sent his letters pattents sealed with the great seale vnto the Inhabitants of Romorantin forbidding them not to administer victualles nor amunition to the company of Monsieur de Souuray and they had expresse commaundement to send vnto him That in presence of the Queene-mother hee had refused his Maiestie to subscribe to the ordinance which hee ment to publish concerning certaine treasons as then practised and pretended That his only intent was in his person as a supposed branch of the house of Charlemaine to reestablish the greatnesse and vsurped authoritie of the ancient Maiors of the Pallace to the ende the king should onely beare the name and that hee might deale with him as Charles Martel did with Chilperic Some that were present at this Councel the more to stirre vp the kings minde by the auncient perill of an vnrecouerable fall from his authoritie to shewe him that his Maiestie was to remember the dreame he had before the League beganne which was that the Lyons and wilde beasts by him nourished in his Castle of the Louure deuoured him The kings dreame or vision and that beeing mooued with this vision hee had caused them to bee killed and among the rest one Lyon being the most furious beast of them all Lastly they put the King in minde of Salcedoes processe which had discouered all the pretence of the Councell holden at Nancy the first article whereof was to cease vpon the Kings person of the Councell of fiue persons holden at Parris in the time of Lent in An. one thousand fiue hundreth eightie seuē wherin the Duke de Maine couertly inuayed against his Maiestie Of the memorials taken about the Aduocate Dauid of the letters sent by the Queene of Denmarke to her sonne the Duke of Lorraine which were found about the Abbot of Billy comming from Rome and withall the attempt of the Barricadoes was not forgotten therewith to end their Councell Considerations that stayed the kings minde But three things caused the kings minde to wauer and to staye long before hee resolued vpon it one the respect of the Pope the second his oath made touching the protection of the states and the third the troubles that this execution would breed by their meanes that fauoureth the Duke of Guise Touching the first it was shewed him that his holinesse beeing aduertised of the Duke of Guise at the erecting of the Barricadoes had ceased vpon the Bastille and Bois de Vincennes hee said vnto the Bishop of Parris that the enterprise was ouer bolde that it touched the estate and that the offence would prooue vnrecouerable That his holinesse had often written vnto his Maiestie that hee should assure himselfe of the estates what meanes soeuer hee made and that in these so apparant daungers there is no remedie whatsoeuer but it may bee vsed that hee needed not to inquire if it were lawfull to be done and that it was for the same cause that his Maiestie had obtained a Confessor by him to bee resolued of all things touching or concerning the holy Sea of Rome That the heads and authors of factions are so odious vnto Princes iealous of the quietnesse of the estate that therein they pardon not their owne blood as king Philip that pardoned not Charles his owne sonne that sought to surprise the low Countries And the Duke of Guise when speeches were vsed touching the disobediences of the Duke of Aniou deceased had alwaies this example of extreame iustice readie to produce It is knowne why the Cardinall of Caraffe was strangeled Pope Sixtus at this day liuing in the first yeare of his pontificates put to death the Counte de Pepoly one of the most famous families in all Italie because hee kept certaine banished persons his kinsmen secretly in his house In this Realme of France Iohn Earle of Harcourt of the blood royal of Scotland Lewis de Luxembourg Constable of France Iaques Counte de la Marche issued from the house of Castille diuers others of as great quallitie and estate as the Duke of Guise haue indured shamefull ends because they practised and made secret leagues with forraine Princes and kings The Pope thoght that the Duke of Guise had borne armes for the religiō but after the Barricadoes once erected hee beleeued it not and although religion were the cause of the warres yet should it not bee lawfull without the kings authoritie The example is both good and memorable in the Historie of the king of Spaine called Leoncilde both an hereticque and an Arrian This Barbarian pursued the Christians and pardoned not his owneson that had bin instructed and conuerted vnto Christian religion by Leander Bishop of Tolede hee banished him out of kingdome This young Prince being mooued at the miseries and persecutions of the Christians in his countrie Qui contra genitorem quamuis hereticum talia cogitarer didtwise raise armes against his father at the first he was ouerthrowne and sent into exile at the second time he was put to death and slaine vpon Easterday S. Gregory Archbishop of Tours in this example noteth the effects of the iudgements of God condemneth the boldnesse of this Prince that The king is not bound by oath nor obligation vnto his subiects rebelled against his father and his king although both an hereticque an Arrian Touching the oath which is the second consideration that stayed his Maiestie and which is neuer broken nor neglected but repentance followeth it was tolde the King that euen as betweene the bond-man and the Lord there is no obligation to bee made that there can bee no strickt promise betweene the subiect and the Prince that the promises made are not to bee obserued that if faith bee not to bee holden with him that cannot iustly bee called an enemie and that hath no authoritie to make warres who by the lawe is termed a theefe or a rouer the Prince is not bound to keepe his promise with a meane subiect who by his rebellion hath first violated his owne faith vnto his Prince Necessitie hath no lawe wee must vse time as occasion serueth that is when necessitie compelleth and when men break their faith and promise In great assemblies great examples of punishing rebelles are done and executed as at the marriage of the Emperour Zeno with the daughter of Ardaburis where the Bridegome was slaine Balisene and the Emperours father in lawe committed prisoners The kings of England and Polonia haue often summoned Parliaments therein to take and surprise the Lords that had rebelled against them Our kings haue arested them beeing at their bankets These great motions haue alwaies some extraordiry event but necessitie and publike vtilitie doth authorise them A league grounded vpon the good will of the people The third obiectiō of this vnresolued resolutiō was the great credit which the Duke of Guise had gotten among the people wherevpon it was shewed the king that as the said Princes part had no other credit but among the multitude
l'A And hee had no sooner begun but the Flemmings onely staying therevpon got before him which constrained the French Vangard to range themselues in order thereby to sustaine the rest of the armie where it made a braue resistance driuing certaine squadrons of horses out of ranke but the Counte hauing made a furious charge procured the ouerthrow and spoyle of the Marshall who beeing sore hurt was taken with Messieurs de Villebon Senarpont Moruilliers and Chaune and many Captains and souldiers slaine in the field The Marshals armie being composed of certaine companies of launciers three cornets of light-horses Scottish-men 14. Ensignes of French footemen and 18. Companies of Lansquenets all beeing eyther slaine or taken The number that escaped were not many that great wound renewed the former of S. Lawrence day and brake the enterprise vppon the Duche of Luxenbourg where the Duke of Guise pretended to be doing who in the moneth of Iuly tooke his course to Thierashe and so lodged at Pierrepont which he strengthened with 7. Cornets of Rutters a new Regiment of Lansquenets An army by sea of English men Flemings ouerthrowne in Brittaigne At the same time the armie at sea composed of Englishmen and Flemmings to the number of 6000. men or thereabouts hauing sayled along the coast of Britaigne in the end tooke land at Conquet which they spoyled and entering further into the countrie were ouerthrowne by Monsieur de Kersimon whereof some he slewe other he tooke prisoners and caused the rest to saue themselues by fight within their shippes where they presently hoysed sayles and put to sea Both the kings armies hard by Amiens Both the kings hauing prepared their armies no lesse puissant then at other times incamped themselues and stayed not farre from Amiens along by the Riuer of Somme where they had great numbers of strangers so that their owne subiects in comparison of them were very fewe There they made certaine courses and skirmishes but no battell of any consequence and as it seemed those two great Princes were as then come thither to make an agreement the treatie whereof was mooued and to proceed therein they chose the Abbey of Cercamp vpon the frontiers of Artois and Picardie wherefore the King of France appeased the Constable the Marshall S. Andre the Cardinall of Lorraine Moruilliers Bishop of Orleans one of the kings priuie Councell and Secretarie Aubespine The king of Spaine sent thither the Duke d'Alue the Prince of Aurange Deputies for peace Rigome de Silues Granuelle Bishop of Arras and Vigle de Zuichem President of the Councell of Estate in the lowe Countries They assembled in the moneth of October hauing sor vmpier of the differences that might fall out betweene them the Duches Dowager and the Duke of Lorraine her sonne Meane time the Constable hauing agreed for his ransome came to do his dutie vnto the King who gaue him all the entertainment that possible he might and made him lye with him as some certainly report During this meeting both the armies were dismissed the strangers sent into their countries While this treatie of peace continued Charles the Emperour and his sister Ellenor Death of the Emperour Charles the fift and Ellenor his sister of Mary Queene of England and of Cardinall Poole wife vnto King Francis died in Spaine the peace was grounded vppon the marriage of Charles Prince of Spaine with Elizabeth eldest daughter of K. Henry of Philebert Emanuel Prince of Piedemont with Margaret daughter to king Francis deceased That which prolonged the treatie was that the Q. of England demanded the restitution of Callais but about the end of Nouember she died After whom likewise died Cardinall Poole her great Councellor her death that changed the state of England wherein after that neither the Spaniards nor the Pope had more to do caused the assembly to be referred vnto the peace ensuing King Phillip hauing with great pompe celebrated the funerals of his father within the Towne of Brussels The Duke of Lorraine married with the yonger daughter of the French King stayed in Flaunders to heare what should be done by his Deputies before he passed into Spaine The K. of France to ioyne the Duke of Lorraine in alliance with him gaue him Claude his second daughter in mariage reseruing the elder for the cōclusion of peace The espousals were holden in Parris vpon the 5. of Februarie and about the 15. of the same month the Deputies changing place being furnished with large and ample instructions met at the castle of Cambresse king Phillip lying at Monts in Hanaut where the Cardinall of Lorraine went to visit him and after that the Duches Dowager Peace agreed vppon betweene two kings At this second meeting both of them seemed very vnwilling specially the Spaniards moued therevnto by newes out of Piedemont where the Frenchmen had lately receiued an ouerthrow But in the end after many arguments and conclusions they drewe vnto an agreement In the Tretie at Cercamp a marriage had beene spoken of betweene Charles Prince of Spaine and Elizabeth of France Now the Deputies perceiuing king Phillip to bee a Widdower and esteeming the alliance to bee stronger if hee espoused the Princesse which before should haue been giuen vnto his sonne they propounded that Article which to the good contentment of both the Kings was concluded and agreed vpon togither with the marriage of the Prince of Piedemont to the Ladie Margaret The King of France yeelded to the King of Spaine all that hee had taken from him both on this side and beyond the Mountaines also to the Prince of Piedemont la Bresse Sauoy and Piedemont except foure Townes to the Geneuois the Isle of Corse and Siene to the Duke of Florence retaining nothing but Callais without gaining a foote of any other land in all that long and daungerous war which had desolated so many Prouinces sacked burnt ouerthrowne so many Townes Bourges Villages and Castles been the death of so great a number of Princes Lords Gentlemen Captaines Souldiers Cittizens and Paisants caused so many rauishings and violatings of women and maids and in a word which had in a manner tormented all Europe so that in effect the king yeelded aboue two hundreth others write almost as many more places for the conquest whereof a sea of blood of his naturall subiects had been spent and shedde the treasures of the Realme consumed his lands ingaged and he indebted on all sides and which is woorse the fire beeing quenched vppon the borders not long after began within the middle of all his Realme and in euery place thereof as well is seene during the raignes of his three successors But these things are the vnsearchable and deepe iudgements of God which are not lawfull for vs to enter into but onely to worship and adore him that worketh all things with great wisedome with mercie towards his children and with most iust and fearefull vengeance against his enemies
