STATUS ECCLESIAE GALLICANAE OR THE Ecclesiastical History OF FRANCE From the first Plantation of CHRISTIANITY there unto this Time Describing the most notable CHURCH-MATTERS the several Councils holden in FRANCE with their principal CANONS The most Famous Men and most LEARNED WRITERS and the Books they have written with many Eminent French Popes Cardinals Prelates Pastours and Lawyers A description of their UNIVERSITIES with their FOUNDERS An impartial account of the State of the Reformed CHURCHES in FRANCE and the Civil Wars there for Religion With an exact succession of the FRENCH KINGS By the Authour of the late History of the Church of GREAT BRITAIN Historia est lumen Veritatis vita Antiquitatis LONDON Printed for Thomas Passenger at the Three Bibles on London-Bridge and Ralph Smith at the Sign of the Bible under the Tiazz of the Royal Exchange in Cornhill 16â—6 Amplissimis Admodum Reverendis in Christo Patribus ac Dominis HENRICO Providentiâ Divinâ Episcopo Londinensi Joanni eadem Providentiâ Episcopo Roffensi necnon Decano Westmonasteriensi Salutem in Christo sempiternam Venerandi Patres Domini Colendissimi EA quâ par est submissione Historicum hocce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex antiquis recentibus Authoribus Collectum vobis offero nuncupo dedico ut splendore clarorum vestrorum nominum lux aliqua opusculo huic per viam affulgeret omnisque sinistra obmurmurantium scaeva propitio vestro favore procùl amoveatur Flosculus est quem Ego pauperculus humilisque Christi Hortulanus vobis proesento non ille quidem Lectissimus sed is tamen qui in vestris primùm sacratis manibus cupiat sua qualiacunque folia explicare Carpent illum e vestris manibus alii quoque delibabunt Si enim vestro olfactui sagacissimo non ingratus fuerit si vestrae gratiae calorem fenserit non dubito quin Piis omnibus bonum publicae aedificationis odorem captantibus gratus jucundus sit futurus Hoc mihi solamen est quòd viri praestantissimi Honore Doctrinâ proecellentes non tam muneris oblati dignitatem quam gratum offerentis animum perpendere soleant Si hunc librum accipere diligenter perlegere dignemini honestabor gratia meis laboribus optima referetur De Materia Methodo hujus Historiae modum an satis servarim Vos pro vestris acerrimis Judiciis aestimabitis Illam siquando fortè inspexeritis in ea aliquid observabitis de quo me admonendum putabitis illud rogo significetis quicquid egeritis meam non modò voluntatem sed etiam sententiam cum vestrâ conjungam hoc etiam Beneficium quidem summum accipiam quo nimirum melior doctior evadam Deus Amplitudinem vestram in Ecclesiae suae nostraeque patriae utilitatem quam diutissimè servet incolumem Vestrae Reverentiae Observantissimus G. G. THE PREFACE TO THE READER THe Design of this Treatise is to set forth the State of the Gallican Churches both of the Popish and the Reformed As to the Popish Church in France it is holden to be the best Privileged of all the Churches in Christendom under the Pope As touching their power the Gallican Clergy stands more stoutly to their Natural Rights against the Encroachments and Vsurpations of the See of Rome than any other that liveth under the Pope 's Authority which they acknowledge so far only as is consistent with their own Privileges and the Rights of their Soveraign for it was long e're they could submit to the Decrees of the Council of TRENT nor have they yet admitted of the Inquisition The Doctors of the Sorbon are accounted together with the Parliament of Paris the principal Pillars of the French Liberty whereof they are exceeding jealous as well in matters Ecclesiastical as Civil When Gerson Chancellour of Paris had published a Book in approbation of the Council of Constance where it was Enacted that the Authority of the Council was greater than that of the Pope the Sorbon Doctors declared that also to be their Doctrine For John Gerson in his defence of the Decree of that Council speaking of the Adversaries saith Perniciosos esse admodum adulatores qui Tyrannidem istam in Ecclesiam invexere quasi nullis Regum teneatur vinculis quasi neque parere debeat Concilio Pontifex nec ab eo judicari queat The Kings themselves also befriend their Clergy in the cause and therefore not only protested against the Council of Trent wherein the Spiritual Tyranny was generally consented to by the Popish faction but Henry the second King of France would not acknowledge them to be a Council calling it in his Letters by no other name than Conventus Tridentinus An indignity which the Fathers took grievously Moreover when King Lewes XI to gratifie Pope Pius the second purposed to abolish the Pragmatick Sanction the Sorbonnists in behalf of the Church Gallican and the Vniversity of Paris Magnis obsistebant animis saith Sleidan in his Commentary a Papâ provocabant ad Concilium The Council unto which they appealed was that of Basil where that Sanction was made so that by this Appeal they verified their former Thesis that the Council was above the Pope And before the Pragmatick Sanction was ordained the Pope had yearly drained the State of a Million of Crowns as the Court of Parliament manifested to King Lewes the eleventh Since which time the Kings of France have sometimes omitted the vigour of the Sanction and sometimes also exacted it according as their affairs with the Pope stood therefore it was called Froenum Pontificum And in the Year 1613. casually meeting with a Book written by Becanus entituled Controversia Anglicana de potestate Regis Papae the French called an Assembly and condemned it For although the Main of it was against the Power and Supremacy of the King of England yet did it reflect also on the Authority of the Pope over the Christians by the By which occasioned the Sentence So jealous are they of the least circumstances in which any of their immunities may be endangered The Pope hath no power in France to pardon criminals Le Rescript C. de precib Imp. offer Gratian. caus 25. The very faculties of the Legates heretofore sent into that Kingdom make not any mention of it but of the Remission of Sins proceeding from crimes And though there should be any such thing yet they are still curbed in with this Bridle To use it in such things as are not contrary derogatory nor prejudicial to the Rights and Prerogatives of the King and Kingdom nor against the sacred Councils the Laws of the Vniversities the Liberties of the Gallican Church and the Ordinances Royal. The Clergy of France do not hold their Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the Pope but of the King alone Bellarm. Tom. 1. controv 2. li. 4. ca. 24. howsoever the Jesuits teach the contrary when they do not use it as they ought when
loss of a limb to the transgressors thereof for which certain Executioners shall be appointed that so our jurisdiction being resuscitated may revive again and those who have enriched themselves by our poverty among whom God for their pride hath raised up prophane contentions may be reduced to the State of the primitive Church and living in contemplation may shew us those miracles which are fled out of the World long ago and we in the mean time lead an active life as it is fitting The Historian adds the Pope having heard these things sighed with a troubled mind and desiring to appease their hearts and break their courage after he had admonished them he frighted them with threats but he did no good for all that Tho. Fullers holy War li. 4. The Christians were now plagued with Bendocdar the Mammaluke Prince in Egypt who succeeded Melechem and every where raging against them either killed or forced them to forswear their Religion The City of Joppa he took and burnt and then won Antioch slaying therein twenty thousand and carrying away captive an hundred thousand Christians These woful tidings brought into Europe so wrought on the good disposition of Lewes King of France that he resolved to make a second Voyage into Palestine to succour the Christians And to that end he provideth his Navy and is accompanied with Philip and Tristram his Sons Theobald King of Navarr his Son-in-Law Alphonse his Brother and Guido Earl of Flanders there went also Edward eldest Son to Henry III. King of England Lewes having now hoised up sail it was concluded that to secure and clear the Christians passage to Palestine from Pirates they should first take the City of Carthage in Africa by the way This Carthage long wrestled with Rome for the Soveraignty till Scipio crushed out her bowels with one deadly fall Yet long after the City stood before utterly demolished at last by the counsel of Cato it was quite destroyed it being within a days Sail from Rome Out of the ruines of this famous City Tunis arose which was not then considerable in bigness great only in mischief being seated betwixt Europe Asia and Africa and so became a worse annoyance to Christian Traffick than a whole Countrey of Saracens elsewhere The siege of Tunis being begun the Plague seized on the Christian Army Sir Walt. Ralegh Hist part 1. li. 5. ca. 3. whereof thousands dyed among others Tristram King Lewes his Son and he himself of a Flux followed after Many good Laws he made for his Kingdom that not the worst He first retrenched his Barons power to suffer parties to try their Titles to Land by duels He severely punished Blasphemers searing their Lips with an hot Iron And because by his command it was executed upon a rich Citizen of Paris some said he was a Tyrant He hearing it said before many I would to God that with searing my own Lips I could banish out of my Realm all abuses of Oaths He loved more to hear Sermons than to be at Mass yet was he somewhat superstitious as appeareth by some Instances For about the year 1240. Baldwin keeping by force the Empire of Constantinople which the French and other pilgrims of Syria had surprized and held it by right of conveniency being in great want of Money writ to King Lewes IX that the Holy Crown of Thorns of our Saviour was found and if he would help him with a sum of Money he would send it to him This King being of easie belief treated with the said Emperour for a great sum of Money and bought that crown which was put in the holy Chappel of Paris with great solemnity Shortly after the Venetians having bought a piece of the true cross as they said for two thousand and five hundred pounds sold it again to the same King Lewes for double the price The King himself carried it bare-headed and bare-foot to our Lady of Paris and the Pope gave to it fourty days of pardon His body was carried into France there to be buried and was most miserably tossed He was Sainted after his Death by Pope Boniface VIII and the 25th day of August on which day in his first Voyage to Palestine he went on Ship board is consecrated to his Memory Tunis was surrendred on conditions the French return home whilst Prince Edward valiantly setteth forward for Palestine Philip the third called the bold or the Hardy succeedeth to the Kingdom of France At the return of Philip Anno 1271. Queen Isabel his Wife dies in Sicily And his Unckle Alphonse with his Wife the Countess of Tholouse dye soon after at Bologne without any children so as according to the contract of the Marriage the Earldom of Tholouse should be incorporate to the Crown Richard Son to Henry King of England is traiterously slain by Guy of Montfort the Son of Simon of whom we have spoken walking in St. Laurences Church at Viterbo a City of the Pope's Pope Clement IV. born in Languedoc being dead the Cardinals disagree about the Election of a new Pope and continued in this contention two years nine months and one day as Platina reporteth The causes of so long a dissention are variously reported by several Historiographers But the chief were as follow Hist of Cardinalâ— part 3. lib. 1. The first and most forcible of all was the contrariety in the Natures of the Cardinals which were present at the Election at Viterbo who were eighteen in number all obstinate and untractable and had sworn each of them never to yeild to his companion in the least All of them believed themselves worthy of the Papacy and every one negotiated for himself without speaking a word of other pretenders so that it was not possible among eighteen several competitors to come to any resolution But that impediment being removed in which the Cardinals continued obstinate for above ten Months there arose another which lasted above a year and was the second occasion of the tediousness of the Election and that is that the Cardinals were divided into two Factions one of them Italians the other French These would have a Pope of their own Nation and the Italians would have him of theirs neither of them complying with the other and the number of the French being equal to the Italians there being no way to gain the two thirds of their Votes they remained divers weeks obstinate and doing nothing but the heaping dissention upon dissention The other reason was that this delay growing tedious to the Princes and particular to Philip King of France and Charles King of Sicily these two Princes resolved to come in person to Viterbo and solicite the Cardinals to expedite the creation of the Pope Upon this occasion the Cardinals which were adherents to these two Crowns having notice of their Resolutions would do nothing till they were arrived who when they did come served for nothing but to protract the election though their desire was to hasten it each of them
with such an enemy as never bare Arms nor came into the field it is reported that he said he never dealt with any enemy which used so little armour and put him to so much trouble For King Charles after he came to the Crown never put on Armour himself but managing all his affairs by Wisdom and policy committed the execution thereof to his Brothers In the time of Charles V. a Book was written in France called The Vergers Dream Review of the Counc of Trent lib. 6. ca. 6. first in Latin then translated in French by his command In the seventh and eighth Chapter whereof the Clergy-man and the Knight confer together on this wise I call saith the Clerk and account the Decrees and Decretals of the Holy Fathers of Rome to be good Law which oblige every true Christian as a Subject and Son of a Holy Church our Mother To whom the Knight replyeth If the terms of Rome be Decrees or Decretals Ordinals or Constitutions touching the Temporal affairs of Kings Princes or other Secular Lords you Clerks among your selves shall call and account them Law if you please But the truth is That no Man can establish or ordain any thing where he hath no power nor Authority So as the King of France hath no power to make a Law or Ordinance to bind or tye the Empire so neither can the Laws of the Emperour bind the King of France and his Subjects And a little after I hold it therefore a frivolous thing and very ridiculous that the Holy Father should make any Decree Decretal or constitution about Temporal matters In the thirteenth years of the aforesaid Charles V. Charles IV. Emperour of Germany came into France by Cambray to do certain pilgrimages at St. Denis and elsewhere and so was conveyed with honourable men unto St. Quintin and from thence to Paris Mathias a Bohemian abode a long time in Paris and was called Pariensis he wrote a large Treatise of Antichrist in which he proveth that the Pope is the Antichrist He inveigheth against the Clergy for negligence in their callings and calleth them the Locusts mentioned in the Revelation He complains that every City and almost each man had his proper Saint or Saviour besides Christ the Images and Reliques that are set up in Churches to be adored he calleth the Invention of Antichrist He saith the worship of God is not tyed to persons places nor times he rebuketh the Cloysterers for contemning the Lay-men and calling themselves the only Religious he refuteth the merit of works and calleth them the cause of salvation sine quâ non In the end he prophesied Catal. Test Verit That God will once again send Godly preachers who in the zeal of Elias will openly disclose Antichrist unto the eyes of all the world After the death of Pope Gregory the Church began to be miserably torn with new schismes which began to arise betwixt the French and Italian Cardinals each Nation choosing it's own Pope and in it's own manner The French not able to digest the affront they received from Gregory in transporting the See from France into Italy departing privately from Rome they removed to Fondi and being arrived there they used many invectives and Satyrs against Vrban VI. whom they had already with the Italian Cardinals elected in Rome They pretended that they were forced to it by the people of Rome otherwise it was never their intention to make an Italian Pope For these reasons the Chair in their Judgements being vacant by the favour of Joan Queen of Sicily who was their friend Il. Cardinalismo part 3. lib. 1. they chose another Pope one Roberto a Cardinal with the Title of the Holy Apostles He was of Geneva and particularly of the Antient Family of the Conti in that City he took upon him the name of Clement VII From Fondi Clement removed with his Cardinals to Avignon where he was obeyed by the French and Spaniard These disputes lasted long the Legitimate Pope at Rome and and the Anti-Pope at Avignon firing their Bulls upon one another and sending them forth into all parts of the World The adherents of both sides set forth several defamatory Libels calling one another Schismatick Heretick Tyrant Thief Traytor Wicked Sower of Sedition Son of Belial and such like Stuff of which there are two Treatises extant at this day one of them written by Dr. John de Ligni in favour of Vrban against Clement and the other by the Abbot of St. Vast in favour of Clement against Vrban Whilst Clement was contriving which way to remove the Pope who resided in Rome he dyed Anno 1392. and was buried in Avignon He being dead Boniface IX who was Pope at that time in Rome writ a Fatherly Letter to the French Cardinals exhorting them to desist from their Schism and return to their obedience to the Holy Mother the Church of which he was he said the lawful Head But the French laughing as it were at such perswasions chose a successour to Clement which was Pietro della Luna who took the name of Benedict XIII who had argued very much in Clement's justification and that was the principal point upon which he was chosen by the Cardinals who concluded that he who defended another's cause with such ardour would doubtless more vehemently defend his own Whilst this Anti-Pope had his residence in Catalonia in the Castle of Paniscola administring the Sacramentss and conferring of dignities He was condemned together with the Cardinals which elected him by the Authority of a general Council Afterwards he assembled a Council at Perpignan where he created several Cardinals and commanded them after his death to follow his orders which were to choose another Pope without losing of time which they did For this Anti-Pope being dead at Paniscola the Cardinals chose one Giles Mungot a Chanon of Barcelona in his place calling him Clement IX who at the Instance of King Alphonso created Cardinals forthwith and began to Act in every thing as the true Popes use to do But afterwards upon Pope Martin the fifth's accomodation with King Alphonso Giles being commanded renounced the rights of the Papacy and was declared Bishop of Majorca and the Cardinals which he had created were likewise forced to renounce their Cardinalitial dignity Charles VI. succeeded his Father in the Kingdom of France at the Age of 12 years he was crowned in the year 1380. married in 1384. he falls into a Phrensie Anno 1393. and dyes Anno 1422. Charles the Wise left two Sons viz. this Charles VI. and Lewes Duke of Orleans And Charles VI. had three Sons Lewes John and Charles and one Daughter named Katherine These three Sons were Daulphins one after another in their Father's Life And Katherine was married to Henry V. afterwards King of England a mournful gage of an horrible confusion for this Realm Century XV. CHarles VI. having called a Council at Paris to consult about the schism which then was in the Popedom
grants Liberty of Conscience in those places he had taken and publisheth a Manifesto offering to take Arms against those that rebelled against their natural King The Duke of Espernon after the death of the Guises returned to his former greatness with the King Captain Du-Gast who killed the Cardinal of Guise treats about an accord with those of the League by the perswasion of the Archbishop of Lions The Truce was concluded by the Kings of France and Navarre upon these Conditions That the publick exercise of the Romish Religion should be restored in all places held by the Hugonots without any exception That the goods of the Clergy should be restored to them wheresoever they were and that all Prisoners which were in their hands should be set at liberty That the King of Navarre should be obliged to serve the King Personally with 4000. Foot and 1200. Horse wheresoever he should be Commanded and that all the Cities Towns and places of his party should observe the Laws and Constitutions of the Kingdom obey the Parliament and the King's Magistrates and on the other side that the King of Navarre should receive the City of Saumur and keep it in his power to have a Pass over the River Loire which yet he would be obliged to restore at the King's pleasure without any contradiction Which Capitulations after they were agreed upon and ratified Beaulieu the Secretary of State delivered up Saumur to the King of Navarre who gave the Government thereof to Sieur du Plessis Mornay his old Confident The same truce was made in Dauphiné between Colonel Alfonso Corso on the King's part and Monsieur de lesdiguiers for the King of Navarre and they united their Forces for their common defence The Protestants rejoyced exceedingly at this reconciliation magnifying their Faith and Obedience toward the King to the confusion of those who till then had published and defamed them as tumultuous and disobedient Rebels The King receives an aid of mony from the Great Duke of Tuscany and sends to the Swisses and Germans to assist him with Forces both of Horse and Foot He calleth all the Presidents and Counsellours of the Parliaments of Paris Roven and Dijon who were fled from the popular fury resolving that the Parliament of Paris should reside in Tours that of Roven in Caen in the same Province of Normandy and that of Dijon at Chalons and then by a sharp Edict declared them all Rebels who being chosen to the dignity of the Parliaments should continue to reside in those Cities and places which had withdrawn themselves from his obedience and forbad all men to have any recourse to them to seek for justice declaring all sentences to be void which they should pronounce under the name and title of Parliament The same declaration he made against the Duke of Mayenne against the Duke of Aumale and others Then having appointed Governours in all Provinces he gave Commission to make Levies to draw Souldiers together and that the War should be begun in every place The Parisians at the news of the Truce between the King and the Protestants besides many publick signs of contempt forbid the King to be prayed for any longer in the Canon of the Mass The Duke of Montpensier begins the War against those of the League defeateth the Gautiers in Normandy and the Count of Brisac's Forces who came to divert the siege of Falais The Duke of Mayenne takes Vendosme and the Count de Brienne Prisoner An interview was had between the French King and the King of Navarre at the Parc du Plessis without the Walls of Tours Mayenne assaults the King's Army at Tours where they fight a long time The King himself orders and disposeth his Souldiers puts himself among those that fight But Supplies coming from the King of Navarre he gives off the enterprize The Duke of Aumale besiegeth Senlis Monsieur de Longueville goes with small Forces to relieve it and raiseth the siege with a great slaughter of the Leaguers Aumale fighteth and loseth the day with his Artillery Baggage and thirty Colours Monsieur de Sancy having raised great Forces in Switzerland and begun the War with Savoy marcheth towards Paris against the Leaguers whither the King was also advancing But the Count de Soissons being assaulted by the Duke de Mercoeur is taken Prisoner The Sieur de Saveuse going with 400. Horse to joyn with Mayenne is routed by the Sieur de Chastillon and taken Prisoner The King takes Gergeau and Piviers But Chartres set open their Gates and having driven out the dependents of the League received the King with all his Army The Pope by Monitory declares the King liable to censure if within sixty daies he releases not the Prelates and doth not penance for the Cardinal of Guises death The King being troubled at it fasteth forty hours he said he thought it hard that he who had ever fought and laboured for Religion should be rashly Excommunicated because he would not suffer his own throat to be cut by the Arms of his Rebellious Subjects and that those who had sacked Rome and kept the Pope himself Prisoner had never been Excommunicated The King of Navarre being present answered But they were Victorious Let your Majesty endeavour to Conquer and assuredly the censures shall be revoked but if we be overcome we shall all die condemned Hereticks The King taking Estampes hangs the Magistrates and gives the pillage of the Town to the Souldiers Montereau was also taken by Storm and sacked Poissy yielded it self and now the King was Master of that spacious Bridge which there gives passage over the Seine Here Montpensier joyned with the King's Army Pointoise was after a bloody assault also forced to yield The next day the forreign Army arrived at Poissy-bridge there the Swisses joyn with t e King All the Bridges being lost all the neighbouring Towns surrendered all the passages of the River stopped and the City straitned on all sides there was no other hope left but what the presence of the Duke of Mayenne and of the Army afforded which was all shut up within the Circuit of the Suburbs of Paris The City of Paris being much straitned and under great terrour a thing well known to the King by the frequency of those who ran every hour from the City to his Camp upon the last day of July he would needs Personally view the Enemies Posts resolving on the 2. of August to assault their works on every side In his return toward S. Cloud stopping his Horse upon an hill from whence he saw all the City distinctly he brake forth into these words O Paris thou art the head of the Kingdom but an Head too great and too Capricious it is necessary by letting blood to cure thee again I◠hope that within few daies here shall be neither walls nor houses but only the very footsteps of Paris But now there was in Paris one Jaques Clement a Frier of the Order of S. Dominick born of
