THE VIEVV OF Fraunce HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE London printed by Symon Stafford 1604. THE VIEVV OF FRANCE CAESAR in his Commentaries deuideth the people of Gaule into Belgi Celtae and Aquitani parted the one from the other by the two Riuers of Seine and Garond the Aquitani from the Celtae by the Garond the Belgi from the Celtae by the Seine and these betweene the two Riuers According to which diuision Philip de Commines boundeth France with two Seas the Ocean and Mediterranean with two Mountaynes the Alpes and Pireneis and with one Riuer the Rheine If I should follow the direction of these two most approued authorities I must be forced to discourse of such Princes as are interessed in this large compasse as namely the Spanish King the States of the low Countries the Dukes of Sauoy and Lorraine the Pope himselfe the little City of Geneua and others but I onely purpose to take a view of that which is directly vnder the Crowne of France at this day and thereof to giue a superficiall relation France then is seated vnder a very temperate and wholesome Clymate En tout le monde il n'y a Region mieux situèe que celle de la France car nous y tenons de region chaude et aussi de la froid There is no Countrey in the world better scituate then that of France for it participateth of the Clymate both hote and cold It is in length from Bologne to Marseilles two hundred leagues after the rate of three English miles a league and in breadth from Mount S. Bernard to S. Iohn de Luze as much for it is holden by some Authours to be of figure quadrate which notwithstanding Bodin denyeth avowing it to be in forme of a Lozenge with whom La Noüe consenteth measuring it thus From Calais for now Calais is French to Narbone North and South is two hundred leagues from Rochell to Lions West and East is one hundred and twenty leagues From Mets to Bayonne Northeast and Southwest two hundred leagues and from Morley in Bretagny to Antibe in Prouence Northwest and Southeast as much True it is that many places within this compasse are holden but not of the King as Auignon and what else the Pope hath Toul Verdun and Mets of the Empire Cambray of the house of Austrich in like case of Protection as Constance in Swisserland Vtrich in the lowe Countries and Vienna in Austria and as Lucca and Genoüa in Italy protected by the King of Spayne So doe Lorraine also and Sauoy hold of the Empire As contrarily there be places out of this circuit which notwithstanding hold of this Crowne in right and owe him fealty and homage as the Spanyard for the Counties of Flanders and Artois which he hath euer since the time of Frauncis the first denied to render THe diuers Prouinces of the Countrey are very many the chiefe are these Picardy Normandy I le of France Beausse Bretagne Aniowe Maine Poictowe Lymosin Xantonge Champaigne Berry Sologne Auuergne Niuernois Lyonnois Charrolois Bourbonois Daulpheine Prouence Languedocke Tourraine and Burgundy All which are particularly set downe in Mappes as also in the Booke called The French Guide where he vndertaketh to resemble eche Countrie to some other thing as Bretaigne to a horse shooe Picardy to a Neats toung and such like which are but idle and disproportioned comparisons as one may well obserue that seeth these Countries in the Card. But the thing of best note in each of these is their singular Commodities and fruits wherewith they are blessed for the sustenance of the Inhabiter Insomuch that as they say of Lombardy that it is the Garden of Italy so may we truly say of France that it is the Garden of Europe Picardy Normandy and Languedocke goodly Countries of Corne as any in Christendome all the Inland Countries full of Wine fruits graine in some great store of wood in others of flaxe in others Mines of salt in others of Iron Insomuch as one sayth Toutes choses necessaires à la vie humaine y regorgent en telle abondance que seulement du bled du vin du sel et du pastel qui se transporte es païs estrangers il y entre en contr'eschange annuellement plus de douze millions de liures All things necessary for mans life ouerflow there in such abundance that in counterchange only of the Corne Wine Salt Woad transported into forreine Countries there is yeerely brought into France twelue hundred thousand pounds sterling And another no lesse approued and as well practised in the State of France sayth Les sources du sel du vin et du bled sont inespuisables The Springs of Salt Wine and Corne are not to bee drawne dry In which place he complayneth that the Kings of France were wont in times past to helpe their neede with sales of Wood which are now of late yeeres so spoyled as France shall shortly be forced to haue their lard frō other coūtries as also wood to build and burne a complaynt which I haue often heard in England Other Prouinces haue also their especiall Commodities wherein they excell their neighbours as in Lymosin the best Beeues about Orleans the best Wines in Auuergne the best Swyne in Berry the best Muttons where there is such store as thereof they haue a Prouerbe when they would taxe a fellow for his notable lying that tells of a greater number then the truth they say Il n'y a tant de Moutons en Berry As one would say Fye there be not so many sheepe in Berry They partake with vs also in sea commodities as vpon the coast of Picardy where the shore is sandy they haue store of flat fish vpon the coast of Normandy Guyen where it is rocky fish of the Rocke as the French call them and vpon the coast of Bretaigne where it is muddy store of round fish as Lamprey Conger Haddock so likewise in diuers seasons diuers other sorts as Mackerels in the end of the Spring and Maquerelles Bawds at all times Herrings in the beginning of Autumne as we haue in England c. Bodin will needs take vpon him being no more pertinent to his matter then it is heere to shew the reason why in old time among the most delicate toothsome Trencher-men of the ancient Romanes they alwayes feasted with Fish because sayth hee it is neyther so mezzeld as Porke nor scabd as Mutton nor ranke as Goat nor dropsy as Lambe nor impostumate as Beefe nor subiect to the falling sicknesse as Quayles and Turky-Cocks nor to inflammations as Capons nor to lice as Pigeons and yet the friand French-man as well as we neuer eats it but on maigre dayes fasting dayes and then also by compulsion of the Lawes But by his leaue I suppose they in old time did it vpon a vaine-glorious prodigalitie not for any licorousnes for Sardanapalus
