of the Prince of Orange in Belgie Mountes receyueth succours Mechgeline yeelded by the Prince of Orange to duke of Alba. The calamitie of them of Narden Harlem persisteth in defiance of the duke of Alba. Succors sent from the Prince of Orange intercepted by the Duke of Alba A monstrous Calfe A new Star. Cassiopeia is a signe in the fyrmamente whych hath twelue stars and is figured like a woman sitting in a chaire Commandements to beseege Rochel Preparation for the seege They of Rochell are assayed by letters An irruption by thē of Rochell Another eruption Treason practised against Rochell Mons le Noe general of Rochell The fort called le Eguille 41. The fort called Corceille 42. The fort of the new hauen 43. The Duke of Aniou vseth subtill perswasions to peace Backslyders frō the kings power A violent assalt by them of Rochell A legion cōmonly conteyneth 6000 footemen and 732. men of Armes A band conteineth sometime more mē and sometime lesse Letters hortatorie frō the Duke of Aniou to peace A topographicall descriptiō of Rochell Salte maryshes 16. Cogne fort 10 The tower Moreille 13. Sannicolas tower 18. Sannicolas forte 19. Sannicolas gate and the bulwarkes 20. Sannicolas tower 21. The tower of the hauen 22 The Lantern tower 23. The Citadel 1 The tower of Gayor 2. The newe gate bulwark platforme 3. The forte of the Castel 4. The place of Cockslem 5. The bulwark le Euangile 6 Cogne bulwarke 9. Mons Grandrise skirmisheth wyth the kings campe Mons l Noe hardly escapeth death Another assaulte The kings souldiers begin the assaulte Duke D'aumall slayne Truce taken for a parley The siege of Sommiron Monsieur Candale slaine Sommiron yeelded vp vpon good conditions Villeneufe in the territorie of Viuaretz is taken by them of the Religion D Anuil abstaineth frō war. Diuers cities in Languedoc takē by policie Pusis taken Mons Sanroman chosen to be generall by them of the religion Monbrune armeth himselfe in Dauphine The securitie of monsieur de Gordes Of the affayres of Sanserre The negligence of them of Sanserre The seege of Sanserre The courage of the Sanserreans in defēding thēselfs An Engine was a foure square thyng made of boordes and quarters for men to goe vnder to defend thē selues from stones shot The Sanserreans send for succors Concerning the affayres of the lowe countrey The Prince of Orange vittayleth Harlem A famine in Harlem Harlem surrendred vp to the Duke of Alba. Crueltie shewed at Harlē MARCHE Palereau An earthquake April The extremitie of the kings campe The Cazemates taken and forsaken againe A signe in the ayre Smoke made in the Citie The scaling ladders are ouerthrowne The victorie gotten by women Mongomeries nauie within sight of Rochel Maye Mons Cossine slayne The forte l'Euangile almost wonne Letters concerning peace Iune Letters of Mongomerie to the Rochellians A new kinde of fishe in the time of the siege came to Rochel Duke of Aniou chosen king of Polonia Occasion of peace The Duke of Aniou is in peril of his lyfe Truce broken Peace concluded betweene the king and thē of Rochel The Edict proclaymed The Edict of peace made the .11 of August An. 1573 Euery souse is .i. peny ob Englishe The pounde Turn ys is about two shillings sixe pence English A Franke or pounde is about two shillings sixe pence English A Liard is the fourth part of a souse A Deniere is the twelfth part of a souse The Sanserreans come to composition Preparation for the viage into Polonia Nantoilet robbed by the new king of Polonia The affayres of the lowe Countrey The Ramekeins Castell taken by the Flissinners Bycause the countrey of France was called in olde time Gallia or Gaule and was afterward by the Francones of Germany cōquered he caleth it here by the name of a compounde word Francogallia and the people Franco Galli that is to say French Gaules The Coronation of the King of Polonia Two noble men beheaded The death of king Charles ¶ TO THE READER FOrsomuch as in this historie we haue in diuers places briefly touched the affayres of the low countrey wee thought it necessary to adde to the ende of this worke this Epistle following which contayneth a summe of the tumults of the low countrey The same being at the first published in the Dutch tong in the yeere of our lord M.D.LXXIII in the moneth of September afterward by a certaine Dutchman turned into Latine and sent vnto vs with this title as followeth ¶ A Supplication to the Kings Maiesty of Spain made by the Prince of Orange the States of Hollande and Zealand with al other his faithful subiects of the lowe Coūtreyes presently suppressed by the tyrannie of the Duke of Alba and Spaniardes By which is declared the original beginning of the commotions and troubles happened in the saide lowe countrey MOst Soueraigne Lord your Maiesties most obedient and lamenting subiectes of the lowe Countreyes as they haue often pondered with them selues the natural affectiō and fatherly good inclination whiche your Maiestie hath since the time that your grace by the power of almightie God receiued the dominion and regiment of the sayde countries alwayes and continually shewed so haue they had a sure hope and vndoubted affiaunce that your Maiestie as well vppon their daily complaintes and lamentations as vpon the pitifull declarations and remonstrances of some christian Princes and Potentates vnto your Maiestie mercifully haue considered of our pitiful and most miserable suppression wherwith wee by reason of the great and vnsupportable force arrogancy and wicked regiment of the Duke of Alba are suppressed and mercifully haue regarded the most miserable ruine and destruction of these your natural lowe countreys who alwayes haue bin most faithfull and obedient both to your Maiestie and also your Graces predecessours Not doubting but that your Maiestie woulde greeuously haue been moued that hee vnder pretence of protecting and defending the Romish religion vnder the colour of your Maiesties name shoulde presume to frustrate and breake all the priuileges customes rightes wherunto your Maiestie and your predecessours haue sworne persecuting your faithfull subiectes in body and goodes and destroying your countries in none other sort but as if he had declared himselfe to bee an open enemy of your Maiestie and the subiectes of the same Therefore haue they alwayes earnestly attended that your Maiestie no longer suffering the sayde force woulde haue prouided some conuenient meanes for the safegarde of your countreys and deliueraunce of your poore and suppressed subiectes and haue a respect to the duetifull office of a king whom the almighty God the king of all kings hath placed and ordeined as a protectour of the righteous and a fatherly pastor of the people vnder your subiectiō to defend and preserue them from all force and violence and likewise to remember the manifolde and faithfull seruices which your saide countries and subiectes haue from tyme to time most faithfully don to your Maiestie and your
grounde belonging to the fame was remoued out of his place and houses that were strongly builte and trees also that were greate and talle were ouerthrowne Also the Suburbes of Lyons called Aguilot was almost quyte ouerthrowen with this vyolence of waters and the greateste parte also of the stonewoorke of the Brydge vppon the Riuer of Rosne An armie was prepared to goe to Burdeaux and to the famous hauens of Broages the charge whereof was committed to Mons Strozzi and to Baron d'Guarde The rumor concerning the warre to come encreased more and more euen as fame is woont to preuent things to come But it was giuen out that thys warre should bee in the lowe countrey Therefore the Spanish Ambassadors made often complaints vnto the King as though by his maiesties commaundement warre should haue bene taken in hande against the Kyng of Spaine his soueraigne But the Kyng excused him selfe with wonderfull dissimulation insomuche that they of the Religion by so doubtfull an aunswere deemed that the Kyngs mynde was fully perswaded concerning the warre of the low countrey About the same tyme also Lodowic Nassau brother to the Prince of Orange came to the Courte accompanying the Queene of Nauar and entred into league with the Kyng in his brothers name the same being subscribed and sealed At such tyme as the Nauie was preparing in the Occean Sea appointed with six thousand footmen and a great number of peeces there went a common ieste abroade that the Nauie went into the Isle of Florida to fetch golde but in very deed the simpler sorte of the commen people sayde that this preparation was not only by the Kings sufferance but also by his expresse commaundement for the lowe countrey This preparation pleased the moste parte of the people very well and all men of both partes were ready to ioyne together in the same warre with so good will as if they had neuer felte the calamities of warre On the other parte a great number of Catholiques and of those of the Religion accordyng as they were ioyned together by affinitie and acquaintance went to another warre namely into Italy against the Turke against whom he seeking to winne the Isle of Malta they bended their whole force power Therefore men went thither with a great trayne of noble men of France among which Marques d'Menie brother to the Duke of Guise was one Notwithstanding the greater parte went to the warre of the lowe countrey Captaynes being sent into all parts of the Realme to gather such Soldiers as would serue in that war of their owne accorde and their wages was payde them out of the Kings treasurie THE delay of this mariage seemed to be very long to all men but especially to thē which looked for desired the same the cause whereof was made the Popes prohibition notwithstāding the kings letters oftentimes sent for licence and his request to the Cardinal Alexandrin for the same purpose THE fyrst day of May in thys present yeare Pope Pius the fyfth dyed the which offered hope to the King as he sayd to obtayn of the new Pope licence to ende the mariage Yet notwithstanding the Queene of Nauar plainly shewed hir selfe not to regarde any suche lycence for the which cause were made so many delayes and shee complayned hereof oftentimes vnto the King. SHORTLY after the Popes death being noysed the King commaunded the Cardinall of Loraine to goe to Rome to be present as it was reported at the Popes election The King sayd that hee had giuen him in charge to procure the Popes dispensatiō that once at the last that mariage might bee finished The Cardinall promising faithfully to accomplishe the Kings commaundement concerning the Pope altogether renouncing the Courte seemed in the iudgement of the wyser sorte besyde common reportes to prouide for his owne safetie least he him selfe should bee in daunger in so great fauour of them of the Religion or in the proclayming of a new war. All which things were so handeled by the craftie dealing of the Queene mother the King also framing both his countenance and also his speach accordingly that euen the moste fine wittes in the courte thought that there was nothing but truth ment IN the moneth of May there was a Synode at a noble Citie in Languedoc called Nismes of the reformed Churches To thys Synode by the benefite of the Kyngs letters came the Ministers and chosen men of the reformed Churches from all partes of the Realme The question was moued concernyng ecclesiasticall doctrine At this Synode were present Theodore de Beza Anthonius Chandoeus Nicolaus Gelazius and dyuers other learned and famous men Gelazius was chosen to bee the moderator of this Synode THERE was at this tyme a great famyne in Languedoc and about the Sea coast being of it selfe a very fruitefull soyle and it continued so sore that dead bodyes starued with hunger laye in the streetes For thys cause the Synode brake vp theyr sittyng at Nismes and appoynted a vacation bothe for that victualles wanted to serue so great a multitude and also to prouide for the poorer sort least they should be at charge for lawe matters THE peace which men nowe more largely enioyed had almost losed the reynes of al libertie in so much that he which now professed the Religion seemed to differ nothing at all neyther in speache nor in manners from the Catholike And now there beganne to be a great famine of the word of God mens myndes being annoyed with tedious curiositie and in many also of luke warme zeale in suche wise that a great number of those of the Religion could nowe scarsely abyde to heare a Sermon of ordinarie doctrine as not eloquent and courtly inough Thus by peace and ease things commonly waxe worse and worse Is it then any maruell if the Church be oftentimes afflicted and ouerwhelmed with troubles and calamities when it abuseth peace and the happy successe of things THERE is vpon the sea coast of Flaunders a citie called Vlishing standing verie conueniently for trafike and entercourse to Andwerpe The townesmen of this citie being wearie of the crueltie of the Spaniards slue the Lieftenant which was set by the Duke of Alba to kepe the towne and certaine of his garrizon and tooke the citie And when the Duke of Alba sent a newe supply to recouer the towne they valiantly repulsed them and set them selues at libertie By their example many cities of the lowe countrey were incouraged and the noble townes of Zeland and Holland were sayde to fauour the Prince of Aurenge and to desire libertie THE Queene of Nauar being poysoned to death with a payre of perfumed gloues as is sayde in the tenth booke the King Queene and the whole court seemed to take hir death very grieuously The King to put away all suspition of poyson commaunded that the dead body should be ript vp by phisitions and so the causes of hir death found out The phisitions taking a viewe of the
about that place what had happened in the citie and so they agreeing together tooke them to the Castell of Mirebel which afterward did them great pleasure Mons Leuger at the first intreated the chiefe of the Religion very gentlely seeking to persuade them that his purpose was to gouerne them wyth peace and equitie vnder the protection of the Kyngs Edicts and to trouble no mans conscience In the tyme of this truce many that professed the Relygion stale awaye to Mirebel and fortyfyed the same out of hande By the meanes heereof Villeneufe being afterwarde recouered as we wyll declare heereafter dyd greatly further the affayres of the Relygious in Languedoc Of the whiche I speake particularly that men may vnderstande and see of howe weake and small begynnings the affayres of the Religion grewe and tooke so good successe The inhabitantes of Aubenac and Priuac followed the counsell of the cytizens of Nismes concernyng the wayes of defence Notwithstandyng that monsieur Leuger in the meane tyme vrged them to receyue the garrizon They neyther made playne denyall nor yet admitted the Kyngs garrizon but they so handeled monsieur Leuger that for theyr money they should buy and delay the tyme of receyuing the Kyngs garrizon For this cause the Consulles of Aubenac hauing obtayned truce at his handes wente to Villeneufe and payed the money required Notwythstanding one of them beyng a verie honest and ryche Citizen named Valeton and of the Religion also was helde captyue by monsieur Leuger against the lawe of Armes for that he came vnder truste and was put also to his raunsome euen as if hee had beene taken in battell the whiche beyng payed hee was helde captyue neuerthelesse vntyll suche time as Villeneufe whiche they of the Relygion had taken was delyuered vp to him as wee will declare heereafter These experimentes of Catholique falsehoode confyrmed the Relygious as it were in obstinate constancie in so muche that they chose rather to suffer any thing than to come into the handes of theyr false forsworne enimies This was the state of many places in Languedoc AND bycause they of Nismes were vrged oftentimes by the letters of mons Ioyeuse to abstayne from holy Sermons according to the forme of the kings Edict left by that occasion they might be founde giltie before the king after deliberation had of the matter they determined for the present necessitie not to haue Sermons in the day time but in the night It can not be expressed howe muche weeping and lamentation the people made at that last Sermon Yet neuerthelesse men came to the preaching of the worde more plentifully and earnestly than they dyd before for the more that afflictions doe increase the more precious is the word of God vnto the godly The inhabitantes of Viuaretz and Seuenatz folowed the example of the citizens of Nismes in those cities whiche they helde they had theyr Sermons in the night the whiche notwithstanding continued but for a fewe dayes NEVERTHELES monsieur Ioyeuse was not contēted wyth this argument of obedience oftentimes hee vrged them of Nismes to receyue the kings garizon the whiche if they would doe he promised them that within fewe dayes they should be both free from the same and also shoulde haue libertie and peace both of body and conscience The citizens of Nismes answered very copiously in wryting that they coulde not receyue that garrizon shewing the reasons wherefore not that they refused to obey the king but that they myght prouide for the safetie of their life and for the libertie of theyr conscience Bycause such occasions had already falne out as seriously required them to seeke the same at this time Therfore they beseech monsieur Ioyeuse not to interprete the same otherwyse than they purposed and meant That they desired nothing but peace and tranquillitie and to shewe their obedience to the king That if so be lawfull remedies might be prouided to take away theyr iust feare they were ready to yeelde them selues into the handes of the kyng theyr Lorde and Prince But if so be old treasons and snares were practised and if so be they could obtayne no more than they had obtayned in tyme past they were ready to suffer all manner of extremitie rather than that they would willingly cast them selues vpon the cruell and bloudy swordes of spoyling murtherers for that it was great madnesse for any man willyngly to cast him selfe into peryll Then hauing amplifyed the iniquitie of those murthers committed and also hauing declared the dishonestie of the foreshewed falsehoode they shew that it is lawfull for Christians both by al law of God and man to defende them selues againste force and iniurie and that they doe not beare armoure agaynst the kyng but against theeues and murtherers furiously abusing the authoritie of the Kings name without punishment That they dyd plainly perceyue what they them selues were and also what and howe great the force of their enimies was That present death was before their eyes but yet that they did not doubt but that God which is most righteous and iust would helpe them miserable wretches in due time that eyther they might defend their lyfe against the violence of murtherers or else by martyrdome myght dye an honest death the which should testify to al posterities for euer both howe great the iniquitie of their enimies was also howe great their constancie and vertue in standing strongly valiantly in a good godly cause That they cōmitted the successe of the whole matter vnto God and that this was their only ioy in so great perplexitie namely that they were vniustly afflicted also that they were encouraged by the testimonie of a good conscience the happy successe whereof they looked for both in lyfe and also in death ARMIES were prepared in the Kings name in dyuers places in Languedoc in Guian in Dolpheny in Prouance coūtreys bording vpō Languedoc for the war of Languedoc Notwithstanding they of Nismes were firste assaulted the whiche being destroyed the Catholiques thought that the rest would more easily giue place Also d' Anuil was looked for to come with a power for that he hath chief gouernmēt of Lāguedoc They of Nismes prepare for their defence al that they can they fortify the city ouerthrow the suburbes as hurtful to the same carry in victuals and do diligently set al things in order euē as if they should be besieged by the diligence and prudence of mons Clauson Notwithstanding Nismes was not besieged by the kings power the occasion wherof we wil shew in order NOwe we are in this place to note the state of Sanserre which we sayd the relygious held also at the first beginning of the cruell slaughter whose constancie in wonderfull extremities is worthy to be remembred for euer The history of these our times is ful of many and of such rare examples on both partes the whiche we will briefly note accordyng to our purpose obseruyng so much as we may the order of
