thou wast so hardy to enter into Parris with no more theÌ„ 8. Gentlemen a signe of thy simple innoceÌ„cie A great matter surely but go thou into Rochel with al thy new Courtiers thy followers thy guard the king of N. wil enter therin but with 4. men only if at thy going out thou runnest not away-he will make thee be shrew thy selfe It is easie to bee said in base Brittaine but those that know that all the kings Councell are on thy side that his mother fauoureth thee that all the mutiners and crocheters of Parris and all the common inhabitants thereof are at thy deuotion We say that thy simplicitie was verie subtill and thy innocencie much to bee suspected How wilt thou haue vs beleeue that thou did-dest put so much trust confidence in the king seeing that after the league and the capitulation of Saint Maur thou wouldest neuer come thither vnlesse thon wert as strong as hee yet during his beeing in his armie against the Rutters thou neuer settest foote within it onely once by surprising it and that for the space of a quarter of an houre No beleeue me it is thy exercise to play these feates and not to excuse them thou art better acquainted with the one then the other Hee saith that the distrust which ceased vppon the people of Parris when the kings forces entered into the publicque places of the Towne constrained his good and faithfull subiects to arme themselues and without conference togither assured of his presence and of certaine order by him suddainly taken among them they Barricadoed themselues on all sides Barricadoes the inuention of the Duke of Guise Then the Barricadoes are the inuention of the Duke of Guise and without his presence the people had not stirred taken armes not banded against the thunder that descended from heauen This is confirmed by the declaration made by the Parrisians the words whereof are these Aduice was giuen that the Regiment of Picardie was sent for in great haste as also the Sieurs de Merâ— and de Thore bringing more then three hundreth horse which could not be prepared vnlesse that matter had beene purposed long before The occasions of the Barricadoes The newes of those troupes made the Parrissians to suspect and the insolencies of those alreadie established made vs as then to inquire of the preparation made by the Duke de Guise and vnderstanding that neither hee nor his were armed euery man thought to ayde himselfe so that as it were by one generall consent euery one in lesse then an houre vnited placed them in the streets for their defence which is a thing natural to al liuing creatures so the Parrissians mooued not but for feare of a Garrison this foundation is not well laid for that all sedition and rebellion is euill and pernicious in kingdomes although the cause bee good and commendable As the Prince should cut off the meanes to the first motions of those troubles and quench the fiers that beeing hatched in a particular house would enter into the Churches Pallaces and publike houses so the people ought to suffer and indure al extremities rather then to rise against their soueraigne although hee were a Tyrant cruell inhumaine for like as all that pleaseth a Prince is not permitted to be done by him so al the is permitted vnto the people is not profitable and oftentimes it happeneth that the remedie is more cruel then the disease it selfe and that seeking to shunne one calamitie we intangle our selues in an infinite of miseries Experience setteth before our eyes the enterprises and successe of coniurations Defence is not permitted to subiects against their King the beginnings haue beene impiteous and the ends miserable The tyrannie of one man is euill that of many is woorse but the worst of all is an vnbridled power and an absolute libertie that hath cast off the yoake of lawes When a people arme themselues against a Tyrant it must take heed that of one it maketh not fifteene or that in seeking to shun tyrannie The words of K. Francis it indureth not confusion and disorder which from the royaltie proceedeth to the populer estate You my Maisters of Parris alleadge that the armes you beare are not to offend any man but onely to defend themselues that is good against a straunge Prince but against the king and your Soueraigne it is most execrable God detesteth and forbiddeth it and whatsoeuer he doth bee it right or wrong it is no more lawfull for you to stirre against him then for a childe to mooue against his Parents Causes of sedition The life of man is the vnion of the bodie and the soule the life of a Realme is commaundement and obedience if the one bee separated from the other that the soule tyrannizeth the bodie and that the bodie will not receiue the lawe of the soule that is of reason it is a death When the Prince commaundeth vniustly and when the subiects will not obey the Realme falleth to ruine her temperature altereth resolueth into the first matter loosing her forme It was to that end that wise King Francis the first said that euery estate of Common-wealth or Monarchie consisteth but in two poynts in the iust commaundement of a Prince and the loyall obedience of the subiects Let vs now see why so many euilles and disobediences haue issued from this pandore all commotions such as that of Paris do commonly growe vpon one of these poynts When the people are charged with supportable exactions by the auarice of the Princes that raiseth them vpon the people by inhumaine and infamous waies and impositions as Caligâ—le raised impositions vppon common Stewes Heliogabalus vpon mens vrin and Alexander Seuerus vpon Hot-houses there is alwaies mutenie And therefore the Parrissians vnder Charles the sixt tooke occasion to mutin because the Gabelliers asked a halfe-penny of a poore woman that solde Cresson When the King giueth estates and dignities to vicious rather then vertuous and vnwoorthie rather then woorthie men For as in a consort of musick the different voyces are ruled by one tune from the which they cannot once so litle varrie but they make a discord in the ears of the Musitians Likewise the Common-wealth composed of men of high meane and base quallities that are vnited by Harmonicall proportion according to the which proportion in the distinction of persons and their merits publicque charges ought to bee supplyed And when honours which is the most daintie morsell of vertue is conferred to colde and rawe stomackes it becommeth contemptible The estate of Barron was renowmed in France but it was afterward imbased when Charles the sixt at the siege of Bourdeaux created 500. at on time The order of S. Michael instituted by King Lewis the 11. The order of Saint Michael continued in his glory vntill such time as our Kings gaue it indifferently to all degrees without exception of persons or quallities that they bestowed it
shippe ingaging their liues and honours neuer to separate themselues for any commaundement pretence excuse The originall of the league in An. 1576 or occasion whatsoeuer Behold the conception of the league which will bring foorth most prodigious effects The Huguenots had wonne their sure for till then they were often accused of rebellion as hauing shaken off the yoake of Soueraigntie beeing separated from that faire and vnexpugnable maxime that the power of the Prince proceedeth from God and that it is not lawfull to resist against it for any excuse cause pretence or reason whatsoeuer Pardon mee I beseech you mightie Princes Prelates Lords and Gentlemen that are Catholicques if I tell you that this fortresse which you builde will bee your ouerthrowe this fire you kindle will burne you these kniues you forge will bee tempered in your entralles and that thereby you will leaue neither of your selues nor your league but a most pittifull and shamefull memorie What thinke you to do O you leaguer for God for the faith and for the king The league is not for God You vndertake armes for God who desireth nothing but peace you publish rebellion hee commaundeth obedience you trouble the rest and quietnesse of a Christian king hee willeth vs to indure at the hands of a Prince although he bee a Pagan You do it for God whose name you call vppon and deny his power you doo it for God that detesteth your actions and knoweth your thoughts and you do it for that God who will confound all those that breed confusion among his people You vndertake warres for religion and nothing hindereth it more then warres you fight for holinesse Nor for religion and your weapons destroy the Churches authorise blasphemers and plant Atheisme impietie and despising of deuotion in all places You march vnder pretence of the Churches cause and you ransome and spoyle the Cleargie by tithes and impositions If it bee for the spiritualtie wherefore do you bring in the Rutters that haue ouerrunne the Priests burned the Churches robbed the relicques Nor for the Church and polluted the Altars You said it is for the king so said the Huguenots at the enterprises of Ammboise of Meaux and of S. Germaine in Laye and you will not beleeue him for the king had disauouched them If it bee for the king where are his commissions If it bee for his seruice where is his commaundement If it be for him wherefore do dou it without him If it bee for his obedience Nor for the King wherefore sweare you to obey the Head of your league Can you bee bound by one oath to two cōtrarieties This new faith promise which you giue is it not to obey a new Lord seeing you cannot serue two Maisters If it be to maintain his kingdome in the Catholicque religion cannot hee doo it without you What shame will you procure vnto him to atribute the honour of the glorie of so happie a conquest vnto your selues and not refer the triumph vnto him What blasphemie reproach do you induce into his honour and reputation both among his owne people and with straungers Will they not say The subiect ought not to bind himselfe by oath of fidelitie to any but to his soueraigne that a great king a wise king with the aduantages of his Maiestie his powers durst not enterprise that which the subiects vndertake to doo Know you not that all leuying of armes is treason without the kings authoritie that the subiects cannot make any league without the Prince that leagues are not made betweeene Subiects or equall persons and that the Courts of Parliament are the foundations of the seueritie of lawes both humane and diuine But let vs heare what your pattents of the league containe The first league made at Peronne without naming the Head For religion For the seruice of the king IN the name of the holy Trinitie Father Sonne and holy Ghost the onely true God bee honour and glorie for euer The association of Princes Lords and Catholicke Gentlemen ought to bee and shall bee made to reestablish the lawe of God in her pristinate estates to retaine and holde the holy seruice thereof according to the forme and manner of the holy Catholicque Apostolicque and Romaine Church abiuring and renouncing all errors to the contrarie Secondly to preserue king HENRY the third of that name by the grace of God and his Predecessors most Christian kings in the estates glorie authoritie dutie seruice and obedience that is due vnto him by his subiects as it is contained in the Articles which shall be presented vnto him in the Councell of estate which at his sacring and coronation he promised and swore to obserue with protestation not to do anything to the preiudice of that which shall bee ordained by the States of his Realme Thirdly to restore vnto the Prouinces of this Realme For the people and Estates thereof the auncient rights preheminences franchises and liberties such as they were in the time of King CLOVIS first Christian King and better and more profitable if they may be any wayes inuented vnder the protection afore said and if in case there happeneth any impeachment opposition or rebellion to the contrary of that which is aforesaid by any man or from what part soeuer it may bee the saide associates shall bee bound and holden therein to imploye all their goods and meanes whatsoeuer yea and their owne persons euen to the death to punish chastice and ouerrunne those that seeke to contradict hinder and resist that all the things aforesaid shall not bee really and effectually put in execution And if in case that any of the associates their subiects friends and confederates shall bee molested oppressed or pursued for the cause aforesaid by whomsoeuer it may bee the said associates shall bee bound to imploy their bodies goods and meanes to bee reuenged on them that shall haue done or caused the said oppressions and molestations bee it by way of iustice or by armes without exception of any man If it happen Against such as appose thēselues against the deuises of the league Against such as shall leaue or abandon the league that any of the associates after that they haue taken their oathes vnto the said associates would withdrawe themselues or depart out of the same vnder what pretence soeuer it shall bee which God forbidde such breakers of their consents shall bee hurt and offended both in their bodies and goods by all meanes possible as enemies to God and rebels and perturbers of publike tranquilities without reuenge to bee taken against the said associates either publikely or priuately The said associates shal sweare all readie and willing obedience and seruice vnto the Head and Geuerall that shall bee appoynted followe and giue counsell comfort and ayde as well to the entertaining and conseruation of the saide association as to the ruines and ouerthrowe of the contradictors thereof without acception or
had any other respect then only to God and seruice to the king And that assoone as his Maiestie by his Edicts had consented to the libertie of mens consciences he presently left armes and countermanded his troupes togither with the forrain aydes of his friends and confederates That for that cause hee is not enemie to the Catholicques as the report goeth That hee maintaineth those of Bearn in the small libertie they had when the Queen his mother died and so in all places of the kingdome of Nauarre then resting vnto him where hee found the exercise of Catholicque religion he neuer permitted any change That the consultation in Magdebourg which the league so much spake of that they caused it to bee preached openly in the Churches was an imagination and woorthie such reports for that it would be found that neither there nor in any other place it was euer holden And that in the extract of forces by them therein set downe they induce the Ambassadors of the Elector Palatin of the Prince of Orange the one beeing dead aboue a yeare before and had left a sonne within yeares vnder the wardship of the Duke Casimir the other about foure moneths before that was slaine at Delft by Balthazard Girad That the declaration by them made of his incapacitie to the succession of the Crowne was the thing that touched him most yet vntill then hee had least minde of it contenting himselfe with the hope that God would long time preserue his Maiestie for the good of his Realme and Common-wealth and would in time giue him issue to the great greefe of his enemies not seeking to iudge the king or Queene to bee barren in the flower of their ages That those which in their declaration and protestation named him to bee desirous of the kings death a perturber of the State and sworne enemie to all Catholicques had falsely wickedly lyed and therevppon besought the king that the quarrell might bee descided betweene him and the Duke of Guise one to one two to two or tenne to tenne without troubling himselfe or suffer the people to indure any longer vexation The Queen-mother that held with the Duke of Guise more to crosse and trouble him to make an entrie into the disorder and confusion of all affaires then to aduance him Princes fauourers of the league gaue the king to vnderstand what power the league was of shewing him that therein hee had to do with the Pope the Emperor the king of Spaine the Duke of Sauoy certaine Princes of Germanie the Catholicque Cantons of Switzers all the house of Lorraine and all the chiefe Towns in France that had entered therin al resolued to expose their persons in the middle of all perils as the last anker to preserue religion frō shipwracke And shee gaue him so hotte an alarme with those first assaults The surprising of the Citadel of Lyons the 2. of May 1585. and knew so well how to vse the occurrence of the taking of the Citadell of Lyons wherof the Captain had bin driuen out vnto her purpose that the more the king thought vpon it the more hee perceiued himselfe to bee weakned and the leaguers aduanced Hee thought that the ramparts defences of his Estate were alreadie abated hee beleeued that alreadie the Duke of Guise held him by the collor it seemed vnto him that his Pallace of Louure was besieged with great paine they could hardly make him come foorth of the Capucins sell it was no more he that wan the battelles of Iarnac and Moncontour generositie wanted and his heart began to faile Herein diuers Polititians noted a great fault in the Estate which after produced great accidents Many imbarked them selues with the league being made beleeue it was for the kings person but perceiuing the contrary left it Caezar onely opposed but the authoritie of his face against his mutinous legions but it was with a liuely and bolde assurance not doubtfull nor trembling If the king had shewed himself to the league not couered with a Penitents garment or habit of an Hermit not by faire and plausible meanes but with constancie courage and resolution woorthie a Maiestie royall hee had well made them knowe him to bee king the true and onely Image of God that had thunder readie in his hand to consume and confound such as rose vp against him the warre would bee ended The armie of the Duke de Guise which at his first rising and in the flower thereof was but a thousand horse and foure thousand foote had been dispearsed in lesse then a month and the Cardinall de Bourbon had confessed to the Queene-mother that if the king had banded his authorithie against him all his attempts had been cleane ouerthrowne Feare is a plague to valiant mindes but when the heart of the chiefe commander is possest therewith his authoritie is abated it dimisheth falleth and vndermineth it selfe for feare in flameth the courage and causeth men so much more boldly to enterprise their wicked actions as that they are assured they shal not be punished Also the king letting slip this reuolt rather speaking faire then commaunding and yeelding rather then opposing thereby drew all the mischief of those toubles vppon his owne head He desired the Queen-mother to beare some of his blowes This is the opinion of the Author that made the tiberal and excellent discourse fol. 22. The last request of the Princes of the league The Edict published in Parliament the king being present the 18. of Iuly 1585. The K. fearfull disarmeth himselfe to cause the league to disarm them selues and to procure the Duke of Guise to leaue off his armes and to assure him of his fauor and that he would giue him what part of his Realme soeuer hee would aske to let him liue in peace This Prince of great hope wise and valerous and one of the greatest Captains that France in long time had bred perceiuing that so hardy an enterprise had alreadie taken so good effect and made so great a change pursued it and perceiuing the king to yeeld vnto him hoped more then he either thought or ought to do And there vppon presented the king with another request wherein very wisely hee motioned his owne interest togither with the common cause signed by himselfe and the Cardinall of Bourbon tending to this end To desire him to make and sweare an vnreuocable edict for the extirpation of heresies To take by force the Townes holden by those of the new religion To reuowne the protection of Geneue to authorise their warres to reconcile them vnto him to be of their league and of a king to become a participant Therevppon with all speede the peace was made and cast into a mould the king suffering himselfe by that feare to bee so much carried away And by the edict hee prohibited the exercise of the new religion reuoked all other edicts that fauoured it commaunded the Ministers out of the land and all
it happened in this warre trauersed by wonderfull deuises on all sides but to conclude the enterprises and pretences of great mightie men of this world are wholly like smoke if the fauor and helpe of the most great and puissant God of heauen doth not assist them The taking of Valence beyond the mountaines The Duke of Guise hauing ioyned his forces in Piedemont with those of the Marshall de Brissac marched towards Valence giuing out that Pauie had been taken by the Frenchmen summoned Captaine Spoluerin that had two thousand souldiers with him to keepe it to put all to fire and sword if hee entered therein by force Spoluerin that feared his skinne and the losse of his booties wrought so well with the Souldiers that they consented to the yeelding vp of the towne so they might issue with liues and goods saued which was agreed vnto and the 18 of Ianuarie Spoluerin and others of the principall Commanders being entered into Pauie were beheaded because of their cowardise The Cardinall of Trent Gouernour of Millan sent to summon the Duke of Guise to restore Valence vnto him againe as taken contrary vnto the articles of truce his answer was that the Duke of Alue hauing first brokē the truce the Frenchmen could not chuse but follow that he intended nought but warre vntill such time as that the Pope should be satisfied and touching Valence that they had iustly set vppon them because their Garrison had shotte their ordinance against the French souldiers that marched by the Towne to ayde the Pope Ostie taken againe with the fort and other places On the other side Strossi Monluc and others that were in Rome perceiuing the Duke of Alue to be gon from thence marched with 5000 foote and 600. horse to besiege Ostie which they presently took the fort yeelded by compositiō the spaniards issuing with their liues armes and goods saued taking with thē certaine peeces of artillery they likewise tooke Velitres Tuscule Marin Grotteferrate Palesan S. Ange. S. Paul Vico Valerio and diuers smal places in the territories of Rome from whence they draue the Spaniards The French armie in Italy Departing out of Piedimont the Duke of Guise hauing consulted what was best for him to do resolued within himself to martch straight forward to Rome and being at Bologne he complained vnto the Popes officers because hee sawe no preparation made for the wars saying that the king had bin otherwise promised They made him answere that there were 10000 souldiers ready prepared in the Marquisat of Ancore wherewith for that time he seemed to bee content and being arriued at Rome he mustered his troupes where he found fiue thousand Switzers their General being the marques de' Elboeuf 4000 Grisons 7000. French men and Gascons some Italian 750. lanciers and 1500. light horses The Duke de Nemours commanding the footemen Warres and taking of townes in Piedemont According to the counsell holden in Piedimont the Marshall de Brissac being in the field by composition tooke Valfeniere lying between Ast Carmagnolle which he vtterly spoyled assailed and tooke Chiauasse a Castle standing vpon a mount wherein he placed a garrison The report being spread abroad that the French men would enter into the realm of Naples the Spaniards took good order for the keeping of the places neer vnto the Marques de Ancoue but the Duke de Guise not desiring to go so farre into the country tooke Campilio besieged Ciuitelle from whence he was constrained to raise his siege hauing lost a great number of his best souldiers In Piedemont Marshal de Brissac was constrained to retire from Coni the Duke of Guise beeing ayded by the Marquesse of Pescaire Estate of Italie Strossi and the Duke de Palliane took Montfort by assault a little towne hard by Cintelle which was spoyled burnt But the Duke of Guise perceiuing his forces to diminish the Spaniards daily to increase that the Popes promises tooke no effect aduertised the king of his estate and on the otherside offered battell vnto the Duke d'Alue lying betweene Ferme Ascoli but the spaniards perceiuing that with a litle patience The spaniards refuse battaile the Pope would soone be brought to reason the French men disperse themselues or else easily be spoyled knowing likewise that some thing was to be effected in the countrey of Picardie they thought it but a point of foolish hardinesse without conuenient meanes so to hazard the estate of the king of Spaine And because that neither the Pope nor the Duke of Ferrare furnished that which had bin promised and to the contrary that the French army receiued not one penny pay of the Pope and that the Ferrarois borrowed forces of his sonne in law the Duke of Guise therewith to defend himselfe they began to consult vpon their returne into France The subtilty of the Pope but the Pope who as yet had not that he sought fearing if he should be left alone the Spaniard wold not faile to pare his nailes sware vnto the Duke of Guise that he wold neuer make agreement nor once accord with the Spaniard without the kings of Frances consent for assurance whereof hee would send the Duke de Palliane his son for hostage into France By which deuises he staied the French men to see what successe the affaires begun in Picardy would haue where the French men hauing bin ouerthrowne in battell vpon S. Lawrence day S. Quintius taken He maketh peace with the King of Spaine France in great distrust the Pope perceiuing his hopes to vanish like smoke and that the Duke of Alue approached neare to Rome hee sent Cardinall Caraffe vnto him with full power and authoritie to agree vppon a peace with the King of Spaine which was concluded about the moneth of September the Pope hauing renounced the league made with the French King who sitting between two stooles fell on the ground and all the intents of the house of Guise and others tooke no effect whereby the armie all wearied and dispearsed returned into France cursing both the Pope and all his traine Truce broken in the frontier of Picardie whereof ensued the battell on S. Laurence day where the Frenchmen with great losse were ouerthrown The taking of S. Quintins and other places The King hauing resolued to send the Duke of Guise to ayde the Pope contrarie to the aduise and counsel of the Constable and diuers Princes and Lords that disswaded besought him to the contrary and that he should rather seeke to maintaine the truce gaue expresse charge vnto the Admirall to take order for the safetie of his Townes and Forts in Picardie and to make some enterprises vpon certaine places in the lowe Countries Wherevnto the Admirall that had been of the Constables opinion although he wel perceiued from whence such resolutions proceeded not daring to refuse the commission giuen with great diligence tooke order accordingly and therevpon made
