entred into Sedan where he was joyfully received by the Duke being Prince of Sedan and Protectour of the Protestant Church there The King promised that the Church of Sedan should suffer no alteration but enjoy the liberty of their conscience In the year 1603. the Duke of Savoy had an enterprize upon Geneva his men on scaling Ladders mounted the Walls undescried surprized the Souldier that stood Centinel got the word of him and slew him being also Masters of the Streets about two hours But they were disappointed thirteen were by the Towns-men taken alive among whom was the Baron of Attignas which were condemned to be hanged whose heads with the heads of those that were killed in all seventy seven were set upon the Gallowes and their bodies thrown into the River of Rhosne for which deliverance they made a solemn thanksgiving to God concluding a peace with the Duke in July the same year The same year the King being at Metz there came unto him four Jesuites to obtain their re-establishment in France In October there was a National Synod held at Sap by those of the Reformed Religion which Treated touching Doctrine Discipline and the Government of Churches The King made Monsieur Alexander his Bastard Son of the Order of the Knights of Malta A great number of Commanders and Knights being assembled at Paris where he was invested into the Order in the Augustines Church by the Grand-Prior of France who set upon his Breast a Plastron of black Satten with a white Cross So the Ceremony ended with great joy and sounding of Trumpets The new Knight feasted the Grand-Priors of France and Champagne with the Commanders and Knights at the Temple The King having promised to restore the Jesuites Father Cotton came to Paris by his Majesties Command with Father Armand the Provincial and Father Alexander and the King grew presently into such a liking with Father Cotton as he did nothing but he was called and in the end his Majesty granted their return upon certain Conditions and the Edict made for their establishment notwithstanding any oppositions made unto the Court to hinder the confirmation therof was confirmed in the beginning of the year 1604. and their Colledges were restored at Lions Roven Bourges and Dijon The Signeur of Varenne Controller General of the Posts and now Governour of the Town and Castle of Anger 's who loved them of this company besought the King to build a new Colledge at La Fleche in Anjou with priviledges like to the other Universities of that Realm the which the King made of a Royal Foundation and gave them his own House with Pensions for the instruction of a good number of young Gentlemen whom his Majesty would have bred up and instructed there in all Professions Tongues and Exercises But Father Cotton returning one night somewhat late about the end of February and passing by the Street of the new Bridge to go unto the Louvre there were certain Pages and Lacquies which calling for him at the door of the Coach wounded him with their Rapiers giving him one great wound in the shoulder going toward the neck and throat whereof he was soon after cured There was great search made for this attempt Some were taken and examined Cotton requested the King to pardon them yet were they banished the Court and forbidden ever to come there upon pain of death In the year 1606. the King made special orders on the behalf of those of the Reformed Religion enjoyning them to carry themselves according to the Edict of Nantes avoiding all occasions of scandal About Easter this year were such violent winds and storms throughout all France as the tops of houses being cast down many were slain and sore hurt in Paris Not long after there was a violent Plague in the same and in the beginning of the following year In the year 1608. were the Jesuites admitted into Navarre and Bearn whereat all the Judges and Officers of the Country were discontented as who hated the Jesuites above all Creatures living and had in former times put them to death like Spies if they found any within their limits The Prelates of France in like manner Petitioned the King once again that the Decrees of the Council of Trent might be observed On April 11. Anno 1609. there was a Conference between Monsieur Du Moulin lone of the Ministers of the Reformed Church of Paris and Father Gontier a Jesuite being seconded by the Baroness of Salignar after which it was bruited abroad that Gontier had confuted Du Moulin in divers points which the Protestants held Gontier himself writing a specious Letter to the King to that effect Du Moulin finding his Reputation touched and the truth misreported was forced to publish a true Discourse of the whole Conference In the year 1610. another attempt against Geneva was discovered whereof the Authour was â—analis one of their own home-bred and native Citizens a man not meanly reputed of both for his knowledge in Physick and the Languages whereof being found guilty and of another before he was condemned and his body broken and so laid half dead on a wheel unbound he was cast from thence to be burned in a fire under him On May 13. the Queen was solemnly Crowned at St. Dennis by the Cardinal of Joyeuse On Friday May 14. the day after the Queens Coronation the King was treacherously murthered by the cursed hand of a bloody villain The King being advertised of some ominous influence and Prediction which did threaten him that day went to see Mass with great devotion At his return they brought him some of his Children among the rest the Duke of Anjou whom he dearly loved but being then very pensive he commanded they should carry him to breakfast Then being very sad he cast himself upon his bed to sleep if he might but not being able to take any rest he fell upon his knees and began to pray Then he lay down again and prayed again and thus he did three times In the end he went and walked in the Gallery till dinner time After dinner many Noblemen came into his Chamber and began to tell some tales to make him laugh Having smiled a little with the rest being naturally of a pleasant disposition in the end he said We have laughed enough for Friday we may well weep on Sunday Hereupon he caused some to go to the Arsenal at four of the clock Whereupon they say that the Duke of Vendosme told him that he had been warned to beware of the 14. day yet making no account thereof he went down into the Court where a man of a mean condition entertained him a quarter of an hour Then he went into his Coach by the Duke of Espernon who sate in the first place of the Boot on the King 's right hand Montbazon the Marshal of Lavardin la Force and Praulin being followed by two Foot-men and one of his Guard on Horse-back having commanded Monsieur de Vitry and the rest of
the League between the French King the Duke of Savoy and the Venetians negotiates another between himself and the Princes of Italy The Spaniard spreads abroad defaming Libels against the League of France Venice and Savoy Those great losses which the Protestants had sustained for some preceding years in Bearn and Languedoc alwaies kept them waking especially after the Peace of Montpelier they well perceiving that those small â—outs which they had suffered did threaten their Party with an utter destruction The Spaniards therefore laboured very much to get the Sieur de Soubize and Rohan who were the only eminent persons to Command their Arms. Their design took effect These two Brothers being met at Castres resolved to raise those of their Party the one by Sea at Guienne and the other in Languedoc The attempt upon the Fort of Blavet otherwise Port S. Lewes of which we have spoken before was an effect of that resolution as also the endeavours of the Duke and Duchess of Rohan began at the same time in Languedoc to draw in more Towns in to their Party But the Marquess de Ragny was sent in all haste into Languedoc with certain Regiments to oppose the first Commotions and to employ many persons of discretion to assure himself of the Counsels of the chief Towns and by this means most of them kept within their duties Soubize publisht a Manifest which sounded an Alarm to all the Protestant Party making them to believe that their utter ruine was concluded on in the King's Council That the loss of their Religion was inevitable if they did not defend themselves by Arms and that the raising of Fort Saint Lewes built by Rochel was a sign of it He suggested to them that the Catholicks were of opinion in most of their Bcoks that they were not obliged to keep Faith with Hereticks Most were taken with these reasons because the Duke of Rohan clapt into some Towns certain Gentlemen and Captains of his own Religion to encourage them and to stir up the Popular Ministers who after this looked for nothing but when to rise not considering that the insurrections which they were carried to were contrived by the Spaniards who pretended not to make use of them but only to divert and draw off the King's Arms from Italy That fomentation which the Spaniard gave to the Hugonots whereby to force the King to draw off his Army from the Valtoline obliged the French King to do the like by the Spaniard in assaulting the Common-wealth of Genoa The Pope sends the Cardinal Barbarino in the quality of a Legate into France to negotiate the Peace between the French King and the King of Spain The Hugonots by the Spaniards instigation arm themselves very potently against the French King The Duke of Rohan took the Command upon himself of those Forces in Languedoc Soubize those in Poictou Although Soubize had been repulsed from before the Port of Blavet yet by that means he made himself master of six great Ships which were the King 's and the Duke 's of Nemours which gave him opportunity of doing very considerable damages He had formerly got together about eleven Ships of War and many Shallops and small Boats and with these roved up and down the Coasts of Poictou and Guienne as hath been before hinted at The Duke of Rohan got together about two thousand men near Castres He gave out that the Rochellers had taken Arms and sworn a League with the Churches of his Party that he might by this pretence get a like interest in some other Towns which he had an eye upon And accordingly he went to Puilaurens Ruel Soreze St. Pauls Leviate and Briteste and made the Consuls swear to the Confederacy afterwards he came to the Gates of Lavaur to surprâ—zâ— it but his design took no effect The Count of Carmain Governour of Foix got into Ruel and Soreze after the other had forsaken them and so dealt with the Consuls that they confessed their faults and protested not to take part with him any more A Process was made in the Parliament of Tholouse against him and all his Adherents The Marquess de Cragny and the Count of Carmain marched against the Duke and whilst those who made the first Encounter were at it the rest got into Vianes who were however so closely pursued by the Marshal's Forces that the Regiment of Normandy was hard at their heels entring into the Town with them Thus he remained Master of Peyresquade where there were about one hundred and fifty of the Rebels Souldiers killed and hurt all which the Duke of Rohan beheld from a Fort in Vianes where he then was from which time forwards he began to despair of doing any great matters for the future especially since he saw himself so closely followed and that the Cardinal had taken such a course in Languedoc that the King could have raised more men in twenty four hours than the Duke in a whole month Soubize finding little assurance on the main Land had fortified himself in the Isles of Reé and Olleron it was the more important to remove him thence because otherwise it would be impossible to reduce Rochel unto its obedience so easily and abundantly might he recruit them with necessaries from those fertile Islands but the Duke of Montmorency the King's Admiral made himself Master of the Isle of Reé after a three daies Combate with a great deal of obstinacy on both parts The Duke of Montmorency Landed at Olleron where he met with no resistance The Sieur de Soubize haying withdrawn himself into England lived at a House called Burgate in Hampshire near the New Forest for divers years after The whole Province was now setled in quiet both by Sea and Land of all which King Lewes was informed who received the news with much joy Cardinal Barbarini Legate from the Pope arrived in France and came to Marseilles where he was received with great honour 〈◊〉 also at Lions according to the Orders sent by the King He came to Paris on May 21. and entred in great pomp He is bound by the Laws of the Kingdom before he officiate the Function of a Legate to present the Brief which the Pope hath given him for the employment to the Parliament of Paris The Pope having omitted in this Brief to give the King the title of King of Navarre the Parliament refused to acknowledge it and obliged him not to proceed any further in the business till that were amended The Legate coming to Paris alighted at St. James de Haut-pas where the Clergy of the City the concourse of the Court and other Officers to the number of twelve thousand went to salute him and receive his Benediction After this the Prelates of Paris came to pay their respects to him There was a little dispute in what habit they should appear before him the Legate desiring they should be in their Rochets and Camall covered over with a Mantlet as a mark that they had no power in
Pinnaces and one Traversin in condition to sail But the Vessels were unladed and the Gentlemen and Souldiers safely landed in the Citadel The French King having been sick after his recovery comes to Rochel to drive the English out of Reé The Duke of Buckingham resolves to make his last attempt upon the Citadel of St. Martin The English began an assault but were repulsed It is said that the besieged took all the Ladders of the English fifty Prisoners of which were divers Captains and Officers that they had killed four or five hundred without losing above eighteen or twenty men and some few wounded among which were the Sieurs de Sardaignes and Gran Val who being shot through the bodies died within a few daies after The English doubting their Trenches would not secure them forsook the one half of them and shortly after resolved to go back for England The Marshal de Schomberg shortly after landeth there with fifty Barques about three in the morning without being discovered by the Enemy These being conjoyned with other Souldiers fell upon the English and routed them Their Horse were lost in the Marish Their Cornet and twenty four Colours and four Cannon were taken About five hundred were killed on the place besides those that were drowned in the Sea Many Gentlemen of quality and Officers were killed And as the French History saith three thousand Arms were taken in the Field and above one thousand five hundred Souldiers laden with the spoils It is reported that the English scarce carried off one thousand men the rest being either dead with sickness or killed and most of them also died soon after their return into England by reason of the discommodities they there endured After the King had obtained this signal Victory against the English he bent all his thoughts toward the besieging of Rochel The order of the whole Circumvallation was prescribed by his Majesty He raised thirteen Forts and several Redoubts upon the Trenches the Circuit of which were three Leagues or thereabout all out of Musket or Falcon shot but not of Cannon This Circumvallation being finished cut off all relief by Land and shortly after they were blocked up by Sea too At this time the Duke of Rohan finds means to make an Assembly in the Ville d'Vsez where divers of their Deputies met together and as he had no less Eloquence than Courage he perswaded them to whatever he had a mind to They approved of those succours which he had negotiated in England as just and necessary and they assured him not to enter into any Treaty of Peace with his Majesty without the Consent of the English and his own in particular Whereupon they deputed some of the chief of their Party to go to the Towns of Languedoc and Guienne they also wrote to those of Dauphiné and Vivarez to encourage them to unite with them for the good of the Cause They drew up the form of an Oath to be sworn by the Consuls the Governours of Towns Lords and Gentlemen who would engage with them An union very strange which divided Members from the Head and so separated Subjects from their Prince After the Duke of Rohan had used all his devices and seen the English Land at Reé he took up Arms and appeared in the Field He summoned the Duke of Savoy to send those Forces which he had promised but he could not obtain them All that he could draw from him was a promise of fifty thousand crowns Those Towns which were delivered up to him were Nismes Vses St. Ambrose Alets Anduse le Vignan St. Hippolite St. Jean de Grandamenque Samens la Salle and other smaller places and with those Forces drawn together he took during this year Realmont Renel Naves Mazares Pamiers Castres Soyon and other Towns upon the Rhofere and in Vivarez and more he had done if the Cardinal under the King's Authority had not prevented him It cannot be imagined with how much care and trouble he kept those together who were engaged in his Party how low he was fain to stoop to work upon the meaner sort of people how many impertinencies he was forced to bear how many inconsiderate discourses he was necessitated to hear and to how much constraint he was compelled to subject himself He hath since protested to divers of his friends that there is no care like that of retaining a mutinous people in that order which is necessary for him to make them follow who would raise any advantage to himself by their revolt Then the King by the advice of Cardinal Richlieu sent the Sieur Galland Privy Counsellour to his Majesty toward those Hugonot Towns which the Duke of Rohan had attempted to revolt that he might confirm them in their obedience This man was one of their own Religion which gave the King reason to hope they would be directed by him Having received his Commission he went directly to Montauban the chief Town of their Party next unto Rochel and by which most of the other Towns would be guided Upon his first arrival be called the Inhabitants together he gave them his Letter of Credence writ by his Majesty to them and began to confirm them in their obedience He laid before them the duty of Subjects toward their Prince the miseries and calamities which they had suffered whilst they fell off from their obedience he represented to them the disasters which would inevitably fall upon them if they should revolt he informed them of the small reason they had to believe the Duke of Rohan's promises or the aid of the English Fleet which he said could not hinder the relieving of the Isle of Reé His words so wrought on them that they subscribed a Declaration which they delivered to him in which they professed to live and die in that Loyalty which they owed unto his Majesty And all the other Towns unengaged in the revolt did the like And his Prudence was so successful that the Towns of Briateste Castres Pamiers Puylaurens Mazares St. Amand Cabarede Mazares Masdazil Arlat and many others made the like declarations under their hands and Seals But the misfortune was that having left divers Factious Spirits of Monsieur de Rohan's Party in Castres Pamiers and some other of those Towns before named they remained not firm to those resolutions he had insinuated to them by which means the Duke of Rohan soon after became Master of them The King unable to stop the D. of Rohan's proceedings by fair means makes use of force He commanded an Army to be raised and committed the Conduct of it to the Prince of Conde sending him a Commission of Lieutenant General of his Forces in Languedoc Dauphiné Guienne and Lyonnois He divided the Army into two parts the Prince of Conde had the better half the other being committed to the Duke of Montmorencie's care then Governour of Languedoc Soyon a strong place upon the Rhone was assaulted and in two daies forced to surrender The Prince also stormed
upon Assumption-day at the Altar in the Morning and that in the Evening a general Procession should be made wherein the Provost of Paris and all the Soveraign Companies should be assistant with the Court of Parliament This Command extended to all other Archbishops and Bishops throughout France that they should in every Cathedral Church erect one special Altar to the Virgin Mary for this end and in commemoration of this Act to pepetuity One Instance more I shall add of his Zeal to the Romish Religion When the Old Marshal de la Force a Protestant was admitted to see him a little before he expired he told him on his death-bed That he thought God Almighty suffer'd him meaning the Marshâ—â— to live so long upon Earth expecting his Conversion as he had done that of Lesdiguiers He put out sundry Proclamations against Swearers against Pride in apparel as also against Duels and the last was so strict That both the appellant and defendent whosoever did survive should suffer death without mercy and be deprived of Christian burial but both rot upon the Gallows with their heels upwards Here I shall put down a List of divers Books that were Printed in France for sundry years past Francisci Garciae Evangelicus concionator Printed at Lions Anno 1622. Petri Damiani Cardinalis opera Printed at Lions 1623. Bibliothica Veterum Patrum Graecorum Printed at Paris 1624. Deus Natura Gratia by Saint Clara Printed at Lions 1625. Puteani Commentaria in summam D. Thomae Printed at Tholouse 1627. Biblia Septuaginta cum Graeco Testamento Graec. Lat. in three Volumes Printed at Paris 1628. Biblia Vulgata Printed 1628. Bibliotheca Ordinis Praemonstratensis per Job le Praige Printed at Paris 1633. Ludov. Dolae de Concursibus Dei creatura Printed at Lions 1634. Concilia Generalia Graec. Lat. ten Volumes Printed at Paris Franc. Lanovii Chronicon generale ordinis Minimorum Printed at Paris 1635. Didacus Baeza de Christo figurato in Vet. Testam Printed at Lions 1636. Francis Hallier de sacris electionibus ordinationibus at Paris 1636. Historia Ecclesiae Gallicanae at Paris 1636. Franc. Bouquet de Pontificibus Romanis è Gallia oriundis Jacobi Sirmondi propemptrion contra Eucharist Cl. Salmasii Jac. Sirmundi opuscula Dogmatum veterum Scirptorum Andrew de Saussay Martyrologium Gallicanum at Paris 1637. Mart. Bonacinnae opera omnia Printed at Paris 1638. Jacobi Saliani Annales Ecclesiastici Steph. Fagundez in Decalog at Lions 1640. Theses Theologicae Protest Academiae Salmuriensis at Saulmur 1641. Hâ—ttingeri Historia Ecclesiastica five Volumes compleat Hottingeri Analecta Historico-Theologica Octavo Afterwards Anno 1646. there was published Annalium Ecclesiasticorum Epitome at Roven Novissima Galliae Concilia à Tempore Concilii Tridentini ad Annum 1646 at Paris Lewes XIV the present French King succeeded his Father in the Kingdom being about five years old Mazarine casting with himself what is hutful and profitable past this sentence upon the Clergy These are his words counselling the Queen Regent The Sacred Order for these many years hath had but a thin harvest of excellent Persons however it come to pass Men follow after nice Questions live idly do not embrace serious Studies All is done with pomp nay if any Sermons be to be made and the very venerable sacrifice offered Of their Office they lay claim to nothing but their Rents the duty of Preaching which is the principal dignity of a Bishop they quit to any one though never so insufficient They think themselves Bishop enough if they can but ride in fine Coaches with their Arms set on out-vie one another in rich Liveries and Lacquies and punish with rigour those that transgress in the least matters Perpetual haunters of Ladies Couches not without undervaluing the Pastoral staff This is for the most part for there are some that lead holy and unreprovable lives He that shall take offence will own himself not to be one of these but those other So much power hath Religion over the minds of men that as often as among men in holy Orders any eminent vertue hath got up and overcome the common attainments and the vices of mankind it is adored like a Deity At that time that company was of no weight nor moment in France said Mazarine There was Francis Paul Gondy by extraction a Florentine but born in France Abbot of Rhetz afterwards Coadjutor to the Bishop of Paris Archbishop of Corinth one that if occasion had offered would have aspired high as Cardinal Mazarine confessed he was perswaded Over and above an honourable Family he had eloquence and learning with promptness of spirit All was now prosperous and quiet in France whose power reached over Almania from the Mazelin Brink beyond the Rhine By the Victory at Norlingue the parts confining on the Danube were afterwards invaded and terror struck on all sides In Spain by seizing Tortosa and Flix the French got to the River Iber. Their Fleets ranged over the Mediterranean and Ocean All Italy from the Pope who then was Vrban VIII to the least Princes bore reverence The Dukes of Savoy Mantua and Modena then rather Instruments of French slavery than free Princes The Kings of Sweden and Denmark boasted of their friendship the Pole sued for it The Electors of Germany sought to interest themselves in their favour Portugal rent from Spain depended on the looks of France whose Yoak Catalonia had put on being weary of the Spanish Dominion The Low Countries stuck close to them All Europe with astonishment stood gazing at such a state of the French affairs nothing was then wanting to compleat their happiness besides moderation and the art enjoying it Paul Gondy designed Archbishop of Paris is consecrated of Corinth it is the Bishop of Rome's practice that so the whole world may be thought depending on the Vatican Oracle to exercise his authority even upon the dissenting parts That day was first occasion of much ensuing mischief Ferraro Pallavicini a Canon Regular a Parmesan of a Noble house sharply inveighing in libellous Pamphlets against the practices of the Roman Court lost his Head at Agivnon in France and gave instance how unsafe a thing it is to touch upon the Roman State in writing though never so truly The Divisions of Italy being closed up Pope Vrban VIII died July 29. 1644. after he had sate twenty one years and some months Then Gio Battista Pamphilio a Noble Roman was Proclaimed Pope after the See had been vacant 45. daies He assumed the name of Innocent the Tenth The Hist of Cardinals part 3. lib. 2. This Election was not at all displeasing to the French though they were not a little displeased at Cardinal Antonio who for his own private Interest had by his reiterated instances perswaded that Crown to the exclusion of Pamphilio and afterwards consented to it contrary to the King's order and without expecting the return of the Currier which was dispatched to that Court that they might consult upon the
battel But Charles Martel getting out of prison assisteth Plectrude gathereth Forces and overcometh the new King and Rainfroy Charles is now received and installed Major of France and having assured himself of the Children of King Dagobert he caused them to be gently brought up in a Monastery At Colen he seizeth on Plectrude and Thibauld and inflicts no other punishment upon them but enjoyns them to live quiet and to attempt nothing without his liking He pardons Rainfroy and gives him the Government of Anjou He degradeth Chilperic being advanced against Law and causeth the eldest Son of Dagobert to be chosen King named Chilperic the third Chilperic dies having reigned five years and in his place his Brother Thierri was crowned King He reigned ten years and dying left his Son Childerick the last King of this first race of the Merovingiens Charles Martel from Major of the Palace is chosen Duke or Prince of the French Eudo Prince of the Gascoigus to whom Rainfroy joyned himself called in the Saracens with their King Abdiram out of Spain Anno 725. whom Charles met and killed them with an universal slaughter there were slain in one day three hundred seventy and five thousand and of the French fifteen hundred among which were many of the Nobility and men of Note And having recovered Burgundy and Lions in the year following Eudo dying he invaded Aquitain and overthrew the Saracens in great numbers invading France in the year 731 and regained Avignon taken by them and forceth them to abandon Narbon and the whole Country to his mercy At that time divers devout Monks lived in France viz. Vandegrisil of Fontinel a builder of Monasteries of whom Sigebert makes mention Vrsmar of Lobia a Founder of a Monastery Bertine Abbot of Sithiena and holy Aegidius Childeric was King in shew nine years Anno 744. Pepin in the time of King Childeric called a Council at Soissons where he assisted in person together with the greatest Peers of the Land five under the Authority of Charles Martel and four under Pepin the Son of Charles who dispossessed him Charles Martel having governed the Kingdom five and twenty years dieth He had four Sons Carloman Pepin Giles and Grypho Giles was made Bishop of Rhotomagum and left his Government assigned him by his Father unto Carloman and Pepin and they two divide the Kingdom and Govern each one his own part under the Title of their Father as is apparent by the first words of the Council under Carloman In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ I Carloman Duke and Prince of the French in the year from the incarnation of Christ 742. on the 11th of the Kalends of March by the advice of the servants of God and of my Nobes I have Assembled the Bishops in my Kingdom c. Within seven years after this Synod he laid aside his Princely Authority saith Bellarmine and entred into a Cloyster becomes a Monk and so dieth at Vienna and then all the Authority was in Pepin alone Grypho had rebelled against Carloman but at last Pepin took him in Italy and caused him to be beheaded Anno 753. Pepin having the Government alone aimed at an higher Title Blondus and others who have written the Acts of the French Blond dec 14. Lib. 10. say that the Nobility and Commonalty of that Nation duly considering the worthiness of Pepin and sottishness of Childeric consulted with Zachary Bishop of Rome whether they should tolerate so foolish a King any longer and defraud Pepin of his deserved Princely honour And when the Pope answered That he was most worthy to be a King who could best discharge the Office of a King Petrie's Church-Hist Cent. 8. the French with the publick consent of the whole Nation did pronounce Pepin for their King and Childerick was shaven and made a Monk Then the Pope wrote unto Boniface Bishop of Mentz to Anoint Pepin King of France and declare all his Subjects free from their Oath of Allegiance unto their lazy Soveraign The Pope was chiefly moved hereunto with hope to draw help from Pepin against the Lumbards Concil apud Palat Vernes his mortal enemies Pepin Anno 755. called almost all the Gallican Bishops to meet at the Council of Vernes the Palace About this time Aponius a French man wrote several Books In the Council called by Carloman of which I hinted before he beginneth thus I Carloman c. have Assembled the Bishops which are in my Kingdom with the Priests into a Council and Synod These are Boniface Arch-Bishop of Mentz Burchard of Wirtzburg Reginfrid Guntharius with the rest of the Bishops and their Priests That they should give me Counsel how the Law of God and Religion of the Church may be restored which in the dayes of former Princes hath been shattered and fallen and how Christian People may attain the salvation of their souls and not perish being deceived by false Priests And by the advice of my Priests and Nobles We have Ordained Bishops through Cities and set over them the Arch-Bishop Boniface who is the Legate of St. Peter And we have Ordained that Synods should be called every year Concil Tom. 2. Edit Crab. that in our presence the Decrees of Canons Rites and Laws of the Church may be restored And we restore unto the Churches the Monies that have been taken from them We have also discharged all the Servants of God from hunting and wandring in woods with Dogs and that they have no Hawks nor Faulcons We have also Decreed according to the Holy Canons That each Presbyter dwelling in a Parish be subject unto the Bishop where he dwelleth and that alwayes in Lent he give an account of his Ministry whether of Baptism or Catholick Faith and prayers and order of Masses Then he forbiddeth sacrifice to the dead and other profane Rites of the Heathen He appointeth punishments against the Fornications and Adulteries of Monks It was also decreed that Monks and Nuns should live within their Abbies and Cloysters according to the Rule of their Father Benedict Pope Stephen confirmed Pepin and his Heirs for Kings of France and of him asked aid to withstand the Power of Aistulphus then King of Lombardy who then had exacted Tribute from certain Lands belonging to the Bishop of Rome and because it was refused took up Arms. The Pope wrote a Letter directed to the Kings of France and to all Bishops Abbots Priests and Monks and to the Glorious Dukes and Counts and unto the whole Army of the Kingdom of France Stephen Pope and all the Bishops Priests and Deacons Dukes Counts People and Army of the Romans all being in anguish with how doleful and bitter grief we are encompassed on every side with how great perplexity and doubtfulness we are distressed and how many tears our eyes do shed because of the continual troubles which are multiplyed upon us we think that the smallest part of all the elements do declare for who beholding our
