acces that notwithstanding he seems to cast the fault upon certain Counsellors yet all bounds upon her by reflection she declares that long before the reception of his Letter she had resolv'd and to that end there were public dispatches abroad to summon the Convocation of the States Generall she takes exception that he should call them Estats seurs libres States sure and free which made her conceive a violent jealousie of some artifice on his side to sow seeds of difficulties in the said great Assembly she alledgeth that from the beginning she imparted both to him and the Co of Soissons the mariage with Spain that they approved of them and subscribed the Articles That the late King declared his inclination unto it when Don Pedro de Toledo pass'd through France And so she concluds with exhortation that he wold appear in the Assembly of the three Estates and bring with him all his Confederats to contribut the great zeal they professe to the common good of the Kingdom The Queens Letter was large and in it there was a curious mixture of meekness and Majestie The Duke of Vendosme sent her also two Letters but he could get no answer to either Thus a fearfull black clowd hung over poor France which the Queen Mother essayed by all means possible to dissipat before it shold break out into a tempest of intestine War therefore the King and she descended to send again the Duc of Vantadour accompanied with the Presidents of Thou and Ieanin with others to draw Conde to a treaty of accord which at last was agreed upon and the prime Capitulations were these 1. That the States Generall shold assemble in the Town of Sens within such a time wherin the Deputies of the three Orders may safely and freely make such Remonstrances and Propositions that they shall hold in their consciences to be profitable for the common good for the redresse of disorders and conservation of public tranquillity 2. His Majesty being willing to gratify the Prince of Conde hath upon his prayer and instance and upon assurance of his future affection and fidelity accorded to put into his hands the Castle of Amboise as a gage till the States Generall dissolve and 100. men for garrison in the said Castle 3. That 100. men shall be entertain'd in Mezieres 200. in Soissons whereof the Duc of Main is Governor till the States Generall have risen 4. That Letters shall be sent from his Majesty verified by the Court of Parliament wherin his Majesty shall declare unto the world that there was no ill intention against his service by the said Prince and his Associats therfore that they shold be never prejudic'd for the future in their estates or persons 5. That in consideration of the expences the said Prince might be at in this business his Majesty accords to give him 450000. Franks to dispose of as he shall think fit 6. That the eldest sonne of the Duke of Nevers shall succeed his father in the Government of Champany These with divers other Articles of this kind the King was induc'd I will not say inforc'd to condescend unto for preventing of greater evils and it was call'd the Treaty of Saint-Menehou And one would have thought that a gentle calme should have follow'd and that the meeting of the States General would have perpetuated it But behold two ill-favor'd accidents like two impetuous puffs put things again in disorder The one was that the Duke of Vendosin would not put Blavet into the hands of the Marquis of Caeuures according to the Kings command but stood still upon his gard in Britany The second was an affront which Conde alledg'd to have receiv'd from the Bishop of Poitiers who would not suffer him to enter the Town as he pass'd to his government of Dauphine and secur'd the Castle of Amboise being sought unto by the Governor the Duc of Roanez to establish his authoritie there The Bishop arm'd first and the town after his example Conde writes a Letter to the Queen Regent which did not please her well for he subscribes himself only her thrice-humble servant and neveu whereas he was us'd to write your thrice humble and thrice obedient servant and subject The Marquis of Bonnivet a creature of Condes had not yet dismissd all his troupes therefore under his authoritie he harasseth and plunders all the Countrey about Poitiers sacks the Bishops House and commits many sacrilegious and execrable outrages The young King hearing this gets presently a Horsback and sends the Duke of Main before to stop the ravages of Bonnivet so he followeth after and passing by Orleans Blois Tours and Chastel le heraud a cautionary town of them of the Religion who notwithstanding presented the Keys to his Majesty as he pass'd he came to Poitiers where he reconcil'd the Prince of Conde and the Bishop caus'd Bonnivet to disband his forces compos'd of Picaroons and vagabonds Thence he went to Nants where also he rang'd the Duke of Vandosme to obedience dismantled the Fort at Blavet and so having in a short compasse of time compos'd and quash'd all things he returns triumphantly to Paris where an Ambassadour was attending him from Zuric who desir'd to enter into an alliance with him as the rest of the Cantons had This was the first exploit that Lewis the thirteenth did in his own person which like the rising Sun dispell'd those frog vapors that hover'd in Poictou and Britany and it was held a good augury for the future The presence of a King is oft-times very advantageous for Rebellion durst never stare long in the face of Majesty which useth to lance out such penetrating refulgent rayes that dazzle the eyes of Traytors and put them at last quite out of countenance With this achievment we will conclude his Minority and his Mothers Regency And as this first expedition of his prov'd lucky so was his whole life attended with a series of good successes as if Fortune her self had rid with him all the while upon the same horse And now must we put a period to the first lustre of Lewis the thirteenths raign and with it to his minoritie or bassage We proceed to his second lustre wherewith his majoritie begins being arriv'd to the yeer fourteen The second Lustre of the Life of Lewis the 13th raigne and of his Majoritie ANd now our Story must mount up to his Majority and follow him to his full age wherein he entred at fourteen yeers and the broken number of the Lords yeer was coincident being sixteen hundred and fourteen But I have read an old Author who writes that without any consideration had of yeers the French Kings arrive to maturitie and are capable to sway the Scepter when they come to be as high as a sword let their age be what it will In the former Chapter we told you that by vertue of the Treatie of St. Menehou the Queen Regent had promis'd and was oblig'd to the Princes by
which was suppress'd by Charles the Wise they boldly put themselfs in armes against the Nobility and Gentry to lessen their greatnes Add hereunto as an advantage to the work that this power being first transferr'd to Charles the Seventh there succeeded him a notable cunning King Lewis the Eleventh who knew well how to play his game for amongst all the rest he was said to be the first who put the French Kings horce de Page out of their minority or from being Pages any more though thereby he brought the Peasans to be worse then Laquais Out of some distast the King took at the last Convention of the three Estates which was upon his entrance to his Majority he resolv'd to summon them no more yet because he might be in good intelligence with his people a way was projected to call an Assembly of Notables which should be equivalent to the States Generall though fewer far in number and some out of every one of the Provinciall Sedentary Courts of Parlement were chosen to joyn with them such an Assembly as this was held in Roven as we mentioned before which did little good therefore the King was advis'd to convoque such another at Paris this yeer which was done accordingly They met in the great Hall of the Twilleries where the King spoak to them thus We protest before the living God that We have no other ayme or intention but his honour and the good and ease of Our subjects therefore in his Name We conjure and pray you whom we have here convoqued and by that lawfull power which is given Us over you We command and expresly enjoyn you that without any other respect or cōsideration whatsoever without regard of pleasing or displeasing any person you would afford Us with all freedom and sinceritie those counsels which you shall judge in your consciences to be most wholesome and convenient to the advancement of the publique good The Cardinal de Richelieu also made a long rhetoricall Oration which you shall find in the legend of his life hereunto annexed but there was no great advantage accrued to the public by this Assembly of Notables though it lasted from the second of December to the twenty fourth of February following This yeer a passage happend in the Court of England whence ensued ill-favord consequences and no lesse then a war afterward 'twixt the two Nations which was this The train of French servants which the Queen of Great Britain had brought with her at her first arrivall was suddenly dismiss'd to the number of one hundred and twenty In regard of no good offices they did twixt the King and Queen and for some petulant bold misdemeanurs of theirs by imposing also certain odd superstitious penances upon the Queen in prejudice of her health Besides his Majesty of Great Britain having settled a Royall joynture upon her of neer upon one hundred thousand crowns a yeer out of the choicest Demeans Royalties and Houses he had in England the Bishop of Mende sought to be Surintendent and steward of her lands and others of her French servants expected to have Offices in that kind which the King would not hearken unto in regard the said French were unfit for those extern employments having not the Language or knowledge of the Laws and Customs of the Countrey therefore he desir'd them to rest contented with the domestic Offices they had about the Person of the Queen they made a shew to be satisfied herewith though palpable discontentments appear'd in their countenances and carriage afterward more and more So they were suddenly discharg'd and summon'd to quit the Kingdom and there should be order taken for all conveniences for their journey by Land and Sea and the arrears of their wages and pensions were punctually paid them The Queen for the present took much to heart the renvoy of her servants and the King her brother resented it also when notice was sent him though it was nothing to be wondred at for he himself had discharg'd the Spanish servants his Queen had brought with her not long after she came in the same manner The King of England dispatch'd a Messenger of honor to the Court of France to give a true information of matters which affoorded but little satisfaction Thereupon Marshall Bassompierre was sent Ambassador extraordinary to England expresly about this busines but matters were thrust so far off the hinges that they could not be set right again so soon The French began the first act of hostilitie and that before any public Declaration was publish'd by seizing a great number of English and Scottish ships at Blay as they were returning from the vintage with cargazons of wines from Bourdeaux but the Scots were releas'd the English still stayed A little after an Edict issued out in the Kings name to interdict all commerce and traffic with England that no kind of grain wines or pulse should be transported thither nor from thence to France any cloth serges woolls lead tinn stuffs silk stockings with an enumeration of divers other commodities by this one may observe the advantage that England hath of France in varietie and substance of Marchandizes The French Chroniclers obtrude to the world divers wrong informations of this travers twixt England and France 1. They relate that the French were casheer'd of the Queens service with little or nothing at all of their wages which is false for they were payed to a peny and many of them parted with gifts and much wealth 2. They report that the Queen out of her necessities had borrow'd much money of them which was also a calumny for there was never Princesse liv'd in greater plentie 3. They make the world beleeve that the first depraedations at Sea and acts of Piracy were committed by the English which is another falshood for besides the seisure of the Marchants at Blay where they came to reimbarque their Ordnance divers other praedatory acts were done by the French 4. They publish also another imposture that while the Earls of Carlile and Holland were in the heat of the Treaty of a Match with England the same time they did machinat the ruine of France the first time that England was ever taxed of double dealing 5. That his Majesty of Great Britain had no hand in the Pacifications which were made twixt the King and them of the Religion whereas his Ambassadors and Agents did alwayes follow the Kings Army to their excessive expences and did perpetually negotiat in their behalf and became caution to them for performances on the Kings side Thus a black cloud hung between England and France which broak out into a shrew'd though short tempest of war The King of Great Britain riggs up his galeons and in a very short time puts to Sea a huge royall fleet in perfect equippage of 150. Sayles with an Army of 10000. combatants which by the advise and directions of Monsieur Subize and Blancart who had fled to England some moneths before were
by armed hand seizd upon the town and castle of Iuillers The opposit Princes having besieg'd him there sent to France for help Hereupon Marshall de la Chastre march'd with those 12000. Auxiliaries and his conjunction with the other Princes was so fortunat that Iuillers was rendred up upon composition to the Duke of Newburg and Marquis of Brandenburgh but with this proviso that the Roman Religion should still have free exercise there This relief of Iuillers was the first forren act that happen'd in the raign of Lewis the thirtteenth and the expedition was intended before by his father Although in successif hereditary Kingdomes as France and England where the law sayeth the King never dieth the act of Coronation be not so absolutly necessary as to appertain to the essence of the thing yet hath it bin used as a ceremony not superfluous for the satisfaction of the people Hereupon there were great preparations made for the crowning and the anointing of the young King with the holy oyle which is kept alwayes in the town of Rheims in a little vial and the French faith is That it is part of the same oyle wherewith Clovis who was the first Christian King of France converted by his wife above 1000. yeers since was anointed and that a Dove brought down in her beak the said vial into the Church and so vanish'd which oyl they say continues fresh and sweet and without diminution to this day The said vial was once caried away by the English but it was recovered by the inhabitants of Povilleux for which they enjoy divers priviledges to this day This ceremony of Coronation in France is a very solemn thing and continues above eight houres long without intermission The twelve Peers are the chiefest Actors in it whereof there are six Spiritual and six Temporal the last six have now no being in France but only in name For they ought to be the Dukes of Burgundy Normandy and Aquitain the Earls of Tholouse Flanders and Champagny all which are represented by Deputies in this act One of the first circumstances in this ceremony is that two Bishops come and knock in the morning at the Kings Bed-chamber dore the Great Chamberlain asks them what they would have they answer Lewis the thirteenth son to Henry the Great The Lord Chamberlain replies He sleeps The Bishops a while after knock gently again and demand Lewis the thirteenth whom God had given them for their King So the dore opens and he is caried in solemn procession to the great Church At the communion he takes the bread and the wine to shew that his dignitie is Presbyterial as well as Regal The Parisians are bound to provide certain birds which are let loose that day up and down the Church whereof one was observ'd to sit and sing a great while upon the canopy that was caried over the Kings head which was held to be an auspicious augury Grace before and after diner is sung before him and the sword is held naked all the while with a multitude of other ceremonies The King seeming to be tyred having bin so many hours in the Church and born the crown on his head with divers other heavy vests upon his body was ask'd what he would take to take the like pains again he answer'd for another Crown I would take double the pains The King and Queen Regent being return'd to Paris the scene where the last act of this pomp should be perform'd before the triumph was ended there was a dash of water thrown into their wine by news that was brought of an insurrection that was in Berry by Florrimond de Pay Lord of Vatan who undertook to protect certain Salt Merchants by arms which he had leavied but he was quickly suppress'd and his head chop'd off divers of his complices hang'd and strangled This was the first flash of domestic fire that happen'd in the raign of Lewis the thirteenth which was the more dangerous because the said Lord of Vatan was of the Religion and 't was fear'd the whole body of them would have abetted him There arise a little after two ill-favour'd contentions twixt Church-men which kept a great noise for the present One was of the Iesuits who presented a remonstrance to the Court of Parliament that by vertu of an Edict of Henry the Great 1611. they might be permitted to open their Colledg of Clermont for the instruction of youth and to erect Classes for the public Lecture of the Sciences in a scholary way The Rector of the Universitie seconded by the Sindic of Sorbon with the whole body of Academiks oppos'd it mainly The first thing the Court ordred was that the Jesuits should subscribe to a submission and conformitie to the Doctrin of the Sorbon Schoole in these foure points 1. That the Pope hath no power over the temporalls of Kings and that he cannot excommunicat them or deprive them of their Kingdoms 2. That the Counsell is above the Pope 3. That the Ecclesrastiques are subject to the Secular and Politic Magistrat 4. That auricular Confessions ought to be reveal'd which concern the State and lifes of Kings and Soverain Princes All which Propositions tended to the maintenance of royal authoritie the conservation of the sacred persons of Kings and the liberties of the Gallie Church The Jesuit shrunk in their shoulders at this motion so one in the name of the rest answer'd that amongst their Statuts there was one which oblig'd them to follow the rules and laws of those places where they were therefore they could not promise their General would subscribe to the foresaid propositions but their Provincial in France should do it with the whole Colledg of Clermont which was done accordingly yet the Parliament could never be induc'd to passe a Decree whereby they might be authorized to open their Colledg in Paris for the education of youth though afterwards the King and Queen Regent by sole advise of the Counsell of State notwithstanding the opposition of Parliament and Universitie pass'd an Edict in their favour And this was done out of pure reason of State for the world knows what dangerous instruments Jesuits are if offended The other scuffle amongst Church-men was of a greater consequence which was thus The Iacobins who are the chiefest order of preaching Friers have a generall Chapter every three yeers in Paris This convention happen'd this yeer and divers Tenets were propounded there One amongst the rest was That in no case the Counsell is above the Pope There sate in this Assembly many eminent persons as the Cardinal of Perron the Popes Nuncio with divers other great Prelats There were also some Presidents of Courts there and Counsellors and the Provost of Paris Amongst others Hacquevill President in the great Chamber of Parliament at the debatement of the said thesis stood up and averr'd that it was heretical whereat the Nuncio was offended and after some heat of argument pro and con Cardinal Perron took the word
capitulation to summon the States Generall and suspecting there might be some desseins against her authoritie she endevour'd to prevent it divers wayes First in the Mandats sent to the Governors of Provinces and Towns for the elections of Deputies there were speciall cautions inserted to choose no factious persons The second means was to defer the convocation of the States Generall till the Kings majority was declar'd that so his authoritie might be the more compleat and absolut whereby he might have a greater power to take into his hands her interests and oppose such resolutions that might prejudice them Lastly whereas the said convocation was appointed first to be at Rheims then at Sens she sent summons abroad that it should be held at Paris where the King was strongest by the residence of his servants the affections of all orders of people and the assistance of the ordinary Court of Parliament which is still there sitting though it was us'd to be ambulatory with the Kings Court. Now the difference which is in France between an Assembly of the three Estates and their Parliaments is that the former hath an analogie both in point of institution power and summons with our Soverain high Court of Parliament in England compos'd of Lords and Commons wherein the King sits as head and it is He alone who opens and shuts it with his breath This being the greatest of all Assemblies treats of matters touching the universall good of the State and the making correcting or repealing of laws and it is the highest Sphere which gives motion to all the rest The Parliaments of France whereof there are eight have not the same latitude of power yet are they Supreme Courts or Sessions of Justice where mens causes and differences are publikly determined in last ressort without any further appeale and any Peer of France by right of inheritance hath a capacitie to sit there The day being assign'd for publishing the Kings Majority the Queen Regent and He with his now sole brother the Duke of Anjou for his brother the Duke of Orleans was lately dead went in a stately solemn maner to the Court of Parliament accompagnied with the prime Prelats and Peers of the Kingdom and amongst them there were fower Cardinalls A contestation happen'd 'twixt the Cardinalls and Peers for precedency because the twelve Peers of France before an Ordinance made by Henry the third preceded any Prince of the bloud at the Coronation and Sacring of the King and the declaration of his Majority was an Act reflecting on that Yet the King inordred the priority for that time to the Cardinalls because they were Princes of the Church universal which made the Peers retire from the Court lest it might serve for a precedent to future Ages The Court being sat and all silenc'd the Queen Regent riss up and said That she prais'd and thank'd God to have afforded her grace to bring up her son to the yeers of his Majority and to maintain his Kingdom in peace the best she could That now he being come to age she transmitted the Government to him exhorting the company there present and all other his subjects to render him that service obedience and fidelity which is due unto him as to their King The Chancelor hereupon pronounced the Arrest of the Court importing a verification of the declaration of his Majesties Majority which was done in a solemn studied Oration This great solemnity did not end so but it was accompagnied with four wholsom Edicts as the first fruits or hansels of his raign 1. The first aym'd at a general concord 'twixt his subjects by strict injunction of observing the Edict of Nantes concerning them of the Religion 2. The second aym'd at a generall obedience prohibiting all ligues confederacy and intelligence with any strange Prince or State under pain of lifs 3. The third against Duells 4. The fourth against Blasphemy and Swearing Thus ended the Regency of Maria de Medici in form though not in effect for she swayed a good while after as Queen Mother in all Counsels the King reposing still his chief confidence in her during her Regency she did many public things which discover'd a pious and Princely soul Amongst others she provided divers Hospitalls in the suburbs of Saint German for the relief of the poor the aged and sick and to set young people at work which will continue there as long as the walls of Paris for monuments of her honour and charity The King having notice that the Deputies of the three States were com he sent the B p. of Paris to warn them in his name to fit themselfs for receiving the grace of God that so a blessing might fall upon their consultations to which purpose three daies fast was enjoyn'd them to prepare them the better for the holy Communion which was also inordred them So according to ancient custom a generall Procession was made wherein divers ranks of Fryars and Hopitalers went before then followed the Deputies of the third Estate who took place according to the rank of the 12. Governments of France and made in number 192. The Nobles followed them in number 132. They of the Clergie went last who made 140. so that in all they came to 464. which number I observe is inferior to that of the English Parliament where the Members of the House of Commons alone which corresponds the Third Estate in France come to neer upon 500. After these the King himself followed on foot accompagnied with the Queen and the Princes and Peeres The next day after all met in Bourbon House hall where the young King told them That having not long since declar'd his Majority he thought fitting to convoque the States Generall of his Kingdom to begin his raign by their good advice and Counsell to receive their complaints and provide for redres accordingly as it should be more amply told them by his Chancelor who took the word therupon This generall overture and Ceremony being ended the States Generall spent some daies to visit one another and to choosing of their three Praesidents or Prolocutors which they presented to the King with protestation of all fidelity and obedience The next day they took the Communion all in one Church going six at a time viz. two of every Order to the holy Table The Munday following they reassembled intending to fall close to work but their proceedings were retarded by some differences which interven'd touching the rank of the 12. Provinces or Governments and this clash kept a great noise till the King interpos'd therin his Authority and by the advice of his Privy Counsel which they submitted unto made this decision marshalling the 12. Governments thus 1. the Isle of France whereon Paris stands 2. Burgundy 3. Normandy 4. Guyen 5. Britany 6. Champany 7. Languedoc 8. Picardy 9. Dauphine 10. Provence 11. Lionnois 12. Orleans This being regulated by the King they fell to the main work and three Propositions were made the first by
the Clergy wherewith the Nobles joyn'd 1. That the Counsell of Trent should be publish'd through France 2. That the venality and selling of Offices should be suppressed 3. That the King should acknowledge in this Assembly to have no other superiour power on earth in his Temporalls and that he held the Crown immediatly of God alone This last Proposition was put on by the third Estate against the intention and without the concurrence of Clergy and Nobles of purpose to hinder the concession of the other two because divers of the third Estate were favourers of them of the Religion and Financiers The first Proposition was couch'd in these termes That the Oecumenical Counsel of Trent be receiv'd and publish'd in your Realms and the Constitutions thereof kept and observ'd but without prejudice to your Majesties rights the liberties of the Gallic Church the priviledges and exepmtions of Chapters Monasteries and Cominalties which his Holinesse shall be prayed may be reserv'd and to remain in their entire strength so that the publication of the said Counsell may not prejudice them any way The Third Estate protested against this alledging these reasons That in the said Counsell there were divers Decrees whereby the Spirituall invaded the Temporall rights That it would be a thing not only prejudiciall but dishonourable for France to approve of a Counsell wherein the most Christian King had received a palpable injury in the persons of his Ambassadors who were postpos'd to them of Spain which caus'd them to retire and quit the said Counsell in sense of that indignity offer'd to them who personated the first son of the Church in so public a Convention They excepted also against that clause that the Pope should be prayed the liberties of the Gallic Church might be preserv'd for that was to submit them to a forren power to the Papall authoritie whereas the said liberties are independent and originally inhaerent in the Gallican Church and contemporary with Christianity it self The difference 'twixt Liberties and Priviledges being this that the latter presuppose the concession and grant of some superior Power but liberties are originall and immemorial possessions and equall to inheritances Touching the second Proposition of the Clergy and Nobles against the venality and merchandising of Offices it was wav'd because divers of the Third Estate were either Financiers or Officers of Justice which places they had bought and so had power to sell them again for money Touching the third Proposition that concern'd the independency of the French Crown which was presented by the Commons in opposition to the first Proposition made by the Clergy and Nobles for the publication of the Counsell of Trent the one being made out of a zeale to the State Civil the other to the State Spiritual there were hot bandings on both sides The third Estate or Commons would have it declared for a fundamentall law that the King being supreme and absolute in his own Dominions there is no power on earth either Spirituall or Temporall that hath any right to deprive him of his Crown or to dispense and absolve his subjects from their allegiance unto him This was done to extinguish that dangerous Doctrin broached by som how it was lawfull to kill Tyrants and if the Roman Bishop had power to declare Kings Tyrants their lifes would be expos'd to the passion of every Pope and so to perpetuall apprehensions of danger The Clergy and Nobles finding how pertinacious and resolute the Commons were in this point for securing the lifes of their Kings and fearing it might breed a schisme 'twixt the Apostolicall See and the Monarchy of France Cardinal Perron a man of high merit and moderation was sent to make a Remonstrance unto them which he reduced to three heads 1. That it is not permitted upon any cause whatsoever to kill a King 2. That the Kings of France are Soverains in all degrees of Temporal soverainty within their Realm 3. That there is no case wherby subjects may be absolved from their oth of fidelity to their Prince Concerning the first two he pronounc'd them as absolut and categoricall but touching the last the Cardinal said that in regard it might usher in a Schisme he left it as problematicall not positif The President or Speaker of the Commons answer'd that the third Proposition being politicall he conceiv'd it concern'd not the Doctrin of Faith and consequently could not introduce any schisme much bussling there was about this point the Commons being very eager in it having the Parliament of Paris siding with them who pass'd an Arrest in favour of them accordingly but the King evok'd the difference to himself commanding that nothing should be determin'd theron in regard that he being assured of his own right and possession it appertain'd not either to the States or to the Court of Parliament or any other arbiter whatsoever to take cognisance thereof and remarkable it was that the King did not evoke and call that matter to Himself and to his Counsell according to the ordinary form but absolutly to himself and his own Person But although the King commanded the said Decree of the Court of Parliament to be suspended the Attorney Generall made such diligences because he was a friend to the businesse that divers Copies were sent abroad The great Assembly drawing now towards a closure they brought their Cayers or papers of grievances to the King at Bourbon House hall The Bishop of Luson after Cardinall of Richelieu was Prolocutor for the Clergy the King presently delivered the said Cayers to his Chancelor promising them an answer with all convenient expedition Thereupon a little after he sent for them to the Louure his royal Palace and told them that in regard of sundry affairs of great importance he could not answer their Cayers so soon as he desired but he would give speedy order to do it in the interim they might carry along with them to the Countrey an assurance of the satisfaction they expected touching the chiefest Articles for he was resolv'd to suppres the selling of offices to ease his people of tallies and subsidies to cause a research to be made into the misdemeanures of his Receivers and Financiers and lastly to retrench the multiplicitie of Offices and Pensions which were encreas'd from about two millions of franks which was the stint in the former Kings raign to four millions which make four hundred thousand pounds sterling Observ'd it was that the Marshall of Ancre while this busines of retrenching Officers and Pensions was in hottest agitation amongst the States got three new Tresurers of Pensions to be created from whom he drew neer upon one hundred thousand pound sterling as you will find hereafter when it will be thrown into his dish This was the first and last Assembly of the three Estates or Parliament general that was held in the raign of Lewis the thirteenth which it seems found his grave then for there hath bin none ever since and there is
