bene made and it was reason that he which had done the harme should shew some repentance and serue as a table in the history of France that a Prince which wants piety towards God and Iustice towards men falls alwayes into o He that hath pietie iustice for the guide of his actions frees himselfe happily from confusion in all sorts of affaires These bee the glorious titles which Demetrius purchased 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 religious to the gods and Iust to men confusion The Duke said that he pardoned him for the loue of God promising him to be his friend enemy to his enemies and to renounce the aliance of England and the deputies of the Councell dispenst him of the oath which he had made not to treat without the King of England This happie and memorable peace Peace of Arras sworne the 24. of Nouember 1435. was followed with great blessings for the French and great ruines for the English This was the Comet which threatned their ruine in France and which brought the Duke of Bedford vnto his graue Death of the Duke of Bedford Regent in France for the English With the like griefe six dayes after the treaty p Isabel of Bauaria contemned of the English and Bourgundian for whom shee had â—anded her selfe against her sonne dyed at S. Paul house the last of September 1435. she was carried by the Riuer of Seine to S. Dennis and buried without pomp Her tombe was built in the same place where her husbands was and her portrait is yet to bee sâ—ene in the window of that Chappell dyed that old malicious woman the Queene mother stepmother to the king and Realme She wanted meanes to liue before her death for being no more assisted by the Duke of Bourgundy the Duke of Bedford caused her to fast vpon dayes which were not commanded to be fasted lying in Saint Paule house She had alwaies liued full of honors and affayres and now she dyes plunged in miseries and contempts The reduction of Paris was the fruit of the peace she opened her gates vnto the King Reduction of Paris which shee had shut against him for the loue of the Duke of Bourgundy for she hath dealt with friendships as with flowers the new haue alwaies beene most pleasing vnto her The King was at Montpelier when Paris was reduc'd The q The English were chased out of Paris the 27. of February 1436. where they had entred in the yeere 1420. English depart the Lillies flourish and the Kings will with the lawes of the Realme are honored there The King made his entry and was receiued as victorious of his enemies by his valor and of himselfe by his clemencie forgetting so many iniuries whereby the people had incensed him Here I seeke the Dauphin and the Historie doth not showe me him 1437. although it be credible that the father did not forget to haue him seene in this great occasion in his capitall Citie no more then at the assembly of the estates which he called at Orleans But I finde him on horsebacke at the age of fourteene yeares and commanding the Kings armie before Monstreau Faut-Yonne Hee tooke the towne by assault and the Castle by composition and made so good warre with the English that were within it as they gaue him thankes in the Kings presence confessing that hee had giuen them cause in admiring his valor to commend his bounty to the which they were bound for their liues r A Prince which saues his life whom he may kil cannot do any thing that brings him sooner to the height of glory and reputation nec vlla re propius homines ad deum accedunt quam salute hominibus danda Cic. Neither is there any thing which makes meÌ„ liker vnto Gods then by giuing life vnto men This first beginning applauded by some old Knights flattering this yong Alexander who beganne to bee discontented for that his father left him no worke to doe made him to conceiue better of himselfe then hee ought For such flattering opinions s Flattery doth so transport young Princes with a good opinion of what they are or should be as it is easily conuerted into presumption and admits no counsell nor conduct are fruitlesse sproutes and vnprofitable leaues which grow too fast in these yong plants and in the end kils them The Father who had made him Captaine so soon repented as suddainely for he beganne to make showe that hee was not borne to follow but to goe before Martin Gouge Bishop of Cleremont Christopher of Harcourt and the Lord of Chaumont make him beleeue that his valor and courage would not suffer him to stay there that the more he should eleuate his trumpet of fame the farther it should bee heard that he could not beginne any exercise of glorie and reputation to t Alexander at 16. yeares of age defeated the Megariens and was at the battell of Cheronea wherefore Demosthenes called him child Hannibal was but eleuen yeares old when hee made open professioÌ„ of armes Wee must obserue saith Phil. de Commines That all men which haue don gret matters haue begunne very yong Warre is a science which is not learned by discourse It is a troublesome practise for him that hath