they were all as well strangled as burned There was not then any kinde of cruelty that was not practised some but very few escaped the slaughter who saued themselues at Geneue and places bordring vpon it Now for that the K. before continued the persecutions and burning paines against the Lutheranes In the moneth of May the Protestant Princes of Germany besought the K. by letters written from Ratisbone for his subiects who were so researched pursued for the same faith which they helde And for that some made their owne peace redeeming their life their goods and estates by abiuration of their faith they besought him that that condition might be taken away declaring how dāgerous a thing it was so to wound and make seruile the consciences of men But the brute of so strange an effusion of bloud animated them the more and offended many which greatly abated the credit which the King had gotten throughout Germanye no lesse then in Zuizerland where the reformed ceased not as neerest neighbors to be mediators towards the K. that he would take pittie of th'escaped but for a full answere he sent vnto thē word that for iust cause he had commaunded that execution to be done and that they had no more to doe with what he did in his owne country or what punishment of iustice he made ouer his malefactors then he had to intermeddle with their affairs See now how the will and nature of men changing with the affaires and reportes King Frauncis ordained a punishment for the Authors of this tragedie how his sonne Henry carryed himselfe in the execution thereof and all that which followed to serue for most remarqueable occurrences which may possible happen to any estate That which moued Henry 2. King of Fraunce to publishe his letters pattentes in forme of adiournement against those of the Parlament of Prouence who had shed the bloud of the inhabitants of Cabriere and Merindol and other neighbours about was that his Father King Francis at the point of death touched with remorce and greefe that he could not before he died make a punishment in example of such as vnder his name authority had wrought so strange cruelties against his subiectes of Prouence charged his son with great obtestations not to defer the punishment how otherwise God who leaueth no such outrages and sackings vnpunished would worke the reuenge and so much the more saith he as this affaire toucheth our honour among all nations it cannot be better repaired then in making all them suffer who in such cruelty abused the dutie of their charge without sparing great or small weake or mightye that by their example all men hereafter might take heede of any the like enterprises This was the occasion why King Henry decreede by his letters pattents as followeth Letters pattents against the executioners of the arrest in Prouence vpon Cabrieres and Merindol HEnry by the grace of God King of Fraunce to our first Hussier greeting Our Proctour in our great Councell appointed by vs Proctour in causes after mentioned hath caused to be deliuered and tolde vnto vs how in the yeare 1540. the 18. day of Nouember there was a certaine iudgement giuen in our Court of Prouence which they would call and terme the arrest of Merindol by vertue of which 14. or 16. particular men therin named inhabitantes of Merindol stoode condemned for defaulte and contumacy to be burned as heretiques and Vaudois and in case they could not be apprehended to be burned in picture and their wiues infants and maidens were defeated and abandoned and in case they could not be taken they were then pronounced banished and their goods confiscate a matter notoriously iniust against al law reason And albeit that the inhabitāts of the said Merindol were neuer heard nor called to their answer yet by the said iudgemēt it was set down that al the houses of the said Merindol should be thrown down the town made vnhabitable And in the yere 1544. the said inhabitāts made their repair to the late K. of famous memory our father last deceased whom God absolue others who were likewise helde for heretiques declaring how against all truth they were tearmed Vaudois and heretiques They obtained letters of our said late Lord and father whome they had let to vnderstand how they were dayly troubled and molested by the Bishops of the Countrie and by the Presidents and Councellors of our Parliament of Prouence who had already sued for their confiscations and landes for their kinsfolkes minding hereby to driue them cleane out of the Countrye beseeching our saide late Father that he would search out the truth Whereupon it was ordained that a Maister of Requests and a Doctor of Diuinity should goe downe to those places and throughly enquire of their manner of liuings and for that the said Lord could not so readilye send thither he should in the meane time take into his owne hands all such sutes as were depending by reason thereof and forbid all cognoissance thereof to the people of our courte of Parliamēt of Prouence the which euocation was signified to our said court the 25. of October following which standing much discontented with the contents therof sent to the K. an Hussier to pursue letters of reuocation which were obtained the first of Ianuary after by which vpon information made to the late Lord the King how they had beene in armes in great assemblie forcing towns and Castles pulling prisonners out of prisons and rebellious to all iustice keeping it in subiection the saide late Lord permitted them to execute the Arrestes giuen against them reuoking the saide letters of euocation in regarde of the relapse hauing not abiured And ordained that all such as should be found charged and culpable of heresie and the Vaudoise sect should be extermined And that to that end the Gouernour of the Countrie or his Lieuetenant should therto imploy his forces wherby iustice might be obeyed which letters were not signified but kept vntill the 12. of Aprill following which was the day of Quasimodo on which day after dinner the first President Master Iohn Minier caused the said Court to assemble and caused our Proctour to present the saide letters and require execution of the saide pretended Arrest of the 18. of Nouember 1540. of which no mention was made in the said letters but only in generall termes of arrests giuen against the Vaudois and hereupon it was set downe that the said pretended arrest should be executed according to the forme and tennor making like errour as before And that the saide Commissioners already deputed should goe to the saide place of Merindol and other places requisite and necessary for the execution thereof and that all those that were of the saide sect should be extermined and such as were taken prisonners should be led into the Gallyes for a prison there were appointed for the executioners Maister Francis de la Fond second President Honore de Tributiis and Bernard