tyme. They of Sanserre beyng styrred vp with the newes of that horrible slaughter of Paris and beyng assaulted wyth continuall lyings in wayte of the bordering enimie kept theyr citie wyth diligent watch and warde thyther those of the Religion whyche were escaped the murthers fled from the places there about from Burges for Sanserre is in the territorie of Berry from La Charite from Orleans from Gijon and from other places Notwythstanding commaundement was gyuen out of hande to them of Sanserre in the Kings name by mons Castres gouernour of that part to admit and obey the Kyngs decree by which he forbad the seruice of the Relygion and accordyng to the fourme thereof to abstayne from holy Sermons and to receyue a garryzon to keepe the city The same forme of commaundemēt also had the same answere of the men of Sanserre whiche they of Rochel Nismes had gyuē as we haue sayd namely that they neyther could nor ought to receyue the armed enimie agaynst them selues And that therfore they must wayte for that tyme in the which they myght safely commit them selues to the externall and foreine souldier also they affyrmed that they were by theyr auncient pryuiledge exempted from that burthen Wherefore they fortify them selues all that they may and repayre the breaches of theyr wastes whych were sore battered in the former warre They sende a messenger to the Court commendyng theyr cause to monsieur Fontenei one of theyr corporation and libertie that he would make intercession to the Kyng for them and would excuse them Notwythstanding all things were prepared for mortall warre and what happened thervpon we wyll shew when we come to the time and place belongyng vnto the same IN Daulphine they of the relygion had not one town in theyr possession no not so much as a village All the cityzens were taken by the Kyngs garryzons the greatest part of them of the relygion beyng desirous to saue theyr lyfe eyther fayned an abiuration of the relygion or else fled into the next cities of Viuaretz and into forreyne countreys To tell it is incredible howe many defections and Apostacies there were in a very shorte tyme euen in the greatest cities where the congregations were most peopled At the first very many wythout constraynt euen by the very reporte of the murther at Paris at Lions fel away and came by heapes to the catholikes some beyng scarsly threatned became weakelyngs and turne-coates So that a man myght see great heapes of hypocrites and dissemblers of the Relygion which frequented the temples and vsed all the rytes of the Catholiques euen as it were with stryuing who should be most forwarde Many of the nobilitie also whych had folowed the relygion and had valiantly behaued them selues in the tymes of the former warres abiured now the relygion others were dumbe at home wyth great astonyshment of continuall feare leaste they shoulde be intercepted and taken by monsieur d' Gordes Lieftenant who notwithstanding went about to persuade them of theyr secure and safe estate and to seduce them from the relygion by louing letters MONS Mombrune one of the most noble men in Daulphine came not to the assembly of the funeral mariage For the prouidēce of God reserued him to do him great seruice as we wil declare whē we come to the time of the same But he hauing by his seruice in the former warres diuers sundry ways emploied gotten great fame among thē of the religion mons d'Gordes at the kings cōmandemēt only labored to intercept him fearing that he wold be another occasiō of new troubles Mombrune kept his house therefore mons d' Gordes sent verie louyng letters vnto hym seekyng thereby to persuade him of the singular good wyll and beneuolence towarde him Only keeping him selfe quiet he should be in rest and securitie and in the Kings high fauour Thus Mombrune seemed to many to haue giuen ouer the care for religion to be quyte discoraged with the vnhappinesse of the time notwithstanding he at the last cast aside al negligēce as we wil declare hereafter THE kings Edict is published to reduce thē home again which were fled away eyther into forreine nations or else into those cities which they of the religion held That by the prescript of the kings Edict pardon shuld be graūted for al things past to such as would returne home againe with prouiso for the safety of their life and conscience so that they woulde lyue peaceably at home And in the same Edict the king threatned those that would not obey his commandement to make their goods confiscate as if they were rebels And he testified that he did not punish the Admiral and his adherentes to this end and purpose that he might shewe seueritie for euer vpon his subiectes of the newe opinion for so he called the Religion but rather to prouide a necessary remedy for the disordred kyngdome though the same in outward shewe seemed to be sharpe Also whereas many of his people through feare were fled eyther into those cities which the rebels held or else into forrein nations that he earnestly lamented their case euē as it becōmeth a good master of a house for that they receiued so much hindrance losse by being banished frō their houses Therfore he willeth and straightly commaundeth them to repayre with al speede vnto their houses being assured that they should haue peaceable cōming so that they came within twentie days the religious leauing the cities which they held seditiously to giue their names vnto the lieftenant of the Prouince and to promyse faythfully that they woulde be heereafter the trustie subiectes of the king But if so be they would obstinatly absent them selues and carelesly contemne his clemencie then to be assured that he would be seuere in punishing them according to their desertes Also excepte they appeared at the daye appoynted that hee woulde confyscate theyr goodes to the end they myght knowe what it is to abuse the clemencie of their prince That he did offer and proclayme thys in time least any man should sustayne the punishment afterwarde for his presumptuouse boldnesse and rashnesse Thys was published the .xix. of Nouember But howsoeuer the kyng by those words of the Edict would seeme to prouide for the consciences of the Religious it cannot be of any wayght or credit in the iudgement of wise men For a little before many of the kings letters patents were sente abroade thorough out the Realme by which most vniustly he constrained those which had not once set theyr foote out of the Realme and whose condition for that cause ought to haue bin much better to renounce the Religion and to imbrace Papistrie Many there imagined and coniectured that the great masse of money gathered out of the proscription of the Religious woulde bee sufficiente to mayntayne warre and so they of the Religion should be wounded with their owne swordes Therefore the goodes of the Religious were dayly
to battaile but when they sawe that none would come forth to encounter with them a greater number discouered themselues ouer whom Countie Luden was generall These horsemen being within the leuel of Sannicolas tower were a fayre marke so that their horses and they themselues were ouerthrowne and slaine in great number with the violent shot of the same About the euening the kings side to requite the late susteyned losse slue with theyr great Gunnes certaine Souldiers and Captaynes The next day the kings scoutewatche was hanged by the decree of the Rochellians who was sayde to bewray and disclose the secretes of the townesmen The same day two souldiers fled from the kings campe to Rochel The kings campe in the Euening chaunged theyr accustomed maner of watch and shot off twelue great peeces agaynst the townesmen The day following whiche was the first day of April the townesmen in the deade time of the night shot off a peece of ordinance which in the day time they had leuelled and bent agaynst the tents whiche were pytched beside Palercau by the which many sleeping vpon their couches were slaine Wherevppon the kings campe discharged incontinent at them againe a great peale by whiche two of the Captayne 's belonging to the towne were slaine The same day Captain Dange fled from the kings campe to Rochel IN the kings campe by reason of the great multitude of souldiers in the same and the penurie of the country therabout vittayles were so deare that the souldiers priuily stale away and the horsmen and noble men which vpon their own charge mainteyned warre for that prouender was scarce and harde to be gotten went home to their houses Vpon this contempt and negligence of warlyke order and prouision insued also in the campe great sicknesse insomuch that within few dayes the sicknesse destroyed more than the sworde had done The forragers of corne were constrayned to cary prouision from Paris and from the places theraboutes but notwithstanding that the king gaue strayt commaundement in this behalfe it profited little The king also in this backsliding of the noble men gaue strayte charge to restrayne the same but in vaine Thus whiles delayes of this siege were made the kings campe was brought into great extremitie and all men thought that the Duke of Anjou should haue bene constrayned to raise and dissolue the siege without his purpose Whervpon the king wrote vnto his brother willing him to make speede in assaulting the towne and to winne the same out of hande or else to rayse the siege For by this tyme the Duke of Anjou had spent fiue Monethes Therefore he appoynted the sixth day of Aprill to giue an assault on the which day the whole armie assayled the towne THE seuenth day about fiue of the clocke in the morning the kings campe beganne a freshe to batter with greater violence than they had done before the gate Cogne and the Bulwark l'Euangile Thus after long batterie that part of the wall was beaten downe to the ground and the greatest part of the bulwarke l'Euangile battered downe Therefore the kings armie prepared themselues to enter the breache Who tooke out of euerie bande onely twentie and fyrst of all the forefront tooke two of the Cazemates from the townesmen which notwithstanding they enioyed but few houres For the townsmen lustily discharged theyr greate Gunnes agaynst them whereby they slewe many of the kings souldiers and when they of the towne had made a newe supply of men they constrayned their enimies to forsake their Cazemates an act verily at the first assault verie manly and valiant In the meane time about the same houre the kings armie gaue an assault on the other part at the bulwarke l'Euangile and setting vnto the same a bridge made with proppes and shores they tooke some part of the same then to this part they came running by heapes hauing two hundred Corslettes bearing shields and targets before them At the same moment also the great Gunnes went off as thicke as possible they might agaynst the towne and the townsmen sustayned great losse and dammage For the accounte being made it is sayde that there were heard the same day two thousand fiue hundred blowes of great Gunnes The townesmen valiantly put forth themselues for their defence agaynst theyr assayling enimies The women courageously threw also vpon them fierie hoopes pitch barrels burning and balles of fire and such kinde of fireworke by which they did greatly anoy them Thus the enimies preuayling nothing at all were repulsed Of the townesmen there were threescore slaine and certaine chiefe Captaynes also and many wounded And of the kings side as hath appeared by their own writings and report there were aboue three hūdred slaine and many wounded Among the noble men were wounded the Duke of Niuern the Marques of Neme one of the Duke of Guises brethren M. d'Gast of Daulphine which was in great fauor with the duke of Anjou The day following about eight of the clocke the kings armie gaue another assault to the towne notwithstanding the townesmen repulsed them with like courage as they had done before with the same successe Also they preferring themselues to giue the like assault about fiue of the clocke in the afternoone the townesmen beeing in like maner readie to receyue them left off their enterprise The same night there was manifestly seene in the ayre a great fire whiche had the forme and similitude of a Dragon which fell into the sea in the sight of many The townesmen to the end they might haue libertie to mend and repayre theyr walles made a smoke so thicke and darke that the whole campe was inclosed as it were with a cloude In the meane tyme there were throwne oute of the Citie in plentifull wise suche fire workes as wee named before to the greate horror and feare of the besiegers as they themselues report The next day the kings armie stoode in battaile aray euen as if they would haue giuen an assault notwithstanding the Rochellians beeing readie to receyue them they stayed from theyr purpose In the meane tyme there were discharged from the kings fortifications fourescore shot of great Gunnes In the euening the enimies made a great shoute and crie in the campe of purpose as if they had bene oppressed with some enimie which we call a false Alarme thereby to entice forth the townesmen The tenth day about foure of the clocke in the morning the enimie stoode arayed in diuerse pearcing battayles Which was a signe of an intended assault Whervpon all the townesmen prepared for their defence women also were appoynted to their charge yea children were not ydle Aboute sixe of the clocke the kings power with great violence assayled the bulwarke l'Euangile And on the other part manie of the enimies were discouered to scale the gate Moline At Tadon Countie Luden being with his bande was also come to the tower of Moline notwithstanding he was soone repulsed thence by
Duke of Alba which loused from Antwerpe to carrie victuall to Middelburge part whereof they chased away and the rest came to Middelburge Furthermore the Prince of Orange tooke the towne of Mounts in Brabant The twentith of September the Orangians fought wyth happy successe vpon the coast of Amsterdam in the whiche fyght the Duke of Alba had a great ouerthrow with losse of a great number of his Shippes and also of his men The eleuenth day of October the Orangians after a long battayle fought vpon the sea got the victorie of the King of Spaynes nauie of whome they slue a great number and tooke the County Bossu Lord Admirall of the whole nauie In the beginning of December the Duke of Alba forsaking his authoritie of gouernment in the low countrey being Brussels by the authoritie and cōmission of the kings letters put ouer his said office to Lewis de Requizence great Commaunder of Castile and then prepared for his returne into Spayne THE new King of Polonia notwithstanding that the Ambassadors of Polonia made great hast found dayly new delayes to deferre his iourney whether it wer for the pleasure and delight which he had in his owne countrey or for greefe to leaue a more noble kingdome the assured possession whereof his mother had promised vnto him The king him selfe vrged his departure in somuch that it is reported he sayde in anger That eyther he or himselfe must needes goe into Polonia For the secret grudges of emulation which was in eyther of them could not be so couertly restrayned but that often times they brast foorthe The Queene loued the Duke of Aniou more than the king whose great towardnesse she greatly feared It is certainly reported that the Queene sayde to Henry beeing very carefull cōcerning his departure Be of good cheere only goe thou shalt not remayne long in Polonia By the rumor heereof many thought that the Queene meant little good vnto the King and that hereof that euill which happened within a while after vnto him proceeded the whiche verily I would not set downe if so be the same had not bin obiected vnto the Queene hir selfe by letters written by certayne Courtiers whiche knew well ynough the affayres of the court Yea it is most certayne that the Quene was so addicted vnto hir sonne Henry that she hated hir other two sonnes HENRY hauing couenaunted and agreed with hys brother concerning those thinges whiche appertayned to their affayres departed at the length from Paris the eyght and twenty of September The king sayd that he would bring him on his way to the boundes and limits of hys kingdome The which he could not performe for that he fel sicke of a soare feuer at Vitri a towne in Champaigne most menne thinking that he was poysoned Therefore the king tooke his leaue of his brother and went no further who wente through Germany as his iourney lay and was curteously entertayned of the Princes of the same notwithstanding he hearde them in euery place greeuously detest the murders of Fraunce the principall cause whereof was layd to his charge in obeying the wicked counsayles of hys mother About the same tyme Frauncis Hotomanus a famous Lawyer a man endued with godlinesse and singular learning published a booke which he intituled Francogallia and dedicated the same to Frederic Countie Palatine In the same booke the sayde Hotomanus declareth with exquisite reason what was the state of the kingdome of France in olde time bringing the same to memorie againe out of the ancient antiquities of the historie of France And he declareth that although the Frenche Gaules tooke in olde time theyr kings from the Nobilitie and therefore chose them suche kings as were come of kingly race had bin royally trayned and brought vp whether the same were of the number of their childrē or of their neere kinsmen yet neuerthelesse the kingdome of France of olde time was wont to be gyuen not by right of inheritance as a priuate patrimonie but by the iudgemēt free electiōs of the people For proofe wherof he bringeth many things out of the expresse words of the Testamēt of Charles the great out of the elections of Pharamund of the sonnes of Pipin of Charles and of Charlemain of Chilperic of Clothar of Ottho and of other kings of whome he hath made a lōg catalogue alleaging the very wordes of the histories notwithstāding so that the kingdome shuld be deuided by the decree consent of the states one while to one sometime to moe of the sonnes of the kings And that as the authority to choose kings so also the power to displace and depose them from their rule was in old time in the handes of the states of the people in the publique assembly of the Realm Therefore that kings wer created in France by fyrme lawes not tyrāts ordeyned with free authoritie power to do what soeuer them listeth For the which matter he bringeth many examples namely of the two Childerickes which kings were deposed frō the kingdome by the decree of the states of Theoderic which was displaced with Ebroin his Lord great master of Chilperic of Charles the grosse also of Ottho which was chosen king in stede of Charles the sonne of Lewis the stutter and he taketh the credite of their iudgements and most vrgent causes out of the very midst of the historie He sheweth also what things were specially handled in the solemne assembly of the states and also what was the authoritie of the same And first of al concerning the creating or displacing of a king secondly concerning peace warre and common lawes thirdly concerning greate honors high offices and gouernments of the common welth Fourthly concerning the assigning of the patrimonie in part to the children of the king being deceased and concerning the appointing of dowry to daughters finally concerning al those things which appertayne to the weale publique The power of the sayd assembly of States was such saieth he that without the authoritie or sentence of the same the king coulde determine nothing but must folowe the authoritie and will of the States which said authoritie and will were called The decrees of the states And now when as this kingdom of France hath cōtinued almost a thousand two hūdred yeeres ther are said to be in al this time only three houses of kings that is to say of the Merouins who taking their originall of Meroue continued that stock two hūdred fourscore three yeres of Charlouins who springing frō Charles the great grew in that stocke three hūdred thirty seuē yeres of Capenites who beginning at Hugh Capet haue now held the kingdome fiue hundred fourescore yeres The which Hugh Capet got the royal dignitie that Charlouins being deposed namely Lewis the fifth the .xxxj. king of France the .xij. king of the stocke of the Charlouins his children being dead in warde And then hee proueth by many examples that the royal dignitie stood
