blowes and blowes never met with them and that is it which Luynes Surgeon wrote to his wife that was in doubt lest her husband was slaine in the armie Wife take no care for me but be quiet feare nothing for I incurre no danger my Lord Constable doth me that honour to affect me much and to keep still neare unto his person Thus you see how those gallants are miraculously preserved and kept out of the danger of blowes while they cause others to lose their lives Our posteritie said the King will hardly beleeue that men of no degree and voide of all valour should in so short a time lay hold upon the government of France Sir said Pluninel I did neuer so easily with bit and bridle manage your Graces great horses in the stable without comparison as I have seene them manage all the Princes of your Realme What said the Marshall de Brisac was not Cadnet so bold as to threaten the Prince that he should not go out of Bois de Vincennes if he did not consent to give him the Princesse of Orange to be his wife who died for griefe thereof You iest said the King He hath done more then that said he for he was so presumptuous as to presse the Earle de Soyssons to give over the office of high Steward unto him The late Earle taking the word out of his mouth said If my sonne had bin wise he should have caused him to be well beaten for his impudencie You haue reason said old Courtenay if he had Rambure or such another Knight as he for his governer but he hath a blocke to be his schoole-master that knowes not what belongs to honour and courage and therefore those companions know with whom they have to do Let us enter into some other discourse said the King as I remember one of you told me that during all these businesses Luynes and his brethren carried their wives with them unto the warre and that they were with them during the important siege of Montauban if it were so it is very likely that their intent was no other but onely to make their battery under curtains At that word M. William gave a nod and said to the King Indeed my Lord you have often bin told that they play the Kings and that I acknowledge they have heretofore sitting by the fire heard how you in times past rid upon the League and those gallants would imitate you and thinke by riding their wives to ride upon the Huguenots but those wicked heretickes have knavishly ridden upon them before Montauban Whereat all of them began to laugh But the King enquired of the miracle of the Spie and much desired to know it and speaking thereof askt why after he had escaped in such maner he was not sent into the Towne to convert the inhabitants Faith of a gentleman said de Loppe that had bin no safetie for him for so the people might have hangd him up in good earnest God is strong every where said the King and can defend those that are his at all times and in all places but tell me who sent father Dominicke de Iesus Maria into France what maner of man is he And it please your Majestie said the Earle de Fiefque he is a holy man I yet have a portatise cloake that he gave me your Majestie will not beleeve what honour the Parisians did unto him and yet know not wherefore every woman cut off a peece of his gowne and he came thither onely to shew us that all the Spaniards are not Saracins and that there are some holy men among them If I had bin of the Kings Councell said the Abbot du Bois I would in counter-change have sent father Berule to Madril I am sure that the women of Castile would also have cut his fustian That were good said the Marshall de Fervaques if French cloth were as fine as Spanish cloth but if I were of the Councell as the Cardinall de Rets is and as forward as the Earle de Chomberg who is capable to redresse all Luynes faults so that he doth not joyne with forreine faction I would make the Spaniard know that he is not a better Catholik then I my selfe am and would keepe him from having secret intelligences with our Favorites to the great detriment of the Kings service and the Realme which goes to decay if remedy be not speedily had therein I confesse said the King that since I have heard of all the bad and perfidious practises which that gallant and his brethren have done and performed my son never knowing thereof my spirit hath bin in continuall perplexitie fearing lest they should destroy their good maister and great benefactor Sir said the Marquis de Villars the earth never bare more traiterous and ambitious villaines then they are they have bin so bold the last yeare to cause a Maske to be made in Burbon hall wherein they presented divers mysticall figures and among the rest a great Lady and divers Giants chained whom Luynes apparelled like Phebus drew after him whereof the greatest resembled the Duke de Mayenne upon whose head Luynes set his foote for a signe of servitude Truly said the Baron de Plancy he made another more impudent in the Castle of Piquerox for there perceiving the King to be grieved for the losse he had