then a matter of loue betweene Orleans and Burgogne And we had one in England about no smaller a matter then the Crowne impatientes consortis erant maiestas amor Both Maiestie and loue Do no Corriuals loue Betweene the houses of Lancaster and Yorke wherein Commines sayth were betweene three and fourescore of the bloud slayne How true that is I remember not but as I take it there were fought ten battels betweene them one hundred Barons Knights slayne ten Princes Dukes and Earles and an hundred thousand naturall English Animus meminisse horret My mind doth tremble yet But to remember it That diuision was the onely cause why we not onely lost all we had in France but also the meanes to recouer all which wee ought to haue had for in those times France her selfe also was miserably distracted brought to so lowe an ebbe as one sayth Dieu fit ce bien en ce temps-lae que les gueres diuisions d' Angleterre esloyent encores en nature les vns contre les autres So may they now thanke God and our late Queene The Nurse of Peace and refuge of the afflicted who as is sayd of the great Earle of Warwicke That he thought it as great an honour to make a King as to be a King to cancell with the Speares poynt the forged law of the Saliens tooke not such oportunity but raysed the afflicted lownesse of the desolate King of Diepe to the peaceable possession of the great Realme of France But it is a thing euer obserued in great States and Kingdomes that they neuer rise to any greatnesse except in their rising they meet with many lets and are sometimes euen brought to such lowe tearmes as they are thought past all hope as Athens by the Persians and Rome by the Gaules the like is to be said of great Princes as of Edward the fourth of England and this Henry the fourth of France of whome wee may truely report as Plutarch doeth of Camillus Si Camillus n' eust esté perdu Rome ne se fust pas retrouuée If Camillus had not bene lost Rome had not bene found againe Possidonius calles Marcellus the sword and Fabius the buckler of Rome but we may call this King both the one and the other to France to one to cut off all disturbers of the State the other to defend his Subiects in the libertie of their conscience and enioying of peace This office he now executes in his quiet reigne that other he vsed in time of the ciuill warres when as alwayes they of the Kings part sent for his aide to the suppression of the Leaguers though after that done they cared not for him So saith Plutarch of Themistocles Les Atheniens n'y honoroyent n'y ne l' estimoyent point en temps de paix mais quand il leur suruenoiel quelque orage de guerre qu'ils se voyoient en danger ils recoureyent à luy ne plus ne moins qu' on fait à l'ombre d'vn Platane quand il suruient vne soudaine pluye puis apres quandle beau temps est venu on l' esbranche luy coupe l' on ses rameaux The Athenians neither honoured nor esteemed him in time of peace but when they were ouertaken with any storme of warre and that they sawe themselues in danger then they had recourse to him as men vse to runne in a suddaine shower to the shelter of a Plane tree and as soone as it is faire weather againe they breake and cutte off his branches This King then of whom now by course I am to relate is about 48. yeeres of age his stature small his haire almost all white or rather grisled his colour fresh and youthfull his nature stirring and full of life like a true French man One of his owne people describeth him thus De son naturel il est si extremement vif et actif qu' à quoy qu'-il s' adonne il s' y met tout entier ne faisant tamais gueres qu' vne seule chose à la fois Deioindre vne longue deliberation auec vn faict presse cela luy est malaise Le faire et le deliberet se rencontrent en mesme temps Mais aux conseils qui ont traict de temps à la verité il a besoigne d' estre soulage Vne promptitude admirable d' esprit Aux affaires de la Iustice des finances aux negotiations estrangeres aux depesches à la policie d' estat il croit les autres il ne s' en mesle point He is of such an extremely liuely and actiue disposition that to whatsoeuer he applyes himselfe to that hee entirely employes all his powers seldome doing aboue one thing at once To ioyne a tedious deliberation with an earnest and pressing affayre he cannot endure Hee executes and deliberates both together But in Councels that require tract of time to say the truth hee hath neede of helpe He hath an admirable sharpnesse of wit In affayres of Iustice of his Reuenues forrayne Negotiations Dispatches and gouernment of the State hee credites others and meddles little himselfe He sayth there farther that though by his Phisiognomy his fashion maner of behauiour ye would iudge him leger and inconstant yet is no man more firmely constant then he He confesseth it were hard for him not to be sparing considering the profuse and lauish spoyle that his predecessor made before him yet to salue the matter he makes this difference That the other gaue much to few this giues a little to many If you remember when we saw him play at dice here in Orleans with his Noblesse he would euer tell his money very precisely before he gaue it backe againe I will not spare in this discourse which is onely for your selfe priuate to speake the trueth though of a King we are here in a Country where ye daily heare his owne Subiects speake of him more liberally And besides his Maiestie hath generally this commendation which is very laudable in a Prince he can endure that any man should tell him the truth though of himselfe Which I will interpret to wisedome though perhaps some will impute it to a facility of nature Concerning this thriftie vertue then of sparing we must note that he is a very good mesuager Il fait d' argent auec ses dens He makes money with his teeth saith the Frenchman meaning his sparing of great and superfluous expence at his table And for his giftes wee may call him by an Antiphrasis as Plutarch sayth they vsed to call Antigonus in scorne doson that is qui donnera pour ce qu' il promettoit tousiours iamais ne donoit One that will giue because he alwayes promised but neuer performed For my part I thinke he giues S. P. Q. R. not Senatui populoque Romano that is to all sorts of people but Si Peu Que Rien
