beeing sacked and put to the spoyle Nowhauen New-Hauen a Towne of great importance hauing beene brauely deliuered vnto the Prince by Vidame de Chartres Monsieur de Beauuoir and la Nocle his brother in lawe Vidame going into England meaning not to leaue the place vnprouided let the keeping thereof to one named Roquebrune to whom hee gaue commission to raise three hundreth men for the guard therof He presently went vnto the Cardinall of Lorraine and after to the King of Nauarre promising to deliuer New-Hauen vnto them and proceeded therewith vntill such time as he should haue executed his charge But the enterprise being discouered to Monsieur de Beaunoir he tooke speedie order for the reliefe thereof causing Roquebrune to loose his head Meane time Vidame dealt with the Queene of England to aide those of the religion vpon condition that for the securitie and safegard of her men she should haue the Towne of New-Hauen deliuered vnto her without any preiudice vnto the King or to the Realme whervpon 6000. English men were sent into Normandie whereof part were in Roane where they fought valiantly till the last man and if they had bene seconded the issue thereof would haue fallen out otherwise Some were put into Deepe the greatest part staying in New-Hauen vnder the conduct of the Earle of VVarwicke Roan being taken the Ringraue came before New-Hauen where the English men and Scots gaue him many a skirmish Many meanes were sought to corrupt Monsier de Beauuoir with promises of fiftie thousand crownes a coller of the order and a company of Lanciers But by no meanes he would consent to yeeld the Towne nor yet in any sort blemish his honour Touching Britaigne the Duke de Estampes Britaine a Gentleman of good and moderate nature behaued himselfe very indifferently with those of the religion as long as the Queene-mother seemed to hang in suspence But warres once kindled and his Nephew Sebastian de Luxembourg a cruell man if euer there were any in France being ioyned with him for assistant mutenous companiōs began to stirre in such sort that those of the Army of Triumuirat seemed to sette one vpon the other But yet those of the religion made good meanes to helpe themselues Nowe lette vs see what happened vnto the country of Guyene Guyenne during these first troubles The first of Aprill 1562. Monluc caused the towne of Fumel to bee vnwalled Threw downe certaine houses and sette them at a fine of three hundreth thousand frankes to bee payde vnto the widowe and Orphanes of Monsieur de Fumel not long before murthered by those of the Towne Those of the religion foreseeing the mischiefes that Monluc wold worke if he were not preuented desired Monsieur de Duras to stay in the Prouince where hee fonud great forces but hee excused himselfe by the commandement giuē him from the Prince to lead certaine forces to Orleans which was the means of most great miseries and cruell massacres that happened in that countrie Those of the religiō in Bourdeaux hauing let slip the means to get the Towne peaceably into their hāds while Burie Mōluc were absent that went about to erect their snares and to assure themselues they could no more attaine vnto it for that minding to assaye it once againe they found so many faint hearted people emong them that they were constrained to saue thēselues in Duras whereof the Parliament being informed caused their houses to be spoiled thrown downe threatning all such as they could lay hands vpon and among the rest two Ministers named Neufchastle and Grene. Monluc had his greatest quarrell against those of Agen Agen. who among diuers other enterprises of that Towne had surely been taken and spoyled by them had it not beene for the improuidence of Monsieur de Memy Generall for the warres for those of the religion in Guyenne and all the countrie adioyning wherein hee behaued himselfe with no great honour as beeing a man rather addicted to his studie then vnto armes which in the end made him loose his head vppon a Scaffold Burie and Monluc knowing with whom they had to deale sought diuers meanes to intrappe those of Argen and to the same end caused Captaine Charry to lye about the Towne but an Ambascado being set for him hee was put to flight leauing 45. of his men dead vpon the ground and fifteene prisoners Memy brought great forces into Agen but knowing not how to imploye them hee was forsaken by Arpaion and Marchastel who as then if hee would haue credited them could haue ouerthrowne Monluc who knowing his aduersaries weake conduction neuer ceased to giue him diuers alarmes About the end of three weekes Memies troupes hauing done no good in Agen departed and left their companies To the contrary Monluc ceased not to make diuers courses into the countrie constraining them to supply his want of victuals and munition his souldiers running to the gates of Agen and meeting with any of the religion they put a halter about his necke and if hee continued constant they put him to cruell death or else ransomed and then killed him And such as were but weake of faith after they had made them trot with them they constrained them to make the signe of the crosse to say an Aue Maria and to consesse and acknowledge the Masse to bee good yet they were not content there with but forced them to sweare and blaspheme God at the least fiue or sixe times togither which done they were accounted and holden for good and sufficient Catholikes in Monluc and Peyrot his sonnes opinions The seuenth of August those of Agen repulsed Captaine Bourg that kept a passage from them full of good prouision but hauing gotten the place their souldiers busied themselues about harkening after the sweet wines so that the next day againe du Rourg surprised and slewe sixtie of them dispearsing the rest whereof diuers passing the riuer dranke more water then the day before they had swallowed wine But the next day insuing they had their reuenge at Lerac where by certaine intelligence they slew eightie of Monlucs souldiers which notwithstanding within 4. daies after those of Agen perceiuing their towne to be weake issued out of the Towne all armed to the number of sixe hundreth men deliuering the keyes vnto the Consulles desiring them not to forget the great courtesie shewed vnto them by those of the religion when they were Maisters of the Towne Women of good account bare their children in their armes in a cradle vppon their heads or else carried them on their shoulders And in that sort hauing trauelled all night they found themselues to bee about seuen great leagues from Agen where they stayed for Duras that prouided for their securitie The next day those of Agen sought to kill and massacre such as they could intrappe Burie and Monluc presently came thither and after all the mooueables had been ceased vpon and borne away they ceased vpon the immcoueables
enmitie towards the Duke de Espernon While the king the Queene-mother and the Duke of Guise were speaking togither the people spake among themselues euery man gaue him his iudgement what would grow thereof whispering each other secretly in the care But secrets loue and wine are nothing woorth when they are opened and perceiued The king caused foure thousand Switzers to enter at foure of the clock in the morning the eleueuth of May 1588. The Duke of Guise feared to bee preuented and the Kings eares were filled with nothing but with the pretences of the Parrissians against him hee knewe the practises that would trouble the braines of the ambitious head of the Duke of Guise the manner of his arriuall and the fauour of the people increased his distrust so that hee resolued to preuent the time of his enterprise and commaunded the Marshall Biran to cause the Switzers and Frenchmen to enter into the Towne and to lodge them in diuers quarters thereof thereby to restraine the people that prepared themselues to the execution of that whereof a yeare before they had fayled The feare of the Persian Captaine Gast with his company ceased vppon the little bridge hard by Nostre Dame Captaine Grillon lodged at Pont Saint Michael the Marshall d'Aumont placed a ranke of Harquebusiers on each side of Pont Nostre Dame Whereat the people beeing abashed shutte vppe their shoppes which they had begun to open expecting a furie wherin Monsieur de Villequier vsed all the meanes hee could to diswade them praying them not to stirre or feare any thing But all in vaine they had no eares they would not heare the artificer left his tooles the Merchant his traficque the vniuersitie their bookes the Councellors their pleas and the