their deportments that there was hardly one of them which did not run away to save themselves from the storm which was falling down upon them This Court continued from the end of October of this year untill May in the year following however it was with more threats then punishments there being onely one put to death and some few in Effigie Monsieur the Cardinal did for some time behold this Tempest not giving way to his Prudence to imploy that Benignity which is natural to him towards the moderating his Majesties just anger against them as well to testifie upon his first entrance into the Administration that it was not his intention to protect such Malefactors as also in regard it was necessary to terrifie and affright those who were culpable to the end they might for the future live with more Integrity and Justice But in the end seeing that the Principal Actors began to be touched to the quick with an apprehension either of loosing their Honours or their lives and to compare themselves in good earnest as much as could possibly be desired and withall to propose to his Majesty in behalf of their persons to establish such orders in the Treasuries that it should be impossible to divert any of the monies or to defraud any persons of such sums as his Majesty should order to be payed unto them he then became the Mediator of their Peace It is true it was not without making their Purses pay for what was past and setting up a better order for the future for he brought them to condiscend to give hit Majesty seven Millions of Livers and for the better keeping them in aw it was ordained that every ten years a Court of Justice should be set up to inquire into their Actions and he procured such order to be established in the Finances that it was impossible for them to relapse into their former errours The King was so exasperated against them that it was no little difficulty to perswade him to grant them that favour and grace which they begged for But hee knowing that the ways of reason are those by which his Majesty is to be regained he so followed them that he soon re-placed him in his usual moderateness of temper and representing to him that it was Clemency was that virtue which made Princes like unto the Divinity that it could not but be glorious to pardon those Officers how culpable soever that their offence was not more criminal then that of Rebellion in which the major part of the French had in several Wars heretofore been imbroyled that he would have so much the lesse reason ever to repent of the favour he should do them for that the late King his Father was highly praised for what he once said to Monsieur du Mayne after he had reduced him to his obedience viz. That the greatest pleasure he had in making a Peace was the pardoning of Rebels That the Laws of the Romans seemed to invite him to pardon seeing they had no other punishment then Banishment for Robbing of Publique Treasury That the end of a great Prince is rather to make his Officers good then to chastize them That it was enough thus to punish their Purses so that they might both remember it and suffer for it that Vespasian had given him a very commendable example when as he thought it more proper to preserve then destroy Treasuries in saying he esteemed them one of the strongest props of an Empire and that he looked upon them as a Meadow which is mowed at some time or other or as upon Spunges which are squeezed when a man would get any thing out of them These reasons were so unanswerable and made such an impression upon the Kings mind that following the instincts of his natural Bounty he resolved to pardon them Accordingly he Repealed the Chamber of Justice and accorded to them the favour which they desired and they established such Orders and Rules which have tied up those who were most wedded to their own interests to live very stayedly Politick Observation IT is no new thing to see the Publick Exchequer ill governed The Treasury was common amongst the Greeks as Polybius and Chirisophus in Zenophon witnesse the latter of which reproacheth them with it that there was hardly a man amongst them of any mark who might not be reproved for it Aristides general Treasurer of Athons manifested publickly that all those who had managed the Treasury of that Republick not onely in his time but before had robbed them of a good quantity not so much as excepting Themistocles Gylippus did divert a great part of those Riches which Lysander had hid by a Slaves means of his under the Tyles of his house When he sayd if one should look in such a place he might find good store of Owls meaning Gold and Silver upon which the Grecians stamped an Owl by reason of the Athenians which was accordingly sifted out and delivered into the hands of the Ephores who punished him very severely for it For the same fault amongst the Romans was Sylla accused by Consorinus who grounded his indictment upon this That he having but little wealth left by his Father insomuch that he was forced to lodge in a hired house and was now become excessively rich It would be easie to produce many of the like examples not but there have been in all ages honest upright men in whose hands the Publick Treasuries have been regulated with much fidelitie and who have not deserved lesse praise then Pericles of whom Thucydides reports that he had not increased by one onely dragm of Silver the Estate which his father left him notwithstanding the great imployments he had in the Treasuries But I can tell you there have been some Persons in the Ages last past who have made so little difficulty of diverting the Treasury that they have gloried in being made rich by it If this Crime then be so ancient the use of punishing them being once convict is as old the Grecian and Roman Laws assure us of it in the examples of Gylippus Lisander and many others but must he not needs be very imprudent who would not punish them at all seeing the defrauding of a Treaty is a Poyson which depriveth the State of the use of her Sinews and Muscles And lastly which decays its vigour that it is rendred uncapable of attempting any thing either great or glorious Vespasian as Suetonius saith inforced the Receivers of his Treasury to render an accompt of what they received from their fathers and to restore him the surplusage as if they had robbed him of it The Laws of France are more severe and they have been often executed against the greatest of the Kingdome amongst others Father de la Berche Engneraud de Marigny le Sieur de Giac Camus de Beaulieu were convicted of this Crime under King Philip Lewis his son and Charls the 8th and accordingly condemned to die for it Philip de Valois made an