hauing inuironed the Castle with a strong guard brought them two vnto Amboise after dinner returned againe with a troupe of fiue or sixe hundreth horses The Barron had sent Renaudie to make haste to come to relieue him not minding to abandon the place wherein hee found both armes powder and munition But perceiuing himselfe inclosed and the Duke returned againe hee beganne to parley being required therevnto and hauing at large declared the causes of that their enterprise the Duke oftentimes desired him to leaue his armes and to come and speake with the king binding himselfe vnto him by the faith of a Prince that neyther hee nor any of his should once be hurt but all freely set at libertie The Barron assuring himselfe vppon the word of a Prince was content to doo as hee desired the like did all the rest But beeing in Amboise they spake not vnto any man but onely to such as the Duke of Guise would send vnto them La Renaudie the same day being aduertised what had past at Noisay commaunded the troupes that were beyond the riuer to march straight vnto Amboise which they did within the wood but beeing stayed and intrapped The troupes sent by Renaudie taken and surprised by the horsemen sent thither by those of Guise most of them were taken who being ledde prisoners were presently hanged and then cast into the water those that were best apparrelled and likeliest men were slaine within the woods to spoyle them of that they had Therest of the troupes stayed for in the place appoynted were taken and the Souldiers were tyed by 15. in a companie at horses tailes and so cast into prison The Duke of Guise king in effect Therevppon the 17. of March letter were sent out by the which after a long discourse made against the prisoners of Amboise the Duke of Guise was by the king declared his Lieftenant Genenerall with all power to raise in both foote horse therewith to punish the rebelles without any other forme or manner of Iustice Other letters were sent out the same day with commmaundement vnto al those that were in armes readie to come vnto Amboise beeing aduertised by their leaders Meanes to dispearse the troupes and vppon their faiths giuen should within 24. houres after the sight of those letters depart and get them home into their countries vpon paine to bee hanged if they once presumed to do the contrary The death of Renaudie The next day as Renaudie sought to assemble his troupes hee was met in the Forrest of the Castle Regnaut by one named Pardillan that shot a Pistole at him but hauing fayled Renaudie slewe him but one of Pardillans seruaunts with a shot of a Caliuer flewe Renaudie his bodie was carried vnto Amboise hanged vppon the Bridge with a writing made fast to his necke containing these words La Renaudie called la Forest chiefe of the rebels The death of la Renaudie was the cause that diuers of those which ment to assemble separated themselues and so retired But no man made any great pursuite after them Renaudie had with him fiue hundreth horse followed by 1000. more not accounting the footemen Among the rest of the prisoners there was one la Bigne that had beene Secretarie vnto la Renaudie about whom was found a paper written in Ciphers and to saue his lise he disciphered the paper which contained nothing but onely that which had been concluded by al the Associates with their expresse protestation not to attempt any thing against the kings Maiestie the Princes of his blood nor against the State of the Realme the articles tending onely to this poynt to take the Gouernment from those of Guise and to cause the auncient custome of France to be obserued by a lawfull Parliament Hee was likewise found ceased with an humble petition vnto the king in the behalfe of those of the religion wherein the vniust proceedings of the Cardinall against the Parliament of Parris Anna du Bourg with others were fully discouered Those of Guise at the first The souldt-diers that were prisoners released wold not haue saued any of the prisoners but thinking that the ouer great number that should bee executed would make them to be hated of all men caused the souldiers to bee set at libertie and to each man they gaue a teston to bring them on their way The Captaines la Motte Cocqueuille and others had not lost courage but gaue a whot alarme vnto the Courtiers of Amboise and had it not beene by meanes of some wrong intelligence that constrained them to retire without losse of their horsemen the enterprise had surely been executed but it was nothing but a meanes to kindle the chollor of those of Guise who that last time caused all the footemen that might bee taken presently to bee hanged and as then it was a most daungerous time for all sorts of men eyther souldiers Marshants or others to bee found abroad without Amboise for that the least hurt they could receiue was presently to bee spoyled and stripped of all they had and then the theeues who vnder colour to ayde the king to whom a new guard was giuen composed onely of such kinde of men both horse and foote committed most straunge and cruell extortions The first execution of the prisoners Those of Guise perceiuing the troupes that ment to cease vpon them to bee gone and the rest in prison and being ayded by those that from all places came to helpe them beganne to make pursuit after such as were retiring whereof some they tooke they commaunded the Prince of Conde in the Kings name not to depart from the Court without expresse licence and beganne to hang drowne and behead their prisoners which continued for the space of one whole moneth All the riuer of Loire being couered with dead bodies tyed by sixe eight tenne twelue and fifteene at long Poles the streetes of Amboise lay full of dead mens blood and euery place was hanged with dead bodies many were hanged at the windowes of the Castle and to make men beleeue that all this proceeded onely from those of the religion that sought to establish themselues by armes they questioned with the greatest part of them touching the Articles of their faith The kings complaints against the Guisians and disputed with them of the poynts of the religion now in controuersie therby to blinde matters and not once touching that which wholly concerned the Estate and for which cause the enterprise was taken inhand Some that returned according to the kings permission being intrapped and brought prisoners to Blois found frends that sent vnto the king the Queen his mother to procure their deliuerance but by no meanes they could be spoken withall the soliciters beeing threatned to bee cut and hewed in peeces if they happened to present themselues before the king he would oftentimes in weeping say vnto them What haue I done vnto my people what mean they to deale thus with
of the Crowne hee departed with his bloodie troupes and laden with spoyles tooke the way that led to Reims where the Cardinall of Lorraine stayed for him but not content to haue delt so cruelly with those of Vassy he becaused certaine informations to bee made against them wherein the principall murtherers were witnesses And eight daies after the Duches Dowager of Guise sent Monsieur de Thou thither that made search for their weapons and would constraine them all to go to Masse which notwithstanding those of the religion tooke courage comforting themselues and assembling euery Sunday and Festiuall day to praise the Lord vntill such time as ciuill warres dispearsed and separated them The prince of Conde beeing at Parris and receiuing newes of that massacre hauing consulted with diuers Lords and Gentlemen that kept him company with all speed certified the Queene and others in the Court Iustice demaunded but in vaine for the massacre of Vassy all was past ouer in words or notable preductions of troubles what had happened and fallen out who thereby tooke it for an alarme and counselled him to seeke the meanes of preseruation for the Realme and those of the religion whom he presently aduertised looked vnto themselues The greatest part as Frenchmen are alway full of hopes imagined nothing but quietnesse and troubled themselues to build Churches not much thinking vppon warlike prouision therwith to defend themselues But by the Princes aduise they were indifferently awaked Much more the Lords and Gentlemen of the religion dispearced throughout the Prouinces which beganne to make prouision of armes and horses staying for news both from the Court and Parris from whence in the name of the Nobilitie Churches of France Monsieur de Francourt and Theodore de Beza beeing sent to Monceaux to aske iustice of the king against the Duke of Guise because of the massacre at Vassy The Queene made gentle aunswere but to the contrary the King of Nauarre beganne to be offended saying that whosoeuer presumed to touch but the fingers end of his brother the Duke of Guise should haue to doo with all his bodie Theodore de Beza thervpon hauing most humbly shewed him that the Iustice which kings ought to shewe vnto their subiects is the worke and rule of God and that to demaund iustice was no hurt or iniurie vnto any man Hee replyed that they had throwne stones at the Duke of Guise and that hee could not staye the furie of his troupe and that Princes are not to indure the dishonour to be cast at with stones Wherevppon Beza very grauely and with all due reuerence aunswered that if it were so the Duke of Cuise might haue had iustice against all those that in such vile maner had despised his estate and dignitie and therewith speaking vnto the King of Nauarre hee said My Lord it is most true that it belongeth to the Church of God in whose name I speake rather to take then giue blowes but may it please your Grace to remember that it is an anuile which hath indured many and seuerall hammers The Triumuirat coaseth vpon the King and Parris From that time the estate of France might well bee resembled vnto a Sea that beginneth to rise and rage in euery place for that in euery Prouince great and wonderfull troubles beganne to rise whereof in the end of the Historie of the first troubles wee meane to speake for now wee must returne vnto the principall instruments of the most bloodiest Tragedie that euer was seene in France Presently after the returne of Francourt and Beza those of Guise the Constable the Marshall de Saint Andre and after the King of Nauarre openly holding with them arriued in Parris from whence they constrained the Prince of Conde beeing very weake with a Towne beeing his enemie and such as in short space might swallow vppe both him and his The Prince went to Meaux thē to Orleans if they had beene tenne times as many more to withdrawe himselfe vnto the Towne of Meaux with a good troupe of Gentlemen It was straunge that as then his enemies fell not vppon him but the haste they had to assure themselues of Parris and the king and the feare that at that entrance she should bee constrained to fight and to hazard them ouermuch caused them to worke by great The Prince beeing at Meaux wrote vnto the Admirall and other Lords sending them word that want of courage had not constrained him to leaue Parris but rather want of ayde and that with all speed they should meete him which they did all armed which those of the contrary part had alreadie opēly discouered and beeing in minde to withdrawe themselues and to retire men came vnto them from all places and the Prince determining to ride vnto the Court to the end that beeing strong about the king who as then laye at Fontainbleau hee might constraine his enemies to seeke to agree hee vnderstood that they had gotten both the king and the Court into their power in such sort that the Prince rode towards Orleans whereon hee ceased and there beganne to take order in his affaires while those of Guise ledde the King and Queene to the Castle of Melun and that in the most part of the Prouinces of the Realme they vsed those of the religion withall the insolencies and cruelties that possibly may bee deuised From Melun the King and Queene were brought to Parris where the Constable had ouerthrowne and defaced ihe places Beginning of the first and horrible troubles in France where those of the religion vsed to assemble The people beginning to mutin to assemble in great troupes in such manner that both there and in other places where those of the Romish Church were strongest those of the religion receiued such entertainment as the most cruell Barbarians would haue beene ashamed to vse it which likewise in some places mooued those of the religion whereby the Churches Images some Priests and others bare away the blowes But this was little or nothing in respect of all the mischiefe that those of the Romish Churches indured throughout France in those first troubles in comparison of the miseries which those of the religion indured in one of the seuenteene Prouinces as the Histories published by Iohn le Frere de Laual Belleforest Monluc and others of the Guises part do witnesse and thereat reioyce and make great triumph If the massacre of Vassy had not chanced the Prince and the Admirall had bin constrained eyther to loose all or to haue forsaken the Realme because that before that time they neuer thought vppon defence The euill committed at Vassy cause of some good nor of any thing that after happened and fell out much lesse to bee offensiue The edict of Ianuary and the Queenes promises staying their hands but when the Lords and great Gentlemen of the religion dispearsed throughout the Realme had once heard of that bloodie exploit committed by the Duke of Guise by little
or four thousand men both horse and foote and fixe field peeces where he sustained the siege eight daies togither without losse of any man hauing slaine aboue fourescore of the assaylants constrained the rest to leaue the siege to their no smal confusion in such sort that by the edict of pacification the exercise of the religion remained within la Charite Many small Townes in those quarters were much molested specially in respect of the religion as Bony Cosne Neufui and others Chastillon Sur Loire but most of all Chastillon Sur Loire which hauing withstood many difficulties and spoyled of all her commodities by theeues and rouers beeing but poore keepers of vines to defend themselues against the violences of such as desired the losse and extermination of their liues And hauing fortified their little Towne not hauing any ditches as well as they might vppon the fift of Ianuary they sustained an assault slew seuen or eight hundreth men of the Regiment of Monsieur de Prie Gouernour of Guyen that sought to put him to the sword hurting diuers others the men defending themselues by throwing stones and the women with hotte water which they cast vppon the assaylants In the month of February Monterud Gouernour of Berry besieged them and with cannon shotte beate downe their feeble walles yet could he not enter but by warlike means that vnder pretence of parley he withdrew his battery which lay in such sort that hee could doo little good therewith and hauing placed them in better order he commanded a new bridge to be made and thereat entered by force where no kinde of cruelties was spared neyther vppon women nor children olde nor young no not so much as against women great with childe and readie to bee deliuered The Towne beeing pilled and spoyled of all whatsoeuer it had euen to the boltes lockes barres and glasse-windowes of the houses which notwithstanding assoone as Manteruds armie was departed those of the religion that had escaped returned thither againe and reestablished the exercise of religion Guyen sur Loire The Towne of Guyen Sur Loire maintained it selfe long time in peace during the troubles onely by the meanes of those of the religion being the strongest part within the Towne but the disorder committed by diuers Captaines and souldiers sent thither from Orleans by the Prince to refresh themselues and the taking of Bourges reduced things to such a stay that most of those of the religiō forsooke both their houses their goods to go to Orleans where as thē the plague was very rife The campe of Triumuirat not long after arriued before Guyen and all the places bordering on the same vsing all the cruelties that possible might bee inuented among the which certaine Italians in hatred of the religion hauing cut the bodie of a yong Infant in two peeces cate his lieuer which was verified to bee most true yet iustice for the same could not be had Lastly those of the religion being returned from Orleans with Lanbert Daneau one of their Ministers they met another troupe of their friends that two daies before came from Chastillon sur Loin with the other Ministers called La Vallee and beeing entered into the Towne by vertue of the edict beganne the exercise of the religion Guyen beeing named for the balliage towne in those quarters The Monkes of Fontaine Iohn an Abbey neare adioyning vnto Chastillon sur Loin hauing abandoned their gownes to beare armes to robbe and spoyle the countrie with other souldiers vpon the seuenth of October were all set vppon by Monsieur de Dampierre and seeking to resist were all slaine onely some fewe that were burnt within the Cloyster from whence it was impossible otherwise to get them foorth Montargis belonging to the Ladie Renee daughter to Lois the twelfe Duches Dowager of Ferrare Montargis was the retrait of diuers families of the religion notwithstanding the threatnings of the Duke of Guise sonne in lawe to the sayde Ladie who sent thither one Malicorne a new Knight of the Order to cease vppon the Towne and Castle with foure companies of horse who being entered into the Towne mooued the people against those of the religion in such maner that at that time a poore man was slaine and cast into the water as before that time likewise they had killed a woman and committed certaine outrages and Malicorne continuing in his boldnesse proceeded so farre as to threaten the Ladie with cannon shotte to batter her Castle wherein were diuers of the religion whom hee pretended to ransome but the Princesse made him an answere saying I charge you looke what enterprise you take in hand for that there is not any man whatsoeuer within this Realme that can commaund me but onely the King and if you proceed so farre I will be the first that shal stand within the breach to trie if you once dare bee so bold to kill the daughter of a King and on the other side not so meanely allyed nor yet beloued but that I haue both the meanes and power to reuenge your boldnesse euen to the very infants of your presumptious race Which wordes caused Malicorne like a snaile to pull in his hornes and presently after departed the Duke of Guise beeing slaine as you redde before Those of the Romish Church within the Towne of S. Iohns de Nemours in the mouth of Iune S. Iohn de Nemours did so much that they draue those of the religion out of their Towne not permitting any of them to enter vntill the peace concluded raysing of extreame impositions vppon their goods that were openly solde for small prices Not long before they had vsed all the meanes they could by counsell of some Traitors to bring certain troupes of souldiers into the towne to massacre the people Monlius in Bourbonois but their enterprise tooke no effect Monsieur de Montare being come to Moulius in Bourbonnois with commission therein to vse all hard and extreame dealing towards those of the religion first without any forme of lawe or processe hee caused two Artificers to be hanged and perceiuing himselfe to be strong of men draue all such as hee any thing doubted out of the Towne which done hee gaue his troupes leaue to issue foorth and to slay all those that by any means were found in the fields vsing al kind of strange dealings and extremities vnto the houses and farmes lying about it Captaine Saint Auban that led certaine troupes out of Languedos to Orleans failed not much to take both Montare and the Towne of Moulius and as he determined to besiege it hee receiued letters that caused him to make haste way At his departure from thence the Townes-men issued vpon his rereward and tooke Monsieur de Foulet a Gentleman dwelling not farre from thence and his Lacquey with a Councellour named Claude Brisson that were all three slaine Not long after foure others were hanged in Moulius And in the month of Iuly after fiue others
