THE VIEVV OF Fraunce HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE London printed by Symon Stafford 1604. THE VIEVV OF FRANCE CAESAR in his Commentaries deuideth the people of Gaule into Belgi Celtae and Aquitani parted the one from the other by the two Riuers of Seine and Garond the Aquitani from the Celtae by the Garond the Belgi from the Celtae by the Seine and these betweene the two Riuers According to which diuision Philip de Commines boundeth France with two Seas the Ocean and Mediterranean with two Mountaynes the Alpes and Pireneis and with one Riuer the Rheine If I should follow the direction of these two most approued authorities I must be forced to discourse of such Princes as are interessed in this large compasse as namely the Spanish King the States of the low Countries the Dukes of Sauoy and Lorraine the Pope himselfe the little City of Geneua and others but I onely purpose to take a view of that which is directly vnder the Crowne of France at this day and thereof to giue a superficiall relation France then is seated vnder a very temperate and wholesome Clymate En tout le monde il n'y a Region mieux situèe que celle de la France car nous y tenons de region chaude et aussi de la froid There is no Countrey in the world better scituate then that of France for it participateth of the Clymate both hote and cold It is in length from Bologne to Marseilles two hundred leagues after the rate of three English miles a league and in breadth from Mount S. Bernard to S. Iohn de Luze as much for it is holden by some Authours to be of figure quadrate which notwithstanding Bodin denyeth avowing it to be in forme of a Lozenge with whom La Noüe consenteth measuring it thus From Calais for now Calais is French to Narbone North and South is two hundred leagues from Rochell to Lions West and East is one hundred and twenty leagues From Mets to Bayonne Northeast and Southwest two hundred leagues and from Morley in Bretagny to Antibe in Prouence Northwest and Southeast as much True it is that many places within this compasse are holden but not of the King as Auignon and what else the Pope hath Toul Verdun and Mets of the Empire Cambray of the house of Austrich in like case of Protection as Constance in Swisserland Vtrich in the lowe Countries and Vienna in Austria and as Lucca and Genoüa in Italy protected by the King of Spayne So doe Lorraine also and Sauoy hold of the Empire As contrarily there be places out of this circuit which notwithstanding hold of this Crowne in right and owe him fealty and homage as the Spanyard for the Counties of Flanders and Artois which he hath euer since the time of Frauncis the first denied to render THe diuers Prouinces of the Countrey are very many the chiefe are these Picardy Normandy I le of France Beausse Bretagne Aniowe Maine Poictowe Lymosin Xantonge Champaigne Berry Sologne Auuergne Niuernois Lyonnois Charrolois Bourbonois Daulpheine Prouence Languedocke Tourraine and Burgundy All which are particularly set downe in Mappes as also in the Booke called The French Guide where he vndertaketh to resemble eche Countrie to some other thing as Bretaigne to a horse shooe Picardy to a Neats toung and such like which are but idle and disproportioned comparisons as one may well obserue that seeth these Countries in the Card. But the thing of best note in each of these is their singular Commodities and fruits wherewith they are blessed for the sustenance of the Inhabiter Insomuch that as they say of Lombardy that it is the Garden of Italy so may we truly say of France that it is the Garden of Europe Picardy Normandy and Languedocke goodly Countries of Corne as any in Christendome all the Inland Countries full of Wine fruits graine in some great store of wood in others of flaxe in others Mines of salt in others of Iron Insomuch as one sayth Toutes choses necessaires à la vie humaine y regorgent en telle abondance que seulement du bled du vin du sel et du pastel qui se transporte es païs estrangers il y entre en contr'eschange annuellement plus de douze millions de liures All things necessary for mans life ouerflow there in such abundance that in counterchange only of the Corne Wine Salt Woad transported into forreine Countries there is yeerely brought into France twelue hundred thousand pounds sterling And another no lesse approued and as well practised in the State of France sayth Les sources du sel du vin et du bled sont inespuisables The Springs of Salt Wine and Corne are not to bee drawne dry In which place he complayneth that the Kings of France were wont in times past to helpe their neede with sales of Wood which are now of late yeeres so spoyled