Poland He succeeds to the Kingdom of Sweden Differences between King Sigismund and Charles Duke of Sudermannia The States of Sweden give the Regency of the Kingdom in the absence of King Sigismund to the Duke of Sudermannia The Duke of Sudermannia and the Senate of Sweden are divided King Sigismund Attempts in vain to reduce the Duke of Sudermannia by Force The States of Sweden depose King Sigismund Charles Duke of Sudermannia is chosen King of Sweden The King of Sweden sends the Challenge to the King of Denmark The Death of Charles King of Sweden BOOK III. THE State of France since the Regency of Mary de Medicis The Treaty of the double Marriage between France and Spain The double Marriage is concluded between the two Kings Intrigues in the Court of France when the Treaty of the double Marriage was known there The double Marriage at last passes in the Council of France The Popes Nuncio complains of the Sentence of Parlement on the Process of the Vniversity of Paris against the Jesuits The Nuncio's Invectives against the Advocate-General Servin The Nuncio's Advances to the Parlement to procure a Modification of the Sentence The Nuncio's Intrigues with the Clergy The Difficulties of the Jesuits to keep even in their Conduct to the Court of Rome and Parlement of Paris A Book of Doctor Richer Syndic of the Faculty of Paris makes a great Noise there The Cardinal du Perron and the Bishops of the Province of Sens assembled together to Condemn Richers Book Richer has the Syndicat of the Faculty of Paris taken from him Publick Rejoycings for the double Marriage New Disturbances in the Court of France The Duke of Mayenne is sent into Spain to demand the Infanta for the King Matthias King of Hungary and Bohemia is Elected Emperor after the Death of Rodolphus II. Antonio Memmi is chosen Doge of Venice after the Death of Leonard Donato The Embassy of the Mareschal of Bouillon into England The Discontent of the Mareschal Lesdiguieres Mary de Medicis depresses â—…e Factions of the Duke of Guise and Epernon The Count of Soissons undertakes to ruine the Ministers and engages outragiously to Attack the Chancellor de Sillery The Marquess de Coeuvres diverts the Count of Soissons from this Enterprize The Impostures of the Marquess of Ancres Some Persons suborned to accuse him of Magick The Affair of the Duke of Rohan at St. John of Angeli The Reconciliation of the French Protestant Lords The Protestation of the National Synod of Privas in the Name of all the Reformed Churches of France against the King's New Declaration The Entry of the Duke of Pastrane into Paris The Signing of the Marriage Articles between the Prince of Spain and the Eldest Daughter of France The Duke of Mayenne's Entry into Madrid The Signing the Marriage Articles between Lewis XIII and the Infanta of Spain A Conspiracy against the Duke of Parma A Discourse of Marrying Christina second Daughter of France to Henry Prince of Wales The Death of Henry Prince of Wales The Fortunes of Robert Carr in England The Death of the Count of Soissons A New Face of the Court of France The Condemnation of a Book of the Jesuit Becanus The Sentence of the Parlement of Paris against a Book of Schioppius Peace between the Crowns of Sweden and Denmark Revolutions in Muscovy A False Demetrius in Poland Demetrius enters Muscovy and causes himself to be Crowned there Demetrius and a great number of Poles are Massacred at Moscow Susky is made Czar of Muscovy and after lays down Ladislaus Prince of Poland is proclaimed Czar of Muscovy The Polanders are driven out of Muscovy and Michael Federovitz is elected Czar BOOK IV. THE Baron de Luz is killed by the Chevalier of Guise The Regents Anger against the Guises The Duke of Guise desires to combine with the Prince of Conde The Queen becomes jealous of the Prince of Conde The Violence and Mercenary Temper of the Duke of Guise The generous Sense of the Duke of Epernon The Regent is Reconciled to the Dukes of Guise and Epernon The Ancient Ministers are recalled The Confusion and Perplexity of the Prince of Conde The young Baron de Luz is killed again by the Chevalier of Guise The Death of Francis Duke of Mantua New Projects of the Duke of Savoy upon this occasion Artifices of the Duke of Savoy The Governor of Milan demands the Dutchess Dowager of Mantua and her Daughter The Regent of France opposes the Duke of Savoy's designs The Pope's Conduct in the Affair of Mantua The Republick of Venice supports the Cardinal of Mantua Ferdinand Cardinal de Gonzaga takes the Character of Duke of Mantua New Efforts of the Duke of Savoy to fetch away from Mantua the Princess Mary his Grand-daughter Ambitious Projects of the Duke of Savoy The Duke of Savoy carries Montserrat This Enterprize is the cause of New Metions in Italy Manifesto's of the Duke of Savoy and the Cardinal Duke of Mantua Artifices and Bravades of the Duke of Savoy His Intrigues at the Court of France are discovered The Marquess of Ancre being found Intriguing with the Duke of Savoy is exceedingly Embarassed The Ministers are reconciled to the Marquess of Ancre The Court resolves to send a powerful Aid to the House of Mantua The Queen is diverted from sending Aid so soon to the Cardinal Duke The King of Spain declares against the Duke of Savoy The Emperor requires the Duke of Savoy to desist from his Enterprize on Montferrat The Governor of Milan constrains the Duke of Savoy to submit to the King of Spain's pleasure A difference between the Duke of Nevers and the Governour of Milan The Marriage of the Elector Palatin to a Daughter of the King of England A Discourse concerning the Marriage of Charles Prince of Wales with Christina of France The Emperor Matthias comes to the Diet at Ratisbon The Catholicks and Protestants reciprocally complain of each other The ill success of the Diet at Ratisbon The Fortune of Bethlem Gabor Prince of Transilvania A difference between the Houses of Brandenburgh and Neuburgh about the Government of Cleves and Juliers Prince Wolfgang of Neuburgh Marries the Sister of the Duke of Bavaria and changes his Religion Difficulties to make the Peace concluded between the Dukes of Savoy and Mantua lasting The Governor of Milan presses the Duke of Savoy to Disarm The Dukes Evasion The Governor of Milan demands the Princess of Mantua on the King of Spains part The King of Spains Views in this demand The Republick of Venice traverses the King of Spain's Designs The Perplexity of Mary de Medicis in the Business of Mantua A Proposition made to the Council of France to cause Troops to march into Italy The Regent sends the Marquiss de Coeuvres into Italy to treat an Accommodation between the Dukes of Savoy and Mantua The vast Ambition of Conchini made a Mareschal of France and Galigai his Wife A Continuation of the Disputes about Grace
have the liberty to follow her Religion in private and in the most Retir'd Chamber of her Apartment I confess that these are too strait and narrow Conditions but if France speaks sincerely I don't question but that she will be contented with them Henry very well knew his covetous Fathers Humour For this reason he had a touch upon the Article of her Fortune in a somewhat more nice manner If your Majesty continued he regards the greatness of a Dowry I think you will prefer the Princess of Savoy she brings with her Two hundred thousand Crowns more than the Lady of France for at least I can scarce persuade my self that the Regent will give more to the second Daughter than to the Eldest But if your Majesty lays aside Interest to do what shall be more to the mind of the General Body of Protestants abroad it seems to me you will rather encline to France than Savoy Lastly concluded the Prince I fear lest your Majesty should not be content with the indifference I shew for all the Propositions of Marriage which are made me I most humbly beg your pardon for it T' is you Sir who is to take the most advantageous Resolution that may be for the good of the State I have but little experience in politick Affairs and can't speak like a Man smitten with Love upon this Occasion I have with the greater willingness inserted into History this Letter because it might be perhaps the last he ever writ T' was dated the 14th of October 1612. and the Prince died the 16th of November Having drank some small Beer to quench his Thirst after hard Riding he fell dangerously Sick All the skill of the ablest Physicians could do no good against the violence of his Distemper Heaven was deaf to the prayers of all England for the recovery of a young Prince Nineteen years of Age the Hopes and Delight of the Nation Those Persons who at first affected to shew the greatest grief for his Death were not sorry for't heartily At least t' was so believed The Affliction of the common People was more sincere and of deeper impression than that of the Court. They generally said the Applauses which we have so heartily given the Prince of Wales have been Ominous and Fatal to him They who will Reign as absolute Masters don't love to see their Children too popular The Affection which young Henry had for Religion and the Libertie's of his Country had caus'd the course of life to be cut off which had been so happily begun Charles his Brother and Frederick Elector of Palatine who was come to visit the Princess of England design'd in Marriage for him were present at the Funeral in close Mourning The Tears of the People who accompanied him to the Grave in reckoning up his Vertues which shin'd already in his Person and in bewailing the irreparable loss which England had suffer'd were the greatest Ornament of this Ceremony The Prohibition the King his Father made some few days after to appear at Court in Mourning redoubled the suspitions and indignation of the English-men Did not he think as a Roman Emperor did once heretofore that it did not become the Majesty of a Prince to sully his Face with Tears that great Afflictions are for little private Persons and that Kings may die but the State is Immortal This was the reason why King James thought he ought not to Interrupt the Divertisements which were usual at the beginning of a new year T' was said that France was not sorry to hear of the Death of the Prince of Wales who seem'd rather to have the Inclinations of the ancient Kings of England than of the Kings of Scottish Race and one could but very badly Interpret the Sentiments which the Prince shew'd when he heard of the Death of Henry IV. I have lost cry'd he my second Father The common Opinion is that young Henry had resolv'd to steal away from the English Court and go learn the Trade of War under the King of France as soon as he march't at the Head of his Army At the same time the Prince of Wales lamented the Tragical Death of Henry the IV. a Courtier resolv'd to tell him that this Occurrence would give his Highness the means of making the pretension of England's Kings to France more strong and prevalent Get you gone idle Flatterer replyed the Prince in Anger dare you talk to me of making War against an Infant I am ready to defend him against all those who shall venture to attack him The Son of that Person for whom the Prince had so Noble Sentiments hath not had this delicate Generosity though he was much more advanc't in Age. I doubt whether it be needful to carry the Suspitions of young Henry's Death as far as many in England have carried them If it was hasten'd as the report of Physicians made People believe the Viscount of Rochester may have committed so horrible a Crime He and his Wife were accus'd since then as being guilty of Poysoning The Prince had no kindness for his Fathers Favourite he always look't sourly upon him and shew'd a great Repugnance of Spirit to suffer him near his Person Robert Carr a Gentleman of a mean Birth in Scotland having found out a way to be Page to the King his pleasant Countenance fine Stature insinuating Behaviour pleased him extreamly In a little time Car was Knighted and the King disgusted with the Count of Montgomery set all his Affection upon the Scotch Knight He raised him up further to the Dignity of Viscount of Rochester and afterwards to be Duke of Somerset The Fall of this unworthy Favourite was as shameful as his Rise was astonishing He at last fell in Love with the Countess of Essex who sought to engage him and he afterwards married her This is not a fit Place to relate this Lady's Adventures 'T is said that the Prince of Wales was struck with her great Beauty but Rochester was preferr'd before him The Despite which the Prince harbour'd from hence encreased the Aversion he had for his Rival The Countess having let fall her Glove as she was dancing he who had taken it up presented it to the Prince of Wales thinking to please him in giving him an Opportunity of shewing the Lady a Civility whom he seem'd to have a Kindness for But Henry threw the Glove back with Disdain saying Another hath stretched it out As the Two Lovers were expert in the Art of Poysoning so 't is very probable they had a mind to be rid of a Prince and make him away who would have been a great Impediment to their Repose and the Establishment of their Fortune The Count de Soissons dead some Days before the Prince of Wales left behind him vacant Places of great Dignity the Governments of the Dauphiny and of Normandy with the Office of Lord High-Steward of the King's Houshold The Regent gave this Office to the new Count Son of the Deceased with the
Advantageous to the King of Spain in appearance were despised The Duke was reduced at last humbly to desire that till the entire decision of the Controversie he might have one Place left him in token of his pretensions to Monferrat They would not enter into any Treaty with this good Prince but sent him Padilla a General of the Artillery one of the most morose Men in Spain who at first word told his Highness in Terms very concise and with an Air of severity that he must even restore all To compleat his mortification Padilla produced a Letter of the King of Spain's Short but Expressive which obliged the Duke to comply with whatsoever the Marquiss of Inojosa should prescribe to him Nothing so much mortifies an haughty and valiant Prince as to be treated like a Subject by one that is more powerful than himself But what shall say Poor Emanuel abondoned of all the Word was forced to receive the most rigid Terms Instead of giving a Positive answer to grave Padilla he sent of his Ministers to Milan with such proposals as tended to lengthen out the business and delay his Resolution Inojosa rejected them with Indignation and sent word to Charles Emanuel that if he did not presently Restore all that he had Usurpt the Prince of Ascoli should lay Siege to one of those Places which were Re-demanded that the Governor of Milan should come himself upon the Spot and hang up every one that dared to Resist him The Duke knowing no means to prevent it offered to Surrender and Resign all that he was in Possession of in Monferrat I can't tell but still he might have some little hopes of gaining time by reason of a Quarrel that arose between Inojosa and Castiglione Each pretended that the Places were to be delivered up into the hands of his Master But Castiglione who had only the Name and Authority of the Emperor to back him soon complied with the other who had the Power in his hands The Imperial Commissary only received one Town for Form sake and the Spaniards took Possession of the rest Never was there an Agreement sooner Concluded than this thô the Duke of Savoy made a great many Difficulties before he would be brought to it This was the last Artifice of a Prince who had a mind to have in Reserve a pretence to Break when he should see it Convenient A Treaty made with precipitation is never well fixt Ther 's always some room for Evasion left for one that has no mind to be honest A dispute between the D. of Nevers and the Governor of Milan Before the conclusion of this Agreement the Duke of Nevers who as we said was come thither for the Relief of Monferrat had some words with the Governour of Milan Nevers had joined Prince Vincentius of Mantua with an Hundred or Six score French Gentlemen Mercure Francoise 1613. These observing the steps of the Spaniards grumbled that the Prince of Ascoli had not the pleasure of an opportunity to Bang the Savoiard Army The Marquiss of Inojosa being angry that his Collusion with Charles Emanuel was discovered declared openly that he would not suffer the French to have any Soldiers in Italy nor that any should come into the Country of Milan that he would give no civil reception to any that should pass thrô that Province and if the Two thousand Men which the Chevalier de Guise was to bring with him into Italy should come thither he would cut them in pieces This Spaniard was so offended at the coming of the French that he Commanded the Gallys of Naples of Sicily and Genoa unitedly to oppose those Vessels which brought Aids from Provence and to hinder the French Troops from Landing in the Coasts of Italy Inojosa after all endeavoured to make the Cardinal Duke Jealous by giving it out that Nevers had a greater design to make himself Master of Monferrat than to assist the House of Mantua The Duke affronted with the arrogance and moroseness of the Governour told him that 't was too much in all reason for a Man of Inojosa's Quality to march with so great a Train but that the Duke Nevers of the Family of Gonzagua might be allow'd to have an Hundred or Sixscore Men at his Heels He added excepting four or five Friends that are come to me all the rest belong to me If the Marquiss d'Inojosa offers to abuse any of them I know the Reason As for his threatning to cut in pieces the Troops which may come from France to assist the House of Mantua 't is not to be rhought that his Catholick Majesty approves such Language There 's no body in the World can hinder the most Christian King from Assisting his Kinsman and Ally or opposing the unjust Designs of the Duke of Savoy He would also raise a suspition concerning me but I am not afraid that the vain talk of the Marquiss d'Inojosa should make the least impression My Interest is so much one with that of the House of Mantua Monsieur the Governour confirms himself the just suspicions we have of his Conduct We know his Aversion to the Cardinal Duke and we are not ignorant of the Reasons which he has to favour the Duke of Savoy agrinst the Pretentions of his Catholick Majesty Thus it was that the Duke of Nevers supported the Honour of France better than the Regent of the Kingdom And not listening to the wise Remonstrances of the Senate of Venice who prest her to bring Troops into Piedmont and other Places she suffered the Court of Madrid to have all the Honour of this Affair being ready to reap advantage from it as there should be opportunity Whilst the greatest part of Europe was in some Commotion The Marriage of the Elector Palatine with the K. of England's Daughter Larrey Hist d' Angliterr Tom. II. 1612.1613 on the account of the death of Francis Duke of Mantua James King of Great Britain who did not much concern himself with the Affairs of Italy lived peceably in his own Island he was Entertaining himself with Diversions and giving the People afflicted for the death of the Prince of Wales a Thousand spectacles Some said that the Father had a mind insensibly to efface the Memory of his Son which a little before charmed all England Instead of taking pains to discover the secret of the hasty death of his Son the King heaped new favours upon his unworthy Favourite who was thought by some to be the Author of it Robert Carr Viscount of Rochester was made Earl of Sommerset a very high Title which was not wont to be bestowed but upon the Princes of the Blood of England or at least to the near Kindred of the King by the Mother's Side This Favourite married afterwards Frances Howard Countess of Essex famous for her Crimes and Exploits Should I make a rash judgment if I should say that the good King lookt upon himself as a Man happily raised from the dead after the
