BALTAZAR GERBIER KNIGHT TO ALL MEN THAT LOVES TRVTH BALTHAZAR GERBIER KNIGHT To all men that Loues Truth THe Diuine pâ—ecopts of Christ forbidd men to Iudge one annother Iudgment belongs to God and to none else for he saith IVDGMENT IS MINE It pleaseth God to suffer my Parents to fly the bluddy persecutions in France against those vvhich the Roman Catholikes called then 〈◊〉 My said Parents left and lost all for that cause My Father Anthoine Gerbier vvas a genthleman borne and had a Baronnie in Notmandie My Mother vvas Radegonde daughter jn Ayre to the Lord of Blayet in Picardie I vvas borne att Middelbourg in Zelandt vvhence I vvas by one of my Brothers transported into France and thence returned and about 〈◊〉 tuinty one past in the company of Noël Caron then Hollâ—ndt Ambassadeur into England vvhere I applied myselfe to George Villiers nevvly become fauorit to King Ieames the said George Villiers being immediatly after Baron Viscount Earle and aftervvards created Marquis and Duke of Buckingham My attendance vvas pleasing to him bijcause of my seuerall languages good hand in vvriting skill in sçiences as Mathematicks Architecture dravving painting contryuing of scenes Marques shovvs and entertainments for greate Princes besides many 〈◊〉 vvhich I had gathered from diuers rare persons as likvvâ—e for making of Engins usfull in vvarre as I made those vvhich might blovve vpp the Dike that stopt the passage to the Tovvne of Rochell for it vvas on the same Modell of that of the Prince of Parms vvhen the attempt vvas on Antvverpe He did puts to me first the contryuance of some of his habitations to chouse for t him rarities bookes medals marble of mony of vvhich I neuer vvould hane the managing I did keepe his Cifers vvith his jntelligences abroade vvas sent by him vvith the king his Masters aprobation in secret Messages No sooner vvere those markes of trust obserued butt malicious Ignorant persons made glosses theron according the places vvere I vvas sent My first publike inployment abroade vvas a iourney into Holland to meete theire an Eminent person from Brabant vvho vvas to make ouuertures from Spaine and Germaniâ—e for the restitution of the Palatinat I vvent att that same justant jnto Tessei and assisted Sr. Sackville Trevers to gett cleere from the Eastindian Company theire dessigne vvhich vvas to stay him vvith the Shipp called the S. Esprit vvhere vviht he made aftervvards for England My second jmployment vvas jn France to expostulate vviht the Cardinall de Richelieu concerning large promisses France had made to assist Count Mansfelt vvhen king Ieames vvas mouued to engage him selfe on theire faiâ—e promisses againts Spaine vvhich assistance prouued att last butt bare Cabinet discourses and no reall engagement of that king nor Ministers of state vvhich seemed to vexc Count Mansfelt art my returne to Douer and semed to mouve him to desire that I should say to King Ieames that he had keijes to make his one passage through France iff the king vvould giue him leaue though it vvas a question vvhether Count Mansfelt ment it for he neuer had any oâ—ttaine promisse of a reall conjonction nor assistance of the french his Tresorier then for shovve only did passe aquittances to the french thereby to persuade king Ieames that the jntended vvare for the Palatinat should not vvholly lay on his charge I vvas aftervvards jmployed againe jnto Brabant vvhere I vvas commanded to comune vvith the Marquis Spinola about the reconcilliation betvveene the Crovvne of England and Spaine on vvhich secret conference the treaty vvas sett on foot and pursued vntill it vvas braught to à conclusion I vvas jmploied jnto France to remonstrate the greate jnconueniencies of theire countenancing of the Spanish trade for that theire shipping did transportte all the Spanish Marchandise and thereby frustrated the king of England of those hopes during the breach betvveene the tvvo Crovvnes after the desoluing of the tvvo Treaties of the Spanish match and that of the Palatinat the Spaniards might haue been puâ—t to it and thereby mouued to giue fitt satisfaction on the point of the Palatinat I vvas likvveise imployed by the King to remonstrate to the French King and to the then Queene Mother the mistakes of the French Ambassador Monsieur de Blinuille vvhen his men vsed violence on the Kings Officers Constables and others that did theire Duty to hinder the scandalous resort of English Papists att Durham house I did then deliuer to the Cardinall des Richelieu a letter of the Duke of Buckingham vvhich vvas by some