They might forbid them that were no Gentlemen to carry Armes which were not fit for their profession or for Gentlemen to carry any other Crests then their Fathers had done or to open the Helmet or to crowne them without permission It was also their duty to keepe the Blason of Armes of Houses u There were great considerations in the forme of Scutchions and in the Crests of Armes A Knights Scutchion might bee cut square or voided at his pleasure wherevnto a Crest was added taken out of part of the Armes and the Helmet shut and standâ—ng straight A Squires Scutchion was round like vnto a Rondache and had had no Crest but his Helmet onely shut turned on the one side to haue recourse vnto them vpon any dispute that might growe vpon differences and conformities Office of Heralds at Armes They kept a Register of the Deuices and Colours of Soueraigne Houses as White for France Blacke for England Red for Bourgondy Blewe for Savoy Yellow for Lorraine and Greene for Anjou The King at Armes in the house of Bourgondy had a care that such as were made noble should not carry a field gueles for that it was the colour reserued for the Prince This house did greatly obserue the Respects and Ceremonies of a Soueraigne pompe Magnificence of the house of Bourgondy When the Duke did eate at any solemne Feast besides all the ordinary state of Kings he had behinde him the Kings at Armes and Heralds with their Coates and Crownes and before him were set at a low Table two Vshers and two Sergeants with their Maces who had alwayes their eyes vpon his to execute his commandements vpon the least signe he should make yea to take the greatest prisoners which could not be taken else-where These Charges haue beene contemned by the contempt of persons which haue not desired them but to couer the indignity of their birth In former times they were not held but by Gentlemen whose honour carried them vnto dangers with the same courage that they which are lesse generous flye from them They had the guard of the Kings Chamber and had that charge which since the Archers of the Guard haue x The Sâ—rgeanâ—s at Armes by day carried a Mace before the King and guarded his Chamber by night and therfore du Tillet thinkes that they held the place of the Archers of the guard They shewed good proofe of their valour at the battell of Bouuines vnder Philip Augustus by reason whereof Saint Lewis did build the Church of Saint Katherine du Val des Escoliers and King Charles the fifth appointed the brotherhood there whereas at this day many Tombes are to bee seene which haue preserued the ancient forme of their habit and Armes That which Philip de Commines obserues of a Gascon which came into the place where as the King was at the stoole with three or foure confirmes this opinion of the small care hee had of the formes befitting Maiesty for although there were no Vshers at the doores Duty of Chamberlaines yet this facility to enter euen into the Cabinet was dangerous His Predecessors had prouided for it and the Chamberlaines were bound y The first care of the kings person belongs to the Lord Chamberlaine he was bound to lye at the Kings feete wheÌ„ the Queen was not present and so Peter Lord Chamberlaine to the king S. Lewis was buried at Saint Denis at his maisters feet as hee serued him liuing And at this day in the Assembly of the Estates when as the King sits in Iustice the Lord Chamberlaine sits at his feet by the duty of this charge not to suffer it but hee contemned it all the time of his reigne vntill the end when hee was more carefull of it then was needfull passing from a great facility and confidence to a rigorous seuerity and distrust to keepe his gates shut wee finde these words very remarkeable in the Ordonance of King Philip the long After the care of the soule they must not bee so negligent of the body as through negligence or bad guard any perils arriue especially when for one person many troubles may happen Wee therefore ordaine and doe therewith especially charge our Chamberlaine that no vnknowne person nor boy of poore estate enter into our Wardrope nor lay their hand nor bee at our bed making and that they suffer not any strange sheetes to bee layd on And wee command the Steward of our house that our Pantrie or Kitchin and all other Offices of our house bee so well and carefully kept as no danger may arriue and these things wee will haue obserued in the houses of our Company and of our Children The other precept of Maiesty Great Offices shold not be hereditary is not to continue great Offices in one Family z The perpetuity of great charges is dangerous They that haue commanded long are loath to obey Antiquitas voluit Prouinciarum dignitatem amica successione reparaâ—i ne diutina potestate vnus insolesceret Antiquity would that the Gouernments of Prouinces should be supplyed yearely least that any one by a continuall command should grow insolent and to make them hereditary The Order and iustice of the