taken to make the Decree which they published and vertuously mainetained in the moneth of Iune last past against such as endeuored to alter and infringe the orders of the lawfull succession of this Realme In consideration whereof we haue taken away and disanulled and do take away and disanull the interdiction made as well by the said King as by vs against the saide Counsellers and other officers at this present in good number resident in this saide towne who after they shall haue taken the oath herein requisite in the handes of our trusty and deere Chauncelor shalbe reestablished and restored to the exercise of their Offices as by these presents we haue restored and reestablished and doe restore and reestablish them to the end after the said oath they may enioy the like honors prerogatiues rightes authorities priuileges and preeminences which afore time they had and did enioy before the said interdictions so as the said Counsellers may do and performe all actes and exercises of iurisdiction and soueraigne Iustice that appertayneth to our Parliament in as ample maner as they did or might haue done in case the saide Interdictions had neuer bene against them declared proceeding to the publication of Edictes admission of Officers soueraigne iudgements and all other expeditions and orders heretofore made in our saide Parliament Wee doe therefore commaund our most trusty and welbeloued Chauncelor the Officers of the Crowne the Dukes and Pieres of France the other Lords of our Counsell and the ordinary Masters of Requestes by vs committed and deputed that they cause these presents to be read published and registred to the ende the contentes of the same may be kept obserued and put in execution according to their forme and tenure For such is our pleasure In witnesse whereof wee haue signed these presentes with our hand and to the same affixed our seale Giuen at Paris the 28. of March the yeare of grace 1594. and of our raigne the fifth Thus signed HENRY And vpon the fould By the King RVZE And sealed with a great seale in yellow waxe The King hath ordained and doth ordaine that vppon the fould of these Letters shalbe set downe Red published and registred in the hearing and at the desire of his Atturney Generall Giuen at Paris in the great Chamber of Parliament the Lord Chauncelor there sitting with the Officers of the Crowne the Dukes and Pieres of Fraunce The Counsellers of his Counsell of Estate and some of the ordinary Masters of Requests of his house the 20. of March 1594 Signed LVILLIER The Decree of the Court of Parliament of Paris of the 30. day of March 1594. Gathered out of the Registers of Parliament THe Court hauing from the xii day of the moneth of Ianuary last sollicited the Duke of Mayenne to acknowledge that King whome God the lawes haue giuen to this Realme and to procure the Peace wherevnto he would neuer condiscend as being inuegled by the pollicies of the Spanyardes and their adherents and God hauing sithence of his infinite goodnesse deliuered this Towne of Paris out of the hands of straungers and reduced the same into the obedience of her naturall and lawfull King Hauing yeelded solemne thankes to God for this happy successe desirous to imploy the authority of the Soueraigne Iustice of this Realme to the end that by preseruing the Romane Religion we might hinder strangers vnder the false pretence thereof from seasing vppon the Estate and call agayne all Princes Prelates Lordes Gentlemen and other Subiectes to the grace and clemency of the King and to a generall reconciliation and to repaire whatsoeuer the licence of the Ciuill warres hath altered in the authority of the Lawes and foundation of the Estate Rights and Honours of the Crowne the matter deliberated vppon in the saide Court all the Chambers assembled Hath declared and doeth declare all Arrestes Decrees Ordinances and Oathes giuen made and taken sithence the nine and twentieth of December Anno 1588. in preiudice of the authority of our kings and Lawes of the Realme to be voyde and wrested by force and violence and as such hath reuoked cancelled and annihilated them and ordayned that they shall remayne abolished and suppreued And especially hath declared and doeth declare whatsoeuer hath bene done contrary to the Honor of the late King Henry the third aswell during his life as sithens his decease to bee voyde Doeth prohibite all persons to speake of his memory otherwise then with honor and reuerence And moreouer ordayneth that information shall be taken of the detestable parricide committed on his person and extraordinarily proceeded against those that shall be found guilty thereof The sayd Court hath reuoked and doeth reuoke the power heeretofore giuen to the Duke of Mayenne vnder the quallity of Lieftenaunt Generall of the Estate and Crowne of Fraunce It prohibiteth all persons of what estate or condition soeuer to acknowledge him in this calling To yeeld him any obedience fauour comfort or ayde vpon paine to be punished as offendors guilty of high Treason And vppon like payne hath enioyned the sayd Duke of Mayenne and other Princes of the house of Lorrayne to acknowledge King Henry the fourth of that name Kinge of Fraunce for their Kinge and Soueraigne Lord and to yeeld vnto him the obedience and seruice to hym due And to all other Princes Prelates Lordes Gentlemen Townes Comminalties and particular persons to forsake the pretended partye of the Vnion Whereof the Duke of Mayenne hath