sent 1539. to submit themselues to the king who not onely refused them but also aduertised the Emperour thereof who meaning in person to suppresse their rebellion and knowing the iourney by sea to bee long and dangerous because tempest mought cast him vpon the coast of England the king whereof was his enemie as it had done his father in times past sent to the king desiring him that he mought passe the next way through France promising him the restitution of Milan for one of his sonnes but hee besought him not to demaund any assuraunce thereof in writing till hee should be come into the low countreys least hee should seeme to yeeld the saide duchie not of his owne accord but by constraint to obtaine his passage through Fraunce The king agreed to all his demaunds receaued him into his realme and conueighed him through it into his owne dominions with all the honor that possibly mought be imagined But after he was passed out of the realme of France first he began to temporise about the restitution of the said Duchie of Milan till hee had spoken with his brother the king of Romaines and afterwards flatly denied that he had made any such promise at all and thus was the king deluded agreable whereunto certaine words much vsed by the Emperour in his passage through France wer better vnderstod after his said passage by the sequell that folowed than whan they were vttered for you shal vnderstaÌ„d that Monsieur de Sanssac was appointed to attend vpon him with all sorts of Haukes wherein the saide Emperour semed to take great delight especially with flying at the Kight which the French call Voler le Milan in so much that he vsed often to aske the said Sanssac whether they should Voler le Milan Which after his departure out of Fraunce and his deluding of the king for the restitution of the Duchie of Milan was interpreted not to be ment of flying at the Kight but as a ieast the Emperour in his owne conceit made at the Kings simplicitie in beeleeuing that for his passage through Fraunce he would restore the said Duchie The said Emperour vnder colour and promise of pardoning the Gantoys all their offences entered 1540. with his armie into Gaunt where he made a bluddy and cruell execution of all the offendors tooke away their weapons seazed all their priuiledges built a Castle of the Abby of Saint Bauon to command the towne hould it in awe in the nature of a citadelle This dissimulation of the Emperours aboue mentioned touching the restitutioÌ„ of Milan so faithfully promised gaue the king iust cause to be ielous of all his actions and to fortefie himselfe against him with as many friends as he could make wherfore he sent Caesar Fregose Ricon his Ambassadors the one to the Venetians the other to negotiate 1541. with the Turke who passing peacably through the dominions of the Emperor as the kings good brother friend and confederate were both slaine vpon the Riuer of Poe by the Marques of Guast and that by the Emperours commaundement as the King sayde whose meaning was to haue found their instructions about them and so to haue discouered all the kings secrets But the said Ambassadors for the better assurance had sent their packets an other way to Venis so the said Marques fayled of his purpose The king demaunded iustice at the Emperours hands for this wicked fact naming vnto him the men that had committed this vilanous murther directly prouing the sayde Marques to haue beene author thereof But because the Emperour refused to doe iustice heerin as reason was he should haue done it is manifest that the fact was not commited but by his commaundement In this yeare also the Emperor made his iourney by sea into Africk purposing to besiege Argier but his nauie was so tossed with tempest that with great daunger of his person and infinit losse both of treasure munition ships men he was forced to returne home But it had ben much more honorable for him to haue gone to aide his brother whom the Turke spoiled at this very time of the greatest part of Hungarie then to haue attempted this voiage into Africk which the king charged the Emperour to procede of couardise alledging that because he durst not goe against the Turke who was in person in Hungarie he chose the other enterprise as easier and of lesse daunger But to proceede Cap. 14. Warrs renewed betwene the Emperour and the king The king inuadeth the Emperour with foure armies The Emperour inuadeth the Duke of Cleues The king winneth Landersey inuadeth Luxembourg the second time The Emperor ioyned with the king of England be sieged Landersey but in vaine The causes why the king of England left the kings friendship THe king seing the Emperour returned from his voiage in Africk during the which like a Christian Prince he forbare to attempt any warre against him solicited him earnestly to doe iustice for the murther of his two Ambassadors and farther sent to Marie Queene of Hungarie the Emperours sister regent of the low countries to haue the towne of S. Pol deliuered to him according to the Articles of the late truce concluded betwene the Emperour and him But receauing vppon both these points an answer that liked him not he determined to recouer by warr that which he could not obtain by reason Wherefore he inuaded the Emperours 1542. dominions with foure seuerall armies First he sent one armie vnder the leading of the Daulphin his sonne to besiege Perpignian in the