Haillan himselfe confesseth that before the time of Philip le Long 1321. Iamais auparauant on n'en auoit oâ—y parler la faisant en ce temps la approuuer partous les Seigneurs du royaume les â—ns par promesser les autres par force et par menaces The Law Salique was neuer heard tell of before this Kings time who caused it to bee ratified by all the Nobles of his Kingdome some by faire promises and others by force and threates Hereupon they haue their prouerbe Le royaume de France ne peut tomber de Lance en quenouille The Kingdome of France cannot fall from the Lance to the Distaffe Some say it is called Salique of the Saliens a people anciently inhabiting about the Ryuer of Rhein but the likelyest is that it comes of the two words wherwith iâ— begins Sâ— aliqua and which are often repeated therein as in many of our processes vpon some word therein vsed they take their names as a Scire facias a Nisi prius a Latitat Touching that of Appennages which is also a Law of great consequent for the Crowne for by this thâ— Domayne cannot bee aliened and by the other thâ— Crowne cannot fall into the hands of strangers You must note that this Law imports that the yoÌ„ger sonnes of the King cannot haue partage with the Elder which till the time of Charelemagne when this was made they might they must onely haue Appennage sans propriâ—te By which Charter of Appennage is giuen all profits arising of the said Apannes as Domaine the hundreth rents rights of Seigneurie parties casuelles lots sales hommages right of vassallage Forrests ponds ryuers iurisdictions patronages of Churches prouisions and nomination of Chappels goods of Main-mort fifts of Lands sold and all other profites and commodities whatsoeuer to returne to the Crowne for want of heire male But the leuying of taxes and aydes the minting of money and all other things of regality reserued Some are so curious to deriue this word from the Greekes of Apan totum and Agnon sanctum Because forsooth the French returning from the holy Land by Greece saw there the like course vsed which they brought home with them Others say it comes of Pain bread because it was for their sustenance much like the Lawe of the olde Romanes for the maintenance of their daughters to whome they allowed a yeerely pension out of their lands But others say it is deriued from the Almaigne word Abannage which signifies a portion excluded from the rest that because they haue this particular allowance they can make no claime to any other of the Princes states This Appennage hath often beene so great as it hath bred many inconueniences as that of the Duchie of Burgondie by Charles the fift to his brother Philip which did often after much preiudice the Crowne of France And that of the Duchie of Normandie by Lewes the eleuenth to his brother which was after changed for Guyenne and that againe for Champagne and againe at last for Berry whereabout were great troubles for many yeeres in France as by the Historie appeares Oftentimes also the yonger brothers are content to take yeerely pensions and quite their said Duchies or Counties holden in Appennage Concerning the other sort of Lawes in this Realme they are infinite which argueth a consequente that they be ill kept for gens humana ruit per vetitum nefas and ab Antecedente that the people of this Countrey haue beene ill enclined for euill maners cause good lawes These French lawes are too full of preambles processes interims and prouisoes as by all their ordinances edicts appeareth Nihil mihi frigidius videtur quam lex cum prologo iubeat lex non suadeat There is nothing me thinks colder then a Law with a Prologue Let a Lawe commaund and not perswade Of all these Lawes I will onely name you this one Que la minorite du Roy soit assisteé d' vn Conceit esleu par les Estats de France auquel les Princes du sang doiuent tenir le premier lieu et les estrangers esolus That the minoritie of the King shal be assisted with a Councel chosen by the States of France wherein the Princes of the blood ought to holde the first place and strangers to be excluded which was enacted at Toures by Charles 8. anno 1484. I tell you of this as of the true source and spring of all these late ciuil warres because the Cadets of Lorraine by insinuation with the young Kings Frances the second and Charles the ninth vnder the fauour of the Q. Mother tooke vpon them to manage all publike matters at their owne pleasure and thrust out the first Princes of the bloud of the house of Burbon Whereupon Nauarre and Condie the Princes of this family assisted by many of the FreÌ„ch Noblesse embarqued themselues in the action of reforming such an abuse and displacing the Guysard out of this authoritie tooke it vpon themselues to whome it rightly belonged Of these ciuill broyles I meane by way of digression somewhat to speake to giue you better taste thereof as also to see in what miserable tearmes this present King found the State of whome by order of this relation I am next to remember La France a souffert sâ—pt guerres et a veusix edicts de pacification en leursguerres ciuiles France in these ciuill broyles hath suffred seuen warres and seene sixe Edicts of Pacification The first was in sixty three at Paris the second in sixty seuen at Longemeau the third in seuenty at Paris the fourth in seuenty sixe at Ienuile when first began the League at Peronne the fift at Poicters in seuenty seuen the sixt in eighty one Not one of these Proclamations which was not brokeÌ„ new flames of warre kindled the imputation whereof the French Writers lay most vpon the Q. Mother by whom she is compared to Fredegunde Brunhalt two damnable Queenes of France and the Firebrands of their time She came from the Family of the Medices in Florence in which City ye may note that in three seuerall yeres but not much distant were borne three seuerall Monsters Alexander Medices that spoyled Florence of her liberty the fairest City in Italy This woman that ruined France the fairest Kingdome of Europe And Machiauell that poysoned Europe the fayrest part of the world She bare too great loue to her old friends of Lorraine and too little to her young sonnes of Valois her hate was too hote to the reformed ReligioÌ„ and her care too cold to reforme the State She had too much wit for a woman and too little honesty for a Queene for where one is without the other a little is too much Next her are charged the Cadets of Lorraine in three ages the Grandfather the father child and al of their houses for he that will rightly compare the times shall find that the drift of the Count S. Paul in Lewes
the 11. time was al one with this of the Guises in these late troubles namely for that the warres only maintayned them in their greatnesse and forced the King to stand in need of them whereas the peace might be much preiudiciall to them and bring them to their accounts for many matters ill carried in their charges Hereupon the Count set on his King to enbarke himselfe in a warre against so great an enemy as the Duke of Burgogne and these euen forced their Master to war vpon his owne Subiects against so good a cause as true Religion And as he desired nothing lesse then that the Duke should condescend to his Maiestie and so make a peace so did these only wish that they of the Religion might still stand stiffe in their profession Likely also it is that at the first they did not so much as dreame of obtayning the Crowne as hauing foure Princes of the house of Valois al yong besides the house of Burbon standing in their way But when these one after another died and the times grew so fauourable through their popular carriage the onely signe of an ambitious mind as that all the eyes of France were bent vpoÌ„ them then they raysed their thoughts as high as the highest place and the rather because the Religion of the next Prince of the bloud who should bee serued before them was so contrary to the general liking of the French State Their only cause they said was Religion but true it is that Haillan saith that Religion is only the cloke and pretext selon les esprits des païs ou selon les menees et practiques des grands qui donnent cette opinion aux peuples According to the humors of the country or the driftes and practises of the Grandies who possesse the people with that opinion And in another place Diuisions sont comme fatales à la France et entre les causes qui l' ont trouble toutes les fois qu'il à este la diuision de grands a este la premiere et la principale et tousiours couuerte du nom du bien publique et de la Religion Diuisions haue beene as it were fatall to France and of all the causes of her trouble at any time the diuision among the Grandies hath euer beene the first and principall and alwayes cloaked with the name of the publike good and Religion The onely patterne and Mirrour whome the last Duke of Guise folowed in these his dangerous deseignes for the obtaining of the Crowne was Pepin who to depose his Master and to preferre himselfe found no way more compendious then to professe himselfe the Protectour of the Church and Rooter out of heresies For which good seruice the Romish Church inuested him with the Crowne of France and hee gaue them many Territories in Italy both large caruers of that which was not their owne But the vsurpation was most vniust as also the attempt it selfe howsoeuer they shadow it with the colour of Religion For Nulla iusta causa videri potest contra Remp. arma capiendi No cause of taking armes against the State can seeme truely iust It is a pitifull spectacle to see a happie State brought to ruine by the diuision of her great ones but when it is wrought by such of the Nobilitie as are newly infranchised and ennobled with all preferments who were but lately strangers it is much more lamentable and also insupportable The three great States of England Spaine and France can instance herein and giue you examples of Piers Gauestone Aluaro de Luna and this house of Lorraine These are they of whom all the late writers complaine Les François esloient lois speaking of former times vrays François n'auoyent point succéle laict de Lorraine qui donne les humeurs de toutes les sortes de Trahisons The French were then true French they had not yet sucked the milke of Lorrayne which breedes humors fit for all sorts of treasons And as it is sayd of Lalain a gallant Gentleman in Commines his time Estoit d'une race dont pens'en est trouue qui n'ayent esté vaillans quasi touts morts en seruant leurs Seigneurs en la guerre He was of a race whereof few can be found that haue not bene valiant and