THE LIFE OF Francis OF LORRAIN DUKE of GUISE LONDON Printed for R. Bentley and M. Magnes in Russel-street in Covent-Garden 1681. The Hon ble Allexander Grantt younger of that ilk To the Right Honourable the Marquess of Worcester Lord President of Wales Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter and one of His Majesties Most Honourable Privy Council c. My Lord THE extraordinary Obligations this Kingdom has to Your Lordship having filled all Places with Admiration and Acknowledgment of Your Prudent Conduct and Ministry I could no longer curb my Zeal from adding one Voice to the Universal Acclamations nor hinder it from crowding with this Offering to Your Feet It is My Lord the Life of a Prince whose Carier in some things lay parallel with Your Lordships For he was of a most Illustrious Extraction Graceful in Person and of Abilities fit both to Advise and Execute in the most ticklish Junctures yet in this he differed that he was a Promoter of the Interests of the Court and Superstitions of the Church of Rome and Your Lordship a Zealous Maintainer of the Prerogatives of the Crown and Devotions of the Church of England For to You My Lord we are principally indebted for our present Calm by Your Ministry those Allarms are dissipated that kept us continually in Apprehensions the Subjects satisfied of the Security of their Religion and Properties and the Sovereign of the Fidelity and Loyalty of His Subjects Insomuch that it is no wonder if we all strive to Celebrate so extraordinary a Patriot and that I have presumed to make a Publick Declaration of the Respect and Zeal with which I am My Lord Your Lordships Most Humble and Most Obedient Servant F. 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Kings p. 119. l. 2. for at r. it THE LIFE OF FRANCIS OF Lorrain DUKE of GUISE THE House of Lorrain is one of the most Illustrious Families of Europe whether we examine its Alliances or consider the extraordinary number of great Men that are sprung from thence Claude of Lorrain was the first of this Name who came and setled in France where he married Antoinette de Bourbon the King of Navarre and Prince of Conde's Aunt He was one of the greatest Captains of his Age and it was in favour of him that King Francis the First Erected the County of Guise into a Dutchy an honour which till then had been reserved only for Princes of the Blood Claude had several Children the Eldest of whom was Francis whose Life we write He made his first Apprentiship under his Father and was in the Army that was sent to Therouenne under the Conduct of Anthony Duke of Vendosme It was easie to judge then what he afterwards proved to be He distinguished himself from the young Persons of his Age by his Valour and the vivacity of his Wit insomuch that they already considered him as their Chief and took it for an honour to follow him in all occasions As that Army was only drawn together to put relief into Therouenne Guise went into the Town by reason it was nearer the Enemies than the Camp and was followed by Laval Saint Andre Dampierre la Chataigneraye and all the young Persons of Quality in those Troops He was daily out upon Parties and never returned without some considerable advantage In short he acquired in a little time so great a Reputation that he raised a jealousie even in the Duke of Vendosme his General He received two great wounds in his Youth the first at the Siege of Luxembourg where he had his Ancle-bone shot through with a Musquet-bullet and the Second at Boulogne which happened in this manner Francis the First had an Army before Boulogne which the English had taken a little before and though the Siege was not yet formed there were daily great Skirmishes between the French and them Guise being one day gone forth to see one that was very warmly disputed he observed that the French were hardly able to resist any longer and that they were going to be cut in pieces by a Troop of English who were coming to charge them in the Flanck Then without considering that he had scarce any body with him he galloped directly towards this last Troop routed those he first met with and put a stop to the others less by the force of his blows than the amazement they were in at so bold an action But as he valiantly opposed their Efforts to give the French time to rally He was struck with a Lance which run into his Head between his Nose and right Eye and which being broken with the violence of the blow lest all the Iron with a piece of the Wood in the wound He was no more stunned with this wound than if he had not felt it He did not so much as lose his Seat and returned to the Camp as if he came back from a match of Hunting His Life was long despaired of but at length he was cured and with that success that his Face was not in the least disfigured by this accident Which is perhaps what made the Historians of that time believe that there was something miraculous in that Cure which some attributed to the happiness others to the misfortune of France according to the different Sentiments they had of Guise Henry the Second being come to the Crown Guise in the flower of his Age saw himself raised at one clap to the highest degree of favour and shared all the Authority of the Government with the Constable of Montmorency These two Lords had very diligently applyed themselves to the King even when he was no more than Dauphin but though they seemed to be equally in favour of their Master they made their Court to him however after a very different manner The Constable was very old He had governed the Kingdom during several years under Francis the First and had been in four Battels wherein he had acquired much honour Thus seeing no one above him either for Affairs or for War he only thought of maintaining the Peace that he might enjoy in repose his Reputation and his Grandeur He applyed himself wholly to his Master but had no regard for any body else and thinking that his fidelity ought to serve him instead of all things he often dispenced himself from those little Complaisances that are requisite to be had for Soveraigns even when we render them great Services His Counsels had ever something of that severity which is ordinary to old Men and which was natural to him and they were often contrary to the humour of the Prince who