taken for the cause and begining of mis-intellgences betvvene the tvvo Crovvnes of England and France because those tvvo greate fauorits did then declare theire ressents vvhich vvere so violently vttered on the Cardinall de Richelieu side as that hee accompanied them vvith unciuill glosses vvho gaue ground to some licencious discourses vvhich did so little vvorck on me that had not other Northstarre then his Majesties seruices and my duty as mouued mee to proceed as befitted a person sent on good grounds and to make apparant to the haughty spiritt of that Cardinall that threats vvere to vveake to driue me from my byas nor could his compliments aftervvards vvork any other effect on me vvhen he desired my toturne then to mouue me to heare him and to relate his vtterances vvhich concluded vvith compliments that he contented himselfe to knovve the fame of a fauorit so great as the Duke of Buckingham vvas but for him only to act the part of a single Minister of state vvho did admire the povver of the Canon of an English Admirall but that hee him selfe did remaine in the humility of the Canons of that Church vvhereof he vvas a Disciple and as those vtterances vvhere indeed butt flovvers of Rethorice they coueted serpents for he caused men to follovv me to the very port of Bollogne vvhere the foldiers vvere apointed to ceasse on all my papers butt he vvas disapointed for I gott safe into England I vvas aftervvards commanded tovvards Spaine on an invitatinâ— from that King and a Passe sent for my safe Landing In any 〈◊〉 of CANTABRIA it vvas to proceede to the intended Treaty of reconcilliation betvvene the tvvo Crovvnes butt an Irish bleeâ—d Eyd Papist Priest vvas sett on by Mr. Endimion Porter to make the Duke of Buckingham beleeue that the Conde-Duch d'Oliuaras the king of Spaines fauorit desired the said Mr. Porter to be sent on that Treaty vvhich prouued but a plot of the said Mr Porter as apeared by his proceedings for after he got the Duke of Bukinghams consent to go allong vvith them and the Abot d'Escaillie then Ambâ—ssad from the Duke of Savoye no sooner vvere vvee arriued at Bruxels butt the said Mr. Porter vvith out knovvledge of the said Abot d'Escalie lesse of mâ—e repaired secretly to the Arch Duchesse Infame Isabells and to Don Carlot Colomâ—â— to contrice his disguised passage into Spaine vvithout the said Abot d'Eâ—caille and my selfe vvich he undertooke
Douer and during the time of my attendance in the office of Master of Ceremonies after I had consumed my selfe in his Maiesties seruice during my eleven yeares Residency in the Court of Bruxels greate part of my arreares being 〈◊〉 payed No vvouder that I tooke then hold on the occasion to passe into France vvhen I had obtained the letter of Credence as aforesaid vvhich being about the time that a question vvas moved on as intercepted letter sent from London to Oxford fathered on me though no man could proure the caracter to be myne not to haue his sent directly nor indirectly by me my said departure then did not as it seemes satisfy all those that heard of the said letter not some that haue bin pleased to vent glosses theron Though I had to pleade on that subiect first not guilty Secondly That I vvas charged vvith a letter of Credence to passe a Compliment vvith a King vvho vvas acere the Angonies of death as it proued since ere I landed att Callis he vvas deceassed Thirdly that I had a passe from the Parliament declaring my libertie to attend his Maiesties seruice and this vvithout limitation of place vvhen his Maiestie had full povver on me to command mee to go or to come That my dependency vvas Manifest and publike my attendance but a Coremoniall part vvithout any relation to the dicipline of vvarres Fourthly 〈◊〉 my going from London I vvas in no constraint nor vnder any guarde Fiftly it vvas ten the ClocK in the morning vvhen I did embarke my selfe in the ordinary packett boate att Douer vvhereof one Master VVhiâ— vvas master vvho had Knovvne me many yeares before I payed the duties vvhich the Officers there demanded of mee all men that vvere there did see my face vvhich vvas not disguised by falce heare nor peruix Master vvhit vvas at the starren of the Boate and I neuer vvent under deck to hidde my selfe Sixtly that iff the letter could haue been proved to bee mine yet could it not have argued mee to bee a dangerous man since I had no voyce in chapter vvith either parties that I vvas no instrument of the unhappy difference betvven the King and his People for vvhich I shall praise God vvhille I live and diâ—â—rs