let long since to bee called La plus belle Capitainezie du monde au moins de la Chrestiente The goodlyest gouernment in the world at least in Christendome There are requisite in all Ports to make them perfit these foure things 1. Magnarum multarum NauiuÌ„ capabilitas 2. Nauibus tutissima statio 3. Ad hostilem vim coercendam habilitas 4. Mercatorum frequentatio 1. Roome to receiue many and great Ships 2. Safe riding 3. Facility of repelling forraine force 4. Concourse of Marchants The most of these French Ports haue all foure properties except onely the last which in the time of these ciuill broyles haue discontinued and except that we will also graunt that Calais fayles in the first The Cities in France if ye will count none Cities but where is a Bishops Sea are onely one hundred foure There be so many Archbishops and Bishops in all as shall in more fit place be shewed But after the French rekoning calling euery Ville a City which is not eyther a Burgade or a Village we shall finde that their number is infinite and indeed vncertaine as is also the number of the townes in generall Some say there bee one million and seuen hundred thousand but they are of all wise men reprooued Others say sixe hundred thousand but this is also too great to be true The Cabinet rateth them at one hundred thirty two thousand of Parish Churches Hamlets and Villages of all sorts Bodin sayth there be twenty seuen thousand and foure hundred counting only euery City for a Parish which will very neere agree with that of the Cabinet and therefore I embrace it as the truest By the reckoning before set downe of two hundred leagues square which France almost yeeldeth we must compute that here is in all forty thousand leagues in square and in euery league fiue thousand Arpens of ground which in all amounteth to two hundred millions of Arpens which summe being deuided by the number of the Parishes sheweth that one with another eche Village hath one thousand fiue hundred and fifteene Arpens which measure is bigger then our Acre Wee may if wee will abstract a third because Bodin will not admit France to be square but as a Lozenge For in matter of such generality as this men doe alwayes set downe suppositions not certaynties Of all these Cities and great Townes I will omit to speake in particular though a Stranger must very precisely obserue whatsoeuer he sees in his trauayle affying in La Noue his censure for their maner of Fortification Sion veut sayth hee regarder par toute la France ie cuyde qu'on n'y trouuera horsmis quelques chasteux aucune ville qui soit à demy parfaite sâ—lon les regles des ingenieures If a man will looke throughout all France I thinke that some Castles excepted hee shall not finde any Towne halfe perfectly fortifyed according to the rules of Ingeners Onely I must adde that since his time which is now aboue twenty yeeres many Townes also haue bettered their maner of fortifying amongst which none more by report then that of Rochell and lately that of Amiens of which wee might last yeere while the Spanyard held it say as is sayd of Decelea in the Territory of Athens which Alcibiades counselled the Lacedemonians to take and fortify namely that it did consumet et mettre a bas la puissance de la France autant et plus que nulle autre chose Consume and bring low the power of France as much as any thing else whatsoeuer And that it kept and scowred all the passages from Paris to Rouen like that other from Athens to Eleusina But as the losse of this Towne wounded the whole body of France so the regayning of it was not onely the healing of the hurt receyued wherin it was better then the Pelias Hasta but also the raysing of it to these happy tearmes wherein it now stands This Towne would giue mee good occasion to speake of the last yeeres siege the Cardinalles comming and the Cittyes yeelding with many other accidents very memorable and worthy the recounting wherein I had rather spend an howres time in talking then any Paper in writing for that to pen it asketh the iudgement of a Soldier of which honour I am most vnworthy Neyther will I also spend time in the discoursing of other Cities which we haue seene heere in France as of their situation building wealth and fortification saue onely of Paris because the French say this is a world no City After that I will breefly relate of the Castles in France and of some reasons why it is preiudiciall to the quiet of a State to haue many of them except they all belong to the Prince who ought to haue of them in his frontier places and Lymitrophes as they call them and vpon Cities which are strong to keepe theÌ„ in awe not else and as that of S. Katherines which you sawe at Rouen now rased and then I will end the first branch of this Relation namely of the Topography of this Countrey The City of Paris seated in a very fruitful and pleasant part of the I le of France vpon the Riuer of Sein is by the same deuided into three parts that on the North towards S. Denis is called the Burge that on the South toward the Fauxbourges of S. Germaines is called the Vniuersity and that in the little I le which the Riuer there makes by deuiding it selfe is called the Ville This part no doubt is the most ancient for saith my Authour Lutece est vne ville des Parisiens assisse en vne Isle de Seine Lutecia is a City of the Parisians seated in an I le of the Seine We may distinguish it thus into Transequana Cifequana and Interamnis The part beyond the Seine that on this side the Seine and that in the I le encompast with the Riuer It is reputed not onely the capitall City of France but also the greatest in all Europe It is about the walls some ten English miles these are not very thicke the want whereof is recompenced with the depth of the ditch and goodnes of the Rampart which is thicke and defensible saue on the South side which no doubt is the weakest part of the Towne on which side it is reported that the L. Willoughby offred the King in foure dayes to enter at such time as he besieged it Wherevnto the King condescended not by the counsell of the olde Marshall Biron who told him It was no policy to take the Bird naked when he may haue her feathers and all On the other side especially towards the East it is very well fortified with Bulwarke and Ditch fayre and moderne Les Rampars furent faictes es portes S. Antoine S. Michel et S. Iaques et ailleurs 1544. The Ramparts of the Gates S. Anthony S. Michel and S. Iames and elsewhere were made 1544. This