the States Generall which is next the Clergie and for delivering of Opinions the King inordred that in matters concerning the Church the Clergie should vote first in matters of War the Nobles in matters of Law the Officers of Justice in matters of the Revenue of the Crown the Exchequer men and Financiers In this Assembly were agitated and concluded many wholsome things First 1. That the Secret affairs of State be communicated to few and those of known probity and prudence for fear of discovery 2. That the expence of the Kings House and the salary of Military men be regulated 3. That Pensions be retrench'd 4. That a course be taken to regulat gifts and rewards which are to be made in silver 5. That it be illegal to sell any Offices in the Kings House in War or Government 6. That reversion of Offices and Benefices be restrain'd because it gives occasion to attempt upon the life 's of the living Incumbents and takes away the Kings Liberty to advance persons of merit taking also from the persons themselfs the encouragement of doing better by hope of advancement 7. That the Annuel right be suppress'd 8. That the venality of Offices be prohibited 9. That small wrangling Courts and the number of Pettifoggers be retrench'd and that all causes be brought to the Soverain Courts These in grosse were the Results of this Assembly which proceeded with a great deal of harmony the King himself was present most of the time and in his absence Monsieur presided There pass'd also a Law to permit the Jesuits to open their Colledg of Clermont in Paris and to endoctrinat young youth in the Sciences But the Universitie of Paris to make this Edict illusory made two Decrees by the first it was ordred that none should be admitted to the course of Theologie unlesse he have studied three yeers under the public Professors of the Faculty of Theologie in Sorbon and that he be put to his oath not to have studied in any other Colledg The second was A prohibition to all Principals of Colledges for admitting any but those that go to the Lectures of the Professors of the said Universitie and that none shall enjoy the Priviledges of Scholarity if he studieth not under those Professors An indifferent moderat man said that there was no way to end this quarrell but that the Jesuits might be united to the body of the Universitie and so submit themselfs entirely to their Laws and Ordinances We will conclude this lustre with a horrible fire that hapned in the Citie of Paris in the chief Palace of Iustice it rag'd most in the great Hall where the Lawyers and Counsellors use to meet where also the Statues of the Kings of France are set up and are rank'd according to the times of their raign in excellent Sculpture all which were utterly reduc'd to cendres with the Table of Marble about which the Judges were us'd to sit The cause of this fire is to this day unknown but it might be very well interpreted to be a visible judgment from heaven upon that place and Palace for the hard measure of Justice the Marshall of Ancre and his Lady had received a little before Which makes me call to mind a Latin verse I have read upon a Stat-House in Delph in Holland which had bin burnt in like maner and reedified not one other house about it receiving any hurt Cive quid invito proh sola redarguit usta Haec Domus illaesis aliis Discite Iustitiam moniti non temnere Divos An end of the second Lustre The third Lustre of the Raign of Lewis the thirteenth VVE ended the last Lustre with the end of the old Palace of Justice in Paris by an unknown furious fire which made the disaster more horrid We will begin this with bone-fires of joy for the Mariage of the Lady Christina second daughter of Henry the Great to the Prince of Piedmont who came in Person to Paris to do his own busines he comported himself with that addresse that politenes that bravery of spirit accompagnied with such gentlenes that he gain'd much upon the French Nation The busines was not long a finishing for Henry the Great was well pleas'd with an ouverture that had bin made formerly by the said Prince for the Eldest daughter who was maried to Spain She had for her Dower 1200. thousand French liures which comes to one hundred and twenty thousand pound sterling besides the rich jewels she caried with her The Queen Mother was all this while at Blois and som ombrages of distrust hung 'twixt the King and her for the Bishop of Lucon being by command removed from her Mounsieur Roissy was sent expresly by the King to attend her whom the Queen took to be no other then a kind of Spy to watch over her actions nor was she invited to the marriage of her daughter which was solemniz'd at Paris and with this mariage it seems the King did consummat his own by bedding with the Queen his wife which he had not done since he had maried her at Burdeaux almost four yeers before where he lay with her only two hours and though this was done for fear it should hinder his growth and enervat his strength yet there were some whispers that it was done with an intent to be divorc'd from her and Luynes was blamed for it Hereupon he finding the King one night inclinable took him out of his bed in his armes and casting his night-gown over him he carried him to the Queens bed The Nuncio and Spanish Ambassador were so joy'd at this that they presently dispatch'd expresses to carry the news and bonefiers were made thereupon both in Rome and Madrid for there were some surmises abroad that so long a separation from bed would turn in time to an aversion which might draw after it a repudiation and so a divorce While the King was thus confirming his own and celebrating his sisters Nuptialls in Paris there were tydings brought that his Mother got out of Blois Castle and was convey'd away secretly in the night through a window which was towards the moate where she glided down a good height upon a counter scarp and so made an escape The King had sent Father Arnoul the director of his conscience a little before under colour of complement to visit her but the design was to draw from her a solemn oath that she would not come to the Kings Court without his preadvertisement and approbation which oath she took upon the Evangelists He sent her also word that he and the Prince of Piemont now her son in law would come to visit her but she knew well enough how matters were carried at Court and so she gave little credit to those endearments fearing there was too strong a drug under the pill Her escape was trac'd by Espernon the little Gascon Duke who had bin from the beginning a great servant of Ladies there had bin divers clashings and counterbuffs
'twixt him and the gown-men of the law amongst others Du Vair the then Lord Keeper and he could not agree Du Vair did him ill offices to Luynes who began to malign him more and more So the little Duke had two mighty enemies at once the one full of cunning the other of credit with the King therefore being at the Town of Metz the King sent him order not to stir thence because there were like to be wars in Germany Espernon sent answer that he being in the next place to Germany had receiv'd certain advice that there are no commotions like to be there that his Majesties service and his own affairs were all in a disarray in Guyen and that he knew not in what to serve him there unlesse it were to convey his packets to and fro Therefore he humbly desir'd his Majesties permission to go for Guyen whither some pressing occasions call'd him and that La Vallette his son shall render him a good account of that place The Queen Mother and he had much privat intelligence and she sent him an expresse to complain unto him of her hard condition and withall she sent the Originall of a late Letter unto her from the King wherein he permits her to go to any Town or place throughout his Dominions his own Court excepted so in conclusion she prayes and conjures him as he was a Cavalier to help her out and conduct her to Angoulesme The old Duke was glad of this advantageous conjuncture of things therefore without any further attendance of the Kings pleasure he suddenly leaves Metz commanding the Gates to be close shut for two dayes after his departure and so went towards the Queen Mother with a resolution to intermingle his interests and dangers with hers So he employ'd le Plessis a confident of his who receiv'd the Queen first of all out of the Castle window and convey'd her over the river in the dead of night where she met the Archbishop of Tholouse after Cardinal de la Valette with 15. horse and a little further the Duke himself with 60. great horse for he would have no more for making too great a noise so he attended her to Angoulesme The King resented to the quick this presumption and hardinesse of the Duke who being asked how he durst venture upon so dangerous an enterprise he answer'd Because I would have two cables to my Ship in a storme that was like to fall upon me The King hereupon frames an army to chastise the insolence of Espernon the Duke of Guyse was commanded to come from Province and the Duke of Mayn from Guien to meet him about Angoulesme with forces Some held it to be a derogatory and unbefitting thing in the King to keep such a stir for to have a revenge upon his own Mother and upon a Vassal and an old Officer of the Crown and so advis'd his Majesty to go thither with his ordinary Guards Others counsel'd him to separat the interests of the Queen Mother from the Dukes and to send a person of quality to her to dispose of her to a conformity to his pleasure and to leave the Duke to stand upon his own legs To which purpose divers were sent unto her from the King but in vain for she could never be brought to abandon the interests of Espernon who had expos'd himself to such dangers for her Hereupon the Bishop of Lucon afterwards Cardinal of Richelieu who was retir'd to Avignon and had been in great esteem with her formerly was sent for by the Kings command to atetnd the Queen and being a man of eloquence and of powerfull reasons he moulded the Queens mind as he pleas'd and fitted it for a reconciliation being thus prepar'd the King sent Marossan unto her to assure her of the obedience and love of a Son and withall to demand of her a dimission of the government of Normandy for other places which she should have in exchange She as'kd Marossan whether he brought any letters from the King about that he said no because the King at the first enterview would speake with her by word of mouth about it but he was resolv'd not to write to her and why so replied the Queen Madame said he I have not in charge to tell you the reason but if you command me I will You will do me a pleasure said she It is Madame because the King having written unto you a letter full of affection at Blois wherein he was willing you might go into any other place within his Kingdom you gave the letter to the Duke of Espernon thereby to affoord him means to colour his conveying you away from Blois and conduct you hither for fear therefore that you would doe the like again he is resolv'd to write no more unto you of any matter of moment The Queen enlarg'd her self upon that subject saying That any body would do as she did being in captivitie there being nothing that the brute animals desire more then freedom and therefore this inclination was not to be wondred at in rationall creatures so she came to the point and conform'd her self to the Kings desires in every thing Matters being brought to this passe the King suffer'd the Prince of Piemont to go visit her which he had long desir'd with much impatience being come with his brother Prince Thomaso neer Angoulesme Espernon with a hundred great horse went to meet them in a handsome equippage The Prince stay'd there some dayes to wait upon his new Mother in law and at his departure she gave him a Diamond of high price which was the Emperour Ferdinands her Grandfather and so he return'd to the King A while afterthere was an enterview appointed 'twixt the King and his Mother at Cousieres a House of the Duke of Monbazons in Touraine The Duke of Espernon attended her to the farthest limits of his government and at parting she gave him a rich Diamond conjuring him never to part with it but that it might be preserv'd from father to son as an eternall gage of her gratitude and in memory of the gallant and most signal service which he had render'd her to the hazard of his life and fortune The Duke us'd to wear the said Diamond afterwards upon his finger in a ring upon festivall dayes which he said cost him two hundred thousand Crowns The Queen being come to the place of meeting Luynes who was now made Duke and Peer of France and Governor of Normandy was sent from the King before-hand after his first audience the Queen brought him to her Cabinet where she melted into passion and complain'd of the hard usage she had receiv'd which she would quite forget yet she could not refrain from falling still upon the mention of her hard usage which did her no good afterwards for Luynes thereby fear'd that matters pass'd had taken such lasting impressions in her that they could never be defac'd and considering the vindicatif spirits of the Nation whence
she came he still mistrusted if she return'd to Court she would project some way of revenge c. The King came the next day in Coach with the young Queen his two Sisters and the two Princes of Savoy to the House where the Queen was and there was a compleat glorious Court the mutual demonstrations and postures of tendernes which Mother and Son shew'd at their first enterview melted the hearts of all the Spectators A few daies after all parted the King and his Queen towards Paris the Queen Mother to Anger 's and the Princes of Piemont put themselfs in their journey to crosse the Alps. A little after the Prince of Condé was enlarg'd and the King sent him this Letter by his Favorit My Cosen I will not tell you how much I love you you see it I send my Cosen the Duke of Luynes unto you who knows all the secrets of my heart and will open them unto you Come away as soon as you can for I expect you with impatience in the interim I will pray God to preserve you in his holy grace Lovis Luynes having taken his oath as Duke and Peer of France in the Court of Parliament he moved the King to perfect the number of the Cavaliers of his Order the Order of the Holy Ghost who being an hundred by the primitive institution were now diminished to twenty eight so there were divers more created to the number of fifty nine whereof Luynes two brothers Cadenet and Brande were two Luynes plot was to ingratiat himself hereby into the Nobility but it prov'd otherwise for the Competitors that were excluded grew to be more bitterly his foes then they who were instal'd Knights became his friends Much murmuring also was at his two brothers this Order being the next degree to bring one to be Duke and Peer of France As the Ceremonies of these new Knights were a performing the two Princes of the bloud Condé and Soissons being at Court as the King was ready to sit down at diner the Steward of the Houshold deliver'd the towell to Soissons to give the King Condé perceiving it would have had it from him but he would not part with it so they fell to high words one saying it was his right as he was prime Prince of the bloud the other as he was gran Master of France as they were debating the point in hot termes the King sent for his brother to whom the Count of Soissons deliver'd it so with much ado the King made them both friends upon the place and the next day many hundreds of Gentlemen appearing on horseback and offring their service on both sides there came out a strict Order from the King there should be no more stirring in the businesse It fortun'd about this time that the young Queen fell sick and there were extraordinary Offices of devotion performed for her recovery and a generall Procession Ordred where the whole Court of Parliament assisted in their red robes The Queen being recover'd she employed the fifteen thousand Crowns which the King had given her for a ball to works of Piety and Charity The Kings Exchequer was at a very low ebbe at this time whereupon there came out an Edict call'd the Bursall Edict which tended to raise money and the King mistrusting the verification of it by the Court of Parliament went thither himself in great state where the Lord Keeper made a speech a bout it The Prime President answer'd him boldly That the Court receiv'd violence to verifie such Edicts without any precedent deliberation that being well assur'd of the goodnes and justice of his Majesty the Court imputed this disorder to ill counsell and therefore desired the names of them who gave him this damnable counsell should be given up and registred in Parliament to be proceeded against accordingly Servin the Kings Advocat was more hardy saying That his Majesty did wrong himself to come to Parliament to authorise by his presence that which could not be done with reason and justice Yet the Edict pass'd and that afternoon the Court of Parliament was commanded to wait at the Louure where his Majestie told them That he was ill edified by their Remonstrances which he found very insolent The Lord Keeper told them That to some ill purpose they thought to separat the King from his Counsell by blaming the one and exempting the other for being inseparable the offence must bring the blow upon both together a thing not to be endured by a Soverain Prince who is to exspect punctuall obedience from his subjects so the prime President making a large apologie at last they were dismiss'd with recovery of the Kings grace The prodigious and violent promotions of Luynes in dignity power wealth and command made him the object of envy to some of hatred to others of amazement to all nor was he contented to hoise himself so but he must pully up his two brothers along with him so there was a kind of generall discontentment fomented in the hearts of the people which was aggravated by the late shift the King had made to get money and the clash he had with the Parliament of Paris so mens minds were susceptible and ready to receive any impressions of mislike against the present Government The Duke of Mayn had a particular discontentment that Cadenet afterwards Duke of Chaune which was erected into a Pairrie a Peership of France had maried the Heiresse of Peguigny whom he had sought for wife so he with divers other Princes started out and put themselfs in armes the Count of Soissons Vendosm and the Gran Prior of France his brother both naturall sons to the last King went to the Queen Mother at Anger 's who quickly entred into the league They of the Religion offer'd her conjunctive forces which she wav'd but the Duke of Mayn presently accepted of them which made his army swell to 12000. and upwards Hereupon the King sent the Duke of Montbazon to invite the Queen Mother to Court and to assist in Counsell but she excus'd herself by indisposition of body though it was only of mind He sent again the Archbishop of Sens unto Her with a second invitation to Court and he would meet her in the way as far as Orleans but she continued still distrustfull and jealous of some plot upon her thinking that Fistula dulce canit volucrem dum decipit Auceps She inveighs bitterly against the present Favorits how they exhausted the Kings Tresure offended most of the Princes and dispos'd of all offices and honors making men of mean extraction lately Knights of the Holy Spirit and excluding ancient Gentlemen of merit these complaints she couch'd and enlarg'd in two Letters one to the King himself the other to the Parliament of Paris which the Court would not open but sent them to the King The discontented Princes grew daily more and more powerfull so it was high time for the King to get a Horsback which
he did and march'd first to Normandy where the Duke of Longueville had arm'd having bin at the Parliament of Roven to tell them that the ground of his grievance as of the rest of the Princes was the indirect and violent means that Luynes us'd to establish his own authority and advance his monstrous fortune c. Longueville understanding the King was advancing to Roven retir'd to Diep with three hundred Gentlemen who thought to make the Town of Roven to side with them but the Kings presence scared them all away There the King sate himself in Parliament and suspended Longueville of the Government of that great Province and put also divers of his Complices out of Office And so having secur'd Roven he went to Caen where the Gran Prior had put a strong garrison in the Castle to stand for the Princes Crequy had laid a siege to the Castle before the King came and held it hot play for the Castle was extremly well fortified both with bones and stones The King immediatly upon his arrival sent Prudent whom the Gran Prior had plac'd in the said Castle a summon to render it Prudent refus'd hereupon there was a Proclamation publish'd That whosoever would bring Prudent living or dead unto the King he should have a reward of ten thousand crowns This made Prudent tremble and to apprehend some danger within as well as from without for the sound of ten thousand crowns made a mighty noise and might work upon the garrison it self So he sent to Crequy to know truly of him whether the King was there in person or no For if he were he had rather die twenty deaths then hinder the triumph of his first arms so he gave up the Castle without capitulation and the King pardoned all some gave advise to raze the Castle but being built at first to stay and repell the Forces of the English and being fair large and strong it was suffer'd to stand for it might be serviceable again against that Nation The report of taking Caen Castle added much to the Kings honor and struck a terror in the Mutineers He march'd thence to Mans and thence towards Anger 's to his Mother in the way there were six or seven Castles that discharg'd their garrisons and rang'd themselfs to the Kings obedience Being at Mans there came some Gentlemen to tell him from the Queen Mother that she was ready to conform her self to his Majesties pleasure and therefore desir'd a Treaty with this proviso that all the rest who were now in Arms for her assistance might be included in the Articles The King sent her word that as he distinguish'd her Person from theirs who were now in rebellion against him so he would separat her interests from theirs for he well considered that she was his mother they but his subjects qualities so distant that it was not fitting to confound them and involve her in the same Treaty Yet nevertheles he was willing to be gracious to all for what was pass'd provided they would incontinently disarm and implore mercy Luynes also sent her a Complement by the same messenger That there was no desire so ardent in him as to see her again with the King as well for her own contentment as for the repose of the Realm But notwithstanding this gracious proffer they stood still in arms in Anger 's where there were eight thousand foot and one thousand two hundred horse well appointed and a great confluence of Nobles Anger 's being a huge vast Town and the royal Army being but sixteen thousand foot and one thousand five hundred horse the Counsell of War determ'd that it was more advantagious to attaque Pont de Cé not far of then lye down before Anger 's So Crequy was sent with fifteen Bataillons to that purpose there was a furious fight twixt the Sons Forces and the Mothers at last the Son prevail'd and entirely routed the enemy with slaughter of five hundred men the next day the Castle of Pont de Cé rendred it self the garrison was us'd very favorably and all the Domestic Officers of the Queen Mother who had born Arms there were sent unto her for a present There was then a resolution to set upon Anger 's but the King would not hearken unto it while his Mother was in the Town Hereupon She sent the Cardinal of Sourdis and the Bishop of Lucon to the King to tell him That She threw herself between his arms to submit her will and all her inclinations to his Commands beseeching his Majesty that his grace might extend to all those that had assisted her The King condescended to every thing pass'd an Act of Abolition of all former faults and the Articles of the Treaty were sent to Paris to be verified by the Court of Parliament So the Son and the Mother had another enterview at Brissac where their actions port gesture words and tears wrought much upon the affections of all the beholders The King having in lesse then 40. dayes quell'd this dangerous rebellion which like a Hydra consisted of many heads his thoughts then reflected upon the Ecclesiastic's of Bearn who pretended and had consequently petition'd often unto him how much they suffer'd by them of the Religion so he sent the Queen to Paris and he took the road of Bearn a frontier place towards Spain fastning Navar to the foot of the Pyrenean Hills He took Saint Iohn d' Angeli in his way where the Town complain'd of a Cittadell which the Duke of Rohan would have built to keep them in captivitie He left a new Governor there behind him and sent to Espernon to have a care of the place thence he went to Blay the key of Bourdeaux where he depos'd the Marquis of Aubeterre the Governor and giving him the Truncheon of Marshall and 100000. crowns for recompence he put in his place Brentes third brother to Luynes after Duke of Luxenburg At Bourdeaux he made an Edict for the reestablishment of the Roman Catholics of Bearn in their Primitive possessions and sending it to Pau where the chief Councell of Bearn resides to be verified they refus'd to doe it notwithstanding two jussions of the King to that effect Iane d' Albret Henry the Greats Mother first planted the Reformed Religion in Bearn taking the revenues of the Roman Clergy to maintain the Ministers she raign'd divers yeers and her son Henry the Fourth succeeded who after he was King of France reestablish'd a few Bishops there who gave some satisfaction for the time The present King his son out of a greater zeale to Rome would put all things in statu quo priùs and would have the Church lands entirely restor'd and for the maintenance of the Reformed Ministers he was willing to part with eighty thousand Franks yeerly out of his own revenue Yet the Counsell of Pau would not ratifie his Edict which Counsell was divided to three opinions 1. The first opinion was utterly to reject the Kings Edict and
550000. Franks found in money He caus'd a Declaration also to be publish'd wherein he and all his Adherents were proclaym'd Rebells Monsieur and Monmorency were grown so strong that the King in Person with an Army of twenty thousand foot and two thousand horse went to suppresse them Some of the Kings Army was about Castel nau-d ' Arry under the command of Schomberg where Monmorency in a martiall heat but more in a desperat then valiant resolution accompagnied with the Earls of Rieux and Fevillade and only eight horse more fac'd and set upon the Royalists broak the ranks of some of them kill'd divers and hurt many but after he was hurt himself in the face and in sundry places about his body so that he fell off his horse and cried out for a Confessor so one of his men taking him upon his back he was taken prisoner and carried upon a ladder to Castel nau d' Arry In the said conflict was kill'd one of Henry the Great 's base sons the Count of Moret with the fore-mentioned Earls of Rieux and Fevillade and the whole Army was routed Notwithstanding all these provocations the King sent a gracious Message to Monsieur inviting him to come unto him and the same day Monsieur had sent to the King Chaudebonne with these Propositions 1. That the Duke of Monmorency should be releas'd and reestablish'd in his estate and government together with the Dukes of Elbaeuf and Bellegarde 2. That his Majesty would render to the Duke of Lorain all the places he detain'd from him 3. That an Act of abolition should passe 4. That a million of Franks which he had borrow'd should be pay'd Whereunto the King made this Answer My Brother the Propositions which Chaudebonne hath made me in your behalf are so little sortable to my dignity to the public and your own proper good that I cannot return any other answer then what I sent you formerly by Monsieur Aiguebonne to testifie my affection unto you I pray dispose of your self to receive the effects of them assuring you that in so doing I shall forget what 's pass'd and shall make it appear unto you more and more that I am your most affectionat Brother Lewis This Letter was seconded a little after with Articles to this effect 1. That Monsieur should acknowledge his fault by writing and desire the King to forget and pardon 2. That he give the best assurance he can not to fall into a relaps 3. To have no intelligence with Spain Lorain or any other strange Prince nor with the Queen his Mother as long as she continues in the case she stands and to sojourn in what place the King shall appoint him 4. That he mingle not his interests with those that were his Complices and ill counsellors which must be proceeded against according to law yet amongst them his domesticks shall be exempted 5. That Puy Laurens who suggested these ill Counsels into him sincerely confesse what further practises were intended against the State and that he acknowledge himself culpable before he receive grace To all these Monsieur subscrib'd in this forme We Gaston son of France unic Brother to the King Duc of Orleans Chartres and Valois Earl of Blois do consent to what is propounded by his Majesty and upon the word and faith of a Prince we promise a religious performance of all the Articles We promise besides to conspire with all our power to all the good desseins of the King for the grandeur and safety of his Kingdoms and to love them that love his Majesty and specially our Cosen the Cardinall of Richelieu whom we hold to be necessary to the Person and States of the King for his fidelity After this a Declaration was publish'd for all strangers that came in with Monsieur to quit the Kingdom within 8. dayes some of the chiefest instruments of this sollevation were cut off by the sword of Justice and amongst other the foure Bishops spoken of before were legally proceeded against by a speciall Brief from Rome wherein there were foure Archbishops nominated as Deligats to judge them whereof the Archbishop and Prince of Arles was chief though the ancient form of proceeding against Prelats for crimes was us'd to be by a Synod of the Gallic Bishops Not one of the foresaid Delinquent Bishops was condem'd to die only the Bishop of Albi was depriv'd of his Bishoprick and confin'd to a Monastery to eat the bread of sorrow There fell this yeer upon the Kings return from Narbon through Languedoc in a sudden showr of rain such huge cataracts of water from the Airie Region that two hundred persons were drownd upon the highwayes four Coches of the Queens and fifty Carts were swallowed up in the deluge The Duke of Monmorency being taken prisoner was carried to Tholouse where he was to receive his tryall not by his Peers but by the ordinary way of Justice he was legally convicted and condemn'd there were all means possible us'd for his pardon but the King was inflexible so with exemplary patience and piety he pai'd Nature her last tribut he put off his doublet himself and cut off his hair and mustachos before he came to the Block Thus fell Henry of Monmorency Duke Peer and Marshall and of the ancientest extractions of France in so much that Henry the Great was us'd to say that he was a better Gentleman then himself the Motto in his Scutcheon was Dieu aide le premier Chevalier Chrestien God preserve the first Christian Cavalier he left no son nor male Heir behind so this Illustrious Family went out like a snuffe such an ill-savor'd sent Rebellion leaves behind it Monsieur for not obtaining Monmorencys pardon though he had prevayl'd for the Dukes of Elbaeuf and Bellegarde grew again discontented and forsakes France The Cardinall of Richelieu had at this time a dangerous fit of sicknes so that a great while the infirmities of his body would not give him leave to exercise the functions of his soule A little after his convalescence there was a chapter of the Knights of the Royall Order the Holy Spirit kept wherein there were forty nine more created and the honor was conferr'd chiefly upon them that had serv'd against them of the Religion The Duke of Lorain appearing more for the House of Austria then the Sweds in the German war the King to quarrell with him demanded homage for the Duchy of Bar the Duke wav'd the performance of this ceremony alledging that those homages which were pretended to be done by his Progenitors were but visits and complements not any reall dutyes there being no act upon record for them There happend another occasion of displeasure against the Duke in that the Princess Margaret was maried to Monsieur not only without the Kings consent but expresly against his command It being observ'd that Matches with that Family have bin fatall and that Lorain milk have engendred but ill bloud in France So he arms mainly against the Duke