indiscreetly and having taken D' Aumale himself Prisoner made without difficulty his Treaty with the Emperour and quitting the white Scarf for the red he came and encamped at the Mount St. Martin with all his Troops Thus Guise having only a small number of men in a great and ill fortified Town saw himself besieged by three Armies that mounted to above a hundred thousand Foot twenty three thousand Horse a hundred and twenty pieces of Cannon and seven thousand Pioneers The truth is that he reckoned much more upon those he had with him than he should have done upon a much greater number The rumour of this Siege and the glory that was there to be acquired had drawn several Volunteers and all the considerable Persons of Quality in the Kingdom There were three Princes of the Blood Anguien and Conde Brothers to the King of Navarre and Charles de la Roche-yon their Cousin the Grand Priour of France the Marquess d'Elborut Guises his Brother James of Savoy Duke of Nemours Francis of Vendosme Vidame of Chartes Montmorency and Danville the Constable's Sons Horace Farneze Duke of Castre and several others whose names are found in particular Relations Guise was not ignorant what he might expect from so many brave men but he knew likewise very well how difficult it is to rule Volunteers who usually thinking how to make appear their valour pretend to serve after their own mode will be in all places and almost ever render themselves useless by their over-eagerness for too great performances Wherefore he shared the Compass of the Walls amongst all the Princes and Lords in the Town He made them agree that every one should keep the Post that should be allotted him without undertaking to be in other places and ordered that all the Volunteers should chuse Companies wherein they should perform the duty of Souldiers obeying their Captains and doing nothing but by their orders upon pain of being put out of the Town The Emperour having made some stay at Thionville at length arrived at his Camp and had his quarters in the Castle of Lorgne behind the Abby of Saint Arnoul His presence having redoubled the ardour of his men and after all his Artillery having been planted they battered the Town after the most furious manner that was ever heard of They fired in one day alone forty thousand Shots of Cannon against that part of the Wall that is between the Platform of St. Mary and the Gate of Champagn This horrible Tempest continued for several days with the same fury and with so great a noise that Historians do assure that it was heard forty Leagues from the Town The Besieged did oppose such violent efforts with an invincible courage and a continual labour Men and Women Souldiers and Citizens being equally animated by the example of Guise who found nothing below him but spent Days and Nights in carrying Earth to repair the Ruines the Artillery had made and to prevent those it might make At length the Tower of St. Michel and that of Lignieres not having been able to resist the fury of the Cannon were beaten to Powder That of Vassieux was almost totally ruined and in a few days after the whole Pan of the Wall that was between those two Towers of about a hundred and twenty paces in length was overturned into the False-bray But the French not being of a humour to spend their time in defending themselves against Cannon Bullets and repairing Breaches caused Sallies to be daily made and more Besiegers than besieged they went to seek out their Enemies in their very Tents Guise himself chose those who were to sally out every day he stayed at the Gate with a body of reserve to second them in case they were too much pressed and when they returned he received them with that sweetness which is so agreeable in persons who are raised above others and gave them Commendations which both recompenced and augmented their valour And indeed this Conduct made his Men do things that are hardly credible A Serjeant was seen with his Halbert and followed only by five or six Souldiers to clear a Trench and drive from thence above three hundred Men others went and nailed the Artillery after having killed the Cannoneers upon their very Cannons An infinite number of such like actions may be seen in the Relation that Salignac has given of that Siege Guise from thence concluded that the Emperour would not easily become Master of the Town He wrote to the King whom this Siege put in pain that his Majesty might turn his Arms where he pleased and that he undertook to defend Metz ten Months entire The King having received this News caused his Army to march into Picardy when he very luckily recovered Hesdin The Emperours Army had been already two Months before Metz without doing any thing and were hardly able to resist any longer against the rigour of the Winter against Famine and the diseases the Camp was full of and the continual Sallies of the besieged This Prince seeing that the courage of his Men did daily diminish with their strength that there was a vast number whom misery and cold had rendered uncapable of serving and that of those who were sick some quitted the Camp others threatned to leave it He resolved to try at length a general Assault The breach was sufficiently great and the Souldiers cryed dayly that they might be led to it rather than suffer them to perish thus miserably by hunger and cold