de Beaulieu Gouernours and Lieutenants generall of Cities and Prouinces are as it were Viceroyes Regents of those places committed to them indeed the persons sustaining these charges are much more Noble then those of the Secretaries as being for the most part conferd vpon the Princes of the Bloud and Peeres of France The Gouernours of Cities were in olde time called Dukes and they of Prouinces Counts They were at first onely in frontier Prouinces but now since the troubles of France they haue had the commaund ouer Cities and Countries euen in the middest and bowels of the Land So that now saith Haillan France is become Frontiere de tous costez à elle mesme A Frontier to it selfe on euery side There are but few Cities whereof anciently there were Gouernours as Rochell Calais Peronne Bologne Mondidier Narbonne Bayonne and two or three others Others that had keeping of some small Castle or Fort was onely called the Keeper or Captayne at most But now sayth Haillan lib. 4. euery paltry fellow that hath the keeping of a Colombier Pigeon-house must forsooth be called Monsieur le Gouerneur My Lord the Gouernour and my mistresse his wife Madame la Gouernarete My Lady the Gouernesse The Gouernor of Daulphenie hath greatest priuiledges for he giueth all Offices in his Prouince in other places they can giue none except they haue it by expresse words in their Patent The Gouernor may not be absent aboue sixe moneths in a yere but the Lieutenant must neuer be absent without leaue of the Prince except the Gouernour be present There is yet an Office whereof I must remember you which is one of the chiefest in France either for honuor or profit called grand Maistre des Eauës Forests All matters concerning the Kings Chases Forests Woods and Waters whatsoeuer are determined by him by the grand M. Enquesteur and by the Reformateur at the Table of Marble vnder him are infinite sorts of Officers as Les Maistres particuliers de chaque forrest leurs LieutenaÌ„ts les grâ—yers les grayers segrayers maistres des gardes maistres sergents gardes des marteaux procureurs greffiers arpenteurs collecteurs des amendes and diuers others As the particular Masters of each Forrest their Lieutenants Ouerseers of the sale of woods and the other Officers here specified But I will not loade this short Relation with reckoning vp all the diuers and infinite sortes of Officers wherewith France her selfe seemeth to be ouerloaden as partly yee haue heard alreadie and yee shall reade in Bodin how he complaines not onely of the multiplicitie of Offices in generall but also that euen the Counsell of Estate is surcharged with number where you may likewise obserue how he approues the Priuie Counsel of England erected some foure hundred and odde yeeres since where are neuer saith he aboue twentie by whose sage direction the Land hath long flourished en armes et loix In armes and lawes And for the execution of Lawes and administration of Iustice yee may remember what hath beene said before that the Lawes are good and iust but they be not iustement exercez iustly executed Where Haillan comparing the times Alors saith he on punissoit les grands depuis on n' a puny que les petits et les grands demeurent impunis Then great ones were punished but since onely petty fellowes and the great ones goe scot-free So that now the Lawes of France are become like Spiders webbes which onely catch the little Flies and the great ones breake thorowe Dâ—t veniam Coruis vexat censura Columbas Th'ensnaring Lawes let Crowes goe free While simple Doues entangled bee Hauing now related of the Topographie and Policy of France it remayneth I speake somewhat of the Oeconomy that is of the people of France comprised vnder the three Estates of the Clergy the Nobility and Comminalty of the seuerall humour profession and fashion of each of them which is the third and last branch of this Relation The Church Gallicane is holden the best priuiledged of all those of Christendome that haue not yet quit their subiection to the Pope It hath alwayes protested against the Inquisition it is more free from payments to the Pope then the Church of Spaine as also to the King for here in France they onely pay the Disme but in Spaine the King hath his Tertias subsidio pila and Escusado in all a moytie of the Church liuing Indeede it is reported of this Catholike King that hee hath founded many Abbies and Religious houses but what saith his Subiect Hee steales the sheepe and giues the Tratters for Gods sake In this Church of France are twelue Archbishopprickes one hundred and foure Bishopprickes fiue hundred and fortie Archpriories one thousand foure hundred and fiftie Abbies twelue thousand three hundred and twentie Priories fiue hundred sixtie seuen Nunneries one hundred and thirtie thousand Parish Priests seuen hundred conuents of Friers and two hundred fiftie nine CoÌ„mendams of the order of the Knights of Malta There are saith the Cabinet du Roy three millions of people that liue vpon the Church of France where hee particularly setteth downe in each Diocesse the number of all sortes of Religious people as also the number of their Whores Bawds Bastards and seruants of all sortes And why not sayth hee as well as the Magicians vndertake in their Inuentory of the Diabolique Monarchy to set downe the names and surnames of 76. Princes and seuen millions foure hundred and fiue thousand nine hundred twenty and sixe diuels The Church hath for all this rabble to liue vpon these two things First her temporall Reuenues and secondly her Spirituall which they call the baise-mani Of her temporall Reuenues diuers men iudge diuersly The Cabinet who in all his computations makes of a Mouse an Elephant saith that they are fourescore millions of Crownes the yeere besides the baise-mani which is as much more and besides an infinite prouision which they reserue and is paid them ouer and except their Rents by their Farmers and Tenants as of Wheat foure millions fiue hundred thousand septiers quarters of Rye two millions three hundred thousand septiers quarters of Oates nine hundred thousand of Barly eight hundred thousand of Pease and Beanes eight hundred sixty thousand Capons one hundred sixty thousand Hennes fiue hundred sixty thousand Partridge fiue hundred thousand Beeues twelue thousand Muttons one million two hundred thousand Wine one million two hundred thousand cuues Egges seuen millions Butter two hundred thirty thousand quintaux Cheese fiue hundred thousand Hogges one hundred thirty sixe thousand Pigges three hundred forty thousand Tallowe sixty thousand quintaux Hey sixe hundred thousand loades Straw eight hundred thousand Wood two millions with an infinite proportion of other necessaries imaginary onely and incredible And yet he there avoweth al things with as great confidence as if himselfe had had the true abstrâ—ct from all the Bookes of Accounts
