied left him the money and came and made this report vnto the king who was much offended that he had not brought him a quittance but he commended the said Chamberlaine more then all the other seruants of the King of England and he was euer after paid without giuing quittance He was so great an Architect as he imployed all sorts of spirits fortunes and conditions in the building of his designes Hee did not only seeke to haue at his deuotion the chiefe Ministers of kings but hee also drew them vnto him that had credit and authority in free Townes and Common-weales therefore he loued great Cosmo de Medicis and was grieued for his death which happened in the first yeares of his reigne The lawes of wisedome did binde him to enter frendship with a house Commendation of the house of Medicis whose great felicity drew the greatest of Europe to admiration Vertue doth force euen Enuy it selfe to suffer this Palme to grow which sprung vp the higher the more they sought to depresse it t When as Enuy hath stormed striuen against the growing glory of a house in the end shee is forced to yeeld her eyes can no more endure such a glistering light Est aliquod meriti spatium quod nulla furentis Inuidiae mensura capit Claud. in laud. Stiliconis and made it knowne that it is no lesse indiscretion to maligne the glory and prosperity of merit as to bee angry when the sun shines which Iupiter commandes and Apollo pronounceth his Oracles In those dayes to enuy the glory of the greatnesse of the house of Medicis was to depriue the Colossus of vertue of his shadow which is glory Lewis 11. had great reasons to esteeme him knowing that great Cosmo de Medicis had made Francis Sforce Duke of Millan that the wealth of his seruants had raised the hopes of many great Princes Riches of the house of Medicis which were in a maner deiected u A seruant vnto Peter de Medicis lent vnto Edward the fourth an hundreth and twenty thousand Crownes and another 50000 to the Duke of Bourgondy at one time and 80000. at another that without him Edward 4. had not returned into his Realme and the Duke of Bourgondy had lost his credit in Italy In those times they did not speake but of the Piety and Magnificence of great Cosmo de Medicis who had opened the barre to his posterity to attaine vnto the soueraigne command of Tuscanie Hee liued as a Cittizen commanded as a Prince and his Countrey gaue him the Title of Father His vertue was a Rampart to good Men x A good man is a great Rampart to good man against a powerfull Citizen that persecutes them Such was Nicias at Athens against the insolency and rashnesse of Cleon. Plut. in Nicias his House a refuge to good Wittes out-raged by Fâ—â—tune and a Port to the Muses chased out of Greece His bâ—unty appeared in foure Millions of Gold The Kings of Perou haue their newes carried after this manner They haue vpon the high wayes posts or Cabanes appointed at euery mile the first Carrier cries vnto the second what is commanded him the second carries it vnto the third with the like speede and so vntill it comes vnto the place appointed e 〈◊〉 as Suetonius reports Iâ—uenes Pâ—â—ro modicis interâ—alles per militatis vias dehinc vehicula disposuit He first set yong men by small distances vpon the high wayes and then hee appointed Coches Hee speakes also of Caesars diligence by Coches Longissimas vias incredibili celeritate confecit expeditus meritoria rheda centena passuum millia in dies singulos Hee went long iourneyes with incredible speed a hundred miles euery day being set in a hired Coch. The Emperour Augustus ordained Coaches in certaine places to conduct them that carried his commandements through the Prouinces or that brought him any newes before time they did hire them and Caesar did vse them when as he went in so short a time from Rome to the bankes of Rosne Paris the Rome of France the miracle of the Citties of Europe whereof it should be the Dyamond if it were a Ring owes vnto this Prince the most fauourable concession and confirmation of the priuiledge which it enioyeth and wherewith Kings haue alwayes gratified it holding it reasonable that it should beare the markes of their fauour
Aduentures vnto the thirtieth yeare Predictions vpon the life of Lewis the eleuenth hee aduertised King Charles the seuenth of his rebellion and how his gouernment would be wonderfull to men k This man was much esteemed by Duke Amedeus the Pope hee foretold the Schisme of the Church and the warre betwixt France and England Manasses a lew of Valencia continued these predictions vnto the battel of Montlehery Peter of Saint Valerien a Chanon of Paris and a great Astrologian was sent in the yeare 1435. into Scotland for the marriage of the Lady Margaret during his abode in Flanders hee consulted alwaies with Astrologians of future things and these impostors more hurtfull to a Common-wealth then Players l Sights entertaine the people and breed them vp â—n idlenesse And therefore Phillip Augugustus by an Edict banisht Plaiers out of France Nihil tam moribus alienum quam in spectaculo desidere Sen. whom his predecessours had chased away were alwaies in his eares Hee caused many iudgements to be made by Iohn Coleman his Astrologian who taught him to vnderstand the great Almanacke and vpon the great Coniunction of Saturne and Mars which was the eighth of Aprill about ten of the clocke eighteene minutes in the yeare 1464 He spake plainely of the troubles of the League and so did in like manner Peter of Grauille