the sayd L. Admirall throughout all places of his dominion that he meant not neyther would that any man should by any meanes alter his Edict of pacification it can not in any wyse agree with the warre which he maketh presently against his subiectes of the religion and much lesse with his own saying that he would not suffer any other Religion thā his owne within his realme By reason of which persuasions the prince cannot thinke that his Maiesties promising to succour him in the offer which he caused to be made to the sayd Earle without condicion was spoken with a playnmeaning hart but rather feareth that the same proceeded out of the selfesame shopp that the former things came because that in the letters of the Spanishe Ambassadour which were surprised a while agoe as they were comminge out of Fraunce to the Duke of Alua it was seene that the Queene mother vsed suche speech as this I cannot thinke that these so good Christians will make any agreement with the Heretikes shee spake those words of the Prince to his hinderaunce and therefore it is vnlykely that there was any good meaning towards the furtherance of his affayres The said Earle besecheth his Maiestie yit further to set before his eyes what hee hath oftentymes tolde him of the Cardinall of Lorreine namely that his dooings were so suspiciouse on all sydes that whereas he was in credit with his Maiestie and had the ordering of all his affaires it was not too bee thought so farre as could bee seene that hee would deale soundly or vncorruptly in any thing by reason of the great priuitie which he had with the Spaniardes yea and muche lesse in asmuch as it is reported that he hath offered his maiestie a great summe of money to imploy it against the protestants Moreouer the sayd Earle beseecheth his Maiestie to call to mynd what his highnesse hath sayd vnto him oftētimes namely that he considered well the mischiefes that had assayled him on all sydes and that if hee might by Gods grace once remedie them by the peace which he hath payned himself so much to make he would take good heed that he fell no more into them For wheras he is at this hower further ouer the shoes thā euer he was through the counsell of such as vnder his name doe bring those in suspicion which are called the heads of the factiōs and prouoke him to make cleane riddance of them by what meanes so euer it bee as hee dyd by the last slaughter his Maiestie maye wel see it was not to leaue of so but to make him bathe himselfe more than before in the bloud of his poore subiectes to the ende to hasten his own ruine the more wherof they haue layd the platt a long tyme afore hand which skarre his maiestie may yet for al this heale vp agayne by making a good peace in his realme by ceassing to trouble his subiectes of the reformed religion Finally the sayd Earle desireth his Maiestie to bethinke him of this poynt that although he had taken all the townes that are hild by the Protestantes in his Realme yit should hee not haue rooted out the Religion and to consider also that the late Emperour Charles the fifth did not onely take the townes but also had the persones in his hands that did set thēselues against his procedings seazed vpon their landes and beate downe their fortresses and yit for all that could nor driue the Religion out of Germanie because it is a thing so rooted in mennes hartes that it cānot be weeded out by force of armes VVherefore the sayd Earle most humbly beseecheth his Maiestie to take these reasons in as good part as the Earle hath without passion or particular affection soundly truly and with good conscience commaunded the Lord of Chastelier to preferre them to his vnderstanding and to wey them and consider them well and throughly not suffering himselfe to be flattered by such as play the leud Phisitions which tell not their pacient the least part of his disease wherevppon followeth his vndoing but rather crediting such as seeke nothing but his good furtherance and great increase If hee do so his affaires shal haue as good successe as he would wishe If not but that he continue stil in his former behauiour all that euer he can doo shall but turne to his vndoing and imbattell both God and men still more and more against him ¶ FINIS Concerning the conclusiō and effect that hath ensued of these requestes and aduises and touching rhe decease of the French Kyng IT is good for subiectes to trust and pray that Kyngs shall liue It is good for Kynges to thinke and knowe that kynges may and must die Many haue bin the examples therof and great is the fruite to the wise cōsiderers Gods is the iudgement and execution mannes is the good or harme as God is to dispose in wrath or fauour The end is Gods honour It is therfore good for all euen the highest to feare God and to gouerne subiectes as Gods people And sweete is the comfort to those noble Princes whose hearts and consciences the spirite of God feelingly assureth that they haue lead their people in truth holden them in Iustice and preserued them in mercy and equitie Let the one Realme of Fraūce in their Kyngs their subiectes and their state preach to Christendome the mortalitie of kyngs the miseries of ciuill warres the losses by disloyaltie of word and deede the fruits of truth right and peace Gods is the iustice and iudgement whose be the honour of all things seeming to men good or euill The valiant and famous French king Henry the