death of his Son whose Court having for some time been fuller than his made him Jealous This was clear enough from a word that fell from him What will they bury me alive An expression which the World reflected on when the Prince of Wales came to die a little while after The occasion of so many Diversions and Festival Solemnities in England was the Marriage of the Princes Elizabeth the Kings Daughter with Frederick Count Palatine of the Rhine This Alliance pleased the English extreamly and all the Protestants Mercure Francois 1613. The House of Austria took a great deal of pains to Traverse it And the Queen whom the Court of Madrid had took Care to make their Friend did her best to dissuade the King from it But he concluded it notwithstanding the Intrigues of the Spanish Faction James conferred the Honour of the Order of the Garter upon the Elector before the Solemnity of the Wedding The Illustrious Prince Maurice of Orange was Received into the same Noble and Ancient Society at the same time with his Nephew The Chapter of the Order was Convened at Windsor Castle the 14th of February this Year The Ceremony was performed with all the Solemnity imaginable The Elector Palatine who was himself in England to Negotiate his Marriage Received the Order in Person and Maurice being absent Received it by Count William of Nassau his Proxy Ten days after Frederick was publickly Married to the Princess Elizabeth Before and after their Wedding day the King Entertained the People with Plays and magnificent Spectacles Holland also was well pleased and joyful for a great while Prince Maurice Received in the Presence of the States General of the United Provinces the Garter which the Herald of the Order had brought thither and there was nothing omitted which might contribute to the Glory of the Ceremony The wise Barnavelt Pensionary of the Province of Holland Returned thanks in the Name of the States General to the English Ambassador who had presented the Garter in the Name of the King his Master to Prince Maurice The New Electoress having past from England into Holland in the Month of May following to go to Heydelberg she was Received almost in every City of the Province and particularly at Amsterdam with a Magnificence answerable to their Wealth and the Memory which they retained of the great assistances which their Infant-Republick had received formerly from the Crown of England The Protestants were in hopes that the Marriage of the Elector Palatine with the Princess of Great Britain would be very advantageous to their Religion But there was yet one thing which they wisht for And that was that King James would abondon his Design of Marrying his Heir to a Princess of the Popish Communion A Marriage talkt of between Charles Pr. of Wales Christiana of France But althô his Majesty did not stick publickly to say that the Pope was Antichrist yet he never had a sincere and fervent Zeal for the Establishment of the Reformation As soon as Prince Henry was in his Grave James proposed the Marriage of Charles his Second Son now Prince of Wales with Christina Siri Memoire recondite To. III. p. 44.45 c. Second Daughter of France The Regent frankly received the Memoires which the Ambassador of England delivered touching this Affair to Villeroy Secretary of State She hoped that the Protestants of France and elsewhere allarmed with the double Marriage concluded with Spain would be calmed when they saw that nevertheless the Crown of France was not set at such a distance from an Alliance with Protestants but that it still designed a strict Union with them in giving the younger Sister of the King to the Heir of the most powerful Prince of their Communion Althô the Conduct of Maria de Medicis in this Negociation was full of Artifice and Dissimulation the Court of Rome was Jealous and the Pope used all his Power to dissuade the Regent from listening to the offers of his Brittannick Majesty The Pope plainly told Breves the King 's Ambassador that he took it ill that there should be any design of mingling the Blood Royal oâ—… France with that of an Heretick Princeâ—… Breves took the liberty to represent to the Pope that the welfare of the Kingdom and of Religion it self required that the Proposals of the King of England should not be rejected The Old Man being devoted to Spain did not regard him He insisted to conjure the Regent not to enter into a Negociation so disadvantageous to the Church which is really as much as to say so little conducible to the Interests of the Court of Rome The Nuncio Vbaldini very much bestirred himself in France Ibid. p. 50.51 c. he tired the Queen with his Remonstrances he exhausted himself in finding out the most pressing motives of Piety and Religion at length he heated the Cabals of Devotees which are always numerous and powerful in an ignorant and superstitious Court. Said this Italian Prelate to the Queen Is it possible Madam that your Majesty should be so little sensible of the particular kindness of God to you 'T is to distrust his Providence to have recourse to the Alliance of Hereticks as a thing necessary for the Repose and Conservation of the Dominions of the King your Son Your Ministers think it convenient that you should hear the Proposals of an Heretick Prince Your Majesty agrees with them but that is not sufficient to clear you before God and all those who detest this sort of Politicks You should rather listen to the Voice of your Conscience and the good Advice of the Pope than the vain speculations of a Council that govern themselves by the maxims of the wisdom of the Children of this World rather than by those of Religion This Prelate advanced at that time a Principle of his particular Gospel which deserves to be related He declares that these pretended good People whom he would make the Queen afraid of entertain this piece of corrupted Morality that the Princes of their Communion are not obliged to observe Treaties made with those whom they are pleased to call Hereticks if the Terms appear to them to be never so little contrary to their Religion that is to the Court of Rome This Nuncio said moreover It is true Madam that promises made against the interest of God don't in any wise oblige and that we ought not to keep them But consider that your Majesty will hereafter find it more difficult to break your promise with the King of England than it is now to reject his Proposals Your Affairs are thanks be to God in a better Posture than they have been since the death of the King your Husband The Kingdom is in a peaceful State without the assistance of such an Alliance The time of your Administration will shortly Expire What a comfort will it be to you to deliver up to the King your Son France in a better Condition than you
finds it in the worst When an Author is oblig'd to censure a Man Polybius L. XII Polybius judiciously remarks he must not have regard to what may please the Enemies of him whom he speaks of The Rules of Truth and Decency must be inviolably kept Those who are led by their Passions or Malice are imprudent and rash in their Relations and Judgments Polybius had good Reason to blame a Greek Historian who had not Equity enough to own what was good in Agathocles the Tyrant of Syracuse If this Man says he whose first Employment was to serve a Poâ—…ter knew how to make himself King of Sicily and could embarâ—…ss the Potent Republick of Carthage and die in the peaceful Possession of what he had acquired it cannot be denied but Agathocles had rare Qualities without these could he have done any of these extraordinary Things Historians ought then to do him Justice in delivering with the same Sincerity what was Good or Ill in him This is the Rule which I propose to my self in respect of Cardinal Richlieu and some others Though I think of that first Minister quite otherwise than his Flatterers for indeed I cannot regard without Horror a Prelate who sacrifices the Liberty of France and the Repose of all Europe to his Ambitions yet without falling into the violent Invectives of St. Germain and the Faction of Mary de Medicis I will describe with pleasure what is Good and Valuable in that Great Politician There is a Thing in which I would imitate Titus Livy and Tacitus and that is Brevity The first employs but Ten Books in relating what pass'd remarkable in the Roman Commonwealth for several Ages and the other has brought into one small Volume the Reigns of Tiberius Caligula Claudius and Nero. But I believe it is impossible to be so short The Reason presents it self to every Man's view The Roman Religion did not occasion any Disputes it did not cause Schisms and different Sects Their Divinity had no Connexion with Political Matters It is not so with Christianity There are great Disputes in this It has always been divided into different Communions Princes interest themselves and take a part in the Quarrels of Divines Since the Popes have setled their Monarchy in the Western World the Court of Rome concerns her self in every thing So that Matters of Religion Controversies of Divinity the Interests and Pretensions of Popes Bishops and the Clergy the Cabals of Monks and divers other Matters which only regard the Church considerably swell an History The good Fathers the Jesuits have been at the bottom of every thing since the Rise of the Society The Relation of their endless Intrigues Enterprizes and Quarrels is Work enough to employ an Historian Add to this that in the Days of the Romans Things were in another Posture than they are at present There were not so many Treaties with neighbouring Nations so many Intrigues in the Senate among the People and in the Court of the Emperors The Romans made War to extend their Territories they had a small number of Allies whom they protected against the Powers that threatned them All Intrigues terminate in gaining the People by Donatives or promising to procure them a Dividend of Lands or to obtain for them a greater Share in the Government The time of the greatest Intrigues in the Roman Commonwealth doubtless was that of the two Triumvirates We have not a very exact History of this but it is plain all was transacted between som few Persons who had the Address to procure the Command of Armies in the remote Provinces Others fell in with the prevailing Party led by Ambition or Avarice That which Tacitus calls the Great Secret of Government in the time of the Emperors was to be Masters of the Legions He who had Interest or Money enough to procure them to revolt was soon proclaimed Emperor After this he had nothing more to do but to beat out the old Possessor or a Competitor The Victor became lawful Sovereign and the Vanquish'd was declared an Usurper In an Absolute and Tyrannical Government all things are ruled at the Pleasure of the Prince The Favourite and the Mistress have their Share in the Authority When these are once established the Dagger Poison False Informations and Violence are the Means they make use of to rid themselves of their Enemies and preserve their Power Thus every thing was managed under the Successors of Augustus The History of such a State as I represent the Commonwealth and Empire of Rome cannot be very large But the Affairs of all Christian Princes have so great a Relation to each other they make so many Leagues and Alliances together some for their own Greatness others to defend themselves from their ambitious Neighbours that it is impossible to write the History of Germany France Spain or England without speaking at the same time of what passes in the rest of Europe If two Petty Princes have any Différence one implores the Protection of the House of Austria and the other throws himself into the Arms of France If the two Crowns commence a War some of these declare for Spain others for France in hopes of profiting by the Conjuncture The Powers who have the smallest Interest are at last obliged to side with one Party or at least to arm to keep the Balance even and prevent the Conqueror from advancing his Power too much by the Ruins of the Vanquish'd The Intrigues of each Court the Interests and Motions of Great Men in a State where Arbitrary and absolute Power is not well setled cannot be so succinctly related Those Illustrious Historians who shall write the present Reign in France will be obliged if I guess aright to enlarge more in proportion on the Affairs of the Minority of Lewis XIV than on what has happen'd since the Peace of the Pyrenees The Designs and Advances of the Prince of Condé the Cardinal Mazarin and some Court Ladies in the Parlements and Provinces will fill a greater Space than the Events since the Death of Philip IV. King of Spain Since Lewis XIV has obtained what Richlieu and Mazarin had proposed and opened the way to every thing is disposed of by one or two Ministers a Mistress or a certain Lady What Character this Great Woman ought to have Time perhaps will inform us The Princes of the Blood Great Lords and Parlements all keep the Respect and Silence All Wars Alliances and great Affairs are resolv'd on with the Ministers Mistress or the Lady None can be preferred or obtain any Employ or Honour but through one of these Channels There are no knotty difficult Treaties abroad Every thing is done by the Power of Money or Threats It is the King's Pleasure it should be so This is the Answer with which his Majesty's Ministers often pay those of Foreign Sovereigns as well as their Master's Subjects Things were not so under the Reign of his Father Mary de Medicis impatiently endured the excessive
and Predestination in the Vnited Provinces A new Contest in Holland about the manner of chusing Pastors The Differences in the Vnited Provinces encrease A Conference at Delft between the Remonstrants and Contra-remonstrants The Prejudice of James King of England against the Arminians is abated Sibrund a Frieseland Minister publishes a Libel on the States of Holland Grotius is ordered to reply An Edict of the States of Holland to compose the Differences about the Questions of Predestination and Grace BOOK V. A New Party form'd at Court by the Marechal of Bouillon Artifices of the Duke of Savoy to raise a Civil War in France Different Measures propos'd to the Council of Franco for dispersing the Prince of Conde's Faction The Regent's Circular Letter upon the Retreat of the Prince of Conde and some Lords of his Faction The Duke of Nevers seizes the Citadel of Mezieres in Champagne The Prince of Conde writes a Letter to the Regent in form of a Manifesto The Weakness of the Parlement of Paris on this Occasion Reflections on the Answer the Cardinal of Perron made the Prince of Conde The Reply of Mary de Medicis to the Prince of Conde Mary de Medicis raises Six Thousand Swisses Bassompierre is made Colonel General of the Swisses in the Duke of Rohan's Place The Conduct of the Reformed in France in the Prince of Conde's Business The Wisdom of Du Plessis The Prince of Conde solicits the Reformed The wise Reply of du Plessis Mornay to the Regent and the Prince of Conde The Duke of Rohan seems to hear the Prince of Conde's Propositions The Duke of Vendome's Evasion He writes into Britany The Death of the Constable of Montmorency The Duke of Savoy shuns meeting the Marquess de Coeuvres Ambassador from France into Italy The Jealousie of the Princes and States of Italy occasioned by the Correspondence of the Two Crowns about the Affairs of that Country The Spaniards secretly traverse the Treaty carried on by the Marquess de Coeuvres The Cardinal-Duke of Mantua accepts the Conditions proposed by the Marquiss de Coeuvres The Duke of Savoy seems likewise to accept them Troops are raised at Turin The Treaty of the Duke of Ventadour and the other Commissioners of the King with the Prince of Conde and those of his Party The Prince retires to Soissons and goes into Champagne A Division in the Regent's Council on the Demands which the Prince of Conde and the Malecontents make with respect to their private Interests Intrigues of the Marshal of Ancre to divert the Regent from making War on the Prince of Conde The Pope's Nuncio's reasoning on the Resolution taken to make Peace with the Prince of Conde An Examen of the Political Reflexion of a Venetian Author of the Treaty made with the Prince of Conde A Treaty concluded at St. Menehoud between the Regent and the Prince of Conde The Sentiments of the Parlement of Paris against a Book of Suarez the Jesuit Paul V. complains of the Proceedings of Parlement against Suarez's Book A Discourse of the Pope to the French Ambassador upon the Parlements Sentence The Conduct of the Court of France to satisfie the Pope The Jesuits stir to have the Parlement's Sentence burnt The King's Declaration in his Council concerning the Parlement's Sentence The Pope will not be satisfied with the King's Declaration The King at last is obliged to suspend the Execution of the Parlements Sentence Differences in the Court of France The Duke of Vendome refuses to accept the Treaty of Menehoud The Ability and Prudence of du Plessis Mornay Mary de Medicis sends the Marquiss de Coeuvres to the Duke of Vendome to dispose him to an Accommodation A new Disturbance of the Prince of Conde An Interview of the Prince of Conde and the Duke of Rohan The Prince of Conde thinks to make himself Master of Poitiers A great Tumult at Poitiers The Gates of the City are shut against the Prince He retreats to Chateouroux in Berry A Remonstrance of du Plessis Mornay to the Regent The King and Queen Mother go to Poitiers The Queen goes to Nants in Brettany to hold a Meeting of the States The Prince of Conti's Death New Differences between the Princes of Brandenburgh and Newburgh about the Administration of the Countries of Cleves and Juliers The Town of Aix la Chapelle is put under the Ban of the Empire The Marquess of Spinola reduces the Town of Aix la Chapelle and seizes divers Places in the Countries of Cleves and Juliers Maurice Prince of Orange takes divers Places in the same Country A Conference at Santheim about the Succession of Cleves and Juliers The Duke of Savoy is more embroyl'd with Spain than ever He seeks to gain the Venetians into his Interests The Marquiss of Rambouillet is sent Ambassador Extraordinary into Italy An open War between Spain and Savoy Several Things writ on both sides The Pope's Nuncio and French Ambassador labour for an Accommodation between them The Duke of Savoy accepts the Conditions proposed and Spain refuses them The King of Spain is not satisfied with the Governour of Milan's Conduct The Majority of Lewis XIII His first Act. Sits in his Seat of Justice Education of Lewis XIII THE HISTORY OF THE REIGN OF LEWIS XIII King of France and Navarre BOOK I. THE Reign whose History I am about to write The Plan of the Work abounds in Great Events Here is a Scene of Civil and Foreign Wars Bloody Battles Towns attack'd and defended with great Conduct and Courage The Protestants oppress'd in France and supported in Hungary Germany and the Vnited Provinces The Nobility Clergy Parlements and People reduced to Slavery A King unable to extricate himself from those Difficulties in which some were still busie to involve him leaves the Care of Affairs to his Favourites and Ministers Alike averse to his Mother his Wife his Brother he treats the one ill and obliges the rest to form Leagues at Home and Abroad and at last to throw themselves into the Hands of the ancient Enemies of France The Princes of the Blood and the Great Lords disgusted sometimes at the ill Administration of a Regent at other times with the excessive Power of a Favourite or Minister rise under the specious Pretence of a Concern for the Publick Good The Protestants driven to Extremity by the frequent Infractions of the most inviolable Edict that ever was at last take Arms to defend the Liberty of their Consciences and preserve those Securities which had been so justly granted them in the preceding Reign The Enterprizes of the House of Austria on the Princes of Italy force them to have recourse to the Protection of France and make an Alliance with her These Sovereigns jealous of their Repose and Liberty see without concern the Duke of Savoy give up to the King of France a Place which opens a way into Italy whenever he shall think fit to send any Aid thither A great Conqueror coming from the
