difference except that our Kings are extract from the elder sonne of Saint Lewes and the Princes of Bourbon frō the yonger 10 The second sonne of said saint Lewes was Saint Robert of France to whom his father gaue for his maintenance y e Coūtie of Clermont in Beauuoys This Robert married Beatrix daughter and Heire of Archembault of Bourbon and they two had issue a sonne named Lewes who succeeded his said father in the Countie of Clermount and so was also Earle of March besides that in the right of his Mother hee enioyed the goods of the sayd Archembault of Bourbon namely the Lordship of Bourbō which in respect of the appertenaunces thereto was of such accompt that King Phillip of Valois in the beginning of his raigne which was about the yeere 1327. erected the said Landes into a Dutchie wherby the said Lewes tooke vpon him the name and state of Duke of Bourbon which since hath continued in his posteritie This Lewes had two sonnes by whom this stock was first deuided into two brāches the one was named Peter the other Iames Peter is now quite worne out as concerning the Masculine ligne neuerthelesse wee will briefly rehearse his issue and then retourne to the posteritie of Iames who was the yonger of whom is discended the house of Vandosme from whom the Princes of Bourbon now liuing doe fetch their originall Peter of Bourbou being the elder of this house as is aforesaid was of great credit and authoritie in the time of King Iohn and had many daughters among whom was one very fayre whome Charles the fifth couered to marry rather then Margaret of Flanders who had three goodly Counties to her marriage Flanders Artois and Henault whom he caused his brother Phillip the bould Duke of Bourgondy to marry An other named Blanch was maried to the King of Castile a third to the Duke of Sauoy a fourth named Catherin to the Earle of Harcourt He had also a Sonne called Lewes who was of great fame as well toward y e end of Charles the fifth as in the beginning of Charles the sixth to whom he was appointed tuter as also to his brother Lewes Duke of Orleance togither with the Duke of Burgondy their vnckle by their father The saide Lewes of Bourbon was Capteine and Leader of the armie against the Turke in Affrike in the time of Charles the sixth and had to wife Lady Anne Daulphine who brought into that house the Countie Dauphine of Auuergne and the lands of Cōbrailles with the Lordship of Mercure in the said land of Auuergne and by her he had a Sonne called Iohn who maried Mary daughter to y e Duke of Berry To this man was giuen the Dutchy of Auuergne with the Dutchy of Bourbo and Countie of Clermount 11 At Iohn the sayde principall braunch bearing away the eldership the Famelie began to bee deuided for he had two Sonnes Charles and Lewes Charles succeeded his father in Bourbon Clermont and Aunergne and Lewes had Montpensier which in y e end returned to his posteritie Charles marryed Agnes of Burgondy sister to Duke Phillip of Burg. and they had issue principall two sonnes Iohn and Peter It is sayd they also had two more of one name viz. Lewes of whom the one dyed yong the other was Bishop of Liedge and Abbot of Sainct Vaast Others doe saye that they had two Sonnes Charles who was Cardinal and Archbishop of Lyōs Iohn who was Bishop of Liedge They had also sundry Daughters as Iane married to the Prince of Orange Isabell to the Duke of Burgondie and Margeret to the Duke of Sauoy of whom are discended Philibert Duke of Sauoy deceased without issue and Lady Loise of Sauoy married to the Duke of Angolesme of whom came the late King Frances the first But to returne to the said Iohn and Peter sonnes of the said Charles of Bourbon and Agnes of Burgondie Iohn the eldest had his fathers goodes and married Iane of Fraunce Daughter to King Charles the seuenth sister to Lewes the eleuenth who neuerthelesse in the warre for the Commonwealth reposed no cōfidence in the sayd Iohn of Bourbon aswell because he was come of a Daughter of Bourgondie as for that he had not bene payd his mariage money The sayd Iohn had no children by either Lady Iane of Fraunce or Lady Iane of Bourgondie his Cousen whom he tooke for his seconde wife and so his whole succession fel to his brother Peter who was called Lord of Beauuiew This Peter maried Anne of France daughter to Lewes the eleuenth He was in great credite during Lewes raigne but in greater during Charles the eight so as in the voyage to Naples the sayde King left the sayd Peter Regent of Fraunce The sayde Peter also left no issue Male but one Daughter called Susan who might haue great controuersies for the goodes of that famelie for the preuēting wherof it was wisely aduised to marrie her to a male of this house which was brought to passe as hereafter shall be shewed 12 To Lewes of Bourbon of whom wee spake before fell the Countie of Montpensier and so continued the name and title so long as the ligne of the sayd Charles his elder brother lasted He married Gabriel of the Tower of whom came Gilbert of