an enemy to his own interest The Marquess de St. Chaumont sent by the King into the Country of the Elector of Treves to force his Enemies from the rest of his Towns and to establish him IF his Majesty shewed any thing of Prudence in preventing the conclusion of any Treaty between the Spaniard and the Hollanders he discovered no lesse courage in his indeavour to re-establish the Elector of Treves in the rest of those places which his enemies had usurped from him Fumay and Reveign scituated on two Pennisula's upon the River Meuse had ever acknowledged him for their Soveraign Lord but the Spaniard whom conveniency seemeth to intitle unto any places which they may master had clapp'd a garrison into them designing to fortifie them to secure the Commerce of that River and withall to make some enterprise upon the Frontier of Champagne The King could not put up such an injury offered unto the Elector since he had taken him into his protection but ordered the Marquess de St. Chaumont to march toward Meziers with those forces which he commanded in Champagne to dislodge them The Sieur de Chastelliers Barlort and the Comte de la Suze were made Marshals de Camp who comming to the Army marched directly away toward those two places His courage made him wish that he might find some opposition whereby he might obtain the more glory to his Masters Arms but making his approaches he understood that the Spanish Garison notwithstanding all their Rodomontades had marched out the night before without sound of Trumpet so that instead of fighting all he had to do was to receive testimonies of the inhabitants joy who acknowledging his Majesty for their Protector did willingly receive the Regiment of Champagne into Fumay and that of Normandy into Reveign The Marquess de St. Chaumont finding himself obliged to remunerate their good will by all the favours which he could do them in quartering of the Army setled so good an Order amongst the Souldiers that they never took any thing without paying for it but behaved themselves with great moderation and courtesie The Enemy did not then oblige him to be more active at that time and indeed the season of the year was such in regard of the Snows and Frost that he could not march without difficulty so that his Majesty sent him Order to return and to leave his Forces in Garrison upon the Frontier He returned to spend some time at the Fort whereupon the 10th of February he and the Comte Brissac were created Ministers of State to serve his Majesty in his Counsel the Spaniards who never sleep but when they have nothing to do took the occasion of his absence to return into the Country of the Elector of Treves and to do what they pleased but the King and the invitation of the Spring permitting his return he carried the Army back again and without much ado forced them to quit the Field The next thing he resolved was to assault Freidembourg upon which they had seized whose Garrison offered a thousand violences to Travellers and the adjacent places The Comte de la Suze commanded it to be invested and comming in person before it in the moneth of June he summoned Machinister who commanded it for the Comte d'Embden and upon refusal of a surrender they provided to assault it The Town was won with little resistance and the Castle forced within two daies after there being not above three or four men slain on both parts Thus the Country of Treves was totally reduced unto his Majesty's Possession neverthelesse his Majesty having only secured it for the Arch-Bishop the true Lord thereof caused him to be restored in his Metropolitan City about the beginning of October by the Sieur de Bussilamet The Arch-Bishop indeed finding himself unable to make it good against the Spaniards he desired him to stay with him and command his forces and the Sieur de Bussy having presented the Keys unto him he presently returned them saying I beseech you keep them for his Majesty his Eminence likewise published a Declaration about the end of this year commanding his Subjects to acknowledge the King for their Lord to assist him in his interest to receive his Souldiers into their Cities jointly to defend them and to give unto them the best entertainment the places could afford The principal Obligations of him who taketh a Prince into Protection DOubtlesse it is honourable for a great Prince to undertake the Protection of another unable to subsist by his own force but though it is honourable yet it is not without care if this protection be to his advantage yet is he obliged to recover whatever is taken from him and in fine fairly to restore it To leave him a prey to his enemies were a sign of weaknesse or want of courage or an absolute breach of promise in the first assumption He that for fear of the charge the successe of the War or any other consideration shall neglect it doth not only deprive himself of that honour which the quality of a Protector ascribes unto him but doth likewise cloath himself with shame Moreover what expences soever he is at on such occasions yet he is obliged by Justice to restore all places into the hands of their natural Prince he being only as it were a Depositary and as