received by the death of the Duke de Mayenne he devised a litle Comedie to make his Majestie merrie wherein hee presented a great Moore making divers strange jestures and for that he resembled the Duke de Mayenne the King commanded them to leave and act no more Why said Luynes Because said the King that this man in all respects resembles the Duke de Mayenne I cannot endure to see it Truly Sir said he his death needs not minister cause of sadnesse to your Majestie for he was a turbulent fellow that troubled all your affaires you were no King as long as he lived we haue discovered and found out that he made a third partie and since his death we have found all his practises Thus this villaine alwayes sought to divert all the good opinion that his Majestie had of his servants and of all those of his blood He did another matter said the Secretarie of State for the Seales he was so impudent as to write vnto the Pope that the Queen mother was the cause that Montauban was not taken thereby thinking to cover his owne cowardlinesse from whence it may be conjectured how many false reports he hath made to the king your sonne seeing he was so bold to send such a message to his Holinesse You shall never have done Sir said the Earle de Lude if you will hearken unto all their arrogant actions who knowes them better then my selfe that brought them up as long as any of that race are neare about the King your sonne they will spoile all there being no kind of wickednes whereof they are not capable and aboue all things beleeve it
Sir my Lord the Prince may well offer a great candle unto God when he shall escape out of their hands your Majestie must foresee these things As the King was discoursing with the Lords touching the sorrowfull state of the affaires of France and about the meanes to remedie the same all the assistants partaking with the griefe of that good Prince on a sudden Monsieur de Vury breaking through the prease came to his Majestie and to comfort him said Corbien Sir you have sufficiently lamented the miseries of the time I must now make you merry a while by telling you that which I presently saw as I was hawking after a partridge along by the river side by chance I came to as merrie a combat as ever was acted upon the Theater de Tabarim in the place Dauphine Betweene whom said the King Your Majestie must know said Vitry that Marshall d' Ancre walking along by the river side with Dole when Charon set on shore the new Constable of France with his sword of say What said the King is he here Corbien said he he is there I assure your Grace I haue seene him and when I saw him I laught for ioy he hath the countenance of as notable a rascall as ever I saw But before I proceed further I must tell you of the pleasant salutation of these two combattants Marshall d' Ancre walking as I said before stood still to contemplate the proud gestvre of that new come guest and beholding his face he knew it was Luynes wherewith suddenly the blood rose in his face and he said to Dole Behold the traitor that caused me to be kild I will now kill him and without speaking any more words casting his cloake over his face went to meet with him and as soone as he got to him he gave him a great bob on the nose saying Traitor now I le make thee pay for thy villanie The Constable abasht thereat said You are deceived you mistake me for another I understand no Italian Pardieus I undestand French well Lay hand on thy sword said the Marquis Are not single combats forbidden here said the Constable Villaine said the Marquis thou art afraid and saying so he fell upon the Constable and gave him divers great blowes with the flat side of his sword in such maner that never any curtall jade was so well beaten The Archbishop of Sens that stood hard by them had a great desire to helpe him but he durst not go betweene them still remembring the blowes with spits which were given him in Tours by the Marquis de Noirmontiers cookes when he was Soliciter of his house and so for want of aide the villanous Constable was as well beaten as ever was Dieret Chiury when he imagined that the blowes with a cudgell which were given him were pistols shot for Marquis d' Ancre still laid on like Rovillac and Luynes cried out as loud as he could like Ronsselay at S. Germains Fayre which was the cause that Radamanthus Lackeys ran thither and laid hold upon those two champions intending to carry them before the ludge to be punished for their insolencies Marquis d' Ancre alledged that he was not the man that first brake the peace and spake them so faire that they let him go in the meane time du Travail came thither who fiercely laid hold on the Constables coller in such maner that I thought he would have strangled him but when he had set his foote vpon his belly and taken his sword from him he ran away leaving him there in a maner halfe dead saying nothing to him but onely Remember thy selfe Provinciall I that tooke pitie to see that Rodomond