those who are either the Authours or Accomplices of the Crime THE CONTENTS OF THE BOOKS The first Book THe General model of the League its Origine its design and the Success it had quite contrary to the end which was propos'd by it In what it resembled the League of Calvinism The condition in which France was at the return of Henry the third from Poland The ill Counsell which he follow'd at the beginning of his Reign in renuing the War The Commendation and Character of that Prince The surprising change which was found in his Carriage and in his Manners The conjunction of the Politicks or Malecontents with the Huguenots Their powâ—rfull Army Commanded by the Duke of Alanson The Peace which was made â—y the interposition of the Queen Mother â—hich produc'd the Edict of May very favourable to the Huguenots This Edict is the occasion of the Birth of the League The League was first devis'd by the Cardinal of Lorrain at the Council of Trent He leaves the design behind him to his Nephew the Duke of Guise The Conference and secret Treaty betwixt that Duke and Don John of Austria By what means Philip the Second discover'd it and made use of it to engage the Duke to take up Arms. The Commendation of the Duke of Guise and his Character How that Duke made use of the Lord of Humieres to begin the League The Project of Humieres his Articles and his Progress The Lord Lewis de la Trimouille declares himself Head of it in Poitou The first Estates of Blois wherein the King to weaken that party declares himself Head of it by advice of the Sieur de Morvillier The Commendation and Character of that Great man What kind of man the Advocate David was His extravagant memoires The Iustification of Pope Gregory the 13th against the slander of the Huguenots who wou'd make him the Authour of it The Edict of May revok'd in the Estates The War against the Huguenots suddenly follow'd by a Peace and by the Edict of Poitiers in their favour which enrages the Leaguers The Restauration of the Order of the Holy Ghost by Henry the third to make himself a new Militia against the League The Duke of Alanson in Flanders where he is declar'd Duke of Brabant This occasions Philip the second to Press the Duke of Guise to declare himself He does it a little after the Death of the Duke of Alanson The Conferences of the Duke of Espernon with the King of Navarre furnishes him with an occasion He makes use of the old Cardinal of Bourbon and sets him up for a Stale The great weakness of that Cardinal The History of the beginning the Progress the Arts and the Designs of the League of the 16 of Paris The Treaty of the Duke of Guise with the Deputies of the King of Spain He begins the War by surprising many Towns The general hatred to the Favourites and especially to the Duke of Espernon causes many great Lords to enter into his Party That first War of the League hinders the Re-union of the Low Countries to the Crown and also the Ruin of the Huguenots Marseilles and Bourdeaux secur'd from the Attempts of the League The generous Declaration of the King of Navarre against the Leaguers and the too mild Declaration of the King The Conference and Treaty of Nemours and the Edict of July in favour of the Leaguers against the Huguenots The Vnion of the King of Navarre and the Prince of Conde with the Marshal of Damville The death of Gregory the 13th and Creation of Sixtus Quintus The thundring Bull of that Pope against the King of Navarre and the Prince of Conde Discourses and Writings against that Bull. Protestation of the King of Navarre posted up at Rome The War in Poitou with the small success of the Duke of Mayenne The Marshalls Matignon and Biron break his measures under-hand The History of the unfortunate expedition of the Prince of Conde at Angiers The Dissolution of his Army The Ordinances of the King against the Huguenots The form which they were made to sign at their Conversion The Embassy of the Protestant Princes of Germany who demand of the King the Revocation of his Edicts The firm and generous Answer of the King the Conference of St. Brix the Impostures of the Leaguers the beginning of the Brotherhood of Penitentiaries The King establishes one in Paris wherein he enrolls himself The Insolence of the Preachers of the League The scandalous Emblem which was made against the King The Impudence of Dr. Poncet and his Punishment The King uses his endeavours to no purpose for a Peace and at last resolves upon a War The Contents of the Second Book THe Duke of Guise complains to the King of the Infringments which he pretends were made to the Treaty of Nemours The Answer to those Complaints which were found unreasonable The Design of the King in the War which he is forc'd to make The Fortune and Rise of the Duke of Joyeuse his good and ill qualities He commands the Royal Army against the King of Navarre His Exploits in Poitou with those of the King of Navarre the Battel of Courtras The Difference of the two Armies how they were drawn up The first shock advantageous to the Duke the general Defeat of his Army the complete Victory of the King of Navarre his Heroick Valour in the Battel and his admirable Clemency after the Victory He knows not how to use it or will not and for what reason The Review of the Army of the Reyters in the Plain of Strasbourgh The Birth and the Quality of the Baron of Dona. The Duke of Guise undertakes with small Forces to ruin that great Army The Spoils which it committed in Lorrain The Reasons why the Duke of Lorrain wou'd not have the passage of that Army oppos'd The Description of the admirable Retreat of the Duke of Guise at Pont St. Vincent The Entry of the Reyters into France The Duke of Guise perpetually harrasses them The Army Royal at Gien The King goes to command it in Person and vigorously opposes the passage of the Reyters Their consternation finding quite the contrary of what the French Huguenots had promis'd them to appease them They are led into La Beauce The Duke of Guise follows them The description of the Attacque and Fight of Vimory where he surprises and defeats a Party of Reyters A gallant Action of the Duke of Mayenne The Retreat at Mont Argis The Sedition in the Foreign Army after that Victory The Arrival of the Prince of Conty Lieutenant General to the King of Navarre restores them to Ioy and Obedience The Duke of Guise having reserv'd to himself but 5000 men fears not to follow the Reyters as far as Auneau The Situation of that Borough The Baron of Dona Quarters there with the Reyters The Duke of Guise disposes himself to attacque them there He gains the Captain of the Castle to have entrance by it into the Borough
went in Person to the Parliament to cause the Edict to be inroll'd he was not able to hold from saying to some about him with a sigh I much fear that in going about to destroy the Preachments we shall hazard the Mass which afterwards he repeated more than once upon several occasions And truly as he had foretold immediately upon the publication of the Edict the War was kindled throughout all France For when the King of Navarre had notice that the King had verified the Edict which was in reality a solemn declaration of War against him he united himself more firmly than ever with the Prince of Condè and the whole Huguenot Party in an Assembly which was held for that purpose at Bergerac And these two Princes going from Guyenne into Languedoc to the Marshal Duke of Montmorancy who was Governour of that Province gave him so well to understand that it was not onely his particular interest to oppose the Guises who lov'd him not but also for the service of the King whose Authority was struck at and for the preservation of the Monarchy whose foundations the Leaguers were undermining by open breach of the Salique Law that they brought him over into their Confederacy with the whole party of the Politiques who had ever acknowledg'd him their Head Thus instead of the Catholiques being united against the Huguenots as they had always been during the preceding Reigns under Henry the Third and his Successour they were divided into two parties whereof one was the Leaguers and the other the Politiques who by another name were call'd the Royalists And at that time it was manifestly visible that the War had no reference to Religion as those of the League pretended but was a War purely of State Interest since the Duke of Montmorancy Head of those Catholiques who were united with the Huguenots to maintain the Authority of the King and the Royal Family as was declar'd in their Manifest of the Tenth of August shew'd himself on all occasions a most zealous Defender of Religion therein following the example of the Great Constable his Father 'T is certain that he protected it so well in his Government that the King of Navarre cou'd scarcely bring the Huguenots to confide in him because he always oppos'd the progress of their designs in that Province He also extended his Zeal into the County of Avignon and hinder'd Heresie there from taking root For which Pope Gregory the thirteenth thought fit to make him great acknowledgments in many Letters It was not therefore with any design of ruining Religion that the King of Navarre as Head of the Huguenots being united with one part of the Catholiques made that War but for preservation of the King and State which the League endeavour'd to oppress as the King himself understood it to be not long time after declaring that he had not a better servant than the Marshal of Montmorancy And such indeed did he always continue so firm to the interest of that Prince and of his Successour the King of Navarre that the latter of them honour'd him as a Father by which name he first call'd him and afterwards being King of France made him Constable in recompence of his great deserts and service to the State And from that time forward that he might treat him with the same kindness which Henry the Second used to Anne de Montmorancy the Father of this Duke he never call'd him by any other name than that of Partner Thus by the joyning of those Forces which so great a Man brought over with him to the King of Navarre that generous Prince was in a condition to defend himself at least against the Party of the League who were not onely countenanc'd by the authority of the King whom they had as it were dragg'd into that War but also drew great advantages from those Spiritual thunderbolts which the Pope darted the same year against the King of Navarre and the Prince of Conde Those of the League had more than once already employed their utmost interest with Pope Gregory the Thirteenth to obtain of him that he wou'd approve the Treaty of their Association a thing they passionately desir'd And being on the point of declaring themselves more openly than they had yet done and to take Arms after the death of the Duke of Alanson they renew'd their solicitations to his Holiness more earnestly than ever to obtain from him that Declaration thereby to authorize their attempts and insinuate themselves the more into the hearts of those people who were obedient to the Holy See To this effect they dispatch'd once more to Rome Father Claude Matthew who according to his custome fail'd not to apply himself to the Cardinal of Pellevè the most stiff Partisan which the League ever had and the Eternal Solicitour of their Cause in the Court of Rome This Cardinal was descended of an ancient and illustrious house in Normandy as 't is deliver'd to us by the Sieur de Brantome from whence are issued the Marquesses de Beury and the Counts de Flers Which ought to mortifie those hot Writers who in hatred to the League have traduc'd him as a man of mean Parentage who from a Scullion of a College came to be a Servitour or Sizer to the Cardinal of Lorrain 'T is true indeed that because there was not much to be had out of a Patrimony which was to be divided in shares amongst eight Brothers he put himself into the service of that Cardinal who made him Steward of his House But it is not to be inferr'd from thence as some have maliciously done that he was of low Extraction neither is it to be denied that he had many good qualities which being supported by the credit of the House of Guise to which he was entirely devoted gain'd him the esteem of Henry the Second who made him Master of Requests and bestow'd on him the Bishoprick of Amiens from whence sometime after he was translated to the Archbishoprick of Sens by the favour of Lewis Cardinal of Guise who also procur'd the Hat for him So many benefits receiv'd from that powerfull family bound him so firmly and with so blind a passion to the interest of the Guises that he us'd his utmost endeavours in favour of the League against Henry the Fourth even after the conversion of that Prince till seeing at Paris where he then resided the entry of that victorious King to the incredible joy of all the Parisians he di'd of anguish and despight Now this Cardinal and Father Matthew well hop'd that his Holiness seeing the League become so powerfull that it was in a condition of making War wou'd declare for it at that time On this expectation they renewed with great warmth the Solicitations which they had often before made to him and continued to ply him till his death which happen'd the same year without their obtaining from him any part of their pretensions He had for Successour that famous Cordelier Felix
where he carried all things in opposition to the King But by relying too much on the power he had there and not using Arms when he had them in his hand I mean by not prosecuting his Victory to the uttermost when he had the King inclos'd in the Louvre he miss'd his opportunity and Fortune never gave it him again The late Earl of Shaftsbury who was the undoubted Head and Soul of that Party went upon the same maximes being as we may reasonably conclude fearful of hazarding his Fortunes and observing that the late Rebellion under the former King though successful in War yet ended in the Restauration of His Present Majesty his aim was to have excluded His Royal Highness by an Act of Parliament and to have forc'd such concessions from the King by pressing the chymerical dangers of a Popish Plot as wouâ—d not only have destroy'd the Succession but have subverted the Monarchy For he presum'd he ventur'd nothing if he cou'd have executed his design by form of Law and in a Parliamentary way In the mean time he made notorious mistakes First in imagining that his pretensions wou'd have pass'd in the House of Peers and afterwards by the King When the death of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey had fermented the people when the City had taken the alarm of a Popish Plot and the Government of it was in Fanatique hands when a Body of white Boys was already appearing in the West and many other Counties waited but the word to rise then was the time to have push'd his business But Almighty God who had otherwise dispos'd of the Event infatuated his Counsels and made him slip his opportunity which he himself observ'd too late and would have redress'd by an Insurrection which was to have begun at Wapping after the King had been murder'd at the Rye And now it will be but Justice before I conclude to say a word or two of my Author He was formerly a Jesuit He has amongst others of his works written the History of Arianism of Lutheranism of Calvinism the Holy War and the Fall of the Western Empire In all his Writings he has supported the Temporal Power of Soveraigns and especially of his Master the French King against the usurpations and incroachments of the Papacy For which reason being in disgrace at Rome he was in a manner forc'd to quit his Order and from Father Maimbourg is now become Monsieur Maimbourg The Great King his Patron has provided plentifully for him by a large Salary and indeed he has deserv'd it from him As for his style 't is rather Ciceronian copious florid and figurative than succinct He is esteemed in the French Court â—qual to their best Writers which has procur'd him the Envy of some who set up for Criticks Being a profess'd Enemy of the Calvinists he is particularly hated by them so that their testimonies against him stand suspected of prejudice This History of the League is generally allow'd to be one of his best pieces He has quoted every where his Authors in the Margin to show his Impartiality in which if I have not follow'd him 't is because the chiefest of them are unknown to us as not being hitherto translated into English His particular Commendations of Men and Families is all which I think superfluous in his Book but that too is pardonable in a man who having created himself many Enemies has need of the support of Friends This particular work was written by express order of the French King and is now translated by our Kings Command I hope the effect of it in this Nation will be to make the well-meaning men of the other Party sensible of their past errors the worst of them asham'd and prevent Posterity from the like unlawful and impious designs FINIS THE TABLE A. ABsolution given by the Archbishop of Bourges to Henry the Fourth held good and why Page 924 Acarie Master of Accounts a grand Leaguer 96 Francis Duke of Alanson puts himself at the Head of the Protestant Army against the King his Brother 10. Is Crown'd Duke of Brabant 79. His Death 85 George de Clermont d' Amboises 147. joyns the Prince of Conde in Anjou with 1500 Men that he had levied 150. Is Grand Master of the Ordnance for the King of Navarre at the Battel of Courtras 209 Arques its situation and the great Battel that was fought there 742 c. John d' Aumont Marshal of France 114. His Elogy 195. The good Counsel be gave the King but unprofitably 114. He Commands the Army Royal under the King against the Reyters 260. A grand Confident of Henry the Third's 383. Commands a Party of Henry the Fourth's Army in Campagne and at the attacquing of the Suburbs of Paris 752. At the Battel at Ivry 774 The Duke d' Aumale at the Battel of Vimory 270. Is made Governor of Paris by the Leagers 428. Besieges Senâ—is 483. Loses the Battel there 486 Auneau a little City of La Beauce its scituation 279. How the Reyters were there defeated by the Duke of Guise 280 c. Don John of Austria treats secretly with the Duke of Guise at Joinville 20 Aubry Curate of St. Andrews a grand Leager his extravagance in his Sermon 825 B. THe Sieur Balagny sends Troops to the Duke of Guise 235. Besieges Senlis with the the Duke d' Aumale 484. His defeat at that Battel 486 c. The Iournal of the Barricades 357 c. Colonel Christopher de Bassom-Pierre 103 250 777 Baston a furious Leaguer that Signs the Covenant with his Blood 449 The Battel of Courtras 200 c. The Battel at Senlis 485 The Battel or Combats at Arques 742 The Battel at Ivry 770 Claude de Baufremont Baron of Senâ—cey enters into the League 106. is President of the Nobles at the Estates at Paris Pag. 875 John de Beaumanoir Marquis de Laverdin Marshal de Camp to the Duke de Joyeuse 196. is beaten by the King of Navarre 197. Draws up the Duke's Army into Battalia at the Battel of Courtras 209. breaks the Light Horse 215. his honourable Retreat and his Elogy his Services recompens'd with a Marshal of France's Staff 226 Renaud de Beaune Archbishop of Bourges chief of the Deputation of the Royallists at the Conference at Suresne 879. The sum of his Harangue and of his Proofs 880 c. gives the King Absolution 928 Bellarmine a Iesuit and a Divine of Legat Cajetan's preaches at Paris during the Siege 806 President de Bellievre sent to the Duke of Guise 335. is not of advice that the King should cause the Duke to be kill'd in the Louvre 341. his Contest with the Duke of Guise about the Orders he brought him on behalf of the King 343. his banishment from Court 384 Rene Benoist Curate of St. Eustach acts and writes for the King 836 923 The Mareschal de Biron commands an Army in Poictou 144. he artfully breaks the designs of the Duke of Mayenne ib. his Valor at the Combat of
Arques 748 c. at the attacquing the Suburbs of Paris 752. at the Battel of Ivry 775. at the Siege of Roan 845. he is kill'd before Espernay 862. counsels the King to put Fryer Ange and his Penitents in Prison Pag. 369 367 The Baron of Biron at the Battel of Ivry 775. at the Battel of Fontan Francoise 946 947 The Sieur de Bois-Dauphin enters into the League 105 John Boucher Curate of St. Benets a grand Leaguer and his Character 95. his Chamber is call'd the Cradle of the League 99. causes the Alarm-Bell to be rung in his Parish Church at the Sergeants and Archers that would seize the Seditious 304. preaches against the King 431 432. retires into Flanders with the Spaniards after the reducing of Paris 943 The Duke of Bouillon la Mark General of the German Army 231 233 Charles Cardinal de Bouâ—bon put by the Duke of Guise as a Ghost at the Head of the League 92. his weakness and ridiculous pretension 93 102 114. his Manifesto or that of the League under his name 114. the King declares him to be the nearest of Blood and gives him the Prerogatives of the Presumptive Heir of the Crown 382. He presides over the Clergy at the Estates of Blois 388. is seiz'd Prisoner 403. is declar'd King by the Council of the Union 739. and proclaim'd by the Name of Charles X. 764 765. his death in Prison Pag. 821 Charles de Bourbon Count de Soissons joins with the King of Navarre at Monforeau 198. his Valour at the Battel of Coutras 221 222. at the attacquing the Suburbs of Paris 753 Henry de Bourbon Prince de Conde brings an Army of Germans into France 10. is excommunicated by Pope Sixtus Quintus 132. drives the Duke of Mercoeur from Poitou 146. the History of his unhappy Expedition upon Anger 's 145 146. espouses Charlotte Catharine de la Trimoille 147. quits the Siege of Brouage where he leaves his Infantry and marches with his Cavalry to relieve Anger 's where his Army is scatter'd and how 150. his firmness at the Conference of St. Brix 162 163. his Valour at the Battel of Coutras 207 c. his Death and Elogy 329 330 c. Henry XI de Bourbon Prince de Conde a grand Enemy to the Heresie of the Calvinists notwithstanding that he was born of a Calvinistical Father and Mother 148. his Elogy ib. c. Lovis de Bourbon Duke of Monpensier manages the Conference at St. Brix 162. joins with the Troops of the King's Army at Gien 260. his Valour at the Combat of Arques 748. at the Battel of Ivry 774. Andrew Brancas de Villars maintains the Siege of Roan with great honour 845. puts all the Camp in disorder 850 851. is made Admiral of the League Pag. 872 Anthony de Brichanteau Beauvais Nangis enters into the League and why 106 107 c. re-enters into the King's favour who gives him the Signet of Admiral of France 393 394 The President Brisson head of the Parliament of the League 450. secretly protests before Notari of the violence that he suffers ib. the Sixteen cause him to be hang'd 837 Peter Brulart sent to the King of Navarre to convert him 140 141 c. his Elogy and that of his House ib. his Banishment from Court 384 William Duke of Brunswick at the Battel of Ivry where he is slain 789 Bussy le Clerc a furious Leaguer 98. takes Arms to hinder de Prevost Curate of St. Severnes from being apprehended who had preach'd seditiously against the King 303 304. is made Governour of the Bastille after the Barricades 365. leads the Parliament to the Bastille how and under what pretext 444 445. is constrain'd to surrender the Bastille to the Duke of Mayenne 838. saves himself in Flanders where he dies miserable 839 840 C. CArdinal Cajetan sent Legat into France by Sixtus Quintus 758. hinders an Accommodation being made with the King though he should be converted 766. runs the risque of being kill'd at the Shew of the Ecclesiastics and Monks during the Siege of Paris Pag. 808 Queen Catharine de Medicis engages the King in the War against the Hugonots 7. concludes a Peace at the Court of the Religion 11 12 13. she hinders the King from opposing the League at first 60. she maintains it under-hand 80. she would exclude the King of Navarre from the Succession that the Prince of Lorrain her Grandson might reign 85. she holds a Correspondence with the Duke of Guise and hinders the King from arming himself against him 117. her Conference with the King of Navarre at St. Brix's 161. she carries the Duke of Guise to the Louvre and mollifies the King's anger 344. counsels the King to go out of Paris 362. she suffers her self to be amus'd by the Duke of Guise who enters very dextrously into her Interests 371 372. her surprize at the death of the Guises 403. her Death 437. 438. her Elogy and Portrait 438 439 c. Claude de la Chastre Bailiff of Beny 105. Mareschal of the Camp in the Duke â—f Guise's Army against the Râ—yters 246 250 266. marches the first to Montargis to surprize the Reyters at Vimory 266 267 268. his advance to Dourdan to surround them in Aunâ—au 279. what part he had in the defeat of the Reyters at Auneau 268. he preserves Berry and Orleans for the League 493. is made Mareschal of the League 872. he makes his Peace and re-enters into Obedience Pag. Pag. 936 The Count de Chastillon Son of the Admiral brings assistance to the Army of the Reyters 233 258. his brave reâ—reat in the middle of an infinite number of Enemies 298. repulses the Troops of the Duke of Mayenne before Tours 482. defeats the Troops of Sieur de Saveuse 491. his Valour at the Combat of Arques 742 748. he misses taking Paris by storm 812. he 's the principal cause of the happy success at the Siege at Chartres 817 818. his Death and Elogy ib. 819 Clement VIII Pope would not receive the Catholick Deputies of the Royal Party 861. nor the Duke of Nevers that went to render him Obâ—diâ—nce 933. after having a long time refus'd to give the King Absolution he gives it at last 934 The Combat and Retrâ—at at Pont St. Vincent 246 c. The Combat at Vimoroy 267 c. The Combat at Auneau where the Reyters were defeated Pag. 277 c. Combat at Fontain Francoise 947 The Conference of the Duke of Espernon with the King of Navarre about his Conversion 87 c. Conference at d'Espernay and de Meaux 121 The Conference of Sieur Lennoncour and President Brulart with the King of Navarre for his Conversion 140 141 c. The Conference at St. Brix between the Queen-mother and the King of Navarre the Prince of Conde and the Vicount de Turenne 161 162 c. The Conference at Nancy between the Princes of the House of Lorrain 184 c. The Conference of Henry III. with Cardinal
