ther 's no kinred and that amongst Soverains the Soverain law ought to be that which force of armes gives the weaker The expedients requir'd to ruine the House of Austria shall be propos'd in this maner That the most eminent among mortals doth promise ten millions of gold to the King of Poland assuring him of the Imperiall Crown If he saith that we have no Electors on our side since the Archbishop of Triers was so unluckily taken away my Lord Ambassador shall assure him that we are so strong the t'other side of the Rhine that we shall constrain the three Ecclesiastic Electors and the Duke of Bavaria to do whatsoever we please There is no question for that but to afford us means by a notable diversion to settle our Kingdom of Austrasia according to the Cart that Bertius made to the most eminent among mortals and which is always at the ruel of his bed It is an Empire that 's design'd for his Eminence who scorns to be call'd Cardinal Duke and would be King at any rate This Kingdom of Austrasia contains all the Country 'twixt the Mose and the Rhin to begin at the French County and to end at the source of both the Rivers We have already Lorain Alsatia Monbeliard some part of the lower Palatinat Mentz and something of Triers we have when we will the French Conté Luxemberg Liege Colen Iuliers Cleves and Gueldres we shall agree well enough with the Hollander for what they hold and so we shall make a Kingdom for the most eminent among mortals of 160. Leagues long rich and well peopled which shall be given in mariage to the most accomplish'd Lady on earth the Neece of that spirit which moves the heavens who calls her self Madame de Combalet My Lord Ambassador may shew her picture to the King of Poland and if he likes her he may promise him for a dowry the Kingdom of Austrasia the Duchy of Richelieu thirty places more in France and ten millions of good gold without the false money of the same allay which we gave the Swed If the King of Poland say that the most eminent among mortals cosend the last King his father and that in the yeer 1630. Charnassé came in the behalfe of his Eminence to treat of a Truce 'twixt the Kings of Poland and Swethland to give thereby opportunity to the latter to enter into Pomerland and thence to Germany as it appears by the Letter and Instructions of his Eminence in the moneth of Iuly of the same yeer If it be alleg'd that the same time that Charnassé treated of these things in Poland and Swethland Cormolin was in Moscovie for his Eminence to invite the Russe against the Pole which he effected If these people which are so simple as to give credit to any thing do accuse us of perfidiousnes he must then disclaime the actions of Cormolin and swear that he had his head chop'd off for making the Muscovit arme against Poland If my Lord Ambassador advance nothing in Poland where it 's likely we are too well known he shall go to Russia and let him take heed that the Barbarians treat him not ill among those woods He shall go streight habited like an Englishman or a Hollander to Mosco to find out the Emperour to tell him the reasons which hindred him to send in the yeer 1633. the supply of men and money which his Eminence had promis'd him and that the Turk was not made to enter into Poland as the Basha of Buda made his Eminence beleeve He shall propound that if he please to break the treaty of Peace with Poland that Prince shall be engaged far in Germany Besides my Lord Ambassador notwithstanding any denial shall sweare that the party is made and tyed already and so the Moscovit shall have a brave time of it in Poland If these savages cry out that the most eminent among mortals is the cunning'st among mortals and that he caus'd the Moscovit to lose his repute before Smolensko where they were beaten like so many dogs which made them part with two Provinces and make a dishonorable Peace If they add that the Turk will attempt nothing on Poland because of the knowledge the Gran Signor hath of the generosity of that invincible King then my Lord Ambassador shall withdraw for fear he receive some affront We do not judge it necessary that my Lord Ambassador go back to Buda to treat with the Basha to make him surprise some places in Hungary his Predecessor having had his head chopt off for having enterpriz'd some things against the intentions of the great Turk and for receiving the moneys we sent him It may be feared that he who commands at present may command two of his Janizaries to put my Lord Ambassador on his back and to give him an hundred stroaks with a Bulls pizzle upon his belly as Monsieur de Saney was us'd in Constantinople for a peece of roguery he did Besides we hope the great Turk will break the peace with Poland and the truce with the Emperour to which purpose we have employ'd Monsieur de Thou to Constantinople whither he hath caried provision to make that great Army the Turke hath at Sea to descend into Sicily and Naples or to Malta he hath also in charge to interpose for a peace 'twixt the Turk and the Persian and to unite them if he can that they may destroy Christendom We leave it to the discretion of my Lord Ambassador whether he see the Vayvod of Transylvania but if he resolve to go thither