Assistance of the Pope and Governor of Milan did not desist for all this The Count of Soissons sent him privately word to be very reserved to Berrault a Creature of Villeroy who aimed to surprize and daunt the Duke Siri Memorie recondite Tom. II. pag. 463 464. The Pope's Nuncio in France declared his Master knew nothing of the Designs of Charles Emanuel but this Italian Minister maintained them as well as he could and strove to prove the Justice of them to the Queen All this gave Umbrage This was the reason she earnestly recommended to the Cardinal of Joieuse to Discourse with the Pope upon this Subject and to Represent the Reasons which France had to oppose the Enterprize which the Duke of Savoy seemed to design The Duke of Savoy is forced to Disarm The World could not comprehend the Intrigues of this Prince perhaps he himself did not very well know what he would have Charles Emanuel undertakes to make a War on the Protestants and his chief Prospect is to raise the Hugonots of France in case he were left alone to act against Geneva At the same time he proposes to the King of England a double Marriage of the Prince of Wales with the Princess of Savoy and of the Prince of Piemont with a Daughter of England It was very difficult at first to make King James hear the Envoy from Savoy and yet the Duke pushed the Matter so far that the Court of Rome was alarmed at it Paul V. took Measures to break the Treaty which the King of England and the Duke of Savoy had no great mind to conclude A Capucin had Orders to go to Turin with an Instruction from Cardinal Borghese to divert Charles Emanuel from thinking on an Alliance with England All that could ever be guessed of so capricious a Movement was that the Duke thought to create a Jealousie in France and bring her by this means to finish the Treaty or the Marriage of the Eldest Daughter of that Kingdom with the Prince of Piemont He hoped too the Pope would break the Treaty of the Double Marriage between France and Spain and Assist the Prince of Piemont to Marry the Eldest Daughter of either of those two Crowns rather than suffer the Duke to bring a Protestant Princess to Turin The poor Duke spoil'd all his Affairs by aiming too much to be crafty His Intrigue with England did not succeed better than any of the rest The Regent determined too on the double Marriage between France and Spain thought no more on the Prince of Piemont except for Madam Christina second Daughter to the late King For his designs on Geneva and the Country of Vaux these he must quit too Mary de Medicis had acted her part so well with the Pope and King of Spain that they joyned with her to compel the Duke of Savoy to lay down his Arms. La Varenne was sent from the Court of France to Turin to conclude this Matter Charles Emanuel still flattered with some Hopes the Regent would be his Friend had a mind to do this with a good Grace He thought at least to make this Advantage that Mary de Medicis should take in good part the Deference which he feigned to have for her Majesty A Civil Meeting of the Protestants of France The Queen was the more Solicitous to put a stop to the Commotions in Savoy because the Court feared the Protestants met at Saumur might take Umbrage at it When the Reformed of France saw there was a necessity for them to defend themselves against those who attacked them with open force they began to form set Meetings in different Provinces of the Kingdom to agree on Measures for their Safety and the free Exercise of their Religion One or more Provinces joined together first held their Provincial Assembly Out of these they deputed a certain number of Gentlemen of those they called Elders or Ministers to form the General Assembly who were to take Resolutions for the common Good of the whole Body Reason and Natural Equity allow of these sort of Confederacies The Primitive Christians united and had their Meetings for the Regulation of their Discipline and preserving the Purity of the Gospel After their Example the Reformed had their Synods to draw up their Confession of Faith and form the Government of their Churches These being born in a Christian State where Subjects have Privileges and Liberties had not only their Religion to take care of but were under an Indispensable Obligation to defend their Right as far as the Rules of Natural Equity and Christianity admit against their King and a Faction of their Countrymen who strove to oppress them The Sovereign Power ought to hinder as far as may be all Associations and Meetings which may cause Disorder and Confusion in a State but this must be by a due Execution of the Fundamental Laws and maintaining those Rights and Privileges which Subjects cannot without Injustice be deprived of It is reasonable to alledge Men ought not to form a State within a State None would think of this if they were left peaceably to enjoy their Birthright But for Princes to pretend to prevent Disorders which would never happen if they were disposed to do Justice and to use these plausible Maxims to oppress with more ease those whom they have Sworn to protect is a Tyranny which it is lawful to oppose This is ever most dangerous when it is covered with the fair Colours of the publick Good The King of Navarre liked these Principles very well and thought them solid and conducing to the Welfare and Repose of Civil Society whilst he was struggling to defend himself against the power of the League but when he once saw himself Master of a fair Kingdom he soon abandon'd those Sentiments which Interest more than Reason had led him to embrace Princes never consult this Oracle they are only entertained with Discourses of Reason when they are not in a condition capable of understanding it In the following part of their Lives they are flattered and Transported with Passion for their own Greatness Whatever makes them absolute and Independent ever seems most Just and Reasonable to them After the Verification of the Edict of Nants Henry did not without great difficulty grant the Protestants leave to hold a General Meeting He was afraid the Lords that resorted to it or had their Creatures there should attempt any thing to his prejudice Are not the Synods said the King sufficient to determine Matters of Discipline and Religion As for Civil Affairs and the keeping the Edict of Pacification the two Deputies General which I allow the Protestants to have in my Court can represent to me the Griefs and Complaints of the Provinces I will take care to do them Justice This manner of Reasoning had been good if Henry had had the Knowledge and Integrity not to be Surprized by the Popes Nuncio and other crafty Men who were ever near him to Extort
place they desired that Sigismund the King 's eldest Son should be bred in the Protestant Religion because that young Prince began to give some Umbrage Queen Catherine Jagellon his Mother had so strongly tinctured him with the Principles of the Church of Rome that the Senators of the Kingdom having one day threatned him that he should lose the Right of Succession to the Crown if he did not soon renounce the Religion he had imbibed and embrace the Ausburgh Confession I prefer replied he boldly the Kingdom of Heaven to all the Crowns in the World No other Answer could be got from him On some Occasions the States of Sweden had more Complaisance for the King All seem'd dispos'd to receive the new Liturgy and the Accommodations he had invented Charles of Sudermannia the Clergy of his Provinces and some great Lords were the only People who defended the Reformation but the Interest of the Duke and the effectual Remonstrances of the rest brought back several whose Hopes and Fears had abated their Warmth and Zeal The King himself had lost much of that Ardor the Jesuit Possevin had inspired into him Whether he could not accommodate himself to the haughty Humour of Sixtus V. Successor to Gregory XIII or his Doubts were not sufficiently cleared or the great Power of his Brother kept him in awe John humbled the Catholicks who thought themselves now Masters of all things He drove out the Jesuits and demolished their College Gennila Bielke whom the King married after the Death of Catherine Jagellon cooled the Fervour her Husband had before shewed for the Roman Religion Kings often think they do that of their own Heads which a dextrous and insinuating Woman inspires into them John King of Sweden thought he had solid Reasons to doubt of the Truth of the Protestant Religion But his principal Motive though he scarce knew it himself was his great Complaisance for Catherine Jagellon The Queen Gennila might have brought him back to his first Religion in the same manner as the other had seduced him from it Sigismond Prince of Sweden is chosen King of Poland After the Death of Stephen Battori King of Poland Ann Jagellon his Widow and Aunt of Sigismond Prince of Sweden managed the Polish Nobility so well that the greatest part declared for him The contrary Faction chose the Arch-Duke Maximilian Brother to the Emperor Rodolphus But Sigismond's Friends carried it He was received in Poland beat the Arch-Duke and Maximilian being taken Prisoner redeemed his Liberty by renouncing all his Pretensions to the Crown of Poland The Swedes made their Conditions before the Prince left that Kingdom as the Poles made theirs before they received him The Principal thing which the Senate of Sweden stipulated with Sigismond was the preserving the Priviledges and Religion of their Country They added this Clause in the Treaty that if the King of Poland becoming King of Sweden after the Death of his Father should contravene any of the Articles agreed on that then the Swedes should be discharged from the Oath of Allegiance they had taken It is very probable that Sigismond before his departure from Sweden urged the King his Father to pursue his Design of causing his new Liturgy to be received together with the ancient Ceremonies which he had establish'd a little after his coming to the Crown When Princes have begun a Work that makes a great Figure they are loth to quit it and soon resume it when they see the least Prospect of Success Sigismond hoped his late Advancement would make it easie for him to accomplish the Work which his Father had drawn a rough Draught of And the King of Sweden strengthned by the new Alliance of Poland flatter'd himself that Charles of Sudermannia would not dare to oppose him He was deceived in his Conjectures The Churchmen of the Dutchy agreeing perfectly well with the Prince refused to receive his Liturgy This disturbed the King so much who was now at greater variance with his Brother than ever that he thought of recalling Sigismond in earnest The new King himself was tempted to return into his Country He would willingly have done it if the Poles had not briskly opposed it A Foreign Prince is easily dazled with the glittering Title of King of Poland But he soon takes distaste at the false Lustre of a Crown which only appears fair at a distance Those who have left their Hereditary Countries to go into Poland have repented This is the way to hazard the loss of an Effective Sovereignty for a Title which has more Pomp than Reality Sigismond knew by Experience the Truth of this Maxim The King his Father finding so great opposition from the Swedes who were more upon their Guard since the Election of Sigismond had nothing else to have Recourse to but to reconcile himself speedily to the Duke of Sudermannia and admit him to a Share in the Administration of Affairs The Apprehensions of John were something lessened by Charles's losing his Wife She left no Issue behind her and John pretended his Brother promised him never to think of a second Marriage If it were so the Duke in his turn broke his Word He soon after married Christina Daughter of Adolphus Duke of Holstein It is reported Sigismond courted this Lady before he went into Poland But a Sister of King John diverted the Prince her Nephew from the Match He after married Constance of Austria Daughter of Charles and Sister of Ferdinand Arch-Duke of Gratz in Stiria Christina enraged at this Contempt conceived so great a Hatred against Sigismond that after she was married to Charles of Sudermmannia she incessantly urged him to force the Crown of Sweden from Sigismond King John was not well satisfied with this second Marriage of Charles But his ill Humour did not last long He died soon after at Stockholm The Duke of Sudermannia was active as soon as he heard this News He set at liberty the Senators and Clergymen Sigismond King of Poland succeeds in the Kingdom of Sweden whom the late King had confined for opposing his Designs Sigismond very much distrusted his Uncle To prevent his enterprizing any thing to his Prejudice the new King writes that he was making all Preparations to come speedily into his Hereditary Countries In the mean time the Duke of Sudermannia takes the Administration as next of Kin to the King Puffendorf Introduction à Histoire Tom. IV. p. 11. Rhap 1. 2. John left another Son by his second Wife but he was yet a Minor The Senators without prejudice to their Oath taken to Sigismond promised to obey Charles in every thing he should order with their Consent for the Glory of God the Preservation of the Protestant Religion and the maintaining the just Rights and Priviledges of the Nation The Duke promised of his Part not to transact any thing of weight without the Advice and Consent of the Senate A Council is thereupon assembled at Vpsal to regulate Matters of
France and Ann Infanta of Spain The Duke of Mayenne had received greater Honours in Spain Entry of the Duke of Mayenne into Madrid than the Duke of Pastrana in France whether it was that they had regard to his Quality as Prince of a Sovereign House allied to the House of Austria or that the Spaniards had an Ambition to outgoe the French in Magnificence and Galantry He found in his way the Duke of Lerma's Mansion House French Mercenary 1612. This Favourite gave Orders that Mayenne should be splendidly regaled and to the end the Feast might seem more Galant it appear'd that all was done at the expense of the Inhabitants of Lerma who were Ravish't with Joy to have amongst them a Guess so honourably distinguish't The Duke fail'd not upon this occasion to set out all his Sumptuous Moveables and Tapistry the Borders of which were all Embroider'd with Gold and richly set out with Rubies and Emeraulds The Duke d' Alva de l'Infantado d' Albuquerque the Admirante of Castile and many other Grandees of Spain accompanied with 500 Cavaliers whose Horses were proudly Harnas't went to receive the Duke of Mayenne without Madrid He made a very fine Entrance But the long and close Mourning the Ambassador wore for his Father and the Court of Spain had put on for the Death of the Queen render'd the Ceremony less Glorious The 17th of July the Duke d'Vseda conducted the Ambassador to his Audience of the King The Prince of Spain stood at the left hand of his Majesty and the Duke of Lerma at the right The Father and Son embrac'd the Embassador when he drew near to kiss their Hands This was a Distinction granted to the Quality of the Prince who was of the House of Lorrain After this he was Conducted to the Audience of the Infanta The Duke kiss'd her Hand because her Highness had declar'd she would use the Embassador as the Queen had used one of her Subjects The Articles of Marriage signed between Lewis the 13th and the Infanta of Spain The Signing of the Articles of Marriage was fix't to be upon the 22d of August All the Court left off their Mourning for that day besides the King The Duke of Lerma went to the Ambassador to Conduct him to the Palace Neither his Majesty or the Prince or Infanta of Spain were present at the Ceremony of Sealing Two Acts were prepar'd one in French and another in Spanish The Duke of Mayenne Puisieux Secretary of State and Vaucelas Ambassador in ordinary at Madrid first sign'd the French Act as Proxies for the most Christian King and the Queen his Mother The Duke of Lerma sign'd afterwards in quality of Proxy for the Catholick King 's Father and Guardian of the Infanta It was after another manner compos'd in the Spanish Act Lerma put there his Name first and the French after him The Infanta renounc't for her self and Children all the Rights of Succession to the States of the Crown of Spain Two Cases were only excepted That if the Infanta was a Widow without any Children she should return into Spain or that for reason of State and the publick Weal of the Spanish Monarchy she should Marry again with the consent of the King her Father or the Prince of Spain her Brother she shou'd in this second case re-enter into her Rights of succeeding one and th' other After the signing of the Articles the Duke of Mayenne was Conducted into a Hall where the King was with the Prince and Infanta at each side of him The Ambassador only made a Reverence to the Father He harangu'd chiefly the Daughter in Quality of the Queen of France When the Duke took his leave some days after he entreated her to give him some Orders to the King his Master Assure him said the Infanta that I am very much impatient of seeing him This Answer did not seem grave enough to the Countess d' Altamira her Governess Ah Madam cry'd the Spanish Lady what will the King of France think when the Duke shall report to him you have so great a passion for Marriage You have taught me answer'd the Infants with a great deal of liveliness that one must always speak the Truth She poor young Princess had a heart burning for a Husband who did not make her so happy as she fancied he wou'd Conspiracy against the Duke of Parma We shall see anon the face of Affairs wholly altered in Italy by the Death of Francis Duke of Mantua which happen'd at the end of the year 1611. But before I enter into this particular which I reserve for the following year I think I ought to say somwhat of an Affair which made a great noise in Italy in the Month of March this present year Francis Duke of Mantua had some days agoe succeded Vincent his Father Husband of the Eldest Sister of Mary de Medicis At this same time Ranutius Duke of Parma discover'd a Plot laid against him for above a year since and against all the House of Farnese He thought that he had sufficient Witnesses to believe that the Deceased Duke Vincent of Mantua the Cardinals Sforza and Este the Prince of Modena the Duke of Mirandola and some other Sovereign Princes had had a part in so horrid a design Here 's what is discover'd now of it Many Gentlemen and some Ladies of Quality of the States of the Duke of Parma and the Neighbouring places Conspired together to kill him with all those of his House and to possess themselves of the Towns of Parma and Placentia which they were afterwards to deliver up to some Neighbouring Princes from whom the Conspirators had receiv'd Money There 's this difference betwixt the true Religion and Superstition that the one Abominates the smallest Crimes whereas the other can very well accord with the blackest Actions The Wretches who attempted upon the Life of Henry the IV were confess 't and took the Sacrament afterwards to prepare themselves for their barbarous Design They who Conspir'd a little time after against Ranutius Duke of Parma and against all the House of the Farnese's swore by the Image of the Virgin Mary to keep their Trust and Fidelity one to t'other and not discover their Enterprise Their first Project whereby they might bring their Design about was to lay hold of the Opportunity which the Solemn Baptism of the young Prince of Parma afforded them where the Cardinal Farnese was to be present with the rest of the Family They had resolv'd to slay there Ranutius his Children the Cardinal and all the Persons Devoted to the Farneses The Ceremony of Baptism having been happily put off the Conspirators notwithstanding continued their Meetings and took their Measures for the Execution of their Conspiracy They had already got a great number of Men and some Neighbouring Princes were to furnish them with Soldiers at the appointed time But seeing that the Ceremony of Baptism was put off too long a time and that the