against the Priests and Fryers of Parris ayded by their seruants onely with fagget-sticks in their hands or how could hee haue leisure in so short a time or would haue bin so mad with his adherents vnwise onely in this that they trusted the kings word and beleeued not the aduice of those that counselled them not to put themselues into the Lyons clawes that watched for them vnder that great hedge to consult vpon an action so important execrable and of the greatest consequence that possible may bee Besides this after he was wounded the Phisitians and Surgeans had inioyned him silence and all the Councels holden in his chamber tended resolutely to expect iustice to be done vppon those that had hurt him as the King and the Queen-mother had sworne and promised The King of Nauarre and the Prince of Conde were alwaies at those Councels and to conspire against the King was as much as if they had soght to stab thēselues to stain their house with the most detestable ignomie that could bee deuised And to be short it is as much as if they should transforme the Admirall and his friends into brute beasts as to attribute such consultations vnto them in such a time and place and against so many good Frenchmen and againe if he were suspected of such a crime was it not in the kings power seeing so many armed men about his lodging held him inclosed and at the first word could haue seized vpon him to cause him to bee poysoned presently vppon the suspition without daunger of tumult by those of the religion whose weaknesse was well knowne at the time of the massacre The number of those that were termed adherents to the Admirall beeing nothing in comparison of the murtherers and of women maides and yong children cruelly massacred that neither knew where the Admirall lay nor yet what hee said◠holding him prisoner they might without resistance or daunger haue made information and so haue proceeded against him according to the lawes of all Nations ... If there were witnesses they might haue maintained and affirmed their depositions before the Admirall and his adherents which by Pitrac is written to haue beene reported to the king further if it should bee so that the Admirall and his adherents after his hurt did vtter any angrie speeches hauing knowne the cause he might haue contented himselfe with his owne house and familie and not in a tumult and barbarous furie by sound of bell to mooue the people to assemble all the Towne hee ought to haue hindred the massacre of so many Ladies and yong Gentlewomen and of so many Gentlemen wise learned and reuerent olde men of so many little children that conspired not but against their mothers breasts or else to get out of the wombes It may bee asked of the Councellours of this inhumane iustice why so many women great with childe and halfe dead were thrown into the riuer wherin so many thousands of honorable innocent persons were massacred without inquisitiō cōdemnation forme or figure of processe which is more if the Adm. had neuer so litle attempted against the person or life of the K. and his two bretheren who is he that knoweth not that al the Prouinces towns to be short al sorts of people of all estates would speedily haue taken weapon in hand in a moment without difficultie had put the culpable and all his adherents to the swoord with all strange motiōs wold both approoue allow as most expedient and necessarie And touching the king of Nauarre euery man detested the imposture of the declaration Was he not in the Admirals hands for the space of foure yeares did hee not professe the like religion who is ignorant of the humble and sincere respect which the Admirall bare vnto this Prince and the great affection hee shewed vnto the Admirall could those of the religion get any thing by the death of the king of Nauarre was hee not loued as well of the Catholicques as those of the religion Could the Admiral hope for a Prince more fauourable then hee or that could better reuenge the outrage that had been done vnto him Other circumstances touhing the massacre Now let vs returne to other circumstances and the course of our Historie By an other declaration of the 30. day of August the king gaue to vnderstand to the Gouernours of his Prouinces that the Admirall and Gentlemen of the religion that were with him in Parris without expecting the iustice that he had promised to execute vpon the wonder of the Admirall had conspired against his Maiestie his mother his bretheren the king of Nauarre and other the Lords and Princes about them and against the estate yea that some of the chiefest and adherents to the conspiracie acknowledging their fault had confessed it These principall adherent confessors hee nameth not as indeed there were none vnlesse he meanes Bouchauanes of Picardie who vppon Saturday had been present at one of the consultations wherein the Vidame of Chartres the second time with vehement speeches in the pesence of the K. of Nauarre the Prince of Conde and many others had vrged the remooue of the Admiral out of Parris wishing his friends and familiars to follow after as hourely discouering many things that put him in more doubt Hee was in manner the onely man that was of that opinion for the rest they stood vppon it that so they should doo the king wrong in that they should call into question his faith and sincere meaning that it might suffice quietly and modestly to craue iustice at his hands that the matter was yet fresh and therefore it might bee feared least the king should bee offended if they proceeded so hotly Other report could not Bouchananes make in honour or with a safe conscience Concerning Briquemant and Cauagues whom they ment to vse wee will speake heereafter Onely I will heere adde one note taken out of the seuenth booke of the remembrances of Monluc one of the Marshals of France and a sworne enemie to the Protestants He speaking of the murthers saith Albeit I was then Maister onely of my owne house Monlucs testimonie yet the Queene did me that honour to write vnto me and to send me word that they had discouered a great cōspiracie against the king and his estate I wot what I beleeued but it is not good to anger a mans Maister The king neuer forget the chase that the Admirall gaue him from Meaux to Parris swifter then ordinarie Wee forget our selues when wee come to the pinch and neuer thinke that kings haue greater stomacks then wee and withall that they can sooner forget a good peece of seruice then any offence These bee Moulucs words who a little before had said that the Admiral was vnwise to thrust himselfe into Parris to the end to make the world to thinke that he ruled all I wonder how a man so wise polliticke in worldly matters could commit such a grosse ouersight But
by the marriages of daughters capable by succession to the kingdome of Nauarre And for such hee was esteemed and accounted vntil the death of the Duke of Alencon the kings brother VVhen presently the good olde Cardinall of Bourbon was titled in the head and made beleeue that in the age of sixtie yeares hee should liue and succeede a king who beside his yong yeares and strength of bodie liued not in any such disordered maner whereby hee should once haue occasion to thinke vpon his successor for it was shewed him that hee was the first Prince of the blood and that the right of inheritance and succession consisted in his person But when this deuise was found too weake and the absurditie too much discouered thereby seeking to impugne or deny the king of Nauarre to be the chief and eldest branch of his house in the right and title of his father who in a manner liued in him besides the reuocation by his vncle made vnto him of all rights names voyces and actions whatsoeuer both present and to come that might appertaine or belong vnto him as beeing issued from the house of Bourbon expresly acknowledging the said king of Nauarre his Nephew for the true sonne heire successor and representation of the chiefe branch of the said house they inuented other obiections and subtile pollicies that vnder those pretences they might bleare the eyes of the common and simple people affirming the Crowne of France to bee vacant and so belonged to the first Conqueror aâ—leaging for reason that as in the populer successions of common people such as are of the kindred and familie of any houses beeing in the tenth degree of consanguinitie cannot bee heires of their kinsmans lands so farre in discent from them and therby the inheritance falleth into the Lords hands and that so the house of Bourbon had no title or any right to the Crowne of France as beeing in the tenth degree of consanguinitie from it wherof they caused diuers discourses and whole volumes to bee written But that not beeing able to bee beaten into the heads of true Frenchmen nor once set footing or enter into the opinions of the commun people altogither incapable of such Sophisteries they beganne to enter into an other course of iniuries accusations and inuections wherein they contented not themselues onely to crie out and make war against the said king and to produce and cause to bee published a perpetuall incapacitie in his person and that without the Popes consent but they accused him of treason they condemned him they named him vnwoorthie and incapable to rule in France they assembled all the estates of France at Blois wherein a manner they vtterly reiected him euery man shewed to bee his enemie if not in his right and title yet touching the religion which hee then held and finally went about to frame his proces But to the contrarie those that pursued him were themselues executed before they heard their condemnation or iudgement In this maner the fire beganne to bee kindled in all the foure quarters of the realme and the blow was of such force that all neighbour Princes were mooued there at such as were offended arming themselues to bee reuenged and the people in a manner led by a furie helping them and with them turned their faces against the king whereof the Towne of Parris was the first and by example therof all the Towns in lesse then 6. weeks made that great strange coÌ„motion that continued for the space of fiue whole yeares ensuing Shee mooued them to this dissention by the smooth and speciall reasons by her alleaged against heresie periurie and tiranny coniuring them by dutie to their countrie and by the loue they ought to beare to the preseruation thereof to ioyne with her in so iust a cause and to passe one of these two waies hauing no other meanes either to bee vanquishers or die in the quarrell rather then to submit themselues to the king And among the rest the Cittie of Lyons neuer inferiour to any Cittie in the world touching fidelitie and obedience to their kings that had no other obiect then onely zeale of religion in the defence whereof it espied many euident and mortall signes suffered it selfe to bee borne away among this troupe not once considering or apprehending the multitude of miseries by her after that indured And in this manner the warres beganne with so straunge an alteration and motion of all estates yea euen of the very pillers of the land and the reuolt was such that in fine the royaltie of the king was reduced to a small corner of the countrie about Tours and Blois where without doubt the league had buried it if suddainly the king of Nauarre had not ayded him who therevpon tooke courage againe hauing on his side the Hercules of France scourge of rebels to their Prince but when this disordered and great mutinie beganne somewhat to decline and that the presence and authoritie of the Soueraigne Prince held the most assured within the bounds of their duties and that Parris perceiued it self in way and course of extreame desolation suddainly the king was slaine And then O the great and deepe iudgements of God hee that about three moneths before had passed ther riuer of Loire onely with foure hundreth horse a thousand shot and certaine pikes was presently made chiefe soueraigne and commaunder of a most faire and great armie to whom the Magistrates and Officers of the Crowne and all the Nobilitie yeelded their obedience thereby seeking to impeach the desolation and ouerthrow of the whole estate and to preferre the dutie of naturall fidelitie before the vaine hope of straungers and the last hazard of the rest and suretie of their liues and goods And so behold him king that not seuen moneths before had been depriued of the title of the first Prince of the blood and of the hope of the name Sacrying and Crowne of the Princes his auncestors that had so many times beene driuen from the Court that in foure yeares had seene tenne armies and tenne Generals to a king marching before the heads of the forces of the greatest Prince of the most warrelike nation in all the world against him that after the ouerthrow of a great forraine power had withdrawne himselfe into a corner of the Realme without land men or mony and a Prince altogither poore vnlesse it were in hope He that had been declared vnable for the Crowne that had beene made one of the Cardinall of Bourbons retinue that was no more acknowledged to be of the race or progenie of S. Lewis as beeing ten degrees in consanguinitie from it he that the countrie of Spaine esteemed the subiect of all our miseries who in the life of â—ur kings was the only argument of all the tragedies that had been acted in the countrie of France he that thought not to haue succeded a king being in the flower of his liuely and gallant youth that had bin an occasion to
the contrarie if age and not a most cruell and poysoned knife had not borne him to S. Dennis he I say was king in the middle of all his troupes in open field and by sound of trumpet proclaimed king of France And the Catholicque Nobilitie who by reason of their diuersitie of religion it was thought wold haue separated themselues from him were so much mooued at the detestable murther so disloyally committed against the sacred person of their most Christian Catholicque and religious king abhorring that part from whence so miserable a monster had his issue that they chose rather to preserue themselues by keeping togither then to destroy themselues by disvnion that it remained constant and faithfull to the successor of their king not once disputing of the lawful vocatioÌ„ of his Maiestie so much the rather that he imbraced the preseruation of the Calâ—olicque Apostolicke and Romaine religion and promised to reciue instruction and make profession thereof No other meanes resting whereby to knit and ioyne that which by disvnion had been separated and nothing but the newe opinion of religion was the cause to place a barrier between them and the meanes that the poore people did not most willingly cast themselues into his armes And to the contrarie the feare of the alteration of religion putteth theÌ„ out of their bounds as the waues that breake into a breach hauing gotten through do runne with more noyse and force then before So he was esteemed for an hereticke his goods confiscate and his bodie punished that had not halfe a dozen of maximes or princples readie thereby with tooth and nayle openly to maintaine that Henry de Bourbon might not be king although he were a Catholicke and that the power of the Pope stretched not so farre as once to vndertake the hearing of his excuses much lesse to absolue him In this general licenciousnesse of all things whereby euery man is permitted both to speake and thinke euil which filleth France with barbarisme and monsters which maketh the Citties and Townes the gulfes of ciuill furies wherein it is easie to fall and impossible to get out againe it seemed that a whole world neither yet the raignes of foure kings would euer haue ended so great adesolation For thereby is seene the deluge of all afflictions fallen vppon the people confusion and disorder rampeth and entereth into all places councels are weake iustice despised the foote commanding the head the treasurescconsumed the estate becommeth sicker then sickenesse it selfe and which is more religion for the which they take weapon in hand looseth more in one moneth then it getteth intenne hauing nothing more contrarie to the increasing restoring and beautifying therof then the insolencie crueltie disobedience and impietie of ciuil wars And should wee suppose that during these monstrous mad rebellions the obedience we owe to God can long continue VVhat is he that knoweth not how many iniuries religion hath sustained as well by the defendors as enemies thereof both of them esteeming it a glorie to violate blaspheme and in a moment to destroy the forepassed labours of so many yeares and in two houres to saw downe the tree that hath growen vp and prospered for 1500. yeares The people by long draughts swallow downe the sweete breath of libertie they terme disorder reason they admitte no lawe but what they like best and will by no meanes heare speaking of superior Of the despising of the Prince proceedeth disobedience to God and from that impietie springeth the disobedience we shew vnto each other For that long sufferancealtereth custome and formeth immitation and the example of one that escapeth vnpunished mooueth others to commit the like offence So that among so many crimes disorders and confusions it is not straunge vnto vs to see our actions haue so hard successe For as the horse that hath newly cast his Maister to the ground broken his bridle ceaseth not to runne till he commeth to some place where with great furie he killeth himselfe so the people abandoning all dutie respect of gouernment ouerthrow themselues at the end of their most furious course and are like a ship in the middle of the wanes which beeing neuer so well rigged and furnished with warlike ammunition hauing neither saile nor rurther is readie to sincke and stirreth not but at the pleasure of a feeble blast of wind which vseth it as it list To the contrary the kings armie that as a rocke resisteth the proude and raging waters like agreat riuer passing her boundes to ouerflow the medows assiegeth Townes winneth diuers battels beareth all before it and triumpheth in all places And Spaine which ought either to vnburthen it selfe or at the least be content with the great number of roabes which it daily weareth and with so many Scepters that impeach it and rest it selfe riseth vp to put vs in feare She that feareth least our prosperitie would bee her ruine our peace her wars and that our nayles should grow so long therewith to pull that from her which she and hers hath forcibly taken from vs she bendeth her cannon shot against the battered wals of our estate and she that seeing vs transported with furie and collor ought to hide the knife and quench the fire putteth it into our hands therewith to mooue vs to destroy our selues And addeth oyle and wood more to increase the fire of our diuisions yet all in vaine for that against good Frenchmen shee sendeth Spanish shadowes But after the losse of a great battell and the long and extreame induring of miseries by the assieged townes euery man beginneth to detest wars and to seeke peace And the ordinarie meat wherewith the people were vsually serued beginneth to faile and be disliked the goodly and beautifull pretence of religion that had giuen so great an appetite to the common people to disiest arms looseth credite and it is euidently seene that the war hath more respect to the altering of estate then preseruatioÌ„ of religion And in fine when at the assembly of the league in Parris the D. of Ferrare vnder pretence and couer of religion had propounded the means to shake vtterly ouerthrow the salique law not any good Frenchman but detested the deuise as athing more cruel then death it selfe And the Court of Parliament did most vertuously resist the lamentable subuersion of that law which hath maintained this monarchie continued so many yeares and in defence wherof our forefathers died the plaines of Poctiers and Cressy with their liuely and masculine blood And in the mean time when euery man cried out and openly said the king was no king that they were earnestly busied to find an other that euery man would be and yet durst not his Maiestie by reuelation of the holy Ghost and for his owne saluation turned to the sacred and holy bosome of the Church leauing the error and new opinion that from his cradle he had alwaies holden feeling in his soule a strong and firme
haue the place voyded and such as would place themselues therein before vs must bee remooued If warres bee continued against the Huguenots the end cannot bee but to our ruine it will in the end produce a peace which will send vs naked without armes vnto our gouernments liuing betweene feare and dispaire that the oppressed oppose not themselues against the oppressours that the offence returne not vppon the authors and that the king call not to minde the treaties of Peronne Nancy and Chalon If they be vanquishers their victorie is our losse their life our death their greatnesse our imbasing and their rest our torment The strongest support of their enterprise is vppon a piller of Castille olde and rotten that is not sustained but by hope of our ruine that feareth no other shaking but the ceasing of our ciuil warres which will not bee ended but by straungers from whence they are deriued This Prince knoweth well that as long as the diuersitie of religions parteth our mindes there will neuer bee peace among vs although the zeale of religion doth much trouble him that hee is the sonne of the great scourge of the Almaine Protestants and that he hath drowned heresie in his own blood yet hee desireth to inuade vs eyther by one means or other The Ramme desireth to eate the Bat whether it be because it is a bird or because it is a mouse If the Edict of Iuly bee put in execution if heresie be pursued in so many places it will bee very hard for it to resist the king will alwaies bee Maister hee will alwaies stand vpright hee will resume the authoritie and power that hee seemeth to haue left to retaine vs and perceiuing himself like Lewis the eleuenth vntangled from so many leagues and parties he would liue like a commander destroying both Huguenots and Leaguers take the raisor in hand to both their beardes and driue all partakings out of the Realme onely his owne The fiers made for ioy of his victories would bee the obsecquies and funerals of our partakers The king of Nauarre shall die or else hee must conuert or bee cleane spoyled and ouerthrowne His death will strengthen the first article of our league and the feare of altering of religion shall vanish away His conuersion will pull the weapons out of our hands and the wordes of faction and disorder Huguenots and Nauarrois will no more bee heard among vs. His ouerthrow shall not bee so much aduantage vnto vs as to the king he will haue the flowers and the fruites of this victorie and wee nothing but the leaues A great army â—â—dermineth it selfe and there is too grâ—â—â—â—â—â—ger to fight But to ouerthrow him will bee no small labour armes are not continuall We thinke to constraine them to fight they wil not but defend themselues they will shut themselues within their Townes that braue all our forces and make vs madde as if wee stood barking at the moone and fighting with the cloudes Many times men hazard all they haue in the strength of a battell and when it is lost to get a thing of no moment there is no meanes to raise it again To looke for it out of Spaine is to reckon mens charges of another mans purse Promises are feminine and effects are masculine this nation is vsed not to say what it will do nor to do that it saith it will do And further wee haue to do with a Prince that is alwaies first at giuing blowes and last in retiring it is not a hart that leadeth Lyons Hee sayeth not go thither but hee goeth himselfe like vnto Caezar hee heareth assoone of our discipation as of our comming hee hath learned to bee a Captaine at our costes hee holdeth thirtie Townes in France which to ouercome wee had need to haue the forces of thirtie leagues such as ours is and when he should haue nothing left but his sword it is very much with the lawful right he hath to the succession of this Realme Aut Caesar aut nihil Therefore seeing the die is cast that wee haue imbarked our selues in this rough sea that the end of our league is either to make vs a king or else nothing let vs take the shortest course There is no apparance to attaine to the royall seat before so many Princes of the house of Bourbon wee should neuer haue done he that wold rule ouer them all must first pull the king out of his chaire when it is emptie there will be meanes to sit downe if he raigne longer our winter is come the seruants of our hopes will withdraw themselues beeing deceiued The king is lustie and gallant of bodie if hee haue any children our sute is ended and not hauing any we are likelier to die before him wee must play open play let vs deale with him as his father dealt with our Grand-fathers and let vs do the like to the Capets as they did to the heires of Charle-Maine Of this ensued the conspiracie made at Parris about Easter in Anno. 1587. which was not executed by the vncertaine resolution of the heads that left the Parrissians in the middle of so daungerous an enterprise wherof the K. was aduertised and from that time determined to punish them But his authoritie was alreadie so much weakened and his Maiestie so much despised that but for feare to be reproued the hooker had taken drawn him through the myre of his infamous slaunders and mockeries The Preachers tongues serued for rules to these seditions they detested the life pleasure and dissolution of the Court and spake not of the King but in dirision publikely condemning his actions hee caused them to be counselled and diuerted from those passions and of a chaire of trueth not to make a place of babling but the more he sought to turne that chollor into fleame the more it increased and rose vp in the end hee was constrained to threaten them with imprisonment Whereof grew the meeting of Saint Seuerin where certaine excommunications were pronounced in S. Benets Church against the Commissaries and Sergeants that would haue layde handes vppon certaine Preachers Wedensday the second of September 1587. The bookes that were published at the beginning of these disorders were the wood strawe and brimstone that long time maintained the embers of those rebellions there was not any meane Fidlers boye but that like a crowe vpon a steeple pronounced the tempests and calamities of those furious mutenies Infamous libels There was nothing seene in the Hall of the Pallace but onely discourses aunsweres aduertisements and Apologies He fayled to surprise Mets the 26 of May. And in the meane time that warre was made with pen and inke within the Townes the Duke of Guise made it with Iron and steele in open field he held his armie in the frontiers of Lorraine and made warre vppon those of Iamets which hee had begun against the Duke de Bouillon from the first day of the birth of the