villages of Picardie that had beene burnt during his beeing in Almaine They set fire likewise in an other goodly Castle belonging vnto the Queene of Hungarie then in Reux after that in Bauets The armie being past beyond Monts Hainaut Landreei Auanes le Quesnoy Vallenciennes and Cambray the Prince of Piedemont vsed all the meanes hee could to bee reuenged for those extreame losses but could not effect it the Frenchmen beeing strong and well conducted in the end about the tenth of August both the armies met neere vnto Renty where there chanced an indifferent hard incounter on both their partes Encounters of both the armies by Renty The Emperour lost about 800. or 900. men and the King two hundreth after the which skirmish winter opproaching the king dismissed his armie and that of the Emperour making towards Hesdin burnt and spoyled all the plaine countie and therein had done much hurt if the Duke de Vandosme that laye not farre from thence had not resisted him Continuance of warre In spring time the warre beganne againe betweene the two Princes and the report of the courses made by the Emperours armie gaue occasion to the Frenchmen to enterprise vppon the Castle of Cambresis which was presently taken by assault and good warre holden with the Spaniards Maruembourg was victualled by Bourdillon Lieftenant to the Duke de Neuers The king and the Queene of England intreated the Emperour and the King of France to make a peace wherein Cardinall Pole an Englishman Vaine treatie of peace trauelled much as then all flaming with fire against those of the religion who at that time were most sharply handled within the Realme of England This treatie of peace beganne with great bruit but in fine it vanished like smoke and warre beganne againe stronger then euer it was The Duke de Neuers and the Admirall de Chastillon beeing made Gouernours of Picardie because the Duke de Vandosme as then king of Nauarre and Soueraigne of Bearc by meanes of his wife was gone to take possession of his new estates tooke good order both for the victualling and keeping of the places and frontiers of the countrie notwithstanding not long after as some of the Garrisons of Picardie marching with 1500. horses of the French rereward called the companies of Nobilitie and foure hundreth footemen had in such sort ouerrunne the countrie that in fine they returned al laden with spoyles The rereward of France ouer throwne being ledde by la Iaille their Generall Haulsmont Gouernour of Bapaulme finding them inclosed betweene a Wood a Village and a Riuer whereof hee caused the passages to bee broken downe and surely kept without espials order feare of the enemie or hurt charged them so couragiously with a small company of men that in short space he made them loose both courage bootie and liues at his discretion where la Iaille was hurt aboue fiue hundreth taken prisoners some escaped and the rest slaine Those of Hannuyers and Arcesiers men much giuen to derision made it a cōmoniest saying that they had taken Nobles of France without waight but to say the truth there was as then but fewe Nobles in those troupes onely certaine Wagoners and Pages that were imployed in the muster and to make a shew sent by Widdowes and Orphanes of Gentlemen deceased or by the Lords of certaine fief rated at certaine values To assure Picardie the king went into Villiers Costerez sending the Duke of Guise further vppon the frontiers and the Admirall into the middle of the Prouince The estate of Predemōt touching the warres betweene the Emperor the king of France Now I must shew you what was done in the warres of Piedemont and other places beyond the Mountaines The Marshall de Brissac who the winter before had taken Iuree and Bielle in the spring time fortified S. Iaco tooke Crepa-cuore by means of Monsieur Saluaison by a surprise most brauely executed got Casal de Montferrat a towne Castle a place of great importāce spoyled Poman S. Saluadour and other small places not to bee holden and hardly to bee strengthened and fortied in any conuenient time The Duke of Alue hauing succeded Gonzague in the Gouernment of Lombardie about the end of Iulie entered into the field with 20000. foote 4000. horse and 40. cannons and besieged S. Iaco wherein were Captaines Birague and Vimercat who constrained the Duke to retire from Pont de Sture where he fortified himselfe hoping by famine to constraine such places to yeeld as hee durst not besiege The king sent foure thousand foote and foure thousand horse to strengthen Marshall de Brissacs forces Taking and spoyling of Vulpian who perceiuing himselfe so strong besieged Vulpian and by Kochepose ouerthrew the Dukes forces sent to ayde them by force tooke the basse Towne and soone after the Castle by composition was yeelded Vulpian had the walles rased and beaten downe and not long after Mont-Coluo a Towne and Castle yeelded vnto the Frenchmen These things were done in the moneths of September and October not long afer the Dukes troupes by meanes of an Ambascado placed hard by Iucise slewe and tooke certaine French souldiers whereby they wrought some small reuenge for their great losses at Vulpian and Mont-Caluo A particular discourse of the warre of Siene from the beginning to the end Before I leaue the affaires beyond the Mountaines it is necessarie I should say something touching the warres of Siene that fell out and kindled in this yeare beginning at the originall thereof During the siege of Metz the Emperour beeing ceased of Siene an auncient and famous Towne in the territories of Tuscane placed Don Diego de Mendosse Gouernour therein with a Garrison of Spaniards Don Diego vsing rigor more therein then was conuenient the Sienois not content therewith beganne to conspire against him hee vnder colour of fauouring the people caused the Gentlemen to leaue their armes which done he beganne to molest both the one and the other who consulting togither sent vnto the king to desire him to receiue them into his protection which hee consented vnto The Fugitiues of of Sienie in the kings name beganne to raise men throughout Italie vnder the conduct of the counte Petillane Hieronyme de Pise Maire de Sainctefior The Duke of Florence sent eight hundreth men to ayde Mendosse But the Sienois mooued at the newe extortions raised vppon them let foure thousand men cōducted by the Counte de Petillone enter into the towne that draue out the Spaniards but not without great losse on both parts part of the Spaniards hauing saued themselues without cannon within the Iacopius and in the Citadell were entred vppon by force and put to the sword Their Generall and others of the Florentine Captaines issued by composition and ceased vpon Orbitelle a place not farre from thence which they fortified The Emperour beeing returned into Almaine after the siege raised before Metz commaunded Don Garsie de Tolede Viceroye of Naples to
assure his capitall towne and at the same time raised a subsidie of 300000. Frankes to satisfie his most vrgent affaires while king Phillip receiuing the Ensignes taken from the Frenchmen and beholding the prisoners who in a maner were led before him as in a triumph contented himselfe with that victorie without enterprising at that time to enter further into France whereof neuerthelesse many Townes were in great feare King Henry by his Lieftenants prouided for his Frontier-townes and gathered his campe at Laon causing 14000. Switzers to be sent for Touching those that were besieged within Saint Quintins at the comming of d'Andelot The Towne of S. Quintins taken by assault they were relieued with foure hundreth souldiers and about 50. men of commandement with some Gentlemen of name and certaine Canoniers but king Phillip being arriued in his campe the batterie began most furious the assieged by no means could be ayded but onely with three hundreth men whereof a third part were slaine in entring The Towers and fortifications from S. Iohns Gate to the Tower standing vpon the water hauing been battered with the Cannon shotte the Spaniards became maisters of the Duches and vpon the 20. of August the Erenchmen diuided and placed in eleuen seuerall breaches sustained a generall assault and could not bee forced yet the Towne was taken by entring at a tower which no man guarded the French souldiers therein were most slaine the Admirall his brother that not long after saued himselfe Iarnac S. Remi de Humes and other Captaines and Gentlemen of name taken prisoners and the son of Monsseur de la Fayette the Captaines Saleuert Ogier Vicques la Barre l'Estang and Gourdes slaine During these stormes The King threatned to be slaine the king being in Parris as he went to masse a yong man named Caboche borne in Meaux who ordinarilie and of long time had followed the Court and because of his faire writing serued the kings Secretaries whether being out of his wits or stirred by some other motion presentented himselfe before him with a naked sword in hand and crying out said Stay King God hath commanded me to kill thee but presently the Switzers of the guard fell vpon him wherewith he was committed and by the Court of Parliament condemned to be hanged for that attempt After the taking of S. Quintins the Counte de Aremberg with 1200. horse and 3. Regiments of Lansquenets besieged Castellet The taking of Castellet where he made a furious batterie The Barron de Solignac that commanded therein peceiuing himselfe destitute of the ayde that had beene promised him and that the place was not strong ynough to defend an assault not hauing aboue three hundreth men therein and they not greatly bent to make resistance yeelded the place for which cause he was sent prisoner vnto Parris and if by chance he had not saued himselfe by an escape out of prison he had surely lost his life because as it was said he had made promise neuer to yeeld the place before hee had sustained an assault While the King of France assembled a great armie as well without as within his Realme and by his Lieftenants prouided for his townes in Picardie and that the Parrisians made generall Musters of their companies where were found between thirtie fiue and fortie thousand men The assembly in Same Iaques street discouered Those of the religion multiplied and began to increase in diuers parts of the Realme specially within the Cittie of Parris where hauing bin discouered in an assembly made by night in S. Iaques streete many were cast in prison some burnt and the rest escaped by diuers meanes in other places also many were taken and executed the people verilie imputing the causes of the troubles in France wholly to them But the king of Spaine imploying his armie Han taken by the Spaniards vppon the 12. of September tooke Han the Castle being yeelded and the Towne burnt by the Frenchmen themselues Besides that hee tooke all such places as might in any sort impeach or trouble that Castle and S. Quentin which hee ouerthrew and spoyled further his troupes surprised certaine companies of Scots within Noyon and tooke Chauni wherein he placed a great Garrison there to make prouision of wines wherewith to furnish the places which he had taken Ayde comming out of Almaine and Switzer-land into France the king for a time caused the troupes that came out of Italie Polleuille driuen out of Bresse vnder the conduct of the Duke de Guise and Aumalle to stay in Bresse and Lyonnois thereby to impeach the pretences of the Barron de Polleuille who with twelue thousand foote and one thousand two hundreth horse for the Prince of Piedemont came to besiege Bourg in Bresse from whence he was constrained in all haste to retire otherwise both he and all his troupes had wholly been spoyled who in dislodging dispearsed and separated themselues in such sort that in fewe daies after it could hardly be perceiued what had become of that great number of men The kings enterprise against Callais The Duke of Guise beeing arriued at the Court lying in S. Germaine in Laye because of the Constables imprisonment was appoynted Lieftenant Generall for the king in all his countries Wherevpon the secret practises long pretended were then pursued and fully executed in this sort Edward the third of that name King of England had taken Callais in the yeare of our Lord 1347. a Port of the sea and a place of great consequence for the Frenchmen since which time the said Towne had still continued in the Englishmens hands and by them much fortified The Constable long time before the battell of S. Lawrence by means of Monsieur de Senarpont Gouernour of Bullen had vsed such meanes and practises touching that Towne which is a parte of the ancient Domaine of the Crowne of France that without his ouerthrow and imprisonment it was most apparant he would haue executed his pretence In his absence it was concluded while king Phillips forces by reason of the winter season were dispearsed to execute that enterprise so much for the aduantage of the Realme of France And therevpon the king of France raised two armies one conducted by the Duke de Neuers making shewe to enter into the Duchie of Luxembourg the other ledde by the Duke of Guise vnder pretence therewith to hinder the victualling of S. Quentins The Duke de Neuers marching towards Luxenbourg the Spaniards and Wallons ranne thither to defend it but suddainely hee sent his forces to ioyne with the Duke of Guise that made shewe of victualling Amiens Ardres and Bullen and in great haste vppon the suddaine turned all his forces against the Towne of Callais wherein as then there was no Garrison The Princes of Conde and la Roche Suryon the Duke d'Aumalle and the Marques d'Elboeuf bretheren Strossi Marshall of France Montmorency the Constables eldest son Monsieurs de Termes d'Andelot de Sansac d'Estree great
