Emperour had instead of it that Country between the Rivers of Saone and the Rhone the Alpes and the Sea which Dominon was erected to the Title of a Kingdom by Charles the Bald King of France and Emperour in favour of that Hermengarda whom Bozon one of the Court of Charles and his wives kinsman took away These two Bozon and Hermengarda gave a beginning to that second Kingdom of Burgundy or the Kingdom of Arles about the year 875. which continued under these Kings among many alterations to that last Rodolphus an 1036. All that time Provence was part of that Kingdome of Arles 4. Which Kingdom being extinct in that Rodolphus and united to the Empire by Conrad the Salique shortly after by the weakness of the Emperours and the disorders risen in the Empire four Principalities were framed out of it as we said before That of Provence under the title of a County was the most considerable as being full of good Towns and of great commerce by reason of the Sea It was possest by the family of Berengers with the title of Counts whose History was written by Nostradamus 5. That House of Berengers kept the County of Provence till the time of St Lewis when Raymond Berenger the last Count left four Daughters the eldest whereof Margaret was married to St Lewis The three others were also married to Soveraign Princes Eleonor to Henry the III. King of England Fancie to Richard his brother who was since created King of the Romans and the fourth Daughter Beatrix to Charles Count of Anjou brother to St Lewis Raymond dying an 1231. left that Beatrix Heir of all his Estate leaving Legacies onely to the three others to each three thousand marks Another Raymond Count of Thoulouse would have taken away that Beatrix to marry her But St Lewis prevented him sending an Army into Provence and taking her gave her to his brother Charles to wife to whom he gave the County of Anjou And thirty yeares after the same Charles was invested by the Pope with the Kingdome of the two Sicilies as we shall see hereafter The County of Anjou returned to the Crown of France being given as a portion to Margaret Grand-child to that Charles who was married to Charles Count of Valois Father to King Philip de Valois And many yeares after that first Branch of the Kings of Naples and Counts of Anjou pretended no right to that County it was given to Lewis brother to King Charles the V. who founded the second House of Anjou now erected to a Dukedome But the two other pieces of that Estate which Charles brother to St. Lewis enjoyed with his wife Beatrix which was Provence and the Kingdom of the two Sicilies remained alwayes united and the Kings of Naples and Sicily whether of the first House of Anjou or of the second or of the family of Arragon have alwayes claimed a right to the County of Provence so that Naples and Provence go under one right as we shall more fully expound when we shall speak of the claim of France upon Naples 6. Jane Queen of Naples of the first house of Anjou went out of Italie An. 1379. with Pope Clement VII and retired to Avignon when that great Schism began which contitinued forty years Since which time although there have been many disputes for the succession of Naples between the Families of Charles de Duras the Dukes of Anjou and the house of Arragon and that portion of Italie past through many changes yet Province into which that Jane retired was soon after put in the hands of Lewis first Duke of Anjou brother to Charles the V. and both he and his descent enjoyed it peaceably without any disturbance from the houses of Hungary and Arragon who were fighting for the Kingdom of Naples although both pretended that Province belonged to them by the same right But the conveniency of the place as lying under the wings of France which might assist it at any time kept the possession thereof to the house of Anjou And finally from the house of Anjou it past to that of France being left to Lewis the XI by Charles Count du Main Heir and Nephew to Rene titular King of Naples and reall Possessor of Province Lewis the XI though he knew the right of the French in Naples which his Son Charles the VIII and his other successours have pursued yet he neglected it and contented himself to take Provence By this discourse it appears that who so hath the lawfull Possession of the Kingdom of Naples which we shall examine afterwards hath also a lawfull right to Province 7. Besides that claim of the Possessors of Naples upon Province disputable between that house first of Anjou and that of Arragon Austria there is a more particular claim of the Dukes of Lorraine against the French Kings Heirs to that Charles du Main The Lorriners pretend that René having a Daughter named Yoland from which the house of Lorrain is descended could not lawfully dis-inherit his