late perill of his life in the furious murthers the remēbrance of the war of Rochell to destroy those who had valiantly behaued thēselues vnder his cōduct to defend his house stock Also vehement causes stirred vp the house of Momorencie For by the death of the Admirall which was so cruelly slaine the bloud of Momorencies brethren no doubt was sought they were not ignorant the their names were valde in the nūber of those which were slayne on Saint Barthelmewes day that if they might haue bene shut vp altogether they had dyed with the Admiral and his fellowes For the Queene enuied the authoritie of the house of Momorencie And it euidently appeared the Marshall Cosse and all other which by consanguinitie affinitie or by any other meanes belonged vnto these houses were appointed for the same slaughter Yea there was occasion of these newe matters sowen in the kings own lyne The Duke of Alancō the kings yongest brother being hated of his mother greatly misliked his in others gouernment and detested that wicked and horrible facte of the bloudy mariage So that the Duke of Alancon seemed to be of their side Therefore for this cause hee was hated of his mother These were the beginnings of great matters the which what successe they had we will shew hereafter The countreys being wearyed with long calamities of warres required of the king that there might be an assembly of the States that extreame necessitie at the last might prouide a remedy for so great troubles The Queene answered that the king she did like very well of this request for the king being dayly more and more sicke the Queene of hir selfe had the gouernment of all things and shee appoynted the assembly of States at Compien The Prince of Orange helde the greatest parte of Zealand as we sayd before except Midelburge the chiefe Citie of that countrey and Armac the most famous hauen of that Citie and of the whole Isle The same he beseeged with all the forces of the inhabitants of the Islelande and with other succors appertayning to the same The kings Nauy to succour them of Middelburge loosed from Andwarpe the xxv of Ianuary In this preparation the kings Souldiers sustayned great dammage and hurte For sodaynly a great Iron peece brake in the Ship by the violent breach wherof thirtie mē were slain certain also which stood vppō the shore The Ship it self was by and by dasht in peeces vppō the flat another ship after this was ouertakte with waues And when they came within the sight of the towne of Mountes the Souldiers of the Nauie to salute the kings Garrison gaue them a peale of shotte By occasion whereof fyer being vnwittingly cast into the goonpoulder which was in one of the shippes most horribly brent all the Souldiers that were in the same For all this they went forward with their iorney toward Middelburge The Nauie of the prince of Orange encoūtred with thē the Duke Reguisence the kings Lieftenāt in the low coūtrey loking vppon thē frō the shoare of the towne of Barrow Then began a fierce battaile betwene them both partes manfully quiting thēselues Notwithstanding .v. of the kings Shippes being at the first ouercome the Admirall hir selfe also was constrayned to flee and to forsake hir fellowes The chiefe Captayne whose name was Iulian Roman a man of great fame among the Spaniardes sliding out of the ship by a roape into a skiffe forsooke the Nauie The Prince of Orange his Nauie being conquerers pursued the chase tooke ninetene Shippes of warre The Admirall himself was slain All the Spaniardes and spectally the olde Souldiers of seruice which were taken were cast ouer boorde to feede fishes Then the Prince of Orange more vehemently vrged the siege of Middelburge and so within fewe dayes it was brought to passe that Moundragon being without all hope of helpe yelded vp the Citie of Middelburge and Armac This was the ninetene of Februarie of this yeare The trueltie shewed at the seege of Harlem was not here recompenced The Prince of Orange rather conquered with lenitie and gentlenes than otherwise he graunted lyfe also to the morrow masse Priestes but the Captaines Centurions he sent prisoners to Elishing hauing giuen leaue to Mountdragon their chief Captaine to redeeme them for the which cause he leauing behynde him assurance of faith and twelue hostages went to Andwerpe that he might make exchaunge of Captiues This Mountdragon so highly commended the humanitie clemencie fayth of the Prince of Orange vnto the kings Lefetenant Regnisence that he brought himselfe in suspicion with him and also into great perill ABOVT this tyme Mongon an experte Captaine in the fyrst ciuill warres of great name fame for killing of Mottecondrin tooke certayne small townes in the countrey of Velay and certayne strong Castelles and he was now approched to the Citie of Puij which was full of riche Marthants hauing already taken the Castell Espaule which was within see sight of the Citie by the subtill practise of Guiard of Puij a man of no religion and yet pretending to be of the religion Now the spoyling Souldier being made rich with the praye bought of the Souldiers of the Castell of Espaule one of the Captayne 's being corrupted with money by the men of Puij both the head of mons Guiard and the Castell it selfe Also M. Mongon himselfe on the other parte was by treason slaine And thus within fewe dayes they of the Religion were driuen out of the countrey of Velay by the treacherie and wickednesse of the spoyling irreligious Souldiers There standeth vppon the bancke of the Riuer of Rosne a Castell called Perand This Castell did the Lord of the same who from the tyme of the slaughter at Paris fayned the abiuration of Religion take a little towne also called Andace fortifying the sayd Castell with a Garrison of Souldiers of the Religion About the same tyme also by his meanes was taken the Castell Maleuall in the countrey of Forrest By reason whereof the entercourse of them of Lions was much endammaged Therefore they being styrred vp by this their anoyance beseeged the Castell Perand and within certayne dayes assalted wonne the same M. Sanroman making small hast to succour it ◠and then ouerthrew all the forces thereof that it might neuer anoy them afterward CONCERNING the assembly of states appoynted to be holden by the Queene we haue spoken before The auncient manner of France is that before the generall assembly of States the perticular assemblies of the states of euery prouince Assie together that by deliberation they might determine what should be handled in the generall assembly This manner the Queene shunneth of purpose and geueth charge to certaine exquisite persons to go into euery prouince and to heare the complayntes of the people and to bring the same vnto the king and to hir The same authoritie she gaue also to them of the Religion for whose affayres special prouision seemed
to be made Notwithstanding hee to whom this charge was committed was taken at Lions by the Lifetenant Mandelot and was kept in warde certayne monethes THE Queene was much troubled in mynde and very carefull for the auoyding of diuers dangerous straytes For she did perceiue that they of the religion were not only sproong vp in great number but also that they were more wyse and by the late successe also of matters more constant and couragious and that therefore shee should haue a sore conflict with them To these were added new enemies who hauing no regard to religion but only a care of ciuil affayres would haue the gouernment reformed and in better state And she was not ignorant how that the most famous of the nobles were both authors and also instruments of that counsaile Shee knew that hir sonne the Duke of Alancon was an enemy vnto hir gouernment furthermore that the King of Nauarre and the Prince of Conde were very angry with the perill and dammage which they had receyued in their owne persons therefore the ambicious woman suspected that they also were of this counsaile to remoue hir from the gouernment of the Realme The Kings health bring past all hope of recouerie and the neere approachyng of his death was giuen out by his soothsayers whose helpe and counsaile the Queene greatly vsed which caused hir to feare least according to the custome of the lawes and ordinances of the Realme the gouernement of the same should bee set ouer vnto the Duke of Alancon whereby the counsailes and deuises of hir enemyes had an open way made for them to take effecte To take away these inconueniences the woman by long experience of matters and by gouernement in great affayres being more circumspect and subtil than the wisest purposed to prouide all meanes and wayes She ioyned pollicie and force together that she might not faile to bring hir purpose to passe She pretended the kings name in all causes in euery place whom notwithstanding shee made very seldome priuy to hir counsailes bicause he was sicke as she pretended She very carefully prouided that the kings armies should bee in a readines at hir commaundement vnder the colour of warre against Languedoc the which was certainly sayde to be prepared excepte they of the Religion in Languedoc would receyue these conditions commaunded in the Edicte of Rochell And the Countie D'Retes hauing receiued a great summe of money gathered souldiers together in Germany Also the end of hir policies was that the authors of the new sturres should be destroyed by a new murther Aboue the rest d'Anuil withstood these mischeuous deuises who being far from the Courte seemed plainly to make delay notwithstanding that he was oftentymes commaunded in the kings name to come at what tyme he being in a great and large countrey most fitte conuenient for his purpose by reason of the power of them of the religiō seemed to be in possibilitie to enioy both the kings armie and also the noble cities therin he beheld dayly other enemies whō the queene sawe to be lesse appliant to do iniurie Therfore there came oftentimes letters of the king to d'Anuil that eyther setting all excuse asyde leauing the prouince in peace he would come vnto the king or els veryly that he should be apprehended amidst these communications of peace And for this purpose M. Sansulpis and M. Villeroy were sent to d'Anuil vnder the colour of peace speciall commaundements of the Queene concerning this matter being giuen to M. Suz and Mongeron who in those partes were of great authoritie among the Catholiques On the other parte the Queenes enemyes had their secret counsailes the ende whereof was that an assembly of States might bee had euen by meere commaundement and that the gouernement of the Realme might be restored to a better state concerning the which matter what we know wee wil speake anon Therfore while the Queene sent often messengers into Languedoc concerning peace both d'Anuill was diligent in his affayres and also they of the Religion wished peace Neuerthelesse they of the religion made new delayes dayly by those cōmunicatiōs of peace which they called a collation and messengers were sent to and fro from the Courte into Languedoc These things thus continued from Ianuary vnto the moneth of March. AT THE laste Henry Valoys came into Polonia and was receyued with great pompe of the Polonians And after that the royall Funeralles belongyng vnto kings was celebrated for Sigismond who notwithstanding dyed in Iune in the yeere M.D.Lxxij the newe king was crowned in a great assembly of the nobles and people of Polonia at Cracouia by the Arche bishop of Guesuen the eightenth of February of this present yeere M. Mombrune towarde the ende of the moneth of March came with his armie into that parte of Daulphine which lyeth vppon the coast of the Riuer of Rosune and tooke certayne smal townes as Loriol Liberon Ale◠Gran and Roynac and repayred the decayed walles of Liberon and Loriol After this he made an inroade and inuasion of all that countrey violently assayling the gates of Valence of L'Crest and of Montile And he conspired against the most noble Cities and specially against Montile the which conspiracies the Catholiques turned to the destruction of many Vppon this occasion the noble men of the Religion which lay in corners vntill the tyme seeing the present perill that king ouer their heades came and ioyned themselues with Mombrune VVE SAYD before that Orange was taken by Glandag to giue occasions of warre Whilest he was absent Berchon by the helpe industrie of certayne of the Citizens of Orange tooke the Castell and the Citie notwithstanding parte of the townsmen were sore afearde and they also of the Religion which dwelt there aboutes as if Berchan would haue restored the Romishe Religion and euil entreated them of the religion Neuerthelesse he going about no new thing gaue thē to vnderstande that hee helde the Castell and the Citie in the name of his Prince that all Citizens without difference of Religion might liue peaceably according to the forme of the Edicte And so their neighbours of Auinion which seemed to be in possibilitie to get that Citie to the which they bare alway a priuie grudge were put out of all hope to obtayne the same Berchon was sayd to be very familiar with Cardinall Arminiae the Popes Legate but not without great suspicion of a summe of money receyued ABOVT the same tyme the Catholiques thought that they had occasion offered them to get Nismes by treasō There is a little towne neere vnto Nismes called Margaret of the which M. Santaial a noble man had the gouernement with a strong garrison who by the meanes of certayne of the Catholiques of Nismes delt with a certain captayn of the townsmen named Deron and promised a great summe of money to tell him by what meanes he might get the Citie The captayne by and by bewrayed this matter vnto M. Sanroman
predecessours But they nowe to their extreme greeke considering that all their former supplications are as nothing regarded and in vaine and that all other the remonstrances of sundrye Princes and Potentates haue sorted no such effect as might haue turned to their comfort and consolation and they in their consciences assuring themselues that your Maiestie hath no reasonable occasion vpon euil wil or displeasure so to alienate and turne your selfe from your lamentable subiectes can not but vndoubtedly suspect that through malice and false information of some who hauing more regarde to their priuate lust and appetite thā to the seruice of your Maiesty haue dayly laboured to bring your Maiesties countryes into your displeasure Wherein they haue alwayes most manifestly and vnfainedly pretended and trauayled not onely by letting and defending that our humble supplications and faithfull warnings shoulde come to your Maiesties eares misconstruing the same to the worst and peruersly accusing them to your Maiestie therby to bring the countrey into dissention and commotion and so vnder your name to suppresse and make desolate the same and so with the goods and bloud of your subiectes to quench their greedy and vnsatiable appetite This is that O most soueraigne King which your sayd subiectes do and haue not without occasion esteemed to be the greatest calamitie that might happen vnto them as cōsidering that the way and meanes wherby they might complayne and shewe their griefes to your Maiestie as to their bountiful and natural Protector so by God appointed as a refuge in their extremitie is by the vngodly dealing of their enimies taken away from them a thing whiche alwayes hath bin permitted to vnreasonable creatures namely to suffer them in their extremitie and neede to sue for remedy and redresse And therfore although they had resolued taken in hand with patience to attende the time of redresse thinking that your Maiestie would at last haue opened your eares and eyes to heare and see their miserable estate frō which your Maiesty by reason of their said euil willers is now letted But now considering in the end their suppression the longer the more to encrease and to become more vnsufferable tending not onely to their damage and destruction but also of your maiesties heritage countries which in times past haue florished in all prosperitie now come to ruine they could not for the faithfull obedience and aliance sake wherin they are bound to your Maiestie and their natiue countrey but nowe once againe by writing request your Maiestye to consider and weigh the originall occasion of the desolation of your countries and by whose meanes the same is come to passe and consequently execute the office of a true King in defending the righteous and deliuering your countries from this tiranny and oppression And first wee humbly beseeche your Maiestie to call to minde and consider that these your countries in times past hauing bin deuided amongst sundry Lordes and rulers are since by mariages agreementes and mutual treaties in time and orderly by lawfull succession and conueniences come vnder the house of Burgondie and afterwardes by meanes of mariages contracted with the most famous house of Austria and consequently allied with the moste mightie kingdome of Spaine yet alwayes with expresse condition that euery and singular the countries and prouinces should possesse and enioy their owne policies rights and liberties in tymes paste accustomed without that any prouince or countrey should be burdened of the dominion of the other or by any meanes be depriued of their customes or liberties but be bound ioyntly to lyue one with another vnder one Prince and head as many children vnder one father to the intent with one accorde to defende their Prince and common weale against al strangers and forraine force Also the Princes of the countrey willing as fathers to shewe and declare their loue and affection to euery one did at their solemnizatiō and entring into their dominion and rule by a solempne othe bynde themselues to vse and kepe eche country in their rightes and franchises without suffering that any of them should be enfringed or deminished or that the one Prouince shold haue dominion or rule ouer the other much lesse be subiect vnto any foraine dominion or power vppon which conditions he is accepted and taken as a supreme Lord and Gouernour ouer the countries and thereuppon receyueth the othe of obedience and faithfulnesse of his subiectes Of which the premises needeth not any further or larger rehersal whilest that vndoubtedly your maiestie doth sufficiently remembre howe that the Emperour Charles of most noble memorie following the presidentes of his predecessours and acknowledging that the sayde othe of solemnization is the onely and right fundation vpon which doth consist aswel the might and authoritie of a Prince as the faith and obedience of his subiectes did in his life time presence of your maiestie cause your Maiestie to receiue the sayde countries vnder the sayde othe and sware your Maiestie to the ioyful income in al the landes most of the townes as next successour and onely heire of his emperiall maiestie and afterwardes the same Emperal maiestie departing out of these countries and your Maiesty receiuing the full dominion and administration of the Lande did once againe in presence of the deputied of the countries then assembled rehearse strongly confirme the saide priuileges So that in al times past the sayde countries haue enioyed bin ruled by their former priuileges liberties Out of which hath followed such faithfulnesse and obedience of the subiectes towards their Prince and such vnitie and loue amongest eche other that the countries by god his prouidence haue florished with most happie prosperitie the Princes then adorned with all honour and high dignities and greatly redoubted and feared of their enimies And because it needes not to rehearse any thing out of the olde histories being notwithstanding explenished with many presidents it hath appeared in all the warres of the Emperiall maiestye what earnest care hee had to the defence and mayntenaunce of his countries in rest and quietnesse Likewise your Maiesty can wel remember that he taking his leaue of these coūtries did specially and earnestly recommend the state thereof vnto your maiestye Yea your maiestie being at his arriuall burdened with greeuous warres and extreeme charges hath by experience founde that all your subiectes both great and smal euerye one to his state abilitie haue bin readie to venture bothe life and goods in seruice of your Maiestie Wherein aswell the Lords and nobles as commons haue so acquited and behaued themselues that your maiestie hath vanquished and ouercome your enimies gotten great prayse and renowne of al kings and potentates and made a finall end of al warres dissentions wherwith many yeares before your auncetors and countries were troubled Now if it might please your Maiestie which your lamentable and faithful subiectes do most humbly require to enquire of and consider the original occasions
