conquest of the realmes of Naples and Sicill and there had continued in wages with the Venitians a certayn space did now returne into France there to chalenge his right in the Countyes of Prouence Anjou with the Dutchye of Bar. This Dutchy was graunted vnto him conditionally that he and his successours should for the same doe hōmage vnto the King of France who thereby remained soueraine lord ouer the same but as for the Countyes of Prouence and Anjou it was answered that they being parcel of the demaynes of the crowne might not fall vnto the distaffe so that finally by consente of King Charles the eight and this Duke Rene the controuersie was referred vnto the arbitrement of three vmpiers whiles in the meane time the King committed vnto the Duke a regiment of an hundred men of armes with the enterteinment of sixe and thirtie thousand frankes of yerly pension Now in the yere of our Lord 1489 the Neopolitanes detesting the tyranny of yong Alphonsus required the ayde of this Duke Rene who thereunto prepared him selfe but duringe his preparation the three vmpiers aforesaid pronounced their arreste wherein it was found tha◠not onely Anjou and Prouence but also Sicill and Naples did apperteine vnto the King of France vpon which occasion Charles the eight vndertooke that voyage him selfe Howbeit notwithstanding this arrest Yoland mother vnto this Duke Rene euen after the deceasse of her father Rene the great did still reteine the title of Queene of Sicill yea this Rene the seconde chalenged the title of King of Sicill and Ierusalem in the name of the conquestes o◠his ancesters causinge his eldest sonne Anthony to be called Duke of Calabre still quarteringe the armes of Anjou with his owne for which his presumptiō togither with diuers other his practises Kinge Lewes the twelueth stomaking him expelled him out of France and tooke away all his pensions but he founde meanes to be reconciled and afterward dyed as he rode on huntinge hauing remained Duke fiue and thirtie yeres This man had by his second wife named Philippe the sister vnto the Duke of Guelderland twelue children of whom seuen dyed in their youth whereby he left only fiue who all were sonnes named Anthony Claude Iohn Lewes and Francis. Anthony succeeded his father in the Duchyes of Lorraine and Bar also in the Countye of Vaudemont and Marquisat of Ponte and by the death of this Charles Duke of Guelderlande his mothers brother in the said Duchye of Guelderlande and in the Countye of Zutphan leauing behind him three children Francis who succeeded in his dominions Anne maried vnto the prince of Orange and Nicolas first bishop of Verdun and afterwarde of Metz and finally as presently he is earle of Vaudemont and at this present father in law vnto Henrye the third King of Frāce Francis the successour of his father Anthony had by Christian the daughter vnto the King of Denmarck issue one sonne named Charles and two daughters Charles the seconde and sonne vnto Francis succeeded his father in the yere 1545. and presently liueth hauing to wife Claude the daughter of King Henrye the second by whom he hath diuers children now liuing Claude the second sonne of Rene Duke of Guise and Baron of Ginuille repayred vnto the French courte where in short space he obteined the gouernement of Champagne and Burgundye and marying Anthoynet of Bourbon aunt vnto the late King of Nauarre he had by her issue six sonnes namely Francis Charles Claude Lewes Rene and the great Prior of France of whom but especially of Francis who after his father was Duke of Guise and finally slayne by Poltrot at the siege of Orleans and of Charles afterward Cardinall of Lorraine we wil hereafter speake more largelye not omitting what so may be incident touching the other brethren of whom Claude obteined the Dutchye of Aumale and was slaine at the siege of Rochel Rene enioyed the Marquisat of Allebeufe Lewes was created Cardinall of Guise and the yongest was made great Prior of France Iohn the thirde sonne of Rene and bishop of Metz was through great sute vnto Leo the tenth electe Cardinall in the yere 1518 and afterward being ordinarily resident in the French courte obteyned great fauour with King Francis the first for he neuer medled with matters of estate but passed ouer his time in pleasure The other two sonnes namely Lewes and Francis dyed in the warres the one in the realme of Naples and the other at the battayle of Pauie Duke Anthony the first sonne was of a reasonable good disposition and voluntarily came vnto Dijon vnto King Francis and there did him hommage for the Duchye of Bar shewing him selfe very sorye for his offence which he had committed in seeking to defraude the same King Francis of the Duchye of Guelderlande which he pretended to fall to him by succession in the right of his mother For he had practised by one Iames Canis the Borowmaster of Nemegue to rayse the commons and keepe the said King out of his possession but then seing that the people would not accept him but had submitted them selues vnto the Duke of Cleuelande he fought all meanes possible to be reconciled to cure this skarre which through the helpe and fauour of his brother Iohn Cardinal of Lorraine he soone brought to passe and King Francis did cleerly pardon and forgiue him This Cardinal Iohn was the iollyest encrocher of benefices aliue as might plainly be perceiued by the estate wher into he brought the whole French Church but because he otherwise was of a reasonable courteous disposition a great spender and therewithall very liberall all was taken in meetly good parte The third brother who was Duke of Guise and father vnto this Duke of Guise and Cardinal of Lorraine with the rest was neuer put in any great credite neither had the charge of any waightie affayres committed vnto him For his leading of the Kinges power without his loue or leaue into Lorraine to the succour of his brother Duke Anthony who as the talke went was sore ouerlayed with Anabaptistes was taken in very euil parte and him selfe had not the Constable at that time great master and Marshal of France entreated for him would King Francis haue committed vnto prison and hardely dealt withal For King Francis was such an one as would not permit those who without his owne liberalitie were of them selues of no reputation so farre to encroche vpon his auctoritie as appeared at another time when the said Lord of Guise being gouernour of Burgundye sought to enter into the castle of Aussonne which at that time was a seueral charge and in the custodie of a french gentleman of the retinewe of the Marquise of Rotelin named the Lord of Rouueray who withstoode him forbade him the entrie therinto which the said de Rouueray durst not haue done in case the said Lord of Guise had bene a prince who for that cause complained vnto King Francis but he for that deede
of the crowne he should set forth an edict the contents whereof were that no man should from thence forth retaine in his hands two offices by meanes of the which they promised vnto them selues the spoyle of the noble men aforesaide besides that vnder colour therof they might haue free accesse vnto the handling of the whole estate and so in time atteine vnto their aspiring drifts purposes and that the rather because they perceiued none of the Princes of the blood ouer hastie to intrude them selues thereinto Howbeit now before we go any further we haue to cōsider two other notable chāces which happened presently at the death of King Francis afore named This King lying on his death bed called for his sonne the Dauphine to the end familiarly to talke with him In which communication like as the soule approching vnto his departure is for the most part more free and deuoyde of worldly cares earthly burdens and al other transitorie affaires and so consequently lesse tied vnto the bodie also that in maner al men in that extremitie time and place do entreat vpon more mystical and heauenly matter then before time they are wont yea diuers through a certaine prescience of things to come which surpasseth mans natural vnderstanding and reason do prognosticate of that that is most likely to happen euen so now among diuers other aduertisements and notable instructions which this King gaue vnto his sonne one was that he desired yea and charged him not to deale with the Children of Guise neither to permit them to haue any rule in the affayres of the estate For saith he I haue manifestly perceiued and am wel assured that the whole stock of thē is naught also that in case you transgresse this my precept they are to strip you into your doublet your subiectes into their shirtes This admonition deserued both to be marked put in excution but the simplicitie of the Dauphine being bewitched by this Seneschal together with Gods heauy displeasure against Frāce would not permit the childe to followe his fathers counsaile which in this case proued but ouer true for his affirming the whole race of them to be naught did shortlye after proue it selfe certaine The same day that this great King Francis let his life at Rambouillet whereas the Dauphine for very sorowe and griefe seeing his father lie in such extremitie and therewithal being in a maner ouercome was layed downe vpon his wiues bed who the whiles sat vpon the floore shewing great tokens of anguish and heauines the great Seneschal the Duke of Guise who yet was but Earle of Aumale walked there also although contraryly affected for she was very pleasant and ioyful seeing the time of her triumph drawe on and he stil from time to time walked to the doore to hearken after newes vsing alwayes at his returne this phrase Now the yonker goeth his waies but had not that yonker seing it pleased him so to tearme him bene both he and the rest of his whole familie had bene but simple vnderlings in Lorraine still But now to our former matter let vs marke the execution of the forenamed edict concerning retaining of sundrie offices The same being concluded vpon King Frācis dead was put in practise before it was eyther sene or published For presētly the Lord of Reims displaced the Cardinal of Tournon of his office of Chanceler of the order who in displeasure resigned to thē his mastership of the chappel also The Admiral d' Annebaut loste his office of Marshalship likewise nowe therfore I wil procede to the Great Mastership for the obteining whereof the Guisians were importunate mouing King Henry to write vnto the Constable that before his cōming to the court he should by proxy resigne one of his offices either the Cōstableship or els the great mastership for they supposed that he would stil kepe the Constableship as being of greate auctority credite But were it that the King was at that time determined to exempt his gossippe from their ambition or els that he sought through the others voluntarie resignation to cōferre the said office vnto the Marshal of S. Andrewes to whome he had already broken his minde to the end by such ordinary meanes to suppresse some part of the furious attemptes of the Earle of Aumale and his brother or what other occasion soeuer there were yet certain it is that he wrote to the said Cōstable with al speed to repaire to him but not to resigne any of his estates referring that vnto their owne priuate communication at their next meeting After his cōming the King who before euen burned with earnest zeale desire to see the said Constable who so long had bene absent out of his sight was now so farre frō taking from him any of his estates that contrariwise at their first embrasings he professed him self to be ashamed that he had in his hands no office worthy his person therefore in respect of such default the more to honour his welcōming he yelded and presented vnto his said gossip his owne person Now the Lord of Reims had gotten the great seale and the Earle of Aumale had seased vpon the keies of the castle as a seasine fallen to him euen by succession But hearing the King call to the one to render the keyes and command the other to carry the seale vnto the great master whereby they should be driuen necessarily to slepe vnder the locke of the said great Master walke at the cōmandement of the Constable not in any wise to deale in matters of estate without the said gossips permission it may be easy for eche man to comprehende into what part the affections of these brethren were bent Seeing also at the same instant an other estate of Marshal of France erected to the behoofe of Iames of Albon lorde of S. Andrews which was euen the last office that remained in the Kinges hands vpon the which as vpon his last refuge the Earle of Aumale had fixed his whole hope and truste This therfore hath bene one of the foūdations rootes of their quarell against the Constable and his progenie wherein besides their manifest iniurie offered vnto their owne persons in this respecte they haue also shewed them selues verye vnthankful toward the said Constable For it is not vnknowen vnto all those who duringe the reigne of the great King Francis had anie dealings in matters of estate that as wel the father as also the vncles of the said Lords of Guise had neuer any more assured or faithful friend in France then the said Constable who long before their comming into that country was alreadie in great creditte and estimation with his Prince and afterward with incredible fauour did succeede two great masters of France the one the Lord of Boisy his cousin germaine the other the Duke of Sauoy his Father in Law and finally atteined vnto the hiest degree next vnder the Princes of the kings blood that
marchants among other beholding this shamefull dealing did after diuers motions finally offer to acquite the party deceased of al his dettes for one quarter or at the most a third part of the yerely reuenue of al his benefices and yet could come to no end part of them neuertheles did finally obteine some a quarter others a fifth part others a tenth part some more some lesse but the greatest number coulde get nothing at al. And yet for so much as ech one did acquitte al or at the least the most part were driuen to giue acquittance as for money receiued to what end ech one may sone perceiue namely to defraud the creditors of their honour the Cardinal of the remembrance and thinking vpon their liberalitie Thus by litle and litle he dispatched away the Marchants of Paris and such others to the end the more easily to fight against the mightiest and generally against al the estates of the realme whome he and his brethren must necessarilie subdue before they can attaine to touch the white whereat they do leuel their shot They had wrested a promise from King Henrie whiles he was Dauphine whereby when he were King the Countie of Prouence and Duchie of Anjou should returne into their hāds But because the General de la Chesnay had therfore clawed them to the quicke that matter lay stil vntil the Kings entrie into Anger 's for then they begun afresh to quarel this Duchie desiring the only title thereof for one of them Howbeit one only frowning looke of the Constable did quite so ouerthrowe them that from that time they neuer durst once open their mouthes any more for that matter In the meane time therefore they went another way to worke which was by seeking openly to become princes both openly secretly to suppresse the princes To which effect their practises haue bene of long continuance and as strange as possibly might be as by the onely historye of the late Prince of Conde is most euident and our selues wil heere and there shew by diuers particularities worthy to be remembred First in as much as neither the worthines of their blood neither their family could preferre them before diuers french gentlemen but only the prerogatiue of their lands therfore to couer the default of their race they haue caused to erect their simple baronages into Duchies prīcipalities Marquisates and Counties which is the thing that hitherto hath blinded the eyes of the commons who are vtterly ignorant of matters of estate Secondly they haue endeuoured to make the estate of the Peeres for the Cardinal was one equal vnto the Princes yea euen to preferre the said Peeres before the Princes whereupon happened in the yere 1551 a notable matter as thus The court of Parliamēt of Paris had sent six of the chiefest members of their body vnto King Henry to vnderstand his wil and pleasure concerning certaine articles whereof one was The second point is to enquire of the King whether it be his pleasure that my Lordes the princes of the blood with other great Lords entring into the said Courte may weare their swordes For time out of mind that hath bene lawful for the King onely as an especiall prerogatiue of his Royal dignity who hath the hād of iustice as being iustice himself mainteyning in assured safety the ministers of the same And notwithstanding sundry times some princes or lordes haue entred with their swordes that hath bene only when comming sodenly they haue founde the dore open or els by entring at vnwares either haue so done by the Kings expresse commandement at such time