had to entertain the League He sent therefore to him the Duke d'Espernon who Essayed to Convert him by reasons of interest and policy Our Henry hearkened to him but he testified that those were not motives sufficiently puissant to make him Change and sent him back with many Civilities The Hugonots were so vain as to publish and cause to be Printed the conference of this Prince with Espernon to shew that he was unshaken in his Religion and possibly likewise to engage him more strongly in it The Duke of Guise was not wanting to profit himself of it and to remonstrate to the Catholique people the stubbornness of this Prince and what they might hope if he came to the Crown with such sentiments To stop therefore his way to it he made the zealous openly renew the League and boldly bringing it into Paris where some new religious persons inspired this Ardour into peoples souls by Confessions held the first publique Assembly at the Colledge de Fortet which was called the Cradle of the League Many Burgesses many Tradesmen and likewise some Clerks of Paris entred into it They carried it to Rome and presented it to Pope Gregory the 13. for his approbation but he never would give it and continually so long as he lived disavowed it So soon as it grew a little great and strong those who had engendred it made it appear that it was not only to provide for the security of Religion for the future but that at present they might approach themselves neer to the Crown and that they not onely would have it against the King of Navarre who was to Succeed but against Henry the third who now reigned They kept in Salary certain new Divines who durst openly sustain that a Prince ought to be deposed who acquits himself not well of his duty That no power but that which is well ordered is of God otherwise when it passes due bounds it is not Authority but Usurpation and that it is as absurd to say that he ought to be King who knows not how to govern or who is deprived of understanding as to believe a blind man a fit guide or an immoveable Statue able to make living men move In the mean time the Duke of Guise was retired to his Government of Champagne feigning himself discontented but it was to make the Duke of Lorrain sign the League out of hopes he would cause his Son to Succeed to the Crown to which he pretended to have right by his Mother Daughter to Henry the Second He held to this purpose a Treaty at Joinville where he likewise found Agents from the King of Spain who signed to the Treaty and as it was reported did by Letters of Exchange supply the Duke of Guise with great sums of money At his departure thence the Duke assembled Troops on all sides his friends seized on as many places as they could not onely amongst the Hugonots but likewise amongst the Catholiques The King might easily have dissipated these Levies had he taken the field But the Queen-Mother like to self-interested Physitians who would for their profit augment the disease withheld and amused him in his Closet perswading him that if he would leave to her the management of this affair she would easily reduce the Duke to his obedience To this purpose she held a Conference with him at Vitry and so gave him time to strengthen his party and when he saw himself in an Estate to fear nothing he broke the Conference and made shew of some resolutions to come directly to Paris The King astonished prayed his mother to conclude an accommodation upon any terms which she did by the Treaty of Nemours by which she granted to the Duke and other Princes of his house the Government of several Provinces many great sums of money together with a most bloudy Edict against the Hugonots which forbad the profession of any other Religion then the Catholique under Penalty of Confiscation of Goods and Estate with Command to all Preachers and Ministers to depart the Realm within one moneth and all Hugonots of what degree or quality soever within six months or otherwise abjure their false Religion This Edict was called the Edict of Juillet which the League farther constrained the King to carry himself into the Parliament and cause it to be ratified A little after arrived news from Rome that Sixtus the fifth who succeeded Gregory the eighteenth had approved the League and had besides fulminated out terrible Bulls against the King of Navarre and Prince of Conde declaring them Hereticks Apostates Chiefs Favourers and Protectors of Hereticks and as such falling under the Censures and Pains concluded on in the Laws and Cannons depriving them and their descendants of all Lands and Dignities incapable to succeed to any Principality whatsoever especially to the Kingdome of France and not onely absolving their Subjects from all Oaths of Fidelity but absolutely forbidding them to obey them It was now that our Henry had need of all the forces both of his Courage and Vertue to sustain so rude assaults He seemed in a manner lull'd asleep by his pleasures when the noise of these great assaults awakened him he recalled all his Vertue and began to make it appear more vigorously then ever before And certainly he afterwards avowed that his enemies had highly obliged him by persecuting him in this manner for had they left him in repose that rest had possibly Entombed him in a corner of Guyenne and he not have been constrained to think of his affairs so that at the death of Henry the third he would not have been in an Estate to attempt or entertain the Crown He now did two Actions of great renown the first was his commanding Plessis Mornay a Gentleman of excellent Education and who could be reproached with nothing but being a Hugonot to answer the Manifesto of the League by an Apologie and by a Declaration which he caused to be drawn In this last piece the Chiefs of the League having spread abroad divers calumnies against his honour he with all submission besought the King his Soveraign that he would not be offended if he did pronounce saving still the respect due to his Majesty that they did falsely and maliciously lye and moreover that to spare the blood of his Nobles and shun the desolation of the poor people those infinite disorders and above all those blasphemies burnings and violations which the license of War must cause he offered to the Duke of Guise chief of the League to decide this quarrel by his person against his one to one two to two ten to ten or what number he should please with Arms generally in use by Cavaleers of honour either in the Realm of France or in such place as his Majesty should command or else in such place as the Duke of Guise himself should chuse This Declaration had a great effect o'er peoples spirit They said
Germans having received many checks in several places but especially at Auneau in Beausse where the Duke of Guise slew or took Prisoners Three thousand Reistres afterward at Pont de Gien where the Duke d' Espernon took Twelve hundred Lansquenets or Foot and almost all the Cannon willingly hearkened to an agreement which the King caused to be proposed to them and afterwards retired by Burgongne and by the County of Montbeliard but were still pursâ—ed farther in that County by the Duke of Guise Now began the year One thousand five hundred eighty eight which all Judicial Astrologers had called the wonderful year because they foresaw so great a number of strange accidents and such confusion in natural causes that they were assured that if the end of the world came not there would happen at least an Universal Change Their Prognosticks were seconded by a a number of terrible Prodigies which arrived throughout all Europe In France there were great Earth-quakes along the River Loire and likewise in Normandy The Sea was for six weeks together disturbed with continual tempests which seemed to confound both heaven and earth In the Aire appeared divers Phantasmes of fire and on the four and twentieth of January Paris was covered with so horrible a darkness that those who had the best eyes could scarce see any thing at noon-day without the help of lights All these Prodigies seemed to signifie what soon after Arrived the death of the Prince of Conde the Besieging of Paris the Subversion of the whole Realm the Murthering of Messieurs de Guise and in fine the Parricide of Henry the third As for the Prince of Conde he died in the month of March at S. John d' Angeli where he then made his residence Though there had been a secret jealousie between him and the King of Navarre even to the making of two factions in their party yet the King resented this losse with an extreme grief and having shut himself up in his Closet with the Count de Soissons he was heard to cast forth great cries and say that he had lost his right hand However after his grief was a little evaporated he recovered his Spirit and casting all his trust on Divine Protection he came forth saying with a heart full of Christian assurance God is my refuge and my support it is in him alone I will hope and I shall not be confounded It was truly a great losse for him he was now alone to Support all the weight of affairs and being denuded of this assister remained more exposed to the attempts of the League who had now only to give a like blow to his person to remain Conquerours in all their affairs He had therefore just cause to fear their attempts However the Duke of Guise had a heart so Noble and great that whilst he lived he would never suffer such detestable waies The Confidence of the League encreased wonderfully by the death of this Prince they testified extraordinary rejoycings and published that it was an effect of the Justice of God and of the Apostolick curses The Hugonots on the contrary were in an extreme consternation considering that they had lost in him their most assured Chief because they believed him firmly perswaded in their Religion but had not the same opinion of the King of Navarre In effect the Confusion and Disorder was so great amongst them that in all appearance had they continued strongly to prosecute them they might have soon ruined them The King hated them mortally and would willingly have consented but he would mannage things in such manner that their destruction should not prove the agrandizing of the Duke of Guise and his own losse but this Duke knowing his intentions pressed him continually to give him forces utterly to exterminate the Hugonots in whose ruine he infallibly hoped to involve the King of Navarre He had this advantage over the King that he had acquisted the love of the people principally by two means the first by his opposing himself to the new Imposts and the second by continually being at variance with the Favorites nor ever bending before them whilst the doing of things contrary had made the King fall into an extreme low Esteem and had likewise taken away the heat of some of his servants love See here an Example The King had two great men in his Councel Peirre d' Espinac Archbishop of Lyons and Villeroy Secretary of State The Duke d'Espernon who was fierce and haughty would treat them according to his proud humour they grew exasperated against him and thereupon change their affection to the Duke of Guise his party but without doubt still in their hearts remaining most faithful to the King and Crown of France as afterward well appeared especially in the person of Villeroy In the mean time the King lived after the ordinary manner in the profusions of an odious Luxury and in the laziness of a contemptible Retreat passing his time either in seeing Dances or in playing with little Dogs of which he had great numbers of all sorts or else in Teaching Parriquito's to speak or in Cutting of Images or in other Occupations more becoming an Inâ—ant then a King But the Duke of Guise lost no time he made dayly new friends conserved his old ones caressed the people testified a great zeal for the Ecclesiasticks undertook their defence against all would oppress them and every where appeared with the Splendor and Gravity of a Prince but yet without Pride without Arrogancy The Parisians were intoxicated with esteem for him the greatest part of the Parliament and most part of the other Officers attended his motions and testified to him the affection they ought to the service of the King There were an infinite number of people who had signed the League and in the sixteen Quarters or Wards of Paris when they could not gain the Quarteniers or Aldermen they chose one the most violent of the Leaguers to act in their function by reason of which they afterwards called at Paris the Principal of this party and their faction the sixteen not that they were but sixteen for their number exceeded Ten thousand but all dispersed through the sixteen Quarters Now the King principally incited by the Duke d' Espernon resolved to punish the forwardest of these sixteen who in all occasions shewed themselves furious enemies of that Favorite By this means he thought to overthrow the League and absolutely ruine the Credit and Reputation of the Duke of Guise He caused therefore some Troops secretly to enter into Paris and gave order to seize on those persons The Duke of Guise being advised of it posts from Soissons where he then was resolving to perish rather then lose his friends Barricadoes were raised in the month of May even to the Gates of the Louvre and the Kings Troops were all cut in pieces or disarmed The Queen-mother according to her ordinary