to his youngest brother Armand whose life we write But afterwards by his meanes the Carthusian Fryer was brought to accept of the Archbishoprick of Aix in Provence then of Lions and so ascended to be Cardinal He had also two sisters Frances maried to the Baron of Pont de Curlay who had of her the Duchesse of Esguillon And Nicola his second sister was maried to the Marquis of Brezé Marshall of France and first French-Viceroy of Catalonia in Spain upon the late revolt who hath a son and a daughter by her Iohn Armand the son was Generall of the French Army in the West and employ'd Ambassador extraordinary to congratulat the new King of Portugall Clara Clemente the daughter was maried lately to the Duke of Anguiern eldest son to the Prince of Condé When his brother Alphonso had transmitted unto him the Bishoprick of Lusson he went to Rome for a Consecration and Paul the Fifth dispenc'd w th his incapacity of age for he was but 21 yeers old Some report that the Pope observing the height and activity of his spirit was overheard to say That that young Prelat would overturn the world being return'd to France from Rome and brought to kisse Henry the Fourths hands he was somewhat taken with him telling him that he was come from that place whence one day should descend upon him the greatest honor that Rome could affoord a Frenchman and afterwards he was us'd to call him his Bishop For divers yeers he applied himself altogether to the function of his Ministery and us'd to preach often in the Kings Chappell In the Assembly of the three States he was chosen Orator for the Ecclesiastiques where his pregnancy of wit first appeer'd publicly in matters of State Where upon he got footing afterward at Court and was made great Almoner Then his abilities discovering themselfs more and more he was nominated Ambassador extraordinary for Spain to accommode the differences then a foot 'twixt the Dukes of Savoy and Mantova when the Princes started out in discontent and put themselfs in armes to demolish the Marshall of Ancre some Privy Counsellors were outed of their Offices at Court amongst others Monsieur Villeray had his Writ of ease for being any more Secretary of State and the Bishop of Lusson was thought the fittest man to succeed him and to receive the Seales which he did and this diverted him from his forren employment to Spain When the Marquis of Ancre was Pistol'd and his wife beheaded there was a new face of things at Court another generation of Officers grew out of the corruption of the old among others Villeroy steps in to be Secretary of State again in the room of the Bishop of Lusson yet was the King willing he should sit still at the Counsell Table and Monsieur de Vignobles brought him an intimation of the Kings pleasure to that purpose But the Queen Mother retyring from Paris to Blois he chose rather to go with his old Mistresse then stay with a young Master as the pulse of the Court did beat then By some ill offices that were done 'twixt the King and his Mother by factious spirits many jealousies were dayly fomented between them Hereupon the Bishop of Lusson had order to withdraw himself from her Court so he retir'd to his Priory of Caussay but that distance being thought not sufficient he betook himself to his Bishoprick at Lusson and that place also being suspected to be too neer he was sent to Avignon the Popes Town which might be call'd a banishment for it was out of the Dominion of France Discontents growing higher twixt the King and his Mother till at last they broak out into a War and there being Armies on both sides in motion Luynes writ a Letter to the Bishop to repaire to Angoulesme to which Letter there was a Postscript annex'd all of the Kings own hand to the same effect The Queen Mother was fled thither from the Castle of Blois and by means of the Duke of Espernon with others had considerable forces a foot Here was a brave opportunity offer'd for the Bishop to shew his head-peece in atoning matters 'twixt the Mother and the Son for which end he was inordred to repaire thither He negotiated the busines so succesfully by his dextrous addresses and flexaminous strains of eloquence that he took away the inflamation of the wound and so made it easily curable A Treaty was agreed upon and the Capitulations being drawn he brought them to the King who receiv'd him with much shew of grace and so all matters were accommoded But this accommodation did not heale quite and consolidat the wound for it had not search'd it to the bottome therefore it began to fester and more putrified matter broak out of it then formerly The Mother and the Son take up armes again and the Bishop of Lusson was one of the prime Instruments to re-compose the busines which was done at last very effectually The merit of these high services got him a Red Hat and the dignity of Cardinal though some difficulties and many delayes interven'd before the finall dispatch came from Rome Then was he chosen Provisor of the ancient Colledge of Sorbon where he procur'd of the King that a new Chair of Controversie should be erected He also repair'd and much beautified that Colledge Then upon the instance and by the advice of the Queen Mother he was elected Prime Minister of State and Director in chief under the King of all matters concerning the public Government of the Kingdome so he came to be call'd the Argos of France The first great action that was performed by his guidance when he was clim'd to this Plenipotentiary power was the Mariage with England the Marquis of Vieu ville had been employ'd in this great busines but the Cardinal got some of the Capitulations better'd and more to the advantage of France alledging that it was not fit his Master being the Eldest Son of the Church should have conditions inferiour to those of Spain With this Match with England there was an alliance also made about the same time with Holland for a summe of Money These were the two first Coups d' estat stroaks of State that he made and it was done with this forecast that France might be the better enabled to suppres them of the Religion which the Cardinal found to be the greatest weaknes of that Kingdom Some of them being Pensioners to other Princes to embroyle France upon all occasions He found then that the House of Austria had got some advantage and encrease of power by certain holds it had seiz'd upon in the Valtolin He adviseth his King to ligue with the Venetian and the Savoyard which he did and so spoil'd the design of the Spaniard that way The King being told that upon the beheading of the Count of Chalais and the imprisonment of the Marquis of Ornano about Monsieurs Mariage his Cardinal had thereby got divers enemies he appointed him a band
his majoritie and raigne and so our storie shall grow up with him in dimensions and yeares Of his Nativitie and Dauphinage LEwis the thirteenth second French King of the Bourbon line had for his father Henry the great and the great Duke of Toscanies daughter for his mother The first we know was sent out of the world by Ravaillac the second by Richelieu as some out of excesse of passion doe suggest For this great Queene having conceived a deep displeasure and animositie against him and not liking his counsels and course of policy to put quarrels and kindle a war betwixt her children in a high discontentment she abandon'd France and so drew a banishment upon her selfe which expos'd her to divers encumbrances removes and residences abroad and this some thinke accelerated her end For great spirits have this of fastnesse and constancie in them that where their indignation is once fixed for having their counsels cross'd their authoritie lessen'd and the motions of their soules resisted they come ofttimes to breake rather then bow As we see the huge Cedars who scorning to comply with the windes and stormes fall more frequently then the Willow and poore plying Osier who yeeld and crouch to every puffe But to our chiefe taske When the sixteenth Christian centurie went out Lewis the thir teenth came into the world and he began the seventeenth being borne in the yeere sixteene hundred and one about the Antumnall Equinoctiall which was held to be a good presage that he would prove a good Iusticer The Queene had a hard delivery her body having beene distemper'd by eating of fruit too freely so that when the Midwife brought him forth to the King and to the Princes of the blood in the next roome who according to the custome of France use to be present for preventing of foule play for an Heire apparant of the Crown his tender body was become black and blue with roughnesse of handling and the Midwife thinking to have spouted some wine out of her mouth into his the King tooke the bottle himselfe and put it to the Dauphins lips which reviv'd his spirits His publique Baptisme was not celebrated till five yeers after at Fontainebleau because the plague was in Paris and the solemnitie was greater in preparation and expectance then it was in performance The King would have had him nam'd Charles but the Mother over-rul'd and gave the law in that point and would have him called Lewis Paul the fifth was his godfather notwithstanding that the Spanish faction did predominate in the Conclave at his election which happen'd about the time the Dauphin was borne And the French Ambassadour then at Rome meeting with the Spanish at Saint Angelo and telling him Ilmio Rè há fatto un maschio my King hath made a sonne The Spanish Ambassadour answer'd il mio Rè há fatto un Papa and my King hath made a Pope It seemes that Mercury the father of eloquution and who hath the powerfullest influence ore the tongue was oppressed by a disadvantagious conjunction with a more praedominate planet at his Birth which appear'd by that naturall slownesse he had in his speech as Lewis the sixt his predecessor and last Emperour of the six French Kings had But a rare thing it was and not to be paralleld in any age that two of the greatest Kings of Europe I meane the Dauphin we now write of and His Majesty of England now regnant should come both into the world within lesse then ten moneths compasse the one in November the other in September next following I say a most rare thing it was that it should so fall out that as they were contemporaries in yeares and raigne the same kinde of utterance should be coincident and connaturall to them both though the haesitation be lesse in Him of November Besides it seemes he is richly requited with the advantage of an incomparable imperious pen wherein nature joyning hand with Art hath made him so rich a compensation that he may well claime the palme of all his progenitors But now againe to our Infant Dauphin which the English with other call Dolphin commonly but very corruptly for 't is not from a fish but a faire Province that he derives this appellation the very instant he comes into the world the ground whereof was this Humbert last Dauphin of Viennois having lost his eldest sonne in that famous battaile of Crecy against the English and his tother sonne having died of a fall from betwixt the Fathers armes as he was dallying with him The said Humbert being oppressed by the Duke of Savoy and others transmitted and bequeathed as free gift the brave Province of Dauphinè unto Philip of Valois then King of France with this proviso that his eldest sonne and so of all successive Kings should beare the title of Dauphin to perpetuity during their fathers lifes holding it as he did and his progenitors had done in fee of the Empire This was the sixteenth Dauphin since the first who was Charles the wise in the yeare 1349. whereby I observe that the precedent title of the presomptif Heire of the Crowne of France is not so ancient by halfe a hundred of yeares as the title of Prince of Wales to the Heire apparant of England which begun in Edward the firsts time who conferred that honour upon his sonne Edward of Caernarvon 1301. But this title of Dauphin seemes to have a greater analogie with the Dukedome of Cornwall which title was confer'd first upon the black Prince because this as that of Dauphin needes no creation for ipsissimo instante the very moment that any of the King of Englands sons come to be Heire apparant of the Crowne he is to have liverie and seisin given him of the Dutchy of Cornwall with all the honours and lands annexed for his present support Touching those publike passages of State that happened during the Dauphinage of Lewis the thirteenth while Henry the fourth lived we will nor meddle with them because we would not confound the actions of the father with those of the sonne He was educated with that speciall care and circumspection wherewith the Dauphins of France are wont to be bred as also with that freedome from overmuch awe and apprehensions of feare which is observed in the French breeding generally because the spirits may not be suppressed and cowd while they are ductible and young and apt to take any impression He was not much taken with his booke nor any sedentary exercise but with pastimes abroad as shooting at flyes and small hedge birds to which end his Father put to him Luynes who had many complacentious devices to fit his humour that way for which petty volatill sports he soard at last to the highest pitch of honour that a French subject could flie unto for of a gentleman in decimo sexto he was made Duke Peer and Lord high Constable of all France But he had the advantage to have the managing of his masters affection
while it was green and pllable and he did it with such dexterity that those stamps which he made upon it then continued firme and fresh to the last as will appeare hereafter And now must we passe from his Dauphinage to his minoritie his Father being now defunct And t is a sad tale to relate the manner how his Father was forcd out of the world but told it must be because it is a necessary appendix to our storie There was gentle calm through all Christendome and France had not the least share of it having continued twenty yeares together in a constant repose without the least tintamar or motion of arms a rare thing amongst so spritefull and quicksilverd people to whom peace becomes a surfet any longer then they have pickt up their crumbs for a new warre I say there was a catholick peace throughout Europe when Henry the fourth of France would needs get a horseback upon a great martiall designe which was a mysterie for the time for all men stood at a maze what he meant the businesse was carried so closely whereupon he raiseth a potent Armie of horse and foot But behold the greatest example of the lubricity and instablenes of mundane affaires and of the sandie foundation whereon the highest pomp and purposes of men are grounded that any age can parallell For this great King as I told a little before having a most potent and irresistible armie compos'd of 40000. combatants all choise men led by veteran Commanders and the most expert Europe could affoord in a perfect equipage Having also a mount of gold as high as a lance estimated at sixteene millions to maintaine this armie Having assured his Confederates abroad settled all things at home causd his Queene to be crownd in the highest magnificence that could be and appointed her Regent in his absence behold this mighty King amongst these triumphs of his Queens being to go next day to his armie when his spirits were at the highest elevation and his heart swelling with assurances rather then hopes of successe and glory going one afternoone to his Arsenal he was stopd in a small street by so contemptible a thing as a colliers cart and there from amongst the armes of his owne Nobles he was thrust out of the world by one of the meanest of his owne vassals who with a prodigious hardinesse putting his foot upon the coach wheeles reachd him over the shoulders of one of his greatest Lords and stabd him to the very heart and with a monstrous undauntednesse of resolution making good his first stab with a second dispatchd him suddenly from off the earth as if a mouse had strangled an elephant Sic parvis pereunt ingentia rebus The French stories speake of divers auguries and predictions of his death But I will insert here a passage or two that are not found in any printed Author therefore not vulgar and our intent is to refrain from stuffing this piece with any thing that hath bin too much blown upon The first is a prophecie in an Italian manuscript from a good hand written above an hundred yeares since which runnes thus Vn gran Ré di Francia havendo le spalle al Papa voltate s'inchinera poi a Roma al piu alto della sua ' gloria Li taglierá la vita Vn coltel feroce Che n'andará la voce Per tutto'l mundo Thus rendred into English A great French King having his face Turn'd from the Pope shall then embrace The Roman Faith but after He At highest pitch of Majesty Shall by a fatall knife be rent To all the worlds astonishment To this may be added the speech of Francisco Corvini a Toscan Astrologer who the night before Henry the fourth was slaine leaning upon a Balcon in Florence which is neer upon 600. miles from Paris and prying into the motions of the starres he suddenly broke out of his speculation into these words Tomorrow one of the greatest Monarchs of Christendome will be slaine And the very next day the mortall stab was given by Ravaillac who had been seen often a little before at Brussels and was observd to have frequent accesse and much privacie with Marquis Spinola which many wondred at being so plaine a man A melancholy odde Humorist he was one who had at times some flashes of illuminations as his friends gave out Now such is the strength of imagination and force of fancie that having let in false ideas into the braine and being fomented by some fatuous zeale it hurles a man headlong oftentimes upon desperate attempts and undertakings of inevitable danger making him misprize his owne life so that he may be master of anothers especially when the enterprize is heated with hope of fame revenge or merit Thus fell one of the compleatest Kings under which the flower de luces ever flourishd a sprightfull and well tempred Prince excellently versd in the studie of men alwayes well disposd pleasant and wittie close in his counsels and constant in his purposes parsimonious yet open handed to Cadets whom he lovd to see about him rather then elder brothers whom nature had already advanced And lastly though this be but a quarter character of him a great discerner and rewarder of worth and vertue a brave qualitie and one of the prime requisits in a King for subjects are industrious or dissolute they aspire to vertue and good parts according as their Prince hath judgement to distinguish and value their worth and so to employ and advance them The memory of this King is yet as fresh in France as if he had been ta'ne away but yesterday and his death was resented abroad as well as at home being universally honourd by all nations for the worst that his very enemies reported of him was that he was a great Courtier of Ladies whereupon this petulant Anagram was made of him Henricus Borbonius Hircus in orbe bonus But take the aspiration away and with it let the aspersion go this befits him better Cyrus in orbe bonus Having spoken this little of the Fathers death t is time now to returne and pursue the life of the Sonne and bring him to his minoritie yet though a Minor he is absolute King He is already regnant though his mother be Regent And in regard method is a mighty advantage to memorie and that the Logician gives us a good Rule Qui benè dividit benè docet A good Divider makes a good Disciple we will make a quinquenniall partition of his raigne we will divide it to so many lustres of yeares and in the first his minoritie shall be included The first lustre or five yeares of Lewis the thirteenths raigne and of his Minoritie THough the Sun was thus set in a dark ruddy cloud in the French firmament yet no night ensued for another suddenly riseth up and shoots his rayes through every corner of that part of the hemisphere King Lewis the thirteenth The season that he began thus to display his
of Indexes untill it be corrected and the correction approv'd according to the rules of the Index In the said Decree the word respectively some imagined to be inserted of purpose as an evasion to shew that the Jesuits do not absolutely condemn the doctrin of Becanus but only as it invades the Prerogatives of the French Crown They of the Religion as I told you before suspected some ill consequences of the crosse Match with Spain and feared it would prove crosse to them in time Moreover the Princes of the bloud and others repin'd at the power of D' Ancre whereupon the Duke of Bovillon prime Marshall of France and prime Machinator of this tumult came to visite the Prince of Conde and made a solemn studied speech unto him as followeth My Lord it would be impudence in me to represent unto you the deplorable estate of France whereof you have more knowledge then I or to touch the arrogance of Conchiny which you must needs daily resent or to make his power suspected which is the next dore to tyranny or to exhort you to oppose his pernicious desseins The consideration of your own safety with that of France is enough to rouze up your generous thoughts and to administer Counsell to you who are the most judicious Prince of Europe Moreover in such a manifest and urgent affair as this ther 's no need of Remonstrance consultation or exhortation but to apply some sudden and actuall remedy Therefore I addresse my self now to your Excellence not onely to offer you my means but my person as also 100000. men who would esteem themselves happy to serve you and will hold it a glory to employ their bloud to the last drop under your conduct for the good of the State and your just defence against this Faquin Florentin this Florentine porter who plots the ruin of all those Princes and Peers of the Kingdom who would oreshadow his advancement and hinder to establish his tyranny The difference of Religion which we professe ought not to empeach a strong and solid union between us in the conjuncture of so common a danger considering that while we endeavour our own safety we secure the State generall and incolumity of our Countrey which are conditions inseparable from the Kings service whose Sacred Person is not safe enough under the irregular ambition of a stranger which his Majesty himself begins now to perceive and seeing his liberty engag'd fears the ambition of this tyrant and will find himself oblig'd to those that can rid him of him My Lord you are well assur'd that the greatest part of the Princes finding themselfs involv'd in the same interest with you are touch'd with the same resentments and dispos'd to joyn with your Excellence in a project as glorious as necessary For doubtles the Gentry of France in whom consist the sinews of our armies being naturally averse to the commandements of a stranger will run unto you from all parts to assist you with their armes Touching the Towns you need not doubt but a good part of them which are under the Government of the Princes will declare themselfs for you And I give you certain assurance that They of the Religion which are the strongest and best provided with soldiers artillery ammunition and victualls of any other will declare themselfs for your party as soon as you shall publish your laudable intentions by some Manifesto It concerns your Excellence therefore my Lord to take hold of Time by the foretop for the restauration and safetie of the State in generall and your own in particular and of all the Princes and Gentry of the Kingdom But if you let Occasion escape you know that she is bald behind and you shall never be able to catch her again Besides the Armies which you might justly raise now during the Kings minority and by reason the government is usurped by an Alien who hath not so much as the quality of a Gentleman wold be hereafter felony and treason under the majority and liberty of our lawfull Monark The Prince was a subject fit to be wrought upon and ready to receive any print for he could not brook the exorbitant power of D' Ancre therefore having assurance that the Dukes of Nevers Main Longueville Luxemburg and the said Bovillon would follow him he retires to Mezieres upon the frontire of Champany he made choice of that place because it was his Patrimony and that he might have a sure Rendevous of Sedan if need required The Duke of Vendosme thinking to retire to Britany was arrested in the Louure but he got loose by a trick and the Chevalier his brother was sent to Malta The foresaid male-contented Princes recruted dayly in Champany But had the young King got a horsback and pursued them presently though with a petty Army the Countrey wold have riss with him and so he had prevented their encrease and driven them in all probabilitie to Sedan where he might have kept them in exile with a small Army on the frontires And his Counsell was much tax'd for not advising him so But in lieu of arms he sent Ambassadors and Epistles after them to perswade their return or if they refused to amuse them till he might raise forces sufficient to encounter them to which end he sent to Swisserland for 6000. men but Bovillon by his artifice hinder'd that design from taking its full effect Thus a fearfull storme was like to fall on France for the male-contents dispers'd themselfs to divers strong holds Longuevill went to Picardy Main to Soissons Bovillon to Sedan and Vendosme was as busie as any other to raise the Countrey in Britain Conde continued still at Mezieres nor could any Letter from King or Queen Regent sent by the Duke of Ventadour reduce him He writ to the Queen That the ill government which he imputed not to Her but to ill Counsellors were the cause of his retirement who because they might have the sole direction of things hindred the convocation of the States generall which were used to assemble always in the Kings minority he complain'd that the mariages with Spain were precipitated that the authority of the Parliament was diminished the Church-men trampled upon the Nobles undervalued the people laden with gabells and tallies divisions sowed in Sorbon and the University with divers other soloecismes in the present Government In his conclusion he insists much upon the convocation of the States generall of the Kingdom sure free a suspension of the mariage with Spain and so concluds with much complement These were specious pretences but they were as so many imaginary lines drawing to one reall Center which was the Marq of Ancre who indeed was the sole grievance and not He neither but his power and privacy with the Queen Regent which they thought to demolish by Arms. The Queen Regent in her answer to Conde reprocheth him that he had not imparted these things privatly to her to whom he had perpetual
litte hopes of its resurrection while the Clergy and Nobles continue so potent who finding that the third Estate began to tamper with the Popes jurisdiction and Church matters have wrought means to hinder their meeting any time these 30. yeers and upwards This yeer died Queen Margaret the last Branch of the Valois being come of the loyns of thirteen successif Monarks of that line a Lady of a rare attracting exterior bewty she had a high harmonious soul much addicted to music and the sweets of love and oftentimes in a Platonic way She would have this Motto often in her mouth Voulez vous cesser d'aymer possedez la chose aymée Will you cease to love possesse the thing you love She had lodg'd Henry Duke of Guyse who was kill'd at Blois so far in her heart that being afterwards married against her will to Henry the fourth and divorc'd by mutuall consent she profess'd she could never affect him she had strains of humors and transcendencies beyond the vulgar and delighted to be call'd Venus Urania She would have Philosophers and Divines in her House and took pleasure to hear them dispute and clash one with the other she entertain'd fortie Priests English Scots and Irish she would often visit hospitals and did divers acts of charitie to satisfie for the lubricities of her youth There was an accident happen'd this yeer in Paris that made a mighty noise for the time Two of the Kings gards having fought and the one being kill'd the other fled into Sanctuary to the Abbey of St. Germain The Duke of Espernon fetch'd him thence by force Complaint being made to the King he put him over to the Court of Parliament to receive his doom for infringing the Priviledges of the Church and commanded him to deliver the Prisoner again to the Sanctuary or he would fetch him away himself The old Duke did so and coming to the Palace to appear before the Parliament a ruffling company of Souldiers and Cadets follow'd him who did some acts of insolency against the Lawyers by kicking them with their spurs in the Hall where none should come spurr'd this aggravated the busines but the Duke made a long submissive speech to the Parliament wherein he acknowledg'd his error concluding with an apology that they would excuse him if his discourse did not content their learned eares for having bin all his life time a Captain of foot he had learnt to do better then speak The prime President then rise up and said That since the King in imitation of his Progenitors intends to be more inclin'd to sweetnes and clemency then rigor The Court by his expresse command and in consideration of your long services beleeving the good rather then the bad doth graciously interpret the actions of an ancient Officer of the Crown and Peer of France and so receives your excuses hoping that this will occasion you and your children to render the King and the State such services as you are oblig'd to do and for the futur that you will contain your self within the bounds of that respect and honor which you owe to this Court There was mention made a little before how the Assembly of the States Generall was dissolv'd and that having deliver'd their Cayers of complaints to the King they were dismiss'd but with large parol promises only We related also how the Arrest made in the Parliament of Paris in Confirmation of the opinion of the Third Estate touching the independency of the Crown of France was commanded by the King to be suspended and that nothing should be determin'd therein This gather'd ill bloud which bred ill humors and so brake out into divers distempers afterwards as will appear For as in the naturall body if upon taking of Physic the superstuities be onely stirr'd and not purg'd it doth more hurt then good and makes the drug to remain in the stomach undigested So in civil Corporations if abuses be only moved and not remedied it makes the body Politic worse then it was The Parliament of Paris was sensible how the Arrest wherein they concurr'd with the Third Estate was slighted and countermanded therefore they publish'd an Order that under the good pleasure of the King all Princes Dukes Peers and Officers of the Crown which are capable of sitting and have deliberative votes in that Court should repair thither by such a time to consult of matters tending to his Majesties service c. When this Order pass'd the Prince of Condé was promis'd to be there but he was counter-commanded by the King nor did any of the rest appear yet the Parliament went on and fram'd a Remonstrance of abuses in Government which by their Deputies they sent to the King and being come to the Louure they danc'd attendance there a good while and afterwards they were brought up by a back odd way to the Kings presence where the Queen Mother was also present and divers Princes The prime President made an oylie complemental speech full of protestations of loyalty to his Majesty and afterwards delivered the Cayer of Remonstrances which was read aloud by one of the Secretaries of State wherein the Parliament instanced in divers grievances and that they resented nothing more but that in the face of the whole State the royal power was rendred and left problematical and doubtfull The young King was not well pleas'd with this Remonstrance and the Queen Mother much lesse Who told them that the King had just cause to be offended with the Parliament because against his command they had meddled with matters of State and that she was not so short sighted but that she could perceive how these things reflected upon her Regency which they had formerly highly approv'd of and the Assembly of States General had also thank'd her for Then the Chancelor took the word telling them that they had bin misinform'd in many things which they took upon trust and that they were much out of their account in that they alledg'd that the expences were greater and the receipts lesse under this King then his Father who reserv'd but eight thousand liures every yeer not two millions as they pretended So the prime President and the rest of the Parliaments delegats were dismiss'd with little or no countenance at all The Counsell of State spoak high language averring that the passing of the foresaid public Order to invite the Princes and Peers to meet in Parliament upon extraordinary occasions without his Majesties leave was an open and insupportable attempt upon his authoritie now that he is declar'd Major as also upon the authoritie of that Counsell therefore an Arrest issued out That the Parliaments Remonstrances were false calumnious and full of malice and disobedience and that therefore they should be drawn off the Register of the said Parliament and suppress'd for ever with an inhibition that the said Court should not meddle with matters of State but by the Kings command Before this Arrest was publish'd the
