execute upon her CLOTAIRE II. called the GREAT remains sole King Aged 32 or 33 years Year of our Lord 614 Thus for the Second time were all the parts of France restored to one hand but Clotaire himself Governed only Neustria for Austrasia and Burgundy would needs retain the Title of a Kingdom and their distinct Officers Varnaquier was Mayer of Burgundy Radom of Austrasia and they Ruled as Vice-Roys He had given the Office of Patrician or Governour in the Dutchy Transjurane to Duke Herpin a very good Man to settle things with Order and Justice The Grandees of the Countrey fearing the Reformation might extend to them caused him to be slain by the People Clotaire going expresly into Alsatia punished that crime by the death of many that were guilty The Patrician Aletea had tampered in it with Count Herpin and Lendemond Bishop of Sion beside he grew so impudent as to send to tempt the Queen by that wicked Bishop to throw her self into his Arms with all the Kings Treasure endeavouring to make her believe the King would dye that year infallibly and that he being of the Royal Blood of the Burgundians would recover the Kingdom of Burgundy The Queen sad and allarmed having related this feigned Prophesie to her Husband the Bishop made his escape into the Monastery of Luxeu He had the good fortune to obtain his Pardon by the intercession of the Abbot Eustaise but Aletea being Commanded to Court to give an account of his actions could not justify himself and paid down his Head for it Year of our Lord 614 15 and the following Clotaire heving no more Enemies made it all his business to regulate his Kingdom and establish Law and Justice All those that had unjustly been thrust out of their Estates he restored again he abolished all Imposts that had been made without the consent of the French People by Brunehaud and Thierry revok'd all excessive Grants and resumed all that had been Usurped or Alienated from the Demesnes of the Crown enlarging the Fountain of his Revenues at the same time when he eased his Subjects â—or he had learned by Brunehaud's example that those people can easily forsake that Prince who oppresses them Year of our Lord 619 And likewise that he might keep Peace abroad he released the Lombards of the 12000 Crowns of Gold which they owed him for Tribute provided they paid him down in hand what was due for three years only Year of our Lord 620 Queen Bertrude a very good and most amiable Princess being dead Anno 620. he espoused Sichilda of whom he became so jealous that he caused a Lord named Boson to be killed who he imagined held too great a correspondence with her His eldest Son whether by Bertrude or by some other was then about Twelve years old He placed him under the Tuition of Arnulphus or Arnold Bishop of Mets to instruct him in good Literature and Virtue Year of our Lord 622 and 623. The Book of the Gests of Dagobert relates how one day this young Prince Hunting a Buck and that Beast taking Covert in the place where as then were the Reliques of St. Denis and his Companions a Divine power with-held the Dogs so that they could never break into the place That Dagobert some while afterwards having incurred the indignation of his Father because he had chastised the insolencies committed against him by Sadragisile Duke of Aquitain who was made his Governour or Tutor and remembring this Miracle put himself for security into the same place and that he found the same effect against those Men the King his Father sent to take him thence In acknowledgment of which miraculous protection he took the Holy Bodies out of that little Chappel which was then but ill adorned and much neglected and built them a magnificent Church and a fair Abby This Narrative to say no more is much suspected of falsity Year of our Lord 623 Austrasia more exposed to the Barbarian Nations then the other parts of France needed to have a King upon the place Clotaire gave this Kingdom to Dagobert under the Regiment of Pepin the Old who was Mayre of the Palace the Moderns call him Pepin de Landen and Arnold Bishop of Mets but reserved to himself all the Ardennes and the Vosge with the Cities of Aquitain which the Kings of Austrasia had possessed CLOTAIRE II. in Neustria and Burgundy DAGOBERT his Son in part of Austrasia aged 15 years Dagobert was 15 or 16 years of age when he began to Reign whilst he followed the wise Counsels of Pâ—pin and Arnold and afterwards of Cunibert Bishop of Colen his Life was an exemplar of Wisdom of Continency and of Justice Year of our Lord 624 The Nation of the Vencdes and Sclavonians inhabited originally that part of the European Sarmatia which is at this day called Prussia from whence in process of time they spread from the Scythian Sea even as far as the Elbe and from the Elbe as far as Bavaria and Hungary nay even into Greece and occupied Dalmatia and Liburnia which from their Name have to this day the appellation of Sclavonia There were above Thirty people Sclavonians those who possessed Carinthia Carniola and the other Countreys along the Danube were under the Dominion of the Avarois who were gotten into the Lands which the Lombards had forsaken when they passed over the Alpes The places near Italy obey'd the Lombards there were some of them free those that were under the subjection of the Avarois finding it heavy and tyrannical cast off the yoak and chose for their King one named Samon a French Merchant Native of the Bishoprick of Sens who Traded into their Countrey and appeared to them to be a Man of a good Head-piece It is believed be resided in Carinthia and that from thence he extended his Kingdom to the Elbe and at length to the confines of Turingia Year of our Lord 626 The fourth year of his Reign Dagobert is sent for by his Father who Marries him with Gomatrude Sister of Sicbilda his Wife The Nuptials were kept at the Palace de Clichy where his Festival ended in a quarrel between the Father and Son The last would have what his Father reserved to himself of that which belonged to the Kings of Austrasia The business put to a reference of Twelve French Lords the Son gained what he demanded except the Cities of Aquitain St. Arnold quits the Court and his Bishoprick to retire into Solitude where he passed the remainder of his most happy Life Cunibert Bishop of Colen a Prelate of great Merit took his place in the Councils of Dagobert and the friendship of Pepin Varnaquier was Deceased and his Son Godin killed by the Kings Command upon an accusation of the crime de Lâ—sae Majestatis brought against him by his Fathers Wife whom he had Married but was forced to part withal because such Incest was punishable with death Clâ—taire assembles the Estates of Burgundy at Troyes and asked whether
was natural to see a Prince of Twenty six years to be amorous but it was a prodigy against nature that at that age he should have such a covetous heart as nothing could satisfie Nevertheless being in himself at the bottom very good the Remonstrances of St. Amand Bishop of Tongres somewhat allay'd the heat of his Covetousness He took Nantilda his first Wife again and lived with her the rest of his days Year of our Lord 631 Mean time he had a Son by Ragnetrude the same year that he Married her He sent to pray his Brother Aribert to come and hold it at the Font. Both of them met at Orleance for that Ceremony and the Child was Baptized by the Bishop St. Amand and named Sigebert Year of our Lord 631 Aribert was no sooner returned to Thoulouse but he died and his Son Chilperic who was yet in his Cradle survived him but a few days It was suspected that Dagobert had contributed to the death of that Innocent to regain Aquitain by seizure as he presently did DAGOBERT I. Sole King It is certain this King had a singular Devotion for St. Denis and his fellow-Martyrs and that he Erected a Church in honour of him to which he joyned a rich Abby But the subject or cause which we related elsewhere passes amongst the Criticks but for a Fable I cannot tell whether it be a truth that he unfurnished several other Churches of their most precious Ornaments to enrich this same Year of our Lord 631 It hapned this year that some French Merchants who Traded with the Sclavonians were Robbed King Samon having refused to repair this Wrong Dagobert would needs right himself by the Sword The King of the Lombards and the Duke of the Almains the first of which was Allied and the other Subject to France attaqued them joyntly on the one hand whilst the Austrasian French assaulted them on the other The first got the advantage and slew a great many of them but the Austrasians who were discontented with Dagobert because he had preferred his Residence in Neustria before that of Austrasia behaved themselves very cowardly For having besieged the Castle of Vagastburgh wherein the bravest of the Enemies had put themselves they raised it the third day and retreated in great disorder After this the Sclavonians were emboldned to make Incursions in Turingia and other Countries belonging to the French And Debvan or Dervan Duke of the Sorabes they were a People of Sclavonia who inhabited Mâ—snia drew himself off from the Obedience of the French to put himself under Samon There had been of a long standing a Colony of Bulgarians who had taken up their Quarters in Panonia where they were Allied or become Tributaries to the Avares who possessed the greatest part of that Province with that of Dacia It is disputed whether the ancient Bulgaria was in Sarmatia Asiatica along the River Year of our Lord 631 Volga otherwise called Rha or else in the European on the borders of the Euxine Now the Bulgarians being entred into a War with the Avares were vanquished and so trodden under foot that there were left but nine thousand who were forced to forsake the Country with their Wives and Children These Wretches having besought Dagobert to give them an abiding in some Corner of his Dominions he sent orders to the Bavarois to receive them and to quarter them separately in Villages and Burroughs till the Estates of the Kingdom had ordained how to dispose of them The Estates found the best Expedient would be to cut the Throats of them all in one Night and that was put in execution but too punctually One of their Chiefs having got some wind of it made his escape with seven hundred of them into Sclavonia that Country is yet called the March of Wenden between the Rivers Save and Drave Year of our Lord 631 The Visigoths in Spain made and un made their Kings as they pleased This year 631. the Government of Suintila who had Reigned ten years being uneasie and displeasing to them they cast their Eyes upon Sisenand who implored the Assistance of Dagobert promising him in Recompence the great Golden vasa or Vessel weighing 500 pounds and enriched with Jewels which Aetius had bestowed upon Torismond for helping him against Attila Sisenand being instated in his Throne by the assistance of the French could not refuse this Vessel to the Ambassadors but the Visigoths Way-laid them and took it away again from them by force Dagobert was offended and threatned the business was canvassed and in the conclusion he was contented with two hundred thousand pieces of Silver As he was raising great Forces to stop the Incursions which King Samon with his Sclavonians made into Turingia the Saxons came and profer'd to repel them at their own Peril and Charge if they would forgive them the Tribute of Five hundred Beeves which they owed to France The profer was accepted and they were relied upon to make good their Promise but either they wanted strength or perhaps faith to perform it and secure Turingia as was expected Thus it continued still exposed to the insolency of those Barbarians The Neustrians were too remote to defend them the Austrasians should have done it and they had strength more then enough to have accomplished it but being ill affected they did not much trouble themselves about it It was necessary therefore to regain their hearts and affections to give them a King that should reside amongst them DAGOBERT in Neustria and Burgundy SIGEBERT his Son in Austrasia Year of our Lord 633 Wherefore Dagobert having Assembled the Prelates and the Lords of this Kingdom at Mets he by their Advice and with their Consent makes his Son Sigebert King of Austrasia furnished him with a Royal Treasure that is to say rich Moveables Precious Vasa's or Vessels and Silver Coyn and left the Conduct of his Education of his Court and his State to Cunibert Bishop of Colen and to the Duke Adalgise Then the Austrasians counting themselves restored to their Liberty because they had a King stood up for their Honour and valiantly repulsed the Sclavonians Year of our Lord 634 The following year he had a Son born by Queen Nantilda who was named Clovis Nantilda considering that if her Husband should come to die without setling the Succession this Son would have no share solicited him so earnestly that he sent for the Lords of Austrasia and made them understand that he meant and intended that Neustria and Burgundy should belong to the Infant that was newly born but that all the Cities of Aquitain of Provence and of Neustria which had been joyned to the Kingdom of Austrasia should so remain united excepting the Dutchy of Dentelen which Theodebert the Young had taken from King Clotaire Year of our Lord 635 The Gascons who had possessed one part of the Novem-populania or third Aquitain had again began their Robberies after the death of Caribert There were sent twelve Dukes with the
did Erect one there whence it took the name of Noir-moustier The Exemplary Vertue and Christian Liberty of a few Prelats made the Tyrants Process he undertook to make theirs and dishonour them to justifie his own Conduct which they had condemned This could not be without the Sentence of their Brethren To this purpose he therefore calls an Assembly of some that were most devoted to him in one of the Kings Palaces in the Country They began thereby to gain a good opinion of their Justice and Impartiality with two Bishops who deserv'd it very well These were Didon and Vaimer who had offended the Tyrant it is not said wherein Both these were Degraded and afterwards delivered over to be put to Death Didon perished by the Sword and Vaimer by the Cord. That done they proceeded against Amat de Sens Lambert de Tougres and Leger d'Autun the two first retired into Monasteries but as for the other the Fathers of the Council or rather the Slaves to that Tyrant tore his Garment from top to bottom that was the manner of Degradation then he was put into the hands of Crodebert Count of the Palace who having with grief carried him into the Forest Year of our Lord 679 d'Iveline caused his Head to be cut off Year of our Lord 680 About this time died Dagobert King of one part of Austrasia I know there are some Authors that make him live many years longer and bestow a Son and many Daughters upon him but in my mind it is upon very doubtful proof and if he had any Son we cannot say that he outlived his Father unless some Modern Genealogist have need of it to make up his Account A little before or a little after him Wlfoad his Mayre ended his days having enjoy'd that Office near twenty five years The Austrasians having no Prince of the Blood and refusing to obey Thierry out of hatred to Ebroin put the whole Government of the Kingdom into the hands of Martin and Pepin They were Cousin-Germans issued from two Sons of St. Arnolds the first from Clodulph the second from Anchisa and Begga the Daughter to Pepin de Landen To distinguish these some of our Historians call this Pepin the Gross others Pepin de Herstal which is a Village upon the Meuse between Jupil and Liege where he had been brought up THIERRY in Neustria MARTIN and PEPIN Princes in Austrasia THe two Cousins foreseeing Ebroin would come upon them went out to attaque Year of our Lord 681 him first and gave him Battle near the Forest of Locafao at the entrance into Neustria The Tyrant gained the Victory and they escaped by flight Martin to the City of Laon and Pepin a great way in the Kingdom of Austrasia Ebroin with his Army approaches Laon and finding the place impregnable by force gives out Propositions of Accommodation Two Bishops Engilbert of Paris and Rieul of Rheims would needs be Instruments of the fraud They persuaded Martin to go and meet him in his Camp and for security gave him their Oaths upon the Shrines of some Saints which they carried about them but out of which they had taken the Relicks Martin having forgotten the Example of Leudesia relies on the Faith of these Prelates When he was come into the Camp Ebroins Soldiers surrounded and cut him off with all his Men. Thus all the Government of Austrasia remained in Pepin who made advantage of his Enemies Crime and the defeat of his Cousin Year of our Lord 682 This great success pushed the insolence of Ebroin to the highest degree But Treating the French more tyrannical then ever a Lord named Hermenfroy whom he had stripp'd of all his Estate and whom he threatned with Death delivered France from that Monster He watched him one Morning before break of day at his going from home to the Church and cleft his Head with a Sword afterwards he made his escape into Austrasia Year of our Lord 683 In his place the French made choice of Varaton a wise old Man who immediately Treated with Pepin and gave him Hostages He had joyned with him in that Administration a Son of his named Willimer able crafty and undertaking but rough cholerick and one that had nothing more in view then the honour of Commanding This unnatural Child grew weary of being his Fathers Companion he would be his Master and dispossess'd him of his Employment Presently after he breaks the Treaty with Pepin and having raised a great Army marched as far as Namur where he catches some of his Enemies with the lure of an Hipocritical Faith and caused them to be slain At his return from thence he was seized with a Distemper whereof he died not without Divine Punishment being Year of our Lord 684 but entred upon the second year of his Office The old Man was restored to the Place and Death dispossessed him again a year after Berthier who had Married a Daughter of his Wives succeeded him by Election This was a little fellow Ill-shaped Hair-brain'd Unjust Proud Covetous and in fine much the same as Willimer only he had neither Wit nor Judgment The greater part of the Neustrians finding themselves despised and controuled by so contemptible a Creature conceived so much scorn and hatred for him that they forsook Year of our Lord 685. 686. 687. 687. him the very next year to Ally themselves with Pepin This Lord both Generous and Politick took in hand the Cause of those that had been banished by Ebroin and whom Thierry treated still as Criminals that he might have some colour to detain their Estates He advised them to send to that King to implore an Amnesty and Pardon for what was past in the most submissive manner and after their Supplications had been rejected he brought them back into their own Country with an Army and spared not to assault Thierry and his Mayre He fought them at Tertry which is between St. Quentin and Peronne Heavens having favoured him with a compleat Victory he seized on the Royal Treasure then on the City of Paris and Thierry 's own Person who had sheltred himself there After which Berthier whose evil Counsels had occasioned all these mischiefs was knocked on the Head by Combination of almost all the Neustrians and the instigation even of his Wives own Mother Some not without reason do here put an end to the Reign of the Merovignians because in truth and in effect they never had after this but only the vain and empty Title of Kings their whole Kingdom and even their Persons being in the Power of Pepin and his Children He was owned Mayre of the Palace through all France and he took the Title of Duke or Commander of the French according to the ancient usage of the Germans that is to say they gave him all Authority in the Armies without dependance upon the King but under whose name notwithstanding all Acts were passed and that was the sole honour that remained still in him