and carries with her her daughter Margaret The King of Navarre looses Agen and la Reole by two follies of youth Two exquisite Reflections Queen Margaret did not over-well love her husband nor he her but he draws advantages from her intrigues The Queen-mother Monsieur the Guises weary of the peace 1579. They under-hand perswade the King of Navarre to a Rupture which proves very disadvantagious to him Monsieur procures the peace Of much damage to the Estate being the cause the two Henries plunged themselves in pleasure Henry 3. hath favorites who prejudice his affairs Dispositions to the League to the loss of Hen. 3. 1584. a Monsieur intending to surprize Antwerp and treating ill the people of the Low-Countries who had called him was driven thence The death of the Monsieur begets thoughts of a Successor to the Crown The Queen-Mother designs to give the Crown to the children of her daughter married to the Duke of Lorrain A belief that the Duke of Guise hoped to Reign himself Henry 3. knew his design or was advertized of it by his favorites He sends the Duke d'Espernon to the King of Navarre to oblige him to return to the Catholick Church but he refuses The Duke of Guise profits himself of it The League Established at Paris The Pope disapproves it It is turned against Henry the third The Treaty of Joinville where the Spaniards enter into the League furnish money The League seize many places The Queen-mother enters into conference with Guise who breaks it when he sees himself in an Estate to fear nothing The King astonished grants him all he desires 1585. Pope Sixtus 5. excommunicates the King of Navarre and Prince of Conde The vertue of our Henry awakened He doth two noble actions He defies the Duke of Guise to single Combat Why the Duke of Guise accepted not the defiance The other gallant Action of our Henry He causes to be fixed up at the corners of the chief streets of Rome oppositions to the sentence of Sixtus 5. who at first is incensed but afterwards conceives a great estèem for him The King of Navarre makes a League to defend himself 1586. Henry 3. hated both the League the Hugonots and loved none but his favourites The Queen-mother endeavours an accommodation with the King of Navarre The Interview and conference at St. Brix A noble generous Action of our Prince His constancy in the whole conference A handsome answer to Duke de Nevers Conference at St. Brix produceth nothing Dances and Feasts in the Courts of the two Kings Blaise de Monluc Marshal of France who writ in these times says in his Memoires That whatever affair there were of force the Dancing was still to go forward 1587. An Army of German Protestants enter France It is followed by the Duke of Guise It doth nothing to purpose The King of Navarre would joyn with them but the Duke of Joyeuse makes head against him with an Army The Duke overtakes him near Coutras What the Army of Joyeuse was What that of the King His Exhortation to his Army and to the Princes of the Blood His valour bravery An Action of great Justice and Christian Humility The Battail of Coutras which he gains Joyeuse slain His moderation and admirable Clemency in his Victory He pursues it not and wherefore Defeat of the German horse The rest of that Army retire 1588 Prognostications of the evils of the year 1588. Death of the Prince of Conde The King of Navarre much afflicted But in his affliction puts his trust in God The League rejoyce The Hugonots afflicted Sentiments of Hen. 3. The Duke of Guise presseth him to give him forces to exterminate the Hugonots The Duke of Guise much loved and Hen. 3. much haâ—ed D' Espinac Villeroy become friends to the Duke of Guise and why The ill Conduct of Henry 3. The Conduct and employs of the Duke of Guise What the sixteen were The King would punish them The Duke of Guise hastes to defend them The King retires to Chartres The league becomes Mistriss Paris The Parisians send Deputies to the King The King pardons all so they lay down Arms. The Duke of Guise demands the expulsion of Espernon which is in the end granted And after comes to the Court at Chartres The Estates of Blois The death of the Guises Death of Queen Katherine de Medices Different Judgments concerning the death of the Guises Our Henry speaks very wisely He changeth not his Conduct 1589. Henry 3. amusiag himself too much at Blois the League is re-assured and grows furious The Parliament imprisoned in the Bastille by Bussy le Clerk forced to swear to the the â—eague A part remains at Paris and the others go to the King who transfers all to Tours Those of the Parliament remaining at Paris make process against Henry 3. An excellent reflection for Kings Henry 3. excommunicated by Pope Sixtus 5. The Duke of Mayenne assures himself of Burgongne and Champagne and comes to Paris He takes the quality of Lieutenant-General of the Estate and Crown of France they likewise break the Kings Seals Henry 3. for fear retires to Tours He in vain endeavours to appease the Duke of Mayenne He in the end calls the King of Navarre gives him Saumur The King perswaded by his friends not to trust him Yet he resolves to go arrive what will to which purpose he passes the River Cher. His interview with the King at Tours He repasses the River and lies in the Fauboâ—rg but on the morrow visits the King alone They resolve to besiege Paris Duke of Mayenne wants little to surprize King Hen. 3 â—â— Tours Great and profitable Reflections made on the different Conducts of Hen. â— and the King of Navarre Paris besieged King Hen. 3. killed by a Jacobin Our Henry comes to visit him dying What the King said to him and those present 1589 Change caused by the Death of Hen. 3. Problem if Hen. 3. died in a time favourable to Hen. 4. or not Henry 4. holds many Councels Same Catholicks acknowledge him but most refuse Some design to make themselves Sovereigns The Marshal of Byron among others but the King made him forgo his desire Byron and Sancy assure the Catholick Suiss to the Kings Service What was the disposition of the Princes of the blood towards the King Many Lords in Camp and Court ill intended Assembly of Noblemen at d' O's who would have the King converted d' O carrys him word of it The King answers them hansomely and couragiously Another greater Assembly resolved to acknowledge him provided he will permit himself to be instructed The Duke of Piney carries their resolution to the King who agrees to it and grants a Declaration touching the exercise of the Catholick Religion through all his Territories Many sign it with regret and others refuse as Vitry who becomes a Leaguer And the Duke of Espernon who retires The Duke of Mayennâ— troubled what party to take Two
all Europe by the esteem of his Vertue In effect since the first foundation of the French Monarchy the History furnisheth us not with any Reign more memorable by reason of the great Events more repleat with the wonders of Divine Assistance more glorious for the Prince and more happy for the People then his and it is without Flattery or Envy that all the Universe hath given him the surname of Great not so much for the greatness of his Victories however comparable to those of Alexander or Pompey as for the greatness of his Soul and of his Courage for he never bow'd either under the Insults of Fortune or under the Traverses of his Enemies or under the Resentments of Revenge or under the Artifices of Favorites or Ministers he remained always in the same temper always Master of himself In a word he remained always King and Soveraign without acknowledging other Superiour then God Justice and Reason Let us then proceed to write the History of his Life which we shall divide into three principal Parts The first shall contain what happened from his Birth till his coming to the Crown of France The second shall speak what he did after he came to it until the Peace of Vervin And the third shall recount his Actions after the Peace of Vervin until the unhappy day of his death But before all it is necessary we speak something briefly of his Genealogie He was Son to Anthony de Bourbon Duke of Vendosme and King of Navarre and of Jane of Albret Heiress of that Kingdome Anthony descended in a direct and Masculine Line from Robert Count of Clermont fifth Son to King St. Lewis This Robert espoused Beatrix Daughter and Heiress to John of Burgoyne Baron of Bourbon by his Wife Agnes for which cause Robert took the Name of Bourbon but not the Arms still keeping those of France This sage Pre-caution served well to his Descendants to maintain themselves in the Degree of Princes of the Blood which those of Courtnay lost for not having acted in the same manner And besides the Vertue which gave a splendour to their Actions the good management and oeconomy which they exercised to conserve and augment their Revenues the great Alliances in which they were very diligent to match themselves ever refusing to mingle their Noble among Vulgar Blood and above all their rare Piety towards God and that singular goodness wherewith they acted towards their Inferiors conserved them and elevated them above Princes of elder Branches for the People seeing them always rich puissant wise and in a word worthy to command had imprinted in their spirits as it were a prophetick perswasion that this House would one day come to the Crown and they on their side seemed to have conceived this hope though it were at great distance having taken for their Word or Device Espoir or Hope Among the younger Branches which issued from this Branch of Bourbon the most considerable and most illustrious was that of Vendosm It carried this Name because they possessed that great Country which came to them in the year 1364. by the marriage of Katharine Vendosme Sister and Heiress to Bouchard last Count of Vendosme with John of Bourbon Count of the Marches At present it was but a County but was after made a Dutchy by King Francis the first in the year 1514. in favou◠of Charles who was great grand-childe to John and father of Anthony This Charles had seven Male-Children Lewis Anthony Francis another Lewis Charles John and a third Lewis the first Lewis and the second died in their infancy Anthony remained the eldest Francis who was Count of Anguien and gained the Battel of Cerisoles died without being married Charles was a Cardinal of the title of Chrysogone and Archbishop of Rouen this is he who was named The old Cardinal of Bourbon John lost his life at the Battel of St. Quintin The third Lewis was called The Prince of Condé and by two Marriages had several Male-Children from the first descended Henry Prince of Condé Francis Prince of Conty and Charles who was Cardinal and Archbishop of Rouen after the Death of the old Cardinal of Bourbon There were eight Generations from Male in Male from St. Lewis to Anthony who was Duke of Vendosme King of Navarre and father to our Henry As for Jane d' Albret his Wife she was Daughter and Heiress to Henry of Albret King of Navarre and of Margaret du Valois Sister to King Francis the first and Widow to the Duke of Alenzon Henry d' Albret was son to John d' Albret who became King of Navarre by his Wife Katherine du Foix Sister to King Phoebus deceased without Children for that Realm had entred into the House of Foix by marriage as it 〈…〉 afterwards into that of Albret and since into that of Bourbon Ferdinand King of Arragon had invaded and taken the Higher Navarre that is that part which is beyond the Pyraenean Hills and the most considerable of that Realm from King John d' Albret so that by consequence there rested to him onely the Lower that is that beneath the Mountains towards France but with it he had the Countries of Bearn of Albrett of Foix of Armagnac of Bigorra and many other great Signories coming as well by the House of Foix as that of Albret Henry his Son had onely one Daughter Jane who was called The Minion of Kings for King Henry her Father and the great King Francis the first her Uncle with Envy to each other strove most to cherish her The Emperour Charles the fifth had cast his Eyes on her and caused her to be demanded of her Father for his Son Philip the second proposing this as a means to pacifie their Differences touching the Kingdome of Navarre but King Francis the first not thinking it fit to introduce so puissant an Enemy into France causing her to come to Chastellerault affianced her to the Duke of Cleves and after releasing her of that Contract married her to Anthony of Bourbon Duke of Vendosme and the Marriage was solemnized at Moulins in the year 1547. the same year that Francis the first died The two young Spouses had in their first three or four years two Sons both which died at Berceau by accidents very extraordinary the first because its Governess being her self cold of nature kept it so hot that she stifled it with heat and the second by the carelessness of the Nurse who playing with a Gentleman as they danced the Childe from one to another let it fall to the ground so that it died in torment Thus Heaven deprived them of these two little Princes to make way for our Henry who merited well both the Birth-right and to be an onely Son Let us now come to the History of his Life The First PART OF THE LIFE OF HENRY the Great Containing his History from his Birth until he came to the Crown of FRANCE