made himselfe head and to yeeld vnto the Kinge seruice obedience and fidelitie Vppon payne that the sayde Princes Lordes and Gentlemen bee degraded from theyr Nobilitie and declared Peasantes both they and their posteritie with confiscation of body and goods razing and ruinatinge of Townes Castells and places which shall bee infringers of the commandemente and ordinaunce of the Kinge Hath cancelled and reuoked doth cancell and reuoke whatsoeuer hath beene doone decreed and ordayned by the pretended Deputies of the assembly holden in this Towne of Paris vnder the name of the Generall Estates of this Realme as voide and done by priuate persons chosen and wrought for the most parte by the Factious of thys Realme and partakers with the Spanyarde and hauinge no lawfull power at all Doeth prohibite the sayd pretended Deputies to take vppon them this qualitie or to assemble themselues any more in thys Towne or else-where vppon payne to bee punished as disturbers of the common rest and Traytors And doeth enioyne those of the sayd pretended Deputies which yet at this present are in this Towne of Paris to withdraw themselues euery of them in hys house there to lyue vnder the obedience of the King and to take the Oath of fidelitie before the Iudges of the places Hath also ordayned and doeth ordayne that all processions and solemnities ordayned during the troubles and by reason thereof shall cease and in steed thereof the two and twentieth day of March shallbe for euer kept holy and vpon the same day shal be a generall procession according to the accustomed manner Whereat shallbe assistant the sayd Court in red Robes in remembrance and for to giue thankes to God for the happy deliuery and reduction of the sayd Towne to the Kinges obedience And to the end no person pretend cause of ignorance of this present decree hath ordayned and doth ordayne that it shall bee read and published by sound of Trumpet and publike crye throughout all the chiefe quarters of thys Towne of Paris and in all the Courtes of this Iurisdiction and to this end the same shall bee printed and at the diligence of the Kinges Atturney Generall shall be sent to all his Substitutes Whome it enioyneth to see the same executed and thereof to certifie the sayd Courte Done in Parliament the thirtith day of March 1594. Read and Published by sound of Trumpet and Proclamation throughout the principall quarters of this Towne of Paris the next day being the last of the sayd moneth Subscribed De Villoutreys FINIS
stint without preiudice to other former arreareages for the which there shall be order set downe as much to the ease of euery man as may be 12 That the accompts made at Paris during the troubles by any that were accomptable before the officers of accompts there resident shall not be subiect to the reuiew but onely in case of ordinance 13 We meane not notwithstanding in these presents to comprize any thing committed in forme of thefte or without aduowe In consideration whereof we haue permitted and doe permit vnto euery man all free libertie by course of law to seeke their remedie as they shall thinke good as also we doe except all such as shall be found guiltie of the horrible murder committed on the Parson of the late king our deere Lord brother or of any conspiracie against our life As also all trespasses and transgressions punishable betweene men of one selfe faction We doe therefore commaund our deare and trusty Chauncellor the officers of our Crowne all Dukes and Peeres of Fraunce and all the Lords of our Counsell and the ordinarie maisters of requests of our house to the same end by vs appointed and deputed to cause these presents to be read published and enrowled in the registers of our courte of Parliament in our Chamber of accompts in our courte of Aides in our generalls of Moneys and in all other places expedient Willing and commaunding that the contents of the same be inviolably kept and obserued and that notwithstanding whatsoeuer oppositions appellations edicts declarations arrests iudgements letters precepts prohibitions and other matters hereto contrarie to all which in respect hereof we haue and by these presents doe derogate together withall derogatories of derogatories thereunto contrarie For to the end the same may remaine firme and stedfast for euer we haue to these presents Signed with our hand set our Seale giuen at Paris in the Moneth of March the yeare of grace 1594. and of our Raigne the fifth Thus Signed HENRY And somewhat lower By the King RVZE And on the side VISA And Sealed with the great Seale vpon Lables of Silke in greene Waxe The King hath ordained and doth ordaine that vpon the fould of these letters shall bee set downe Read Published and Registred in the hearing and at the desire of his Attornie generall Geuen at Paris in the great Chamber of Parliament there sitting the Lord Chancelor with the officers of the Crowne the Dukes and Peeres of Fraunce The Counsellers of his Counsell of estate and some of the ordinarie maisters of requestes of his house the 28. day of March 1594. Signed LVILLIER The King hath ordained and doth ordaine that vppon the fould of these letters shall bee set downe Read Published and Registred Geuen at Paris in the Chamber of accompts the Lord Chaunceler ther sitting with the officers of the Crowne the Dukes and Peeres of Fraunce The Counsellers of his counsell of estate and some of the ordinarie maisters of requests of his house the 28. of March 