terme it those of the religion in this realm may haue by speciall priueledge and graunt in perpetuitie the keping of the townes and places which wee holde at this present and also of certayne other townes in euerye prouince such as shal be thought mete by the eight speciall persones indifferently chosen by two that youre Maiestie will depute and two that those of the religion shall name which is to be done with expedicion at the place to be agreed vpon That your Maiesties garrisons be placed onely in the frontier townes and places where garrisons hath of ancient time bene vsed or at the least as farre of as well may be from the sayd townes and places nowe presently holden by those of the religion be it in comming or going of the sayd garrisōs and that there be not lodged greater nomber of horse with their armures without the consent of these of the religion and that they come and seiourne so modestly that thereof arise no suspicion nor inconuenience It may please your Maiestie to take in good parte that wee moste humbly beseeche you that your Gouernours and Lieuetenants generall that wil passe by or visit the said townes and places nowe holden by those of the Religion may not come thyther with force nor with great companie than with their ordinarie and accustomed traine in tyme of peace and that they be admonished so to behaue them selues in the said townes and places as those of the Religiō may haue no occasion therby to enter into feare and suspicion And that the like be obserued by the Lordes of the sayde Townes and places That nothing of the sayd townes and places holden by those of the religion be rased that hath ben made for fortification sauing only so farre as they shall thinke it expedient for their suretie And that there be not required or taken from them any of their munitiōs of warre or armour whether it be artillary or other And for the greater and better efficacie of your royall authoritie and good will to the vpright and sincere obseruation of the Articles of this peace We most humbly besech your Maiestie that first in full assembly of your priuie counsell and afterward in your court of Parliament of Paris in full audience by your Maiestie the Queenes your most honorable mother spouse our soueraigne Ladies my Lordes your brethred and the Lords the Princes of your bloud the Lordes Mareschals of Fraunce and the counsellers of your priuie counsell it be confirmed and sworne that the Articles of this peace shal be entirely mainteined perpetually and faithfully obserued And that the like be done by al your presidents counsellers aduocates procurators or attorneys and euery of them in all other your Courtes of Parliaments and presidencies That for mutuall obseruation of a perpetuall obedience and fidelitie those of the Religion throughout this Realme generally together with the Catholikes renue their othes offidelitie before your officers in their places with enterchangeable condition and promise on both partes neuer hereafter to commit any slaughters one against an other generally or particularly by whom so euer the same bee commaunded without exception but to leaue the whole conusance of crimes and publike reuenge to the course of youre lawes as is agreed in these articles of peace And to the intent to come by little and little to a true entier and generall reconciliation of amitie among all your subiectes of both the religions We most humbly beseech your Maistie to ordaine that euerie yere during fiue yeares the sayd othe be renued as well by the assemblies of the estates of euerie Prouince in one of the most peaceable townes in ech Prouince as at other general assemblies of the inhabitants of euery principal Towne of the diocesse which shall be holden at sundry termes among those of the two Religions that is to say in the principal assemblie by the Deputies of either Religion aswell of the nobilitie as of the comons of the whole prouince and in the assembly of euery Dioces and Bayliwicke wher they shal promise and swere not onely to keepe firme peace and amitie mutually but also to employe their liues and goodes for your seruice specially to maintaine this vnitie and pacification against all breakers and disturbers thereof without any exception as is abouesayd Finally we hope that your Maiestie shall well like that we your most humble and most obedient subiectes continue our standing vppon our Garde without doing any force or hostilitie vnder the suspencion and intermission which it hath pleased your Maiestie to enioyne vs. At Montauban the vi day of August 1573. Thus signed Paulin Gourdon Lomasin Verlhac Ferrieres Monsegon Yollec Bressac Sainct bon Donzac Derboras B. de Narbonne Stopuihart Brecquet Drephelipon de la Source Galheuste