was presently found out notwithstanding they lost not courage but to maintaine their credit with the Catholiques they caused certaine rigorous edicts to bee made in Scotland against the religion whereof ensued a tumult appeased by the Q. Dowager and the Noblemen of the countrie Therevpon king Henry being dead and the gouernment of France in their hands they sent the Bishop of Amiens and la Brosse their faithfull seruants into Scotland who at their arriuall would constrame euery man to go to Masse telling the Q. Dowager and Monsieur d'Oisel that their sufferance had spoyled all saying that from thencefoorth they wold vse force not sparing any man And therevpon sound diuers means to alter the Esate of Scotland and although the Queene Dowager propounded diuers peaceable and sure means they two would deale as they thought good but in the end the Lords Gentlemen of the countrie threatned troubled by such newcome fellowes rose vp in armes desired ayde of the Englishmen their neighbors in such sort that in short time they draue out the Priests reduced la Brosse into a small corner compelled the Bishop to saue himself in France The Queen of England before she entered into armes had desired those of Guise not to proceed in so hard and violent maner wherevnto they not being desirous to hearken vpon the 24. of March she made a long discourse wherein she shewed that she litle esteemed of all whatsoeuer those of Guise their adherents shuld enterprise or vndertake against her person or Estate and withall made it euidently knowne that her only desire was euer should be to liue in peace amitie with all Christendome They sought both by Ambassadors and messengers to ease the mischiefe by them deuised but by no meanes could effect i◠so that in fine things of themselues grewe to such an end that in the meane time it may be said that the violence vsed by those of Guise gaue such a blowe vnto the Papacie with in the realme of Scotland that euer after it did nothing but languish and consume and in the end was wholly extirped and so remaineth Touching France during those executions of Amboise as also before that those of the religion still increased both in zeale and number Aduancement of the religion in France in all the places of the Realme and yet not without great hinderance by diuers persecutions and by the meanes of some men that could no more content themselues to vse it secretly whereof ensued their open assemblies and that within some Churches Those of Valence Montelimart and Romans in Dauphin beeing the first The Duke de Guise beeing Gouernour extreamely offended that those of whom he thought to be most feared began to take that course which most displeased him to stoppe their intents and purposes first hee sent Iohn de Monluc Bishop of Valence who before by meanes of his Sermons had done more hurt then good vnto the Pope and because Monluc did not proceed with any effect and that Monsieur de Cleremont Lieftenant for the Duke of Guise was esteemed to be too fauorable Mangiron a cruel man an extream enemie to those of the religion had the charge giuen to him wholly to roote thē out at the beginning he proceeded therin with great subtiltie with diuers of his Agents playing many seuerall parts and in the end hauing found the meanes to driue certaine Gentlemen out of Valence that maintained those of the religion he beganne to play his part sacking their houses as if the towne had beene taken by assault Proceedings of Maugiron against those of the religion in the Parliament of Grenoble in Dauphine to strengthen him they sent him sixteene Ensignes of the olde troupes of Piedemont and some Companies of launciers On the other side Truchon chiefe President of Grenoble ayded by diuers Councellours went to Valence and passing through Romans caused 60. of the principallest to bee cast in prison while Maugiron pilled those of Montelimart to whome hee had both sworne and promised not to do any wrong neither in publike nor in priuate that had good means to impeach and hinder him from his pretence if by faire words hee had not wonne them To returne vnto the Presidents and Councellors of Grenoble they caused two Ministers in Valence to bee beheaded and hanged three of the principall Cittizens of the Towne The rest of the prisoners went out by the Goldē gate with abiurations whippings bannishments and great fines wherewith the Iudges and kings Atturneyes made themselues rich At Romans they hanged two men and whipped one whom they after sent vnto the Galleyes The estate of the religion in Prouence In Prouence two Gentlemen beeing bretheren Sieurs de Mouuans named Anthony and Paulon de Richiend hauing made open profession of religion in the time of King Henry Anthony was traiterously massacred by those of Draguignan in Anno. 1559 whereof Paulon could neuer haue iustice Not long after Captaine Chasteauneuf beeing sent from Nantes to Prouence by Renaudie and his companions to assemble those whom they thought meete to assisist them in the enterprise of Amboise the Deputies of 60. Churches in that Prouince being assembled at Merindol Paulon was chosen Leader of the troupes of Prouence which hauing accepted hee made a diligent inquiry through all the countrie and found two thousand men that had good means to horse arme and entertain themselues besides a great number of Gentlemen and other voluntarie Souldiers And as when the time of marching approached his Councell were of aduise that the troupes should seeke to enter into Aix there to erect the religion and so to giue occasion to those of Guise and others to mollifie their persecutions when once they should perceiue men rising in all places of the Realme to withstand their rigors This enterprise discouered Mouuans determined to make a way through the plaine countrie where hee made warre against the Images which were beaten downe in euery Church causing all the relicques of gold and siluer to bee molten and to sell the vessels and other to yes belonging vnto the Masse the mony whereof euen to a halfe-penny was left in the hands of the Consuls and others of euery place A most admirable militarie Discipline but yet truly and seuerely executed at that time wherevppon Mouuans pursued by the Counte de Tande with a great power retyred in good order into the high countrie where hee expected newes from Renaudie meane time the Counte beeing a wise Gentleman as any of his time dealt so wisely therin that by agreement made between them it was ordained that Mouuans might surely and freely retire without any hurt or displeasure neither great nor small hauing beene hurt either in word or deed in all Prouence the Mages likewise not once complaining of any thing done vnto them for whatsoeuer had past with promise to cause iustice to bee done touching the mother of his deceased brother Captaine Paulon surnamed the Barron de la
sitting of the watches they had publike prayers and the ayre sounded with their voyces singing Psalmes Diners Ministers were distributed among the troupes that had charge to continue and procure that good order and at one time were better heard then at an other This Discipline was continued almost two moneths at the end whereof Baugency being taken by assault caused a beginning of disorder from whence proceeded la Picoree or boot-halling which since that time became so common that at this day it seemeth to bee chiefe Prince The Admirall a great enemie to boot-hallers with stood it and punished some of them with great rigor but in sine a great number got the vpper hand The armie of the Triumuirat committed most terrible outrages without any reproofe and all vnder pretence to extirpe the Huguenots How the Prince hindred the dispearsing of his armie After the taking of Baugency the occasion of fighting beeing let slippe the heate of those of the religion beganne to quench the meanes to maintaine Souldiers lessened and some of the Nobilitie beganne to doubt of their iust quarrell wherefore to preuent a total dissipation the Prince tooke counsell to imploye part of the Nobilitie that were with him in the Prouinces where the affaires hung as it were in a ballance so that the Counte de la Rochefoucaut with ceraine troupes marched towards Poicton Xantonge and Angoulmois Monsieur de Soubize was sent to Lyons Iuoy with his Regiment to Bourges d'Andelot for the sucours out of Almaine and Briquemaut into England On the other side the king of Nauarre the Triumuirat led the king with them in their armie being assembled at Chartoes determined to besiege Bourges holdē by those of the religion before it should be fortified and by so great a Towne not aboue two daies iournie from Orleans in their iudgement was a great helpe and furtherance to the Princes affaires they marched towards it and hauing besieged it Bourges yeelded to the Triumuirat it made no such resistance as they expected but was yeelded vnto them by composition for the which cause Iuoy Gouernour therein was neuer after esteemed or once accounted of by reason of an euill opinion conceiued against him They beeing puffed vppe with this suddaine and vnexpected victorie which as they said was as it were an arme cut off from those of the religion they with their armie of twelue thousand foote and three thousand horse were readie to march to besiege Orleans wherein the Prince the Admirall continued but the daunger thereby feared to receiue more great losse besides the shame put them in the heads to besiege Roaue gouerned by Monsieur the Counte de Montgommery Roane taken by the Guise with seuen or eight hundreth olde Souldiers and two companies of Englishmen vnder the conduct of Monsieur Kilgre And vpon that resolution about the end of September they besieged Roane where after diuers assaults they tooke it by force The Towne beeing sacked for the space of three daies there they executed many of the best of the Cittizens And on the other side Death of the King of Nauarre the King of Nauarre was wounded at the siege and died vpon the seuenteenth day of Nouember the towne hauing been taken 3. weeks before The hard vsage of the prisoners of Roane was the cause that in Orleans they proceeded in iustice with Baptiste Sapin Councellour of Parris and the Abbot de Bastines taken going into Spaine that were hanged in Orleans about the beginning of Nouember The ouerthrow of the Armie of Duras Not long after the Prince had news of the ouerthrow of the troupes of Gascon led by Mousieur de Duras so that in mans iudgement there rested no more hope vnto the Prince but onely the Almaine forces of Rutters conducted by Monsieur d'Andelot so that he tooke counsell with the Admirall that if they were intercepted hee would himselfe in person trauell into Almaine with all speede to obtaine new ayde while the Admirall should keepe Orleans But about foure daies after they had newes that their Rutters were within foure daies iournie of Orleans where the Counte de Rochefoucaut arriued with three hundreth Gentlemen The Prince marcheth towards Parris and some of the rest of the troupes of Duras The Prince hauing his forraine ayde was counselled with all speed to march to Parris for to impeach them and thereby to force them to seeke for peace and to send into Normandie for 150000. crownes to giue the Rutters wherevpon he set forward with 8. Peeces both great and small wherwith he met the Rutters hard by Pluuiers which was taken by force from thence he went to Estampes some being of aduise that he should march to Parris with all speed while the alarme was in the Towne But they determined to besiege Corbeil which was so well defended by Causseins Maister of the campe and certaine forces put into it by the Marshall de S. Andre that the Prince left to go towards Parris and at his arriuall there hee had a hotte skirmish giuen him whereof the end was A furious sirmish that the forces that had issued out of the trenches of Parris after some fight were constrained in all haste to saue themselues in their said trenches with some losse to the great astonishing of the Parrisians For the space of seuen or eight daies that the Prince remained incamped at Gentilly Arcueil and Montronge Villages not farre from Parris What was done about Parris many conferences or rather delayes were holden and vsed and the Prince perceiuing that his enemies still increased thought to giue them a canuisado which tooke not effect hauing beene discouered by one of the principall of his armie that left him to go to the Duke de Guise whereof within three daies after hee repented being his brother that had yeeled Bourges the Prince saued himself by a most straunge meanes for that fearing that hee would make them acquainted with the defaults of his armie the next day he dislodged The falt of Monsieur de Genlis The Duke de Guise beeing strengthened by certaine companies out of Gascon and some Spaniards had determined vppon the next day in the morning to giue him battell before hee had leisure to assemble his dispearsed companies So the Prince departed vpon the tenth of December and the thirteenth beeing in the way to Chartres after diuers opinions of his Councell hee resolued to march straight towards Normandie to recouer mony and to meete his forces comming out of England there to diuert the siege of Orleans The sixteenth Galardon a small Towne was forcibly taken by the Prince and the next day he marched towards Dreux and as hee passed ouer a small riuer hard by the Castle of Maintenon an olde woman stepping a good way into the water tooke him by the boote staying him and looking vppon him said Go Prince thou must suffer What happened to the Prince not long before the battell