state will that a distribution be made of those who by the quality of their birth or the greatnesse of their merite are capable The perpetuall Dictatorship did ouerthrow the state of Rome the great authority giuen to the Mayors of the Palace did ruine the first Family of our Kings To those that are ambitious of the same Offices their Predecessors enioyed wee should wish the like moderation and integretie that Quintus Fabius Maximus had who hauing beene fiue times Consull and vndergone many great charges intreated the Senate not to conferre that Honour vnto his sonne not that hee thought him vnworthie but that hee knewe well that the Common-weale should receiue preiudice by the perpetuity of great Offices in one Family a In an other occasion Quintus Fabius Maximus did shewe that in the election of great Charges there should be no respect had but of the publicke good hee would not consent that T. Octacilius who had married his wiues daughter should bee Consull for that hee held him not capable of that charge nor of courage to make head against Hanniball T. Liu. lib. 24. This was to loue the State more then himselfe Lewis the eleuenth tooke more delight then hee receiued content or profite to change his Officers often When as a place is executed worthily and profitably by any one his dismission is vniust and the Princes seruice is wronged Offices are to bee maintained if they be good for if the place bee not supplyed by a man of the like experience and sufficiencie the Common-weale is damnified b As the ruine of Families comes commonly from new seruants so the fall of Estates proceedes from new magistrates which enter into Offices without experience those that are new come beeing greedy of
disobedience was the trouble of the Praguery which hath bene formerly related when as he suffred himselfe to be surprized and stole away from the Earle of March his Gouernour whom Chroniclers haue called a Prince of the Bloud and erroniously haue taken the husband for the wife For it is true that Iames of Bourbon h The Lady Elenor of Bourbon daughter to Ieames of Bourbon Earle of March was married to the Earle of Perdriac sonne to the Earle of Armagnac Earle of March King of Naples and sonne to Iohn of Bourbon first Earle of Vendosme hauing but one daughter of his first marriage gaue her to Bernard of Armagnac Earle of Perdriac who by this marriage carried the name of Earle of March and Gouernour to Lewis the 11. i They write that Lewis chased away the Earle of March for that hee had aduertised King Charles that the Duke of Alençon was come to Niâ—rt to subborne him For this reason it was late before he gaue him the gouernment of the Country of Dauphine neither would hee that the displacing of Officers should depend vpon his capricious humours this wise father hauing found that his actions were so wandring inconstant and contrary to themselues as it was a difficult thing sometimes to beleeue that they proceeded from one spirit for there is nothing equall k Mens mindes change not according to the motions of reason but according to occasions Nemo non quotidie consilium mutat There is not any man but changeth his minde daily if it comes not from the same resolution wherefore in the Letters Pattents which were granted at Charleiu the 28. of Iuly 1440. the King reserued not any other thing but that he should not displace those Officers which were setled in their charges and that the Chancellour of France should keep the seale of Dauphine For the taking of possession of this Prouince he sent Iohn Signior of Gamaches a Knight and Gabriel of Bernet Signior of Targey a Squite Steward of the Kings house to Grenoble whom he termed his Embassadours they presented the Kings letters and the Dauphins to the Councell of Dauphine in the presence of Iuuenal of Vrsins a Knight Lord of Treynell Leiutenant of that Prouince in the absence of the Lord of Gaucourt who was Gouernour and of the chiefe Noblemen of the Prouince Stephen Guillon President in that Councell made an Oration vpon this subiect but after such manner as it discouered the rudenesse and simplicity of the matter for who so should discourse now after that manner they would wonder why the feete should do the eares so much wrong as to suffer attention l A Babler demanding of Aristotle if his discourse were not strange no answered he but yet a man hauing feet should not giue himselfe so long patience to beare thee They found men in those times who knew how to speake but few were able to discourse eloquently It is easy to iudge of the beauty of the building by the frontespice Behold the first periode of this Oration Seeing it is the pleasure of my Lords the Embassadours to our most redoubted Lord and Prince my Lord the Dauphin Lewis that I should say some-thing vnto you concerning the matter of their Embassage to obey them as I ought I will speake it as well as I can with the help of our Lord of his Mother and also with the good supportation