almost all of them slaine in the warres in their Princes seruice So may we say of these that it hath bin a valiant race and most of them haue dyed in the warres but with this difference that it hath still beene against the good of their Countrey howsoeuer they couered their treasons with the vaile of bien publique publique good as one saith of the Duke of Guyenne and Bretagne Mais en fin le bien publique estoit conuerti en bien particulier But in the end the publique good was turned to priuate profit The chiefest supporter of these Guisards and that still gaue oyle to the fire of this rebellion was the King of Spaine who the comparison of the State of France with the game of Primero saith that he stood by and looked on following that Machiauellian maxime or lesson which he had learned of the other Philippe of Macedon to suffer them to ruyne one another as did the Cities of Greece and then himselfe to take the aduantage and winne all for it is no question if Guise had wonne the game but this would haue had the rest He had this aduantage also while they were together by the eares to be in quiet himselfe for so saith the principle in the Mathematickes Ce qui faict mouuoir altruy est necessairement tousiours en repos That which giues motion to other things must needes it selfe be in rest The third cause I impute especially of the later troubles to the timorous nature and pusillanimity of Henry the 3. Ce qui donne volunté et moyens aux hommes de grands Esprits de conspirer contre leurs princes et d' attenter à l' vsurpation de la coronne est l'imbecillite et la neaâ—tise d'iceux Princes That which giues both will and meanes to men of great Spirits to conspire against their Princes attempt the vsurping of their Crowns is the weakenesse and worthlessenesse of the Princes themselues For in his time the Crowne of France was like the daughter and heire of Burgogne and the poore King like the crafty Duke made euery wooer and suter that she had beleeue that he should speede the King for feare lest by these corriuals hee should be brought lower the Duke in hope by intertaining them all to haue their aydes to raise himselfe higher Marry neither of them would gladly while they liued that this faire daughter should be married It is a dangerous thing in a State when the King dare not punish the ambitious desseignes of his Subiect Voyla le mal-heur d'vn siecle miserable iniuste de cognoistre l' iniustice ne
then a matter of loue betweene Orleans and Burgogne And we had one in England about no smaller a matter then the Crowne impatientes consortis erant maiestas amor Both Maiestie and loue Do no Corriuals loue Betweene the houses of Lancaster and Yorke wherein Commines sayth were betweene three and fourescore of the bloud slayne How true that is I remember not but as I take it there were fought ten battels betweene them one hundred Barons Knights slayne ten Princes Dukes and Earles and an hundred thousand naturall English Animus meminisse horret My mind doth tremble yet But to remember it That diuision was the onely cause why we not onely lost all we had in France but also the meanes to recouer all which wee ought to haue had for in those times France her selfe also was miserably distracted brought to so lowe an ebbe as one sayth Dieu fit ce bien en ce temps-lae que les gueres diuisions d' Angleterre esloyent encores en nature les vns contre les autres So may they now thanke God and our late Queene The Nurse of Peace and refuge of the afflicted who as is sayd of the great Earle of Warwicke That he thought it as great an honour to make a King as to be a King to cancell with the Speares poynt the forged law of the Saliens tooke not such oportunity but raysed the afflicted lownesse of the desolate King of Diepe to the peaceable possession of the great Realme of France But it is a thing euer obserued in great States and Kingdomes that they neuer rise to any greatnesse except in their rising they meet with many lets and are sometimes euen brought to such lowe tearmes as they are thought past all hope as Athens by the Persians and Rome by the Gaules the like is to be said of great Princes as of Edward the fourth of England and this Henry the fourth of France of whome wee may truely report as Plutarch doeth of Camillus Si Camillus n' eust esté perdu Rome ne se fust pas retrouuée If Camillus had not bene lost Rome had not bene found againe Possidonius calles Marcellus the sword and Fabius the buckler of Rome but we may call this King both the one and the other to France to one to cut off all disturbers of the State the other to defend his Subiects in the libertie of their conscience and enioying of peace This office he now executes in his quiet reigne that other he vsed in time of the ciuill warres when as alwayes they of the Kings part sent for his aide to the suppression of the Leaguers though after that done they cared not for him So saith Plutarch of Themistocles Les Atheniens n'y honoroyent n'y ne l' estimoyent point en temps de paix mais quand il leur suruenoiel quelque orage de guerre qu'ils se voyoient en danger ils recoureyent à luy ne plus ne moins qu' on fait à l'ombre d'vn Platane quand il suruient vne soudaine pluye puis apres quandle beau temps est venu on l' esbranche luy coupe l' on ses rameaux The Athenians neither honoured nor esteemed him in time of peace but when they were ouertaken with any storme of warre and that they sawe themselues in danger then they had recourse to him as men vse to runne in a suddaine shower to the shelter of a Plane tree and as soone as it is faire weather againe they breake and cutte off his branches This King then of whom now by course I am to relate is about 48. yeeres of age his stature small his haire almost all white or rather grisled his colour fresh and youthfull his nature stirring and full of life like a true French man One of his owne people describeth him thus De son naturel il est si extremement vif et actif qu' à quoy qu'-il s' adonne il s' y met tout entier ne faisant tamais gueres qu' vne seule chose à la fois Deioindre vne longue deliberation auec vn faict presse cela luy est malaise Le faire et le deliberet se rencontrent en mesme temps Mais aux conseils qui ont traict de temps à la verité il a besoigne d' estre soulage Vne promptitude admirable d' esprit Aux affaires de la Iustice des finances aux negotiations estrangeres aux depesches à la policie d' estat il croit les autres il ne s' en mesle point He is of such an extremely liuely and actiue disposition that to whatsoeuer he applyes himselfe to that hee entirely employes all his powers seldome doing aboue one thing at once To ioyne a tedious deliberation with an earnest and pressing affayre he cannot endure Hee executes and deliberates both together But in Councels that require tract of time to say the truth hee hath neede of helpe He hath an admirable sharpnesse of wit In affayres of Iustice of his Reuenues forrayne Negotiations Dispatches and gouernment of the State hee credites others and meddles little himselfe He sayth there farther that though by his Phisiognomy his fashion maner of behauiour ye would iudge him leger and inconstant yet is no man more firmely constant then he He confesseth it were hard for him not to be sparing considering the profuse and lauish spoyle that his predecessor made before him yet to salue the matter he makes this difference That the other gaue much to few this giues a little to many If you remember when we saw him play at dice here in Orleans with his Noblesse he would euer tell his money very precisely before he gaue it backe againe I will not spare in this discourse which is onely for your selfe priuate to speake the trueth though of a King we are here in a Country where ye daily heare his owne Subiects speake of him more liberally And besides his Maiestie hath generally this commendation which is very laudable in a Prince he can endure that any man should tell him the truth though of himselfe Which I will interpret to wisedome though perhaps some will impute it to a facility of nature Concerning this thriftie vertue then of sparing we must note that he is a very good mesuager Il fait d' argent auec ses dens He makes money with his teeth saith the Frenchman meaning his sparing of great and superfluous expence at his table And for his giftes wee may call him by an Antiphrasis as Plutarch sayth they vsed to call Antigonus in scorne doson that is qui donnera pour ce qu' il promettoit tousiours iamais ne donoit One that will giue because he alwayes promised but neuer performed For my part I thinke he giues S. P. Q. R. not Senatui populoque Romano that is to all sorts of people but Si Peu Que Rien
ready to giue the enemy he should haue great care of his own person for that the Sacrifices had foreshewd some danger Sparte dit il ne depend pas d' vn homme seul Sparta depends not vpon one man alone This Plutarch reproued in Pelopidas And Homer in his descriptions makes alwayes Achilles Aiax and the best and chiefest Commaunders best armed Stetit sub Aiacis clipeo septemplice tectus The shield of Aiax seuen-fold Did shrowd him safe and make him bold And the lawes of Greece punished that Souldier that threw away his buckler But I will end this discourse with the answere of Timotheus to Chares a Generall talking of his many woundes of the body and hackes in his shield and I quoth he quite contrary am ashamed of this that when I besieged Samos I came so neere the walles that an arrowe from the Towne lighted hard by me For that Ie m' estois trop aduance en ieune homme hazarde plus temerairement qu'il ne conuenoit à Chef d'vne si grosse armée I went too farre like a forward yong fellow and hazzarded my selfe more rashly then became the Generall of so great an Army For the chiefe Commaunder is the moity of the whole force When one told Antigonus that the enemy had more shipping then he at the I le of Andros Et moy dit-â—l ponz combien de vaisseux conte tu I pray you for how many ships count you me If then one Generall be in stead of many ships at sea and many troopes at land it behoueth he be carefull to keepe those forces well that is him selfe if he will doe his Countrey good seruice You must note therefore that there is no man so great by birth or Noble whom it well becommeth not to be as valiant and forward as the best euen though hee were a King and indeed the greater hee is the more his honour is engaged to be valiant prouided alwayes that hee bee not the chiefe Commaunder of the Army As the King of Boheme dyed in the field on the