enioy benefices without dispensation succeed their Parents and purchase lands and possessions as if they were seculer persons This is the course whereby they haue at chieued such wealth riches in this new order for al that falleth to these lesser obseruantiues by succession purchase chace or any other practise is incorporate into the whole bodie of Iesuites without repetition or reuocation for euen they to whom it falleth haue vowed obedience We are moreouer to note another especiall vow of these men which importeth that they shall in all cases in all places obey their Generall superior who alwaies is a Spaniard chosen by the K. of Spaine as hitherto it hath alwaies fallen out for among other the wordes of this vow they haue these that setting their eie vpō their Geneneral they are to acknowledge in him the person of Iesus Christ as present From these vows distinctions haue proceeded terrible enterprises year euen most heynous attempts against the liues and persons of Princes kings and Queens as the Histories of the low Countries England and Rome do plainly testifie wherof also we wil speak somewhat toward the end of the raigne of Hemy the third As touching the disorders happened in the two orders by thē deuised which are termed the one the great obseruants the other the Iesse Two decrees in the Iesuits sext in fauor whereof they may subdue all the world to the king of Spaine their Soueraigne Maister Pasquier discoueret it at large and time hath veresied it adding these words Seeing it is so said he that in their lesse obseruance there is neither vowe of virginitie nor prouerbe and therinto they receiue all kinds of people indifferently both Priests and Lay-men married vnmaired are not bound to be resident with the great obseruants but permitted to dwell among the commō people only that at certain fixed daies they assembled at their cōmon-house to be participants with their outward cerimonies so that according to this lawe and rule it is not impertinent to see a whole towne to be Iesuites The communication which they haue togither by means of confessions serueth to find out their booties to discouer the secrets both of great and small and because they are particularly affected to the king of Spaine their chiefe founder for whom also they make particular expresse and ordinary prayers it is not to be wondred at if since that time these new brethren both in France and elsewhere haue sought and trauelled so much to make him Monarch of all the world Besides this Maister Pasquier addeth that the Iesuites alluring vs with faire promises are ordained to gripe lay hold vpō our goods and to fil thēselues with our spoiles that they are Sophisters the are entred like fearfull foxes in the middle of vs therin by proces of time to raigne like Lyons that as the auncient Orators and teachers of the people by a kind of pleasing speech by litle litle got credite in Rome so by litle litle they ouerthrew the estate as all Pollititians iudged we must attend expect no lesse of the Iesuites if in the beginning both their race and roote be not extirped The aduise and decree of the Sorbonnists against the Iesuites In the same plea he doth also insert the aduice and decree of the facultie of diuinitie of Parris in the Colledge of Sorbonne of the yeare 1554. importing as followeth This new societie after a new waner attributing to it self only an vnaccustomed title of the name of Iesus so licentiously admitting all people howsoeuer criminall illegitimate or infamous vsing likewise no difference from secular Priests in their outward habit in their tousure in saying their canonical hours either priuately or singing the same publikely in the temples in Cloyster or in silence in choise of meat daies in fasts or in other the seuerall laws ceremonies that do distinguish preserue the estates of religions hauing attained so many diuers priuiledges intelligences liberties especially in regard of Masses confessions without distinction of place or persons likewise in the question of preaching reading or teaching to the great preiudice of ordinaries Curats all other orders of Monks and Fryers yea euen of Princes temporal Lords contrary to the priuiledges of the Vniuersities and to the great oppression of the people do seem to pollute the honestie of monasticall religion to weaken the studious deuoute and necessary exercise of vertue abstinence cerimonies and austeritie yea euen to minister occasion freely to shrink from al other religions to substract and draw away all obediēce subiection due to ordinaries doth wrongfully depriue both temporal Ecclesiasticall Lords of their rights breedeth troubles in al estates eyther pollicke or religious and many quarrels among the commons as suites strife discention enuie rebelliō sundrie schismes Al these considerations with many others diligently wayed and examined this societie seemeth dangerous to the estate of religion a disturbance to the peace and vnitie of the Church and subuerter of all mockerie and an inuention tending rather to destruction then edification Now let vs see what followeth A bitter censure against the Iejuiticall sect There neuer was faith M. Pasquier who protesteth himselfe to be of the Romish church in the faith wherof he voweth to liue die inuented so partial ambitious a sect neither any whose propositions imported more pernicious consequence then the Iesuites In her principles she is a schismatick cōsequently an hereticke Then doth he compare Ignace with Luther so cōcludeth that Ignace is more to be feared them the other for saith he mens consciences may easily be surprised made drunken with the poyson of the Ignatians and Iesuites in that they account them to be the principall protectors of the Romish religion against all hereticques whereof neuerthelesse they are the chiefe subuerters Vnder pretence of supporting the church of God they do subuert it wil at length vtterly ouerthrow it Soone after proceeding in his speech to the whole Court he saith I hope plainly to let you vnderstād that this sect in all their propositions worketh nothing but diuision between the christian and the Iesuit between the Pope the Ordinaries between all other Monks thēselues that so long as they be tollerated no Prince or Potentate can assure his estate against their attempts This sect was founded vpon the ignorance of Ignace euer since maintained and vpholden by the pride arrogancie of his secretaries After that he reproacheth thē terming thēselues Iesuits do degrade the ancient christians and blaspheme against God Further that in Portingal the Indes they term thēselues Apostles saith that as certain sectuaries in An. 1562. surnamed Iesuits others such proud persons were ouerwhelmed by the iust iudgement of God so we are to expect no other thing at the hāds of this mean sext of Iesuits what shew soeuer it maketh that these Ignaciās
put into his discourses who was then as I said with the Admiral say that Brissac might haue atchieued this enterprise but as we are to pray to god to watch ouer such as sleep and the conseruation of their fates so as the Countie was vppon the way about the performance of his purpose a small chance crossed yea vtterly subuerted all his deuises For comming with a dozen of lathers and his men very reolute being within two leagues of the place hee met with 200. of the enemies horse who seeing this small armie at that time of night in the field retired in hast and raised an alarme at Monstrueil and other places thereabout where their horsemen were lodged whervpon the Countie was driuen to retire afterward the Admirall strengthened his night watches better beat the fields more often yet neuer could finde any newes of the enterprise or know how it was vntill the next peace After this the Prince other commaunders withdrew themselues towards Rochel Other exployts to the aduantage of those of the religion determining vpon means to prouide mony for the furnishing of those warres and beganne to sell the goods of the Romish Cleargie finding such as would hazard to buy them who therin vsed the matter to their aduantage the Rochelers lent fourescore thousand frankes The Q. of England sent 50000. pound six cannons certaine thousand waight of powder great store of bullets for the which she was paide in salt woolls and bel mettal All base Poitou being in the hands of those of the religion except the Abbay of S. Michael in Loire where laye a good Garrison of Friers and souldiers which serued for a restraint to many courses into the countrie but some souldiers of Poitou obtained licence of the Prince to besiege the Abbey which sustained two light assaults At the third assault it was battered and taken by force and 4. or 500. men that were in it put to the sword because of their wilfulnesse On the other side Martineugue Entragues and la Chastre Gouernors of Gyon Orleans Bourges accompanied with other leaders and certain troupes of souldiers The siege of Sancerre besieged Sancerre a small towne being the refuge of diuers families of the religion and gaue diuers assaults which the besieged sustained and repulsed wearying the enemie in diuers sorts who hauing lost sixe or seuen hundreth of their best men left that small town in peace but after that the Sancerrois seeking to enterprise to build a sort vpon the riuer of Loire they were surprised and hauing lost fiftie of their men and the fort were content to keepe good watch within their towne In the beginning of the yeare 1569. the warre beganne to renue the Viscounts of Bourniquet Montclar Paulin and Gourdon with seuen thousand Harquebusiers and some horsemen made warre for the Prince against those of Thoulouse and others the towne of Montauban beeing their chiefe retrait And beeing summoned by the Prince to ioyne with him Piles punisheth the pesants in Perigord made aunswere that they had rather keepe that Prouince and defend their owne Countrimen from Monluc and other enemies then leaue them as a pray while they bare armes in an other Prouince Captaine Piles that had charge to conduct them gathered certaine troupes in Quercy Agenois and other places and hauing taken Bergerac and Saint Foy hee made a road into Perigord where hee burnt all the villages and slewe all those that hee suspected to bee at the ouerthrow of Mouuans and Gourde And not long after hee marched with twelue hundreth Harquebusiers and about two hundreth horse to ioyne with the Prince Diuers warlike exployts About the beginning of February fiue hundreth horse comming forth of Saumur surprised defeated the Court of Bressant of Anigeuin neare vnto Thours and within eight daies after Countie Brissac had like to haue defeated the troupes of Montgommery whose brother he tooke prisoner with some others and slew some eighteene or twentie men The seuenteenth of the same moneth the Castle of Lusignon holden in the name of the Duke of Aniou was surprised by intelligence the Garrison thereof beeing for the most part gone into the towne to banquet and make good cheere But for want of speedie ayde the surprisers to the number of nine or ten were slaine there was likewise many other enterprises in diuers places as against New-hauen and Deepe but they tooke no effect The Protestants that bare armes with the Prince tired with the winter toyle and so many skirmishes found some sweetnesse in resting in Poitou whither they were retired But about the end of February the Prince began to gather his armie report beeing giuen out that the Duke was alreadie in field and marched with all his forces to Angoulesme To armies enter the field To whom the Counte of Tende had brought three thousand foote and some horse besides two thousand Rutters vnder the leading of the Rhingraue Bassompierre that were come to supply him Whervpon he purposed to end the war either by forcing the Prince to fight or else constraining him to shut his men within the townes The Prince and Admirall therevpon hauing assembled their forces determined to march along by the Charante a riuer in Poictou to behold the dukes countenance but yet not to hazard himselfe As also to ayde their townes which they strengthened with men making their armie so much the weaker But nothing worth memorie was done vntill the Duke came to Chasteauneuf a town cituate vppon Charante where at his arriuall hee tooke the Castle kept by a Scot and some Harquebusiers that yeelded themselues with their liues saued but with small honour The taking of Chasteauneuf occasion and beginning of the battel of Bassac And because the bridge of Chasteauneuf had been broken in two places the Admirall desirous to know the countenance and passage of the enemie went thither followed by seuen or eight hundreth horse and as many Harquebufiers There hee had a light skirmish with certaine troupes that had passed in certaine barkes or ouer certaine plankes speedily cast ouer The Admirall thinking that the Duke would passe ouer and thinking to haue time to aduertise the Prince to prouide for him minded to stop that passage vntill the next day And appoynted two Regiments of foote to lodge within a quarter of a myle from the bridge and eight hundreth horse somewhat further off wherof the third part should keepe watch hard by it as well to aduertise as to offer fight which done hee withdrew himselfe to Bassac about a league frō the bridge with the rest of the vantgard the Prince came to Iarnac which lyeth a league further but this commandement was not executed For both the horse and foote knowing that in the places appoynted them to staye there was but fewe houses with lesse victuals and fourage hauing wholly forgotten how to incampe themselues to be without commoditie in their lodgings went to finde some other quarter
