beware that hee fight not for our armie through newe supplies is wonderfull mightie and verie resolute wherfore let him forbeare but one moneth onely for all the nobilitie hath sworne and tolde Monsieur that they will tarie no longer howbeit if he employ them in that time they will do their indeuors Let him remember how dangerous it is to iustle agaynst the French furie which neuerthelesse wil sodainly be ouer Thus if they haue not speedie victory now they shall vpon diuerse considerations be driuen to peace the same to your aduantage Tel him that this we haue leanred in place of credit were desirous to aduertise him thereof Thus they departed the others immedlatly came made report hereof to the L. Admirall who liked it They also told it to others of the principall of whom some thought it not to bee reiected but wished it to bee followed but the most parte tooke it to be a pollicie to astonish vs saying moreouer that albeit it had some apparance of goodnes yet in that proceeded from suspected persons accustomed to vse guile deceit it was not to be esteemed of This was another cause of our mischiefe in y t we to much neglected y e thing which ought to haue ben noted Then did they meet to learne what were best to be done some propounded to goe winne Eruaux so to put the riuer betweene vs y e enemy also to depart about 9. of y e clock al night so to march al night to get safe thether because we were so neere thē but others replyed that these night retreates do print a certaine feare in those that marke them deminishe their credite and embolden the enimy so as it were better to depart at breake of day whose opinion was followed Now was the Lord Admirall sore troubled as fearing least the Reisters should raise any mutiny for want of pay also y e 2. or 4. regiments of his own dwelling farre off who already had asked leaue should forsake him he knew also that sundry gentlemē of the countries in our possession were already gone home wherefore to the end to containe the army in duty as also to refresh it he had requested the Lords Princes who lay at Partenay to come to thē which they did brought with them about 100 50 good horses In the morning we were on horsback by break of day to march straight to Exuaux euery man with a white shirt the better to bee known if we should be forced to fight But our Launceknights said they would not march without mony a quarter of an howre after fiue cornets of Reisters sayd as much so as it was aboue an howre and a halfe before this tumult was appeased wherof followed that we could not reach into a place of aduantage which had bene discouered nere vnto Exuaux where we might haue sould our skinnes dearer neither was this any of the least causes of our losse Hauing gone about a quarter of a league we perceiued the enimy comming towarde vs so as wee had no more leasure but to order our selues and get into a little close vnder couert from the Canon An other inconuenience also chanced vs in y t when the L. Admiral perceiued y e Catholikes auantgard make straight toward him which was so strong for it conteyned nineteene cornets of Reisters in two squadrons he sent to County Lodouicke who led our battell to succour him with three Cornets he did so but himselfe brought them and at the same instant began the fight where hee remained fast tied for hereof it came to passe y t the said body wanting a leader wist not howe to behaue it selfe and it is thought that if hee had beene there he woulde haue done more considering that beeing without both captein order it had neuertheles almost shaken Mounsiers The fight lasted somewhat more then halfe an houre and all the Protestants army was put to flight the Princes being yet young were retired a little before Almoste all our footemen were cut in peeces the artillery and ensignes taken and County Lodouike chased almost a league who made a braue retreat with 3000 horse in one body neither was the L. Admiral ther for he was wounded in y e beginning The slaughter was great for the Catholicks were fore fleshed through the cruelties vsed sayd they at Roch-labelle but especiallie for the death of Saint Columbe others slaine in Bearn Many also of our prisoners did they dispatch for satisfactiō My selfe likewise in the heate had like to haue gone the same waie had it not bene for the humanitie of Monsieur who was an instrument of Gods blessing for the preseruation of my life which in my opinion I ought not to conceale By this exploit wee may see that the same roiall armie which we caused so swiftlie to retire from before Chatelleraud and that in the night was able neuerthelesse within three weekes after to ouercome vs because wee made some difficultie to retire by daie also through staying vppon the maitainance of our reputation in shew wee lost it in deede which is one point sometime to be thought vpon by all souldiours as well young as olde That the siege of Saint Iohn d'Angelie was the springing againe of the Protestants AS the siege of Poictiers was the beginning of the Protestants mishappes so was that of S. Iohn d'Angelie the staie of the Catholikes good fortune And had they not staied therevppon but pursued the relikes of the broken armie they had brought it to naught considering the astonishment therof and difficulties falling out The Princes and Admirall retired with all that they could gather together ouer the riuer of Charent in the meane time tooke