French Kings side fighting against the English in France with more honour then the French King Francis the first at Pauie in Italy where by his too great forwardnesse hee was taken Prisoner Therefore it is that one saith Vn bon saye General doit mourir de vieilesse A good and discreet Generall should dye of age But to returne to the King Hee is naturally very affable and familiar and more we strangers thinke then fits the Maiesty of a great King of France But it is the fashion of this Countrey of France as Bodin sayth though he seeme much to misse-like it and preferreth the fashion of England Suedon and Poland where the Princes haue more Maiesty and reuerence among their subiects For as Plutarch sayth C'est bien difficile de maintenir vne seuere grauité pour garder sa reputation en se laissanâ— familierement hauter à tout le monde T is a hard matter for a man to keepe a seuere grauity for the vpholding of his reputation if he familiarize himselfe with euery body Wherevpon he there sheweth how retyredly Pericles liued from the common view of the vulgar sort So we likewise reade of the Kings of Borny Aethiope Tartary the grand Signor himselfe and the great Duke of Moscouy that they seldome come abroad in publike to be seene of the people We may therefore say of the Frenches liberty as Artabanus Lieutenant General to Xerxes said to Themistocles Quant à vouâ— autres Grecs on dit que vous estimez la liberte et l'egalite sur toutes autres choses mais quant à nous entre plusieurs autres belles constumes et ordonnances que nous â—uous celle-la nous semble la plus belle de reuerer et adorre nostre Roy comme limage de Dieu de nature qui mantient toutes choses en leur estre leur entier T is sayd that you Greeks aboue all things esteeme liberty equality but among many other our excellent customes ordinances wee iudge this to be the best to reuerence and adore our King as the Image of the God of nature that maintaynes all things in their being and perfection And we may wel inferre as Haillan doth Familiaritas parit contemptum and contemptus coniurationem le mesprise est la cause de coniurations contre le Prince Familiarity breeds contempt and contempt treason You saw here in Orleans when the Italian Commedians were to play before him how himselfe came whifling with a small wand to scowre the coast and make place for the rascall Players for indeed these were the worst company and such as in their owne Countrey are out of request you haue not seene in the Innes of Court a Hall better made a thing me thought most derogatory to the Maiesty of a King of France And lately at Paris as they tell vs when the Spanish Hostages were to be entertayned he did Vsher it in the great Chamber as he had done here before and espying the Chayre not to stand well vnder the State mended it handsomly himselfe and then set him downe to giue them audience It followeth I speake of his descent and Pedigree wherein you shall see hee is lineally descended of the house of Burbon from Robert Earle of Clermont yonger sonne to Lewes surnamed the Saint from whome for default of heires males in the house of Valois descending of Philip le hardi the elder brother hee is now rightly entituled to the Crowne of France The lineall descent of this house of Burbon whose word is Esperance Hope is this Saint Lewes had two sonnes namely Philip le Hardy King of France Robert Earle of Cleremont married to Beatrice daughter to Archibald of Burbon Lewes Count of Cleremont first Duke of Burbon married to Mary Countesse of Heynalt Iaques Duke of Burbon maried to Iane de S. Paul Iohn Duke of Burbon Count of March maried to Katherin Countesse of Vandosme Lewes of Burbon Count of Vendosme maried to Iane of Lauall Iohn of Burbon Count of Vendosme and Isabel his wife Francis of Bur. Count of Vendosme to Mary of Luxembroughe Countesse of S. Paul Charles of Burbon to Francis of Alencon Anthony of Burb. King of Nauarre Henry 4. K. of France Nauarre 3. base children Caesar D. de Vandosme Henryette a daughter Alexander Count de Foix. Katherine Princesse of Nauarre now presently to be married to the Prince of Lorraine Francis Du. of AnguieÌ„ Charles Card of Burbon Iohn Du. of Ang. Marguerite maried to the D. of Nener Lewes of Bur. Prince of Conde Henry P. of Conde Henry Prince of Conde heire apparent to the Crowne of France Francis P. of Conty Charles Count of Soissons NOw yee see from what Ancestors he is come yee must also obserue what issue is come of him In the vnfortunate and inhumane massacre at Paris wherein the olde
15. millions which is worth 50. His rents of his Aydes are also gone for they are engaged to each Generallity in France as of Paris Rouen Caen c. to the number of one twenty of them and each hath his portion therein which would be too tedious to set downe in particular His Offices are all sold and many thousand erected ouer and besides the ordinarie and money also made of them His poore people are already with these ciuill Warres so spoyled and impouerished as there is almost nothing to be had I see not therefore but we should say of this King as the Recueil de l' estat de France saith of the Duke of Sauoy Quant-à son argent pour faire bonne chere en sa maison il y en a assez mais pour faire me si grande guerre non As touching his money hee hath enough to make good cheaâ—e at home but not to maintayne so great a warre So hee to make merry with his friends in this merry time of peace hath money enough mais pour payer vne si grande summe non But not to pay so great a summe of debtes It now remayneth to speake of his Entrade or Reuenue For a Prince cannot haue peace without war noâ— warre without men nor men without money nor money without meanes nor are there any meanes but these viz. First Domaine Secondly Conquests Thirdly Dons des amys Fourthly Pension des allies Fiftly Traffique Sixtly Imposts sur les Marchandisez apportes ou emportes Seuenthly Imposts des Subiects First Domayne Secondly Conquests Thirdly Giftes of his friends Fourthly Pension of his Confederates Fiftly Traffike Sixtly Impositions vpon Marchandise brought in or carried out Seuenthly Impositions vpon his Subiects And yet one other which the Kings of France haue lately inuented to helpe when all other fayled which is Eightly the sales of Offices more dangerous and preiudiciall to the State then any other Of these 8. meanes I wil giue you particular obseruations and then conclude what is generally holden to be the whole Reuenue of the Crowne of France by all these meanes First the Domayne is as it were the Dowre which the State brings to the King her Husband for her tuition defence and maintenance And therefore one saith n' est au Roy ains à la Coronne Belongs not to the King but to the Crowne There are 2. sorts of Domaines First the rent which the King holds in his hands of the Feifes giuen for seruice Secondly that which is vnited and incorporate to the Crowne The rights of the Domaine are these Rents Fifts payments at alienations tributes peages toll of whatsoeuer enters or comes out of Cities woods forrests and diuers other This is the most ancient and most lawfull ground and foundation of Finances For yee shall obserue in Liuy that at the first there were in the territorie of Rome onely eighteene thousand Acres of land whereof one third was for the Church and sacrifices another for the Resp. and the rest for particular men This is also confirmed by Dionisius Halicarnasseus who liued with Master Varro the true Register of the Romane antiquities as Bodin cals him A Citizen of Rome had but two Acres but after the expulsion of Tarquinius they had 7. apiece This diuision among the Romanes was deriued from the Egyptians who did diuide their whole land into three parts One for the Church another for the King and the third for the Calasyres That is Domaine which belongeth to the Crowne First either by Possession time out of mind Or secondly by Reunion for want of heires males as the Appennages when they returne Thirdly or by Confusion for want of such as can make iust claime much like our concealed lands in England Or lastly by Confiscation of offenders inheritances Of this last sort wee reade that in the time of Saint Lewes there were confisked to the Domaine the Counties of Dreax Bray Fortyonne and Monstreuil Languedocke Guyenne Aniowe Maine Turraine Auuergne And after in the time of Philip the Duchy of Alençon the Counties of Perche Perigort Poutieu La Marche Angoulesme Marquisate of Saluzzes But Bodin saith most of this came to the Crowne by force La sieur de la serre He saith it came by way of exchange or purchase But the Author of the Comentaries of the estate of the Religion and policie of France is of the first opinion Thus great was the Domayne in former times that of it selfe without oppressing the people with Impositions it was sufficient to maintayne the State and greatnesse of the Kings of France but it is now vtterly wasted On sçait bien que le Domaine qui seul entretenoit la splendeur et le lustre de l' estat Royal n' est tel qu'il estoit de temps du regne des roys Loys 11. Ch. 8. et Lo. 12. La continuation des guerres l' a faict engager en plusieurs mains entelle sorte qu' il faudroit plus de quinze on seze millions des liures pour rachepter ce qui en vaut plus de câ—nquante millions T is well knowne that the Domayne which alone maintained heretofore the beauty and lustre of the Royall Estate is not now such as it was in the raignes of King Lewes 11. Charles 8. and Lewes 12. The continuance of our warrs hath caused it to be engaged in many hands in such sort that there is neede of more then fifteene or 16. thousand pound Sterling to redeeme that which is worth aboue 5. millions of poundes And Bodin saith that almost all the Counties Baronies and Seigneuries of the Domaine are aliened for the ninth or tenth part of that they be worth Yee must obserue that the lands of the Domaine are not alienable but in two cases 1. Pour l' Apennage des freres 2. Pour les guerres 1. For the ApeÌ„nage of the Kings brother 2. For the warres these must be coÌ„firmed by the Arrest of the Parliament For in all other cases all Lawyers and Historiens of France agree that it is inalienable and many Arrests haue beene made of late yeeres to confirme it I haue read that the Charta magna of England saith the Kings when they are crowned take an othe not to aliene it so doe they heere in France And there is no prescription of time to make such sales or alienations good but that they may bee recouered and repurchased whensoeuer the Crowne is able To this purpose Plutarch sayth well Men cannot prescribe against God nor particulars against the Respublique 2. Concerning the second meanes of raysing mony by Conquests the present state of France can yeeld no example it hath bene long on the losing hand but ye shall read that the Turke dayly when hee conquereth a Prouince or Countrey giues the Lands to such as shal serue him in the Warres whom he sendeth thither as it were Colonies to enioy eche