whom Lewis the 11. caused to come out of Normandy Conrade Hermgarter a Germaine left the Duke of Bourgundies seruice for the Kings who gaue him great entertainements But aboue all hee made great esteeme of Angelo Catho a Neapolitan who came into France with the Prince of Tarentum m Iohn Spirink did also foretel the Duke of Bourgundy that if he went against the Suisses it would succede ill the Duke answered that the fury of his Sword should vanquish the course of heauen and had foretold the Duke of Bourgundy and the Duke of Guelders their misfortunes The King gaue him the Arch-bishopricke of Vienna wherein hee could not reside for the great crosses he receiued from them of Dauphiné but was forced to retire himselfe to Rome His Chronicle doth also speake of the death of Maister Arnold his Astrologian during the plague in the yeare 1466. the which hee had foreseene and which vnpeopled Paris of aboue 40000. persons France had other kinds of men which did better deserue the fauour and bounty of the King then these Deuiners God is offended at the rashnesse of this science which vndertakes the knowledge of future things which is onely reserued to his eternall Prouidence and which in regard of man is all composed in with clouds and impenetrable darkenesse Vanity of Iudiciary Astrology The curious are deceiued for they tell them things that are either true or false n Fauorinus with this Dilemma mockes at Iudiciary Astrology Aut aduersa dicunt prospera Si dicunt prospera fallunt miser fies frustra expectando Si aduersa dicunt mentiuntur miser fies frustra timendo Either they tell aduerse things or prosperous If they fore-tell prosperous things and erre thou art a wretch in vaine expectance if they tell aduerse things and lye thou wilt be a wretch in fearing without cause They make themselues miserable in the expectation of prosperity which neuer happens They are miserable also in the apprehension of aduersities which they feare incessantly happen not but when they least dreame of them thinking they haue escaped them and howsoeuer lying deceiues hope and augments feare o Iudiciary Astrologyis forbidden by the reasons which Epiphanius produceth against the Manicheans Basâ—le in his Exameron Chrisostome vpon Genesis Hom. 5. Augustin lib. 4. cap. 3. of 〈◊〉 Cofessionâ— and by the Counciles of Tolâ—do The Church which hath the eternall truth for the verticall Starre of her establishment which doth alwaies looke vnto the Sunne of Iustice and Constancie not gouerning her selfe like vnto the Synagogue by the inconstancy of the Moone hath religiously and iudiciously detested the practice of Iudiciary Astrology which filles the eares with vanity and curiosity and the conscience with amazement If the curiosity had had any reflexion to the aduancement and beautifying of learning Barbarisme had not tyranized so long ouer so many good wits Princes cannot adde goodlier Crownes to the Palmes and Bayes of their vertues then those which good wits do dedicate vnto them as an acknowledgement of their fauours to learning p The glory which a Prince doth get by Armes is great That which comes from the fauour and protection of learning is immortal Intâ—r omnia quae vertute principum ac felicitate recreantur sint licet for tasse alia magnitudine atque vtilitate potiora nihill est tameÌ„ admirabilius haec libertate quam fouendis honorandisue literarum studijs iâ—partiuÌ„t Among all the things which are delighted with the vertue and felicity of Prinalthough it may be there are some to be preferred in greatnesse and profite yet there is nothing more admirable then that liberality which is bestowed to nourish honour the study of learning Eumenes Rhoetâ—r in orat pro instau scho King Charles the seuenth father to Lewis and King Charles the eighth his sonne had some care of the Vniuersity of Paris The first set downe an order for the decision of causes referred to the Court of Parliament The last declared what men should enioy the priuiledges of the Vniuersitie and how they should be inrowled in the booke of Priuiledges But wee do not finde that Lewis hath done any thing either with it or against it The President Thou whose History Europe doth no lesse admire for his eloquence and boldnesse then Italy did Titus Liuius and Greece Thucidides speakes of Iohannes Vulceus of Groningue and saith that he reformed the Vniuersity during the raigne of this King and this reformation shewes that there was some disorder The negligence of men was not so much the cause as the violence of times full of troubles and confusion which did not permit them either to teach or to learne These clouds of Ignorance were as darke in other Nations Barbarisme in in the time of Lewis The misery of that age was so great as who so should represent the potrraite of that Barbarisme would moue the minds of men both to pitty of so great ignorance and to feare that our negligence would bring vs soone into the like The sweetenesse of the Muses was but bitternesse their flowers all withered and their light all confusion the men of those times did not onely contemne learning but they did abhorre her beauty and said that it did not agree with the grauity and seuerity of other Sciences q Barbarisme being banished the schooles whereas the taught good learning it remained long among the Lawiers King Francis the first hauing seene these words in a Decree debotauit debottat commanded that alâ— the Actes of iustice and contracts should be made in Lattine For this cause the purity of