of my publick dispatchs vvhich I have made to the King and State during my Residency at Bruxels as my Iournals can manifest vvill prouve that I did faithfully relate hovv little the vvorld did reflect on His Majesties povver so long it vvas not seasoned by an Harmonious concordance of Parliaments VVhich vvas often cast in my teeth VVhen I did incist as my duty vvas and my Instructions did beare on the point of the restitution of the Palatinat VVhich endeauours besides the pursuance of His Majesties interests lost me vvith some of the Spanish Ministers as namely vvith the President Role vvho vvhen I did demand Iustice for His Majesties subjests and such possitiue ansvvers as I vvas commanded to put to him insolently questioned vvhetber the King had an Army of fifthy thousand man at his back VVhich he â—â—eered vvith disrespectfull VVords vvheron I made a just complaint to the Infant Cardinall vvho did blame the said President Rose for it No men vvill vvonder as I do conceiue that I did at last sue for my recall from that imploiment as I did vvhen I had so long vvithstood the violence and malice of the Cottintoniens vvho by these great Intelligence vvith the most depraued Ministers the King of Spaine had some of vvhich the said King hath been constrained to shake of all the good and solid Orders sent to me by His Majesties Principall Secretaries of State vvere of no force and all good indeavours destroyed to the prejudice of His Majesties Seruice Honour and the reall good and greatnesse 〈◊〉 the State of England No vvonder also that I did sue for my said recall vvhen the Kings ennemies made use of Spirits of Dilâ—â—ion to attempt on the Soules and minds of the first of my family a persecution vvhich vvithout comparaison Iob neuer felt for his calamity did not follovv him from one Countrey to another As sirst it begun against me in Brabant It continued at my returne in England and follovved me into France as feemes to finish vvhere it begun vvith my Predecessors For no sooner had I gotten in France a Surintendance of an Office vvhich vvould haue proued vvorth to me many thousand pounds a yeare but vvas pursued by factionnaries vvho did boldly maintaine in Petitions presented by the Bishop du Puis to the Queen Regent that She vvas Ipso facto excommunicated for having conferred such an Office on an Heretique as they terme all that are not of the Church of Rome This vvas pursued by libels and mischieâ—â—â—â— contrivances in vvhich English Papists had part as especially those vvho impudently and most falcoly did sustaine me to be the man who crost all the King of great Brittains affaires abroad alledging 〈◊〉 other ground for their utterances but vvhat I had openly declared to the Lords in Parliament concerning the Lord Cottington and haâ— during my being at Paris one Sir Thomas Dishington had free accesse to me That the said Sir Thomas Dishingt on should have said that it vvas I vvho disuaded the Queen Regent from sending any Ambassadoâ—r into England that had not left a good esteeme there that the Queen Regent being graciously pleased to aske my opinion vvhat person seemed most fit for that Ambassage I said in ansvver to her most gracious commands that to me the Mareshall de Bassompieâ—â—e seemeed the fittest being a peaceable graue good and vvise noble man vvho hauing once reconciled the tvvo Nations might perhaps prouâ— a fit Minister for the reconciliation betvveen the King and his people That the said Sir Thomas Dishington had said that the Lord Lanthian had departed as ill satisfied from the French Court as any man euer could If I had not represented to the Queene Regent and to the Cardinall Mazarin the true condition of that Lord That I had likevvise procured a present of a golden chaine to the said Sir Thomas Dishington and presented him to the Cardinall Mazarin before his going for England vvhich vvas in the yeare one thousand six hundreth fourty foure VVeake Objections indeed and vveake grounds for Master VVilliam Crafts to proceede on for the utter destruction of my familly and to take hold on any other occasion to do me mischief as vvas intended vvith a report that I had since my being in France corespounded vvith some that are not in good intelligence vvith the French On vvhich point I vvas not bound to ansvver to any man liuing for as I am a free man borne in Zeeland It vvas free to me being not ingaged in any seruice to correspond vvith vvhom I vvould Yes cannot any man doubt of my Integrity and Maximeâ— considering the profession I haue made during many yeares my experience and the cruell persecutions vvhich I have suffered by those