Presidents themselues take halberts in hand whereby nothing was heard but fearefull cries straunge complaints mournings and dispight The fearefull day of Barricadoes in Parris And God knoweth if in that publicque rising such as would take vpon them to exhort set the rest togither by the eares might not easily do what they list Among the which one of those audacious mutinous fellows spake vnto them and said How now companions shall not wee this day shrowd our selues from the shoures of raine and pull our heads from vnder the axe which the kings arme lifteth vp against vs thereby to preserue vs from thunderclaps and furies of euill counsell that seeketh the meanes to make pray of vs our wiues children Perceiue you not that the King seeth onely outwardly vnderstandeth but with his outward eares and stirreth not but by the means of such as support heresies Seditious words to mooue the people that fill their chests with the treasures that are exacted from the Cleargie and the common people Shall wee staye till they come to binde our hands and feete draw vs to the Greue there to serue for tapistrie to the gibbets that are prepared in the Town-house What further aduise needeth to bee had to put our selues in a iust and naturall defence Haue wee not alreadie heard Curtisans in the streete making partitions of our goods Did they not say that frō henceforth the K. shal no more be a Page that he shuld commaund like a Maister and that hee would be reuenged for the attempts made against him by the league Shall wee abuse our selues shall wee not thinke vpon neighbours our wiues our children and our selues These words were presently carried and approoued with common consent And although the Duke of Guise knewe by the report of the Archbishop of Lyons whom hee had sent vnto the king that the placing of men of warre in the quarters of the Towne of Parris was not against him yet hee would not trust in any thing but his sword And with that the Barricadoes a fatall and seditious inuention of the league and the onely instrument to ouerthrow her tyranny in such Townes where the people are of courage were made distant each from other thirtie foote and reached almost to the Sentinels of the Louure The Switzers were set vppon and they yeelded crying Viue Guise and Monsieur de Brissac caused them to bee disarmed and lodged in the Butcherie or new market The Sieur de Saint Paul caused the kings guard to retire holding downe their armes with their hats in hand The Queene-mother got into her Coach in great feare and went to seeke the Duke of Guise and after her Monsieur de Bellieure thereby to appease the commotion But this burning Feuer being but in his prime and like to bee much more violent the Duke of Guise said hee could not hold those Bulles that had burst foorth Meantime the King was aduertised that the enterprise would proceed further That the Duke of Guise had not pretended so hautie an enterprise to faint in the middle thereof That to make his victorie full and accomplished hee must of necessitie cease vppon the person of him that might either impeach it or make it infamous to the victors Aduise giuen to the King concerning the Duke of Guises intēt Vppon these considerations there arriued a Gentleman a familiar and domesticall attendant vppon the Duke of Guise that assured him of the resolution that was taken to enter into the Louure and to cease vppon his Maiestie which was confirmed by three other and very true For that seeing the Duke of Guise had proceeded so far the time serued not as then to dissemble as likewise his Councel found no better more assured nor expedienter means And to conclude hee bragged seeing hee had him there to holde him fast where vppon a certaine Author hath written and saith How now what sayest thou straunger In the liberal discourse to slaye a King of France it is more then all Europe can doo it is an enterprise and yet very daungerous for an Emperour if thy Grand-father had thought thou wouldest euer haue vttered such proude speeches hee would surely haue strangeled thy father thereby to impeach thy enterance into the world In a peaceable estate in a quiet Realme this onely would haue cost thee thy head but because it is in such estate therefore thou troublest it The King that could hardly beleeue it would proceed to that poynt assured himselfe and made no account of that aduise thinking the people would alwaies range themselues vnder the clemencie of their king But those of his Councell that desired to bee farre from Parris and that knew the mutinies of the people shewed his Maiestie that there was nothing more vnconstant then that multitude which in times past had constrained Philip le Bel in great haste to saue himselfe in the house of the Templiers and the Duke of Normandie sonne to King Iohn prisoner in England to weare a hood halfe redde halfe russet thereby to defend himselfe from their insolencie And desired him to remember the reuolt of the Maillotins Caboches and of those of Saint Andrewes crosse of the disposition of Salcede the letters
maintaine the ancient amitie that had long continued betweene the countries of France and Scotland Monsieur Pierre Strossie Coronell of certaine Italian companies Monsieur D'andelot Coronell of the French Infanterie the Rhingraue General of the Lansquenets accompanied Monsieur D'esse And while they with their Troupes kept the Englishmen from inuading Scotland by land Leon Strossi Prior of Capoue with his Gallies and certain French ships came close vnder the Castle of S. Andrew which he entred by force and taking all that hee found therein returned into France D'esse presently after draue the Englishmen out of a Fort by them erected hard by that Castle but before the fire waxed greater by meeting of Ambassadours on both sides the peace before spoken of and propounded at Ardies betweene the kings of England and France was made and concluded whereby that warre ceased The rest of this yeare passed ouer without any matter of importance done in France The king hauing taken such order in Guyenne touching the Impost of Salt and other customes that in fine it prooued the spring and beginning of those insupportable exactions that bred and produced the seditions of the yeare ensuing Ordinances for custome of Salt and other things Autome all the rest of the year was much troubled with showers of raigne whereof ensued great ouerflowings and invndations of waters foreshewings and prescriptions of the troubles that after ensued both within and without the Realme The house of Guise being insinuated into the kings good fauor by means of Diane de Poictiers Duches of Valentinois that wholly ruled him hee gaue the Arch-Bishoppricke Bishoppricke of Reims to Charles yonger brother to the Duke of Guise to whom not long before Pope Paul Farnese had sent the Cardinals Hat this was The Cardinal of Lorraine solicited the Pope to take part with the king of France that great and so much renowmed Cardinall of Lorraine that liued in such fame in the times of the Kings successors to Henry the second Charles of Burbon brother to Henry Duke of Vandosine and after King of Nauarre was also made Cardinall at the same time But the difference was great betweene these two Cardinals The Lorraine a man of great iudgement and one that seemed to be borne onely to stirre vp strife within the Realme was as then sent and imployed in Ambassage vnto the Pope to drawe and perswade him to fauour the King of Francis part and wholly to disswade him from the Emperour against whom as then he was much incensed because his Lieftenant in Italie had ceased vppon the towne of Plaisance after the murther of Pierre Louis the Popes sonne slaine by the conspiracie of his owne subiects the 10. of September 1547. The Emperour and the King sent vnto the Councell The Emperour sent his Ambassadours to the Councell as then holden in Bologne to protest against such as were assembled in that place thereby to induce them to returne againe vnto Trent The King likewise sent his Ambassadors thither to exhort thē to looke vnto thēselues and to prouide for their affaires These practises and deuises in time prooued the sparkles of the fire of vengeance and desire of reenterie into warres inclosed within the hearts and breasts of those two Princes specially of the King who partly prouoked by the opinion of his meanes and partly solicited by such as knowing his nature much inclined to the delights and pleasures of the Court and of a soft spirit little practised or brokē with matters of estate thought to fish in a