Plot might be discover'd the Conspirators took a Resolution to set up the Duke of Parma in an Abby whither he had been retir'd to take the Air and be devout with the Capuchins and Assassinate him in this place They were to come after this was done to Parma in the Night-time to kill the Dukes Children and those of his House to sack the Palace and City and possess themselves of the Cittadel Another Party of the Complices were order'd to make themselves Masters by means of some Intelligence of the City and Castle of Placentia which they were to deliver up to the Duke of Mantua In all Conspiracies which require long time for Execution and a great number of Complices there 's almost always some one found who upon consideration reflects seriously on the Enterprize The fear of Punishment the hopes of being well rewarded the Horrour likewise of the Crime and Remorse of Conscience bring them to discover the Contrivance The Duke of Parma happen'd upon some Persons of this Humour who gave him notice of the Danger he was threatned withal After an exact Information of all the particulars of the Conspiracy Ranutius caused a Manifesto to be fixt up in all publick Places which contain'd the Story of the plotted Enterprise and the Names of the principal Complices whom the Duke summon'd to come and justifie themselves It appear'd that the Names of some Persons who were considerable for their Degree and Quality were suppress't Vincent Duke of Mantua some days agoe Deceased was so well describ'd as ev'ry one presently knew him by the Name of Chief Conspirator which was given him The Captain of his Guards was the second Man amongst the Plotters Francis his Successor complain'd aloud of the injury done to the Memory of his Father For this he demanded Reparation This Affair was so much nois'd in Italy insomuch that they fear'd an open breach betwixt the Duke of Parma and the Duke of Mantua The former had his Recourse to the King of Spain for Protection for whom the Famous Alexander of Parma had done Signal Services And the other the Queen Regent of France's Nephew implored the Succors of that Crown Charles Emanuel Duke of Savoy would intervene for an Accommodation betwixt the two Princes But t' was strait known that this Disquieted Spirit sought to embroil them further and rather raise a War from whence he hop'd for an Advantage than any ways to make an end of the Differences The Parties agreed to refer themselves to the Arbitration of the Duke of Vrbin as to one part of the Contest The Governor of Milan stifled the rest of this Affair in the Name of the King of Spain and so the Princes dismiss't the Troops which they had raised A Proposal of Marriage between Christiana the 2d Daughter of France and Henry Prince of Wales To stop the continual Complaints of the Duke of Savoy the Regent sometimes offer'd to give Christina her second Daughter to the Prince of Piedmont yet this did not hinder the talk of Marrying her to Henry Prince of Wales the Eldest Son of James the I. King of great Britain Whether it was that Mary de Medicis had an Ambition to make all her Daughters Queens or that she wou'd break off the Negotiation already much advanc'd betwixt his Britannick Majesty and the Duke of Savoy for Marrying the Prince of Wales with the Princess of Savoy James had demanded the Eldest Daughter of France but seeing that the Regent was so far engag'd with Spain he gave ear to the Duke of Savoy's Proposition which he had made him As his Majesty had got in the World a great Name for loving Money very well so Cosmus Great Duke of Florence a more Monyed Prince than Charles Emanuel thwarted the Design He offer'd one of his Sisters for the Prince of Wales with a more considerable Fortune But the Pope perhaps at the Instigation of the Regent who pretended to make the Duke of Savoy amends by bringing about a Match for the Prince of Piedmont with the Princess of Florence the Pope I say wrote forceably to the Great Duke for to persuade him from any Alliance which the Holy Chair could not approve of Notwithstanding the Pope's Letter which seem'd to be Precarious Cosmus thought always to Marry his Sister into England he press't the Queen to assist him with her good Offices at Rome to obtain a Dispensation but Mary de Medicis who had other things in her Head flatly denied him The Duke of Savoy wrote to his Ambassadors in France to tell the King of England's Ambassador that his Highness knowing well the Difference there is betwixt a Daughter of France and a Princess of Savoy Charles Emanuel might not think it strange that a Daughter of Henry the IV should be preferr'd before his but he thought he should receive a sensible Affront if his Britannick Majesty should Reject a Princess of Savoy for to Marry his Son into the House of the Medicis The Regent shew'd so much eagerness for the Marriage of Christina with the Prince of Wales as Edmonds Knight and Ambassador from England believ'd that after the way Villeroy had spoke to him it might be King James's fault if this Affair was not concluded and that Mary de Medicis would with much willingness yield to him all the Conditions he could ask of her When the King had heard this News he order'd Robert Carr Viscount of Rochester his Favourite to write to Prince Henry who was then at Richmond and pray him to speak freely if he like'd of the Match Henry had notice that Christina was not yet nine years of Age and that her Eldest Sister's Portion was but 500000 Crowns in Gold But France said Rochester seems to have so great a desire for this Marriage as no one doubts but she may give more to the Second Daughter in case the Augmentation of her Fortune be insisted upon The Prince of Wales with great Prudence answer'd the King his Father upon all the Articles of the Letter of the Chevalier Edmonds which he had sent him at the same time As for the time said he ' they 'l bring the Princess of France into England I believe the sooner it is the better and that your Majesty ought not to demur hereupon As long as the Princess shall be in France the Queen her Mother will be Mistress either to forward the Marriage or to stave it off and to oblige her Daughter to give her Consent or hinder her from it The younger she is the more time we shall have and easiness to instruct her in our Religion and Convert her Since they ask of your Majesty to Explain your self as to the Liberty the Princess shall have in the exercise of her Religion I desire you Sir to answer your Ambassador positively that you will not agree to any other Conditions with France than what the Duke of Savoy had demanded when he offer'd you his Daughter That is to say that the Princess shall
found it without doing any thing against your Conscience or the welfare of Religion These studied Discourses made no great impressions on the Queen She coldly answered the Nuncio that all her Council except the Marschal de Bovillon were good Catholicks and that they were the best Judges what made for the Interest of the Kingdom and of Religion Besides added her Majesty I do nothing upon this occasion but what certain Princes of Italy have done as well as I and that before the Pope's Eyes The Dutches of Tuscany with all her Devotion did she refuse to allow of any Discourse concerning the Marriage of her Daughter with the late Prince of Wales The Emperor Matthias goes to Ratisbonne to the Diet. Of all the Protestants the United Princes in Germany were those which flattered themselves with deriving great Advantages from the Alliance of the Elector Palatine with the Crown of England They hoped that King James would Support their League of which Frederick his Son-in Law was the Chief Since the Dispute that arose concerning the Succession of Cleves and Juliers the Animosite which the Catholicks and Protestants bore towards one another in Germany was inflamed The Two Parties got all the Strength they could and made Attempts upon each other The weakness of Rodolphus contributed much to this unhappiness Matthias his Brother and Successor tryed to Cure it in the begining of his Reign But he had neither Power nor Wisdom necessary to reconcile so different Interests or to Command equal Respect from Princes that were sowr'd one against the other with mutual Discontents Possibly the Emperor had no very ill intentions with respect to the Protestants at least he seemed to imitate the moderation of Maximilian his Father But not having so much Sense and Resolution he was ensnared with the Contrivances of the Court of Rome the Catholick Party The Progress the Turks made a little while ago in Hungary seemed to threaten Matthias with a War near Home This obliged him to keep even with both Sides because he equally needed their assistance against a formidable Enemy The Protestants endeavoured to make their use of this opportunity to better their Condition and to secure the repose of their Churches The Catholicks and Protestants complain of each other Matthias had promised at his Coronatiion to call a Diet to consult about means to secure the Peace and Tranquility of the Empire and to remedy those Disorders of which several parts of it had complained a long time It was appointed to meet at Ratisbonne The Emperor and the Three Ecclesiastical Electors came thither But the other Electors only sent their Deputies Lewis Landgrave of Hesse declared at large the Reasons the Emperor had to convene the Diet. Mercure Francois 1613. Five were with relation to the particular Government of the Empire and the Sixth related to the Attempts of the Turks upon Hungary His Imperial Majesty thinking it necessary vigorously to oppose them desired that they would grant him certain Contributions for that purpose but before they would enter upon the Consideration of what the Emperor proposed the United Protestant Princes who were then called Correspondans presented several Grieveances of which they had before complain'd under the preceding Reign without obtaining any Redress 'T would be to no purpose to give an account of them here The Emperor in vain endeavoured to Elude the Demands of the Correspondans and to defer till another time the Examination of that Affair they stood to it that his Imperial Majesty ought first to Redress their Greivances The Catholick Princes being convinc'd of the Justice of the pretensions of their Adversaries were of Opinion without having any regard to the Complaints of the United Protestants that they should immediately proceed to deliberate upon the Articles proposed by the Emperor The Consideration of some particular Persons less in Number said they ought to be preferred before the necessity of the publick Welfare which was very pressing Being sure to have the plurality of Voices on their Side these Gentlemen had a mind that what ever they Ordered should be lookt upon as a Resolution of the Diet There could be nothing more contrary to the Repose and Tranquility of the Empire in the present posture of Affairs At this Rate they would presently have Ruined all the Protestants in Germany The Catholicks did likewise maliciously insinuate to the Empire that the Protestants had ill Designs under-hand and that there was Reason to fear they would at last Contest the Lawful Authority of his Majesty Within a little while after they presented a long account of the Complaints which the Catholicks had to make against the Protestants They accused them of diverse Infractions of the Treaty of Pacification that was made some time past at Passau and of diverse Attempts contrary to the Constitutions of the Empire The Catholicks Demanded Justice in their turn of his Imperial Majesty These Gentlemen have been a long time us'd to cry out of Injustice and Persecution against those very Men which they Tormented and Opprest Not to suffer them to Tyranize is to Persecute them So that the Pope grants Jubilees and Indulgences with a liberal Hand to obtain the Deliverance of those of his Religion as if they were unjustly Opprest althô at the same time they live in perfect Tranquility This we see done every day The bad Success of the Diet at Ratisbonne Not being able to Reconcile Spirits which were more and more sowr'd against one another the Emperor endeavoured to avoid the Examination of the Complaints which were made of either Side He proposed to defer it to another time Nevertheless he demanded Assistance for the Security of Hungary where Bethlem Gabor the New Prince of Transilvania Supported by the Turks had made himself dreadful The Protestants answered that they did not doubt but the Emperor was well affected to them and that they were ready to Contribute both Men and Money for the Defence of his Majesties Hereditary Countrys But that they could not forbear to desire his Imperial Majesty in the first Place to restablish the Peace and Tranquility of the Empire and take Care of redressing the Greivances which they had presented to him The Arch-Duke Maximilian the Emperor's Brother a Prince of a sweet and moderate Temper was then at Ratisbonne Matthias desired him to Treat with the Protestants hoping he was able to bring them over but althô they profest a great Respect for the Arch-Duke yet he could obtain nothing of them With a design to make the Emperor more favourable the Catholicks shewed themselves Liberal and well Inclined They promised to furnish him for Two years with their Antient Contributions to carry on a War against the Turks the Protestants oppos'd this Deliberation being resolv'd not to suffer that the Resolutions taken by the Catholicks should be lookt upon as the Decrees of the whole Diet of the Empire Thus the Diet of Ratisbonne broke up instead of remedying the disorders of
was afterwards Confirmed in all its Articles in the Orders and Acts which were made and lastly in every thing that was since agreed to either in the Interpretation of it or in its Execution which they would as 't was said inviolably keep and observe After having forbid his Subjects to enter into any Leagues contrary to the Well-being of the State with foreign Princes and to receive any secret Pensions from 'em the King confirm'd his Father's Edicts against Duels and the Ordinances of his Predecessors against Swearing and Blasphemy I should not refuse to give so pious and just a Declaration in all appearance its just Praises if the Son of him who made it had not declared Solemnly that neither his Father or his Grandfather had ever any Intention to continue such an Edict which they had promised so many times to maintain as a Perpetual and Irrevocable Law How then Were these Two Kings who had the magnificent Sirnames conferred upon them of Great and Just by the Confession of their Son Men without Conscience and Probity Will Posterity ever believe a thing of this Nature As for my self I shall always preserve a better Opinion of Henry IV. and Lewis XIII I can't be persuaded that they were so bad as Lewis XIV represents them to us The K. takes his Seat of Justice in the Parlement at Paris The next Morning being the Second day of October the King went to take his Seat of Justice in the Parlement at Paris as he was going and in his Seat he was accompanied with all imaginable Pomp and Splendour Mary de Medicis made a short Discourse there Mercure Francois 1614. in which her Majesty declared That she put the Administration of Affairs into her Son's hands who for some days had been in his Majority Lewis greatly thank't his Mother and ended in declaring that he was willing that his Mother should always continue to take Care of him and Govern the State and this is what the good Princess had discreetly brought about with a great deal of diligence She preserved her Authority without making her self Responsible for what should be done hereafter Too happy If the Favourite who began already to insinuate himself into the young King had not banisht her from the Court and the Chief Minister of State whom shâ—… her self had Establisht in the place of the deceased Favourite had not drove her away out of the Kingdom Sileri Chancellour and Verdun Chief President made Speeches upon the Majority of the Kings of France Servin the Advocate General 's Discourse was more remarkable for the prudent and Religious Remonstrances he made to the young King There 's only this one thing I have to find fault with that so grave a Magistrate was himself ensnared with this base flattery which was introduc'd then into the Parlement and is since establisht there so shamefully Servin heap'd up upon Mary de Medicis excessive Praises for her Administration of the Government Amongst the good Counsels he gave Lewis with a Christian and French liberty ought he to have inserted that he should behave himself as his Mother should Advise who rather aimed at the maintaining of her Authority and the Advancement of her Creatures and Favourites than at the Instruction of her Son in Religion and Virtue and the making of his People happy and satisfied in her Administration of the Government The Ceremony ended with reading and registring a Declaration despatcht the day before Searching as carefully as 't was possible for me what regarded the History of Lewis XIII in his Minority I oftentimes wondered to find so little matter touching the young King's Education His Father had made Gilles de Souvrè his Governor But it seems that upon this occasion Henry IV. less thought of choosing a Gentleman who had the Qualities which this important Employment required than of Recompensing the faithfulness of an old Servant I can find out that Souvrè bestirr'd himself to settle his Family and procure his Son the Marquiss of Courtenvaux a considerable Office But I could never learn what he did to give Lewis a Royal Education Souvrè's Family which this Prince hath made Illustrious did not continue long after his death The Heiress carried all the Means away into another Person 's House who was a Minister of State and whose Father of an obscure Birth was advanc'd to the chief Dignity of the long Robe Memoires de la Regence de Maried Medicis Melanges d'Histoire de Litte-rature par Vigneul-Marville Vanquelin des Ivetaux was the King's first Tutour A Person of Quality whose Memoires we have saith that Vanquelin was a Man of great Merit and very capable to Instruct a Prince But the Character which a Modern Author gives us of the exâ—â—vagant and romantick Amours and of the Epicurean Life and