as France shall shortly be forced to haue their lard frō other coūtries as also wood to build and burne a complaynt which I haue often heard in England Other Prouinces haue also their especiall Commodities wherein they excell their neighbours as in Lymosin the best Beeues about Orleans the best Wines in Auuergne the best Swyne in Berry the best Muttons where there is such store as thereof they haue a Prouerbe when they would taxe a fellow for his notable lying that tells of a greater number then the truth they say Il n'y a tant de Moutons en Berry As one would say Fye there be not so many sheepe in Berry They partake with vs also in sea commodities as vpon the coast of Picardy where the shore is sandy they haue store of flat fish vpon the coast of Normandy Guyen where it is rocky fish of the Rocke as the French call them and vpon the coast of Bretaigne where it is muddy store of round fish as Lamprey Conger Haddock so likewise in diuers seasons diuers other sorts as Mackerels in the end of the Spring and Maquerelles Bawds at all times Herrings in the beginning of Autumne as we haue in England c. Bodin will needs take vpon him being no more pertinent to his matter then it is heere to shew the reason why in old time among the most delicate toothsome Trencher-men of the ancient Romanes they alwayes feasted with Fish because sayth hee it is neyther so mezzeld as Porke nor scabd as Mutton nor ranke as Goat nor dropsy as Lambe nor impostumate as Beefe nor subiect to the falling sicknesse as Quayles and Turky-Cocks nor to inflammations as Capons nor to lice as Pigeons and yet the friand French-man as well as we neuer eats it but on maigre dayes fasting dayes and then also by compulsion of the Lawes But by his leaue I suppose they in old time did it vpon a vaine-glorious prodigalitie not for any licorousnes for Sardanapalus
the 11. time was al one with this of the Guises in these late troubles namely for that the warres only maintayned them in their greatnesse and forced the King to stand in need of them whereas the peace might be much preiudiciall to them and bring them to their accounts for many matters ill carried in their charges Hereupon the Count set on his King to enbarke himselfe in a warre against so great an enemy as the Duke of Burgogne and these euen forced their Master to war vpon his owne Subiects against so good a cause as true Religion And as he desired nothing lesse then that the Duke should condescend to his Maiestie and so make a peace so did these only wish that they of the Religion might still stand stiffe in their profession Likely also it is that at the first they did not so much as dreame of obtayning the Crowne as hauing foure Princes of the house of Valois al yong besides the house of Burbon standing in their way But when these one after another died and the times grew so fauourable through their popular carriage the onely signe of an ambitious mind as that all the eyes of France were bent vpoÌ„ them then they raysed their thoughts as high as the highest place and the rather because the Religion of the next Prince of the bloud who should bee serued before them was so contrary to the general liking of the French State Their only cause they said was Religion but true it is that Haillan saith that Religion is only the cloke and pretext selon les esprits des païs ou selon les menees et practiques des grands qui donnent cette opinion aux peuples According to the humors of the country or the driftes and practises of the Grandies who possesse the people with that opinion And in another place Diuisions sont comme fatales à la France et entre les causes qui l' ont trouble toutes les fois qu'il à este la diuision de grands a este la premiere et la principale et tousiours couuerte du nom du bien publique et de la Religion Diuisions haue beene as it were fatall to France and of all the causes of her trouble at any time the diuision among the Grandies hath euer beene the first and principall and alwayes cloaked with the name of the publike good and Religion The onely patterne and Mirrour whome the last Duke of Guise folowed in these his dangerous deseignes for the obtaining of the Crowne was Pepin who to depose his Master and to preferre himselfe found no way more compendious then to professe himselfe the Protectour of the Church and Rooter out of heresies For which good seruice the Romish Church inuested him with the Crowne of France and hee gaue them many Territories in Italy both large caruers of that which was not their owne But the vsurpation was most vniust as also the attempt it selfe howsoeuer they shadow it with the colour of Religion For Nulla iusta causa