burned the suburbs of Toulouse in such manner that the sparkles of that fire flew into that great City The War being thus kindled in the heart of France he shewed himself on the other bank of the Rhone with his troops gained by storms the City of St. Julien and St. Just and obliged St. Estienne en Forez to capitulate From thence he descended to the banks of the Saone and afterwards into the middle of Burgongne Paris trembled the second time at the approach of an Army so much the more formidable because it seemed to be re-inforced by the loss of two-battles and to have now gained some advantage over that of the Catholicks which the Marshal de Cosse commanded The Counsel of the King fearing to hazard all by a fourth Encounter judged it more to the purpose to plaister up a peace with that party it was therefore treated of the two Armies being near each other and concluded in the little City of Arnay-le-Duc on the eleventh of August This Peace made every one retire home the Prince of Navarre went to Bearn King Charles the ninth married with Elizabeth Daughter to the Emperour Maximilian the second and nothing else seemed thought of but Feasts and Rejoycings In the mean time the King having found that he could never compass his Desires on the Hugonots by force resolved to make use of meáns more easie but much more wicked he began to caress them to feign that he would treat them favourably to accord them the greatest part of those things they desired and to lull them asleep with hopes of his making War against the King of Spain in the Low-Countries a thing they passionately desired and the better to allure them he promised as a gage of his faith to marry his Sister Margaret to our Henry and by these means drew the principal Chiefs of their party to Paris His mother Jane who was come before to make preparations for the marriage died a few days after her arrival a Princess of a Spirit and Courage above her Sex and whose Soul wholly virile was not subject to the weaknesses and defaults of other women but in truth a passionate Enemy of the Catholick Religion Some Historians say that she was poisoned with a pair of perfumed Gloves because they feared that she having a great spirit would discover the designe they had to massacre all the Hugonots but if I be not deceived this is a falsity it being more likely which others say that she died of a Tissick since those that were about her and served her have so testified Henry her Son who came after her being in Poictou received news of her death and presently took the Quality of King for hitherto he had onely born that of Prince of Navarre So soon as he came to Paris the unhappy Nuptials were celebrated the two parties being espoused by the Cardinal of Bourbon on a scaffold erected for that purpose before the Church of Nostre-Dame Six days after which was the day of St. Bartholomew all the Hugonots which were come to the solemnity had their throats cut amongst others the Admiral and twenty other Lords of remark twelve hundred Gentlemen three or four thousand Souldiers and Burgesses and through all the Cities of the Kingdome after the example of Paris near an hundred thousand men Execrable action which never had nor ever shall again if it please God finde its parallel What grief must it needs be to our young King to see in stead of Wine and Perfumes so much Blood shed at his Nuptials his best friends murthered and hear their pitiful cries which pierced his ears into the Louvre where he was lodged And moreover what trances and fears must needs surprize his very Person for in effect it was consulted whether they should murther him and the Prince of Condé with the rest and all the murderers concluded on their death nevertheless by a miracle they after resolved to spare them Charles the ninth caused them to be brought to his presence and having shewed them a mountain of dead bodies with horrible threats not hearkning to their reasons told them Either Death or the Mass. They elected rather the last then the first and abjured Calvinism but because it was known they did it not heartily they were so straitly observed that they could not escape the Court during those two years that Charles the ninth lived nor a long time after his death During this time our Henry exquisitely dissembled his discontents though they were very great and notwithstanding those vexations which might trouble his spirit he cloathed his visage with a perpetual serenity and humour wholly jolly This was without doubt the most difficult passage of his Life he had to do with a furious King and with his two Brothers to wit the Duke of Anjou a dissembling Prince and who had been educated in massacres and with the Duke of Alenzon who was deceitful and malitious with Queen Katherine who mortally hated him because her Divines had foretold his reign and in fine with the house of Guise whose puissance and credit was at present almost boundless He was doubtless necessitated to act with a marvellous prudence in the conduct of himself with all these people that he might not create in them the least jealousie but rather beget a great esteem of himself make submission and gravity accord and conserve his Dignity and Life in the mean time he dis-engaged himself from all these difficulties and from all these dangers with an unparallell'd address He contracted a great familiarity with the Duke of Guise who was about his own age and they often made secret parties of pleasure together but he agreed not so well with the Duke of Alenzon who had a capritious spirit nor was he over-much troubled at his ill accord with him because neither the King nor Queen-mother had any affection for this Duke However he gave no credit to the ill counsel of that Queens Emissaries who endeavoured to engage his contending in Duel against him so much the rather because that he considering him as the brother of his King to whom he ought respect he knew well it would have proved his loss and that she would not have been wanting to take so fair a pretext to ruine him He shunned likewise other snares laid for him but yet not all for he suffered himself to be overtaken with the allurements of some Ladies of the Court whom it is said that Queen served her self expressly of to amuse the Princes and Nobles and to discover all their thoughts From that time for Vices contracted in the blossome of youth generally accompany men to their tomb a passion for women was the greatest feebleness and weakness of our Henry and possibly the cause of his last misfortune for God punisheth sooner or later those who wickedly abandon themselves to this criminal passion Besides this he contracted no other
crimes in this Court and it ought to be attributed to a particular grace of Heaven that he was not infected with all for there was never any more vicious nor more corrupted Impiety Atheism Witchcraft all most horrible wickedness black ingratitude and perfidiousness poisoning and assassination reigning there in a soveraign degree yet all these abominations in stead of infecting him fortified him in the natural horror he had against them and though amongst wicked persons he had never any thoughts to become their Companion but many to be their Enemy On St. Bartholomews-day succeeding they would finish to exterminate the Hugonots and to this purpose the Duke of Anjou went to besiege Rochel carrying him with him but caused him to be so well observed that he could neither evade to the right hand nor the left It may be judged what heart-grief it was to him to be made an instrument in the destruction of those which yet remained his friends and servants and had refuged themselves in this City After a long siege it was relieved by the arrival of the Ambassadors of Poland who came to seek the Duke of Anjou whom the Estates of that Country had elected their King Some moneths afterwards Charles the ninth fell mortally sick vomiting forth blood through all the conduits of his body so that by many it was believed he was empoisoned but however it were it may justly be said if it be permitted to judge of Kings who ought to be judged by none but God That it was a Divine punishment for his blasphemies His extream malady gave birth to a league made by the Duke of Alenson the Marshals of Montmorency and Cossé and some Catholicks with the Hugonot party to deprive the Queen-mother of the Government and drive the Guises from the Court where they were very puissant Our Henry entred into it not out of any designe to oblige himself with those people but onely that he might have the means to retire with security into his own Country The Queen-mother having understood these practices caused him and the Duke of Alenson to be arrested and committed to Guard The Prince of Condé saved himself happily in Germany She caused likewise the two Marshals of Montmorency and Cossé to be secured and to let the world see she treated not Princes of their degree in this manner without sufficient cause she made them be strictly examined on many treasonable Interrogatories but which were all false there were onely put to death la Mole Coconas and Tourtray three Gentlemen of note who had engaged themselves in their intrigues and possibly this execution was necessary to calm the spirit of the Nobility and People who began to murmur that a son of France and the first Prince of the blood should be treated in this manner In this affair the Chancellour would have examined the King of Navarre but though captive and threatned he would not so much wrong his Dignity as to reply to him However to content the Queen-mother he made a long discourse addressing his speech to her by which he declared many things touching the present estate of affairs but charged no person as the Duke of Alenson had weakly and unworthily done King Charles the ninth being near his death and hating possibly not without reason both his two brothers and his mother sent to seek our Henry in whom alone he acknowledged to have found faith and honour and most affectionately recommended to him his wife and his daughter Katherine de Medicis knowing that he had sent for him was fearful lest he should leave to him the Regency and to this purpose would cast some fear into his soul to the end he should not dare to accept it As he went to attend the King who was at Bois de Vincennes she gave order he should be made pass under the Arches between the Guards who lay in ambush and posture to massacre him He startled at first with fear and recoiled two or three paces backwards however Nanzay le Chastre Captain of the Life-guards reassured him swearing to him he should receive no prejudice he was therefore constrained though he trusted but little to his words to pass through the Carabines and Halberds After the death of Charles the ninth Katherine de Medicis partly by force and partly by cunning seized on the Regency expecting the return of her dear Son the Duke of Anjou who was named Henry the third When he was returned from Poland she brought the two Princes before him to do with them what he pleased whom after some chidings and threatnings he set at liberty These two Princes making reflection on the continual dangers they had for two years past been in resolved with the first occasion to deliver themselves from these fears The Prince of Condé who was in Germany had raised Levies for the Hugonot party who about the end of the reign of Charles the ninth had retaken Arms and Damville second son to du Feu Constable and brother of the Marshal of Montmorency who was a prisoner in the Bastile had joyned himself to their party not taking Religion for his pretext because he was a Catholick but the publick Liberty and Reformation of the State This sort of Catholicks who joyned themselves in league with the Hugonots were named The Politicians Our Henry could not escape from the Court so soon as he desired he was diligently watched and his very Domesticks were as so many spies over him He well understood that if he were surprized whilst he endeavoured to save himself he should certainly be murthered and now whilst he sought occasions to do it with security he engaged himself in new snares becoming passionate of la Dame de Sauves wife to a Secretary of State and at present the fairest in the whole Court In the mean time the Queen-mother who with so much diligence kept him at Court could have been well contented he had been gone For the King her dear Son began to take some knowledge of his own affairs a thing much displeasing to her because she would have governed all she therefore apprehending that as he took the Authority into his own hands hers would be diminished believed that she ought to embroile all by factions and civil wars of which she alone as it may be said had the Key so that nothing could pass without her See here the reason wherefore so long as she lived she did underhand nothing but suscitate troubles and animate different parties both at Court and abroad that in the end after having caused the desolation of the Estate and the subversion of all Laws and all Orders she might her self perish in those flames which she had kindled and supplyed with so much fuel Amongst these transactions as the King went to Rheims to be enstalled a conspiracy was discovered against his Person fostred by the Duke of Alenson
at the instigation of the friends of the defunct Admiral and of de la Mole who had been his favourite many believed this to be a thing devised by the Queen-mother of purpose to astonish and weaken the spirit of her Son and the reason they had to believe it was because she obliged the King to pardon this crime so lightly none either of the Complices or Instigators being punished for it However it were Henry the third testified in this occasion a particular confidence in our King of Navarre who assisted by his friends served him as Captain of his Guards through the whole way never stirring from the boot of his Coach and in this appeared so much the more generous having no reason to love him beside the obligation of his duty being his kinsman and his vassal Henry the third being arrived at Rheims was on the fifteenth of the month of February installed by the Cardinal of Guise and on the marrow espoused to Louise de Lorrain daughter of the Count of Vaudemont which added yet a great lustre to the house of Guise of which Duke Henry was chief who was at present in favour though after killed at Blois This Prince one of the bravest in all manners that Age produced had ever promised himself to govern the King by Queen Louise his kinswoman He had contracted a very strait familiarity with the King of Navarre whom he called his Master as that King called him his Gossip Queen Margaret who to speak the truth could not live without Intrigues nor Galanteries contributed with all her power to the entertainment of this good intelligence and essayed to make the Monsieur who is he we call Duke d' Alenson enter into it whom she most passionately loved But the union of Princes being the ruine of Favorites and those that governed the Queen-mother straight broke this designe begetting in the King a jealousie of his wife incensing Monsieur against the Duke of Guise by the remembrance of the massacre of the Admiral continually confounding the King of Navarre by the intrigue of some Ladies but particularly of de Sauves who enjoying such person as Katherine commanded her received the love and services of Monsieur to create a difference between them The Queen-mother entertained likewise an irreconcileable hatred between the King and Monsieur by which means there arrived an affair which as much proclaimed the greatness of Courage and Generosity of our Henry as any action he had done in his life The King being fallen sick and in great danger of death with a pain in his ear believed himself to be poisoned as Francis the second had been and accused Monsieur In this belief he sent to seek the King of Navarre and commands him to dispatch Monsieur so soon as he was dead enforcing himself by all reasons possible to perswade him that that wicked one would make him perish and all his if he prevented it not The favorites of the King having the same opinion with their Master seeing Monsieur pass sacrificed him already to their revenge by murthering regards Our Henry endeavoured to sweeten the fury of the King and remonstrated to him the horrible consequences of this command but