Death of this Man is a certain proof that Henry IV. did not well distinguish Men of Worth The Cardinal Perron used many Intrigues to get his Brother into the place of being his Tutour He offered himself to take the care and directions of the Dauphin's Studies Yet Henry IV. of his own Inclination chose Vanquelin He did not long continue in the Employment The envy and jealousie of some caused him to be removed from it in a years time after the death of Henry IV. Nicholas le Fevre succeeded him This was a Person noted for his Knowledge and Piety The late King had sent him to the Prince of Conde who was willing to Recompense le Fevre in being a means to procure Vanquelin's place in which he behaved himself with much approbation Le Fevre died the year after and Fleurance Rivant an able Mathematician as 't is said rose from the Office of being Sub-Tutour to be Tutour in Chief A Youth who passeth through so many different hands doth not usually become a Man of Abilities Bernard Historie de Louis XIII Liv. 1. Lewis XIII learnt very little Latin Falconry and the exercise of Hunting pleased him more than Study he lookt very well after Hawks and became in Hunting the greatest Rider in his Kingdom His Majesty saith an Historian called to his Dogs in Perfection Had it not been much more to the purpose to have taught him how to speak to Men 'T was likewise observed that Lewis was no bad Gunner and that he very well understood Fortification These Qualifications which might be of some use to a younger Brother of the Nobility who is to seek and make out his own Fortune are not in any wise fit for a King if you except from hence understanding and knowledge in Fortifications He may for his diversion Hunt and flie his Hawks but he ought to Employ his time in something that 's better than to be expert in Falcons and Hounds I should have nothing to say against Lewis's having some knowledge in Artillery which is necessary for a King who ought to make himself capable of Commanding his Armies when the publick-good requires it But is not this ridiculous that he is suffer'd to burden his Memory with the names and use of the smallest things in Artillery They ought to have been constantly instilling into his Head Precepts useful and important to one who intends to Govern well In a Pack of Hounds he could call every one of them by their Names But t is a business more worthy of a Prince to learn the knowledge of Men to distinguish from others those who are more capable of Places of greatest Dignitiy in the State and to Reward those who are of good Use and Service to the Publick Lewis XIII had always good Inclinations and Principles in him of Virtue and Equity Courtiers dared not speak any thing of obscenity or Swear in his Presence He feared God loved Justice and was willing to do good to his People If Souvrè and others had been diligent to Instruct and Cultivate what God had given him of Judgement and Integrity they might have done considerable Service to their Prince and Country Lewis then might not have been in the unhappy necessity of leaving all to a Favourite or Minister of State who did not think of any thing but the better Establishment of their Credit and Fortunes in raising to day a Civil War and to morrow a Foreign one The End of the First Tome Books Printed for and Sold by T. Cockerill at the Three Legs in the Poultry ANnotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Pool in Two Volumes Folio The Works of the Reverend and Learned Divine Stephen Charnock B. D. in Two Volumes in Folio Historical Collections by John Rushworth Esq the Third Part in Two Volumes in Folio Sermons Preached on several occasions by John Conant D. D. in Three Volumes in Octavo A Discourse against customary Swearing by the Honourable Robert Boyle Esq Geography Anatomized or the Compleat Geographical Grammar being a short and exact Analysis of the whole Body of Modern Geography after a new and curious Method by Patrick Gordon M. A. and Fellow of the Royal Society The private Christian's Witness for Christianity in Octavo A Preservative against Deism by N. Taylor in Octavo Memoirs of the Countess of Dunois Author of the Ladies Travels into Spain written by her self before her Retirement in Octavo Essays on several Projects in Octavo A Practical Discourse of God's Sovereignty with other material Points deriving thence by Elisha Cole in Octavo English Exercise for School-Boys to Translate into Latin by J. Garretson in Duodecimo An Exposition on the Assemblies Catechism by J. Flavel Tales of the Fairies by the Author of the Ladies Travels into Spain in Duodecimo The Reasonableness of a Personal Reformation by John Flavel History of England by James Tyrril Esq in the Press and will shortly be Published in Folio Geography Rectified by Robert Modern in Quarto Devotions for every Day in the Week by Dr. Dumoulin
Power of a Favourite or a Minister The King's Brother was not always in a Passive Humoun If the first Prince of the Blood was weak a younger Brother of his House would not submit to creep to a Cardinal Some of the greatest and wealthiest Men of the Kingdom shew'd great Vigour and Courage on divers Occasions The Reform'd did not tamely suffer themselves to be oppress'd without making any Opposition The Court was forced to keep Measures with them after they were Masters of their Cautionary Towns The Monarchy of Spain was not at that time so formidable abroad But the Emperour Ferdinand II. began to grow so Potent in Germany that it was apprehended he would entirely subdue it There was a necessity to make Alliances with the King of Sweden the United Provinces all the Protestant Princes and those of Transylvania which created Trouble enough to the House of Austria The Affair of Mantua caused extraordinary Motions beyond the Alps. There was a Necessity to assist the Duke to preserve a Succession which could not rightfully be contested France began a Treaty and join'd with the Princes and States of Italy alarm'd at the new Projects of the House of Austria At length the Revolutions which happen'd in Portugal and Catalonia gave occasion to several Projects and Treaties on the part of Spain For these Reasons no one can write the History of Lewis XIII without entring into the Particulars of what happened all over Europe These are the Reasons why I have thought fit to proceed a little higher in some places of the first Part in the Affairs of Foreign Countries Gustavus Adolphus for instance must make so great a Figure in this Work that it was almost indispensable to â—…epresent how this Hero came to the Crown to the prejudice of Sigismund King of Poland Son to his Father's elder Brother None can well understand the Affairs of the Empire under Ferdinand II. unless he understand what passed about the end of Rodolphus and under the Reign of Matthias I have not a good Opinion enough of my self to think my Style such as Lucian â—…equires for an History Some of my Friends have told me that the begininng of a pretty large Work would endure â—…eading This is enough for me The chief Business of a Writer is to profit the Publick by discovering the Truth or Probability For after all in History we must often be content with the latter The Principal Facts are certain but in â—…he Reasons Motives and Circumstances of an Action or Enterprize there are ever â—…ome Grounds of doubting and we must â—…cquiesce in what is most likely I am only follicitous for the most essential Quaâ—…ities of an Historian Lib. II. de Oratore Not to dare to advance what he knows to be false and to speak freely what he knows to be true withâ—…ut being byassed by Prejudice Discourse of the manner of writing History Lucian on this Subject very judiciously says That we must not imitate the Painter who invented the drawing Side-Faces to conceal the Defect of a Prince who had â—…ut one Eye The Historian ought to paint Persons whole Let not his Affection for his Country hinder him from relating the Losses she has sustained or the Faults she has committed An Historian is like an Actor Neither of them are accountable for the bad Parts they represent The former is obliged to prefer Truth to his Interest and Passions This is the only Divinity he should adore He must ever have the Judgment of Posterity in his sight if he would pass more for an Historian than a Flatterer It is reported Alexander desired to revive for a little time after his Death He would have been pleased to see what Men would then say of a Prince who had made such a noise in the World I do not wonder said he to find every one praise me now Some are afraid of me others court my Favour If Princes judged as reasonably as this Conqueror to whom they so much love to hear themselves compared they would not be at the trouble to here Writers or cause Triumphal Arches and Statues to be erected nor assemble Men of Letters to form Designs for Medals to be coined to their Honour or to compose Magnificent Inscriptions to be engraven on Marble or Brass at the Pedestal of their Statues or over a Triumphal Arch or the Gates of a Capital or other conquered Places Contented with well governing their People and making them happy they would leave to them the Care of immortalizing their Benefactor after his Death What Service will those Histories wrote by Command those Monuments of your Vanity or the Flattery of Mercenary Wretches then do you An Historian who will not be led by Fear or Hope Friendship or Hatred who is of no Country or Party who will call Things by their Names without caring whether he please or give Offence such an Author I say as Lucian requires with one Stroke of his Pen will shew the ridiculous Folly of your Pride and the Baseness of your Flatterers Polybius who may be called the Master and Model of good Historians had given the same Precepts as Cicero and Lucian A private Man says he Polybiuâ—… L. I. ought to love his Friends and his Country He may shew his Affection to those who do them good and his Aversion to their Enemies But when a Man has once put on the Person of an Historian he must forget all that Then you are often obliged to speak Good of your Enemies and to praise them when their Actions deserve it Farther you ought to blame your nearest Kindred and expose their Shame if they have committed unexcusable Faults Take Truth from History and it is like an Animal which has lost its Eyes What remains is useless Let none then scruple to reprehend his Friends and praise his Enemies Let him not fear on certain Occasion to condemn those Persons whose Merit he commonly extols Those who are at the Helm do not always succeed on the contrary they do not eternally commit Faults A good Author ought to judge of things without respect to Persons speaking of these as the Subject requires For my part I so little fear being Censured for the Fault Frenchmen are usually reproached with of being fond of their own Nation that I do not know whether I ought not to justifie my self here to my Countrymen for not speaking through the whole Series of this Work very Advantageously of France and its Government They would not do me Justice if they thought I was fallen out with my Native Land and this had introduced me to leave it I am a Frenchman and I think it an Honour to be so but I am not so partial to my Country as to think it far Superior to any other There is good Sense Merit and Virtue to be found in all places If some Nations have more Vivacity and Politeness than others these Advantages are not so considerable that they should set themselves
Regency of Mary de Medicis The Tryal and Execution of Ravillac The Condemnation of Mariana's Book and Doctrines The Funeral of Henry IV. The Good and Ill Qualities of that Prince The Regents Council resolve to send Aid to Juliers Edicts revoked to ease the People A Declaration in Favour of the Protestants The Prince of Conde's Return His Arrival at Paris Two Powerful Factions at Court The Prince of Conde Head of the one the Count of Soissons of the other The Mareschal de Bouillon attempts to unite the two Parties The Queen Traverses this Reunion The Rise of Conchini the new Marquess of Ancre The King of Spain's Prospect in renewing the Treaty of the double Marriage Differences between the Emperor Rodolphus and the Arch-Duke Matthias his Brother A Treaty of Peace between the two Brothers Matthias is Elected and Crowned King of Hungary The Discontent of the Protestants of Austria appeased Quarrels about Religion in Bohemia The Pacification of the Troubles in Bohemia The Diet of Prague in 1610. The Emperor gives the Elector of Saxony the Countries of Cleves and Juliers The Siege and taking of Juliers by Maurice Prince of Orange The Meeting at Cologne to determine the Affairs of Cleves and Juliers Reflections on the Coronation Oath The Oath that James I. King of England required of his Popish Subjects occasions a Dispute of the Independance of Sovereigns in Temporal Matters Paul V. forbids the English of his Communion to take the Oaths King James prints an Apology for his Oath without putting his Name to it He declares himself Author of the Apology He Addresses this to all the Princes and States of Christendom Coeffeteau writes against the Apology Cardinal Bellarmine addresses to the Emperor and all the Kings of the Papal Communion his Answer to the King of Englands Apology The Sentence of the Parlement of Paris against Cardinal Bellarmine's Discourse of the Authority of the Pope The King of Spain's Edict against the XI Volume of Cardinal Baronius his Ecclesiastical Annals Differences of the Marquess of Ancre with the Count of Soissons and the Duke of Epernon Their Reconciliation a Party made at Court against the Duke of Sully BOOK II. A Quarrel between Bellegarde and Conchini The Count of Soissons falls out with the Cardinal of Joyeuse and the Duke of Epernon A Difference of the Count of Soissons with the Prince of Conde his Brother The two Princes Reconciled Another great difference of the Count of Soissons and the Duke of Guise The Duke of Guise is Reconciled to the Count of Soissons The Duke of Sully's Disgrace The first President de Harlay lays down his Place A Cabal to hinder Mr. de Thou from succeeding him La d' Escouman charges the Marquess de Vernueil and the Duke of Epernon with being concerned in the Murther of Henry IV. She is Condemned Reflections on her Sentence The State of the House of Austria in Germany The Ambitious Designs of Leopold of Austria Bishop of Strasburgh and Passaw on the Kingdom of Bohemia The Troops of Leopold advance into Bohemia Matthias King of Hungary Marches to the Assistance of Bohemia He is Crowned King of Bohemia A Cabal at the Court of France against the Duke of Epernon The Cardinal of Joyeuse and the Duke of Epernon resolve to leave the Court. The Marquess of Ancre designs to Marry his Son to the Princess of Soissons The Count of Soissons accepts the Proposition The Duke of Epernon's Generosity The Cardinal of Joyeuse's Instructions upon his going to Rome The Regent justifies her self to Paul the V. upon what she did in Favour of the Protetestants Complaints of the Court of France against the Duke of Savoy The Perplexity of the Duke of Savoy upon the Death of Henry IV. The other Princes of Italy not less Embarassed than the Duke of Savoy The Prudent Conduct of the Senate of Venice The ill Designs of the Court of Spain against the Duke of Savoy Divers Treaties to oblige the King of Spain and the Duke of Savoy to Disarm in Italy The King of Spain demands the Duke of Savoy to make him Satisfaction by way of Preliminary France lays down her Arms in Dauphine She has some Jealousie of the Spaniards remaining in Arms in Italy The Voyage of Philibert Prince of Savoy into Spain The Form of the Satisfaction which the Prince of Savoy gave the King of Spain for his Father The Reconcilement of the Duke of Savoy to Spain Velasco Constable of Castile and Governor of Milan receives Order to lay down his Arms. Divers Projects of the Duke of Savoy The Duke of Savoy resolves to Attack Geneva and the Country of Vaux The Council of France resolves to protect them At length they force the Duke of Savoy to lay down his Arms. The Civil Meeting of the Protestants of France The Protestants preparation to hold a General Meeting The Mareschal of Bouillon suffers himself to be won by the Court The Meeting of the Reformed is Transferr'd from Chatelleraut to Saumur The Reconciliation of the Mareschal of Bouillon and the Duke of Sully The Protestants renew their Oath of Vnion The Duke of Sully's Affair proposed in the Meeting at Saumur The Duke of Sully's Remonstrance to the Assembly A Discourse between the Mareschal of Bouillon and the Duke of Rohan about the Duke of Sully's Affair The Assembly declares for the Duke of Sully The Court undertakes to break up the Meeting at Saumur A Division in the Meeting at Saumur The Wisdom of Du Plessis Mornay on that occasion The Book of Du Plessis Mornay against the Papacy The Book of Du Plessis Mornay is censured by the Faculty of Paris Reflections on this Censure The Troubles of Aix la Chapelle The Meeting of several Protestant Princes of Germany about the Affairs of Cleves and Juliers The Princes of the Protestant League meet at Rottenburgh in Bavaria The Death of the Elector of Saxony The Electoral Diet at Neurembergh The Elector's Requests to the Emperor The Emperor's Answer The Death of the Queen of Spain The Death of the Duke and Dutchess of Mayenne The Dutchess of Lorrain and the Cardinal of Gonzaga come to the Court of France The Count of Soissons discontented The Faculty of Paris Censures the three Panegyricks of Ignatius Loyola Reflections on the Miracles ascribed to Saint Ignatius and the Character given him Disturbances at Troies in Champagne about the Settlement of the Jesuits in that City The Process of the Vniversity of Paris against the Jesuits upon the opening their College there Disputes on the Questions of Grace and Predestination The Rise of Arminianism in Holland Vorstius is chosen to succeed Arminius James the I. King of England opposes the Election of Vorstius The King of England's Apology for his Conduct in the Business of Vorstius Revolutions in Sweden after the Death of Gustavus Ericson John King of Sweden Attempts to change the Religion Established by his Father Sigismund King of Sweden is chosen King of
