Mary Medices only Brother of King Lewis XIII having laid down the Civil Arms would pass off the discontents that were rifsn in his mind for the ill success of his design by retiring to Blois On a sudden he turns Antiquary and Herbalist he delighted in Dogs and hunting and ranging the Woods He heareth Masses frequently sets all the City of Bloys into a Religious humour openly professeth himself a devout Votary Among these and the like courses he fell sick and having Antimony unduly administred within a Week dieth of a Lethargy The Corpse of Gaston is deposited at St. Denis among the Tombs of his Ancestors with a private burial The Kings of Spain and France meet and the French King is married to Maria Teresa daughter to the King of Spain The Gospels were laid on Stands on both sides with a Crucifix The Kings kneeling swore upon them that they would religiously observe the Articles of the peace concluded which were at the same moment read by the Secretaries These Kings having left the Island where they met they were thus parted never more to return to the sight of one another At St. John de Luz next day a solemn Wedding was kept with unusual splendor Then without any stay that barren coast and unhospitable quarters are abandoned The King and Queen stay a while at Fontainbleau thereby giving the Parisians respite to provide for the pompous solemnity The King with the Queen Confort hastens his entry into Paris The entry was next to a triumph In a Domo set up in the Suburb of St. Anthony both their Majesties were congratulated by the several Orders coming forth decently marshalled First came the Ecclesiasticks carrying Images with them and Antique Gods of rude workmanship The Tradesmen followed in their several Companies Then proceeded the Magistrates and afterwards the Parliament in their Robes Next the Chancellor laid over with Gold the Masters of the Requests guarding the Royal Seal charged upon an Horse laden with trappings The Soldiers and the Heralds in rich Coats All had spotted Plumes in their Hats The Captains marched in the Head of their Companies with the Ensigns All sorts of riches are displayed and the ornaments of the City are brought forth to grace the publick joy A Coach embellished with all the badges of Mâ—jesty is brought to the Queen she is set in it alone The King would not go in a Coach but mounted on a gallant Steed rode before The Princes on Horseback followed immediately after In the way all along as they came were Quires of excellent Musitians resounding cheerful Airs in Consorts of Instrumental and Vocal Melody The new married Couple came amidst this Pomp to the City-Gate At the entrance was set up aloft an Image of Peace holding forth divers Verses in its right hand They proceeded from the Port through the High-Streets of the City unto the Louver even tired with joy Scarce were six months expired after the Entry of the King when Mazarine was taken desperately with all the symptoms of extreamest pain His Liver and Lungs distempered caused a general feebleness in all his limbs The Physitians discovering there was no hope of his recovery he retireth to Vincennes there to dye The King commanded he should be left to his rest and disturbed with no business He is reported to have suggested many things of the various Schemes of Policy to the King who commonly sate by his bed side Many secrets he instilled into the King and wisely admonished him That himself would undertake the Government of his State and not create a publick jealousie by ill-chosen Favourites That he should have the same Genius and the same Divine assistance of his counsel as he had to obtain his Victories As they were thus discoursing together many times he fainted away All hope being past the King departed The same setled look which the Cardinal had when he was well accompanyed him at his departure He adopted Du Port the only Son of Meillcray into the Priviledges of his blood to whom he gave his Niece in marriage and conveyed to him his Name and Arms being for his merits taken into equal dearness as if he had been his own Son He advanced his Nephew Mancini in Lordships Riches and Governments These were to share equally Of his Attendants and Menial Servants scarce was any left without a Legacy He ordered the building of a Colledge for the training up the youth of the gained Provinces to have this Motto A Monument of the Empire enlarged He particularly recommended John Baptista Colbert whom he loved for his many good qualities unto the King Having a vast quantity of Jewels he distributed them among divers persons To the Prince of Conde in testimony of injuries forgotten he gave a Diamond of no mean price To the King he left eighteen that were inestimable styled Mazarines to propagate his Name and Renown to posterity He dyed on March 15. in the year of his life 59. of his power 18. He was observant of the Romish Religion as to the Externals of it Being near his end he solemnly received the Eucharist and with a devout Litany received Extream Unction and further requested that Masses might be said for him All was diligently performed in the Temples and the Hoast exposed upon the Altars Supplications were made before all the Saints Zealous he was for the See of Rome beyond measure and at his earnest request the Pope's Nuntio blest him After the death of Mazarine the King's Cabinet Counsellers were Michael Tellier Hugh Lyonne both Secretaries of State and John Baptista Colbert Lord Treasurer men of great fame and vertue At the end of the month of July 1661. Nicholas Fouquet was arrested as he returned from the Kings Council He was carried into the Castle of Anger 's from thence to Vincennes and at last to the Bastile His penalty at last was banishment The French and Spaniard having sent their Ministers into England there arose a contention in London between Estrade the French and Batteville the Spanish Ambassador whose Coach should take place in the proceeding Batteville with his company falls violently upon the Attendants of Estrade and wounds his Coachman and Horses and some of his Servants The French King dischargeth his indignation upon Batteville and banisheth Count Fuelsaldagne from the Verge of the Court not respecting his integrity and that he had been Conductor of the Queen who was the Pledge of Peace He also denyed Caracene that was discharged of the Government of the Low Countreys a passage through France moreover he orders the Archbishop of Yverdon who was then at Madrid upon the Kings account not only to demand of King Philip himself that Batteville might be punished according to the hainousness of the offence but to cut off all contention about precedency for the future that the Spanish Renunciation of all Priority might be established by a publick Act. The Marquess Fuentes is now sent to Paris with a great Train The King causeth the
cared not for the talk of the people nor for challenges And to get out of that mire he moved a question to Du Moulin whether he could tell after what manner of Creation the Angels were created Du Moulin knowing that this was their last meeting answered that the Question in hand was only of subscribing the Acts. But Cayer refusing turned his back and said you shall hear of me and so went away to the great scandal of the Romanists there present A Protestant made the company laugh saying that Cayer was not yet of Age to sign Thus was the Conference broken to the great satisfaction of many faithful souls and the instruction of many ignorant Papists who since gave glory to God by an open Profession of the truth The Acts of the Conference are extant published by Archibald Adaire a Reverend Bishop of Scotland The Doctors of the Faculty of Sorbon stung with the ill success of this Conference provoked him to another in which the body of the University took interest They were to oppose three daies upon what points they thought best and Du Moulin was to oppose three daies also and choose what points he pleased He was then Respondent for three daies and found in the Dispute that blessing of God which never was wanting to him in the defence of his truth After the Dispute of the third day he being returned home and retired to his study a man in a Priest's habit came in the dark evening up the stairs and knockt at his Study door When Du Moulin had opened it the man thrust the door with all his strength to have rusht in and Du Moulin with all his strength in which he was inferiour to few men of his size kept him out and called for help The man hearing some stirring below ran hastily down the stairs and so into the Street It is supposed upon probable ground that the man was come to kill him before he presented himself to be opponent according to the Covenants of the Conference But on the next morrow he met with a Prohibition from the King to continue that Conference any longer These passages raised his reputation very high whereby God was glorified his Truth confirmed and his Church edified and increased with many Converts The last sickness of the King's Sister gave a great exercise to his zeal and industry whereby he did faithfully and constantly assist her in that extremity Du Perron did his utmost to pervert her and to fright him away When she drew near to her end Du Moulin standing by her Bed side Du Perron came and said he was sent by the King and would remove him by plain force But Du Moulin held fast the Bed-post And when Du Perron told him he was to take place of him in all Companies Du Moulin answered that his place was before Du Perron's at the Princesses Beds side and in that service He added that he believed not that the King would offer violence to his Sisters Conscience appealing to her self and beseeching her Highness to declare her pleasure She declared that she would die in the Reformed Religion and that she would have Du Moulin to stay by her Whereupon Du Perron withdrew and the good Princess persevered in God's truth to her last breath The King wisht she had died in the Roman Profession and did all he could without violence to pleasure the Court of Rome in that point A little before there was a Conference between the Bishop of Eureux and Philip de Mornay Lord of Plessis Marly Governour of Saumur in the presence of the King Princes and Officers of his Crown Counsellours of State and other Noblemen of Mark. It was touching a Book which Monsieur du Plessis had published of the Institution of the Lords Supper and against the Mass wherein the Bishop did tax him to have falsified many Authorities Whereupon Du Plessis presented a Petition unto the King that his Majesty would be pleased to appoint Commissioners to examine every passage of Scripture cited in his Book The King yielded to this Conference referring the care thereof to his Chancellour The Commissioners appointed for the Catholicks were Augustus Thuanus President of the Court of Parliament at Paris Pithou Advocate in the Court and Fleure Schoolmaster to the Prince of Conde in whose absence came Martin the King's Physitian And for the other the President of Calignon Chancellour of Navarre in whose place entred De Fresnes Gavay President of the Chamber of Languedoc and Isaac Casaubon his Majesties Reader for the Greek Tongue All men of great Learning and well skilled in the Tongues This Conference began on May 4. in the Hall at Fountainbleau De Serres Hist in Henry IV. in the midst whereof was a Table of a reasonable length At the one end sat the King on his right hand the Bishop of Eureux and on the left right against him Du Plessis Pasquier Vassaut and Mercier Secretaries of the Conference were at the lower end of the same Table Somewhat higher on the right hand sate the Chancellour and the Commissioners Behind the King stood the Archbishop of Lions and the Bishops of Nevers Beauvais and Chastres On the King 's left hand were the four Secretaries of State Behind them which conferred were the Dukes of Vaudemont of Nemours of Mercoeur of Mayenne of Nevers of Elbeuf of Aiguillon and of Janville the Officers of the Crown Counsellours of State and other Noblemen of quality All were commanded to keep silence The King said that the Dispute was not betwixt party and party but particular betwixt the two Conferents not for any question of Right and Doctrine but for the literal truth of some passages He desired they would treat with all mildness and moderation without any bitterness or passion but that of the truth Declaring moreover that he did not mean that this Dispute should in any thing alter or disquiet the peace of his Subjects as the Chancellour did then Declare unto them at large by the King's Commandment After the first daies Conference M. Du Plessis fell very sick so as they could proceed no further The King did write the same day unto the Duke of Espernon what had past in the Conference and shewed by his Letter what his judgement was My friend the Diocess of Eureux hath vanquished that of Saumur Wherewith Du Plessis was discontented so that in a Discourse Printed soon after touching this Conference he termed this Letter A spark of fire and said That the Bishop of Eureux Fly was made an Elephant Some Months after Canay one of the Commissioners and President in the Chamber of the Edict at Castres a man learned in Philosophy and the Tongues and well read in the Church History left his Profession of the Reformed Religion and became a Romish Catholick Philip Mornay Lord of Plessis his work concerning the truth of Christian Religion was written in French against Atheists Epicures Paynims Jews Mahumetists and other Infidels began to be translated
entitled La confusion des Disputes Papistes Par Daniel Chamier And another in answer to some questions of Cotton the Jesuite He was killed at Montaubon with a Canon Bullet which had a C. on it on the Lords day Being asked by one before whether he Preached on that day he said it was his day of repose or rest and so it proved though he meant it in another sense In the year 1618. the Lords States and the Curators of the University of Leyden renewed a former demand of theirs concerning Dr. Du Moulin to be their Divinity Reader The Learned Erpenius was sent twice into France on that errand And when he could not be obtained from the Church of Paris they demanded by the same Erpenius the famous Rivet and had him The Queen-Mother makes an escape from the place of her confinement and is received by the Duke of Espernon Anno 1619. And being arrived at Loches she endeavours to justifie her escape Cardinal Du Perron died Anno 1618. charging his friends upon his death-bed then about him to send a solemn Farewel by him to Monsieur Du Plessis and to manifest his sorrow for not having made a stricter League of friendship with him having so high an esteem of his Conscience and integrity The Queens affairs having ill success all those who had engaged in her party were abandoned to the King's mercy but as for her self she was permitted to come to Court The Duke of Espernon layes down his Arms and the Marquess de Valette by the Command of the Duke his Father The Duke of Mayenne refuseth to accept the Peace and endeavours to engage the Duke of Espernon in his discontents but he refuseth to stir In the year 1620. a National Synod of the Protestants being called at Alais in Languedoc Dr. Du Moulin was sent Deputy to it and he made account in his return to go out of the way to see Rochel A little before he took that journey the Lord Herbert of Cherbury then Ambassadour of England in France urged him to write to the King his Master to exhort him to undertake vigorously the defence of his Son in Law the King of Bohemia So the Doctor writ to the King and delivâ—red his Letters to the Lord Ambassadour's Secretary then immediately he went to Alais where he was chosen President of the Synod In the mean while his Letters to King James were delivered to the Council of State in France how or by whom the Doctor could never learn Scarce was he in Languedoc when it was concluded at Paris in the ouncil of State that he should be apprehended and committed Prisoner for exhorting a foreign King to take Arms for the defence of the Protestant Churches And because the Council was informed that the Doctor would return by Rochel a place which then gave great jealousies to the Court they wouid not take him before he had been there the informers against him intending to make his going to Rochel an Article of his indictment The affairs of Bearn were now of such a nature as that the King's presence seemed to be very necessary there therefore he determines to move that way and goes to Xantonge and from thence passeth over into Guienne He is magnificently entertained by the Duke of Espernon two daies at Cadillac and departs from thence to go into Bearn He was made believe that the Council of this little Country would submit to his Royal pleasure without obliging him to perform that voyage but the King must undergo that trouble He went thither where his presence produced the same effect it had done in other places He over-ran all this little Province seizing as he passed on Navarrens the strongest place in it as he did also of Ortez and Olleron Principal Cities of that Country He subverted all their antient Customes restor'd the Bishop and other Ecclesiasticks to their Estates and Dignities took away the Administration of affairs of the Country from those of the Reformed Religion and re-established his own Authority but he left the Government of the Province in the hands of the Marquess de la Force since Mareschal of France who impatient to see his Authority cut so short by these alterations could hardly forbear till the King was got back to Paris from reducing things again to the same posture they were in before He therefore laboured all the Winter to drive out the Garrisons of Ortez and Olleron so that excepting Navarrens which was kept by the Marquess of Poianne whom the King had left Governour there he overthrew whatever his Majesty had done shuffling all things again into their former confusion During the Reign of Henry IV. who would not see it and the troublesom minority of Lewes XIII who could not molest them the Protestants had made themselves Masters of Ninety nine Towns well fortified and enabled for a siege In the opinion of their Potency they call Assemblies Parliaments as it were when and as often as they pleased There they consulted of the Common affairs of Religion made new Laws of Government removed and exchanged their general Officers the King's leave all this while never so much as formally asked In this licentious calling of Assemblies they abused their Power into a neglect and in not dissolving them at his Majesties commandment they encreased their neglect into a disobedience The Assembly which principally caused the War and their ruine was that of Rochel called by the Protestants presently upon the King's journey into Bearn This general meeting the King prohibited by his special Edicts declaring all them to be guilty of Treason which notwithstanding they would not hearken unto but resolutely went on in their purposes Being Assembled they sent the King a Remonstrance of their grievances to which the Duke L' Esdeguiers in a Letter to them written gives them a very fair and plausible answer wherein also he entreats them to obey the King's Edict and break off the Assembly Upon the receipt of this Letter those of the Assembly published a Declaration wherein they verified the meeting to be Lawful and their purpose not to dismiss themselves till their desires were granted This affront done to the King made him gather together his Forces yet at the Duke of Lesdiguier's request he allowed them twenty four daies respite before his Army should march towards them He offered them also very fair and reasonable Conditions such almost as their Deputies had solicited but far better than those which they were glad to accept when all the Towns were taken from them In their Assembly they made Laws and Orders that no peace should be made without the consent of the general Convocation about paying of the Souldiers wages for the detaining of the Revenues of the King and the Clergy and the like The Synod at Alais being ended Doctor Du Moulin hearing how the the Protestants would keep a Politick Assembly at Rochel against the King's will judged that it was an ill conjuncture of time for him to go to
Arms to suppress the King's Authority that of their Court with the publick liberty And to that effect had caused the City of Paris to be invested and the King to be conveyed from thence at two of the clock in the morning Upon the news of these combustions in Paris at Rome Monsieur Mazarine wrote to his Son the Cardinal telling him of his faults and giving his Fatherly advice The Court now between Paris and Roven the two most powerful Cities of the Kingdom was distressed with the want of all things especially of money the Aids coming in but slowly from all parts The City Militia grew every day more unwilling to submit to Orders and all people were full of murmuring complaints Thereupon the Archbishop of Corinth gets up into the Pulpit at St. Pauls and saith I would have had you in safety I would have had you Victorious and the goodness of the cause had acquitted you unless your repentance and tameness did plead guilty Then having inveighed much against the Government and Mazarine he cometh down out of the Pulpit and having put off his Mitre and Surplice he putteth on his Armour Often he sallied out of the Town to charge the Enemy without any regard to his Function Great uproars and tumults followed but at St. Germans the principal Lords of the King's Council did earnestly treat of Peace with the Parliaments Commissioners Mazarine being excluded as already pre-condemned by publick Acts some Courtiers driving that way that they might engross to themselves the honour of having procured the quiet of the State The Queen opposed it strongly and at length when he was taken in March 11. 1649. the Articles were agreed to the great joy of the Common people That an Act of Oblivion for past miscarriages be made That all things be restored to their former estate That the King be brought home again to Paris Taxes to be diminished A Treaty of Peace with the Spaniard consented to and some Worshipful Member of the House for Age and Experience be joyned in the transaction to see it concluded upon good and firm terms The Sedition at Paris was scarce quiet but the Faction works in new Plots There is a Rising in Provence and especially in Guienne against their Governours which Conde underhand abetteth Conde Conti and Longueville are imprisoned Thrice they alter their Prison in thirteen months Various transactions passed in the mean time in Normandy Burgundy and Guienne Great contests there were either about releasing or detaining the Prisoners The Cardinal and the Slingers fell at odds so as to betray one another and treat with the Prisoners about Marriages and in a manner sharing the whole Kingdom At length a Peace is concluded and published on August 2. 1650. and all things are setled in Guienne The King enters the City of Bourdeaux with a Guard of four thousand choice men The Cardinal had Lodgings with the King in the Archbishop's Palace Espernon the cause of the Insurrection was excluded who might by his single vertue purchase a Government The Life-Guards were dismissed and the King trusted himself to the Guard of his Subjects Which took much with their Ambitious temper The Court parted from thence The King stayed at Fountainbleau all being in an uproar in Paris at his success in Guienne the Faction were enraged On November 15. 1650. Conde Conti and Longueville were conveyed in eleven daies journey through the midst of Normandy to Havre de Grace where they were kept in close custody Harcourt secured the conveyance with four hundred Horse and the like number of Foot On February 6. 1651. in a dark night the Cardinal Incognito in a disguised habit guarded by about 200. Horse riding himself on horseback retired to St. Germans Harcourt beating the way He pursues his journey through the midst of Normandy to Havre de Grace with a pompous train gazed at by all the people as he passed along Mazarine having disposed his Cavalry into the neighbouring Villages enters into Havre de Grace with his retinue of menial servants He goes into the Castle alone with only two others he delivers the Queens Letters to the Governour for the releasing of the Princes which was done accordingly Longueville went out first then Conti and both of them leaped into Grammont's Coach Conde staid a little while after with the Cardinal in the Prison Chamber where they had Conference together The enlarged Princes return to Paris where the Souldiery at the sight of Conde weep for joy Great was the concourse of the City and so great was the joy as though the Pillars were restored to the Kingdom Mazarine withdraws from France and comes in safety to Brovel the Palace of the Elector of Cologn Thence he writes to the Queen and the Count de Brienne his Majestie 's Secretary This Letter being read with an audible voice in the Privy Council brought some to relent but exasperated more Mazarine is Voted in a full house guilty of High Treason the disturber of the publick peace and enemy of France Strict prohibitions are made that no French man should hold correspendence with him imposing a severe penalty on all that should presume to transgress Mazarine was in ill condition against whose return were strict Ordinances to which the Queen Regent gave her assent nay by Act of Parliament not only foreign but home-born Cardinals and Ecclesiasticks in what degree soever dignified are rendred uncapable of being admitted Members of the King's Council No man can pay a divided Allegiance to his natural Sovereign and the Bishop of Rome For Cardinals if the account be rightly cast up are but Curates in Purple They should attend the Consistories and over-see their Flock the charge whereof cannot be neglected without the hazard of souls Corinth drew against the Bill that only foreigners should be excluded from the Government lest his expected Hat not being lined with that Ministry to which he aspired might be depressed by his meaner contemplations Obusson Archbishop of Yverdon in behalf of the Clergy made an eloquent Oration for the priviledges of the Church but without success Yet the reputation of Obusson grew by this means higher and paved him a path to future preferments The main scope of his Oration lay in amplifying the obligations that Cardinals had laid upon France whose good services were conspicuous all over the World The Parliament answered that the same Cardinals were insatiable in Ambition and Covetousness This said they is incident to Ecclesiastical dignities a slighting of heavenly matters and an affectation of domineering on earth and eminency over great Princes in all which they write after the Copy and come as near as they can to the Roman Court overcoming all the world in pride They added that they turn the greatness they have received against their very benefactors and aim at nothing less by their Canonists and Emissaries than the total suppression of the Secular power That if their immoderate advance proceed the Authority of Church-men will become