Montpensier Viceroy of Naples after that Charles the eight had gotten it He married Clare of Bousaigne of whom issued fiue children thrée sonnes and two daughters Charles Lewes and Frances of whom the two last died without issue Charles succeeded his father and with the consent of King Lewes the eleuenth maried the aforenamed Susan of Bourbon his Cousen whereby all the auncient goodes of this house were left to them and confirmed in their persons whereby also was exting uished a quarrell already framed for the sayde goods which neuerthelesse soone after brake out againe more fiercely then before because y ◠sayd Susan of Bourbō wife to her Cousen Charles and heire of the elder house of Bourbon dyed before her sayde Husband Charles without leauing any issue of her bodie and therefore Lady Lewes of Sauoy mother to King Frances the first and Regēt of France entituled and bare her self for heire to her said Cousen Susan and in deede was in degree neerer to succeede her then the sayd Charles her Husband wherevpon the processe controuersie began whereat it was sayd that the syd Charles tooke such displeasure that he withdrew himself out of the Kings obediēce therfore his Maiestie had a decrée of iudgement of his goodes and rightes by confiscation Also since that tyme was a composition made betwene the King and his sayd mother vpon condition that if hee deceased without heires male then the sayd goodes should returne into Lorraine But his Maiestie not willing so rigorously to vse his rightes and coueting to deale fauourably with the sisters of the said Charles he left to them part oft he sayd goodes as to the Lady Dutches of Lorraine the Baronage of Mercure
naturall princes mainteine the one part which is least plausible and agreeable with the French nation much lesse aucthorised by Princes and forrein potentates whose weapons they hope to vse when neede shall require To the end also with lesse labor and greater pretence to hoyst vp the Ladder of their driftes they haue procured the writing of a number of bookes which within these fewe yeres are come to euery mans hands concerning the discents of the Princes of Lorrain whome gladly they would bring aboord into this quarrell if possibly they could meaning with them in mens hartes to imprint falsely to perswade that our Kings and Princes are no lawfull Successors but tyrants and vsurpers of this crowne from those of the auncient race of whome they would make the Lorrains to be discended so to procure them to be Captains of their conspiracie 2 But these Princes haue euermore sought to bee accompted too wise iust and vpright dealers to haue their eares so ticklish as to let them selues be led with such false inductions which could bring them no other but speedy shame perpetuall ignominie of their race for doing as the husbandmans Serpent who when hee had well refreshed himselfe at his fier would haue driuen him also out of his house As also to shewe that they neuer thought vpon so detestable a deede That euery man therefore may knowe it to be too euident an abuse to say that they be come of the famely of Charlemagne I will vse onely that Booke that themselues did in the yere 1549. to cause Edmond of Boulay the chief Herault and King of Armes of their house to publish wherein with the common opinion they doe mainteine that Charles of Lorrayn brother to Lothair King of France the last of Charlemagnes posteritie of whom the seditious do make so great accompt left a Sonne named Ottho who was Duke of Lorrain and died without issue so as in him ended the males of Charlemagne In deede the said aucthor saith that Godfrey with the beard Earle of Ardenne succeeded his Cossen If then he were Cousen to the said Ottho the same kindred might come by beeing discended of a daughter of the said Charles wife to LaÌ„bert Earle of Bergues or Monts who was Merquize of the Empire Earle of Brabant so consequently by the Salique Lawe vncapable of this Realme By reason whereof Pope Benedict the eight beeing at Pauy with the Emperour Henry the second and Robert sonne to Hugh Capet in the yere a thousand two hundred and three declared the sayd Robert to be lawfull King and Lord of the Crowne of Fraunce Besides the Author is forced to confesse that this Male ligne of Godfrey Countie of Arden failed againe and fel into the person of Ide wife to Eustace Countie of Bolongne on the Sea the father and mother to Godfrey of BoloÌ„gne King of Hierusalem who in Lorrain succeeded his vâ—kle by the mother Godfrey with the crouch backe so doe the Males of the house of Bologne are by the same writer continued vntil Lady Isabell the onely daughter and heire of Charles Duke of Lorrein who in the yeere 1418. maried Rene of Aniew pety sonne to King Iohn of Fraunce Thus we see by the domesticall testimony of the Princes of Lorrein the third distaffe in the house of Lorrein since the sayd pretended Ottho Sonne to Charles of France of which the first had bene sufficient to depriue them of the Succession Royall not