tribulations will not mourn who hearing of our calamities will not lament Affliction is on every side and we know not what to do O ye Christians behold the dayes of trouble the dayes of mourning and bitterness are come upon us It is come as we feared from the Lombards for we are afflicted distressed and besieged on every side by their most ungodly King Aistulph and that Nation Therefore with the Prophet we pray the Lord saying Help us O God of our Salvation and for the honour of thy Name deliver us c. And now because Aistulphus with an Army hath pitched his Tents and encamped against us and hath often said unto us Open unto me the Gate of Salaria that I may enter into your City and give me your High Priest and I will shew Clemency unto you If not beware lest when I have battered down your walls I kill you altogether with the sword and let me see who can deliver you out of mine hand Wherefore our Beloved I beseech you and as if I were present I adjure you by the mysteries before the true and living God and before St. Peter the Prince of the Apostles that with great speed you help us lest we perish seeing under God we have committed all our lives into your hands forsake us not After this the Pope sent another Letter in the Name of St. Peter A Letter sent in the name of St. Peter as if it had been written from Heaven which beginneth thus Peter called an Apostle Grace Peace and Power to deliver the Holy Church of God and the People of Rome committed to me from the hands of their enemies be fully given from the Lord God unto you most excellent men Pepin c. and to the most holy Bishops Abbots Presbyters and all Religious Monks c. I Peter the Apostle of God who have you my adopted Children to deliver from the enemies hand this Roman City and the people committed of God unto me provoking all your Love do exhort and protesting do admonish you to deliver the Church of God which by Divine Power is commended to me seeing they suffer very great afflictions and oppression by the most wicked Nation of the Lombards Think not otherwise but certainly believe it that I my self am standing alive in the flesh before you and our Lady the Mother of God the Virgin Mary with us doth adjure you with the greatest Obligations and Protesteth Admonisheth and Commandeth c. Behold here with what fooleries and impieties they would bewitch the world But Pepin did not leavy an Army until Pope Stephen came into France And when he took his journey he commended himself to St. Mary and his flock unto St. Peter Pepin hearing of his coming sent his Son Charles an hundred miles to meet him and when he came within three leagues of Carisiac Pepin went forth unto him and returned on foot and the Pope on horseback Then Pepin was crowned again by the Pope for the greater pomp Pepin went into Italy and forceth Aistulph to give hostages to render unto the Pope all due Right But after the return of Pepin into France Aistulph with new Forces doth more mischief to Rome Then Pope Stephen wrote another Supplication to Pepin who made no delay but forceth Aistulph to perform the former conditions and to give unto the Pope the exarchate of Ravenna Within a year Aistulph dieth then a division ariseth between Rachis and Desiderius for the Kingdom Then Stephen wrote his fourth Epistle unto Pepin giving him thanks for his aid wishing many blessings unto him and shewing that Aistulph was stricken by the hand of God and drowned in the bottom of Hell and that by the hands of Peter Prince of the Apostles and by thy most powerful arm speaking unto Pepin Desiderius a most mild man was Ordained King of the Lombards who had sworn to restore unto St. Peter the Cities Faventia Insubres and Ferrara with all their Territories and also Ausimo Ancona Humana Bona with all their Territories and he had sworn to keep peace with the Church of St. Peter and to be Loyal unto the Crown of France and entreated Pepin to approve the Coronation of Desiderius upon these conditions Henceforth the Pope began to lift up his head and having large Territories given unto him will not rest until he be Monarch of the world When Stephen had peace he began to repair the Churches which Aistulph had caused to be thrown down and died in the sixth year of his Papacy Fabian's Chroni Part. 6. Then Gaifer Duke of Guienne imposed a Tribute upon the Lands of the Clergy in his Dukedom without their consent wherefore the Bishops for a redress complained unto King Pepin thereof Pepin reproved the Duke for it but the Duke not regarding the Kings Admonition Pepin soon after with an Army entred the Territory of Guienne wasting and spoiling the Countrey Hereupon the Duke hearkened to him and bound himself to restore unto the Clergy what he had extorted from them But the King being returned into France the Duke gathering Forces together sent them to the City of Chalours in Burgundy and did much hurt to that Town and Countrey The King being sorely discontented at it returned with his People into Guien and therein beat down many strong holds and Castles and took or won Burbon Cancarvile and Cleremont and wasted the Country with fire and sword till he came to Limoges The winter coming on the King having strengthened the foresaid Cities Towns and strong Holds that he had won and then rode to a place called Caus there kept his Christmass and Easter In the next Spring he re-entred the foresaid Dutchy and took by force the Cities of Bourges and Tours The People of that Countrey considering the obstinacy of their Duke murthered the said Duke and after yielded themselves and their Country to the King with all such Treasure and Jewels as to the said Duke belonged whereof King Pepin offered a great part unto St. Denis Then this victorious Prince was vexed with grievous sickness wherefore in all hast he sped him to St. Martin's where he made certain Prayers and Oblations And from thence his sickness increasing he was conveyed unto Paris where he shortly after died when he had reigned as King there by the space of eighteen years After the death of Pepin the Estates of France Assemble and by their consents Charles and Carloman his Sons divide the Realm between them by equal portions Charles was Crowned at Wormes Carloman at Soissons But by the death of Carloman the whole Realm came to Charles within three years after the death of his Father Charles was endued with singular gifts both of body and mind he had the instructions of a virtuous Conversation and was bred up in Learning and Arms He was Religious and reverenced the Churches and Pastors he was a great Justitiary a reliever of the poor and kept his Faith both to friend and foe he was a lover of
Learning and learned men Paul of Pisa instructed him in the Greek and Latin Tongues and Aimon in Philosophy and the Mathematickes He delighted in Poetry but especially in History in which he was well read The University of Paris built or enriched by him doth witness the love and honour he bare to learning A valiant man none commanded with more obedience nor performed any thing with greater fortune nor used his Victories with more mildness and judgement Never did King reign with more Authority nor was more reverently obeyed than Charlemagne About the Year 786 Charles King of France made a league with Archaius King of Scots Archaius sent unto him Albinus or Alcuinus John Melrose so named from the Abby Melrose Claudius Clemens and Anthony all very devout and learned men John Melrose became Abbot of the Augustinians at Ticino Bale in Cent. 14. and Claudius was Bishop of Auxerre They wrote several works as John Bale sheweth Alcuinus had good knowledge of the Latin and Greek Languages Biblioth de la Bigne Tom. 3. Charles calleth him his Master in an Epistle written unto him De Septuages Sexages He hath many excellent things in divers of his Books and Writings Desiderius began to make War first against the City of Ravenna and the Marches thereof and took the Cities of Ferrara Faventia and other Towns The Pope sent to Charles the Great for aid who came into Italy with great Forces Desiderius fled to Pavia and was there besieged Charles leaving an Unkle of his at the siege of Pavia went against Verona which he took without any great difficulty From thence he went to Rome to kiss the Pope's Foot and to hold the Feast of Easter where he was received with great Solemnity After this his coming thither he confirmed to the Church and Popes of Rome the Donation which his Father Pepin had made of Ravenna and other Lands and made another of many other places among which is reckoned the Isle of Corsica and all the Coast of Genoua with the Cities of Parma Ancona Vrbin and many other Towns besides Rome and the Territories thereof which the Popes had already in possession so as to the Emperours remained only that part of Italy which is part of Calabria and of Puglia and a great part of that which now is the Kingdom of Naples Charles having been only eight dayes in Rome returned against Desiderius who after six moneths besieging in Pavia yielded upon composition and Charles carried him with him and banished both him and his Sons into a certain Island and then took Milan and all the other Cities in Lombardy which is the Ancient Gallia Cisalpina where he placed French men for Dukes and Governours So Italy remained in his Obedience excepting those Lands and Provinces which were left to the Church of Rome so ended the Kingdom of the Lombards which had continued 204 years in Italy Rhegno Sub. Annum 787. In the Year 787 Charles being departed from Rome to come into France as soon as he was arrived at Wormes saith Rhegno he called a Synod and declared the Reasons of his journey to the Clergy and Princes of his Realm We find the French Synods in those dayes oftentimes to have consisted both of Lay-men and Clergy-men joyntly to determine of matters as well Ecclesiastical as Civil Charles the Great did the like in the Council of Franckford where he discoursed points of Faith and made them deliver their Opinions upon such as himself proposed The Canons and Decrees also run in his Name the Emperour saith he hath Ordained with the consent of the Synod c. Vide Acta Concil Francf in libello sacro Tom. 3. Concil pag. 635. In the Year 794 Charles Assembled this Council at Franckford partly in regard of the Heretick Foelix who called Christ The Adoptive Son of God in humane nature and was condemned in a Council Assembled at Ratisbon But he was returned to his vomit again and therefore was now again condemned as a notable Heretick in the Council of Franckford partly also in respect of the great contention which arose every where concerning the worshipping of Images disallowed in the Council of Constantinople and allowed in the second Council of Nice Not only the Bishops of France but also of Germany and Lombardy as Provinces subject to the King of France were present at this Council The Pope sent his Ambassadors Theophilact and Stephanus to the Council King Charles himself also was present thereat Alcuinus wrote against the Heresie of Foelix Alcuin contr Foelic Lib. 2. and Elipandrus Bishop of Toledo and in his second Book saith Shew us any Nation Town or Church either Roman or Constantinopolitan or of Jerusalem which was Dedicated by the presence of the Lord himself or of Antioch where first the Name of Christianity is read to have been or of Alexandria or of any other Church either in Italy or Germany or in France or in Aquitain or in Britain which agreeth with you in your assertion Here he acknowledgeth all these to be true Churches at that time and distinguisheth them one from another Foelix continued in his errour till Alcuinus wrote against him and then he became Zealous of the Truth and wrote a Recantation unto the Presbyters and Deacons of his Church That as he had been a scandal unto them so by his means they may be brought again from Errour unto the Truth as he himself writeth And this Recantation is printed among the Works of Alcuinus But Elipant Arch-Bishop of Toledo having read the seven Books of Alcuinus wrote very sharply for maintaining the same Errour R. Hoveden writeth R. Hoveden in continuat Bedae that Charles the Great sent over into England the Acts of a Synod sent him from Constantinople for the Adoration of Images Against this Adoration saith he Alcuinus wrote an Epistle well-grounded on Divine Scriptures and carried it with some Synodical Acts in the names of the English Princes and Bishops to the King of France All Italy being now in peace under the protection of King Charles two Cardinal Priests of great account called Pascal and Capulus conspired against Pope Leo who with their complices apprehended him on a day as he was going in Procession Some say they put out his eyes and cut out his tongue committing him prisoner to the Monastery of St. Erasmus publishing abroad that they did it for the crimes by him committed and the Errours by him maintained Some Authors affirm that he was miraculously restored to his sight and speech Hereupon King Charles cometh to Rome accompanied with many great Dukes and other Princes his Subjects To him came out of Italy and from many other parts many Bishops and Prelates After eight dayes abode there he commanded all the Princes and Prelates which then were in the City to be Assembled and the Pope himself and all the rest being together there were some that accused the Pope to the Emperour Then the Emperour
his race as an out-cast of great Charlemagne Lewes V. reigned one year only and dyed without Heir leaving his place void in troubles of State and confusion of times horribly corrupted unto the House of Hugh le grand Earl of Paris God had prepared the means both for the Father to lay the foundation and for his Son Hugh Capet appointed for the Regal Dignity to finish this goodly building Now cometh in the third race of the Kings of France called Capets of the name of Hugh Capet Charles Duke of Lorrain was first Prince of the Blood-royal he was Son to Lewes IV. Brother to Lothair Unckle to Lewes V. the last King to whom the fundamental Laws of France did adjudge the Crown But Hugh Capet was chosen King by the French assembled in Parliament and Charles Duke of Lorrain was rejected from the Crown This change happened in July Anno 987. This new King was sirnamed Capet or Capitosus either for that he had a great Head or that being young he was accustomed to catch at his Companions caps as a presage of that he should do unto Kings Otho and Henry two other Sons of Hugh le grand were Dukes of Burgundy one after another his other Sons were advanced to Ecclesiastical Dignities the one Arch-Bishop of Tholouse the other of Rovan and another dyed young Charles of Lorrain gathered an Army and entring France came to the City of Laon within which City he by the Treason of Anselm the Bishop of that City was taken and delivered with his Wife and Children into the hands of his Enemies Hugh being crowned King causeth his Son Robert to be crowned King at Rhemes Anno 990. three years after his Father's election Hugh decreeth that the elder Son should reign alone among his Brethren and suppresseth the Majors of the Palace He likewise decreed that hereafter Bastards should not be only rejected from the Crown but also from the sir-name of France the which before was allowed them To him likewise are due the goodly Ordinances of Justice Paris was the chief place of Hugh's residence which City was greatly augmented and beautified in his Reign Arnulph Bastard to Lothair was the only Man which had favoured Charles of Lorrain against Hugh Capet This Man was both perverse and disloyal having deceived both Charles of Lorrain and Hugh Capet who had given him the Arch-bishoprick of Rovan in recompence of the service he promised him against Charles to whom notwithstanding contrary to his Faith he gave means to seize upon the Cities of Rhemes Laon and Soissons Hugh therefore resolves to suppress Arnulph but respecting his quality he assembled a National Council of the French Church in the City of Rhemes This Assembly deposed Arnulph as guilty of Treachery and a troubler of the publick quiet and they substitute Gilbert in his place who had been School-master unto Robert Afterwards Hugh confines him to Orleans with Charles of Lorrain there to end his days in rest The Prelates of France in this Synod made a Declaration that the Popes have nothing to do to usurp the power and authority of Kings Arnalt Bishop of Orleans maintained in that Synod that the Popes have no power at all over the Bishops of France so as to have any cognizance of Cases belonging to them and he declaimed most stoutly against the avarice and corruption of the Court of Rome Seguin Arch-Bishop of Sens was sent also to Orleans to be imprisoned because he consented not freely to the deposition of Arnulph Pope John 12. being displeased with Hugh for that he had not appealed to him for his confirmation in this new Royalty disanulleth this Decree of the Council of Rhemes excommunicates the Bishops which had assisted restores Arnulph and deprives Gilbert of the Arch-bishoprick of Rovan and to temper this sharp and rough proceeding with some lenity he doth invest Gilbert with the Arch-bishoprick of Ravenna And this was a means to raise him to the dignity of Pope Acta Synodi Rhemensis Anno 990. The Acts of this Council of Rhemes under Hugh Capet have these words Poor Rome What clear lights of Fathers hast thou brought forth in the time of our Predecessors What horrible darkness hast thou poured out upon our times which will redound to our shame and dishonour in future Ages The Pope threatens his curse against Hugh and his Son Robert The King returned Answer that he had done nothing in contempt but that he was willing to justifie what He or his Bishops had done if it pleased the Pope to meet him at Gratianople on the Frontiers of Italy and France or if rather he would come into France he promised to receive him with the highest honour The Pope sent his Legates into France Gerebert Arch-Bishop of Rhemes sent an Epistle unto Seguin forementioned who was said to favour the deposed Arnulph the tenour whereof is Morn in Myst iniqu It became your worthiness to eschew the craftiness of deceitful men and to hear the voice of the Lord saying Here is Christ Hist Magdeb. in Actis Synodi or there is Christ follow not One is said to be in Rome who justifieth those things which ye condemn and condemneth those things which ye think just God saith If thy Brother offend against thee go and rebuke him How then say some that in the deposition of Arnulph we should have waited the determination of the Romish Bishop can they say that the Judgement of the Bishop of Rome is greater than the Judgement of God But the Prince of the Apostles saith We must obey God rather than Man St. Paul also cryeth If any Man Preach unto you otherwise than what you have received although he were an Angel from Heaven let him be accursed Because Pope Marcellinus offered Incense unto Idols should therefore all Bishops offer Incense I say boldly that if the Bishop of Rome himself sin against a Brother and being often admonished will not hear the Church even the Roman Bishop according to the command of Christ should be esteemed as an Heathen and a Publican for the highest rise hath the lowest fall And if he think us unworthy of him because none of us assenteth to him when he judgeth contrary to the Gospel he cannot therefore separate us from the Communion of Christ seeing even a Presbyter unless he confess or be convict should not be removed from his Office c. The Priviledges of St. Peter saith Leo the Great are not where Judgement is not exercised according to Righteousness Wherefore occasion should not be given unto these our envyers that the Priesthood which is one every where as the Catholick Church is one should be subject unto one Man that if he be corrupt with Money favour fear or ignorance none can be a Priest except whom these virtues recommend unto him Let the Law of the Catholick Church be common Farewel and suspend not your selves from the sacred Mysteries Pope John had intelligence of this Letter and summoned the
equity and honourableness of the cause and chiefly with a Vision as they say from Heaven took the whole business upon him and travelled to Rome to consult with Pope Vrban the second about the advancing so pious a design Some think that the Pope first secretly employed this Hermit to be his Factor and to go to Jerusalem to set on foot so beneficial a Trade for the Church of Rome because the Pope alone was the gainer by this great adventure and all other Princes of Europe came off losers Pope Vrban had called the Council of Clermont in France forementioned where met many Princes and Prelates to whom he made a long oration which was to this effect First he bemoaned the miseries of the Christians in Asia and the vastation of those holy places Next Tyrius li. 1. c. 15. he encouraged the Princes in the Council to take Arms against those Infidels and to break their bonds in sunder and to cast their cords far from them as it is written to cast out the Handmaid and her Children Otherwise if they would not help to quench their neighbours houses they must expect the speedy burning of their own and that these barbarous Nations would quickly over-run all Europe Now to set an edge to their courage he promised to all that went this Voyage a full remission of their sins and pennances here and the enjoying Heaven hereafter Lastly he thus concluded Gird your Swords to your Thighs O ye men of might It is our parts to pray yours to fight ours with Moses to hold up unwearied hands to God yours to stretch forth the Sword against these Children of Amaleck Amen This motion was most chearfully entertained so that the whole Assembly cryed out God willeth it Sabell An. 9. lib. 3. A speech which was afterward used as a fortunate Watch-word in their most dangerous designs Then many took a cross of red cloth on their right shoulder as a badge of their devotion And to gain the favourable assistance of the Virgin Mary to make this War the more happy her Office was instituted containing certain prayers which at Canonical hours were to be made unto her One observeth that it is enough to make it suspicious that there were some sinister ends in this War Tho. Fuller Hist sacri belli because Gregory VII otherwise called Hildebrand and by Luther in his Chronology Larva Diaboli the worst of all that sate in the Papal Chair first began it but death preventing him Vrban the second whom Cardinal Benno called Turban for troubling the whole world effected it Now a great controversie was in Christendom about the investiture of Bishops whether the right lay in the Pope or in secular Princes Now the Pope diverted this question out of Princes Heads by opening an issue another way and gave vent to the activity of their spirits in this Martial employment and in the mean time quietly went away without any corrival concluding the controversie for his own profit Moreover he got a Mass of Money by it He had the office to bear the bag and what was put into it as contributed to this action from pious people and expended but some few drops of the showers he received As the Pope so most of the Clergy improved their Estates by this War Aemil. de gest Franc. p. 109. For the secular Princes who went this Voyage sold or morgaged most of their Estates selling for Gold to purchase with Steel and Iron and the Clergy were generally their Chapmen Godfrey Duke of Bovillon sold that Dukedom to the Bishop of Liege and the Castle of Sartensy and Monsa to the Bishop of Verdun Baldwin his Brother sold him the City of Verdun Daniel in Henric 1. Yea by these sales the third part of the Feoffs in France came to be possessed by the Clergy who made good bargains for themselves and had the conscience to buy Earth cheap and Heaven dear Many Prelates and Fryars left their pastoral Charges and Covents to follow this business The total sum of those pilgrim Souldiers amounted to three hundred thousand The French Dutch Italian and English were the four Elemental Nations whereof this Army was compounded But France contributed more Souldiers to this Army than all Christendom besides The signal men were Hugh sirnamed le Grand Brother to the King of France Godfrey Duke of Bovillon Baldwin and Eustace his younger Brothers Stephen Earl of Bloys Father to Stephen afterwards King of England Reymund Earl of Tholouse Robert Earl of Flanders Hugh Earl of St. Paul Baldwin de Burge with many more besides of the Clergy Aimar Bishop of Puy and Legate to the Pope and William Bishop of Orange Out of the farthest parts of Italy Boemund Prince of Tarentum and Tancred his Nephew both of the Norman seed though growing on the Apulian soyl led an Army of twelve thousand Men. Many Souldiers also went out of Lombardy England also the Pope's pack-horse in that Age sent many brave men under Robert Duke of Normandy Brother to William Rufus now King of England after the Death of his Father as Beauchamp and others whose names are lost All these Princes being called up by Pope Vrban gathered together great Armies at divers times and places unto that War After many difficulties and the loss of many men they arrived in Palestine and Jerusalem was won by the Christians and twenty thousand Turks therein slain on July 15. Anno 1098. Robert the Norman refuseth the Kingdom of Jerusalem and Godfrey of Bovillon is chosen King In this choice that they might know the nature of the Princes the better their Servants were examined on Oath to confess their Master 's faults The Servants of Godfrey protested their Master 's only fault was this That when Mattens were done he would stay so long in the Church to know of the Priest the meaning of every Image and picture that Dinner at home was spoiled by his long tarrying All admired hereat and unanimously chose him their King In the latter end of this Century Bruno Chanon of the Church of Colen and Rhemes bare the praise of Learning and Holiness and was Master of the Schools by whom the order of the Carihusians was begun The Cistercian Order was begun Anno 1098. by Robert Abbot of Molisma as Sigebert saith Godfrey of Bovillon dyed having reigned one year wanting five days After his death the Christians with a joynt consent sent to Baldwin his Brother Count of Edessa a City in Arabia the Lord whereof had adopted this Baldwin to be his Heir and entreated him to accept of the Kingdom which honourable offer he courteously embraced Anno 1100. He was a Prince of the largest size higher by the Head than his Subjects Bred he was a Scholar entred into Orders and was Prebendary in the Churches of Rhemes Liege and Cambray but afterwards turned secular Prince but Baldwin put not off his Scholar-ship with his habit but made good use thereof in his Reign Century XII
third was that the Pope could not give general licence to hear confessions so but that the Parishoner so confessed was bound to reiterate the same confession made unto his own Curate Which he proved by divers places of the Canon Law The fourth opinion was that the Fryars by the Licence of the Pope and of the Bishops might lawfully hear confessions and the people might be of them confessed and absolved But yet notwithstanding it was just honest and profitable that once in the year they should be confessed to the Curates although confessed before to the Fryars because of the admininistration of the Sacraments especially at Easter of which opinion was William de monte Landuno The fifth opinion was that albeit the Fryars might at all times and at Easter also hear confessions as the Curates did yet it was safer at the time of Easter to confess to the Curates than to the Fryars And of this opinion was Richard of Armagh Arch-Bishop and Primate of Ireland In the time of Pope Clement VI. John King of France invented the Sect and Order of those Monks Sympson Eccles Hist p. 391. which are called Stellati whose manner is always to wear a star upon their Breast signifying thereby that there is nothing in them but the light of perfection and the clear shining of good works yea that they themselves are the light of the World Item That they shall rise again at the last day all shining and glistering as the most clear and pleasant stars according as it is written Dan. 12.3 They that turn many unto Righteousness shall be as the stars for ever and ever After the death of Pope Clement VI. succeeded Innocent VI. before whom the aforesaid Richard of Armagh published nine Articles against the begging Fryars This Pope builded Walls about Avignon and founded an house of Carthusian Monks without the City Pope Vrban V. succeeded him Anno 1364. Nicholas Orem made a Sermon before the Pope and his Cardinals on Christmas-even in which he rebuketh the Prelates and Priests of his time declaring their destruction not to be far off by certain signs taken of their wicked and corrupt life He proveth the Popish Clergy to be so much worse than the old Synagogue of the Jews by how much it is worse to sell the Church and Sacraments than to suffer Doves to be sold in the Church In the year 1370. Peter Belfort of Lemousin who took the name of Gregory XI was created likewise at Avignon who thought good to transfer the Apostolical Chair from Avignon back again to Rome a thing almost incredible for so many French Popes succeeding one another they had so weakned the Italian party that there were scarce any Italian Cardinals among them all and of the French there were more than twenty Several reasons are alledged to have moved Gregory to this resolution but particularly these following The first was that he saw all Italy in Arms not only by the Wars betwixt Venice and Genoa but by a resolution several Cities had taken to shake off the yoke of their servitude and re-establish themselves in a state of Liberty which he believing to be occasioned by the absence of the pilot from the Vessel of Rome he began to think of resettling his pontifical residence in Italy The second was That one day reprehending a certain Bishop his familiar that he left the Bishoprick to follow the Court the Bishop confidently replyed And you who are Pope of Rome why are you in France Hist of Cardin. part 3. lib. 1. Why are you so long from the place where your Church doth lye Others will have it that a Letter from St. Bridget whom the Pope lookt upon as a true Saint contributed much in which she advised him as from God to return to Rome He gave order for twenty Galleys to be ready in the Rhone pretending to go somewhither else with them because he suspected that the French who had so much advantage by the residence of his Court in France would obstruct it if they had the least notice of his removing the See to Rome But indeed they took not the least Alarum at all the preparations which were made as not imagining that a French Pope would put such an affront upon his Nation So that they had no notice of it till the Pope was at Sea being passed as far as Genoa and from Genoa to Cornetto where being weary of his Galleys he made the rest of his Voyage by Land and being arrived at Rome he began to apply fit Medicines and specifical to the maladies of Italy But he dyed Anno 1280. of a great distemper in his Bladder after he had sate six years in France and five in Italy It is reported that at the hour of this Pope's Death the palace of the Pope at Avignon was set on fire and could not be quenched Bale's Pageant of Pope's till the greatest part thereof was burnt Afterwards ensued the greatest schism and division that ever hapned in the Popedom King John dyed Anno 1364. to whom succeeded his Son Charles the fifth of that name King John dyed in England for the French King had an earnest desire to see the King of England again because he had so honourably entertained him whilst he was his prisoner So he went and was entertained very Royally But shortly after he fell sick and dyed at London His Body was conveyed over into France and buried in the Town of St. Denis the King of Cyprus being present at his Funerals Charles V. called the Wise was crowned at Rhemes together with his Wife the Daughter of Peter Duke of Bourbon He made his younger Brother Philip Duke of Burgundy who had been prisoner with his Father in England Many Lords in Gascoign revolted from Prince Edward unto the French King Prince Edward after his great victories had carried himself roughly toward the Noble-men his Subjects But the French King besides his excellent Wisdom was also gentle and courteous insinuating himself into the affections of all men The Duke of Anjou marching with his forces from Tholouse easily recovered all the Towns and holds that were pertaining to the English in those quarters The King of England lost all his whole Seignory of Gascoign the people partly rebelling and partly yielding themselves willingly to his enemy Poictiers also yieldeth to the French The men of Rochel yield also unto the French King Charles dyed of poison taken long before He was a Prince so wise and politick Frossard's chronic in Charl. V. Anno 1380. that fitting in his Gown at Paris in ease and quietness he recovered many things by counsel and policy which his predecessours had lost in the field to their Enemies And among other vexations which hapned to King Edward at his last Voyage that he intended into Britain for the rescue of his men besieged when he was forced back by the extremity of Weather this one thing troubled him above the rest that he must make war