Guise being informed of this design and seeing the Enemies were ranging in Battle he on his side prepared to receive them He gave his Orders with that chearfulness which is so necessary for inspiring courage into Souldiers who being not for the most part capable to judg of things by themselves seek in the looks of their Commander for what they are to hope or fear from the success of an enterprize He was ever saying something that was obliging to all those he met with sometimes commending the valour of some and then again promising recompence to others In short all the brave Men in the Town being assembled upon the Rampart Guise shewing them that long space of Wall that was battered down and through which the Enemies were preparing to mount I am overjoyed Gentlemen said he to see that the Enemies have at length overturned that Barrier which put a stop to your Courage and which was more useful to them than to us It is very just that after you had been so often to seek them out in their very Camp they should at least come once and take a view of this City which they boasted they would so easily Conquer Here is now an occasion of acquiring the Glory which they will not often offer to you Take advantage of it Gentlemen and acquaint all Europe that have at present their Eyes upon you that it has not been impossible for a small number of French-men to put a stop to an Emperour who besieged them
Power and the others were determined to attempt all things for the destroying it and put themselves in the place of their Enemies The King of Navarre and the Prince of Conde could not be perswaded to come thither notwithstanding all the Instances that had been made them Thus the Admiral who after them was the most considerable of their Party was the Man who spoke for the Hugonots He presented a Request to the King in their Name by which they demanded Churches in all the Cities of the Kingdom and a full liberty for the Exercise of their Religion The King received the request and it being wondered at that it was not Signed the Admiral had the boldness to answer That he would easily cause it to be Signed by fifty thousand men He added That it was strange that they should bring up the King as they did in distrust and fear and that he was always environed with Soldiers as if he had been in the midst of his Enemies The Guises replyed with a great deal of sharpness to what the Admiral had said That if the King was obliged to keep Souldiers about his Person the fault was in them who had dared to Conspire against his Life and that if there were fifty thousand Rebels ready to Sign the Request that was presented there would be found millions of Subjects that were faithful to their Religion and their Prince and would be able to suppress the enterprise that should be made against either of them The Assembly separated without doing any thing they only Convened the States at Meaux for the Month of December following and gave Orders that they should cease putting to Death those of the new Religion who were at that time too numerous to hope they could be destroyed by Punishments The Prince of Conde was retired to his Brother in Bearne where he was contriving a new Conspiracy against the Guises La Sague whom he had sent to Paris was taken into Custody at Estampes as he was upon his return encharged with Letters and Memoires It was discovered that the Princes were to come to Court and that they had taken measures to seize on in their passage the best Cities that were in their way These things were confessed by La Sague whom they had terrified for the Letters did contain in appearance only meer Civilities that had nothing Criminal But when by the Information of that Man they had made them have a hand in the Plot they found the Papers were to be interpreted after another way and several things were discovered They found written by Dardoir the Constables Secretary's hand that his Master still persisted in the Design of ridding himself of the Guises which might be effected maugre the Queen and the States and in order to that the presence of the Princes was only expected Dardoir added of his own Head that the execution of this Design appeared difficult to several and that it would be more expedient that the Princes at their arrival at Court should cause the Guises to be killed by trusty people that this would change in an instant the face of things and that then they would not find it difficult to get all affairs into their own hands Guise kept these Memoires without making any noise being resolved to make use of them upon occasion And indeed the States who were appointed to meet at Meaux having been removed to Orleans Guise ordered his business so well that he engaged the two Princes to come thither notwithstanding the earnest advice of all their Friends who would have diverted them from that Journey and notwithstanding the just reasons they had of themselves to distrust the usages they should meet with there The Prince of Conde was taken into Custody at his arrival and within a few days having been brought to a Tryal before Commissioners whom the King had nominated he was condemned to lose his Head We cannot read without horrour what was reported at that time and which has since been written That the Guises fearing the resentments of the King of Navarre and concluding besides that their Authority would never be peaceable nor secure as long as there should remain a Prince of the Blood to contest it they had undertaken to rid themselves of them but by such means as if they had been successful would have caused the whole Royal Family to have perished by it self that the King whom they had made to comprehend how important it was not to suffer a Prince to live who might revenge the Death of the Prince of Conde was to send for the King of Navarre to his