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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03893	A discourse vpon the present estate of France together with a copie of the kings letters patents, declaring his mind after his departure out of Paris : whereunto is added the copie of two letters written by the Duke of Guize / translated out of French and now newly reprinted, and corrected by E. Aggas.; Excellent et libre discours sur l'estat present de la France. English. 1588	Hurault, Michel, d. 1592.; Guise, Henri, duc de, 1550-1588.; Aggas, Edward.	1588 (1588)	STC 14004; ESTC S120854	55,651	70

faire and manie other kinges of Fraunce enemies to the Popes vsurpations Thus his chiefest interest is to cut this Prince short of his hope For his part hee dooth what hee can hee thundreth hee stormeth he curseth hee declareth him an heretike a rebell finally not capable of the Crowne of France as though it lay in him to take it away or to giue it For the execution of this Bull which in deede of it selfe could doo but little against the bulwarkes of Rochell if that were all he armeth all Christendome yea euen the Cardinall of Bourbon to whome hee sendeth a hallowed sworde of the race of Saint Paule hee promiseth money vnto the Guizians hee promiseth but hee sendeth not as hauing not yet paide that which his Popedome did cost him according to the Romish stile To conclude as it belongeth to him hee worketh myracles with his Crosier staffe and his purpose and drift is to animate all the worlde against the heretikes among whom hee comprehendeth the Queene of Englande and the king of Nauarre his principall enemie to his thinking whose ouerthrowe hee looketh for by the meanes of this vniuersall league As much or more occasion hath hee to complaine of the high and lowe Germanie as of Fraunce and Englande but hee thinketh that after that the king of Spaine and those of Guize shall haue chasticed that is to saie vsurped France and Englande in driuing out the heretikes that is to say the true princes and lawfull lordes after that they shall haue tamed the lowe countries they may without any gainesaying ioyne their forces with the Emperors so to constraine either by friendship or force the Princes of Germanie which are Protestants to come againe vnder the yoke of his obedience that after that being no great likelihood that the Suitzers woulde obstinate themselues against such great forces seeing their Cantons are alreadie deuided they altogither might easily assist the Duke of Sauoy to recouer Geneua and to sacke that towne which they call the spring and fountaine of all heretikes of Christendome It is there that hee concludeth the ende of his desire and of his holie leagues enterprise Which I haue seene written by Pope Sixtus himselfe in a letter intercepted about the beginning of these troubles in France sent from Italie into Spaine And as for him this is his pretence that is his intent grounded vpon that generall hatred which hee beareth to the heretikes but especially vnto the king of Nauarre and the Queene of England of whom he hath receiued harme enough alreadie or is afraid to receiue more The king of Spaine hath three particular purposes for the which he wisheth this generall league The first to compasse the warres of the lowe countries which are helde by those whome hee calleth heretikes and against the Queene of Englande who is likewise of their number The seconde his hereditarie desire to ioyne France vnto his dominions which hee thinketh he may nowe the more easily doo in respect of the right that belongeth vnto him through his wife a daughter of France and his daughters gotten betwixt them for as for him hee thinketh not that the Salike lawe the honour of our kings was made for him The last the ouerthrowe of the king of Nauarre whome hee purposeth whatsoeuer it costeth him to remooue as much as hee can possiblie from the crowne for manie reasons that hee hath to feare this great enimie whome God keepeth for to be one day the destruction of his house For the benefite of these three purposes hee is come in and hath much solicited this generall league which strengtheneth to h im his title of war against England of enmity against the king of Nauar ministreth to him opportunity to enterprise vnder hand against the state of France whilest he fauoureth the affaires of the Duke of Guize his partner with whom except it were for this he could haue no intelligence that might yeeld him any profite by his meanes in France he doth hope to ouerthrow the king of Nauarre also he hopeth to vse the hauens of Picardie and Normandie against England the low countries being sure enough afterward that the king of France being dead his lawfull successor dispossessed and the realme left as a pray he shal be able easily to deuide their part vnto those of Lorraine being stronger then they and thus may we see that he turneth the general pretence of this goodly league to his particular benefit and purpose euen as though it had beene onely made for his domesticall affaires The Emperour would galdly that all the other Princes of Christendome which are of the religion were ouerthrowne to the end the whole bodie of the league might come to set him free from the protestants which are his neighbours but because it is yet a long peece of worke and that it were not good for him to bestirre himselfe much least he should waken those mightie princes which are stronger then himselfe