this our Request which it most just and reasonable but will obey it especially considering that our said Chancellour Presidents Masters of Requests c. are employed daily and in continual trouble about the maintenance and defence of the Rights and priviledges of the Churches of our said Realm and the administration of Justice to our said Subjects signifying unto you that you shall herein do us such an acceptable favour as nothing more by means whereof we take you and your affairs into special recommendation Given at Mascon August 18. in the sixth year of our Reign thus subscribed By the King In the presence of my Lord Cardinal D' Amboise Legat in France and others Robertet Sealed with yellow Wax with the King 's broad Seal There is in the same Book an exemplification of the privy Letters which the Court of Parliament writ to the Prelates about these nominations the Tenour whereof is this Reverend Father in God We send greeting to you It hath pleased the King to grant unto the Presidents Counsellours and other Officers of this Court his Letters and nomination to some Benefices which are in the hands of some Collatours and Patrons of this Realm and among others to our Brother such a Counsellour of our said Soveraign in this Court to the Benefices which are in your gift and disposal Wherefore we earnestly beseech you that in obedience to the said Letters and in consideration of the deserts of our said Brother you would bestow upon him the first Benefice that falls in your gift being by him required thereunto And in so doing you shall do us a most acceptable courtesie for which we shall take your affairs into special Recommendation Reverend Father in God we beseech the blessed Son of God to grant you your desire Written at Paris in the Parliament under the Seal thereof Septemb. 7. The Men celebrating the Parliament And this Annotation is written in the Margin Antiquitùs fiebant alitèr Voyez le recueil Du Fontan les grand ordonnances Tom. 4. Tit. ◠cap. 1. The said King Lewes XI in an Ordinance of January 8. 1475. makes this Narration When any Questions or differences come upon us as well concerning the state of the Church of our Kingdom as other our affairs we that ought to have recourse to them cannot be assisted aided or advised therein by reason of their absence where we and the Common-wealth are oftentimes much interessed Then after this he ordains in this manner We Will Ordain and declare by these Presents that all Arch-Bishops Bishops Abbots Prelates and others that hold any Dignities within our Kingdom and do reside out of the bounds thereof and out of our Obedience Do Return and Repair within five months after the publication of these Presents unto their Benefices within our sald Realm or unto some one of them if they have any more and there make continual Residence there to celebrate and continue divine Service as belongs unto them and as they are bound to do As also to the end that they may serve and assist us in our Councils and otherwise to the behoof of us and the Common-wealth of our said Kingdom when need shall be And this upon pain of being deprived of the Temporals of their said Benefices Fabian's chroni King Lewes falling into a long and and grievous sickness gave much Alms and in the Church of St. John Baptist in Paris he founded certain Priests to sing Masses for him perpetually for whose maintenance he gave of yearly Rent a thousand pounds of Paris Money So he remained in a languishing condition three years before he dyed He dyed August 30. 1483. and his Son Charles VIII succeeded him in the Kingdom Charles being crowned at Rhemes was from thence with pomp brought to Paris A general Parliament was held at Tours where the Pragmatick Sanction was restored to use it as they had accustomed In the year 1494. this King Charles VIII carried an Army of fifty thousand of Foot and Horse out of France into Italy and in two months space he became Lord of the whole Kingdom of Naples except some little Towns on the Sea-side which held for King Ferdinand The Pope seeing the success of King Charles makes a League with the Emperour Maximilian and the Venetians Into this League also entred Lewes Duke of Milan notwithstanding that by his procurement King Charles took occasion to come into Italy King Charles having Intelligence of this League resolves to leave such forces in the Kingdom of Naples as might be sufficient for the defence thereof and with the rest of his Army to return into France and marching toward Rome he gave the Pope to understand that he came to do his duty to his Holiness Pope Alexander not daring to abide his coming departed from Rome wherein and in other of the Pope's Towns the King's Troops did much harm The French King departing from Rome continueth his journey toward France Coming near to Parma passing the River Tarro he met a great Army of his Enemies whereof Francis Gonzaga Marquess of Mantua was General with whom they came to a Battle in which there dyed a thousand Men of both sides Anno 1495. But after some Treaties between the two Armies the French in a night went toward Astè where the King remained certain days and a Peace was concluded between him and the Duke of Milan and Lewes Duke of Orleans rendring Novarra King Charles returned into France and Ferdinand King of Naples recovered that Kingdom Concerning the abuses of the Court of Rome among the Statutes of this King Charles VIII I find in a Statute of February 18. 1496. this complaint Some years ago the Popes of Rome in despight and contempt of the Decrees of Antient Fathers and General Councils have brought all Ecclesiastical Dignities Cathedral and Collegiate under their disposal and all other of greatest value next after Bishopricks Review of the Counc Trident. li. 2. ca. 6. they have granted Livings in reversions upon the Vacancy to any that would sue for them which hath been the occasion for one to thirst after the death of another They have invented abundance of tricks whereby they have utterly annihilated the power and Authority of the Bishops Chapters and Colledges insomuch that there is none now that hath the power to present to a living In the Year 1498. King Charles VIII dyed of an Apoplexy at Amboise In him failed the direct Line of the Kings of France descended from Philip of Valois and the Crown fell to the collateral Line of the which the nearest Prince of the Blood was Lewes Duke of Orleans and Valois who succeeded in the Kingdom of France He was an excellent Prince of a liberal Nature affable temperate and of great moderation and was happy in his Reign Who subdued under his obedience Milan with Lombardy and Genoa with her two Rivers East and West together with the Islands of Corsica and Chio reconquered and divided the Realm of
but also all those of Milan that were taken with him The City of Milan which had revolted from the French sent speedy Ambassadours to the Cardinal D' Amboise to solicit for pardon He received them into grace and pardoned the Rebellion in the name of the King but under this bond to pay three hundred thousand Ducats of the which the King afterwards discharged them in a great part He pardoned also other Towns that had rebelled which he taxed according to their Quality making the Victory profitable and the transgressions of the Offenders an increase of the King's Treasure Ludovicus Sforza Duke of Milan was carried to Lyons where the King was at that time and entring the Town at noon-day Guicciardin's Hist li. 4. multitudes of people flocked to see a Prince who from such greatness and Majesty was fallen into so great a misery And not obtaining leave to be brought into the King's presence which he much desired he was conveyed within two days after to the Tower of Loches wherein he remained prisoner ten years even to the end of his Life The Cardinal Ascanius followed him a little after but he was both received with more honour and humanity and gratiously visited by the Cardinal D' Amboise by whose intercession he was sent to the great Tower at Bourges a prison more honourable wherein the King that sent him had before been restrained two years in captivity Pope Alexander VI. being dead Anno 1503. Pius III. was chosen but he dyed within 27. days Then was Julius II. chosen a Man froward cruel factious and turbulent Anno 1506. the French King albeit the year before he was much discontented with the Pope for that he had disposed and inducted the Benefices which were void by the death of Cardinal Ascanius and others in the Dutchy of Milan without his participation and for that also in the creation of other Cardinals he had refused to call the Bishop of Achz Nephew to the Cardinal D' Amboise and the Bishop of Baieux Nephew to Monsieur Trimoville being earnestly solicited by the King who in those regards had caused to be sequestred the fruits of the Benefices which the Cardinal S. P. ad Vincula and others of the Pope's Amity possessed in the State of Milan Yet the King on the other side judged it necessary to re-enter into reconcilement with the Pope to whom after he had released all the sequestrations he sent the Bishop of Sisteron the Pope's Nuncio to negotiate with him many plots against the Venetians to whom he knew the Pope could not but continue to bear an ill will for the desire he had to recover the towns of Romania The Bishop of Sisteron being received and heard with gladness agreeable to the nature of his desire was dispatched and sent back again with diligence to solicit between them a re-union and amity wherein the better to dispose the mind of the King and the Cardinal D' Amboise he promised by writ which the said Nuncio carried with him the Dignity of Cardinal to the Bishops of Achz and Baieux Yet notwithstanding in so great an heat of forwardness he entred oftentimes into many doubts and difficulties either for a certain hate he had conceived against the French King at such time as himself fled into France to avoid the trains laid for him by Pope Alexander or for that it much discontented him to be as it were drawn by compulsion by the power and importunity of the French King to transfer to the Cardinal D' Amboise the Legation of the Kingdom of France or lastly for that he suspected lest the said Cardinal who aspired to the Popedom not having patience to tarry for his Death would seek to climb up to it by ways sinister and extraordinary These things made him often to waver in his Resolutions determining not wholly to joyn with the French King and yet without his conjunction he knew it was impossible that at that time any thing of consequence should succeed with him Pope Julius resolves to recover Bolognia by force of Arms for a hatred newly kindled against John Bentivoglo because in the time of his adversity when he durst not abide in Rome and seeking safety in Cento a Town of his Bishoprick in Bolognia he was driven to flee away by night hearing a bruit published that he should be apprehended prisoner at the instance of Pope Alexander The Pope took Cesena and Forolivio from Caesar Borgia the Son of Pope Alexander VI. He expelled the Family of Bentivogli out of Bononia he excommunicated the Venetians and gave their Lands to the first that could take them King Lewes XII overthrew the Venetians at Abdua and albeit he gave the greatest part of his purchase unto Julius yet he envyeth the prosperity of Lewes and combined again with the Venetians to expell him out of Italy Anno 1510. died the Cardinal D' Amboise Uncle to the Lord of Chaumont a man of a great spirit and well experienced in affairs but with the service of his Master he did not forget the content of his own private ambition The Pope reneweth the War against those of Ferrara and seeing himself unable to prevail with his Temporal Forces he excommunicates Alphonso of Este and all those who were or should come to his succour namely Charles of Amboise with all the chief of the French Army De Serres Hist This furious course made King Lewes to assemble all the Prelates of his Realm at Tours with the most famous Doctors of all his Universities as well in Divinity as in the Civil and Canon Laws who resolve upon eight notable conclusions against the Pope Eight conclusions made by the French against the Pope at Tours 1. That it was not lawful for the Pope to assail any Temporal Princes by force in their Territories not belonging to the Church 2. That it was lawful for any such Prince for the defence of his Subjects and Countrey not only to repel this injury by force but also to invade the Territories of the Church possessed by any such Pope not with an intent to hold them but to the end the Pope being dispossessed thereof he should have no more means to molest his Estate seeing the Pope had through the aid of the said Prince recovered the same Lands usurped before by certain Tyrants 3. That for so manifest a wrong and unjust attempt any such Prince might withdraw himself from the Pope's obedience for the defence of his Temporal Estate seeing he had stirred up many other Princes and Common-weals to invade the Dominions of the said Prince who deserved reward and love from the Apostolical See 4. That this substraction being made they should observe in France the common and Antient Law and the Pragmatick Sanction enacted at the Council of Basil 5. That any such Prince might by force defend another Prince his confederate and of whom he had lawfully taken the protection for those Seigneuries which he had long enjoyed with a just
against Luther and others defend him Luther proceedeth and writeth against other corruptions of the Church of Rome and many are enlightned by him Charles V. being Emperour calleth a Dyet at Wormes and thither is Luther summoned Anno 1521. who stoutly defendeth his Doctrine and many Priests began to preach and even in Wormes after they had seen the constancy of Luther they receive the preachers of the Gospel and because they could not have the liberty of the Churches they set up a portable pulpit and heard the preachers in many places of the Town until the year 1525. The Gospel was preached in Saxony and embraced there as also at Halberstat Hamburgh Pomerania Liveland and many other places Charles Duke of Savoy was desirous of truth and purity Luther understanding it by Annemund Coot a French Knight writes unto him a confession of Faith to confirm him in the zeal of piety In the closure he saith Well! Illustrious Prince stir up that spark which hath begun to kindle in thee and let fire come from the house of Savoy as from the house of Joseph and let all France be kindled by thee yea let that Holy fire burn and encrease that at last France may be truly called for the Gospel's sake the most Christian Kingdom In the year 1523. the Gospel began to be openly preached in France at Gratianople in the Daulphinatè by Peter Sebevilla Zuinglius by writing encouraged him to lift up his voice like a Trumpet and sound forth the Gospel in France At the same time in Melda about ten miles from Paris was Bishop William Brissonnet he was a Lover of Truth and Light he passeth by the Monks and sought learned Men to teach the Gospel So from Paris he calleth Jacobus Faber William Farel Arnold and Gâ—rard Red who did most fervently instruct the people in the truth But the Bishop's courage was soon abated by terrible menaces of the Sorbonnists nevertheless the word of God was planted in the hearts of many and by the wondrous counsel of God from the persecution of that one Church many Churches through France were planted for both the Teachers and hearers were spread abroad After Martin Luther had opened the way in Germany John Calvin born at Noyon in Piccardy a Man of a great wit marvellously eloquent and generally Learned departing from the Faith then generally held proposed in his Books which he published in Print and in his Sermons which he preached in divers places in France one hundred twenty eight axiomes so he called them disagreeing from the Roman Church The French Wits curious by Nature and desirous of Novelties began at first rather for pastime than through choice to read his writings and frequent his Sermons But as Davila a Papist observeth in his History of the civil Wars of France as in all business of the World it useth often to fall out that things beginning in jest end in earnest so these opinions sowed in God's Church Davila Hist of the Civil Wars of France lib. 1. so crept up saith he that they were greedily embraced and firmly believed by a great number of people and persons of all qualities insomuch that Calvin came to be reverenced of many in a short time and believed for a new miraculous Interpreter of Scripture and saith my Authour as it were a certain infallible Teacher of the true Faith The foundation of this Doctrine was in the City of Geneva scituate upon the Lake Antiently called Lacus Lemanus upon the confines of Savoy which having rejected the Government of the Duke and Bishop to whom formerly it paid obedience under the name of Terra Franca under pretext of liberty of conscience reduced it self into the form of a Common-wealth From thence books coming out daily in print and men furnished with Wit and eloquence insinuating themselves into the Neighbour Provinces who secretly sowed the seeds of this new Doctrine in progress of time all the Cities and Provinces of the Kingdom of France were filled with it though so covertly that there appeared openly only some few marks and conjectures of it This began in the time of King Francis the first who though sometimes he made severe resolutions against the preachers and professours of this Doctrine yet notwithstanding being continually busied in Forreign Wars took little notice thereof Peter Viret was an eloquent French Divine whom Calvin desired for his Colleague His French Books are mentioned by Antoine du Verdier in his Bibliotheque William Farel was also a learned Divine of Geneva He hath written De Vray Vsage de la Croix and other Books Upon Calvin Farel and Viret there is this Epigram of Beza Gallica mirata est Calvinum Ecclesia nuper Quo nemo docuit doctiùs Est quoque te nuper mirata Farelle tonantem Quo nemo tonuit fortiùs Et miratur adhuc fundentem mella Viretum Quo nemo fatur dulciùs Scilicet aut tribus his servabere testibus olim Aut interibis Gallia Stephen Pasquier a French Writer and a Papist doth much extol Calvin's piety wit and learning Recherch de la France li. 8. ca. 55. John Clerk was apprehended at Melden in France Anno 1523. for setting up upon the Church-door a certain Bill against the Pope's pardons lately sent thither from Rome in which Bill he named the Pope to be Antichrist For which he was three several days whipped and afterwards had a mark imprinted in his Forehead as a note of infamy His mother being a good Christian-woman though her Husband was an Adversary when she beheld her Son thus grievously scourged and ignominiously deformed in the face did boldly encourage her Son crying with a loud Voice Blessed be Christ and welcome be these prints and marks After this execution and punishment sustained the said John departed that Town and went to Rosie in Brie and from thence to Metz where he was taken for casting down Images and there his hand was first cut off from his right Arm then his Nose with sharp pincers was violently pulled from his Face after that both his Arms and his paps were likewise pluckt and drawn with the same Instrument He quietly endured these Torments in a manner singing the Verses of the 115 Psalm Their Idols be Silver and Gold the work only of Man's hand The rest of his body was committed to the fire and therewith consumed Anno 1525. Doctor John Castellan after he was called to the knowledge of God he bâ—came a true preacher of his word in France at Barleduc also at Vittery in Partoise at Chalon in Champagne and in the Town of Vike which is the Episcopal Seat of the Bishop of Metz in Lorrain After he had laid some foundation of the Doctrine of the Gospel in Metz in returning from thence he was taken prisoner by the Cardinal of Lorrain's servants and carried to the Castle of Nommenie from thence he was carried to the Town and Castle of Vike always constantly persevering in the same Doctrine He was degraded by
the confession but gave order that a confutation thereof should be read and no Copy given The Pope was displeased with the Emperour for meddling in Religion but especially for promising a Council He writes to all Princes that he would call a Council though he never meant it and his collusion is discovered by many The Protestants likewise do write to all Princes praying them not to believe the calumnies raised against them and to suspend their Judgements until those that are accused have place to acquit themselves publickly And therefore they will desire the Emperour that he will call a godly and free Council in Germany as soon as might be and not use force until the matter be disputed and lawfully denyed The French King answered with very courteous Letters in substance giving them thanks for communicating unto him a business of so great weight He shewed them that he was glad to understand of their innocency and did approve the instance they made that the vices might be amended wherein they shall find his will to concur with theirs that their requiring a Council was just and holy yea necessary not only for the affairs of Germany but of the whole Church that it was not necessary to use Arms where the controversies may be ended with Treaties The Emperour promiseth the calling of a Council within six months The Pope resolveth to make an Alliance with France to be able to withstand the Emperour After the Assembly of the Protestants at Smalcald the French King Treateth with the Landgrave of Hassia at the Pope's request about the Council The Pope is displeased for the proposal of Geneva for the place of the Council Anno 1534. Pope Clement VII dyeth and Cardinal Farnese is created Pope and named Paul III. He maketh a shew that he desireth a Council he perswadeth the Cardinals to reform themselves The custom is that in the first days the Cardinals obtain favours easily of the new pope Therefore the Cardinal of Lorrain and other French in the name of the King desired him to grant to the Duke of Lorrain the nomination of the Bishopricks and Abbacies of his Dominion The Pope's Answer was that in the Council which should be called shortly it was necessary to take away the faculty of nomination from those Princes that already had it which was some blemish to the Popes his predecessours who had granted them A Bull is made for the convocation of the Council at Mantua May 27. 1537. The Pope prayeth the French King and all other Kings and Princes to be there in person The Protestants approve not the Bull of convocation The Duke of Mantua makes a Grant of his City and afterwards recalleth it The King of England opposeth the Council by a publick manifest Then the Pope sent out a Bull for the convocation of the Council at Vicenza The Legates went to Vicenza at the time appointed and the Pope to Nizza in Provence at the same time to speak personally with the Emperour and the French King which he gave out was only to make peace between those great Princes though his principal end was to draw the Dukedom of Milan to his own house Anno 1538. The Council intimated is suspended during pleasure The Emperour gave order for a Dyet to be held in Germany where Ferdinand thought good inviting the Protestant Princes to be there in person and promising publick security unto all Cardinal Farnese hearing of this conclusion made without his knowledge went immediately away and passing by Paris obtained of the French King a severe Edict against the Lutherans which being published was executed in that City and after through all France with much rigour King Francis commanded that all should be appeached who had Books differing from the Church of Rome that made secret Conventicles that transgressed the commandments of the Church and especially that observed not the Doctrine of Meats or prayed in any Tongue but the Latin and commanded the Sorbonnists to be diligent Spies against them Afterwards understanding the Emperour 's cunning who assayed to incite the Pope against him he caused the Lutherans to be really proceeded against and commanded that a form to discover and accuse them should be instituted in Paris proposing punishments to the concealers of them and rewards to the Delators This was done Anno 1542. The Emperour gave divers orders to the Prelates of Spain and the Low-Countries and commanded that the Divines of Lovain should assemble together to consider of the Doctrines which were to be proposed which they reduced to XXII heads without confirming them by any place of Scripture but explicating Magisterially the conclusion only Thâ— French King also Assembled at Melun the Parisian Divines to consult of â—â—â— necessary positions of the Christian Faith to be proposed in thâ—â—â—uncil where there was much contention For some desired to propose the confirmation of whatsoever was constituted in Constance and Basil and the re-establishment of the Pragmatick Sanction And others doubting that the King would be offended by destroying the Concordat made between him and Leo which would necessarily follow gave counsel not to set that disputation on foot And afterwards because there were divers opinions in that School concerning the Sacraments unto which some gave effective Ministerial vertue and others not every one desiring that his opinion should be an Article of Faith nothing could be concluded but that they should keep themselves within compass of the XXV heads published two years before The Council is appointed to be in Trent and thither the Legates are sent While they meet in Trent to convince Heresies by a Council in France they did the same by force of Arms against a small remainder of the Waldenses Inhabitants of the Alpes of Provence who as hath hath been said before maintained a separation from the See of Rome with divers Rites and Doctrine These Men after the Reformation of Zuinglius enlarged their Doctrine by his and reduced their Rites unto some form at the same time when Geneva embraced the Reformation Sentence was pronounced against these many years before by the Parliament of Aix which had never been executed The King now commanded to execute the Sentence The President mustered together as many Souldiers as he could in the places bordering upon them and in the Pope's State of Avignon and went with an Army against these poor Creatures who had neither Weapon nor thought otherwise than by flight to defend themselves those that could They went not about to teach them or by threats to make them leave their Rites and opinions but first of all filling all the Countrey with Rapes slew as many as stood to their mercy because they could not fly without sparing young or old They rather razed the Countries of Cabriers in Provence and of Merindol in the County of Viinoisin belonging to the Pope and all other places in those Precincts More than 4000. persons were slain They that fled to the Woods and Mountains partly were famished
the Queen intended to continue with the same power till her Son came of Age they thought it more easie to gain the King of Navarre who was already much averse to the Protestants Religion by reason of the different opinions he found among them about the Points in Controversie And now the King of Navarre joyns himself with the Duke of Guise and the Constable These three the Hugonots called the Triumvirate Queen Joan was highly displeased at this so unexpected deliberation of her Husband and leaving the Court carrieth with her Prince Henry and the Princess Katherine her Children whom she brought up in Calvinism into Bearn being determined to separate her self from the Counsels and conversation of her Husband The Queen Regent was also terrified herewith and in opposition to the Triumvirate joyns with the Prince of Conde and the Admiral The Prince of Conde takes upon him openly to Head the Hugonots who ardently desire to revenge his past affronts upon those that were his chief persecutours His power and boldness was moderated by the wise Counsel of the Admiral of Chastillon Their Authority led after them being of the same Faith the Prince of Porcien the Count de la Roch-fou-caut Messieurs de Genlis de Grammont and Duras the Count of Montgomery the Baron des Adrets Messieurs de Bouchavane and Soubize and many other the Principal in the Kingdom Thus upon a sudden the King of Navarre went over to the Popish party and Queen Katherine though dissemblingly took upon her the Protection of the Protestants The King of Navarre staying in Paris laboureth to hinder the Assemblies of the Protestants to diminish their force and credit and finally to take away their liberty of Religion The Prince of Conde being likewise in Paris Davil Hist of the Civil Wars of France lib. 3. on the contrary encourageth the Preachers and as he could enlargeth their licence and liberty The King of Navarre deliberating to drive the Prince of Conde out of Paris for this purpose sends for the other Popish Lords to Court The Duke of Guise makes a journey thither and passing through Vassy his Servants heard a noise of Bells and having askt what was the reason of it answer was made That it was the hour wherein the Hugonots used to Assemble at their Sermons The Pages and Lacquies of the Duke that went before the rest of the Company moved with the Novelty of the thing and a curiosity to see for then those Congregations began first to be kept in Publick with jesting speeches and a tumult went towards the place where the Hugonots were Assembled at their Devotion Who understanding that the Duke of Guise their great Persecutour was there and seeing a great Troop come directly toward them inconsiderately fell presently to gather up stones and began to drive back those that advanced first to the place of their Assembly By which injury the Popish party rashly betook themselves to Arms. The Duke putting himself in the midst of them was hit with a blow of a stone upon the left cheek which bled much which caused him to withdraw from the hurly-burly His followers impatient of such an affront done to their Lord with their fire-arms presently assaulted the house whither the Hugonots retired to secure themselves killed above sixty of them and grievously wounded the Minister who climbing over the Tyles saved himself in some of the adjoyning houses The tumult being ended the Duke of Guise called for the Officer of the place sharply reproving him for suffering such a pernicious Licence to the prejudice of Passengers He excusing himself as unable to hinder it by reason of the Edict of January which tolerated the publick Assemblies of the Hugonots the Duke no less offended at his answer than at the thing it self laying his hand upon his Sword replyed in choler This shall soon cut the Bond of that Edict though never so binding From which words many afterwards concluded that he was the Authour of the ensuing War But the Hugonots incensed by this Chance now full of rage stirred up such horrible tumults and bloody Seditions that besides the slaughter of men in many places the Monasteries were spoiled Images thrown down the Altars broken and the Churches defiled The people in all places ran headlong to take Arms and the Heads of the Factions went about gathering Forces preparing themselves for a manifest War And now each Faction desired to draw the King to their party and to possess the Persons of the King and Queen But the Catholicks prevent the Hugonots and lead them both to Paris from Fountainbleau The Prince of Conde therefore possesseth Orleans and prepareth for the War The Popish Lords under the King's name likewise raise an Army Many writings are published on each side and both Armies go into the Field The Queen-Mother labours for a Peace To this end she comes to a parley with the Prince but without success notwithstanding she continues to Treat of an Agreement which at length is concluded But the Prince by the perswasion of the rest again takes Arms purposeth to assail the King's Camp by night but misseth of his design Forces come to the King's aid out of Germany and many thousands of Swisses whereupon the Prince is forced to retire unto the Walls of Orleans where being unable to keep the Army together he divides it He sendeth for succour from Germany and England consents to give Havre de Grace to the English and to receive their Garrisons into Deipe and Roven to obtain aid from them The King's Army takes Blois Poictiers Tours and Bourges besieges Roven and takes it and sacks it where Anthony King of Navarre received a Musket shot in the left shoulder which breaking the bone and tearing the Nerves he presently fell down on the place as dead and died shortly after Succours come to the Prince of Conde out of Germany with which being re-inforced he makes haste to assault Paris The King and the Queen arrive there with the Army and the Prince after many attempts is necessitated to depart Both Armies go into Normandy and there follows the Battel of Dreux in which the Prince of Conde is taken Prisoner on the one side and the Constable on the other The Duke of Guise being Victorious layes siege to Orleans and is ready to take it and is treacherously slain by Poltrot Sieur de Mereborn of a Noble Family near Angoulesme He feigns to forsake the Protestant party leaves Orleans insinuates himself into the Duke of Guises Court and whilst the Duke gives order for an assault shoots him in the shoulder whereof he dieth Poltrot aided by the swiftness of his horse saved himself in the neighbouring Woods and the Duke being carried to his Lodging died three dayes after of his hurt Poltrot was taken and being taken was by sentence of Parliament publickly quartered After the death of the Duke of Guise an accommodation followed Conditions of Peace were conluded at Orleans March 18. 1563. viz.