and give battle to the Ravens who in their Flocks had Rooks and Choughs the Storks gained the Victory In the Countrey of Liege in like manner some Crows or Ravens having insulted over a Faulcon breaking the Eggs in its Airy the next day were to be seen in that very place a vast quantity of Birds of both those kinds who fought most obstinately till the Crows betook themselves to flight after a very great slaughter of their Forces It was wisely Counsell'd whereby to lay asleep all discords to employ all the Forces of France in a War upon the English under that specious pretence of revenging the death of King Richard II. The Nobless went about it with much resolution but the envy which other Princes had against the greatness of the Burgundian who sate at the Helme broke off this design Year of our Lord 1410 At the end of August the Dukes of Berry and Bourbon having made a League at Gyen with the House of Orleans and with the Duke of Bretagne the Earls of Alenson Clermont and Armagnac who were all his friends or picqued against the Burgundian sent to make their demands of the King Every one armed himself the King might command them to lay down their Arms but it was in vain for they went on with their Levies The Burgundian having to little purpose proffer'd them Peace made use of the Kings Authority to summon the Arriere-ban puts Ten thousand Men into Paris The Duke of Berry and the Princes lodged themselves at the Castle of Wicestre and began to make the War The neighbouring parts round that City were eaten up by Two hundred thousand hungry Soldiers About the end of November when all the Provisions were consumed necessity compell'd both parties to come to an agreement It was Articled that the Duke of Burgundy should go out of Paris and that the Duke of Berry should not go in That those two Princes should name some Lords that should take care for them of the Government and the Dauphin's Person That the King sho u l d chu Council of Twelve Persons not suspected whose Names he should communicate to them That all the Princes should withdraw with their Forces and that none of them should return near the King unless he were commanded by Letters under the Great Seal and written in Council Year of our Lord 1411 The Burgundian obey'd with sincerity and retir'd forthwith but the Duke of Orleans with those of his party began immediately to make new Levies The Queen and the Duke of 〈◊〉 appeared as Neuters and offer'd to be Mediators The King spake 〈◊〉 Master and Commanded them to disarm the Burgundian lay quiet and remained in Obedience but the Orleannois with his Sword in hand demanded Justice for the death of his Father After many Letters and fruitless Negotiations he sent a very biting Cartel to the Burgundian who answered in the same stile Their Challenges were in the month of August Year of our Lord 1411 The King had ordained the Queen and the Duke of Berry who were at Melun to labour for a Peace and sent thither Persons that were Notables of the Clergy the Nobility the Parliament and the University the better to Authorize what they should conclude therein but their design was only to pillage Paris and deliver themselves to the Orleannois The Parisians having timely notice demanded the Count de St. Pol might be their Governour It was agreed to but instead of strengthening himself with good honest Citizens he furnishes himself with Rascals and raises a Company of Five hundred Butchers Commanded by the Goix the Kings Butchers who committing a thousand insolencies obliged a great many good Citizens to retire elsewhere France then divided her self in two Factions the one the Orleannois vulgarly named Armagnac's from the Count of Armagnac one of their principal Chiefs they carried a White Bend and a Cross with Right Angles and the other the Burgundians who bare the St. Andrew's Cross The best of the Citizens of Paris inclined towards the First the Populace towards the Second From thence proceeded so many Murthers plunderings and Proscriptions according as the success varied on either side Year of our Lord 1412 The Burgundian party was then the strongest having the King the Dauphin Duke of Guyenne and the City of Paris on that side so that they displaced the Prevost des Marchands and imprisoned and banished divers of the contrary party In the mean time the Forces under the Duke of Orleans plundered Picardy and he seized upon Montlehery Upon this they perswaded the Duke of Guyenne to oblige the King to recall the Burgundian to his assistance This Duke embraced the opportunity enters into Picardy with Sixty thousand Men besieged and forced Ham but he could go no further The contest about the plunder of that City begot a mortal dissention between the Picards and the Flemmings wherewith his Army was made up insomuch as the Duke of Orleans approaching with his the Picards forsook him the Flemmings withdrew and he though much against his Will with them The greediness with which the party Orleannois gaped for the plunder and spoil of Paris hindred them from pursuing and destroying the Burgundian They marched immediately to block up this great City made themselves Masters of St. Denis by a Siege of the Tower of St Cloud by the Treachery of him that Commanded it and fired the Houses of such Citizens as were not of their Faction In retribution the Company of Butchers went and burnt the Castle of Wicestre which belonged to the Duke of Berry Year of our Lord 1412 The Orleannois thought themselves so very sure of the taking of Paris that they had already agreed upon their shares in the spoil But now the Burgundian returns with a relief of English pierces thorough the midst of their Forces and the Thirtieth of October is received into the City as the deliverer of the Kingdom Then their party declines St. Cloud is forced out of their hands with the loss of above Nine hundred Gentlemen they raise their Blockade and having drawn all their Men together at St. Denis retreat in disorder over the Bridges they had laid upon the Seine Year of our Lord 1412 All the misfortunes that attend a routed party fell upon these The victorious Burgundian causes them to be excommunicate and proscribed gives them chace every where puts their Goods to sale by out-cry imprisons all their Friends and Servants displaces the Constable Albret John de Hangest Hugueville Grand Master of the Cross-Bow-Men and the Sire de Rieux Mareschal to give their places to the Count de St. Pol the Lord de Rambures and Lewis de Longny his partisans All the neighbouring Cities about Paris enter into the same interests Orleans alone remains of the side of her Princes The other places and of such as followed them are forced to abandon them even Guyenne and Languedoc submit and renounce the Government of the Duke of Berry Year of our
into their Hands and retired to Mantoua The Emperor continued the Truce for five Years with the Venetians for twenty thousand Crowns they were to pay him each Year and the King desiring to fasten and secure the Confederation with the Pope by some fresh Ties gave up into his Hands again the writing whereby he had obliged himself to surrender Reggio and Modena to the Duke of Ferrara Christendom enjoy'd a most Vniversal Calm when She was troubled with two of the most horrible Scourges or Plagues that did ever torment Her Selim the Turkish Sultan having conquer'd Syria laid Ismael Sophy's Power in the Dust extinguish'd the domination of the Mamalucs in Egypt by the utter defeat and death of Campson the last Egyptian Sultan vaunted that in quality of Successor to Constantine the Great he should soon bring all Europe under his Empire and at the same Time the Bowels of the Church began to be torn and rent by a Schisme that hitherto no Remedies have been able to take away The first Evil gave occasion for the birth of the second Pope Leo desiring to oppose all the Forces of Christendom against the furious Progress of the Turks had sent his Legates to all the Christian Princes and formed a great Project to attack the Insidels both by Sea and Land Now to excite the Peoples Devotion and get their Alms Year of our Lord 1517. 18 19. and the following and Benevolence for so good a Work he sent some according to the usual Custom in such Cases practic'd to preach Indulgences in every Province This Commission according to the allotments made of a long time amongst the four Orders Mendicants belonged to the Augustins in Germany Nevertheless Albert Archbishop of Mentz either of his own Head or by Order from Rome allots and gives it to the Jacobins The Augustins finding themselves wronged in their Interest which is the great Spring even of the most Religious Societies Camplain make a Noise and fly to Revenge Amongst Year of our Lord 1517 these there was a Monk named Martin Luther of Islebe in the County of Mansfield Doctor and Rcader in Theologie in the Vniversity of Witemberg a bold Spirit Impetuous and Eloquent John Stampis their General commanded him to preach against these Questors They furnished him but with too much Matter for they made Traffick and Merchandize of those sacred Treasures of the Church they kept their Courts or Shops rather in Taverns and consumed great part of what they gained or collected in Year of our Lord 1517 Debauches and it was certainly known besides that the Pope intended to apply considerable Summs to his own proper use Perhaps it would have been better done to prevent these Disorders only to have reremoved the occasion of his clamor but the thing seemed not worth while to trouble their Heads about it In the mean time the Quarrel grew high and was heated by Declamations Theses and Books on either side Frederic Duke of Saxony whose Wisdom and Vertue was exemplary in Germany maintained him and even animated him as well for the Honor of his new Vniversity of Witemberg which this Monk had brought in reputation as in hatred to the Archbishop of Ments with whom he had other disputes He at first began with proposing of Doubts then being hard beset and too roughly handled he engaged to maintain and make them good in the very Sence they condemned them in They had neither the Discretion to stop his Mouth or seize upon him but threatning him before he was in their Power he takes shelter and then keeping no more Decorum he throws off his Mask and not only declaimed against the Pope and against the Corruptions of the Court of Rome but likewise opposed the Church of Rome in many Points of Her Doctrine And truly the extream ignorance of the Clergy many of them scarce able to read the scandalous Lives of the Pastors most of them Concubinaries Drunkards and Vsurers and their extreme negligence gave him a fair advantage to persuade the People that the Religion they taught was corrupt since their Lives and Examples were so bad At the same Time or as others say a Year before to wit in Anno 1516. Ulric Zuinglius Curate at Zuric began to expose his Doctrine in that Swisse Canton and since almost every Year new Evangelists have arisen in such Swarms that it would be difficult to number them Year of our Lord 1518 Every Day brought forth some occasion of difference between the King and Charles of Austria the Lords de Chevres and de Boisy met at Montpellier to determine them but the Death of de Boisy made that great Work be left imperfect William his Brother Lord de Bonnivet much less wise then he held the same Rank in the Kings Favor who made him Admiral of France Year of our Lord 1518 About the same Time John Jacques Trivulcio lost it and died for Grief at the Burrough of Chastres under Montlehery Lautree his antagonist had given the King an ill impression of him upon his being made a Burgher amongst the Swisse and his Brother and others of his Kindred puting themselves into the Venetians Service There had been some Seeds of division sowed between the King of France and the King of England their Counsels before things grew to a greater height thought sit to unite them by a new Alliance The Admiral therefore going to London made a Treaty to this effect That the King of England should give his Daughter as then but four years of age to the Daufin not yet compleatly one year old That there should be a defensive League between the two Crowns and that Tournay should be restored to the King of France who should pay two hundred and sixty thousand Crowns for the Expences the English had been at there and three hundred thousand more in twelve years time besides that he should acknowledge to have received other three hundred thousand for the Dowry of the little Princess The King not having the Money ready gave six Lords in Hostage and by this means got Tournay It was likewise agreed that the two Kings should have an entre-view at their convenient time between Boulogn and Calais In Maximilian's Councel it was judged more proper for the Grandeur of the House of Austria to give the Empire to the Arch-Duke Charles his Grandson then to Ferdinand his younger Brother to whom for the same reason King Ferdinand his Grand-father would not leave his Kingdom of Arragon who bred him in his own Court. And therefore Maximilian treated with the Electors to get them to design him King of the Romans but before he had accomplished that affair he died at Lints in Austria aged sixty three years the two and twentieth day Year of our Lord 1519 of January in Anno 1519. After his Death King Francis and Charles declared themselves Aspirers or Competitors for the Imperial Crown without shewing however the lest picque against one another Of the Capetine Race none but Charles
miraculously escaped from the hands of the Moors after the Battle in Africa did for some years exercise the worlds Curiosity and begot a diversity of Judgments according as mens Minds were variously disposed The Portugueze did easily believe it was their King the Italians doubted it the Spaniards treated him as a Fourbe and Magician He told his Fable or his History so well and brought so many Proofs and Tokens for the truth of what he said that they could not detect him of one Mistake The Senate of Venice to whom he first addressed himself in the year 1598. found all his Answers very pertinent to such questions as they put to him but the Spanish Ambassador to that Seigneury made so much noise that he was laid hold on and after he had been Prisoner there two years condemned him to quit their Territories within Eight days The Portuguese Merchants who were then in Venice travested him as a Jacobin to carry him to Rome about the end of the year 1600. As he passed by Florence the Grand Duke apprehended him and fearing to offend the King of Spain who had a Fleet upon those Coasts put him into the hands of the Vice-Roy of Naples The Vice-Roy having detained him a while caused him to be shaved and sent to the Galleys who carried him into Spain where he was shut up close Prisoner in the Castle at Sainct Lucar and there died soon after A horrible Injustice if he were Don Sebastian and too slight a Punishment if he were an Impostor Some years before another who came from the Terceres into Portugal acted the same Part having gotten together Six or Seven thousand Men created Grandees and bestowed upon them all the Offices belonging to the Crown The Cardinal of Austria Vice-Roy of Portugal dispersed this confused Herd of Wild Beasts and put their Counterfeit King with his principal Associates to Death Year of our Lord 1602 The year 1602. found the whole Court very jocund there was nothing but Feastings Balls Hunting-Matches and great Gaming Besides the gay Courtiers month January Year of our Lord 1602 promis'd themselves a Golden Age upon the discovery of some Mines of month January Gold Silver Copper and Tin In so much as by an Edict which however was not verified till June Bellegard Grand Escuyer or Master of the Horse got to be made the Grand Maistre or Superintendant of them Beaulieu Rusé Secretary of State that of Lieutenant Beringhen first Valet de Chambre Comptroller General and Villemareuil Councellor in Parliament the Office of President to take Cognisance of all Matters and Causes relating to Workmen that should be therein employ'd The Parasites did not stick to say Heaven had reserved this Happiness for the Reign of Henry the Great and that the Earth enamour'd with his incomparable Vertues open'd her breast to let him behold all what she had of Rich and Beautiful but when they came to work in their Mines the expence did much exceed the profit so that all these metallick Treasures vanish'd in fume and vapour like Quick-silver The Alliance between France and the Swiss and Grisons being expired after the Death of Henry III. the Agents for Spain had omitted no endeavours to break those People wholly off from us and engage with them particularly the Five petty Catholick Cantons so that for some time past these had made one with them and with the Duke of Savoy Now the King desiring earnestly to renew with them upon the same Conditions as his Predecessors Francis Hotman Morfontaine his Ambassador