his Chappell His Character was good but hee was formerly voluptuous and permitted himselfe to be abused by his Officers selling Lawes and his authority For such Kings are but pictures of Princes without life all power remaining in the subject to the oppression and wrong of the Land Francis the 2. and 60. King of France Anno 1559. THis Francis King of Scotland by Mary Stuart his wife at the age of fifteene yeares and five Moneths succeeded his father Henry and was Crowned at Rheimes September 1559. by the Cardinall of Loraine Arch-Bishop of that See after his Coronation he went to conduct his Brother in law the Duke of Loraine and the Dutchesse Claudia his sister as farre as Barle Duke from whence hee returned into France and sojourned for a while in the City of Blois where he reformed some abuses of those that followed his Court. In the meane time this President Minard was slaine in his owne House returning from Court This murther was a cause that it was forbidden to carry trucheons and weapons The Counsellor of Bourg was burnt for his Religion The King having made preparations sent the Lord of Martigues into Scotland for the suppression of some Scots who upon pretext of Religion were in Armes during which time Mary of Loraine Dowager of Scotland deceased At the same time also certaine Gentlemen of France being assembled in Armes neare the City of Amboise where the King was attended by the Cardinall of Loraine and his brother the Duke of Guise were discovered in a certaine enterprise which they pretended to be for the publicke good and for the dispossessing of some strangers usurpers of the Kings authority and Kingdome contrary to the ancient authority of the three Estates of France and also for making some remonstrances to the King concerning Religion for which many were executed to death amongst whom the Baron of Castelnau was one At that time the Chancellour Oliver deceased in whose place and dignity was instituted Monsieur de'l Hospital Shortly after the King went to Orleans there to settle himselfe where he fell sicke of an Apostume in his left eare whereof he dyed the foureteenth of September Anno Domini 1560. having reigned about eighteen months and twenty dayes and lyes interred at S. Denis The Protestants were very much persecuted in this Kings reigne and there were foure prisoners of especiall note Castelnau Villemongis Campagnac and le Picard who cryed out against the Chancellor that had signed the sentence of their deaths who thereupon fell suddenly sicke and when the Cardinall of Loraine came to visit him cryed out O Cardinall thou hast damned us all While the King lay dangerously sicke the Queene mother intending to support the Guisans called the King of Navarre into her closet to whom as he was going a Lady of the Court said My Lord deny the Queen mother nothing that she shall demand else you are dead whereupon he signed what shee desired and thereby obtained her favour Afterward the King dyed of Catarch and a Feaver the 14. of December whose seeds of vertue lay hid in his nature and were not discerned onely some shewes of courtesie modesty and continency were in his younger yeares apparent and therefore his death was not much lamented but of such as in his nonage possessed usurped estates After his decease the Prince of Conde turned the streame of affaires To give a briefe Character of this King and his reigne he was a picture of Majesty drawne in raw colours being young in yeares and judgement governed by his Mother and his wives Uncles The Princes of Blood were in his reigne not regarded power and might prevailed in Court and the Clergy sought protection from the disturbers of France The Nobility were ingaged in warres and the people divided in matters of Religion and in the Court factions were maintained this was the face and complexion of those times miseries incident to the minority of Princes Charles the 9. and 61. King of France Anno 1560. THis Charles the ninth at the Age of thirteene succeeded his Brother Francis Hee pursu'd the enterprises of his Predecessor for his State affaires which were begunne the eighth of December ' Anno Domini 1560. at Orleans and and afterward finished at Pontoise August and September following Anno Domini 1561. At that time hee assembled the Prelates of France at Possi to a Nationall Counsell The January following it was permitted to the Huguenots to make their exercises and Sermons out of the Cities Whereupon ensued great troubles warres and slaughters of great Lords and personages as of the King of Navarre who was slaine before Rouen and in the battaile of Dreux which was given the 19. of March Anno Domini 1562. the Martiall of St. Andrew and the Duke of Guise were slaine before Orleans A while after the Towne of Haure de Grace was recovered which had beene before yeelded to the English The King at the Parliament at Rouen being