he rusheth not far in amongst them no more then the other princes of Germanie I haue discoursed enough of the duke of Guizes intent and purpose which is to make himselfe alone king of France if it be possible or at least 〈◊〉 the better part such a purpose as willingly admitteth no fellow for the which a man wil not lightly labour for another This I doo heere note onely to shewe that to helpe himselfe in Fraunce by the meanes of Spaine to the furtherance of his enterprise in recompence thereof himselfe to helpe the Spaniard to recouer his lowe countries to see the Queene of England to whom he wisheth euen death it selfe whom likewise he knoweth to be the only support of his enimie quite ouerthrowne he wil haue notable intelligence with the king of Spaine but to yeelde him wholy the crowne of France and to holde it of him by homage if he be able to vsurpe it or to giue him ouer the better part I beleeue he will not In the meane while these pretences being grounded vpon nothing else then the diuision of religion wee must confesse him to bee one of the chiefest pillers of this holy league The princes of Italie haue no other purpose at al then their owne preseruation being enclosed on one side by the Pope on the other by the Venetians on the thirde by the king of Spaine besides deuided and their States so small that they haue smal leasure to think of any other matter thē to maintaine themselues and for this reason only are they come into the league But they are not so good catholikes but that they feare more the encrease of the house of Spaine then the decay of their religion Such as haue beene in their countries do know this The Duke of Sauoy is also comprehended in this generall vnion so long as his father in law shall liue he will haue the same enterprises that he hath if he dieth he wil haue others as I shall shewe anone which altogither doo synpathise with those of

hit on it Amongst these the first is the Queene mother vnto the king who for her credits sake and in shew keepeth her selfe on her sonnes side as she did alwaies when shee had many sonnes hold with him that was king but who notwithstanding hateth nothing more than his absolute power as beeing the worse for it When France was in peace she was faine to spin her rock at home her son left her no charge nor deling in any matter That she might recouer her authoritie she was fain to shuffell the cardes or haue intelligence with those that shuffeled them otherwise she was of no vse which her mind that could not thinke on small matters could neuer brooke And of this Princesse whose race hath ruled ruleth at this day ouer the best parts of Europe it may be saide as it was of Agrippa V●●ribus curis mu●ebria vitia exuisse If that alreadie were not a vice in a woman it hath beene alwaies her custome in France to stirre vp one against another that in the meane while she might rule in these diuisions The mightie against the mightie Princes against Princes yea her owne children against her children For she know wel enough that our state standeth so as that a woman except it be by some extraordinarie waies is of no credite therein In the time of the late king Charles this that nowe is was then her protector whose power she did increase as much as she could to the end she might vse him to make her selfe necessarie vnto the other The king at length perceiued it but too late Since that this beeing come vnto the Crowne wherein to speake the truth hee was infinitely bound vnto her whiles he was in Polande being as well assured that except shee had wisely prouided for it there had beene such stirringes in France as perchance at his comming home hee had beene kept from getting in Shee kept her credite for three or foure yeares whilest this yoong king dreamed of nothing but the pleasures of his age and the deliciousnesse of his newe estate but since beginning to take vppon him the affirmatiue voice and to seeke to rule alone she was forced to haue recourse vnto Mounsieur her yoonger sonne who for a while vphelde her and made her to be esteemed necessarie He being deade shee chose other remedies for howsoeuer it bee shee hath euer wished two thinges The one to make him that was in possibilitie of the Crowne to bee beholding vnto her for to keepe him in when hee were come to it The other to make him in the meane while so great that he that were master of the State should bee forced to vse her helpe in brideling the other employing after this manner verie quietly both their powers one against the other that betwixt them shee might rule and be sought to such a councell as particularlie for her selfe was as full of wisedome as often full of troubles and inconueniences for the commons Nowe if after Mounsieurs death shee had founde the king of Nauarre fitte for these practises she had made her buckler of him but seeing that his religion and many other considerations did hinder her she hath cast both her eyes and her heart on the house of Lorraine and her daughters children whereunto the hatred that shee did beare vnto this Prince euen from his infancie hath beene a great helpe So that esteeming her selfe not able to bee reconciled with him shee consequently dooth feare him and is fully resolued to hinder him in all that shee can from getting anie part in France Shee can neuer doo it without the ouerthrowe of the order of the Realme For as I saide after this hatred commeth in the loue shee beareth vnto the children