videri potest contra Remp. arma capiendi No cause of taking armes against the State can seeme truely iust It is a pitifull spectacle to see a happie State brought to ruine by the diuision of her great ones but when it is wrought by such of the Nobilitie as are newly infranchised and ennobled with all preferments who were but lately strangers it is much more lamentable and also insupportable The three great States of England Spaine and France can instance herein and giue you examples of Piers Gauestone Aluaro de Luna and this house of Lorraine These are they of whom all the late writers complaine Les François esloient lois speaking of former times vrays François n'auoyent point succéle laict de Lorraine qui donne les humeurs de toutes les sortes de Trahisons The French were then true French they had not yet sucked the milke of Lorrayne which breedes humors fit for all sorts of treasons And as it is sayd of Lalain a gallant Gentleman in Commines his time Estoit d'une race dont pens'en est trouue qui n'ayent esté vaillans quasi touts morts en seruant leurs Seigneurs en la guerre He was of a race whereof few can be found that haue not bene valiant and almost all of them slaine in the warres in their Princes seruice So may we say of these that it hath bin a valiant race and most of them haue dyed in the warres but with this difference that it hath still beene against the good of their Countrey howsoeuer they couered their treasons with the vaile of bien publique publique good as one saith of the Duke of Guyenne and Bretagne Mais en fin le bien publique estoit conuerti en bien particulier But in the end the publique good was turned to priuate profit The chiefest supporter of these Guisards and that still gaue oyle to the fire of this rebellion was the King of Spaine who the comparison of the State of France with the game of Primero saith that he stood by and looked on following that Machiauellian maxime or lesson which he had learned of the other Philippe of Macedon to suffer them to ruyne one another as did the Cities of Greece and then himselfe to take the aduantage and winne all for it is no question if Guise had wonne the game but this would haue had the rest He had this aduantage also while they were together by the eares to be in quiet himselfe for so saith the principle in the Mathematickes Ce qui faict mouuoir altruy est necessairement tousiours en repos That which giues motion to other things must needes it selfe be in rest The third cause I impute especially of the later troubles to the timorous nature and pusillanimity of Henry the 3. Ce qui donne volunté et moyens aux hommes de grands Esprits de conspirer contre leurs princes et d' attenter à l' vsurpation de la coronne est l'imbecillite et la neaâ—tise d'iceux Princes That which giues both will and meanes to men of great Spirits to conspire against their Princes attempt the vsurping of their Crowns is the weakenesse and worthlessenesse of the Princes themselues For in his time the Crowne of France was like the daughter and heire of Burgogne and the poore King like the crafty Duke made euery wooer and suter that she had beleeue that he should speede the King for feare lest by these corriuals hee should be brought lower the Duke in hope by intertaining them all to haue their aydes to raise himselfe higher Marry neither of them would gladly while they liued that this faire daughter should be married It is a dangerous thing in a State when the King dare not punish the ambitious desseignes of his Subiect Voyla le mal-heur d'vn siecle miserable iniuste de cognoistre l' iniustice ne
one his portion of some foure and twenty Acres of our measure or as other reckon thirty He giues them also Wheat to seed their land vpon condition to pay him halfe the fruits of the seuenth yeere and halfe of the twelfth and when the party dies his goods goe to the Turke so that the parties casuelles casualties as they heere call them is a great reuenue to him So the Spanyard hath sent of his people into Peru there to inhabit much like this course the Turke takes and from thence yerely receyueth to the value of two millions that is the fift of such Gold and siluer and other commodities as are there found 3. For the third meanes it is now out of season it was vsed in that good olde world when on se mouchoit sur le manche Men wiped their nose on their sleeue as the French man sayes for now Princes are so farre from giuing as they hardly pay that they owe. Of these gifts yee shall reade in Polibius Florus and others As of the King of Aegypt who sent to the Citie of Rome when it was distressed by Hanniball the summe of 400000. Crownes And Hieron of