as he hath bene displeased or prouoked to wrath against his said Court vpon some other occasions whereof neuertheles no rule or custome ought to take place For contrariwise the late King Francis when he was Dauphin together with the Lord Charles of Bourbon comming in left their swordes at the dore which order King Lewes the twelfth caused stil to be obserued This iudgement of that courte which according vnto right and equitie preferreth the princes before al lords whomsoeuer togither with the sitting to this day obserued in the same and the arrest pronounced against their father did so grieuously moue the Lords of Guise that to the end to breede some debate contrarietie betweene the iudgement of the King of his said Court of Parliament also to augment their owne credit and so by litle and litle to exalt them selues aboue the Prīces they closely practised that wheras the secretary accōmodating himselfe vnto the request of the court the order in the same obserued had in his rowl as hīself hath since testified named the princes first they were neuertheles in the Kings answere placed after the Peeres in maner folowing The Kings pleasure is that when soeuer in his absence the Peeres of France the princes of the blood the Constables and Marshals of France shal come enter into his Court of Parliament into the chamber of Audience whether the dores be open or shut they shal neuertheles stil weare their swordes the which the said King meaneth not that any other of what estate or calling soeuer he be shal doe Giuen at Fountainebleau the last day of August in the yere 1551. signed Henry and contresigned Du Thier. Thirdly they practised a wonderful subtiltie whereby with the time to yelde a kinde of prescription vnto such principalitie as they sought to vsurpe which was in seeking to allye themselues on al sides in the most high and riche maner that possibly they could and so to slyde in among the princes and beare the like port as they As also at the entry of King Henry into the towne of Suse Francis Duke of Guise presumed to marche cheeke by ioule with the King of Nauarre the first prince of the crowne Also at king Francis the second his first comming forth of his chamber in his mourning weed the said Lord of Guise intruded him selfe betweene two princes of the blood to the ende with them to beare vp his traine Againe during the reignes of Henry the second Francis the second and Charles the ninth and euen at this present also euery man both hath seene and plainely may beholde with what presumption the house of Guise both haue and stil do encroche aboue the said princes of the blood whom they haue oppressed and troden vnder foot as we will more plainely declare after that we haue yet touched a few matters more tending vnto the discouery of their raging ambition in this respect Fourthly the house of Guise being thus aduanced grew very suspicious and ielouse of their honour stoutly opposing thē selues against al such as withstode their attēpts as is manifest in this The Frēchmen doe so highly reuerence their princes that as they are not to be accōpted wronged or in their honours diffamed for any thing that their said princes either doe or say vnto them so doe they also neuer set hand to their sword
against the said princes notwithstāding that any other of what estate or calling so euer he be stranger or Frenchman ought to take heede of misusing the person of any French gētleman vnlesse he presently be minded to receiue at the handes of the partie misused as much or rather more then he hath done or said vnto him Now the more that the lordes of Guise haue sought to become as Princes of France the more resistance haue they founde especially duringe the reignes of Francis the second and Charles the ninthe neither being as yet quite free from the same as in place shall be shewed Let vs therefore consider some examples of the time of Henry The lord of Rochefort yongest sonne of the house of la Roche-guyon was on a time chalenged man to man in the Kings garden at Fountainbleau by Francis Duke of Guise whereas in their talke he shewed the said Duke that he accompted him not as a prince of France whereof he also afterward made him more plaine demonstration when as at the onlie countenance that the Duke of Guise made to set his hād vpon his dagger he the said lord of Rochefort who was no knight of the order as now he is set as sone his hande to his sworde and thereby made him to be quiet which deede both the King and Princes did wel allowe of This resistance caused that the same Duke of Guise who thought that the lorde of Montmorency against whom he had a quarell notwithstanding he were not as yet Marshall would doe no lesse then the other on a time suborned his great companion the Duke of Nemours and the prince of Ferrara at a place neere vnto the castle of saint Germain shortly after the Constables returne out of imprisonment and then went and plucked the said lord of Montmorency by the cape in the Queenes chamber the meaning whereof is not vnknowen vnto the gentlemen who presently without speaking vnto any man arose and followed him out of the castle to the place appointed where he made him an answere correspondent vnto his demande accompting him therein no otherwise for a Prince then before time which afterward he shewed him more euidently at Paris Kinge Charles the ninthe being there the same time that the meeting was about the edicte of Iulye in a controuersie concerning an ayrie of haukes of the forest of Compiegne which the said lord of Guise chalenged by prerogatiue but the said ayrie finally remained vnto the lord of Montmorency It is not vnknowen again how the Presidēt Liset in this point diuers times withstood them for once in the full audience at the Parliament of Paris he caused to correct the qualitie of the Prince which the Duke of Guise in a certain cause had taken vpon him An other time in the presence of King Henry he affirmed vnto the Cardinall of Lorraine that he was no Prince neither ought to take place among Princes Again at another iourney before the said King in a foolish brablinge which the Cardinall made the same President Liset vsed vnto him these wordes My sonne and friende you are yet to yong to vnderstand those matters which are no vsuall speches to be said to any Prince of France yea he added moreouer these wordes You are no Prince neither equall with Princes if therefore you be determined to take vpon you that title shew vs also the places of your Principalitie This yong sonne was aboue fiue and twentie yeres olde already both Peere and Cardinall The aforesaid court of Parliament did also an other time by sentence definitiue expulse the Duke of Guise these mens father from his fore sitting which by reason of his Peereshippe he chalenged aboue a prince of France All which notwithstanding their hautinesse in this point brake out openlie in diuers wise during sixteene or seuenteene moneths whilest King Francis the seconde reigned whereof we must necessarily here note also some particularities Immediatly after that King Henry was deceased the Duke of Guise and the Cardinall of Lorraine conueyed King Francis the second his brethren the two Queenes into the Louure leauing the Princes of the blood and the rest of the great lordes of the Realme which were not of their faction behinde to keepe the dead corps whiles in the meane time them selues permitted no man to come neere the said Francis or to speake vnto him vnlesse at the least one of them were still in presence and that so diligently that they neuer let him goe out their sightes Then did they also driue away the Constable and displaced all such as they liked not of causing the King to say whatsoeuer them selues listed They found honest pretences to dispatch away the Princes of the blood by sending one into Flanders another into Spayne and so of the rest hauing continually secret seruants and priuy spies about them They changed the estates and officers of the Kings householde orderinge them selues with such violence that a man might as it were at hie noone perceiue their intentes We will now therefore orderly shew you what people withstood them and in what maner For such particular resistance was to small purpose in respect of that which followed We must now therefore consider to what estate their ambition haue brought the affaires of France being accompanied with couetousnes crueltie vngodlines and manifest villanye I say therefore that since the time that they were exalted by meanes of the Seneschall considering also that their children be of a troublesome and peruerse disposition euen to the ende they neuer desisted from persecuting all sortes of people high and low in this Kingdome whereby to satisfie their aforenamed passions yea for want of meanes and opportunitie to persecute them whom they doe hate they haue bent their whole rage against them selues in so much as it is doubtfull to whom they haue done most displeasure whether to their friēds or enemies We will therefore beginne with such mischiefes as they haue practised first against our Kinges then against the Princes of the blood afterward against the great lordes of the Realme and so consequently we will proceede to the estates namely the Nobilitie the officers of Iustice the people the Clergie their fauorites and friends and finally vnto their owne iniuries among them selues setting forth the whole in as briefe maner as possibly we maye desiring the readers to quote downe in their bookes whatsoeuer they perceiue that we haue omitted to the ende to participate the same vnto the posteritie which thereby shall be occasioned for to abhorre the miserie of France which hath suffered and borne so much with ouer great respect many times of such dangerous monsters After the same maner also according as shall be incident in the continuation of our discours we will somewhat touch their vertues to the ende eche one may know by what tokens to remember them Notwithstanding that at the first they were not ouer busie neither kept to great a stirre yet afterward perswading them selues that
of Lorraine neuer found surer or more stedfast foundations then the same which their cousins of Guise had laid in intent to ouerthrowe them For King Henrie tooke charge of the childe and afterward made him his sonne in lawe committing his Duchie into the hands of his vncle the Earle of Vaudemont Hereunto adding their practises against the towne of Metz what farther testimonie shal we neede For what mischief is there which this poore towne hath not suffred within these fewe yeres both within and without being vnder colour of protection bereaued of her libertie dismembred from the Empire for the most part destroyed and as a fulnesse of al miseries reduced into the bondage of the Cardinal who vnder a borowed name hath yerely wrested therout at the least a hundred thousand francks leauing vnto our King nothing but the dishonour of surprising the same vnder pretence of defence the charge of keeping of it with inestimable expenses the losse of great numbers of Frenchmen and the hatred of the Empire which yerely reneweth the decree of the recouerie of the townes of Metz Thoul and Verdun expressing therein their desire at the first opportunitie to restore the same to their former liberties For soone after ensued the siege of Metz aforesaid whereas the Cardinal fearing his brothers skinne and seeking to exalte him aboue al men procured to be sent vnto him most part of the Princes and great Lords of France for his more assurance and at the price of their bloods to raise him as it were vnto the shoulders of Victorie it selfe But what neede we to purchase the triumphe with the offence both of God and man or at the charge of the Kings honour and treasure Also how sweetely haue we paied for this so valiant defence of a forreine towne which neuer offended vs vnlesse it be an offence to giue ouer hastie credence vnto the wordes of a Cardinal therein brought vp whome she accompteth as her bishop and pastor yea to speake truely the Frenchmen haue dearely bought the exchange thereof through the burning and spoyle of Picardie euen vnto Noyon when as vnder the conduct of the third brother of this race and sonne in lawe vnto the great Seneschal Duchesse of Valentinois the French nobilitie receiued the sorest wound that euer it had since the battaile of Pauie because that without anie reasonable cause they were trained thereunto as to a butcherie rather then a battaile For in the same conflict wherein the said harebrained Duke of Aumale the third brother was through his owne default taken prisoner there were slaine about two hundred French gentlemen among whome were sundrie great Lords as the Lords of Rohan S. Forgeu Nancay la Motte Dusseau the Baron of Couches of Castres beside diuers other Lords of name Had our whole realme susteined that only losse through the conduct of these men yet were this sufficient to procure al men to detest them Shortly after this ouerthrowe ensued the siege of Metz aforesaid from whence the Emperour being forced to depart the Duke of Guise attributed to him selfe the whole glorie which the Princes and great Lords of France whome the Cardinal had procured the King to send thither had dearely paide for whervpon it is wonderful to see how the Guisians triumphed Wel to proceede what did the next yeres following bring with them other then two double irrecuperable losses namely the vtter sacke and spoyle of Tirwin and Hesdin the two keies of Picardie by reason whereof the Cardinal sang out his triumphes scoffing at the French nobilitie who said he through default of his brothers assistance were ouerthrowen by the enemie persuading the King that he had no man but of that race who was sufficient to guide the affaires both of peace and warre Howbeit the imprisonment of the third brother whome the Marquise of Brandebourge held did somewhat restraine the course of his brags wherefore they sought with speede to withdrawe him home to the end the one might heaue forward the other and yet were them selues vnwilling to disbourse anie penie of al their briberies and theftes either to take anie compassion of the French nation which was deuoured to the hard bones They inuented therfore an other reasonable honest shift as they supposed which was to borowe the Kings name and authoritie whereby they might vnder pretence of heresie vexe and torment whome so euer they thought best to the end to meete with some confiscations For it seemed not sufficient for him through his temeritie and rashnes to be the cause of the death of so manie great Lords and gallant French gentlemen at his owne taking but now his ransome must be gathered out of the liues of such as remained not forbearing the wiues of such good and vertuous Captaines as in the meane season ventured their liues and goods in the Kings seruice Whereof the Lord of Teligny might haue bene a sufficient witnes had he not shortly after lost his life in King Henries seruice For during the imprisonment of the Duke of Aumale the vertuous Ladie of Teligny was vniustly accused of heresie at the instance of a Sorbonist one of the Cardinals stalions as are the rest of our masters his companions who be men ignorant of all goodnes and honour as fierce cruel and seditious as any aliue vsing religion as a cloke to couer their peruersitie in this respect altogether like vnto the Cardinal of Lorraine the setter of them on worke at the cost of the Kings honour who for that cause incurred the euil wil of many In this fetch they disclosed an other of their sleightes for what with their spunge which was laid close to King Henries ribbes namely the Duchesse of Valentinois this prisoners mother in lawe who by al meanes robbed him on the one side them selues who ruled the common purse they wholy spoyled the King both of the loue and of the goods of his subiectes araying them selues in the same persuading him that nothing was wel done but what them selues did Yea they waxed so impudent as to affirme that their brother had verie wel discharged his duetie also that they whom he had led to the slaughter had in maner betraied him insomuch that the whole fault was imputed vnto the dead and he the suruiuer who had disobeyed the Kings commandement who sent him word not to hazard any thing after his deliuerie returned to the court where by the meanes of his mother in law he was as much or rather more cherished and made of then any of the lustiest lieutenants that the King had Thus did they on the one side laugh King Henry to scorne whome in the meane time they had so artificially bewitched that he accompted him selfe to haue none more assured or faithful seruants then the said lords of Guise except the Constable whom therefore they hated to the death as they afterward declared in diuers wise These warres of Metz were nothing in respect of those of Picardie wherof the house of Guise