Grandchild to give his Estate to Charles du Maine his Nephew To which the French answer two things 1. That Province was a purchase of René who could dispose of it 2. And that Province useth the Civil or Roman Law by which testaments are free But the discussion of that point is for another place Howsoever this remains That the Dukes of Anjou and the French Kings after them have peaceably enjoyed the County of Province above 270. years and the invaders of Naples never had any thing in it Which indeed hinders not but that they may have a right to it But the reason whereby we shall exclude them hereafter from any right to the Kingdome of Naples will serve also to invalid their claim upon Province Paragraphe III. Of the Dutchy of Burgundy 1. The Burgundians came out of Germany or some other Nation of the North in that great inundation of Northern people over the Roman Empire about the year 400. founded a State under the name of the first Kingdom of Burgundy about the Rivers of Saone and Rhone and near the Alpes And that State having begun An. 407. was ruined by the children of the great Clovis about the year 527. and lasted about six score years 2. Since which time under the first race of the French Kings Burgundy was part of the Kingdom of Orleans some part of it also belonging to the Kingdom of Mets and Austrasia And in the end the Kingdom of Mets and that of Burgundy became all one till by the partage between the children of Lewis the Meek that part of Burgundy which is beyond the River of Saone remained with the Empire and in the portion of Lothary the eldest Son The other on this side of the River of Saone was allotted to France and was a considerable member of the same Before the institution of Fees made in the beginning of the third race Burgundy was governed by Dukes and three Brothers of Hugh Capet the first of
presently the War of the league begins in Italy at Milan at Rome and at Naples At Milan the Duke of Bourbon Generall of the imperial Army besieged Francis Sforza whom the league had taken in her protection Sforza is constrained to surrender the Castle and retire into the Army of the league the Generall whereof was Francesco Maria Duke of Urbin The Duke of Bourbon having taken Milan goeth straight to Rome takes it and is killed in the assault The Cardinalls are imprisoned and ransomed At the same time Lautree was at Naples with an Army and laid a strait siege to it by Land And Andrew Doria with the Gallies of France besieged it by Sea Yea he won a battel by Sea in which Moncado Viceroy of Naples was staine But being ill satisfied of King Francis who denyed him the ransome of Prisoners and used him with contempt he turned to the Emperour and relieved Naples with victualls by Sea And Lautree presently after happening to die the French lost all in Italy and the Emperour settled himselfe in it with more power He restored the Dutchy of Milan to Sforza and made him marry his neece Christina daughter to the King of Denmark Yet he cut off from that Dutchy the Common wealth of Genoa which was made Soveraign at the request of Andrew Doria He confirmed also Parma and Placentia to the Popes 4. While this War was in Italy King Francis made a league with Henry the VIII of England and both declared War against the Emperour who having said to the Herald of France that his Master was not in a condition to declare Warre against him till he had disingaged his faith and fulfilled his promises which if he repented of that he should return into prison to make a new Treaty King Francis exasperated with these words declared in presence of all the Court that he would satisfie the Emperour by a Duel and sent him a challenge saying that the Emperour lied if he said that he had broken his word The Emperour though he made a shew to answer the challenge kept himself still to his answer that King Francis was not in a condition to require satisfaction of him till he had discharged his promise So all these threatnings vanisht into smoak 5. While these Princes were thus contending two great Princesses Lovise the Kings Mother and Margaret the Emperours Aunt were labouring for an accommodation By their meanes the Treaty of Cambray was made which therefore was called the Treaty of Ladies it was in the year 1529. By that Treaty a marriage was concluded between King Francis and Eleanor the Emperours sister widow to the King of Portugal and it was agreed that King Francis should pay two millions of Gold for the ransome of his Sons And that he should disclaim all his rights to the Counties of Flanders and Artois and to the Dutchy of Milan and as some adde to whole Italy which is like enough since the Treaty of Cambray changed nothing in that of Madrid but that there was no mention of the Dutchy of Burgundy Paragraphe V. From