Chamber that he should reproach him in very sharp terms with the Crimes of his Brother and the just reasons of complaint he had against himself the Prince would either confidently deny or at least vindicate himself with too much heat and thereupon he was to be stabbed to Death by People the King should give a sign to and who were to be in Ambuscade Others add that this Prince had notice of the danger which threatned him and after having considered a long time of what he had to do he resolved to run the hazzard of what might happen and that having told his mind to one of his faithfullest Domesticks as he was upon the point of going into the Kings Chamber If it happen said he to him that I fall under the multitude and the treachery of my Enemies take my Shirt all bloody carry it to my Wife and my Son they will read in my Blood what they ought to do to revenge me That then he went to the King who durst not or who would not give the Signal they had agreed of and that Guise being vexed to see his enterprise thus fail cryed out to those who were with him What a poor Prince have we Though the recital alone of this Story makes it seem incredible principally in regard of Guise who was not capable of advising an Assassinate I thought my self obliged to mention it here as I have found it written by the Historians of that time The King being seized by a violent sickness the state of things was very much changed The Guises seeing that it must needs have a very ill issue pressed the Queen to put the Prince of Conde to Death and to take the King of Navarre into Custody But this Princess being ambitious to Govern and no longer able to bear with the Authority of the Guises did not think fit to do a thing that would have contributed to the confirming it She took measures wholly contrary She came to an accommodation with the Princes and the King being dead the Prince was set at liberty As he was haughty and imperious he did not conceal his resentments against such persons as he believed to have been the Authors of his Imprisonment and he caused those to tremble in their turn who two days before thought themselves Masters of his Life And the King of Navarre consenting that the Queen should have the Regency
was declared Lieutenant General of the Kingdom The agitation of a Court filled with so many several Interests and the Devoirs which they crowded to pay the new King caused those to be forgotten which they owed the King who was newly expired His Body was carried to Saint Denis being only attended by Sansac and la Brosse who had been his Governours and Lewis Guillard Bishop of Senlis who was blind People were not satisfied with the Guises though they excused themselves that they had stayed with their Niece to comfort her It was thought strange that there being six Brothers of them at Court not one had accompanied the Corps of a Prince who had been so kind to them during his Life They were likewise reproached with their ingratitude after a very ingenuous manner There was fastened upon the Pall of the Coffin a Ticket wherein these words were written Tanneguy du Chastel Where art thou This Tanneguy du Chastel had been Lord High Chamberlain under Charles the Seventh who had banished him though he had rendered great Services to the King and the State But this ill usage not having been able to stifle the acknowledgements of the benefits he had formerly received as soon as he knew of the Death of his Master he came to bewail him upon his Coffin and did at his own charges the Funeral Rites which no one would take care of The Queens Ambition was the preservation of the Guises but without their being obliged to her for it She was affraid that by their removal the Princes would absolutely become Masters Thus she entertained both Parties that she might make use of the one to poise the Authority of the other Things were during some days in a pretty great Tranquillity But the most prudent easily perceived that this Calm could not last long The King of Navarre being grown haughty with his new Authority and thinking that he might at length oblige Guise to renounce the Government sought only to vex him upon all occasions He quarrelled with him for keeping the Keys of the Castle as Lord High Steward and pretended that they were to be brought to him as being Lieutenant General of the Kingdom The Queen not daring to Condemn this Prince openly proposed the bringing the Keys to her but this temperament did not please him he threatned her to retire if Guise was not removed and to take with him all the Princes of the Blood and the Constable likewise whose Authority was very great at that time The Queen in this perplexity caused the Constable to be forbidden to leave the Court he obeyed more willingly than was expected and this stayed the King of Navarre who was affraid they would accustom themselves to be without him as they had done in the former Reign In the mean time the Admiral had got such an influence over the Queen that she did nothing but by his Counsel both as to Religion and the Government of the State The Constable who was fixed to the Catholick Religion preferrably to all the Interests at Court was shocked at the Queen's Conduct He could not bear she should permit the Hugonots to exercise their Religion in the very Louvre nor that she obliged the King to assist at the Sermons of the Bishop of Valence whose Sentiments were but too much suspected He represented to her that it was against the Kings honour and Conscience to suffer the excesses that were daily committed in his very Family contrary to the Religion he made profession of But seeing that his Remonstrances were to no purpose and that this Princess only considered things as they might augment or diminish her Authority he begun to withdraw himself from her interests The Marshal de