to be Head of a League General of the Catholics 17 18 19 c. Treats with Don John d'Austria at Joinville ib. The occasion that caus'd him to begin the League Pag. ib. His Pourtrait 25 c. Takes Arms after the death of Monsieur 85 c. Makes use of the old Cardinal de Bouâ—bon as a Ghost whom he puts at the Head of the League 92 Treats at Joinville with the Agents of Spain and the Cardinal de Bourbon and the Conditions of the said Treaty 10â— 102 c. He begins the War with the sâ—â—prizing of divers places by himself and his Friends 104 c. Makes the Treaty at Nâ—mours very advantageous to the League 121 Goes and finds the King at Meaux and complains unjustly of divers matters 188 Undertakes with a very few Troops to defeat the Army of the Reyters 234 235 c. His honourable Retreat at Pont St. Vincent 246 247 c. He continually harrasses the Army of the Reyters 262 He attaques them and defeats one Party of them at Vimory 267 c. He forms a design to attaque them at Auneau and the execution of that Enterpriâ—e 277 278 c. He pursues the rest of the Reyters as far as Savoy 301 c. He let them plunder the County of Montbeliard Pag. ib. He receives from the Pope a consecrated Sword and from the Duke of Parma his Arms which they sent him as to the greatest Captain of his time 311 The refusing him the Admiralty for Brissac the which was given to Espernon his Enemy puts him on to determine it 312 c. He assembles the Princes of the House of Lorrain at Nancy and there resolves to present to the King a Request containing Articles against the Royal Authority 322 323 He resolves to relieve Paris 334 335 He goes to Paris notwithstanding the King's Orders which were sent him by M. de Bellievre ib. A description of his Entry into Paris where he was received with extraordinary transports of joy ib. c. His Interview with the King at the Louvre 343 In the Queens Garden 344 What he did at the Battel of the Barricades 356 He disarms the King's Soldiers and causes them to be reconducted to the Louvre 357 His real design at the Battel of the Barricades 358 c. His excessive demands 360 c. Makes himself Master of Paris and makes a Manifesto to justifie the Barricades 365 366 c. He dextrously draws the Queen Mother into his Interests Pag. 371 Causes a Request to be presented to the King containing Articles most prejudicial to his Authority 371 372 c. Has given him all the Authority of a Constable under another name 377 378 His Prosperity blinds him and is the cause that he sees not an hundred things to which he ought to give defiance 385 c. He is shock'd at the Speech the King made to the second Estates at Blois 386 387 He disposes of the Estates at his pleasure ib. c. Would have himself declar'd by the Estates Lieutenant General of the whole Realm independent from the King 391 392 Is advertis'd of the design form'd against him and consults thereupon with his Confidents ib. c. Is resolv'd to stay contrary to the Advice of the most part 396 c. The History of his Tragical Death 399 400 c. His Encomium 411 Lewis de Lorrain Cardinal de Guise presides for the Clergy at the Estates of Blois 388 The History of his Tragical Death 410 411 N. de Lorrain Duke de Guise escaping out of Prison comes to Paris where he 's receiv'd of the Leaguers with open Arms 835. he kills Colonel St. Paul 872 873 M. THE Marshal of Matignon Governor of Guyenne hinders the Leaguers from surprizing Bourdeaux Pag. 113 Breaks the Measures of the Duke of Mayenne dextrously 243 244 Gives good Advice to the Duke of Joyeuse which he follows not 203 Reduces Bourdeaux to Obedience 820 Father Claude Mathiu grand Leaguer solicits the Excommunication of the King of Navarre 182 Father Bernard de Montgaillard Surnam'd The Petit Feuillant a Seditious Preacher 428 His Extravagance in a Sermon 442 443 He retires into Flanders with the Spaniards after the reduction of Paris 943 Francis de Monthelon a famous Advocate is made Lord Keeper by Henry III. 384 Henry de Montmorency Marshal de Damville Head of the Politics or Malecontents for to maintain himself in the Government of Languedoc 9 Draws his Brothers and Friends to him ib. Ioins with the King of Navarre and Prince of Conde against the League 124 Protects the Catholic Religion and receives acknowledgments from the Pope 125 126 His Fidelity in the Service of the King 126 127 Is at last made Constable of France by Henry IV. Pag. ib. William de Montmorancy Sieur de Thore joins with the Malecontent Politics 9 Is defeated in conducting a Party of Duke Casimir's Reyters 25 26 Re-takes Chantilly from the League 483 The Sieur de Montausier fights most valiantly and insults agreeably over the Gascoins which were at the Battel of Courtras 217 The Sieur de Montigny enters and breaks the Squadron of the Gascoins at the Battel of Courtras 215 216 The Sieur de Morennes Curate of St. Merry labours to make the People return to the Obedience of their King 836 Cardinal Morosini Legat in France could not obtain Audience the day of the Duke of Guise's Massacre 406 407 His Conference with the King to whom he declares he had incurr'd the Censures because of the Murther of the Cardinal de Guise 414 415 He incurs the Pope's indignation for not having publish'd the Censures 417 His Conference with the Duke of Mayenne 474 4755 c. John de Morvillier Bishop of Orleans his Encomium and Pourtrait 68 69 c. He counsels the King to declare himself Head of the League ib. N. ANne d'Este Duchess de Nemours Mother of the Guises is arrested Prisoner at Blois Pag. 403 She treats by Letters with the Dukes of Nemours and Mayenne to reduce them to their Duty 441 442 The King sends her to Paris to appease the Troubles ib. The young Duke of Nemours is arrested Prisoner at Blois 403 Makes his Escape out of Prison 441 The Orders he gave for the Defence of Paris where he maintains the Siege with all the Conduct and Vigor of an old General 798 He offers the King to surrender Paris provided he will be made Catholick 809 810 He abandons his Brother and endeavours to make himself declar'd Head of the League in his place 485 486 c. Francis de Noailles Bishop of Acqs his Encomium his Ambassage and the part he had in the Conversion of Henry IV. 309 310 c. O. THE Order of the Holy Ghost and its true Origine 74 75 76 c. Lewis d' Orleans a famous Advocate a grand Leaguer 96 Author of the Seditious Libel Intituled The English Catholick Pag. 738. Is Advocate General for the League ib. The Colonel Alphonso d'Ornano
Hosts it was always unsuccesfull in the Battels which it strooke against the lawfull power And at length overwhelm'd with the same Engines which it had rais'd for the destruction of the Government Truly 't is a surprising thing to find both in the design and sequel of the League by a miraculous order of the divine providence revolutions altogether contrary to those which were expected On the one side the majestique House of Bourbon which was design'd for ruine gloriously rais'd to that supreme degree of power in which we now behold it flourishing to the wonder of the World and on the other side that of two eminent Families which endeavour'd their own advancement by its destruction the one is already debas'd to the lowest degree and the other almost reduc'd to nothing So different are the designs of God from those of men and so little is there to be built on the foundations of humane policy and prudence when men have onely passion for their guides under the counterfeit names of Piety and Religion 'T is what I shall make evident by unravelling the secrets and intrigues couch'd under the League by exposing its criminal and ill manag'd undertakings which were almost always unsuccessfull and by shewing in the close the issue it had entirely opposite to its designs by the exaltation of those whom it endeavour'd to oppress But is will be first necessary to consider in what condition France then was when this dangerous Association was first form'd against the supreme Authority of our Kings The â—ury of the Civil Wars which had laid the Kingdom desolate under the reign of Charles the Ninth seem'd to have almost wholly been extinguish'd after the fourth Edict of pacification which was made at the Siege of Rochell and if the State was not altogether in a Calm yet at least it was not toss'd in any violence of Tempest when after the decease of the said King his Brother Henry then King of Poland return'd to France and took possession of a Crown devolv'd on him by the right of Inheritance He was a Prince who being then betwixt the years of 23 and 24 was endu'd with all Qualities and perfections capable of rendring him one of the greatest and most accomplish'd Monarchs in the World For besides that his person was admirably shap'd that he was tall of Stature majestique in his Carriage that the sound of his Voice his Eyes and all the features of his Face were infinitely sweet that he had a solid Judgment a most happy Memory a clear and discerning Understanding that in his behaviour he had all the winning Graces which are requir'd in a Prince to attract the love and respect of Subjects 'T is also certain that no man cou'd possibly be more Liberal more Magnificent more Valiant more Courteous more addicted to Religion or more Eloquent than he was naturally and without Art To sum up all he had wanted nothing to make himself and his Kingdom happy had he followed those wholsome Counsels which were first given him and had he still retain'd the noble ambition of continuing at least what he was formerly under the glorious name of the Duke of Anjou which he had render'd so renown'd by a thousand gallant actions and particularly by the famous Victories of Iarnac and Montcontour The world was fill'd with those high Ideas which it had conceiv'd of his rare merit expecting from him the re-establishment of the Monarchy in its ancient splendour and nothing was capable of weakning that hope but onely the cruel Massacre of St. Bartholomew whereof he had been one of the most principal Authours which had render'd him extremely odious to the Protestants And therefore in his return from Poland the Emperour Maximilian the Second who rul'd the Empire in great tranquillity notwithstanding the diversity of opinions which divided his cares betwixt the Catholiques and the Lutherans the Duke of Venice and the most judicious members of that august Senate which is every where renown'd for prudence and after his return to France the Presidents De Thou and Harlay the two Advocates General Pibraâ— and du Mesnil and generally all those who were most passionate for his greatness and the good of his Estate advis'd him to give peace to his Subjects of the Religion pretendedly Reform'd to heal and cement that gaping wound which had run so much bloud in that fatal day of St. Bartholomew and not to replunge his Kingdom in that gulf of miseries wherein it was almost ready to have perish'd But the Chancellour de Birague the Cardinal of Lorrain and his Nephew the Duke of Guise who at that time had no little part in the esteem and favour of his Master and above all the Queen Mother Catharine de Mediâ—es who entirely govern'd him and who after the Massacre of St. Bartholomew dar'd no longer to trust the Protestants These I say ingag'd him in the War which he immediately made against them and which was unsuccessfull to him So that after he had been shamefully repuls'd from before an inconsiderable Town in Dauphine they took Arms in all places becoming more â—ierce and insolent than ever and made extraordinary progress both in that part in Provence in Languedoc in Guienne and Poitou That which render'd them so powerfull which otherwise they had not been was a party of Malecontents amongst the Catholiques who were call'd the Politiques because without touching on Religion they prâ—tested that they took Arms onely for the publique good for the relief and benefit of the people and to reform those grievances and disorders which were apparent in the State A ground which has always serv'd for a pretence of Rebellion to those men who have rais'd themselves in opposition to their Kings and Masters whom God commands us to obey though they shou'd sometimes even abuse that power which he has given them not to destroy or to demollish as he speaks in his holy Scriptures but to edify that is to say to procure the good and to establish the happiness of their Subjects These Politiques then joyn'd themselves to the Huguenots according to the resolution which they had taken at the Assembly held at Montpellier in the month of November and year of our Lord 1574. Henry de Montmorancy Marshal of Damville and Governour of Languedoc who to maintain himself in that rich Government of which he was design'd to be bereft first form'd this party of the Politiques into which he drew great numbers of the Nobles his partisans and Friends and principally the Seigneurs de Thore and de Meru-Montmorancy his Brothers the Count de Vantadour his Brother in Law and the famous Henry de la Tour d' Auvergn Vicount de Turenne his Nephew who was afterwards Marshal of France Duke of Boüillon Sovereign Prince of Sedan and the great Upholder of the Huguenots But that which made their power so formidable in the last result of things was that Monsieur the Duke of Alanson onely Brother of the King and the
I Write found all things sufficiently dispos'd to the execution of his enterprise For he found the Catholiques provok'd to his hand by those advantages which newly were granted to the Huguenots the people dissatisfi'd and weary of the Government not able to endure that the wealth of the Nation shou'd be squander'd on the King's Favourites whom they called the Minions the genius of Queen Catharine pleas'd with troubles and even procuring them to render her self necessary to the end that recourse might be had to her for Remedies the Princes of the bloud become suspected and odious to the three orders of the Kingdom either for favouring the Huguenots or for being publiquely declar'd Calvinists thereby renouncing the Catholique faith as the King of Navarre and the Prince of Conde had openly done the King faln into the contempt of his Subjects after having lost their love himself on the contrary lov'd and ador'd by the people worship'd by the Parisians follow'd by the Nobility indear'd to the Soldiers having in his Interests all the Princes of his Family powerfull in Offices and Governments the multitude of his Creatures whom his own generosity and that of his Father had acquir'd him the favour of the Pope the assistance of the Spaniard ready at hand to bear him up and above all the seeming Justice of his cause which he industriously made known to all the world to be that of Religion alone whereof in the general opinion he was the Protectour and the Pillar and for the maintenance of which it was believ'd that he had devoted himself against the Huguenots who had enterpriz'd to abolish it in the Kingdom But the last motive which fix'd his resolution was the extreme rancour he had against the King one of whose intimate Confidents he had been formerly and who had now abandon'd him by changing on the sudden the whole manner of his Conduct and giving himself entirely up to his Minions who omitted no occasion of using the Duke unworthily For disdain which is capable of hurrying to the last extremities the greatest Souls and the most sensible in point of Honour made hatred to succeed his first inclinations against him whom already he despis'd and hatred and contempt being joyn'd with Ambition incessantly push'd him forwards to make himself the head of a Party so powerfull as that of the League which pass'd for Holy in the minds of the people and to avail himself of so fair an opportunity to form it For this effect he immediately caus'd a project to be formally drawn which his Emissaries shou'd endeavour to spread about the Kingdom amongst those Catholiques who appear'd the most zealous and most simple and those who were known to be the most addicted to the House of Guise in this Breviate which they were oblig'd to subscribe they promis'd by Oath to obey him who shou'd be elected head of that holy Confederacy which was made for maintaining of the Catholique Religion to cause due obedience to be render'd to the King and his Successours yet without prejudice to what shou'd be ordain'd by the three Estates and to restore the Kingdom to its original Liberties which it enjoy'd under the Reign of Clovis At the first there were found few Persons of Quality and substantial Citizens of Paris who wou'd venture to subscribe to that Association because it was not precisely known who wou'd dare to declare himself the Head of it besides that by the vigilance of the first President Christopher de Thou it was first discover'd then dissipated and at last dissolv'd with ease with all those secret Assemblies which were already held in several quarters of the Town for entring such persons into that infant League whom either their Malice their false Zeal or their Simplicity cou'd ingage But the Duke of Guise having sent his project to the Sieur d' Humieres of whom he held himself assur'd that Lord who besides his obligation to the House of Guise had also his particular interest and that of no less Consequence than the maintaining himself in his Government of Peronne which was taken from him by the Edict of May and that important place order'd to be put into the hands of the Prince of Conde manag'd the affair so well by the credit he had in that Province that as the Picards have always been zealous for the ancient Religion he ingag'd almost all the Towns and all the Nobility of Picardy to declare openly that they wou'd not receive the Prince of Conde because as it was urg'd in the Manifesto which was publish'd to justifie their refusal of him that they certainly knew he was resolv'd to abolish the Catholique Faith and establish Calvinism throughout all Picardy 'T is most certain that they wou'd never be induc'd to receive that Prince into Peronne or any other part of that Government and that to maintain themselves against all those who wou'd undertake to oblige them by force to observe that Article of the Peace which they never wou'd accept the Picards were the first to receive by common agreement and to publish in Peronne tâ—e Treaty of the League in twelve Articles in which the most prudent of the Catholiques themselves together with the Illustrious President Christopher de Thou observ'd many things which directly shock'd the most Holy Laws both Divine and Humane For 't is obvious in the first Article that the Catholique Princes Lords and Gentlemen invoking the name of the Holy Trinity make an Association and League offensive and defensive betwixt themselves without the permission privity or consent of their King and a King who was a Catholique as well as they which is directly opposite to the Law of God who ordains that Subjects should submit themselves and be united to their Sovereign as members to their Head even though he shou'd exceed his bounds and be a Tyrant provided that there be no manifest sin in what they are commanded to obey In the second they refuse to render obedience to the King unless it be conformable to the Articles which shall be presented to him by the States which it shall not be lawfull for him to contradict or to act any thing in prejudice of them 'T is evident that this overthrows the constitution of the Monarchy to establish in its place a certain kind of Aristocracy against one of our fundamental Laws which ordains that the States shou'd have onely a deliberative voice for the drawing up of their Petitions into Bills and then to present them with all humility to the King who examines them in his Council and afterwards passes what he finds to be just and reasonable They give not Law to him who is their Master and their Head as the Electours of the Empire by certain capitulations do to the Emperours of Germany who are indeed the Heads but not the Masters of the Empire but on the contrary they receive it from their King to whom they onely make most humble Addresses in the Bills which they present to him