the King not content with reasons contrary to them emported himself in such manner that he would he should presently execute it for fear lest he should fail of it when he were dead If the two brothers to wit the King and Monsieur had been out of the world the Crown appertained to him Now one in all appearances was about to die and he might easily finde a death for the other having the Favorites the Officers of the King the Guise all their friends and almost all the Nobility at his devotion for Monsieur was a Prince of an ill presence and of low inclinations yet malign and cruel and for all these fair qualities hated by almost all the world and sustained onely by the brave Bussy d' Amboise How few Princes are there that would have let slip so fair an occasion I dare boldly speak it how few are there would not seek it and yet our Hero for in such an action I must of force call him so was so far from prevailing himself of it that he conceived a horrour at the furious vengeance of Henry the third There is no nobler ambition then to know how to moderate ambition when it is not just and to endeavour to conserve our conscience and honour rather then acquist a crown by wicked ways Diadems gained by ill means are not marks of glory to those fronts that carry them but rather frontlets of infamy such as are placed on Thieves and Villains Heaven without doubt approved the generous sentiments of our Henry and destined to him the Scepter of the Flower de Luce because guiltless of an impatience to reach it before his degree On the contrary these brothers of the house of Valois who endeavoured to ravish it one from the other died all unhappily and had him for their successour who by a crime refused to be so Henry the third being recovered knew well that he had wrongfully accused his brother to have impoisoned him yet he loved him never a whit the more he dayly suffered his favorites to give him a thousand affronts and to domineer over him in the publick Assemblies He would likewise cause Bussy d' Amboise who was his favorite and onely support to be murthered by night at the gates of the Louvre and it was believed he had given order if the Duke of Alenzon had gone to his assistance for there were people appointed to come and tell him that Bussy was assassinated to slay him likewise In such manner that getting the bridle out of his teeth he escaped from Court put himself in the field gathered together some male-contents composed an Army and joyned with that of the Hugonots commanded by the Prince of Condé and by Casimir youngest son of the Count Palatine who in these civil wars of the Religion twice or thrice led great levies of German Horse into France Our Henry was puissantly sollicited to follow him and Monsieur said he had promised him to do it but they had taken from about him all those who might favour his escape and placed in their stead people of their own hire He was moreover promised the Lieutenant-Generalship of the Kings Army which was a strong lure to retain him nor was the love of the fair de Sauves less powerful However the natural spurs of his courage and the fear he had left Monsieur and the Prince of Condé should seize on the chief Command amongst the Hugonot party which had been his Cradle and was to be his Castle the remonstrances of some of his servants and the inventions of Queen Katherine who expresly incensed the King against him in the end obliged him to escape and made him take his resolution He saved himself therefore by feigning to go on the Chace
That force could not justly be employed against him who so far submitted himself to reason and the greatest part of the Nobility approved this generous procedure and proclaimed aloud that the Duke of Guise ought not to refuse so great an honour That Duke wanted no courage to accept the Defiance but he considered that drawing his sword against a Prince of the blood was in France accounted a kinde of Parricide that otherwise he could willingly have reduced the cause of Religion and of the Publick to a particular Quarrel He therefore prudently answered That he esteemed the person of the King of Navarre and would have no controversie with him but that he onely interested himself for the Catholick Religion which was threatned and for the tranquillity of the Kingdome which onely and absolutely depended on the unity of Religion His other Action was thus Having understood the noise of those paper-Thunder-bolts which the Pope had thrown out against him he dispatched one to the King to make his Complaints to him and to remonstrate to him That this procedure concerned his Majesty nearer then himself That he ought to judge That if the Pope took upon him to decide concerning his succession and should seize to himself a right to declare a Prince of the blood unable of the Crown he might afterwards well pass further and dethrone himself as Zachary is reported to have formerly degraded Childeric 3. Upon these Remonstrances the King hindred the publication of those Bulls in his Dominions But our Henry not contenting himself there with knowing himself to have friends at Rome proved so hardy as to fix his and the Prince of Condé his opposition at the corners of the chiefest streets of the City by which those Princes appealed from the sentence of Sixtus to the Court of Peerage of France giving the Lye to whoever accused them of the crime of Heresie offering to prove the contrary in a general Council and in the end professing that they would revenge upon him and upon all his successours the injury done their King the Royal Family and all the Courts of Parliament It could not but be supposed that this opposition would incense to the utmost the spirit of Sixtus the fifth and indeed at first he testified a very furious emotion However when his Choler was a little asswaged he admired the great Courage of that King who at such a distance had known how to revenge himself and fix the marks of his resentment even at the gates of his Palace in such manner that he conceived so great an esteem for him so true is it that Vertue makes it self be reverenced by its very enemies that he was often afterwards heard say That of all those who reigued in Christendome there was none but this Prince and Elizabeth Queen of Enland to whom he would have communicated those great things which agitated his spirit if they had not been Hereticks Nor could all the prayers of the League ever oblige him to furnish any thing towards the charges of this War which possibly overwhelmed the greatest part of their Enterprizes because their hopes in part depended on a Million which he had promised them Now as on their side the Chiefs of the League endeavoured to engage on their party all the Lords and Cities they could our Henry on his part re-united with him all his friends both of the one and the other Religion the Marshal of Damville-Montmorency Governour of Languedoc the Duke of Montpensier Prince of the blood who was Governour of Poictou with his Son the Prince of Dombes the Prince of Condé who held a part of Poictou of Xaintonge and of Angoumois the Count of Soissons and the Prince of Conty his brother Of these five Princes of the blood the three last were his Cousen-Germans the two first were removed one degree further and all professed the Catholick Religion save onely the Prince of Condé He had likewise on his part Lesdiguieres who from a plain Gentleman had by his Valour elevated himself to so high a point that he was Master of the Daulphinate and made the Duke of Savoy tremble Claudius de la Trimouille who possessed great Lands in Poictou and Brittany and was sometimes before turned Hugonot that he might have the honour to marry his Daughter to the Prince of Condé Henry de la Tour Viscount of Turenne who either out of complacency or true perswasion had espoused the new Religion Chastillon son to the Admiral of Coligny la Boulaye Lord Poitevin Rene chief of the house of Rohan George de Clermont d' Amboise Francis Count of Rochefoucaud the Lord de Aubetterre James de Caumontla-force the Seigneurs de Pons Saint Gelais-Lansac with many other Lords and Gentlemen of remark all or most of the new Religion At the same time he dispatched to Elizabeth Queen of England and to the Protestant Princes of Germany such able Agents that they joyned all together in a strong Union The One to maintain the Other so that all these being united all things arrived contrary to what the League expected and our Henry found himself fortified in such manner that he had no longer any apprehension of being oppressed without having the means to defend himself I shall not make here a particular Recital of the Actions either of the one or the other party during the years 1585. and 1586. because I have observed nothing very considerable King Henry the third was extreamly perplexed at this War which was maintained at his expence and to his great prejudice since they disputed the succession he yet living and well and already considered him as one dead He loved neither the one nor the other party but did so much cherish his Favourites strange blindness that he could have desired had it been in his power to have parted his Estate amongst them The League on their side pretended to have power enough to carry it and our Henry hoped to frustrate the designes both of the one and the other The Queen-mother having other wishes for the children of her Daughter married to the Duke of Lorrain promised the King to finde means to calm all these tempests To this purpose she procured a Truce with our Henry during which an Interview was agreed upon between him and her at the Castle of St. Brix near Coignac where both the one and the other met in the month of December There was some difficulty to finde security both for the one and the other but especially for the Queen-mother who was wonderfully distrustful Our Henry hereupon did an Action of great Generosity which he managed in this manner There had a Truce been agreed upon for the security of this Conference in such sort that if either party broke it they were in fault and might justly be arrested now some of our Henry's followers feigning to be Traytors had enticed some of the Catholick-Captains too greedy of the booty to Fontenay which they
pretext for raising his Siege from before Paris To put his body in a place where the resentment of the Duke of Guises creatures might not outrage it he carried it to Compeigne and laid it in the Abbey of S. Cornille where he celebrated all the funebrous Ceremonies as honourably as the confusion of the time would permit Not able to assist himself because of his Religion he committed the care to Bellegarde and Espernon the last of which accompanied him thither and then retired into Angoumois There were three advices given concerning the place to which he ought to retire when he raised his siege from Paris The first was to repass the Loire and abandon to the League all the Provinces on this side it because he could difficultly maintain them The second to re-advance along the Marne and seizing those Bridges and Cities expect an assistance from the Protestant Suisses and Germans promised to come to him And the third to march down into Normandy to assure himself of some Cities whose Governours were not yet engaged in the League to gather the mony received for Taxes and to joyne with the Assistance of England which Queen Elizabeth had promised him and which could not be long absent He concluded on the last of these advices and so many of the Nobles who accompanied him desiring some time to go and refresh themselves he gave them leave He sent a part of his Troops into Picardie under the Conduct of the Duke of Longueville another into Campaine under that of Marshal d' Aumont and with three thousand French foot two Regiments of Suisses and twelve hundred horse only which he kept with him he descended into Normandy The Duke of Montpensier who was Governour there came to joyne him with two hundred Gentlemen and fifteen hundred Foot Rolet Governour of Pont d' Arche a man of Courage and Spirit brought him the Keys of that place demanding no other recompence but the honour to serve him Emer de Chattes a Commandadoâ—e of Malta did the same with those of Diepe After which the King approached Rouen where he believed to have some intelligence This Enterprize put him in extream danger but in revenge gave him a fair occasion to acquist Glory in retiring himself from so great a peril See how it passed The Duke of Mayenne came to the succour of Rouen with all his forces and passed the Rivers at Vernon The King much astonished retires to Diepe and sends to the Duke of Longueville and d' Aumont to return to him with diligence with their forces The Duke in the mean time takes all the little places about Diepe to inviron and invest himself within In effect he shuts him up so close that if he had not amused himself by an untimely motion to go to Bins in Hainault to confer with the Duke of Parma he had in that disorder dissipated the greatest part of his little Army He had already caused a report to be spread through France and had writ with assurance to all strange Princes That he held the King of Navarre so he called him shut up in a little corner from whence he could not get but either by yeilding himself to him or leaping into the Sea The danger appeared so eminent even to his most faithful servants that the Parliament at Tours sent expresly to him a Master of Requests proposing as the onely expedient they saw to save the Estate the associating him and the Cardinal of Bourbon his Uncle in the Royalty giving to One the conduct of Civil Affairs and the Other of Martial There were likewise the greatest part of the Captains of his Army of opinion that leaving his Forces on shore well intrenched in their posts he should as soon as possible embarque for England or for Rochel for fear lest if he should longer delay it he might be shut up by Sea as well as by Land To the Proposition of the Parliament he made answer That he had taken such good order that the intrigues of the Duke of Mayenne could not deliver the Cardinal of Bourbon as they apprehended and the Marshal of Byron so stoutly opposed those who counselled him to embarque that they desisted It appeared soon after by the proof that the Forces of the League which were thrice as great as his were not to