kings good wil expressed at large both towards the Queene of Nauar and also toward the Admiral him self is sayd to cōtend in word greatly against the same Notwithstanding letters being often sent concerning the dayly speach of the king the Admirals mynd began by little and little to be persuaded and to iudge very well of the king in all things thinking that a yong man which was of a milde nature and a louer of peace coulde not dissemble and although he feared the subtile and craftie wit of the Queene mother neuerthelesse the matter was come to that poynt that the king woulde not hearken to hir counselles in dispyght of his brother the Duke of Anjou whose power he had greatly in suspition It is sayd also that mons Momorencie who was cousin germane to the Admirall preuayled much in persuading the Admiral And the king to serue his turne made great account of Momorecie cōmitted vnto him the charge of waightie affaires dayly talked with him about secret matters of priuie coūsel For there is an olde and continuall hatred as we haue oftentimes sayd betweene the houses of Momorencie of Guise in somuch that Momorencie thought that not onely the Admirals death but his also was sought and that for thys cause he was alwayes suspected and out of fauour with the Queene THE Guises therefore seemed dayly more and more to be out of fauour with the King contrariwise he seemed to vse the King familiarly and protested his singular good will towards the Admiral also he cōferred with him about waightie affaires for the exployting whereof he sayd he had neede of the help and ayde of the Admirall The Queene also according to hir manner protested that she desired nothing more than that all former matters beyng forgotten an assured peace might be established And the summe of all their communications and speaches was this that the Queene of Nauar the Princes and the Admirall should come vnto the King and be throughly perswaded of his singular good will towardes them By whyche meanes it might come to passe that a firme friendship mighte be made their minds being reconciled by familiar speache These things being dayly brought both by letters of Momorencie and also by speaches of messengers the Queene of Nauar was not onely throughly perswaded heereof but also the mind of the Admirall fully vanquished and ouercome IN this yeere there befell suche a sharpe colde winter that the Riuer of Rosne was frosen quite ouer all along the chanell and whiche was neuer hard of before Countie Volt a noble man went ouer the riuer on foote with his whole family and others commaunding his Mules to goe before him laden with cariage out of the countrie of Viuaretz into Daulphine IN Languedoc and in Prouance most temperate Regions the Oliue trees fygge trees Orenge trees and Pomegranat trees were almost dead with colde Vines also starued in many places to the great spoyle of most fertile coūtries Whereuppon ensued a great dearth which the godly interpreted as a forewarning of Gods great iudgements IN the moneth of March of this present yeere there was holden a generall Synode of the reformed Churches at Rochell vppon graunt from the Kings maiestie by his letters There came to this Synode godly and learned men from all partes of the Realme as Antoni Chande a man of noble parentage Nicolaus Gelazius and many others Thither came also Theodore Beza vppon request of the Princes letters to the Senate of Geneua and was made chiefe in that Synode being chosen according to manner custome by voyces It pleased also the Queene of Nauar the Princes peeres nobles of the Religion to be present in this assembly In this Synode were specially handeled the manner of reforming the Churches the principall poynte of doctrine Ecclesiasticall discipline a new manner wherof Iohannes Morelius went about to bring in a little before diuers other things also were hādled cōcerning certaine other newe formes in the Lordes supper ABOVT the same tyme the messengers of the Princes returned from the King hauing large giftes giuen them and bringyng with them ioyfull tydings concerning the Kyngs assured good will towardes the Queene of Nauar toward the Princes the Admirall and the other noble men concernyng publique peace and the expected matrimony and concernyng preparation to bee sent at the Kyngs cōmaundement into the low coūtrey which the messēgers sayd they thēselues shuld vnderstād by the kings own mouth willing thē to go with all speed vnto the king which was the principal point of their ambassage Hereuppon the Queene of Nauar thought that shee could not but go vnto the King fearing least if she should deny the same or should defer the tyme the King would be displeased seeing also M. Biron was come vnto hir strayte after the returne of the messengers with the same message from the king to the ende she might make the more speede Notwithstanding the wiser sort suspected hir going to whō the mariage in persons of contrary religion seemed daungerous and contrary to the expresse word of god Neuerthelesse worldly reasons preuayled that the lamētable tragedy might go forward that is to say that the iust prouidence of god might fynde a way to bring great matters about and to punishe both their sins he vsed both their sins after a certaine wonderful māner Therefore the Queene of Nauar came to the Courte with a great traine which at that time was at Blay For whose honorable entertainment it can scarce be tolde what great preparation was made by the King the Queenes the kings brethren his sister and by the whole Courte insomuch that euery courtier went forth to meete hir as to receyue that which aboue all other things had a long tyme bene desired The King for his parte shewed all duties of humanitie in welcomming the Queene of Nauar that by any manner of meanes he might THE chiefe and greatest busines was about the mariage the contracte whereof could not be made without the presence of the Queene of Nauar. The King Queene by all meanes vttered their good willes The mynde of the Queene of Nauar was throughly perswaded of the same they disagreed not aboute the dowry For a large dowry meete for suche a State was offered and the Queene mother was very careful for the bestowing of hir only daughter shee making a shewe as though she would spare nothing to further the same Many things were handled concernyng the contracte of matrimony concerning the auncient societie and frendship betwene the house of Valoys of Borbon and of Aubeter and very notable things were at large spoken on both partes concerning the restoring of the kingdome into his former state by the meane of a fyrme peace There remained two doubts which seemed to trouble both partes namely the respecte of contrary religion and the place where the mariage should be celebrated For the Queene of Nauar would not haue the same at Paris which citie she
spente that time in deuising murders against the noble men of his Realme and at the last determined to kill Iulian whome in the sight of men he loued and reuerenced as a father Antonius Caracalla an enimie of Alexandria bycause certayne verses were soong agaynste him commaunded all the yong men of the citie to be gathered togither vnder the colour of a muster and to be slayne and that euery souldier shuld kill his host where he lay Thus the Citie beyng replenished with murders he had no other excuse to cloake the same but to write vnto the Senate that they had euery one deserued death and that this answer ought to suffice them Lysander the chiefe Captayne of the Lacedemonians calling fourescore of the men of Miletus togither vnder the colour of societie and friendship cōmaunded them to be slaine Seruius Galba shewed the like crueltie vppon sixe thousande Spanyardes Antonius Spinola calling vnto him colourably the chiefe men of the Isle of Corsica to make them a banquet commaunded their heads to be chopt off Charles the seuenth King of Fraunce after he had reconciled him selfe with the Duke of Burgundy and confirmed the same with a matrimoniall league had also solemnely sworne to forgiue all things past sent for him to the towne of Monterell vnder the colour of friendship and there slue him There are many other examples from among the whiche I haue taken these fewe to the ende thou mayest knowe that the King beeing a yong man hath diligently learned that doctrine whiche is contayned in the .18 chapter of that Booke which concerneth the doctrine of a Prince set foorth by Machiauell Euen as it cannot be vnknowen vnto thee that the kyng the very same day that the Queene of Nauar came to the Court of Blaij Iestingly demaunded of the Queene mother adding thervnto ▪ acording to his maner a blasphemous othe if he had not behaued himselfe exceeding wel To the which the Queene answeared agayne that he had begon very well but it woulde profit little except he went forward But I will sayth he addyng hys accustomed oathes bryng them euery one into thy nette These are the Kings wordes Heereby it may bee gathered what the ende of these familiarities and friendshippes will bee shewed towardes thee and to other noble menne of the Religion Looke diligently to thy selfe and bee assured that there is no other remedy for thee to escape theyr snares than to get thee away betimes from thys Court whyche is a most fylthy and vncleane Sodome THIS Booke beyng red the Admirall aunswered with angry moode the man in whose name the same was offered That these things serued not the time that they mighte haue bin spoken conueniently in time past but nowe there was no cause remayning of suspition God had altered the Kings mynde hee woulde neuer beleeue that suche falsehoode could haue place in his Kyngs mynde nay he was perswaded that Fraunce had neuer a better King than Charles the ninth and that although the Duke of Anjou were an enimie to the Religion yet at the last hee woulde forsake that hatred for the reuerence sake of that affinitie whiche hee shoulde haue with the King of Nauar. That a league was made with Englande into the whyche also hee minded to enter with the Princes of Germany whyche professed the Religion to shewe hys affection towarde the Religion myndyng to haue in hys company one of the sonnes of the Countie Palatine and some one of the noble men of Englande whyche was zealous in the Religion That he had gyuen his fayth to the Prince of Orange and to his brother to ayde hym agaynst the Spanyardes in somuch that he was the chiefe and efficient cause of the preparation of warre into the iowe countrey That in stead of the Armie whyche was committed to the conduct of Mons Genlis a newe supply was prepared that the affayres of the lowe countrey were in good cace That the Kyngs Ambassadour dyd dayly aduertise hym of the counsayles of the Duke of Alba. That the same Nauie of which Mons Strozzi and Baron de Guard haue charge is prepared for no other end than to remoue the Spanish nauie and to goe with speede to Vlishing to the Prince of Orange that there may be open warre in the lowe countrey Finally that the Kyng did all things with greate care for the confirmation of peace by the benefyte whereof there was no doubt but that the affayres of the Religion shoulde haue good successe Wherefore hee prayed him and all others of the same opinion that they woulde not trouble his mynde with those suspitions beeyng occupied with better thynges but rather that they woulde pray vnto GOD that he woulde bryng that to good effect whyche was happyly begun to the peace and tranquillitie of the Realme and hys Churche ABOVT the same time almost Mons Momorencie was returned out of Englande hauing entred into league in the Kings name with the Queenes highnesse of Englande concerning that marriage which was intreated in the name of Henry Duke of Anjou it is vnknowen what hindered the same It is said that hir maiestie vtterly refused the matche But howsoeuer the cace stoode I am perswaded that God of his singular goodnesse prouided for hir Maiestie and also for the Realme of Englande from the whiche hee hath turned away great calamitie THE Prince of Orange hauing gotten a great armie in the which were sayd to be twenty thousand footemen eyght thousand horsemen entred the lowe countrey At whose comming the Cities in diuers places were yelded vnto hym in somuch that within a short time he had in his power foure and forty Cities the greatest part of Zeland Holland Among these cities he had Mechline In the mean time the Duke of Alba beseeged Mounts in the which was Lodowic brother to the Prince of Orange with a great number of noble French mē Shortly after thys was the cruel slaughter of the Admiral and other noble men and gentlemen committed at Paris and in other places of the Realme whiche is at large set foorth in the tenth Booke of Commentaries already translated and therefore here omitted AFTER the murder the king commaunded the King of Nauar and the Prince of Conde to come before him Who being in his presence he sayeth vnto them That after so long time of warres by which his kingdome hath bin greatly endammaged he hath found out at the length vndoubted remedies to take away cleane all the causes of warre and hathe therefore commaunded the Admirall to be slayne the wicked author of mischeuous troubles and that the same punishment was prouided in the Citie for al lewde and naughtie persons infected with vngodly superstition That he remembred what great harme he had receyued both of the King of Nauar and also of the Prince of Conde who were the Captaynes and ringleaders of desperate persons and seditiously helde warre against him to reuenge so greate iniuries he had nowe cause and occasion offered him
order who bare about them the order of S. Michael fighting with the diuel At this feast were many noble men and amōg the rest the king of Nauarre and the Prince of Conde THE xxvij day of October the Senate of Paris pronounced a sore sentence agaynst the Admirall being dead and agaynst his memorie and children He was condemned as one guiltie of treason as an enimie to peace and a common troubler of the state as the authour of a conspiracie agaynst the king and against the state His memorie was condemned to euerlasting ignominie And to the ende there might remaine some monument of those faults it was decreed that his bodie if it could be found should be drawne through euery streete of the citie after it had stood in the Market place foure and twentie houres and if the same could not be found then his Image should be made stuft with straw and so be drawne in stead of the same as aforesayd and so to the place of execution called the Forkes of Montfalcon It was also decreed that his Armes Crest and Shield should be drawne in like maner to the fore named place And that in what places soeuer they were found they should be broken downe by the hangman as a token of his euerlasting ignominie Also that all his goodes that either he or his aunceters had receyued by the benefite and liberalitie of kings whether they were moueable or immoueable should come vnto the crowne His children were pronounced vnnoble and base and vnworthie to haue anye publike office or to enioy their goodes which if they had any within the Realme they were confiscate to the king His chiefe house Chastillon was beaten downe to the ground that neuer any thing might be buylded there againe The trees of the Orcharde were cut downe and the Gardens about the sayde house turned vpside-downe and it was decreed that a brasen pyller should be erected where the house did stande with this decree of the Senate in the same It was also decreed that the xxiiij of August euery yeare there shoulde be a generall procession about the Citie to giue thankes vnto God and to celebrate the memorie of that day in the which that cruel murder was committed AMIDST these troubles many of the Religion whiche sought to prouide for the safegard of their conscience and life fled into forraine nations Some into Englande Germanie Strausburge and Heidelberge also othersominto Switzerland to Basile and to the townes of Berne to Lausanna and to other Cities and the greatest parte to Geneua Also Rochel Mountauban Nismes and certaine Cities in the Countrey of Viuaretz and Seuenatz were left as places of refuge as wee will declare hereafter The two sonnes of the Admiral by the singular prouidence of God escaped imminent destruction and the Countie Laual the sonne of D'andelot with the daughter of the Admirall which was Thelignies widow came to Geneua after that to Berne and tarying certaine monethes at Basil they returned to Berne againe being very louingly enterteyned of the people ¶ The eleuenth Booke of Commentaries concerning the temporall and Ecclesiasticall state of the Realme of Fraunce in the raigne of Charles the ninth WHilest the whole Realm of France was woonderfully distract and confounded by that horrible and butcherly murder committed and amiddest the violence of contrarye motions when as some triumphed as conquerers and other some being ouercome were ouerwhelmed with sorowe and griefe all men for the most parte whether they were