secretly conueyed away was caried to Roome where he was brought vp with the Emperour Zeno. To be brief that still they liued in daunger of their liues vntill the mariage of the sayd Ansbert vnto Blitild K. Clotair the seconds daughter of whom issued Arnold Duke of Mosellane to whom as well for the sayd alliance as also that they found their Realm reasonably established they shewed themselues more courteous Wherefore now marke after what sorte hee bringeth the house of Lorraine now liuing to the succession of this Clodio and his sonne Alberick and so consequently of their rights and titles From Alberick he leadeth vs as it were by a direct line vnto Arnolph the sonne of Arnould and Doda the daughter of the K. of Saxonie who among the rest had two sonnes The first Clodulph and Anchises the yonger From the first he bringeth the Dukes of Mosellane and Lorraine and from the other Charlemaigne and his posteritie in this maner Clodulph Duke of Mosellane whose Countrey was greater then all Lorraine Anchises Clodulphes yonger Brother married Begghe Daughter to Pepin of the laundes Duke of Brabant by whom he had Martin Pepin Heristell and so successiuely Eleuthere dyed without issue Charles Martel sonne to Pepin Heristell by Alpaide his Concubine Lambert sonne to Martin brother to Eleuthere Pepin the Short Frederick Charlemaigne Sadigere Lewes the Meeke Rainier the first Duke of Lorraine not hereditarie but inuested by Charles the simple in the sayd Dutchie Charles the Balde  Lewes the Stammerer Gilbert eldest sonne to Rainier Lewes the fourth  Lothair Henry died without issue Lewes the 5. dyed without issue Bona daughter to Ricint second sonne to Rainier and brother to Gilbert maried to Charles D. of Lorraine Charles D. of Lorraine brother to Lothaire vnkle to Lewes the fifth after his Neuewes decease without issue was defrauded of the Crowne by Hugh Capet maried Bona daughter to Ricint Wherefore Bona daughter to Ricint descēded of Clodulph the elder sonne of Clodios familie who pretended them selues to bee robbed of the Crowne by Merouee and his posteritie maried Charles D. of Lorraine discended of Anchises the yonger familie of Clodio of whome are come Charlemaign and his ofspring Thus doe we by their saying see the line of the elder house of the Clodios which had lōg bene preserued in the Dukes of Mosellane Lorraine fallē here to the distaffe so as at this daye there appeare no other of this stock but the same which is grafted into y e yonger That is the ligne of To this Charles brother to Lothair the first that obteyned the enheritaunce in the Dutchie of Lorrain after the decease of his brother Lewes belongd y e Crowne of France by his succession to Charlemaigne Also because he married Bona the Daughter of Ricint the two rights do Clodio into the house of Charlemaigne by this marriage of Bona vnto Charles Duke of Lorraine of whom came Ottho Gerberghe and Hermingarde Gerberghe in her first mariage was ioyned with Rainier Earle of Montz and in second with Lambert Earle of Louaine Hermingard was married first to Albert Earle of Namure whose posteritie doe yet liue saith he in the houses of Lorraine and the Capetz But because Hugh Capet obteyned the Crowne the house of Lorraine pretende them selues to be the onely aftertwigges bourgeons of Charlemaigne and in the right of Charles aforesayd euen from Clodio y e Crowne of Frāce Howbeit sith they can not deny but this Ottho y e only sonne to Charles seme to ioyne in the issue of this mariage viz. the right pretended by the Dukes of Mosellane against the Merouingiās who as is aforesaid seme to haue depriued y e Clodios and the right of the house of Charlemaigne which so long tyme and so peacealy they had enioyed which two rights and titles to take away all difficulties doe together comprehende whatsoeuer may be required namely the proprietie belōging to Bona by the succession of Clodulph the elder of the familie of the Clodios and the possession fallē into y e house of Charlemaign frō the ligne of the sayd Charlemaigne drawne frō Anchises the yonger house of the Clodios and thus should these two rightes and titles belong to the children begotten of the dyed without issue and so consequently his titles pretences with him let vs see how in their Genenealogies they patch vp this breach sayd Charles and Bona and their posteritie whō this author faineth those of the house of Lorcaine to be Ottho then saith he sonne to Charles and Bona beeing inuested in the Dutchie of Lorraine by the Emperour whose parte after his fathers example he tooke