Bastile of S. Anthony was built some say by the English and indeed it is somewhat like those peeces which they haue built elsewhere in France as namely that at Rouen howbeit I read in Vigner his Cronicle that it was builded by a Preuost of Paris in the time of Edward the third of England at what time our Kings began their first clayme and had as yet nothing to doe in this City Some other monuments I purpose to speake of with their Founders by the example of Plutarch who in his discourse of Athens particularizeth in this maner Pantheon Hecatompedon built by Ictinus and Callicraditas the Chappell of Eleusine by Coraebus the Lanterne by Xenocles the Theater or the Odeon by Pericles the Port Pyraeum by Muesicles and the Pallaedium of Pallas by Phidias So in this Towne the Chastelet was built by Iulian the Apostata the Vniuersity was founded by Charlemagne Anno 800. who also erected those of Bologna and Padoa The Church of Nostre Dame Our Lady was founded Anno 1257. where are these verses following engrauen to shew the greatnesse of it Si tu veux sçauoir comme est ample de Nostre Dame le grand Temple Il a dans aeuure pour le seur dixsept toyser de hauteur Sur lae largeur de vingt et quattre et soixante et cinq sans rebattre A de long aux tours haut monteés trent quattre sont bien comptées Le tout fonde sur pillotis anssi vray que ie te le dis If you would know the greatnesse of the great Church of our Lady the roofe thereof is 17. fathom high it is 24. fathom broad 65. fathom long the two Steeples are 34. fathom high aboue the Church and al founded vpon piles The Hostel de la ville The Towne-House was finished by Francis 1. Anno. 1533. with this inscription ouer the Gate S.P.E.P. that is Senatui Populo Equitibusque Parisiensibus piè de se meritis Franciscus primus Francorum Rex potentissimus has aedes a fundamentis extruendas mandauit accurauit condendisque publicè consiliis et administrandae Reip. dicauit anno vt supra For his wel-deseruing Senate people Burghers of Paris Francis the 1. most puissant King of France commanded this house to be built from the foundation and finished it dedicated it to the calling of the Common CouÌ„cell and gouerning the Citie in the yere aforesaid This is as ye would say the Guild Hall of the towne The Hostel Dieu in Paris was augmented and finished in 1535. by Antoine de Prat Chancelor in this City his pourtreict with Francis 1. is vpon the dore as ye enter This is as we call it at London the Hospitall The Palaiâ—e de Paris was built by Philip le Bel 1283. purposing it should haue bin his mansion house but since it hath bene disposed into diuers Courts for the execution of Iustice iust like Westminster Hall which likewise at first was purposed for the Kings Palace Here you haue such a shew of Wares in fashion but not in worth as ye haue at the Exchange Heere is a Chappell of the S. Esprit built by S. Lewes 1242. Here are all the seuen Chambers of the Court of Parliament which was first instituted by Charles Martel father to King Pepin anno 720. but of them all the great Chamber of Paris is most magnificently beautified and adorned by Lewes the twelfth At the entry is a Lion cowchant with his tayle betweene his legges to signify that all persons how high soeuer are subiect to that Court. The Chamber also of Comptes built by this Lewes is a very fayre roome at the entry whereof are fiue portreicts with their Mots The first is Temperance with a Diall and Spectacle Her word Mihi spreta voluptas I despise pleasure Secondly Prudence with a looking Glasse and a Siue her word Consilijs rerum specutor I prye into the Counsell of things Iustice with a Ballance and a sword her Mot Sua cuique ministro I giue to euery man his owne Fortitude with a Tower in one arme and a Serpent in the other her word Me dolor atque metus fugiunt Both payne and feare auoyde me And lastly Lewes the King with a Scepter in one hand and holding Iustice by the other and this written for his word Quatuor has Comites foueo coelestia dona Innocuae pacis prospera Sceptra gerens My happie Scepter in calme peace doth flourish While I these heauen-bred sisters 4. do nourish To speake particularly of all other the buildings and Courts of this Palace as the Chamber of the Treasurer the Table of Marble the Courtes of Aides and such like were to be too tedious The buildings of this Citie are of stone very fayre high and vniforme throughout the towne onely vpon the Port N. Dame Our Ladies Bridge which is as it were their Cheapeside their building is of brickbat all alike notwithstanding the fayrest Fabricke in the towne and worthily is the Kings Castle or Palace of the Louure at the west It is in forme quadrangulare the south and west quarters are new and Princelike the other two very antique and prisonlike They were puld downe by Francis 1. and begun to be rebuilt but finished by Henry the second with this inscription Henricus 2. Rex Christianissimus vetustate collapsum aedificium refigere coepit The most Christian King Henry the 2. began to repaire this time-ruined edifice From this Palace the King