his very braine which put this poore Prince to extreame paine Vpon the ninth of Iulie he caused the mariage of his sister the duke of Sauoy to bee accomplished without any pomp which should not haue bene solempnisated till eight dayes after and the next day he dyed of the sayde hurt The wound soone made an ende of his owne life but his realme hath bled of that wound euer since the blood is hardly stenched as yet This king liued one forty yeares and reigned twelue yeares and 3. moneths and tenne dayes Thus haue I continued as compendiously as I could the Historie of Fraunce frō Charles the eighth till the death of Henry the second namely til the beginning of their owne ciuill broyles and dissentiōs which because they cōtaine nothing but murthers massacers trecheries treasons and no orderly disciplined warres are nothing pleasaunt for mee to write nor I thinke acceptable to any man to reade much lesse fit to be annexed to the martiall actes of those Princes whom I haue here before in this Historie treated of Notwithstanding if any man shall take pleasure in writing them I had rather hee handeled such a bucherly argument then my selfe Cap. 12. The conclusion of the Historie NOw to conclude this Historie can we haue any more notable examples than these heere aboue mentioned to proue that mans cogitations are vaine and all his thoughts wicked for if you consider how all these Princes tossed and turmoiled themselues with continuall warres what infinit treasures they consumed what slaughters they made of their subiects what sacking and burning of townes defiling of yong Maidens and Virgins murthering of women and Children with all such like mischiefes as be appendant to the warrs and that is worst of all charging their owne soules with manie promises and oathes which they neuer ment to performe when they sware them neither performed at all when they had sworne them And if we farther consider how little they haue effected and brought to passe of their owne desires by all these their bloddy Martiall actions with the which they troubled the world by the space of many yeares we cannot but confesse and say with the Psalmist Hee that dwelleth in the Heauen shall laugh the Lord shall haue them in derision For first of all consider well the example of Lodouic Sforce surnamed the More Duke of Milan hee poisoned his nephew to obtaine therby the said Duchie and set all Italie on fier by calling in the French to establish him therin but himselfe was within 5. yeares after taken prisoner by the French and put into a dongeon wher he miserablie ended his life his eldest sonne Maximilian being restored to the said Duchie of Milan by meanes of the Swissers the Pope and the Venetians was within three yeares after likewise taken prisoner by the French and in Fraunce ended his daies Afterward his other sonne Francis was established in the said Dutchie by the Emperour Charles but with such slauish conditions that he rather deserued the name of a noble slaue than an honourable Prince and in the end died of poison as it was thought and was the last of this wicked race of Sforces after his death the Emperour seazed all the Duchie of Milan into his owne hands whose race holdeth it yet and shall doe so long as it pleaseth God And all these miseries fell vpon the said Lodouic and his sonnes within the space of 34. yeares Now way likewise the example of Pope Alexander the sixt and Valentinus Borgia his sonne The said Valentine in his fathers life time obtained so many conquests in Italie some by armes some by crueltie some by treason and trecheries some by periurie and by all other wicked meanes that may be imagined that all Italie stoode in feare of him and he was growen to such a pride in himselfe that hee gaue Aut Caesar aut nullus for his deuise The Father poisoned himselfe with the same wine that he had prepared for the poisoning of diuers cardinalls his enemies and so fell himselfe into the pit which he had digged for others and the son after his fathers death was spoiled by Pope Iulius of all that he had conquered in Italie and the King of Fraunce toke from him all his estates that he held in Fraunce Wherefore he fled to Consalue vnder his safe-conduct and remained with him a while at Naples in great kindnes in outward apparance But soone after by King Ferdinands commandement hee was sent prisoner into Spaine by the said Consalue who also tooke from him the safe-conduct that he had giuen him In Spaine he was emprisoned in the Rocque of Medina del Campo from whence by cunning he escaped and went into Nauarre where hee liued a while in very base and miserable estate and in the end was there slaine The Venetians likewise for hatred they bare against Lodouic Duke of Milan aboue mencioned called Lewis the twelfth into Italie to conquer the said Duchie and had for their part of the bootie the countrey of Guiradadda deliuered vnto them by the King But soone after the same king toke it from them againe became their deadly enemie so that notwithstanding all their charges employed in those warres and diuers other since yet hould they not at this day one foote of