entitled La confusion des Disputes Papistes Par Daniel Chamier And another in answer to some questions of Cotton the Jesuite He was killed at Montaubon with a Canon Bullet which had a C. on it on the Lords day Being asked by one before whether he Preached on that day he said it was his day of repose or rest and so it proved though he meant it in another sense In the year 1618. the Lords States and the Curators of the University of Leyden renewed a former demand of theirs concerning Dr. Du Moulin to be their Divinity Reader The Learned Erpenius was sent twice into France on that errand And when he could not be obtained from the Church of Paris they demanded by the same Erpenius the famous Rivet and had him The Queen-Mother makes an escape from the place of her confinement and is received by the Duke of Espernon Anno 1619. And being arrived at Loches she endeavours to justifie her escape Cardinal Du Perron died Anno 1618. charging his friends upon his death-bed then about him to send a solemn Farewel by him to Monsieur Du Plessis and to manifest his sorrow for not having made a stricter League of friendship with him having so high an esteem of his Conscience and integrity The Queens affairs having ill success all those who had engaged in her party were abandoned to the King's mercy but as for her self she was permitted to come to Court The Duke of Espernon layes down his Arms and the Marquess de Valette by the Command of the Duke his Father The Duke of Mayenne refuseth to accept the Peace and endeavours to engage the Duke of Espernon in his discontents but he refuseth to stir In the year 1620. a National Synod of the Protestants being called at Alais in Languedoc Dr. Du Moulin was sent Deputy to it and he made account in his return to go out of the way to see Rochel A little before he took that journey the Lord Herbert of Cherbury then Ambassadour of England in France urged him to write to the King his Master to exhort him to undertake vigorously the defence of his Son in Law the King of Bohemia So the Doctor writ to the King and delivâ—red his Letters to the Lord Ambassadour's Secretary then immediately he went to Alais where he was chosen President of the Synod In the mean while his Letters to King James were delivered to the Council of State in France how or by whom the Doctor could never learn Scarce was he in Languedoc when it was concluded at Paris in the ouncil of State that he should be apprehended and committed Prisoner for exhorting a foreign King to take Arms for the defence of the Protestant Churches And because the Council was informed that the Doctor would return by Rochel a place which then gave great jealousies to the Court they wouid not take him before he had been there the informers against him intending to make his going to Rochel an Article of his indictment The affairs of Bearn were now of such a nature as that the King's presence seemed to be very necessary there therefore he determines to move that way and goes to Xantonge and from thence passeth over into Guienne He is magnificently entertained by the Duke of Espernon two daies at Cadillac and departs from thence to go into Bearn He was made believe that the Council of this little Country would submit to his Royal pleasure without obliging him to perform that voyage but the King must undergo that trouble He went thither where his presence produced the same effect it had done in other places He over-ran all this little Province seizing as he passed on Navarrens the strongest place in it as he did also of Ortez and Olleron Principal Cities of that Country He subverted all their antient Customes restor'd the Bishop and other Ecclesiasticks to their Estates and Dignities took away the Administration of affairs of the Country from those of the Reformed Religion and re-established his own Authority but he left the Government of the Province in the hands of the Marquess de la Force since Mareschal of France who impatient to see his Authority cut so short by these alterations could hardly forbear till the King was got back to Paris from reducing things again to the same posture they were in before He therefore laboured all the Winter to drive out the Garrisons of Ortez and Olleron so that excepting Navarrens which was kept by the Marquess of Poianne whom the King had left Governour there he overthrew whatever his Majesty had done shuffling all things again into their former confusion During the Reign of Henry IV. who would not see it and the troublesom minority of Lewes XIII who could not molest them the Protestants had made themselves Masters of Ninety nine Towns well fortified and enabled for a siege In the opinion of their Potency they call Assemblies Parliaments as it were when and as often as they pleased There they consulted of the Common affairs of Religion made new Laws of Government removed and exchanged their general Officers the King's leave all this while never so much as formally asked In this licentious calling of Assemblies they abused their Power into a neglect and in not dissolving them at his Majesties commandment they encreased their neglect into a disobedience The Assembly which principally caused the War and their ruine was that of Rochel called by the Protestants presently upon the King's journey into Bearn This general meeting the King prohibited by his special Edicts declaring all them to be guilty of Treason which notwithstanding they would not hearken unto but resolutely went on in their purposes Being Assembled they sent the King a Remonstrance of their grievances to which the Duke L' Esdeguiers in a Letter to them written gives them a very fair and plausible answer wherein also he entreats them to obey the King's Edict and break off the Assembly Upon the receipt of this Letter those of the Assembly published a Declaration wherein they verified the meeting to be Lawful and their purpose not to dismiss themselves till their desires were granted This affront done to the King made him gather together his Forces yet at the Duke of Lesdiguier's request he allowed them twenty four daies respite before his Army should march towards them He offered them also very fair and reasonable Conditions such almost as their Deputies had solicited but far better than those which they were glad to accept when all the Towns were taken from them In their Assembly they made Laws and Orders that no peace should be made without the consent of the general Convocation about paying of the Souldiers wages for the detaining of the Revenues of the King and the Clergy and the like The Synod at Alais being ended Doctor Du Moulin hearing how the the Protestants would keep a Politick Assembly at Rochel against the King's will judged that it was an ill conjuncture of time for him to go to
battel But Charles Martel getting out of prison assisteth Plectrude gathereth Forces and overcometh the new King and Rainfroy Charles is now received and installed Major of France and having assured himself of the Children of King Dagobert he caused them to be gently brought up in a Monastery At Colen he seizeth on Plectrude and Thibauld and inflicts no other punishment upon them but enjoyns them to live quiet and to attempt nothing without his liking He pardons Rainfroy and gives him the Government of Anjou He degradeth Chilperic being advanced against Law and causeth the eldest Son of Dagobert to be chosen King named Chilperic the third Chilperic dies having reigned five years and in his place his Brother Thierri was crowned King He reigned ten years and dying left his Son Childerick the last King of this first race of the Merovingiens Charles Martel from Major of the Palace is chosen Duke or Prince of the French Eudo Prince of the Gascoigus to whom Rainfroy joyned himself called in the Saracens with their King Abdiram out of Spain Anno 725. whom Charles met and killed them with an universal slaughter there were slain in one day three hundred seventy and five thousand and of the French fifteen hundred among which were many of the Nobility and men of Note And having recovered Burgundy and Lions in the year following Eudo dying he invaded Aquitain and overthrew the Saracens in great numbers invading France in the year 731 and regained Avignon taken by them and forceth them to abandon Narbon and the whole Country to his mercy At that time divers devout Monks lived in France viz. Vandegrisil of Fontinel a builder of Monasteries of whom Sigebert makes mention Vrsmar of Lobia a Founder of a Monastery Bertine Abbot of Sithiena and holy Aegidius Childeric was King in shew nine years Anno 744. Pepin in the time of King Childeric called a Council at Soissons where he assisted in person together with the greatest Peers of the Land five under the Authority of Charles Martel and four under Pepin the Son of Charles who dispossessed him Charles Martel having governed the Kingdom five and twenty years dieth He had four Sons Carloman Pepin Giles and Grypho Giles was made Bishop of Rhotomagum and left his Government assigned him by his Father unto Carloman and Pepin and they two divide the Kingdom and Govern each one his own part under the Title of their Father as is apparent by the first words of the Council under Carloman In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ I Carloman Duke and Prince of the French in the year from the incarnation of Christ 742. on the 11th of the Kalends of March by the advice of the servants of God and of my Nobes I have Assembled the Bishops in my Kingdom c. Within seven years after this Synod he laid aside his Princely Authority saith Bellarmine and entred into a Cloyster becomes a Monk and so dieth at Vienna and then all the Authority was in Pepin alone Grypho had rebelled against Carloman but at last Pepin took him in Italy and caused him to be beheaded Anno 753. Pepin having the Government alone aimed at an higher Title Blondus and others who have written the Acts of the French Blond dec 14. Lib. 10. say that the Nobility and Commonalty of that Nation duly considering the worthiness of Pepin and sottishness of Childeric consulted with Zachary Bishop of Rome whether they should tolerate so foolish a King any longer and defraud Pepin of his deserved Princely honour And when the Pope answered That he was most worthy to be a King who could best discharge the Office of a King Petrie's Church-Hist Cent. 8. the French with the publick consent of the whole Nation did pronounce Pepin for their King and Childerick was shaven and made a Monk Then the Pope wrote unto Boniface Bishop of Mentz to Anoint Pepin King of France and declare all his Subjects free from their Oath of Allegiance unto their lazy Soveraign The Pope was chiefly moved hereunto with hope to draw help from Pepin against the Lumbards Concil apud Palat Vernes his mortal enemies Pepin Anno 755. called almost all the Gallican Bishops to meet at the Council of Vernes the Palace About this time Aponius a French man wrote several Books In the Council called by Carloman of which I hinted before he beginneth thus I Carloman c. have Assembled the Bishops which are in my Kingdom with the Priests into a Council and Synod These are Boniface Arch-Bishop of Mentz Burchard of Wirtzburg Reginfrid Guntharius with the rest of the Bishops and their Priests That they should give me Counsel how the Law of God and Religion of the Church may be restored which in the dayes of former Princes hath been shattered and fallen and how Christian People may attain the salvation of their souls and not perish being deceived by false Priests And by the advice of my Priests and Nobles We have Ordained Bishops through Cities and set over them the Arch-Bishop Boniface who is the Legate of St. Peter And we have Ordained that Synods should be called every year Concil Tom. 2. Edit Crab. that in our presence the Decrees of Canons Rites and Laws of the Church may be restored And we restore unto the Churches the Monies that have been taken from them We have also discharged all the Servants of God from hunting and wandring in woods with Dogs and that they have no Hawks nor Faulcons We have also Decreed according to the Holy Canons That each Presbyter dwelling in a Parish be subject unto the Bishop where he dwelleth and that alwayes in Lent he give an account of his Ministry whether of Baptism or Catholick Faith and prayers and order of Masses Then he forbiddeth sacrifice to the dead and other profane Rites of the Heathen He appointeth punishments against the Fornications and Adulteries of Monks It was also decreed that Monks and Nuns should live within their Abbies and Cloysters according to the Rule of their Father Benedict Pope Stephen confirmed Pepin and his Heirs for Kings of France and of him asked aid to withstand the Power of Aistulphus then King of Lombardy who then had exacted Tribute from certain Lands belonging to the Bishop of Rome and because it was refused took up Arms. The Pope wrote a Letter directed to the Kings of France and to all Bishops Abbots Priests and Monks and to the Glorious Dukes and Counts and unto the whole Army of the Kingdom of France Stephen Pope and all the Bishops Priests and Deacons Dukes Counts People and Army of the Romans all being in anguish with how doleful and bitter grief we are encompassed on every side with how great perplexity and doubtfulness we are distressed and how many tears our eyes do shed because of the continual troubles which are multiplyed upon us we think that the smallest part of all the elements do declare for who beholding our
then it was the custom of the French Kings not to eat alone and seeth twelve poor men ill-apparelled sitting by upon the ground near to the Table of the Noblemen He demanded what those poor miserable Creatures were that did feed apart One answered They were the Messengers and Servants of God He then said Their God was of small account seeing his Messengers and Servants were so miserable and contemptible and thereupon retired himself having by this Treaty qualified the Force of Charles viewed his Train and made shew of his Courage even without an Ambassadour Charles Resolved to avenge this affront of the Saracen He raiseth an Army of an hundred and thirty thousand men He returneth into Spain at the first encounter he defeated Agoiland's Army near to Pampelona and for a seal of his Victory carrieth away the Head of Agoiland slain by the hand of Arnold of Belange a Noble and Valiant Knight Charles wrote divers Books He began a Grammar of the German Language but ended it not He changed the names of the Winds and Months from the Heathenish manner In the Epistle to Alcuinus before his Books De Divinis Officiis he saith when Christ was at supper with his Disciples he brake the bread and gave the cup to them in figure of his body and blood and left a great Sacrament which is profitable unto us Lib. 1. cap. 15. He saith elsewhere The Miracles which they say have appeared in Images if they did not appear truly as no Authentick History sheweth were but lies If by some imaginary over-shadowing they did appear to deceive mens minds it is most dangerous lest that Old Enemy by his subtilty through shew of wonders perswade to do unlawfull things But if these things did verily appear we should understand that when many wondrous things are done at the pleasure of God by some Creatures Lib. 3. cap. 25. or in whatsoever Creatures they be done yet these things are not to be worshipped by which or in which these wonders are made because God who sheweth many signs unto men by visible and palpable things to mollifie the hardness of mens hearts by these visible things worketh not these signs to confirm the worship of any Creature for he hath commanded to worship himself alone Because God spake out of a bush to Moses should the bush therefore be worshipped Because a Woman was healed by touching the hem of Christ's garment should hems therefore be worshipped The Catholick Church professeth to serve God not by Images not by men nor ethereal powers but by Christ our Lord. Charles the Emperour made many Laws and Ecclesiastical Constitutions which Angisus Abbot of Lobien and then Arch-Bishop of Senon gathered together with the Constitutions of his Son Lewis and divided them into seven Books Sinderus testifieth that they were in the Abby of St. Gallus and were not long since printed at Paris Alcuin cont Elipant Alcuinus saith thus of him Charles was a King in Power a Catholick in Faith an High-Priest in Teaching a Judge in Equity a Philosopher in Liberal Studies famous in Manners and excellent in all Honesty He was never served at Table with more than four dishes at once his Recreations were hunting and reading of Histories He died in February Pedro Mexia Hist Anno 814 and was interred at Aix la Chapelle where he was born and his Memory honoured with a goodly Epitaph The greatness of his Monarchy is admirable for he quietly enjoyed all France Germany and the greatest part of Hungary all Italy and a part of Spain He left his Son Lewes sole Heir of his great Kingdoms who was the weakest of all his Sons The French Monarchy being come to the height of it's Greatness not long after the death of Charlemagne it began to decline The foolish lenity of Lewes was the beginning the which was continued by the disordered confusions of his Successors who in spite one to another hastened the ruine of their House making way thereunto by their Vices and Misfortunes Lewes more fit to be a Monk than a King was so given to Devotion and of so soft a spirit that he made his Authority contemptible both within and without the Realm This made divers Nations subject to the Crown to fall from their obedience Bernard King of Italy an ambitious young man was perswaded by the Bishops of Orleans and Milan to seize upon the Realm of France But being in field to go into France against his Unckle with an imaginary favour of the French to be proclaimed King both he and all his Counsellours were taken by Lewes his Subjects Lewes having both his Nephew and Counsellors in his Power despoils him of all his Realm of Italy confines him to perpetual prison and puts out his eyes the like he doth to all the Bishops and Noble Men he could get and after a few dayes causeth them to be beheaded This act from Lewes and committed against such persons began to breed a general dislike the which was aggravated by a domestical dissention After the death of Bernard Lewes gave Italy to his eldest Son Lotharius and associated him in the Empire To his Son Pepin he gave Aquitain to Lewes Bavaria and would have them all bear the name of Kings Lewes had a Son by Judith his second Wife an ambitious Woman called Charles This Woman play'd the Empress and Queen over all which caused Lewes to be hated and contemned His Sons Lotharius Pepin and Lewes by the Advice of the Bishops who were incensed against the Emperour by reason of the death of those Church-men resolve to seize upon their Father Mother and younger Brother to dispossess them of all Authority and then to govern the States after their own wills wherein they must use force and a publick consent Lotharius lieves a great Army and calleth a National Council of the French Church at Lions supposing sooner to suppress Lewes by this means than by a Parliament Lewes appeareth and yieldeth to the censure of the Prelates which was to retire himself into a Monastery there to attend his Devotion and to resign the Empire and the Realm to his Children So Lewes was conveyed to Soissons to the Monastery of St. Medard his Wife and her Son Charles were committed to other places and the whole Government committed to Lotharius and his Brethren And the greatest of the Church-men were guilty of this Out-rage seeking to maintain their Decrees Lewes continued in prison five years viz. from the year 829 unto the year 834. Then Lotharius being forced to yield to his Father goes to field takes him prisoner again and leads him back to the Convent at Soissons where he stayed not long for the French did bandy openly against Lotharius and his Brethren abandoned him so as he was forced to yield unto his Father and to crave pardon Then Lewes gives portions to his Children to Lotharius he leaves the Realm of Austrasia from the River of Mens unto Hungary with the Title
of Emperour unto Lewes Bavaria and unto Chrarles France Pepin enjoyed Aquitain without contradiction Lewes not content with Bavaria levies an Army and passeth the Rhine The miserable Father prepares an Army to go against him but he falls sick and dieth Anno 840. There was a Council held at Paris by the Command of Lewes and his Son Lotharius Anno 829 and three others at the same time in other places as is collected from the Preface It was Ordained that Synods should then be Assembled in four several places of their Empire In his Reign in France was used of Priests and Church-men precious and shining Vestures and golden and rich staring Girdles with Rings and other Ornaments of Gold Fabian's Chron. Wherefore the said Lewes procured of the Pope a correction for all such as used such strange apparel causing them to wear brown and sad colours After the death of the Emperour Lewes Lotharius his eldest Son and Emperour by his Fathers Testament would force his Brethren to a new division He quarrelleth with Charles King of France and Lewes Duke of Bavaria but the two Brethren unite together and joyn their Forces to oppose Lotharius Lotharius finding himself the stronger refuseth the Conditions of Peace offered by his Brethren Then Lewes and Charles charging the Army of Lotharius overthrew it with a notable slaughter Lotharius after this defeat changeth his humour with his estate he enjoyed the titulary mask of the Empire with Austrasia yet much curtailed and divided to his three Sons Lewes Charles and Lotharius Then Lotharius having remorse of Conscience for attempting against his Father and Brethren professeth himself a Monk in the Abby of Pluviers and dies a Monk in the Year 855. Charles and Lewes after the Victory call the Bishops to take their Advice upon Occurrents who being solemnly Assembled exhort them to Concord They hearken to them make an Alliance and come to the dividing of their parts Charles remains the sole King of France Daulphine and Provence were left to Lewes in his partage for the commodity of Italy which was given him notwithstanding the pretensions of Bernard's Children But he died soon after without any Issue-male leaving one only Daughter called Hermingrade Heir of all his great Estates Charles married his Neece Hermingrade to Boson Earl of Ardennes Concil Meldens Cap. 78. Tom. 3. brother to his Wife Richilde who called himself King of Arles At the Council at Meaux held about this time it was Decreed that the Capitular Laws concerning the Church made by Charlemagne and his Son Lewes should be strictly observed The same Council entreats King Charles the Younger to grant the Bishops a freer liberty for the execution of their Ministeries in their Parishes Charles called the Bald began his Reign Anno 841. King Charles was present at the Council holden at Pistis upon Sein Anno 963. He is named first the Decrees are conceived in his name He caused himself to be proclaimed Emperour after the death of Lewes who survived Lotharius without contradiction He went to Rome and was Crowned Emperour by the Pope with the Imperial Diadem then raising his Spirit very high after the custom of the Grecians he walketh with a Surplice This King Charles the Bald relying on the Popes help favoured the Pope with all his Power and brought the French Clergy to the subjection of the Roman See as much as he could Then began the Popes Legates to come to the Councils of France and there to preside Then also the French Kings began to tremble under the thunderbolts of the Vatican and to fear the Excommunications of the Pope The first Pope that made tryal of his Excommunications against them was Pope Nicholas the first who threatned Lothary to Excommunicate him unless he recalled Tietberga his Wife whom he had put away to take Waldrada whom he loved which also this Pope did Excommunicate Whereupon there was great murmuring of the Prelates and People of France against the Pope being displeased both at the Pope's Usurpations and the pusillanimity of their Kings These things happened from the Year 863 to 866. After that Nicholas came Adrian the second who favouring Lewes Du Moulin cont Perron lib. 3. c. 9. Grand-child to Lewes the Gentle against Charles the Bald his Unckle sent peremptory Letters into France whereby he declared That if any presumed to make an enterprize upon the Kingdom of Lewes not only he would make void by his Authority all that he should do but also that such a man being bound with the bonds of Anathema and deprived of the name of Christian should be lodged altogether with the Devil * Pope John the 8. having excommunicated Count Lambert and Count Adalbert and some others which had ill entreated him in Italy came into France Anno 870 where he called a Synod at Troyes consisting of the Bishops of that Kingdom to desire their Consent to that Excommunication which they accordingly granted him This is seen in the Epistle which Hinomarus Arch-Bishop of Rhemes writes to the said Adrian upon the said subject where he saith That both Ecclesiastical and Secular men being Assembled at Rhemes would say in a reproachful way That never any such Mandate was sent from that See to any of the Kings Predecessors Adding That the Bishops of Rome had never withdrawn themselves from the obedience of Heretical Emperours Wherefore said they we will not believe that we cannot otherwise attain to the Kingdom of Heaven but by receiving him for a Temporal King whom this Apostolical Lord recommendeth to us It was in this ninth Age that the Decretals were forged by Riculphus Bishop of Mentz as is supposed who published them under a false Title And at that time and a long time after the Arch-Bishops of Mentz were the first promoters of Papal Authority in Germany And nothing hath helped more to the establishment of the Papal Empire than these Epistles which have for a long time been held for Oracles in the West by them the Father of lies hath wrought very powerfully These Decretals were forged under the Reign of Charlemagne and of his Son Lewes the Gentle being unknown before and never mentioned in all Antiquity bearing on the front the name of Isidorus Peccator and in some Copies Isidorus Mercator a man unknown and a name forged at will That Collection of Decretals began to go about in France in the beginning of the Reign of Charles the Bald. The first that used them was Hinckmar Bishop of Laon upon this occasion Hinckmar Arch-Bishop of Rhemes had promoted to the Bishoprick of Laon another Hinckmar his Nephew who having excommunicated his Clergy and hindered the Divine Service and the Baptism of Children in his own Bishoprick and committed divers crimes and excesses was cited to appear before his Unckle who was his Metropolitan But he would not obey nor appear Upon that Hinckmar of Rhemes disanulled all the Acts of Hinckmar of Laon and would synodically proceed against him