sayth The Reuenue of Charles the sixt which was but fourteene hundred thousand Francks was as sufficient to mayntayne the greatnesse of a French King as that of Charles the nynth which was fifteene millions considering the price of all things and pension of Officers enhaunced And so by consequent the ransome of the Sultane of Egypt of fiue hundred thousand Liures which hee payd the Turke not much lesse then the three millions of Crownes which Francis the first paide to Charles the fift It remaineth I speake of of the Administration and Execution of Iustice and of those places and persons where and by whome it is done I will therefore begin with their Assemblies as the highest and greatest Court of al which well resembleth the Parliament of England the Diet of the Empire or the Counsell of the Amphyrthions in Greece We may say of these Assemblies of France where matters are concluded by the multiplicitie of voyces not by the poyze of reason as was said of the Romanes elections where the Consull propounded and the people approoued by suffrage or disprooued or as the Philosopher Anacharsis said of Solons Common-wealth Es consultations et deliberations des Grecs les sages proposent les matieres et les fols les decident In the consultations and deliberations of the Greekes wise men propound the matters and fooles decide them There are three especiall causes of calling these Assemblies The first Quand la succession à la Coronne estoit douteuse et controuersé ou qu' il estoit necessaire de pouruoir à la Regence durant la captiuité ou minorité des Roys ou quand ils estoyent preclus de l' vsage de leux intendement When the succession of the Crowne was doubtful and in controuersie or when it was to take order for the Regencie during the Kings captiuitie or minoritie or when they had not the right vse of their wits Hereof ye haue examples Anno 1327. S. Lewes an infant and Charles the sixt Anno 1380. lunaticke and 1484. Iohn prisoner For all which occasions Assemblies were called to determine who should haue the Regencie of the Realme in the meane while The second cause is Quand il est question de reformer le Royaume corriger les abus des Officers et Magistrats ou appaiser les troubles et seditions When there is question of reforming the kingdome correcting the abuses of Officers and Magistrates or appeasing troubles and seditions Hereof ye haue examples 14.12 when a peace was made between the Infants of Orleans Burgundy whose houses had long warred one with another and distracted all the Nobilitie of France to their parts taking Also anno 1560. when Frances the second called an assembly at Orleans for the different of Religion where the Prince of Condie was arrested and condemned of treason and where this young King died before hee could see the execution And anno 1587. an assembly called at Blois for the reformation of the State punishment of diuers abuses in Magistrates as the Duke of Guise pretended and for the deposing of the King as some thought that he entended others say that he had here plotted to kill the King and that the King had but the start of the Duke one day for if he had deferred the death of the Guise till the next day the lot had fallen vpon himselfe There is a very iudicious late writer who discoursing of this assembly at Blois where the three Estates excepted against the Kings ill Gouernment complayneth that of late they are growne too insolent in their demaunds Ye shall reade in our Histories of such a like Parliament as this in England called by Henry of Derby against Richard the second The third cause is la necessitè du Roy ou royaume où l' on exhortoit aux subsides subuentions aides et octrois The want and necessity of the King or kingdome in which case the Estates are exhorted to giue Subsidies subuentions aides and gratuities For in former times the Kings contenting themselues with their Domaine and impost of such wares as came in or went out of the land the two most ancient and most iust grounds of Finances were not accustomed to leuy and impose vpon their Subiects any taxe whatsoeuer without the consent of the three States thus assembled They did not say as of later yeeres Lewes the eleuenth was wont Que la France estoit vn pré qui se tondoit trois fois l' anneé That France was a Meddowe which hee mowed thrice a yeere The next Soueraigne Court for so the French call it is the Court of Parliament le vray temple de la Iustice Françoise Seige du Roy et de ses Paires The true temple of French Iustice Seate of the King and his Peeres And as Haillan calles it L'archbouttan des droicts the Buttresse of equitie This Court very much resembleth the Star-Chamber of England the Areopage of Athens the Senate of Rome the Consiglio de' dieij of Venice There are no lawes saith Haillan by which this Court is directed it iudgeth secundum aequum et bonū according to equitie and conscience and mitigateth the rigour of the Law Les nom des Parlements sont appliquez aux compagnies de Cours Soueraignes qui cognossoient en dernier ressort de matieres de iustice The names of Parliaments are giuen to the bodies of Soueraigne Courtes which determine without appeale in matters of Iustice Of these Courts of Parliament ye haue eight in France That of Paris the most ancient highest in preeminence which at first was ambulatory as they call it euer followed the K. Court whither soeuer it wēt but since Philip le bel it hath beene sedentary in this Citie That of Grenoble was erected anno 1453. That of Tholouse anno 1302. That of Bourdeaux anno 1443. That of Dijon in the yeere 1476. That of Rouen in the yeere 1501. That of Aix the same yeere And lastly that of Bretaigne in the yeere 1553. Anciently all Arch-Bishops and Bishops might sit and giue voyces in this Parliament of Paris but in 1463. it was decreed that none but the Bishop of Paris and Abbot of Saint Denis might sit there except he be of the Bloud for all these are priuiledged The Presidents and Councellors of the Court of Parliament of Paris may not depart the Towne without leaue of the Court by the ordinance of Lewes 12. in the yeere 1499. Senatores semper adesse debent quòd grauitatem res habet cum frequens est ordo The Senators ought alwayes to be present because things are carried with more maiestie when that Court is full To this Parliament they appeale from all other subalterne Courts throughout the Realme as they doe in Venice to the Consiglio grande Neither can the King conclude any warre or peace without the aduice and consent hereof or at least as Haillan sayth hee demaundeth it for
THE VIEVV OF Fraunce HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE London printed by Symon Stafford 1604. THE VIEVV OF FRANCE CAESAR in his Commentaries deuideth the people of Gaule into Belgi Celtae and Aquitani parted the one from the other by the two Riuers of Seine and Garond the Aquitani from the Celtae by the Garond the Belgi from the Celtae by the Seine and these betweene the two Riuers According to which diuision Philip de Commines boundeth France with two Seas the Ocean and Mediterranean with two Mountaynes the Alpes and Pireneis and with one Riuer the Rheine If I should follow the direction of these two most approued authorities I must be forced to discourse of such Princes as are interessed in this large compasse as namely the Spanish King the States of the low Countries the Dukes of Sauoy and Lorraine the Pope himselfe the little City of Geneua and others but I onely purpose to take a view of that which is directly vnder the Crowne of France at this day and thereof to giue a superficiall relation France then is seated vnder a very temperate and wholesome Clymate En tout le monde il n'y a Region mieux situèe que celle de la France car nous y tenons de region chaude et aussi de la froid There is no Countrey in the world better scituate then that of France for it participateth of the Clymate both hote and cold It is in length from Bologne to Marseilles two hundred leagues after the rate of three English miles a league and in breadth from Mount S. Bernard to S. Iohn de Luze as much for it is holden by some Authours to be of figure quadrate which notwithstanding Bodin denyeth avowing it to be in forme of a Lozenge with whom La Noüe consenteth measuring it thus From Calais for now Calais is French to Narbone North and South is two hundred leagues from Rochell to Lions West and East is one hundred and twenty leagues From Mets to Bayonne Northeast and Southwest two hundred leagues and from Morley in Bretagny to Antibe in Prouence Northwest and Southeast as much True it is that many places within this compasse are holden but not of the King as Auignon and what else the Pope hath Toul Verdun and Mets of the Empire Cambray of the house of Austrich in like case of Protection as Constance in Swisserland Vtrich in the lowe Countries and Vienna in Austria and as Lucca and Genoüa in Italy protected by the King of Spayne So doe Lorraine also and Sauoy hold of the Empire As contrarily there be places out of this circuit which notwithstanding hold of this Crowne in right and owe him fealty and homage as the Spanyard for the Counties of Flanders and Artois which he hath euer since the time of Frauncis the first denied to render THe diuers Prouinces of the Countrey are very many the chiefe are these Picardy Normandy I le of France Beausse Bretagne Aniowe Maine Poictowe Lymosin Xantonge Champaigne Berry Sologne Auuergne Niuernois Lyonnois Charrolois Bourbonois Daulpheine Prouence Languedocke Tourraine and Burgundy All which are particularly set downe in Mappes as also in the Booke called The French Guide where he vndertaketh to resemble eche Countrie to some other thing as Bretaigne to a horse shooe Picardy to a Neats toung and such like which are but idle and disproportioned comparisons as one may well obserue that seeth these Countries in the Card. But the thing of best note in each of these is their singular Commodities and fruits wherewith they are blessed for the sustenance of the Inhabiter Insomuch that as they say of Lombardy that it is the Garden of Italy so may we truly say of France