person hee sent out men of worth and reputation all Cardinals for his Legates to all Princes Now albeit this beginning had bred in the hart of euery one a great hope of a laudable conduct and moâ—â— happy end to ensue the whole plat yea after the Truce was accepted of among them which shewed themselues with great vaunts and mighty words ready for the execution of such an enterprise yet each one finding very vneasie the conduct of a matter so greatly important the euent vncertaine farre distance and more appertayning to the estates of the one then the other and which asked a farre longer time to compasse among themselues so vniuersall an vnion and affection as was requisite to this action the priuate interests and commodities cleane carried away the consideration of the publique In such sorte that these practises were not onely not brought to any assured hope of to come but were handled lightly and almost in a kinde of ceremonie each one to acquite himselfe so of his duetie according to the nature of men to whom things in the beginning seeming most terrible doe so diminish day by day and vanish by little and little in such sorte that without a chaunce of new accidents which may renew their feare they yeelde themselues but too soone assured of what may afterwards betide them so as this negligence of the publique cause immoderate affection of some particular was the more confirmed by the death of Selim whose long sicknes had delaied and his death after cleane broken the preparations of the warre who left so great an Empire to his sonne Soliman yong of age but accounted of a milde spirite and little courage though his effectes after shewed the contrary that the Christians not esteeming him borne for armes soone enough freed themselues of the feare which they had had of the actions passed Notwithstanding before the death of Selim and during the occasions as yet they had to feare the Turke the Emperour assigned a day at Ausbourge whether all the Princes christned were summoned to answere And to that end Pope Leo sent his Bulls of great pardons throughout all Christendome with promise of remission of sinnes and kingdom of heauen to all such as would help the Church with a certain summe of monie and as well to aduance forward his Indulgences as to animate the Christians to this warre he dispatched Thomas Caietan his Legate into Germanie Heereupon the quicke and prompt spirite of Luther who as the most renowmed of his owne profession had already read many sortes of Bookes in the most famous Vniuersitie of Germanye found the preachinges and cariadges of these Questors very strange Afterwards comming to doubt of the vertue of pardons because hee saide that hee neuer remembred he found in his bookes that one ought to make traffique of the sinnes of men and least that they could be redeemed with any monie but the bloud of Christ since that the Cannon did teach sinnes could not be remitted by pardons no more then that the Preachers ought to sell license to eate Egges Milke Flesh and Cheese vpon daies forbidden promising besides to forgiue all sinnes how great soeuer yea and to come sent out his letters in October 1517. to certaine Prelates of Germany praying them to take order therein to refourme the preachinges and imprinted bookes of those Questors and since sent ninety fiue propositions a little before published at Witemburge in manner of a scholasticall desputation of Purgatory Penance duetie of Charitie Indulgences and pardons to search out saide hee the truth and not to resolue protesting that he would affirme nothing therein but submit all to the iudgement of the holy Church Now he first addressed himselfe to the Archbishop of Mayence for the reasons which ensue Albert of Brandebourge hauing bene lately by Pope Leo created Archbishop of Mayence seeing that the Chaptre and Cannons excused themselues by reason of their former charges not to bee able to furnish him with monye to buye his Episcopall mantle which will cost aboue thirtye thousand Crownes before it bee brought home found meanes by accorde with the Pope to sende Iohn Tekel a Iacobin to preach pardons alreadye published else where throughout all his Diocesse and to set forth their vertue to all such as would disburse monye with charge that halfe the gaine should returne to Rome for the building vp of the Church of S. Peter for in as much as the Foucres of Germanie had imprest their monie there could not be a better meanes then this found to repaire them Such was the first howsoeuer the most apparant beginning of our euils drawne from a thrid of wooll which since hath been by so many people in so many places and so strongly winded and writhed as many millions of men haue bene thereby hanged and strangled Now beit for feare of censures or thunder of excommunication which these Questors caried about with them no man durst lifte vp his head to bande against them but Luther many Diuines and Lawyers to apease the murmures shut his mouth began to inueigh against him by a form of answer to his solate and hardye propositions among the rest Iohn Tekel published certaine theames cleane contrary at Frankfort on the Viadre in the seignorie of Brandebourghe praising therein aboue all the authoritie of the Pope the profit of pardons and the woodden Crosse which the Pope had caused to be set vp in all Temples comparing it to Iesus Christ as Leo to S. Peter whereupon Luther taking occasion to manifest himselfe sent the explication of his owne to sundry and euen to Leo himselfe in Iune 1518. declaring vnto him what follies his Questors had taught and their pickerie of the simplier people trusting vpon or abusing his authoritie and for that hee doubted he might be accused towards him he besought him to giue no credit to their calumnies considering that Frederick the Elector the vniuersitie of Wittenberge nor so many other would haue approued his actions if there had bene any impiety in them In summe hee submitted his writinges his life and his health to his good pleasure accounting whatsoeuer should proceede from him as from Christ not refusing to haue his head strooke of if he would so ordaine it Hereupon Iohn Eccius a Diuine published to the contrary a Booke entituled Les Effaceurs to cote the faultes of Luthers writings But he that most of all animated him was Siluestre Prieras Iacobin master of S. Pallaies by a booke where hauing set downe the Pope aboue the Councell yea and the scripture it selfe which said he had no vertue and authoritie but from the Church and Pope of Rome hee seemed to take occasion to digresse vpon the great vertue of Indulgences for Luther setting himselfe to answere it said that it was a booke so full of horrible lyes and blasphemies against the diuine name that there is great apparence that Sathan was the very author that if the Pope saith he