Sicili sent them a Crowne of gold of three hundred poundes weight They of Rhodes had an olde ruinous Colosse fell downe which stood hard by the Key and in the fall brake three or foure Shippes to repayre which losse the King of Egypt sent them 1800000. Crownes in gold besides a great quantity of siluer and three thousand muyds of wheate Hieron sent them 60000. Crownes So did Ptolemey send great gifts to them of Ierusalem And ye shall reade of sixe kingdoms giuen to the Romanes by testament and the Dutchy of Guelderland giuen to the Duke of Burgogne not much aboue an hundred yeeres since 4 The fourth meanes also of Pension which Princes haue vpon some consideration of their Allies helpeth the French Kings Cosers nothing at all for they rather giue then take As for example to diuers cantons of the Swisses to whome at first they payd not aboue one hundred and twentie thousand liures yeerely but for these fifty yeeres they neuer pay lesse the yere then two millions For sayth Commines Lewes 11. entred league with the Swisses and they into his Pension to whom he yeerely gaue fortie thousand Flourins whereof twentie to the Cities and twentie to particular men vpon condition to haue a certayne proportion of their forces to serue him in his Warres vpon all occasions An aduantagious alliance for the Swisse in my opinion who by this meanes enrich themselues cleare their Countrey of many idle and bad members and lastly breede good Souldiers to serue themselues vpon need at another mans cost The Turke hath also a pension of the Emperour of Germany for certaine Lands he holdeth in Hungarie which he notwithstanding vanteth to be a Tribute Many examples might bee alleadged of this kinde as of Philip of Macedone that by pensions got all Greece partial on his side and the Kings of Persia by pension got euer the Forces of Asia diuerted 5 The fift which is of Trafficke auaileth nothing the French Kings for they holde it heere a base and sordid kind of profession for a Gentleman much more for a King to trade by Marchandize And by the Lawes of England France and Germany hee loseth the qualitie of a Nobleman that doth trafficke The Law Clodia forbad a Romane Senatour to trade or haue Shippe of burthen Quaestus omnis patribus indecorus visus est The Senatours esteemed any kinde of trade or trafficke vnworthy of their ranke And the Emperours Law forbad all Gentlemen and Churchmen to vse it Notwithstanding these Lawes and the disparagement that it brings to Nobilitie for saith Tully Mercatores sunt sordidum genus hominum Marchants are a base kinde of people yet so sweete is the sauour of gaine that many haue vsed this as no small meanes to encrease their Finances The great Duke of Tuscaine present gaines infinitely this way and the more by his most vnlawfull and tyrannous Monopolies for hee commonly buyeth vp all the graine of his owne Countrie at his owne price yea and that which commeth from other places also and then sendeth out a Bando or Proclamation that no man shall sell any Corne throughout his State till his owne be solde forcing also all Bakers and other people to buy thereof This maner of engrossing Alphonsus of Arragon also vsed by the testimonie of Bodin The Kings of Portugall also and the Seignoria of Venice haue bene great traders by Marchandise but it hath beene in an honester fashion at Sea and not to the grinding of their poore Subiects The Nobilitie also of Italy in all Cities except Naples holde it no dishonour to trafficke in grosse as yee shall generally obserue when yee come into that Countrie 6 The sixt meanes of raising money vpon all wares and Marchandise that come in goe out of the Countrie is the most ancient and best agreeing with reason and vsed by all Princes in the world The late troubles haue made the benefit hereof very small to the Crowne of France for these many yeeres past The particulars comprised vnder this branch are these Le haut passage ou Domaine foraine and La traicte foraine Customes inward and outward By these the Prince is to haue Impost Cinq pour cent fiue in the hundred so much iust had the Romanes Teste Cicerone in Praetura Siciliensi As Cicero witnesseth in his Pretorship of Sicilia The Turke takes Dix â—our cent Ten in the hundred of the stranger and cinq fiue of the Subiect the French quite contrary You must obserue that that which here I call the Domaine foraine is generally called the Aides first graunted by the Estates to Charles Duke of Normandie when Iohn his Father was prisoner in England which was the paiment of 12. Deniers the liure sur toutes les merchandises et denrees qui seroyent venduës en ce royaume excepte sur le vin lebled le sel et