seeing himselfe out of hope of children did by the sayd Emperours consent adopt for his sonne Geoffrey le Barbu Earle of Arden and brother to his mother Bona daughter to Recinde or as others say his brothers sonne who so restored the masculine ligne of Clodio in Lorraine viz. the sonne of Recinde the sonne of Rainier c. discending from Clodulph the eldest sonne of that familie as is aforesayd And thus shall we finde the two titles vnited in the person of Geoffrey le Barbu that is the right and title of the Clodios as beeing from them issued the right of Carlinghes or issue of Charlemaigne as being by Ottho Duke of Lorrain adopted into that house Whereby in case any of the titles be called in question they may choose to which they will cleaue And thus consequently they followe on from father to sonne in this maner Geoffery le Barbu comming of Clodio by Ricinde Rainièr c. and adopted by Ottho Duke of Lorrain and sonne to Charles had issue Gothelo who had Geoffrey the 4. who had Geoffrey le Bossue or with the crouched backe who dyed without issue leauing to succeed him one onely sister named Itte by whom both the titles aforesayd of the Clodios and Carlinghes fell to the Distaffe who maried say their Chronikles with Eustace Earle of Boulogne whom the sayd Geoffrey adopted into his succession Thus againe because here also is interruption they supplye their want with an other adoption as before saying that Geoffrey le Bossue did by the consent also of the Emperour adopt this Eustace for his sonne in consideration of his mariage with his sister Itte and thē by this adoption they meane to giue to vnderstande that the titles and pretences of the house of Clodio are into him and his heires grafted and incorporate And further for auoyding the obiection that might bee propounded namely whether the titles and rightes of the Clodios were not in so long processe of tyme extinguished especially sith the Popes intermedling and vsing their authoritie haue declared the sayd Charlemaign and his of spring to be lawfull Kings of France they do againe for the vniting of these two families of the Clodios and Carlinges bring in this Eustace to be of the issue of Charlemaigne both by father and mother
in maner following By his father Eustace with the cleere sight by a Daughter to Charles the Bould Charlemaigne Lewes the Meeke Charles the Bould Judith Daughter to Charles the Bould and wife to Balduin le ferréé Earle of Flanders Baldwin the balde Alâ—â—â—ce surnamed Haâ—equin brother to Baldwin the third Earle of Flanders Rainier Guydo Baldwine Eustace with the cleere eye Eustace Earle of Boulogne husband to Itte By his mother Mary daughter to Henry Earle of Louayne by Gerbergghe Daughter vnto Charles Duke of Lorrain whom Capet robbed Charlemaigne Lewes the Meeke Charles the balde Lewes the Stammerer Charles the Simple Baldwin the third Lewes the fourth Charles D. of Lorrain as aforesayd whom Capet ouercame and defeated of his hope Gerbergghe Daughter to Bona and Charles aforesayd and sister to Otho which Bona say they was of the race of Clodio This Gerbergh maried LaÌ„bert le Barbue Earle of Louayne father to Mary mother to Eustace Earle of Boulogne Thus by their accoumpt doe this Eustace of Boulogne by adoption come to be heire to the familie and titles of the Clodios and both by father and mother is enheritour to the house and rightes of Charlemaigne that is to the Crowne of France Also to the ende we may the more plainly perceiue the Author doth not in vaine pretende the noting of these Genealogies but hath some subtile drift hee sheweth himselfe to be often and much offended because wee will not credite this Genealogie of Eustace as in these wordes This is the Genealogie of Eustace whereat many doe repine for in troth both by father and mother he is discended from the house of Charlemaigne Againe in an other place he saith Some doe dissemble this meaning to inferre that Eustace proceeded not from so high a degree but I would such sclanderers might bee punished as they deserue Out of this mariage of Eustace Earle of Boulogne and Itte came fower sonnes Godfrey of Buillon Baldwin Eustace and William who all each after other were Dukes of Lorraine and the first at his voyage into the Holy land tooke the armes which yet they beare Howbeit the three first dying without issue notwithstanding the annales of Lorraine doe attribute some to Baldwin the succession returned to William Baron of Ioninuille the fourth sonne and his posteritie thus In an other place the author bringeth in the matter more