all the charges of the Empire beseeching him to reconcile the Princes one to another in which the staye and encrease of the Empire wholly consisted the true and nearest cause of the ruyne thereof proceeding from diuision Then that hee woulde yeelde all ayde to his Sonne Philip as a neyghbour to such an enemye as the King of Fraunce was In the ende beeyng determyned to departe hee was stayed thourough the vyolence of his diseases contratyeties of windes long staye in the preparation of his Shippes and thourough a difference fallen out in some of the townes which would by no meanes receyue his sonne the father liuing and other which woulde haue his nephewe Ferdinande seconde sonne to the King of Romanes for their gouernour Ioint the male contentment of a number of Lordes and other who hauing employed all their meanes and often times their life in his seruice vnder a hope of great recompence sawe themselues by this his dimission and departure into Spaine frustrated of all their hope which they coulde not hope for at his sonnes handes who as ordinarily newe Kinges affecte newe seruauntes woulde employe his meanes but to the aduauncement of his fauourites or in recompencing their paines and seruice towardes him of whome himselfe had beene an eye witnesse About the ende of Nouember Ferdinande King of Romanes hauing assembled together the greatest parte of his men of warre wente downe the Danube as farre as Vienne to make head against the Turke who made great preparation for his descente into Hungarie to besiege agayne Vienne in Austria as I will shewe you To open vnto you the affayres and chaunges of the Realme of Englande in fewe woordes Henry the eyghte discontented in that he had no other heyre but Mary borne of Katherine aunte vnto the Emperour whome his brother Arthur had marryed at the age of foureteene yeeres and lefte her a Virgine by the aduice of the Cardinall of Yorke and many dyuines as well Frenche as Almaines and English diuorced her and hauing in full assemblie declared his daughter Marye illegitimate marryed Anne Bullen one of his wifes maydes the which Pope Clemente the seuenth so hardly coulde digest as that he condemned this diuorce as vniust and of euill example especially for that Anne was a Lutherane and he feared least the King and all his Realme woulde confourme them selues to the like religion Whereat Henrye tooke such disdayne as hee declared himselfe head of the Church thorough out all Englande with forbidding any to aduowe the Pope for head or to transporte any money to Rome or paye Peterpence a reuennewe which euerye house yearely payde according to the ordynaunce of Inas in the yeere seuen hundred and fourtie Whereupon there ensued a great alteration of Religion thorough out the whole Realme so confirmed by Edwarde his sonne as that the catholique was cleane banished out of Englande at the least in publique which caused many Englishe men to flye the Realme to seeke in some other Countrey a place of more free conscience Seeyng that the Dukes of Sommerset and Northumberlande gouerned the roaste in the yeere 1553. Notwithstanding as after the death of the Duke of Sommerset the Duke of Northumberlande seeyng howe the King was fallen sicke of a Fluxe which fell into his stomache from the moneth of Februarie had marryed his sonne Guilforde to â—anâ— daughter to the Duke of Suffolke and cousin vnto the sicke King hee wrought so much as that the young King reiecting his sisters Marye and Elizabeth declared for his heyre and Inherittice vnto the Crowne of Englande this Iane of Suffolke to the ende that by this meanes hee mought traunsferre the Royalle into his owne House and disinherite the true Heyres of their righte and legitimate Succession This Marriage and Testamentarie declaration beeyng done in the moneth of May gaue occasion to a number to thinke that this young King whome they helde for the piller of men of knowledge and gaue great hope of future vertue was poysoned and that beeing assured of the time of his death they had caused him to doe whatsoeuer they woulde haue him well were it of poyson or of a Caterre so it is that Edwarde the sixte of that name and the one and fourtie K. of England dyed the sixt day of Iuly the seuenth yeere of his Raigne and the sixteenth of his age solemly entered at Westminster not without the teares of his subiects who saide that his death was presaged by a Comet which appeared a little before his departure and by the great stormes windes tempests and thunders which had that yeere tormented London the chiefe Cittie of the Realme as the witnesses of such troubles as shortly after ensued in England for the people hating in secrete this Duke of Northumberland held for suspected the testament of King Edward as a thing made too much to the aduantage of the Duke and many Lords of the Countrie terming him too ambitious wrote vnto Mary the eldest daughter of K. Henrie the eight encouraging her to declare her selfe Queene and offring vnto her all dutie and seruice Marye who had no great meanes durst not so soone come to London to the ende that according to the custome she might remaine ten daies in the Tower before her Coronation but went into the Countrie and Dukedome of Norfolke bordering on the Sea coast from whence shee wrote to sundrie Princes and Lords of the Countrie complayning how that Iane of Suffolk had enterprised against her and that Edward was not able to dispose of the Crowne which appertained vnto her being the next daughter vnto the late Kinge Henrie she laide before them the wrong which had beene done vnto Katherine her mother and next vnto her selfe and that none of King Henrie his children were to succeede before her protesting that shee would pursue her right by the sworde and not suffer the Duke of Northumberland to vaunt how he would dispose at his pleasure of the Realme of England These letters being brought to London at the selfe same time as Iane of Suffolke against her will was proclaimed Queene within the Tower of London caused a great chaunge of dispositions among the Lordes there present and a strange alienating of their mindes touching the case of Iane whome sundrie from thence foorth left to take Maries parte The which caused the Duke of Northumberland to send certaine troupes of men at armes into the Countrie of Norfolke thinking thereby to hinder her desseins But in the meane time shee was proclaimed Queene in Suffolke by the principall personages of the land So as hauing recouered some succours from the Emperour on the coast of Flaunders albeit that the Duke had strongly armed vppon the Seas to hinder their comming shee practised with a number of the cheefe of the Duke his armie which in the ende incorporated themselues to hers In the meane time Northumberland to playe on the surer side woulde needes haue the Duke of Suffolke Father to Iane to goe as her Lieutennant
