contained in the writing framed at Nancy with the privity of the Duke of Lorain which had been presented to the King in the beginning of the year That the King should again declare himself Head of the Catholick League he promiseth never to make a Peace nor Truce with the Hugonots nor any Edict in their favour He shall by a publick Edict oblige all Princes Peers of France Lords and Officers of the Crown Towns Colledges Corporations and the whole people to swear the same and bind themselves with a solemn Oath never to suffer any one to reign that was not of the Romish Religion and that for time to come none should be admitted to Offices Places and Dignities in any part of that Kingdom but such as were Catholicks and made profession of their Faith according to the Doctrine of Sorbon and the Belief of the Church of Rome That the Council of Trent should be received and observed through the whole Kingdom upon the conditions and exceptions formerly mentioned the priviledges of the Gallican Church being within three Months to be declared by a Congregation of Prelates and the King's Council with divers other Articles The Articles concluded and confirmed the King presently sent forth his Letters Patents into all Provinces and several Bailages to appoint the Assembly of the States in October following at Blois a place far from Paris where the people were at his devotion far from any commerce or intelligence with the League and near those Towns which were held by the Hugonots The Duke of Guise goeth with the Queen-Mother to Chartres unto the King and is received by him with great demonstrations of honour in appearance The King causeth the Edict of the union to be published in his Council and sworn to by every one and the War against the Hugonots to be openly Proclaimed for the prosecution whereof two several Armies were appointed one in Dauphiné under the Duke of Mayenne the other in Poictou under Ludovico Gonzaga Duke of Nevers The King gives the Duke of Guise the General Command over all the men at Arms of the Realm This though not the name and title yet in effect was the Office and charge of Constable He makes the Cardinal of Guise Legate of Avignon the which he promiseth to obtain for him of the Pope He determined to give the Seal unto Peter of Espinac Archbishop of Lions He declares the Cardinal of Bourbon first Prince of the blood And the King 's late Counsellours are dismissed the Court. But two things trouble the League one iâ— the news of the defeat of the Spanish Armado at Sea by the English the other is that the King will not return to Paris howsoever they importune him Pope Sixtus V. writes congratulatory Letters to the Duke of Guise full of praises comparing him to those holy Macchabees the Defenders of the People of Israel and exhorting him to continue successfully and gloriously to fight for the advancement of the Church and the total extirpation of the Hugonots Which Letters to encrease the Duke's Fame were by his dependants caused to be Printed and divulged in Paris with as much applause in the people as anger and trouble in the King who could not be pleased that another should have more Credit and Authority in his Kingdom than himself The Assembly of the States meet at Blois at the time prefixed viz. on October 16. After dinner all being met in the great Hall of the Castle the King sate down in a Throne raised by many steps from the Earth and covered with a rich cloth of State The Queens Princes Cardinals Peers and Officers of the Crown sate upon Seats fitted for that purpose in two long rowes on the right hand and on the left and between them in the inner part of the Theatre sate the Deputies according to the Ancient preheminence of their degrees and the Duke of Guise as Grand-Mastre with the Staff of Office in his hand sate down upon a Stool at the foot of the State on â—he right hand and on the left sate the Sieur de Monthelon who represented the Person of the High Chancellour of the Kingdom The King begins the Assembly with an elegant Oration wherein attesting the earnest desires of the good of his people and shewing the dangerous condition wherein intestine discords had involved the Crown he exhorted every one to lay aside their passions to forget their enmities to reunite themselves sincerely under his obedience forsaking all novelties condemning all Leagues c. which had disturbed both him their Lawful Sovereign and the peace of the Kingdom For as he pardoned all that was past so for the time to come he would not endure it but account it as an Act of absolute Treason That as he resolved to persecute and tread down Heresie to favour those that were good to restore the splendour and force of justice to advance Religion to uphold the Nobility and to disburden the Common people so he earnestly prayed and conjured every one of them to assist him with their good Counsels and sincere intentions This speech of the King 's stung the Duke of Guise to the quick and all those of his party He caused his Speech to be Printed which served much to excuse those things which followed afterward After the King's Speech followed the Oration of Monthelon who prosecutes and amplifies the King's Speech To which the Archbishop of Bourges answered for the Order of the Clergy the Baron de Seneschay for the Nobility and the Prevost des Merchands of Paris for the third Order of the Commons The Tuesday following the King and the States swear in solemn manner to perform the Edict made before of persevering in the Romish Religion The Archbishop of Bourges shewed the States the greatness and obligation of the Oath which they were to take Beaulieu the new Secretary of State inrolled an Act of that Oath in memory of so solemn an Action After it was done they gave thanks to God publickly in the Church of S. Saveur The Proposition of receiving the Council of Trent made in the Assembly of the States is generally rejected The King is requested to declare the King of Navarre incapable of the Crown and all others suspected to be Hugonots and after much opposition he coldly consents unto it and gives unto the Deputies a Protestation which had been presented unto him from the King of Navarre who having called a Congregation of those of his party at Rochel had caused a writing to be printed wherein he demanded the execution of those Edicts and Grants which had been so often made to those of his party the Convocation of a National or universal Council wherein he might lawfully be instructed in those things that were controverted in matter of Faith and finally he protested to count invalid whatsoever should be determined against him in that Assembly at Blois To which Propositions of the King of Navarre the French King added That if justice requires no man
and gave courage to their Commanders Philip seeing his Errour raiseth another Army of 40000 men and puts them under the command of Robert Earl of Artois accompanied with the Constable of France and many other great Personages Century XIV THe Armies forementioned meet near unto the Town of Courtray in a place called Groeming The French were defeated Of this great Army there hardly escaped three hundred not one Commander escaped and very few Noble-men There were taken Robert Earl of Artois General of the Army the Constable of France James of Chastillon Governour of Flanders John King of Majorca Godfrey of Brabant and his Son the Lord of Viezon the Earls of Ewe la March Damartin Aumale Auge Tankerville and many other great Personages Twelve hundred Gentlemen were slain by this enraged Multitude All Flanders now revolted from the French This happened in the Year 1302. on July 11. John of Namour is their Governour in the absence of their imprisoned Earl All the threats of the King of England and the Emperour now vanished away only Pope Boniface had Excommunicated King Philip and interdicted his Realm in the hottest of these Flemmish affairs upon this occasion The Christians Estate was lamentable in the East the Tartarians encreased daily The Pope Anno 1301. sent Boniface Bishop of Apamea unto King Philip requiring him to go into the Holy Land When the Bishop saw no appearance of obedience he threatned the King that the Pope would deprive him of his Kingdom Whereupon the Bishop being charged of Arrogancy and Treason and cast into Prison the Pope sends to him again one Peter a Roman born Arch-Bishop of Narbon commanding him to set the Bishop at liberty and to take a Voyage against the Infidels and not to meddle with the Tenths of the Clergy Philip answered his troubles at home hindred him from going into the East and constrained him to impose a Subsidy upon the Clergy and he was willing to dismiss the Bishop The Arch-Bishop replyed that he was ignorant of the Pope's Authority who was not only the Father of Christian Souls but also Soveraign Lord in Temporal things And therefore by that Authority he did excommunicate him declaring him unworthy to reign and his Realm forfeited to the Pope to invest whom he pleased Moreover he brought another Bull directed to the Prelates and Noblemen of France whereby he acquitted all French-men and dispensed with them as to their Oath of Allegiance to Philip. And cited all the Prelates and Divines of the French Church to appear before him at Rome disanulling all indulgences and priviledges granted to the French by any Popes his predecessours The Earl of Artois disdaining this affront takes the Bull and casts it into the fire Philip was so born out by the Peers of France that when he demanded their advice how he should demean himself and whether he should put up that wrong they answered That they were ready not only to spend their goods which they there wholly offered unto him for that end but also to expose their persons even to death for him not refusing any torments Adding further and that more plainly by word of mouth That if the King which God forbid would suffer it or connive at it yet for their parts they would never endure it Mr. John Tillet Bishop of Paris speaking of this Fact in his French Chronicle The impudence of this man saith he of Boniface was wonderful who durst affirm that the Realm of France was a Benefice of the Papal Majesty But I think them saith he the greater fools who dispute the point whether the Pope hath this power or no he put our France under an Interdict for the time but the Bishops took the King's part King Philip appealed from the usurpations and insolencies of Boniface VIII to the See Apostolick then vacant as he said and to a future Council as Platina saith in his Life Platina in Bonifac 8. The States of France disanulled Boniface's excommunication Boniface by a glosing Letter of his written unto the Bishops endeavoureth to make them approve his unjust proceedings against King Philip where he saith among other things Those who hold that Temporal matters are not subject to spiritual do not they go about to make two Princes He complains also of the Parliament holden at Paris where it was enacted saith he by under-hand and begged voices that none should appear before him upon the summons of the See Apostolick Math. Westm li. 2. sub Ann. 301. He complains also of the Report which was made to that Assembly by Mr. Peter Flotte whom he calleth Belial half blind in body and quite in understanding This was the man who being sent in Embassage to him by King Philip to that saying of his we have both the one power and the other made this reply in behalf of his Master yours is verbal but ours is real This Pope will have it necessary to salvation to believe that all the faithful people of Christ are subject to the Pope of Rome and that he hath both the swords and that he judgeth all men and is judged of none This Boniface was the Authour of the sixth book of the Decretals King Philip sends back the Pope's two Nuncio's to Rome and forbids the Prelates of France to go or send any Money to Rome This being done Philip raiseth new forces to return into Flanders and subdueth the Flemmings but by the instance of John Duke of Brabant he makes peace with them upon strict conditions During this Treaty Guy Earl of Flanders and his Daughter do both dye Robert William and Guy Brethren the Sons of the Earl Guy of Flanders were freed with all the Prisoners Isabel the Daughter of Philip is married to Edward the second King of England This War of Flanders had wasted above three hundred thousand French-men in eleven years during the which it continued Adolph was deposed from the Empire by a Decree of the Electors and Albert of Austria was seated in his place who pursuing him with War slew him with his own hand in an encounter near unto Spire Albert being chosen and installed Emperour Boniface presently seeks to win him against King Philip. He proclaims him Emperour and invests him King of the Realm of France giving him both the Title and Arms and taking occasion to sow division in the heart of the Realm by means of the Clergy who by reason of their Revenues had great power in the State He also wrote Letters to Philip in this manner Boniface Bishop Servant of the Servants of God to Philip King of French-men Fear God and observe his Commandmens We Will thee to understand that thou art subject unto us both in Spiritual things and in Temporal and that it belongeth not to Thee to give any Prebend or Benefice If thou hast the keeping of any of them being vacant thou must reserve the profits of them to the Successours If Thou hast given any we judge thy gift to be void and do revoke
renounce Gregory was hereupon declared Legate Della Marca and went to his charge but he dyed soon after at Ricanati of discontent John and Gregory being removed there remained a third still which was Benedict XIII who declared that he would never renounce Hereupon Sigismund the Emperour went in person to the Kings of France and of England to advise with them about forcing Benedict to a renouncing also Sigismund having received a satisfactory answer from these two Princes he went to Narbon and discoursed personally with Ferdinand King of Arragon whose Subjects paid obedience to Benedict But Benedict still alledged that he was the true Vicar of Christ saying that Constance was not a place convenient for the liberty of an Ecclesiastical Council seeing that John had been condemned and deposed from the Papacy by those very persons who had been formerly his Friends and received him to the Pontifical dignity The Princes of Spain observing the pertinacity of Benedict concurred with the opinion of the Council which was managed by five several Nations viz. Italy Germany England France and Spain What these Nations had done was approved and published by a Trumpet or a publick Notary Then Benedict's cause being discussed he was at last deposed and declared void of the Papacy no reckoning being made of the absent Scots and Count d'Armignac who continued their obedience to him About this time John Huss and Jerome of Prague his Disciple were condemned and burnt for Hereticks On Novemb. 8. Anno 1417. thirty two Cardinals entred the conclave with thirty others for the several Nations which is six a piece and on the 11 th of the same Month which was the Feast of St. Martin about three in the Morning Cardinal di san Gregorio called Oddo Colonna before was created Pope with great satisfaction to the people The Emperour presently went into the conclave and having thanked the Cardinals kissed the Pope's Feet The Pope embraced him and thanked him for his great industry in that affair This Pope would needs be called Martin because his Election hapned on that Saint's day Then all the French Cardinals left Benedict and came in unto Martin the Scots and d'Armignac did the same and all Christendom except Paniscola which remained divided Martin being desirous to put an end to the Council Anno 1418. he made a publick Assembly after which by common consent but especially of Sigismund Ibaldo Cardinal of St. Vito by order from the Pope pronounced these words of dismission Domini ite in pace and so all had liberty to depart Then Martin hastned to Rome travelling by Milan as the nearest way He sate fourteen years and dyed of an Apoplexy Febr. 20. Anno 1431. When Benedict had sate thirty years and was dead his Cardinals chose Pope Clement VIII but he compounded with Martin and so the schism was ended Henry V. King of England had invaded France and soon after at the Battle of Agin-Court ten thousand French-men were slain Anthony Duke of Brabant with his Brother Philip Earl of Nevers were also slain by the English Bow-men These were Brethren to John Duke of Burgundy Charles Duke of Orleans and Lewes of Burbon the Earls of Richemont Ew and Vendosme the strongest pillars of the Orleans faction with many other Noble-men and Gentlemen were taken prisoners and carried into England Lewes the Daulphin dyeth soon after this defeat The Emperour Sigismund cometh into France making shew of the great desire he had to make a peace betwixt the French and the English The English take all Normandy and Rhoan is besieged and taken and all the Isle of France yieldeth to King Henry even to the Gates of Paris France was now strangely divided into divers factions The King's Authority were for the Queen and the Burgundian Piccardy Burgundy and many other Towns in Bry Champagne and Beausse obeyed them absolutely after the great massacres that had been lately done in Paris Only Sens adhered to the Daulphin Charles The Prince of Orange of the Burgundian Faction makes War in Daulphinè and Languedoc to cross the affairs of Charles who notwithstanding had the greatest part of the Countrey at his devotion with the friendship of Avignon and the Earldom of Veness The English possessed all Normandy and a great part of Guienne But Rochel Poictiers St. John de Angelo Angoulesm Fontenay and some other Towns acknowledged the Daulphin All Anjou was his Avergne Berry Burbonois Forrest and Lionois obeyed him He likewise took upon him the Name of Regent The Duke of Britain leaves the English and joyns with the Daulphin The people grow in dislike with the Duke of Burgundy and the Parisians mutiny against the Burgundian faction and kill his Servants At length a peace is made betwixt the Daulphin and the Burgundian Anno 1419. but soon after the Daulphin causeth John Duke of Burgundy to be murthered in his presence This John had slain Charles Duke of Orleans traiterously and now he is treacherously slain by Charles the Daulphin Philip Son to John Duke of Burgundy stirs up great troubles against Charles the Daulphin in revenge of his Father 's death By his means Isabel an unkind Mother makes War against Charles her Son and peace with Henry V. King of England then a Capital Enemy to the State She gives him her Daughter Katherine in Marriage and procures King Charles VI. her Husband to declare Henry his lawful Heir and to disinherit his only Son Charles from the Realm of France But in the midst of these occurrences Henry V. dyeth in the vigour of his age and spirit on the last day of August Anno 1422. and Charles VI. the French King dyed fifty days after on the 22. of October the same year After his Funerals Henry VI. an Infant Son to Henry V. is proclaimed King of France and after is crowned King at Paris Charles VII after the decease of his Father Charles VI. took upon him the name of King of France notwithstanding the pretension of the English He was 21 years old when he began to reign and reigned 39 years The beginning of his reign was troublesome till he was installed King and thereby acknowledged of all the French Afterwards he reduced the Cities subdued by the English to his obedience beginning with the City of Paris and so proceeding to the rest of the Realm expelling the English from all except Calais In the close of his Reign he had many Domestical discontents which hastened him to his Grave after the happy events of all his difficulties At this time flourished John Gerson a divine of Paris he was present at the Council of Constance and in some written Treatises highly commendeth the decree Bishop Jâ—el's preface to his defence of his Apolâ—gy Bishop Bedel Waddesw â—eâ—â— p. 107. that the Bishop of Rome should be subject to the Council and saith The thing is worthy to be written in all places for a perpetual memory He was the most learned Man of his time and the only Doctor and Leader of