Saint Andre did dexterously make use of that Conjuncture to unite the Constable with Guise who desired nothing more He succeeded in his undertaking These two Lords had ever had a very pure and sincere affection for the Catholick Religion and we may say that it is to them France is indebted for the Conservation of it in that Kingdom Thus they passed over the several Interests which separated them from one another and forgot their ancient Enmities to unite themselves in the Design of opposing the enterprizes of the Hugonots The Constable went to the Communion with Guise on Easter-day and in the Evening they supped together at the Constable's House with the Prince of Joinville Guise's Son and the Marshal de Saint Andre The Constable going afterwards to Chantilly Guise retired to his House at Nanteuil which is not far distant and from whence he wrote to him very often He stayed there till Spring and then followed the King who was going to be Crowned at Rheimes Upon the occasion of this Ceremony there arose a dispute for precedence between Guise and the Princes of the Blood the source of which was as followeth There was formerly but twelve Peers of France six Ecclesiasticks and six Laicks But all the Titles of the Laicks having been suppressed whether by the Re-union of their Lands to the Crown or otherwise the Kings have reserved to themselves the power of honouring with that Quality those they shall think fit without confining themselves to the number which is no longer limited However for the preserving the memory of the first Institution the Custom is That at the Coronation of Kings besides the six Ecclesiastick Peers who assist at the Ceremony six others are chosen from amongst the Laicks who represent the six ancient ones and who assisting there only in Quality of Peers have no other Rank amongst them than that of their Seniority without having regard to the Offices they are otherwise possessed of Insomuch by example that a meer Gentleman would take place there of the Constable if he had been made Peer before him The dispute was to know if this Custome ought to reach to the Princes of the Blood The Prince of Montpensier pretended to go before Guise though Guise was a more ancient Peer than he He said that the quality of a Prince of the Blood eminently contained all the others and that this was the reason that those who had the honour to be so did not take their Rank among them according to their Dignities but according as they were more or less related to the Kings Person Guise made answer That Montpensier not assisting at that Ceremony as Prinoc of the Blood but only as Peer of France his quality ought not to regulate the precedence in that occasion But his best reason was that Custome was for him his Father at the Coronation of Henry the Second and he himself at that of Francis the Second having preceeded the Princes of the Blood Thus he walked immediately after the King of Navarre and before the Prince of Montpensier though Prince Alexander who was afterwards King under the name of Henry the Third went before the King of Navarre As it was difficult after what had passed but that the Prince of Conde who was at Court should
daily meet with Guise without showing him his displeasure in such a manner as might have very ill consequences there was an accommodation proposed between them which was effected after this manner The King having sent for them both to him in the presence of all the Court and having ordered Guise to speak first he told the Prince Sir I neither have had nor would have had a hand in any thing which should he against your Honour or your Life nor was I the Author Motive nor Instigator of your Imprisonment To which the Prince made answer Sir I look upon the Person or Persons as base and wicked who were the occasion of it Thereupon Guise replyed I am of the same Opinion but it does not at all touch me After which the King desired them to embrace one another and to remain good Friends In the mean time the Admirals Credit augmented every day and Guise not being able to bear with the publick contempt there was had of Religion nor perhaps of the diminution of his Authority withdrew to his own House after having complained to the Queen of the Protection she gave to the Hugonots The Constable the Marshal of Saint Andre the Cardinal of Lorrain and the Duke of Nemours were all of the same Cabal and retired likewise at the same time Guise did not remain idle in his Retreat He interessed the King of Spain in his discontent and this Prince shared in it the more willingly in that he sought nothing more than an occasion of showing his Zeal for the Catholick Religion by seizing on the rest of the Territories of the King of Navarre who openly countenanced the Hugonots Guise advantageously made use of that occasion with Anthony who was naturally fearful He thereupon promised him a match between him and Mary Steward and to cause the Kingdom of Scotland to be given him or to cause the King of Spain to deliver to him Sardaign Anthony who knew himself well enough to judge that of himself he could never oblige the King of Spain to restore Navarre to him listened greedily to these propositions and was at length so well perswaded that he entered into very strict engagements with Guise and withdrew himself wholly from the Hugonots Party which his Brother the Prince of Conde was the Head of Then Guise knowing that having the King of Navarre on his side who was Lieutenant General of the Kingdom he should be stronger than his Enemies he resolved to return to Paris where he was impatiently expected As he passed through Vassy a small City of Champagne word was brought him that the Hugonots held their meeting in a Barn hard by A Company of insolent and useless people who are ever following great Persons run thither immediately