and correction of them and you my Masters and the better to relate it I take for my Theame Fillius ditus est nobis dominator Dominus in manu eius potestas Imperium I say the third and the ninth chapter m In those times publicke actions were performed like Sermons and alwaies they tooke some passage of Scripture for the ground of their discourse The whole Discourse is of the like straine and extends it selfe vpon the Dauphins praises being drowned as it were in the allegations of diuers passages of Diuinity and Law I thinke in those daies they had more regard to deeds then words Simplicity of the eloquence in the old time and that they had more care to do then to speake that their discourses were without pompe or vanity and did not fauour of that bold babling which will make men beleeue that he which is beaten should make reparation and that the vanquished is victor n Thucydides and Pericles had charge of the gouernment of the Common-weale of Athens yet could neuer agree Archidamus King of Lacedemonia termed their contention a wrastling and asking Thucydides who was the stronger he answered When I haue throwne Pericles downe be makes them that see it beleeue that he is not vanquished but that hee stands still But in this action there is neither choice of termes nor choice of reason and for that he would not haue it wholy without inuention he stands vpon the letters of Lewis his name and saith that that in this word Ludouicus there are nine letters the first represents the Liberallity of this Prince the second that he was Vertable the third that he should Domineere and be feared the fourth that he was Orthodoxall the fift Vigilant the sixt a Iustiâ—er the seuenth Charitable the eight Vertuous and the ninth that he was filled with Wisedome Hauing ended the Dauphins Panegericke he fell vpon that of â—his Embassadours and said that the Signior of Gamasche who was called Iohn was a fore-runner to IESVS CHRIST and the other the Angell which did fore-tell his Incarnation to the Virgin MARY for that his name was GABRIEL Such kind of writings are like vnto Medals which men esteeme more for their stamps and for the testimony they giue of the doubts of Antiquitie then for their proper beauty neither doe wee see any but giue some light in the obscurest difficulties and serue in the managing of great affaires We see in the beginning of his discourse o The Dauphin is not acknowledged Prince of Dauphiné vntill the King hath giuen him the power how this President labours to satisfie them who held that Dauphiné should acknowledge the Dauphin from the day of his birth for he maintained That the eldest sonne of France could not bee acknowledged for Prince and Lord of Dauphiné vntill it should please the King to giue him the prouisions and command The History sets downe how he retired into Dauphiné and from thence into Flanders A wonderfull hearts griefe vnto the King Griefe of K. Charles the 7. which did accompany him vnto his graue In either of his vioages he was alwaies accompanied by necessity His seruants purses being emptied in the voiage of Dauphiné they borrowed a hundred Crownes of them of Romans The Bill which hee made is carefully kept among the publicke writings of that Towne It is true that Lewis the eleuenth was such towards Charles the seuenth his father as hee desired not that Charles the eighth his sonne should be like vnto him and doubting that the disposition of his nature
soule as often as he returned from any exploits of war which were more admirable then imitable Wherefore hauing resolued to make warre against George Lord of Misia i Misia is commonly called by the Turke Segoria and comprehends Seruia Bosnia Russia and the Prince is called Despote of Seruia he made him Generall of his Armie as well for that he had not any one more capable as also to be rid of him thinking that being forward and fierie by nature hee would thrust himselfe into dangers from which he should not free himselfe for his braue and generous Captaine like an other Cato k Cato as Tit. Liu. saith wold be euery where and execute euery thing in person sparing himselfe no more then the least of his soldiors hauing no other aduantage ouer them but the honour of his commandements would see all himselfe and had no other aduantage in militarie labours then to haue the honor to command them and to be the first to execute them But as often as hee went so often did Andrinopolis see him returne laden with honor and victories A remarkeable worke of Gods prouidence to preserue this braue courage for his seruice At length Scanderbeg Scanderbeg leaues the Turke who had alwaies the heart of a Christian and an Albanois being wearie to liue in the continuall disquiettings of so many distrusts and conspiracies to kill him resolues to quit Amurath m Scāderbegs retreat was in the year 1444. hee conferred with Huniades of his enterprise that vnder a coulour of making warre against him hee might retire on his side