themselues sooner beaten then assailed by those whose very first March they alwaies before despised Then after manye and light brunts with the common faith receiued in Fraunce since the sure and publicke establishmentes of Christian Religion by Berenger of Tours Abeyllard Breton Amaury of Chartres Arnold of Bresse and other followed by a great number of Sectaries as well in this Realme as else where it neuer was so earnestly assaulted as by the Vaudoios and their successors in Guienne and Countries about which they named Albigeois of the towne of Alby chiefe of Albigeois scituate betweene Languedos and Quercy Who in spight of all the Potentates of Christendome sowed about the yeare 1100. and euen since their doctrine smally differing from the Protestants at this day Not onely through Fraunce but almost all the Countries of Europe For the French Spanish English Scots Italians Germaines Bohemians Saxons Polonians Lithuaniens and other people haue mightily defended it vntill this present After that this doctrine had a while crept thorough Fraunce in the end as the heate of burning coles doth exhalate and pearce thorough by little and little the thicknesse of the Sinders not able to quench it it grew more commonly knowne by Prayers publike exhortations administrations of Sacraments and other vses the course whereof the Clergie not being able to hinder sought vnder the authoritie of the Pope aide and force at the hands of Christian Princes whome they speedely armed against the Albigeois Whom after a number of assaults battels reencounters losses ruines victories and reciprocal aduantages from the yeare 1200. For 50. yeares after euer maintaining by armes and force the outward shew of their liues their doctrine and their Countrie together vntil that the chiefe of them were defeated and empouerished other gained by faire protestations promises of better hap and all in generall together wearie with the continuance of so long Ciuil warres The Christian Princes and Prelats of the Church left as in contempt a wandering people of all parts terrified with so cruell a warre insisting in their first opinion which rather the ease of the rest they after felt caused them to chaunge then any rigour of their enemies So as all the French anon after returned to the same doctrine from which their fathers had so much swarued except such as retired themselues into the mountaines chiefely the Prouencaux Sauoyarts Dauphinois and Piemontois of whome there were many sent into Lombardie Calabria Pouille Sicille Germaine and other places to the end they might plant the fruite of that doctrine which they stoode assured was the most true auncient of Christendome Now the English was Lord of Guienne in the time of these Albigeois wars by reason that Henrie of Aniou after the death of Stephen became king of England Duke of Normandie Earle of Aniou Tourraine and Maine And afterwards grew to be Earle of Poictou and Duke of Aquitaine called Guienne by vertue of Eleonor his wife daughter to Guillame last Earle of Poictou whom king Louys le Ieune had diuourced So as sundry English men which ordinarily came into those countries either by reasons of trafique and marchandise or warre against the French had speedely enough being imbrued with the same opinions spread them abroad in their owne Countrie Which hauing beene conceiued and explaned by manie in the end fell from hand to hand into the heade of Wicklife about 50. yeares after a greatly renowned Diuine in the Vniuersitie of Oxford and Curate of Luteruorth in the Diocesse of Lincolne Who in the end being a Doctor in Diuinitie thorough his eloquence and rare Doctrine gained so farre the harts and vnderstandings of the English and chiefely of the greatest sorte as the Duke of Lancaster vncle to king Richard Henrie of Persye Lewes Clifford the Chaunlor Kegli the Earle of Sarisburie others as a long time after he preached wrought and dispersed with all libertie what best seemed good vnto him Most chiefely vnder King Edward True it is that Pope Alexander thorough the sollicitings of the chiefe of the Clergie animated Richard his successor much against him in the yere 1382 Who preuailed so farre that after sundrie disputations of the Articles of his faith hee was banished afterwards called home and dyed 1387. But 40. yeares after his decease his body was puld out of the grounde by the Popes commandement and his bones burned at Oxford 1410. before the Abbot of Shrewsberie then Chancelor And albeit that 13. yeares after his death 1401. his doctrine was vtterly condemned in open Parliament with an Iniunction to all men to seeke out those Lollards so called they such as professed that order of doctrine according vnto those of Pologne and borderers vnto it yet for all that could it not hinder the multiplying thereof as well in that Countrie as else where Chiefely in Germanie by reason of the great learning which was taught by the famous Fathers of the Vniuersitie of Oxford Wher among other a Scholer of Bohemia being much delighted in a booke of Wicklifes called The Vniuersales caried a Coppie thereof with him into his Countrie where the Vniuersitie of Prague was of great commendations In which Iohn Hus more renowned then the rest for his quicknes of spirite made himselfe for all that much better knowne after the reading of those bookes which he explaned and so much thereby encreased the doctrine which long since was spread abroad in those quarters that many of the people Scholers and of the very Nobles and Clergie themselues followed the same as a matter worthy to bee receiued among men Now among the rest of the people which for their conscience were persecuted the Bohemians had beene long before Iohn Hus by Venceslaus King of Bohemia who made great search after them roundly punished them And by the Pope who long before that had sent thither an inquisitor of the ill affected of the faith who Iohn Hus liuing was named Bishop of Nazaret Be it then that the persecutions either coolled this kinde of people thorough out Christendome or that the Princes and Cleargie made no accounte of those who standing fauoured by no great personages became all simple people and inhabitants of the Montaignes as those of Piemont Sauoye Calabria and other the Bohemians stoode at that instant most renowned and worst ment to Especially after that Hus had reformed his preaching leassons and writings by the tradition of Wicklife So as in the yeare 1414. the Counsell being summoned at Constance for the controuersie of the Popes and reformation of the Cleargie Iohn Hus a Batchelor in Diuinitie to the end to purge himselfe of the heresie which was laide to his charge was cited thither by the Pope and after hauing refused to come accounting it no safe or sure place hee was perswaded by Sigismond the Emperour that they might safely goe thether and returne againe at the request of his brother Venceslaus King of the Countrie and besides that