treasurer of the purse to pay him the most part of a summe of fiftene thousand francks which he pretended to be due vnto him Throughout the whole realme there remained not so meane an artificer or so poore a citizen who was not contributorie vnto the Kings reliefe and for the same cause was not most extreemely delt with al whilest in the meane time the Cardinal becomming a sergeant executed King Henry in the chiefest time of his miserie and when his affaires were in greatest danger dalying with the spoyled King with such impatiēcie that he would not forbeare vntil the said treasurer of the purse had gathered vp so much money but draue him to borowe the same summe wherwith to satisfie his request Also at the same time the king obteined in the name of a gift of the citie of Paris the summe of three hundred thousand franckes whereof the Cardinal had the disposing which how or whereabout they were employed God knoweth Let this therefore be sufficiently spoken for a simple proofe of infinite such like practises wherby it is to be doubted in which of these two the Cardinal did most exceede either in vnreasonably hoarding together or in excessiue appetite to wast al France which he had chosen as a pray conuenient for his ambition But how was the Duke of Guise occupied in Italie while the French nobilitie was in the King of Spaines prisons in laying the foundation of the greatnes though inuisible of these our Lords and masters The Duke had led with him a reasonable number of noble men and had dried vp al the Kings reuenues endeuoring in the meane time nothing in Italie sauing that for the augmentation of his brothers credite and the practising of conspiracies vnder colour of simplicitie he went with his famous principalitie to prostitute the dignitie of one of the king of France his lieutenants general in Rome to dallie among priests to make vp a lower messe and last seruice at the table of Cardinals of whome the chiefe part are but the Popes Marmosets and Apes Whereupon sundrie haue commended the free stomacke of one of the masters of requests that accompanied him in the said voyage who misliking of the said Duke of Guises behauiour without anie leaue of the Cardinalitie sate downe gallantly by the Dukes side least it should haue bene reproched vnto the Frenchmen that the Kings lieutenant general had serued as a cloke bearer vnto such lickorous griediguttes of the Popes cauldron who vpon their owne dunghil do so lightly accompt of Christian Kings and Princes But what of this It was necessarie that France with the cost and losse of men should put vp yet two iniuries more in Italie The one by the said Lord of Guise who left his campe idle and his masters busines vndone to the end to loyter and daūce after the Popes court there to create as the Cardinals hope was he would some and so manie new Cardinals after his brothers minde that in case the Papaltie should be voyd he might be as certaine to succeede in the said roume as a Cardinals faith could extend The other through the follie of the said Duke of Guise in that in his owne person being a lieutenant general he permitted his Kings honour and reputation so shamefully to decay The enemies of the crowne laughed hartily at such his folishe ambition the wisest Frenchmen supposed that the King the Constable had suffred thē selues to be intangled in such enterprises to the end to be released of an intolerable burden hanging cōtinually vpon their armes through such continual alarmes as the inconstancie couetousnes vaine glorie of the Guisians did daily minister vnto the Kings affaires exceeding the cost of two such conquests Now the Cardinals drift was so sone as he were Pope to transport the warres into Naples Sicil which conquest was the way to haue ouerthrowen their whole race or els in achiuing their enterprise wherein France should haue wonne more then by keeping them vpon her hands as she hath done to haue bound them selues for their life time about their neckes a bonde of the maintenance and keeping of their new conquered dominions Howbeit vnder this pretence the Cardinal pinched at al assaies insomuch that for this cause and others he iested with them in good earnest who so cunningly turned the letters of the name of Charles of Lorraine that thereby he found this which truely we might reproch vnto him to be most true RACLE AS L'OR DE HENRIE signifying Thou hast scraped away al Henries golde But hereof we wil speake some what more particularly Proceding therefore in our matter after the losse of so manie men at S. Laurence battaile together with the taking of the Constable and other contrarie chances the Cardinal finding as he supposed the best occasion possible offered for the aduancement of his familie displaied at that present his whole witte toward the execution of his purposes The first was by making his brother in effect during the reigne of King Henrie a King The other so wel to wrappe his yuie about the pinakle that finally the one might ouerthrow the other which was by motioning a double alliance the one of his niece Marie Stuard Queene of Scots vnto Francis King Henries eldest sonne the other was of his cousin Charles Duke of Lorraine vnto the Ladie Claude of France Againe the Constables absence of whome the Cardinal stoode in great awe and feare whom also marueilously he hated did altogether hearten him on As for the first point the affayres being troubled in Picardie and the realme voyde of forces the Cardinal thought it best to cal home those that before were sent into Italie the whiles to watch least any other shuld haue vndertaken the superintendence ruling of the affaires hoping seing the Constable detained to cōmit the same into the hands of his brother the Duke of Guise presently vpon his returne who about the same time had bene repulsed from before Ciuitella so that this commandement came fitly to him The esquire Scipio also was sent to hasten him away and to wil him to bring his power with him being come the Cardinal caused him presently to be sent to Compiegne there to muster the armie whither as the King shortly after followed him publishing in the presence of his knights of the order and Captaines of his armie that the Duke of Guise was come in fit time to preserue his realme and minded to haue made him Viceroy or vnder King of France but forasmuch as that title seemed strange he commanded to dispatch him a warrant for the Kings lieutenant generalshippe throughout al the said Kings dominions the which du Thyer secretarie of commandements soone made in such maner as it pleased the Cardinal to deuise being also afterward receiued and verified by the court of Parliament of Paris and sundrie other Parliaments of the Realme whereby the Princes of the blood were contemptuously put backe as also after the taking of Calais
they procured the preferring of the Duke of Neuers before the Prince of Conde concerning the charge of the light horsemen Yea within a yere after the Marshal Brissac was also preferred before the said Prince of Conde in the gouernment of Picardie The Duke of Guise hauing gotten this commission and men ouer whom to commande swelled manifestly in pride whiles in the meane time the Cardinal playing vpon his harpe in the middest of all these broyles lulled King Henry on slepe in the bosome of the villainouse Seneschall Neuertheles Henry who on the one parte vehemently loued his gossip the Constable and on the other parte had not his eyes so ouercome with slepe but that sometimes he opened them and so perceiued the Guisians taking ouer highly vpon them whereat he finally begun somewhat to be displeased with him not refrayning from discharging presently part of that which afterward he considered more largely of for he excused him self toward his gossip secretly certifying him that he had bene compelled to make the Duke of Guise his Lieutenant general also to agree to the mariage of the Dauphine with many other things against his will but that the time should doe him right This mariage of the Dauphine was in this wise The Cardinal perceiuing no man at the court able to controlle him his brother vpon his returne out of Italy the Constable prisoner began to motion the mariage of his niece the Queene of Scots for the compassing whereof he propounded that the King might during his owne natural life behold as well his sonne a crowned Kinge as the Emperour Charles had in his time seene his sonne Philippe crowned King of Englande He procured also the estates of Scotland to hasten this matter solliciting them thereunto by the lord of Oisell who had the superintendence of the Queene dowagers affaires in that countrie Also to the ende to cause the Queene of France to condescend vnto this mariage who still alleaged that he neede not be so hastie seing both the parties were in the Kings hands besides that her sonne the Dauphin was yet to yong and not all the best at ease he began to shew him selfe enemie vnto the great Seneschall Duchesse of Valentinois and her to blame so much as in him lay as disdayning the remembrance of her allyance no longer remembring or at the least counterfeiting forgetfulnes that she had bene the only ladder whereby both he and all his brethren had gotten vp so high This did he thinking it the readiest way to winne the Queenes hearte who mortally hated the said Duchesse and not without cause as all the world knoweth To be briefe this practise so well serued his tourne in the aduancement of his businesse that within seuen moneths after the taking of the Constable this mariage was accomplished thence forth Francis was called King Dauphin and so consequently the lords of Guise the Kings vncles The taking of Calais the enterprise whereof the Constable the Admirall and the lord of Senarpont had long before deuised and forecaste augmented the hatred conceiued in King Henry his heart against the Duke of Guise For hauing often heard of the easinesse of the same he had many times purposed him selfe to haue taken it in hande but the Cardinall seeking the winning of the Frenchmens hearts vnto his owne family procured the Kings minde to be altered and the charge thereof to be committed to the Duke of Guise who neuertheles made the matter very dangerous esteeming it vnpossible to bring to passe yea he stood so much thereupon such was his valiantnes that he protested that his proceeding therein was only to obey the Kings expresse commandement who incessantly motioned the contrarie affirming no difficulty at all to be therein Wherefore seing now how the commendations of the said Duke of Guise were therefore sung and published ouer his whole Realme he could not but openly affirme that the said Duke had defrauded him of an honour to him selfe only appertaining Moreouer vnder matters of goodliest shew outwardly the Cardinall still concealed strange driftes tending to the exalting of his race through the ouerthrow of France He nourrished the warres of Picardie and Italie he brake the truce he with his brother gouerned all for the satisfying of his ambition and preparing of his path to proceede further and yet was not all this sufficient He must therefore trye some other meanes The Duchesse of Lorraine motioned some peace with King Philippe whereof the Cardinal taking his aduantage as shortly we shall perceiue procured to him selfe the commission to goe to her to the end there to finde out some other meanes which was this The bishop of Arras now called Cardinall Granuelle being come as the King of Spaynes deputie to this enteruiew alleaged among other things that France was infected with Lutherans among whom some were euen of the chiefest lordes naming the lord d'Andelot adding also that some of the Princes were of the same profession who by meanes thereof lay in wayte for the crowne whereunto they might easely attaine through the ayde and supporte of the Protestātes as lately he had perceiued These words were not spoken in wast for the Cardinal thereby desirous to frame some practise disclosed to Granuelle all that he knew touching certaine offers which the Protestante Princes had made to King Henry togither with the meetings thereupon betwene the King of Nauarre and them This spake he now to the ende to heare the others opinion knowing that vnlesse he found some occasion to stirre vp housholds in France his owne driftes would be in vaine his family come to decaye Grāuelle on the other side considering of what importance in his masters affaires the breaking of these practises with the Protestantes might be togither with the Cardinall of Lorraine layed this foundation of peace namely that their masters were either of them of such force that in case the one should ouerthrowe the other a third person might easely ouercome the cōquerer and therefore that it was necessary to agree them in such maner that with their whole power they might together set vpon these gospellers thereby to get the recompence for their owne losses first putting to death all such as were within the iurisdictions of both princes not sparing any For the Cardinall of Lorraine hoped that the Princes and great lordes of France which were thought to be Lutherans being dead the King and Realme should thereby be so weakened that his family might with lesse trauaile and coste enioye the same Also that their confiscations might be employed to the winning of seruants and friendes But that which most of all encouraged him to vndertake this matter was that Granuelle shewed him that he knew no knight or captaine liuing more honoured and regarded then the Duke of Guise who therefore was most worthy of such a commission For presently he began in a foolish kinde of vaine hope to swallow vp whole countries and kingdomes perswading
his iudgements whereof the Guisians toke occasion the more to trouble the estate For King Henry dyed sodenly being one of the chalengers at the tilt with the Duke of Guise who followed him at the stripe wherof he receiued his deathes wound We haue already plainely perceiued how by the warres of Picardie and Italie the Guisians emfeblished the estate of King Henry Now let vs therefore marke their dealings toward this princes person as wel in his life time as also at his death This Prince naturally was milde courteous as al men do knowe but in briefe they marueilously altered his nature so that had he liued any longer the peace with the King of Spaine would haue hatched terrible tragedies in this kingdom Before his comming to the crowne he was committed to the gouernmēt of the Cardinal who sought only to corrupt and spoyle him becomming his baude and minister of amorous behauiours The very stones cabbins and hangings of the house of Reims wherein infinite whooredomes haue bene committed doe yet speake of the same yea not content to entertaine about his person the Duchesse of Valentinois to the Queenes great griefe and spite they did through other inferiour seruants entise other ladies gentlewomē on al sides to the end through such accursed meanes to winne the fauour of this prince through the losse of his soule We wil not here speake of the filthie and foule adultery which they procured him to commit at his returne out of Piedmont while he was yet Dauphine neither of that that they haue brought vnto him such as belonged very neere vnto them selues to the end he might take his pleasure with them that is pollute him selfe in sundry and strange wise How oft hath the Cardinal fretting at his brother the Duke of Guise said vnto him that neuer uckold sung faire song Let others weye with them selues whom he touched Peraduenture Henry had companions but he was the first lost in these filthinesses through the dealing of these men Hereof it came that for the destruction both of his body and soule soone after his comming to the crowne they inuented a thousand meanes to entertaine him in wantonnes and turning his minde from God in succession of time to set al in trouble whereby themselues might fish the better We must therefore view some particularities Queene Katherine de Medicis remained barrein sundry yeres wherof King Henry being yet Dauphine was very sorowful These our lords hereupon hauing brought in the Seneschal endeuoured to procure Henry to send home his wife into Italie Yea once at Rossillon vpon Rosne they helde a great parliament in ful determination to send home this Queene who afterward was wel assisted by the Cardinal of Chastillon in the same matter Then seemed she an earnest Christian on the one side the Bible was stil vpon the table wherein sometime her selfe read sometime she caused others to reade On the other side it chanced that vpon the commandement of the great King Francis Clement Marot had translated thirtie psalmes into French which were set in musicke by sundry good musitions for both the King and the Emperour Charles the fifth had allowed of this translation as appeared both in their wordes and rewards But whosoeuer loued or feruently embraced them ordinarily either singing or causing them to be soung this yong Prince Henry then Dauphine was nothing behind wherupon the Godly praised God and his minions yea the Seneschal her selfe counterfeited a loue of them would say to him My lord Shal not I haue this