Parliament mainly endevour'd to give some contentment to their Majesties therefore they employ'd again the prime President with others To declare the great displeasure the Court had that their Remonstrance was not agreeable to their Majesties wils protesting that it was never the intention of the Court to touch upon their actions or the Queens Regency whom they acknowledg'd to have oblig'd all France by her wise conduct and care she had both of the Kings Person and the State that as they could not so they would never attempt any thing upon royal authority what they had don was to testifie the zeal which they owe and will shew eternally to their Majesties Persons That they most humbly desir'd them to remember that the very next day after the death of Henry the Great their Majesties were pleas'd to honor that Court with their presence desiring them to contribut their good Counsels for the conduct of the public affairs which oblig'd them to present the foresaid Remonstrances c. So they concluded with all possible submission and a desire that the said Arrest of his Counsel of State should not be publish'd This took away somthing of the inflamation for the time but it cur'd not the wound which began to fester more and more and so gangrend that the whole body politic was like to perish For what the Court of Parliament sought by supplication the Prince of Conde not long after sought by the sword who having divers of the greatest Princes and them of the Religion ligu'd with him brought their Petition upon the Pikes point Conde flew to that height that he proceeded not by way of Remonstrance but as if he had bin a Prince absolut by way of Manifesto He was then in Picardy whither the King had sent divers Letters by persons of good quality to invite him to come to Court and to accompany him in his voyage to Guyen to fetch the Infanta but all would not do for old Bovillon had infus'd other Counsels into his head and so he publish'd a Manifesto that the cause of his retirement from the Court was the insolent deportment of the Marshall of Ancre the dissipation of Henry the Greats treasure the introduction of strangers of Iewes Sorcerers and Magicians by the said Marshall and so he concluded King-like parlant en sire Wherefore we pray and warn all the the Princes Peers and Officers of the Crown and all such as call themselfs French to succour and assist us in so good an occasion And we require and adjure all forren Princes and strangers all the Allies and Confederats of this State to give us ayd and assistance c. These were the specious pretences that caus'd this Manifesto which divers forren Princes took in foul scorn that he should require them being but a vassal himself The truth is there was but one generall grievance and that was the Marshall of Ancre a Confident of the Queen Mothers whom she had brought with her from Italy his wife having bin her foster sister He had the greatest vogue at Court which being a stranger made him repin'd at The King and the Queen Mother were then resolv'd upon a journey to Burdeaux to receive the Infanta and to deliver the Daughter of France for the King of Spain Conde disswades the King from the voyage by Letters which were not well taken So while the one prepares for his journey the other arms for a war and gets on his party Longueville Bulloin and Mayn who had concluded the match with Spain yet refus'd to attend in the jour ney Thus a fearfull clowd hung over France yet nothing could deter the King from going to fetch his wife and the Queen Mother said That all the power of earth should not hinder him Besides he was straitned for money for so long and costly a voyage nor would the Chamber of Accounts verify in Letters to take any out of the Bastile whereupon the King went himself in Person accompagnied by the Queen his Mother his Chancelor Secretaries of State and others in whose presence the Coffers were open'd and two millions and a halfe of Liures which make 250000. pounds sterling were taken out and deliver'd to the Treasurer of the Privy Purse The King being to begin his journey the first thing he did was to secure Paris so he left Mounsier de Liencour Governour thereof and to authorise him the more he admitted him to the Court of Parliament by Letters Patents which the said Court did verifie notwithstanding the harsh answer they had had to their late Remonstrance at the Louure The Marshal of Ancre was sent to Amiens with a considerable Army And another Army was left under the command of the Marshal de Bois Daufin consisting of 16000. foot 1500. horse and 2000. Carrabins to make head against the Mutiners So the King and his Mother accompagnied with the Dukes of Guyse Elbaeuf and Espernon with a good number of Gentlemen with 1200. light horse his Guard of Suisses and others making in all 400. foot parted from Paris towards Bourdeaux and being come to Poictiers Madame his sister which was to be sent to Spain fell sick of the small Pox which detaind the Court there five weeks and so much retarded the journey In the intrim the Princes forces encrease and prosper exceedingly having had the best in three rencounters Old Bovillon had got 600. Reiters from the Marquis of Brandenburg who joyn'd with them they got over the Loire maugre the Royall Army under Bois Dauphin The Duke of Vandom was then with the King and he gave him Commission extraordinary to make levies of horse and foot and having by virtu thereof rais'd an Army of 10000. Combatants he declar'd himself afterward for the Princes and employ'd them against the King He who did thrive best amongst the Royalists was the Marshal of Ancre who in the interim had taken Corbes and Clermont The King caus'd a Declaration to be publish'd wherein Conde and all his Adhaerents were Proclaim'd Traytors and sent it to Paris to be verified by the Parliament which was never more puzzled in any busines those that were averse to the Match with Spain and favour'd the Mutineers endevour'd to elude the Registring of the royal Declaration alledging that the Princes of the bloud being the prime Peers could not be censur'd there without their Peers and that the presence of the King himself was requisit without which his bloud could not be judg'd After tough altercations the voices of the Court were reduc'd to two Opinions one was of 73. voices who order'd that the Declaration should be registred but the Person of the Prince excepted for a moneth during which time he should be warn'd to submit himself to his Majesty and all others should lay down their arms The other Opinion was caried by 78. voices which was that the Court order'd that the reasons for which they could not and ought not to proceed to verifie the said Declaration should be
defray his ordinary expences the town of Bourdeaux to her eternal glory shew'd herself carefull of his honor and supplied him Add hereunto that two whole armies fell from him that of the Suisse consisting of 6000. and that under the Duke of Vendosm being the greater of the two the one only left him the other turn'd against him and the whole body of them of the Religion declar'd it self against him and actually help'd the other side Moreover his Parliament at Paris would not verifie his Edicts Yet in the midst of all these straits He marcheth resolutly from Bourdeaux with his new Queen to joyn his army with Bois Dauphin with a purpose either to present battaile to the adverse party or to draw them to a treaty Espernon met him in the way with 4000. foot and 500. horse The Duke of Nevers did very much labour and made journeys to and fro for an accommodation and his endevors took so good effect that a Conference was agreed on at Lodun where Commissioners were appointed and did meet on both sides in the interim the Duke of Guyse perform'd a notable exploit with 2000. of the Kings prime horses wherwith he set upon three Regiments of Condés at Nantueil which he slew took and put to flight carrying all their colours to the King for a present Hereupon a suspension of arms was accorded through all the Kingdom except in Anjou Perch and the frontiers of Britany where Vendosm continued all acts of hostility notwithstanding that he had his Deputy at the Conference The King was then advanc'd to Chastel le Heraud where Villeroy deliver'd him the Articles of the Truce sign'd by the Princes and where a Legat came from the Pope to deliver him the Imperial Sword and to the Queen the Rosetree of flowers and leaves of gold Thence the King went to Blois where after a long debate an Edict of Pacification was publish'd upon the Treaty of Lodun which consisted of 54. Articles wherein all the Princes with their adhaerents as also They of the Religion found satisfaction and divers persons of base condition were nominated therein which the world cryed shame upon By this Edict the King approv'd of all actions pass'd as having bin done for his Service and by consequence tacitly disadvow'd what He and his Counsell had ordain'd to the contrary The former Arrests of the Court of Parliament of Paris which the King had suspended were reestablish'd and they of the Counsell of State annull'd and many high demands were accorded to them of the Religion The Chancelor Sillery and divers others who were the Kings Favorits before were outed of their offices Besides the said Edict there were also secret Articles condescended unto containing rewards and honors to some particular men in lieu of punishment and they were presented in a privat close way to the Parliament to be verified with the gran Edict The Court wav'd them a while but afterwards by expresse commandment of the Kings and by a Declaration he made that those secret Articles contain'd no more then what was granted in the secret Articles of the Edict of Nants already verified by the same Court the businesse pass'd though with much reluctancy for if those of Nants were verified what need these being the same have a second verification This as it were enforc'd Verification was accompagnied with Letters Patents from the King in special favor to the Prince of Condé and others Letters in favor of them of the Religion by which his Majesty declar'd not to have understood his subjects of the Reform'd pretended Religion in the Oath and Protestation he had made at his Coronation to employ his sword and power for the extirpation of heresies which put the world in an astonishment because it made the meaning of the Taker of that Oath and of the Prelat who administred it to differ This turn'd afterwards rather to the disadvantage then the benefit of the Demanders for those hard and high termes which reflected so much upon the conscience of a yong King stuck deep in his breast nor could he ever digest them as will appear in the ensuing Story Nor was his honor thought much to suffer hereby being newly come out of his nonage little vers'd in the art of Government and having not attain'd that courage and yeers which use to strike awe into Subjects This shrew'd tempest being pass'd the weather broak up and clear'd And the King brought his new Queen to Paris having surmounted such a world of difficulties and waded through a sea of troubles he had bin absent thence neer upon a twelvemoneth therefore you may well imagin with what joy and triumph the Parisians receiv'd him Observable it is that in this voyage the King notwithstanding that he had condescended to hard capitulations yet he attain'd his main ends which was to perfect the Alliance with Spain and to fetch home his wife in safety which he did maugre the great Martiall oppositions that were made by most of the Princes of France who malign'd the match In this yeer there happen'd some ill-favor'd jarrs in Italy twixt the Dukes of Savoy and Mantova about Monferrat The King employed thither the Marquis of Coeuures to compose the difference but he return'd without doing any good notwithstanding that the Ambassador of his Majesty of Great Britain joyn'd with him He sent afterwards the Marquis of Rambovillet who caried himself with more addresse for he tamper'd with the affections of the French and Suisses which made the better part of the Duke of Savoys army with such dexterity that the Duke entring into a diffidence of them hearkned to a Treaty Don Pedro de Toledo then Governor of Milan was arm'd for the Mantovan and by this Treaty both Parties were to disband in the interim if the Spaniard attempted any thing upon Monferrat France should assist his Highnes of Savoy But the Spaniard though he attempted nothing yet he reinforc'd his Troupes which struck an apprehension of fear into the Venetians who of all Nations are most eagle-ey'd to foresee dangers because there was a small difference twixt them and the Archduke of Grats about the Uscochi which made them confederat and co-arme with the Savoyard there were great Forces on both sides and Don Pedro took Verselli Damian but his Majesty of France employ'd thither Mons. de Bethune who procur'd a Treaty in Pavia to that end which took effect but the Spaniard afterwards delaying to give up Vercelli Modene Luynes kinsman was sent thither who did the work The difference also twixt the Republic and the Archduke of Grats was accommoded by French intercession so that in lesse then a twelve moneths four Ambassadors went from France to Italy About this time the Lord Hayes afterwards Earl of Carlile came in a very splendid equippage to Paris to congratulate in his Majestie of Great Britain's name 1. The alliance with Spain 2. The arrivall of the new Queen 3. The Kings return to Paris 4. The end
of the late wars The French Chroniclers relate that his chiefest arrand was to propound a Match between the Prince of Wales now King of England and the Lady Christina second daughter to Henry the Great but they are much mistaken for the said Ambassador might happily have instructions to look upon and view the said Lady but for any overture of mariage much lesse any proposition there was none the intents of England ayming then more southward and there was matter enough for an Ambassador extraordinary besides at that time The King the two Queens and the whole Court being now settled at Paris the discontented Princes repair'd also thither but Conde being newly recovered of a dangerous sicknes which some took as a judgement upon him lagg'd behind and excus'd his coming till all the Articles of the late Treaty were perform'd whereunto the King may be said to be no lesse then compell'd being among other ties forc'd to revoke part of the solemn Oth he took at his Coronation that therby they of the Religion might rest contented At last Conde came and was entred into a perfect redintegration of grace and favor at Court with the rest of his Confederats So after such turbid times there was an intervall of faire weather but the Ayer was suddenly ore ' cast again with clowds and the chief Meteor whence they sprung was the power and privacy of the Marshall of Ancre at Court The Queen Mother had advice of certain clandestine meetings and secret consultations held to alter the Government and to demolish Ancre hereupon Themines who receiv'd the Truncheon to be Marshall the same day apprehended the Prince of Conde in the Louure and carried him thence to prison the report hereof startled divers others and old Bovillon being then at a Sermon in Charenton durst not come back to look upon the Bastile so he with the Dukes of Mayn Nevers Guyse and divers other retir'd and arm'd under pretence of reforming of abuses in the State and for the public good Poore France how often hath privat interest of some aspiring spirits bin term'd in thee by the specious name of Public good How often have thy discontented Grandees ground the faces of thy innocent peasants How often hast thou turn'd the sword into thine own bowels and swomm in the blood of thine own children How often have thy Towns bin turn'd to Hospitals thy fields to desarts under the gilded pretext of Reformation The arrest of Conde alarm'd all France and a politic rumour was spread in Paris that the Marshall of Ancre had murther'd him in the Louure though he was then at Amiens 100. miles off This made the Beast with many heads run furiously to his House in the suburbs of Saint German which they sack'd and plunder'd most pitifully they unplank'd his roomes grub'd up his trees and committed divers barbarismes besides The King caus'd a Declaration to be publish'd full of vigorous expressions tending to this purpose Lewis by the grace of God King of France and Navarr to all who shall see these present Letters greeting It is with incredible regret which pierceth Our very heart that We must so often employ Our Authority to represse the mischievous desseins of them who seek the raising of their fortunes in the ruines of Our Estates and in the prodigious cruelty of civill wars take an unbridled libertie to doe what law and reason forbids And We are the more sensible hereof because the remedies We must use for the safety of our Person and the welfare of this Kingdom must diffame our own blood and render it culpable of impiety both against Us who are in place of a Father to our subjects as also against their own Countrey which is reverenc'd as a Mother by all people though never so barbarous So he goes on to relate the Treaty at Lodun and the last Pacification which had cost him twenty millions of Liures and what grace he had done to Conde and his Complices Yet the exces of Our grace and favor hath not bin able to represse the disordinat wills of them who find no rest but in trouble and ground their hopes upon Our destruction for before and after the return of Our Cousin the Prince of Conde to Paris there have bin Nocturnall Assemblies held in Saint Martin and other places with consultations to debauch and abuse the people and undermine those who have Martiall Offices under us and to excite them to commotion Curats and Preachers have bin tampered withall to vent scandalous Doctrin and meanes were consulted on to seize upon Our Royall Person and our most honored Mother and to Cantonize France under the specious vayle of reforming the State All which hath bin told us by some of the best of Our subjects who were present at some of their consultations and close meetings And We were also advis'd by forren Ambassadors to have a care of our self c. This was the substance of the Kings Declaration but all would not do to contain the Princes within the bounds of obedience many of them had retir'd to Picardy and seiz'd upon divers places which they fortified apace A little after the Prince of Conde was clap'd up the Duke of Vendosm was seiz'd on but he scap'd by a wile The Chancelor and Secretaries of State with other Officers were chang'd And in this hurly burly the young Bishop of Lucon afterwards Cardinal of Richelieu having bin design'd for Ambassador to Spain was made principall Secretary of State The Marshal of Ancre notwithstanding that he had understood how he was hated in Paris and that his House was so plunder'd in a popular furie yet was he nothing daunted but comes boldly to Court and presently three Armies were rais'd and appointed to represse the Mutiners One under the Duke of Guyse who was charm'd to come in by the Queen Mother The second under Marshall Montigny and the third under the Count of Auvergne who was freed from his 11. yeers close imprisonment in the Bastile for that purpose and had already besieg'd the Duke of Mayne at Soissons and much straitned him While this huge storme was dropping pitifully upon poor France there were secret consultations held by some in the Louure how to hurle Him into the Sea who was the cause of the tempest which was cryed up to be the foresaid Ancre He knew too well how he was malign'd in Court and Countrey and the young Kings affection towards him began now to brandle and all this was by the suggestions of Luynes who was one of the greatest Confidentst the King had having bin his servant from his childhood and was vers'd in his genius more then any Ancre had practis'd to remove him from the Kings Person with some others whom he suspected to do him ill offices Besides this fewd 'twixt the King and Princes there was another petty war then a foot betwixt the Duke of Espernon and the Rochellers the ground whereof was that they would not
acknowledge him Governor of the Countrey of Aunis and of their Town which he pretended to derive by Patent from the raign of Henry the third He had also a grudge unto them that they had debauch'd the conscience of the Count of Candalle his son by inducing him to abjure his Religion and to professe theirs Espernon was commanded to wave that quarrel and to come to assist against the Princes divers others were wrought upon to abandon their party amongst the rest the Duke of Nevers was much sought and he refusing he was accus'd to have said That he was descended of a better House then the Queen Mother which he utterly disavowed and offer'd to combat the raiser of that report in Duel The obloquy and hatred of Ancre encreased daily and the executing of Colonel Stuard and Hurtevant with erecting of new gibets in divers places about Paris and one upon the new Bridge hard by the Louure in terrorem all which was imputed to the Marshall of Ancre exasperated the humors of the Parisians against him more and more in so much that it was an easie thing to be a Prophet what would become of him Luynes with others at Court infusd daily new thoughts of diffidence of him into the young King who had taken exception at some personall comportment of his by putting on his Hat when he play'd with him at Biliards so in a close Cabinet consultation twixt the King Luynes and Vitry who was Captain of his Guard the King gave him command to seize upon the said Marshall of Ancre and in case of resistance to kill him The businesse was carried wonderfull close and two dayes after the Marshall entring the Louure Vitry was prepar'd with his guard about him and while the Marshall was reading of a Letter Vitry comes and grapples him by the shoulder and told him he was commanded by the King to arrest him Me said Ancre yes you by the death of God mort Dieu repli'd Vitry hereupon Ancre laying his hand upon his sword to deliver it as most thought Vitry with a loud voyce cri'd out Kill him thereupon he received three Pistols shots into his body and was presently dispatch'd Vitry with naked sword in his hand cri'd out that none should stir For he had executed but the Kings commands Hereupon those hundred gentlemen which had attended the Marshall that morning to the Queens Court where he was us'd to go the back way slunk away and not one drawn sword appear'd amongst them The King being above in a gallery and hearing a noise below ask'd what the matter was one answerd that the Marshall of Ancre was kill'd and being told the manner he said I will make good what Vitry hath done and giving a caper he said I am now King of France I have no competitor Vitry presently after broke into Leonora's chamber Ancres wife seiz'd upon her person upon all her Trunks and Cabinets where in gold and jewels there was the value of above an hundred thousand pounds sterling Her Chamber was next the Queen Mothers who sending in for Vitry ask'd him without any shew of dismay whether he had kill'd the Marshall Yes Madame said he and why because the King had commanded me Ancres body was buried in a little Church hard by the Louure and stones laid and flatted upon the grave but the next morning the laquays of the Court and rabble of the City came and digg'd up his coffin toare his winding sheet and dragg'd his body through the gutters and hang'd it upon the new gibet which he had commanded to be set up upon the new bridge where they cut off his nose eares and genitories which they sent for a Present to the Duke of Mayne at Soissons and nayl'd his eares to the gates of Paris the rest of his body was burn'd and part of the ashes hurl'd into the river and part into the ayer His wife was then imprison'd search'd and raz'd for a Witch though little or no proofs God wot were produc'd against her only that she employ'd some Jews as also that she had bewitch'd a Spanish Ginet the Duke of Mayn had at Soissons which he should have mounted one morning but Mounsier Maurice his son who was Keeper of one of the chiefest Academies of Paris riding him before and the Horse having pranc'd and curvetted a good while under him he suddenly fell gave a grone and so breath'd his last and the Rider was taken up for dead and continued in a sleepy trance 48. houres together So she was also executed afterwards and the difference twixt her husband and her was this that she had the favor to dye after Sentence was given and he before for his indictment was made after his death and then his sentence pass'd when he was in tother world Thus Conchino Conchini a Florentin born Marquis of Ancre and Marshall of France was demolish'd or rather extinguish'd in a most disastrous manner and his wife Leonora Galligay beheaded who shew'd a notable Roman resolution at the block their estate which was not above four thousand pound sterling per an was given to Luynes most part of it They left one only male child who being young was sent to Italy where he lives to this day in a Noble equippage by the title of Earl of Pena though pronounced ignoble in France by an arrest of the Court of Parliament A stout man this Marquis of Ancre was a good Soldier and a compleat Courtier he was endowed with divers good parts only he wanted moderation and therein he did degenerat from an Italian There were divers censures abroad of this act of the young Kings and indeed it was the worst thing he did in all his life being an act fitter for the Seraglio then his Castle of the Louure for the wisest sort of men wonder'd that he should stain the walls of his Court with a Christians bloud in that manner without any legall proceeding against the party He sent Letters to the severall Princes that were in arms to content them as also to satisfie the world and all of them of this tenor following My Cousin I doubt not but in the cours of affairs which have pass'd since the death of the late King my Lord and Father whom God absolve you have observ'd how the Marshall of Ancre and his wife abusing my minority and the power which they acquir'd upon the spirit of the Queen my Mother have projected to usurp all authority to dispose absolutly of all matters of State and to deprive me of the means to take cognisance of mine own affairs a dessein which they have push'd on so far that hitherto there hath remain'd unto me but the sole name of a King and that it was a kind of capital crime for my Officers and subjects to have acces unto me and to entertain me with any serious discours which it pleasing God to make me perceive and to point out the danger which my Person and State
were like to incur by such an exorbitant ambition being compell'd by some considerations and inspir'd by Counsel from above I resolv'd to secure the person of the said Marshall and therefore I commanded the Captain of my Guard to arrest him within my Castle the Louure which he attempting to do the said Marshall being well accompagnied offerd to oppose my said command and certain blows being given the said Marquis fell down dead c. So he tells him that he intends for the future to take the reins of Government into his own hands Wherefore he exhorts him to returne neer his Person and take his due rank in Court and Counsell And concludes that if he renders proofs answerable to the esteem he makes of his affection towards him he will be ready to acknowledge it Many Letters went abroad from the King of this tenor and they took such effect that all arms were thrown down every where and the Princes repair'd to Court Now and not before it may be said that the King began to raign by this change France chang'd her countenance old Officers were restor'd to their places Sillery was made Chancelor again Du Vair and Villeroy were restor'd with divers others and the Bishop of Lucon left the Secretariship of State and retir'd though he was offer'd to be still of the Privy Counsell if he would stay The Queen Mother shew'd her self a true Queen of her passions herein for though her favourit and foster sister were torn away from her thus yet such was her temper that she discover'd no extraordinary resentment that which she said she took ill was that the King did not impart unto her his intentions for she would willingly have concurr'd to do all things to his contentment The King appointed her the Castle of Blois to reside in and coming to take his leave of her he thanked her for the pains she had taken in Government but he resolv'd to sit now at the helme himself and if she would be a good Mother to him she should find him a good Son The Marchiones of Ancre was not executed till the Queen was gone from Paris at her arraignment she shew'd an Amazonian courage and the subtilty of her spirit put all men in admiration she denied with much disdain all kind of witchcraft and sorcery and indeed the proofs were little or none at all against her She confess'd that she had convey'd some moneys out of the Kingdom but it was either for the Kings service or for her own utility for the first it deserv'd rather a reward for the second there was no law against any stranger to do the like she acknowledg'd to have receiv'd divers favors of the Queen her Mistresse in whose service she had employ'd her whole life and to receive favors from great Princes was never held a crime till now she often dehorted her husband from some violent courses he took which made her make a separation of her estate from his fearing that some funestous accident might befall him but it being granted that she had conceal'd the defauts of her husband there was never any law that could punish much lesse condemn a wife for that In conclusion she defended herself with that caution and courage that many of the Judges were of opinion that banishment was enough for her but the quality of the times and state of things transported the Judges to extraordinary rigor Upon the Scaffold she carried herself with such a scorn of death and with that exemplary piety and patience that she mollified the hearts of all the spectators and sent hundreds away with wet eyes amongst whom were divers of those who had embrued their hands so barbarously in her husbands bloud Vitry had the Truncheon to be Marshall of France hereupon and out of the ruins of Ancre Luynes rais'd his fortunes which may be said to be three stories higher for he suddenly hois'd not only himself but his two brethren Cadenet Brand to an incredible height which made one fix upon the Louure gate this pasquil Aux trois Rois at the the three Kings some cryed out that the tyranny was not chang'd but only the tyrant That the same Tavern stood still only it had a new bush Luynes had given him the Marquisat of Ancre and all the Stable possessions of the Marshal but Du Vair a good while would not let it passe the Great Seal in regard that by an Arrest of the Court of Parliament all their Stable goods were confiscated and reunited to the Crown and he stood stiffe in this untill the King had given him the Bishoprick of Lysieux and having then fixed the Seal the French Pasquin began to tell him Et Homo factus sum a little after the King married his Favorit Luynes to the Duke of Montbazons daughter He gave the Duke twenty thousand pound sterling and made him Governor of the Isle of France the Duke of Main being translated to Guyen The King desiring to be in good intelligence with all his Subjects fell upon a new reach of Policy by the advice of his Counsell which was that in regard he had found that the Assembly of the States General brought with it more trouble then utility in regard of the discrepant humors and interests which such a number of men of various conditions Professions and Religions carried with them instead of the States General he convokes an Assembly of notables as he term'd it compos'd of some selected Persons out of every Order whereunto should be added some Counsellor out of every Court of Parliament Which being fewer in number would not breed such a confusion And this Assembly should be equipollent to that of the States General and their acts so obligatory To this end the Kings Writs were issued out the day and place appointed which was the Citie of Roven All solemnly met there in the Archbishops Hall where after the King the Chancelor made a grave Oration that his Majesties pious intentions to call them thither was to regulat and police the State and to ease the Subject The first four daies were spent in settling the ranks of the Deputies and a great clash fell twixt the Nobles and the Deputies of Parliaments whom the Nobles said they had reason to precede in regard they took them to be but Members of the third Estate but they disadvow'd that qualitie and stood to their Soverain Jurisdiction which extended over the Nobles as well as other persons nor could they be call'd the third Estate because they never us'd to meet in the Assembly of the States Generall The Nobles alledg'd the lustre of their birth the excellence of the Profession of Armes above the gown strengthning their cause with divers other arguments but the difference being left undecided the King resolv'd that the Nobles should be plac'd about the Person of the King but with this proviso that it should not prejudice the second rank they have by Fundamentall right In the convention of