be feared in proportion to their number and that the more Commanders they had the less their power was to be doubted The King was lodged at the Castle d'Arques which is seated on a little Hill to stop the passage of the Valley which goes to Diepe The Duke had formed a Designe to take this Post by Sea by four or five Reprises and on divers days he essayed to assault the Suburbs of Polet and four or five times was driven back Our Henry dayly doing wonders and exposing himself so much that once he thought he should have been surprized and encompassed by his Enemies In fine the Duke having lost eleven days time and a thousand or twelve hundred men raised the Siege and retired into Picardy It was believed that he passed into this Province upon a fear lest the Picards a free and honest people but very simple should permit themselves to be surprized by the Artifices of the Agents of Spain who would engage them to cast themselves under the protection of the King their Master It was observed likewise that that which hindred the success of his enterprize at Diepe and which kept him two or three days without enterprizing any thing at the time he ought to have done it was the jealousie and contentions between the Chiefs that accompanied him particularly of the Marquess dâ— Pâ—ntâ—-Mousson Son to the Duke of Lorrain of the Duke of Nemours and of Cavalier d'Aumale for they believing the taking of the King infallible or at least his flight assured and disposing already of the Kingdome as of their Conquest regarded one another with an Eye of jealousie and each formed designes in his head to have the better part of it It was observed likewise that in one of these Combats of Diepe the Duke of Mayenne having at present some advantage had gained an entire Victory if he had advanced but a quarter of an hour quicker but marching too slowly he let slip that opportunity he could never redeem which made the King who well observed his faulâ— say If he act not in another manner I shall be assured always to gain the Field I have recounted these Particularities because they make known the defaults of that great Body of the League and the true causes which hindred its progress and reduced it to nothing I finde three principal ones The first was the distrust which the Duke of Mayenne had of the Spaniards for though he could not be without them yet he could not but regard them as his secret Enemies and they assisted him not for love of himself but out of the
Louvre and demanding his opinion of it The Escurial is much another thing said Don Pedro. I believe it replyed the King but has it a Paris about it like my Gallery One day Don Pedro seeing at the Louvre the Kings Sword in the hands of one of his followers advanced to it and putting one knee on the ground kissed it rendring this honour said he to the most glorious Sword in Christendom During the truce of eight months of which we have spoken the President Janin incessantly laboured for a Treaty There were two great difficulties one that the King of Spain would not treat with the United Provinces but as with Subjects and they would have him acknowledge them to be free and independent the other that the Prince of Orange whose power and authority would be extremely weakned by the Peace opposed it by a thousand Artifices being sustained in it by the Province of Zealand who ever desired War and by some Cities of its faction These two obstacles were in the end surmounted The Spaniard yeilded to the first and acknowledged that he owned the States for Free States Provinces and Countries and about the second the King spoke so high to the Prince of Orange that he durst not stop the course of the Treaty It ended no longer however in a Peace but onely in a Truce of twelve years which was free and assured Commerce on one part and on the other The renown of this accommodation carried the Kings glory throughout all Europe The Duke of Venice told our Ambassador in the Senate That that Signory entred into new admiration of the prudent conduct of our King who never deceived himself in his undertaking nor never gave blow in vain that he was the true upholder of the repose and felicity of Christendom and that it had nothing of happiness to desire but that he might reign for ever An Elogie so much the more worthy and glorious because we may say with truth that Venice hath still been the Seat of Politick wisdome and that the prayses which came from that Senate are as so many Oracles The Friendship and Protection of this great King was sought on all sides all was referred to his Arbitration and all implored his assistance And as he was equally powerful as wise feared as loved there was none who durst contradict his judgement or assault those whom he protected But he was so just that he would not enterprize any thing upon the Rights of another nor maintain the Rebellions of Subjects against their Soveraign A certain proof of which he gave to the Maurisques It is known how heretofore the Moores or Sarazins invaded all Spain towards the year 725. The Christians with the aid of the French had regained it from them by little and little so that there remained no more then the Kingdom of Granada which was little in Extent but very rich and extremely populous because all the remnants of that infidel Nation were retired into that little space Ferdinand King of Arragon and Isabella Queen of Castile finished the Conquest of that Kingdom in the year 1492. and so put an end to the Government of the Moores and to the Mahumetan Religion in Spain constraining the Infidels to take Baptism or to retire into Affrica Now as those who had thus professed the Christian Religion had done it perforce they for the most part remained Mahumetans in their hearts or Jews for there were many Jews amongst them and secretly brought up their children in their incredulity To which likewise the Spanish Rigor did much contribute putting great distinction between the new Christians and the old For they received not the new ones either to Charges or Sacred Orders they allied not themselves with them and which is worse made a thousand avanies upon them and oppressed them with excessive â—mposts So that these unfortunate people seeing themselves thus trampled on and being too weak of themselves to loosen themselves from their Yoak they resolved to address themselves to some strange power but which should be Christian because that of the King of Morrocco or the other Princes of Affrica would have appeared too odious To this effect they had secret recourse by Deputies to our Henry when he was then but King of Navarre Afterwards in the year 1595. when they saw that he had overcome the League and had got the upper hand in his affairs they again implored his Protection He hearkned favourably to their propositions sent disguised Agents into Spain to see the Estate of their affairs and made them hope that he would assist them And truly he might have done it since then he was in War with the King of Spain and it is lawful to make use of all sorts of Arms to defend our selves against our enemies But now being returned this year 1608. to sollicite him instantly to accept their propositions and offers and to hear the answer from his own mouth he plainly let them know that the quality of thrice-Christian King which he bore permitted him not to undertake their defence so long as the peace of Vervin lasted but that if the Spaniard should first openly infringe it he should have just cause to receive them into his Protection Their Deputies having lost all hopes on this side addressed themselves to the King of England whom they found yet less disposed then he to lend them assistance In the mean time their plots having taken wind in the Court of Spain caused both fear and astonishment for they were near a million of souls and were possessed of almost all the Traffick particularly that of Oiles which is very great in that Country King Philip the third found no other secure way to hinder the dangerous effects of their conspiracies but banishing them quite out of his Territories which he did by an Edict of the tenth of January in the year 1610. which was executed with much cruelty Inhumanity and Treachery For in Transporting these unfortunate people into Affrica as they had demanded part were drowned in the Sea others despoiled of all they had so that those who remained to depart perceiving the ill Treatment of their Companions fled towards France one part by land to St. John de Lus to the number of one hundred and fifty thousand others in French Vessels who brought them into divers ports of the Kingdom But to speak truth those who came by land were not much better treated by the French then the others had been by the Spaniards for in crossing the Countries they were almost all robbed and stript and their Wives and Daughters ravished so that finding so little safety in a Country wherein they believed they might find refuge they embarqued by the Kings permission in the Ports of Languedoc and crossed over into Affrica where they are become implacable and most cruel enemies to all Christians There remained some families in the Maritime Cities of the Kingdom
not here tell the mischiefs and inconveniencies which this wicked invention hath caused and doth daily cause The most stupid may easily know them and see well that it is a disease whose remedy at present is difficult I will not charge this History with all the Ceremonies and Rejoycings made at the Birth and Baptism of all the Children of Henry the Great nor at divers Marriages of the Princes and Grandees of the Court amongst others of the Prince of Conde and the Duke of Vendosme which were made in the Month of July 1609. The Prince of Conde Espoused Câ—anlatta Margarita of Montmorency Daughter of the Constable who was wonderfully fair and had a presence absolutely noble which the King having considered was more lively struck with her then he had ever been with any other which caused a little after the retreat of the Prince of Conde who carried her into Flanders and thence retired to Milain Not without the Kings extreme displeasure to see the first Prince of his blood cast himself into his enemies hands The Duke of Vendosme Espoused Madamoiselle de Merceur to whom he had been affianced since the year one thousand six hundred ninety seven as we have said before however the Mother of the Lady standing upon high punctilio's of honour brought many troubles to the accomplishment of this Marriage so that it had never been made had not the King highly concerned himself in it This was none of the least difficulties of his life for he had a high and obstinate spirit to bend however he employed only ways of sweetness and perswasion acting in this business only as a Father who loved his Son and not as a King who would be obeyed Now will I speak of his ordinary divertisements Hunting Building Feasts Play and Walking I will adde only That in Feasts and Merriments he would appear as good a Companion and as Jovial as another That he was of a merry humour when he had the glass in his hand though very sober That his Mirth and good Discourses were the delicatest part of the good Chear That he witnessed no less Agility and Strength in Combats at the Barriers Courses at the Ring and all sorts of Gallantries then the youngest Lords That he took delight in Balls and Danced sometimes but to speak the truth with more affection then good grace Some carped that so great a Prince should abase himself to such follies and that a Grey-beard should please to act the young man It may be said for his excuse that the great toiles of his spirit had need of these divertisements But I know not what to answer to those who reproach him with too great a love to playing at Cards and Dice little befitting a great King and that withal he was no fair Gamester but greedy of Coin fearful at great Stakes and humorous upon a loss To this I must acknowledge that it was a fault in this great King who was no more exempt from Blots then the Sun from Beams It might be wished for the honour of his memory that he had been only guilty of this but that continual weakness he had for fair Ladiesâ— was another much more blamable in a Christian Prince in a of his age who was married to whom God had shewed so many graces and who had conceived such great designs in his spirit Sometimes he had desires which were passant and only fixt for a night but when he met with beauties which struck him to the heart he loved even to folly and in these transports appeared nothing less then Henry the Great The Fable saies that Hercules took the Spindle and Spun for the love of the fair Omphale Henry did something more mean for his Mistresses He once disguised himself like a Country-man with a Wallet of straw on his back to come to the fair Gabriella And it hath been reported that the Marchioness of Verneuil hath seen him more then once at her feet weeping his disdains and injuries Twenty Romances might be made of the intrigues of his several loves with the Countess of Guiche when he was yet but King of Navarre with Jacqueline of Bueil whom he made Countess of Moret and with Charlotta d' Essards without counting many other Ladies who held it a glory to have some Charm for so great a King The high esteem and affection which the French had for him hindred them from being offended at so scandalous a liberty but the Queen his wife was extremely perplexed at it which hourly caused controversies between them and carried her to disdains and troublesom humours The King who was in fault endured it very patiently and employed his greatest Confidents and sometimes his Confessor to appease his spirit So that he had continually a reconciliation to make And these contentions were so ordinary that the Court which at first were astonished at them in the end took no more notice Conjugal duty without doubt obliged the King not to violate his faith to his Legitimate Spouse at least not to keep his Mistresses in her sight but if he in this point ought to have been a good husband so he ought to be likewise in that of Authority and in accustoming his wife to obey him with more submission and not perplex him as she did with hourly complaints reproaches and sometimes threats The trouble and displeasure of these domestick broiles certainly retarded the Execution of that great design which he had formed for the good and perpetual repose of Christendom and in fine for the destruction of the Ottoman power Many have spoken diversely but see here what I find in the Memoires or Notes of the Duke of Sully who certainly must know something being as he was so great a Confident of this Kings which makes me report it from him The King said he desiring to put in Execution those projects he had conceived after the Peace of Vervin believed that he ought first to establish in his Kingdom an unshaken Peace by reconciling all spirits both to him and among themselves and taking away all causes of bitterness And that moreover it was necessary for him to choose people capable and faithful who might see in what his Revenue or Estate might be bettered and instruct him so well in all his Affairs that he might of himself take Counsels and discern the good from the ill feasible from impossible enterprizes and such as were proportionate to his Revenues For an expence made beyond them draws the peoples curses and those are ordinarily followed by Gods He granted an Edict to the Hugonots that the two Religions might live in Peace Afterwards he made a certain and fixed Order to pay his debts and those of the Kingdom contracted by the disorders of the times the profusions of his Ancestors and by the payments and purchases of men and places which he was forced to make during the League Sully shewed him an account