is building a Galery which runnes along the riuer East and West and his purpose is it shall passe ouer the towne ditch with an Arch and so coÌ„tinue to the Twilleries which is at least sixe huÌ„dred paces and so both these buildings shall bee vnited into one which if euer it be done will bee the greatest and goodliest Palace of Europe This Gallery is very curiously wrought with Flowers de luce curious knots branches and such like deuice cut in stone and in euery place this word of the Kings Duo protegit vnus Which I suppose implyeth One God maintaynes the two Kingdomes of France and Nauarre The building of the Twilleries begun by the Q. Mother which is also a stately work is now in the finishing for this Queene Mother began many things but finished none except mischiefes witnesse this present house of the Twilleries and that other at S. Maur some two leagues from Paris whither ye remember we went to kisse the young Prince of Condies hand which then tolde vs was morgaged to her creanciers creditors for 25. thousand Crownes and now stands vnperfited The next house in state both for the beautie of the building and deuice in the Gardens is that of Monsieur Gondy an Italian whose father came into France with Katherine de Medices and was here by her aduanced There be other very many and very stately buildings as that of Mons. Sansuë Mons. de Monpensier de Neuers and infinite others whereof especially towardes
sayth The Reuenue of Charles the sixt which was but fourteene hundred thousand Francks was as sufficient to mayntayne the greatnesse of a French King as that of Charles the nynth which was fifteene millions considering the price of all things and pension of Officers enhaunced And so by consequent the ransome of the Sultane of Egypt of fiue hundred thousand Liures which hee payd the Turke not much lesse then the three millions of Crownes which Francis the first paide to Charles the fift It remaineth I speake of of the Administration and Execution of Iustice and of those places and persons where and by whome it is done I will therefore begin with their Assemblies as the highest and greatest Court of al which well resembleth the Parliament of England the Diet of the Empire or the Counsell of the Amphyrthions in Greece We may say of these Assemblies of France where matters are concluded by the multiplicitie of voyces not by the poyze of reason as was said of the Romanes elections where the Consull propounded and the people approoued by suffrage or disprooued or as the Philosopher Anacharsis said of Solons Common-wealth Es consultations et deliberations des Grecs les sages proposent les matieres et les fols les decident In the consultations and deliberations of the Greekes wise men propound the matters and fooles decide them There are three especiall causes of calling these Assemblies The first Quand la succession à la Coronne estoit douteuse et controuersé ou qu' il estoit necessaire de pouruoir à la Regence durant la captiuité ou minorité des Roys ou quand ils estoyent preclus de l' vsage de leux intendement When the succession of the Crowne was doubtful and in controuersie or when it was to take order for the Regencie during the Kings captiuitie or minoritie or when they had not the right vse of their wits Hereof ye haue examples Anno 1327. S. Lewes an infant and Charles the sixt Anno 1380. lunaticke and 1484. Iohn prisoner For all which occasions Assemblies were called to determine who should haue the Regencie of the Realme in the meane while The second cause is Quand il est question de reformer le Royaume corriger les abus des Officers et Magistrats ou appaiser les troubles et seditions When there is question of reforming the kingdome correcting the abuses of Officers and Magistrates or appeasing troubles and seditions Hereof ye haue examples 14.12 when a peace was made between the Infants of Orleans Burgundy whose houses had long warred one with another and distracted all the Nobilitie of France to their parts taking Also anno 1560. when Frances the second called an assembly at Orleans for the different of Religion where the Prince of Condie was arrested and condemned of treason and where this young King died before hee could see the execution And anno 1587. an assembly called at Blois for the reformation of the State punishment of diuers abuses in Magistrates as the Duke of Guise pretended and for the deposing of the King as some thought that he entended others say that he had here plotted to kill the King and that the King had but the start of the Duke one day for if he had deferred the death of the Guise till the next day the lot had fallen vpon himselfe There is a very iudicious late writer who discoursing of this assembly at Blois where the three Estates excepted against the Kings ill Gouernment complayneth that of late they are growne too insolent in their demaunds Ye shall reade in our Histories of such a like Parliament as this in England called by Henry of Derby against Richard the second The third cause is la necessitè du Roy ou royaume où l' on exhortoit aux subsides subuentions aides et octrois The want and necessity of the King or kingdome in which case the Estates are exhorted to giue Subsidies subuentions aides and gratuities For in former times the Kings contenting themselues with their Domaine and impost of such wares as came in or went out of the land the two most ancient and most iust grounds of Finances were not accustomed to leuy and impose vpon their Subiects any taxe whatsoeuer without the consent of the three States thus assembled They did not say as of later yeeres Lewes the eleuenth was wont Que la France estoit vn pré qui se tondoit