that are no reall friends to the State of England vvith vvhome I vvould correspond both in publique and priuate if thereby I could doe good to the said State because I and my familly haue liued there thirty yeares that I am of the same Religion that the Church of England doth professe and that I haue a particullar affection to the Nation For the bruited correspondence in it selfe vvho doth it concerne IT may concerne the satisfaction of thâ—se that haue 〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉 if they please to confirme themselues in vvhat I do maintaine vvhich is TO TELL TRVTH to take the paines to reade the copie of a letter vvhich 〈◊〉 vvritten so me at my going from Paris vvhere I haue novv these nine months troubled my 〈◊〉 about recouering three of my daughters as yet detained from me in a Nunnery contrary to the Lavves of God of Nature the Fundamentall Lavves of the Land and of Nations in the sight of a most Christian Queens Regent vvho as Her pious exemplary life manifests Her to bee a machelesse Miror to all those of Her Seâ—e and condition 〈◊〉 disobedience of Children 〈…〉 Patents c COPIE AND TRVE TRANSLATION OF A LETTER VVRITTEN TO ME BY IAQUES D'ELDIMS dvvelling in the street S Leu behind La Rue 〈◊〉 Ours a Vâ—nneger house dated 4 Apprill 1646 Puril SIR I have thought fit to let you knovv that Monsieur des Champs is come to me from Monsieur de la Bernadiere and consorts Confrators of the Holy Sacrament as they terme themselves to bee employed to convert Huguenots and hath told mee that if you vvill become a Roman Catholicke Reconcile your selfe to the Queene of England and cast your selfe at her feet it shall bee procured that all your affaires vvill succeede according to your desire It behoves you to knovv vvhether your desires and contentments can bee assured by this meanes and if you do beleeve that your peace is easie to bee compassed vvith the Queene your Mistris for my part I do give you this advise as it is put to my charge to let you knovv the same praying you to vvritte thereon vvhat you thinke fit and your intention that I may make Knovvne to have acquitted my selfe of this commission so Kissing your hands I rest for ever SIR COPIE AND TRVE TRANSLATION OF MY ANSVVER TO THE LETTER SIR I do ansvver to your Letter of aduis for vvhich I thanke you though I stand not in need of any other Confraternity then that of Christians vvho haue tvvo Sacraments Instituted by their Cheefe Christ Iesus It 's for that profession my predecessors have shed their blood 〈…〉 in the 〈◊〉 of Monsieur 〈◊〉 as you may reade and for mee I have suffered for the same from my mothers VVombe vvho fled during the persecutions against those of our profession And for vvhat concernes the particular title of Roman Catholike I do ansvver that the Christian saith all That of Roman properly belonging but to him that 'll borne at Rome from vvhenoâ— as said seldome good men 〈◊〉 The proposed reconcilliation to the Queen of England seemes as strange to me as the proposed 〈◊〉 hauing neuer offended her in thoughts vvords nor deeds so that those vvho haue obliged you to notice theire propositions are vvholly mistaken in these tvvo points yet vvill I not forbeare to vvish them all good and to commende you for your good vvill vvhich obliges me to tell you that I am the more SIR Paris 6 of Aprill 1646. The Reader being come thus farre may if he please remember againe vvhat is said in the first lines of these leaves Iudgment belongs to God and to none else for he saith Iudgment is mine And aâ— by so doing he vvill free himselfe of that just censvver vvhich those deserve that judge arnisse so vvill he by the reading of the follovving lines be throughly informed of the just cause that justly moved me thereunto and that I could not vvithout proving criminall to my selfe obmit to mention the passages contained in the former lines For an Anatomist cannot proceed to the demonstration of the figure of the heart of man except he rips up the skin of the body Some kings and Princes vvho are abused by pernicious Councellors vvill not stick to the Obseruation of the Lavvs vvhich they themselues haue made not to those to vvhich they vvere svvorne Butt abandonne them selues unto a Licenciousnesse to dispose of the Liues and pocessions of men But none of them can dispose of the motions of the heart nor of any mans good fame Iff theire be any peculliar Prerogatiue in this vvorld sure selfe defence in the least questionnable it is the first