of the D. of Lorraine who are her daughters children towards whome she hath a secret inclination neuer ceasing day nor night to reproch vnto the king that he ought rather to loue as his heires his Nephewes his Sisters children then a stranger vnto his house so dooth shee terme the king of Nauarre The daughters of Spaine are also her daughters children vpon whome she would likewise be glad to bestowe some part of the same not being grieued in the meane while that her sons state is in trouble to the ende that he should haue refuge vnto her and that she may be imployed Now in this manner she agreeth well with the Duke of Guize to crosse her sonne to stirre vp and open the way to confusion and about the meanes to alter the order of succession in our realme but to wish that hee shoulde waxe so great that he might ouerthrow the king himselfe dispossesse him and himselfe afterward to inuade the whole state it is not likely I cannot beleeue that she desireth it Now vnder this the Queene mothers intent I comprehend also that of the Marquise du Port her little sonne sonne vnto the Duke of Lorraine who likewise hath no intelligence or hope in this our state any further then she his grandmother doth procure him to conceiue Next there is the king of Spaine who from the beginning of these wars seeing the Queene of England to knit a straite alliance with our king seeing in the same time also the Commissioners of the low countries at Paris to offer him the soueraigntie ouer their prouinces it came in his head to cast three or foure thousand crownes into the hungrie hands of the league so to set France in troubles as being assured that by these meanes he should keepe the king from thinking vpon Flanders the which he did most feare as indeed there is but the onely king of France so he be in peace that can easily take these Prouinces from the Spaniarde This is that which brought him in and consequently that somewhat ouerhastned the Duke of Guizes deuises Besides that hee feareth now extremely least the king of Nauarre should attaine to the crowne of France hee is his enimie by nature he detaineth a kingdome from him which no doubt if the others ●●awes may growe on will bee wholly pulled away and more perchance withall Hee knoweth well enough that he being olde his children yoong his state deuided and scarse setled small matters after his death will trouble it much more a king of Nauarre if he were king of Fraunce Therfore he is glad to frame himselfe vnto those of Lorraine to finde them meanes to stirre vp coales that in the meane while he may more freely goe about his warres of the lowe countries and of Englande to molest the king of France thereby to ouerthrowe the king of Nauarre to the end that afterward the realm being left for a pray he being the mightiest might catch the greater part This is his drift as cōcerning our state but that he would proceede so farre as being burdened with many other particular expences he wold yet draw his treasors drie to make the Duke of Guize king he I say who is perswaded that if it were so that the maner

vnto tyranny Aut Caesar aut nihil I haue spoken heretofore of his meanes they are indeede great enough in France because the side of the catholikes is great amongst whom he is of great credit and his assurance being his chiefest strength that the king wil put vp al his presumpteousnesse But as for him I doubt not but that as his particular purpose tendeth to our state so if he had in his chests the ducats of the Indies he would make a breach in them afterward doo much harme vnto others But he is extreme poore and indetted the seconde token of a man that commonly aspireth vnto nouelties Besides that he hath too manie that stand against his purposes not only of his enimies as the king of Nauarre and the princes of the bloud but of his owne friends as the heires of Spaine of Lorraine and of Sauoy and those of his owne house which doo pretende as much right to the vsurping of our crowne as he doth and to the which seeing hee must needes vse them for his turne as he dooth hee must needes likewise giue some part of his pray if hee can praie vpon any thing which will breede him infinite gelousies so that all the power me thinketh of this partner can stretch no farther than to the dissipation and dismembring of our realme yet shall hee bee faine to haue helpe thereto For that he should make warre either against the Germaines or Englishmen he will hardly do it or at least it will neuer be before hee hath made an end of his matters in France which is a long peece of worke And vpon that I will obserue one most true qualitie of our nation that is that such is our nature that we can be cōtent vnder a king that is already established to deuide our selues we will make ciuill warres and vproares but if there were none or that we were to prouide for the Crowne wee would neuer suffer the renting a sunder of it For if a prince should nor find himselfe to set foot in the whole he would hardly be suffered to diuide it except he were a mightie Prince neere vnto it as the king of Spaine who by his strength and by the meanes of his Countries might hold the part that hee had ketched vp yet were it hard for him Finally I will vse but two testimonies to shewe that this mans power is no such great matter The one that in the beginning of the league when his fire was most kindled when men thought that at a word of his mouth all France would set vp