the Laws of Deposition do not permit the appropriating of any thing to ones self the restoring of them will be as honourable as the detaining of them will be unjust Ptolomy King of Egypt dying committed his son heir to his Crowns then a child unto the protection of the Common-Wealth of Rome who professing a particular observation of their promises were not deficient in resigning the Kingdom into his power upon his first being capable of Government Thus Archadius seeing his son Theodosius very young and unable to secure himself from the power of the Persians so played his Game with Indigertes their King that he undertook his protection and by this means he tied up his Arms by delivering his son into his hands Indigertes receiv'd the Tutillage as an honour and discharg'd it with such fidelity that he preserved Theodosius life and Empire That I may let you see these latter ages want not the like examples Philip of Austria King of Castile leaving his son Charles but of twelve years age requested Lewis the Twelfth by his Will to be his Guardian and to take the Kingdom into his protection The King accepted thereof and in prosecution of his charge was so punctually correspondent to the Trust Philip had reposed in it that he preserved his States against France it self nor would usurp the least whatever provocations Maximilian gave him In fine notwithstanding all restitutions or expences which a King is obliged unto yet ought he never to refuse the protection of a Prince bordering upon his Countries because besides the glory whereof he deprives himself he inforceth the other to throw himself into the protection of some
perfection the design of uniting the Auseatique Towns and the Princes of Germany and accordingly his Majesty sent them Troops and Forces and such monies as he had ingaged to them as also to keep an Army of twelve or fifteen thousand men upon the Frontiers of Campaign to ingage some part of the Emperours forces to stay in Alsatia by which means he might give the more advantage to those of the League who did in the revolution of the year make a great progresse by this means against the Emperours Armies It is the highest peece of Prudence to assault ones enemy by a third Person IF it is advantagious for the King to settle a Peace at home in his own Kingdome it will be no lesse needfull for him to drive on some War among his neighbouring Princes to the intent that they being forced to defend themselves might be so prevented from attempting any thing against France It is one of the best peeces of Policy for which Lewis the eleventh is commended in History for he knowing the designs which the English and the Duke of Bourgogne had contrived against him did raise them so many new broyls that he hrought them to an impossibility of executing their wicked intensions against him Above all this one means ought to be made use of when as a Soveraign doth once begin to grow so Potent by his Arms that he becomes terrible by reason of his Victories The safety of States doth consist in the equality of the neighbouring Princes and there is great reason of fear if any one of them shall grow to be too Potent for that Ambition which is natural to all Princes cannot well contain it self within bounds when it is once accompanied with Power It is the highest point of Wisedome to assault ones enemy by a third hand to raise a League against him in which one is not any thing concerned but onely to contribute some monies or send some Troops thither which may be as occasion serves disowned for is not this the way to obtain the end which a man doth propose without any great expence and without putting any thing in hazard or danger An Enemy is sometimes overcome by this way with more advantage then if the whole force of a State had been imployed against him at least he will by this means be so busied that he will not have any time to think of attempting any thing on his neighbours but rather how he may best defend himself and yet one is not all this while forced to break with him but preserveth Peace in his own Country one is at little or no charge and the Souldiers will be spent who under go many great inconveniences in strange Countries The Embassadour who is to negotiate such a Treaty after he hath resolved upon and set down this truth for the foundation of his good successe That Princes have no other motives in their designs then their own particular Interest is obliged to induce them to whom he is sent to have a good opinion in his Audiences and to represent all those things and reasons which may further and countenance the design which he would insinnuate and perswade them to He ought to let them know that the Peace in which a great Prince is left doth raise great suspicions and serves to no other end but onely to augment his Force and establish his Power that not long after he may attempt new designs That many Princes have in fine been ruined by being two great Lovers of the Sweets of Peace That it is much better to prevent an Enemy then to stay in expectation of him by which means he may be taken unprovided and consequently be the easilier ruined whereas staying for him will give the lesse abilities to our selves for our defences by letting him take what advantages he pleaseth against us That those who love quiet in an over great measure do never subsist long for it is to their enemies a most evident sign of little courage and lesse resolution to repulse any attempts which may be made upon them That nothing is more shamefull then a Peace which giveth way to our enemies to fortifie themselves for the commencing a War and that he who neglecteth first to fall on them when he hath reason on his side both but adde to their Insolences and Courages That a false glosse of Peace will at last deprave into a base and true servitude That after all it will be easie for them to vanquish and overcome their enemies if they will joyn and unite