doo we not rather speake as did Rabirius by his aduocates mouth Gracâ—hus said he would rather haue suffered 1000. most cruell deaths then haue seene the hang man assistant in his court who by the lawes of the Censors ought to haue no habitation in Rome And yet is the hangman as the minister of iustice more tollerable then these who in their bloody executions were not authorised but by their owne ambition whereto they had so smoothed the way that there wanted no more but with open title to proclame themselues kings For to giue prouinces and the treasury to make lawes to breake them to determine of warre and peace to giue and take away offices to send embassages and in all things to haue the last voice was common among them what then did they want more then the name annointing and crowne hauing also laid their principall plot vpon certaine seditious ministers of their passions they drewe apace to the soueraignitie if God euen God truly the preseruer of France had not cast a blocke in their way anno 1560. by the kinges death whose name they made their buckler to the destruction of himselfe and his estate and vnder whose pretense they made the rampier of the vnruly effect of their immoderate passions so that not beeing yet throughly fortified with all things necessary for their purposes they stumbled in the mid way and their affaires suffered a chaunge But now Oye Frenchmen looke vpon your kinges funeralles his body without any pompe or solemnitie was conueied by Sansac and Brosse to S. Denis where it was simply buried Blush ye Guysians yea for shame hide your selues when you heare that Hanniball bestowed honorable funerals vpon the Consul Caius Flaminius whom he slew at the lake of Peruse that Lucius Cornelius did as much for Hanno the generall of the Carthagineans and Marcus Antonius vpon his enemy Arcilaus and yet you without any pompe doo commit to the earth the body of so great a king yea of that king that raised you to the tipe of honor Hide hide your selues I say when you vnderstand that Alexander spent 6. millions of gold vpon the funerals of Ephestion and yet you that haue beene so prodigall of the common-wealth in your owne priuate affaires are become so nigardly in matter concerning the funerals of one of the mightiest monarckes of the earth The Emperor Augustus euen in winter time came from Rome to Pauye before the body of Drusus Tiberius did assist the funerals of Augustus Caligula those of Tiberius and Nero those of Claudius The kinges Childebert and Clotaire led the body of Queene Clotilde from Tours to Paris Lewes the grose that of king Philippe the first from Meleun to S. Bennets vpon Loyre and Phillip the 3. holpe to cary the Biere of S. Lewes from Paris to S. Denis and yet you vnthankfull persons you mushroms of a nightes grouth cannot vouchsafe to set one foote out of the gates of OrleaÌ„ce for the least seruice of pietie to your maisters body yet must you be tearmed the Zopires of our kinges the corner stones of this realme the eyes the sinewes and the vaynes of this body but rather indeede the tirants of our kings the scourges of the poore people the spunges of our treasures you I say who haue no other God but ambition no other king but Auarice ne any other religion then desire of gain after which we see that you are fleshed as Rauens after cartioÌ„ who rather then to leaue your hold will sometimes cast your honour at your backs witnesse the lies that the late Lord prince of Condé in the yeare 1559. gaue you when he offered to forget his degree qualitie of prince to vpholde it against you with the point of hys sword or speare King Francis the second thus dead did for a time choke vp not their euill willes but theyr practises For vnder Charles the 9. although they endeuored to seed in him a marueilous mistrust of his subiectes yet began the estates at Orleance to taste them so neere and to go about to make them spue vp the treasures that they had swallowed that their best waywas in hast to folow Tiberius Gracchus one of the plagues of Rome who perceiuing that the senate were framing of his processe strooke saile quietly so that they thought it best to ship into Lorraine and thence into Germany where they promised the Princes of the Empire to frame theÌ„selues to the confessioÌ„ of Ausbourg which the Card. openly allowed and preached in the towne of Sauerne shewing the greater testimonie of his conuersion by the rich gifts that he bestowed vpoÌ„ Brentius the D. of Wittemberges minister wherein these ij fugitiues made theÌ„selues like vnto Theramenes slipper which ferued for either foote But what the hard fortune of France soone after called theÌ„ againe to the end to goe forward with their game and make an end of the set yea it placed them in the chiefest degrees coÌ„trary to the good example of the ancients who shut vp the gates of honour against such as yeelded no accompt of their administration vpon which ground Diodetus and Aeschines formed their complaint against Ctesipho at whose instance the Athenians had bestowed a Crowne of gold Plut. in the liues of the 10 Orators vpon Demosthenes before they called him to accompt of the office that was committed to him for the reparation of the walles of Athens which did import a blowe and alteration in the lawes which permitted not those that were accomptable so much as to giue any thing to the Gods neither as sayd the Emperour Antoninus