favorite so hardly used found the meanes that without taking the advice of de Modenne or de Contade I puld him slily out of their clawes and brought the gallant hither to make your Maiestie some sport Truly said the King you have done me good service let him come in that we may see that great Warrier and great Statesman all in one Whereupon Colonell Galatis with a das tich Gods sacrament caused the prease to open and therewith Vitry brought him in every man as well as he could fixing their eyes upon him to behold his physiognomie The Poet Desportes at his entring giving him a welcome according to his Art and speaking aloud said Give place give place to this companion Who while he liv'd was like a great Monarchus But being borne in Champianion In Poiteiou he was cut off by Parcus Being in the middle of the companie all of them began to crie saying The fox the fox wherewith you never saw villaine more ashamed and after silence was made the King askt him who he was I am said he the Constable of France your most humble subiect and servant Constable said the King by what title got you that office it is not aboue foure yeares since you were but a Falconer and in so short a time have you attained to so high a degree you have made great haste You must not muse thereat Sir said Haeren if hee had not put me out of countenance I had had as good fortune as he Hold your tongue said the King Parmafe and it please your Maiestie said M. William I could be well content to pay his breech with a whip full of points to be revenged on him for the pension that he tooke from me to give it unto de Mons his brother in law Truly M. William said Saroque you are misinformed to beleeve such things my Lord Constable was not so foolish to imagine that he could make that small matter of Province greater then it is notwithstanding that he is the most valiant man of them all for he alone tooke Montauban or else they of Montauban tooke him What extravagant words are these said the King give us leave quietly to hearken unto the mysticall discourse of this new conquerour Sir said the Duke de Mayenne he will but abuse you with words he is a perfect lyer command him to go directly to the matter otherwise I cannot abstain from giving him a blow on the lips at the first lie he makes With that the King turning to the champion said briefly unto him Heare you my Lord Constable made in haste abuse not my leisure tell me all your notable proceedings without dissimulation if you desire to finde mercie at my hands for your misdeeds all these gentlemen know your actions and the Earle de Lude that stands here is wholy acquainted with your life go directly to worke otherwise you shall finde Lugoly ready to give you your hire Sir said Luynes now I perceive well that I am undone In manus tuas commendo spiritum meum my processe is made and further all these noble gentlemen that are here will never pardon me for that as many Lords as are here about your Majesty are as many witnesses to convince me of all the perfidious actions that I have committed both against the one
THE FAVOVRITES CHRONICLE * ⎠* Printed according to the French Copie M.DC.XXI THE FAVOVRITES CHRONICLE CVrious Gentlemen that spend your time and take pleasure to recreate your spirits with the consideration of the Tragedies that are acted vpon the Theater of this World I cannot be perswaded but that you haue heretofore read that which learned Aesope rehearseth in his Fables of certain Hares who running away when they heard the hounds open by chance past along by the side of a ditch where there were great store of frogs vpon the grasse who as soone as they saw the hares leapt as fast as they could into the water This action being noted by the timorous hares did in such maner encourage them that the same onely sufficed to make them stay their running any further at which time one of them who it may be had studied the French eloquence practised by Master William du Vair told them that from thence forward it behoued them to esteeme more of their valours then euer they had done before that it was a shame for them alwayes to haue bin held esteemed to be fearfull and a signe of reprochfull dastardlinesse vnto their auncestors continually to haue vsed to runne away and neuer durst looke in their enemies faces seeing they were capable to ouercome and subdue others as they might well perceiue by experience of these croaking frogs whose onely presence had put them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without any stroke given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his notable oration as plausibly pronounced as that which my Lord Constable made to those of Thoulonze so much encouraged his companions that presently they resolved not to set vpon Montaubon but in time to come to shew themselues more valiant and to magnifie and exalt their generositie and from thenceforward determined to act some glorious enterprise against those accursed