they connive at the punishment of crimes whereof they have the Cognizance the Courts of Parliaments may interpose by means of an Appeal as from Abuses especially considering it is it that grants them Jurisdiction over Spirituals And if the Question be of granting pardon to a Priest or other Ecclesiastick not only in a priviledged case but also in a common crime by him committed it belongs to the King only to grant it not to the Pope nor the Bishop And so it hath been always accustomed to be done in France Moreover the Pope cannot there restore Clergy-men to their former State Papon ca. 15. 16. des libertez de l'Eglise Gallic so as to free them from the infamy which they have incurred nor Lay-men unless it be to receive them into Orders Offices and Ecclesiastical Acts not otherwise As also that within this Realm he cannot pardon or remit the Honorary Amends adjudged by a Lay-man albeit the condemnation were passed by an Ecclesiastical Judge and that against a Clerk as making such Honorary condemnation a part of the civil satisfaction The Pope cannot make any Vnions or annexations of the livings in France during the life of the Incumbents nor at other times but he may grant out Writs of Delegation concerning unions which is conceived to be done according to the form prescribed in the Council of Constance and with the consent of the Patron and not otherwise The Kings of France have always reserved this authority and prerogative to themselves to determine of the Residence of Bishops to compel them to feed their Flocks and wait upon their Churches when need required and that by seizing upon their Temporals to call them from Rome to return into France to dispense with them and approve the causes of their absence The Pope cannot in France dispense for any cause whatsoever with that which is of the Law of God or Nature or with that wherein the Councils do not allow him to dispense And the Ordinances of the French Kings do expresly forbid all the Judges of the Land to have any regard to dispensations granted contrary to the sacred Decrees and Councils upon pain of losing their places And declare furthermore That such as procure the said Proviso's and dispensations shall not make use of them unless they get leave and permission from his Majesty The Gallican Church is also more free from payments to the Pope than the Church of Spain as also to the King The Clergy of France pay only the Disme whereas in Spain the King hath his Tertia's Subsidio Pyla Escusado in all a moiety of the Church-livings As to the French Churches separating from Communion with the Church of Rome they have often been brought very low by the Popish party Sad was the condition of the Church of Merindol which was cruelly rooted out by vertue of an Arrest of the Parliament of Aix Men Women and Children being destroyed And yet I doubt not but some small remainder of them was preserved For so the story saith expresly pauci quidem profugi Genevam alia loca Vicinia pervenerunt Osiand Eccl Hist Some few of them escaped by flight to Geneva and other Neighbouring places What Persecutions did the Waldenses or Albigenses suffer when the Pope sent about his Fryars in France it seemeth to preach Crusado 's viz. That whosoever would take the Badge of the Cross upon his Garment and serve the Pope forty days in his Wars against those Christians who denyed him obedience and opposed his Pride and Tyranny should have full pardon of all his sins and if he dyed in the Wars should presently go to Heaven and escape the flames of Purgatory and by this means as I remember he had at one time about an hundred thousand of the silly people in Arms whom he used against the most faithful Christians seeking utterly to extirpate them and by this means much Blood was shed It was easie for him in those times of darkness to draw multitudes of poor blind Souls to Destruction And Reimond Earl of Tholouse a great Prince and Peer of France was ruined the Pope seizing on his Estate and holding it unto this day A French Historian speaking of the bloody massacre in the Reign of Charles IX saith Thuan. Hist li. 54. that many wise men that were Papists themselves did think that in all Antiquity there could not be found an example of like cruelty But even then remarkable was God's Providence towards those of the Reformed Religion in France In the time of that cruel massacre at Paris the Protestants being in great fear shifted for themselves here and there Among the rest many of them fled to a certain honourable Lady for protection who being near of kin to the King was the more bold but being a faithful Christian she was also willing to receive them Hereof complaint being made the King in great displeasure commands her to dismiss them all which she could not withstand so that in one day about 300 Waggons for the most part filled with Women and young Children were constrained to dislodge and without a guard to go to a strong Town for the safety of their lives In this Journey they were to pass through their bloody enemies stragling up and down in Armes and ready to seize on such a booty But by the special providence of God a certain Troop of Armed Gentlemen on Horse-back hapned to meet them who soon perceiving and pitying their danger conducted them along in safety and often repulsed their enemies that were ready to assail them And though the French Kings have all of them professed the Roman Religion yet the Lord hath had many Instruments who with the hazard of their lives and outward Estates have stood for the defence of his Church divers Princes of the Blood Nobles Gentlemen and others and did strangely raise his Church again after that horrid massacre by which it seemed to have been extinguished And King James of happy Memory speaketh thus of those worthy Patriots whom God raised up for the defence of his Church at that time in his book of the defence of the right of Kings I never knew yet saith he that the French Protestants took Arms against their King In the first troubles they stood only on their defence Before they took Arms they were burnt and massacred every where And the quarrel did not begin for Religion but because when King Francis the second was under Age they had been the Refuge of the Princes of the Blood expelled from the Court even of the Grandfather of the King now reigning and of that of the Prince of Condè who knew not where to take Sanctuary it shall not be found that they made any other War Nay is it not true as a learned Divine of ours hath well observed that King Henry III. sent Armies against them to destroy them and yet they ran to his help as soon as they saw him in danger Is it not true that
Sorcerers in the first third fourth and fifth Canons whereby it appeareth that Sorcery hath been in frequent use in France Many superstitious Constitutions were set down in this Synod concerning the number of Masses prohibition of tasting meat before Mass concerning burial prohibition of Baptism before the Festivity of Easter except upon necessity and fear of approaching death prohibition of Matrimonial copulation with their own Wives to Presbyters and Deacons after their Blessing and Consecration with prohibition of Marriage also to the Widows of the defunct Presbyters Deacons or Sub-deacons Brothers and Sisters Children are forbidden to marry They Ordained that it is not lawful for a Presbyter to sit in judgement when any man is condemned to death That it is not lawful for a Clergy-man to cite another of the Clergy before a Secular Judge That it is not lawful for a Woman with a naked hand to touch the Holy Eucharist That it is not lawful to take refreshment of meat with an excommunicate person If any of the Clergy receive an excommunicate person without the knowledge of him who did excommunicate him he shall receive the like sentence that is he shall be likewise excommunicated That it is not lawful for a Presbyter in Banquetting-time to sing or dance Many Canons to the number of 45 were concluded in this Council But I shall not trouble you with an heap of unprofitable unnecessary and superstitious Canons Another Council was afterwards called at Cabillon vulgarly called Chalon which is a Town in Burgundy not far distant from Matiscon In this Town by the Commandment of Clovis King of France convened 44 Bishops Gandericus Bishop of Lions was President and Landilenus Bishop of Vienna Theodorus Bishop of Arles because he refused to appear before the Council was suspended from his Office until the next Council In this Synod the Canons of the Council of Nice had great allowance It was forbidden that two Bishops should be Ordained in one Town that no man should sell a Christian Servant to a Jew and that two Abbots should not be chosen to govern one Monastery That no labouring of the ground or other secular work shall be done on the Lord's day with many other Canons coincident with the Canons of other Councils Clovis the second married a Gentlewoman of Saxony named Baudour a Lady of good life and much given to Devotion as the Abby of Shelles St. Baudour with other Foundations do witness Whilst she busied her self in her Devotion and to build Monasteries Clovis addicted himself to sensuality Yet one memorable thing is recorded of him In a time of great dearth to relieve the poor people he suffered them to take the Silver wherewith the Temple of St. Denis had been covered by Dagobert Aimo saith that two years after a famous Assembly of Bishops being had he appointed the Monastery of Dionysius which his Father had built nigh unto the City to be free from the Jurisdiction of all Bishops Landerick the Chief Ruler of Paris agreeing to it Clovis died Anno 660. of his Reign 17. At the same time Erchenwald Major of the Palace dying Ebruin succeedeth him From which time the French Kings being let loose into sloth and riot the Government of the Affairs of State came to the Majors of the Palace The Kings being contented only with the Name or Title contained themselves in their Palace neither came they but once every year viz. in the Kalends of May into open view of the people Clotharius the eldest Son of Clovis succeeded his Father but having Reigned four years he died Anno 664. Theodorick his Brother for a short space was Chief but the French being weary of this man shut up Theodorick in a Monastery being shaven at St. Denis in Paris and Ebruin at Luxovien Then Childerick was made King who after three years Reign was slain by Bodille a Noble French man whom he had commanded being bound to the stump of a tree to be whipped with rods His Queen also being great with Child was killed by the same Bodille Ebruin secretly breaking out of the Monastery Petav. Hist Lib. 8. again invadeth the Lieutenantship of the Palace and killeth Leudesius the Son of Erchenwald Major of the Palace and Leodegar Chief Ruler of Augustodunum whom after he had been tortured with divers torments and in an Assembly of Bishops spoiled of his Dignity he commanded to be smitten with a sword In those times there were many in France flourishing in Holiness among whom Eligius Bishop of Noviomum and Audoenus Bishop of Roven are mentioned Eligius died in the seventieth year of his Age. Audoenus died being ninety years old in the 44 year of his Bishoprick Private persons also graced France with an exact holiness of Life viz. Furseus Foillanus Vltan who having come out of Ireland built Monasteries in France Thierri the first is now made King of France a King in shew who is a spectator of divers Tragedies Thierri dieth having reigned 19 years Ebruin in the third year after the death of Leodegar was thrust thorow by Hermenfrid then Pepin governeth the Kingdom Clovis the third the eldest Son of Thierri reigned four years and dieth without Children His Brother Childebert the second succeedeth him Century VIII CHildebert Reigned 17 years and died Anno 711. having left two Sons Dagobert and Clothaire Pepin made great shew of love to Religion and for this cause makes war against Robod Duke of Frisia a Pagan whom he conquered and forced to receive the Christian Religion with all his Subjects He restored Lambert Bishop of Traict to his Dignity being expelled by Ebruin and confined unto a Monastery and one of his chiefest cares was to advance them that had charge over the Church He commanded absolutely being armed with the Authority of his Soveraign neither was there any appeal from him to the King Yet Pepin besides his Lawful Wife called Plectrude held a woman named Alpaid for the which the forenamed Lambert reproved him Of this Alpaid he had a Son whom he named Charles which Charles was after sirnamed Martel and was very profitable to the Realm of France Alpaid caused Bishop Lambert to be slain by her Brother Dodon who soon after felt the punishment of this blood for being diseased with Worms not able to endure his own stench he cast himself headlong into the River Meuze Pepin upon his death-bed Ordained Charles his Bastard to succeed him in the Government of the Realm But Plectrude after the death of Pepin causeth Charles to be imprisoned at Colen and advanceth Thibauld to the Government although in effect She under his Name governed all the Affairs of State Dagobert dying at this time the French took a Prince of the blood called Daniel out of a Cloyster Him they called King under the Name of Chilperic the second and they give him a Noble Man of France called Rainfroy to be his Major who having leavied an Army De Serres hist defeated Thibauld and his Grandmother Plectrude in
also unto destruction whom he would 2. That they who are predestinated unto destruction cannot be saved 3. That whereas the Apostle saith God willeth that all men be saved he meaneth only all them who shall be saved 4. That Christ came not to save all men nor did he suffer for all men but only for them who shall be saved by the mystery of his passion 5. Since the first man fell of his Free-will none of us can use Free-will to do good but only to do evil Remigius Bishop of Lions in the name of the Church of Lions defended these five Articles whereupon Hinckmar wrote unto Pope Nicholas against Gotteschalk and calleth these Articles the heresie of the Predestinarians which was overthrown in Africk and afterwards in France by Authority of Pope Celestine When Gotteschalk returned from Italy Raban Bishop of Mentz summoned him to a Synod and when he could not perswade him to change his mind he wrote unto Hinckmar and others Hinckmar summoned Gotteschalk unto a Synod of twelve Bishops and some Priests and Abbots in Carisiac on Isara where four Articles were enacted against him He was condemned of Heresie and contumacy he was whipt with rods Vid. Petries Ch. Hist Cent. 9. and cast into prison The Church of Lions after sight of these four Articles sent forth their censure of them Remigius was a man of a most holy Conversation and very learned as appeareth by the Comments which he wrote upon the Old and New Testaments At this time was published a Commentary on the thirteen Epistles of the Apostle St. Paul which was lately printed at Rome under the name of Remigius of Rhemes Lupus Abbot of the Monastery of Ferraria by the water Lupa running into Sein at the same time wrote several Epistles unto King Lewes and to Hinckmar which were printed at Paris Anno 1588. He comforteth his Master Einhard after the death of his Wife He speaks honourably of Marriage and comfortably of the estate of the Godly after this life without any mention of purgatory or Mass for the defunct At the same time also was a question of the presence of Christ's body in the Sacrament Charles the Bald King of France commanded Bertram a Priest at Corbey to search and write what was the Doctrine of the Fathers and Ancient Church in this Article Trithemius saith Bertram was singularly learned of an excellent eloquence and utterance pregnant in judgement and no less famous for holiness of life and wrote many excellent Treatises In obedience unto King Charles he compiled a Treatise De corpore sanguine Domini which is all inserted in Catal. Test verit lib. 10. This Book was forbidden to be read by order from the Roman Inquisition confirmed afterward by the Council of Trent Usher's Answ to the Jesuites challenge The Divines of Doway perceiving that the forbidding of that Book did not keep men from reading it but gave them rather occasion to seek more earnestly after it thought it better Bertram should be suffered to go abroad but handled in such sort as other ancient Writers that made against them were wont to be Bishop Ridley highly commends this Bertram Ridl Pres at coen Dom. Paschasius Rathbert Abbot of Corbey at the same time wrote a Book of the Eucharist Remigius Bishop of Auxerre flourished about the year 880 he wrote many Books He was called Doctor Sententiosus Charles the Bald died at Mantua Anno 879 being poisoned by Sedecias the Jew whom he employed for one of his Physicians leaving the Realm to his Son Lewes the second called the Stuttering Lewes King of Germany had vowed that he would take both Empire and Kingdom from Charles the Bald but was arrested with sickness at Frankford There he divided his Kingdom among his three Sons to Lewes he gave Saxony Turingia Frisia and the Provinces within them with the Title of East-France to Carloman he gave Bojaria Austria Bohemia and Moravia with the Title of King of Bavaria To Charles his third Son he gave Suevia Franconia with some parts of Lorain which he had taken after the death of Lotharius with the Title of King of Germany De Serres Hist Charles the Fat King of Germany strove for the Empire and was Crowned by the Romans Pope John would not consent and therefore was imprisoned he escaping goes into France and confirmeth Lewes the Stutterer He was courteously received by Lewes stays in France a whole year and there holds a Council at Troyes in Champagne The Pope was scarce gone but Lewes dieth having reigned only two years He had no lawful Children but two Bastards he left his Wife with Child The Queen was afterward delivered of a Son which was saluted King and called Charles During the minority of Charles Lewes and Carloman Brothers the two Bastards of Lewes the Stutterer are chosen by the States to Govern the Realm of France Lewes was defeated by the Normans and dies for grief Soon after his Death it is said that Carloman fell down and brake his neck Another Lewes succeedeth to these two Brethren but he quickly dyed Then the States called Charles the Gross King of Bavaria to this high Dignity He began his reign Anno 885 and reigned nine years His entrance was goodly but his end Tragical He was crowned King with promise to restore the Crown to the lawful Heir and to govern according to the will of the States He was Son to Lewes called Germanicus Son to Lewes the Gentle Being defeated by the Normans he yieldeth to a prejudicial peace and is much hated of the French At length the French and the Grrmans resolve to dispossess him The Germans made choice for their Emperour of Arnulph Son to Carloman the Son of Lewes the Gentle The French likewise reject this miserable Charles from the Regency of the Realm and call Eudes of Odon Duke of Anger 's named by the will of Lewes the Stutterer So this poor Prince is cast out both from Realm and Empire and remains naked without an house to shrowd himself in from this disgrace being banished from Court and driven into a poor Village of Suevia where he lived some days in extreme want without any means of his own or relief from any Man in the end he dyed neither pitied nor lamented of any in a corner unknown but to have been the Theatre of so extraordinary a Tragedy that one of the greatest Monarchs in the World should dye without House without Bread without Mourning and without Memory but the note of this end so prodigiously memorable Century X. CHarles the Third called the Simple was Crowned in the Year 902. Eudes governing with him eight Years from his Coronation Charles remaining alone after the Death of his Regent Reigned 27 Years His Reign was miserable throughout Now begins a notable league against the King Robert Duke of Anjou becomes the Head of this League accompanied with many great Men of France This Robert was Governour by the Death of his
Brother Eudes They caused Charles to quit the Crown discharging him with the name of simple or foolish and declaring him incapable of so great a charge Robert arms boldly against Charles to dispossess him of his Estate Charles flees to Henry the third Emperour and laboureth to calm this storm At the approach of their Armies Robert to have some Title to make a War causeth himself to be Crowned King at Rhemes by Herve the Arch-Bishop who died three days after this unlawful Coronation As the Armies approach near Soissons striving in the view of Paris they joyn the combate is cruel but Robert fighting in the Front is slain leaving for that time the victory to King Charles who seeks a Treaty of Peace out of an unseasonable fear Hebert Earl of Vermandois Son-in-law to Robert beseecheth Charles to come to St. Quintins to confer together Charles cometh thither without Hostages Hebert there takes him Prisoner and conveys him to Soissons where he had assembled the chief of the Realm chosen after his own humour where he makes him to resign the Crown to Raoul his God-son the first Prince of the Blood by his Mother Hermingrade Daughter to Lewes and Wife of Boson King of Burgundy So this poor Prince is led from Prison to Prison for five years and dyeth of a languishing melancholy He had by his Wife Ogin a the Daughter of Edward King of England a Son named Lewes She takes her Son Lewes and flees into England to her Brother Athelstan who then Reigned But the Reign of Raoul was unfortunate who Reigned thirteen years during Charles his imprisonment and after his Death But Raoul after many broils dyeth at Compiegne Anno 936. Now are great confusions in France there is nothing sacred all is violated for Rule all respect is laid aside every one plays the King within himself for one King there are many and where there are many Masters there are none at all In this confusion there were many Kings Dukes and Earls although these Titles were but temporary having no other Title but the Sword There was no Governour of any Province throughout the Realm which held not proper to himself and his Heirs those things which were given to them but as Offices From hence sprang so many Dukedoms Earldoms Baronies and Seignories which for the most part are returned to their beginnings Italy given to an Infant of France was now possessed by divers Princes Germany withdrawn from the Crown was banded into divers factions so as the Empire of the West confirmed in the person of Charlemaigne continued scarce one hundred years in his Race for Lewes the Son of Arnulph was the last Emperour of this Blood In his place the Germans erected Conrade Duke of East Franconia Anno 920. the Empire being then very weak After Conrade was chosen Henry the Fowler Duke of Saxony and after him his Son Otho Princes adorned with singular virtues fit for the time to preserve the West For the Emperours of the East did run headlong to their ruine who were men either of no valour or altogether wicked attending the last blow by the hand of the Mahumetans whose power they strengthned by their vitious lives until they had lodged them upon their own heads In these confusions of State the power of the Pope of Rome encreased daily by the ruines of the Empire The design of the Popes was to erect a Monarchy in the Church by Power and Authority Seignories civil Dissentions Arms Revenues and Treason And soon after they grew to that greatness as they sought to prescribe Laws to Emperours and Kings who refusing it and disputing this primacy many dissentions arose and were dispersed among the people After the Death of Raoul Athelstan King of England having drawn unto him William Duke of Normandy sends an honourable Ambassage to the States of France entreating them to restore his Nephew Lewes to his lawful and Hereditary Dignity The French consent to it So Lewes the Son of Charles is called home by the Estates of France being accompanied with a great Troop of English-men and Normans Lewes hegan to Reign Anno 935 and Reigned 27 years About this time Ambrose Ansbert a French-man wrote Commentaries on the Psalms and Canticles and part of the Revelation In this tenth Century there was little study of liberal Sciences the Schools were few and empty of Languages The Popish Priests and Clergy having forsaken their old Discipline were given to filthy lucre nor were they respected by their flocks only Monks were noted to have some Eloquence And such was the corruption of the times that none durst scarce speak of the Corruptions Idolatries Superstitions and wickednesses of that Age which at that time were so luxuriant Divers Signs were seen in Heaven and great changes happened almost in every Kingdom The Hungarians oppress Italy and Germany besides many other broils in both those Nations France will shortly have another Race of Kings great were the Wars in Spain between the Moors and the old Inhabitants and the Saracens suffered neither Greece nor Asia to rest in peace Bellarmine speaking of this Century saith Behold an unhappy Age Bellarm. in Chronol in which are no famous Writers few or no Councils bad Emperours and no good Popes Baronius on the beginning of this Century saith Baron ad Anno 900. Sect. 1. A new Age beginneth which for rudeness and barrenness of goodness may be called The Iron Age and for deformity of evil abounding The Leaden Age and for want of Writers is called The Dark Age. Under the Reign of Charles the Simple King of France a Council was called at Rhemes for correcting the abuse of Church-rents for Noble-men in Court such as Hugo and his Brother Robert Master of the King 's Horses and Vincmarius with divers others under pretence of sustaining the King 's Honourable Estate and paying wages to Souldiers had converted to their own use a great part of Church-rents especially belonging to Abbeys Fulco Arch-Bishop of Rhemes uttered his mind freely in the Council Vincmarius one of the notable oppressours in the Court defiled the Council with Blood and killed Fulco Bishop of Rhemes The Fathers of the Council returned unto their own Churches with great fear for the like of this was not heard since the second Council of Ephesus in which Flavianus Bishop of Constantinople was slain Du. Haillan in vit Caroli Simpl. A Council also was held in France in which it was permitted Priests to marry Virgins At this time there was a great Famine in France The People had been much given to Gluttony and Drunkenness and God punished them with penury and scarcity of Victuals Lewes dyeth Anno 955. at Rhemes hated of the French leaving to Lothair his Son a Crown near the ruine and to Charles the youngest the favour of his eldest Brother Lothair detested of all men died Anno 964. leaving behind him an execrable memory of his actions and Lewes his Son for a final conclusion of
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
France being gathered together do offer most devout kissings of your blessed Feet We are compelled with sorrow to signifie unto your Holiness that our most dear Lord Philip by the Grace of God the noble King of France Fox Act Monum Tom. 1. p. 453. 454. when we saw the Letters sealed and sent to him of late on your behalf by the Cardinal of Narbo your Notary and by him were presented to him and certain others of his Barons upon the perusing of these bloody Letters being read unto them sitting by him both our Lord the King and the Barons were highly incensed Then the King commanded to be called before him the other Barons then absent and us also to appear personally c. Being all thus called and come together we stood before the King this Wednesday being the tenth of this present April in St. Mary's Church in Paris There our Lord the King told us that it was signified to him among other things by the aforesaid Cardinal and Letters that for his Kingdom which he and his Ancestors hitherto do acknowledge they hold of God only now ought in Temporal things to be subject unto you and hold of you And ye have called to appear before you the Prelates and Clergy of the said Realm for the correcting of such wrongs as ye pretend to be done to Ecclesiastical persons both Regular and Secular abiding within the Realm and elsewhere c. Ye are charged also for reserving and wilful ordering of Arch-Bishopricks Bishopricks and bestowing of great Benefices of the Realm upon Strangers whereby the decay of God's Worship hath ensued the pious wills of the godly Founders are defrauded of their godly purpose the poor of this Realm are without their accustomed Alms the Realm is impoverished and the Church is in danger of Ruine the Churches being unserved whilst the Prophets are taken away the fruits of those that serve them being given unto strangers Also He complained of new Taxes laid upon the Churches with unmeasurable exactions by which the general State of the Church is changed c. Therefore he required us all both Prelates and Barons to ordain wholesome things for the easing of the aforesaid grievances and for redressing the Realm and the French Church and therefore we should regard to be ready with counsel to help in season as we are bound by the duty of fidelity in these things Then the Barons having debated together on these matters coming to our Lord the King and thanking him for his laudable purpose answered with one voice that for those things they were not only ready to offer to spend their goods but also to yield their persons unto death adding that if the King would suffer these things yet they would not Then our answer being demanded we said that we would not offend against the liberty of the Realm nor by any means innovate things contrary to the King's honour in that behalf We exhorted him to keep the bond of Vnity which hath continued until now betwixt the Holy Romish Church and his predecessours but when we were told that if any Man were of a contrary mind from thenceforth he should be manifestly counted an Enemy of the King and the Realm we answered that we would help our Lord the King with due counsel and Aid for the preserving of his person and of the Laws and Liberties of the said Realm like as we are certain of us by the duty of Allegiance bound to him which hold of him Dukedoms Earldoms Baronies Fees c. by the form of the Oath as all others do Yet we requested the King that seeing we were bound to obey your Holiness he would suffer us to go according to the Tenour of your aforesaid calling Then it was answered on the behalf of the King and Barons that in no case they would suffer us to go out of the Realm Then we considering of so great an anger and trouble so jeopardous and also what things are attempted against Churches and Church-men to spoil their Goods and Riches with jeopardy of life seeing that the Laity do now abhor the obedience of Clerks and have taken courage to condemn the Ecclesiastical censure and process c. We thought good in this point of greatest necessity to run with sighs and tears to the Wisdom of your Holiness beseeching your Fatherly mildness that some wholesome remedy may be provided in the premisses by which the sound profitable agreement and mutual love which hath continued so long a time betwixt the Church the King and the Realm may be maintained in that old sweet Concord the State of the French Church may continue in godly and quiet peace and that ye would vouchsafe to foresee how to withstand the dangers and offences aforesaid that we and our States may be provided for by the aforesaid Commandement of your calling by the study of your Apostolical Wisdom and Fatherly Live The Almighty preserve your Holiness to his Holy Church a long time In the next year viz. 1304. about the Nativity of our Lady came a number of Harnessed Souldiers well appointed sent partly by the French King partly by the Cardinals of Columna whom the Pope before had deposed unto the Gates of Arvagium or Anagni where the Pope had hid himself There Sciarra Colonna Brother to the aforesaid Cardinals after many affronts done to his person and those that were about him and the plundering him of all his Wealth and Riches carryed him to Rome where at the end of 35 days he dyed of Anger in the ninth year of his Pontificate so that some took occasion to say he entred like a Fox governed like a Lyon and dyed like a Dog he dyed October 11. The Cardinals went into the conclave the 21 of the same Month and the next morning they elected the Cardinal d'Ostia called Fra. Nicholas di Treviso of the order of the preachers who took upon him the name of Benedict II. but he dyed in Perugia in the eighth month of his Pontificate in which City the whole Court being at that time it was resolved a new Pope should be chosen but they trifled away their time in disputes and clamours for two months The reason was the Cardinals were divided into three factions one stuck close to Charles King of Naples who would have a Pope according to his way another was for the principal Barons of Rome and a third stood firm to the interest of Philip King of France who had sent no small sums of Money and other presents to Cardinal Pietro Colonna to the end that with James his Uncle a Cardinal of the same name they might keep up the interest of France At length Cardinal Peter corrupted such with his gold as he knew were covetous of it feeding them on with promises besides so that part of the Cardinals being fast in those Chains and part of them intimidated with the threats of the Perugians now in Arms Cardinal Colonna proposing the Bishop of Burdeaux who