ground in Lombardie more then they did before those warres began and in other parts of Italie lesse Againe fower kings of Fraunce successiuely namely CHARLES the eight LEVVIS the twelfth FRANCIS the first HENRY the second by the space of three score yeares and better made continuall warres in Italie with infinit expences of money toyle of themselues and the death not of so few as a hundered thousand of their subiects for the duchie of Milan the realme of Naples and what haue they gotten in recompence therof onely this that they hould not at this day one foote of Land in neither of both those countreys Likewise Charles the Emperour who was so ambitious a Prince that hee thought to haue swalowed vp both Fraunce and Germanie was chaced out of both those countries with great ignominie and was neuer able to hould no not one pore towne in either of both those realmes in the end through moodinesse of his euell successe gaue a deffiance to all the world and dyed in an Abby among a companie of Monkes Lastly king Henry the eight who was so noble a Prince and obtained so many conquests in Fraunce both in his youth and in his age what hath he lest to his posteritie in that Countrey for his infinite charges employed in those warres not one towne no nor one foote of French land These examples I thinke may suffice to teach Princes to bee wise and not to attempt ambitiouslie vnnecessarie warrs seeing the sequell that enseweth therof but to liue peaceably at home to entertaine the good will of their neighbours by all the good meanes they may to se iustice done among their subiects which is their principall charge and especially to ground all their actions vpon God who is the guyder of all their enterprises and the giuer of all good successe Happie is the Prince that thus gouerneth his subiects and happie are the subiects that liue vnder such a Prince FINIS
A Continuation of the Historie of France from the death of Charles the eight where Comines endeth till the death of Henry the second Collected By Thomas Danett Gentleman LONDON Printed by Thomas â—â—st for Thomas Charde 1600. To the Right honorable my very good Lord the Lord Buckhurst Lord high Treasorer of England and knight of the most noble order of the Garter AFter I had Right Honorable about three yeares sithence presented to the late LORD TREASORER of worthie memorie your Lordships predecessor the Commentaries of Comines translated into our English tongue I was earnestly pressed by some of my friends to continue the Historie of Fraunce from Charles the eight where he endeth till this our present age which a long time I vtterly refused to doe knowing that to annex my poore collections to the workes of so excellent a writer as Comines is should be as arrogant a part and as much to my discredit as if a Painter should haue attempted to finish the Image of Venus beegunne but not ended by Apelles which was a worke of so rare excellencie that no Paynter after him durst aduenture to perfect it Notwithstanding when I called to mynde that others before mee had attempted this that they required at my hands and withall not being able to withstand the importunitie of my friendes I beganne though somewhat timorously to take penne in hand And whereas there are in all learnings two kindes of methodes the one proceeding from the causes to the effectes and the other iudging of the causes by the effectes which is called Iudicium a posteriori my selfe not being able to performe the former as Comines doth who was priuie to the hidden misteries of Princes deseignes and of Counsell with their secret cogitations determined onely to follow the second course namely to set downe the effectes and the naked truth forbearing either to giue graue aduertisments as well to Princes themselues as to their seruaunts as hee doth or to enter into deepe discourses of high points of pollicie gouernment as a matter farre aboue my capacitie wherewith his workes are singularly beautified In the which course hauing waded in the Historie of Fraunce till the death of Henry the second and purposing to continew it further both my hart hand fainted and my pen fell foorth of my fingers of it owne accord For the actions of the ciuill warres of Fraunce are so blouddie cruell and barbarous and so farre I will not say srom all Christianitie but from all humanitie and militarie discipline vsed in former times that for my owne part I iudge them worthie to bee buried in the dongeon of eternall obliuion Agreeable to the which actions were also the effects wherof my selfe haue beene an eie witnesse For passing out of Spaine through France in the yeare 77 in companie of a Gentleman of good seruice not long sithens gone to God whom hir Maiestie employed at that time to the King of Spaine for hir affaires we found such a wildernes in all the country betwene Bayonne and Bourdeaux that whole forrests and woods were turned vp and consumed the townes vtterly desolated the people despearsed the churches quite subuerted and the children a lamentable thing to bee recorded remaining vnchristened by the space of ten yeares which bred in mee such a