troubled water as the common saying is not beeing able to distresse the peace made with the Emperor at Cresoy in the year of our Lord 1544. complayning against the animositie of the Emperour vsed towards France and among other examples to pricke him alleadging the death of Coronel Vogelsberg beheaded at Ausbourge at his returne from the warres of Scotland where he had serued the King While the King made preparation to ride on progresse throughout his Realme Gasper de Colligny sieur de Chastillon sent into Picardie The Fort of Chastillon caused a fort to be erected near vnto Bullen that as then was holden by the Englishmen which after annoyed them much The King beeing in Bourgongne made his entrie into most part of the Townes and hauing visited La Bresse Sauoye and Piedemont returned vnto Lyons where hee held a feast for the Knights of the order of S. Michaell Commotions in Guyenne by reason of exactions During his voyage into Sauoye and Piedemont the commons of Guyenne Saintonge and Angoulmois rose vp in armes because of the extortions vsed by those that had farmed the impost of salt and in short space assembled to the number of 40000. men wel armed besides those of the ylands and by common consent set vppon the farmers of Salt and although in the beginning the king of Nauarre had sought by all meanes to disswade them neuerthelesse they held firme and earnestly pursued their enterprise against those of the farmers vppon whom they might lay hands The commons of Gascoigne likewise rose vppe and followed the pernicious examples of the rest whereof ensued the massacring of many of the Kings officers in diuers places of the countrie who abusing their offices had beene the causes of that mutinie Fault of the Gouernour the Iurats of Bourdeaux The Maior and Iurates hauing charge within the Cittie of Bourdeaux the parliment of Guyenne and Monsieur de Monneins that therein commaunded as Lieftenant for the King in stead of remedying and taking order for those tumults defended it too long specially Monsieur de Monneins who not reproouing the insolencie of one of the principal leaders of those troupes named La Vergne made him become so bold and impudent that not long after he presumed to rayse and call the people togither by sound of bell besides this he committed an other fault which is that beeing fearefull and hauing withdrawne himselfe into the Castle of du Ha thereby as hee supposed to put the people in some doubt He sent out diuers Caliuers at seuerall times to represse their insolencie but it fell out contrary to his intent For that this issuing of the Souldiours set the people in such a rage that hauing found mutinous companions for the purpose as La Vergne l'Estonnac Maquanan and others presently they fought where the farmers and their partakers were put to flight and many gentlemens houses vnder pretence of searching for the exactors of Imposts whom they affirmed to bee hidden therein were robbed and spoyled Disorder in the capitall Towne of Guyenne The commons entred into the Towne where they rung a bell to assemble the people no man daring to passe through the streets vnlesse hee were armed and in company of the Nobles otherwise they were cruelly massacred and murthered by such as met them The Councellers of the Court of parliment were constrained to put off their gownes and in their dubblets and hose with
the 25. of Aprill insuing Bullen was deliuered into the hands of the king of France who made his entrie into it vpon the 25. of May after About that time died Claude de Lorraine first Duke of Guise and Iohn Cardinall of Lorraine both beeing poysoned with Humieres the Cardinall of Amboise and Iohn of Caracciol Prince of Melphe Lieftenant generall for the King in Piedemont and Marshall of France after whom succeeded Charles de Cosse Barron de Brissac in his time a most valiant Captaine Now wee enter into warres Occasion of warres begun betweene France and Spaine as hotly begunne as euer they were betweene the Frenchmen and the Spaniards The king from time to time casting his eyes vppon the Duchie of Millan and withall remembring the titles therevnto pretended by the house of Orleans wherevnto they neuer renounced beeing no lesse sorrie for that which had happened in Plaisance in regard of Pierre Louis sonne to Pope Paul Fernese who therin had been slaine by his houshold-seruants For besides that the report went that it had been done and practised by the subtill meanes of Ferdinand de Gonzague Lieftenant for the Emperour in Lombardie thereby to aduance his maisters affaires he had ceased vppon Plaisance The Pope desirous to reuenge himselfe and hauing not an arme as strong as his heart had sent Camille Vrsin to keepe and defend Parma and accepted the offer by the king in ayde vnto him which was to receiue the familie of Farneses and al their lands and goods into his protection The Pope had giuen Parma vnto his Nephew Octauian who not long after was inuested therewith by Iulius the third successour vnto Paul but the Emperour pretending that the Title of protector belonged better to him then to the King that had nothing to doo in Italie and perceiuing that accord between the king and the Pope to be as a thorne within his foote determined to assure himselfe of Parma wrought in such maner that Pope Iulius abandoned his vassall Octauian that had espoused the Emperours Bastard-daughter Octauian repaired to the king that named himselfe Protector of the lands of the Church and of the Ferneses and Pope Iulius being solicited to take order therein made no account thereof wherevppon the king determined to ayde Octauian and not long after Gonzague besieged Parma which caused the king to commaund the Marishall of Brissac his Lieftenant in Peidemont to fortifie and strengthen Mirandole but Gonzague hauing discouered the enterprise surprised the Soldiours that Marshiall Brissac sent thither and caused them to stay On the other side the Pope began to threaten the king because hee had receiued Octauian into his protection and said he would excommunicate him and all the Realme of France To coole the Popes chollor the king expresly forbadde all his subiects not to carrie any mony to Rome neyther yet to go thither for any cause whatsoeuer ordaining the Metropolitans of his Realme to supply their default therein vntill further order should bee taken This was no small blowe vnto the Court of Rome and surely if the king had still continued in that mind the Popes had neuer pilled France in such maner as afterward they did but thereby they had beene taught to become wise Which had surely beene a beginning of reformation throughout Christendome but it being grounded onely vppon temporall considerations and commodities it proceeded to no good end Octauian was declared a rebell vnto the Sea of Rome and presently war was proclaimed against him Gonzague entering by armes into the territories of Parma Beginning of warres beyond the Mountaines On the other side the king dispatched newe forces into Piedemont commaunding the Marshall of Brissac to ayde those of Parma and Mirandole From whence proceeded the taking of Quiers S. Damian with certaine Forts Castles in the Marquisall of Montferrat Whereby Gonzague was constrained to leaue Parma to defend the Millannois At that time the Emperour found himselfe much busied with many important affaires hauing to doo both with the king of Fance the Turkes and Affrica besides the troubles which as then were not fully ended in Almaine The Histories are very diuers touching the breach of this peace betweene the Emperour and the king but it must bee vnderstood by this newe commotion happened betweene two so puissant Princes for asmall matter as it outwardly appeared that they sought some former quarrell whereinto both of them most willingly entred vnder pretence of their new warre for Parma but aboue all things the iust iudgement of God minding to scourge Christendome as then filled with all disorders and culpable of greeuous crimes was the onely cause thereof Preparation for warres in Picardie In the beginning of the yeare 1551. Marie Queene of Hungaria sister to the Emperour and Gouernour in the lowe Countries made great preparations for warres both by sea and land And vnderstanding that the Marshall de S. Andre was readie to sayle into England to beare the order of France vnto Edward king of England sent certaine shippes to lye betweene Douer and Calis to take the Marshal who taking shippe at Deepe held an other course and so performed his voyage And for his securitie hee caused certaine