1594. Signed LVILLIER The King hath ordained and doth ordaine that vppon the fould of these letters shall bee set downe Read and Published Registred in the hearing and at the desire of the Kings Attournie generall Geuen in the Chamber of Aides at Paris The Lorde Chaunceler there sitting with the officers of the Crowne the Dukes and Peeres of Fraunce the Counsellers of his counsel of estate and some of the ordinarie maisters of requestes of his house the 28. of March 1594. Signed LVILLIER It is ordained that vpon the fould of the said letters shall be set downe Read Published and Registred Geuen at Paris in the Chamber of Moneyes by the Lords of Riz and Pontcarre the Kings Counsellers in his counsell of estate and Commissaries thereunto by his Maiestie deputed the 28. of March 1594. Signed LVILLIER The Kinges Letters Patents for the reestablishment of the Court of Parliament of Paris Translated out of the French copie Printed at Paris by Frederick Morell by E. A. HEnry by the grace of God King of Fraunce and of Nauarre To all them to whome these present Letters shall come greetinge Whereas through the mishap of the dissention raysed and continued in this our Realme by the wicked driftes of some forreine Princes our enemies and other our rebellious subiectes as well in the time of the late King our most honourable Lord and brother as also since our comming to the crowne sondry townes haue beene withdrawen from the obedience due to our saide Lord and brother and to vs among the which our good towne of Paris hauing bene occupied by our ennemies and manifestly endaungered to the intollerable yoake and shamefull dominion of the Spanyard hath perpetrated many thinges contrary to the obedience due to their lawfull King where remayned an infinite number of Citizens some for feare of the losse of their goods others for that they could not abandon such persons to whose preseruation by nature they were bound others for want of meanes and ability to liue elsewhere and some vppon a desire to doe seruice to vs and to the whole common-wealth of this Realme Among whome sondry Officers of our Court of Parliament did there make their residence and continued the exercise of the Office to them committed which before the troubles they had executed in our saide Parliament for the which our saide Lord and brother hauing conceiued against them most iust indignation did inhibite them and therevpon made certaine declarations since published in the Court of Parliament transferred to Tours The like whereof and vpon the like cause and occasion our selues continued as declaring whatsoeuer their decrees iudgements and ordinances to bee voyde and of none effect Howbeit in respect of the causes contayned in our Edict which we caused to be published in our great Chamber of Parliament we of our especiall grace full power and authority royall haue extinguished and abolished all matters committed in our saide good towne of Paris during and by occasion of the troubles As also wee haue thought it requisite and necessary for the benefite of our seruice and common quiet to the end so good a towne should not remaine destitute of the exercise of iustice royall for the preseruation of the good and punishment of the wicked vntill wee may reassemble the whole body of that our said Court by the returne of our trusty and welbeloued the members of our said Court of Parliament transferred to Tours Also the Chamber erected at Chalais for the exercise of Iustice whome to that end wee haue sent for that the Counsellors and other Officers of the said Court who haue had their prouisions from the kinges our predecessors haue made their residence in this said towne before the saide troubles should be restored and reintegrated in the exercise of their functions as hauing deemed the said Counsellers worthy this our fauour and grace in respect of the vertue and constancy by them shewed in sundry matters namely in the resolution
vsurped ouer a parte thereof iudging also by the delayes so artificially by them procured that in all likelyhood they tended onely to prolong the calamities of France and to assure to themselues the wrongfull vsurpation of the townes and Prouinces by them possessed We vpon these causes hauing referred all these matters to the consideration mature deliberation of the Counsel haue resolued to deny them the prorogation of the said Truce for the monethes of Ianuary February and March which they craued with such instance as we had cause iustly to beleeue that such pursuite neuer tended to grow to any good conclusion of Peace but rather to temporize vntill the Spanish forces might arriue in our frontiers of Picardy by whose comming into the Realme they mighte haue the better oportunitye to prosecute warre against vs to the destruction of our good loyal Subiectes which God of his holy grace would not permit who hath opened our eyes to see by such their missiues as haue bene intercepted into their wicked deuises and obstinate resolution to mainetaine a perpetuall mischiefe within this our Kingdome his deuine clemency hauing taken into his especiall protection the defence of our iust cause and enspired the hartes of an infinite number of our good vassalls and Subiectes to acknowledge the duety wherein they are naturally bound vnto vs as appeereth by the comming in within these three monethes into our obedience of the townes of Meaux Lyons Orleans Bourges Pontoise and others among all others shal neuer be