Catholiques or of the Religion were sore afeard and astonyed Yea the fyerbrandes of furies dyd burne euen in the very tryumph of victorie the authors and chiefe instruments themselues of that detestable slaughter in somuch that they being as it were out of their wittes at these fyrste beginnings pretermitted many occasions by whiche they mighte haue brought their purpose about conueniently Notwithstanding the outrage to bryng their cruell purpose to passe pricked them forward that the Religiō might be vtterly destroyed and extinguished in the kingdome of France But their diuelish counsayles had quite contrary successe afterwardes diuers practises also were vsed on both sydes as we will declare hereafter in order Furthermore the horror and feare of that garboyle was spread to all those countreyes bordering vpon France Strasburge very carefully held watch and warde In Switzerlande the Cities of contrary Religion shewed them selues playnely to stande in feare one of another and there were in dyuers partes musters made and rumors spread abroade for trueth That if the Kyng made a perfect conquest of hys subiects he woulde sowe ciuill discordes in Switzerlande that a nation not onely excelling heretofore in ciuill concorde but also hauing gotten great authoritie and credite with the kingdomes bordering therevppon and selling their friendship for greate stipendes and summes of money shoulde contende and be at warres in it selfe They of Bern seemed most of al to be assalted whose power is gret amōg the Switzers by reason of the amplenes of their populous dominion The cause of discord was for that the Cities in Switzerlād which were named to be of the Religion seemed not to cōdescēd and agree to giue vnto the king a band of Catholiques to ayde him to rase and roote out for euer the remnant that remayned of them of the Religion bycause they did much abhorre that butcherly murder of France for that seemed both to be againste the Religion whiche they professed and also to tende to their owne priuate perill as when that the King had destroyed hys owne subiects he myght cause troubles and tumult in Switzerland by the meanes of the townes in the which the Catholiques inhabited who were very desirous to receyue the Kings pay notwithstanding what happened afterward we will declare anon BY THE Kings commaundement horsemen were dispatched and sente into all partes of the Realme and euery man receyued charge to watch and ward diligently Also the Gouernours of euery prouince had commaundement not to be absente from their charge at any tyme without the Kings assured commaundement to looke diligently that there arose no tumultuouse trouble and with all care and industrie to seeke and syft out narrowly all conuenticles and assemblies of suche as professed the Religion and seuerely to punish them IN all partes of the Realme and in euery Citie of the same they were apprehended whiche kept their houses vpon trust and assurance of the Kings Edict Many were slayne and put to death and all men had their goodes put to spoyle by the Kings officers euen as if they had bin enimies lawfully vanquished Notwithstandyng many escaped and fled into forrayne nations There was scarse one man founde which professed hymselfe to be of the Religion all were eyther in exile or hydden in corners or els sauing a fewe constrayned to forsake the Religion and to lyue more catholykely than the Catholykes them selues THEY of the Religion beeyng after thys maner vanquished there seemed nothing to remaine but their
came thyther for refuge they appoynt that certaine ministers and also strangers shoulde be of the counsayle concerning matters for the towne Monsieur Sanstephen a noble man was made general of the horsemen The Captaynes were of more fame as Mons Essarz mons Riuier Mons Lyzi Mons Norman Mons Virolet Mons Nouel and diuerse others whose names we expresse bycause of the siege folowyng Agayne Mons Biron sent letters to them of Rochel from Broage a famous hauen where the Nauie roade Mons Strossi and Mons d'Guarde sente letters to them also but the letters of mons Biron were more friendly than the other in the whiche he affyrmed that he woulde procure the kyngs commaundement for the dismissyng of the Nauie so that they of Rochel would promise to the kyng to obey suche gouernours as he woulde appoynt ouer them Monsieur d'Guarde wrote more sharpely vnto them willyng them to receyue one condition or other eyther of peace or of warre affirmyng that the kyng should haue his authoritie by eyther They of Rochel answered that many things were promysed them but little or nothing performed that it was euident to all men what great cause they had to imbrace loue peace and what dammage and hurte they had receyued by warres and therfore how greatly they ought to deteste the same That they had hearde oftentimes that the kyng was very carefull for theyr safetie yet notwithstandyng the kyngs officers dyd annoy and endammage them very muche and that they in the meane tyme behaued themselues modestly and obediently towardes the kyng as all men might see Mons Biron and d' Guard practised after the same manner by letters and caused Mons Ouarz a noble man of that part and named to be of the religion to wryte to them of Rochel after the same effect and to shewe in howe greate peryll and danger they were in and to admonishe them to beware least by their obstinacie they cast them selues into presente destruction The Kyng also commaunded monsieur Durans whyche was a Solicitour in the affayres of Rochel being at the same tyme at Paris to goe vnto Rochel to perswade the Townesmen to receyue monsieur Biron and with him he sent to them of Rochel louing letters of bountifull good will. Monsieur Thecan the chiefe gouernour in the Senate of Paris wrote vnto certayne of his friendes of the chiefe Citizens that they would take diligent paynes in this matter would bring to passe that they of Rochel myghte receyue the conditions offered by the king They of Rochel write vnto monsieur de Guard complayning both of the sundry dammages done vnto them in time of the intreatie of peace also which wer yet done vnto thē dayly AMIDEST this intercourse and passage of letters too and fro there was a cruell slaughter made vpon those of the Religion at Burdeaux vppon whiche occasion they of Rochel demaunded whether they coulde looke for peace seeyng violente and outragious murders were still committed and seeing assaults of greater and more vehemēt slaughter were made vpō them For the Shippes of the Marchants of Rochel which had made their voiage and were returned from forrayne countries wer diuersly spoyled and their marchandise taken from them Now the kings power with open warre assayled them of Rochel in somuche that marchantes were restrayned of theyr passage and entercourse and the Kings nauie abode vpon the coast of Rochel robbing and spoyling all partes thereaboutes whyle the Armie whych shoulde come by lande was a preparing IN the meane time they of Rochel diligently applied theyr grape gathering for the wine presse and brought into the Citie fyue and twentie thousande tunnes of wine whyche did them great pleasure at what time they were besieged And all men both townesmen and also strangers laboured paynefully in in fortifying the towne with rampiers and bulwarks AND thus the state of Rochel beeyng knowen before wee come to the noble besieging of the same the order of the story requireth that wee shewe the state of other Townes also in the whyche the remnauntes of the godly religious were preserued They of Montaubane had the kings letters sent vnto them notwithstanding they continued in their former purpose by whiche during all the former ciuill warres they were very circumspect in not admitting any one that came from the kyng into the Citie but amidst the greate treasons and lyings in wayte of their neighbours of Tholouze preserued them selues vntill these hard and extreame beginnings NISMES the Townesmē not knowing what way they were best to take was almost ready to bee yeelded vp to the king Many of the principalles of the Religion stale out of the Citie carying their families to another place and got thēselues into such places as were neere vnto the same Also some of them hauing forsaken the Religion got them speedily to the Cities of the Catholiques hoping thereby the more conueniently to obtayne pardon of the King and many of them to shew that they were seriously returned to the Catholiques detested the Religion all that they could with odious words MONSIEVR Ioyeuse Lefetenant of Languedoc writ oftentimes to the inhabitants of Nismes to receyue the Kyngs Garrison Who at the first answered by delayes that they woulde obey the king yet notwithstāding bicause of the late murdering of their brethrē felow partakers with thē of the Religiō they had great cause to be careful for their safetie Notwithstāding Monsieur Ioyeuse perswaded them of the singular good wyll of the king by his letters often times affyrming that they should liue quietly in safetie by the benefite of the kings Edict of peace There is in Nismes the Kings court kept nowithstandyng it is lawfull for a man to appeale from the same to the Senate of Tholouze in the whyche Citie there was more plenty of Lawyers and more store of rich Citizens Many of them were almost at the same poynte to yeelde them selues in tyme to the Kyng and with speedy obedience to win the kings fauour Notwithstāding the greatest part of the commō sort of people certayne also of the chiefe men amōg whom was Mons Clauson a Counsailer of the court who as he was wise godly so also he was of great authoritie withstoode this purpose not minding to put thē selues into present perill of death And lest those of the kings side shuld take the Citie and let into the same the souldiers which wer vnder the cōduct of Mons Ioyeuse which lay in waite about the citie night and day sought diligently al occasiōs to take the same the said mons Clauson himself very carefully held watch warde with the townsmen of the gates of the citie least any mā shuld come in or out without their knowlege Mons Clauson being the author of this manly wise purpose notwithstanding that he was a learned graue man yet he endeuoured him selfe to play the souldier hauing alwayes a diligent eye in gouerning the
a truce vppon the yeeldyng vp of the towne the which being graunted composition was made that hee shoulde departe from Mountes with leaue to accompany him a thousand and fiue hundred armed men and to carry horses and other necessary cariages hauing sworne not to beare armour agaynst King Philip by the space of one yeare after So the Graue Lodouic beyng wounded returned home into Germany after the surrender of a moste fine Citie to the Duke of Alba. THEN the Prince of Orange went a parte into Brabant seyng that Mechgeline was assaulted and the mindes of the townsmen discouraged bothe by the euill successe of the affayres of France and also by the late newes of winnyng of Mountes and perceyuing that they would without al doubte incline to the Duke of Alba he went secretely away left the towne emptie The which the Duke of Alba tooke and spoyled and caried from thence a greate bootie Then he reserued to him selfe Diest Termund Rurmund and Audenarde Afterward Zutphen beyng takē by the Duke of Alba so great a feare came vpon thē which tooke part with the Prince of Orange that euen as if a perfect cōquest were made that there had bene no neede of souldiers the Duke of Alba dismist many of hys Germane horsemen Therefore dayly cities came to the Duke of Alba crauyng pardon for theyr faulte and vtterly renouncyng the Prince of Orange The Duke of Alba besieged Narden a towne of Hollande which was helde by the garryson of the prynce of Orange the which the townsmen yelded vp vpon certaine cōditions Notwithstandyng the Spaniard breakyng his fayth outragiously murdered both them of the garrison also the townsmen At the which captayne Methyne beyng displeased who came out of Spayne into the low countrey was iudged to be the successour of the Duke of Alba very angry with Frederick sonne to the Duke of Alba got himselfe to Hertoghenbosh taried there to long vntil he was sent for by the kyng to come home again after that he was admonished of those dissetions amōg the chief Captaines of the low coūtrey The calamitie of those of Nardē made the other cities of Holland more constant least they shoulde yeelde themselues to hym whom they shoulde finde a more dangerous friende than the mortall enemie THERFORE they of Harlem beyng ready to yeelde themselues to the Duke of Alba hearing of the crueltie shewed vpon them of Narden chaunged theyr purpose receyued the garrison of the prynce of Orange choosing rather to die than to yeelde themselues willingly into the power of the Duke of Alba. The garrison of the prince of Orange fortified the towne very diligently beyng before very weake of it selfe In the societie and frendshyp of the prynce of Orange the most part of the cities of Hollande do persist as Leijden Roterdam Dort the countie of Hage Enckhuyse Goude Briel the rest But Amstredam the Metropolitane citie was fortified with a very strong garrison of the Duke of Alba But al Zeland except Middelburg tooke part with the prince of Orange THE Duke of Alba besieged Harlem with a great hoste and very furiously gaue assault to the same The townesmen with wonderfull strength and courage defended themselues so aptly placyng the fortifications in the Citie that some tyme when the Spaniarde was receyued euen into the bosome of the towne was constrayned to retyre agayne both with greate destruction and also with infamie and reproch So that both partes behaued them selues very valiantly About this time began the bitter cold of winter which gaue occasion to the Spanyards to preuayle much the Marishes with the which that countrey is replenished beeing frosen with Ise But their presuming vpon the Ise did somewhat anoy them The Spanyards made a bridge vpon pyles and stakes that by the same they might passe ouer the Ise and breake into the Citie but the Townesmen so vrged them that being cōstrayned to retire vpō heapes ouer the bridge the whiche being ouercharged with waight brake drowned a great nūber of Spanyardes some report more some lesse but by certain coniecture sixe hundred was the least the Catholiques dyminishe the number and write but two hundred The Prince of Orange sending souldiers to ayde the Citizens of Harlem was disappoynted of his purpose for they wer intercepted by the Duke of Alba vnlooked for and slayne with a great slaughter one cornet of horsemen escaping away and seuen Ensignes of footemen so that seuen hundred are sayde to be slayne in that place About that tyme it is sayde that there was in the territorie of Amsterdam a Calfe cast whyche hadde two heads and two backes and double feete that is to say eyght in all the whyche lyued for certayne houres The seuententh day of Nouember there appeared a starre in the signe Cassiopeia of wonderfull bignesse and excelling in brightnesse Of this starre diuers men gaue theyr iudgements and was likened to that starre which was seene about Scorpio in the tyme of Augustus Caesar at the byrth of our Sauiour Christe And it was sayd that as that starre did signifye the fyrste comming of Christ so this did betokē his last comming to iudgemente Verses concerning thys were published abroade by the learned This Starre appeared in the fyrmamēt for the space of nyne Monethes IN THE BEGINNING of this new yeere notwithstanding the vncomfortable time of winter the furious force of warre both in France and in the lowe countrey was nothing at all diminished The king gaue straight charge and commaundement vpō payne of greate punishmentes throughout the whole Realme of France that all noble men shoulde goe to the beseeging of Rochel One payne or punishmēt was the losse of honor that is to say that suche noble men as wente not vnto this warre should be counted rusticall base and tributarie The denouncing of this payne caused the noble men yea those whiche aforetime professed the Religion to come to the warre by heapes from all partes of the Realme THERE were caried to the Kyngs Campe seauen and thirtie great peeces of ordinance and about the same time there came threescore ensignes of footemen mons Biron with all diligence and labour made ditches bulwarks rampiers rolling trenches hardelles and all munitions and engines apperteyning to the siege of the Citie In the meane tyme hee intreateth them of Rochell to gyue pledges or hostages bycause of Gadagne an Abbot which was to come vnto them in the Kyngs name to declare vnto them the kings last will and determination They of Rochel aunsweared that if it would please Gadagne to certify them of the kings pleasure by letters they woulde make an answeare but as for the giuing of hostages or the letting of any man into the Citie especially at that time they neither could nor would ABOVT the euening of the twelfth day of this moneth they of Rochel brake foorth vpō the kings Camp slaying many toke mons Grandfiefe