in so much that he would give no generall pardon but reserv'd five for death and there were most pittifully drown'd and kill'd in the Town above 800. whereof there were above 200. Gentlemen The King having reduc'd Clayrac though it cost him dear his thoughts then reflected upon Montauban which after Rochell was the prime propugnacle and principallest Town of security They of the Religion had in the whole Kingdom There was a Royall summons sent before and it was accompanied with a large persuasive Letter from the Duke of Suilly who was one of the chiefest Grandes they had of the Reformed Religion to induce them to conformitie and obedience some interpreted the Letter to a good sense but the populasse by the instigation of the Ministers would not hearken to it This was that Duke of Suilly that had bin a Favorit to Henry the Fourth whom he had reduc'd from a Roman to be a Reformist when he was King of Navar onely and perswading him to become Roman again the Duke bluntly answer'd Sir You have given me one turn already you have good luck if you give me any more Thereupon the siege began and the great Duke of Mayn who had newly come with additionall forces to the King began the first battery and spent 500. Cannon bullets upon them a breach was made but with losse of divers men of note amongst the Royallists the Marquis of Themines breath'd there his last And not long after the brave Duke of Mayn himself peeping out of a gabion within his trenches was shot by a common soldier from the Town The Parisians were much incens'd for the losse of the Duke of Mayn therfore as some of the reformed Religion were coming from Charenton-Sermon they assaulted them in the way hurt divers kil'd some and going on to Charenton they burnt the Temple there but a few nights after two great bridges ore the Seinn were burnt quite down to the water in the City of Paris and a great store of wealth consum'd and it was interpreted to be a just judgement from Heaven for burning of Charenton Temple The Duke of Angoulesm was sent to counter-car the forces of the Duke of Rohan who was then in motion in Guyen and Angoulesm was so succesfull that he gave him a considerable defeat by taking the strong Fort of Fauch in defence whereof 400. of the Reformists were slain The contagion rag'd furiously in the Kings Army before Montauban and divers persons of quality died of it amongst others the Archbishop of Sens brother to Cardinall Perron and the Bishops of Valentia Carcassona and Marseillis and Pierre Matthieu the Historiographer added to the number of the dead This with the approach of Winter caus'd the King to raise his siege from before the Town having lost above five hundred Noblemen and Gentlemen of qualitie besides thousands of common souldiers During this pertinacious siege before Montauban there was a remarquable thing pass'd which was this There was a cunning report rais'd in the Kings Army that Rochell which was then also beleaguer'd by the Count of Soissons and the Duke of Guyse the first by Land the other by Sea was rendred upon composition this report was made to fly into Montauban which must needs strike a shrewd apprehension of fear into her they of Rochell hearing of it articled with Master Hicks an English Gentleman now Sir Ellis Hicks who spake the Language perfectly well that if he would undertake to carry a Letter into Montauban he should receive a noble reward Master Hicks undertook it and passing through the Army that was before Rochell came to Tholouse where my Lord of Carlile was then Ambassador extraordinary Master Hicks meeting with Master Fairfax a young Gentileman brother to the now Lord Fairfax he did associat much with him They both went to see the siege before Montauban and being Gentlemen and thought to be of the English Ambassadors train there was little heed taken of them They got one day between the Kings Trenches and the Town and Hicks being very well mounted told Fairfax If you love your life follow me so he put spurs to his horse having showers of shots powr'd after him he came safe to the gates of Montauban and so he deliver'd the intrusted Letter which brought news in what a good posture Rochell was this so animated the besieged that the next day they made a sally upon the Kings Forces and did a notable execution upon them and a little after the Siege was rais'd so Master Hicks besides the honor of the act had a guerdon equall to the importance of the service and danger of the attempt but Master Fairfax who was inscious of the dessein staying behind and being apprehended was put to the torture and a Diaper napkin dipt in boyling water was squeaz'd down his throat whereof he died a hard destiny of a most hopefull young Gentleman Within the compasse of this yeer there died Paul the Fift Philip the Third of Spain the Arch-Duke Albertus in Flanders Cosmo de Medicis Gran Duke of Toscany and Cardinall Bellarmin To whom may be added also the Duke of Luynes Lord high Constable of France who died in Longuetille a small Town in Languedoc of the purple feavor He was one of the greatest Favourits for so short a time that ever were in France since the Maires of the Palace from whom Emperours afterwards issued His Countrey was Provence and he was a Gentleman by descent though of a petty extraction In the last Kings time he was preferd to be one of his Pages who finding him a good waytor allowed him three hundred crowns per an which he husbanded so frugally that he maintain'd himself and his two brothers in passable good fashion The King observing that doubled his pension and taking notice that he was a serviceable instrument and apt to please he thought him fit to be about his son the Dauphin in whose service he had continued above 15. yeers by a singular dexteritie he had in Faulconry he gain'd so far upon the young Kings affection that he soard to that high pitch of Honor. He was a man of a passable understanding of a mild comportment humble and debonnair to all suters but he was too open in his counsels and desseins he had about him good solid heads who prescrib'd unto him rules of policy by whose compasse he steer'd his cours He came at last to that transcendent altitude that he seem'd to have surmounted all reaches of envie and made all hopes of supplanting him frustrat both by the constant strength of the Kings favor and the powerfull alliances he had got for himself and his two brothers He married the Duke of Montbazons daughter his second brother Cadenet the Heiresse of Pequigny with whom he had 9000. pound lands a yeer His third brother married the Heiresse of Luxemburg of which House there have bin five Emperors so that the three Brothers with their alliances were able to counterbalance
any one Faction in France He left two living Monuments of his greatnes behind him which were his two brothers one whereof was Marshall but both of them Dukes and Peers of France The repulse before Montauban and the death of Luynes gave some matter of resentment to the King for the present but he quickly pass'd it over And having settled matters to his best advantage in Guyen he return'd to Bourdeaux and so came to keep his Christmas at Paris The Spring following he gets a horseback again and it was high time for him in regard there was a generall insurrection of them of the Religion both in Dauphiné Languedoc Guyen and Poitou In the last Soubize had got a considerable army of 7000. foot and 600. horse and 9. Pieces of Ordnance The King parts from Paris upon Palm-Sunday which was cryed up to be a good augury that he would return with the Palm the Emblem of victory so marching to Poitou he found out Soubize entrench'd in certain little Islands call'd Rie Perier upon the Kings approach Soubize abandons the place and with a few Horse got along the sands to Rochell the whole Army being thus left headlesse in a fearfull consternation all began to flie and some thought to save themselfs through the Marasse where many hundreds miserably perished those that stayed behind the King were pardon'd only 13. were hang'd for example and they were some of those that had taken an oath at Saint Iohn d' Angely never to bear arms against the King there were kill'd and drown'd in all above two thousand Reformists in this rencounter After this Royan was rendred after a pertinacious siege and a great slaughter on both sides The King thence marcheth to Guyen where the Duke of Elbaeuf had done divers exploits Insomuch that in a short time all the towns of Guyen were reduc'd to the King except Montauban amongst others there were three towns call'd Tonnenx knotted one in another which were utterly extinguish'd with prohibition for any ever to build there again Being in Carcassona upon his March to Montpellier there were two signall things done Soubize was proclaim'd Traitor for flying to England to sollicit for forrein ayd And old Lesdeguiers was made Constable of France Chastillon also a little after came to be Marshall for giving up Aiguemortes the first had that high Office provided he would go to Masso which he did but the last persisted still in his Religion The King appear'd now in Person before Montpellier and a great deal of earth was thrown up by his Pioners before he came the trenches being almost finish'd there were divers furious Sallies from within and Assaults from without happen'd in this Siege and many gallant Gentlemen lost amongst others the young Duke of Fronsack unic son to the Count of Saint Paul was condol'd with much regret And the King was like to have had the same fortune there which he had before Montauban had not the Duke of Vendosme come with a timely supply of five thousand fresh combatants The Duke of Rohan and Constable Lesdiguieres old in yeers and new in Office had privat meetings the former going into the Town carried the busines with that power and wrought so far upon the affections of the Inhabitants of Montpellier that he made them inclinable to let in the King provided that their fortifications might continue entire and that they might be exempt from Cittadel Governor or Garrison upon such termes they with the whole body of the Religion would conform themselfs to a generall Peace which was a little after proclaim'd before Montpellier in form of an Edict to this effect That the Edict of Nants with the secret Articles thereunto annexed should be inviolably kept as under the raign of Henry the Great That the exercise of the Catholic Roman Religion should be reestablish'd where it hath bin interrupted and the Ecclesiasticks restor'd to all their goods That likewise they of the Reformed Religion should exercise it freely in all those places where it was practis'd before these commotions That all new fortifications should be demolish'd specially in the Islands of Re Oleron and the old wals only stand That all Assemblies particular and generall be prohibited to them of the p Reformed Religion for the futur unlesse it be upon affairs purely Ecclesiastic under pain of the crime of Treason That an abolition be granted of every thing pass'd except of those execrable cases reserv'd by the Article 86. of the Edict of Nants That Catholicks as well as Reformists be chosen promiscuously in civill Offices c. This being done the Deputies of the Reformed Churches coming to attend the King they were made to stoop at the entrance of the Kings lodging and afterward having first desir'd pardon they presented the Keys of the Town unto him So the next day he entred the Town and having settled all things thereabouts the King went to Provence and so to Avignon the Popes Town where the old Duke of Savoy came to visit him Thence he returns to Lyon where he found the two Queens The Prince and Princesse of Savoy came also thither to attend him Geneva likewise sent thither her Deputies who made an Oration to the King upon their knees all the while From Lyon He came triumphantly to Paris to begin the new yeer 1623. in Peace after such a long Martial progres While the King was himself in person up and down Poitou and Guyen to represse them of the Religion the Duke of Guyse by Sea who had an Auxiliary Fleet of eight of the King of Englands Ships joyn'd with him for which the Duke of Buckingham was afterwards questioned in Parliament and the Count of Soissons by Land did pinch the Rochellers Soissons rais'd up a strong tenable bulwark which he call'd Lewis-fort that commanded the Chanell Sea-ward and gave the law by Land The generall Pacification published at Montpellier was but a peece slightly plaister'd over it was far from searching the bottom from cleansing and curing the wound for many discontents raign'd still amongst them of the Religion they complain'd that Lewis-fort before Rochell was not demolish'd being a new fortification and they spoak of other grievances the King on the other side complain'd they had not reestablish'd the Ecclesiasticks in their Primitive possessions nor chosen Catholicks in Civill Offices This being profoundly debated in the Counsell of State some as the Church-men and Nobles gave their opinion that rather then to be in such continuall trances and alarms his Majesty should with his main entire strength apply himself to extinguish both the Rebellion and the Heresie as they term'd it totally together as the effect with the cause because his Majesty was not in case to do any thing abroad while they were left so strong at home for as one of the Counsellors said He that hath theeves to his neighbours dares not goe far from home Others were of a contrary opinion that it was very requisit there
should be a generall peace now 'twixt the French people because of the businesse of the Valtolin where the Spaniard had a purpose to block out France in all places towards Italy which was very necessary to be prevented so that it was not fit to enfeeble France at this time by attempting to extinguish them of the Religion and to plunge the whole Countrey in an intestine war for it was as if one would cut off his left hand with the right This last counsell took more with the King and so he left no way unessayed to reunite all his subjects Hereupon to content the Reformists he caus'd their Temples to be reedified he appointed 60000. Franks for the payment of their Ministers and permitted them to call a Synod at Charenton with divers other acts of compliance provided that on their part they should entertain no strangers for preachers nor admit Ministers into politic Assemblies In these difficulties and anxious traverses of things the King made the Cardinal of Richelieu his principall Minister of State chiefe of his Counsell and Director generall under his authority in the government of the State He made this election by the advice of the Queen Mother principally nor was it an improper choice for the party had a concurrence of high abilities in him answerable to that transcendent trust and he prov'd as will appear by the sequele of things a succesfull Instrument though many doubt whether his Counsel was as succesfull to France as it was fatall to the rest of Christendom which he hath plung'd in an eternall war touching this we leave the Ingenious Reader a freedom of censure according as his judgement shall be guided by an unpartiall and unbiass'd relation of matters as they ly connected in the ensuing part of this story Thus our third Lustre concludes with the commencement of Richelieus greatnes The fourth Lustre of the Life of Lewis the thirteenth VVE began the last lustre with the espousals of the Lady Christina second daughter of France with the Prince of Piemont this begins with the mariage of the Lady Henriette Marie de Bourbon the yongest Royall branch of Henry the Great and this was the first great act that the Cardinal of Richelieu performed after he was come to the superintendency of affairs of State France had two causes of perpetuall apprehensions of fear one external th' other internal The still growing greatnesse of Spain without and They of the Religion within doors which were made frequent use of by any discontented Princes upon all occasions and were cryed up by the Jesuits to be as Matches to set France on fire at any time Therefore the first gran dessein that he projected with himself was to clip their wings and diminish their strength by dismantling their Cautionary Towns and making them dismisse their Garrisons The Cardinal knew the King his Master did not affect them since the Treaty at Lodun wherein they forc'd him to put another interpretation upon his Coronation Oth then his conscience did dictat unto him or the Prelat who administred it unto him meant which appear'd in a churlish answer that he gave them not long after when he was solicited to prolong the terme of holding their Cautionary Towns as Henry the Third and Henry the Great his father had done Which answer was That what grace the first did shew you was out of fear what my father did was out of love but I would have you know that I neither fear you nor love you To compasse that great work of taking from them their Garrison Towns it was thought very expedient to secure forren Princes from assisting them specially England and the united Provinces Touching the latter they were charm'd with money for in a fresh Treaty the King accorded them a million of Franks and six hundred thousand Franks every one of the two yeers next ensuing which they were to re-inburse the next two yeers that they should conclude a peace or truce with Spain The Holland-Ambassadors who were employed in this Treatie did promise the King that there should be libertie of conscience given the Catholiks at his Majesties request That the States should associat the French with them in the commerce of the Indies give them some choice ports for traffic and repaire some depraedations they had made by sea but the money being once got there was little care taken to perform these promises which were no more then parol engagements or rather complements whereupon an Ambassador was expressely sent to complain hereof but he effected little To secure England from succouring Them of the Religion the first overture that the Erl of Holland made for an alliance was yeelded unto to whom the Erl of Carlile was sent in joynt commission to conclude it The King told them that he took it for an honour that they sought his sister for the sole sonne of so illustrious a King his neighbour and Allie onely he desir'd that he might send to Rome to have the Popes consent for better satisfaction of his conscience and in the mean time the English Ambassadors might send for a more plenary power to England so in lesse then the revolution of nine moons this great businesse was propos'd poursued and perfected whereas the Sun ran his carreer through the Zodiac ten times before that Spain could come to any point of perfection This may serve to shew the difference twixt the two Nations the leaden heel'd pace of the one and the quicksilver'd motions of the other it shewes also how the French is more round and frank in his proceedings not so full of scruples reservations and jealousies as the Spaniard And one reason that the Statists of the time alledg'd why Spain amus'd the English and protracted the Treaty of the Match so long was that all the daughters of France might be first married to prevent an alliance 'twixt England and her There was a concurrence of many things that favor'd the effecting and expediting of this alliance some previous Offices and Letters of invitation from France wherein there were strains of extraordinary endearments wherewith the King of Great Britain corresponded also in an unusuall stile as appears by this Letter following Most high most excellent and most puissant Prince Our most deer and most beloved good Brother Cousen and ancient Ally Although the deceased King of happy memory was justly call'd Henry the Great for having re-conquer'd by arms his Kingdom of France though it appertain'd unto him as his proper inheritance Yet you have made now a greater conquest for the Kingdom of France though it was regain'd by the victorious arms of your dead father it was his de jure and so he got but his own But you have lately carried away a greater victory having by your two last Letters so full of cordiall courtesies overcome your good Brother and ancient Ally and all the Kingdoms appertaining unto him for We acknowledge Our self so conquer'd by your more then
brotherly affection that We cannot return you the like onely we can promise and assure you upon the faith of an honest man that you shall have alwayes power not onely to dispose of Our forces and kingdoms but of Our heart and person and also of the person of Our son if you have need which God prevent praying you to rest assured that We shall not onely be far from cherishing or giving the least countenance to any of your subjects of what profession soever of Religion who shall forget their naturall allegiance unto you but if We have the least inkling thereof We shall send you very faithfull advertisement And you may promise your self that upon such occasion or upon any other which may tend to the honor of your Crown you shall alwayes have power to dispose freely of Our assistance as if the cause were Our own so upon assurance that Our interests shall be alwayes common We pray God most high most excellent and most puissant Prince Our most deer and most beloved Brother Cousen and Ally to have you alwayes in his most holy protection Newmarket 9. of February 1624. Your most affectionat Brother Cousen and ancient Ally Iames K. The Critiques of the time did much censure this Letter in regard King Iames seems to dis-invest himself utterly of all Title to France thereby because he confesseth Henry the Fourth to have not onely reconquer'd it but to have a naturall right unto it in the said Letter The former Treaty for the Infanta of Spaine did facilitat also the hastning of this businesse and made it lesse knotty in regard that the matrimonial capitulations which in effect were the very same with those of the Infanta's had bin beaten and moulded a long time before upon the Spanish Anvill and so made smooth and passable They were in substance these that follow 1. That the French King should make it his busines to procure a dispensation from Rome within three moneths 2. That for the celebration of the act of affiancing the King of Great Britain should depute whom he pleas'd and that it be done according to the Roman rites 3. That the mariage be solemniz'd in the same forme as that of Queen Margaret and the Duchesse of Bar was 4. That she be attended to the Sea side upon the charge of France 5. That the contract of mariage be publiquely ratified in England without intervention of any Ecclesiastic ceremony 6. That free exercise of Religion be granted unto Madam her self and all her train and to the children that her servants shall have And to that end they shall have a Chappel in every one of the Kings Royall Houses or any where els where she shall keep her Court 7. That preaching and the administration of the Sacraments of the Masse with all other Divine Offices be permitted Her as also the gaining of all Indulgences and Jubils from Rome and that a Church-yard be appointed wall'd about to bury Catholiks according to the Rites of the Roman Church all which shall be done modestly 8. That she shall have a Bishop for her Almoner who may have power to proceed against any Ecclesiastic under his charge according to the Canonicall constitutions And in case the Secular Court shall seize upon any Churchmen under his jurisdiction for any crime which concern'd not the State he shall be sent back to the said Bishop who taking cognisance of the delict shall degrade him and so return him to the Secular power and other faults all Church-men under him shall be sent to him to be proceeded against accordingly or in his absence to his Vicar generall 9. She shall have 28. Priests of her House and if any be a Regular he shall be allow'd to weare his habit 10 The King of Great Britain and his son shall oblige themselfs by Oath not to attempt any thing upon the conscience of Madam to induce her to renounce her Religion 11. All her domestiques shall be Catholiques and French which she shall bring with her and in their roomes when they die she shal be allow'd to choose other French Catholiques but with the consent of the King of Great Britain 12. Her dowry shall be eight hundred thousand crowns whereof the one moity shall be pai'd the yeeve after Contract the other a yeer after and in case she survive her Husband the said dowry shall be entirely return'd her whether she desire to live in England or France 13. But if there remain any children of this mariage then she is to have back but two thirds of the said dowry 14. And in case Madam die before the Prince without children the moity of the said dowry shall be only return'd and in case she leave children all shall go amongst them 15. Madam shall be endow'd with a joynture of eighteen thousand pound sterling per an which comes to sixty thousand crowns and his Majestie of Great Britain shall give her besides the value of fifty thousand crowns in Jewels whereof she shall have the property as of those she hath already and of what shall be given her hereafter He shall be also oblig'd to maintain her and her House and in case she come to be a widow she shall enioy her dower and jointure which shall be assignd her in Lands Castles and Houses whereof one shall be furnish'd and fit for habitation and that the said joynture be pay'd her wheresoever she shall desire to reside she shall have also the free disposing of the Benefices and Offices belonging to the said Lands whereof one shall have the title of Duchy or County 16. That she shall be permitted whether she have children or not to return to France and bring with her her movables rings and jewels as also her dowry and the King shall be bound to have her conducted to Calice upon his charge 17. The contract of the mariage shall be registred in the Court of Parliament of Paris and ratified in that of England 18. All her servants shall take this following Oath I sweare and promise fidelitie to the most gracious King of Great Britain to the most gracious Prince Charles and to Madame Henriette Marie daughter of France which I shall most faithfully and inviolably keep And if I know of any attempt against the said King Prince and Lady or their estates or against the public good of the Kingdoms of the said King I shall forthwith denounce the same to the said King Prince and Lady or others who shall have it in charge This was the substance of all the Matrimoniall capitulations which were digested to 28. Articles with a penalty of four hundred thousand crowns upon either of the two Kings which should infringe any of them Besides these there were some privat Articles accorded in favour of the Roman Catholiks in England and Ireland but far from the latitude of a public Toleration Upon the ending of this great Treaty with France Iames the First of England and Sixth of Scotland ended his life
in his Palace at Theobalds A little before he broak out into a very passionate Speech to his Lords of the Counsel of the King of France saying My Lords the King of France hath writ unto me that he is so far my friend that if ever I have need of him he will render me Offices in Person whensoever I shall desire him Truly he hath gain'd upon me more then any of his Predecessors and he may beleeve me that in any thing that shall concern him I will employ not only my peoples lifes but mine own and whosoever of his subjects shall rise against him either Catholiks or others shall find me a party for him 'T is true if he be provok'd to infringe his Edicts I shall impart as much as in me lies by counsell and advice to prevent the inconveniences Then falling upon the perfections of Madame Henriette Marie he said pleasantly When she is come over I will denounce war against her because she would not read my Letter nor my sons as I understand before she had first receiv'd command from the Queen her Mother yet I have cause to thank her because that after she had perus'd them she put mine in her cushionet and the other in her bosome intimating thereby that she would rely upon me for counsell and lodg my son in her heart King Iame's death retarded a while the proceedings of the Match for things were at a stand till his Exequies were pass'd which were perform'd with a Magnificence sutable to so great a King This Ceremony being ended a procuration was sent the Duke of Cheureuse from his Majesty of Great Britain to be contracted unto the Lady Henriette and then to marry her in his name which was done with extraordinary celebrity the one in the Louure the last in the great Church of Paris by the ministery of the Cardinall Rochefaucaud a little before there was a clash twixt him and the Bishop of Paris who urg'd it was his right to officiat in his own Church but the Cardinal being a Prince of the Church Universall being also gran Almoner which makes him chief Clark of the Court and Cardinal Richelieu who had now the greatest stroak in the State favoring his own habit and the Hat more then the Mitre the Cardinal carried the day This solemnity was perform'd to the very height of greatnes and splendor and such was the bravery of the English Ambassadors the Earls of Carlile and Holland that they seem'd to outshine the French that day in their own Sphere One half of the dowry had bin delivered before upon the Contract which was in all as was said before eight hundred thousand crowns and it was more then the eldest Sister had by two hundred thousand crowns and double as much as the second had the one having but six hundred thousand the other but foure hundred thousand crowns to their portions The Contract and Mariage being thus finish'd the Duke of Buckingham came a fortnight after with admired gallantry to demand the Queen of Great Britain for the King his Master and to attend and conduct her over to England The Queen Mother accompagnied her as far as Amiens Monsieur her Brother to Bullen whence a Fleet of twenty Galeons Royall transported her to Dover This was the eighth Nuptiall conjunction of the Rose and Flowerdeluce that hath happend 'twixt England and France The first was in the yeer 900. 'twixt Charles the First of France and the Lady Ogine daughter to Edward the old King of England 120. yeers before the Norman conquest The second twixt Henry the Third of England and Margaret daughter to Lewis the Seventh of France The third was between Edward the First of England and the Lady Margaret daughter to Philip the Hardy of France The fourth 'twixt Edward the Second of England and Isabel daughter to Philip the Faire The fifth was 'twixt Richard the Second of England and Elizabeth daughter to Charles the Sixth The sixth 'twixt Henry the Fifth of England and Catherin daughter also to Charles the Sixth of France The seventh was 'twixt Lewis the twelfth of France and Mary daughter to Henry the Seventh of England The eighth was this 'twixt Charles Stuard Prince of Wales and Henriette Marie of Bourbon youngest daughter to Henry the Great so in these eight Matches England hath had six daughters of France and France two of Englands As soon as this great Nuptiall pompe was pass'd there came tydings that Soubize upon a new discontent of them of the Religion had a great Fleet of ships at Sea and surpriz'd the Port of Blauet in Britany which is a faire and large Haven deposited to the Spaniard in time of the Ligue and restored to Henry the Great at the peace at Vervins Soubize enterd the Haven with eleven Sayle of men of War and took and carried away six great ships whereof some belong'd to the Duke of Nevers This rendred them of the Religion powerfull at Sea and because their Ships might have choise of harbors they seiz'd upon the Islands of Re and Oleron where they began to fortifie Soubize sayles up the Garond towards Bourdeaux with a Fleet of seventy sayles of all sort which made him Master of the Sea and landing a considerable number of land forces at the land of Medoc they of Bourdeaux joyning with Toiras sent him a shipboard again with losse and so he return'd to Rochell A little after he sets out to Sea again and takes divers prises extremely interrupting all traffic on those Coasts Hereupon the King sent to the Hollander to hyre twenty Sayle of men of War according to the late Treaty which were accordingly sent him under Admirall Hauthain These joyning with another Fleet of the Duke of Monmorency made a considerable naval power Monmorency was very eagar to set upon Soubize and the Rochell Fleet but he found the Hollanders bacward and cold being charm'd by Letters and a Remonstance annexed unto it sent to Hauthain by two French Ministers and two Dutch Merchants from Rochell wherein they made piteous complaint that the King had performed little or nothing at all of the Treaty before Montpellier and that the utter ruine of the whole body of the Religion which was the same with that of Holland was intended therefore they did efflagitat and conjure the said Admiral Hauthain to lay his hand on his heart and conscience and not to contribute to so damnable a dessein This Remonstrance wrought much upon Hauthain and Dorp his Vice-Admiral in so much that he publiquely declar'd unto the Duke of Monmorency that he had Commission in expresse termes from his Masters the States to reduce Monsieur Soubize to his duty either by reason or force that he understood how he was ready to conforme himself to the first and to that effect he and his Brother the Duke of Rohan with other Towns of their party had Deputies employed to the King to desire Peace which was in a good forwardnes
