Religion would accept of any conditions But they beeing too often before beguyled with fayre wordes woulde not hearken thereto least the world should thinke that they were no longer able to maintaine their cause a speciall plotte sayd they to discountenaunce the rest of theyr proceedings The Protestants refuse a peace VVhereupon both the Catholiques and Protestants still continued to vexe each other in all hostill manner The Count de Lude and Puygalliard recouered Marans Browages and many other Islandes from the Confederates which were againe regayned by La Noue and stronglie fortifyed for the further aduauncement of the affayres of the Protestants Who preuayled also verie mightily by Sea taking manie great pryses which were no meanes to further theyr designements Whilest things fell out in this maner about Rochell the Princes the Admirall and the rest of the chiefest of the confederates had greatly encreased their forces and hasted to ioyne their troupes with Montgommerie Moubrune and other Chieftaines who had gathered a great number of harquebuziers to supply those bandes which had beene broken at the battell of Mountcounter And hauing thus reenforced their army they marched towards Lorrain there to attend the comming of theyr Almaynes And as they passed through Languedocke and came neare vnto Mountpellier La Loue one of the Mareschals of the campe was slaine as he was fast asleepe in the dead of the night through the great neglâ—gence of the Sentinels La Loue slain through the negligenâ—e of the Sentinels who beeing suddenly surprised by the garrison within the Towne were the cause of the death of this braue Chieftaine who for his valour courage and noble conduct was highly commended of all the Protestants Many townes were gayned by the Princes in these quarters as Lunell Nismes Margarite Saint Ambrose Saint Iean Saint Priuâ—te Bezouze Castillon Alâ—ts with sundâ—y other of good importance by which happy exploits the confederates did begin afresh to countenance themselues and to recouer much of their former honour and renowme When as the K. was aduertised of all their designes and how that they dayly encreased their forces surprised many castels strong holds and were now almost ioyned with their Reisters with whose ayd they resolued to returne againe into the heart of France and peraduenture once more to besiege the capitoll of all the Kingdome he dispatched forthwith the Mareschall Cossy with an armie wherein were 4000. Switzers 6000. French harquebuziers some 3. or 4000. horse and twelue great peeces of Ordinance with which forces he marched towards the princes Mareschal Cossy sent against the Princes who were incamped at a place called Saint Iean in Burgundy with some 2500. harquebuziers 2000. horse and eighteene cornets of Reisters These two armies came no sooner in view each of other but that their Enfans perdus began the game so that there was a hot skirmish on both sides The Prince of Berne and Conde were there in person each of them in the front of their Regiment and resolutely bent to go to the charge and there to make the first triall of their fortune The fight continued long and many were slaine but the Catholikes hauing the worse after they had lost Monsieur de Bellegard Monsieur de Bellegard slaine one of the Knights of the order besides diuerse others of good accouÌ„t were forced to suffer the Protestants to passe who hasting on their way after great trouble and a long and painefull iourney hauing in a maner rounded all Fraunce at the last they drewe neare to La Charitie Sancerre Antrin Vezelay and other Townes of the Religion where they defended themselues to theyr maruaylous comfort and contentation Nowe was the treatie of peace before mentioned reiterated and earnestly pursued by diuerse who perswaded the King The King perswaded to a peace that these intestine warres consumed none but his Subiectes that the murthers robberies burnings and such like miseryes woulde bee the confusion of the whole state and that who so euer gayned yet hee lost to the great impouerishing of the Crowne of Fraunce and the vtter destruction of that noble kingdome which had beene the paragon of all Europe These and the like reasons induced the King at length to condiscend to a peace which was accepted by the confederates and published in the yere 1570. to the great comfort of all the French and exceeding quiet of the whole lande where we may see the strange and wonderful mutabilitie of mens minds which as they are not long contented with one the self same estate so do they seldom or neuer like the better before they haue beene well scourged with the rod of their owne folly and taught by wofull experience howe to discerne betweene good and bad CHAP. XIIII Peace proclaimed in France The mariages of the King the Duke of Montpensier the Duke of Guise and the Admirall The Queene of Nauarre goeth to the Court The Admirall goeth to the Court The death of the Queene of Nauarre Peace proclaimed THe kings Edict for the establishing of a peace was no sooner published but that the forces on both sides were forthwith licenced to depart euery man to his owne