of Eugenius They did alwaies obiect vnto his Nuncios that it was a shame to gainesay himselfe to ouerthrow the worke of his owne hands and that Dignities had changed the Maximes of conscience Wherefore in the end of Aprill 1463. he made a declaration containing a great repentance of that which hee had done in the Councell of Basill against the Pope i This Bull was directed to the vniuersitie of Collin to the which he wrot many things against Engenius ending with these wordes Haec est nostra sententia filii haec credimus profiteâ—ur haec iam senes et in Apostolatus aeque constituti pro veritate asserimus si qua vel nobis vel aliis conscripsimus aliquando quae huic doctrinae repugnent illa tanquam erronea â—uueneli animo parum pensata iudicia reuocamus atque omnino respuâ—mus and directed it to the Vniuersitie of Collin He excused himselfe by his youth comming but newly from the Schooles the force of the perswasions of so many great prelates whom hee saw banded against Eugenius the example which had seduced him and ignorance which should excuse him thinking not to erre after so many great Doctors and especially of the Schoole of Paris whose reputation was then very famous and of the vniuersities of Germany k Nos homines vt homines errauimus neque imus inficias multa quae diximus scripsimus egimus damnari posse verum non vt Arrius â—â—thyces Macedonius aut Nestorins alia blasphemorum turba ex animo damnatum viam eligimâ—s seducti peccauimus vt Paulus ignoranter persecuti fuimus Ecclesiam Dei Romanam primamque sedem propter quod prostrati ante oculos diuinae pietatis supplices oranâ—us Delicta inuentutis meâ— ignorantias ne memineris pudet erroris paeniteut fecisse vt male dictorum scriptorumque vehe menter poenitet plus scripto quam facto nocuim us Who declared Eugenius vnworthy of Peters chayre for that he had broken and hindered the course of the counsell which he himselfe had called and refused to approue and effect their decrees But that now knowing this Error he coniured all the world to note the distinction betwixt Aeneas Stluius and Pius the second betwixt a priuate man and the great Vicar of Iesus Christ betwixt the errors of a youth without experience and the thoughts of an age touched with the Spirit of God Then hauing made a great repentance of his opinions he published his beliefe of the Popes Authoritie Words of S. Bernard and said of the person of Eugenius the fourth that which S. Bernard had said of Eugenius l Tu es sacer dos magnus summus pontifex tu princeps EpiscoruÌ„ tu haeres Apostolorum tu primatu Abel gilbernatu Noe Patriarchatu AbrahaÌ„ erdine Melchisedech dignitate Aaron auctoritate Moyâ—es iudicata Samuel potetestate Pâ—tâ—us Vnctione Christus Tu es cui claues traditae cui oues creditae sunt Sunt alijquideÌ„ coeli ianitores gregum pastores sed tu tanto dignius quanto differentius vtrumque prae illis nomeÌ„ haereditasti Habentilli signatos sibi greges singuli singulos tibi vniuersi crediti vni sumus Nec modo â—uium sed et pastoruÌ„ tu vnus omniuÌ„ pastor Haec Bernardus ad Eugenium 3. scribit cui supremaÌ„ omnimodam in ecclesia potestatem concedit quod ille in tertio testatur Eugenio hoc nos de quarto omnibus aliis Romanis Pontificibus profitemur the third Thou art the great Priest the Soueraigne pastor the prince of Bishops the Heyre of the Apostles thou art Abel in primacie Noah in gouernment Abraham in the Patriarchat Melchisedech in Order Aaron in Dignitie Moses in Authoritie Samuel in Iustice Peter in Power and Christ in vnction Notwithstanding all these goodly words and the great reasons wherewith the Nucios were armed to let the King know the great wrongs he did vnto himselfe The â—talians called the Council of Basill a conuenticle to breake with the Pope in fauouring the Decrees of a Councell which Rome held to be but a Conuenticle a monopole and Schisme They found not any one in his Councell which thought it fit to breake such holsome Decrees and the King who had been with King Charles his Father at the assembly at Bourges remembred how carefully they had beene examined solemnely published and profitably obserued fiue and twenty whole yeeres The Pragmatick Sanction was a law also for all the accidents of the policie of the Church a soueraigne balme for all the vlcers The summe of the Pragmaticke Sanction which auarice dissolution and ignorance might cause in her members m Frustra iâ—hiberetur inferioribus â—â—ipse qui aluÌ„s debet esse omnium bonerum virtutum exemplar non abstineret Vt enim ille sanctissimus doctissimus Leo Papa inquit totius familia domini status or do nutabit si quod inquiritur in corpore non inuenitur in capite Integritas enim praesidentium salus dignoscitur esse inferiorum Pragm Sanct. tit de collatib ¶ frustr And for that they labour in vaine to keepe the body in health if the head bee sicke it did somewhat restraine the Popes authoritie binding him to hold a Councell euery ten yeares and to obserue the Decrees which should be made yea that which the councell of Basill had made touching the Elections Reseruations and Collations of benefices It did forbid expectatiue graces and citations to the Court of Rome but in certaine great causes and as for Appellations they did no more passe the mountaines the Pope did appoint Iudges vpon the places for Appellants which depended immediately vpon the sea of Rome and as for others they might appeale to the next superiour It tooke from the Pope a great part of the profits of his Chancerie forbidding the payments of vacances and Anuates and reseruing onely the iust fees for expedition of Buls Pope Eugenius considering the consequence of this Decree sent his Nuncios to the Councell of Basill to haue it suspended but the fathers intreated him not to suffer such an abuse any longer then declaring such as should pay them Simoniacall it added that if the Pope did scandalize the Church in contemning the obseruation it should be referred to a Councell n Etsi quod absit Romanus Pontifex qui prae caeteris vniuersalium conciliorum exequi custodire debet canones aduertus hanc sanctionem aliquid facien do ecclesiam scandalizet vt generali concilio deferatur Caeteri vero pro modo culpa iuxta canonicas sancti â—nes per suas superiores digna vltione puniantur Prag Sanct. tit de Annat ¶ Non fiant It would not allow the Pope to make Cardinals after his owne phantasie but with aduise of the other Cardinals that there should not be aboue foure and twenty chosen out of all the churches of Christendome to the end the number should not abase the
returned into Denmarke past into Germanie and so into France to intreat K. Lewis the eleuenth to make his peace with the K. of Scotland but wheÌ„ he saw that the king would not do any thing he retired to the Duke of Bourgondie and did him great seruices But he did not long enioy the peace and quietnesse which hee thought to finde there for the King of Scotland who desired to see this house vtterly ruined commaunded his Sister to leaue her Husband m An extreme hatred from an extreme loue which forceth the K. of Scotland to breake a bond which could not be dissolued but by death An example that tâ—er is nothing assured in the great fauour of Princes and an instruction to ground our felicitie vpon our selues and not vpon an other Man begins to be subiect vnto Fortune when he settles his felicity without himselfe She was fullie resolued to runne her Husbands fortune but hee himselfe intreated her to goe vnto the King her Brother thinking that he could not haue more fauour nor better sollicit an end of his exile then by her As soone as euer she came to Court the King married her to another and makes her to send for her children which were in Flanders Thomas Bothwell died for greefe at Antwerp and the Duke of Bourgoundie his heire made him a rich tombe not so much for any care of his memorie as to erect vnto Fortune the trophee which she had gotten by the ruine of a house n The house of the Bothwels was as soon ouer throwne as raised The History of Scotland saith Ita Bodiorum quae tum erat in Scotia florentissima familia intra paucos annos creuâ—t corruit magno posteris documento quam sint lubricae Regum adolescentium Amicitia So the familie of the Bothwels which then did florish much in ScotlaÌ„d within few yeares did both rise and fall a great instruction to posteritie how slipperie the loue of yong Kings is against the which it seemed she had no power The King in the meane time who had been bred vp in great libertie King of Scotlands good inclination corrupted suffred himselfe to goe whether his humors led him and puts his Estate into such confusion as there was nothing in a manner firme nor well setled The Truce with England was expired it was feared they should fall to war for that the same time the English had taken and spoiled a great ship of Scotland but K. Edward who after that he had ended his busines with FraÌ„ce had no care but to take his plesure made no difficulty to restore that which had been taken to the end the Truce might be coÌ„tinued the mariage of one of his daughters treated with the Kings eldest son the better to Cyment this accord The King of Scotland sent two Embassadors to the Duke of Bourgundy to haue iustice of some complaints made by the Marchants which did traffick vpon his coast Being arriued in Flanders there came a Phisition called Andrew to visit them Hee was a great Sorcerer and one of those who to steale diuination thinke to imitate Diuinitie Andrew a Scottish Phisition a great Sorcerer and to abuse the world with illusions wherewith their Demons abuse them o The diuels inspire illusions into Sorcerers minds to the end they should not see that which is see that which is not Quicquid miraculi ludunt per Dae mones faciunt What miracle soeuer they play they doe it by their Diuels Min. Felix They are Apes of Diuinitie theeues of Diuination Emulantur Diuinitatem dum furantur Diuinationem They imitate Diuinitie whilest steale Diuination Tert. Apolo c. 22. He met them with amazement for he told them that they needed not to make suâ—h hast for that within two daies they should haue newes of the Duke which vvould make them to change their resolution The two daies vvere not expired before the newes of the Dukes death vvas brought to Gand. An accident which ouerthrew their embassage and sent them home into Scotland where they did not forget to tell the King as Courtiers doe willingly discourse of that vnto their Master which pleaseth him that Andrew a Phisition had foretold them of the duke of Bourgundies death King of Scotland giuen to Sorcerie Curiositie and idlenes had already framed this Princes spirit to receiue these vanities for infallible sciences beleeuing that he could not be a King if hee were not a Magician p Apuleius saith that to be a King in Persia hee must be a Magiâ—ian Vili inter Persas concessum est Magum esse hand magis qnam regnate The brauery of the Court was all in these Impostures if there were any spirit corrupted with these errors he was presently led into the Kings Cabinet whose spirit was like an infected Lyuer which draws out of a great glasse of water a drop of wine to corrupt it more q When a spirit begins to be depraued it seekes the ill although it be shut vp enuironed with good and conuerts the good into bad nourishment some of his learned women had foretold him that the Lyon shold be smothered by the yong Lyons To haue more knowledge of this prediction he sent for this Phisition he gaue him Benefices great entertainments to make him stay in Scotland and consulting with him as the Oracle of his fortune hee had this answere from him That the dangers which threatned his life should come from the conspiracie of his owne These words made so strange a Metamorphosis in this Prince as being gentle milde and courteous he became inaccessible iealous and distrustfull r Crueltie giues vnto a Prince the â—itles of Cyclops Busyris Phalaris and others wherewith Maximin was defamed for his cruelty and to make it a Maxime Nisi crudelitate Imperium noÌ„ retineri An Empire is not held without crueltie Iul. Cap He thought that crueltie would purchase feare and feare would assure him and disappoint the designes which should be made against him Hee held his neerest kinsmen for enemies and the greatest of the Realme to be traitors Hee made new creatures and gaue himselfe to be gouerned by base men who managed the state at their pleasures and neuer did well but when as they thought to doe ill The Nobilitie of the Realme beeing offended at this bad gouerment The Noblemen conspire and to see that the King was a slaue to men who could not remember their fathers condition without blushing and who held him coopt vp like a sauage beast that he might not grow tame they resolued to free him but to preuent it these petty tyrants of the Kings will seaze vpon his Brethren s Iohn Earle of Marre the Kings brother was slaine in prison he was accused to haue sought to bewitch the king they caused twelue Sorcerers to be burnt they make the yonger dye by bleeding the other was put in prison but the escaped and got into
delight to be what he appeares and to appeare what he is wise and fore-seeing without deceit iust without rigor couragious without feare or indiscretion courteous milde magnanimous without pusillanimitie liber all with iudgement and religious without hypocrisie Lewis the eleuenth contemned the Sciences and learning Henry fauours them makes choise of the best wits to restore the exercises peoples the Colledges and labors to make the famous Academies of France to flourish and the Vniuersitie of Paris the eldest daughter of Kings the Queene of the Academies of Christendome Lewis was blamed for the little care he had in the breeding and institution of his son Henry considering how much it doth impâ—rt that the generous inclinations of my Lord the Dauphin should be seconded with good instruction hath committed the care to a Noble-man which abounds in wisedome generositie experience and fidelitie for the greatnes of that charge Hee doth alwaies hold the minde of this Prince elleuated to things worthy of his birth and courage France is bound vnto the King who could make so good a choice the election proues the dignitie of the person chosen makes the excellencie of the choosers iudgement to bee seene and shewes that heauen hath conspired with him to make so happy an accord of two such different ages Lewis would not suffer his sonne to vnderstand aboue two words of Latin Henry wils that his deare sonne should haue as much knowledge as a Prince ought to haue he causeth his yonger yeeres to be instructed in learning by the diligence of a great and excellent wit who carefully and indiciously doth shew him vvhat he should know and vvhat he should be ignorant of he giues him the whole vvorld for a lesson for companions the study of Emperors and Kings for a table the image of glory for Philosophy the knowledge of humors and manners and entertaining him sweetly in the varietie of Historie vvhich is onely the Booke of Kings frames his mind to a knowledge vvhich should shew it selfe more by actions then by discourse for as he himselfe saies For one that 's not wedded to Arts nor of them is vnknowing T is skill enough to render them such honor as is owing Lewis had more care then his predecessors to fortefie his frontiers and forts Henry hath made great workes for the beautifying of his royall houses and for the commoditie of his people he makes his forts vnexpugnable and hath freed his affaires from the outrages and violence of necessitie Lewis was inconstant in his resolutions and did sometime impaire them by change Henry in his greatest affaires saies nothing but vvhat he does and doth nothing without premeditation calling vppon God in his thoughts That vvhich is framed in his minde remaines firme He hath so much foresight as he preuents all impediments and hath so great power as nothing is impossible vnto him Lewis loued a country ruined rather then lost Henry giuen from heauen for the generall good of the earth hath saued enricht and preserued the townes which by the iustice of his armes he might haue spoiled and ruined Lewis neuer left offences vnpunished Henry hath lost no part of his memory but iniuries Lewis tooke a delight to cut off the heads of poppy and eares of corne which doe ouertop the rest the torrent of his iustice hath often carried away the innocent with the guiltie Henry hath so vsed his clemencie towards his greatest enemies as if the Iustice of God should demand of him the number he would easily giue him an account Lewis left France so weake so ruinous and so deiected as it had nothing remaining but the tongue to complaine Henry hath chased neâ—de idlenes and pouerty out of France and from the necessitie of his affaires and to conclude the paralel there is not any nation which doth not reuerence the name admire the fortune extoll the vertues enuie the triumphs sing or vveepe for the victories loue the gouernment and feare and redoubt the power of this great and incomparable Prince This Historie doth truely show the diuersitie of the two portraits and giues the King an incredible content to see that the raigne of a great mighty redouted and wise King may not enter into comparion with his by the difference which hee hath set in the order of his treasure in the number of his forces in the force of his armes in the fortification of his frontiers in the structures of his great buildings and in the restablishment of the publike safety and felicitie As for the other obiection which I haue made as done it is true that Philip de Commines hath related the life of this Prince so exactly and iudiciously as if Statius who hath written the life of Achilles after Homer did not maintaine my designe by his example I should yeeld my selfe vanquished of indiscretion and presumption Quamquam acta Viri multum inclita cantu Moeonio sed plura vacant nos ire per omnem Sic amor est heroa velis Sciroque latentem Dulichia proferre tuba nec in Hectore tracto Sistere sed tota iuuenem deducere Troia Though his great deeds by Homers lofty vaine Be highly sung yet much is left vnsaied Wee le trace him all and in Dulichian straine Sound how this peere was close in Scyros laid Nor in his dragging Hector stop our verse But his yong Acts in all Troyes siege rehearse Iudgement must be the poulder of separation to reduce euery thing to his element and will show that he hath not so reapt his field but he hath left some eares to gather In like manner I doe not thinke that I haue spoken all things so fully and cleerely after him but there will yet remaine something to exercise others after me The huntsman is commended that hunts and takes but he is not blamed if hee hath not taken all We must yeeld something to the curiositie and diligence of others He teacheth not well that teacheth all Another spirit will happily finde somethings wherewith to please himselfe in this goodly ample field of the life of this Prince I confesse I haâ—e drawne the principall pieces of this building from Philip de Commines but the order of the work the Architecture and the Ornaments are mine owne He could not speake of his owne knowledge of the affaires of Lewis the eleuenth but from the yeare 1472. when as he left the D. of Bourgundy to serue him but this History speaketh of the infancy of this Prince of his retreat into Flanders and of all that had happened memorable throughout the world during the three and twenty yeeres of his raigne and besides many manuscripts I haue seene the forraine Histories of those times The ten bookes are extended vpon that which concernes his life and the eleuenth vpon the obseruation of that which was done in those times and of that which is done now to show that Lewis hath been as much inferiour to Henry as he was held superior to other Kings If all things