the Kings Authority to restraine him from this liberty Hee made of men as an Auditor doth of Counters placing some for hundreds others for thousands some for ten and some for vnits He allowed many petty Companions in his Cabinet who could not remember the condition of their fore-fathers without blushing or disavowing them s Honor meeting with an vnworthy subiect hath lesse luster and esteeme When as the people of Athens saw that Yperbolâ—◠〈◊〉 decayed man and who had nothing to loose was intreatreated equally with good men they dissolued the 〈◊〉 an honorable punishment for those whose vertue was suspected In like manner they tooke it ill at Roma when as Flauius being freed by Appius was made Edilis Curulis But for all that he did not leaue to haue about him and to imploy in great charges Noble-men issued from houses which were then illustrious both by their owne vertues and by those of their fore-fathers Of this number was Iohn of Daillon Lord of Lude The Lord of Lude and Imbert of Baterney Lord of Bouchages They came in fauour with this Prince by diuers meanes and maintained it in like maner The Lord of Lude had been bred vp with this Prince and the affection which begins so soone doth not wither easily Philip de Commines addes this reason that he knew well how to please the King Fortune fauoured the merits of Imbert of Baterney Imbert of Baterney Lewis Dauphin of France retiring himselfe into Dauphiné and going from Moras to Romans hee staied in a valley vnder the Castle of Baterney to take the coole aire and demanding some refreshing in the heate of the season and the tediousnesse of the way the Lord of Baterney sent some things vnto him and came himselfe to doe his duty hee brought with him Imbert of Baterney being then but a youg man who carried a Hauke with the which hee kild some Partridges t The pleasure of hunting which had beene the raâ—ing of his fortune was in a manner the cause of his ruine Claude of Seyell saith that going to 〈◊〉 to see the Dauphin hauing had him to field to see his Haukes flye the king was much incâ—sed thinking that he had a designe to make him see the woâ—ld and to know it The Dauphin tooke pleasure in it and commanded him to come vnto him to Romans for that hee had a desire to see that Hauke flye againe He went and did so please this Prince as he demanded him of his father and from that time he neuer abandoned him vntill his death He made him great in riches and honor as he was in merit and vertue Charles of Artois Charles of Artoix Earle of Eu hauing remained three and twenty yeares prisoner in England returned into France and was much beloued of king Lewis the eleuenth for that he held nothing of the sower arrogant humors of his predecessors he continued in the Kings seruice at such time as the Noble-men left him to follow the Princes Armie He reconciled the King and the Duke of Brittanie and soone after died in Iuly in the yeare 1471. without any children Iohn of Bourgondy Earle of Neuers his Nephew was his heire u The accord betwixt the king and the Duke of Brittany was made at Saumur in the yeare 1469. and the difficulties were decided by the deâ—terity of the Earles of Eu and Dunois Iohn of Orleans Bastard of Orleans Earle of Longueville base sonne to Lewis Duke of Orleans was the greatest and most fortunate Captaine of his time he alone of all the Noblemen of the league of the Common-weale pursued the fruits which France expected of such an enterprise He was chiefe and President of the Commissioners appointed for the reformation of the disorders of the Realme and died before he could see the effects of that which hee had so earnestly pursued in the yeare 1470. Andrew of Laual Andrew of Laual Lord of Loheac Lewis 11. tooke from him the dignity of Marshall of France wherewith Charles 7 had honoured him and rewarded his seruice Hee restored it vnto him againe when as necessity made him know that none was more capable then he For his sake he gaue vnto his brother the Lord of Chastillon the Office of great Maister of the Waters and Forrests Alaine of Albret purchased the surname of Great by the same greatnesse of courage which gaue the sword of France to Charles of Albret his grand-father Alaine of Albret x Charles of Albret was not onely entreated but in a manner forced by the King to receiue the sword of Costable The king pâ—t it into his hand the Dukes of Orleans Burgondy Berry Bourbo girt him with it a little before hee had caried Charles the seuenth vnto the font He left the league of the Common-weale as soone as he was entred into it and remained more constant in the assurance of his word then the Duke of Nemours his great corage found nothing impossible He was often wont to say that he which had force in hand needed no other thing He married Francis Vicountesse of Limoges and was father to Iohn of Albret King of Nauarre Iohn of Bueil Iohn of Bueil Earle of Sancerre presently after the coronation of Lewis the eleuenth was dismist from his Office of Admirally y The Earle of Sancerre was Admirall of France by the death of Pregent of Coitiuy Son-in-Law to Giles of Raix Marshall of France for no other reason but for that he had serued Charles the seuenth He returned to Court and fauour but yet he stood alwayes vpon his guard against that Lyon which strooke with his paw when they least thought of him Iohn of Andie Iohn of Andie Bastard of Armagnac Lord of Lescun and Earle of Cominges was Admiral of France after