brake forth The Prince of Conde approached with an Army to Paris and distressed it for want of food The Parisians under the Conduct of the Constable sally out of the Town and come to Saint Denis where the Prince of Conde's Army lay There the Admiral put the Parisian Souldiers to flight and the Constable was shot by a Scotish Souldier of which wound he died shortly after After the Battel the Prince of Conde marched toward Lorain to joyn with the German Army Which was to be sent for his succour from the Count Palatine of the Rheine under the Conduct of Cassimire's Son This German Army joyned with the Forces of the Prince of Conde at Pontamonsou a Town in Lorain on the River Mosel Being thus conjoyned they march to Chartres and besiege it The danger of Chartres brings on a new Treatise of Peace which at last is concluded The Armies are disbanded and the Towns by him subdued are delivered into the King's hand the German Souldiers were dismissed and every man returned to his own house But this pacification was but a subtil snare to entangle the Protestants withal for the Protestants were compelled to lay down their Armour when they entred into the Towns where they dwelt and strictly commanded to remain in thei◠houses being not permitted to visit one another In all the parts of the Country great cruelty was used and many cruelly butchered so that within the space of three months moe than three thousand were slain by the Sword All means also were sought to intercept the Prince of Conde the Admiral Andelot and other principal Personages The Prince of Conde and the Admiral flie with their Wives and young children to Rochel God's Providence so conducted them that albeit all the Bridges and Passages were strictly kept yet God provided a Foord in the River Loyre near unto Sanser which was unknown before neither was any passage found to be there two daies after By this way they passed safely to Rochel The Prince of Conde had sent letters to the King greatly complaining of the Cardinal of Lorain who abused the King's Name and Authority and so maliciously sought the lives of the King 's innocent Subjects for their Religion expresly against the King's Edict of Pacification which had been sealed with the King 's own hand-writ and ratified with his Oath To those Letters no answer was given but all the Country was in Arms and the Duke of Anjou Brother to the King was made General Commander of the Army The Queen of Navarre on the other part adjoyned herself and her Forces to the Prince of Conde and from Britany came Andelot and his Forces who passed the Loyre by a certain Foord not known before and unpassable afterward no less miraculously than the Prince of Conde and his Family had done in another place of the same River before After whose coming Angolesme was besieged and taken by the Prince of Conde Likewise Acierius brought with him to the Prince out of Dolphinè Provence and Languedoc twenty three thousand men The Duke of Anjou was come with his Army to Poictou and pitched his Camp at Castellerault near to the River Vienna The Prince of Conde and the Admiral daily provoke him to fight but he politickly delayeth The Duke of Anjou receiving ayd from Germany forceth the Protestants to fight A Battle was fought at Blansac wherein the Prince of Conde was taken and slain and two hundred more of the Protestants and forty taken Prisoners The Admiral led the rest of the Army back to Saint Jande-Angeli Soon after Andelot died at Sainetes to the great grief of all the Army his body being opened was found to be poisoned The Queen of Navarre comforted the Army of the Protestants And her Son the young King of Navarre with the Prince of Conde's Son took upon them the Government of the Army and sent Count Montgomery to relieve the Town of Angolesme which was then besieged by the Duke's forces at whose coming the siege was raised Then the Duke of Bipont cometh from Germany to ayd the Protestants and takes the Town of la-Charity in Burgundy and dieth within two daies after having appointed Wolrod Count of Mansfelt to be General in his room In this Army were seven thousand and five hundred horse-mem and six thousand foot-men besides two thousand French horse-men who came in their company and ten Ensigns of foot-men The Prince of Orange with his Brothers Lodowick and Henry were also in this Army In the Country of Poictou the Princes had taken many Towns and Poictiers was besieged by them but they were forced to raise the siege At length both Armies met and joyned in a Battel near Montconvire where the Duke of Anjou had the Victory Hereupon all the Towns which the Protestants had taken in Poictou were recovered by their Enemies St. Jan-Dangely was also besieged and surrendered At the siege of this Town Martiques Governour of Britany was slain This Martiques perswaded la Matpinolis to yield the Town to the King and desired the Town to remember the Battel of Montconvire wherein their strong God had forsaken them and said it was time for them to sing Help us now O God for it is time Not long after this proud Blasphemer felt that this strong God was living able to help the weak and confound the proud The Princes now resolve to make Languedoc the seat of War because the Town of Nimes was lately surprized by the Protestants and many Towns in that Country favoured their Religion This occasioneth a new Edict of Pacification to be set forth granting liberty of Religion to the Protestants again and for their further security the keeping of four Towns during the space of two years viz. Rochel Cognack Montallan and Caritea Thus was an end put to the third Civil war in France About this time was a notable Suit of those who with a presumptuous and partial Title termed themselves of the society of Jesus decided in the Court of Parliament Steph. Pasquier pleading against them for the University of Paris a most grave Advocate of so rare a Cause and M. Peter Versoris for their Company Their pleadings are read and their beginnings and first entry into France their advancement and all that concerns their Sect is so learnedly expressed in an Epistle of the fourth Book of the said Pasquier and in his pleading as it is needless to insert here Then the King offereth his Sister in Marriage to the King of Navarre and passing to Bloyes sent for the Queen of Navarre whom he received so courteously that the Queen was fully perswaded that this Marriage would be a more sure pledge and bond of constant peace The Admiral also was sent for and met the King at Bloyes whom the King seemed highly to honour The Admiral and other Nobles are sollicited to be present at the Marriage The Queen of Navarre as she was busied in making preparation for the Marriage died hastily by the scent of empoisoned Gloves
the siege and at the end of the siege the Fishes were found no more in that coast Sanserre a Protestant Town after eight Months siege was forced to surrender to Castrius the King's Lieutenant in those parts Upon the ninth day of May 1572. Henry Duke of Anjou was with a general consent chosen King of Poland Wherefore he having long besieged Rochel and seeking to come off from that siege with such moderation that his reputation might be safe and the minds of his new subjects not unsatisfied from whom he endeavoured to remove all suspicion of his taking away their liberty of Conscience he proceeded not so violently against the Protestants who now being quite tyred out desired peace This was favoured by the Duke and the City was yielded upon these conditions That the King should declare the Inhabitants of Rochel Nismes and Montauban to be his faithful Subjects pardoning all faults whatsoever had been committed by them during the Civil War That in those three Cities he should allow the free and publick exercise of the Reformed Religion they meeting together in small numbers and without Arms the Officers appointed for that purpose being there among them That in all other outward matters except Baptism and Matrimony they should observe the Rites and Holy-daies observed and commanded by the Church of Rome That the King should confirm all the liberties and priviledges of those three Towns not permitting them to be in any part diminished altered or violated That the Rochellers should receive a Governour of the King's appointment but without a Garrison who might freely stay there inhabit go and return into the City at his pleasure That they should be governed by the Laws and Customs with which they had been governed under the Kings of France ever since they were Subjects to that Crown That they should not lend any aid to those which should continue up in Arms though of the same Religion That the use and exercise of the Catholique Religion should be restored in those Cities whence it had been taken leaving freely unto the Church-men not only the Churches Monasteries and Hospitals but likewise all the Profits and Revenues belonging to them That all Lords of free Manours through the Kingdom might in their own houses lawfully celebrate Baptism and Matrimony after the manner of the Protestants provided the Assembly exceeded not the number of ten persons That there should be no Inquisition upon mens consciences and that those who would not dwell in the Kingdom might sell their Estates and go live where they pleased provided it were not in places that were enemies to the Crown And that for the observing these Articles the said three Cities should give Hostages which should be changed every three Months and alwayes should follow the Court. When these conditions were established and the Hostages given which by the Duke were presently sent to the Court Monsieur de Byron the Governour appointed by the King entred Rochel with one of the publick Heraulds took possession of the Government and caused the Peace to be Proclaimed After which the Duke of Anjou now King of Poland having dismissed the Army went with a Noble Train of Princes Lords and Gentlemen unto the City of Paris where assuming the title of his new Kingdom and having received the Polish Ambassadours he prepared for his journey to go and take possession of the Crown All the Protestants dwelling in Languedoc Dolphinè and Provence were offered those conditions which the Rochellers had embraced But they craved liberty first to assemble themselves together before they should give their answer Which being granted and the Assembly convened at Miliald they craved these Conditions viz. That in every Province of France two Towns might be granted unto the Protestants for their further security and those Towns to be kept by the Guards of their own Souldiers and have all their pay out of the King's Treasury and that liberty should be granted to all that were of their Religion to exercise the same freely without any exception of places Also that all those that should be found guilty of the horrible Murthers committed at Paris August 24. should be severely punished The Queen-Mother when she had read the Conditions which were required said with great indignation That if the Prince of Conde had been in the midst of France with twenty thousand Horse-men and fifty thousand Foot-men yet would he not have required the half of those conditions This great boldness of the Protestants put the Enemies in suspicion that the Nobles of France were confederate with them About the same time Count Montgomery had returned out of England and taken some Towns in Normandy but soon after he was besieged in Donfront a Town of Normandy where he is taken and sent to Paris and condemned to death This is that Noble man who had slain King Henry the second with a Spear whom King Henry would not suffer to be harmed for it But when he came into the hands of this cruel woman he must die She caused divers of the Nobility to be imprisoned and spared not her own Son the Duke of Alançon The Prince of Conde conveyed away himself secretly into Germany In November following after the bloody Massacre a new Star was seen in the Constellation of Cassiopeia which continued full sixteen Months being carried about with the daily motions of the Heaven Theodore Beza wittily applyed it to that Star which shone at the Birth of Christ and to the murthering of the Infants under Herod and warned Charles IX King of France who confessed himself to be the Authour of that bloody Massacre at Paris to beware in this Verse Tu verò Herodes sanguinolente cave Cambden's Hist of Qu. Elizab. And thou bloody Herod look thou to thy self And he was not wholly deceived in his belief for in the fifth Month after the vanishing of this Star King Charles died of a bloody Flix As he had caused much Protestant blood to be shed so in his sickness before his death great store of blood issued out by vomiting Thuan. Hist li. 57. and by other passages of his body in the two last weeks of his sickness and in his bed he could have little rest but horribly Blasphemed the name of God which he had accustomed himself unto even from his Child-hood Such was his unquietness and affrightments in the night that he endeavoured to appease it by Musick Andrew Melvin hath these Verses to Charles IX dying with an unusual Flux of blood Naribus ore oculis atque auribus undique ano Et pene erumpit qui tibi Carle cruor Non tuus iste cruor Sanctorum at caede eruorem Quem ferus hausisti concoquere haud poteras In those Verses are comprised both the cause and manner of his death He died May 30. 1574. before he was full five and twenty years of Age. As soon as Henry King of Poland heard of his Brother's death he returned privily and speedily and was
Crowned King of France Michael Hospitalius Chancellour of France under Charles IX Thuan. Tom. 3. lib. 56. was removed from the Court and made a Prisoner as it were only because he opposed those wicked Counsels against the Protestants in the Massacre at Paris Beza mentions him in his Icones illustrium virorum And Grotius stiles him Grot. Praef. ad Poem Vnicum aevi nostri decus the only ornament of our Age. There are these of his Works published Six Books of Epistles in Latine Verse De Caleto expugnato Epistola carmen cum aliis In the Preface to his Epistle one saith it appeared by a most Ancient Coyn that he much resembled Aristotle Summum illum omnium Philosophorum principem Aristotelem sic ore toto retulit ut alterius ex altero Imago expressa videri posset At this time flourished Michael Montanus or Michael de Montaigne Knight of the Noble Order of St. Michael and one of the Gentlemen in Ordinary to the French King Henry III. his Chamber His elegant Books of Miscellanies written in French are by him modestly styled Essayes or Moral Politick and Military Discourses He hath thereby gotten a great opinion of his Learning and Wisdom and Rome hath chosen and adopted him for one of her Citizens Charles Cardinal of Lorain dieth December 23. 1574. of a Frenzy in the midst of a cruel tempest and violent whirl-wind which uncovered the houses and loosened the bars of Iron in the Carthusians Covent in the Suburbs of Avignon According to the advice of the Queen-Mother the King assaults the Protestant Towns in Provence Languedoc and Dolphiné Lusignan was besieged and yielded upon Composition Pousin is besieged and taken but the Town of Libero in Dolphinè though besieged was not taken In Languedoc D'anville although he was of the Roman Religion yet had joyned himself to the Protestants and took Aques Mortes a Town of great importance in those Parts with many other Towns In Dolphinè Mombrim was chief Commander and had great success in his attempts But in the end being sore wounded he was taken beside â—ia a Town in Dolphinè and by the Commandment of the King and Queen-Mother was carried to Grenoble and there was executed in the sight of the people The Prince of Conde had required help of Casimire the Son of Count Palatine who had also condescended to succour the Protestants The Conditions they agreed on were these That they should not lay down their Arms until that liberty were obtained to the Protestants fully to enjoy their own Religion And likewise that Casimire should have the Towns of Metis Tullion and Verdum in his hands besides other Towns in all the Provinces of France which the Protestants were to require for their further assurance and as pledges of the King's fidelity and faithfulness to them The Army of the Germans and French entered into France under the Prince of Conde and Casimire and came forward to Charossium a Town in Bourbon not far from Molins where Alançon the King's Brother joyned with them and the whole Army conjoyned was found to be of horse-men and foot-men thirty thousand The King of Navarre at the same time departeth from Court and returneth into his own Country The Army draws near to Paris but at length was concluded upon certain Conditions That Casimire should receive from the King a great summ of money instead of those Towns which should have been put in his hands and that liberty should be granted to the Protestants to exercise their own Religion openly and freely without exception of places the Court and the City of Paris with a few leagues about only excepted They were also declared to be capable of places in Parliament and Courts of Justice and all Judgements which were made against them for any enterprize whatsoever were declared void the cruel day of St. Bartholomew disavowed and for better assurance and performance of these conditions they had eight Towns delivered unto them with the Conditions of their Governments Aques Mortes Benecaire Perigneux Le mas de Verdun Nions Yissure La grand tour The Edict of Pacification was Proclaimed May 10. 1576. and an end was put to the fifth Civil War in France for Religion By the Bull of Pope Gregory XIII sent into France Anno 1575. we may see all the Judges Royal both superiour and inferiour utterly despoiled of the Cognisance of criminal Causes The Sixteenth Article is this Vide Collect. diversar constitut Romanor Pontif. in fine Et Eclogam Bullarum motuum propriorum p. 316. We Excommunicate and anathematize all and every one the Magistrates Counsellours Presidents Auditors and other Judges by what name soever they be called the Chancellours Vice-Chancellours Notaries Registers and Executors their servants and others which have any thing to do in what sort or manner soever with Capital or Criminal Causes against Ecclesiastical persons in banishing or arresting them passing or pronouncing sentence against them and putting them in Execution even under pretence of any priviledges granted by the See Apostolick upon what causes and in what tenour and form soever to Kings Dukes Princes Rcpubliques Monarchies Cities and other Potentates by what name and title soever they be called which we will not have to be useful to them in any thing repealing them all from henceforth and declaring them to be nullities The twelfth Article speaks on this sort We Excommunicate all and every the Chancellours Vice-Chancellours Counsellours Ordinary and Extraordinary of all Kings and Princes the Presidents of Chanceries Councils and Parliaments as also the Attorneys General of them and other Secular Princes though they be in Dignity Imperial Royal Ducal or any other by what name soever it be called and other Judges as well Ordinary as by Delegation as also the Archbishops Bishops Abbots Commendatories Vicars and Officers who by themselves or by any other under pretence of Exemptions Letters of Grace or other Apostolical Letters do summon before them our Auditors Commissaries and other Ecclesiastical Judges with the causes concerning Benefices Tithes and other spiritual matters or such as are annexed to them and hinder the course of them by 〈◊〉 authority and interpose themselves to take Cognisance of them in the quality of Judges This is not all for in the following Article he goes yet further striking an heavy blow at the Ordinances of the French Kings Those also which under pretence of their Office or at the Instance of any man whatsoever draw before them to their Bench Audience Chancery Council or Parliament Ecclesiastical persons Chapters Covents and Colledges of all Churches or cause them to be brought in question before them or procure them directly or indirectly under what colour soever beyond the appointment of the Canon Law Those also which ordain and set forth Statutes Ordinances Constitutions Pragmatiques or other Decrees whatsoever in general or in special for any cause or colour whatsoever even under pretence of Apostolical Letters not now in practice or
repealed or of any Custom or Priviledge or any other manner whatsoever or that make use of them when they are made and ordained when by them the Ecclesiastical liberty is abolished impaired depressed or restained in any manner whatsoever or who do any prejudice to our Laws and those of our See directly or indirectly implicitely or explicitely See yet another which follows after this Those likewise who do any ways hinder the Archbishops Bishops and other Prelates superiour and inferiour and all other ordinary Ecclesiastical Judges in the exercise of their Ecclesiastical jurisdiction against any person according as the Canons the sacred Constitutions of the Church the Decretals of General Councils and principally that of Trent do ordain There is further in the same Bull some Excommunications against those which appeal from the Pope's Sentence to General Councils Against those that hinder Clergy or Lay-men from going to plead at Rome which is a remarkable thing Against Kings and Princes which make the fruits of Ecclesiastical Livings to be sequestred upon any occasion whatsoever which concerns the right of the Crown Against those which impose any Tenths Subsidies or other Taxes All this was levell'd against the rights of the King and the liberties of the Gallican Church Rebuff in praxi benefic de union benef num 28. A Bull had been granted by Pope Alexander VI. in the year 1500. for the union of the Parish-Church of Doway with the Chapter of the Cathedral-Church of the same place But the Parliament of Paris upon the appeal Papon lib. 3. tit 8. art 2. as from abuse exhibited from the Curate of Doway to stop the Execution of it disannulled the union by an Arrest of the first of May 1575. because there wanted a Writ for Commission In Partibus Divers other unions besides have been declared to be abusive because they were made without the consent of the Lay-Patrons and the Bulls have been annulled as well by the Parliaments as by the Grand Council King Charles IX in his demands of the Council of Trent required a reformation of the abuses of Fraternities That Council found nothing to be corrected in them but tacitely confirmed them by ordaining That the Administrators of them shall give account of their Administration every year unto the Ordinary We read that Leagues and Monopolies and Conspiracies against the State have been hatched in such Fraternities as these and that disorders and other unlawful things have been committed among them They have been prohibited in all well policied Kingdoms and Common-wealths and particularly in France where we must observe That as they have been Instruments of trouble and dissoluteness so they have been judged hurtful to peace and concord And for that reason they are condemned by the Edicts and Declarations of the French Kings as the Mothers or at least the Companions of Conspiracies For they are so joyned together by the same Ordinances as in that of King Henry III. of September 1577. And all Leagues Associations and Fraternities made or to be made under any pretence whatsoever to the prejudice of this our Edict shall be utterly void and of no effect And in that of the same Prince given the 20. of December in the same year We expresly forbid all our said Subjects of what quality soever they be to begin make or prosecute any League Association or Fraternity among themselves to the prejudice of our said Edict of Pacification The forty fourth Article of the Conference of Flex saith in express terms All the foresaid viz. Provosts Majors Consuls Sheriffs of Towns c. mentioned in the former Article and other Subjects whatsoever of this Realm of what Condition soever shall depart from and renounce all Leagues Associations Fraternities and Intelligences as well within the Realm as without Duke Casimire had no sooner turned his back from France but they began to find the Peace to be counterfeit being made only to disarm them and to divide the Commanders The Prince of Conde first felt the breach of these Promisâ—s They deny him his Government of Picardy Peronne is seized upon Divers enterprizes upon the Princes person make him to leave the Duke of Alançon and to retire into Guienne to the King of Navarre who had before declared himself for the Protestants and whom those of Rochel received into their Town with much honour on June 28. All such of his Train aâ— they suspected were excluded Upon denial of Peronne the King granted to the Prince the Town of S. Jean d'Angeli but the Inhabitants had a Watchword and a mutual Oath after the manner of a private League made by sixty Gentlemen of Poitou who would have no exercise of any Religion but the Catholick to maintain one another and not to give access to any one of what Religion soever to the end their quiet might not any way be disturbed The Prince finding this repulse caused some Captains to enter secretly and so assured himself of the place But finding this place too weak for the assurance of his Person in the end of October he takes Brovage a strong place near unto Rochel The Protestants complain unto the King that in divers places they are disturbed in the exercise of their Religion granted by the Edict That many Preachers move the people to Sedition That the Chambers of both Religions are not erected and that justice is denied them That both great and small bandy against them And they produce ample proofs of these complaints Now those of the house of Guise studied to discover those terrible Projects which they had long hatched Their chief designs were to overthrow the succession brought in by Hugh Capet in the full assembly of the States and to cause the naming of a Successour to be subject unto the said Estates to cause the Princes of the blood that should oppose against the Decrees of the Estates to be declared incapable to succeed unto the Crown And the residue of what qualities soever Noble-men Gentlemen and others to be degraded of their Dignities the money growing of their Confiscations to be employed for the War and their Bodies to be executed To make the Estates protest to live and die in the Faith set down by the late Council of Trent to cause it to be signed in the open Parliament To revoke and disannul all publick Edicts in favour of the Protestants and their Associates and to pursue them to the death that should hinder the extirpation of Heresies De Serres Hist in vit Henry III. To cause the King to revoke the Promises made unto the Protestants and to prescribe a certain time unto their Associates in the which they should present themselves before the Ecclesiastical Judges to be absolved and then to be sent unto the King to purchase pardon of the Crimes committed against his Majesty To cause the King to make the Duke of Guise his Lieutenant General A League of the Guisian Faction a Person fit to encounter the Rebellion of Princes
that should seek to hinder the effect of the precedent Articles To cause Judges to be appointed to examine the crime committed by the Duke of Alançon declaring himself Chief of the Hereticks To cause the said Duke to come to Court with the King of Navarre and the Prince of Conde and to seize upon the said Duke King and Prince and all their Accomplices That the Captains that should be under the Duke of Guise should put all Protestants and adherents to the Sword both in the Country and in Walled Towns To subdue the revolted Princes To be Masters of the Field To block up the Towns that were opposite and to put all to fire and sword that should make head against them Then to take exemplary punishment of the Duke of Alanâ—on now henceforth to be called the Duke of Anjou and his Complices Then by the Pope's consent to put the King and Queen into a Monastery as King Pipin in former time had done Childeric and in favour of the Roman See to abolish the liberties and priviledges of the French Church These high projects were hearkened unto received and favoured in the Court of Rome The Articles of this Association were first drawn at Peronne in Picardy but disguised with goodly shews to blind them that would examine them more exactly which were To maintain the Law of God to restore the holy service thereof To preserve the King and his Successours in the Estate Dignity Service and Obedience due unto him by his Subjects To restore unto the Estates of the Realm their Rights Preheminencies and Ancient Liberties And for the execution of these Articles a certain form of Oath was propounded inflicting pains of eternal damnation to the Associates that for any pretext whatsoever should withdraw themselves from this League and a Bond for such should be enrolled to employ their goods persons and lives to punish and by all means to ruine the enemies and perturbers thereof and to punish them that should fail or make any delays by the Authority of the Head as he should think good This being done many Posts went to and fro carrying the news of these designs They cast many Libels through the Streets in many great Towns They murmure that the Protestants are too much supported by the Edict And under this plausible name of the Church the people give ear to such as are ready to thrust them into Mutiny The King was daily advertised of these things But on the other side he hated the Protestants and sought to ruine them by degrees but not by any Instruments without his Authority His Mother likewise hated them to the death She causeth the Duke her Son to come to the Court and the King to be reconciled to him The King calls an Assembly of the States at Bloyes where Peter d'Espinac Arch-Bishop of Lions and the Baron of Senecey are Speakers the one for the Clergy the other for the Nobility and both conclude a publick Exercise of one only Religion in France Peter Versoris Advocate in the Court of Parliament in Paris Oratour for the third Estate insists on the Union of all the Kings Subjects in one Religion but by mild means and without War The King seemed to encline only to alter some Articles in the last Edicts of Pacification and not to abolish it quite But at length the King consenteth to root out all other Religion but the Popish to banish all Ministers Deacons and Overseers of the Reformed Religion and yet to take all his other Subjects of the said Religion into his protection attending that by better instructions they might be brought into the bosome of the Church But the King of Navarre the Prince of Conde the Marshal of Montmorency d'Anville and other Noble-men both of the one and the other Religion refusing to assist at this present Parliament conclude a nullity of all that was Decreed to prejudice the Edict of Pacification protesting to maintain themselves in the Rights Liberties and Freedoms which the last Edict had granted them The King of Navarre beseecheth the Estates by the Duke of Montpensier who was sent unto him not to infringe the Edict of Peace but to suffer the Protestants to enjoy that which had been so formerly granted He desireth time to attend the opinion of an Assembly of those of his Religion and of the Catholick-Associates which was to be shortly made at Montaubon The Prince of Conde answers more sharply That he doth not acknowledge the Assembly at Bloys for the Estates of the Realm but a Conventicle of persons corrupted by the sworn enemies of the Crown who have sollicited the abolition of the Edict to the subversion of the Realm That he hath alwaies honoured the Clergy and Nobility but he pities the people whom this Assembly at Bloys sought to ruine The chief of the Politicks declare that they adhere not to any other Religion than that of their Fathers but they are against the taking from the Protestants the publick Exercise which had been so solemnly allowed them The Duke of Montpensier being returned perswaded to have the Edict confirmed John Bodin a man famous for Learning and experience in State-affairs one of the Deputies of the Commons of Vermandois sheweth to the Assembly how ruinous and fatal the new taking up of Arms would be repeating from the beginning all the dangers and miseries of the late Wars which made a deep impression on the minds of the third Estate But the other Orders being byassed and pre-ingaged it was determined by plurality of voices that request should be made unto the King to establish only the Romish Religion in the Kingdom and to exclude for ever all Communion with the Hugonots Nevertheless Bodin procured certain words to be entred in the Records of the Order of Commons to certifie their desire of unity in Religion without the noise of Arms and the necessity of War This Bodin was a man eminent as well among Protestants as Papists though himself professed the Romish Religion His Learning and skill in Politicks appears in his great Book de Republicâ Thuanus highly commendeth his writings Possevine dislikes his Methodus Historica because he makes such honourable mention of the Protestants there Some commend his Theatrum Naturae for a choice piece a Book full of natural curiosities The King gives notice to his Governours and publisheth by his Letters Patents that he is resolved to grant the Estates their requests touching the Exercise of one only Religion And thus the sixth Civil War begins in Guienne During the Parliament the Deputies of the Low Countries demand succours of the King and the Duke of Anjou for Pfotectour of their Liberties against the insolencies of the Spaniards Anjou is now declared the King's Lieutenant General They deliver him a mighty Army with which contrary to the Oath taken by him in the observation of the accord and promise pass'd with the Prince of Conde and Duke Casimire he besiegeth and taketh La-Charitè by Composition and Ysoire in