Angiers with an army of 50000. men came vnto him to demand a peace The King of Sicily was disposâ—est of his country of Anjou beeing forced to retire into Prouence with griefe to suruiue his Son Iohn D. of Calabria Lorraine Nicholas Marques of Ponte his grand-child Hee doth represent the estate of his age house in the deuice which he carried of an old stock which had no greene sprout to make it liue it was Rene D. of Lorraine Son to Yoland of Anjou his daughter The Constable who would diuide his heart in two to nourish entertaine the warre thrust the duke of Burgundy into fury the King into distrust of him hauing left the path of moderation wisedome he came vnto the king by that of pride distrust refusing to represent himselfe vnto his maiesty but armed nor to speake vnto him but by a barre vpon a causey well garded with soldiers The D. of Burgondy not able to liue idly during this Truce seekes for worke in Germany passeth to Treues propounds to change his dukes Crowne for a Kings is offended with the Emperor for refusing it He besiegeth Nuze and seeing that the crosses which he had in his affaires proceeded onely from the King he perswades the K. of England to passe the seas to renew the pretensions of his predecessors and to make a fatall combustion of all France But Lewis diuerts this storme and makes a bridge of gold for this King to repasse the sea sending him home as wel content with peace as he was come resolute to war The King reapt both honor profit and by his foresight disappointed the great designes which were laid vnder fauor of this army and although it had diuers pretexts as diuers branches of the same stock of sedition and ambition they were all dangerous all the kinds of this poison were mortall The Duke of Bourgundy was forced to accept a peace of the king against whom he had proclaimed warre The coale which entertained the fire of discord was quenched and this head that made the windes to blow which caused the quiet of France to tremble was cut off at the Greue The Duke of Bourgundy to reuenge a light iniury done vnto the Earle of Romond vndertakes a great warre against the Suiâ—les which by the vnfortunate euent of three battels made him to loose his baggage at Granson his reputation his forces and his hopes at Morat and at Nancy his life with a part of his estate The King reapt the fruit of this warre hauing fauoured and supported the Duke of Lorraine against the great designes of this Conqueror Hee seased vpon both Burgundies and vpon a part of Artois and had forced the Archduke Maximilian to leaue the low countries and to leade the Princesse his wife into Germany with repentance of his mariage if the battell of Guinegaste had not troubled the face of his affaires and changed the designes of warre into resolutions of peace which was confirmed by the marriage of Charles Dauphin of France with Margaret of Austria Age which neuer comes alone suffers not the King to vndertake any long and difficult conqueâ—s and binds him to thinke vpon the meanes to leaue his crowne peaceably vnto his Sonne as it was rich mighty and more assured then hee had receiued it from his father hauing beautified it with many goodly flowers as Burgundy Anjou Barre Prouence and the recouerie of the Townes in Picardy and of some in Artois Being prest with troubles of mind as much as with the languishing of the body and reduced to an estate more lamentable then lamented in the which he could not liue would not dye he straue foure whole yeares against the force of an incurable disease and repulst by strange meanes the approches of death to retaine life which was but too long for his miseries and infirmities as it had beene too short for his designes and hopes He was forced to yeeld himselfe to discretion the 30 th day of August 1483. the 22 th yeare of his raigne and of his age the sixtith He carried nothing from the place which hee left but the proud title to haue freed the Kings of France from subiection or wardship capable to command not a Realme only but the whole world He was interred at our Lady of Clery hauing obtained from Pope Sixtus the fourth an excommunication against all such as would lay his body in any other tombe then in that which hee had built for himselfe and Charlotte of Sauoy his wife He did often visit this last abode and did lye in it soÌ„metimes that by the meditation of death he might descend liuing into the graue The triumphant Chariot of the prosperities of his life was drawn by Wisdome Iustice Liberality and Reputation wisdome made him victorious ouer his enemies Iudge of the controuersie betwixt the Crownes of Castile and Nauarre Protector of the liberty of the Common-weales of Italy Arbitrator of the peace betwixt Rome and Florence and then betwixt Rome and Venice He added the county of Prouence to the Crowne Hee vndertooke strange impossible designes Iustice alwayes in heat by his extreame seuerity did more often put the sword of execution into his hand then the ballance of due consideration hee caused many great men to feele his rigour whose processe he began by the execution Liberality opened him the hearts and gates of townes which hee battered with his money caused many which were distracted from him to come like Bees at the sound of a bason hee vsed it to bind the English to his friendship the Suisses to his succors and the Brittaines to his seruice Reputation hath held all the powers of Europe in admiration of him and hath made him to bee redoubted of strangers and feared of his Subiects Yet the differences betwixt the priuate and publike fortunes of this Prince were great his fortunes were of long Time in fauour amidst his prosperities In his raigne he was a wise happy King a good and a bountifull maister a distrustfull friend a cruell enemy and a terrible neighbour in his house a bad son a bad father a bad husband he had no children by Margret Steward his first wife and by Charlotte of Sauoy his second hee had Ioachim Charles Francis Anne and Ioane The Contents of the first Booke of the History of Lewis the XI 1 Charles the 7. disinherited by King Charles the sixth his father by the perswasion of Isabel of Bauaria his wife A Table of the miseries of France by the diuisions of the houses or Orleans and Bourgondy 2. The birth of Lewis Dauphin of France sonne to Charles the seauenth His breeding and marriage with the Princesse of Scotland 3 Treaty of Arras betwixt King Charles the 7. and Phillip of BourgoÌ„dy 4 Reduction of the Citty of Paris 5 First Armes of Lewis the xi 6. He is carried from Loches Trouble of the Praguerie 7. The Duke of Bourgondy approues not this mutiny 8 King
Charles the seauenth armes against his sonne the Dauphin and takes S. Maixaint and Niort 9. Estates asseÌ„bled at Clermont euery man seeks to recouer the kings fauour 10 Repentance of the Dauphin and the Princes of his party 11. King Charles the seauenth pardons his sonne and refuseth to pardon them thut had corrupted him 12 A new order in the Dauphins house 13. Instructions which King Charles giues him 14. Seige of Pontoise the Academies of military exercises The taking of Tartas 15. The taking of Diepe The Kings armie in Languedoc 16. Montbeliard taken Basil besieged 17. Suisses defeated at the Hospitall of St. Iames of Basil. 18. Truce betwixt France and England 19. Death of Margret Steward wife to Lewis the eleuenth 20. Life of King Charles the seauenth The idlenes of peace 21 Lewis the eleuenth retires into Dauphiné Refuseth to returne at the Kings command 22 He passeth into Flanders to Duke Philip who lodgeth him at Gueneppe 23. Practises of Lewis the eleuenth 24. Hatred and contrariety of humors betwixt Lewis and the Earle of Charolois 25. Birth of Ioachim of Valois first sonne to Lewis the eleuenth 26. Army of Charles the seauenth The Duke of Bourgondy in alarum 27. Distrustfull and suspicious nature of Charles the seauenth 28. His death with a collection of his principall actions THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE HISTORY of LEWIS the XI ISabel of Bauaria Disinheriting of Charles the Dauphin an ambitious Princesse and a cunning woman but a cruell mother a Humane wisdome 〈◊〉 deceiued in matters which it thinkes iâ— hath foreseenâ— Charles the 5. had desired to seeke an alliance in Germany for his sonne to fortifie hâ—m against the English Hâ— married Isabell daughter to Stâ—phen Dâ—â—e or Bauaria 〈…〉 nature â—anded against Charles her sonne to transport he Câ—owne to strangers had so great power ouer the will and weaknes of Charles the sixt her husband as he disinherited the Dauphin his sonne and gaue the Crowne of France to Henry the fift king of England his son in lawe by a treaty made at Troie the xxi of May 1420. This declaration published at the Marble table was followed by another of the Kings Councell which promised to vse all the seuerities of Iustice against the Dauphin to punish him for the murder of Duke Iohn slaine at Monstereau A murther which making an altar vnto Mars of all France gaue him for offerings not prodigious showes of vices but an infinite number of braue men worthy of a more happy age and a better end He that knowes not the History cannot vnderstand that of the warres which it hath caused betwixt the kings of Fraunce and the house of Burgundy nor of those tragicall effects of malice and hatred which continued all the raigne of Lewis the xi But behold a true Table Charles the vi b Charles the 6. going from Mans in Iuly in the extreaâ—most heat of the day his head being couered with a great hood of scarlet he meâ— with a man 〈◊〉 â—eaded and bare-legged 〈◊〉 in white rugge at the enâ—ry of the forest who staying his horse by the reyacâ— said vnto him King ride no farther for thou art betraid These wordes to a spirit weakened with care watching distemperature and distrust turned his braine and made him mad O what misery did this poore head bring to the whole body of France for the infirmity and weaknes of his spirit Distraction of Charles â—he 6. suffered himselfe to be gouerned by Lewis Duke of Orleance his brother whom he loued dearely Philip Duke of Burgundy Vncle to the king by the father grew first iealous then an enemy to this great authority and his hatred tooke such deepe roote as it died not with him for Iohn his sonne was his heire and sware the ruine of the house of Orleance The two factions are framed Faction of Orleanois and Burgonians and the heads discouer their hearts by their deuises the motto of that of the Duke of Orleance was Ie l'enuie hauing a knotted staffe that of the duke of Burgundy was a Ioyners plan with this motto Ie le tiens th' one shewing how he would maintaine his authority and the other how he would ouerthrow it The Duke of Burgundies designes succeeded both to the ruine of himselfe and his house He grounded himselfe vpon the practice of the Townes and especially of Paris supplanting the Duke of Orleance of all c The credit and confidence which they haue in a man of commandement is the cheife support of his authority for from thence proceeds the loue of the people which is a buckler vnto the 〈◊〉 and a stâ—ong ramâ—iâ—e against 〈…〉 and wicked credit and loue and seeking to make him hatefull in the speeches but worse in the affections of the people who were otherwise incensed against him for some new subsidies which he had raised The first effect of this cruell hatred was that after many combustions both within and without Paris Death of Charles D. of Orleans and euen then when as they thought their minds were least inflamed the Duke of Orleance returning from the Queenes Palace where she then lay in and hauing past most part of the night by her on the 20. of Nouember 1407. fell into the hands of xviij murtherers which slew him It was a spectacle full of pitty the next day to see about this poore sicke King the widow d Valentine of Milan widdow to the Duke of Orleance Charles Philip and Iohn her sons Isabâ—l of Fâ—ance the Kings daughter married to Charles eldâ—st sonne to the Duke of Orleance the Kings of Sicile and Nauarre with the Dukes of Berry Bourbon demaund iustice of the murther and her three sonnes assisted by the three Princes of the bloud imploring iustice They seek out the crime but they finde not the offenders The Duke of Burgundies hatred is a great presumption that these were the fruites of his reuenge The Duke of Burgundy flies into Flanders all mens eyes were cast vpon his which his conscience made him to hould downe He drawes the King of Sicile and the Duke of Berry apart and aduowes the fact he leaues Paris with fiue more in his company and recouers his country of Flanders in great hast so as the suspition was changed into apparant proofe Sone after he e The Duke of Bourgondy returning into France with a great army carried in a table two lances in saltire the one hauing a sâ—arpe head for the warre the other a burrhead for the tourney giuing the choyce of war or peace returnes with a mighty army they that would haue condemned him He returnes to Paris are now forced to seek his friendship Paris receiues him as the Demon Gardian of her wals he maintaines puqlikely that he had caused the Duke of Orleans to be slaine to free the estate from oppressions A Doctor of the Sorbonne vndertooke to iustifie him before the Kings Counsell with so great impudence and flatterie
vnto fire but they haue neither the vertue nor the hardnes They found not any spirit well setled that would follow them but euery man stopt his eares at the first brute as if they had been inchantments All were amased i An vniust rash enterprise strikes horror into good men who foresee the miserable euents at the ignorant vulgar holds them fauorable they must stop their cares to their first prâ—positions for if they enter into the soule 〈…〉 it with confusion Claudendae sunt aures malis voelbus et quidem p. imis Nam cum initium fecerunt admissaeque sunt pâ—us audent Sen. at their boldnes and euery man said that fury would draw these wilde Bores into the toyle that the Foxes craft would not free them from the snare The Nobility of Auuergne giue them to vnderstand that if the Kinge came into the Country The declaration of the nobâ—lity of Auuergâ—e they could doe no lesse then to open their gates This name of Kinge and such a King against whâ— they could not arme but the reliques of his victories who had made so great proofes of his valor and courage made the most mutinous to tremble k A Prince whose great actions purchased the name of valiant and wise is alwaies feared and respected This authority disperseth all kind of factions and conspiracies when as carelesnes and contempt giues them life It was an Anuill which would weare all hammers Euery man said vnto the Dauphin I am yours without exception reseruing my duty to the Kings seruice The King could not yet dispatch his affaires with the English The Kinge of England had failed of the assignation made on the first day of May at S. Omer The King armes against the Dauphin to consider of a peace and made himselfe be sought vnto This trouble could not be but to the profit of the enemies of France He resolued to goe himselfe against this conspiracy before that time and the Innouation the auncient Idol m Caesar blamed the Gaules for a curious deâ—iâ—e of Inouations They are said he very inconstant in their opinions most commonly desire change of the French had giuen it more force Hauing fortified the frontiers against the English he aduertised his sonne of his duty but good wordes serue but as oyle to feede the lampe of this yong Princes desires He must vse sharper tearmes to force obedience n Good wordes are of no force to haue a difficult commandement â—bserued He that wil be obeyed in rigorous things must vse seueritie and authoritie So saies Machâ—auel in the third of his Discourses an vnpleasing commaund requires not milde speches He came to Poietiers he sent to the Duke of Bourbon to deliuer him his sonne and to the Duke of Alençon to yeeld him his Townes of Niort and St. Maixant and to both of them to yeeld an account of those combustions to come vnto him and to call their fidellity vnto them They were farre of this storme could not hurt them They were no Children to be afraid of this thunder The Duke of Bourbon would not obey at the first summons without caution for his obedience He had rather haue his absence o To flie iudgement is to confesse the fault but oftentimes the innocâ—nt teach no defence against the persecution of one more mightie but absence a witnesse against him then repent him for his presence He had a good pawne in his possession he had Townes and Subiectes which had sworne to follow his fortune thinking that the war being betwixt the Father and the Sonne all that were actors in it should gaine by it at the least they should be free from danger for the Fathers bounty would refuse nothing to his Sons humility and that oftentimes fidelity was worse rewarded then p There haue beene ages seene so full of confusion as they must haue done ill to reap good If vertue â—ere not of it selfe a great recoÌ„pence to good men they migâ—t haue some reason to repent themselues of doing well when as their condâ—tion is infeâ—iour to that of the wicked rebellion The Duke of Alençon thought he should alwaies haue Niort and St. Maixant to make his peace He had sent la Roche to defend the Castell of St. Maixant S. Maixan taken by the King but the Towne intrencht it selfe and put it selfe in armes against him It was presently assisted with the kinges forces who sent the Admirall Coitiui and la Varenne Seneâ—hall of Poictou thither The Castell being forced la Roche escaped making a shewe to goe for succors and the Captaines which he left within it were hanged The Kinges forces attempted not any Towne but they took it q A Prince that hath to deale with his subiects performes great matters in time how diffâ—cult soeuer Some endured the Cannon and were spoiled Rion and Aigues perces opened their gates at the first summons Clermont and Mont-Ferrand who had neuer giuen eare to the perswasion of the Princes of the league receiued the King The Estates of the Country assemble at Clermont to order this diuision Estates assembled at Clermont which separating the sonne from the father diuided one heart into two The King thinking it fit that a busines of that importance which concerned the safety of them all should be consulted of by many r Although that a soueraigne Prince may resolue of any thing of his own motion yet it is fit hee should commun cate it So Augustus made a pleasing sweet medlâ—y as Dion saitâ— of a Monarchie and a popular state hee appointed this assembly There they represented freely the ruines which threatned the Realme and that the English had occasion to mocke at the boldnes of the Princes of the bloud which had attempted against the head of their house and banded the Sonne against the Father That it was fit euery man should returne to his dutie the King by the way of his bounty and clemencie to them that had offended him by that of iustice to his estate to serue s To raign is to serue Tiberius comprhendâ—d the dutie of a Prince in three words and three kinds of subiects A good Prince who is ordained for the safety of his subiects must serue the Senat serue his subiects in generall and serue euery priuate man To serue the Senate is to follow their Councell to serue all is to procure the publike good and to serue euery man is to do him iustice that demands it the which hee was ordained of God as well as to command and the Princes by that of obedience and repentance with amendment for their faults that although the iustest cause to arme against the Prince were vniust yet the King should consider that a great Prince should apprehend nothing more then to see his subiects ill satisfied t A priuate man is pleased in satisfying himselfe but the condition of a Prince is bound to content his subiects and to saâ—isfiâ—