Sebin de Lautrech P. de la Tour Decluuier P. Clement S. Chamayot Corraire Porcel Payau Rigord de Robert de l'Armoire A. Nolhac de Rosier Vuisaud Hibert Auoum du Port Reuires Roysse G. Moragnes Pomyer de Chastellet de Voyau du Cros de Fulger Degau A. Gardes du Poncet du Busquet Pradelses Merlein Ymbert de la Place G. Rodyer I. Cabanie Nohesau Baches Deueunsin de Noalhan The Kings aunswere to the Deputies of the reformed Churches of the countrey of Languedoc and other places adioyning THE Kyng hauing vnderstood the declaratiōs that to him haue bene made by those of the Religion called reformed being sent vnto his Maiestie vsing toward them his clemencie and naturall goodnes hath by mouth declared vnto them the assurance that they ought to haue of his good grace fauour and protection when they shall by the effectes shewe them selues such towarde him as al good and loyall subiectes ought to be to their Prince whereunto he hath sufficiently moued them by his last Edict vnder the benefit wherof they haue all due satisfaction of that which they haue alwaye shewed themselues to desire touching the exercise of their pretensed Religion the suretie of their persons goods And for as much as they haue alway declared that they haue no other will but to satisfie the commaundements of his sayd Maiestie he hath thought good for their better conformitie to send the Duke de Vses peere of Fraunce and the Lord of Caplus Knight of his order to Monsieur de Dampuille Marshall of Fraunce his Gouernour and Lieutenant generall in Languedoc to saye to him on his Maiesties behalfe that he chuse some towne or place of his gouernement neere to Montauban and which he shal thinke fittest for the purpose and that he repaire thither and there aduertise those of the Religion called reformed that they send thither the sayd Deputies or other whom they will on their behalfe for conference to be had with them by the sayd Lord Marshall touching their quiet suretie and preseruation and other things concerning and appertaining vnto the executiō obseruing of the sayd Edict and also the course of law and iustice which his Maiestie meaneth to
so great sumes of money hitherto leuyed of your people haue bene imployed and to cause the men of warre to be well payd hereafter which is the onely meanes to make them liue in order vnder good rule and warlike discipline and the people of the sayde thirde Estate will praye to GOD for the preseruation and increase of your highnesse in all prosperitie and health ¶ The Kings aunswere to the Deputies of the third State of the three Countries of Dolphine Languedocke and Prouence THE King hath taken in very good parte the complaintes griefes and requests made by the deputies of the third state of the Countries of Languedocke Dolphine and Prouince and assureth them that he will relieue thē as soone as his affaires may giue him leaue It maruelously greeueth his Maiestie that his poore people haue suffered so many wrong full troubles For the appeasing whereof he hath caused his Edict to be proclaymed intending to haue it kept and will to the vttermost of his power reache out his hand yit further to a greater pacification And his sayde maiestie doeth all his subiectes to vnderstand that he is charged with allowances to the Princes his bretherne and of the Ladies his Sisters with the interteynement of the Queene with the dowries of his mother and of the Scottish Queene with the allowances of the old Queene Elinor of the Duchesses of Berrey and Ferrara wherwith the kyngs his Grandfather and Father were not charged ouer and besides an infinit masse of dettes wherof the sayd kyngs his Graundfather and Father left him in arrerages which things haue ben the cause of his further charging of his saide people to his great grief Made to Villiers-Cotterets the 18. of October 1573. ¶ The aunswere and aduertisement of the Lord Lodowicke Earle of Nassau to the Kyng THe Lord Lodowicke Earle of Nassau for the zeale which hee hath of the good successe of the kynges Maiesties affaires hauing not long agoe talked freely and plainely with the Lords of Schombert and Fregouza at Frankford and afterward with the sayd Lord Schombert at Cassel thought that his Maiestie shold haue had intelligēce of all as well by the letters of the sayd Lord Schombert as by word of mouth of the said Fregouza hoping also that hee would haue taken all things in good part according as it proceeded from a hart that was at his commaundement Neuerthelesse the sayd Earle perceiueth by instructions from the sayde Fregouza lately roturned vnto him and vnderstandeth throughly by his wordes that his Maiestie taketh all things as though hee had ment to bridle him in his owne Realme VVherein notwithstanding it was