was a great lover of the King of France he was chosen by common consent and a Courier sent post to him who was then at his Bishoprick to know what name he would carry he replyed he would not change the name he was baptized with which was Clement and so he was published accordingly to the people and called Clement the fifth After publication in the usual place the Cardinals dispatched several messengers to the new Pope to entreat him to hasten his Journey into Italy Il. Cardinalismo p. 234. But the Pope being instructed by the King of France made answer that the Flock was to follow the Shepherd and not the Shepherd the Flock commanding the Cardinals immediately to repair to him in France and particularly in the City of Poictiers as they also did This Clement was the first of seven French Popes which held the See one after another unto Vrban VI. under whom the Italians recovered it again with much trouble These seven Popes were Clement V. John XXII Benedict XII Clement VI. Innocent VI. Vrban V. Gregory XI Clement V. being chosen Pope he came to Lyons where King Philip received him accompanied with the Kings of England and Arragon in great pomp The Pope was on Horseback and the King with his two Brethren on Foot holding the Reigns of his Horse He was crowned in the Temple of St. Justus where they had built a great Theatre for so goodly a spectacle But the press of people was so great that the Scaffold brake so that the multitude sell one upon another The Pope King Princes and Noble-men were all on an heap and the Scaffold fastned to an old Wall pulled it down The King was hurt in the Head the Pope in the Foot and the Duke of Britain slain with many Noble-men and multitudes of the common people that were smothered under these ruines The Pope's Crown fell from his Head into the press where he lost a Carbuncle valued at six thousand florins of Gold Thus this feast gave no cause of joy but was famous to posterity by this notable accident and by the translation of the Pope's seat from Rome to Avignon Anno 1305. unto the year 1379. under Vrban VI. viz. the space of seventy four years This unlucky pomp being ended Clement created many French Cardinals and not one Italian and removed the Court presently to Avignon He avouched openly to keep a Concubine the Daughter of Count de Fuxa he sent three Cardinals with Senatorial power to govern Rome and Italy He ordained that none should use the Title or exercise the power of Emperour until he were confirmed by the Pope In the year 1307. a Parliament was summoned against Pope Clement by King Philip touching temporal jurisdiction belonging to Princes and Ecclesiastical belonging to the Church Forasmuch as Pope Clement V. extolled himself above all Princes as in other Countries so also in France he extended his usurped jurisdiction above the Princely Authority of the King claiming to himself full government of both the States as well Secular as Ecclesiastical the King therefore directeth his Letters mandatory to the Prelates and Barons of the Realm of France to assemble themselves together at Paris in the Year afore-mentioned in the beginning of December At the day specified in those Letters the Prelates and Clergy assembled themselves before the King at his palace in Paris Fox Act Monum li. 2. p. 461. 462. where after due reverence done unto the King there sitting in his own person with his Barons and Council about him a certain wise and noble Lord Peter de Cugneriis one of the King's Council stands up and makes an Oration before the Parliament in the King's behalf His Oration is divided into two parts 1. He sheweth that obedience and reverence is due unto the King 2. That there ought to be a difference betwixt the jurisdiction of the Clergy and Laity so that spiritual matters should be defined and ordered by the Prelates and spiritual men and Temporal causes ruled and determined by the King his Barons and Temporal men All which he proved by many reasons both of Fact and Law Articles against the Clergy of France His Oration being ended he repeated certain words in the French Tongue which imported that the King's Will and pleasure was in some points to renew the Temporal State and jurisdiction and therewith he exhibited a certain Bill in French whereof also he gave a Copy to the Prelates containing sixty five Articles which may be read at large in Mr. Fox his Acts and Monuments Vol. 1. p. 462. 463. 464. 465. After he had spoken the Prelates required to have time to answer thereunto whereupon the Friday next ensuing was appointed for the same on the which day the Bishop Edven and the Arch-Bishop of Senon Elect in the name of the whole Clergy answered for them all be-before the King holding his Parliament on that day at Vicenas They endeavour to prove that both the Temporal and Spiritual jurisdictions are compatible notwithstanding the distinction of them one from the other Then they proâ—â—â—d to prove that a person Ecclesiastical which hath Jurisdiction Spiritual may also have Temporal jurisdiction and that the Jurisdictioâ— Temporal may be in an Ecclesiastical person they alledge for this the example of Melchisedeck who was both King and Priest and of Samuel who was both Priest and Prophet and for a long time appointed Judge over the people in Temporal matters They assert also that Christ by his humane nature had both powers shewing that he was a Priest after the order of Melchisedeck and that he had both in his vesture and on his Thigh written King of Kings and Lord of Lords Many other places they cite out of the new Testament Then they offer to prove it by the Civil Law and by reason and many places in the Canon Law they shew what priviledges of this nature had been granted to the Clergy by Charles the Great King of France by Lewes the second and by other Kings of France which priviledges they offered to shew Moreover they assert that whatsoever things be offered up to the Church and are converted to the dominion and property of the same be God's and appertain unto him forasmuch as they be said to be dedicated and sanctified by him But this jurisdiction which is diversly converted to the Dominion and property of the French Church is God's and therefore to be reserved to and for him They urge the King to consider that at what time he was crowned he sware only these things following 1. That he would defend and maintain the Canonical Law priviledge and Justice granted to the Bishops and the Church and as much as in him lay to enlarge and amplifie the same 2. Also that by his Arbitriment all Christian people at all times should keep the true peace of God and his Church 3. That he should forbid to all Nations all kinds of sacriledges spoilings and iniquities and that in
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
wont to be in Battles with the sound of Trumpets and noise of Horsemen When two Armies joyn some cursing that which Panormitan went about others allowing the same Then Nicholas Amici a Divine of Paris said Panormitan I appeal from this your conclusion to the judgement of the Council here present neither do I affirm any thing to be ratified which you have done as I am ready to prove if it shall seem good Many grave and Antient men exhorted Panormitan to give over his conclusion But neither the Fathers of the Council were determined to depart without a conclusion neither was Panormitan minded to alter his intent and purpose Then Thomas Rhedon a French Carmelite was a famous Preacher he preached in England France and Italy and in his Sermons said Rome is the mother of Abominations the Church hath great need of reformation Prelates should leave their pride and luxury and follow the example of Christ and his Apostles For such preaching he was burnt at Rome by the command of Pope Eugenius Mantuan de vit beat ca. ult Baptista Mantuan speaking of this man's Death saith Ah mad envy what doest thou Thou hast not killed him for his Soul cannot dye but by hurting his Earthy body he is the sooner partaker of Eternal Life Stephen Brulifer a Doctor of Sorbon and a Franciscan taught in his Lectures and maintained in disputes that neither the Pope nor Council can make any Statute or Article to bind the Conscience of a Christian Fascicul rerum expet fol. 164. that all their Authority consists in urging of obedience unto God's word in preaching it and administring the Sacraments which he hath instituted so that they bring nothing without his command He called justification by merits a devilish Doctrine since the Lamb of God was sacrificed and hath satisfied God's Justice for us The Doctors of Sorbon would not suffer him among them But he went to Diether Bishop of Mentz which had been deposed for speaking against the Avarice of Rome and was restored Antonius de Rosellis was a famous Reader of the Laws at that time and writ several Treatises against the Pope About this time lived also Wesselus Gantsfort a Master in the University of Paris Petries Church Hist Cent. 15. who for his free speaking and writing was forced to return to Groning his Native Countrey Then he lived in the Monastery of St. Agnes Hill near Swol where he taught many young men and had correspondence with sundry Learned men Charles VII dyed July 22. Anno 1461. Lewes XI his eldest Son succeedeth him in the Kingdom The late King Charles willing to follow the Council of Basil had summoned a Parliament at Bitures where by the full consent of all the States in France both Spiritual and Temporal a certain constitution was decreed and published called the Pragmatick Sanction wherein was comprehended briefly the pith of all the Canons and Decrees concluded in the Council of Basil of which constitution I hinted before The same the said King Charles commanded to be observed and ratified inviolably throughout all his Realm for the Honour and increase of Christian Religion for ever Now King Lewes XI successour to Charles had promised before being Daulphin unto Pope Pius the second called before Aeneas Sylvius that if ever he came to the Crown the aforesaid Pragmatick Sanction should be abolished Pope Pius hearing him to be crowned sent unto him John Balveus a Cardinal with his Letters Patent willing him to be mindful of his former promise The King hereupon directed the Pope's Letters Patent with the said Cardinal to the Council of Paris requiring them to consult upon the cause The matter being proposed in the Parliament-house the King's Attorney named Joannes Romanus a learned and eloquent Man proved the said Sanction to be profitable good and necessary for the wealth of the Realm and in no case to be abolished Unto whose sentence the University of Paris adjoyning their consent Du. Tillet en son advis sur les libertez de l'Eglise Gallic did appeal from the attempts of the Pope to the next general Council The Cardinal fretting thereat returned to the King his purpose being not obtained And the same King Lewes Anno 1463. to secure himself from the censures of the said Pope with the advice of his Parliament ordained an Arrest that the Cardinal of Constance should be punished because he had resisted the Rights and Authorities of the King saith Mr. John du Tillet King Lewes XI caused a Council of the Gallican Church and all the Universities to be assembled in the City of Orleans to be more fully informed in the business of the Pragmatick Sanction at which Peter Duke of Burbon Lord of Beaview presided instead of the King And the Court of Parliament in those Remonstrances which they made unto King Lewes among other inconveniences which they urged would follow upon the abrogation of the Pragmatick Sanction say By this means Strangers would be preferred by the Pope and not the Natives of the Countrey wherein the Benefices lye not of the same qualities and conditions with the Countrey Whereupon would ensue questions and controversies betwixt the Church-men or Seculars to the great hinderance of salvation of Souls and irreverence of the blessed Sacraments The Parliament of Paris in the Remonstrance made by Lewes XI touching the defence of the Pragmatick Sanction hath inserted this Article Item It belongeth to our Soveraign Lord the King who is the principal Founder Guardian Protector of the Liberties of the Gallican Church when she suffers in her Liberties Remonstr de la cour de Parlem de Paris Art 3. to assemble and call together the Prelates and other Clergy-men as well within this Realm as of Daulphinè and in the same Assembly and Congregation of the Gallican Church so called together there to preside and provide a remedy against such attempts as may be prejudicial to the said Liberties We find an Ordinance made relating to Abbeys Bishopricks and Benefices by the same King Anno 1464. which runs in this strain Howbeit that by Priviledges Express and Ordinances Royal no Man can have any Elective Benefice within our said Kingdom and Daulphinè it concerns us much that the Bishopricks Abbeys and other Dignities and elective benefices be furnished with able and known Men such as will comply with us and be firm and sure for us especially such as hold the said Benefices and by reason of them divers places and Fortresses for which divers duties and services belong unto us from them Yet notwithstanding our late pious Father granted the said favour and Patents so plentifully and to all manner of Persons of what Nation Kingdom or Religion soever they were without distinction that many under shadow and pretence of these Licences and Patents have insinuated and intruded themselves into the said Dignities and elective Benefices of our said Kingdom and do hold them Howbeit many of them are Strangers unknown and not to be
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
this our Request which it most just and reasonable but will obey it especially considering that our said Chancellour Presidents Masters of Requests c. are employed daily and in continual trouble about the maintenance and defence of the Rights and priviledges of the Churches of our said Realm and the administration of Justice to our said Subjects signifying unto you that you shall herein do us such an acceptable favour as nothing more by means whereof we take you and your affairs into special recommendation Given at Mascon August 18. in the sixth year of our Reign thus subscribed By the King In the presence of my Lord Cardinal D' Amboise Legat in France and others Robertet Sealed with yellow Wax with the King 's broad Seal There is in the same Book an exemplification of the privy Letters which the Court of Parliament writ to the Prelates about these nominations the Tenour whereof is this Reverend Father in God We send greeting to you It hath pleased the King to grant unto the Presidents Counsellours and other Officers of this Court his Letters and nomination to some Benefices which are in the hands of some Collatours and Patrons of this Realm and among others to our Brother such a Counsellour of our said Soveraign in this Court to the Benefices which are in your gift and disposal Wherefore we earnestly beseech you that in obedience to the said Letters and in consideration of the deserts of our said Brother you would bestow upon him the first Benefice that falls in your gift being by him required thereunto And in so doing you shall do us a most acceptable courtesie for which we shall take your affairs into special Recommendation Reverend Father in God we beseech the blessed Son of God to grant you your desire Written at Paris in the Parliament under the Seal thereof Septemb. 7. The Men celebrating the Parliament And this Annotation is written in the Margin Antiquitùs fiebant alitèr Voyez le recueil Du Fontan les grand ordonnances Tom. 4. Tit. ◠cap. 1. The said King Lewes XI in an Ordinance of January 8. 1475. makes this Narration When any Questions or differences come upon us as well concerning the state of the Church of our Kingdom as other our affairs we that ought to have recourse to them cannot be assisted aided or advised therein by reason of their absence where we and the Common-wealth are oftentimes much interessed Then after this he ordains in this manner We Will Ordain and declare by these Presents that all Arch-Bishops Bishops Abbots Prelates and others that hold any Dignities within our Kingdom and do reside out of the bounds thereof and out of our Obedience Do Return and Repair within five months after the publication of these Presents unto their Benefices within our sald Realm or unto some one of them if they have any more and there make continual Residence there to celebrate and continue divine Service as belongs unto them and as they are bound to do As also to the end that they may serve and assist us in our Councils and otherwise to the behoof of us and the Common-wealth of our said Kingdom when need shall be And this upon pain of being deprived of the Temporals of their said Benefices Fabian's chroni King Lewes falling into a long and and grievous sickness gave much Alms and in the Church of St. John Baptist in Paris he founded certain Priests to sing Masses for him perpetually for whose maintenance he gave of yearly Rent a thousand pounds of Paris Money So he remained in a languishing condition three years before he dyed He dyed August 30. 1483. and his Son Charles VIII succeeded him in the Kingdom Charles being crowned at Rhemes was from thence with pomp brought to Paris A general Parliament was held at Tours where the Pragmatick Sanction was restored to use it as they had accustomed In the year 1494. this King Charles VIII carried an Army of fifty thousand of Foot and Horse out of France into Italy and in two months space he became Lord of the whole Kingdom of Naples except some little Towns on the Sea-side which held for King Ferdinand The Pope seeing the success of King Charles makes a League with the Emperour Maximilian and the Venetians Into this League also entred Lewes Duke of Milan notwithstanding that by his procurement King Charles took occasion to come into Italy King Charles having Intelligence of this League resolves to leave such forces in the Kingdom of Naples as might be sufficient for the defence thereof and with the rest of his Army to return into France and marching toward Rome he gave the Pope to understand that he came to do his duty to his Holiness Pope Alexander not daring to abide his coming departed from Rome wherein and in other of the Pope's Towns the King's Troops did much harm The French King departing from Rome continueth his journey toward France Coming near to Parma passing the River Tarro he met a great Army of his Enemies whereof Francis Gonzaga Marquess of Mantua was General with whom they came to a Battle in which there dyed a thousand Men of both sides Anno 1495. But after some Treaties between the two Armies the French in a night went toward Astè where the King remained certain days and a Peace was concluded between him and the Duke of Milan and Lewes Duke of Orleans rendring Novarra King Charles returned into France and Ferdinand King of Naples recovered that Kingdom Concerning the abuses of the Court of Rome among the Statutes of this King Charles VIII I find in a Statute of February 18. 1496. this complaint Some years ago the Popes of Rome in despight and contempt of the Decrees of Antient Fathers and General Councils have brought all Ecclesiastical Dignities Cathedral and Collegiate under their disposal and all other of greatest value next after Bishopricks Review of the Counc Trident. li. 2. ca. 6. they have granted Livings in reversions upon the Vacancy to any that would sue for them which hath been the occasion for one to thirst after the death of another They have invented abundance of tricks whereby they have utterly annihilated the power and Authority of the Bishops Chapters and Colledges insomuch that there is none now that hath the power to present to a living In the Year 1498. King Charles VIII dyed of an Apoplexy at Amboise In him failed the direct Line of the Kings of France descended from Philip of Valois and the Crown fell to the collateral Line of the which the nearest Prince of the Blood was Lewes Duke of Orleans and Valois who succeeded in the Kingdom of France He was an excellent Prince of a liberal Nature affable temperate and of great moderation and was happy in his Reign Who subdued under his obedience Milan with Lombardy and Genoa with her two Rivers East and West together with the Islands of Corsica and Chio reconquered and divided the Realm of
but also all those of Milan that were taken with him The City of Milan which had revolted from the French sent speedy Ambassadours to the Cardinal D' Amboise to solicit for pardon He received them into grace and pardoned the Rebellion in the name of the King but under this bond to pay three hundred thousand Ducats of the which the King afterwards discharged them in a great part He pardoned also other Towns that had rebelled which he taxed according to their Quality making the Victory profitable and the transgressions of the Offenders an increase of the King's Treasure Ludovicus Sforza Duke of Milan was carried to Lyons where the King was at that time and entring the Town at noon-day Guicciardin's Hist li. 4. multitudes of people flocked to see a Prince who from such greatness and Majesty was fallen into so great a misery And not obtaining leave to be brought into the King's presence which he much desired he was conveyed within two days after to the Tower of Loches wherein he remained prisoner ten years even to the end of his Life The Cardinal Ascanius followed him a little after but he was both received with more honour and humanity and gratiously visited by the Cardinal D' Amboise by whose intercession he was sent to the great Tower at Bourges a prison more honourable wherein the King that sent him had before been restrained two years in captivity Pope Alexander VI. being dead Anno 1503. Pius III. was chosen but he dyed within 27. days Then was Julius II. chosen a Man froward cruel factious and turbulent Anno 1506. the French King albeit the year before he was much discontented with the Pope for that he had disposed and inducted the Benefices which were void by the death of Cardinal Ascanius and others in the Dutchy of Milan without his participation and for that also in the creation of other Cardinals he had refused to call the Bishop of Achz Nephew to the Cardinal D' Amboise and the Bishop of Baieux Nephew to Monsieur Trimoville being earnestly solicited by the King who in those regards had caused to be sequestred the fruits of the Benefices which the Cardinal S. P. ad Vincula and others of the Pope's Amity possessed in the State of Milan Yet the King on the other side judged it necessary to re-enter into reconcilement with the Pope to whom after he had released all the sequestrations he sent the Bishop of Sisteron the Pope's Nuncio to negotiate with him many plots against the Venetians to whom he knew the Pope could not but continue to bear an ill will for the desire he had to recover the towns of Romania The Bishop of Sisteron being received and heard with gladness agreeable to the nature of his desire was dispatched and sent back again with diligence to solicit between them a re-union and amity wherein the better to dispose the mind of the King and the Cardinal D' Amboise he promised by writ which the said Nuncio carried with him the Dignity of Cardinal to the Bishops of Achz and Baieux Yet notwithstanding in so great an heat of forwardness he entred oftentimes into many doubts and difficulties either for a certain hate he had conceived against the French King at such time as himself fled into France to avoid the trains laid for him by Pope Alexander or for that it much discontented him to be as it were drawn by compulsion by the power and importunity of the French King to transfer to the Cardinal D' Amboise the Legation of the Kingdom of France or lastly for that he suspected lest the said Cardinal who aspired to the Popedom not having patience to tarry for his Death would seek to climb up to it by ways sinister and extraordinary These things made him often to waver in his Resolutions determining not wholly to joyn with the French King and yet without his conjunction he knew it was impossible that at that time any thing of consequence should succeed with him Pope Julius resolves to recover Bolognia by force of Arms for a hatred newly kindled against John Bentivoglo because in the time of his adversity when he durst not abide in Rome and seeking safety in Cento a Town of his Bishoprick in Bolognia he was driven to flee away by night hearing a bruit published that he should be apprehended prisoner at the instance of Pope Alexander The Pope took Cesena and Forolivio from Caesar Borgia the Son of Pope Alexander VI. He expelled the Family of Bentivogli out of Bononia he excommunicated the Venetians and gave their Lands to the first that could take them King Lewes XII overthrew the Venetians at Abdua and albeit he gave the greatest part of his purchase unto Julius yet he envyeth the prosperity of Lewes and combined again with the Venetians to expell him out of Italy Anno 1510. died the Cardinal D' Amboise Uncle to the Lord of Chaumont a man of a great spirit and well experienced in affairs but with the service of his Master he did not forget the content of his own private ambition The Pope reneweth the War against those of Ferrara and seeing himself unable to prevail with his Temporal Forces he excommunicates Alphonso of Este and all those who were or should come to his succour namely Charles of Amboise with all the chief of the French Army De Serres Hist This furious course made King Lewes to assemble all the Prelates of his Realm at Tours with the most famous Doctors of all his Universities as well in Divinity as in the Civil and Canon Laws who resolve upon eight notable conclusions against the Pope Eight conclusions made by the French against the Pope at Tours 1. That it was not lawful for the Pope to assail any Temporal Princes by force in their Territories not belonging to the Church 2. That it was lawful for any such Prince for the defence of his Subjects and Countrey not only to repel this injury by force but also to invade the Territories of the Church possessed by any such Pope not with an intent to hold them but to the end the Pope being dispossessed thereof he should have no more means to molest his Estate seeing the Pope had through the aid of the said Prince recovered the same Lands usurped before by certain Tyrants 3. That for so manifest a wrong and unjust attempt any such Prince might withdraw himself from the Pope's obedience for the defence of his Temporal Estate seeing he had stirred up many other Princes and Common-weals to invade the Dominions of the said Prince who deserved reward and love from the Apostolical See 4. That this substraction being made they should observe in France the common and Antient Law and the Pragmatick Sanction enacted at the Council of Basil 5. That any such Prince might by force defend another Prince his confederate and of whom he had lawfully taken the protection for those Seigneuries which he had long enjoyed with a just
the confession but gave order that a confutation thereof should be read and no Copy given The Pope was displeased with the Emperour for meddling in Religion but especially for promising a Council He writes to all Princes that he would call a Council though he never meant it and his collusion is discovered by many The Protestants likewise do write to all Princes praying them not to believe the calumnies raised against them and to suspend their Judgements until those that are accused have place to acquit themselves publickly And therefore they will desire the Emperour that he will call a godly and free Council in Germany as soon as might be and not use force until the matter be disputed and lawfully denyed The French King answered with very courteous Letters in substance giving them thanks for communicating unto him a business of so great weight He shewed them that he was glad to understand of their innocency and did approve the instance they made that the vices might be amended wherein they shall find his will to concur with theirs that their requiring a Council was just and holy yea necessary not only for the affairs of Germany but of the whole Church that it was not necessary to use Arms where the controversies may be ended with Treaties The Emperour promiseth the calling of a Council within six months The Pope resolveth to make an Alliance with France to be able to withstand the Emperour After the Assembly of the Protestants at Smalcald the French King Treateth with the Landgrave of Hassia at the Pope's request about the Council The Pope is displeased for the proposal of Geneva for the place of the Council Anno 1534. Pope Clement VII dyeth and Cardinal Farnese is created Pope and named Paul III. He maketh a shew that he desireth a Council he perswadeth the Cardinals to reform themselves The custom is that in the first days the Cardinals obtain favours easily of the new pope Therefore the Cardinal of Lorrain and other French in the name of the King desired him to grant to the Duke of Lorrain the nomination of the Bishopricks and Abbacies of his Dominion The Pope's Answer was that in the Council which should be called shortly it was necessary to take away the faculty of nomination from those Princes that already had it which was some blemish to the Popes his predecessours who had granted them A Bull is made for the convocation of the Council at Mantua May 27. 1537. The Pope prayeth the French King and all other Kings and Princes to be there in person The Protestants approve not the Bull of convocation The Duke of Mantua makes a Grant of his City and afterwards recalleth it The King of England opposeth the Council by a publick manifest Then the Pope sent out a Bull for the convocation of the Council at Vicenza The Legates went to Vicenza at the time appointed and the Pope to Nizza in Provence at the same time to speak personally with the Emperour and the French King which he gave out was only to make peace between those great Princes though his principal end was to draw the Dukedom of Milan to his own house Anno 1538. The Council intimated is suspended during pleasure The Emperour gave order for a Dyet to be held in Germany where Ferdinand thought good inviting the Protestant Princes to be there in person and promising publick security unto all Cardinal Farnese hearing of this conclusion made without his knowledge went immediately away and passing by Paris obtained of the French King a severe Edict against the Lutherans which being published was executed in that City and after through all France with much rigour King Francis commanded that all should be appeached who had Books differing from the Church of Rome that made secret Conventicles that transgressed the commandments of the Church and especially that observed not the Doctrine of Meats or prayed in any Tongue but the Latin and commanded the Sorbonnists to be diligent Spies against them Afterwards understanding the Emperour 's cunning who assayed to incite the Pope against him he caused the Lutherans to be really proceeded against and commanded that a form to discover and accuse them should be instituted in Paris proposing punishments to the concealers of them and rewards to the Delators This was done Anno 1542. The Emperour gave divers orders to the Prelates of Spain and the Low-Countries and commanded that the Divines of Lovain should assemble together to consider of the Doctrines which were to be proposed which they reduced to XXII heads without confirming them by any place of Scripture but explicating Magisterially the conclusion only Thâ— French King also Assembled at Melun the Parisian Divines to consult of â—â—â— necessary positions of the Christian Faith to be proposed in thâ—â—â—uncil where there was much contention For some desired to propose the confirmation of whatsoever was constituted in Constance and Basil and the re-establishment of the Pragmatick Sanction And others doubting that the King would be offended by destroying the Concordat made between him and Leo which would necessarily follow gave counsel not to set that disputation on foot And afterwards because there were divers opinions in that School concerning the Sacraments unto which some gave effective Ministerial vertue and others not every one desiring that his opinion should be an Article of Faith nothing could be concluded but that they should keep themselves within compass of the XXV heads published two years before The Council is appointed to be in Trent and thither the Legates are sent While they meet in Trent to convince Heresies by a Council in France they did the same by force of Arms against a small remainder of the Waldenses Inhabitants of the Alpes of Provence who as hath hath been said before maintained a separation from the See of Rome with divers Rites and Doctrine These Men after the Reformation of Zuinglius enlarged their Doctrine by his and reduced their Rites unto some form at the same time when Geneva embraced the Reformation Sentence was pronounced against these many years before by the Parliament of Aix which had never been executed The King now commanded to execute the Sentence The President mustered together as many Souldiers as he could in the places bordering upon them and in the Pope's State of Avignon and went with an Army against these poor Creatures who had neither Weapon nor thought otherwise than by flight to defend themselves those that could They went not about to teach them or by threats to make them leave their Rites and opinions but first of all filling all the Countrey with Rapes slew as many as stood to their mercy because they could not fly without sparing young or old They rather razed the Countries of Cabriers in Provence and of Merindol in the County of Viinoisin belonging to the Pope and all other places in those Precincts More than 4000. persons were slain They that fled to the Woods and Mountains partly were famished