declared Mayor after an Edict of Pacification made went to visit his Kingdome Anno domini 1564. and went to meet his sister the Queene of Spaine at Bayonne where great magnificences were performed After having visited the Gascogne Guienne and Poitou he came to Moulins where he made many excellent Ordinances The second civill warre sprung up wherein after that the King had made an escape out of Meaux the battaile of St. Denis was fought wherein the Constable was wounded which was a cause of another Pacification by reason of the siege of Chartres which was broken by the third intestine warre which continued two yeares space during which the battaile of Iarnac was fought wherein the Prince of Conde was slaine and another battaile at Montcontour After which another Edict of Pacification was made Anno Domini 1570. Afterwards the King marryed the Lady Elizabeth of Austria daughter to the Emperour Maximilian Also the marriage of the King of Navarre was celebrated Anno Domini 1573. and the 24. of August the same yeare the Admirall was slaine in Paris with a great number of the Hugonots and Rochelle was besieged Then a fourth pacification by the election in Poland of the Duke of Aniou brother to the King was made he being gone in his Kingdome of Poland was certified of his brother the Kings death on the 30. of May at the Bois de Vincennes 1574. having one daughter who dyed an Infant He lyes at St. Denis Hee was a Prince that had excellent naturall gifts but blended and mingled with vices wherewith his Governours and Schoolemasters had corrupted his young minde which at the first was more vertuously inclined delighting in Musick and Poetry But as he was a great Hunter that lov'd to shed the blood of wilde beasts so hee suffered also during his reigne the Protestants blood to be shed and in revenge thereof in his sicknesse before his death great store of blood issued out by vomiting and by other passages of his body in the two last weekes of his sicknesse
of Nature beyond which humane frailty cannot reach Pepin the short the 23. King of France Anno 752. PEpin the short sonne of Charles Martell was crowned King of France in the beginning of the yeare 752 by Boniface Bishop of Magence The Saxons rebelled the yeare following but Pepin made them very feelingly sensible of their default An. Dom. 754. Pepin having beene againe annointed and crowned in the Church of St. Denis by Pope Stephen successour to Zachary who came to demand ayde of him against Astulph King of the Lombards passed over the Alpes and two severall times put the King Astulph into such streights and extremities that he was constrained to surrender to the Pope duties belonging to St. Peter the Segniory of Ravenna and all that hee could claime in Romania whereupon the Emperour of Constantinople to whom those Territories did belong being much discontented An. Dom. 759 overthrew the rebellious Saxons and compelled them to pay tribute at every generall Parliament of France 300. Horse fit for service of Warre From thence hee went against Waifer Duke and Governour of Aquitaine and enforced him to come to a composition which neverthelesse had no effectuall issue untill hee had defeated him in divers battailes and taken the greatest part of his principall Cities Which Waifer perceiving and the taking of his Mother Sisters and Nieces was enforced to commit the rest of his fortunes to the hazard of a Battaile neare Perigord where with the day he lost his life also and his Principality likewise Moreover Aquitaine received a governour who in those times was styled Duke from the appointment of the King and was reunited to the Crowne of France Pepin retreating with his Army was arrested with a fit of sicknesse at the suite of Death whereby he paid Nature what he was indebted the 24. of September in the 54. yeare of his age Anno Domini 768 leaving by his Queene Berthe Charles and Charlemaine to whom by a partage they made betweene them the Occidentall part of France together with Burgundy and Aquitaine befell to Charles who established his Seate at Noyon and to Charlemaine the Orientall whereunder the Provinces on this side the Rhine were comprised and held his Court at Soyssons This King was the first of the second Race under whose vertuous government the happinesse of France was much improved and in his sonnes Reigne but Vertue being no inheritance descending to posterity the glory of the Kingdome by the vices of succeeding Kings declined shewing that Grace and Goodnesse are the absolute free gifts of God That which assured him of his Subjects love and made him become gracious in their estimation was his honourable Actions followed by the love and obedience of his Subjects for the attractive love of Vertue firmely obliges subjects to their Prince and doth by a secret violence draw their affections His last act concluded in a Royall death being