the said Earles intent but to shew his Maiestie freely and vprightly the only meanes whereby he knew he might attaine to the thing that he pretended which was to knit a firme friendship and good league with the Protestant Princes and to put away and bury the euill report that went of his Maiestie as well by common deuises of pictures as by reprochfull Bookes and finally to assure him selfe of good aid against the kyng of Spaine in whō he espieth dayly diuers euill meanings towards him And forasmuch as his Maiesties sayd mistaking of things hath caused the sayd Earle to feare least he were not informed of the thing which hee woulde faynest haue him to know and which hee thinketh in sound conscience to be the fittest waye to bring the thing to passe which his Maiestie pretendeth he hath dispatched to him the Lord Chastelier to informe him more particularly of his meaning and of the thinges which he seeth to be expedient for the compassing of his desire Humbly beseechinge his Maiestie to beleue that his so doing is not vppon any peculiar passion or for any affection that he hath to any other thing than to see him in better estimation and reputation than he is among strange Princes and Potentates and further of from the destruction that preaseth hard at his heeles The meanes for him to come to the foresayd ends with the sayd Protestant Princes and to recouer the reputation wherof the former outrages haue bereft him is that his Maiestie should first and formest surcease his warres against them of the Religion which is the true and onely ground woorke whereuppon he may build his reputation new againe whatsoeuer he listeth besides with the Protestant Princes For otherwise it is impossible for him to preuayle And it is no brideling of his Maiestie but a receiuing of fauour at his hand when the sayd Princes may so trust in him as in them selues and shall see in good earnest that there lurketh none euill meaning towardes them which thing cannot be so long as his Maiestie shall persecute them of the same Religion in his Realme whereof the sayde Princes make profession and whereuppon they ground themselues By reason wherof they can neuer hope for any stedfast friendship or league with his Maiestie so long as he sheweth him selfe so sore against them in the chiefe poynt namely Religion which is the thinge that ouer ruleth the doinges of men VVherefore it is requisite to giue his Maiestie a Blanke wheron he might contitinually set his eye that first and formest he let the Protestants alone in peace And to the end that his Maiestie shoulde thinke that these be no discourses in the aire the sayd Earle beseecheth him to remēber that the same had ben the welspring of all his reputation and to call to mind what he had sayd to his hignes the first day of his comming to Bloys in the euening and many other times duringe the treatie of the king of Nauarres mariage namely that forasmuch as his Maiesty had labored so much to set peace among his subiectes and freely graunted the Protestāts the exercise of their Religion the sayd Lords and Princes desiring to be mayntained in like libertie bare him so hartie good will that in deuising ere whiles among themselues whō they might wish to be their Lord if the case shoulde so fall out as to come to election they desired his Maiestie with one mind wishing his auauncement and increase and hauing not any thing more common in their mouthes than his prayses VVhereuppon the sayde Earle sayd vnto his Maiestie that he hoped one day to see the imperiall Crowne vppon his head and that his Maiestie might beleue that that saying of his came not of himself but of such as hauing the authoritie and power to do it made their full accompt to chuse him to be kyng of Romanes VVherin his Maiestie should haue this aduantage that wheras other Princes were wont to buy and purchace it by all meanes and to offer all maner of condicions of aduauntage that they could deuise for the purpose like as the Emperour now present his Maiesties father in law had neuer ben chosen without earnest sute and solemne promises made wherof one among many other was that hee sware to maintaine euery man in freedome of conscience and exercise of the Religion