wept replying All that you say Aeneas is true But I have past my word to make Rotomagensis Pope and if I do not I shall be held infamous and a Traytor To which Aeneas answered Things stand so that which way soever you turn you you cannot avoid the blemish of a Traytor It is in your power whether you will betray Italy and your Countrey or betray him and be faithful to your Countrey and Italy With these words Pavia was overcome and resolves to betray Rotogamensis Then meeting with Cardinal Pietro di Santa Maria nova and other Italian Cardinals in the Cardinal of Genoa's chamber they all resolved to prefer Aeneas before any body else Rotomagensis fearing things would not happen as he expected seeing Aeneas going toward the Schedule he said to him with an humble voice Aeneas I recommend my self to thee remember me I beseech thee and have compassion on me Aeneas answered him only thus Poor Worm thou mistakest in recommending thy self to me The Scrutiny being published it appeared that Aeneas had three voices more than Rotomagensis but they could not obtain their two thirds this astonished the French Cardinals The Cardinals Roderigo and Santa Anastasia declared Aeneas with a loud voice which Cardinal Prosper Colonna observing being ambitious to have the honour of making the Pope forasmuch as there wanted but one voice arose took his way toward Aeneas and though he was restrained by Cardinal Niceno and Rotomagensis he cryed aloud I joyn my self to Cardinal Aeneas and do make him Pope This being â—â—â—â—d by the rest of the Cardinals they all threw themselves down at Aeneas's Feet saluted him Pope and confirmed the election afterwards with the usual suffrages Then Cardinal Bessarion apologized for himself to the new Pope and for all the rest of the Cardinals who had favoured Rotomagensis To whom Aeneas I assure you you shall be all equally dear to me for I acknowledge my Election not from this person or from that but from God and the whole body of the Colledge inspir'd by the Holy Ghost from whence all perfection cometh The States assembled in the City of Tours in a bill which they presented to King Lewes XI among other things say That if the King do not undertake to defend them considering the quality of their persons the power and Authority of the Holy See Apostolick they shall not be able to resist the usurpations and impeachments which any Subject of the Realm and others ambitious of preferment will make against the Electors which have the right of Election or ordinary Donation by Apostolick censures And by this means all this Kingdom which is already at a low ebb and very poor shall be stripped and dispoiled of that little Money which remains of the former Exactions In one Ordinance of this King Lewes we find these words It is a strange thing saith he that the unjust exactions of the Court of Rome should be suffered such as their expectative Bulls and other like knacks their Money for vacancies which is levied contrary to the holy Canons and Decrees and contrary to the determination of the Catholick Church and sacred Councils that what is so gotten may be employed in purchasing of Earldoms and Lordships to bestow upon people of mean condition and to prefer them without any precedent merit without any service or use which they can do to the Church or for the defence of the Faith At this time lived Philip de Commines Knight he was born at Commines a Town in Flanders In his youth he served Charles Duke of Burgundy and afterwards Lewes XI King of France who employed him in his most secret and weightyest affairs He hath written the History of France under Lewes XI and Charles VIII his Son He wrote so plainly of the greatest affairs of State that Queen Katherine de Medices used to say that he had made as many Hereticks in State-policy as Luther had done in Religion Stephanus Paschasius hath this Epitaph of him Gallorum nostrae Laus una gloria gentis Hic Cominoee jaces si modò fortè jaces Historiae vitam potuisti reddere vivus Extincto vitam reddidit Historia Le recueil des â—â—â—iâ—â—nances de â—â—â—â—anâ—â— â—oâ—n 〈◊〉 â—iâ—â—e De l'â—â—â—â—lt We find certain proviso's made by King Lewes XI taken out of an Antient Register Lewes by the Grace of God King of France to our welbeloved and faithful Counsellour the Bishop of Limoges and to our Trusty and welbeloved the Dean and Chapter of Limoges aforesaid and to every one of you as well joyntly as severally sendeth greeting Whereas our Truly and beloved the Chancellours Presidents Masters of Ordinary Requests for our Houshold Counsellours Registers Notaries together with our Advocates and Attorney General for our Court of Parliament every Man in his place and Office are appointed and ordained to wait continually upon the employment and administration of our said Court and the administration of Juâ—â—â—â— Supream and Capital for our said Realm which is a very â—â—â—dable thâ—â— commendable and necessary for us our Subjects and the â—â—â—le Commâ—â—-wealth of this our Kingdom in which our Court the â—â—â—â—â—s and Liberties of the Church of France whereof we are the Guardian and Protector are preserved And for this reason our said Court doth consist in part of Counsellours and Officers which are Clergy-men and Ecclesiastical Persons And in consideration of the great and laudable services of the said Chancellour Presidents Masters of Requests Counsellors Registers Notaries Advocates and Attorney they or others by their nomination by means of the intercession of our Predecessors to the Prelates and other Patrons and eonferrers of Benefices have been preferred unto and generally provided of Church-Livings which the said Prelates or others the Patrons or bestowers of the same have freely conferred upon them or have presented them unto the said Patrons in favour and consideration of us and their own great and commendable services as aforesaid Which said Chancellour President Master of Requests c. since our coming to the Crown nor a long time before have not had any such preferment upon our entreaty and request to the said Prelates Patrons and Collatours as they were wont to have And for this Reason the said Court hath with our leave and Licence made a certain Roll wherein every one of them are presented and nominated or have presented and nominated others in their stead each one to some other preferment belonging to you or other the Collators and Patrons of the Benefices of our said Realm And whereas our Trusty and Welbeloved Counsellour Mr. German Chartelier hath nominated his Son unto one of your Collations and presentations We intreat and require you to give present and bestow upon the said Mr. German Chartelier the first Benefice that shall be void within your Disposal Collation or Presentation as our said Counsellour shall require or cause you to be required thereunto hoping that you will not make any denyal of
requite their duty and fidelity both in publick and in particular but desired they would not think it strange if he did not so presently satisfie their first requests because the quality of the thing demanded required a convenient time of advice and the ripeness of a grounded resolution That he set a greater value upon his Soul and Conscience than upon all earthly greatness That he had been bred in the Reformed Religion but nevertheless he would not be obstinate That he was ready to submit himself either to a General or National Council and to the instructions which without palliating the truth should be given him by learned conscientious persons That he had a firm resolution to endeavour the satisfaction of his Subjects but that conjuncture was not proper to put his good desires in effect lest his action and declaration should seem feigned and extorted by force or else perswaded by worldly interests Wherefore he intreated them to stay till a fit opportunity and if in the mean time they desired any condition or security for the maintenance of the Catholick Religion he was ready to give them all the satisfaction they could wish for After their departure the Sieur de la Nove a Protestant tells the King he must never think to be King of France if he turn not Catholick At last it was concluded that the King taking a prefixed time for his turning to the Romish Religion he should secure the State of the Catholick Religion and that upon those terms they would receive and follow him And at last a writing was mutually agreed on between both Parties whereby the Popish Princes Lords and Officers of the Crown Nobility and Souldiery on the one side swear fidelity to the King and on the other side the King swears to the maintenance of the Popish Religion The Duke of Espernon standing upon precedency will not sign the writing but departs from Court Many Lords and a great part of the Souldiers following the Duke of Espernon's example leave the Camp so that in few daies the Army is decreased to half the number Many of the Protestants also disbanded out of anger and discontent and returned in great abundance to the Cities of their party The King raiseth the siege from Paris and divides his Forces into convenient places The Cardinal of Bourbon is taken out of Chinon and removed to Fontenay a stronger place where he is kept with stricter Guards The Duke of Luxembourg is sent Ambassadour to the Pope by the Catholick Royallists and the King appoints the Assembly at Tours which is made the Head-quarter of his party The body of King Henry III. is laid in the great Church of Compeign with very little Pomp and such as the necessity of the times would permit by King Henry IV. who went towards Normandy with all possible speed The King's Army is reduced to but 6000. Foot and 1400. Horse yet he marcheth with good success as far as Diepe where he fortifies his quarters possessing all places of advantage The Duke of Mayenne being come before the King's trenches draws his Army in Battalia but the King's Souldiers coming only to skirmish no Battel followeth They that were in the League making signs of coming over to the King's party are received by them at the Maladery but being entred in an hostile manner fall upon them that had brought them in and make themselves masters of the place whereupon both Armies joyn Battel and the King being relieved by Monsieur de Chastillon recovereth the trenches and the Duke of Mayenne marcheth from Diepe with his Army The King came to Amiens the chief City of Picardy where he was entertained with very great pomp being met without the Gates by all the Citizens who presented unto him a Canopy of State to be carried over him as the custom is to do unto the King but he refused it giving great testimony of his prudence and moderation by an act of so great modesty Whilst he stayed at Amiens Elizabeth Queen of England first sent him twenty thousand pounds Sterling with Powder Munition for War and certain Ships also to serve at his command and causing a general Muster to be taken in most of the Shires of England she sent 4000. English Souldiers and 1000. Scots very well appointed and furnished All the money he presently distributed among his Souldiers The General of the English was the Noble Peregrine Barty Lord Willoughby which Forces were again recruited with a supply of three thousand Foot which were sent into Britany under the Conduct of that Son of Mors Sir John Norris These joyning with the Prince of Dombes General of that Province did many worthy exploits for the French King The King now marcheth towards Paris having in his Army 20000. Foot 3000. Horse and fourteen great Pieces He assaults the Suburbs of Paris upon All-Saints-day and taking them gives the Pillage to the Souldiers In the assault above 900. Parisians were slain and more than 400. taken Prisoners among which Father Edmond Burgoine Prior of the Covent of Jacobins who being convicted by witness to have publickly in the Pulpit praised the Murder of Henry III. and to have counselled and instigated the murderer comparing him also in his Sermons after the fact to Judith and the dead King to â—olofernes and the City delivered to Bethulia he was by Judgement of the Parliament of Tours Sentenced to be drawn in pieces by four Horses his quarters burned and his ashes scattered in the wind Which Sentence was some few months after severely executed Yet notwithstanding the pillaging of the Suburbs charge was given not to violate either Churches Monasteries or other Sacred places which was so exactly observed that Masses were said that day in all Churches as if there had been no such business and all the Romanists in the King's Army were present at them celebrating that Holy-day with great rejoycing But at the arrival of the Duke of Mayenne the King leaves the Suburbs of Paris and coming to Estampes he causeth it to be dismantled Many successes hapned to the King's party through all France The King takes Vendosme and gives the pillage to his Souldiers condemns the Governour to death for his unfaithfulness and Father Robert a Cordelier who had there publickly commended the King's murderer and with his Sermons excited the people At this time flourished Lambertus Danaeus a French Divine of Orleans Quin Lamb. Danaeus vir sanâ— apprime eruditus de instruendis aliis optimè meritus Physicam suam Theologicam tam ex Veteri quam novo codice non in utili labore exstruxit Tych. Brah. Ep st Astron lib. 1. Henry IV. is acknowledged King of France with publick solemnity at Tours he defers the Assembling of the States and in short time makes himself Master of all the Towns and Fortresses of Normandy The Pope resolves to send aid to the League against the King He declares Cardinal Henrico Gaetano Legate to the League of France He appointed moreover
a select number of Prelates to accompany the Legate men of good Learning and experienced in the matters of Government among whom were Lorenzo Bâ—anchetti and Filippo Sega who after were Cardinals Marco Antonio Mocenigo Bishop of Ceneda a man well versed in affairs and highly esteemed by the Pope Francesco Panigarola Bishop of Asti a renowned Preacher and Robert Bellarmine a learned Jesuite To the choice of these men the Pope added Bills of Exchange to the Merchants of Lions for three hundred thousand crowns with Commission to the Legate to dispose of them according to occasion but particularly to spend them for the infranchisement of the Cardinal of Bourbon upon which he shewed his mind was fixed more than upon any other thought whatsoever But the Pope by letters from the Duke of Luxemburg found that what the Agents of the League had represented to him was vain whereupon the Pope gave Orders and Commissions to his Legate to shew himself no less Neutral in the secular pretensions of the Princes than most zealous concerning Religion and not to value one French-man above another provided he were obedient to the Church and generally liked by the Kingdom and that he should not shew himself an open enemy to the King of Navarre so long as there was any hope he might return into the bosom of the Church But these advertisements were very contrary to the principal scope of the Embassy which was to uphold the Catholick party of the League as the foundation of that Religion in France so that the substance of the business changed in the variety of circumstances did so disturb the Execution that it was afterwards governed more by the diversity of accidents than by any determinate resolution The Cardinal-Legate being come into France required Colonel Alfonso Corso not only to forbear molesting Grenoble and Valence which Cities alone held for the League in Dauphiné but also that as a Catholick and stranger he should forsake the King's party and joyn with the union But he answered that he was indeed a Catholick and an obedient Son to the See of Rome in spiritual things but that having made his Fortune as a Souldier in the service of the King of France he could not desist from following him but was bound to do what he could in the affairs of the Prince whom he served This answer troubled the Legate and the rather because being come to Lions he found the business of the League in great disorder by the King 's prosperous success The Count of Brisac appointed at first to meet the Legate and sercure his passage was forced to face about and employ himself in the affairs of Normandy The Duke of Nevers invited him to come into his State where standing Neuter he might freely take those wayes as might appear most convenient to him On the other side the Duke of Mayenne ceased not to sollicite him to come to Paris shewing him that without the authority of his name and those helps which were hoped for from him the League was in danger to be dissolved and subdued by the King's Forces and all the rest of the Kingdom would remain oppressed by the Hugonot's party The Legate having overcome many difficulties arrives at Paris where he caused the Pope's Breve of the 15. of October to be published wherein after an honourable commemoration of the merits of the Kingdom of France toward the See of Rome c. He attested that he had chosen Cardinal Gaetano Legate to the Kingdom of France with power to use all means fitting to protect the Catholick Religion to recal Hereticks into the bosome of the Church to restore the Peace and tranquillity of the Kingdom and finally to procure that under one only good pious and truly Catholick King the people of France might to the glory of God live in quietness and tranquillity after so many calamities of War Wherefore he prayed and exhorted all the Orders and Degrees of France to persevere in the Catholick Religion and to labour to extinguish and root up the evil of Heresie to cut off the occasions of discord and that particular enmities quarrels and Civil Wars being laid aside they should resolve to yield obedience to a lawful truly Catholick King and the Divine worship being restored under his shadow to live in charitable union and concord Two different Declarations followed upon the publication of this Breve one of the Parliament of Tours by which all persons were forbidden to obey or acknowledge the Legate the other of the Parliament of Paris by which all were exhorted to receive the Fatherly love of the Apostolick See and to give due Reverence to the Legates admonitions After which contrary Declarations many Learned men fight for their Factions with their Pens as the Souldiers with their Swords Aid being desired by the League from the King of Spain the Sieur de la Mothe refuseth to advance beyond the Frontiers of France from Flanders unless the King of Spain be declared Protector of the Crown of France with authority to dispose the chief part of the Temporal and Ecclesiastical Dignities which Prerogatives they called las Marcas de Justitia marks of justice The Duke of Mayenne will not hearken to an agreement with the King The Archbishop of Lions lately imprisoned at Amboise being newly set at liberty by Captain Du-Gast for a great summ of money and come to Paris is made High Chancellour to the Duke of Mayenne and President of the Council The Pope's Legate grants unto Mayenne the three hundred thousand crowns brought for the enlargement of the Cardinal of Bourbon Mayenne besiegeth Meulan a small place but seated upon the pass of the River Seine at the entring into Normandy which therefore next to Pointoise hindered the bringing of Victuals to Paris where after 25. dayes siege news came that the Old Castle at Roven was seized by some Seditious persons which caused him to raise the siege and march to Roven to appease the troubles On the other side the King besiegeth Dreux and the Duke of Mayenne being joyned with the Spanish supplies from Flanders marching towards Dreux resolveth to fight The German Infantry raised for the King of France turn for the League under the Command of Colonel S. Paul The Army of the League had in it four thousand five hundred Horse and twenty thousand Foot The King's Army was but three thousand Horse and eight thousand Foot The King's Army being refreshed they marched toward the field of Yvry appointed by the King for the place of Battel Here the Armies joyned wherein the King obtained a great Victory The King all Armed on Horse-back visits every Division with great diligence and exhorts his Souldiers with great vehemency At last standing still at the head of the main Battalion joyning his hands and lifting up his eyes to Heaven He said so loud that he was heard by many O Lord thou knowest the intentions of my heart and with the eye of thy Providence thou piercest into