their crestes hee neuer found himselfe accompanied with a thousand French horsemen and foure thousand footmen at the most yea all those vanished away in one moneth notwithstanding that he had prodigally spent all the money which hee receiued out of Spaine and his owne in gathering them together The other that being since entred into the warre a small armie of reisters consisting of foure thousande fiue hundred horsemen and of three or foure thousande Lansquenets with a fewe Switzers did passe in spight of him through his gouernment euen to the verie heart of France did beate him and beate him againe in their passage as often as they saw him albeit that he had called about him all his friends partakers and power and that he had besides all this the best part of the kinges albeit likewise that a yeare before he had boasted that he would fight with the Germaines euē vpō the Rhynes side and that it stood him greatly vpon for his credite so to doo But yet without doubt if men should suffer this head of a saction to growe on and except God had bridled him he is the greatest the ablest and the most daungerous enimie that such states as make profession of the religion can haue There are yet behinde two of the worst to wit the Pope and the king of Spaine The first is the brawlingest the most seditious of all and yet neuertheles the weakest It is a common thing Acutum reddere qui possit ferrum 〈◊〉 ipse secandi To speake the truth he serueth for nothing else but to edge their kniues The Popes they cannot tell an houre before they are whether they shal be Pope or not Before they come to that they are most commonly pettie Italian Cardinalles for gelousie keepeth the greatest from it who during the Cardinalship had no farther practises then to catch some annate or benefice Those that are able to stirre vp coales are not lightly preferred Italy hath fared the worse for it Last of all none can come by it without paying well for it and they are all such good husbandes as that they leaue as little as they can to their successour insomuch that the newe Pope hath enough to doo for the three or foure first yeares to pay those which haue solde him his See and afterwarde to liue And it is an extraordinarie thing when they passe nine or tenne yeares else straightwaies they say Exiit sermo interfratres quod discipulus iste non moritur For they are verie olde when they are chosen so that ere they can do any harme they are carried to their graues And as for this man if there were no more but he we should not neede to feare anie thing else then Bulles and leade which hurt none but those that are afraide of them The king of Spaines gold were much more to bee feared whome I haue kept for the last as the greatest of all and the first moouer who maketh all the others to mooue But hee for his part hath likewise manie discommodities which bind his handes and of this one because all Europe ringeth of his name wee must say somewhat the more This Prince is sonne to Charles the fift that great troubler of the worlde who hath tossed all so much topsie turuie so long as hee was in it who was happier by the meanes of his Lieutenantes then by himselfe who had eyther for his friendes or for his foes at sundrie times all the Princes of his time a mightie Prince notwithstanding vigilant a warriour if euer there were any and painefull in the warres besides full of courtesie and humanitie and such a one as truely was woorthie of the name of Caesar and woorthie of the Empire This same was brought vp in affaires by his fathers euen from his cradle yet was he much more happie than he and his good happe consisteth in this that as long as his yeares could encourage him to great matters hee neuer mette with any that crossed him His father had at one time the great Francis of France the great Henrie of England Solyman in the East part and the Princes of Germanie which thoroughly exercised his witts So that on what side so euer he turned himselfe hee founde businesse enough Besides that he found all the Countries rounde about him as strong and as like to set vppon him as he vpon them That was it that made his fortune so

diuerse Contrariwise Philip at this day king of Spaine hath beene fauoured with such fortune as had neuer interruption But that is more to bee attributed to that which tell out about him then to himselfe France in his time hath beene ruled by a woman and by children or so toyled by ciuill warres that they haue alwaies founde woorke enough within themselues England likewise ruled by a woman who following the nature of her kinde hath wisely contented her selfe with mainteining her subiectes in peace and defending her state from her neighbours attempts not enterprising any thing against them Germanie by peaceable Princes The East partes by Selim a great drunkard who tooke pleasure in nothing but his drinke and since by Amorat his sonne halfe an Idiot who stirreth not from the Mosquetta So that wee must not say that he had good lucke euerie where but that hee founde no where any bodie that might breede him any euill lucke all which notwithstanding hee hath performed no great matters The conquest of Portugall and of Jndia hath beene more easie then luckie there was no great labour The conquest of Tercyera and the victorie ouer the Frenchmen shall not seeme so strange if wee consider that it was a whole armie of Spaine against a companie of ships gathered togither in France As for the battailes