and who never show any Zeal to their Religion but by out-raging those who were not of it They begun to exclaim against the Hugonots calling them Dogs and Rebels to their King These injuries were repulsed by others in short they came to blows and Guise running thither to put an end to this disorder received by chance a blow with a Stone which covered all his Face with Blood Then his Domesticks believing their Violence authorized by his wound could not be withheld by his threatnings or his Prayers they fell upon the Hugonots who had not Armes there was about two hundred wounded in that unlucky Encounter and near sixty killed upon the place This is what was called the Massacre of Vassy and which has been so diversly reported according to the several interests of those who have written thereof insomuch that one Writer has had the Confidence to affirm that Guise led his Men to the attacque of that Barn as to an Assault the Trumpets sounding and himself marching at the head of them with his Sword drawn The Prince of Conde waiting only for an occasion to be stirring did not fail to make a great Bustle for what happened at Vassy Francour and Beza came to the King at Monceaux to complain thereof in the name of all the Hugonot Party But the King of Navarre being no longer on their side treated them as seditious in the Kings presence and sent them back with small satisfaction But the Queen who countenanced the Hugonots more than ever had entered into such strict engagements with the Prince of Conde and the Admiral that they governed in her name In short the Catholick Religion was upon the point of being banished France if Guise the Constable and the Marshal de Saint Andre who saw that on its ruin that of their Authority depended had not resolved to oppose vigorously all that the Queen should do in order to its destruction The Hugonots hereupon called this Union the Triumvirate The business of Vassy had made so much noise as that it was impossible but that it should have very ill Censequences and Guise meditated a Journey to Paris that was suspected by the Prince of Conde and the Queen He was come from Joinville to his house of Nanteuil where he received Letters by which she ordered him not to go to Paris and to come to the King without being accompanied But Guise finding himself supported by the King of Navarre and being willing to make known to the Hugonots that he did not fear them made answer that he was taken up with receiving his Friends and that after he should have acquitted himself of that Devoir he would see what he had to do The Marshal de Saint Andre used the same language and told the Queen who ordered him to retire from his Government that considering the posture Affairs were in it was the Duty of his place not to abandon the Kings Person However notwithstanding the Queens Orders Guise came to Paris with a numerous Train The Provost of the Merchants and the Sheriffs went to meet him and the people received him as a Man sent from Heaven for the preservation of their Religion And indeed there was no longer any hopes but in him The Queen seemed to approve of the enterprizes of the Hugonots instead of suppressing them and her protection had rendered them so insolent that they daily committed new Disorders insomuch that the Priests could hardly carry the Host through the Streets without being exposed to the insults of the Rabble The Queen outraged at Guises contemning her Orders and fearing the effects of the strict Union that was formed between him and the King of Navarre resolved to unmask and to put her own and the Kings Person into the hands of the Prince of Conde The Prince was at Paris with a great Train when Guise arrived there He went from thence some days after upon Condition that Guise should do the like and retired to his House de la Ferte where he secretly raised Men and took measures with the Queen for the putting their design in Execution Guise who let nothing escape his knowledge seeing of what moment it was to prevent them put a Garrison of fifteen hundred Men into Paris
engaging therein the Hugonots who hated the Guises mortally as having always been persecuted by them The Court was at Blois when they had the first notice of this Conspiracy The Cardinal more fearful than a Woman already fancied that all was lost and would have had them cryed out to Arms. But Guise who was not easily startled did rightly guess that such a Bustle would only help to defer the mischief instead of curing it that it was requisite to dissemble that the Plotters might come and deliver themselves up and that their presence being their Conviction would at the same time spare the trouble of seeking and convicting them In the mean time as able Men know how to take advantage even of the misfortunes that happen to them Guise so ordered the business that this Plot which was laid to destroy his Authority did only help the more to augment and settle it He made known to the King that there was a horrible Conspiracy against the Royal Family and that the Princes had resolved to deprive him of his Crown and his Life The King being in a fright and not knowing what Resolution to take desired Guise to succour him in an occasion wherein he did not find himself capable of doing any thing himself and at the same time declared him Lieutenant General in all the Provinces of his Dominions with full Power to do all he should judge useful for the good of the Kingdom These are the terms of the Commission that was given him The Chancellour opposed it with all his Power but his resistance was absolutely to no purpose and the Queen Mother who was the best in the World at seeming to desire things which she could not hinder was constrained to be aiding to it The Rendevouze of the Conspirators was at Blois Guise to break their measures carried