such as are malecontâ—nt of his actions These reasons pierst the harts of the most distracted The Princes fearing to be abandoned Euery one desires grace of the King their partie growing weake and decreasing dayly they sued for grace vnto the King Hee offered it them by the Earle of Eu who did negotiate their accord and did perswade them to goe to Clermont to receiue his commandement wherevnto they yeelded so as they might bee assured The King was so good as he gloried to be vndeseruedly offended by men who reduced to their duties very profitable hee gaue a pasport for the Duke of Bourbon and Alençon but not for Tremouille Chaumont nor Prye whom hee held to bee the Authors of this trouble and of the assembly at Noion u An assembly at Noion of the Duke of Alencon Anthony of Chabanâ—s Earle of Dampmartin Peter of Amâ—oise Lord of Chaumont Iohn de la Roche Seneshall of Poictou and of the Lord of Tremâ—uille They complaine that they are abandoned and inflame the bloud of this yong Prince in such sort as seeing the Dukes of Bourbon and Alençon returne to conduct him to Clermont hee swore that hee would not goe x A Prince must haue care of them that haue followed him Monstrelet vppon this occasion writes those words When the Daupâ—in vnderstood it hee said vnto the Duke of Bourbon My faire Gossip you haue no thankes to tell how the matter was concluded that the King had not pardoned them of my houshold but would seeke to doe worse When the King saw that he came not that the prefixed day was past and that the English who besieged Harfleu called him into Normandie hee would temporise no longer but suffered his Armie to spoile the Duke of Bourbons Countrie His foreward did besiege and take Vichy Cusset and Varennes yeelded The whole countrie of Rouanna obayed Clermont and Mont-Ferrant persisted in their fidelitie from the which no Towne may in any sort separate y He cannot be held faithfull that for any respect wâ—atsosoeueâ— hath ceased to bee so Senec. it selfe but it presently looseth the glorious title of faithfull The wilfulnes of this Prince ruined the countrey euery man found his desseigne vniust and the affection he bare vnto his seruants vniust the consideration of whom should bee of more force then that of the publicke good for the which they might sometimes straine Iustice it selfe z To obserue Iustice in great maâ—teâ—s they must sometimes leau it in lesser Wherefore the Duke of Bourbon and Alençcon perswaded him to submit this affection to the Kings will and the interest of his seruants to his discretion intreating the Earle of Eu to bee a meanes that the king would be pleased that might bee done at Cusset which was not performed at Clermont The King grants it The Daâ—phin restored to fauour They come and present themselues vnto him bending their knees thrice vnto the ground before they approch beseeching him to pardon them This humilitie a Humilitie only pleades for great peâ—sons Monstrelet speakes in this sort of this pardon Being come into the chamber where the King was they kneeled thrice before they came vnto him and at the third they intreated him with great humilitie to pardon them his indignation did wipe out of the kings heart the feeling of such sensible offences Hee imbraced them and said vnto the Dauphin Lewis you are welcome you haue stayed long goe and rest you we will talke to morrow with you But hee protracted no time to reprehend the Duke of Bourbon Reprehâ—nsion of the D. of Bourbon drawing him a part b Great men will be praised in publike and reprehended in secret he put him in minde of his faults hee notes him the place and the number being fiue hee reprocheth vnto him the iniustice and indiscretion of a designe which sought to put the father vnder the sonnes gouernment adding that if that loue and respect of some did not withhold him hee would make him feele his displeasure What could hee answere The very feeling of his fault did presse him The offender must yeeld to the iustice and the Innocent to the force of the stronger He renues all the vowes of his obedience and affection and submits his will vnto the kings hee commends his bountie so apparant by the number of his offences and so necessarie for them that had offended whose preseruation did serue as an increase to his glorie and a trophee to his clemencie c They to whome the Prince giues life liue not but to the glorie of his clemencie The next day the Dauphin presents himselfe vnto the king who did not entreat him as nurses doe children which flatter them when they fall Hee did let him vnderstand that his fall had carried him to the ineuitable ruine of his honour and fortune if the bountie of a father had not as much will to retire him as the iustice of a king had reason to punish him In a word he said he would cease to be a good father vnto him if hee did not begin to be a better sonne d Hee that is good must striue to be betteâ— for when hee doth not begin to gâ—ow betâ—er theâ— he ends to be good and that he desired not to be held good for not punishing the bad The Dauphin assuring himselfe of his fathers bountie and clemencie speakes no more but for his seruants The Dauphin will not leaue his seruants to whom safe conducts had beene refused The king declared that they had made themselues vnworthy of his grace that they had deserued to bee made an example to others as the authors of this rebellion which had made the wicked impudent and brought good men to despaire Yet there must bee a distinction e A Citizen of Sparta 〈◊〉 Châ—rilaus highly coÌ„mended for 〈◊〉 bounty And how sâ—id hee can hee bee good seeing hee is not seuere vnto the wicked It is as great crueltie to pardon all the world as not to pardon any Senec made betwixt the effects of clemencie and bountie that for their punishment he was contented not to see them and that they should retire themselues vnto their houses The Dauphin held firme against these torrents of his fathers choller lets him know that if there be no grace for his seruants he desires not any for himselfe From this opinion f Opinion is the falling sicknes of the minde that is the Caue which coÌ„taines the windâ— fâ—om whence the tempests of the minde come that is to say disordinate passions which is they Caue from whence the windes issue which torment his soule or rather from the impression which his seruants had giuen him that in being resolute he should haue whatsoeuer hee desired Opinion causeth terrible motions in the soule he drew this yong and rash speech I must then my Lord returne for so I haue promised To whom the King answered coldly Lewis goe if you
they held in France reseruing onely the soueraigntie were declared enemies to all parts Paris beeing freed from their command desired to see them out of Pontoise and therefore they supplied the king with money to expell them Behold an armie of twelue thousand men before Pontoise good souldiars and inured to dangers who could both incounter and passe them without feare and knew better how to dye then to kill the best and onely part of valour The approches to Pontoise were not so well garded but Talbot enters and relieues Talbot releeues Pontoise it both with men and victuals The Duke of Yorke Lieutenant Generall to the King of England presents himselfe at Cenery and Hotonuille with 8000. men He sent a Herald vnto the King to signifie vnto him that either he should accept of a Battell or raise his siege In this first furie of the French there was not any one but said that it were better to eate rootes p Perseuerance forceth places Caesars souldiours beeing before Duras they had no bread but a root called 〈◊〉 they wiâ—hin the townâ— laught at the 〈◊〉 of the be 〈◊〉 being so ill furnished But they told them that as long as they found such rootes about Duras whereof tâ—ere were 〈◊〉 they would not dislodge and die then to raise the siege But the King would not hazard any thing The riuer was betwixt both Armies the King caused the bridge at Beaumont to bee garded the onely conuenient passage for the enemies Armie The Duke of Yorke had small boates to passe ouer his souldiors beneath the bridge towards the Abbey yet with such difficultie as ten men had beene able to hinder a hundred But the order was so great and the night so fauourable as the Armie was in a manner all past before the Sentinels had giuen the alarum A happie passage and which strooke such an amazement into the Kings Armie as the Captaines were more busied to wonder how the English had past then to keepe the rest from passing q A 〈◊〉 and admiration are weake Armes to stay as enemie Tit. Lin. obserues how the Romans passe a riuer whilest that the Spaâ—iards wonder and consult what they should doe Qui tumultum iniicere 〈◊〉 in ipso 〈…〉 Tit. Liâ— who might haue caused a disorder in the very passage of the riuer from constreining him The King raiseth the siege seeing there was a riuer betwixt both He wanted not-courage but iudgement to embrace the occasion and opportunity r Agisilaus being demanded what parls made the commander of an Army excellent and brauc hee answered courage against his enemies and counsell with iudgement in occasions that aâ—e offered He dislodged from Maubuisson leauing Charles of Anâ—on and the Admirall of Cottiuy with 2000. men in the fort of St. Martin and so retires to Poisy The Duke of York followes him thinking to ingage him to fight but the King wil not change his resolution which was not to giue a battell but to take Pontoise s When as the Duke of York sent to offer battaile vnto the King hee made no other answer but that seeing hee had such a desire to fight he should haue 〈◊〉 belly full and sooner then he looked for The Duke of Yorke passeth at Mante to victuall and refresh the besieged The King remained scorned by the English and contemned by the Parisians who repent themselues for the mony they had giuen him vnprofitably for the charges of this enterprise The greatest of his Court murmured for that he had retired so vnseasonably He sees his reputation so blemished as he resolues to take the place or to dye there he returnes thither within ten dayes after causeth the Towne to be battered in three places and a breach being made goes himselfe to the assault hazarding all for all He was forced to play the soldier to be a King vnles he would of a King become a soldier and try how insupportable repentance is not to haue done in an opportunity that which can no more bee done when it is past and how shee scornes at those ouerweaning wits which think in all places to ioyne authority to wisdome imparting nothing to necessity The Kinges t Necessity bindes a Prince to cast â—imselfe intâ— dangers In the waâ—re which the Emperor Albert of Austria had against the 〈◊〉 they demanded of him to whom he would giue the charge of his army he answered If any other then my selfe were your Captaine you would no more call me Archduke of Austria AEneas Silu. â—ib 3. de 〈…〉 affaires were not in such termes as he should be ashamed to be whereas the Cannon might glance by his crowne u Charles bragd of the wouâ—ds that he hadâ—receiued in the war and shewed them Timothâ—us an Athenian Captaine said I was ashamed before Sâ—mon that an arrow came from the walls and fell neer vnto me for that I had aduanced farther then was fit for a commander of an Army Plut nor to trouble his thoughtes to consider how hee should escape out of danger nor how much it did import that hee should escape The besieged cannot withstand the fury of the assault Pontosse takâ—n by assault they enter they kill the enemies and saue the Cittizen they heare not those cruell wordes let the friend perish with the enemy Those whom the fury of armes could distinguish and know for French were saued and the English slaine But it is hard in these encounters 〈◊〉 with fury and foming with reuenge to obserue any Image of iustice in sparing his friend or his host x 〈◊〉 that great Captaâ—ne who neuer slew any one vanquished held him a wicked men how good a Citizen soeuer that did not spare his friend or his hoste They speak of God when they go to a charge or an assault they recommend them selues vnto him they pray vnto him they make vowes At their returne they speake no more of him then if he had not beene present But the first thing and the first action which the King did at his entry was to giue God thanks acknowledging him the sole author of this victory y The glory of 〈◊〉 belongs to the God of Batteâ—â—s The King of france haue alwaies bene carefull of this duty Phillip Angustâ—â— after the Battell of Bouines caused the Church of our â—ady of victory to be built 〈◊〉 vnto Senlâ—s K. Lewis the twelfth built a Chappel wheras he won the Battel of Ghiaradadda vnder the name of St. Marie of victory King Francis the 1. did the like vpon the place of battel wheras he defeated the Suisses at s. Donaâ— without whom he had beene as much troubled with his owne Subiects as with the enemy For the Duke of Bourgundy was not so well reconciled as he desired not to raise the greatnes of his house vpon the ruines of the Kings affaires and the greatest of the Realme had already made secret assemblies to reforme the disorders whereof euery one had complayned
He assembled all the Princes The King rewards his serâ—ants Noblemen and Captaines he commended them that had done well z After a victory a Prince must take knowledge of such as haue done him good seruice honor recompence valor blame cowardize Luce orta saith Liui. in his 6. Booke vocatis clafico ad concilium mili tibus Manlius primam ob virtutem Jaudatus donatusque and thanked theÌ„ for the fidelity and proofes which they had showne he made many knightes and gaue to the Lord of Iâ—longe the place of marshall of France and a pension to him that entred first into Pontoise by the breach If the History knew his name she would giue him a murall Crowne and would doe him the like honor as the Parthians did to him that mounted first vpon the walls of Seleucia a The names of such as go to apparant dangers for the publicke safety should not be forgotten in a history and yet they remaine vnknowne 〈◊〉 they be not noted by some other quality then a simple soldier Plutarch remembers the name of Surena who first sealed the wall of the great Citty Seleucia the reason is for that hee was the second among the Parthians next the King The King led the Dauphin to Tartas being assieged by the English and then to Limoges teaching him stil that wisdome and temporising surmount all difficulties The Dauphin besiegeth Tartas and that it is a more excellent thing to settle his estate in peace then to spoile and wast his enemies contry With the instructions and maximes of his father who had giuen him in his infancy good gouernours and in his youth good councellors b Great Princes hauing had good maisters beeing little wise Counsellors being great haue effected great matters he made him capable of the actions of a Prince to command well and to cary the commandements of the King his father into Languedoc to frustrate the practise of the Earle of Armagnac Bastard of Armagnac fauord by Lewis the eleuenth The Bastard c This Bastard was made Admirall of France by Lewis the eleuenth who gaue him the Earledome of Comminge and the gouerment of Guienne whereof bee disposest Iohn Duke of Bourbon his Brother in law of this house aduertised him that the Earle of Armagnack treated of some alliance with the English Ielousie vpon such aduertisements are alwayes excusable and there is nothing that doth so much bind the wisedome of Princes as to foresee that great houses doe not ally themselues against their liking and transport vnto strangers the goods which should remaine in their estates which cannot be carried away without preiudice vnto them Such practises are more easily preuented then broken when they are made The house of Armaignac is ancient ritch and mighty in Guienne and her beginning is found in that of the Crowne of d D. Sancho surnamed the great King of Naturre hauing conquered some land in Gascogne on this side the Pyrenees gaue it vnto Garsias his sonne Earle of Armagnâ—c in the yeare 1013. he made his second sonne Arnold Garcias â—arfe of Estarac whose dissent is entred into the house of Foix and a branch of Candalle Nauarre Iohn 4. Earle of Amagnac Constable of France had bought of Iohn Duke of Bourbon the Earledome of Lisle Iourdain in the yeare 1421. for 38000. crownes of gold of 64. to the marke He had married Isabell of Nauarre The greatnes of his house and that of his alliance made him presume during the troubles of France when as euery man cast his eyes vppon the peeces of her shipwrack to qualifie himselfe Prince by the grace of God and to seeke the allyance of the English by the marriage of his daughter The King who made no difference betwixt treason and such allyances sent Commissioners to make the Earles processe as guilty of high treason hauing offended against the Lawes of France e Marriages treated with strangers without the Kings permission haue been dangerous for them that treates it Valeran of Luxembourg Constable of France was disgract by King Charles the fifth and King Charles the sixth dislikâ— the treaty of the Duke of Berries daughter with the Duke of Lancaster Philistus for this reason was banished out of the estates of Denis King of Sicile which forbids any Nobleman to make any marriage with strangers without the Princes consent The King sent the Dauphin thither who besieged Lisle Iordain and tooke the Earle of Armagnac Earle of Armagnac a prisoner at Lisle Iourdain His sonne fled into Spaine Iohn de Meaux second President of the Parlament of Toulouse had heard the Earle of Armagnac vpon his practise and had drawne from his owne mouth the truth of the principall points He thought that he should be quit for this confession f Natures wel bred are â—asily bound by fauors they would haue corâ—upted Lewis King Charles his father giues him part of the gouernment of the estate and of his affaires by which meanes he was drawne from thoughtes contrary to his duty and the peace of the estate and that the President hauing no other force then that of Iustice could do him no great harme but when hee saw himselfe a prisoner in the Dauphins power hee said that whatsoeuer hee had confest was against his owne conscience and the truth hauing onely spoken it with a desire to recouer his goods which the King had seazed on After hee had expiated this offence in prison the King restored him his liberty giuing the Earledome of Foix for a caution The Dauphin at his returne from this voiage was sent into Normandy with the title of Lieftenant Generall But we must obserue that he was twenty yeares old before he had any gouernment and that the King gaue it him only to disappoint the deseignes of such as would haue drawne him elce-where and did busie themselues more then he himselfe did in the estate wherein he was He chased the English from Deepe The Dauphin takeâ— Deepe and this victory did presently carry the generosity of his courage and the happines of his conduct throughout all the Prouinces of France whereas nothing did diminish the greatnes of this growing reputation but this reason that being sonne to so braue a father it was not strange to see him so valiant The French said that the father had need of such a sonne and the sonne had need of such a father The King glories to haue made him with his owne hand and to see his instructions so well followed he augments his authority and praiseth his command and sends him into Languedoc The Dauphin goes into Languedoc with a thousand Lances whereas his sword made his way He staid not his courage at small g A Prince must flye vanity and seeke the effâ—ct â—f a soâ—lid and true glory nam vt â—â—uitatis est in mem aucupart rumorem omnes vmbras etiam falsae gloriae consectari sic ieiuni est