whereupon hee ioined with Huniades Prince of Transiluania He ioynes with Iohn Huniades and with him defeates the Basha of Romania who had fourescore thousand men he caused his Secretarie to be taken and setting a dagger to his throat forced him to write letters to the Gouernor of Croy carrying a commandement in Amuraths name to consigne the place vnto him The Gouernor of Croy obayed and receiued Scanderbeg Entrie of Scanderbeg into Croy. all the Infidels were put to the sword and the Christians preserued and such as would become Christians He besieged the other places of Albania and in few daies with much paine and no money he recouered his forefathers estate and made the black Eagle n The house of Scanderbeg caried an Eagle sables in a field gules When as the people of Albania saw them in his Exsignes Standards they presently renewed the ancient affection they bare vnto their Princes with two heads to be seene in all places Hitherto hee had fought for himselfe now he fights for Christendome Ladislaus King of Hungary and Poland intreats him to assist him against Amurath hee was hindred by Huniades o Iohn Despote of Transiluania otherwise called Huniades being discōtented with the King of Hungary for that certaine places in Seruiae which had bin granted him in reward of his vertue were detained from him refused passage to Scāderbeg to ioin with the Christian Army Despote of Transiluania neither did the cause of the warre seeme iust for it brake a peace solemnely sworne with Amurath Battell of Varna It was decided in the valley of Varna on the limits of Misia or Segoria vppon the Euxin Sea within foure dayes iourney of Andrynopolis to the dishonour of the Christians who were put to flight but the triumph cost Amurath so many men as his ioy was turned to repentance If hee made some triumph Scanderbeg reapt the profit for seeing that hee had retired his forces hee went to field p These say that Amurath hauing escaped this danger grew more sad then he had been accustomed and being blamed by his followers he answered I would not win after this manner Amurath caused a pillar to be set whereas the Battell was giuen with an inscription of the victory and at this day the heapes of dead mens bones are to bee seene which shew that the slaughter had been wonderfull and made such sharpe warres as the Turke wrote vnto him rather to stay his exploites then to threaten him with reuenge and yet his Letters were full of reproches and pride Letters frō Amurath to Scanderbeg the ordinarie Passion of an incensed spirit Hee sweares that if hee will returne vnto him hee will forget all his offences past for that hee is more mindfull of the seruices hee hath done him then of his ingratitude hee offers to leaue him the Towne of Croy and the Lands which his Father held vpon condition that hee should yeeld vp all the other Townes of Albania and Misia These letters were receiued with that contempt they deserued q The letters beginne after this manner Amurath and Ottoman Soueraigne of the Turks and Emperour of the East sends no salutations to Scanderbeg his ingrateful nurschild He saith that he knowes not what wordes to vse to him for that hee doth not merit any good for his ingratitude and a rough sharp speech would make his arrogant nature more insolent Scanderbeg thinking that Amuraths feare who grew old and broken had made him to write them hauing a desire to leaue his Empire in some safety Scanderbegs answer yet he made him an answer and after that hee had told him that he should remember the good which he had receiued from him if the numbring did not renew the remembrance of a greater number of ills he concluded with these wordes Such fortune as it shall please God to giue vs we will beare In the meane time we aske no councell of the ennemy of that we intend to doe neither do we sue for peace of you but hope with the helpe of God r A Christian Prince should not referre any thing to fortune but to the prouidence of God who is the only cause of all causes guids al things after his will the moouable by their motions the immoueable by their firmenesse the voluntary by their liberty and the reasonable by their will to haue victory ouer you Within a while after he was victorious ouerthrew great armies which Amurath sent into Epirus the first led by the Basha Ferise and the other two by Mustapha He wonne the Battell of Drinon against the Venetians Battall of Drinon in Dalmatia and vsed this victory so well as the Venetians to make him raise the seege from before Dayne s Dayne is a little Towne planted vppon a high hill as in a manner all those of Epirus bee yet the soile of it is fat and the aire good and holsome they haue store of Venison and bees and all kindes of trees and fruites which was in their protection yeelded that he should haue a part of the Country of Scutarii which was very commodious for him Amurath besieged Sfetigarde where as Scanderberg flew in single Combate Seege of Sfetigarde Ferise Basha Generall of the Army yet it was taken and presently besieged againe by Scanderbeg but he was forced to raise the siege