happy in his honours and hopefull Children one of his sonnes being afterward acknowledg'd the worthiest and most excellent Prince that ever reigned And himselfe by his vertue and valour gaining his subjects love instructed Princes that the subjects love is the strongest guard and that Vertue is the best preserver of Majesty giving a good and prosperous successe unto all their actions by whom she is embraced and dayly followed never leaving them hopelesse in any danger which may seeme to threaten them but rather encourage and comfort their troubled spirits with assurance of overcomming and withstanding whatsoever may prove obnoxious or hurtfull unto them and lastly it doth not onely enrich a man with all temporall blessings here in this life but hereafter advance him to immortall honour Charlemayne Emperour of Rome and the 24. King of France Anno 768. NO sooner had Charles made a partage with his Brother Charlemayne but he was enforced to restraine Lupus Duke of Gascoigne and Hunaut of Aquitaine with including them in a Fort called Fressac built neare to Libourne After that marrying with the daughter or sister of Didier King of the Lombards he entertained Trasilon Duke of Bavaria into his amity The yeare following Charlemaine deceased leaving two sonnes whom Charles permitted not to govern in their fathers estate but annexed it to his owne After that hee made warre upon the Saxons and in the yeare 773. at the request of Pope Adrian hee tooke Didier in Pavia whom hee confined in banishment to Liege recovering all the possessions he had in Italy And the same yeare he returned against the Saxons where hee founded a Fort by the name of Francfort Againe being gone into Italy against Adelgise sonne of Didier who was revolted hee returned immediately against the Saxons whom he forced to imbrace Christianity Anno Domini 776. The same yeare hee tooke from the Sarazens in Spaine Pampelonne Saragosa and made many Kings tributaries in his returne from thence the Gascognes slew most of the best men of France Hee subdued the Bretons of the lower Brittagne who had revolted and Anno Domini 787. He tooke the fidelity of Adagise Duke of Benevent and of Trasilon Duke of Bavaria whereupon he confiscated to his owne use the whole Countrey of Bavaria and enforced Theodon and his sonne to a Monasticke life Hee overthrew likewise the Sclavonians and the Vandals who held the Countrey of Brandebourg Malgebourg and Pomerania and also the Huns and Avarois who at that time possessed Pannonia Hee was saluted Emperor Anno Domini 801. upon Chistmas day And having received presents from the King of Persia hee was sought in marriage by the Empresse of Irene After that having combated the Venetians by his sonne Pepin and defeated the Normans and having founded the Vniversities of Paris Bologne and Pavia an intending to unite the Channell of the Rhine with that of Danubius he was intercepted by Death Anno Domini 814 beeing threescore and twelve yeares of Age having reigned over the French sixe and forty yeares and of Italy three and forty and of his Empire foureteene and lyes inhumed in Aix la Chapelle This Charles got some addition to his name as Alexander the Great being indeed great in the gifts of body and minde Arts and Armes The ground-worke whereon he raised noble Trophies to Fame was Religion to which he give due honour and from thence deriving Morall perfections he grew an admired Prince naturally favouring the Muses learned in the Greeke and Latin languages Philosophy the Mathematicks and other Sciences hee cal'd his pastimes and companions of his sword Something he wrot in Poetry for recreation but he especially delighted in History the Register of noble Actions The Acts of Charlemaine in the Life of his Brother Caroloman were many and most renowned and also when he was King alone but when he was enstalled Emperour he crowned all those actions by his care of the Church and his godly preparing for Death for hee was much enclined to to the reading of such Bookes as were for the bettering of his understanding and which tended
into England to his brother The yeare following the King with the greatest part of his Nobility upon the encouragement of the Popes Legate addressed himselfe to goe against the Albigenses and Tholosans to encounter whom he led his Army and encamped on Witsun Eve before Avignon which he tooke passing further hee received the keyes of all the Townes Places and Castles of Languedoc as farre as within foure leagues of Tholouze where through the incommodity of the winter and maladies which much weakned his Army he retreated and wintered in France with an intent of returning thither the Spring following to accomplish his enterprize But his death prevented him at Montpensier in Avergne the twelfth day of November 1226. leaving Lewis Charles Alphonse and Robert his sonnes all very young and in