autres breuuages mais depuis il s' est faict perpetuel et augmente par l' imposition du vin vendu en gros par tout en Normandie en detaille VpoÌ„ all marchaÌ„dizes and wares which should be sold in this Kingdome except vpon Wine Corne Salt and all maner of drinke but since it hath beene made perpetuall and augmented by the imposition vpon Wine solde euery where and in Normandie by retaile This is like the Gabel vpon all maner of foode which the Princes take of their Subiects through Italy or the Assise vpon bread and beere which the States haue in the Low countryes a grieuance whereof we smart not in England as also we are free froÌ„ many other burthens which the people of these Countries are forced to beare and yet yee shall heare our people therefore ignorant of their owne happinesse which they enioy vnder the blessed
noire He had neuer made any Athenian weare mourning robe For these by selling Iustice and robbing the poore of their right giue the fatherlesse and oppressed Widdowe iust cause to complayne and of wearing that mourning robe that Plutarch speakes of Saint Lewes among many other good Lawes and reuocation of diuers impositions extraordinary made also an Edict against the sale of Offices And it is reported of Alexander Seuerus that he should say when one offered a peece of money for a certayne Office Non patiar mercatores potestatum I will suffer none to traffique Offices Therefore sayth the Athenian Orator to Timarâ—hus That the liues not the Purses of them that stoode for Offices were to be looked into And yee shall reade in Plutarch that he which anciently stoode for an Office in Rome was to shew himselfe certaine dayes before the Election in the Forum or open streetes apparelled in a thinne Robe that through the same the people might see the wounds he had had in the Warres for his Countries seruice and thereafter as he had deserued to choose him And lest any man should by briberie corruption or any such indirect and vnlawfull way seeke to get any Office or Authoritie these olde Romans made many good and wholesome Lawes against such maner of proceedings which they called Ambitus i. an Ambicious seeking of preferment This the Lex Petilia forbad The Lex Calphurnia declared them that were detected of any such course to be vncapable of that Office for euer And the Lex Tullia banished them that were conuinced Ambitus for ten yeeres so hatefull were such purchases in those dayes And in the time of Ferdinand they had the like law in Spaine against the buying of any Office whether of Warre or Iustice Que vse quedam vender ny trocar officios de Alcaldid ny Algnaziladgo ny Regimiento ny vientes quatria ny fid executoria ny iuraderia Thus you may obserue how hurtfull soeuer it be to Common-wealths and how much so euer forbidden yet that necessitie oftentimes forceth Princes to that which is most losse to themselues La pauuretè quelques fois contraint le Roy de casser bonnes loix pour subuenir à seâ— affaires et depuis qu' vne fois on a faict ceste ouuerture il est presqu ' impossible d' y remedier Pouertie sometimes constraineth the King to breake good Lawes to helpe his affaires and when once this hole is made in the Lawes it is almost impossible to keepe it It is a strange thing to consider and incredible to beleeue what infinite masses of money haue bene made heere in France by these sales where there is not that Collector CoÌ„troller Treasurer Sergeant or subalterne Office whatsoeuer but he hath bought it of the Prince and at no small rate for I haue heard it credibly reported and yee shall reade also in late writers that these Offices are bought in France at a dearer rate then our Lands in England of twentie yeeres purchase Yee must obserue they haue them for terme of life and after to returne to the King who is againe to sell them A man in his sicknes or in danger of death or vpon any neede whatsoeuer may sell this his Office or resigne it to his Sonne or friend whatsoeuer which sale is good if the party liue fortie daies after the sale or resignation is confirmed otherwise not Now we are to consider what Entrade or Reuenew the French King yeerely maketh by any or all of the meanes abouesaid The estate of the Finances Domaine and al in Charles the sixt time Anno 1449. was but 1400000. Liures Henry the second leuoit sur son peâ—ple par voye ordinaire quinzâ— millions des francs tous les ans dâ—nt quelque partie a depuis esté engagée pour les dettes Non obstant lesquelles nostre Roy en tirs autant auiourd huy raysed vpon his people by way of ordinarie Reuenew fifteene thousand pound sterling a yeere whereof some part hath since bene aliened for the debts of the