trois fois l' anneé That France was a Meddowe which hee mowed thrice a yeere The next Soueraigne Court for so the French call it is the Court of Parliament le vray temple de la Iustice Françoise Seige du Roy et de ses Paires The true temple of French Iustice Seate of the King and his Peeres And as Haillan calles it L'archbouttan des droicts the Buttresse of equitie This Court very much resembleth the Star-Chamber of England the Areopage of Athens the Senate of Rome the Consiglio de' dieij of Venice There are no lawes saith Haillan by which this Court is directed it iudgeth secundum aequum et bonū according to equitie and conscience and mitigateth the rigour of the Law Les nom des Parlements sont appliquez aux compagnies de Cours Soueraignes qui cognossoient en dernier ressort de matieres de iustice The names of Parliaments are giuen to the bodies of Soueraigne Courtes which determine without appeale in matters of Iustice Of these Courts of Parliament ye haue eight in France That of Paris the most ancient highest in preeminence which at first was ambulatory as they call it euer followed the K. Court whither soeuer it wēt but since Philip le bel it hath beene sedentary in this Citie That of Grenoble was erected anno 1453. That of Tholouse anno 1302. That of Bourdeaux anno 1443. That of Dijon in the yeere 1476. That of Rouen in the yeere 1501. That of Aix the same yeere And lastly that of Bretaigne in the yeere 1553. Anciently all Arch-Bishops and Bishops might sit and giue voyces in this Parliament of Paris but in 1463. it was decreed that none but the Bishop of Paris and Abbot of Saint Denis might sit there except he be of the Bloud for all these are priuiledged The Presidents and Councellors of the Court of Parliament of Paris may not depart the Towne without leaue of the Court by the ordinance of Lewes 12. in the yeere 1499. Senatores semper adesse debent quòd grauitatem res habet cum frequens est ordo The Senators ought alwayes to be present because things are carried with more maiestie when that Court is full To this Parliament they appeale from all other subalterne Courts throughout the Realme as they doe in Venice to the Consiglio grande Neither can the King conclude any warre or peace without the aduice and consent hereof or at least as Haillan sayth hee demaundeth it for
ouer all Officers of chase They of the Kings chamber are either Gentils-hommes de la Chambre Gentlemen of the Chamber of whom I spake before or Vallets de la Chambre Groomes of the Chamber which are but base Groomes and Roturiers yeomen Les cent Gentils-hommes de sa Garde The hundred Gentlemen of his Gard though there bee two hundred of them they hold and vse a weapon called Le bec de corbin They match two and two before him they are part French and part Scots The Scot carries a white Cassocke powdred with Siluer plates and the Kings deuise vpon it The French weare the Kings colours There is also a Gard of Swisse attired in particoloured Cloth drawne out with Silke after their Countrey fashion these follow the Court alwayes on foot the other on horse Where by the way yee may obserue that the reason of the entertainement of Scots in the Kings Gard is as one saith because they were Anciens ennemys des Anglois Ancient enemies to the English and euer since the house of Austrich matched with that of Burgogne the King hath had also his Gard of Swisses Ennemys hereditaires de la maison d' Austriche Hereditarie enemies of the house of Austria There belongs to the Court also the Mareschaux des logis Marshals of Lodgings and Fourriers Haruingers they haue like Offices as the Haruengers in the English Court there bee also diuers others which are here needlesse to be spoken of and wherwith your purpose is to bee better acquainted hereafter I will therefore proceede to speake of the order of France which was instituted by Henrie the third Anno 1579. and is called L'ordre du S. Esprit The Order of the holy Ghost The reason of this institution was Comme vne autentique declaration qu'il ne pouuoit ny aymer ny faire bien aux Heretiqueâ— obligeant par vn serment solemnel tous les Cheualliers à des conditions qui ne platsent qu'aux ames toutes Catholiques As an authenticall declaration that hee could neither loue nor fauour the Huguenots binding by a solemne oath all the Knights to conditions suteable onely to mindes intirely Catholiques Whereby yee may note that none of the Nobilitie of the Religion are of this order neither was this King himselfe of it till 94. when being crowned at Chartres he tooke it vpon him Among many other statutes of this order this is one That none are capable thereof except he can proue his Nobilitie by three descents from the Fathers side You haue many in France that are called Cheualliers des ordres durâ—y Knights of the Kings orders that is both of the order of Saint Esprit and Saint Michael also The order of Saint Michael was instituted by Lewes the 11. in the yere 1469. the statutes whereof are comprised in 98. Articles amongst which this is one That there should neuer be aboue thirty sixe of the order But saith La Nouë this Article was so ill obserued that at one time there haue bin 300. whereof 100. shortly after by reason of the great charges and trayne they kept were forced as he there saith Serrer le colier dans leurs coffres To lock vp their collers in their Cofers In the yeere 60. were 18. created of this order A thing not before heard of that so many should be made at once which the Constable disliking said Que l' ordre estoit mis en disordre the order was disordred Against which Bodin also inueigheth and against the number of Barons made in France without either