causes of that ruine Among the writings of John Guignard of Chartres were found certain scandalous libels against the King for which he was executed And one Francis Jacob a Scholar of the Jesuites of Bourges had lately said he would have killed the King but that he held him for dead and that another had done the deed Anno 1595. The Duke of Mayenne and Nemours yield unto the King and are received unto Grace The King of France is now admitted to a reconciliation with the Church of Rome upon these conditions and in these words He shall abjure all Heresies and profess the Catholick Faith in such form as shall be here done by his Ambassadours He shall introduce the Catholick Faith into the Principality of Bearn and shall nominate Catholick Magistrates in the said Province he shall procure within a year the Prince of Conde out of the hands of the Hereticks whom he shall cause to be instructed and brought up in the Catholick Religion The Decrees of the Council of Trent shall be published and received throughout the whole Kingdom of France He shall nominate to the vacant Churches and Monasteries such as are Catholicks and free from all suspicion of Heresie He shall do his best endeavour that the Churches and Clergy be invested anew in their Livings that have been seised upon without any judicial proceeding In bestowing of Magistracies and Dignities he shall take care that Catholicks only be preferred and that Heteticks as near as may be may be expelled The Concordates shall be observed and all abuses removed which have crept in contrary to the same The absolution in France granted by the Bishops shall be condemned He shall write letters to all the Princes of Christendom wherein he shall give notice of his Conversion and profession of the Catholick Faith The Pope granted his Absolution on September 16. by the Negotiation and pursuits of d'Ossat and du Perron his Procurers in the Court of Rome These were afterwards upon his recommendation honoured with Cardinals Caps After a War between the French and Spaniards a Peace was concluded between France and Spain Anno 1598. Then the French King who had hitherto flourished in Martial glory having now his thoughts wholly setled upon peace did so promote the welfare of France which had run headlong to ruine for many years through the storms of Civil War by maintaining and supporting Religion as well the Roman as the Reformed reviving the Laws cherishing Learning restoring Trade and Commerce and beautifying the Kingdom with splendid buildings that he far surpassed all the Kings that were before him In the year 1599. the King's Sister the Lady Katherine de Bourbon was married to the Duke of Bar Son to the Duke of Lorain The Reformed Religion in which she had been bred she would not change by reason as she said of her deceased Mother Queen Joane of Navarre whose life and actions were held worthy to be imitated as who had preferred safety of Conscience before assurance of honours and greatness yea than life it self Being accustomed to say to them on her part that Arms should not be laid down but with these three Conditions either an assured Peace an absolute Victory or an honest Death The Marriage was consummate in the King 's own Cabinet by the Archbishop of Roven at the King 's special Command to avoid greater inconvenencies She cordially affected that which did concert the Liberty of Conscience throughout all France often beseeching the King to let her see the assurances thereof whilst she was in France and not to suffer his Edicts to remain without execution being Proclaimed and without a durable observation being executed She used to be attended in her house by the Ministers of Paris who served her by turns every one a quarter of a year Being then to go into Lorain with her Husband the Church appointed Monsieur de Montigni an Antient Minister to attend her in that journey But M. Peter du-Moulin then coming to Paris the Old Gentleman desired to be excused and that the new Minister as fitter to travel by reason of his age might be chosen for that service To which motion the Princess presently enclined having a special liking to Du Moulin See the Life of Dr. Du Moulin wâ—itten by his worthy Son He took then that journey and because the Princess was entertained in Bishops Palaces and Abbeys he did officiate in the Palace of the Bishop of Meaux in that of the Bishop of Chalons and in the Abbey of Joverre The Harbingers of the Princess being come to Vitris le Francois a Town of Champagne addressed themselves to the chief Magistrate of the Town to prepare quarters for the Princess and her Court. Since Du-Moulin's establishment at Paris till the death of the King's Sister which was five years after he made a journey into Lorain every Spring either with her or to her and having served his quarter at her Court returned to Paris there the Princess was most part of the year Those of the Reformed Religion made many and great complaints that the King's Edicts were not kept nor observed that they were not provided of all things necessary for the exercise of their Religion the liberty of their Consciences and safety of their persons and fortunes That they were excluded from all charges and Offices in the State justice treasure and policie to the great prejudice of their Children c. The end of all their Assemblies was to obtain an Edict from the King so clear and plain as they should not be constrained to sue for any other Then the King made an Edict at Nantes and signed it after he had reduced that Province to his obedience containing a Declaration of the Edicts of Pacification and of the troubles grown in France for matter of Religion the which though granted in April 1598. was not allowed in the Court of Parliament of Paris until the 25. day of February following by reason of the many oppositions and difficulties that were made against it The Duchess of Bar would not go out of Paris before it was confirmed such was her zeal and affection in that matter as in all other affairs of that nature And for the better satisfaction of the Protestants in matters of justice it pleased King Henry IV. to erect a Chamber in the Court of Parliament of Paris purposely for them It consisted of one President and Sixteen Counsellours their Office to take knowledge of all the Causes and Suits of them of the Reformed Religion as well within the jurisdiction of the Parliament of Paris as also in Normandy and Britain till there should be a Chamber erected in either of them There were appointed also two Chambers in the Parliament of Burdeaux and Grenoble and one at Chasters for the Parliament of Tholouse These Chambers were called les Chambres de l'Edict because they were established by a special Edict at Nantes in Britain The Duke of Joyeuse wallowing in sensual pleasures being
by the Parliament he disswaded them from it as much as he could both by Letters and Sermons And unto him the Court was obliged that all the Protestant Tows on this side the Loire kept in the King's obedience He shewed that he did it not to serve the times but to serve God The declaring of the Politick Assembly of the Protestants for the Prince of Conde in the year 1616. was the greatest error that ever they committed and they smarted for it as soon as the young King had got more Age and vigour In the mean time Du Plessis laboured much in procuring the peace of the Protestant Churches endeavouring to keep a good correspondence between the King and them which was continually ready to be interrupted in which business he carried himself with so much prudence and fidelity in all occurences between them that he was admired and praised by all Yea even Cardinal Du Perron himself heretofore one of his greatest enemies shewed him great respect in the Assembly of States held at Roven Anno 1617. Speaking of him in all companies with an excess of Praises and telling the King himself that those men had done him wrong who had kept off Monsieur Du Plessis from having a greater Power in the management of his affairs And that his Religion ought not to render him unprofitable in the exercise of those graces which God had given him and that his Majesty ought to keep him near his person so long as he should live After the return of Dr. Du Moulin out of England the Jesuite Arnoux a Court Preacher sent a challenge to the Ministers of Paris to appear before the Queen-Mother to give account of their Religion preacht fire and sword against them before their Majesties and sent them a Pamplet full of heavy accusations The Doctor was charged by his Colleagues to make an answer to it which he did and addressed it to the King In that answer by way of just recrimination he affirmed that he had seen in the Colledge of the Jesuites at la Fleshe a Picture of the Martyrs of their Order and in that rank some Traytors who had been executed for conspiring against the Life of their Kings That the maxims of the Jesuites were pernicious to Kings whereas the Doctrine of the Protestants maintained their Life their Authority nad their States And the Pastours of the Reformed Churches taught their people fidelity and obedience to the King Then he represented the many Perils and Combates which the Protestants had sustained for the defence of King Henry IV. till they had brought him to the Crown Of which services they that had been the King's enemies received the reward This answer of the Ministers was presented to the King by the Duke of Rohan See the Life of Dr. Du Moulin This bold address to the King irritated the great Officers of the Crown of whom not a few or their Fathers had been of the party of the League The Jesuites therefore letting their challenge fall indicted the Ministers of Treason although all the ground they could find for it was that the Ministers called the Reformed Churches their people as if they had pretended some Soveraignty over them The Ministers being summoned before the Council the indictment of Treason was not much urged as being but a Cavil After grave Admonitions and high threatnings by Chancellour Bruslart they dismissed them That challenge of Arnoux and a Pamphlet of his against the confession of Faith of the Reformed Churches in France occasioned the Doctor to write his Buckler of Faith A Jesuite came to the Doctors Study to dispute with him Monsieur de Monginot a famous Physitian was present at the Conference whereby he was converted and set out an excellent Book of the reasons why he abjured Popery He had many encounters and to relate all his Conferences migh◠fill a great Volume Scarce was he a week without one while he lived in Paris and some of them were very long He was the object of the publick hatred of the Romanists His name was the general Theme of Libels cryed up in the Streets of railing Sermons in all Pulpits and of the curses of ignorant Zealots The Popish Clergy in the year 1617. being assembled at the house of Austin-Friers in Paris as every two years they used to do being to take their leaves of the King elected the Bishop of Aire to be their Spokes-man and to certifie his Majesty of their grievances In performing which business the principal thing of which he spake was to this purpose That whereas his Majesty was bound to give them Fathers he gave them Children That the name of Abbot signifies a Father and the Function of a Bishop was full of Fatherly authority yet France notwithstanding was now filled with Bishops and Abbots which are yet in their Nurses arms or else under their Regents in Colledges Nay more that the abuse goeth before the Being Children being commonly design'd to Bishopricks and Abbacies before they were born He also made another complaint that the Soveraign Courts by their Decrees had attempted upon the Authority which was Committed to the Clergy even in that which concerned meerly Ecclesiastical Discipline and Government of the Church To these complaints he gave them indeed a very gracious hearing but it never went further than a hearing being never followed by redress The Court of Parliament knew too well the strength of their own Authority and the King was loth to take from himself those excellent advantages of binding to himself his Nobility by the speedy preferring of their Children So the Clergy departed with a great deal of envy and a little of satisfaction In the same year the States of the United Provinces desired the Churches of England Germany France c. to send some able Divines to the Synod of Dort whereupon the Churches of France named four viz. Dr. Du Moulin Chamier Rivet and Chaune But when the Doctor was making ready for his journey he was forbidden by a messenger of the Council of State of France to go out of the Kingdom upon pain of death The like prohibition was made to the three other Divines Andrew Rivet was a Godly and Learned French Divine He hath very well expounded Genesis Exodus the Prophetical Psalms and Hosea and wrote Learnedly against the Papists in his Catholicus Orthodoxus and against Grotius Criticus sacer seu censura Patrum Isagoge in S. Scripturam Synopsis doctrinae de naturâ gratiâ He hath published other Learned Treatises in French and Latin William Rivet his Brother hath also published a Learned Treatise De Justificatione an exact French Treatise De invocatione adoratione Sanctorum defunctorum Epist Apologet. Daniel Chamier was also a Learned French man who in his Panstratiae Catholicae hath so Learnedly refuted the Papists that none of them hath made any answer to it His Epistolae Jesuiticae and Corpus Theologiae also shew his great abilities There is also a Work of his in French
sitting can produce can countervail the dissipation of so many Churches that lie open to the wrath of their enemies whether when they are fallen you can raise them again whether in the evident division that is among us you are able to rally the scattered parts of that divided body which if it were well united yet would be too weak to stand upon the defensive part Pardon me Gentlemen if I tell you that you shall not find aâ—â— our Protestants enclin'd alike to obey your resolutions and that the fire being kindled all about you shall remain helpless beholders of the ruine you have provoked Neither can it be unknown to you that many of the best quality among us and best able to defend us do openly blame your actions professing that suffering for this cause is not suffering for the cause of God These making no resistance and opening the Gates of their places or joining their arms with the King 's you may easily judge what loss and what weakening of the party that will be How many of our Nobility will forsake you some out of conscience some out of treachery some out of weakness Even they who in an Assembly are most vehement in their votes and to shew themselves Zealous are altogether for violent waies are very often they that first revolt and betray their Brethren They bring our distressed Churches to the hottest danger and there leave them going away after they have set the house on fire If there be once fighting or besieging of our Towns whatsoever may the issue be of the Combate or the siege all that while it will be hard to keep the people animated against us from falling upon our Churches that have neither retreat nor defence And what order soever the Magistrates of contrary Religion take about it they shall never be able to compass it Certainly this stirring of yours is altogether unseasonable and you set sail against wind and tide If any thing can help it must be the zeal of Religion c. But in this cause you shall find that zeal languishing because most of our people believe that this evil might have been avoided without any breach to our Conscience c. When I call to mind our several losses as that of Lectoure Privas and Bearn I find that we our selves have contributed to them and it is no wonder that our enemies take no care to remedy our faults and join with us to do us harm But hence it follows not that we must set our house on fire our selves because others are resolved to burn it or take in hand to remedy particular losses by means too weak to redress them but strong and certain to ruine the general God who hath so many times diverted the Counsels taken for our ruine hath neither lost his Power nor altered his Will we shall find him the same still if we have the grace to wait for his assistance not casting our selves headlong by our impatience or setting our minds obstinately upon impossibilities Certainly although our enemies seek our ruine yet they will never undertake it openly without some pretence other and better than that of Religion which we must not give them For if we keep our selves in the obedience which Subjects owe to their Sovereign you shall see that whilst our Enemies hope in vain that we shall make our selves guilty by some disobedience God will give them some other work and afford us occasions to shew to his Majesty that we are a Body useful to his State and put him in mind of the signal services that our Churches have done to the late King of glorious memory But if we are so unfortunate that whilst we keep our selves to our duty the calumnies of our enemies prevail at least we shall get so much that we shall keep all the right on our side and make it appear that we love the peace of the State Notwithstanding all this Gentlemen you may and ought to take order for the safety of your persons For whereas his Majesty and his Council have said often that if you separate your selves he will let our Churches enjoy peace and the benefit of his Edicts c. And whensoever you Petition for your safe dissolution I trust it will be easie to obtain it if you make possible requests and such as the misery of the time and the present necessity can bear And in the mean time you may advise before you part what should be done if notwithstanding your separation we should be opprest That order your prudence may find and it is not my part to suggest it unto you If by propounding these things unto you I have exceeded the limits of discretion I hope you will impute it to my zeal for the good and preservation of the Church And if this advice of mine is rejected this comfort I shall have that I have discharged my Conscience and retiring my self unto some foreign Country there I will end those few daies I have yet to live lamenting the loss of the Church and the destruction of the Temple for the building whereof I have laboured with much more courage and fidelity than success The Lord turn away his wrath from us direct your Assembly and preserve your Persons I rest c. From Sedan February 12. 1621. Vid. P. H. his voyage to France p. 206. These men not only gave Audience to Ambassadours and received Letters from forreign Princes but also importuned his Majesty to have a general liberty of going into any other Countries and assinging in their Councils a matter of special importance And therefore the King upon a foresight of the dangers wisely Prohibited them to go to any Assemblies without a particular Licence upon pain to be declared Traytors Since that time growing into greater strength whensoever they had occasion of business with King Lewes they would never Treat with him but by their Ambassadours and upon special Articles An ambition above the quality of those that profess themselves Sorbonets and the only way as De Serres noteth to make an Estate in the State But the answers made unto the King by those of Alerack and Montauban are pregnant proofs of their intent and meaning in this kind The first being summoned by the King and Army July 22. Anno 1621. returned thus That the King should suffer them to enjoy their Liberties and leave their Fortifications as they were for them for their lives and so they would declare themselves to be his good Subjects They of Montauban said That they were resolved to live and die in the Union of the Churches but said not for the service of the King This Union and Confederacy of theirs King Lewes used to call the Common-wealth of Rochel for the overthrow of which he alwaies protested that he had only taken Arms. On the second of April before he had as yet advanced into the Field he published a Declaration in favour of all those of the Potestant Religion which would contain themselves