order in hast for the keeping of the townes in Poicton which laie next to the batterie But fiue of them were at the first abandoned viz. Parthenay Nyort Fontenay Saint Maixant and Chatelleraud and the sixt which was Lusignan at the sight of the Canon yeelded This so puffed vp the hope of the conquerours that they imagined in short space to get all those Prouinces except the capitall towne which they tooke to be Rochel Wherevppon they still marched forward imagining that all other townes after the example of these would haue yeelded They directed their course toward Saint Iohn d'Angelie which was not much stronger than Nyort but being summoned would not yeeld for the Lorde of Pilles beeing entered thereinto with parte of his regiment was desired to fight I haue heard that at that time the chiefe Captaines that accompanied Monsieur wer called to know what was to be done Some sayd Sith that all the Princes footmen were cut in peeces and so they had none but horse most of them Reisters who also were discontent and halfe marred for losse of their carriages their aduice was to pursue them hotlie so shoulde they come to one of these two points either quite to ouerthrowe them or else to
place will I attribute to superfluity in aparrell that exceedeth euery where whereof proceedeth generall pouertie which to redresse seemeth but small difficultie and yet it cannot bee touched but two millions of men will crye out and exclaime What meanes is there then to prouide for it Euen to laugh at all those lamentations complaints and rages For from a foole if you take his bable he will storme and yet is it requisite to do it least he hurt others But which is yet worse these excesses that we speake of doe hurt those especially that commit them though at the first they be as pleasant as in the ende they be pinched when their liuing is morgadged out He that would perticulerly touch all these kindes of folly as the inuenters of auriculer confession haue deuided mortall and veniall sinnes into an infinite number of rootes and braunches should neede a whole volume It hath in all ages bene a hard matter to cut off the things that men haue esteemed to bee their principall delights yea some histories doe reporte that euen the Romaines were much troubled therewith Yet is there great difference betwéene vs and them For they excéeded when they had aboundance of all things but wee doe it now that we haue almost nothing Neither doe I feare that we shall enter into sedition for this poynt They that keepe the Custome house at Lions will say that vnlesse euery man may haue libertie of apparell the King shall lose aboue three hundred thousand crownes of yeerely rent But if we turne ouer the leafe wee shall finde that there is yeerely transported out of the Realme aboue fower millions of Francks which is caried into Italie for such warres and doe cause the King and his subiects to spende aboue twelue millions in superfluous apparell that might well bee spared In the tyme of Phillip the Conqueror vnder whom France florished and was aloft Veluet was out of vse with them neither had they any store of Silkes at the least fewe men did weare them Neuerthelesse the great men were neuer better obeyed each one in his degrée then in those daies So long as nothing but ritch garments doe procure reuerence and loue there is but small sted fastnesse therein and therefore there must be stronger bonds to bring vs to our dueties Yet doe I not meane that we should order our garments after the simplicitie of olde tyme for now doe many things abound that were then very rare The third parte of the Nobilitie at the least could wish there were some good order taken herein so should they bee better furnished with money and lesse endebted And I beleeue they could be content rather to spend that which they doe consume in such superfluities in the Kings seruice in the field where their expenses should be better employed theÌ„ to empouerish themselues in these follies and in liew of so many gay hosen and cloakes brodered with gold and siluer to buy good horses armour furniture therewith to bee worthely furnished in these honorable necessities So should wee finde aboue 1200 gentlemen able without pay to accoÌ„panie him which are yet good relickes of our decayed France and might worke as great miracles as euer did S. Mathurin of l' Archant And as these doe cure fooles as y t report goeth so would the others heale certeyne dolts y t think vs Frenchmen to be euen in the Hospitall Who theÌ„ would make any stirre for these things Peraduenture the women who are wonderfully affected to these goodly ornaments and would bee very forie they should be cut off Indeede they should bee allowed much more then men as well to content their curiositie as also because they loue to haue somewhat that may giue a glosse to their beautie Howveit Aristotle saith that women are the one moitie of the Commonwelth and therefore ought to bee brideled by good lawes but they will not beléeue him but say that he is an hereticke There be many other superfluities which I will not speake of as hauing touched them els where Only I haue chosen this kind which is as hurtfull as common which also I haue layed open to the ende to shewe that sith it may bee amended so may others likewise that make vs worse and more needie Which if any man desire me to name I must report these excessiue expences wasted in sumptuous Feastes