he in himselfe and in the opinion of the world that the conclaue respects him England is in perfect amitie with him Almany and Italy honours him Spaine feares him and Belgia seekes him And now hee reioyceth in the labour of his handes and in the tranquility which hee hath made with the price of his blood and from the twentieth yeere of his age purchased with his laborious and dangerous exercises The lawes Arts enioy a sweet repose and large increase vnder his Empire and a free commerce is reestablished throughout his Kingdome he hath adorned his Cittie of Paris with many and excellent buildings besides other his particular workes of great Magnificence He shewed his peacefull prouidence in finances his iudgement in the choise of men his viue-spirit and excellent composition of mind and body in all suddaine accidents And since he was a King his greatest enimies cannot iustly vpbrayd him with the least breach of contracted friendship with any of his neighbours And lastly to summe vp this Man of men this princelike souldier and souldier-like Prince whose royall face is white with Time with watchings and with experience and the Laurels which begirt his venerable head tooke their roote in his Caske haue beene gathered in the grounds of three pitched fields of 35. encounters of armies of an hundred and forty combats and 300. sieges of places in all which his person striued if it were possible to haue got the start of his courage For these causes hath the Christian world reason to reioice in the contemplation of so able a champion against the common enimie and the French Nation to hold themselues happy in hauing so excellent a Prince BVt now I must forsake this groue of Baies and Oliues which his Valour and Wisdome had planted for my Pen to walke in and addresse my selfe to speake of his Death in which the liues of so many thousands were interessed And as He who being to set his hand to a Proscription of the Death of others wished he had bene ignorant of letters rather then to vse them in such a funerall affaire So I protest before the knower of all Hearts that I doe vnfainedly wish not onely that I were ignorant of letters but that I had also lost that hand with which I write these lines so that hee were liuing and that I had not true matter to write of his inhumane and barbarous slaughter which I will briefly touch in the maine particulars as being a Subiect in which my spirits languish before they begin to enter and in which being entred I haue small delight to continue long The King for explanation of his dearest affection to his Queene and for satisfaction of his owne minde had before his intended departure for this Warre inuested Her with the Crowne and Title of Queene of France and Nauarre The morrow after which great solemnitie hee appointed to goe to his Arsenall to visite the Duke d' Suylly his Treasurer who at that time was in some indisposition of body And notwithstanding as it is written from good place that hee was disswaded from going abroad that day by some as a day markt out by Astrologers to portend danger to his Person yet he a second Caesar as well in the course of his life as of his death was little swayed with their disswasions but like a King and a Christian replied That it was an offence to God to giue credit to these Prognostiques and that hauing God to his Guard he feared no man That morning walking in the great gallerie at the Twilleries hee had beene slaine by this villaine who to that purpose pestered somewhat neere his Person but that by some then about the King he was thrust off esteemed onely as some rude rascall After dinner about foure of storie of the new King by whosoeuer else shall write it Only thus much the Queene was proclaimed Regent during the Kings minority the state of France yet enioyeth her former Tranquility and Monsieur Praslyne was dispatched away to the Armie to hold some discipline vntill the comming of the Dukes of Neuers and Bullion The peacefull Plenty and Discipline this King had brought France vnto the great affaire of warr which he had in hand the sumptuous crowning of his Queene which he had finished and to be thus snatched away from these and in these by a second Herostratus who hath defaced one of the royallest buildings the earth bare must powre a myriad of the worlds curses and the vengeance of God in full vialls vpon the Actor and deuisors thereof That the sacred person of so great a King should be vndone by the hands of an vnholy Villaine and his owne vassaile that a Prince of the sword should be butchered with a Knife that He who had returned victoriously aliue from the head of so many Armies where Death keepes his open shambles should now be robbed of his life by the hands of only one and in the peacefull streets of Paris which were yet warme with the glory of his Queenes late Coronation is a villenie that exceeds if it were possible the merrit of damnation I demand euen of the Diuell himselfe in whose office all former villenies are enrouled whether the praeceding Ages haue begot so stupendious and wicked a deed Nay I will demand of his Astrologie wherein he is so great a Master whether the succeeding Times can be malignant enough to produce such another Truely I confesse that the Intention of the Pouder-treason if it had come to Act by which our