not accustomed it from his youth Paul Emil. soone and that he should not attend vntill that fortune tooke him by the hand to lead him to the Empire of men but he should goe and meete her These Councellers were spirits that were not capable to command nor to be commanded and which could not liue vnder that great rigor of the Kings authoritie Bad counsell giuen to Lewis who knowing his humors allowed him not what he desired and made him giue eare to such as found no other course for their greatnes and who assured him that there was no other way for his rising then to absent himselfe from the presence of his father An aduise which could not bee commended but by such to whom all wickednes is commendable For of badde counsels such as was neuer giuen by men that were u Integrity or fidelitie sufficiencie or wisedome are the two principall qualities of good counsellors they add a third which depends of the precedent to haue his heart free from passion and priuate interest wise discreete and without any priuate interest three rare qualities but necessarie for him that takes vpon him to counsel another the worst and most pernicious is that which deuides the Sonne from the Father and withdrawes him from the dutie wherewith hee is bound by the lawes of nature and religion x The commandement of the Childrens dutie was halfe written in the first table which regards Gods right and halfe in the second table wherein are commâ—ndements which concerne our Neighbours as beeing partly diuine and partly humane nothing beeing able to extinguish this bond free this seruitude nor dispence him from the obedience due to the fathers commandements how
incense Princes a Discourses of affaires of State in a troublesome and difficult time enter into seditious Spirits as burning nailes do into greene wood They be Conduit Pipes saith the President Du Vair by the which destâ—ll the affections wherewith the people are seasoned and afterwards thrust on to good or bad actions and are like vnto the arrowes of Thrace which were shot against heauen to appease it He was aduertised that Frier Anthony Fradin a Franciscan born at Ville-Franché in Beaujollois spake too boldly of the bad gouernment of affaires He sent Oliuer le'Dain to Paris in the beginning of the yeare 1479. to forbid him to Preach The multitude which runnes as it is led mutined against this pursuite and followed this Preacher in troupes to defend him b The people go like troupes and consider not Quo eundum sed quo itur Whether they must go but whether they go yea the women carryed stones and kniues to vse against such as should come to offend him From one liberty they saw diuers spring as faults follow one another and this sedition was ready to cause great tumult c Light faults should be repaired by pardon and great by seuerity and a Prince as Iulius Agricola saith must not alwaies bee pacified with the punishment he must rest oftentimes contented with the repentance of such as haue â—rred Nec poena semper saepius poenitentia contentus esse debet Tac. The Court of Parliament preuented it in such sort as they gaue the King subiect rather to content himselfe with the repentance then the punishment of this silly multitude They commanded the Frier to go out of Paris and not to Preach seditiously in any other Prouince They did consider that France had seene and suffered terrible agitations by the violence of these spirits and that England had beene violently afflicted vnder the raigne of King Richard by the seditious Sermons of one onely man who seeking to confound all Orders by a pernicious equality Preaching alwaies in his Sermons that when as Adam did eate the Apple there were no Gentlemen that Nature the Minister of God had created all men of the same forme and had cast them in the same mould as brethren and companions lodged on the same earth d The Bishops of England hauing forbidden the Pulpit to Iohn Ball an English Priest he went to Preach seditiously in the fields causing himselfe to be followed by the people where in the hearing of 200000. he began with these tearmes and if God would haue made this distinction amongst men he would haue ordained this difference from the beginning A great man of that time spake these words vpon that subiect which are so worthy and true Discourse is a powerfull charme as the History shall not stray to step a little out of the High-way to consider them In truth saith he the force of speech is a powerfull thing especially hauing life giuen it by passion for you would say that it doth in a manner mould and fashion mens soules and that it is a fire kindled which incountring another body inflames and sets it on fire When Adam delu'd and Eue span Who was then the Gentleman how farre off soeuer it bee like vnto Naphte which kindles at the very sight of the fire e What cannot Eloquence do in the mouth of an honest man and of credit seing that comming from a seditious spirit it workes such great effects One word of a man of credite saith Polibius may