the Treaty of Cambray an 1529. to that of Crespy an 1544. By the Treaty of Cambray War ceased between these two Princes but not the jealousies and hatred Yet they kept peace till the year 1533. when Merville an Italian Gentleman the Kings servant was condemned and executed at Milan because some of his servants had killed a man But the secret and true reason was that the Emperour had complained to Duke Sforza that this Merville was at Milan as a Spy for the French which was true yea he was a secret Embassadour and Sforza had desired that he should not openly take the title of Embassadour for fear of offending the Emperour That murther of Merville broke the peace for the King taking Armes to chastise Sforza the Emperour also took arms to defend him It was at that time that King Francis instituted a new form of Militia which was called Legionary The Emperour also was incensed by the alliance which the King had made with the German Princes Protestant though perhaps that name was not yet in fashion who being persecuted by the Emperour for their Religion on had their refuge to the French King as the antient confederate of the Princes of Germany for the defence of the Rights and Liberties of the Empire These Princes were the Duke of Saxony the Palatine the Duke of Bavier the Duke of Wertenberg the Lantgrave of Hesse Yea he lent a hundred thousand Crowns to the Duke of Virtenberg who engaged to him the County of Montbeliard But that engagement was simulate and Francis did very willingly assist the Enemies of Charles These were the motives and occasions of this War Of which these were the chief passages 1. Francis to passe to Milan demands of Charles Duke of Savoy passage through his Country The Duke denies it by the instigation of Beatrix of Portugal his wife sister in law to the Emperor very partial for him That deniall cost the Duke the losse of all his Lands both of Savoy and Piemont which the King took and kept them till the Treaty of Chasteau in Cambresis an 1559. The pretence of that invasion was the right which Francis pretended in these States from his Mother Lovise of Savoy A little before that invasion the Emperour seeing that thick cloud threatning Milan himself returning from Tunis with a weary and broken Army sends to the K. propositions of peace many fair words Yet he stood so stiffely upon the Treaties before very advantageous for him that the King would not hearken to him perceiving that he would only protract the time till he had recrewted his Army Besides Francis Sforza being dead without children at the same time the Emperour had seized upon the Dutchy of Milan And it was reported that he intended to bestow it upon a Sonne of Portugal his wives brother For these reasons these two Princes fall to action The King conquereth Savoy and Piemont and the Emperour fortifies himself at Milan 2. The Emperour passeth into Italy visits the Pope Paul III an 1536 and in presence of the Conclave inveighs against Francis relating all that past between them ever since they came to their States reproaching him especially for joining with the Princes of contrary Religion in Germany And offereth three conditions to the King to choose which he would The first was to give the Dutchy of Milan to the Kings third Son the Duke of Angoulesme not willing to give it either to the Dolphin or to the Duke of Orleans for fear said he of giving jealousie to the Italian Princes if persons so near the Crown grew so powerfull in Italy especially the Duke of Orleans who had lately married Catherine de Medicis which had some pretences upon Florence and Urbin If the King accepted that condition he desired to know what assistance he would give him against the Turk and the Heretiques The Emperours second offer was to fight a Duell with
the King either upon the Land or in a Boat That he left to the King the choice of the Armes That the vanquished should give all his forces to secure the sitting of a Council and to make War against the Heretiques and Infidells That the King should deposite the Dutchy of Burgundy and himself that of Milan to be the price of the Victory The third offer was that if the King refused these two conditions he declared mortall War unto him till one of the two was made the poorest gentleman of his Kingdom The King purged himself to the Pope by letters of all the Emperours accusations The War grows hot in Piemont an 1536. Many exploits are done Fâ—ssan is besieged by Antonio de Leva for the Emperour and taken The Marquis of Saluees leaves the Kings service and turns to the Emperour who enters into Provence and besiegeth Marseille but in vain being defended by the Kings presence and by the generosity of Ann de Montmorency who since was Constable of France The Emperour is beaten out of Provence At