entier State had beene entirely ruined in an instant had exceeded this for as yet God be praised the State of France goeth on in her former and euen Course I confesse that Treason blew vp all other treasons as it would haue blowen vp all vs It was the Diuells Master-peece deuised by himselfe exceeding all Thought all Expression all Example O How vnthankefull then are we to God for that his miraculous preseruation of our King for the States sake of our State for the Kings sake Whose Constancy in Religion and Iudicious profoundnesse in the controuersed points thereof whose temperance in gouernement and mercy euen to greatest Offenders hath giuen vs cause to confesse the valew of so inestimable a King and with publique sacrifice of prayers importune God for the continuance of his safetie How can we heare of so terrible a blow but on the other side of the wall and forbeare to fixe our eyes and hearts on him that disposeth all things howsoeuer man propounds And whether the speech proceeded from some planetary obseruation in forreine parts or from some Intelligence broken forth from out the denne of these lurking-assacinates yet sure I am and my information is of credit that euen about this very time the like assault was said should bee made vpon the Person of our Soueraigne which diuert O God for thy Holy Names sake who art King of kings for Religions sake he is the nourice and protector of Religion for Nature and Humanities sake wee are borne and must liue vnder him preserue him O God as thy image being a man as thy vicegerent being a King that as thou hast with a miraculous peace brought him to these his owne Kingdomes so thou wilt euery night and euery morning sprinckle his diademe with the dew of Security Peace and Plenty that posteritie may compare his reigne with the reigne of Solomon vntill being full of dayes he shall quietly lay downe his life and resigne his precious soule into thine hands and deliver his Empires into the hands of those who by thy Lawes and by the Lawes of Nature are borne to inherit them
AN EXTRACT OVT OF THE Historie of the last French King HENRY the fourth of famous memorie According to an Autentique Copie written in his life time To which is added his being murdered with a knife in his Coach in Paris the 14. of May last 1610. Styl ROM WITH AN APPRECATION FOR THE SAFEGVARD and HAPPINES of our MOST GRACIOVS Soueraigne IAMES the first c. ¶ Seene and allowed by Authoritie ¶ Jmprinted at London by Robert Barker Printer to the Kings most Excellent Maiestie ANNO 1610. ¶ To be sold at BRITAINE BVRSE TO THE RIGHT Honorable WILLIAM Lord Viscount Cranborne sole sonne and heire to the Right Honorable the Earle of SALISBVRY L. High Treasurer of England Right Honourable THE continuall fauours J receiued from your L. at my being in FRANCE doe and shall alwayes binde me to serue and honor you in what J may And now purposing with my selfe to consecrate to this our Age and to Posteritie the memorie of Henry the 4. the late French King whose most deplorable Murder sorrow it selfe can neuer sufficiently bewaile J esteemed the Dedication thereof as well in respect of my owne particular dueties to your L. as in regard of the Qualitie of the Subiect whereof J write to belong to you more then in Part. For with whome may my Narrations of the wonderfull passages of his Life hope to finde more gracious acceptance then with your L. whom J knew to be so great an honourer of his Person an eye-witnesse of his Royall Parts and one that had receiued so many ample fauours from him being aliue The Circumstances of his being Murdered J cannot call it his Dying for they Die not but are made to Die who are so Murdered are best knowen to your L. whose speedie Letters gaue our STATE the first notice of his Fall J onely now set them downe to propose to your Thoughts the Consideration of Humane frailtie and the Weaknesse euen of greatest Greatnesse so often as you call to minde that KING then whom the Princes of the Christian world cannot haue a more ample or apposite Subiect to meditate vpon It was about Christmas last past your L. did then too throughly thinke of it J am sure euer after to forget it that the rumour of our Kings death was spread ouer the French Court which though it were but a rumour and against which all those then about you opposed themselues strooke you notwithstanding so full of dolour and affliction of spirit that J suppose how much your Noble and gentle nature was wounded with the sight of this Kings wounds Two notable occurrences that in your Lordships Trauels you should heare of the murder of your owne King which prooued otherwise and be an eye-witnesse of the Murder of another which was too true and both of them the greatest Kings of Europe Your Losse in Him was great great in loosing a KING from whom you had receiued so gracious respects great in cutting off your Honourable purpose of following his Fortunes in those Germane Warres wherein you should haue seene so warrelike Lessons read by so Excellent and profound a Master But GOD whose Prouidence and Power is as infallible as vnresistable hath diuerted him from finishing that great Affaire which he hath left I hope to be consummated by another I cease from further troubling your Lordship and so rest Euer humbly at your Honors command Edmond Skory