hounds and to turne their faces against their enemies to assaile them which counsell put in execution tooke so bad effect and fell out so vnfortunately for the authors thereof that thereby they were not onely taken but torne in peeces to serve for a prey unto their enemies and a jest unto other more judicious and subtill beasts This fable in my opinion may properly be applied unto the levying of armes at this time whereinto so improvidently we have bin led by the plausible inducements of certaine prating companions that have so much advanced and magnified the Favourite Hares that they have made them to busie their braines about the ambitious reach of their prowd fortunes Every man knowes what discontentment the great personages of this Realme have had to beholde the Crowne of France within these foure yeares to be as it were besieged by Luynes and his brethren who to the great prejudice of the Kings affaires and the Common-wealth absolutely disposed both of the ordinarie and casuall matters of State to the great desolation of the whole monarchie which to oppose and prevent the greatest part of the Princes and principall Officers of the Realme in Anno 1620. made a kinde of league But the number of the Leaguers being extreme great the businesse could not be so securely managed as the case required whereupon it fell out so that it was presently discovered by the infidelitie of certaine persons that betrayed them In pursuite whereof the vanquishers had the victorie without combat and the vanquished ouerthrew themselues Now appropriating the sence of this fable to my present discourse I must tell you that my Masters the Favorite Hares the last yeare being made afraid and abashed with the apprehension that they conceived of so many yong Princes that sought to overthrow and crosse their insolent fortune they were constrained to abandon the delights of the Court to seeke and finde out some meanes to shadow and cover themselves from the great tempest which as then seemed to menace them And so shaking and trembling with feare they went into Normandie where by good fortune they met with certaine people that like true frogs hid themselves in the reedes at the noise of their horses feete Which made the Favorites set up their eares and from that time forwards to conceive a wonderfull opinion of their affaires But when they entred into the medowes in Anger 's and perceived that at their onely presence the frogs of Pont de See slipt downe from off the bridge of Pont to hide themselves in the water they did then begin upon that occasion to conceive so great an opinion of their valours that they were of the minde presently in a maner to set forward to fight against the great Turke without once staying till the Duke de Nevers vessels were made readie or the new Knights of the Christian warre were prepared to fight imagining themselves to be three Caesars able to overcome and rule over all men whereupon they resolved to lay hold vpon all occasions and to command all and so farre as to presume to make not onely the Princes of the blood but also the Regall authoritie to serve them for a footstoole or a step unto their greatnesse Whereupon our neighbours hauing Argus eyes being alwayes vigilant and neuer sleepe and with their spectacles continually beholding our proceedings to draw some profit from thence accommodating them to the interest of their affaires perceiving the haughty deseignes of the Favorite Hares and that the pride which they conceived in their hearts of those ridiculous victories was available to thrust them forward and embarke them into some great enterprise how dangerous soever it were so the perill that should be ministred were well gilded over they advised with themselves that a civill warre in France would fall out well to the purpose to be a meanes for them to attaine to the end of the Germane revolts and of the vsurpation which they pretended to make vpon the Palatinate Inlliers and Valtolina And to make them the more eagerly and easily to catch at the baite they practised to re-assemble all the old rags and peeces of the holy league therewith to make a faire cloake of religion finely sowed by the fathers of the Iesuiticall societie and thereof to make a rich present unto the eldest Favorite shewing him what a glorie it would be vnto him to weare the same as in times past a certaine Duke of Guise had done and that the onely way for him without any trouble to attaine the Constables office was to gild the scabberd of his sword with the spoiles of the foolish hare-braind heretickes without speaking of the great summes of mony that he might by that meanes levie of the people vnder pretence of so pious a quarrell as that of religion would be besides the hazard that he incurred to be canonized according to the ordinarie maner with the Cardinals de Ioyense and the Earle de Fiesque This glorious advice presented with as plausible words as those of father Cotton moved our new warriers to a desire and great appetite to be doing somewhat and their deseigne was presently confirmed by