many of the chief Nobility and greatest persons of the Kingdom their Assemblies and Sermons were then no more celebrated in Stables and Cellars as in the Reign of King Henry second but in the Halls and Chambers of the best Gentry and most eminent Nobility Beza's Translation of the new Testament and his accurate notes upon it have made him famous His French Psaltery was so well liked that it was well Translated into the German Bohemian English Scottish and many Languages and it is both in use and esteem with all the Orthodox Churches Thuanus saith that Beza would repeat whole Psalms in Hebrew and whatever Chapter one could name out of Paul's Epistles he would rehearse it all in Greek for the things he had formerly learnt his Judgement failed him not He lived eighty six years and toward his latter end he began to forget what he had spoken His French works are mentioned by Verdier in his Bibliotheque His Latin are known News was brought unto the Pope that his Subjects of Avignon had taken up Arms against him accounting his succession unlawful because that Countrey was not justly taken from Raimond Count of Tholouse concluding also that the Ecclesiasticks cannot by the commandment of Christ possess any Temporal Dominion And resolving to rebel by the means of Alexander Guilotimus a Lawyer they put themselves under the protection of Charles de Montbrun who being in Arms for Religion was much followed in Daulphinè Charles entring the Territory with three thousand foot made himself Lord of the whole Countrey with much joy of the Inhabitants James Maria Bishop of Viviers Vice-Legate of Avignon made opposition and very hardly kept the City The Pope therefore sent Cardinal Farnese to defend the City But the danger was moderated because Cardinal Tornon whose Neece Charles had married made him desist and go to Geneva by promising restitution of his Goods confiscated for Rebellion and to be recalled shortly with liberty of Conscience if he would go out of France So the Pope's Territory deprived of that protection did remain in subjection but full of suspicions and ready to embrace every Novity Davila saith that Godfrey de la Barre Sieur de la Renaudy Davila Hist of the Civil War 's of France is made head of the conspiracy aforementioned who was one of a desperate fortune with whom many others joyned themselves some led by Conscience others thrust on through desire of change and many also invited by the natural humour of the French Nation who cannot endure to live idly To those of best quality among these he gave several charges to raise men and to bring them to a place appointed dividing to all their several Provinces To the Baron of Castelnaw was committed the care of Gascoign To Captain Mazares the charge of Bearn To Mesny the Countrey of Limâ—ges To Mirabel Xaintonge To Goccaville Piccardy To the Sieur de St. Mary Normandy and to Montejan Britany Men who as they were all of Noble Families so were they of known courage and reputed principal leading-men in several Cities and their own Countries where they lived All these departing from the Assembly at Nantes a City in Britany and returning every one with great expedition to the Province allotted him in a few days working with wonderful secrecy brought a great number of people of several conditions to be at their devotion The Conspirators prepared a great multitude who should appear before the King without Arms to demand that the severity of the Judgements might be mitigated and Liberty of Conscience granted designing they should be followed by Gentlemen who should make supplication against the government of the Guisards The Conspiracy was discovered and the Court retired from Blois an open place to Amboise a strong Fortress This troubled the Conspiratours who while they were thinking of a new course some of them who took Arms were beaten and slain and others taken and sentenced to dye and to appease the tumult pardon was granted by the King's Edict dated March 18. to all who simply moved with zeal of Religion had entred into the conspiracy so that they disarmed within 24 hours Then the King forbad all Assemblies for Religion and committed to the Bishops the hearing of the causes of Heresie An Ordinance was made by the States at Orleans Anno 1560. in the short Reign of King Francis the second Ordonnance des Estats d' Orleans l'Ann 1560. Art 5. That the Abbots and Curates who hold many Benefices by dispensation or reside upon one of their Benefices requiring actual service and residence shall be excused from residence upon their other livings Always provided that they depute sufficient Men for their Vicars of a good life and conversation to every one of whom they shall assign such a portion of the revenue of the Benefice as may suffice for their maintenance Otherwise in default hereof we admonish and enjoyn the Arch-Bishop or Bishop of the Diocess to take order for it and most expresly command our Judges and Proctors to assist them therein to cause the Temporalties of such Abbeys or other Benefices to be seized upon without dissembling a Month after they shall have warned and required the Prelates and other Titulars to reside or cause some to reside upon their Benefices and to fulfill the contents of this present Ordinance Another Ordinâ—nce was to this effect That a Prebend or the revenues thereof shall be assigned for the maintenance of a School-master who shall be bound in the mean time to teach all the youth of the City Gratis without any wages Which School-master shall be chosen by the Arch-Bishop or Bishop of the place calling in the Canons of the Church together with the Mayors Sheriffs Counsellours or Capitons of the City and to be put out by the said Arch-Bishop or Bishops with the advice of them aforesaid Here I will set down the Indulgences granted to divers Churches Brother-hoods and Hospitals granted by divers Popes and Printed about this time at Chartres by Philip Hotot I shall transcribe the whole 1. The Statutes and Ordinances of the Worshipful Fraternity of the most blessed Body of our Lord Jesus Christ newly founded and erected in the Church of St. Hilary of Chartres together with a summary of the Pardons and Indulgences given and granted by our Holy Fathers the Popes and by our Holy Father Pope Paul the third of that Name confirmed to the said Fraternity and all others of like denomination as well at Rome as out of Rome erected or to be erected Which Statutes and Ordinances by vertue of taking put of those Bulls made thereupon by Authority of Pope Julius III. of that name Given at Rome May 6. 1550. shall be observed and kept in manner and form following The Pardons Indulgences and Jubilee and plenary Remissions granted to such as visit the Altar where the blessed Sacrament and precious Body of Jesus Christ is placed in the said Church of St. Hilary upon the days in the year and
are granted only to the Brothers and Sisters of the said Fraternity which shall upon the days aforesaid every year visit the said Altar in the said Church of St. Hilary of Chartres in France upon which the blessed Sacrament and precious body of Jesus Christ is placed Medard Thiersault Priest Licentiat in the Laws Chanon of Chartres Official and Vicar-General both in the Spiritualty and Temporalty of the Reverend Father in God Monsieur Lewes by the Grace of God Bishop of Chartres To all and singular the Parsons and Vicars of the Churches within the City of Chartres sendeth greeting c. Pope Paul the third did heretofore of his own proper motion for the honour of the blessed Sacrament grant unto the Brothers of the Fraternity of the blessed Body of Jesus Christ in the Minerva of Rome certain Indulgences plenary remission of sins and other graces the good devotion and upon petition of the faithful Christian Brothers Which Indulgences and plenary remission of Sins our holy Father Julius III. Pope to the end that all Christians might come devoutly and honour the blessed Sacrament of his own Authority hath willed and decreed that they be of perpetual force and efficacy And these Indulgences and other graces aforesaid at the instance of the most noble Personage Mr. Christopher de Herovard the Lieutenant General of the Most Christian King within the Bailiwick of Chartres hath granted them to the Brothers and Sisters of the Fraternity of the blessed Body of Jesus Christ heretofore erected and instituted in the Church of St. Hilary of Chartres always provided that like grace and gift was not formerly granted to any other Church of the said City of Chartres And forasmuch as we have viewed the contents of the said Indulgence in the publick Instrument out of the Copy of Dominick Bishop of Hostia Cardinal of the hâ—ly Church of Rome by Title Traven Dean of the sacred Apostolical Colâ—ege Protectour and Patron of the Fraternity of the blessed Body of our Saviour founded in the Church of our Lady of Minerva of the order of Fryars Predicants in the City of Rome in manner of an exemplification published drawn signed and sealed by Genese Bulter Secretary to the said Fraternity Given at Rome May 6. 1550. And furthermore whereas by a certain declaration made unto the Court of Rome by the command and with the leave of the Reverend Father in God the Lord Bishop of Chartres and as it seems to us truly and lawfulâ—y made that 't is certain the like grace was never granted to any other Church in the City of Chartres Wherefore we command you to publish and cause to be published in your Churches the said Indulgences and the exemplifications of the Letters aforesaid according to their form and tenure Giving leave to the said Christopher de Herovard to cause the said graces and Indulgences to be published within the City and Church of Chartres whether by Siguis's or otherwise the same Herovard shall think good Given at Chartres under the seal of the Chamber of the said Bishop of Chartres Anno 1550. July 31. Subscribed P. le Seneux Pope Pius IV. in his Bull of the publication of the Council of Trent which was for the continuation of it bearing date December 30. 1560. sheweth in effect that it was begun continued and ended among the troubles in France and Germany And as Sleidan saith Sleidan l. 16. as soon as new broils were raised in the neighbouring parts of Germany and a great war was kindled in Italy and France the Council was afterwards suspended and adjourned After the suppression of the Conspirators forementioned in a secret Council held in the Kings chamber it is resolved to punish the favourers of the Conspiracy And to get the Favourers of the Hugonots into their power it was resolved to call an Assembly of the States at which among others the Princes of the Blood are to assist But the Queen-Mother and the Guises doubting more than ever new Insurrections the Prince of Conde who was as a prisoner is discharged of his Guard and set at liberty He presently departed from Court and went into Bearn to the King of Navarre The Constable the Admiral of France and the rest were entertained with kind Letters and Commissions and Charges of trust The dissensions and suspicions of the Grandees in France encreasing on the 21. of August the King called a very great Assembly at Fountainbleau The Assembly at Fountainbleau in which the necessities of the Kingdom were declared by the Chancellour which he compared to a man sick of an unknown disease Afterwards Jasper Coligni gave the King some Petitions which he said were delivered to him by a multitude of people when he was in Normandy The summ of them was That the faithful Christians dispersed throughout the whole Kingdom did pray his Majesty to look on them with a favourable eye that they desired a moderation of their punishments until their cause were heard and that they might make publick profession of their Religion to avoid suspicion by private Assemblies Then John Monluc Bishop of Valence shewed That the principal remedy of these distempers was to flie unto God to assemble godly men out of the whole Kingdom to find a way to root out the vices of the Clergy to forbid infamous and immodest Songs and instead of them to command the singing of Psalms and holy hymns in the vulgar tongue and if the common interpretation be not good to take away the errours suffering that which is good to be used by all Another remedy was the General Council alwaies used to compose such differences saying That if a General Council could not be obtained they were to assemble a National that they did grievously err who troubled the publick quiet with Arms upon pretence of Religion that their errour was as great who condemned to death those who adhered to the new Doctrine only for the opinion of piety who dying constantly and contemning the loss of their goods stir up the minds of the multitude and make them desirous to know what Faith that is for which they endure so great punishment Charles Marillac Bishop of Vienna spake in the same manner adding That the disease of France was so sharp that there was no time to call a Physician from far therefore they were to call a National Council Coligni added that requiring those who gave him the Petitions to subscribe them he was answered That five thousand men would subscribe if there were occasion Francis of Guise concerning the point of Religion said he referred himself unto the judgement of learned men but protested that no Council should make him decline one jot from the old belief The Cardinal of Lorain said That the Petitions presented were most proud and that to grant the Orators publick Exercise were to approve their Doctrine he said that the greater part used Religion for a pretence and therefore his opinion was they should be proceeded against with more
severity mitigating the punishment of those who assemble without Arms only for Religion instructing and admonishing them and to this purpose to cause the Prelates to reside hoping that by these remedies they would need neither National nor General Council A Decree was made the 27. of that month That there should be an Assembly of the States at Meaux the 10. of December and if the General Council shall not be called suddenly the Bishops shall assemble on January 13. to treat of celebrating a National in the mean-while the punishments for cause of Religion were suspended except against those who took up Arms. The Pope hereupon wrote to Cardinal Tournon to hinder the meeting of the Bishops and if he could not to return to Rome The Pope makes shew to call a General Council suddenly He received answer from Tournon that having tried all means he was not able to remove the King or any of his Council nor could hope for any better success hereafter The Pope's secret purpose was to avoid the Council or to defer it but makes a contrary resolution against his Will and is much troubled with the occurrences of France A Currier went in haste to Rome out of France with protestations from the King that if the General Council were not called he could no longer defer the National adding that if any place in France were chosen for the meeting of the Council it should be most secure Then the Convocation of the Council was published in the Consistory the Bull whereof was entitled Of the Intimation of the Council of Trent the Latine word was Indictionis Vergerius wrote a Book against this Bull. At this time News came to Rome that the French King had imprisoned the Prince of Conde and set a guard upon the King of Navarre which pleased the Pope much as a thing that might hinder the National Council Saga servant to the King of Navarre is taken at Estampes with divers letters about him and being tortured confesseth certain practices against the Crown The Prince of Conde had attempted to possess himself of Lions but without success The Governour of the City condemned many of the Hugonots to be hanged and the rest he sent alive to the Court who served afterwards to confirm the Depositions of the Prisoners against the discontented Princes The King departeth with his Guard from Fountainbleau and summoneth the States to meet at Orleans where the first thing that was done was to make a profession of their Faith Which being set down by the Doctors of the Sorbon conformable to the belief of the Roman Church and publickly read by the Cardinal of Tournon President of the Ecclesiastical order was by a solemn Oath approved and confirmed by every one of the Deputies because none should be admitted into that General Assembly either unwittingly or on purpose that was not a true Catholick Then the High Chancellour in presence of the King proposed those things which were necessary to be consulted of for the reformation of the Government But this was the least thing in every mans thought for the minds of all men were in suspence about the Prince of Conde's imprisonment who being interrogated excepts against his trial and appeals to the King but the Appeal is not accepted and he was declared to be held as convict because he had refused to answer the Delegates So they proceeded judicially until the very last pronouncing of sentence The Commissaries having pronounced the sentence against the Prince of Conde the King one morning being under the Barbers hand was on a sudden taken with an Apoplexy and laid by his servants on his bed and on Decemb. 5. he died Charles IX brother to Francis and second Son to the Queen succeeded to the Crown being yet but about eleven years old in regard of his Minority the Government fell principally upon the King of Navarre as first Prince of the Blood Navarre did almost openly favour the new Religion and was wholly governed by the Counsel of Jasper Coligni the old Admiral who made profession of it so that the Protestants were more confident to obtain liberty of Religion as they desired They assembled almost publickly Hereupon the King's Mother and the chief of the Council resolved to hold the States at Orleans and begun to do it on the 13. of December where the business of Religion was debated The Chancellour shewed That there was need of a Council which the Pope had promised and that in the mean time it was not to be tolerated that every one should shape out his own Religion and bring in new rites at his pleasure He said That it was necessary that the names of Lutherans Hugonots and Papists no less factious than those of the Guelphs and Gibilines were to be taken away and Arms to be taken against those who cover their avarice ambition and desire of innovation with the cloak of Religion John Angelo Advocate in the Parliament of Burdeaux spake much against the bad manners and discipline of the Clergy James Earl of Rotchford said That all the present evils did arise from the large donations made by the King and other Grandees to the Churches especially of jurisdictions in the end he gave a Petition in the name of the Nobility demanding to have publick Churches for their Religion Jacobus Quintinus a Burgundian spake for the Clergy he said The States were assembled to provide for the necessities of the Kingdom not to amend the Church which cannot err though the Discipline in some small part may somewhat need reformation He said That they that demand Churches apart from the Catholicks are to be punished as Hereticks and that the King ought to force all his Subjects to believe and live according to the form prescribed to the Church that those who have forsaken the Kingdom for Religion ought not to be suffered to return that those who are infected with Heresy ought to be proceeded against Capitally that the Ecclesiastical Discipline will easily be reformed if the Clergy be freed from payment of Tenths c. In the end he demanded that all priviledges of the Clergy should be confirmed and all grievances removed The King ordained That the Prelates should prepare to go to the Council of Trent commanded that all that were in prison for Religion should be set at liberty their offences until that time pardoned and their goods restored The Pope sends a Nuncio to the Queen-Mother praying her to be careful of the Religion in which she was born and bred and not to suffer Schism to arise by too much licence nor to seek remedies else-where for the present and imminent evils but from the Church of Rome for which end the Council was intimated The Prince of Conde was set at liberty and by an Edict in the Parliament of Paris absolved from the imputation laid upon him and the Sentence declared null and irregular which was pronounced against him by the Judges Delegates as incapable of judging the Princes of the blood
In France though the Queen and Prelates did desire to satisfie the Pope in referring the causes of Religion to the Council yet a Congregation of Prelates was put in order at which the Pope is offended and sendeth for Legate the Cardinal of Ferrara into France giving him four particular Commissions viz. to favour the Catholicks and oppose the Protestants to divert the National Synod and Assembly of the Prelates to solicite the going of the Prelates to the Council and to cause an abrogation of the Constitutions made in matters Ecclesiastical Afterwards it was ordained in France that the Bishops should meet in Poisy on August 10. The Colloquy of Poisy in France and that the Protestant Ministers should have a safe-conduct to come thither At the time prefixed the Prelates assembled in Poisy the Cardinals of Tournon Lorain Bourbon Anno 1561. Armagnac and Guise many Doctors of the Sorbon and other Divines sent for from the most famous Universities of the Kingdom There appeared for the Protestants Theodore Beza Peter Martyr Francis de Saint Paul John Raimond John Virel with many other Preachers which came some from Geneva some out of Germany and other neighbouring places in number fourteen These gave a Petition to the King which had four parts 1. That the Bishops might not be Judges in that business 2. That the King with his Councellours would preside 3. That the Controversies might be decided by the word of God 4. That what should be agreed on and decreed might be written by Notaries elected by both parties The Queen would have one of the four Secretaries of the King to write and granted that the King should preside but so that this should not be committed to writing alledging that it was not fit for them nor profitable for the King considering the present times Before the Parties were called to the combate the Prelates made a Procession and did all Communicate except the Cardinal Chastillon and five Bishops The others protested one to another that they meant not to handle points of Doctrine nor matters of faith The second of September they began in presence of the King Hist Concil Trident. li. 5. Queen Princes of the blood and the King's Councellours together with six Cardinals and forty Bishops The King spake desiring them to labour to compose the differences of the Kingdom and not to depart till that were done The Chancellour speaks more largely to the same purpose The Queen commandeth Beza to begin Who having prayed on his knee and recited the profession of his Faith complained that they were accounted seditious and perturbers of the publick peace though they had no other end than the glory of God nor desired to assemble themselves but to serve him and obey the Magistrates appointed by him Then he declared in what the Protestants agree with the Church of Rome and in what they dissent he spake of faith of good works of the authority of Councils of sins of Ecclesiastical Discipline obedience to Magistrates and of the Sacraments and entring into the matter of the Eucharist he spake with such heat that he was commanded to conclude And having presented the Confession of his Churches and desired it might be examined he made an end Cardinal Tournon disdaineth at Beza's speech The Queen answered that nothing was done but by the advice of the Princes of the King's Council and the Parliament of Paris not to change or innovate any thing in Religion but to compose the differences The Assembly being dissolved the Bishops and Divines consulted what to do The Congregation being again assembled the 16. of the month the Cardinal of Lorain makes a long Oration for the Papists to whom Beza was willing to answer but was not suffered But on the 24. day in another Assembly Beza spake of the Church and of the conditions and authority thereof shewing they may err and the dignity of the Scripture Espenceus answered he had alwaies desired a colloquy in matter of Religion and abhorred the punishments the Protestants had endured but he much wondred by what authority the Protestants were called into the Ecclesiastical Ministery who had laid hands on them to make them ordinary Ministers and if they pretended an extraordinary vocation where were the miracles to demonstrate it Then he treated of Traditions shewing that many things are believed by Tradition only as the Consubstantiality of the Son the Baptizing of Infants and the Virginity of the Mother of Christ after his birth He added that no General Council was ever corrected by another in point of Doctrine Divers Replies and Disputations passed on both sides so the Colloquy was put off till the next day In which Beza who began to speak provoked the Bishops For having justified his vocation to the Ministery he discoursed of the vocation of those Prelates shewing what Simony was committed and passed from thence to the Article of the Eucharist The parties not being able to agree a Spanish Jesuite having reproached the Protestants did reprehend the Queen for meddling in matters which belonged not to her but to the Pope Cardinals and Bishops Finally not being able to conclude any thing by this manner of parly it was ordered that two Bishops and three Divines of the most moderate should confer with five of the Protestant Ministers to see if they could find out a way to make an agreement But this doth as little good as the former so an end was put to the Colloquy The Pope was glad to hear that the Colloquy was dissolved without doing any thing and much commended the Cardinal of Lorain and Tournon more The zeal of the Jesuite pleased him He said the Oration of the Chancellour was heretical in many parts and threatened to call him into the Inquisition The Cardinal of Ferrara had been received by the King and Queen with much honour and acknowledged for Legate of the Apostolick See But the Parliament having discovered that among his Commissions one was to desire a revocation or moderation at the least of the things accorded in the States of Orleans concerning the distribution of Benefices and particularly the paying Annates to Rome and sending money out of the Kingdom to obtain Benefices there or other favours did immediately publish the Decrees which had hot been published until that time under the date of September 13. that the Cardinal might not obtain his purpose and did resolve not to give the Legate lieve to use the faculties given him by the Pope For the custom of that Kingdom is that a Legate cannot exercise his office if his faculties be not first presented and examined in Parliament and regulated by a Decree thereof and confirmed in that form by the King 's Brief So that when the Bull of the Faculties of the Legation was presented to be approved it was refused by the Chancellour and Parliament Besides Pasquins were made and spread abroad concerning the loves of Lucretia Borgia his Mother and Pope Alexander VI. his Grandfather by the