that it is the Garden of Europe Picardy Normandy and Languedocke goodly Countries of Corne as any in Christendome all the Inland Countries full of Wine fruits graine in some great store of wood in others of flaxe in others Mines of salt in others of Iron Insomuch as one sayth Toutes choses necessaires à la vie humaine y regorgent en telle abondance que seulement du bled du vin du sel et du pastel qui se transporte es païs estrangers il y entre en contr'eschange annuellement plus de douze millions de liures All things necessary for mans life ouerflow there in such abundance that in counterchange only of the Corne Wine Salt Woad transported into forreine Countries there is yeerely brought into France twelue hundred thousand pounds sterling And another no lesse approued and as well practised in the State of France sayth Les sources du sel du vin et du bled sont inespuisables The Springs of Salt Wine and Corne are not to bee drawne dry In which place he complayneth that the Kings of France were wont in times past to helpe their neede with sales of Wood which are now of late yeeres so spoyled as France shall shortly be forced to haue their lard frō other coūtries as also wood to build and burne a complaynt which I haue often heard in England Other Prouinces haue also their especiall Commodities wherein they excell their neighbours as in Lymosin the best Beeues about Orleans the best Wines in Auuergne the best Swyne in Berry the best Muttons where there is such store as thereof they haue a Prouerbe when they would taxe a fellow for his notable lying that tells of a greater number then the truth they say Il n'y a tant de Moutons en Berry As one would say Fye there be not so many sheepe in Berry They partake with vs also in sea commodities as vpon the coast of Picardy where the shore is sandy they haue store of flat fish vpon the coast of Normandy Guyen where it is rocky fish of the Rocke as the French call them and vpon the coast of Bretaigne where it is muddy store of round fish as Lamprey Conger Haddock so likewise in diuers seasons diuers other sorts as Mackerels in the end of the Spring and Maquerelles Bawds at all times Herrings in the beginning of Autumne as we haue in England c. Bodin will needs take vpon him being no more pertinent to his matter then it is heere to shew the reason why in old time among the most delicate toothsome Trencher-men of the ancient Romanes they alwayes feasted with Fish because sayth hee it is neyther so mezzeld as Porke nor scabd as Mutton nor ranke as Goat nor dropsy as Lambe nor impostumate as Beefe nor subiect to the falling sicknesse as Quayles and Turky-Cocks nor to inflammations as Capons nor to lice as Pigeons and yet the friand French-man as well as we neuer eats it but on maigre dayes fasting dayes and then also by compulsion of the Lawes But by his leaue I suppose they in old time did it vpon a vaine-glorious prodigalitie not for any licorousnes for Sardanapalus
let long since to bee called La plus belle Capitainezie du monde au moins de la Chrestiente The goodlyest gouernment in the world at least in Christendome There are requisite in all Ports to make them perfit these foure things 1. Magnarum multarum NauiuÌ„ capabilitas 2. Nauibus tutissima statio 3. Ad hostilem vim coercendam habilitas 4. Mercatorum frequentatio 1. Roome to receiue many and great Ships 2. Safe riding 3. Facility of repelling forraine force 4. Concourse of Marchants The most of these French Ports haue all foure properties except onely the last which in the time of these ciuill broyles haue discontinued and except that we will also graunt that Calais fayles in the first The Cities in France if ye will count none Cities but where is a Bishops Sea are onely one hundred foure There be so many Archbishops and Bishops in all as shall in more fit place be shewed But after the French rekoning calling euery Ville a City which is not eyther a Burgade or a Village we shall finde that their number is infinite and indeed vncertaine as is also the number of the townes in generall Some say there bee one million and seuen hundred thousand but they are of all wise men reprooued Others say sixe hundred thousand but this is also too great to be true The Cabinet rateth them at one hundred thirty two thousand of Parish Churches Hamlets and Villages of all sorts Bodin sayth there be twenty seuen thousand and foure hundred counting only euery City for a Parish which will very neere agree with that of the Cabinet and therefore I embrace it as the truest By the reckoning before set downe of two hundred leagues square which France almost yeeldeth we must compute that here is in all forty thousand leagues in square and in euery league fiue thousand Arpens of ground which in all amounteth to two hundred millions of Arpens which summe being deuided by the number of the Parishes sheweth that one with another eche Village hath one thousand fiue hundred and fifteene Arpens which measure is bigger then our Acre Wee may if wee will abstract a third because Bodin will not admit France to be square but as a Lozenge For in matter of such generality as this men doe alwayes set downe suppositions not certaynties Of all these Cities and great Townes I will omit to speake in particular though a Stranger must very precisely obserue whatsoeuer he sees in his trauayle affying in La Noue his censure for their maner of Fortification Sion veut sayth hee regarder par toute la France ie cuyde qu'on n'y trouuera horsmis quelques chasteux aucune ville qui soit à demy parfaite sâ—lon les regles des ingenieures If a man will looke throughout all France I thinke that some Castles excepted hee shall not finde any Towne halfe perfectly fortifyed according to the rules of Ingeners Onely I must adde that since his time which is now aboue twenty yeeres many Townes also haue bettered their maner of fortifying amongst which none more by report then that of Rochell and lately that of Amiens of which wee might last yeere while the Spanyard held it say as is sayd of Decelea in the Territory of Athens which Alcibiades counselled the Lacedemonians to take and fortify namely that it did consumet et mettre a bas la puissance de la France autant et plus que nulle autre chose Consume and bring low the power of France as much as any thing else whatsoeuer And that it kept and scowred all the passages from Paris to Rouen like that other from Athens to Eleusina But as the losse of this Towne wounded the whole body of France so the regayning of it was not onely the healing of the hurt receyued wherin it was better then the Pelias Hasta but also the raysing of it to these happy tearmes wherein it now stands This Towne would giue mee good occasion to speake of the last yeeres siege the Cardinalles comming and the Cittyes yeelding with many other accidents very memorable and worthy the recounting wherein I had rather spend an howres time in talking then any Paper in writing for that to pen it asketh the iudgement of a Soldier of which honour I am most vnworthy Neyther will I also spend time in the discoursing of other Cities which we haue seene heere in France as of their situation building wealth and fortification saue onely of Paris because the French say this is a world no City After that I will breefly relate of the Castles in France and of some reasons why it is preiudiciall to the quiet of a State to haue many of them except they all belong to the Prince who ought to haue of them in his frontier places and Lymitrophes as they call them and vpon Cities which are strong to keepe theÌ„ in awe not else and as that of S. Katherines which you sawe at Rouen now rased and then I will end the first branch of this Relation namely of the Topography of this Countrey The City of Paris seated in a very fruitful and pleasant part of the I le of France vpon the Riuer of Sein is by the same deuided into three parts that on the North towards S. Denis is called the Burge that on the South toward the Fauxbourges of S. Germaines is called the Vniuersity and that in the little I le which the Riuer there makes by deuiding it selfe is called the Ville This part no doubt is the most ancient for saith my Authour Lutece est vne ville des Parisiens assisse en vne Isle de Seine Lutecia is a City of the Parisians seated in an I le of the Seine We may distinguish it thus into Transequana Cifequana and Interamnis The part beyond the Seine that on this side the Seine and that in the I le encompast with the Riuer It is reputed not onely the capitall City of France but also the greatest in all Europe It is about the walls some ten English miles these are not very thicke the want whereof is recompenced with the depth of the ditch and goodnes of the Rampart which is thicke and defensible saue on the South side which no doubt is the weakest part of the Towne on which side it is reported that the L. Willoughby offred the King in foure dayes to enter at such time as he besieged it Wherevnto the King condescended not by the counsell of the olde Marshall Biron who told him It was no policy to take the Bird naked when he may haue her feathers and all On the other side especially towards the East it is very well fortified with Bulwarke and Ditch fayre and moderne Les Rampars furent faictes es portes S. Antoine S. Michel et S. Iaques et ailleurs 1544. The Ramparts of the Gates S. Anthony S. Michel and S. Iames and elsewhere were made 1544. This