the Marquis de Themines and the Duke de Mayenne also had bin slaine there besides 400 gentlemen of name and qualitie and aboue 15000 souldiers kild That touching the raising up of the siege he could say nothing for that the reverend father Dominique de Iesus Maria had there lost the subtiltie of his revelations and that there was none but the Duke de Branthe the Duke de Cadmet and the Duke de Luynes that were capable to take it but they were not men to expose their bodies in all enterprises because of the importance of their persons Are they Spaniards said the King They are said Villeroy the onely faithfull Counsellers to the King your son by whose advice all the Realme is governed Wherewith King Henrie the fourth scratching his head stood as if he had bin in a dreame and staying a great while without speaking a word at last sighing with a sad countenance and sorrowfull voice he said Alas now I see well that these men by litle and litle will vndoe my sonne and that that which my enemies could not do while I lived they will enforce themselues to effect it in his life time by the meanes of those three petie Kings Let search be made in every place to kuow if there be any of my old servants to be found among all those that have bin kild before S. Iohn Clerac and Montauban that I may discourse with them touching those lamentable things that are done in my poore countrey of France Truly said the Chancellor de Belieure euen now I saw almost 20000 persons of all sorts and qualities which stand on the other side of the river of Stix desiring to passe over but the Boate-man Caron refused them all vntill they have bin purged in the 〈◊〉 of Purgatorie They maintaining and constantly affâ—â—…ing that they were exempted from it because they haâ—…â—ost their lives before the heretiks forts according to the assurance given them in the other world by the Iesuites â—f Thoulouse and Bourdeaux and namely by father Russelay That grieves me much said the King I could be content to haue given 100000 crownes to marry the Nunnes in Paris vpon condition that this contention were ended I haue so great a desire to see some one Frenchman or other that might ease me of my care for the apprehension that I haue conceived of the troubles of the King my son of the Queene my wife and of my children Therewith the Baron de Liencourt stept forth and said to the King Sir your Grace is much troubled to know the truth of the affaires in the other world you need but direct your selfe vnto some Iesuites for they haue letters from all places I came but now from speaking with father Gontrie hee cannot chuse but know something if you will haue me enquire of him it may be my wife hath written him a word or two thereof No no said Samet those kind of people are too craftie and subtill the truth neuer comes directly out of their mouthes you shal know nothing that way I know a better way Caron the boatman is my friend he and I haue many times dranke together I will deale so well with him that for my sake he shall not make difficultie to suffer some Frenchmen upon my recommendation to passe over or else let me go over to them to heare what they can say touching your Graces desire Venture S. Gry said the King your invention is very good Wherewith M. Guilliaume who in the meane time stood attentively to heare that discourse began to say unto the King My Lord if you thinke it good I will gladly beare Sebastian Zamet companie and will aide him finely to passe over as the succours did into Montauban while he stands speaking with old Caron and then I will speedily make a journey to Louviers to know how â—ll fares there and whether the Normands are well coâ—â—…t to be bowles of Quillibeuf in recompence of their service I will not have you stirre from thence said the King you shall stand sentinell on the South side and onely marke when the Archduke Albertus shall leane off his Monks cowle Zamet dispatched away went to the river side where being arived he heard newes that the Cardinall de Guise was come thither with buls to cause all those to passe over that died as he did in that holy warre but that there was some dispute happened among those that stayed to passe over for which cause Caron would not let them passe for feare lest they should fight together while they were in his boate Thereupon Zamet to further the businesse gaue his advice that it was convenient to sprinkle all those that quarelled together with water of oblivion before they entred into the boate that so forgetting their quarels they might passe over peaceably This counsell was instantly followed but as things are full of crosses another controversie hapned after that betweene the said Cardinall and the Duke de Mayenne who should first go into the boate The strife was long which much displeased Zamet because it staid him from returning backe