withstanding their auncesters had drawen their Orriginall from the Masculine house of the saide Charlemagne For in respect of the house of Aniew extract out of the royall stocke of Fraunce and grafted into the Dutchy of Lorrain by the marriage of the said Rene with Isabell of Lorrain the same Lorrain Historiographer agreeth y t it ceased in Nicolas Marquize of Pont sonne to Iohn the second that dyed in y e yere 1433. whose succession was gathered vp by his Sister Yolland wife to Ferry of Vaâ—demont who was the yonger of the auncient house of Lorraine sonne to Antony sonne to Ferri brother to Charles Father to the foresaid Isabell 3 I will and that truely auowe that the house of Lorrain now being is so farre from being issued out of the race of Charlemagne either by Male or Female farre or néere that contrariwise the Dutchy of Lorraine hath chaunged stock or family fower or fiue times since the posteritie of Charlemaigne First in the house of the Counties of Ardenne when after the decease of Ottho Sonne to Charles of France in the yere 1005. Henry the second Emperour gaue Lorraine to Godfrey the sonne of Godfrey Earle of Ardenne whose seruice he had vsed against the sonnes by whome the Duke of Lorrain had bene emprisoned and soone after deceased without issue After hym succeeded his brother Gothelo in the yere 1019. in the time of Robert King of France Then in the yere 1033. Conrade the Emperour gaue to Gothelo Mosele after the decease of Frederick Earle thereof so as hee grewe mightier in Lorrain then before Against this Gothelo marched Odo Earle of ChaÌ„pagne seazed vpon Bar but the Lorrain gaue him battaile wherein the said Odo deceased Gothelo had a sonne named Godfrey vnto whom the Emperour Henry the fowerth refused to giue the Dutchy of Mosele and therefore hee would not also be Duke of Lorrain but in the yere 1044. rebelled against the Emperour who tooke him prisoner and after released him taking his sonne for Hostage who being dead the father reuolted again stirred vp Baldwin Earle of Flanders to help him to warre vpon him And this Godfrey slew Albert to whom the Emperour had giued Mosele for which cause the Emperour inuested Euerard of Alsatie in Mosele Fredericke vnckle to Baldwine of Flanders in the Dutchy of Lorraine Godfrey seeing him selfe so oppressed passed into Italie and there maried the daughter of Marquize Boniface but was by the Emperour soone after driuen out of Lomberdie wherefore he retired into Flanders and accompanied with the saide Baldwine besieged Fredericke in Antwarpe but the Lorrains came to his succour This Godfrey had a brother called Frederick sonne to Gothelo who retourning from Constantinople became a Monck at Mount Cassin and was after y e 157. Pope called Steuen in the time of Henry King of France After the decease of Frederick of Flanders inuested in the Dutchy of Lorraine Euerard of Alsatye was Duke of Lorrain but both the said Godfrey Euerard being dead in the yere 1070. the Emperor gaue Mosele to Deoderick son of the saide Euerard and restored Godfrey with the crooke back sonne of Godfrey aforesaid to Lorraine This man wholy destroyed the Frizons but was in the end slaine by Richarius in the yere 1089. so as by his death began the second house of Lorrain in the person of Ide sister to the last Godfrey with the crouche backe and wife to Eustace Earle of Bolongne whose Children were Dukes of Lorrain
and Tritehemius after his father Bishop of Metz but he had before married Mary daughter to King Clotaire the 2. after some but as others say Almabert daughter to Carloman Duke of Brabant of whom hee begat a sonne named Martin who was Mayre of the Pallace of Thierry King of Austrasy with Pepin sonne of Ansegisus and Paule Emilie calleth this Martin Cossen to Pepin the Fat and Blondus nameth him his brother This Martin left a sonne called Childebrand and a daughter wife to Charles Martell saith Paule Emile whervpon other writers doe terme this Childebrand brother to Charles Martell and Vnckle to his Children in respect of the alliance that was betweene them Nicholas Giles calleth Childebrād Vnkle to Charles Martell Richard of Wassembourg nameth him Lambert he left a sonne called Theodorie or Theodowald who florished vnder Charlemaigne and being in his youth in the battaile of Ronceuaulx was made gouernor of Saxony about the yeere 780. and thereof was termed the Saxon he also led parte of Charles Armie against the Huns about the yeere 791. Paule Emile and others doe call him Charles Cossen which cannot be but by the sayd Childebrand In an other place the sayde Paule sayth that this Theodorick had the precedēce because he was a Prince of the bloud before Geilo Constable of Fraunce Thierry maried y e daughter of Witichindus a Prince of Saxony who a little before was Baptized this mariage was made to y e end by the alliance of the bloud Royall the Saxon might bee kept in duetie and amitie with the Estate of Fraunce after the example of Charles the Bould toward Godfrey Duke of the