in those Countries had begun to lay some foundation for a Treaty and would have carried it on much further if Death had not laid his cold hands on him at Soleurre Afterwards Emeric de Vic placed in his stead pursued his work and about the end of the foregoing year Sillery had been sent thither expresly to put the finishing hand to it The greatest difficulty was to make the Treaty of the Five little Cantons accord with what the King demanded upon the foot of the old ones Sillery thought he had overcome it by the Promise he made of Paying them a Million of Gold for what was due upon the former account But the delay of Payment the most sensible of all Injuries to them had given opportunity to the Emissaries of Spain and Savoy to cast the Seeds of Anger and Discontent into the Minds of those suspicious People in so much that all was breaking in pieces when the Mareschal de Biron arrived at Soleurre in the Month of January of this year 1602. with a month January and February numerous Train and a pompous Equipage His magnificent Expence his Discourse wholly Martial and the lustre of his brave Acts whereof themselves had often been Eye-witness had indeed a great influence upon those War-like Spirits but it was the Arrival of the Waggons loaden with Silver that wholly won their hearts The Alliance was then renew'd to last not only during the life of the King but during the life also of the Daufin The Mareschal crowned this Festival with the Magnificence of a sumptuous Banquet where he did wonders in describing the Grandeur of the King and the Power and Strength of France This was not the least of his Services but it was the last day of his Glory and good Fortune At his return finding that Laffin was sent for to Court he staid in Burgundy and would not stir thence till the Month of June There had been granted by the Estates at Roüen a Tax of a Sol per Liuer upon such Wares as should be brought into any City but for Three years only the term expired this Impost was continued with great severity and the Partisans had hung up Papers containing the Prizes of all sorts of Goods near the Gates of month April and May. the Towns at their Toll-booths Those of Guyenne and Languedoc could not endure so odious an Imposition and which was no way due Limoges and Rochell opposed it by main strength the rest were ready to follow the same Dance some Emissaries running about those Countries blew up the flame and there was danger it might put those whole Provinces into a Combustion unless timely care were taken to prevent it To this purpose the King went to Blois and thence to Poitiers and sent the President Jambeville into Limosin This Magistrate was very vigorous he took the Hoods away from the Consuls of Limoges who were in Office and caused two or three of the most Factious to suffer by the severest hand of Justice By these means he appeased the Tumult in Limosin as on the other side the Voyage of Rosny to Rochell disposed the People of that haughty City to admit of the Impost The Order and Paper of Prizes therefore was set up again in all the Cities But some Months after the King being satisfied of the Obedience of his Subjects and moreover finding the said Impost did stand him in almost as much to Collect it as it brought
's new flame increasing by the Presence of the Princess of Condé appeared so plain and shone so bright and hot as offended the Eyes of her Husband and gave him a shrewd Fit of the Head-Ach Then the scrupulous the discontented the King 's concealed Enemies those People whose Malignity is never pleased but in Troubles without any other aim but to make mischief and even the Queen her self peeked him with Honour Year of our Lord 1609 and Jealousie He flies out and held Discourses very dis-respectful the King chastizes him by taking away his subsistence which was in Pensions and the Money he had promised upon his Marriage This rough treatment had an effect quite contrary to what he desired the Prince being the more enraged and withal apprehending some violence from so head-strong a passion though he had seen no such example in this good King resolved to retire himself from Court. Having therefore disposed every thing for his design he did as we may say steal away his wife the nine and twentieth of August set her behind him on Horse-back and when he had rode some month August Leagues put her into a Coach with six Horses He passed by Landrecy without entring there and from thence travell'd with all speed to Bruxels where the Popes Nuncio and the Arch-Dukes received him with a great deal of joy and render'd him all the honour that was due to his quality Upon the news of this unexpected Evasion the King full of anger and love could not dissemble his emotions not even before the Queen but yet endeavour'd to colour them with reason of State His Council was of Opinion he should resolve on nothing in so important a business till they were certain of the place of his retreat A Month afterwards they had certain notice he was at Bruxels then the King order'd Praslin Captain of his Guards to go to the Arch-Dukes and demand they should surrender to him the first Prince of his month October Blood To which they answered That the consideration and esteem they had for that Noble Blood having obliged them to allow him a retreat the Laws of Hospitality and honour would not suffer them to deliver him up and that there was no ground to fear he would attempt any thing either in word or deed contrary to that respect and service which he owed him This Answer did not satisfie the King he counted as dishonour all the honour they could shew to him who had incurr'd his disfavour and had carried Reports into stranger Countries which wounded his reputation Besides the too great familiarity that Prince had contracted with the Duke d'Aumale a mortal enemy to his person gave him a plausible pretence to evaporate his cholerick transports which were known to be produced by another and a fairer cause He therefore sent Ambassadors to the Arch-Dukes who spake yet lowder to them then Praslin yet gained no more then he Some of his Confidents thinking to do him good service would needs employ themselves without Commission and made attempts month Novemb. to steal away the Princess and others agen more imprudent then the first contrived some against the Prince himself the rumour of it being spread in Bruxels this was in February Anno 1610. the whole City put themselves in Arms to defend so Noble a Guest but he fearing some dangerous Event retired from thence and passed into Milan The Count de Fuentes a furious Enemy to the King set malitiously a report Year of our Lord 1610 on Wing that he had put the price of two hundred thousand Crowns month February upon his head and under that pretence ordered a Guard both of Horse and Foot to attend him which he did not so much for the safety of his person as to vilifie the reputation of the King and hinder any Envoy from reclaiming that Prince either by making him some offers very advantageous or by bringing him to abhor and repent what he had done He had in effect some reason to apprehend such a change since notwithstanding all this Precaution the Prince as it was said began to listen to the propositions were made him by France and was going to submit and comply when the death of the King hapned Whatever some may have said the greatest passion the King had was for Fame in the pursuit of his brave and noble design The death of John William Duke of Cleve Juliers and Bergh Count de la Mark and Lord of Ravestein hapning the five and twentieth of March afforded him a specious overture This Prince Year of our Lord 1609 was Son of Duke William who was so of John Duke of Cleves Count de la month March c. Mark and Lord of Ravestein which John had espoused Mary Daughter and Heiress of William Duke of Juliers and Bergh and Lord of Ravensburgh Observe it was expresly said in their Contract That those Lands should ever remain united in one hand thereby to be enabled the better to defend themselves against their Neighbours who became too powerful The Succession of Duke John William was extremely litigious amongst his Heirs as well because of the divers dispositions of the Dukes his Predecessors Year of our Lord 1610 as the Constitutions of the several Emperors directly contrary to one another For some had treated these Dutchies as Fiefs Masculine others would have it that they might fall to the distaff or females The Emperor Frederic III. had conceded them to Albert Duke of Saxony for services rendred to the Empire in case those who then were in possession should come to dye without Heirs Males and Maximilian I. had ratified this concession two several times Afterwards quite contrary when William Son of Duke John and Brother of Sibylla married to John Frederic soon after Elector of Saxony espoused Mary of Austria Queen of Hungary and Sister of Charles V. this was in Anno 1545. that Emperor granted to him and his Successors confirm'd it That if they left no Sons of this Marriage the Daughters should be capable of succeeding in all his Estates the Eldest first then the younger consecutively one after another and if there were none living at the time of the decease of the Father the said principalities should appertain to their Male-Children The same condition had been apposed in the Contract of Sibylla Sister of this William in the year 1526. when Duke John their Father Marry'd her to the said Frederic Elector of Saxony who was afterwards defeated and destituted of his Dutchy by the Emperor Charles V. Now this William Son of Duke John had had a Son to wit the John William whose death we now mention'd and four Daughters who were Mary-Eleonora Anne Magdalen and Sybilla These Daughters had Married the first Albert Frederick Duke of Prussia Anno 1572. of whom there were none but Daughters remaining The second Philip Ludovic Duke of Newburg of whom were born Wolfang and some other Males The third John Duke of Deux-Ponts Brother of that Ludovic
unlawful Cabals and an unworthy Traffick of which they had undeniable Proofs before them Nevertheless such as were sincere and well meaning men amongst them moderating this difference found out an expedient to compose matters but which in truth did in some sort prejudice one advantage France had ever been in possession of But she knew how to recover her former right afterwards and to maintain it The Cardinal de Lorraine had now no other thought but to hasten the conclusion Year of our Lord 1563 of the Council that he might return into France to settle the Affairs of his House He went to wait on his Holiness at Rome with whom he had long and private Conferences and after he came back to Trent he acted altogether in concert with the Legates In so much as the said grand Assembly which during the space of twenty seven years and under the Pontificat of Five Popes had been interrupted and resumed divers times finally ended on the second day of December in the year 1563. To the unexpressible satisfaction of his Holiness who thereby was deliver'd of many great fatigues and far greater apprehensions of the diminution of his absolute power The Decisions have been received in France as to the points of Faith but not those for Discipline there being many that infringe the Rights of the Crown the Liberties of the Gallican Church the authority of the secular Magistrate the Priviledges of the Chapters and Communities and divers usages received in the Kingdom and if several of their Reiglements are practised it is not by vertue of the Decrees of that Council but of the Kings Ordonannces Year of our Lord 1561 c. Whilst that was held Calvinisme which the Edicts of King Francis I. and Henry II. had suppressed began to appear again publickly under the favour of those conjunctures we have before specified The Edict of July deliver'd them from the dangers of death the Colloquy of Poissy gave them confidence to Preach openly the Edict of January the Liberty of Exercise and the accident of Vassy the occasion to take up Arms. From thence followed infinite Murthers Robberies Destruction of Churches Burnings Prophanations and Sacrilegious Out-rages Those people inraged for that they had burned so many of their Brethren revenged it cruelly upon the ☞ Clergy as many as they caught they cut off their Ears and their Virilia some were seen to wear them upon strings hung round like Bandeliers They spared Year of our Lord 1563 not the Sepulchres of Saints nor even the Tombs of their own Ancestors they burned all the Reliques of which notwithstanding as by a Miracle we now find as many as ever and broke in pieces all the Shrines and Sacred Vases to get the Gold and Silver that enriched them From all which impieties this good at least accrued to the publick that they Coyned good store of Money but one thing was a loss without any the least profit and never to be repaired to wit the destruction of the ancient Libraries belonging to Abbeys where there were inestimable Treasures for History and for the works of Antiquity The Clergy in these Wars sustained likewise great damage in their Temporal Estates for besides that the Huguenots invaded them in many places the Kings also constrained them four or five several times to alienate much Lands for great Sums of Money to be employ'd towards the expences of their War and gave them so short a time that they were forced to sell at a very mean rate Shall we ✚ say these distractions were their ruine or their reformation since it is certain that as those riches serve them for a decent and necessary subsistence when they are moderate so are they the chief cause of their corruption when excessive and that when ever the Church had the least then was she always the most holy and pure When Francis Duke of Guise was Assassinated near Orleans the Queen-Mother and the Huguenots being on either hand delivered from that approaching ruine wherewith he threatned them were easily inclined to a Peace The Queen and the Prince her Prisoner treated it personally the Edict was dispatched to Amboise the nineteenth of March 1563. This was the first of the seven granted them by King Charles IX and Henry III. for so often did they take up Arms sometimes being thereto necessitated otherwhile out of choice and design The Massacre of Saint Bartholomew which in all probability should have utterly quelled them did but rather encourage them to undergo all future extremities since it left them no other prospect to save themselves but by hazarding their All. Now this first Peace in 1563. displeased his Holiness so much that he resolved to discharge his wrath upon those whom he believed to be the most dangerous Enemies of the Catholick Religion in France particularly upon Jane d'Albret Queen of Navarre who had banish'd it out of her Kingdom and pull'd down all the Churches and upon some Prelates who manifestly countenanced Huguenotisme Year of our Lord 1563 He had a mind to Summon the Queen before the Council and to have made her process at that grand Tribunal but foreseeing the Emperors Ambassadors would soon oppose it as they had done in the like Case concerning the Queen of England he resolved to cite her to Rome and caused the Citation to be posted up at the Gates of Saint Peters Church and at the Inquisition declaring if She did not make her appearance that her Lands and Lordships should be proscribed and that She should personally incurr all the penalties provided against Hereticks As for the Prelates he gave orders likewise to the Cardinals of the Inquisition to cite them to Rome upon a day certain and if they appeared not personally to carry on their process to a definitive Sentence which he would pronounce in his secret Consistory The Inquisitors by vertue of this Command cited Odet de Coligny Chastillon Cardinal Bishop of Beauvais but who had quitted his Purple to follow the fortune and opinions of his Brothers and bare the Title of Count de Beauvais N. de Saint Romain Arch-Bishop of Aix John de Montluc Bishop of Valence John Anthony Carracciol of Troyes John de Barbanson of Pamiez Charles Guillard of Chartres Lewis d'Albret of Lascar Claude Reyne of Oleron John de Saint Gelais of Vzez and Francis de Nouilles of Acqs. In the same number they might very justly have placed Peter du Val Bishop of Sees who was of the same sentiments with Montluc After these Proceedings in the Court of Rome the Pope pronounced the Sentence against the Cardinal de Chastillon whereby he declared him an Heretick Seducer Schismatick Apostate and one perjur'd degraded him of his Cardinalship deprived him of Offices all Dignities especially the Bishoprick of Beauvais which he held of the Holy See exposed him to all the faithful that could apprehend him deliver him up to justice The Cardinal to shew that he depended no way on the jurisdiction of the