vppon small occasion Maskes Playes superfluous retenues stately builoings precious moueables with many other pomps and pleasures which all do stand in great néede of reformation because that many doe passe their dueties and habilities neither should a man lye that should say that they are readier to spend 1000 crownes in such vanities theÌ„ to giue half a one to a poore soule that dyeth for hunger or tenne to a friend that standeth in great neede The cause whereof is ouermuch selfe loue and want of charitie toward others Now will I speake of matters which seeme necessarie to be touched if we minde to reforme the estate notwithstanding it be daungerous stirring of theÌ„ There be that thinke that if in this our pouertie those mén be not visited that haue so vnreasonably enritched themselues by our confusions the King shall bee defrauded of a woonderfull coÌ„moditie that would arise of the restitutions that diuers should be forced to make which also being applyed to good vses would stop great gaps This proposition is plausible grounded vpon equitie but y e execution therof is very difficult coÌ„sidering the great nuÌ„ber of those whose consciences are larger then a Friers â—léeue some in receiuing too much others in seruing their owne 〈…〉 es and others in catching and snatching And vndoubtedly if wée should driue them to giue accompt of their administration past it would bréede some iarre Yet if there were but a fewe exchetors in this number who now should deale faithfully in their offices if they could remember what shipwracke they had once almost fallen into was should bee sure enough from any warre there about But to close with those that weare Swordes that can both commaund and strike and that haue authoritie friendes and intelligences vndoubtedly it would breede great alterations Was it not one of the causes that moued Caesar to take armes because they would haue visited him and his partakers about the wealth that he had gathered in Gaule When the Gracchies propounded and purposed to put in execution the law Agraria which cut off the possessions of the ritch what bloodie sedition did ensue For although a thing be lawfull yet is it not expedient to put it alwaies in vse because that neither the indisposition of the affayres can beare it neither the tyme require it Some will say that it is a gentle way to redemand that thing by lawe that hath bene vsurped against lawe True But if we doe well marke the consequences wee shall finde them so daungerous that it were a great ouersight for the gathering vp of a fewe small profites
that the brighter the glasse is the more doth the inward light thereof appeare and being dimme small brightnesse may be séené These therefore hauing so good groundes doe want but good instructions to bring them to the knowledge of the dignity of man which consisteth in the lifting vp of his minde vnto the author of all his good Whereto also their noble calling ought to exhorte them And as in the actiue life that they leade they keepe it ordinarily occupied in diuers honest and profitable things so should they goe forward and thence ascend to spirituall for he that is deuoyde of such apprehensions maketh his condition very bad If any man saith Why are not we present at the religious ceremonies It is but a colde excuse because the most excellent parte of religion consisteth in the inward man And this doth the scripture teach vs when it saith that God is a spirite and will be woorshipped in spirite and truth And how may it be possible to caste of the heauenly misteries if this speculatiue power should not bende as a bowe to the search of so high trueths more necessarie for the sustenance of the soule then bread is for the bodie Howbeit there be but fewe of that degree that are very hot herein whereof it commeth that many are ignorant of that which they ought especially to knowe and are skilfull in that which they ought rather to bee ignorant of For proofe I will alleadge onely one example of a neighbour of myne who in certaine companie talking of religion sayd These Hugnenots would seeme to be great doctors but knowe no thing If you dispute with them they presently denye Purgatorie but then denye you the Trinitie and you neuer see men so amazed This I suppose he sayd thinking to haue sayd very well howbeit it is a lamentable case to see that he that ought to haue taught others had neede to haue gone to schoole to learne the first principles of Christianitie and Godlinesse sith in matters of ciuilitie he was sufficiently seene The bodily exercises which tend to honestie are very conuenient for gentlemen but they droope toward the ground if they be not susteyned by the soule which being deuout doth betweene times estraunge it selfe from this element Hereof are wee admonished in the fourth Commaundement of the lawe wherein God declareth that it is his will wee should rest the seauenth day that is to say that wee should forget all worldly cares and applye our whole minds to meditate vpon his wonderfull works as well of our creation and conseruation as redemption Wherein we see that contemplation is a common duetie whereto we may aduowe those to be most bound that haue receiued most kinds of benefites Now to speake of the second order which proceedeth from the first and third order namely the Gentrie and Communaltie Wee may well say that many of them are thrust forward voluntarily to learne the