their Forces for by every ones contributing the to War they will have a greater power and with lesse charge then their enemies That it will be very honourable and glorious for them to have curbed his Ambition whose Arms begin to strike a terrour into all the World and by thus insinuating to them the glory utility and facility of the design they cannot but let themselves be perswaded to ingage in it with a great deal of readinesse and affection Combinations of divers Grandees of the Court against the King and State IT is as impossible long to keep France in quiet as to prevent the agitation of the Sea by Winds The humour of the French is full of Action and they are no sooner clear of one broyl or War but they are desirous of beginning another The Cardinal had used his utmost indeavour to settle the Kingdome in quiet but divers young Princes and Lords of the Court not able to relish the sweetnesse of such a Calm did still ingage it in some new Commotions Peace indeed did not so much grate upon their humours as the cause which gave it which was nothing else but the Authority with which his Majesty dispatched the Affairs of the Realm and the necessities which he layed upon them to live within the limits of their duties Now as they had much adoe to submit after they had many years lived in an intire licentiousnesse they resolved to employ all their indeavours to shake off the yoke The most expert amongst them acquainted the rest how the Cardinal was the man who had perswaded his Majesty to take this power into his own hands whence if followed that they layed their heads together and contrived how they might bring him into some disgrace or remove him by what means soever it were from the Stern As their design was extravagant so the wayes which they proposed to accomplish it were extreamly difficult They despaired of doing any good upon the Kings mind towards it for that he was too clear sighted not to be mindfull of those signal advantages which he had received from the sage advices of this great Minister and too too indulgent of his States good to deprive it of so prudent a supporter so that they concluded there remained onely 2 ways proper to attain their end The first was to put all things into confusion then to force the Scepter out of the Kings hand by which means they might bring
besides the blemishing of their glory with the brand of ignorance do withal render themselves undeserving to be assisted in like necessities There is not any Prince who is not aâ—med at in his turn or able alwaies to subsist by his own force many times they are necessitated to stoop under the armes of an invader for want of the assistance of their confederates who forsake them as they were before forsaken by them If a King may with Justice defend the weak and his confederates doubtlesse he may as justly imploy his power to revenge an injury God who hath intrusted the Scepter in the hand of Kings hath also obliged them not to permit that the respect due to their Soveraign Majesty be violated by any other Prince as well as to maintain their Subjects within the bounds of their obedience He hath given them a Sword to correct any indignities offered to their Crowns There is not any one above them who is Arbitrator of their quarrels they are legal Judges of their own differences and in this Independency God hath given them power to take up Arms to carve their own right It is enough to justifie their War if the Princes against whom they fight haue given them occasion and the misfortunes which inevitably follow the disorder of Souldiers cannot be imputed but unto him who first gave the occasion of taking the field A Kingdome would be very defective as Aristotle observeth if the Soveraign had not Authority to châ—stise with his Arms him who hath injured him in like manner saith he as the body of creatures is not perfect if unable to repell those objects which offend it So an estate is not in that perfection which it ought to be if destitute of power to repay any injuries done against it The Justice of the Kings Alliance with the King of Swede THere is no doubt but the Alliance of the most christian King with him of Swede for the defence of their common confederates was very just seeing the War it self undertaken by the King of Swede was just and that all Alliance contracted for the support of a just War is in it self justifiable Yet there was no device unassayed by the house of Austria to induce the World to condemn it The first reason by them alledged in discredit thereof was that it was undertaken in the defence of Heretick Princes but what reason was there so long to have invaded the States of other Princes under the pretence of Religion After Charles the Fifth had joyned the Imperial Crown to his Kingdomes of Spain and Italy with the Provinces of the Low-Countries he thought that having forces enough to re-conquer all those Countries which formerly belonged to the Roman Emperour he might with justice attempt it as if Kingdomes were the division of force and as if birth and succession of many ages were not bars enough to stop ambition Now as Germany is the Bulwark which serves all he States of Europe to defend their liberty as Henry the Second King of France writ unto the Princes of the Empire in the year 1552. he resolved to over-run it concluding that having once mastered it he might with ease invade France England and the rest of Italy The Emperor who reigns at present knew as well how important it was seeing in his letters sent to Zuinga chief Counsellour to the King of Spain he particularly nameth it the foundation of the Authority of the House of Austria Germany indeed doth so abound in men and riches that it is alone able to entertain Armies and those great ones for ever nay to supply the very Indies in case of a defect This is the true ground of the War and that which obliged the King of Swede to assist it although the Spaniards pretence