which belonged vnto him The Parlament did then consider the iustice not the fortune and respected the Maiesty of the King though hee were a prisoner intreating the King to rest satisfyed with the Regency of the Realm and to assure the succession to his house after the death of Henry He accepted the declaration of the Parlament but considering that Queene Margaret had a great Army on foot to set her husband at liberty Battell at Wakefield he resolued to fight with her He gaue her battell at Wakefield against the aduise of his Councell who intreated him to stay vntill the troupes which his sonne Edward Earle of March brought him were arriued Presumption troubleth his spirits with a motion contrary to that of Reason which should haue diswaded him from fighting y The violence of courage is dangerous vppon the point of a battell for it darkens the clearenes of Iudgement doth easily change it to the trouble of reason and to that perturbation which the Philosoph call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— Some haue written that the Queene caused the head of the Duke of York to bee cut off carrying a Crowne of paper others say it was the Lord Cliffords deed for their forces were not equall although in the courage of the Commanders there was no other difference but that of sexe No no it shall not be said that the Duke of York who had so often fought in France without any other trench or defence then his owne armes is shut vp that he attends a woman and doth not go forth to fight with her He spake this and went forth with 5000. men and met her The Combate in the beginning was terrible and furious The Queen cuts off the Earle of Salisburies head The Queene shewed her selfe among the troupes exhorting the Souldiers to honour glory Richard Duke of York was slaine Richard Earle of Salisbury whose head soon after the Commons who hated him cut off the which with many others of the same faction was set vpon the walles of York to bee a terror and an example to other Rebells After this victory the Queene whose courage was eleuated vppon the apprehension of all sorts of dangers 2. Battell at St. Albons and who held them lesse then the captiuity of her husband resolues to loose her life or to restore him to liberty She goes directly to London and comming to S. Albons she encounters the Earle of Warwick who aduanced to succour his generall with the same courage that she had defeated the Duke of Yorke shee chargeth the Earle of Warwick puts him to rout and frees the King a The excellency of courage shewes it selfe when as the soule is carried beyond all showes and apprehensions of dangers fortitudo contemptrix est timendorum Senec. Epi. 89. Edward Earle of March being aduertised of the death of the Duke of York his father refused not to tread in his steppes and to imbrace the toile Edward Earle of March succeeds the Duke of York his father in his authority from whence he expected his greatnes and glory He staid in the Prouince of Wales and expelled Iasper Earle of Pembrooke The Earle of Warwick ioyned with him and with all their forces he came to London where he was receiued with incredible ioy and acclamations He was one of the goodliest Princes of his time and in great reputation his bounty courage and liberality were powerfull charmes to winne mens hearts the English thinking that hauing him they had all and that their felicity was tyed to the long continuance of his Raigne b A Prince can desire no greater proofes of the affection of his people then when hee beleeues that nothing can saile him so as hee faile not them From thence are come these goodly acclamations Augusto Constantine Dâ—te nobis seruent vestra salus nostra salus â—od Theod lib. 7. tit 20. In te omnia per te omnia Antonine habemus A El. Lamprid Dion reports an excellent one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we haue all in hauing you He is proclaimed King and for that hee would haue no companion in his royalty hee resolues to fight with King Henry and marched directly to York lodging in a little village called Touton Henry being prepared to receiue him would not shew himselfe for that it was Palme sunday desiring to spend that day in the seruice of God but the souldiers seeing themselues so neere would not referre the partie vntill the next day They come to hands the combat continued tenne howers and the victory hauing beene long doubtfull and in ballance betwixt both Armies sodainely inclined to Edward The King and Queene seeing all their troopes put to flight they saued themselues in Scotland with their seruants c The Regent of Scotland led K. Iames the third to meet with King Henry the 6. and Q. Margaret The good reception with the succor which he receiued caused him to restore Barwick to the Realm of Scotland and from thence Margaret passed into France to her father to demand succors Henry the 6. flies into Scotland Edward returned triumphing to London and caused himselfe to be crowned King at Westminster the 28. of Iune 1461. he called a Parlement where all that had bene decreed by King Henry the sixt was reuoked After that Henry had gathered together some forces in Scotland he returnes into England being followed by a great number of his ould seruants The Iustice of his cause gaue him good hope d Hee that hath reason on his side is alwaies accompanied with good hope hee pursues his quarrell with more courage and assurance be exposeth himselfe to all dangers and his subiects serue and succour him more willingly and in all accidents the iustice of his cause doth comfort him but he was repulsed with great dishonor by Iohn Marques of Mountague King Edward beeing aduertised of the practises of Margaret both in France Scotland and England to restore her husband to his crowne he sets guards vpon the Ports and passages of Scotland to stop her entrie but as there is no miserie more insupportable then the remembrance of what we haue been King Henry bare this change of condition so impatiently as not apprehending the danger neither of his life nor of his first captiuitie and not considering that fortune had neuer done him so much good but might doe him more harme e Miseries doe but begin when as they seeme to end There is not any man but may haue more harme then hee hath had good Neminem eo Fortuna pronexit vt non tantum illi minaretur quantum permiserat Sen. Epi. 4. he returned into England in a disguised habite where hee was discouered taken and presented to Edward Hen. the sixt put into the Tower of London who lodged him in the Tower of London If he had thought that he had gone forth as hee did to get the crowne hee would haue giuen him one of copper made fast
the good or ill do easily concerne and Deane of the Peeres of France e The Duke of Bourgondy is first Peere of France in this quality hee made a protestation to King Charles the sixth saying that hee might not asist at the iudgement of the K. of Nauarre vvhich did onely belong vnto the Peeres a Prince renowned for honor and iustice as it appeareth by your great deedes conduct and gouernment of your great signories knowing that the disorders of the said Realme haue and doe displease you as reason is I would desire with all my heart to haue an assembly with you and other noblemen my kinsmen that by your counsell we might prouide for all matters which for want of order Iustice and policy are at this day in all the estates of the said Realme His designe of arming to reforme disorders and for the ease of the poore people f The opression of the people was not great being only for matters which were not accustomed who can beare no more and to set such an order in all places as it may be pleasing vnto God to the honour felicity and good to the said Realme and to the retribution of honour and perpetuall commendation of all those that shall imploy themselues I do intreat you most deere and louing vncle that in this matter which is great for so good an end it would please you to aid and assist me and to cause my brother in law of Charolois your sonne to imploy himselfe in my ayd as I haue alwayes assured my selfe he will doe And to the end that you and I may meet which is the thing I most desire for that my intention is shortly to enter into the Country and to keepe the fields with the other Princes and noble-men g The Princes and Noblemen of this party were Charles the Kings brother Phillip Duke of Bourgondy Francis Duke of Brittaine Charles Earle of Charolois Iohn Duke of Bourbon Iohn Duke of Calabria Peter of Bourbon Lord of Beauieu Charles Cardinall of Bourbon The Earle of 〈◊〉 the Duke of Nemours The Earle of Armagnac The Earle of Albretâ— The Earle of Dammartin The Earle of St. Paul The Prince of Orange The Earle of Newchastell The Bastard of Bourgondy which haue promised to accompany and ayd me I intreat you that you will be pleased to leuy and draw forces out of your Country towards France and in case you cannot doe it that you would cause my said brother in law of Charolois to come with a good power of men and withall to send vnto me one of your Counsell which is faithfull to assist for you in all matters which other Princes of the bloud shall think fit to be done for the good of the said Realmeâ— And by whom you may be stil informed of my good and iust intentions the which I will gouerne by you and other Princes of the bloud and no otherwise And that which my said brother in law in your absence shall doe or say for the publique good of the Realme h Vnder the Consideration of the publique weaâ—e many which had beene put from their places made vse of their interests Nâ—w Princes doe commonly fâ—ile in these changes If the Prince succeeds a good Prince whose raigne hath beene iust and happy then needs no chaÌ„ge if hee were not so he must not imploy such as wee his Ministers and therfore Galba was blamed to haue imployed the chiefe councellors of Neroes cruelties wickednes and ease of the poore people I will maintaine vnto the death and thereof you may bee assured Most deare louing vncle let me alwaies vnderstand if there be any thing wherein I may pleasure you and I will do it willingly praying God to giue you a good life and that which you desire Written at Nants in Brittany the 15. day of March the subscription was Your Nephew Charles and on the top To mine Vncle the Duke of Bourgondy Such was the language which they that were about this yong Prince made him to hold Death of Pope Piuâ— the second who knew well how to commend the good and to excuse and flatter the euill which he did and who indiscreetly drew him to designes whereas the danger was certaine and the profit doubtfull The Pope had made his profit of this diuision if death i Pius the second died at Ancona Platina saith that bee spake vnto the last gaspe and dispuâ—ed long with Lawrence Rouerella Bishop of Feâ—ara a learned Diuine Licerit ne extremam vnctioneÌ„ iterare qua semel invnctus fuerat Dum Basileae pestilentia grauissime egrotaret Whether hee might reiterate the extreme vnction wherwith hee had being anointed being sore sicke of the Plague at Basill had not disappointed a desseine which he had to reduce Francâ— wholly vnder the obedience of the Sea of Rome and to depriue it of the rights and priuiledges which doth free it in temporall things for in those which concerne the spirituall and orthodoxall Faith she hath alwaies been a dutifull and obedient daughter This Pope was lamented of all Christendome for he had great conceptions for her glorie and libertie in those places where shee was opprest vnder the tyranny of the Ottomans Beeing at Ancona to imbarke himselfe for the voyage of the Croisado after that hee had giuen audience to the Embassadors of France and of the Duke of Bourgundy who excused themselues that they could not serue in person in this voiage a slow continuall Feuer which had long held him depriued him of life He had no cause to grieue that hee had liued for that his life had been honored with so great and worthy actions as he might rightly say he had not been borne in vaine They onely blame him for that being Pope he had contradicted that which he had written being a priuat person His birth and fortune with so great Passion as hee discribed Pope Eugenius to bee the wickedst man in the world k AEneas Siluius in the beginning of the second booke of his Comentaries of the Councell of Basill saith that MeÌ„tita est iniquitas Gabriell Eugenius was called Gabriel Condelmar et perdidit cum Dominus in malitia sua quosynodali sententia ex Apostolica sâ—de precipitato factus est Dominus in refugiuÌ„ Ecclesiae suae And in the end of the first Necessarium fuit illud decretum ad reprimendam Romanorum Pontificum ambitionem vt deâ—â—ceps animam a temporalium rerum sollicitudiâ—e retraherent and his deposing a profitable and fit action for the church He was issued from the Picolhomini of Sienna and seeing that his father had beene expelled the Citie with many others of certaine families reuolted by the mutiny of the people he resolued to seek his fortune at Rome where shee hath alwaies done great miracles He was first of all Secretary to Dominike Grap and followed him to Basill when as he came to complaine that Pope Eugenius refused him a
next day Hee came where also were the Dukes of Berry and Brittanie and the Earle of Charolois the ports were well garded and the approches fortified and the King was in the like feare in the Castle as the Earle of Charolois had beene in the Bulwarke Euery man thought that the Publike weale Treatie of peace concluded at Bois de Vincennes which had beene so much exalted in this league should be preferred before all other conditions of the Treatie But it is a folly to thinke that what is desired of many can succeed when it depends of the affections of few men r Matters done hardly succeede but according to the intent of the first mouers Priuat interests and designes bande against publike intentions and seldom is it seene what all desire is executed by few which haue diuers designes They talked thereof when as all was done The Earle of Charolois had the Townes of either side the riuer of Somme Amiens St. Quentin Corbie Abbeuille the countie of Ponthieu Dourlans St. Requier Creuecaeur Arleux Monstreuil Croton and Mortaigne to bee redeemed for two hundred thousand crownes after the death of the Earle of Charolois The King to retire these Townes had nine monethes before paied foure hundred thousand crownes Monsieur did homage vnto the King for the Duchie of Normandy s Election of thirty six Dâ—â—uties to consult of the remedies of the common-weale and the ease of the people the King promising to coÌ„firme all that should be done by them The Duke of Brittaine held some places in Normandy which he kept still for he said he had contributed more for the charges of the warre then all the rest The Conuocation of the estates was resolued and in the meane time it was held fit to chuse 36. persons Reformation of the disorders of the realme of all the orders of France to prouide with the Earle of Dunois for the disorder of Iustice and the reformation of the estate The King made no difficulty to grant all they demanded reseruing vnto himselfe the liberty to hinder it His intent was to diuide the forces of the league and then to turne ouer his bookes of the sword and dagger t The Emperor Caligula had two secret bookes the one was called the sword and the other the dagger wherein they were noted that should be put to death with those kind of Armes Suet. cap. 49. where were written in red letters their names which had offended him during his retreat into Flanders and his fathers raigne which had followed his brother and the Princes of the league and especially they that had receiued him so easily into Normandy u King Lewis the eleuenth held Normandie the most important Prouince of his Realme he gaue it to his Brother but to delay him it was to faire a peece to giue for a portion Philip de Commines saith he had seene raised in Normandie fourescore and fifteene thousand pound sterling for he would not for any thing haue consented to giue him that Prouince if he had not beene assured of their constancy that held the chiefe places But the Normans who did alwaies thinke that their Country did well deserue a Duke consented to this change for the desire they had to haue a Prince which should remaine within the Prouince There were but three which desired rather to leaue their houses then to change their maister Iustice had greater power in their soules then wisedome The Seneshall of Normandy the Balyfe of Rouen and one named Picard who was afterwards Generall of Normandy The History owes them this testimony of honor x To doe well among men of honor is easie and ordinary but not to suffer himselfe to be transported with the coruptions of the time nor to follow the violent passions of a multitude but to desire the good to dare vndertake it and to effect it in a bad season in the which vice is honored with the recompence of vertue it is an infallible argument of a spirit wonderfully disposed by nature to all good and commendable thinges the which is the more considerable for that there is some difficulties to retire ones selfe out of a presse that runs headlong and that the imitation and example of ill presents it selfe alwaies with much heat At their departure from Bois de Vincennes Departure of the Earle of Charolois euery one to tooke his course the Dukes of Normandy and Brittaine went to Rouen the King did accompany the Earle of Charolois to Villiers the faire They lodged together for a proofe of the confidence they had one of another The King was the weaker hauing but a small troupe but there was order that 200. men at armes should come to accompany him to Paris An act of wisedome as commendable as those of precedent conferences and trusts had beene dangerous for in such occasions there is nothing more safe then not to giue any aduantage to his aduerse party to wrong him y All assurances of friendship faith and promises which may be drawne from an enemy are good and profitable but by reason of the inconstancy of men and time there is none better then so to fit himselfe as he may haue noe meanes to hurt him The Earle of Charolois hearing thereof was troubled and caused his men to arme and stand vpon their gardes z Vppon the suspitioÌ„ which the Earle of Charolois had of this ' troupe Phil. de Com. speaketh thus It is almost impossible that â— great Noblemen can agree together for the reports and iealousies which they haue continually And two great Princes that will entertaine friendship should neuer see one another but send honest and discreet men who shall entertaine them and repaire their errors Morning being come the King bad the Earle farewell and returning with them that came to fetch him he freed him from al subiect to distrust his intentions He entred gloriously into Paris The Kings returne to Paris to haue so happily calmed the storme which threatened him and two daies after his arriuall hee caused them to feast him at supper in the Townehouse The greatest personages were inuited with their wiues hee thanked the Parisiens for their fidelity and constancy in so important an occasion he commended them that had done him good seruice a It is a great content for good men to see how the Prince esteemes their courage and fidelity and among others Robert of Estouteuille to whom he restored the Prouostship of Paris which he had taken away he hauing held it during the raigne of King Charles his father He displaced the first President of Nanterre b When as Lewis II. came vnto the Crowne he made Helias of Tourette first President who dyed soone after and this place was giuen to the President of Nanterre at the suit of Iohn of Bureau a Knight Segneur of Mâ—nglat and gaue that charge to Iohn Dauuet first President of Tholousa he tooke the seales from Moruillier
King by him q It was neuer a wâ—se and aduised resolution to hazard all his fortune and not all his forces and being in danger to loose all if he had been too weake distrust was auailable The Duke commanded the Marshall of Bourgondy who led the foreward Siege of Liege to lodge with in the Citty either with their wills or by force The Pope had a Nuncio within the Citty to end the Controuersies which were in a manner perpetuall betwixt the Bishop and the people who changing his power and forgetting his duty vppon a designe to haue this Bishoprick exhorted the inhabitants to defend themselues and caused them to make a sally with such fury as they that were without had no hope to enter but victors Clearchus made a sally put all his 〈◊〉 in battell then he commanded the gates to be shut and the keyes to be cast ouer the wall to take all hope of entry from the Soldiers vntill they had lost or wenne This Sally was so vnfortunate as he repented him of his Councell and apprehending the danger gets out of the towne and flies away but he was stayed by the Dukes men who promised to them that had taken him to make their profit vsing no speech to him But whilst they contended for their shares in his ransome they came vnto the Duke being at Table who blamed that in publique which he had commended in secret Popes Non cio set at liberty declaring the prize not good and causing the Bishop to come vnto him â—he honored him and caused all his goods to be restored leauing repentance vnto the rest who had not done that without brute which they should haue done s There are some things to be done before they aske if they shall doe them It is the answer which Pompey supping with Anthony in a ship made vnto an officer who told him that he had a good opportunity to be reuenged of them and that if hee would ther should not one remaine before they asked leaue The marshall of Bourgondy and Iâ—bercourt winne the suburbs and march directly to the Towne-gate which stayed not vntill that necessity should force the Inhabitants to demand a peace in mourning gownes t Although the Athenians had no reputation of great courage yet they neuer demanded any accord but in mourning robes prest with extreame necessity vpon their first approch the Deputies present themselues to Parle The beseeged demand a Parle but hope and desire of spoile would not giue them hearing Night surprised the assailants before they were lodged and doth so disorder them as they know not whether to goe but calling one another in confusion they gaue courage to the besieged to make a Salley u Hee that chargeth first by night hath the aduantage for it is alwaiesâ— presumed that he is the strongerâ— flight doth coÌ„monly follow amazement The night hath no shame They arme some for feare others without feare Sallie made by them of Liege and issue out vppon them by diuers places for their walles being razed the yeare before gaue them passage where they slew seauen or eight hundred Foure Canâ—ons discharged against the gate along the great street crye quittance and keep them from comming forth who through fauour of this first Sally had a great desire Yet for all this they that were come forth would not retire into the Towne but barricadoed themselues or as Phillip