his race as an out-cast of great Charlemagne Lewes V. reigned one year only and dyed without Heir leaving his place void in troubles of State and confusion of times horribly corrupted unto the House of Hugh le grand Earl of Paris God had prepared the means both for the Father to lay the foundation and for his Son Hugh Capet appointed for the Regal Dignity to finish this goodly building Now cometh in the third race of the Kings of France called Capets of the name of Hugh Capet Charles Duke of Lorrain was first Prince of the Blood-royal he was Son to Lewes IV. Brother to Lothair Unckle to Lewes V. the last King to whom the fundamental Laws of France did adjudge the Crown But Hugh Capet was chosen King by the French assembled in Parliament and Charles Duke of Lorrain was rejected from the Crown This change happened in July Anno 987. This new King was sirnamed Capet or Capitosus either for that he had a great Head or that being young he was accustomed to catch at his Companions caps as a presage of that he should do unto Kings Otho and Henry two other Sons of Hugh le grand were Dukes of Burgundy one after another his other Sons were advanced to Ecclesiastical Dignities the one Arch-Bishop of Tholouse the other of Rovan and another dyed young Charles of Lorrain gathered an Army and entring France came to the City of Laon within which City he by the Treason of Anselm the Bishop of that City was taken and delivered with his Wife and Children into the hands of his Enemies Hugh being crowned King causeth his Son Robert to be crowned King at Rhemes Anno 990. three years after his Father's election Hugh decreeth that the elder Son should reign alone among his Brethren and suppresseth the Majors of the Palace He likewise decreed that hereafter Bastards should not be only rejected from the Crown but also from the sir-name of France the which before was allowed them To him likewise are due the goodly Ordinances of Justice Paris was the chief place of Hugh's residence which City was greatly augmented and beautified in his Reign Arnulph Bastard to Lothair was the only Man which had favoured Charles of Lorrain against Hugh Capet This Man was both perverse and disloyal having deceived both Charles of Lorrain and Hugh Capet who had given him the Arch-bishoprick of Rovan in recompence of the service he promised him against Charles to whom notwithstanding contrary to his Faith he gave means to seize upon the Cities of Rhemes Laon and Soissons Hugh therefore resolves to suppress Arnulph but respecting his quality he assembled a National Council of the French Church in the City of Rhemes This Assembly deposed Arnulph as guilty of Treachery and a troubler of the publick quiet and they substitute Gilbert in his place who had been School-master unto Robert Afterwards Hugh confines him to Orleans with Charles of Lorrain there to end his days in rest The Prelates of France in this Synod made a Declaration that the Popes have nothing to do to usurp the power and authority of Kings Arnalt Bishop of Orleans maintained in that Synod that the Popes have no power at all over the Bishops of France so as to have any cognizance of Cases belonging to them and he declaimed most stoutly against the avarice and corruption of the Court of Rome Seguin Arch-Bishop of Sens was sent also to Orleans to be imprisoned because he consented not freely to the deposition of Arnulph Pope John 12. being displeased with Hugh for that he had not appealed to him for his confirmation in this new Royalty disanulleth this Decree of the Council of Rhemes excommunicates the Bishops which had assisted restores Arnulph and deprives Gilbert of the Arch-bishoprick of Rovan and to temper this sharp and rough proceeding with some lenity he doth invest Gilbert with the Arch-bishoprick of Ravenna And this was a means to raise him to the dignity of Pope Acta Synodi Rhemensis Anno 990. The Acts of this Council of Rhemes under Hugh Capet have these words Poor Rome What clear lights of Fathers hast thou brought forth in the time of our Predecessors What horrible darkness hast thou poured out upon our times which will redound to our shame and dishonour in future Ages The Pope threatens his curse against Hugh and his Son Robert The King returned Answer that he had done nothing in contempt but that he was willing to justifie what He or his Bishops had done if it pleased the Pope to meet him at Gratianople on the Frontiers of Italy and France or if rather he would come into France he promised to receive him with the highest honour The Pope sent his Legates into France Gerebert Arch-Bishop of Rhemes sent an Epistle unto Seguin forementioned who was said to favour the deposed Arnulph the tenour whereof is Morn in Myst iniqu It became your worthiness to eschew the craftiness of deceitful men and to hear the voice of the Lord saying Here is Christ Hist Magdeb. in Actis Synodi or there is Christ follow not One is said to be in Rome who justifieth those things which ye condemn and condemneth those things which ye think just God saith If thy Brother offend against thee go and rebuke him How then say some that in the deposition of Arnulph we should have waited the determination of the Romish Bishop can they say that the Judgement of the Bishop of Rome is greater than the Judgement of God But the Prince of the Apostles saith We must obey God rather than Man St. Paul also cryeth If any Man Preach unto you otherwise than what you have received although he were an Angel from Heaven let him be accursed Because Pope Marcellinus offered Incense unto Idols should therefore all Bishops offer Incense I say boldly that if the Bishop of Rome himself sin against a Brother and being often admonished will not hear the Church even the Roman Bishop according to the command of Christ should be esteemed as an Heathen and a Publican for the highest rise hath the lowest fall And if he think us unworthy of him because none of us assenteth to him when he judgeth contrary to the Gospel he cannot therefore separate us from the Communion of Christ seeing even a Presbyter unless he confess or be convict should not be removed from his Office c. The Priviledges of St. Peter saith Leo the Great are not where Judgement is not exercised according to Righteousness Wherefore occasion should not be given unto these our envyers that the Priesthood which is one every where as the Catholick Church is one should be subject unto one Man that if he be corrupt with Money favour fear or ignorance none can be a Priest except whom these virtues recommend unto him Let the Law of the Catholick Church be common Farewel and suspend not your selves from the sacred Mysteries Pope John had intelligence of this Letter and summoned the
that all Christians should shun the company of those accursed persons Hildebert Arch-Bishop of Tours lived under Philip the first King of France At that time the Kings of France furnished the Churches with Pastors after the death of the Incumbent Then Hildebert approved the presentation made by the King to a certain Bishoprick of his Realm commending him in this manner I congratulate with vertue Review of the Counc of Trent p 295. that hath her reward under our King He hath found that the power of a King shines more bright by gifts and liberality than by the Scepter and that it is not sufficient for a Prince to stir up his Subjects to well-doing by Examples unless they be also provoked by rewards Hence it is that your good manners were honoured by a great Priesthood The disposition of the King was sound and prudent considering it could not better provide for the Church than by placing you in it At this time Ivo Arch-Bishop of Chartres in France after he was elected by the Clergy was presented to the same King Philip the first and received his Investiture and pastoral staff from him upon the refusal of the Arch-Bishop of Sens he was consecrated by the Pope whereat the said Arch-Bishop was highly offended insomuch that He with other Bishops at the Synod of Estampes were upon the point of revoking the said consecration made by the Pope as prejudicial to the King 's Authority See here what the same Bishop saith of it in a Letter unto Pope Vrban Moreover I give your Holiness to wit Ivo Epist 12. that the Arch-Bishop of Sens being infatuated by the Counsel of the Bishop of Paris having summoned the said Bishop of Paris and two others of the same humour viz. he of Meaux and He of Troyes did very indiscreetly accuse me this present Year because of the consecration which I had received from you saying that I had offended against the King's Majesty by attempting to receive my consecration from the See Apostolick This Vrban the second Ivo Epist 134. forbade the Bishops of France to Crown King Philip whom he had excommunicated but they were readier to obey their King 's commands than his prohibition In the Council of Clermont in France saith Matthew Paris held Anno 1094. Math. Paris in Will 2. Pope Vrban excommunicated Philip King of France And another English Authour saith Will. Malmsb. li. 4. In this Council the Pope excommunicated King Philip of France and all such as should call him their King or their Lord and which should obey him or speak unto him In like manner Ivo Bishop of Chartres speaks of them both By reason of this accusation King Philip was excommunicated by Pope Vrban at the Council of Clermont and having resumed the same Wife after he was divorsed from her he was afterwards excommunicated at the Council of Poictiers by the two Cardinals John and Bennet Notwithstanding which Excommunication he was Crowned by the Arch-Bishop of Tours in a full Assembly of other Bishops Know you therefore saith the same Bishop of Chartres in a Letter of his to Pope Vrban that contrary to the prohibition of your Legate Ivo Epist 28. ad Urban secund the Arch-Bishop of Tours hath set the Crown upon the Head of the King He speaks afterwards of the Election of a Bishop made at the same time by those who were assembled with the said Arch-Bishop In another Epistle written to the same Vrban he sheweth him how Philip had sent Ambassadours unto him with prayers in one hand and threats in the other such as these That the King and Kingdom would relinquish their obedience to him unless he did restore the King unto his Crown and absolve him from the sentence of Excommunication And afterwards he advertiseth him How the Arch-Bishop of Rhemes Sens and Tours had by injunction from the King appointed their suffragan Bishops to meet at Troyes the first Sunday after All-Saints day after he should have returned his Answer Whence we collect two things 1. That the Bishops of France did not cease to acknowledge their King nor to obey him and communicate with him notwithstanding the prohibition from the Council of Clermont 2. That they were very ready to put in Execution those threats which the Ambassadours went to make unto the Pope in case he did not condescend unto the King's pleasure The same Ivo complains of the Pope's Legate because he had chosen the City of Bloyes there to decide the cause of the Clergy of Chartres who could not repair thither with safety by reason of the populousness of that City The same Bishop having a controversie with some of his Clergy depending before the Arch-Bishop of Sens his Metropolitan intreats him to appoint a place for Judgement whither they might go and come in safety The Legate fore-mentioned having appointed a Council consisting of French Bishops to meet at Sens for the absolution of King Philip the first from the Excommunication which was darted out against him by the Pope by reason of his unlawful marriage he gives him notice that he might have done better to have proceeded to that absolution in another place than Sens Ivo Epist 166. that so every one might have had means to speak his opinion freely Idem Epist 116. The same Bishop of Chartres continuing his devotion to Pope Vrban upon the Election of an Arch-Bishop of Rhemes assureth the Pope that one was chosen who was very zealous for the See Apostolick adding afterwards No whow necessary is it for the Church of Rome to place in that See a Minister which is devout and affectionate unto her it is not for me to inform your Wisdom which knows very well that this See wears the Royal Diadem and serves for a pattern to all other Churches of France either of Ruine or Resurrection This Ivo of Chartres although he had received his Investiture from King Philip yet inasmuch as he had gotten his confirmation from Pope Vrban he was always affectionate to him and the Roman See even to the prejudice of the King and Kingdom as may be collected from some of his Epistles Lup. Epist 40. On the contrary because Lupus had gotten the Abbey of St. Peter de Ferriers in the Diocess of Sens by the donation of Charles the bald he was always loyal and even brags of it in one of his Epistles It happened that there came a French Pilgrim to Jerusalem called Peter an Hermit Tho. Fuller Hist of the holy War lib. 1. ca. 8. born at Amiens in France one of a contemptible person yet a man of a quick apprehension and eloquent Tongue and one that was counted very Religious With him Simon the Patriarch of Jerusalem often treated concerning the present miseries of the Christians under the Turks what hope of amendment and how the matter might be secretly contrived that the Princes in Europe might assist and relieve them Peter moved with the Patriarch 's perswasions the
and gave courage to their Commanders Philip seeing his Errour raiseth another Army of 40000 men and puts them under the command of Robert Earl of Artois accompanied with the Constable of France and many other great Personages Century XIV THe Armies forementioned meet near unto the Town of Courtray in a place called Groeming The French were defeated Of this great Army there hardly escaped three hundred not one Commander escaped and very few Noble-men There were taken Robert Earl of Artois General of the Army the Constable of France James of Chastillon Governour of Flanders John King of Majorca Godfrey of Brabant and his Son the Lord of Viezon the Earls of Ewe la March Damartin Aumale Auge Tankerville and many other great Personages Twelve hundred Gentlemen were slain by this enraged Multitude All Flanders now revolted from the French This happened in the Year 1302. on July 11. John of Namour is their Governour in the absence of their imprisoned Earl All the threats of the King of England and the Emperour now vanished away only Pope Boniface had Excommunicated King Philip and interdicted his Realm in the hottest of these Flemmish affairs upon this occasion The Christians Estate was lamentable in the East the Tartarians encreased daily The Pope Anno 1301. sent Boniface Bishop of Apamea unto King Philip requiring him to go into the Holy Land When the Bishop saw no appearance of obedience he threatned the King that the Pope would deprive him of his Kingdom Whereupon the Bishop being charged of Arrogancy and Treason and cast into Prison the Pope sends to him again one Peter a Roman born Arch-Bishop of Narbon commanding him to set the Bishop at liberty and to take a Voyage against the Infidels and not to meddle with the Tenths of the Clergy Philip answered his troubles at home hindred him from going into the East and constrained him to impose a Subsidy upon the Clergy and he was willing to dismiss the Bishop The Arch-Bishop replyed that he was ignorant of the Pope's Authority who was not only the Father of Christian Souls but also Soveraign Lord in Temporal things And therefore by that Authority he did excommunicate him declaring him unworthy to reign and his Realm forfeited to the Pope to invest whom he pleased Moreover he brought another Bull directed to the Prelates and Noblemen of France whereby he acquitted all French-men and dispensed with them as to their Oath of Allegiance to Philip. And cited all the Prelates and Divines of the French Church to appear before him at Rome disanulling all indulgences and priviledges granted to the French by any Popes his predecessours The Earl of Artois disdaining this affront takes the Bull and casts it into the fire Philip was so born out by the Peers of France that when he demanded their advice how he should demean himself and whether he should put up that wrong they answered That they were ready not only to spend their goods which they there wholly offered unto him for that end but also to expose their persons even to death for him not refusing any torments Adding further and that more plainly by word of mouth That if the King which God forbid would suffer it or connive at it yet for their parts they would never endure it Mr. John Tillet Bishop of Paris speaking of this Fact in his French Chronicle The impudence of this man saith he of Boniface was wonderful who durst affirm that the Realm of France was a Benefice of the Papal Majesty But I think them saith he the greater fools who dispute the point whether the Pope hath this power or no he put our France under an Interdict for the time but the Bishops took the King's part King Philip appealed from the usurpations and insolencies of Boniface VIII to the See Apostolick then vacant as he said and to a future Council as Platina saith in his Life Platina in Bonifac 8. The States of France disanulled Boniface's excommunication Boniface by a glosing Letter of his written unto the Bishops endeavoureth to make them approve his unjust proceedings against King Philip where he saith among other things Those who hold that Temporal matters are not subject to spiritual do not they go about to make two Princes He complains also of the Parliament holden at Paris where it was enacted saith he by under-hand and begged voices that none should appear before him upon the summons of the See Apostolick Math. Westm li. 2. sub Ann. 301. He complains also of the Report which was made to that Assembly by Mr. Peter Flotte whom he calleth Belial half blind in body and quite in understanding This was the man who being sent in Embassage to him by King Philip to that saying of his we have both the one power and the other made this reply in behalf of his Master yours is verbal but ours is real This Pope will have it necessary to salvation to believe that all the faithful people of Christ are subject to the Pope of Rome and that he hath both the swords and that he judgeth all men and is judged of none This Boniface was the Authour of the sixth book of the Decretals King Philip sends back the Pope's two Nuncio's to Rome and forbids the Prelates of France to go or send any Money to Rome This being done Philip raiseth new forces to return into Flanders and subdueth the Flemmings but by the instance of John Duke of Brabant he makes peace with them upon strict conditions During this Treaty Guy Earl of Flanders and his Daughter do both dye Robert William and Guy Brethren the Sons of the Earl Guy of Flanders were freed with all the Prisoners Isabel the Daughter of Philip is married to Edward the second King of England This War of Flanders had wasted above three hundred thousand French-men in eleven years during the which it continued Adolph was deposed from the Empire by a Decree of the Electors and Albert of Austria was seated in his place who pursuing him with War slew him with his own hand in an encounter near unto Spire Albert being chosen and installed Emperour Boniface presently seeks to win him against King Philip. He proclaims him Emperour and invests him King of the Realm of France giving him both the Title and Arms and taking occasion to sow division in the heart of the Realm by means of the Clergy who by reason of their Revenues had great power in the State He also wrote Letters to Philip in this manner Boniface Bishop Servant of the Servants of God to Philip King of French-men Fear God and observe his Commandmens We Will thee to understand that thou art subject unto us both in Spiritual things and in Temporal and that it belongeth not to Thee to give any Prebend or Benefice If thou hast the keeping of any of them being vacant thou must reserve the profits of them to the Successours If Thou hast given any we judge thy gift to be void and do revoke
was a great lover of the King of France he was chosen by common consent and a Courier sent post to him who was then at his Bishoprick to know what name he would carry he replyed he would not change the name he was baptized with which was Clement and so he was published accordingly to the people and called Clement the fifth After publication in the usual place the Cardinals dispatched several messengers to the new Pope to entreat him to hasten his Journey into Italy Il. Cardinalismo p. 234. But the Pope being instructed by the King of France made answer that the Flock was to follow the Shepherd and not the Shepherd the Flock commanding the Cardinals immediately to repair to him in France and particularly in the City of Poictiers as they also did This Clement was the first of seven French Popes which held the See one after another unto Vrban VI. under whom the Italians recovered it again with much trouble These seven Popes were Clement V. John XXII Benedict XII Clement VI. Innocent VI. Vrban V. Gregory XI Clement V. being chosen Pope he came to Lyons where King Philip received him accompanied with the Kings of England and Arragon in great pomp The Pope was on Horseback and the King with his two Brethren on Foot holding the Reigns of his Horse He was crowned in the Temple of St. Justus where they had built a great Theatre for so goodly a spectacle But the press of people was so great that the Scaffold brake so that the multitude sell one upon another The Pope King Princes and Noble-men were all on an heap and the Scaffold fastned to an old Wall pulled it down The King was hurt in the Head the Pope in the Foot and the Duke of Britain slain with many Noble-men and multitudes of the common people that were smothered under these ruines The Pope's Crown fell from his Head into the press where he lost a Carbuncle valued at six thousand florins of Gold Thus this feast gave no cause of joy but was famous to posterity by this notable accident and by the translation of the Pope's seat from Rome to Avignon Anno 1305. unto the year 1379. under Vrban VI. viz. the space of seventy four years This unlucky pomp being ended Clement created many French Cardinals and not one Italian and removed the Court presently to Avignon He avouched openly to keep a Concubine the Daughter of Count de Fuxa he sent three Cardinals with Senatorial power to govern Rome and Italy He ordained that none should use the Title or exercise the power of Emperour until he were confirmed by the Pope In the year 1307. a Parliament was summoned against Pope Clement by King Philip touching temporal jurisdiction belonging to Princes and Ecclesiastical belonging to the Church Forasmuch as Pope Clement V. extolled himself above all Princes as in other Countries so also in France he extended his usurped jurisdiction above the Princely Authority of the King claiming to himself full government of both the States as well Secular as Ecclesiastical the King therefore directeth his Letters mandatory to the Prelates and Barons of the Realm of France to assemble themselves together at Paris in the Year afore-mentioned in the beginning of December At the day specified in those Letters the Prelates and Clergy assembled themselves before the King at his palace in Paris Fox Act Monum li. 2. p. 461. 462. where after due reverence done unto the King there sitting in his own person with his Barons and Council about him a certain wise and noble Lord Peter de Cugneriis one of the King's Council stands up and makes an Oration before the Parliament in the King's behalf His Oration is divided into two parts 1. He sheweth that obedience and reverence is due unto the King 2. That there ought to be a difference betwixt the jurisdiction of the Clergy and Laity so that spiritual matters should be defined and ordered by the Prelates and spiritual men and Temporal causes ruled and determined by the King his Barons and Temporal men All which he proved by many reasons both of Fact and Law Articles against the Clergy of France His Oration being ended he repeated certain words in the French Tongue which imported that the King's Will and pleasure was in some points to renew the Temporal State and jurisdiction and therewith he exhibited a certain Bill in French whereof also he gave a Copy to the Prelates containing sixty five Articles which may be read at large in Mr. Fox his Acts and Monuments Vol. 1. p. 462. 463. 464. 465. After he had spoken the Prelates required to have time to answer thereunto whereupon the Friday next ensuing was appointed for the same on the which day the Bishop Edven and the Arch-Bishop of Senon Elect in the name of the whole Clergy answered for them all be-before the King holding his Parliament on that day at Vicenas They endeavour to prove that both the Temporal and Spiritual jurisdictions are compatible notwithstanding the distinction of them one from the other Then they proâ—â—â—d to prove that a person Ecclesiastical which hath Jurisdiction Spiritual may also have Temporal jurisdiction and that the Jurisdictioâ— Temporal may be in an Ecclesiastical person they alledge for this the example of Melchisedeck who was both King and Priest and of Samuel who was both Priest and Prophet and for a long time appointed Judge over the people in Temporal matters They assert also that Christ by his humane nature had both powers shewing that he was a Priest after the order of Melchisedeck and that he had both in his vesture and on his Thigh written King of Kings and Lord of Lords Many other places they cite out of the new Testament Then they offer to prove it by the Civil Law and by reason and many places in the Canon Law they shew what priviledges of this nature had been granted to the Clergy by Charles the Great King of France by Lewes the second and by other Kings of France which priviledges they offered to shew Moreover they assert that whatsoever things be offered up to the Church and are converted to the dominion and property of the same be God's and appertain unto him forasmuch as they be said to be dedicated and sanctified by him But this jurisdiction which is diversly converted to the Dominion and property of the French Church is God's and therefore to be reserved to and for him They urge the King to consider that at what time he was crowned he sware only these things following 1. That he would defend and maintain the Canonical Law priviledge and Justice granted to the Bishops and the Church and as much as in him lay to enlarge and amplifie the same 2. Also that by his Arbitriment all Christian people at all times should keep the true peace of God and his Church 3. That he should forbid to all Nations all kinds of sacriledges spoilings and iniquities and that in