plainely viz. that Geoffrey with the backe dying without issue adopted Godfrey of Buillon sonne to Geoffrey the 4. sonne to Gothelo c. that is to say proceeding directly from the ligne of the Clodios and his own father Eustace Earle of Bologne husband to Itte William his fourth sonne Baron of Ioninuille and heire to his three brethren Theodoricke his sonne Simon the first Mathew the first Simon the second dyed without issue or made them Religious persons Frederick the first brother to Simon Thibault the first dyed without issue Matthew the second brother to Thibault yongest sonne of Fredericke Fredericke the second Thibault the second Fredericke the third Rodulph Iohn Charles the 2. who by Margaret daughter to the Emperour Robert had Isabell maried to Renee Duke of Anieow Calabre and Prouence And here failed the ligne male of Eustace Earle of Boulogne and his rights doe fall by the Distaffe into the house of Anieow by the successors of this Renee of the bloud of France as discending from Lewes of Anieow sonne to King Iohn the second Then doe followe Antony Duke of Lorraine and Bar. c. Frances sonne to Antony Charles the 3. now Duke of Lorraine Renee D. of Anieow husband to Isabell heire of Lorraine Iohn sonne to Renee Nicholas sonne to Iohn who dyed without heires or frieÌ„ds Yoland daughter to 〈…〉 of Anieow and Isabell who the sayd Renee beeing ouercome in warre and taken by Philip of Burgundy vnto whoÌ„ Antony Earle of VaudemoÌ„t was associate for his freer deliuerie out of prison permitted to marrie with Fredericke the sonne of the sayd Antony Fredericke Earle of VaudemoÌ„t husband to Yoland Duchesse of Lorraine Renee their sonne D. of Lorrain by his mother Earle of Vaudemont by his father whom Charles the 8. forbad to take vppon him the title of King had 2. wiues the first daughter to the Earle of TaÌ„karuill whom for barrennesse he forsooke the second Phillip daughter to Adolph D. of Gelderland by whom he had 12. children among the rest Claude Earle of Guyze Frances Duke of Guyze Henry now Duke of Guyze Thus is the Dutchie of Lorraine at this present in the house of Vaudemont Now after so many alterations of the house of the Clodios into the masculine ligne of the Carlinghes by the marriage of of Bona from the ligne of the Carlinghes to that of the Clodios by the adoption of Geoffrey le Barbu out of the ligne of le Barbu into y t of the Earles of Boulogne by the mariage of Icte from the Earles of Boulogne into the house of Anieow thorow the mariage of Isabell Also out of that of Anieow into the house of Vaudemont by Yoland All these beautifull shewes and royall pretences might seeme to haue benè spilled with so often powring out of one vessell into an other as being euen long since no further question of the Clodios or Carlinges by either the father or mothers side but onely of the house of Vaudemont But to take away these difficulties those of Vaudemont now Dukes of Lorraine and Earles or Dukes of Guyze are yet say they of the house of Charlemaigne namely because they say themselues to be come of the house of the Earles of Alsatzs they from the Emperour Conrade and he of the race of Charlemaigne That all this is rehearsed to some entent viz. to waken and stirre vp the pretences of those of Lorraine against the bloud of our Kings comen from Capet the author doth in his proceedings sufficieÌ„tly shew For as he hath to his power contemned Merouee the head of the Merouingians by whome they say themselues to be defrauded of the Realme of FraÌ„ce before the same was in 〈◊〉 hatched 〈…〉 not likewise absteyne from declayming against Hygh Capet and blemishing his whole posteritie This Capet sayth he was a Tyrant who vpon Charles D. of Lorrayn and his issue vsurped by force and frande the Crowne of France and not content with the emprisoning him at Orleans did miserably put him to death with his children Lewes and Charles whom he had by his second wife Agnes If you aske him of his original in liew that he draweth the others readie crowned out of the bellie of the Troyan horse be fetcheth in Ottho great vnckle to Capet from a Witichind banished out of Saxony and bringeth him into France vppon a Curtall with one onely varlet and a Cloakebagge Yea he taketh such felicitie in often repeating this storie that it seemeth if it lay in him he would soone haue brought our Kings to the same trayne Also as in his Epitaphs made