one of his Vicars to absolve the Sieur Guillet and to licence the going on of the Fortifications In the year 1627. those of Rochel could not endure to see the Articles of Peace which the King had accorded to them put in execution they could not permit that the Rules of Commerce observed over all France should be taken notice of among them The cutting off of that absolute authority which they had made use of in the Isles of Reé and Olleron and other places bordering upon their City was looked on as an outrage The exercise of the Catholick Religion amongst them was esteemed as a great slavery and a rigorous constraint imposed upon that whereof they made Profession They complained of those Souldiers in Fort Lewes and the Isles of Reé and Olleron left there only to prevent their relapsing into their former insolencies as a most unsufferable Tyranny They resented his Majestie 's Commissaries Acts in order to the execution of the Treaty as so many unjust attempts upon their Liberties With these complaints they filled their Manifests They made use of these Motives to perswade the rest of the Hugonot Towns to revolt to form themselves into a Common-wealth and to obtain that by force from the King which with justice they could not expect The Duke of Rohan discontented for that he had made no advantage by the Peace did not a little foment those Mutinies of the Rochellers to which end he under-hand sowed divisions among the Consuls of the chief Hugonot Towns in Languedoc and some he made for his own Party but his design took little effect in those parts The French King animated by the sage Counsels of Cardinal Richlieu resolves on the siege of Rochel and from that time forwards preparations were made in all the adjacent Provinces of Warlike Ammunitions great store of Cannon were sent before-hand towards the place that they might be in readiness when time should serve Divers means were thought on to block up the Channel and to begin with those of less charge to prevent greater expences in case they might do the work Private Computation was made of what Horse and Foot would be requisite to invest the place and secure the neighbouring Isles And every thing was disposed to the best advantage for the carrying on of the siege The Duke of Lorrain comes to the King at Paris to complain of his Majesties actions towards the Bishop of Verdun his Kinsman He was answered that Bishops being his Majestie 's Subjects owe respect and obedience to him That when they fall off from their duties it is the more just to punish their faults That enjoying their Temporal States only in order to the Oath of Allegiance which they all swear to his Majesty they do most especially deserve to be deprived of them when they break their said Oath That his Majesty was more especially concern'd to maintain his right in Verdun which was a Frontier Town and likewise because the Bishop had attempted against his Royal Authority in hindering the building of the Citadel though it were a thing only relating to the Soveraignty and in which he was not at all concerned But this was not the chief end of his journey He pretended to do homage in his own name to the King for the Dutchy of Bar as appertaining to him in Fee and not in right of his Wife But he therein met with greater obstacles than in that of the Bishop of Verdun The Duke obtained his request for the Bishop upon condition he should revoke the Censures against the King's Officers and for the future should comport himself with more moderation The Duke willingly became bound for his performance and the King discharged the seizures and setled all things in their former state The English and others endeavour now to divert the French King from his resolution against Rochel On July 28. 1627. the English Fleet arriveth before Reé They Landed ten thousand men The Sieur de Thoyras was then Governour of the Citadel St. Martin in the Isle of Reé Rostaincler the Baron of Chautail Navailles and divers other Gentlemen and light Horse and about one hundred and fifty French Souldiers resisting the English were slain in the encounter most part of the Officers being wounded Fifteen Officers of the English Army were said also to be killed besides divers Lieutenants and Ensigns They likewise lost one of their Colours and had five or six hundred killed and wounded The Duke of Buckingham stormeth the Citadel of St. Martin but could not take it The Cardinal sent to Bayonne for fifteen flat Vessels called Primaces built both to sail and row withal and very fleet and able to endure a storm In the end of August Captain Baslin who Commanded these Primaces came with them to the Sands of Olonne where the Abbot of Marsillac received him joyfully and his Vessels being well stored with Victuals and Ammunition he lent him Sixscore men of the Regiment de Champany with some Voluntiers On September 5. he set sail in the head of his little Fleet about six a clock at night Soon after he knew that he was near the English Fleet he spread abroad his great Sails and was easily discovered But the Primaces going very swift could not be stopped by the English Vessels They went without loss only some Sails and one or two Masts were shattered and one shot through with a Bullet Baslin having thus passed the English fell upon the Barricado which they had made to hinder Relief which consisted of great masts linked together with Iron Chains and tied with Cables fastned to great Anchors But many of the Primaces by reason of their lightness and swifness passed over the rest lighted on a certain place where the foregoing night a Tempest had broken part of their Barricado through which they passed without difficulty so that about two in the night they ran a shore near one of the Bastilions of the Citadel a place where the English could not hurt them The Relief was great both for their reputation and assistance Ten other Pinnaces were got from Bayonne which the Count de Grant-mont rigged out and sent under the Command of Captain Audum October 4. they came on the Sands of Olonne They were soon laden and accompanied with twenty five other little Vessels Three hundred Souldiers went aboard them and sixty choice Gentlemen Upon October 6. they put off Two daies past the wind changing before they came to Reé and that by day too The English Fleet engaged them in a rough Fight But their courage surmounting their danger twenty nine of the Vessels got clear to the Citadel where they ran ashore on Friday morning October 8. five of their Vessels were forced to give back One only in which were the Sieurs de Beaulieu and Razilly was taken by the English Who were so incensed at it that they made in twenty four hours above two thousand great shot upon the Port Saint Martin so that there were only five
that leaving them full liberty to execute their Monastical Functions it seemed fit unto him that they should not refuse to be dependent upon them in matter of Administing the Sacraments of Thanksgiving and Penance as he called them of Preaching the Word and to admit them to have power to repeal this Priviledge which was derived from them according as the Council of Trent had prescribed Accordingly each one addressed himself to observe the Cardinals directions and although some unreasonable persons began at first to create some difficulties yet his prudence soon prevailed over them insomuch that they could not be thought the same men who had so lately and so stiffly maintained their Independence on their Ordinaries He caused a Declaration to be drawn wherein they acknowledged themselves uncapable to Preach without Examination Licence and approbation from their Bishops first had and obtained and that the said Bishops might at any time revoke the said Licences withal that they neither could nor ought to hear the Confessions of Secular men without approbation which the said Bishops might likewise repeal in case of any incapacity or publick scandal Every one subscribed thereunto The Bishops dispatched Copies thereof into all parts and thus the Cardinal ended a difference which had made such a noise so many Ages together The Duke of Montmorency having raised some stirs was encountred by the Mareshal de Scomberg defeated and taken Prisoner The Parliament of Tholouse by the King's appointment having made process against him with all legal proceeding condemned him to be beheaded The Cardinal de la Valette besought the King to allow him a Confessour And the King gave order to the Marshal de Breze to conduct Father Arnoux superiour of the Jesuites to assist him Having made his Confession and communicated he made his will he bequeathed unto Monsieur the Cardinal one of the rarest Pictures of France representing Saint Sebastian dying He was executed in the Court of the Town-house where the King commanded it to be performed The Duke of Montmorency had acquired so great credit in Languedoc that he not only drew off divers men of quality from his Majestie 's service but several Bishops also and perswaded seven or eight to subscribe unto the Declaration of the States Some recanted what they had done and became conformable to what the King had ordained in his Declaration but others stood out in their Rebellion among whom were those of Alby and Vsez who had delivered their Cities into Monsieur's hands of Nismes who would have done the like of Alets and S. Pont well-willers to the Rebellion either by raising of Forces or Provisions to be sent to places already revolted The Archbishop of Narbon President of the States had not been defective in endeavouring to divert them from their designs representing to them how contrary it was to their Profession which tended to procure Peace and to shew examples of obedience unto others The King finding them who should have preserved the people in obedience both by exhortation and example to excite them to Rebellion could not put up such disorders but appointed Collectors in their several Bishopricks to receive their Revenues and to employ them in reparation of Religious houses and Episcopal Sees and thinking it improper to intrust the care of Souls with such disloyal persons he procured a Breviate from the Pope addressed to the Archbishop of Arles the Bishops of St. Flour and St. Malo to draw up their Process against them The Bishops of Alby and Nismes were deposed death preventing the Bishop of Vsez from receiving the like punishment The rest were restored to their Bishopricks there being not evidences sufficient to condemn them The Duke of Espernon had been advertised that it was principally the Archbishop of Burdeaux who had exasperated Cardinal Richlieu against him and who had rendred his visit at Bourdeaux when he went to see him attended by his Guards suspected to him The Hist of the Duke d'Espernon Lib. 10. A thing that had offended him to the last degree and he had publickly complained of that proceeding for his passions were never concealed which was also reported to the Archbishop who was at this time obliged to come into his Diocess to make some residence there He departed therefore from Court and took the way of Guienne The Archbishop being on his way toward Burdeaux turned a little out of the ordinary Road to go into a Territory belonging to his Bishoprick called Monravel where being arrived he was informed that one of the Dukes Guards had been assisting in the Execution of some Acts of justice wherein he was himself immediately concern'd and which would otherwise perhaps have met with some opposition He therefore sent a Gentleman to the Duke to return his thanks for so opportune a kindness What ever the design of this Complement might be it was very ill received The Duke made answer to the Gentleman who came from the Archbishop that thanks were neither necessary nor due to a person who had no design to oblige That if any thing by his orders had been done to his Master's advantage it had been done upon no other account than the meer consideration of justice without any respect to his friendship and so dismissed him The Archbishop sent to Court to acquaint the Cardinal what had passed between the Duke and him and to receive instructions from him how he was to behave himself if matters should grow to a greater height between them To which the Cardinal's answer was that he assured him of a powerful Protection whereupon the Archbishop engaged in the Affâ—ir to such an height as even to be himself the Aggressor at the first dash giving him very sensible and publick affronts The Duke of Espernon had in Propriety as Lord of the Mannour of Puipaulin the Royalty of the Clie of Burdeaux which is the Fish Market there so as that he might lâ—wfully forbid any to enter thereinto whom he had no mind to admit He therefore commanded the Archbishop's Officers one fifth day to be excluded that they might be constrained to take their Fish without the Bar with the rest of the people These men refused to receive it after that manner and otherwise they could not have it The Duke also knowing it would be brought in from other places caused his Guards moreover to watch all the avenues to hinder it by whom some were turned back that would have done the Archbishop that service and in the end some of his own Domesticks were very roughly handled The Archbishop by publick declarations complain'd of the violence had been offered to him by a sort of men purposely set on to do it describing them by the name of the Russet Cassocks which was the Duke's Livery demanding of the Magistrate protection and aid to oppose them and protesting to retire with his Clergy if they would not provide for his safety Then the Duke commanded the Lieutenant of his Guards the next day after the Archbishop
King himself He calls him the Grand Director and most puissant Genius of France the perfectest of men who doth penetrate things to come and is ignorant of nothing great and incomparable Cardinal the most eminent among mortals to whom the â—rabbed iâ— and most mysterious affairs of State are but pastimes visible God and tutelar Angel of the Universe a spirit that moves the Heavens and and the Stars the bliss of the world the Supreme Intelligence the Phoenix of the earth who never had nor ever shall have his parallel As there were a number of such profane Sycophants among the Wits of France that idolized him in that manner so there wanted nor others that aspersed him by Pasquils and Libels One calleth the Capuchin the Cardinal and the Devil the three degrees of Comparison Horel's Hist of Lewes XIII One hath made this Epitaphical invective on him Adsta viator quò properas Quod nusquà m videbis aut audies heic legitur Armandus Johannes de Plessis Cardinalis de Richlieu Clarus Origine magnus ingenio fortunâ eminentissimus Quodque mirere Sacerdos in Castris Theologus in Aula Episcopus sine plebe Cardinalis sine titulo Rex sine nomine unus tamen omnia Naturam habuit in numerato fortunam in consilio Aerarium in peculio securitatem in bello victoriam sub signis Socios in praecinctu cives in servitute Amicos in obsequio inimicos in carcere Hoc tamen uno miser quod omnes miseros fecit Tam seculi sui Tormentum quà m ornamentum Galliam subegit Italiam terruit Germaniam quassavit Afflixit Hispaniam coronavit Briganzam cepit Lotharingiam Accepit Cataloniam fovit Sueciam truncavit Flandriam Turbavit Angliam lusit Europam Poeta purpuratus Cui scena mundus gloria stiparium Regia gaza Choragium fuit Tragicus maximè quam fabulam malè solvit Post regnum Testamento suis distributum paupertatem populo imperatam Dissipatos Principes nobilitatem suppliciis exhaustam Senatum authoritate spoliatum exteras Gentes bello incendiis vastatas Pacem terra marique profligatam Cùm fatiscente corpore animum gravioribus consiliis aegrè vegetare Et nullius non interesset ipsum aut vivere aut mori Jamque bona sui parte mortuus aliorum tantum morte viveret Derepente spirare desiit timeri O fluxa mortalitas Quà m tenue momentum est inter omnia nihil Mortui corpus rheda extulit Secuti equites peditesque magnó numero Faces praetulerunt Ephebi crucem nemo quia currus pâ—blicam ferebat Denique hunc tumulum implet non totum Quem tota Europa non implebat Inter Theologos situs ingens disputandi argumentum Quò migravit sacramentum est Haec te lector volui heic te metire Et abi Stay passenger where hast'nest thou Here maist thou read what thou shalt not see nor hear any where else Armand John du Plessis Cardinal of Richlieu Noble by descent great in wit most eminent in fortune And what thou maist admire A Priest in the Field a Divine at Court A Bishop without a Cure a Cardinal without a Title a King without name Yet one who was all these He had nature in all her numbers Fortune in his Counsels The Royal Treasure in possession security in War Victory under his Banner He kept his Confederates in compass his Countrey-men in servitude His friends at a distance his enemies in Prison In this only wretched that he made all men so Being as well the torment as the ornament of his time He subdu'd France he scar'd Italy he shook the Empire He afflicted Spain he Crown'd Braganza he took Lorrain He accepted of Catalonia he fomented Sweden he maim'd Flanders He troubled England he cousened all Europe A purpled Poet Whose Stage was the world glory his Curtain the Exchequer his tyring house His subject for the most part tragical to which he put an ill Catastrophe Having turn'd the Kingdom to Legacies bequeathed poverty to the people Dissipated the Princes exhausted the Nobility with punishments Bereft the Parliament of power destroy'd other Nations with fire and sword Driven away peace by Sea and Land His body now fainting his mind not recreable for restlesâ— thoughts When it concern'd every one that he should live or die Being in good part already mortifi'd and living only in others death He suddenly ceas'd to breath and to be feared O the frail things of mortality What a small moment is there betwixt something and nothing The Corpse were carried in a Chariot Horse and Foot followed in great numbers Pages carried Torches none the Cross for the Chariot carried the publick Cross In fine he hardly fill'd up his grave Whom all Europe could not fill He lies among the Sorbonists Of Dispute a mighty Argument Whither he is gone 't is a Sacrament Reader this is all I would have with thee Hereby measure thy self and be gone He died at Paris December 4. 