couÌ„tie of Roussilion in Spaine supposing the towne to be worse prouided for defence than in deede it was and this armie did him no seruice but was forced to returne home relinquish the enterprise The secoÌ„d armie vnder the leading of the Duke of OrleaÌ„s the kings secoÌ„d sonne inuaded the Duchie of Luxembourg toke almost all the stroÌ„g places therof euen Luxembourg it selfe Farther during the aboad of the Kings armie before Luxembourg certaine bands were deliuered to the Duke of Longueuille and Martin van Rossam who met with the prince of Orenge comming to relieue the said town of Luxembourg and ouerthrew him and pursued him euen to Andwerpe gates the suburbes also whereof they toke spoiled burned them but the towne they could â—ot take wherefore they returned to the Duke of 〈…〉 lying still at the siege of Luxembourg and ioyned themselues with him But Luxembourg being taken the king reuoqued home his sonne whose back was no soner turned but the Imperialls presently recouered all the sayd Duchie from the French The third armie vnder the leading of the Duke of Vendosme inuaded Artoys and spoiled all the countrie and toke diuers small places and that being done the sayd Duke lodged his armie all the winter in the garrison townes The fourth armie was sent into Piemont with a purpose to haue entered into the Duchie of Milan But the Emperour had prouided well
to doubt that he ment to doe as the Emperours letters reported namely to enter into league with him and to forsake all his other friends and thus vnderhand the Emperour made the king himselfe the instrument to cut his owne throat and to seuer from him all his friends Whervnto I also adde that to draw the king of England to his partie to ioyne armes with him he offered him of the conquest of Fraunce what portion he would desire himselfe and by these meanes was the King of England wonne from the Kings friendship and sent a Herrault to defie the King and presently passed ouer his forces to ioyne with the Emperour before Landercy as alreadie you haue heard But to returne to the matter Cap. 15. The Turke ioyned with the kings forces take Nice in Prouince the Emperour entereth into Cambray Furstembergs successe in the duchie of Luxembourg The English spoyle the Countrey of Bouloynoys The warres in Piemont and the battayle of Serizoles The Emperour recouereth Luxembourg hee and the King of England inuade Fraunce The King of England winneth Boloyn peace betwene all these Princes The death of the Kings of England and Fraunce THe King seeing him selfe thus inuaded by the Emperour and the King of England was forced to pray in ayde of the Turke who sent his nauie to ioyne with the Kings in the siege of Nice in Prouince and the towne they tooke therein executed great crueltie but the Castle they could not take wherefore they retired themselues The Emperour on the other side by cunning entered into the towne of Cambray and in apparance left them in their auncient libertie but indeede so brideled them by a citadelle which he caused the Citizens thē selues at their owne charge to build and into the which he put a garison of his owne souldiours that he brought them to plaine slauerie and bondage Farther the sayd Emperour sent also Williā Eatle of Furstemberg with an army to recouer Luxembourg who recouered diuers places in the countrey went and layed his siege before Luxembourg it selfe but hearing of the prince of Melphes cōming to succour the towne he leuyed his siege retired into Allemayne the Frēch recouered all the places that before they had lost But the English on the other side spoiled and forraged all the countrey of Boulonoys The king hauing succoured Luxembourg sent an army into Pie mont vnder the leading of the Earle of Anghien a most valiant yong prince who wan diuers townes there in the Marquisat of Salusses from the Marques of Guast generall of the Emperours forces went and besieged Carignan whether the said Marques 1544. with the army Imperiall came to leuie the siege but the French at a place called Serizoles gaue him battaile and ouerthrew him slew 7000. of his armie and tooke 2000 prisoners After the which battaile the said Monsieur d'Anghien toke Carignan and diuers other townes in Piemont in the Marquisat of Montferrat But on the other side the Emperour with a huge armie inuaded the Duchie of Luxembourg and recouered Luxembourg the chiefe Citie thereof and diuers other townes and namely S. Disier which last was takē with great difficultie long defēded it selfe against the Imperial armie This yeare also the Emperour the king of Englād being cōfederated together inuaded France with so great forces that it is reported aboue 80000. mē to haue ben in both their armies Their purpose was to haue sacked Paris as vndoubtedly they had done if the king of England had marched forward according to his promis to the Emperour had not stayed at the siege of Bouloyne by meanes whereof the Emperour seeing his armie to be in distresse of victualls that the English armie marched not forward to his succour according to their agrement concluded peace with the king and retired his forces out of Fraunce In the meane time the king of England wan Boloyne which was yelded to him by Monsieur de Veruins the fourth of September which being done the king of England returned home and landed at Douer the first of October Notwithstanding the next yeare after many