the dismission of the Earle of Sancerre and then Marshall of France he chased the Brittains from Baieux and was Gouernour of Dauphine Ioachim of Rouvault Ioachim of Rouvault z Hee had done great sâ—ruices vnder King Charles the seuenth and had beene present at the battell of Fromigny and at the siege of Bourdeaux The King gaue him the place of Marshall of France and Monstrelet saith that Charles the seuenth made him constable of Bourdeaux and that hee tooke his oath in the hands of the Chancellors of France Lord of Gamasches serued him worthily and couragiously in the warre of the Common-weale and was the cause of the preseruation of Paris He alwayes coasted the Duke of Bourgondy his Army to keepe it from scattering to the hurt of the Kings subiects and that it should not make profit by the surprise of any places in passing Then he cast himselfe into Paris and by his presence fortified the courages which an accident rather feared then foreseene had much deiected The King gaue him the gouernment with a troope of two hundred maisters and made him Marshall of France Tanneguy of Chastel Tanneguy
honors and deserued great aduancements in the house of Bourgondy he receiued the Coller of the golden Fleece when as D. Charles did first solemnize the order at Bruges after his fathers death f Charles 〈…〉 should haue stood with these words which are read in a Chronicle M. S. of the Kings library The Earle of Neuers being adiourned by the letters patents of the most high and most excellent Prince my redoubted Lord the Duke sealed with the seale of his order of the Fleece to appeare in person at this present Chapter there to answere vpoÌ„ his honor touching witchcraft and abusing the holy Sacraments of the Church hath not appeared but hath made default And to auoid the sute and depriuation of the order to bee made against him he hath sent back the Coller and therefore hath been and is declared out of the order and not called in the offring when as the Earle of Neuers was degraded more vnworthily then the respect of his house made him to hope from a Prince his neere kinsman The Duke gaue him the gouernment of the County of Boullein afterwards of Artois He came vnto the Kings seruice and deliuered into his hands the Towne of Arras after the Dukes death It seemes that Philip de Comines would not speake all he knew nor call a Fig a Fig. He knits it vp shortly in these words He could not mistake in submitting himselfe vnto the Kings seruice vnlesse he had taken a new oath to the yong Lady of Bourgondy and in yelding vp that vnto her which he held of hers They haue and will speake diuersly hereof wherfore I referre my selfe to the truth Tristan the Hermit whom the rigor of this reigne hath made so famous for the suddennesse of his executions was high Prouost Tristan the Hermit King Charles the 7 th made him knight after the siege of Fronsac g After the siege of Fronsac there were made knights Iohn of Bourbon Earle of Vendosâ—ne Iohn of â—ourbon his base brother the Vicount of Turaine the Lords of Rochefautaut Commery Rochechouart Grignaux de Barres Mommorin Bordeilles Fontenelles and Estauge The name of Tristan was giuen to Princes borne in some great affliction Iohn of France was surnamed Tristan for that he was borne at Damiete during the Imprisonment of S. Lewis his father In like manner the sonne to the King of Sicile was called Tristan for that he was borne in Catelonia when his father was a prisoner Philip de Commines Lords of Argenton Philip de Commines Some haue thought that he freed the king from the danger of Peronne and that it was the cause of the great fauour which he had purchased with the king I haue wondred why the king did not adde the honour of the Order of S. Michael and how it was possible that it should faile a man who wanted not any thing and who was so much fauoured and so familiar with the king as he did often lye in his Bed eate at his Table sit at his Councell and carried his most secret designes to Princes treated q Wee doe often finde the 〈…〉 of the secrets in Lawyers books Procopius sayth that the wâ—ters of 〈◊〉 were called a Secretis Honor qui tunc dabaâ—ur egregijs dum ad Imperiale Secretum tales constet eligi in quibus reprehonsionis vitium nequeat inveniâ—i An honour which was then giuen to worthy men whilst such are chosen to the secrets of the Empire in whoÌ„ no vice of reprehension can bee found happily but by them that know them by the beginning Secretarie of state a necessary Office progresse and effects by whose eyes and hands they see them and then dispatch them Sufficiency Experience and Fidelity serue as a lampe in obscurest deliberations and giues them Ariadâ—es threed which keepes them from meeting the Minotaure of repentance r The Venetians whose state is Aristocraticall change all their Officers yearely and some euery two moneths but the Duke the 〈◊〉 of S t. Marke the Chancellor and the Secretaries of State are for life the which the Florentines ordained in their state whâ—â— as Lewis the twelfth freed them from the tyranny of Count Valentine in the intricate Labyrinth of Enterprises For this reason in some well-gouerned Common-weales where as Offices are annuall that of Secretary is perpetual to the end that one alone may be Register of that which is concluded by many and an inviolable Guardian of Secrecie which is the soule of affaires and returnes neuer when it is once let slip s Secrecie is the soule of affaires and as Valerius calles it