commiseration to see so noble a member of Christendome so miserablye torne in peeces with hir owne teeth that it did not onelie visiblie as it were set before mine eyes the destruction of Sodoma Gomorha and the rude Chaos wherein the world lay buried and hidden before God placed all things in this goodly order which wee now see them in but also made mee call to minde the example of Africanus Minor who wept bitterly with a certaine Sinpathie of sorrow whan he saw Carthage all on flaming fier calling to minde that the like mought happen to his owne countrey Rome in time to come The vices that ouerflowed Fraunce at the beeginning of their ciuile warres are noted to bee these three Magia Atheismus Libido which I pray God England bee free from at this day But I will no longer dwell vpon this argument least my Epistle become to your honourable Lordship odious and my booke beecome in it selfe monstrous by hauing to great a head to so small a bodie wherfore to returne to my principall purpose hauing reduced the Historie of Fraunce so farre as for the reasons aboue aledged I determined to proceede in it I was soone resolued to whom to dedicate these my simple labours for hauing presented Comines to your Lordships predecessor to whom could I fitlier consecrate this my continuaunce of his Historie then to your Lordship being his successor in office in honour in gouernment in Wisedome and in all other vertues beelonging to a most worthie counsellour so that GOD hath raysed you vp vnder hir most excellent Maiestie to bee no lesse famous in matters of Councell then others are in matters of warre which Cicero as your Lordship knowerh preserreth farre beefore warly actions beecause Councell preserueth the common welth without warrs but warre cannot desend it without counsell The handeling of the worke is meane I confesse and too vnworthie of so noble a patron yet notwithstanding it contayneth the principall matters of state that passed in thâ—se parts by the space of three score yeares Wherefore if your Lordship shall vouchsafe to accept it as our Sauiour in the Scripture dyd the poore Widowes Mite I shall thincke my selfe a happie man in hauing obtained the fruit of my desier and shall daylie pray to Almightie GOD long to preserue your Lordship in all honor and felicitie as well for the aduauncement of hir Maiesties seruice as for the benefit of the whole common wealth Your Lordships most humble and obedient to commaund Thomas Dannett In the Epistle in the first line last page for those read these Page 29. line 18. for Nauara reade Nouara Page 34. line 6 for in battaile read in a battaile Page 46. line 12. for estate read estates Page 69. line 12. for charge read great charge Page 81. line 7. for predecessors read predecessor Page 87. line 8. for vs read vp Page 94. line 23. for Rossam reade Rosseim Page 102. line 15. for Aughien read Anghien Page 121 line 2. for duchie read duchesse Page 139. line 21. for 20000. read 10000. For Aluiana reade in all places Aluiane A Continuation of the Historie of Fraunce from the death of Charles the eight where Comines endeth till the death of Henry the second namely till the yeere 1559. LEVVIS the twelfth of that name King of FRAVNCE Cap. 1. Lewis the twelfth commeth to the crowne hee is deuorced from his wife and marrieth the Lady Anne King Charles his widow and heire of Bretaine A briefe discourse of the euills that ensewed that marriage AFter the death of King Charles 1498. the eight Lewis Duke of Orleans as next male of the blood royall succeded to the crowne of Fraunce by
onely by sale of holy things for the Pope made money of al ecclesiasticall liuings dignities againe when the king heard that the Pope had extremely cursed him hee aunswered that this was a Pope made to curse but not to pray sarther the Pope called the french Micturi vinos that is to say wine pissers noting thereby their immoderate drincking of wyne which as he said issued as it entered but this gibe euell besemed the Pope being himselfe more giuen to drinke then any man in his time But the French partly to requite this scoffe partly to content the king made these verses of the Pope Patria cui Genua est genitricem Graecia partum Pontus vnda dedit qui bonus esse potest sunt vani Ligures mendax est Graecia ponto nulla fides malus est haec tria quis quis hahet Which you may thus English Whose countrie is liguria whose damme of Greekish bloud whose cradle is the sourging seas can ought in him be good Ligurians are counted vaine Greekes lyers so I finde the sea inconstant all these three hath Iulius by kinde But these verses are answered thus on the Popes beehalfe Est venus orta mari Graium sapientia solers ingenium est ligurum qui malus esse potest cui genus vt veneri a Graijs sapientia solers ingenium a Genua est Mome proterâ—e tace Which you may thus English Out of the sea dame Venus sprang with learning grece is clad Ligurians are full of wit how can hee then bee bad whose birth is like a Godesses whose learning is of Grece whose wit is of Liguria iack gyber hold thy peace But to returne to king Lewis he was a prince subiect to great