Assaults to wit Hungary and Poland against those of the Turks and Swedeland and Poland against the Muscovites and Tartars After when all these fifteen Dominions had been well established with their rights their Governours and Limits which he hoped might be done in less then three years they should together of their own accord have chosen three general Captains two by Land and one by Sea who should all at once have assaulted the Ottoman-house to which each Dominion should have contributed a certain quantity of Men Ships Artillery and Money according to the Tax imposed The sum in gross which they should furnish out should amount to two hundred sixty five thousand foot-men fifty thousand horse a train of two hundred and seventeen pieces of Cannon with Waggons Officers and Ammunition proportionable and one hundred and seventeen great Ships without counting Vessels of less force Fire-ships or Ships of burden This establishment would have been advantagious to all the Princes and Estates of Europe There was onely the house of Austria which would suffer any loss and which was to be despoiled to accommodate others But the project was laid to make them either willingly or by force consent in this manner First it is to be supposed that on the part of Italy the Pope the Venetians and the Duke of Savoy were well informed of the Kings designes and that they ought to assist with all their forces especially the Savoyard who was moreover extreamly animated because the King gave his Daughter in marriage to his son Victor Amadeo In Germany four Electors to wit the Palatine Brandebourg Colen and Ments were likewise to know it and favour it and the Duke of Bavaria had their word and that of the King to raise him to the Empire and many Imperial Cities had already addressed themselves to the King to beseech him to honour them with his protection and to maintain them in their Priviledges which had been abolished by the house of Austria In Bohemia and Hungaria there was intelligence held with the Lords and Nobility and that the people desperate with the weight of that yoak were ready to shake it off and to relieve themselves on the first proffered occasion All these dispositions being so favourable to him the business of Cleves happened of which we at present shall speak which furnished him with a fair occasion to begin the execution of his projects which he was to do in this manner Having raised an Army of forty thousand men as he did he was in his march to dispatch towards all the Princes of Christendome to give them the knowledge of his just and holy intentions After under the pretext of going to Cleves he was to seize all the passages of la Mense and all at once assault Charlemont Mastrich and Namur which were but ill fortified At the same time the Cities of the Low-Countries had cryed out for liberty and the Lords put themselves in the Field for the same purpose and had blazoned the Belgique Lyon with the Flowers de Lis. The Hollanders had infested the Coasts with their Ships in very great number to hinder the Traffick of the Flemins by Sea as it was shut up by the French by Land which should have been done of purpose to hasten the people to shake off the Spanish Rule and to address themselves to the King and to the Princes his Associates to pray the King of Spain to put them in liberty and out of his goodness to restore peace to them which they could never hope so long as they were under his Dominion In all probable appearance at the approach of so great an Army by reason of the intelligences of the principal Lords by the insurrection of the great Cities and of the love which these people have still had for liberty Flanders would all have risen especially when they had seen the wonderful order and exact discipline of his souldiers who should have lived like good Guests paying for all and not doing the least outrage upon pain of death and when it should be known that he laboured for the safety of the people not reserving any thing of all his Conquests but the glory and the satisfaction of having restored those Provinces to themselves without keeping so much as a Castle or Village to himself At the same time that he had put Flanders into a free state and accommodated the difference of the succession of Cleves all the Princes interested in this business the Electors we have named and the Deputies of many great Cities were to come and thank him and intreat him that he would joyn his Prayers and his Authority to the supplications they had to make to the Emperour to dispose him to restore the Estates and Cities of the Empire to their ancient Rights and Immunities above all in the free Election of a King of the Romans without using any practices constraints promises and threats And that for this effect it should be from that moment resolved that they should elect one of another house then that of Austria They had agreed among themselves that it should be the Duke of Bavaria The Pope had joyned with them in this request which had been made with such instance that it had been difficult for the Emperor being unarmed as he was to have refused it The like request had been made to the King and his Associates by the people of Bohemia Hungary Austria Stiria and Carinthia above all for the right they had themselves to make choice of their Prince and to put themselves under that form of Government they should think best by the advice of their friends and allies To which the King condescending had used all sorts of fair means prayers and supplications even below his dignity that it might be seen he intended not so much to serve himself of power as of equity and reason After this the Duke of Savoy by the same way had demanded of the King of Spain with all sorts of civility and in the name of his children that he would be pleased to give them a Dower for their Mother as good and advantagious as he had to their Aunt Isabella and in case of refusal the King was to permit Lesdiguieres to assist him with fifteen thousand Footmen and two thousand Horse for the Conquest of Milan or the Country of Lombardy in which he would have been favoured by the greatest part of the Princes of Italy This done he with his Associates were to beseech the Pope and the Venetians to become Arbitrators between him and the King of Spain to terminate friendly these differences which were ready to break forth between them by reason of Naples Sicily Navarre and Roussillon And then to shew that he had no thought to aggrandize himself nor other ambition then to settle the repose of Christendom he had shewed himself ready to yeild to the Spaniard Navarre and Roussillon so that
accord the party had by this means conserved its bonds together and not been overthrown but appeased When he had got the upperhand in his Affairs and was reconciled to the Pope and that his subjects were reconciled with him the ill counsel of the Hugonots who desired always to see him in trouble perswaded him to declare a War against Spain It was now that he thought he should fall into a worse Estate then ever They took from him Dourlens after the gain of one battel Calais and Ardres by storm and Amiens by surprize The rest of the League which lay hid under the cinders began to rekindle the discontents of the great ones to be discovered Conspiracies were formed on all sides his servants were amazed his enemies emboldened But his Vertue which seemed to sleep in prosperity rouzed it self in adversity he encouraged his friends re-took Amiens and forced the Spaniard to make peace by the treaty of Vervin The Duke of Savoy thinking to deceive him in the restitution of the Marquisate of Saluces and to raise factions in his Realm which should hinder the King from demanding reason of him found that he had to do with a Prince who knew as well how to over reach him in his designes as to conquer his forces for he forced him among those rocks where he boasted he had nothing to fear but the thunder-bolts of Heaven and made him shamefully restore what he had unjustly usurped At the same time the King had thoughts as well for the security and tranquillity of France as for his own to generate Children of a lawful marriage Heaven gave him six and with them a peace of ten years which was onely lightly troubled by the conspiracy of Byron by the devices of the Duke of Bouillon and by some popular risings against the Pancarte or Sol pour livre During all this he laboured principally for two things the one his great designe of which we have spoken for which he made friends and allies on all sides cleared his revenues paid his debts with as good credit as if he had been a Merchant gathered monies and pacified all differences which were between those Princes with whom he would associate The other was to repair the damages and ruines of France which a forty years civil War had caused remove those causes which imbittered and divided spirits reform those disorders which disfigured the face of the Estate make it flourishing and rich to the end his subjects might live happily under the wings of his protection and his justice In the mean time himself was not free from troubles perplexities and disgusts his Mistresses caused him a thousand vexations in the midst of his pleasures he found thorns even in his Nuptial-bed and in the ill humour of his wife and Conchini was causer of griefs to him just as a little but vexatious Mouse may furiously trouble and turmoile the noble Lyon As he was ready to mount on horse-back to begin his great designe by the assistance of his Allies he lost his Life by the most detestable Parricide was ever known Thus he whom so many Pikes so many Musquets and Cannons so many Squadrons and Battalions of men could not hurt in the trenches and in the field of battel was killed with a Knife by a wicked and trayterous Rogue in the midst of his capital City in a Coach and on a day of publick Joy Unhappy blow which put an end to all the joys of France and which opened a wound which to this day hath left its scar. Henry was of a middle stature disposed and active hardened to labour and travel His body was well formed his temperament able and strong and his health perfect onely about the age of fifty years he had some light assaults of the Gout but which soon passed away and left behinde them no weakness He had his forehead high his eyes lively and assured his nose Aquiline his complexion ruddy his countenance sweet and noble and yet withal his presence Warlike and Martial his hair brown and very thin He wore his beard large and his hair very short He began to grow gray at the age of thirty five years upon which he was accustomed to say to those who wonder'd at it It is the wind of my adversities hath blown me this Indeed to consider well all his life from his very birth few Princes will be found who have suffered so much as he and it will be difficult to tell if he had more crosses or more prosperities He was born the Son of a King but of a King despoiled of his Estates He had a Mother generous and of a great courage but a Hugonot and an enemy of the Court He gained the battel of Coutras but he lost a little after the Prince of Conde his Cousin and his right hand The League stirred up his vertue and made him know it but it thought to overthrow him It was the cause that the King having called him to his assistance he found himself at the gates of Paris as if God had led him by the hand but Paris armed it self against him and all his hopes were almost dissipated by the scattering of the Army which besieged that City It was without doubt a great happiness that the Crown of France fell to him there having never been a succession more distant in any hereditary Estate for there were ten or eleven degrees between Henry the third and him and when he was born there was nine Princes of the blood before him to wit King Henry 2. and his five sons King Anthony of Navarre his father and two sons of that Anthony eldest brothers of our Henry All these Princes died to make room for his succession But he found it so embroyled that we may say he suffered an infinity of labours pains and hazards before he could gather the fair flowers of this Crown Young he espoused the sister of King Charles which seemed a match very advantagious for him but this marriage was a snare to entrap both him and his friends Afterwards that Lady in stead of being his Consort became his trouble and in stead of being his honour became his shame His second Wife brought him forth fair children to his no little joy but her grumblings and disdains were the causers of a thousand discontents He triumphed over all his enemies and became Arbitrator of Christendom but the more powerful he made himself the more was their hatred envenomed and the more means used they to destroy him so that after having plotted an infinite number of conspiracies against his life they found in the end a Ravaillac who executed in the end what so many others had failed in Now it must be acknowledged that all these adversities which he suffered ought to whet his spirit and his courage and that in fine he should be the greatest of Kings because he came to the Crown through so many difficulties and in an age very mature And certainly it is