the same time the Count of Nassau makes some exploits in Picardy for the Emperour takes Guise besiegeth Peronne but is repulsed 4. Jean Capell the Kings Atturney General moveth the Parliament that a proces be made against Charles as Felon and Traitor against his Soveraign of whom he beld the Counties of Flanders Artois and Charolois in fee. The Court of Peers hereupon assembled decree that Charles should be cited with sound of Trumpet upon the frontier of his States to appear before them And he not appearing he was condemned and his Dominions depending from the Crown were confiscated Presently after the King tooke many places in Artois An. 1538. the Pope Paul the III. comes to Nice where both the Emperour and the King met also the Pope communing separately with each of them for hee could not obtaine of them that they should see one another Yet they concluded a truce for ten years That meeting being ended the King returnes into France the Emperour into Spain but seeth the King by the way at Acquesmortes They confirme the truce and are civill one to another Shortly after the City of Ghent being revolted and having killed their Magistrates Charles desireth Francis to give him passage through his Lands which the King granted him In that passage the Emperour received all the royall honours The King went to meet him at Chastelleraut In that enterview the Emperour gave the King some hope to give him satisfaction about the Dutchy of Milan 6. An. 1641. the King sent Antony Rincot a Spaniard that had taken sanctuary in France to the Turk and Caesar Fregosa to the Venetians Both were slain upon the River of Po going to Venice by Boat This murder was done by the order of the Marquess du Guast Governour of Milan who hoped thereby to get their Papers and Instructions but they had been sent to Venice another way The Marquess was accused and convicted of the fact by those that executed it who were taken at Venice Upon this the King breaks the truce of tens years The Dolphin who was since Henry the II falls upon the Roussillon besieged Perpignan but is repulsed with losse Charles Duke of Orleans seizeth upon Lutzenburg The Emperour on the other side makes a league with the King of England enters Picardie besiegeth Landrecy but Francis relieveth it and driveth the Emperour from the siege Barbaressa the Turk comes by Sea to the Kings help takes the Town of Nice wasteth those coasts of the Mediterranean sea goeth away having done little good to the French and ill satisfied of them having given a great matter of obloquy against Francis to the Christian Princes In Piemont after many exploits on both sides the famous battel of Cerisoles was fought an 1544. and won by the French the French Generall being the Duke of Anguien the Spaniard the Marquess du Guast At this time Ferdinand King of the Romans brother to Charles the Emperour being sore prest by the Turk in Hungary sends a Dominican Fryer his Confessor to Charles to exhort him to peace Charles is perswaded to it and Francis also Their Deputies meet at St. John des Vignes in the Suburbs of Soissons and begin a Treaty which soon after was concluded at Crespy in Valois of which these were the chiefe conditions That Charles Duke of Orleans the Kings second Son should marry the Emperours Daughter or that of Ferdinand King of the Romans at the Emperours choice within six yeares and for her portion that the Emperour should invest the said Duke with the Dutchy of Milan or the County of Flanders or Charolois or Franch County at the Emperours choyce likewise And that upon his investiture with one of these the King should renounce all his claim to all the rest and to the Kingdom of Naples That till there were Children born by that marriage if the Emperour had before assigned the Dutchy of Milan for the Ladies portion he should retain in his power the Castles of Milan and Cremona That the King should restore to Charles Duke of Savoy all that he had taken from him on both sides of the Alpes yet that he might retain the Citadels as long as the Emperours kept the Castles of Milan and Cremona That both the Emperour and the King should restore all that they had taken the one from the other since the truce made at Nice by the Popes mediation This Treaty beares date of Octob. 18. 