Avergne by force where the blood of the Inhabitants shed without pity by the Duke of Anjou confirmed the Protestants in the bad opinion they had conceived of him The Duke of Mayenne sends forth a Navy to Sea under the Command of Lansac which coming before the Isle of Ré retired seeing the Islanders resolved to fight if they approached The Rochellers Arm seven Ships those of the Islands five entreating aid from Holland and Zealand to withstand the force of the Fleet. The Nobility invite all others to charge themselves willingly for the maintenance of this Army Mayenne assaulteth Brovage a little square Town built in a Marsh recovered out of the Sea fortified during the third Peace and after the Rochellers had cut off six hundred of his men the Town for want of victuals entred into Capitulation and departed August 28. 1577. with their Arms and Baggage leaving the place at the Duke's devotion But a Peace was concluded at Poictiers and was in the end of September Proclaimed with great joy of either party This last Edict cut off some Articles of the former made no mention of Strangers left their consciences free yet without exercise of Religion but in Towns and places where then it was publickly used in the houses of Gentlemen Feudataries or as they call them de Haute justice free admission was given to every body but in the houses of private Gentlemen not above the number of seven was allowed and in a prefixed place in every jurisdiction and Baily-wick except in Paris and ten Leagues about it and two Leagues compass from the Court wheresoever it should be But the Marshal D'anville who every day withdrew himself further from the Protestants ceased not to prosecute those by whom he pretended to be injuried in Languedoc under colour of reducing the places of his Government under his own Command Nor did the Sieur des Diguieres in Dolphinè dare to trust the Peace nor hazard himself upon the King's word remembring what had befallen Monbrun in whose company he had made War and therefore still continued Armed for his security And the Papists when they saw the Protestants meet at their Sermons could not suffer them without murmurings and detractions which occasioned many contentions and sometimes dangerous bloody accidents whereby a great part of France though the Peace was made continued still in broyls and insurrections About that time the King created two Mareschals men valiant in War and very prudent in Government viz. Armand Sieur de Byron and Jaques Sieur de Matignon men free from the Interests of the Duke of Guise depending wholly upon the King's will And Renato di Birago the High Chancellour being made Cardinal Philip Hurault Viscount de Chiverny is chosen in his place In the year 1579. the King shews himself in publick for a mirrour of Reformation and Piety he builds many Monasteries Chappels and Oratories undertakes many Pilgrimages on foot confirms the brotherhood of Penitents erects tne Order of Jeronomites is daily conversant with the Capuchins and Fucillans called Jesuites and by their instructions erects many Congregations He carrieth a Crucifix and Beads in Procession with a Whip at his Girdle He causeth many Books of Devotion to be Printed And leads a Life more befitting a Cloyster than a Court. He institutes the Order of The Knights of the Holy Ghost binding them to Conditions which carry a strict bond to the Church of Rome The Duke of Anjou dies and now the King of Navarre is by quality the first Prince of the Blood and first Peer of France and most part of France cast their eyes upon him as upon the Sun rising This amazeth the Duke of Guise and his adherents they assemble the Heads of their house at St. Dennis and endeavour to renew the Catholique League which before was almost laid aside for seeing that the King ballanced the forces very carefully with those of the Hugonot Lords and that he would not suppress that party which as they believed he might easily have done and that under several pretences he devested all the dependants of both Factions of their places and honours to bestow them upon such as should acknowledge them meerly from himself they were the more highly incensed Nor could it satisfie them to see the King taken up with Religious thoughts and addicted to a quiet unactive life for they knowing his nature wherewith they had been conversant from his very Childhood interpreted that course of life to subtil deep dissimulation Wherefore the Duke of Guise a man of a very quick insight discerning judgement and high thoughts determined to prevent and not stay to be prevented In which resolution he was seconded by his Brother Louis the Cardinal a man of an high spirit and great wit as also by Henry of Savoy Duke of Nemours and Charles Marquess of San-Sorlin both Sons of Anna d'Esté and therefore his Brothers by the Mother Charles of Lorain Duke of Aumale and Claude his Brother a Knight of Jerusalem Charles of Lorain Duke d'Elbeuf Emanuel Duke de Mercure and his Brothers Only Charles Duke of Mayenne proceeded more slowly than the rest who thinking how dangerous it would be to hazard their safety by rash resolutions advised them to proceed with more patience and more respect toward the Lawful possessour of the Crown But the Duke of Guise resolute in his thoughts by the Authority of his Person Vivacity of his courage and Eloquence of his Language drew all the rest to his Opinion and excluding his Brothers advice setled all his thoughts upon the machinations of the League for the establishment whereof dissembling his discontents no less than his jeolousies and private interests he made shew of stirring only for the respects of Religion and the general good making an ill interpretation of all the King's actions and with many arts and circumstances aggravating that danger which he pretended hung over the Catholick Religion in France He grounded his fears upon the death of the Duke of Alançon and the Queens barrenness which in the space of ten years had had no Son whereby the King dying without heirs of the house of Valois the Crown fell to the Princes of Bourbon and in the first place to the King of Navarre whom he termed a relapsed Heretick and an open enemy to the Roman Religion He urged that his coming to the Crown would be the universal ruine of Religion and the total Conversion of all France to the Doctrine and Rites of Calvin and therefore shewed how all good Catholicks were obliged to look to it in time Davil Hist of the Civil Wars of France lib. 7. and to prevent the terrible blow of that imminent subversion He shewed that when sometimes he had been constrained to make War against the King of Navarre he employed the Mareschal de Byron who though a Catholick in outward appearance was yet by many former proofs known to be a favourer of the Hugonots and interessed in their Factions that therefore he
water as they are distinguished by John Baptist in Matth. 3. And he declares the words of the Institution and the effect of Baptism Jacob Andrews held there is but one Baptism because St. Paul saith one Baptism Beza said there is an outward and an inward washing And he rebuked the Wortembergers because they did not call the blood of Christ the thing signified in Baptism They asked whether Infants have Faith Beza denied and the other affirmed it They questioned whether the Elect being sanctified may lose faith Beza denied They asked what hope may Parents have of their Baptized Children Beza said All should hope well but we are not Prophets to fore-tell that this or that Child shall be a good or bad man Concerning Predestination Those of Wortemberg said God from all eternity not only foresaw the fall of man but hath also foreknown and chosen them that shall be saved and hath appointed them unto salvation that is that they should be saved by Christ for the election was made in Christ The number of them who shall be saved is certain with God So the question is say they whether God hath Predestinated his Elect unto life so that he in his hidden and absolute judgement hath appointed the most part of men unto eternal damnation that he will not have them to repent nor be converted and saved We believe say they that such Decree cannot be shewed by Scripture They reject those Propositions that Reprobation is the most wise purpose of God whereby from all eternity he hath constantly Decreed without all unrighteousness not to shew love on them whom he hath not loved that unjustly condemning them he might declare his wrath against sin and shew his glory The cause of the Decree of Election or Reprobation is his eternal favour toward them who at his pleasure are appointed unto salvation and his eternal hatred of ill ordaining whom he pleaseth unto condemnation But why he hath appointed these men rather than those unto salvation or damnation there is no other impulsive cause but his will c. Beza answered thus What ye deny That the vessels of wrath as well as the vessels of mercy were ordained from eternity we do affirm not only because there is a like reason of contraries and the very word Election proveth it but also it is declared by the express word of God Rom. 9.11 And this is so far said he from any ground that man can challenge God of unrighteousness that he were not unjust though he had condemned all men seeing we are all by nature the Children of wrath and he is debtor to none We say further that their Condemnation who in the eternal Decree are left in their corruption is not rightly attributed unto this Decree for albeit that which God hath Decreed cannot miss but shall come to pass and so they who perish do not perish without this Decree yet the cause of the execution or of their condemnation is not that Decree of God but their natural corruption and the fruits of it from which it pleased God to exempt them only whom he hath chosen to salvation That there ever was and is a great a number of them that perish the matter it self sheweth and Christ saith Few are chosen few do enter in at the strait gate Lastly that God will not have them to be converted and saved it 's not to be understood as if they were willing and God resisteth their desire but that they will not be converted nor can they will being forsaken of God and left in impenitency He answered also to the Objections Then they came to that question whether Christ died for all men Jacob held the affirmative and Beza the negative Prince Frederick now thought it time to close seeing no hope of agreement Osiand Cent. 16. lib. 4. cap. 23. he exhorted them to give one another the hand of Fraternity and to abstain from bitter writings until God shall give them more cause of Peace Jacob answered seeing they have accused us of gross Errours how can we acknowledge them as Brethren Beza said seeing you refuse to give us the right hand of Fraternity neither acknowledge us as Brethren we do not regard your hand of friendship So the Conference was ended March 29. Anthony Faius one of Beza's assistants in this Conference was a French Divine He hath written these Works In Epist ad Romanos In Priorem ad Timotheum In Ecclesiastem Enchiridion Theologicum De Vita Obitu Theod. Bezae Emblemata Epigrammata Miscel Abraham Faius his Son hath put out a Book entitled Linguae Gallicae Italicae hortulus amoenissimus horarum subcisivarum libri duo Now the King begins a War against the Protestants in Guienne The Castle of Angiers is suddenly taken by the Hugonots without much difficulty Angiers is a City scituate on this side the Loire in a sweet fertil Countrey well peopled famous for the study of the Law and commodiously seated to fall into all the Provinces of Gallia Celtica which largely invirons it on every side But this Castle of Angiers was recovered by the Catholicks before it was relieved and the Prince of Conde not knowing what was done coming to relieve Angiers was defeated The King sets forth divers Armies one under the Duke of Mayenne the Mareschal de Byron marcheth with another Army into Xantonge The King sets forth two other Armies one under the Duke of Joyeuse in Avergne the other under the Duke of Espernon in Provence he himself goes to Lions Then the Protestant Princes of Germany raise a mighty Army to relieve the Hugonots They send an Embassie before unto the King of France which encreaseth the discontents and hasteneth the taking up of Arms. The King seeks to perswade the King of Navarre to turn Catholick and come to Court he sends the Queen-Mother to Treat with him in Poictou about it Those of the League are highly displeased and murmure at it And from that occasion the union of the Parisians is fomented who provide and Arm themselves secretly They plot to surprize Bolougne in Picardy but the business is discovered and the Town is saved The Duke of Guise being up in Arms in Burgundy and Champagne takes Ausonne and Rocnoy and besiegeth Sedan The Queen-Mother returns from the King of Navarre to Paris but without effect The King makes a new Protestation not to Tolerate the Hugonots any longer He unites himself with the Catholick League to oppose the German Army He sends the Duke of Joyeuse into Poictou against the King of Navarre who coming unexpectedly cuts off two Regiments of the Hugonot Infantry The Duke of Guise draws his Army together to advance against the Germans in Lorain The King levieth Swisses and raiseth great Forces for the same purpose The Count of Soissons and the Prince of Conti go over to the King of Navarre's party The Duke of Lorain united with the Duke of Guise opposeth the entry of the Germans into his Countrey
contained in the writing framed at Nancy with the privity of the Duke of Lorain which had been presented to the King in the beginning of the year That the King should again declare himself Head of the Catholick League he promiseth never to make a Peace nor Truce with the Hugonots nor any Edict in their favour He shall by a publick Edict oblige all Princes Peers of France Lords and Officers of the Crown Towns Colledges Corporations and the whole people to swear the same and bind themselves with a solemn Oath never to suffer any one to reign that was not of the Romish Religion and that for time to come none should be admitted to Offices Places and Dignities in any part of that Kingdom but such as were Catholicks and made profession of their Faith according to the Doctrine of Sorbon and the Belief of the Church of Rome That the Council of Trent should be received and observed through the whole Kingdom upon the conditions and exceptions formerly mentioned the priviledges of the Gallican Church being within three Months to be declared by a Congregation of Prelates and the King's Council with divers other Articles The Articles concluded and confirmed the King presently sent forth his Letters Patents into all Provinces and several Bailages to appoint the Assembly of the States in October following at Blois a place far from Paris where the people were at his devotion far from any commerce or intelligence with the League and near those Towns which were held by the Hugonots The Duke of Guise goeth with the Queen-Mother to Chartres unto the King and is received by him with great demonstrations of honour in appearance The King causeth the Edict of the union to be published in his Council and sworn to by every one and the War against the Hugonots to be openly Proclaimed for the prosecution whereof two several Armies were appointed one in Dauphiné under the Duke of Mayenne the other in Poictou under Ludovico Gonzaga Duke of Nevers The King gives the Duke of Guise the General Command over all the men at Arms of the Realm This though not the name and title yet in effect was the Office and charge of Constable He makes the Cardinal of Guise Legate of Avignon the which he promiseth to obtain for him of the Pope He determined to give the Seal unto Peter of Espinac Archbishop of Lions He declares the Cardinal of Bourbon first Prince of the blood And the King 's late Counsellours are dismissed the Court. But two things trouble the League one iâ— the news of the defeat of the Spanish Armado at Sea by the English the other is that the King will not return to Paris howsoever they importune him Pope Sixtus V. writes congratulatory Letters to the Duke of Guise full of praises comparing him to those holy Macchabees the Defenders of the People of Israel and exhorting him to continue successfully and gloriously to fight for the advancement of the Church and the total extirpation of the Hugonots Which Letters to encrease the Duke's Fame were by his dependants caused to be Printed and divulged in Paris with as much applause in the people as anger and trouble in the King who could not be pleased that another should have more Credit and Authority in his Kingdom than himself The Assembly of the States meet at Blois at the time prefixed viz. on October 16. After dinner all being met in the great Hall of the Castle the King sate down in a Throne raised by many steps from the Earth and covered with a rich cloth of State The Queens Princes Cardinals Peers and Officers of the Crown sate upon Seats fitted for that purpose in two long rowes on the right hand and on the left and between them in the inner part of the Theatre sate the Deputies according to the Ancient preheminence of their degrees and the Duke of Guise as Grand-Mastre with the Staff of Office in his hand sate down upon a Stool at the foot of the State on â—he right hand and on the left sate the Sieur de Monthelon who represented the Person of the High Chancellour of the Kingdom The King begins the Assembly with an elegant Oration wherein attesting the earnest desires of the good of his people and shewing the dangerous condition wherein intestine discords had involved the Crown he exhorted every one to lay aside their passions to forget their enmities to reunite themselves sincerely under his obedience forsaking all novelties condemning all Leagues c. which had disturbed both him their Lawful Sovereign and the peace of the Kingdom For as he pardoned all that was past so for the time to come he would not endure it but account it as an Act of absolute Treason That as he resolved to persecute and tread down Heresie to favour those that were good to restore the splendour and force of justice to advance Religion to uphold the Nobility and to disburden the Common people so he earnestly prayed and conjured every one of them to assist him with their good Counsels and sincere intentions This speech of the King 's stung the Duke of Guise to the quick and all those of his party He caused his Speech to be Printed which served much to excuse those things which followed afterward After the King's Speech followed the Oration of Monthelon who prosecutes and amplifies the King's Speech To which the Archbishop of Bourges answered for the Order of the Clergy the Baron de Seneschay for the Nobility and the Prevost des Merchands of Paris for the third Order of the Commons The Tuesday following the King and the States swear in solemn manner to perform the Edict made before of persevering in the Romish Religion The Archbishop of Bourges shewed the States the greatness and obligation of the Oath which they were to take Beaulieu the new Secretary of State inrolled an Act of that Oath in memory of so solemn an Action After it was done they gave thanks to God publickly in the Church of S. Saveur The Proposition of receiving the Council of Trent made in the Assembly of the States is generally rejected The King is requested to declare the King of Navarre incapable of the Crown and all others suspected to be Hugonots and after much opposition he coldly consents unto it and gives unto the Deputies a Protestation which had been presented unto him from the King of Navarre who having called a Congregation of those of his party at Rochel had caused a writing to be printed wherein he demanded the execution of those Edicts and Grants which had been so often made to those of his party the Convocation of a National or universal Council wherein he might lawfully be instructed in those things that were controverted in matter of Faith and finally he protested to count invalid whatsoever should be determined against him in that Assembly at Blois To which Propositions of the King of Navarre the French King added That if justice requires no man
should be sentenced or condemned without being summoned or without hearing his defence it was not good to Decree so heavy a sentence without giving him warning to answer for himself and without hearing his reasons whatsoever they were The King seeing the obstinacy of the States and their resolution against the King of Navarre procures an absolution at Rome for the Prince of Conti and Count Soissons of the House of Bourbon which much troubleth the Duke of Guise The King being no longer able to bear the insolencies of the Duke of Guise resolves upon his destruction and to bring the matter the better to pass seeming as it were to be stirred by devotion determined to remove to a Cell meaning there to be confessed and receive the Sacrament He called into his Chamber four of his Council such as he best trusted to whom he discovered the injuries and indignities he had received of the Duke of Guise his extreme ambition the danger himself stood in by the Treasons continually practised by the said Duke and his Confederates against his Person He told them he was determined to have the Duke slain as a Traytour which was consented to The evening of the 22. day of December being come the King commanded Monsieur de Larchant one of the Captains of his Guard to double them the next morning and to keep the Hall door after the Lords of the Council were gone in but that he should do it in such a manner as the Duke of Guise might not suspect any thing which was done In the morning the King made himself ready before day Davil Hist of the Civil Wars of France l. 9. under colour of going Personally to the Council and pretending he should stay there many hours dismissed all his Servants and in his closet there only remained Revol Secretary of State Colonel Alfonso Corso and Monsieur de la Bastide a Gascon who were all commanded by him to stay there In his Chamber was St. Pris one of his old Gentlemen-waiters in the Wardrobe the Count de Termes Great Chamberlain and in the Anti-chamber two Pages an Usher that waited at the Council-chamber-door and Lognac with eight of the five and fourty to whom the King had with very great Promises signified his pleasure and found them most ready to obey his command At break of day the Counsellours met and went into the Great Hall The Duke being come into the Council sitting near the fire fell into a little swound but quickly recovered Secretary Revol came into the Council out of the Anti-chamber and told him the King would have him to come unto him in the Closet The Duke arose and entred into the Anti-chamber which presently being locked after him he saw there only eight Gentlemen of the King's Guard which were well known unto him and as he went from thence into the Closet he stretcht forth his hand to lift up the hanging of the door but at that instand S. Malin one of the eight stabbed him into the neck with a Dagger The Duke of Guise Slain and the rest presently fell upon him on every side and after many wounds given him in the head being at last struck by Lognac upon whom he had most violently thrown hlmself he fell down at the door of the Wardrobe and there expired The Cardinal of Guise and Archbishop of Lions are made Prisoners as also all the Lords and other chief adherents of the Duke of Guise with Anne d'Este Duchess of Nemours and Mother to the Guises Pelicart the Duke of Guise's Secretary was likewise taken with all the writings which belonged to his Lord among which they found many Letters containing divers practices within and without the Kingdom the accounts of money which he had received from Spain to the summ of two millions of Ducats Many whom the King desired to get into his hands escaped the fury of that present revenge The body of the dead Duke being laid up in a green cloth was carried by the door-keepers into the great room beyond the King's Closet and there laid till further order Then the King sent Revol to the Cardinal-Legate to give him notice of all that had passed and to entreat him to meet him at Mass shewing how great a desire he had to be excused to the Pope Then having caused the doors to be opened and every one to be admitted into his Chamber he said with a loud voice That from thence-forward he would have his Subjects learn to know and obey him that every one therefore from that time should forget stubbornness and Rebellion for he would be a King not only in words but in deeds also So with an angry look and sowr countenance he went down the stairs into his Mothers Lodgings The Queen having been ill lay in her bed when the King came unto her to whom the King said This morning I have made my self King of France having put to death the King of Paris The Queen replyed You have made the Duke of Guise to be slain but God grant you be not now made King of nothing Have you foreseen the mischiefs that are like to follow Two things are necessary Speed and Resolution So being much afflicted in mind and with the Gout she held her peace And the King went to meet the Legate that they might go to Mass together and before Mass the King discourseth long with the Cardinal of Moresini about the Duke of Guises death The King seeing that the Legate shewed no trouble at the imprisonment of the Cardinals Commandeth that Lewes of Lorain Cardinal of Guise be also put to death And Du-Gast Captain of the King's Guard causeth the Cardinal of Guise to be slain by four Souldiers Armed with Partezans His body was carried to the same place where the body of the Duke his Brother lay The King doubted that if their bodies were seen they might occasion some tumult and therefore having by the Counsel of his Physitian caused them to be buried in quick-lime within a few hours all their flesh was consumed and afterwards the bones were secretly interred in an unknown place The Duke of Nemours escaped out of Prison on the fourth day And Anne d'Este Mother to him and the dead Princes of Lorain was also voluntarily freed by the King and divers others were set at liberty The Cardinal of Bourbon the Prince of Janville now Duke of Guise the Archbishop of Lions and the Duke of Elbeuf are all put into the Castle of Amboyse The Archbishop of Lions being often examined would never answer alledging that as Primate of all France he had no other Superiour but the Apostolick See Charles Duke of Mayenne third Brother to the Guises being advertised of the death of his Brothers flees from Lions unto Dijon a place under his Government In his valour and wisdom all the foundations and hopes of the League were now reduced The Queen-Mother died on January 5. 1589. in the seventieth year of her age After the death of
mean Parents in a Village called Sorbone in the Territory of the City of Sens a young man about twenty two years of age and alwaies thought by his fellow-Friers and others that knew him to be an half-witted fellow and rather a subject of sport than to be feared This fellow resolves to hazard his life to kill the King whom he called by the name of Tyrant and to free that holy City as he said from Sennacheribs violence with which resolution he went to Doctor Burgoine Prior of his Covent and imparted this damnable project to him to Father Commolet to other Jesuites and to the Heads of the League all of them encouraging him to this devilish design with promise of Abbeys and Bishopricks if he escaped and if he died in the action to be made a Martyr and have place in heaven above the Apostles To that end he goes from Paris having gotten a letter of credit from the Count of Brienne who having been taken at S. Ovyn was still Prisoner in the City assuring him that he was to speak with the King about a business of infinite importance Upon the first of August in the morning the Frier being brought in to the King gives him the letter from the Count de Brienne which the King read and having bid him proceed to tell his business he feigned to feel for another paper to present it and whilst the King stood intentively expecting it he having drawn his knife out of his sleeve struck him on the left side of the navel and left all the blade buried in the wound The King feeling the blow King Henry III. is killed by James Clement a Frier drew forth the knife and in drawing of it made the wound wider and presently struck it himself up to the haft in the Frier's forehead who at the same time la Guesle running him thorow with his sword fell down dead and was no sooner fallen but Momperat Lognac and the Marquess de Mirepoix Gentlemen of the King's Chamber who were present at the fact threw him out of the window where by the common Souldiers he was torn in pieces burnt and his ashes thrown into the River The King was carried to his bed and sending for the King of Navarre he committed to him the care of the Army He told him it custom of killing Kings should grow in use neither should he be long secure He exhorted the Nobility to acknowledge the King of Navarre to whom the Kingdom of right belonged His Confessour absolved him and gave him the Sacrament the same night And having embraced the King of Navarre having called his Chaplain he in the presence of them all rehearsed the Creed after the use of the Roman Church and having crossed himself began the Miserere but his speech failing him in these words Redde mihi laetitiam salutis tuae he died having lived 36. years and Reigned 15. and just 2. Months In his death ended the Line of Kings of the house of Valois and the posterity of Philip III. Sirnamed the Hardy and by vertue of the Salique Law the Crown devolved to the Family of Bourbon nearest of the blood and descended from Robert Count of Clermont the second Son of St. Lewes Here let the Reader be advertised that when the Jesuites have made choice of an Instrument for that King-killing service that they intend to set him about they do not put him upon it till they have first raised and fitted his spirit for the service by this means First they bring him to a very private place in a Chappel or Oratory where the knife lies wrapt up in a cloth with an Ivory sheath with divers Characters and Agnus Dei's upon it They draw the knife and bedew it with holy water and hang upon the haft of it some Beads consecrated with this Indulgence that so many blows as he gives in killing the King so many souls shall he deliver out of Purgatory Then they give the knife to him commending it to him in these words O thou chosen Son of God take to thee the Sword of Jephte Sampson David Gideon Judith of Macchabees of Julius the second who defended himself from the Princes by his sword Go and be wisely couragious and God strengthen thy hand Then they all fall upon their knees with this prayer Be present O ye Cherubims and Seraphims be present ye Thrones Powers holy Angels fill this Vessel with glory give him the Crown of all the holy Martyrs he is no longer ours but your companion And thou O God strengthen his arm that he may do thy will give him thy helmet and wings to flie from his enemies give him thy comforting beams which may joy him in the midst of his sorrows Then they bring him to the Altar where is the Picture of Jaques Clement who killed King Henry III. the Angels protecting him and then they shew him a Crown of glory and say Lord respect this thy arm and Executioner of thy justice Then four Jesuites are appointed privately to talk with him they tell him that they see a Divine lustre in his face which moves them to fall down and kiss his feet and now say they he is no more a mortal man They envy his happiness every one sighing and saying Would God I were in your room that they might escape Purgatory and go immediately into Paradise But if they perceive him to shrink and to be troubled after all this they will sometimes affright him with terrible apparitions in the night and sometimes have the Virgin Mary and the Angels appear c. After the King's death the Image and Portraicture of the traiterous Monk who killed the King by the commandment of the chief of the League was most artificially framed in brass and other paintingâ— wherewith they garnished both their houses and their Churches Then was he Canonized and among the Superstitious prayed unto us as a Martyr whom they called by the name of St. James Clement Henry King of Navarre succeeded Henry III. in the Kingdom of France The Duke of Mayenne not daring to take upon him the title of King caused it by publick Proclamation to be given to Charles Cardinal of Bourbon then a Prisoner and coined both Gold and Silver with the Picture of King Charles X. And disguising the usurpation of his authority he accepted the title which the General Council of the union gave him of Lieutenant General of the State and Crown of France The Duke of Luxemburg told the new King that the Princes Lords and Officers of the Crown together with the Catholick Nobility that was in the Army were ready to acknowledge him King of France to serve him against every one since God and nature had called him to the Crown by a lawful succession but withal they besought him he would be pleased to turn to the Catholick Religion to take away the pretences of his enemies and the scruples of his servants The King gives them thanks telling them how ready he was to