Blasphemies against the late King Henry III. and against the Persons and States of Kings and Soveraign Princes The Jesuits have ever had their Partisans and Adversaries The first were ready to excuse them and the latter rose up against them with great Zeal and Vehemence The Abbot Dubois preaching at St. Eustace in Paris undertook in one of his Sermons to refute the Opinions of Mariana By a figure of Rhetorick lively enough he addrest his Speech to the good Fathers and exhorted them strongly for the future to take care in the Books published in the name of their Body and with Approbation of their Superious to let nothing pass offensive to France unless the Jesuits would expose themselves to Dangers which all their Prudence strengthen'd by the Power of their Friends would not be able to avoid This Discourse made a great Impression on the Audience They went away enraged against the Society and the People appeared extreamly incensed against them Complaint was made to the Queen of this Sermon and she remitted the Affair to the Archbâ—…shop of Paris Dubois protested before that Prelate he meant no hurt to the Society My Love said he to Truth my Grief for the Death of the King and a just Dread of the fatal Effects that the Doctrine of Mariana may produce such Sentiments as these made me speak in that manner The Archbishop of Paris had nothing to reply and contented himself with exhorting the Preacher to live well with all the Servants of God and particularly with the Jesuits But it had been more to the purpose to perswade effectually those good Fathers to pardon the Abbot the injury which they thought they had received I do not know how it came to pass but Dubois had the Imprudence to go to Rome the next year and then they did not want colour to shut him up in a close Prison The Patience of Father Coton Confessour to the late King could not bear to hear the General Exclamation against his Brethren He resolved to justifie the Society against the Imputation on the account of Mariana's Book His Wise and discerning Friends advised Coton to say nothing for fear of any Misunderstanding in an Affair that must be so nicely handled Every one wonder'd that a Man who knew the World so well and wanted not Prudence should not take so good Advice He published a long Letter addressed to the Queen to perswade the World Mariana was a private Person disown'd by their Body who had true Notions of the Authority of Princes and the Obedience due to them The thing happened at the Friends of the Jesuits had foretold A thousand Pamphlets were instantly published against the Fathers Letter It is full say they of Ambiguous Expressions and Tricking They insulted him on his pretended disclaiming the Doctrine which was plainly forced to comply with present necessity It comes too late said some maliciously enough to the good Fathers but perhaps it will not be useless to the Children of him who is now in his Grave Indeed the defence of Coton was weak and ill put together What he said of the Complaints of the Provincial Congregation held at Paris some years before and the Answer of their General Aquaviva gave an Advantage to the Enemies of the Society The French Jesuits having desired their Superiour to stop the Liceace and Suppress the Books of some Authours who had written some things to the prejudice of France the Father gave them this Answer We approve the Judgment and Care of your Congregation And we are very sorry that this was not discover'd till after the Impression of those Books We have taken order they shall be corrected and we will have a care that nothing of the like nature shall happen for the future This is very cold and ambiguous for an Opinion which allows Attempts on the Lives of Soveraigns Here are some of the Prudential Managements of the Children of this World But there is no formal disavowing that execrable Dogm the Defenders of which deserve an Exemplary punishment We must be very simple to believe that the Superiours of the Society did not know what Mariana and others of the same stamp wrote till after the Publication of their Works do's not all the World know what are their Statutes relating to the Publication of their Books It is to little purpose that Coton cites several Authours of different Sentiments from Mariana If among so many able Men there was none to be found who maintain Homicide to be absolutely forbid by the Laws of God it would be a very extraordinary thing The permission of the Society to print Mariana's Book is ground enough to conclude they approve it or at least do not condemn it as ill These Writers pass for grave Authours but according to the Principles of Probability a Dogm which ows its Birth to or at least is adopted by the Society in all its Forms James Clement could on the Authority of Mariana Assassinate Henry III. And his Successour might be kill'd with a safe Conscience at least at a time when Sixtus V. and Gregory XIV darted all the Thunder of the Vatican against him The Jesuits bore the most violent Assaults of the Preachers of Paris The Funeral of Henry IV. at the time of Henry's Funerals The Ceremony was performed with the usual pomp The Heart was sent to the College of Jesuits which the King had founded at la Fleche in Anjou He had ordered it thus before his Death Coton made his Funeral Oration there The Body was first carried to the Cathedral Church of Paris and from thence conveyed to the ordinary Burying-place of the Kings of France The Bishop of Aire pronounced the Elogy of the Deceased King at Notre Dame and the Bishop of Anger 's at St. Denys Tho' Henry might deserve in the Eyes of the World the Title of Great his Vertues and Actions did not deserve the Church of Rome should interrupt her Holy Rites to make his Panegyrick in a Pulpit which ought to be Sacred to the Preaching of the Truth What can a good Christian say in praise of a Prince dead in several Criminal Habits on the point of putting all Europe in a Flame and causing a great Effusion of Blood to satisfie his Ambition to revenge himself of his Enemies who were not in a condition to hurt him to force away a Princess in the face of the World whose Husband took Refuge to defend himself from the Solicitations and Pursuits of a King whom love had deprived of all Senseand Reason His pretended Conversion was a fair Field for prophane Orators void of Religion to exercise their Eloquence Their Triumph in so Important a Conquest served to cover his ill Life and impenitent Death But were they ever assured Henry was sincerely a Catholick Let us leave that to the judgment of God If it be true this Princes Conscience was setled in matters of Faith it is certain his irregular Life did not do much honour to the
it However the Mareschal De la Chátre was preferr'd to him The Court would not give an Abâ—… Man and a Protestant whom they were jealous of the Command of an Army designed to joyn Prince Maurice his Friend and Brother-in-Law Bouillon made a great noise Must my Religion said he exclude me from all Employs due to my Rank and Services When Mons the Prince returns I 'll try to make a Party to oppose this new Triumvirate of the Count of Soissons the Duke of Epernon and the Cardinal of Joyeuse These Men would be Masters of all things Edicts revoked for the ease of the People A Declaration in favour of the Protestants To hinder the Princes and discontented Lords from causing an Insurrection among the People or raising the Protestants they took care to give Satisfaction to every Man FÃfty four Edicts for taxing the People were Revoked diverse Commissions were superseded and the price oâ—… Salt abated one fourth part To remove alâ—… Distrust from the Protestants a Declaration on was set forth to confirm the Edict of Nants Though as the young King is reported to have said this Formality was not necessary in regard that Law was Irrevocable and Perpetual Those who had the greatest Interest in the Party they strove to gain by Presents The Regent sent word to Du Plessis Mornay He might ask what he liked best and that her Majesty would readily grant it Vie de Mr. du Plessis Mornay 〈◊〉 a la fin No Man shall ever Reproach me said that Wise and Religious Gentlewoman with taking Advantage of the Disasters of my Country or extorting the least thing from a Minor King or his Distressed Mother If the Queen order me to be paid what has been long due to me I will look on this Order as a new Gratification The Prince of Conde's Return Affairs were in this Posture when the Prince of Conde prepared to return into France No sooner did the Count of Fuentes hear of the Death of Henry but he employed all his Wit and Address to perswade the Prince not to neglect so fair an Opportunity to make himself King Mem. de la Regençe de Marie de Medicis The Divorce of your Kinsman from Margaret of France and his Marriage with Mary de Medicis says the crafty Spaniard are contrary to the Laws of God and of the Church Will you tamely lose a Crown which belongs to you Have but Courage to assert your Right you will not want Power or Support I offer you all the King my Mâ—…ster can do for you If the Authority of the Holy See interposed in the Divorce of Henry we will find a way to engage Paul V. to declare null what his Predecessour did The Thing is not without Example Fuentes caused the Project to be proposed to the Pope who rejected it Condé did not any more give ear to it either because the Design appeared Chimerical to him or remembring the proceedings against Charlotte de la Trimoville his Mother he did not dare attempt to contest the Legitimacy of the Children of a King who had employed all his power to make him so when a great many thought his Condition doubtful Conde went from Milan to Brussels to take the Princess his Wife Firm in his Resolution to content himself with the Rank he had in France he would not suffer himself to be allured by a deceitful Appearance and therefore prepares to resume his former place at Court The Regent pressed him every day to it and his Friends waited with Impatience for him Tâ—…e Arrival of the Prince Conde at Paris Those of the House of Lorrain the Mareschal of Bouillon and the Duke of of Sulli went to Senlis to meet him And now a new Part began to appear on the Stage The Regent took Umbrage at this The Count of Soissons the Duke of Epernon and the Cardinal of Joleuse fearing there was a design to drive them from Court began to think of defending themselves Mary alarm'd her self hearkned to the Advice given her to arm the Parisians New Officers were chosen who took an Oath to the Queen in the Town-Hall and in less than eight days time above an hundred Thousand Men were in Arms. However Conde enter'd Paris accompanied with fifteen Hundred Gentlemen He had received intelligence from different Hands that at the Sollicitation of the Count of Soissons the Regent would secure his Person and the Mareschal of Bouillon But the kind Reception he met with from their Majesties dispersed all these Jealousies Two powerful â—…aâ—…tions at Court The Prince of Conde at the head of one and the Count Soisson 8 of the other 〈◊〉 He declared at first he had no design to dispute the Regency which the Queen was in possession of Notwithstanding this the frequent Cabals he had with the Heads of his Party sometimes at the Hôtel of Mayenne and sometimes at the Arsenal gave an extream Jealousie The Duke of Sulii Master of the Artillery which was there and the Money the late King had lodged in the Bastile could have furnished Conde with means to undertake something considerable But he had not the Courage Either because the Arming the Citizens broke his Measures or the Guises united with him were more concerned for their own Interests than the greatness of a Prince naturally an Enemy of their House These Men privately had assured the Queen they only joined themselves to the Prince of Conde to skreen themselves from the ill Designs of the Count of Soissons who endeavour'd to depress them and they should be the first to leave him if he ever declared against her Majesty Conde might have spared the Guises and might have made the Queen the Count of Soissons and all the contrary Faction tremble by following the Counsel of the Mareschal of Bouillon Memoires de Dac de Rohan This was to return to the Reformed Church which Henry had forced him to forsake and declare himself Protectour of the Protestants in France Supported by the Experience and Credit of Bouillon secure of the Money in the Bastile which Sully could put into his hands strengthned with a great number of Swisses which Rohan their Colonel General would have brought to him followed by all the Protestant Nobility who would have been at his Devotion Master of several good and well fortified Cities with all these great Advantages the first Prince of the Blood would have balanced the power of the Regent and made himself formidable at home and abroad But he was only good to enrich himself like a Country Gentleman Covetous and Contentious in reasoning a point of Law or Discussing a Question of School Divinity Some had put it into his Head to desire the Reversion of the Dignity of Constable but he had the Mortification to see himself denied Too Happy in obtaining the Hôtel of Condi now called Conde which the Queen bought for him As soon as the Mareschal of Bouillon perceived that the
League for the Safety of Italy we are ready to give our ancient Allies proofs we desire nothing more than to preserve and secure that Repose they enjoy Upon this Declaration the Senate answered very Wisely to the Duke of Savoy that it very much concerned all the Sovereigns of Italy to keep a good Understanding and provide for their common Safety But it is to be feared said they this will only serve to incense the Spaniards more and encrease the Distrust and Jealousie of a Crown whom it behoves as much nay more than its Neighbours to seek for Peace The Wise Politick Old Ministers of Henry IV. saw very well the Spaniards were not so much to be feared and there was more Ostentation than Reality in the threatning Advances of the Court of Madrid The Death of the Count of Fuentes Governor of Milan which happened at that time helped to revive their Courage They thought Spain would not be able to find a Subject capable of so well Supporting the Reputation of the Crown and covering so artfully the weakness of Philip III. and the Duke of Lerma his first Minister Pedro Gusman of Toledo Count of Fuentes died aged 85 years on the 22d of July 1610. He was a Man of extraordinary Capacity and great Experience in all Civil and Military Affairs He gained mighty Reputation in the Campagnes of Picardy about the end of the preceding Age and especially at the taking of Cambray But the care he took to profit by the Lessons of his Master Philip II. sullied the good Qualities of so finisht a Statesman and Soldier The ill Designs of the Court of Spain against the Duke of Savoy As Charles Emanuel was the boldest and I will add the most Imprudent of the Italian Princes to declare against Spain so he was the first and chief Object which felt the Displeasure of that Revengeful Court. In the first place all the Spanish Troops in his Service were remanded back He saw plainly they were seeking for an Occasion to pick a Quarrel with him being assured of a speedy Aid from the Mareschal Lesdiguieres his Friend Siri Memoire recordite Tom. II. p. 282 304. who commanded in Dauphine the Duke was not struck with the Threats made him from the King of Spain He spoke not only like a Man who was resolved to defend himself Couragiously but like one who would pursue the Designs set on foot before Henry's Death All the World was so fully convinced that the Superiority of Genius and Strength which had formerly made Spain formidable were entirely wanting in Philip III. that Princes far inferior to him haughtily insulted him The Imprudence and double dealing of the Duke of Savoy The Duke of Savoy might have securely despised all the Threats of the Spaniards if he had been more prudent and less Knavish Could he not plainly see France had no design to break with Spain but that the Regent would stir to prevent him from being Opprest He ought not then in point of Discretion to have provoked a Neighbour who notwithstanding her Weakness was stronger than a Duke of Savoy At the same time that Charles Emanuel was earnestly pressing Mary to obtain what the late King had promised him he was at the same time keeping secret Intelligence with the Count of Soissons and the rest of the discontented Lords and Heads of the Protestant Party in hopes of kindling a Civil War in France Being perswaded that the King of Spain would be glad to be reconciled to him and sought his Friendship he endeavoured to insinuate into the Court of Madrid that if she would grant him good Conditions he would do her very good Service against France Both Parties soon saw his Ways Thus was he equally odious and suspected in all the Courts of Europe suffered the Disgrace of being humbled in Spain despised in France and Italy and hated in his own Country which he ruined by his Chimerical Projects Divers Negotiations to oblige the Kingâ—… of Spain and Duke of Savoy to lay down their Arms in Italy Whilst these Intrigues were carrying on the King of Spain was in Arms in Italy and the Duke of Savoy had a considerable number of Soldiers there Strange Confusions for France and the Sovereigns of Italy The Regent was very impatient to Disband the Army in Dauphine Commanded by a Hugonot General but Prudence would not suffer her to do it in such a Juncture Siri Memoire recâ—…ndite Tom II. p. 335 336. The Pope apprehended least the Mareschal Lesdiguieres should pass the Alps under colour of coming to the Assistance of the Duke of Savoy When Mary pressed Charles Emanuel to lay down his Arms he asked such conditions as she did not care to grant him The Pope too made his Instances that Spain and Savoy should send away those Troops which gave France and Italy so great uneasiness But Philip pretended Charles Emanuel ought in the first place to lay down his Arms and make him Satisfaction The Duke on the contrary alledged that the weakest ought to stand upon his Guard when he seemed to be threatned by a Powerful Neighbour so that the Difference now seemed only to consist in Ceremony Nevertheless the more discerning Men thought they saw a Collusion here The Duke Dissatisfied to find the Regent intended in earnest to fall in with the Spaniard he began to talk too of sending Prince Philibert his Son to Madrid The King of Spain demands the Duke of Savoy should first of all make him Satisfaction Whether it were that the Court of Spain were assured that the Regent of France would willingly suffer the Duke of Savoy to be humbled provided no harm were done him or that Philip was absolutely resolved to reduce his Brother-in-Law who behaved himself so Haughty at a time when he sought the King of Spain's Favour Charles Emanuel received News from Madrid That his Catholick Majesty was exactly informed of his Ties to the late King of France and that before the King would consent to an Accommodation he required a very mortifying Preliminary of the Duke of Savoy Siri Memoire recondite Tom. II. p. 336 337. This was that he should send his Sons or at least one of them to Madrid to remain there as a Pledge of their Fathers Fidelity and farther that he should ask Pardon for his secret Treaties with France to the prejudice of the Crown of Spain Charles Emanuel presently summoned his Council together No Expedient could be found to evade these hard conditions but to press France earnestly to send a speedy Aid For now the Spanish Troops in the Milanese seemed ready to pour into Piemont Lesdiguieres gave the Duke fair words but Mary de Medicis very far from breaking with Spain in favour of Charles Emanuel advised him to send Prince Philibert to Madrid to pacifie King Philip. Thus did the two Courts make sport with a Man who thought himself crafty enough to deceive them both There was no way