he shall represent unto him that the whole earth wonders that he attempts nothing against the Emperour he shall exhort him to imitat his predecessor the valiant Bethlem Gabor and tell him that all the good Houses of France have his pourtrait in their Galleries with that of the King of Swed and that his Highnes should do well to send also his in doing some act of courage If he say that he hath an alliance with the Emperour and friendship with Hungary and that for a Picture he will not hazard the Originall in this case the Lord Ambassador is to withdraw himself hansomly Then shall he enter Tartary where 't is probable we shall manage our busines better because that people know us not so well withall they are fitter for our turn in regard they place all right in Armes as we have hitherto done That they stay not long in one place like the most Eminent of mortals my Lord Ambassador shall go visit Chamocublay the great Cham wheresoever he be He shall not wonder at that faire Palace of Marble Porphiry and Jasper which hath half a league in every corner He shall esteem it but not in such a maner but that his Eminence hath Houses which approch in some kind those of Cambalu Above all things the Duke of Sabin shall take heed that he pull off his hat very low before the great Cham he must remember that Dracula caus'd three Turbans
most humble servant From the prison of the Fleet this Midsommer day 1646. HOVVELL Historiae Sacrum IMmortal Queen great Arbitresse of Time Bright torch and Herald of all-conquering Truth Which things yeers thousands pass'd kepst in their prime And so bear'st up the world in constant youth Making that Morn Man first was made of clay Appear to us as fresh as yesterday Rich Magazin of Patterns that may serve As spurs to Vertue or as curbs to Vice Which do'st brave men embalm and them conserve Longer then can Arabian gumms or spice And of their memory dost Mummy make More firm then that hot Lybia's sands do cake Rare Garden and rich Orchard wherein grow Fame's golden apples Honor's choisest flow'rs Which twistest ghirlands for the learned brow And with thy branches mak'st triumphant bow'rs Inoculat this bud on thy great Tree That it may burgeon to Eternity I. H. OF THE LATE FRENCH King and his CARDINALL The Proem I Attempt the life of a potent King with the sway of a prodigious Favorite for there are prodigies in Fortune as well as in Nature If the exploits of the one and the policies of the other were cast into counterballance I know not which of the scales would outpoise Both of them have got high seats in the Temple of Immortalitie and registred their names though in deepe sanguine characters I confesse in the great booke of Fame Concerning the first As I disdaine to be a Parasite to my owne Prince in any sordid way of flatterie much more to a forreiner though living so I shall be very carefull not to detract any thing from the honour of this great Prince who had inhaerencies enough and realities of his owne without need of any forc'd encomiums or flourishes of art to render him glorious And had the strength of naturall parts and gift of expression been answerable to the successe and bravery of his outward actions had his theoricall knowledge of vertue been equall to his ignorance of vice he had been a miracle among Monarks For the second his plenipotentiary minister had he been as active for the universall good and incolumitie of Christendome as he was for the interests and safety of his owne Countrey Or had he been of another coat and in lieu of being a Priest Bishop and Cardinal had he been Knight Baron and Marshall it had put a farre clearer lustre though with lesse noise upon his abilities which were not common And he had the opportunity and advantage to shew them upon so high and open a theatre that he made the whole Europaean world his Spectator Indeed a sword hangs not handsomly by a Churchmans side and a morrion upon a mitre shewes ill-favouredly But me thinks I heare this martiall Prelate passe it over as Pope Iulius the second did upon like occasion who having had a long feud with the Emperour Frederick against whom he had fought twelve battels and being one day gently admonish'd by the Archbishop of Ostia who had consecrated him and whose peculiar jurisdiction it is to consecrate all Popes how S. Peter his first predecessor was commanded to put up his sword T' is true said Iulius Our Saviour gave the prime Apostle such a command but t' was after he had given the blow and cut off Malchus eare So this adventrous Cardinall got out his Masters sword to cut off the excrescencies and to loppe the luxuriant boughes of that broad-spreading Austrian Tree fearing they would extend and shoot out into France As also to clip the wings of the Imperiall Eagle who was in a faire way to recover some of his old feathers I meane those Hansiatick and other free Townes in Germanie who had emancipated themselves time out of minde for money and by other meanes from the Empire But having not finish'd the worke Both of them have left the weapon still unsheath'd and dropping pittifully with Christian blood and Heaven onely knowes when it will be put up againe Now to proceede more regularly in my intended