assayed In the meane tyme monsieur Leuger being deceyued and mocked by false Messengers watched many nightes hauing his men in a readinesse in armes So that he thought these reportes to be but vaine and false Monsieur Pradelle at the length brought to passe that in the beginning of the moneth of March hauing gathered succours togither monsieur Baro came with his souldiers from Priuac to Mirebel He came in the euening notwithstanding so that hee had day light for certaine houres and the watchmen and scoutes of mon. Leuger which lay at Mirebel in secret watche certified him out of hande of the comming of monsieur Baro and telling him that he would come the same night vnto the citie Monsieur Leuger though he were oftentymes mocked yet notwithstanding by this report he being styrred to looke aboute him commaunded the gates of the citie to be shut betymes and those which abiured the Religion as suspected to be put apart in diuerse places to double the watch insomuch that the towne being conueniently walled aboute was replenished with a standing watch He commaunded bonfires to be made in euery streete of the Citie and Cresset light to stand in euery window in such wise as the whole Citie was bright and shining And he himselfe with certaine choyse men went rounde about his watche In this so diligent watching they of the Religion had nothing deceyued his expectation and if they had come at the appoynted houre they coulde not haue preuayled For one a clocke after midnight was the houre appointed at the which time watches are cōmonly of lesse force And why they came not at the sayde houre appoynted this was the cause mons Baro shewing the danger of the attempt thought it good not to take the same in hande many valiant souldiers agreed herevnto being moued with authoritie Notwithstanding mons Pradelle preuailed that the attempt might be giuen and when he had made his prayers vnto God in the midst of his souldiers all men were so incouraged that they went forward as men persuaded and assured of victorie While the matter was thus in controuersie the time was delaied Mons Leuger deeming that they were the accustomed wiles and mockes lefte off his serious watch by which time the day starre appeared Wherefore all men being desirous of sleepe departed And monsieur Leuger him selfe went home to sleepe for that he had watched all the night They of the religion come vnto the citie when all things were at rest through the compassing valleys shadowed wyth hilles with the which Villeneufe was compassed on that side And when the iron barres were pulled vp they entred in at the forsaid hole they that entred first came vnto the chief watch slue certaine souldiers whom they found asleepe some betwene sleeping and waking And thus they ranne through the citie crying the towne is taken Thus the greater part being entred in at the hole not one shot being discharged from the walles against them opened one gate Whomsoeuer they met they slue Mons Leuger being waked with the noyse of this tumult went out of his house but being constrayned by force to retyre againe he kept him self close in the same being lately well fortified The Catholikes also betooke them to the tower of the greater gate to another also of great heigth beside the temple But such as were found armed in any place of the citie were slaine by thē of the religion insomuch that the streats were filled with dead bodies Many popishe prelates also were slaine which were come thither from diuers cities therabouts to hold a Synode And after they had assailed the two towers the house of mons Leuger to the hurt detrimēt of both parts the said three places were yelded the third day mons Leuger departed being in great peril of the catholikes in somuch that he could scarsly be in safety in his house being accused of treasō Thus fayth being violated he is also accused of treason by false surmise So great feare came vpon al this countrey that no doubt they of the religion might easily haue taken the next citie but that the souldiers being busied about the pray would not go else where A great booty was caryed out of this little town and much money for raunsomes was receyued which by the negligence of the captaines was put to priuate vses The Catholikes by this suddaine feare being awaked held al those cities which were neare vnto them they which had taken Villeneufe being gone no further Notwithstanding they of the religion tooke certain little townes which bordred vpon them and fortified Gorce and Saluasse that they might haue free passage from Viuijers to Nismes D'ANVIL hauyng placed the tayle and remaynder of his armies in dyuers townes from thence foorth mitigated the force of warre Neuerthelesse by them of the religion diuers townes and castels in sundry places of Languedoc were taken dayly rather by policie than with the displaied ensigne About this time a walled towne called Florensac being not farre from Narbō was taken Neyther was there any Diocesse in Languedoc in the which day by day some newes fell out The particular repetition of which things we haue thought more conuenient to defer vnto another time and for another booke They of the religion also tooke Pusis a towne bordering vpō the riuer of Rosne which afore that time by the negligēce of the townesmen was falne into decay Cursol also whiche lieth ouer against Valentz in Dauphine was strōgly fortified These things falling out in this order after the besieging of Sommiron they of the religion in Languedoc beganne to looke more seriously about them to take better order in their affayres For in their first beginning of warre the captaines and ringleaders being none of the nobilitie but borne of base parentage euerie man gouerned his souldiers as him lysted wherevpon many dissentions arose among them when as one would not obey the others counsell according to the nature of Frenchmen which is to like well of their owne gouenment Therfore the inhabitantes of Nismes with whom they of Viuijers and Seuenatz were ioyned determined to choose certain of the nobilitie whose commaundement the other captaynes shoulde not refuse to obey And to this order of gouernment accorded mons Sauroman a noble man and one deseruing to be loued for his godlynesse and his modestie who in the verie same gouernment afore time had verie profitably bestowed great diligence and paynes Who escaping the cruell slaughter of Paris fled into Switzerlande Him after deliberation had they chose and intreated him by their letters to take vpon him that charge At the first he doubted what he were best to doe whether he were best to ioyne him selfe with them being in so great peril Neuerthelesse after certaine monthes he came vnto them at the last as we will declare hereafter ABOVT this time the Churches of Languedoc sent into Germanie to craue helpe that they might be able
to sustaine the force of warre whiche they were assured would shortely be moued against them For this treatie mons Calueri and Valli strong wise men in the midst of the continual assaults of the enimie were sent They went especially to the countie Pallatine of whose cōpassion good wil in pittying their estate in redinesse to help thē they certified their felowes put them in hope of aide But for the present necessitie they receiued nothing And as they returned home againe making a longer iourny bicause of the lyings in waite of the enimies mons Valli came home in safetie but mons Calueti was taken by mons d' Gordes in Dauphine being kept in ward certaine monthes was at the length by reason of a peace which came in the meane time and by the intreatie of d'Anuil restored Al which things we will intreate of together hereafter in one place WE spake before of mons Monbrune and of the noble men of Daulphine He lying secretly at home seeming to haue no care for religiō but to prouide for his own priuat ease profit to seke to win the kings fauor came forth at the last contrarie to the expectation of all men and armed him selfe Mons d' Gorges sent vnto him straight after sugred letters promising vnto him euer and among in the kings name both domesticall peace and also libertie of conscience feeding him with friendly promises if so be he would serue the king or at least if he would be quiet and seeke his own profite Neuerthelesse in the meane time he went about to betray him seking to spoyle him of al the succours of his friendes and so to intercept him Mons Monbrune being certified hereof hauing both conscience towardes the religion and hauing abandoned out of his mynde the whole conceiued feare of the butcherly murder and they of Languedoc hauing good successe of their constancie began to persuade with his priuate friendes of the nobilitie which fauoured the religion and kept their houses to come abroade and after deliberation had they agreed together to take Valentz Mōtil Leucrest which were noble cities in Daulphine by them of the Religion whiche as yet were in them And they made their neighbours of Viuaretz acquainted with this matter But when their purpose fayled in taking those townes certaine bands of the inhabitantes in the territorie of Viuaretz also when they were come ouer the riuer of Rosne being intercepted by the horsemen of mons d'Gordes the sayde mons Monbrune tooke certain smal emptie towns of no fame in the hil country of Daulphine neare vnto the Diocesse of Dien as Orpier Diofet and Serra which were kept with no garizons Mons d'Gordes being in securitie and nothing at all fearing the styrring of them of the Religion and the townesmen whereof fauouring also the Religion And then mons Monbrune hauing with hym a fewe of his friends to the number of eyghteene horsemen and two and twentie olde souldiers only wente out of his house not knowing certaynely what to do hauing no sufficient trust in the strength of those fewe so great feare remayned by the remembrance of that lamentable tyme. About the same tyme by hys trauayle in the parts of Troiz whych lieth among the hilles of the Alpes and yet no barren soyle these noble men mons Ledigner Champolian Morge tooke the chiefe Citie called Meuza and dyuers other small townes and gathered togeather a great multitude of the Religious whyche are many in those parts which at that tyme lay hyden in secret places after the cruell slaughter committed MONS d' Gordes notwithstanding not deeming the perill of that hill countrey to be so greate in so weake and small beginnings sent out certayne troupes of horsemen only to intercept Mombrune and his fellowes but hee preuayled not Wherevpon he certifyed the King of a new commotiō Notwithstanding euen at these fyrst beginnings Monbrune tooke certayne troupes of Souldiers belonging to mons de Gords straggling heere and there and offered vp the fyrst fruites of greater slaughter to come OF these smal beginnings it can scarse be told how greatly his strength increased within fewe dayes insomuch that the kings syde had not a more terrible and fearefull enemie in the Realme of France whiche wee will briefly note hereafter in due tyme and place VVE sayde before that the Citizens of Sanferre were in great extremities by reason of domesticall dissentions and that a Castel was taken from them and recouered also by them the same day agayne Being taught by this dangerous admonition they begin more exquisitely to order and appoynt all things in the Citie and ordaine mons Ioanneau the Lieftenant of the towne and a payneful man to be their General and gouernour by his name and authoritie and their captaynes for the warre they chose mons Flore and Mine and certayne others they mustered the townesmen and appoynted bands of Souldiers Notwithstādyng as yet they were not beseeged by the kings armie and many but especially mons Ioanneau coulde not be perswaded that the king amidst the extremities of Rochel and Languedoc warres would beseege the Citie Neuerthelesse the more wise and prouident sort considered and thoughte that hee would not leaue that vnassaulted which was in the very harte and middest of the Realme Thys securitie brought to passe that they of Sanserre left many necessary things vndone but especially it caused them to neglect the prouision of corne for the Citie of whiche they might haue prouided great store in so fertile a countrey in the which their store houses so neare after haruest were replenished almost with all manner of fruites The pulling downe also of the suburbes and other villages adioyning vnto them was pretermitted whiche notwithstandyng was necessary to be done against the seege least the same places myghte serue theyr enemies tourne whyche they dyd afterwarde in very deede to the great anoyance of the towne But principally their carelesnesse in prouiding corne brought vpon them so great a famine that the same myght seeme to be nothyng inferioure nay rather to exceede the famine of Hierusalem and that of Samaria Besyde thys they erred in hopyng for succors by whyche they persisted constant to theyr owne hurt and detriment they whyche ought to haue ayded them eyther not doyng theyr duetie or els so vnfurnished that they could not help Notwithstandyng both their constancie and also theyr wonderfull industrie is woorthy to be remembred of suche as shall come heereafter and specially beeyng in a good cause it deserueth great prayse and commendation Thys history is written in French by one named Lerry an approued witnesse to bee credited beyng at that seege euen to the last moment from whose writing and others information we will according to our manner and purpose set downe that which is only necessary After that they of Sanserre had skirmished certayne dayes with theyr neyghbours of Cosne and had taken from them the
were called the Rochellians complayning of the same vnto the messengers that were sent vnto them The same day the duke of Anjou went downe into a mine A souldier knewe him who by and by discharged at him his peece with the shot whereof he slue a noble man which stoode hard by him and some of the haile shot ran through the ruffe of the shirtband of the duke of Anjou and yet he had no harme but not without great peril of his life The Rochellians had intelligence giuen them that treason was a working agaynst them vnder the colour of a parley whereby they were admonished to looke diligently about thē and to be in a readinesse Notwithstanding the Ambassadors of peace come at the day appoynted and by common consent truce is taken the which notwithstanding was not obserued the townsmen complayning that the kings souldiers had taken a view of their ditch to their dammage So that the truce being broken a freshe battaile began betwene them wherein seuen of the kings side were slaine and of the townesmen one yong man About the Euening by the Maiors commaundement al the Citizens and other townesmen which were there present were called togither to heare the principal poynts and conditions of the kings peace There came into the kings campe Ambassadors from Polonia for the ioy of whose comming many peales of greate gunnes were shot off mons l'Noe returned to the parley with the townesmen in the name of the Duke of Anjou the kings ordinance shooting off in the meane time Shot also was discharged from the sea coast into the Citie and at a window a nurse with a yong infant was slaine The Ambassadors concerning the peace making returned agayne But the purpose of the Catholikes was in time of the parley to blowe vp a myne This the townesmen vnderstoode wherevpon all men at the Maiors commaundement were readie in armour Therefore they determined to deferre the matter vntill the parley were ended They had great hope to preuayle in the breaking vp of the myne About the Euening fire was set to the myne the whiche beeing blowen vp ouerthrewe the wall notwithstanding to such aduauntage for the townesmen that the enimie could not so easily enter as before he might haue done also one of the kings great Gunnes fell into the ditche In the meane time the ordinaunce in the ships vpon the sea coast were not vnoccupied The cause of another parley was for that the Rochellians sayde that they had not theyr owne cause alone in hande but the cause of other of their brethren also requyring that they which had borne armour for the same cause might bee prouided for by the same benefite of the Edict They of Nisme and of Montauban and others whiche had taken their part were easily admitted to the same benefit But at the first the Duke of Anjou excluded them of Sanserre and Daulphine He greatly withstood the Sanserreans whome he thought might easily be ouercome being farre set and separated from the helpe of theyr fellowes About that time the rysing of them of Daulphine hauing Mombrune and other noble men theyr captaynes was very weake and of small power Notwithstanding he promised that he would haue consideration of them both and that they shoulde bee partakers of the same benefit with the Rochellians Neuerthelesse in the Edicte it selfe of the which we will make mention anon he speaketh nothyng at all of them notwithstanding the condition of the Rochellians This also was the kings drift namely that by priuate Couenants and agreements he might diuide the religious one from another Therfore he thought it good to take peace with the Rochellians to shune the reproche of the foyle as though by constraynt he had raysed his siege Also the presence of the Ambassadors of Polonia vrged him before whom he thought it not conuenient for his dignitie to sustain so great dishonour and therefore he prouided for the same by a speciall remedy least with shame his armie should be constrayned to depart after so long a siege specially such honorable famous personages of a strange countrey being present The Duke of Anjou sayd that both at their instance and also at the intercession of the Rochellians he forgaue muche The Rochellians both earnestly desired to be deliuered from the extreame troubles of the long siege and also were very carefull for that which should folowe afterwarde Therefore at the last they concluded with the Duke of Anjou The couenants whereof ye shall heare anon THE Duke of Anjou sendeth to the King the agreement made with the Rochellians that he might confirme the same by his authoritie might cause it to be drawn in forme of an Edict In the meane while truce was taken for sixe dayes The townesmen come into the kings campe bring wine vnto his souldiers and receiue meate and other food of them again they saluted also talked friendly one with another notwithstanding watch ward was kept diligently within the citie to awake those which were secure vpō trust of a large peace a tumult was raised of purpose by captaine Norman euen as if the enimie had bin come At the last the kings forts and bulwarkes were ouerthrowne and the great gunnes caryed away The townesmen also for ioy made bonfiers in diuers places of the towne and certayne noble men had free leaue to go from the kings campe and to enter into the citie The tenth day of Iune monsieur Biron hauing certayne Heraldes of Armes attending vpon him entered into the citie and in euery corner and principal streate of the town proclaymed the Edict of peace in the kings name The same day Shippes laden with Wheate and other victuall came into the hauen with the scarsitie and penurie whereof the Rochellians beganne nowe to be vrged The tenure of the Edict now foloweth as it was set down and signed by the King. CHARLES by the grace of God king of France to all present or to come greeting Our intent hath alwayes bene and is after the example of our predecessours to rule and gouerne our realme and to receiue of our subiectes their obeysance to vs due rather by gentle by louing manner than by force Wherefore our most deare and welbeloued brother the King of Polonia hauing full vnderstanding of our will and pleasure hath appoynted and deputed certayne of the chiefe personages of our priuie counsell being with him to heare and vnderstande the complayntes griefes and supplycations of the Maior Sheriffes and Counsellers dwellers and inhabitants of our towne of Rochel Gentlemen and others that are there abyding And for as much as it is so that now in the end our most deare brother the sayd king of Polonia according to our pleasure and good will hath by the aduice of our most deare and welbeloued brethren the Duke of Alencon and King of Nauarre our most deare and welbeloued cousins the Prince of Conde and Prince Dauphine the Dukes of