to be Earl of Flanders his unfortunate end 296 Baldwin King of Constantinople comes into France to demand assistance 300 Baviere the Dutchy extinct by the death of Tassillon 103 Bearn Vicounty 315 Beatrix of Savoy 300 Belisarius conquers the Kingdom of the Vandals 24 Benefices the great ones at the disposition of the Popes That the same Ecclesiastick cannot in Conscience hold more then one 301 Perpetuated in their Houses 291 Benevent Dutchy made Tributary to the Emperor Lewis the Debonair 121 Bennet Archdeacon is elected Pope 186 His degradation and his death Bennet XI Pope does things with more mildness then Boniface his Predecessor 332 His death ibid. Benenger Roman Earl of Provence Rebellion of his Subjects 300 Berenger Duke of Spoleta 156 Berenger I. King of Italy 162 Crowned Emperor of the East 162 Forsaken of the Italians and dispossest Calls the Hungarians into Italy His death ibid. Berenger King of Italy with his Son Adelbert is abandoned of his Subjects 188 Banished into Germany ibid. Berenger Archdeacon of Anger 's an Heresiark and Head of the Heretical Sacramentaries his several Retractions and Death 229 Berenger Raimond Earl of Provence his death 303 Bernard King of Italy makes Oath of fidelity to the Emperor Lewis the Debonair 121 Appeases the Tumult of the Romans 121 Conspires against the Emperor his Uncle and is taken Prisoner 122 His death 123 Bernard Earl of Barcelona the Favourite of the Empress Judith 126 St. Bernard opposes Henry the Monk disciple of Peter Bruys in Languedoc 245 Abbot of Clervais in high esteem amongst the Prelats the Grandees and the People 243 Preaches the Croisado by command of the Pope 244 Acquires great Reputation to his Order 271 Causes Innocent II. to be owned 303 Bernard Saisset Bishop of Pamiez made Prisoner 326 Berthier Maire of the Neustrian Palace his unhappy end 69 Bertoald Maire of the Palace 42 Bertradi Daughter of Simon de Montfort Marries Foulques le Rechin who was Aged 222 She leaves her Husband to Marry King Philip though nigh of Kindred 222 Robert de Bethune Earl of Flanders his death 350 Bilicbild Queen of France 65 Blanch Wife of Lewis the Lazy 198 Blanch of Castille Widow of Lewis VIII and Regent of the Kingdom causes Lewis her eldest Son to be Crowned 295 Her death and burial 306 Blanch of France Queen of Castille 313 Blanch of Artois Queen of Navarre 316 Blanch of France betroathed twice and Married in fine to Rodolphus Duke of Austria 321 Blanch of Burgundy 324 Blasphemy Edict against Blasphemers 252 Beomond Prince of the Normands in Apulia 222 Boniface Bishop of Ments takes great care for the re-establishment of Ecclesiastical Discipline by the Convocation of divers Councils 112 113 Boniface Marquiss of Montferat joyns with the French in the Expedition to the Holy Land 256 Is made King of Thessaly ibid. Boniface VIII elected Pope 325 Endeavours to make Peace in Christendom ibid. Makes himself an Enemy to the King of France Philip the Fair divers causes of enmity 326 Arbitrator of the differences between the King of France the English and Flemings 328 Publishes a general Indulgence afterwards called a Jubile 328 Attributes the Temporal Power to himself as well as the Ecclesiastical 329 Disaffected to the French 329 Excommunicates Philip the Fair. 329 Is accused of Heresie and divers other Crimes 329 Ill treated at Anagnia by the French his death 332 Boson Brother of Queen Richilda 143 Is Crowned King of Burgundy defeated and vanquished in Battle 151 Bourges Archbishop takes the Title of Primat and that of Patriarch over the Archbishops of Narbona Bourdeaux and of Ausch 337 Bourgogue or Burgundy united to France and loses the Title of a Kingdom 22 Bourgogne or Burgundy Dutchy yielded by King Henry to Robert his Brother 214 Bourgogne Transjurane and the Kingdom of Arles pass into the hands of the Emperor Conrad and the Princes of Germany 215 Bourgogne or Burgundy County the Subject of a great Quarrel 238 Difference and a hot War between Reinauld Earl of Burgundy and Bertold Duke of Zeringben for the County ibid. Given to Philip the Fair. 324 The Bourgundians make themselves Masters of a part of Gall. Their Conversion to the Christian Faith 8 Of the Mariners Compass and its first invention 330 Brabant Chief of the Dukes of Brabant 210 Brittain Great subdued by the English Saxons 8 Bretagne casts off the yoak of the French 135 Loses the name of Kingdom and takes that of County then of Dutchy 144 In great trouble 184 Subjected to the Duke of Normandy 215 In great trouble 245 Bretons make great Incursions upon the Territories of the French and are brought to reason 56 Subjected to the Crown of France vanquished 123 Obstinate for their liberty 124 Brosse Peter de la a Barber advanced to a Supream Fortune endeavours in vain to ruine the Queen of France 318 Is Hanged ibid. Brunebaud banished to Rouen is set at liberty 35 Gets away the Huns by force of Money 42 Chaced by the Austrasians 42 Leads a Vicious Lewd Life 43 Her unhappy end 45 Bruno Archbishop of Colen 184 Bulgarians have a quarrel with the Avari and are totally vanquished 121 Ransack Panonia Superiora 124 Ransack Lumbardy 162 Burdin favourite of Henry V. Emperor confined to a perpetual imprisonment 274 C. Calistus II. Pope under the protection of France against the Emperor 236 Calistus III. Antipope 272 Canal begun for the Communication between the Rivers of Rhine and the Danube remains imperfect 104 Candia falls under the Dominion of the Venetians 263 Cardinals in great splendour 292 The Cardinals their growth and their authority 282 Fall from their so great power ibid. Carloman Son of Pepin King of Austrasia 95 His death 97 Carloman eldest Son of Charles the Bald revolts against his Father is punished 144 Carloman King of West France Aquitain and Burgundy 148 His death 156 Carloman Son of Charles Martel Duke and Prince of the French in Austrasia 86 He and Pepin shut up their Brother Griffin in a Castle 84 Bring the Duke of Aquitain and the Duke of Bavaria to reason who were revolted 86 Marches afterwards against the Saxons 86 Quits the World and takes on him the Habit of St. Bennet at Mount Soracie 87 Caroloman comes into France on behalf of Astolphus King of the Lombards and is shut up in a Monastery at Vienne and his Sons shaved Anno 754. 92 Caroloman Son of Lewis the German King of Bavaria 148 Great preparation for Italy without effect 146 His death 149 Carmelites their institution and establishment 339 Carobert King of Hungary 334 Castille in trouble and divisions about the Crown 316 Catares Hereticks 278 Celestine Pope lays down the Triple Crown or Thiara 325 Celibate of the Priests 288 Disorder falling thereon ibid. Cenobites 4 Chape or Mantle of St. Martin born at the head of their Armies 244 Thomas de Champeaux Doctor in Theology takes the Habit of a Frier at St. Victors 276 Chanons Regulars in esteem
caused by the Minority of Duke William the Bastard and by the defect of his Birth 216 Tumult in the Dutchy of Benevent 104 Tumult in Rome 121 Turks and of the time wherein they began to make War upon the Christians 95 Of their irruptions upon Christendom 223 c. Turingians revolt against the French 58 c. V. Vaire-Vache Hemon 224 Valda Heretick Chief of the Vaudois 245 Valdrade Espouses King Lothaire King of Lorraine 140 Excommunicated by the Pope 142 Valentinian Emperor his death 11 Vallia King of the Visigoths 4 Vamba King of the Visigoths 65 Vamba King of Spain Vowed and Consecrated to Penitence in an extream Sickness which took away his understanding is obliged to renounce his Royalty Church of the Twelfth Age. Vandals over-run and ravage Gall thence passing into Spain and from thence into Africa 3 c. Vandals absoutely vanquished and their Kingdom extinguished in Africk 23 Varaton Maire of the Palace of Austrasia 69 Varnaquiâ—r Maire of the Palace of Buâ—gundy 44 Varnes Garnes or Guerins a People of Germany exterminated 40 Venedi and Sclavonians 46 Venice and its first establishment 11 Venice its situation and construction 108 110 111 Venetians joyn with the French in the Expedition to the Holy Land 261 262 Venetians in trouble and disorder amongst themselves 108 Verdun puts it self under the protection of the King 348 Vermandois the Subject of a War between King Philip II. and the Earl of Flanders 253 Vespers Sicilian 319 Vexin French given to the Duke of Normandy 214 Given for a Dowry with Margaret Daughter of the aforesaid Prince 242 Vezelay Revolt of the Inhabitants against the Abbot their Lord. 249 Victor elected Pope to the prejudice of Alexander III. 247 His death 248 Victor IV. Antipope 272 St. Victor its foundation 290 Otherwhile the dwelling of a Recluse ib. Divinity taught there Praise of that House ib. Peter de Ville-Beon Chamberlain his death 312 Visigoths pass from Italy into Gall under the Conduct of their King Ataulfus 3 4 Visigoths Civil War amongst them 26 Visigoths elect their Kings ib. Vitiges elected King of the Ostrogoths ib. Vitri in Champagne forced sacked and burnt 2â—3 Vltrogolthe Queen of France leads a Holy Life 27 University of Paris those of Orleance of Toloze and Montpellier and of their institution 341 c. University of Paris its first Institution or Establishment 104 Voyage to the Levant 224 c. Voyage to the Holy Land 261 c. Vrgel Felix Heresiarque 104 Usury 260 Vrban II. Pope dethroned by the Emperor comes into France holds a Council at Clairmont in Auvergne and there Excommunicates the King and his Bertrade 223 Exhorts the Prelats Zealously to the defence of the Christians in the East against the Turks ib. Vrban IV. Pope orders a Croisade to be Preached against Mainfroy the Bastard 309 His death 310 Waroc or Gueret a Breton Earl seizes upon Vannes 33 Wenillon or Guenillon Archbishop of Reims ingrateful and a Traytor to his Prince 139 Not the Fabulous Ganelon ib. Y. Yolante Queen of Castille 317 Ypres William 238 Yves Chanon of St. Victor Cardinal The Twelfth Age. Yvetot in Normandy a Kingdom 25 The end of the Table of the First Volume A TABLE OF THE KINGS OF FRANCE Contained in this SECOND PART PHILIP VI. called de Valois surnamed the Fortunate King XLIX Page 357 1328. In February JOHN I. by some called the good King King L. 371 1350. In August CHARLES V. called the Wise and Eloquent King LI. 384 1364. In April CHARLES VI. called by some the Well-beloved King LII 400 1380. In September CHARLES VII called the Victorious King LIII 447 1422. In October LEWIS XI King LIV. 481 1461. In July CHARLES VIII called the Affable and Courteous King LV. 507 1483. In September LEWIS XII surnamed the Just and the Father of the People King LVI 532 1498. In April FRANCIS I. called the Great and the Father or Patron of the Learned King LVII 556 1525. In January HENRY II. King LVIII 622 1547. In March till 1559 in July A TABLE Of the Principal Matters contained in this SECOND VOLUME A ADornes voluntarily quit the Government of Genoa Pag. 553 Ant. Adornes Duke of Genoa 546 Adrian Pope 570 Makes a League with the Venetians the Emperor and the English against France 573 His death 575 Aiguillon Besieged and well Defended 365 c. Alva Duke Governor of Milanois enters upon the Territories of the Church 647 Albert Marquiss of Brandenburg 632 d'Albret Connestable his death 433 d'Albret General of an Army 540 d'Albret John King of Navarre his death 560 d'Albret Henry King of Navarre ibid. d'Albret Henry of Navarre made Prisoner of War 579 d'Alegre 540 d'Alencon b. 426 d'Alencon Duke his death 433 d'Alencon Duke Prisoner of War 448 Chief of the Praguerie debauches the Daufin from the Service of the King 457 Is taken Prisoner 466 Is Condemned ibid. Is set at Liberty 482 Falls in with the Party for Charles of France and the Duke of Bretagne 488 Is made Prisoner his death Duke of Alencon his shameful flight his death 495 Alexander V. Pope by Election in the Council of Pisa 426 Gives priviledge to four Orders Mendicants to administer the Sacraments in the Parishes and to receive the Tithes if any be given them ib. Alexander VI. Pope 517 Makes a League against the French with the Venetians Pag. 518 His death 540 Alfonso King of Arragon adopted by Queen Jane of Nâ—ples and his adoption â—acated and nulled 448 Alfonso King of Arragon and Sicilia his death 467 Alfonso King of Arragon Enemy of Ludowick Sforza 519 Alfonso King of Naples hated of his Subjects shuts himself in a Monastery his death 521 Alfonso Duke of Ferrara in War with the Pope 546 Alliance by Marriage between the King of France and the Emperor 537 Alliance renewed with the Swiss 628 Ambassadors 587 Ambassadors of France Assassinated and Slain by the Spaniards 612 d'Amboise Chaumont Commands the Kings Army in Burgundy 501 d'Amboise Cardinal in Milan 535 Legate in France 536 Goes to the Emperor Maximilian on behalf of the King of France 537 Aspires to the Papacy 540 His death 546 Amé VI. Earl of Savoy carries his Arms gloriously against Amurath Sultan of the Turks and the King of Bulgaria 385 Accompanies the Duke of Anjou in his Voyage to Italy 405 His death 408 Amé VII Earl of Savoy ib. Amé VIII Duke of Savoy quits his Estates and retires himself to Ripailles 454 Ameri of Pavia a Lombard Traytor rewarded for his Treason as he deserved 368 c. Amurat Sultan 412 Anabaptists and their horrible Tragedies in the City of Munster 598 d'Andelot held Prisoner 651 Andrew King of Sicilia hanged and strangled at his Chamber Window 396 Anjou Duke Lewis foolish enterprise for the Conquest of the Kingdom of Naples 439 Anjou Charles Connestable 467 Anne of France Wife of Peter de Bourbon Beaujeu 506 Governess of the young King Charles VIII 508 She usurps all the Authority ib. Anne
Militia of Burgundy and several Counts without Dukes to bring them to their Duty They fallied forth out of their Rocks and their Fastnesses and set upon the French with wonderful alacrity but after all they found it better to make use of their agility to save themselves then to Fight They were pursued without stop or stay and Fire and Sword flew after them even into their strongest Retreats till there being no other security left them but the Mercy of their Prince they promised to sall down at his Feet and submit to all his Commands I know not where some Authors have found how Aquitania Secunda was concerned in their Revolt and that Dagobert having gone thither in Person razed the City of Poitiers and sowed it with Salt in token of its Desolation If this were true it must have been because of the too heavy Imposts upon Salt that the Poitovins Rebelled Year of our Lord 635 The lucre of Plunder had likewise incited the Bretons to run upon the French Territories Eloy who was since Bishop of Noyon went and demanded Reparation of their King Judicael or Giquel Son and Successor of Jukel He found it no difficult thing to persuade that Prince that he were better come and wait on the King then have his Country over-run and plundred by the Forces that were returning Victorious out of Gascongne he brought him to the Palace of Clichy where he humbly craved pardon of Dagobert promised him for the future to prevent the like Disorders and submitted both himself and Kingdom to his disposal Year of our Lord 636 The Gascon Lords with their Duke Aighina came to the same place as they had promised the foregoing year to surrender themselves up to the mercy of Dagobert and because they dreaded his wrath they had recourse to the intercession of St. Denis and put themselves into Sanctuary in his Church The King in honour to that Saint gave them their Lives and Fortunes and they in acknowledgment laying their hands up on his Altar swore an eternal Fidelity to him to his Sons and to all his Successors Kings of France Year of our Lord 636 The whole Kingdom was in peace both within and without at this time Dagobert did not enjoy this Repose very long for the Second year he was taken with a Dysentery at Espinay which was one of his Royal Houses upon the Seine a little below St. Denis His Sickness increasing he made them carry him to that Abby where he dyed the 17th of January in the year 638. being very neer 38 years of age He Reigned in all but 16 years as I think that is Six in his Fathers life time and Ten after his death At his dying he earnestly recommended his Wife Nantilda and his Son Clovis to Ega Mayre of the Palace of Neustria and to such Grandees as were then present The great Donations he made to the most famous Churches of France deserve the unparallell'd Encomiums of the Clergy who have allowed him all the qualities of as Virtuous as Wise as Valiant and as much accomplish'd a Prince either for Peace or War as any that ever Reigned over the French The Chronology begins to be very confused and uncertain in this Reign for some will have it that he dyed An. 639. others that it was in 643. Some reckon the Sixteen years of his Reign from the death of his Father others from the year that he made him King of Austrasia I am of the opinion of the latter Gold and Silver had been very scarce and rare in France in the Reign of Clovis and his Children but since then the Expeditions they made into Italy the Pensions they drew from the Emperours of the East and as it is credible the Commerce they setled with the Nations in the Levant brought great quantities of those precious Mettles as likewise precious Stones and rich Vasa's and Ornaments insomuch that the Bravery and Luxury of the Court of France was not inferiour to the Emperours Clovis II. King XII POPES SEVERIAN Elect in 639. S. some Months JOHN IV. Elect in Decemb. 639. S. One year nine Months THEODORE Elect in Novemb 641. S. Seven years and half MARTIN I. Elect in July 649 S. Six years three Months EUGENIUS I. Elected in August 654 S. One year PEPIN and then GRIMOALD Maire SIGEBERT in Austrasia aged 8 or 9 years CLOVIS II. in Neustria aged 4 years EGA then ERCHINOALD Maire Year of our Lord 638 WE shall now henceforward behold the Royal Power in the hands of the Mayres of the Palace and all the affairs of State governed according to their capricious Fancies and their Interests Pepin delivered by the death of Dagobert who had always kept him near himself upon some Honourable pretence got again into the administration of his Office of Mayre of Austrasia Dagobert having committed the Government of that Kingdom to Duke Aldagise that Lord gave it up to him either willingly or by compulsion and he gave notice thereof to Cunibert the Bishop his old friend who was Governour to Sigebert It was perhaps for his sake that he transferr'd the Court and Royal Seat of Austrasia from the City of Mets to that of Colen Year of our Lord 638 At the instance of the Governours of Austrasia who required that the Fathers Treasures should be divided betwixt the two young Kings the Grandees both of the one and the other Kingdoms assembled at Compiegne to make the estimate and to share it Year of our Lord 639 A year after Pepins return into Austrasia he fell sick and dyed having held the Office of Mayre Seventeen years a Man as great for Honesty as Policy being one according to the Heart of God and Man By his Wife Itta whom some do name Juberge he had three Children a Son named Grimoald and two Daughters Begghe and Gertrude The First Married Ansegise the Son of St. Arnold and Father of young Pepin and being a Widow Devoted her self to God in the Monastery of Nivelle with her Mother who built it and her Sister Gertrude Grimoald with the assistance of Cunibert got himself into possession of the Office of Mayre of the Palace but Otho who was Bail or Fosterer of the young Prince and for that reason very powerful in the Kings House disputed it with him for three years In fine Grimoald to enjoy it quietly caused him to be slain by Leutaire Duke of the Almains This is the First time that Office descended from Father to Son hereafter we shall sind it Hereditary Year of our Lord 640 During this Discord and the minority of Sigebert Radulfe or Raoul Duke of Turingia sets up for Sovereign having allied himself with the Sclavonians and made a League with Fare who would needs revenge the death of Chrodoald his Father whom King Dagobert had caused to dye for his Crimes The Austrasian Lords led the Forces of their Kingdom and the King himself thither to chastise their Rebellion At first Fare having dared to come and meet