varietie of Fortune through the whole course of his life both before he was King after but especially towards his later end she most frouned vpon him as in this briefe discourse of his actioÌ„s is plainely to bee seene his vices were in his youth loue of women and in his age couetousnesse which caused him to loose many opportunities besides that hee was a prince wholy gouerned by others but his good fortune was to fall into the hands of honorable personages and such as gouerned his Realme well Farther he was also charged with ingratitude both towards his wife who had saued his life and also towards some with whom hee had liued familiarlie beefore his comming to the crowne namely the Marshall Gyé whom also hee banished the court notwithstanding the great seruice that hee had done the Realme But herein he is partly to be excused for the said Marshalls banishment proceeded principally from the Queene who hated him extreamlie because the sayde marshall had oncc stayed hir cariage vpon the Riuer of Loyre wherein she had packed vp all the kings principall Iuells Plate and other things of great price and the which shee was conueighing downe the sayde Riuer to Nantes the King being at that time very sick and in great daunger of death This king was also giuen to suspicions but that is a fault all princes are subject to especially all those that be wise on the other side this king was beautified with many goodly vertues first hee was so louing and carefull of his people that in all his forraine warres hee could neuer be induced to increase his impositions vpon his subiects true it is that when he was inuaded in his owne Realme he was forced to leauie of them somewhat more then ordinarie for the which his milde gouernment he was called Pater patriae so iusta Prince he was where the necessitie of his affaires enforced him not to the contrarie that the Archduc Philip committed to him at his death the gouernment of his sonne Charles omitting both his owne father and his father in law being both Graundfathers to the said Childe which charge king Lewis most princely performed as well in the education of the sayde Charles afterwards Emperour as also in the preseruation of all his estate Farther he was a prince voide of all pride affable and curteous to all men and liuing in great quietnesse mildenesse with those that were familiar with him and the soonest forgetting all iniuries past so that I caÌ„not better coÌ„pare him to any prince then to the Emperour ADRIAN whose pleasant answeres and Apophthegmes being voide of all scurrilitie hee was also much addicted vnto some of the which because they bee worthie of memorie I will be bould to rehearse Hee had in king Charles his time beene euell vsed by diuers of whom hee was aduised to take reuenge at his comming to the crowne wherevnto hee aunswered that it became not a king of Fraunce to reuenge the iniuries done to a Duke of Orleans Likewise looking vppon the roule of King Charles his seruaunts he found two that had been his deadly enimies in King Charles his time vpon each of whose names he made a crosse wherewith they being in a wonderfull perplexitie supposed the galowes to be prepared for them which their feare being discouered to the king he sent them word to bee of good cheare for hee had crossed all their euell deedes out of his remembraunce hee vsed to say that the condition of horsses was much worse then Asses for Horsses were killed vp in running post to Rome to fetch liuing for Asses meaning vnlearned prelats when the Queene his wife by importunitie thought to bring to passe a mariage betwene hir daughter Claude Archduc Charles afterwards Emperour the king told hir that shee sought to make a mariage betwene Cats and Mice Againe when a certaine courtier complained grieuously of his wiues vnchastnesse the king hearing thereof bad him bee of good cheare for hee that respected his wyues incontinencie or the Popes curse should neuer sleepe quiet night Diuers other such like sayings of his I could rehearce which for breuitie I ouerpasse FRANCIS THE FIRST OF that name King of Fraunce Cap. 1. King Francis commeth to the crowne surpriseth Prospero Colonna vanquisheth the Swyssers recouereth Milan The Pope and hee meete at Bolonia TO Lewis the twelfth succeded King Francis the first beeing both his sonne 1515. in law and the next of his bloud a Prince of yong yeares but of goodly personage great magnanimitie who finding a mighty armie in a redines that his predecessor had leuied to inuade the Duchie of Milan burning with no lesse desier to recouer the said duchie theÌ„ his predecessor had done determined to lose no time but hauing renewed the league made by the late king with Henry king of England and with the selfe same coÌ„ditions likewise with the Venetians and receaued homage at Paris by the Earle of Nassau of the Archduc Charles afterwards Eemperor for Flaunders and hauing also made peace with him with promes of mariage beetwene the said Charles and the Lady Renee daughter to king Lewis sister to the Queene and withall Genoua beeing reduced to his obedience by the meanes of Octauian Fregose