you shal giue me that if it please you Wherby sometimes he had enough to do to satisfie both his own fancy and theirs also Howbeit he especially kept for him selfe the hundred eight and twentieth Psalme beginning thus Blessed art thou that fearest God c. Whereto himselfe set a tune both verie pleasant and correspondent vnto the wordes The same did he so often sing and cause to be sung that euery man might thereby perceiue howe desirous he was to be blessed in stocke as that psalme doeth importe Shortly hereafter the Dauphine multiplied in children but her husband Henrie in steade of acknowledging such a benefite began to followe the abominations of this villanous Seneschal doing worse then before so that I may as I suppose say this blessing was turned into a curse wherevnto the Cardinal of Lorraine was a fit instrument For he perceiuing that Henrie delited in these holie songs which are the bulworkes of chastitie and capital enemies vnto al filthines fearing lest thereby with the time he might be wonne the better to loue his wife and to send away his harlot and so consequently the credite of my Lords of Guise being builded vpon so filthie a foundation shoulde fall downe began first to reproue the translation and then the Psalmes them selues substituting in their steades the lasciuious verses of Horace together with other foolishe songs and abominable loue matters of our French Poets whome he brought into credit Then began Ronsarde Iodelle Baife and other vile Poets to come into estimation And God no longer permitted his Name to be so prophaned but plucked away his praises to the end to commit them to the mouthes of infants and babes The Psalmes and Marot him selfe were together banished Al kinde of vile songs and lasciuious musike tooke place through the especial fauour of the Cardinal the Mecenas to al these villanous inuenters And the better to end al their labour they through the Seneschal tooke from the King al godly musike and depriued the Queene of her chaplaine Boteyler who in those daies preached the word syncerely giuing vnto King Henrie a Sorbonical doctor of their owne a man both ignorant and wicked euen to the end and so plucked out of his heart that litle sparke of godlines which peraduenture was entred therinto Afterward they became King Henries companions especially after he was King yea in more wise then honestie could endure Here therefore to rehearse and stirre vp such villanies it were but to much to trouble the readers Let such therefore as can call to minde all the time passed since the yere 1550. euen vnto death with me reduce before their eies the wicked practises which the Guisians haue practised vpon this poore Prince First in the destructiō of his soule maintaining a harlot in his bosome and behauing them selues so vnworthilie in his seruice as that willingly I wold to God I had neuer heard speaking thereof The verie tablets made and presented vnto the Cardinal him selfe together with his countenances and maners of behauiour haue sufficiently shewed it Againe what goodnes haue they done to the Queene Nay what euil haue they not committed against her Henrie left foure sonnes aliue First how they dealt with Francis we shal presently perceiue What confusions haue we through their meanes bene tossed withal during the raigne of Charles Or if the Cardinal liued how would he handle Henry the third through the meanes of Queene Louyse
of Lorraine Loued he the Duke of Alenson Nay but contrariwise at the Kings departure into Poland he defrauded the said Duke of the lieutenantshippe conferring the same to his nephue the Duke of Lorraine and vnder colour thereof gouerned more malepartly then euer before But al these iniuries do require a more exact discourse which hereafter we will looke vpon Thus therefore hauing scorned Henrie and al his they haue replenished his house with abominations and his realme with troubles they haue destroyed the mightie entrapped the meane sort and brought al things into such confusion that in mans iudgement the kingdome is past al hope of restauration or being reduced to anie smal forme of the pristinate and auncient glorie In this Prince Henrie the seconds life time also they began to note out such of his seruants as displeased them dispersing some of them abroad bringing others into displeasure remouing frō the King his faithful counsailers bringing in their own minions bondmē through whose meanes this Prince was persuaded that the Lords of Guise were his most trustie and faithful seruants who sowed dissension among the other Princes and great Lords to the end that drawing the one partie vnto their side they might with the lesse labour destroy the other All these particularities shal better be seene hereafter in their order whereby these iniuries shal plainely be perceiued At this present thus much we wil say which also al true Frenchmen wil stand vnto that considering the breuitie of King Henries life he did them in so short time more good then anie King his predecessor did euer vnto al his whole houshold together he suffred more he bare more with them indured more sorowe grief vnduetiful behauiours losses and hinderances by them then euer master friend or father susteined at the hands of their seruants companions or children For besides that while he liued they infinit waies and times turned away from him seking the destruction of both his bodie and soule to their powers they haue also contaminated his house marred his children and consumed his people euen at his death they haue shewed what regard in his life time they had vnto him We heard before how the eldest brother perceiuing the death of the great King Francis at hand scorned him calling him yoncker They al now haue bene nothing behind but haue vttered many more signes of disobedience and of their trecherous hearts toward King Henrie at his death who was their especial friend natural Lord and mightie benefactor What a sight was it to the French nation bewayling the so vntimely and vnlooked for death of their Prince to beholde at the same instant of his deceasse the Duke of Guise and the Cardinal of Lorraine with ioyful countenances taking their yong King and nephue and transporting him from the Tournelles vnto the Louure Yea there was one who semed to name that day and that not impertinently the Euen of the feast of three Kings For there was no man so ignorant but that viewing these Lordes on horsebacke might wel iudge that France should now haue the King inheritour King in name only and the two Lords of Lorraine Kings in effect or at the least two craftie and cruel tyrants a since they haue manifested them selues Moreouer it is the duetie of the great chamberlaine to take the charge ouer the dead Kings corpes vntil it be buried Now the Duke of Guise was great chamberlaine for he had euen in maner forcibly taken the same office from the house of Longueuille Who then letted the Duke of Guise and Cardinal of Lorraine hauing a King at their deuotion yea if we may so say at their commandement from doing their dueties but that needes they must presently forsake the corpes as some filthie carrion What may be said of them that so shamefully abandoned the corpes of their King and Lord nothing caring or thinking vpon the garde and burial of the same for the which cause both the Constable and al other the Kings trustie faithful seruants remained stil behind Yea if they had but stayed vntil the bodie had bene colde and assuredly dead or at the least if they had but shewed some countenance of sorow Howbeit peraduenture this inhumanitie proceded of that they had gotten some inckling that King Henrie was minded to driue them away presently after the triumphes and feastes were ended or rather their owne ambition permitted them not long to deferre the discouerie of that which their hearts conspired which was vnder the name of their nephue Francis to raigne ouer vs waiting better occasion to proceede Well peraduenture they dealt better with Francis the second and so behaued them selues that now they deserued to haue their former offences concealed Let vs therefore see whether it be so or not This yong Prince being sixteene yeres old at the most reigned scarce seuenteene moneths fully but we may say and lye not that neuer Realme in seuenteene moneths space was so shaken as our poore France all through these mens ambition yea I dare affirme that in case God for the iust punishment of our sinnes had prolonged the said Francis reigne other seuenteene moneths the house of Valois had vtterly lost the crowne and the whole nobilitie might well haue prepared them selues vnto death or other strange bondage and violences The people the officers of iustice and euen the Clergie them selues could haue assured them selues of no other then most horrible tyrannie To the end therefore that all this may the more euidently be perceiued let vs marcke the ordering of the Realme in the said seuenteene moneths space First they rauished the King out of the handes of the Estates of the Realme and officers of the crowne conueying him euen at the houre of his fathers death into the Louure with his brethren mother and wife There they so warely watched him and diligently kept him that no man might come neere him vnlesse some of the Guisiās were at hād At the same time also began they to be called the Kings kepers They driue away the Constable and others they send away the Princes of the blood one to carie the order into Spayne an other to conduct the lady Elizabeth another to confirme the peace in Flanders and finally vsed them as we shal see comming to speake of their dealings toward sundry Princes of the blood They take or rather wreste from them the dealings in the affaires of estate for when the Parliaments had sent their deputes to the King he gaue them to vnderstand that his two vncles the Cardinall of Lorraine and the Duke of Guise had the whole dealinges commanding that thence forth all men should resorte vnto them in all matters touching the estate of him and his Realmes and dominions charging all men to obey them as him selfe Here you see them by their owne instrument declared Kings for this yong Prince being of no experience and miserable in that he was lincked in to such companie said and did nothing
the Prince had made manifest declaration thereof hauing caused Genly and others to certifie King Francis that he was so in deede Yea euen in the hardest time of his affliction he draue out of his chamber a priest whom the Guisians had sent thither to singe Masse As for the Admiral he had in the full assembly at Fountainbleau presented their supplication to the King tending to the ende to obteine some Churches and publik exercise thereof He had also declared to the Queene mother that he would neuer abiure his Religion but offred to dispute against the Cardinal The lorde d'Andelot had of long time bene of the same profession and it is knowen that at the accusation of the Duke of Guise and by the solliciting of the Cardinal the late King Henry had almost slaine him when on a time he asked him if the Masse were good and that he answered that it was a prophane and wicked thing The Cardinal of Chastillon also began by litle and litle to forsake the Papaltye This then in their eyes seemed a fit occasion to bende the Constable against both the Prince and his owne nephues of Chastillon the which they artificially afterward did as shall be shewed in place conuenient They concluded therefore a while not to medle with the Religion for said the Cardinal of Lorraine as yet there were none but rascales of that profession and therefore it were best to let some great and welthy men also enter into it to the ende by their destruction to get some thing Now in making warre against the Protestantes they shotte sundry wayes with owne selfe arrowe for first they obteined the fauour of the Pope the King of Spayne and others of whom they looked for some helpe Secondly they were assured that sundry of the best townes in the Realme were so deepely rooted in Poperie that it would be harde to plucke away their olde skinne without good store of stripes also that with the least staye in the worlde they would vse all resistance possible Thirdly they knew the Queene mothers disease who woulde hardly permit her children to be brought vp in Religion for her selfe was of none at all also that such countenance as for a while she might shewe shoulde be only to the ende to winne the Protestantes and to set them against the Catholickes that whiles they were the one sorte bent against the other her selfe might rule all and so that they should haue no leysure to consider of or examine her actions They had also a number of secret seruantes who to the ende to robbe and make hauocke of the Protestantes goods woulde become most Catholicke The courtes of Parliament also were so compounded that vnlesse iustice were reformed from the crowne of the head vnto the sole of the foote the Protestantes should neuer prosper Againe hauing through the Queene mothers helpe the King and his brethren in their handes they might easely vnder that shield fight against all their enemies and in time order them as they listed yea through their ouerthrowe become mightier then euer before But yet there was one thing which troubled them namely the prolonging of time and the inconstancie of the Queene mother which the Duke of Guise more feared then any other thing togither with the Prince of Condes liuelinesse To remedye therefore all this they procured as is afore said their atonement with the King of Nauarre which was so brought about that by the same meanes he resigned to the Queene mother in presence of the Duke of Guise and of the Cardinal of Lorraine all such right as he might pretende vnto the regencye of the King and the Realme neuer to quarell demaunde or accept the same againe and thereof gaue them an acquittance sealed with his owne hande Hauing thus gotten this poinct they concluded that if the Prince seemed to deale with them he should haue to doe with so strong a match as that soone they should ouercome him also that this might be the meanes to bend his brother against him and so they should draw the one party to the Catholickes As for the Queene they determined a while to let her paunch some times one way and some times another curiously watching to what ende her behauiours would come Againe they were well assured that hauing this aduantage ouer the King of Nauarre she would so practise the estates that her auctority should be allowed of also that them selues had such parte in her that her inconstancie would turne to their commoditie also that before the yere were passed they should see some stirringes whereby to helpe them selues vp againe One parte of that whereof they perceiued some likelyhoode came to passe but in the rest they were shrewdly deceiued For whiles they sufficiently tormented the Protestantes with foure ciuill warres a horrible murder vnder Charles the ninthe fiue of them came short home and the most doulte of all remained behinde as for the most apparent of their discent who at this present is Duke of Guise he is in such estate as according to the prouerbe which runneth of such as are vpon the sea A man can not well say whether he be aliue or dead for God hath giuen him such a blow on the face that he shall remaine blasted for euer We must therefore consider what hurte they haue done to the King his Realme and them selues in all these ciuill warres and as the thunderclappes alwayes before their comming doe shew by some tokens which goe before their following to be at hande euen so the Guisians before that they shotte their thunderboults into France gaue forth certaine deafe noyses practising here and there whereby to become more furious after that they were once fortified Being deliuered of that which they most feared which was the researche for the Princes imprisonment through such assurance as the Queene mother had rooted in their heartes also being reconciled to the King of Nauarre hauing as is afore said procured the King lately deceased to declare that he of his owne absolute auctoritie had caused the Prince of Condye to be emprisoned they determined to goe to the estates there to heare what would be said and so helpe their matters as much as might be possible But before they goe any further they enter league with the Cardinals of Tournon and of Armignac the Duke of Nemours the Marshals of S. Andrewes and of Brissac the lordes of Rendan Martigues Sipierre Monluc la Motte Gondrin la Suze Sanssac Sauigny and many other lordes and captaines who hoped to become mighty riche and welthy through the ciuill warres which said the Guisians the Princes would bring in togither with the alteration of the Principalitie The voice hereof caused they to be sounded in the King of Nauarres eares who in stead of prouiding according to his duety there against began to faint and to resigne all his auctoritie as anon we will more amplye declare Therof ensued the order the one and twentieth day of December 1560.