Optimum ac 〈…〉 agendâ—rum vinculum The best and safest hand for the managing of Affaires France cannot passe without the Counsell and experience of him who for that hee hath serued foure Kings in that great and painfull charge is held by all Europe for the Oracle of all resolutions and reuolutions There is not any thing vnpenetrable to his Iudgement who entring into the most confused and obscure affaires doth presently draw light But it is time to go to land This name so famous and renowned throughout all the world is the rocke of Adamant which drawes my ship Hee is the Port of this Nauigation which I finish he shall be the North-starre of another which I continue The profit of them shall redound to all in generall the thankes vnto the King and the glory vnto God The end of the History of Lewis the eleuenth MAXIMES IVDGEMENTS AND POLITIKE OBSERVATIONS OF PHILIP DE COMMINES Lord of Argenton VPON THE LIFE REIGNE AND ACTIONS OF LEWIS the eleuenth and of diuers other occurrents PLACES AND TITLES of these Maximes Prouidence of God Princes Realme Salique Law Enter-view of Princes Gouernments Councels and Councellors Court of Parliament Embassadors Treasure of the Prince Assemblies and Treaties People and Subiects Townes and Nations House of Bourgondy Enemies Enterprises Battels Warre Souldiars Sieges Victories Changes Prosperity and Aduersity Diuision Tumults and Sedition Liberalitie Iustice and Iniustice Punishment Iniury and Offence Wisedome Secresie Experience Knowledge Historie Nourishment Nature Hope Age. Fore-sight Carelesnesse and Vigilance Pride and Presumption Treacherie Dutie A good Man POLLITICKE MAXIMES PROVIDENCE OF GOD. ALL well considered our onely hope should be in God In the end of the first booke for in him consists all our assurance and all goodnesse which cannot bee found in any other thing in the world But wee do euery man acknowledge it too late and after that wee haue neede yet it is better late then neuer Grace and good fortune comes from God Lib. 1. chap. 4. In all enterprises wee must haue God of our side Lib. 2. chap. 1. God hath alwaies loued the Realme of France Lib. 4. chap. 1. To see things which God hath done in our time Lib. 4. chap. 13. and doth daily shewes that he will leaue nothing vnpunished And we may see plainely that these strange workes come
pride or folly for any one to hold himselfe too strong Lib. 2. Cha. 10 and yet Captaines doe it sometimes to be held valiant or for that they doe not well vnderstand the busines which they haue in hand Among other things that are fit to make conquest if there bee not a great iudgement all the rest is of no force and I thinke that it must come from the grace of God He that hath the profit of the Warre hath the honor There must bee no hast nor precipitation when they vndertake Lib. 5. Chap. 28 and begin a warre And I tell you that Kings and Princes are much the stronger when they vndertake it with the consents of the subiects and are more feared of their enemies When it is a defensiue warre this cloud is seene comming a farre off especially if it be from strangers and therein good subiects should not complaine nor refuse any thing and the accident cannot be so sudden but they may call some men such as shall bee named It is not done without cause and therein they vse no fixion nor entertaine a pettie warre at pleasure and without cause to haue occasion to leuy money The greatest miseries come commonly from the stronger For the weaker seeke nothing but patience Souldiours I Hold that men at Armes entertained are well imployed vnder the authoritie of a wise King or Prince Lib. 3. Chap. 3. but when he is otherwise or that he leaues Infants the vse wherevnto their Gouernours imploy them is not alwaies profitable neither for the King nor for his subiects Men at Armes lie continually vpon the Country without paying any thing committing infinite insolencies and excesse as all others know For which they are not content with an ordinarie life and with that which they finde in a labourers house from whom they are payed But contrariwise they beat the poore men and force them to fetch bread wine and victuals from abroad And if he hath a faire Wife or a Daughter hee shall doe well to keepe her safely Yet seeing there is pay it were easie to reforme it so as the men at Armes were payed euery two monethes at the farthest and so they should haue no excuse to commit those insolencies which they doe vnder coulour of want of pay For the money is leuied and comes at the end of the yeare I speake this for our Realme which is more opprest in this case then any other that I know and no man can help it but a wise King Other neighbour countries haue other punishments Sieges ALthough that sometimes sallies bee very necessarie yet are they dangerous for them that are in a place for the losse of Ten men is greater to them then a hundred to the enemie without their numbers not being equal neither can they recouer more when they will and they may loose a Commander or a Leader which oftentimes is the cause that the rest of the souldiors demand nothing more then to abandon the place In sieges of places the losse of one man alone is the cause to preserue his Master from a great inconuenience Lib. 5. Chap. 3. although he be not of his house nor of any great extraction but onely hath iudgment and vertue Example in Cohin an Englishman who being slaine with a Canon shot within Nancy the Englishmen whom he commanded mutined and caused the