house which hee had not seene for a long time before to the vnspeakable ioy of the protestaÌ„ts no small comfort to the better and honester sort of the Papists who as mariners that haue escaped some dangerous troublesom tempests and are arriued safely in their wished port held vp their haÌ„ds to heauen with giuing thanks for so vnspeakeable a blessing and earnestly entreated the almightie that they might spend the rest of their dayes in peace and quietnes The Princes with the Queene of Nauarre and sundry of the chiefe of the Protestants as the Admirall the Count Lodowick of Nassau Teligny La Noue and diuerse other withdrew themselues to Rochell for their greater securitie vntil they might see how the kings Edict would be executed Now began there a great alteration in the minds of the French all mens actions were suddenly changed as a man would haue thought after a strange wonderfull maner For where as not long before there was no talke but of hatred wrath murther bloodie broyles and most cruel and vnnaturall warres now was there nothing so much spoken of as loue amitie friendship and making of mariages The King was espoused to Isabel the second daughter to Maximilian the emperor The King marrieth whose nuptials were solemnised with great pompe and magnificence Lois of Burbon and Duke of Montpensier maried with the Duke of Guises sister Duke Montpensier marrieth and the Duke of Guise matched with the widowe of the late Prince Portion D. of Guise marieth one of the principall of the Confederates The Mareschall Cossy and Prontiere one of the Secretaryes of estate were sent vnto Rochell to treate with the Queene of Nauarre as touching a marriage betweene the Prince of Barne her sonne and the Ladie Margaret the Kinges sister a thing in shewe highlie tending to the honour of the Prince and the establishing of a perpetuall peace and amitie with the Confederates The Prince of Conde was marryed to Marie de Cleues The prince of Conde marrieth the youngest daughter to
a straight commaundement to all his ordinance and men of armes to assemble themselues at Pierreport in as warlike maner as might be there to attend his further pleasure and to be in a readinesse to be employed as occasion should be offered King Philip of Spaine had likewise gathered a very strong power and al things were prouided by these two mightie Monarkes as though they ment to determine all their controuersies by some one cruel bloody battell But God who ruleth the hearts of princes disposed of their intentions far otherwise then their blind affections led them For vpoÌ„ the sudden their hard harts began to be mollified and each party inclined to peace so that the place being appointed and the deputies on both sides agreed vpon they met about the midst of October following at Cercam betweene Artoys and Pycardy There were many complaints on both sides and a commemoration of sundry indignities offered on either part Each defended others doings neither was there any likelihood of better agreement so that after many contentious words their assembly brake vp without any coÌ„clusion for peace and yet for that winter approched the soldiers were not able to keep the field Peace concluded between France and Spaine both princes dissolued their armies and licenced their men of warre to repose themselues vntill the next yere But before that time by reason of newe occurrences there was a generall peace proclaimed betweene these two nations each linked with other with very strait alliances For King Philip whose wife Mary Queene of England was lately deceassed was contented to take in marriage Elizabeth the eldest daughter of Henry the French King and Pilebert Emmanuel duke of Sauoy was affianced vnto madame Margaret his sister so that by reason of these new coÌ„iunctions there insued much quietnes to all Christendome but especially to these two kingdoms who now had made an end of all their quarels contentions and seemed to study of nothing but how they might honor and solemnise in most royall maner these new marriages There was exceeding sumptuous preparation against the appointed time all the Nobilitie of France were assembled at Paris to attend the king to honor these espousals The lady Elizabeth was coÌ„ducted by the king her father to our Lady Church at the day prefixed in most pompous and stately maner and there married by the Cardinall of Burbon to the Duke of Alua was who constituted Procurator of the king of Spaine his maister The Duke of Alua marrieth the French kings daughter for his maister the king of Spaine There were all the princes of the bloud attending in their order and many cheefe Prelates and all the officers of the crowne The Duke of Alua was accompanied with the Prince of Orenge Count Egmond and sundrie other very honourable personages The marriage being finished there was exceeding feasting banquetting and cheering with dauncing masking and all other pastimes that could be imagined both to delight the eye and please the eare The king reioyced to see his daughter so honourably aduanced the Nobilitie and commonaltie were maruailously glad to remember what ease peace and