Lavv of nature Therefore all men are bound to conclude that those vvho do vvilfully assaille it do make them selffe unvvoorthy of the benefist of the Lavvs of God the Lavvs of Nature the fondamentall Lavvs of Empires and of Nations To the heart I haue been vvounded and attempts haue been made to my soule and therefore no vvonder that I haue begunne these Lines vvith the names of my Parents their birth and their profession likvveise vvith my birth and profession and consequently vvith some passages that must argue vvhat I haue profest vvhiest in effet is the ripping upp of the first skin On vvhich Spirist of Darknesse and Diluzion haue of late endeauioured to put such an infamous stayne as neither Antiquity nor Moderne times can afforde amoreÌ„ horride example All vvhich the said Spirits of Darxnesse factionnaris and adherents to Cottintoniens haue been contracted in the persson of Mr. VVilliam Crafts vvho undertooke his taske to pocesse divers Noble Famillies in Paris vvith a most false opinion that my Daughters detained from mâ— in the Nunnery belong to others This the Eldest hath declared under her ovvn hand and that vvhen the said abominable false-hood vvas uttered by the said Master Craft shee desired a friend to reprove him he ansvvered it vvas to make her a fortune A fortune indeed vvhich the most vvicked among the Headens vvould on such condition reject and vvould for ever banish the vvord Fortune from their remembrance My selfe and a vertuous Mother proclamed the Keepers of these Children to have spent their meanes belonging to others horride Monsters that kept children from endeavouring their Salvation and in conclusion by the said Master Craft's most false relations become in the Opinion of number of Deluded persons a Monster that should haue been capable to do that for vvhich I should justly deserve to be forsaken by God and abhorred of all man-kinde better had I never been borne than to be coupable of such a crime better had I lived all my dayes among brute beasts and not in sight of the Courts of Princes My life hath been vvithout staine no man ever savv me pocest vvith vvine and sure no man can say that the place of my birth vvas destroyed by fire and Brimstone and that I vvas driven vvith my family in a Cave No man can say of mee as the VVorld hath just cause to maintaine of the said Master Crafts to haue svvarued from the Religion in vvhich I have been borne and bredd nor for any vvorldly preferments Meanes to vveake to vvork on a Christian setled mâ—nde I shall rather chouse to abandonne the Society of mankind all vvorldly conforts Nay burry my selfe alive than to yeeld to disordinate povvers And had it not been the hopes to do some good on my poore seduced Children I vvould not haue been moved neither by promises of SUFFICIENT ENTERTAINMENT ansvverable to my condition nor by assurances of Royall favours subscribed by Eminent Signatures vvhich Monsieur Brasset the French Resident at the Haghe did peruse ere I vould sturre from thence in August last 1645 to returne into France VVhere as said before all my labours on my seduced Children haue proued like the vvashing of Black mores my cares and paynes having produced to me but some letters vvritten by those blinded Virgins but penned by their blind Leaders for so theire arguments proues them to be since they haue sett under theire one hand that they could not hazard to imitatte Ioseph vvhen he rane to his father Iacob to gossen to do theire last duty but vvith hazard off theire SALVATION and therefore sent only to me at my departure a vvorke Stilled DISCOVRSE OF AMABLE BOVRZET a Priest vvho had dedicated a pack of mouldy ordinary tailles a nest of Cob-vvebs to Prince Edvvard Palatin Allas deluded Prince as iff those Lines vvere to proue as fatall as the vvound Achiles receaued in his heele and though vvhithout comparaison of quality consequently to stay me that I might be vvraught uppon or constrayned to render my Soule into the snarres of Monsieur Bourzet vvho teacheth a most damnable doctrine as disobedience of Children to Parents especially in things in different vvhich is to see and to heare Parents in a neuther place according the Lavvs of the Land VVhich do ordaine children to see and consulte their parents ere they take any religious orders All vvhich being finally seconded by the letter vvritten by Iacques d'Eldime vvho dvvels as said before at a Vinnegar man behind Saint Leu La Rue aux Ours in Paris proued a most brutish farvvell and a souer comfort to the vvounded heart of a Father BALTAZAR GERBIER