1642. in the 57. year and third month of his Age. After the decease of Richlieu Cardinal Julius Mazarin a Gentleman of an ancient Roman Extraction was put to sit at the Helm He together with Leo Bouthiller Chavigni and Soublet Noyer both Secretaries of State were the Cabinet Counsel to the King Mazarin was a bosom friend and a great intrinsick Confident of Richlieu before who had imparted his designs infused all his Maxims into him and opened unto him all the Arcana Imperii He had been an active Political Instrument employ'd by the Pope before in sundry Treaties and difficult traverses of State wherein he had good success and in all his negotiations he was discovered to be a Person of excellent address and rare endowments Five months after the death of Cardinal Richlieu the King fell sick at S. German's and died on May 14 1643. the same month the same day of the month and about the same hour of the day that his Father died thirty three years before but with this mark of difference that the one went out the other was sent out of the world about the same time His bowels were presently carried to be interred at Saint Dennis whither his Body followed after in the height of all solemnity and magnificence that his Queen could devise whom he left Regent of the Realm He was a great Zealot in the Religion and Ceremonies of the Church of Rome When the Queen found her self quick he caus'd a solemn Declaration to be published wherein he made the blessed Virgin Protectress under the holy Trinity of all his Estates all which he consecrated to her and for an immortal Mark of this Consecration he commanded the great Altar in the Cathedral Church of Paris to be built anew with the Image of the Virgin which should hold in her Arms that of our Saviour and the K. to lie prostrate before the Son and Mother offering them his Crown and Scepter The Archbishop of Paris was enjoyn'd to Commemorate this Declaration once every year
they saved his Life at Tours and delivered him from extream danger And in the Year 1617. they had the Testimony of their fidelity from their own King Lewes XIII written to their Deputies assembled in a Synod at Vitre in these terms We have received with good satisfaction the new assurances and protestations which you have made unto us of your fidelity obedience in the which if you persist as ye ought and as ye have done before you may also be assured that we shall always have a care to maintain and preserve you in all the advantages which have been granted unto you A Reverend Divine on the Revelation speaking of the French Churches saith God hath made the Church of France a wonder to me in his proceeding toward them from first to last and therefore to me great and special honour would seem to be reserved for them yet at the last For the first light of the Gospel the first and second Angels preaching Rev. 14. which laid the Foundation of Antichrist's ruine was from them namely those of Lyons and other places in France and they bare the heat of persecution which was as great as any since if not greater Moreover the Churches of France have ever since had as great a share in persecutions yea greater than any of the Protestant Churches And although it be well nigh five hundred years since they began to separate first from Antichrist yet they never had the great honour and priviledge which other Churches have been so blest with as to have a supream Magistrate professing their Religion except one who also continued not therein Pareus in his Commentary on the Revelation writing concerning the destruction of Rome Paraei Com. in 17. Apoc. Vis 6. inserts a Prophecy taken out of an Antient Manuscript found in the house of Salezianus and a little before his writing on that Chapter sent unto him which is as followeth Ex Natione Illustrissimi Lilii orietur Rexquidam c. There shall arise a King out of the Nation of the most illustrious Lily viz. France having a long forehead high brows great eyes and an Eagle's nose He shall gather a great Army and destroy all the Tyrants of his Kingdom and slay all that fly and hide themselves in the Mountains and Caves from his face For Righteousness shall be joyned unto him as the Bridegroom to the Bride with them He shall wage War even to the fortyeth year bringing into subjection the Islanders Spaniards and Italians Rome and Florence he shall destroy and burn with fire so as salt may be sowed on that Land The greatest Clergy who have invaded St. Peter's seat he shall put to death and in the same year obtain a double Crown and at last going over Sea with a great Army he shall enter Greece and be named King of the Greeks The Turks and Barbarians he shall subdue making an Edict That every one shall dye the death that worshippeth not the crucified one and none shall be found able to resist him because an holy Arm from the Lord shall always be with him and He shall possess the Dominion of the Earth These things being done he shall be called The rest of Holy Christians Thus far the Prophecy which every one may credit so far as it likes him saith my Authour There is another common Prophecy viz. That from the Carolingians that is of the race of Charlemaigne and Blood-Royal shall arise an Emperour of France by name Charles who shall be a great Monarch and shall reform the Church and State He that is curious to see this Prophecy may find it among the vulgar Revelations Whether this Prophecy hath any weight in it I refer my self to other Mens Judgements When God hath appointed it to be done he will touch their hearts that shall do it W. G. THE Ecclesiastical HISTORY OF FRANCE Century I. BEing about to write the History of the Gallican Church Ephr. Pagit Christianogr I shall begin with the first Plantation of the Gospel in France Some Writers tell us that Philip the Apostle of the City of Bethsaida first preached the Gospel in France and having afterwards preached in Phrygia he was honourably buried with his Daughters at Hierapolis Others say Heylin's Cosmogr Lib. 1. that the Christian Faith was first planted among the Gauls by some of St. Peter's Disciples sent thither by him at his first coming to Rome Xystus Fronto and Julianus the first Pastors of Rhemes Peregort and Mantz being said to be of his Ordaining in the Martyrologies The like may be affirmed but on surer grounds of Trophimus said to be the first pastor or Bishop of Arles For afterwards in a controversie betwixt the Archbishops of Vienna in France and Arles for the Dignity of Metropolitan in the time of Pope Leo the first it was thus pleaded in behalf of the Bishop of Arles Quod prima inter Gallias c. That Arles of all the Cities of Gaul did first obtain the happiness of having Trophimus ordained Bishop thereof by the hands of St. Peter Trophimus was a partaker with St. Paul in all his afflictions and his daily companion Zosimus writeth that out of his Spiritual Fountain all the Rivers and Brooks of France were filled Neither is St. Paul to be denied the honour of sending some of his Disciples thither also to preach the Gospel Euseb Eccles Hist Lib. 3. cap. 4. Crescens a companion of St. Paul mentioned by him in his second Epistle unto Timothy is said to have departed into Galatia 2 Tim. 4.10 which Eusebius saith was France That he was the first Bishop of Vienna forementioned not only the Martyrologies but also Ado Viennensis an ancient Writer of that Church doth expresly say And that it was into this Countrey that he sent Crescens at that time and not into Galatia in Asia Minor the testimonies of Epiphanius and Theodoret Doroth. de LXX Discip which affirm the same may sufficiently confirm Dorotheus saith that Crescens preached the Gospel in France and was there martyred and buried in the time of Trajan the Emperour In the History of Lazarus and Maximinus we find that they with Mary Magdalen and her sister Martha came to Marseilles Maximinus was one of the seventy Disciples of Christ as divers Authors tell us The French Antiquities tell us That after the Ascension of our Lord Anno 14. the Jews raised so horrible a persecution against the Christians that the most part fled whither they could That Maximinus accompanied with Lazarus took Mary Magdalen Martha Marcella her handmaid and some others and committing themselves to the Sea to avoid the fury of the Jews they arrive at Marseilles where the Prince of Marseilles was baptized Lazarus became first Pastor of Marseilles and Maximinus of Aquens They were ordained to those Churches in the Year of Christ 46. in which Year these Authors tell us that Simon the Leper whom our Saviour cured of that infirmity was Ordained to be Minister of
Confirmation of the bordering Churches or out of the Epistles which he wrote to certain Brethren for Admonition or Exhortation-sake Thus far Irenaeus There are but few of the Fathers but have some particular Opinion which the Church of Rome disalloweth as well as we The Learned Dr. Du Moulin mentioneth many of the Ancients Du Moulin Contr. Perront Lib. 1. cap. 49. and among them Irenaeus who saith that Jesus Christ Taught until the Age of forty or fifty years Fevardent who hath Commented upon the Book hath written in the Margin Naevus de aetate Christi it is a fault of Irenaeus about the Age of Christ The same Father also Teacheth that the Souls separated from the bodies have a bodily shape and keep the character or form of the body to which they were joyned The same Irenaeus saith Iren. Lib. 4. cap. 30. That the Law was not given to the Fathers that lived before the Law because they were Righteous and there was no need they should be warned by Reprehensions but that this Righteousness being given in Egypt God then had given his Law The same Father in the Fifth Book Chap. 33 and 34 brings in bodily Feasts after the Resurrection because Christ said He should drink of the New Fruit of the Vine in the Kingdom of his Father The same Father opposeth them as Hereticks that hold that the Souls of the Faithful departed do enjoy the Heavenly Glory His Opinion was that at their going out of the Body they go down into an invisible place where they expect the Resurrection Besides those Epistles of Irenaeus forementioned there is extant another very learned and necessary Book of his against the Gentiles Entituled A Book of Science or Knowledge Another unto Marcianus his Brother Entituled A Declaration of the Apostles Preaching And another Book of divers Tracts where he makes mention of the Epistle to the Hebrews and the Book of Wisdom called Solomon's Ex Platina in vita Sixti In the time of the Emperour Commodus Peregrinus flourished who had been sent before by Xistus Bishop of Rome into the parts of France to supply there the room of a Bishop and Teacher Because of the horrible Persecutions thereabout those places were left desolate and destitute of Ministers and Instructors where after he had Preached with much success among the Flock of Christ and had established the Congregation there returning to Rome he there finished his Martyrdom Six several Synods were held about the Observation of Easter and the fourth was held in France in which Irenaeus was Chief Century III. AFter the Death of the Emperour Commodus Reigned Pertinax but few months after whom succeeded Septimius Severus under whom was raised a notable Persecution against the Christians Great Persecution was stirred up on every side whereby an infinite number of Martyrs were slain as Eusebius reporteth Vincent Lib. 11. cap. 6. Ex Martyrol Vincentius speaketh of one Andoclus whom Polycarpus before had sent into France which Andoclus because he spread there the Doctrine of Christ was apprehended of Severus and first beaten with staves and after was beheaded About the same time died Irenaeus Henry of Erford Ado and other Martyr-writers do hold That he was martyred with many more for the Confession and Doctrine of Christ about the fourth or fifth year of Severus This Irenaeus as he was a great Writer so was he greatly commended of Tertullian for his Learning whom he calleth Omnium doctrinarum curiosissimum exploratorem a great searcher of all kind of learning In the time of this Irenaeus the state of the Church was much troubled not only for the outward persecution of the foreign enemy but also for divers Sects and Errours then stirring against which he diligently laboured and wrote much although but few Books be now remaining Calixtus succeeded Zepherinus Bishop of Rome and after him Vrbanus which both as some Writers affirm did suffer under the Emperour Alexander Severus This Calixtus in his two decretal Epistles written to Benedictus and to the Bishops of France giveth forth divers Ordinances concerning the Bishops and Ministers of the Church Vincentius affirmeth that Calixtus was tied to a great stone and so out of a window was thrown into a ditch Under the Emperour Decius as Gregory of Tours observeth Gratian came to Tours to preach the Gospel among the Pagans Gregor Turonens Hist Lib. 5. Anno Christi 252. Saturninus preached at Tholouse and was the first Bishop of that place Dionysius also came to Paris where he was Bishop and suffered Martyrdom This is he who is falsly named Dionysius or Denis the Areopagite Saturninus also was thrown down from the Capitol of Tholouse Rusticus and Eleutherius also there suffered Martyrdom The Author of St. Omer's Life relateth that Fuscianus and Victorinus the Companions of Dionysius preached at the same time the Faith of Christ That St. Quintin did the same among the Ambianians and suffered Martyrdom Aurelius Probus being invested with the Empire Anno 276. went into France where he regained sixty Towns out of the Barbarians hands and killed of them near seventy thousand Having quieted all things in France he went into Sclavonia and overcame the Nations in Scythia And being gone thence into the East he gave battel to the Persians and having overcome them and taken some of their Cities as he was returning to Italy passing through Sclavonia he was killed at Sirmium by the Soldiers Anno 282. M. Aurelius Carus born at Narbon in France succeeded Probus who soon after Created his Sons Carinus and Numerianus Caesars And having sent Carinus into France to keep it in peace he with his Son Numerianus went against the Persians there having overcome Mesopotamia he was strucken dead by a Thunderbolt Numerianus was slain by the conspiracy of Aper his Father in Law Carinus was slain by a Tribune whose Wife he had defloured Dioclesian succeeded him Dioclesian upon his Establishment associated unto him Maximianus Hercules in the Government of the Empire and they both chose Constantius Chlorus and Galerius to be their Colleagues and they were Created Caesars In the time before the Tenth Persecution the Church of Christ having had above forty years of outward rest and peace through the connivance and indulgence of some Emperours viz. from the death of Valerian until the nineteenth year of Dioclesian this prosperity being abused by the Clergy and other Christians unto idleness contentions c. moved the Lord to scourge them whereupon followed that sharp and cruel Persecution under Dioclesian Maximianus in the West and Dioclesian in the East bent all their Forces to root out the profession of Christian Religion Dioclesian endeavoured to destroy all the Churches and Temples of the Christians that they might not Assemble together to Pray and to use Divine Service he burnt all the Books he could get of the Holy Scripture and would not permit any man if he were a Christian to hold any Office or Magistracy The Soldiers being