diuert men from bad enterprises and draw them to good The eloquence of a wicked man is like poyson in a cup of Gold I haue often obserued when not with any eloquent discourse but with words which were scarce intellegible and without any discourse of reason they haue put the people that heard them into choler for that they were so so easily do passions coÌ„municate by words and passe from him that speaks to him that heares The same iealousy which a husband hath for the honour of his wife the feeling which the son hath for the loue of his father the same motions which a faithfull Minister hath for the loue of his Prince a Preacher should haue for the Glory of God he should dry away for the zeale of his house and for the increase of his seruice any other passion that transports him is but fury Next to the seruice of God piety respects the obedience and honour which we owe vnto our parents How Lewis was towards his father It is true that Lewis offended against this Law not onely in his first age whose weaknesse facillity to the impressions of other men might excuse his errour but in his full vitility which made him inexcusable when as hee could not be ignorant that his duty towards his father was so naturall so religious and so strictly commanded by Diuine and Humane Lawes as all other duties yeeld vnto it f All the offices of Piety yeeld to that of the child to the father the sonne which sees his father his sonne in danger of their liues if he cannot relâ—â—ue both he must abandon his sonne to saue his father for the dutie which hee owes him is more ancient then the love which he heareâ— vnto his children Cymon being vnable for his pouerty to bury his father before he had paid his debt sold his owne liberty The ioy which King Charles the 7. had of his birth did not continue so long as the sorrow he had for his disobedience when he was borne he had cryed Noë like others and this word which in the beginning did signifie rest consolatioÌ„ was a presage of the crosses toiles which he endured It is true that this sowre seuerity wherwith he controuled his actions was cause of his disorders excesse g The rough seuere and imperious proceeding of fathers towards their children makes them to grow insolent and disordered It is a Diuine counsell which Saint Paul giues vnto fathers Parentes he prouâ—cetis ad iracundiam filios ne despondeant animâ—m Parents prouoke not your sonnes to anger least they turne away their minds For being vnwilling to dis-ioyne the authority of a father from that of King he chose rather to keepe him in feare and obedience by the seuerity of the one then by the mildenesse of the other He thought that he had no better meanes to enioy this spirit then by keeping him short and restraining the violent motions of his courage and that being in necessity he should be alwaies in obedience He was eighteene yeares old before he had any portion allowed him no not that which did belong vnto him from the day of his birth for the father considered that if at the age of twelue or thirteene yeares when as he had no part in the Estate he should haue beene had of some great faction the increase of meanes and yeares would haue drawne him to great enterprises The first example of his
France did belong vnto him The Earle of Foyx sent his Ambassadors and Deputies to the King being at Bordeaux to conclude the treaty p The cheife condition of the Marriage was that the children which should be borne without distinction of malâ— or female should succeed in the counties of Foix and Bygorre He past to Bayonne to end a controuersie betweene the 2. Kinges of Nauarre and Aragon 1462. and Henry King of Castile his Nephew A controuersie begun with great spleene and was continued with the like and had not ended without excesse if he had not dealt in it for the parties flattered themselues in their pretentions were blind in their interests and found that the obscurenes proceeded rather from the thing then their owne blindnes But behold the causes and the effects After the death of Charles the third q Charles the third King of Nauarre taking delight to build at Olîta died suddenly in September 1425. the threescore and foure yeare of his age and the thirty nine of his raigne he was buryed at Pampeluna King of Nauarre the Crowne past from the house of France and Eureaux into that of Castile and Aragon not without trouble and discord Iohn second sonne to Ferdinand of Aragon married Blanch Infanta of Nauarre presumptiue heire of the Realme of Nauarre and widdow to Martin King of Sicilie and it was agreed by a treaty of marriage that in case she should die before her husband hee should raigne the rest of his life in Nauarre after king Charles the third his father in law Of this marriage was borne at Pegna Charles Prince of Viana born Charles Prince of Vianna a title belonging to the eldest Sonne of the King of Nauarre r Charles the the third King of Nauarre ereected Viana into a principalitie and did affect it to the eldest son of Nauarre