belonged to the Church from the Rapine and Thefts of some Lords and restore the Discipline for which some Canons were made in the Second of Limoges That of Beauvais was held Fifteen days after that of Bourges Pope Leo IX being come into France Convened one at Reims towards Autumne An. 1049. Victor II. One at Toulouze An. ✚ 1056. To extirpate abuses and especially Simony which is more difficult to be taken from the Church then their Riches which is the cause of it King Henry desiring to have his Son Philip Crowned Assembled the Prelats and Lords of the Kingdom at Paris An. 1059 or 60. Amat Bishop of Oleron Legat from Rome in Aquitania Tertia and Narbounensis held divers Two in Gascongne One wherein he Excommunicated such as detained any Goods belonging to the Church another wherein he Dissolved the Marriage of Centulle Vicount of Bearn and another also at the Burrough of Deols in Berry with Hugh Legat and Arch-Bishop of Lyons about the affairs of that Abby The same having the Popes Legation in the lesser Bretagne Convened one An. 1079. in that Province to take some course against the abuses of false pennances that is to say their ☞ imposing of slight pennances for great crimes About the end of the year 1080. there were three One at Lyons where Hugh de Die the Popes Legat caused the Sentence to be confirmed whereby Manasses Arch-Bishop of Reims had been deposed One at Avignon where he consecrated another Hugh Bishop of Grenoble and the Third at Meaux in which Vrsion de Soissons was deposed and Arnold a Monk of St. Medard installed in his place The year following the same Hugh and Richard Abbot of Marseille Cardinals called one at Poitiers Amat d'Oleron Legat in Aquitain came likewise thither They provisionally ordained a Divorce of William Earl of Poitiers from his Wife because of their consanguinity That of Toulouze in An. 1090. was Convened by the Legats of Vrban II. Some Rules were there made concerning Causes Ecclesiastical and the Bishop of that City purged himself of certain things imposed upon him The most famous of all was the Council of Clermont An. 1095. where the same Pope with great zeal Preached up the First Croisade and to obtain the assistance of the Holy Virgin towards those that should undertake the Expedition ordained the Clergy to recite the Office or Heures of our Lady which the Chartreux and Hermits instituted by Peter Damianus had already received amongst them There was one more at Tours the year following to prepare them to that expeditition of the Holy Land The last year of this Century they had one likewise at Poitiers whereat John and Benedict Cardinal Legats presided King Philip was here struck with an Anathema for having retaken Bertrade and the Kingdom of France put under an interdiction The precedent year there had been one held at Autun and the following there was also one at Baugency for the same business The prohibition of Marriages even to the seventh Degree extreamly embarrass'd the Eleventh and Twelfth Century and as that rigour was excessive the Princes broke thorough without much scruple and afterwards became obstinate against Excommunications with so much the more Reason and Pretence as having the opinions of many great Lawyers who reckoned these Degrees after another manner then the Church-men so that it served for little else but a specious colour for such as were distasted with their Wives to procure their Divorce The custom practised in the Church of Jerusalem where because of the too great confluence the Laity communicated only under the species of Bread introduced it self by little and little into the Western Church and there is some appearance that the Canon of the Council of Clermont was favourable to it ordaining That those that communicated should take the two species separately this was to avoid that abuse of the Greeks who soaked or dipped the Bread in the Wine Vnless in case of necessity or by PRECAVTION That is to say if there were danger of spilling the Challice as when the multitude and throng of Communicants was too great There was like a change in the Government of some Churches the Sees of Gascongny which had been vacant above two ages were filled the Bishopricks of Arras and Cambray both which had been Governed by one Pastor since Saint Vaast began each to have their own after the death of Gerard II. who held them both and Manasses was the first Bishop of Cambray An. 1095. The same thing was attempted for Noyon and Tournay which had been joyned since St. Medard but King Philip opposing they remained so united till the year 1146. When Simon the Son of Hugh the Great being Bishop thereof they were divided Anselme a Monk of Soissons and Abbot of St. Vincent de Laon was the first that held the See of Tournay An. 1179 Gregory VII by his Bulls gave or as others say confirmed to the Arch-Bishop of Lyons the Primacy of the four Lyonnoises only being perhaps perswaded as some others that Lyons was in antient times the capital City and first Church of the Galls The Arch-Bishop of Tours was the first who submitted but those of Sens and Rouen opposed it with all their might and although this establishment had been maintained in the Council of Clermont and since by judgment contradictory which was given in the Court of Rome Anno 1099. they had much ado to submit themselves and it was as I believe during this Contest that he of Rouen began out of emulation to take up the Title of Primate of Normandy The Abbot Odillon being excited by divers Revelations to ease the Souls that were in Torments after Death ordained the Monks of his Congregation of Clugny to make a Commemoration every year the day after All-Saints in their Prayers and Divine Service which the Universal Church received soon after About the end of his Age three famous Religious Orders had their Birth That of the Chartreax Anno 1086. by Bruno Canon o◠Reims and St. Hugh Bishop of Grenoble who were the first that retired into the horrid Solitude of the Chartreuse in Dauphine which gave name to this Order That of St. Anthony at Vienne in the same Country by a Gentleman named Gaston who devoted his Person and Estate to the assistance of those that were seized with the Distemper called St. Anthony's Fire and came to implore the intercession of that Saint at Vienne where they had his Corps brought thither from Constantinople by Jocelin Count d'Albon in the time of King Lotaire Son of Louis Transmarine This Gaston got together some Companions who at first were of the Laity but soon after they became Friars under the Rules of St. Augustin and planted their Congregation in several Provinces In the year 1098. Robert Abbot of Molesme Instituted the Order of the Cisteaux being as it were a younger Sprig of that of St. Bennet and became so Potent that for more then Twenty years
prudence He won a Battle at his passage over the Meander but reaped little benefit for after that not standing upon his Guard he received a notable check in a narrow Pass through the Mountains At last he arriv'd at Antioch whereof Raimond Uncle to the Queen his Wife then held the Principality Year of our Lord 1148 This Raimond did all he could to oblige him to employ his Forces for the enlarging the limits of his Principality The King refusing it because he would continue his march towards Jerusalem he resolved to be reveng'd and to this purpose persuades the Queen to demand to be Divorc'd from him as being of Consanguinity within the third or fourth Degree This Princess being Fickle and Amorous and having but a mean Esteem for her Husband was easily over-sway'd by her Uncle The King could find no other remedy to avoid this scandal then by taking her away in the night time out of Antiocb and sending her before him to Jerusalem Now the Emperor Conrad after he had been at Constantinople to refresh himself was come to Jerusalem to pay his Devotions The King and he holding a Council together with the Lords in that Holy City resolved to besiege Damascus This Enterprize had no better success then all the rest by reason of the horrid treachery of the Christians of those Countries So these two Princes detesting their wickedness which outvied the Malice and abominable Vices of the very Infidels thought of nothing but their return again The Emperor having made Alliance with the Greeks against Roger King of Sicily was by them brought back into Italy Soon after the King being Embarqu'd in his Year of our Lord 1149 Fleet met the Navy belonging to those Traitors who lay in wait for him Whilst they were engaged or as some Authors tell us were carrying him away Prisoner by good fortune arrives the Fleet of Roger King of Sicily their capital Enemy commanded by his Lieutenant who made them quit their Prize having burnt taken and sunk a great many of their Vessels Alfonso Earl of Tonlouze Third Son of Raimond de Saint Gilles had also made that Voyage about the same time as the King but went all the way by Sea and landed at the Port of Ptolemais He got not far into the Country before he died having been basely Poyson'd though it could not be known who had committed the Execrable Deed. His Son Raimond was his Successor During the time of this Expedition St. Bernard was wholly employ'd in Languedoc in opposing one Henry a certain Monk that had cast off his Frock a Disciple of Peter de Bruys who Preached with much applause but with little integrity of Life as it was said of him almost the same Opinions as the Zuinglians and the Calvinists Preached in these latter Ages Year of our Lord 1148 A certain Wealthy Citizen of Lyons named Valdo did likewise about Ten or twelve years after this Preach the same things in Lyonnois and the neighbouring Provinces They called such as were Followers of Henry and Peter de Bruys Henricians and Petro-Bruysians and those Valdo Poor of Lyons or Vandois There were some Remnants of these last in the Valleys of Dauphine and Savoy when Luther began to appear Year of our Lord 1148 In the year 1148. hapned the death of Conan the Gross Duke of Bretagne Eudon Earl of Pontieure who was Married to Berthe his Daughter seized on the Dutchy to the prejudice of Hoel whom the Duke Conan had disowned for his Son From hence broke forth a War between these two Princes which two or three years afterwards was complicated with another much longer which lasted Thirteen or fourteen years at times between the same Eudon and Conan III. surnamed the Little his own Son who would needs enjoy the Dukedom because it came by his Mothers side This bad Son having recourse to Henry King of England for assistance used his Father roughly and also compell'd the Nantois who took Hoels part to forsake him we do not know what became of him at last The ill success of the Foreign Expedition which had made so many Widows and Orphans ruin'd so many good Families and unpeopled so many Countries bread Year of our Lord 1149 50. grievous Murmurings and Reproaches against the Reputation of St. Bernard who seemed to promise them a quite contrary Event So that when the Pope would two years after have had him Preach up another Croisado and obliged him to go Personally to the Holy-Land to draw the greater numbers after him the Monks of Cisteaux broke all those Measures fearing a second misfortune which might have proved greater then the first Year of our Lord 1150 The King at his return to France finding the War continued still between King Stephen and Matilda joyned his Army with Eustace Son of Stephen to besiege the Castle d'Arques Gefroy the Husband of Matilda and his Son Henry to whom the year before he had resigned the Dutchy marched to the Relief The two Armies being within sight the Lords on either side undertook an Accommodation and manag'd it so that the King who without doubt found himself to be the weaker agreed to receive Prince Henry upon Hommage who by this means was the Twelfth Duke of Normandy Towards the end of the year Gefroy ended his days at the Castle du Loir leaving three Sons Henry Gefray and William He ordained that forthwith Henry should Year of our Lord 1150 quietly enjoy the Mothers Estates to wit England and Normandy That Gefroy should have the Paternal that is Anjou Touraine and Maine with the Castles of Loudun Chinon and Mirebeau and William the Earldom of Mortaing Year of our Lord 1151 Not long after died Enstace Earl of Boulogne his Death was a means to restore Englands Peace for as much as Stephen his Father seeing himself Childless was over-persuaded it was not though till two years after to consent that when he died the Kingdom should return to Henry This Prince as English Authors tell us would have resumed the County of Toulouze in right of his Wife but Earl Raimond gained so much upon him by Marrying his Sister Constance the Widow of Earl Eustace newly dead that he confirmed to him the possession thereof The following year 1152. hapned the death of Thibauld Count Palatine of Champagne Year of our Lord 1152 surnamed the Liberal the Father of the Council and Guardian of the Poor and Orphans a Man of great Justice who notwithstanding was almost in continual War with the Kings He had four Sons and five Daughters The Sons were Henry Earl of Troyes or Champagne Thibauld Earl of Blois and Chartres Stephen Earl of Sancerre Henry Archbishop of Sens afterwards of Reims This year also died the Emperor Conrad to whom for want of Male Issue by Election succeeded Frederick I. surnamed Barbarossa Duke of Alman or Sâ—wabe his Sister Son If I do not mistake it was under this Frederick that the French began to give the Germans the name
others who named themselves the Humbled The First made profession of an Evangelical poverty the Second undertook to Preach wherever they came To contradict or countermine these two Religious Orders were instituted viz. The Friers Mineurs or Cordeliers and the Preaching Friers or Jacobins The First Foundation of that was laid in Italy by St. Francis d'Assise of the other in Languedoc by St. Dominique of the Noble Family of the Guzmans in Spain and Cannon of Osma who came into this Province with a Bishop to Convert the Albigenses Year of our Lord 1208 King Philip would have been himself in this Expedition or would have sent his Son for these Sectaries had committed some Hostilities in his Territory acknowledging his Enemy King John had he not feared a Landing of the English in Bretagne under favour of the Fort du Garplie He went not therefore beyond the Loire but Commanded the Nobility that held of him to arm themselves and take that Fort as in truth they did this year The Bishops of Orleans and Auxerre who had been sent thither with their Vassals upon this Expedition being return'd again without leave pretending not to be oblig'd to march with the Army but when the King was there in Person the King commanded their Regalia to be seized that is to say what they held in Fief of him not their Tithes Offerings and other dues necessarily belonging to People of that Function They made complaint by their Envoys to Pope Innocent III. then went themselves The Pope having examined the matter found they had failed and transgressed against the Customs and Laws of the Kingdom so that they were fain to pay a Mulct to the King to re-enter upon their Temporals Year of our Lord 1209 The number of these New-Crossed Soldiers were not less then 500000 Men not all Combatans as I believe amongst whom there were five or six Bishops the Duke of Burgundy the Earls of Nevers St. Poll and de Montfort The general Rendezvous was at Lyons about the Feast of St. John Thence going into Languedoc they assault the City of Beziers one of the strongest held by the Albigenses forced it and put all to the edge of the Sword there being slain above threescore thousand Persons Those in Carcassonne terrified with this horrible Slaughter surrendred upon Discretion thinking themselves very happy to escape naked or only in their Shirts Year of our Lord 1209 The Lords in this Army having called a Council elected Simon Earl of Montfort chief Commander in this War and to govern the Conquests they had and should make upon those Hereticks That done the Earl of Nevers returned with a great Party of those Soldiers and soon after the Duke of Burgundy with another so that Simon was left ill attended yet he maintained himself by a more then Heroick Valour and Conquer'd Mire-pâ—ix Pamiers and Alby In so much as in a little time he made himself Master of the Albigois the Counties of Beziers and Carcassonne and above an hundred Castles Year of our Lord 1209 In these times the School at Paris flourish'd more then ever They gave it the name of University because all sorts of Sciences were universally taught there although in effect the desire to Study or Learn and the affluence of Scholars were much greater then their Doctrine A certain Priest of the Diocess of Chartres named Almaric beginning to Preach up some Novelties had been forced to recant for which he died of grief Several after his Death following his Opinions were discover'd and condemn'd to the Fire he Excommunicated by the Council of Paris his Body taken out of the Grave and his Ashes cast on the Dunghil And because they believ'd the Books of Aristotles Metaphysicks lately brought them from Constantinople had fill'd their heads with these Heretical Subtilties the same Council prohibited either the keeping or reading them upon pain of Excommunication Year of our Lord 1209 Guy Count d'Auvergne for the violence and injustice he committed against the Clergy particularly the Bishop of Clermont whom he had imprison'd was deprived of his County by King Philip and could never be restor'd again Year of our Lord 1210 The Emperor Otho grew stubborn in the defence of the Rights of the Empire and prepared to go into Italy wholly to subdue it with a mighty Army which he raised with the Money his Nephew King John had sent him upon condition that from thence he should fall upon France Thereupon he was thunder-struck with Excommunication by Pope Innocent and a little after a great part of the German Princes elected Roger-Frederick II. Son of the Emperor Henry VI. about the Age of Seventeen years and who in his Fathers Life-time had already been named King of the Romans The Pope consented to this Election and the following year Frederic who was then in his Kingdom of Sicily passed into Germany Every other while there came new Bands of Soldiers of the Cross to the Earl de Montfort even from Flanders and Germany but slipt away again within six weeks or two Months With these Recruits he carried all the Places and Castles not only of the Hereticks but likewise of other Lords The King of Arragon of whom divers in those Countries held their Lands in Under-Fiefs because of some Lordships he was possessed of wrote to the Pope about it and the Earl of Toulouze went even to Rome to make his Complaints where his Holiness receiv'd him well enough and promis'd him Justice Year of our Lord 1210 But at his return they propounded an Agreement with Montfort if he would let him have all he had already taken He could never consent to it and Milon the Popes Legat Excommunicated him in the Council of Avignon because he levied certain new Tolls upon his Lands The King of Arragon came in Person to another Council which was held at St. Gilles to endeavour to accommodate Affairs and restore the Earl of Foix and the Vicount de Bearn who were dispossess'd as favourers of Hereticks but he could not obtain any thing Year of our Lord 1211 The Toulouzain after so many mean and ruinous Submissions takes the Bit in his Teeth and puts himself in a posture to defend his own Then is he openly Excommunicated and his Lands exposed to any that could Conquer them Montfort besieges Toulouze but the grand Recruits that were come with him stealing away in a little time he is forced to raise the Siege The Earls of Toulouze and de Foix with their Confederates pursue him and besiege him in Chasteauneuf a thing incredible above 50000 Men could not overpower or force three hundred are beaten and shamefully retreat Year of our Lord 1211 The young Princes Frederick II. and Lewis eldest Son of King Philip delegated by his Father Confer at Vaucouleurs upon the Frontiers of Champagne to renew the Alliance between France and the Empire and to unite themselves more closely against Otho and against King John his Uncle two irreconcilable Enemies Renauld Earl of