unto the King The dispute was maintained by reasons on either side The Cardinall said he died first and by consequence that he ought to go first The Duke denied not that but said hee was to be preferred before him because he had bin slaine in the Kings service and that the Cardinal died onely of sicknes The Cardinall replied that for Gods sake he had abandoned both wife and children and to proue it desired no other witnes but the Duke de Nevers and that he had not done so At last they stood vpon the difference of their degrees and qualities and for that the Church alwayes hath the preheminence it was iudged that the Cardinall should enter first into the boate as also because he had brought the buls to free them to passe over the river without going into Purgatorie and so all of them past over with this decree that those who thereafter should come from the siege of Montauban should enioy the like priviledge When they were set on shore on the banks of the Elizian fields Zamet recived and saluted them with both his arms about their middles jesting and sporting with them and assuring them that King Henrie the great would be exceeding glad to see them because of the desire he had to vnderstand the state of the affaires of France The impatience that troubled the spirit of that good Prince had moved him to walke with the greatest part of his old servitors to the side of the riuer to meete with Zamet the late Baron de la Guiche because he was very tall was he that first afarre off discouered that French troupe and said to the King S. Fiacre Sir I thinke these are the men of Montauban before vs they are a great number I wonder how so many brave men have suffred themselves to be made nestle-birds you will say that it is a great armie and I marvell that
Nuncius Bentivole resident in Paris is wholy for Luynes who hath made him Cardinall and Comprotector of the French nation in Rome to the prejudice of the Prince Cardinall of Savoy to whom the King had given that protection Thus Luynes is upholden on that side And to the end that the King of Spaine should not be offended to see the Queene his sister governed by Luynes and his wife he hath consented to let him lay hold upon the Grisons the Palatinate and Iuliers which is under the protection of France and which the Queene mother following your designe hath kept out of the Spaniards clawes whereas on the contrary that villaine suffers so important a country bordering upon the Realme to be lost He hath alienated 120000 crowns yearely rent of the Church whereof he hath imbursed 200000 crownes for his part of your sonnes revenues he and his brethren possesse at the least 500000 franks yearely rent without disbursing one penie for it How this discourse grieves me said the King I would you had neuer spoken to me thereof let us leave for this time here comes the Duke de Mayenne and a great number of Noblemen to visit me All these said the Marquis de Termes will confirme that which I have said unto your Majestie and you may know of them what hath past since I left them at Clerac The Duke de Mayenne coming neare with all his companie made humble obeysance to the King and his Majestie bowing his head welcomed them with teares in his eyes Cousin said the King and all you my faithfull servants it grieves me that you have bin deceived by three villaines who as I heare untill this time have abused the favour and bountie of my sonne and generally your free spirits The Duke speaking for them all said Sir I know not who hath made your Grace so wel acquainted with the pride of those three Falconers that have used all the meanes they can to put all men both great and meane out of the King your sonnes favour by their devices sold all France by their covetousnes and brought all the realm into disorder by their monstrous ambition All men know how litle cause I have to speake wel of the Marquis d' Ancre but I may well say that he was an Angell in respect of these three divels incarnate enemies both to men and all valour and such as never employed them but to their overthrow all they that have past over the river with me know what they are besides that for mine owne part I have every way tried and proved their divellish malice in that respect It is true that Marquis d' Ancre was wicked as wel as they but yet he had some humanitie in him he did good to many hee was a man of his word if hee crost some great persons he made much of others but these three plagiaries have bin a scourge to them all thinking it a glory by their dissembling salutations to deceive all the world with brazen faces I will not trouble your Majestie with the rehearsall of their detestable actions nor put you in minde of the rude dealing that they have shewed to the Queene your wife neither how they have scorned my Lord the Prince nor of their ingratitude against my Lady the Countesse nor what trickes they have played with all the Nobilitie it suffiseth Sir that you generally know