Crowne which notwithstanding the King rayseth as much now But yee may obserue that this summe is of late yeres growne much greater by two thirds as is generally beleeued for whereas in those dayes some three or fourescore yeeres since the ordinarie summe was fifteene millions of Francs or Liures it is now so many of Crownes And Monsieur Riuault Treasurer to the Duke of Mayenne shamed not some eight yeres since to say that his Master had improued the Realme of France to a better rent then any Prince had done beforetimes For saith he Au lieu qu' il ne vallait que dix huict ou vingt millions il en vaut auiour d'huy cinquante Whereas it was woorth but eighteene or twentie thousand pound sterling it is now woorth fiue millions sterling And another saith that onely by the sales of Offices in twentie yeeres space Le Roy en a tire cent trent et neuf millions The King hath raysed one hundred thirtie and nine millions which is after the rate of seuen millions the yeere So that it is probably to be inferred that the Reuenewes are at lest fifteene millions of Crownes wherein all late writers agree Neither must we thinke that men are mistaken by counting Crownes for Liures considering that Bodin and La Nouë and most elder writers speake onely of Liures not of Crownes For the maner of Accompt of France is by especiall ordinance commaunded to bee made by Crownes and that of Liures to cease So that whensoeuer yee reade in the Stories of France of any summe of thousands millions or such like without naming either francs or Crownes you are to respect the times when it was written for if it was aboue twentie yeeres past they meane Liures or Francs if of latter yeres then twentie it is alwayes to be vnderstoode they speake of Crownes this rule will not faile you Hauing briefely spoken of his Entrade and sufficiently of the meanes by which he raiseth it as especially by the last which is not the least namely the sales of Offices which are now bestowed not vpon them which can execute them best but such as can giue the most of whome we may say as Commines of them of his time presently after the Battell of Montlherry Tel perdoit ses offices et estats pour s' en estre fuy et furent donnes à autres qui auoyent fuy dix lieües plus loing Some lost their Offices and estates for running away the which were bestowed vpon others that ranne ten leagues further So these Offices were taken from them that pilled the people much and bestowed vpon others that pill them ten times more Hauing I say spoken sufficiently of these it remaineth I keepe the same course I haue done hitherto that is after the relation of the Court to reckon vp the Officers of Court and after the discourse of his Forces
owner of that place had consumed aboue twentie thousand Crownes Reuenue the yeere onely in dyet and apparrell who now is forced to make his owne house his prison and stand watchfully vpon his gard for feare of Sergeants as we well perceiued by his ielouzy of vs when we came to see his house vntil he was assured that we were strangers and came for no such purpose These three at this present are reputed the richest in all France the D. Monpensier in lands the D. a' Espernon in Offices and the Chancellor in money I should in this relation of the French Nobilitie doe them great wrong to beleeue and report for truth what the Cabinet du Roy one of their owne Countrey saith of them who according to the seuerall Prouinces giueth them seuerall Epithites The Noblesse of Berry saith he are Paillards leachers they of Tourraine are voleurs theeues they of Guyenne Coyners they of Tholouse Traytors they of Narbonne couetous they of Prouence Atheists they of Lionnois treacherous they of Rheimes superstitious they of Normandy insolent they of Picardie proud and so forth of the rest I will do them more right and conclude of them that for priuiledge and noblenesse of Race they may compare with any Nobilitie of Christendome For proofe of the first Le Prince ne prendrien sur luy que le seruice de l' espee The King hath nothing of his Noblesse but Sword-seruice And for the second saith another Authour La Noblesse Françoise est composee de si illustres maisons qu' il s'en trouue vne douzaine qui viennent de droict ligne de Roys qui ont posse de paisiblement royaumes The French Noblesse is composed of so famous houses that there are a douzin of them descended by right line from Kings that haue peaceably possessed Kingdomes Hauing briefely spoken of the two first Estates of France the Clergie and Nobilitie It lastly remaineth I speake of the People in general and namely of their freenesse of speech maner of diet kindes of building sortes of exercise