Court of France with all their principall seruants and there to giue them that entertainment which after fell out In March the Romish Catholicques at Roane murthered diuers protestants as they returned from a Sermon and beate others shrewdly meaning to haue proceeded further had not Marshal Montmorencie whom the king sent made the more haste to suppresse the violence of the seditious who after many pursuites hanged vp three or foure the rest escaped albeit 400. were guiltie of innocent blood Sixe weekes before the protestants had been most cruelly murthered at Aurange by their enemies whom Berchon soone after made Gouernour by Countie Lodowic found means to intrap and punish accordingly Not long after by the kings consent those of the religion were taxed to paye the 5. part of their reuenue towards the payment of the Rutters which produced much discontentmēt About the same time the king and the Queene made their enterie vpon seuerall daies into the capitall towne of the Realme with great pompe The protestants also held a Sinode nationall at Rochel wherein they confirmed the articles of the confession of their faith and discipline of their Churches in the presence of the Queene of Nauarre the Princes and many other of the Principall among them The king hauing made his entrie the eleuenth of March the Queene beeing crowned the 25. of the same moneth at Saint Deunis and the 29. receiued with great magnificence into Parris hee went to sit in his place of iustice in the Parliament where hee made a long Oration to his officers of the Court for the obseruation of his Edicts In witnesse whereof in the moneth ensuing the people of Parris beganne to mutine against those of the religion sacked certaine houses and began to proceed further prouoked by their Preachers because of a certaine Crosse placed in S. Dennis street in a place where in times past stood the house of Phillip de Gastines rased to the ground because that certaine sermons and the Lords Supper had beene made and celebrated therein Gastines for that cause hauing been executed to death during the troubles that had beene carried into S. Innocents Church-yeard This mutinie appeased the king that shewed great fauor to Teligny his companions sent them to the Q. of Nauarre the Princes in Rochel to assure them that all his desire was to maintaine the peace that for his owne part he bare them great affection procuring that the Q. his mother the Duke of Aniou his brother should from day to day leaue off their rigors And at their departure gaue them diuers presents giuing them likewise to vnderstand that his minde was to proceede with war against the Spaniard in the low Countries and to marrie his sister to the Prince of Nauarre Biron was sent after to certifie the like and men began to speake of that marriage in diuers sorts their opinions being diuided some esteeming it to bee a snare to intrap those of the religion others deeming the contrarie The king caused certaine consultations to be made in Rome because of the alliance between both the parties Pope Pius the fist seemed to bee much troubled about the same for that effect sending Cardinal Salutati into France who hauing had certaine conference by word of mouth with the king returned satisfied The effect of that the king said vnto him was that the king would alwaies shewe himselfe to deserue the name of the eldest sonne of the Romish Church and that all his intents tended to no other end but only to the suretie honour and aduancement of the Catholicque religion whereof the Pope should receiue great testimonies before long time should passe But notwithstanding that diuers maruelled much at this suddaine alteration of the king the Queene of Nauarre much sought vnto by diuers great persons of both partes went to the king followed by the Countie Lodowicke great numbers of Nobilitie The king and the Queene his mother were at Blois where they receiued and welcommed her with great ioy and good countenance and after many disputations touching diuers particular poynts specially the cerimonies the agreement vpon the marriage of her sonne with the kings sister was concluded and the place of the espousals assigned at Parris Not long after the Prince her son accompanied with fiue hundreth Gentlemen came to Blois where the marriage of Nenry de Bourbon Prince of Conde with the yongest daughter of the house of Neuers was agreed vpon During these parleyes of mariages with the Princes the Admirall that had buried Ladie Charlotte de Laual his wife a woman of excellent pietie that died at Orleans in the second troubles beeing in Rochel married the Counties of Ancremont in Sauoy and gaue Louyse his daughter in marriage to Monsieur de Teligny At the Court one named Lignerolles a simple Gentleman made knight of the Order Captaine of a company of launciers Gouernor of Bourbonnois and one of the Duke of Anious mignions was slaine openly in the Court for discouering certain of his Maisters secrets Lignerolles slaine by the D. cōmitted vnto him touching the enterprise that was ment against those of the religion On the other side Death of the Cardinall of Chastillon the Cardinal of Chast being readie to depart out of England to go to his brother the Admiral was poysoned by one of his Chamberlains and died to the great great griefe of all his friends and seruants The prisoner that did the fact beeing after taken at Rochel was executed Articles of marriage betweene the Prince of N. and the kings sister This is the yeare wherein is set downe the arriuing of the Queen of Nauarre the Princes and the Admirall in the Court the articles of the marriage of the prince of Nauarre and the kings sister were made at Blois the eleuenth of Aprill The Countie Lodowicke at the same time trauelled with the king touching warres to bee made in Flaunders to the which ende preparations were made at sea by Strossy and the Barron de la Garde but at the end of three moneths Flaunders was found to be Rochel Long before the king had caused the Admirall to bee solicited to come vnto the Court and to drawe him thither hee caused those of Guise to retire who thereat counterfetted to bee discontent The Marshall de Montmorency by letters assured his Cousin the Admirall that the king was fully determined to make them friends and to reconcile him with the Duke of Guise the better to be serued by him and his Councell touching the affaires of his Realme and beganne to fauour those of the religion and to put the Admirall out of all distrust the king sent him letters that he might bring fiftie Gentlemen armed with him vnto the Court whither in fine the Marshall de Cosse conducted him with diuers Gentlemen At his comming hee was honourably receiued and welcommed by the king that called him his father Welcomes to the Admirall and others of the religion in the Cout
three of his houshold seruants gaue him fiue woundes with their swoords in his bedde carried away his horses and best stuffe which the next day they sold to the most giuer in a village where Captaine Saint Stephen was lodged This scandall troubled the Rochelers who ended it thus That Stephen and Guymeniere should depart from Rochel Besides the aunswere expresly giuen to Biron the Rochelers by seueral letters did greatly excuse thēselues of this mishap which fell out without their notice and to the great griefe of their Deputie beseeching him as also they did du Vigean not to impute vnto them such an action whereto they had giuen neither counsell nor consent but were wonderfully sorrie that Vigean should bee so wronged at his returne from his Ambassage Many misliked that Vigean a Gentleman of the religion and a man of calling should take vpon him such a commission but his reward caused him to bee afterward better aduised Now the Rochelers beeing diuersly aduertised that shortly they should see an armie before their walles also that their Towne was the marke whereat their enemies aymed gaue a new onset vppon the Countrie of Montgommery the Vidame of Chartres and other Noble men fledde into England to craue some succour at their hands Their Deputies set saile in the euening the fiue and twentieth day of October Thus was it open warre for so many as were known to be Rochelers were euery where taken prisoners and put to their ransome all vessels sayling towards their hauen stayed all marchandize found to belong to any Rocheler seized and confiscate to bee short all actions of hostilitie put in practise against them Neither were the Sancerreans at that time much quieter for Cadaillet one of the Groomes of the chamber and the kings Hunter sometimes seruant to the Earle of Sancerre a man well knowne in the Towne was sent to confer with them Hee played the cunning Courtier setting debate among them that before were good friends wherof ensued a tumult whilest one would grant and an other would denie the comming in of the Lord of Fontaines who was sent to roote out the protestants Hereof grew murther and confusion wherof wee will speake heereafter For the aduancement of the Bishop of Valence Negotiation in Poland where the French name was miserably rent in peeces and to cut off the deuises of the protestants both within and without the Realme Diuers deuises to extirpe those of the religion and to roote out their memorie The king was perswaded that it would bee good to take some of them that were found to haue escaped the massacre and as then kept in prison and to make processe against them in forme of iustice and to put to the torture some of those that had escaped the massacre and beeing fetched out of their corners had beene committed to prison that they might be condemned by sentence of certaine Iudges appoynted for the purpose and so executed in the presence of the people and to the same to adde a sentence against the Admirall of whose bodie taken away as I said before they should make a similitude or image which the executioner should drawe along the streetes and then hang it on the Gibbet Then that there might bee published the kings letters pattents wherein it should bee decreed that the protestants should bee preserued both in body and goods and suffered to liue in all libertie of conscience so to allure them peaceably by this declaration that afterward they might speede as the rest besides to publish many bookes in excuse of all that was past and the same to dispearse in all places especially in Poland and Almaine and withall to charge the Ambassadours in England Suizerland and other forraine countries to iustifie the king and the Romish Catholicques All this was diligently put in execution Notable persons executed vnder colour of iustice Touching the first poynt Briquemant the father a Gentleman of the age of seuentie yeares one that had valiantly imployed himselfe in the seruice of the kings of France hauing beene found in the house of the Ambassadour of England wherein hee had saued himselfe while the greatest furies of the massacre were executed was put in close prison with Cauagnes Maister of the Requests These two bare great affection both vnto the religion and the Admirall and otherwise were of great reputation in France they were threatned to be torne in peeces vppon the racke if they would not write and signe with their hands that they had conspired with the Admirall to kill the king his bretheren the Queene and the king of Nauarre but they hauing constantly refused to auouch so horrible a lye against their innocencies and themselues they were racked and cruelly tormented by sentence of the Court of Parliament in Parris dated the seuen and twentieth of October were declared guiltie of treason and condemned to be hanged vpon a Gibbot which was executed The Queen-mother leading the king her two other sonnes and the king of Nauarre her sonne in lawe to see the execution Her Councellours thinking that at that last exployt it would bee wrought if Briquemaut in presence of all the people would aske pardon of the king sending some vnto him to certifie him that so hee might easily saue his life that the king was mercifull and that hee should haue pardon if hee asked it confessing this fact wherewith hee was charged Briquemaut aunswered boldly and with a good courage that it belonged not vnto him but to the king to aske pardon of God for such an offence that he wold neuer aske pardon for a fault wherin hee had not offended but knew himselfe to bee innocent whereof hee called God to witnesse desiring him to pardon the kings so great disloyaltie Cauagnes did the like vntill hee died in such sort that this execution serued to no other ende but more to publish theiniquitie of so many pernicious councels Asnare discouered and anoyded With these two notable persons they hung a man of haye made like the Admirall against whom also was pronounced a smal sentence of death Touching the declarations in fauour of those of the religion the Duke of Guise discouered the snare so that fewe of them were taken For that by letters sent by his mother the same day that Briquemaut was executed shee wrote vnto him that the king had the said day determined with his Councell wholly to roote out those of the religion whom hee termed seditious vermine not sparing the children nor straungers that had giuen them ayde therein discouering enterprises against the Prince of Orenge and others which vanished like smoke Among the Ambassadours that excused the king Monluc was one the easiler to aduance his affaires of Polonia whereof we meane not to recite any particularities as not pertaining properly to our intent The beginning of open war against the Sancerrans Yee heard before how Cadaillet had sowen diuision among the Sancerreans now shall you see the haruest of that graine