de Commines saith insconsed themselues with wagons which they had wonne and remained there vntill day Iohn de vilette x In sallies the Commander should alwaies stand firme to maintaine the besieged in their duties by his presence and to fauour their retreat hauing a care that being repulst the enemy doth not enter pel mel with them When as they of Liege had lost their head in the first sally their defence was desperate the sole Commander of the people was hurt and slaine The suburb was kept by the Marshall of Bourgondy who had committed a grosse error hauing giuen no better order for his lodging y The first duty of a good Captaine is to know how to lodge his men For this only respect Hanibal in the iudgement of Phirrhus was the first Captaine of Greece next to Alexander a principall part of the duty of a good Captaine The Prince of Orange was hurt there and in this action the History giues him the glorious surname of a man of vertue as it commends the valour of the Lordes of Lau and Vrfe and reprocheth the contempt of honor to aboue two thousand men who vnder fauour of this night had sacrifized their safeties and honors to flight This first defeat aflicted the Duke and hee would not that the King should haue knowne it if he could haue concealed it amidst so many passions and diuers Interests The Dukes troupes ill intreated in the suburbs Beleeuing that the brute was greater then the losse he went himselfe to tell it him The King was very glad but this ioy was more grounded vppon discretion then iustice for if the Dukes designes had not prospered the King had had cause to repent him and therefore he did apply his spirit to the motions of the Dukes approuing that it is a hard seruitude for a great man to force himselfe to the humors of his inferiour He was aduised to goe and refresh his foreward plunged in the mire besieged with hunger and benummed with cold The Duke sent 300. horse with some victualls to refresh them that were ready to faint z A famished soldier hath neither courage nor force to fight It was a great negligence in the Dukes Captaines to haue ingaged the soldiers so neere the enemy and not prouide to make them eat Asdruball lost his men against Scipio by this defect Vliffes blames Achilles for that hee would lead his men to the warre before they had eaten hauing not eaten of two dayes Hee came also and lodlodged in the midst of the suburbe and the King in a farme halfe a mile off This first night about midnight there was a hot alarme although it were in the heart of a very sharp winter The King shewed himselfe vnto the Towne as soone as the Duke Alarum giuen and the King goes to horse and they were amazed at his diligence the name of King and his presence put the Duke out of countenance a The Duke saith Phil. de Commines held not soe good a countenance as many men wisht for that the King was present tooke the word and authority of Command The Adamant hath no vertue neer vnto the Diamond the King would not seeme other then a King he takes the word and commands what should be done b It is an act of a great Captaine in accidents not forescene to reduce things speedily into order No other but he in so sodaine an accident could haue assured the amazed and that with such iudgement courage and maiesty as
this indisposition hee assembled his Captaines and recommended his sonne vnto them Sicknes death of Scanderbeg whom hee would haue conducted into Pouillia vntill he came to age leauing him vnder the Venetians gouernment And for his last wordes he said vnto him That if he were good he gaue him a Realme most firme and stable if otherwise very weake and feeble yeelding vp his last groanes the 17. of Ianuary 1467. he gaue an amazement to his enemies This Prince with small forces defeated great Armies who beside the good qualities of the mind for Iudgement Conduct and Councell f The Turkes came running about Croy some horsemen went out of the towne by ScaÌ„derbegs commandemeÌ„t the enemy thinking he had been there in person grew amazed and fledde through the mountaines although they were 15000. horse and left the booty they had taken froÌ„ the Scutariens had an admirable strength of body comparable only to that of the ancient Champions Force and dexterity oâ— Scanderbeg Biton g Biton carried a great Bull vppon his shoulders Pauâ—anias Fusius Saluius went lustily vp a ladder with 200. pounds waight in his hands 200. at his feet and as much vpon his shoulders Plinie Seruilius did sight 23. times body to body and was alwaies Victor Plut. Fusius Saluius Seruilius Talking with Ieams Picenin Generall of the Duke of Calabrias Army he did lift him aboue his head like a child of sixe yeares old He had a Cimiterre with the which he had done miraculous deedes as cutting of the head of a Boare at a blow and of a wild Bul which was famous for the ruines it had done in the Country hauing hurt and slaine many that assayled it This dexterity force and agility of body continued all his life and exercise h Exercise doth continue the dexterity and disposition of the body long Philopemen of whom Plutarch speakes was nimble in his age by great exercise made it in the beginning of his age in a manner equall to that it had beene in the prime of his youth After the siege of Croy they presented vnto him in chaines Iouyma and Hedert the Brother and Nephew of Baillaban this representing vnto him the cruelties which they had committed vppon his subiects put him into such choller as hauing not the patience to attend any other hand he cut them both asunder by the wast at one blow He punished them with the like paine that their Prince did punish Christians i Mahomet made one man die as it were of two deathes he made them to be cut off by the wast at a blow of tentimes it happened that hee dyed of two deathes for Chalcondile saith you might see either part liue long after the blow During the Truce he had with Mahomet he sent him this Cymeterre for that he desired to see it hauing heard say that with it he cut any armes asunder The strongest armes of his Country would trye if it were true and finding not the vertue which was ascribed vnto it he sent it back againe disdainefully thanking him for a thing which he held to haue beene better Scanderbeg answered The vertue of my sword depends of mine owne arme which I cannot send him for that I reserue it against mine enemies It was an increase of glory and reputation to the common weale of Venice to see Kings and Realmes vnder their charge But at that time they did an act of prouidence k Prouidence is one of the most apparant effect of wisdome Prudents postumus dicere prouidentes which shewes that wisedome hath long held the helme of that Estate They did adopt for daughter of the common-weale the heyre of Marc Cornare and married her to the King of Cypres after whose death and of the after-birth his sonne she was acknowledged for Queene and made present of her Crowne vnto the Venetians her fathers by adoption From this action followed two diuers effects the one of great ioy to the Venetians the other of extreame afliction to Charlotte of Sauoy the French Queene who by this act saw her Brother as it were exiled from Cipres and seperated from the Queene his wife The History is long and tragicall but thus in breefe By the like accidents that other realmes haue beene made desolate the Crowne of Cipres fell from the house of Lusignan l Iames of Lusignam King of Cypres put Peter his brother to death and being told him that the Genouois were entred into his Pallace with armes had some designe vpon his person hee put many innocent Marchants to death a cruelty which made the Signory of Genoua to arme against him Bolius writes the History at large in the which it had long remained A Fratricide was the cause for Iames of Lusignan hauing put his brother to death to raigne alone added other violences to this cruelty which made him odious to the people and forced the Genouois to arme against him Cruelty makes the Princes of Lusignan odious to reuenge an iniury done vnto certaine Marchants of their Common-weale Hee was dispossest of the Crowne his brothers Children restored to the Realme and he himselfe carried prisoner to Genoua where he had one sonne who was King of Cipres m King Iames of Lusignan had one sonne named Iohn or Iames who was K. of Cypres and Anne married to Lewis Duke of Sauoy sonne to Amidee Iohn had one daughter named Charlotte who was first married to Iohn King of Portugall and after his death to Lewis of Sauoy and this sonne one daughter whom he left sole heire to the Crowne She was married to Lewis of Sauoy sonne to Lewis Duke of Sauoy and to Anne of Cypres Sister to King Iohn Lewis imbarked at Venice to passe into Cipres to take possession of his wife and Realme Iames base sonne to King Iohn Bishop of Nicosia past into Egipt to haue succours from the Soldan of Egipt who made him to be proclaimed King of Cypres Letters of the SouldaÌ„ to the King of Cipres prepared a great Fleet at Sea to goe into Cypres and wrote in these termes to King Lewis Thou art come out of the Westerne parts to possesse another mans Realme in the East and to spoile the heire of his iust inheritance whâ—ch is in thee a foolish enterprise The Iland of Cypres is tributary vnto me and it belongs to me to dispose assure thy selfe if thou dost not dislodge presently thou shalt dye by the sword of Egipt If thou hast a desire to carry away thy wife I am content vpon condition that thou dost not attend a second Summons This barbarous letter deserued no other answer but by the sword n Perswasions are vnprofitable when as Iustice is inferiour to force but Iustice being forced to yeeld vnto tirrany King Lewis by the meanes of the great maister of Rhodes let him vnderstand that by the Christian lawes the Realme did be long vnto the lawful daughter that
exercise then warre with such great presumption as he held no wisedome comparable to his Councels nor force equall to his valour and yet in that there vvas impatiencie and deceit and in this rashnes and violence Presumption was so violent in his imagination as he would not haue giuen place to Hannibal nor to Scipio h Antigonus being demanded who vvas the best Captaine he answered Pyrrhus if â—e had liued a mans age But among them that liued so the first ranke was due to Haniball the second to Scipio and the third to Antigonus He had made a temple of his heart which adored no other Deitie then his Ambition After the Battell of Montlehery The Duke grew presumptuous and insupportable hee did nothing by Councell all after his owne head and according to his own humor being not able to restraine the fiercenes of his pride nor moderate the greatnes of his designes i After that Paulus Emilius had vanquished Perseus King of Macedonie he spake these goodlie words Let vs learne to humble our selues and let vs restraine our fiercenes and pride Vanity did so ouershadow the tree of his fortune as it made it die His death vvas the ruine desolation of the great body of the house of Bourgundy vvhich hath continued some 100. yeares vnder foure Dukes in continuall felicitie prosperitie And so all ended yea the empire of Rome which coÌ„manded al that was great rich powerfull vpon the habitable earth is in the end fallen to peeces k The Empire of Rome in the time of the Emperor Adrian had 200. thousand foote and 4000. horse entertained daily with 300. Elephants for war 2000. Chariots armed with 300. thousand Armours compleate As for their sea forces they had aboue 2000. galâ—es and 1200. galâ—casses and 800. vessels for pompe siluered and gilt for ostentation only and in ready mony aboue fifty millions of gould Appian Alex. in his preface He had vertues worthy of a Prince but Pride presumption and wilfulness blemished all the glory Aboue all he was a great iusticer and they report an admirable example of his Iustice against a Gouernour of a Towne in Zeland who was in a manner mad for the loue of a Lady which was equally faire and wise Example of the Dukes great iustice and who had committed the gard of her beauty to the loue of vertue He attempted against her honor and this violent curiosity to be partaker of an other mans pleasure l Plut. saith that Adulterie is a curiosity of another mans pleasure made him to sue vnto her and serue her Seing that hee could not winne her by praiers seruices nor presents hee committed a notable villany causing her husband to be imprisoned and faining that he was aduertised of some intelligence which hee practised with the enemy Behold hee is in an estate where hee must iustifie himselfe or die for in such accusations there is no other way m He that is accused of a crime must haue no other thought but to die or to iustifie himselfe It was the message which that couragious woman of Sparta sent vnto her Sonne being told that he was accused of some crime Either rid thy selfe of thy life or of thine accusation Plut. His wife cast her selfe at the Gouernors feet whose intreaties shee had so often scorned suing for the innocent innocently pleading plainly for the prisoners liberty Why how now saith the Gouernor do you make sute vnto him whose will you hold subiect to your laws restore me my selfe and I will restore you your husband he is my prisoner and I am thine it is in your power to set vs both at liberty She saw her selfe reduced betwixt bashfulnesse and fear A mind afflicted with fear loue blushing first and then palenesse painted vpon her face did witnesse the one and the other passion for shame to loose her honour by a crime more odious in her Nation then in any other n When as Tacitus in his description of Germany speakes of their customes hee saith Paucissima in tam numerosa gente Adultera quorum poena presens maritis permissa accisis crinibus nudatam coram propinquos expellit domo maritus ac per omnem vicum verbere agit There are very few Adulteries in so populous a Nation whose present punishment that is allowed the husband her haire being cut of he driues her naked out of the house before the neighbours and beats her through the streets and feare not to recouer her husband The Gouernour gaue her no time to bethinke her selfe for supposing that shee was in an Estate not to refuse him any thing he takes that by force which he could not haue with her heart and for that hee would haue no companion in this tyranous possession Cruelty base and villanous to his loosenesse hee addes crueltie which is pleased with that company and doth commonly lodge in base mindes o Cruelty is an vlcer of the soule proceeding from weakenesse and cowardise Ammi Marcel lib. 27. He caused the Husbands head to bee cut off the Wife did summon him of his promise to set him at libertie and he willed her to go into the prison and take him she goes thither with a hart swelled with ioy for the deliuerie of her Husband and with a great desire to reuenge this iniurie but she found him dead laid in a Coffin She cast her selfe vpon him and with fearefull cries detested the Gouernours inhumaine and cruell deceipt which done she goes forth more furious then a Tyger p Iust. Lipsius who hath written â—hi History saith Retinere placare conatur frustra non tigris magis soeuiat 〈◊〉 coepto statim que AmicaruÌ„ fidis aduocatis rem denarrat eius ordineÌ„ eulpam suam noÌ„ culpam ac consilium viamque vltioni exquirit Censent omnes ad PrincipeÌ„ eunduÌ„ qui inter alias virtutes insignes nisi superbia et peruicacia corripuiâ—let eximius Iustitiae cultor erat He laboured in vaine to pacify her No Tyger did rage more hauing lost her young she presently called her â—riends to whom she declared the matter the maner her offence yet no â—ffence and required their aduice a course to reuenge it They all thought is fit to goe vnto the Prince who among other noble vertues if pride and frowardnesse had not corrupted him was a great fauorer of Iustice from whom they haue stolne her yong ones and reports to all her friends this cruell aduenture They aduised her to goe vnto the Duke to whom shee fled and cast her selfe at his feere where with teares of reuenge and greefe she acquainted him with this iniurie demaunding Iustice. The Duke hearing of his barbarous accident sends for the Gouernour who being confronted with this woman feeles his face to blush for shame as much as hers was pale for greefe who after hee had with trembling denied a crime which had no other witnesse but
we think to keepe most secret there is alwaies one witnesse irreproueable our owne Conscience sent his seruants often vnto him to assure him that he was wholly at his deuotion and would not depend of any but of him When as the King had meanes to verifie the contrary by the proofes which the Norman put into his hand hee caused Chauuin Chancellour of Brittanie to bee stayed with all them that did assist him in his Embassage to the number of sixe or seuen of the Dukes Councell and committed them to close Prison for ten or twelue dayes the reason whereof they did not vnderstand k When as an inferior Prince deales not plainly and sincerely with one that is mighty he must not thinke it strange if hee makes knowne the knowledge he hath of his subtilties euen vpon them that know not any thing and who by the Law of Nations should not be drawne in question For this reason Lewis the eleuenth commits to prison Chauvin the Chancellour the Seneshall of Vennes and sixe of the Duke of Brittanies Councellers Chauvin seeking to iustifie his Maisters Actions and imputing this imprisonment to the power which some standerous suggestion had ouer the King they did shewe him all the Letters which did witnesse the strict intelligence which was betwixt the King of England and the Duke of Brittaine Your Maister said the King is much too blame who assuring me of his affection shewes the contrary in seeking the ancient enemies of this Crowne I haue told him often Letters of the Duke of Brittany shewed to his Chancellor that so long as he should hold the English for his friends hee must needes bee an enemy to France and to the end hee shall not excuse himselfe nor contradict this truth behold two and twenty Letters vpon this subiect Chauvin viewes them and considers of them All his Rethoricke is not able to excuse the Duke he had rather calme the Kings iust choler by confessing and yeelding then to incense him more by contradicting The Duke of Brittanny seeing that by the treachery of his Seruants his faith could not bee vntainted with the King hee sent for Peter Landays Peter Landays suspected of treason who alone had the charge of this Negotiation Being much confounded he had no other answere but a protestation of his Innocency submitting himselfe to the rigors of Iustice if hee were found tainted with any such disloyalty then remembring that hee had not employed any therein but Maurice Bromell who had carried the Letters and the answeres hee caused him to bee apprehended This miserable wretch confest all and vpon his confession he was put into a Sacke and cast into the Riuer to the end the King should discouer no more Peter Landays was vpon the declining of the precipice of his life and of this great fauour which hee had with the Duke of Brittaine if Bromel had not beene found but hee was not contented to haue escaped this danger Hatred of Landays against the Chancellor Chauvin his diuellish malice engaged the Chancellour Chauvin whose Iustice and Integrity hee could not endure being mad to see him so honest a man l An honest man is a great torment to malitious and wicked mindes for although they blame and flye Vertue yet they consider the glory and light and that whatsoeuer is goodly in the world as tributary to it All the gold that is aboue or vnder the earth is not comparable to Vertue Plat. Plut. The meanest Vertue may procure Greatnesse that is vitious to enuy Hee thought that the Wheele of his Fortune could not well be staied but being obserued by so quicke and piercing an eye to discouer and censure that which hee did and that which hee did not But hee had more paine to accuse him then to slander him Chauvins actions were like vnto well polished Tables the flyes of detraction could not sticke vpon them they rest vpon rough and vneuen places Hee makes the Duke beleeue that without Chauvin the King had neuer discouered the Negotiation of England that hee had Intelligence with him depended of his Commandements and was his Pentioner The Duke was so hooded by Landays as he did not see but by his eyes giues eare to this slander chargeth the Innocency of this good seruant Death of the Chancellor in prison in great pouerty puts him in prison and makes him dye there with griefe languishing and hunger m Chauvin Chaunceller of Brittaine after two yeares and a halfe imprisonment dyed of languishing and want in prison foure poore Beggars carried him to be buried in the Franciscans Church at Vennes He was so old as he could not liue many yeares but his memory shall liue euer as a memorable example of the iniuries which Fortune hath done to Vertue Soone after Landays appeared vpon the Theater of Gods Iustice to make knowne the shame which attended him at the last step of his greatnesse The Duke could not preuent it but he must iustly feele the same fortune which he had caused Chauvin to run Landays processe made for he was taken prisoner euen in the Dukes Chamber his processe was made and hee did insolently and arrogantly confesse all the excesse of his life vpon assurance which the Duke had giuen him to saue him and to draw him out of the Hang-mans hands In the end for his Concussions Violences Thefts Outrages and other Crimes And hanged at Nantes the 19. of Iuly 1485. he was condemned to be hanged and the Iudgement executed before the Duke had any aduertisement the Castle gates were guarded vntill the execution was done to the end that not any one should enter n It was thought fit that the Earle of CoÌ„minges should go and entertaine the Duke during the execution when as the Duke sawe him he demanded in what estate Landays processe was he answered That the Iudges wold come and speake with him They shall do well said the Duke for whatsoeuer he hath committed I pardon him and will that hee shall not dye When as hee vnderstood of the execution hee said that his ereherous Gossip the Earle of Comminges had deceiued him He was therewith so troubled in minde as few men saw him This Landays came of base parentage hee was the Dukes Taylors Boy he had charge of his Ward-robe and by little and little grew to haue the absolute command of the afffaires of Brittaine When as men of base condition are aduanced to great places they forget themselues they abuse their fauour and respect not their fortune with that humility and moderation which they ought Brittaine had no need to haue so great a King for enemy Misery of the Duke of Brittain o The Duke of Brittaine shâ—â—s the pittifull estate of his imprisonment in a Sentence giuen against the Earle of Ponthieur in these wordes The Windowes of our Chamber were shut close and wee made a little hole with a Pinne through the cloth that was