their minority of yeares This King reigned but three yeares in whom Vice had struck no reproach nor Vertue had made him famous whereby it seemes that his minde was of a middle temper not so poore is to become impious or wicked nor so well bent and enclined to noble actions that hee would strive to get Fame by his owne vertue therefore he was onely famous in this That hee was Sonne to an excellent Father and Father to an excellent sonne In his reigne the Counsell of Lateran was assembled whither resorted all the chiefe Bishops of Christendome and Embassadours sent from Kings and Princes After Lewis had subdued the Albigeois and left Governour to suppresse any rebellion which should happen for the affection of conquerd people is treacherous who doe watch only an opportunity to revolt hee came to Mount Pensier in the yeare 1225. October the seventh and there resigned his life and Scepter leaving a faire progeny having foure sonnes who were flourishing Branches of the Royall stemme the eldest whereof was heire unto his Fathers Crowne but inherited more vertue than his Father gave him by naturall discent The Flemings were now much disquieted by an Imposture pretending that he was their Prince some were drawne to beleeve his claime untill by putting him to death the people were better satisfied and cleerely discerned that his right was meere fixion maintained by boldnesse as that Scene was wherein Parkin Werbecke in England plaid the same part S. Lewis 9. the 44. King of France Anno 1226. THis Lewis the 9. at the age of 12. yeares succeeded his Father An. Dom. 1226. Hee was consecrated at Rheims by the Arch-bishop of Sens in the absence of him of Rheims Blanch taking of possession of her sonne Lewis confirmed herselfe Regent of the Kingdome with the consent of the States whereupon the Princes in a rage proclaimed Philip Count of Bologne Unkle to the King by the Fathers side Regent of France which was a cause of great dissentions Shee brought through the sweetnesse of her words Robert Count of Dreux into the Kings obedience But the Duke of Bretagne and the Count of Champagne with the King of England were enforced to acknowledge the King on condition that the Breton should doe homage to the King for his Dutchy whereupon he was surnamed Mauclarke Hee having out-growne his minority Anno Dom. 1234. espoused Magaret the eldest Daughter of Raymund Berenger Count of Provence and after erected the Countrey of Artois into a County or Earledome which he gave to his brother Robert who was the first Earle thereof Hee made a voyage into the Holy Land where he tooke Damietta after hee had overthrowne the Mamelucks and from thence marching to beleaguer Massaure the plague grew amongst his Army which caused the Soldan of Aegypt to charge him so strongly that he was taken and most of his Army slaine neverthelesse hee was freed upon the re-delivery of Damietta About that time Blanch Mother to the King deceased which caused the King immediately to returne into France after he had composed all matters in Palestine Being returned hee studied to polish and embellish his Kingdome with good and holy Lawes Hee made an accord with the King of England who by that renounced all the right which hee pretended to the Kingdome of France and the Dutchy of Normandy About that time Charles brother to the King conquered both the Sicilyes whereof hee was crowned King An. Dom. 1266. The King Lewis made a second voyage for the recovery of the Holy Land together with the King of England Hee went first into Africke where he tooke Carthage and at the siege of Tunes hee departed this life Anno Domini 1270. Hee was canonized after his death for the holinesse of his life Hee founded the holy Chappell at the Palace at Paris wherein he placed many holy Reliques This King being asked by his Lords what Title of honour he would assume as the Roman Emperours and Kings of France in remembrance of their Acts and Victories had formerly done hee answered My greatest victory was obtained against the Devill when I was baptized in the Church of Poissi and therefore it shall be my greatest honour to be called Lewis of Poissi His familiar Letters wherein hee did not entitle himselfe King of France but Lewis of Poissi being blamed by a private friend hee said I am like a Twelfe-tide King chosen with a Beane and keeping his Feast in the Evening intimating thereby his Election to another Crowne in the Kingdome of Heaven which second Coronation should be in the Evening and end of his life Having caused a swearer and blasphemer to be branded on the lips with a hot Iron whereat the people murmur'd he said he would undergoe the same punishment conditionally that oaths and blasphemies might be no more used in his kingdom He sitting in Counsell or beginning any action would according to his Mothers instruction in his infancy blesse himselfe with the signe