condition that the king should ayde him to chace Francis Maria de la Rouere Nephew to Pope Iulius owt of the Duchie of Vrbin which also the king did in the yeare 1516. And the Pope gaue the saide Duchie of Vrbin to Laurens of Medices his nephew to whom also the king the more to content the Pope gaue in mariage the lady Magdelaine heire of the Earledome of Bouloyne in France of the which mariage issued Catherin of Medices queene of france Notwithstanding in the yeare 1517. the sayde Francis Maria recouered his Duchie againe out of the Popes hands notwithstanding that afterwards by aide of the French the Pope draue the said Francis Maria to a hard cōpositiō whereby he left the saide duchie to the Pope was constrained to take a Pension in regarde therof yet cōtinued he not long in this estate for so soone as pope Adrian was chosen Pope he restored Francis Maria to his Duchie of Vrbin againe who quietly enioyed it to his dying day which happened in the yeer 1538. Thus much I thought good to write in this place of the successe of this warr of Vrbin because hereafter I meane not to make farther mention thereof This yeare also Martin Luther beegan openly to preach against the Popes pardons in Germanie Cap. 3. Maximilian the Emperour dyeth Charles king of Castile succeedeth him The King confederateth himselfe with the King of England who restoreth Tournay to him The two Kings meete beetweene Ardres and Calais The King of England and the Emperor mete also together at Calais and Grauelin a rebellion in Spain THE King perceauing by diuers apparent 1518. reasons that the King of Castile ment to performe nothing of that which was promised at Noyon and farther vnderstanding that the Emperour Maximilian laboured the electors of the Empire to choose king of Romaines the sayde king of Castile his Nephew a thing greatly displeasing the king because the Empire being ioyned to his Patrimoniall seniories the sayd king of Castile should bee so mightie that no Prince in Christendome should bee able to withstand his power dyd both with his money and by his ministers disswade the electors from that election and stayed it during Maximilians lyfe Notwithstanding after the sayde Maximilians death which happened the twelfth of Ianuary 1519 after the Duch and Italian accompt who beginne the yeare at Newyerstide but 1518. after the French who begin it not till Easter the said Charles king of Castile was elected Emperour notwithstāding all the impediments of the king and the great sute both he and his friends had made to obtaine the Empire for himselfe but god had otherwise disposed of it Wherefore the king hauing failed of his hope for the obtaining of the Empire and seeing the powre of the Emperour elect so greatly to increase determined to enter into a straight confederacie alliance with the king of England to whom he sent Ambassadors to treate of a mariage betwen 1519. their children which was concluded and as well performed as the other treatise of mariage with the king of Castile had bene Farther the king laboured the king of England to restore Tournay vnto him because it was a towne that serued the English men to small purpose being far from their dominions and the defence thereof being yearely to the King of England a great charge but stoode verie commodiously for the king to offend at his pleasure the Emperour in his low coūtries which matter was so earnestly pursued that for the summe of 400000. crownes the towne was deliuered into the kings hands and a straight league concluded betwene the king of England and him and it was agreed that the next yeare an enteruiew should be of the two kings betwen Calais and Ardres which also was accomplished accordingly with so great 1520. triumph brauerie on both sides that the French called the place of the enteruiew Le Camp de drap d'or and with so great demonstrations of loue betweene the two Princes that the like was not seene in many hūdred yeares before For besides the roiall sumptuous entertainment that they gaue each to other such brotherly loue and assurance was betwene them that in one day the two kings went dined each with others Queene and farther one morning verie earely the king of Fraūce came with a small traine to Guysnes before the king of England was stirring and tould him that he was come to yeld him selfe his prisoner in his Castle of Guysnes whereunto the King of England answered that he was come to take his hart his prisoner which was a verie readie an apt answere To conclude such signes of perfect loue amitie passed betwen these two princes by the space of 15. or 16. dayes for so long they were together that all men thought their friendship to be indissoluble that war could neuer arise betwene thē but it happened otherwise afterwards whereby it appereth that he spake truth that said Princes amitie to be no inheritance Not long after this enteruiew aboue mētioned the new Emperour elect ariued in England where contrarie to the king of Fraunce his expectation he was most honorably receaued in such sort that the King of England accompanied him to Calais afterwards to Grauelin where they were