to restore the Princes of Lorrain to their rights who are as that Advocate pretends and as the people were made to believe the true Posterity of Charlemain After this he makes a fulsome panegyrique of them extolling them infinitely above the Princes of the Bloud against whom he most satyrically declaims Farther he proposes the means which ought to be employ'd to animate the people against them and to oppress them in the States as well as the Huguenots advising that the King shou'd be oblig'd to declare War against them and to give the command of his Arms to the Duke of Guise Then adds that when the Duke who will quickly have suppress'd and rooted out the Huguenots shall have made himself Master of the principal Towns of the Kingdom and that all things shall bend under the power of the League he shall cause the process of Monsieur the King's Brother to be made as a manifest abetter of the Huguenots and after having shav'd the King and confin'd him to a Covent he shall receive the Crown with the benediction of the Pope shall make the Council of Trent to be receiv'd shall subject the French without any restriction to the obedience of the Holy See and abolish all the pretended liberties of the Gallicane Church It must be acknowledg'd with all ingenuity that it is not credible as some have vainly imagin'd that the Huguenots forg'd those horrible Memoires and caus'd them to be printed to blacken and make odious the name of the League amongst all good Catholiques For 't is most certain that this Advocate who hated mortally the Huguenots by whom he had been ill us'd and upon that account had entirely devoted himself to the League undertook of his own head a Voyage to Rome to carry thither those Memoires and to present them to the Pope in hopes to ingage him in that party and that having been kill'd by some accident in his Journey those papers were found in his Portmantue Besides that the Lord Iohn de Vivonne the King's Ambassadour in Spain sent him a copy of them assuring him that they had been shewn to King Philip. But in plain truth there is great probability that those Memoires were onely the product of the foolish crack'd brain'd Advocate who being discompos'd by his passion discharg'd upon the paper all his furious imaginations and chimerique dreams in forming this ridiculous project which no man can reade without discovering at the same time all the signs of a distracted mind The Duke though full of ambition was not so weak to fall into the Snare of those extravagances and if he were so haughty as to soare in his imagination to the possession of a Crown it was not till of a long time afterwards and when he saw that Monsieur being dead and the King without appearance of having any Children the succession was of course to fall on the King of Navarre whom the Duke under pretence that the said King was a relaps'd Heretique believ'd that he might easily cause to be excluded from the Crown and that in his place he might himself obtain it What I may lay down for a certain truth is that there was never any piece so black so malicious and so gross as was that of a certain Protestant Writer who has compil'd the Memoires of the League and who wou'd have it that those Articles which are contain'd in the miserable Writings of David the Advocate were onely the extract of a secret Council held at Rome in the Consistory by Pope Gregory the thirteenth to exterminate the Royal race and to set the Princes of Lorrain upon the Throne For it is so false that this Pope who was always very prudent and moderate shou'd doe any thing of that nature that he constantly persisted in refusing to approve the League whatever instance was made to him though it was promis'd him to ingage him by his interest that they wou'd begin the execution of this great project by chasing the Huguenots out of the County of Avignon and Dauphine to take from them all means of troubling the possessions of the Church and of passing into Italy Nay farther he repli'd to those who were plying him incessantly and proposing the welfare and security of Religion thereby to make him countenance the League that it was in his opinion but a pretext and that those who made it had other secret designs which they had no mind to publish in the Articles of their Association In the mean time those pernicious Memoires with those impudent propositions of the Associators induc'd the King to a strong apprehension that the League was not form'd more against the Huguenots than it was for the subversion of his Authority And as he wanted magnanimity of to take up a bold and generous resolution of oppressing so dangerous a Faction in its infancy which he might have perform'd so to deliver himself from that formidable danger he took indirect courses and much unworthy of a King following the timorous Counsels of the Sieur de Morvillier That famous Iohn de Morvillier who was Bishop of Orleans and afterwards Garde de Sceaux of France after the disgrace and retirement of the Chancellour de l' Hospital was undoubtedly one of the greatest men of those times and he who had the greatest credit and Authority in Council generally valued and belov'd for his excellent qualities and above all for the mildness of his temper and his rare moderation joyn'd with an exact prudence and large capacity not onely in the management of affairs but also in all sorts of Sciences proper for a man of his profession and even in the studies of Humanity Poetry and Eloquence This he frequently made appear in those excellent Speeches which he drew up for our Kings and principally that which Henry the third pronounc'd with so much applause in the first Estates at Blois For this reason he was extremely importun'd to write the History of his times because it was the general belief that no man cou'd acquit himself of so noble an employment with so much eloquence judgment and politeness as himself But as that Subject was not very favourable to the two last Kings Charles the Ninth and Henry under whom he liv'd that on the one side he was too generous and too gratefull to write any thing which might dishonour and blast the memory of those two Princes his Benefactours and that on the other side he was too sincere and too honest to betray and suppress the truth with any shamefull baseness or to alter and corrupt it with mean flatteries altogether unworthy of the majesty and noble freedom of History he said pleasantly to his friends in excusing himself from their solicitations that he was too much a Servant of the Kings his good Masters to undertake the writing of their Lives A notable saying the sense of which examin'd to the bottom ought to oblige great Princes to doe great things thereby to furnish a sincere Historian with materials
whereby to render their Memory immortal and to fill the World with the glory of their names But on the otherside it gives an Historian to understand that when he is oblig'd to write a History neither fear nor hope nor threatnings nor rewards nor hatred nor love nor partiality nor prejudice to any person ought to turn him one single step out of the direct road of truth for which he is accountable to his Reader if he intends not to draw upon himself the contempt and indignation of posterity which will never fail to condemn him for an Impostor and a publick poisoner Thus you have the Character of this great Man in whom nothing cou'd be censur'd but that he was somewhat too timorous and that he had not firmness and resolution enough to give generous and bold advice in pressing emergencies so to have cut up by the root those great evils which threatned the Government Therefore when he saw the King who was yet more fearfull than himself amaz'd at the audaciousness of the Associators And likewise was of opinion that if he wou'd have ventur'd it was not in his power to have suppress'd the League knowing also full well that the Queen Mother who was his Master's Oracle and who underhand supported the League would never consent that the ruine of it shou'd be endeavour'd and that on the other side he was very desirous to draw the King out of this present plunge betwixt both he took a trimming kind of way by which he thought he shou'd be able to preserve the Royal Authority without the destruction of the League To this effect not doubting but that in case it were not prevented they wou'd chuse a Head who had power to turn it against the King himself he advis'd him to declare in that Assembly that far from opposing the League of the Cathâ—liques against the Huguenots he was resolv'd to make himself the Head of it which they dar'd not to refuse him and by that means wou'd make himself the disposer of it and provide that nothing shou'd be enterpris'd against him And truly this was no ill expedient to check and give a stop for some time to the execution of those vast designs which were form'd by the Authours of the League But it must also be confess'd that by signing this and causing it to be sign'd by others as he did when he declared himself the Head of it he authoris'd those very Articles which manifestly shock'd his Royal Authority put the League in condition and even gave it a lawfull right according to that Treaty which he approv'd to act against himself in case he shou'd disturb it or finally break with it which was impossible not to happen in some time he infring'd the Peace which he had given his Subjects by the Edict of Pacification granted to the Huguenots and precipitated France into that bottomless gulf of miseries that are inseparable from a Civil War which himself renew'd and which was of small advantage to him I shall not describe the particularities of it because they belong to the History of France and have no relation to the League which on that occasion acted not on its own account against the Authority of the King By whose orders two Armies the one commanded by the Duke d' Alanson the other by the Duke de Mayenne attacqu'd the Huguenots from whom they took La Charite Issoite Broüage and some other places of less importance I shall onely say that the King quickly growing weary of the Cares of War which were not â—uitable to his humour loving as he passionately did his ease and pleasures A new Peace ensued which was granted to the Huguenots at the end of September in the same year by the Edict of Poitiers little different from that of May onely with this reservation that the exercise of Calvinism was restrain'd within the limits of the former pacifications and that it was forbidden in the Marquisate of Salusses and the County of Avignon Farther it was during this interval of Peace which was highly displeasing to the Leaguers that the King to strengthen himself against the League by making himself Creatures who shou'd inviolably be ingag'd to his Service by an Oath more particular and more solemn than that which universally oblig'd his Subjects establish'd and solemnis'd his new Order of the Holy Ghost which is even at this day and after the entire revolution of an Age one of the most illustrious marks of Honour wherewith our Kings are accustom'd to reward the merit and service of the Princes and the most signaliz'd Nobility It has been for a long time believ'd that Henry the Third was the Institutour and Founder of this Order and himself us'd whatever means he cou'd to have this opinion establish'd in the World But at length the truth is broken out which with whatever arts it is suppress'd can never fail either sooner or later to exert it self and to render to a man's person or his memory the blame or praise that he deserves For it has been found out by a way which cannot be suspected of forgery and which leaves no farther doubt concerning this Subject that the beginning of this Order is to be referr'd to another Prince of the Imperial bloud of France I mean Louis d' Anjou styl'd of Tarento King of Ierusalem and Sicily who in the year one thousand three hundred fifty two instituted in the Castle Del Vovo at Naples the Order of the Knights of the Holy Ghost on the precise day of Pentecost by its constitution containing 25 chapters and which in the style of those times thus begins We Lewis by the Grace of God King of Jerusalem and Sicily to the Honour of the Holy Ghost on whose day we were by Grace Crown'd King of our Realms for the exaltation of Chivalry and increase of Honour have ordaind to make a Society of Knights who shall be call'd the Knights of the Holy Ghost of right intention and the said Knights shall be to the Number of three hundred of which we as beginner and founder of that said Order shall be Prince as also ought to be all our Successours King of Jerusalem and Sicily But seeing he died without Children by Queen Iane the first his Wife and that after his death there happen'd strange revolutions in that Kingdom that order so far perish'd with him that the memory of it had not remain'd if the Original of that constitution of King Lewis had not by some accident fallen into the possession of the Republique of Venice who made a present of it to Henry the third at his return from Poland as of a piece that was very rare and which coming from a Prince of the bloud Royal of our Kings deserv'd well to be preserv'd in the Archives of France which was not the intention of King Henry For finding this Order to be excellent and besides that it was exactly calculated for him because being born on Whitsunday he had been Crown'd
wanting in respect The Parliament which is always vigorous in opposing such Attempts fail'd not to make their most humble Remonstrations to the King worthy of the Wisedom and Constancy which that August Body makes appear on all occasions relating to the defence of the rights of the Crown and the privileges of the Realm The King of Navarre added his own to these wherein he represents to the King that His Majesty was more concern'd than he not to suffer this insolent and unmaintainable attempt of Sixtus And as he thought himself oblig'd by some extraordinary and high manner of proceeding to revenge the affront which was put upon him in that Bull wherein he was treated so unworthily He both had the courage and found the means of fixing even upon the Gates of the Vatican his solemn Protestation against it In which after having first appeal'd as of an abuse to the Court of Peers and to a general Council as superiour to a Pope he protests the Nullity of all Sixtus's procedure And farther adds That as the Princes and Kings his Predecessours have well known how to repress Popes when they forgot themselves and pass'd beyond the bounds of their Vocation by confounding Temporals with Spirituals so he Hopes that God will inable him to revenge upon Sixtus the injury which is done in his Person to the whole House of France imploring for this purpose the succour and assistance of all the Kings and Princes and Republiques of Christendom who as well as himself are assaulted in that Bull. Though Pope Sixtus following the bent of his own temper which was naturally violent and inflexible revok'd not his Bull for this nevertheless as he had a Soul that was truly great he cou'd not but acknowledge that this action was extremely generous nor cou'd he hinder himself from telling the French Ambassadour that he wish'd the King his Master had as much courage and resolution against his real Enemies as the Navarrois had made appear against those who hated his Heresie but not his Person But that wish of his was very fruitless for that poor spirited Prince was in such awe of the League that whatsoever Remonstrances were made him and though the example of the late King his Brother was propos'd to him who had acted with much more vigour on the like occasion on behalf of the Queen of Navarre whom they endeavour'd to have depos'd at Rome that he durst never permit any opposition to that Bull. Insomuch that he contented himself barely with not allowing it to be judicially publish'd in France without so much as once demanding of the Pope that he wou'd revoke it as Charles the Ninth had done who by a manly protestation constrain'd Pope Pius the Fourth to recall that Bull which he had made against Queen Iane d' Albret This was the effect of that fear so unworthy of a King which Henry the Third had of the League which takeing advantage of his weakness became more arrogant and more audacious to oblige him as in effect it did in spight of his repugnance to infringe that Peace which he had given to France and to make War against the King of Navarre who had at all times most punctually obey'd him even when he forbad him to take Arms and to March in defence of him against the League All he cou'd obtain of that party was by gaining a little time to keep matters from coming to extremity the dangerous consequence of which he well foresaw And to this purpose Messire Philip de Lenoncour who was afterwards Cardinal and the President Brulart with some Doctours of the â—orbonne were sent by him to the King of Navarre to persuade him to return into the Communion of the Catholique Church and to suspend the Exerciâ—e of Calvinism at least for the space of six Months during which some expedient might be found to accommodate all things amicably A better choice cou'd not possibly be made for the treating an Affair of that importance than was the person of that famous Nicholas de Brulart Marquis of Sillery whose approv'd fidelity in the Service of our Kings and whose Wisedom and ripe experience in the management of affairs were at length recompens'd by Henry the fourth by conferring on him the highest Honours of the Robe in which Office he gloriously ended his days under the Reign of the late King 'T is the distinguishing character of that illustrious House to have the advantage of being able to reckon amongst the great men who are descended from it two Chamberlains of Kings one Master of the Engines and Machines one Commandant of the Cavalry kill'd at the Battail of Agincourt in fighting for his Country one Procureur General and three Presidents of the Parlament of Paris two Premier Presidents of the Parlament of Bourgogne and above all a Chancellour of France to consummate the Honour of their House and one of the most splendid titles of Nobility which the Sword or long Robe can bestow 'T was then this excellent Person who was joyn'd in Commission with the Sieur of Lenoncour for this important Negotiation Because it was hop'd from his address and the mildness of his behaviour which was insinuating and persuasive that he above all others wou'd be able to win the King of Navarre to a compliance with his Majesties desire that he might not be constrain'd against his own inclinations to bring a War upon him But as that happy hour was not yet come And that it was an ill expedient to procure the Conversion of a Man and especially of a Great Prince who has wherewithall to defend himself when he is attacqu'd to bring Faith to him with threatning like a Chalenge and to shew him the Arms which are in a readiness to constrain him he onely answer'd that he had always been dispos'd as he then was to receive the instructions which shou'd be given him according to the Decisions of a free General Council and not with a Dagger at his Throat which was the Argument they us'd to him after the Massacre of St. Bartholomew There was therefore a necessity at last of coming to a War according to the wishes of the League which believ'd it was able to overwhelm at one push both that Prince and his whole party before he cou'd be recruited with Foreign Forces But it was extremely deceiv'd in that expectation For of the two Armies which the King was oblig'd according to the treaty of Nemours to give to the Command of two Lorrain Princes the one to the Duke of Guise in opposition to the Germans if they shou'd attempt an entrance into France to which they had been solicited by the Huguenots the other to the Duke of Mayenne for his expedition into Guyenne against the King of Navarre whose defeat and ruine the Leaguers concluded to be inevitable the last of the two after a Campaign of ten Months without performance of any thing but onely the taking in some few places of small importance which afterwards were
to the King who not being resolv'd what to answer them for fear of provoking the League in case he shou'd grant them their demands or of drawing on himself the united Forces of almost all the Protestants of Germany in case of a refusal to gain time took a Progress as far as Lyons while the Deputies of those Princes were at Paris which caus'd the Count of Montbeliard and the Count of Isembourg who were the chief of that Embassy to return But so did not the rest as being obstinately set down to wait the King's return who was at last constrain'd being overcome by their extreme persistance whom he well hop'd to have tir'd first to give them the Audience which they demanded He who was spokesman for the rest loosing all manner of respect made a blunt and haughty Speech reproching him in certain terms which were but too intelligible that against his Conscience and his Honour he had violated his faith so solemnly given to his most faithfull Subjects of the Protestant Religion to whom he had promis'd the free exercise of it they remaining as since that time they had always done in that perfect obedience which is due from Subjects to their Sovereigns That Prince who at other times was but too meek and patient or rather too weak and timorous was so much offended at this brutal insolence that he was not able to curb himself from breaking out into choler on this occasion For he repli'd smartly to them with that air of Majesty and fierceness which he knew well to take up whensoever it pleas'd him that as he had not taken the liberty to give Laws to their Masters of ruling their Estates according to their own liking and changing the Civil and Religious constitution of their Government so neither on his side wou'd he suffer them to intermeddle in those alterations which he thought fit to make in his Edicts according to the diversity of times and of occasions for the good of his People of whom the greatest part depended on the true Roman Catholique Religion which the most Christian Kings his Predecessours had ever maintain'd in France to the exclusion of all others Afterwards retiring into his Cabinet where after he had revolv'd in his mind what had been said on either part he was of opinion that his Answer had not been sharp enough he sent them by one of the Secretaries of State a Paper written with his own hand which was read to them and in which he gave the Lie in formal terms to all those who said he had done against his Honour or violated his Faith in revoking the Edict of May by that of Iuly after which it was told them from him that they had no more to doe than to return home without expecting any farther Audience This was certainly an Answer worthy of a great Monarch had he maintain'd it by his actions as well as by his words and had he not shewn by his after conduct the fear he had of this irruption of the Germans For in order to prevent it he seem'd to descend too much from that high and Supreme Majesty of a King by treating almost upon terms of equality with the Duke of Guise and offering him besides whatever advantages he cou'd wish in Honours and in Pensions and many Towns for his security which had made him a kind of Independant Royalty in the Kingdome on this onely condition that he would be reconcil'd to the King of Navarre and give him leave to live in quiet as if it were the Duke and not the King who had the power of giving Peace Though these advantageous proffers were sufficient to have tempted the Duke's ambition nevertheless he wou'd not accept them because he hop'd to satisfie it much better by continuing the War in which he had engag'd the King who was not able to recall his promise besides he was not willing to destroy the opinion which the people had conceiv'd of him that he acted by no motive of self-interest but onely for the Cause of God and of Religion This expedient of Peace therefore failing the King who had ardently desir'd it he employ'd another which was to intreat Q. Katharine de Medices to confer with the King of Navarre her Son-in-Law to try if by her usual arts she cou'd induce him to some accommodation which might be satisfactory to the League and stop the Germans of whose Succours his peace once made that King wou'd have no farther use The Queen Mother who at that time desir'd the peace at least as much as he because she fear'd to be left at the discretion of either of the two parties by whom she was equally hated willingly accepted that Commission grounding her hopes on those tricks and artificial ways by which she had so often succeeded on the like occasions Having then advanc'd as far as Champigny a fair house belonging to the Duke of Montpensier she manag'd the matter in such sort by the mediation of that Prince who went to visit the King of Navarre from her that it was agreed there shou'd be a Conference After many difficulties which were rais'd concerning it and which with much canvasing they got over the place was appointed to be St. Brix a Castle near Cognac belonging to the Sieur de Fo rs who was of the King's party She came thither attended by the Dukes of Montpensier and of Nevers Marshal Biron and some other Lords who were no friends to the Guises or the Leaguers to the end that Conference might be the more amicable The King of Navarre came also thither with the Prince of Condè Vicount de Turenne and some others the most considerable of their Party It appear'd manifestly at this Enterview that the Queen held no longer that Authority which had been yielded to her in the former Conferences wherein she had carried all things according to her own desire by the wonderfull Ascendant which she had over their minds And she understood but too well from the very beginning that she had to doe with such as were distrustfull of her subtilties and who wou'd not suffer themselves to be surpris'd easily as some of them had been on St. Bartholomew's day whereof they had not yet worn out the remembrance For they wou'd never adventure themselves all three together in the Chamber appointed for the Conference when the King of Navarre was there the Prince and Vicount well accompanied made a guard at the door and when either of the other two enter'd the King of Navarre and the other did the like for him that they might not put themselves unwarily into her hands on whose word they had no reason to rely and who dar'd not to arrest any of them singly the two remaining being at liberty and in condition to give themselves satisfaction on the Aggressours Thus being too suspicious and their minds too much embitter'd to act calmly and reasonably in this Conference it went off in three Enterviews which were made in resenting