be enjoyned to bestow them not upon such as seek after them but on those that are worthy of them and avoid them and for certain proof of their Merits to make them Preach sometimes and those such as have taken some Degree in the Universities upon whom only Livings might be conferred by the consent of the Bishop and people Augustine Marlorat one of the Ministers of the Reformed Church at Rhoan in France was taken by the Guisians and hanged upon a Gibbet there before our Ladies Church He was a man excellently learned and of an unblameable Life who had the testimony even of the Papists themselves that in his Sermons he never uttered ought tending to Sedition or Rebellion He hath written upon Genesis Isaiah and the Psalms and an Ecclesiastical Exposition upon the New Testament which hath been well esteem'd of Clement Marot was a famous French Poet. Pasqu Recherch de la France li. 7. ca. 5. He turned fifty of Davids Psalms into French Metre which are read with admiration of his excellent Wit He set them forth at Geneva for he might not safely longer abide in France for suspicion of Lutheranism Marcus Antonius Muretus was a very eloquent and diligent Writer Scarce hath he passed by any Latine Authour either Historian Oratour or Poet which he hath not explained amended and restored to his purity either with his Commentaries Scholia or Notes Terence Petronius Tibullus Catullus Propertius Seneca Salust Tacitus His Book of divers readings sheweth how Learned he was His excellent Orations shew his great Eloquence Gesner mentions his Latine works and Antoine du Verdier his French Thuanus styles him Magnum non solum Galliae nostrae sed ipsius Romae lumen not only a great light of our France but also of Rome it self About this time Father Edmond in a Book of his Printed at Paris by Sebastian Nivelle and by him dedicated to King Charles IX with this Inscription The Pedagogue of Arms Le Pedagogue d'Armes ca. 8 9. to instruct a Christian Prince to undertake a good War well and accomplish it with success to be Victorious over all the Enemies of his State and of the Catholick Church gives such Rules as these That Wars have been alwaies accounted not only profitable but necessary That the Pope is bound to take Arms against Hereticks That to a Monarch undertaking such a War a man cannot urge any of his former Edicts or Ordinances That no man how Potent soever he be can Contract with an Infidel or one that hath revolted from his Conscience He gives this reason For what King is there how redoubted soever he be that can without falsifying his Oath made to God permit and give lieve to the Enemies of all truth and condemn'd by the general sentence of all the world to sow heresies in his Countries and allure souls He adds further That what conditions of Peace soever he can grant unto his Rebels in this case will not endure long But it will behove him not to awake such strong and Potent Enemies That to make a Peace with them at last he must resolve to make a good War And anon As oft as by the Articles of Peace licence is granted to every man to adhere to which of the two opposite Parties he please without being offended at it it is all one in my opinion as if one should cast a man into the fire and forbid him to burn himself In the seventh Chapter he saith If such persons were Infidels or hereticks I would never excuse the Monarch that having sufficient means in his own hands should not assay by all waies even of fact to reclaim such a Kennel or drive them far out of his Country out of the Territories of Catholicks And so much the more roughly ought he to proceed against them as he knows them perverse in all respects and of the Hugonote stamp which should be accounted the most pernicious most devilish upholders of lies that ever rose up against the Church Thus he Waseri Comment ad Mithrid Gesneri In this Age flourished Gulielmus Sallustius Bartassius and excellent French Poet. Ille Poetarum Gallicorum Coryphaeus Sallustius Barthasii Dominus cujus Poemata apud exteros etiam in laude sunt He is translated into many Languages He may be read in Latine French Italian English Dutch Pasquier sheweth that the French Poets imitating the Latine have often equalled and sometimes exceeded them Antoine du Verdier and Thuanus do commend him Near this time also lived Guido de Bres a holy Martyr He hath written against the Anabaptists in French of the Authority of the Magistrate and the immortality of the Soul Johannes Quiquarboreus was Professour of Hebrew and Chaldee to the French King in Paris There is his Chaldee Paraphrase with Scholia upon Ruth Lamentations Hosea Joel Amos. Franciscus Rabeloesus was a witty but Atheistical French writer and Doctor of Physick Robert Constantine was Beza's great friend he was saith Thuanus trium linguarum peritissimus most skilful in three Languages especially in Greek and Latine He lived till he was a hundred and three years old his Senses of Body and Mind being perfect and his Memory strong These are his Works Nomenclator insignium Scriptorum Dictionarium abstrusorum vocabulorum Lexicon Graeco-Latinum John Croy was a learned French Divine He hath written a Treatise entitled Observationes Sacrae Historicae in novum Testamentum That Bâ—â—k and his Specimen conjecturarum observationum in quaedam loca Origenis Irenaei Tertulliani Epiphanij c. and his French Book entitled La verite de la Religion Reformee declare him to be a good Linguist and a General Scholar He hath written a Book against Morinus not yet published but commended and quoted by those who have perused it John Morinus was a learned Papist There are his Exercitationes Biblicae de Hebraeo Graecoque Textu Exercit. Ecclesiasticae In the late Progress of King Charles IX was discharged all Preaching and exercising of the Reformed Religion in the Towns of France wherein it should happen the King to be during the time of his Progress Many new interpretations of the Edict of March were invented whereby the liberty granted to the Protestants was utterly infringed The Prince of Conde having heard that the Kings of France and Spain had made a League for the rooting out of the Protestants addresseth himself to the King on the behalf of the Protestants Symson Eccles Hist li. 1. Cent. 16. complaining that contrary to the Edict of March they were injured and cruelly slain demanding redress for the foresaid injuries and that they might have liberty to enjoy their Religion without molestation The King hearing of the Prince's coming being with four hundred Armed men with all expedition in great fear hastens to Paris and caused the Parisians to give thanks to God as if he had been delivered from a great peril and imminent danger After this the second War for Religion
that should seek to hinder the effect of the precedent Articles To cause Judges to be appointed to examine the crime committed by the Duke of Alançon declaring himself Chief of the Hereticks To cause the said Duke to come to Court with the King of Navarre and the Prince of Conde and to seize upon the said Duke King and Prince and all their Accomplices That the Captains that should be under the Duke of Guise should put all Protestants and adherents to the Sword both in the Country and in Walled Towns To subdue the revolted Princes To be Masters of the Field To block up the Towns that were opposite and to put all to fire and sword that should make head against them Then to take exemplary punishment of the Duke of Alanâ—on now henceforth to be called the Duke of Anjou and his Complices Then by the Pope's consent to put the King and Queen into a Monastery as King Pipin in former time had done Childeric and in favour of the Roman See to abolish the liberties and priviledges of the French Church These high projects were hearkened unto received and favoured in the Court of Rome The Articles of this Association were first drawn at Peronne in Picardy but disguised with goodly shews to blind them that would examine them more exactly which were To maintain the Law of God to restore the holy service thereof To preserve the King and his Successours in the Estate Dignity Service and Obedience due unto him by his Subjects To restore unto the Estates of the Realm their Rights Preheminencies and Ancient Liberties And for the execution of these Articles a certain form of Oath was propounded inflicting pains of eternal damnation to the Associates that for any pretext whatsoever should withdraw themselves from this League and a Bond for such should be enrolled to employ their goods persons and lives to punish and by all means to ruine the enemies and perturbers thereof and to punish them that should fail or make any delays by the Authority of the Head as he should think good This being done many Posts went to and fro carrying the news of these designs They cast many Libels through the Streets in many great Towns They murmure that the Protestants are too much supported by the Edict And under this plausible name of the Church the people give ear to such as are ready to thrust them into Mutiny The King was daily advertised of these things But on the other side he hated the Protestants and sought to ruine them by degrees but not by any Instruments without his Authority His Mother likewise hated them to the death She causeth the Duke her Son to come to the Court and the King to be reconciled to him The King calls an Assembly of the States at Bloyes where Peter d'Espinac Arch-Bishop of Lions and the Baron of Senecey are Speakers the one for the Clergy the other for the Nobility and both conclude a publick Exercise of one only Religion in France Peter Versoris Advocate in the Court of Parliament in Paris Oratour for the third Estate insists on the Union of all the Kings Subjects in one Religion but by mild means and without War The King seemed to encline only to alter some Articles in the last Edicts of Pacification and not to abolish it quite But at length the King consenteth to root out all other Religion but the Popish to banish all Ministers Deacons and Overseers of the Reformed Religion and yet to take all his other Subjects of the said Religion into his protection attending that by better instructions they might be brought into the bosome of the Church But the King of Navarre the Prince of Conde the Marshal of Montmorency d'Anville and other Noble-men both of the one and the other Religion refusing to assist at this present Parliament conclude a nullity of all that was Decreed to prejudice the Edict of Pacification protesting to maintain themselves in the Rights Liberties and Freedoms which the last Edict had granted them The King of Navarre beseecheth the Estates by the Duke of Montpensier who was sent unto him not to infringe the Edict of Peace but to suffer the Protestants to enjoy that which had been so formerly granted He desireth time to attend the opinion of an Assembly of those of his Religion and of the Catholick-Associates which was to be shortly made at Montaubon The Prince of Conde answers more sharply That he doth not acknowledge the Assembly at Bloys for the Estates of the Realm but a Conventicle of persons corrupted by the sworn enemies of the Crown who have sollicited the abolition of the Edict to the subversion of the Realm That he hath alwaies honoured the Clergy and Nobility but he pities the people whom this Assembly at Bloys sought to ruine The chief of the Politicks declare that they adhere not to any other Religion than that of their Fathers but they are against the taking from the Protestants the publick Exercise which had been so solemnly allowed them The Duke of Montpensier being returned perswaded to have the Edict confirmed John Bodin a man famous for Learning and experience in State-affairs one of the Deputies of the Commons of Vermandois sheweth to the Assembly how ruinous and fatal the new taking up of Arms would be repeating from the beginning all the dangers and miseries of the late Wars which made a deep impression on the minds of the third Estate But the other Orders being byassed and pre-ingaged it was determined by plurality of voices that request should be made unto the King to establish only the Romish Religion in the Kingdom and to exclude for ever all Communion with the Hugonots Nevertheless Bodin procured certain words to be entred in the Records of the Order of Commons to certifie their desire of unity in Religion without the noise of Arms and the necessity of War This Bodin was a man eminent as well among Protestants as Papists though himself professed the Romish Religion His Learning and skill in Politicks appears in his great Book de Republicâ Thuanus highly commendeth his writings Possevine dislikes his Methodus Historica because he makes such honourable mention of the Protestants there Some commend his Theatrum Naturae for a choice piece a Book full of natural curiosities The King gives notice to his Governours and publisheth by his Letters Patents that he is resolved to grant the Estates their requests touching the Exercise of one only Religion And thus the sixth Civil War begins in Guienne During the Parliament the Deputies of the Low Countries demand succours of the King and the Duke of Anjou for Pfotectour of their Liberties against the insolencies of the Spaniards Anjou is now declared the King's Lieutenant General They deliver him a mighty Army with which contrary to the Oath taken by him in the observation of the accord and promise pass'd with the Prince of Conde and Duke Casimire he besiegeth and taketh La-Charitè by Composition and Ysoire in
formerly done by the States of Bloys and the Clergy convâ—â—â—â—â— at Melun that he would be pleased for proof of his true Piety and Religion to enjoyn the publication of the said Council whereby the maintenance of the Church is well-provided for which is observed to be daily impaired and abated And the Provincial Council of Aix in Provence Anno 1585. Petition the King at the beginning of the Acts That he out of his singular Piety would command the Council of Trent to be published which had so exactly provided against all dangers wherein the Christian Common-wealth was then impugned We must not think that these earnest solicitations which the French Ecclesiasticks here made did proceed so much from them as from the Pope One argument hereof which may be alledged is this that they were not now interessed herein for most of the Decrees which concerned them were admitted and there was no default in the observation of them unless it were on their part and one company of them were inserted in the Edict of Bloys the rest in divers other Provincial Councils holden afterwards in France the Canons whereof are to be seen in Print at Roven 1581. at Bourges 1584. at Tours 1585. and at Aix in Provence the same year The better to countenance the League forementioned it is presented to Pope Gregory XIII that he might bless it The Pope was well-pleased they should attempt any thing against the Protestants but he did not approve those Popular Rebellions which were made against a most Christian King neither would he be the fire-brand of a War which he could not quench and so he sent the Deputies back without any answer The King of Navarre causeth the Deputies of the Protestants to assemble at Montauban to resolve of the means to maintain themselves if the League abusing the King's name and authority should seek to offend them The Duke of Espernon goeth also to the King of Navarre to confer with him privately in the King's name The chief of the League presume That the King means to Arm and to employ the King of Navarre's Forces against them They send forth many Commissions in the King's name that what they did might be thought as done for his Majestie 's service The King in the end of March disavows them and forbids all Leavies of men of War The King made no War but by writing seeking first by gentle means to pacifie them Hedâ—clares the Zeal he hath alwaies born to the Catholick Religion and the necessity that forced him to a Peace Then having promised to restore the Church to her beauty to content the Nobility to ease the people he entreats conjures exhorts and commands all Clergy-men Gentlemen Parliaments and Towns Corporate to abandon all Leagues and Associations and to unite themselves under his obedience The King of Navarre likewise sets forth a Declaration and whereas he was accused of Heresy he answereth That he was born under the toleration of two Religions in France That he will leave that wherein he was bred when by a Lawful Council they shall shew him another truth than that which he believeth He saith he is not relapsed seeing he was not fallen from his first Opinion That he is no enemy to the Catholicks for that when the Edicts had granted Liberty of Conscience he presently laid down Arms. That in all places he maintains his Subjects in the same Liberty as he found them after the decease of his Mother That he hath requested of the King a prolongation of the Towns which he holds for assurance of the last Edict and will deliver them before the time so as the League lay aside Arms and yield unto the King the places they had seized That whereas they declare him uncapable of the Crown it toucheth him very near yet doth he think least of it hoping that God by his bounty will long preserve the King for the good of his Realm and will give him issue to the grief of all his enemies The Queen-Mother accustomed to fish in troubled waters winkt at the Duke of Guise She was contented the Duke should terrifie the King to make him abandon the Protestants and to force him to banish his new Minions from Court who had brought her in disgrace with the King her Son Her ambition moved her hereunto rather than any desire she had to advance the Duke and to bring disorder and confusion into the State and to stand alone in the midst of these furious tempests The Heads of the League march with an Army of 12000. men to Verdun a City upon the Confines of the Duke of Lorain which they take And the Duke of Guise being entred the City drove out the Governour with all his adherents and placed Guittald in his place The City of Thoul drave out the King's Officers and freely gave up it self into the hands of the League The City of Marseilles riseth in favour of the League but the Conspirators are suppressed by the rest of the Citizens They call the Grand-Prior of France Governour of that Province who was then at Aix at whose coming though with but 200 Horse the Fort de la Garde was taken and in it the Consul Daries and Captain Chabanes who the next morning were executed by which severity the City was kept under the King's obedience The same happens at the City of Burdeaux Lions Bourges and many other places in the Kingdom side with the League The King laboureth to disunite the League by drawing many particular men from that party as also the City of Lions but seeing his design succeedeth not to his mind he resolves to Treat an agreement with the Confederates The Queen-Mother goes into Champagne to confer about it with the Duke of Guise and Cardinal of Bourbon And after many Negotiations the Peace is concluded The King by his Edict of July 18. revokes all other Edicts in favour of the Protestants he commands their Ministers to depart the Realm and all his Subjects within six Months to make profession of the Romish Religion or to avoid the Country He approves the Leaguers Arms as Levied for his Service allows of their pretexts and by secret Articles concluded at Nemours contents them in all matters only with this condition to leave the League and instantly to lay down Arms. Yet would they have in their power the Towns of Chalon Verdun Thoul S. Disier Reims Soissons the Castle of Dijon Beawne Rue in Picardy Dinan and Coneq in Britain They caused the King to pay one thousand two hundred and six crowns and two third parts for the Strangers which they had Levied They had a discharge for vast summes which they had taken upon the General Receipts They obtained an hundred thousand crowns to build a Citadel at Verdun and entertainment for Guards on horseback for all the Lords of the League This Peace had made a great breach in the King's Authority The King of Navarre seeing this Cloud ready to break upon his party complains that
the King hath Armed his enemies with his own forces and Authority against his Estate his blood and himself He layes open by a publick Declaration the causes which made the League to take Arms the vanity of their pretexts the fruit which all France may expect by the Treaty of Nemours c. He protesteth by a Lawful and necessary defence to maintain the fundamental Laws of Families and the Estate and liberty of the King and the Queen his Mother Gregory XIII being dead Pope Sixtus V. his Successour casts out his lightning against the King of Navarre and the Prince of Conde he Excommunicates them degrades them from all Dignities especially their pretensions to the Crown of France exposeth their Persons and Countries as a prey to such as should first seize on them The Court of Parliament declares the Pope's Bull to be void The Princes likewise protest against it and appeal from it as abusive and scandalous unto the next free and General Council The King of Navarre causeth the Pope's Bull to be answered and his appeal to be posted up in Rome it self on November 6. in the night He writes to all the States of the Kingdom of France exhorting them not to suffer the rights of the Succession of the Crown of France to be decided in the Consistory of Rome Many Volumes were written against and in favour of this Bull by the chiefest Wits of Europe King Henry the third caused some Orders to be cried down in the City of Paris because he was certified of the Conspiracies which they made against the State it being notoriously known that the League was sworn in Tholouse by the black Penitents and that as many of these Orders as are in France did all conspire to the like ends The French Exiles who dwelt at Mompelgart in the Dutchy of Wortemberg did in the year 1586. first sollicite the Divines there and then the Duke Frederick That there might be a publick Conference between the German and French Divines about some Controversies between them They assemble in March the Duke was present all the time On the one side was Jacob Andrewes Chancellour of Tubing Luke Osiander of Wortemberg Osiand Epit. Eccles Hist Câ—nt 16. lib. 4. cap. 23. and two Civilians from the Duke And on the other side were Theodore Beza and Anthony Faius from Geneva Abraham Musculus and two Civilians from Bern and Claudius Alberius from Lausanna Many were the Hearers The Articles of which they were to Dispute were 1. Of the Supper of the Lord. 2. Of the Person of Christ 3. Of Images Temples and such like things 4. Concerning Baptism 5. Of Predestination The first day viz. on March 21. Those of Wortemberg gave in writing Theses of the Lord's Supper shewing that all do agree that All do eat Christ's flesh and drink his blood spiritually all do condemn the renting of Christ's flesh with mens teeth as also Transubstantiation and Physical or Local presence So that the only Question is whether in the Supper the very body and blood of Christ be verily and substantially present and be distributed and received with the Bread and Wine by the mouth of all them who receive the Sacrament whether worthy or unworthy believers or not believers yet so that the believers only receive comfort and the unbelievers do eat to their own damnation We hold the affirmative say they that is by those Words In with and under the Bread Petr. Eccles Hist Cent. 16. part 3. we understand nothing but that they who eat that Bread and drink that Wine do receive Christ's body and blood with the Bread and Wine 2. By the words Substantially Essentially Really and Orally we mean no other but the very eating and presence of his body and blood 3. They argue from the truth of Christ's words This is my body and the Almighty power of Christ seeing his words declare his will and by his power he can give his body unto all Receivers 4. The manner how the worthy and unworthy receive Christ's body is not expressed in Scripture and we say it is supernatural and incomprehensible by the wit of men and should not be disputed nor curiously searched These Theses were given unto Beza as it was appointed and the next day he brought his answer and Propositions The Summ is 1. A Sacrament in the strict sense is a sensible thing appointed by Divine institution to be separated from common use to signifie spiritual and holy things and this signification consists not in a bare representation whereby the mind is admonished to conceive the thing signified this is the use of Pictures but on God's part with the signs is also a very giving of those things which are signified and offered unto our souls 2. We teach that according to Christ's Institution by the Bread is signified Christ's body by the Wine his blood by breaâ—ing of the Bread and pouring out of the Wine are signified those grievous torments which he suffered for us in his body and soul by outward giving the Bread and Wine the spiritual giving the things signified by Christ unto our souls by outward taking the signs is signified the spiritual receiving of Christ by Faith Sacramentally and truly 3. The Sacramental union of the signs and things signified consists in a mutual relation as is now said for the verity of Christ's body which is local and circumscribed both before and after his glorification cannot consist otherwise Again many passages of Scripture that shew the true and Physical ascending of Christ from the Earth and his returning from Heaven unto judgement do confute the Doctrine of Consubstantiation 4. When the word Sacrament is tâ—ken in a more large sense it consists of two things one Earthly another Heavenly We teach That Earthly things are received by Earthly Instruments viz. the Hand and Mouth but the Heavenly things are apprehended only Spiritually by Faith because albeit Christ's body is a truly Organical body yet analogy requires That such as the nourishment and end thereof is such also must be the manner of receiving it But the nourishment and end thereof is spiritual that is they concern our spiritual union with Christ and eternal life through him Therefore the manner of receiving those must also be spiritual by the proper Instrument of the soul which is Faith And therefore seeing the bodily receiving of the signs is a pledge of the spiritual receiving these words Eat and Drink as they are properly spoken of receiving the signs so are they spoken figuratively of the thing signified viz. by a Sacramental Metonymy whereby that which agreeth unto the signs is spoken of the things signified and so both those receivings cannot be by the mouth Again if the substance of Christ's body were received bodily it should remain in the faithful at least and they should become the substantial or bodily members of Christ and so the Church were not his mystical body but a body verily and substantially consisting of the substance
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