townesmen shoulde pay vnto the Lorde Chastre forty thousand frankes for the payment whereof they shoulde haue theyr goodes preserued from the spoyle of the Souldiers and it shoulde be lawfull for them to carry or sell the same else where at theyr owne pleasure the whiche money was distributed to the Souldiers by the appoyntment of the Lord Chastre That the Kyng should confyrme thys agreemente by hys authoritie And last of all that the townesmen should promise vnto the King al obedience euer after And that they shuld giue twelue such hostages as the Lorde Chastre shoulde name vntill these things were fully perfourmed and accomplished Therefore the last day of August the Lorde Chastre entred into the citie with a greate trayne of armed men And by by were taken away from the Sanserreans their drummes trumpets and ensignes Mons Ianneau within certayne days after was secretly slayne and neuer knowne how There was placed in the towne a verie great garrizon And ouer and aboue the foresayde summe of fortie thousande Frankes they were very straightly charged to pay newe tributes And concerning the vse of Religion the which notwithstanding was promised in the first article of the agreement there was neyther speach nor performance to this day The king sent the armies of the Switzers into Daulphine to terrifie the inhabitants of Languedoc and mons Monbrune that they might receiue the couenant of the peace of Rochel Notwithstanding when they had remayned certayne weekes in Daulphine when also Monbrune had trauelled diligently to and fro to withstande them and could not rayse them of Languedoc in so much that a great masse of money shoulde haue bene spent to no purpose those returned againe into their countrey which were returned from the siege of Rochel had escaped the perils of their iourney ¶ The twelfth Booke of Commentaries concerning the Temporall and Ecclesiasticall state of the Kingdome of France in the raigne of Charles the ninth THE Rochelleans had made a peace with the King withoute the knowledge of them of Nismes and others of Languedoc although they also were expresly contayned in the couenants of agreemente Notwithstanding the Edict beyng read did not satisfye them but affyrmed that the experiments of the former tymes replenished with diuers murders did proue that these pacificatorie meanes were snares to intercept and intangle those with the pretence of peace whome they coulde not by force of Armes with warre ouercome Therfore they thought good to consult and participate this matter with their fellowes and perceyue it needefull to prouide for the same by a common assembly of the Churches whiche were left So that after tydings was brought vnto them of the Edict made they sente into the Armie a messenger to the Duke of Anjou to giue him thanks on their behalfe beseeching him that for so muche as the cause in hand was generall and bycause it belonged to many of the reformed Religion to know these things in conuenient time that he would giue them leaue to assemble them selues together in a fit place and that to the same ende he woulde graunt them his letters patents for their assurance These letters patents were graunted and made and all they of the Religion to whome knowledge might be gyuen were warned to be at Milliaud in Languedoc Wherevpon there came many from all partes of the Realme according as the tyme would suffer them THIS was a notable occasion to prouide for thinges againe time to come For in this assembly they considered and scanned how they might order their affayres afterwarde and so prouided for thē selues both lawes ciuill and also martiall In the large prouince of Languedoc there are many prouinces the which were replenished with a great number of the Religious whiche helde diuers cities and Townes in sundry parts of the same hauing also amongst them the Catholiques in somuch that the keeping of those places was very perillous by reason that their enimies were so mixed with them Therefore to the ende their affayres might euer afterwarde be ordred after a more firme constant maner they appointed two generalties or Lieftenantships for the territorie of the Religion in the whiche all the Religious of that prouince were contayned namely the Liefetenantship of Montauban and the Liefetenātship of Nismes Montauban to haue the preheminēce ouer those parts of the higher Languedoc and Nismes of the lower in the which the territorie of Seuenatz and Viuaretz were coprehēded They apoynted to euery Liefetenantship a Liefetenant which was some famous noble man And they appointed the office of these Liefetenantships to endure so lōg as the ciuill war should hold eyther opēly or secretly that they might haue the chiefe authoritie in martiall affayres notwithstanding so that their power might be subiect to the iudgemente of the Senate Euery coūtrey or diocesse had his senate according to the ancient maner of France and they continue in vse especially in that part euē vnto this day these Senats they call particular states But the Liefetenātship in the which many diocesses are contayned is called the chiefe or high Senate whiche consisteth of certayne choice men out of euery countrey or shyre notwithstanding so that the sentences of euery Senate in matters of great waight were examined and straightly ouerlooked It was also ordeyned that by the decree of that high Senate or court the Lefetenant shuld rule and gouerne those affayres which belonged vnto the warre These Liefetenants had a certayne stipend assigned vnto them the whole rule and charge of the treasure belonged to the Senate the Liefetenant by his office hauing nothing to do with the same AND to mayntaine warre they tooke these wayes namely that the people might be restrayned so muche as might be from martiall robbing and that countreys might not be wasted and spoyled they charge the townes and villages by a writ out of the kings Excheaker to pay tribute yea and those townes also in the whiche the Catholikes inhabited lenying suche a summe as might be sufficient to mayntaine garrizons in them They call for a Cōtribution Thus they were gently intreated which payed the commaunded tribute husbandry also was permitted and mayntained So that those places inhabited by the Catholikes did obey for feare of robbing spoiling and burning Thus they went about to cut off all occasion of martiall libertie so much as might be taken away among so many outrageous furies of warre and they prouided for the continuance of longer warre if so be no reasonable and indifferent condition were offered by the king Furthermore they gathered the tythes and reuenues of the priestes and appoynted collectors for the same Hytherto all occasion to holde warre seemed after so great slaughters of men made to be taken away from the Religious but this way which they nowe deuised brought to passe that they of the Religion were able to mayntaine garrizons in diuers places the which when neede required being come together in one by the commaundement of the Lieftenant
woulde haue made a sufficient armie by this meanes also the catholikes power was weakned Vicount Pauline was made Lieftenant of Montauban and mons Sanroman of whome we spake before being come from Switzerland to Nismes was made Lieftenant of the same after he had taken his othe The comming of Sanroman brought to passe that the discordes of the captaynes disagreeing among them selues hitherto being appeased their affayres had more happy successe in Nismes and in the cities adioyning therevnto all men obeying with all their heartes the commaundement giuen by him and also by the Senate Therefore nowe at the last necessitie and experience the schoolemistresse of fooles taught the religious for their necessary defence a new kind of order not vsed in the time of the former warres and more conuenient And these things wer handled very well in the assembly or conuocation at Milliaud These things being thus prouided to establish a certaine order the men of Languedoc also determined in this conuocation to require certaine things of the king for the confirmation of peace for the former Edict did not satisfie them as we saide before neither did the name of peace so moue them by and by that without consideration and respect all conditions were receiued bycause the light credit of the Princes afore time taught them to beware Therefore they sente vnto the king Mons Yolet Philip Cherenac and others whiche were actiue and prudent men The summe of their message was To giue thanks vnto the king for singular good will which he declared that he had to establishe peace in his kingdome That the same remedy was so necessarie the kingdome by so long warres being in decay and almost ouerthrowen that it could not be any longer deferred without present destruction That they were minded to shew all obedience to their Lord king But bycause the tragicall and lamentable memorie of the murders lately committed on S. Bartholmewes daye doth shewe how dangerous a thing it is for the king theyr soueraigne to be ruled by the euill counsayles of wicked counsaylers they most humbly beseeched his maiestie not to thinke it strange that they to whom it specially belonged sought the most conuenient wayes for the establishing of peace That it was lately broughte to passe that the king by the practises of euill counsaylers contrary to hys good nature declared him selfe by his publique letters to be the author and chiefe cause of that wicked fact the whiche notwithstanding a fewe dayes before he openly detested the contrary shew whereof was too shamefull in the sight of al nations That they were perswaded of his own good will towards them but they greatly feared least his mind shoulde be led by his counsaylers as aforetime and that therfore they would prouide for them selues and seeke to saue their liues and the liues of their friendes beeyng taught by the pitifull example of their fellowes THESE things being vttered First of al they require that for the securitie of peace and to auoyd newe troubles they might keepe those Cities whiche they had already in possession with their owne garrisons of men and the same to haue their wages payed them out of the kings treasurie Secondly that beside those Cities the king woulde giue vnto thē two Cities in euery prouince of the Realme which might be thought most meete and conuenient in the iudgemente and opinion of foure men two of the whiche foure to be Catholiques and the other two Religious and the same two Cities also to haue garrisons of the Riligious maintayned in them by the kings pay Thirdly that the vse of the reformed Religion bee free through out the whole Realme without exception of any place for al those which shal require the same of the king Fourthly that they of the Religion may haue graunted vnto them new parlaments in euery prouince and that by suche iudges as imbrace the reformed Religion Fifthly that to maintayne the ministers of their Churches they may haue leaue togather those tithes which arise of their lands Last of all that they whiche were the authors of the murder committed on Saint Bartholmewes day mighte be punished as murderers spoylers and disturbers of the common peace These seemed to bee large petitions and in very deede their speech to the king extēded farther in so much that the Queene saide in displeasure and anger That the prince of Conde him selfe if he were aliue and were euen in the very middest of the kingdome with twenty thousand horsemē and fiue hundred thousand footemē had also in his hands the chiefe Cities of the Realme would not craue the one halfe of those things Wherefore shee came to euery one of these messengers sought to win thē sometime by faire promises otherwhile by threatnings But it was so prouided in the assembly at Milliaud that the messengers of themselues should do nothing but only offer the letter vnto the king should refer the kings answeares vnto the Senate that the whole matter mighte bee allowed by the authoritie of the same Dayes of respit wer takē for a moneth a halfe so the messengers being honorably receyued into euery Citie returned home againe The Catholiques coulde scarsely be perswaded but that the most mightie princes fauoured the cause of the Religious and pretended that the great libertie which the Religious had was the cause why they so thought The king was said to desire peace being warned by the successe of the warre at Rochell and in Languedoc In the meane time preparation was made for the voiage into Polonia the Queene and the new King prouiding al things for great magnificēce notwithstanding they had not money according to their wil. About the same time in the which the Ambassadors of Polonia wer at Paris a very bold wicked fact was cōmitted Ther was a certayn Citizen in Paris of greate wealth named Nantoilet a Catholique one of the chiefe magistrates of the Citie To this mans house came the new king of whom he was very courteously entertayned But the Duke of Aniou being in the house begā to quarel with the said Nantoilet first with words at the whiche the other had great marueile Then his seruāts begā to spoile caried away his plate iewels brake opē his cofers and caried away a greate masse of money Thus the outrage of murders brake the raines of shame running into all impudent boldnesse AFTER that Harlem was taken the Prince of Orāge tooke Alcmar a Citie of Holland the Citizens being deuided within thē selues at what time one gate was takē by that part which held of the Duke of Alba and bāds both of horsemen and footemen sent from the said Duke wer now within the vew of the Citie Notwithstāding the Prince of Orange putting to flight the sayd power enioyed the Citie The Flisshingers tooke the Castell Ramekins the fifth of August Also the sayd Flisshingers the thirtenth day of the same moneth encountered with the nauie of the
fyrme by the decree of the States in the times of the firste raigne both of the Merouins also of the Charlouins was continued also in the house of the Capenites And first by that notable cōtrouersie celebrated and made famous with the monumēts of the French histories and with the great warres which rose of the same betweene Philip Valoys and Edward borne of Isabel the sister of Charles Who when king Charles the fayre dyed without heires male contended for the kingdome When the matter grew thus to contention it pleased the States to preferre Philip Valoys being of royall line to whom the kingdom was adiudged Another example he broughte from the lamentab e tyme of King Iohn who ioyning battayle with the English men neare vnto Poictiers was taken carried prisoner into England So great calamitie being receyued the hope was left in the authoritie of the states alone Therefore by the decree of the saide States there were approued men of all sortes and conditions chosen to whome the charge and affayres of the Realme were committed howbeit there were three of the Kings sonnes namely Charles Lewis and Iohn of the whiche three the eldest was of lawfull age to gouerne A third example he bringeth from the yeare of our lord M.CCCLXXV at what time Charles the fyfth surnamed wise appoynted by his will and testament Philip Duke of Borbon his wiues brother to bee the tutor and gardian of his sonnes and Lewes Duke of Aniou his brother to be the gouernour of the Realme vntill such time as Charles hys sonne came vnto his full and lawfull age neuerthelesse it was decreed by a counsayle holden at Paris that the will should be frustrate and the gouernmente of the kingdome committed to the sayd Lewis the childes vncle vpon condition that in his gouernment he woulde do nothing without the aduice and consente of other honest and approued persons in the sayde counsayle and also that the wardship and education of the childe shoulde bee committed to the Duke of Borbon A fourth example he bringeth from the yere of our Lorde M.CCCXCII at what time Charles the sixth sonne of the said King sodaynely fell madde it was decreed by the authoritie of the states that the gouernement of the Realme should be committed to the Dukes of Berry and Burgundy Also he fetcheth a fifth example from the yeare M. CCCCXXVI when as Philip Duke of Burgundy and Humfrey Duke of Glocester were at mortall debate to the great detriment of the common wealth and at the length agreed betweene them selues to make an end of all controuersies by combate In this contention the States were vmpiers and decreed that both of them should put off their armour and rather ende their controuersies by lawe than by dinte of sworde Then he alleageth a sixt example from the yeare M. CCCC.Lxxxiiij when as Lewis the .xj. being dead and leauing behinde him his sonne Charles of the age of thirtene yeares it was decreed by an assembly of States at Towers that the education of the childe should bee committed to Anne the kings sister and that the gouernment of the Realme should bee set ouer to certayne choyse and approued persons in the sayd assembly notwithstanding that Lewis Duke of Orleans being the next of kinne required the same He setteth downe also a seuenth Argument taken from that warre which was helde in the tyme of the sayd Lewis the eleuenth which was of all other kings the most craftie and subtill which also greatly diminished the authoritie of the States at what time the kingdom was so gouerned by him that in many things the duetie of a good prince and of one louing his countrey was wanting the authoritie of the States began to be required that by the same the common wealth might be prouided for and so by the ayde of many Princes and noble men warre was holden which was therefore called the warre of the common wealth And verely at that tyme the authoritie of the States began to decay ▪ the which notwithstanding Lewis fayned to haue in great estimation Finally he handeleth that question Whether the gouernmēt of the kingdom of France by the lawe of France ought to come to the Distaffe and by many reasons and examples he sheweth that women ought to bee remoued from the gouernment of the Realme no lesse than from the inheritance of the same And thus disputing he offereth to the secret iudgementes of men by the state of the auncient kingdom an expresse Image of those calamities by which all things at the last in the kingdome of France are come to great disorder and confusion the authoritie of the states of the Realme being ouerthrowen and suppressed and a straunge woman hauing gotten into hir handes the royall gouernment M. Mombrune tooke about this time Monerb a walled town in the County of Venaiz Nium a towne bordering vppon the Countie of Daulphine and new small townes bandes of men specially out of Prouance came dayly vnto him And he inuaded the territorie of Grenoble to the great terror and feare of those that dwelt in the same Hee tooke also the riche Abbay of Viri and slew the Garrisons which kepte the same The Monkes of the great Charterhouse fearing to haue so ill a neighbour fortifyed themselues with Garrisons of Souldiers Thus M. Mombrune was feared in all that countrey rounde about Againe truce was taken for a moneth and a halfe Neuerthelesse the burning desire of warres was great in Languedoc and in Daulphine And vnder the pretence of that truce the King Queene made a great shewe that they desired peace but in deed they practised nothing els but bloudy warre Puygallard of Poictou to get Rochell byred with the kings money and by the kings commaundement certayne Souldiers of Rochell to betray the Citie And the chief of this conspiracie in the towne was mons Grandfiefe a famous man who valiantly behaued himselfe in the tyme of warre for the defence of Rochell Thus it was agreed amongst them that a Bulwarke and one of the Gates should bee taken to the which Puygallard should come incontinent with certayne bandes of Souldiers The conspiracie was discouered They of Rochell tooke many of the townsmen M. Grandfiefe was slayne And when enquirie was made of this conspiracie the conspirators answered that they had done nothing without the kings commaundement mons Puygallard being the author the which also certain letters found about Grandfiefe did plainly testify They of Rochell made complaint hereof to the king The king denied the said enterprise to be taken in hand by his commaundement willing them to punish those that were founde giltie of the conspiracie saying that he gaue them leaue and authoritie so to doe only he willed them to beware that they did nothing contrary to the Edicte Therefore they of Rochell according to their maner of execution put many of the Conspirators to death by the while of the which many were Citizens This was done about the the