their proud proceedings they have fully gotten the government of the King your son and of the authoritie royall into their hands making him beleeve that they three onely held the Crowne upon his head as if those of his blood had conspired the usurpation thereof For the space of foure yeares they have caused all the affaires of importance to passe under their hands they have made the King march with them in all places for their owne particular interest vpon the frontiers of the Realme Luynes hath bin so proud as to make his entrie into townes accompanied with a Prince of the blood and in rhe presence of the King his Soveraigne he sent his brother Cadnet into Flanders under pretence to go seeke his wife where he spake with Marquis Spinola and after that with a most incomparable pride covered with precious stones appertaining to the Crowne he hath bene in England not one of the Kings Councell knowing the secret of his embassage after that voyage he undertooke to make himselfe Duke of Britaigne and it is not knowne whether since he hath bin keeper of the Seales hee hath dispatched letters patents for the same In favour of Castille he hath neglected all ancient alliances of the Crown he hath suffered the Palatinate and the Grisons to be lost to make the Spaniard favourable to him The Queene mother preserved Iuliers under the protection of the King your sonnes forces and those three villaines have suffered it to be besieged by Spinola To the disgrace of your glorious memorie Branthe a meane fellow that never had 200 franks yearely rent hath bin so audacious as to ravish the heire of Luxeburg and to force that yong Princesse being but eleuen yeares old and at such a time when all France was in armes by their meanes and if the ravishing of a maide be punishable as it is her action in all circumstances is much more punishable Luynes hath exposed the King and the Prince his brother into the inconveniences of a long voyage and into the perils of the bad aire in the armie in such maner that the Prince was there sick and like to die and yet he would not suffer him to be carried out of the infections of the campe he hath resolved upon the warre against the Huguenots without taking yea and against the advice of your old Councellers hee hath bin so audacious as to keepe the Kings seales in his hands to promise them to many but gives them to no man busying himselfe during the dangers of the siege before Montauban with sealing expeditions in stead of going to the warre for which cause the souldiers made these foure verses of him What shall we of this valiant Warrier say That vseth vs like slaves both night and day He that in peace the Constables office hie And in warre doth the Chancellers place supplie In such maner that if there be any capitall crime that may be objected against a bad servant that is one of the most notorious and greatest All the mony appointed for paying of the souldiers in the armie he stayed in Blayes in such sort that more souldiers have died of want and necessitie then of wounds for want of reliefe To be short their covetousnes and villanies are the cause of all the bad successe hapned as wel during that siege as in other publicke affaires That which I finde to be most strange said Balagny is that not one of them hath bin hurt in any of the exploits of their conquests I will shew you a pertinent reason for that said the Duke it is because they neuer sought after
and the other and the worst is that I haue not the authoritie Royall to cover my faults any more nor to support my insolencies I must needs confesse that I haue offended God the King my master and all men and that there is no punishment great enough to recompence my deserts but I will gladly say with Caesar Si violandum est ius regnandi causa all that I haue done was not effected by any wicked inclination that was in me but onely by a generous ambition to raigne I knew how easily Marquis d' Ancre obtained the government of the State I beleeved and was verily perswaded that in that point I could doe more then a stranger that onely had a woman to support him and that I possessing the Kings heart was the more able to dispossesse all men and to possesse all things for my designe was to surmount that Italian and if any of my good friends sought to divert me from that generous enterprise presently du Agent Contade and Ronsselay cried out in mine eares saying What are you afraid of If Marquis d' Ancre could make the Frenchmen cullions why should not you being a great Falconer take them for birds Audaces fortuna invat said my father in law we must draw water when we are at the well side said my wife we are of the same kind of wood whereof men make Princes said my brethren and I said Modene of the same that the Marshals of France are made All these motions encouraged me and in truth my first bringing up to fowling taught me so well to flie that in foure yeares space I surpast all those that medled with the