in each Monastery and Benefice in this land For how is it possible the Church should haue two hundred millions of Crownes yeerely rent when as by the computation here are but iust so many Arpens of land in all France which to rate one with another at a crowne an Arpen comes to this account which hee allowes the Clergy and then is there nothing left for the other two States of the Nobilitie and people But in as much as the better halfe of their Reuenue is by the baise-mani there remaineth the better halfe of the land to the other two States which notwithstanding is a proportion small ynough Neere vnto this reckoning commeth that which we reade in Bodin of Alemant a president of accounts in Paris whose iudgement must cary good authority in this case as a thing belonging to his profession and wherein he was best experienced The Church Reuenues in land are reckoned ordinarily at twelue millions and three hundred thousand liures but I dare iustifie saith hee that of twelue partes of the Reuenues of France the Church possesse seuen This opinion Bodin seemes to allowe But it is rather thought to be true that the Comment de l'estat saith who of the two hundred millions of Arpens allowes the Church forty seuen millions which by particulars of their Vineyards Meddowes Arable Pastures and Heathes with their woods is there set downe which here to followe in particular were too tedious Besides this temporall they haue their Baise-mani as is said that consisteth in Churchings Christnings Marriages Burials Holy-bread Indulgences Vowes Pilgrimages Feasts Processions Prayers for cattell for seasonable weather for children against all maner of diseases and infinite such purposes for which the superstitious people will haue a Masse said which they pay the Priest for particularly ouer and besides all this there is scarce that Arpen in all France vpon which there is not some Dirige or de profundis some libera me Domine or some reckoning or other liable This sort of people are they whose life is onely spent in speculation and their speculation such as appeareth by their liues as that of Guido Caualc whereof Boccace speaketh Questé sue speculatiory erano solo ni cercare se troâ—arsi potesse che Iddio non fusse These his speculations were onely spent in seeking whether he could finde that there was no God These are they of whome La Nouë speaketh when he sheweth the three causes of the miseries of France which he findeth in the three States Irreligion in those that make profession of Religion Oppression in the Noblesse And dissolution of maners in the Comminaltie For saith he Impieté ruine les conscienses Iniustice renuerse les Estats Dissolution gaste les familles Impiety ruineth mens consciences Iniustice ouerthroweth the Common-Wealth And Dissolution marreth particular families Concerning them of the Reformed Religion whom here in contempt they call Huguenots yee may note that the number is not small considering that after the conference of Poâ—ssie aboue thirty yeres since here were found 2150. Churches of them whereof not one hath escaped without some murthers or massacres and wee may imagine that since that time this number is much encreased Some say they had the name of Huguenots of the words wherewith they began their Oration when they protested against the Church of Rome which began thus Huc nos venimus c. Hither we are come c. As they say the Wallons were called of these words ou allons nous whither go we when they were driuen out of their owne country asking one another whither they should go But this is not so likely as that of them who say that in Toures where they first began there is one of the Gates called Hugoes Port out of which they of the Religion vsed to passe into the fields to make their prayers in their priuate assemblies whereupon they had first the name for that one Hugo should be the first of that opinion is generally reiected I shall not need to say in this place that this difference in Religion of these Catholicks and Huguenots is cleere from the slaunder which many lay vpon them they being the occasion of all these late troubles in France for it hath beene sufficiently already proued that the ambition of the house of Guise and the parts-taking with them and those other of Burbon is guilty thereof As for Religion it hath onely beene the cloke and shaddowe of their ambitious pretences without the which they could neuer haue insinuated themselues so farre into the hearts of the people who are alwayes the gros de la bataille The maine Battell and without whome the Nobilitie may well quarrell but they cannot fight And therefore ye shall read in some of the same Religion reformed That there were Huguenots as well of Estate as of Religion These haue now free permission to professe and places allotted for exercise with all liberty of Conscience possible saue that in the chiefe Cities of France they haue no Churches allowed neyther can be buried in Christian buriall as they call it if any of them dye among the Catholicks with whome notwithstanding they now liue peaceably throughout the Countrey They cannot haue the fauour that Xantippus allowed his Dogge who as Plutarch sayth for following his master from Atticque to Salamine and there dying was solemnly interred and had a monument raised ouer the place And me thinks they haue heere small reason to let them liue together in a house and not to suffer them to lye together in a Church-yard But as for warring any longer for Religion the Frenchman vtterly disclaymes it hee is at last growne wise marry he hath bought it somewhat deare L' â—talten est sage aâ—uant la main l' Alemant sur le faâ—ct le François apres le coup The Italian is wise beforehand the Almayne in the doing and the French after the thing is done saith one of their owne Writers Ictus piscator saepit Concerning the Nobility of France Elle est sayth La Nouë tres valleureuse courtoise n'y à Estat en la Chrestientâ— ou elle soit en si grand nombre They are exceeding valorous and courteous and there is no State in Christendome where they are in so great number It hath bene argued before in this Relation that there be at least fifty thousand able to beare Armes but that is thought with the most Monsieur du Fay thinkes them about thirtie thousand in which number yee must conclude all degrees of Gentlemen from the highest to the lowest that beare Armes for so the French call their Noblesse whereas we in England make two distinct orders of the Nobilitie and Gentry as they call it Nobiles sunt si modo longam annorum seriâ—m numerare possunt quafeudum onusque militiae eis adnexum in sua familia reseaâ—rit Those are Noble which can proue a long tract of time wherein