storie I will begin with the Monarch and then fall upon the Minister it being consentaneous to reason and congruous to good manners that the Master should have prioritie of the Servant though I am not ignorant how some mercenary Chroniclers would hoise the Cap above the Crowne They seeme to attribute the successe and glorie of things more to the Minister praising him with greater industry and heat They would cut his name in marble and his Masters but in freestone By a new Astronomy they make such a Constellation of him as should give a greater lustre in the French firmament then the Sunne from whence he had deriv'd all his light Others goe further and seeme to idolatrize him by calling him the good Genius and tutelar Angel of his Countrey and that he was as necessarie for the government of France as God Almighty was for the universe Nay some soare higher and by monstrous parasiticall reaches of prophanenes would make the world believe that the Almightie had imparted unto him some of his own peculiar attributes as to make him omniscious cardiognostick and to worke without the concurrence of second causes which made one futilous pamphleter fall into an egregious bull while scruing up his wit to hoise him aloft he call'd Him the person in the Trinitie Such Scriblers as these are a more sordide sort of Flatterers then those we read of who lick'd up Dionysius his spittle and in my judgement are a scandall to the noble French nation besides they rather eclipse then illustrate his worth for his very enemies confesse that his merit had matter enough for modestie her selfe to work upon without such ridiculous hyperbolies and forc'd transcendencies For Vertue whereof there shin'd in him many eminent pieces is of her selfe so amiable and powerfull that shee attracts all eyes upon her and extorts praise and admiration from foe as well as friend The truth is that all those yeares this great minister sate at the helm may be term'd a time of miracles by that prodigious course of constant successe matters had abroad and at home as if he had struck a nail in Fortunes wheele that shee should not turne all the while Yet let me tell you there wanted not those that writ as satyrically of him as others did sycophantically as will appeare in his life for though his habit was in grain yet there were many foul spots cast upon it insomuch that the Spaniard with other nations thought it would never be fit to make reliques of because it was so deeply drencht in blood Nay some of his owne Countreymen specially the poore face-grounded Peasan doe much doubt whether he that was so much deified upon earth will ever be a Saint in Heaven But now to the maine designe the life of Lewis the thirteenth and to take him in all his proportions we will go first to his cradle and begin with his nativitie and Dauphinage Then we will on to his minoritie or bassage and thence to
that competency which beasts use to have to satisfie the necessities of Nature for there is not upon earth a more plentiful Countrey and a poorer people generally then the Pesantry of France There vvas another reach of State vvhy the common people vvere kept so poore and indigent vvhich vvas that he might be supplied with soldiers to furnish his Infantry for the vvars vvhereunto necessity vvill drive any one At the sound of his Drum they came alvvaies in multitudes to serve him because he had alvvayes store of treasure to pay them He had at one time above 120000. of them in severall Armies nor vvere there ever such services perform'd by French foot vvho formerly had but small repute in the vvorld vvith these and his cavalry he perform'd such exploits that as I said before posterity must have a strong faith to beleeve them such exploits that Mars himself the ascendent of France might have bin invited to partake of his triumphs vel et ipse vocari Iupiter ad praedam posset With these he drew the overwhelmings of Spain into a narrower channel and put her to cast her policy into a new mould for whereas before she was for many yeers upon the conquering and offensive part she is now content to stand upon her guard and put her self upon the conserving and defensive part By these performances of France against the Monarchy of Spain it visibly appears what advantage a little body that hath his joynts well knit and compacted and hath also his radicall moisture and radicall heat the two gran columns of life dispers'd in equall proportion throughout all parts to actuate the whole and make it vigorous for such is France may have over a huge unweldy bulk whose members by vast uneven distances are so loosly kept together as the Spanish Monarchy is known to be which were she as closely knit as France or the Ottoman Empire either which extends two and thirty hundred miles and but the Hellespont between in one continued peece from Buda in Hungary to Bagdad or Babylon in Asia I say if the modern Monarchy of Spain were so closely united she might compare with the greatest that hath bin yet upon Earth And now will we put an absolut period to the history of the life of Lewis the Thirteenth Which we have illustrated in the best manner we could as also to this Corollary and short transcurrence of his raign