the Empire Anno 361. having before obtained of Constantius the Title of Caesar and been Entitled Augustus by the Soldiers in the City of Paris In the Year 375. St. Martin was made Bishop of Turin in France Exuperius was Bishop of Tholouse Simplicius of Vienna Amandus of Bourdeaux Maurice of Anjou Philastrius of Breux these were all accounted Bishops of great fame About this time sprung up the Sect of the Donatists Fuller's Prophane State Cap. 11. who were so called from a double Donatus as one saith whereof the one planted the Sect the other watered it and the Devil by God's permission gave the encrease The elder Donatus raised a Schism in Carthage against good Cecilian the Bishop there whom he loaded unjustly with many crimes which he was not able to prove August ad quod vult Deum and vexed with this disgrace he thought to right his credit by wronging Religion and so began the Heresie of the Donatists His most Dominative Tenet was that the Church was perished from the face of the earth the reliques thereof only remaining in his party There were two principal sides of them first the Rogatists so called from Rogatus their Teacher to whom St. Augustine beareth witness That they had zeal but not according to knowledge These were people of good lives hating bloody practices though erroneous in their Doctrine But there was another sort whom they called Circumcellions though as little Reason can be given of their Names as of their Opinions Their number in short time grew to be considerable Their Tenet was plausible and winning and that Faith is easily wrought that teacheth men to think well of themselves From Numidia Quod apud eum solum justitia locum haberet Aug. contr Petil. Lib. 2. where they began they overspread Africa Spain France Italy and Rome it self Their greatest increase was under Julian the Emperour This Apostate next to no Religion loved the worst Religion best they fled to this Bramble for succour extolling him for such a Godly man with whom alone justice did remain and he restored them their Churches again and armed them with many privileges against Christians Hereupon they killed many men in the very Churches murthering Women and Infants and ravishing Virgins c. The Donatists were opposed by the Learned Writings of private Fathers Optatus Milevitanus and St. Augustine and by two Councils one at Carthage Vid. August Epist 162. another at Arles in France Pope Miltiades was by the Emperour made Judge between the Catholicks and Donatists and after him the Bishop of Arles This Heresie continued till about the six hundreth year of Christ and that which put a period to this Heresie was partly their own dissentions but chiefly they were suppressed by the Civil Magistrate for Honorius the Emperour by punishments mixt with Instructions from the Church Vide Baron Annal in Anno 362. Num. 264. converted and reclaimed very many He caused the Patent of Privilege which Julian granted the Donatists Publicis locis affigendum in ludibrium To be affixed to publick places for a reproach unto them Julian was slain in battel against the Persians having governed the Empire after the death of Constantius one year and seven months Then Jovian was saluted Emperour who being a professor of the Christian Faith rejected the Arians but he died of a surfeit in the eighth month of his Reign Then Valentinian was Elected Emperour a man constant in the Christian Faith but he died of an Apoplexy in the twelfth year of his Government leaving his Son Gratian to succeed him in the Empire who after the death of Valens his Uncle had the Government both of East and West his Brother Valentinian was his Colleague in the Government of the West Gratian in the beginning of his Reign reduced from banishment those Bishops whom Valens that Arian Persecutor had banished Gratian was slain by Andragathius Captain of the Army of Maximus who usurped the Empire of the West by fraud and treachery near Lions in France where he made his abode But Theodosius a man of Noble Parentage in Spain to whom Gratian had committed the Government of the East being mindful of the kindness of Gratian toward him lâ—d an Army against Maximus The Captains of Maximus's Army hereupon delivered him bound to Theodosius who put him to death Andragathius who slew Gratian seeing no way to escape threw himself head-long into the Sea and so perished Not long after Eugenius by the Power of the Earl Arbogastes Usurped the Government Anno 391. And the year following the said Arbogastes slew Valentinian at Vienna in France Epiphanius saith he was strangled in his Palace Century V. IN the Year 401. died St. Martin Bishop of Turin who following Hillary into France from his banishment having there lived an austere and retired life was Created Bishop of Turin almost at that time that St. Ambrose was established Bishop of Milan viz. in the Year 375. A man to be admired above all his Predecessors for Piety whom the Emperours themselves have had in great esteem and among the rest Maximus who feasted him Anno 386. in a Feast that his Wife the Empress had prepared who supplyed the place of a Waiter and Attendant at the Table her self Sulpitius Severus in the life of St. Martin sheweth that when he was to be chosen Bishop one of the people having taken the Psalter in the place of the Reader then absent began to read the eighth Psalm where there was Vt destruas inimicum defensorem at which word defensorem the people cryed out against one Defensor who opposed Martin's Election to the Episcopacy About this time the Monastical Profession came into Europe to which Jerome at Rome and St. Martin in France did much contribute In the Year 446. the Pelagian Heresie having spread over all Britain the British Churches being infected therewith King Vortigern sent for Germanus Bishop of Auxerres and Lupus Bishop of Troyes in Champagne out of France men eminent for their Counsel and Doctrine who confuting the Pelagians gained to themselves great esteem among the Britans After the return of Germanus and Lupus into their own Countrey Pelagianism began to sprout forth again in Britain But after three years Germanus returning back again into Britain brought with him Severus and the Pelagian Heresie was again condemned in a second Synod Britain being thus settled in good order Germanus went again into France and died soon after his return In this Century flourished other worthy Bishops and Preachers in France Eucherius Bishop of Lions was then eminent some of whose writings are yet extant Baron ad Ann. 453. About this time Baronius speaks of a Synod of Anjou which saith Let none be Ordained Priests or Deacons but such as have one Wife only who married Virgins Hillary first Bishop of Arles and afterward as appeareth of Vienna flourished about the year 458. he opposed himself directly to Leo Bishop of Rome and would acknowledge no
his race as an out-cast of great Charlemagne Lewes V. reigned one year only and dyed without Heir leaving his place void in troubles of State and confusion of times horribly corrupted unto the House of Hugh le grand Earl of Paris God had prepared the means both for the Father to lay the foundation and for his Son Hugh Capet appointed for the Regal Dignity to finish this goodly building Now cometh in the third race of the Kings of France called Capets of the name of Hugh Capet Charles Duke of Lorrain was first Prince of the Blood-royal he was Son to Lewes IV. Brother to Lothair Unckle to Lewes V. the last King to whom the fundamental Laws of France did adjudge the Crown But Hugh Capet was chosen King by the French assembled in Parliament and Charles Duke of Lorrain was rejected from the Crown This change happened in July Anno 987. This new King was sirnamed Capet or Capitosus either for that he had a great Head or that being young he was accustomed to catch at his Companions caps as a presage of that he should do unto Kings Otho and Henry two other Sons of Hugh le grand were Dukes of Burgundy one after another his other Sons were advanced to Ecclesiastical Dignities the one Arch-Bishop of Tholouse the other of Rovan and another dyed young Charles of Lorrain gathered an Army and entring France came to the City of Laon within which City he by the Treason of Anselm the Bishop of that City was taken and delivered with his Wife and Children into the hands of his Enemies Hugh being crowned King causeth his Son Robert to be crowned King at Rhemes Anno 990. three years after his Father's election Hugh decreeth that the elder Son should reign alone among his Brethren and suppresseth the Majors of the Palace He likewise decreed that hereafter Bastards should not be only rejected from the Crown but also from the sir-name of France the which before was allowed them To him likewise are due the goodly Ordinances of Justice Paris was the chief place of Hugh's residence which City was greatly augmented and beautified in his Reign Arnulph Bastard to Lothair was the only Man which had favoured Charles of Lorrain against Hugh Capet This Man was both perverse and disloyal having deceived both Charles of Lorrain and Hugh Capet who had given him the Arch-bishoprick of Rovan in recompence of the service he promised him against Charles to whom notwithstanding contrary to his Faith he gave means to seize upon the Cities of Rhemes Laon and Soissons Hugh therefore resolves to suppress Arnulph but respecting his quality he assembled a National Council of the French Church in the City of Rhemes This Assembly deposed Arnulph as guilty of Treachery and a troubler of the publick quiet and they substitute Gilbert in his place who had been School-master unto Robert Afterwards Hugh confines him to Orleans with Charles of Lorrain there to end his days in rest The Prelates of France in this Synod made a Declaration that the Popes have nothing to do to usurp the power and authority of Kings Arnalt Bishop of Orleans maintained in that Synod that the Popes have no power at all over the Bishops of France so as to have any cognizance of Cases belonging to them and he declaimed most stoutly against the avarice and corruption of the Court of Rome Seguin Arch-Bishop of Sens was sent also to Orleans to be imprisoned because he consented not freely to the deposition of Arnulph Pope John 12. being displeased with Hugh for that he had not appealed to him for his confirmation in this new Royalty disanulleth this Decree of the Council of Rhemes excommunicates the Bishops which had assisted restores Arnulph and deprives Gilbert of the Arch-bishoprick of Rovan and to temper this sharp and rough proceeding with some lenity he doth invest Gilbert with the Arch-bishoprick of Ravenna And this was a means to raise him to the dignity of Pope Acta Synodi Rhemensis Anno 990. The Acts of this Council of Rhemes under Hugh Capet have these words Poor Rome What clear lights of Fathers hast thou brought forth in the time of our Predecessors What horrible darkness hast thou poured out upon our times which will redound to our shame and dishonour in future Ages The Pope threatens his curse against Hugh and his Son Robert The King returned Answer that he had done nothing in contempt but that he was willing to justifie what He or his Bishops had done if it pleased the Pope to meet him at Gratianople on the Frontiers of Italy and France or if rather he would come into France he promised to receive him with the highest honour The Pope sent his Legates into France Gerebert Arch-Bishop of Rhemes sent an Epistle unto Seguin forementioned who was said to favour the deposed Arnulph the tenour whereof is Morn in Myst iniqu It became your worthiness to eschew the craftiness of deceitful men and to hear the voice of the Lord saying Here is Christ Hist Magdeb. in Actis Synodi or there is Christ follow not One is said to be in Rome who justifieth those things which ye condemn and condemneth those things which ye think just God saith If thy Brother offend against thee go and rebuke him How then say some that in the deposition of Arnulph we should have waited the determination of the Romish Bishop can they say that the Judgement of the Bishop of Rome is greater than the Judgement of God But the Prince of the Apostles saith We must obey God rather than Man St. Paul also cryeth If any Man Preach unto you otherwise than what you have received although he were an Angel from Heaven let him be accursed Because Pope Marcellinus offered Incense unto Idols should therefore all Bishops offer Incense I say boldly that if the Bishop of Rome himself sin against a Brother and being often admonished will not hear the Church even the Roman Bishop according to the command of Christ should be esteemed as an Heathen and a Publican for the highest rise hath the lowest fall And if he think us unworthy of him because none of us assenteth to him when he judgeth contrary to the Gospel he cannot therefore separate us from the Communion of Christ seeing even a Presbyter unless he confess or be convict should not be removed from his Office c. The Priviledges of St. Peter saith Leo the Great are not where Judgement is not exercised according to Righteousness Wherefore occasion should not be given unto these our envyers that the Priesthood which is one every where as the Catholick Church is one should be subject unto one Man that if he be corrupt with Money favour fear or ignorance none can be a Priest except whom these virtues recommend unto him Let the Law of the Catholick Church be common Farewel and suspend not your selves from the sacred Mysteries Pope John had intelligence of this Letter and summoned the
Jacob. Mejer in annalib rerum Flandricarum would not suffer the Arch-Bishops and Bishops of Rhemes Rhoan Sens Paris Beauvis and some others to assist there because they were Benedict's partizans by reason of the great courtesies they had received either from him or his predecessour In a Decree made February 18. 1406. we find a complaint by Charles VI. They take occasion to reserve the First-fruits in the vacancies and to extort great sums of Money whereby the Kingdom is exhausted and to thrust themselves upon the Popedom for to enrich both them and theirs And when there is any question saith he of preferring men to elective dignities they never used those ways which ought to be observed and which are appointed to examine and try them Whence it comes to pass that it being not possible that the Pope should know all Men and the state of the Churches he admits divers into those dignities who are unworthy of them and sometimes such as are unknown to him but by their money He addeth They insert divers clauses in their Bulls which are sometimes inextricable they make divers Rules besides the Law or else quite against Law which they revoke at their pleasure insomuch that the most clear-sighted cannot discern who hath best right among divers pretenders Hence arise infinite Suits in Law which they must prosecute out of the Kingdom with great expence and charges In another Decree made the same year he accounts this among other extortions Imposing Tenths and other Subsidies at their pleasure without ever consulting the rest of the Bishops about it in the raising whereof there is no mean observed either of Justice or equity It was then ordained that none should pay Tythes to Popes nor Cardinals And in another Decree made in March Anno 1408. mention is made of certain presidents by Charles VI. established at a Council at Paris Not long ago saith he it was proposed and demanded by our Attorney-General at a Council holden at Paris consisting of the Bishops and Clergy of the Churches within our Kingdom and Daulphiny where our Cousin Lewes King of Sicily our eldest Son Duke of Aquitain and Viennois the Duke of Bourges our Vnckle by the Father's side the Duke of Burgundy our Cousin and the Duke of Burbon our Vnckle by the Mother's side did preside for us that the Pope 's exactions and other grievances formerly rehearsed might be utterly abolished We read of another Decree made afterwards wherein complaint is made by the same King Charles VI. That an infinite deal of Gold and Silver and Rents were transported out of the Kingdom and the Province of Daulphinè to the prejudice of the antient Customs and the undoing of the Realm to the irreparable loss and damage of the Common-wealth and the miserable desolation of the Churches as well such as were of Royal Foundation as others And elsewhere he complaineth That certain Collectors and other the Pope of Rome 's Officers particularly for his Moneys have of late oppressed the Church and Church-men of our Realm and Province of Daulphinè by an insufferable slavery in seizing upon the Goods of the Bishops and Clergy-men both Regulars and Seculars presently upon their Decease An Edict was made discharging the payment of Annates Pope Vrban VI. being dead in Rome after he had managed the Popedom for eleven years with little satisfaction either to the people or Clergy the Cardinals created Boniface the ninth in the 33. year of his Age who shewed much prudence in the whole course of his Papacy He sate fourteen years and nine months and dyed Anno 1405. Guilel Noubrigensis li. 4. ca. 1. King Charles VI. bestirred himself to remove the schism which was between Benedict XIII and Boniface IX and to dispose all the Princes of Christendom for the same design according to the Testimony of an English Historian He heard with patience saith he the Legates of either Pope but by the advice of his Divines he would not submit himself neither to the one nor to the other He rather thought on a means whereby he might relieve the Church by removing out of her all matter of dissention Having therefore sent his Ambassadours to the Emperour as also to the Kings of England Bohemia and Hungary he conjured them not to be wanting to the publick good and tranquillity He perswaded Wenceslaus the Emperour to come to Rhemes where a general Council was held on that occasion I find another Ordinance of the same King Charles VI. made by the counsel and assistance of the Lords and Clergy of France Vid. Libell de Eccles Gallic in Schismat p. 15. wherein he saith That the Royal power is ordained of God for the preservation of the Church and that the Kingdom of Heaven increaseth by means of the Earthly Kingdom when those which destroy the Church are crushed by the rigour of Princes That the sacred Canons will have recourse to be made unto Princes when such things are committed by great men in the Church and that according to the opinion of Holy Doctours the Pope ought not to be obeyed in such things wherein the state of the Church is notoriously disturbed And in another Ordinance of April 17. 1410. These things being considered that it belongs unto us who are the Guardian Protector and Defender of the Churches of our Kingdom and of Daulphinè and who have ratified and approved the Statutes and Ordinances aforesaid made in the Council aforesaid to cause all this and all that followeth upon it to be kept inviolable c. There is an Arrest of the Parliament of Paris toward the latter end of this King's Reign wherein it is said that Pope Benedict and his Officers should from thenceforth give over and abstain from the exaction of Annates in the Kingdom of France and the County of Daulphinè The same Charles VI. being excommunicated by Benedict the XIII put the bearers of his Bulls to the * Armende honoraire So they call this ignominious kind of punishment Honourable Amends making them to be carried in Tumbrels apparelled in painted Coats with paper Mitres upon their heads and the Pope's Bull represented in their hands and his Arms reversed All which was done by the advice of his Princes Lords and the Prelates and other Ecclesiasticks of his Kingdom together with the Parliament and University of Paris as appeareth by the Acts published concerning this particular After the death of Pope Boniface IX the Cardinals created Cosmo di Sulmona Pope who took the name of Innocent VII he lived but two years after and dyed in a time when all Italy was in an ill condition Whilst this schism continued Three Princes in France who by reason of the King's indisposition did then govern that Kingdom viz. the Dukes of Berry of Burgundy and of Orleans went all of them together to Pietro di Luna who was called Benedict XIII to Avignon beseeching him to provide against this disorder by renouncing the Papacy urging that it was