to remit the estates vnto the moneth of May next ensuing which was the thing that the Guises especially sought for neither was the Constable anie whit sorie notwithstanding he had often protested that he was readie to giue vp his accomptes The King of Nauarre being yet somewhat affected vnto the Religion his brother the Prince of Conde and the Chastillons sought to aduance the said Religion and that they might the better do in case for a while they deferred dealing in the other point which shortly after they might neuerthelesse easely enough take in hand againe But they were deceiued through the ambition of the Queene mother the dastardlinesse of the King of Nauarre the practises of the Guisians without the Realme and the driftes of the Constable within the kingdome whom vnder colour of Religion they had separated from his nephues In this meane time the yong King and his brethren were in the Queene mothers handes who onely marked which side would be strongest to the end to the same to commit both her selfe and her children and because she had suffred much at the Guisians hands in the time of Francis the second she could nowe haue wished that the Protestants might haue bene masters being assured that she could more easily haue delt with them for she had alreadie in her hands the Chastillons The King of Nauarre suffred him self to be led euerie way and as for the Prince of Conde in case she withstoode not the amends for such iniuries as he pretended through his imprisonment to haue bene done vnto him she accompted him as hers yea she looked to finde in him a new staffe wherewith to suppresse the Guisians The Cardinal of Lorraine vnderstanding the Prince to be readie to come to the court departed from the same vnder pretence of residence in his Archbishoppricke of Reims leauing behind him his brother as a spie and others to the end to practise according as matters might fall out After that the King had wel receiued the Prince of Condie and that in ful counsel he had iustified him selfe he was permitted to sue out more ample declarations for the same purpose went to Paris Soone after this fell an other controuersie which much molested the Duke of Guise and his partakers yea without the policie of the Queene mother who at this time stoode them in good stead and sought in time to come to aide her selfe they had at the same instant bene quite vnhorsed for the King of Nauarre through the solliciting of some who sawe meetly cleare did complaine to the Queene of the too great authoritie which the Duke of Guise tooke vpon him who at al times had bene her aduersarie also that the said Duke of Guise continuing about the King he could not remaine and therefoâ—â— that it was expedient that either the one or the other departed from the Court after that the Queene had alleaged some excuses tending to the ouerthrowe of this matter the saide controuersie proceeded so farre as that the next morning the King of Nauarre put on his bootes and was readie to depart accompanied with the Princes of the blood the Constable the Lords of Chastillon and manie other great Lords Now the Queene seing that remaining among the Guisians onely the world was at an end both of her selfe and of them also for her owne conseruation fained to procure their coÌ„moditie to the end in case they yet once againe got the masterie they should not harme her She sent therefore to fetch the Constable causing the King to command him not to depart by the compassing whereof al this matter was broken of and the King of Nauarre sent to fetch backe his mulets which alreadie were gone as farre as Melun This controuersie being dispersed raised a voyce that the Queene maintained the Guisians against the Princes of the blood insomuch that the particular estates of Paris proceded and began to touch the chiefe points of the estate not forgetting the article of yelding vp the accompts The Guisians were expressely named with ful determination to seeke al meanes possible to forbid them anie entry into the priuie council before they had giuen vp their aforesaid accompts The Queene mother of the one side greatly reioyced in seeing the Guisians her chiefest enemies by this meanes in danger Againe on the other side she was in some care as concerning her regencie To prouide therefore against al inconueniences she through the aide of the Constable made a new agreement with the King of Nauarre in such wise as the said King was pleased and moued the Duke of Guise to counterfeit humilitie which he now more then vsually did put in practise She sent also for the Prince of Conde to come and seale to this accorde vsed the helpe of the Marshal of Montmorencie in amending and correcting al that had bene concluded in the particular estates of Paris touching the gouernement of the Realme The Cardinal dealt with the Queen mother in al these matters to whom he writ often and notwithstanding eche of them mistrusted other yet had they so long kept householde together that the taking of this path seemed most necessary for both their conseruations And in deede we may wel say that al the policies of the Guisians did neuer stand them in so good stead as did the only wit of the Queen mother who neuerthelesse did mortally hate theÌ„ but this shal be shewed in place more coÌ„uenient Here may we behold our poore king kingdome swimming waiting for present shipwrack for the coÌ„passing wherof the Guisians finding theÌ„selues to weake vnder preteÌ„ce of ReligioÌ„ do ioine to their faction the Constable prouoking him against his nephue the Admiral who openly professed the Gospel so do aide theÌ„selues with al conuenient policies The Marshal of S. Andrewes also herein stood theÌ„ in good stead for he did beat into the Constables head that whatsoeuer the estates had propounded concerning the reuoking of excessiue rewards the Admiral had procured to the end to bridle his vncle the said Constable and so to compel him necessarily to coÌ„sent to the alteration of Religion The Earle of Villars being moued against the Admiral for that he had reproued his euil demeanures in LaÌ„guedoc did also thrust at the same wheele so that notwithstanding whatsoeuer declaratioÌ„s or persuasioÌ„s the Marshal of Montmorency could alleage yet did the Constable ioyne to the Guisians who made their leagues to the inteÌ„t by robbing the King his realme of their faithful seruants to bring al into confusion The Catholikes finding theÌ„ selues through such leagues fortified began to rise therupon through the policies of the Guisians there was a noise raised that the Admiral had endeuoured to expel the Masse to plant the Religion in France without anie adoe The Catholikes therefore of Beauuais a bishoppricke pertaining to the Cardinal of Chastillon began being folowed by the Catholikes of Amiens PoÌ„thoise other places At Paris also were MuÌ„kes such
other trompets of seditiō who greatly aduanced the Guisians practises In deed vpon the first noise of these broyles the Kings letters patents were sent forth to al iudges royal in the Realme with straite defence that no man should molest other by the name either of Papist or Huguenot wherby to prouide for the suretie libertie of either sort The court of Parliament of Paris which consisteth most of the seruants of the house of Guise sent earnest declarations vnto the priuie council as touching this Edict but al was but a new practise whereby to shuffle the cardes as we say and so to heape one discord vpon another vnder the goodliest title in the worlde namely of Religion In the meane time the Cardinal wayted for the yong King at Reims who was brought thither to be anointed wheras the Duke of Guise was so presumptuous as to steppe in betwene the King of Nauarre and the Duke of Montpensier so to march after the King and by such sleyghtes to become equal vnto the princes of the blood There the Cardinal finding his strength sufficient hauing wonne this point to propound Religion as a cloke to his ambition did then grieuously complayne of the protestantes declaring that during the parly concluded vpō concerning the determination of these controuersies the King ought not to permit any kinde of innouation and that for the more assured prouision thereagainst it was requisite to make an inuiolable law also to the same end to assemble in the Parliament of Paris the Princes Lords others of the Kings priuie counsaile there to frame an arrest which euer after should solemnely be obserued But al this was no other sauing a newe policie whereby to hasten the practises of the house of Guise Now the Cardinal knew wel that in this assēbly of the Prelates for the determination of matters of Religion there would be nothing dispatched also that while things hung thus in suspense the King should be called vpon to permit the excercise of the Religion openly which being once granted the prince of Condye and the Chastillōs would step in afterward to withstād him for the withstanding wherof he supposed that in preuenting this parly through an other assemblie at Paris where he had men enough at commandement he might get somewhat or at the least so bend the one sort against the other that him selfe should lose nothing This was the cause of the assignation of that assemblye whereunto the Queene mother agreed almost for the same considerations and the contrary parties in hope it would redound to the commoditie of the whole realme Here may the readers consider what iourneys to and fro the Guisians practised as well within the realme as without also how they for their owne maintenance remoued both heauen and earth The Spaniarde and diuers Italian Princes were daily aduertised of the estate of the affaires and then did the Queene mother stand the Guisians in steade of a secretarie to the end to make out goodly dispatches in the Kings name against the Princes of the blood whome in the meane time they seemed greatly to fauour For at that time namely the 13 of Iune 1561. did the Parliament of Paris al the chambers being assembled in their red gownes in the great chamber of pleas in the presence of the Duke of Guise the Cardinals of Lorraine and Guise with others pronounce their sentence concerning the innocencie of the Prince of Conde also about the end of August following was the atonement made betwene the said Prince and the Duke of Guise During these matters the Edict of Iuly was published in this assemblie of the Princes and Lords of the Parliament of Paris wherby the Protestants enioyed more freedome and libertie then euer before they had had There was it againe concluded that the prelates should be called and the ministers of the Religion should haue safe conduictes to the end to seeke some meanes of agreement Then began the Cardinal to hope wel of his owne matters for he was sure to finde a readie way how to bende the Churches of the Confession of Ausbourg against the reformed Churches of France by reason of the Supper This being brought to passe besides that he should bring the ministers into derision he should also hinder the Prince of Conde and the Chastillons who openly fauoured them from all prouision to withstand such driftes and preparatiues as the Duke of Guise and his adherents began to frame wherby to giue vp their accoūts vpon the speares pointe for so they might haue no succour of the Germanes who would easilie be persuaded that al these troubles in the Realme proceeded only of Religion The Guisians would faine haue found some meanes so to bring the Prince of Condie on sleepe that he might haue bene drawen from the Chastillons But their consciences did so reproue them because of so manie displeasures as they had done vnto him that they left him being sufficiently contented with setting the Constable and others against him Howbeit before they came to handle blowes they deemed it necessarie yet to strike one stroke more They perceiued the King of Nauarre and his brother the Prince of Conde to agree wel enough and supposed as it was most true that so long as these two Princes should continue in vnitie together al the French nobilitie and communaltie notwithstanding Religion would bend to them to the end to expel the Guisians or els to bring them to accompts so consequently restore the Realme to her pristinate brightnes dignitie They also persuaded the Queene mother how dangerous the vnion of these Princes might be vnto her she therfore requested thē to prouide so much as in thē lay and promised of her owne part not to be slacke in the matter as in deede she was not but vsed such dishonest meanes as in the discourse of her gouernment are at large set downe Now the Guisians during the raigne of Francis the second had gottē to their seruice the Lord of Escars the King of Nauarres chamberlaine through the same espie had discouered al his masters secrets who finally hauing manifestly detected the said d'Escars through certaine letters which he had written did for the same turne him away Then did he halfe bend him self vnto the Guisians factiō who sent him word to endeuour to come again into fauour with his old master there to do thē such seruice as before time namely to entertaine his said master in al his pleasures doing his messages vnto the Ladies of the court so cōsequently withdrawing him frō al Religion which required an vtter abandoning vnto al wantonnes abominations therupon so many men were set on worke that finally the King of Nauarre reuoked the said Descars wherat many begā to foresee great mischiefs likely to follow and assuredly it is said that the Cardinal of Lorrain hearing of this his calling againe began to laugh as his custome was clapping one hand within the other said
Ianuary was published by the aduise consent of the chiefest most notable persons in the Realme was the most cōuenient way to appease the tumultes and to reduce the estate vnto his pristinate beautie and renowme But the Guisians could not tolerate the same because that if all things had quietly succeeded in France they should haue bene called to their accomptes whereof none was readye except in leauying of souldiers and foreine power as well as of the Realme wherein they trauayled as followeth We haue here before seene how vnder pretence of Religion there was a barre layd betwene the Constable and his nephues of Chastillon whereby the Guisians might the more fortifie them selues and the sooner ouerthrowe the said lordes of Chastillon whom they hated and mightily feared The Constable thereby beganne by litle and litle to be offended with his said nephues but especially after he was certified that they togither with the Queene mother had bene the chiefe motioners of the estates to call for accomptes for in them should him selfe be examined notwithstanding he were not by twenty partes so deepe as the said Guisians Hauing thus wonne the principal officer of the crown they associated to them the Marshal of S. Andrewes who was as all men doe know one of the most accomptable Then tooke they counsayl among them selues wherein the Cardinal alwayes vsed this policie namely to propound Religion the better to cloke his intents made this resolution First that the superintendence of al affaires should be committed vnto the Catholike King who should in the beginning accuse the king of Nauarre as a fauorer of a new Religion should sollicite him through fayre promises to forsake all and to take the Catholickes parte In case the King of Nauarre remaine obstinate then should the Spaniard in continewing his glosing promises sometimes accompanied with threates in winter time rayse souldiers and then on a suddein set vpon him Also if there they should finde any resistance then should the Duke of Guise declare him selfe captaine of the Catholicke Confession and so goe and assayle the said King of Nauarre on another side who by that meanes should soone be ouerthrowne The Emperour and Catholicke Germaine Princes should be requested to hinder the Nauarrians of all succour The Catholickes should reteine the Protestant Switzers The Duke of Sauoye should assayle and vtterly roote out the Geneuians to the terrour of all others Thus much touching the first poinct of their league Now as for France they determined not to pardon any one who had bene knowen once to haue bene a protestante The commission for the murder was allotted to the Duke of Guise who also had the charge of rooting out the whole race of the Bourbons for feare lest in time to come any one of their progenie should haue reuenged the same murders and restored the Gospel Then should they haue raysed warre against the Protestant Princes and haue lent the Emperour and the Catholicke Princes all the money arising of the confiscations of so many Protestantes as should be murdered in France and the Cardinals Bishops and other holy fathers should be cottized to furnish the expenses of this holy warre These goodly articles did the Cardinall deuise And the Constable minding nothing but his religion was then so daseled that he could not perceiue that notwithstanding his family were not named yet the houses of Chastillon and Bourbon being ouerthrowne his race could not continue As for the Marshall of saint Andrewes he was gladde to see the accoumptes in this wise rendered for that in steade of restoring the most because he had most receiued he now hoped vpon a newe receipt and of neuer being coumptable for any thing and besides that the Guisians tended to the same ende they did moreouer perswade them selues at that blow to be bathed in all their enemies blood For the bringing therefore of these things to effect the Guisians departed from the Court about the end of Nouember manifesting their discontentation which sone after did more augment by reason of certaine proceedings houlden against the Duke of Nemours whom they had procured to steale away cōuey the lorde of Orleans into Lorraine where hauing him at their deuotion they purposed to make him captaine of their enterprise For at all assayes they sought to haue sundry strings vpō one bow because they yet knewe not which way the Queene mother would take Howbeit thinking that in case the King of Nauarre would take their parte she durst not ioyne with the Prince of Cōde for feare of being displaced they sought to bring their first purpose to passe by the ayde of Destars others through bringing him into a vaine hope of being restored to his dominions Wherunto the Pope as said his Legate who was one of the chief solliciters of the matter would assiste him prouided alwayes that the said King of Nauarre would defend the Romish Churche the effect whereof did sone appeare when the said King draue away the Ministers and reuolted from the Religion by reason whereof there fell out many doubtes about the publication and verifying of the said Edict of Ianuarye Not long before the Guisiās had written to the Duke of Wirtēberg a protestant Prince requesting him to conferre with them about the confession of Ausbourg wherein they shewed some hope of a desire to be instructed Vpon this cause they came to Sauerne not farre from Strasbourg where they had such conferēce with the said Prince about the fiftenth of February 1561 that al of them hauing protested to follow the doctrine of the said cōfessiō of Ausbourg the Cardinal hauing for the same purpose cōferred with Brentius the Duke of Wirtēberges principal Minister the Duke of Guise did finally entreat this Prince that in fauour of their Religion he would so labour the rest of the Protestāt Princes that in as much as in auncient time the house of Lorraine stil appertained vnto the Empire now in the same respect he his brethren might be aduowed for Princes of the same bearing voice in the Imperiall diets wherby they might withdraw and exempt them selues out of the king of Frāces iurisdictiō hinder such succour as the Protestant Princes might sende to them of the Religion and with the same to strengthen them selues and finally in steade of recompence afterward destroy the same Protestant Princes As this Prince was at the point according to their request to procure them to be receyued newes came into Germanie of the murder of Vassye which the Duke of Guise had executed in his returne into France from the aforesayde towne of Sauerne The Protestant Princes greatly wondered hereat and that not without cause seeing it was in maner scarce three dayes betweene the time that the Cardinal gaue with the one hand siluer and gilt cuppes to Brentius other Germaine ministers and that nowe with the other he sacked the Protestantes But they had before determined to come strongly and armed