Truncheon of Marshall was sent him The Pope interpos'd also in this busines and had Forces there and there were sundry skirmishes fought The Spaniard told the Pope lowdly That he came thither to conquer Heretiques and the places which he had taken from them were by consequence justly acquir'd and so might be justly kept howsoever it was reason he should hold them untill his charges were reimbours'd Hereupon Cardinal Barberin was sent to France to accommode things but little could be done for that time This War of the Valtolins begot another twixt the Duke of Savoy and Genoa the principall motive whereof was to divert the Spaniard from the Conquest of the Valtoline Yet the Savoyard alledg'd that the Genois usurped divers places from him that they had offer'd him some indignities in defacing and vilifying his picture whereby they imitated the Leopard who by the naturall hatred he beares to man useth to teare his image with his ongles and teeth when he cannot exercise his fury upon his body The old Constable Lesdiguieres notwithstanding that he had one foot in the grave yet it seems he had an ambition to die in the field therefore he made earnest instances to the King that he would be pleas'd to employ him against the Genois Hereupon he clammer'd over the Alpes to Piemont where he with the Duke of Savoy made an Army of twentie five thousand foot and four thousand horse which they powr'd into the territories of Genoa The Constable with Crequy his son in law had the Vantgard The Duke with the Prince of Piemont seconded and they march'd severall roads The French took Capriata which was taken by Storm and all were put to the sword and plunder the inhumanitie whcih the Souldiers exercis'd upon the women and maides rais'd an ill odor of the French in Italy He took divers other places And the Duke of Savoy on the other side rendred himself Master of sundry strong holds In the interim there were three Spanish vessels which sayling from Barcelona to Genoa were by distresse of weather forc'd upon the Coasts of Marseilles and being out of any Port of commerce they were seiz'd upon by the Duke of Guyse hereupon the Genois made a loud complaint in Madrid and the King of Spain resented it so much that a Proclamation issued out to Arrest all French vessels that were in any haven of Spain and also to seize upon all the Marchants goods and it was thought there were neer upon two hundred thousand French then dwelling or trading in Spain and eighteen thousand in Madrid it self of all sorts of Marchants and Pedlers In correspondence to this The French King publish'd a Declaration wherein he interdicted all commerce to Spain The violent progresse of the French and Savoy Army against Genoa awaked all the Princes of Italy thereupon the King of Spain armes mainly in Milan and Naples The Emperour also sent a considerable number of horse and foot and all conjoyn'd under the Duke of Feria who was made Generall by Land and the Marquis of Santacruz came with twentie two gallies and five galeons by Sea with four thousand combatants from Sicilie to secure the sea of Genoa who had eighteen gallies besides in cours and ten thousand men by Land upon the appearance of this great Army most of those places which had rendred themselfs to France and Savoy open'd their gates to the Spanish army at first approach They ravag'd the countrey of Monferrat up and down and came thence before Ast a considerable frontire town of Piemont Yet though there were five or six armies in motion that Sommer in Italy there was no battail fought but only sieges and leagers sallies and skirmishes The approach of Winter brought a suspension of armes afterwards a Treaty was appointed at Monson and twentie Articles interchangeably accorded unto so the War ended and a Peace was renew'd twixt all Parties The Duke of Savoy was neither himself nor by his Ambassador or Deputy present at this Treaty which made him complain highly of the King of France taxing him with infraction of Faith and of the late Confederation between them thereupon the King sent Monsieur Bullion to him in qualitie of Ambassador to make an Apologie that his Highnes should not impute this to ill faith or any disrespect of him or to any particular advantage his Majesty hop'd to receive thereby for himself therefore his Highnes should not except at the light omission of complements which had more of exterior apparance then sincerity Bullion having notice that the Duke would give him a solemn open audience in the presence of most of his Lords and Counsell prepared himself accordingly and being come into the roome the little Duke began to speak very high language thereupon Bullion told him in his eare That he perceav'd his Highnes to be mov'd therefore he pray'd him not as an Ambassador but as a privat man and his servant to speak of so puissant and illustrious a Monark with that moderation respect and reservednes that his Majesty might not be offended and if his Highnes thought to satisfie himself by words of advantage nothing would remain unto him but repentance so to suffer himself to be transported by a disordred passion For the main businesse the King having obtain'd by the Treaty at Monson all that he and his Allies could hope for if they had gain'd a battaile as also the liberty of the Grisons and the Valtolines his Confederates ought not to take offence if he as the Eldest had treated himself alone for his Cadets a title which they had reason to esteeme for honorable Yet if notwithstanding these considerations his Highnes desir'd to have satisfaction in a stricter way he would undertake his Majesty should make him amends In the interim he wish'd his Highnes to think upon any thing wherein his most Christian Majesty might be advantageous unto him The Duke being calm'd by these words answer'd that he thought upon Royalty and if his Majesty would approve of his design being already well assured of the Popes good will he car'd not much for other Potentats and he would be contented to be treated by the King in the same manner as the Kings of France were us'd to treat the Kings of Scotland and Navarr By Royalty he meant the Kingdome of Cypres which title the Ambassador told him could not be had without distasting the Republique of Venice whose adoptif son he was and whereas he pretended some places in Toscany that could not be done without displeasing the Queen Mother The King having dispos'd already of his 3. Sisters began to think on a Match for Monsieur his Brother now it is the style of France to call the Kings sole Brother Monsieur without any further addition to distinguish him from others Marie of Bourbon daughter to the Duke of Monpensier was thought to be a fit wife for him hereupon the King mov'd it unto him but he desir'd time to consider of it because it
was a business of the greatest consequence that possibly could import him for a wife is the best or worst fortune that can befall a man in the whole cours of his life There were some that whisper'd him in the eare to disswade him from the said Match 'mongst others the Marshall of Ornano his Governor who told him That if he maried in France all his Means Credit and Fortune would be bounded there whereas if he maried some forren Princesse he might have some support and a place to retire unto abroad upon hard usage at home which would make him better esteem'd This being brought to the Kings eare Ornano with divers other were taken out of their beds in the dead of night and clap'd in the Bastile hereupon Monsieur went to the Chancelor d' Haligre and reproach'd him to have counsell'd the King to have his Governor pluck'd away from him so the Chancelor excus'd himself and denied that he had given such counsell The King having notice of this poor answer of his Chancelor sent the next day for the Seales willing him to retire to his Countrey house The Duke of Vendosm and his brother the gran Prior were thought also to do ill Offices in this busines which made them fall into some dislike and so they were committed prisoners to the Castle of Ambois amongst other things wherewith Vendosm was charg'd one was that he should say he would never see the King againe but in picture so he was put out of the government of Britany which was conferr'd upon Marshall Themines Cardinall Richelieu having drawn a great deal of hatred upon himself about this match he had a guard allow'd him which was afterwards recented according as the measure of envie and danger accrued The King being at Nants in Britany to settle that Government told his brother that he much desired he were married to Madamoiselle Monpensier for the good of his state assuring him that he should find his own advantages in it Monsieur answer'd That if his Majesty judg'd that it would be for the good of his state he entirely conform'd himself to his pleasure thereupon he sent a long complement to Madamoiselle Monpensier concluding that he would prove a better Husband to her then he was a servant So the Articles of Mariage were drawn and Monsieur was to have for his appannage the Duchy of Orleans with other places to the sum of one hundred thousand franks annuall rent all charges defrayed so much more in pension and by speciall warrant five hundred and sixty thousand franks yeerly upon the receipts of Orleans which comes in all to about seventy thousand pounds sterlin per annum so the Cardinall of Richelieu betroth'd and married them the next day at Nants with as much solemnity as the place could afford At this time there were whispers up and down France of divers plots that were to be put in execution some gave out the King intended to repudiat the Queen Others that there was a design to clap up the King in a monasterie and that Monsieur should raign of this plot there was a whisper the mother was because she alwaies seem'd to love the younger better then the elder But I beleeve this was a groundlesse surmise There were divers in prison that would have perswaded Monsieur to a forrein match and endeavour'd to crosse this Amongst others the Count of Chalais was one who was beheaded at Nants and there being no headsman in the town a prisoner that was in for a capitall crime undertooke the office provided he might have his pardon but he manag'd the instrument so ill that he gave the Count thirtie foure stroakes before he could separat the head from the body Sanctarellus the Jesuit obtruded to the world dangerous tenets about this time viz. That the Pope hath power to depose the Emperour to admonish and punish with temporall pains other Princes and absolve their subjects from their Oath of fidelitie in case of heresie The book was burnt in Paris Father Cotton Provinciall of the French Jesuits brought a public instrument from the chief of the Colledge of Clermont wherein their Society did disadvow and detest the said opinion of Sanctarellus which instrument was commanded to be put upon Record It was an ancient custom in France before the erection of Sedentary Parliaments whereof there are eight to assemble once or twice every yeer the States General which Assembly was first call'd Parlement wherein they treated of the highest Affairs of State of making levies of money for the Kings extraordinary occasions for punishing corrupt Magistrats and questioning any Officers whatsoever upon the relations which were made by the Deputies or Members of the said Assembly which were call'd in old times Missi Dominici viz. Those who were sent by the Lord or King This as I said before in the second Lustre is equivalent to the High Court of Parlement in England though in number it be inferior to it in regard that this Generall Assembly of France consists but of foure hundred and odd members that in England of neer upon seven hundred Since the settling of the said Sedentary Parlements this Great Parlement hath bin seldom convok'd in France unlesse during the minority of the King for which the Countrey hath suffer'd much in regard this universall convention was us'd to keep good correspondence 'twixt the Prince and his people and the pecuniary levies which pass'd by their Suffrages were given with more cheerfulnesse and besides there was no need of so many Collectors and Receivors as are employed in the Kings ordinary Revenu which are so numerous that the fourth part is drunk up among Officers in fees and wages so that there hardly comes into the Kings Coffers cleer a Quardecu in every Crowne This Assembly of the three Estates in France grew to be very rare and in a manner obsolete since the Kings had power given them to impose public assessments the ground whereof was this When the English had taken such firme footing in France that they had advanc'd as far as the Loire and besieg'd Orleans the Assembly of the three States in these pressures being not able to meet after the ordinary maner by reason of the interposition of the enemy up and down that power which was formerly inhaerent in the three States of making Laws and assessing the subject with subsidiary taxes was transmitted to the King himself during the war which continuing long that intrusted power grew in tract of time so habitual that it could never be re-assum'd or the Kings disvested of it And that which made the busines more feasable for the Kings was that the burden fell most upon the Comminalty the Nobility and Clergy not feeling the weight neer so much And it happen'd in so favourable conjuncture of time that the Clergy and Nobles were contented to have the Peasans pull'd down a little because not many yeers before in that notable rebellion call'd la Iaquerie de Beauvoisin
Soubize he march'd away at last There was a great debate in the Cittadell whether the English should be poursued in the Retreat or whether a bridge of silver should be made them to passe quietly away The first opinion prevayl'd so they had not march'd a Musket shot from the Town but two hundred horse two thousand foot were at their heeles The English made a stand to see whether the French would fight but they would not so they continued their march till they came to la Nova a little village where they made another stand thinking the French would charge which they forboare still Thence they march'd to Lewisbridg where they were to imbark but before two Regiments were pass'd over the Bridg which was very narrow the French fell upon the English horse in the reare and routed them so that the foot could not charge then they began to fly and the enemy had the execution of five Regiments which he put most to the sword except twenty Officers and one hundred common soldiers divers also were drown'd in the salt-pits and dikes so there perish'd in all neer upon two thousand besides the sick which were left before the Cittadell all whose throats were cut and sent in a Bark thrust from the shore to the English Ships My Lord Monjoy now Earl of Newport was there taken prisoner old Colonel Gray was fallen into a salt-pit and being upon point of being drown'd he cryed out cent mill escus pour marancon a hundred thousand crowns for my ransom so the noise of the mony sav'd his life There were divers prisoners besides taken but they were sent as a present to the Queen of England to whom the King writ this following Letter by le Chevalier de la Ramé call'd du Meau Madame my sister It having pleas'd God to blesse my arms in such sort that my Lord Monjoy Colonel Gray divers Captains Officers and Gentlemen remaind my prisoners in the journey which pass'd at Ré the eighth of this moneth I was willing to testifie unto all Christendom the speciall esteem which I make of your Person by sending unto you the said prisoners which I have let go upon their words for your sake Nothing having invited me thereunto but the friendship which I bear you and the knowledge I also have that I cannot do an act more acceptable to the Queen my Mother then to do for your sake what I would not do for any other Du Meau will assure you of my health I pray you have a care of your own which is most deer unto me and I assure you that the world hath not a brother which makes more account of a sister then I do of you so I rest my Lady and Sister your most affectionat Brother Lewis From the Campe before Rochell the last of November 1627. There were also forty foure Colours taken which the King sent to the two Queens at Paris and they hang to this day in the great Church there This was the dismall'st day that the English ever had in France who in times pass'd perform'd such stupendous exploits in that Countrey yet the Invasion was made with much gallantry for they might be said to have swom through water and blood to take footing on the Island which discover'd much of the ancient courage of the Nation Besides they did before the Cittadel as much as men could do upon their marching away they made two stands to draw Schomberg to fight notwithstanding that they had not in number a quarter of the horse that he had newly transported from the Continent They took likewise divers prisoners of note who were released also without ransome by his Majesty of Great Britain Divers omissions there were that prov'd fatall to this expedition 1. The not speedy marching of the English Army in poursuance of their first victory to the Cittadell where Toiras had time in the interim to fortifie 2. The not taking of the little Fort la Prée in the way which might have serv'd for a retreat 3. That the Duke did not follow the advice of Burrowes to go to Oleron a greater Island and afterwards of the knowingst Colonels so often press'd upon him to march away before Schomberg came over for so he might have made an honorable retreat then which there is nothing more difficult in the fait of armes not is it any disgrace to go away in the night for preventing of being beaten in the day Monsieur Soubizes counsell was the cause of these omissions who was the main contriver of this infortunate voyage with Blancart who fell at first landing And it seems a hard destiny hanted the said Soubize though a worthy man of himself in all attempts from the beginning He was taken prisoner at Saint Iohn d'Angely he was forc'd to flye at Royan and twice with this time at Ré He had but ill succes at Medoc and divers ill-favor'd encounters at Sea though he lost lesse honor there then a shore Some outlandish Chroniclers would have it that there were three Furies which impell'd the English to this Expedition 1. The ambition of Buckingham 2. The felony of Soubize 3. The rebellion of the Rochellers but these men write more out of passion then knowledge for as I instanc'd in the beginning of this relation there were divers causes to move England to armes as matters stood then The King having had such rare successe against the English he resolves upon the planting of a serious siege before Rochell thereupon order was given for an exact circumvallation by Land and Pompco Targon an Italian Engineer was employed for Sea works the said Targon being assisted with the Cardinals headpeece fell on a plot to raise a huge dike in the channell which the Rochellers geer'd at first but they found it the bane of their Town at last The Rochellers had recourse to the King of Great Britain for protection who resenting their sad condition employed two Royall Fleets for their succour which made but sory returns The Duke of Buckingham was to be General of the last but he was tragically slain the day before he was to embark Thereupon the Earl of Linzey went in his place but before he appear'd before the Town Targon had finish'd the gran Dike whereof the Cardinal was dayly overseer the King being then in Paris there were certain kind of palissadoes and other strange fabriques rais'd in the channel to the wonderment of the world for Marquis Spinola at his revokment from Flanders to Spain and passing by the Kings Army said he had never seen the like being as trenches and barricadoes erected in the Sea and they were done with that advantage that no navall power could do any good upon them In so much that the English Fleet being arriv'd the Cardinal sent to the General that he should have safe pasport to come a shore with six of his knowingst Commanders with permission to view the works and if they thought in their judgements
and to continue a war in France There were divers other Propositions tending to the kind usage of the Catholiques and withall a request That the Dukes pension from fourteen thousand crowns might be augmented to eighteen thousand and that his Catholic Majesty would please to add to his brother Soubize's pension of eight thousand crowns a yeer two thousand more For performance of these propositions the said Clausel could give no other caution but the word of an Honorable and most Religious Prince meaning the Duke These offers were accepted by the Spaniard but the sum was reduc'd to three hundred thousand crowns payable in two payments every yeer The Articles being sent by Clausel to France by a Zeland Gentleman he was suspected and taken in a Pond up to the neck so he was hang'd at Tholouse The King at his return to Provence took Privas from them of the Religion after many bloudy sallies and assaults on both sides a place of mighty consequence In the Campe before Privas the Peace was proclaym'd 'twixt France and England to dishearten them in the Town the more for they thought that the King of Great Britain was still involv'd in their Cause This Peace was negotiated by Georgi and Contarini Ambassadors to the Mayden Republic who yet may be call'd the Mother of Policy and able to read Lectures on that Thesis to the rest of Europe nor did there small glory redound to her by her succesfull intervention herein and by making her Saint Mark Mediator 'twixt two such mighty Monarks The words of the Proclamation before Privas pronounc'd alowd by a king of Arms were these Let the world know there is peace amity and good intelligence between his Majesty and his good Brother and Brother in law the King of Great Britain acessation of all acts of hostility betwixt them and their subjects with an entire confirmation of the ancient Alliances and of the Articles and Contract of Mariage with the Queen of Great Britain and an overture of a free and safe commerce between the subjects of the two Crowns Therefore all persons are prohibited to attempt any think in prejudice of the said Peace under pain of being punish'd as Disturbers of the public repose c. The generall Articles also were signed there interchangeably in the ordinary forme where of there were some extraordinary as that In regard it would be difficult to make restitution on either side of divers prises which have been taken in this war the two Crowns are accorded that there shall be no reprisall made by sea or in any other maner for that which is pass'd 'twixt the two Kings and their subjects during the said war And because there are divers vessels at Sea with Letters of Mart which give Commission to combat the enemies which cannot presently have notice of this Peace or receive Order to abstain from acts of hostility It is accorded that whatsoever shall passe the space of the two next moneths after this accord shall not derogate from or empeach this Peace or the good will of the two Crowns The King having dismantled Privas and secur'd other petty places he march'd to Alets a very considerable Garrison Town of them of the Religion which being also surrendred he march'd to Languedoc took Castres and Nismes once the darling of Rome when she had her Legions in those parts though now no Town throughout France be a greater enemy unto her These monstrous successes of the Kings made the Duke of Rohan hearken unto a Treaty therefore being at Anduza he convokes a kind of Assembly of the chiefest of them of the Religion to whom he made this notable speech Sirs You know well enough that the King doing me the honor as to acknowledge me his kinsman hath had particular consideration of me in all generall Treaties made with your party and that he hath made me to be perpetually sollicited to separat my self from you with assurances that he would raise my condition to such a point that might draw upon it the envy of the Princes and the greatest of his Kingdom Neither are you ignorant that the generall interests of the party being deerer unto me then mine own I have bin so far from lending an ear unto those charming propositions that to the contrary I have broak with his Majesty whensoever he hath refus'd or delay'd the execution of the Edicts pass'd in favor of us and exposing my self to his indignation I have run the hazard of my fortun my honor and life Gentlemen I pray do not think that since our Cause is conjoyn'd with that of God but that I continu as strong a zeal and inclination as ever towards it But in regard our affaires are in another condition perchance then you do imagin I have call'd you hither to instruct you and then to take such order that your wisdoms shall afford me to put in punctuall execution with as much fidelity as courage You must then consider that any time these eight yeers that the King hath warr'd with us heaven hath bin so favorable unto him that it seems he rather went to the routing of our troupes then to combat and by assaulting our strongest Towns he prepar'd rather for triumphant entries then sieges so that now the number of our combatants and the strength of our strongest places doth not serve as much to maintain our party as to augment his glory so many Towns in Poitou Saintonge Guyen and Languedoc which have not bin able toresist him as many dayes as we count moneths are most sensible proofs hereof Rochell alas with that he fetcht a profound sigh accompagnied with tears Rochell which we thought inexpugnable that prowd Town one of the miracles of Europe being now reduc'd to an open village on all sides doth carry and shall eternally beare the marks of the valour and good fortune of this glorious Monark Having demolish'd this strong rampart of the Gospel by which the whole party subsisted he hath penetrated the Kingdom from one Diameter to the other and travers'd in five or six dayes the Alps in the most rigorous season of the yeer which Julius Caesar accounted amongst his heroiquest actions and Hannibal could not do it in fifteen dayes without inestimable losse He hath forc'd the passe of Susa marching ore the belly of an Army entrench'd and fortified in a straight He hath deliver'd the Duke of Mantova from the oppression of the King of Spain and the Savoyard and oblig'd the latter who was Author of the War to receive such conditions of peace that he pleas'd to prescribe him Repassing the Alps with like celeritie he hath depriv'd us of Privas and taken multitudes of places more by the terror only of his victorious Arms. He is continually assisted by the Cardinal of Richelieu who for the fertility of his Invention for the solidity of his Counsels for the secrecy of his desseins for his hardines in execution and for his addresse in all affairs of consequence I
prime soldier of Europe Now Spinola being tyred with the lingring Low Countrey Wars and having recover'd the honor he had lost before Berghen op some by that notable exploit of taking Breda he procur'd his revokement from that service Being come to Spain there was some clashing 'twixt him and Olivares about accounts yet was he sent to be Governor of Milan and so was made Generall of this War He struck like thunder into Monferrat and took Nizza de la paglia and six places more notwithstanding the opposition of Toiras who had such successe against the English in the Isle of Ré and was now Governor for the King t'other side the Hills and had shut himself in Casal Colalto with the Imperiall Army enters the same time the Territories of Montava and takes Viadana Caneto Gazole Governo and presents himself before Mantova herself where the Venetians had sent 1000. men for the security of the Town As the King of France was preparing for Italy there were two ill-favord accidents happen'd one was that Monsieur being mightily taken in love with the Princesse Mary the Duke of Mantova's daughter for a second wife neither the King nor his Mother would give their consent unto it which in discontentment made him leave France and fly to Lorain this sudden sally was like to breed ill bloud for he publish'd a Manifesto wherein he cast many aspersions upon the present Government and the boundlesse Authority of Richelieu but the businesse was taken up by the ministery of good heads and Monsieur was charm'd to France again by an addition of the Duchy of Valois which was valued at one hundred thousand Franks yeerly to his former apannage The other was an insurrection in Dijon the chief Parlement Town of Burgundy where the King had erected a new Court for the improvement of his revenues The Officers of this new Court grew odious as all Innovations are which made the Populasse to mutiny specially the Vineyard-men who in confused troupes came into Dijon and did many insolences The tumult came to that height and was of that consequence that the King himself went thither in Person to appease it which he did by the assistance and sage conduct of the Duke de Bellegarde he passd ' an Act of abolition provided that a tax should be laid upon the Comminalty for repairing the losses of some of his Officers who had their houses burn'd and were otherwise damnified in this popular fury In the interim the Cardinal with an Army of twenty thousand foot and two thousand horse effectif men were ready to traverse the Alps towards Italy for it was not thought fit the King should venture his own Person in the second Expedition because his Physicians had discover'd some symptomes of an approching sicknes in him The Cardinal was accompagnied with three Marshals Crequy La Force and Schomberg who were all Generals of divers Squadrons but the Cardinal was chiefest Director of the War Nor did he wave the title of Generalissimo Nor do there want presidents in France how Cardinals have bin Generals of Armies which shall be produc'd in the life of Richelieu hereunto annexed The Duke of Savoy was somewat shy to let this Army passe through the body of his Countrey or that there should be staples of corn erected in some Towns for the supply of it which made the Cardinall speak high language demanding passage by vertue of the Articles of the late Peace at Susa So the Duke was willing the Army should passe by the river Dovaire Susine but not by Avigliana and through the Plain of Piemont By this appears in what a disadvantagious posture Nature hath placed some Princes whose Territories are situate 'twixt greater Potentates then themselfs which ofttimes puts them to weare double faces and play with a staff with two ends Such is the condition of the Duke of Savoy who besides the abruptnes and stupendous craggednes of most part of his Countrey is plac'd between two mighty Monarks the Kings of France and Spain and is oftentimes put to his wits end how to comply with both how to put off his hat to the one and how to make a leg to the other The Prince of Piemont came twise to confer with the Cardinall though much ado happen'd for the place of meeting The Prince offer'd in his fathers name to enter into an eternall Ligue with his most Christian Majesty against the Spaniard upon condition they should never disarme till they had made an entire conquest of Milan and Genoa the Cardinal held this proposition extravagant and illusory and made of purpose to render the King odious to Italy by apprehensions of an endlesse war thereupon having receiv'd a positif Commission from the King to make his passage by the sword in case of further delay he marched before Pignerol besieged it and took it whereby there was a double advantage gain'd a free passage for provision from Dauphiné as also that the said Pignerol enchaining as it were France to Italy commanded all the valley of Piemont The taking of Pignerol extremely troubled the Duke of Savoy therefore he had recourse to the Popes Nuncio to stir in the busines for an accommodation of things Signieur Mazarini a moderate and well weigh'd Gentleman was joyn'd with him and the Cardinal being return'd to Lions where the King and two Queens were to give an account how matters stood after much consultation and canvasing of the busines to and fro they propounded certain capitulations which they thought reasonable to both parties The Imperiall and Spanish party though they did not disapprove yet they delay'd to give up their resolution upon the said Articles to gain time and see what successe Colalto should get before Mantova and Spinola before Casal the chief Town of Monferrat Colalto a little after made himself Master of Mantova The French were mov'd at this and that Casal was in so dangerous condition as also that the Duke of Savoy was now arming apace thereupon the King with his Cardinal repasse the Alps with an Army of 23000. foot whereof there were 6000. Suisse and 4000. Liegeois and 2000. horse besides volonteers So he march'd to Chamberry who presently yeelded where Conqueror like he dismiss'd the Dukes Senat and established a Counsell of his own he march'd thence to Constans In the interim Crequy impatroniz'd himself of divers other places in Savoy In the heat of these actions the King had a desire to visit the Queen at Lyon whither he came but falling sick and disabled to return himself he sent the Duke of Monmorency and the Marquis de' Fiat who had bin Ambassador in England with a French Army to joyn with Marshall de la Force t'other side the Hills The Duke of Savoy to prevent this conjunction advanc'd as far as Avigliana with 20000. foot and 4000. horse made up of Spaniards and Germans The Armies met and there were some thousands kill'd on both sides Prince Doria was taken prisoner by the French and