Title seeing this consederacy had been made with the consent of the said Pope who as the chief was comprehended therein and that this Prince allyed according to the form of the League had given aid for the recovery of the patrimony of St. Peter 6. That the Pope pretending any thing due for any Rights belonging to the Church of Rome and the Prince on the other side challenged to hold of the Empire and should refer this controversie to the censure of indifferent Judges as Equity required that in this case it was not lawful for the Pope without further knowledge of the cause to make War against any such Prince which if he did the said Prince might oppose his Forces with other Princes his confederates so as that right had not been possessed by the Roman Church within an hundred years 7. That if the Pope would not accept this honest and lawful offer but contrary to order and right should give sentence against any such Prince maintaining his right not to depend upon the Church neither he nor any other by opposing should incur the censure of that sentence seeing that Prince had no free access neither to go nor send to Rome to defend his Rights 8. That if the Pope unjustly the due course of Law not observed should by main force pronounce any censures against any such Princes their Allyes and Subjects resisting in such a case the sentence were of no force neither could it be by any means binding The King hereupon sent Ambassadours to Pope Julius in the name of the French Church to admonish him that leaving his designs he should attend to peace and reconcile himself with the aforesaid Princes and upon refusal they should summon him to call a Council according to the Decrees of the Holy Council of Basil But the Pope despiseth all Then the Emperour 's and the King of France his Deputies assisted by the Cardinals of St. Croix St. Malo Baieux Colense Albret and many others on May 19. 1511. publish a general Council to be held at Pisa for the first of September following the which City was lately returned to the obedience of the Florentines To cross this Council the Pope following the advice of Anthony de Mont of St. Sansovin one of the eight Cardinals newly created at Ravenna appointed a general Council on May 1. at St. John de Lateran in Rome And to keep the King's forces quiet he colourably gave ear to a peace which the Bishop of Tivoli his Nuncio and the King of Scots Ambassadour treated for him with the King and the Cardinals of Nantes and Strigonium with the Pope But Julius having been sick and being freed from the fears of death he makes a new League with the Senate of Venice and the King of Arragon against the French to maintain as he said the union of the Church to defend it from apparent Schism and to recover all such places as depended either mediately or immediately upon the Church The first day of September being come the Cardinals Attorneys in their names do celebrate the Acts appertaining to the opening of the Council at Pisa The Pope being wroth declared Florence and Pisa subject to the Ecclesiastical censure by vertue of the Bull of the Council which he had caused to be published and he pronounced the abovenamed Cardinals void of the Dignity of Cardinals and subject to the punishments of Hereticks and Schismaticks The Florentines and Pisans appeal from this curse to the Holy Council of the Universal Church At the first Session the Cardinals call the Clergy to assist in the Cathedral Church but not one appeareth the Priests deny their Ornaments to the Cardinals offering to celebrate the Mass and shut the Church doors so that the Cardinals fearing they should not remain safe in Pisa decreed to have the Council transported to Milan They found the like difficulties at Milan The Clergy abstain from saying Service as before accursed persons the Commons curse them and openly deride them especially the Cardinal of St. Croix chosen President of the Council This dealing of the Milanois made them to transport the Council to Lyons where Julius was suspended from his Popedom and prohibitions were made throughout all France not to send any Money to Rome nor to bring any Bulls from thence Hereupon Pope Julius did not only excommunicate all the French but also granted Bulls of pardon to any one that should kill a French-man giving the Realm of France and that of Navarr in hatred of John of Albret allyed to the King and at the perswasion of Ferdinand King of Arragon in prey to the first conquerour But King Lewes XII beat the Pope in a Battle near Ravenna which beating wrought this effect that the King was sued to Vid. Nich. Gyles in the life of Lewes XII fol. 134 and 135. and received with as many spiritual graces as he was pleased to have and the Kingdom of France was reconciled unto his Holiness But soon after by Treachery the French King loseth the whole Estate of Milan Maximilian Grand child to Lewes Sforza is restored and named Duke of Milan And Navar is usurped by the King of Arragon Pope Julius dyeth February 21. Anno 1513. and John Cardinal of Medicis succeeded him who was called Leo the tenth The same year dyed Ann the French Queen and the next year Lewes King of France marrieth the Lady Mary sister to Henry VIII King of England But as Lewes pleased himself exceedingly in the excellent beauty of his new Spouse behold a Fever accompanied with a flux of blood frees him from the cares and troubles of this World So Lewes dyed on January 1. 1514. greatly lamented of all his Subjects Francis the first of that name succeeded him in the Kingdom he was before Duke of Valois and Earl of Angolesm Son to John Earl of Angolesm who was the youngest Son of Lewes Duke of Orleans murthered by the Burgundian at Paris in the time of Charles VI. who was also the youngest Son of King Charles V. He was anointed at Rhemes being 22. years old William Budeus born at Paris was Secretary to King Francis the first and keeper of his Library and afterwards his Counsellour Illyr Catal. Test Verit. li. 19. and Master of Requests His Commentaries upon the Greek Tongue his Epistles Philology his Commentaries upon the Pandects and other of his works shew his great knowledge in the Greek and Latin Tongues In those things which he wrote before the preaching of Luther he doth sharply and largely accuse the Pope Prelates and Popish priests especially in his Book de Asse which was published Anno 1513. He thus describeth the State of the Church at that time saying Montacut Analect exercit 5. Sect. 4. The Clergy are worse than the worst of the people in all kind of Vice and wantonness Prelates are ignorant and enemies of Learning having no respect to the salvation of Souls but rather thrusting them down to Hell by their false Teaching
repealed or of any Custom or Priviledge or any other manner whatsoever or that make use of them when they are made and ordained when by them the Ecclesiastical liberty is abolished impaired depressed or restained in any manner whatsoever or who do any prejudice to our Laws and those of our See directly or indirectly implicitely or explicitely See yet another which follows after this Those likewise who do any ways hinder the Archbishops Bishops and other Prelates superiour and inferiour and all other ordinary Ecclesiastical Judges in the exercise of their Ecclesiastical jurisdiction against any person according as the Canons the sacred Constitutions of the Church the Decretals of General Councils and principally that of Trent do ordain There is further in the same Bull some Excommunications against those which appeal from the Pope's Sentence to General Councils Against those that hinder Clergy or Lay-men from going to plead at Rome which is a remarkable thing Against Kings and Princes which make the fruits of Ecclesiastical Livings to be sequestred upon any occasion whatsoever which concerns the right of the Crown Against those which impose any Tenths Subsidies or other Taxes All this was levell'd against the rights of the King and the liberties of the Gallican Church Rebuff in praxi benefic de union benef num 28. A Bull had been granted by Pope Alexander VI. in the year 1500. for the union of the Parish-Church of Doway with the Chapter of the Cathedral-Church of the same place But the Parliament of Paris upon the appeal Papon lib. 3. tit 8. art 2. as from abuse exhibited from the Curate of Doway to stop the Execution of it disannulled the union by an Arrest of the first of May 1575. because there wanted a Writ for Commission In Partibus Divers other unions besides have been declared to be abusive because they were made without the consent of the Lay-Patrons and the Bulls have been annulled as well by the Parliaments as by the Grand Council King Charles IX in his demands of the Council of Trent required a reformation of the abuses of Fraternities That Council found nothing to be corrected in them but tacitely confirmed them by ordaining That the Administrators of them shall give account of their Administration every year unto the Ordinary We read that Leagues and Monopolies and Conspiracies against the State have been hatched in such Fraternities as these and that disorders and other unlawful things have been committed among them They have been prohibited in all well policied Kingdoms and Common-wealths and particularly in France where we must observe That as they have been Instruments of trouble and dissoluteness so they have been judged hurtful to peace and concord And for that reason they are condemned by the Edicts and Declarations of the French Kings as the Mothers or at least the Companions of Conspiracies For they are so joyned together by the same Ordinances as in that of King Henry III. of September 1577. And all Leagues Associations and Fraternities made or to be made under any pretence whatsoever to the prejudice of this our Edict shall be utterly void and of no effect And in that of the same Prince given the 20. of December in the same year We expresly forbid all our said Subjects of what quality soever they be to begin make or prosecute any League Association or Fraternity among themselves to the prejudice of our said Edict of Pacification The forty fourth Article of the Conference of Flex saith in express terms All the foresaid viz. Provosts Majors Consuls Sheriffs of Towns c. mentioned in the former Article and other Subjects whatsoever of this Realm of what Condition soever shall depart from and renounce all Leagues Associations Fraternities and Intelligences as well within the Realm as without Duke Casimire had no sooner turned his back from France but they began to find the Peace to be counterfeit being made only to disarm them and to divide the Commanders The Prince of Conde first felt the breach of these Promisâ—s They deny him his Government of Picardy Peronne is seized upon Divers enterprizes upon the Princes person make him to leave the Duke of Alançon and to retire into Guienne to the King of Navarre who had before declared himself for the Protestants and whom those of Rochel received into their Town with much honour on June 28. All such of his Train aâ— they suspected were excluded Upon denial of Peronne the King granted to the Prince the Town of S. Jean d'Angeli but the Inhabitants had a Watchword and a mutual Oath after the manner of a private League made by sixty Gentlemen of Poitou who would have no exercise of any Religion but the Catholick to maintain one another and not to give access to any one of what Religion soever to the end their quiet might not any way be disturbed The Prince finding this repulse caused some Captains to enter secretly and so assured himself of the place But finding this place too weak for the assurance of his Person in the end of October he takes Brovage a strong place near unto Rochel The Protestants complain unto the King that in divers places they are disturbed in the exercise of their Religion granted by the Edict That many Preachers move the people to Sedition That the Chambers of both Religions are not erected and that justice is denied them That both great and small bandy against them And they produce ample proofs of these complaints Now those of the house of Guise studied to discover those terrible Projects which they had long hatched Their chief designs were to overthrow the succession brought in by Hugh Capet in the full assembly of the States and to cause the naming of a Successour to be subject unto the said Estates to cause the Princes of the blood that should oppose against the Decrees of the Estates to be declared incapable to succeed unto the Crown And the residue of what qualities soever Noble-men Gentlemen and others to be degraded of their Dignities the money growing of their Confiscations to be employed for the War and their Bodies to be executed To make the Estates protest to live and die in the Faith set down by the late Council of Trent to cause it to be signed in the open Parliament To revoke and disannul all publick Edicts in favour of the Protestants and their Associates and to pursue them to the death that should hinder the extirpation of Heresies De Serres Hist in vit Henry III. To cause the King to revoke the Promises made unto the Protestants and to prescribe a certain time unto their Associates in the which they should present themselves before the Ecclesiastical Judges to be absolved and then to be sent unto the King to purchase pardon of the Crimes committed against his Majesty To cause the King to make the Duke of Guise his Lieutenant General A League of the Guisian Faction a Person fit to encounter the Rebellion of Princes
my most secret thoughts If it be best for this People that I should attain the Crown which belongs to me by right do thou favour and Protect the justice of my Arms. But if thy will hath determined the contrary if thou takest away my Kingdom take away my life also at the same time that I may shed my blood fighting at the Head of those who put themselves in danger for my sake At the end of which words there arose in the Front of the Battel a loud acclamation from those that heard him with an unanimous cry of vive le Roy which being taken and redoubled from Squadron to Squadron through the whole Army gave an happy beginning to the Battel The Cavalry of the League being defeated save themselves by flight The Swisses laying down their Colours and Arms upon the ground had quarter given them by Mareschal de Biron The Germans who having been raised by the King's money had revolted to the Duke of Lorain were all put to the sword The French Infantry that yielded had their lives given them The Duke de Mayenne fled towards Dreux and having entred the Town broke up the Bridge before his own people were all come which was the reason that multitudes of them the King's Army pursuing them were miserably drowned The Reiters of the League fight till they are all destroyed There died that day above six thousand of the League among which were the Duke of Brunswick the Sieur de la Chastaigneray and the Count d'Egmont who was cut in pieces with all his Lanciers Divers Lords with 204. Ensigns and Cornets were taken by the King with all their Canon and Baggage On the King's side there were but 500. slain This Battel was fought on March 14. 1590. The news of this defeat came the next day to Paris whereat every one was afraid But on March 16. Father Christino de Nizza took an occasion to discourse on those words Whom I love I rebuke and chasten And in the Pulpit tells the Parisians of the defeat and by his Eloquence prevails so on them that they resolve to endure any thing for the Catholick Religion without fearing the heavy tryal of a future siege or Famine The same did William Rose Boucher Prevost and all the other Preachers and last of all Francesco Panigarola who though he Preached in the Italian Tongue was much followed by reason of the same of his Eloquence After the yielding of other places Melun is taken by the King's Army a little Town but well Fortified seven Leagues distant from Paris through which run two Currents of the River Seine and therefore is divided into three parts by the stream and only joyned together by Bridges The Sieur de Villeroy being come to Melun to treat an agreement with the King perswades him by many reasons to turn Catholick and propounds a Cessation of Arms. He was sent by the Duke of Mayenne unto the King To which the King gave a large answer And as to the point of Religion he said he had already contented those Catholicks that followed him who were many of great wisdom and strength and very great extraction to whose determination he thought all the rest might accommodate themselves Mâ—rc Antonio Mocenigo Bishop of Ceneda treats with the Mareschal de Biron and propounds a Cessation of Arms but it is rejected All hope of Truce failing the Parisians prepared for a strict siege from the King's Army The people was already disposed by the long exhortations of their Preachers and sollicitations of those that Governed to endure the siege being wrought upon by the frequent Decrees of the Sorbon and by the Declarations and Protestations of the Cardinal Legate that an agreement could not be treated with the Hereticks without damnation Hereby mens minds were so confirmed that some were put to death for saying it was better to make peace with the King than starve with hunger The Duke of Mayenne by many Letters assured them that he would relieve the City within a few weeks To encrease this inclination in the people a solemn Procession was made by Order from the Cardinal Legate to implore Gods assistance in those necessities in which Procession the Prelates Priests and Monks of the several Religious Orders walked all in their accustomed habits but besides them they were Armed also openly with Corslets Guns Swords Partezans and all kind of Arms offensive and defensive making at once both a shew of devotion and constancy of heart prepared to defend their lives which heightened the courage of the common people After this Procession they made another of all the Magistrates of the City and among the Ceremonies of it the Duke of Nemours their Governour and other Commanders of the Souldiers and Magistrates of the people swore publickly in the great Church to defend the City to the last man and never make an agreement with an Heretick Prince for any danger or calamity whatsoever should befall them The King drew nigh to Paris and shuts up the passages of the River of Seine on every side and the City is in great scarcity for want of Victuals Cardinal Gondy Bishop of Paris gives way that the Church Plate should be turned into money for the relief of the poor and the Cardinal Legate distributed among the poor 30000. crowns extorted from the Pope with much ado The Ambassadour Mendoza promised sixscore crowns a day in Bread The Dutchesses and the richest Lords sold their houshold stuff jewels and Ornaments to relieve the urgent necessities of the common people During this siege the Cardinal of Bourbon dies at Fontenay which produceth no alteration at all only the Duke of Mayenne invites the Deputies of the Provinces to Meaux to chuse another King The Duke of Mayenne having met the Duke of Parma at Conde obtains of him 1500. Spanish Foot towards the relief of Paris In that populous City the Famine was so sore that within the space of three Months moe than an hundred thousand died in it The Duke of Parma cometh with an Army to relieve Paris at his arrival at Meaux he joyns with the Duke of Mayenne The Abbot del Bené dies a man of great abilitie in State affairs at which the King is troubled Upon August 30. the King riseth from the siege of Paris While the two Armies lie still observing one another the Parisians furnish themselves with some Provisions The King sends a Trumpet to the Duke of Mayenne to challenge him to fight The Duke of Parma drawes his Army into Battalia as if he would give Battel goes away suddenly to Lagny and deceives the King The Duke of Parma takes Lagny before the face of the King's Army whereby the passage of the River Marne being freed upon Septemb. 6. great store of victuals enter into Paris The King withdraws his Army and marcheth towards St. Dennis He gives a Scalado to the City which proveth ineffectual The Duke of Parma takes Corbeil and so absolutely frees Paris from want