filthinesse of thy vilany nor wood ynough to burne the Registers and memories of this sedition But can we speake of the Barricadoes without remembring this incomprehensible motions of Gods prouidence which doth equally shine and appeare as wel in the establishing as pulling down of Empires dealetha swel with their fall as with their continuance And who will not say Read a notable discourse vppon this matter in the 2. Booke intituled the constancy and consolation of publicque calamities Henry the third a most religious Prince He led rather the life of a Monke then of a K. He hated the Huguenots that this great motion the spring of all the miseries ensuing was not a blowe of the hand of the inscrutable wisedome of God to punish the king and his Realm Hee that would debate this proposition by the circumstances of the kings person needeth not to seeke the causes thereof neither in the East nor in the West but onely to ground them vppon the eternall wheele of Gods iudgements What apparance was there for subiects to arme themselues and reuolt against a king what pretence could bee so close but in the end it would open and bee discouered The cause of religion which is one of the most violent passions of the people and the most assured meanes to alter an estate was so cleare and pure in him that many iudged his life to bee religious blamed his actions which was fitter for an Hermite then a Prince He kept more in a Monasterie then with his Councell he spake oftner with Iesuites Capucins and Fueillantins then to his Secretaries He detested nothing more then Huguenots and there was not any Huguenot in France that had receiued any commaundement at his hands he was more spoken and disliked of among them then any of the house of Lorraine they beheld him not but as the commet of their miseries and neuer remembred him but when they spake of S. Bartholomewes day that which they had indured at the hands of the duke of Guise was but roses in respect of that they had suffered at Iarnac And the Huguenots declared his life Moncontour Rochel and Parris in such manner that it were an extream absurditie to beleeue that he fauoured Hereticques and that hee would ouerthrow that religion whereof hee made so open profession He was assisted by the Princes of his house Therefore hee had no cause to feare any thing to bee done against him by the Catholicques and yet those are they that in the Capital Towne of his Realms Barricadoed themselues against him He had all the Princes of the blood for the defence of his Crowne for when the King of Nauarre for the libertie of his conscience had taken armes it was no longer but while they would constraine him and breake the decrees of peace that permitted him to bee free of conscience not to oppose himselfe against the Monarchie nor to an Anarchicall confusion of this estate The rest of the Princes that knew well that the reasons of the league were not so much to reforme the Realme as to ouerthrow it and therewith to bring them within the compasse of those ruines held themselues near vnto his Maiestie all the Nobilitie of France at the least nine of ten partes more particularly bound vnto his seruice for their honours dignities offices and benefiâ—s as also the iustices of the Realme not beeing of the minde to accomodate themselues to the humors of the Princes of the league and esteemed the essentiall forme thereof to be opposite and an ouerthrowing to the estate The GentlemeÌ„ of France foreseeing that the royaltie cannot be ouerthrown but that the Nobilitie must likewise beare the same burthen and that the subiect that refuse the obedience and faieltie of his Prince will not bee long before hee seeketh to free himselfe of the rents and reuenues hee oweth vnto the Lord of the soyle The greatest persons of the Cleargie consented not to those new mutinies acknowledging that their profession is more honoured and beautified vnder a King The chiefe of the Cleargie then by the confusions of a democration estate The king likewise had named and chosen them at his pleasure so that the obligation of his fauour retained them in his seruice Learned men published his prayses and in his raigne there were more bookes printed and dedicated to his Maiestie Learned meÌ„ then in the raigne of the great King Francis and his successors although most iustly hee was named the father and restorer of learning Some Preacher onely flattered sedition thereby to winne estimation among the commoÌ„ people desirous of a change In all the towns throughout euery Prouince there were officers who besides their naturall subiection were more bound to him by oath that he had taken of them giuing them charge of his treasures the power of his lawes and administration of his iustice with the order of pollicie they desired nothing more then the greatnesse of their King his rest and quietnesse beeing their onely preferment for that without libertie and peaceablenesse with his long life and prosperitie their offices were of little force as hauing exposed their fortunes to the hazard of the terme of his life I And yet he was not well assured in Parris n such manner that his Maiestie had not any thing more at his commaundement then men of that quallitie that only feared the perill of his holy and sacred person and the changing of this Monarchie Who would then beleeue that a king yea and a king of France in the middle of so many assurances in the brauest time of his raigne in the Capitall Cittie of his Kingdome among so many Princes Knights of the Order in the face of a Parliament the thunder against sedition and colonie of iustice and royaltie hauing in his power the Bastille and the Arsenal at his deuotion the Prouost of Merchants the Sheriffes and the Colonnelles and sixe thousand men of warre placed in the streetes and quarters of the Towne where hee desired should bee besieged in his Pallace of Louure by a people whom hee had so much cherished and inriched with the spoyles of his other subiects and by himselfe stirred vp vnder the false alarme of a Garrison sacking and spoyling constrained to saue himselfe by flight from the furie of his mutinous subiects Incluctabilis fatorum vis cuius fortunaÌ„ mutare constituit consilia corrumpit Velleius lib. 2. de Caesar es varo And can wee that haue seene and beheld it remember it without considering that the eternall power of him that ruleth all the world made the Spirits iudgements counselles and conductions of those that might diuert the mischiefes proper and fit to aduance them and suffered them to take effect to shewe his wrath striking the head to make members languish O fatall and once againe accursed day of Barricadoes the birth day of our miseries and funeralles of our ioys that vnloosed the windes to those stormes of blood
any man finde this proposition and reciprocall submission between persons which they may terme vnequall to bee straunge let them remember and receiue this for satisfaction that all whatsoeuer the one and the other hath is by your Grace and which they cannot iustly hold longer then it pleaseth you The king that sat as vmpeir in this contention by their answeres and replies still receiued some blowes yet hee knewe that their declarations were not so smooth but that the accusations in his behalfe would easilie bee aunsered and beeing pressed by the League to yeeld to their request he giueth the Cardinall of Bourbon and all the rest of the Princes in whose name it was presented to vnderstand that both in peace and warre hee had sufficiently shewed the proofe of his good will to the preseruation of the onely Catholicque religion in his Realme and to the extirpation of contrary sects without sparing his own person euen at the last ouerthrow of the Protestant Rutters entered into this Realm The victorie of the Rutters which had not happened without the presence and good conduction of his said Maiestie that stayed them vppon the side of the riuer of Louure which they had gotten with little losse and weaking as euery man knoweth That iealousies distrust had hindered him from reaping the profite of the aduantage which hee had against the Hereticques hauing sought all meanes hee could to impeach the motions of those diuisions as namely to forget that which had happened at Parris as long as the Cittizens behaued themselues like good and faithfull subiects trusting in the bountie and clemencie of their Prince whereof they haue so many times had sufficient proofe that they neede not doubt thereof That hee lamented the disorders that haue crept into the affaires of this estate as also the contentions that brake the last peace that he desired nothing so much as speedily to see a present reformation and that to the same effect hee would assemble the third estates of France as the most assured remedie which his predecessors in such occasions haue alwaies vsed That hee was resolued presently to reuoke diuers edicts and impositions wherewith his people were charged That in the assembly of the estates his Maiestie would take order for the doubt the Catholieques haue to fall into the gouernment of hereticques and that touching the particular complaint made by the saide Princes against the Duke d'Espernon his brother he would make it known that both in that and all other things hee is a Prince both equall and iust hauing speciall regard not to doo iniurie or wrong to any man And withall that hee preferred the publike vtilitie of his Realme before all other things The Court of Parliament who by their wisedome that knewe that the absence of the sunne which giueth it light would from thence forward make it become obscure and without light by reason of the thicke cloudes of diuisions would not withdrawe their helpes from that trouble and disquietnesse of the estate nor turne their backe to the king neither bring vpon themselues the infamous markes or rebellion or permit that his Councellours should be termed ouerthrowers of their Princes The Court of Parliament sent the Deputies to the King but sent their Deputies to his Maiestie to shewe him of the greefe they had conceiued at that accident and at the mischiefe that had constrained him to go out of Parris to reclaime his bountie and clemencie to diuert his iust vengeance from the heades of his subiects excuse his officers if in so great a commotion imbisilitie and feare had made them bend their necks to desire him to come thither againe to restore quietnesse and contentment to his Maiestie order in his affaires credite to their purple robes authoritie to their estate by his presence to dispearse mutenies which by diuision had beene raised The Kings answere to the Court of Parliament The king answered therevnto that he neuer doubted but that they would continue in the sidelitie and affection which they had alwaies shewed to his auncestors that if it had beene in their powers to haue taken order touching the disorders in Parris hee was fully perswaded they would haue done it that he had conceiued a most extreame greefe thereat although hee said hee had not beene the first that had fallen into such misfortunes that notwithstanding all that he would alwaies be a good father to such as shewed themselues good children that in the quallitie of a father hee would vse the Parrisians as his sonnes that had fayled in their duties and not as seruants that conspired against their Maister hee commaunded them to continue in their charges according to their duties and from the mouth of the Queene-mother to receiue the commaundements and executions of his will and pleasure The King sends for the Deputies of the Court. Wherewith the Deputies of the Parliament withdrew themselues when after dinner they were readie to depart the king sent for them and said vnto them I haue once againe sent for you that before you go I might let you vnderstand besides that I sayd vnto you in the morning that I haue beene aduertised of the allegation vsed in my behalfe that I would place a Garrison in my town of Parris I am much abashed how that entered into their heads I knowe what Garrisons meane they are eyther placed to destroy a Towne or else because of some distrust that is had in the Inhabitants they ought not to thinke that I would ouerthrowe or destroy a Towne to the which I haue shewed so many signes of great good will and which I haue inriched by my long continuance therein as hauing stayed there more then tenne others of my predecessors euer did which hath procured yea euen to the meanest Artificers therein that great trafficque which at this day they haue and so much that it might haue benefited tenne or twelue other Townes which would haue been glad thereof and where my officers haue had cause to vse my helpe as likewise Merchants and others I haue not denied it vnto them so that they may iustly say I haue alwaies shewed my self a good king in their behalfes lesse cause should I likewise haue to enter into distrust of those whom I loued and of whom I might haue assured my selfe as I verily thought So that the amitie I bare vnto them ought to haue bereaued them of this fond opinion that I would place a Garrison among them and it is wel knowne that not one souldier set foote or entered into any house to looke eyther bread or prouision whatsoeuer but to the contrary I sent them mony and other necessaries and they had not stayed there aboue foure and twentie houres at the furthest which had been till the next day but they should haue lodge else where I determined to haue made an exact search for diuers straungers that as then were in my Towne of Parris and not desiring to offend
any man I sent to the Lords of my Court namely to the D. of Guise to the end they should giue me a roll of their domesticall seruaunts and to send the rest away whom I vnderstood to be in great numbers at the least fifteen thousand which I did for the preseruation of my good Town of Parris with sureties of my subiects And therefore I will haue them to acknowledge their faults with greefe and true contrition I knowe well that they are put in minde and made beleeue that hauing offended mee in that sort my indignation is vnreconcileable but I would haue you to let them know that I am not so disposed to loose them and as God whose Image although vnwoorthie I beare heere vppon earth will not the death of a sinner so I desire not their ouerthrow I will trie the gentillest meanes and when they shall confesse their fault and shew by effect what sorrow they haue I will receiue and imbrace them as my subiects shewing my selfe like a father to his children yea a friend to his friend I will haue them to acknowledge mee for their good King and Maister which if they doo not but rather feede me with delayes withdrawing my hands as I can well do I will make them know their offences whereof the memorie shall remaine to all posterities for it beeing the chiefe and principall Towne honoured with the Supreme Court of my Realme and other Courts Priuiledges honours and Vniuersities I can as you know reuoke my Court of Parliament Chambers of accounts aydes and other Courts and vniuersities which would turne to their great decay For that ceasing their trafficques and other commodities would decrease yea and wholly decay as it happened in the yeare 1579. during the great plague by reason of my absence and the discontinuance of the Parliament a great number of my Councellours beeing retired so that the same yeare many of the shippes stood shut vp and the people liued idle spending their time in playing and walking in the streetes I knowe there are many honest men within my Towne of Parris and that of foure three parts are of that number which are greeued for the mischiefe that is happened then let them with speede procure my iust contentment that I be not constrained to vse rigor which to my great greefe I would bee loth to doo You know that patience once mooued turneth into fury and what a king that is displeased may doo For surely I will imploye all my power not leauing any meanes vnsought to reuenge my selfe on them although my minde bee not reuengetiue but I would that they would know that both my hart and courage is as great as any of my predecessors euer was I haue not as yet since my aduancement to the Crowne after my brothers death nor my returne out of Polonia vsed rigor to any man which you both knowe and can well witnesse neither I will that any man should abuse my clemencie and long suffering I am no vsurper I am lawfull king by succession as you all can testifie and of a race that hath alwaies commanded with benignitie It is in vaine to speake of religion I must take another course there is no Prince liuing in the world more Catholicque and desirous of the extirpation of heresies then I am which both mine actions and life hath shewed vnto my people I would it had cost mee an arme that the picture of the last Hereticque were painted here vpon my chamber wall Now you may returne to execute your charges and alwaies be of good courage for you need to feare nothing if I stand by you and I commaund you to let them vnderstand what I haue said Not long after the K. determined to go to Roane where the Inhabitants receiued him with great ioy shewing so many signes of their great desires to liue in his obedience that their fidelitie and loue mittigated the griefe of the reuolt and murenie of others The king goeth to Roane and not long before the Town of Lyons had expresly sent vnto the king to desire his Maiestie to come thither to acknowledge that their long and continuall fidelitie should appeare so much the firmer as by how much the more it was continually sought to be detected When the Duke of Guise perceiued that Parris in great haste returned vnder the kings obedience from the which it had so suddainely reuolted that the shame to bee without him made the boldest of them holde downe their heads that the violence of rebellion beganne to lessen by meanes of naturall reason that the sonne of the kings authoritie beganne to waxe hotte and that there was not any desperate leaguer but acknowledged that the absence of the Court would bee a hinderance to his purse his shop and his affaires hee determined to winne the kings fauour The Nobles of the league findes the day of the Barricadoes very greeuous thereby not to loose the ayde of those that found the action within Parris to bee ouer hardie All his seruants himself beginning returned to the wearing of their old cloaks of the K. authoritie which by their Barricadoes they had wholly troden vnder foote the third word that issued out of their fained and dissembling mouthes was the seruice of the king the obedience of his Maiestie the preseruation of the The Nobles of the league finds the day of the Barricadoes very greeuous estate there formations of disorders and the reliefe of the people beleeuing that this second enterprise would succeede with as much contentment and impunitie as the first and in steed of maintaining himself in the degree whervnto by so many paines daungers and troubles hee had as then attained he descended of a suddaine and went to finde the Queen-mother and with her to make some euill shapen coate the king reapeth more profit by his enemies then hee looked for Plutarche saith there was one that giuing a thrust with his sword into his enemies bodie by chance pearced an impostume therein which without doubt had killed him shortly after if that new Surgeon had not brokē it And so if the great mutinie of Parris had not suppressed the great aboundance of colde and heauie humours that long rest and pleasure hadde bredde and constrained the king to rise and bestirre himselfe hee had returned to his solitarie life and so most certanly had lost his Crowne before he could perceiue it The boldnesse of this enterprise filled his courage and from that time forward hee determined either to liue like a victorious king The profit which he hath of his enemies ordie vanquished But hee perceiued himselfe to bee reduced into two extremities both very daungerous in the middle whereof there stood a deep and profound pit the anker of his safetie is peace he could not make it both with the league and Huguenots togither if hee turned to the one side hee was assayled by the other if hee stayed in the middle hee was charged by them