that Pius the second his Predecessor n Pope Pius the second did excommunicate those that did appeale from the Pope to a Counceil Iulio the 2 d renued the same excommunicatioÌ„ Silvest verbo excommunicat T. Num. 39. had called such forme of proceeding against the Pope Execrable yet it seemed they could finde no better meanes to restraine the excesse Euery man cryed after the reformation of abuses but that which might be commendable in publicke complaints did not iustifie the boldnesse of a priuate man who presumed to censure the Pope and the number of fooles doth not excuse the folly o A common errour giuest some excuse but the number of them that faile makes not the fault lesse It is alwaies ill done to play the foole with them that are not wise Sixtus declared him an Heretick and a troubler of the Churches quiet from whose body he was cut like a rotten member vnworthy to exercise the ministery to hold any dignity or to be partaker of the holy Sacraments condemning him to remaine prisoner in a Monastery with bread and water vntill he had made full expiation of his crimes In like manner the Emperour found the proceeding of this Bishop very bold gaue him to vnderstand that seeing he was but a priuate person he desired to know by what authority he pretended to call a Councell He answered That the publike necessity of the Church approued his zeale and coniured the Emperour to maintaine it after the example of the Emperour Sigismond p The Emperor Sigismond laboured Christian-like to smother the new opion of the Hussites of Bohemia he procured the conuocation of the Councell of Costance was there in person and his predecessors who had not spared any thing for her quiet and peace and to root out abuses wherfore he besought him not to shew himselfe difficult to grant out Patents and necessary pasports for the convocation of a Councell otherwise hee should answere before God for the ill which his negligence would make incurable The 4 th day of December Peter of Kettenheim Pryor of Velpach the Pryor of Erford and the Pryor of Mortau present themselues anew vnto the Senate of Basill and declared that they had charge to proceed against them by all the rigors of the Churches iustice if if they did not deliuer this reuolted person into their hands to be exemplarily punished He was honoured by some like a S t. Paul that great Citizen of heauen the pillar of Churches an earthly Angell and a heauenly Man he was contemned of others as a seditious man an Abironite and a Rebell Some thought it hard that because he had said not secretly like vnto spies and slaunderers but publickly and in the Cathedrall Church of such a Towne that fire was at the doore that the mine was ready to play to ouerthrow the whole building and that Sathan had planted his ladders whilst that the Centinels slept they wold entreat a Bishop so rigorously and that howsoeuer they should consider the thing that was good and wholesome q They say wee must consider the Councell apart and him that giues it apart The Ephores caused the aduice which had been giuen by a bad man to bee pronounced by one which was good In his quae à malis bene fiunt hic tenendus est modus vt appareat authorem displicuisse non factum Plin. Paneg. Traiani and not the person that might be passionate They also remembred that many great personages about that time had said Words of Gerson that in these disorders they might follow extraordinary motioÌ„s either of powerful authority or of charitable admonition r In the time of K. Charles the seuenth euery man spake of reformation Gerson presumed to say that the pursuite might bee made Per quos cunque fideles praesertim maiores authoritatiua potestate siue charitatiua admonitione Gers. in Propos. vtil ad extirp schis Others said that the desire was good but being guided by pride presumption it made him odious that propounded it that hee which was sttooken with death for that of his owne motion he had put forth his hand vnto the arke fearing lest it should fall did serue as a terrible example shewing how dangerous it is to deale vnreuerently in holy things The Senate answered Basill excommunicated by the Pope that they could not satisfie the Popes desire before they vnderstood the Emperous pleasure Vpon this answere the Towne was interdicted The Emperour sent a Franciscan Frier to Basill who had audience in a great assembly where there assisted the Embassadours of the Princes of the league of Italy s In this assembly assisted Iosias of Seligni Bishop of Syon Grenoble Anthony of la Roche Pryor of Mortau Claude of Tholsugeoâ— and William of Rochefort where hee deliuered his charge and spake of this Archbishop as of a Goliath who had raised himself against the Lords host Hee said also that being at Rome for the affaires of the Archduke Maximilian when as the Pope had beene aduertised of these troubles and motions for the calling of a Councel the Pope had commanded him to go to the Archduke Sigismond and then vnto the Emperour to know of them whether they did approue and fauour this revolt Pope coÌ„plaines of the towne of Basill and in like manner to complaine that the Towne of Basill which had beene alwayes very obedient to the Holy Sea had suffered it selfe to bee carryed away very inconsiderately with such Impostures and Impressions t The desires and the effects of Desires which tend to reunite the members of one Family vnder one head are iust and commendable and God doth assist them There is none but Sathan which hath fauoured and aduanced schisme and diuision We are all of one stuffe we make but one part of the garment we haue need but of one seame Sarrura tantum opus est But it is not fit to heare all them that speake That the Emperour hauing found that whatsoeuer he did for the calling of a Councell proceeded from extreame hatred and that his reason was wholy conuerted into passion against the Pope and impudent arrogancy presuming in the quality of a priuate person to attempt the reformation of the Church and to call a Councell the which belonged onely to the Pope The Emperours intent was u It was not for that the Emperour did not earnestâ—y desire the hoâ—ding of a Councell hauing written to king Charles 〈◊〉 7 th to come or send to Mentz to the end they might remedy the necessities of the Church in the yeare 1423. but hee did not allow of this particular Instance that they should seize vpon the person of this Archbishop and that they should put him into safe keeping and in such a place whereas he might be represented vnto the Pope At the same instant he produced the Emperours letters patents The Emrour commands the Archbishop to be appâ—ehended by the which
disorder which this Prelates ambition caused in publicke charges besought the King to suffer him to go and hold a chapter in the Cathedrall Church at Eureux If contrary aspects and shadowes raise and grace things opposite Generosity of Cardinall Estouteuille the great and excellent vertues of William of Estouteuille Cardinall of Rouan will shew themselues heere gloriously Hee was the ornament of the Cardinals of his age and neither feare of danger nor apprehension of ill did m To do good where there is no danger is a vulgar thing but to do good where there is perill is the proper office of a good man to do euill is too easy and too base hinder him from doing good Rome cast her eyes vpon him as Athens did sometimes on Aristides He was wonderfull iealous of the dignity of his Robe and considering that the world was but a Theater on the which euery man was bound to play the part which his vertue or fortune had giuen him hee would alwaies performe his with constancy and honour King Charles the seuenth commanded him to go to Rome with the Embassadours which hee sent to Pope Calixtus the third to yeeld him obedience but hee excused himselfe not for feare to expose his sufficiency n Ignorance weaknesse feare any encounter for that they thinke being coÌ„pared one with another their imperfections will presently appeare to the encounter of a greater but not to offend the honour of his Cardinals place which did not allow him to accept of any Legation but from the Popes authority With the same courage that he maintained the honour of his Hat hee defended that of the Church and of France The Barrisell or Prouost of Rome finding a man in committing a flagrant delict or heynous crime and hauing no hangman to execute him presently forced a poore Priest whom hee found begging in the streete to doe this office Hee laboured in vaine to tell him that he was a Priest and a Frenchman and that he had neuer done an act vnworthy the one or the other Cruelty of the Prouost of Rome The Prouost who had abandoned the Helme of reason to the storme of choller o A iudgement transported with choller is like vnto a Shippe without Pilate and without helme or a lodging out of the which the maister is expelled by the fire and smoake which is in it The end of all that is done in choller is the beginning of re-repentance the which had fild his spirit with fumes felt himselfe so transported with passion to punish the crime as hee would not hearken vnto the innocent but threatned to make him play the part of the offendor if he would not do that of the Hang-man The feare of death which had forced greater men to doe worse made him resolue to this infamous excution after which he retired himselfe holding downe his head for shame into the house of Cardinall Estouteville where hee complained of this wrong and demanded iustice The Cardinall considering that by the iniury of this poore man the dignity of the Church and the honour of the Nation was interressed sent for the Prouost and hauing let him know his fault commanded his Muletier to hang him at the barre in his Hall with one of his Mules halters At the sight of this Prouost hanging at the window the Popes Officers made great complaints and the Cardinall Estouteuille was ready to retire into France but Pope Nicholas being aduertised thereof blamed the cruelty and iniustice of the said Prouost who had so affected the punishment of another p It is the ordinary course of iniustice to plunge it selfe into the mischiefe wherhinto she would draw others Dat poenas dum exigit They bee ruines which breake vpon that whereon they fall as hee had not considered into what danger hee engaged himselfe Hee commended the Cardinals iustice and entreated him not to leaue Rome He remained 28. yeares there and dyed the same yeare when as King Lewis the eleuenth left this life Hee was made Chamberlaine to Sixtus the fourth Bishop of Ostia and Deane of the Colledge Hee caused Saint Augustines Church to be built and did much inrich that of Saint Mary the Great The Chanons of this Church and the Monkes of the other did not yeeld that respect vnto his memory which they ought For being ready to interre him they fell to quarrell for his Roabes with so great a disorder as the rings were taken from his fingers and hee had like to haue beene stript naked by the indiscretion of those whom he had cloathed This first sickenesse of the Kings continued some 15. daies q During this sickenesse all â—ffaires were dispatcht by the Bishop of Alby by his brother the gouernour â—f Bourgundy by the Marshall of Gâ—e and the Lord of Lude who were lodged in two little chambers vnder his at the end whereof he went to see the Campe of his new disciplined souldiers which hee had erected and caused them to bee put in battell in a Valley neere to Pontdelarche in Normandy hauing caused a great number of Tents and Pauillions to be made to lodge them in field and Carts to enclose them and to serue as a Trench For the entertainement whereof hee must make new leuies for money and excessiue taxes for it did amount yearely to a hundred and fifty thousand pounds Sterling They that were about him when this sickenesse tooke him OppressioÌ„ of the people considering how much the people were opprest and thinking that hee would neuer recouer it made diuers decrees for the suppression of this Taxe Many thought that this sickenesse had toucht his heart and made him more sencible of the miseries and calamities of his subiects for the remonstrances so often made vpon this subiect had not preuailed any thing and they expected no ease but what should come from his owne motion r Hee had much opprest his people saith Phil. de Comines and more then euer any King did Authority and perswasions could not moue him to ease them It must come froÌ„ himselfe as theÌ„ he would haue done if God had preserued him from sicknesse therefore it is good to doe well whilst we haue leasure that God giues health and vnderstanding to men He propounded to reforme all the disorders of his Realme If hee might not haue the honour to haue reigned well he desires to make his reigne better at his death then in his life thinking nothing makes a Prince to be more lamented then when he dies in some great action for the good of his Realme He meant to begin this Reformation by Iustice The Kings desire to reforme Iustice. and Phillip de Commines saith that he loued not the Court of Parliament of Paris for that he disliked many things He had so much contemned to giue great Offices to the recommendation of merite and sufficiency and therein to consider the honour and condition of persons as ignorance had the reputation
loyall Officers Seruants and Subiects g Bodâ—n writes in the fourth booke of his Common-weale Chap. 4. that K. Lewis the 〈◊〉 made another Edict declaring all offices perpetuall if resignation death or Fortune did not cause some change and hee ordained that a Destitution by forfeite should not take place if the forfeiture were not adiudged Item Wee haue also expressely commanded and enioyned him that when it shall please God he come vnto the said Crowne of France that he shall maintaine all the Noble-men of our Bloud and Linage and all other Noble-men Barons Gouernours Knights Esquires Captaines and Commanders at warre in their Offices and charges and all other hauing the command of men and guard of Townes places and Forts and all other Officers either of Iustice or other of what condition soeuer not changing or disappointing any of them vnlesse they bee duely found faulty and disloyall h An Officer which feares to be disappointed holds all his actions pure and keepes himselfe from failing Yet a Prince should neuer displace without cause and one of the greatest commendations which they giue to king Robert is that he neuer disappâ—â—â—ed any Officer if he had not offended and that there may be a due declaration made by Iustice as is requisite in that case Item Vnto the end our sonne may and will consider of entertaine and accomplish our said Ordinance Iniunction and commandement wee haue laid before him the great miseries inconueniences and ir-repairable losses which befell vs soone after our comming vnto the Crowne for that we had not maintained them in their estates charges Offices i King Lewis the eleuenth coming to the Crowne did suddenly disappoint all his fathers ancient seruants who handled him in such sort as he was ready as hee confest after-ward to quit his Crowne and his estate the which hath continued long to the great oppression and ruine of many of our Countries and Subiects and doth yet continue although that God be thanked we haue not lost any thing of the Crowne but haue augmented it with great Lands and possessions hoping shortly with the pleasure and good will of our Creator to settle peace and tranquility And that if our said sonne should doe the like and should not continue the said Noble-men and Officers the like or worse might happen vnto him and that as hee loues the good honour and increase of himselfe the said Realme and others our Countries and Signiories hee should haue a speciall care not to doe any thing to the Contrary for what cause soeuer Which Remonstrances made by vs to our sonne the Dauphin for the good of the Crowne of France and to the end the said Ordonances Commandements and Iniunctions made vnto him should take effect and bee in perpetuall memory wee haue demanded of our said sonne k A marke of great mildnesse in a seuere Prince and of great bounty in a difficult Father hee doth not vse his authority ouer his sonne for so iust a command Hee first sounds his will then hee suffers him to consult with his obedience the bond whereof is sealed with the Seale of Nature the which hath not giuen to men any Commission to command others and to make them subiect except the Father whom Procles calleth The Image of the Soueraigne GOD. what hee thought and whether he were content willing and resolued to entertaine the same things and other deliuered by vs and especially touching the said Charges and Offices Whereunto he hath humbly made answere and said That he would willingly obey acomplish and performe with all his power the Commandements Instructions Ordonances and Iniunctions which we gaue him for the which he did most humbly thanke vs. Moreouer wee commanded him to retire himselfe with some of his Officers which were there present and conferre with him vpon those matters which hee had propounded vnto him and resolue whether hee would entertaine all that wee had enioyned him The which hee hath done and then he spake these or such like words vnto vs Sir with the helpe of God and when it shall bee his pleasure that these things happen I will obey your commandement and pleasure and will performe and accomplish all that you haue enioyned me Wherevpon we said vnto him That seeing he would doe it for the loue of vs he should hold vp his hand and promise so to do and hold The which he hath done Item After many other things declared by vs concerning the same matter and also of many Noble-men our aduersaries within our realme l A Prince cannot leaue a more profitable and fruitful precept vnto his sonne then to make him knowe the friends of his Estate to cherish them and the enemies to beware of them the one and the other are known by the effects but men regard but the face and God seeth the heart who haue alwayes beene contrary to vs and our said Crowne from whom part of the miseries and inconueniences aboue mentioned haue sprung to the end he might haue a watchfull eye ouer them we haue recommended vnto him some of our good and loyall Seruants and Officers which were there present and some absent letting him vnderstand how well and faithfully they had serued vs as well against our enemies and about our person as also in many and diuers sorts Of which things and of euery their circumstances and dependances we haue ordained and commanded our louing and faithfull Notary and Secretary M r. Peter Parrent to make all Letters Provisions Patents and declaratory clauses of our said will and commandement that shall bee needfull as well during our said Reigne as that of our Sonne and in the beginning of his said Reigne by manner of confirmation to the said Officers and confirming theÌ„ in their said Charges and Offices and we haue so coÌ„manded enioyned our said sonne to cause it to be done by the said Parrent as our Secretary and his Wee also command by these Presents our louing and faithfull Councellours of our Courts of Parliament m Presently after the death of Lewis the Parliament of Paris decreed that the Officers should continue in their charges as they had done before attending the answere of the new King the which shewes that charges are suspended vntil that his pleasure hee knowne according to an ancient Decree made in October 1382. of the said Realme and Dauphine Exchequer of Normandy Maisters of our Accounts Generals and Councellors of our Treasurie of Iustice and of our Aids Maisters of requests of our houshold Prouâ—st of Paris and all Bailiffes Seneshals Provosts and other our Iustices and officers or their Lieuetenants and euery of them to whom it shall belong which are at this present or shall be hereafter in our time or our sonnes that they obserue entertaine and accomplish and cause to be obserued entertained and accomplished from point to point inviolably our present Ordonances and Declarations and all and euery thing contained in these Presents with their