second when he was in greatest apparance of felicitie and ioye in the entric of peace in the feastes of mariage in the very actes of triumph and euen than when after execution of sundry for the cause of conscience he had Annas du Burg and other counsellers of the Parliament of Paris in prison whom for their Religion he thought meete and intented to haue put to death was hurt and slaine to the great losse dissolution lamentation of that mightie kingdome His sonne Francis the second enriched with one kingdome more than euer his father or his auncestors enioyed the Realme of Scotland when after execution of many persons vppon the tumult of Amboise the death of the Vidame of Chartres he had the prince of Cōde Madame de Roye and other noble persons gentlemen prisoners in the Bastile of Paris and elsewhere was suddenly taken away by the hand of God to the great destitution and sorow of those that depended vppon his Maiestie Charles the ninth now lately deceased second sonne of King Henry and yonger Brother to the sayd Frauncis when he thought himselfe deliuered of those whom he supposed daungerous to his estate and whom he charged with most haynous conspiracie found afterward mightie resistance by the remnants of that execution by whom these Articles of request were presented vnto him whereuppon hath not followed such full conclusion as had ben to bee wished for the quiet of that kyngdom Since which time and the lamentable troubles depending when the sayd kyng had his owne Brother with the next Prince of his bloud his greatest Mareshals of his Realme and a number of noble men in custodie and prison and dayly expectation was of a totall destruction of some part of his subiectes God hath added him to his auncesters The circumstances of his disease the cause occasion and maner of his death pertayneth not to vs It was the woorke of god No doubt hee lacked not the care of a mother the counsell of Phisicians and cunning persons the helpe aduise wish and praier of the famous king his brother and all that men might do But Kynges who to vs in resemblance are Gods to them selues in Nature be men God giue to all Princes not that opinion onely but also that cogitation both to thinke it and thinke vppon it God giue quiet to that christiā region of our neighbours and an hart to all Christiā gouernour to haue care of the safetie and peace of their posteritie For beyond all posteritie there is a Kyng of Kynges to be aunswered And GOD giue vs Englishmen quiet and thankfull hartes that we may rest in vnitie cleaue to present state abhorre changes and so vse our Religion that God find it not necessary to withdraw our highest treasure Amen
Articles conteining the request presented to the French Kyng by the Deputies of the reformed Churches of the couÌ„trey of Languedoc and other places adioyning assembled by his Maiesties commaundement Also an other request to him presented by the persons of the third estate of the couÌ„trey of Prouence VVith his Maiestie answere to the sayd requests Also an aunswere of the Lord Lodouic Counte of Nassau to the aduertisements giuen him from the Kyng Translated out of French. Jmprinted at London by Henry Middelton for Thomas Cadman Anno. 1574. ¶ Articles presented to the Kyng by the Deputies of the reformed Churches of the countrey of Languedoc and other places adioyning VVith the Kyngs answere SIR we the Vicounts Barons GentlemeÌ„ and other here vnder writteÌ„ making profession of the reformed Religion both in our owne name particularly and of our adherents also as persons deputed by the reformed Churches of the countreyes of Guyenne Viuaraiz Giuaudan the Seneshalsee of Tholouze Auuergne Rouergue hie and base Marche Quercy Perigord Limosin Agennois Armaignac Commanges Conserans Bigorre Albi and Foys Lauragais Albigeois the countreys of Castres Villelongue Mirepoix Carcassois and other Prouinces adioyning assembled by the permission and vnder the safe conductes of my Lord the Kyng of Polonia your Mastiesties brother in the town of Montauban Hauing perused sundry letters missiue of your Maiestie concerning declaration of your good intention and will to reestablishe and maintaine a good and firme peace in this Realme to performe the parts of your Royall office to al your subiects and namely to those of the Religion whom your Maiestie willeth and meaneth from henceforth to enbrace entreat with all fauor protection and in the right of true and naturall subiects and to take order by way of iustice for the request that by them shal be made and presented most humbly to your Maiestie touching all the particulars that to theÌ„ shall seeme to be requisite and necessary for the maintaining of a true sincere peace We protest to this effect and with al our hart make most humble petition of that which followeth vnder the instant and oft repeted promises of my Lorde your Brother the Kyng of Polonia First we protest before God his Angels that it neuer entred into our harts before these last troubles nor since to take awaye nor withdraw froÌ„ your Maiestie our duties of most humble most obedient and faithfull subiection But with true and firme loyaltie of subiectes wee haue alway acknowledged do acknowledge that it is our vocation and naturall estate by the ordinance of God to yeeld to your maiestie all things due by a faithfull subiect to his Kyng and soueraigne Lord. If that your Maiestie haue taken in euil part