Jacob. Mejer in annalib rerum Flandricarum would not suffer the Arch-Bishops and Bishops of Rhemes Rhoan Sens Paris Beauvis and some others to assist there because they were Benedict's partizans by reason of the great courtesies they had received either from him or his predecessour In a Decree made February 18. 1406. we find a complaint by Charles VI. They take occasion to reserve the First-fruits in the vacancies and to extort great sums of Money whereby the Kingdom is exhausted and to thrust themselves upon the Popedom for to enrich both them and theirs And when there is any question saith he of preferring men to elective dignities they never used those ways which ought to be observed and which are appointed to examine and try them Whence it comes to pass that it being not possible that the Pope should know all Men and the state of the Churches he admits divers into those dignities who are unworthy of them and sometimes such as are unknown to him but by their money He addeth They insert divers clauses in their Bulls which are sometimes inextricable they make divers Rules besides the Law or else quite against Law which they revoke at their pleasure insomuch that the most clear-sighted cannot discern who hath best right among divers pretenders Hence arise infinite Suits in Law which they must prosecute out of the Kingdom with great expence and charges In another Decree made the same year he accounts this among other extortions Imposing Tenths and other Subsidies at their pleasure without ever consulting the rest of the Bishops about it in the raising whereof there is no mean observed either of Justice or equity It was then ordained that none should pay Tythes to Popes nor Cardinals And in another Decree made in March Anno 1408. mention is made of certain presidents by Charles VI. established at a Council at Paris Not long ago saith he it was proposed and demanded by our Attorney-General at a Council holden at Paris consisting of the Bishops and Clergy of the Churches within our Kingdom and Daulphiny where our Cousin Lewes King of Sicily our eldest Son Duke of Aquitain and Viennois the Duke of Bourges our Vnckle by the Father's side the Duke of Burgundy our Cousin and the Duke of Burbon our Vnckle by the Mother's side did preside for us that the Pope 's exactions and other grievances formerly rehearsed might be utterly abolished We read of another Decree made afterwards wherein complaint is made by the same King Charles VI. That an infinite deal of Gold and Silver and Rents were transported out of the Kingdom and the Province of Daulphinè to the prejudice of the antient Customs and the undoing of the Realm to the irreparable loss and damage of the Common-wealth and the miserable desolation of the Churches as well such as were of Royal Foundation as others And elsewhere he complaineth That certain Collectors and other the Pope of Rome 's Officers particularly for his Moneys have of late oppressed the Church and Church-men of our Realm and Province of Daulphinè by an insufferable slavery in seizing upon the Goods of the Bishops and Clergy-men both Regulars and Seculars presently upon their Decease An Edict was made discharging the payment of Annates Pope Vrban VI. being dead in Rome after he had managed the Popedom for eleven years with little satisfaction either to the people or Clergy the Cardinals created Boniface the ninth in the 33. year of his Age who shewed much prudence in the whole course of his Papacy He sate fourteen years and nine months and dyed Anno 1405. Guilel Noubrigensis li. 4. ca. 1. King Charles VI. bestirred himself to remove the schism which was between Benedict XIII and Boniface IX and to dispose all the Princes of Christendom for the same design according to the Testimony of an English Historian He heard with patience saith he the Legates of either Pope but by the advice of his Divines he would not submit himself neither to the one nor to the other He rather thought on a means whereby he might relieve the Church by removing out of her all matter of dissention Having therefore sent his Ambassadours to the Emperour as also to the Kings of England Bohemia and Hungary he conjured them not to be wanting to the publick good and tranquillity He perswaded Wenceslaus the Emperour to come to Rhemes where a general Council was held on that occasion I find another Ordinance of the same King Charles VI. made by the counsel and assistance of the Lords and Clergy of France Vid. Libell de Eccles Gallic in Schismat p. 15. wherein he saith That the Royal power is ordained of God for the preservation of the Church and that the Kingdom of Heaven increaseth by means of the Earthly Kingdom when those which destroy the Church are crushed by the rigour of Princes That the sacred Canons will have recourse to be made unto Princes when such things are committed by great men in the Church and that according to the opinion of Holy Doctours the Pope ought not to be obeyed in such things wherein the state of the Church is notoriously disturbed And in another Ordinance of April 17. 1410. These things being considered that it belongs unto us who are the Guardian Protector and Defender of the Churches of our Kingdom and of Daulphinè and who have ratified and approved the Statutes and Ordinances aforesaid made in the Council aforesaid to cause all this and all that followeth upon it to be kept inviolable c. There is an Arrest of the Parliament of Paris toward the latter end of this King's Reign wherein it is said that Pope Benedict and his Officers should from thenceforth give over and abstain from the exaction of Annates in the Kingdom of France and the County of Daulphinè The same Charles VI. being excommunicated by Benedict the XIII put the bearers of his Bulls to the * Armende honoraire So they call this ignominious kind of punishment Honourable Amends making them to be carried in Tumbrels apparelled in painted Coats with paper Mitres upon their heads and the Pope's Bull represented in their hands and his Arms reversed All which was done by the advice of his Princes Lords and the Prelates and other Ecclesiasticks of his Kingdom together with the Parliament and University of Paris as appeareth by the Acts published concerning this particular After the death of Pope Boniface IX the Cardinals created Cosmo di Sulmona Pope who took the name of Innocent VII he lived but two years after and dyed in a time when all Italy was in an ill condition Whilst this schism continued Three Princes in France who by reason of the King's indisposition did then govern that Kingdom viz. the Dukes of Berry of Burgundy and of Orleans went all of them together to Pietro di Luna who was called Benedict XIII to Avignon beseeching him to provide against this disorder by renouncing the Papacy urging that it was
the Council of Constance He was counted a subtle disputer and profound School-Doctor One calleth him the learned and devout Chancellour of Paris He was much acquainted with Temptations and wrote a Book de variis Diaboli tentationibus He was sirnamed Doctor Christianissimus His works are Printed in four Volumes his French works are mentioned by Antoine du Verdier in his Bibliotheque Gerson de defect Viror Eccles ca. 52. In his Treatise de defectu virorum Ecclesiasticorum he sets down such things as ought to be reformed in the Church and among others mentions this That known Men and such as are most fitting be Elected out of the same Countrey that strangers in manners language and education be not sent and set over Churches And in his Book of Ecclesiastical power Gerson lib. de Eccles potest after he hath spoken of the divers abuses of the Popes he addeth What shall we think is to be said of an infinite number of such like things that are done casting aside all care and regard of all Spiritual and Divine matters which concern the Christian Faith and Religion What think you What shall we say for the present of that so easie a dispensation as they speak of granted by the Pope and the Prelates over lawful Oaths reasonable Vows for the excessive plurality of Benefices the general non obstantes of Councils the privileges and exemptions against common right Who can number all the ways whereby the force of Ecclesiastical yea of Evangelical Discipline is enfeebled consumed and quite annihilated He addeth the cunning and glozing flattery of Vp-starts whispering the Clergy but especially the Pope in the Ear. Oh how great is the height of your Ecclesiastical power O sacred Clergy all secular Authority is but a Toy in comparison of thine seeing that as all power is given to Christ both in Heaven and Earth so Christ hath bequeathed all to St. Peter and his Successours So that Constantine gave nothing to Pope Silvester which was not originally his own but only restored unto him what he unjustly detained from him Again as there is no power but is of God so there is nothing Temporal or Spiritual Imperial or Regal which is not of the Pope upon whose Thigh God hath Writ King of Kings and Lord of Lords So as to dispute his power is a kind of Sacrilege To whom no Man may say why do you so Although he should exchange purloin or sell all the Temporals the Goods Lands and Lordships of the Church Let me be a Lyar if all these things be not written by such as seem to be wise men in their eyes and if they have not been believed also by some Popes Stephanus Paschasius in his Icones hath these Verses of Gerson Quid potuit Sorbona doces meritissimè Gerso Tu magni Gerso luxque decusque Chori At the same time flourished Nicholas de Clemangiis a Master of Paris and Arch-Deacon of Baion a man pious and Learned one calls him one of the most Learned and Eloquent Divines of his time He wrote a Book of the ruine and reparation of the Church Nic. de Clemang de ruin repar Eccles Of which I shall set down some passages in general terms First saith he let us speak of the Head upon whom all the rest depends He afterwards addeth For the supream Bishops who by how much they see themselves ranked above others in greatness and Authority by so much they labour the more to overthrow them out of a domineering humour for the enlarging of their primacy and supreme power considering that the commodities of the Bishoprick of Rome which is very large and above any Kingdom though it hath been sufficiently curtail'd by their negligence can no way suffice to maintain the greatness of their State which they have purposed to raise high enough above all the Kings and Emperours in the World have cast themselves into those flocks of others that abound in breeding in Wool and Milk He afterwards specifies the looseness the luxury vanities worldliness Clemang lib. de lapsu reparat justit p. 10. rapines vexations usurpations oppressions and other such like abuses and vices of the Popes and their Courts In another Book of his he sheweth that the Court of Rome hath infected France by coming there specifying all the vices and blemishes that are communicated unto it and those not a few There was a time saith he when the Apostolick Bishop being vexed with the Tyranny of the Italians made choice of France for his seat and for all the Court of Rome supposing he could not find assured refuge else-where to whom I could with saith he the strength of France had not proved a Staff of a Reed as it was a long time before fore-told that it should What was it else that brought France upon the sudden into these miseries making her fall away from eminent glory which made her flourish above all other Nations but that degenerating from those Ancient vertues which adorned her with such an excellency of Honour she is changed from Valour to cowardise from diligence to sloath from honesty to ignominy from gravity to a wanton lightness from temperance to luxury from courage to presumption from liberality to covetousness and unrestrained spoiling from order to confusion from zeal of the publick good to private gains from correction and discipline to a general impunity and license of all wickedness and mis-demeanours and from Justice to all iniquity And elsewhere he complaineth thus So the Church which Christ hath taken for his Spouse without blemish disfigured by this horrible villany Tract de praesul p. 66. is now the shop of all Pride of all Trading filching and stealing where the Sacraments are hung out for a shew and all the orders even the Priesthood it self where favours are sold for silver dispensations for not preaching licenses for non-residence Where all Offices and Benefices yea even sins are bought and sold Lastly where Masses and Administration of the Lord's body are set to sale Would any Man have a Bishoprick let him provide his Money and that no small sum but a great one for so great a Title and let him not stand upon emptying his purse for the purchase of such a Dignity seeing he will quickly fill it again and that more soundly than he could do by many sorts of Merchandize Doth any desire a Prebend a Provost's place or some other dignity it is no matter for knowing his deserts his Life and Conversation but so many Crowns as he hath in his Chest such hopes may he conceive of compassing his desire For what should I speak of poor folks who are accounted unprofitable in all things and unworthy of all charge or government and who have no other hopes but to wax old and pine away in misery disrespected and despised What should a poor Man go to Market for with an empty pouch when he hath nothing to buy the Wares with And in
wept replying All that you say Aeneas is true But I have past my word to make Rotomagensis Pope and if I do not I shall be held infamous and a Traytor To which Aeneas answered Things stand so that which way soever you turn you you cannot avoid the blemish of a Traytor It is in your power whether you will betray Italy and your Countrey or betray him and be faithful to your Countrey and Italy With these words Pavia was overcome and resolves to betray Rotogamensis Then meeting with Cardinal Pietro di Santa Maria nova and other Italian Cardinals in the Cardinal of Genoa's chamber they all resolved to prefer Aeneas before any body else Rotomagensis fearing things would not happen as he expected seeing Aeneas going toward the Schedule he said to him with an humble voice Aeneas I recommend my self to thee remember me I beseech thee and have compassion on me Aeneas answered him only thus Poor Worm thou mistakest in recommending thy self to me The Scrutiny being published it appeared that Aeneas had three voices more than Rotomagensis but they could not obtain their two thirds this astonished the French Cardinals The Cardinals Roderigo and Santa Anastasia declared Aeneas with a loud voice which Cardinal Prosper Colonna observing being ambitious to have the honour of making the Pope forasmuch as there wanted but one voice arose took his way toward Aeneas and though he was restrained by Cardinal Niceno and Rotomagensis he cryed aloud I joyn my self to Cardinal Aeneas and do make him Pope This being â—â—â—â—d by the rest of the Cardinals they all threw themselves down at Aeneas's Feet saluted him Pope and confirmed the election afterwards with the usual suffrages Then Cardinal Bessarion apologized for himself to the new Pope and for all the rest of the Cardinals who had favoured Rotomagensis To whom Aeneas I assure you you shall be all equally dear to me for I acknowledge my Election not from this person or from that but from God and the whole body of the Colledge inspir'd by the Holy Ghost from whence all perfection cometh The States assembled in the City of Tours in a bill which they presented to King Lewes XI among other things say That if the King do not undertake to defend them considering the quality of their persons the power and Authority of the Holy See Apostolick they shall not be able to resist the usurpations and impeachments which any Subject of the Realm and others ambitious of preferment will make against the Electors which have the right of Election or ordinary Donation by Apostolick censures And by this means all this Kingdom which is already at a low ebb and very poor shall be stripped and dispoiled of that little Money which remains of the former Exactions In one Ordinance of this King Lewes we find these words It is a strange thing saith he that the unjust exactions of the Court of Rome should be suffered such as their expectative Bulls and other like knacks their Money for vacancies which is levied contrary to the holy Canons and Decrees and contrary to the determination of the Catholick Church and sacred Councils that what is so gotten may be employed in purchasing of Earldoms and Lordships to bestow upon people of mean condition and to prefer them without any precedent merit without any service or use which they can do to the Church or for the defence of the Faith At this time lived Philip de Commines Knight he was born at Commines a Town in Flanders In his youth he served Charles Duke of Burgundy and afterwards Lewes XI King of France who employed him in his most secret and weightyest affairs He hath written the History of France under Lewes XI and Charles VIII his Son He wrote so plainly of the greatest affairs of State that Queen Katherine de Medices used to say that he had made as many Hereticks in State-policy as Luther had done in Religion Stephanus Paschasius hath this Epitaph of him Gallorum nostrae Laus una gloria gentis Hic Cominoee jaces si modò fortè jaces Historiae vitam potuisti reddere vivus Extincto vitam reddidit Historia Le recueil des â—â—â—iâ—â—nances de â—â—â—â—anâ—â— â—oâ—n 〈◊〉 â—iâ—â—e De l'â—â—â—â—lt We find certain proviso's made by King Lewes XI taken out of an Antient Register Lewes by the Grace of God King of France to our welbeloved and faithful Counsellour the Bishop of Limoges and to our Trusty and welbeloved the Dean and Chapter of Limoges aforesaid and to every one of you as well joyntly as severally sendeth greeting Whereas our Truly and beloved the Chancellours Presidents Masters of Ordinary Requests for our Houshold Counsellours Registers Notaries together with our Advocates and Attorney General for our Court of Parliament every Man in his place and Office are appointed and ordained to wait continually upon the employment and administration of our said Court and the administration of Juâ—â—â—â— Supream and Capital for our said Realm which is a very â—â—â—dable thâ—â— commendable and necessary for us our Subjects and the â—â—â—le Commâ—â—-wealth of this our Kingdom in which our Court the â—â—â—â—â—s and Liberties of the Church of France whereof we are the Guardian and Protector are preserved And for this reason our said Court doth consist in part of Counsellours and Officers which are Clergy-men and Ecclesiastical Persons And in consideration of the great and laudable services of the said Chancellour Presidents Masters of Requests Counsellors Registers Notaries Advocates and Attorney they or others by their nomination by means of the intercession of our Predecessors to the Prelates and other Patrons and eonferrers of Benefices have been preferred unto and generally provided of Church-Livings which the said Prelates or others the Patrons or bestowers of the same have freely conferred upon them or have presented them unto the said Patrons in favour and consideration of us and their own great and commendable services as aforesaid Which said Chancellour President Master of Requests c. since our coming to the Crown nor a long time before have not had any such preferment upon our entreaty and request to the said Prelates Patrons and Collatours as they were wont to have And for this Reason the said Court hath with our leave and Licence made a certain Roll wherein every one of them are presented and nominated or have presented and nominated others in their stead each one to some other preferment belonging to you or other the Collators and Patrons of the Benefices of our said Realm And whereas our Trusty and Welbeloved Counsellour Mr. German Chartelier hath nominated his Son unto one of your Collations and presentations We intreat and require you to give present and bestow upon the said Mr. German Chartelier the first Benefice that shall be void within your Disposal Collation or Presentation as our said Counsellour shall require or cause you to be required thereunto hoping that you will not make any denyal of