his Maiestie should bee intreated and sued vnto to take that great dignitie vpon him That was the very cause why they of the lowe coūtreys perceiuing their Prince to depart frō his promises and frō the condiciōs whereunto he was bound that on the cōtrary part his Maiestie vsed his subiectes so louingly wished withall their hearts to haue him to their soueraigne Lord casting themselues into his armes to the end to haue the freedome of their consciences and the exercise of their religion and generally to inioy the selfsame benefit which his Maiesties subiectes then did by his permission It was the selfsame and the chiefest reason that moued the Queene of England to make league with his Maiestie a litle before the murther But now contrariwise his Maiestie is nere his fall his state is weakened on all sides and he is as it were abandoned to the praye to whosoeuer listeth to take it bycause that through his last outrage and former warres made to force the consciēces of his subiects he is so destitute of noble men and men of warre yea and of the strongest fortresse or hold of his Realme which is the loue and good will of his subiectes that he is become like an old house that is dayly shored vp with some proppes and yit in the end cannot be kept from falling downe His Maiestie maye see how the Spanishe kyng his mortall enemie maketh his hand of the backwardnesse of his estate laughing with open mouth at his misfortunes and imploying al his studie indeuer to maintayne trouble in his realme assuringe him selfe and not without good cause that it is the onely meanes to attayne to his purpose without stroke stryking sith that the Spaniard hath more weakened his Maiestie by the former warres late slaughter present troubles than if he had made thirtie yeeres warre against him himselfe Furthermore the Spaniard serueth his owne turne against his Maiestie euery where where he can with the late outrage as he did alate in Poleland as his Maiestie vnderstandeth well ynough and the same was the only cause of courtesie and faithfulnesse which the Duke of Alua vsed towardes the sayd Earle at his goinge out of Mons as he himselfe reported to diuers afterward namely that hee did it to shew that hee would not commit so foule a trecherie as the French kyng had done and that he was not sory for the Admirals mischaunce bycause hee was the kyng his Masters deadly enemy but yit hee had leuer to haue lost both his armes than to haue done that deede And if his Maiestie continue his purpose of making warre against the protestants and wil not suffer them in his realm the sayd Earle can assure him that the Duke his brother leauing him in that plight to goe into Polonia shall neuer bee welcome thither But the people of that coūtry thinking that he cōmeth to set them in a broyle as Fraunce is will count him but as a cypher in Agrim and the Princes of the land in steed of comming foorth euery where to meete him on the waye for his honor will drawne back a ten leagues of for feare to see him And contrary wyse if he make himselfe a meane of good peace in Fraunce be fore he goe thence he shal bee receyued loued and honored as much as hart can think-and the foresayd Princes will wayte for him by the way to doe him all the honor and solemnitie in receiuing him that they can deuise And so long as his Maiestie abydeth in the same mind that he is in at this day the sayd Earle seeth not that it is to any purpose for him to hope that the Prince Elector the Palsgraue should send to the Queene of England for the accomplishing of mariage betwene hir and the Duke and much lesse that the sayd prince Elector should consent that the Prince Casimire his sonne should serue his Maiestie for the sayde Earle was sure that it shold smally boote him to moue the matter neither could he doe it with a safe conscience so longe as his Maiestie is in armes against the protestants His Maiestie hath all occasions that can be wished to drawe awaye his armed hande from his subiectes and to ceasse his warres against them besides that the Duke his brother the chosen king of Polonia if hee desire to be well receyued and to assure those country men that his being among them shall not be to trouble them or to disquiet their consciences but to maintaine them in the freedome wherein hee found them may also as the Duke his brother vppon like occasion make meanes to his Maiestie not to disquiet the protestantes and that if they depart otherwyse the one into Poland and the other into Englande besydes that it should fall out ill for them selues in respect of the reasons aforesayd they should leaue his Maiestie with such a warre vppon his hand as should be so much the more harde and daungerouse in respect of the abatemēt of his power with the smalnesse of his comfort and which worse is for that he should not haue any man whom hee might truste with the leading of his armie for as much as some are too seruisable and affectioned towards the Spanish King as his feed men his Maiestie could not trust any man by reason of the things that had passed Moreouer the sayd Earle could not forget to aduertise his maiestie that beyond the seas men began to bee greeued at the French fashions and to waxe loth to deale with them bycause they bewray themselues to