Venceslaus of Dube and Iohn De Chlum Gentlemen of Pologne should accompanie him But so farre was hee from being suffered to present himselfe to the assembly of the Councell to render accounte of his faith as the Emperour and his brother would haue had it that the Cardinals clapt him vp close prisoner cleane contrarie to the earnest requests which not onely many Gentlemen of Bohemia but the very Vniuersitie of Prague made that he might not bee condemned before hee were publikely hard But in the end the Emperour being perswaded that there could bee no defence safe conduct or other meanes yeelded to him which had beene alreadie condemned as an heretique and especially a Protestant publike profest and that he ought rather to prepare woode and fire to consume him into ashes if he would not decline from his obstinacie the seuenth of Iuly presiding amidst al the Princes Prelates with his imperiall robes in the great temple of Constance after certaine Articles there drawne out of his writings as hereticall one of the deputies which examined him pronounced that the Councell declared him for an heretique a Disciple and fauourer of Wicklife whose books had beene already burnt by a Councel at Rome that he was wilfull in his heresies for the appeale which he had cast in from the Councell to Iesus reprouing his appellation as scandalous and iniurious to the Popes authoritie and Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and therefore hee was to bee disgraded of his Priestly order with all infamie and reproch afterwardes the Bishops attired him in a profane garment and estate and gaue him a crowne of Paper one cubite high painted with three blacke and ougly Deuils hauing for deuise Heresiarcha as one shoulde saye the chiefe and Prince of heretiques This doone the Emperour into whose handes the Cleargie had put him as the secular arme commanded D. Louis of Bauiere kneeling before him with his ornament in his hand an Apple of Golde and the figure of the Crosse to deliuer him to the hangman who hauing burned his bookes and tyed him fast with an yron cheane to a stake piled vp with woode and strawe to his chinne soone consumed him to ashes which they flong into the Rhine to the end no more memorie should remaine of him Hereupon the Princes for to remedie all abuses and replante the Church in her first glorie deposed Pope Iohn 24. of that name as a Simonous heretique and man-slaier who fled disguised to Scafusen and from thence to Fribourg in Brisgoe But being taken in the fift yeare of his Pontificate was three yeares kept prisoner Gregorie who likewise had held him selfe for Pope dismissed himselfe of the popedome And Pierre de la Lune named Pope Benoist was condemned for sundrie offences Iohn Gerson Chauncelor of the Vniuersitie of Paris which had sent him with others to Constance sayde that neuer there woulde bee any Peace in the Church vntill the Moone were taken awaie Martin the fift of that name before called Ame de Sauoie was chosen and approued of all Hierosme of Prague companion to Iohn Hus vnderstanding of his entertainement departed out of Bohemia and the 4. of April 1415. arriued neere Constance to comfort him and offered to answere all such iniuries in open councell as were giuen out of them of Bohemia if they would giue him any safe-conduct which being refused by the Emperour he contented himselfe in obtaining of the Lords and Protector of Bohemia their letters sealed with their seales witnessing his innocencie and that he was come to answere such reproches as his aduersaries had giuen out but as hee thought to haue returned hee was taken and carried to Constance where he was so straightly vsed and examined that in the end he publiquely rehearsed a forme of abiuration which they deliuered vnto him confessing further that Iohn Hus was lawfully punished But as they let him goe neuer a whit the sooner for that and thereuppon certaine Carmos of Bohemia being come with new accusations he recanted and stucke so fast to his first opinion that the councell condemned him as before they did Iohn Hus whence he appealed vnto Iesus Christ so that said hee after one hundred yeares you shall make account for me but the hangmen did as much for him as the other Poge Florentin being present at all greatly commended in a wrighting which he sent vnto Leonard Aretin the eloquence grace knowledge and maruellous constancie of Hierosme thinking nothing wanting in him but a conformitie of the common faith Now when these newes were carried into Bohemia such Gentlemen and other as had beene instructed in this doctrine growing maruellous angrye sent their letters to the Princes and Prelates of Constance to testifie their conceiued displeasure and their resolution to persist in the same opinion euen to the death and cost of the most mischieuous foure and fiftie of the best calling signed and sealed it with their seales And indeed as rigours onely doe not cause men to change opinion but oftentimes make them more wilfully to persist therein the Hussite Bohemians multiplying more and more besought of their King Venceslaus many Temples in which they might exercise and aduaunce their doctrine being such a number of people as hourely were gained among the rest Iohn Zischa of Trosnouie one of the most renowned warriers that followed the King and which had lost one of his eyes in the former factions leuied a number of men to the ruine of as many Priests and Monkes as they found to haue beene authors of the matter of Constance and so began to pul downe Temples bruse the Images throwe downe the Monasteries and pull out the Monkes whome they named Swine fatted in their Cloister finally in smal time were assembled more then fortie thousand men maintaining the doctrine of Iohn Hus. In the mean while Sigismond the Emperour true heire to the kingdom of Bohemia by the decease of his Brother going thither to take possession found all passages shut by the people who extreamly hated him for breach of his faith so as after many a good and badde reencounter on the one side and the other he lost his other eye likewise at the siege of Rabi and yet ceassed not for all that to conducte and gouerne his army yea oftentimes breaking the troupes of Sigismonde composed of Hungarians Bohemians Moraues Almanes and Danes for Eric King of Denmarke was come thither to succour him with Pierre Infant of Portugall in sorte that the Emperour perceiuing that hee could not otherwise remedye it gained him by faire promises of graunting vnto him what charge soeuer he would require But Zischa as hee was going to the Emperour dyed of the Plague and being asked in his sicknesse where hee would be buried answered that he would haue them flea his body after his death and with his skinne head a Drumme at the sounde whereof hee doubted not but all his enemies would soone betake them to their heeles From