consisteth therein and her assurance is our securitie hee that straineth this corde breaketh the hermonie of the Common-wealth and induceth the dissimilitude of religions which presently openeth the gate to murthers enmities and seditions and from thence to persecutions both publike and priuate for that neither the old can be reformed nor the new established without contradiction violence From thence it proceedeth that when in one Nation there are some that remaine constant and firme in the faith and tradition of their forefathers and that others do reprooue it and inuent certaine doctrine which they preach and affirme to be the pure true and onely rule for men to learne it cannot be remedied and of force it must be so that this diuersitie of religion bringeth with it a diuision of minds and of enmities which are not appeased but by the ruine of the one or the other part the triumph of Israel is the losse and hinderance of the Aegyptians The first motion of religiō in Bohemia by Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prague France that had seene the strange furies which this apple of discord by the Hussites had sowne in Bohemia at Munster by the Anabaptists and in Allenmaigne and Suisse and that ought to beware by other mens harmes and looke that the fire of their partialities take no hold in her towe hath most miserably abandoned it selfe vnto this schisme and more overrun sacked and troden vnderfoote by the great faction of Catholiques and Huguenots in thirtie yerres then it indured The death of King Francis at Rombouillet in the space of 6. yeares vnder the long variable and cruell wars of the two houses of Orleans Burgonge factions more fatal miserable in France thē that in Italie of the Guelphes and Gibelins or in England of the long wars between the houses of Lancastre and Yorke It had the beginning from the death of King Francis the first which graine of diuision wherewithall the Prouinces of this Realme is sowen was bought in Geneue of such as brought it from Saxony where they had great store out of Luthers Warehouses Luther began to preach And the most curious who at the first thought to enter into those vesselles of new sects The assembly of Lutheriās dicouered in Parris in S. Iames street before the colledge du Plessis but onely to shake them were carried away by impetuositie of wind and the goodly apparance of her opinions which were said to tend onely to the reformation of the abuses of pride and luxurie in the Cleargie thereby to reduce it into the estate of the Leuites without lands or possessions France that at all times hath beene the nource of fine wittes both subtill and curious was the most fit and apt Prouince wherein to make this Noueltie spring and therein became so fruitefull that in lesse then two or three yeares there was found more Lutherians within the Capitall Cittie of Parris then Prelates or Doctors to oppose themselues against them The Duke of Saxon the Counte Palatin the Marques of Brandebourg the Duke of Witenbourg The marriage of the Dauphine with the Queene of Scots But the king that sought to quench this fire by the rigor of lawes at the first entrance of those Nouelties spared neither authoritie of Edicts seueritie of punishments nor executioners to extirpe them Whereat certaine forraine Princes beeing mooued besought him to moderate his publike persecutions and the great Potentates of the Realme rose vp and put themselues in armes and among the rest Monsieur d'Andelot a man whom the king loued both for the honour of his house and valour of his person and many Councellours of the Court of Parliament found to bee inveloped with this cloude wee cast in prison The Cardinall of Lorraine and the Duke of Guise his brother that practised the marriage of the Queene of Scots their Cousin with the kings eldest sonne and were the greatest next the king who for counsell put his whole confidence in the Cardinal and his forces into the Duke of Guises hands making him Lieftenant generall of his Realme that had all authoritie ouer the people that esteemed them no lesse faithfull to the Crowne then zealous and religious towards the Church that honoured them as the most affectioned to the Common-wealth that were his Druses Marcels Dions and Phocions mooued the king to the extirpation of those Heresies and without doubt hee had surely done it if the splinter of Mongommeries launce had not beene which although it brake not yet it stayed the furie of those publike executions The death of King Henry the second This great king that promised his people a long and continuall peace beeing dead his Scepter remained to Francis but the royall authoritie with them that as then had the possession and that vaunted themselues to deserue it in respect of their seruices done to the king their countrie and religion in such manner The sacring of Francis the second The Constable withdraweth frō the Court. that before Anthony de Burbon king of Nauarre first prince of the blood arriued at the Court his place was taken vp and the royaltie diuided and put into the handes of a king of fifteene yeares of age an Italian woman a Cardinall and a Prince of Lorraine The kings auncient seruants beeing separated from the Court namely the Constable Like as the sunne is in heauen the same should the king be on earth and what effect the sunne worketh with the Planets the same should the K. vnto the Princes of his blood the sun neuer withdraweth his brightnes That was ordamed at Tours Ann. 1484. and at the same time obserued by Charles 8. son to Lewis the 11. that raigned 14. yeares Malecontent in An. 1560. from them no more should the king deny this fauour to the Princes of his-blood that are about him Which not being don it cānot be but there must be disorder Eclipses obscure confusions The Princes of the blood perceiuing themselues debarred from their guard that the king was in the custodie of strāgers contrarie to the ancient priuiledges of France wich ordaineth that the minoritie of the K. shall be assisted by a councell chosen by al the Estates of the Realme wherein the Princes of the blood ought to beare the principall place and straungers excluded vnited themselues togither in the middle of a thousand deaths to preserue their degrees and dignities This discontentment opened the caracters of diuisions that after caused a deluge of miseries in the realme of France And the Malecontents eyther because they were excluded from publike charges or beeing tormented in the libertie of their consciences agreed togither to vnhorse the house of Guise that aspired so neare the king minding neuer to leaue armes before his Maiestie should be deliuered out of their hands and the estate reduced vnder a lawfull gouernment promising neuerthelesse not to attempt any thing against the person of the king his authoritie nor the
composition was agreed wherevppon there was no neede to bidde him stirre and as then it was a great victorie to saue himselfe and a great praye to bring the rest of his troupe to Rochell and not to Parris The ouerthrowe of his armie and the doubt of the safetie of the Prince of Conde bredde great feare to the Huguenots and eleuated the leaguers buildings at the least two or three brases higher For presently therevpon the king caused his second edict to be published full of confiscations of goods banishments and corporall punishments of such as abiured not their errors declared them traitors and the terme of sixe months which the first edict graunted vnto them to withdrawe themselues out of the Realm alreadie reduced to three months was limited to fifteene daies after the publication of the second edict A great cause of extreame desolation vnto diuers families and of strange murmuring and mutinie in the Townes wherein those poore people remained in couert after so many broyles The edict of the seuenth of October 1585. The Prince hauing past the riuer of Loire at Lude not without great difficultie three daies after he vnderstood that the Duke de Maine had past towards Orleans with fifteene hundreth horse both Frenchmen and Rutters to stoppe his way if he repassed by the riuer of Loire The Duke d'Espernon and the Marshall Biron with diuers Cornets of horse and certain Regiments of foot were about Bonneual in Beausse to meet him and the Sieur de la Chastre had the charge to let him of hauing bridge mill boate or passage ouer Loire The Duke Ioyeuse was at his backe and all the Pesants held watch readie to rise at the first call and the Princes troupes were so wearied as they could not possible bee more The meanes whereby he thought to passe the Loire in two or three places betweene Blois and Amborse beeing cut off his feare increased and his troupes being but small beganne to diminish And yet there happened two difficulties more in his campe the one that such as had friends in Beausse Perche Vendosme and Maine stale away from him in such maner that in some of his Cornets hee had not twentie strong the other was that the Sieur de Rohan and diuers Lords of his troupes beeing of aduise not to passe any further forward that if they did it would be a means to run head long into euident danger tooke leaue of him turned towards Brittaigne where they escaped many dangers neuerthelesse in time they passed couragiously ouer Loire and entered safely into Rochel This separation was the cause that the Prince had no more but his own Cornet the company of the Sieurs de la Trimouille d'Auantigny certaine light-horse and harquebusiers on horsebacke belonging to the Sieurs de Clermont and fiue and twentie or thirtie Gentlemen of Poicton that marched before with the Sieur de S. Gelais About the end of October 1585. the Prince being aduertised that he should presently haue so many seuerall forces of his enemies vpon him that he could not escape if speedily hee prouided not for himselfe beeing alwaies of a good courage at his departure hee prouided for the retraict of his companies as also for his seruants and housholde leauing the principall charge to Monsieurs de Clermont and de S. Gelais and so about eleuen of the clocke at night he departed accompanied of the Steurs de Trimouille d'Auantigny certaine Gentlemen and some of his principall officers but very fewe and passed many and strange waies which hee was constrained to make to recouer the I sle of Greneze and from thence hee was got into England where the Queene receiued him with great honour and with certaine Noble men and vesselles well furnished for the warres conuayed him to Rochel The Sieurs de Saint Gelais de Bois Dulie d'Aubigny de Tifardiere other Gentlemen saued the rest of the troupes hard-by the Forrest of Marchenoir where they receiued diuers seuerall aduises of the daungers like to ensue For they were of aduise to separate themselues into small troupes of twelue or fifteene in a companie the easilier to saue themselues for it was not possible for them beeing all togither to indure aboue an houre perceiuing their enemies to make towardes them so fast therefore hauing left their carriage discharged their booties and for the most part became better Christians then they were at their departure from the siege of Bronage they saued themselues and although the Townes of Orleans Blois Ambuse and Tours were straightly guarded neuerthelesse diuers of them being armed passed the bridges of the same Townes each man sauing himselfe as well as hee could Saint Gelais beeing so escaped made towards Orleans and trauersing by Ianuille by the great waye to Parris hee passed through many companies dispearsed in Beausse and then entered into the Foreest of Orleans where hauing trauersed the Forrest in the end with great paine hee got to Loire hard by Gien and hauing stayed some time in Berry repassing Creuse Vienne and le Clain hee got to Rochel where hee found the Prince and all the heads and principall Captains of the armie As touching the siege of Brouages the Sieur de Saint Mesmes hauing stayed there about a month after the Princes departure was constrained to retire and to separate his troupes The Prince of Conde beganne the warre so fresh againe by the Sieurs de Laâ—al and Saint Gelais that the newe conquestes made them forget the griefe of their last misfortunes he tooke the Castle of Dompierrie hard by Saint Iohns belonging to the Marshall de Rez where the souldiers refreshed and payde themselues for their former losses therein finding a most rich bootie Plassac Gouernour of Ponts for the king of Nauarre in the night-time by scaling lathers vpon the three and twentieth of Februarie 1586. tooke Royan a very strong place hard by Brouage and the sixteenth day of March following the Prince of Conde beeing in Taillebourg married the sister of the Sieur de Trimouille by whom hee had a sonne but hee liued not long after his second marriage as heereafter you shall reade Meane time the Sieur de Laual tooke Soubize and draue out the leaguers and after that Mornax and Alleuart S. Gelais for the Princes part tooke Mondeuis and Chizay vppon Boutonne Ranques draue the Albanois out of the Castle of Sasay which afterward was taken againe by composition made with the Sieur de Malicorne Gouernour of Nirot About the beginning of Aprill the Sieur de Saint Luc Gouernour of Brouage hauing a certaine enterprise to make vppon the Isle of Oleron sent for ayde and among the rest Tiercelin with his Regiment composed of foure hundreth Harquebusiers fiftie Muskettiers and about two hundreth pikes all resolute souldiers hauing but one colours which was the Collonels Ensigne Which the Prince vnderstanding determined to visite them but finding them not where he thought they had beene he withdrew himselfe to Taillebourg with the