should be sentenced or condemned without being summoned or without hearing his defence it was not good to Decree so heavy a sentence without giving him warning to answer for himself and without hearing his reasons whatsoever they were The King seeing the obstinacy of the States and their resolution against the King of Navarre procures an absolution at Rome for the Prince of Conti and Count Soissons of the House of Bourbon which much troubleth the Duke of Guise The King being no longer able to bear the insolencies of the Duke of Guise resolves upon his destruction and to bring the matter the better to pass seeming as it were to be stirred by devotion determined to remove to a Cell meaning there to be confessed and receive the Sacrament He called into his Chamber four of his Council such as he best trusted to whom he discovered the injuries and indignities he had received of the Duke of Guise his extreme ambition the danger himself stood in by the Treasons continually practised by the said Duke and his Confederates against his Person He told them he was determined to have the Duke slain as a Traytour which was consented to The evening of the 22. day of December being come the King commanded Monsieur de Larchant one of the Captains of his Guard to double them the next morning and to keep the Hall door after the Lords of the Council were gone in but that he should do it in such a manner as the Duke of Guise might not suspect any thing which was done In the morning the King made himself ready before day Davil Hist of the Civil Wars of France l. 9. under colour of going Personally to the Council and pretending he should stay there many hours dismissed all his Servants and in his closet there only remained Revol Secretary of State Colonel Alfonso Corso and Monsieur de la Bastide a Gascon who were all commanded by him to stay there In his Chamber was St. Pris one of his old Gentlemen-waiters in the Wardrobe the Count de Termes Great Chamberlain and in the Anti-chamber two Pages an Usher that waited at the Council-chamber-door and Lognac with eight of the five and fourty to whom the King had with very great Promises signified his pleasure and found them most ready to obey his command At break of day the Counsellours met and went into the Great Hall The Duke being come into the Council sitting near the fire fell into a little swound but quickly recovered Secretary Revol came into the Council out of the Anti-chamber and told him the King would have him to come unto him in the Closet The Duke arose and entred into the Anti-chamber which presently being locked after him he saw there only eight Gentlemen of the King's Guard which were well known unto him and as he went from thence into the Closet he stretcht forth his hand to lift up the hanging of the door but at that instand S. Malin one of the eight stabbed him into the neck with a Dagger The Duke of Guise Slain and the rest presently fell upon him on every side and after many wounds given him in the head being at last struck by Lognac upon whom he had most violently thrown hlmself he fell down at the door of the Wardrobe and there expired The Cardinal of Guise and Archbishop of Lions are made Prisoners as also all the Lords and other chief adherents of the Duke of Guise with Anne d'Este Duchess of Nemours and Mother to the Guises Pelicart the Duke of Guise's Secretary was likewise taken with all the writings which belonged to his Lord among which they found many Letters containing divers practices within and without the Kingdom the accounts of money which he had received from Spain to the summ of two millions of Ducats Many whom the King desired to get into his hands escaped the fury of that present revenge The body of the dead Duke being laid up in a green cloth was carried by the door-keepers into the great room beyond the King's Closet and there laid till further order Then the King sent Revol to the Cardinal-Legate to give him notice of all that had passed and to entreat him to meet him at Mass shewing how great a desire he had to be excused to the Pope Then having caused the doors to be opened and every one to be admitted into his Chamber he said with a loud voice That from thence-forward he would have his Subjects learn to know and obey him that every one therefore from that time should forget stubbornness and Rebellion for he would be a King not only in words but in deeds also So with an angry look and sowr countenance he went down the stairs into his Mothers Lodgings The Queen having been ill lay in her bed when the King came unto her to whom the King said This morning I have made my self King of France having put to death the King of Paris The Queen replyed You have made the Duke of Guise to be slain but God grant you be not now made King of nothing Have you foreseen the mischiefs that are like to follow Two things are necessary Speed and Resolution So being much afflicted in mind and with the Gout she held her peace And the King went to meet the Legate that they might go to Mass together and before Mass the King discourseth long with the Cardinal of Moresini about the Duke of Guises death The King seeing that the Legate shewed no trouble at the imprisonment of the Cardinals Commandeth that Lewes of Lorain Cardinal of Guise be also put to death And Du-Gast Captain of the King's Guard causeth the Cardinal of Guise to be slain by four Souldiers Armed with Partezans His body was carried to the same place where the body of the Duke his Brother lay The King doubted that if their bodies were seen they might occasion some tumult and therefore having by the Counsel of his Physitian caused them to be buried in quick-lime within a few hours all their flesh was consumed and afterwards the bones were secretly interred in an unknown place The Duke of Nemours escaped out of Prison on the fourth day And Anne d'Este Mother to him and the dead Princes of Lorain was also voluntarily freed by the King and divers others were set at liberty The Cardinal of Bourbon the Prince of Janville now Duke of Guise the Archbishop of Lions and the Duke of Elbeuf are all put into the Castle of Amboyse The Archbishop of Lions being often examined would never answer alledging that as Primate of all France he had no other Superiour but the Apostolick See Charles Duke of Mayenne third Brother to the Guises being advertised of the death of his Brothers flees from Lions unto Dijon a place under his Government In his valour and wisdom all the foundations and hopes of the League were now reduced The Queen-Mother died on January 5. 1589. in the seventieth year of her age After the death of
the Duke and Cardinal of Guise the City of Orleans took Arms suppressed the King's Magistrates and assaulted the Fortress The Citizens of Chartres did the same though in the late commotions it had been of the King's party At Paris the Council of the League being come together in the midst of the City full of tumults resolved to send for Charles Duke of Aumale who flying from the States at Bloys out of a certain presaging fear had stayed in Paris and that very day was retired to his devotions to the Covent of Carthusians hard by the City at whose arrival all the multitude ran to his house though late at night spending the time only in lamentations The next day the whole City being in grief they dispatched divine service quickly and from the Churches being come to the Town-house the same Council met again there at which were present the most noted Citizens and many also of the Magistrates some drawn by an anxious curiosity some driven by the fear of being torn in pieces by the fury of the multitude and some came to find remedy against the unbridled rashness of the common people But it was all in vain Charles of Lorain Duke of Aumaele being made Governour of Paris by the City Arms the people and orders them regularly under Commanders The Preacher from their Pulpits trumpet out the praises of the Duke of Guises Martyrdom and detestations of that slaughter committed by the King Upon December 28. the Council of Sixteen caused a writing to be presenâ—ed to the Colledge of Divines called the Sorbonne in the name of the Provost and Eschuins of the City wherein relating how much the Lords of Guise deserved of the Catholique Church and their being murdered by the King as Protectors of the Faith They demanded whether he might not Lawfully be said to have forfeited his Crown and whether it were not Lawful for his Subjects notwithstanding their Oath of Allegiance to withdraw their obedience from him as a Persecutor of the holy Church who had embrued his hands in the blood of a Sacred Cardinal The Colledge of Sorbonne declares Henry III. to have forfeited his Right to the Crown and his Subjects free from their Oath of Allegiance The Kings Arms and Statues are thrown down the Navarrists and Politicks are slain many quiet men left their houses in those tumults to save their lives All the Streets were full of Arms noises and confusions and the meanest people raging against the marks of Royalty committed intolerable insolencies The Preachers aggravated the Parricide committed by the King and all places were full of Libels both in Verse and Prose which contained and amplified the same things several waies By the advice of the Council of Sixteen all the Counsellours of Parliament and Officers who adhered to the King are imprisoned in the Bastille And the Parliament being afterward assembled to the number of 160. they with a Publick Declaration assented to the deposing of the King and to the freeing of the City and substituted new men in the places of those whom they had put out and imprisoned They also made a Decree to unite and combine themselves for the defence of Religion calling that League the Holy union At the insurrection of the Parliament and City of Paris the greatest Cities and most Warlike People of France took Arms likewise and made a General Commotion so that the party of the League was not only grown very great by the conjunction of the principal Cities but was also strengthened by the abetting of the Nobility in whom for the most part the Forces of that Crown consist All the Provinces of the Kingdom were divided and dismembred Cities were against Cities Castles against Castles Lords Gentlemen and meaner persons against one another the Laws were trodden down the bond of common Charity broken the Magistrates driven away from all places and a most cruel Civil War with fire slaughter blood and rapine was begun so that all commerce being broken off the waies beset the Gentry and Commons Armed and even the very Clergy incompassed with Guards and weapons sometimes under the names of Hugonots and Catholicks â—andes Blanâ—hes sometimes of Royalists and Leaguers sometimes of the holy union and White Forces sometimes of Navarrists and Lorains they were as with a fatal general Frenzy bent upon the destruction of their common Countrey The King dissolved the Assembly at Bloys but many of the Lords as soon as they were departed from Bloys joyned again to the party of the League Pope Sixtus V. being told of the Cardinal of Guise's death is highly offended and answereth the King's Ambassadours very sharply who come to excuse it to him and chuseth a Congregation of Cardinals who were to consult about the affairs of France The King writes kind Letters to the Duke of Mayenne promising him very great things but the said Duke notwithstanding the King's promises being perswaded by Madam de Montpensier his Sister makes himself Head of the holy union and gave order to the Sieurs de Rhosne de S. Paul Chamois and d'Eschavoles to recruit their Regiments of French foot and began to summon the Nobility and Gentry his dependents and to win the hearts of the people in every place On February 15. the Duke came to Paris with 4000. Souldiers and 500. Gentlemen there he is declared Lieutenant General of the Crown of France On February 22. the Duke took possession in the Parliament of his extraordinary dignity having taken a publick Oath for the defence of the Romish Religion against every one to preserve entire the State belonging to the Crown of France to defend the priviledges of the three Orders the Clergy Nobility and Commons and to cause the Laws and Constitutions of the Kingdom to be observed as also the authority and power of the Parliaments After which Oath many Prayers and Processions having been made he chose and appointed the Council of the Union consisting of forty of the most eminent persons of the League which with his assistance was to treat of and to conclude all the most weighty affairs the Council of Sixteen being nevertheless left and particularly appointed for the special Government of Paris Now the Duke of his Forces began to form an Army and in every Province he allotted both Forces and Commanders to order the affairs of the League and to make war against those who were of the King's party He dispatcheth Ministers to Rome to confirm the Pope's inclination who afterward publisheth a Monitory against the King of France and foments the League exceedingly The King being necessitated to make War agreeth with the King of Navarre and concludes a Truce with him The Spanish Ambassadour leaveth the Court and goeth to reside in Paris with the Heads of the League The Pope's Legate departeth also and not having been able to perswade the Duke of Mayenne to consent to Peace goes out of the Kingdom The War begins furiously in every place The King of Navarre
grants Liberty of Conscience in those places he had taken and publisheth a Manifesto offering to take Arms against those that rebelled against their natural King The Duke of Espernon after the death of the Guises returned to his former greatness with the King Captain Du-Gast who killed the Cardinal of Guise treats about an accord with those of the League by the perswasion of the Archbishop of Lions The Truce was concluded by the Kings of France and Navarre upon these Conditions That the publick exercise of the Romish Religion should be restored in all places held by the Hugonots without any exception That the goods of the Clergy should be restored to them wheresoever they were and that all Prisoners which were in their hands should be set at liberty That the King of Navarre should be obliged to serve the King Personally with 4000. Foot and 1200. Horse wheresoever he should be Commanded and that all the Cities Towns and places of his party should observe the Laws and Constitutions of the Kingdom obey the Parliament and the King's Magistrates and on the other side that the King of Navarre should receive the City of Saumur and keep it in his power to have a Pass over the River Loire which yet he would be obliged to restore at the King's pleasure without any contradiction Which Capitulations after they were agreed upon and ratified Beaulieu the Secretary of State delivered up Saumur to the King of Navarre who gave the Government thereof to Sieur du Plessis Mornay his old Confident The same truce was made in Dauphiné between Colonel Alfonso Corso on the King's part and Monsieur de lesdiguiers for the King of Navarre and they united their Forces for their common defence The Protestants rejoyced exceedingly at this reconciliation magnifying their Faith and Obedience toward the King to the confusion of those who till then had published and defamed them as tumultuous and disobedient Rebels The King receives an aid of mony from the Great Duke of Tuscany and sends to the Swisses and Germans to assist him with Forces both of Horse and Foot He calleth all the Presidents and Counsellours of the Parliaments of Paris Roven and Dijon who were fled from the popular fury resolving that the Parliament of Paris should reside in Tours that of Roven in Caen in the same Province of Normandy and that of Dijon at Chalons and then by a sharp Edict declared them all Rebels who being chosen to the dignity of the Parliaments should continue to reside in those Cities and places which had withdrawn themselves from his obedience and forbad all men to have any recourse to them to seek for justice declaring all sentences to be void which they should pronounce under the name and title of Parliament The same declaration he made against the Duke of Mayenne against the Duke of Aumale and others Then having appointed Governours in all Provinces he gave Commission to make Levies to draw Souldiers together and that the War should be begun in every place The Parisians at the news of the Truce between the King and the Protestants besides many publick signs of contempt forbid the King to be prayed for any longer in the Canon of the Mass The Duke of Montpensier begins the War against those of the League defeateth the Gautiers in Normandy and the Count of Brisac's Forces who came to divert the siege of Falais The Duke of Mayenne takes Vendosme and the Count de Brienne Prisoner An interview was had between the French King and the King of Navarre at the Parc du Plessis without the Walls of Tours Mayenne assaults the King's Army at Tours where they fight a long time The King himself orders and disposeth his Souldiers puts himself among those that fight But Supplies coming from the King of Navarre he gives off the enterprize The Duke of Aumale besiegeth Senlis Monsieur de Longueville goes with small Forces to relieve it and raiseth the siege with a great slaughter of the Leaguers Aumale fighteth and loseth the day with his Artillery Baggage and thirty Colours Monsieur de Sancy having raised great Forces in Switzerland and begun the War with Savoy marcheth towards Paris against the Leaguers whither the King was also advancing But the Count de Soissons being assaulted by the Duke de Mercoeur is taken Prisoner The Sieur de Saveuse going with 400. Horse to joyn with Mayenne is routed by the Sieur de Chastillon and taken Prisoner The King takes Gergeau and Piviers But Chartres set open their Gates and having driven out the dependents of the League received the King with all his Army The Pope by Monitory declares the King liable to censure if within sixty daies he releases not the Prelates and doth not penance for the Cardinal of Guises death The King being troubled at it fasteth forty hours he said he thought it hard that he who had ever fought and laboured for Religion should be rashly Excommunicated because he would not suffer his own throat to be cut by the Arms of his Rebellious Subjects and that those who had sacked Rome and kept the Pope himself Prisoner had never been Excommunicated The King of Navarre being present answered But they were Victorious Let your Majesty endeavour to Conquer and assuredly the censures shall be revoked but if we be overcome we shall all die condemned Hereticks The King taking Estampes hangs the Magistrates and gives the pillage of the Town to the Souldiers Montereau was also taken by Storm and sacked Poissy yielded it self and now the King was Master of that spacious Bridge which there gives passage over the Seine Here Montpensier joyned with the King's Army Pointoise was after a bloody assault also forced to yield The next day the forreign Army arrived at Poissy-bridge there the Swisses joyn with t e King All the Bridges being lost all the neighbouring Towns surrendered all the passages of the River stopped and the City straitned on all sides there was no other hope left but what the presence of the Duke of Mayenne and of the Army afforded which was all shut up within the Circuit of the Suburbs of Paris The City of Paris being much straitned and under great terrour a thing well known to the King by the frequency of those who ran every hour from the City to his Camp upon the last day of July he would needs Personally view the Enemies Posts resolving on the 2. of August to assault their works on every side In his return toward S. Cloud stopping his Horse upon an hill from whence he saw all the City distinctly he brake forth into these words O Paris thou art the head of the Kingdom but an Head too great and too Capricious it is necessary by letting blood to cure thee again I◠hope that within few daies here shall be neither walls nor houses but only the very footsteps of Paris But now there was in Paris one Jaques Clement a Frier of the Order of S. Dominick born of
mean Parents in a Village called Sorbone in the Territory of the City of Sens a young man about twenty two years of age and alwaies thought by his fellow-Friers and others that knew him to be an half-witted fellow and rather a subject of sport than to be feared This fellow resolves to hazard his life to kill the King whom he called by the name of Tyrant and to free that holy City as he said from Sennacheribs violence with which resolution he went to Doctor Burgoine Prior of his Covent and imparted this damnable project to him to Father Commolet to other Jesuites and to the Heads of the League all of them encouraging him to this devilish design with promise of Abbeys and Bishopricks if he escaped and if he died in the action to be made a Martyr and have place in heaven above the Apostles To that end he goes from Paris having gotten a letter of credit from the Count of Brienne who having been taken at S. Ovyn was still Prisoner in the City assuring him that he was to speak with the King about a business of infinite importance Upon the first of August in the morning the Frier being brought in to the King gives him the letter from the Count de Brienne which the King read and having bid him proceed to tell his business he feigned to feel for another paper to present it and whilst the King stood intentively expecting it he having drawn his knife out of his sleeve struck him on the left side of the navel and left all the blade buried in the wound The King feeling the blow King Henry III. is killed by James Clement a Frier drew forth the knife and in drawing of it made the wound wider and presently struck it himself up to the haft in the Frier's forehead who at the same time la Guesle running him thorow with his sword fell down dead and was no sooner fallen but Momperat Lognac and the Marquess de Mirepoix Gentlemen of the King's Chamber who were present at the fact threw him out of the window where by the common Souldiers he was torn in pieces burnt and his ashes thrown into the River The King was carried to his bed and sending for the King of Navarre he committed to him the care of the Army He told him it custom of killing Kings should grow in use neither should he be long secure He exhorted the Nobility to acknowledge the King of Navarre to whom the Kingdom of right belonged His Confessour absolved him and gave him the Sacrament the same night And having embraced the King of Navarre having called his Chaplain he in the presence of them all rehearsed the Creed after the use of the Roman Church and having crossed himself began the Miserere but his speech failing him in these words Redde mihi laetitiam salutis tuae he died having lived 36. years and Reigned 15. and just 2. Months In his death ended the Line of Kings of the house of Valois and the posterity of Philip III. Sirnamed the Hardy and by vertue of the Salique Law the Crown devolved to the Family of Bourbon nearest of the blood and descended from Robert Count of Clermont the second Son of St. Lewes Here let the Reader be advertised that when the Jesuites have made choice of an Instrument for that King-killing service that they intend to set him about they do not put him upon it till they have first raised and fitted his spirit for the service by this means First they bring him to a very private place in a Chappel or Oratory where the knife lies wrapt up in a cloth with an Ivory sheath with divers Characters and Agnus Dei's upon it They draw the knife and bedew it with holy water and hang upon the haft of it some Beads consecrated with this Indulgence that so many blows as he gives in killing the King so many souls shall he deliver out of Purgatory Then they give the knife to him commending it to him in these words O thou chosen Son of God take to thee the Sword of Jephte Sampson David Gideon Judith of Macchabees of Julius the second who defended himself from the Princes by his sword Go and be wisely couragious and God strengthen thy hand Then they all fall upon their knees with this prayer Be present O ye Cherubims and Seraphims be present ye Thrones Powers holy Angels fill this Vessel with glory give him the Crown of all the holy Martyrs he is no longer ours but your companion And thou O God strengthen his arm that he may do thy will give him thy helmet and wings to flie from his enemies give him thy comforting beams which may joy him in the midst of his sorrows Then they bring him to the Altar where is the Picture of Jaques Clement who killed King Henry III. the Angels protecting him and then they shew him a Crown of glory and say Lord respect this thy arm and Executioner of thy justice Then four Jesuites are appointed privately to talk with him they tell him that they see a Divine lustre in his face which moves them to fall down and kiss his feet and now say they he is no more a mortal man They envy his happiness every one sighing and saying Would God I were in your room that they might escape Purgatory and go immediately into Paradise But if they perceive him to shrink and to be troubled after all this they will sometimes affright him with terrible apparitions in the night and sometimes have the Virgin Mary and the Angels appear c. After the King's death the Image and Portraicture of the traiterous Monk who killed the King by the commandment of the chief of the League was most artificially framed in brass and other paintingâ— wherewith they garnished both their houses and their Churches Then was he Canonized and among the Superstitious prayed unto us as a Martyr whom they called by the name of St. James Clement Henry King of Navarre succeeded Henry III. in the Kingdom of France The Duke of Mayenne not daring to take upon him the title of King caused it by publick Proclamation to be given to Charles Cardinal of Bourbon then a Prisoner and coined both Gold and Silver with the Picture of King Charles X. And disguising the usurpation of his authority he accepted the title which the General Council of the union gave him of Lieutenant General of the State and Crown of France The Duke of Luxemburg told the new King that the Princes Lords and Officers of the Crown together with the Catholick Nobility that was in the Army were ready to acknowledge him King of France to serve him against every one since God and nature had called him to the Crown by a lawful succession but withal they besought him he would be pleased to turn to the Catholick Religion to take away the pretences of his enemies and the scruples of his servants The King gives them thanks telling them how ready he was to
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
of Provisions The Duke of Parma marcheth away into Flanders in good order The King assaulteth Clermont takes it and sacks it The Duke of Parma departing leaves aid of men and promiseth supply of money to the League The King marcheth toward Picardy Grenoble in Dauphiné after a long siege returns to the King's obedience The King assaulteth Corby and takes it The Parliament of Burdeaux who with much ado had been brought to the King's obedience make complaints for the King 's persevering in Calvinism The King studieth how to conserve the affections of those of his party and to keep them in obedience He recalls the Duke of Espernon to the Army and other Popish Lords to reconcile them unto him The Viscount of Turenne obtains of Queen Elizabeth of England that she should send the King one hundred thousand crowns That she should send 6000. Foot into Bretagne for the relief of the Prince of Dombes That along with him she should send Horatio Palavicino a Genovese who for Religion was fled into that Island to perswade the States of Holland and the Princes of Germany to assist the King with men and money on their Part. She promised likewise that if the Duke of Parma should return again into France she would assist Grave Maurice and the Hollanders to make a strong diversion by entring into Brabant and Flanders Now the party of the League make a disgust against the Duke of Mayenne which is fomented by the Spaniards And the Lords of the house of Lorain grow jealous one of another and the Duke of Nemours lays aside the Government of Paris The Duke of Mayenne dispatcheth President Jeannin to the King of Spain and the Sieur des Portes to the Pope to solicite aid The Chevalier d'Aumale goes to surprize S. Dennis and without resistance enters with all his men but the Governour with only thirty Horse chargeth and routs the Enemy and d'Aumale being thrust through the throat falleth down dead Those that were curious observed that he fell dead before the door of an Inn whose sign was the Espeè Royale a Sword embroidâ—red with golden Flower-de-luces and that his Body being laid upon the Bier in the Church of the Friers of St. Dennis his carkass the night following was all gnawed and mangled with Rats Pope Gregory XIV assigneth fifteen thousand crowns by the Month for the service of the League and Marsilio Landriano a Milanese is chosen Legate for the Kingdom of France Chartres is besieged and surrendered to the Baron de Biron The Duke of Mayenne receives Chasteau Thierry with the composition of twenty thousand crowns Then the Popish Princes and Noblemen following the King did solicite his Majesty to turn to the Romish Religion Anno 1591. The Petitions made to the King to provide for his dutiful Subjects of both Religions to prevent the new attempts of the Pope and his adherents to the prejudice of the Crown of France were the cause of two Edicts made at Mante in the beginning of July The one confirmed the Edicts of Pacification made by the deceased King upon the troubles of the Realm and dissannulled all that passed in July 1585. and 1588. in favour of the League The oâ—her shewed the King's intent to maintain the Catholick Religion in France with the Ancient Rights and Priviledges of the French Church The Court of Parliament of Paris resident at Chalons and Tours having verified these Edicts had dissannulled all the Bulls of Cardinal Gaetan's Legation and other Bulls that came from Rome on March 1. the Proceedings Excommunications and Fulminations made by Landriano terming himself the Pope's Nuncio as abusive scandalous seditious full of impostures made against the holy Decrees Canonical Constitutions approved Councils and against the Rights and Liberties of the French Church They Decree that if any had been Excommunicate by vertue of the said proceedings they should be absolved and the said Bulls and all proceedings by vertue thereof burnt in the Market-place by the Hang-man That Landriano the pretended Nuncio come privily into the Realm without the King's leave or liking should be apprehended and put in the King's Prison And in case he should not be taken he should be summoned at three short daies according to the accustomed manner and ten thousand Franks given in reward to him that should deliver him to the Magistrate Prohibitions being made to all men to receive retain or lodge the said pretended Nuncio upon pain of death And to all Clergy-men not to receive publish or cause to be published any sentences or proceedings coming from him upon pain to be punished as Traytors They declared the Cardinals being at Rome the Archbishops Bishops and other Clergy-men which had signed and ratified the said Bull of Excommunication and approved the most barbarous and detestable Parricide traiterously committed upon the Person of the late deceased King Henry III. to be deprived of such Spiritual Livings as they held within the Realm causing the King's Proctor General to seise thereon and to put them into his Majesties hand forbidding all persons either to carry or send Gold to Rome and to provide for the disposition of Benefices until the King should otherwise Decree Du recueil de l'Histoire de la ligne That of Tours added this clause to the Decree They declared Gregory calling himself Pope the fourteenth of that name an enemy to peace to the union of the Roman Catholick Church to the King and to his Estate adhering to the Conspiracy of Spain and a favourer of Rebels culpable of the most inhumane and most detestable Parricide committed on the Person of the most Christian and Catholick King Henry III. of famous memory The Parliament of the League did afterwards condemn and cause those Decrees to be burnt at Paris which were made against the Bulls and Ministers of the Romish See So one pulled down what another built up The Cardinal of Vendosme begins to raise a third party of Catholicks to make himself Head of them and thereby to bring himself to the Crown Scipio Balbani is sent to Rome by the Cardinal of Vendosme to treat with the Pope and to communicate his design unto him The Cardinal of Lenoncourt gives the King notice of the designs of the Cardinal of Vendosme The High Chancellour thereupon perswades him to turn to the Romish Religion Charles Duke of Guise having been long kept Prisoner at Tours escapes at noon-day and fleeth to Bourges and then meets with the Duke of Mayenne The Council of Sixteen falls into an emulation with the Parliament of Paris and with the Council of State chosen by the Duke of Mayenne Brigard who had been imprisoned upon suspicion of Plots against the League being escaped the Judges that made his Process are by the people in Arms tumultuously put in Prison and by the Council of Sixteen are caused to be strangled in the close Prison and the next day their bodies are hanged at the Greve with infamous writings on their Breasts The Duke