A necessary Discourse concerning the right which the house of Guyze pretendeth to the Crowne of France Faithfully translated out of the French AT LONDON Imprinted for Edward Aggas 1586. A discourse concerning the pretended right of the house of Guyze to the house of France IT is commonly knowne thorowout this Realme that the house of Lorraine attributeth to it self the right of y e Crowne of France to y e prouing whereof such Chronickles and Genealogies as in y e daies of the late King Henry the second they falsified might easily be recouered as also the consultations by them holden concerning their title in the tyme of the late King Frances the second together with those remembrances which in the raigne of the late King Charles the ninth yea and euen vnto this day haue bene scattered among the people still aduancing by such deuises their practizes and deuises according as the subuertion of this poore Estate doth seeme to growe on by meanes of Ciuill Warres where through the lawfull Princes power beeing deminished the sinewes weakened and the path to nouelties prepared they haue promised to them selues place in their pretended seate by thrusting forth of those whom they accompt vsurpers These matters hauing many tymes bene opened to their Maiesties they haue bene so farre from beleeuing them to bee other then sclanders inuented vpon some similitudes of trueth by such as maliced or enuied this famelie that the same notwithstanding they haue committed into their hands as well the weapons as authoritie royall yea and vnder pretence of Romish Religion haue permitted them to practize Leagues in this Estate that is to prepare their factions and partakers to the first occasion and as it were to make tryall of the Crowne upon their heades which haue so hartened some Doctors of Sarbonne that they haue presumed in argument to graunt that a Prince or King fayling in his duetie to the Romish Church may by the same be dispossessed of his Crowne yea and some Munckes to the contempt of the King and derogation of the Princes of his blood haue preached forth the praises of those vndertwigges or borgeons as they terme them of Charlemaigne admonishing their auditors to cast their eyes vpon them as vpon the perfect restorers of the Church and Estate all which notwithstanding no man hath had regarde thereto or controulled such presumption as if the fortune of this Realme were growne fatally to bee dismembred in these our daies and that properly by this famelie To the ende therefore to cut off all doubtes and manifestly to enter into consideration and notice of this matter I am most humbly to beseech my Lord the King and all Princes which haue the honor to apperteine vnto him diligently to peruse a Booke intituled the Genealogies of Lorrain Barr which 〈◊〉 lately printed at Paris wherein they shall euen word by word finde the same to haue bene published at this tyme to the onely ende to enstruct euery one in the pretended right of the house of Lorraine to this Crowne and of such iniurie as they suppose that the house of France doth vnto them thereby to prepare the people against that alteration which they imagine to bee at hand shall fall out But because the vollume is large the poyson diuersly dispersed through all parts cloked and couered vnder sundry fables I haue thought good herein worde for word to examine and note the principall points and groundes thereof This Booke is written in Latin by one Frances of Roziers of Bar-le-duc Archdeacon of Thoul in Lorrain and dedicated to my Lord of Lorrain which also to the ende it may haue the more free passage is printed with y e Kings Priuiledge by one William Chaudier a Printer To come therefore to the matter It is euidently knowne y t since the Francons first inhabited Frāce by them surnamed Gaule we haue had three stocks of Kinges to raigne ouer vs. viz. Merouingians discended of Merouee Carlinghes proceeding from Charlemaigne and Capetz whose posteritie doth yet raigne in our Kings as also it is not vnknowne that the Lorraines doe pretende to the Crowne as heyres to Charlemaigne but if this Author may be beleeued the same is to them due euen from the Croyan horse whereof Merouee and his posteritie defrauded them before any of these three families had interest therein so as by that Lawe which saith there is no prescription against the Church or Prince all our Kings from the first to the last haue bene vsurpers and the true heire to the French Crowne remained in the family of the Dukes of Mosellane from whom the house of Lorraine doe fetch their originall These are the Authors very wordes in the third Booke Capitall iest 44. 