Magistrates to be Elected with the consent of the Protestants The Ambassador of the Arch-Dukes of the Low Countries at Paris made an Instance to the Regent to Annul the Regulations made by the Marquess de la Veuville and his Collegues But the Regent being informed of the truth of Things declared to the Envoys of the Princes of Brandenburgh and Neuburgh and those of Aix la Chapelle that her Son would not suffer any thing to be done to the prejudice of their Masters The Meeting of some Protestant Princes of Germany about the Affairs of Cleves and Juliers They were afraid in Germany that the Litigious Succession of Cleves and Juliers would cause a Division among the Protestant Princes The Elector of Brandenburgh and the Duke of Neuburgh had their Pretensions the Elector of Saxony too was resolved to maintain the Rights of his Family The difference of these three great Protestant Houses was like to give great Advantages to the Roman Catholicks Divers Princes met in May at Introbock near Leipsic in Saxony to Advise about Means to prevent this unfortunate Clashing and bring the Pretenders to an Agreement The Electors of Saxony and Brandenburgh Mercure Francois 1611. divers Princes of the two Houses and of that of Hesse and some other agreed that the Matter should be decided by the Emperor the Countries of Cleves and Juliers should be jointly Possessed and Adminâ—…stred by the Elector and Princes of Saxony together with the Princes of Brandenburgh and Neuburgh on condition that the Saxons should advance a certain Sum of Money to the two Princes which were in Possession The Protestants were glad of this Means to Reconcile the two Electoral Houses But the Prince of Neuburgh having refused to consent to it notwithstanding the whole Assembly of Princes in the Protestant League at Rottemburg in Bavaria intreated him earnestly to comply this Treaty of Introbock had no effect The Princes of the Protestant League meet at Rottemburgh in Bavaria The several Persecutions which the Reformed suffered in Bavaria at Bambergh Wirtsburgh Cologne Worms and elsewhere gave occasion to this Meeting of the Princes of the Protestant League at Rottemburgh They were glad they still had the liberty to Regulate some common Matters and take Measures to preserve and strengthen their Union The Emperor sent two Persons of his Part to the Assembly Complaints were made to these Men Mercure Francois 1611. of the new Execution of divers things which his Imperial Majesty had promised to the Protestants and of the Persecutions which those of the Religion suffered in several places The Emperors Deputies excused this as well as they could His Imperial Majesty said they will keep peace among the Subjects of his Hereditary Countries without any Distinction of Religion But having no Power to Control the Archbishop of Cologne nor the Bishop of Wirtsburg and Bambergh he cannot be Responsible for what those Prelates do The Electors must meet in a little time at Nuremberg to debate there of the General Affairs of the Empire The Emperor desires to act so as to give every one Satisfaction The Protestant Princes being accustomed to these sort of Delays replied in high Terms if the Emperor deferred any longer to keep his Word they would make such Provision as the State of Affairs should require Matthias King of Hungary who hoped to procure himself to be chosen King of the Romans sent the Baron de Polheim to Rottembergh to manage the Princes of the Protestant League It concerned him not to have them Traverse him in his Designs Polheim thanked the Princes for the Affection they shew'd to his Master assured them of the Friendship of Matthias and communicated to them the Agreement made between the Emperor and his Brother After the Complements which Princes Reciprocally make each other on the like occasions the Protestants prayed the King of Hungary to forbear all sorts of Violence to preserve a Respect for the Emperor his Brother and prevent the Foreigners of his Council from taking Measures which might disturb the Repose of Germany The Republick of Venice the Swiss Cantons and the Seignoury of Geneva had likewise sent to the Meeting of the Protestant Princes The Venetians were upon their Guard against the House of Austria and especially against the King of Spain and Ferdinand Archduke of Gratz The Swisses and the People of Geneva feared the Enterprizes of the Duke of Savoy This made them seek the Goodwill of all the Protestant Princes of Germany A like Assistance was promised to the Seignory of Geneva and a very civil obliging Answer was given to the Republick of Venice and the Swiss Cantons The Affair of Aix la Chapelle was brought under debate The Princes resolved to defend the Protestant Citizens if there were occasion for it but they prest them to live peaceably with the Catholicks They undertook to intercede with the Magistrates of Cologne to admit the Protestants to go without Scandal or Fear of being Disturbed into the Countries of the Neighbouring Princes to pray to God with those of their Religion But if the Magistrates refused to comply with this Request they were exhorted to suffer patiently and to avoid committing any Violence Besides this they writ to the Bishop of Bamberg and Worms to pray the first not to disturb his Protestant Subjects and the latter not to introduce the Jesuits and to send away those he had admitted I take pleasure in relating these particulars It shews the Wisdom and Moderation of the Protestant Princes of Germany They did not take Arms for Religion till the last Extremity These Princes farther sent into France England and the Vnited Provinces to renew the Alliances and thank the two Kings and the States-General for the Aid they gave in the War of Cleves and Juliers In the Conclusion several Counties and Towns of the Empire upon their desire were admitted into the League and the Affairs of greatest consequence were remitted to the Judgment of the Electoral Diet appointed at Nuremberg Christian the Second Elector of Saxony The Elector of Saxony's Death died of an Apoplexy before John George his Brother succeeded him Excess of Drinking is a common fault among the German Princes It is surprizing the unfortunate and untimely Death of so many of their Kinsmen as are daily killed by the excess of Wine should not divert them from a Vice so unbecoming Persons of their Rank and so contrary to Christianity Christians ever rewarded the greatest Drinkers best His Successor was forced to be at a greater charge to redeem the Castles and Lordships which he had lavishly given to the Companions of his Debauches Mercure Francois 1611. There is a Report that the Princess his Mother sent a Minister to him to exhort him to leave off that Vice The Elector placed him at his Table and knowing he loved Money promised him a great Golden Cup if he would drink it off at a certain number of times The Minister accepted the
The primitive Christians did they pretend the Empire to be in the Church She ought to obey God and Sovereigns but Emperors and Kings have none but God above them Thus they thought in the primitive Ages All the World would think still the same if Sovereigns would be instructed in their true Interests and those of the Religion they profess By giving great Riches and Principalities to the Clergy they have given them wherewith they may degrade their Benefactors Matthias having wisht the Empress his Spouse was Crown'd the Ceremony was perform'd two days after Leonard Donato Doge of Venice died almost at the same time Antony Memmi chosen Doge of Venice after the Death of Leonard Donato Antony Memmi was Elected in his place the 24th of July and Crown'd the next Morning The Dogate of Donato was famous for the Contest of the Republick with Pope Paul V. who interdicted all the Country of the Seigniory of Venice The Doge and Senate seem'd at first willing to defend courageously the lawful Authority of Sovereigns but when they were come to treat of this with the Pope the Venetians Degenerated from the Vigour and Stedfastness of their Ancestors upon the like occasions They yielded cowardly to almost all the Articles which the Court of Rome required from them except the Reestablishment of the Jesuits who had been gone after the Fulmination of the Interdiction The Society had done much more Mischief in France than at Venice In the mean time being extreamly content to see themselves deliver'd from the good Fathers these Wise Senators Resisted a longer time than France the Solicitations of the Court of Rome for the Reestablishment of their Society During this quarrel with the Pope the Seigniory had forbid the Subjects of the Republick under pain of perpetual Banishment to have any Commerce with the Jesuits or send their Children to studie in their Colleges The same Act was this year renew'd Mercure Francois 1612. upon the account of a Woman of Bresse who was gone to Castilione to live there under the direction of the good Fathers They had Establish't there I can't tell what College of Women and a great many Maids had put themselves into it The Brissan Lady sold the Estate she had in the States of the Republick to Augment this New Foundation but the Senate endeavour'd to stop the Money that arose from the Alienation and caused the Venetian Dames to be recall'd that might have put themselves under the conduct of the Society into the College of Castiglione The Mareschal d'Bouillon's Embassy to England The Mareschal Bouillon was gone extraordinary Ambassador into England and this was to impart to King James the double Marriage and so dissipate all Suspicions and Jealousies which this double Alliance might create in his Majesty Bouillon had a particular design in this Voyage Siri Memoire recondite Tom. II. p. 684 685 686. He was minded to Negotiate a Marriage of the young Elector Palatine Nephew of the Mareschal's Lady who was of the House of Orange with the Princess of England Mary of Medicis whom the Court of Rome always made use of for it's own ends had recommended to her Ambassador that he should complain to the King of great Britain for that he had enter'd into a League with the Protestant Princes of Germany against the Roman Religion and to desire his Britannick Majesty to moderate the Rigor of the Laws against the English who were of the Popish Communion The Mareschal had besides express Order to cause King James to Disapprove of the Demeanour of the Reform'd of France in their last Assembly at Saumur but especially to bid him beware of the Duke of Rohan who was the most Zealous of the Protestant Lords Bouillon had already done to Rohan such ill Offices with the Queen of France as he himself was enough dispos'd not to be more favourable to the Duke in the English Court. King James was easily made to believe that France thought of nothing but the General good of Christianity by making this double Allyance with Spain and that the Regent would not less preserve the Amity of Princes and the States Protestants Bouillon endeavour'd at last to make his Majesty understand that the Pope would not use violent means against the Protestants and that he intended only to Convert them by Preachments and the good Examples of the Clergy The Mareschal laid hold on this occasion to insinuate into the King the Regent's Complaints for that he had enter'd into the Protestant League of Germany and the entreaty that Mary of Medicis made him in favour of the English Papists I don't know whether this good Prince was enclin'd to believe what the Ambassador had told him concerning the good Intentions of the Pope Whatever the Matter was James answer'd that the Protestants lookt only to the Reciprocal Defence of the States of the Confederate Princes and that Religion was not concern'd in it As to the English who were of the Roman Communion his Majesty protested he willingly would let them be at Rest as soon as they could give certain Assurances of their Fidelity and Obedience Bouillon sent this into France and then Villeroy imparted it to the Nuncio as a great Secret The Regent press'd Vbaldini to make his Master acquainted of it Subjoyning that she would write of it to Breves her Ambassador to the end his Holiness might find some Expedient to content the King of Great Britain Memoires de la Regence de Mary de Medicis When they came to speak touching the Matters of the Reformed Churches in France James was not altogether so Tractable The Duke de Rohan held a great Correspondence with Henry the King 's Eldest Son This was a very hopeful Prince he shew'd a Zeal little common to Persons of his Age for the good of the Protestant Religion Never did the Roman People so much love Germanicus as the English lov'd this Prince of Wales and the Father perhaps was not much less jealous of the Applauses they gave his Son than Tiberius was of old jealous of the Reputation of him whom Augustus made him adopt Rohan had gain'd over a Gentleman of the Ambassador's Retinue This secret Friend of the Duke was to instruct his Britannique Majesty with the truth of all which pass't in France Insomuch as the King was well prepared whenever he was spoke to concerning the Assembly at Saumur If the Queen your Mistress reply'd he to Bouillon will break Acts agreed to the Protestants of her Realm I don't pretend that the Alliance I have made and confirm'd with France ought to hinder me from succouring and protecting them When my Neighbours are Attack't in a Quarrel that respects me Natural Law requires that I should prevent the Mischief which may arise from thence Believe me Monsieur Mareschal said the King you must be Reconciled to the Duke of Rohan I will let him know 't is my desire that you live friendly together Would to God King James
Government of Dauphiny She was willing to keep that of Normandy to her self and have it manag'd by a Lieutenant General But the Prince of Conti was to be satisfied who ask'd for one of his Brother's two Governments This seem'd very reasonable Conti having heretofore given up the Government of the Dauphinate to the Count. To give him and the Guises some satisfaction a Sister of whom the Prince had married it was caus'd to be propos'd to Charles of Valois Natural Son of King Charles IX whom we before call'd Count d' Auvergne and henceforth shall be stil'd Duke of Angoulesme to lay down the Government of Auvergne Henry IV. had put him into Prison for a Conspiracy and the Regent kept him there still The Marquiss de Coeuvres was ordered to speak to him for accommodating the Matter The Duke d' Angoulesme who long'd for his Liberty accepted the Proposition to obtain his Liberty and so the Prince of Conti was made Governour of Auvergne The Count de Soissons had vast Designs rolling in his Head when he died 'T was said that he had bound himself in a great Correspondence with Henry Prince of Wales Maurice Prince of Orange the Duke of Savoy and the Huguenot Party The Duke of Rohan perceiving him discontented with the Regent and her Ancestors sent to offer him his Services He did not ask for the Government of Quillebeuf but only to be in a Condition of giving Entrance to the Succours which he had projected should come from England and Holland His greatest Passion and Desire was to remove the Ministers and quell the Party of the Guises and of the Duke of Epernon He would have had the Joy of seeing his Wishes almost fulfill'd if Death had not taken him hence the first Day of November The Marquiss and Marchioness d'Ancre had so much prepossess'd the Queen against the Ministers of State and especially against Sileri that she began to keep them in the dark as to her Cabinet Affairs Galigai had the Insolence to say a thousand offensive things to the Chancellor in presence of the Queen and to upbraid him with the ill Administration of his Office Mary de Medicis suffer'd her She-Confident to speak all and poor Sileri dar'd not to answer a Word for himself He was afraid lest the Queen should second the Reproaches perhaps too true which were said against him The Marchioness d'Ancre being sure of her Mistress's Sentiments spoke confidently as she was able to put out of Countenance the boldest Man alive 'T is a Maxim amongst interested Courtiers not to be put off and repuls'd easily and not to quit the Game but at the last Extremity The Chancellor went into the Queen's Closet with other Ministers but there he was afresh mortified Her Majesty turn'd her Back to him affecting to speak with a deal-of trust to the President Jeannin A new Party was now set up at Court which having got the upper most dissipated all the rest The Prince of Condé headed it The Dukes of Nevers Maienne Longueville the Marshal Bouillon and the Marquess d' Ancre came into it The Guises Epernon Amville and their Friends found their Affairs retarded by these Means The Duke of Amville was Brother to the Constable Montmorenci in whose Absence being gone to his Government in Languedoc he joyn'd himself to the Guises whom he thought had got further into the Queen's Favour than others The Master of the Horse Bellegarde of the same Party was then at Bourgundy as Governour of it He receiv'd Orders to come presently to Court Bellegarde obey'd the more willingly for that the Duke of Guise had hasten'd him to come to their Relief As soon as he had reach'd Sens they gave him notice that the Queen had sent for him only to put him out of his Government Understanding this he went back to it with all speed The Marquess d' Ancre had laid an Intrigue for causing Bourgundy to be given to the Duke of Mayenne There were more open Contentions at the Sorbonne than at the Court The Jesuit Becanus his Book condemned The Jesuits let loose against the lawful Authority of Sovereigns publish'd new Books every Day upon this Subject to court and please the proud Borghese Becan a famous Author of the Society had printed one this Year Mercure Francois 1611. with this Title The Controversie of England touching the King and Pope's Authority When Doctor Filezac new Syndic of the Faculty at Paris had perus'd it he spoke of it to Cardinal Bonzi to know whether the Queen would think fit the Sorbonne should censure so pernicious a Book The Nuncio and the Jesuits strove alike to shake off the Blow Vbaldini saw that the Faculty would not fail to have a fling in its Censure at the pretended Authority of the Holy Chair The good Fathers feared lest a new Decree of the Faculty of Paris publish'd throughout all France might further confirm the common Opinion That the Society makes Profession to teach constantly a Doctrine which is contrary to the Authority of Kings and Security of their Persons But the Propositions of Becan were so loudly complain'd of as it was expedient to appease Mens Minds by some Condemnation of them Here 's the Expedient which the Pope's Counsel and the Jesuits resolv'd upon They told the Queen that it would be of greater efficacy to have these sorts 〈◊〉 Books condemned at Rome and that 〈◊〉 Censure coming forth from the Holy Chair would carry more Authority with it than one from the Faculty of Paris Mary de Medicis was easily drawn into the Snare they had laid for her She bid the Cardinal Bonzi tell the Syndic of the Faculty That her Majesty would not have the Sorbonne to determine any thing upon Becan's Book because the Queen had a design to have it condemn'd by the Pope the Court of Rome and the good Fathers to make for them this Evasion If the Sorbonne had left off making a noise the Examination of the Book had been stopt Whatever came on 't the Inquisition condemning a Book in general Terms without specifying any thing People could not exactly know upon what Point the Condemnation fell and thus the exorbitant Proposition concerning the Pope's Authority would have been not touch'd or meddled with It was supposed that the Inquisition never intended to condemn them One Paris having presented in the Sorbonne the first of December some Propositions extracted out of Becan's Book wherein the Assassination of Kings and Princes was permitted and many other things contain'd which were contrary to Divine and Humane Laws the Syndic made a Report of what Cardinal Bonzi had told him concerning the Queen's Intentions Dr. Paris's Mouth being stop'd with this Answer desir'd that what he had propos'd might be register'd and that a Copy of what the Faculty had concluded upon might be given him It was granted him The first Day of the Year following the Faculty of Paris deputed four Doctors to represent to the Chancellor that