which lasted thirty three yeers and his whole life hardly reach'd to forty three a time which as was said before in a well dispos'd body is accounted but the Meridian of manhood whether nature posted away and hastned thus her course in him and made him old before his time by her own weaknes or by accident as some mutter we will not determin but rather give faith to the first cause and to divers dangerous sicknesses whereof he had pass'd the brunt formerly as also to exces of care and intentivenes of mind and personall pains in the war He had a long time to study the art of dying his disease being a Consumption which afforded him space enough to set his House in order He spoak oft times of the troubles of Great Britain in his sicknes and once he was overheard to say that it was a just judgement because his Brother of England would have assisted his subjects once against him So this great King died in the highest glory of his actions for his sayles swell'd with prosperous winds till he came to his last port He had settled all things so exactly that when he came to die he had nothing els to do but to die which he did so gently that it was rather a soft dissolution then death By his high exemplary vertues and strangenes to vice he was a Saint amongst Kings on earth and now may be a King among Saints in heaven whither he went on Ascension day For his acts of prowesse he deserves to have the Alps for his tomb the Pyrenean Mountains for his monument for he made them both to stoop unto him He left his Queen a yeer and some moneths younger then himself Regent as it was her due by Saint Lewis law which she might have clam'd by merit as well as by right for she had bin marvailously complying carefull and indulgent of him A Lady of admirable sweetnes moderation and prudence for she never tamper'd with the Government in his time nor would she meddle with the Election of any Officer or Minister of State nor interpose in any thing but in matters of mercy and pardon and then she would be sure to have an inkling how the King was inclin'd which made her receive few denials so that being much importun'd for Monmorency's pardon whose first crime was the last action of his life she would by no means attempt it The young King was foure yeers and eight moneths old when his father died so that the Queen is to rule in chief till he be fourteen whereby France in statu quo nunc may be said to have fallen under the government of Strangers the Queen Regent being a Spaniard and Mazarini the Prime Minister of State an Italian THE LIFE OF ARMAND IOHN DE PLESSIS Cardinal of RICHELIEU HAving done with the Master we will now descend to his Minister the Cardinal of Richelieu a man so cryed up that every corner of Christendom rang of his report for twenty yeers together nay the walls of the Seraglio ecchoed with his fame and fear of the mighty doings of France which made the Turks to think oftner upon that famous Prophecy they have amongst them that the Ottomans should at last get Kenzal almai the Red Apple which they interpret to be Rome but not long after their Empire should be destroy'd by a Flower by which they think are meant the Freinks He was a Gentleman of very ancient descent for in the Tree of his genealogie I find that by the House of Dreux his Ancestors were allied to Lewis the gros one of the Kings of France and by a direct uninterrupted line he came for thirteene degrees from Father to Son from William of Plessis who was a Gentleman of high account in Philip Augustus time 1179. When his father Francis De Plessis died he was but five yeers old and so remain'd under the tutele of his Mother Susanna de Porta who gave him all the advantagious breeding that could be in Paris where he was born both in an Academy for riding and handling of armes and in the University for learning he made choice of the Colledge of Sorbon to finish the course of his studies where he took the profession of a Theologue and so became a Sorbonist Doctor He had two brothers Francis the eldest was kill'd by the Marquis of Themines in duel Alphonso the second being elected Bishop of Lusson forsook the pomp of the world and betook himself to the austere life of a Carthusian whose rule is never to eat flesh and so resign'd the Bishoprick
vel jure vel injuria capite plecti voluit Magnates aliquot carcere perpetuo plures exilio damnavit multos ab Aula removit innumeros proscripsit ne ipsius consiliis obessent nec unquà m mitis Gallia tam frequentia supplicia vidit Magni Regis quem magno studio decepit nixus potentia foecundi Regni opibus adjutus infinitas sagittas perdidit ut scopum praecipnum a quo aberravit attingeret Aliquos exitus secundos insanis conatibus pepererunt mentis actio vel agitatio continua projecta est omnia tentans mentis audacia rigida severitas Brevi evertendus si inter hostes externos aliquos cautiores inter aversos Gallos ferè omnes vel adversarium unum invenisset Multùm illi favit quod eum vix quis noverit vel iis qui noverant crediderit Adeo fortunatus ut qui illi infensi erant nobiles milites pro illius gloria suum alienum funderent sanguinem dum ille regio jungeret suum In quo consilio Sejanus periit ipse perierat nisi Soissonensem Regium