the King to Amboise They came thither without being startled at this change but the prudence of Guise and the good Orders he gave every where rendered their designs Abortive A great number of them were killed in the Woods where they had hid themselves and amongst others la Renaudie their Leader Others were carried to Amboise where during several days there was nothing seen but horrible Executions which they obliged the King to look at from a Window The blood flowed along the Streets and the Walls of the Castle were covered with Bodies of the Conspirators whom they hanged at the Battlements all Booted and without any form of Process but only as they were brought into the Town What care soever the Guises took to perswade the King that this Conspiracy was only designed against his Person and against his Royal Brothers they could not prevent his hearing sometimes Rumours of the aversion the People had for them This poor Prince frighted with hearing them say every moment that there was a design to kill him and to see so many Wretches put to Death dayly told them sometimes weeping What have I then done to my People that should oblige them to have such an aversion for me Is it not you My Lords they aim at And would it not be convenient that you should withdraw for some time that we might see if your absence would not put an end to these disorders But they did not think fit to take this course and besides it would have been imprudent in them to have abandoned the Kings Person to Rebellious Subjects who had only taken up Arms because they were not satisfied with the Government The Prince of Conde who was without doubt the chief of the Conspirators was come to Amboise to favour their enterprize The King being perfectly informed of it forbid him to go out of the Town without his Order and appointed Guards to attend him But the Conspiracy being entirely dissipated he beseeched the King to call his Council and to cause all the Ambassadours to be there Having complained there with that confidence which does so well immitate Innocence of the ill Impressions some Persons would have insinuated into the King of his Conduct and principally as to what had newly happened he ended his discourse with saying That if there was any one who durst maintain that he had had a Hand in the Conspiracy he offered to give him the Lie at the point of his Sword and for that purpose would renounce the Priviledges that his Quality gave him Guise knowing well enough that this Discourse was meant to him answered with such a dissimulation as equalled the Princes assurance That the reports which the Princes complained of ought not to be suffered that no body ought to doubt but that he was very innocent but that if he should come to Fight for to prove his innocence he should have no greater Joy than to offer him his Sword and to serve him for a Second These fine Protestations did not hinder him from advising the King to cause the Prince to be taken into Custody but as they had reason to believe that the King of Navarre his Brother had a hand in the Conspiracy and that it would have been to no purpose to have confined the one without the other they thought convenient to refer the doing it till another opportunity The Constable who was retired to Chantilly had order to come and inform the Parliament of what had passed at Amboise He acquitted himself of this Commission after such a manner as was disagreeable to the Guises for he made known that the Plot was only against them and that there was no Conspiracy against the Kings Person as they would have had it believed He added That however the Conspirators had been justly treated after the manner they had been For if particular Persons of Quality cannot suffer without shame that their Domesticks or those they take under their Protection should be insulted it was not strange that the King had taken an exemplary vengeance of the attempt they had had the boldness to make upon the Principal Ministers of State In the mean time the Parliament wrote a Letter to the King upon what had newly happened and another to Guise wherein they gave him the glorious Name of Preserver of their Country what services soever he might have rendred to the State in this Rencounter the Parliaments acknowledgment seemed extraordinary and something below the Dignity of so great a Company In the mean time an Assembly was Convened at Fontainbleau to deliberate about the means of appeasing the Troubles which arose in the Kingdome For those who in good truth did demand Liberty of Conscience and those who considered it only as a pretext to revolt made more noise than ever In this Assembly Guise and the Cardinal of Lorrain gave publickly an account of their Administration After which several means were proposed to accommodate affairs of Religion but the minds of People were too much heated and neither Party would come to an accommodation though they seemed so earnest for it The Guises were resolved to spare nothing for the preserving their