skirmishes and feates of armes done betwen the french 1545. and English as well by sea as land peace was treated off betwene these two Kings and in the ende after many difficulties concluded but not proclaymed before Whitsonday being the thirtenth of Iune 1546. thus God miraculously preserued the Realme of Fraunce which vndoubtedly had stood in great daunger if God had not put into the king of Englands head to stay at the siege of Boulonie and not to march forward to ioyne with the Emperour as hee ought to haue done which his error in all apparance was the preseruation of the Realme of Fraunce The Emperour hauing made peace with the king entered into warre against the Protestants of 1546. Germanie and both he they sent to king Frances for ayde but he refused to giue ayde to eyther of them promising to be an indifferent friend to both The eight and twenteth of Ianuarie folowing died Henry king of England which newes the king tooke grieuously when he heard it as well because of the great good will that had been betwene thē as also because the king was in hope to haue made a firme league with him lastly because they two hauing beene almost of one yeares and of one cōplexion he foresaw his owne ende to draw neere Notwithstanding after the sayd king of Englands death he renewed the league lately made betwene them twaine with king Edward king Henryes son and not long after dyed also himselfe at Rambollet the last day of March in the yeare 1546. after the French accompt who begin not the yeare till Easter hauing liued 53. yeares reigned two and thirtie and three moneths and sixe dayes This was a Prince endued with many excellent parts especially magnanimitie curtesie and liberalitie and farther so great a patron louer and aduauncer of learning that he may iustly be called the father sounder of good letters What his fortune was in this world may easely be gathered out of his Historie wherin it doth appeare that she was more froward then fauourable vnto him but one great grace of God he had that no aduersitie was able to diminish the magnanimitie of his minde besides that he was of an excellent memorie and exceding eloquent in his owne tongue HENRY THE SEcond of that name King of Fraunce Cap. 1. King Henry commeth to the Crowne The Emperours warres in Germanie The English inuade Scotland The rebellion of Guyenne TO King Francis the first succeded his onely sonne Henry the second being eight twentie yeares of age in the very beginning of whose reigne the Emperour as before you haue heard in the ende of king Francis his reigne was entered into a warre in Germanie against the Protestants 1547. namely the Duke of Saxonie and the Lantzgraue of Hessen and diuers other Princes
or truely it is vncertaine that the Colonnesi who alwayes haue beene and yet are Imperiall made secret assemblies against him in Rome for the which cause some of them hee emprisoned some hee banished and seazed all their lands and goods into his owne hands The Imperials say that this was but a quarell picked to them by the Pope because hee had secret intelligence with the king of Fraunce perswaded him to attempt the recouerie of the Realme of Naples as well therby to abate the Spaniards greatnes in Italie who held Naples Milan Siena disposed of the stats of Genoua Florence as of his owne as also hoping if the French had good successe in Italie that some part of the bootie would fall to his share which hee was the more desirous of because he was a Neapolitaine borne himselfe But howsoeuer it were the Colonnesi being thus iniuried complained to king Philip and desired his succour who sent the Duke Alua to their ayde yet offering the Pope any reasonable conditions of peace which he vtterly refused and sent to the king and the duke of Ferrara being his confederats for succours but before they could arriue the duke of Alua inuaded the Church dominions and toke Ostia Palestrina and much distressed Rome But the King with all speede sent the Duke of Guyse with a mightie armie into Italie who entering into Lombardie tooke Valentia in the duchie of Milan put a garison into it on an other side also the French inuaded Artoys and spoyled all the Countrey they besieged Douay but could not take it Notwithstanding Lens they toke and burned it Farther the kings forces in Piemont tooke Valfiniere and Cairas and thus the fiue yeares truce concluded the yeare before helde not one yeare great coÌ„trouersie is betwene the French and Spanish which of the two Princes first brake the truce The French say the Spaniard first brake it by inuading the Pope whom the king as an obedient sonne to the Church was bound to defend But the answere herevnto is easie for besides that the inuading of the Pope being an indifferent friend to both the Princes could not bee a breach of the truce towards the French king it is also most certaine that the first iniurie proceded froÌ„ the Pope towards the king of Spaines friends and coÌ„federats and therefore the French were not to ayde him in an euell cause But admit the ayding of the Pope were no breach of the truce yet the King ought not to haue proceded farther then to send the Pope ayde but hee inuaded king Philip before he tooke weapon in hand in Milan in Piemont in Artoys and in Flaunders which could not bee other then a flatte breach of the truce But to retourne to the warres of Italie The Duke of Guyse by the Popes