forgotten the happy comming in of our good towne of Paris the head Cittie of this Realme which happened the two and twentieth of March with such clemency pollicy good order and moderation that not so much as one onely Citizen can iustly complaine of any iniury or offence against him any way committed where the entry of our Army shewed no discontentment but rather resembled the ioyfull entry heretofore made by the Kinges our predecessors at their comming to the crowne in that the ioy and applause of the people vppon the sight of their so long desired King were no whit lesse then if they had euen then enioyed the like surety as by these presents is vnto them graunted of our grace fauor and protection with forgetfullnesse of all thinges past and assurance that we will neuer put in obliuion the desertes of such as in our seruice haue made shew of their vertue and stedfastnesse The consideration hereof together with the especiall goodnesse wherewith vpon this occasion it hath pleased God to fauour vs hath and still doeth bind vs more then any other mortall creature to imagine and continually to deuise how we may make our actions and behauiours agreeable before the holy maiestie of his deuine prouidence who as hee surpasseth in goodnesse and clemency whatsoeuer the spirite of man is able to comprehend so hath he voutchfafed to leaue vnto vs as an instruction and testimony the example and woord of his sonne Iesus Christ to testifie vnto vs that whosoeuer will be accompted his children must forget others transgressions Vpon this occasion acknowledging that nothing is vnto vs a greater witnesse that wee are made to the likenesse of God then courtesie and gentlenesse freely forgetting all passed offences and transgressions We haue and by these presentes doe declare that wee haue and doe accept into our fauour the Citizens dwellers and inhabitants of our good towne of Paris Of our especiall fauour and autority royall we haue and doe abolish all matters happened in the said towne during and by occasion of these present troubles wee will and ordaine that the same doe remaine suppressed abolished extinguished and taken as thinges neuer happened and to that effect with the aduice of the Princes and Lordes of our Counsell about vs we haue ordeined and decreed these thinges ensuing 1 First we will and ordeine according to the Edict of pacification established by the late King our deere brother and Lord in the yeare 1577. together with the Declarations since by vs made for the obseruation of the same that within the Citty and Suburbes of Paris and within tenne leagues round about determined by the said Edict there shall be no exercise of any other then the Romish Religion We doe also expresly forbid all maner of persons vnder the paines in our Decrees contained not to molest or disquiet the Clergie in the celebration of diuine seruice in the enioying or receiuing of the fruites and reuenues of their benefices or of any other the rights or duties vnto them appertaining whereof to that purpose wee haue and by these presents doe giue the ful possession Also our wil and intent is that whosoeuer since these troubles haue seased vpon any Churches houses goods or reuenues appertaining to the said Clergie resident within the diocesse of Paris as well of such as are resident in our saide towne as elsewhere throughout our Realme and which doe detaine or occupie the same shall redeliuer vnto them the full possession and free vse of the same together with all rights liberties and priueledges that they enioyed before they were disseased of the same 2 Also for a more full and perpetuall declaration of the singular affection and loue that we beare to our good towne of Paris we haue remitted reintegrated and restored and doe remit reintegrate and restore the same to all her auncient priuiledges rights graunts franchizes liberties and freedomes wherwith she hath heretofore beene endued by the Kinges our predecessors all which we doe by these presents a new graunt confirme and continue the same to vse and from henceforth to enioy well and duely as in times past and before these present troubles as well in all matters concerning the vniuersitie the body and towne house the prouost of Marchaunts the Shriuewicke and officers of the same as all other bodies Colledges and Commonnalties of whatsoeuer title or qualitie which heretofore and before the said troubles haue bene established 3 To the end also to take away all cause of enquiries processes quarels in time to come vpon occasion of any thing happened during the said troubles vpon a more ample declaration of our will concerning the discharge and abolishment afore contained wee haue ordained and decreed and by these presents doe ordaine and decree that the remembrance of whatsoeuer hath passed in the said towne of Paris and therabouts so farre as the same may concerne the saide inhabitaunts and others that were present in the towne at the yeelding of the same who shall within eight daies after the publication of these presents exhibite their othes and promises contained in our declaration heretofore published in our Parliament at Paris from the beginning of these present troubles vpon occasion of the same vnto this day shall remaine extinct and quenched as well for taking of armes surprize of Townes forcing of townes Castles houses or fortresses razng of the same leuying of Coyne of the recepts generall or particular of Tenthes Gable and sale of