together a certaine space in great friendship and fraternitie and where diuers things were concluded betwene them no whit to the contentation of the King of Fraunce Among other articles this was one that what controuersie soeuer happened beetweene the Emperour and the King the King of England should bee the iudge thereof which article beecause the king would not agre vnto the king of England toke occasion to become his enemie therevpon Notwithstanding the warres brake not out betwene them this yeare as well because they had no apparant quarell on either side as also because they had not as yet made their prouisions for the warres beesides that Spaine was troubled with a great rebellion which the Spaniards called La Santa giunta which could not bee appeased till the next yeare that feare of the forraine enemy namely the French inuading Spaine caused the Spaniards to forget all the domesticall dissentions and to attend to the defence of their countrey Cha. 4. VVars betwene the king the Emperour The French conquer Nauarre and presently lose it againe The Imperials winne many places from the French in the Duchie of Milan The French win Fontarabia Nassau inuadeth Picardie The Emperour recouereth Tournay BVt to proceede the long dissembled euill will 1521. betweene these two mightie Princes could no longer be hidden but like a fier that had long been smothered brake sodainely forth into a great flame partly by the solicitation of the King of England Francis Sforce and partly by a quarell that happened betweene Robert de la Marche and Monsieur d'Emeriez about a Castell called Hiergie This la Marche beeing in league with the King in his protection inuaded his
and townes confederated with them against him perswading the Pope who sent him ayde in these warrs that his quarel was Religion but to the princes Protestāts of Germanie many of the which were in his Camp ayded him he pretended that he made warr vppon them for their rebellion although in truth neither of both these were the cause motife of this warre but his owne ambition for his purpose was by vsing the Germanies help against the Germaines so to weaken both parts and in the meane time so to plant garrisons of Spaniards in the strong places of the countrey that in the ende he mought make the easier conquest of the whole And such successe he had at the beginning of these warrs that he toke the Duke of Saxonie prisoner made the Lantzgraue come yeld him selfe to his mercie but with this condition that he should not be detained in prison which article the Emperour so gloased with a Spanish exposition that that notwithstanding he emprisoned him alleadging that the article mentioned onely perpetual emprisonment The Palfzgraue also and the Duke of Wirtemberg and diuers other Princes and free Townes submitted them selues to him and with their money bought their peace You haue heard before how Henry the eight king of England dyed a little before king Francis and left behinde him Prince Edward his sonne a childe about tenne yeares of age the sayed King Henry before his death had practised a marriage in Scotland betwene the sayd prince his sonne afterward called Edward the vj and the heyre of Scotland being about foure yeares of age and so farre this matter was proceded in that the greatest part of the states of Scotland had giuen their consent thereunto but after king Henrys death by the perswasion of the Queene mother being of the house of Guyse and by the practise of the French faction who could not endure this vniting of these two Realmes by the sayd mariage the treatie made with king Henry was disauowed and a practise set on foote to bestow this yong Princes vpon the Daulphin of Fraunce for the which cause the English men entered into Scotland with a mightie armie spoiled all the countrie whom the Scotts encountering with all their forces at a place called Muscleborow were ouerthrowen and a great number of them slayne in September this yeare 1547. after the which victorie the English men tooke manie Castles and strong places and entered as farre as Edemborough the chiefe Citie of the Countrey and fortified Hedington a strong Towne where what happened what issue these warres had hereafter you shall heare The Emperour hauing ended his warres aboue mentioned in Germanie and established the 1548. Interim which was a forme of Religion to bee obserued till the assemblie of a generall counsell came downe into the low countries leading the Duke of Saxonie and the Lantzgraue with him as it were in triumph to the no small griefe of diuers Princes of the Empire especially of Duke MAVRICH sonne in law to the sayde Lantzgraue as the sequell shall well declare About this tyme also the Prince of Spaine the Emperours sonne came out of Spaine into Italie and from thence to Bruxelles to his father beeing honorably receaued in all places through which he passed But the Realme of Fraunce beeing deliuered from forrayne warres beeganne to bee vexed with domesticall seditions for a great rebellion was raysed at BOVRDEAVX and through all GVIENNE and XAINTOIGNE for a newe imposition increased vppon Sault for