Normans whom hee caused to marrie Giles daughter to his neuew King Lothair and as Charles the Simple deit with Rollo the Norman Of this marriage of Thierry with the daughter of Witichindus discended Robert In respect whereof the Abbot of Vspergue speaking of Odo the first Capet that was crowned King of France sayth that his father was called Robert and his Grandfather Witichindus This man was Marquize of Aquitaine against the Normans who slew him and Ranulph Duke of Guyente in the tyme of Charles the Bould Whereby wee may learne that y ◠Princes of this house were termed Saxons either in respect of the gouernment of Theodorick in Saxony either els because of the alliance entered with Witichindus the Saxon whereof our deceiuers being ignorant tooke occasion to thincke the Capets originary Saxons straūgers notwithstanding in troth they were very Princes of the bloud royall of France Earles and Marquizes of Anieow in which Prouince the Annales of the Countrey do testifie that Thierry father to the sayde Robert deceased at the age of 80. yeeres or more and his sayd sonne Robert after him after whose decease the Countie of Anieow was committed to to the custody of one Hugh an Abbot during the minoritie of Odo Robert and Thierry sonnes to the sayde Robert to whom it was rendered after the decease of Hugh whome some doe make brother to the first Robert Thierry one of Roberts children was Earle of Bourgondie had a sonne called Richard Duke of Bourgondy who begat Raoul who with the help of his Cossen Hugh the Great was vppon the resignation of Charles the Simple proclaymed King of Fraunce and was the third Capet that before Hugh bare the name and title of King of this Crowne which still fell out by the nomination and cōmon agreemēt and consent of the Nobilitie which is a most sufficient testimonie to proue that the Capets were vndoubtedly Princes of the bloud sith the Frenchmen so sore enemies to forraine gouernmēt had euen at once respect to those mē and so often had recourse to their armes as to their naturall Princes Richard likewise begat Gisilbert Duke of Bourgondie who had one onely daughter that was wife to Ottho brother to Hugh Capet to whome shee brought the Dutchie of Bourgondie Odo second sonne of Robert and Earle of Paris was tutor to Charles the Simple and afterwarde beeing proclaymed King of France dyed without issue Robert the third sonne was Constable of Frāce and admitted King after y e decease of his brother whereby hee grewe into great hatered with Charles the Simple and finally dyed about the yeere 922. leauing issue Hugh the Great Earle of Paris Duke Constable of Frāce as sayth Paule Emile This man in reuenge of his fathers death endeuoured as sayth the Abbot of Vspergue to make his Cossen Raoule Duke of Bourgondie King He maried Hauide daughter to the Emperour Henry and sister to Ottho the first of which mariage discended three sonnes Hugh Capet the first peaceable enioyer of the Realme of France of that famelie Ottho who by his wife was Duke of Bourgondie and Henry who also after his brother Ottho was Duke of the same land Thus may you see the progresse and true genealogie of our Kings discended of the said Capet wherby appeareth the falsehood of our sclaunderrs liedgerdemain who giue out that the Capets beeing straungers did vsurp the Crowne of the house of Charlemaigne whereof neuerthelesse I haue heretofore shewed you that it is 580. yeeres since that race was vtterly extinct so farre are the Princes of Lorraine from taking their originall thereof neither neede we beleeue the fable of adoption inuented by du Rozieres as false as blockheaded and doltish a Chronegrapher and Historigrapher a worse Lawyer For he should haue knowne that his pretended adoption made by some one of the Carlians of that name from whom he would bring the discent of the Lorraines could not take holde in the Realme of France which is successiue so long as any one Prince of the bloud liued Besides that at all assaies it had bene requisite euen in default of heires of the Crowne that this adoption with the notice of the cause had bene made by the general Estates of the Realme so to haue made the adopted capable of the succession as I could at large shewe him if there needed any confutatiō of those fables which they would suppose vnto vs in the vnderpropping of the pretences of straungers our enemies with a rotten poste but I will content my selfe with the representation of the genealogie of the Capets aforesayd wherby you see how they abuse vs. Wherfore let vs there leaue thē and among our natural Princes let vs put of all passion iudge what is right also what preeminence the one may haue ouer the other both by reason and ciuil discourse If it were to any purpose to lay open to the French the rules of establishment of a Tyrant straunger an vsurper of an Estate there is no man how greatly soeuer affected to the fellonie which good men doe finde to bee now conspired against the honor of the King and the Princes of the bloud Royal by these perturbers of the peace of this Crowne but would abhorre euen to heare