in the yeere 1421. as Dauphin to that of France The Asturiez in Castille and Wales in England Charles the third his grandfather made him to bee sworne heyre of the Realme by the Estates after the death of Iohn his Father Charles being dead Iohn was declared King of Nauarre by some and Blanch his wife was acknowledged Queene by others yet both were crowned at Pampeluna Iohn had great warres with his brother the King of Castille Marriage betwiâ—t the Prince of the Asturies and Blanch of Nauarre who did confiscate the lands which he held in Castille Iohn Earle of Foyx reconciled them by a marriage betwixt Henry Prince of the Asturies sonne to Iohn King of Castille and Blanch Daughter to Iohn king of Nauarre s By the constitution of the marriage of this Princesse which was of 42112. Florens of gold wee may iudge in what estate K. Charles the third had left the Realme of Nauarre The marriage was celebrated with great pompe and solemnitie but the Prince was vnable to consummate it The which the Princesse did long dissemble Shee had great cause to complaine of this want and to wish her selfe to be a widdow or her husband vnmarried t The dissembling of couiuâ—all imperfections is very seemly especially in a woman Tullia a great Romane Lady is blamed for her ordinarie complaints murmùring at her husbands disabilitie De viro ad fratrem de sorore ad viruÌ„ se rectius viduam illuÌ„ caelibem futurum Tit. Liu. but like an other Eusebia shee did long suffer for the disabilitie of Constans desiring rather to wrong her youth and beautie then her modestie A while after Blanch Queene of Nauarre died and king Iohn married againe with Ione Henriques Charles Prince of Viana fearing that his alliance would keep him back from the hope of raigning and from the inheritance of the Queene his Mother did not dissemble his discontent u A desire to raigne makes the father iealous of the sonne Plutarc saith in the life of Demetrius that the greatest and most ancient of all Alexanders successors did glorie that he feared not his sonne but suffered him to approch neere his person holding a Iauelin in his band pretending that by the lawes of the Realme his Father by marrying againe had lost the fruit of the Crowne Behold all naturall affection is altered betwixt the Father and the Sonne The desire of rule makes them enemies the Father growes iealous and would not suffer his Sonne to come neere him armed On the other side this second wife seeing her selfe mother to Ferdinand did what she could to show that she was mother in law to Charles x What will not an ambitious mother doe and vndoe for her children D. Ioane lying in the bed of death by reason of a Cankar which did consume her remembring what she had done to assure the Realme vnto her Sonne spake often these words with sighes which are reported in the 21. booke of the history of Spaine O my Son thou hast cost me deare For him she had caused Don Charles to bee poysoned and neuer ceast vntill this young plant were quâ—â—â—ht by the nipping cold of her bad intentions seeking to haue a share in the regencie of the Realme in the absence of the king who had reuiued the warre in Castille Hence sprung those two great factions Factions of Beaumont and Grandmont that of Beaumont which followed the intent of of the Prince against the King and that of Grandmont which was for the father against the sonne so as presently the Realme was diuided into two kings two constables Lewis of Beaumont Earle of Lerin was Constable to the Prince and Peter of Perault was Constable to the king The kings cause as the better and more iust remained victorious the Prince beeing twice ouerthrowne is forced to flye to Alfonso king of Arragon Valencia Sardinia Maiorca Minorca and Sicile hee had recourse vnto his clemencie and besought him to pardon him The king who could not forget the loue of a Father vnto him who shewed the dutie of a Sonne receiues him but hee had new aduertisments that hee made secret practises to trouble him wherefore he sent him prisoner vnto the Alferie of Saragossa from whence hee was drawne by the Cattallans who tooke armes for his libertie Charles of Nâ—uarre poisoned by his mother in law but he went out of the prison to enter into a graue y Charles Prince of Viana died being forty yeares old a valiant Prince a great Historian a subtill Philosopher and a good Poet hee translated Aristotles Ethicks into the Castilain tongue and hee wrote the History of Nauarre vnto the time of King Charles his Grandfather For the very day of his deliuerie he was poisoned and dyed with much repentance for that hee had rebelled against the king his father The Infant Don Ferdinand was acknowledged heyre of the crowne of Arragon They of Cattellonia tooke armes to reuenge the death of Prince Charles The seditious who blow the cole of this desection said that his soule walked in the