and taken prisonners among other of the French the Captaine Fort and his Lieutenant Courcelles Hereupon the Duke of Guise who from the beginning had vndertaken the defence of this wood and by his presence animated and seemed to grace these martiall actions hauing carefully considered of the whole dessein of the Imperialles aduised the King that by their countenance and fury wherewith they went to the combate hee verily thought that that day should not passe without a battaile The King then which was in the plaine on this side the wood about 5000. pace in length and 2000. in breadth caused his battailes of foote to be put in order to scituate them in a place commoudious and easie to combate with the men at armes because that place was vnproper for them both together as by the aduice of the Constable and sundry other Princes and Captaynes he had the day before perceaued Notwithstāding for the better countenance and to make head to the enemy there was lodged both the one and the other as commodiouslye as could be the first battell of foote were French the second Almanes the third Zuizers which followed one another with Regiments of men at armes ordained for their flancke on their right hand And for as much as on the lefte there was a little Valley which as well from the quarter of the Zuizers towards Fauquemberg as towards the wood widening made a glade easie and commodious enough as wel to lodge foote as horse in the opening of that plaine they set the most parte of the rest of the Regimentes of men at armes for the other flancke And right before towards Fauquemberg was the D. D'aumale with all the light Cauallerie and certaine Harquebuziers on foote to fight without keeping any order to the end they might giue notice if the enemy should come that way And in the mean space the Duke of Guise not being able readily to haue the K. answere vpon such occurrents being likewise no lesse curious to draw the enemie into the place most aduantagious for himselfe then fearefull of the losse of the three hundred Harquebuziers in the wood in the end resolued to make them retire from place to place through the trauerses of the wood euer refreshing them with some companies of Cauallery which notwithstanding so encreased the imperials courage as assuring themselues of victorye they caused their battailes of Alamanes to march with al diligence which alwaies flankred them on the rightside as they sawe their harquebusiers haue aduauntage ouer the French And euen then Dom-Ferrant sent word vnto the Emperour that he should hasten the rest of his army for the Vantgarde of the French said he was already sore shakened ready to set themselues in disorder the which the Emperour did and his army passed all along the Valley aboue and at one of the corners of the wood himselfe tarried to be partaker of the pleasure or annoy of the good or bad which should fall out it was then as the K. answere came to the D. of Guise that if occasion offred it selfe to receaue battaile he should not refuse it that he would come himselfe thither in person with as good a will to fight as the most valiant of his whole army Then the Duke of Guise went back to his Regiment in the sight and face of all vppon the plaine towards Fauquēberg where of a famous warrier gratious notwithstanding and with a smiling countenance hee vsed some words as well to aduertise the Gentlemen of the faire occasion which that day was offred to attaine honour as to encourage those which might haue any neede and shewed them all in generall how the day was come wherein God presented vnto them in doing seruice to their Princes and encreasing their honor and particular reputation the matter and true subiect to make themselues for euer to be redoubted and feared of all the nations of the worlde whereof the K. assured himselfe so farre as he would honour this glorious victory with his owne presence which indeed encouraged them in such sorte as hauing called vpon the name of God and recōmended their soules into his hands euery man prepared himselfe well and faithfully to perfourme his dutie In the mean time the Constable passed ouer the riuer towards the Duke with a Regiment of the Captaine Glamay his footmen who caused the first order a little to be altered and retired the battaile of Zuizers towards Renty who according to their ancient custome sent vnto the King to demaund some men at armes to supporte them but the K. answered them how himselfe would liue and dye with them and that he so farre assured himselfe of their promise and good will that he determined no whit to abandon them resolute to shew vnto them how as well in life as point of death if it were offred he would honour them as his colleagues and faithfull freends both to himselfe and his kingdome whereat they were so stirred vp as there was no other intention among them but to fight valiantlye for his seruice Likewise as a testimonye of the pleasure which the King receiued therein he did that which I will shew you in another place As all this was thus a handling the Imperials were in such sort already advanced vpon the French as they had recoyled them and driuen thē out of the wood so farre as their harquebuziers began to come forth and shew themselues in front of the first battail of the French ready to ioyne with them pelting at them with a continuall and maruellous noyse of Harquebuze shot all along the glade The Imperial battaile supported with Pistoliers and cauallerie was aproched with one hundred pace of the French and there remained nothing but to charge at such time as the D. of Guise gaue a signe to the D. of Nemours to charge with his regiment of light Cauallerie vpon one of the corners of the Pistoliers and vpon the other hee set the Guidon of his owne company and Tauannes to scoure on their slancke whereupon there began a most sore and furious combat but the French were in the end valiantly put backe and there was slaine the yong Baron of Curton Randan sore hurte and his Lieutenant D'Amanzay dead the Cornet of Auannes sore hurt and his horse slaine vnder him Forges Guidon of the company of Tauannes slaine the Vicecount D'Auchy Guidon of the Duke of Guises sore hurt and sundry valiant men out of all the companies as the Sonne of Pied-pape yong Iouy Bourdilly yong Branches and many others whose death hurtes and retreates gaue such hart to the Imperialles so well to hope as they already encouraged one another as hauing gained an entire victory whereupon the Duke of Guise and Tauannes hauing assembled their troupes together againe the which the D. D' Aumalle with all the light Cauallerie went to ioyne began with one fronte so furiously to charge vpon the Imperials as they opened and threw downe the Pistoliers of