to proceed to any dignitie in the commonwealth Out of this reuocation as out of Tit. de debit Ciuit. l. 1. C. Pandoraes boxe are come the warres murders and manflaughters wherin they so obstinately set themselues that in the yeare 1563 they had a soppe of the same bread with the cost of Francis of Lorrains life Howbeit the happe of this accident brake not the blowe of their purposes For hee left 3 sonnes in whome after hys death his passions liued and vnder the fauour of their vnckle the Card. they entred the same vowe as their father haue takeÌ„ the Crowne of France Plut. in Silla for the butte of their ambition so as of them we may say as the Romans did of Silla That onely they had changed the tyrant but were not discharged from tyrannie Also for their first blowes the studied to feede the warre that was hatched in their fathers and vnckles ambition and in laps of time namely in the yeare 1571 the kings fauour resembling a fayre winde the first of these three blinded with his good fortune and neglecting the meanesse of his race presumed so farre as to aspire to the marriage of that goodly flower of France Lady Margaret nowe Queene of Nauarre which comming to the knowledge of king Charles the ninth a Prince ielouse of the honor both of himselfe and of his bloud
will prooue but dust before the East winde and snow before the same At the fame of these propositions as trumpets that giue warning of warres manie tooke part with their weapons turned thēselues to the fortune of these deceiuers abandoning an assured peace to the end to follow a doubtfull warre some being wonne with hope of amending their estate others hauing alreadie followed the warres and liued according as the libertie of the time and impunitie had suffered them seeing that peace tooke from them all meanes of spoile Some that had miserablie consumed al their goods and were still brauled at by their creditors and as Cic. in Catelinariis Cicero saide of Catelines confederates Those whose handes were died in blood their tongues formed to lyes their soules bent to all wickednesse their consciences corrupt with sundrie misdeedes such as vndermined by pouertie were assalted by iustice Such outcastes I say did willinglie lend their hands to these nouelties and yet is it a strange matter that some Gentlemen durst suffer themselues to be led at these mens pleasure as if they coulde not but say well neither themselues do well but in obeying of them A pitifull case that they should take the shadow for the substance smoke for fire the visage and lies for truth without considering that these pretences are but so manie snares to entrappe them that they do wake them but to bring them on sleepe that they instruct them but to destroy them and that as an ancient man hath said There can bee no lust cause to fight against their countrie But who could choose but bee bewitched with so many faire pretences Besides that these fire brands haue left no meanes vnprooued for the continuance of the traficke of their drifts Furthermore to the ende to keepe their confederates in breath and courage and to make others willing to take their parts they promised vs mountaines and maruels as knowing that oftentimes things fained yet taken for true are of great force in warres as Marcus Portius when the Ilergetes solicited him for succour The earth should tremble vnder their power the Spanish weapons did alreadie rattle vpon the frontiers The Sauoyan did but aske Where is it The Pope calleth forth the diuels giueth them the enimies bodies they carrie them away they cast them in hell The Albanians with their Iauelings should come to beate downe the mountaines and to put all to fire and sword And as the Consull Varo said of Hanniball These Guisians should ende the warres euen the first day that they shoulde see the Protestants calling to minde the foolish enterprise though not the weake successe of La Brosse who in the yeare of our Lorde 1559. being by their Father and Onckle sent with the Bishoppe of Amiens into Scotland promised in one moneth to driue al the Lutherans out of the lande But the Scottish nobilitie more ielous of their liberties then wee shewed him that he reckoned without his hoste and that he ought not to sell the Beares skinne before he see him especially considering that as that noble Lacedemonian captaine Brasidas saide There is not so small a beast but is able Plut. in the notable sai-ings of kings to saue his life if his heart woulde serue him to defende himselfe and the Consull Paulus Aemilius maruelled howe anie Captaine could aforehand tell what was to bee done in the battell before he had seene either his owne armie or his enimies either situation of the place or nature of the soile for his part he would take no other counsaile before the time then such as the occasions did vsuallie minister to man and not man to occasions And indeede these Lorrains doo resemble that great mountaine which after manie pangs of childbirth brought forth but a mouse Besides what promise haue they performed Of the Wisigothes that Liuius li. 2. Dec. 3. should come and fall vppon vs we haue no newes they be so manie bugbeares for besides that King Philip hath but few men and too manie matters in hande hee is too olde to take counsaile of the young although through a desire that hee hath to strike a stroke and make some alteration in the peace of France and being allured