of Provisions The Duke of Parma marcheth away into Flanders in good order The King assaulteth Clermont takes it and sacks it The Duke of Parma departing leaves aid of men and promiseth supply of money to the League The King marcheth toward Picardy Grenoble in Dauphiné after a long siege returns to the King's obedience The King assaulteth Corby and takes it The Parliament of Burdeaux who with much ado had been brought to the King's obedience make complaints for the King 's persevering in Calvinism The King studieth how to conserve the affections of those of his party and to keep them in obedience He recalls the Duke of Espernon to the Army and other Popish Lords to reconcile them unto him The Viscount of Turenne obtains of Queen Elizabeth of England that she should send the King one hundred thousand crowns That she should send 6000. Foot into Bretagne for the relief of the Prince of Dombes That along with him she should send Horatio Palavicino a Genovese who for Religion was fled into that Island to perswade the States of Holland and the Princes of Germany to assist the King with men and money on their Part. She promised likewise that if the Duke of Parma should return again into France she would assist Grave Maurice and the Hollanders to make a strong diversion by entring into Brabant and Flanders Now the party of the League make a disgust against the Duke of Mayenne which is fomented by the Spaniards And the Lords of the house of Lorain grow jealous one of another and the Duke of Nemours lays aside the Government of Paris The Duke of Mayenne dispatcheth President Jeannin to the King of Spain and the Sieur des Portes to the Pope to solicite aid The Chevalier d'Aumale goes to surprize S. Dennis and without resistance enters with all his men but the Governour with only thirty Horse chargeth and routs the Enemy and d'Aumale being thrust through the throat falleth down dead Those that were curious observed that he fell dead before the door of an Inn whose sign was the Espeè Royale a Sword embroidâ—red with golden Flower-de-luces and that his Body being laid upon the Bier in the Church of the Friers of St. Dennis his carkass the night following was all gnawed and mangled with Rats Pope Gregory XIV assigneth fifteen thousand crowns by the Month for the service of the League and Marsilio Landriano a Milanese is chosen Legate for the Kingdom of France Chartres is besieged and surrendered to the Baron de Biron The Duke of Mayenne receives Chasteau Thierry with the composition of twenty thousand crowns Then the Popish Princes and Noblemen following the King did solicite his Majesty to turn to the Romish Religion Anno 1591. The Petitions made to the King to provide for his dutiful Subjects of both Religions to prevent the new attempts of the Pope and his adherents to the prejudice of the Crown of France were the cause of two Edicts made at Mante in the beginning of July The one confirmed the Edicts of Pacification made by the deceased King upon the troubles of the Realm and dissannulled all that passed in July 1585. and 1588. in favour of the League The oâ—her shewed the King's intent to maintain the Catholick Religion in France with the Ancient Rights and Priviledges of the French Church The Court of Parliament of Paris resident at Chalons and Tours having verified these Edicts had dissannulled all the Bulls of Cardinal Gaetan's Legation and other Bulls that came from Rome on March 1. the Proceedings Excommunications and Fulminations made by Landriano terming himself the Pope's Nuncio as abusive scandalous seditious full of impostures made against the holy Decrees Canonical Constitutions approved Councils and against the Rights and Liberties of the French Church They Decree that if any had been Excommunicate by vertue of the said proceedings they should be absolved and the said Bulls and all proceedings by vertue thereof burnt in the Market-place by the Hang-man That Landriano the pretended Nuncio come privily into the Realm without the King's leave or liking should be apprehended and put in the King's Prison And in case he should not be taken he should be summoned at three short daies according to the accustomed manner and ten thousand Franks given in reward to him that should deliver him to the Magistrate Prohibitions being made to all men to receive retain or lodge the said pretended Nuncio upon pain of death And to all Clergy-men not to receive publish or cause to be published any sentences or proceedings coming from him upon pain to be punished as Traytors They declared the Cardinals being at Rome the Archbishops Bishops and other Clergy-men which had signed and ratified the said Bull of Excommunication and approved the most barbarous and detestable Parricide traiterously committed upon the Person of the late deceased King Henry III. to be deprived of such Spiritual Livings as they held within the Realm causing the King's Proctor General to seise thereon and to put them into his Majesties hand forbidding all persons either to carry or send Gold to Rome and to provide for the disposition of Benefices until the King should otherwise Decree Du recueil de l'Histoire de la ligne That of Tours added this clause to the Decree They declared Gregory calling himself Pope the fourteenth of that name an enemy to peace to the union of the Roman Catholick Church to the King and to his Estate adhering to the Conspiracy of Spain and a favourer of Rebels culpable of the most inhumane and most detestable Parricide committed on the Person of the most Christian and Catholick King Henry III. of famous memory The Parliament of the League did afterwards condemn and cause those Decrees to be burnt at Paris which were made against the Bulls and Ministers of the Romish See So one pulled down what another built up The Cardinal of Vendosme begins to raise a third party of Catholicks to make himself Head of them and thereby to bring himself to the Crown Scipio Balbani is sent to Rome by the Cardinal of Vendosme to treat with the Pope and to communicate his design unto him The Cardinal of Lenoncourt gives the King notice of the designs of the Cardinal of Vendosme The High Chancellour thereupon perswades him to turn to the Romish Religion Charles Duke of Guise having been long kept Prisoner at Tours escapes at noon-day and fleeth to Bourges and then meets with the Duke of Mayenne The Council of Sixteen falls into an emulation with the Parliament of Paris and with the Council of State chosen by the Duke of Mayenne Brigard who had been imprisoned upon suspicion of Plots against the League being escaped the Judges that made his Process are by the people in Arms tumultuously put in Prison and by the Council of Sixteen are caused to be strangled in the close Prison and the next day their bodies are hanged at the Greve with infamous writings on their Breasts The Duke
Lions Bourges and Orleans surrender to the King On the 22. of March the Parliament the Provost of Merchants and the Sheriffs having disposed the City of Paris received the King maugre the vain endeavours of some remnant of the faction of the Sixteen The Duke of Mayenne was gone into Picardy and Brissac to whom he had committed the Government of Paris for some Months past having taken it from the Count of Belin broke his faith with him believing he ought it rather to the King than to him The King had a little before caused himself to be anointed at Chartres with the Cruise of St. Martin of Tours The City of Rhemes was yet in the hands of the League but he would no longer defer his Coronation because he knew that That Ceremony was absolutely necessary to confirm to him the affection and respect of his people It was wonderful how that there being four or five thousand Spaniards engarrisoned in Paris and ten or twelve thousand factious persons of the Cabal of the Sixteen who all cruelly hated the King he could nevertheless render himself Master of it without striking stroak or without shedding blood His Troops having by intelligence seized on the Gates Ramparts and publick places he entred triumphantly into the City by the new Gate by which Henry III. had unhappily fled six years before and went directly to Nostredame to hear Mass and cause Te Deum to be sung Afterwards he returned to the Louvre where he found his Officers and his Dinner ready as if he had alwaies remained there After Dinner he gave the Spanish Garrison a safe-conduct and a good Convoy to conduct them as far as the Tree of Guise in all security The Garrison departed about three a clock the same day of his entrance with twenty or thirty of the most obstinate Leaguers who chose rather to follow Strangers than obey their natural Prince The same day that he entred into Paris the Cardinal de Peleve Archbishop of Sens a passionate Leaguer expired in his Palace of Sens. The Cardinal of Placentia Legate from the Pope had safe-conduct to retire home but he died by the way Brissac for recompence had the Staff of Mareschal and a place of honourable Counsellour to the Parliament D' O was replaced in his Government of Paris which he had under Henry III. but he died soon after That part of the Parliament which was at Tours was recalled and that which was at Paris re-inabled for it had been interdicted and both re-united conjointly to serve the King By noon of that day in which the King entred Paris the City was every where peaceable the Burgesses in a moment grew familiar with the Souldiers the shops were opened and the Artificers wrought in them And the calm was so great that nothing interrupted it but the ringing of the Bells the Bonfires and the Dances which were made through the Streets even till midnight Balagny with his City of Cambray turns to the King's side In like manner Amiens Beauvais and Peronne renounced the League Yea the Duke of Guise compounds with the King and brings the Cities of Rhemes Vitry and Mezieres under his obedience who in recompence of it gave him the Government of Provence from which he was obliged to withdraw the Duke of Espernon because the people the Parliament and the Nobility had taken Arms against him The Duke of Lorain also made his peace with the King on November 26. Now the Court of Parliament revokes and disannuls all other Decrees Orders or Oaths given or made since the 29. of December 1588. to the prejudice of the King's Authority and the Laws of the Realm And especially they disannulled all that had been done against the honour of the deceased King as well during his life as after his decease commanding to inform of the detestable Parricide committed on his Person and to proceed extraordinarily against such as should be found culpable They revoked the Authority given unto the Duke of Mayenne under the Title of Lieutenant General of the Estate and Crown of France forbidding all men to acknowledge him in that quality or to yield him any aid or obedience upon pain of High-Treason They likewise enjoyned the Duke of Mayenne upon the like pains to acknowledge Henry IV. of that name for King of France and Navarre and their King and to yield him the obedience of faithful Servants and Subjects And to all other Princes Prelates Noblemen GeBtlemen Towns Commonalities and private men to forsake that pretended Faction of the League whereof the Duke of Mayenne had made himself the Head and to yield unto the King obedience and fealty upon pain to the said Princes Noblemen c. to be degraded of their Nobility and Gentry and they and their posterity declared base with confiscation of Bodies and Goods and the razing of their Towns Castles and places that should infringe the King's Ordinances and Commandments Moreover they decreed That the 22. day of March should be for ever celebrated and the same day a general Procession should be made after the accustomed manner where the said Court should assist in their Scarlet Robes as a remembrance to give God thanks for the happy reduction of this said City to the King's obedience Now one John Castel Son of a Merchant-Draper of Paris about the end of the year 1594. having thrust himself with the Courtiers into the Chamber of the fair Gabriella where the King was would have struck him with a knife into the belly but the King then bowing to salute some one the blow chanced on his face only piercing his upper lip and breaking a Tooth It was not known for the present who had struck it but the Count of Soissons seeing this young man affrighted stopt him by the Arm. He impudently confessed that he had given the blow and maintained that he ought to do it The Parliament condemned him to have his right hand burned his flesh torn off with red hot Pincers and after to be torn in pieces by four Horses burnt to ashes and cast into the wind The Jesuites under whom this Miscreant had studied were accused for exciting him to this Parricide Among other things he heard the Fathers of that Society to say That it was lawful to kill the King That he was Excommuncated out of the Church that he was not to be obeyed nor taken for their King until such time as he was allowed by the Pope Therefore the Parliament Decreed That the Priests Scholars and all others terming themselves of that Society of Jesus as corrupters of Youth should depart within three daies after the publication of the said Decree out of Paris and other places where they had Colledges and within fifteen daies out of the Realm upon pain after the same time to be punished as guilty of high Treason The house of Peter Castel the Father of this Parricide standing before the Palace was razed and a Pillar erected containing for a perpetual monument the
by Sir Philip Sidney and at his request finished by Arthur Golding He published a Treatise containing the reasons why the Council of Trent could not be admitted in France He was sent by the King of Navarre to the National Synod of Vitray in Bretagne where he was joyfully received by the whole Company He was likewise present in the General Assembly of the Protestants held at Montauban by the King's permission Anno 1584. Where he was desired by the Assembly to draw up the form of their Complaints against the violation of the Edict for Peace which He together with the Count de la Val presented afterwards to the King at Blois When the League of the House of Guise brake forth which was formed first against the King under pretence of the Defence of the Catholick Religion and afterwards declared against the King of Navarre and the Protestants That famous Declaration in the name of the said King was Penned by Du Plessis In the following Civil Wars for Religion he did many important services for the King of Navarre and the Protestants both with his Sword and Pen having answered a virulent Book published by the League against the King of Navarre called the English Catholick In the year 1590. he built a Church for the Protestants in Saumur and obtained a Grant from the King for the instituting an University there which was afterwards confirmed by a National Synod held in the same place Anno 1593. he wrote a large Letter to the King who then had changed his Religion desiring the continuance of his favour to the Protestants and withal expostulating that sudden change Anno 1598. he Printed his Work of the Lords Supper The Jesuites of Bourdeaux Petitioned the Parliament there that it might be burnt Jacobus August Thuanus is a most faithful Historian He wrote an History of things done throughout the whole World from the year of Christ 1545. even to the year 1608. in a most elegant style He is highly commended by divers Learned men Suae aetatis Historiam summo judicio fide sine odio gratia ad Dei gloriam publicam utilitatem prudentissimè conscripsit opus styli elegantiâ gravissimarum rerum copiâ ac majestate cum quibusâ—is sive veterum sive recentium in eo genere scriptis conferendum Lans Orat. pro Gallia Inter multa quae in te admiratura est posteritas ego illud unicè obstupesco unde tibi modo in fori arce modo in summâ Republicâ versanti otium unde vis indefessa animi ut res tot ac tantas aut scribendas cognosceres aut cognitas scriberes Grot. Epist 16. Jac. Aug. Thuano Quem ego virum divinitus datum censeo saeculo isti in exemplum pietatis integritatis probitatis Casaub Epist Append. Vir immortali laude dignus Historicae Veritatis lumen Montac Antidiat Vir non minus eruditione quà m officij dignitate Nobilis siquis alius Veri studiosus Morton Causa Regia Isaac Casaubon was a great Linguist a singular Grecian and an excellent Philologer He hath written in twelve Books of his Exercitations Animadversions on those twelve Tomes of Baronius his Annals Scaliger in an Epistle to Casaubon commends his Bok de Satyra and in another his Theophrastus his Characters He is thus styled by Salmasius Incomparabilis Vir seculi sui decus immortale Isaacus Casaubonus nunquam sine laude nominandus nunquam satis laudatus Salmas Praefat. ad Hist August script The Marriage between the King and Queen Margarite being pronounced void and a Contract past between him and Mary of Medices the Duke of Florence's Daughter She being blessed of Aldobrandino the Pope's Legate at Florence went from thence and arrived at Marseilles from wheâ—ce being every where Royally entertained she came to Lions and there after eight daies stay met with the King where in St. John's Church the Nuptial solemnity was performed to this Couple by the Legate On September 27. 1601. the Queen was delivered of a Son which was named Lewes The King blessing him put a Sword in his hand to use it to the glory of God and the defence of his Crown and people The Pope sent presently unto the King and Queen to congratulate with them of this Birth and to carry unto the young Prince swadling bands bearing clothes and other things blessed by his Holiness Then the Pope granted a Jubilee and pardons to all the French that should go visit the Church of St. Croix at Orleans doing the works of Christian Charity An infinite number of people went thither from all parts of France the King and Queen went thither with the first and gave means to help to build this Church which had been ruined during the fury of the first Civil wars The King laid the first stone of this building Then the King did forbid the superfluous use of Gold and Silver in Lace or otherwise upon garments and made an Edict also against Usury and another against Combates Not long after the Duke of Biron's Conspiracy was discovered who was sometimes heard say he would die a Sovereign Refusing to submit hiâ—self to the King's Clemency he is seized on at the King's Chamber door and his Sword being taken from him is carried Prisoner to the Bastille There uttered he those passionate words That if they desired to put him to death they should dispatch him that they should not brag they had made him to fear death that they should speedily drink themselves drunk with the blood which remained of thirty five wounds which he had received for the service of France The King sent his Letters to the Court of Parliament to make his Process In the end being found guilty the Chancellour pronounced the sentence of death whcih was inflicted on him in the Bastille which he took most impatiently King James of happy memory before his coming to the Crown of England sent expressions of Royal favour to the Consistory of Paris who chose the forementioned Du Moulin to address their humble thanks by Letters to his Majesty And when his Majesty publisht his Confession of Faith against which Coeffeteau since Bishop of Marselles writ an eloquent Book Du Moulin undertook the defence of the King's Confession and wrote a French Book with that Title which was most welcome to the King and to the English Clergy and his Majesty made Royal and bountiful expressions of his acceptance And because other Adversaries besides Coeffeteau had writ against the King Du Moulin wrote another Book in his defence in Latine entituled De Monarchia Pontificis Romani The Duke of Bovillon having been accused by those which had been examined in Council upon the Conspiracies of the Duke of Biron being sent for refuseth to come to the King but afterwards in the year 1606. he made his peace and came to the King being then at Dunchery on April 11. The King with the Queen Princes of the blood and other Officers of the Crown
could not be cleared before his death the thing to his great grief remained unperfect In the end of the year 1611. the suit between the University of Paris and the Jesuites was decided Monsieur Servin concluding for the University against the Jesuites to whom these four Articles were propounded to be by them subscribed 1. That the General Council was above the Pope 2. That the Pope hath no Temporal Power over Kings and could not by Excommunication deprive them of their Realms and Estates 3. That Clergy-men having heard of any Attempts or Conspiracies against the King or his Realm or any matter of Treason in confession are bound to reveal it to the Magistrate 4. That Clergy-men are subject to the Prince or Temporal Magistrate Anno 1612. by a Decree of the Court of Parliament a certain Book written in Latine by Gaspar Scoppius entituted Ecclesiasticus tending to the Rebellion of Subjects against Sovereign Power and containing an infinite number of execrable blasphemies and scandalous assertions against the glorious memory of the deceased King Henry IV. was burnt by the Hang-man publickly in the Palace-yard Near this time flourished Arnald Ossat a French Cardinal His and Cardinal Perron's French Letters are esteemed useful both for the understanding of Ecclesiastical and State affairs He was Scholaâ— to Peter Ramus One gives him this character Cardinalis Ossatus Vir eruditione prudentia integritate suavitate morum eximiè conspicuus Gassend de vit Piereskij li. 1. Whilst M. Du Moulin lived in Paris he was invited by many Universities to accept of the Chair of Divinity but the Church of Paris would never part with him The University of Leyden did most constantly court him considering him still as a member of their Body They began in the year 1611. and offered him the place of Arminius then newly dead And not only the Curators by frequent addresses to the Church of Paris and to him but the States by their Ambassadours and the Prince of Orange by his Letters did from time to time demand him Before the death of King Henry IV. Du Plessis desired leave of that King to retire himself which the King unwillingly granted withal desiring him to come sometimes to Court. Being returned to his Government at Saumur he began his work of the Mystery of Iniquity Anno. 1607. which he finished in nine Months Then he began to set on those great Volumes of Baronius to which he intended a Confutation Du Perron was much pressed by the King to answer Du Plessâ—â— His Friends told him that the Action at Fountainbleau was little to his Credit and if Du Plessis should die it would be then too late to answer him because men would be ready to say he durst not do it in his life time wherefore he promised and undertook the business and going to Rome sequestred himself from other business to perform it promising the Pope at his arrival in France to Print his answer which he said was risen to a great Volume Upon his return the King demanded of him when he would Print it he told his Majesty that he stayed but for some Manuscripts from Rome Which answer the King seeing his delays used as a Proverb to some undertakers whose work went not forward making idle excuses to him Yes saith the King I see you stay for Manuscripts from Rome too Casaubon who was about the Cardinal wrote to Monsieur Du Plessis concerning this answer telling him that it was finished and that himself had seen it Du Plessis desired Casaubon to give him from him the same Counsel which Christ did to Judas in the Gospel What thou dost do quickly But this Volume of answer never appeared the Cardinal after the King's murther accounting himself to be disengaged from his promise Du Plessis turned his Mystery of Iniquity into Latine which he dictated so fast that his Amanuensis had much ado with his pen to keep pace with him After the horrid Murther of the King he took so good order as to keep the people about his Government in quiet and as soon as he had received an Edict for the Regency of the Queen-Mother he administred the Oath of fidelity to all the Clergy and People within his jurisdiction making a speech unto them in which he desired them to forget the distinguishing names of Papist and Protestant Afterwards a dissention arose between Monsieur Du Moulin Minister of the Church at Paris and Tilenus Professour at Sedan about the effects of the union of the natures in Christ The making up of this difference was by a National Synod held at Tonneinx referred to Monsieur Du Plessis who proved the happy Authour of a full reconciliation between them in the year 1614. Yet had this difference like to have broke forth again the year following by indiscretion or malice rather of some particular persons had not Monsieur Du Plessis in time stopped its progress In the year 1615. King James sent by Sir Theodore Mayerne to invite Du Moulin into England to confer with him about a Method of uniting all the Reformed Churches of Christendom to which he had been often solicited by Monsieur Du Plessis The issue of which voyage was That King James resolved to send Letters to all Protestant Princes to invite them to Union and desired the French Churches to frame a Confession gathered out of all those of other Reformed Churches in the which unnecessary Points might be left out as the means of begetting discord and dissention Two Months before Du Moulin's coming into England Du Perron had made an Oration in the States assembled at Blois where he had maintained that the Pope had power to depose Kings and had used King James very ill and having published it in Print he sent it to his Majesty To answer that Oration King James made use of Du Moulin's service for the French Language and it was Printed the first time in French while Du Moulin was in England in that year 1615. before it was Printed in English The King going to Cambridge carried Du Moulin along with him and made him take the Degree of Doctor The Doctor at his return into France Landed at Bullen where Monsieur de Compagnoles was Governour for the Duke of Espernon It was the time when the French Princes began to stir against Mary the Queen-Mother of France And because the Prince of Conde was courting the Reformed Churches to joyn with him in that design the Doctor was suspected as having taken that journey to procure help from England for the Princes Wherefore Campagnoles was charged to arrest him at his Landing which he did and committed him to the Guard of two Souldiers seized upon his Trunks and Papers and searched them But after two daies he released him desiring him to tell no man of the wrong he had done him The Doctor finding at his return that the Protestants began to engage with the Princes against the Queen-mother and in effect against the King who was then declared Major
business For which the French King though fit to degrade Cardinal Antonio from the honour he possessed of being Protector of France and to take away his Royal favour from Teodoli and the Marquess of San Vito his Brother and to recal his Ambassadour San Simon into France to render an account of his proceedings yet in the mean time the most Christian King fail'd not with all actions of goodness and generosity to endeavour a correspondence with the Person and House of the new Pope giving him to understand that the chastisement of the aforesaid persons proceeded from the aversion they had to his Election or at least for that they had perswaded that Crown to his exclusion with arguments much contrary to the truth About the end of the year 1646. died Henry Bourbon Prince of Conde not yet sixty years old Nothing was more methodical than the whole course of his life every action had its proper season and each year they returned in their due Periods as by a Kalendar The young King fell dangerously sick of the small Pox but he recovered and grew up under the instructions of Hardovin Perefix Abbot of Beaumont a man of a pleasant gravity and wisdom afterwards Archbishop of Paris who might have been stiled the King 's Seneca but that he hapned upon a Trajan In the year 1647. Whores and Bawds of all sorts were banished out of Paris not by an Act of Parliament but by an Order of the Provost Mareschal A Writer of that story saith It was a shameful thing to stir those matters which having been stirred would have stunk filthily and to be fierce against poor Whores when Noble Ladies did prostitute themselves without punishment Now Mazarine furnished a Library in favour of the Studious with Books to be read over in many ages One might behold shelves raised up to the top of the Roof where through a luxUry of literature was set up a learned Pile not as Ornaments of a Palace but as Instruments of Wisdom not ranked for a shew but for use In the year 1648. a Civil War in France was unfortunately commenced and all France was set in a combustion At the same time a malignant Star did influence many Kingdoms as England Naples Catalonia Portugal Great commotions were in Paris Peter Seguier Chancellour of France is dispatched to the Parliament to carry them the King's Orders or in truth to try what was their intention He was like to be torn in pieces by the Rabble But Milleray on Horseback with Dort break through the Seditious crew and having rescued the Chancellour from that imminent danger convey him back safe to the Queen in a Coach half-torn the Guard being frighted and some of them slain The Sedition breaks out farther and the madness of the people riseth to higher exasperation F. Paul Gondy designed Archbishop of Paris commonly styled Coadjutor in his Pontifical Robes carrying with him a veneration as he passed along the Streets moderated the people with Language and gesture Some there were that taxed Gondy as if in his heart he had been somewhat favouring alterations However the matters were in truth that was the first day of Gondy's withdrawing and the cause of all those evils which that Prelate eminent in Mind Birth and Merits fell into afterwards from this time he shall be ever after called the Archbishop of Corinth Mazarine took care to have the King conveyed to Ruel two miles out of Town under pretence of taking the Air. The Ring-leaders of the Sedition fretted and could not digest to have the King rescued from their fury The first remarkable Act of the retirement to Ruel was the imprisonment and banifsment of Chavigny Here begins a general storm to gather over Mazarine Orleans steps in as a Mediator between Court and Parliament Conde returned from the Campaigne elated with his fresh Victory at first dealt roughly with the Senate afterwards flattered their Loaders pretended at least to Constable or Admiral Longueville instigated his Brother-in-Law boasting that he had obtained Havre de Grace the famous strength of Normandy so taking occasion to fall from his former Party The Archbishop of Corinth put Longuevillo on to such courses upon a vain expectation as if he should be declared by an Act of Parliament Prince of the blood Anne Bourbon the Wife of Longueville was of great moment to the Faction she carried along with her the Archbishop of Corinth the Duke of Retz her Broâ—her Conti with Rochfoucault who was then that Ladies Cabinet Counsellour Those all pretended the publick and private good That their Tyranny must be abated with Arms who had put the King upon cruel Counsels and rendred the Princes odious to him and suspected The Queen sees her self struck at through the sides of Mazarine She composeth her mind recollecting her thoughts how to provide for the future Mazarine applies his mind to an accomodation The substance of the Articles was That many Taxes were to be abated in Towns and Countrey The Provinces were to be eased of them by the Masters of Requests no man might be kept in Prison above the space of one natural day without answering to his charge in the House which was eagerly disputed and approved even by the Court Party Chavigny is released and turns aside to Tours Thus the first heat of Paris was asswaged About the end of October the King returns to Paris But the Faction having got strength through his Majestie 's Clemency and the obtaining their Petitions as being now established by Law maketh the former concessions but a step to higher demands The Parliament boiled up with new designs The storm of envy dischargeth it self on Mazarine it is openly cried out That the Axe must be laid to the root the Stranger must be expelled out of the Kingdom At length the Thunder-clap broke over the head of Mazarine He is Voted in a full House guilty of High Treason and the disturber of the publick Peace Every Age Condition Sex is commanded to assault shoot or stab him Whoever harboured him in the same house with them should be guilty of the same Crime with him In the City came out divers libels against Mazarine On December 26. Monsieur du Bosquet heretofore Lord Chief-Justice in the Province of Languedoc as also for that of Guienne had the Bishoprick of Lodeva bestowed upon him by his Majesty and was transmitted into holy Orders and after consecrated by the Archbishop of Narbonne having for his Assistants the Bishops of Beziers and Alez Then was a Letter sent from the Court of Parliament at Paris to all Majors Bailifs Sheriffs and other publick Officers in the Kingdom of France craving of them to aid and assist the City of Paris with such Provisions whereof it might stand in need and with supplies of men and other War-like necessaries to preserve the City for his Majestie 's service They declared that Mazarine as an utter enemy to the Kingdom sought by all means yea by open violence and force of
also unto destruction whom he would 2. That they who are predestinated unto destruction cannot be saved 3. That whereas the Apostle saith God willeth that all men be saved he meaneth only all them who shall be saved 4. That Christ came not to save all men nor did he suffer for all men but only for them who shall be saved by the mystery of his passion 5. Since the first man fell of his Free-will none of us can use Free-will to do good but only to do evil Remigius Bishop of Lions in the name of the Church of Lions defended these five Articles whereupon Hinckmar wrote unto Pope Nicholas against Gotteschalk and calleth these Articles the heresie of the Predestinarians which was overthrown in Africk and afterwards in France by Authority of Pope Celestine When Gotteschalk returned from Italy Raban Bishop of Mentz summoned him to a Synod and when he could not perswade him to change his mind he wrote unto Hinckmar and others Hinckmar summoned Gotteschalk unto a Synod of twelve Bishops and some Priests and Abbots in Carisiac on Isara where four Articles were enacted against him He was condemned of Heresie and contumacy he was whipt with rods Vid. Petries Ch. Hist Cent. 9. and cast into prison The Church of Lions after sight of these four Articles sent forth their censure of them Remigius was a man of a most holy Conversation and very learned as appeareth by the Comments which he wrote upon the Old and New Testaments At this time was published a Commentary on the thirteen Epistles of the Apostle St. Paul which was lately printed at Rome under the name of Remigius of Rhemes Lupus Abbot of the Monastery of Ferraria by the water Lupa running into Sein at the same time wrote several Epistles unto King Lewes and to Hinckmar which were printed at Paris Anno 1588. He comforteth his Master Einhard after the death of his Wife He speaks honourably of Marriage and comfortably of the estate of the Godly after this life without any mention of purgatory or Mass for the defunct At the same time also was a question of the presence of Christ's body in the Sacrament Charles the Bald King of France commanded Bertram a Priest at Corbey to search and write what was the Doctrine of the Fathers and Ancient Church in this Article Trithemius saith Bertram was singularly learned of an excellent eloquence and utterance pregnant in judgement and no less famous for holiness of life and wrote many excellent Treatises In obedience unto King Charles he compiled a Treatise De corpore sanguine Domini which is all inserted in Catal. Test verit lib. 10. This Book was forbidden to be read by order from the Roman Inquisition confirmed afterward by the Council of Trent Usher's Answ to the Jesuites challenge The Divines of Doway perceiving that the forbidding of that Book did not keep men from reading it but gave them rather occasion to seek more earnestly after it thought it better Bertram should be suffered to go abroad but handled in such sort as other ancient Writers that made against them were wont to be Bishop Ridley highly commends this Bertram Ridl Pres at coen Dom. Paschasius Rathbert Abbot of Corbey at the same time wrote a Book of the Eucharist Remigius Bishop of Auxerre flourished about the year 880 he wrote many Books He was called Doctor Sententiosus Charles the Bald died at Mantua Anno 879 being poisoned by Sedecias the Jew whom he employed for one of his Physicians leaving the Realm to his Son Lewes the second called the Stuttering Lewes King of Germany had vowed that he would take both Empire and Kingdom from Charles the Bald but was arrested with sickness at Frankford There he divided his Kingdom among his three Sons to Lewes he gave Saxony Turingia Frisia and the Provinces within them with the Title of East-France to Carloman he gave Bojaria Austria Bohemia and Moravia with the Title of King of Bavaria To Charles his third Son he gave Suevia Franconia with some parts of Lorain which he had taken after the death of Lotharius with the Title of King of Germany De Serres Hist Charles the Fat King of Germany strove for the Empire and was Crowned by the Romans Pope John would not consent and therefore was imprisoned he escaping goes into France and confirmeth Lewes the Stutterer He was courteously received by Lewes stays in France a whole year and there holds a Council at Troyes in Champagne The Pope was scarce gone but Lewes dieth having reigned only two years He had no lawful Children but two Bastards he left his Wife with Child The Queen was afterward delivered of a Son which was saluted King and called Charles During the minority of Charles Lewes and Carloman Brothers the two Bastards of Lewes the Stutterer are chosen by the States to Govern the Realm of France Lewes was defeated by the Normans and dies for grief Soon after his Death it is said that Carloman fell down and brake his neck Another Lewes succeedeth to these two Brethren but he quickly dyed Then the States called Charles the Gross King of Bavaria to this high Dignity He began his reign Anno 885 and reigned nine years His entrance was goodly but his end Tragical He was crowned King with promise to restore the Crown to the lawful Heir and to govern according to the will of the States He was Son to Lewes called Germanicus Son to Lewes the Gentle Being defeated by the Normans he yieldeth to a prejudicial peace and is much hated of the French At length the French and the Grrmans resolve to dispossess him The Germans made choice for their Emperour of Arnulph Son to Carloman the Son of Lewes the Gentle The French likewise reject this miserable Charles from the Regency of the Realm and call Eudes of Odon Duke of Anger 's named by the will of Lewes the Stutterer So this poor Prince is cast out both from Realm and Empire and remains naked without an house to shrowd himself in from this disgrace being banished from Court and driven into a poor Village of Suevia where he lived some days in extreme want without any means of his own or relief from any Man in the end he dyed neither pitied nor lamented of any in a corner unknown but to have been the Theatre of so extraordinary a Tragedy that one of the greatest Monarchs in the World should dye without House without Bread without Mourning and without Memory but the note of this end so prodigiously memorable Century X. CHarles the Third called the Simple was Crowned in the Year 902. Eudes governing with him eight Years from his Coronation Charles remaining alone after the Death of his Regent Reigned 27 Years His Reign was miserable throughout Now begins a notable league against the King Robert Duke of Anjou becomes the Head of this League accompanied with many great Men of France This Robert was Governour by the Death of his