of the Crosse And lastly he gave unto his son Philip these instructions at his death My Sonne love God with all thy heart with all thy strength and with all thy soule offend not God in any case suffer any torment rather than sinne Beare all adversity patiently acknowledging that God hath sent it unto thee deservedly Make thy Confession often to some Minister of the Church heare diligently the divine service sung in the Church of God Keepe the good customes of thy Kingdome carefully abolishing those which are evill Impose no Taxes on thy Subjects but upon great occasion Favour those that feare GOD love Justice and hate Covetousnesse Let not thy Judgeâ— be impartiall against thy Subjects Keepe the Cities and Townes gotten by thy Predecessors preferre good and sufficient men to Benefices and Offices Be an Example to thy Subjects moderate the expences of thy Court and so God blesse thee These were the good instructions which this godly Monarch gave unto his Sonne for the leading of an upright life and to abandon all worldly delights and pleasures so as hee might both please God and be a patterne to his inferiours Philip 3. the 45. King of France Anno 1271. AFter the decease of S. Lewis Philip the
to the King and to the Duke of Guise Governour of Provence Hee also after eight Moneths siege tooke the Towne of La Fere in Picardy about mid May notwithstanding the resistance of the Spanish forces then under the Conduct of the Arch-Duke of Austria who came purposely out of Flanders to raise that siege At Rouen in a generall assembly of the Peeres of France the Alliance betweeen him and Queene Elizabeth of England was renewed by Embassages extraordinary in October when the King received from her the Order of St. George aliàs the Garter as not long before the Order of the Chevalry or Knighthood of France was sent unto the Queen of England by Monsieur the Marshall of Bouillon Anno Domini 1599. the King made ordinary Knights of the Holy Ghost at Rouen which was never there done before at any other place than at Paris Not long after the Towne of Amiens was taken by the Spaniards and cruelly pillaged for the space of 5. daies and the French beaten out The King resolved upon a revenging siege and to that end caused it to be encompassed by Monsieur the Marshall of Biron and his Troops for the impeachments of all manner of supplies and the King in person the 21. of May marched towards the said siege of Amiens which after many furious assaults Sallies and Skirmishes was surrendred upon composition upon Thursday the 25. of September notwithanding that the Cardinall of Austria came even to the Trenches with an Army of 18000. foot and 2000 Horse with 18. Cannons for Battery but was valiantly beaten backe and intercepted of his designe of relieving the City and enforced to a shamefull retreate with the losse of a great part of his men The same yeare the Marriage of the King with Madam Margaret of France for many strong and lawfull causes was annulled and made void and by the Authority of Pope Clement the eight was so published The yeare 1600. the Marriage of the King was treated and concluded with the Lady Mary of Medicis Princesse of Florence Daughter of the late Great Duke of Tuscany Francis of Medicis and of Joane of Austria Daughter of the Emperour Ferdinand and in May shee in her owne Countrey was proclaimed Queene of France The 13. of June 1602. Charles Duke of Biron and Lord High Marshall of France being come to Fontainbleau was arrested upon high Treason by the Kings command and from thence conveyed to the Bastile at Paris Hee was convicted by his Peeres for attempts against the Kings Person and State and upon the Munday before being the 29. of July hee was adjudged to lose his head with the confiscation of his goods and the land of Biron deprived for ever of being a Dutchy and Pairy of France and was reunited to the Crowne It was pleaded against him Qui nec virtute nec fide prodest prosit exemplo He that can never profit by his vertue nor his loyalty must profit by his example and thereupon he was condemned and put into the said Bastile whither the Chancellour comming to pronounce the sentence of death against him hee shaked the Chancellour by the Arme saying You have judged me and God will absolve me hee will lay open their iniquities which have shut their eyes because they would not see my innocency You my Lord shall answer for this injustice before him whither I doe summon you within a yeare and a day I goe before by the judgment of men but those that are the cause of my death shall come after by the judgment of God Afterward he said I see well that I am not the most wicked but I am the most unfortunate Those that have done worse than I would have done are favoured the Kings Clemency is dead for me He doth not imitate Caesar nor Augustus or those great Princes who not onely pardoned the intention