45. c. Pharamond who first brought the Francons into France had by his wife Basine daughter to the K. of Thuring sundry children of whom the eldest was Clodio le Cheuelu or the hearie This Clodio among the rest had two sonnes Ranchair and Alberick Ranchair had three sonnes Ranchair the second Richer and Rainald who long tyme kept the Countrey of Cambray against the Merouingians but were in the ende subdued by the power of Clouis K. of Fran̄ce who with his own hands murdered them as before hee had done their father Ranchair the first Thus fell the right of eldership to Alberick the second sonne of Clodio who notwithstāding he was K. of the East Frenchmen did not neuerthelesse succeede his father Clodio because Merouee had gotten the Crowne This poore Alberick after his fathers decease retired into the lands of Aussois Moselle and Arden c. where so well as he might he kept himselfe out of the way from their furie Againe Consider with your selues the case of this poore Prince who being of the Royall familie was not onely depriued of his Realme but also through the crueltie of Merouce who sought vtterly to roote out the race of Clodio forced to hide himselfe wherefore he withdrewe himselfe to Montz in Henault there to expect the issue of the tyrannie of Merouee and his posteritie after hee had in vaine had recourse to the armie of Attila for his reestablishment But if you aske him of whence this Merouee the vsurper of the Crowne frō the predecessors of the Lorrains and the first originall of our Kings of France was he was saith he a bastard to Clodio or as others affirme a Capteyn or kinsman of his who by Clodio him selfe being made tutor to his childrē in respect of their youth defrauded the pupilles of their estate Then he goeth on and saith Vaubert discending from Clodio by this Alberick was ouerthrowne by Clotaire K. of France who was in feare least he should obteyne the Crowne but was forcibly againe restored by Thierry K. of the Ostrogoths Likewise that this ofspring of Merouee namely the race of Clouis seeing Ansbert the sonne of Vaubert to be a man of great hope seking to establish their Kingdome endeuoured to put him to death but he being
vppon pleasure and added to the eude of his Booke he bringeth in this Albericke Duke of Mosellane whom he pretendeth to be robbed by Merouee speaking in these verses Quaeres Alberi Quae fata parant fili Tantum dissidium ne imperio patris Illustratus agas quod rapiunt truces Meruingi So doth he also induce Charles Duke of Lorraine unploring the ayde of all Christian Princes against Capet and his of spring in these wordes Huc huc adeste â—ortes quique principes Huc aduolate quaeso Reges ac Duces Ecquis feret vestrum fati insolentiam c. Capetus ille inuasor Regni Gallici Lothario Francorum Rege mortuo Heu me satum quidem antiqua prosapia Quondam illius magni ac Insinis Caroli Armis volens procul expellere c. The conclusion whereof is Vnum mihi superest vt vindicem Deum Expectem in hisce aâ—gustijs As if with Dido in Virgil he would say Exoriare aliquis nostris ex ossibus vltor I will here omit infinite other speeches which he ouerthwarteth to the misprision of the race of the Capets likewise his pretendings to Anieow Prouince Naples c. preiudicially to this Crowne which also he striueth for so much as he may But the commendations which with the coÌ„tempt of our King he attributeth to the Guyzes of our time may not be dissembled The affayres of France sayth he had good successe vnder the gouernment of the Cardinall of Lorraine but after his decease Henry now raigning grew out of fauour with his subiects because that soone after the Cardinal of Guyze had anoynted him giuing himself to his pleasures he ruled all things after his owne fancie which are the meanes to effeminate and abase a Kings heart thus began France to be wrinckled and euery thing to runne into ruyne Speaking of the late Lord Prince of Conde he did sayth he all that he might to attaine to the tyrannie Also after the death of King Frances the second be and his associates were suffered to depart without correctioÌ„ Neither doth he of the Kings late brother or the King of Nauarre speake much more modestly But whereto all this except to the ende to declare the King through his negligence and the Princes of his blood for their supposed Rebellion for euer vnworthy the Crowne Also that as their Preachers haue sufficiently cryed out euery one may in these miseries which vnto man are as spurres to nouelties cast their eyes vppon these pretended after twigges or bourgeons of Charlemaigne Howbeit herein I haue onely vndertaken to open the Authors purpose