AN EXTRACT out of the Historie of the last French King HENRY the 4. of famous memory THere being an Vnion of Vertue and Fortune in the person of this French K.H. the 4 whose life I will onely point at hath iustly gotten him all the eleuated titles of an immortall glory So many actions of his person are as so many miracles and may safely exempt him from being paralleld either in the difficultie of obtaining or happinesse in keeping so great and stirring a Kingdome And the particulars indeede of the course of his life seeme by the Diuine prouidence to haue bene conducible to the reseruation of that State which otherwise had fallen into an irrecouerable consumption His birth being amongst the barren rockes and his education comporting with the asperitie of the place were the ingredients with which his youth was tempered and wherby his body as his spirit made inuincible he was prepared fit for the accōplishment of great and glorious labours Hee had not drawen the breath of seuen yeeres in this world but his qualitie drewe him into the knowledge of the world where his royall towardnesse begot him estimation and that estimation euen then extended it selfe to the assured hope of succeeding greatnesse By the Ciuil warres was his Father the Light Conductor of his Nature and fortunes extinguisht his Mother remoued from Court his Vncle imprisoned his friends in disgrace his seruants banished and his owne ruine plotted And now these of the Religion beeing wrapped in like extremities disposing their eyes to heauen their bodies to the earth finding no other hope of safetie then in his Armes elected him their Generall the abated hopes of whom by the losse of foure Battels could not bee repaired but by the felicitie of his Generous courage At nineteene yeere old he was inueigled into his first marriage a marriage as dangerous as illegitimate for celebration of which direfull Nuptials Hymen had his garment not sprinkled but daubed all ouer with the blood of the best bloods in France his Mother lost her life his friends were banished himselfe and his seruants captiued All which mischiefes he suffred patiently and vnder-went the perils inconueniencies and labours though a Generall euen of the Common souldier vntill the time that his wisdome obtained to his partie some relaxation of euils and breathing from toiles by the meanes of a fift Edict of peace But suddenly was this calme conuerted into a storme which powred vpon him the charge of ten royall Armies in lesse then foure yeeres At the battell of Coutray his name was made terrible to the enemie who but by so apparant merit was vnwilling to haue acknowledged his Vertue A cruell tragedie ended where France was the Theatre strangers the Actors the Epilogue of which was closed with the death of two Princes who had filled the Realme with fire blood and confusion The King then reigning Henry the 3. predecessor to this King as well in being murdered as in rule being in desperate distresse and almost surprised at Tours was happily rescued by this H. the 4. whose approach like the discouery of a Land to men long at sea inspired a new courage into the Kings drooping and disheartned forces and had conducted him to the vndoubted conquest of PARIS but for that execrable King-killing Friar whose face as his disseigne was mufled with the veile of pietie by meanes whereof he was so vntimely rent from himselfe his fortunes and his friends The true naturall French men being thus desolated of their Prince and fearing many tyrant-Kings in stead of one-lawfull cast
themselues into this mans armes and did commit to his vertue and valour the reuenge of their slaughtered King and the saluation of their State Neuerthelesse to such an height was the astonishment of the fact growen and to such an ebbe was the fidelitie of the people drawen by reason of diuersitie in Religion that many did shamefully abandon him chusing rather to be idle spectators in their Countries ruine then faithfull Patriots in procuring or defending the Libertie thereof All these oppositions augmented his resolution and were but as so many darke cloudes in which his fortunes and vertue being inuolued might in their due time breake forth with the more astonishing violence The insolent obstinacie of his rebellious subiects made him to haue as many combats as iourneyes and as many sieges as encampings opposing themselues against him as a publique enemie to entrappe him whilest he sought them as a father his children to gaine them Within his tent were nothing but griefes anxieties caused by vn-intermissiue infidelities and pernitious desseignes discouered euery moment against his person and the State euery day double combat double victory one against his enemies another with his owne and himselfe in the last of which vsing a conniuent lenitie where a sharper insight into the offences might bring domage Diepe serues for example of his fidelity Arques the scale to raise his glory Paris beleeuing him vanquished was amased to see him victorious He made roades into diuers prouinces to confirme those who were falling off In his passage all yeelded to him and an infinite number of taken-townes receiued a happy proofe of his puissance and moderation He returned with the same successe and diligence to the reliefe of Meulan chasing away the