sends forth enlivenings and joy into the eyes of all that behold it To continue the Metamorphosis I will yet say that so many wise Laws which he made for Justice for Policy and for his Revenues so many good and useful Establishments of all sorts of Manufactures which produced to France the yearly profit of many Millions so many proud buildings as the Galleries of the Louvre the Pont-neuf the Place Royal the Colledge Royal the Keys for Merchants of the River Seine Fontain-bleau Monceaux St. Germain so many publick works Bridges Causwaies Highwaies repaired so many Churches rebuilded in many places of the Realm should be as the Ingravements and Imbellishments Let us Crown then with a thousand prayses the immortal memory of that great King the love of the French and the terror of the Spaniards the Honour of his age and the Admiration of Posterity Let us make him live in our hearts and in our affections in despite of the rage of those wicked persons deprived him of life Let us shout forth as many Acclamations to his glory as he hath done benefits to France He was a Hereules who cut off the Head of the Hydra by overturning the League He was greater then Alexander and greater then Pompey because he was as Valiant but he was more Just he gained as many victories but he gained more hearts He conquered the Gaules as well as Julius Caesar but he conquered them to give them liberty and Caesar subjugated them to enslave them Let his Name then be raised above that of the Hercules the Alexanders the Pompeys and the Gaesars Let his Reign be the Model of good Kings and his Examples the clear Lights to illuminate the eyes of other Princes Let his Posterity be Eternally Crowned with the Flowers de Lis Let them be alwaies happy alwaies Triumphant And to compleat our wishes let Lewis the Victorious his Grand-child Resemble or if it be possible Surpass him FINIS The Life of Hen. the Great divided into three parts The first The second The third His Genealogie Who Antho. de Bourbon his father was a Peter sixth Son to Lewis le gross espoused Isabella Heiress of Courtnay and took both Name and Arms a fault very prejudicial to his posterity b The branch of Bourbon produced many among others that of Vendosme Charles Duke of Vendosme had Anthony and six other sons Who Jane d' Albret his Mother was 〈◊〉 of Bourbon Duke of Vendosme and Jane d' Albret married at Moulins 1547. 1552. Henry the Great conceived at la Fleche 1553. His mother sings at her delivery of him He cries not at his birth So soon as born his grandfather carries him into his chamber he rubs his lips with Garlick makes him taste wine The Spaniards Raillery concerning the birth of his mother Her fathers Reply to it 1554. Baptism of Hen. 4. His godfathers and godmother He was hard to bring up He had for Governess Madam de Miossens His grandfather permits him not to be nourished delicately * It hath been said that he was ordinarily nourished with coarse bread beef cheese and garlick and that oftentimes he was made to march with naked feet and brre headed The death of Henry d' Albret 1555. His daughter son-in-law succeed him and retire from the Court. 1557. 1558. 1559. Death of King Henry the second Francis 2. succeeâ—s Divisions at Court 1560. Death of Francis 2. Charles 9. succeeds Queen Katherine declared Regent and the King of Navarre Lieutenant-General of the Realm 1562. He is killed before Rouen 1562. The Queen his wife returns to Bearn and embraces Calvinism 1566. She taâ— her son from the Court and gives him a Master instructs him in ill Doctrine 1567. Henry Prince of Navarre declared chief of the Religion 1569. Louys Prince of Condé his Uncle his Lieutenant with Admiral Coligny A judicious action when yet an infant b This Duke of Anjou was King after Hen. 3 Another action very judicious at the battle of Jarnac Lewis Prince of Condé slain After his death the Admiral commands all He hazards the battle of Montcontour Our Prince impatâ—ent to engage but hindred Gives marks of his judgement 1570. He with the Admiral continues the War The peace of Arnay-le-Duc 1571. A Resolution to entrap the Hugonots and exterminate them Death of Jane d' Albret Her son takes the quality of King of Navarre He marries the King of France his sister Massacre of St. Bartholomew The grief and fear of our young King He is constrained to turn Catholick 1572. His great dangers troubles at Court His wise prudent conduct He contracts friendship with the Duke of Guise He shuns contention with Duke d' Alenzon but lets himself be overcome by the beauty of Ladies which was his greatest weakness 1572. He fell not into any other of the horrible Vices of the Court. 1573. The Duke of Anjou besieges Rochel and carries the King with him The siege raised by the election of Duke d' Anjou to the Kingdome of Poland 1574. Charles 9. falls mortally sick at Bois de Vincennes A league made at Court into which Henry enters The Queen-mother discovering it causes him the Duke Alenson c to be arrested and la Mole Coconas Tourtray to be put to death The Chancellour would examine the King of Navarre Charles 9. near his death sends for him 1574. Queen Katherine alarm'd would affright him After the death of Charles 9. she seizeth on the Regency The two Princes set at liberty The Prince of Condé was in Germany The King of Navarre cannot escape as he desires He falls in love with a Lady The Queen-mother alluminates all the factions and civil wars 1575. Conspiracy against Henry 3. who confides in our Henry Henry 3. anointed and espoused to Louis de Lorrain Familiarity between our Henry and the Duke of Guise The Queen-mother breaks this union Henry 3. falls very sick a Francis 2 died of an Aposthume in his ear which was believed to come of poyson A noble and generous action of our Henry 1575. 1576. Monsieur departs from Court and joyns with the Hugonots Our Henry could not soon follow him but at length saves himself at Alenzon Peace made with Monsieur and the Hugonots 1576. Our Henry again turns Hugonot He is received into Rochel and after goes into Guyenne The gates of Bourdeaux shut against him The birth of the League These Leagues a fair path for the ambitious to rise by The Duke of Guise makes himself chief of the League The War of Monsieur his joyning with the Hugonots the cause of the League The Cities of Picardy begin it and why Christopher de Thou hinders its procedure at Paris The Leaguers oblige the King to call the Estates They assemble at Blois War resolved against the Hugonots Henry 3. declares himself chief of the League 1577. He raises three or four Armies against the Hugonots The Queen-mother obliges him to grant them peace 1578. She makes a voyage to Guyenne
IT hath not been precisely known in what place Henry the Great was conceived The common opinion holds that it was at la Fleche in Anjou there where Anthony of Bourbon his father and the Princess of Navarre his mother sojourned from the end of February anno 1552 until the middle of May in the year 1553. But it is certain that she first perceived her conception and felt it move at the Camp in Picardy where she was with her husband who was Governour of that Province and who was gone from la Fleche to command an Army against Charles the fifth It was most just that he who was destined to be an extraordinary Prince should begin the first motions of his life in a Camp at the noise of Trumpets and Cannon as a true childe of Mars His grandfather Henry d' Albret who yet lived having understood that his daughter was with childe recalled her home to him desiring himself to take care for the conservation of this new fruit which by a secret pre-sentiment he was wont to say ought to revenge him of those injuries the Spaniards had done him This couragious Princess taking then leave of her husband parted from Compeigne the fifteenth of November traversed all France to the Pyrenaean mountains and arrived at Pau in Bearne where the King her father was the fourth day of December not having stay'd above eighteen or nineteen days on her journey and the thirtieth of the same month she was happily brought to bed of a son Before this King Henry d' Albret had made his Will which the Princess his daughter had a great desire to see because it was reported that it was made to her disadvantage in favour of a Lady that good man had loved She durst not speak to him of it but he being advertised of her desire he promised to shew it her and put it in her hands when she should shew him what she carried in her womb but on condition that at her delivery she should sing a Song to the end said he that thou bringst not into the world a weak and weeping infant The Princess promised him and had so much courage that maugre the great pains she suffered she kept her word and sung one in the Bearnois language so soon as she understood he was entred into the chamber It was observed that the infant contrary to the common order of Nature came into the world without weeping or crying Nor was it fit that a Prince who ought to be the joy of all France should be born among tears and groans So soon as he was born his grandfather carried him in the skirt of his Robe into his own chamber giving his Will which was in a box of gold to his daughter telling her My daughter see there what is for you but this is for me Whilst he held the infant he rubbed his little lips with a clove of Garlick and made him suck a draught of Wine out of a golden cup that he might render his temperament more masculine and vigorous The Spaniards had formerly said in Raillery concerning the birth of the mother of our Henry O wonder the Cow hath brought forth an Ewe meaning by that word Cow Queen Margaret her mother whom they called so and her husband Cow-keeper alluding to the Arms of Bearn which are two Cows And King Henry resting assured of the future greatness of his little grandchilde taking him often in his arms kissing him and remembring the foolish Raillery of the Spaniards spoke with joy to all those who came to visit him and congratulate this happie birth See said he how my Ewe hath now brought forth a Lion He was baptized the year following on Twelfth-day being the sixth of January 1554. For this Baptism were expresly made Fonts of silver richly gilded in which he was baptized in the Chappel of the Castle of Pau. His Godfathers were Henry the second King of France and Henry d' Albret King of Navarre who gave him their Name and the Godmother was Madam Claudia of France after Dutchess of Lorain Jaques de Foix then Bishop of Lescar and after Cardinal held him over the Font in the name of the Most Christian King and Madam d' Andovins in the name of Madam Claudia of France He was baptized by the Cardinal of Armagnac Bishop of Rhodez and Vice-Legat of Avignon He was however difficult to be brought up having seven or eight Nurses of which the last had all the honour At his being weaned the King gave him for Governess Susan de Bourbon wife of John d' Albret Baron of Miossens who elevated him in the Castle of Coarasse in Bearn situated amongst the rocks and mountains His grandfather would not permit him to be nourished with that delicateness ordinarily used to persons of his quality knowing well that there seldom lodged other then a mean and feeble soul in a soft and tender body He likewise denied him rich habiliments and childrens usual babies or that he should be flattered or treated like a Prince because all those things were onely the causers of vanity and rather raised pride in the hearts of infants then any sentiments of generositie but he commanded that he should be habited and nourished like the other infants of the Country and likewise that they should accustom him to run and mount up the rocks that by such means he might use himself to labour and if we may speak so give a temperature to that young body to render it the more strong and vigorous which was without doubt most necessary for a Prince who was to suffer so much to reconquer his Estate King Henry d' Albret died at Hagetmau in Bearn on the five and twentieth of May 1555. being aged about fifty three years or thereabouts He ordained by his Will that his body should be carried to Pampelona to be interred with his predecessors and that in the mean time it should be laid in State in the Cathedral of Lescar in Bearn This Prince was couragious of a great spirit sweet and courteous to all the world and so nobly liberal that Charles the fifth once passing thorow Navarre was in such manner received that he protested he had never seen a more magnificent Prince After his death Jane his daughter and Anthony Duke of Vendosme his son-in-law succeeded him They were at present at the Court of France and with much difficulty obtained their leave to retire to Bearn for King Henry the second pressed to it by ill Counsel would have deprived them of the Lower Navarre which yet remained to them pretending that all that was below the Pyrenaean Mountains belonged to the Realm of France They knew how justly to oppose against him the Estates of the Country and the King durst not too much pursue this subject for fear lest despair should force them to call the Spaniards to their assistance but he still remained troublesome