weighty reasons the rules of War and even those of common sense In pursuance of this he first of all others having resolv'd upon the Battel and giving onely this for his reason that the Enemy whom he held inclos'd betwixt two Rivers cou'd not possibly escape in case they march'd directly to him before he had time to get away all the young Nobless who surrounded him gave such loud applause of his opinion crying out Battel Battel that they drew the rest into the same resolution no man being able or daring to resist the torrent And there was so much of presumption in this Council which was so hastily concluded that the Duke as if he were assur'd of victory fearing nothing but that the Enemy shou'd escape his hands before he cou'd come up to him began even before midnight to march his Army towards Coutras that he might attack the King of Navarre at break of Day But that Prince being inform'd of his intentions by his Scouts and foreseeing that he shou'd be constrain'd to come to a Battel unless he wou'd incur the manifest danger of being beaten if he shou'd make his retreat in the face of the Enemy was resolv'd for that reason to march towards him and spare him the pains of half his way In effect having heard the account of a rough Skirmish which happen'd in the Night betwixt the Scouts and the Light Horse of the two Armies without any considerable advantage on either side he got on Horseback a little before Day and advancing towards the Enemy he went to possess himself of the Place he had design'd for the Field of Battel which was a Plain betwixt six and seven hundred paces of Diameter on the far side of a little Wood about half a League distant from Coutras having that Town on his Back on his left hand the Drogne which bounds the Plain on that side and on his right hand a Warren a Copse lopp'd the year before a kind of little Park bending towards the Enemy and fenc'd onely with an Hedge and Ditch There it was that he drew up his Army in Battalia which consisted in the whole of about four thousand five hundred Foot and two thousand five hundred Horse He plac'd on his right Wing the biggest of the two Battalions of his Infantry made up of the Regiments of Castelnau Parabere Salignac and some other Companies who extended themselves in the Warren advancing even to the Hedge and Ditch which fenc'd the little Park that cover'd them These were sustain'd on their left by the Squadron of Light Horse which had at their Head La Trimoüille Vivans Arambure and Vignoles who Commanded them and before them an hundred and twenty Arquebusiers for their Forlorn Hope There follow'd them sloping always to the left the whole Gendarmery divided into six Squadrons the first consisting at most of two hundred Gentlemen almost all Gascons Commanded by the Vicount of Turenne accompanied by Pardaillan Fontrailles and Choupes There came after them at the distance of sixty Paces the Squadron of the Prince of Condè who had with him Louis de Saint Gelais Marshal de Camp des Agueaux Montaterre the Vicount of Gourdon the Vidame of Chartres and more than two hundred and fifty Men at Arms. There was an Interval of an hundred and fifty Paces betwixt the Prince and the King of Navarre who Rode at the Head of his Squadron of three hundred Gentlemen amongst whom were the Lords de la Force de Ponts de la Boulaye and de Foix Candale who bore the Standard At last follow'd the young Count of Soissons having after him the famous Captain Favas and two hundred Horse in his Squadron distant from the King two hundred Paces and sustain'd on his left along the River side by another gross Battalion compos'd of the very flower of the Regiments which were Commanded by Charbonniere the young Montgomery de Preaux de la Borie and de Neuvy All these Squadrons made up a large Front and were of little Depth that they might take up the more in Bredth And the King of Navarre as he had formerly seen it practis'd by the Admiral of Coligny had cast into their Intervals on both sides of his Horse small Parties of Dragoons by fifteen and twenty in a Company who some of them with one Knee on the Ground some of them half Stooping and some of them standing upright that they might not mischieve one another shou'd discharge upon the Enemy at fifteen foot distance for certainty â—o Execution And his Artillery which the Night before he had left beyond the River that he might pass it more speedily to gain Coutras being come up to him just in the nick under the Convoy of George Clermont d' Amboise Master of the Ordnance was advantageously plac'd on a small ascent at the right hand of the Count of Soissâ—ns Thus was this Army rang'd in form of a Crescent whose two Battalions of Infantry more advanc'd than the Squadrons towards the Enemy made the two Horns and betwixt both of them the Squadrons of the Prince of Condè and the Vicount of Turenne form'd the hollow of the middle part In the mean time the Duke of Ioyeuse having pass'd through certain narrow and troublesome ways which lay betwixt his last Nights Lodging and the Plain and that with difficulty enough which was caus'd by the disorderly March of his young Gallants whose eagerness was not to be commanded the Marquis of Lavardin his Marshal de Camp a great Souldier on whom chiefly he rely'd drew up his Army into Battalia as well as the disorder wou'd give him leave his whole Forces at that time not amounting to more than nine thousand men and those ill Disciplin'd Over against that gross Battalion which inclos'd the right Wing of the Enemy he plac'd on his left Wing the Regiments of Picardy and Tiercelin which form'd a Battalion of eight hundred Musquetiers cover'd with about a thousand Corslets These had on their right hand the Light Horsemen and the Albanois Commanded by their Captain Mercurius Buat and another Squadron of four hundred Lances whom Lavardin himself chose to Lead in the room of Monsieur de Souvrè who lay dangerously hurt of a fall Montigny who Commanded another of five hundred Lances was plac'd on the same hand in opposition to the Vicount of Turenne after which bending still towards the River which they had on their right Hand there was extended on both sides the way right over against the three Princes a gross of twelve hundred Lances wherein was the Person of the General and the Standard born by the Sieur de Maillay Bressay The whole body of the young Gallants who were Voluntiers with the greatest part of the Noblemen and Gentlemen were in this gross the first Rank of which was compos'd onely of Counts Marquesses and Barons having at their Head the Duke of Ioyeuse accompanied by his younger Brother the Marquis of Saint Sauveur and the brave St. Luc and
Pike against the Regiment des Cluseaux having beheld the rout of the light Horsemen and the Gascons and hearing the shouts of Victory which were already Echo'd from the Duke's Army were not discourag'd from passing on and discharging furiously at a very small distance after which changing hands with their Musquets and taking to their Swords they cry'd out to each other with a generous despair let us run to our death in that Battalion they open'd their passage through the Enemies Pikes which they either cut asunder or struck aside they broke in upon them they scatter'd them and made a terrible Execution On the other part the Gentlemen and Cavaliers of the Prince's Squadron seeing those of their Companions who fled and their Enemies pursuing at their Heels with shouts of Joy cast on them a fierce disdainfull look and told one another laughing these People have their Business yet to doe we are they that must abate their pride And it fell out as they desir'd the Enemy came up to them For the Duke of Ioyeuse swell'd with the happy success of the first Encountâ—r and believing he went to a Victory as good as gotten spurs on before his Troups making a pompous shew his rich Armour glittering with Gold and Silver and ennammell almost hidden under his Plumes and Ribands and making a sign both with his Voice and Hand for all his Braves to follow him the whole Squadron together take their carrier of four hundred paces and giving the Reins to their Horses with their Lances in the rest run at full speed against the three Princes In the mean time the King of Navarre who that day was onely habited like a private Souldier in a plain gray Suit of Arms with a Head-piece of the same barefac'd to be known in the thickest of the throng rode through every rank in few words exhorted the nearest to him and with his Gesture and his Eyes the more remote to Fight like men of Honour for the rights of thâ— Royal House and onely to behave themselves like him After which placing before him eight Gentlemen of such as were the surest arm'd with strong Lances to overturn the first who made head against him and to open his passage into the Squadron he commanded his men to advance onely ten paces and to expect the shock of the Enemy ordering his Horsemen who for the most part were Arm'd but with Sword and Pistol not to Fire but at a very near distance that every shot might certainly take place These Orders being well executed were the gaining of the Battail for that gross of Horse which came up to the Charge at full Gallop was well clear'd by the furious discharge that was made by the first Ranks of the Dragoons which the Princes had divided amongst their Squadrons Many of those Counts and Marquesses and young Courtiers who had taken that Post of Honour were beaten from their Horses and for the rest who had taken their carrier too far they were out of breath when they shou'd have given the blow with their Lances their strokes were so feeble that they had little or no effect and the Princes broke in upon them with so much Vigour and promptitude that they gave them not leisure to let their Lances descend which therefore they were forc'd to throw away and betake themselves to their Swords and Pistols By this means they were reduc'd to an equality of Arms but with very different success For the three Squadrons of the Princes being at a just distance from each other and in excellent order attacqu'd that of Ioyeuse on three sides The King of Navarre charging him in Front the two Princes in the Flanks the Count of Soissons on the right side and the Prince of Condè on the left All three of them in that bloudy medley performing what cou'd possibly be expected from Valiant men But the King of Navarre conspicuous above the rest that he might animate his Souldiers who beheld him exposing himself to danger like the meanest man amongst them gave admirable proofs of his courage in every place He came even to shouldring in the Press such of the Enemies whom the ardour of combating or the crowd of the combatants drove by chance against him and finding himself ingag'd betwixt two Valiant men the Baron de Fumel and Monsieur de Chasteau Renard who was Guidon to Sansaac who made up to him with their Swords on high while at the same instant a Gendarme struck on his Head-piece with the Truncheon of his Lance he fir'd his Pistol on one of them collard the other whom he took Prisoner crying out to him yield Philistin and disengag'd himself from the third who was immediately taken by one of his Esquires In conclusion all that great body of Gendarmery in which consisted almost the whole strength of the Duke's Army having been so vigourously charg'd and broke on every side was overthrown cut in pieces and intirely defeated in less than half an hour without being able once to Rally and that not out of Cowardise but on the contrary what never or very rarely happens by the too great courage of the vanquish'd Party For the greater part of them being Lords of the highest Quality and Gentlemen almost all young full of bravery and fire they thought so little of dispersing or of betaking themselves to Flight that there were not ten of them kill'd or made Prisoners out of the Field of Battail where they rather chose to perish than to yield one foot of ground After this defeat the Conquerours having joyn'd their own Battalions who encourag'd by the example fought with almost equal advantage against the adverse Infantry it was no longer a Combat but a most horrible Slaughter of that miserable Foot to whom they gave no manner of Quarter because Ioyeuse had given none to the two Regiments which he had defeated near St. Maixant As for that Duke when he beheld that all was lost instead of taking on the right hand to save himself at La Roche Chalais he turn'd upon the left with intention to go to his Cannon and Fighting beside it to end his days saying to St. Luc who ask'd him what he resolv'd to doe To live no longer Monsieur de St. Luc but to die generously after my Misfortune But even that last Happiness was deni'd him for he had not made twenty or thirty Paces towards his Artillery when he fell into the hands of two Captains St. Christopher and la Viole and as he was offering them for his Ransome an hundred thousand Crowns a Sum which those two Captains had not been very sorry to receive there came up two others Bourdeaux and des Centiers who whether out of hatred or revenge or out of spight that they had not taken him themselves to have shar'd so great a Ransome basely discharg'd their Pistols on him Shot him into the Head and overturn'd him dead upon the place The Valiant St. Luc who took upon the spot a
Carriage and was besides extremely brave but on the other side he had neither Authority nor experience enough to command so great an Army the greater part of whose Officers were commonly at variance amongst themselves and never willing to obey his Orders Thus to speak properly he was onely the General of the Reyters though the Lansquenets and Swissers acknowledg'd him for their Chief in the room of Prince Casimir But the young Duke of Bouillon was he whom the King of Navarre had nam'd for his Lieutenant and who had the Title of General of that Army Notwithstanding which he had no absolute Command over it because there was a Council compos'd of six French Officers and as many Germans joyn'd with him who together with the Baron of Dona decided all things by plurality of Voices which was the occasion of much disorder For the Germans seldom or never joyn'd in opinion with the French and on the other side the French were jealous both of them and of one another so that there cou'd be no good intelligence amongst them Besides all whâ—ch there were some of their number whom the Duke of Guise the most artfull of Mankind had gain'd into his Interests and who underhand gave him notice of all the resolutions which were taken in the Council For the rest after the Strangers had receiv'd some part of their Pay which the Queen of England had suppli'd after they had been assur'd of the remainder and also promis'd that the King of Navarre wou'd joyn them in a little time and that they shou'd have onely the League upon their hands and not the King who had Arm'd for no other purpose but to assist them in the destruction of the Guises they pass'd the Rhine about the twentieth of August and in the Plain of Strasburg found William Robert de la Mark Duke of Bouillon and his Brother Iohn Robert Count de la Mark who had waited there for their coming about fifteen days with two thousand Foot and between three and four hundred French Horse Thus this Army in the general review which was made of it near Strasburg was found to consist of thirty three thousand men effective all experienc'd Souldiers and well equipp'd without reckoning into the number the fifteen or sixteen hundred foot and two hundred Horse which the Count of Chastillon Son of the late Admiral brought thither in a small time after and about two thousand others who joyn'd them in their march Insomuch that when they enter'd France they were not less than forty thousand Men with eighteen or twenty pieces of Artillery which undoubtedly was sufficient to strike a terrour into those against whom they march'd in favour of the King of Navarre And indeed this distant thunderclap which was heard as far as Paris alarm'd the Council of Sixteen so teâ—ribly that to shelter themselves from the ensuing Storm they sent fresh instructions to the principal Cities of the Kingdom and a new form of Oath to unite them more straitly to themselves in their common defence endeavouring maliciously to make them believe that it was the King himself who had call'd in these Heretique Foreigners with intention of destroying those who defended the Catholique Religion and with design that hereafter Heresie it self and the Promoter of it shou'd Reign in France But the Duke of Guise whose undaunted heart was not capable of the least cowardise took ways much different from theirs in pursuance of the same design viz. the destruction of that formidable Army which menac'd him with inevitable ruine And he compass'd his intentions happily and gloriously by his admirable conduct readiness of wit and daring resolution performing one of the noblest actions which were ever done and which alone may justly rank him with the greatest Heroes of Antiquity He had almost nothing of all that had been promis'd him at Meaux when there was made the partition of the Forces which by appointment were to serve in the King's Army and in his Of twenty Troups of Men at Arms which were order'd him not one appear'd at the Rendesvouz that was assign'd at Chaumont there was neither Money nor Ammunition nor Cannon sent him so that having assembled at Vaucoleur on the twenty second of August all the forces he could get together by the means of his friends and partly by the money of the Parisians there were found no more than a body of three thousand Men that is to say about six hundred Cuirassiers of his own company and those of the Prince of Ioinville's his Son of the Count of Chaligny the Chevalier d' Aumale the Sieurs of La Chastre and D' Amblize three hundred Horse which were sent him from the Garrison of Cambray by Balagny who had made himself a Leaguer to change his Government into a Principality under protection of the League besides almost as many light Horsemen some Italians some Albanois which were sent him by the Duke of Parma Governour of the Low-Countries As for Infantry he had no more than the two Regiments of Captain St. Paul and of Iohannes on whom he very much rely'd With these inconsiderable Forces he went to joyn himself with those of Charles Duke of Lorrain who with the Succours which he had receiv'd out of Flanders under the conduct of the Marquis d' Avre and the Marquis de Varambon and all he cou'd Levy in Germany had no more than seven thousand Foot and about fifteen hundred Horse Insomuch that both in conjunction cou'd not make above twelve or thirteen thousand Men at most to oppose against thirty five thousand who were coming to fall on them The Duke of Lorrain who foresaw this Tempest had done what lay in him to provide against it and to put himself in a state of defence by fortifying the greatest part of his Towns And observing that Nancy his Capital City was of too little compass to receive those great numbers of Persons of Quality and Clergy-men who ran thither for refuge from every quarter some from their Countrey-houses others from their small Castles and unfortified Towns he took this opportunity to enlarge that great and beautifull part of it which is call'd the New Town on the Fortifications of which being without dispute the fairest and the strongest of that time he employ'd his Workmen with so much diligence that it was already in condition of making a stout defence against that Army which as numerous and as powerfull as it was had never thâ— courage to attempt it These two Armies being one of them on this side the Mountains of Vauge in Lorrain and the other beyond those Mountains in Alsace a Council was held in both of them at the same time and it so happen'd by an accident seldom known that the same resolution was taken by them both In the German Army the Duke of Bouillon and one part of the Council wou'd have it that the War shou'd be made in Lorrain to compass as they urg'd at one onely blow the ruine of that
to himself with his own Troups which amounted not to four thousand men and nevertheless he undertook with an invincible Courage and so small a Power to pursue to infeeble and entirely to ruine that great Army which was yet more increas'd in the Bassigny by the conjunction of those Troups which the brave Chastillon Son to the late Admiral brought out of Languedoc and Dauphine after having travers'd Lionnois and Burgundy with incredible difficulty The Duke then undertook them all being follow'd by Souldiers as indefatigable as himself who believ'd there was nothing impossible for them to perform under his Conduct and sometimes appearing at the head of the Enemy sometimes at their Rere then coaâ—â—ing them now on the right hand and afterwards on the left cutting them ofâ— from Provisions giving them continual Alarmes and harâ—â—assing them Night and Day in a hundred several manners he reduc'd them often to great extremities particularly after he was reinforc'd by the Troups which were brought him by Monsieur de Mayenne by Chaligny Elbeuf and Brissac who joyn'd him at Auxerre his Forces then consisting of six thousand Foot and eighteen hundred Horse With these inconveniences besides those which the continual rain the broken ways their gluttony and consequently sickness made the Germans suffer their Forces having pass'd the Saine near Chastillon and the Yonne at Mailly-la-Ville they advanc'd about the middle of October as far as the Banks of the River Loire which they thought to have pass'd at La Charitè where much to their amazement they found that place not onely in a good condition of defence but the King in person beyond it with a powerfull Army to dispute their passage on what part soever they shou'd attempt to force it In effect that Prince according to the resolution which he had taken to hinder both the King of Navarre and the Duke of Guise from growing too strong the first by joyning the Army of the Reyters and the second by their defeat had given the Duke almost nothing of that Succour which he had promis'd him either to stop or fight the Germans and in the mean time had assembled a very considerable Army in the neighbourhood of Gien on the Loire to oppose their passage His Forces not being less than ten thousand French Foot eight thousand Swissers for the most part levyed out of the Catholique Cantons and eight thousand Horse the one half French the other Germans The Duke of Montpensier had also recruited him with the little body which he commanded apart the Dukes of Nevers and of Espernon the Marshals de Aumont and de Retz and La Guiche Grand Master of the Artillery had each of them a Command in it and held no very good intelligence together unless in this one particular that according to the King 's express orders they spoil'd and made unpassable all the Foords from that of Pas de Fer near Nâ—vers as far as Gien by laying across them huge bodies of Trees and whatsoever else they cou'd find to incumber the feet of Men and Horses This ill understanding amongst the Commanders and the large Encomiums which rung in Paris of the Duke of Guise on occasion of every small advantage which he gain'd upon the Enemy and more than all the murmuring or rather the downright railing of the Leaguers who maliciously accus'd the King of holding intelligence with the Navarrois at the length produc'd this effect in him that shaking off his fatal drowziness and those soft pleasures of the Court with much adoe he came to his Army beyond the Gien about mid October Where he had no sooner set his foot but he began on the sudden to revive to appear the same brave Duke of Anjou with the same Heroique soul which inspir'd him with so much vigour when he commanded the Armies of the King his Brother in the fields of Iarnac and Moncontour Undoubtedly there can nothing be imagin'd more generous or more prudent than what he did on that occasion He put himself at the Head of his Army he gave out Orders in his own Person and caus'd them to be executed with all manner of exactness he reunited the minds of his Captains and Officers taking care that every man shou'd employ himself in his own duty without interfering with the business of another He shar'd with them the labours and fatigues of War lying abroad in Tents sleeping little was first on Horseback always in Arms his Men in good order on the Bank of the River appearing in a readiness to receive the Enemy wheresoever he shou'd attempt his passage and giving him to understand by sound of Trumpet and beat of Drum that he desir'd nothing more than to give him Battel if he shou'd dare to seek it on the other side This manner of proceeding put the Strangers into a terrible consternation The French Huguenots who guided them had made them to believe before they enter'd into Lorrain that they shou'd have the Town of Charité and the Bridge for friend That if those shou'd fail them the Loire was foordable almost every where during the Month of October that the King who kept a secret correspondence with the King of Navarre to revenge himself of the League their common Enemy either wou'd joyn himself with them or at least favour their passage and that they shou'd find the King of Navarre in a readiness on the far side of the River to receive them In the mean time they found the quite contrary to all this the Town of Charité against them the King in Arms to combat them and instead of the King of Navarre onely some Envoys from him who without being able to ascertain them of any thing barely promis'd them that he wou'd suddenly be with them or at least in his room a Prince of the Bloud whom he wou'd send to command them This fill'd with complaints murmurs disorders and Sedition the whole Army which was come down as far as Neuvy without hope of being able to force the passage which the Royal Army in Battalia beyond the River continually defended The Reyters with loud clamours demanded the Money which had been promis'd them as soon as they shou'd be enter'd into France threatning to return into their own Countrey in case they were not immediately satisfied The Swissers were already harkening to the proposition which some of their Officers who were gain'd by the King had made to them of passing into his Army where they had assurance given them of great advantages The Lansquenets were ready to do as much all things manifestly tended to revolt And it was not without incredible pains that the Baron of Dona the Duke of Bouillon and the French Officers put an end to this Mutiny by promising to lead them into Beauce a Country abounding in all sorts of Provisions where they might refresh themselves at their own leisure expecting there the Money and the Prince whom the King of Navarre wou'd send to conduct them by Vandome