armie and the Generall of the enemies that held it besieged who a litle after being ioyned with the Spanish forces instead of diminishing their former shame augmented his glory giuing him new triumphs by the memorable battaile of Yury Following this happinesse Vernon Mante Melun and many other places were brought to his obedience as Chartresse was after and Paris it selfe had also bin if his goodnesse had not feared her ruine and desolation To recount all his exployts were matter enough for an ample Historie and a taske for a perfect Historian yet through these small lights may his conduct experience diligence constancie patience bountie and valour the essentiall parts of a Generall be discerned At Aumale he was prodigall of his own blood to saue others Roan brought to extremitie saw him depart from her to encounter Strangers which hee put to flight and had hee not bene diswaded by the counsell of others from the chase they had receiued the reward of Runne awayes Thus neuer beaten alwayes victorious conducted by God through the pikes of his enemies and from their clandestine machinations which a false deuotion raised incessantly against his life hee discouered and ouerthrew the infernall desseignes of those who to the attaining of their licentious and cruell purposes had made Religion their vizard But at length the hearts of the wauering were fortified and the eyes of the ouer-violently-deuout vnseeled who then saw the vniust causes that held them in rebellion Then beganne the Townes of France in aemulation one of another to contend who should offer first or most their Duetie Meaux Lyons Orleans and Bourges first in obedience brought him the first honour and the King by his auspicious entrance into Paris got an immortall glory of the knowledge of Lawes and Armes pardoning as well as vanquishing forgiuing in a day so many people and rendring and confirming life and libertie to so many Strangers who could not perswade themselues but that they were in the iawes of Death and Bondage The particular sieges of Laon and La-Fere the scite and qualitie of the garison being impregnable the voyage of the Franch-comte the combats of Fountaine-François the taking of Dijon and other Townes of Burgongne the submission of many Princes the reduction of Roan Newhauen Amyens Abbeuille Peronne Poitiers Perigueux Tholouse Marseillis Vienne Valence Troy Sens Rhejms and other Townes following their example will one day fill many volumes and conferre vpon this Prince the Laurels of Alexander the triumphes of Caesar and the felicities of Augustus At his generall assembly held at Roane he furnisht himselfe by the aduise of some for the Sauegard of all and authorised those edicts which assured peace and rest In the surprise of Amyens in liew of bearing ill will the successe confirmed the diuine assistance the fidelitie of the French the courage of the Prince and the terror of the Strangers who astonished at his cariage in this businesse esteemed themselues fairely blessed to haue obtained a peace from him The obstinacie of Britanie had giuen matter for his powerfull Iustice to worke vpon if the prayers of his friends and the teares of the vanquished had not diuerted his iust displeasure And then to giue France an honourable and glorious repose and to make retribution to the State of that which had beene taken from her hee displayed his Floure-de-lices within the Alpes ouerturning all interposed obstacles The proude rocke of Mountmeliend which the people thereabout held impregnable looked fearfull at his presence and humbled it selfe to the force of his Cannons Piedmont doubting her taking and Millaine suffring a neighbour-feare as being a frontier implored the Pope by perswasion to diuert him at whose sollicitation he was content to desist from further prosecution and to consecrate to the peace and good of that part of Europe his iust anger conquests if he had followed his courage his puissance and good fortune To make all perfect hee espoused the Princesse Maria de Medices whome the heauens had designed to be the ornament of Italy the glory of Florence the Lustre of her house and the hope of France with whome he made his royall entrie into Paris and thinking he had now triumphed ouer all the enemies of the State he disposed himselfe to recompence the merits and vertues of those who had formerly wel serued him howbeit the ingratitude of one whome he had mightily raised exasperating his nature constrained him to deliuer him to the punishment of death whom no other castigation could reduce to amendment giuing by this correction of one feare and example to all His watchfulnesse stirred by this allarume he preuented and dissipated the remainders of that treason iniecting a sufficient terrour into the towne of Sedan by the onely clash of his armour who found in their teares more safetie then in their rampiers and so were assumed into his fauour By this excellent example he confirmed the good in obedience reduced others to duetie and blotted out all remembrance of their former enormous offences preferring Mercie before Iustice and Clemencie before Profit He reestablisht by solemne Edicts such as were condemned and banished by Arrest and rased those monuments sacred to his memorie because they were erected to the infamie of others So strong is