in his Booke as also the entents of those that procured it to bee printed and whosoeuer will take the paine to reade it may finde much more Neuerthelesse least any should deceiue themselues I will briefly in fewe wordes examine the groundes of this succession He fetcheth his Dukes of Mosellane out of the Troyan horse with the Francons In what credible Historie hath he found it He maketh Albericke Duke of Mosellane sonne to Clodio le Cheuelu and defrauded of the Realme by Merouee where can he shewe that except in a few supposed Genealogies of Lorrain notwithstanding toward the end of his fables hee quoteth many Authors to make a shewe who all speake neuer a worde thereof But what will he say to those Histories that make Merouee the sonne of Clodio or how could he bee other then the eldest sith he was of age sufficient to be tutor to Alberick And which is more how can Albericke complaine that Merouee robbed him of the Crowne of FraÌ„ce when if we will beleeue the best Historographers Merouee was the first Francon that euer bare title of King in France But let vs graunt them all their fables from Clodulph Duke of Mosellane vnto Bona wife to Charles Duke of Lorraine yet how could the mariage of her bring to him Clodulphes right to the Crowne when the Salick law which was originary FreÌ„ch and made with the Counsaile of Pharamond excludeth the female froÌ„ the succession thereof Or admit Charles Duke of Lorraine was wrongfully defrauded of the succession of Charlemaign by Hugh Capet and his posteritie yet discending they will graunt that Ottho his only sonne dyed without issue but if contrary to the Salick law they will admit daughters to succeede let them shewe vs some reason why the house of Lorraine should bee preferred before our Kings sith themselues holde opinion that they all discended of one and the same daughter But if they wil hould them to Geoffrey le Barbu Earle of Ardenne whom Ottho adopted what neede they bring in these daughters Besides where finde they this adoption or in what Court was it euer exeÌ„plefied yea or how dare they auowe that it was then purposed to extend to the Crowne of France And as for that of Eustace of Boulogne who séeth not therin manifest fraude sith themselues 〈…〉 neither author nor title yea and are euen 〈…〉 who Godfrey of Buillon was also 〈…〉 were he or Eustace whom Geoffrey le 〈…〉 Where also they labour to proue that this Eustace was both by father and mother discoured of Charlemaigne to what purpose may it serue 〈…〉 was but by daughters vnlesse in subuerting the Satick lawe to habandon this Realme for a pray not to the Lorraines onely or to the Ardâ—â—â—â—s but also to all the families in Europe that haue bene allied to the house of Fraunce Moreouer although Isabell maried with Renee of Anieow and Poland with Frederick Earle of Vaudemont yet who can affirme that therby they transported to their heires of Lorraine or Guyze the rights of Clodio and Charlemaigne which themselues were not capable of neither did transport although they had had the same These therefore are but fables wherwith in the meane time they feede the people blemishing so much as in them lyeth our Salick law as false and purposedly inuented Moreouer notwithstanding all their pretences which are most false were true yet after that an Estate is established in a familie by lawfull calling and approbation of the Commonwealth and people and that for so many hundred yeeres it is a manifest token that God against whom it is in vaine to striue and to whose decree all people ought to coÌ„discend hath transferred such a Realme or Estate into that familie But because many an euident right hath decayed for lacke of power and many a wrong hath preuayled against right through default of strength to authorize the same the especiall poynt consisteth in debarring them from accompanying their fraud with force especially with our own as many tymes haue fallen out through the calamities of Ciuill warres which doe yeeld the people vnpatient of their present estate and starueth them after nouelties This discourse haue I thought good to direct to your Maiestie not for your self onely but also for others that haue great interest therein and to whose lot it will peraduenture fall to haue the deciding of this quarrell or els to leaue it ouerstrong for their successors vnlesse they before take order for the same And I beseech God to graunt them good couÌ„saile to his glorie the preseruation of their greatnesse and the benefite of the poore people Amen FINIS In his summary before the 4. tome