perswasion and vppon promise of ayde from him was passing with his armie towards the realme of Naples with purpose to inuade it But seeing the Duke of Alua to make head against him and being also disapoynted of the ayde promised him by the Pope he was forced to retire with his armie being in very pore estate and cursing the Pope and all his trecheries While these matters thus passed in Italie the Queene of England by hir husbands perswasion entered into an vnnecessarie warre with Fraunce for she should haue done much better to haue continued as shee began a mediater for peace thâ—n vpon no occasion to become the French kings enemie but shee sped accordingly Cha. 10. The King of Spaine taketh Saint Quentin The battaile of Saint Laurens in the which the Constable is ouerthrowen and taken prisoner The duke of Guyse is reuoqued out of Italie The Pope maketh peace with the king of Spaine The French take Calais The marriage of the Daulphin The French take Theonuille BVt to proceede the king of Spaine seeing him selfe thus inuaded vpon a sodayne leuyed a mightie armie of Duch Flemish and English and went and besieged Saint Quentin a stronge towne in Vermandoys for the defence whereof the Admirall of Fraunce Gasper Chastillon with diuers bandes of men put himselfe into the towne But his brother d'Andelot issewing out of Perona with 15. enseignes of footmen purposing to doe the like was defeated Notwithstanding the king tendering greatly the saftie of the towne sent the CoÌ„stable to succour it with an armie of 16000. foot and 4000. horse who vpon Saint Laurence day very earely in the morning by certaine boates which he had brought with him vpon cartes put Mon sieur d'Andelot by the riuer with certaine bands of footmen into the towne But King Phillips army as the said Constable retired charged him brake him defeated his forces slew 2500 of his men with the losse onely of 50. on their part and tooke him prisoner with two of his sonnes and likewise the Dukes of Montpensier and Longueuille the Marshall of Saint Andre the Rheingraue and diuers other great personages Wherevpon the King presentlie reuoqued the Duke of Guise with his forces out of Italy commaunded the Duke of Neuers to leauy a new army In the meane time King Phillip tooke Saint Quentin by assault and tooke prisoners therin the Admirall and d'Andelot his brother but d'Andelot soone after escaped away The King of Spaine wan also Catelet and Han and diuers other places The Duke of Alua on the other side in Italie tooke diuers places from the Pope who in the end seeing the Dukes forces so great that he came without resistance euen to Rome gates and that the Duke of Guise in verie poore estate was reuoqued home into Fraunce made peace at Caui with King Philip contraty to his promise made to the French King and obtayned better conditions of him than he deserued and among the rest of the conditions this was one that the Duke of Guise should returne home in safetie and he his armie bee well intreated wheresoeuer they passed through king Philips dominions which was all the recompence the French receaued at the Popes handes for the great losses they had receaued in Italie by his meanes such commonly is the ende of all vnnecessarie warres The King being much grieued with these his manifolde losses and supposing his honour to be stayned if he atchieued not some enterprise that might counteruaile these his misfortunes so soone as the Duke of Guise and Strozzi were returned with his forces out of Italie by sea and Monsieur d'Aumalle by land ioyned to them a great army of Swissers and Almaines who vnder the leading of the said Duke of Guise were sent to besiege Calais in the verie middest of winter Strozzi not long before the comming of the army thether had beene brought in disguised apparaile into the towne by a French man an inhabitant thereof and had veiwed all the fortisications both within the towne and without and the garison within it for the defence thereof which was very weake and to say the truth the said Strozzi was the onely author of
for the defence thereof besides that to stay the French from attempting aught against the sayd Duchie of Milan the Marques of Guast was sent into Piemont to make head against the French where betwene him and Monsieur de Langey generall of the French forces who dyed during these warrs and afterward betwene him and the Marshall'd Annebault many feats of armes but no great exploit was done thus these foure armies stode the king in an excessiue charge and turned him neither to honor nor profit Notwithstanding the armie that was in Picardie vnder the leading of the Duke of Vendosme winter being past put it selfe againe into the field and toke diuers places in Artoys and namely Lilliers a little 1543. but a strong towne likewise Bapaulme burned thē both finding almost no resistāce in the coūrey because the Emperour had withdrawen all his forces out of the strong places and sent for them to ayde him against the Duke of Cleues vppon whom hee made warre and whose countrey hee conquered and subdewed at this present But the King in the meane time to withdraw the Emperour from inuading the sayde Duke of Cleues being the kings confederate entered with a mightie armie into the Emperours dominions tooke Landersey and fortefied it and afterward also sent the Duke of Orleans againe to inuade the Duchie of Luxembourg who wan