intendeth not to reuoke this Edict except within Paris the suburbs bayliwicke of the same where he will permit no other exercise then of the Romish religion These letters being repugnant to the Edict of Ianuarie were presently receiued and allowed in the Parliament This done the Guisians hauing first vsed the Cōstables ayde to strike a stroke in Paris thē the king of Nauarres helpe to driue away the Protestantes did nowe sende out the Marshal of S. Andrewes on the one side who executed cruelties sufficient and them selues on the other side gathered power euery where tooke the fieldes and vsed terrible deedes of hostilitie agaynst the Protestantes We will therefore in this place onely briefly runne ouer matters for it is enough to touche them onely by the way referring the ample discourse vnto the historie of our time First therefore they vsed the helpe of the Quene mother of the King of Nauarre of the Parliament of Paris and of their owne secret seruants in the quayling of the Prince of Condies constancie and separating him from the Lords of Chastillon whom they minded first to ouerthrowe But getting nought that way for he had discouered their embushments and had both in the Realme and abroad fortified him selfe agaynst the same they now proceeded vnto violence murdering the protestants in diuers townes of the Realme and with incredible violēce assaulting certayn places whither the sayd Protestantes had for their owne safeties withdrawen them selues And although the King of Nauarre were in name Lieutenant generall and that the Constable remayned in his estate yet did all thinges passe through the Guisians handes who in smal time raysed all the realme into armes Then the Constable the Marshal of S. Andrewes the Duke of Guise presented a request to the King Queene mother therin requiring the vtter abolishing of religion the exercise wherof had fower moneths before bin graunted That all officers of France the housholde seruants of the King his brethren sister all officers of iustice warre accompts excheker treasurie and others bearing office hauing charge administration or cōmission from the King should professe the same religion and thereof make open declaration and that al such as refused delayed or withstood the same should be depriued of their estates charges offices wages administrations and commissions That all Ecclesiasticall persons should doe the like vnder payne of depriuation of their benefices That all temples which had ben razed should nowe be newe built and satisfaction made for all damages and the pullers downe of them punished That all weapons taken without the King of Nauarres expresse commaundement should be layde downe agayne and that all men persisting in the bearing of them against the will of the sayde King of Nauarre the Lieutenant generall representing the Kings person in all his Dominions should be declared rebelles and enemies to the King and his Realme That it may appertayne to the King of Nauarre onely to keepe and assemble power in France and the same to reteine certayne monethes for appeasing of the troubles This done they promised euery man to go home to their houses yea sayde they euen to the end of the world into perpetuall exile if nede so required This did they the fourth day of May 1562. The same day they procured the King to commaund them not to depart from the Court therefore presented an other request to the Queene mother therein offering to goe home to their houses to the ende sayde they to obey the King of Nauarre Vnto these requestes did the Prince of Conde sufficiently aunswere who largely discouered the sleights of the Guisians and did dayly fortifie him selfe as well by his authoritie in this point as also by certayne letters which the Queen mother wrote vnto him cōmitting to his safegarde the mother and the children and openly enough condemning the tyrannie of the Guisians It is hard to say whether the policies or violences of the Guisians did most harme and as for the cruelties which their souldiers exercised in sundry partes of France especially the men of warre togither with some murderers in diuers townes the posteritie wil wonder more in reading the historie of the yere 1562 then we who were the beholders of such horrible tragedies as the Cardinal his brethren played to the confusion of King Charles his kingdome For in their behauiours they vsed some sleightes needefull to be marked The Prince of Condies troupes were wel armed and resolued to fight being compounded of the most valiaunt French Lordes Captaines and souldiers The Guisians therefore doubting the trial hoped by their iourneys to and fro to disperse his armie wherin the Queene mother and the King of Nauarre were emploied In the meane time they daily surprised some places which the Protestants helde gathered vp money called strangers out of all countreyes to the spoyle and seeing themselues at the point to be beaten about the ende of Iune through the ayde of the King of Nauarre they obteyned truce and within two dayes after the Duke of Guise departed from the campe at Baugencie with diuers others whereupon they immediatly sent the Prince of Conde worde that according to his request the Duke of Guise his partakers were returned to their owne houses Nowe was the Queene mother instructed what communication she should vse toward the Prince of Conde and the rest of the protestāts as did manifestly appeare in a letter which the Duke of Guise wrote to his brother the Cardinall of Lorraine dated the 25. day of Iune which being surprised to the ende the playnlier to set forth these good peoples wittes I haue here inserted as foloweth I doe sende vnto you writeth he this bringer with all speede to let you vnderstande that yesterday al things were agreed and I may say vnto you that some are farre wide of their accomptes Our mother the Queene and his brother the King of Nauarre sweare no other but by the faith that they owe vs also that they will take no counsaile but of those whom you wot To conclude the reformed Religion in well gouerning our selues and standing stifly vnto the ende as we wil do wil come to nought and the Admirals partie be as euil handled as it possible Al our power remaineth whole theirs is broken and their townes yelded without any speach of either edictes or preachings or administration of Sacraments after their maner The next day after the Duke of Guises and his partakers departure the Prince of Cōde went to submit him self in the hands of his brother the King of Nauarre and of the Queene mother at Baugency passing through the midst of the Guisians armie to the great daūger of his own person The Quene mother being come to Talsy a village hard by did there sufficiently giue to vnderstand to the Prince of Conde the Admirall and other Lords whom she had sent for thither that her self was the Guisians assured instrumēt wherby to mainteyn
he confessed that Gods wrath ouer France proceded of the corruption of maners in al estates and the vtter despising of all Churche discipline About the middest speaking of the King of Frances request this good orator said He requireth vs so much as we may to auoid al new quarels to omit al new and vnfruiteful questions to our power to procure all Princes countryes to absteyne from warres that we eschue al desire of mouing debate for doubt least such as haue strayed from vs should accompt this council to be holden rather to the end to stirre vp princes to take weapon also to make complots alliances of warres notwithstanding it were holy then to prouide for the vniuersal reconciliation of mindes Afterward he maketh mention of the reformation of the church and doth conclude with his own submission to the Romish Church Now let the reader consider the purpose of this speach And from that time forward he stil practised against the estate of the realme from whence he dayly receiued letters neither was there any thing in France done without him as hereafter we shal perceiue But being now in hand with the council we wil also touch some leagues Immediatly after he heard of the death of his brother the Duke of Guise vpon whose auctority his whole hope was grounded he sodenly thought neuer to returne into France but with his vsual inconstancie turned his minde towarde the affaires of Italie gratifying so farre forth as he could the Pope and al forreyn princes especially the Catholike King of Spaine Before the newes of this death he had with the Spanish Bishops stoode stifly in defence of residences vpon benefices against the Popes dispensations alleaging them to proceede of the Lawe of God but then he sone changed his copie mainteining with his adherents that they belonged to the positiue Lawe and so through the pluralitie of voyces bare it away in so much that the Archbishop of Granado cryed out that the Cardinal of Lorraine had betrayed them Also when the County de Luna the Kinge of Spaines embassador slacked his cōming to the Council because he disdained to sit vnder the Frēch embassador the Cardinal procured him to come to the end to curry fauour with the King of Spaine caused his ambassadour to inioye the more honorable place thereby causing the King of France to lose the preeminence which neuer before was called into question Now let vs marke whether his brethren whom he had left in France were anie truer seruants to the crowne The Duke of Guise kept the King and Queene mother in his hands making them to trot vp and downe also to be present in the taking of townes and so hiding him selfe vnder their authoritie stroke his blowes For the King of Nauarre he did strangely scorne and floute Wel in August he besieged Bourges and in September they yelded then did he cause the King and Queene to enter and vsed marueilous threates and outragious wordes against them that were yeelded Al the Protestants in those quarters did he worse entreat then either Turkes or Iewes The Duke of Aumale and Marquise d'Ellebeufe lay in Normandie the one before Rouen and the other before Caen and yet notwithstanding they wanted neither greace nor growing yet could they not greatly profit that way The Lord of Moruilliers was at Rouen and in S. Katherines fort was so good a garnison that the Duke of Aumale al sommer time did nought but lose men and munitions Yea the parties besieged the more to laugh at him erected certaine rampiers and bulworkes against the which he wastfully spent his pouder and pellets as if he woulde haue scared sparrowes To be briefe euerie man was a master in his campe insomuch as when a certaine boye was gotten out of Rouen to beholde and espie the demeanours of him his seeing euerie royster intrude him selfe to counsel him and to commande in his presence at his returne said that there were verie manie captaines but fewe souldiers wherefore said he you are in no danger except when the Lord of Aumale sleepeth In the meane time the Duke of Guise called in al strangers as Italians Spanierds and other the more to trouble al things But hearing that the Queene of England prepared to aide the Protestants and knowing her landing to be in Normandie he led thither his armie drawing with him the King and Queene mother together with the King of Nauarre who at the siege of Rouen receiued a wound whereof he shortly after died being therin rewarded for ioyning with the enemies both of the crowne and of his familie Rouen was taken and al extremitie therein exercised That done the Duke of Guise returned to Paris in great perplexitie for that the Prince hauing receiued succour out of Germanie was cōming to seeke him Howbeit in the meane time he receiued new supplies of Gascoynes and Spanierds and therewith intended to keepe the Englishmen from ioyning with the Prince Hereof followed the battayle of Dreux fought in December the effect whereof al men do knowe But as the Duke of Guises refusing to giue the onset when the Constable sent him word which caused the said Constables taking procured men to iudge that willingly he sought this chance so did others who supposed better to knowe his nature attribute it to his cowardlines and thereof did men take their argument to assure them selues of al that which since that battayle this braue warrier hath compassed For al men wil confesse that after this battaile of Dreux al the Protestants power consisted in the band which the Admiral kept in the fieldes and not in the citie of Orleans which was impregnable for the said Admiral remained safe And therefore it had bene reason that the Duke of Guise had assailed him who beeing ouercome Orleans would haue stretched forth her hands and not in such wise to haue wasted his men money munition forces about the taking of a towne which being wonne razed should but haue made the Admiral more strong warie and diligent about new and dangerous enterprises Thereof did men conclude that the Duke of Guise wanted both wit and courage in that he neither coulde ne durst followe the Admiral at his retire out of Normandie but did suffer him so to fortifie him self with townes holds fortresses men money and al other munitions Yea the most valiant expert captaines of France do thinke certainly that in case the warre had a litle while lōger cōtinued the Admiral had giuen the Duke of Guise an immortal reproch who at Dreux durst not looke in his face neither at his comming out of Orleans to go into Normandie followe at his backe notwithstanding the said Admiral was but slenderly accompanied at his comming out of the said besieged citie and yet passed part of France and euen before the said Duke of Guises face forced certaine townes as Touque Caen Falaize Argenten Vire and other places in Normandie tooke sundrie fortresses and castles
compelled the Marquise d' Ellebeufe to come vnder the yoke and yelde to his grace and mercie notwithstanding the said Marquise might wel enough haue withstood him as hauing an vnpregnable place namely the castle of Caen at commandement But that was not his occupation he was fitter to handle a bottle and a gambon of bacon And in deede not long before the Admirals comming to Caen he sought to flee and had not Captaine Renouard bene he had neuer abidden the summons Of him therefore did not a gentleman of Caux speake much out of the waye when as after the first troubles at the same time that the Kings armie feared that it woulde be long before they could recouer New hauen he counsayled them to cause the Marquise d' Ellebeufe to enter thereinto for said he there is no forte so strong so well defended or so impregnable but that he immediatly wil yelde the same In the meane time the Cardinal hearing of the battaile of Dreux said Al is wel seing my brother is escaped Is there no more talke of calling vs to accompts and then turning vnto two bishops of his familiars he said to them smiling So farre as I perceiue my brother must take his accompts him selfe alone now is it as I desired The King of Nauarre was dead The Marshal of S. Andrewes was slaine the Prince of Conde was prisoner on the one side and the Constable on the other now was it as he desired Now did he and his brother feare none but the Queene mother whose inconstancie and subtilties they were to conquere To the attaining therefore to their purpose they thought it necessarie to gette Orleans thereby to intrappe the Lord d'Andelot whome they did both doubt and hate also to recouer the Constable wherby he might be wholy at their mercie if peraduenture they had not caused him to be made away in the heate of his taking They were in possession of the Prince of Conde who should not verie cheape depart out of their hands and although they sawe the Admiral on foote yet hoped they in time to mate him They made therefore at one flight fortie Knights of the order and deuided the companies of men of armes vnto men of their own retinue And the Duke of Guise not long before his hurt sufficiently discouered him selfe for when one of his familiars moued him to followe the Admiral he answered That perchance wil not be the most commoditie to manie in case they shoulde so soone be ouercome the cardes are not throughly shuflled I haue a worse beast to ouercome then al the Huguenots together speaking of the Queene of whome manie times priuately he complained saying that she was verie vnthankeful to him ward also that closely she woue some webbe with the Prince of Conde But said he if God wil who knoweth the wrong done to our house speaking of the Counties of Prouence and Anjou and of the crowne also I wil come to an end with them al and whatsoeuer it cost seeing my share is therein I wil haue iustice before the game be at an end The wickednesse of his desire was yet more plainely perceiued by an other word which he spake at his making of the last