spoke openly in the pulpet and said that Saul had killed two thousand but Dauid sixe thousand the frends of Marcus Crassus could not indure that Caezar should bee beloued of the people this iealousie sought to eternise the Dictators office with his reputation in the opinions of the commons made it to be proclaimed in all places that the Rutter had beene raised payde and sent away by the King and that without the prowesse and constancie of the Duke of Guise the Arke had fallen into the hands of the Philistines that heresie had triumphed ouer Catholicque religion The Pope the King of Spaine and the Duke of Sauoye made fires of ioy and pronounced the praises of the Duke of Guise It is said that the Pope sent the Duke of Guise a sword ingrauen with burning flames All estates shooke and wauered the Prince of Parma had sent him his armes saying that among all the Princes of Europe it belonged only to Henry of Lorraine to beare armes and to bee a commaunder in the wars The league by this meanes beeing in so great appparance and likelyhood of aduancement pushed forward rather by insolencie of good fortune then of iudgement sailed in the maine sea of her pertences and imbraced the occasion for the which long since it had alwaies had the nostrelles open the eyes watchfull the eares hearkning and the foote stirring And to conclude it became very faire The Cleargie with full sayle pusht forward the intent of the Duke of Guise to bande against the Huguenots diuers Gentlemen wondring at his fortune vnder vaine hopes that hee would once bee king ranged themselues to his will beleeuing that most daungerous attempts and easiest to be achiued is vnder a Prince full of valour and courage The people that are not nourished but with the praises of the house of Guise and the disorders of the king held on that side which they esteemed most sure and strong The Towne of Parris that perceiued the king to haue forgotten the Edict of Iuly that he had returned to his first humours of pennance that he is iudged by Ioubert and Miron neuer to be a father that his fauour his libertie her heart and his soule depended but vppon two of his creatures and that the charges and impositions renued and redoubled began to dislike of things present and to imbrace all whatsoeuer offered it selfe vnto them how little apparance soeuer it had not to chaunge or decay Some of the busiest which after that time were named the sixteen beganne to vtter their deuises and secretly to vent their false monies filling the hearts and eares of the common people with feares by consideration of the vnrecouerable fall of the Church of secret fauours and intelligences with the King of Nauarre of despising the Catholicque Princes of aduancement of Migrons Murmurati on against disorders of desolation of lusts pleasures of hypocrisie in the Court and of the resolution of the Parrissians to reuenge the conspiracie of the yeare past This moued the most assured dimmed the eies of the most cleare sighted and heated the courages of the most lukewarme These consciences trembling more for feare to loose the bell then the steeple suffered themselues to bee ledde away without conduction or thread into his laberinth and most foolishly ranne one after the other into the preace of this furie The Duke of Guise that thought not of any tempest the shippe beeing yet in the hauen and feared not when hee perceiued it to bee in the middle of the raging seas imbarked himselfe therein in hope of those populer windes and built vpon the quicksands of Parris And if you would knowe what parts were in him to vndertake so hautie an enterprise hearken what a great personage of our time writeth thereof Hee onely is all the league the rest of his house are not like him and all of them togither cannot furnish the least part of that which by him is taken in hand The Duke of Guises nature in the liberall discourse a great dissembler well aduised very wise and wiser then all his faction which all the world well perceiueth by his actions I haue seene by writings vnder his owne hand in an enterprise of great importance where the greatest person of his house next after him without his aduise went about to commit a great and notorious fault Hee is indued with much vertue certain effects take good successe and with the name and memorie of his father by ciuill warre he presently became the chiefe commanmaunder of the Catholicque faction specially seeking to get the fauour of those townes that feared a Prince of the religion whom he flattered by many priuate meanes chiefe and cettaine signes of a minde aspiring vnto tyrannie Hee is diuers and corrupted without measure secret close craftie patient euen to the poynt of being blasoned dissembling proceeding in his intents with long detraction Seeing farre off and not enterprising any thing but hee is well assured to effect it His father and his Grand-father withstood the King of Spaine in Italie and hee will do it in France He saith it is the zeale of religion that prouoked him And God knoweth there are yet so many Turkes and Sarrasins in the world that withhold his inheritance of the kingdome of Ierusalem why doth hee not rather turne his pretences vppon them then against France When he perceiue the greatnesse of the soueraigne Maiestie decreased and imbaced that his enemies were retired vnto Rochel that England had a proude Spaniard vppon her backe meaning the great Spanish armie by sea hee assured himselfe to take the king without daunger hee leaned his eare to the aduise of the sixteenth Archleaguer of Parris he aduertised the Cardinall of Bourbon that went not but as hee was ledde not to refuse so good an occasion and passe so faire a time without some exercise gathered an assembly of his principall friends at Nancy there to aduise the meanes to passe forward constraine the king to make his will bannish his Mignions and to be content to bee ruled by his house And so that assembly concluded that hee should bee summoned to ioyne his forces vnto the enterprises of the league his authoritie to her pretences his fauour to their will leaue and refuse the counsell and amitie of such as should be named vnto him driue and bereaue them of their offices establish the Inquisition in euery Towne to publish the Councell of Trent The effect of the articles made in the assembly of of Nancy in Febr. 1588. touching the ordering of things that derogated the priuiledges of the French Church To consent to the restitution of the rents and goods that it had been alienated and sold for the charges of his warres To giue them Townes wherein they might place men of war and to make such fortifications as the necessitie of time and affaires would permit Ordaine the sale and confiscation of Huguenots goods also the disabling of their persons and entertaine
is much more conscience then in that which Phillip le Long demanded of all his subiects of what estate soeuer beeing the fift part of their reuenue and more reason then that tyrannicall extortion of the tenth part of all the expenses of seuenteene great Prouinces whereof the Author boasted to haue found a fountaine that wold yeeld golde in peeces as big as a mans arme This sale of offices is not so new but that it hath been vsed long since in those estates that are thought to bee most polliticque the Venetians hauing so great enemie as the king of France made a great breach in their treasures to resist him his entrance into Italy cost him aboue fifte millions of duckets which to recouer againe they inuented the meanes of selling the offices of their Common-wealth whereby they pursed one hundreth millions Offices for the imployment of the youth of France And the French king perceiuing it to be a continual spring into their coffers brought it into his Realme to support the necessitie of the most oppressed and the same necessitie hath constrained his successors to continue the means to resist the same and to honour the best families among his subiects who without this splendure would bee hidden among the rest and youth without imployment would fall into those vices that are incident to that age but let vs now returne againe to your complaints When you are forced to confesse that other causes made you to enter into the course and sauor of these rebellions you say that the king did neuer approoue nor aduance your league Hee hath loued it too much If hee had choaked this Monster of diuision if hee had not by his authoritie strengthened the furious temeritie of the Leaguers pretences hee would liue like a king command like a king and be in the Louure like a king and had not gone out of Parris like a Gouernor of a countrie that issueth out at one gate when his enemies entereth at the other Did you neuer heare that a king that had two factions in his Realme bending more to the one then to the other hath in the end beene a pray to one of them What ouerthrew Carthage two factions Barchinienne Ruine of estates by ciuil warres and Hannonienne What nourished wars in France of sixtie yeares long and made it a praie to the Englishmen the quarrell of the house of Bourgongne and Orleans What troubled England with so many mischiefes of seuen great battelles wherein aboue sixtie or eightie Princes of the blood royall of England were slaine the factions of the house of Lancaster and Yorke What impeached the Empire of Constantinople but the great faction of Prusins and Venitiens which at one blowe spoyled fortie thousand men What ouerthrew the pollicie and tranquillitie of Florence but the faction of white and blacke To the contrary what maintaineth the Empire of the Turkes their concord enemie of ciuill descention they make their profit of our losses they aduance themselues vnder the couerture of our warres grounded for the most part vpon the foote of a flie and there is nothing that hath so much increased nor as yet doth more increase their alcaron then our diuisiō which euery day giueth them sufficient christians heads to triumph vpon in stead of stones or other spoyles as Thuracan did with the heades of the Albanois League a continuall feauer to an estate To be short that hurt which a continuall feuer is to a mans bodie the same are Leaguers vnto a Realm the Prince that nourisheth and entertaineth them is no lesse odious then the Phisitian that hatcheth and couereth a disease The Common-wealth is a ship the Leagues and factions are the holes and leakes by the which while those that are in the ship are at strife the water entereth in such aboundance that it causeth the ship to finke and all that are within her A wise Pilot shuld calke stop those leakes and diuisions reseruing the rurther for himselfe without trusting to any other neuer being factious nor head of any parties but all king and alwaies Maister of the ship and doubt not but these drone Bees that eate vppe the honie of all the rest and these composers of the league which make so great a ruine for two or three months of spring-time had ouerthrowne themselues if the king had not nourished them Machiauille chap. 20. of the Princes with the fairest flowers of his authoritie And who euer counselled a Prince common father of his subiects vnlesse Machiauel chap. 20. of the Prince it were Machiauel to entertaine partiallities among them You are sorrie that the king doth not as willingly imbrace the pretences of your League as you do and that hee hath not suffered you to make a table of his backe whereon to playe at dice for his Crowne You haue somewhat to say to those whom the king hath aduaunced so the heeles murmured because they had not the place of the head the Asse would clime vpon a cushen of veluet to faune vppon his Maister like a Spaniell puppits would play vppon kings cabbins Know you not that they are like counters in the kings hand whereof hee maketh one to bee a hundreth some a thousand and others tenne thousand Do you not shew more fauour and credite in your bankes towne of your seruants then to an other and vse you not to say that you may doo with your owne as pleaseth you is the king countable to your humours If he holdeth the Crowne of God and the auncient lawes of this Realme wherefore seeke you to bee his Tutors and to hinder him from distributing the honours and recompences thereof at his pleasure It is no reason to prescribe or limit him whom or what hee shall cherish loue and aduance if you conferre things present with those that are past you shall finde no Prince but hath had some whom hee specially fauoured and that the iealousie nor enuie of others farther from his fauour hath not beene strong ynough to erect Barricadoes against them as you haue done The League hath no iust cause to take armes But seeing all your complaints are ridiculous your reasons without foundation and your discourses without assurance what inchantment hath made you to rebell Say that this great disorder knowne to bee in the Court of your king hath put that wilde fire into your heads which hath mooued and tolde you therefore to remedie it you must driue him our you must assayle the Louure or torment his seruaunts to reuenge your selues against the Duke of Espernon being at Roane I will not so much excuse the king or think that hee hath not committed some faults nor say as the Parasite Anaxarchus that Alexander had reason to kill Clytus or that the two Goddesses Dice and Themis are alwaies at their sides to keepe them from committing iniustice certainly there were many faire and shining vertues in this Prince Optimum est pati quod emendare non