by some hope to obtaine Marseiles as a first dish to his table he furnisheth thē of a few crownes which they wil receiue without waying to warme their kitchē withal God wot whether the poore man whō they made twise or thrise to trot into Spaine who so liuelie prosecuted their affaires that he fel sicke al Barbast was any thing slacke in opening the mouth of his pouch more thirstie then an aduocates Of the Sauoyan what can they hope He is so neere the beare that his best way will be to set sure sooting and haue a good eye to his owne countrie From the Pope they can haue nothing but Bulles wherewith they can not runne far least the diuels whome hee will sende abroad to entrap the protestants should light vpon these Guysians What doo they then lacke more then Gods vengeance to oppresse them a tormented conscience and a blinde rage For besides that there be two hundred families in France which will not yeeld one iot to that of Guyze the most part alredie of those whom they promised to aduance to honors doo imitate Lisander who woulde not receiue the rich and sumptuous robes which Denis the tyrant sent his daughters saying that such gay garments woulde make them seeme more foule Plut. in the notable sai-ings of old kings Manie of those that suffered themselues to bee carried vppon the wings of their good fortune doo alredie make no farther account of their prosperitie which is tied togither with pointes as a Lacedemonian sayde of Lampis a Burgesse of Egina All good Frenchmen whom they called to their partie in tickling them with faire promises haue made answere that they will not holde so much as their liues of the murderers of their countrie as a certaine Prenestine saide to the Dictator Silla who had put all the Prenestines to the sword sauing him because he had beene his host Yea many of those into whose handes they haue euen thrust weapons Caesar lib. 3 de bell ciuil do with Pompeyes souldiers say that they wil fight against the enemies but not against their fellowe countrie-men of whom those that haue better regard of common health and priuate commoditie do with their eares and valiancie fauor that noble and valiant Prince Henrie king of Nauarre least they should resemble the Argonautes who after they had forsaken Hercules were forced to haue recourse to a woman So that although a first blush and opinion and at the first push the weapons of the Guyzes did somewhat astonish the common people which was as it were dazeled in the darkenesse of their driftes yet now it is freed from that feare perceiueth that their threats are no speares that they haue embarked thēselues without either rudder or biscuit and that
the Princes of blood yea and set so sure foot vpon the throat of this estate that Fraunce was the bloody scaffold good Frenchmen the martyrs and these Lorrains most cruell fellonious and vnmercifull hangmen This storme might immediatly after the decease of K. Henry haue beene foreseene for whilest the Princes of the blood and chiefe officers of the crowne kept their maisters bodie at the Tournelles the kings house in S. Anthonies street where euery thing sounded of sorrow and mournfull sonnets these gentlemen triumphed at the Louure whither they had caried the king about whom they commanded at pleasure and vnder the cloke of tutorship made thēselues way to the souereigntie as did Tarquin the 1. who vnder the like pretence wrested the Romane kingdome out of the hands of Ancus Martius children or as Stillicō Ruffin who being tutors to Arcadius Honorius brought the Romane Empire into combustion But what ingratitude what in humane vnthankfulnesse was it to stand with drye eyes when all other accompanied the king with weeping and teares What tiranny to bend their masters minoritie to their passions What impudencie to in trude vpon the authoritie of the Princes of the blood The law by the common aduise of the three estates assembled at Tours Anno 1484. decreed commaundeth If the crowne sall to a pupill the 3. estates must be assembled and by them the king prouided of a counsell for the gouernment of his nonage The custome is The Princes of the blood haue the first place in this counsell as it fell out when at the decease of Lewis the 11. Charles the 8. at the age of 14. yeares came to the crowne The Romane lawes will That hee that affecteth or intrudeth himselfe into any tutorship should be reiected as suspect Besides it is a generall sacred and inuiolable rule That no forraine Prince hold degree in France But what can reason doo in rage or custome among disorders what can right doo where force beareth sway or of what force are lawes among murder blood and tiranny hauing assured themselues of his Maiesties person they played their game so cunningly that a new gard was established vnder the Seneschall of Agen Diana of Poictiers Duchesse of Valentinois banished the Court Bertrandi President of Tholouse vnto whome Henry the 2. had committed the seales of Fraunce flatly deferred though pacified vnder hope of better The superintendence of the Treasurie taken from Auanson and vnder colour of good husbandry the faithfullest seruants of the crowne beeing displaced the gate of honour was open to none but the confederates of two straungers who for their owne particular profite encroched to themselues all publike affaires euen as the winde Coecias which as it is saide draweth the clowdes to it and furnished the