1544. and was executed but the King restored many more places then the Emperour Paragraphe VI. From the Treaty of Crespy 1544 to that of Chasteau en Cambresis an 1559. Francis out-lived three years the Treaty of Crespy all which time he had no War with Charles who had retired himself to Bruxelles Francis being dead his Son Henry the II. succeeded him who also had no War with the Emperour till the year 1550. Two accidents made the old jealousie to break into open War 1. The Pope Paul the III. had invested his Bastard Peter Lewis Farnesio with the Towns of Parma and Placentia which the Emperour had yieled to the Church upon the claime of Leo the X. without much examining the Popes right onely because it had been so covenanted when the Pope and the Emperour united themselves to expell the French out of Italy an 1521. That investiture troubled Charles afterwards who pretended either that these Towns should remaine united to the patrimony of the Church or that in case of alienation they should return to the Dutchy of Milan Now this Peter Lewis Farnesio having made himselfe odious to his subjects by his cruelty and impudicity was slain by the people of Placentia who put themselves under the Emperours protection At the same time Paul the III being dead Jules the III that succeeded him maintained at the first Octavio Son to Peter Lewis in the investiture of Parma and Placentia But soon after repenting of that donation which he saw to
be displeasing to the Colledge of Cardinals joyned with the Emperour for the dispossessing of Octavio who put himself in Henry the II his protection and that King powerfully assisted him both against the Pope and the Emperour and was at such odds with the Pope as to prohibit the bringing of any money out of France to Rome At which the Pope amazed desired peace of the King and desisted to oppose Octavio yea and caused the Emperour to restore Placentia to Octavio since which time Octavio and his successours have enjoyed Parma and Placentia At the same time the King protected also the Prince of Mirandola whom the Pope would oppresse Before that time an 1545. the Emperour got a great victory over the Protestant Princes of Germany Their two chiefe men Friderick Elector of Saxony and Philip Lantgrave of Hâ—sse were taken prisoners Whereby the Protestant party was so humbled that in the year 1550. they implored the help of Henry the II of France who past into Germany to relieve them The Constable of Montmorency in his way seized upon the Townes of Metz Toul and Verdus upon the Rights which we have set down in the third Chapter That enterprize of Henry in favour of the Protestants made the Emperour conclude a peace with them in haste So that the King being come to Strasburg was desired by them to return because they were agreed with the Emperour Returning from Germany he took many Towns in Lutzenburg Rochemars Danvilliers Ivoy Bovillon And the Emperour towards the end of the year 1551. besiegeth Metz so well defended by Francis Duke of Guise that the siege was raised the first day of the year 1552 Terrovenne is taken and razed by the Emperour The people of Siena fearing lest that Cosmo de Medicis Duke of Florence should make himself Master of their Commonwealth had put themselves into the Emperours hands hoping that he would bring them in their liberty But seeing that he would bring them under the subjection of Cosmo they called Henry the II to their help who gave them Blaise de Montlue for their Governour who since was Marshal of France in his Commentaries he hath described how that City was besieged But in the end they were forced to submit to the Florentine In the year 1555. the Emperour Charles resigned the Imperial Crown to his brother Ferdinand and all his other Estates to his Son Philip the II. A Treaty of Peace betweene Henry and Philip was moved near Ardres and perfected near Cambray an 1556. for ten yeares and sworne by the two Kings Feb. 6. But presently after the death of Jule the III. and the Pontificat of Marcel the II. which lasted but two and twenty dayes the peace was broken upon the Election of Paul the IV. a Neapolitan of the house of Caraffa allied to that of Melpha which had alwayes been of the French faction and was odious to the Spaniards who used all their power to hinder his election And when in spite of them he was elected they raised two powerfull Families of Rome against him the Columna's and the Vitelli's who revolted against the Pope being assisted by Philip. The King sends help to the Pope so the Truce is broken Many exploits of Arms were done about Rome But Octob. 14. 