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
at Paris after he had taken his leave of the Ladies and some other friends becometh a Capuchin The King commended his resolution and dining one day where there was only the Duke of Mayenne l'Esdiguiers and himself he said That in the world there were men of all conditions and qualities to be found but they should hardly find four so different as they were Whereof there was a Sinner converted a Leaguer repented a Capuchin diverted and a Hugonot perverted Century XVII THe Pope prest King Henry to make his Sister turn Catholick and the King to please the Pope used his utmost endeavours for it employing the most learned and subtil of his Clergy to seduce her especially Du Perron then Bishop of Eureux and Father Cotton These two had several bickerings with the Learned Du-Moulin who in his Book entitled the Novelty of Popery opposed to the Antiquity of true Christianity giveth an account of an occasional encounter of his with M. Du Perron But they had another which was a pitched field It was at the Court before a few but Grave and Select assistants After some dispute when Du Perron gave back to the force of an Argument and was at a loss some body hid behind the hangings cried up One. And when the like hapned to him the second time the same voice cried up Two and so till Five Upon which Du Perron complaining of interruption broke the Conference One Beaulieu Bouju a young Clergy-man having got some Manuscripts of Du Perron about the Eucharist made use of them to write against Du Moulin who thereby was provoked to answer him and confute him There are Letters extant and Printed among Du Perrons Works wherein he chides that same Beaulieu Bouju both for stealing and more for ill using his meditations and tells him in substance that though he could get his weapon yet he could not wield it King Henry IV. to satisfie the Court of Rome and the French Clergy of the care he took of his Sister's Conversion would often desire her to hear the Sermons of his Chaplains which she would not yield unto till once being made sensible how the King's credit was interessed that she should once at the least hear one Court Sermon she condescended so far to the request of a King and a Brother as to promise to hear Father Cotton who therefore was appointed to preach before the King and her immediately after Du Moulins Sermon and in the same Room for those two contrary services were performed in the same Room every Lord's day morning as long as the Princess lived and was at the Court. The Princess to strengthen her self against that assault gave notice of it to Du Moulin and after his Sermon brought him into a private Room whence he might hear the Jesuites Oratory His Subject was the dwelling of the Holy-Ghost in the Soul and he made his entry into that matter after this manner I went once saith he to visit the Hospital of Fools where a grave old man received me kindly at the door and went about with me to shew me the distracted persons and inform me about their several kinds of folly Here is one said he that thinks himself made of Snow and will not come near the fire for fear of melting This thinks himself metamorphosed into an earthen Pitcher and will not suffer any to come near him for fear of being broken with a knock These four think themselves top full with the spirit of Prophecie one will be Elias another Jeremiah another Daniel another St. Paul But I that am the Holy-Ghost said he can assure you Sir that they are all either Fools or Impostors for I never sent them The like folly is to be seen among those of the pretended Reformed Religion There you shall find wise and Religious Princesses intimating the King's Sister Wise and valiant Treasurers intimating the Duke of Sully Wise and valiant Generals of Armies intimating the Duke of Bovillon Wise and learned Counsellours of State intimating Mr. Du Plessis Mornay All wise in all things but that they think they have the Holy-Ghost but have it not The Sermon was suitable to the Preface and wrought an answerable effect in the Hearers making them all merry but no Converts The worthy Dr. Peter Du Moulin Son to the said Du Moulin tells us in his life that in the end of the year 1601. time and place being appointed for a Conference between Du Moulin and Cayer sometimes a Minister and then a Doctor of Sorbon Cayer put off the meeting several times till the King's Sister going to Lorain took Du Moulin along with her In his absence Cayer put forth a Book with this Inscription A Conference by Ministers granted and by them refused In which Book he accuseth Du Moulin of deserting his Cause and runing away But Du Moulin being returned in May to Paris the challenge was renewed on both sides So they met on May 28. 1602. in an house next to the King's Sisters house The Conference held a fortnight They had Scribes on both sides multitudes of hearers and good order kept The Questions agitated Propounded by Cayer himself were Of the Sacrifice of the Mass of the Adoration of the Prope and of the veneration of holy Images Cayer was assisted with two Doctors Carmelites Du Moulin had no assistant Toward the midst of the Conference the Faculty of Sorbon grievously censured Cayer for ill defending the Catholick cause and suffering the Adversary to wade too deep into questions and the Bâ—shop of Paris forbad him to sign that which he had indicted to the Scribes The Doctors of Sorbon perceiving that the more the Conference continued the more their Cause was discredited came in a body to the King's Advocate in the Court of Parliament to complain of that Conference saying that it was a pernicious thing tending to Sedition that they had contrived how to break it and that the effects of it would shortly appear This hindered Du Moulin from coming to the ordinary place where he was before Cayer The Master of the house would have kept him out but Cayer coming soon after the door was opened to him and the people pressing in after him Du Moulin got in with the Crowd There they considered how to get another place for their meeting But the Conference being discountenanced by Authority no body durst offer his house for it So the parties agreed to continue the Conference in writing and to publish nothing but by mutual consent But Du Moulin asked two Conditions upon which Cayer brake The one that the Conference should be limited and that it should not be permitted to make replies in infinitum but Cayer would have no limitation The other that Cayer should sign the Acts of that Conference till that day which Cayer utterly refused saying It was enough that it was subscribed by the Scribes When Du Moulin represented to him what disgrace he put upon himself and his Cause and challenged him Cayer answered that he
could not be cleared before his death the thing to his great grief remained unperfect In the end of the year 1611. the suit between the University of Paris and the Jesuites was decided Monsieur Servin concluding for the University against the Jesuites to whom these four Articles were propounded to be by them subscribed 1. That the General Council was above the Pope 2. That the Pope hath no Temporal Power over Kings and could not by Excommunication deprive them of their Realms and Estates 3. That Clergy-men having heard of any Attempts or Conspiracies against the King or his Realm or any matter of Treason in confession are bound to reveal it to the Magistrate 4. That Clergy-men are subject to the Prince or Temporal Magistrate Anno 1612. by a Decree of the Court of Parliament a certain Book written in Latine by Gaspar Scoppius entituted Ecclesiasticus tending to the Rebellion of Subjects against Sovereign Power and containing an infinite number of execrable blasphemies and scandalous assertions against the glorious memory of the deceased King Henry IV. was burnt by the Hang-man publickly in the Palace-yard Near this time flourished Arnald Ossat a French Cardinal His and Cardinal Perron's French Letters are esteemed useful both for the understanding of Ecclesiastical and State affairs He was Scholaâ— to Peter Ramus One gives him this character Cardinalis Ossatus Vir eruditione prudentia integritate suavitate morum eximiè conspicuus Gassend de vit Piereskij li. 1. Whilst M. Du Moulin lived in Paris he was invited by many Universities to accept of the Chair of Divinity but the Church of Paris would never part with him The University of Leyden did most constantly court him considering him still as a member of their Body They began in the year 1611. and offered him the place of Arminius then newly dead And not only the Curators by frequent addresses to the Church of Paris and to him but the States by their Ambassadours and the Prince of Orange by his Letters did from time to time demand him Before the death of King Henry IV. Du Plessis desired leave of that King to retire himself which the King unwillingly granted withal desiring him to come sometimes to Court. Being returned to his Government at Saumur he began his work of the Mystery of Iniquity Anno. 1607. which he finished in nine Months Then he began to set on those great Volumes of Baronius to which he intended a Confutation Du Perron was much pressed by the King to answer Du Plessâ—â— His Friends told him that the Action at Fountainbleau was little to his Credit and if Du Plessis should die it would be then too late to answer him because men would be ready to say he durst not do it in his life time wherefore he promised and undertook the business and going to Rome sequestred himself from other business to perform it promising the Pope at his arrival in France to Print his answer which he said was risen to a great Volume Upon his return the King demanded of him when he would Print it he told his Majesty that he stayed but for some Manuscripts from Rome Which answer the King seeing his delays used as a Proverb to some undertakers whose work went not forward making idle excuses to him Yes saith the King I see you stay for Manuscripts from Rome too Casaubon who was about the Cardinal wrote to Monsieur Du Plessis concerning this answer telling him that it was finished and that himself had seen it Du Plessis desired Casaubon to give him from him the same Counsel which Christ did to Judas in the Gospel What thou dost do quickly But this Volume of answer never appeared the Cardinal after the King's murther accounting himself to be disengaged from his promise Du Plessis turned his Mystery of Iniquity into Latine which he dictated so fast that his Amanuensis had much ado with his pen to keep pace with him After the horrid Murther of the King he took so good order as to keep the people about his Government in quiet and as soon as he had received an Edict for the Regency of the Queen-Mother he administred the Oath of fidelity to all the Clergy and People within his jurisdiction making a speech unto them in which he desired them to forget the distinguishing names of Papist and Protestant Afterwards a dissention arose between Monsieur Du Moulin Minister of the Church at Paris and Tilenus Professour at Sedan about the effects of the union of the natures in Christ The making up of this difference was by a National Synod held at Tonneinx referred to Monsieur Du Plessis who proved the happy Authour of a full reconciliation between them in the year 1614. Yet had this difference like to have broke forth again the year following by indiscretion or malice rather of some particular persons had not Monsieur Du Plessis in time stopped its progress In the year 1615. King James sent by Sir Theodore Mayerne to invite Du Moulin into England to confer with him about a Method of uniting all the Reformed Churches of Christendom to which he had been often solicited by Monsieur Du Plessis The issue of which voyage was That King James resolved to send Letters to all Protestant Princes to invite them to Union and desired the French Churches to frame a Confession gathered out of all those of other Reformed Churches in the which unnecessary Points might be left out as the means of begetting discord and dissention Two Months before Du Moulin's coming into England Du Perron had made an Oration in the States assembled at Blois where he had maintained that the Pope had power to depose Kings and had used King James very ill and having published it in Print he sent it to his Majesty To answer that Oration King James made use of Du Moulin's service for the French Language and it was Printed the first time in French while Du Moulin was in England in that year 1615. before it was Printed in English The King going to Cambridge carried Du Moulin along with him and made him take the Degree of Doctor The Doctor at his return into France Landed at Bullen where Monsieur de Compagnoles was Governour for the Duke of Espernon It was the time when the French Princes began to stir against Mary the Queen-Mother of France And because the Prince of Conde was courting the Reformed Churches to joyn with him in that design the Doctor was suspected as having taken that journey to procure help from England for the Princes Wherefore Campagnoles was charged to arrest him at his Landing which he did and committed him to the Guard of two Souldiers seized upon his Trunks and Papers and searched them But after two daies he released him desiring him to tell no man of the wrong he had done him The Doctor finding at his return that the Protestants began to engage with the Princes against the Queen-mother and in effect against the King who was then declared Major
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
his presence But the Prelates refusing to stoop to this Order it being contrary to the Rules of the French Church took a middle course They went so habited to salute him and accordingly accompanied him in the Cavalcade to Nostre-Dame whither being come they took off their Mantlets but all was done under a Proviso of saving their antient right He proposed to the King what the Pope had given him in charge He urged the King in general terms to peace to restore things in the Valtoline to their former state as they were before the Army of the Confederate Princes entred into it and desired him to grant a Cessation of Arms in Italy The King answered to the three Propositions That he was ever enclin'd to Peace and that he would still be induced to it provided it were for the publick safety and honourable for him and his Allies That as to what concern'd the Valtâ—line the late Treaty of Madrid had made provision for all those difficulties which have risen ever since and that he desired the execution of it As to the Cessation of Arms that he could by no means hearken to it because of the great prejudice it would be to himself and his Allies and the great advantage those of the adverse Party might make out of it Thereupon the Legate unexpectedly departeth from the French Court and goeth toward Rome The Hugonots now begged his Majestie 's pardon by their Deputies whom they sent unto him to testifie the sense they had of their fault and to assure him of their future fidelity and obedience His Majesty was well pleased with it and the Deputies coming to him at Fountainbleau about the end of August whilst the Legate was there there was no kind of acknowledgements and submissions which they did not make both in behalf of themselves as also of the Duke of Rohan and the Sieur de Soubize who sent to supplicate him by their particular Deputies that he would be pleased to employ them in the War of Italy that they might testifie by their passion to serve him that there was not any danger by Sea or Land to which they would not cheâ—rfully expose themselves to contribute to his glory Having made their speeches they presented the paper of their Complaints which they said were grounded upon several Graces which had been conferred upon them by the Edict of Nantes and several other grants The King received it and appointed it to be examined After the paper of their grievances had been examined the French King confirmed to them whatever had been granted to them by the Edict of Nantes granting them free liberty for the exercise of their Religion in such Towns where they had Churches and Church-yards and an Act of Oblivion for any thing done in the War but be would not consent to the demolishing of Fort Lewes as being of great importance for the keeping of Rochel in awe and obedience These favours were accepted by the general Deputies of the Protestants in the name of all their Towns excepting those of Rochel Montauban Castres and Milhaud who having been gained by the Duke of Rohan and Sieur de Soubize and finding that their Leaders had obtained only a single Pardon without any other advantage and without being employ'd in Italy according as they desired they entreated his Majesty upon other pretences that he would be pleased to grant some time till their two chief Officers and those four Cities were joyned with them The King granted to them that delay upon condition it were not over long who presently sent away the heads of those resolutions which had been taken But the Duke of Rohan excuseth himself from accepting those Articles which were granted to those of his Party He did his utmost to surprize some places in Languedoc He made an attempt upon Tillet in Albigeois He had some time before caused the Towns of Masdazil Pamiers and several other of Foix to revolt from which places he sent out his Scouts who committed great havocks in the plain Countrey But the Marshal de Themines and the Count de Carmain fell upon the Hugonots charged and killed many of them and took divers places from them some by storm some by composition Hereupon the Duke of Rohan went to the Assembly at Milhaud where he made those of his Party send a Currier to the King to accept of the Articles of Peace which his Majesty had granted to them His Majesty confirmed them though they had rendered themselves unworthy by their new Acts of Rebellion But it was necessary so to be for the better opposing of the enterprizes of Spain though Rochel was still excepted by reason of the little inclination they had testified of keeping themselves within their duty Then the Bishops and Clergy of France assembled at Paris The chief intent of their meeting was for the renewing of that Contract which they made every tenth year with the King for the payment of those Rents which are imposed on them They also condemned certain Libels sent abroad by the Spanish ambition which had been sent into France They condemned the Authours of them as enemies to the publick quiet and seducers of the people to Sedition And they granted to the King Six hundred thousand crowns upon the Churches oâ— France as a Contribution toward the Wars in which the State was engaged as also to preserve the Catholick Religion in its splendour and to maintain the glory of the Crown But many sordid spirits grudged at it who considering but one of those ends for which Lands were given to Churches began to oppose it as if the Church which is part of the State were not bound to contribute to the good of those Corporations of which they were members and as if the publick necessities were not more considerable than the private profits of some particular people who often employ their Revenues to bad uses The Cardinal now endeavoureth the procuring of Peace for those of Rochel And the same reasons which enclined his Majesty to shew his Clemency to the rest of that party did also perswade him to do the like to those of Rochel The King consented that the Town should be delivered into the hands of the Corporation on condition that they kept no Ships of War that they observed those Orders for traffique which were established in the rest of the Kingdom That they should restore to the Ecclesiasticks all the goods which had been taken from them That they should suffer the Catholicks to live freely and quietly in the exercise of the Roman Catholick Religion and in the enjoyment of those goods which appertained to them That his Majesty should leave what Garrison he thought fit in Fort Lewes and the Islands of Reé and Olleron only promising that he would settle such a course in it as those of Rochel might receive no trouble by it either in their Commerce or in the enjoyment of their goods These Articles were agreed on about the beginning of February An.
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
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
another little Town near to Saint Aubin and put all the Souldiers in it to the sword Then they marched against certain places which the Duke of Rohan had resolved to defend but the fear which the Inhabitants and Souldiers apprehended on sight of the Army made them open their Gates so they entred without resistance Then they became Masters of Corconne and Aubenas Montmorency pursued the Duke of Rohan and constrained him to flight he maintained the fight about two hours and saw about an hundred of his Souldiers killed fifteen of his Guard seven or eight Captains slain and divers others wounded In fine he saw at the years end that he had very little advanced his design The Rochellers now send to the King of England to demand succour Order was given for the Rigging out a Fleet in behalf of the Rochellers and the Command to be given to the Earl of Denbigh The King goes from Rochel to Paris to dissipate those Factions which began to rise thereabouts by the Hugonots in Picardy Champagnie and Brie Richlieu Commandeth the Army in his Majestie 's absence The English Fleet being now ready to hoise sail for Rochel the King resolveth to return thither The Rochellers are summoned by an Herauld to surrender to the King but their minds and answers were full of insolency so that the King bent all his thoughts to prepare for the fighting with the English Fleet at their first coming About the eleventh of May they were descried two Leagues off the point of Coreille An order was resolved on by the King assisted with his Generals and Sea Captains and so delivered to the Commander of Valencay who distributed it among the Officers The English attempt to relieve Rochel but in vain and when the Rochellers were embarqued after the exhortations of their Ministers and their Captains had solemnly sworn to pass the Bank in spite of all opposition or die in the attempt they were struck with such faint-heartedness that not a man durst stir his hand and Vincent their Minister could no longer speak unto them as himself confessed in a Letter to a friend of His. The English Fleet now departeth whereupon great dissentions arise among the Rochellers Then the King sent another summons to them to yield Breton Herauld at Arms was commanded to do it in form with his Coat of Arms who went into the City required them to lay down their Arms assured them of Pardon for their past Crime and threatning them with the contrary in case they should now refuse it But they being animated by their Preachers the Town continued obstinate in their insolencies After a feigned Treaty between the King and the Rochellers the Town was reduced by Famine to extream miseries The Cardinal perswaded his Majesty to settle divers Catholick Preachers in the Hugonot Provinces and wrought upon the Duke of Tremoville to forsake the Protestant Religion The Rochellers when they saw there was no hopes of succour from the English and that they died by thousands of the Famine made divers proposals of accommodation Since the last six months there had died about ten thousand of the Famine The Cardinal declared to them they must not think of any other condition than absolutely to submit to his Master's will At last they chose twelve of the principal among them most of which could hardly creep to beg his Majestie 's pardon to assure him that they would live and die in the obedience which they owed to him without demanding any other conditions than what his Majesty should please to give them The King granted them the pardon which they desired and the Sieur of Herbaut Secretary of State read the Patent to them by which his Majesty pardoned their Rebellion discharged them of all Acts of Hostility ordained that they should be restored to their goods granted them the Exercise of their Religion in the City and commanded that all the Souldiers in the City should enjoy the same Grace and that the chiâ—f Captains and Gentlemen should go out with their swords by their sides and the Souldiers with Cudgels in their hands but first they were to swear never to bear Arms against his Majestie 's service Rochel yielded up to the King Upon October 30. the Duke of Angolesm the Marshal de Scomberg the Sieurs de la Curce Vignolle Hallier St. Chaumont and divers other Lords fourteen Companies of the Regiments des Guardes and six of Swisses began about six in the morning to enter into Rochel The King placed himself upon the Fort de Beaulieu to see the Forces march into the Town They who Commanded these Forces seized on all the Gates of the Town the Ramparts Cannon and Munition and sent away the Souldiers the English by Sea and the French by Land who looked more like ghosts than men There were as many Citadels as Gates and as many Castles as Towers and this was it that made the City be esteemed impregnable especially seeing it had an outlet by Sea which could never have been broken up but by his Majestie 's extraordinary power and prudence yet all served but as Trophies raised to his Majestie 's glory On November 1. the King made his entrance into the City Those poor Creatures of the City prostrated themselves as he rode by them that they might the more acknowledge the mercy he had shewed them He had his Arms on and rode in on Horse-back without any Ceremony only four Companies of his Guards two of Swisses his two Troops of Light Horse Armed Cap-a-pe his Dragoons and the Life-guard marched before him all the Nobility following him without any order to avoid the disputes of Precedency Administrat of Card. Richliâ—u The Inhabitants cast themselves on their knees as his Majesty passed along the Streets crying God save the King who hath been so gracious unto us And he frequently saluted those who seemed to be of the better sort among them But those submissions and acknowledgements were much more increased when they received the ten thousand Loaves of Bread which the King distributed among them the same day together with divers other Alms. But when they saw that there came three thousand Carts laden with Wheat and other Provisions into the Town with a proportionate number of Beasts and Cattle which his Majesty commanded to be brought and sold at the usual rates of the Army they then confessed that he knew how to pardon as well as to vanquish The King alighted at S. Margarite's Church which had been Consecrated by the Bishop of Burdeaux and where the Cardinal had with divers Ecclesiasticks that morning celebrated Mass by way of doxology for that happy Victory He was received by the Archbishop assisted by the Clergy and divers other Religious who sung the Te Deum and the King himself also sang it with great devotion About two daies after the King caused the Hoast to be carried in Procession which was performed with a pompous Devotion He also wrote to the Archbishop