love with a beautiful Lady a Subject born of the Spaniard and a Papist of the deepest Jesuitish dye which seduced and turned him both to the Romish Religion and to the Spanish Party Soon after the Duke declared himself a Papist to the incredible loss of the Protestant Party Sedan was grown by the persecutions in France The greatest number and the richest sort consisted of the Posterity of persons that had transported their Families and their Estates to Sedan during the Wars of Religion and that place was a refuge at hand for the Protestants when any trouble arose in France This change therefore in the Prince wrought a great consternation in the people of Sedan and a great grief in the generality of all the French Protestants Which the Duke of Bovillon perceiving and judging that as they lived at Sedan upon the account of their Religion they might retire from it upon the same account he called the Church and the University and told them that he would lend them the same Protection as before and innovate nothing Only whereas he gathered the Tythes of his Dominions and therewith gave wages to the Ministers Professours and Regents as also Stipends to the Priests now the Priests must have the Tythes as their ancient right and he would pay to the Ministers Professours and Regents their ordinary Stipends out of his own Estate Sedan enjoyed that rest for a year or two till the Duke won by his Wife to forsake the Protection which he enjoyed under the King of France who paid his Garrison agreed with the Spaniard to put himself under his Protection to turn out the French Garrison and receive his Which Plot being discovered by some of Sedan was made known to the French Court and such order was taken that the Duke's design was prevented Himself his Lady and all his Retinue were turned out of Sedan and are kept out of it to this day and the place continueth under the subjection of France This year the Inhabitants of the Valtoline were much distressed The Valtoline is a Country scituate at the foot of the Alpes not unlike a great ditch separated by the high Mountains from the Grisons â—nd those which are on the Coast of Italy It is not of very large extent not above twenty Leagues in length and one in breadth but is very fertile and of great importance serving as a Gate to the Spaniards and Venetians to bring Forces out of Germany into Italy as well to defend as to increase their States The Venetians were not ignorant of it when they were embroiled with Pope Paul V. Anno 1603. They made a League with the Grisons who are natural Lâ—â—ds of it to have free passage through it as their occasions should require though France had the only power to dispose of it according to the Treaty made with them by Lewes XII and renewed by Henry IV. Anno 1602. during the time of his own life the life of Lewes XIII and eight years after his decease Which Alliance with them gives great offence to the Spaniards which caused them to make another League with the Grisons to whom the same passages were assured for the safeguard of Milan But after a long Treaty made in the year 1613. these two new Alliances were overthrown and that of France re-setled which was not for any long time for from the year 1617. to the year 1621. there were nine insurrections among them At last the Valtolines made a general revolt and at the perswasion of the Governour of Milan massacred all the Protestants they met with In July 1620. the Governour of Milan sent them Souldiers and builded them Forts in their Valley The French King then being engaged in re-taking those Towns which the Hugonots had gotten into their possession could not succour the Grisons with his Armies but sent the Marshal de Bassompiere extraordinary Ambassadour into Spain in his name to demand that the Valtoline might be restored and all things replaced into their former state It was obtained and accordingly it was signed at Madrid in May 1621. on condition that certain great liberties might be accorded to the Catholicks there and with a Proviso that the Cantons of the Swisses and the Valtolines should encline the Grisons to consent to what had been agreed upon But the Spaniards procured the Catholick Cantons to deny their consents which being wanting they would put off the execution of the whole Treaty and moreover made one at Milan with the Deputies of the Grisons and unto others with the same Grisons and the Arch-Duke Leopold by which they got great advantages in those Countries and so kept to themselves the power of passing any Forces through that Country France never made any difficulty of according to any thing which might contribute to the exercise of the Catholick Religion in the Valtoline or for security of all such as made profession thereof But they would never agree to those demands which the Spaniards made concerning the having of passages with so much peremptoriness During which time Pope Gregory XV. died and Vrban VIII being set in his place proposed new Articles of Accommodation which comprised as much as could be of advantage for the Church and Catholicks which were readily accepted of by France but as stoutly rejected by the Spaniards for that it did not grant to them the enjoyment of the passages Then Cardinal Richlieu advised the King not to stand dallying upon the means of a Treaty as formerly but forthwith to make use of his Arms to reduce tâ—â—m to terms of justice The King resolves to send the Marquess de Coenures to the Cantons of the Swisses for the Grisons affairs at the same time that the Sieur de Bethune was dispatched toward Rome His instructions were first to re-unite all the Swisse Cantons with his Majesty to dispose the Catholicks to give their assent to the Treaty of Madrid and to espie if in this re-union there might not some way be found out for to re-place the Garrisons into the Soveraignty of the Valtoline The second was to be kept private if the first took effect else he was commanded to encourage the Grisons to rise who should receive assistance from his Majesty of such Troops as should be necessary according to such orders as should be received Then the French King Duke of Savoy and Common-wealth of Venice made a League for the restitution of the Valtoline The Marquess de Coenures takes the field to make himself Master of the Forts in the Valtoline which were all taken in the three first Months of the following year New Orders are sent to the Marquess to prosecute his Conquests there The Pope seems to the Cardinal de la Valette and the Sieur de Bethune to be very angry that the King should attempt upon the Forts in the Valtoline which were in his keeping and sends the Sieur Bernardino Nary to his Majesty to testifie to him his great discontent at it The King of Spain to break
1626. and the next day the General and particular Deputies ratified and confirmed them King Lewes made a severe Edict against Duels and took a solemn Oath not to shew any favour to those who should break it About this time there arose very great Disputes in the University of Paris especially between the Doctors of Divinity about a certain Book composed by Sanctarellus a Jesuite which treated of the power Popes had over Kings which Book had been approved by their chief President by the Pope's Vicegerent and by the Master of the holy Palace His Doctrine was That Popes had a power of direction or rather correction over Princes that they might not only Excommunicate them but deprive them of their Kingdoms too and absolve their Subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance whether it were for Heresie Apostasie or any other great publick crime whether it were for the insufficiency of their persons or for their not defending the Church and that the Pope might at last give their States to such as he should think fit For the present it made a great noise among the Doctors and was opposed by several Books which then were published The whole Body of Divines did condemn it some indeed of the old League seemed to favour it But the Parliament called the chief of the Jesuites before them and obliged them to sign a Declaration by which they should condemn the said Book and to cause another of the like to be subscribed by all the Provincials and Rectors and by Six of the most ancient of every one of their Colledges in France and so ordered the Book to be burnt by the common Hangman with prohibition to the Stationers to sell any of them At this time there were Combinations of divers Grandees of the Court against the King and State Madam de Chevuruse being discontented that her private intelligences with the English Ambassadour were so publickly taken notice of did not a little promote the undertakings by her animating of Monsieur the Grand Prior and Chalais to execute it both which were engaged by love to her as also that the Colonel d'Ornano abusing Monsieur's goodness and the credit which his place gave him did absolutely divert him from the Marriâ—ge which his Majesty had so earnestly desired should be celebrated The Cardinal discovered that Chalais was one of chief Instruments of the Enterprize and that Colonel Ornano was the Ring-leader of the Plot. That their chief end was to unite all the Provinces so close together that they might enforce his Majesty not to remove any thing from the Court and withal to permit them to live in the same licentiousness that they had a long while formerly enjoyed That to this effect they endeavoured the breaking of the match between Monsieur and Madamoiselle de Montpensier and to bring on that of Madamoiselle de Bourbon which would more nearly engage Monsieur to their Interests or else to persuade him to marry some other stranger Princess which might be a means to shelter and defend their designs by the forces and assistances which they might reasonably expect from such a Family That this once effected they intended the Count de Soissons should Marry Madamoiselle de Montpensier that the Houses of Guise and Bourbon might be united together and in this manner they would in a moment huddle up together all the leading potent persons of the Court. The Marshal de Ornano is arrested at Fountainbleau and carried Prisoner to the Castle of Bois de Vincennes where he died a few months after of a stoppage in his Bladder The Cardinal beseecheth the King to permit his retirement from the Court. And the King causeth the Duke de Vendosm and the Grand-Prior of France his Brother to be imprisoned at Blois The Marriage of Monsieur and Madamoiselle de Montpensier was celebrated soon after to the quiet and content of the whole Kingdom Chalais the Master of the King's Wardrobe is arrested from the Chamber of Justices at Nantes who condemned him of Treason and sentenced him to be beheaded which was done accordingly Then was the Sieur de Baradas removed from the Court who had been much in favour with the King About the end of this year great differences arose between the Bishop and the Officers of Verdun This being a Frontier Town was then lookt upon as considerable in regard Monsieur de Lorrain seemed to be active and able to attempt something upon France which obliged the King to go on with a design which he had long before resolved of the building a Citadel there The Abbey of S. Vannes was ever reputed the most fit place of all the City for that purpose whence it happened that in the Charter of the said Abbey there had been divers Articles concluded between the Bishop of Verdun and those to whom that place hath ever belonged in which they bound themselves to build their Church in some other place if it should be found necessary to make use of some part of it for the raising of a Citadel However the lines were so contrived that the Church was saved but that of the Capuchins was forced to be taken down which was afterwards done and rebuilt in another place Now the Bishop of Verdun being Lorrain's kinsman was wholly moved by him so that not considering what dependence he had upon the King he suffered himself to be engaged by the Duke to prevent the building of the Citadel On December 30. he published a Monitorium fixed upon all publick places against all such as should labour about it This proceeding was lookt on as a strange thing by the King's Officers The Sieur Guillet presently called a Council of his Majesties Officers of the Town to consider of what was to be done where it was concluded to tear down such Papers as had been any where posted up and to set others in their places of a contrary tenour in the King's behalf which was presently done The Bishop offended at it thundered out an Excommunication the next day against Guillet which he fastened in divers places and having given order to his Vicars not to act any thing in prejudice to his pretended authority he departed from Verdun and rode Post to Cologne In the mean while the Sieur Charpentier his Majesties President in Metz Thoul and Verdun being acquainted with the whole proceeding he declared the said Monitorium to be abusive and scandalous and commanded it to be torn and burnt by the Hangman That the said Bishop should be sent Prisoner to Paris That his Benefices in the mean time should remain in his Majesties hands and that he should pay a fine of ten thousand livres for his said fault This Judgement was put in execution with the usual form excepting only as to the Bishop's being sent to Paris so that he resolving not to suffer himself to be thus despoiled of his goods thought it his best course to send to the King to pacifie him for his rashness he also gave order to
Empress of the world and the Secular power must be its Lacquey which is scandalous The Queen tolerated these and such like disorders and others cherished them The Parliament condemned them as prejudicial to their Authority The Princes could not well digest the hardiness of the Parliament of Paris The Council of the Nobles slighted both Court and Parliament and joyned with the Clergy Conde removes divers Ministers of State He takes the Government of Guienne rejecting his present one of Burgundy He withdraws from Court The Civil commotions break out afresh and a third Bourdeaux war ariseth Now Mazarine is revoked upon this ground to succour the King who was again distressed by the faction The day of the Kings Majority approached The King with the Queen Regent came into the Parliament on September 7. 1651. with a solemn pomp The Queen having made a short recital of her Regency delivereth up her Government to her Son The first Action of the new King was to fall on Conde's Forces at Marle Guise and Vervain They were partly routed and some slain part under the command of Tavan recovered Stenay From thence was the rise of the Civil War Then did Corinth compass that Hat so often promised and so often put by which Pope Innocent granted not so much for gratifying the King as the eclipsing Mazarine by setting up an equal to him in dignity No longer is he called Corinth but de Rhetz shall he be hereafter called The King leaving St. Germans goes and falls upon Conde's Forces at Estampes They having barricadoed up the place make a stout defence and elude the assaults of Thurenne who upon the approach of the Lorrainer is forced to draw off and convey ths King to Corbeil The Armies meet and fight from five in the morning till five in the evening with great fury There were slain on both sides men of quality besides an innumerable company of common souldiers The port of S. Anthony being clear Conde with his mangled Retinue comes into the City Conde draws off into Flanders And Mazarine counterfeits a departure into Spain to divert the blame of the troubles upon Conde alone The faction declines The King returneth to Paris Orleans withdraweth without waiting on the King De Rhetz is imprisoned at Vincennes He was brought to Nantes and he escapes from thence and afterwards assisted at Rome at the election of Pope Alexander VII Then returning to France he voluntarily laid down the Arch-bishoprick of Paris to gratifie the King he lives quietly in splendour suitable to his disposition Mazarin after his return pursues nothing so eagerly as the peace setleth France makes a peace with Cromwel and reduceth his enemies to extremities Complaint was made unto the King against the Protestants of the City of Montauban accusing them for beating a Priest and making a tumult to the breach of the Kings peace The King upon the complaint of the Clergy appointed Monsieur Melian master of Requests by special commission to go and make enquiry at Montauban touching the truth of what passed there between the Protestants and the Catholicks Whereof the Deputy of the Protestants residing at Paris being informed he addressed himself to Monsieur Melian and gave him an account of all passages according to the testimonies and depositions that had been already taken about me business as how that they were most of them Papists that were in the Tumult at the death of the Woman And in ease this were not true then he desired himself might suffer the same punishment that the â—ffenders do deserve In the mean time he prayed the said Commissioner that the Protestants might have a full and fair hearing from him when he should arrive at Montauban In August 1656. the Assembly of the Clergy sitting in Paris they resolved that the Deputies of the Province of Paris should go to Court to represent to his Majesty the state of the Church of Paris the great need that there was of his countenance and direction to put all things in order The Deputies of the said Assembly having conferred with the Chancellour and the other Ministers of State there residing could not then come to any conclusion upon those pretensions which the Clergy alledged against those of the Reformed Religion And therefore the Archbishop of Sens the Bishop of Montpelier and two Abbots spent some time at Court to sollicite the King to put forth some Declaration in favour of the Clergy and Catholick Religion Madam the Dutchess of Orleans arrived at Chartres to perform a Vow which she hâ—d made which was that once every year she would visit the Church of Chartres there to make her devotion On August 9. the Deputies of the Assembly of the Clergy went with the Chancellour to consider of the differences and quarrels which they had against those of the Reformed Religion the King having deputed the Chancellour to joyn with them in the examination of that business In the same month the Bishhop of Chartres died at Paris He had been Confessour to Cardinal Richlieu It was then affirmed by letters from Paris that the King had consented to a declaration drawn up in favour of the Clergy and Catholicks to be presented to the Parliament for their verification revoking his declaration of the year 1652. which was made in favour of the Protestants The Abbot of Marolles was apprehended and sent prisoner to the Bastille for words spoken against Cardinal Mazarine Christiana late Queen of Sweden having renounced the Protestant Religion and revolted to the Catholick Religion came into France and on September 4. 1656. lodged at Fontainbleau where she was complemented with an Oration by the Sieur Hambrocus the Kings Professour extraordinary for the Hebrew Syriack and Arabick Tongues he being presented to her by the Duke of Guise On the sixth she was at the House of Monsieur Hesselin who entertained her with all manner of divertisements in that most delicious place On the seventh she was at Conflans in the house of the Duke of Richlieu where she was likewise very nobly treated by the Duke and Duchess who at night gave her a Comedy On the eighth she made her entrance into Paris on Horseback passing through ten thousand Citizens who stood in Armes to receive her Before her went an hundred Switzers of the Kings Guard with drums beating At the Gate of S. Anthony she had a speech made her by the Sieur de Seve Provost of Merchants in head of all the companies of the City Then she marched on with a Canopy carried over her the great Guns being discharged and the Streets all adorned with rich hangings towards the Church of Nostre-Dame At the entrance whereof she was entertained with an Oration by the Dean all the Clergy giving attendance and then passing to the Quire they sang Te Deum with admirable musick after which she was most magnificently conducted to the Louvre The Archbishop of Roven having most unjustly prosecuted an Advocate of that Parliament called Monsieur de