M. de Chiuerny M. de Beliure M. de Villeroy Ad consilium de rep dandume capite est nosse rem public in that cloudenesse of his affaires and whereof hee had most need In the middle of those treasons of the league hee dismissed those that neuer gaue peace to any passiō against the course of publike vtillitie that had nothing in their minds which age had not made rich graue constant and quiet that could yeeld firme and infallible resolutions that knew the present estate that foresawe what would happen that followed not opinions but reason and that haue stayed long in the sterne of the French ship had fought against the waues windes and first troubles of the torment of the League Then the seales were left in the hands of Monsieur de Monthelon Aduocate of the Court of Parliament an honest man and one that had no other passion that draue him forward but onely religion The Duke d'Espernon although hee stayed so long from the Court that it could not be said The Duke d'Espernon Gouernour of Aniou and Poitou that he rule the voluptuous minde of the king his Maister could not so much absent himself but that the cōspiracies of the league made him apprehend the greater mischiefes they would breed in a contented estate and hauing receiued the power from his Maiestie to command in the Prouinces of Aniou Thouraine Poitou Angoumois and Xaintonge road from Loches to Angoulesme vppon aduise giuen him that the League had conferated with certain of the Inhabitants thereof to deliuer the towne vnto them there hee was receiued with all the honor that the people might giue to the Lieftenant of a King and with as much ioy as if the King himselfe had been there but those faire daies continued not long without cloudes this goodnesse was soone followed with a terrible torment this publike reioycing with a straunge trouble for although hee shewed sufficiently both in words and effects that he had nothing so deare as the conseruation of Catholicque religion and the excution of the Edict of vnion which hee had caused to be published the people neuerthelesse were perswaded by the impostures of certain leaguers that his intent was to cause certaine troupes of Huguenots to enter into the Castle and to surprise the Towne A tumult in the presence Chamber of the Duke d'Espernon The Maior of the Towne beeing altogether a Leaguer conspired vpon Saint Lawrence day to take the Duke of Espernon and to kill him and for that purpose vpon the same day they entered into the Castle vnder pretence to present certaine Posts vnto him that came from the Court and therewith entered into the high chamber where discharging two Pistolles they cried kill kill but the Gentlemen of his traine put themselues in defence and presently draue the traitors backe their leader beeing hurt with a Pistolle that gaue him but seuen houres respite to take order for his affaires with that an alarme was giuen in the Towne and presently the people made Barricadoes rose in a mutinie raged and stormed but they were like prisoners kept in a strong Tower for the Duke d'Espernon held the Castle and had the Citadell at his commaundement whereby both through the one and the other hee could let as many forces enter to relieue him as hee should need A vainte mutenie made by the people Captaines for the league summons the Duke d'Espernon The people perceiuing that he held the Castle and that the Lord of Tagens came in all haste to help him that the Lord of Bordes their prisoner Captain of the Citadell would not redeeme his libertie at the price of his place that the Sieurs de Mere dela Messeliere de Marquerolle Desbouchaux sommoning them had found them resolute rather to diethen yeeld they determined to fall to an agreement Which Nonsieur de Tagens Cousin to the duke d'Espernon agreed vpon which appeased their strife and therewith they layde down their armes the dead bodies were honourably buried and the prisoners on both parts released The Duches of Espernon who before the commotion was gone out of the Castleto heare Masse in the Iacobins Church had beene stayed in the Fryers Couent and threatned to serue for a Gabion if shee caused not her husband to yeeld vppe the Castle was by the Lieftenant generall of the Towne Tumults appeased ledde to the said Castle because the gate was as yet rampierd with stones shee was constrained to go vppe by a lather and to creepe in at the window The second day after this reuolt beeing the twelsth of August one thousande fiue hundreth eightie and eight they proceeded to the election of a new Maior who with the Sheriffes presented himselfe vnto the Duke d'Espernon to excuse the folly of the people and hee as if hee had not been offended thereat receiued them with the best countenance he could and sent them away well pleased onely that hee would not suffer the body of the Maior principall of the rebellion to be buried with the state that belonged to his office The Historie of Gauerston printed at Parris in the yeare 1588. About the time that the Maior made the first tumult in his vtter chamber he was in his own chamber staying the time to go to Masse shewing the Abbot of Elbene and Monsieur de Marimon a most infamous libell printed not so much against him as against the honor of the Ma. of the king Which was the Historie of Pierce Gauerston whose life and fortune was therein compared to the life of the Duke of Espernon and the conclusion thereof was that as the Gascon Pierce Gauerston loued and onely fauoured by Edward the second king of England preferred to all offices in the Court inriched with the treasures both of the king and of his subiects at the peoples request was bannished and exiled out of England and after that beheaded so the Duke of Espernon would play the like tragedie in France vnder Henry the third king of France This libel was answered by a discourse imprinted at Parris which the Lord of Mandelot would not suffer to bee solde in Lyons because it did liuely describe the tragicall actions of estates made a most odious comparison of a good and religious Prince with a bloody hypocrite and tyrannicall Prince saying that Edward and Henry were all one Hee said that Edward a man of no gouernment Hist Angl. subiect to his pleasures of a vilde mind litle caring for the affaires of his Realm spent and prophaned the treasures of his country appoynted for the preseruation of religion and gaue them to Gauerstone his Mignion oppressed his subiects with great and excessiue exactions solde and ingaged part of his lands and demaines vsed his Nobles vnwoorthily not caring for men of good reputation beeing a great hypocrite thinking to couer a great number of inormities by building and erecting a Couent of Iacobius his Barrons constrained him diuers
noble partes of the bodie In the first the wicked Councellours and administrators of the publike treasures were examined and openly named with a most shamefull defamation King Henry the third perceiuing this remedie to bee necessary that ouer much practising and deuises was seene to bee in all estates of the Realm and that hee could not defer the purgation thereof he consented to the convocation of all the estates of the Realme and declareth what had alwaies bin his fatherly care towards his subiects how he had respected their good rest and tranquillitie with all affection that might be found in a Prince that hath nothing dearer nor in more speciall recommendation that hee knew well to to his great griefe that the effects had not been correspondent to his desire by the renuing of troubles happened in the middle of a peace well established vnder the which he had begunne to prouide for reformation and re-establishment of many things which the miseries of warres had brought out of order This if for the small time that the peace did indure the people had alreadie begunne to taste some acceptable fruite it was easie to iudge that i◠would haue been much more felt without so suddaine an alteration That wee must must impute it to the iust punishment of God that ceased not to laye his scourges vppon this Realme that it might bee knowne to bee vnwoorthie of the benefit of a peace wherewith hee vseth to indue and blesse those to whom hee will shewe any speciall fauour That the more men proceed forward the more they perceiue all things to fall into such disorder and confusion that in short time if order be not taken therein there will not be any more steppes of the auncient force and greatnesse of this Realme seene or perceiued which in times past were so admired by forraine nations That for the same cause his Maiestie thought it conuenient for the loue and fatherly affection that hee beareth to his subiects to thinke vppon the meanes that might bee deuised to finde a remedie for the same That after hee had ripely considered therevpon hee esteemed no better meanes could bee vsed then the same that had beene practised by his predecessors who among the great disorders happened during their raignes they were not comparable to those of his time because they surpasse them They had recourse to an assembly of the estates general of the Realm which at this day would bee more necessary and requisite then euer it was For that cause therefore hee commaunded that the principall personages of euery Prouince Baliage and Stewardship should by the fifteenth day of September assemble the Towne of Bloys there in open assembly to make their petitions and to shewe their griefes to speake freely without medling with any practises thereby to fauour the particular passions of any man whatsoeuer which will bee most fit and conuenient meanes to quench and abolish such diuisions as are among his subiects specially among the Catholicques and to attaine to a good and an assured quietnesse whereby Catholicque religion shall bee so well established and all heresies purged and extirped out of his Realme that his subiects should haue no more cause to feare a change neyther while hee liued nor afer his disease The kings commissions beeing sent and published in euery Prouince the third orders that is the cleargie the Nobilitie and the deputies of the people assembled in the principall Towne of euery Prouince and Corporation to conferre of their declarations complaints greefes and of the meanes they should vse to propound them in the assembly to chuse their Deputies that might speake for all the Prouince When the king sent his commissions the league likewise and it may bee by the same meanes caused their memorials and articles to bee giuen to euery Baliage and Stewardship most affected to their factions that they might set them down with the rest of their requests Wherevpon the author of the treatie made touching the causes and reasons of bearing armes by the league made in Ianuary 1589. saith that those memorials were sent to the most passionate leaguers The names of the Deputies is to be seene in a discourse imprinted vpon this matter following by Iamet Mettayer That they might procure to be appoynted Deputies by the Bailiffes so that in a manner all the Deputies of the third orders were altogither participants with the league and their remembrances formed to require that which they had beene certified of before and that the credite of the league was such that the Marshals Harbengers for the king durst not refuse lodging to such as were marked with their Pater nosters I would set downe the names of the Deputies to giue the Reader free choise destinction of such as were found to be sent by special procurement others that had no other intent but onely the zeale of the augmentation of the Catholicque and Romane religion the honour seruice of the king the reformation of disorder and the comfort of the poore people but that is to bee seene in a particular discourse printed to the same end wherevnto I referre the Reader Meane time wee will go before to marke out the lodgings for this assembly for all the Deputies are on horsebacke to meete at Lewis where the king would bee Heere endeth the third Booke THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF THE HISTOrie of the last troubles of France from the assembly of the estates and the peace of Chartres till the breaking vp thereof beeing the sixteenth of Ianuary 1589. And the troubles that beganne in the same moneth at Parris and in other Townes WHen folly rauisheth and vsurpeth the ordering cōduction of a great serious matter it is a hazard if euer it fall out to the contentment of him that taketh it in hand It is a poynt of folly in the Duke of Guise to seeke the kings good will seeing that of a proude minde hee had separated himselfe from it by an vnreconcileable offence Folly to suppose that the peace of Chartres had healed the continuall bleeding woundes of the Barricadoes folly likewise to come to Blois seeing the king would not go to Parris therfore it was the assembly at Bloys that must make the bridge betweene the extremities of their desires There they played subtiltie one with the other he that should be deceiued thought vpon nothing else but to deceiue the partie that deceiued him The Duke of Guise was glad of the meeting of the estates because he was assured that among so many Deputies hee should finde a sufficient number to authorise his cause and giue a hard plunge or rather ouerthrowe to the Kings power And the king thoght that with his royall authoritie he should haue credite sufficient with the three Estates of his Realme and courage ynough in his heart there to punish the Duke of Guise for all his vaine and glorious enterprises each of them trauelled for the aduancement of their desires the Duke of Guise
himselfe and the meanes hee vsed to attaine vnto the same I will put this proposition that this Prince is bound and a neighbour vnto France and in that case neither ought nor may bee an enemie vnto it Hee is the sonne of that great and polliticque Prince Charles Philebert duke of Sauoy who so wisely found the means to recouer that which his father had lost The praise of Charles Philebert Duke of Sauoy The principall glory and truely as I thinke the most necessary for a Prince of his quallitie was that among so many troubles and betweene two great Monarchies striuing togither hee could behaue himselfe so well that neither the one nor the other once touched him maintaining his countrie in peace affectioned to the seruice of our kings as hee that had receiued that honor to marrie the sister of king Henry the second a friend to the King of Spaine in whose Court hee had passed ouer the most part of his greefes for his forepassed losses a good neighbour to the Switzers and other Princes of Italie to liue in peace hee permitted the free accesse of Huguenots into his Townes of Thurin and assured them a retrait into the vallies of Angrongne Lucerne Saint Martin Pragela and la Perouze without constraining them as hee might well haue done to vse the Catholicque religion and looking into the depth of diuers things hee made meanes vnto the king of Nauarre for a match to bee made betweene the Lady Margaret the Kings sister and his sonne and what hee practised for his owne benefite the same he counselled vnto others for when hee perceiued that Henry king of Polonia threatned to renue the warres assoone as hee should set foote within his realme hee disswaded him from that resolution setting before him the incertitude of warres which most commonly are sweete in the beginning but difficult to bee pursued and most bitter and hurtfull in the ende See the order of Montagu Hee desired rather to leaue some parte of his Landes vnto the Switzers then to seeke to winne them by armes Hee behaued himselfe so well in his counselles which our kings reiected and imprinted such an opinion of his wisedome greatnesse and felicitie within his subiects mindes that the Sauoyen not knowing nor beeing able to imagine any greatnesse more eleuated or happyer then that of their Duke that they said that if the king of France could haue guided his affaires in as good sorte hee hadde beene man sufficient and fitte to haue beene Great-Maister of the Duke of Sauoyes house Charles Emanuel Duke of Sanoy Charles Emanuel his sonne perceiuing that the wisedome and pollicie of his father had left his estate in good securitie with a reasonable great quantitie of treasures and yet not so much as would suffice to make any forraine warres determined to imploy that generositie naturally ingraffed in him in some goodly enterprise hee threatned Ceneua and made shewe of doing some great exployt against it but acknowledging the insufficiencie of his forces for his so high an enterprise they determined vppon a marriage and married the King of Spaines youngest daughter and with her the passions of his father in lawe The Duke of Sauoy cannot liue in peace if the king of Frāce be his enemie At the beginning it was thought hee would haue contented himselfe to haue beene friend with France allyed vnto Spaine that vppon the apprehension of the fall of our estate he would neuer pretend any thing against vs that hee would staye himselfe more vppon thinges certaine then vppon vncertaine and variable that knowing that vppon the one side hee hadde the Almaines on the other the Switzers on the third the Venecians and on the fourth the Princes of Italie hee would become friend to the Frenchmen their friends It was thought that if hee had ambition in his minde it would vanish vnder a more iust title that feeling himselfe weake hee would enterprise any thing against a mightie King nor would not breake the bond of amitie for his part due vnto him holding his estates from this Crowne which of late of meere courtesie hadde restored Sauignan and Pigneroles vnto him yet without apparant necessitie and without any reason whatsoeuer hee vndertooke the vsurpation of the territories of France bordering vppon Piedemont And yet it was not done without pretence declaration and excuse for first hee wrote vnto the Pope that the feare hee had least Monsieur de Desdiguieres should cease vppon certaine of his Townes and so in the middle of his countrie make a retraict and refuge for the Huguenots had constrained him to diuert that mischiefe generally from the Church and particularly from his owne estate which hee desired to continue in the puritie of the auncient religion vnder the obedience of the holy sea of Rome The duke of Sauoyes pretence why he inuaded the Marquisat of Saluce Hee excused himselfe vnto the King touching this breach of peace saying that the onely zeale of religion togither with the feare of the contagious neighbourhood of hereticques had constrained him ther vnto sending an Ambassador to giue him notice thereof and so to disguise that iniurie with the fairest and most counterfeit hee could deuise At the first he made shewe as if he would not hold those places but vnder the kings authoritie and by little and little he vsurped all soueragne power degrading the kings officers erected the Sauoyan crosse and threwe downe the flower deluces of France Ann. 1481. His officers couered this vsurpation with an other title and maintained that the Marquisat of Saluces is holden infest of the Duchie of Sauoy and that one of the Marquises thereof beeing a braue and valiant Gentleman disdaining in person to doo homage to Charles the sixt Duke of Sauoy being very young was for his misprision declared a traitor driuen out of his Countries and his Marquisat confiscated The Marquesse of Saluce infested into the countrie of Dauphine But the truth is that this countrie hath alwaies been infest to the principalitie of Dauphine contained in the gift that Prince Humbert made vnto the Crown of France namely that the Marquesse of Saluce had recourse vnto the king of France who receiued homage and fidelitie of him and euer since his successours did continue the dutie of vassalles vnto the Kings Charles the eight Lewis the twelfth and Francis the first From thence it proceedeth that hee which enquired and gathered into a great volume the causes and reasons of the raising of armes in the moneth of Ianuary reporteth this surprising of the Marquisate of Saluces to bee deriued from principalles of the League that dismembreth thier Crowne and Common-wealth perceiuing that neither of them could preserue it whole and intire and these are his words ABout that time the Duke of Sauoy supposing the king by reason of his departure from Parris to bee wholly ouerthrowne sent to speake with Monsieur de Guise minding to enter into League with him vppon
condition that for his part hee might haue the Marquisat of Saluce Prouence and Dauphine which the Duke of Guise would by no means consent vnto desiring rather to keepe the kingdome wholly for himselfe which was the cause that the Duke of Sauoy mooued at his aunswere sent Monsieur to the King at Chartres in the moneth of August to offer him all loue and friendshippe whereat the Duke of Guise beeing offended practised the saide intelligence and league graunted the Duke of Sauoyes request and the saide Duke of Sauoy was aduertised of of the resolution taken against the king in the Parliament at Blois to the end that for his part he might finde the meanes to dispatch his businesse at the same time wherein hee slept not forgetting neuerthelesse the promise made vnto his Maiestie and that of his owne free will for hee preuented the time of the execution thereof by the surprising of the Marquisate of Saluces which serued as a preparation to the conspiracie made against the person of the King as euery man iudged as beeing most easie to bee perceiued that the Duke of Sauoye who in regard of the puissance of this great Realme is but a meane Prince and hath la Bresse Sauoye and Piedemont so neare vnto the limittes of France that it laye in the kings power to bereaue him of the greatest parte thereof and that in very short time if hee were not ayded or that his Maiestie hadde not hinderances otherwise which made it apparant vnto all the worlde that hee enterprised not the taking of Carmagnolle Rauel and Saluce without assistance and that on the other side the king should bee retained and hindered from making warre against him although that after such hinderance hee might bee well assured that the Parliament beeing ended his Maiestie would recouer both his saide Marquisate of Saluce and wholly ouerrunne him if hee left not off in time For my part I haue heard it reported that this young Prince foreseeing Cadenti arbori securim in iecit A politicque maxime of Spaine Multa fieri prohibentur quae tamen facta tenent seeing the dissipation of our estate assured himselfe that it would bee best for him to bee the first at the dinision as sonne and husbande of two daughters issued from the blood royall of France and so goodly a peece of land lying in the middle of his countrie would bee sufficient cause to awake a man that were most sound a sleepe to mooue and heate the most colde and greatest Pollititian and that although there appeared iniustice in the action yet there would bee reason found to the possession thereof Concluding his determination by this maxime holden in Councell of Spaine That diuers thinges are forbidden which are good and hold steadfast beeing once done And to execute his pretence for the space of a whole yeare hee had solicited the Gouernour of the Citadell of Carmagnole who playing on both side on the one side tooke money of the Duke and on the other side hee aduertised the King thereof and wrought so well by that meanes that hauing gotten aboue fiue and twentie thousand Crownes hee withdrewe himselfe vnto the Court without deliuering the place which the Duke of Sauoye hadde bargained for who perceiuing himselfe deceiued and that the Barricadoes at Parris gaue the King worke in hand and more then hee could doo hee determined to surprise the Citadell of Carmagnole by the meanes of a Corporall called la Chambre whose treason beeing discouered and his fact once knowne hee was hanged by the feete in the Market-place of Carmagnole and then with all his confederates put to death as hee deserued but that notwithstanding the duke perceiuing the kings minde to bee otherwise occupied then to thinke vppon the Marquisat of Saluces hee leuyed great numbers of men Marquesse of S. Sorbin causing the Marquesse of Saint Sorlin to mount on horsebacke and vnder the pretence of a false report giuen out touching the besieging of Montferrat hee approached in so good time that vppon Al-saints day at night hee surprised the Towne of Carmagnole that for the most part was kept by souldiers of Piedemont And the Castle that hadde alwaies beene victualled for aboue the space of two yeares at that time was found wholly vnprouided because that Montseur de Saint Siluie that hadde succeeded in the place of la Coste hadde caused the victualles to bee carried foorth to haue some fresh in their place in such sort that the Captains fearing to indure great miserie and famine with small honour yeelded vppe that impregnable Fort wherein there was found aboue foure hundreth cannons Ordinance founde at Carmagnole great and little with great quantitie of powder and shotte and by that means the double Pistollets that flew about on all sides bare away the double cannons of this Frontier-Towne of France so that in lesse then threce weekes the Duke wanne all the Marquisats of Saluce and also the Captaines and Frenchmen souldiers retiring with liues and goodes saued drummes sounding and playing Ensignes displayed weapons in their handes but no matches lighted and without their paye of three moneths which the Duke had promised them by his agreement This victorie and conquest made the Duke holde vp his head and his seruants made him beleeue that although hee were forced to yeelde it vp again in the mean time he should enioy it and that it is good to bring things to passe when time and opportunitie serueth And for the same cause he made certaine peeces of mony of the value of a Duket to be minted stamped with the picture of a Centaure treading a Crowne of golde vnder his feete with this deuise Opportune The taking of the Marquesse of Saluce troubles the state Not long after the king receiued the newes thereof and considering the troubles distrusts and commotions practised by the League he imputed this surprising to a brauado togither with an euill will against the good and quietnesse of his estate and knew full well that the Duke of Sanoy beleeuing that the deuision of France would impart a peece thereof to euery man he went to take his part that rather for the scituation then any other right or title hee had vnto the Marquisate of Saluces thereby to ioyne it vnto Piedemont and that he had forseene that his Maiestie beeing hindered by quenching the fire that flamed within the heart of his Realme hee would not haue the meanes to ayde himselfe in his extreamities The full relution of the French Nobalitie to make warre in Sauoy Such as at all times had the flower deluce and the respect of the glory of France liuely imprinted in their hearts not beeing able to support the iniurie wrought in the presence of all the estates of France as then assembled in Blois touching the taking of a place which was the onely treasurie of the spoyles of such conquests as the Kings of France brought out of the countrie of Italie shewed the