heires males to the house of Valois and for want of issue male in them is now come to the house of Burbon In this space of time you must obserue the three ages of France Her child-hood till Pepin her manhood till Capet her olde age till now For in the first age the Kings were like children content to be taught by others in matters of Religion as then ye may note that Clouis receiued the faith and was baptized as also in matter of policy they were content that others should beare the whole sway and rule them also such were the Maieurs de Palais whereof Pepin was one that vsurped In their manhood they did like men conquer kingdomes relieue distressed Christians ouercome Saracenes Infidels defend the Church against all assayles as ye may perceiue by the History of Charles the great and his successors And lastly now in her old age she grew wise erected Courts for iustice made lawes and ordinances to gouerne her inhabitants wherein no Countrey in Europe hath excelled her for so sayth my Author Il n'y a contré au monde ou la iustice soit mieux establit qu'n la nostre There is no Countrey in the world where Iustice is better established then ours which is true but with this addition of a later writer s'ilny en auoit tant et trop et s'ils estoient iustement exercez If the Officers thereof were not too too many if their places were rightlâ— executed This was the reason why many wise men of the world did imagine that this Feuer of the league which was entred at Peronne some 20. yeres since against France would haue shakeÌ„ the State from a Monarchy to an Aristocracy considering that in age nothing is more dangerous and besides it was now her climactetical yere of GouernmeÌ„t for this is the 63. King though this be but a curious and ill grounded conceit as also that other of the pourtreicts of the Kings in the Palace at Paris where because all the voyde places be fulfilled they would needes coniecture forsooth or rather conclude that there should be no moe Kings But this is but an idle dreame and presupposition for in the Cathedrall Church of Sienna in Italy all the roomes for the Popes are filled vp long ago euer since the time of Martin the 5. and yet notwithstanding that Sea of Rome stil hath a Pope But Du Haillan saith that as vertue was the cause that this State rose froÌ„ the ground of her base beginning to this height so Fortune hath beene the cause that she is not falne froÌ„ that high pitch to her first lownesse For he can see no reason of her standing considering these ciuill warres the difference of Religion the ambition of houses the conspiracies and reuoltes of the people the true causes of falling Therefore hee concludes La bonne Fortune nous a plus serui que nostre vertu Good fortune hath helped vs more then our owne vertue But without so much talking of the good Genius and bon-heur good hap of France hee should haue asscribed the first cause to God and the next to her Maiestie but this French is euer a thankelesse people I must not force this Relation with many notes of things here happening in former ages it is both impertinent and tedious onely I would wish you note that in 482. the Christian Faith was here receiued and in the yeere 800. the Romane Empire hither translated Concerning the Countrey of France the State is a Monarchy the gouernement is mixt for the authority of Maieurs Escheuins Consuls Iureurs c. is Democraticall the Paires the Counsels the Parliaments the Chambers of Counts the Generalities c. are Aristocraticall The calling of assemblies giuing of Offices sending Embassages concluding of Treaties pardoning of offences ennobling of Families legitimation of bastards coyning of moneys and diuers other to the number of 24. are meerely Regall called of the French Droicts Royaux And sure it is that no Prince in Europe is a more perfect Monarch then he for besides all these priuiledges named as we say of the Parliament of Paris that it hath the prerogatiue to bee appealed vnto from all other Courts which they call the Dernier ressort the last appeale so is it likewise true that the King himselfe hath the meere and absolute authoritie ouer this For though no Edict or Proclamation no Warre or Peace which he makes bee good without the consent and Arrest as they call it of this Court Yet true it is that when he sending to them for their confirmation and ratifying thereof if at first they refuse send Deleguez Deputies to his Maiestie to informe him of their reasons and humble sute to reuoke the same he returnes them vpon paine of his displeasure and depriuation of their Offices to confirme it Sic volo sic iubeo Such is my pleasure and absolute commandement As touching the Lawes of France we must know that most of theÌ„ are grounded on the Ciuil Law of the Emperor but so as this State euer protesteth against theÌ„ so far as they be good and equall insomuch as in former times it was ordeined that he which alledged any Law of Iustinian should lose his head Of the Lawes here in force some are fundamentall as they call them and immortall such as nor King nor assembly can abrogate others are temporall Quemadmodum ex his legibus quae non in tempus sed perpetuae vtilitatis causa in aeternum latae sunt nullam abrogari fateor nisi quam aut vsus coarguit aut stâ—tus aliquis reip inutilem facit Sic quas tempora aliqua â—â—siderant leges mortales vt ita dicam ipsis temporibus mutabiles esse video I confesse none of those Lawes which are not Temporary but established as eternall for the vniuersall good are euer abrogated such onely excepted as either vse findes hurtfull or some state of the Commonwealth makes vnprofitable so I see that those Lawes that are applied to particular times occasions are mortall as I may call them and change times with change And therefore one saith Quae in pace latae sunt plerumque bellum abrogat quae in bello pax vt in nauis administratione alia in secunda alia in aduersa tempestate vsi sunt Warre commonly abolisheth Lawes made in peace and peace Lawes made in Warre Euen as Mariners in guiding a Ship vse one course in faire weather another in foule Of the first sort I will onely remember you of two examples the Law Salique and that of Appennages As for the first they would needes make the world beleeue that it is of great antiquitie wherewith they very wrongfully tromped the heires of Edward the third of their enioying this Crowne of France which to them is rightly descended by his Mother and whose claime is still good were the English sword well whetted to cut the Labels of this Law Of which
the chiefe Gamesters had their heeles blowne vp the Duke of Guise stabbed at Bloies the Cardinall strangled in the Castle the Duke of Parma poysoned at Arras the Duke Ioyense slayne at Coutras the Duke de Mayenne ruyned at Iuery the Duke de Mercaeure come in this March who lately marched afore his troupes in Bretaigne a capalto with an erected countenance now walketh vp and downe Paris like Dionisius in Corinth Capo chino hanging the head This was iust such an Hexarchie as Charles Duke of Burgogne wished in France who had hee liued till now had seene what hee wished When Mons. Durfé charged him that he loued not France but sought by all meanes possible to disturbe the State thereof â—ush sir saith he you are deceiued l' ayme mieux le bien du royaume que vous ne pensez car pour vn roy qu'il y a ie y en voudroy siâ— I wish better to the Kingdom then you imagine for one King that there is nowe I would there were halfe a dozen All these forsooth agreed that the Common-wealth was sicke and out of temper ech one pretended with his Phisicke to cure her The D. of Guise to ease the paine which was at the hart ment as he doth that giues the best remedy for the tooth-ake to pull them all out to strike off the head To which purpose at the Barucadoes of Paris hee had the King fast in the Castle of the Louure but yet most vnwisely hauing the bird in the cage let him flye away The Cardinall that should by his calling haue ministred the most gentle and lenitiue kind of Phisicke and if it had beene possible haue cured France with good counsell prescribing a good diet ministred nothing but corrasiues and bitter pilles of disdaine among the Nobles The Duke of Parma like a Doctor of good practise brings with him a whole shop ful of Phisicke inough to purge all France hee applieth his receipt of the Low-Countrey Souldiers to ease her of her malady but the weake stomacke of this Countrey could not brooke so strong an ingrediens and therefore shee vomited them out againe before they had done the deed The Duke Ioyeuse like a desperate young Doctor that would get credit in his trade vpon his first patient by putting all to the hazard without vsing any preparatiues or obseruation of criticke dayes giues the potion before Monsieur Matignon could come at him who came with other good phisicke to assist him in this practise but at that time they say that Mars a maleuolent Planet was retrograde in Aries or entring into Taurus and so it should seeme for one of the King of Nauarres troupes called Monsr Taurin as they say gaue him a Pistolade in the head Ioyeuse was not so precipitate to breake the Impostume before it was ripe but the Duke de Mayenne was as much a dreamer to forslow the occasion for wheÌ„ his brother Guise was stabbed and all the great Cities reuolted to him Ioe then was she sicke at the hart he should then haue plyed to haue applyed his medicines but then had he his Phisicke to seeke And after when the party was pretily recouered began to refuse Phisick hauing a little relished the wholesome diet of good counsell then comes he in such haste that hee brake his bottels by the way and so was a loser by the bargayne As for Monsieur de Mercaeure hee playd the good Kitchin Doctor of whome Rablais speaketh who gaue his patient the necke and bones to tyre vpon and kept the wings himselfe for he left them all France tyred and tewed as bare as a birdes bone and kept Bretaigne one of the fattest wings of the Countrey to himselfe purposing to haue entituled himselfe Duke thereof But these were all pretended Phisicians the poore King Henry the third ment wel indeed but wanted skill who found by experience after hee had slaine the Guise and left the rest of his house that were then in action how dangerous a thing it is in matter of execution to doe it to the halfe and that in ministring phisicke a violent potion is not so dangerous as one that is too weake which onely stirreth the humors and is not able to expell them Among so many Phisicians we must needes haue one woman to looke to the patient this was the Queene Mother of whom and her Sonne Charles 9. that consented to the Massacre of Paris we may say with the Poet Crudelis mater magis an puer improbus ille Improbus ille puer crudelis tu quoque mater Which hath poore France more ruinde and vndone The cruell Mother or her wicked Sonne A wicked Sonne was he A cruell Mother she This Queene who with the two other Queenes with whom she is before compared may be called the Alecto Tesiphone and Megera the three Furies of France in stead of being a Nurse and cherisher of her Infants and family which shee should haue bene by all law of reason became a Stepdame as shee was by nature being an Italian Who for more as it is thought then honest loue to the Guisard Doctors desired still to haue her people kept lowe and sickely that they might be aduanced by their practise These were they that left France in such pitifull taking vnder a false pretext of reformation of the State as we might well say of it as is said of the abandoned French Constable in Lewes 11. his time Il ne sçauoit à quel Saint se vouÄ›r se tenoit comme pour perdu He knew not to what Saint to vow himselfe but held himselfe for a lost man or as their prouerbe is here Il ne sçauoit de quel bois faire ses flesches He knewe not of what wood to make his arrowes But leauing France for a while in this grieuous sicknesse till the Hercules that now reignes conquered this monstrous Hidra and like a skilfull Esculapius recouered her of this pestilent feuer ye may obserue this one Epiphonema heere necessarily imployed namely That Diuision in an Estate is the most compendious way to her downefall Discordia res magnae dilabuntur By discord great matters melt away to nothing as hath well appeared by this great State of France Here is also a good lesson for other to beware by Tum tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardet The burning of your neighbours Towers Concernes you neere next turne is yours And as Rablaies saith Vn fol enseigne bien vn sage A foole may teach a wise man wit And if you would haue yet more instances of the miserable effects of Factions read Guicciardine and you shall bee plentifully furnished as with the Colonni and Vrsini in Rome the Bianchi and Neri in Florence the Adorni and Fregosi in Genoa and so almost through euery particular Citie and in generall ouer all Italy the Guelphi and Ghibellini Here was also one here in France about no greater cause