The two Princes are obserued by two Nations that which pleaseth the one disliketh the other i 〈…〉 King said that hee deserued to be Emperor and called the Emperor a little man a 〈…〉 Prince Saâ— lib. 15. They are contemned sometimes euen by them that follow them when as they obserue in the other something that is more gallant Thus France fortified and inlarged her frontier with the County of Roussillion notwithstanding that it was sufficiently assured on that side both by the great rampiors which serue for bounds and by the weaknesse and barrenesse of those prouinces k An army cannot come out of Spain on this side the Pyrâ—ne mountainâ—s out it will be halfe defaâ—ed the Prouinces wher it shall be 〈◊〉 and by wâ—tch it shall passe are so â—arren as 〈◊〉 can hardly feed tâ—e inhabitants But she lay open towards the Low-countries The duke of Burgundy holding in Picardy by ingagement fiue important townes Amiens Abbeuille S t. Quentin Corbie and Pontheau for the summe of 400000. ovld crownes of gold and of 64. to the marke Although the King found not that in his coffers which prouident and wise Princes should leaue vnto there successors to mayntaine and assure their estate Redemption of the Townes vpon the Riuer of Some l As a body cannot moue without siâ—ewes so a Realme cannâ—t maintaine it self without trâ—asure Wise Princes haue alwaies had care to leaue vnto their successor Cyrus left fifty millions of gold Tyberius 67. Occhus King of Persia 80. millions and Dauid 120. yet hee disposeth himselfe to redeeme them There was some difficulty on either side For the king had no mony and the Duke had no will to leaue these goodly places The Earle of Charolois thinking that his father had beene perswaded therevnto by them of the house of Croii held them for his enemies and made an assembly against them at Cambrey The father supports and countenanceth them he murmures and stormes and quits them both court and credit and so retires to Gaunt The estates of the countrey depute men capable to restore him to his fathers fauour for that this diuision could bring nothing but ruine to the state and content to the enemie m A diuision which grows among persons whom Nature hath vnited giues subiect to 〈◊〉 enemies to make their profit â—â—â—â—ratus being in had termes with his children knew that his 〈…〉 he assembled his councell and 〈◊〉 after this manner I haue desired to reduce my children to reason and to their duties but now seeing that they are wilfull and obstinate I pardon will doe what they will haue me Plut. The Earle of Charolois being accompanied by many Noblemen of the countrey came vnto the Duke being at Bruges craued pardon His repentance and humilitie would not suffer him to be refused They of Croiâ— felt the smart which fals vppon those that sow diuision betwixt persons so neere allied When the king had drawne out of many purses the money necessarie for this redemption Redeeming of the townes engaged he sent it to Hedin whereas the Duke was and came thither presently after himselfe The Duke intreated him to continue and confirme the officers which had beene preferred during the ingagement The King promised it but his intention was not to keepe promise but so farre forth as the good of his affayres did permit nor to assure himselfe in the affection of those which depended of him of whom he could not assure himselfe n Monstâ—let saith that the King gathered together a greatnesse of treasure 〈…〉 for there was 〈…〉 Chancerie nor famous Marchant in France but he did 〈…〉 that commanded for the Dâ— in the townes redeemed were put from their places the Captaineship of 〈…〉 which 〈◊〉 held and that of Mortague which Hault 〈…〉 Many things past which the Duke of Bourgundy beeing impatient could not dissemble He sent Chimay to complaine and to let the King vnderstand that hee was neither of age nor humor to be exercised by the continuance of iniuries in the schoole of Patience Chimay let the King know that the Duke his master was not insencible of his actions and spake of his vertues and courage as of a Prince that was inuincible and incomparable borne of another fashion then other men like vnto the Lunarie women of Herodotus p Herodotus speakes of certaine Lunarie and extraordinary women who layd egges which brought forth men fifteen times bigger then those of the ordinary â—â—ature The which made the King to aske him if hee were of harder steele then other men Yea Sir answered Chimay for if he were not harder hee neuer durst haue attempted to haue nourished you fiue whole yeares against the threates of a great King such as your father was The Earle of Charolois did not beare this restitution so patiently as his Father hee cannot diuert his thoughts Amiens is the obiect of his eyes in his Feasts and Bankets his heart is still vppon Peleponesus q Cleomenes King of Lacedemonia being at a feast where there were two Orators one demanded of him which of the two had discoursed best for my part said bee my mind was vpon Peloponesus After the King had redeemed the Townes ingaged and changed the officers and Gouernours which the Duke had placed there not being able to