the appeasing whereof the Constable and Monsieur d'Aumalle were sent into those partes who punished very sharply them of BOVRDEAVX because they had slaine the kings officers and commited many disorders and tooke from them all their priuiledges and condemned both them and other townes that had offended in great summes of money and so appeased the tumult Cap. 2. The King aydeth the Scots against the English hee inuadeth the Countrey of Boulonoys The Queene of Scots is caried into Fraunce Paule the third dyeth Iulius the third succedeth peace betwene England and Fraunce YOu haue heard how the last yeare the English men were entered into Scotland as farre as Edingbourg and had ouerthrowen the Scots at Muscleborow for the which cause the Scots sent into Fraunce for ayde and the King knowing how preiudiciall it should bee for him and his Realme to suffer the English men to nestle in Scotland sent thether an armie of 6000. men vnder the leading of Monsieur d'Esse Strozzi the Rhingraue and others who made head against the English men and much endamaged them wanne Hedington which they had fortefied from them while in the meane time their nauie conueighed the young Queene into Fraunce notwithstanding the English nauie that lay vpon the Sea to stoppe their passage purposly to haue surprised the sayde young Queene and to haue brought hir into England but the French nauie escaped them and ariued safly in Fraunce After the conueighing away of the young Queene the king reuoqued d'Esse and sent de Thermes a valiant souldier and a wise man to take the charge of his armie in Scotland willing him to busie the English men on that side while the French forces entered into the Countrey of Boulonoys for notwithstanding that peace had beene concluded as before you haue heard betwene king Francis and king Henry before their death and afterward confirmed also betwene the two Realmes yet that notwithstanding the French perceauing the Realme of England to be vexed with seditions because of the alteration of Religion vsed that opportunitie and besieged Bouloyne but could not take it notwithstanding diuers other small peces held by the English in the countrey of Boulonoys namely Boulonberg Hambletow and Montlambert and diuers other they toke This yeare also the tenth of Nouember died Pope Paule the third to whom after three moneths dissencion in the Consistorie succeded Iulius the third and this yeare also in December died Margaret Queene of Nauarra sister to king Francis a Lady of an excelent spirit But after these wars aboue mentioned had thus passed as you haue hard since the beginning of this kings 1550. reigne betwene the French English nations as well in Scotland as in Boulonoys both parts disposed thēselues to peace England was afflicted not onely with sorraine warrs but also with domesticall seditions of the commons and dissentions among the nobles the French king was entered into practise against the Emperour both in Italie with Octauio Prince of Parma and in Germanie with duke Maurice and diuers other Princes who hated the Emperour deadly for his extreame tiranie vsed against the liberties of their country Wherefore the King meaning to attempt somewhat against the Emperour was the more inclined to make peace with England thereby to haue all cleere on that side of Fraunce Both the Realmes therfore being thus disposed to concord their commissioners met concluded peace with these cōditions Boloyne was restored to the French for the which they payed
Fight beetweene the French and Flemish Nauies before Douer The Emperour resigneth the Empire and all his other estates THe ouerthrow the French receaued in Italie happened thus You haue heard before how while the Emperour lay at the siege of Metz the towne of Sienne in Italie reuolted from him razed the Citadelle built by him chased the Spaniards out of the towne and put themselues into the protection of France Wherewith he being not a little offended after the said siege was ended commaunded the Viceroy of Naples to spoile all the country of Sienne which he did accordinglie purposing also to besige the towne which Mouluc Termes diuers others sent therher by the king for defence thereof fortified against the Imperialls The Viceroy because of the reuoult that happened also at this very instaunt in the realme of Naples by meanes of the Prince of Salerna whereof wee haue spoken a word or two also in the said siege of Metz was forced to returne into the said realme of Naples leauing the charge of the Imperiall forces in the country of Siena to the Marques of Marignan who being ayded by Cosmus Duke of Florence and the Pope wenr and besieged Siena But vnderstanding that Strozzi with great forces was sent by the king into Italie and that hee had alreadie inuaded the Duke of Florence his dominions taken diuers places from him and was gone to batter Ciuitelle the sayd Marques raised his siege from before Syena and went with his whole power to succour the Duke of Florence wherevpon Strozzi leuied his siege held before Ciuitelle and marched to encounter the Marques and giue him battaile in the which the sayde Strozzi