armoiries de guelues a vne nauire d'argent le chef d'azure semé de fleurs de lys d'or gaue them for Armes Gules a Ship Argent and a Cheefe seeded with Flower de Lys Or. Ye shall heare the French brag that their City hath bene besieged a hundred times by the enemy and yet was neuer taken since Caesars time The reason whereof one of their best Writers giues Because sayth he it is very weake and therefore alwayes compoundeth I compare Paris with London thus This is the greater the fairer built and the better scituate ours is the richer the more populous the more ancient For I hold antiquitie to be a great honour as well to great cities as to great Families Besides the Cities and Ports of France well fortified there be also infinite numbers of Castles and Cittadels which the people alwaies call Nids de Tyrans the nests of Tyrants and the Prince he calles them Chastivillains Of the Castels the number is therefore most great and as vncertaine by reason that euery Noble mans house of any age is built in defensible maner as you haue diuers times alreadie obserued An example of one for many hundreds ye may take that of Roch-fort belonging to the Seigneur de la Tremouuille which in these Ciuill wars endured a siege 5000. Canon shot yet was not takeÌ„ It is iudged by the wisest that in great kingdomes such as France no places should be fortified but the frontiers after the example of Nature who armeth the heads and heeles of Beasts but neuer the Bowels nor middle part For indeede the strength of a Countrey consists not in walled townes but in the vnited hearts of the people as Brutus proueth in Liuie and Dionysius Halicarnasseus to which purpose the Poet also saith Where there is concord among citizens Pulchrè munitam esse vrbem arbitâ—or I thinke that Towne excellently fortified But where discord reigneth centuplex murus vrbi non â—ufficit An hundreth fold wall is not sufficient Whereof it commeth that Histories report of the Tartarians Aethiopians and Arabians that they haue no fortified places and it is sayd of Preste Iehan the great king in Affricke that he hath but one in all his Empire and we in England except frontier places haue none but his Maiesties The reasons against them are these It makes the inhabitants cowards and therefore Licurgus forbad the walling and fortifying of Lacedemon Secondly lest the enemy being entred the Countrey should stay and possesse himselfe of some of these places whereas otherwise he onely forrageth and harrieth the Countrey and away againe Therefore Iohn Maria della Rouere Duke of Vrbin rased downe all his Castles finding himselfe too weake to resist his enemie and retired to Venice assuring himself that Duke Valentionis could not stay there long where there was no place to be kept which iudgement of his the euent well prou'd For this cause also they of Genoa after the battell of Pauia where the French King was taken prisoner hauing got the French Garison out of the Lauterne ruined it to the very foundation So did they of Siracuse cause the Cittadell of Arradine the only refuge of the tyrant Dionisius Lastly they giue occasions to the possessors to rebell and vsurpe whereof both all histories and among these our owne where if I be not mistaken in King Stephens time were rased eleuen hundred Castles and these fortie yeeres troubles in France do testifie There be some reasons for the hauing of these fortified places which I doe not conceiue so good as these except onely I should graunt them their Capitall Citie to bee fortified and none else For Bodin thinkes it great madnesse in a Prince to suffer his people to haue strong Townes especially as here in France where they will haue no Garison but of their owne Citizens the effect whereof was well seene in the losse of Amiens except the King haue therein a Cittadell to bridle them Against which many Cities in this Countrey pretend Priuiledges as that of Amiens and some haue bought the Cittadell of the King to the intent to demolish it as they of Lions such eye-sores they bee heere in France In such a Countrey as Italy where there bee diuers Princes fortified Townes are more needfull where notwithstanding ye shall note that no great Signore is euer made Captayne of the Cittadell nor hath any league with the Gouernour whome they there call The Podesta and therefore euery yere also these Offices are changed throughout the State of Venice which at this day is the most perfect Optimacy in the world and the rather because though the State be Aristocraticall yet the execution of the Gouernment is mixt Offices being conferred both vpon the one sort and other of the Citizens which makes that perfit harmony whereof the diuine Philosopher so much speaketh You must vnderstand that heere in France all Inhabitants of Cities are lyable to the common charges of the fortification of their City reparations of bridges fountaines highwayes and such like And because the richer sort should not leuy the money and then keepe it to themselues or employ as the list they must giue information to the Chaunceller of the necessity of the Leuy and procure Letters Patents for the same by authority whereof they gather the money and vse it yeelding after to the Kings Procureur their account And for their Watch and Ward it goes by course as in the Citie of Embden and diuers other in those Low Countries As for Castles the Seigneur or Captaine may not force Vassall faire leguet To watch and ward except in frontier places vpon forfayting of their estates After this generall Suruey of the Countrey it selfe we must obserue something of the Gouernment wherein I will not trouble you with fetching their first Pedegree from beyond the Moone as many of their Histories labour nor by disputing the matter whether it bee true or no that they came from Troy into the Marishes of Maeotis whence after some small abode they were chased by the Romane Emperour into Bauaria and after into Frankland in Germany It shall suffice that from hence this people came into France wherein all writers agree For after the declination of the Romane Empire when the Ostrogâ—thes conquered Italy the Visigâ—thes Spayne and the Vandalles Affricke then did the Burgondiens and Franconiens diuide this Countrey betweene them conquering it vpon the olde niquilines the Gaules who from Caesars time till then had not tasted the force of a forrayne power The Gouernement was vnder Dukes till the yeere 420. when as Pharamond caused himselfe to be entituled King In this race it remained till 751. when Pepin suppressed his Mr. Chilpericke and vsurped His line lasted till 988. when Hugh Capet gaue the checke to the succession of Charlemagnes line who was Pepins sonne and inuested himselfe with the Diademe From him it hath lineally descended by