trust them who had bene made by one who had giuen so many crosses to France r There is no treaty of accord or alliance that can free the hearts of Princes froÌ„ the distrust they haue one of another he would see Arras and lighted at the towne gate going on foot to our Ladies Church He remained eight dayes in the Citty and had some cause of discontentment for that they had refused lodging to his Harbingers saying that they were not bound by their priuiledges before that all the Innes were full Entering there were many banished men presented themselues to haue Pardon but he told them that it depended vpon the will of the Duke his Vncle wherein hee would not attempt any thing He visited the Church and Abbey of St. Vaste in those times Kings went to see religious men for religious men went not out of their Cloisters to see Kings The King goes to Arras s Charles the 6. besieged Arras in Iuly 1414. Lewis Dauphin of Vienna his first son was there with the Earles of Orleance Bourbon Barre Baùaria and Charles of Albert Constable of France The Towne was yeelded by a treaty of peace published on twesday the fourth of Sept. following without the Towne hee also saw the place whereas king Charles the fixth his Grandfather had incamped and lodged when as he besieged Arras in the yeare 1414. 1463. They obserue that hee would not lodge in the Bishops Pallace but in the Officialls house taking more delight in small lodgings then in great From Arras he went to Tournay where he was met by 3000. men euery one carrying a Flowerdeluce
had suffered vnder the gouernment of the Duke of Berrie his vncle hee commanded the Dukes of Berrie and Burgondy to retire and would not haue any other prince neâ—re vnto his presence but Lewis duke of Bourbon his vncle by the mothers side and Iohn of Burbon Earle of March of V endosme whom hee loued infinitâ—y giuing a reason hereof openly That he loued those Princes for that they had neuer serued any other maister and had neuer had any ambition nor design against the state neither had they euer giuen him any occasion to complaine of them This vertue was neuer found in a great spirit but it did purchase power and affection with others Pride is barren humility fructifieth a vine spreading vpon the earth beares excellent fruit the high and straightest Cypres-trees are vnfruitfull Hee was not so bountifull of his fauours to the Lord of Beaujeu but hee was as sparing to the Duke of Bourbon his brother he had an implacable hatred against Iohn Duke of Bourbon sonne to Charles the Achilles of France This hatred was nourished with a fresh apprehension for that this Prince lamenting the disorders of the State the miseries and oppressions of the people and the bad vsage which Charles Duke of Berrie suffered had laid the first foundations of the league had left it by the Treaty of Ryon and re-entred againe into it vpon despight for that during this Treaty the Duke of Millan by the Kings commandement had ouer-run and ruined his Countrey of Beaujolois and Forrest But for that hee was a Prince of great power great courage and great credit in the heart of all France hee would not euaporate this fire of reuenge and indignation which hee had against them and considered rather what he might doe then what he should do And the Duke who was acquainted with the disposition of this King knewe well that all Princes write offences done them in brasse and the seruice which they receiue vpon sand wherefore he remained long in his Dutchy of Bourbonois and would not come to Court The King whose chiefe care was to weaken his enemies and to diuide them gaue him the gouernement of Languedoc dissembling the remembrance of things past Vpon this assurance the Duke of Bourbon shewed that hee did not breathe any thing but the Kings seruice neither had he any greater content then to yeeld him proofes equall to his affection and therefore hee followed him to Peronne and we must beleeue that without him in this voyage hee had giuen his Enemies more courage to execute those dangerous councels hauing resolued to stay him For besides the respectes of Alliance the Duke of Bourgondy respected this Prince who had the two principall partes necessary in great Captaines Valour and good Fortune l The two qualities necessary in the Generall of an Army are Valour and good fortune Duo sunt quae Claros Duces faciunt summa virtus summa foelicitas Lat. Pac. Paneg. Wee haue formerly seene that the Constable of Saint Pol did what hee could to drawe him to the Duke of Bourgondies partie Fidelity of the Duke of Burbon and to make him ioyne with the King of Englands forces and that this braue Prince made it knowne that nothing was able to shake his loialty no not if he should be reduced to the misery of Iob m An extreme oppression is no lawfull cause to arme against the Prince rebels seeke pretexes and coulors to shadow their discontents but good subiects suffer with patience although that the sincery of his actions could neuer wipe away the blemish which