Flemish shippes to bee stayed at Deepe which were presently released assoone as they vnderstood of his arriuall in England On the other side Queene Marie caused an arest to be made of all French Marchants shippes that as then were in any Port within the lowe Countries wherewith diuers Marchants were not very well pleased by reason of the disorders and losses that commonly happen by such arrests Monsieur de Villebon minding to refresh Turouenne wherein hee commaunded with new victuals Monsieur du Reux a great aduersarie to France sent certaine Souldiours to lye in Ambuscado and to impeach that enterprise but in the end hee was constrained to retire without effecting that they went for Irons in this sort beeing heated commaundement was giuen to the Ambassadors on both parts to depart The Queene of Hungaria stayed the Ambassadour of France prisoner in a certaine Castle with a great guard where hee stayed for a time The kings proceedings towards the Pope the Emperour and the Councell of Trent But before further proceeding vnto warres the king sent Monsieur de Termes to Pope Iulius to excuse himselfe in respect of that which he had done in the behalf of Octauian Fernese hee likewise shewed vnto the Emperour what reason mooued him to take armes and sent the Abbot of Bellosanne to signifie vnto the councel of Trent that hee could not send the Bishops of his Realme vnto such a Councell neyther yet esteeme that assembly to bee a generall Councell that they should respect the animositie of the Pope against the Realme of France and the eldest sonne of the Church and therefore that they should not finde it straunge if hee seemed not to shewe obedience to that assembly not made for the common benefite of Christendome but onely for
Emperour and the king to bring them to an agreement but nothing tooke effect each of thē seeming to haue right on his side meane time the differences touching religion began to increase such as would not receiue and acknowledge the traditions of the Pope were cruelly burnt They suffered the Turke to win diuers places in Europe and his Gallies as then came before Corse to ayde the Frenchmen were at the siege of Calui and Boniface among the Christians and holpe to conquer the Island and then returning homeward spoyled the coast of Toscane besieged Plombin and the I le of Elbe belonging to the Duke of Florence passing further executed an infinit of mischieses vpon the realmes of Naples Sicile and Calabre and so laden with great spoyles and numbers of Christians their prisoners they arriued in Constantinople other places without any impeachment so much so great was the hatred between the Emperour and the King that they had rather see the Turke inriched with Christians teasure then once to consent agree in one to inuade so common an enemie But returning to Siene Siene besicged and taken the Marques of Marignan came to besiege it with all his forces onely vpon the hope he had that Strossi beeing wounded and Monluc lying at the poynt of death being dead for it was thought they could not liue long Lanssac and Fourqueuau taken the Sienois being wholly destitute of counsell and French secorers would yeeld vnto him Strossi beeing somewhat recouered and hauing been certified of the death of Monluc hazarded himselfe with sixe companies of foote and two of launciers to come to Siene Where by the prudence and resolution of Serillac Nephew to Monluc he entered who by a stratageme of trompets caused an alarme in the Marquesse campe that thought verily some new armie had been come to set vppon them but hauing found Monluc liuing and in some better estate then he had been he returned againe yet not without great daunger Monluc hauing made many skirmishes vppon the enemie perceiued that in fine they would take the Towne whervpon hauing shewed the Souldiers and the Townes-men what he thought the Marques would do hee gaue order that euery man should be stinted in his victuals and that they should liue by prescript rules of war The Sienois very willing to followe his counsell and aduise did as he commanded The Marques hauing assayed by scaling the walles in the night-time to enter into the Citadell and the Fort of Camollia was valiantly repulsed with the losse of sixe hundreth of his men and by many skirmishes batteries intelligences and combats seeking to become maister of the towne being not able to effect his will determined to proceed with the first and surest resolution which was to constraine them by famin by which meanes his campe indured much miserie and euery moneth diminished more and more neuerthelesse in fine his perseuerance ouercame them so that vpon the 20. day of Aprill 1555. an honourable composition hauing been made and agreed vpon with Monsieur de Monluc his troupes and those of Siene the towne was yeelded vnto the Marques and after into the hands of the Duke of Florence Touching that which after happened to the territories of Siene I meane not at this present to intreate further thereof leauing that to the description of the warres of Italie from whence I must returne vnto Picardie Warres in Picardie Mariembourg being revictualled the Leaders that cōmanded in those quarters for the Emperour hauing erected an armie of twentie thousand foote fiue or sixe thousand Rutters and some Enfignes of olde bands of Spaniards caused a place called Giuets to bee fortified from whence they forraged the Country lying nearest vnto it and famished Mariembourg The king assembled his forces at Maubert Fontaine whereof Francis de Cleues Duke de Veuers was Lieftenant Generall hauing eight hundreth launciers as many light-horse about eight thousand footemen who once againe revictualled Mariembourg The 26. of Iulie the Rutters and the French light-horsemen met togither but the Rutters were presently constrained to reenter into their fort and the Count de Barlaimont General of the Emperors Armie refusing battaile the French men retired presently after the prince of Orange entred in to the kings country and spoiled the Castle of Faignolles After that in winter time Messieurs de Sanssac and Bourdillon the third time reuictualled Mariembourg The raigne and troublesome season togither with the want of victualls on both sides impeached the armies from meeting togither During this last voiage the king hauing gotten the writings and euidences whereby Iohn de Brosse Duke d'Estampes claymed a right and title vnto the Duchie of Bretaigne into his hands gaue the Count of Ponthieure in exchange thereof vnto the said Duke The Emperor resigneth all his estates vnto his son and his brother At the same time the Emperor a prince of great valour and courage as all Histories do witnesse hauing so long time borne a world of affaires troubles within his braines determined to discharge himselfe thereof and hauing sent for the Prince Don Philip his sonne vnto Brissels then king of England resigned vnto him his kingdomes of Spaine Naples Cicile and others whereof hee gaue him letters pattents commanding all his subiects to obey him Those letters being deliuered vpon the 25. of october 1555. were read in open counsel by the Chancelor And among many notable instructions aduises by the father giuen vnto the Prince his son he exhorted him to make peace with the King of France and to haue pittie vpon Christendome miserably tormented by so long and cruell warres He likewise left off the Empire and by letters vnto the Electors desired them to giue that dignitie vnto Ferdinand his brother to whom by right it ought to appertaine hauing by them bin chosen and elected for king of the Romanes Wars in the Isle of Corse About the same time the Geneuois assaied to win the Isle of Corse not long before taken from them by Monsieur de Termes and sent thither the Prince d'Aurie that assailed the port of S. Florent which yeelded by composition the souldiers issuing armed and their goods saued returning to Boniface to Iourdā Vrsin d'Aurie following after them thinking to win it but he was soone repulsed to his great losse About the moneth of the same yeare died the Marquesse of Marignā The death of the Marques of Marignā being out of fauor with the Emperor For hauing too long prolōged the taking of Siene consuming a whole armie about it he was solemnly buried at Millan the Duke d'Alue being assistant at his funerall King Philip following his fathers counsaile and solicited therunto by Mary Queene of England his wife inclined to peace which to effect after many meetings and conferences a truce for 5. yeares was agreed vpon between thē The Count de Lalain Truce for 5. yeares between the 2. Kings came to Blois to sweare the truce vnto