ouer all Officers of chase They of the Kings chamber are either Gentils-hommes de la Chambre Gentlemen of the Chamber of whom I spake before or Vallets de la Chambre Groomes of the Chamber which are but base Groomes and Roturiers yeomen Les cent Gentils-hommes de sa Garde The hundred Gentlemen of his Gard though there bee two hundred of them they hold and vse a weapon called Le bec de corbin They match two and two before him they are part French and part Scots The Scot carries a white Cassocke powdred with Siluer plates and the Kings deuise vpon it The French weare the Kings colours There is also a Gard of Swisse attired in particoloured Cloth drawne out with Silke after their Countrey fashion these follow the Court alwayes on foot the other on horse Where by the way yee may obserue that the reason of the entertainement of Scots in the Kings Gard is as one saith because they were Anciens ennemys des Anglois Ancient enemies to the English and euer since the house of Austrich matched with that of Burgogne the King hath had also his Gard of Swisses Ennemys hereditaires de la maison d' Austriche Hereditarie enemies of the house of Austria There belongs to the Court also the Mareschaux des logis Marshals of Lodgings and Fourriers Haruingers they haue like Offices as the Haruengers in the English Court there bee also diuers others which are here needlesse to be spoken of and wherwith your purpose is to bee better acquainted hereafter I will therefore proceede to speake of the order of France which was instituted by Henrie the third Anno 1579. and is called L'ordre du S. Esprit The Order of the holy Ghost The reason of this institution was Comme vne autentique declaration qu'il ne pouuoit ny aymer ny faire bien aux Heretiqueâ— obligeant par vn serment solemnel tous les Cheualliers à des conditions qui ne platsent qu'aux ames toutes Catholiques As an authenticall declaration that hee could neither loue nor fauour the Huguenots binding by a solemne oath all the Knights to conditions suteable onely to mindes intirely Catholiques Whereby yee may note that none of the Nobilitie of the Religion are of this order neither was this King himselfe of it till 94. when being crowned at Chartres he tooke it vpon him Among many other statutes of this order this is one That none are capable thereof except he can proue his Nobilitie by three descents from the Fathers side You haue many in France that are called Cheualliers des ordres durâ—y Knights of the Kings orders that is both of the order of Saint Esprit and Saint Michael also The order of Saint Michael was instituted by Lewes the 11. in the yere 1469. the statutes whereof are comprised in 98. Articles amongst which this is one That there should neuer be aboue thirty sixe of the order But saith La Nouë this Article was so ill obserued that at one time there haue bin 300. whereof 100. shortly after by reason of the great charges and trayne they kept were forced as he there saith Serrer le colier dans leurs coffres To lock vp their collers in their Cofers In the yeere 60. were 18. created of this order A thing not before heard of that so many should be made at once which the Constable disliking said Que l' ordre estoit mis en disordre the order was disordred Against which Bodin also inueigheth and against the number of Barons made in France without either desert or liuing And another complaineth that the honourable orders of France are exposes a l'ambition qui estoyent destinez au merite Exposed to ambition which were dedicated onely to deserts You must note that of S. Michaels order there were 2. sortes du grand ordre et du petit the great and the small order Those wore a coller of Massie gold these onely a Ribbon of silke Before these was the order De l' estoille of the Starre or as others call it De la vierge Marie of the Virgine Mary instituted by Iohn the French King anno 1365. which after growing too common a fault generally noted in all Countries where orders are erected that they bee bestowed vpon too many and some vnworthy except onely in the most noble order of the Garter which by the confession of all writers maintayneth still his ancient glory the order of the Starre I say growing too common and therefore the Princes and nobler sort disdayning to weare it it was bestowed vpon the Archers du guel who still weare it the Nobility hauing long since quitted it But the most ancient order of France is that of the Genette instituted by C. Martell The Knights of this order wore a Ring wherein was engrauen the forme of a Genette The cause of instituting this order is not knowne it endured till S Lewes his time Besides these foure forenamed orders which haue beene instituted by Kings I reade also of two others in France which had their erection by Princes of the bloud and were onely taken by Knights of their partie The order of the Porc-espic rased by the Duke of Orleans in enuy of the order of his enemy the Duke of Burgogne The order of the Croissante or Halfe-Moone by the Duke of Aniowe anno 1464. with this Mot Los as who would say Los en croissant Prayse by encreasing The Knights of this order had in the middest of the Cressant a Truncheon to signifie hee had beene in the warres for else he might not bee of that order if twice then two Truncheons if thrice three and so orderly His Habillement was a Mantle of Crymosin Veluet and a white Veluet Cap. It is not much impertinent here also to obserue what orders haue bene erected in other Countries whereof the most Noble renowmed order of S. George of England is the chiefest therefore first to be remembred It was instituted in King Edward the 3. time before any of these of France except onely that of the Genet which no doubt was some obscure Order as appeareth by the place where it was worne and by the little or rather nothing which the French Writers speake thereof The next is the order of the Toison d' or The Golden Fleece erected by Philip the second Duke of Burgogne The coller of this order hath a Golden Fleece hanging at the end in memory some say of Gedeons Fleece others which is most likely of the Golden Fleece of Colchas which Iason with his gallants of Greece ventured for The feast of these Knights is kept vpon Saint Andrewes day The habillements a mantle of Crymson Veluet and a cap of violet colour It was instituted anno 1430. There is also the order of the Annunciade erected by Amadeus Duke of Sauoy In the coller hereof is written in Letters of gold or stone this