Gustavus King of Poland might have been able to have thwarted this Election if Gustavus had not lost the Opportunity by thinking rather to extend his own Dominion than endeavour his Brothers Establishment The Muscovites had time to reunite themselves Their New Czar having nothing more to fear at Home undertook to be revenged of the Poles He said Siege to Smolensko the following year and the City being but weakly defended was in a little time taken The Poles were then so divided as that they were not in a condition to hinder the Enemy from retaking all that Poland had taken away from him and making inroads further into Lithuania THE HISTORY OF THE REIGN OF LEWIS XIII King of France and Navarre BOOK IV. FRance was not much less troubled with Commotions than Poland 1613. The Baron de Luz Slain by the Chevalier de Guise If there was not yet Civil War in France the Number of Malecontents was so great and the Factions encreast after such a manner ev'ry day as all seem'd to be in a readiness for an open Rupture The Death of the Baron de Luz Knight of the King's Order and his Lieutenant General in Burgundy who was kill'd in the midst of Paris the 5th of January 1613. by the Chevalier de Guise gave the Queen new Disquiets Luz whilst he liv'd had made many Persons he had been in a League with different Parties and we find him in several Intrigues Under the Reign of the Deceased King he was one of the intimate Friends of the Mareschal Biron At the beginning of this he was Intrigu'd with the Guises but believing he shou'd settle himself better thro' the Marquess d'Ancre's favour he left them to be of Conchini's side He was suspected to serve this Italian in a design he had to undoe Bellegarde and take away from him the Government of Burgundy This provok't more against him the House of Guise Friend and Ally to Beuegarde This House sought but an occasion to be reveng'd and rid of a Man who not content to have left him in the Lurch was moreover Intrigu'd to mischief him as much as he could French Mercury 1613. Some of the Baron's indiscreet words seem'd to the Chevalier de Guise Siri Memorie recondite Tom. III. pag. 23 24. a sufficient reason to fight him The Baron had unwarily brag'd of his being at Blois with the Mareschal Brissac in the Chamber where King Henry the III. had taken a Resolution to cause the Duke of Guise to be Slain and to have hinder'd Brissac from Advertising the Duke of this evil Design against him This was reason enough to animate the Chevalier de Guise to be reveng'd of an Enemy of his House who boasted to have contributed to the Death of his Father by hindring Brissac from saving his Life The Chevalier then met the Baron in St. Honoré's Street makes him draw his Sword and at the second Pass he made at him kills him The Queen's Anger against the Guiseâ—… The Regent who made use of the Baron de Luz was extreamly provok't at this boldness She being perswaded that they thought rather to give her Trouble than revenge the Death of the Deceased Duke of Guise left her Dinner which she had just set down at as soon as she heard of the Baron's Death and throwing the Napkin upon the Table she retir'd with Tears in her Eyes into her Closet Her Majesty straitways calls for the Princes and Ministers to deliberate upon this Affair Memoires de Bassompierre which she extreamly took to Heart It was there resolv'd that the Parlement should take Informations and proceed immediately to prosecute the Murderer and send somebody in her Majesty's Name to Guise's House for to command the Nobility who were met there to be gone forthwith and forbid the Duke appearing at the Louvre till such time the Queen had sent for him T' was said that Guise was resolv'd to go to Court accompanied with a great number of Gentlemen Some scrupl'd to go out of Guise's House thô the Duke had pray'd the to obey the Regent's Order The Count de la Rochefoucault Master of the King's Wardrobe Signalized himself amongst all the rest He alone refus'd to go out and the Queen was angry at his Disobedience and commanded him to be gone presently from Court The Mind of Mary de Medicis was somewhat quieted when she heard that the Duke of Guise had made the Chevalier his Brother depart from his House and that he had order'd him to be gone into the Country Bassompierre a friend to the Guise's for the Princess of Conti's sake their Sister whom he lov'd and to whom his Person was not indifferent took an Opportunity to tell the Queen that the Duke humbly desires leave of her Majesty to justifie himself The Queen granted him this on condition he wou'd only come when it was almost Night and without any Company Bassompierre went and fetcht him immediately The Duke spoke in such Respectful and Submissive Terms as her Majesty seem'd to be appeas'd But the Dutchess Mother of the Guises spoilt all in a Visit she afterward made to the Queen The Dutchess spoke of the Matter so proud and lofty as her Majesty was more provok't against the Guises's than before The Duke was enrag'd against the Prince of Conde's Party Siri Memoire recondite To. III. pag. 24. which had opposed him He could not Digest that the Duke of Mayenne his Cousin was enter'd into it Guise if the Duke of Epernon had not stopt him in company of some of his Friends would have Assaulted Mayenne who likewise walk'd well Guarded insomuch that there might have been mach Blood spilt The Queen advertis'd of this New Accident order'd the Duke of Mayenne to be reconcil'd with the Head of his Family and to go and visit Guise at his House They had a long Discourse together and parted seemingly good Friends The Duke of Guise would joyn himself to the Prince of Conde's Party I don't know whether it was not Mayenne who persuaded the Duke of Guise incens't that the Queen deny'd him to call back the Count Rochefoucault to Court to unite with the Prince of Conde for removal of the Ministers already sunk in their Credit The Marquess d' Ancre had so great a desire of drawing into this new Confederacy the Dukes of Guise and Epernon which was so prevalent at Court as Guise having address't Conchini to get the Regent to give the Count de la Rochefoucault leave to return to Court this politick fer me a Reward I should look on it as an Affront done me What I can do for the Queen is already sufficiently paid I should be unworthy of the Name I bear and the Offices I am dignified withal and ought to be as despicably look'd upon as the most ungrateful of all Men if I should make my Master buy my Services Bassompierre averr'd that he never forgot what he heard the Duke of Epernon up-this Occasion The
Germany it made them greater and more incurable The Fortune of Bethlem Gabor Pr. of Transilvania Since Bethlem Gabor must often appear upon the Stage in this History I think it necessary to say something of his Fortune and Elevation He was one of the most dangerous Enemies the House of Austria had in this Age. I will look a pretty way backwards upon things that so the Reader may the better understand the Ancient pretenions of the Emperor upon Transilvania The brave Stephen Battori was the first who was declared Prince of Transilvania under the Protection of the Ottomans After his Elevation to the Crown of Poland by his means Christopher his Brother was Elected to the Principality of Transilvania Sigismond his Son and Successor steered another Course by the persuasion of the Emissaries of the House of Austria which he had about him This Prince who did not want Courage was persuaded that it was more advantageous and more honourable for him to quit the Alliance of the Sultan and unite with the Emperor But to the shame of Christianity Sigismond found that which has happened to a great many more I mean he met with less Justice and Fidelity among those of his own Religion than his Uncle and his Father had found among Infidels That he might be more firmly united with the Emperor Rodolphus he Married a Princess of the House of Austria but this marriage was the cause of the misfortunes of his Life They made him give up his Right to Transilvania for a certain Dutchie which they gave him At length repenting of the bad Market which he had made he retracted the Cession which he had made to the Emperor and gave his Principality to Cardinal Battori his Brother who was chosen by the States of the Country under the Protection of the Grand Seignior The new Prince had a terrible War to maintain against the Emperor and in it lost his Life Botskay his Kinsman Elected afterwards by the Transilvanians Mercure Francois 1606 1607 1608 c. defended himself with a great deal of Courage and Success insomuch that he took a great many Places from the Emperor in upper Hungary The House of Austria was forc'd to make a Peace with him One Article of the Treaty Imported that if Bortskay died withot Male-Issue Transilvania should Devolve upon the Emperor The Sultan Ratified this Treaty in another which he afterwads made with Rodolphus The House of Austria not long before it Demanded Transilvania by Virtue of this Agreement Borskai being poisoned immediately after by his Chancellor The States of the Country did not fail to choose Sigismond Ragotski for their Prince There were then so great Divisions in the House of Austria and such Commotions in Hungary and Bohemia that neither Rodolphus nor Matthias his Brother were in a Condition to press the Execution of the Treaty made with Botskay The New Prince did not long enjoy Transilvania but Generously gave it up to Gabriel Batori Heir of that Family whom the Turks publickly Supported Mercure Francois 1613. He being rendred odious by his Cruelties Bethlehem Gabar a Transilvanian Gentleman of boundless Ambition took care to gain the Favour and Protection of the Ottoman Court This is the Man which formed a powerful Party against Batori and which made War against him The Assistance of the House of Austria was of no use to Batori who was presently Reduc'd to the lowest Despair so that he begged of his own Friends to kill him His Enemies Soldiers did him that kindness which they refused Three days after his death Bethlem was declared Prince of Transilvania by the General of the Turkish Army who invaded Hungary The States of the Country assembled at Claussembourg afterwards chose him upon Condition that he should ask the Authentick Confirmation of the Sultan When Bethlem was in Possession of his New Principality he wrote a Letter to the Palatine of Hungary to desire the Favour of the Emperor But his Imperial Majesty intended to make the best of his Pretensions to Transilvania by Virtue of his Treaty made with Botskai which the Sultan Confirm'd Matthias declared this publickly in the Diet of Ratisbonne and it was principally for this End that he desired Assistance of the States of the Empire With this Prospect the House of Austria kept up the Party of Batori who refused to acknowledge the New Prince Bethlem Protected by the Turks whose Favour he had cunningly gained not only maintained himself in Transilvania but was upon the Point of taking away Hungary from them that would oppose him The Protestant and Catholick Leagues were Formed in Germany upon the occaâ—…ion of the Quarrel that arose about the Succession to the States of Cleves and Juâ—…iers The Division between the Houses of Brandenburg and Newbourg concerning the Government of the States of Cleves and Juliers Interests de Princes per M. de Rohan Part 1. Disc 4. the Princes of Brandenbourg and Newbourg Governed these Dutchies in Common Peaceably for many Years under the Favour of the Protestant League The strong Places were guarded by equal Garrisons The Two Princes Resided in the same Palace and did all by Concert But how difficult is it that a Country should be long governed after this manner without Divisions Princes of a different Family and different Religion have not the same Interest and Designs These began to fall out about Ecclesiastical Affairs Mercure Francoise 1613. Brandenburg would have ordered something without the consent of his Colleague and Newbourg opposed him The King of great Britain and the States of the United Provinces Mediated for a Reconciliation they were afraid their Division would give opportunity to the House of Austria to Seize upon a Contested Succession which would have been so convenient for it to prevent the Increase of their misunderstanding their Friends proposed a Marriage between the Two Families That of Newburg was free to it Prince Volfgang goes to the Elector of Brandenburg and desires his Daughter in Marriage But this step made by the wholesome Advice of those who designed nothing but to Establish a good Correspondence between the Two Houses was the occasion of an inplacable hatred between them and of the Distraction of those fine Dutchies which they might have divided between them I cannâ—…t tell how it came to pass but in the heat of Wine and at a Feast The Prince of Newburg said something at the Table of the Elector which displeased him Brandenburg was so enraged at it that he gave a Box in the Ear to him who desired his Alliance This unhappy accident might have been redrest if the Elector would have made a suitable Satisfaction but he obstinately refused to do it Volfgang being provokt with such an Affront returns to the Country of Cleves being resolved to be Reveng'd on him what ever it cost him From that time Brandenburg and Newburg did nothing by Concert in the Government of the States of Cleves and Juliers they Cavild at every
to represent to you further Madam that they put you to needless Expences to gain certain Persons of our Religion We know who those mercenary Souls are They deceive your Majesty who tell you that they can he Serviceable to you I can tell you a far less Chargeable way to have all the Reformed at your Devotion That is to give Orders that all Promises made to us be performed our Griâ—…vances be redressed some ambiguous Expressions in the Edicts be more favourably Interpreted and some things be granted us which may secure the Peace of our Churches and do no great Injury to the Roman Catholicks The ardent and sincere Zeal which I have for your Majesty makes me speak against my self Pursue the Method which I take the liberty to propose you may take away when you please our Offices and Pensions Our Churches living peaceably under his Majesty's Protection will never concern themselves in my favour or for any of the Lords of the Kingdom This Advice was generous and worthy of a truly Christian Gentleman It might have had some good Effect upon such as had no other design but to preserve Peace in the Kingdom by doing Justice and perhaps some small gratification to the Reformed But they were resolved to Ruine them and to effect a design long since contrived and pursued For almost an Age together the Court could not take more convenient Measures than the corrupting of those who had any Credit or Authority in the Reformed Church The ambition and avarice of the Lords and a great number of Hugonot Gentlemen has done more mischief to the Religion than the haâ—…red of the Pope and his Clergy or the Zeal of the blind and superstitious Kings and Queens of France If the Dukes and Peers the Mareschals of France the Lords and Gentlemen of Note had had as much Religion and Probity as du Plessis Mornai I question whether the Son of him whose History I write would ever have ventured to attempt the overthrow of the Reformed Churches of his Kingdom The Posterity of a corrupted Gentry who had no great Concern for their Religion does at this day bewail the fatal Consequences of the Baseness of their Ancestors The Regent received at Tours The K. and Q. his Mother go to Poitiers Letters from the Duke of Maienne He informed her that the Prince de Conde was retired to Chateauroux and that he defired at the present no Reparation of the Injury Mercure Francois 1614. which he had complained had been done him at Poitiers It was wisely done to seem to neglect an Offence for which the Court would never have granted him the Satisfaction which he expected The Bishop was too much favoured by the Queen He went boldly to Tours with Two hundred of the Inhabitants to pray their Majesty 's to come to Poitiers That day when Chataigner made appear that he understood the Office of a Captain better than that of a Bishop was in his Opinion the day of the preservation of Poitiers Their Majesties went thither They were Received with all imaginable Expressions of Joy They Elected a Mayor Mazurier had Orders to remain there as Intendant Rochfort Lieutenant General for the King in that Province a-little after resigned his Office The Count de la Rochefoucaut of the Party of the Guises succeeded him They had a mind to have Poitou in their Power that they might go and Receive the Infanta of Spain when the time should come Memoires de Duc de Rohan The Duke de Rohan being admonished by Velleroi that the Queen was surprized that he did not appear at Court since she was so near to St. Jean d' Angeli came to pay his Respect to their Majesty's They received him kindly and the Regent taking all oportunities to get him near her self made him promise to be present at the meeting of the States of Bretagne which was to be held at Nantes their Majestys being present and to go afterwards to the States General which were already appointed to Meet Mary de Medicis The Q. goes to hold a meeting of the States of Bretagne at Nantes Vie de M. du Plessis Mornai Liv. III. pleas'd that every thing went according to her mind took the Road of Anger 's to go to Nantes Her Majesty had a mind to give a Proof of her Confidence in du Plessis Mornai as she passed through Saumur He went to meet the King being followed by an Hundred Gentlemen As soon as the Young Lewis had enter'd the Castle du Plessis Offer'd to make the Garrison march out But his Majesty would not permit him It is not against our Kings said the Governor that we have strong Places in our Possession they have been willing to grant them us that we may be secured against the hatred of our sworn Enemies If at any time his Majesty does the Honour to be present there Mercure Francoise 1614. we desire no other Security but his Presence The Duke de Vendome seeing their Majesties came in good Earnest towards him submitted himself They gave him New Letters of Re-establishment Memoires de Bassompierre which were Registred in the Parliament of Rennes But he had the Mortification of see that in the meeting of the States of the Province of which he was Governor they made Invectives against him and took Resolutions injurious to his Person and utterly contrary to his Interest So bad a Beginning was no good Omen for the rest of the Life of Coesar de Vendome He could never after recover his Reputation or Respect Henry IV. his Father had Married him to the Heiress of the House of Mercoeur and one of the greatest Fortunes of a Subject in Europe He wasted the great Estate which she brought him The death of the Prince de Conti. Maâ—…y de Mâ—…dicis Returned triumphantly to Paris She found there a Court deprived of a Prince of the Blood The loss was not very great Francis de Bourbon Prince de Conti who died the 13th of August made no great Figure in the World His Widow was soon Comforted after the loss of a weak Husband She was desperately in Love with Bassompierre There had passed between them that which they call Marriage before God Entragues the famous Marchioness de Vernueil's Sister and Daughter to Mary Touchet Charles IX his Mistress had commenced a Suit against Bassompierre upon the account of a Promise of Marriage which he had made her This happy Spark had Two Wives at the same time The First out of a Family more Renowned for the fine Ladies which were Married into the Family or were of it than for any of its Military Exploits the Second being the Daughter of the Duke of Guise and the Widow of a Prince of the Blood might have done Bassompierre great Honour But by an odd Accident Bassompierre would never own the one for his Lawful Wife the other never dared to make her Marraige Publick New Contests between the Princes of