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
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
whence the said Cardinall of Bourbon were so issued because of the nearnesse of his person The Genealogie of Heary of Bourbon King of Nauarre S. Lewis Robert Lewis Iames. Iohn Lewis Iohn The king of Nauarre alleadged for his reasons the genealogie and discent of the house of Bourbon saying Saint Lewis king of France had two sonnes the eldest Phillip the third surnamed the Hardy and Robert the youngest Earle of Cleremont of this Robert of Beatrix daughter of Archambaut of Bourbon was borne Lewis Earle of Clermont and first Duke of Bourbon created by king Philip de Vallois which Lewis espoused Marie Countesse of Hainaut and had two sonnes Peter and Iames the Masculin kinde of Peter is wholly extinct there resteth none of his side but the houses of Lorraine of Sauoy by the females Of Iames de Bourbon younger sonne to Lewis and of Iane de S. Paul his wife issued Francis Charles Anthony Henry The Duchie of Bourbon 1327. Iohn de Bourbon Earle of Marche of Iohn de Burbon Catherine Count esse of Vendosme issued Lewis de Bourbon Earle of Vendosme of Lewis de Bourbon and Ieane de Laual his Wife issued Iohn de Bourbon of Iohn de Bourbon and Isabeau his wife issued Francis Earle of Vendosme of Francis Earle of Vendosme and Marie of Luxembourg Countesse of Saint Paul issued Charles de Bourbon of Charles de Bourbon and Francis d'Alencon his wife issued Anthony de Bourbon king of Nauarre the eldest son Francis Duke of Anguien Charles Cardinal of Bourbon Iohn Durke of Anguin Margaret married to the Duke de Neuers and Lewis de Bourbon Prince of Conde Of Anthony de Bourbon the eldest issued Henry de Bourbon now king of Nauarre and Catherine Princesse of Nauarre his sister Wherefore it is euidently seene that the king of Nauarre is a degree behinde the Cardinall of Bourbon for hee is in the tenth and the king in the eleuenth degree but it is seene that hee is sonne of the eldest house of Bourbon and therefore by consequent preferred to all the rights of the house royall Paul Aemil. in pud Crasso Anno. 11110 â—olidin Hist Angl. By a statute in the Court in the yeare 1341. By a statute in the yeare 1517. Filius Fratris Fratri aequiparatur ita succedit atque parter si viuerer All the Doctors concluded in fauour of the Nephew against the Vncle that saith hee is the eldest by the disease of his father whether it bee in the direct or colaterall line in successions vndeuided as Realmes Empires Duches Earledomes and that is obserued in France England Spaine Portugal Almaine and Sicile So Archambaut had the Duche of Bourbon from his vncle Hannon Artus Duchie of Normandie froÌ„ king Iohn his Vncle third son to Henry the second king of England Lewis Earle of Neuers the Earledome of Flaunâ—ers from his Vncle the daughter of Guy Vicount of Limoges the Duchie of Brittaine from Iohn Earle of Montfort his brother Henry d'Albert sonne of Catherin the Earledome of Foix from Iohn Viscount of Narbonne and his heires Richard sonne of Edward Prince of VVales was crowned without contradiction and Yorke Henry de Bourbon succeeded in the right that Anthony de Bourbon his father had in the house of Bourbon by the succession of his auncestors the title of eldest sonne not beeing lost nor extinct in the father but continueth and is transported to the sonne The right of eldest is perfectly ingrafted in the eldest assoone as he entereth into the world is made a man which right being in him hath continued in his posterie by the custome and common obseruation of the Realme The reason that some alleadge to prooue that this right was neuer gotten in the father is not to bee respected for although there were but onely and sometimes hope his sonne is permitted to claime it and to seeke the possession as it falleth out although the son of the eldest is a degree further then the Vncle neuerthelesse being entered into the place of his father hee ought to bee preferred further the right of preferment is not gotten by our selues onely but by the right and person of others so that as long as there testeth any thing of this elder house an other cannot take place in any sort whatsoeuer The king of Nauarre hath another reason against the which there can bee no argument that may preuaile which is that the Cardinall of Bourbon his Vncle at the contract of marriage betweene the said king of Nauarre and the Ladie Margaret of France acquitted remissed yeelded and transported vnto to the said king all and euery right name voyce and action present or to come that in any case might appertaine vnto him as beeing issued out of the house of Bourbon expresly acknowleging the king of Nauarre his Nephewe for the true son heir successor and representation in all respects of the eldest house And so to thinke by denying his own deed to attain to the vaine hope of the succession of the Realm comprehended vnder the generall declaration of the elder house of the saide deceased king of Nauarre there is no likelyhood So the king not to displease the League that occupied the principall places of his thoughts declared the Cardinall of Bourbon the first Prince of the blood although hee knewe that by iustice and the lawes not onely of this Realme but of all the best gouerned estates that euer was the king of Nauarre was onely capable of that prerogatiue and the good Prelate perceiued not that vnder that quallitie of first Prince successiue heire to the crown which the league procured vnto him it pushed forward her tyrannie with al the force shee might thereby to vsurpe the royaltie giuing to a king of sixe and thirtie years of age a succession that hath past the climaticall yeare of sixtie three To be brief it may be said of the League as Cicero said of Caezar and Pompey it presenteth vnto vs the picture of the Cardinall of Bourbon but will erect the Image of a straunger The League tooke away the Kings Councell The affaires of the League hauing had in her poope the winde the authoritie of the king and fauour of all the people floating most proudely in the maine seas without feare of winds or waues fearing that the kings great goodnesse would not long continue that the wise Councellors that were about the king would giue him aduise and withdrawe him from the shipwracke wherein they would reduce his authoritie ceased not to blow in his eares that his Councell set a darke cloud before his eyes thereby to impeach him from seeing what is the dutie of a good king hyding the truth froÌ„ him and staying at nothing but that which might content either passion or auarice The king to please them is constrained to pull his eyes out of his head to depriue himselfe of the light that he receiued by the wisdome of his Councellours
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
with them Hee likewise made a long answere touching the accusation made against the Prince of Conde shewing it to bee a meere falschood once to thinke or suppose that the enterprise of Amboise was thought or ment against the person of the king or for to trouble the Estate After that he desciphered the originall of those of Guise behauing himselfe in such sort in all his aunsweres like a good Politian and that with so good reasons that thereby hee escaped from the Court and nothing was done either touching him or against the Constable nor any of his Those of the religion next to God commit themselues vnto the protection of the Princes of the blood Those of the religion hauing vnderstood by aduises giuē thē by many Gentlemen in diuers Prouinces that their ouerthrow beganne to approach if with all speed and readinesse they prouided not for themselues Hauing recommended themselues by heartie prayers vnto God determined to cast themselues into the armes of the Princes of the blood as Fathers Tutors and Conseruers of the innocencies of the poore afflicted people and that by the natural lawes of the countrie were called vnto that charge during the minoritie of the kings And for the same cause certaine notable personages were appoynted among them to go vnto the king of Nauarre and the Prince of Conde at Nerac to whom with all their meanes he offered a large declaration containing a rehearsall of all the wrongs by those of Guise committed against the king and the Realme with a most humble supplication that it would please the said Princes to deuise the meanes to deliuer the king and his Estate out of their hands The explort of Monsieur