was the rooting out of Heresie It is long since the great St. Leon writ to the Emperour Theodosius that men palliate their Passions with Religion but much more reasonably may it so be said of the Austrian Princes as Mariana hath well observed in his History that being it which makes so great an impression upon the people The World sees by experience how advantagious it was to them when Ferdinand usurped Navarre from his own Neece they themselves have seen that it wanted but little of putting our Scepter into their hands during the League It is the best title by which they hold part of both the Indies where they have put to death not only lawfull Princes but at least fifty Millions of people with such cruelty that they have died the earth with blood and made Heaven to groan with horrour and well will they now make use of it to despoil the German Princes of their estates But who is ignorant of their injustice seeing that as the true Religion gives no right to Empires so force cannot deprive him of it to whom it falls by succesion Politique Observation HEresie doth no more dis-ingage Subjects from obedience to their Prince than infidelity but this being a point of Doctrine peradventure some mean capacity will make a scruple to believe it if only proved by the verity of politick maximes I shall therefore back it by the belief which the Apostles-left in the Primitive Church which the Father 's taught in their Precepts and Examples and which the ancient Christians did most religiously observe amidst their greatest persecutions Did not the Apostles St. Peter and Paul write to the christians in their Epistles at what time Nero made the earth tremble with his cruelty execrised upon them Let every one be subject to the higher powers For there is not any Dominion which is not established by God and those which now are are by his gift Whoever rebelleth against them opposeeth his Commandment and they who indeavour to shake off the yoke of their obedience expose themselves to damnation A Prince is God's servant it is not to no purpose that he holds the sword it is to make himself known for the Almighty's Officer He ought to be obeyed not only because he can punish but for Conscience sake neither are these the only exhortations left unto us upon this subject their Epistles are fraught with divers others so frequent that I need not recite them leâ—t I play the Dâ—vine and forget the Historian Who likewise knoweth not how all the ancient Fathers of the Church would have sealed this Doctrine with their blood notwithstanding they lived under Atheistical and Pagan Princes who were as so many firebrands to Religion and sworn Enemies to our Faith S. Ignatitus writ very earnestly to the people of Antioch to perswade them to serve Justinâ— the Emperour and gave all Pagan Princes to understand by a learned Apologie that their hopes were in vain to force the faithful by the violence of their torments to worship Idols and false gods who in all other things would render a full and intire subjection to their Emperours Tertullian acknowledgeth none but God above Kings and confesseth that their commands tie the
that it might somtimes be recalled from those on whom it had been bestowed seeing it was conferred on him but for a certain time and the same Historian mentioneth some Lords of those times who were deprived of the Ducal Dignity yet commonly it was given for life As for the Dignity of Peer that is not so ancient but very eminent for that the Peers take place before all other Honours of the Kingdom as may be seen in the example of Philip the first Duke of Burgogne who went before Lewis Duke of Anjou his elder Brother at the Creation of Charls the sixth their Nephew by reason he was a Peer which his brother was not The most common opinion attributeth the first Institution to Charâ—emâ—gne but without other proof then this that History maketh no mention of it before his time and it is believed that they were created to be Judges of State Affairs which were decided by the Parliament in the King's presence That great Prince establishing this Order in the Kingdom to secure it from those misfortunes whereunto the late Merouingiens had exposed it by refusing to take any other care then that of their pleasuâ—es Tâ—ere are some ancient Titles found which make appear That the Comter de Champagne had seven Lords in their Comte who were Peers and did astist them in great Ceremonies and the Decision of chief Affairs In Germany there are some who are chief Ministers of their Princes Justice but although they partake of the Name yet are they but Images and those very imperfect in regard of the greatnesse of those of France who are thought to have been instituted to assist the King to serve him and receive his Oath at his Consecration and by their Office are impowered to advise him in the Government of the State A Synod of the pretended Reformed Religion at Charenton THose of the pretended reformed Religion had obtained permission by the Kings Breviate about the beginning of this year to make a National Assembly of their Ministers of France for the maintaining of their Order and Belief The Cardinal was of opinion that his Majesty should require them to meet at Charenton because being within his view they would have the lesse Freedom to renew such Cabal as they had formerly made in their Assemblies of Guyenne and Languedoc This Order was followed and the Sieur de Galland Councellor to his Majesty was sent to be President in the King's behalf his Loyalty was not to be suspected and they were obliged to accept of him in regard of divers authentique testimonies which made appear that this Order was conformable to that of Councels assembled in the Primitive times which they professed to honour The King especially commanded him to be careful that no Proposition were made which did not concern their Faith or Discipline to silence them in his Majesty's