distrust had put in this Princes eyes yet would he not trouble the content which hee had receiued by the testimony which his conscience gaue to fidelity and vertue The King also fore-seeing that if his enemies were fortefied with his fauour and forces hee should be much troubled hee coniured him to come vnto him The Duke excused himselfe vpon a resolution which hee had taken to liue quietly in his house the which no man could enuy him hauing purchased it with incomparable toyles and crosses Hee besought the King to suffer him to rest in the port of this tranquility after so many stormes and to content himselfe with the seruice which the other Princes of his house and his Bastard the Admirall did him The King entreated and coniured him to come and to reape the same fruits in Picardy which he had sometimes receiued in Guienne n The honour of the glorious victory of Fromigny is giuen to Iohn the second Duke of Bourbon who then tooke the title of Earle of Clermont for hee charged the English with such fury as with the losse of tenne men onely hee defeated fiue thousand English and tooke 1400. prisoners to the shame and confusion of the English sending the Bishop of Mande vnto him to deliuer his requests and recommendations more confidently and to assure him that the occasion was not lesse glorious then at Fromigny The Duke being loath to faile France in so great an occasion and remembring that his predecessours had not desired a more glorious graue then to die vpon a field of battell couered with the bloud of their enemies o The Princes of the house of Bourbon who haue dyed for the seruice of the Crowne are Peter of Bourbon slaine the 19. of September 1356. at the battell of Poicters Iames and Peter his sonne at the Battell of Brignay neere vnto Lyon Lewis at the Battell of Agincourt 1415. Francis at the battell of Saint Bridget on holy Crosse day in September 1525. Iohn at the battell of Saint Laurence 1557. and Anthony at the siege of Roan 1562. and to free the King from all conceite that he had a will to giue eare vnto the Constable who did solicite him with all vehemency he deliuered the Constables letters into the Bishops hands protesting that hee would neuer carry Armes against the Kings seruice The effects did not differ from his words for seeing the Duke of Bourgundies troupes approach to enter the Country he went to horse and put them to rout The Earle of Conches was slaine there the Earle of Rousillon Marshall of Bourgundy was taken prisoner there with the Earle of Dammartins sonne and the Signiors of Longy de Lisle Digoin Ruygny Chaligny and the two sonnes of the Signior of Viteaux one of which was Earle of Ioygny Being then assured of the discent of the English and that they had passed the Sea he came vnto the King with sixe hundred horse and commanded part of his Army which was neere vnto Beauuais Matters being reduced to those tearmes that the King desired and the King of England hauing repassed the Sea he retired himselfe to Moulins to performe the last duties to his mother p The Lady Agnes of Bourgundy dyed in December 1476. Shee was wife to Charles Duke of Bourbon and mother to Iohn the second of that name Duke of Bourbon to Charles Cardinall and Arch-bishop of Lyon
to loue him as his brother Mathias promiseth it and their promises were confirmed by his marriage with Katherine daughter to Poguebrac with whom hee caused him to be conducted into Hungary He beganne to triumph as soone as to raigne for to fight vanquish was all one vnto him At one time being followed by his owne forces which were greater in courage and discipline then in number s These three qualities were eminent in Iohn Huniades Valiant Wise and Generous Ducum omnium saith the History qui cum Turcis arma contulerunt illotempore claâ—issimus solers ac sagax in prospiciendis patiens in expectandis acer in persequendis rerum occasionibus atque in ipsis rebus vrgendis pertinax in conficiendis felix ac fortunatus Of all Commanders which had made warre against the Turke hee was at that time the most famous watchfull to fore-see patient in expecting swift in embracing resolute in pursuing all occasions and happy in effecting them He did gloriously end three great enterprises the one against the Emperour Fredericke whom he forced to yeeld him that which he held of the Crowne of Hungary the second against the Bohemians whose factions and conspiracies he ouerthrew and the third against Mahomet the 2. to whom he gaue many occasions to think that the valour conduct and generosity of Iohn Huniades his father were reuiued in him He recouered Iaisse Exploits of Mathias Coruinâ—s and seuen and twenty Castles thereabouts he past the riuer of Saue entred into the higher Misia and in two assaults seized vpon Zerbenic where are those goodly Mines of siluer he expelled Suela that famous thiefe out of Bohemia pacified the seditions of Transiluania punished them that were the Authors t Punishment which is applied fitly and seuerely done vpon the head