de Mombrun About this time Monsieur de Mombrun a Gentleman well affected to thereligion beeing narrowly sifted by the Parliament of Grenoble and brauely escaped out of his enemies hands was desired by diuers of the Venitian Marchants to ayde and assist them against the violences and extortions vsed in their behalfes by the Popes Vicelegat contrary vnto their priuiledges and auncient franchises La Motte Goudrin Lieftenant for the Duke of Guise in Dauphine was likewise entertained by the Vicelegat to helpe him with all his forces And although Mombrun had very fewe men yet hee constrained his enemies to seeke for an accord which hauing but violated and broken in all the articles by the Vicelegat and la Motte Goudrin Mombrun raised armes againe and handled the Priests hardly that had slaine some of his men after the accord was made and sworne which done hee put a great number of la Motte Goudrins souldiers vnto the sword and vsed him in such sort that hee made him leaue his fence but hauing beene constrained to dispearse his little troupe and soone after betrayed by one of his domesticall seruants hee saued himselfe by flying out of the Realme hauing trauersed through many daungers and saued himselfe in the territories of Geneua and about the countrie of Berne The Princes counsels discouered by la Sagne wherof ensued the imprisonment of Vidame de Chartres To returne vnto the Princes they beeing much confirmed in the resolution by thē taken to discharge their duties touching the relieuing of the realme of France by the declarations and offers of those of the religion they began to deale therein and among other agents imployed in those affaires the Prince of Conde sent one named la Sagne vnto diuers great Lords to desire them not to saile him of their aydes La Sagne hauing receiued an answere from the Constable and Vidame de Chartres came vnto the Court where hee deliuered certaine letters and as hee stayed fro an aunswere hee was so vndiscreet that hee suffered himselfe to bee vndermined by one Captaine Bonual who hauing discouered it vnto those of Guise ranne after him and brought him prisoner to Fountainebleau where the letters of Vidame de Chartres beeing read wherein he promised the Prince to maintaine his iust quarrell against all men except the king his bretheren and the Queenes those of Guise sent to apprehend him within Parris and to keepe him prisoner in the Bastille where they vsed him with most great rigor vntill hee died They found not so good a baite in the Constables letters or at the least would make no shewe thereof because they would not trouble themselues with so many things at once La Sagne was well payed for his prating for that his nostrils were stretched in such sort that hee tolde all whatsoeuer hee knew and more then truth to prolong his miserable life Mean time his cōfessions made vppon the racke caused those of Guise in all haste to dispatch their affaires for first to their great dishonour and disaduantage of their kinswoman they agreed with the Queene of England prouided for the frontiers of Lorraine caused the olde troupes that came out of Dauphine and Piedemont to lye along by the riuer of Loire writing on both sides to their partakers A proposition in the Councell for calling a Parliament at Fontainebleau On the other side the Queene-mother that feared least shee should bee disgraced whatsoeuer might happen by the aduise of the Chancellor and the Admirall to whom as then she made shewe willingly to hearken she resolued to cause a motion to bee made in open councell that it were requisit that the king should assemble all the Princes Lords knights of the Order and men of authoritie in his Realme to take order for the pacifying of the troubles which they esteemed specially to proceed because of the persecutions against those of the religion Those of Guise found this resolution to bee good thinking thereby to finde a meanes to intrap both the king of Nauarre and his brother trusting likewise for that most part of those that should assemble were of their retinue that nothing should passe therein but for their aduantage and that this meeting would wholly breake off the calling of the generall States and by that meanes make a sure ground for their affaires Wherevppon they began to write into all places in the Kings name who desired euery man to bee at Fontainebleau vppon the 15. day of August for the causes aforesaid Those of Guise sent letters likewise from themselues full of all good promises and rewards The King likewise wrote vnto the King of Nauarre desiring him to bee there with his brother and all such Lords who as then were with him But couertly by the meanes of secret practises those of Guise dealt in such sort that the King of Nauarre resolued not to come and that against the aduise of the Constable and diuers great Lords who said and affirmed that as then the meanes presented it selfe whereby to put downe those of Guise and to reestablish the lawfull gouernment of the Realme And to conclude the Constable verilie supposing that the Princes would bee theee sayled not to come thither with aboue 800. horse which constrained those of Guise as then weake to flie softly
French men had their throats cut wher the king of N. doubting himselfe not to be secured in the chast imbrasings of his first nights espousals was constrained to alter the forme of his religion And because he had escaped that danger and finding himself healed of his continuall fears and distrusts he said that in changing of religion he had done it by constraint hee was oftentimes accused of Apostacie At that time Rochel the begā to refuse the Garrisons which the K. would haue placed therin was the refuge of the Huguenots Rechel besieged Anno. 1573. whervpō Monsieur besieged it and in 6. months brought it to such extremitie as that if the planting of the flowerdeluce in the furthest parts of Septentrion had not diuerted him he had been Maister therof at such cōposition as had pleased him The King of Polonia Sigismod when he died left 5000. horses in his stable For the Polonians sent Ambassadors vnto him to offer him the Crowne of Polonia and to inuite him to the possession of a great rich and puissant Realme great because it is in compasse twise as much as France rich by reason of the abundance of all things necessarie for mans life renowmed for armes and horses and puissant for the honour of the Nobilitie being most valiant and braue warriours hauing more Gentlemen therein then are in France England and Spaine Thither he went being accompanied by the king himself as far as Lorraine from whence for his better assurance Coronation of the K. of Polonia Letters of regent granted the Queene-mother till the K. comming out of Polonia In Parliamēt the 3. of Iune 1574. he passed through the territories of the Princes of Almaine that were much greeued offended at the murther cōmitted vpon S. Bartholomewes day from thence he arriued at Cracouia and there vpon the first day of Penthecost he receiued the Crown the next year after vppon the same day hee was crowned king Meane time king Charles his brother that died in the flower of his age declared him to be his successor and his mother regent till his returne commaunding the Duke of Alencon his brother and the king of Nauarre not to alter any thing in the state and to perswade themselues that kingdomes are onely gotten eyther by vertue or succession and not by reuolting or tyrannie As this great king of two great realms as earnestly looked for of the Frenchmen as lamented of the Polonians was desired of the Catholciques for the effects The returne of the king of Polonia into France His nature The warres for the common-wealth vndertaken by Monsieur the malcōtēts An increase of Monsieurs reuenewes the 28. of May 1576. An agreemēt with Monsieur made at Ioinuille The K. made this peace to seperate his brother from the Princes The 4. Edict of peace in May. 1576. Aiguemortes Beaucaire Perigueux Le Mas de Verdun Nions Serres Yssoire Seine la grād Tour. The king called this peace his peace D. Casimire wold not dislodge without assurance of paiment and the obseruation of peace The league of Peronne they had perceiued to be in him touching the religion so was he also loued of the protestants that knewe him of nature to bee a true Frenchman estranged not only frō cruell actions but also from most seuere intents and hoped vnder his raigne to finde a more moderate and peaceable season But God to punish our sinnes had otherwise ordained for at the kings returne the wars likewise