from the colour or cut and fashion of their Hair the habit or defects of their Bodies from their Dress or Age Profession Office or Trade some from their good or ill Qualities others from the Province they dwelt in or the Town or Village where they were born But for the most part they were called by some proper name which was current in the Family or even some Nick-name which descended to their Generations Whoever shall take the pains to examine these Heads throughly and distinctly will find that there are few others can be made out Through all this Age there were two great and cruel Evils predominant in France but which were not new the Leprosie and Usury the one infecting the Bodies the other consuming the Estates of most Families Those that were tainted with the first were secluded from all Society and shut up in places far distant from the Habitations of other People but yet upon or near the greatest Roads The number increased so fast that there was not one City or Burrough that was not forced to build some Hospital for their Retreat They were called Lazar-houses and the Leprous Lazars from St. Lazarus the Patron of the Poor and the Sick whom the Vulgar by corruption called St. Ladre Now the publick Foundations the Gifts of the Relations and Kindred of the Infected the Alms of particular People and with these the Immunities and Priviledges granted by the King and the Clergy to these miserable Wretches made them live so much at their ease that in length of time they became rather Objects of envy than of pity at least in respect of the meaner sort of People They were taxed of leading Lives guilty of great Disorders and sometimes of Crimes But when they were convicted of any they were burnt alive that so the Fire might at the same time purifie and purge the infection both of their Bodies and Souls I have read that there were some Men so apprehensive of this villanous loathsom and shameful Disease that they guelt themselves to avoid it and be preserved from it Usury was very common and yet more excessive the Jews practis'd it with so much cruelty that they did not seize upon Peoples Goods only for satisfaction but likewise upon their Persons and reduced them to slavery The Popes oftentimes endeavour'd to suppress them but it was in vain for the Princes and especially King Philip upheld them receiving Tribute from them for suffering their Exactions and withal they had it in their power to squeese these Blood-suckers whenever their occasions required it Since the first Birth of the Church there had not been any Age wherein she was so much shatter'd and rent with Schisms as she was in this same I speak not of the Schism caused by the Emperor Henry IV. for that was more in the preceding Age then this though it did never end but with the Life of that Emperor who died at Liege Anno 1106. after he was unfortunately deprived of his Empire by his own Son I must note however that his Tyrannical and Scandalous Deportment gave a fair opportunity to Gregory VII whose Life was irreprovable and exemplary to constitute himself his Judge to summon him before his Tribunal upon the universal complaints of his Subjects to Excommunicate him and depose him from his Empire and after all this to wrest from him the disposition of great Benefices Which seemed the more favourable because that Prince made a most infamous and shameful Traffick of it giving them to the worst and investing them with the Ring c. before they were Consecrated But after this Schism there were three more two occasioned by the Quarrels that the Emperor Henry V. Son of the abovenamed Henry and then Frederic II. surnamed Barberossa had with the Popes and a third which hapned between these two through the ambition of Cardinal Peter Leonis That of Henry V. began in the year 1118. the Emperor having caused one Maurice Burdin Archbishop of Braga in Portugal to be elected and ended Anno 1122. the Anti-Pope named Gregory VIII falling into the hands of Calistus and Henry afterwards obtaining Absolution of that Pope The Schism that Frederic caused lasted from the year 1159. under three Anti-Popes Octavian Guy de Crema and John Abbot de Strume who assumed the names of Victor IV. Paschal III. and Calistus III. and did not cease till the year 1183. For although Frederic were absolv'd at Venice Anno 1177. he was not fully reconciled with these Popes till six years afterwards The Schism of Peter Leonis began in 1139. for in that year he got to be Elected to the Papacy concurrently with Alexander III. taking the name of Anaclet and was extinguished Anno 11 After his death the Peace of the Church lasted but Seven years and then was disturbed by the Rebellion of the City of Rome Arnauld Clerk of the City of Bresse stirred it up in the year 1145. The people of Rome by his instigation would needs shake off the Priestly yoke and restore the ancient Republick These disturbances ceased An. 1155. for that incendiary being expell'd the City went to the Emperour Frederick who sacrific'd him to his Interests delivering him up to Adrian who caused him to be hang'd and burnt During the troubles of these Schismes and the combustions Arnauld promoted in Rome there were Five Popes that sheltred themselves in France Paschal II. An. 1106. Gelasius IV. An. 1118. Innocent II. An. 1130. Eugenius An. 1147. and Alexander III. An. 1161. without reckoning Calistus II. who sojourn'd there some time after his Election which was made at Clugny An. 1119. The Son of the unfortunate Henry IV. of his Fathers Name and who had compell'd him to resign the Empire made it plainly appear he did not rebell against him out of any zeal to Religion since so soon as he thought himself well setled in the Throne he began to tread in the same steps and the very next year following 1107. he made it known to Pope Paschal and the Council of Troyes that he intended to enjoy the Apostolique priviledge of instituting Bishops which he pretended had been given to Charlemain This question was referr'd to a general Council to be held at Rome in the year 1110. Paschal therefore returns but Henry coming thither with an Army seizes on his person and forces him to Sign an agreement wherein he allows him the investitures obliging both him and his Cardinals by the most Sacred Oaths to observe it All the Prelats in Europe cried out against this agreement which by leaving such Elections in the power of Temporal Princes caused great disorders in the Church They held many Councils in several Provinces to damne it Excommunicated the Emperour and gave out it was an Heresie to say that Investitures could be made by the Laity not considering that this proposition made the Pope himself an Heretique since he had newly granted it to the Emperour The same question of Investitures had
also troubled England the Kings William and Henry maintaining it was a Right and Prerogative of their Crown and in all times possessed by their Ancestors For which cause Anselme Arch-Bishop of Canterbury had lost his See but at last that difference was composed An. 1107. upon condition the King should for ever relinquish the Investitures in the Church and that reciprocally the Bishops should render him Hommage This was to speak properly nothing but the changing of terms for he that doth Hommage is a Vassal and receives and holds of him to whom he renders it And indeed the Popes could have wished that the Bishops had not done it to Lay-Princes and they had expresly forbid it to those in France but the resolution King Lewis the Gross and his Successors shew'd in this point obliged them to relaxe They durst not at the same time contend both with this great Kingdom and Germany they must leave some place of shelter in time of need and besides they did not so much trouble their Heads to lessen France with whom they had no contests for Dominion as to pull down the Emperours who being very powerful in Italy had still an aim of restoring their Imperial Throne in the City of Rome Besides France was better united and by consequence more difficult to be subdued then the Empire where the Subjects as well those of Germany as those of Italy and the Kingdom of Arles being divided amongst themselves and having all different Interests have at length ruin'd that vast body by their Jealousies and Rebellions It was for this reason the Popes made it their business so much to lessen that power and it is certain that all other Princes of Europe growing jealous of it as the most formidable then in being joyned willingly with the Popes to suppress it The defence of the Holy See and the Authority of the Church admitting a specious pretence to side with them This reflection is not useless Now to return to our Narrative Henry V. sunk under all this weight as his Father had done before In the beginning his Presence made things prosper in Italy but when after various success he was driven thence his burden was left to the mercy of Calistus who confined him to a perpetual imprisonment Then he himself tir'd with the daily Admonitions and Remonstrances from all parts and not able to wade through the many Conspiracies and Rebellions which hourly threatned to or'ewhelm him yielded the Cause at last He utterly renounced the Investitures and promised to leave the liberty of Elections to the Ecclesiasticks This was in Anno 1122. The scandal and persecutions which these Schismes caused in Christendom gave occasion in my opinion for that false prediction which was spread abroad in those days That the world was near its end and the Kingdom of Antichrist was then begun St. Norbert and some other persons of an irreâ—ragable Sanctity preach'd it as a most certain Truth which was but little doubted and begot so much terror that Pope Paschal who fled into France to avoid persecution staid some time in his journey at Florence to see what the event of this dreadful report would come to Soon after the agreement Henry V. being dead without Children the Empire was given to Lotbarius Duke of Saxony and after him to Conrade Those two Princes left the Popes in quiet and made no breach of Peace with them So that there was no more fear of Schisme on that side The Church having rested in tranquillity for eight years began to be disturb'd again by another most dangerous division for after the death of Honorius II. which hapned in the year 1134. two contrary Factions or Interests in the Sacred Colledge elected each a Pope on the same day One the Cardinal Gregory who took the name of Innocent the II. The other the Cardinal Peter Leonis who called himself Anaclet This last had been a Monk at Clugny a scurvy commendation for him to the Order of the Cisteaux which was then become the most predominant in France His Right if examined in due form appeared the best but his ambitious and haughty proceeding spoil'd his Title the great Gifts ☞ he made of things belonging to the Church to make himself Master of Rome gave just cause to believe there was somewhat of Simonie in his promotion and that he deserved not the Popedom since he bought it Many good people were of opinion so says John of Salisbury that in the like contests they ought to have owned neither of those concurrents but have elected a Pope anew who had not privately made any interest for the Popedom which is of such a nature as well as all other Benefices that whoever bribes for it renders himself unworthy of it And indeed King Lewis VII wavered for some time betwixt both parties and assembled the Council of Estampes to resolve him which of the two was the Legitimate The perswasions of Henry II. King of England had already a little inclined him towards Innocent the Council of Estampes fully determin'd it that Council having been satisfied by the discourses of St. Bernard who with much zeal and vehemence set forth the Right and Merits of that Pope After so solemn a decision most of the Princes in Europe declared for him there was only Roger Duke of Apulia and William Duke of Aquitain that supported Anaclet The First that he might have a Pope convenient for him and more easie to be managed then his predecessors the Second having been perswaded by Gerard Bishop of Angoulesme that his Election was Canonical It was thrown in Gerards Teeth that at first he had been of the contrary party but his spleen because he was not continued in his Legation of Aquitain by Innocent drove him to side with Anaclet who indeed confirmed it to him It was one of the handsomest and indeed most profitable employments the Court of Rome could bestow for besides the three Aquitains both Touraine and Bretagne were comprehended in it I divide Bretagne from Touraine because the former had its Arch-Bishop apart this was the Bishop of Dole who since the insurrection of Neomene took upon him to be the Metropolitan The often reiterated complaints of the Metropolitan of Tours and the sollicitations of the Kings of France in the Court of Rome could not obtain a Judgment in this matter for a long while but Philip Augustus tyr'd with their long delays prosecuted it with so much resolution and talked so high that Innocent III. determin'd it by a definitive Sentence in An. 1198. which restored Dol and the other Bishopricks of Bretagne to the Metropolis of Tours We find in the Life of St. Bernard how he withdrew Duke William from espousing the party of Anaclet so that there was none for him but Roger Duke of Apulia on whom Anaclet conferr'd the Title of King of Sicilia upon condition to pay an acknowledgment of Six hundred Crowns yearly to the See of Rome The Kingdom of Sicilia comprehended the
he forsook them the very same night and fled to his own Countrey of Burgundy He had been condemned some Months before at the Suit of the Clergy to end his days between four Walls for crimes of Impiety and of Heresie and shewing himself a most bitter Enemy to the Scholars and Heads of the University The Sedition at Rouen which hapned at the same time was called the Harelle The Populace took a wealthy Merchant and perforce gave him the Title of King then leading him in triumph about the City compell'd him to declate an abolition of all Imposts The King was counsell'd to punish the Mutiniers and not let fall any of those Impositions He began with Rouen going thither in person he caused a Gate to be beaten down that he might enter by that breach Commanded all their Arms to be carried into the Castle punish'd a great many of the Faction with death then set up the Imposts with Taxes and Fines Year of our Lord 1381 To compass their ends the more readily amongst the Parisians they pretended to listen to the intercessions of the University and a Deputation of some honest Burghers who went to wait upon the King at the Bois de Vincennes and to consent at last to the suppression of the Imposts and forgiveness for all excess committed in their Mutinies only they excepted those that had any hand in forcing the prisons of the Chastellet Under this pretence a great many were taken and the Prevost of Paris not daring to execute them publickly threw them into the River by night at several times This severity not being capable to fright the Parisians so far as to make them consent to the setling of the Imposts they fell to Treaty with them which ever proves advantageous to the Superiour against his Inferiours By this means the Court got an hundred thousand Francs of the City to whom perhaps they would have given double the sum could they have done it with Honour to have had the liberty of returning thither Year of our Lord 1382 England was not less troubled with the like Commotions having a King under age and Governours extreamly covetous Never was that Kingdom in so great danger The Commons revolted against the Nobility who in truth kept them in a most servile condition One John Valee a Priest of the Archbishoprick of Canterbury had so well catechised and instructed the Countrey fellows by divers Discourses after they had been at Church concerning the equality that God and Nature made amongst all Mankind that they conspired the destruction of the Rich and Noble To this end they flock to London in several parties under pretence of demanding justice of the King and stirred up all the Counties to joyn with them like so many packs of Blood-hounds For some Months the Citizens and Gentry durst not stir but these Russians having neither Head nor Council nor Discipline their Captains being surprized and executed they were soon dispersed and beaten home with Cudgels like so many brute Beasts Because of these disorders the English entred upon a Conference with the French to make a Peace Boulogne was the place they met in the Deputies not coming to a conclusion made only a Truce for one year during which time they went and entangled themselves in that War which Ferdinand King of Portugal made against John King of Castille The Earl of Cambridge who had married a Daughter of