of Paris that a publick thanâ—sgiving might be made and himself returning to Paris passed by Nostre Dam des Ardilliers that there he might pay his Vows for to his Devotions there he ascribed his first Victories as that of the relieving Reé upon which the whole success depended The King before he left Rochel published a Declaration wherein was contained that the Roman Catholick Religion should be freely Exercised there both in the City and Government of Aulnis That the Churches which had been lately destroyed thereabouts should be re-edified and restored to them in whose Possession they formerly were together with all their appurtenances That a sufficient maintenance should be given to such Curates as had not means to live on out of those lands which belonged to the Town-house That the Religieux de la charitè les Religiouses Hospitaliers should be re-established in the Hospitals of the Town to attend upon all sick persons That a Cross should be raised in the Castle-yard at the Foot of which an Inscription of the taking the City should be inscribed and that every first of November a Procession general should be made to give God thanks for his mercies That the Church-yard Consecrated in the Lands of Coreille where those of the Camp who died during the siege had been buried should still be conserved to that use That a Covent of Religieux Minimes should be built there who might pray unto God for them and perpetuate the memory of the thing The King took this course to keep Rochel in obedience He deposed the Mayor and discharged the Shrievalty and Commonalty of the Town without hopes of restauration He ordained that the most Seditious persons of the City should forsake it and among others Guison Mayre Godefray Salebret and Deserbrieres not so much as excepting the Dame de Rohan who was carried to Niort by the Sieur de Lannay Lieutenant des Gardes des Corps Next he revoked all the Priviledges and Charters heretofore granted to the City He commanded the Walls the Ramparts and the rest of the Fortifications to be razed and the Ditches to be filled up leaving only the Towers de S. Nicholas de la Chains de la lantern standing with that part of the Wall toward the Sea to preserve the Town from Pirates He appointed also that no stranger should have an House or Family in the Town without his Majestie 's permission had and obtained or that any Hereticks as the Protestants were called should return to their former dwellings And for the better keeping them in their obedience he ordained that there should be an Intendent of justice in the City Country and Government of Aulins who should see the Execution of his Ordinances and have an eye to that which concern'd his service all which was inserted in the said Declaration He then commanded the Inhabitants to be disarmed and that certain Regiments should remain in the Town until it were quite demolished After all these things he returned to Paris where he was magnificently received the Companies of the City making Orations unto him The expences of the Siege of Rochel are said to have amounted unto forty millions of Livres Then Monsieur the Prince the Dukes of Montmorency and Vantadour who Commanded his Majestie 's Forces in Languedoc became Masters of the Field and before the end of the year repossessed themselves of all those places in a few daies which were capable of being forced The King in the year following having resolved upon going into Italy commits the Government of the State to the Queen his Mother And before he goeth into Piedmont he compelleth the Hugonots in Languedoc to lay down their Arms and to declare in form before his Parliaments and Judges that they will live in all duties and obedience hereafter His Majesty caused his Declaration to this purpose to be read in Parliament himself being present which put a stop to all the Hugonots affairs until after the taking of Suze Whilst the King is in Italy the Duke of Rohan takes Arms in the Sevennes And with the assistance of the Cities of Montauban Nismes Millaut Castres Privas Vsetz and some others had got such a body of an Army together as therewith he hoped to maintain himself in that little angle of the Kingdom and either presently to obtain some advantagious Conditions or to expect a more favourable time for the re-establishment of his depressed Party In the mean time he treated secretly with the King of Spain from whom he had also obtain'd a promise of some supply of money But the King who had intelligence of his practice returning with the same celerity out of Italy into France in the most violent heats of Summer with which he had passed out of France into Italy in the greatest extremity of Winter presented himself before Privas one of the Hugonot Cities in June which at his first coming he carried by assault after which Aletz another of the same Principles surrendered without resistance The Duke of Rohan observing what a terrour the taking of these two places had infused into his whole Faction and knowing on the other side that a Peace with Italy and England was already conclued began to apprehend at last he should be totally deserted by all his Confederates and Friends and left alone to bear the shock of all his Majesties Victorious Arms which made him in time seriously apply himself to his mercy to avoid the severe effects of his justice A Peace was concluded in July 1629. with the Duke of Rohan which all the other Cities of his Party likewise accepted except Montauban which for some daies stood out but afterwards was surrendered to Cardinal Richlieu who settled all things in peace to the great happiness of the King and the whole Kingdom The next year the French King procured from the Pope the Cardinals Hats to be bestowed on the Archbishop of Lions and Monsieur Bagni the Pope's Nuntio Now new stirs are at Court occasioned by the discontents of the Queen-Mother and the Monsieur The Queen-Mother professeth open hatred to the Cardinal she directly opposeth all his Counsels which how well soever they succeeded she still found matter enough to render them suspected to the King and to discredit them by sinister interpretations The Duke of Savoy was grown by this time sensible of the dishonourable Peace he had concluded at Suze to which the loss of Montferrat stuck mainly in his stomach The Duke therefore seizeth upon all the French in his Territories not so much as excepting the Merchants and Religious Orders The Marshal of Crequi hereupon advanceth to Pignerol with one thousand Horse six thousand Foot and some Cannon and reduced the Town and Citadel to the obedience of the French King And the passages from France to Piedmont were open after the reducing of certain Towns of the Duke of Savoy In short time the King makes himself Master of all Savoy The Cardinal offered all sorts of submission to the Queen-Mother to
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
degrees turned to an absolute revolt from their Sovereign natural King insomuch that they fled to France The French quickly hearken unto them so there was a Treaty at Narbon whither they sent twelve persons of quality for Hostages and an Order issued out That He should be branded with an hot Iron who spake of any accommodation with Castile It was agreed on that upon putting themselves under the Royal Protection of the most Christian King he should furnish them with an Army of six thousand Foot and two thousand Horse to be maintained by the Catalans Hereupon three Commissioners were sent to Paris one for the Clergy another for the Nobility and a third for the Gentry and Commonalty The chiefest Incendiaries were the Preaching Friers and Monks who in lieu of obedience and conformity to Government and compliance with the King having so many Irons in the fire did teach and obtrude to the people nothing more than common Priviledge and resumption of Liberty whereby the affection of the Vassal was withdrawn from his Prince There came a Messenger of State to Paris who brought news of the Great Turks death in the flower of his youth though of a robust constitution He died by excess of drinking some sorts of Wine wherewith he was used to be oft distempered not withstanding the strict Law of Mahomet who often Preached this Doctrine That there was a Devil in every berry of the Grape and therefore absolutely interdicted the use of Wine in his Alchoran Soon after Don John of Bragansa was upon a general revolt of the Portugueses within less than a month fully setled in the Kingdoms of Portugal and the Algarves without any opposition at all This Revolt of Portugal was no great news to the French Cardinal who had his spirits walking there as well as in Barcelona and every where else The Spanish Ambassadours negotiate at Rome that the Duke of Bragansa be Excommunicated for an Usurper If this had taken effect it had made the King of France incapable to assist him being an Excommunicated person But France had such a powerful Faction in the Consistory and the Pope was such a friend to the French that the Catholique King could do little good in this point Then was France blessed with another Masculine Royal Offspring the Duke of Anjou In the year 1642. Mary de Medices Queen-Mother and Dowager of France expired at Colen She had been Regent of France mâ—ny years during which time she discovered great abilities transcending her Sex She was afterwards twice in Arms against her Son and she came at length to conceive such a Junonian indignation against the Cardinal Richlieu who had been chief of her Counsels and her Creature afterwards in point of greatness for she first preferred him to the King that the breach could never be made up between them And she was used to say that the worst thing she ever did was the advancement of Richlieu In the sense of this indignation she forsook France and drew a voluntary Exile upon her self She first retired to Flanders thence she removed to Holland thence to England and her last retirement was to Colen where she died The Cardinal of Richlieu was sick that time that the Queen-Mother died at Colen yet he forced himself to creep to the Altar and officiated many Church-duties for her soul From that time he was never perfâ—ctly recovered and now more like a Skeleton than his Eminence being carried upon the shoulders of men hath houses broken down to make him room to come in at so much French blood lost at home so much shed in the field disquiets and dejects his spirit now imprisoned in a languishing body Cinque-Mans the Grand Constable and de Thou late Master of Requests were apprehended at Narbon the very day that the King had but in the morning embraced and kissed Cinque-Mars and had talked very courteously to de Thou The â—ame was done to de Bovillon at Casailles The Prisoners are brought to Lions where by chosen Judges they are condemned and upon a Scaffold beheaded De Bovillon got off with the surrender of Sedan At length Cardinal Richlieu's scarcely breathing Corpse nothing benefited by the Waters of Borbogne is brought to Paris he died in the end of the year 1642. Richlieu was no great Zealot in his own Religion but as he made it subservient to his political ends nor would he ever employ any Jesuite He had a moderate opinion of the Reformists which made him to be called the Hugonot Cardinal And he would have often in his mouth this saying Maneat moralis benevolentia inter discordes sententia Yet he wrote a Book against them which is extant He did them more mischief by Complementing with them than by combating He was a great cherisher and promoter of vertuous men and would find them out wheresoever they were insomuch that he gave every year in Pensions little less than an hundred thousand Franks He erected two Academies one in Paris called l'Academie de Beaux Esprits where the Prime Wits of the Kingdom met every Monday and another at Richlieu where the Mathematiques and other Sciences were read in the French Language the difficulty of the Latine deterring many of them from studying other places He did so oblige all the Wits of the Kingdom that they strove who should magnifie him most never were there such hyperbolical expressions of any man and not without some mixture of profaneness Some blasphemously said That God Almighty might put the Government of the World into his hand That France in God and the Cardinal's hands were too strong That what the soul was to the body the same he was to France Si foret hic nullus Gallia nulla foret Some appropriate the reduction of the Rochellers solely to him Therefore to sooth him one French Chronicle impiously writeth that in the taking of that Town Neither the King nor God Almighty himself had any share in the Action but Cardinal Richlieu Thereupon Another made this Distich Richelii adventu portae patuere Rupellae Christo infernales ut patuere fores The Gates of Rochel opened to Richlieu As those of Hell to Christ asunder flew Divers other Latine Distichs there were of like nature And in the French Language there are abundance of such Hyperboles I will instance in some Et si nous faisons des ghirlandes C ' est pour en couronner un Dieu Qui soubs le nom de Richlieu Recoit nos Voeux nos offrandres Another Heros a qui la France crige des Autels Que prevois qui fais le bon heur des mortels Qui scais mieux l'advenir que les choses passcès Penetre dans mon Ame c. Another Si quelq ' un dans ces vers parlâ— de Richlieu Qui sous l'habit d'un homme il nous descrive un dieu Vous n' estes point suiet a l'humaine impuissance c. A Royal Chronologer attributes more to him than to his Master the
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
and banished should appear with such ardour in the defence of that interest that was the cause of his troubles and which is worse resolved never to re-admit him to the Dignities he had lost The King of France unwilling to let the constancy or generosit of de Retz with which he maintained the just priviledges of his Crown to go unrewarded he admitted him again into his favour which he enjoyes to this day if he be yet living but with some conditional limitations as retaining still in his mind the prejudice he did formerly to the Crown though he often declared that all his designs were against Mazarine Afterwards Carlo Roberti a Roman was created Nuntio and sent into France And though the gross of the quarrel forementioned was composed by the Treaty at Pisa yet there were certain reliques remaining that without good managing might have unravelled all again Therefore above all the Pope gave Roberti in charge that he should as much as in him lay redintegrate into the favour of his Majesty and the principal Officers in his Court the opinion that Chigi had lost in France and that he should endeavour to make them appear innocent and full of affection for that Crown Pope Alexander VII in his last promotion made him a Cardinal with the rest of the Nuntio's and sent him his Cap to Paris Before his Nuntiature into France this Prelate was much inclined to the Interest of Spain but when he began to be acquainted with the French Kings entertainment and the civility of the French Court he changed his mind and followed the humour of the French Afterwards certain Jesuites disobliged by some check which they had received in Paris about the Jesuite Anthony Sancterelli's Book de Haeresi Schismate Apostasia in which he spake to the disparagement of the power of Princes but magnified and exalted the power and Authority of the Pope fell publickly to maintain before the Kings face the question of the Infallibility and inpeccability of the Pope The French Divines thought themselves concern'd for the honour of the Crown and conservation of the antient priviledges of their Church to answer them with a most just and well-grounded Censure wherewith they rigorously condemned the doctrine of the Jesuites as too remote from the general opinion and of great prejudice to the Soveraignty of Princes Pope Alexander VII having notice of what passed testified to King Lewes his dislike of this proceeding The King recommending the examination of the matter to the wisdom of the Parliament of Paris they upon mature deliberation concluded that the Popes Infallibility was not to be admitted in France as being an innovation and inconsistent with the antient priviledge of the Gallican Church and therefore they saw no reason to admit a new opinion known only to such as depended on the Court of Rome and reject that which was of greater antiquity and had been owned by so many Popes Which determination so netled his Holiness that he fell immediately to his Bulls and with great threatning and curses forbad the Printing or reading of the abovesaid Censures Among other expressions in his Bull there were these Praefatas censuras uti praesumptuosas temerarias atque scandalosas It was very well known that those Censures were made by the Sorbonists Il Cardinalissimo the King 's principal Divines by the Parliament it self which is as much as to say by the King himself Notwithstanding the Pope spares not any revilings but throws forth peals of invectives indiscriminately as if from a Pope nothing is injurious This is the respect the Popes bear to the most Christian King and to such a State as France Lewes Duke of Vendosme a French man is descended from a Natural Son of King Henry IV. who Marrying with Frances of Lorrain Dutchess of Mercoeur had this Lewes by her He had no great enclination to the Ecclesiastical habit his mind running more after Matrimony and the affairs of the world Accordingly when he arrived at a competent Age he Married a Niece of Cardinal Mazarine's hoping by means of his favour to open a way to some honourable employment This Lady lived not many years with the Duke her Husband to whom she left two hopeful Sons This Lord being a Widdower changeth his mind being now altogether for the Ecclesiastical habit not in any penitential way but only to capacitate him for the Cardinalship which he alwaies aim'd at Finally the French King according to the Prerogative of his Crown being to nominate a person in the last promotion of Pope Alexander presented this as a person of great Merit and fit to be an Ornament both to the Cap and Colledge and the rather because in his Viceroyship in Catalonia and in his Government of Provence he had shewed great diligence in his Majesties service A few daies after he had received his Cap the tidings of the Popes languishing condition arrived so that with directions from the King he parted immediately for Rome to be present at the new Conclave where he met exactly with all the rest of the French Cardinals In the year 1667. Pope Alexander VII dieth and Clement IX succeedeth him The Election being made the Cardinal of Vendosm who in this Conclave had behaved himself with great prudence and perhaps more than was expected by the elder Cardinals that had been a long time acquainted with the Intrigues of the Conclaves prepared for his return into France but first he recommended to his Holiness the Interests of his Master particularly in the business of the discameration of Castro according to the Treaty at Pisa in which it was Articled that Castro should be delivered The Pope sent a Bull to Cardinal Vendosme declaring him Legate à Latere and thereby qualifying him for that Function Here followeth a Relation of the Present Estate of the Reformed Churches in France translated out of French and published Anno 1668. I Shall only in brief relate the proceedings of the Adverse party against them The first and most considerable Mean used against them by the Popish Clergy is that of Commissions For under pretext of executing the Edict of Nantes and the Decrees made in consequence thereof and providing against the breaches of the same they have engaged the King to send Commissioners into all Provinces For clearing whereof we must remember that Henry IV. of happy memory having found it convenient for the quiet of his Subjctes to make this Edict as a particular and irrevocable Law did send Commissioners into all the Provinces to execute the same and after those Commissioners had established all things in due form they returned their Executions into the hands of the King to serve as a Rule in all future debates which could arise on that subject These Commissioners although the Hugonots have usurped nothing since the first execution of the Edict but on the contrary have sustained innumerable losses have now altogether perverted the business for concealing the first execution of the Edict they have
between the Bishop of Evereux and Du Plessis Morney page 90 A new Colledge built by King Henry IV. at la Fleshe page 95 A conference between Du Moulin and Father Gontier a Jesuit page 96 A Congregation of French Prelates page 4 A Colloquy at Poisy in France between the Popish Doctors and the Protestant Ministers page 5 6 John Croy a Learned French Divine page 10 A Conference at Flex page 33 A Conference between the German and French Divines at Mompelgart page 45 A Council of sixteen in Paris page 53 Robert Constantine a Learned Frenchman page 19 An affront put upon the Duke of Crequi at Rome and the effects thereof page 177 178 Jacobus Cujacius a great Lawyer page 11. D. LAmbertus Danaeus a French Divine of Orleans page 71 The Death of the Bishop of Chartres who had been Confessour to Cardinal Richlieu page 171 Dionisius Lambinus a Learned French-man page 24 The French Divines answer and censure the Book of Sancterellus the Jesuit page 182 The Death of King Lewes XIII page 160 Daniel Chamier a learned French-man page 107 Daniel Tilenus Professor at Sedan page 104 E. AN Edict made against Duels page 129 Father Edmonds Prior of the Covent of Jacobines executed page 70 Queen Elizabeth 's Letter to King Henry IV. upon change of his Religion page 80 French Exiles at Mompelgart page 45 F. ANthony Faius a good French Divine and Abraham his Son their works page 50 John Fernelius a learned French Physician page 8 A difference between the Bishops and the Fryars in France page 143 A sore Famine in Paris page 76 Francis Cupif a Sorbon Doctor turneth Protestant his Censure page 152 Fishes called Surdonnes sent by God's providence to the relief of the Poor at Rochel during the Siege page 27 G. THe Duke of Guise and the Cardinal of Guise slain page 59 60 A League of the Guisian Faction page 34 35 Gilbert Genebrard a Divine of Paris page 10 Paul Gondy Arch-bishop of Corinth and Cardinal de Rhetz page 163 Henrico Gaetano sent Legat by the Pope to the League of France page 71 The Guisian League sworn in Tholouse by the black Penitents page 45 Many places in France side with the Guisian Faction page 43 H. KIng Henry III. curseth the City of Paris p. 55. he is murthered by a Jacobine Monk page 67 Michael Hospitalius Chancellour of France an opposer of wicked Counsels against the Protestants page 29 King Henry IV. embraceth the Roman Catholick Religion p. 79. he is murthered by Ravillac page 97 I. THe Jesuits restored in France page 95 Julius Caesar Scaliger and Joseph Scaliger very learned Men. page 9 L. A List of the Protestant Churches in France lately demolished page 189 190 191 The latter Councils of France since the Council of Trent page 192 c. The Laws of a Seminary College p. 194. and that of Bourdeaux in particular page 199 200 A Letter of King Henry III. to the King of Navar. page 41 M. CHarles Marillac Bishop of Vienna page 2 August Marlorat Minister of the Reformed Church at Roven hanged by the Guisians page 17 Clement Marot a famous French Poet. page 17 The bloody Massacre of the Protestants at Paris page 23 24 Peter Merlin a learned French Divine page 24 John Morinus a Learned Papist page 19 Muretus an eloquent Writer page 17 Duke of Montmorency beheaded page 144 Papyrius Massonius a Writer of the French Chronicle page 1â— Count Montgomery taken and put to death page 28 Andrew Melvin his Verses page 29 Michael Montaign his Works and when he flourished page 30 Cardinal Mazarine made prime Minister of State p. 164. he raiseth a stately Library p. 164. his Death page 175 John Mercer a learned French-man Successor of Vatablus as Hebrew Professor at Paris page 24 N. KIng of Navar and Prince of Conde excommunicated by Pope Sixtus V. page 44 Their Protestation against it ibid The King of Navar 's Declaration against the Guisian League page 44 O. OBusson Arch-bishop of Yverdon A Form of an Oath propounded by those of the Guisian League page 35 D'Ossat and Du Perron made Cardinals page 84 Some Orders cryed down in France because of their Conspiracies against the State page 45 P. PEter de Espignac Arch-Bishop of Lyons page 35 Peter Verseris Advocate in the Court of Parliament at Paris page 35 The Protestant Princes of Germany raise an Army to defend the French Protestants page 51 John Passeratius an excellent Orator and Poet. page 11 Du Plessis Morney his Story page 103 104 105 Protestants disturbed in the exercise of their Religion page 34 A Popish Form of Profession of Faith page 195 ad 203 The Works of Cardinal Du Perron page 101 Q. JOhn Quinquarboreus Professor of the Hebrew and Chaldee to the French King in Paris page 18 R. A Relation of the present Estate of the Reformed Churches of France page 184 ad 188 The Duke of Rohan his military Actions in France p. 140. his Peace made with the King 141 his Death page 152 The Siege of Rochel page 137 The English attempt to relieve it but in vain ibid It is yielded to the King page 138 Cardinal Richlieu his death The Characters given of him page 156 157 Francis Rabalaesus a Witty but Atheistical Writer page 19 Peter Ramus slain in the Parisian Massacre page 24 Rozarius a Preacher at Orleans Apostatizeth and afterwards recanteth page 24 Andrew Rivet and William Rivet two Godly French Divines page 107 A Provincial Synod held at Roven page 41 S. SEdan a Refuge for the Protestants page 122 A Star seen in the Constellation of Cassiopea page 29 A National Synod held at Tonneinx p. 104. another at Alais in Languedoc page 108 Gaspar Scoppius his Book tending to the Rebellion of Subjects against the Soveraign power burnt by the Hangman page 102 The Spanish Renuntiation of all Priority to France page 176 Claud. Salmasius a learned French Critick page 100 Jac. Sirmondus a Learned French Jesuit p. 99. his works page 100 T. BEnedict Turretine a learned French-man page 100 V. FRancis Vieta a learned French Mathematician page 100. Nicholas Vignerius a Learned French Historiographer page 100 Nicholas Vignerius Junior a Learned French Divine page 100 The Bishop of Verdun imprisoned page 131 FINIS ERRATA PArt I. Page 2. Line 31. read Mantz p. 13. l. 23. 24. r. circumcelliones p. 28. l. 14. r. Avergne p. 31. l. 29. r. Theodorick p. 57. l. 38. r. levies p. 83. l. 17. r. Carthusians p. 91. l. 20. r. his p. 109. l. 27. r. and p. 112. l. 8. r. There Part II. p. 7. l. 11. r. leave and l. 37. r. leave p. 11. l. 3. r. Undiquaque p. 30. l. antepenult r. peace was concluded p. 54. l. 41. r. at Soissons p. 70. l. 19. r. Mars p. 105. l. 3. r. Towns p. 130. l. 19. r. the chief p. 146. l. 22. r. one Fish-day p. 208. l. 8. r. Bells
had lately taken Geneva into his Protection shewing clearly to all the world how little he esteemed the Catholick Religion and how much he was inclined to the enemies of the Bishop and See of Rome That therefore he had excluded all the Catholick Lords from any access to the Court or administration in the Government particularly those who had spilt so much blood for the preservation of the Kingdom and Religion and had brought in a new people that were privy to his designs and friends to the House of Bourbon That therefore he deprived all the old Servants of the Crown of all their Offices and Honours of the most Principal Governments and most suspected Fortresses to put them into the hands of men that were Catholicks in shew but really partial to Hereticks and inwardly adherents to the King of Navarre He added that notwithstanding the King 's publick shews of Devotion yet in his private Lodgings he gave himself over to the unbridled lusts of the flesh and to the perverse satisfying of his loose depraved appetite From which things set forth with many specious reasons he concluded it was time to unite themselves for their own defence and to destroy those designs before they were brought unto perfection Now the Duke of Guise by means of the Preachers and Friers in Pulpits and other places of Devotion labours to insinuate the Catholick League into the People Among these the chief were Guilliaume de la Rose a man of great eloquence who came afterward to be Bishop of Senlis Jean Prevost chief Priest of S. Severin an eloquent and learned man Jehan Boucher by birth a Parisian and Curate of S. Benet's Parish in the same City one Poncet a Frier in the Abby of S. Patrick at Melun Don Christin of Nizza in Provence and Jehan Vincestre all famous Preachers And finally most part of the Jesuites And as these prosecuted the business of the League in Paris the same was done at Lions by Claude Mattei a Priest of the same Society at Soissons by Mathew de Launoy Canon of that Cathedral at Roven by Father Egide Blovin of the Order of the Minims at Orleans by Bourlate a very noted Divine at Thoul by Francois de Rosier Arch-Deacon of that Church and an infinite number of others dispersed through the several places of France who by their Credit and Eloquence sometimes in their Pulpits sometimes in the Congregations of the Penitents sometimes in their secret conferences at Confessions did allure the people and entice them to enter into that Combination which it is likely very many did out of a respect to Religion believing that thereby the Calvinists would utterly be rooted out and the Authority of the Church be restored to its pristine greatness But many entred into that League invited by other ends and drawn to it by different hopes or else necessitated by their particular interests though all shrouded themselves under the same cloak of the preservation and maintenance of Religion Charles Cardinal of Bourbon the third Brother of Anthony King of Navarre and Louys Prince of Conde deceased and Unkle to Henry the present King of Navarre is desired for the Head of the League a man alwaies most observant of the Romish Religion and an open enemy to the Hugonots Then the Preachers did publickly in all places term the King a Tyrant and favourer of Hereticks the people did applaud them and from this deadly hatred which they had conceived against the King his Council and favourites sprung that fury which soon after was dispersed over all the body of France On July 15. 1582. Renauld of Beaune Archbishop of Bourges and Primate of Aquitain had then spoken at Fountainbleau in this sort The whole Church Christian and Catholick assisted by the Legates and Ambassadours of the Emperour of this your Kingdom and of all other Christian Princes Did call assemble and celebrate the Council of Trent where many good and wholesome Constitutions useful for the Government of the Church were ordained To which Council all the Legates and Ambassadours did solemnly swear in the behalf of their Masters to observe and keep and cause it to be inviolably kept by all their Subjects yea even the Ambassadours of this your Kingdom solemnly took that Oath Now it is received and observed by all Christian Catholick Kings and Potentates this Kingdom only excepted which hath hitherto deferred the publication and receiving of it to the great scandal of the French Nation and of the Title MOST CHRISTIAN wherewith your Majesty and your Predecessours have been honoured so that under colour of some Articles touching the liberty of the Gallican Church the stain of Schism resteth upon your Kingdom among other Countries Wherefore the Clergy doth now most humbly beseech your Majesty that you would be pleased to hearken to this publication and make an end of all to the glory of God and the union of his Church There was a Nuncio from the Pope who arrived in France in the beginning of the year 1583. who prosecuted this matter with great vehemency yet for all this he could not move King Henry III. at all the King of Navarre having written to King Henry III. concerning it the King of France made him this answer Brother Those that told you that I would cause the Council of Trent to be published were not well-informed of my intentions for I never so much as thought it Nay I kiow well how such publication would be prejudicial to my affairs and I am not a little jealous of the preservation of my Authority the priviledges of the Church of France and also of the observation of my Edict of Peace But it was only proposed unto me to cull out some certain Articles about Ecclesiastical Discipline for the Reforming of such abuses as reign in that State to the glory of God the edifying of my Subjects and withal the discharge of my conscience A thing which never toucheth in those Rules which I have set down in my Edicts for the Peace and tranquillity of my Kingdom which I will have inviolably kept on both sides On October 14. 1585. the Bishop and Earl of Noyon in the name of the Clergy assembled in the Abbey of St. German near Paris presented to the King a Book written by the advice of the Prelates of the Council of Trent They told him They brought unto him the Book of the Law of God which they humbly entreated him to receive The Provincial Synod held at Roven made this instance to the same Prince After that a good number of Bishops and Proxies for those that were absent together with Ecclesiastical Personâ— from all quarters of our Province of Normandy were met in our Metropolitan Church at Roan they tendered nothing more than earnestly to sollicite the publishing and promulgation of the Council of Trent within this Realm Wherefore this our Assembly by common consent have resolved to present their humble Petition to our most Christian King in like manner as was