which he ware about his neck and which resisted poyson but the Chancellor kept it to present it vnto the King This disposition beeing made they led him to a great seaffold from the which they did ascend to an other which was lesse but higher where he should receiue an end of his life u Death is sweet when it is the end not the punishment of life And they say it is a troublesome thing to die before one be sick for a punishment Vpon the greater were the Chancellor the Siegneur of Gaucourt and some other of the Kings Officers all the place and all windowes were full euen to the tops of houses He went vp vnto the Scaffold with his hands vnbound He is executed at the Greue the executioner bound them with a little cord They presented him a Cushion of other stuffe then those be wheron the Constables x The Chancellors Constables of France take their oth vnto the King kneeling vpon a cushion of veluet here they offer the Constable one of wooll with the Armes of the City of Paris of France take their oth vnto the King He remoued it with his foote and set it right and then he kneeled downe with his face towards our Ladies Church There in the sight of heauen and of two hundred thousand people the fire-brand of warre was quencht the 29. day of December 1475 He dyed much amazed but full of deuotion and repentance He dyed trembling To dye trembling after that manner was not to dye like a man who had carried the sword of France The executioner should not haue been more hardy to strike y In what place soeuer death assailes a generous man hee should die generously The generosity of courage doth something abate the infamie of the punishment Rubrius Flauius being condemne thy Neâ—o to loose his head when as the executioner said vnto him that he should stretch forth his neck boldy he answered Thou shalt not strike more boldly then I will present my head then he to offer his neck to receiue the blow Thus he who had no care nor thought but of diuision had his head diuided from his sholders the which as full of winde goes into the Ayre and the bodie fals to the earth the life which remained caused some little motion which makes the head to moue apart and the bodie apart but it is without soule for that is not diuided The Franciscane Friars carried the bodie to their Church and they said then vpon the dispute which they had with the Curate of S. Iohn at the Greue that two hundred Friaâ—s had had their heads cut off Wee must conclude this discourse with so certaine a Maxime as whosoeuer shall affirme it cannot lye Neuer any one that dealt craftily with his Prince but in the end he was deceiued and there is nothing more certaine by considerations of presidents experience and reason that who so keepes his Master in feare forceth him to free himselfe This place remained vnsupplyed aboue fortie yeares ImportaÌ„ce of the office of Constable for the command is so great ouer all the forces of the Realme and the name of such lustre as if it fals into the hands of an ambitious man that is able to make his authoritie march equall with the Kings if of a Prince of the bloud he is the Kings King if of an other the Princes and great men of the Realme will not obay him and his commandement as Bertrand of Gueschin said z Berâ—rand of Gueschin refused to accept the Office of Constable for that he was but a simple Knight and durâ—t 〈◊〉 presume to command the kings bâ—others Câ—zins 〈…〉 not your selfe by this meanes for I haue neither Brother Cozin nor Nephewes Earle nâ—r Baron within my realme but shal obay you willingly if any one should doe otherwise hee should displease me Froislard doth concerne the great rather then the lesse The Constables goods beeing forfeited were restored to Francis of Bourbon Earle of Vendosme marrying Mary of Luxembourg Her slender and small stature brought into this house the smalnes of bodies of those great Princes who before were of that goodly and rich stature The first beauty of men admired and desired in Kings As the King had shewed an example of his Iustice in the Constables death Duke of Alencon set at libertie so did hee one of his bounty to the Duke of Alençcon a The D. of Alencon was coÌ„ducted from the Louure to the house of Michel Luillier on Thursday the 28. of December 1475 at six of the clock at night by Iohn Harlay Knight of the watch with foure torches as the Author of the Chronicle doth obserue whom he suffred to go out of the Louure where he was a prisoner and to be lodged in a Burgesses house of Paris The fortune of this Prince was to be pittied and the consideration of his birth bound the Princes to commiseration Hee was of the bloud of France and the house of Alençon was a branch of that of Valois Charles of France Earle of Valois had two sonnes Philip of Valois King of France and Charles of Valois b Charles of Valois Brother