skill in sea-seruice I maruaile therefore why du Haillan reporteth that they were first made in Charlemagnes dayes and that one M. Ritland was the first that was made There are now foure Admiralties France Bretagne Guyenne and Prouence This last is alwayes annexed to the gouernourship of that Countrey So that of Guienne likewise till the King that now is came to the Crowne who before was Gouernour and Admirall of Guyenne but since he hath diuided the commandes Yee may obserue in histories that all the while the French voyages were vpon the Leuant Seas either to the Holy-land Sicile or Naples or whithersoeuer the French alwayes had their vessels and Commanders out of Italy La France empruntoit ses Admiraux de Genes Pise de Venise de Luques France borrowed their Admirals from Genoa Pisa Venice and Luca. These haue the tenth of all wracke prize or prisoners that are taken at Sea Before the inuention of Shot there was an Officer in France called Grand Maistre des arbalestiers et Cranequiners Great Master of the Crosse-bowes and Ingines for Cranequin is a generall word for all instrumeÌ„ts of battery which Office is now called The Grand Maistre de l' Artillerie Great Master of the Artillerie who at first also immediatly after the inuention of Shot was called Capitaine Generall de l' Artillerie Captaine Generall of the Artillerie You haue also Treasurers for the Warres which are either ordinarie or extraordinarie Those pay the Gensdarmes and these the Regiments of the Infanterie Treasurers ordinarie are so many as there bee places where they Muster Of extraordinary there be alwayes foure The Heraults of France are sixe Normandy Guyenne Valois Bretagne Burgogne so called of the Countreyes as with vs in England and Mont-ioy who is the chiefe of the rest Their ancient Office was to bee present at all Iusts and Tournements to carrie warre or peace to summon places to defie enemie-Princes to giue armes to men new ennobled But now they bee onely vsed at Feastes Coronations Solemnities Funerals and such like for they are no more vsed in the treatie and negotiation with forraine Princes I thinke the reason is because the Office hath of late yeeres beene bestowed vpon vnworthy and insufficient persons It shall here be needlesse to name all other his Officers of the Warres which are all one with those of other Countreyes as Collonell Captaine Sergeant Lieftenant Ensigne Capporall c. I will onely remember in a word the French maner of Mustering March Charge and seruice ingenerall and then proceed to the next branch of this relation We must obserue that excepting the gens d' armes and the Regiments abouenamed when any Souldiers are taken vp for the warres they are not pressed as with vs but the Captayne hauing his Commission gathereth them vp by sound of Drumme entertayning onely such as will which may be some cause of the badnesse and basenesse of the French foote for being commonly the rascall sort and such as haue no other meanes there cannot settle in their abiect mindes that true and honourable resolution requisite in a Souldier This Commission must first be shewed to the Gouernour LieutenaÌ„t-generall Bailiffe or Seneshall of the Prouince vpon paine of death Neither is it good except it bee signed by the King and one of the Secretaries of estate and sealed with the great Seale The Souldiers leuyed are at the charge of the Prouince where they be taken vp till they depart the same Their March it should seeme is somewhat more sharpe then ours For I remember I haue heard say that vpon a time the olde Marshall Biron should bid Sir Roger Williams bring vp his companies faster taxing the slow March of the English Sir sayth he with this March our forefathers conquered your Countrey of France and I meane not to alter it A memorable answere of an honourable Souldier For the French Charge ye shall heare the Spanyards opinion out of La Nouë L'infanterie Françoise escaramouche brauement de loin et la Cauellerie a vne furieuse boutée à l' affront puis apres qu' elle s' accommode The French Infantery skirmisheth brauely afarre off the Cauallery giues a furious onset at the first charge but after that first heate they will take egges for their money And indeed this is that which all writers giue them and which best agrees with their nature for we may say of them as is said of Themistocles he was so hote at the onset que perdit le souffle au mileu de la carriere That he lost his winde in the midst of the carriere Or say of them as Fabius of Hannibal His valour is comme vn feâ— de paille et vne flamme allumée en vne matiere de peu de durée Like a fire of straw and a flame kindled in matter of small continuance Concerning the French discipline Caesar himselfe saith they had it first from vs Gallorum disciplina in Britannia reperta atque inde in Galliâ—m translata esse dicitur et nunc qui eam rem diligentiùs cognoscere volunt plerunque illò discendi causa proficiscuntur T is said the discipline of the Gaules was first inuented in Britanny from thence translated into Gallia now such as desire to attaine the perfectioÌ„ thereof commonly trauell thither to learne it But they haue long since degenerated froÌ„ their old discipline of war they theÌ„selues confesse that since the beginning of these late ciuill wars where Soldiers in all disordred dissolute maner haue bin giueÌ„ to pillage volleries the euery that it is very much abbastardie abastardized Whereof La Nouë coÌ„playneth in his discourses Quant à la discipline Militaire iâ— faut confesser qu'elle est gisante aulict tourmentée d'vne griefue maladie As for the military discipline we must coÌ„fesse that she keeps her bed sicke of a very deadly disease The Noblesse fight always on hors thinke it a dishonor to serue on foot But Com. saith of the Nobility of Burgundy in the wars with Lewes the eleuenth that they all quit their horses car lors ils estoyent le plus honorez qui descendoyent à fin que le peuple en fust plus asseure et combattist mieux et tenoyent cela des Anglois For they were then most honored that lighted on foot to the end the people might be the more encouraged and fight more valiantly and this they learned of the English And it is no questioÌ„ but if some of the French Nobilitie would doe so it would much confirme their foote by the example of their valour and abiding and recouer that reputation which now their foote haue lost in the world Neither do I thinke this the least reason why our Ancestors haue wonne so many battelles vpon them namely for that wee euer haue had men of Noble houses to lead serue on foot with our forces A notable cause to