returned which began to flame burst our vpō the frontiers against the Marshall of Amuille who perceiuing himselfe altogither frustrate of any hope of euer being reconciled to the king practised with the towns of Longuedoc seduced Monsieur that made himselfe Generall of this new confusion vnder pretence of a quarrell for the Common-wealth and vsed the forces of both the religions The king of Nauarre that could not forget the bloodie day that had consumed so many of his seruants and perceiued not himselfe so much imployed as his inferiours in matters of estate abandoned the honorable captiuitie of the Court and those that had followed him with all the Princes of his house ioyned themselues togither for his protection Whereat Monsieur was greeued and perceiuing himself to be left alone with his Catholicques he had recourse to the kings fauour by the increase of a new degree of honour and reuenue giuen him by the king The king of N. the Prince of Conde procured strāgers ayde not as they protested therby to shake off the yoke of the Monarchie or to deuide thēselues into as many Cōmon-wealths as ther are Prouinces in France but to liue in obedience vnder the king freedom of conscience and thereby to obtain a peace which was made between the king Monsieur his brother the K. of Nauarre and the Prince of Conde whereby the free publike and generall exercise of the religion was permitted vnto the Protestants in all the places and Towns which as then they held they being declared capable to haue their places in Parliaments and chambers of iustice seuerally all iudgements being made against them for any enterprise whatsoeuer declared voyde the memorie of the heads of their part taken away and the cruell day of S. Bartholomew disauowed And for the better assurance and performance of the conditions they had eight Townes deliuered vnto them with the conditions of their gouernments This peace which was thought would haue long continued beeing made with so greate solemnitie not with dissemblers but with a king that as yet had giuen no occasion of distrust was soone weakened and shaken for that the same conditions that had made it were the means to vnloose it For the Prince of Conde perceiuing that he reaped not the fruit of his desert and that the gouernment of Picardie was denied him was the first that found himselfe offended and that shewed himself discontent desiring the Duke Cazimir not to abandon the frontiers of Lorraine vntill hee perceiued that peace to be wel confirmed and obserued The Catholicques to the contrary being greeued at the libertie which the Huguenots had obtained thereby to make their religion increase fructifie and that the Rutter had not as yet put vp his Pistolle into the case besought his Maiestie to restraine that pernitious licence of the Edict of peace but perceiuing him not to be sufficiently moued to cut off that which as thē begā but to spring vp nor to take knife in hand therewith to shed his owne blood they began to assemble at Peronne to moue all the rest of the towns vnder pretence of diuers occasions not litle wondred at of the people which were for the honor increase of the Catholike religion for the suretie of the estate and Crowne of his Maiestie the vtter extirpation of Heresies and for the reuocation of the Edict of peace wherein they swore obedience and seruice to the Generall that should bee appoynted ouer this fellow
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
times to hold a Parliament to reforme the abuses of his Court which hee caused to bee assembled making shewe to redresse the maladie of his Realme but it was to intrap his Princes and Lords and put them to death which he did apprehending the number of two and twentie whose heads hee caused to bee striken off Hee was degraded and deposed of his royall dignitie and the Lords of his Realm caused him to die by thrusting a redde hotte spit into his fondament The Duke d'Espernon complained of the wretchednesse of that time and of the infamous libertie of Erenchmen in dishonouring their Prince and abhorred that manner of writing wishing a seuere punishment might bee executed both vpon the composers and readers thereof for example to others The League hauing dispatched the kings Councellours from his presence and established their tyranny in his affections desired nothing more but the ouerthrow of the Huguenots for that thorne sticking still in their foote they could not march with good assurance so that they ceased not till they sawe them assayled in two places The Duke de Neuers Generall of the armie at Poiton that is Poitou and Dauphine His Maiestie gaue the conduction of the armie into Poitou to the D. de Neuers a Prince full of zeale in religion and fidelitie to the king and valerous in armes who The Duke de Neuers Generall of the armie at Poiton perceiuing that the warre stayed but onely for want of money lent the king fortie thousand Crowns proceeding frō his part of the partage of the goods of his fathers house The Duke of Guise knowing that the armie would not bee so soone prepared and that while it was prouiding the king of Nauarre might take the field and get the aduantage sent the Regiment of Saint Paul to Monsieur de Mercurie and desired him to begin to prepare the way for the armie of Monsieur de Neuers which marched forward and to giue the enemie as much as hee could thereby not to giue him libertie to march vppon them The comming of the Duke de Mercury in Poitou The Duke de Mercury with his troupes marched along by the riuer of Loire to enter into base Poitou and because the towne of Montagu although not long before spoyled and vnwalled had been repaired and fortified by Monsieur de Colombiers that held it for the king of Nauarre and that the Garrison thereof continually molested and hindered those of Nantes hee determined to besiege it and so take that retrait from the Huguenots and to the same end caused three cannons to bee layde at Pontrousseau to batter it but beeing aduertised that the king of Nauarre had issued out of Rochell vppon the ninth of August minding to ayde Montagu he left it and retired to Nantes leauing the Regiment of Gersey to make his retrait which was surprised and ouerthrowne within two myles of Pillemil beeing the subburbes of Nantes This Prince of so generous nature that he gloried not in vanquishing those he had ouercome perceiuing that Regiment to yeelde vnto his mercie Victorie without bloodshed contented himselfe with eight Ensignes and foure hundreth and fiftie prisoners and giuing thankes to God in open field dined vnder a tree and there forgetting the great way hee had marched the night before not to leese occasion of intrapping that Regiment the same day hee hunted the Partrige and in the euening entered into Montagu to take order for the fortification and Garrison thereof It is said that Caezars tongue did him great seruice in many enterprises his eloquence did in such sort stirre vppe the courages of his souldiers that bending their heads forward they passed on whether fortune and his commandement would push them Promptnesse and celeritie crowned all the enterprises of the king of Nauarre with laurell triumphs esteeming that long discourses are to no effect where it is more necessarie to doo then to speake The action which is not done with speed can neuer take any notable effect Pompey was blasoned and Hanniball likewise as being too slacke in taking occasions offered And most part of our armies are broken ouerthrown more by delaies then speedinesse wee must haue so long preparation for our men before they bee readie while they are preparing the aduantage is lost An army from Spaine while the king prepared and appoynted the two armies for Poitou and Dauphine that the king of Nauarre returned victorious vnto Rochel and that the Duke d'Espernon tolde how he had escaped the furie of the people of Augoulesme The estate of the army and remained eight and twentie houres besieged without meate or drinke newes was spred in all places of France Their Commaunders Captaines of the approaching of the great and horrible Spanish armie that had cast anker before Calais on Dunkerke side staying the ayde of the Prince of Parma that was to ioyn with the Fleet with great forces and numbers of horses to make their discent in England more easie to bee performed The armie was called inuincible and of a most admirable preparation which might bee seene by the description thereof printed at Lisbon and after that translated into French Dutch and Italian It contained one hundreth