desert or liuing And another complaineth that the honourable orders of France are exposes a l'ambition qui estoyent destinez au merite Exposed to ambition which were dedicated onely to deserts You must note that of S. Michaels order there were 2. sortes du grand ordre et du petit the great and the small order Those wore a coller of Massie gold these onely a Ribbon of silke Before these was the order De l' estoille of the Starre or as others call it De la vierge Marie of the Virgine Mary instituted by Iohn the French King anno 1365. which after growing too common a fault generally noted in all Countries where orders are erected that they bee bestowed vpon too many and some vnworthy except onely in the most noble order of the Garter which by the confession of all writers maintayneth still his ancient glory the order of the Starre I say growing too common and therefore the Princes and nobler sort disdayning to weare it it was bestowed vpon the Archers du guel who still weare it the Nobility hauing long since quitted it But the most ancient order of France is that of the Genette instituted by C. Martell The Knights of this order wore a Ring wherein was engrauen the forme of a Genette The cause of instituting this order is not knowne it endured till S Lewes his time Besides these foure forenamed orders which haue beene instituted by Kings I reade also of two others in France which had their erection by Princes of the bloud and were onely taken by Knights of their partie The order of the Porc-espic rased by the Duke of Orleans in enuy of the order of his enemy the Duke of Burgogne The order of the Croissante or Halfe-Moone by the Duke of Aniowe anno 1464. with this Mot Los as who would say Los en croissant Prayse by encreasing The Knights of this order had in the middest of the Cressant a Truncheon to signifie hee had beene in the warres for else he might not bee of that order if twice then two Truncheons if thrice three and so orderly His Habillement was a Mantle of Crymosin Veluet and a white Veluet Cap. It is not much impertinent here also to obserue what orders haue bene erected in other Countries whereof the most Noble renowmed order of S. George of England is the chiefest therefore first to be remembred It was instituted in King Edward the 3. time before any of these of France except onely that of the Genet which no doubt was some obscure Order as appeareth by the place where it was worne and by the little or rather nothing which the French Writers speake thereof The next is the order of the Toison d' or The Golden Fleece erected by Philip the second Duke of Burgogne The coller of this order hath a Golden Fleece hanging at the end in memory some say of Gedeons Fleece others which is most likely of the Golden Fleece of Colchas which Iason with his gallants of Greece ventured for The feast of these Knights is kept vpon Saint Andrewes day The habillements a mantle of Crymson Veluet and a cap of violet colour It was instituted anno 1430. There is also the order of the Annunciade erected by Amadeus Duke of Sauoy In the coller hereof is written in Letters of gold or stone this
15. millions which is worth 50. His rents of his Aydes are also gone for they are engaged to each Generallity in France as of Paris Rouen Caen c. to the number of one twenty of them and each hath his portion therein which would be too tedious to set downe in particular His Offices are all sold and many thousand erected ouer and besides the ordinarie and money also made of them His poore people are already with these ciuill Warres so spoyled and impouerished as there is almost nothing to be had I see not therefore but we should say of this King as the Recueil de l' estat de France saith of the Duke of Sauoy Quant-à son argent pour faire bonne chere en sa maison il y en a assez mais pour faire me si grande guerre non As touching his money hee hath enough to make good cheaâ—e at home but not to maintayne so great a warre So hee to make merry with his friends in this merry time of peace hath money enough mais pour payer vne si grande summe non But not to pay so great a summe of debtes It now remayneth to speake of his Entrade or Reuenue For a Prince cannot haue peace without war noâ— warre without men nor men without money nor money without meanes nor are there any meanes but these viz. First Domaine Secondly Conquests Thirdly Dons des amys Fourthly Pension des allies Fiftly Traffique Sixtly Imposts sur les Marchandisez apportes ou emportes Seuenthly Imposts des Subiects First Domayne Secondly Conquests Thirdly Giftes of his friends Fourthly Pension of his Confederates Fiftly Traffike Sixtly Impositions vpon Marchandise brought in or carried out Seuenthly Impositions vpon his Subiects And yet one other which the Kings of France haue lately inuented to helpe when all other fayled which is Eightly the sales of Offices more dangerous and preiudiciall to the State then any other Of these 8. meanes I wil giue you particular obseruations and then conclude what is generally holden to be the whole Reuenue of the Crowne of France by all these meanes First the Domayne is as it were the Dowre which the State brings to the King her Husband for her tuition defence and maintenance And therefore one saith n' est au Roy ains à la Coronne Belongs not to the King but to the Crowne There are 2. sorts of Domaines First the rent which the King holds in his hands of the Feifes giuen for seruice Secondly that which is vnited and incorporate to the Crowne The rights of the Domaine are these Rents Fifts payments at alienations tributes peages toll of whatsoeuer enters or comes out of Cities woods forrests and diuers