but also all those of Milan that were taken with him The City of Milan which had revolted from the French sent speedy Ambassadours to the Cardinal D' Amboise to solicit for pardon He received them into grace and pardoned the Rebellion in the name of the King but under this bond to pay three hundred thousand Ducats of the which the King afterwards discharged them in a great part He pardoned also other Towns that had rebelled which he taxed according to their Quality making the Victory profitable and the transgressions of the Offenders an increase of the King's Treasure Ludovicus Sforza Duke of Milan was carried to Lyons where the King was at that time and entring the Town at noon-day Guicciardin's Hist li. 4. multitudes of people flocked to see a Prince who from such greatness and Majesty was fallen into so great a misery And not obtaining leave to be brought into the King's presence which he much desired he was conveyed within two days after to the Tower of Loches wherein he remained prisoner ten years even to the end of his Life The Cardinal Ascanius followed him a little after but he was both received with more honour and humanity and gratiously visited by the Cardinal D' Amboise by whose intercession he was sent to the great Tower at Bourges a prison more honourable wherein the King that sent him had before been restrained two years in captivity Pope Alexander VI. being dead Anno 1503. Pius III. was chosen but he dyed within 27. days Then was Julius II. chosen a Man froward cruel factious and turbulent Anno 1506. the French King albeit the year before he was much discontented with the Pope for that he had disposed and inducted the Benefices which were void by the death of Cardinal Ascanius and others in the Dutchy of Milan without his participation and for that also in the creation of other Cardinals he had refused to call the Bishop of Achz Nephew to the Cardinal D' Amboise and the Bishop of Baieux Nephew to Monsieur Trimoville being earnestly solicited by the King who in those regards had caused to be sequestred the fruits of the Benefices which the Cardinal S. P. ad Vincula and others of the Pope's Amity possessed in the State of Milan Yet the King on the other side judged it necessary to re-enter into reconcilement with the Pope to whom after he had released all the sequestrations he sent the Bishop of Sisteron the Pope's Nuncio to negotiate with him many plots against the Venetians to whom he knew the Pope could not but continue to bear an ill will for the desire he had to recover the towns of Romania The Bishop of Sisteron being received and heard with gladness agreeable to the nature of his desire was dispatched and sent back again with diligence to solicit between them a re-union and amity wherein the better to dispose the mind of the King and the Cardinal D' Amboise he promised by writ which the said Nuncio carried with him the Dignity of Cardinal to the Bishops of Achz and Baieux Yet notwithstanding in so great an heat of forwardness he entred oftentimes into many doubts and difficulties either for a certain hate he had conceived against the French King at such time as himself fled into France to avoid the trains laid for him by Pope Alexander or for that it much discontented him to be as it were drawn by compulsion by the power and importunity of the French King to transfer to the Cardinal D' Amboise the Legation of the Kingdom of France or lastly for that he suspected lest the said Cardinal who aspired to the Popedom not having patience to tarry for his Death would seek to climb up to it by ways sinister and extraordinary These things made him often to waver in his Resolutions determining not wholly to joyn with the French King and yet without his conjunction he knew it was impossible that at that time any thing of consequence should succeed with him Pope Julius resolves to recover Bolognia by force of Arms for a hatred newly kindled against John Bentivoglo because in the time of his adversity when he durst not abide in Rome and seeking safety in Cento a Town of his Bishoprick in Bolognia he was driven to flee away by night hearing a bruit published that he should be apprehended prisoner at the instance of Pope Alexander The Pope took Cesena and Forolivio from Caesar Borgia the Son of Pope Alexander VI. He expelled the Family of Bentivogli out of Bononia he excommunicated the Venetians and gave their Lands to the first that could take them King Lewes XII overthrew the Venetians at Abdua and albeit he gave the greatest part of his purchase unto Julius yet he envyeth the prosperity of Lewes and combined again with the Venetians to expell him out of Italy Anno 1510. died the Cardinal D' Amboise Uncle to the Lord of Chaumont a man of a great spirit and well experienced in affairs but with the service of his Master he did not forget the content of his own private ambition The Pope reneweth the War against those of Ferrara and seeing himself unable to prevail with his Temporal Forces he excommunicates Alphonso of Este and all those who were or should come to his succour namely Charles of Amboise with all the chief of the French Army De Serres Hist This furious course made King Lewes to assemble all the Prelates of his Realm at Tours with the most famous Doctors of all his Universities as well in Divinity as in the Civil and Canon Laws who resolve upon eight notable conclusions against the Pope Eight conclusions made by the French against the Pope at Tours 1. That it was not lawful for the Pope to assail any Temporal Princes by force in their Territories not belonging to the Church 2. That it was lawful for any such Prince for the defence of his Subjects and Countrey not only to repel this injury by force but also to invade the Territories of the Church possessed by any such Pope not with an intent to hold them but to the end the Pope being dispossessed thereof he should have no more means to molest his Estate seeing the Pope had through the aid of the said Prince recovered the same Lands usurped before by certain Tyrants 3. That for so manifest a wrong and unjust attempt any such Prince might withdraw himself from the Pope's obedience for the defence of his Temporal Estate seeing he had stirred up many other Princes and Common-weals to invade the Dominions of the said Prince who deserved reward and love from the Apostolical See 4. That this substraction being made they should observe in France the common and Antient Law and the Pragmatick Sanction enacted at the Council of Basil 5. That any such Prince might by force defend another Prince his confederate and of whom he had lawfully taken the protection for those Seigneuries which he had long enjoyed with a just
the Heretical and forbidden Books The King was informed of their shifts and of that Letter Wherefore he ordereth the Bishop to require them again After divers exhortations to this purpose they send fifteen places which they had marked The Bishop conferreth with their Deputy Gagneius upon these Instances and writes a large Letter unto them commending the Annotations and shewing what course they should observe in their censure They were the more enraged at that commendation and would not go on in their censure but would have the Book to be condemned which they had declared Heretical Then the King sent his Letters Patent and sealed charging them to proceed in their censure and to deliver it unto his Printer They do still refuse and at that time King Francis dyeth viz. on March 31. Anno 1547. His Son King Henry II. who succeeded him sendeth the like charge unto them on August 16. 1547 They return Answer that they shall perfect their censure before November 1. But then in place of the censure they send a supplication craving that the Books may be forbidden because he is a Sacramentarian and had written that mens Souls are mortal The Printer is informed of it and addresseth himself to answer before King and Council Then they return unto Paris But he shews how false their calumnies were At that time they sent unto the King forty six Articles which they had collected It was told unto their Deputies that they had spoken of some thousands of Errours and were these all turned to forty six They answered the University had more but had not as yet put them in form The Printer returns to Paris chiding some of the Divines for accusing him falsly The Printer craves of the King protection from the malice of his Enemies The King grants it under his Seal This storm being over he gathereth fifteen old Manuscripts of the new Testament in Greek and printeth it with the divers lections on the Margin and gives the first copy unto Castellan The Pope sends into France Jerome Boccaferrius a Roman Cardinal of St. George in shew to condole with the King for the death of his Father and to give him joy of the beginning of his Kingdom but with commission to make confederation with him The Pope gave the Legate most ample power to grant the King all his demands in matter of Benefices without regarding the Decrees of the Tridentine Council a strong Alliance is made between the Pope and the French King and two Cardinals are created at the King's instance viz. Charles of Guise Arch-Bishop of Rhemes and Charles of Vandosme of the Blood-Royal The Cardinal of Guise made an open discourse in publick consistory in the name of the French King shewing Hist Concil Trident li. 3. that King Francis had never spared any cost or danger to maintain the liberty of other Princes In conformity whereof Henry not degenerating from the vertue of his Ancestors as soon as he had left to mourn for his Father's death was willing to declare his observance towards the See of Rome That the merits of the Kings of France were famous and exceedeth all those of other Nations But this was above all which the King now doth promising all his Forces to preserve the Papal Dignity now when it is so contemned He prayed the Pope to receive the King for his Son and to promise to himself all assistance from him and to take care that the Church should receive no damage nor shame in regard that from small beginnings great factions have risen which have brought the Popes into great calamities He exemplified in many Popes afflicted who were defended and raised by the Kings of France concluding that the present King will not yield to his Ancestors in preserving the Dignity of the Apostolick See In the year 1549. The French King making his first entry into Paris caused a solemn procession to be made and published an Edict wherein he signifieth that he received the protection of the Catholick Religion and of the See of Rome and the care of the Ecclesiastical Order and that he abhorred the Novity of Religion and testified unto all his will to persevere in the Doctrine of the Church of Rome and to banish the new Hereticks so he called the Protestants out of all his Dominions He caused this Edict to be printed in French and sent it into all parts of his Kingdom He gave leave also to his Prelates to make a Provincial Assembly to reform the Churches Which being known at Rome was thought to be a bad example and might be a beginning to make the French Church independent of the Church of Rome He caused also many Lutherans to be put to death in Paris himself being present at the Spectacle and in the beginning of the next year he renewed the Edict against them laying grievous punishments upon the Judges who were not diligent in detecting and punishing them Pope Paul III. dyeth Anno 1549. the Cardinals were divided into three factions about the choice of a new Pope Imperialists French and dependents on the dead Pope and by consequence on his Nephews Hist of Cardin. part 3. li. 2. They made agreement among themselves that nine Cardinals should be named of each Faction three but that the nomination should be made by two only of the Faction of France and that afterwards it should be lawful for the Imperialists to take one of the said nine at their pleasure and that the rest should be obliged to concur Of the French Faction accordingly were named the Cardinals of Lorrain Tornon and Bellai Of the Imperial Faction Theatino Monte and San Marcello and three others of the other Faction Salviati Ridolfi and Trani The Imperialists refused all the nine persons which were named which gave great offence to the other two Factions insomuch that it was proposed by the French to the Farnesians to unite among themselves and to choose a Pope in spite of the Imperialists But they could not agree in the choice of their persons because there were several Cardinals among the Farnesians who were much obliged to the Emperour and much afraid of his displeasure But after a tedious discussion of the Cardinals for the space of three months during the vacancy of the See Gio Maria del Monte was created Pope on February Anno 1550. by the name of Julius the third And now the Faction of the Nipotisme was introduced into the conclave having over-powred the Factions of the Emperour and King of France with no small reputation The Council having been translated to Bolonia the Emperour having protested against it the Pope deliberates about the remitting of it to Trent The French King offered to the Pope whatsoever he was able to do for him promised to assist the Council and to send the Prelates of his Kingdom and all favour and protection for the maintenance of the Papal Authority The Book of Francis Duraneus a learned Lawyer entituled De Sacris Ecclesiae Ministeriis came
are granted only to the Brothers and Sisters of the said Fraternity which shall upon the days aforesaid every year visit the said Altar in the said Church of St. Hilary of Chartres in France upon which the blessed Sacrament and precious body of Jesus Christ is placed Medard Thiersault Priest Licentiat in the Laws Chanon of Chartres Official and Vicar-General both in the Spiritualty and Temporalty of the Reverend Father in God Monsieur Lewes by the Grace of God Bishop of Chartres To all and singular the Parsons and Vicars of the Churches within the City of Chartres sendeth greeting c. Pope Paul the third did heretofore of his own proper motion for the honour of the blessed Sacrament grant unto the Brothers of the Fraternity of the blessed Body of Jesus Christ in the Minerva of Rome certain Indulgences plenary remission of sins and other graces the good devotion and upon petition of the faithful Christian Brothers Which Indulgences and plenary remission of Sins our holy Father Julius III. Pope to the end that all Christians might come devoutly and honour the blessed Sacrament of his own Authority hath willed and decreed that they be of perpetual force and efficacy And these Indulgences and other graces aforesaid at the instance of the most noble Personage Mr. Christopher de Herovard the Lieutenant General of the Most Christian King within the Bailiwick of Chartres hath granted them to the Brothers and Sisters of the Fraternity of the blessed Body of Jesus Christ heretofore erected and instituted in the Church of St. Hilary of Chartres always provided that like grace and gift was not formerly granted to any other Church of the said City of Chartres And forasmuch as we have viewed the contents of the said Indulgence in the publick Instrument out of the Copy of Dominick Bishop of Hostia Cardinal of the hâ—ly Church of Rome by Title Traven Dean of the sacred Apostolical Colâ—ege Protectour and Patron of the Fraternity of the blessed Body of our Saviour founded in the Church of our Lady of Minerva of the order of Fryars Predicants in the City of Rome in manner of an exemplification published drawn signed and sealed by Genese Bulter Secretary to the said Fraternity Given at Rome May 6. 1550. And furthermore whereas by a certain declaration made unto the Court of Rome by the command and with the leave of the Reverend Father in God the Lord Bishop of Chartres and as it seems to us truly and lawfulâ—y made that 't is certain the like grace was never granted to any other Church in the City of Chartres Wherefore we command you to publish and cause to be published in your Churches the said Indulgences and the exemplifications of the Letters aforesaid according to their form and tenure Giving leave to the said Christopher de Herovard to cause the said graces and Indulgences to be published within the City and Church of Chartres whether by Siguis's or otherwise the same Herovard shall think good Given at Chartres under the seal of the Chamber of the said Bishop of Chartres Anno 1550. July 31. Subscribed P. le Seneux Pope Pius IV. in his Bull of the publication of the Council of Trent which was for the continuation of it bearing date December 30. 1560. sheweth in effect that it was begun continued and ended among the troubles in France and Germany And as Sleidan saith Sleidan l. 16. as soon as new broils were raised in the neighbouring parts of Germany and a great war was kindled in Italy and France the Council was afterwards suspended and adjourned After the suppression of the Conspirators forementioned in a secret Council held in the Kings chamber it is resolved to punish the favourers of the Conspiracy And to get the Favourers of the Hugonots into their power it was resolved to call an Assembly of the States at which among others the Princes of the Blood are to assist But the Queen-Mother and the Guises doubting more than ever new Insurrections the Prince of Conde who was as a prisoner is discharged of his Guard and set at liberty He presently departed from Court and went into Bearn to the King of Navarre The Constable the Admiral of France and the rest were entertained with kind Letters and Commissions and Charges of trust The dissensions and suspicions of the Grandees in France encreasing on the 21. of August the King called a very great Assembly at Fountainbleau The Assembly at Fountainbleau in which the necessities of the Kingdom were declared by the Chancellour which he compared to a man sick of an unknown disease Afterwards Jasper Coligni gave the King some Petitions which he said were delivered to him by a multitude of people when he was in Normandy The summ of them was That the faithful Christians dispersed throughout the whole Kingdom did pray his Majesty to look on them with a favourable eye that they desired a moderation of their punishments until their cause were heard and that they might make publick profession of their Religion to avoid suspicion by private Assemblies Then John Monluc Bishop of Valence shewed That the principal remedy of these distempers was to flie unto God to assemble godly men out of the whole Kingdom to find a way to root out the vices of the Clergy to forbid infamous and immodest Songs and instead of them to command the singing of Psalms and holy hymns in the vulgar tongue and if the common interpretation be not good to take away the errours suffering that which is good to be used by all Another remedy was the General Council alwaies used to compose such differences saying That if a General Council could not be obtained they were to assemble a National that they did grievously err who troubled the publick quiet with Arms upon pretence of Religion that their errour was as great who condemned to death those who adhered to the new Doctrine only for the opinion of piety who dying constantly and contemning the loss of their goods stir up the minds of the multitude and make them desirous to know what Faith that is for which they endure so great punishment Charles Marillac Bishop of Vienna spake in the same manner adding That the disease of France was so sharp that there was no time to call a Physician from far therefore they were to call a National Council Coligni added that requiring those who gave him the Petitions to subscribe them he was answered That five thousand men would subscribe if there were occasion Francis of Guise concerning the point of Religion said he referred himself unto the judgement of learned men but protested that no Council should make him decline one jot from the old belief The Cardinal of Lorain said That the Petitions presented were most proud and that to grant the Orators publick Exercise were to approve their Doctrine he said that the greater part used Religion for a pretence and therefore his opinion was they should be proceeded against with more
Mother's side with repetition of the obscenities divulged throughout all Italy in the time of that Popedom which made the Cardinal ridiculous to the people The first thing he undertook was to hinder the preaching of the Reformatists who after the Colloquy did practise it more freely than before To gain reputation he made acquaintance with the Nobles of the Hugonots and went to their feasts and sometimes was present at their Sermons in the habit of a Gentleman But this displeased the Court of Rome The Queen-Mother understanding that the King of Spain took the Colloquy in ill part sendeth an Ambassadour into Spain to excuse it After the Colloquy was ended and the Protestants departed the Prelates remained and treated of the Communion of the Cup the Bishop of Valence with consent of the Cardinal of Lorain proposing that if it were allowed the increase of the Protestants would be interrupted But the major part would not consent it should be done but by grant or at least by favour of the Pope Lieve is given to the Legate by the King 's Brief to exercise his faculties which the Chancellour refuseth to subscribe according to the style of the Kingdom Yet was it subscribed by the Queen the King of Navarre and by the principal Officers of the Kingdom For this favour he began to think well of the Communion of the Cup and to write thereof to Rome In conclusion of the Assembly at Poisy the Prelates granted power to the King to sell an hundred thousand crowns of the yearly rents of the Lands of the Church so that the Pope would allow it The Legate informeth the Pope that there are but two wayes to preserve Religion in France One to give satisfaction to the King of Navarre and to interest him in the defence of it the other to grant the people generally the Communion sub utraque specie And the French Ambassadour desireth the Pope to grant the Communion of the Cup to the French men The Pope giveth a favourable answer for which afterwards he was sorry and at length resolveth not to grant the Communion of the Cup to the French At the same time when the Petition of the French Prelates was published in Rome News came out of Germany that the same men had sent to the Protestants there to perswade them to persevere in their Doctrine promising to favour them in the Council of Trent and to draw other Prelates to do the like for which they are suspected in Trent and in Rome The Nuncio resident in France returned to Rome who having related the state of that Kingdom the Pope wrote to the Legate that he should represent to the King's Council that the Council in Trent was to be celebrated for France only because neither Italy nor Spain had need of it and Germany did refuse it and tell them that therefore it did concern them to promote it Hist Concil Trident. li. 5. But the bad conceit which the Court of Rome had of the French was increased by an advice sent from Paris that the Parliament had with much solemnity condemned to recant one John Tancherel a Bachelor of Divinity because with intelligence of some Divines he had proposed and defended publick questions That the Pope Vicar of Christ is Monarch of the Church and may deprive Princes who disobey his commands of their Kingdoms States and Dignities who being accused cited and having confessed the fact did flie And the Judges as in a Comedy caused the Bidel of the University to represent his person and to make a publick satisfaction and recantation forbidding the Divines to dispute such questions hereafter making them go to the King to ask pardon for having suffered so important a matter to be disputed on and to promise to oppose themselves alwayes against that Doctrine For which the French men are much censured in Rome The Pope promiseth a reformation in the Court and hasteneth the opening of the Council John Fernelius was a learned French man and Physician to Henry the second King of France Medicinam Vniversam doctissimis politissimis scriptis complexus est Thuan. Hist Tom. 1. li. 21. About this time also flourished Andrew Tiraquel an excellent Lawyer He is styled by Conradus Ritterhusius Varro ille Gallicus He hath written well upon Alexander ab Alexandro his Book Genialium dierum What Alexander hath written briefly and without mention of Authours he hath illustrated with his Commentary and shewed to whom he was beholden for what he had Thuanus thus extols him Cùm vario literarum genere excultus tum celeberrimus nostrâ aetate Juris-consultus Julius Caesar Scaliger died near this time at Agen in France He was thirty years old before he fell to study yet was a singular Philosopher and an excellent Greek and Latin Poet. Vossius calls him naturae miraculum Voss instit orat Li. 4. ca. 11. and saith thus Vir ille nunquam sine laude dicendus vir ad unguem factus Lipsius highly admires him He was an excellent Historian and great was his skill in Physick and his Practice therein was happy A Noble and learned pen doth thus commend him Non hunc fefellit ulla vis recondita Steph. Boetius Senator Burdigalae ad Vidum Brassacum Praefidem Salubris herbae saltibus siquam aviis Celat nivosus Caucasus seu quam procul Riphaea duro contigit rupes gelu Hic jámque spectantes ad orcum non semel Animas repressâ—t victor membris suis Haerere succis compulit foelicibus NigrÃque avaras Ditis elusit manus On Snowy Caucasus there grew no root Of secret Power but he was privy to 't On cold Riphaean Hills no Simple grew But he the force thereof and vertue knew Wherewith apply'd by his successful Art Such sullen Souls as would this world depart He forc't still in their bodies to remain And from death's door fetcht others back again His skill in Physiognomy was wonderful But his excellent Parts were attended with prodigious Pride His Son Joseph Scaliger was one of the great lights of France and Holland too One saith thus of him In antiquos Scriptores nimiùm petulans protervus Montacut Exercit. 2. sect 10. For variety of Learning and Skill in the Oriental Languages besides his acuteness in Chronology he exceeded his Father In the first Volume of the Lord of Plessis his Letters and Memoirs Casaubon relating to him Scaliger's death Julius Scaliger Vir incomparabilis nisi Josephum genuisset Meric Casaub saith This loss of so Learned a man wrought in him an incredible grief and that he for his particular had lost another Father Monsieur du Plessis likewise condoles with him in so great a loss and saith That Scaliger indeed made one of the integral parts of the better Learning of this Age. Thuanus honourably mentions him in his History Leighs Treat of Relig. and Learninâ— li. 5. ca. 12. and in the first book of his Commentaries De vita sua saith