Articles that the League to engage the Pope and the King of Spain in their Interests wou'd be content to abandon those Privileges and Liberties which our Ancestours have always maintain'd with so much vigour and resolution and to subject to the yoke of a Spanish Inquisition the French who have never been able to undergo it And in others of them that they design'd to bereave the King of all the solid and essential parts of Royalty to leave him onely the shadow and appearance of it and afterwards to dispose even of his Person as the Heads of their party shou'd think fit And accordingly when the Request was presented to the King on the part of the Associated Princes and the Cardinal of Bourbon whose simplicity and whose name they abus'd and made it a cloke to their Ambition he conceiv'd an extreme indignation against it which immediately appear'd in his eyes and countenance Yet he thought it necessary at that time to dissemble not finding himself then in a condition of returning such an answer to it as was becoming a King justly provok'd against his Subjects who stood on terms with him like Lords and Masters For which reason and withall to gain farther time he contented himself to say that he wou'd examine those Articles in his Council in order to his Answer which shou'd be in such sort that all good Catholiques shou'd have reason to be satisfi'd But in the mean time the Duke of Guise who took not fair words for payment well understanding the King's design and resolving not to give the Duke of Espernon the leisure to conjure down that Tempest which was rais'd against him and to infuse into his Master those vigorous resolutions which were necessary for him to take press'd the King continually to give a precise Answer to every particular in those Articles For he doubted not that in case it prov'd favourable he shou'd ingross all power in himself and if it were otherwise that it wou'd be thought the King resolv'd to maintain the Huguenots and that by consequence the Catholiques wou'd enter into a War against him On which considerations being then retir'd into his Government of Champaigne to which place he went after the Conference at Nancy he pli'd the King incessantly with Messages sent by Gentlemen one after another to urge him to a speedy and punctual Answer And this he did with the more eagerness and importunity because on the one side he found himself more powerfull than ever having a great part of the Gentry and almost all the People and especially the Parisians for him And on the other side he observ'd the party of the Huguenots to be very low and infinitely weaken'd by the defeat of their great German Succours and by their late loss of the Prince of Condé a person of all others the most strictly tied to their Religion and on whom they more relied than any man not excepting the King of Navarre himself He deceas'd on the fifth of March at St. Iean de Angely of an exceeding violent distemper with which he was suddenly seiz'd one evening after Supper and which carri'd him off in two days time The Sixteen with infamous baseness made a great rejoycing for it and their Preachers fail'd not to roar out in their Sermons that it was the effect of the Excommunication with which he had been Thunder-struck by Pope Sixtus But besides that the King of Navarre who had been struck in the same manner by the Bull had his health never the worse for it the King to whom that poor creature the Cardinal of Bourbon had been telling the same story and making wonderfull exclamations in relating it answer'd him with a smile That it might very well be the occasion of his death but withall there was something else which help'd him on his journey And truly the matter was put beyond all doubt after the attestation of four Physicians and of two Master Chirurgeons who depos'd upon their Oaths that they had manifestly seen in almost all the parts of his Body all the most evident signs and effects of a Caustique Poison burning and ulcerating A most execrable action which cou'd not be too rigorously punish'd and yet the Laws inflicted what was possible on the person of one of his domestick servants who was drawn in pieces by four Horses in the place of St. Iean de Angely As to the rest he was a Prince who excepting onely his obstinate adhering to a Religion in which he was born and whoâ—e falshood he might have known in time if he had not been too much prepossess'd had at the Age of five and thirty years at which he died all the perfections which can meet together in one man to render him one of the greatest and most accomplish'd persons in the World if at least there might not possibly be discern'd in his carriage and customes some of those little failings from which the most wise are not exempted and which may easily be pardon'd without lessening the esteem which we have for them And if Fortune which is not always propitious to merit was not favourable to him on some occasions wherein he had need of her assistance yet in this she was his friend that she gave him the greater opportunity of shewing his invincible courage in his adversities in which he rais'd himself infinitely above her by the vigour and greatness of his Soul Accordingly the death of this great Prince was lamented not onely by those of his own party who lov'd him passionately but also by the Catholiques and even by the Duke of Guise himself who Head as he was of an infamous and wicked Faction which he made subâ—ervient to his ends had of his own stock and the excellency of his nature which was infinitely noble all the generosity which is requisite to love and respect vertue even in the person of his greatest and most formidable Enemy All which notwithstanding he was content to make what advantage he cou'd of so lamentable an accident towards the compassing of his designs And as he observ'd not onely by this but by a multitude of concomitant accidents and misfortunes that the Huguenot party decreas'd in strength and reputation and his own grew more bold and undertaking he set himself more vigorously to push his fortune and to demand an entire satisfaction to all the Articles of his request which had so puff'd up the spirits of the Sixteen that they â—orgot all manner of moderation and grew daily more and more insupportable It happen'd also at the same time that the King receiv'd several advertisements of the resolution which had been taken in their Council to seize his Person and to inclose him in a Monastery And the same Lieutenant of the Provostship of the Isle of Paris Nicholas Poulain who had formerly discover'd the like Conspiracy to which belief was not given told him so many particular circumstances in relation to this that though he was very diffident of that double dealing man
pay him an entire Obedience and that he propos'd nothing to himself but that provision shou'd be made for the safety of Religion and of good Catholiques which were design'd to be oppress'd through the pernicious Counsells of such as held intelligence with Heretiques and projected nothing but the ruine of Religion and the State These Letters together with those which the Parisians wrote to the other Towns exhorting all men to combine with them for their common preservation in the Catholique Faith and those of the King which on the contrary were written in too soft a style and where there appear'd more of fear and of excuse than of resentment and just complaint for so sacrilegious an attempt had this effect that the greatest part of the people far from being scandalis'd at the Barricades approv'd them loudly praising the conduct of the Duke of Guise whom they believ'd to be full of Zeal for the Catholique Faith for the good of the Kingdom and for the Service of the King And as he desir'd nothing so much as to confirm them in that opinion he was willing that the body of the City shou'd send their Deputies to the King humbly to beseech his Majesty that he wou'd forget what was pass'd and return to his good Town of Paris where his most Loyal Subjects were ready to give him all the highest demonstrations of their Obedience and devotion to his Service He permitted that even processions shou'd be made in the Habit of Penitents to desire of God that he wou'd please to mollify the King's Heart and this was perform'd with so much ardour that there was one which went from Paris as far as Chartres in a most extraodinary Equipage under the conduct of the famous Fryar Ange. This honest Father was Henry de Ioyeuse Count of Bouchage and Brother to the late Duke He had given up himself to be a Capuchin about a year before this time having such strong impressions made upon him by the death and good example of his Wife Catharine de Nogaret Sister to the Duke of Espernon that he was inflam'd with a desire of repentance insomuch that neither the tears of his Brother nor the intreaties and favours of the King who lov'd him exceedingly nor the ardent solicitations of all the Court were able to remove him from the resolution he had taken of leading so austere a Life This noble Fryar having put a Crown of Thorns upon his head and carrying an overgrown Cross upon his Shoulders follow'd by his Fraternity and by a great number of Penitents and others who represented in their Habits the several persons of the Passion led on that procession singing Psalms and Litanies The march of these Penitents was so well manag'd that they enter'd the great Church of Chartres just as the King was there at Vespers As they enter'd they began to sing the Miserere in a very dolefull tone And at the same time two swindging Fryars arm'd with Disciplines laid on lustily poor Fryar Ange whose back was naked The application was not hard to make nor very advantageous to the Parisians for the charitable creature seem'd evidently to desire the King that he wou'd please to pardon them as Iesus Christ was willing to forgive the Iews for those horrible outrages which they had committed against him A Spectacle so surprising produc'd different effects in the minds of the standers by according to the variety of their tempers some of them were melted into compassion others were mov'd to Laughter and some even to indignation And more than all the rest the Marshal de Biron who having no manner of relish for this sort of devotion and fearing besides that some dangerous Leaguers might have crowded in amongst them with intention to Preach the people into a Mutiny counsell'd the King to clap them up in Prison every Mothers Son But that good Prince who notwithstanding all his faults had a stock of Piety at the bottom and much respect for all things that related to Religion rejected wholly this advice He listen'd to them much more favourably than he had heard all the Harangues of the former Deputies and promis'd to grant them the pardon they desir'd for the Town which he had so much favour'd on condition they wou'd return to their Obedience And truly 't is exceeding probable that he had so done from that very time if they had not afterwards given him fresh provocations by proposing the terms on which they insisted for the Peace which they desir'd For the Duke of Guise to whom all these fair appearances were very serviceable and cou'd be no ways prejudicial and who always pursu'd his designs in a direct line knew so well to manage the disposition of the Queen Mother who had seem'd at first to be much startled at his demands that he recall'd her with much dexterity into his interests by working on those two passions which were rooted in her Soul She desir'd to raise to the Throne after the death of the King her Son her Grandson Henry de Lorrain Marquis du Pont and believ'd that the Duke of Guise wou'd contribute to it all that was in his power But as cunning as she was she saw not into the bottom of that Prince who fed her onely with vain hopes of that Succession for another to which he personally aspir'd She infinitely hated the Duke of Espernon and believing he was the man who having possess'd himself of the King's Soul had render'd her suspected to him long'd to turn him out of Court promising her self by that means to be re-establish'd in the management of affairs from which the Favourites had remov'd her And the Duke of Guise who had as little kindness as her self for the Duke of Espernon concurr'd in the same design with at least as much earnestness but for a much different end for he desir'd to be absolute himself In this manner this subtle Prince always dissembling and artifically hiding the true motives by which he acted drew the Queen at last to consent to all that he desir'd and above all to give her allowance that a request shou'd be presented to the King in the name of the Cardinals the Princes the Peers of France the Lords the Deputies of Paris and the other Towns and of all the Catholiques united for the defence of the Catholique Apostolique and Roman Religion This reqest which in the manner of its expressions was couch'd in most respectfull terms contain'd notwithstanding in the bottom of it certain Propositions at least as hard as the Artâ—cles of Nancy and even as those which not long before were propos'd to the Queen by the Duke of Guise For after a protestation in the beginning of it that in whatsoever had pass'd till that present time there had been nothing done but by a pure zeal for God's honour and for the preservation of his Church they demand of the King That he wou'd make War with the Huguenots and that he wou'd conclude no Peace till
the Castle of Amboise and distributed them into several Prisons But the Duke of Mayenne who over-powr'd him in men was already upon the point of coming out from Paris with a strong Army with a resolution of preventing his designs and assaulting him in Tours And upon that consideration it was that he was forc'd to resolve upon the onely way which remain'd for his Shelter from the last extremities of Violence and for the preservation of his Crown and Person France at that time was in a most deplorable condition divided and as it were broken into three Parties which laid it waste That of the League the most powerfull of any by the Rebellion of so many Towns that of the King of Navarre which had greatly strengthen'd it self dureing the first troubles and that of the King which in a manner was reduc'd to his own Houshold and some very few depending Towns It was impossible for him in this condition to carry on the War which he had undertaken against the Huguenots and at the same time to maintain himself against the Army of the Leaguers It remain'd then that of necessity he must close with one of those Parties that by its assistance he might reduce the other to Obedience or at least that he might save himself from ruine which was inevitable if he stood single and expos'd to the violence of the other two Now the Leaguers wou'd neither admit of Peace nor Truce with him having Sworn in the Oath which was administer'd to them by the Duke of Mayenne that they wou'd prosecute their Vengeance to the extremity for the death of the two Guises 'T is manifest by consequence that he was indispensably oblig'd to unite himself with the King of Navarre and to accept the aid he offer'd him with so much frankness and generosity After the death of the Guises that Prince making his advantage of so favourable an opportunity while all things were in confusion amongst the Catholiques had much advanc'd the affairs of his Party by taking of Niort Saint Maxent Maillezais and some other Towns in Poitou since when upon his quick recovery from a dangerous Sickness whereof he was like to die he had push'd his conquests as far as the Frontiers of Touraine having made himself Master of Loudun Thouars Montreiuil Bellay Mirebeau Lisle Bouchard Chastelleraud Argenton and of Blanc in Berry At which time observing the wretched Estate to which the Kingdom was reduc'd by the three Parties which dismembred it he publish'd a Declaration on the fourth of March address'd to the three Estates of France therein exhorting them to Peace which was the onely remedy for so many distempers as afflicted the miserable Nation Then having clearly prov'd that it was impossible for the King to succeed in a Civil War to be prosecuted as some advis'd him at the same time against the Huguenots and Leaguers he offer'd him his Service and all the Forces of his Party not for bringing the Leaguers and the Revolted Towns to punishment but for reducing them to the terms of desiring Peace which he most humbly petition'd him to grant them and to pardon and pass by the injuries he had receiv'd after they had been subdu'd by the joint Forces of all good French-men both of the one Religion and the other marching under the conduct of his Majesty against Rebels After which he protested in the sight of God and ingag'd his Faith and Honour that forasmuch as that union of his most faithfull Servants as well Catholiques as Protestants was onely intended to restore the Royal Authority and Peace in France he wou'd never permit that the Roman Catholique Faith shou'd receive the least prejudice in consideration of it but that it shou'd always be preserv'd in such Towns as shou'd be taken without making any alteration of Religion in them This Declaration made way for the Treaty which was begun with great secrecy immediately after it in order to the Union of the two Kings There were some in the Council who endeavour'd to oppose that Negotiation as fearing that it wou'd much fortify the Party of the League by contributing to the belief of that report which was already spread by the Leaguers amongst the people that the King had always maintain'd a private Correspondence with the Huguenots besides that the Pope whose Friendship was necessary wou'd be scandalis'd at such an Union The King himself had a great repugnance to it and doubtless wou'd much rather have compounded his differences with the Princes of the League if it had been possible and thereby to have renew'd his Edict of Reunion a thing not unknown to the King of Navarre who easily perceiv'd that the Court wou'd never apply to him but for want of others In effect the King in the beginning of March had written to the Duke of Lorrain and had sent him very advantageous conditions for the Princes of his House with all manner of Security for them in case he cou'd prevail with them to receive the Peace and Treaty which he offer'd But being refus'd on that side those of his Council who were of opinion that the King of Navarre's propositions shou'd be accepted inforc'd so far their strongest Argument which was pure Necessity farther alledging the examples of so many Catholique Kings and Princes who like the great Emperour Theodosius made use of Inâ—idels and Heretiques against their Enemies that the King at last consented to set on foot the Treaty It was concluded at Tours on the third of April by the Sieur du Plessis-Mornay who capitulated on the King of Navarre's behalf on these conditions That the said King during the Truce which was made for one year shou'd serve the King with all his Forces That he shou'd have a passage on the Loyre which at length was declar'd to be the Town of Saumur after some difficulties which were remov'd concerning the trusting it in his hands That he shou'd therein have the free exercise of his Religion and in some other little Towns which were left to him by way of caution for his reimbursment of his charges in the War This Negotiation of Du Plessis cou'd not be transacted with so much Secrecy but that it was vented by the Legat Morosini who thereupon us'd his utmost endeavours in three vigorous Remonstrances to hinder that blow which he believ'd wou'd be fatal to Religion according to the false notions which he had of the King of Navarre And the King having told him that after having tri'd all ways of accommodation with the Duke of Mayenne which that Prince had always haughtily rejected necessity compell'd him to make use of the onely remaining means to defend his Life the Legat earnestly besought him to allow him ten days more that he might have opportunity of treating in person with that Duke whom he hop'd he shou'd be able to prevail with to accept those advantageous terms of Peace which were presented him Though the Treaty was not onely concluded but also sign'd as appears