Towne to be yeelded After that a Prince hath laid siege against a place Lib. 5. Chap. 6. and planted his Artilerie if any come to enter and to relieue it against him they are worthy of death by the law of Armes Yet it is not practised in our Warres which are more cruell then the wars of Italy or Spaine whereas they vse this custome Despaire of succors make men besieged to put all things in hazard Example by the furious sallie of them of Liege who had like to haue taken or slaine the King or the Duke of Bourgundy Victorie THey doe alwaies augment the number of the vanquished Lib. 2 Chap. 2. I haue seene in many places whereas for one man they said they had slaine a hundred to please them and with such lies they doe sometimes abuse their masters Hee that gaines in warre growes in greater reputation with his Souldiors then before Lib. 2. Chap. 2. His obedience encreaseth They grant him what hee demands and his men are more hardie and couragious Changes THe changes are great after the death of great and mighty Princes In the Prologue where some loose and others gaine Great changes proceed not from fortune Lib. 1. Chap. 12. which is nothing but a Poeticall fiction The Author speakes this vppon the Constables ruine and concludes in these tearmes He should be very ignorant that should beleeue that fortune or any such like thing should cause so wise a man to be hated of these two Princes at one instant who in their liues did neuer agree in any thing but in this and most of all of the King of England who had married his Neece and did wonderfully loue all his wiues kindred and especially those of this house of S t Pol. It is likely and very certaine that hee was depriued of the grace of GOD to haue made himselfe an enemie to these three Princes and not to haue any one friend that durst lodge him one night and there was no other fortune that had any hand in it but God and so it hath happened and will happen to many others who after great and long prosperities fall into great aduersities When as a great man hath lost all his owne he soone wearies them that support him Example of Rene Duke of Lorraine who retired into France after the Duke of Bourgundie had taken his Country God giues extraordinarie willes vnto Princes when it pleaseth him to change their fortunes Lib. 5. Chap. 5. Example of Charles Duke of Bourgundie who grew obstinate at the second siege of Nancy against the aduice of his Councell Prosperitie Aduersitie A Misfortune neuer comes alone Lib. 3. Chap. 5. Prosperitie makes people proud Lib. 4. Chap. 3. Example of them of Arras Princes are proud and seeke not the true remedies in their misfortunes Lib. 5. Chap. 5. whereof the first is to returne vnto God and to consider if they haue offended him in any thing and to humble themselues before him and acknowledge their errors For it is he that iudges of such suites whereas no error can bee propounded After this it will doe him great good to conferre with some priuate friend and boldly to discouer his griefes vnto him for it doth ease and comfort the heart and the spirits recouer their vertue conferring thus with some one in priuate or else he must seeke another remedy by exercise and labour for of necessitie seeing we be men such griefes must passe with great passion either in publike or in priuate In time of aduersitie euerie one murmures and contemnes all the actions of the
which he ware about his neck and which resisted poyson but the Chancellor kept it to present it vnto the King This disposition beeing made they led him to a great seaffold from the which they did ascend to an other which was lesse but higher where he should receiue an end of his life u Death is sweet when it is the end not the punishment of life And they say it is a troublesome thing to die before one be sick for a punishment Vpon the greater were the Chancellor the Siegneur of Gaucourt and some other of the Kings Officers all the place and all windowes were full euen to the tops of houses He went vp vnto the Scaffold with his hands vnbound He is executed at the Greue the executioner bound them with a little cord They presented him a Cushion of other stuffe then those be wheron the Constables x The Chancellors Constables of France take their oth vnto the King kneeling vpon a cushion of veluet here they offer the Constable one of wooll with the Armes of the City of Paris of France take their oth vnto the King He remoued it with his foote and set it right and then he kneeled downe with his face towards our Ladies Church There in the sight of heauen and of two hundred thousand people the fire-brand of warre was quencht the 29. day of December 1475 He dyed much amazed but full of deuotion and repentance He dyed trembling To dye trembling after that manner was not to dye like a man who had carried the sword of France The executioner should not haue been more hardy to strike y In what place soeuer death assailes a generous man hee should die generously The generosity of courage doth something abate the infamie of the punishment Rubrius Flauius being condemne thy Neâ—o to loose his head when as the executioner said vnto him that he should stretch forth his neck boldy he answered Thou shalt not strike more boldly then I will present my head then he to offer his neck to receiue the blow Thus he who had no care nor thought but of diuision had his head diuided from his sholders the which as full of winde goes into the Ayre and the bodie fals to the earth the life which