Knights of the order among whom his sonne Henrie yet more meete to play with nutshales then to handle a sword was one of the first when it was obiected what a reproch it would be to so manie worthie men and noble Lordes as were alreadie of the same in case he should put in some of those whome he had named you said he do not know my meaning There be some said he speaking of the Queene who seke to liue in confusion and therefore we must put in so many that the disorder may bring good order This may you see was his care ouer the estate of the realm but we may herein perceiue how he defaced himself In the battel of Dreux the Constable was taken fighting valiantly the Marshal of S. Andrewes was slaine in the same place The Duke of Guise coulde not auoyde without shame and dishonour after hee had refused to set vpon the Huguenots when his captaine commaunded him and had abandoned his generall in the middest of the field In this battell did he no honorable deede but lost the honour of the Prince of Condies taking who lighted in the Lord of Danuils hāds But to his great confusion he had before him the Admiral onely of whom he had spoken so much shame and therefore before al men susteined this reproch that with al his power he durst not assaile him whome before he had so much despised and who by his saying was destitute of all vertue valiantnesse and grace in commanding The thing which most spited the Duke of Guise was in that he perceiued himselfe bridled by the yelding of New hauen to the Englishmen which vnto them was graunted vpon sundry not very vnequal conditions considering the time this caused the Cardinal and the rest of his brethren to bite their nailes seeing newe worke now cut out for them in an other place Now they did in maner accompt assuredly that this matter was neuer done without some practise of the Queene mother with the Prince of Condie the Admiral and therfore did through the meanes of certain their secret seruants counsel the King of Spaine to aske the custodie of some townes to the King of Frances behoofe putting the Spaniard in hope that they would procure his request to be granted if he had bene as vniust and foolish as to haue demaunded the same The Duke of Guises fretting also a litle before his wounding at Orleans which himselfe disclosed to a certaine familiar friend is not altogether vnknowen for he said that he repented himself in that he deliuered not two townes to the Spanierdes in steade of one which the Englishmen possessed for that said he had bene the way to bridle the inconstancie wherwith he charge the Queene and the enuie and ielouzy which said he she bare to his greatnes besides the means that this might haue bene to do some thing for his own familie which openly he would not discouer and yet could he not so closely keepe his game but that in saying that he had by this meanes a share in the lumpe as the rest a man might discerne together with other wordes which he spake whether he were minded to giue the realm in pray and so haue a portion therein These discontentations did partly procure the Admiral to passe safe into Normandie and there anew to fortifie himselfe whiles the Duke of Guise layed siege to Orleans minding after the execution of that matter to prepare himselfe vnto more haughtye enterprises and vsing no talke but such as tended to threats against the estate and quiet of the Realme But in the middest of al his deuises Poltrot shotte a dagge at him whereby he lanquished certayne dayes in terrible tormentes not without wonderfull griefe for that he perceiued him selfe cutte
of in the middest of his course Sometimes he woulde thrust his finger into the wounde as if he were extremely chafed against the surgeons and Physitions who coulde not prolonge Francis the second his life also as if he coulde not giue them one good looke because he sawe himselfe ensnared Finally after he had forgiuen his wife and lefte his children to the Cardinals tuition not without straight charge to reuendge his death and bring his driftes to their perfection which so often had bene frustrated he was as ye would say by death tyed to the suburbes and gate of Orleans This was the end of the fiercest of all the Guisians who fretted said manye in that he shoulde die in the towne where a King had dyed either that nowe aliue he shoulde come into the Citie which he and his partakers had destined for the death of a Prince of the blood and many good officers of the crowne The Catholikes especially of Paris who neuerthelesse had smal cause as afterward appeared did greatly bewayl his death Whē the King of Nauarre was slaine at Rouen the Duke of Neuers and the Marshal of S. Andrews at Dreux and diuers others in other places there was no token of sorow But for the Duke of Guise who had abandoned his captain who fought because he would not be accomptable to the estates of France who had violated the Kings edictes and sought to suppresse the house of Valois did they make hearses and vsed al other funeral solemnities as if he had bene a king Now therefore like as after the decease of Francis the second al the whole courte which enuironed the Guisians vanished away and al their multitudes at the same instant conuerted into solitarinesse yea that manye who before had followed them were now ready not onlye to hold the basen to whōsoeuer would cut their throats but euē thēselues to paunch thē so after the death of their eldest brother they remained as a body without members being forsaken of most men and through the vnreasonable authority which they had vsurped become odious vnto such as to them were most vprignt The Cardinal now being at Trente sought new meanes how to begin at an other end and first dealt with the Spaniard as himselfe did since disclose to one of the chiefe counselers of a certaine noble french Lorde for hauing declaimed against and reproued the estate of matters of France he toulde him that the Spaynishe gouernement was excellent and goode where the Great Lords of the country doe so bridle their King that they permit him scarsely to sport him self handling him after the maner of counters of which a man maketh that which somtime is worth but one somtime worth tenne sometimes worth a hundred sometimes worth ten thousand and immediatly reducing it againe to nothing at his pleasure neither were it said he a very harde matter to reduce France to the same poincte In the meane time he counterfaited the mourner writing such consolatory letters vnto his mother as a man would hardly reade without laughīg especially where he writeth these words Madame I say vnto you that God neuer so greatly honoured any mother neither at any time did so much for any his creature excepting alwayes his owne glorious mother then he hath done for you But this good childe of the most blessed mother in the world next to the virgine Marie inuented other new practises against the estate of his King and country as we now shal perceiue The Duke of Guise his mouthe beyng stopped peace presently ensued but in such maner as did easelie shewe that such remembraunces as the Cardinal lefte at his goynge to the Councille were of greate force For the edicte made in the moneth of Ianuarye was in maner extinguished the Prince of Condye displaced from the rowme which to him apperteined as to the first Prince of the blood the Admiral and other great Lordes expulsed the Courte but principally the sayde Admirall who was charged with procuring the shotte at the Duke of Guise which neuerthelesse was but a policie which the Cardinal and his fautours practised to the ende still to keepe the water troubled and them selues out of accomptes in whiche poincte the Queene mother somewhat fauoured the Guisians in that she was glad to put from her sonne al honourable persons to the ende to bring him vp and frame him according to her own humors the effects wherof haue since manifestly appeared Many things chanced in France betwene the first and second troubles wherein the Guisians sleightes diuersly appeared to the destruction of the realme wherof we wil touch some the most notable particularities not staying ouermuch vpon the circumstance of Dayes in that that entreating of their iniuries offred to the Princes of the blood to the nobilitie to the estates and to other priuate parties in the Realme we may beholde such matters as nowe we wil passe ouer First the Cardinal laboured the Queene mother to grant the estate of great master vnto his nephue Henrie sonne to the late Duke of Guise So that notwithstanding this childe was not capable thereof yet to the great dishonour of the King and the Realme and in despite of the Constable and the Protestants whome the Queene began to hate he was chosen great Master standing in deede in greater neede of a Scholemaster and roddes After the King of Nauarre was dead the Queen mother became a Catholike for she douted lest the Prince of Conde then first Prince of the blood would holde his estate knowing her humours through the assistāce of the Chastillōs the Cōstable himself whose heate began now to coole reduce her to order take the gouernemēt from her The Cardinal foreseing also that if this were brought to passe both he and al his should be plucked away determined to take some order At the assemblie at Orleans the estates with one common consent had made great complaintes of the vnreasonable giftes which both King Henrie and King Francis the second had giuen to sundrie persons of whome some were vnworthie others had had too much seeking to cal to accounts those who had the charge and gouernement of the treasure The first part of these complaintes touching the vnworthinesse of persons concerned especially and from the bottome of their hearts the Duchesse of Valentinois and al her abomination The second of excesse did pinche to the quicke the Guisians the Marshal of S. Andrewes and some others An other point of this complaint tended wholy against the Guisians as hauing relation only to the time of Francis the second whom they had ordered at their pleasures in whose time much money was spent and consumed On the other side the reformation of the ecclesiastical estate wherupon the nobilitie and third estate did earnestly call killed the Cardinals heart outright Wherefore to the end to procure this pursuite to vanish away he and his brethren could inuent no better shift then by kindeling the ciuil warre aforesaide
ready preste to deale and for my parte wil spare no cost thinking that the soner would be the better which maketh me desire you well to see vnto it and diligently thereof to consider togither with the said Lorde of Montpensier and to send me worde of your determinations to the end that according to the same I may take order with such of the Lordes and noble men as remaine hereabout and dwell within my gouernement who wil doe whatsoeuer I shal request Now must I not forget to certifie you that writing this letter I had the sight of the copye of another letter which the lorde of Montpensier wrote to the Marshal of Montmorency as an aunswere to that which the said Marshal had written to him concerning his goodly deede I pray you thanke him in our behalfes but chiefly in mine notwithstanding I doe it in the letter which I doe write vnto him we all are greatly behoulding to him Moreouer if you see the Bishop of Mans it were not amisse to moue him also in the same association for both he and his friendes would be gladde to hearken thereunto and we haue already conferred thereof You might doe well also to write vnto the Lorde of Martigues or if you can see him it were better to commune thereof togither I know his good will toward vs is nothing diminished and likewise he may be sure of ours as you may better giue him to vnderstande and I wil seale vnto whatsoeuer you and the said lordes shall agree vpon I send this messenger purposedly to the ende that by him I may the better be certified of your newes He may tary with you so long as you think good and then come to me into Champagne Written the foure and twentieth of February 1565. Seuen moneths before the said Guisians had practised an other league in Guyēne through the meanes of the lorde of Candales the Marquise of Trans and others whereof the Queene mother being aduertised she sent them word to passe on no further therein which notwithstanding afterward when they perceyued them selues strengthened through the aduow of the principal in the Realme they sought to bring to effect On the other side the Marquise d'Ellebeufe through the solliciting of the Duke of Aumale did practise his league in his gouernement of Touraine gathering togither from all partes all the thieues and common murderers of the countrie who vnder his protection dayly committed infinite robberies and slaughters so that neither any honest man might escape without trauaile nor quietnesse rest without troubles The Cardinal of Lorraine also for his parte practised sundry matters about the same time and endeuored to bring the Baronages of the Bishopricke of Metz vnder the Emperours protection if the lorde of Salcede the Kings lieutenant at Marsault had not through force stopped the publication of the said protection Vpon which occasion the Cardinall skirmished with him and arreared the warre called the Cardinals warre wherein he had as good successe as in his entry into Paris But albeit herein he became a laughing stocke and execrable altogither yet did he still beare a grudge vnto the said Salcede and razed him out at saint Bartlemewes murder procuring him to be slaine at Paris and his house vtterly to be sacked But the chiefe occasion of suspicion ministred touching this matter was that this drifte was not executed without the counsayl of the Baron of Poluiller the gouernour of Haguenau who for that cause came to the Cardinal to Rembeuiller in Lorraine who hath also bene a solliciter of the most parte of such enterprises as haue bene practised against the estate of France both during the warres of Picardie and after that they were ended This was he also who endeuored to surprise the towne of Lions and to procure the countries of Bresse and Sauoy to reuolte through the counsail of the Cardinal of Arras about the ende of the sayde warres This was the same Poluiller who practised the King of Nauarre to reuolt promising him in recompence the realme of Nauarre This is that Poluiller who being the Cardinall of Lorrains broker durst practise the Prince of Conde vnder pretence vayne hope of helping him to the landes of the Bishoprick of Metz in case he would haue professed the Romish religion wherefore the readers may well consider what coūsail is to be hoped for at such a counsaylours handes being also cōioyned vnto the Cardinall of Lorraine who during his aboade at Rembeuiller and in Lorraine did many goodly deedes for he pilled his subiectes of the Bishopricke of Metz vnder pretence of withdrawing the landes engaged vnto the Countie Iohn of Nassaw He perswaded the Duke of Lorraine to murder all his subiectes that were of the Religion which he had done in case the Lords of Castelet and Bassompierre had not with their counsaill restrayned him He procured him also to bannishe a great number of the inhabitauntes of Pont-amosson for hatred to the Gospell Moreouer he suborned some say he defiled and forcibly tooke the daughter of the Baylie of Rembeuillers wiues chamber mayde The originall of the Duke d'Aumales letters to his brother the Marquise whereof we haue seene parte of an abstract was presented vnto the King who thereupon hauing heard the depositiō of one of his Knights of the order who confessed that he had subscribed to the association aforementioned in the said letters caused in his priuie councill this acte folowing to be made which here we haue set downe to the ende thereby hereafter to consider certayn notable craftes of Italian Cardinallike policies This day being the 18. day of May 1565 the King being at Mont de Marsan assisted by the Queene his mother and his brother my lord the Duke of Orleans hath called and assembled the Princes of his blood his priuie councill and other his Lordes and Knightes of the order who were about his person to whom he hath giuen to vnderstande how he hath bene aduertised that in diuers places of his Realme there be made associations collections of coyne enroulings of men gatherings of armour and horses that some haue so farre strayed from their dueties as to sende men out of his Realme to haue intelligence and communication with forrein Princes without his knowledge contrary to his Edictes of Pacification of maioritie and other ordinances declarations and prohibitions against such like matters which he neither can ne yet will beleue by reason of such accompt as he maketh of the affection and syncere good wil of al his subiects to the obeying of his cōmandements the cōmoditie of his seruice and the quiet of his realme Neuerthelesse to the end better to be instructed in the trueth he admonished charged them to tel him the trueth of al that they haue heard Which they haue done moreouer do most humbly beseeche his maiestie to beleue that they are so farre wide of these so pernicious practises that rather they be ready prest to spend their liues