by the Memoires of Du Plessis Mornay yet the King to make it evident that it was onely through necessity that he enter'd into this Union with the Huguenots against the League was consenting that before the publication of it there shou'd be made a last attempt on the inclinations of the Duke of Mayenne to induce him to a reconcilement To this effect he gave in writing to the Legat the same Articles which he had already propos'd to the Duke of Lorrain and which were as advantageous to his Family as he cou'd reasonably desire For there was offer'd to the Duke of Mayenne his Government of Burgundy with full power of placing such Governours in the Towns as he himself shou'd chuse of disposing all vacant Offices and levying on the Province forty thousand Crowns yearly To the young Duke of Guise his Nephew the Government of Champaigne with two Cities at his choice therein to keep what Garrisons he pleas'd twenty thousand Crowns of Pension and thirty thousand Livres of Income in Benifices for his Brother To the Duke of Nemours the Government of Lyons with a Pension of ten thousand Crowns to the Duke of Aumale the Government of Picardy and two Cities in that Province to the Duke of Elbeuf a Government and five and twenty thousand Livres of Pension and what was of greatest importance for that Family to the Marquis du Pont eldest Son of the Duke of Lorrain the Government of Toul Metz and Verdun with assurance that if his Majesty had no Issue Male those three Bishopricks shou'd remain to the Duke of Lorrain To all which the King caus'd this addition to be made that to remove all difficulties which might arise in the execution of this Treaty he wou'd remit himself to the Arbitration of his Holiness who might please to joyn in the Umpirage with him the Senate of Venice the great Duke of Thuscany the Duke of Ferrara and the Duke of Lorrain himself who had so great an interest in those Articles With these conditions the Legat went from Tours on the tenth of April towards the Duke of Mayenne who was already advanc'd with his Army as far as Chasteaudun He was receiv'd with all manner of respect and dureing the two days conference he had with the Duke employ'd the most powerfull considerations he cou'd propose to win his consent to a Peace so advantageous for all his House and so necessary to Religion and the publique welfare or at least to gain thus far upon him that if any thing were yet wanting to his entire satisfaction he wou'd remit his interests and those of his Party into the hands of the Pope as the King on his side was already dispos'd to refer his own But after all his endeavours he cou'd not work him to any condescension And whatever arguments he us'd he always answer'd with great respect as to the Pope and the person of the Legat but with extreme contempt for the King whom he perpetually call'd that Wretch that he and his wou'd ever be obedient to the Pope but that he was very well assur'd that his Holiness wou'd never lay his Commands upon him to make any agreement to the prejudice of Religion with a man who had none at all and who was united with the Huguenots against the Catholiques That he cou'd not bear the mention of a reconcilement with a perjur'd man who had neither Faith nor Honour and that he cou'd never trust his word who had Murther'd his Brothers so inhumanely and violated so perâ—idiously not onely the publique Faith but also the Oath which he had taken on the Evangelists at the most holy Sacrament of the Altar After this the Cardinal farther observing what he cou'd not otherways have believ'd that even more opprobrious terms than these were us'd of the King through all the Army and in every City which own'd the League where no man durst presume to give him the name of King wrote him word that he cou'd do him no Service with the Duke and himself not daring to be near his person while the King of Navarre continued with him went to Bourbonnois where he waited the Orders which he receiv'd from the Pope not long after to return to Rome and there to give an account of his Legation Thus after all hope was utterly lost of concluding any peace with the Leaguers the Treaty with the King of Navarre took place He was put into possession of Saumur the Government of which he gave to the Sieur du Plessis-Mornay who had so well succeeded in his Negotiation And it was from that very place that he publish'd his Declaration concerning his intended passage over the Loyre for the Service of his Majesty where he protests amongst other things that being first Prince of the Bloud whom his Birth oblig'd before all others to defend his King he holds none for Enemies but such as are Rebels forbidding most strictly all his Souldiers to commit any manner of offence against those Catholiques who were faithfull Subjects to his Majesty and particularly against the Clergy whom he takes into his protection The King also made his own at large wherein he declares the reasons that oblig'd him to joyn with the King of Navarre for the preservation of his person and the Estate without any prejudice which cou'd thence ensue to the Catholique Religion which he wou'd always maintain in his Kingdom even with the hazard of his Life But that which at length completed the Happiness of this Union betwixt the two Kings was their Enterview which was made in the Park of Plessis on the thirtieth day of April amidst the acclamations of a multitude of people there assembled and with all the signs of an entire confidence on both sides Though the old Huguenot Captains who had not yet forgot St. Bartholomew us'd their best endeavours that their Master shou'd not have put himself in the King's Power as he did with all frankness and generosity He did yet more for being gone back with his Guards and the Gentlemen who attended him to the Fauxbourgs of St. Simphorian beyond the Bridges on the next Morning which was the first of May he repaâ—s'd the River follow'd onely by one Page and return'd to Tours to be present at the King 's Levè who was infinitely pleas'd with this generous procedure and clearly saw by it that he had no occasion to suspect him and that he had reason to hope all things from a Prince who reli'd so fully on his word though he had broken it more than once to him by revoking the Edicts which he had made in favour of him onely to content the League In this manner they pass'd two days together and held a Council where the King of Navarre caus'd a resolution to be taken that for the speedy ending of the War they shou'd assemble their whole Forces with all possible diligence and March directly on to Paris which was the Head of the League and on which the body of it
of the Estates at Paris And then it was clearly to be seen that the Heads of the Party who thought on nothing but how to satisfie each man his Ambition under the specious pretence of great Zeal for the Catholick Faith were much more afraid than desirous of the king's Conversion Though it had been made evident to them by invincible Reasons supported by the Authority of the most learned Doctors that Absolution might be given to the King in France without recourse to Rome especially since it wou'd be given only ad Cautelam and that afterwards they wou'd send to the Pope for his Confirmation of it they return'd this Answer by the Archbishop of Lyons That they ardently dâ—sir'd the Conversion of the King of Navarre but that they cou'd not believe it sincere till his Holiness to whose Iudgment they submitted themselves and who alone had the power of absolving him had reconcil'd him to the Church before which time it was not permitted them to enter into any Treaty of Peace or to take any Securities because that wou'd be to prevent the Judgment of the Pope and to treat at least indirectly with him who was yet out of the Pale of the Church which wou'd be directly against the Oath which they had taken And thereupon the Duke of Mayenne who only â—ought the means of retaining as long as possibly he cou'd that almost soveraign Authority which he had usurp'd together with the greatest part of the Princes and Lords of his Party took a new Oath betwixt the Hands of the Legat that they wou'd never acknowledge the King of Navarre even though he shou'd turn Catholick unless by the Commandment of the Pope Thus remaining always fix'd in that Resolution which absolutely hindred any farther progress in the Conference after seven or eight Sessions held at Surenne and two more at Roquette an House belonging to the Chancellor de Chiverny without St. Anthonies Gate and at La Villette betwixt Paris and St. Denis they concluded on nothing that was tending to the Peace while the Spaniards still imploy'd all their Cunning and their Friends in the Estates to perpetuate the War by the election of a King For even before the Conference of Surenne was begun the Duke of Feria Ambassador Extraordinary from the King of Spain to the General Estates at Paris accompanied by Don Bernardin Mendoza Ambassador in Ordinary Don Diego d' Ibarra and Iohn Baptista Tassis presented in a full Assembly where he was receiv'd with great Honour his Masters Letters in which he exhorted them to proceed without delay to the election of a Catholick King 'T was that indeed which King Philip infinitely desir'd as well thereby to continue the Enmity betwixt the two Parties which doubtless wou'd have been effected by the choice of a new King as to procure the Crown for his Daughter the Inâ—anta as he had explain'd himself more than once already In effect those Spaniards were not wanting some time after to propose her pretended Right of Proximity as being issued from the Daughter of King Henry the Second But seeing afterwards that they were bent upon a King they renew'd the Proposal of marrying her to the Archduke Ernestus till at last perceiving that both these Propositions were ill relish'd even by their most zealous Partisans who adher'd to all the rest in the election of a King who shou'd be a Frenchman and to whom the King of Spain might give his Daughter in Marriage they made a new Overture after they had taken time to deliberate on an Affair of that importance and said That the King their Master that he might give them full satisfaction was ready to agree on the Marriage of the Infanta with some French Prince whom he wou'd nominate therein comprehending the Family of Lorrain since it was but reasonable that himself shou'd have the choice of the Person whom he intended for his Son in-law but that it was also necessary that the Estates shou'd elect them and shou'd declare both of them King and Queen of France for the whole and every part of it and that he wou'd imploy the whole Forces of his Kingdoms to maintain them in it As almost all the Deputies were desirous of nothing more than to elect a new King who shou'd be a Frenchman this Proposition which seem'd very advantagious was receiv'd by them with so great Applause that the Duke of Mayenne who was newly return'd to the Estates there to frustrate the Designs of the Spaniards durst not undertake to oppose it directly though he was strongly resolv'd to hinder it from taking effect by all the ways in his power because the Election cou'd not possibly fall on him And while he was ploâ—ting the means in order to it that part of the Parliament of Peers which was at Paris for the League having still retain'd notwithstanding the division of their Members those generous Thoughts and inviolable Maximes which they have always made appear on all occasions and in whatsoever condition they were to maintain the fundamental Laws and Prerogatives of the French Monarchy furnish'd him with an excellent Expedient For that Court being inform'd that the Proposition of the Spaniards seem'd to be approv'd by the Estates on the 18th day of Iune made this memorable Decree which contains in substance That not having as indeed they never had any other intention than the maintenance of the Catholick Apostolick and Roman Religion in France under the Protection of a Most Christian King who shou'd be both Catholick and French they have ordain'd and do hereby ordain that it shall be this day remonstrated to Monsieur de Mayenne Lieutenant-General of the State and Crown of France in the presâ—nce of the Princes and Officers of the Crown being now at Paris that no Treaty shall be made for the transferring of the Crown into the Hands of foreign Princes or Princesses and that he shou'd imploy the Aâ—thority committed to him to hinder the Crown from being transferr'd into a foreign Hand against the Laws of the Realm under the pretence of Religion and that the said Court has from this present time declar'd and does hereby declare all those Treaties which are made and which shall be hereafter made for the establishment of any foreign Prince or Princess to be null and of no effect and value as made in prejudice to the Salique Law and other fundamental Laws of the Realm of France The Duke of Mayenne seem'd to be very much incens'd that they had made this Ordinance without his Participation and vehemently upbraided Monsieur the first President Iean le Maistre whom he had constituted in that Office who not being acquainted with his secret intentions answer'd him with that Gravity and Resolution which is becoming the Head of so venerable a Company when he performs his Duty But in reality that dextrous Prince was glad of such an occasion because he well hop'd this Ordinance wou'd at least put a block in the Spaniard's way But he found
the contrary for when they saw by this Decree and by the taking of Dreux which the King had besieg'd and after carried by force during these Agitations that if they made not haste in their election of a King 't was very probable that it wou'd be out of their power to elect one afterwards they us'd their utmost Endeavours to have one chosen in the same manner as they had first propos'd it To put by this Blow the Duke of Mayennâ— who believ'd the Spaniards had been impowr'd only with general Instructions and not to name him whom they judg'd most proper for their Interests told them that of necessity they were to expect a more particular Order from their Master wherein he shou'd declare the individual Person whom he chose for his Son in law But he was much surpriz'd when they who in all appearance had many Blanks which were ready sign'd and which they cou'd fill up with any Name to serve their occasions show'd him before the Cardinal Legat and the principal Members of the Assembly at a meeting in his House that they were impowr'd in due form to name the Duke of Guise yet he strove in the best manner he cou'd to conceal his inward Trouble and Anxiety for this Nomination which his Wiâ—e the Dutchess was not able to endure but counseâ—l'd him rather to make a Peace with the King than to be so mean-spirited as to acknowledge that raw young Creature for so by way of contempt she call'd her Nephew for his King and Master But the Duke of Mayennâ— who at that time cou'd not bear any Master whomsoever took another course and requir'd eight days time to give in writing his Demands for his own indemnifying which the Spaniards allow'd him as fully as he cou'd desire And in the mean time he knew so well to manage the Minds of the greatest part of the Deputies the Lords and Princes and even of the Duke of Guise himself by making them comprehend how unseasonable it was to create a King before they had Forces sufficient to support him against a powerful and victorious Prince that in spight of all those who were of the Spanish Interest the Ministers of Spain were answer'd that the Estates were resolv'd to proceed no farther in their Election till they had receiv'd those great Supplies which had been promis'd them by the King their Master In this manner the Election was deferr'd by the Address of the Duke of Mayenne which Dr. Mauclere a great Leaguer most bitterly bewail'd in a Letter which he wrote from Paris to Dr. de Creil another stiff Leaguer then residing at Rome to manage the Interests of that Party and therein discov'rd the whole Secret which in effect overthrew all the Cabals of the Spaniards and the League and utterly destroy'd their whole Fabrick For many things afterwards happen'd which broke off all speech of an Election of which the first and most principal was the Conversion of the King which is next in order to be related Above 9 years were already past since he though Head of the Hugonots had been endeavouring the means of reuniting himself together with his whole Party to the Catholick Church For in the year 1584. a little before the Associated Princes of the League had taken Arms the late King having sent Monsieur de Bellievre to Pamiers to declare to him that he wou'd have the Mass re establish'd in the County of Foix and in all the other Countreys which he held under the Soveraignty of the Crown of France he caus'd one of the Ministers of his Family who was already well inclin'd to sound the Dispositions of the other Ministers of that Countrey and to try if there were any hope that they would use their Endeavours uprightly and sincerely to find the means of making a general Reunion with the Catholick Church They gave up without any great difficulty all the Points in Controversie excepting one which they laid to heart namely their Interest demanding such vast proportions of Maintenance as he was not then in a condition to give them saying with great simplicity these very words That they wou'd not go a begging for their Living or live upon charity like so many poor Scholars Many of his Counsel and amongst others the Sieur de Segur one of those in whom he most confided were of opinion nevertheless that he shou'd not give over that Undertaking and that he shou'd endeavour to bring it about quietly and without any bustle by gaining the leading men of his Party And he was so well inclin'd to do it that he cou'd not curb himself from protesting frequently after his coming to the Crown and particularly after the Battel of Ivry that he wish'd with all his heart they were reunited with that Church from which they had separated and that he shou'd believe that he had done more than any of his Predecessors if God wou'd one day enable him to make that Reunion which was so necessary that he might live to see all Frenchmen united under the same Faith as well as under the same King But there is great probability for us to hope that God had reserv'd that Glory for King Louis the Great his Grandson whose unbloody Victories which he daily obtains in full Peace over Heresie by his prudent management and his Zeal which have found the means of reducing the Protestants in crowds and without violence into the Church may under his Reign show us the final accomplishment of that great Work which his Grandfather so ardently desir'd It is also known that this Prince being then only King of Navarre at the time when he projected that Re-union of which I have spoken said one day in private to one of the Ministers That he cou'd see no manner of devotion in his Religion which all consisted in hearing a Sermon deliver'd in good French and that he had always an opinion that the Body of our Lord is in the holy Sacrament for otherwise the Communion was but an exterior Ceremony which had nothing real and essential in it 'T is in this place that I cannot hinder my self from rendring Justice to the merit of one of the greatest Men whom any of our Kings have imploy'd in their most important Negotiations and who most contributed to the infusing these good Inclinations into the King of Navarre namely Francis de Noailles Bishop of Acq's who has gain'd an immortal Reputation by those great Services which he perform'd for France during 35 years under four of our Kings in fifteen Voyages out of the Kingdom and four solemn Embassies into England Venice Rome and Constantinople In which last Employment he did so much for the interest of our Religion with Selim the Grand Signior the 2d of that Name and by travelling into Syria Palestine and Aegypt where he procur'd great Advantages and Comfort to the poor Christians that the greatest Princes of Christendom thought themselves oblig'd to make their thankful Acknowledgements of his labour to
was carrying on So that Treachery was at the bottom of their design first against the Monarchy and if that fail'd against each other in which be it spoken to the honour of our Nation the English are not behind any other Country In few words just as much fidelity might be expected from them in a common cause as there is amongst a Troop of honest murdering and ravishing Bandits while the Booty is in prospect they combine heartily and faithfully but when a Proclamation of Pardon comes out and a good reward into the bargain for any one who brings in anothers Head the Scene is chang'd and they are in more danger of being betray'd every man by his Companion than they were formerly by the joynt forces of their Enemies 'T is true they are still to be accounted dangerous because though they are dispers'd at present and without an Head yet time and lenity may furnish them again with a Commander And all men are satisfied that the debauch'd Party of them have no principle of Godliness to restrain them from Violence and Murders nor the pretended Saints any principle of Charity for 't is an action of Piety in them to destroy their Enemies having first pronounc'd them Enemies of God What my Author says in general of the Huguenots may justly be applyed to all our Sectaries They are a malicious and bloody Generation they bespatter honest Men with their Pens when they are not in power and when they are uppermost they hang them up like Dogs To such kind of people all means of reclaiming but only severity are useless while they continue obstinate in their designs against Church and Government For thoâ— now their claws are parâ—d they may groâ— again to be more sharp they are still Lyons in their Nature and may profit so much by their own errors in their â—are mâ—nâ—gements thâ—t they may become more sanctify'd Traytors another time In the former part of our History we see what Henry the Third gain'd from them by his remisness and concessions Though our last King was not only incomparably more pious than that Prince but also was far from being tax'd with any of his Vices yet in this they may be compar'd without the least manner of reflection that extreme Indulgence and too great Concessions were the ruin of them both And by how much the more a King is subject by his Nature to this frailty of too much mildness which is so near resembling the Godâ— like Attribute of Mercy by so much is he the more liable to be tax'd with Tyranny A strange Paradox but which was sadly verified in the Persons of those two Princes For a Faction appearing zealous for the Publick Liberty counts him a Tyrant who yields not up whatever they demand even his most undoubted and just Prerogatives all that distinguishes a Soveraign from a Subject and the yielding up or taking away of which is the very Subversion of the Government Every point which a Monarch loses or relinquishes but renders him the weaker to maintain the rest and besides they so construe it as if what he gave up were the natural right of the people which he or his Ancestors had usurp'd from them which makes it the more dangerous for him to quit his hold and is truly the reason why so many mild Princes have been branded with the names of Tyrants by their incroaching Subjects I have not room to enlarge upon this matter as I wou'd neither dare I presume to press the Argument more closely But passing by as I promis'd all the remarkable passages in the late Kings Reign which resemble the Transactions of the League I will briefly take notice of some few particulars wherein our late Associators and Conspirators have made a Third Copy of the League For the Original of their first Politiques was certainly no other than the French This was first copied by the Rebels in Forty One and since recopyed within these late years by some of those who are lately dead and by too many others yet alive and still drawing after the same design In which for want of time many a fair blot shall be left unhit neither do I promise to observe any method of times or to take things in order as they happen'd As for the Persons who manag'd the two Associations theirs and ours 't is most certain that in them is found the least resemblance And 't is well for us they were not like For they had men of Subtilty and Valour to design and then to carry on their Conspiracy ours were but bunglers in comparison of them who having a Faction not made by them but ready form'd and fashion'd to their hands thanks to their Fathers yet fail'd in every one of their Projections and manag'd their business with much less dexterity though far more wickedness than the French They had indeed at their Head an old Conspirator witty and turbulent like the Cardinal of Lorrain and for courage in Execution much such another But the good sence and conduct was clearly wanting on the English side so that if we will allow him the contrivance of the Plot or at least of the Conspiracy which is an honour that no man will be willing to take from him in all other circumstances he more resembled the old decrepit Cardinal of Bourbon who fed himself with imaginary hopes of power dream'd of outliving a King and his Successor much more young and vigorous than himself and of governing the World after their decease To dye in Prison or in Banishment I think will make no mighty difference but this is a main one that the one was the Dupe of all his Party the other led after him and made fools of all his Faction As for a Duke of Guise or even so much as a Duke of Mayâ—nne I can find none in their whole Cabal I cannot believe that any man now living cou'd have the vanity to pretend to it 'T is not every Age that can produce a Duke of Guise a man who without the least shadow of a Title unless we will believe the Memoires of the crack-brain'd Advocate David who gave him one from Charlemaign durst make himself Head of a Party and was not only so in his own conceit but really presum'd to beard a King and was upon the point of being declar'd his Lieutenant General and his Successor None of these instances will hold in the Comparison and therefore I leave it to be boasted it may be by one Party but I am sure to be laugh'd at by another Many hot-headed Chevaliers d' Aumale and ambitious Bravo's like Captain St. Paul may be found amongst them Intriguing Ladies and Gallants of the Times such as are describ'd in the Army of the League at the Battel of Yvry and besides them many underling Knaves Pimps and Fools but these are not worthy to be drawn into resemblance Therefore to pass by their Persons and consider their Design 't is evident that on both sides they began