to Philip of Valeis King of FraÌ„ce had four sonnes by Mary of Spaine his second â— wife Charles who was a Iacobin and then Archbishop of Lyon Peter Earle of Alencon Philip Archbishop of 〈◊〉 and Robert Earle of Perch Earle of Chartres and then of Alençon who dyed at the Battell of Crecy He was father to Iohn first Duke Duke of Alençon who married Marry of Brittanie and by her had this Iohn the second of that name Duke of Alençon his sonne Rene Duke of Alençon married Margaret of Lorraine by whom he had Charles the last Duke of Alençon married to Margaret of Orleans the onely Sister of King Francis the first and died without children By the Constables death the Duke of Bourgundy receiued from the King St. Quentin Profit and blame of the Duke for the Constables death Han and Bohain and the spoiles of the dead which might amount to fourescore thousand crownes He was sorie that he had lost him who had made him haue so good a share in France He was blamed to haue giuen him a safe conduit and then c Behold the iudgment which the Lord of Argenton makes vpon this deliuerie There was no need for the D. of Bourgundie who was so great a Prince of so famous and honorable a house to giue an assurance to the Constable to take him which was a great crueltie the Battel where he was certain of deth and for couetousnes deliuer him 1476. and to deliuer him to him that pursued him after the assurances of Protection and defence This breach was noted for an infallible presage of the ruine of his house The Annales of the Franche Contie of Bourgundy adde an other cause which was that the Duke had seazed of a great sum of money at Aussone
habes à currente flumine quantâ—m hauris ita ex aâ—nis semper euntibus nihil accipis nisi quod in res duraturas collocaris Thou hast so much of a running streame as thou drawest forth so of yeares which still slide away thou retainest nothing but what thou dost employ in durable things for his successors giue him the honour to haue freed them from subiection and France is bound vnto him to haue beautefied it with the Crownes of Dukes and Earles The death of Charles the last Duke of Bourgundy restored vnto him the Dutchy and County of Bourgundy but his good title must be so assisted by force as his Prouinces were rather conquered then restored He vnited also vnto the Crowne the Dutchies of Anjou and Mayne which had beene separated for the portion of Charles the first King of Sicile x The returnes of the Counties of Anjou and Maine which had beene very remote from the Crowne was drawne 〈…〉 â—arriage of Charles of Valois who married the daughter of Charles the second King of Sicile vpon condâ—tion that he should renounce the rights and hopes of the Crowne of Valencia and Arragon and giuen for a Dowry to the Lady Margaret of Sicile who married with Charles of France Earle of Vallois This marriage restored that hope vnto France which she had in a manner lost to revnite those Prouinces for that contrary to the Law of the Realme they had beene giuen in marriage to a daughter France is also bound vnto him for the acquisition of the County of Prouence by the meanes which haue beene formerly mentioned The peece was not entire for the Principallity of Orange was seperated yet in the yeare one thousand foure hundred three score and fifteene he had purchased the homage and iurisdiction of William of Chalon Prince of Orange and made it subiect to that of Dauphine y Lewis of Chalon Prince of Orange bought of René King of Sicile the â—omage and Soneraignty of the Principallâ—ty of Orange which was held of the County of Prouence and William of Chaloâ— sold it to King Lewis the 11. Hee past the three score and third yeare of his age the which he had alwaies apprehended for that the Kings of this branch had neuer attained vnto it Age of Lewis the eleuenth And as it is the nature of man to desire to liue and to repent to haue liued when he had attained vnto it he would willingly haue kept backe that tearme in the which nature by the great infirmities wherewith hee was brought low chased him out of this life not as from a Ship-wracke but as out of an Inne where hee had made good cheere z Themistius compares the death of old meÌ„ to the going out of an Inne and that of yong men to a Shipwracke In like manner Princes and they that haue liued in pleasure feare not death for want of courage as many thinke but for the long continuance of their delights and contents Hee arriued not at this port without stormes and great perils in the which hee was preserued by the same hand which had diuerted many damnable attempts against his person The most doubtfull of these accidents was at Peronne the greatest at the battle of Montlehery the most vnexpected vnder the port of the Castle of Alençon Dangers which hee did escape a This accident happened on Sunday the 8 th of August 1473. Edward the 2. King of England playing at Chesse ended his game so fitly as a great stone fâ—ll vpon the