Ecclesiasticall persons opened their intent vnto the Nobilitie and the rest of the estates who altogither entered into conference touching the waightinesse of that action and conforming themselues vnto the first aduise of the Cleargie they appoynted twelue of each degree to giue the King intelligence of their determination and the Archbishoppe of Ambrun in the name of all the estates opened it to the King But his M. remeÌ„bring that the king of N. had often shew'd him that he had bin born bred vp in that form of religion that in conscience he could not leaue it without instruction that if he did it in hope or dispaire of enioying a kingdome hee should thereby reape the blasone of inconstancie infidelitie and hypocrisie thereby not to make himselfe capable to be a king but rather vnworthie for the place that hee was readie and alwaies will be to bee instructed by a free and lawfull Councell and to leaue his error truth being made known vnto him found this proposition very strange and passionate wherwith he rested wholly vnresolued Such as preferre the hopes and right of succession in this Prince shewed him that the submission he had made The king of Nauarre in hope of a Crowne wilt not be instructed A discourse taken out of an answere made by the king of Nauarre The Edict of the libertie of conscience in an 15â—1 which he still continued to make during these troubles are full of iustice all good consideration because he doth not willingly defend any thing but that only which honor zeale of conscience forceth him vnto that the law of this Realm depriueth not a child of a direct or collaterall succession because of religion why then should it depriue a Prince The law admitteth all persons indifferently into any office why shuld it not do the like in an estate The law permitteth euery man the exercise of his religion excludeth no man why then shuld the Prince be debarred from this priuiledge and the Prince that maketh it why shuld he be burt hened in his conscience in the thing specially that toucheth him most neare it being he that giueth libertie vnto others I say the law of this estate for it is the law whereby we liue in peace that is to restore this estate vnto her first being thereby to withdraw it from continuall miserie A law made determined at the Parliament holden in Orleans not a forced Parliament not suspicious not leagued by the deuises and subtill practises of such as at this day trouble the Realme of France and which is more a Parliament summoned by themselues in the time of their greatest credite and namely at their instance which from that time hitherto wee neuer desired to infringe vntill we were constrained to enter into ciuill warres and when I speake of ciuill warres vnder that word I thinke may well comprehend all sorts of calamities and confusions a lawe that is very iust as beeing most necessary a lawe which at this Parliament is not allowed for that the reuocation thereof is our destruction a law iudged a lawe sworne vnto by all the Princes Gouernours Lieftenants Councellours Courts of Parliament Presidents Townes and communalties of this Realme and by those namely who at this day would protest against it And yet hee remitteth mitteth the deciding of the cause of religion to a free Councell and til then no man in this estate can bee esteemed or holden an hereticque and whosoeuer submitteth himselfe vnto it by all right cannot bee said or reputed for an obstinate or schismatic que person The king wold they should summon the King of Nauarre The King prouoked by these reasons thought it vnreasonable to condemne the king of Nauarre before hee aunswered for himselfe and therefore made aunswere vnto the Lords and other Deputies that it should by to see if that were good and expedient to summon him once againe to sweare vnto the Edict of vnion and so to declare himselfe a Catholicque The League would not heare of that aduise This aunswere made by the King was shewed vnto the estates and by them a collection was made of all the means that had the king of Nauarre vnto the Church the absolution which the Cardinall of Bourbon his vncle had obtained for him his Relaps into his errors that he had abiured the voyages made by the Queene-mother to seeke to win him the Doctors whom the king himselfe desirous of his conuersion and his good had sent vnto him and the excommunication pronounced against him in the Consistorie of Rome They set downe the paines due vnto hereticques as also to such as are relapsed they accused this Prince to bee both the one and the other nourished and brought vp from his infancie in that new and erronious opinion and that beeing such a person hee was not woorthie eytherof respect or obedience no not of so much honour as once to bee saluted that they might not communicate with him by any meanes that there is an eminent daunger of the losse of religion and that it would bee put in great hazard if once they should acknowledge him for their king who both by his power and example might easily compel his subiects to yeelde to his religion finding nothing more assured nor certaine in all auncient Histories then the decay and ruine of religion when the chiefe Magistrate sought not to preserue it in all puritie Hereticum ho minem deuita Nee aue dixeritis illi 1. Tim. 3. Iohn 2. They said the King of Nauarre held the same opinon that had alreadie beene condemned in the Councell of Trent and by other Councelles that hee perseuered therein and that hauing oncereiected it hee receiued it againe and thereby constrained the holy Sea of of Rome to declare him a Relaps excommunicated and vncapable of the succession of this Realme concluding thereby that hee ought by that assembly to bee declared such a person and to leaue this lawe for a perpetuall memorie vnto the Realme of France that an hereticque may not enioy the Crowne of France and that it is a thing wholly against his sacrying and the oath which at his coronation hee should make but much more preiudiciall vnto the honour of God and the good and quietnesse of this estate The lawe to heare such as are accursed is not ciuill and particular nor obserued in one or two Common-wealths it is a lawe drawne from nature it selfe and the common consent of all nations practised by those who for their guide haue had a true and perpetuall reason in all their actions and it seemeth that God himselfe to whom all the secrets of mens consciences are open that knoweth all things that hath no need of humane witnesses nor yet to follow the order or manner of a Parliament would not pronounce his definitiue sentence against the ingratitude felony disloyaltie pride and presumption of the first man Adam before hee had called him to iudgement examined confirmed
and vnderstood his reasons The law to heare the accused leauing this infallible doctrine vnto vs that wee must not condemne any man how greeuous an offender soeuer hee bee before wee haue heard him and well examined his cause it was the naturall equitie of this lawe that caused Sicynius to oppose himselfe against the decree of the Tribunes pronounced vppon Cariolanus condemned without beeing heard this reason mooued the Ambassadours of Etrurie to perswade themselues that the Romanes would graunt them the repeating of Tarquinius Superbus because hee hadde beene banished and neuer heard speake in his owne defence and that great author of Romane eloquence complaineth that hee had beene banished without offence without accuser without witnesse and without permitting him that libertie which is neuer refused to enemie nor slaue And hee it was that cried out against Verres saying Crimen sine accusatore sententia siue consiliio damnatio siue defensione that in condemning his hoste Sthemius Termitanus without hearing him hee had forced and violated nature And this misgouernment of condemning men beeing absent was neuer induced but by the outragious enuie of Tyrants against the common tranquilitie of their countries it was neuer practised but by those furious Donatists that deposed Cicilia from his Bishoppricke of Carthage hee beeing absent and the holy fathers of Rome haue alwaies detested this practise Liberius saith plainely and boldly vnto Constant that he would neuer signe to the bannishment of Athanasius as being extreame iniustice to condemne a man that hath neither been summoned nor once heard to speake for himselfe Innocent the first excommunicated Arcadius and Eudoxia his wife because that without inquiring of the matter hee had condemned Chrysostome Pope Clement blasoned and reprooued the Emperour Henry because hee had bereaued Robert of his Kingdome of Sicile and proclaimed him traitor without hearing his excuse The King of Nauarres answer It may bee that if the King of Nauarre might haue beene heard to speake hee would haue giuen them to vnderstand that the Pope had beene deceiued or seemed in declaring him to bee an hereticque obstinate and relapsed into heresie hee would haue said that hee neuer knew nor vnderstood that there should bee any other trueth then that wherein the Queene his mother had brought him vp it is true that after the massacre committed vppon Saint Bartholomews day he was constrained to vse time as occasion then fell out and to submit himselfe vnto their tyrannies The king of Nauarres minde was not free in Anno. 1572. but so much against his minde that assoone as without daunger hee might once make it knowne that his conscience was at libertie he shewed thedesire hee had to bee instructed and to submit himselfe to the free and lawfull iudgement of a nationall Councell within the Realme of France hee wrote to all the degrees of France both Cleargie Nobilitie Parliaments common people that hee had nothing more liuely imprinted within his mind then a desire to see the revnion reduction of the seruice of God vnder one kinde of religion and therefore that hee could not bee called a Relaps for that to bee such a person hee must first haue beene condemned and iudged as an hereticque that hee had publicquely abiured his error and then receiued into the Church and that hee had returned againe vnto his first heresie But now hee is the man that neuer had beene accused of heresie nor neuer abiured the opinion which at this day hee holdeth for that assoone as he found conuenient means to depart out of the Court wherein he had bin stayed by the accusations that his enemies made against him vnto king Charles the ninth he retired into his countrie of Bearne where he made it known that hee had no other beliefe then that which hee had alwaies holden neuerthelesse as often as the king desired to haue him vnited to the Catholicque Apostolicque and Romane Church he alwaies desired to be instructed and to the same end that it would please his Maiestie to bee a means to assemble a free and lawfull Councell of the vniuersall Church or else to call a nationall Councell of the Church of France submitting himselfe to all discipline and to the free and lawfull iudgement of that holy assembly which his Maiestie acknowledging to be most requisite The king of Nauarre first king of all Europe next to the king of France granted both to him his partakers by the Edict of pacification made in Anno. 1577. These reasons being neither presented nor cōsidered of by thec largie the most affected to the aduancemēt of the league executed their pleasures vpō one of the greatest Princes in Christendome vpō the first prince of the blood yea the first child of the most ancient famous familie bearing Crown within this world which the heauēs borne and brought foorth capable to command ouer France when God shall see his time and to depriue him of the right that nature had affoorded him without summoning or once hearing what hee could alleage vnto the contrary So that in the end the kings aduise to cause him to bee summoned to sweare vnto the Edict of vnion was found to bee without reason and the Cleargie resolued that hee neyther can nor ought any more to resist This conclusion was borne vnto the Nobilitie by the Bishops of Chaalons and Champaigne and to the third Estates by the Bishop of Comminges the Archbishop of Ambrun companion of the 12. of each order that were appoynted therevnto declared the States mindes vnto the king which was not to vse other means to summon the king of Nauarre and that his heresie and incapacitie to the Crowne were sufficiently knowne But if the king knoweth not three things hee knoweth nothing hee raigneth without raigning hee cannot defend himselfe his familie nor the peace Hee suffereth himselfe to be bereaued of the vnseparable quallities belonging vnto his person that is power and authoritie hee suffereth them to declare those of his familie to bee vnwoorthie of succession hee permitteth them to take away the peace and tranquillitie of his Realme to giue it vnto his enemies so that to this proposition of the League hee answereth that he would satisfie the Deputies reasons and resolue vpon them But while they were busied to band themselues against a Prince capable of the Crowne of France and issued from the royall branch of Bourbon vpon the which familie God hath bestowed more particular blessings then vpon all others of the same tree and linage as Aniou Alencon Eureux Berry Bourgongne Angoulesme Orleans and Valois that are all gone and extinct God suddainly entered vpon the Theater and shewed that his iudgements are wholly contrary vnto the iudgements of men and that his spirit mouing eternally worketh continually to his glory and that hee can change the mindes of men when they thinke least therof cleane contrary to their desires For the king was aduertised by all his seruants
the king that much offended him whereby hee changed his collor into furie And after many words both ouer hardy and bold wherein hee had been instructed and counselled by Cardinall Morosin hee perceiued that all things proceeded from euill to woorse and that the things which seemed curable were become incurable The king suspected the Duke of Guise to vse these speeches either to induce him to bereaue himself of his authoritie and to giue him all soueraigne power or else to find some means of discontentment that thereby he might breake vp the Parliament and so make his Maiestie odious to his subiects wherewith hee could not so much dissemble his displeasure but that such as were present perceiued well that it would bee the meanes to open the woundes that were thought to bee healed he determined to stop the hopes and enterprises of this Duke with the price of his life and no more to indure so many insolencies and braueries of the league that esteemed it a title of honour to beare the name of Guisart and of infamie and dishonor to haue the name of a seruant to the king The death of the Duke of Guise vpon the 23. of December 1588. Vppon Fryday the three and twentieth of December hee sent for his Councell and willed them to assemble somewhat sooner then ordinarily they vsed to do because hee determined after dinner to go to Nostredame de Clery which is betweene Blois and Orleans there to keepe his Christmas The euening before hee had sent into diuers places to assure such townes as hee iudged to bee most wauering and prouided for all things necessary beeing in the middle of so many seruitors of the League and sent for certaine of the fiue and fortie to the number of seuen shewing them that hee had indured too much at the hands of the principall Ruler of the League that hee would no longer haue a Maister and that hee had determined to put the Duke of Guise to death The order of the execution beeing deuised the Cardinalles de Vandosme de Guise and de Gondy the Archbishop of Lyons the Duke of Guise the Marshalles of d'Aumont and de Rets Monsieur d'O Monsieur de Rambouillet Princes Prelates and Lords of the Councell Monsieu de Maintenon Monsieur Marcel and Monsieur de Petremolle came to sit in Councell and the king had giuen order to shut the Castle Gates assoone as they were entered There is nothing that so much iniureth the trueth of a Historie as passion which maketh mans iudgement to yeelde which way it will and causeth him to erre and to seeke to disguise the trueth Diuersitie and contrarietie in Historians There is a maruellous vncertaintie in the circumstances of this Historie wherevnto euery man giueth what shewe and colour it pleaseth him and turneth the fairest side vnto his passion so that among so many varieties of iudgement a man can hardly finde a certaine trueth Some write that as the Duke of Guises eye on that side his face where he had the scarre began to water not finding a hand-cherchef in his pocket hee desired Monsieur Otoman Treasurer of the house that stood by him to take the paines to go to the chamber-doore to see if hee could finde any of his Pages or Lacqueys and to commaund them to fetch him one and that Monsieur de l'Archan Captaine of the guard caused one to bee fetched by Saint Prix chiefe Groome of the kings chamber Others say that as the Duke of Guise stayed till all the Councell were come The Duke of Guise was in a new sute of russâ—â— hee talked with the Archbishop of Lyons who perceiuing him to be in a new suite and that somewhat thinne sayd vnto him that the indisposition of the time being colde and moyst required a warmer kinde of garment and that vppon those speeches his nose bled he was a colde hee commaunded one of the officers of the Councel-chamber to make a fire and one called Fontaine to fetch him a hand-cherchef He that wrote the recuell of the third volume concerning the league saith that the Duke of Guise before hee went out of the Councel-chamber sent a Page into his owne chamber to fetch him a cleane hand cherchef and that his Secretary in one the corners thereof tyed a small note in writing for an aduertisement vnto the Duke his Maister withall speede to leaue the Councell otherwise it would cost him his life And that the handcherchef was brought but not deliuered beeing taken from the Page togither with the note as he went vp the staires The Councell beeing set about eight of the clocke in the morning and reasoning of that which Monsieur Petremolle had proposed The Lord of Pretremolle vnderstandeth their agreements the Duke of Guise felt certaine straunge motions at his heart with diuers extraordinary passions his spirit beeing the Prophet of his euill fortune that ensued and in that distrust hee felt a weaknesse at his heart wherewith hee willed the Vsher of the Councel-chamber to go to Saint Prix to fetch him some preserued Lemons and hee sent him some prunes of Brignoles and reisons of the sunne whereof hee eate and put the rest into a cup wherein they were brought With that the King sent for him by Monsieur de Reuol one of his Secretaries and as hee went out of the Councel-chamber to enter into the kings lodging and that hee lifted vppe the Tapistrie to go in hee perceiued himselfe to bee charged both with Rapiers and Poinyards by fiue or sixe of the fiue and fortie but they could not enter so faste vpon him but that he defended himselfe till he made them driue him once about the chamber minding not to leaue his life like a coward thereby to shew the last signe of his inuincible courage that made him so much esteemed and as yet giueth an honourable memorie of him to all those that commend the valour of a valiant courage The same Collector of the proceedings of the league turneth the bias an other way with an ouer thorny and sharpe iudgement and a ballance too much vnequall setting down this action contrary to the trueth for hee reporteth it in these words saying The Duke of Guise thinking to go into the kings chamber and issuing out of the Councel chamber into the entrie that leadeth to the kings lodging redoubled his distrusts and would haue returned backe againe which neuerthelesse he did not And it had oftentimes beene tolde him that Monsieur de Longnac had enterprised to kill him in such maner that he hated him and had him in great suspition and as hee went towards the kings chamber hee perceiued Monsieur de Longnac sit vppon a trunke with his legges crossed thinking verely hee had beene there of purpose to assayle him as shewing to bee mooued with most violent distrust and deepe suspition and although the said Monsieur de Longnac mooued not the Duke of Guise notwithstanding thought to runne at him and