Brother Eudes They caused Charles to quit the Crown discharging him with the name of simple or foolish and declaring him incapable of so great a charge Robert arms boldly against Charles to dispossess him of his Estate Charles flees to Henry the third Emperour and laboureth to calm this storm At the approach of their Armies Robert to have some Title to make a War causeth himself to be Crowned King at Rhemes by Herve the Arch-Bishop who died three days after this unlawful Coronation As the Armies approach near Soissons striving in the view of Paris they joyn the combate is cruel but Robert fighting in the Front is slain leaving for that time the victory to King Charles who seeks a Treaty of Peace out of an unseasonable fear Hebert Earl of Vermandois Son-in-law to Robert beseecheth Charles to come to St. Quintins to confer together Charles cometh thither without Hostages Hebert there takes him Prisoner and conveys him to Soissons where he had assembled the chief of the Realm chosen after his own humour where he makes him to resign the Crown to Raoul his God-son the first Prince of the Blood by his Mother Hermingrade Daughter to Lewes and Wife of Boson King of Burgundy So this poor Prince is led from Prison to Prison for five years and dyeth of a languishing melancholy He had by his Wife Ogin a the Daughter of Edward King of England a Son named Lewes She takes her Son Lewes and flees into England to her Brother Athelstan who then Reigned But the Reign of Raoul was unfortunate who Reigned thirteen years during Charles his imprisonment and after his Death But Raoul after many broils dyeth at Compiegne Anno 936. Now are great confusions in France there is nothing sacred all is violated for Rule all respect is laid aside every one plays the King within himself for one King there are many and where there are many Masters there are none at all In this confusion there were many Kings Dukes and Earls although these Titles were but temporary having no other Title but the Sword There was no Governour of any Province throughout the Realm which held not proper to himself and his Heirs those things which were given to them but as Offices From hence sprang so many Dukedoms Earldoms Baronies and Seignories which for the most part are returned to their beginnings Italy given to an Infant of France was now possessed by divers Princes Germany withdrawn from the Crown was banded into divers factions so as the Empire of the West confirmed in the person of Charlemaigne continued scarce one hundred years in his Race for Lewes the Son of Arnulph was the last Emperour of this Blood In his place the Germans erected Conrade Duke of East Franconia Anno 920. the Empire being then very weak After Conrade was chosen Henry the Fowler Duke of Saxony and after him his Son Otho Princes adorned with singular virtues fit for the time to preserve the West For the Emperours of the East did run headlong to their ruine who were men either of no valour or altogether wicked attending the last blow by the hand of the Mahumetans whose power they strengthned by their vitious lives until they had lodged them upon their own heads In these confusions of State the power of the Pope of Rome encreased daily by the ruines of the Empire The design of the Popes was to erect a Monarchy in the Church by Power and Authority Seignories civil Dissentions Arms Revenues and Treason And soon after they grew to that greatness as they sought to prescribe Laws to Emperours and Kings who refusing it and disputing this primacy many dissentions arose and were dispersed among the people After the Death of Raoul Athelstan King of England having drawn unto him William Duke of Normandy sends an honourable Ambassage to the States of France entreating them to restore his Nephew Lewes to his lawful and Hereditary Dignity The French consent to it So Lewes the Son of Charles is called home by the Estates of France being accompanied with a great Troop of English-men and Normans Lewes hegan to Reign Anno 935 and Reigned 27 years About this time Ambrose Ansbert a French-man wrote Commentaries on the Psalms and Canticles and part of the Revelation In this tenth Century there was little study of liberal Sciences the Schools were few and empty of Languages The Popish Priests and Clergy having forsaken their old Discipline were given to filthy lucre nor were they respected by their flocks only Monks were noted to have some Eloquence And such was the corruption of the times that none durst scarce speak of the Corruptions Idolatries Superstitions and wickednesses of that Age which at that time were so luxuriant Divers Signs were seen in Heaven and great changes happened almost in every Kingdom The Hungarians oppress Italy and Germany besides many other broils in both those Nations France will shortly have another Race of Kings great were the Wars in Spain between the Moors and the old Inhabitants and the Saracens suffered neither Greece nor Asia to rest in peace Bellarmine speaking of this Century saith Behold an unhappy Age Bellarm. in Chronol in which are no famous Writers few or no Councils bad Emperours and no good Popes Baronius on the beginning of this Century saith Baron ad Anno 900. Sect. 1. A new Age beginneth which for rudeness and barrenness of goodness may be called The Iron Age and for deformity of evil abounding The Leaden Age and for want of Writers is called The Dark Age. Under the Reign of Charles the Simple King of France a Council was called at Rhemes for correcting the abuse of Church-rents for Noble-men in Court such as Hugo and his Brother Robert Master of the King 's Horses and Vincmarius with divers others under pretence of sustaining the King 's Honourable Estate and paying wages to Souldiers had converted to their own use a great part of Church-rents especially belonging to Abbeys Fulco Arch-Bishop of Rhemes uttered his mind freely in the Council Vincmarius one of the notable oppressours in the Court defiled the Council with Blood and killed Fulco Bishop of Rhemes The Fathers of the Council returned unto their own Churches with great fear for the like of this was not heard since the second Council of Ephesus in which Flavianus Bishop of Constantinople was slain Du. Haillan in vit Caroli Simpl. A Council also was held in France in which it was permitted Priests to marry Virgins At this time there was a great Famine in France The People had been much given to Gluttony and Drunkenness and God punished them with penury and scarcity of Victuals Lewes dyeth Anno 955. at Rhemes hated of the French leaving to Lothair his Son a Crown near the ruine and to Charles the youngest the favour of his eldest Brother Lothair detested of all men died Anno 964. leaving behind him an execrable memory of his actions and Lewes his Son for a final conclusion of
another place speaking of the Popes he saith They have arrogated unto themselves the right of disposing of all Churches in all places as far as the Christian Religion reacheth of all Bishopricks and Dignities which are conferred by election voiding and disanulling the Decrees formerly made by the Holy Fathers with so much care and commodity that so they may by this means fill their own Budgets the better And since this custom was used there have been none but Dunces Worldlings Money-men and such as were raised to those Dignities by Simony And again To the end that the Rivers of Gold derived from all parts may flow unto them in a fuller stream they have taken away the power of presentations and the liberty of bestowing and disposing of Benefices by any means whatsoever from all Diocesans and lawful Patrons forbidding them upon pain of Anathema rashly to presume for so their Writs run to institute any person into a Benefice within their jurisdiction till such time as some one be presented to it to whom by their Authority they have granted it And again saith he What greediness is this speaking of the Cardinals to hold such a number of repugnant and incompatible Benefices They are Monks and Chanons Regulars and Seculars Vnder the same habit they enjoy the Rights Degrees Offices and Benefices of all Religions of all Orders of all Professions not two or three but ten twenty an hundred two hundred yea sometimes five hundred and upwards and those no petty ones nor contemptible but of the best and fattest And how great a number soever they have of them they are never content but still would have more They are daily suing for new Graces new Grants Thus they catch up all the Vacancies and go away with all Charles VII now King of France was so distressed that he had only two entire Provinces left him viz. Gascoign and Languedoc and his enemies were about them and all the rest was possessed by the English who besides had besieged the City of Orleans and brought it to that pass that the highest hopes of those therein was to yield on good terms Three French Noble men conclude to set up a Virgin called Joan of Arc to make her pretend that she had a Revelation from Heaven to drive all the English out of France By the mediation of the Lord of Baudricourt she is brought to the presence of King Charles whom she instantly knew though never seen before and at that time of set purpose disguised To the King she saith boldly That this was the time wherein the sins of the English and the sufferings of the French were come to the height and she appointed by the God of Heaven to be the French Leader to conquer the English Ever after she went in Man's cloaths being armed Cap-a pe and mounted on a brave steed No sword would please her but one taken out of the Church of St. Katherine at Firebois in Tourain Polid. Virgil in Henr. VI. p. 471. Her first service was in twice victualling of Orleans whilst the English made no resistance Under her conduct the French drive away the English from Orleans Hence she marched on into other Countries which instantly revolted to the French Crown The English in many skirmishes were worsted and defeated with few numbers The French following their blow in one twelve-month recovered the greatest part of that the English did possess This was done Anno 1429. But this Joan of Arc after the Coronation of King Charles at Rhemes seeking to surprize St. Honories Ditch near the City of St. Denis she was not only wounded her self but also lost a Troop of her stoutest Souldiers and not long after nigh the City of Compiegne was taken prisoner by the Bastard of Vendosme who sold her to the Duke of Bedford and by him she was kept a prisoner a twelve-month and burnt in Rhoan being condemned by the English for a Witch The pragmatick Sanction of King Charles VII was made in a Synod assembled at Bourges consisting of Arch-Bishops Bishops Chapters Abbots Deans Provosts and other Ecclesiastical persons together with Doctors of Law Divine and humane and other Learned Men of the Realm and also of the chief Lords of France and others of the King's Council about receiving the Councils of Constance and Basil The Sanction hath this complaint The Prelates and other ordinary dispensers as also the Patrons are deprived of their right the Hierarchy of the Church is confounded and many other things are committed contrary to the Laws of God and Man to the loss of Souls and the oppression of the Churches of our Realm The Council of Basil did provide a remedy against this abuse and the pragmatick after it but so as the Popes have cast off the yoke of it having disanulled almost all the Decrees of that Council Du. Moulin contr Porron li. 3. cap. 37. The Popes for a long time branded all the French for Hereticks by reason of that pragmatick Sanction Pope Martin V. dyed Anno 1431. whom Eugenius IV. succeded who was deposed by the Council of Basil assembled by himself to reform the Church In the place of Eugenius the Council chose Amadeus Duke of Savoy who called himself Felix But Eugenius brought against Basil the Daulphin of France who was afterward Lewes XI who in all things opposed his Father Charles VII and his confederates He brought four thousand horse against Basil to break the Council which yet he could not have effected had not the pestilence within Basil forced the Fathers of the Council to separate themselves after they had condemned Eugenius as an Heretick and unworthy to govern the Church But Eugenius took Arms and being held up by Princes maintained himself against the Anti-Pope Felix who after he had been five years Pope retired to Ripaille a pleasant house in Savoy there to lead a private Life So the Popedom remained in the hands of a Man deposed by a Council assembled by the Pope himself where Bishops met out of all parts of the Roman Church Note that after this deposition he created many Cardinals and Bishops whose Office was null since they were created by an Usurper who had by force maintained himself in the Office of a Pope after his deposition And yet those very Cardinals created by this Usurper of the Popedom are those very men that elected the Successours of Eugenius Nicholas and Pius the second from whom is descended the succession of the Popes of our time as the learned Dr. Du-Moulin hath well observed The Arch-Bishop of Lyons in the Council of Basil did declare that in the time of Pope Martin Fox Act and Monum there came out of France to the Court of Rome nine millions of Gold which was gathered of the Bishops and Prelates besides innumerable sums of the poor Clergy which daily without number ran unto the Court of Rome carrying with them all their whole substance The Arch-Bishop of Turenne said also at Basil that three
the Bishop of Nicopolis and condemned to be burnt quick which Death he suffered January 12. 1525. with that constancy that not only many ignorant people were thereby drawn to the knowledge of the truth but also multitudes which had tasted thereof in some measure already were greatly confirmed by his constancy in his Death Then Wolfgangus Schuch coming to a certain Town in Lorrain called St. Hippolitus and being received in the Town for their Pastor laboured by all means to root out of the hearts of the people Idolatry and superstition Hereupon Duke Anthony Prince of Lorrain threatens the Town of St. Hippolitus Wolfgangus humbly wrote to the Duke in defence both of his Doctrine and Ministry and of the whole cause of the Gospel and having confuted the Fryars in disputation he was condemned to be burnt Shortly after his death the Commendator of St. Anthony of Vienna who sate as spiritual Judge over him and gave sentence of his condemnation fell down suddenly and dyed In like manner his Fellow which was Abbot of Clarilocus suddenly at the coming of the Dutchess of Denmark into the City of Nancy being stricken with sudden fear at the noise of Guns fell down and dyed In the beginning of the year 1525. was the Battle of Pavia where Francis I. the French King was taken Prisoner and carried to Madrid in Spain but after many Months confinement he is enlarged and returneth into France The Pope understanding the King was set at Liberty sent to congratulate with him and to make a confederation against the Emperour Hist Concil Trid. li 1. The which being ratified in Cugvac May 22. 1526. between Him that King and the Princes of Italy under the name of the most Holy League the Pope absolveth the French King from the Oath taken in Spain for the observation of the things agreed upon Now followeth a Table of French Martyrs Fox Act and Monum 1. JAmes Pavane Schoolmaster at Paris Anno 1524. being first taken by the Bishop of Meaux was compelled by Dr. Martial to recant Afterwards returning again to his confession he was burnt at Paris Anno 1525. 2. Dionysius de Rieux at Melda or Meaux was burned at Melda for saying that the Mass is a plain denyal of the Death and Passion of Christ Anno 1528. He had often in his mouth these words of Christ He that denyeth me before Men him will I also deny before my Father 3. Joannes de Cadurco Batchellour of the Civil Law for making an exhortation to his Countrey-men of Limosin was accused taken degraded and burnt 4. John Burges Merchant the receiver of Nantes Bartholomew Mylen a lame Cripple Henry Poille of Couberon Catella a School-Mistress Stephen de la Fogge Merchant were condemned and burned in Paris Anno 1533. Henry of Couberon had his Tongue bored through and with an Iron wire tyed fast to one of his cheeks and so was burned with the other as is aforesaid 5. Alexander Canus a Priest for the confession of the true Religion was also burnt at Paris Anno 1533. 6. John Pointer a Chyrurgeon because he would not do homage to a certain Idol at the commandment of a Fryar that came to confess him his Tongue was cut off and then he was burned at Paris 7. Peter Gaudet a Knight sometime of Rhodes after long torments was burnt for the defence of the Gospel Anno 1533. 8 Quoquillard was burnt for the Testimony of Christ's Gospel at Bizanson in Burgundy Anno 1534. 9. Nicholas Scrivener John de Poix Stephen Burlet were burnt on the same account in the City of Arras Anno 1534. 10. Mary Becaudella was burnt at Fountains for finding fault with the Doctrine of a Grey Fryar in the City of Rochel Anno 1534. 11. John Cornon an Husband-man of Mascon one of such wisdom that he confounded his Judges was condemned by them and burnt Anno 1535. 12. Martin Gonin in Daulphinè being taken for a Spie in the Borders of France towards the Alpes was committed to prison In his going out his Gaoler espyed about him Letters of Farellus and Viret Wherefore being examined of the King's procurator and the Inquisitor touching his Faith after he had rendred a sufficient reason thereof he was cast into the River and drowned 13 Claudius Painter a Goldsmith at Paris going about to convert his Kinsfolks was by the Parliament of Paris condemned to have his Tongue to be cut out and then to be burned Anno 1540. 14. Stephen Brune an Husbandman at Rutiers was condemned to be burnt at Planvol Anno 1540. where the wind arose and blew the fire so from him as he stood exhorting the people that he there continued an hour in a manner unharmed so that all the Wood being consumed they renewed the fire with other Faggots and Vessels of Oyl and yet could he not with all this be burned but stood safe Then the Hangman with his pike thrust him through the belly and the guts and so threw him down into the fire and burnt his body to Ashes throwing away his Ashes afterwards into the Wind. 15. Constantine a Citizen of Rhoan with four others were condemned to be burnt and put in a Dung-cart who rejoyced that they were reputed as excrements of this world but yet their death was a sweet odour unto God Anno 1542. 16. John du Beck Priest for the Doctrine of the Gospel was degraded and burnt at Troyes in Champagne Anno 1543. 17. Aimond de Lavoy a preacher of the Gospel in Anjou after nine months imprisonment at Bourdeaux being put to cruel torments he was first strangled whose body was afterwards consumed with fire 18. Francis Bribard Secretary to Cardinal Bellay was also burnt for the defence of the Gospel his Tongue being first cut out Anno 1544. 19. William Husson an Apothecary for scattering Books concerning Christian Doctrine and the abuse of humane Traditions had his Tongue cut out and was afterwards burnt at Rhoan Delanda a Carmelite Fryar one of his persecutors was afterwards converted and preached the Gospel Anno 1544. 20. James Cobard a School-master in the City of St. Michael in Lorrain was burnt for the Truth Anno 1544. 21. Peter Clerk Brother to John Clerk aforementioned and 14. more who dwelt at Melda were burnt Anno 1546. 22. Peter Chapot was strangled and burnt at Paris Saintinus Nivet and Stephen Polliot were also burned at Paris Anno 1546. 23. John English was burnt at Sens in Burgundy being condemned by the high Court of Paris Anno 1547. 24. Michael Michelot was burnt at Warden by Tourney Anno 1547. 25. Leonard de Prato going from Diion to Bar in Burgundy with two false Brethren and talking about Religion with them was bewrayed of them and afterwards was burnt Anno 1547. 26. John Taffington Joan his Wife Simon Mareschal Joan his Wife William Michaut James Boulerau James Bretany These seven being of the City of Langres for the word of Christ were committed to the fire who dyed comfortably Anno
They meet at Pont St. Vincent but give not Battel The Germans pass on into France the Duke of Guise followeth them and the King with his Army advanceth to hinder them from joyning with the King of Navarre who advancing in the mean time to meet the Duke of Joyeuse passeth the River Drongne The Armies face one another at Coutras and fight with all their Forces where the Duke of Joyeuse lost both the Battel and his life On the other side the Duke of Guise fights with the Germans at Villemory and Auneau and makes a great slaughter of them The King following the Victory comes up close to the enemies Army The Swisses yield themselves unto him and the remainder of the Germans disband and betake themselves to flight They are followed and defeated in many places The Duke of Bovillon with a few horse making his escape by the way of Roane and Lionois after many dangers getteth to Geneva where he died within a few daies after leaving his Estate to his Sister whom he recommended to the care of the Duke of Montpensier The Sieur de Chastillon having often fought with the Forces of Burgundy and Lionois with great success and valour got at last into Languedoc and retired himself into his wonted Government in Vivarez The Sieur de Clervant hid among the Swisses that went with a safe-conduct escaped in their company to Basil The Prince of Conti with a few Horse lurking in remote places got at last unknown to his own house and the other Commanders taking several ways ran very various fortunes The Reiters divided themselves into two parts one with the Baron d'Oeneaw and Colonel Damartin passed through Savoy where being shrunk to the number of but five hundred they were pillaged by the Duke's Forces The other with the Baron de Bouck passing through Burgundy to the Confines of the County of Mombelliard was followed by the Marquess Du-Pont and the Duke of Guise by whom being overtaken without the Borders of France they were all cut in pieces in many several encounters These Heads of the League also sacked and burned the Towns and Castles of that Country The Germans sick with Feavers and weakened with bloody-flix falling down by the High-wayes and in the Towns as they passed were miserably slain by the Country-people Eighteen of them who were left sick in a poor Cottage in Burgundy had their throats cut with a knife by a Woman in revenge of those losses she had sustained The three thousand Swisses which were gone into Dauphiné under the Command of the Sieur de Cougy to joyn with Lesdiguiers These Swisses accompanied with four hundred French Musketiers as they passed the River Isare were assaulted by Monsieur de la Valette Brother to the Duke of Espernon with the Cavalry of Provence and by Colonel Alfonso Ornano of the Isle of Corsica with the Infantry of Dauphiné and so furiously charged there that all the rest being slain upon the place only sixty of them escaped from so great a slaughter Whereupon also the Sieur Lesdiguiers himself was forced to seek security among the Mountains Then the King returned to Paris armed and entred as it were in triumph on December 23. 1587. but the whole glory redounded to the Duke of Guise who being become admired was celebrated by the tongues and pens of all his adherents The Duke of Guise causeth a writing to be presented to the King in his own name and the names of the other Heads of the League wherein they demanded in substance That he would unite himself truly with them and sincerely make himself Head of the League to the extirpation of the Hugonots That he should put those persons from the Court from his Counsels and from their Offices who should be named by the Catholick Princes as ill-affected to Religion That he would make the Council of TRENT to be received and observed through the whole Kingdom only excepting those things which did prejudice the prviledge of the Gallican Church That he would grant some places which should be thought fit unto the confederate places for their security wherein they might keep Garrisons and make necessary Fortifications at the expence of the Crown That he would maintain an Army about the Confines of Lorain under the Command of one of the Confederate Princes to hinder the incursions of Foreigners That he would cause all the Estates of the Hugonots to be confiscate and sold wherewith the expences of the late Wars might be satisfied The end of the demand was only to make the King contemptible suspected to favour the Hugonots and furnish the League with an occasion and pretence to take up Arms and prosecute their begun designs while the prosperity of their Fortune lasted The burdens which the War the maintaining of so many Armies and his profuse manner of spending daily increased had lost the hearts of the people to the King The noise of the Duke of Guise's Victories had obscured the Majesty of the King's name his obstinate favour to his Minions had alienated the minds of his most ancient and devoted Servants and the people of Paris swayed by the ambition of the Council of Sixteen in that City constituted by the Guisians could no longer endure Government The City was full of infamous Pamphlets Politick Discourses Satyrical Verses and Fabulous Stories which for the most part abusing the name of the Duke of Espernon redounded to the disgrace of the King On the other side every corner of Paris resounded the praises of the Duke of Guise celebrated in Verse and Prose by many Writers with the titles of the new David the second Moses the deliverer of the Catholick People the Prop and Pillar of the Holy Church The Preachers filled the peoples ears with wonders of this new Gideon come into the world for the desired safety of the Kingdom Which things spread from the City of Paris diffused themselves into all the Provinces which received the same impressions as well to the King's disadvantage as in favour of the League The King declares the Duke of Espernon Admiral of the Kingdom and Governour of Normandy to the great discontent of the Duke of Guise The Council of Sixteen informs the Duke of Guise That they had twenty thousand Armed men in the City at their devotion ready to be put upon any enterprize That they were divided into sixteen Squadrons to every one of which they had appointed a Commander and that the rest of the people would doubtless follow the stream of the Chief men Henry Prince of Conde was poisoned at St. Jehan d'Angely by his own servants and died under whom the Protestants conceived great hopes and his death raised the affliction of that party to the greatest height The Duke of Guise wrote to the Sixteen to lessen their number and reduce it but into five quarters to which they should appoint a place where they should meet at the sign that should be given and that they should dispose things in such a
a select number of Prelates to accompany the Legate men of good Learning and experienced in the matters of Government among whom were Lorenzo Bâ—anchetti and Filippo Sega who after were Cardinals Marco Antonio Mocenigo Bishop of Ceneda a man well versed in affairs and highly esteemed by the Pope Francesco Panigarola Bishop of Asti a renowned Preacher and Robert Bellarmine a learned Jesuite To the choice of these men the Pope added Bills of Exchange to the Merchants of Lions for three hundred thousand crowns with Commission to the Legate to dispose of them according to occasion but particularly to spend them for the infranchisement of the Cardinal of Bourbon upon which he shewed his mind was fixed more than upon any other thought whatsoever But the Pope by letters from the Duke of Luxemburg found that what the Agents of the League had represented to him was vain whereupon the Pope gave Orders and Commissions to his Legate to shew himself no less Neutral in the secular pretensions of the Princes than most zealous concerning Religion and not to value one French-man above another provided he were obedient to the Church and generally liked by the Kingdom and that he should not shew himself an open enemy to the King of Navarre so long as there was any hope he might return into the bosom of the Church But these advertisements were very contrary to the principal scope of the Embassy which was to uphold the Catholick party of the League as the foundation of that Religion in France so that the substance of the business changed in the variety of circumstances did so disturb the Execution that it was afterwards governed more by the diversity of accidents than by any determinate resolution The Cardinal-Legate being come into France required Colonel Alfonso Corso not only to forbear molesting Grenoble and Valence which Cities alone held for the League in Dauphiné but also that as a Catholick and stranger he should forsake the King's party and joyn with the union But he answered that he was indeed a Catholick and an obedient Son to the See of Rome in spiritual things but that having made his Fortune as a Souldier in the service of the King of France he could not desist from following him but was bound to do what he could in the affairs of the Prince whom he served This answer troubled the Legate and the rather because being come to Lions he found the business of the League in great disorder by the King 's prosperous success The Count of Brisac appointed at first to meet the Legate and sercure his passage was forced to face about and employ himself in the affairs of Normandy The Duke of Nevers invited him to come into his State where standing Neuter he might freely take those wayes as might appear most convenient to him On the other side the Duke of Mayenne ceased not to sollicite him to come to Paris shewing him that without the authority of his name and those helps which were hoped for from him the League was in danger to be dissolved and subdued by the King's Forces and all the rest of the Kingdom would remain oppressed by the Hugonot's party The Legate having overcome many difficulties arrives at Paris where he caused the Pope's Breve of the 15. of October to be published wherein after an honourable commemoration of the merits of the Kingdom of France toward the See of Rome c. He attested that he had chosen Cardinal Gaetano Legate to the Kingdom of France with power to use all means fitting to protect the Catholick Religion to recal Hereticks into the bosome of the Church to restore the Peace and tranquillity of the Kingdom and finally to procure that under one only good pious and truly Catholick King the people of France might to the glory of God live in quietness and tranquillity after so many calamities of War Wherefore he prayed and exhorted all the Orders and Degrees of France to persevere in the Catholick Religion and to labour to extinguish and root up the evil of Heresie to cut off the occasions of discord and that particular enmities quarrels and Civil Wars being laid aside they should resolve to yield obedience to a lawful truly Catholick King and the Divine worship being restored under his shadow to live in charitable union and concord Two different Declarations followed upon the publication of this Breve one of the Parliament of Tours by which all persons were forbidden to obey or acknowledge the Legate the other of the Parliament of Paris by which all were exhorted to receive the Fatherly love of the Apostolick See and to give due Reverence to the Legates admonitions After which contrary Declarations many Learned men fight for their Factions with their Pens as the Souldiers with their Swords Aid being desired by the League from the King of Spain the Sieur de la Mothe refuseth to advance beyond the Frontiers of France from Flanders unless the King of Spain be declared Protector of the Crown of France with authority to dispose the chief part of the Temporal and Ecclesiastical Dignities which Prerogatives they called las Marcas de Justitia marks of justice The Duke of Mayenne will not hearken to an agreement with the King The Archbishop of Lions lately imprisoned at Amboise being newly set at liberty by Captain Du-Gast for a great summ of money and come to Paris is made High Chancellour to the Duke of Mayenne and President of the Council The Pope's Legate grants unto Mayenne the three hundred thousand crowns brought for the enlargement of the Cardinal of Bourbon Mayenne besiegeth Meulan a small place but seated upon the pass of the River Seine at the entring into Normandy which therefore next to Pointoise hindered the bringing of Victuals to Paris where after 25. dayes siege news came that the Old Castle at Roven was seized by some Seditious persons which caused him to raise the siege and march to Roven to appease the troubles On the other side the King besiegeth Dreux and the Duke of Mayenne being joyned with the Spanish supplies from Flanders marching towards Dreux resolveth to fight The German Infantry raised for the King of France turn for the League under the Command of Colonel S. Paul The Army of the League had in it four thousand five hundred Horse and twenty thousand Foot The King's Army was but three thousand Horse and eight thousand Foot The King's Army being refreshed they marched toward the field of Yvry appointed by the King for the place of Battel Here the Armies joyned wherein the King obtained a great Victory The King all Armed on Horse-back visits every Division with great diligence and exhorts his Souldiers with great vehemency At last standing still at the head of the main Battalion joyning his hands and lifting up his eyes to Heaven He said so loud that he was heard by many O Lord thou knowest the intentions of my heart and with the eye of thy Providence thou piercest into