fashion of apparell diuersitie of language suddainnesse of apprehending rashnesse in executing impatience in deliberation and diuers other natures and humours proper to the Frenchmen wherein yee shall not looke for a methodicall and large discourse but a briefe and compendious remembrance of such things as I haue read and obserued in this Nation It is incredible to beleeue and odious to heare how the Frenchman will talke and impudently vtter what hee foolishly conceiueth not onely of all forraine States and Princes of the world but euen of their owne State and King himselfe of whome hee will not spare to speake whatsoeuer hee heareth and sometimes also more then the trueth which insufferable vice of theirs I heere put in the first place because I holde it of all others the most disloyall and vnlawfull Hereof the wisest sort of them much complaine wish reformation but it is a thing so familiar and naturall with them as Expellas furca licet vsque recurret Le Duc d' EspernoÌ„ saith one Author se plaignoit de debordemens de ce siecle et de l' infame licence des François à detracter de leur prince Duke â— Espernon complained of the disorders of the time and of the infamous libertie of the French in detracting from their Prince This infamous and dissolute libertie of theirs deserueth to bee censured and chastised by some seuere Cato or to be punished as those insolent â—ouldiers of Aemilius of whome Plutarch maketh mention Boccace in his description of Frier Onion his man reckoneth vp nine of his principall qualities whereof the first is due to the Frenchman as appeareth by this which hath already beene said Maldicente disabediente negligente trascurato smemorato scostumato sogliardo bugiardo tardo First rayling secondly disobedient thirdly negligent fourthly rechlesse fiftly forgetful sixtly vnmanerly seuenthly slouenly eightly lying and ninthly slow And I beleeue by that time ye haue read this whole discourse yee will bate him but the last Ace of them all For that propertie of slownesse I must needes confesse no way is due to the French He hath besides this libertie of speaking a propertie incident to such like natures namely an inquisitiue listning and hearkning after newes which is an olde fashion of theirs hath continued with them many hundred yeres Est auteÌ„ hoc Gallicae consuetudinis vt viatores etiam inuitos consistere cogant quod quisque eorum de quaque re audierit aut cognouerit quaeraÌ„t Mercatores in opidis vulgus circumsistat quibus ex regionibus veniaÌ„t quasq res ibi cognouerint pronunciare cogant et his rumoribus atque aeuditionibus permoti desummis saepe rebus consilia ineunt quorum eos è vestigio poenitere est necesse It is vsuall with all the Gaules both to constraine trauellers though vnwilling to stay and to enquire of each of them what hee hath heard or vnderstood of euery matter and with the populace in Townes to flocke about Marchants and compell them to tell from what parts they come and what newes they heard there and led by these rumours and heare-sayes they determine many times of most weighty affaires of which determinations they must needes eftsoones repent them This vice of his Caesar taxeth in another place where he saith Temeritas quae maximè illi hominum generi conuenit vt leuem auditionem habeant pro re comperta It is a rashnesse familiar with that sort of people to take a light heare-say for an assured truth Concerning the French diet it is to keepe no diet for they feede at all times there being among them very few which besides their ordinary of dinner and supper do not gouster as they call it and make collations three or foure times the day a thing as vsuall with the women as men whome ye shall see in open streetes before their dores eate and drinke together No maruell therefore though the Italian cals them the onely gourmands And no lesse reason haue we to note their disordinate feeding then Commines had to taxe our nation of drinking who saith of vs that he entred into a Tauerne in Amiens to obserue the English mans fashion ou ja auoient estè faictes cent et vnze escots et n' estoit pas encore neuf heures du matin Where had beene already made CXI seuerall shots and yet it was not then 9. a clocke in the morning For it was no great wonder to haue so many shots as we call them or reckonings in a morning where there were fiue thousand English Soldiers in the towne who were newly come from the Campe where they endured much want and entertayned with all kindnesse into the towne vpon a finall peace made betweene our King Edward the fourth and theirs Lewes the eleuenth But wee may pay Commines with his owne coyne and reply that a Frenchman of all