place as soone as he was vp and had slaine him if hee had stayed Thomas Walsingham when as a great stone falling from the Vault did but touch his sleeue An accident which shewes that no man knowes where death shall surprise him and that a wise man should alwaies attend it resolutely in all places This Raigne was rough difficult and tossed with strange reuolutions Such as liued in those times said that the world had neuer beene more wicked Opinion which like vnto Orpheus Harpe doth alwaies moue the lesser and weaker spirits hath made this beleefe common among them that the world doth daily impaire that the Golden Age is changed into Siluer then into Copper and in the end into Iron and Brasse That our b It is true that the older the world growes the more remote it shall bee from the innocency and simplicity of the first Age. Aetas parentum peior auis tulit Nos nequiores mox daturos Prolem vitiosiorem But in all ages men haue beene corrupted and disordered Seneca saith that his coâ—plained and that such as should come after would make the like complaint Grand-fathers times were better then that of our fathers that ours hath increased in wickednesse and that they which shall succeed shall be more wicked Paradox that the world growth not worse But I find in this Princes time as famous villanies as haue bene since His Chronicle doth produce many besides those great distractions which the History hath obserued in publicke actions as rebellions Infidelities Attempts Treasons and Conspiracies not discouering many other excesses which haue remained smothered in the consciences of two or three I haue collected the examples which it setteth downe as a lumpe of many poysons to make a Treacle against vice The first in shewing a great liberty discouereth a great bounty The yeare that the King made his entry into Paris a yong woman left her husband to follow her owne disordered lusts and after her husband beeing well aduised these are his very words tooke her againe Wise men hold the sower and sweete of marriage secret That age as well as those which haue gone before and haue followed after doth furnish examples of men who in fauour of Mecanas c Galba hauing inâ—â—ted Mecâ—â—nas to supper seeing his wife and him to court is by lookes and signes hee 〈◊〉 downe vpon his Câ—shâ—â—a fâ—yning to be vâ—â—y sleepy to giue way vnto their leues The which hee maintained with a good grace for his man being ready to take away the dishes which stood vpon his Table hee cryed out vnto him how now Knaue dost thou not see that I sleepe not but for Mecaenas haue shut their eies whilst they courted their wiues In the warre of the Common-weale Examples of diuers disorders there were seene passe through Paris two hundred Archers on horse-backe after them eight Strumpets with a blacke Monke their Confessor In the yeare one thousand foure hundred three score and fiue the sixt of Iune a Capper in Saint Dennis Streete strangled his wife in his owne house and a Labouring man of Clignancourt cut his Throate Another Gentle-woman of Paris was accused of Adultery and poysoning by her owne husband A father had long abused his owne daughter and had many children by her and as the wicked are neuer content with one wickednesse hee fell from Incest to Parricide d When as the minde of man hath once subiected
whole posterity but onely to them which descend from the Males There are two houses which bee so great and famous of themselues as they honour the titles which are giuen them King Charles the seuenth his Father hauing made the Earledome of Foix a Pairie for Gaston of Foix hee confirmed this erection but hee made not any new This house of Foix was in those times one of the most famous in Christendome and compare with Soueraigne Princes o We find that in great ceremonies the Earles of Foix are named before the Princes and had precedence of the Earles of Vendosme There is no other reason but that the eldest of Princes houses precede the yonger of other houses and therfore at the Estates held at Tours the Earles of Neuers Eu and Foix had precedence of the Earle of Vendosme Gaston of Foix who liued in the time of King Charles the fifth went equall with Kings when as King Charles the sixth was at Tholousa he sent the Earle of Sancerre Marshall of France and the Signior of Riuiere one of the chiefe of his Councell to the Earle of Foix who was then at Mazere to intreate him to come vnto him or else he would goe to see him He did not excuse himselfe vpon the Indispositions of his great Age and being sorry that hee had not preuented this summons he parted from Mazere with six hundred horse and came to the King to Tholousa Traine of the Earle of Foix. The History saith that presenting himselfe vnto the king hee was followed by two hundred Gentlemen all cloathed in silkes among them there was noted the Vicount of Bruniquet and his brethren Roger of Spaine Lord of Montespan issued from the bloud of Arragon and head of the house