sciences as wel through a desire they haue of knowledge as also to profite others But there are also and that the greatest parte whom profite and necessitie doe stirre vp Among these some there are whose onely contemplation hath regard to their coffers which the first sorte regard not as ayming at better endes And in deede the chiefest duetie of a Philosopher is to whet his wictes to the knowledge of whatsoeuer exquisite things in the whole world whose contentation the higher that the spirite penetrateth the greater it is As for deuine knowledge which they that haue the Ecclesiasticall offices doe perticulerly professe the same doth require a soule free from worldly bonds and lettes because that in so high an argument it is to employ whatsoeuer the agilitie thereof And to them more properly then to any doth contemplation appertaine Not that I meane that they ought continually to bee therein occupied as a quadrant to behould the sunne for so in vaine should they be in office if they discharge not themselues to the benefite of those that are to receiue the vsurie of such spirituall talents as GOD hath imparted vnto them namely sound doctrine Thus doe we see that actiue life ought not to bée seuered for euer or any long time from the contemplatiue And this did the best Philosophers well knowe Also that great Deuine S. Augustine well allowed this orderly composition of the one and the other For although the spirituall actions are more worthie then the corporall yet must they not be separated I knowe very well that the Munkes especially the begging Fryers and Charterhouse for those of S. Bennet and S. Bernard are somewhat better companions will gainsay this affirming that the continuall contemplation which they haue chosen not being interrupted by mortal cares maketh both soule and bodie more perfect Truely it is a goodly matter to seeke to attaine to some small perfection according as mans frailtie can beare But sith S. Paule who attained to so high holinesse with his high and profound speculation continued neruerthelesse in continuall action to the edification of the Church I am driuen to aduowe that it is better to stay vpon his example then of any of the rest And to the end the better to lay open this matter I will set downe the liues of the auncient Munkes who liued within foure hundred yéeres after Christ in such maner as a very learned 〈…〉 hath gathered them out of the writings of S. Augustin Contemning saith he all worldly delights and pleasures they doe together leade a most holy and chaâ—â— life passing their time in prayer readings and conferences without puffe of pride contempt debate or enuie No man houldeth anything in proper neither is any man burdensome to his neighbour with their hands they doe such labour as may maintaine their bodies and not hinder their mindes from attending vnto God Then doe they commit their labours into the hands of those whom they call Deanes who of the money which they make thereof be accomptable to him that is called the father among them These fathers are such persons as are not only holy in life but also excellent in the doctrine of God and hauing preheminence in vertues as well as in power doe gouerne their children without any pride and as they haue authoritie to commaund them so are their sonnes as readie to obey them Toward euening euery man commeth foorth of his cell and yet fasting do meet together to heare their father which done they take their bodily refectioÌ„ as much as is requisite to maintaine health Euery man restrayneth his lustes so to vse it in all sobrietie yea euen the foode that is set before them which is neither much nor very delicate The ouerplus aboue their sustenance for they leaue much as well in that they labour diligently as also in respected of their sobrietie is destributed to the poore which care not greatly for earning it They force not of abouÌ„dance but care only to reserue no parte of their superfluitie In this austeritie
the peace least they should haue remayned ouer weake Heerevppon they sometimes discoursed in this manner That the most of their French forces abandoning them they should be driuen to stand vpon their defence but it would bee a great disgrace vnto them in that it now was the time of yeere that armies vsed to take the field To part with their Reisters whome they should distribute in their townes they would not doe it for so they shoulde deuoure themselues likewise to lodge them in a fortefied campe that remedie would last but a while To be briefe that they must trie the hazarde of a peace Then could they haue wished to haue had some townes for the assurance therof but when they requested anie other pledge than the edicts oathes promises they were dismissed as men that did despise or contemne the authoritie roiall which caused them to accept that which was vsuallie offered Thus did the Protestants dismisse their strangers retire into their houses and euery man perticularly lay awaie their weapons weening at the least the common sort that the Catholiks would haue done the like who were content onely to promise it but in effect to performe nothing but remaining still armed kept the townes passages ouer the riuer so as within two moneths after they had the Protestants as it were at their discretions Yea some of them that insisted most vppon peace were forced to saie We haue committed follie and therefore must not thinke much