most famous actions As there are iniuries which are repaired by the quality only of them that doe them y The basenesse of him that doth a wrong defaceth the fearing of the iniurie Crates hauing receiued a blow on the face by Nicodromus a Man of base condition was contented for revenge to set these words vpon his wound Nicodromus faciebat so we see writings of so poore a fashion as it is indiffrent whether they be inserted or not But how comes it to passe that so diligent so exact and so iuditious a Writer had neuer cast his eyes vpon this house which had held all them of France in admiration and had not spoken of the actions of Iohn the second Earle of Vendosme which were no workes of ambition but of vertue and had not glory for their simple obiect but the contentment of his owne conscience desiring rather they should be grauen in the memory of good men then vpon the front of publicke workes An Historian that doth surpasse honour wrongs the publicke and as a sacriledge doth rauish the recompence of vertue z The sweetest fruit of a great and heroicke action is to haue done it they are deceiued which thinke to giue any other glory vnto vertue then it selfe She cannot finde out of her selfe any recompence worthy of her selfe and doth enuy the fruit that may grow thereby For although that men may be borne generous and full of heate for the loue of vertue yet it is needfull that the precepts and Images be often represented vnto them and that the statues which 〈◊〉 set vp in the Temple of memory grauen with the sciffers of eternity should bee shewed them yet it is not sufficient to shew them adorned with the Palmes and Crownes of their Triumphes they would haue them represented in such sort as they may seeme to breath speake and say vnto them a Mens mindes are excited to the loue of vertue by the examples of glory honor which adornes the memory of men whom she hath made famous werefore Polybius saith that they did represent to the youth of Rome their Images as liuing breathing to encourage them to that desire of honour which doth accompany good men Poly. lib. 6. You shall be as we are if you will liue as we did This labour may haue great defects they are found in the most perfect A History should be free from loue or hatred but they shall rather seeme to come from want of Iudgement then of will the which I finde free in this kinde of writing from hatred and loue furious passions which disguise both truth and false-hood They shall rather reproch me with ignorance then with lying and my writings shall alwayes haue more salt then spleene with what face shall they appeare in this age so much bound vnto the Kings glorious actions if they were dishonored as the rest with so iniurious a forgetfulnesse of his Predecessors Iohn Earle of Vendosme great great Grand-father to Henry the fourth King of France and Nauarre was sonne to Lewis Lord Steward of France and Gouernour of Picardy sonne to Lewis Earle of vendosme sonne to Iohn Earle of Marche sonne to Iames Constable of France the yonger sonne of Lewis of Clermont Duke of Bourbon eldest sonne to Robert of France second sonne to S. Lewis His Grand-mother was Katherine heire to the house of Vendosme his mother Ioane of Lauall daughter to Guy of Lavall surnamed dé Gaure b The Signiory of Laual was erected to an Earldome by K. Charles the seuenth at the instance of Lewis of Burbon Earle of Vandosme was the first act of Soueraignety which he did after his Coronation His father dyed in the yeare of our Lord 1447. and this death happened in a time so full of troubles as hee was forced to gird his sword vnto him more for the necessity of common defence then by reason of his quality or for seemelinesse Hee past his first Apprentiship in Armes vnder the braue Achilles of France Iohn of Orleans Earle of Dunois and was at the siege of Rouen Bourdeaux and Fronsac with Iohn Earle of Clermont sonne of Charles Duke of Bourbon and Carles of Bourgondy Duke of Neuers He serued King Charles the seuenth in all occasions that were offered to restore France and to free it from the oppressions of her enemies and did merit the Title of Most faithfull seruant of his Kings will and an inuincible companion of his dangers These two qualities which should haue purchased him loue with his successor Loialty of the Earle of Vandosme were the cause of his disgrace wherein hee did comfort himselfe by the knowledge he had of this Princes humor who did not loue any of his bloud nor them whom his Father had loued This was not able to withdraw him from his duty for hee still preserued the reputation of the ancient fidelity of them of his house vnto the Crowne c This branch of Vandosme hath that of glorious that it hath neuer left their kings in a maner all the Princes of France were of the league of the Common-weale yet Iohn Earle of Vandosme would not hearken to it When as the Duke of Orleans tooke Armes against the Lady Anne of France he drew vnto his party Charles Earle of Angoulesme the chiefe Noblemen of France onely the house of Vendosme remained with the Kings Gouernesse And although that Iohn the second Duke of Bourbon had declared himselfe of the league of the Common-weale for that the King had dispossest him of the gouernment of Guienne from whence he had expelled the English and had reduced it vnder the obedience of the Crowne yet would he not imbark himselfe in the same ship and for that he would not looke vpon this storme from a safe shore he was present at the battell at Montlehery with Francis and Lewis his children one of which was prisoner to the Earle of Charolois As the example of the head of his house did not make him reuolt so the feeling of his owne interest did not make him discontented His father had carried the Staffe of Lord Steward and his great grand-father the sword of Constable of France King Lewis the eleuenth disposed of the one and the other in fauour of men as farre inferiour in comparison of his merites as in qualities of his birth yet he did not murmure nor seeme discōtented considering that it is no more lawful for the greatest Prince of the bloud then for the least Officer of the Crowne to prescribe a law to the Soueraignes will to make it yeeld vnto his passions and that the elections of Kings in the distributions of honors are not subiect to the rules of distributiue Iustice which obserues a proportion betwixt recompence and merit d The King of France holding his Crowne of God only the ancient Law of the Realme distributes honors as he pleaseth It is a great violence to force a a minde full of courage to hate
Peter Lord of Beaujeu Lewis Bishop of Liege and Iames who dyed at Bruges and to the Lady Ioane of Bourbon married to the Lord of Arlay Prince of Orange and Margaret of Bourbon wife to Phillip Earle of Bresse and from that time resigned his aboade at Court vnto his brethren After the Duke of Bourgundies death hee would not bee an actor in the warre which the King beganne against his daughter and with a discourse free from all flattery a vice vnworthy of a great courage q A great courage speakes frâ—ely but without btterner or slander Fattery is the marke of seruitude and slaunder deth falsely vsâ—rpe that of liberty Adulationiâ—oedum crimen seruitutis malignitati falsa specieâ— libertatis in est Tacit. Hist. Lib. 1. hee did not dissemble his opinion saying that the King should haue giuen it a better and a more reasonable Title then a simple desire to ioyne the Low Countries to his Crowne this so free and true a iudgement did much offend the King who from that time resolued to let the Duke of Bourbon know that this last offence had renewed the feeling of the first He caused secret informations to be made against him yet doubting his courage reputation he would not haue the rigor of his iustice aime directly at him Hee beganne with his Officers and gaue commission to Iohn Auin Councellour in the Court of Parliament and to Iohn Doyac to enforme against him thinking that to free themselues from trouble they should bee forced to engage their Lord r Claude of Seyssiell saith that King Lewis the eleuenth sent vnto â—he Duke of Bourbon some of his ministers men of base condition to doe him some intollerable wrongs vnder colour of Iustice thinking for the great spirit which hee knew to be in him to prouoke him to offer some violence or to make resistance but the Duke knowing to what end all was done endured it with patience and escaped by sufferance dissembling they decreed a personall adiournement against his Chancellour his Atturny the Captaine of his Guard and many others who appeared with more confidence to defend themselues then slander had assurance to accuse them vpon their answere the Commissioners knew not what to say and the Court of Parliamen which knew well that it was a practise to trouble the Duke of Bourbon whose probity and integrity two rare qualities in that age had purchased him the surname of Good and the affections of all the people enlarged them The Chronicle saith that this proceeding was against God and Reason It was a very sencible griefe vnto him to see his loyalty called in question and his seruices contemned But hee considered all these occurrents with an open eye and a resolute brow with the a â—uantages which a good conscience gaue him and did iudge thereof with a setled spirit lamenting the bad counsell which entertained the King in his great rigours in an age which was not fit for it s Seuertty is not good in a Prince whose age is declining It is needefull to purchase loue Galba knew it well Some other would not haue forborne teares for so peircing a griefe he would haue lost his sleepe and his body should haue found no other rest but that which disquietnesse brings by the agition of the mind but afflictions which assaile good men do them no other harme but burne the bonds which hinder them to lift their hands with their hearts vp to heauen They blesse the name of God in the midst of flames Imprisonment doth not depriue him which suffreth for iustice of the sweetnesse of a profound sleepe His rest is so sound as the Angell of the Lord which comes to deliuer him must awake him It is now time that Lewis go the way which these great Kings haue traced vnto him There wants nothing but this peece to the triumphant Charriot of death and hee could not desire better company then of these three Kings his neere kinsmen who were there already t Hauing passed through all the charges of life we must not refuse that of death Seneca said to him that was loath to leaue the charges and offices wich he had exercised in his life time Quid tu nescis vâ—um esse ex vitae officijs mori Dost thou not know that to die is also one of the duties of life Sen. Epist. 77. he had passed by all the offices of life there remained nothing but the last but it is the most difficult and would bee lesse if he had thought on it in time if going by the way of life he had thought of the lodging of death those feares which hold him in worse estate then death it selfe should be dispersed Accidents foreseene a farre off considered without amazement and attended with resolution do not trouble the minde like vnto those which surprise it His thoughts were ingaged in so many mortall and perishable things as he had small care of Immortall and yet these went before him and attended on him and the others followed after him and abandoned him He hath busyed himselfe to gather vp Attlantas Apples and hath so much the more hindred the fruite and prise of his course In the way of health he that staies retires and hee that retires looseth himselfe and goes astray There are three sorts of men whom God loues not they that stay they that turne backe and they that wander Wee must giue courage to the first call on the second and direct the others Lewis found himselfe to be in so difficult a passage as he had need to be encouraged Lewis fals into new apprehensions of death supported and directed u It is a sweete consolation to a Princes minde among the trances and feares which are found in the passage of life and death when hee hath not to doe with any but himselfe that all his enterprises are ended and that he may say I die content hee could not but murmurre against the Law of Nature which did not suffer him to glut himselfe with the pleasures of life But to haue content of the rest at the point of death hee must make prouision thereof throughout the whole course of his life That word I dye content is not alwaies found in the mouth nor proceeds not from the heart of Princes who haue had so much paine to content theÌ„selues in whose liues as in those of other men we finde Vanity weakenesse inconstancy and misery The great oppositions which Lewis makes against the decree of death shew that he is not yet content with the fruits of life He complaines that he hath discouered the Port and desires to thrust himselfe againe into the violent waues of the world He thought that a little more life would haue made him reape the fruites of so many designes which hee had sowne in diuers places and did grieue that death would not suffer him to see that ended which he had begunne Yet it is a very remarkeable thing
profit to deceiue any without distinction especially the Princes of the bloud who speake as if God had suffred him to liue for the miserie of the Common-weale and the ruine desolation of the people whose fatnesse and good estate he held dangerous for the health of the whole body holding for a Maxime that they should not do ill vnto the people nor attend any good of them In the end the Chronicle speakes after this manner This King in his life time by reason of some men that were about his person as Oliuer the Diuell called Dain his Barber Iohn Doyac and many others to whom hee gaue more credit then to any men of his Realme did during his Reigne many Iniustices wrongs and violences and had brought his people so low as at the time of his death they were almost in despaire All this is nothing but a rough draught of his humours Plety and Religion of Lewis the 11 th To view the whole Table wee must consider what his Religion and Piety was towardes God and his obedience towardes the Pope then wee will passe to his affection toward his Wife his Sonne Father and his neerest Kinsmen the Princes of his Bloud and his Seruants Of all these things the Iudgement shall bee reserued to truth and discretion which will haue the memory of Princes to be alwayes reuerenced and that they speake of their defects not as of vices but as of imperfect vertues f The vertues of Princes shold be spoken without flattery their vices by discretion they must not set downe their defectes plainly but passe them ouer as vertues which are not perfect It is the aduice which Plutarke giue writing the life of Simon For the first the good is alwayes good and the euill is alwayes euill Opinion cannot change the essence of things they are very hardy which will haue actions to bee other then they appeare Slander hauing no strong sight to behold the brightnesse of vertue vseth false spectacles and calleth that Feare which is Wisedome Hypocrisie that which is Deuotion â—arde iudgment of Claudius Seissel and Inhumanity that which is Iustice I finde that Claudius Seissell hath iudged very boldly of the Deuotion and Piety of this Prince thinking that he hath pierced into the very inward parts by the obseruation which he hath made of the outward man He hath represented him very melancholicke and superstitious alwayes trembling and terrified with the horrour of eternall paine His deuotion g True pâ—ety supports it selfe she will haue the soule cheerefull obedient and that a good man bee so although that nothing should bee euer knowne said he seemed to bee more Superstitions then Religious For to what Image or Church of GOD and Saints and namely of our Lady that he vnderstood the people had any deuotion or where there were any miracles done he went thither to make his Offering or sent some expresly thither Hee had moreouer his Hat full of Images the most part of Lead and Tinne the which whensoeuer any good or bad newes came vnto him or that the humour tooke him hee kist falling sometimes suddenly downe vpon his knees in what place soeuer hee were so as hee seemed rather a man distracted then wise Such censures belong to him who doth keepe and iudge the hearts of Kings God the Iudge of Hearts but it is true this Princes Religion was wholy outward retaining nothing in his heart It was popular and ceremonious as if he had had for the obiect of his worship a visible dignity and that it were sufficient to appeare holy and not to bee so h Religion will haue an exterior and publicke exercise with her Ceremonies The Prince is bound vnto it and it is Impiety for any other to contradict it and to trouble the order But the seruice which is done by the Spirit is answerable to the essence of God who is all Spirit and that which is done outwardly is more for vs them for him His Chronicle saith that on a Sunday the eighth of September going from the Tournelles to our Ladies Church hee past by the Church of Mary Magdalen to subscribe himselfe a brother and companion of the great brotherhood of the Bourgeses of Paris The God of the people is the God of Kings but the exterior seruice of Religion allowes many things to the simplicity of the people which are not fitting for the maiesty of Kings If wee shall iudge of causes by the euents wee may say that the Pilgrimages on Foote and Horse-backe Pilgrimages of Lewis 11 and the most zealous deuotions of this Prince haue often couered designes which were repugnant to Piety and Iustice Hee did therein alwayes circumvent some one and vpon this opinion that the shew of religion workes wonders in the beleefe of men i The people opinion of their Princes holinesse workes great effects Sertorius with his Hinde had graâ—en such a superstition in his Souldiers mindes as they did not thinke that they were gouerned by a man who had more iudgement theÌ„ they but they did firmly beleeue that it was some God which guided them keeping them from iudging rashly of his life and actions whom they saw so familiar with God They say that he did fit his religion to his designes and not his designes to his religion They did not in those times speake of that most impious Maxime Maxim of Machiuel That it is sufficient for a Prince to seeme outwardly religious and deuout although he be not so A Maxime of Atheisme which mockes at God to deceiue men at God who in the end confounds hypocrites wil be serued with an vnfaigned heart whereof hee sees and sounds the deepest bottome k They make Machiuel Author of this Maxime that a new Princce cannot obserue all things for the which men are esteemed good being often constrained for the maintaining of his estate to doe things contrary to faith and religion to leaue the good when he may and to do the euill when he is forced We may well say that the world lookes but to the exterior and that which is in shew It is not possible in matters of religion whose actions must be so often reiterated that hypocrisie should still ioyne them so well together but some one will dis-band and discouer the deceite The Signior of Haillan Historiographer of France who hath promised to publish the whole History of this King and hath giuen vs an abridgement in his booke which is excellent and iuditious touching the affaires of France speakes of his Religion after this manner Neuer Man was more superstitious then hee hee did things which were good in shew but to a bad intent thinking by his superstition to deceiue both GOD and the world The superstitious feare not to doe euill for the opinion they haue to obtaine absolution by the acts of their superstition l Hipocrisie cannot continue long lying cannot deceiued long The night lasts not but wheÌ„