Joyeuse prodigiously 192 193 His smart and majestical Answer to the Ambassadors of the Protestant Princes of Germany that press'd him to revoke his Edicts against the Huguenots 158 159. His Confrery and Processions of Penitents 173 His close design in the War which he is constrain'd to make against his will 333 He puts himself at the Head of his Army at Gien upon Loir and opposes the passage of the Army of the Reyters 260 He testifies his too much weakness and his too much fear of the Seditious whom he durst not punish Pag. 305 He is contented to reprehend the seditious Doctors and Preachers in lieu of punishing them 308 He incenses the Duke of Guise in refusing him the Admiralty which he had ask'd for Brissac 312 313 Makes a resolution at last to punish the Leaguers 332 333 His irresolution when he sees the Duke of Guise at the Louvre 200 201 c. Makes the Guards and the Swisses enter Paris 208 209 The excessive Demands they made him at the Barricades 359 360 361 Goes from Paris in poor equipage and retires to Chartres 363 364 He favourably hearkens to them who with Frier Ange de Joyeuse went in Procession at Chartres to ask his pardon 367 368 369 His profound dissimulation 325 375 c. Causes the Edict of Re-union to be publish'd in favour of the League 378 379 Lets loose the marks of his choler and indignation which he would conceal 382 383 Opens the second Estates where be communicates with the Duke of Guise 385 386 His Oration which checks the Leaguers ib. 387 His extreme indignation by reason of the unworthy Resolutions which they took against his Authority in the Estates Pag. 392 393 Is resolved to have the Duke of Guise kill'd 394 c. Causes him to be kill'd in his Chamber 400 401 c. Causes the Cardinal de Guise to be kill'd 410 411 Writes to the Legat Morosini and gives him Audience three days after to declare to him his Reasons 413 Maintains that he hath incurr'd no Censure and has no need of Absolution 415 In lieu of arming he amuses himself in making Declarations which are slighted and contemn'd 425 Makes great offers to the Duke of Mayenne in vain 454 Takes rigorous courses but too late 464 465 How and why he treats with the King of Navarre 466 467 Offers very advantageous Conditions to the Princes of Lorrain 472 473 Publishes and causes to be executed his Treaty with the King of Navarre 477 His Conference with this King at Tours 478 Marches in the Body of the Army with the King of Navarre towards Paris 492 Receives and dissembles the News of the Monitory against him 494 Takes up his quarters at St. Clou and is unhappily kill'd 509 510 c. His most christian and most holy Death and Elogy 514 515 c. Henry de Bourbon King of Navarre protests against the first Estates at Blois Pag. 61 His Conference with the Duke d'Espernon about the Subject of his Conversion 86 87 c. His Fidelity towards Henry III. 109 His forcible Declaration against the Leaguers 117 118 Gives the Duke of Guise the Lye in writing and offers to fight him to save the French Blood ib. Draws the Marshal de Damville to his side against the League 124 He desir'd not the ruine of Religion but of the League to preserve the Monarchy 126 Causes his Protestation against Sixtus Quintus's Bull to be fixt upon the Gates of the Vatican in Rome 137 138 His Conference with the Queen Mother at St. Brix 161 162 His Exploits against the Army at Joyeuse 197 c. His Valour and good Conduct at the Battel of Courtras 202 204 c. His Clemency after his Victory 227 He knew not how to or would not make use of his Victory 228 Assembles the Estates on his side at Rochel at the same time that the Estates were held at Blois 390 His proceedings after the death of the Guises 467 His Declaration to all Frenchmen Pag. 468 He treats with and is united to the King 470 471 His Conference with the King at Tours 478 His march towards Paris 492 493 He succeeds Henry III. and is acknowledg'd for King of France by the Catholics of the Army upon certain conditions 734 Divides his Troops into three parts and carries one into Normandy 736 His Conduct and Valour at the Battel of Arques 741 c. Attaques and takes the Suburbs of Paris 752 c. Besieges Dreux 769 Gives and gains the Battel of Ivry 770 c. His Exploits after his Victory 795 c. Is repulsed before Sens. ib. Besieges Paris 796 Why he would not attaque it by Force 800 Rejects the Proposition which they made him to surrender Paris provided he would become Catholic 809 c. Pursues the Duke of Parma just to Artois 816 817 The two Attempts he made unsuccessfully to surprize Paris 811 816 c. He takes Noyen 844 Besieges Roan 845 His Combat and Retreat from Aumale 847 Raises the Siege of Roan and a little while after besieges the Duke of Parma's Army 852 c. His proceedings after the Retreat of that Duke Pag. 861 The History of his Conversion 900 c. The Points upon which he causes himself to be instructed 918 919 c. He makes his solemn Abjuration and receives Absolution at St. Denis 927 928 Sends the Duke of Nevers to Rome in Obedience and to ask the Pope's Absolution who after having long time deâ—err'd it at last gives it him 932 933 c. His happy entrance into Paris 938 939 His heroic Valour at the Combat of Fontain Francois 948 c. Grants a Treaty and very favourable Edict to the Duke of Mayenne 954 His rare bounty in receiving him at Monceaux 955 Anthony Hotman Advocate General for the League at the Parliament of Paris is Author of the Treaty of the Right of Uncle against the Nephew 738 c. Francis Hotman a Civilian Brother to the Advocate refutes his Book without knowing that it was his Brothers ib. The Huguenots have the advantage in the first War that Henry III. made against them 7 8 They become powerful by joining with the politick Party ib. They were the first that leagued themselves against the Kings 14 James de Humieres Governor of Peronne his Elogy and what made him begin the League in Picardy Pag. 22 23 Charles de Humieres Marquis d'Encre Governor of Campeigne for the King 486 Is the cause of gaining the Battel of Senlis ib. c. His Elogy ib. c. Carries a great supply of the Nobles of Picardy to the King at the Battel of Ivry 781 I. JAmes Clement the History of his abominable Parricide 508 509 c. The President Jeannin sent by the Duke of Mayenne into Spain 830 His Elogy ib. His prudent Negotiation with the King of Spain 833 Ten Jesuits save Paris which had been taken by scaling the walls if they had been asleep as all the rest were 813
THE HISTORY OF THE LEAGUE Written in FRENCH By Monsieur MAIMBOVRG Translated into ENGLISH According to His Majesty's Command By Mr. DRYDEN Neque enim libertas gratior ulla est Quà m sub Rege Pio TO The King SIR HAving receiv'd the Honour of Your Majesty's Commands to Translate the History of the League I have apply'd my self with my utmost diligence to Obey them First by a thorough understanding of my Authour in which I was assisted by my former knowledge of the French History in general and in particular of those very Transactions which he has so Faithfully and Judiciously related Then by giving his Thoughts the same Beauty in our Language which they had in the Original and which I most of all endeavour'd the same force and perspicuity Both of which I hope I have perform'd with some Exactness and without any Considerable Mistake But of this Your Majesty is the truest Judge who are so great a Master of the Original and who having read this piece when it first was publish'd can easily find out my Failings but to my Comâ—ort can more easily forgive them I confess I cou'd never have laid hold on that Vertue of Your Royal Clemency at a more unseasonable time when your Enemies have so far abus'd it that Pardons are grown dangerous to Your Safety and consequently to the Welfare of Your Loyal Subjects But frequent forgiveness is their Encouragement they have the Sanctuary in their Eye before they attempt the Crime and take all measures of Security either not to need a Pardon if they strike the Blow or to have it granted if they fail Upon the whole matter Your Majesty is not upon equal Terms with them You are still forgiving and they still designing against Your Sacred Life Your principle is Mercy their 's inveterate Malice when one onely Wards and the other Strikes the prospect is sad on the defensive side Hercules as the Poets tell us had no advantage on Anteus by his often throwing him on â—he ground for he laid him â—nely in his Mothers Lap which â—n effect was but doubling his Strength to renew the Combat These Sons of Earth are never to be trusted in their Mother Element They must be hoysted into the Air and Strangled If the Experiment of Clemency were new if it had not been often try'd without Effect or rather with Effects quite contrary to the intentions of Your Goodness your Loyal Subjects are generous enough to pity their Countrey-men though Offenders But when that pity has been always found to draw into example of greater Mischiefs when they continually behold both Your Majesty and themselves expos'd to Dangers the Church the Government the Succession still threatned Ingratitude so far from being Converted by gentle means that it is turn'd at last into the nature of the damn'd desirous of Revenge and harden'd in Impenitence 'T is time at length for self preservation to cry out for Justice and to lay by Mildness when it ceases to be a Vertue Almighty God has hitherto Miraculously preserv'd You but who knows how long the Miracle will continue His Ordinary Operations are by second Causes and then Reason will conclude that to be preserv'd we ought to use the lawfull means of preservation If on the other side it be thus Argu'd that of many Attempts one may possibly take place if preventing Justice be not employ'd against Offenders What remains but that we implore the Divine Assistance to Avert that Judgment which is no more than to desire of God to work another and another and in Conclusion a whole Series of Miracles This Sir is the general voice of all true Englishmen I might call it the Loyal Address of three Nations infinitely solicitous of Your Safety which includes their own Prosperity 'T is indeed an high presumption for a man so inconsiderable as I am to present it but Zeal and dutifull Affection in an Affair of this Importance will make every good Subject a Counsellor â—Tis in my Opinion the Test of Loyalty and to be either a Friend or Foe to the Government needs no other distinction than to declare at this time either for Remisness or Justice I said at this time because I look not on the Storm as Overblown 'T is still a gusty kind of Weather there is a kind of Sickness in the Air it seems indeed to be clear'd up for some few hours but the Wind still blowing from the same Corner and when new matter is gather'd into a body it will not fail to bring it round and pour upon us a second Tempest I shall be glad to be found a false Prophet but he was certainly Inspir'd who when he saw a little Cloud arising from the Sea and that no bigger than a hand gave immediate notice to the King that he might mount the Chariot before he was overtaken by the Storm If so much Care was taken of an Idolatrous King an Usurper a Persecutour and a Tyrant how much more vigilant ought we to be in the Concernments of a Lawfull Prince a Father of his Countrey and a Defender of the Faith who stands expos'd by his too much Mercy to the unwearied and endless Conspiracies of Paricides He was a better Prince than the former whom I mention'd out of the Sacred History and the Allusion comes yet more close who stopp'd his hand after the third Arrow Three Victories were indeed obtain'd but the effect of often shooting had been the total Destruction of his Enemies To come yet nearer Henry the Fourth Your Royal Grandfather whose Victories and the Subversion of the League are the main Argument of this History was a Prince most Clement in his Nature he forgave his Rebels and receiv'd them all into Mercy and some of them into Favour but it was not till he had fully vanquish'd them they were sensible of their Impiety they submitted and his Clemency was not extorted from him it was his Free-gift and it was seasonably given I wish the Case were here the same I confess it was not much unlike it at Your Majesty's happy Restauration yet so much â—f the parallel was then wanting that the Amnesty you gave produc'd not all the desir'd Effects For our Sects are of a more obstinate Nature than were those Leaguing Catholiques who were always for a King and yet more the major part of them wou'd have him of the Royal Stem But our Associators and Sectaries are men of Commonwealth principles and though their first stroke was onely aim'd at the immediate Succession it was most manifest that it wou'd not there have ended for at the same time they were hewing at your Royal Prerogatives So that the next Successor if there had been any must have been a precarious Prince and depended on them for the necessaries of Life But of these and more Outragious proceedings your Majesty has already shewn your self justly sensible in Your Declaration after the Dissolution of the last Parliament which put an end to the Arbitrary Encroachments
believe we shall behold its ruine by the repentance of those who being deluded and held back by their Ministers continue still in their erroneous belief rather through ignorance than malice And this is it which when accomplish'd will surpass even all those other wonders which daily are beheld under your most auspicious Government Vndoubtedly Sir your Majesty has perform'd by your Victorious Arms your generous goodness and your more than Royal magnificence all those great and Heroique actions which will ever be the admiration of the World and infinitely above the commendations which future Ages in imitation of the present will consecrate to your immortal memory I presume not to undertake that subject because it has already drain'd the praises of the noblest Pens which yet have not been able to raise us to that Idea 〈◊〉 you which we ought justly to conceive I shall onely say that what you have done with so much Prudence Iustice and Glory by extending the French Monarchy to its ancient bounds and rendring it as it is at present as flourishing and as much respected by all the World as it ever has been under the greatest and most renown'd of all our Monarchs is not so great in the sight of God as what your Majesty performs daily with so much Piety Zeal and good success in augmenting the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and procuring the Conversion of our Protestants by those gentle and efficacious means which you have us'd This Sir is without exception the most glorious of all your Conquests and while you continue to enjoy on earth that undisputed glory which your other actions have acquir'd you is preparing an eternal triumph for you in the Heavens 'T is what is continually implor'd of God in his most ardent Prayers who enjoying the abundant favours of your Majesty lives at this day the most happy of Mankind under your most powerfull Protection and is most oblig'd to continue all his life with all imaginable Respect and Zeal Sir Your Majesty's most Obedient and most Faithfull Subject and Servant Louis Maimbourg THE AUTHOUR'S Advertisement to the READER SInce perhaps there are some who may think themselves concern'd in this History because they are the Grand-children or Descendants of those who are here mention'd I desire them to consider that Writing like a faithfull Historian I am oblig'd sincerely to relate either the good or ill which they have done If they find themselves offended they must take their satisfaction on those who have prescrib'd the Laws of History let them give an account of their own rules for Historians are indispensably bound to follow them and the sum of our reputation consists in a punctual execution of their orders Thus as I pretend not to have deserv'd their thanks in speaking well of their Relations so I may reasonably conclude that they ought not to wish me ill when I say what is not much to their advantage I faithfully relate what I find written in good Authours or in particular Memories which I take for good after I have throughly examin'd them I do yet more for considering that no man is bound to believe when I say in general that I have had the use of good Manuscripts on whose credit I give you what is not otherwhere to be had I sincerely and particularly point out the originals from whence I drew these truths and am fully convinc'd that every Historian who hopes to gain the belief of his Reader ought to transact in the same manner For if there were no more to be done than barely to say I have found such or such an extraordinary passag◠in an authentique Manuscript without giving a more particular account of it under pretence of being bound to Secrecy there is no kind of Fable which by this means might not be slurr'd upon the Reader for a truth An Authour might tell many a lusty lye but a Reader who were not a very credulous fool or a very complaisant Gentleman wou'd have a care of believing him 'T is for this reason that I have always mark'd in my margents the Books Relations and Memoires whether Printed or Manuscripts from whence I take the substance of my Relations One of those Writers of whom I have made most use is Monsieur Peter Victor Cayet in his Nine years Chronology containing the History of the Wars of Henry the Fourth Because he having always follow'd that Prince since he was plac'd in his service together with Monsieur de la Gaucherie who was his Preceptor 't is exceeding probable that he was better inform'd of the passages of those times of which he was an eye witness than others who had not that advantage For what else concerns him he was one of the most Learned and able Ministers which our Protestants have ever had and in that quality serv'd Madam Catharine the King's Sister till about two years after the Conversion of that great Prince he acknowledg'd the true Catholique Religion and made his Solemn abjuration of Heresie at Paris He also publish'd the motives of his Conversion in a Learned Treatise which was receiv'd with great applause both in France and in Foreign Countries and his example fortifi'd with the strong reasons of a man so able as he was to which no solid answer was ever given was immediately follow'd by the Conversion of a great number of Protestants who by his means came to understand the falshood of their Religion pretendedly reform'd This action so infinitely netled his former Brotherhood of Ministers that they grew outrageous against him They ran down his reputation with full cry and endeavour'd to blacken it with a thousand horrible calumnies with which they stuff'd their Libels and amongst others that which they have inserted into the Memoires of the League with the greatest villany imaginable taking no notice of the solid and convincing answers he made them Which proceeding of theirs is sufficient to discover the falsity of all they have Written to Defame him according to the Libelling genius of Presbytery For of all Heretiques none have been more cruel or more foul-mouth'd than the Calvinists none have reveng'd themselves of their pretended Enemies more barbarously either by open Arms or private mischiefs when the power was in their hands or more impudently with their Pens and by their Libels when they had no other way to shew their malice murthering their reputations with all sorts of injuries and impostures who have once declar'd themselves against their Party In effect what have they not said to defame the memory of Monsieur de Sponde Lieutenant General in Rochelle of Salette Counsellour to the King of Navarre of Morlas Counsellour of State and Superintendant of the Magazines of France as also of Du Fay Clairville Rohan and a hundred others of their most celebrated Ministers who after having been esteem'd amongst them for good men and look'd on as the Leaders of their Consistory are by a strange sort of Metamorphosis become on the sudden Profligate Wretches and the