to the Lady Loise married into the house of Roch-sur-you the Countie of Montpensier and landes of Combrailles which in so doing he rected into a Dutchy meete for the heires of the sayde Lady who at this day do beare the same name of Bourbon and are extract out of the second principall braunch of this house which we left of aboue vntill we had ended the first braunch of the elder And now to returne to the sayde Sir Charles in him dyed the ligne male of the principall stock of the house of Bourbon As for his two Sisters the one called Claude was wife to good Duke Antony of Lorrain whose stocke yet remaineth The other Loise was maried into the other principall braunch of Bourbon who hath left issue of the name of this house 13 Now let vs take the seconde braunch the first chiefe partition of this race which is the stocke of the latter yonger borne and yet remaineth to this day in the roume of the eldest and beareth the Name and full armes thereof as remayning alone after the default and ending of the elder Concerning y â— males this ligne beginneth againe in Iames of Bourbon the yonger Sonne of Lewes first Duke of Bourbon of whom we haue spoken before This Iames was Constable of FraÌ„ce after Charles of Spaine who flew Charles King of Nauarre in the time of King Iohn He had to wife Iehane of Saint Paule and was and so named himself Earle of Marche Of him came one onely sonne named Iohn who succeeded hym and married Catherin Countesse of Vendosme and Castres who brought into this house those two Counties togither with the landes of Carcuecy Lupe Conde Espernon MoÌ„doubleau and others Of these two issued three children Male Iames Lewes and Iohn also three daughters Anne wife to y e Duke of Bauiere Charlot maried to the King of Ciprus and Mary to Robert of the Crosses who tooke his saide wife by force and therfore fled and it was said he was drowned In his tyme hee gouerned King Charles the seuenth Now to retourne to the issue male Iames had to his protion the Counties of March and Castres Lewes the CouÌ„tie of Vendosme As for Iohn he had the Lordship of Carcuecy and maried a gossip of his called Margaret a Vandosmois by whom hee had some Children and got a dispensation to haue her to Wife notwithstanding the said children were not aduowed into this famely neither succeded in his goods but by sentence were declared illegitimate and which is more the said Iohn of Bourbon the Father in his Testament willed great giftes and substitutions to the behoofe of his other two sonnes Iames Lewes in whose persons he planted him selfe and raised the first after bough and vnder twigge of this second principall branch 14 This Iames of Bourbon eldest sonne to Iohn liued in the time of Charles the sixt and had two wiues the first Beatrix of Nauarre the yoÌ„ger daughter of the house of Nauarre which was the first alliaÌ„ce of those two houses They two had issue a daughter named Leonor After the decease of the saide Beatrix the said Iames of Bourbon allyed him selfe by marriage as it is pretended with Iane Queene of Naples who had before as the speech went promised marriage to the King of Arragon and deceiued them both So as the sayde Iames of Bourbon beeing gone into the Realme of Naples was in the ende forced to leaue the sayd Iane and to retire into Fraunce where after his returne he still bare the title and name of King of Naples notwithstanding the sayd Iane had afterward giuen it to others and finally deceased leauing for his onely heire the sayd Leonor his Daughter who succeeded him in the sayd Counties of Marche and Castres She maried Bernard of Armanack Earle of Pardiar a yonger sonne of the house of Armanack These two had issue two sonnes Iohn Bishop of Castres and Iames who succâ—eded in the sayd Counties of his father mother and besides in the right of his sayd mother Beatrix of Nauarre layd claime to the land of Nemours which he procured to be erected into a Dutchy tooke possession thereof and enioyed it He married the Daughter of Charles of Anieow Earle of Mayn and of Isabell of Luxembourg his wife This Iames of Armanack at the beginning was in fauour but afterward fall into suspition with Lewes the eleuenth and was executed at the Halles in Paris the 24. of August 1147. he left fower Children two Sonnes and two Daughters Iames Duke of Nemours and Lewes Earle of Guyze the two Daughters Margaret Charlot married into the house of Rohan who deceased without issue of their bodies so as in them failed this vnder twigg both male and female 15 Now remaineth to bee spoken of the ligne of Lewes brother to Iames. He for his part had the Countie of Vendosme and was taken at the battell of Agincourt in the tyme of Charles y e sixt He maried first Lady Iane of Roussy secondly Lady Iane of Lauall of whom discended one only sonne called Iohn of Bourbon who maried Lady Isabell of Beaumount of these two were borne two sonnes the one called Francis the