goe vnsoundly to worke and to seeke for nothing but dissimulation as not long ago whyle the Queene of England was deliberating vppon the treatie of mariage betweene hir Maiestie and the Duke in the meane whyle shippes of warre were sent priuily in to Scotlande to stirre vp and mayntayne troubles there and to make them spred by little and little into England Agayne the brute goeth commonly here that the men whom his Maiestie sendeth abroad are all of them spies which come to discouer what is done in princes houses moreouer that all the discourses which his Maiestie maketh with Ambassadours specially in the name of the Pope and all the dispatches which he maketh vnto Rome are but tales and colours of assurance of good will too ouerthrowe the protestantes on all sydes and namely the foresayd princes And that there appeareth so much dissimulation and vntruth in his maiesties letters and wordes as men cannot tell howe to trust them in any good case lyke as in his letters written to the sayd princes vpon the wounding of the Lord Admirall when hee had giuen them to vnderstande that he was sore displeased at the receyt of suche a mischaunce and would make such an example of iustice of it as shoulde bee remembered while the world indured A two dayes after he caused it to be proclaymed that it was his owne dooing Furthermore how much assurance so euer his maiestie gaue after the death of
the sayd L. Admirall throughout all places of his dominion that he meant not neyther would that any man should by any meanes alter his Edict of pacification it can not in any wyse agree with the warre which he maketh presently against his subiectes of the religion and much lesse with his own saying that he would not suffer any other Religion thā his owne within his realme By reason of which persuasions the prince cannot thinke that his Maiesties promising to succour him in the offer which he caused to be made to the sayd Earle without condicion was spoken with a playnmeaning hart but rather feareth that the same proceeded out of the selfesame shopp that the former things came because that in the letters of the Spanishe Ambassadour which were surprised a while agoe as they were comminge out of Fraunce to the Duke of Alua it was seene that the Queene mother vsed suche speech as this I cannot thinke that these so good Christians will make any agreement with the Heretikes shee spake those words of the Prince to his hinderaunce and therefore it is vnlykely that there was any good meaning towards the furtherance of his affayres The said Earle besecheth his Maiestie yit further to set before his eyes what hee hath oftentymes tolde him of the Cardinall of Lorreine namely that his dooings were so suspiciouse on all sydes that whereas he was in credit with his Maiestie and had the ordering of all his affaires it was not too bee thought so farre as could bee seene that hee would deale soundly or vncorruptly in any thing by reason of the great priuitie which he had with the Spaniardes yea and muche lesse in asmuch as it is reported that he hath offered his maiestie a great summe of money to imploy it against the protestants Moreouer the sayd Earle beseecheth his Maiestie to call to mynd what his highnesse hath sayd vnto him oftētimes namely that he considered well the mischiefes that had assayled him on all sydes and that if hee might by Gods grace once remedie them by the peace which he hath payned himself so much to make he would take good heed that he fell no more into them For wheras he is at this hower further ouer the shoes thā euer he was through the counsell of such as vnder his name doe bring those in suspicion which are called the heads of the factiōs and prouoke him to make cleane riddance of them by what meanes so euer it bee as hee dyd by the last slaughter his Maiestie maye wel see it was not to leaue of so but to make him bathe himselfe more than before in the bloud of his poore subiectes to the ende to hasten his own ruine the more wherof they haue layd the platt a long tyme afore hand which skarre his maiestie may yet for al this heale vp agayne by making a good peace in his realme by ceassing to trouble his subiectes of the reformed religion Finally the sayd Earle desireth his Maiestie to bethinke him of this poynt that although he had taken all the townes that are hild by the Protestantes in his Realme yit should hee not haue rooted out the Religion and to consider also that the late Emperour Charles the fifth did not onely take the townes but also had the persones in his hands that did set thēselues against his procedings seazed vpon their landes and beate downe their fortresses and yit for all that could nor driue the Religion out of Germanie because it is a thing