the light of the pietie of France son of that victorious Henry whose memorie shall liue for for euer and brother to those two Catholicque Princes Francis the second and Charles the ninth whom God hath taken to his mercie But But yet againe that which toucheth you nearest remember that you are that renowmed Henry that being but Duke of Aniou and brother to the king did so valiant an act in the defence of the Church wonne so many great battels and so many times daunted the enemies of the Catholicque faith that you haue filled al Christendome with the wonders of your victorious name And we think if that like your Grace that your M. hath not so soone forggotten that great and solemne oath that you made at your coronation not onely to maintaine christian and Catholicque religion but to aduance it as much as possible you might without tollerating any other And if euer any oath lid binde a Prince to maintain keep his faith this hath so straightly bound you to the defence of this religion that you cannot permit any other without breach of conscience and paraduenture make a doubt of the right you haue vnto the Crowne For you know well that you haue agreed and contracted with Iesus Christ that you accepted the Scepter vppon this condition to be defendor of his Catholicque religion and in that solemne oath as a gage and earnest-penny you receiued his holy bodie and dranke his precious blood And now fayling in this religious oath thinke you he hath not good cause to be offended against you knowe you not that all the euils wee haue suffered proceeded onely from his iust wrath and see you not that hauing giuen you this Scepter vppon such conditions hee threatneth to take it from you if you keepe not the holy promise you made so solemnely vnto him And euen as God summoneth you to the obseruation of the faith that you haue giuen him your subiects by the same meanes solicite and inuite you to obserue the conditions wherevppon you were made king and which you cannot infringe breaking your oath but if you must also loose the title of most christian King and wee doubt not that setting these things before your eyes that reuiuing the memorie of your predecessors continuing the first prudence and vertue but you shall haue that great good fortune in your time to see your people reduced to the sheepfold of the holy and Catholicque Church whereof you are as a father and protector By this meanes those great Kings of Ierusalem Dauid Salomon Abis losaphat Ezechias and Iosias obtained the blessings of God and a happy successe in all their affaires hauing with so great care dilligence restored the puritie of religion and reeftablished diuine seruice that was neglected And wee also hope that following their steppes you will reduce all France to the Catholicque religion and for the recompence of your holy intent you shall haue that blessing of God in your time to behold your Realm as flourishing as euer it was And as it shall bee most acceptable vnto God so will it be most honourable to you and to your Crowne and you shall sufficiently perceiue that at this day there is no King Prince Potentate or Common-wealth I except certaine Barbarians and the Turke whose detestable manners and customes ought to bee so odious that the onely name should bee a horrour vnto vs that suffereth their subiects to liue in any other religion then that which the Magistrate by the disvnion of the Church holdeth for onely good and holy And surely such are not woorthie to bee heard that will so much restraine the power of the Prince or Magistrate to say that hee cannot constraine his subiects to the faith but that hee ought to suffer them to liue in libertie of conscience as they say for this opinion hath alwaies generally been condemned and reprooued by all Christians but only by the Manickiens and Donatists that were of opinion that wee must not constraine any man for his religion but suffer euery man to liue in libertie and after his owne santasie and those which at this day in a manner by force pull from you this libertie of their religion permit it not to others For in the places of Christendome where God permitteth that they should bee Maisters and hauing the authoritie in their hands they are so farre from permitting Catholicques freely to liue in the libertie of their consciences that to the contrary the diuers sects that are among them for that alreadie they are banded and diuided among themselues an euident signe of their ruine at hand cannot indure each other And there where the Caluenist is Maister the Lutheriau dareth not liue freely yea and when they change Magistrates of diuers opinions religion changeth according to his pleasure as we haue seene sufficient of such changes in England and in many places in Germanie And what should not this bee a shame and too great a slaunder to a good christian and faithfull Catholicque to bee found lesse affected in his religion that is approued by so long and continuall succession then these new christians in their opinions that are as it were but one night olde It is then a generall and certaine maxime and approoued by the Church and by all Common-wealths that the Magistrate ought and may continue his people vnder one faith as it is sufficiently seene by so many godly lawes and constitutions of Christian and Catholicque Empires and by the kings your predecessors whose examples ought to bee holy and inuiolate vnto your Maiestie Such were the reasons of the League by the vehemencie whereof the king disposed himselfe to warre reseruing alwaies a continuall thought to rid himselfe thereof But the Queene that sawe so many accidents to hang like leade ouer his head that thought the great and proude Spanish armie would land in Brittaine and that all the territories of Italie would fall vppon him to defend the Catholicqueleague did so much that the king dissembled the wound in his heart and said that hee had no more remembrance of the hard dealings that had past that he had no other intent but that of the League which was to extirpe heresie Vppon this assurance the Duke of Guise caused his merchandises to bee liked and to bee more esteemed then they were woorth or then hee hoped Wherevppon hee entered into a treatie with the Queen-mother and with her resolued vppon certaine articles vppon the fifteenth of Iuly which the king approoued receiued and signed within three daies after which were as followeth THe Articles agreed vppon and signed at Nemours the seuenteenth of Iuly 1585 the kings edicts made touching them and the declarations his Maiestie hath since made vppon the edict shall inuiolably be kept and obserued according to their forme and tenour And to cease and for euer to take away the distrusts partiallities and deuisions betweene the Catholicques and the Realme there shall bee a perpetuall and vnreuocable
Ouerseer of them a Great-maister or Steward of the Hospitall and sixtie two seruants There were religious persons proportionall to that great number first eight Obseruants of Castille 20. Obseruants of Portugall nine and twentie Friers of Castille Their Cleargie men ten Friers of Portugal 9. Augustins of Castille 14. Augustins of Portugall sixe Friers of Portugall of the Order called del Pagna twelue Carmes of Castille nine Carmes of Portugall eight Fryers of the third order of S. Francis in Portugall two and twentie Iacobins fifteene Iesuites of Castille and eight Iesuites of Portugall so that besides the number of fighting men there was almost tenne thousand that had nothing to do with armes An armie how great soeuer it bee and well conducted if it hath not prouisions and amunitions accordingly it receiueth but blasone shame and dishonor but the king of Spaine tooke not that great enterprise in hand without prouiding as great furniture as should bee requisite whereby the Generall had no cause to feare any want to put the armie out of courage Munitions and prouisions For they had eleuen thousand Quintals of Biscat foureteen thousand one hundreth and seuentie Pipes of Wine sixe thousand fiue hundreth Quintals of Bacon three thousand foure hundreth thirtie three Quintalles of cheese eight thousand Quintals of dried fishes of all sorts Rice to furnish euery vessell with three Quintals for sixe moneths six thousand three hundreth and twentie vesselles of beanes and pease eleuen thousand three hundreth ninetie eight roues or measures of oyle twentie three thousand eight hundreth and seuentie roues of vinegre and eleuen thousand eight hundreth and fiftie Pipes of fresh water besides the victuals and the necessaries of houshold that were in great number and of all sorts as platters goblets pots funnels and vessels of wood candlestickes lanterns lampes falots candles of waxe and tallowe plates of lead and Oxe hides to stoppe holes made with great shotte bags of leather canuaffe and buckeram hoopes for pipes and barrels eight thousand sadles of leather fiue thousand paire of common shooes eleuen thousand paire of shooes with strings cords nayles horses waggons wheeles milles apple trees and all whatsoeuer belongeth eyther by water or by land twelue great peeces for batterie and twelue field peeces with bagges of calues skins for powder and bullets The armes reserued for store were seuen thousand caliuers and their furnitures one thousand muskets tenne thousand launces one thousand partisans and halbardes sixe thousand pikes more pickaxes payles Their armes and other instruments then would serue for seuen hundreth pioners With this number and in this manner being prepared the armie departed out of Lisbon vnder the conduct of the Duke de Medina Sidonia assisted with two and twentie Lords of Estate Councell and experience eightie pages and tenne young Gentlemen or knights and seruants in great number But it had scarse entered into the sea sayling towards the Grongnes in Gallicia but there rose a storme with so great force that it was constrained to put to land and there staye till winde and weather serued hauing lost in that storme three Gallies of Portugals and many of them so scattered and brused that they were not seruiceable for that voyage The storme beeing ceased and the winde bettering about the two and twentieth day of the moneth of Iuly the Generall caused them to set sayle so fortunately that in lesse then fiue daies after they discouered the point or end of Cornwall and at the same time they were seene from Plimmouth by the Admiral of England and Sir Francis Drake Viceadmiral that made them turne their faces and gaue them such a skirmish and that so neare that the shippes were in disorder and a great gallion lost wherein was found a part of the treasures that the armie brought with it all the instructions that the Duke of Medina had what hee should do hauing conquered England At the last it got as farre as Calais where it should haue ioyned with the Duke of Parma but the armie of England that sought to impeach it followed it and that so neare that it was forced to leaue her anker-hold and confusedly to flie away Their principal Galleasse among other vesselles was by the streame cast vpon the sands hard by the Hauen of Calais and there with her ordinances was left for the Gouernours of Calais the rest of the shippes were strongly beaten with cannon shot and by the English shippes scattered abroad in such sort that in those skirmishes the armie was lessened of twelue shippes and aboue fiue thousand men Which done it made towards the North seas passing betweene Norway The scattering of the Spanish armie Scotland so towards Ireland where those Northen seas being as the risen according to the time of the year were very tempestious vsed the rest of the army very hardly for it drowned and sunke seuenteene great vesselles vpon the coast of Ireland and spoyled brake and ouerthrew diuers others in such manner that of one hundreth and thirtie shippes there were scarce thirtie that returned into Spaine The coppie of a Letter sent to Deepe touching the encoumer of the English and Spanish armie and howe the Spaniards had wonne the victorie The report of the successe of this Fleet was giuen out cleane contrary to that which happened vnto it or then was trueth and the innocency of diuers men was so great that they assured and affirmed for certaine that the Spaniards had the victorie for the which they made fiers of ioy and printed whole discourses thereby to couer the shamefull flight of the Duke de Medina that could make no other excuse vnto the king his Maister of that ouerthrow but the infidelitie and ignorance of the Sailors and the little experience they had of those Northen Seas the want of ayde from the Prince of Parma and the great stormes and tempests vpon the seas This great ouerthrow abashed not the league that more vnpatiently then euer it did pursued the execution of the Edict of vnion it sawe that the king by words and oaths not common but solemne had sworne in the Cathedrall Church of Roane in presence of the Cleargie Princes and Lords of the Court that hee had sent vnto the Bishoppes touching those affaires that their Priestes in euery Diocesse should cause their parisioners to make profession of their faith that the Huguenots should abiure their errors in open Courts of Parliaments Courts royall and publike places to make them obserue it but not contenting themselues therewith they would haue the Edict christened with the speciall name of a fondamentall lawe and because it could not bee done but by the third estates of France they besought the king to hold Parliament as by the said articles of peace hee had promised De Commines lib. 5. cap. 4. The authoritie which the Senate had among the Romanes the same authoritie hath the Parliament deuised by the first familie of the kings of France