1557 the Pope and the Spaniard agreed and Henry called his Army back But at the same time Philip having married Queen Mary of England made his wife declare War to Henry by a Heralt of Arms who spoke to the King himself at Reims whence followed many various effects of war in Picardie and Champagne till the memorable battell of Saint Guintin lost by the French an 1557. where the Constable was taken But Francis Duke of Guise newly returned from Italy revived the sad condition of France by the taking of Calais Guines the Land of Oye and the Town of Thionville The two Armies of these two Princes being both in sight one of another in Picardy near the River of Somme the Constable of France and the Marshall Saint Andrew both Prisoners of the Spaniard the Popes Nuntio and Christina Dowager of Lorrain Cosen-german to Philip manage a peace which was concluded at Chasteau in Cambresis in February 1559. By the first Article of that Treaty the French King was to execute religiously all the Treaties made between Charles the V and Francis the I. whereby they understood the cessions made of Naples Milan Flanders and Artois unlesse the present Treaty did contradict it but that Treaty mentioned onely the restitutions of the Towns taken on both sides and the rendition of the States of Savoy and Piemont to Philibert Emanuel Duke of Savoy Also by that Treaty a marriage was agreed on between Philip then newly a Widower by the death of Queen Mary of England and Elizabeth daughter to Henry the II. which for that reason was called the Queen of Peace In the celebration of that marriage Henry the II was slain Paragraphe VII From the peace of Chasteau in Cambresis 1559. to the death of the Duke of Alenson 1584. There was no open war between the two Crownes all that time which comprehends the reign of Francis the II Charles the IX and great part of that of Henry the III. But by the vertue of that Queen of peace the Union was so great that the troubles of Religion being risen in France Philip assisted the French Kings with his Armes Under Francis the II. In this reign of ninteen months the History observeth two notable things which are much for our purpose 1. The State of France being in trouble at the entry of this reign by the great favour of the Guises Unkles to Queen Mary of Scotland wife to Francis the II and by the Queen-mother Catherine de Medicis who took the Regency of the Kingdome to the prejudice of Antony of Bourbon King of Navarra and first Prince of the blood of France after the Kings brothers who being kept low and all the house of Bourbon with him seemed to threaten France of a Civil War Philip the II considering that State of France sent to Francis the II a letter which was read in the Councell whereby he said that he had heard how some great men of France being ill satisfied of the Government establisht by him his brother in law Francis threatned his State of a Civill War That he Philip was ready to imploy all his Forces and his life to make him obeyed as his good confederate and neighbour remembring the good instructions and the holy education which his Father Charles the V had received from Lewis the XII his Guardian 2. The house of Bourbon being degraded from the rank it ought to have had in the Court Antony King of Navarra retired into Bearn and when the Cardinal of Bourbon and the Prince de la Roche sur Yon conducted the Queen of Spain to her husband he bore them company Now because by the Treaty of marriage that Princesse was to be delivered to Philip upon the
1589. after he had seen the revolt of most part of his Kingdome Henry the IV succeeded him and is acknowledged by the Protestants and part of the Papists The Duke du Maine who kept Paris receiveth Baptista Taxis and others for the King of Spain who raise parties for the degrading of the House of Bourbon and the advancing of the League In March 1590. Philip publisheth an Edict whereby he exhorteth all Catholique Princes to joyne with him for the deliverance of Charles the X meaning the Cardinall of Bourbon whom the League had made King to the exclusion of the rest of the House of Bourbon The same yeare 1590. King Henry besiegeth Paris Philip sends the Duke of Parma out of Flanders with a great Army who takes Lagny and raiseth the siege of Paris The next yeare after the Cardinall of Bourbon being dead the Leaguers consult about the election of a King Many of the Seize that is of the sixteen men that governed Paris affected to the Spanish party vote for Philips Daughter Clara Eugenia Isabella of which claime we have spoken before But the Duke du Maine who desired rather to have the Crown either for himselfe or for some of his house protracted that businesse and turned it over to the States Generall of the League And in the mean while sent President Jannin into Spain unto whom Philip promist all assistance to the League upon condition that his Daughter should be acknowledged Queen either alone or with such a Husband as she should chuse That President returned much offended with Philips proceeding especially because speaking of the Towns of France he would say My City of Paris My city of Orleans and ever since solicited the Duke du Maine to reconcile himselfe with the King An. 1591. King Henry the IV besiegeth and presseth Roven very sore The Duke of Parma returneth and maketh him raise the siege Before the Duke of Parma came into France he propounded two conditions to the Duke du Maine the one that he should put the Town of