Cantons of France and that he had intelligence from good hands how there was a Civill War fomenting in France by some mistrusts and divisions which were put between his Majesty his Mother and Monsieur therefore lest his Highnes might be tamper'd withall to favor the projects of the Spaniard to rid him of all scruples in this point he desir'd that Susa Avigliana or Pignerol Perousa might be put into his hands to put French Garrisons in them till these dangers were pass'd Servient the French Ambassador joyn'd with Toiras manag'd this busines so dextrously that the Duke accorded what was demanded for six moneths Hereupon the Town and Castle of Pignerol with Perousa was put into the hands of the Suiss which the French had put formerly in Susa And by the same Treaty his Majesty oblig'd himself to defend the person and states of his Highnes if need requir'd with an Army of twenty thousand foot and two thousand horse provided his Highnes should proportionably have in readines ten thousand foot and fifteen hundred horse The Duke of Feria fell into a fury when he heard of this accord and call'd heaven and earth to witnes that it was an evident infraction of the Treaty at Querasque by which the French were not to hold any place or passage into Italy within the states of the Duke of Savoy So the Duke being lowdly reproach'd thereof by the Spaniard the answer he gave was That he might dispose of his own as he pleas'd c. The six months being expir'd of holding Pignerol a motion was made to the Duke that for his own safety the security of Mantova and the French-Confederat Grisons as also for freeing his Majesty of all surmises and the better enabling him to occur all desseins and dangers his Highnes would make an absolut sale and transport unto him of the Town and Castle of Pignerol and Perousa for a valuable pecuniary consideration Toiras and Servient carried themselfs with such dextrous addresses that they induc'd the Duke to hearken to this Proposition and afterwards they drew from him an absolut consent so a Legal Instrument was made whereby an irrevocable transport and vent was made of the propriety possession and soveraignty of the Town and Castle of Pignerol Riva Bodenasco the higher Biacasco Castagrande and that which was within the confines of the said Pignerol the Village and Abbey of Valdelemia as also the Village and Fort of Perousa Pinacle Villars Les porte the great and small Diblon and their confines and other lands which are within the valley of Perousa excepting those which depend on the same valley on the left hand going from Pignerol to Pragelas beyond the River Chuson all other places shall be perpetually united to the Crown of France upon the payment of four hundred ninety four thousand crowns in good money This pourchase of Pignerol brought with it another strong engagement 'twixt the King and the Duke viz. a Ligue defensive and offensive by vertu whereof the one was to furnish twenty thousand foot and two thousand horse as formerly but the Duke was scrued up to a greater number then before being to furnish twelve thousand foot and two thousand horse upon necessitie of conjunction Our story hath sojourn'd a good while in Italy we must now crosse again the Hills to France where we find the Queen Mother and the Cardinall irreconcilable notwithstanding that the King himself labour'd much in the busines her passion went so high that she resolv'd never to sit in Counsell while the Cardinall was there This aversnes to the Cardinal was also infus'd into Monsieur who abetted his Mother and espoused her quarrell So without the Kings conge he retires to Orleans and thence to Lorain the Duke of Bellegarde then Governor of Champany attended him all the way through that Province notwithstanding that he had an intimation to the contrary from the King himself who followed Monsieur as far as Dijon but he was too swift for him and so could not be overtaken Hereupon a Declaration issued out wherein the Count of Moret Monsieurs base brother the Dukes of Elbeuf of Bellegarde and of Roanez Puylaurens President Coigneux and Monsigot and father Chanteloube were proclaym'd Traytors for infusing ill counsels into Monsieur and for accompagnying him out of the Kingdom without his Majesties consent this Declaration was sent to be verifi'd by the Court of Parlement at Paris the Court paus'd upon 't and excepting against the style and form of it delayed the verification putting the busines in deliberation yet they all blam'd and unanimously condemn'd the ill counsels and proceedings of Monsieur The King taking an indignation at this delay sent for the whole body of the Parlement to attend him at the Louure where by the mouth of the Lord Keeper they receiv'd a severe rebuke and the Clerk of the Court bringing with him the Register of the Act of deliberation upon the former Declaration was commanded to draw it off the file and in the place thereof to put the Arrest of the Privy Counsell whereby the said Act was annull'd with expresse inhibition to the said Court of Parlement to put in deliberation for the future any Declarations of that nature concerning affairs of State but to proceed instantly to the verification and registring of them The Queen Mother was now retir'd to Campeigne where the Marshall of Estree had a Garrison which she interpreted to be no other then a guard upon her thereupon the King dismiss'd the said Garrison So she privatly got away thence in Madame Frenoys Coach accompagnied only with the said Lady and one of her Chamber-women to Avenes which lies within the Territories of the King of Spain in the 17. Provinces and thence to Bruxels the Archduchesse having come to meet her on the way as far as Mons in Henault Monsieur from Lorain and the Queen Mother from Bruxells writ to the King and complain'd bitterly against the Cardinal how he would have removed her to Moulins and Anger 's where the contagion raignd and so have thrust her into the jawes of death she conjur'd him to think on the relation of Mother and Son and that she was the person most interessed in his preservation yet the Cardinal had pernicious intentions to make her die between fower walls this was the cause she left France and to journey thirty leagues without eating or drinking she goes on in declaring how conformable she was to his will in all things and how she respected his Authority in the hands of her enemies and so concluds that not being suffer'd to live in France in the calm of her own innocency the most sensible misery that could befall her was to be bereft of his presence c. Besides this Letter she sent another to the Parlement at Paris with a Remonstrance against the present Government The King returns her a harsh Answer and cleers his Cardinal in all things and publish'd a Declaration wherein he
of France holding Lorain in fee of the one and the Duchy of Bar of the other While the Treaty at Vic 'twixt the King and the Duke of Lorain was in agitation the Marshall de la Force and Schomberg took Moyenvic whence they marchd before the Town of Tryers the protection of whose Archbishop the King had undertaken he being amongst the seven Electors Lord High Chancelor of France as he of Collen is of Italy and he of Mentz of Germany Tryers in a short time fell to parley and so rendred herself upon honorable termes In this yeer there came an Ambassador from the Emperour of Morocco to the Court of France who afterwards went to his Majesty of Great Britain taking France first in his way as she stood he brought a Letter in Arabic to this effect God is Our confidence These Letters of the most mighty Emperour who being assisted by Divine grace and favor is alwayes happy swelling with victory whose most illustrious Court is full of grandeurs and prosperity are sent to the most Noble the most High and most excellent Dignity whose Realm within the bounds of Christendom hath the most illustrious name and ranke To the Dignity I say of the most eminent the most noble the most happy and the most renowned Emperour the King of France and Navar the Emperour Lewis son to mighty magnificent famous and magnanimous Emperours Having wish'd glory to God the soverain Master of all Glory and Majesty whose Empire hath no need of any Counsellor or the assistance of any Prince whose prayses cannot be expressed by any tongue though never so eloquent Having rendred the honours which are due to our Lord Mahomet most eminent in dignity most rich in treasure preserver of men in the tempestuous day of judgement we desire of God that the people made famous by this Prophet be acceptable unto him that he please to maintain them ever in his particular protection and that all they who love him persist to the end in the exercise of good and laudable actions And we make particular prayers for the prosperitie of his most high imperial prophetic and most eminent throne assisted always by God and wherein by the meanes of his invincible force the elect people and all his subjects are exalted his memory and steps remaining to eternity This Letter of our high Majesty hath bin written from the throne of our Empire of Maroc which God by his grace and goodnes and by the benediction of his Apostle conserve who doth not subsist but by the continuall assistance of God whose providence never ceasing to assist him serves incomparably more to his defence then any other of all the Armies of the world for which we render infinit thanks to his Divine Majesty to whom is the sole power strength and might c. The Superscription was To the most renowned and magnificent dwelling within all the bounds of Christendom the most eminent Palace The Palace of the most Honorable the most Noble the most Mighty Emperour the King of France and Navar the Emperour Lewis This Mahumetan Ambassador came from Muley King of Morocco in Barbary for the redemption of certain slaves that were in Marseilles Gallies which he obtain'd and in exchange all the French that were Captifs in Saly and other places belonging to Morocco were releas'd besides it was agreed that the King of France might nominat Consuls in those Towns of commerce which were under his Dominion who should have power to determin any controversie that might intervene between the subjects of France there traffiquing Such a bombardicall Letter he brought also accompagnied with presents to the King of Great Britain who sent an English Fleet in his favor against the Pyrats and Rebell Saint of Saly who did him much service for reducing the Town to his obedience Don Gonzales de Cordova passing through France to Flanders came to kisse the Kings hands who sent him a rich sword valued at four thousand crowns inlay'd with Diamonds which he refus'd and Monsieur Guron conducted him to Cambray he refus'd also the present that Gonzales would have given him saying That he disdain'd any present from him who refus'd the bounty of his King The Duke of Lorain receives Monsieur again into his Countrey notwithstanding the former Treaty and leavies forces for him to enter France the King being extremely incens'd thereat marcheth suddenly towards Lorain and employes the forces that was design'd for Germany that way with whom he joyn'd in person and took divers places in Lorain The Duke finding himself unable to resist and being in despair of any forces from Flanders the Spaniard being then busie at Mastric he had recourse to a Treaty which the King yeelded unto The Treaty was to be held at Liverdun where the Cardinal met the Deputies of the Duke Most of the Articles of the Treaty at Vic were confirm'd and the Duke was oblig'd besides to deliver unto him Iamets and Stenay for hostage and to make an absolut sale unto him of the County of Clermont for a pecuniary sum thus the busines was quickly concluded and the Cardinal of Lorain was to remain for pledge till the Capitulations were perform'd The Duke of Lorain being thus surpriz'd was made unable to assist Monsieur as he expected nor could he have any supplies from Flanders because of the siege at Maestrict yet he enters France with eighteen hundred horse most of them strangers as Liegeois and Crabats He publish'd a Manifesto to justifie his taking of Arms Charging Richelieu with the usurpation and dissipation of France and that he had no other intent but to let his Majesty know how much he was deceived and so exhorted all good Frenchmen to assist him in his laudable desseins The King caus'd a counter-Manifesto to be proclaimed declaring them Traytors in the highest degree that should adhere to Monsieur yet if he would lay down his Arms and submit himself within the compas of forty dayes after the publication of the said Manifesto he would forget all faults pass'd and Monsieur should find such welcome that he should have cause to extoll the Kings goodnes and detest the pernicious counsels that had bin given him The King doubting that words would little prevail without the sword dispatch'd Marshall de la Force with ten thousand foot and twelve hundred horse to Languedoc because he understood that Monsieur would draw in Monmorency to joyn him which he did with foure Bishops more the Duke of Monmorency then Governor of Languedoc summons the States together wherein he declar'd himself for Monsieur and never to separat from his interests till the Government was reform'd The King hearing of Monmorencies revolt was extreamly incens'd and the more because he had sent him extraordinary Commission and money besides to raise Troups for his service wherewith he was now ready to bandy against him therupon he commanded his House in Paris to be seiz'd on and all his goods inventoriz'd amongst which there were
of being question'd and so clap'd in the Bastile For the second there was alwayes ill bloud 'twixt him and the Duke of Espernon A Gentleman related unto me one facetious passage that happen'd 'twixt them The Archbishop was to go upon an Expedition to Sea and the Duke giving him a visit at Bourdeaux the Archbishop sent two Gentlemen to attend him and to desire him to entertain himself a little for he was dispatching some Commanders and Officers that were to go instantly to Sea The Duke for a little pot is soon heated took this in disdain as he had reason being Governour in chief of the Countrey and went suddenly away to his House Cadillac five leagues above Bourdeaux The next morning the Archbishop went to pay him his visit and the Duke being told he was there he sent two of his Gentlemen to desire his Reverence to have patience a while in regard he was newly entred into a Chapter of Saint Augustines De Civitate Dei and he would waite upon him as soon as he had done The King besides this under Condé had divers other Armies abroad about this time One in Picardy under Chastillon who pass'd the Some and entring Arthois took all the Advenues towards Saint Omer old Hesdin having bin pillag'd and burnt before and at last sate before the place two thousand soldiers and nine hundred peasans were perpetually at work for a circumvallation Marshall de la Force came with a considerable Army to joyn with Chastillon but a little before Prince Tomaso had defeated two French Regiments and Piccolomini came afterwards to second him so there were very hot services perform'd on both sides at last the Spaniards having reliev'd the Town by taking the Fort of Bac by which advantage they might cast in what strength they would the French forsook their works and so rais'd a costly siege and march'd towards Renti which they took not without sweat and bloud and after that Carelet the one was quite demolish'd the other better fortified The Duke of Longueville was now for the King in the Franche Conté where there happen'd divers encounters 'twixt the Duke of Lorain and him and many places taken and succour'd by both parties To these land Exploits we will add a sea combat which was fought before Gattary this yeer 'twixt the Spanish Galeons and the French Fleet commanded by the Archbishop of Bourdeaux where divers of the Spanish Galeons were taken as also another fight 'twixt the Gallies of Marseilles and those of Spain neer Genoa in both which Neptun threw his trident in favour of France Prince Casimir the King of Polands brother passing to Spain to be Viceroy of Portugall was stop'd about Marseilles and made prisoner because he went disguis'd as also because he had rais'd troupes of Crabats for the service of the king of Spain There came also to Paris Zaga Christos the youngest son of Iacob Emperour of Aethiopia or the Hahissins whose hard fate after a long civill War was to be kill'd in the Plaines of Guera by one Susneos a Rebell who rendred himself afterwards Emperour Iacobs three sons were forc'd to fly and this being the youngest after many hazardous wandrings and accidents arriv'd at last in Italy and thence he came to Paris where he was entertain'd in the quality of a Prince France was at a high cumble of felicity at this time and to augment it the more the Queen was brought to bed of a Prince who made the seventeenth Dauphin of France since the first she had a speedy delivery at Saint Germain de lay the fifth of September the same moneth his father was born whither divers reliques had been brought her amongst others our Ladies girdle of Puy which she wore during her throngs The King was at dinner when newes was brought him and so he went suddenly to the Queens chamber where amongst the Ladies he found Monsieur his brother and he had good reason to be there to see what was brought into the world This was one of the rarest passages of this kind that ever happen'd in France or any other part of the world it being little lesse then a miracle that a young King and Queen should bed so long together and not have any issue till the twenty third yeer of their cohabitation and concumbence for so long was this Dauphin a getting One may easily imagine what triumphings and publique acclamations of joy were up and down France for this so long expected Royal Off-spring nor was this gladnes bounded there but it dispers'd it self up and down all places of Christendom that were friends to France and struck a kind of wonderment into the world In Rome there were divers inventions and curiosities found out to expresse a congratulation Before the French Ambassadors Palace who was then the Marshall De Estrée there was a triumphant Obelisck with the armes of France and this ostentous Inscription underneath Ludovici XIII Christianissimi Galliarum et Navarrae Regi Qui Pullulantem per avita regna Haereticam Hydram Petulantem in Orbe Christiano novum Geryonem Herculea Clava compressit Aras per impietatem eversas Principes per tyrannidem oppressos Armata pietate restituit Aequissimi Herois Justitiae debito Delphino Inter aurea Lilia nascenti Inter paternos lauros vagienti Futuro futurorum monstrorum Alcidi In afflictorum subsidium In Tyrannorum excidium In Liliorum aeternum germen In Ecclesiae invictum columen Ecaelo in terris stupenda ratione demisso Plausus Acclamationes Trophaea Futurae Gloriae argumenta praesentis laetitiae Monumenta Attollit adjungit erigit Franciscus Hannibal Estraeus c. For publique arguments of joy Prisoners and Gallislaves were releas'd two were ennobled in every Generalty throughout the Kingdom besides foure Masters were created in every Trade throughout France with divers other priviledges afforded them of Paris This yeer 1638. was fruitfull for Royall Princess els-where for besides the French Dauphin the King of Spain had a daughter and the Emperour had a son borne within the compas of it The siege before Brisac whereof we spake before grew more and more stubburn in so much that the Town began now to think of making her last Will and Testament and so bequeath'd her self into the hands of Bernard Weymar who besides Dutch English Sweds and Scotch had an Army of 10000. French under his command The said Weymar pretended a propriety to the place otherwise after so obstinat an opposition and slaughter of his men he had given no quarter There were 135. Peeces taken in the Town and Castle with very much Treasure After she was taken there happend an ilfavor'd travers twixt the Duke and the King who would have put a French Governour into the Town it went so far that the French Army made towards the Duke and his Germans with others who discharg'd upon them and divers were kill'd on both sides but the French fury was appeas'd and matters were suddenly aton'd so a mix'd
wedded himself to the best Towns of Lorain and Barri that 't is thought he will hardly be ever divorc'd from any of them unlesse he be forc'd The Citie of Paris was now full of Catalans and Portugals who strowted up and down the streets their new King having sent two Ambassadors thither in joynt Commission In the interim the Spanish Ambassadors at Rome negotiat strongly that the Duke of Bragansa be excommunicated for an Usurper if this had taken effect it had made the King of France incapable to assist him being an excommunicated person but France had such a powerfull faction in the Consistory and the Pope himself was such a friend to her that the Catholic King could do little good in this point There had some former counterbuffs pass'd betwixt the Cardinall and the Count of Soissons who had slighted one of his Neeces for marriage but now there was a new clash happen'd between them in the Armies in Picardy where the Cardinal would have advanc'd his colours before the Count of Soissons The King abetted his Cardinal hereupon the Count retires in discontentment to Sedan and got the Duke of Bovillon to ligue with him They rays'd a considerable Army and encountred the Kings forces which they routed but the Count being too eager and poursuing a broken Troupe of horse which was flying it was his hard fate to be kill'd by one of the Cardinals servants who then bore Armes The fall of this Prince of the Bloud in the prime vigor of his virility causd much lamentation in France mix'd with some murmurings against the Cardinal And it was a good turn for him in regard now that Soissons was taken away there was no Prince throughout all France able to uphold a faction against him France was bless'd with another masculine Royall off-spring the Duke of Anjou which did not raise so much wonder as the Dauphin for he as I told you before was two and twenty yeers a getting this but a twelvemoneth and a few dayes Marie de Medici Queen Mother and Dowager of France expir'd this yeer who may be said to be one of the greatest Queens that ever were being grandchild and gran neece to two glorious Emperours Ferdinand and Charles the Fifth wife of Henry the Great Mother to the three mighty Kings of France Great Britain and Spain and to the ancientest Prince of Christendom the Duke of Savoy She had bin Regent of France many yeers during which time she discover'd extraordinary abilities transcending her sex shewas afterwards twice in Armes against her sonne and she came at last to conceive such a Iunonian indignation against the Cardinal de Richelieu who had bin chief of her Counsels and her creature afterwards in point of greatnesse for she first preferr'd him to the King that the breach could never be made up between them that one might say Nec quenquam jam ferre potest Regina priorem Richeliúsve parem She was us'd to say That the worst thing she ever did was the advancement of Richelieu In the sense of this high indignation she forsook France and drew a voluntary exile upon her self whereby she was so toss'd up and down to severall Countreys that she became a Tenisball to the blind inconstant Goddesse she first retir'd to Flanders where she found good respect and contentment during the life of the Archduchesse but then being distasted with the Spanish Ministers she remov'd to Holland thence to England where she found most Royall allowance and Hospitality and her last retirement was to Colen where she liv'd reclus'd exercising her self in strict exercises of devotion in her way and so breath'd her last Such was her fate I will not say her faut that Bellona follow'd her wheresoever she went as also her three daughters yet in her own nature she detested war specially that with Spain and that with Savoy And this was thought to be the ground of her animosity against the Cardinal The King of France having thoroughly undertaken the protection of the Catalans sent a royall army composed most of Gascons and of them of the Religion which rush'd into the County of Roussillon the Key of Spain towards that part of the Pyreneys This County was once an appendix of France but being hypothequ'd and morgag'd to the King of Aragon for a summe of money it was never redeem'd since France had better fortune in this second Invasion of Spain then she in the first at Fontarabia Perpignan the strongest Fort of Christendom for the bignes was besieg'd and the King himself made his approach thither in person so after a tough stubborn siege by famine rather then force the Town and Castle yeelded wherein there were above 120. great Canons The Spaniard had some requitall though nothing adaequat to the losse of Perpignan in the Netherlands about this time for he regain'd the Town of Aire from the French and the French took Bipalma towards Cambray from the Spaniard The Cardinal of Richelieu was sick that time the Queen Mother died at Colen yet he strain'd himself to creep to the Altar and officiated many Church duties for her soul From that time he was never perfectly recovered so about the latter end of this yeer he died himself in his Cardinal Palace at Paris He was so attenuated and dried up with exces of care and encombrances of the brain that his body might be said to be but a sackfull of bones and a meere Scheleton This gran Minister being thus gone Cardinal Mazarin a Gentleman of an ancient Roman extraction was put to sit at the helm A man of the same habit and habilitie as if the soul of Richelieu had transmigrated into him He was a bosome friend and a great intrinsic Confident of Richelieu before who had imparted his desseins and infus'd all his maximes into him and open'd unto him all the Arcana Imperii He had bin an active politicall instrument employ'd by the Pope before in sundry Treaties and difficult traverses of State wherein he had good successe and in all his negotiations he was discover'd to be a person of excellent addresse and rare endowments The King did not long survive his Cardinal of Richelieu for he fell mortally ill five moneths after at which time this great Monarch paid nature her last debt and what earthly Potentate is there though never so independent and absolute that is exempt from this tribute He expir'd the 14th of May in the afternoon the same moneth the same day of the moneth and about the same houre of the day that his father died 33. yeers before but with this mark of difference that the one went and the other was sent out of the world about the same time His bowels were presently carried to be interr'd at Saint Denis the last rendevous of all the French Kings whither his Body follow'd after in the height of all Solemnitie and Magnificence that his Queen could possibly devise whom he left Regent a Lady of rare temper
that competency which beasts use to have to satisfie the necessities of Nature for there is not upon earth a more plentiful Countrey and a poorer people generally then the Pesantry of France There vvas another reach of State vvhy the common people vvere kept so poore and indigent vvhich vvas that he might be supplied with soldiers to furnish his Infantry for the vvars vvhereunto necessity vvill drive any one At the sound of his Drum they came alvvaies in multitudes to serve him because he had alvvayes store of treasure to pay them He had at one time above 120000. of them in severall Armies nor vvere there ever such services perform'd by French foot vvho formerly had but small repute in the vvorld vvith these and his cavalry he perform'd such exploits that as I said before posterity must have a strong faith to beleeve them such exploits that Mars himself the ascendent of France might have bin invited to partake of his triumphs vel et ipse vocari Iupiter ad praedam posset With these he drew the overwhelmings of Spain into a narrower channel and put her to cast her policy into a new mould for whereas before she was for many yeers upon the conquering and offensive part she is now content to stand upon her guard and put her self upon the conserving and defensive part By these performances of France against the Monarchy of Spain it visibly appears what advantage a little body that hath his joynts well knit and compacted and hath also his radicall moisture and radicall heat the two gran columns of life dispers'd in equall proportion throughout all parts to actuate the whole and make it vigorous for such is France may have over a huge unweldy bulk whose members by vast uneven distances are so loosly kept together as the Spanish Monarchy is known to be which were she as closely knit as France or the Ottoman Empire either which extends two and thirty hundred miles and but the Hellespont between in one continued peece from Buda in Hungary to Bagdad or Babylon in Asia I say if the modern Monarchy of Spain were so closely united she might compare with the greatest that hath bin yet upon Earth And now will we put an absolut period to the history of the life of Lewis the Thirteenth Which we have illustrated in the best manner we could as also to this Corollary and short transcurrence of his raign which lasted thirty three yeers and his whole life hardly reach'd to forty three a time which as was said before in a well dispos'd body is accounted but the Meridian of manhood whether nature posted away and hastned thus her course in him and made him old before his time by her own weaknes or by accident as some mutter we will not determin but rather give faith to the first cause and to divers dangerous sicknesses whereof he had pass'd the brunt formerly as also to exces of care and intentivenes of mind and personall pains in the war He had a long time to study the art of dying his disease being a Consumption which afforded him space enough to set his House in order He spoak oft times of the troubles of Great Britain in his sicknes and once he was overheard to say that it was a just judgement because his Brother of England would have assisted his subjects once against him So this great King died in the highest glory of his actions for his sayles swell'd with prosperous winds till he came to his last port He had settled all things so exactly that when he came to die he had nothing els to do but to die which he did so gently that it was rather a soft dissolution then death By his high exemplary vertues and strangenes to vice he was a Saint amongst Kings on earth and now may be a King among Saints in heaven whither he went on Ascension day For his acts of prowesse he deserves to have the Alps for his tomb the Pyrenean Mountains for his monument for he made them both to stoop unto him He left his Queen a yeer and some moneths younger then himself Regent as it was her due by Saint Lewis law which she might have clam'd by merit as well as by right for she had bin marvailously complying carefull and indulgent of him A Lady of admirable sweetnes moderation and prudence for she never tamper'd with the Government in his time nor would she meddle with the Election of any Officer or Minister of State nor interpose in any thing but in matters of mercy and pardon and then she would be sure to have an inkling how the King was inclin'd which made her receive few denials so that being much importun'd for Monmorency's pardon whose first crime was the last action of his life she would by no means attempt it The young King was foure yeers and eight moneths old when his father died so that the Queen is to rule in chief till he be fourteen whereby France in statu quo nunc may be said to have fallen under the government of Strangers the Queen Regent being a Spaniard and Mazarini the Prime Minister of State an Italian THE LIFE OF ARMAND IOHN DE PLESSIS Cardinal of RICHELIEU HAving done with the Master we will now descend to his Minister the Cardinal of Richelieu a man so cryed up that every corner of Christendom rang of his report for twenty yeers together nay the walls of the Seraglio ecchoed with his fame and fear of the mighty doings of France which made the Turks to think oftner upon that famous Prophecy they have amongst them that the Ottomans should at last get Kenzal almai the Red Apple which they interpret to be Rome but not long after their Empire should be destroy'd by a Flower by which they think are meant the Freinks He was a Gentleman of very ancient descent for in the Tree of his genealogie I find that by the House of Dreux his Ancestors were allied to Lewis the gros one of the Kings of France and by a direct uninterrupted line he came for thirteene degrees from Father to Son from William of Plessis who was a Gentleman of high account in Philip Augustus time 1179. When his father Francis De Plessis died he was but five yeers old and so remain'd under the tutele of his Mother Susanna de Porta who gave him all the advantagious breeding that could be in Paris where he was born both in an Academy for riding and handling of armes and in the University for learning he made choice of the Colledge of Sorbon to finish the course of his studies where he took the profession of a Theologue and so became a Sorbonist Doctor He had two brothers Francis the eldest was kill'd by the Marquis of Themines in duel Alphonso the second being elected Bishop of Lusson forsook the pomp of the world and betook himself to the austere life of a Carthusian whose rule is never to eat flesh and so resign'd the Bishoprick
of Soldiers for his guard After this he was made Super-Intendent Generall of the Marine a new Office and such that there was never any of the like latitud of power erected in France for thereby he had authority to supervise not onely all the Sea Ports and shipping of in both the Seas but to do any thing that might cōduce to the regulating and advance of Trade so he fell presently to work and fortified Haure de grace Brouage the Isle of Ré Oleron Verdun with divers other Afterwards happen'd the Siege of Rochell where in the Kings absence he was made General a while and that famous Sea Dike was ascrib'd to his invention in chief after fifteen moneths siege the town was reduc'd having bin driven to the utmost extremities of want as to eat nefandous meats the leather of Coches which serv'd before for Instuments of pride did now preserve them from starving at last they petition'd the Cardinal to be their Intercessor to his Majestie for them who got them more favourable conditions then was expected The King went thence to Italy with the same Army for the most part and having cross'd the Alps he took the passe of Susa and rais'd the siege of Casal only with the fame of his Person and Armes and so reliev'd the Duke of Mantova having had besides some dispute with the Duke of Savoy about his passage he left the Cardinal behind to see all things settled Who returning afterwards to France found the King in Languedock having debell'd almost the whole body of them of the Religion but the Plague being hot in that Province he went to Paris and left his Cardinal to perfect the work which he did at Mountauban which was the last Town that was surrendred and so may be said to have bin the key of the whole work Being return'd to Paris there came news that the Duke of Savoy abetted by Imperial and Catholic armes poursued still his interests against the Duke of Mantova In prejudice as was pretended of the late Articles 'twixt him and France The Cardinal was appointed Generalissimo of two Armies wherewith he travers'd the Alps again took the Town and Castle of Pignerol and returning to Lion to give account of his service he found the King sick and powerfull enemies at Court but especially he found the Queen Mother averse to him He perceiv'd the faction so strong against him that he fell on his knees before the King desiring that he would please to dispense with his attendance any more at Court and that he might be permitted to retire to his devotions and the functions of his Ministery the King being now indifferently wel recover'd went to visit him the next day and absolutly denied him leave to depart the Court saying There was no reason he should forsake them who loved him to humor the caprichios of those that did not love him The Kings Army which he had left in Italy under Schomberg was at this time at an extreme low ebb and upon point of mutining if not disbanding for want of pay and there was scarce one thousand pound then in the Kings Coffers yet notwithstanding the branling hazardous stand he was at by reason of the Kings sicknes and the potent combination which was a foot and banded so eagerly against him he of his own store sent two hundred thousand Franks to keep life in the Army and this was before the Kings recovery or assurance of the continuation of his favor He was afterwards made General of the Order of the Abbots of Premonstré and he had also the attribut of Eminence given him which was solemnly confirmed by Rome to distinguish and peculiarize him from other Cardinals and Princes of the Church nor would he receive any Letters or speak with any Ambassadors unlesse they would give him that Title The Queen Mother utterly misliking his aimes of policy which tended to put the Princes her children together by the eares forsook France and Monsieur followed her He return'd with a considerable strength of horse and Monmorency the popular'st man of France joyn'd with him to reform the State and to ruine the Cardinal who was us'd to call the said Monmorency his son but they miss'd of their ayme Afterwards the Count of Soissons joyn'd with the Duke of Bovillon attempted the like and had Soissons liv'd it was probable they might have done something for they had utterly routed the Kings Army but Soissons being kill'd it quail'd the whole plot The last attempt to destroy him was by Monsieur le Grand who had intelligence with the Spaniard but it was detected and so crush'd in the shell and he with Monsieur de Thou beheaded There were also divers privat attempts upon him Alfeston would have pistoll'd him Chavagnac and Barnard would have poison'd him Gargan and Bouchard who were reputed Magitians would have bewitch'd him but they had all ropes for their rewards so nature ran out her course in him without violence for he died in his bed and at his house in Paris about the dead of Winter in the beginning of December a little after the King had visited him and bad him his last adieu having not reach'd 58. yeers His right arme began to mortifie many moneths before and his whole body was grown so lanke and thin as it look'd like an Anatomy He principally recommended to the King Cardinal Iulio Mazarini to whom he had open'd all the boxes of his breast together with Monsieur Chauvigny Noyer advising his Majesty to steer his cours by their Counsell and he should still prosper and triumph He bequeath'd his body to the Colledge of Sorbon And touching his estate which was valued at neer upon sixty millions of Franks he divided it to sundry Legacies he gave the Marquis of Pont de Courlay the Duchy of Richelieu together with the government of Brouage To the Marquis of Brezé the Duchy of Fronsac estimated at an hundred thousand Franks yeerly rent together with the government of Haure de grace He bequeath'd to the Duchesse of Eguillon his House at Ruel with fifty thousand Franks rent He gave Monsieur du Plessis Chinee twenty thousand crowns a yeer His Cardinal Palace in Paris where he expir'd he bequeath'd to the King with all the Plate and Housholdstuffe thereunto belonging and a Jewel valued at two hundred thousand crowns To the young Dauphin he gave his Library rated at fifty thousand crownes To every one of his Praetorian soldiers he bequeath'd two hundred crowns apeece and preferr'd them all for a guard to the Dauphin By this vast estate it appears that though he was so active in his Masters busines yet he did not neglect his own so that the Kings service was not the sole Center of his endeavours as he was usd to say often Such was the emigration out of this world of Armand Iohn du Plessis Cardinal of Richelieu Duke and Peer of France Knight of the holy Spirit and Super-Intendent Generall of the navigation and commerce of