or forty within the compasse of one league besides their children Out of these if the King would hee might compose a Gendarmery of 8000. men at Armes and 16000. Archers which bodie of 24000. Gentlemen would represent in the field 60000. horse Hee might also haue a cauallerie Legiere of foure or fiue thousand Gentlemen He might also furnish the Ban and Arierban according to the olde fashion with twelue or fifteene thousand Gentlemen And yet might hee haue besides all this foure or fiue thousand for the State of his Court and gouernment of his Prouinces This is his computation But you shall see it proued when wee come to speake of the Nobilitie of France that it is exceedingly shortned in number and decayed in estate and therefore nothing able to come neere this number As good a consequent it were to say that because yee haue two or three millions of men in England able to fight that therefore our State can bring so many into the field without considering the prouision of Armes and all other things necessary But this Cabinet was made by one of the Religion that was transported out of himselfe by the heate of his zeale and hate to the temporall liuings of the Church Whose proiects and driftes are much like those of the Supplication of Beggars a booke made in King Henry the eights dayes where he frameth in his fancy an Vtopia and felicitie not to be hoped in France building Castles in the ayre and concluding that if it would please the King to aliene the Church temporall liuings and vnite them to the Domaine nihil est dictu facilius a thing easily sayd but not easily done that ouer and besides the forces of fourescore thousand horse abouesaid hee might also maintayne an Infantery of the French Gentlemen of twelue thousand Item another of the populare of forty eight thousand And lastly yet another Infantery legionaire of 48. thousand The Supplication was answered by Sir Thomas Moore his booke called The Pitifull complaint of the puling soules in Purgatory How well I knowe not but of this I am sure that if such a number of horse and foote should either bee maintayned vpon the Church liuing or vpon the poore people vpon whome all these charges of the Gend'armes lyeth here would bee many more puling soules and pitifull complayntes in France then are Sir Thomas Moores Purgatory It then remaines that we hold our selues to the iudgement of La Nouë afore set downe who also confesseth that in Charles the sixt his time there were in the fielde twentie two thousand Lances but since the Gendarmerie was instituted were neuer but once at Valenciennes aboue ten thousand For as for that great number whereof yee reade in M. d' Argenton that besieged Lewes the eleuenth in Paris they were the Forces of three great Princes and the better part Burgognons There is yet one thing you must note why the French haue quit their Lances and serue al with the Pistol whereof yee shall read somewhat in La Nouë and heare more of others by discourse but nothing of mee by writing for I dare not deale Vltra crepidam in a matter I vnderstand not fully I must now remember you of the Officers for the war in France and because warre is made both by Sea and by land I must also reckon the Sea officers for as for the French Kings forces at Sea I haue not yet learned that he hath any and therefore can say nothing thereof The first and principall and which commandeth all in the Kings absence euen the Peeres and Princes of the blood whatsoeuer is the Constable Who as hath before beene remembred hath his name of Comes stabuli Count of the stable For in former times the Kings chiefe Officers were called Counts with an addition of their office as Comes palatii Comes praesidii Comes rerum priuatarum Comes sacrarum largitionum Comes castrorum Comes nauium Count of the Palace Count of the Gard c. And though hee hath not now the command of the Kings horse yet keepeth he still the name This office was erected in Lewes le Gros his time It was bestowed vpon the house of Memorencie in Francis the first his time and remayneth still in the same The ancient deuice of the house of Memorency is this Dieu aide le premier Chrestien et premier Baron de France God ayd the first Christian ancieÌ„â—st Baron of France Hee hath the keeping of the Sword royall And as the Grand Escuyer Great Esquire hath the Sword in the scabberd D' Azure semé de fleurs de Lys d' or Azure seeded with flowers de Lyce or added to his Armes so beareth the Constable for an Honour the naked Sword the Mareschals beare the Hache Battel-axe and the Admirals the Anchor The Constable and Mareshals giue the othe to the King He sitteth chiefe Iudge at the table of Marble vpon all persons Sutes Actions and complaints whatsoeuer touching the warres When the King entreth a Citie in his greatest pompe or vpon a deliuerie he goeth before with the sword naked wheÌ„ the King sitteth in Assembly of the three States he is placed at his right hand He that killeth the Constable is guilty of high treason The Mareshals are named as some say of Marc. Cheual a Horse Schal maistre Master Qui commande aux cheuaux Commander of the horse Others of Marcha i. limite ou frontiere March or frontier quasi Praeâ—ectus limitum as it were Gouernour of the Marches Till Francis the first there were but two in all France after foure and now ten for as is said before when any that held either some strong Towne or place of importance came in to the King hee did alwayes capitulate to haue some one of these Offices besides summes of money and Gouernments also such was the necessities of the times saith Haillan These vnder the Constable haue the coÌ„mand ouer all Dukes Earles Barons Captaines and Gensdarmes but may neither giue battail make proclamation or Muster men without his coÌ„mandement They haue vnder them Lieutenants which they call Preuosts Marshals who haue the punishing of mutinous souldiers such as quit their colours Rogues and such like There is the office of Admirall Ce que les Mareschaux sont en vne Armée de terre l' Admiral est en vne nauale ces offices sont distinguez d'autant que le subiect est different diuers Looke what the Marshals are in a land-Armie the same is the Admirall in a Sea-Armie and these two offices are seuerall because the subiect of their imployment is differing and vnlike This office is the most ancient of all France for Caesar speaketh thereof Les Admiraux de la Prouence de Bretagne Narbonne sont louës pour la pratique dexterité des guerres nauaìes The Admirals of Prouence Bretaigne and Narbon are much commended for their practise and
in each Monastery and Benefice in this land For how is it possible the Church should haue two hundred millions of Crownes yeerely rent when as by the computation here are but iust so many Arpens of land in all France which to rate one with another at a crowne an Arpen comes to this account which hee allowes the Clergy and then is there nothing left for the other two States of the Nobilitie and people But in as much as the better halfe of their Reuenue is by the baise-mani there remaineth the better halfe of the land to the other two States which notwithstanding is a proportion small ynough Neere vnto this reckoning commeth that which we reade in Bodin of Alemant a president of accounts in Paris whose iudgement must cary good authority in this case as a thing belonging to his profession and wherein he was best experienced The Church Reuenues in land are reckoned ordinarily at twelue millions and three hundred thousand liures but I dare iustifie saith hee that of twelue partes of the Reuenues of France the Church possesse seuen This opinion Bodin seemes to allowe But it is rather thought to be true that the Comment de l'estat saith who of the two hundred millions of Arpens allowes the Church forty seuen millions which by particulars of their Vineyards Meddowes Arable Pastures and Heathes with their woods is there set downe which here to followe in particular were too tedious Besides this temporall they haue their Baise-mani as is said that consisteth in Churchings Christnings Marriages Burials Holy-bread Indulgences Vowes Pilgrimages Feasts Processions Prayers for cattell for seasonable weather for children against all maner of diseases and infinite such purposes for which the superstitious people will haue a Masse said which they pay the Priest for particularly ouer and besides all this there is scarce that Arpen in all France vpon which there is not some Dirige or de profundis some libera me Domine or some reckoning or other liable This sort of people are they whose life is onely spent in speculation and their speculation such as appeareth by their liues as that of Guido Caualc whereof Boccace speaketh Questé sue speculatiory erano solo ni cercare se troâ—arsi potesse che Iddio non fusse These his speculations were onely spent in seeking whether he could finde that there was no God These are they of whome La Nouë speaketh when he sheweth the three causes of the miseries of France which he findeth in the three States Irreligion in those that make profession of Religion Oppression in the Noblesse And dissolution of maners in the Comminaltie For saith he Impieté ruine les conscienses Iniustice renuerse les Estats Dissolution