was ouerthrowen and put to flight and all his forces dispersed The Marques after this victorie returned to the siege of Siena neuer departed thence till he had reduced it to the Emperours obedience by whose commaundement it was deliuered to the duke of Florence The sayde siege endured till the twentieth of Aprill in the yeare 1555. But in December in the sayde yeare 1554. Brissac to repaire this misfortune of Strozzi entered into Piemont and toke diuers townes of great importaunce and fortefied them against the Imperialls This yeare also 1554. the 23. of March after the French accompt who begin not the yeare till Easter dyed Pope Iulius tertius to whom succeded Marcellus who liued but a few dayes and to him succeded Cardinall Caraffa being foure score yeares of age by the name of Paule the fourth The French armie aboue mentioned vnder the 1555. leading of Brissac toke Cassal diuers other townes in the Marquisat of Montferrat and went to besiege Vulpian in Piemont which the Duke of Alua with a mightie army came to relieue as also hee did And hauing put victuals and munition sufficient into the towne he departed and besieged Saint Iac. But the towne was so notablie defended by the French for the king had sent thether great forces to succour the place that the Duke of Alua was forced to abandon the siege retire himselfe presentlie whervpon the French with their whole forces returned to the siege of Vulpian and toke it and razed both towne and castle because it maintained none but souldiours that robbed and spoiled all the country About this time also the French and Flemish Nauy met vpon the Sea neere to Douer a hauen towne in England where was a most bloddie fight betweene them in the which the French being put to the worse fired their ships thinking thereby to cause the flemings to vngraple from them but the fire was so vehement that they had no powre to doe it by meanes wherof both the Nauies were fired and many ships on both sides burnt Notwithstanding the French being entered into the flemish ships that remained seeing the small number of Flemings that were in them tooke fiue of their ships and led them away with them This yeare also vpon the fiue and twentith of October the Emperour in great solempnitie in the great hall of Bruxelles yelded vp all his estats and dominions patrimoniall to his sonne king Phillip and the Empire to the king of Romaines his brother Cap. 8. A truce for fiue yeares betweene the King of Fraunce and Spaine The Emperour saileth into Spaine and putteth himselfe into an Abbye where hee dieth AFter the Emperour had resigned all his estats to his sonne King Phillip 1556. the saide King by the perswasion of the Queene of England his wife and as some also writ by the Emperours owne perswasion enclined to make peace with Fraunce by meanes whereof both the Princes sent their commissioners to meete treat therof who not beeing able because of the sundry difficulties to conclude a finall peace made notwithstanding a truce for fiue yeares each part holding that which they had taken in the former warrs And in this yeare the Emperour with his two sisters Elenor Queene of Fraunce Marie Queene of Hungarie sailed into Spaine and put himselfe into an Abby wher he remained till his death which happened the one and twentith of September in the yeare 1558. One notable thing is to bee remembred of this noble Emperour wherby we may perceaue how vaine a thing the glory of this world is While the Emperour stayed at Vlushing for winde to carie him his last iourney into Spaine hee conferred on a time with Seldius his brother Ferdinands Ambassador till the deepe of the night and when Seldius should depart the Emperour calling for some of his seruants and no bodie answering him for those that attended vpon him were some gone to their lodgings and all the rest a sleepe the Emperour tooke vp the candle himselfe and went before Seldius to light him downe the staires and so did notwithstanding all the resistance that Seldius could make And whan he was come to the staires foote hee said thus vnto him Seldius remēber this of Charles the Emperour when he shal be dead and gone that him whom thou hast knowen in thy time enuironed with so many mightie armies and gardes of souldiers thou hast also seene alone abandoned forsaken yea euen of his owne domesticall seruants and that hee whom thou hast serued so manye yeares hath also serued thee and borne the candle downe before thee I acknowledge this chaunge of fortune to proceede from the mightie hand of God which I will by no meanes goe about to withstand Cap. 9. The truce for fiue yeares is broken by the Popes practise The Duke of Alua inuadeth the Church Dominions The Duke of Guyse entereth into Italie and the King inuadeth the King of Spayne in diuers other places The Queene of England proclaymeth warre against the French YOu haue heard how a truce for fiue yeares was concluded betweene the 1557. Kings of Fraunce and Spaine but it was broken before the expiration of one yeare vpon this occasion which you shall now heare The Pope being an enemie to the Spaniard gaue forth whether falsly