and in displeasure that which by vs hath bene done protested and executed since the moneth of August 1572 vntil this present we most humbly besech you to cal to mind your letters of declaration dated the xxiiii day of the sayd month and to haue in your most wise consideration the most iust occasions that haue by force constraynt compelled vs to take weapoÌ„ in hand with all other thinges requisite to a iust and necessarie defence to turne your eyes to the poore decessed persones slaughtered and cruely put to death in sondrie townes places of youre realme vnder the pretence of a conspiracie but truly in hatred of the reformed religion that it will please you in pitie to looke vppon the smal remnaÌ„t escaped out of the sayd slaughters with a true remorse compassion of a father of your countrie to enter into your selfe and deeply and intentiuely to behold that benefit that your Maiestie receiueth of the singular and wonderfull goodnes of God and there vppon to meruell with vs aswel of our preseruation as of this ouerture of peace in youre realme like as a good Father would doe in his howse when after that he hath beholden in his howse some of his naturall children murdered before his face and his whole familie in manifest danger of vtter ruine he doth at length see by the grace of god all the rest of his children and his house restored to a good peaceable and sure estate If it shal be by any man thought euill and vnmeete for the greatnesse of your royall estate to make open declaration and protestation of such a griefe surely vnder the fauor and â—orrection of such as so thinketh so â—o thinke should be to do so much the more wrong first to God and after â—o your owne conscience to your hoâ—or and suertie and to your iustice â—nd office royall and to throw vpon â—oure subiects professing the religion aswel those that be murdered as these that be left alyue an euerlasting infamie ioyned with reproch of a pretenced conspiracie and rebellion wherunto next after the seruice of God we ought to haue regard aboue al other things that be nedeful for vs for by such mean also shuld in plaine termes and openly be iustified aswell the authors as executers of those murders which should be to vs reprochfull and impossible to be dissemblingly passed ouer And therfore for the first article of our request we holding vs to youre Letter of the 24. of August do most humbly beseche your Maiestie that folowing the course that was begon vppon the hurt of the late Counte de Coligny Admirall of France it wilâ— please you according to the purport of your sayd Letter to do exemplarâ— iustice vpon the sayd murders by vnsuspected Iudges thereto specially apoynted of like and equall number of both religions and namely other then those of the courtes of Parliamentes and Presidencies of Paris Tholouze Bordeaux Rouen Orleans and Lyon in which the principall presidents and councellers are reputed to haue bene the fauorers approuers practisers of the sayd slaughters at least of those that haue bene coÌ„mitted within their townes yea and within your prisons and at open assemblies and with as greate spede as may be to depute apoynt the sayd Iudges in all places wher it shal be nedfull enioyning them vppon a great paine to proceed therin spedely diligenly vprightly without maintenance without parciall wynking and desembling of Iustice for so shall your Maiestie begin to pull out of the hartes of your subiectes that be of the religion the iust and great distruste that they haue coÌ„ceyued by seing themselues giuen vp abandoned to the crueltie of murderers and so shal they the more spedely take to them selues occasion to trust in your onely worde and promise Also it may please your Maiestie to remember that in certaine youre Letters of instructions and declarations sent to the gouerners your Liefenantes of your prouinces in the monethes of September October and December there is specially reserued the punishment of those that shal be found charged with the supposed conspiracy against the persons of you and yours and with intellygences practises and conducting of matters done during the last peace which thing might
his Maiestie should bee intreated and sued vnto to take that great dignitie vpon him That was the very cause why they of the lowe coūtreys perceiuing their Prince to depart frō his promises and frō the condiciōs whereunto he was bound that on the cōtrary part his Maiestie vsed his subiectes so louingly wished withall their hearts to haue him to their soueraigne Lord casting themselues into his armes to the end to haue the freedome of their consciences and the exercise of their religion and generally to inioy the selfsame benefit which his Maiesties subiectes then did by his permission It was the selfsame and the chiefest reason that moued the Queene of England to make league with his Maiestie a litle before the murther But now contrariwise his Maiestie is nere his fall his state is weakened on all sides and he is as it were abandoned to the praye to whosoeuer listeth to take it bycause that through his last outrage and former warres made to force the consciēces of his subiects he is so destitute of noble men and men of warre yea and of the strongest fortresse or hold of his Realme which is the loue and good will of his subiectes that he is become like an old house that is dayly shored vp with some proppes and yit in the end cannot be