of Graueline and of Saint Quintin they were yet remnantes of his fathers victories they were the armies that from their youth had followed the olde mans fortune there was but little of his his person it selfe was not there Nothing did stirre in Italie in Burgundie in the kingdome of Naples in Sicilia nothing where contrariwise in Affrica hee hath lost Gouleta the onely labour of Charles his father and all that he had there His victories haue not stretched so farre in Flanders but that there is more behinde to doo The reason why because hee hath founde there some resistance It is an easie matter for a man to winne when no bodie plaieth against him Nowe euen now hauing gotten enimies woorthie of his forces wee shall see what he can doo in England with all his great preparations wee shall see whether he shall keepe still that renowmed great fortune Concerning the state that hee findeth himselfe in at this time it is such First he is extreme old and yet more broken Hee hath but two daughters and a yoong boy they great ones ambitious alreadie and proud to the vttermost the one Dutchesse of Sauoy the other brought vp in her fathers armes and in the affaires of his estate the which she alone gouerneth his sonne is little and sickly as I haue saide now are these occasions of diuisions For in Spaine the daughters may succeede Besides that his state is much diuided The lowe Countries which were his best mesle are farre scattered from him All that which is cut off from him as the Prouinces which are vnited with the Queene of England he can see no hope euer to recouer That which the Prince of Parma holdeth vnder his authoritie he scarse assureth himselfe that after his death he will faithfully surrender it vnto his children The other is a braue Prince a great Captaine beloued of those ouer whom he commandeth esteemed of the others as I haue said who hath vsed great moderation and obserued his faith to his people that are alreadie highly pleased with that manner of gouernment which his mother had vsed before him who hath purchased great credite amongest them and that enough to make him hereafter able to keepe this portion instead of Portugall which to his iudgement the king of Spaine hath taken from him and who howsoeuer it be will be grieued that all his labours should be dedicated to a maid or to a little boy The Dutchie of Mylan is neare vnto the Duke of Sauoy hee wil pretend right vnto it in the behalfe of his wife and according to his contract of marriage The kingdome of Naples and the townes of Italie will follow the fortune of the Dutchie of Mylan Portugall is hee as yet scarce assured of the Portugalles greeued that Spaniards should rule ouer thē as much the more their enimies as they are neerer vnto them as it is an ordinarie thing to all people The Indies a● well the Portiugalles as the Spanish ones the onelie sinnew of this state will belong vnto him that shall possesse either Portugall or Spaine The case thus standing this Prince hath hencefoorth more neede to thinke vpon the preseruation of his house and his Lordships which doubtlesse are like to be deuided after his death then to trouble his neighbours To speake the trueth hee is rich but hee is at infinite charges scarse hauing any countrie where hee is not forced to keepe a great garrison That he standeth in neede he maketh it knowne sufficiently to the troupes which hee keepeth in Flanders where he is sometimes a yeare or eighteene monethes without giuing them a pennie As hee is rich of money so hee is poore of men hee can get none but onely out of Germanie out of Spaine out of Italie or out of Burgundie Now therefore marke his weakenesse As touching the Germaines if wee were all vnited togither wee would keep him either from raising vp any or frō bringing through any the Italians and Spaniards of whome he can furnish no great number for they are no populous countries as euerie man knoweth Before they can come to deale either with France the low countries or Germanie the places where wee are he must leade them either by sea or through such hard waies that if we were all of one minde hee should loose halfe of them before they were able to doo him anie seruice The Spaniards cannot come but either by sea or ouer the mounts Pyrenees The Italians ouer the Alpes or thorough Germanie such wayes as if wee would we might stop them all Last of all there is nothing more wretched than himselfe in his owne countrie nothing so easie to bee beaten And it is most sure that hee might easily haue beene ouerthrowne by Portugall if he had beene liuely set vpon that way since Don Antonio was driuen out of it Thus haue you briefly the state which the migthiest of our enimies is in Which to my iudgement being well considered ought not to seeme so mightie as hee is esteemed The effectes with all and example doo declare it Seeing that in twentie yeares that he hath imployed to conquere Flanders againe the onely place where he hath employed all his power he hath not profited much yet can it not be saide that hee hath founde there any resistance woorthie of him notwithstanding it is euident that had it not beene for the late Mounsieurs euill rule and the Prince of Oranges death most wretchedly by murthered a manifest token of this enimies weakenes hee was almost driuen to dispaire and had lost all these Countries without anie remission whatsoeuer hee could haue doone When our enimies state shall thus be considered