other Lewes They had also sixe Daughters Iane wife to the Lord of Ioyâ—use the scond Iane first maried to Iohn Duke of Bourbon who was of the line of the elder of this house and secoÌ„dly to Iohn of the Tower Earle of Bologne of whome is issued Lady Katherine of Medecis Queene mother to the king Kitherin wife to Sir Gilbert of Chabaues in Limosin Charlot maried to Gilbert of Cleue of whoÌ„ came the last Lord Duke of Neuers Rene Abbesse of Fronteuout Isabell Abesse of Caen as for the two Sonnes Francis the Eldest succeeded in the Countie of Vendosme Mondoublean Espernon and other Lands houlden of that famely wherto was added the Lordshippe of Saint Calais Lewes the yonger was made Lord of Rochsur-yan and of the landes of Lupe and Conde in Henault 16 Now because concerning the question now to be delt in wee are to argue of the succession of the elder we will seeke out the farthest and will first speake of the Branche of Lewes the yonger sonne Prince of Roch suryen He maried Loise of bourbon who was of the elder liue and sister to Sir Charles of Bâ—urboun the last Of this mariage proceeded two Sonnes and a Daughter the elder sonne was Lewes who died but lately bearing the title of Duke of MontpeÌ„sier by the coÌ„position made in the time of the late Francis the first after the decease of Sir Charles of Bourbon Hee left one heire Male named Francis of Bourbon nowe Duke of Montpensier and sundrie daughters This Francis hath of his mariage with the daughter of the Marquize of Mezieres one onely sonne called Henry Prince of Dombes The other sonne of Lewes Prince of Roch-sur-you and of Lady Loyse of Bourbon was Prince of Roch sur-you who died within these fewe yeres without issue Wee must now then
behaued our selues toward them we shall surely find that we haue left no more to doe but either to destroy our selues and perish all togither whereby the one shall not scorne the other either els to let them liue among vs one with an other in peace and libertie of conscience and neuer be so desirous to driue them into heauen with the edge of the Sword But will you haue me tell you the trueth your pompe your pride your ambition and the ignorance of yours is cause of al this mischiefe Notwithstanding you see the the Church on a flame who is there among you I will except some small number that endeuoureth to amend his life and to distribute y â— Church goods in such sort as he ought See wee not still the Kinges Courtes the Townes and Country full of superfluitie of our Bishops and other Clergie men such a number of Abbots called Commendatories who are of no professed order of Religion but doe neuerthelesse deuour the reuenues that belong to the poore so many beneficed persons with diuers Bishoprickes Abbayes Priories and Cures some in title others in commendam of the which they neuer see so much as one vnlesse it were to the ende to farme the same foorth You may see their Churches fall in decay and the Priestes whoÌ„ themselues haue annoynted begge their foode the rest of the poore dye for hunger at their gates And in one word to say all these Maisters haue no money to doe their dueties w tall no not so much as to procure preaching which themselues can not doe or for performing the deuine seruice either to instruct the youth For euery one doth sufficiently know that the late King Charles the nineth whom God pardon and King Henry the third now raigning visiting and comming to those Townes wherein the principal Vniuersities of their Realme are planted did ordeine that the Clergie of certaine Dioceses should contribute some small portion toward the salaries of the Doctors and RegeÌ„ts of the same yet was it neuer possible for these poore people who are the seedes of iustice and vertue to reape any one penny Our Maisters haue nowe money enough to helpe to maintaine warre against the King vnder an imaginary and false preteÌ„ce of defending the Catholicke Religion You deceiue your selues if you hope to conuert others before ye make cleane your selues no neuer looke for it for it will still be obiected vnto you that you can see a mote in other mens eyes but cannot take away the whole blocke that blindeth your selues Why follow you not the example of Moses who when he beheld and sawe Gods people offende the deuine Maiestie with Idolatrie did not take the sworde to put them to death but began to crye O Lorde this people haue sinned forgiue them or els blot mee out of thy booke which thou hast written Let vs liue well let vs reforme our selues and let vs not be so careful for the wealth of the world We haue so long cryed out against those of the pretended Religion concerning this poynt that now they can say of vs The Doctor is to blame who reproaueth other for the fault that himself hath Yea they will saye worse for still they stand vpon the defensiue you are the assailants They haue euermore acknowledged the Kings Maiestie for their soueraigne Lord and neuer contemned the Princes of his bloud as the King himselfe in his Edicts hath