law with men of like stuffe as themselues such as were vowed vnto the execution of their bad purposes as also at the same time they strengthened their owne faction with the amitie of the Marshals Brissac S. Andrew the Cardinal of Tournon the Conestables sworne enemy Putting in practise also Andronodorus counsaile who abusing the minority of Hierom king of Sicill whome he purposed to rob of his estate perswaded him to banish the chiefe of his Realme from the Court they did vnder the kings auow craftily disperse all those that might haue crossed the course of their fortune with whome they could by no meanes beare not so much because of the difference of their natures as for that the French cannot put on the Lorraines nature or the Lorraine the Frenchmans according to the saying of Cicero speaking of the ordinary controuersies betweene the Romane Consuls and Tribunes The fire of ciuill dissention is kindled betwene them not so much through diuersitie of qualities as by contrarietie of humors complexions And thus was the Prince of Condésent into Flaunders vnder pretence of strengthening the amitie with king Philip and after him the Prince of Roch-sur-yon who at his returne was chosen togither with the Cardinal of Bourbon to cōduct La. Elizabeth into Spaine The Duke of Montpensier was furnished with the gouernment of Touraine but they appointed Chauigny to be his Lieutenant with such authoritie that the Prince had onely the title The Constable had the gentle thumpe and among other trauerses lost the office of Great-maister which wound was afterward renewed in the controuersie for the countie of Dampmartin which Frauncis of Lorraine Cessionary of Rambures pretended to carrie away The court beeing thus become a widow of the Princes of the blood and naked of the brauest of the French knights the Guysians began to build vp their houses with the decay of many other yea in such sorte as they spared neyther freend nor foe Papist nor Protestant spirituall goodes nor temporall witnesse the Countie of Nantueil and the chiefe benefices of the Cardinall of Lenoncourt a frend to their family witnesse the goods of the Marquise of Neelle of the Lord of Grignan the castle of Meudon the house of Marchais the land of Cheureus witnesse the Monkes of Monstier endé whom the Cardinall thrust out burned al the titles of their church for the enriching of his house of Ginuille witnesse the Storier of S. Disier whom he caused to be burned for a Lutherian notwithstanding by the testimonie of all the country hee went ordinarily to Masse so as the poore man might say as Quintus Aurelius who finding himselfe in the roule of those who by placards were banished notwithstanding he neuer medled with the Plut. in Silla warres of eyther Marius or Silla cryed out Helas my house at Alle killeth me Shall I come to the conclusion and last acte of the Tragedy Shall I open a wound which yet bleedeth Things grew to that passe that by the Cardinall and his brother all lawes good decrees were taken down the Parliaments of the Realme dishonored and euery way derided the people choked with tyranny the Prince of Condé imprisoned at Orleance for fellonie falsly inuented as afterward it is declared by a decree of the priuie councell dated the 13. of March 1560. and by two decrees of the court of Parliament the La. of Roye imprisoned at S. Germaines in Laye the Constables house appointed to ruine and subuersion his nephew the L. d'Andelot discharged of the office of Coronell of the French footmen the Cardinall of Arminacke banished the court the Vidame of Chartres miserably detained in the Bastille the prisons full of poore innocents the skaffolds red with blood the gibbets ordinarie fiers kindled all was but destruction and desolation but robbing of houses proclamations of banishments and most cruell executions in peace we bare the effects of a bloody warre and in calme and faire weather the face of Fraunce was horrible and fearefull and yet do we suckle vp these hangmen with our blood we feed them with our goods we make them triumph in our shame and to them onely are the gates of honors open but why
deade at the least shee might say that they endeuoured to abase her authoritie for as said Pompee Men worship the sunne at her rising rather then at her setting But to what purpose is this naming of a successor The Aegyptians surnamed all their kings Pyramis which signifieth the selfesame thing because wee cannot tearme anie thing good in nature that is not proportioned in all parts Who then Arist l. 7. Polit. dare be so bold as to say that our king being a man is none either that he is vnable to engender If by nature the time of generation endeth not before 60. yeares or as some say before 70. shall wee say that a lustie Prince euen in the flower of his age is past hope of issue also if as Seneca saith Euerie lighte beleefe is a foolish document whie shoulde wee perswade our selues that our king is barren but let vs proceede to that that goeth yet nearer The Guysians by vow and profession ancient enimies to the blood royall of France weening to haue brought his maiestie to haue a tast in practising the counsaile that Tarquine the proud gaue his sonne Sextus which was to slay all the chiefe lords of the Gabiens and thinking it an easie matter to breake an eele with their knee and to wurry the Princes of the blood who cannot be so much as shaken without the