and thirtie shippes one hundreth nine and twentie men of quallitie that went voluntary at their owne charges and with them foure hundreth fiftie sixe seruants to attend on them The number of the Regiments two hundreth sixe and twentie Lords Gentlemen Captaines Ensign-bearers Lieftenants and other principall officers of companies with one hundreth sixtie and three seruants one hundreth and thirtie regiments hauing one hundreth seuentie two Ensignes and twentie thousand fighting men among the which many were appoynted to be horsemen according to the preparations made in the Prince of Parmaes ships that prepared diuers furnitures for horses which they expected to be readie for them in England Euery Vessel and Regiment had his visitor farrier treasurer Commissarie for prouissions Their Officers Commissaries and his Surgeon The Officers of Iustice were an Auditor generall his Lieftenant an Alquazil for the king and his Lieftenant foure other Alquazils foure Secretaries sixe Vshers and one Geolier The Marshall of the field The great Maister of the Artillerie The Maister of the field Alphonse de Cepede assisted with twentie Gentlemen to prouide both by land and sea for all difficulties that might happen with two Ingenieurs The chiefe Maister of the ordinances and artillery had his Lieftenants beeing fiftie nine Maister Gunners with a Generall of the carriages and cartes prepared for the land and a Generall for al the instruments of Iron that were to bee vsed about them and for the entertaining and conduction thereof a Commissarie of the Mulets and twentie two Groomes to lead them In the Hospitall of the sicke there was a General ouerseer and his Lieftenant fiue Phisitians The Hospitall fiue Surgeons fiue Assistants to them foure binders vp of wounds one
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
of the King of Nauarre the conspiracies made the last yeare about Easter and the many aduises and prognostications he had receiued by the singes hee had seene The Queene-mother was not of that mind The 13. of May. 1588. and promised to perswade the Duke of Guise and for the same cause went to find him out desiring him to quench so many fiers alreadie kindled to come speake with the King of whom hee should haue contentment at his pleasure and thereby let him see that in so vrgent an occasion hee had greater desire to serue then to ouerthrow his Crowne to repaire rather then throw downe the edifice of the estate which that commotion had most mischieuously shaken The Duke of Guise betweene hope and feare that neuer esteemed man to bee greater then himselfe as long as hee held his sword in hand making shewe of innocencie and laying the fault vppon the people said that he suffered himselfe to bee borne in that sort by them rather by force and necessitie then that he had any desire so to do That touching the Louure it was but athing falsely deuised against him that it should be a great folly for him to go thither things being in such hatefull estate and so to cast himselfe weake and in his dublet into the mercie of his enemies The Queen-mother aduertised the King by Secretarie Pinâ—rt The Queene marking the stubburnnesse and resolution of the Duke of Guise concerning her requests caused the King to bee aduertised who desiring not to stay any longer in that trance issued out of Parris by the new gate and that night lodged at Trappes It is said that being at Mon-martre he turned towards the Towne and cursing it for the infidelitie ingratitude and disloyaltie thereof in respect of all the benefits it had receiued at his hands hee sware hee would neuer enter into it againe but by a breach his seruants the companies of his guard and men of warre with the Switzers followed him and left their lodgings to those new Kings of Parris The Duke of Guise that had written to the Gouernour of Orleans The Duke of Guises letters to the Gouernor of OrleaÌ„s that he held the Louure so close shut vppe that hee would giue good account of that which was within it knew well the victorie was not performed and that his reputation would be stained if the newes of the Kings retrait were carried out of the Realme by other meanes then by him selfe hee considered that whatsoeuer is attempted against the Kings person toucheth and concerneth all his equalles that as the Prelates the Officers the Senators and Knights and all Kings are bretheren that one blood royall calleth the other that all soueraigne Rulers do blason rebelles and disturbers of estate although they helpe themselues by the same meanes He thought it good to send Monsieur de Brissac to the Ambassadour of England to shewe him the cause of the erecting the Barricadoes I make no difficultie to write whole leaues of a discourse when it is not out of purpose neyther any disgrace to the matter propounded therefore I haue set downe the same words that passed betweene the Ambassadour of England and the Counte de Brissac which were faithfully reported vnto me The Counte de Brissac accompanied with certaine Gentlemen went to visit the Ambassadour of England at his lodging in those commotions and populer insolencies to offer him a safeguard or protection and to desire him not to bee abashed nor to stirre as beeing assured of the protection of Mensieur de Guise The Ambassadour made him aunswere that if hee had beene in Parris as a particular person he would fall downe at the feete of Monsieur de Guise and giue him humble thankes for his great and courteous offers but beeing there hard by the King and for the Queene his Mistresse that had peace and amitie with the King he neither would nor could receiue any protection but from the king himselfe Monsieur de Brissac shewed him that the Duke of Guise was not come to Parris to enterprise any thing against the king or his seruice but that hee had onely put himselfe in defence that there was a great conspiracie made against him and the Cittie of Parris that the Town-house and other places were full of gibbets whereon the king had determined to hang diuers of the Town and others and that the Duke of Guise desired him to aduertise the Queen his Mistresse thereof to the end it might bee known The Ambassadour aunswered that he beleeued the Duke had willed him to say so that the highest and hardiest enterprises often times lye hidden and secret in the minds of those that vndertake them and that when they thinke good they make them knowne with such colour and shewe as they thinke best for their purpose that he could not chuse but tell him plainely that that which passed in Parris would bee found very straunge and euill thought of by all christian Princes hauing interest therein That no cloake or couer how faire soeuer it might bee could cause it to bee liked of it beeing the dutie of a subiect to continue in the iust obedience of his Prince That if there were so many gibbets prepared it would be the easilier beleeued if the Duke of Guise would cause them openly to bee shewed And againe if it were so it is a most odious and intollerable thing that a subiect by force should seek to impeach the iustice that his Soueraigne would execute against offendors That hee would promise him that most willingly and with all speed hee would aduertise the Queene his Mistresse of that had passed but to bee his Interpteter vnto her of Monsieur de Guises intents and those of his confederacie it was no part of his charge the Queen his Mistresse beeing wiser then himselfe both to beleeue and iudge what she thought good Heere endeth the second Booke THE THIRDE BOOKE OF THE LAST troubles of France containing that which passed after the Barricadoes in Parris and there trait of the king to Chartres vntill the Edict of pacification and assembly of the generall estates at Blois in the moneth of September Barricadoes the 12. of May. 1588. O Accursed and fatall day that haste defaced the beautie and pleasure of the twelfth day of May which euery yeare vsed to put vs in minde of the solemne and triumphant enterie of Charles the eight into the Realme of Naples what coale can bee blacke ynough to note thee in our Ephemerides and so leaue to our posteritie the rememberance of the shame and reproach of the rebellioÌ„ which thou breedest vp by driuing the king out of Parris and making knowne the hideous spectacles of the tyrannie of the League There is no memorie that forgetteth the remembrance of thy ingratitude no abolition that defaceth thy felony nor any defence to bee sought that might hide thy shame and there is not sufficient water in the riuer of Seine to wash away the