La Fere into his hands which he did and the Parmezan put a Garrison in it of four hundred Spaniards The other that he should press the assembly of the States of the League to declare the Infanta Queen of France Du maine promist him to move the Assembly about it and gave him hope that King Philip should be contented In January 1593. was the opening of the States of the League where the Duke of Feria extraordinary Embassador of Spain declared his Masters zeal for the defence of Religion desired them to chuse a Catholique King and to preserve unto the Infanta of Spain the right she had to the Crown of France Upon which that famous Arrest or sentence was given by the Parliament for the maintaining of the Salique Law And though afterwards the Spaniards proposed the marriage of the Infanta with the Duke of Guise or with Ernestus brother to the Emperour Rodolphus they were rebuked by the States as making a proposition contrary to the Salique Law When they prest againe that the Infanta should be acknowledged Queen with such a Prince as Philip should name within two months they were answered that when the States had chosen a Catholique Prince if he was not married they would consent that he should marry the Infanta But the hope which Henry gave at the same time to the party of the League that he would come to their Religion destroyed all these designes of the Spaniard and he was anointed King at Chartes in the beginning of the year 1594 and soon after entred into Paris whence the Duke of Feria departed with the Spanish Garrison The same year The Duke du Main having lost Paris and seeing the League falling to pieces went to Bruxelles and asked succour of Ernest of Austria Governour of the Country who sent Charles Count of Mansfeld into France Mansfeld takes la Capelle and returns into Flanders But Henry having laid the Siege to Laon Mansfeld returns and in vain endeavoureth to make him raise the siege The King takes Laon passeth to Cambray an Imperiall Town which Balagni held with the Title of Prince since the first voyage of the Duke of Alanson The King confirmeth that principality to him under the protection of France Towards the end of the year 1594. Henry having broken most part of the League declareth War to the Spaniard by the counsell of the Duke of Bovillon by reason of Philips open enmity against him and the assistance which he had given to the League and because he held from him La Fere and La Capelle That Declaration being made to the Archduke Ernest he answered that he would send word of it to King Philip and a delay of two months being granted War was proclaimed by a Herald The War begins The Duke of Bovillon hath ill successe in Lutzemburg King Henry passeth into Burgundy makes his entry into Dison notwithstanding the resistance of the Duke du Main and wins the battell of Fontaine Francoise in Burgundy against the Duke du Maine and the Constable of Castilia The Count of Fuentes takes from him Catelet Dourlans and Han and Cambray from Balagni Marshall d' Aumont opposeth the Spaniards in Britain into which they were let in by the Duke of Mercoeur Governour of Britain for the League who had delivered Blavet into their hands An. 1595. King Henry got his absolution from Pope Clement the VIII The Spaniards opposed it representing Henry to the Pope as relapsed and impenitent but Du Perron and d' Ossat since made Cardinalls overcame that party In the year 1596. Charles de Casaut and Lovis d' Aix Viguier of Marseille treat with the Spaniard to deliver the City into his hands But Peter Liberta kept it in the obedience of his Soverain Henry and killed Casaut with his own hand The same year Albert Cardinall of Austria Governour of Netherlands takes Calais and Ardres and Henry retakes la Fere. He makes alliance with Queen Elizabeth of England with the States of Holland and with the Princes of Germany In the year 1597. Ferdinand Teil a Spanish Captain surpriseth Amiens which suddenly is retaken by Henry Cardinal Albert in vain attempted to relieve it The year before the Cardinal of Medicis who since was Leo the XI being in France to procure the execution of the Articles promist by the King when he received his absolution from the Pope had been preparing his mind towards a peace with Philip the II. who seeing himself very old and drooping to the grave sought to leave his Dominions peaceable to his Son who was but weak in body and mind Henry also desired to give peace to his subjects tired and exhausted with continuall Wars forty yeares together So that Cardinall with the Generall of the Franciscans Bonaventure Calatagirona a Sicilian disposed both the parties to a Treaty The place was chosen for it at Vervins in February 1598. where a perpetuall peace was concluded between the two Crowns And the Treaty