maruelously diminished and lessened euery day both by reason of sicknesse among the Souldiers as of the companies which were sent vnto the townes which were threatned with a siege at hand This done the D. of Vendosme knowing his Souldiers to be very wearye with the long trauaile of this voyage to refresh and solace them brake vp his Campe and sent certaine companies of men at armes of the most tired to winter in their ancient Garrisons and his light cauallerie in places neerest to the enemy and to helpe and succour the poore people to husband and sowe their fieldes The foote companies of French English and Scottish were lodged in the Townes and Borroghes all alongst the the banke of the Riuer of Some The Almanes of the County of Reingraue and Baron of Frontenay at S. Esprit de Reux which they caused to be fortefied for a counterforte to Mesmil and those of the Count Rocdolphe and Reifberge tooke their way towardes Piemont and Italy The Historie of Fraunce THE THIRD BOOKE YOu haue already seene how the French and the Imperialles sought out one another with as great stomacke as euer eche of them the more forward thorough the presence of their Princes which as then conducted the armies when as Henry with great fury battered the castle of Renty and had carried it had not the Emperour broght thither all his forces the better to encourage them which were besieged and allaye the fury of the French by the skirmishes and hotte sallies which he caused to be vndertaken by the cheefest of his army so as the Erench albeit they carried away the honour of the memorable reencounter which I haue mencioned in which the Spanish Fanterie put to rout the Almane Pistoliers of Count Vul-uensort since called Reisters were broken and put to flight by the French Cauallerie were yet in the end constrained to quit the place retyring themselues in march as if they should haue presented battaile to the Imperials from which the Emperour kept them thorough the fauour of his trenches Afterwards the two Princes hauing for the reasons which I alleadged elsewhere broken dissolued their armies wherof they placed a good part in the garrisons of their frontiers the better to be able continually to vndertake an enterprise more secretly as opportunity serued helde themselues a long time vpon their garde without much discouering themselues through the discommodities of the Autumne and violence of the blustring Winter employing themselues onely in some surprises and secret intelligences whereof verye fewe succeded so well as the vndertakers desired These two Princes in the meane space pricked forward no lesse with enuye then a reciprocall ambition boyling with a worldlye desire of reuenge by the remembrance of so great losses old new offences made ready al kinde of preparatiues for a war at hād and much more bloudye then the former so as the brute being spread throughout France of the rodes which the Imperial garrisons stil made the French therby soone tooke occasion to march vnder the Marshall of S. Andre for to surprise scale at breake of daye and cutte into peeces whomsoeuer they should finde in armes in the Castle of Cambresy At what time the Spaniards had notwithstanding the fauour of a faire warre to retire themselues whether it liked them best About the beginning of the same spring Bouillon as the K. lieutenant in the absence of the D. of Neuers Gouernour of Champaigne was sent thither to rescue those of Mariembourg afterwards to enterprise vpon the enemy as occasion should be offred for the Imperialles meant no lesse to the place then to the Garrison because that this Towne hauing before beene a Village and pleasant seate of Mary widdowe to Lewis King of Hungarie which she had caused to be most curiously builded and fortefied whilest that she was gouernesse of the Countrye for the Emperour her Brother was builded and raised vp much stronger and farre better prouided then before yea the K. would needs bestowe his owne name thereof as this Princesse before had done hers which notwithstanding more happye in that could not out of the memorye of the people bordering round about The three and twentith of March Pope Iulye the third of that name deceased after hauing taken great paines in the latter end of his yeares to reconcyle these two great Lordes whome himselfe before had set to debate an occasion that the ninth day of Aprill the Cardinall Marcel Ceruin of Montpulcien in Tuscane was chosen and proclaimed Pope who by no meanes would change his name as the rest were wonte to doe He was Bishop of Nicastre and Cardinal of the tittle of Holye crosse in Hierusalem who died poysoned for all that as some affirme the two and twentith day of his election for that he was of too good a life But in very truth as hee was before giuen to be sicke of the yellowe Iaunders the disease grewe so sore vpon him in his olde yeares as hee dyed the three and twentith day of his Papacye True it is that a fewe dayes before his death he made himselfe be crowned with very small expences and very modestly Now as he was very wise so men had a great hope that he would correct many thinges in the Romish Church and especially that he would chase away all the dissolution and superfluitie thereof from whence the brute of his poysoning did growe for indeede hee abolished the superfluities of gardes and other honours which the first Bishops of Rome knew not once what they meant Afterwards the three and twentith of May the Cardinals those in their conclaue the Cardinall Iohn Pierre Caraffa Deane of the Colledge called Theatin Neapolitain named Paul the fourth esteemed to be a man very eloquent and learned The first author being a Monke at Venise of Iesuistes of whome I will speake else where For at diuers times and throughout all the Prouinces of Christendome yea as farre as the East and West Indies they haue engrauen and thundred out the name of their profession thorough the merite of their paines incredible hazardes and cruelties which they haue suffered among the Barbarians for the name of Christ In this time Philip of Austria by Mary King of England as well to appease the mutinyes which were growne betweene the English malcontentes thorough the alliance with a Stranger and other greeued with the change of the Protestant Religion for the Romane as the better to entertaine traffique and other commodityes with the French one parte of the great riches of that insularie kingdome curious on the other side of the generall good and repose of Christendome refused not with Charles the Emperour his Father and Henry the second to hearken to a vniuersall peace especially at the perswasions of the English Cardinall Poole who hauing passed betweene the Emperous and the King of France did maruelouslye sollicite them to a good accorde whereunto the rather to induce them he insisted both by