so rooted in mennes hartes that it cānot be weeded out by force of armes VVherefore the sayd Earle most humbly beseecheth his Maiestie to take these reasons in as good part as the Earle hath without passion or particular affection soundly truly and with good conscience commaunded the Lord of Chastelier to preferre them to his vnderstanding and to wey them and consider them well and throughly not suffering himselfe to be flattered by such as play the leud Phisitions which tell not their pacient the least part of his disease wherevppon followeth his vndoing but rather crediting such as seeke nothing but his good furtherance and great increase If hee do so his affaires shal haue as good successe as he would wishe If not but that he continue stil in his former behauiour all that euer he can doo shall but turne to his vndoing and imbattell both God and men still more and more against him ¶ FINIS Concerning the conclusiō and effect that hath ensued of these requestes and aduises and touching rhe decease of the French Kyng IT is good for subiectes to trust and pray that Kyngs shall liue It is good for Kynges to thinke and knowe that kynges may and must die Many haue bin the examples therof and great is the fruite to the wise cōsiderers Gods is the iudgement and execution mannes is the good or harme as God is to dispose in wrath or fauour The end is Gods honour It is therfore good for all euen the highest to feare God and to gouerne subiectes as Gods people And sweete is the comfort to those noble Princes whose hearts and consciences the spirite of God feelingly assureth that they haue lead their people in truth holden them in Iustice and preserued them in mercy and equitie Let the one Realme of Fraūce in their Kyngs their subiectes and their state preach to Christendome the mortalitie of kyngs the miseries of ciuill warres the losses by disloyaltie of word and deede the fruits of truth right and peace Gods is the iustice and iudgement whose be the honour of all things seeming to men good or euill The valiant and famous French king Henry the second when he was in greatest apparance of felicitie and ioye in the entric of peace in the feastes of mariage in the very actes of triumph and euen than when after execution of sundry for the cause of conscience he had Annas du Burg and other counsellers of the Parliament of Paris in prison whom for their Religion he thought meete and intented to haue put to death was hurt and slaine to the great losse dissolution lamentation of that mightie kingdome His sonne Francis the second enriched with one kingdome more than euer his father or his auncestors enioyed the Realme of Scotland when after execution of many persons vppon the tumult of Amboise the death of the Vidame of Chartres he had the prince of Cōde Madame de Roye and other noble persons gentlemen prisoners in the Bastile of Paris and elsewhere was suddenly taken away by the hand of God to the great destitution and sorow of those that depended vppon his Maiestie Charles the ninth now lately deceased second sonne of King Henry and yonger Brother to the sayd Frauncis when he thought himselfe deliuered of those whom he supposed daungerous to his estate and whom he charged with most haynous conspiracie found afterward mightie resistance by the remnants of that execution by whom these Articles of request were presented vnto him whereuppon hath not followed such full conclusion as had ben to bee wished for the quiet of that kyngdom Since which time and the lamentable troubles depending when the sayd kyng had his owne Brother with the next Prince of his bloud his greatest Mareshals of his Realme and a number of noble men in custodie and prison and dayly expectation was of a totall destruction of some part of his subiectes God hath added him to his auncesters The circumstances of his disease the cause occasion and maner of his death pertayneth not to vs It was the woorke of god No doubt hee lacked not the care of a mother the counsell of Phisicians and cunning persons the helpe aduise wish and praier of the famous king his brother and all that men might do But Kynges who to vs in resemblance are Gods to them selues in Nature be men God giue to all Princes not that opinion onely but also that cogitation both to thinke it and thinke vppon it God giue quiet to that christiā region of our neighbours and an hart to all Christiā gouernour to haue care of the safetie and peace of their posteritie For beyond all posteritie there is a Kyng of Kynges to be aunswered And GOD giue vs Englishmen quiet and thankfull hartes that we may rest in vnitie cleaue to present state abhorre changes and so vse our Religion that God find it not necessary to withdraw our highest treasure Amen