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
him i The King going into Touraine about the end of the first yeare of his raigne found Iohn Duke of Alençon prisoner at Loches and set him at liberty infringing the conditions for the which the King had pardoned him and likewise the quality of other crimes which hee had committed Hauing also seene and considered all that was to bee seene in this party with mature deliberation It hath beene said that the Court declares the said Iohn of Alençon guilty of High Treason Crimes wherewith the Duke of Aleniçon was accused and Murther and to haue caused counterfeit Money to bee quâ—ined with the Kings stampe and Armes k Coyning of money is one of the rights of Soueraignety It is treason to make any be it good or bad Many NoblemeÌ„ in France had the priuiledge to coine but they were reuoked by an Edict made by King Francis the first and as such a one the said Court hath condemned him to receiue death and to bee executed by Iustice and with all hath declared all and euery his goods forfeited to the King the execution notwithstanding of the said Iohn of Alençon reserued vnto the Kings good pleasure The King freed him from the paine but hee left him one more tedious then that of death Ignominy and Imprisonment Hee did not also suffer René King of Sicile his Vnkle by the mothers side to liue in peace Hee commanded his Court of Parliament to make his Processe But it made him answere that hee could not bee iudged of Treason but in the Kings presence l Bodin in the fourth booke of his Common-weale the sixt Chapter saith that the Court of Parliament made this answere the twenty sixth of April one thousand foure hundred three score and fifteene It had done the like in the Duke of Alençons Processe in the time of King Charles the seuenth In the yeare 1458. Hee had the courage to withstand this brunt and as wee haue seene attended vntill that time had cured the vlcer of the Kings hatred against him The Duke of Nemours could not escape the seuerity of his Iustice the which hee had contemned by great relapses into the same faults If the Duke of Bourgundy had returned a Conquerour from the Suisses and Lorraines the King would haue beene no lesse troubled to put him to death then to set him at liberty m Captiuity is a meanes to free the soule from the tyranny of the body It is an act of çenerosity to contemne death more then to hate life Fortium virorum est magis mortem contemnere quam odisse vitam Q. Cur. lib. 5. The tediousnesse of his prison had disposed his soule to leaue that of the body without griefe to contemne death and to hate life Princes finde the offences of them they haue bound vnto them more sencible and lesse pardonable The King had erected the County of Nemours into a Dutchy Relapses of the Duke of Nemours he had pardoned him his felony of the League of the Common-weale and yet forgetting the effects of such a bond and his oath of fealty presently after the Duke of Guienne was retired into Brittany hee sent a man vnto him disguised like a Frier to offer him both his body and goods protesting to serue as hee did against the King his Soueraigne Lord. The Duke of Guiennes death forced the Duke of Nemours to flye the second time to the Kings mercy for a second pardon which the King granted him vpon an oath which hee tooke neuer to conspire against his Prince n The extract of the Processe sent to the Prouines and Parliaments shewes that this oath was taken in the presence of sixe Apostolike Notaries and sixe Royall Notaries and vpon the Crosse end Crowne of our Sauiour soone after hee assisted the Earle of Armagnac and renewed the practises and intelligences which he had with the Duke of Bourgundy All these inconstant actions weere degenerated into so many crimes which might not remaine vnpunished and which did assure him that death could not surprise him His soule was bound to resolue the same day that hee entred into resolutions which could not be otherwise expiated o Innocency may bee surprized crimes cannot for the offence and the punishment are Twinnes it is also a kinde of content to foresee which way wee must passe Iulian dying did thanke the Gods for that they had not kild him by surprize The King caused him to bee taken at Carlat and sent him prisoner to the Castle of Pierrescise which was then without the walles of Lyon A while after hee caused him to bee conducted to Paris where his Processe was made by the Court of Parliament p By an accord made betwixt King Lewis the eleuenth and Iames of Armagnac Duke of Nemours the 17. of Ianuary in the yeare 1469. the said Duke did renounce his place of Peere being content to be tryed as a priuate person if hee did faile in his obedience to the said King who did not shew that rigour but did furnish his Court with Peeres for his iudgement made at Noion the fourth of August 1477. Du Tiller The Lord of Beaujeu Earle of Clermont was President by the Kings Commission Hee confest all that hath beene formerly spoken and moreouer that hee had had intelligence with the Constable of Saint Paul to seaze vpon the King and Dauphin Confessions of the Duke of Nemours That the Duke of Bourgundy had sent him word if hee could take them hee should haue the Citty of Paris and the I le of France for his part That the Dauphin should be deliuered into the hands of Monsi r de Bresse and the King transported out of the Realme of France q The Duke of Nemours confessed more that hee had consulted and giuen credit to a Frier a Doctor of Diuinity whose bookes had beene burnt in the Bishops Hall at Paris Vpon these occasions he was condemned to loose his head at the Hales in Paris the fourth of August one thousand foure hundred three score and seuenteene Hee was a Peere of France but this quallity was omitted in his Sentence for that by an accord made the seuenteenth of Ianuary in the yeare one thousand foure hundred three score and nine hee had renounced his place of Peere and was content to bee tryed as a priuate-person in case of relapse The sentence of death was pronounced vnto him by Peter of Oriole Chancellour of France r A Prince shold alwaies keepe his word inuiolably and hold faith the foundation of Iustice. It is a great glory for a Prince when his tongue and heart agrees Mira est in principe nostromeÌ„tis linguaeque concordia noÌ„ modò humilis pâ—â—ui animi sed seruile vitium scit esse mendacium The vnion of mindle tongue is admirable in our Prince hee knowes that lying is not onely the signe of a base and abiect mind but that it is a seruile vice Hee had no refuge to his
that his wife had beene much altered and distempered with his imprisonment Lewis fears the reueÌ„ge of women and that the weakest are strong enough to doe mischiefe hee said vnto him Hearken Captaine Claude women are bad when they will do a mischiefe behold a paire of perfumed gloues which thou shalt carry to thy wife from me with fiue hundred Crownes which are in them I know that she was much afraid when as my Gossip Tristan went to take thee bid her that shee should not wish mee ill and come againe to mee three Moneths hence with thy Companie I giue thee one of my best Mules to carry thee more easily This was the first French Company there hauing beene none before but that of Scottishmen a The first guard of the body was Scottishmen therefore the Captaine of the Scottish guard carries the Title of the first Captaine of the Guardes of the Kings person he begins the yeare and serues the first quarter and it is called at this day The ancient French Guard Claude of la Chastre who was the first Captaine dyed at the age of 81 years vnder the reigne of Lewis the twelfth After his death fiue of his successors and heires of the same Armes commanded successiuely in this charge It is at this day commanded by Monsieur de Pralins Offences grew not old in his memory and the secret wounds which his Conscience b A Conscience toucht with remorse for his cruelties and inhumanities suffereth terrible torments without dying Such was that of Herod and of Catullus who were terrified euery night with the fights of such as they had put to death had daily their complaints sighes in their eares gaue him in reproach of so many men which had beene beaten and ruined by the lightning of his Iustice Hee pursues old offences made him not more tractable to pardon Hee did neuer forget the displeasure which he receiued during the wrath and indignation of King Charles his Father Three great personages of the Parliament of Grenoble Iohn Bayle the Kings Atturney thâ—â— a Councellor and afterwards a President Guy Pape a Councellor in the same Parliament and held by the soueraigne Courts and Vniuersities of all Europe the Oracle of the Law and René of Tomassin a Councellor also felt in their Age the rough blowes of this Princes remembrance They had all three declared themselues for the Father against the sonne and not willing in this diuision to wauer betwixt Iustice and Discretion resisted his designes and diuerted all those which strayed from their duety to follow this Prince As soone as Lewis came to the Crowne hee remembred all this c A Prince which pardons offences giues a great peace vnto his conscience The Panegerick of Constantine hath this goodly passage Sibi imputet quisquis vti noluit beneficio tuo nec se dignum vita iudicauit quum per te liceret vt viueret tu quod sufficit conscientiae tuae etiam non merentibus pepercisâ—i Sed ignosce dicto non omnia potes dij te vindicant inuitant Let him impute it to himselfe that would not make vse of thy bounty neither did he thinke himselfe worthy of life when he might haue liued by it thou to satisfie thine owne conscience hast spared euen them that deserued it not But pardon me thou canst not doe all the Gods reuenge thee and inuite thee not to make vse of it to the glory of Clemency and to the content of a good Conscience which takes delight to pardon euen them which deserue it not and remits the reuenge to God but to giue new punishments to old offences and as his nature was more prompt to reuenge an offence then to reward a good seruice and more easie to hate then to loue d They are very naturall passions to be sensible of iniuries It is a dulnesse and basenesse to haue no feeling of an iniury and it is folly to hold that for an iniury which is not Irasci in quibus non oporter insipiens est non irasci in quibus oporter insipientis est Arist. in 3. Eth. hee caused a Commission to bee dispatched the two and twentieth day of Aprill in the yeare 1462. and sent it to the President of the Chamber of Accounts and to one of the Stewards of his house to make the Processe for these three good seruants to king Charles the seuenth The chiefe points of the Accusation were That they had assisted and seconded King Charles in the detention of Dauphinè for so they spake from the Dauphin Lewis the true and onely Lord of that Prouince That they had crost the designes of their Soueraigne Lord and that the generall Estate of the Prouince assembled at Grenoble did not grant him a summe of money to supply his wants when as hee was in Flanders That Baylé had imprisoned all his seruants which came about his affaires and depended wholly of king Charles from whom hee had obtained for one of his sonnes the Archbishoppricke of Ambrun and for another the place of Atturney Generall The accused were heard and the Innocency which they felt in their Soules did put such generous words into their mouthes as the Iudges hearing them did not distinguish good men but by the hatred of their Prince and their hard Fortunes holding them more worthy of the Recompence of Prytaneus e The Iudges consulted after what manner they should put Socrates to death Cicero saith that vpon the diuersity of their opinions hee spake after this manner Ego ob ea quae feci dignuÌ„ me censeo qui publicitus alar in Prytaneo then of the Seuerity of Areopage Yet they were forced vpon these Accusations to pronounce a sentence the second of Iune following by the which they were declared conuicted of Felonie Ingratitude and Treason committed against the Dauphin A sentence very rigorous depriued of their Offices Charges and Dignities and condemned to restore the Fees receiued by them since the Dauphins departure into Flanders their Fees Landes Signiories Iurisdictions and other goods depending of the Dauphin confiscate and themselues banished for euer out of Dauphiné with defence neuer to returne againe vpon paine of death They ended the remainder of their dayes vnder the rigour of this Iudgment and and left nothing to their Children but the hope of a milder Reigne hauing not tasted any vnder this Prince f Those which had beene Donotaries of these goods would not leaue them and opposed to the Letters of CHARLES the eighth that of LEVVIS the eleuenth by a Sentence solemnly giuen by the Commissioners in the presence of the Kings Lieutenant dated the eight and twentith day of Iune in the yeare 1484. It was said Priorem sententiam minus debité fuisse latam nec talemeos pati debuisse sed poâ—ius absoluendos The first sentence was not duly had neither should they haue suffered it but were rather to bee absolued M. de Franc
from him for they are supernaturall and his sodaine punishments and especially against them that vse violence and cruelty Who commonly are no meane men but great Personages either by their owne absolute power or by the Princes authority When God meanes to change the fortune of a Prince Lib. 1. chap. 3. from good to bad or from prosperity to aduersity he prepares him enemies of no force suffers his seruants to become treacherous and makes him distrustfull and iealous of them that are most faithfull Example of Charles Duke of Bourgundy God giues the Prince as he meanes to punish Subiects Lib. 5. chap. 9. and to Princes Subiects and disposeth of their affections towards them as he meanes to raise or ruine them God hath not created any thing in this world Lib. 5. chap. 18. neither men nor beasts but he hath made him some thing opposite to keepe him in feare and humility God speakes no more to men neither are there any more Prophets which speake by his Mouth For his Faith is ample and plaine to all those that will heare and vnderstand it and no man shall be excused for Ignorance at least they which haue had hope and time to liue and which haue had their naturall wits The misery of Princes is when as God is so offended as hee will no longer endure them Lib. 5. chap. 18. but will shew his force and his Diuine Iustice and then he doth first of all take away their iudgements which is a great wound for them it toucheth He troubles their house and suffers them to fall into diuision and murmure The Prince fals into such indignation with God as hee flies the counsell and company of wise men and doth aduance Vp-starts Indiscreete Vnreasonable Violent men and Flatterers who applaud whatsoeuer he saith If he must impose a peny they say two If he threatens a man they say he must be hanged and in like manner of all other things And that aboue all things they cause themselues to be feared They carry themselues insolently and proudly hoping that they shall be respected and feared by this meanes as if Authority were their inheritance Princes THere is good and euill in Princes In the Prologue for they are men like vnto vs and to God onely belongs perfection When as the vertues and good conditions of a Prince are greater then his vices In the same he deserues great praise for that such personages are more inclined to all voluntary things then other men as well for their breeding and little correction they haue had in their youth as for that comming to the age of man most men seeke to please them and to applaude their humours No man should attribute any thing to himselfe Lib. 1. chap. 4. especially a great Prince but should acknowledge that grace and good fortune comes from God Great Princes are much more suspitious then other men Lib. 1. chap. 5. for the doubts and aduertisements which are giuen them and oftentimes through flattery without any necessity Princes and they which rule in great Estates should bee very carefull not to suffer any faction to grow in their house from whence this fire flies throughout the whole Prouince But this happens not but by a Diuine instigation For when as Princes or Realmes haue beene in great prosperity and wealth and haue forgotten from whence that Grace did come God hath raysed them enemies of whom no man doubted God doth a great fauour vnto a Prince when he makes him capable to winne men Lib. 1. chap. 9. and it is a signe that he is not infected with the odious vice and sinne of pride which doth purchase hatred with all men Princes and great men that are proud and will not giue eare to any Lib. 1. chap. 10. are sooner deceiued then they that are affable and heare willingly God shewes a great grace vnto a Prince Lib. 1. chap. 10. when he knowes good and euill especially when the good precedes Aduersity teacheth a Prince to be humble Lib. 1. chap. 10. and to please them that he hath need of Example of Lewis the eleuenth expelled from his fathers Court in his youth A Prince which hath entred into league with others Lib. 2. chap. 12. should dissemble many things which may breed diuision betwixt them and as he is the stronger so should hee bee more wise It is the counsell which the Lord of Contay gaue vnto the Earle of Charolois who was discontented for that the Dukes of Berry and Britany held councels in his chamber and presence diuided from him I neuer knew Prince that could discerne the difference of men Lib. 2. chap. 12. vntill he had beene in necessity and in action Princes haue sometimes need of them whom they haue contemned Example in King Lewis the 11. Edward the 4. and the Earle of Charolois Princes impart their authority to them that are most pleasing vnto them both for the age which is most sortable vnto them and for that they are well conceipted of them or sometimes they are led by them who know and gouerne their delights But they which haue vnderstanding returne soone when there is neede I haue seene Princes of two humours some so subtile and suspitious Lib. 1. chap. 16. as no man knew how to liue with them and they did still imagine that they were deceiued the others trusted enough in their seruants but they were so grosse and vnderstood their owne affaires so ill as they could not discerne who did them good or euill And these are presently changed from loue to hatred and from hatred to loue And although that of both sorts there are few found good nor any great assurance in them yet I had rather liue vnder the wise then vnder fooles For there is more meanes to purchase their fauour but with the ignorant there is no meanes to be found for that there is nothing done with them but with their seruants whom many change often Yet euery man must serue and obey them in the Countries where they are for they are bound vnto it To pardon to be bountifull or to do any other grace are things belonging to the Office of Princes A Prince or any other man that was neuer deceiued cannot be but a beast nor haue knowledge of good and euill nor what difference there is Men are not all of one complexion Lib. 1. and therefore the Prince for the lewdnesse of one or two should not forbeare to doe pleasure to many For one alone being the least of all those to whom he hath done any good may happily do such seruice as it shall recompence all the villanies which the others haue committed Example in the Hostages of Leige whom the Duke sent away free contrary to the opinion of the Lord of Contay who concluded to put them to death some made the Liegeois grow obstinate in their reuolt others were the cause of their reduction and the instruments