vel jure vel injuria capite plecti voluit Magnates aliquot carcere perpetuo plures exilio damnavit multos ab Aula removit innumeros proscripsit ne ipsius consiliis obessent nec unquà m mitis Gallia tam frequentia supplicia vidit Magni Regis quem magno studio decepit nixus potentia foecundi Regni opibus adjutus infinitas sagittas perdidit ut scopum praecipnum a quo aberravit attingeret Aliquos exitus secundos insanis conatibus pepererunt mentis actio vel agitatio continua projecta est omnia tentans mentis audacia rigida severitas Brevi evertendus si inter hostes externos aliquos cautiores inter aversos Gallos ferè omnes vel adversarium unum invenisset Multùm illi favit quod eum vix quis noverit vel iis qui noverant crediderit Adeo fortunatus ut qui illi infensi erant nobiles milites pro illius gloria suum alienum funderent sanguinem dum ille regio jungeret suum In quo consilio Sejanus periit ipse perierat nisi Soissonensem Regium principem sustulisset Tam noxiae potestatis vestigia integro saeculo Germania Hispania Italia Belgium sed maximè Gallia vix delebunt Et Civium et vicinorum miseriis voluptatem captans ut istis capillos velleret illorum viscera laniaret Nec Regis sui sacrae valetudini aliquid indulsit illam agitavit dum suam exhausit curis vario animi pathemate Illi primò divinae nemesis brachium corrupit quod contra coelum tetenderat mox abstulit usum Dextrae quae bellis ultro illatis subscripserat illud octo ante obitum mensibus computruit unde haec exaruit Quod dolendum qui Deum ita Vindicem sensit non agnovit Id ex eo conjice quod furorem in hostes privatos ardentiùs exercuit Quod imminente morte politica magis prudentia quà m Christiana pietate plus suos Regi quam se Deo Comendavit Quod paucis diebus ante vitae tragicae catastrophen excogitatam a se fabulam quam Europam triumphantem vocabat exhiberi regia magnificentia voluit non tamen spectare potuit Quod Ecclesiam afflixit Cardinalis sanguinem effudit Sacerdos nullas injurias condonavit Christianus nec Homo meminerit se esse mortalem etiam cum ebullientes e multis ulceribus vermes admonerent quam fragili faetidae corruptioni obnoxious esset Ubi omnibus viis etiam impiis per 18. annos ad privatum dispendio publici cucurrit finem ad comnunem hominum placida in speciem morte sed multis quos praemisit tardiore tandem pervenit Fato functus est Lutetiae ante 57. cum tribus mensibus Galliam Domum deserens utramque incendere velle visus est illam extorta in Regis fratrem declaratione istam ad placitum foeminae condito testamento Caeterum nec unquum dives Gallia tantum homini contulit nec alium Natura satis impatiens tam diu pertulit nec pacis amans mortuum ullum tam hilariter extulit Haec palam assero quae tu clam suspicatus es sapiens Viator si quem adhuc dubitantem invenis roga ne deceptis vel corruptis adulatoribus credat sed mihi vera ex intimis sincerisque promenti Omnes verò Mortales ut sibi persuadeant velim plus apud Deum valere justitiam vel minimam quà m potestatem maximam nec aestimandam tam latè diffusam famam sed bonam Multa turbare non esse multum agere turbata componere plus esse ne turbentur impedire plurimum esse Vulgus felicia scelera pro virtutibus ducit tu contra nihil infelicius felici scelere cogita Fraudum egregius Artifex Richelius plurimos ad momentum decepit forte seipsum in perpetuum Heu Universa quae miscuit non rediget in ordinem qui pacem quae cum illius ingenio turbulento non conveniebat etiam fortunae suae non convenire credebat Inde tot mala quae Christianum Orbem a 15. annis afflixerunt Ora ne sit Deus vindex aeternus in authorem qui magna misericordiâ multisque miserationibus in magnis multisque criminibus indigebat Tu Hospes Christiane seriò perpende quam nihil sit quicquid momento praeterit Nemo ex istis quos purpuratos vides ex hoc ipso felix est non magis quà m ex illis quibus sceptrū chlamydem in scena fabulae assignant cum praesenti populo elati incesserunt et cothurnati simul exierunt excalceantur ad staturam suam redeant Adde parvus cinis modo est qui magnus Ignis fuit teter fumus nunc est qui nuper coruscans splendor omnium oculos perstringebat Utinam non et fax illi in alio sit orbe qui in hoc Europae fuit Haec jam pacem extincto bellorum fomite sperat Hortarer te Viator ut tanto pacis etiam suae dum viveret hosti pacem precareris nisi vererer ne illi molestus esses rem quam oderat illi apprecando precare tamen quia juberis inimicos deligere si ad illum non pervenerit pax ad te revertetur sic imperat Christus in quo vive pacificus ut in Illo placide conquiescas Interim vale This Epitaphicall Invective being a kind of Character of the whole man and a Legend of his life I thought worthy of rendring into English for the concisenes and weight of the style First O Passenger I desire thee to praise Almighty God that thou mayst read this securely in France Then admire that he is coop'd up in so narrow a compasse now dead whom living the whole Earth could scarce contain when he mov'd Her he also shook the Heavens arrogating to himself this Motto Mens sydera volvit That thou mayst know what an Intelligence this was He was in point of industry sagacious but turbulent being an Enemy both to the publique peace and his own In that great wit which neverthelesse some suspected some of his Familiars observ'd a great mixture of madnes All things puzzled his mind nothing settled it He stood so long not so much by the love of his great Master but by authority being more fortunat for the successe of things then solidity of counsell unhappy onely in the wrath of God being perpetually attended with foule diseases He was subject to both Choler 's the tormenters of mans life black and yellow so the poyson which he disgorg'd for others ruine was felt by himself He was ambitious above all men covetous above most prodigall of the Kings money and sparing of his own when cross'd he was cruell and more when he intended to crosse Being enrich'd by the Queen Mothers benefits promoted by her care and made potent by her power he deprived Her both of the Kings grace of her liberty goods and of France it self and at last of life at Colen where she died an exile He spar'd
distribatum paupertatem populo imperatam Dissipatos Principes Nobilitatem suppliciis exhaustam Senatum authoritate spoliatum exter as gentes bello incendiis vastatos Pacem terrâ marique profligatam Cùm fatiscente corpore animum gravioribus consiliis aegrè vegetaret Et nullius non interesset ipsum aut vivere aut mori Iamque bona sui parte mortuus aliorum tantum morte viveret Derepente spirare desiit et timeri O fluxa Mortalitatis Quà m tenue momentum est inter Omnia et nihil Mortui corpus rheda extulit Sccuti Equites peditesque magno numero Faces praetulerunt Ephebi crucem nemo quia currus publicam ferebat Denique hunc tumulum implet non totum Quem tota Europa non implebat Inter Theologos situs ingens disputandi argumentum Quo migravit sacramemtum est Haec te Lector volui heic te metire Et abi Stay Passenger where hastne'st thou Here may'st Thou read what thou shalt see nor hear any where els Armand Iohn du Plessis Cardinal of Richelieu Noble by descent great in wit most eminent in fortune And what thou may'st admire A Priest in the field a Divine at Court A Bishop without Cure a Cardinal without Title a King without name Yet One who was all these He had Nature in all her numbers Fortune in his Counsels The Royall treasure in possession Security in war Victory under his banner He kept his Confoederats in compasse his Countrey men in servitude His Friends at a distance his Enemies in prison In this only wretched that he made all men so Being as well the torment as the ornament of his times He subdued France he scar'd Italy he shook the Empire He afflicted Spain he crown'd Bragantia he took Lorain He accepted of Catalonia he fomented Swethland he maim'd Flanders He troubled England he cousen'd all Europe A purpled Poet Whose stage was the world glory his curtain the Exchequer his tyring-house His subject for the most part tragicall to which he put an il Catastrophe Having turn'd the Kingdom to Legacies bequeath'd poverty to the people Dissipated the Princes exhausted the Nobility with punishments Bereft the Parlement of power destroy'd other Nations with fire and sword driven away Peace by Sea and Land His body now fainting his mind not recreable for restles thoughts when it concern'd every one that he should live or die Being already mortified a good part and living only in others death He suddenly ceas'd to breath and to be fear'd O the frayl things of mortality What a small moment is there 'twixt something and nothing The corps was caried in a Chariot horse and foot follow'd in great numbers Pages caried Torches none the Crosse for the Chariot carried the public Crosse In fine he hardly fill'd up his grave Whom all Europe could not fill He lies among the Sorbonists Of dispute a mighty argument And where he is gone 't is a Sacrament Reader this is all I would have with thee Hereby measure thy self and be gone Thus was this great man the subject of every mans censure a thing incident and inevitable to all Favorits and Minions of Princes who like wooden popagayes fastned upon high poles are marks for every one to shoot at they are expos'd to unsavory as well as to sweet breaths to rough blasts as to gentle brizes But our Cardinal had taken such deep rooting in his Masters heart that for many yeers no crosse winds though never so impetuous and violent were able to shake him Add hereunto that he strongly fortified himself by alliances and had in his hands the tenablest places of France by Sea and Land So that he seem'd to be like a tree planted upon the Mount Olympus transcending all meteorologicall impressions and those frog-vapors and malignant ayres which use to hover in the lower Regions and if there hung any his Masters countenance like the Orient Sun would presently dispell them Considering as the world knows a directing minister of State was requisit in France certainly the King could not light upon a more idoneous instrument for he was cut out for a States-man his brain was alwayes at work and his thoughts still grinding something his counsels were oracles and his desseins mysteries till put in execution and then they turn'd to exploits most commonly He was not only wise but politic Now wisdome and policy as it is taken in these times though they both agree in their ends yet they differ in the means conducing to attain their ends the first goes the plain direct high road the other useth now and then some odd by-paths Never any brought the principles of policy which are generall and confus'd to a greater certainty they are easily prescrib'd but practis'd with more difficultie then those of any other Art The Navigator directed by his Compasse is sure to come at such a height and arrive to such a Port the Mathematician can exemplifie and really demonstrate the truth of any of his principles The Architect by his Model and instruments can exactly having materials accordingly raise such an edifice The Musician scruing up his strings to such a height is sure to hit upon such a tune The Physitian knowing the vertue and operation of his drugs is sure they will restringe or purge open or obstruct It is not so with the Polititian who though he adapt and apply his principles never so dextrously yet he cannot assure himselfe of the effects which must be imputed to the world of contingencies obstacles and inexpected accidents which use to attend the negotiations of men specially matters of State and War yet this great Minister brought them to as much certitude as could be In so much that before the breach with Spain he was us'd to say that the Almightie and irresistible hand of heaven was only able to ranverse his desseins not any humane power And it prov'd true for the Austrian tree which was the ayme of all his policies was never so shaken nor France never so secur'd so that take the Theoric and Practic part of policy together Olivares Oxenstern his contemporaries yea Machiavil himself taking him in the best sense had he bin living might have bin his apprentices And it was the more easie for him to bring such things to passe in regard that he had the power of disposing all things entire and so concentred in himself that he met with no opposition with no crosse counsels or contestation for the King had resign'd not only his power but his judgement and all the faculties of his soul unto him alone nor would he listen to any advis'd him otherwise which was no small advantage to the cariage of things for though in the multitude of Counsellors there be safety yet in the conduct of State affaires specially Martiall wherein secrecy and speed are so essentially requisit that they may be said to be the two poles whereon they move I say in the tracing and managery of such actions where oft-times
for them yet they deserve to have Laurels upon their heads and Palmes of victory in their hands to all posterity Crescet occulto velut Arbor aevo Nomen Armandi Ludovicus ingens Stella fulgebit velut inter Ignes Luna minores FINIS An Alphabeticall Table of such matters that are the principall Ingredients of this Story A ANne of Austria affianc'd to Lewis the Thirteenth of France 13 Her dowry 13 Her joynture 14 Her Letter to the King of France 31 Made Regent of France 135 Anagrams on Henry the Great 5 Analogy 'twixt the Dauphin of France and the Duke of Cornwall 2 Advantage of a little well compacted body over a great 151 M. of Ancre's entrance into favour 16 He is slain by Vitry 37 Sentenc'd after death 38 His body untomb'd dragg'd up and down hang'd hack'd to peeces and burnt 38 A censure of him 38 Antipathy 'twixt the Spaniard and French 32 Five French Ambassadors in Italy in one yeer 34 Assembly of the three Estates meet at the Kings majority 23 Assembly of Notables first convok'd 40 All the Alliances that have pass'd 'twixt England and France 67 The D. of Angoulesme before Rochell and his stratagem to deceive the English 8 Marq Ambrosio Spinola's exploits in Italy a clash 'twixt him and Olivares 92 Governor of Milan and besiegeth Casal 93 His Epitaph 95 Archduchesse Isabella dieth at Brussels 106 Articles upon the mariage 'twixt England and France 64 Articles 'twixt the Swed and the French 99 Articles t'wixt the French and the Hollander upon the breach with Spain 109 Clandestine articles twixt the Duke of Rohan and the Spaniard 87 Articles 'twixt the French King and Charles Duke of Lorain 101 Articles 'twixt the King of France and Monsieur his brother 104 Articles 'twixt the French and Catalans 128 The Authours caution to the Reader 6 Armes how ill they become Church-men in the Proem B Bassompierre Ambassador in England 76 Battaile of Norlinghen 108 Bernard Weymar takes Rhinfeild 118 Brisac 125 His Epitaph 126 Becanus book De potestate Regis et Papae condemn'd at Rome 16 Birth and baptisme of Lewis the Thirteenth 1 Birth of the now Duke of Anjou 133 Blasphemous praises of the Cardinal of Richelieu in the Proem Duke of Bovillon invites the Pr of Condé to arme by a notable speech 17 M. de Bois Dauphin General for the King 29 Breda repris'd by the Hollander 116 Breme taken by the Spaniard 119 Duke of Buckingham sent to France to demand and conduct her now Majesty to England 67 The Duke of Buckinghams Manifesto after he had invaded France 77 The causes of the breach 80 The manner of his landing 82 His Letter to Toiras and the answer he receivd 83 His infortunat retreat prisoners taken and releas'd for her Majesties sake 84 The Duke of Buckinghams omissions in the Isle of Ré the causer of them 84 C Cardinals made Generalls 183 Catalonia falls from the Spaniard and the causes why 128 Pr Casimir taken prisoner in France 128 Character of Henry the Great 5 The Chamber of Accounts refuse to verifie the Kings Letter 29 Cadenet Ambassadour in England 56 The Chymericall Ambassadors 169 Christina the second daughter of Henry the Great maried to the Prince of Piemont her portion 42 The D. of Cheureux marieth the Lady Henrietta Maria to the King of England 66 Clergy men most dangerous if misapplied 128 A Clash 'twixt the Duke and the Parlement of Paris 27 A Clash 'twixt the Counsel of State and the Parlement with the Parlements submission 28 Condé and his Adhaerents proclaym'd Traytors 29 His clandestine consults in Paris apprehended in the Louure 35 Prince of Condé distasts the match with Spain 14 Puts himself in Arms to hinder the Queens entrance 28 A great Contention 'twixt the Church men in Paris 11 Contentions in the Generall Assembly of the three Estates 23 The Close and funerall of it 26 Cotton the Iesuit vindicats his Society 9 Count of Auvergne eleven yeers prisoner in the Bastile 37 Count of Chalais beheaded 74 D. of Crequies splendid Ambassage to Rome 106 Kil'd before Breme 119 His Epitaph 120 D Dauphin whence deriv'd 2 The Dauphin now king born 124 Decree of the Colledge of Sorbon against Francis Cupif 117 A Declaration sent to Rochell wherein the English are branded 79 Difference 'twixt the Germans and French at Brisac 127 Difference 'twixt Conde and Soissons about the Napkin 46 Difference 'twixt forren Princes and the Kings base sons 91 Disadvantagious to live 'twixt two potent neighbours exemplified in the Dukes of Savoy and Lorain 93. 101 Dismission of the French from the Queen of Englands service 75 The reasons why 76 Divers odd desseins fear'd in France 73 Distinction 'twixt liberty and priviledge 24 Dionysius his flatterers in the Proem A Discourse upon judiciary Astrology 15 Prince Doria taken prisoner by the French 94 Duke of Mains stately Ambassy to Spain about an alliance 13 Duke of Pastrana in France 14 E How Edward the Confessor us'd an Astrologer 15 Ecclesiasticus a scandalous book writ by Schioppius 16 Divers Errours of the French Chroniclers reflecting upon England 76 Duke of Espernon questions the Rochellers 38 He clasheth with the Court of Parlement 26 A pleasant passage 'twixt him and the Archbishop of Bourdeaux 123 He traceth the Queen Mothers escape out of Blois 43 He is outed of his Government and dieth a little after 123 Emanuel Duke of Savoy his exploits in Italy 71 He highly complains of the King of France whence arise some traverses 'twixt him and Monsieur Bullion the French Ambassador 72 His death prophecied 94 Epitaph upon Marshall Crequy 120 Epitaph upon Marq. Spinola 95 Epitaph upon Saxen Weymar 126 Epitaphs upon Cardinal de Richelieu 178 An Ethiopian Prince Zaga Christos arriv'd in Paris 120 Edicts against duels blasphemy 22 F Master Fairfax put to the torture before Montauban 58 The Falshood of some French Annalists in divers things and their stupidity in relating names 76 The Duke of Fereaincens'd against the Duke of Savoy 97 A fearfull unknown Fire in the Palace of Paris 42 Another when the two bridges were burnt 57 Ferrier a reformed Minister turnd Roman Catholic 14 Five French armies in motion in one sommer 111 Florimond de Puy a Reformed Gentleman beheaded for treason 11 Fontarabia besieg'd by the French 122 Don Fernando the King of Spains youngest brother dieth at Brussells 131 A strange libell touching him and his brother Don Carlos 132. The French soon weary of peace 3 French beaten before Theonville 126 G Master George Digby cutts Scioppius on the face for defaming King James 16 Don Gonsalez de Cordova refuseth the King of France his present 103 Gasper Galilei Galileo racants his opinion in Rome for holding the Sun to rest and the earth to move 107 His punishment ibid. Galigay the Marchiones of Ancre's death and Roman stoutnesse 20 Grievances discover'd and not redres'd do the body politic harm 27 D. of Guyse marieth the
daughter of France for the King of Spain 31 H Lord Hayes after Earl of Carlile Ambassador in Paris 34 The Duke of Halluin beats Serbellon and the Spaniards before Leucato 115 The Pr of Harcour relieves Casal appears before Turin takes it 129 The Hard fortune of Kings daughters 32 Henry the Great slain 3 His treasure his army his burial 4 Henry the third buried 22. yeers after his death 8 M. Hicks now Sir Ellis Hicks the good service he did at Montauban 58 Hesdin taken by the French 126 Twenty Holland men of War come according to article to serve the French King 68 The Lady Henrietta Maria married to the King of Great Britain 66 Humbert Duke of Viennois upon what termes he bequeath'd Dauphiné to Philip of Valois I King Jame's Letter to the French King 63 His passionate speech to his Counsell his complement to her Majesty now Queen 66 The Jacobins hold that in no case the Counsel is above the Pope the question solemnly debated in Paris 12 Inventions to torment Ravaillac 7 The Iesuits have the heart of Henry the Great 8 Jesuits not permitted to open their Colledge in Paris 11 The Imperialists and Spaniards overrun Picardy and Burgundy 113 Insurrection in Diion suppress'd 93 Insurrection in Normandy 126 John Duke of Bragansa made King of Portugal 130 His Letter to the K. of Spain 131 Saint John de Luz taken by the Spaniard 114 The Isles of Saint Margarita and Saint Honorat taken by the Spaniard 112 Repris'd by the French 115 Italian predictions of Henry the Greats death 4 K Kings presence oft-times advantagious 20 Kings of France majors when as high as a sword 21 New Knights of the Holy Spirit 46 L Landrecy taken by the Duke de la Valette 115 Letter of the King of Spain to the Duke of Bragansa 130 Letter of King James to the French King 63 Letter from Richelieu to the Q. Mother 160 Letters interchangeable 'twixt Buckingham and Toiras 83 Letter from Condé to the Queen Mother 18 Letter from the Queen Mother to Condé 19 Letter from the Queen at her first arrivall in France to the King 31 Letters from the King to Monsieur 104 Letters from the King to the Duke of Halluin 116 Letters from the King to Condé 47 Letters to Toiras against the English 82 The Duke of Lerma marrieth the Infanta for the King of France 31 Lewis the Thirteenth his inclination and sports when young 3 His minority 5 His solemn coronation 10 His majority declar'd by Parlement 21 His gracious declaration to the Princes 35 His speech to his Mother after d' Ancres death 39 He beds with the Queen 43 A clash 'twixt him and the Parlement at Paris 47 His exploits in Bearn 50 His Protest to the Assembly of Notables 75 His answer to the Rochelers when they yeelded 86 He crosseth the Alps in Winter 87 Hath a shrewd fit of sicknes 96 His harsh answer to them of the Religion 62 His harsh Declaration against his Mother 99 His Declaration against Spain 100 His speech to the Palsgrave 127 His speech to the D. of Lorain 132 reduc'd to a great straight 32 He protects the Catalan 134 His death with the circumstances thereof 135 Examples of his piety 139 Divers speeches of his 139 His chastity and constancy 140 His exploits run over 142 Did greater things then Henry the Great 143 Divers things objected against him 141 Duke of Longuevill in arms 18 L'esdiguiers made Constable 59 Luynes put first to the King 3 Incenses the K. against d'Ancre 38 Hath Ancres estate given him and made Constable 52 A clash twixt him and Sir Ed. Herbert then Lo Ambassadour now Baron of Cherbery 55 A Dialogue between them 55 How worthily the English Ambassador compos'd himself 56 Luynes dieth of the Plague in the Army 58 His Legend 59 Duke of Lorain meets the King at Metz. 101 Duke of Lorain waves the performance of homage for the Duchy of Bar. 106 His complement to the King 106 He comes to Paris 132 Monsieur de Lien Cour Governor of Paris 29 M Marie de Medici declar'd Queen Regent by Parlement 5 Her speech upon the resignation of the Government 22 Her discours with Marossan about her escape 45 The first war with her son 44 The second war with her son 48 The beginning of her aversenes to the Cardinal 96 The causes of it 98 Her complaint against him 99 She returns to Flanders in discontent 99 Thence to Holland and so to England then to Colen where she died 133 Her high qualities 134 Mariana's opinion touching Kings protested against in Paris 9 Q. Margaret de Valois dieth her Character 26 Moderation the true rule of wisdom 13 Mazarini makes a peace in Italy 96 Monsieur maried to the Duke of Monpensiers daughter 72 His complement to her 73 He falls in love with the Duke of Montava's daughter and being cross'd flies to Lorain 92 Flies again to Lorain 103 He entreth France with an Army of strangers 103 His high propositions to his brother 104 Flies the third time to Lorain 105 Marieth the Lady Margaret the Duke of Lorains sister goes then to Flanders whence at the Infante Cardinals approach he steales away to France 106 Duke of Monmorency joyn's with Monsieur is defeated by Schomberg 104 Is beheaded at Tholouze 105 Morocco Ambassador in Paris his credential Letter 102 Montauban the last Town of them of the Religion which submitted 91 Monpellier capitulats by the Duke of Rohans advice 60 Morgard the Astrologer made Gallislave 14 N Nancy given up to the French 106 The Nature of the Spaniard in adversity 131 The Nonage of Lewis the Thirteenth 5 The Nonage of Lewis the Fourteenth now King 135 O The Oath the Queen of Englands French servants were to take 65 Open hostility 'twixt France and Spain pronounc'd by Herauld 111 Saint Omer besieged by the French who were forc'd to retire 123 Octavio Lassani an Astrologer his prediction of the Duke of Savoy's death 94 Obelisks and triumphant Arches in Rome in joy of the Dauphins Nativity 125 Oxenstern Ambassador in France 112 The Outrages the French committed at Tillemont 112 P Paris in great fear 114 Parlement of England superiour to the Assembly of the three Estates of France in numbers and state 23 Perrons prudent cariage in the great Assembly 24 Pensions of the Crown of France 27 Pasquills upon the Gates of the Louur 40 Pasquill upon the Cardinals gates 168 Pasquill in Rome of the King and the Cardinal 168 The old Parlement of France turn'd now to an Assembly of Notables 74 Peace renew'd by the intervention of the Venetian and proclaim'd at Privas 'twixt England and France 88 Pignerol taken by the Cardinal 94 Pignerol sold to the French King 97 The Parlement of Paris suspends the verification of the Kings Declaration against Monsieur and is sharply rebuk'd 98 The Palsgrave prisoner in France releas'd and the Kings speech unto him 127 Philipsburg taken by the Spaniard 108
Power of vertue in the Proem The Pope refuseth to excommunicat the new King of Portugall 133 Perpignan taken by the French 134 Pope Julius the second 's answer to justifie Churchmens taking up armes in the Proem Profane hyperbole's written of the Cardinal in the Proem Prophetic complement 'twixt Barberino the Pope's Nuncio and the Quene Mother 8 Presents given to the D. of Mayn in Spain being Ambassador 14 Predictions of Henry the Great 's death 4 Predictions of the Duke of Savoyes death 94 Princes daughters subject to a hard fate oft-times 32 The presence of Kings advantagious 20 Popes Generalls 8 Propositions in the Generall Assembly 41 Q Queen Mother of France dieth at Colen 133 A new Queen Regent of France 135 Queen of England receives English prisoners as presents from France 84 R Ravaillaks odd humors 4 Examined 7 His confession death and admired patience 8 Reasons why France broak with Spain in the Proem Reason of the Queen Mothers discontentment ibid. Reason of slownes of speech in Lewes the thirteenth 2 Of the Reformists of France 6 Richer the Syndic of Sorbon opposeth the Popes power 12 The Reformists get advantagious conditions at the Treaty of Lodun 33 A Repartie 'twixt the Spanish and French Ambassadors at Rome upon the Dauphins birth 1 The Reformists outrag'd and some kill'd coming from Charenton 57 The Reformists generally rise up 59 The Reformists generally submit 91 The Rochelers high comportmēt 52 Rochell pitifully complains to the King 69 Rochell besieged by the King in Person 85 Rochell submits her extremities 86 The Duke of Rohan hath privat intelligence with Spain his Agent taken and executed 69 He himself executed in Effigie in Tholouze 86 He was pensioner to the King of Spain and treats with him upon articles 87 His notable speeche to them of the Religion for peace 89 He is wounded before Rhinfeld whereof he dies and is buried at Geneva 118 Certain Rodomontados of the Spaniards 115 Stupendous Rain in Languedoc 105 S Santarellus Book burnt in Paris for hoising the Pope above the King 74 Count of Soissons kill'd neer Sedan 133 Difference 'twixt him and the Cardinal ibid. M. Soubize summond at Saint John d'Angely taken prisoner and releas'd 53 Puts himself in armes again and flies from Royan 59 He takes Blaret Ré and Oleron and hath 70. Sayles of Ships 67 Is beaten at Medoc 67 Flies to England and incites that King to war against France 68 Soubize pensioner to the King of Spain 88 The Spaniards bold speech to the Pope about the Valtoline 70 The Duke of Suillie's blunt answer to Hen. the Fourth about Religion 57 Stuard and Hurtevant executed 38 T Title of the Prince of Wales more ancient then Dauphin 2 The Treaty of Saint Menehou 19 Treaty of Querasque 97 Treaty of Lodun dishonorable to the King 33 Treaty of Monson 71 Trade interdicted 'twixt England and France 76 Tillemont and Diest taken by the French and Hollanders 111 A Trophey erected upon the Alps in honour of King Lewis 87 Pr Tomaso defeated at Avein by Chastillon 111 Prince Tomaso relieves Saint Omer 123 M. de Thermes with divers persons of quality kill'd before Clayrac 56 Trent Counsel refus'd to be publish'd in France and the reasons why 24 V The D. of Vendom apprehended in the Louure got away by a wile 18 His Letters refus'd to be answer'd by the Queen Regent 19 He refuseth to deliver up Blavet 20 Leavies men for the King and then turns them against him 29 D. de la Valette's brave speech before Fontarabia he flies to England is executed in Effigie in Paris 122 W Wars of Iuillers 10 War against the Reformists 51 War in the Valtolin 70 The last War against the Reformists 88 Wallesteins death much lamented by Richelieu A Armand Cardinal of Richelieu his breeding 155 His genealogy 166 His degree of rising 167 He crosseth the Alps in quality of Generalissimo 168 Divers attempts to kill him 169 His death 169 His testament 160 His titles ibid. His Character ibid. Censures upon him 166 Epitaphs good and bad upon him 178 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Junii 3. 1646. Imprimatur NA BRENT fourth Anno 1610. Anno 1610. Anno 1610. Anno 1610. Anno 1610. Anno 1610. Anno 1610. Anno 1611. Anno 1611. Anno 1612. Anno 1612. Anno 1612. Anno 1612. Anno 1612. Anno 1613. Anno 1613. Anno 1613. Anno 1613. Anno 1614. Anno 1614. Anno 1614. Anno 1614. Anno 1615. Anno 1615. Anno 1615. Anno 1615. Anno 1615. Anno 1615. Anno 1615. Anno 1615. Anno 1616. Anno 1616. Anno 1616. Anno 1616. Anno 1616. Anno 1616. Anno 1617. Anno 1617. Anno 1617. Anno 1618. Anno 1619. Anno 1619. Anno 1619. Anno 1619. Anno 1619. Anno 1620. Anno 1620. Anno 1620. Anno 1620. Anno 1620. Anno 1620. Anno 1620. Anno 1621. Anno 1621. Anno 1621. Anno 1621. Anno 1621. Anno 1621. Anno 1621. Anno 1621. Anno 1622. Anno 1623. Anno 1624. Anno 1624. Anno 1625. Anno 1625. Anno 1625. Anno 1625. Anno 1625. Anno 1625. Anno 1625. Anno 1625. Anno 1625. Anno 1625. Anno 1626. Anno 1626. Anno 1626. Anno 1626. 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