name in case they should discourse of any other affairs and to establish such rules as the Cardinal had proposed necessary to keep that Sect in submission To this end he used his utmost Prudence and Loyalty he perswaded them to enact that there should not any more National Assemblies be made but in the presence of a Commissary from the King who might by testifying their obedience be a means of continuing them in quiet besides he induced them to resolve upon the absolute excluding of all stranger Ministers this being intended of all that were not natural French and to inhibit their Ministers from leaving the Kingdom without his Majesty's licence by this means to prevent all intelligences associations and correspondencies with the enemies of the State according to the Laws of the Kingdom and his Majesty's particular prohibitions in fine he used so much prudence that they required their Ministers not to intermeddle in any affairs Politique or Military and condemned a Book of Berraut Minister of Montauban as erroneous because he maintained that Ministers had a particular Call from God to bear Arms. I shall not relate those other Ordinances there made for the subsistence of their Sect it not being the Designe of my History It sufficeth me to have observed those fore-going which were necessary for the peace of the Kingdom and were so many effects of the Cardinal's prudence who by this means disabled them from making Cabals prejudicial to the King's service broke their correspondency with strangers and left them no arms but the Kings goodness for their defence Politique Observation REligion is the strictest band to assemble people in any designe to conspire unanimously to the Publike good neither is there any thing which doth more disunite them then the diversity of Belief it is a flaming torch which sets the fire of Division among States and aqua fortis which separateth the most moderate minds hence it was that the Kings of Aegypt did heretofore entertain divisions among their subjects that they might render their own Powers over them more absolute by preventing them from uniting themselves in the same designs of revolt and this they did by engaging them in several different Worships Some of them adored a Crocodile others an Eagle this a Dog that some other thing as himself fancied thus they were never able to agree together how to shake off the yoke of their Tyrannie But besides that this maxime is impious and directly repugnant to the Laws of Jesus Christ it is thought to be very dangerous for the most part in the judgement of the wisest Politicians because the diversity of Belief being reduced to two or three parties is most able to carry a people into a revolt agaist their Prince France for these last sixty years hath had but too much trial of it and if our Kings had not been necessitated to permit this diversity as the wise Pilots who in a Storm let their Sails go they well knowing their resistance might endanger their Shipwrack they might have had secured the Estate from many misfortunes could they have prevented it in the beginning Now what better advice can be taken then to deprive Heretiques of the means to Revolt which are their holding Intelligences with Strangers their being headed by Leaders who are Turbulent and Factious their being able to make Assemblies at their pleasures and there to deliberate what they think fit without informing their Prince of any thing He who depriveth them of these Liberties striketh a great stroak in setling the Publike Peace and after despoiling them of their Arms which never ought to be allowed them he cutteth off their power of being ever able to recover it Besides it is necessary to repress their insolency the inseparable companion of Heresie They have a certain insatiable fiercenesse which makes them alwaies discontented and the only way to tame them is absolutely to refuse them all things which are not absolutely necessary for the exercise of their Religion That resistance which they meet in the soul of a generous and vigorous Prince hindreth them whereas if they find him weak and â—asie to be
from Rome unsatisfied They might easily have obtained as heretofore thundring Excommunications against France and have exposed the Kingdom to ruine had Gregory the Fourteenth been yet alive but we do not now live in those times The Masque of Religion wherewith the House of Austria use to cover their designs is now taken off and the Cardinal who knoweth of what concernment it is for States to hold Rome in friendship was not backward both for the good of the Church and this Kingdom to inform his Holinesse of the design contrived by the House of Austria for the over-running of Italy and bringing the Holy Sea into such subjection that themselves might overaw the Censures Decrees and Excommunications of the Church so the Pope convinced of the truth hereof was not possibly to be surprized but blamed the German Princes for exposing their States to such miseries in behalf of the ambitious design of the House of Austria and on the contrary commended his Majesty for his readinesse and willingnesse to protect the Church and those very Princes in case they would recede from their wicked designs That Catholick Princes ought to hold good correspondence with Rome IT was not without great reason what Antonio Peres once told the late Henry the Great viz. that the French being unmatchable for courage would undoubtedly conquer the whole earth if to their natural valour the favour of Rome the mastery of the Sea and a fix'd Council of able Statesmen were adjoyned These three things make a Prince truly great And the course of affairs now leadeth me to discourse of one of them viz of the necessity of holding a fair correspondence with the Roman Sea which I may well say is necessary partly for the avoiding of those evils which may happen by want thereof and partly for the inducing the people by its approbation