other This is the most ancient and most lawfull ground and foundation of Finances For yee shall obserue in Liuy that at the first there were in the territorie of Rome onely eighteene thousand Acres of land whereof one third was for the Church and sacrifices another for the Resp. and the rest for particular men This is also confirmed by Dionisius Halicarnasseus who liued with Master Varro the true Register of the Romane antiquities as Bodin cals him A Citizen of Rome had but two Acres but after the expulsion of Tarquinius they had 7. apiece This diuision among the Romanes was deriued from the Egyptians who did diuide their whole land into three parts One for the Church another for the King and the third for the Calasyres That is Domaine which belongeth to the Crowne First either by Possession time out of mind Or secondly by Reunion for want of heires males as the Appennages when they returne Thirdly or by Confusion for want of such as can make iust claime much like our concealed lands in England Or lastly by Confiscation of offenders inheritances Of this last sort wee reade that in the time of Saint Lewes there were confisked to the Domaine the Counties of Dreax Bray Fortyonne and Monstreuil Languedocke Guyenne Aniowe Maine Turraine Auuergne And after in the time of Philip the Duchy of Alençon the Counties of Perche Perigort Poutieu La Marche Angoulesme Marquisate of Saluzzes But Bodin saith most of this came to the Crowne by force La sieur de la serre He saith it came by way of exchange or purchase But the Author of the Comentaries of the estate of the Religion and policie of France is of the first opinion Thus great was the Domayne in former times that of it selfe without oppressing the people with Impositions it was sufficient to maintayne the State and greatnesse of the Kings of France but it is now vtterly wasted On sçait bien que le Domaine qui seul entretenoit la splendeur et le lustre de l' estat Royal n' est tel qu'il estoit de temps du regne des roys Loys 11. Ch. 8. et Lo. 12. La continuation des guerres l' a faict engager en plusieurs mains entelle sorte qu' il faudroit plus de quinze on seze millions des liures pour rachepter ce qui en vaut plus de câ—nquante millions T is well knowne that the Domayne which alone maintained heretofore the beauty and lustre of the Royall Estate is not now such as it was in the raignes of King Lewes 11. Charles 8. and Lewes 12. The continuance of our warrs hath caused it to be engaged in many hands in such sort that there is neede of more then fifteene or 16. thousand pound Sterling to redeeme that which is worth aboue 5. millions of poundes And Bodin saith that almost all the Counties Baronies and Seigneuries of the Domaine are aliened for the ninth or tenth part of that they be worth Yee must obserue that the lands of the Domaine are not alienable but in two cases 1. Pour l' Apennage des freres 2. Pour les guerres 1. For the ApeÌ„nage of the Kings brother 2. For the warres these must be coÌ„firmed by the Arrest of the Parliament For in all other cases all Lawyers and Historiens of France agree that it is inalienable and many Arrests haue beene made of late yeeres to confirme it I haue read that the Charta magna of England saith the Kings when they are crowned take an othe not to aliene it so doe they heere in France And there is no prescription of time to make such sales or alienations good but that they may bee recouered and repurchased whensoeuer the Crowne is able To this purpose Plutarch sayth well Men cannot prescribe against God nor particulars against the Respublique 2. Concerning the second meanes of raysing mony by Conquests the present state of France can yeeld no example it hath bene long on the losing hand but ye shall read that the Turke dayly when hee conquereth a Prouince or Countrey giues the Lands to such as shal serue him in the Warres whom he sendeth thither as it were Colonies to enioy eche
noire He had neuer made any Athenian weare mourning robe For these by selling Iustice and robbing the poore of their right giue the fatherlesse and oppressed Widdowe iust cause to complayne and of wearing that mourning robe that Plutarch speakes of Saint Lewes among many other good Lawes and reuocation of diuers impositions extraordinary made also an Edict against the sale of Offices And it is reported of Alexander Seuerus that he should say when one offered a peece of money for a certayne Office Non patiar mercatores potestatum I will suffer none to traffique Offices Therefore sayth the Athenian Orator to Timarâ—hus That the liues not the Purses of them that stoode for Offices were to be looked into And yee shall reade in Plutarch that he which anciently stoode for an Office in Rome was to shew himselfe certaine dayes before the Election in the Forum or open streetes apparelled in a thinne Robe that through the same the people might see the wounds he had had in the Warres for his Countries seruice and thereafter as he had deserued to choose him And lest any man should by briberie corruption or any such indirect and vnlawfull way seeke to get any Office or Authoritie these olde Romans made many good and wholesome Lawes against such maner of proceedings which they called Ambitus i. an Ambicious seeking of preferment This the Lex Petilia forbad The Lex Calphurnia declared them that were detected of any such course to be vncapable of that Office for euer And the Lex Tullia banished them that were conuinced Ambitus for ten yeeres so hatefull were such purchases in those dayes And in the time of Ferdinand they had the like law in Spaine against the buying of any Office whether of Warre or Iustice Que vse quedam