of doing ill but the Act and wherein can the King shew himselfe greater than in pardoning Clemency is a Kingly vertue every one may give Death but it belongs onely to Soveraignty to give life But the Chancellour told him that a condemned man must not dispute against his Judgment whereupon the Duke of Biron delivered up the Kings order Afterward the Chancellour said that hee had brought two Divines to comfort him and prepare him for death but the Duke said That he was already prepared and that his soule was in such tranquillity as the night before hee had spoken with God Within few daies after he was beheaded and his body interred by night in the Church of S. Paul The yeare 1604. the King was advertised that one Nicholas l' Hoste Secretary of State discovered to the King of Spaine from whom he received an annuall Pension to that end the secrets and affaires of the State upon the notice taken L' Hoste put himselfe in flight for his owne safety but he was so closely followed and pursued that he was enforced to hide himselfe in the River of Marne where he dyed through cold and feare His body being found was condemned to bee drawne in peeces with wilde horses and the foure quarters to be set upon foure wheeles at foure gates of Paris The yeare 1610. there were taken out of the Arsenal of Paris Fifty great Gunnes with store of Munition of powder and shot and great numbers of Souldiers were leavied The King intended shortly after to enter into his Army but he would first see his Queene should bee crowned at St. Denis which was performed with great solemnity But the next day after this Magnificence and pompe of the Queenes Coronation this great King was on Friday the 14. of May 1610. about foure in the afternoone most trayterously murthered in his Caroch with two stabbs with a knife neare the region of his heart passing in the Streete of the Ferronery neare the Charnells of the Innocents Church-yard by Francis Ravaillac borne in Angolesme His Obsequies were performed the three dayes following the 21 22 23. of June with infinite teares and lamentations and after many funebriall solemnities his Corps was conducted to St. Denis where it remaineth interred He lived fifty sixe yeares and thirty one daies Hee reigned in Navarre Thirty seven yeares eleaven moneths or thereabout and in France Twenty yeares nine moneths and thirteene dayes Lewis the 13. and 64. King of France Anno 1610. LEwis the 13. at his age of eight yeares seven Moneths and seventeene dayes succeeded his Father Henry the Great and the fifteenth of May Anno Domini 1610. he sate personally in the Court of Parliament then sitting at the Augustines where in the presence of the Queene his mother who sate by him of the one side foure Cardinalls foure Ecclesiasticall Peeres of France some Princes of the Blood and other Princes who met in that assembly also of the Constable with many Dukes and secular Peeres of the Marshalls of France and Officers of the Crowne of Governours of Provinces of Presidents and Counsellors of the Parliament he by the
wherein he endured as much paine and torment as the strength of youth could suffer in the last pangs of death And this judgement shewed that God loves not the Prince that thirsts after his subjects blood which is the very blood of the Prince Some few houres before his death he said It was a great comfort unto him that he left no heire Male lawfully begotten for leaving him young he must endure many crosses and France had neede of a man Henry 3. the 62. King of France Anno 1575. THis Henry the third was at the instant of his brothers death in his Kingdome of Poland whereof he having notice hee in privacy went out of Poland and arrived at Lyons the sixt of September Anno 1574 and was consecrated at Rheims February the 13. Anno Dom. 1575 and the 15. of the same Moneth he marryed Madam Loyse of Loraine Daughter of the Count of Vaudemont After in the yeare 1576 he convocated his Statesmen to Blois where singular good Statutes were enacted Anno Domini 1577. there was an Edict of Pacification published for the quiet of his Kingdome He began the foundation of the Augustines Bridge Anno Dom. 1578. The Order of the Knights of the Holy Ghost was by him instituted Anno Dom. 1579. After his Edict of Pacification untill the decease of his onely brother Monsieur the Duke of Aniou his Kingdome was in peace but soone after Anno Domini 1585 there grew up a faction pernicious to him and his Estate which was called the Ligue or the holy Vnion the Author whereof was the King of Spaine purposely to hinder Henry King of Navarre from his accesse to the Crowne of France to whom after the decease of this King it of right did belong This Faction was violated under a colour of Religion which was of such a force that the Principality thereof made sure of the primest Cities in the whole Kingdome their owne and amongst