him by the Cardinall de Gondy to aduertise the Popes Legate which done shee went to visit the Cardinall of Bourbon that lay sicke and was kept prisoner And assoon as he espied her with tears in his eies he spake vnto her and said Ah Madame you haue brought vs hither vnto the slaughter She that seemed to be much abashed at so violent vnexpected change that then had happened assured him that shee neither had giuen consent nor aduise to any such thing and that it was a most incredible greefe vnto her soule The death of the Queene-mother vpon the fift of Ianuary 1589. But the Cardinal redoubling his complaints shee left him striken at the heart with so great greefe that presently shee went to bed and died therevppon the fift of Ianuary after much lamented by the king her sonne who as yet had need of her counsell The king going out of his mothers chamber went to heare masse where at large hee informed the Legate of the causes that had constrained him to put the Duke of Guise to death as hauing attempted against his person About euening the Cardinall and the Archbishop of Lyons were taken out of the chamber wherein they had been shut to leade them into an other stronger and darker then the first in the highest part of the Castle But sorrow and greefe had so much seized vppon the Cardinall that what apprehension of death so euer he must haue he could not chuse but sleepe assoone as hee was layde vppon the mattresse prepared for him After his first sleepe his spirits reuiued and considering the extream imbasing of his greatnesse and the fall of his house he complained to himselfe of his misfortunes The Archbishop of Lyons vsed al the meanes he could to disswade him from the thinking of any other thing then onely of death which he suspected to bee the ende of both their persons They imployed all their Philosophie to make it seeme easie and lesse fearefull thereby to dispoyle it of the horrible and straunge shape wherewith it is figured vnto vs. They confessed themselues each to other reconciling themselues to God committing their causes vnto him and in that conceit of death they only attended the commandement when and where they should receiue With that the Cardinall had desire to sleepe vntill morning that the Archbishop of Lyons rose vp left him sleeping not long after he waked him to rise to Martins The king in the mean time was counselled yea solicited by most violent reasons to put the Cardinal to death which counsel at the first Iustice regardeth not the qualities of men seemed perilous vnto him considering the quallitie of that Prelate beeing a Peer of France Archbishop of Reims Cardinall of Rome and President of his Order in the Parliament but after he had been shewed that iustice hath her eyes closed not to behold the quallities of men and that the greater authoritie a man is in the greater is his fault that treason is more apparant and a worse example in a Cardinall then in a simple Priest That the Cardinall of Guise would succeed in the credit of his brother and that hee had alreadie vsed threatning speeches hee determined to make him follow after his brother the Duke of Guise and therevppon commaunded Monsieur de Gast to kill him who excused himself of that commission saying it was not a thing conuenient for a Gentleman of his calling But in fine for foure hundreth Crownes they found foure instruments to execute that commission One of them went into the chamber where the Cardinal sat and making low reuerence told him the king sent for him The Cardinall before hee went asked if hee sent not likewise for the Archbishop of Lyons but aunswere was made that he onely must come vnto him wherevpon with an assured countenance that not seeming to thinke vpon the mischiefe that attended on him about three steps within the dore hee bad the Archbishop of Lyons farewell who perceiuing the Cardinall to go without any apprehention of death said vnto him Monsieur I pray you thinke vppon God at the which word the Cardinall ceised with feare was abashed and turned his head towards the Archbishop who at that instant fell downe vppon his knees before the Crucifix recommending his soule vnto God beleeuing stedfastly that they would do the like to him that he supposed they ment to execute vpon the Cardinall who beeing about three or foure pases without the chamber was inclosed by foure men that with blowes of rapiers poinyards and partisans dispatched him of his life and beeing slaine they stripped him The King going to Masse accompanied by the Cardinall of Vandosme and others met the Barron de Lux who falling downe on his feete offered his head to saue the Archbishop of Lyons his vncle The king that loued the Gentleman and that desired not to loose such a Prelate thinking by his meanes to attaine vnto the Quintessence of the Leaguers deuises assured him of his life but not of his libertie Not long after the king sent Monsieur Guiotard and Monsieur Languetot two of his priuie Councell with a Clarke to examine the Archbishop touching the causes and accusations layde against the Duke of Guise He said vnto them that they being Lay-men had not any iurisdiction ouer an Archbishop and that hee beeing such might not aunswere vnto them desiring them not to trouble him any more therein The answer of the Archbishop of Lyons vpon the Duke of Guises accusatiō They returned this answere vnto the King who presently sent the Cardinall de Gondy to perswade him to satisfie his commaundement and to aunswere to the propositions that should bee made vnto him the Archbishop aunswered him and saide that hee could say nothing against the Cardinall nor the Duke of Guise his brother with whom hee had imbarked himselfe that for his owne person hee neither could nor ought to aunswere before any man but the Pope or to those whom it should please him to appoynt and that as Primate of France he had no other Iudge And that that the Cardinall de Gondy himselfe beeing Bishop of Parris was vnder his primatie that if the Cadinall Morosin Legate for his holinesse by the aduise of other Prelates assembled in the parliament thought it conuenient for him to answere he wold follow their resolutiō and that so doing it shuld be they not the Arch. of Lyons that shuld break the Priuileges immunities of the church The king to the contrary esteemed that considering the quallitie and importance of the cause he was not bound to haue recourse vnto the Pope to examine the trueth of the Duke of Guises actions It was shewed him The king hath power ouer Bishops that the priuiledge which the Archbishop demaunded much derogated the soueraigntie and power of his Maiestie who at all times had iurisdiction ouer the Bishops of his Realme specially in things touching the Crowne and when processe was to be
and obedience made to Henry the third That the same people might lawfully and with good conscience arme and vnite themselues raise money and make contributions for preseruation and defence of the Romain Church against councels replenished with all flagition and the force of the king or his adherents whatsoeuer In that affirmed they hee had violated publike faith to the preiudice of Catholicque religion the Edict of sacred vnion and the naturall and proper libertie of the three estates of the Realme The king first imployeth his pen before he draweth his sword The king perceiuing that the greater mildenesse he vsed in reducing these errants into the right way the more they took bridle in mouth to run whither soeuer their violent passions would transport them scoffing at him and attributing that affection which he bore to revnite them to himself rather to a feare he had of either retaining them as his enemies or loosing them as subiects vsed his authoritie publishing throghout all the Prouinces diuers declarations of his intention as well against the Duke de Maine the Duke and Cheualier d'Aumale heads of the rebellion as likewise against the townes of Parris Amiens Orleans Abeuille and other their adherents He therefore accused them of attempt against his person of fellonie and rebellion hee denounced those heads and members all disloyall rebellious attainted and conuicted of the crimes of fellonie rebellion high treason to their chiefest head and disgraded them togither with their posteritie of all honours if within the space of one month they rendred not thēselues vnder his obedience The terme set downe was the beginning of March but seeing that instead of repenting themselues they committed so many the more outrages taking vp armes on all sides and that they practised out of the land seized on his treasure vnder colour of Lieftenants general of the estate cōfirmed pattents commissions vnder a new seale oppressed by incredible violatiōs diuers prouinces stript into their shirts many of his most faithfull subiects which would not adheare vnto them without intreating much more graciously others who had so greatly desired and laboured the league In briefe that they had vsurped all poynts and prerogatiues of his royall Maiestie except the name and title of king which they reserued to an other opportunitie He then resolued also for his part to put in readinesse an armie to suppresse these insupportable attempters And for performance of this he dispatched letters pattents for conuocation and assembly of his Nobilitie and martiall power Not long after ensued an other Edict of the kings by which he translated to the towne of Tours such exercise of iustice as was wont to be performed in his Court of Parliament of Parris inioyning them of that Court to repaire incontinently to Tours there to execute their offices He made the like transportatiō of his chamber of accounts to the same place and depriued Parris with the other townes of all offices charges dignities and priuiledges whom he would willingly haue made afeard and won vnto himselfe before comming to armes But all this was but a casting of oyle into the fire Exployts of the king of Nauar who came afterwards to be king The king of N. recouered of a daungerous disease hee had a little after the death of the Queen-mother determined for testimonie of his fidelitie towards the king to crosse as far as in him lay the diseignments of the leaguers hindring them from defacing any thing in those places which hee had meanes to assure as well for seruice of the king as for the reliefe of those of the religion Thus therfore he receiued into his protection those of S. Maixent Millezay he safegarded against the league Chastelleraut Loudū I le Mirebeau Viuonne other places adioyning Afterwards he set forward euen into Berry and tooke ouer the leaguers head the Towne and Castle of Argenton And beeing returned to Chastelleraut hee writ in the beginning of March ample letters to the three estates of France full of serious admonitions that they should giue ouer the League and aduertising them that if they proceeded in their euill counsels and determinations he was minded if the king so commaunded him to take the field with his friendes and followers hoping that God would giue him the grace to breake many of their deseignments and to cut them off from their affaires inuentions He took into his protection and safegard all such towns personages as would ioyne with him against the league promising that in the townes he would suffer nothing to be innouated neither in pollicie or church-affairs except on such considerations as shuld touch the libertie of euery one hauing learned said he for conclusion that the true and onely meane of revniting people to the seruice of God and establishing pietie in an estate is mildnesse peace good example not warre nor disorders through which wickednesse and vices spring vp in the world At the same time the Towne and Castle of Angiers were assured to the king but the Duke de Mercoeur brought almost all Brittaine in subiection to the partie of the league with which Roane Thoulouse Lyons were now ioyned and Bourdeaux wanted not much of doing the like but Marshal de Matignon was faithful to the king so that the leaguers and Iesuites were constrained to remooue from thence During these commotions debatement was made of a truce between the king Nauar to the ende they might more commodiously make head against the league Debatement of truce betweene the two kings which augmented euery weeke more more The K. minding to vse Na. forces without which hee could not doo much of himselfe offered and yeelded into his hand Saumur for securitie of his passage ouer Loire by means whereof in attending ratification of the truces the king of N. caused all his troupes to passe ouer on this side of Loire to ioine with the forces of Normandie Maine and other places which attended him with intention to approach the Leaguers and thus to ease them of the labour of comming any more to find him out in Gascon and Xaintongne as before they had don Afterwards the 18. of April he proclamed wars against them if they deferred any longer to lay aside armes But they shewed themselues as little moued with this as before by the kings letters patternts by which he translated the iustice iurisdictiō of the Great-maisters Inquisitors and Reformers generall which was wont to be held in the Pallas at Parris at the bench of the table of marble to his Court of Parliament not long since established at Tours An enterprise on the kings person by the league frustrated by the king of Nauars presence About the end of the same month he published an Edict declaring that al the mooueable immoouerable goods of the Duke de Maine of the Duke and Cheualier d'Aumale and of those which voluntarily dwelt and remained in the Townes of Parris Thoulouse Orleans
likewise followed by other Caualleries to the number of 300. and a company of harguebuziers both on horsebacke and a foote Sauenze cast before his harguebuziers placed his troupes of lanciers in wings and without shrinking one whit came forward Chastillon hauing made a stand placed his infanterie and made two strengths of his horse returning on his left hand Charbonniere and Haranbure with their companies of light horse afterwards hee receiued the charge wherevnto Sauenze ran brauely with a gallop of 30. paces long his harquebuziers on horsebacke hauing giuen their volley neare ynough Chastillions foote receiued them and after the first discharge of their shotte coupled with the horse the came to charge killing diuers horses with wounds they made in their flancks with swords without any losses on their own part more then of three souldiers Sauenze who skirtwise was opposed against the light horse made straight forward charging Chastillon with such furie as his first ranckes were broken he shocked born down to the earth with 8. or ten Gentlemen where there were but two or 3. lightly hurt and 20. or 25. of their horse slaine Chastillon his men recouered thēselues and fought couragiously on foote Surce Harambure and Fonquerolles charged so fiercely Sauenze and his men that they ouerthrew them and broke their array in such a sort as they were not able to revnite themselues togither again but were put to plaine flight and pursued more then 26. Gentlemen hauing beene borne downe dead to the earth in the field In the pursuite there was more then 60. slain al their harguebuziers that were left behind ouerthrown two Cornets won and fortie Gentlemen taken part of them beeing wounded and amongst others Sauenze who being conueyed to Baugency when his friends and familiars seeing him in danger of death admonished him to aske pardon at Gods hands to confesse and communicate himselfe as also to craue mercie of the king he could neuer be brought the revnto by any reason could be laid before him but died as a desperate man He bore in his Cornet the Crosse of Lorraine with a Spanish deuise in letters of gold Morir omas contento Oh rather content to die There was in this skirmish some 25. or 30. souldiers which in the ende of the fight were fallen into Chastillions hands who desired to saue them and yet they chose rather to be dispatched in the field then to sweare that they shuld neuer beare armes against the king all whose enemies at that instant come foorth of Picardie were then ouerthrown In the I le of France by the Duke of Longueuille at the siege of Sentys At the same time the town of Senlis besieged by the Parisians armie vnder the conduct of the D. d'Aumale hauing been furiously battered sustained and repelled a greeuous assault And as the defendants were minded to capitulate succour was brought vnto them by the Duke of Longueuille hee being followed by the L. of Boniuet Humieres la Noue and others Wherevppon battell ensued in which the assaylants were defeated about 1500. of them being slaine vppon the field in their flight and pursuite as well by the Conquerors as by the Pesants The league lost also therin their artillerie and all the baggage of their armie Afterwards the D. de Maine attempted to win this place by practise because it so highly imported him and by certaine treacherous Cannōs Priests Monks within the towne they entred in with 20. or thirtie Captaines at an instant set downe to cut off in the night a Corps de guard and to further on their owne behalfe and escalado his troupes approached verieneare and some there were that came euen to the ditch but the Corps de guard hauing then been lately relieued and keeping good watch they within durst not shew themselues and one without aduenturing to approach had his thigh brokē with a musket shot when the alarme being giuen the assaylants retired This wounded man beeing taken discouered the whole practises The entred Captaines with the traitors passed through the hands of the executioner and Senlis hath euer since perseuered in the obedience of the king The king approacheth neare Paris with an armed power The king incouraged by so many prosperous beginnings determined to go forward so that from the beginning of Iune to the middest of Iuly the war began to grow hot and the principall intention of the king was to kill those of Parris assuring himselfe that after hee should once haue tamed the great head of the league all the others would incontinently yeeld to the yoake and that he should recouer again which was maruellous straunge and difficult for him to wit the loue and obedience of his subiects who on the other part fearing him as much as they hated them practised also on euery side to maintaine their league and to remaine in their insurrections This implacable war against him was an occasion that in the chiefest towns but especially in Parris they spake not of this Prince but as of the most execrable tyrant that had euer beene in the world I and the Preachers solicited by certaine heades of the league and for this effect by them well payed with extraordinarie pensions animated all in generall each one in particular to run vpon him kill him in what maner soeuer it were promising vnto the tirannicides a place in Paradise aboue the Angels Furthermore they hotly and with diuers pollicies instigated a Moonke of whō wee will presently speake to performe a noble seruice to the league Thus therefore the King being approached Parris he planted himselfe near Parris wheras the Duke de Maine returned in hast from about Tours to oppose himselfe to the Duke of Longueuille was mightily hindered perceiuing himselfe to bee cut off in so many respects and by enemies so puissant His soldiers beganne to liue at pleasure within the towne the which the Parisians felt impatiently ynough but the meaner sort durst not complaine and for the great ones they put in practise the common prouerbe vpon an euill game a good countenance must bee set The king tooke incontinently Estampes Exployts to the disaduantage of the League In the meane while the Duke of Longueuille ioyning togither the troupes of Champaigne gathering to head in the confines of Chastillon vpon Seine the Switzers and Lansquenets which the Lord of Sancy conducted who had raised war against the Duke of Sauoy in the territories of Geneue and hauing there stayed him was marched into France He made of all this power a bodie of an armie of twentie thousand men or thereabouts Afterwardes hee went to passe the riuer of Seine at Poissy shewed himselfe before the king who laied batterie to Pontoise wherevppon the defendants yeelded themselues the day following being the 25. of Iuly to a composition of 200000 Crownes a deliuerie of the most seditious to the end they might receiue exemplare chastisement The K. afterwards followed by Nauar went to welcome
the Marshall of Birons charge The Leaguers beginning then a bloodie skirmage it was most valiantly held out by the kings troupes at what time in the first assault Monsieur Sagonne a principall man of the Leaugue was slaine with diuers of his horsmen the rest were put to flight But they comming with a fresh supply the kings wearied souldiers were forced to retire There the Switzers who was of the Regiment of Monsieur de Soleurre vnder the Collonell Galati did stay and withstand the furie of the Leaguers being ayded by certaine harguebuziers which were lodged in places of aduantage and by the Cannon which played vpon the Leaguers And while this second charge was preparing the Leaguers Lance-knights drew near vnto the trenches declaring that they would yeeld themselues to the king And after some speech on both sides though many French Gentlemen were of an other opinion they were at last receiued But while the kings Maiestie with Monsieur de Biron and their troupes of horsemen fought here and there these Lance-knights perceiuing clearely the great power of the Leaguers The falshood of the Leaguers Lance-knights togither with the Switzers iudged in themselues that the king was alreadie halfe vanquished and vpon this imagination they began to turne their weapons against him Then receiuing the words they lighted vppon the Marshall de Birons troupe and beating away the most part of the souldiers there they tooke the Ensignes of the Switzers and Lance-knights belonging to the king then deliuering this Trench to the Leaguers it was suddainly repaired by them but they held it not very long For the Duke de Montpensier beeing come thither with his Cornet of Horse and an other company of the vantgard of his men of warre being also assisted by Monsieur de Chastillon with a fresh supply of fiue hundreth harguebuziers The Leaguers were constrained to depart both from Maladere and the Trench where the king speedily brought two great peeces of Ordenance which he caused to be shot off among the thickest of the Switzers his enemies who with certaine of the horfmen made a retrait in the which they were mightily damnified by the great shot neuerthelesse they neuer turned their faces to looke backe whereby they might see from whence their hurt came This day the Leaguers lost a great number of souldiers and men of warre among whom were diuers of their chiefe Gentlemen and many were taken prisoners The King lost also sixe or seuen Gentlemen with the Earle of Roussie and a fewe footemen There were many hurt by the traiterous practise of the Leaguers Lance-knights On Sunday the foure and twentieth the Leaguers armie raised themselues about midnight and vpon the Tuesday following they came vpon the other side of the Towne of Arques and set semselues right against the place from whence they were parted assaying to batter it with cannon shot But the king found the leaguers so much worke by continuall skirmiges and hampered them in such sort that vppon the eleuenth day after their comming thither they were faine shamefully to withdraw themselues from the Towne of Arques vpō the news which they receiued that the Earle de Soisson the D. de Longueuille and the Marshal d'Aumont were comming within twentie leagues of Arques with their troupes to strengthen the king in his forces While these affairs were in hand the leaguers to make the Parisians beleeue great things and dreame of wonders sent the Ensignes thither which they had taken from the kings Switzers and Lance-knights as a token of the good successe which they had against his Maiestie Wherevppon there was a certaine pamphlet imprinted at Parris wherein it was published that betweene Arques and Deepe where the king of Nauarre was besieged the Duke de Maine had wonne from them foureteene Ensignes of the footemen and eight Cornets of their horsemen were by him slaine These grose fables were set out to feed the people with vaine fancies and to pinch the purses of those that were readie to beleeue it and that bare a good desire to haue it so The king thought at the first that this retrait was but a pollicie wrought by the Duke de Maine that bending himselfe to entercept his succours before they came vnto him hee might the easier subuert them and afterward returne with more strength and furie then before For this cause the king resolued with himselfe to ioyne the Earle of Soisson and the others togither After the which leauing the Marshall of Biron at Deepe his Maiestie with foure hundreth horse met and ioyned with his succours within fiue myles of the leaguers armie who with them incontinent passed ouer the riuer of Somme The Duke de Maine was faine for his credits sake to couer this his shamefull retrait with a quaint excuse He therefore published abroad that he was constrained speedily to go down into Picardte to possesse himselfe of those Citties which hee was bound by the agreement made at Arras to deliuer to the Spaniards Vpon this newes the king determined to stay the returne of the leaguers beeing perswaded that the Cities of Picardie would not be drawne to consent in any wise to submit themselues vnder the Spanish troupes Hauing then prouided for his affaires in Normandie and gathered togither those succours which the Queen of England had sent vnto him he departed out of those parts the one and twentieth of October with full purpose to awaken the Leaguers in Picardie and to constraine their chiefe commaunders to auoyde that countrie where by treason they had taken the Towne of Fere and after deliuered it to the Spaniards This done his Maiestie by casie iourneyes drew neare vnto Parris and incamped himselfe within a league thereof vpon the last day of the same moneth The same day hauing knowne what trenches the enemies had made round about the Subburbes on that side where hee was by the aduise of his warrelike Councell they concluded to assayle them on the morrow by breake of day by three seuerall companies and in three sundrie places The first companie consisted of foure thousand Englishmen two French Regiments and one regiment of Switzers who were led by the Marshall de Biron to assaile that side of the subburbes called Saint Victor and Marceau The second companie hauing two Regiments of Switzers foure of Frenchmen and foure of strangers were all vnder the conduct of the Marshall d'Aumont for that part of the Subburbes called Saint Iaques and Saint Michael The third companie consisted of tenne Regiments of Frenchmen one Regiment of Launce-knights and one Regiment of Switzers who were commanded by the two Lords Chastillon and la Noue Each one of these troupes were winged with a good number of hardie Gentlemen on foote well armed and appoynted to assist the rest of the footemen if any cause of resistance were and these set vppon that part of the subburbes called Saint Germaine Bussi and Nesle These had at their taile two cannons and two coluerins the king commaunded