not sticked to confesse but you endeuour to enstale Straungers against the estate and dignitie of his Maiestie who both before he was King and since hath prodigally ventred his life and hazarded his Crowne for the glutting of your desires and putting of your ouer rude counsailes in executioÌ„ What reason therefore haue you now to match your selues with the meere enemies to the peace of the Church enemies to your Common-wealth enemies to your King and the Princes of his bloud I saye to your most Christian and Catholicke King one that feareth God and one who hath peraduenture done more then he ought for the getting by armes that contention which you do wish for I am moued so to say because in trueth I beleeue and experience hath taught vs that the more we stirre vp this euill the more it encreaseth wherefore herein the best counsaile that wise men haue left vs were to resolue our selues that if this pretended reformed Religion bee not by the decree and establishment of Gods worde it will without any warres perish and vanish of it self as haue done so many former heresies but contrariwise if it be according to the wil of the holy Ghost we may crye out at our pleasures but it will fulfill his worke 10 But my Maisters if you be not led by malice are you so blinde as to thinke that the authors of this conspiracie which they terme a holy League bee ledde by any zeale of Catholicke Religion If that were their drift wherefore haue not they also called into the same such Lords Princes of the bloud as stil continuing Catholickes and liuing according to the Romish Church were neuer so much as suspected to bee of the pretended reformed Religion We know very well that the Lord Cardinal of Bourbon whose yeres they haue seduced and whom vnder a vaine hope of smoke they make to weare the knife wherewith to embrue his hands in his owne bloud hauing wrested from him the fayrest and most of his Benefices whereof by their suggestion hee hath depriued his owne Nenewes before he altogether became vnnaturall when they bounde him to this peeuishnesse offering vnto him their fayned League to signe requested that his Neuewes the Lordes Cardinall of Vandosme Prince of Conty and Earle of Soissons might bee included in y â— same wherto these our Maisters could not intend Whereof doe they suspect the Lord Duke of MontpeÌ„sier and the Lord Prince of DoÌ„bes his sonne both being most Catholicke Princes onely that they bee of the house of Bourbon which they seeke to roote out and so doe make accoumpt to transferre the Crowne into their owne handes trying themselues onely vpon the sayd Lord Cardinall a man worne and of small continuance so contenting themselues to make him the standerd whereby to establish their armes neither would they auctorize the rest amoÌ„g their troupes fearing least they should haue better eyes then the sayd Lorde Cardinall to discouer their wicked entents besides that if it shoulde so fall out that they shoulde come to the drawing of lâ—ttes for the beane in the cake the people would rather haue recourse to these Princes as to the braunches and sprigges of their Kings and those who onely in their degrees and order are capable of the Crowne of France either els least the FreÌ„ch Nobilitie should blush for shame at the preferring of the tirannous dominion of straÌ„gers before their French Princes and lawfull Lordes This is not the first day that the house of Bourbon haue bene subiect to the enuie and malice of these Espaniolized
and of Charles the first King of Sicil children to Lewes the 8. and brother to S. Lewes Likewise Lewes Duke of Bourbon could not bee admitted to make chalenge to the same Realme because hee was sonne to Robert of Fraunce the yonger sonne of the sayd S. Lewes whose succession was entred into the ligne of Phillip the 3. surnamed the Bould his eldest sonne of whom came two sonnes Phillip the Faire who was King by right of eldership and Charles Earle of Valois father to the sayd Phillip true successor to his Cossen Charles the Faire sonne of Philip the Faire who both were come of the braunch of the sayd Phillip the Bould eldest sonne to S. Lewes The like obseruation fell out after the decease of Charles the 8. King of France to whom succeeded Lewes the 12. sonne to Charles Duke of Orleans after him Frances the 1. sonne to Charles pettie sonne to Iohn Earle of Angolesme both discended of Lewes Duke of Orleans sonne to Charles the 5. surnamed the Wise whose comming to the Crowne procured his posteritie to be by right preferred before all other the Princes of Bourbon then being and those of Alencon borne in direct masculine ligne of Sir Charles of Fraunce youngest sonne to Charles of Valois and brother to Phillip of Valois King of France The second consideration is because by the lawe of the Realme the neerest must succeede to the Crowne but be must be proximior at y ◠tyme of deferring the inheritaunce and when the succession is open as si familiae fidei cōmissum debeatur hi ad petitionem admittuntur qui