holden at Poictiers especially to tend vnto the processe of those who should be foūd culpable in the said pretended misbehauiours and them to declare guiltie of treason and inasmuch as those presidentes and counselours of the court of Parliament of Paris as were appointed to goe thither seemed insufficient partial and factious in the Cardinals sight he caused to cut of seuen from the liste which was first made and in their steades did surrogate others of his owne creation and conditions For the country of Normandy he sent the master of requestes named S. Martin to whom he procured a cōmission to the same end with letters directed to the court of Parliament of Rouen tending that with the said de S. Martin they should tend to the performance of his commission and not breake vp the courte notwithstanding it were almost vacation time On an other side the Cardinal endeuoured through the Constables meanes to bring the Admiral and his brethrē on sleepe who had already written certaine letters which detected the traines layed for them The sixe thousande Switzers who were leuied for the execution hereof about this time came to the King to Meaux who was enuironed with the Guisians so that the Prince and the Admiral plainely perceiuing that it was against them and the Protestants that these preparatiues were made determined before things were at a worse poynct to come to the King and for that he was in both his and their enemies hands they thought it best to take into their company certaine gentlemen of name of their kinsfolkes and friends to the number of a hundred or six score also to take some weapons for their assurance which the Cardinal and his adherents failed not to cause the King to take in very euill parte and the more to prouoke him against the Protestants they perswaded him that his death was at hand vnlesse with al speed he got to Paris seeing that the Prince of Condye and the Admiral came with fifteene hundred or two thousand horses entending to force his maiesty the Queene his mother and my Lordes his brethren and to enterprise somewhat against the estate and therefore the 28 of September about four of clocke in the morning they caused the King to departe and put him among the Switzers supposing that if the Prince were so wel accompanied as they reported which was false for when he came to speake to the King betwene Meaux and Paris he had not at the most aboue thre hundred horse things might grow to such passe that stil some of their enemies of one side or other might go to wrack The Duke d' Aumale certaine others followed the King who about foure of clocke after noone arriued at Paris where the Guisians did exhort him neuer more to trust the Huguenots as himselfe made ample Protestation The Cardinal according to his custome would not follow the King but fained to take the way to Reyms howbeit being met by certaine of his enemies fled vpon a iennet of Spaine to Chasteauthierry Thus was the second warre kindled in France and notwithstanding any the Prince of Condye or his adherents requestes for the reducing of al things into quiet yet the Guisians and the Queene mother to the end to be dispatched of one or other caused a battel to be fought betwene Paris and S. Dionice wherein the Constable was wounded to death This day brought the Cardinal and his a great contentation in that they sawe themselues ridde of the Constable and thereby the way open vnto the accomplishment of their desires For on the one side they endeuoured to make the King a sworn enemie vnto the Protestants who so much had stopped the course of the Guisian preferrement and so through him to ouerthrow their aduersaries It was also requisite to haue some other mightie man more at commandement then the King vnder whose authoritie they might shield themselues in the execution of their passions So sone therfore as the Cōstable was dead the Guisians counseled the Queene mother to make the Duke of Anjou the King his brothers lieutenant general and she perceiuing what commoditie thereby she might reape did soone follow this counsel Whereupon the army marched the Guisians wholy gouerned the Duke of Aniou vnder his shadow both then euer since procured diuers fetches for the ouerthrow of the Protestants chiefly But hereafter we wil shew what iniuries they haue done to the said Duke in vsing him as an instrument to subuert al France Now forasmuch as the Protestants had presently succours out of Germanie the Cardinal perceiued that by going backward he might iumpe the farther and therfore when the Prince of Condes campe was before Chartres in the yere 1568 he procured the King to send some men to the Prince to conclude a peace that is to say to vnarme the Protestants whereby the more readily afterward to murder them For he could not denie but that the Protestants were at that time the strongest and yet not being compelled through want either of strength or good successe did separate and vnarme them selues opening their townes to such as the Queene and the Cardinal sent in the Kings name vnder whose onely faith and worde they put away from them al assurance of liues and goods yelding their naked brestes vnto their aduersaries swords and kniues Al the Protestant Lords gentlemen departed to their owne houses whither when some could not find any sure accesse and others were so euil intreated as that diuers were most cruelly slaine murdered manie of them were constrained to assemble themselues together which was it that the Cardinal and his fautors desired as wel to finde occasion to slaunder them as infringers of the Edictes as also to the end the more easily by ouerrunning of them to destroy them and not knowing what to do or whither to go to take the way into Flanders verie vndiscretely in that the King had forbidden them the same although they were through meere necessitie which as the prouerbe is hath no lawe compelled thereunto Howbeit the punishment was so readie and extreeme that the Cardinal and his partakers ought to haue bene content They vsed in the execution thereof the Marshal de Cosse his aide to the end to charge their rage vpon as wel one as other Then sent they a gentleman vnto the Prince of Conde to know whether he allowed of the said leuie of men wherein is to be seene a right Cardinals fetch for the maintaining of the King in his rage expelling the Prince out of the Court causing to ouerrunne him or his troupes if he aduowed them and so by litle and litle consume his enemies As for the strangers come to the Protestants aide they were presently sent home and the Prince and other Protestants compelled to borowe great summes of money wherewith to pay them and yet through the Guisians commandements the garrison of Auxerre stole part of that money slaying some of the guydes and ransomming
doores behoulding this so manifest periurye wherewith the Cardinal diffamed the house of Valois tooke the fieldes presently Also the Protestante Lordes sent these Edictes into England and Germany as assured testimonies that they were not pursued as seditious persons or aspirers vnto the crowne as before it had bene noysed but as defenders of the Gospel which the Catholickes endeuored to roote out of France This was all that the Cardinall or his adherents gate thereby About this time were many writings published against the presumptuous and ambitious cruelty of the Guisians but chiefly against the Cardinall whose nature was amply described by a certaine learned French Poete in a certaine Sonnet comprehending a curse in the ende And for that the said Sonnet is prety neuer yet to my knowledge was put in print I haue here presented the same to the Reader Sonnet De fer de feu de sang Mars Vulcan Tisyphone Bastit forgea remplit l'ame le cueur la main Du meurtrier embraseur du tyran inhumain Qui tue brusle perd la Francoise Couronne D'vn Scythe d'vn Cyclope d'vn fier Lestrygone La cruaute l'ardeur la sanglante faim Qui l'anime l'eschauffe conduit son dessein Rien que fer rien que feu rien que sang ne resonne Puisse-il par le fer cruellement mourir Ou par le feu du ciel horriblement perir Et voir du sang des siens la terre estre arrouset Et soit rouille estaint seche par la paix Le fer le feu le sang cruel ardant espais Qui tue ard rougit la France dissipee This third ciuil warre beginning in October 1568 continewed to the beginning of August 1570 the historye whereof hath bene at large written and published wherin is to be seene how the Catholickes and Protestantes haue one destroyed the other by viewing what battailles haue bene fought what places besieged and taken or what captaines and souldiers haue bene slayne so that the Frenchmen haue committed against them selues that which peraduenture all other nations in Europe together could not haue accomplished Whiles in the meane time the Cardinal behelde this bloody tragedie and practised all meanes to make the one parte to destroy the other And for that it would be an infinite labour to describe all his driftes it shall now suffice to consider parte of his subtilties vsed during this third ciuill warre First he assured him selfe of the Kings person whom he ledde hither and thither according as things fell out and so prouided that nothing might be done without his aduice He serued also in stead of a firebrand to kindle the King more more against the Protestants chiefly against the chief of them in whose respect he practised all kinde of violences and treasons for the compassing of his purposes Some being taken prisoners were notwithstanding all vowed faith slaine others were poisoned against others were murderers hiered vnto whom the Cardinal gaue great rewardes Then gatte he many seruantes about the Duke of Anjou the Kings lieutenant generall by whom he might incense the said Duke against the Protestants This was of so dangerous consequence vnto the Prince of Conde that finally it cost him his life For Montesquiou the said Dukes Captaine of his garde slew the Prince whom the lordes of Argence and of S. Iohn had taken prisoner Vnder the same policie the said Duke would grant no safe conduite vnto the lorde de l'Estrange the deputie in the behalfe of the Protestant Lordes Princes in Iune 1569 who should haue gone to present their supplication to the King as touching such meanes and remedies as he knew most conuenient and profitable for appeasing of the warre and establishing of a perfect peace The same policye did the Cardinall vse in hindering the concluding of the peace For being certified that the Admirall had sent the said supplication to his cousin the Marshal of Montmorency that he might offer the same to the King he preuented the said Marshal alleaging vnto the King that it was no reason that such rebellious subiects should speake to the King afarre of also that vnlesse they came and yelded them selues to his mercie they were not to be heard but with weapons to be subdued According to which counsayle the King shewed the said Marshall of Montmorēcy that he would neither looke vpon or heare any thing that came from the Protestants but chiefly from the Admiral before he had taken them to fauour which he would doe in case they would yelde to doe their dueties as if afore the said Admiral and his men had not most earnestly entreated the King like as now againe in this supplication they did for these wordes were therein conteined They doe most humbly desire your Maiestye to graunt and generally permit to all your subiectes of what estate or condition so euer they be free exercise of their religion in al townes villages and boroughes and in al other partes places of your realme and countries in your obedience and protection without exception moderatiō or restraint of persons time or place with all requisite and necessarie assurance And moreouer to ordeyne inioine al men openly to professe eyther the one or the other religion thereby to cut of diuers who abusing this benefite and fauour are fallen into Atheisme and all carnall libertie hauing freed them selues frō the exercise and profession of al religions being desirous to see nothing but confusion in this realme togither with the ouerthrowe and suppression of all order policie and ecclesiasticall discipline which is a most pernicious and daungerous matter vtterly intolerable Also deare Lorde for as much as the sayde Princes Lordes Knights Gentlemen and other in their companies doubt not but they who hitherto haue planted the foundations of their practises vpon such slaunders as impudently they doe publishe to the ende to procure the sayd Princes to be brought into the hatred and displeasure euen of such as through the grace of God are freed from all bondage and tyrannie of Antichrist wil not fayle but affirme that they will rather stifly without reason defend whatsoeuer they once haue determined to beleue touching the Articles of Christian religion then correct and withdrawe them selues therefore the aforesaid Princes Lordes Knights Gentlemen and other their companie doe declare and protest as alwayes they haue done that if in any one point of the confession of fayth heretofore presented to your Maiestie by the reformed churches of your realme they may be instructed that by Gods word comprehended in the Canonical bookes of the holy scripture they haue strayed from the doctrine of the Apostles or Prophetes they will readily yeeld and willingly graunt to such as by Gods word may better instruct them then in the beginning they haue bene if they doe erre in any article And for this cause doe desire nothing so much as a conuocation of a free general and lawful councill wherin euery man may
office of some such person as hath leysure to deuise some politike discourses and reueale the blindnesse of the French Catholike Gentlemen who in professing them selues men of experience and practise haue suffered a priest to baffulle them who was more cowardly then a woman and who also in his sleeue in the coÌ„panie of his familiar friends with open throate scorned them as in place conuenient we shal hereafter see The Duke d'Aumale was vpon the borders of Bourgundy Lorraine accompanied with great troupes ouer whom he commaunded and there wayted to stoppe the passage of the Reistres who came to the protestants ayde Wherein he had as good successe as in other his martiall deedes For his souldiers openly sayde that he had more fleshe then witte or courage And in deed notwithstanding he were in a conuenient couÌ„try for his footmen of whom there were a great number and those trayned soldiers yet did he nothing worth the speaking of but sundrie tymes was in dauÌ„ger of being wel beaten yea he refused to meet with his enemies in a place greatly to his aduauntage But to say the trueth the Cardinall was also one cause of these kinde of dealings for he minded not that they shoulde so soone come to handy blowes but hoped eyther to winne the straungers or els to finde them at a better aduantage and so sought more and more to shuffle the cardes wherby he might meete with the better game As for the yong Duke of Guise through his great fauour with the Duke of Anjou proceeding of their straight acquaintance besides that he was great master he was now highly aduanced His vncle also placed about him many captaynes who at Poictiers stood him in good stead The Marquise of Maine his yonger brother was then through his youth of no countenance The great Prior and the Marquise d'Ellebeufe his vncles were dead a while before neither were they greatly regarded as men hauing no more witte then their brother the Cardinal of Lorraine had bestowed vpon them neither were they factious but as he taught and commaunded them But at all aduentures we haue extended this matter farre enough in this first parte of the legende of the lordes of Guise We will therefore permit the readers to take breath and giue our penne some respite whereby to proceede in the reste namely of the behauiours of the Cardinall and his adherents in the third Edict of pacification also of their meanes to atteine vnto the murder at S. Bartlemewes daye also of such things as of their partes haue since chanced to the confusion of King Charles and his estate Also of the euill pranckes which they haue played with King Henrye the third now reigning with all the princes of the blood the great Lordes the Nobilitye the Iustices the Clergie the people as well of the one as of the other Religion their fautours and friendes yea and one of them selues with an other Here before we haue seene parte of their dealinges vnder Francis the first Henry the second Francis the second and Charles the ninthe but the sundry particularityes which shal be set downe in the other bookes following will shew that in this first parte we haue only touched the matters and described as it were the entrye into the bloody villainous and accursed palace of the Guisians Let this therefore be the beginning of a greater worke I would to God that by this that is past the Frenchmen might though somewhat late and to their cost know part of those instruments wherwith the Lord for their offences hath scourged them to the end that returning vnto him as they ought they might receiue soner then I hope for some rest and ease FINIS The genealogie of the house of Guise â—e preâ—ment of 〈◊〉 house of â—ise 〈◊〉 Franâ—â—ateth â—ouse of â—e 〈◊〉 house â—uise do â—le the â—dinal of â—rnon Their gratituâ— toward Constaâ— The original of the malice of the Guisiâ—ns against â—he Admiâ—al of Chastillon The practises of the Duke of Guise for getting of a wife The Guisians sought to expell Katherine de Medicis Their great â—es grouÌ„ded vpon an â—arlot Charles made Cardinall The Guisians dealing with Cardinall Iohn their vncle â—heir quaâ— for the â—uchie of â—niou â—hey â—ught to â—come the â—rinces feâ—wes â—meaâ— of the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 toâ—â—he 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 â—aâ—â—f the â—ine Marie â—e of The taâ— of Calaiâ— â—e peace â—cluded â—o the kiÌ„g â—payne The Carâ—nals pursiâ— against tâ— ProtestaÌ„â— â—he Cardiâ—â—l ioyneth â—ue with â—e Parliaâ—ent of â—aris The behauâ—ours of the Guisians toward the person of King Henry â—eir behaâ—urs toâ—rd Franâ— the seâ—d Of the enterprise of Amboyse Warres in â—cotland by â—he Guisians â—eanes at â—e cost of â—rance â—he Guisiâ—s resist 〈◊〉 order â—ew ruines â—f the â—ealme â—he assemâ—ly at FouÌ„â—â—inbleau â—the assemâ—e of the â—tates â—he Guiâ—â—ans make â—ing Franâ—s the 2 â—rsworne 〈◊〉 vnfaithâ—l vnto his â—ne blood Their practises with strangers fâ— the destrâ—ction of France The Guisians practises broken â—heir beâ—â—uiour at â—e death of â—rancis the â—conde The Guisians behauiours in the time of Charles the ninth The estates â—t Orleans The Guiâ—â—ans called accompteâ— â—he poliâ—es of the â—uisians â—erewith bring the â—alme inâ— trouble Commotions of the Catholikes The Ediâ— of Iuly â—actises to â—rthrowe 〈◊〉 King of â—uarre The estatâ— at Pontoise The diâ—tation 〈◊〉 Poissy The Ediâ— of Ianuaâ— â—f the TriuÌ„â—â—irate and â—e capituâ—tion of the â—me â—e voyage Sauerne 〈◊〉 beginâ— of the trouâ— â—he first â—oubles The triuâ—â—uirates râ—queste The Câ—nall prâ—reth thâ— be proâ—med reâ— who doâ— withstaâ— his prâ—ses The Cardâ—nals policâ— for the maâ—â—taining of his TyraÌ„â— The Carâ—â—nal goeth the Counâ— The siege of Bourges Rouen The battaiâ— of Dreux The Duâ— of Guise death The first pacificatâ— The Guâ—â—â—ans behaâ—ours betâ— the first 〈◊〉 second tâ—bles The Artâ—cles of thâ— Councill which thâ— Cardinalâ— propouÌ„deâ— thereby agayne to trouble tâ— Realme The Cardâ—nalles entrâ— into Pari◠〈◊〉 letter to 〈◊〉 Duke Aumale The Duâ— d'Aumalâ— letter of â—spiracie â—e Cardiâ—â—lles praâ—ses new sleigâ— for procâ—ring of tâ—bles The seconâ— ciuil warre The secoâ—â— Edict of â—â—cification The Cardinals practâ—ses for thâ— third troubles The Kinâ— Edict of Cardinaâ— deuising to what Other of the Cardinals sleighâ— for kindlinâ— of the thiâ— ciuil warrâ— The leaâ— of the Câ—tholiks Counsâ— the deâ—tion oâ— Franâ— The third ciuil warâ—