That all those that were free Lords over the Castles or Lands that they possessed not holding of any but the Crown might within their jurisdictions freely exercise the Reformed Religion and that the other Feaudataries who had not such dominion might do the same in their own houses for their Families only provided they lived not in any City or Town That in every Province certain Cities shall be appointed in the Faux-bourg whereof the Hugonots might Assemble at their Devotion That in all other Cities Towns and Castles in the City of Paris with the jurisdiction thereof and all places whatsoever where the Court resided the exercise of any other but the Romish Religion should be prohibited Yet every one to live free in his Conscience without any trouble or molestation That the Professours of the Reformed Religion should observe the Holy-dayes in the Roman Calender and in their Marriages the Rites and Constitutions of the Civil Law That all the Lords Princes Gentlemen Souldiers and Captains should have a full Pardon for all Delinquencies committed during the time of the War and every one to be restored to his charges goods dignities priviledges and prerogatives That the Germans should be sent away and have safe-conduct out of the Kingdom and that it should be in the King's power to recover all his places Towns and Castles from any person that should with-hold them from him This Capitulation being published in the Camp and in the Court on May 18. the Prine of Conde and the Constable came out of Prison and Andelot delivered the City of Orleans into the Queen's hands and the Kings Army recovereth Havre de Grace from the English The King cometh out of his Minority The Queen useth divers artifices to work the discontented Princes to her will The King and Queen make a general visitation of the whole Kingdom And from Bearn they went to Lions in which the Hugonots had so great a party And considering the importance of the place the neighbourhood of Geneva and Germany they resolved that a Citadel should be built between the Rhosne and the Saone two great Rivers that run through that Town whereby to bridle the people and secure it from the treachery of its neighbours Which being then begun was afterwards brought to perfection by the diligence of Monsieur de Losse newly put into that Government From Lions the King being come to Valence in Dolphinè he caused the City to be dismantled and built there a new Fortress that Town having ever been a receptacle for those that were in Rebellion From Lions they went to the Castle of Rousillon where there was an Interview between the King and the Duke of Savoy From thence they went to Avignon where the King and Queen gave answer to the Pope's Ambassy shewing that they were ready to extirpate Calvinism and to cause the Decrees of the Council of Trent to be observed in their Dominions Then they came to an Interview with the Queen of Spain at Baionne By an Ordinance of King Charles IX Anno 1563. it was Decreed that none should be admitted to sue by vertue of the priviledge of his Clergy to be sent back to the Ecclesiastical Judge in any Case whatsoever whether Civil or Criminal unless he were a Sub-deacon at the last which is as much as to exclude simple shavelings whether they be married or no. I find an ordinance of the same King made at Mante on Sep. 10. 1563. which speaks of defamatory Libels placards pasquils and such like things in matter of Religion and as for the point of jurisdiction ordains as followeth Commanding all publâ—que Magistrates Commissaries of the Countrey and other our officers whom it may concern to have regard hereunto charging our Proctors in every place and Advocates to do their endevour herein all other business laid aside to the finding out and punishing such faults as they shall find concerning this particular And afterwards they are commanded to observe the said Ordinance punctually and proceed against the breakers hereof by the punishments there assigned peremptorily without observing the ordinary forms of Justice For as much as many large Indulgences are most commonly granted to Fraternities as appears by divers of the Pope's Bulls King Charles IX required in his demands of the Council of Trent a reformation of the abuses of such Fraternities The Council found nothing to be corrected in them but tacitly confirm'd them by ordaining That the Administrators of them shall give account of their administration every year unto the Ordinary They were wary enough to touch upon that point seeing it directly concerns the Pope's authority By means of these Indulgences and the superstition which he useth in them he gains millions of men unto himself who devote themselves so much unto him for the special favour which they suppose they receive by the means of these Indulgences that they do not acknowledge any other superiour The Ambassadours of this King Charles sent to the Council of Trent had such Articles as these given them in their Instructions as concerning the reformation of the Court of Rome Excommunications the restoring of the Cup marriage of Priests Prayers in a known tongue and to demand that Psalms might be sung the Sacraments administred and a Catechism made in the vulgar Tongue And besides to assist all such as should require a just reformation in all other matters The originals of these instructions were signed by King Charles the Queen-Mother Natalis Comes li. 14. Hist sui temporis the Chancellour of the Palace and divers others Hereupon the King of France his Oratour said when they proposed these demands That they did wonderfully agree with those of the Emperour and for that reason they had deferred the Proposal of them supposing that if the other were assented unto they should also be satisfied But perceiving the lingrings and delays that were used in that behalf and withal pressed by the Letters of the King their Master they were constrained to make a motion of them They required further that all Mandates of provision of Benefices all Reversions Re-assumptions Resignations holding of Livings in Trust and Commendams might be quite taken away as contrary to the Decrees and that resignations in Favour might be banished the Court of Rome as forbidden by the Sacred Canons That a course might be taken for instructing the people what they ought to believe concerning the Worship of Images and to clear it from all superstitions and errours if any were crept into it And the like Essay to be made about Indulgences Pilgrimages Reliques of Saints and Fraternities that not only the ancient form of publick Penance might be restored in the Church for hainous and publick offenders but also publick Fasts for the appeasing of God's wrath That general Councils might be holden every ten years that for abrogating of suits about Benefices that distinction of Petitory and Possessory might be taken away or rather for the utter extinguishing of such Suits that Bishops might
manner as might breed neither disorder nor confusion He sent them five Commanders to order the five quarters viz. the Count of Brisac the Sieur de Bois Dauphin the Sieur de Chamois the Sieur d'Esclavoles and Colonel St. Paul to whom the Sieur de Meneville was added who had been a chief Instrument in that business These entred openly into Paris under colour of private affairs and being lodged in those quarters of the City which were appointed them frequented the Court leaving the care to Meneville to bring the matter to its conclusion The Duke of Aumale is in readiness with five hundred Horse to assist the Conspiracy of the Parisians The Conspirators resolve to make use of the occasion which the time of Lent would afford them to seize on the King's Person then when with the Duke of Espernon he should be in Procession as he was wont in the habit of a Penitent among the whipping Friers neither accompanied by his Guards nor the ordinary retinue of the Court and to shut him up with strong Guards in a Monastery After which the Duke of Aumale's five hundred horse and his other Forces should presently come in and take possession of the principall places and keep them guarded till the arrival of the Duke of Guise But Nicholas Poulain who was privy to all this Conspiracy reveals the whole Plot to the High Chancellour and confirms it also to the King himself who hereupon feigned himself not well and so forbare to go to any spiritual exercise with the Fraternity of the Penitents The King had no Forces sufficient to bridle the Parisians whereupon the Queen said in the Italian tongue Bisogna coprisi bene il viso inanzi che stuzzicare il vespaio He that will stir up a Wasps nest had need to cover his face well and then means would not be wanting to suppress the Conspirators But the King to make himself sure of the Conspiratours blocks up the passages about Paris to keep victuals from thence The Council of sixteen begin to suspect that their Plot is discovered and the Heads being dismayed send for the Duke of Guise to Paris the King sends a command unto the Duke of Soissons not to come to Paris but he comes to Paris at noon on May 9. 1588. followed only with eight Gentlemen He lights at the Queen-Mother's Lodging and goes with her to do his duty unto the King The people follow him by troops with great joy crying God save the Guise God save the Pillar of the Church He makes his reverence to the King layes open the causes of his coming justifies his actions as well as he could and so withdraws till the King had dined They meet both after dinner at the Queen-Mother's Lodging the King full of fear and jealousie the Duke with a resolute countenance The next day the Archbishop of Lions the chief Pillar of the League arriveth the Duke's friends and servants enter The Sixteen bring and carry away sundry intelligences The King commands the Marshal de Byron to draw his Guards of Swisses and French out of the Suburbs into the City and Lodgeth them in divers quarters The people grow amazed the chief of the League terrifie them with the apprehension of a spoil they shut up their shops and leaving their traffique betake themselves to Arms. The Parisians raised at the Ringing of the Bells make Barricado's cross the Streets and blocking up all the King's Corps de Garde come up to the Louvre The Swisses were presently assaulted in St. Innocent's Church-yard where 36. of them being slain in the first onset the rest yielded themselves without resistance and with great violence were pillaged by the people All the other Guards of the Chastelet the little Bridge the Butchery and the Town-house were assaulted at the same time the Swisses being in the same manner disarmed and made Prisoners at the peoples discretion They made the French Guards to put out their matches and lay down their Arms and kept them in that manner till they had further order The Duke of Guise seeing the City in his power and the King as it were a Prisoner ceaseth to prosecute the forcing of the Louvre and appeaseth the people but gave order that the Barricado's should be continued That the people should be every where in a readiness with their Arms that the Guards should be kept with great care expecting some body should come from the King besieged and straitned to make an overture of some agreement The Queen-Mother goes to the Duke of Guise in her Sedan being denied passage in her Coach confers with him but brings nothing but complaints and exorbitant demands While the Queen-Mother returns to the Duke of Guise and treats with him the King with sixteen Gentlemen leaves Paris and retires to Chartres where the people receive him with as much affection as the Parisians had done the Duke of Guise The King at his departure from the Louvre turning at Chaliot towards Paris said De Serres Hist in vit Henry III. O disloyal and ingrateful City a City which I have alwaies honoured with my constant abode which I have more enriched than any of my Predecessours I will never enter within the compass of thy Walls but by the ruine of a great and memorable breach Cursed likewise be you all for whose content I have purchased the hatred of so many The Duke being angry at the news of the King 's sudden departure labours to secure his absolute power in Paris and seizeth on the Bastille The Capuchins are sent in Procession unto Chartres to mitigate the heat of his fury The chief of the City also go to beseech him to return to Paris Seven demands are made by the League viz. the extirpation of Heresy by his Majesties Forces and the holy union the banishment of the Duke of Espernon and of his Brother de la Valette War in Guienne by the King in Person and by the Duke of Mayenne in Daulphiné Abolition of the tumults of Paris confirmation of Offices chosen for Civil Causes since the Barricado's a restoring of the goodly and ancient Ordinances of the Realm and an abolition of parties gifts and abuses brought in by Espernon and la Valette The King determined to give outward satisfaction to the Duke of Guise and the League knowing that Peace would never be granted unless he consented to remove from the Court the Duke of Espernon Who coming to Court being not received by the King with his wonted favour quits his Government in Normandy and retires to Angolesme where by a Conspiracy of the Citizens his life is in great danger He was accompanied by the Abbot del Bene who was no less persecuted by the League than He. This retreat removed all impediments that might have hindered Peace Now the conclusion of the Peace was easie for on the one side the King granted all that the League asked for or pretended to The conditions of Peace were almost the same that were
time flourished Jacobus Sirmondus a Learned French Jesuite he was Confessour to King Lewes XIII Dallaeus saith he was a most Learned and most diligent man Natione Gallus Biblioth societ Jesu A Philip. Alegamb edit Rector olim Collegii Parisiensis vir totius antiquitatis curiosus investigator Latine Graecéque impensè doctus in omni penè literarum genere excultissimus qui humaniores literas theologicas admodum decore conjunxit As for his Works there are his Eucharisticon pro Adventoria de Regionibus Ecclesiis suburbicariis Censura conjecturae Anon. Scriptoris de suburbicariis Regionibus Ecclesiis Propempticum Cl. Salmasio adversum ejus Eucharisticon and other Works of his We owe unto him saith Dr. Du Moulin the Works of Facundus an African Bishop who lived in the time of the Emperour Justinian Claudius Salmasius was a Learned French Critick Vir incomparabilis maximus Salmasius de primatu Papae post quem Homerum siquis Iliada conscribere velit inutilem laborem suscipiet Rivet Grot. Discus Dial. Sect. 5. Vir nunquam satis laudatus nec temerè sine laude nominandus Claud. Salmasius Voss de Orig. progress idol li. 4. ca. 91. Nostri seculi miraculum antiquitatis promus condus Gul. Rivet Praefat. ad vindic Evang. Non Galliae suae duntaxat sed jam hujus Bataviae ingens decus atque adeo totius Reipublicae literariae praesidium Voss de anal li. 3. ca. 46. Clariss Salmasius notis ad Vopiscum ubi post Guilandinum Dalecampium in Plinium ac Scaligeri Diatribam adversus Guilandinum pulchrè indictaque aliis de hoc disserit argumento Voss de art Gram. li. 1. ca. 38. Vir alioquin ad literas summo honore tractandas illustrandas natus si modestiam adhibere arroâ—â—â—ti de se persuasione ac erga alios mdlignitate excussa mentem animi in iis sedulo occupare potuisset Herald animadvers in Salmas observat Ad jus Att. Rom. li. 2. ca. 7. Desiderius Heraldus a Learned French man hath written a Comment on Martial and the other Books forecited and other Learned Works Franciscus Vieta was a Learned French Mathematician There are his Opera Mathematica Vol. 2. Relatio Calendarii vere Gregoriani cum aliis opusc Vniversalium inspectionum ad Canonem Mathematicum lib. singularis De Aequatione recognitione emendatione Thuanus thus saith of him Vir ingeniosa profunda meditatione cujus vi nihil illi inaccessum in abstnusioribus scientiis nihil quod acumine mentis possit confici difficile confectus fuit Thuan. Hist Tom. 5. part 2. li. 129. Nicholas Vignerius was a Learned French Historiographer There are To. 3. de la bibliotheq Hist and other works of his vid. Thuan. Hist Tom. 5. li. 117. part 1. His Son Nicholas Vignerius was a Learned Divine He hath published an excellent Treatise in French styled Theatre de l'Antichrist and a Dissertation in Latine of the Excommunication of the Venetians against Cardinal Baronius And Theses of the satisfaction of Christ which Rivet highly commendeth and annexeth unto his own Disputations Benedict Turretine was also a Learned French man These Books of his are published in French Defense de la fidelité des traductions de la S. bible faictes a Geneve Recheute du Jesuite Plaigiaire Profit des Chastiments Quod adversus Petri Cottoni Jesuitae plagiariam Genevam manifestum fecit vir dum viveret doctissimus accuratissimus Benedictus Turretinus Andr. Rivet Apologet. pro vera pace Ecclesiae The Works of Cardinal David Du Perron are in four Volumes in Folio in French Replique A la Response du Serenissime Roy de la Grand Bretagne Les Diverses Oevres c. Du sainct sacrement de l'Eucharistie Les Ambassades Negotiations He is well answered by Du Moulin Rivet and Blondel The Jesuites seek to be incorporate in the University of Paris whom the University opposed by all means presenting a Petition unto the Queen Regent against them therein laying down at large their damnable Doctrine and strange Equivocations Hereupon Factions began in Paris some standing for others siding against the Jesuites But these Clouds were quickly dispersed and the State preserved for the continuance whereof Monsieuer Pasquier one of the Masters of Requests a man of great Learning and Judgement wrote unto her a Discourse of advice The Abbot of Bois in his Sermons treating of the Question Whether it be Lawful to kill a Tyrant and refuting Mariana's Book and others he made an exhortation to the Jesuites that they should hereafter have a great care that no Book should be published to the prejudice of France under the name of their Society nor with the approbation of their Superiour if they would not willingly expose themselves to those dangers which all their wisdoms fortified with the Authority of their confident friends could not avoid For this did the Jesuites complain and informed against him who answered for himself both wisely and discreetly October 17. the young King was Crowned at Rhemes by Cardinal Joyeuze On November 26. the Great Chamber the Turnelle and the Chamber of the Edict being assembled by a motion made by Monsieur Servin the King's first Advocate against Bellarmines Book touching the Pope's Temporal Power made a Decree against the same whereat the Pope's Nuncio did mightily storm On May 27. 1611. began the Assembly of the Reformed Churches at Saumur whereat many Dukes and Noblemen of the Reformed Religion were present where Du Plessis was chosen President Which Assembly was dissolved September 29. Monsieur de Bullion letting them understand that their Majesties had given him in charge to say that all their just requests should be favourably answered and whatsoever had been promised should be paid The Duke of Espernon to manifest his gratitude to King Henry III. his Master and Benefactor begged of the Queen Regent to give him leave to perform his Funeral Rites he having formerly after the death of the said King attended his Body to Compeigne where the misfortunes of War and the confusions of the times permitted not at that time the performance thereof The Queen readily consented to his request so that the Duke with a great company of Lords and Gentlemen went to fetch the body from Compeigne from whence he conveyed it to St. Dennis where it was deposited in the ancient Sepulchre of the Kings of France A little before his death the Duke caused a Marble Pillar one of the most excellent pieces of Architecture of these late times to be carried and set up in the Church of S. Clou wherein he was so curious as to make it to be wrought in his own house and almost in his own sight his design being to found a Revenue of a thousand Liuvres yearly for the service of the Chappel where it was erected which was also adorned with Pictures and paved with Marble at his own charge But some difficulties arising about the settlement of that foundation which
by the Parliament he disswaded them from it as much as he could both by Letters and Sermons And unto him the Court was obliged that all the Protestant Tows on this side the Loire kept in the King's obedience He shewed that he did it not to serve the times but to serve God The declaring of the Politick Assembly of the Protestants for the Prince of Conde in the year 1616. was the greatest error that ever they committed and they smarted for it as soon as the young King had got more Age and vigour In the mean time Du Plessis laboured much in procuring the peace of the Protestant Churches endeavouring to keep a good correspondence between the King and them which was continually ready to be interrupted in which business he carried himself with so much prudence and fidelity in all occurences between them that he was admired and praised by all Yea even Cardinal Du Perron himself heretofore one of his greatest enemies shewed him great respect in the Assembly of States held at Roven Anno 1617. Speaking of him in all companies with an excess of Praises and telling the King himself that those men had done him wrong who had kept off Monsieur Du Plessis from having a greater Power in the management of his affairs And that his Religion ought not to render him unprofitable in the exercise of those graces which God had given him and that his Majesty ought to keep him near his person so long as he should live After the return of Dr. Du Moulin out of England the Jesuite Arnoux a Court Preacher sent a challenge to the Ministers of Paris to appear before the Queen-Mother to give account of their Religion preacht fire and sword against them before their Majesties and sent them a Pamplet full of heavy accusations The Doctor was charged by his Colleagues to make an answer to it which he did and addressed it to the King In that answer by way of just recrimination he affirmed that he had seen in the Colledge of the Jesuites at la Fleshe a Picture of the Martyrs of their Order and in that rank some Traytors who had been executed for conspiring against the Life of their Kings That the maxims of the Jesuites were pernicious to Kings whereas the Doctrine of the Protestants maintained their Life their Authority nad their States And the Pastours of the Reformed Churches taught their people fidelity and obedience to the King Then he represented the many Perils and Combates which the Protestants had sustained for the defence of King Henry IV. till they had brought him to the Crown Of which services they that had been the King's enemies received the reward This answer of the Ministers was presented to the King by the Duke of Rohan See the Life of Dr. Du Moulin This bold address to the King irritated the great Officers of the Crown of whom not a few or their Fathers had been of the party of the League The Jesuites therefore letting their challenge fall indicted the Ministers of Treason although all the ground they could find for it was that the Ministers called the Reformed Churches their people as if they had pretended some Soveraignty over them The Ministers being summoned before the Council the indictment of Treason was not much urged as being but a Cavil After grave Admonitions and high threatnings by Chancellour Bruslart they dismissed them That challenge of Arnoux and a Pamphlet of his against the confession of Faith of the Reformed Churches in France occasioned the Doctor to write his Buckler of Faith A Jesuite came to the Doctors Study to dispute with him Monsieur de Monginot a famous Physitian was present at the Conference whereby he was converted and set out an excellent Book of the reasons why he abjured Popery He had many encounters and to relate all his Conferences migh◠fill a great Volume Scarce was he a week without one while he lived in Paris and some of them were very long He was the object of the publick hatred of the Romanists His name was the general Theme of Libels cryed up in the Streets of railing Sermons in all Pulpits and of the curses of ignorant Zealots The Popish Clergy in the year 1617. being assembled at the house of Austin-Friers in Paris as every two years they used to do being to take their leaves of the King elected the Bishop of Aire to be their Spokes-man and to certifie his Majesty of their grievances In performing which business the principal thing of which he spake was to this purpose That whereas his Majesty was bound to give them Fathers he gave them Children That the name of Abbot signifies a Father and the Function of a Bishop was full of Fatherly authority yet France notwithstanding was now filled with Bishops and Abbots which are yet in their Nurses arms or else under their Regents in Colledges Nay more that the abuse goeth before the Being Children being commonly design'd to Bishopricks and Abbacies before they were born He also made another complaint that the Soveraign Courts by their Decrees had attempted upon the Authority which was Committed to the Clergy even in that which concerned meerly Ecclesiastical Discipline and Government of the Church To these complaints he gave them indeed a very gracious hearing but it never went further than a hearing being never followed by redress The Court of Parliament knew too well the strength of their own Authority and the King was loth to take from himself those excellent advantages of binding to himself his Nobility by the speedy preferring of their Children So the Clergy departed with a great deal of envy and a little of satisfaction In the same year the States of the United Provinces desired the Churches of England Germany France c. to send some able Divines to the Synod of Dort whereupon the Churches of France named four viz. Dr. Du Moulin Chamier Rivet and Chaune But when the Doctor was making ready for his journey he was forbidden by a messenger of the Council of State of France to go out of the Kingdom upon pain of death The like prohibition was made to the three other Divines Andrew Rivet was a Godly and Learned French Divine He hath very well expounded Genesis Exodus the Prophetical Psalms and Hosea and wrote Learnedly against the Papists in his Catholicus Orthodoxus and against Grotius Criticus sacer seu censura Patrum Isagoge in S. Scripturam Synopsis doctrinae de naturâ gratiâ He hath published other Learned Treatises in French and Latin William Rivet his Brother hath also published a Learned Treatise De Justificatione an exact French Treatise De invocatione adoratione Sanctorum defunctorum Epist Apologet. Daniel Chamier was also a Learned French man who in his Panstratiae Catholicae hath so Learnedly refuted the Papists that none of them hath made any answer to it His Epistolae Jesuiticae and Corpus Theologiae also shew his great abilities There is also a Work of his in French