remained caused some little motion which makes the head to moue apart and the bodie apart but it is without soule for that is not diuided The Franciscane Friars carried the bodie to their Church and they said then vpon the dispute which they had with the Curate of S. Iohn at the Greue that two hundred Friaâ—s had had their heads cut off Wee must conclude this discourse with so certaine a Maxime as whosoeuer shall affirme it cannot lye Neuer any one that dealt craftily with his Prince but in the end he was deceiued and there is nothing more certaine by considerations of presidents experience and reason that who so keepes his Master in feare forceth him to free himselfe This place remained vnsupplyed aboue fortie yeares ImportaÌ„ce of the office of Constable for the command is so great ouer all the forces of the Realme and the name of such lustre as if it fals into the hands of an ambitious man that is able to make his authoritie march equall with the Kings if of a Prince of the bloud he is the Kings King if of an other the Princes and great men of the Realme will not obay him and his commandement as Bertrand of Gueschin said z Berâ—rand of Gueschin refused to accept the Office of Constable for that he was but a simple Knight and durâ—t 〈◊〉 presume to command the kings bâ—others Câ—zins 〈…〉 not your selfe by this meanes for I haue neither Brother Cozin nor Nephewes Earle nâ—r Baron within my realme but shal obay you willingly if any one should doe otherwise hee should displease me Froislard doth concerne the great rather then the lesse The Constables goods beeing forfeited were restored to Francis of Bourbon Earle of Vendosme marrying Mary of Luxembourg Her slender and small stature brought into this house the smalnes of bodies of those great Princes who before were of that goodly and rich stature The first beauty of men admired and desired in Kings As the King had shewed an example of his Iustice in the Constables death Duke of Alencon set at libertie so did hee one of his bounty to the Duke of Alençcon a The D. of Alencon was coÌ„ducted from the Louure to the house of Michel Luillier on Thursday the 28. of December 1475 at six of the clock at night by Iohn Harlay Knight of the watch with foure torches as the Author of the Chronicle doth obserue whom he suffred to go out of the Louure where he was a prisoner and to be lodged in a Burgesses house of Paris The fortune of this Prince was to be pittied and the consideration of his birth bound the Princes to commiseration Hee was of the bloud of France and the house of Alençon was a branch of that of Valois Charles of France Earle of Valois had two sonnes Philip of Valois King of France and Charles of Valois b Charles of Valois Brother to Philip of Valeis King of FraÌ„ce had four sonnes by Mary of Spaine his second â— wife Charles who was a Iacobin and then Archbishop of Lyon Peter Earle of Alencon Philip Archbishop of 〈◊〉 and Robert Earle of Perch Earle of Chartres and then of Alençon who dyed at the Battell of Crecy He was father to Iohn first Duke Duke of Alençon who married Marry of Brittanie and by her had this Iohn the second of that name Duke of Alençon his sonne Rene Duke of Alençon married Margaret of Lorraine by whom he had Charles the last Duke of Alençon married to Margaret of Orleans the onely Sister of King Francis the first and died without children By the Constables death the Duke of Bourgundy receiued from the King St. Quentin Profit and blame of the Duke for the Constables death Han and Bohain and the spoiles of the dead which might amount to fourescore thousand crownes He was sorie that he had lost him who had made him haue so good a share in France He was blamed to haue giuen him a safe conduit and then c Behold the iudgment which the Lord of Argenton makes vpon this deliuerie There was no need for the D. of Bourgundie who was so great a Prince of so famous and honorable a house to giue an assurance to the Constable to take him which was a great crueltie the Battel where he was certain of deth and for couetousnes deliuer him 1476. and to deliuer him to him that pursued him after the assurances of Protection and defence This breach was noted for an infallible presage of the ruine of his house The Annales of the Franche Contie of Bourgundy adde an other cause which was that the Duke had seazed of a great sum of money at Aussone
which was leuied by the publication of the Croisadoe and appointed for the warre against Infidels From that time he approched still neere vnto this precipice making his graue in his owne designes as Silke-wormes die in their owne workes Hee began to distrust his owne subiects and to take strangers When a d A Prince is much weakned that it forced to distrust his subiects to imploy strangers whose obedience affection and fidelitie is not tyed to any other respect but their pay They think they are freed from their saith wheÌ„ as mony failes Prince is brought to that miserie all goes to ruine He reuiues in his soule all the thoughts which he formerly had to be reuenged of them that had offended him He will dispatch them first whom he holds the weaker and remembring that being before Nuz Rene Duke of Lorraine had defied him spoiled the Duchie of Luxembourg and razed Pierrefort in reuenge for that after the death of Iohn Duke of Calabria and Lorraine The Duke of Bourgundy declares war against the Duke of Lorraine hee had taken him prisoner he resolued to make him repent it wherevpon he armed