the rest Paris it selfe the Inhabitants whereof having barricadoed themselves against their King on the twelfth of May Anno Domini 1588 he was constrained to retire himselfe to Chartres and thence to Rouen In the end the second time he assembled his men of State at Blois at the end whereof hee caused the Duke and Cardinall of Guise to bee executed Upon which execution Paris revolted together with the prime Cities of the Realme and the Rebells made the Duke of Mayenne to bee their Chiefe which was a cause that the King removed his Parlement to Tours in March in the yeare 1589 and being reconciled to the King of Navarre he went to beleaguer Paris and being at St. Cland on the first day of August hee was most trayterously stabbed with a knife in the bottome of his belly by a Jacobin of which wound hee dyed the day following in that siege in the midst of his Army having reigned 15. yeares and two Moneths His Corps was conducted to Compaigne where it remaineth to this day entombed This King plotting before his receiving the Crowne how to ruine the Hugenots the Emperour told him that there was no greater sinne than to force mens consciences for such as thinke to command them supposing to winne Heaven doe often lose that which they possesse on Earth He was at last murdered as was said by a Jacobin Fryar who as the King bended downe to heare in private that which he expected drew a knife out of his sleeve made a purpose and thrust his Majesty into the bottome of the belly and there leaves the knife in the wound The murderer was by those which ranne to helpe the King presently killed But the King lived awhile and at his death hee advised them to unite themselves in revenging his murder but yet he forgave his enemies and charged them to seeke the preservation of the Realme by purging out Faction And lastly hee wished them to referre the difference of Religion to the Convocation of the Estates of the Realme saying that Piety is a duty of man to God over which worldly force hath no power The Picture of his minde was faire and lovely being drawne with the lines of wit eloquence gravity devotion affection to learning bountifull to desert reforming abuses peaceable and willing to heare counsell but this comely beauty was disgraced by a pale weaknesse in adversity a smiling wantonnesse and too liberall a prodigality which somewhat blemished this Prince who had otherwise beene an exact peece of perfection worthy to be placed among the chiefest Monarchs Henry the 4 the 63. King of France Anno 1589. THis Henry the fourth surnamed the Great King of Navarre as first of the Bourbon line being descended from Robert the last sonne of St. Lewis succeeded to the Crowne of France by consent and assistance of the Nobility and Army of the late Henry by whose deplored death it was dispersed retired himselfe to Dieppe where he was besieged by the Duke of Mayenne with a potent Army which by this King was routed with a small number of Arques the 21. of September Anno Domini 1589. And from thence pursued his victory even to Paris taking the Suburbs thereof upon All-Hallows Eve Afterwards hee recovered Vendosm le Mans and Falaise The fourteenth of March 1590 hee obtained the famous victory of Yury after which hee blocked up Paris and St. Denis and reduced them to such an extremity of famine that in July following St. Denis yeelded it selfe to his power and Paris also was upon the point of surrender April 1591. the City of Chartres after a long siege was yeelded up also to him Ianuary 1593. began the Estates of the Ligue at Paris and the Truce of Saresne followed which being in dispute the King tooke the City of Dreux and shortly after he was instructed in the Roman Faith whereof hee made a publique and solemne profession at St. Denis the 25. of July August following the generall Truce began and continued untill the first day of the yeare 1594 which being expired the King caused himselfe to be crowned at Chartres by the Bishop of that See the 27. of February Hereupon ensued the submission of Meaux Lyons Orleance Bourges Rouen and Paris where the King was most magnificently entertained A while after the City of Laon was besieged and yeelded up to the King and upon that Champagne and Picardy also submitted yea and the Duke of Guise The King being returned to Paris was stabbed in the face with a knife by a young desperate Student called John Chastel who for that fact was deservedly torne in pieces with wilde Horses the 29. of December The King being recovered of his hurt made Knights of the Holy Ghost in January 1595. After the City of Dijon submitted and in a manner all Burgundy Also the second generall Truce was published and in the interim the reconciliation of the Duke of Mayenne was wrought together with those of the Dukes of Toyeuse and Espernon In the beginning of the yeare 1596 the City of Marsilles was surrendred