his Person and with such contumacy carry himself To which with due reverence bowing himself he did answer I am Sir the Servant and Minister of Jesus Christ whose Truth I Preached this day which if your Majesty rightly knew ye would have judged it your duty to have come and heard And for my Doctrine I did this day Preach these three Truths to your people 1. That man is fallen and by nature in a lost condition yea by his own power and abilities is not able to help himself out of that estate 2. That there is no salvation or deliverance from wrath by our own merits but by Jesus Christ and his merit alone 3. I did also Preach this day the just liberties of the Kingdom of France that your Majesty oweth obedience to Christ only who is Head of the Church and that the Pope as he is an enemy to Christ and his Truâ—h so also to the Kings of the Earth whom he keepeth under slavery to his usurped power Whereat the King for a time keeping silence with great astonishment turned to some about him and said Surely this is a man of God Yea the King did afterwards commune with him and with much respect dismissed him The year following whilst the differences between the King and the Protestant party did grow the City was again besieged taken and in part sacked as Mr. Welsh had publickly foretold at which time tâ—e King passed a strict order that none should in the least wrong Mr. Welsh or any thing that belonged to him under highest pains and did after give a safe-conduct to him for transporting himself into England where de died The Duke of Espernon having now received the Command of the Army sets down before Rochel at the end of July but the taking of this City was reserved for the King himself Whilst the Duke lay before Rochel the King had with extraordinary vigour prosecuted his designs in Guinne where he had compell'd most of the places possessed by the Protestants in that Province to submit to his Power He had reduced Bergâ—rac St. Foy Puimirol Tournon Monstanquin with several others besieged and taken Clerac and at last laid siege to Montauban though herein he had not been so succesful as in his other enterprises so that the year ending with this variety of accidents his Majesty was constrained to return to Paris where he abode until the ensuing Spring The Winter being scarce over Monsieur Soubize having fortified himself in the Isle of Reé and some other Islands of Poictou thought the difficulty of their access would protect him from the Royal power but the King passed over the marishes and gave him so notable a defeat that he could not of a long time after recover that blow nor put himself again into any tolerable posture of War In the beginning of the year 1622. the Count of Soissons had the charge of the Army which lay before Rochel conferred upon him and the Duke of Espernon is sent to lay siege to Royan which is a little City built upon a very high Rock by the Sea side inaccessible on that side toward the water the height whereof breaking off the impetuosity of the winds at the foot of the Precipice affordeth a very secure harbour to so many vessels as it could contain This harbour was defended by an ancient Castle rais'd upon the eminence of the Rock and in the midst of it a litle way was levell'd that led to the harbour by one of the Gates of the City On that side toward the Land the scituation was more even but there also so well Fortified that it was thought to be one of the most tenable places for its Circuit in France And it was almost without danger to be defended forasmuch as after their outworks should be taken which could not be till after a long siege the convenience of the Sea and the vicinity of Rochel rendered their retreat at any time so easie and so secure that it was to be defended to the last extream But by the Dukes admirable Conduct and the valour of his Souldiers this place was in a few weeks reduced to the King's obedience The King's Army now marcheth into Guienne where at his Majesties arrival he found Monravet taken by the Duke d'Elboeuf and Themeins after a long and obstinate resistance surrendered to the same Duke Le Mont de Marsan with several other considerable places were also reduced to his obedience by the Marquess de la Force de Lusignan and de Castelnau de Chalosse who had taken them in His Majesty passed speedily from Guienne into Languedoc Nigripolisse a little Town of Queren upon his way was so impudent as to stand a siege but it was soon taken by assault and there the Souldiers shewed the very rigour of severity which either a barbarous Victor could inflict or a vanquished people suffer for they spared neither man woman nor child all equally subject to the cruelty of the sword and the Conquerour the Streets paved with dead carkasses the channels running with the blood of Christians no noise in the Streets but of such as were welcoming death or suing for life And when the Souldiers had made the Women the subjects of their lusts they made them after the subjects of their fury in this only pitiful to that poor and distressed Sex that they suffered them not to survive their honours Such of them who out of fear and faintness had made but little resistance had the favour to be stabbed but those whose vertue and courage maintain'd their bodies valiantly from the rape of those villains had the secrets of nature filled with Gun-powder and so blown into ashes St. Antonin having after a siege surrendered to mercy the neighbouring places thought it convenient to flie to the King's Clemency to evade the trial of his victorious Arms. Then the King besiegeth Montpelier and after much blood spilt the Duke of Rohan was glad to make use of a juncture wherein his party had some little advantage to procure a more favourable peace which was accordingly signed before Montpelier October 22. 1622. and Calonges surrendred up the place to his Majestie 's hand who if he had by his courage won himself a great reputation in the siege he obtained no less by his ingenuity in the handsom manner of his submission to the King The King made his entrance into the City and having taken order for the defence of the City he returned towards Paris and in the year 1623. the Duke of Espernon arrives at Paris with a numerous train where he was received by the King and the Queens with great kindness All his accompts and the other affairs that most required his presence at Paris were in less than four Months dispatched so that toward the latter end of April in the year 1624. he began to think of his return into Guienne Cardinal Richlieu was after his departure made Prime Minister of State who soon shews himself to be opposite
1626. and the next day the General and particular Deputies ratified and confirmed them King Lewes made a severe Edict against Duels and took a solemn Oath not to shew any favour to those who should break it About this time there arose very great Disputes in the University of Paris especially between the Doctors of Divinity about a certain Book composed by Sanctarellus a Jesuite which treated of the power Popes had over Kings which Book had been approved by their chief President by the Pope's Vicegerent and by the Master of the holy Palace His Doctrine was That Popes had a power of direction or rather correction over Princes that they might not only Excommunicate them but deprive them of their Kingdoms too and absolve their Subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance whether it were for Heresie Apostasie or any other great publick crime whether it were for the insufficiency of their persons or for their not defending the Church and that the Pope might at last give their States to such as he should think fit For the present it made a great noise among the Doctors and was opposed by several Books which then were published The whole Body of Divines did condemn it some indeed of the old League seemed to favour it But the Parliament called the chief of the Jesuites before them and obliged them to sign a Declaration by which they should condemn the said Book and to cause another of the like to be subscribed by all the Provincials and Rectors and by Six of the most ancient of every one of their Colledges in France and so ordered the Book to be burnt by the common Hangman with prohibition to the Stationers to sell any of them At this time there were Combinations of divers Grandees of the Court against the King and State Madam de Chevuruse being discontented that her private intelligences with the English Ambassadour were so publickly taken notice of did not a little promote the undertakings by her animating of Monsieur the Grand Prior and Chalais to execute it both which were engaged by love to her as also that the Colonel d'Ornano abusing Monsieur's goodness and the credit which his place gave him did absolutely divert him from the Marriâ—ge which his Majesty had so earnestly desired should be celebrated The Cardinal discovered that Chalais was one of chief Instruments of the Enterprize and that Colonel Ornano was the Ring-leader of the Plot. That their chief end was to unite all the Provinces so close together that they might enforce his Majesty not to remove any thing from the Court and withal to permit them to live in the same licentiousness that they had a long while formerly enjoyed That to this effect they endeavoured the breaking of the match between Monsieur and Madamoiselle de Montpensier and to bring on that of Madamoiselle de Bourbon which would more nearly engage Monsieur to their Interests or else to persuade him to marry some other stranger Princess which might be a means to shelter and defend their designs by the forces and assistances which they might reasonably expect from such a Family That this once effected they intended the Count de Soissons should Marry Madamoiselle de Montpensier that the Houses of Guise and Bourbon might be united together and in this manner they would in a moment huddle up together all the leading potent persons of the Court. The Marshal de Ornano is arrested at Fountainbleau and carried Prisoner to the Castle of Bois de Vincennes where he died a few months after of a stoppage in his Bladder The Cardinal beseecheth the King to permit his retirement from the Court. And the King causeth the Duke de Vendosm and the Grand-Prior of France his Brother to be imprisoned at Blois The Marriage of Monsieur and Madamoiselle de Montpensier was celebrated soon after to the quiet and content of the whole Kingdom Chalais the Master of the King's Wardrobe is arrested from the Chamber of Justices at Nantes who condemned him of Treason and sentenced him to be beheaded which was done accordingly Then was the Sieur de Baradas removed from the Court who had been much in favour with the King About the end of this year great differences arose between the Bishop and the Officers of Verdun This being a Frontier Town was then lookt upon as considerable in regard Monsieur de Lorrain seemed to be active and able to attempt something upon France which obliged the King to go on with a design which he had long before resolved of the building a Citadel there The Abbey of S. Vannes was ever reputed the most fit place of all the City for that purpose whence it happened that in the Charter of the said Abbey there had been divers Articles concluded between the Bishop of Verdun and those to whom that place hath ever belonged in which they bound themselves to build their Church in some other place if it should be found necessary to make use of some part of it for the raising of a Citadel However the lines were so contrived that the Church was saved but that of the Capuchins was forced to be taken down which was afterwards done and rebuilt in another place Now the Bishop of Verdun being Lorrain's kinsman was wholly moved by him so that not considering what dependence he had upon the King he suffered himself to be engaged by the Duke to prevent the building of the Citadel On December 30. he published a Monitorium fixed upon all publick places against all such as should labour about it This proceeding was lookt on as a strange thing by the King's Officers The Sieur Guillet presently called a Council of his Majesties Officers of the Town to consider of what was to be done where it was concluded to tear down such Papers as had been any where posted up and to set others in their places of a contrary tenour in the King's behalf which was presently done The Bishop offended at it thundered out an Excommunication the next day against Guillet which he fastened in divers places and having given order to his Vicars not to act any thing in prejudice to his pretended authority he departed from Verdun and rode Post to Cologne In the mean while the Sieur Charpentier his Majesties President in Metz Thoul and Verdun being acquainted with the whole proceeding he declared the said Monitorium to be abusive and scandalous and commanded it to be torn and burnt by the Hangman That the said Bishop should be sent Prisoner to Paris That his Benefices in the mean time should remain in his Majesties hands and that he should pay a fine of ten thousand livres for his said fault This Judgement was put in execution with the usual form excepting only as to the Bishop's being sent to Paris so that he resolving not to suffer himself to be thus despoiled of his goods thought it his best course to send to the King to pacifie him for his rashness he also gave order to
reconcile himself to her favour but all in vain she was still so implacably bent against him that the Peace of Italy being now concluded and the time come wherein the King had promised her to remove the Cardinal she was importunately instant with the King for the accomplishment of his Royal word At last the order was signed for the Cardinal's removal The Cardinal withdrawes himself a little time from the Court but by the advice of the Cardinal de la Valette restores himself again with the the King and so the Queen-Mother not only fell from her hopes but also from her credit with the King whereupon she departeth out of France and goeth to Bruxels Monsieur the King's Brother requesteth the Parliament to indict the Cardinal so doth the Queen-Mother But the King justifies Richlieu by his Letters and Declarations The Duke of Espernon stops the progress of a new Insurrection by dismantling several strong Cities of the Hugonot Party as Millant St. Afrique Pont de Camares Saint-Rome Tarn and several other places The King of Sweden having invaded Germany the French King makes an Alliance with him he establisheth a Chamber of justice in Paris who give judgement against several persons Then is the Cardinal Richlieu created Duke and Peer of France The French Protestants had obtained permission by the King 's Breviate about the beginning of this year to make a National Assembly of their Ministers of France for the maintaining of their Order and worship The Cardinal was of opinion that his Majesty should require them to meet at Charenton because being within his view they would have the less freedom to renew such Cabals as they had formerly made in their Assemblies of Guienne and Lauguedoc This Order was followed and the Sieur de Galland Counsellour 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 Councils 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 Majestie 's name in case they should discourse of any other affairs and to establish such Rules as the Cardinal had proposed to keep that Party 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 inhibite their Ministers from leaving the Kingdom without his Majestie '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 Majestie 's particular prohibitions In fine he used so much prudence that they required their Ministers not to intermeddle in any affairs Politick 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. Divers Ordinances were made there for the subsistence of their Party The Emperour of Germany sendeth Cardinal Pasman to Rome to endeavour to break the French King's Alliance with the King of Sweden The French King having lately been in Lorrain The Administ of Card. Ricâ—â—eu after his return 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 Rome 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 repugnant to the Primitive Constitutions of the Church This quarrel had been especially fomented during the last year by reason some Books had been published in the name of the English Catholicks which preferred the Monastical life before that of the Prelates and seemed to imply that Friers were more necessary at least more useful to the Church than the ordinary Pastors Was it probable that the whole Society of Friers would relinquish the Priviledges they had obtained from the See of Rome On the other side what reason was there that the Prelates should have so little Authority over them in Administration of Sacraments and the Word of God seeing of old Friers were only mixed among the Laity and addressed themselves unto the Bishops Congregations to receive the Sacraments from their hands or those who executed their charge The Cardinal took upon himself to end this difference though he was at that time employ'd in the most important affairs of Christendom He therefore caused the Superiours of the Orders to come before him one by one well knowing that to negotiate such a business in a publick Assembly would be a labour in vain He was a person well versed in all Antiquities and accordingly he represented to them how that in the first institution of Monks they were Consecrated unto God by the mediation of Bishops who received their Vows instructed them and directed their Consciences He laid before them the Original of the whole affair and shewed them how that the Son of God had subjected all those who sold their goods and followed him unto the Apostles whose Successours the Bishops are whereupon they making a strict profession of leading an Evangelical life were more particularly obliged to observe the Order established in and by the Gospel not that he would question the validity of those exemptions granted from the See of Rome unto which he owed much more respect and obedience than to debate the Ordinances thereof yet that he must needs inform them that they could not be dispensed with from following the Order established by Jesus Christ or his Apostles in Administring the Sacraments and Word of God That in fine themselves could not deny but they were obliged to relinquish some part of their pretensions for the avoiding of trouble to the Church which was likely to ensue upon this account and whereof the Hugonots discoursed with much freedom That this peace would be more acceptable to God than all the advantages it could otherwise procure unto particular persons That it would tend unto their honours by testifying unto the world the moderation of their minds and humility of their spirits and that the world would esteem the better of them That he should not willingly propose that the Bishops should have ordinary jurisdiction over their persons or power to visit their Monasteries but
Mary Medices only Brother of King Lewis XIII having laid down the Civil Arms would pass off the discontents that were rifsn in his mind for the ill success of his design by retiring to Blois On a sudden he turns Antiquary and Herbalist he delighted in Dogs and hunting and ranging the Woods He heareth Masses frequently sets all the City of Bloys into a Religious humour openly professeth himself a devout Votary Among these and the like courses he fell sick and having Antimony unduly administred within a Week dieth of a Lethargy The Corpse of Gaston is deposited at St. Denis among the Tombs of his Ancestors with a private burial The Kings of Spain and France meet and the French King is married to Maria Teresa daughter to the King of Spain The Gospels were laid on Stands on both sides with a Crucifix The Kings kneeling swore upon them that they would religiously observe the Articles of the peace concluded which were at the same moment read by the Secretaries These Kings having left the Island where they met they were thus parted never more to return to the sight of one another At St. John de Luz next day a solemn Wedding was kept with unusual splendor Then without any stay that barren coast and unhospitable quarters are abandoned The King and Queen stay a while at Fontainbleau thereby giving the Parisians respite to provide for the pompous solemnity The King with the Queen Confort hastens his entry into Paris The entry was next to a triumph In a Domo set up in the Suburb of St. Anthony both their Majesties were congratulated by the several Orders coming forth decently marshalled First came the Ecclesiasticks carrying Images with them and Antique Gods of rude workmanship The Tradesmen followed in their several Companies Then proceeded the Magistrates and afterwards the Parliament in their Robes Next the Chancellor laid over with Gold the Masters of the Requests guarding the Royal Seal charged upon an Horse laden with trappings The Soldiers and the Heralds in rich Coats All had spotted Plumes in their Hats The Captains marched in the Head of their Companies with the Ensigns All sorts of riches are displayed and the ornaments of the City are brought forth to grace the publick joy A Coach embellished with all the badges of Mâ—jesty is brought to the Queen she is set in it alone The King would not go in a Coach but mounted on a gallant Steed rode before The Princes on Horseback followed immediately after In the way all along as they came were Quires of excellent Musitians resounding cheerful Airs in Consorts of Instrumental and Vocal Melody The new married Couple came amidst this Pomp to the City-Gate At the entrance was set up aloft an Image of Peace holding forth divers Verses in its right hand They proceeded from the Port through the High-Streets of the City unto the Louver even tired with joy Scarce were six months expired after the Entry of the King when Mazarine was taken desperately with all the symptoms of extreamest pain His Liver and Lungs distempered caused a general feebleness in all his limbs The Physitians discovering there was no hope of his recovery he retireth to Vincennes there to dye The King commanded he should be left to his rest and disturbed with no business He is reported to have suggested many things of the various Schemes of Policy to the King who commonly sate by his bed side Many secrets he instilled into the King and wisely admonished him That himself would undertake the Government of his State and not create a publick jealousie by ill-chosen Favourites That he should have the same Genius and the same Divine assistance of his counsel as he had to obtain his Victories As they were thus discoursing together many times he fainted away All hope being past the King departed The same setled look which the Cardinal had when he was well accompanyed him at his departure He adopted Du Port the only Son of Meillcray into the Priviledges of his blood to whom he gave his Niece in marriage and conveyed to him his Name and Arms being for his merits taken into equal dearness as if he had been his own Son He advanced his Nephew Mancini in Lordships Riches and Governments These were to share equally Of his Attendants and Menial Servants scarce was any left without a Legacy He ordered the building of a Colledge for the training up the youth of the gained Provinces to have this Motto A Monument of the Empire enlarged He particularly recommended John Baptista Colbert whom he loved for his many good qualities unto the King Having a vast quantity of Jewels he distributed them among divers persons To the Prince of Conde in testimony of injuries forgotten he gave a Diamond of no mean price To the King he left eighteen that were inestimable styled Mazarines to propagate his Name and Renown to posterity He dyed on March 15. in the year of his life 59. of his power 18. He was observant of the Romish Religion as to the Externals of it Being near his end he solemnly received the Eucharist and with a devout Litany received Extream Unction and further requested that Masses might be said for him All was diligently performed in the Temples and the Hoast exposed upon the Altars Supplications were made before all the Saints Zealous he was for the See of Rome beyond measure and at his earnest request the Pope's Nuntio blest him After the death of Mazarine the King's Cabinet Counsellers were Michael Tellier Hugh Lyonne both Secretaries of State and John Baptista Colbert Lord Treasurer men of great fame and vertue At the end of the month of July 1661. Nicholas Fouquet was arrested as he returned from the Kings Council He was carried into the Castle of Anger 's from thence to Vincennes and at last to the Bastile His penalty at last was banishment The French and Spaniard having sent their Ministers into England there arose a contention in London between Estrade the French and Batteville the Spanish Ambassador whose Coach should take place in the proceeding Batteville with his company falls violently upon the Attendants of Estrade and wounds his Coachman and Horses and some of his Servants The French King dischargeth his indignation upon Batteville and banisheth Count Fuelsaldagne from the Verge of the Court not respecting his integrity and that he had been Conductor of the Queen who was the Pledge of Peace He also denyed Caracene that was discharged of the Government of the Low Countreys a passage through France moreover he orders the Archbishop of Yverdon who was then at Madrid upon the Kings account not only to demand of King Philip himself that Batteville might be punished according to the hainousness of the offence but to cut off all contention about precedency for the future that the Spanish Renunciation of all Priority might be established by a publick Act. The Marquess Fuentes is now sent to Paris with a great Train The King causeth the