to admit of the many and several undertakings in a State The Empire of Souls is both great and tickleth if it were only in relation of those Anathemas which may be darted out against Princes One of the most conspicuous church-lights said and that with great judgement that the Thunders of the Church are to be feared how unjust soever and indeed so they are because the execrations of Christ Jesus Vicar are of great efficacy before God who holdeth the Government of Kingdomes in his hands and also because of the terrours they strike into the people who concluding a Prince reproved by God as soon as by the Holy Sea do not only lose their respect due to such rulers but even run into disobedience and insurrection Did not those Thunders in the times of the late League kindle the flames which did long consume this Kingdom what was it which brought Navar into the Spaniards hands but the imbroils between Lewis the Twelfth and Julius the Second Now if a good intelligence with the Sea of Rome is security from such like misfortunes it is no lesse an advantage to a State in regard of its approbation of a Soveraigns enterprizes This is it which holdeth the people in quiet which maketh them think the yoak of obedience to be easie which preserveth the love of their Prince in their minds and which rendreth contributions imposed by necessity the more supportable and in general it may be said that there is not any thing how bad soever which they will distast if approved by the Holy Sea so great a respect doth Religion produce in the minds of men King Numa had no better invention to make his actions received by the people of Rome then by telling them he did nothing but by the Counsel of the Nymph Egeria who communicated the Will of the Gods unto him No one is ignorant of the repute which the South-sayers had with the people of Rome in perswading them to approve of their Consuls and Emperours designs and undertakings Could then any more likely way be invented both to justifie their undertakings and incourage their Souldiers then by telling them the Gods approved of them Neither can it be doubted but the Pope's approbation is an effectual way to perswade people to like their Princes designs to live in quiet and to be well satisfied with the Government under which they live But how much then are the Popes obliged to be favourable towards France which hath ever been their Refuge their Asylum their Prop and Protection Besides their Interests are the same with ours seeing the French use not such under-hand shuffling as the Spaniards and are far enough from such ambitious designs as the House of Austria who are still contriving to oppress the Liberties of the Church to subjugate the holy See and to over-awe its Decrees whereas the French endeavour only to preserve every one in his own Right and to be contented with a good Pope an honest and stout man who will not suffer himself to be surprized by their Enemies but shew himself a common Father to all without procuring any ditriment to one by the suggestion of another The Cardinal endeth a difference between the Bishops and Friers NOt long after the Kings return from Lorrain the Cardinal undertook to compose a difference between the Bishops and Friers which had made a great noise for sundry ages together The Friers relying upon their priviledges obtained from the holy See pretended to have power both to Preach and Confess without permission from the Bishops and the Bishops unto whom all people within their Diocess are subject by common right did perpetually thwart that pretension They could not down with the Friers Priviledges alledging they ought to be declared void as being oppugnant to the primitive constitutions of the Church which ought to be preserved in the same model for the continuation thereof in its pristine splendour This quarrel had been especially fomented during the last year by reason some Books had been published in the name of the English Catholiques which preferr'd the Monastical life before that of the Prelats and seemed to imply that Friers were more necessary at least more useful to the Church then the ordinary Pastors To say the Truth these Propositions were bold and without offence to any one may safely be termed rash and inconsiderate But that likelyhood was there of composing these differences Was it probable that the whole Society of Friers would relinquish the priviledges they had obtained from the holy See On the other side What reason was there that the Prelats should have so little authority over them in Administration of Sacraments and the Word of God seeing in the Primitive times Friers were only mix'd amongst the Laity and addressed themselves unto the Bishops Congregations to receive the Sacraments from their hands or those who executed their charge No one but the Cardinal could give an end to these differences there being not a man who durst so much as make a a Proposal whereby each party might receive satisfaction neither did he wave the trouble but willingly took it upon himself though he was