diuers townes in that Countrey and namely recouered Luxembourg it selfe which was now the second tyme taken by the French The Emperour on the other side being ayded by the king of England besieged Landersey fortefied by the French as you haue heard whether the King came in person with a mightie armie to relieue the towne in such sort that the two armies ioyned so nere together that the battell was assuredly looked for But the king hauing sufficiently victualed and relieued the towne which was the onely cause of his comming retired safly with his armie into France and the Emperour soone after for want of victuals and because of the continuall raine that fell the winter that approched about the seuenth or eighth of Nouember leuyed his siege A man may maruayle heere how it shoule come to passe that the King of England betwene whom and the King had bene so straight a league and from whom so many curtesies had proceded towards the king and his Realme in their most troubles and greatest aduersities should now become his foe and ioyne with the Emperour whom hee had so deadly hated in the inuasion of the kings dominions But you shal vnderstand that this proceded partly of the king of Englands owne disposition partly through the kings fault and partly through the Emperours cunning First as touching the King of England trew it is that as himselfe was a Prince of a noble and a franck minde and one that would endeuour to pleasure his friend to his vttermost power so if himselfe likewise were not satisfied in all his demaunds at his friends hands hee was by nature apte to strange himselfe from his friend not alwayes so depely considering as was requisit his friends abilitie to accomplish that which hee desired And because hee had shewed himselfe a firme yea almost an onely friend to the realme of France during the time of the kings captiuitie and afterwards at the deliuerie of the Children of Fraunce as before mention is made he toke it very vnkindely at the kings hand First that hee payed not his money dew vnto him for the which he had giuen the king fiue yeares day of payment and the payment whereof the Emperour had turned ouer vppon the king of purpose to set these two Princes at variance as before you haue heard Secondarely he was grieued that the king obtained not for him the Bull of deuorce at the Popes hāds which he was perswaded the king by his authoritie mought haue procured if he had delt so earnestly in that businesse as friendship required that he should Now as touching the king he fayled towards the king of England in the first point that is the payment of his monie through want of abilitie for the Emperor held him in such continuall wars that he was forced to leauie extreamly of his subiects neuer could be in case to pay debts as touching the second point namely the Bull of deuorce trew it is that the king after the restitution of his children trauailed not so earnestly in the busines as before he had done either because he held somwhat of the disposition of his countrey men who are saide to remember good turnes no longer thē they be in doing or because he was loth to offend the Emperour with whom he had cōcluded peace whose sister he had maried or because he found the Pope obstinate or a feard to graūt the Bull in respect of the Emperors greatnes in Italie or lastly because he held the case desperate especially after the king of Englands reuolt from the Pope Whether any of these reasons or all of them or some other vnknowne to vs caused him to deale cowldly in the king of Englands businesse we can but deuine but certaine it is that the kings remisnesse in this cause mightely grieued the King of England and diminished a great part of his loue towards the king Lastly as touching the Emperour hee vsed exceding cunning to seuer these two Princes whose amitie hee saw to bee the countermine of all his practises and procedings For first hee turned ouer his owne debt to the king of England vpon the king of Fraunce of purpose to cast a boane betweene them to set them at variance as before you haue heard Farther so soone as he perceued the king of Englands minde to bee a little alienated from the king hee fayled not to doe his endeuour to aggrauate euerie small vnkindenesse and to make a mountaine of euerie moulehill Beesides this hee wroate passing kinde letters to the king of England desiring him to remember the oulde friendship that had euer beene betwene the house of Burgundie and the Realme of England and likewise not to forget the auncient enmitie and the many quarells that were yet depending beetweene England and Fraunce adding that if any vnkindenesse had passed betweene them two in regard of his Aunts cause it was now cleane forgotten on his part by his Aunts death intimating farther vnto him that if hee the sayde Emperour would embrace the king of France his friendship the king offered to enter into league with him and to abandon his league with the sayd king of England or any other prince in Christendome that the sayde Emperour should mislike of And at such times as the Emperour had these purposes in his head hee would in apparance make so much of the king of Fraunce and haue such conference with him and his Ambassadors and seeme so wholy in all matters to depend vppon his direction and aduise that hee made not onely the king of England but all the kings other confederats in Christendome