tranquilitie they should enioy by this newe affinitie and all sorts seemed to triumph hoping there would be a perpetuall league and corespondency betweene these two Nations but now behold a woful mishap and lamentable mischance wherewith all this mirth and iollity was turned into weeping wailing and great sorrow so enterchangeably doo these two accompany each other so certainely do they follow one another The French king who had bin the principall challenger at tilt assisted by the Duke of Guyse Alphonse the Prince of Ferrara and the Duke of Nemours hauing borne himselfe very nobly that day and broken many staues to his great honor and high commendation would needes in the end run a course with count De Mont-gommery a valiant gentleman of France who at the first refusing The French King slaine with running a course at â—â—lt yet commanded by the king accepted the condition and offered so freely that theyr staues flying in peeces some of the shiuers getting in at the sight of the beuer pearced into the kings head greeuously wounded him that he died within eleuen daies after to the immesurable greefe of his subiects after hee hadde raigned twelue yeeres three moneths and tenne dayes CHAP. VI. Francis the second the French King The Guises authors of all the confusion in France The Guises ioyne with the Queene mother against the King of Nauarre The King of Nauarre yeeldeth to the Queene mother The Duke of Guise made Lieutenant for the King and Henrie Cardinall of Lorraine made L. Treasurer of France They incense the King agaynst the princes of the blood The enterprise of the Lord of Renaudie The hatred of the Guises towards the three Chastillons The Prince of Conde beeing discontented goeth from the Court The order of the States of France The Admirall presenteth the supplication of the Hugonots to the king The Prince of Conde committed to prison and is condemned to die The death of the King THe Kingdome of France had for manie yeares togither beene verie well acquainted with the variable and changeable estate of vnconstaunt fortune and vnder Charles the eight Lewis the twelfth Francis the first and Henrie the seconde had by wofull experience found how subiect the most flourishing estates kingdoms coÌ„monwealths are to a continuall change and alteration and therfore hauing by long obseruatioÌ„ perfitly learned that the best means to maintain her selfe in her wonted grandeur and glory was to be leagued with her neighbour Countries and to be at peace and vnitie at home beganne to haue a flexible heart and to encline to quietnesse as much as might bee so that hauing ended all quarrels and buried all wronges and indignities in the pit of obliuion and by a neare coniunction with the Spanyard her ancient and mightie enemy in the opinion of most men procured her selfe a perpetuall peace began as it were to clap her handes for ioy and seriously to tryumph in so incomparable a benefite But the fatall and ineuitable mishap of this most noble kingdome which had florished for so many hundred yeares and had been the paragon of her neighbor nations could not as it seemeth be auoyded but that it must needes take place and wanting forraigne enemies to worke her ouerthrow must needes hatch a viperous brood which by gnawing out the belly of their owne mother haue most vnnaturally sought the destruction of her who haue most tenderly fostered and brought them vp The house of Guyse the principall cause of all the sturres in France The principall cause to produce so lamentable an effect and the only means in a maner to hatch so horrible a mischiefe was the immesurable ambition of that haughtie and aspiring house of Guyse who albeit they were straungers and no natural French men yet fortune so fauoured their attempts and made some of them
the Duke of Neuers the Admirall with the daughter of the Count of Entremont in Sauoy The admiral marieth and the young Teligny with Lois of Colligny the Admirals daughter thus was there nothing but feasting banquetting singing reuelling and making of loue throughout all the partes of Fraunce The king seemed to stande highly contented with this peace and began dayly more and more to countenaunce the Protestants For hauing once perswaded the Queene of Nauarre to come to the court The Queene of Nauarre goeth to the Court. both he the Queene mother the Dukes of Aniou and Alenson the Kings brethren did intertaine her in most louing and friendly maner making her the best welcome that might be imagined Count Lodowicke brother to the Prince of Orenge who attended her was likewise verie honourably receyued by the King who promised him to ayde the Prince his brother agaynst the Spaniard and for that purpose had commaunded preparation to be made both by sea and land as though he had entended to begin the warres with all speede so that the King desired nothing more then to aduaunce the affayres of the Protestants The marriage of the yong Prince of Barne and the conquest of the lowe Countreys were the things that the King seemed to affect most And because the Admirall was a verie wise man an olde Souldiour the best experienced Captaine of all