cratotrostò aichmetes that is a good Gouernor and a tall Soldier And the Italian Poet sayth of his great Captayne Non so se miglior Duca o Caualliero Resolue I cannot whether he A better Chiefe or Soldier be Iust the same with that other verse of Homer And our most worthy English not Poet though he well deserue the title but Captayne and Scholler both excellent and titles which better become the noblenesse of his heart and house of whome the world hath the good name and all Soldiers the losse he I say when hee would commend his Arcadian Gallant to the full and yet in few words sayth that he durst and knew which well symbolizeth with those former commendations of others and compriseth all requisit vertues in a Gentleman for if he haue not valour to dare and wisdome to know how and when he wanteth one of the principall supporters of his honour The former of these is as it were hereditary to many Noble houses continueth therein many descents but the other is not naturall it is gotten by studie and exercise by reading bookes and seeing of Countries and therein curiously obseruing what yee see So then if by this your trauell you adde knowledge and vnderstanding to that other vertue which is hereditary to your house you shall resemble those your Ancestors by whome it hath beene raised to this greatnesse and be most vnlike this French Nobilitie that this may not seeme a digression of whome for the most part we may say as Plato said of Cleophantus Il estoit bien bon homme d' armes mais au demeuy an t il n' auoit rien de bon Hee was a very tall man at armes but he had no good quality besides And sure it is a lamentable case or at least misbeseeming in a goodly Countrey and full of Nobilitie that the State should be gouerned and all matters managed by them of the robbalonga Aduocates and Procureurs and Penne Inkehorne Gentlemen and the Noblesse themselues for want of learning not to haue imployment I count him therefore a very lame Gentleman that cannot go to serue his Countrey both in peace and warre Saith La Nouë to a Gallant in Court that was euer talking of warres and making Hidalgo-like Rhodomontades as being vnfit to talke of any matter of learning or vndertake any Office of gouernment Sir saith hee when the time of warre is come it is like ye shall be imployed meane while hauing no qualitie fit for this time of peace you shall doe well to locke your selfe vp till the warres that yee bee not rusty when you should be vsed The occasion of this French humour so much to esteeme Armes and nothing at all to regard learning or it may be oftentimes to contemne both is imputed to the carelesse indulgence of Parents by Commines Ils nourissent leure enfants seulement à faire les sots en habillements en parolles de nulle lettre ils n'ont cognoissance They bring vp their children onely to play the fondlings both in apparell and words but of learning they haue no knowledge at all And therefore they cannot communicate with P. Aemilius in the commendation which Plutarch giues him Il ne tenoit seulement de picqueurs dompteurs des cheuaux mais aussi des Maistres de Grammaire de Rhetorique Dialectique c. He kept not onely Riders and Horse-breakers but also Teachers of Grammer Rhetoricke and Logicke c. And whereas the first instruction of the Nobility should be as one sayth La Religion la vertu les lettres les Ars Religion Vertue learning and the Artes And then L'Escuyrie l'Escrime la venerie la Fauconerie Horsemanship Fencing Hunting Hawking they skip the first forme and spend all their time in the practise of the last they prize at a high rate the lesser let passe the more worthy Much like those Strangers in Rome that carried young Whelps and Monkeys in their armes to play withall What saith Caesar doe these mens wiues beare them no children wisely taxing the folly of those that leaue the better for the worse Hereof it commeth that the French Noblesse glorying in their Armes call themselues Le bras de la patrie les gardiens des armes la terreur des ennemys mais iamais ne s'appellent les professeurs de vertu saith la Nouë The Arme of their countrey the Gardians of Armes and terror of their enemies but they neuer stile themselues the Professors of vertue This Estate of the Nobility sayth one is Le moindre en nombre des hommes le moins riche de tous les trois Estats of all the three Estates the smallest in number of men and poorest in liuing Which no question must needs be true after so long a ciuill Warre and heerewith accordeth he that wrote the late troubles sayth hee La Noblesse Françoise est decheue de ses anciennes richesses dont leurs maisons estoyent ornees sous les regus du Lois 12. François 1. The French Noblesse is fallen from their ancient wealth wherewith they were adorned in the times of Lewes 12. and Francis the first To this purpose sayth La Nouë Ie oserois affermer que si tous ceux qui portent ce titre estoyent en dix parts on trouueroit que les huict sont incommodez par alienations de leurs biens engagements ou autres debts I durst affirme that if all they that beare this Title were deuided into ten partes eyght of them are impayred by Sales Morgages or other debts The same Authour yeeldeth fiue reasons of the pouerty of the Noblesse of France 1. Les guerres ciuiles 2. depenses superflues en habits 3. depenses en meubles 4. depenses in bastiments 5. depenses de bouche grosse traine First the ciuill warres Secondly superfluous expences in aparrel Thirdly houshold stuffe Fourthly building Fiftly Diet and Followers And in another place taxing the extreme prodigality and superfluity of the French in their aparrell building and diet hee sayth Si les guerres nous ont apperte 4. onces de pauureté nos follies nous en ont acquis douze If the Warres haue brought vs foure ounces of pouerty our owne follies haue gotten vs twelue I will not herein be mine owne Iudge sayth he but let vs doe as players at Tennise be iudged by all the lookers on and they will confesse that by these excessiue expences bon nombre de la Noblesse vont au pas les autres au trot et plusieurs en poste droict aux precipices de pauureté A great number of the Noblesse go a foot-pace others trot and many runne poste to the downefals of pouertie You had an example hereof in this your late voyage downe the Riuer of Loire at the Castle of Bury a very goodly house as any ye haue yet seene in France where ye heard it credibly reported that Monsieur D'alluye the