the Liefetenant who commaunded him to offer diligently hys traueile vnto Santaial to couenant with him for his rewarde and to appoint the day and the manner of the enterprise Then Deron without delay vnder colour of a priuy escape spake with Santaial receyued his reward and prescribeth the day the manner how hee might bring his purpose to passe The which being done he enformed Sanroman of the whole matter The manner of this treason should be thus namely that one of the gates of the citie should be lefte open for Santaial to enter Therfore the gate was left open according to couenant on the day appointed the warders vsing greate silence notwithstanding all things were prepared to receyue the enemy But none of the Catholiques appeared hauing intelligence of deceyt notwithstanding that for this purpose bandes of the catholiques were come out of the countrey of Viuaretz Daulphine and from diuers other places About the same time also D'Anuill should haue bene taken by treason which was bewrayed and the traytor hanged These were two practises of great wayght to furder the Queenes purpose if they had successe according to hir mynde ABOVT the same time they of Villeneufe of whom we spake before slue certaine bandes of the Catholiques without losse of any one of their men and tooke a little towne called Aubenac not far from the Riuer of Rosne and slue the Garrison almost which remayned of those that were slayne of Lions CHRISTOPHER sonne of the Counte Palatine ioyned himselfe with Graue Lodowic who vntill that day had borne no Armour accordyng to the forme of the othe whiche hee tooke at Mountes Who brought an armie of two thousand horsemen vnto his brother the Prince of Orange And while he taried at Mastricte the space of two monethes looking for his footeband of Gascoines and practising by counsail in the meane tyme to take the Castel of Andwerp was at the last very sore charged with the kings power in the territorie of Mokens within the dominion of Cleueland two myles from Nijmegen And hauing vntill the euening valiantly withstood their force tooke Sig. Lasso a man of great fame among the Spaniardes The daye following about the breake of the day the kings partes giuing a freshe assaulte at what tyme the Graue Lodowic had sent away parte of his horsemen to prouide forrage and the Launce knightes came on very slowly to the battaile the Spaniardes gotte at the laste the victorie but not without bloudshed the chiefe Captaynes Christopher and Lodowic being loste in that conflicte whose death was doubted a long tyme Notwithstanding this is certayne that they had receyued so many woundes before they were slayne that they being diligently sought for among the deade bodyes of suche as were slayne coulde not bee knowen Thys slaughter happened the seuentene of Aprill of thys present yeere About the beginning of Februarie there brake forth newe bandes of newe men in the countrey of Poictou which called themselues Politikes and Malecontentes of the which some professed that they sought the reformation of the realme other some the reuenge of their parentes and kinsmen which were slayne in the furies on Saint Barthelmewes day These ioyned themselues with those of the Religion who almost about the same tyme had begoon warre a freshe in the conntrey of Poictou hauyng Monsieur L'Noe theyr Captayne ALSO at the same instante almoste Countie Mongomeri comming out of England into Normandy tooke Sanlo and Charent townes neere vnto the Sea coast and in Normandy the lower he tooke the towne called Donfro Therefore these newe commotions of the Politikes and of the Religious caused newe musters of men in those partes and it was sayde that this was the beginning of great matters and that many noble men would come vnto this warre But whereunto this came we will shewe by and by Almost at the same tyme namely the last of February there was great feare in the Courte It was tolde the Queene that there was certayne troupes of horsemen seene ryding to and fro neere vnto Sangerman where the king at that tyme lay This so sodayne feare caused the number to bee thought the greater M. d'Guitri a noble man was Captayn ouer those troupes which cōtayned fiue hundred horsemen The Queene tolde the king hereof being at the poynt of death and caused him to bee remoued out of hande from Sangerman to Paris And shee sent messengers vnto M. d'Guitri to know of hym in the kings name what his entent was Who deliuered vnto the messengers certayne petitions concerning the reformation of the Realme and the restoring of the authoritie of the states and so within fewe dayes after departed not knowing what would ensue thereof In the meane tyme the Queene apprehended many in the Courte and in diuers places of Paris whom shee thought to bee giltie of this conspiracie among which of the nobilitie was M. Coconass and d'Mole of Arles one of the familiar frendes of the Duke of Alanson Also at the same tyme the Marshalles Momorencie and Cosse were in the Courte They within certayne dayes after were at the commaundement of the king and Queene apprehended by the Kings Garde and were openly in the sight of all men caryed into the Castell of Bastill The Queene also caused Rumors to be spred abroad that they were the authors of a bolde conspiracie concernyng the intercepting of the King and the settyng ouer of the kyngdome to the Duke of Alancon to the ende they might rule all things as they themselues lusted Therefore she commaunding the household seruants of the king of Nauar and of hir sonne the Duke of Alanson to be taken away caused them to be kept close prisoners that they might go no whether nor do any thing without keepers She depriued D'Anuil also of the gouernment of Languedoc as accessarie to the sayd conspiracie and she sent the Prince d'Alphine the sonne of Monpenser into Daulphine with great power to bee gouernour of Languedoc and she wrote vnto the Senat of Tholose concerning the same depriuation of d'Anuill Also shee commaunded the Lord d'Acier by hir letters who was an enemy to d'Anuill to ayde d'Alphine in the custody of Languedoc to bring vnto him all the power hee was able to make All these things were done in the kings name Mombrune about the very comming of the Prince D'Aulphine slew fiue Ensignes of footemen at a towne called Pontereaw In the meane tyme D'Anuill lay still doing all things in the kings name neyther did he enterprise any thing any whit the more when he vnderstood of the imprisonment of his brother But the kings letters which Prince d'Aulphine sent vnto the lord d'Acier were intercepted at Pusin and came to his handes and by that hee perceyued the treason wrought against him then began he more openly to deale with them of the religion and to talke also with mons Sanroman to take certayne cities but somewhat to late For he lost the more noble cities by his
long delay But he tooke Mountpellier Boucar Lunell and Pozenac and from Pozenac he was repulsed by the treason of a certaine Captayne to whom hee had committed both the Citie and also his daughter which was but two yeeres olde At the last by the kings commaundement M. Coconass and d'Mole were arayned in the Senat of Paris and were condemned of high treason against the kings person the state for which they were put to death and their goods confiscate to the King Rumors were spred abroad that the Momorencies and Marshall Cosse were the chiefe authors of their conspiracies and yet notwithstanding it is euidently knowen that neither Cononas nor d'Mole nor any of those which were apprehended had committed any such thing Men sayd that the Duke of Alanson sought to flee vnto Lodowic Nassau bicause he knew that treason was practised against him The Senate doubted to condemne them for this cause for that the house of Nassau were called by the king in his Edicte his frendes But to the ende the treason might appere by the confession of those that were apprehended the king pronounced Lodowic Nassau to be his enimy And so the Senate gaue sentēce against them Amidst these domesticall confusions of the courte all things were ordered either by blinde treason or els by mad violence Wyse men blamed much the lingering delay of the Marshals who deferring the tyme loste all occasions to bring any thing well to passe and so behaued themselues that they seemed neuer so much as to haue those matters in their thought Notwithstanding it was certainly reported that a great number of the nobilitie of France abhorring long ago the gouernement of the Queene and of straungers bicause they were not only reiected but were also in daunger of their lyfe to fill vp those furies on Saint Barthelmewes day had determined to reuyue againe the authoritie of the States and to reforme all things according to the prescript of the auncient lawes of the Realme To this also there was added a newe cause namely the dispayred health of the king Therefore he being dead it was sayd that their purpose was to giue the gouernement of the Realme vnto the Duke of Alanson in the absence of his brother which was next heire vnto the Crowne It was also necessarie for the peace and tranquilitie of the Realme that Religion should be prouided for We will in another place set downe the forme of that protestation in the which d'Anuill declareth the causes why he armed him selfe Treason also was practised against the Prince of Conde Who at that tyme was at Amiens the chiefe citie of Picardie And hauing intelligence of the treason went out of Amiens a hunting as he pretended according to his woonted manner and so comming home to his house making M. Tore one of the brethrē of Momorencie acquainted with his purpose came with all posting speed into Germany where he was very curteously receyued Within few dayes after the king of Nauar published a bil by which he clered himself from all suspiciō of the said cōspiracie against the king Men said that this was made by the subtil practise of the Queene that the hatred spite of the whole matter might light vppō the heades of the Marshals And thus he beginneth Bicause I vnderstand that certaine deceyuers haue dishonestly and wickedly spred abroad false rumors concernyng mee by the which to the dishonour of my name that duetie which I owe vnto my soueraigne Lord the King is brought in doubt as though I were partaker of that conspiracie lately reuealed at Sangerman I haue I say for this cause intreated the Kings maiestie to giue me leaue to write these things thereby euidently to signify my will vnto all men Therfore my desire is that all men know that the same matter is most false fayned such as neuer came in my mynde And I am so far from being giltie of this facte that I am rather perswaded according to the bonde both of nature and also of deuine and humane lawes to spende my lyfe and goods and to loose my frendes for the dignitie of my soueraigne Lord the King and the safetie of his faithfull subiectes and by all manner of meanes to withstand their enterprises who being Rebelles to the King doe trouble the peace and tranquilitie of the realme The lyke bill also was seuerally published by the Duke of Alanson VVE spake before concerning the comming of Countie Mongomerie into Normandy And hee was not long in the towne of Sanlo but M. Matigon the Kings Lefetenant of the lower Normandy beseeged the same So soone as Mongomerie sawe that the same was beseeged after deliberation had he went out of the towne with a hundred and threescore horsemen for he had not two hundred in all and came to Danfro which as we sayd before he had taken Danfro is a little town of the lower Normandy in the territorie of Passi the Duke of Alansons dominion which towne was hitherto obscure and now by the calamitie of Mongomerie made famous beyng walled rounde about with a weake wal yet notwithstanding fortified with a strong Castell all along the same ran the riuer of Meisne Mongomerie purposed for the refreshing of his horses to tarry there certayne dayes and then to ioyne him selfe to the succours of his fellowes which came dayly out of diuers partes of Normandy and of other quarters therabouts So soone as Mons Matigon heard hereof how that Mongomerie was within the walles of Donfro he came without delay to Donfro leauing parte of his armie at the seege of Sanlo and with the sounde of Trumpets gathered together from all partes a great number of those countrey men and sent vnto the King for more ayde There came therefore vnto him of the Kings Souldiers from all places the citie was beseeged and the walles sodenly battered with great guns Mongomerie at the first sought to deliuer him selfe out of the towne the which when he could not doe hee lefte the Citie and tooke the Castell He had with him scarce a hundred and fyftie Souldiers who being out of hope sought all occasions eyther by colour of eruption or by parley to flee vnto the enemie The Castell was battered with ordinance The fyrst charge Mongomerie valiantly withstoode to the great hurte of his enimies but when he sawe that his men fell away from him and that hee wanted things necessarie for the defence of hym selfe and the Castell hee desired to parley with M. Matigon and yelded him selfe and his men vnto hym vppon certayne conditions namely that hee and his might departe with their lyues that for certaine dayes hee might go whether hee would and that hee should departe without losse of lyfe in safetie so soone as he had deliuered vp the Castell And thus hee yelded vp the castell and hym selfe to M. Matigon Then the Kynges Souldiers runnyng through the breaches of the walles into the Castell slue whomsoeuer they met contrary to their fayth
of the alterations of such good quiet prosperitie into such miserable commotions and extremities wherwith the countries are now suppressed your maiestie shall find them to spring out of the malice and enuie whiche some being about your Maiestie do beare to the prosperitie and welfare wherwith God almightie hath blessed your countries and subiectes Which enuie and cancred malice being further incensed stuffed with vnsatiable auarice vnmeasurable prodigalitie hath brought thē to such crueltie and tirannie that they altogether forgetting al affection seruice which they did owe vnto the countrey wherein they haue gotten great honour benefites haue to the great preiudice of the seruice of your Maiestie and common wealth of these countries prooured by all meanes and practises this most haynous fyre of commotion to thintent to aspire to the dignity surpassing the states of the lande yea of your maiestie And knowyng wel that to compasse that deuise it was a matter impossible the customes and liberties of the coūtryes remayning in force which do altogether contrarye their wicked pretence considering besides howe diligent and faithfull they of the saide countries were euery one in his vocation according to their othe to stand to the maintenaunce of the same they attempted in peruerse manner to interprete to your Maiestie the doings and procedings of the Lordes gouernours and states of the land tending to the mayntenaunce of the sayd rightes and liberties in suche sorte as if they tended to disobedience or rebellion towardes your Maiestie Amongst which specially some being spirituall persons haue by all meanes attempted and sought vnder pretence and shadowe of religion to confederate wyth other foraine prelates and so by secret attempts and practises to bring the countrie in hatred of your Maiestie to thintent that they with their confederates which are by oth allyed not with your Maiestie but with straunge rulers and countries in Italie and else where specially with the Pope of Roome might here beare rule and gouernaunce c. and as possibilitie and commoditie serued to enlarge and confirme the same For when they first perceiued that in all the countries here abouts yea ouer all Christendome their rude and manifest abuses and errours by reason of the negligence and auarice of the priestes were discribed and specially whē it began to greeue the chiefe notablest persons that they which ought onely to meddle with instructing of the people in the faith and feare of God and to execute his seruice with all fidelitie according to the example of the Prophetes and Apostles did in steade therof not onely contrarye to God his commaundement but also to the decrees of the former Popes and to al ordinances of the old counsels yea against all statutes and vsages of Princes and countries take vppon them to deale in worldly and Ciuil pollicies yea also in matters touching warfare and rule of countries seeking to suppresse all degrees and to reserue the generall gouernement too themselues taking in hande too bring all estates in disdaine and hatred of the Princes aswell the subiects of your Maiestie as of diuers other kinges and Potentates accusing them slaunderously with sedition and rebellion whereby they haue styrred and prouoked in all cuntries troubles and dissention warres and bloudshed setting the subiectes at discorde with their rulers and the rulers against the subiectes and generally turned all things vpside downe and brought in execrable confusion errour not esteeming who was endamaged so as they might atchieue the accomplishment of their rule and dominion and bring all things vnder their rule and aucthoritie And to that intent haue they sought to plant in this countrey the inquisition deuised and inuented in Spaine by certaine Iewes and Renegados by that meanes to breake all priuileges rightes and auncient customes and to make frustrate all sworne contracts vsages and counselles and so to get a full power and dominion ouer all your Maiesties faithfull seruants which stand to the othe whiche they haue made to your Maiestie not acknowledging any foraine Lords spiritual or temporal which might seeke by false accusations to impute vnto your subiectes heresie rebellion to the intent thereby to attaine to their purpose For better accomplishing whereof haue they by force vrged and brought in the newe Bishops contrary to all landrights and sworne priuileges to the empairing of your Maiesties aucthoritie chosing them not for vertue prudēce or learning being most of them of the most rude and vnlearnedst sort but onely for that they take them as faithful and true assistentes in the executing of their tiranny and crueltie Their saide vngodly enterprises and consequences of the same being the longer the more espied haue the most notablest Lords Gouernours and Gentlemen with the townes and countrey giuen intelligence knowledge to your Maiestie by continuall supplications remonstrances and other possible meanes howe much the aucthoritie of your Maiestie should be empaired shortened and deminished by the said Inquisitors and Bishops being most of them strāgers and outlanders by othe bound vnto foraine Princes and as they pretende exempt of your iurisdiction and by the same haue alleged the euident impossibilitie to bring in such innouations and nouelties but that it would tend to the vtter ruine and destruction of the whole countrie seing that it was most apparant that the bringing in therof was but a borowed cloake to shadow their doings in abusing of your Maiestie and suppressing of suche as would controle their wicked and moste notorious procedings and abuses whiche they themselues can scarce conceale Of which the number in these countries is so greate and manifolde and dayly doth yet more encrease that if your Maiestie would haue bin ruled by their persuasions and counsel in executing of rigour and extremities they would haue made your Maiestie a king without subiects and your subiects without rulers as is most notorious by the innumerable number of those which in these countries haue vnder pretence of religion bene executed and murthered aswell with fyre and water as with the sword besides an infinite multitude whiche are fled out of the countrie bearing with them all occupations and notable sciences to the instructing of others vnspeakeable preiudice of your Maiestie and countries Whereupon your Maiestie was in the ende occasioned to a myld moderation of the placardes by the same declaring that your meaning was not to bring in the Inquisition which likewise was by the Duchesse of Perma and the Lordes and Gouernours of the countrie in the behalfe of your Maiestie solemnly promised to all the Townes and subiects and accordingly published by open proclamations by commaundement of the Magistrates But shortly after all that was ouer turned by meanes of the aforsaide persons who in deed seeme to haue firmely perswaded your maiestie that such was to the diminishing of your maiesties reputation and dignitie vniustly alleadging that your subiects woulde withdrawe them selues from the duetifull obedience of your maiestie So that it is euident that