of Montespan p Espagno let of Spaine sonne to Roger of Spaine sonne to Leon of Spaine and the Lord of Corras who first raised the honour of the Earles of Caramain a great and rich family Beginning of the houses of MoÌ„tespan Caramain allied to that of Foix and who seeing that Houses and Families haue their periods like to all other worldly things could not desire a more glorious fall then into the house of Monluc where it begins to reuiue King Charles the sixth requited this visite at New-yeares tide in the yeare 1390. q At this voyage the Earle did institute King Charles the sixth his heire the which hee would not accept for that he would not defraud the Vicount of Chastellan his lawfull Heire He fauoured the house of Lauall with the like declarations of honour House of Lauall the which was long before held for one of the worthiest of France hauing neuer wanted children nor the first dignities and alliances of France hauing for their stemme the House of Montmorency r They drawe the beginning of the first house of Montmorency to the time of Saint Denis by whom the first that was conuerted among the French Knights was a Lord of Montmorency and therefore the ancient Deuice of this house is God helpe the first Christians the first Christian of France and there is no difference in their Armes but fiue Cockle-shels Argent to the Crosse. Wherefore he would that Francis of Lauall Lord of Gaure sonne of a daughter of king Charles the seuenths sister should go in rank with the Earles of Vendosme as well in Councell as in Parliament and in all other publike actions and caused his letters to be dispatcht at Mans the nine and twentith day of Nouember 1467. to serue for a speciall and perpetuall priuiledge to his posteritie He had much contemned the glorious and honourable markes of Maiesty s Princes had alwayes men appointed to serue in time of peace and warre for the ornament of their maiesty and royall greatnesse Heralds were instituted in France for that respect in time of peace they carried mayles vpon their breasts and in times of warre their Coat of Armes powdred with Flowers de Luce. I haue obserued in the Church and Cloister of Saint Catherine du Val of the Schollers twenty of their Tombes which shew the forme of their Maces and Scutchions Bodin writes that hauing chased away almost all the Gentlemen of his house hee imployed his Taylor for a Herald at Armes and his Barber for an Embassador and his Physitian for a Chancellor as an ancient king of Syria did Apolophanes his Physitian whom he made the president of his Councell Philip de Commines obserues it when hee shewes how much hee was troubled to furnish out a Herald which he sent to the King of England Heralds were necessary for the Maiesty of a Prince in actions of war and in the most solemne dayes of peace They had diuers names and diuers charges and they either carried the Titles of the Soueraignes Prouinces or of some other famous occasion as in France the Heralds are diuersly named and wee finde often in the History of France these names giuen to Heralds Bosios error in the History of Malta Monjoy e Saint Denis Mont Saint Michel t This word of Monjoy Saint Denis was sometimes the warlicke cry of the French They say it grew vpon that which Clouis said in the battell neere to Colleyn when as fearing to loose it hee promised to beleeue in Iesus Christ worshipped by Clotilde his wife and to hold him for his Ioue Since that time they cryed in their battels Monjoye Saint Denis as if they would say Christ whom Saint Denis hath preached in Gaule is my Ioue that is to say my Iupiter The word of Ioue beeing turned into that of Ioye The Antiquities of Gaule wriâ—ten by the President Fauchet wherein a great man of Italy hath erred and moues them that obserue it to laugh for hauing found in our Histories that King Lewis the eleuenth had sent two Heralds to Bajazeth to complaine that hee had broken the peace with the Venetians hee sets downe their names after this manner Monsieur Gaudio de Saint Denis Monsieur de Saint Michel whereas hee should haue saide The Herald Monjoy Saint Denis and Mont Saint Michel They were created at great and solemne Feasts and when they presented Wine vnto the Prince hauing drunke he gaue the cup to him whom he made Herald wherwith he should make his Scutchion Oliuer of la Marche saith that Philip Duke of Bourgondy did somtimes giue them the name of that Country whereas the Wine which hee then dranke did grow which done the other Heralds gaue him the Coate of Armes charged with the Princes Armes There were more Ceremonies at the Creation of a King at Armes for his sufficiency was to bee testified by all the Kings at Armes Creation of Heralds and Heralds that might bee found and they were distinguished from others by a Crowne croslet which they carried on their heads Their chiefe charge was to make a distinction of the Armes of Families to preserue the ancient and preuent the vsurpation of new