totall destruction of this estate do by their last propositions studie to bring al the estates of this realme out of tast with their duetie whereto nature and the law of God doth bind them and vnder the kings support to oppresse the Princes of the blood and by the subiects reuolt to trippe away the kings legge This appeareth euidently for in propounding The Guyses third pretence to reestablish the Church in her liberties and and ancient priuiledges seeke they notto bring in the clergie to plaie gainst his maiestie Hath the church lost her prerogatiues Who but he that hath authority hath taken thē away or who hath authority but the K. onely But if as a certaine Emperor said we ought not to haue any sinister opinion of our Princes who shal say that our king hath willed more then he ought or that he hath not ruled his power with reason It is said Plinie to the Emperor Traian the highest degree of happinesse to be able to do what a man will and of greatnesse to will that which a man may Now this power is not measured according to mans affections but by the foot rule of vertue and lawes Herein do we know tyrāts from kings for tyrants will haue their affections serue for lawes and kings haue no other affections but lawes yet as if his maiesty had contrary to all reasō rauished from the church her ancient liberties these Guysards wil restore them to her againe But what doo these Mushromes of a nights growth call ancient In old time according to the decrees of the of Antioch and since by the ordinances of Charlemaine the Election of bishops consisted in the approbation Theod. li. 14 cap. 18. of the people without whose aduow the vniuersal Councel of Cōstantinople would not ordaine Nestorius bishop when Athanase declared Peter his successor the people saith Theodoret did allow him Yea euen by the decree of Pope Nicholas The election of Popes made by the Cardinals ought to be ratified by the people In olde time the Pope was no Prince of Priests neither was president in coūcels where the order of the Hierarchy ought strictly to bee obserued In the Councell of Nice Athanasius was present In the second of Ephesus Dioscorus Patriarch of Alexandria In the fifth of Cōstantinople Menas Patriarch of the same place At Carthage Aurelius Archbishop of the towne and S. Cyprian speaking of the bishop of Rome calleth him but brother or companion In olde time the Guysards were no bodie of late of pettie companions they are growne vp at the cost of the crucifix Restore things then to their first estate and ye make a breach in the Popes authoritie and the Guysards must lose their grace yet do they speake of reestablishing the Church in her ancient priuiledges but from whence haue they this authoritie from their ambition By what meanes by sucking the goods of the Church not for the aduancement of the clergie but to smooth the way to their pernitious practises like as those factious persons Robert Earle of Angiers and his brother Hugh who seeking to wrest the scepter out of the hauees of Charles the simple hyred their men with Church goods But these men will keepe her O what a good keeper of the sheepe is the wolfe How will they keepe her with armes as if they might leuie armes without the Princes commandement who is the dispenser of the same Read ouer the lawes you shall finde that L. vnica c. vt ar vsus c. Taboeth in para Reg. the enemies Valens and Valentinian doo expresly forbid the raysing of any banner without their authoritie Examine the regall lawes and you shal find that it is one point of maiestie to appoint war looke into reason there shall you know that the taking of armes which toucheth the commonwealth should not be practised by any particular person peruse the histories there shall you see that the estates of the Athenian people denounced warre as they did against the Siracusians Megarians and the kinges of Macedon you shall find that the Aetolians forebad Liuius lib. 31. the concluding of any thing concerning war except in Panaetolio Pylacio consilio also that at Rome it lay in the people to denounce as they did against Mithridates by the lawe Manilia against Philip the second king of Macedon by the law Sulpitia against the Pirates by the law Gabinia And because Caesar Plut. in Cat. warred in France without the peoples commandement Cato was of opinion that the army should bee reuoked and Caesar deliuered to the enemies Yea the Senate seeking to encroch that authoritie vnto themselues was still withstood by the Tribunes There was saith Liuy debate touching the resolution Liuy lib. 4. whether warre should bee denounced by the commaundement of the people or whether the decrees of the Senate should suffise The Tribunes had the vpper hand as also it fell out when the second Punike warre was motioned also when they were to fight against the Hernicques Vestins Palepolitains Prenestines Eques Likewise when the Tarentines denounced warre to the Romains The Senate Plut. in Pyrr saith Plutarke gaue the aduise and the people of Tarent granted the precept What lawes then what right what reason what examples do authorise or rather do not condemne the weapons of these perturbers who of their owne authoritie haue kindeled the fire of an vniust cruell and bloody warre And shall these bee the bucklers of the faith and pillers of the church no but the diuels sergants scourges of Antichrist for warre murder and cruelty are no marks