to them and giving to Anthony the Government of Guyenne which had been likewise held by Henry d' Albret his Father-in-law he retrenched him of Languedoc which he had a long time enjoyed About two years after they returned to the Court of France whither they brought their Son aged about four or five years who was the most jolly and best-composed Lad in the world but they stayed but few moneths and returned again to Bearn A little after King Henry the second was slain with a blow of a Lance by Montgomery Francis the second his eldest Son succeeded him and Messieurs de Guise Uncles to Mary Stuart his Queen seized themselves of the Government The Princes of the Blood could not suffer it and therefore Lewis Prince of Condé younger Brother to Anthony called that King into the Court to oppose it During these Divisions the Hugonots contrived the Conspiration d' Amboyse against the present Government and the two Brothers Anthony and Lewis being accused for the Chiefs of it were arrested Prisoners in the State of Orleance and processes made so hotly against the second that it was believed he would have been beheaded if the Death of King Francis the second had not happened Charles the ninth who succeeded him being under age Queen Katherine his Mother caused her self to be declared Regent of the Estates and the King of Navarre first Prince of the Blood was declared Lieutenant-General of the Realm to govern the Estate with her so that by this means he was stay'd in France whither he caused his Queen Jane and his young Son Prince Henry to come But he enjoyed not long this new Dignity for the Troubles dayly continuing by reason of the Surprizes which the new Reformers made of the best Cities of the Kingdome after having re-taken Bourges from them he came to besiege Rouen where visiting one day the Trenches as he was making water he received a Musket-shot in his left shoulder of which he in few days died at Andely on the Siene Had he lived longer the Hugonots had without doubt been but ill treated in France for he mortally hated them though his Brother the Prince of Condé were the principal Chief of their party The Queen his wife and the little Prince his son were at present in the Court of France The mother returned to Bearn where she publickly embraced Calvinism but she left her son with the King under the conduct of a wise Tutor named la Gaucherie who endeavoured to give him some tincture of Learning not by the Rules of Grammar but by Discourses and Entertainments To this effect he taught him by heart many fair Sentences like to these Ou vaincre avec Justice Ou Mourir avec Gloire Or justly gain the Victory Or learn with Glory how to die And that other Les Princes sur leur Peuple ont autorit◠grande Mais Dieu plus fortement dessus les Rois commande Kings rule their Subjects with a mighty hand But God with greater power doth Kings command In the year 1566. his mother took him from the Court of France and led him to Pau and in the place of la Gaucherie who was deceased she gave him Florentius Christian an ancient servant of the house of Vendosme a man of a very agreeable conversation and well versed in Learning but however a Hugonot and who according to the orders of the Queen instructed the Prince in that false Doctrine In the first troubles of the Religion Francis Duke of Guise had been assassinated by Poltrot at the Siege of Orleance leaving his children in minority this was in the year 1563. In the second the Constable of Montmorency received a wound at the battle of St. Dennis of which he died at Paris three days after the Eve of St. Martin in the year 1567. In the third and in the year 1569 Queen Jane rendred her self Protectoress of the Hugonot party being for this effect come to Rochel with her son whom she now devoted to the Defence of that new Religion In this quality he was declared Chief and his Uncle the Prince of Condé his Lieutenant in colleague with the Admiral of Coligny These were two great Chieftains but they committed notable errours and this young Prince though not exceeding thirteen years of age had the spirit to observe them For he judged well at the great skirmish of Loudun that if the Duke of Anjou b had had troops ready to assault them he had done it and that not doing it he was without doubt in an ill estate and therefore should the rather have been assaulted by them but they by not doing it gave time to all his troops to arrive At the battle of Jarnac he represented to them yet more judiciously that there was no means to fight because the forces of the Princes were dispersed and those of the Duke of Anjou firmly imbodied but they were engaged too far to be able to retreat The Prince of Condé was killed in this battle or rather assassinated in cold blood after the Combat in which he had had his Leg broken After that all the authority and belief of the Party remained in the Admiral Coligny who to speak truth was the greatest man of that time of the Religion he took part with but the most unfortunate This Admiral having gathered together new forces hazarded a second battle at Montcontour in Poictou he had caused to come to the Army our little Prince of Navarre and the young Prince of Condé who was likewise named Henry and gave them in charge to Prince Lodowick of Nassaw who guarded them on a Hill little distant with four thousand horse The young Prince burned with desire to engage in person but they permitted him not to run so great a hazard nevertheless when the Avant-Guard of the Duke of Alenzon was disordered by that of the Admiral there had been no danger to let him fall upon the Enemies who were much astonished However they hindred him and he now cryed out We shall loose our advantage and by consequence the battle It arrived as he had foreseen and it was at that hour judged by some that a young man of sixteen years of age had more understanding then the old Souldiers Thus he applyed himself entirely to what he did nor had he onely a Body but a Spirit and Judgement apt Being saved with the remnants of his Army he made almost a turn round the Kingdome fighting in retreat and rallying together the Hugonots troops here and there for five or six moneths during which he suffered so much travel that had he not been elevated in that manner he was he could not have been able to resist it This young Prince always accompanied with the Admiral led his troops into Guyenne and from thence through Languedoc where he took Nismes by stratagem forced several small places and
Secretary His punishment The Ambassadours Secretary arrested Several discourses concerning Ambassadours priviledges The King forbids any process against the Secretary The Ambassadour makes a great noise and threatens his Kings resentment Treason of the Luquisses A fool makes an attempt on the Kings person Those who desire war whet the Kings spirit upon these Conspiracies Character of Philip 3. of Spair A good profitable reflection In what the courage of a Soveraign principally consists The goodness of Henry the Great But the King hastens not the War He makes himself Arbitrator of the differences of Christendom 1606. After the death of Clement 8. he causes to be chosen Leo xi who soon dies and Paul 5. succeeds A great difference between Paul 5. and the Venetians The Venetians had made a law to bound the Acquisitions of the Clergy They make other Decrees Paul 5. offended at these Decrees He sends Briefs to revoke them He Excommunicates the Senate They declare his sentence of Excommunication null and abusive 1607. Henry the great undertakes to accommodate the difference He sends to this purpose Cardinal Joyeuse who concludes an accommodation The Pope absolves the Signory There was nothing but the reestablishment of the Jesuites not obtained 1608. The King endeavours an accommodation between the Hollander and Spaniard He underhand assists the Hollander with men and money Janin sent for this accommodation They come presently to an eight months truce The King makes an offensive and defensive League with the Hollander The Spaniards Alarm'd at this League Don Pedro de Toledo makes great complaints to the King Things very curious which passed betwixt the King and Don Pedro. Their entertainments Lively and quick replies Don Pedro kisses the Kings Sword Two obstacles in the Treaty of the Hollanders surmounted by the King The Treaty ends in a twelve years Truce Great praise given by the republick of Venice to our Henry All desire his friendship and protection He will not protect Subjects against their Soveraign What the Maurisques were The Spaniards treat them ill * An avanie is when by a false accusation money is forced from any person They demand assistance of Henry the Great He refuses it The King of Spain banisheth them all They are horribly ill Treated by the Spaniards and by the French They are carried into Affrica but some stay in France The great designe of Henry 4. for the extent of the Christian Religion in the Levant He sends some to spy the Country He seeks means to raise mony without burthening his people He would disengage his demain * The Greffes is a due to the King of 63 â— 9 d. Tours upon the sale of wood in several places and take off the Impost by buying the Salt-Marishes He is constrained to acquit himself of old scores to make some new imposts creations He makes not always use of innocent means Inquisition of the rents of the City-house cause disturbance * Hostel de Ville is the same at Paris as Guild-hall at London Miron Provost of the Merchants sustains the interest of the people Some would incense the King against him The people rise to defend him The King counselled to take him by force The Kings wise answer worthy a great Polititian He will not pursue this business of the Rents Establishment of the Paulete Justice formerly administred in France by Gentlemen How it fell into the hands of the Plebeians who made profit of it The Parliament of France meddle with particular affairs and is made sedentary at Paris They make all other Judges subalternate to them The number of the Officers of Parliament small How Offices became vendible under Francis 1. * He had often said that fat Boy would spoile all and Henry 2. How this might be remedied But on the contrary is made incurable by the Paulete Which causes great abuses 1609. Marriage of the Prince of Conde And of the Duke of Vendosme What were the Kings divertisements He loved Play too much He was extremely given to women This passion made him do shameful things Three or four of his Mistresses This causes often contentions with his wife And hinders his great design What that was The means with which he served himself to put it in Execution To this purpose he grants an Edict to the Hugonots and pays his debts Which regains the reputation and credit of France He joyns to him all Christian Princes by promising his conquests He reunites them by accommodating their differences The Princes he made his friends How he would have accommodated the Protestant Princes with the Pope He treats with the Electors With the Lords of Bohemia Hungary Poland With the Pope Model of the designe of Hen. 4. He would part Christendome into fifteen equal Dominions To wit eleven Kingdoms and four Republicks What the Pope had had The Signory of Venice The Italian Common-wealth Duke of Savoy Republick of the Swisses The Low-Countries Kingdome of Hungary The Empire with free election Bohemia Hungary elective A general Council of sixty persons Three others of each twenty Order to hinder tyranny and rebellion and to assist the Provinces adjoyning to Infidels Three general Captains two by Land and one by Sea to war against the Turks What forces what train None but the house of Austria had suffered by this establishment In Italy the Pope Venetians and Savoyard would consent In Germany many Electors and had chosen the Duke of Bavaria Emperour In Bohemia and Hungary the Lords and Nobility The business of Cleves happens to give a beginning to the great designe The Cities of Flanders should revolt The Kingâ— Army should have lived in great order The King would have reserved nothing of his Conquests He had with other Princes prayed the Emperour to rerestore the Cities of the Empire to liberty Bohemia Hungary Austria had made the same request The Duke of Savoy had demanded the Dower of his wife from the Spaniard The Pope and Venetians to become mediators of the difference of Navarre Naples Savoy c. And the King had yeilded his right They had perswaded the King of Spain or else forced him The great Prudence and moderation intended by the King in the pursuit of his design The preparations he made The forces he had The Prince of Oranges Army That of the Electors German Princes That of the Venetians and Savoyard His Exchequer for defraying this great designe He would make the War powerfully that it might be short Great appearance it might have succeeded having no Princes to oppose it but the Dukes of Saxony and Florence What was the business of Cleves and Juliers Death of John Duke of Juliers without issue His succession disputed by many particularly by Brandenbourg and Newbourg The Emperour said it was devolved to the Empire He invests Leopold of Austria who whilst Brandenbourg and Newbourg dispute seizes Juliers They implore the Kings assistance who promises to march in person But tells him he intended to conserve the Catholick Religion in that Country Answer made to the Ambassador of the Empire He establishes good order in the Kingdom before his departure Leaves the Regency to the Queen but gives her a good Council He establishes little Councils in the Provinces who refer to the great one 1610. Some put it into the spirit of the Queen that she should be installed before the Kings departure He though unwillingly consents The instalment of the Queen Many Prognosticks which seemed to presage the death of Henry 4. Advice from several places that his life should be attempted He seems to believe them and fear Who Ravaillac was He is induced to kill the King but it is not known by whom The King departs the Louvre to go to the Arsenal What persons were with him His Coach stopt in the street of the Ferronnerie Ravaillac killeth him He is torn with burning pincers and drawn in pieces by four horses The Kings body opened and found that he might yet live 30 years He is buried at St. Denis The Queen made Regent The great desolation in Paris when they knew of the Kings death His age and the time of of his reign His two wives Margaret and Mary He had three Sons by Mary and three Daughters He had eight Natural children of divers Mistresses Two Sons and a Daughter of Gabriella A Son and a Daughter of the Marchioness of Verneuil Of the Countess of Moret one Son Of Madam d' Essards two daughters He loved all his children and would have them call him Papa Summary recital of the Life of Henry the Great Parallel of his adversities and prosperities * There are more then fifty conspiracies against his person His adversities whet his spirit and courage Why Princes who come young to the Crown seldome learn to govern well Those who come to a Crown at greater distance and a more ripe age are more capable and better The reasons of it A mystick Crown to the glory of Henry the Great