my most secret thoughts If it be best for this People that I should attain the Crown which belongs to me by right do thou favour and Protect the justice of my Arms. But if thy will hath determined the contrary if thou takest away my Kingdom take away my life also at the same time that I may shed my blood fighting at the Head of those who put themselves in danger for my sake At the end of which words there arose in the Front of the Battel a loud acclamation from those that heard him with an unanimous cry of vive le Roy which being taken and redoubled from Squadron to Squadron through the whole Army gave an happy beginning to the Battel The Cavalry of the League being defeated save themselves by flight The Swisses laying down their Colours and Arms upon the ground had quarter given them by Mareschal de Biron The Germans who having been raised by the King's money had revolted to the Duke of Lorain were all put to the sword The French Infantry that yielded had their lives given them The Duke de Mayenne fled towards Dreux and having entred the Town broke up the Bridge before his own people were all come which was the reason that multitudes of them the King's Army pursuing them were miserably drowned The Reiters of the League fight till they are all destroyed There died that day above six thousand of the League among which were the Duke of Brunswick the Sieur de la Chastaigneray and the Count d'Egmont who was cut in pieces with all his Lanciers Divers Lords with 204. Ensigns and Cornets were taken by the King with all their Canon and Baggage On the King's side there were but 500. slain This Battel was fought on March 14. 1590. The news of this defeat came the next day to Paris whereat every one was afraid But on March 16. Father Christino de Nizza took an occasion to discourse on those words Whom I love I rebuke and chasten And in the Pulpit tells the Parisians of the defeat and by his Eloquence prevails so on them that they resolve to endure any thing for the Catholick Religion without fearing the heavy tryal of a future siege or Famine The same did William Rose Boucher Prevost and all the other Preachers and last of all Francesco Panigarola who though he Preached in the Italian Tongue was much followed by reason of the same of his Eloquence After the yielding of other places Melun is taken by the King's Army a little Town but well Fortified seven Leagues distant from Paris through which run two Currents of the River Seine and therefore is divided into three parts by the stream and only joyned together by Bridges The Sieur de Villeroy being come to Melun to treat an agreement with the King perswades him by many reasons to turn Catholick and propounds a Cessation of Arms. He was sent by the Duke of Mayenne unto the King To which the King gave a large answer And as to the point of Religion he said he had already contented those Catholicks that followed him who were many of great wisdom and strength and very great extraction to whose determination he thought all the rest might accommodate themselves Mâ—rc Antonio Mocenigo Bishop of Ceneda treats with the Mareschal de Biron and propounds a Cessation of Arms but it is rejected All hope of Truce failing the Parisians prepared for a strict siege from the King's Army The people was already disposed by the long exhortations of their Preachers and sollicitations of those that Governed to endure the siege being wrought upon by the frequent Decrees of the Sorbon and by the Declarations and Protestations of the Cardinal Legate that an agreement could not be treated with the Hereticks without damnation Hereby mens minds were so confirmed that some were put to death for saying it was better to make peace with the King than starve with hunger The Duke of Mayenne by many Letters assured them that he would relieve the City within a few weeks To encrease this inclination in the people a solemn Procession was made by Order from the Cardinal Legate to implore Gods assistance in those necessities in which Procession the Prelates Priests and Monks of the several Religious Orders walked all in their accustomed habits but besides them they were Armed also openly with Corslets Guns Swords Partezans and all kind of Arms offensive and defensive making at once both a shew of devotion and constancy of heart prepared to defend their lives which heightened the courage of the common people After this Procession they made another of all the Magistrates of the City and among the Ceremonies of it the Duke of Nemours their Governour and other Commanders of the Souldiers and Magistrates of the people swore publickly in the great Church to defend the City to the last man and never make an agreement with an Heretick Prince for any danger or calamity whatsoever should befall them The King drew nigh to Paris and shuts up the passages of the River of Seine on every side and the City is in great scarcity for want of Victuals Cardinal Gondy Bishop of Paris gives way that the Church Plate should be turned into money for the relief of the poor and the Cardinal Legate distributed among the poor 30000. crowns extorted from the Pope with much ado The Ambassadour Mendoza promised sixscore crowns a day in Bread The Dutchesses and the richest Lords sold their houshold stuff jewels and Ornaments to relieve the urgent necessities of the common people During this siege the Cardinal of Bourbon dies at Fontenay which produceth no alteration at all only the Duke of Mayenne invites the Deputies of the Provinces to Meaux to chuse another King The Duke of Mayenne having met the Duke of Parma at Conde obtains of him 1500. Spanish Foot towards the relief of Paris In that populous City the Famine was so sore that within the space of three Months moe than an hundred thousand died in it The Duke of Parma cometh with an Army to relieve Paris at his arrival at Meaux he joyns with the Duke of Mayenne The Abbot del Bené dies a man of great abilitie in State affairs at which the King is troubled Upon August 30. the King riseth from the siege of Paris While the two Armies lie still observing one another the Parisians furnish themselves with some Provisions The King sends a Trumpet to the Duke of Mayenne to challenge him to fight The Duke of Parma drawes his Army into Battalia as if he would give Battel goes away suddenly to Lagny and deceives the King The Duke of Parma takes Lagny before the face of the King's Army whereby the passage of the River Marne being freed upon Septemb. 6. great store of victuals enter into Paris The King withdraws his Army and marcheth towards St. Dennis He gives a Scalado to the City which proveth ineffectual The Duke of Parma takes Corbeil and so absolutely frees Paris from want
Rochel and took the way of Lions In that resolution he was guided by a good Providence for if he had gone to Rochel he should have been apprehended not far from that Town after his coming out of it At Lions he received a Letter from Monsieur Drelincourt Minister of Paris which gave him notice of his danger This warning made him baulk the high-way yet he went to Paris and entring the City in the night went directly to the Lord Herbert who bad him to flie in haste for his life which was in danger by the interception of his Letters to the King his Master That very night without going so much as to his own house he went out of Paris with his Brother Captain John Du Moulin to Lumigni a house of the Count de la Suze ten Leagues from the City Thither came two Elders of the Church of Paris to him from the Consistory to desire him to remove himself out of the reach of those who waited for his life Which he did and the next night travelled toward Sedan a place then acknowledging the Old Duke of Bovillon a Protestant Prince for Sovereign To Sedan he came safe in the beginning of the year 1621. and was kindly received by the Duke to his house and Table This was his parting with the Church of Paris where he had lived one and twenty years And although great means were made to appease the Court and albeit many years after the indictment against him was taken off and leave was given him to live in France yet was it with that exception that he should not live in Paris At Sedan he was presently desired to accept of the place of Minister of that Church and of the Chair of Divinity then lately left by Tilenus in discontent and by Andrew Melvin by death He accepted of these places but conditionally in case that he could not obtain his restitution to Paris He found at Sedan much love and respect from the Prince and the Academy as also from the Church Daniel Tilenus was a Learned man He hath written Notes and Observations upon Bellarmines Disputation De Christo Capite And on his Book De Summo Pontifice and his Book De Verbo Dei Other Works there are of his as Paraenesis ad Scotos Amica collatio Tileni Cameronis De gratia voluntatis humanae concursu Disput de Antichristo Consideratio sent Jac. Arminii de Praedestinatione gratiâ Dei libero Arbitrio Syntagma Disputationum in Academia Sedanensi The Government of the Town and Castle of Saumur was continued unto Du Plessis until this year 1621. when the King falling into displeasure and suspicion of the Protestants by reason of their high deportment in the Assembly at Rochel displaced him at first but for three Months with a promise of restoring him so soon as affairs should be quieted in some measure But these discontents growing to an open War he could never procure a re-establishment though it were continually solicited by him Wherefore retiring himself to his House in the Forest upon Dayure he continued there till the day of his death which followed in the year 1623. there applying himself to holy meditations and Exercises of Patience Doctor Du Moulin having had time and occasion whilst he was President of the Synod of Alais and in his long journey to it and from it to know the evil posture of affairs he found himself prest in Spirit to write to the Assembly of Rochel and because that Epistle is a piece that giveth much light to the History of that time and a good lesson to all that pretend Conscience and Religion for their resistance to their Soveraign by force of Arms I will give some account of it in this place Gentlemen I do not write to you to pour my sorrows into your bosom See the Life of Dr. Du Moulin w itten by his Son or to entertain you with my private crosses c. A more smarting care hath moved me to write to you and forced me to go beyond my nature which was alwaies averse from medling with publick businesses and from moving out of the sphere of my proper calling For seeing the general body of the Church in eminent danger and upon the brink of a dismal Precipice it was not possible for me to keep silence c. It becomes me not indeed to take upon me to give Counsel to an Assembly of Persons chosen out of the whole Kingdom to bear the burden of the publick affairs in a time so full of difficulty yet I think it is useful for you to be truly informed what the sense and what the disposition is of our Churches by persons that have a particular knowledge of it The Question then being whether you ought to separate your Assembly to obey his Majesty or keep together to give order to the affairs of the Churches I am obliged to tell you that the general desire of our Churches is that it may please God to continue our peace in our obedience to his Majesty And that seeing the King resolved to make himself obeyed by the force of his Arms they trust that you will do your best to avoid that storm and rather yield unto necessity than to engage them in a War which most certainty will ruine great part of our Churches c. By obeying the King you shall take away the pretence used by those that set on his Majesty to persecute us And if we must be persecuted all that fear God desire that it may be for the profession of the Gospel and that our persecution may truly be the cross of Christ I can assure you that the greatest and best part of our Churches wisheth for your separation if it may be with the safety of your persons yea that many of the Roman Church desiring the publick peace are continually about us beseeching and exhorting us that we do not by casting our selves headlong involve them in the same ruine Generally our poor flocks are frighted and dismaied casting their eyes upon you as persons that may procure their rest and by yielding to the present necessity blow away the storm hanging over their heads Many already have forsaken the Land many have forsaken their Religion whence you may judge what dissipation is like to follow if this exasperation go on further No more do I need to recommend unto you to have a tender care of the preservation of our poor Churches knowing that you would chuse death rather than to draw that reproach upon you that you have hastened the persecution of the Church and destroyed that which the zeal of our Fathers had planted and put this State in confusion c. Consider then whether the subsistence of your Assembly can heal all these sores whether your sitting can give a shelter to our Churches provide all things necessary for a War where the parties are so unequal raise Forces and make a stock of money to pay them whether all the good that your
to the Duke The peace that had been concluded before Montpelier in the year 1622. Vid. The Histâ—ry of the life of the Duke of Espernon part 3. had hitherto continued the affairs of the Kingdom in some repose and although those of the Reformed Religion expressed some dispositions to a new Commotion there was as yet no manifest breach Soubize by an attempt made upon the King 's Shipping at Blavet made the first breach All the rest of the party broke into Arms at the same time and the Duke of Rohan who had long been known to be the Head of that party stirred them into insurrection A promptitude in his Partizans so much the more to be wondered at as he commanded a sort of people whose obedience was only voluntary Montauban was one of the Cities not only of Guienne but also of the whole Kingdom that engaged the deepest in this revolt the Inhabitants whereof by having had a siege raised from before their Walls and by having baffled a Royal Army even when animated by the presence of the King himself began to think themselves invincible and their City a place not to be taken The King therefore sent order to the Duke of Espernon to take Arms which he did and laid waste the Country about Montauban Many smart engagements there were with great loss of men on the side of the besieged who made a vigorous resistance Many lamentable objects were every where to be seen from Picqueros 〈◊〉 place famous for having been the King's quâ—rter during the siege of Montauban and from whence the whole Plain betwixt the Rivers Tarn and Vairan lay open to the view so soon as the obscurity of the night gave colour to the fire that had been kindled by day one might have seen a thousand fires at once the Corn Fruit-trees Vines and houses were the aliments that nourished this flame Soubize in the mean time endeavours to divert the Duke from his enterprize by Landing three thousand five hundred Foot and some few Horse in the lower Gascony in the Country of Medoc This little Country which is almost all the Duke's environs a great part of the Metropolis of Burdeaux extending it self to the very Gates of the City but Soubize was shamefully repulsed his Forces routed the few that escaped the Victors hands with much ado recovered their Ships leaving their dead their Arms Artillery and Baggage as infallible testimonies of a total defeat About the year 1623. the famous Book of Cardinal Du Perron against King James of famous memory came forth That Book was extolled by the Romanists with great brags and praises His Majesty being especially interessed and provoked by that Book was pleased to recommend the confutation of it to his old Champion Dr. Du Moulin who undertook it upon his Majesties Command And that he might attend that work with more help and leisure his Majesty invited him to come into England And together being moved with compassion by the adversities the Doctor had suffered for his sake he offered him a refuge in England promising to take care of him and to employ him in one of his Universities He accepted that Royal favour He set out of Sedan in March 1624. and went to Bruxels and Antwerp and so to Holland whence after some daies stay at the Hague with his worthy Brother in law Doctor Rivet he took Shipping for England He was graciously received by his Majesty God visited him with a grievous sickness by an heavy oppression in his Hypochondries with an inflammation of black choler which seldom let him sleep and kept him in perpetual agony Yet even then he spent much time in his great work against Cardinal Du Perron and preached often in the French Church In the depth of his pain and anguish he was beyond measure afflicted with the persecutions that ruined the Churches of France and the divisions then increasing in the Churches of England There was at London at that time the Marquess d'Effiat See the Life of Dr. Du Moulin extraordinary Ambassadour of France a zealous Papist who upon a false information of Fisher and other Jesuites that were about him that Doctor Du Moulin by his long watchings and other melancholy fumes was decayed in his Intellectuals did malitiously invite him to his house to engage him in a Conference and insult over his weakness After dinner the Ambassadour desired him to hear a Scottish man who would tell him the reasons that made him leave the Protestant Religion to embrace the Catholick The Scottish man then assisted by Fisher and others of his sort made an elaborate Discourse half an hour long of the Church of St. Peter's Primacy of succession of Chairs and the like When he had done the Doctor resumed all his points and allegations in the same order and answered them with his ordinary vigour and presence of wit And because the principal matter in question was about the Marks of the true Church he maintained that the Profession of the true Doctrine was the Mark of the true Church and thence took occasion to lay open the foulness of the errors of Popery with so much pregnancy that the Ambassadour a Cholerick man rose from his seat in great fury and gave many foul words to the Doctor who thereupon went out and returned home But the Ambassadour sent his Coach to him the next day and invited him to dinner And after dinner the Scottish man spake again of the same points and when the Doctor in his answer had turned his Dispute against the grossest errours of Popery incompatible with the true Church Fisher would have taken the Scottish man's part but the Ambassadour's passion gave him no time to answer but broke vehemently out saying that he could hear no longer that one should revile before him the Catholick Religion and maintain to him that he did wilfully damn himself his Wife and his Children Then the Doctor went out of his house Soon after King James fell sick of the Sickness whereof he died That death of his Royal Patron and the Plague raging in London soon perswaded the Doctor to return to Sedan The labour of the journey and the intolerable heat of the season increased his sickness which to heal the Physitians of Sedan made him drink Spaw-waters which were broâ—ght to him from Spaw to Sedan These waters brought him to a most violent Feaver and the Feaver consumed all those humours and winds that opprest him and left him in health So he returned to his former Function in the Church and University serving God with chearfulness and assiduity and blessed with great success He lived at Sedan thirty and three years from his return into England unto his death without any notable change in his condition but one of publick concernment by the miserable change of the Duke of Bovillon That Duke being Prince of Sedan the Protectour of a flourishing Protestant Church and the refuge of many oppressed Protestants in France was perverted by falling in
Monastery of St. Medard at Soissons Page 57 Lotharius becometh a Monk in the Abbey of Pluviers When the Pope's Legates came first to the Councils of France Page 59 King Lewes IX lost all his Army and himself â—ith his two Brethren Alphonso and Charles are taken Prisoners in Egypt Page 113 The Principal Laws observed in the Creation of the Pope Page 120 121 Lupus Bishop of Troyes Page 17 Lupus Bishop of Sens. Page 33 Lupus Abbot of Ferraria Page 63 Letters passed between King Philip the fair and Boniface VIII Page 128 129 A Letter of the French Prelates sent to Pope Boniface VIII Page 131 132 Many Lutherans commanded to be put to death in Paris by King Henry II. Page 207 M. CLaudius Mammertus Bishop of Vienna Page 17 Margaret Queen of Navar Sister to King Francis 1. her memoires and poetical works Page 191 A Table of French Martyrs Page 175 ad 200 Martyrs at Lyons and Vienna Page 3 4 c. Maurice Bishop of Anjou Page 13 Martial converted divers Provinces and People in France to the Faith Page 2 Rabanus Maurus famous in the Vniversity of Paris Page 62 St. Martin Bishop of Turin Page 13 The Monastery of St. Martin near Paris called des Champs Page 73 John le Mayre a French Historian Page 183 Minerius a cruel Persecutor of the Albigenses in the Town of Aix in Provence Page 203 Miximus builder of the Micians Monastery Page 22 Maximinus first Pastor of Aquens Page 2 Maximinus a Fryar of Orleans Page 22 John Melrose Abbot of the Augustinians Page 41 Francis Morellus President in a Synod of the Protestants Page 211 N. WIlliam Nagaretta Professour of the Laws his Declaration and Appeal against Pope Boniface VIII at Paris before the King and his Council Page 120 Nicholas de Clemangiis a learned French-man he wrote against the abuses of the Popes and Court of Rome Page 166 O. ODilo Abbot of Clugny made Arch-Bishop of Lyons Page 173 Odo Bishop of Baieux Page 77 Nicholas Orem he Preacheth before the Pope and his Cardinals at Avignon Page 152 P. MAthias Parisiensis proveth that the Pope is Antichrist Page 155 The Pastorelli and their Destruction Page 114 Paschasius Rathbert Abbot of Corbey Page 64 Paul of Pisa Tutor to Charles the Great Page 41 Peregrinus when he flourished Page 17 Philastrius Bishop of Breux Page 13 Philip the Apostle said first to have Preached the Gospel in France Page 1 Postellus a learned French-man Page 190 Peter Castellan Bishop of Orleans Page 191 Peter Abailard an Antitrinitarian Page 100 Peter Bishop of Clugny Page 91 Peter a Monk of Paris Page 100 Peter Cantor he wrote against the Pope and the Mass-Priests Page 101 Peter Lombard Bishop of Paris the Master of the Sentences Page 101 Peter de Cugneriis his Oration Page 135 The Appeal of King Philip the Fair against Pope Boniface VIII at Paris Page 130 Articles of William de Plesiano Knight read against Boniface VIII at Paris ibid. Peter de Aliaco Cardinal of Cambray and Chancellour of Paris Page 169 The Pragmatic Sanction of King Charles VII first made in a Synod assembled at Bourges Page 168 An Arrest of the Parliament of Paris against the Pope's exactions of Annates in France Page 159 Projectus Bishop of Marseilles Page 33 The Story of Peter the Hermit a French Pilgrim Page 80 81 Prosper of Aquitain when he flourished Page 17 Q. ST Quintin a Preacher and Martyr Page 9 R. REmigius Bishop of Rhemes he baptized King Clovis and 3000. of his Souldiers with him Page 20 Remigius Bishop of Lyons he defended the Doctrine of Gotteschalk Page 63 Robert the Norman refuseth the Kingdom of Jerusalem Page 83 John Rochetalada Preacheth that the Church of Rome is the Whore of Babilon c. and is burnt at Avignon Page 147 Rusticus a Martyr Page 9 Thomas Rhedon a French Carmelite Page 172 S. SAlvianus Bishop of Marseilles Page 17 Solonius a good Writer ibid Salonius Bishop of Vopinga Page 26 Sagitarius Bishop of Ebreduna Page 26 Saturninus the first Bishop of Tholouse Page 9 Paulus Sergius first Bishop of Narbon in France Page 2 Sebastian a Martyr Page 11 Sidonius Apollinaris first Bishop of Clermont Page 16 Henry Stevens and Robert his Son Henry Robert's Son and Paul the Son of that Henry all learned Men and Printers Page 204 Great contention between the Masters of Sorbon in Paris and the Preaching Fryars Page 114 Serenus Bishop of Marseilles Page 27 The Sect and Order of Monks called Stellati instituted by King John Page 152 The great Schism between the French and Italian Cardinals after the Death of Pope Gregory XI about the choice of the Pope Page 155 T. TRophimus first Bishop of Arles Page 1 Theodorus Bishop of Marseilles Page 30 Thevet a learned French-man Page 190 V. VIctorinus of Aquitain Page 21. A Synod at Verceles against Berengarius Page 74 An Assembly of Bishops at Vicenas Page 138 A book written in France called the Vergers Dream Page 154 Peter Viret an Eloquent French Divine Page 194 Francis Vatablus Regis Professor of the Hebrew Tongue in Paris his Works Page 205 W. WUlfarius Arch-bishop of Rhemes Page 48 William Arch-bishop of Tyre a very learned Man Page 93 The Waldenses their Original and Doctrine Page 96 X. XYstus first Pastor of Rhemes Page 1 The end of the Table of the first part The Table of the Second Part. A. AN Assembly of the Clergy in the Abbey of St. German page 41 A provincial Council at Aix in Provence page 42 An Assembly of the States at Blois page 35 65 Antoine du Verdier page 11 An Assembly of the Reformed Churches at Saumur page 101 A National Assembly of the Protestants page 142 An Assembly of the Bishops and Clergy of France at Paris page 128 Johannes Auratus Regius Professor in Paris page 10 Anthony Sadeel a good Preacher and Writer ibid Adrian Turnebus Professor of Philosophy and Greek in Paris ibid Andrew Tiraquel an excellent Lawyer page 8 Antoin de Chandieu a Learned French Divine page 10 Andreas de Chesne Historiographer to the King of France page 10 B. THe Abbot of Bloys writes against the book of Mariana the Jesuit page 101 The Lady Katherine de Bourbon Sister to King Henry IV. marryed to the Duke of Bar she was a firm Protestant page 85 A Woman of Burgundy killeth 18 sick German Souldiers page 52 Briquemald and Cavagnes dyed constantly in the Faith page 26 John Bodin a great Statesman his speech and works page 36 Renauld of Beaune Arch-bishop of Bourges his speech page 40 The Duke of Bovillon Prince of Sedan turneth Papist page 122 Birth of the present King of France page 153 Guido de Bres an Holy Martyr page 16 Gulielmus Salustius Bartassius an excellent Poet. ibid C. JOhn Castle pierceth King Henry IV. his upper Lip c. and is executed page 83 Father Cotton his ridiculous Sermon page 88 A conference between Du Moulin and Cayer page 88 Conference
love with a beautiful Lady a Subject born of the Spaniard and a Papist of the deepest Jesuitish dye which seduced and turned him both to the Romish Religion and to the Spanish Party Soon after the Duke declared himself a Papist to the incredible loss of the Protestant Party Sedan was grown by the persecutions in France The greatest number and the richest sort consisted of the Posterity of persons that had transported their Families and their Estates to Sedan during the Wars of Religion and that place was a refuge at hand for the Protestants when any trouble arose in France This change therefore in the Prince wrought a great consternation in the people of Sedan and a great grief in the generality of all the French Protestants Which the Duke of Bovillon perceiving and judging that as they lived at Sedan upon the account of their Religion they might retire from it upon the same account he called the Church and the University and told them that he would lend them the same Protection as before and innovate nothing Only whereas he gathered the Tythes of his Dominions and therewith gave wages to the Ministers Professours and Regents as also Stipends to the Priests now the Priests must have the Tythes as their ancient right and he would pay to the Ministers Professours and Regents their ordinary Stipends out of his own Estate Sedan enjoyed that rest for a year or two till the Duke won by his Wife to forsake the Protection which he enjoyed under the King of France who paid his Garrison agreed with the Spaniard to put himself under his Protection to turn out the French Garrison and receive his Which Plot being discovered by some of Sedan was made known to the French Court and such order was taken that the Duke's design was prevented Himself his Lady and all his Retinue were turned out of Sedan and are kept out of it to this day and the place continueth under the subjection of France This year the Inhabitants of the Valtoline were much distressed The Valtoline is a Country scituate at the foot of the Alpes not unlike a great ditch separated by the high Mountains from the Grisons â—nd those which are on the Coast of Italy It is not of very large extent not above twenty Leagues in length and one in breadth but is very fertile and of great importance serving as a Gate to the Spaniards and Venetians to bring Forces out of Germany into Italy as well to defend as to increase their States The Venetians were not ignorant of it when they were embroiled with Pope Paul V. Anno 1603. They made a League with the Grisons who are natural Lâ—â—ds of it to have free passage through it as their occasions should require though France had the only power to dispose of it according to the Treaty made with them by Lewes XII and renewed by Henry IV. Anno 1602. during the time of his own life the life of Lewes XIII and eight years after his decease Which Alliance with them gives great offence to the Spaniards which caused them to make another League with the Grisons to whom the same passages were assured for the safeguard of Milan But after a long Treaty made in the year 1613. these two new Alliances were overthrown and that of France re-setled which was not for any long time for from the year 1617. to the year 1621. there were nine insurrections among them At last the Valtolines made a general revolt and at the perswasion of the Governour of Milan massacred all the Protestants they met with In July 1620. the Governour of Milan sent them Souldiers and builded them Forts in their Valley The French King then being engaged in re-taking those Towns which the Hugonots had gotten into their possession could not succour the Grisons with his Armies but sent the Marshal de Bassompiere extraordinary Ambassadour into Spain in his name to demand that the Valtoline might be restored and all things replaced into their former state It was obtained and accordingly it was signed at Madrid in May 1621. on condition that certain great liberties might be accorded to the Catholicks there and with a Proviso that the Cantons of the Swisses and the Valtolines should encline the Grisons to consent to what had been agreed upon But the Spaniards procured the Catholick Cantons to deny their consents which being wanting they would put off the execution of the whole Treaty and moreover made one at Milan with the Deputies of the Grisons and unto others with the same Grisons and the Arch-Duke Leopold by which they got great advantages in those Countries and so kept to themselves the power of passing any Forces through that Country France never made any difficulty of according to any thing which might contribute to the exercise of the Catholick Religion in the Valtoline or for security of all such as made profession thereof But they would never agree to those demands which the Spaniards made concerning the having of passages with so much peremptoriness During which time Pope Gregory XV. died and Vrban VIII being set in his place proposed new Articles of Accommodation which comprised as much as could be of advantage for the Church and Catholicks which were readily accepted of by France but as stoutly rejected by the Spaniards for that it did not grant to them the enjoyment of the passages Then Cardinal Richlieu advised the King not to stand dallying upon the means of a Treaty as formerly but forthwith to make use of his Arms to reduce tâ—â—m to terms of justice The King resolves to send the Marquess de Coenures to the Cantons of the Swisses for the Grisons affairs at the same time that the Sieur de Bethune was dispatched toward Rome His instructions were first to re-unite all the Swisse Cantons with his Majesty to dispose the Catholicks to give their assent to the Treaty of Madrid and to espie if in this re-union there might not some way be found out for to re-place the Garrisons into the Soveraignty of the Valtoline The second was to be kept private if the first took effect else he was commanded to encourage the Grisons to rise who should receive assistance from his Majesty of such Troops as should be necessary according to such orders as should be received Then the French King Duke of Savoy and Common-wealth of Venice made a League for the restitution of the Valtoline The Marquess de Coenures takes the field to make himself Master of the Forts in the Valtoline which were all taken in the three first Months of the following year New Orders are sent to the Marquess to prosecute his Conquests there The Pope seems to the Cardinal de la Valette and the Sieur de Bethune to be very angry that the King should attempt upon the Forts in the Valtoline which were in his keeping and sends the Sieur Bernardino Nary to his Majesty to testifie to him his great discontent at it The King of Spain to break