affaires of State before me I caused Marquis d' Ancre to be kild to haue his place I vrged the Parliament to put his wife to death that I might haue his goods I kept the Queene mother as much as I could from the presence and favour of the King her sonne that I might onely enioy it I kept the Prince of Conde prisoner and let him not come forth but then when I thought he could no more hurt me and that he might serve my turne I vsed charmes to trouble the spirit of the King and of the Queene employing Boisgandrie to that effect whom I caused to be committed prisoner in the Bastile because he would have disclosed me I set division among the Princes and estranged them all from the Kings favour I abused all those that had any thing to do with me with promises and faire words All places that were voide I got into my hands With the Kings mony I bought all the governments that I could get and constrained some to yeeld theirs unto me I had whole Provinces under my obedience there is no part of the Realme but therein I have townes I have drawne France drie of mony The greatest part of the Kings domaines is mine or my brethrens I did absolutely dispose of the sale of offices and as I disanulled the annuall right I also established it I made all mine enemies stoupe and as much as I could I made all the world know what power I had over the genius of the King that men might addresse themselves vnto me and be perswaded that the King could do nothing without me This Sir is that whereof I may be accused but he that will consider of that which resteth without passion he shall finde that these are not actions of a dull spirit but of a brave courage which rather deserve commendation then blame and for the which I was never reproved by my Confessor Marquis d' Ancre could never equalize himselfe with me in this respect his designes were base in regard of mine he could not attaine to any degree but onely to be Marshall of France and I for my part made at least twelve Marshals He could neither make himselfe Knight of the Order of the holy Ghost nor Duke and all you my Lords that are here know well that I gaue that Order to whom I would and that I made more Dukes then there are sparrow-hawkes in the Kings Mewes and so many that the Parliament of Paris was forced to say it was too much But those foure cornerd caps know not that my intent was to extirpe the heretickes and that for so dangerous a warre I had need of many Dukes Marshals and Knights to honour the Constables sword which I reserved for my selfe by the Iesuites counsel and his Holinesse himselfe who assured me by his Nuncius that if I undertooke that Catholicke designe that heauen would reserve the diademe and the purple for me as in effect I wanted not the latter and if I had not bin constrained to leaue the siege before that cursed towne of Montauban the accomplishment of destinie had given me the Scepter I doubt not Sir but you haue bin entertained with a thousand iests touching the impertinent proceedings of my militarie exploits and specially upon the subiect of my approches made before ville Burbon I take not upon me to defend my selfe against bad speeches it sufficeth me that my actions seemed to be heroicall and my designes haughtie Further I care liâ—â—…e what the world can say and that is it which I wrote for an answer to a letter sent us by our most deare vncle the Duke de Modene in France touching the slanders that were published in Toulouse against me and my qualitie I could easily haue restrained and punished the libertie of such tongues but like an old Courtier I use not to be afraid of reports as I made it well appeare in the strongest assaults of the siege before that filthy towne where I refrained not from sleeping sweetly in my bed notwithstanding the roaring of the cannons upon the assurance that I had that they could not hurt me Did not the souldiers call my quarter the place of villanie but for all that I never made lesse cheare They also mockt my wife as often as she came to visit me in the campe in mockery saying that she went oftener to combat with me then I did with the enemie but such reproches moved me not seeing that my wife and I had no other intent but to do well as we alwayes did well thankes be to God and beleeue me Sir that those malicious evill speakers spake but of envie as grieved to see us take our pleasures while they were at blowes and by the eares together in the trenches like rascals suffering themselves to be beaten which made them vomit out their rage not onely against me but also against my brethren and their wives who like true Amazons never fainted in all the combats wherein they happened to be encouraged thereunto by the wise discourses of Madame de Guimbarde and of my sister du Vernet the true mirrour of chastitie of whom I learned never to be angry for that which men said so I do well This also that I shew you Sir is not to give you cause to thinke that such things grieved me not