ex nomine defuncti fuerint eo tempore quo testator moreretur qui ex his primo gradu procreati sunt in which case hee is called prior whom none preceedeth because prius and posterius doe consist in the tyme that the qualitie say our Maisters in a conioyned worde must be expounded after the time of the word namely it wee should otherwise meane and would note eldership at the tyme of the birth there must ensue an euitable inconuenience which is that y ◠eldest dying the second should neuer take his rouine because he first included himself to the excluding of an other which in this argument is vtterly false wherein by the decease of the elder the second is without doubt made the first borne for in effect par est talem esse aut ex post facto talem fieri neither can this qualitie of senioritie beare any comparison betweene the elder deceased and the yonger suruiuing whereof it followeth that the dead being vnhable as not being in rerū natura his some must haue the like barre as succeeding in the person of his father Al these gay reasons might take place and were to be considered if the sonne of the elder non esset in medio neither were the discourse of the same any hinderance for by him and in him pater primogenitus censetur viuere tempore delatae successionis and in troth extante nepote inclusio primogeniti continet exclusionem secundi sith that filius fratris fratr◠aequiparatur ita succedit atque pater si viueret sayth Iustinian also this new constitution facta in casu vero extenditur ad alterum vero aequiparatum after the opinion of Paule de Castro in his explication of Sceuola vpon y ◠Counsaile of Gallus together with many other skilfull persons so that the father is not quite extinct while his sonne liueth though by a new soule he be a new man neither saith Papinian in totum falsum videri quod veritatis primordio adiuuaretur So that though the Vnckle cannot be termed yonger in respect of the elder deceased who neither in himselfe neither in any qualitie y t wee may suppose vnto him is any way to bee regarded yet when he shall beholde his neuewe the successor continuing and making a part of his late father he shall finde a faire argument and obiect of comparison of the others senioritie with his iunioritie First this principle is not alwaies true neither doth the habilitie or inhabilitie of the father perpetually take holde of the children As for example eius qui ante amissam patris dignitatē natus fuerit Againe de liberis illius liberti qui in seruitutem redactus sit To bee brief herein we may say as Alphons teacheth vs The father taketh not from the children those things that kinde Countrey and nature giueth them as is y ◠right of eldership which is truely set in the person of the father being eldest of the house but it is graunted to him and his by the lawe custome and common order of the Realme and therefore is transmissible to his children Moreouer the deduction made by those of the contrary opinion might be admitted si per filium patri incapaci quippiam quaerendum foret and not otherwise as we find illius exemplo qui ex haeredatus liberto patris succedere non potest eius tamen filius emancipatus non vetabitur And in one word the incapacitie or inhabilitie of the father might hurt the sonne afterward borne but not him that were begotten before to whom his fathers calamitie can be no detriment so that the right of eldership being perfect sound and to the father obteyned in his life tyme is continued and transferred to his posteritie The third reason is that the right which is not obteyned cannot in any whatsoeuer qualitie bee transported or transferred to any heire whatsoeuer and therefore wee doe vsually say that haereditas nō adita non transmittitur as doth not also the age which is inseparable from the person and which beeing in question we haue no more respect to the successor then to his predecessor now the right of eldership proceedeth of the yeres and precedent light of the deceased father who neuerthelesse did neuer obteyne the succession in his life tyme as not being open so it followeth that the sonne of the elder can pretēd nothing neither could the father obteyne to him the right of his yeres wherein the sonne were more to bee considered then the father deceased as Constantine writeth si minor minori successerit ex illis persona restitutionis tompus connumerari To this obiection the aunswer is easie because we haue already shewed that the right of eldership is perfectly obteined to the eldest so soone as he seeth y ◠light of the world and is made man and the § pro secundo which is alleadged to the cōtrary hath relation to that which presently is not obteyned neither in hope but may be altered by the onely changeable will euen vntill the death of him whose goods are in question Therfore in this matter wee argue not about the transmission or transferring of the life and yeres of the elder deceased into the person of his sonne but only of the right and preeminence that his senioritie hath brought