therefore that very night to Court But being heard by no body but Monsieur Lyon he declared the sentiments of the Pope the order he had taken for the punishment of the offendours the demonstrations of kindness the Pope had made to the Ambassadour endeavouring with all the Art of Rhetorick to clear the business and by contrary Relations to what came before to let him understand he could not receive a relegation The next morning the Nuntio retired to St. Germans and stirred not out of the Castle that he might not seem to disobey the Orders of the King Monsieur Tellier came to speak with him by his Majesties permission But being stiff and inflexible to thâ—â—â—quests of the Nuntio who by all his submissions by laying before him the reflection the ill usage of his person would have upon me Church not being able to prevail for the protraction of his departure as soon as he was returned to his house he wrote this Letter to him Most excellent Sir I Can by no means admit that the Kings relegation of me is a favour If it be said that 't is in order to my security how great a reflection will it have upon the Grandeur of his Majesty when it is reported that an innocent person and his Holiness Nuntio could not be safe in Paris Let it be Lawful therefore for me with all due reverence and submission to say that indeed it is at the Kings pleasure to retain or command me whither he pleaseth But it is not in my power to consent without particular Commission from his Holiness or at least an apparent neccessity for me to do it His Majesty cannot ascribe it to any want of profound obedience in me which for my part I shall alwaies shew with the greatest demonstration of humility and service I am able and therefore I conceive he cannot in justice impose any penalty upon a Nuntio for so contingent an accident especially his Holiness having already declared his resolution to chastise the offendours and begun to execute that resolution I hope your excellence will have so much compassion as in this case to endeavour the protection of Yours The Nuntio persisted that there ought to be an apparent and precise necessity for his departure and accordingly he received letters from Monsieur de Lions with reiterated orders from his Majesty for his removal to Meaux so that all the Intercesision of foreign Ministers who endeavoured to mitigate the business being in vain by their advice he went out of Paris but went instead of Meaux to Saint Dennis that he might not seem to consent to his dismission and by the mediation of the Ministers about the King and the interposition of foreign representatives he obtain'd that his resolution was allowed at Court without further irritation to his Majesty On September 7. the Nuntio found himself beset by a party of forty Souldiers on horse-back drawn by order out of his Majestie 's Musquetoons who guarded all the passages into the Covent of the Dominicans where he Lodged and accompanied the Nuntio and all his servants whenever they went forth He complained to the Court of this Action 〈◊〉 he was answered that they knew nothing of it The Nuntio dissembling the business pretended to take no notice of it but gave Order that the Souldiers as strangers should be invited to dinner and to what civilities the House could afford But they refused the invitation with reciprocal civility The same night there arrived a Courrier to the Nuntio from Rome with the Popes first Breve written to the King with more distinct information of what was part against the Delinquents thereby the Popes Orders as the price that was set upon their Heads the deputation of two Congregations the visit Cardinal Chigi made to the Duke of Crequi and a long Letter of narration to Monsieur de Lion The next morning the Nuntio dispatched it to Monsieur Lion with a Billet of his own desiring him to present this Breve to his Majesty to give him an account of the rest and to prevail that the Nuntio might be admitted to speak with him himself Monsieur de Lion receiving the Billet carried both the one and the other to his Majesty expecting what he would command After he had read the Breve to his Majesty he return'd him this answer That he should read the rest of the dispatch that day to the King And accordingly he appointed a Conference with the Nuntio at Turenne whither the Nuntio passed the same night attended with forty Musquetiers The Conference was long the Nuntio laying before him what upon the foundation of truth reason and the paternal inclination of his Holiness was like to appease his Majesty The Sieur de Lion assured the Nuntio that the King at the reading of the Breve expressed much satisfaction to see his Holiness so well disposed to an Accommodation and at last it was concluded that on Sunday 10. of December he should have an answer The Nuntio had intelligence that the Breve being read in Council they began to be appeased But at the same time a Gentleman arriving from the Duke of Crequi with advice that he was Commanded out of the Popes Territories incensed his Majesty so much That as soon as he was gone out of the Council Orders were dispatched immediately to the Nuntio to depart that Kingdom the next day And albeit he sent another Breve from the Pope and an answer to de Lion from himself there was no further Treaty to be had The Letters from the Nuntio to Lion and Teller were not opened at all The Nuntio departed under the Conduct of fifty Musquetiers on Horse-back twenty five before his Coach and as many behind not suffering him to discourse with any body forcing him to march ten Leagues a day and carrying him every night out of the Road without acquainting him which way he was to pass In ten daies time he arrived in Savoy and stayed there for some time in the Chambery till he could receive further Order from his Holiness to whom he had given particular advice of all that had passed The King of France took into his power Avignon a City of the Popes in France threatens to use extremity and prepares an Army against Italy After divers Treaties it was concluded at Pisa That for the appeasing the Kings wrath the Corsi be perpetually banished from Rome That a Pyramid be built for an everlasting Monument of the Action And that a Legate à Latere be sent also to the King in submissive terms to give satisfaction for the hainousness of the fact Which was decently performed by Cardinal Chigi the Popes Nephew At the time that accident happened to the Duke of Crequi in Rome among all the Cardinals there was none that stuck so zealously to the French party as the Cardinal de Retz to the admiration of every body that a person that had been turn'd out of his Church and other Benefices had been imprisoned persecuted
established the profession of the Civil Law Out of this University came Johannes Bodinus Avignon It is an ancient City of Provence scituated on the Bank of Rhodanus wherein is an University of long continuance In this City are said to be seven Palaces seven Parish-Churches seven Monasteries seven Nunneries seven Inns and seven Gates Pope Clement V. transferred the Papal Seat from Rome into this City where it remained seventy four years It was made an University at the time of the Pope's first setling here and so it still continueth Alciat the great Emblematist was here Professor and taught the Law Petrus Castrensis a Lawyer by sundry Learned Works he wrote much ennobled this University Orleans It is a rich and plentiful City plâ—ced on the Bank of the River Loire Some write That the foundation of this City was laid by Aurelian the Emperour Anno 276. and from him was called Aurelia which name it retaineth unto this day In this City was erected an University by Philip the fair King of France Anno 1312. Here the Civil Law is Learnedly professed and this University by divers Learned Writers hath been often entitled the Nurse or Mother thereof Bourges It is a famous University called by Learned men the Ornament of Letters and habitation of the Muses It was long since founded by a certain Duke of Bourges but afterwards in process of time falling to decay and being almost utterly extinct it was again restored by sundry Kings of France It was authorized and endowed with many great priviledges and high prerogatives by Pope Paul the second of that name Here Alciate Rebuffus Duarenus Hotoman Bonellus and Cujacius famous Lawyers lived and taught with great applause Caen. It is a City of Normandy seated upon the River Orne second in reputation of the whole Province and famous for the Sepulchre of William the Conquerour An University was erected here by Henry V. King of England who after many glorious Conquests atchieved against the French King he at last bereaved him of Normandy Anno 1418. In token and memory of which Victory as a perpetual Trophy and Monument of his glory he caused to be laid in Caen the foundation of this University The Archbishop of Dublin was the first Reader of Divinity there In this University lately flourished Bochart that Learned French Divine Rhemes It is the Metropolis of Champaigne wherein not long since was erected an University by Charles Guise Cardinal of Lorrain Archbishop and Duke of Rhemes In this University among other Colledges there is one appointed for the education of young English fugitives The Archbisop of this See is one of the twelve Peers of France The French Kings are anointed at Rhemes it is said with the oyl wherewith St. Remigius had anointed Clovis the first Christian King of France Bourdeaux It is the chief City of Aquitain seated on the South Bank of the Garond not far from the Sea among the Marishes An University was founded here by King Lewes XI and a large Cathedral Here Ausonius that famous Poet was born and educated Tholouse It is the chief City of Languedoc and one of the greatest in all France so ancient that some report it to be built when Deborah Judged Israel It is the seat of an Archbishop and an University Pope John XXII first instituted the University which enjoyeth the same priviledges that heretofore have been granted unto Paris Nismes It was antiently a Colony of the Romans now a Bishops See where there remain some marks of the Roman greatness especially the ruines of a spatious Palace built by the Emperour Adrian in it an University was lately erected Montpelier It is a City in Languedoc not far from the Mediterranean Sea it is scituate on a high Mountain as the name importeth Here is an University for the Study of Physick and for that very commodiously seated the Country round about affording great variety of medicinal Herbs Out of this University many famous Physitians have proceeded viz. Gentilis insignis Avicennae Commentator Falco Argenterius Dalechampius Rondeletius Valeriola Jacobus Fontanus Laurentius Joubertus Andreas Laurentius insignis Anatomes scriptor Bisanson It is the Metropolis of Burgundy seated between two Mountains on the Banks of the River Doux by which it is almost encompassed In the year 1540. a small University was founded here by the authority of Pope Julius III. and the Emperour Charles V. which hath since flourished exceedingly Dole It is a City in Burgundy Anciently it was an University for the Study of the Civil Lawes here Carolus Molinaeus publickly taught the Law But now the University is devoured by a Colledge of Jesuites who fearing lest the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches might creep in among the people not only have debarred them the use of the Protestants Books but have expresly forbid them to talk of God either in a good sort or in a bad Valonce It is a City in Daulphiné the chief City heretofore of the Valentini then a Roman Colony now a Bishops See and an University for the Civil Laws FINIS The Table of the First Part. A. ABbey of St. Badour Page 34 Abbey of Lexovien Page 32 Abbey of Shelles Page 34 Abbey of St. Gallus Page 56 Agelom a Monk of Luxovia Page 62 Agobard Bishop of Lyons Page 62 Agoiland the Saracen his Treachery and Death Page 56 Alcuinus a Learned Man in the time of Charles the Great p. 41 Governour of the Monastery of St. Martin Page 45 Alcimus Bishop of Vienna Page 27 Amandus Bishop of Bourdeaux Page 13 Amandus Bishop of Paris Page 33 D' Amboise and Ascanius Cardinals Page 185 The Bishop of Ambian a great Lawyer against the Fryars hearing of Confessions c. Page 148 The Battel at Agin-Court where ten thousand French were slain Page 163 Alanus of Chartres Secretary to King Charles VII Antonius de Rosellis a famous Reader of the Law Page 172 Andoclus a Martyr Page 8 Angisus Abbot of Lobien Page 56 Ambrose Ansbert a good Writer Page 67 Anselm Bishop of Laon betrayeth Charles of Lorrain with his Wife and Children unto his Enemies Page 69 The Cardinal of Arles Page 171 An Assembly of the Prelates at Tours called by King Lewes XII Page 186 Aponius a Writer of divers Books Page 38 Jacobus Amiotus Abbot of Bellesona Page 209 Aphordisius first Pastor of Bourges in France Page 2 A great Army against the Albigenses Page 104 Arnalt Bishop of Orleans against the Pope's power over the French Bishops Page 69 Arnulph Bishop of Metz a Learned and good Man Page 32 Arnulph a singular Preacher Page 85 George Cardinal of Armignag Page 214 Avitus Bishop of Vienna he converted the Burgundians to the Faith of Christ Page 22 Audoenus Bishop of Roven Page 35 Austregesil Bishop of Bourdeaux Page 33 B. BAvo a Roâ—â—er Converted by Amandus Page 33 Cardinal Bettone Arch-Bishop of Avignon Page 174 Peter Bertrand Bishop of Edven his Speech Page 136 Theodore Beza a Learned Protestant Divine his Works Page 216
he continued in a league of friendship with him thirty eight years And saith also That in all that while in which he was acquainted with him he never heard him dispute of the Controverted points of Religion or that he was accustomed to write to others about them Adrian Turnebus was Professour of Philosophy and Greek in Paris under King Charles IX Thuanus calls him grande nostri seculi ornamentum Illa aeternitate digna Adversâ—ria Thuan. Hist Tom. 2. li. 36. He was admirable both in the Greek and Latin Languages and in knowledge of all Antiquity as his Books entitled Adversaria do evidently testifie of which H. Stephanus thus speaketh Vtinam non tantâ brevitate in suis Adversariorum libris esset usus Paulò enim luculentior plenior quorundam locorum explanatio majorem illi operi gratiam laudémque conciliasset lectori multò magis satisfecisset Stephanus Paschasius in his Icones saith thus of him Quicquid in arcano condebat avara vetustas Turnebus tacitis eruit è latebris He hath rectified Plinies Preface to his Natural History by Ancient Copies and added Annotations upon it He hath commented also upon Horace's first Book of verses and upon his obscurer places Vide Lectium de vita Sadeelis et scriptis At this time flourished Anthony Sadeel Anthony Bourbon King of Navarre greatly respected him and was wont to hear him Preach His friends in France were especially Beza Hottoman Goulartius Faius and others John Auratus Regius Professour in Paris for the King of France was much respected by Charles IX and was the chiefest Poet of his time He was most skilful in Greek and Latine Some of his Poems are published Papyr Masson Auratum nemo te dicat magne Poeta Aurea namque tibi Musa lepósque fuit Antoine de Chandieu was a learned French Divine Beza highly commends his Book of the Marks of the true Church There are other works of his also viz. De l'unique sacrifice Contre les traditions Beza gives him this character De la trefare erudition pietè entiere diligence incroyable dexteritè admirable Beze Epistre au Roy devant son Traicte Des Marques De l'Eglise Catholique Andreas du Chesne was the King of France his Geographer he hath put out divers French Books Gilbert Genebrard was a Divine of Paris and the King's Professour of Hebrew He was a most petulant writer By whom saith B. Andr. it is verified that much Learning and railing may be accidents in one Subject Papyrius Massonius was such a writer of the French Chronicle as Cambden of the English There are four Books of his Annals One speaks thus of him Non tam undiquaque Pontificius quin verò Pontificum vitia libere fateatur Mortoni causa Regia cap. 3. Sect. 19. Jacobus Cujacius was a great light of France His Life is written by Papyrius Massonius He is praised by Peter Faber whose Master he was as the greatest Lawyer of his time Pasquier saith In many Universities of Germany when those in the Chair alledge Cujacius and Turnebus they put their hands to their hats for the respect and honour they bear them He was thought to be somewhat inclinable to the Protestant Religion But when any Theological question was askt him he was wont to answer Nihil hoc ad Edictum Praetoris John Passeratius was a learned French man the King's Professour of Eloquence in Paris an excellent Oratour and Poet. He hath put out Orations and Prefaces a Commentary on Catullus Tibullus and Propertius Varia Opuscula His French Works are mentioned by Antoine du Verdier in his Bibliotheque At the same time lived Dionysius Lambinus a Learned French man he hath Commented well on Lucretius Horace Plautus Turnebus often makes honourable mention of him in his Adversaria The Queen of Navarre Prince of Conde the Admiral and the Dutchess of Ferrara having for many Months made request that places should be allowed to the Protestants for their Sermons and Ceremonies and all these and many more Grandees even in the Court it self making Profession thereof the inferiour Protestants Assembled themselves apart whereupon dangerous Popular tumults were raised in many parts of the Kingdom with slaughter on both sides Two divers tumults were raised by Sermons one at Dijon the other in Paris Hereupon the Presidents of all the Parliaments were called and certain Councellours Elected to deliberate what was best to be done All these being Assembled at Saint German where the Chancellour told them That the differences in Religion should be referred to the Prelates but when the Peace of the Kingdom is in question this could not belong to the Ecclesiasticks but to those whom the King would appoint to consult of it That this Particular was then to be considered of whether it were good service for the King to permit or prohibit the Congregations of the Protestants wherein they were not to dispute which Religion was the better because they took not in hand to frame a Religion but to put in order a Republick In the end they concluded that the Edict of July was to be remitted in part and the Protestants to have lieve to Preach The Edict contained many Points That the Protestants should restore the Churches Possessions and other Ecclesiastical goods usurped That they should forbear to beat down Crosses Images and Churches upon pain of death That they should not Assemble themselves to Preach Pray or Administer the Sacraments in publick or in private by day or by night within the City That the Prohibitions and Punishments of the Edict of July and all others made before should be suspended That they shall not be molested in their Sermons made out of the City or hindered by the Magistrates That none shall scandalize another for Religion or use contumelious words of Faction That the Magistrates and Officers may be present at the Sermons and Congregations That they shall not make Synods Colloquies or Consistories but with lieve and in presence of the Magistrate That they shall observe the Laws for Feasts and Degrees prohibited for Marriage That the Ministers shall be bound to swear to the Publick Officers not to offend against this Edict nor to Preach any Doctrine contrary to the Nicene Council and the Books of the Old and New Testament This was Registred and published by way of Provision with this express Clause and Condition Until such time as the General Council or the King himself should order it otherwise The Duke of Guise the Constable and the Cardinals among which the Cardinal of Tournon was lately dead with the Marshals of Brisac and St. Andre being discontented hereat left the Court contriving how they might hinder the execution of the Edict and oppose the Protestants But because they saw that whilst the King of Navarre stood united with the Regent they had no right to intermeddle with the Government of the Kingdom therefore they proposed to themselves to dissolve that Union And knowing that
the Queen intended to continue with the same power till her Son came of Age they thought it more easie to gain the King of Navarre who was already much averse to the Protestants Religion by reason of the different opinions he found among them about the Points in Controversie And now the King of Navarre joyns himself with the Duke of Guise and the Constable These three the Hugonots called the Triumvirate Queen Joan was highly displeased at this so unexpected deliberation of her Husband and leaving the Court carrieth with her Prince Henry and the Princess Katherine her Children whom she brought up in Calvinism into Bearn being determined to separate her self from the Counsels and conversation of her Husband The Queen Regent was also terrified herewith and in opposition to the Triumvirate joyns with the Prince of Conde and the Admiral The Prince of Conde takes upon him openly to Head the Hugonots who ardently desire to revenge his past affronts upon those that were his chief persecutours His power and boldness was moderated by the wise Counsel of the Admiral of Chastillon Their Authority led after them being of the same Faith the Prince of Porcien the Count de la Roch-fou-caut Messieurs de Genlis de Grammont and Duras the Count of Montgomery the Baron des Adrets Messieurs de Bouchavane and Soubize and many other the Principal in the Kingdom Thus upon a sudden the King of Navarre went over to the Popish party and Queen Katherine though dissemblingly took upon her the Protection of the Protestants The King of Navarre staying in Paris laboureth to hinder the Assemblies of the Protestants to diminish their force and credit and finally to take away their liberty of Religion The Prince of Conde being likewise in Paris Davil Hist of the Civil Wars of France lib. 3. on the contrary encourageth the Preachers and as he could enlargeth their licence and liberty The King of Navarre deliberating to drive the Prince of Conde out of Paris for this purpose sends for the other Popish Lords to Court The Duke of Guise makes a journey thither and passing through Vassy his Servants heard a noise of Bells and having askt what was the reason of it answer was made That it was the hour wherein the Hugonots used to Assemble at their Sermons The Pages and Lacquies of the Duke that went before the rest of the Company moved with the Novelty of the thing and a curiosity to see for then those Congregations began first to be kept in Publick with jesting speeches and a tumult went towards the place where the Hugonots were Assembled at their Devotion Who understanding that the Duke of Guise their great Persecutour was there and seeing a great Troop come directly toward them inconsiderately fell presently to gather up stones and began to drive back those that advanced first to the place of their Assembly By which injury the Popish party rashly betook themselves to Arms. The Duke putting himself in the midst of them was hit with a blow of a stone upon the left cheek which bled much which caused him to withdraw from the hurly-burly His followers impatient of such an affront done to their Lord with their fire-arms presently assaulted the house whither the Hugonots retired to secure themselves killed above sixty of them and grievously wounded the Minister who climbing over the Tyles saved himself in some of the adjoyning houses The tumult being ended the Duke of Guise called for the Officer of the place sharply reproving him for suffering such a pernicious Licence to the prejudice of Passengers He excusing himself as unable to hinder it by reason of the Edict of January which tolerated the publick Assemblies of the Hugonots the Duke no less offended at his answer than at the thing it self laying his hand upon his Sword replyed in choler This shall soon cut the Bond of that Edict though never so binding From which words many afterwards concluded that he was the Authour of the ensuing War But the Hugonots incensed by this Chance now full of rage stirred up such horrible tumults and bloody Seditions that besides the slaughter of men in many places the Monasteries were spoiled Images thrown down the Altars broken and the Churches defiled The people in all places ran headlong to take Arms and the Heads of the Factions went about gathering Forces preparing themselves for a manifest War And now each Faction desired to draw the King to their party and to possess the Persons of the King and Queen But the Catholicks prevent the Hugonots and lead them both to Paris from Fountainbleau The Prince of Conde therefore possesseth Orleans and prepareth for the War The Popish Lords under the King's name likewise raise an Army Many writings are published on each side and both Armies go into the Field The Queen-Mother labours for a Peace To this end she comes to a parley with the Prince but without success notwithstanding she continues to Treat of an Agreement which at length is concluded But the Prince by the perswasion of the rest again takes Arms purposeth to assail the King's Camp by night but misseth of his design Forces come to the King's aid out of Germany and many thousands of Swisses whereupon the Prince is forced to retire unto the Walls of Orleans where being unable to keep the Army together he divides it He sendeth for succour from Germany and England consents to give Havre de Grace to the English and to receive their Garrisons into Deipe and Roven to obtain aid from them The King's Army takes Blois Poictiers Tours and Bourges besieges Roven and takes it and sacks it where Anthony King of Navarre received a Musket shot in the left shoulder which breaking the bone and tearing the Nerves he presently fell down on the place as dead and died shortly after Succours come to the Prince of Conde out of Germany with which being re-inforced he makes haste to assault Paris The King and the Queen arrive there with the Army and the Prince after many attempts is necessitated to depart Both Armies go into Normandy and there follows the Battel of Dreux in which the Prince of Conde is taken Prisoner on the one side and the Constable on the other The Duke of Guise being Victorious layes siege to Orleans and is ready to take it and is treacherously slain by Poltrot Sieur de Mereborn of a Noble Family near Angoulesme He feigns to forsake the Protestant party leaves Orleans insinuates himself into the Duke of Guises Court and whilst the Duke gives order for an assault shoots him in the shoulder whereof he dieth Poltrot aided by the swiftness of his horse saved himself in the neighbouring Woods and the Duke being carried to his Lodging died three dayes after of his hurt Poltrot was taken and being taken was by sentence of Parliament publickly quartered After the death of the Duke of Guise an accommodation followed Conditions of Peace were conluded at Orleans March 18. 1563. viz.