ouer one of the troupes the Earle of Soisson and the Duke de Longueuille ouer the other twaine The first day of Nouember all these subburbes were assaulted and taken in lesse then one houre with the losse of seuen or eight hundreth men on the defendants side They lost beside foureteene of their Ensignes and thirteene peeces of artillerie small and great The assaylants lost almost nothing at all and if the ordenance hadde beene well mounted the gates of Parris hadde beene battered downe eare the Cittizens hadde knowne of any such exployt The king entered within the subburbes of Saint Iaques about 8. of the clocke in the morning and beeing aduertised that the Duke de Maine was come foorth of Picardie and with all his forces hadde entered into Parris made a proofe to winne the other part of the subburbes which hee onely did to drawe his foes to the fight Hauing then stayed foure long houres in battell and that none of the leaguers would issue foorth hee contented himselfe that he had giuen knowledge to the Parisians that at the least meanes failed him not to chastise them but his desire was to winne them by gentlenesse to the acknowledgement of their faults Therefore without more adoo the king departed thence and lodged about sixe or seuen myles off at a place called Linats which is a Town aboue Montleheri where his grace stayed one whole day to see if his enemies had any desire to cometo fight But in stead thereof the leaguers did the woorst they could to the poore Parisians robbing and murthering many Housholders whom they accused to take part with the king which they did without pittying either sexe or age They massacred and drowned at that time a great number of men and women whom as I said they accused to fauour the kings forces hauing no colour at all of any such thing The king tooke within eight daies after both the Cittie and Castle of Estampes where hee receiued a supplication in writing from the Queene Dowager wherin shee desired iustice for the cruell murther committed on the person of the deceased king The which petition his Maiestie sent to the Parliament at Tours enioyning them to cause processe to be drawne against the offenders to the end that in his owne presence they might soone after receiue iudgement Moreouer the King added that for his part notwithstanding the iust sute prosecuted by the said Queene he would not faile to do the best that lay in him whereupon he vowed again in the presence of all the Princes Lords and Gentlemen which were about his royall person to imploy his whole power and strength vntill he had inflicted that iust vengeance which God had ordained him to take The Nobilitie also renewed their promise and protestations neuer to leaue off armes till they had reuenged the vilde death of the deceased King After this on the tenth of Nouember the King tooke his way to Beausse and on the morrow hee came to Ianuille from thence arriuing at Chasteaudun he caused Vendosme to bee summoned and to open the gates vnto him which is a Citie of his owne patrimony There was in that Towne one Benchard which held it against the king hauing therein the command of twelue hundred men Citizens and strangers and when they had chosen the fittest places for battery in the morning by breake of day the artillerie began to play vpon them The impatient souldiers did no sooner spie a breache in the wall of foure foote wide but presentlie they ran and entred it so that in lesse then halfe an houre they were maisters of the Castle into the which they made their first entrie and of the Cittie which was greatlie spoyled Then was Benchard and a seditious Fryer take and put to death who had beene the cheefe of this rebellion Sedictous persons put to death The morrow after the taking in of this Towne the King caused all the souldiers and men of warre to be sent from thence appointing that the inhabitaunts should there againe possesse theyr owne houses without any further raunsome Moreouer hee permitted that all their Cleargie men should bee placed in their former charges and benefices wherein afterward they liued more peaceablie without comparison then they did before vnder the League This example of iustice and mercie saued the liues of more then a thousand men For the people of foure or fiue small Villages which stood there round about who hadde protested to loose their liues in defence of the holy Vnion hereuppon became more wise and humblie submitted themselues in lesse then foure or fiue dayes to the Kings good and mercifull hands The Towne and Castle of Lauardin did first begin in those parts to shewe themselues obedient whereupon it followed that the Townes of Montoir Montrichard and the Castle of Loyer did the like who willinglie opened their gates to the Marshall de Biron The Kings entrance into Tours The King approached neare vnto Tours entered it the 21. of the same moneth and on the morrow he was ioyfully receiued by the Citizens and the whole Court of Parliament with all the honour and royaltie that could be imagined The same day the Ambassador of Venice had Audience who hauing presented his letters he made in the name of the whole estate of Venice an Oration of ioy and gladnesse for the happie comming of this King to the Crowne of France with offer of their seruice and friendship to the King and Crowne of France The King departed from Tours the fiue and twentieth of the same moneth The siege and yeelding vp of Mans and on the seuen and twentieth he came to a certain place neare to the towne of Mans which was besieged and battered the second day of December The Earle of Brissac which was come as farre as Bernard with two Regiments for to succour the besieged Towne of Mans beeing astonished at the noyse of the great Ordenance which played vppon the Towne retired with his troupes twelue myles backward And hauing taken fortie horse and certaine baggage belonging to the kings Kutters whom they met vnawares hee went to publish at Parris what a great victorie hee had obtained Meane while a great man of the league called Bois-daufin who had in Mans vnder his commaund an hundreth Gentlemen and twentie Ensignes of footemen requested parley instead of battell and so made himselfe readie to the assault but in fewe houres hee yeelded the place Albeit that within fewe daies before both hee and his made as though they would rather die in fight at once then they would giue enterance to the king This being done it was a straunge thing to consider what expences they had put the poore people vnto of whom they hadde receiued aboue fiftie thousand Crownes for the fortifying of the Towne and Subburbes in which Subburbes they had burned more houses then came to an hundreth thousand thousand crownes hauing also spoyled the countrie six times more to recōpence all which wrongs they
indured three vollies of cannon shot and so yeelded the Towne The spoyle whereof was hoped for by the kings souldiers which by the wisedome and prudence of his Maiestie was spared and pardoned to the Inhabitants The rest of this moneth was spent in taking and compounding with many Citties Townes and Castles namely Sable Laual Chasteau-gontier Beaumont Toutesvoyes and Alencon chasing the leaguers out of the Prouinces of Vendosmots Touraine Aniou and of Maine where the Inhabitants perceiued after they had submitted themselues to the king namely those which had confederated with the leaguers that those whome they had before esteemed their best friends were indeed their woorst enemies For after they had them once vnder their power and if there were but speech of the comming of an armie presently the best shift they could make for the poore people was to cause their Townes Villages and possessions to bee burned and spoyled from that place round about causing the Cittizens to worke and labour night and day to make rampiers and intrenchments to defend them from their foes Moreouer at the sight of the cannon or the first shotte comming from it they fell to agreement for themselues that they might depart with their liues and goods leauing no other markes of their protection then the Towne halfe burnt to ashes the most part of their wiues and daughters deflowred and the neckes of the poore Inhabitants to the halter The Duke de Maine toward the later end of the yeare sound meanes to make himselfe Maister of Pontoise onely through the friendship of many of the Inhabitants that held vpon it side About which time the king met with the Earle of Brissac beeing within the Cittie of Falaise which be inforced to yeeld where he tooke the Earle prisoner at what time the leaguers being then neare ynough would not once come to his succour A fewe weekes before the leaguers Parliament beeing begun at Roane they continued their enuie against the king their soueraigne Lord beeing not ashamed to publish a most vile Edict wherin they declared guiltie of treason enemies to God to the Estate and Crown of France those that opposed thēselues against the league surnamed the holy vnion pronouncing them and their successors disgraded of all priuiledges of Nobilitie their estates voyde for euer and vnwoorthie to possesse any office benefit or dignitie within the kingdome confiscating also all their lands and goods notwithstanding this Edict did not any whit impaire the good affection of the kings seruants not much aduanced the affaires of the league The chiefe of the league beeing astonished in their hearts to see the kings prosperitie set neuerthelesse a very good face full of spite against him trusting very much on their intelligences both within and without the Realme Through euery Cittie which they held they set seditious Preachers to seduce the people during the whole feast of Christmasse thereby to inflame their hearts against the king On the other side they caused an infinit number of libels to bee imprinted and throwne about whereby they entertained those that had least iudgement with a certaine hope that they might bee able long to vpholde themselues in this bottomlesse pitte of confusion The Leaguers deuices to maintaine themselues The people of Parris and of other Citties pertaining to the leaguers were so bewitched with these deuices that they thoght no maner of taxes or imposts too much induring patiently the outrages of soldiers a thousand other calamities to maintaine them in their vniust warres against their soueraigne yet notwithstanding their powers waxed euery day more weaker then other beeing nothing able to hinder the kings exployts Therefore the Duke de Maine verie earnestly solicited the King of Spaine to send some speedie succours otherwise the league should bee constrained perforce to make composition with their enemies In the meane space the king chased the leaguers by sieges and assaults in the month of Ianuary quite out of base Normandie The parliament at Roane cried for warre to whom the Duke de Maine soone after sent an answere that hee would giue order for their affaires vsing great threatnings against his soueraigne Lord and Maister The king contrariwise hauing recouered the Cittie of Honleur which is a port of the sea came to raise the Duker siege which fifteen daies before he held before the Cittie and sort of Meulan distant from the saide Towne of Honfleu more then thirtie myles The king presenting himselfe offered occasion of sight which the Duke seemed to accept hauing at that time twise as many forces as the king Notwithstanding supposing hee had not aduantage ynough he thought it best to take vp first the succour of fifteene hundreth lances and about fiue hundreth hurguebuziers which the Duke of Parma had sent vnto him Meane space the king besieged Dreux where hee was aduertised that the Duke had ioyned with the forces of the lowe Countries conducted by the Earle d'Egmont wherevpon hee offered battell Those things were done in Ianuarie and Februarie Preparation to battell In the beginning of March the Duke with all his troupes came toward the riuer of Seine thereby to passe ouer the bridge of Mante which is about eight or nine myles from Dreux Whereof the king beeing aduertised prouided for his affaires and the twelfth of the same moneth hee set himselfe in the way to go against his enemies And on the morrow hauing set his battell in order he made in the presence of all his armie a most earnest prayer vnto God wher each one according to his conscience framed his thoughts to the like purpose according to the ceremonies both of the one and the other religion The Kings Armie On the thirteenth day the king mustered all his troupes vppon a very faire and large plaine neare vnto the Towne of Yury where hee had about two thousand and fiue hundreth horse among whom were two thousand Gentlemen brauely armed very wel appointed for the battel he had there foure Regiments of French footemen the regiments of the Gardes of Brigneux of Vignolles and S. Iran moreouer foure or fiue regiments of Switzers with certaine Ensignes of Grisons The Leaguers armie The armie of the leaguers consisted of foure thousand horse and twelue thousand footemen Yury is a great village hauing a bridge on the riuer of Vrte ouer the which the leaguers passed very speedily supposing that the royall armie had beene farre from that place but in short space the one lighted on the other by which meanes there was that day certaine skirmiges where the leaguers had euer the worst Many of the leaguers were there taken prisoners who confessed and gaue vs to vnderstand that their comming was rather to follow on their way alreadie begunne then to make triall of battell Now for so much as the day was spent both the armies repaired to their lodgings By the breake of day following which was the fourteenth of March the king by aduise of his Councell determined how
a good harguebuze shot in length the heads of the fugitiues was seen floting vpon the riuer This vanquished armie consisted of 600. horsemen and 4000. foote togither with 1400. lance-knights which was a part of a greater number that was raised in Almanie by the Emperors commandement as it appeared by the original of the commissions which were found after the discomfiture By the confession of the vanquished they lost at that time about 3000. men three cannons two coluerins They also had from them 22. Ensignes carried from thence 43. prisoners They on the kings side lost only ten men foure of the which being not very well known were for want of heed slain by their own fellows The town of Villemur hauing indured 2000. cannon shot saw themselues finally deliuered hauing in all lost but 17. common souldiers The body of Duke Ioyeuse was the next day drawne out of the water and carried into Villemur there to bee interred The royall armie consisting of fiue hundreth horsemen and two thousand fiue hundreth hargue buziers beside those that were within the Towne of Villemur withdrew themselues in good order into their Garrisons after they had giuen thankes vnto God in all the Churches neare adioyning for so miraculous and prosperous a victorie Now although the leaguers affaires were in great disorder yet did not their principall Captaines cease to make many reports before the people wherewith they besotted the most subtillest assuring them that shortly they would so prouide by the assembly of the estates at Parris that they would proceede for the election of a newe king adding that as for him whom in disdain they called the Bearnois that raigned partly by those named Catholicks was not to bee receiued or suffered any longer and to this effect was their counsell published according to the affection of the new made Pope the King of Spaine The peoples complaint in open Parliament And whilest the Spanish king made payment of their pentions by a day assigned many of the Moonkes being of one opinion left the Duke de Maines affaires perceiuing that in the end his pretended Lieftenantship would intangle and bring them from the greatest to the least into a pitte of vtter subuertion and confusion beganne to lift vp their heads and to seeke after conditions of peace At length in the open Parliament of the Leaguers at Parris they cast in many billes of complaints and the principall of the Cittie cried out in such sort that an assembly of the Citizens was held in the beginning of Nouember where they spake so openly for the ending of their troubles that the Duke de Maine beganne to shake But in the end to strengthen his affaires hee came into the lower house desiring the assembly to commit the deciding of that poynt to the estates conuocated for that month And hee added in the end of his Oration these words staying for the Estates I pray them that haue set things so forward that they would send to the king of Nauarre to intreate with him that hee would depart vpon this proposition if hee will not do it I shall haue occasion to beleeue that hee is euill affectioned to our side and well pleased with those that are enemies to our religion Notwithstanding these threatnings it was agreed vpon in the said assembly that they should send toward the king staying for the renuing of the Estates to the ende agreement might be made that traficque and marchandize might be free as well for Parris as other Cities of the kingdome The Duke that could not resist their wils in this matter fained to giue his consent therevnto In middest of these matters the Popes Legat strengthened by the principall leaguers and according to his intelligences with the Spaniards whose Pentioner hee was continued the troubles of France by his bulles so that it prouoked the Parliament of Paris sitting at Chaalons to proclaime an edict the 18. day of Nouember which was published euery where among them the which for a remembrance to all posterities I haue here in this place set down at large An act of Parliament made at Cha alons against the Popes Bulls and the assembly of the Leaguers Estates Vppon this which the kings Atturney generall hath declared to the Court that the rebellious and seditious to execute their euill and wicked purposes which they haue of a long time attempted to depriue the lawfull successors of this kingdome from the Crowne not beeing content to fill this Realme with murthers massacres robberies and spoyles but haue aboundantly brought in the most cruell and pernicious Spaniardes enemies to this Realme perceiuing the Inhabitants of the rebellious Townes to beginne as from a long lethergie and trance to come againe vnto to themselues and to enter againe into the way of obedience wherein God and nature both binde them towards their lawfull King thereby to kill and mortifie all poynts of loue and charitie that should bee working in them and to bring this Realme into greater trouble and diuision then before by proceeding to the election of a new king And to giue some colour to the same they haue published a certain writing in forme of a bull giuing power and authoritie to the Cardinall of Plaisance to assist and authorize the said pretended election wherein the rebellious and seditious sort discouered openly that which till then they had kept close All which they did vnder pretence of religion to couer their wicked and damnable enterprise This is a thing that all good Catholicque Frenchmen ought to detest and abhorre as a matter directly contrary to the word of God holy decrees Councels and liberties of the Gallican or French Church the which openeth a gappe to all ruine and subuersion of all humane societies and pollicies instituted of God namely in this renowmed and flourishing Monarchie the ouerthrow of the ground of the law wherein principally consisteth the true order of the lawfull succession of our kings For the preseruation whereof all good and true borne Frenchmen ought to spende their liues rather then to suffer the same to bee altered or violated as the foundation on the which the certaintie and quiet of the estate is builded The Court in allowing this request made by the kings Atturney generall hath and doth receiue him complaining of the abuse committed in the obtaining of the said bull the contents publication and execution thereof and all the rest that should follow the same and hath and doth holde him well relieued and doth order that Philip by the title of S. Onuphrius Cardinall of Plaisance shall bee assigned in the same to aunswere to the said appeale and the decree made in the Cittie of Chaalons by publicke proclamation shall haue as full strength and effect as if it were done on his owne person or in his owne house And in the meane while the said Court doth exhort all Prelates Bishoppes Princes Lords Gentlemen Officers and all the kings subjects of what estate condition or