vender ny trocar officios de Alcaldid ny Algnaziladgo ny Regimiento ny vientes quatria ny fid executoria ny iuraderia Thus you may obserue how hurtfull soeuer it be to Common-wealths and how much so euer forbidden yet that necessitie oftentimes forceth Princes to that which is most losse to themselues La pauuretè quelques fois contraint le Roy de casser bonnes loix pour subuenir à seâ— affaires et depuis qu' vne fois on a faict ceste ouuerture il est presqu ' impossible d' y remedier Pouertie sometimes constraineth the King to breake good Lawes to helpe his affaires and when once this hole is made in the Lawes it is almost impossible to keepe it It is a strange thing to consider and incredible to beleeue what infinite masses of money haue bene made heere in France by these sales where there is not that Collector CoÌ„troller Treasurer Sergeant or subalterne Office whatsoeuer but he hath bought it of the Prince and at no small rate for I haue heard it credibly reported and yee shall reade also in late writers that these Offices are bought in France at a dearer rate then our Lands in England of twentie yeeres purchase Yee must obserue they haue them for terme of life and after to returne to the King who is againe to sell them A man in his sicknes or in danger of death or vpon any neede whatsoeuer may sell this his Office or resigne it to his Sonne or friend whatsoeuer which sale is good if the party liue fortie daies after the sale or resignation is confirmed otherwise not Now we are to consider what Entrade or Reuenew the French King yeerely maketh by any or all of the meanes abouesaid The estate of the Finances Domaine and al in Charles the sixt time Anno 1449. was but 1400000. Liures Henry the second leuoit sur son peâ—ple par voye ordinaire quinzâ— millions des francs tous les ans dâ—nt quelque partie a depuis esté engagée pour les dettes Non obstant lesquelles nostre Roy en tirs autant auiourd huy raysed vpon his people by way of ordinarie Reuenew fifteene thousand pound sterling a yeere whereof some part hath since bene aliened for the debts of the Crowne which notwithstanding the King rayseth as much now But yee may obserue that this summe is of late yeres growne much greater by two thirds as is generally beleeued for whereas in those dayes some three or fourescore yeeres since the ordinarie summe was fifteene millions of Francs or Liures it is now so many of Crownes And Monsieur Riuault Treasurer to the Duke of Mayenne shamed not some eight yeres since to say that his Master had improued the Realme of France to a better rent then any Prince had done beforetimes For saith he Au lieu qu' il ne vallait que dix huict ou vingt millions il en vaut auiour d'huy cinquante Whereas it was woorth but eighteene or twentie thousand pound sterling it is now woorth fiue millions sterling And another saith that onely by the sales of Offices in twentie yeeres space Le Roy en a tire cent trent et neuf millions The King hath raysed one hundred thirtie and nine millions which is after the rate of seuen millions the yeere So that it is probably to be inferred that the Reuenewes are at lest fifteene millions of Crownes wherein all late writers agree Neither must we thinke that men are mistaken by counting Crownes for Liures considering that Bodin and La Nouë and most elder writers speake onely of Liures not of Crownes For the maner of Accompt of France is by especiall ordinance commaunded to bee made by Crownes and that of Liures to cease So that whensoeuer yee reade in the Stories of France of any summe of thousands millions or such like without naming either francs or Crownes you are to respect the times when it was written for if it was aboue twentie yeeres past they meane Liures or Francs if of latter yeres then twentie it is alwayes to be vnderstoode they speake of Crownes this rule will not faile you Hauing briefely spoken of his Entrade and sufficiently of the meanes by which he raiseth it as especially by the last which is not the least namely the sales of Offices which are now bestowed not vpon them which can execute them best but such as can giue the most of whome we may say as Commines of them of his time presently after the Battell of Montlherry Tel perdoit ses offices et estats pour s' en estre fuy et furent donnes à autres qui auoyent fuy dix lieües plus loing Some lost their Offices and estates for running away the which were bestowed vpon others that ranne ten leagues further So these Offices were taken from them that pilled the people much and bestowed vpon others that pill them ten times more Hauing I say spoken sufficiently of these it remaineth I keepe the same course I haue done hitherto that is after the relation of the Court to reckon vp the Officers of Court and after the discourse of his Forces
as to get that from another which is not our owne For as it is truely said of the Spanish King that hee hath not got vpon the French money by victories but victories by money And as Plutarch saith of Philip of Macedon It was not Philip but his golde and siluer that tooke the townes of Greece So may we say of his Treaties which hee hath had with France whereunto hee hath of force beene driuen euen as Ennius saith of Fabius Our State which witlesse force made wayne His wise delayes made waxe agayne For that this nation will rather yeeld the enemie what he demandeth then bee troubled with long deliberation a thing so contrarie to his nature as nothing more You may obserue by the course of later Histories that the Spaniards purpose was to deale with France as Alcibiades said the Athenians would deale by them of Patrae They will eate you out by litle and little To