for the conquest of Lorraine by the which besides the hereditarie Titles of King of Ierusalem and Sicile which are in this house he promised to make himselfe so mighty against the Germans as he would make the Emperor repent that hee had denied him the title of King Ambition troubles his imaginations it represents vnto him all that in possession which he hath but in hope he beleeues that all the ships that goe vppon the sea are his Ambitions great designes e Ambition represents things as the ambitious man desires or propounds them It troubles the imagination Trasillus thinks that aâ— the ships which are in Pyrce haue seâ—sayle for him he keepes a Register of them and is sory that his brother Caton seekes to disswade him for hee is neuer better content then with these imaginations but as the moone is ecclipsed when she is full so fortune which had so much fauoured him grew darke when as he thought it had bene compleat He thought to haue his triumphant chariot drawn not by Lions like to Marc Anthony nor by Elephants as Pompey nor by stags like Aurelian but by Princes like Sesostris f The insolency of Sesostris King of Egipt in prosperity 〈◊〉 so great and disordred as he caused foure Kings to draâ— his Chariot in stead of horse the one of them fixing his eyes still vppon the turning of the wheele burst out in laughter and being demanded bg Sâ—sostris why he laught This wheele said this poore Prince turning that vp which was below makes me remember my Condition and to thinke that yours may be the like He is as neere as Sesostris to try the instability of this wheele and that the fauours of fortune are no presents but baites The Earle of Campobach passing by Lion to goe into Italy had made offer vnto the king to deliuer vnto him the Duke his master Attempâ— against the Dukes life discouered by the King eyther a prisoner or dead assuring that hee could doe it easily the one by poyson and the other when as the Duke should be riding vppon a nag to view his Army as he was accustomed He discouered this ingratefull damnable Intention to Simon of Pauia a Phisition of Lion to S t. Pry the Kings Ambassadour in Piedmont The king did abhorre and detest such a wickednesse to the which the generosity of the bloud of France would neuer haue suffered him to consent to gaine the monarchie of the world g The answer was noble of Alphonso the first King of Naplês to Roger Earle of Pallanza who offred to kill the King of Castile If it were said he to be King of all the world I would neuer consent â—o such a wickednes A prince that seekes to ryd himselfe of an enemy otherwise then by the course of Armes is wicked All treason is cursed and execrable Hee aduertised the Duke h It is an act of a free and generous spirit to reiect those that offer to betray their maisters Fabricius sent him to Pyrâ—us who had offered to poison him by the Siegneur of Contay but he contemned this aduice being vnable to iudge of the intention of him that gaue it and thinking that it was to draw the affection of a profitable necessary seruant into iealousie he seemed to make more esteeme of this Traitor then he had done euer The â—ame yeare 1476. in October Iohn Bon a Welch-man borne and a houshold seruant to the King was punished at Paris for that he had conspired to poison the Dauphin He was condemned by the Prouost of the Kings house to loose his head being ready to be executed the King sent vnto him to know whether he had rather loose his eyes then his head hee answered yea then the executioner put out his eyes and deliuered him to his wife The Duke was then very busie at the siege of Nancy Campobache who was very confident to Rene disswaded this enterprise The Duke not able to taste the reasons which he represented vnto him suffred himselfe to be so transported with Choller as he strooke him and yet against all reason and the rules of wisedome which doe not allow any trust i A man of courage which hath receiued an indignitie or outrage desires to bee reuenged doth long harbour this desire in his heart after which they must discharge him and nâ—uer trust him more It is the precept of Thucidides whosoeuer finds himselfe vniustly wroâ—ged by him that had no occasion if he can once get from him he will seeke to haue a more sharpe reuenge then an open enemie to bee giuen to seruants that haue been so intreated he kept him still about him He preuailed ouer Nancy and Lorraine yeelded to the yoke This was not sufficient The Duke of Bourgundy seazeth vpon Lorraine Ambition prescribed him new designes He remembred that whilst he was incamped before Nuz the Suisses entring into Bourgundie had taken Blasmont besieged Hericourt and defeated two thousand Bourgundians in Battell He remembred the complaints which Iames of Sauoy Earle of Romont brother to the Duke of Sauoy had made vnto him he desires to reuenge it in his reuenging humor Duke armes against the Suisses and with it the Soueraigne Maiestie of Princes which was wronged by the rising of this people who being in league to become masters of themselues said that the troupe was better kept by many then by one alone k They that prefer the gouernment of many before that of one say that a flock is better kept by many dogs then by one alone They are answered that a ship which hath many Pilots or Masters is in mâ—re danger theÌ„ that which hath but one good one and in lesse then an hundred yeares had extinguished in their countrie the memory of those which had commaunded ouer them