King of Navarre detain'd at Court and not very favourably treated having made their escape the first of them who besides his own followers was joyn'd by a considerable part of Damville's Troops put himself at the head of the Protestant Army which was at the same time reinforc'd by the conjunction of great Succours of Reyters and Lansquenets whom the Prince of Conde had brought from Germany under the conduct of Iohn Casimir second Son to Frederick the Elector Palatine So that in the general Muster which was made of them near Moulins in Bourbonnois their Forces were found to consist of thirty five thousand experienc'd Souldiers which power 't is most certain the King was in no condition to resist in that miserable Estate to which he had reduc'd himself by the prodigious change he had made in his conduct and his carriage immediately after his succeeding to the Crown of France He was no longer that Victorious Duke of Anjou who had gain'd in the world so high a reputation by so many gallant actions perform'd by him in commanding the Armies of the King his Brother in quality of his Lieutenant General through the whole Kingdom but as if in assuming the Crown of the first and most ancient Monarchy of Christendom he had despoil'd himself at the same moment by some fatal enchantment of his Royal perfections he plung'd himself into all the delights of a most ignominious idleness with his favourites and Minions who were the Bloud-suckers the Harpyes and the scandal of all France which he seem'd to have abandon'd to their pillage by the immensness of his prodigality After this he render'd himself equally odious and contemptible to his Subjects both of the one Religion and the other by his inconstant and fantastique manner of procedure For he ran sometimes from the extremity of debauchery into a fit of Religion with processions and exercises of Penance which were taken for Hypocrisie and then again from Devotion into Debauchery as the present humour carried him away and busied himself in a thousand mean employments unworthy I say not of a King but of a man of common sense All which Davila the Historian after his manner of drawing every thing into design and Mystery though at the expence of Truth has endeavour'd to pass upon us for so many effects of a subtile and over-refin'd policy In conclusion to discharge himself of the burthen of Royalty which was grown wholly insupportable to him in that lazy effeminate sort of Life he relinquish'd all the cares of Government to the Queen his Mother who to continue him in that humour and by consequence to make her self absolute Mistress of affairs which was always her predominant passion fail'd not to furnish him from time to time with new baits and allurements of voluptuousness and all that was needfull for the shipwrack of vertue and honour in a Court the most dissolute which had ever been beheld in France Since it therefore pleas'd the Queen that War shou'd be made against the Huguenots to infeeble them as much as was possible that they might give no trouble to her management of Business So also when she saw them strengthen'd with so formidable an Army and her Son Alanson at their head she began immediately to apprehend that at length making themselves Masters they might degrade her from that Authority which she was so ambitious to retain by whatsoever means and consequently she resolv'd to make a peace for the same reasons for which she undertook the War And as she was undoubtedly the most subtile Woman of her time and had so great an Ascendant over all her Children that they were not able to withstand her or to defend themselves against her artifices and withall wou'd spare for nothing to compass her designs she manag'd so dexterously the minds of the Princes and cheif Officers of their Army in granting them with ease extraordinary Conditions even such as were beyond their hope that she conjur'd down the Tempest which was about to have been powr'd upon her head and shelter'd her self at the cost of our Religion by the fifth Edict of Pacification which was as advantageous to the Huguenots as they cou'd desire To whom amongst other privileges was allow'd the free exercise of their pretended Religion in all the Cities of the Kingdom and in all other places excepting onely the Court and Paris and the compass of two Leagues about that City This peace was infinitely distastefull to the Catholiques because it serv'd for a pretence and gave a favourable occasion to the birth of a design long time before premeditated and hatch'd by him who was the first Authour of that League whose History I write and who began to lay the Foundations of it precisely at this point of time in that manner as shall immediately be related 'T is certain that the first persons who were thus Associated under pretence of Religion against their Sovereigns were the Protestants Then when the Prince of Conde made himself their conceal'd head at the Conspiracy of Amboise and afterwards overtly declar'd himself in beginning the first troubles by the surprise of Orleans That League which always was maintain'd by force of Arms by places of caution and security which upon constraint were granted to the Huguenots and by the treasonable intelligence they held with Strangers even till the time wherein it was totally extinguish'd by the taking of Rochell and of their other Cities and fortified places under the Reign of the late King of glorious memory oblig'd some Catholiques oftentimes to unite themselves without the participation of the King in certain Provinces as particularly in Languedoc Guyenne and Poitou not onely to deâ—end themselves against the encroachments of the Huguenots but also to attacque them and to exterminate them if they had been able from all those places of which they had possess'd themselves in those Provinces But he who employ'd his thoughts at the utmost stretch in that affair and was the first who invented the project of a General League amongst the Catholiques under another Head than the King was the Cardinal of Lorrain at that time assisting at the Council of Trent That Prince whose name is so well known in History and who had a most prompt and most piercing understanding fiery by nature impetuous and violent endu'd with a rare natural eloquence more learning than cou'd reasonably be expected from a Person of his Quality and which his eloquence made appear to be much greater than it was the boldest of any man alive in Councils Cabals and in Contrivance of daring and vast designs was also the most pusillanimous and weakest man imaginable when it came to the point of Execution and that he saw there was danger in the undertaking But above all it cannot be denied that through the whole series of his Life he had a most immoderate passion for the greatness of his Family Insomuch that when he saw the great Duke of Guise his Brother at the highest
easily retaken was in a manner wholly ruin'd and dissipated for want of Money of Provisions and Ammunition of a train of Artillery and other Supplies which were always promis'd them but never sent them and especially by the ill intelligence which was betwixt the Duke of Mayenne and the Marshals of Matignon and Biron the first Governour of Guyenne and the last Commander of a little Army in Poitou which was to have cover'd that of the Duke For those two faithfull Servants of the King well knowing the secret of their Master who was wholly averse from the destruction of the King of Navarre for fear himself and the whole Royal House shou'd be left at the mercy of the League which he knew wou'd never spare them artfully broke all the measures of the Duke of Mayenne Insomuch that he found himself constrain'd to return to the King without bringing along with him the King of Navarre Captive as he had boastingly promis'd him to doe and without performing any thing of that which the League expected from his Zeal to the party As for the Duke of Guise finding no Germans upon the Frontires of Champagn to combat and besides not being accompanied with any great Forces his whole expedition was terminated in taking Douzy and Raucour two small Towns belonging to the Duke of Bouillon against whom the Duke of Lorrain made War concerning which I shall say nothing because it has no relation to the History of the League On the other side the Huguenots manag'd their affairs not much better 'T is true that the Sieur of Lesdiguieres had some advantage over the League in Dauâ—hine that he made himself Master of certain places and amongst others of Montelimar with the Castle which he took by a regular form'd Siege and Ambrun which he surpris'd and where the rich Ornaments of the Metropolitan Church were plundred by the Souldiers according to the custome of the Huguenots which though he was a man of strict Discipline and moderate in his Nature he was no way able to oppose But besides that they werâ— roughly handled in other Provinces and that all which cou'd possibly be done by the King of Navarre who had not yet drawn together all the Troops which he expected was onely to stand upon the defensive they receiv'd a great blow by the memorable defeat which was given to the Prince of Conde who was like to have perish'd in that unhappy attempt which he made upon the Castle of Anger 's That Prince who had made up a little body of an Army about the Skirts of St. Iean d' Angely which he held in stead of Peronne had successfully begun his Campaign in Poitou having driven out of that Province the Duke of Mercaeur who was come from his Government of Bretagne to the assistance of the League And as after that gallant action he had re-inforc'd his Army with Troops which swarm'd to him from the neighbouring Provinces upon the report of his Victory he undertook the Seige of Broüage in favour of the Rochellers who suppli'd him with Money and Amunition He was accompanied with a great number of brave Gentlemen and Lords of great Quality amongst others by Rene Vicount of Rohan Francis Count of Rochefoucault Montguion Lieutenant to the Prince George Clermont d' Amboise Loüis de St. Gelais and Claude de La Trimoüille who was afterwards Duke of Thouers and whose Sister he then sought in Marriage whom he espous'd not long after and there is great appearance of probability that it was rather on that account than any motive of Conscience and Religion that this young Lord far from â—ollowing the example of his Father who declar'd himself Head of the League at Poitou gave into the other extreme and turn'd Huguenot together with his Sister Charlotte Catharine de la Trimoüille to have the Honour of being Married to the Prince of Conde How strong is the Power of Ambition over minds that are dazled with the deceiptfull Splendour of wordly Greatness that it should be able to oblige a Brother and Sister issued from Loüis de Trimoüille and Iane de Montmorancy Daughter of the great Constable both of them firm Catholiques as were all their illustrious Ancestours to turn Calvinists one to be Brother in Law to a Prince of the Bloud and the other to be his Wife From this Marriage there was Born on the first of September in the Year 1588 the late Prince Henry de Bourbon who by a most happy Destiny directly opposite to that of his Mother being issued from a Father and Mother so obstinate in Calvinism became one of the most Zealous Princes for the Catholique Faith that this Nation cou'd ever boast and he who declar'd himself the greatest Enemy of Calvinism So also has he left to Posterity a most glorious remembrance of his name which shall never perish amongst all good Frenchmen for having constantly defended Religion with all his power exercising in that Holy and Divine Imployment both his Valour and his Wit which he had in perfection as he made appear on all occasions and principally in the Counsel whereof he was cheif when he died of such a death as the Acts of all the most solid vertues wherewith it was accompanied render'd precious in the sight of God I believe my self oblig'd in point of gratitude to doe justice in this little Panegyrique to the great Merit of that Prince who has formerly done me the Honour on many occasions to give me particular marks of his esteem and his affection and hope that they who take the pains to peruse this work will not blame me for this short Digression taken occasionally by writing of the Prince his Father to whose actions I now return The Nobility who were come to attend and serve him in that important Siege of Broüage had brought along with them a considerable number of Huguenot Gentlemen as also some Catholiques who were Enemies to the League And with these Recruits he had almost reduc'd the place to terms of yielding when changing his design all on the sudden like an unexperienc'd Captain he lost the fruit of his former labours and plung'd himself into extreme danger For having understood that Captain Roche-Mort one of his best Officers had surpriz'd the Castle of Anger 's in the absence of the Count de Brisac who being made Governour of it after the death of the Duke of Alanson had declar'd himself for the League he left before Broüage the Sieur de la Roche Baucour St. Meme with the Infantry to continue the Siege and march'd himself with all the Cavalry consisting of two thousand Horse to relieve that Captain who with Seventeen or Eighteen Souldiers onely held the Castle of Anger 's against the Burghers who besieg'd him But the Prince setting out somewhat of the latest and marching too slowly when the fortune of his Enterprize depended on celerity he had no sooner past the River of Loyre in Boats betwixt Saumur and Anger 's but he receiv'd advice
and had not fail'd whensoever it had pleas'd them to have given the Law to him To this effect he weaken'd that Council by augmenting it to a greater number of the most qualifi'd of the party on whom he knew he might safely rely as being of his own Election For under pretence that it was necessary that this Assembly which ought to be the General Council of the Union shou'd be inlarg'd and be authoriz'd by the whole Party he caus'd an Order to be pass'd that all the Princes might assist in it whensoever they pleas'd and that all the Bishops the Presidents the Procureurs and the Advocates General of Parliaments fifteen Counsellors whom he nam'd the Prevost of Merchants the Sheriffs the Town Solicitor and the Deputies of the three Orders of all the Provinces of the League shou'd have places in it and deliberative Votes Thus being always the strongest in that Assembly by the great number of voices which were for him he caus'd whatsoever he pleas'd to pass in spigâ—t of the Sixteen and procur'd an authority to himself near approaching to the Soveraign Power of a King For the first thing which was order'd in this new Council was that in sign of this absolute Dominion which either they suffer'd him to take or they gave him he shou'd have from thenceforth till the holding of the Estates the most extraordinary and unexampled quality of Lieutenant General not of the King for the League acknowledg'd none at that time but of the Estate and Crown of France As if he who commands and governs cou'd represent a Kingdom and hold in quality of Lieutenant the place of an Estate which is not that which governs but what is or ought to be govern'd Notwithstanding which he took his Oath for that new fantastique dignity on the thirteenth of March in the Parliament which verifi'd the Letters Patents of it under the new Seals made instead of those of the King which were broken by them And to begin the Exercise of his Office by an act of Soveraignty he caus'd immediately to be publish'd his new Laws contain'd in one and twenty Articles for the uniting under one form of Government all the Towns which were enter'd into the League and those which in process of time shou'd enter the number of which in a short space grew very great For there is nothing more surprising than to see with what rapidity that torrent of Rebellion spreading from the Capital City into the Provinces drew along with it the greatest Towns which under pretence of revenging the death of the pretended Patrons of the Faith and of preserving Religion associated themselves against God's Anointed either to make themselves a new Master or to have none at all Almost all the Towns of Burgundy of Champaign of Picardy and of the Isle of France the greater part of those of Normandy Mayne Bretagne Anjou Auvergne Dauphine Provence Berry and the greatest Cities of the Kingdom next to Paris as Roüen Lyons Tholouse and Poitiers had put themselves under the protection of the Vnion and were members of it before the end of March and in every place were committed the like disorders as were at Paris But principally at Tholouse where the furious Rabble having set upon the first President Duranti and Daphis the Advocate General two men of great understanding singular Vertue and uncommon fidelity to the King's Service Massacred them in the open Street After which their faculty of Divines confirm'd the decree of the Sorbonne which was propos'd in a general Assembly at the Town-House by which they authoris'd the Revolt The greatest part of Provence had also thrown it self with the same impetuosity into the League under the leading of the famous Hubert de Garde Sieur de Vins who by his courage and extraordinary Valour accompanied with his great prudence and the wonderfull talent he had of gaining the affections of the people had acquir'd more reputation and power than any Gentleman not supported by the Royal Authority had ever obtain'd in his own Countrey He had formerly sav'd the Life of Henry the Third at Rochelle when that Prince who was then but Duke of Anjou approaching too near to a Retrenchment a Souldier who had singled him out from all the rest had just taken aim at him which the Sieur de Vins perceiving threw himself before him in the Bullets way and receiv'd the Musquet shot which wanted little of costing him his Life He expected as he had reason some great preferment from the Duke when he was King in recompence of so generous an action but perceiving that all was play'd into the Minions hands without so much as taking the least notice of his worth the indignation of being slighted caus'd him to enter into the Duke of Guise's Interests and to ingage in the League of which he was Head in Provence the Count of Carcas his Uncle his Brother-in-Law the Count de Sault a great part of the Nobility and the Parliament of Aix as also to expose the whole Province to the manifest danger of being lost by calling in the Duke of Savoy who nevertheless was constrain'd at last to retire with shame into his own Dominions In the mean time the King who from time to time receiv'd the unpleasant News of the Rebellion of his Subjects had been forc'd to send back the Deputies of the Estates to their several Provinces where the greatest part of them being hot Leaguers blew up the Fire to that height that he was constrain'd at the length to lay aside the ways of Clemency and Mildness and to take up though somewhat of the latest those of Rigour and Compulsion He began by sending a Herald to Paris who bore an Injunction to the Duke of Aumale the pretended Governour immediately to depart the Town an Interdiction to the Parliament to the Exchequer and the Court of Aydes with prohibition to all other Officers of any farther exercise of their employments But he was remanded without an hearing loaded with affronts and threatn'd with an Halter if he presum'd to return on such an Errant He declar'd the Dukes of Mayenne and Aumale the Citizens of Paris Orleans Amiens Abbeville and the other Associated Towns to be guilty of High Treason if within a time prefix'd they return not to their Duty He transferr'd the Parliament of Paris to Tours and all the Courts of Judicature which were in the Cities of the League to other Towns which continu'd faithfull to him But they without being concern'd at his angry Declarations reveng'd themselves in all places on such as were of the Royal Party by all manner of ill usage He did in the month of March what he ought to have done in December He call'd together his Gendarmery and Rendevouz'd what Forces he cou'd raise in the Neighbourhood of Tours to which place he had retir'd as not thinking himself secure in so open and weak a Town as Blois but first he secur'd his Prisoners whom he caus'd to be carried from
Morosini Legate touching the Murther of the Guisâ—s 413 414 c. The Conference of Cardinal Morosini with the Duke of Mayenne 474 c. The Conference of the two Kings at Tours 478 The Conference of the Lorrain Princes at Rhemes 829 The Conference of du Plessis Mornay and of Sieur de Ville-Roy for the Peace 858 859 c. The Conference at Suresne 879 880 c. Charles de Cosse Count de Brissac 105. â—uted the Government of the Castle of Anger 's 153 189. he joins with the Troops of the Duke of Guise 259. he 's refus'd the Admiralâ—y that the Duke of Guise ask'd for him and was given to the Duke of Espernon 312. his Elogy ibid. causes the Barricades to be made 352. his scoffing raillâ—ry upon this Subject 355. he leads the King's Soldiers disarm'd to the New market ib. is President of the Nobles at the Estates of Blois 388. is there arrested Prisoner and presently deliver'd 403. is made Governour of Paris by M. de Mayenne 939. he receives the King into Paris who makes him Marshal of France Pag. 942 Coutras its situation and the Battel fought there 202 203 c. D. FRancis de Daillon Count du Lude wounded at the Battel of Ivry 790 Guy de Daillon Count du Lude and Governour of Poitou his Elogy 791 The Advocate David and his Mâ—moirs 63 The Baron of Dona General of the Reyters 230. his birth and qualities 231 c. his negligâ—nce repair'd in part by his courage and valâ—ur at the combat of Vimory 272. suffers himself to be surpriz'd in Auneau where the Reyters are defeated 280 281. saves himself in the defeat 293. his return into Germany in a very pitiful condition 300 E. THE Fifth Edict of the Pacification extremely advantageous to the Huguenots call'd the Edict of May 14. 't is revok'd Pag. 61 The Edict of Blois against the Huguenots ib. The Edict of Poictiers favourable to the Huguenots 74 The Edict of July against the Huguenots 121 The Edict of Reunion against the Huguenots in favour of the League 378 Philip Count d'Egmont at the Battel of Ivry where he is slain 789 John d'Escovedo Secretary to Don John d'Austria assassinated by Order of Philip the Second and why 21 The Duke d'Espernon the King's Favourite confers with the King of Navarre about his Conversion and what happens thereupon 87 88 the hatred which was bore him was the cause that many brave persons entred into the League 105. he treats with the Reyters 160 161 275. is made Admiral of France and Governor of Normandy 313. his Character and Portrait 314. a great Enemy to the Duke of Guise 315. his Banishment from Court 377. he abandons Henry IV. 735 Francis d'Espinay de Saint Luc. 105 211. defeats the Rear-guard of St. Mesme 151. his brave Action at the Battel of Coutras Pag. 224 Peter d'Espinal Archbishop of Lyons counsels the Duke of Guise not to quit the Estates 396 c. is arrested Prisoner at Blois with the Cardinal de Guise 403. is ransom'd for money and made Chancellor of the League 794. is chief of the Deputation for the League at the Conference at Suresne 879. the sum of his Answer to the Harangues of the Archbishop of Bourges 884 c. The Estates of France have but deliberative voices 36 61 The first Estates of Blois where the King declares himself Head of the League 61 c. The second Estates of Blois 385 c. They act openly against the King's Authority 388 c. They declare the King of Navarre incapable to succeed to the Crown 289 c. The Estates of the League at Paris 865 F. AN horrible Famine in Paris during the Siege 800 801 James Faye d'Espesses Advocate General maintains strongly the Rights of the King and the Liberties of the Gallicane Church against the Leaguers at the Estates of Blois 390 The President Ferrier Chancellor to the King of Navarre is made Huguenot towards the end of his days Pag. 87 88 The Form of the League 32 Form of the League of Sixteen 100 101 Form which was made to be sign'd by the Huguenots that re-enter'd into the Church 154 Four Gentlemen of the House of Fourbin are cause of the reducing of Provence 936 G. GEnebrard makes a Sermon against the Salique Law at the Procession of the Estates of the League 867 868 c. The Cardinal of Gondy Bishop of Paris incloses himself during the Siege with his Flock for their relief 803. he endeavours to make the People return to their Duty 836 Ludovic de Gonzague Duke de Nevers renounces the League and why 111 112. he goes Ambassador to Rome to yield Obedience and to dâ—sire Absolution of the King 932 c. Gregory XIII would never approve of the League 112 113. his death 130 Gregory XIV declares for the League against the King whom he excommunicates with all his Adherents 825 826 827. sends an Army into France ib. his Bull is condemn'd and has no effect ib. Philibert de la Guiche Grand Master of the Ordnance at the Battel of Ivry Pag. 782 Guincestre Curate of St. Gervais a grand Leaguer 98. lifts up his hand at his Auditors in the midst of his Sermon and even at the first President and assures them the death of the Guises would be revenged 429 c. he accuses King Henry III. of Sorcery in the midst of his Sermon 452 H. AChilles de Harlay first President of the Parliament of Paris runs the â—isque of his life in opposing the Leaguers 248. They constrain'd him in the midst of a Sermon to lift up his hand with others 429. is carried Prisoner to the Bastille 446. his Elogy 447 James de Harlay Sieur de Chanvallon Governour of Sâ—ns for the League repulses the King's Army at two Assaults and keeps the place 795. his spiritual Raillery upon the four Marshals of the League 873 Nicholas de Harlay Barâ—n of Sancy levies an Army of Swisses and Germans for the King at his own proper charges 502 c. and joins them to the King's Army 504 The Sieur Denis de Here Counsellor of Parliament carried to the Bastille by the Leaguers 448. his Elogy ib. Henry III. King of France and Poland 5 10. his Pourtrait Pag. ib. The Change made in his Conduct and Manners when he was King of France ib. He engages presently in the War against the Huguenots contrary to the counsel of the Emperor the Venetians and his best Servants 6 7 8 He declares himself Head of the League 73 He is not the Institutor but the Restorer of the Order of the Holy Ghost 75 78 Solicits in vain the King of Navarre to re-enter into the Catholick Church 87 88 is calumniated by the Leaguers 89 90 His weak Resolutions 86 116 123 139. His Declaration against the Leaguers too weak 119 Makes a Peace very advantageous to the Leaguers 123 124 Makes War against the King of Navarre with great repugnancy 143 144 Raises the Duke of