principem sustulisset Tam noxiae potestatis vestigia integro saeculo Germania Hispania Italia Belgium sed maximè Gallia vix delebunt Et Civium et vicinorum miseriis voluptatem captans ut istis capillos velleret illorum viscera laniaret Nec Regis sui sacrae valetudini aliquid indulsit illam agitavit dum suam exhausit curis vario animi pathemate Illi primò divinae nemesis brachium corrupit quod contra coelum tetenderat mox abstulit usum Dextrae quae bellis ultro illatis subscripserat illud octo ante obitum mensibus computruit unde haec exaruit Quod dolendum qui Deum ita Vindicem sensit non agnovit Id ex eo conjice quod furorem in hostes privatos ardentiùs exercuit Quod imminente morte politica magis prudentia quà m Christiana pietate plus suos Regi quam se Deo Comendavit Quod paucis diebus ante vitae tragicae catastrophen excogitatam a se fabulam quam Europam triumphantem vocabat exhiberi regia magnificentia voluit non tamen spectare potuit Quod Ecclesiam afflixit Cardinalis sanguinem effudit Sacerdos nullas injurias condonavit Christianus nec Homo meminerit se esse mortalem etiam cum ebullientes e multis ulceribus vermes admonerent quam fragili faetidae corruptioni obnoxious esset Ubi omnibus viis etiam impiis per 18. annos ad privatum dispendio publici cucurrit finem ad comnunem hominum placida in speciem morte sed multis quos praemisit tardiore tandem pervenit Fato functus est Lutetiae ante 57. cum tribus mensibus Galliam Domum deserens utramque incendere velle visus est illam extorta in Regis fratrem declaratione istam ad placitum foeminae condito testamento Caeterum nec unquum dives Gallia tantum homini contulit nec alium Natura satis impatiens tam diu pertulit nec pacis amans mortuum ullum tam hilariter extulit Haec palam assero quae tu clam suspicatus es sapiens Viator si quem adhuc dubitantem invenis roga ne deceptis vel corruptis adulatoribus credat sed mihi vera ex intimis sincerisque promenti Omnes verò Mortales ut sibi persuadeant velim plus apud Deum valere justitiam vel minimam quà m potestatem maximam nec aestimandam tam latè diffusam famam sed bonam Multa turbare non esse multum agere turbata componere plus esse ne turbentur impedire plurimum esse Vulgus felicia scelera pro virtutibus ducit tu contra nihil infelicius felici scelere cogita Fraudum egregius Artifex Richelius plurimos ad momentum decepit forte seipsum in perpetuum Heu Universa quae miscuit non rediget in ordinem qui pacem quae cum illius ingenio turbulento non conveniebat etiam fortunae suae non convenire credebat Inde tot mala quae Christianum Orbem a 15. annis afflixerunt Ora ne sit Deus vindex aeternus in authorem qui magna misericordiâ multisque miserationibus in magnis multisque criminibus indigebat Tu Hospes Christiane seriò perpende quam nihil sit quicquid momento praeterit Nemo ex istis quos purpuratos vides ex hoc ipso felix est non magis quà m ex illis quibus sceptrū chlamydem in scena fabulae assignant cum praesenti populo elati incesserunt et cothurnati simul exierunt excalceantur ad staturam suam redeant Adde parvus cinis modo est qui magnus Ignis fuit teter fumus nunc est qui nuper coruscans splendor omnium oculos perstringebat Utinam non et fax illi in alio sit orbe qui in hoc Europae fuit Haec jam pacem extincto bellorum fomite sperat Hortarer te Viator ut tanto pacis etiam suae dum viveret hosti pacem precareris nisi vererer ne illi molestus esses rem quam oderat illi apprecando precare tamen quia juberis inimicos deligere si ad illum non pervenerit pax ad te revertetur sic imperat Christus in quo vive pacificus ut in Illo placide conquiescas Interim vale This Epitaphicall Invective being a kind of Character of the whole man and a Legend of his life I thought worthy of rendring into English for the concisenes and weight of the style First O Passenger I desire thee to praise Almighty God that thou mayst read this securely in France Then admire that he is coop'd up in so narrow a compasse now dead whom living the whole Earth could scarce contain when he mov'd Her he also shook the Heavens arrogating to himself this Motto Mens sydera volvit That thou mayst know what an Intelligence this was He was in point of industry sagacious but turbulent being an Enemy both to the publique peace and his own In that great wit which neverthelesse some suspected some of his Familiars observ'd a great mixture of madnes All things puzzled his mind nothing settled it He stood so long not so much by the love of his great Master but by authority being more fortunat for the successe of things then solidity of counsell unhappy onely in the wrath of God being perpetually attended with foule diseases He was subject to both Choler 's the tormenters of mans life black and yellow so the poyson which he disgorg'd for others ruine was felt by himself He was ambitious above all men covetous above most prodigall of the Kings money and sparing of his own when cross'd he was cruell and more when he intended to crosse Being enrich'd by the Queen Mothers benefits promoted by her care and made potent by her power he deprived Her both of the Kings grace of her liberty goods and of France it self and at last of life at Colen where she died an exile He spar'd