Peter the Cruel carried some Forces thither fancying he might regain Castille both to his own advantage and the Duke of Lancaster's his Brother France failed not to assist the Castillan and thus the French and English having a Truce in these parts made War upon each other in Spain Scarce had it lasted eight Months when the Portugais not receiving from England all that assistance they were promised claps up an agreement with the Castillans and made the English their enemies The hundred thousand Francs they drew from the Parisians was the Duke of Anjou's last hand who did not forward those Impositions but only to have the greatest share himself for his voyage to Italy whereof this was the Subject After Clements party were ruined at Rome Vrban thinking to revenge himself upon Jane Queen of Naples perswaded Lewis King of Hungary to send him Charles de Duraz surnamed Peaceable to come and take possession of that Kingdom to whom he proffer'd the investiture as being the nearest of the Males This Prince had all the obligations imaginable to Queen Jane or Joane for he was of the very same Blood as she Son of Lewis Count de Gravines who was the Son of John VIII Son of Charles the Lame and therefore Brother to King Robert She had bred him with as much care and tenderness in her Court as if he had been her own Child she had married him to the Princess Margaret her Neece she designed to make him her Successor and kept his Children at this very time in her own Family The execrable ambition for a Crown rendred him ingrateful and made him break thorough all these obligations and noble endearments The Queen finding he was coming with an intention and preparation to Dethrone her had recourse to France her first Original and adopted the Duke of Anjou for her Son and presumptive Heir in Anno 1380. King Charles the Wise after the example of St. Lewis would have spared nothing to establish his Brother in the Throne but hapning to dye the Enterprize was left in suspense In the mean while Charles lost no time for being Crowned King of Sicilia Year of our Lord 1381 at Rome in the beginning of the year 1381. he marched towards Naples where being received without opposition he besieged the Queen and her Sister Mary in the Castle del'Ovo forced them in fine to surrender after his having defeated and taken Otho of Brunswic Janes fourth Husband and caused both of them to be strangled in prison Year of our Lord 1381. and 82. Those succors the Duke of Anjou was leading to that unhappy Princess being now useless and Charles by that time setled in the Kingdom the Duke was hesitating whether he should pass the Mountains Pope Clement who had but this one way to Dethrone Vrban engag'd him by such great allurements and advantages as plainly manifested he did not care whether he ruin'd the Church both in her Spirituals and Temporals provided he could but compass his own establishment Year of our Lord 1382 It was about the end of the last year the Duke had certain news that Queen Jane was Besieg'd and caused his Forces to march towards Provence The Pope invests him with the Kingdom of Sicilia and Crowned him at Avignon the Thirtieth day of May. Jane had been dead eight days but as it was not known in a long time he gave him only the Title of Duke of Calabria The Provensals were not satisfied or consenting to the adoption of the Duke much less would they own him for their Sovereign
tax which he had ordered for their maintenance Being returned to Tours he fell into the like Fitts of fainting as before His Servants having vowed him to Saint Claude he went thither on Pilgrimage and left the General Lieutenancy of the Kingdom to Peter de Bourbon Lord of Beaujeu his Brother Never was such a Pilgrim seen the Countries he passed felt his Devotions he marched accompanied with six thousand Soldiers and did always some terrible thing or other in his way In this he seized Philibert Duke of Savoy and brought him into France that young Prince dying the next year in the City of Lyons and his brother Charles succeeding him he declared himself his Guardian For since the decease of Duke Ame IX their Father he had alwayes had a great hand in the affairs of Savoy upon pretence that these young Princes were his Sisters Children Year of our Lord 148 Happily for Italy Mahomet being on the point to begin again the Siege of Rhodes and to send a new Army to Otranto dyed at Nicomedia the third of May. Now whilst his two Sons Bajazeth and Zizim were contending for the Empire between themselves the Pope and King Ferdinand took the courage to besiege Otranto and the Turks whilst the division betwixt their Princes lasted expecting no succours surrendred upon composition A short while after Zizim having been defeated twice fled to Rhodes where expecting to find an Asylum he fell into captivity For the Knights for a Pension of 50000 Crowns which Bajazeth promised to pay them yearly detained him Prisoner and with the Kings permission sent him to the Castle of Bourgneuf in Auvergne where he remained some years treated honourably enough Year of our Lord 1489 Year of our Lord 1481 Every thing gave apprehensions to King Lewis he still kept his wife at distance from him and these last years he continued her in Savoy he bred his Son like a Captive at Amboise amongst Servants lest he should grow too high-spirited and alwayes took along with him the first Prince of the blood Lewis Duke of Orleance not suffering any to cultivate his mind by any Education He married him this year to one of his daughters named Jane a most wise Princess but ugly and Lame and one whom the Physitians assured uncapable of bearing any Children Perhaps themselves had taken a course for that purpose Year of our Lord 1481 A little while after his return from Saint Claude he fell again for the third time into his fits of Swooning He caused himself to be carry'd to Clery where he had built a Church to his good Our Lady And there he received some relief but which lasted not long Year of our Lord 1481 The 10th of December Charles d'Anjou Count du Mayne being sick at Marseilles whereof he dyed the next day by his Testament instituted King Lewis his universal Heir in all his lands to enjoy the same he and all the Kings of France his Successors recommending most earnestly to him to mantain Provence in it's liberty 's Perogatives Customs Rene Duke of Lorraine Son of Yoland d'Anjou reclaimed against this institution maintaining that it could not be made to his prejudice the King on the contrary justified it to be good because Provence is a Country ruled by written Law according to which any person may dispose of his own in favour of whom he pleaseth besides the Counts of Provence had always called the Males to their Succession to the prejudice of the daughters Palamedes de Fourbin Sieur de Souliers who managed the Mind of Charles made him find these reasons to be good and for this he in recompence had the Government or to say better the Soveraignty of Provence during his whole life Year of our Lord 1482 When the Affairs of Mary of Burgundy began to be setled that Princess going ahunting fell from her horse and died of it at Gaunt the 25th of May with the fruit wherewith her womb was pregnant In four years she had borne three children Philip Margret and another that had but a short life The death of Mary brought trouble and disorders afresh amongst the Flemmings Her Husband had so little Authority because of his Covetous Poverty amongst those people who were wont to have Princes extreamly Liberal and Magnificent that he was forced to suffer that the Children he had by her should remain under the guard of the Gauntois After a great famine which had afflicted France during the year 1481. there followed an Epidemical Sickness altogether extraordinary which seized upon the Great as well as the Little ones It was a continual and violent Feaver which set the Head on fire whereby the most part fell into Phrensies and died as it were Mad. Year of our Lord 1482 William de la Mark called the wild Boar of Ardenne incited and assisted by the King Massacred most inhumanely Lewis de Bourbon Bishop of Liege either in an Ambuscade or after he had defeated him in Battle and soon after himself being taken by the Lord de Horne brother to the Bishop successor to Lewis had his head cut off at Mastrict Desquerdes had even the last year made himself Master of the Town of Air at the price of 50000 Crowns bestowed on the Governour From this advantagious Post which bridled the Flemmings he made them incline as well by cunning too as force to treat of the Marriage of Margret Daughter of their deceased Princess with the Dauphin Charles though she were hardly two years old and Charles almost twelve The Gauntois Ambassadors having seen the King at Clery made report to their Council of the Kings intentions He demanded for her dowry only the County of Artois and they would needs add to it those of Burgundy of Masconnois Auxerois and Charolois thereby to weaken their Prince so much that he might never be able to bring them under his Yoke Year of our Lord 1482 The King was in so ill a condition that hardly could he suffer them to see him to present so advantagious a Treaty The Daughter was to be put into his Hands about the end of this Year but there remaining yet some difficulties to be determined they brought her not into France till the April following and the Wedding was celebrated at Amboise at the end of July Year of our Lord 1483 Then Edward King of England who upon the faith of the Treaty of Pequigny had ever flattered himself that the Dauphin should Marry his Daughter and held himself so well assured that he made her be called the Dauphiness seeing himself bafled by the French and scoffed by his own Subjects as one fouly imposed upon was so moved with shame and grief that he died the 4th of April delivering France from the apprehension of many mischiefs he might have done them during the Minority of Charles VIII He had two Sons Edward and Richard and five daughters Marry'd to Noblemen of that Country He had also had two Brothers George Duke of Clarence
out the Prince and intreat him earnestly to come to Court assuring him that whatsoever had been done against the Protestants was much against her will and that with his Assistance she would endeavour to repair it The Prince began to listen to it and was inclined to condescend when news was brought him that the Huguenots coming out of Church at Sens were all Massacred and their Houses saccaged by the Soldiers the fault whereof was charged upon the Cardinal de Lorrain Archbishop of that City The Prince having heard the particulars said to his People that they must hope for nothing now but from God and their own Courage They then caused white Cassocks of Cloth to be made for all their Cavalry and endeavour'd to animate and keep up their Spirits by Printing several little Books some for their Justification others to bespatter the House of Guise and particularly the Cardinal de Lorrain Year of our Lord 1562 Yet there were many Envoyez and propositions sent from the one to the other The Prince demanded the Edict of January should be observed that there should be Justice done for such as were Massacred and that the Triumviri should quit the Court. They to repel these Attaques presented a Petition that there might be no other Religion in France but the Catholick That all Servants belonging to the King all Governors Officers Magistrates c. should make a publick Profession of it or be deprived of their Employments That all such as had laid violent hands on things Sacred should be punished for their Sacriledge That no man should bear Arms but such as were Commissioned by the King of Navarre upon which Conditions they offer'd to retire from Court month June These Messages having effected nothing towards a reconciliation the Queen would needs confer with the Prince her self the place was assigned at Toury where either came accompanied with about Fifty Horse and all the necessary precautions The King of Navarre was with the Queen The Gentlemen belonging to them who were kept at Eight Hundred paces distance left they should chance to quarrel could not be restrained from running to embrace each other weeping to express both the joy for their present meeting and the sorrow for that fate which threatned to change this friendship into a Scene of fury and these Salutations into the necessity of cutting suddenly one anothers Throats In sine the Queen could not gain her ends The King of Navarre and the Prince picqu'd each other with reproaches and the Conference broke off The Prince had a good part of the Nobles and Soldiery for him The Confederates had the Parisians the Name and Person of the King which are necessarily followed by the Great Officers and Parliament The Six and Twentieth of June the Parliament declared all such as had seized those Cities before mentioned Rebels and guilty of Treason However they excepted the Prince of Condé as if it must have been supposed that the Huguenots detained him by force The Armies on either part took the Field and these being the one in the Country of Orleannois the other in Dunois the Queen made one Essay more which was like to have succeeded to the destruction of both the Factions She proposed to the Prince by the advice of Valence to make the Guises and the Constable quit the Court if he would lay down his Arms and come and put himself into hers and the King of Navarres hands The Prince running inconsiderately into this toyl goes to the Queen at Talsy as soon as ever he heard the Triumviri were retired and by a second imprudence promised to leave the Kingdom if they returned not to Court The Admiral de Coligny and the other Chiefs of his Party mightily in pain and disquiet both for him and themselves came the next day and made him sensible he could not in honour engage his word to the prejudice of what he had promis'd them and was in Conscience bound to make good and thus they obliged him to recal it at the next Conference which was held the following day and brought him back again to his Army Every one admiring the Queen Mother had not taken the whole Covey as she might easily have done with one fair draught of her Net which she could not possibly have forborn had it been for her Interest so to do month June and July The number of Cities the Huguenots had seized were too many for their Forces and kept them scattered at too great a distance from each other they soon lost most of them again together with a great many of their Men Blois and Anger 's were forced with all the Cruelties attending the fury of a Civil War Mans and Tours were abandoned The Duke of Aumale who Commanded the Kings Armies in Normandy for the Duke of Bouillon was suspected of Huguenotisme recover'd all the places about Rouen and the Duke of Estampes Governour of Bretagne Valongne Vire Saint Lo and Bayeux At Vire were the greatest Cruelties committed because the Huguenots had been most cruel there During the Negotiations and the many difficulties there are in Cementing together the several Members of a new made Party where most times three break off whilst they are soddering one the heat of the Princes zealots began to grow cool Most part came to him full of resolution and with the hopes and expectation of being led on to Battle immediately expecting that a few moments either would give them Victory or a brave and glorious death but when they found things were drawn out in Length many desired lieve to return so that being unable to keep them longer together there with him he sent John de Partenay Soubize to Lyons John de Hangest-Yvoy to Bourges the Count de la Rochefoucaud Year of our Lord 1562 to Angoâ—lesme Dandelot into Germany and Briquemault to England the two last to hasten those Supplies which had been promised him in those Countries month July and August The Kings Army was encreased to Five and Twenty Thousand Foot and Five Thousand Horse they were divided in two bodies one of them with whom the King was in Person commanded by the King of Navarre and the Duke of Guise went to besiege Bourges the other commanded by the Mareschal de Saint André was sent to Poitiers This last place was taken by Battery in fewer dayes then the Soldiers had to pillage it it was gained on the first day of August The other was reduced by Composition the Nine and Twentieth of the same Month. They had sustained near upon a Five Weeks Siege and might have held it longer if Yvoy who defended it with Two Thousand Men had not suffer'd himself to be prevailed upon either by fear or the cajoleries and allurements of the Court. And indeed he soon after quitted the Party and retired to his own home month September Bourges being taken most part of the Chief Officers were for going directly to Orleans where they might have coop'd up the Prince and by