gaste les familles Impiety ruineth mens consciences Iniustice ouerthroweth the Common-Wealth And Dissolution marreth particular families Concerning them of the Reformed Religion whom here in contempt they call Huguenots yee may note that the number is not small considering that after the conference of Poâ—ssie aboue thirty yeres since here were found 2150. Churches of them whereof not one hath escaped without some murthers or massacres and wee may imagine that since that time this number is much encreased Some say they had the name of Huguenots of the words wherewith they began their Oration when they protested against the Church of Rome which began thus Huc nos venimus c. Hither we are come c. As they say the Wallons were called of these words ou allons nous whither go we when they were driuen out of their owne country asking one another whither they should go But this is not so likely as that of them who say that in Toures where they first began there is one of the Gates called Hugoes Port out of which they of the Religion vsed to passe into the fields to make their prayers in their priuate assemblies whereupon they had first the name for that one Hugo should be the first of that opinion is generally reiected I shall not need to say in this place that this difference in Religion of these Catholicks and Huguenots is cleere from the slaunder which many lay vpon them they being the occasion of all these late troubles in France for it hath beene sufficiently already proued that the ambition of the house of Guise and the parts-taking with them and those other of Burbon is guilty thereof As for Religion it hath onely beene the cloke and shaddowe of their ambitious pretences without the which they could neuer haue insinuated themselues so farre into the hearts of the people who are alwayes the gros de la bataille The maine Battell and without whome the Nobilitie may well quarrell but they cannot fight And therefore ye shall read in some of the same Religion reformed That there were Huguenots as well of Estate as of Religion These haue now free permission to professe and places allotted for exercise with all liberty of Conscience possible saue that in the chiefe Cities of France they haue no Churches allowed neyther can be buried in Christian buriall as they call it if any of them dye among the Catholicks with whome notwithstanding they now liue peaceably throughout the Countrey They cannot haue the fauour that Xantippus allowed his Dogge who as Plutarch sayth for following his master from Atticque to Salamine and there dying was solemnly interred and had a monument raised ouer the place And me thinks they haue heere small reason to let them liue together in a house and not to suffer them to lye together in a Church-yard But as for warring any longer for Religion the Frenchman vtterly disclaymes it hee is at last growne wise marry he hath bought it somewhat deare L' â—talten est sage aâ—uant la main l' Alemant sur le faâ—ct le François apres le coup The Italian is wise beforehand the Almayne in the doing and the French after the thing is done saith one of their owne Writers Ictus piscator saepit Concerning the Nobility of France Elle est sayth La Nouë tres valleureuse courtoise n'y à Estat en la Chrestientâ— ou elle soit en si grand nombre They are exceeding valorous and courteous and there is no State in Christendome where they are in so great number It hath bene argued before in this Relation that there be at least fifty thousand able to beare Armes but that is thought with the most Monsieur du Fay thinkes them about thirtie thousand in which number yee must conclude all degrees of Gentlemen from the highest to the lowest that beare Armes for so the French call their Noblesse whereas we in England make two distinct orders of the Nobilitie and Gentry as they call it Nobiles sunt si modo longam annorum seriâ—m numerare possunt quafeudum onusque militiae eis adnexum in sua familia reseaâ—rit Those are Noble which can proue a long tract of time wherein
as to get that from another which is not our owne For as it is truely said of the Spanish King that hee hath not got vpon the French money by victories but victories by money And as Plutarch saith of Philip of Macedon It was not Philip but his golde and siluer that tooke the townes of Greece So may we say of his Treaties which hee hath had with France whereunto hee hath of force beene driuen euen as Ennius saith of Fabius Our State which witlesse force made wayne His wise delayes made waxe agayne For that this nation will rather yeeld the enemie what he demandeth then bee troubled with long deliberation a thing so contrarie to his nature as nothing more You may obserue by the course of later Histories that the Spaniards purpose was to deale with France as Alcibiades said the Athenians would deale by them of Patrae They will eate you out by litle and little To which purpose in all these late ciuill Warres King Philip played the Fire-brand like the Priests of Mars who when two Armies were met threw fire betweene them for a signall of battell to set them together and then retired themselues from the danger He set the Popes on also to kindle this fire who were but Barkers and could not bite their leaden Buls did but butt they could not hurt abler to curse then to kill whose force is like that of a Whet-stone Which though it sharpnesse lacke Yet yron sharpe can make But when hee saw that little England which is to Spaine as Alcibiades said the I le Aegina was to Athens Vne paille en l'ail a mote in his eye did trump in his way and crosse his dessignes and when as hee considered that as Henry the second of France was the only cause of hindering his father Charles the fift from vsurping vpon all Germanie for which cause hee is called in their publike writings The Protector of the Empire and deliuerer of the Princes So her Maiestie by defending the oppressed and withstanding his Forces deserueth the Title of Protectrix of France and deliuerer of the Estates Hee was then content to motion a Peace and like a false friend when he could doe no more hurt to shake hands Herevpon he did capitulate to render Calâ—is Durlens Ardres Blauet and other places conquered or surprised vpon the French A course no question wisely taken by the Spaniard considering the termes wherein hee stoode the want of money hee had the credit hee had lost in all Bankes the decrepit age wherein he was and lastly the sudden and incredible good fortunes of the French King and State after so many yeres of miserie and losse As for the French what could he haue done more dishonourable to himselfe or profitable to his enemies or preiudiciall to his late Allies what lesse agreeing with the time with his cause with his oath then to yeeld to this peace But it hath bene an old tricke of the French to obserue neither promise nor oath as Clouis the first saith Haill lib. 1. Wee may say of their purpose as Plutarch of Lisanders Children are deceiued with chance bones and mâ—n with oathes In this schoole of Fraude Pope Iulius 2. was well read who professed to his priuate friends that all the Treaties which he made with the Princes of France Germanie and Spaine was but to deceiue the one of them by the other But let the French take heede there come not a day of payment for this who are so hastie to abandon their friends and make peace with their foes onely vpon a foolish naturel of theirs to desire change and to enioy their present ease and pleasure not foreseeing future daungers like Schoole-boyes who care not so they may play to day though they be britcht to morrow When the Dukes of Burgondie Berrie and Bretaine were combined against Lewes the 11. of France as were lately England France and States against Spaine the counsell of Francis Zforce to the King was for the present to agree to all things they desired and after saith hee in short time ye shall haue occasion when they are disleagued to deale with them one by one And we may well say of this King present as the Count Charollois feared of the Duke of Berrie the French Kings brother That he was a likely man to be soone drawen to agree leaue vs in the mire forgetting the olde sentence It is the true signe of the approching ruine of a Countrey when those that should holde together diuide themselues and abandon one another And howsoeuer for the present the French bragge to be gayners by the bargayn I am sure their Allies haue no part of the Gasteau Cake It is true therefore that Commines saith There was neuer so plentifull a mariage feast but some went without their dinners Wherein me thinks we haue great wrong to beare a burden with them in their Warres and not to partake with them in the benefit of their Peace Maximilian the first Emperour said hee made Peace for no other end with Lewes the twelfth but to be reuenged of seuenteene wrongs he had done him The King present by the policie of this age and law Talionis might say and doe the like to the Spaniard not for seuenteene wrongs but for seuenteene yeeres wrongs hee hath receiued which when hee shall haue done it is but quittance and the other shall be but iustly serued for saith Bodin He which is falsly dealt with hauing himselfe first played false hath no cause to complaine And surely the French must againe shortly bee doing with him or some other or at least one with another at home he will soone be as wearie of Peace as he is now of warre La nation Françoise est insolent en pain impatiente de demurer long temps en la maison The French nation is insolent in Peace impatient of tarrying long at home ¶ Thus haue you a superficiall suruey of this Country and People of France of whom we may conclude with La Nouë Plus de la moitié de la Noblesse est perié le peuple diminué les finances espuisées les debts accreuës la discipline renuersée la pieté languisant les moeurs desbordées la iustice corrumpuë les hommes diuises More then halfe the Noblesse is perished the people diminished the Treasure exhausted the debts increased good Order ouerthrowen Religion languished maners debaucked Iustice corrupted and the men diuided I make no doubt but to these slender obseruations you wil after adde better of your own Collection vsing this onely as the patterne of a method how to discourse of the Cosmography Policie and Oeconomy of such other Countries wherein you shall trauaile FINIS Caesar Com. lib. 1. P. Commines Limits P. Commines Cabinet du Roy Bodin lib. 6. La Noüe Prouinces La Guide CoÌ„modities La Noüe Bod. li. 6. Bod. contra Malatest Bod. contra Mal. Iustin. Poggio Cabinet