kept from falling downe His Maiestie maye see how the Spanishe kyng his mortall enemie maketh his hand of the backwardnesse of his estate laughing with open mouth at his misfortunes and imploying al his studie indeuer to maintayne trouble in his realme assuringe him selfe and not without good cause that it is the onely meanes to attayne to his purpose without stroke stryking sith that the Spaniard hath more weakened his Maiestie by the former warres late slaughter present troubles than if he had made thirtie yeeres warre against him himselfe Furthermore the Spaniard serueth his owne turne against his Maiestie euery where where he can with the late outrage as he did alate in Poleland as his Maiestie vnderstandeth well ynough and the same was the only cause of courtesie and faithfulnesse which the Duke of Alua vsed towardes the sayd Earle at his goinge out of Mons as he himselfe reported to diuers afterward namely that hee did it to shew that hee would not commit so foule a trecherie as the French kyng had done and that he was not sory for the Admirals mischaunce bycause hee was the kyng his Masters deadly enemy but yit hee had leuer to haue lost both his armes than to haue done that deede And if his Maiestie continue his purpose of making warre against the protestants and wil not suffer them in his realm the sayd Earle can assure him that the Duke his brother leauing him in that plight to goe into Polonia shall neuer bee welcome thither But the people of that coūtry thinking that he cōmeth to set them in a broyle as Fraunce is will count him but as a cypher in Agrim and the Princes of the land in steed of comming foorth euery where to meete him on the waye for his honor will drawne back a ten leagues of for feare to see him And contrary wyse if he make himselfe a meane of good peace in Fraunce be fore he goe thence he shal bee receyued loued and honored as much as hart can think-and the foresayd Princes will wayte for him by the way to doe him all the honor and solemnitie in receiuing him that they can deuise And so long as his Maiestie abydeth in the same mind that he is in at this day the sayd Earle seeth not that it is to any purpose for him to hope that the Prince Elector the Palsgraue should send to the Queene of England for the accomplishing of mariage betwene hir and the Duke and much lesse that the sayd prince Elector should consent that the Prince Casimire his sonne should serue his Maiestie for the sayde Earle was sure that it shold smally boote him to moue the matter neither could he doe it with a safe conscience so longe as his Maiestie is in armes against the protestants His Maiestie hath all occasions that can be wished to drawe awaye his armed hande from his subiectes and to ceasse his warres against them besides that the Duke his brother the chosen king of Polonia if hee desire to be well receyued and to assure those country men that his being among them shall not be to trouble them or to disquiet their consciences but to maintaine them in the freedome wherein hee found them may also as the Duke his brother vppon like occasion make meanes to his Maiestie not to disquiet the protestantes and that if they depart otherwyse the one into Poland and the other into Englande besydes that it should fall out ill for them selues in respect of the reasons aforesayd they should leaue his Maiestie with such a warre vppon his hand as should be so much the more harde and daungerouse in respect of the abatemēt of his power with the smalnesse of his comfort and which worse is for that he should not haue any man whom hee might truste with the leading of his armie for as much as some are too seruisable and affectioned towards the Spanish King as his feed men his Maiestie could not trust any man by reason of the things that had passed Moreouer the sayd Earle could not forget to aduertise his maiestie that beyond the seas men began to bee greeued at the French fashions and to waxe loth to deale with them bycause they bewray themselues to goe vnsoundly to worke and to seeke for nothing but dissimulation as not long ago whyle the Queene of England was deliberating vppon the treatie of mariage betweene hir Maiestie and the Duke in the meane whyle shippes of warre were sent priuily in to Scotlande to stirre vp and mayntayne troubles there and to make them spred by little and little into England Agayne the brute goeth commonly here that the men whom his Maiestie sendeth abroad are all of them spies which come to discouer what is done in princes houses moreouer that all the discourses which his Maiestie maketh with Ambassadours specially in the name of the Pope and all the dispatches which he maketh vnto Rome are but tales and colours of assurance of good will too ouerthrowe the protestantes on all sydes and namely the foresayd princes And that there appeareth so much dissimulation and vntruth in his maiesties letters and wordes as men cannot tell howe to trust them in any good case lyke as in his letters written to the sayd princes vpon the wounding of the Lord Admirall when hee had giuen them to vnderstande that he was sore displeased at the receyt of suche a mischaunce and would make such an example of iustice of it as shoulde bee remembered while the world indured A two dayes after he caused it to be proclaymed that it was his owne dooing Furthermore how much assurance so euer his maiestie gaue after the death of