Fraunce and most skilfull in warlike affayres The King sent the Mareschall Cossy to Rochell to perswade with him to come to the Court and to assist his soueraigne in so honourable an enterprise the Admirall at the first was very vnwilling of himselfe and had dayly aduertisements to disswade him from that voyage The admiral goeth to the Court. But after many perswasions vsed by the Mareschall sundry friendly messages from the King and his fatall mishap as it were leading him thereunto he suffred himself to be gained and to be wooed by those who indeed loued him but a little He was no sooner come to Paris but the people flocked togither to see him His entertainment as to see a wonder The King receyued him with much kindnesse giuing him great honour calling him father at euerie worde And when the Admirall kneeled the King arose and tooke him vp protesting that he was the most welcome man liuing and that neuer any day was more ioiful vnto him then that wherein he did see the end of so many miseries and the beginning of peace and quietnesse for the whole lande And among manie other speaches hee chaunced to vtter these words Nowe we haue once gotten your companie you shal not depart from vs and this hee vttered with great laughter as a token of much ioy and delight The Queene mother his excellencie the Duke of Alenson and all the principall Courtiers welcomed him with farre greater honour then he expected and that which was more all these curtesies were accompanied with the great liberalitie of the Prince who gaue him an hundred thousand pounds in recompence of his losses sustained in the former wars besides the reuenues of the benefices which were belonging to his brother Odet the Cardinal of Chastillon who was lately deceased in England He was also admitted into the Kings priuie Councell His sonne in law Teligny was verie much honoured Cauagnes was made one of the maisters of the requests and to be short all the Admirals friends tasted of the kings liberalitie to the great contentment of the Protestants and the maruellous grudging of the Catholiques This honourable dealing gaue great hope of the continuance of the peace and the encrease of amitie amongest the French Nation in so much as the most rested secure reposing themselues in the faythfull promises of their prince yet manie suspected that all was but holy water of the Court and alluring baytes to catch the poore Protestants and afterwards to dispose of them as should be thought for their most aduauntage following said they herein the olde maxime in pollicie which is that where the skin of the Lion will not serue there it is best to put on the foxes coat The Queene of Nauarre was earnestly disswaded by sundry letters from many other friends from giuing her consent to the mariage The Admirall was likewise aduertised by secret messengers that in no wise he should go to Paris nor come within the reach of his enemies but all would not serue so desirous were they of the yong princes preferment so maruellously blinded at that instant But whilest the Queene of Nauarre was at Paris busied in prouiding for the mariage of her son she suddenly fell sicke and died the 10. of Iune The death of Ioan of Albret Queene of Nauarre 1572. to the great griefe of those of the reformed religion who exceedingly bewayled the death of so vertuous and constant a Lady and one that had beene a most noble maintainer of the truth all her dayes CHAP. XV. The Massacre at Paris THe sudden death of this Queene bred a sore suspition that she was poisoned and withal brought some delay the to mariage but at length all doubts being cleared both parties agreed the time appointed for the solemnising of the nuptials being come the yong King of Nauarre and the Lady Margaret were affianced with great solemnitie in our Lady Church in Paris by the Cardinall of Burbon the 18. of August 1572. in the presence of the King The mariage of the King of Nauarre the Queene mother the Duke of Aniou and Alenson the Prince of Conde with all the principal protestants The mariage ended there was nothing but banketting chearing tilting and all the deuises that might bee to please the eie and delight the eare to set forth all things in most royall and magnificent maner All old rancour and malice seemed to be buried in the pit of obliuion by reason of this new alliance which confirmed the hope of a most blessed peace in the time to come But in the middest of all this ioy and solace there fell out a sudden accident which astonished some and made others to bethinke themselues and to suspect the worst and that was this The admiral shot with an harquebuz Vpon the 22. of August as the Admirall was going from the Court toward his lodging hee was suddainlie shotte with a harquebuz out at a window of the house where Villemus who had beene schoole-maister to the Duke of Guise did vsually lodge and sore wounded with three Bullettes as hee was going a soft pace in the streete and reading a Supplication which had beene deliuered vnto him a little before One of the Bullets stroke off his fore finger and with the other hee was wounded in the left Arme. The Admirall