made his Party by it self as well because he was disgusted that the said King had to his prejudice given his Lieutenancy to the Vicount de Turenne as because he being in himself a serious and honest Gentleman avoided all libertinage and had a horror for their frauds and impious practises In the King of Navarres Court nothing was to be seen but Intrigues Amours and Enterprises to say all in a word Queen Margaret was the Soul of it The King month November and December her Brother who had taken a spleen against her wrote to her Husband that there were ill Reports spread of her and the Vicount de Turenne but that Prince considering the necessity of his Affairs above all things else shewed the Letter to them both and spared neither caresses nor intreaties to keep the Vicount with him who pretended he must by all means retire Now this Woman enraged to the greatest extremity had no other thought but of revenge to this effect making use of the same means she had so often seen practised by her Mother she instructed the Ladies about her to take all the brave ones about her Husband in their amorous toils and they did spread the Nets so cunningly that himself was ensnared by the beauties of Fosseuse who did but too well practise the Lessons taught by her Mistress These were the real Fire-brands of the sixth Troubles and for that reason it was called The Louers Wars Year of our Lord 1580 The Kings Envoys coming to re-demand the places of security these Gossips scoff at them peek their Gallants with Honour call it folly and cowardize to surrender what they had acquired at the price of their Blood and so heat them that they resolve not only to keep them still but also to take others To this end the King of Navarre having broken some pieces of Gold sends two halves the one to Chastillon the other to Lesdiguieres who Commanded for that Party in Languedoc and Daufine with an Order to begin the War whenever he sent them the other two halves and at the same time sends Men of Credit into divers Provinces for the execution of above threescore several Enterprises It seems this Resolution had not been communicated to the Prince of Conde nevertheless it so fell out that he acted at the same time as if it had been by agreement with the rest of the Party He passionately desired to enter into possession of the Government of Picardy it had been promised him by two Treaties and he was daily put in hopes of it In fine his patience was tired he would do himself right and formed private Intelligence and designs upon seven or eight of the best places in that Province That which he attempted upon la Fere succeeded by the assistance of month April c. Liramont de Mouy and some other Gentlemen all the others miscarried As little success had the Partisans of the King of Navarre unless upon Montaigu in Poitou and upon Cabors This City belonging to his Wives Estate for she was appenaged with the Counties of Quercy and Agenois refusing to own him he was resolved to do himself right though he knew Vesins was within the place with two thousand Soldiers he was not afraid to assault it and to make use of his Petard a new sort of Artillery which then began to be employ'd When by this invention he had made a Gate fly open he found Vesins ready to oppose him who received him very bravely This Lord was kill'd upon the first charge his death however did not so daunt his Men but they defended themselves yet four days more from Street to Street At last all were forced and the City horribly sacked and overflowed with the Blood of its Inhabitants in revenge of that of the Huguenots which they shed in the Massacres of St. Bartholomew The other Efforts of that Party manifestly discover'd their weakness which proved to be greater then could have been imagin'd For the disarmed Provinces as Normandy the Isle of France Champagne and others refused to contribute towards this War the Rochellers not thinking it very just remained quiet by the advice even of the Wise la None Chastillon could not stir up above three Cities in Year of our Lord 1580 Languedoc which were Lunel Aigues-Mortes and Sous-Mieres and if Nismes did enter the Lists it was only because the Catholicks did Harass them It is true that Captain Merle took Mandes but it was rather upon his own private account then the Parties for he had all the Plunder and the Party got nothing by it but hatred for his horrible Robberies On all hands the Huguenots had the disadvantage the Mareschal de Biron put the King of Navarres whole Forces to a full stop then drove them into their Holds He defeated three thousand of his Men in a Combat near Monterabel in which the two Sons of the Marquiss du Trans of near Relation to that King and yet both Catholicks were slain and beat back the rest to the very Gates of Nerac It is said he fired some Volees of Cannon against the Walls from the top whereof Queen Margaret beheld the Skirmish whereat that Princess was so much offended she would never pardon him The Count de Lude in the mean while took Montaigu in Poitou the defence whereof was truly much greater then the goodness of the place The Duke of Mayne cleared almost all Daufine which brought Lesdiguieres so low that another such Campagne would have beat him out of the Country and the Mareschal de Matignon reduced the Town of la Fere in Picardy of which the Prince had designed to make a second Rochel After he had been six weeks before the place he granted them very good Composition month September the Twelfth day of September The Kings two Favourites Arques and the young la Valete who was afterwards named Joyeuse Espernon and a many Lords were come to the Siege in great Equipage and Provisions were brought from all Quarters in abundance from whence it was called The Velvet Siege The Duke of Aumale Governor of Picardy and the Duke of Guise arrived there towards the latter end and would have wrested the Honour from Matignon for which he stored up so great Resentment that ever after upon all occasions he studied to thwart them and break their Measures Nothing gave the King more apprehension then the going abroad of the Prince of Conde who had left la Fere about the end of March to sollicite the aid of Protestant Princes In England he saw Queen Elizabeth at Antwerp the Prince of Orange in Germany Casimir and some other Princes yet could obtain no assistance but from Year of our Lord 1580 Casimir upon condition of certain places he promised to give him for security Upon this assurance he returns by Swisserland and Geneva amidst a World of dangers being taken and stript in the Territories of Savoy by some Bandits who knew not who he was Lesdiguieres generously furnish'd him with Money and
chosen a Council of Forty Persons They afterwards obliged them to receive the Petition of Catharine de Cleves Widow of the Duke of Guise who desired leave to take information concerning the death of her Husband and Commissioners to make Process against such as should be Convicted The Parliaments the Chambers Assembled having heard the Sollicitor General 's motion admitted and granted her Petition and named two Counsellors to manage and carry on the said Process The King against all these attempts opposed nothing but a little Parchment and Wax multitudes of Letters which he sent every way and several Declarations at first very soft and gentle then somewhat more vigorous One amongst others which commanded the Duke of Aumale to go out of Paris interdicted the Parliament and all other the Kings Judges to exercise any Jurisdiction then another which declared the Dukes of Mayenne and Aumale and all the revolted Cities guilty of the Crime de Lesae Majestatis in the highest degree and deprived them of all Offices Honours and Priviledges In pursuance whereof he made an Edict which transferr'd the Parliament and the Chambre des Comptes to Tours as he afterwards did that of Rouen to Caen and the University and the Presidial of Orleans to Beaugency It was thought that if he had but mounted on Horseback and appeared at the Gates of Orleans or Paris who lead the dance to all other Tumults he had stifled them with ease but he was grown so effeminate thorough idleness that he could neither perform any thing with vigor nor keep himself any competent time steady to the same resolution He stirred not from Blois but continued the Estates there whom he persuaded himself would suddenly find out some remedy for all the grievances and troubles in the Kingdom In the mean while the Leaguers and Friends of the deceased Duke drew after them almost all the People of the whole Nation already too much prepossessed with ill-favour'd sentiments against him Even those very Persons who ever had abhorr'd Faction and Rebellion finding he had caused a Cardinal to be Massacred imagined he struck at the Catholick Religion it self the manner and circumstances of those Murthers gave a horror to all the World even the King of Navarre though Year of our Lord 1589 it were realy very advantageous to him could not find in his heart to rejoyce and month January le Plessis Mornay hindred the Rochellers from any publick Expressions of it for fear they might be reproached for approving that ambiguous act by any solemnity It could never be certainly known whether the Queen Mother had any hand in it there being only conjectures both for and against it but it is certain the King did never afterwards communicate any affairs to her So that thinking Life a burthen without any Authority or Power being overwhelmed with Age for she was Seventy and two years old but much more with trouble and sorrow to see that fate maugre all the obstructions she had contrived brought her greatest Enemy so near the Crown and withal being pierced to the heart that the Cardinal de Bourbon when she would needs visit him upon his Bed of Sickness and languishment cast that bloody reproach in her teeth Ah Madam is it thus you have brought us all to the Butchery she fell sick and died of it the Fifth of January Her death was esteemed a thing very indifferent causing neither joy nor sorrow and her memory would have vanisht with her breath after all the noise and stirs she had made for thirty years together had she not brought down too many curses upon France to be so soon forgotten A second time the King made the Estates swear to the Edict of Union to shew he was a Zealous Catholick After this they presented their Papers to him which he began to examine for some days The Fifteenth and Sixteenth of the Month he heard their Harangues which were full of fine words sound Reasons wise Expedients but their Tongues and Hearts were very far asunder so that it was nothing but a Scene where each one acted a part quite different from what he was indeed Now they sending him notice from all parts of new Commotions and finding most of the Deputies retired without taking leave he dismiss'd them all upon the Twentieth day of the Month and that they might carry with them into the Provinces some Marks of his Bounty to the Nobility he gave Brissac and Bois-Daufin their liberty and to the Third Estate that of three or four Deputies whom Richelieu had seized on But all of them made him an ill requital reserving only the injury in memory but not the favour and pardon Moreover he granted and caused several Articles of their Instructions or Memorials to be proclaimed amongst others an abatement of the fourth part of their Tailles of which in truth there was above a third part of non-value and never could be raised From Blois he caused all his Prisoners to be transfer'd to the Castle of Amboise but the Duke of Nemours of a bold and active Spirit found the invention to escape disguised like a Kitchin Scullion and got to Paris without stop or stay The last day of the Month he had news that the Citadel of Orleans had surrendred to the Bourgeois He had hoped that the Duke of Nevers whom he recalled from Poitou would have relieved it but after the taking of la Ganache his Forces being all Year of our Lord 1589 Leaguers either dispersed or went over to his Enemies month Januaay He heard almost at the same time that Paris had drawn in all the Towns and Passages round about them excepting Melun That Dreux Crespy in Valois Senlis Clermont in Beauvoisis Pont Saincte Maixence Amiens Abbeville Rouen and all those of Normandy excepting the Pont de L'Arche Diepe and Caen had set up the Colours of the League That Bois-Daufin had stirred up all the Country of Mans That the Duke of Mayenne was Master of all Burgundy excepting Semur and Flavigny That Lyons had cast their Rider and chose for Governor the Duke of Genevois so they called the Duke of Nemours As to Bretagne the Duke of Mercoeur did not make them move as yet because the King his Brother in Law amused him with the hopes of giving him that Dutchy after his death Stephen Duranti First President of Toulouze and James Dafis Attorney General contained that City near a Month but at last Vrban de Sainct Gelais Lansac Bishop of Cominges a Man equally ambitious and violent made it revolt and put the Populace into such a fury that they inhumanely massacred those two Magistrates dragg'd their dead Bodies thorough the Streets with the Kings Effigies and hanged them on the Gallows The Parisians and the Dutchess of Montpensier who could not well agree with the Duke of Aumale invited the Duke of Mayenne to Paris as soon as he had setled Burgundy in good order he begins his Journey thither to satisfie them All Champagne was of his
Party but only Chaalons for the Inhabitants having received information of the death of Guise before the Governor had any notice which was Rosne assembled together and turned him out From thence he went to Sens where his presence was requisite to fortisie his Friends then to Orleans where he found the Citadel surrendred to his Party afterwards to Chartres who received him with extraordinary month February joy and lastly to Paris where he arrived the Tenth day of February That vast number of People were yet so furiously enchanted with the memory of the Duke of Guise that they would needs bestow the Title of King upon this Brother but he did not find himself sufficiently bottom'd to accept of so high a Dignity He consider'd that besides the divisions it would necessarily have begot betwixt him and the other Chiefs who were content to be his Companions but not his Subjects the Spirits of the Authors of that grand Revolution tended rather to establish a Democracy then a Monarchy Wherefore he presently labour'd to diminish their Power encreased the Council of Forty with fourteen more wholly at his own devotion and admitted not only all the Princes of the League but likewise the Presidents the Kings Attorneys and Sollicitors in Parliament the Prevost des Merchands and Eschevins that he might carry things by Multitude upon occasion Then not able to endure this curb by any means breaks it quite the following year when he was going to give the Battle of Yury Year of our Lord 1589 Notwithstanding it was that Council had confer'd upon him the command of month March the Armies and the Quality of Lieutenant General of the State and Crown of France but he gave them little thanks for it because they limited his Power to the meeting of the General Estates which was to be upon the Fifteenth of July His Commission was verified in Parliament the Seventh of March and he took the Oath before the President de Brisson They caused new Seals to be made a great one for Council Affairs and a little one for the Chanceries and Parliaments either of them had on one side the Flower-de-Luce as was usual but on the other an Empty Throne with these words about it The Seal of the Kingdom of France Now to make a real Union of this Party as they had the name and to link all the Cities to them that had declar'd already and intended to declare he made an excellent Reglement which being sent into the Provinces brought others into him Especially Laon where John Bodin the Kings Attorney in that Court prevailed so by his Interest and Eloquence that it was accepted having made it clear that the joyning of so many Cities ought not to be called Rebellion but Revolution that this was a just one against an Hypocrite and Tyrant King that Heaven it self seemed to authorize it because States have their periods as well as Men and the Reign of Henry III. ought to be the Climacterical to France he being the LXI King since Pharaemond who according to the Vulgar Account was the first King of the French To this pretended Order succeeded a general Disorder an universal Robbery thorough the whole Kingdom seizures of Goods sales by outcry Imprisonments Ransoms and Reprizals The Offices Benesices and Governments were divided into two or three private Families were even divided within themselves the Father bandying against the Sons Brothers against Brothers Nephews against their Uncles Nothing was to be gained but by those that had nothing to lose those that had wherewithal were obliged to spend it but the Thieves gained on both hands They nestled themselves in old Castles or in small Towns from whence they bolted out to pillage the Neighbouring Countries took up the Kings Rents made private Persons compound for theirs enjoy'd the Churches Revenues and thus enriched themselves with great ease and little danger month March In the beginning of March the King not finding himself secure at Blois retired to Tours He first took out his Prisoners from the Castle of Amboise sent the Cardinal de Bourbon to Chinon whereof Chavigny an ancient Gentleman was Governor the Prince of Joinville who from henceforward was and called himself Duke of Guise to Tours and the Duke d'Elbaeuf to Loches The Duke of Mayennes Affairs as we may say did do of themselves For even in the Month of February the Cities of Aix Arles and Marseilles offended at the Kings restoring la Valete to that Government took the Oath for the League but he in the mean while passed his time at Year of our Lord 1589 Paris where he and his Officers consumed in fruitless Expences the Moneys assessed month March upon the Country with the Confiscations and Sequestrations of the Politicks and Huguenots Estates While that Duke was in the greatest hurry of his Affairs it hapned that four or five of his Friends and Intimates being in debauch with some Ladies of Pleasure in the Hostel de Carnavalet one of them seeing him pass by ran after him and haled him in almost by force he did not stay above half an hour with this Company yet made a shift to get and carry that away with him that forced him to keep his Chamber several weeks after but being in haste he had time to take only palliative Remedies So that the venom remaining still in his Blood rendred him more slow lumpish and melancholy and in his Person stupified the activity of his whole Party In the Month of March John Lewis de la Rochefoucaut Count de Randan debauched Rion and part of Auvergne whereof he was Governor he had drawn the whole Country after him if some Lords as Rostignac Saint-Herem Allegre Fleurat Canillac and Oradour amongst whom d'Effiat having the Kings particular Orders had acquired great credit had not opposed their courage and skill against his Interest and Faction The Duke of Mercoeur having balanced a while debauched likewise all Bretagne excepting only Vitre the Nobility of the Country were cantonized there against him and whilst he besieged it Renes escaped from him Gefroy de Saint Belin Bishop of Poitiers and the Mayor and some other Leaguers stirred up that Town which however did not yet declare for the League Limoges remained under obedience of the King Pichery retained the City of Anger 's in despite of Brissac who had put them upon rising and reduced them by means of the Castle where he commanded Matignons prudence defeated the Conspiracy of the Leaguers who were beginning to Barricade themselves at Bourdeaux but he durst not search it to the quick the Combination being too general and so thought it sufficient to hang two or three of the most Zealous Since the King of Navarres return to Rochel he had taken Maran and then Niort by Escalado Some few days after hapned the Murther at Blois but that made no alteration in the conduct of his Affairs neither did it oblige him to discontinue his War The Cities of Loudun Thouars Monstreuil L'Isle