Holinesse's forces should not lie idle if any enterprize were made against the Churches greatness or the liberties of Italy The Embassies of Obedience from our Kings unto his Holinesse THe Piety of our Kings and their zeal to the Pope have made it a custom to send Extraordinary Embassadours to congratulate them shortly after their promotions to acknowledge them for Fathers truly spiritual to assure them of their obedience in that quality and to recommend unto them the French Church their persons and Kingdomes which God hath given them There are ancient examples thereof and withall instructions yet extant given to Embassadours sent by our Kings which declare this obedience to tend only to congratulation and Complement The truth of this is evident in the Letters which Philip le Bel sent to Pope Benedict the Eleventh by the Sieur de Mercueil Messieur Guillaume du Plessis Chevalâ—er Maistre Pierre de Belle Perche Canon of the Church of Chartres his Embassadors to offer this obedience to his Holiness Lewis the Eleventh indeed for some particular consideration would needs render a little more unto Pope Pius the Second by the Cardinal d' Alby but he was discommended for it by the whole Kingdom The Court of Parliament made great Remonstrances against it both by word of mouth and writing besides the three States of the Kingdom assembled at Tours complained to him of it as may be seen in the papers presented to him by Maâ—stre Jean Durety Doctor of Divinity and Canon of the Church of Paris their Deputy Some Italians I know there are who will needs have this Protestation of obedience to be an homage and a mark of temporal dependance but the truth is they only flatter the Pope upon no grounds For to what end should our Kings have in temporal things any dependance upon the Pope seeing divers of them have acknowledged themselves their Subjects and confessed it in their writings As Pope Gelasius to the Emperor Anastatius Pelagius the First in his profession of Faith sent unto Childebert one of our first Kings and St. Gregory the Great to the Emperour Mauritius The like is to be seen in that of Pope Innocent the Third in one of his Decrees where he saith the Kings of France in temporal things depend upon no one whatever But how could the Popes themselves pretend that any such remporal dependance should be without contradicting the belief of the first Fathers of the Church the Luminaries of our Faith especially of â—erâ—ullian who in his Apology subjecteth Kings unto God alone and of St. Hierom who expounding that of the Royal Prophet Against thee only have I sinned saith this great King useth these terms purposely to shew that there is none but God above Kings I could easily adde the testimonies of many others but I think I shall say enough if I conclude that this Protestation of obedience is offered more out of Christian humility that for any civil obligation or duty as divers Popes have upon their promotions sent unto our Kings the Professions of our Faith in authentick form together with testimonies of their affections Boniface the Eighth sent his seal'd up in Lead like unto that of Pelagius Adon observeth in his Chronicle that Pope Adrian dying in the year 786. Pope Leo who succeeded him sent two Legats to Charlemain to present him with the Keys of St. Peter's confession and the Standard of the City of Rome Stephen the Fifth upon his promotion sent Legats to Lewis the Debonnair with great Presents as Pledges of his friendship There are to be seen in his Majesties Treasury of Records several Bulls which divers Princes have sent unto our King to acquaint them with their Consecration and to assure them of their good Will whereupon Charles de Lorrain Cardinal de Guise performing the obedience to the Pope in the behalf of Henry the Second Anno â—547 amongst other things said unto them that the Popes were ordained by the Laws of the Church presently after their assumption to dispatch Legats unto the Kingdom of France for confirmation of the ancient friendship between them Monsieur Seguyer made Chancellor of France AFter the disgrace which befell the Marquess de Chasteauneuf of which we spake about the end of the last year experience having taught his Majesty to know of what great concern it was not to bestow the Office of Lord Keeper but upon persons very eminently able both for integrity and all other vertues he cast his eys upon Messieur Pierre Seguyer one of the Presidents of the Parliament of Paris to bestow it upon him as a person fitted by Heaven for great imployments His Majesty was not only pleased to send him a bare Commission of Garde Seaux as is commonly done but expedited Letters Patents to assure him of the Office of Chancellor of France after Monsieur de Halygres death well knowing that men of his merit ought to be treated beside the common Road though such was the modesty of that great Minister that he never ascribed that favour to any thing but his Majesties own goodnesse This choice added much to his Majesties glory it was a sufficient testimony of his judgement intrusting the Sword of Justice in his hand who had ever maintained it by his integrity nor wanted any of those qualities requisite in an able man His Prudence had taught his Majesty that chief places ought not to be filled but with persons of an illustrious birth because men of mean descent are more envied the respected neither was he ignorant that this man was born amidst the characters of honour from a Family whose dignities have gone had in hand with their vertues for many ages that he was the Fourth of his name who had the honour to sit upon the Flowers de luce in the quality of President of Mortier in the Parliament of Paris and that there had not been any man in his family for a long time known who had not either obtained or deserved the greatest imployment of the long Robe It was said of the Emperour Coâ—stantine that the moderation of Augustus Caesar the vertue of Traâ—ane the Piety of Antonius were all united in his person to render him worthy of the Empire and true it is the integrity sufficiency knowledge elocution zeal and fidelity for his Majesties service which were eminently conspicuous in Monsieur le Lievtenant Civil his father and in the Messieurs the three Presidents of his name were all united in his Soul to make him appear worthy of the chief place of Justice Besides if he were honourably descended his Majesty was well informed that he was not satisfied with those bare Titles wherewith his Fathers had adorned him but that like the Cedars who though they grow on the tops of Mountains cease not however to raise up their heads his merit and industry had advanced him to the highest degree of virtuous men He was in the common opinion of men reputed for one of the truest maintainers of Justice