which purpose in all these late ciuill Warres King Philip played the Fire-brand like the Priests of Mars who when two Armies were met threw fire betweene them for a signall of battell to set them together and then retired themselues from the danger He set the Popes on also to kindle this fire who were but Barkers and could not bite their leaden Buls did but butt they could not hurt abler to curse then to kill whose force is like that of a Whet-stone Which though it sharpnesse lacke Yet yron sharpe can make But when hee saw that little England which is to Spaine as Alcibiades said the I le Aegina was to Athens Vne paille en l'ail a mote in his eye did trump in his way and crosse his dessignes and when as hee considered that as Henry the second of France was the only cause of hindering his father Charles the fift from vsurping vpon all Germanie for which cause hee is called in their publike writings The Protector of the Empire and deliuerer of the Princes So her Maiestie by defending the oppressed and withstanding his Forces deserueth the Title of Protectrix of France and deliuerer of the Estates Hee was then content to motion a Peace and like a false friend when he could doe no more hurt to shake hands Herevpon he did capitulate to render Calâ—is Durlens Ardres Blauet and other places conquered or surprised vpon the French A course no question wisely taken by the Spaniard considering the termes wherein hee stoode the want of money hee had the credit hee had lost in all Bankes the decrepit age wherein he was and lastly the sudden and incredible good fortunes of the French King and State after so many yeres of miserie and losse As for the French what could he haue done more dishonourable to himselfe or profitable to his enemies or preiudiciall to his late Allies what lesse agreeing with the time with his cause with his oath then to yeeld to this peace But it hath bene an old tricke of the French to obserue neither promise nor oath as Clouis the first saith Haill lib. 1. Wee may say of their purpose as Plutarch of Lisanders Children are deceiued with chance bones and mâ—n with oathes In this schoole of Fraude Pope Iulius 2. was well read who professed to his priuate friends that all the Treaties which he made with the Princes of France Germanie and Spaine was but to deceiue the one of them by the other But let the French take heede there come not a day of payment for this who are so hastie to abandon their friends and make peace with their foes onely vpon a foolish naturel of theirs to desire change and to enioy their present ease and pleasure not foreseeing future daungers like Schoole-boyes who care not so they may play to day though they be britcht to morrow When the Dukes of Burgondie Berrie and Bretaine were combined against Lewes the 11. of France as were lately England France and States against Spaine the counsell of Francis Zforce to the King was for the present to agree to all things they desired and after saith hee in short time ye shall haue occasion when they are disleagued to deale with them one by one And we may well say of this King present as the Count Charollois feared of the Duke of Berrie the French Kings brother That he was a likely man to be soone drawen to agree leaue vs in the mire forgetting the olde sentence It is the true signe of the approching ruine of a Countrey when those that should holde together diuide themselues and abandon one another And howsoeuer for the present the French bragge to be gayners by the bargayn I am sure their Allies haue no part of the Gasteau Cake It is true therefore that Commines saith There was neuer so plentifull a mariage feast but some went without their dinners Wherein me thinks we haue great wrong to beare a burden with them in their Warres and not to partake with them in the benefit of their Peace Maximilian the first Emperour said hee made Peace for no other end with Lewes the twelfth but to be reuenged of seuenteene wrongs he had done him The King present by the policie of this age and law Talionis might say and doe the like to the Spaniard not for seuenteene wrongs but for seuenteene yeeres wrongs hee hath receiued which when hee shall haue done it is but quittance and the other shall be but iustly serued for saith Bodin He which is falsly dealt with hauing himselfe first played false hath no cause to complaine And surely the French must againe shortly bee doing with him or some other or at least one with another at home he will soone be as wearie of Peace as he is now of warre La nation Françoise est insolent en pain impatiente de demurer long temps en la maison The French nation is insolent in Peace impatient of tarrying long at home ¶ Thus haue you a superficiall suruey of this Country and People of France of whom we may conclude with La Nouë Plus de la moitié de la Noblesse est perié le peuple diminué les finances espuisées les debts accreuës la discipline renuersée la pieté languisant les moeurs desbordées la iustice corrumpuë les hommes diuises More then halfe the Noblesse is perished the people diminished the Treasure exhausted the debts increased good Order ouerthrowen Religion languished maners debaucked Iustice corrupted and the men diuided I make no doubt but to these slender obseruations you wil after adde better of your own Collection vsing this onely as the patterne of a method how to discourse of the Cosmography Policie and Oeconomy of such other Countries wherein you shall trauaile FINIS Caesar Com. lib. 1. P. Commines Limits P. Commines Cabinet du Roy Bodin lib. 6. La Noüe Prouinces La Guide CoÌ„modities La Noüe Bod. li. 6. Bod. contra Malatest Bod. contra Mal. Iustin. Poggio Cabinet