and being followed by a great number of armed Men and accompanied by the King of Navarre whose timidity he reassured by his Resolution he went to the Queen at Fontainbleau He represented to her that the Prince of Conde was arming underhand that he was justly suspected of having dangerous designs and that it was not convenient the King should remain any longer in a place where he was too much exposed to the attempts that might be made upon his Person The Queen surprized to see her self discovered asked them with great concern if they had forgot the respect that was due to her and if they were come to use violence To which Guise made answer for the King of Navarre and himself We know Madam the respect that is due to you and we will never be wanting in it as long as we live but we ought to answer to the State for the Kings Person You are Mistress and may stay here as long as you please but the fidelity we owe our Prince obliges us to carry him this very day to a place where he may have nothing to fear from his Rebel Subjects And immediately they carried the King to Paris and the Queen not being able to hinder it was obliged to follow them after having written a Letter to the Prince of Conde to testifie to him how sorry she was that they had been so prevented by their Enemies It is certain that it is this enterprize that has preserved the Catholick Religion in the Kingdom for considering the state things were in the two Parties being equal it was easie to see that that which could have the Kings Person on its side would be looked upon as the Loyal Party and that the others would be considered as Rebels The King was not of an age to make choice himself of a Religon and the Regent who according to all appearances affected no one in particular seemed fully determined to inspire him with that which should suit best with the design she had of being always at the Helm The Prince of Conde was preparing to go to Fontainebleau with the Men he had about him when he learnt that he was prevented Then seeing that there were no more hopes for him but in open force and believing he should still be supported by the Queen he seized on Orleans and having thereby given a Signal to the Rebellion all the best Cities of the Kingdom found themselves almost at the same time in the hands of the Hugonots The Queen who till then had countenanced them seeing her self in the power of the Catholicks begun to act as if she had always been an the interest of these last and while she wrote secret Letters to the Prince of Conde wherein she imputed to Guise all the misfortunes that had already happened to the Kingdom and those it was threatned with for the future She treated the Hugonots in publick as Rebels and took measures in Council to reduce them by force of Arms. Some days were spent in proclaiming Manifesto's on both sides and in making Propositions for an accomodation which could not fail of being abortive because neither of the two Parties had a mind to Peace The Prince of Conde pretended to prove by Letters from the Queen that he had taken Arms by her Order and that he only kept himself in that posture to free the King and her out of the Captivity they were detained in by the Triumvirate The King issued out Declarations wholly contrary and wherein he assured that the Qeeen and himself were at full liberty But considering the Circumstances the Queen was then under the enterprizes of the Prince of Conde were of no use to her and the issue of them could not be otherwise than a Civil War that would be very fatal to both Parties Wherefore she caused several Propositions of Peace to be made him and at length engaged him to declare by writing That for the putting an end to the troubles which divided the Kingdom he offered to leave it immediatly upon condition that Guise the Constable and the Marshal de St. Andre should retire from Court This proposition was accepted Guise and his two Friends departed the same day testifying a great deal of Joy in that France was pacified at so cheap a rate But the Prince could not be perswaded to keep his word having given it only because he thought it would not have been accepted All the Conferences were broken off and their thoughts were wholly bent to War Guise after having retaken Blois and Tours from the Hugonots laid Siege to Bourges with fifteen thousand Foot and three thousand Horse The King and Queen were personally in the Army Yvoy the Governour of the Town defended it courageously during five Weeks and it would not have been easily taken if he had not let himself be tempted by the promises of the Court. From Bourges Guise went to Rouven and having himself taken a view of the Place he assured the King that he would take it by Assault in four and twenty hours time But it was thought more covenient to spin out the Siege that the Inhabitants might have time to recollect themselves and not expose to pillage so rich and populous a City But the Mount Saint Katherine and the Suburbs of Saint Hillary having been taken and yet the Besieged not bating any thing of the insolence with which they made answer to the first Orders of the King it was at length resolved a general Assault should be made He chose a very hopeful young Man called Saint Colombe to begin the Attacque and having permitted him to pick out fifty Men he promised him he would follow very closely Then having assembled all the Officers and Souldiers who were to mount to the Assault amongst whom was Castlenau who gives all his Speech in his Book he represented to them That true Souldiers ought only to fight for Glory and were not capable of saccaging a Town against their Sovereigns will who was desirous to preserve it Remember said he to them that those you are going to fight against will be no longer your Enemies than while they are up in Arms. But as soon as they shall be rendered uncapable of defending themselves they will be your Brethren and against whom it is with regret his Majesty sends you And thereupon having made all those who surrounded him promise that the Town should not be pillaged he gave the Signal The Besieged made very little resistance and Guise his Souldiers ill remembring what they had promised their Leader and no longer knowing the voice of their Officers they plundered one of the richest Towns of the Kingdom which it was impossible to hinder them from doing As Guise was going the next day to meet the Queen who was coming to lodge in the City he perceived afar off some Souldiers carrying a wounded Man upon a Chair and being informed that it was Saint Colombe who first mounted to the Assault Ha! My dear Saint Colombe said he