to tast thereof albeit this drinke be like to be verie bitter The third troubles Of the Protestants diligent retrait in the last troubles also of the Lord of Martigues braue resolution when he came to Saumure HUmane affaires are subiect to many alterations for the better representing of the inconstancie whereof the Ethnikes haue figured a turning whéele whereon things are sometime vp and sometime downe and who so list well to note the dissimilitude of the ground of this warre with the former shal perceiue the same For in the former the Protestants did preuent and proudlie assayle where in this they were preuented and retired vpon shamefull necessitie abandoning those Prouinces and Townes which before had serued for their preseruation When they see tenne companies of footmen brought vnto Orleleance they well knew that their businesse went amisse but most of all were they moued to departe the Prouinces about Paris because the Prince had like to haue beene besette in his owne house by sundrie companies of men of armes and footemen that easily approched towarde him Himselfe also hauing giuen aduice heereof to the Admirall and other his neerest neighbors did together with them and their families retire to Rochel by wading through the riuer of Loyre at an vnaccustomed foode Likewise he warned the Protestants farther off to take armes and sauing themselues so well as they might to drawe towarde him seeking passage ouer the riuer by foord or boate The Catholikes scoffinglie tolde him that he néeded not haue taken so hotte an allarum also that they had practised nothing agaynst them whereto he answered that hee had rather leaue them the neasts than they shold haue caught the birds also that if he had wel remembred their promise to be reuenged for Meaux like wise that they would make the brethren ru 〈…〉 e when theyr turne came he wold haue departed sooner that he might haue gone an easier pace These were their common speeches for the grauer matters on either 〈◊〉 are written in the histories I know that warre is miserable and with all bringeth many mischiefes but this vile small peace that lasted but sixe monethes was farre worse for the Protestants who being murthered in their houses durst not defende themselues These and other matters prouoked and disposed them to seeke theyr safetie in assembling together The Lord of Andelot being in Britaine was aduised to assemble all the power that he might and to march into Poictou wherevppon he gaue them order to meete him in Anieow which was done and when all were come together his troope consisted of no lesse than a thousand good horse and two thousand harquebuziers wherewith hee turned his head to the riuer of Loyre to the end to seeke some commodious passage But the same daie that bee came to the shoare therof there fell out an vnlooked for aduenture wherfro the Catholikes escaped with honour Hee was lodged verie scatteringly as hauing no greate allarum of enemies and had giuen the Captaines of his troopes charge after they were ariued in their quarters to seeke for some foorde or wadeable place but two houres after they were lodged the Lord of Martigues who was going to the Duke of Montpensier at Saumure was aduertised that a number of Protestantes without naming of anie were come to lodge in his way Now hee hauing alreadie passed a small riuer called Sorgne by boat thoght it to late to retire therfore y t it was requisit he make way with the sword whatsoeuer sh 〈…〉 ld happen his cariages he had sent awaie on the other side of Loire and his troop consisted of three hundred speares and fiue hundred harquebuzieres Also in as much as hee was driuen to march a long a banke of earth which kept in the riuer where there coulde but tenne men or sixe horses passe in front hee placed at his head an hundred Gascogne harquebuziers of his garde and two bundred others his horsemen in the the middest then the rest of his footmen behinde and fiftie speares for scourers This done he sayde vnto them Companions and friendes the Protestants are vppon our waie wee must eyther goe ouer them or bee lost for flie wee cannot Let euerie man therefore prepare to fight well with his arme and march gallantlie with his feete to winne Sanmure wee haue but eight small leagues thether and shall not bee in safetie before we come there This sayde they all promised not to fayle in theyr dueties and in this resolution they marched on The two first troopes that hee mette were two companies of horsemen that were taking their lodgings whome hee easilie scattered and Captaine Boisuert was slayne in the fight There hee hearde that the Lorde of Andelot was at hande wherevppon hee hasted the more to preuent him But not withstanding whatsoeuer his diligence hee founde him horsed with a fewe men as hauing had the allarum by some runawayes There was giuen a braue charge wherein the Lord of Martignes lieuetenaunt was slayne and the Lorde of Andelot forced to permitte him free passage He suffered not his souldiours to spoyle the carryages that stoode in the waies but made them to march on Within one league of the same place hee mette a companie of Captaine Cognees horse marching whome with harquebuze shotte hee sent backe a pace agayne a quarter of a league from Rosiers there mette him two hundred harquebuziers whome the Lorde of la None sent towarde the allarum to succour the rest but the Lorde of Martigues footemen beeing