of a conspiracy offends few and spares many who had made Iohn Earle of S. Georges King and besieged burnt and ruined Romansarre The flames of the fire of his Iustice did amaze all Moldauia all the furies came out of Hell to follow his Armie and to reuenge the iniuries of Christendome vpon those Infidell Prouinces A warre which was all cruelty and a cruelty which was all iustice victory which is alwayes insolent and especially in ciuill warres u Pitty nor Mederation doe not alwayes purchase fauour in a Conquerours heart they are forced somtimes to giue place vnto liberty and therefore Tully saith that victoria ciuilib bellis seÌ„per est insolens Victory is alwayes insolent in ciuill warres had no pitty but of those which had no more need he had rather ruine Towns to saue soules then to saue Townes and ruine soules he left in all places such markes of the furies and terrors of the warre that euen at this day the Countrey laments the effects and numbers the examples That which the sword did spare was consumed by fire and famine And therfore the name of Mathias was at that time a terror to the Women and Children of Hungary His valour conduct who in all occasions performing the duty of a Generall and yet somtimes running the hazard of a Souldier as if his body had bin borrowed he was wounded in the thigh with an arrow He did so diminish the number of his enemies as the prouince was assured and his Armie rich with spoyles x Mathias is taxed with ingratitude for that hee had made warre a-against George King of Bohemia who had giuen him liberty and his daughter in marriage This warre was vnfortunate to either and preiudiciall to Christendome Being returned to Agria he came to Buda where he receiued letters of intreaty from Pope Pius the second and from the Emperour Fredericke to make warre against the Hussits the which he vndertooke He makes warre against the Hussites It was not his only obedience to the head of the Church which drew him to this warre nor any desire to triumph ouer the truth ambition had a great share in it the desire of a newe Crowne made him forget the good vsage which he had receiued in his imprisonment from Poguebrac and dispensed him of those bonds which cannot bee dissolued by death nor discharged but by life Great enterprises are not scrupulous and if the lawes of piety are to be violated it is to content those of ambition They write that these two Kings made warre ten yeares MATHIAS King of Hungary and GEORGE King of Bohemia made warre tenne yeares for Religion And in tbe end they agreed that his Religion should be the better whose Foole did vanquish the other at fist and that the combat of their Iesters fighting at fists reconciled them In the end Mathias dispossessed George Poguebrac of the prouinces of Morauia Silesia and Lusatia and death of his Crowne Mathias caused himselfe to be proclaimed and crowned King of Bohemia Mathias crowned King of Bohemia and Marques of Morauia Some Bohemians refused to obey him and framed a faction vnder the name of Ladislaus son to Casimir King of Polonia whom they did acknowledge for their King Mathias came thither and prest them so eagerly and intreated them with such rigor and seuerity as all the Townes submitted themselues to his will to haue his peace and pardon These long and and troublesome warres had so wâsted his treasure as hee was forced to make vse of the Clergy goods The Prelates of Hungary opposed themselues and the chiefe Noble-men of the Realme ioyned with them z This conspiracy was so stroâ—g and violent that of 75 Tribes of the realme there were but 9 that coÌ„tinued in their first obedience conspiring together to expell him the Realme Nobility of Hungary discontented Hitherto hee had made knowne what loue and force might doe now hee shewes himselfe so wife and temperate as returning into the way of the duety of a good Prince he doth easily reduce his people to that of good subiects a That Prince is wise which doth not disdaine to giue some satisfaction to his subiects whom he hath offended especially when he feares a greater mischiefe And by this meanes many who had cast themselues into his enemies Armie returned vnto him Ladislaus beeing coopt vp in Nitria was forced to make an Accord with Mathias and to returne into Poland Casimir his father apprehending this shamfull retreat and taking his part of the Affront reserued the whole reuenge to himselfe hee leuied an Armie of threescore thousand fighting men Polonians Bohemians Russians and Tartarians and entred into Morauia and Silesia to recouer that which Poguebrac had lost The first beginnings were so fauourable as not regarding the inconstancy of fortune he suffered his thoughts to wander in the common error of Princes who neglect the storme during the calme of their affaires In great designes Princes thinke onâ—y what they should doe when they haue executed them cast not their eyes vpon that which may hinder the execution and which as Polybius saith hath neede of great prouidence