being at his tayle without any great preiudice notwithstanding by reason of the good order which he gaue in the discamping conduct of his armie the which was furnished with victuals in the Placentine Countrey by the commaundement of Octauian Farneze D. of Parma which the D. of Guise caused to be payd for expresly forbidding any souldiar to doe wrong to the subiectes of this Prince We will leaue then for a while the D. of Guise marching with his forces in Italie to the Popes succour to enterlace you here an accidente as straunge as any which hath happened in the memorie of our forefathers Dauid George who since made himselfe to be called Iean de Bructe borne at Delph in Hollande an authour of a peruerse secte making himselfe to be named by his followers King and Christ immortall dyed the yeere passed 1556. the 24. day of August and his wife a little before retired with a verie great familie of her owne to Basle in the yeere 1544. He sayde he was fled his owne Countrey for the Gospels sake and there bought houses and a Castle neere vnto the towne called Buiuignen with landes of great reuennewe He was verie cunning of great Spirite and had his eyes addressed on all partes to gayne the heartes of many and an exteriour reputation which was mainteined and greatly augmented by his riches his money and most precious moueables which he had brought thither and which men brought vnto him day by day as well out of the high as lowe Countries of Flaunders as it falleth out that almost all men suffer themselues to be cousined with an apparaunce magnificence of worldly things rather thē to be caried away with the vertue truth of euery thing Two things presaged vnto him his death one of his houses which he had at Basle was smotte with lightning and another sumptuously builded within his pastures was likewise burned with parte of his rarest and most exquisite moueables shortly after the floure of the house wherein he lay fell all downe at one blowe and sodainly yet nothing happened more grieuous vnto him before his death then the comming of a man of authoritie out of Base Almania to Basle For from thenceforth as well aduised and forecasting hee knewe that by little and little he shoulde easily be discouered His disciples were marueilously astonished at his death for that he had assured them of his immortalitie yet their hope was somewhat vpheld because he had giuen them to vnderstande certayne dayes before howe he shoulde take life againe by the space of three yeeres and perfect most excellent things Hee kept a porte within his house almost like a King in like sorte was the gouernement of his house and castle very well ruled Euerie man had his estate and office their charges and dueties being so distributed as he shoulde neede to employe no other therein then his owne In gouerning their common wealth they obserued verie straightly 3. things thereby more and more to conceale their pernitious secte First that none of them once published the name of Dauid George Secondly that none reueyled of what condition hee had bene whereupon it grew that many thought hee had beene yssued out of some great noble House other that hee was some great Marchaunt which had his factours abroad both by Sea and by land Thirdly that they shoulde not discouer so much as any one article of their doctrine to any man in Basle not so much as to a Swizer nor shoulde not endeuour to drawe any man vnto their doctrine the summe whereof was The doctrine of Dauid George Heretique THat whatsoeuer had bene heretofore giuen from God by Moses by the Prophetes by Iesus Christ himselfe or by his Apostles was imperfecte and vnprofitable for the obtayning of the true felicitie thereby And was onely giuen for this vse that vntill then it mought represse men as babes and young children and to contayne them within their office But the doctrine of Dauid George was perfecte and had efficacie to make him happie which shoulde receaue it as being the true Christ and Messias the welbeloeud of the Father in whome hee tooke his delight not borne of fleshe but of the holy Ghost and Spirite of Iesus Christ hauing bene kept vntill that present in a place vnkowen to all the Saintes to restore in spirite the house of Israel not by crosses or tribulations or death as the other Christ but by loue grace of the Spirite of Christ In the yeere 1559. the 5. of March his children his sonnes in lawe and all them of his familie with some other adhering to his Secte were adiourned before the Senate of Basle after information made of that pernicious secte which he had alwayes helde in his life time The Atturney declared vnto them howe the Seigneurie stoode duely infourmed that they were retyred to the Castle of Buiuignen not as men persecuted for the Gospell as they had falsly giuen out but for the secte of Dauid wherewith they had bene alreadie infected Eleuen were made prisoners to draw out the trueth of the whole The greater part examined by a more straight inquisition confessed the truth who in the ende obtayned pardon Then the first day of May the Ministers Rectour Professors and Scholemaisters of Basle hauing all with one voyce condemned the pointes of the doctrine the Senate fully informed of the whole proceeded the 13. of May to the conclusion of the proces to wit That all his writinges as full of iniquitie mortall poyson Item his bodie or his bones and whatsoeuer shoulde be founde more within his graue shoulde be burned together with his picture which they founde in his house representing him verie liuely and that generally all the goodes of so wicked a man wheresoeuer they were founde shoulde be confiscate and adiudged to the Seigneurie This sentence was proclaimed according to the Custome of the place and all the fourme of righte and ordinances of the Towne was kepte in the obseruation thereof Before that I handle againe the tearmes of warre betweene the Frenche and Spanyardes I will finishe and in fewe wordes the Empire and managing of the affayres of Charles of Austria the fifte Emperour of the Almanes About the ende of August Charles of Austria resolued to passe into Spayne for the occasions before rehearsed wente from Bruxelles to Gaunt the place of his natiuitie where he assembled the 27. of that moneth all the Embassadours one after an other resiant about his Person within his chamber vsing in generall no other speech vnto them but of the declaration of his old age indisposition praying thē to perfourme all good offices for the repose due vnto Christendome Protesting to the Nuncio that is the Popes Embassadour how all his life long hee had loued and defended the holy apostolike Sea to the Venetian how much hee honored that Seigneurie common wealth whose libertie preseruation he had all his life long desired knowing howe