so great sumes of money hitherto leuyed of your people haue bene imployed and to cause the men of warre to be well payd hereafter which is the onely meanes to make them liue in order vnder good rule and warlike discipline and the people of the sayde thirde Estate will praye to GOD for the preseruation and increase of your highnesse in all prosperitie and health ¶ The Kings aunswere to the Deputies of the third State of the three Countries of Dolphine Languedocke and Prouence THE King hath taken in very good parte the complaintes griefes and requests made by the deputies of the third state of the Countries of Languedocke Dolphine and Prouince and assureth them that he will relieue thē as soone as his affaires may giue him leaue It maruelously greeueth his Maiestie that his poore people haue suffered so many wrong full troubles For the appeasing whereof he hath caused his Edict to be proclaymed intending to haue it kept and will to the vttermost of his power reache out his hand yit further to a greater pacification And his sayde maiestie doeth all his subiectes to vnderstand that he is charged with allowances to the Princes his bretherne and of the Ladies his Sisters with the interteynement of the Queene with the dowries of his mother and of the Scottish Queene with the allowances of the old Queene Elinor of the Duchesses of Berrey and Ferrara wherwith the kyngs his Grandfather and Father were not charged ouer and besides an infinit masse of dettes wherof the sayd kyngs his Graundfather and Father left him in arrerages which things haue ben the cause of his further charging of his saide people to his great grief Made to Villiers-Cotterets the 18. of October 1573. ¶ The aunswere and aduertisement of the Lord Lodowicke Earle of Nassau to the Kyng THe Lord Lodowicke Earle of Nassau for the zeale which hee hath of the good successe of the kynges Maiesties affaires hauing not long agoe talked freely and plainely with the Lords of Schombert and Fregouza at Frankford and afterward with the sayd Lord Schombert at Cassel thought that his Maiestie shold haue had intelligēce of all as well by the letters of the sayd Lord Schombert as by word of mouth of the said Fregouza hoping also that hee would haue taken all things in good part according as it proceeded from a hart that was at his commaundement Neuerthelesse the sayd Earle perceiueth by instructions from the sayde Fregouza lately roturned vnto him and vnderstandeth throughly by his wordes that his Maiestie taketh all things as though hee had ment to bridle him in his owne Realme VVherein notwithstanding it was the said Earles intent but to shew his Maiestie freely and vprightly the only meanes whereby he knew he might attaine to the thing that he pretended which was to knit a firme friendship and good league with the Protestant Princes and to put away and bury the euill report that went of his Maiestie as well by common deuises of pictures as by reprochfull Bookes and finally to assure him selfe of good aid against the kyng of Spaine in whō he espieth dayly diuers euill meanings towards him And forasmuch as his Maiesties sayd mistaking of things hath caused the sayd Earle to feare least he were not informed of the thing which hee woulde faynest haue him to know and which hee thinketh in sound conscience to be the fittest waye to bring the thing to passe which his Maiestie pretendeth he hath dispatched to him the Lord Chastelier to informe him more particularly of his meaning and of the thinges which he seeth to be expedient for the compassing of his desire Humbly beseechinge his Maiestie to beleue that his so doing is not vppon any peculiar passion or for any affection that he hath to any other thing than to see him in better estimation and reputation than he is among strange Princes and Potentates and further of from the destruction that preaseth hard at his heeles The meanes for him to come to the foresayd ends with the sayd Protestant Princes and to recouer the reputation wherof the former outrages haue bereft him is that his Maiestie should first and formest surcease his warres against them of the Religion which is the true and onely ground woorke whereuppon he may build his reputation new againe whatsoeuer he listeth besides with the Protestant Princes For otherwise it is impossible for him to preuayle And it is no brideling of his Maiestie but a receiuing of fauour at his hand when the sayd Princes may so trust in him as in them selues and shall see in good earnest that there lurketh none euill meaning towardes them which thing cannot be so long as his Maiestie shall persecute them of the same Religion in his Realme whereof the sayde Princes make profession and whereuppon they ground themselues By reason wherof they can neuer hope for any stedfast friendship or league with his Maiestie so long as he sheweth him selfe so sore against them in the chiefe poynt namely Religion which is the thinge that ouer ruleth the doinges of men VVherefore it is requisite to giue his Maiestie a Blanke wheron he might contitinually set his eye that first and formest he let the Protestants alone in peace And to the end that his Maiestie shoulde thinke that these be no discourses in the aire the sayd Earle beseecheth him to remēber that the same had ben the welspring of all his reputation and to call to mind what he had sayd to his hignes the first day of his comming to Bloys in the euening and many other times duringe the treatie of the king of Nauarres mariage namely that forasmuch as his Maiesty had labored so much to set peace among his subiectes and freely graunted the Protestāts the exercise of their Religion the sayd Lords and Princes desiring to be mayntained in like libertie bare him so hartie good will that in deuising ere whiles among themselues whō they might wish to be their Lord if the case shoulde so fall out as to come to election they desired his Maiestie with one mind wishing his auauncement and increase and hauing not any thing more common in their mouthes than his prayses VVhereuppon the sayde Earle sayd vnto his Maiestie that he hoped one day to see the imperiall Crowne vppon his head and that his Maiestie might beleue that that saying of his came not of himself but of such as hauing the authoritie and power to do it made their full accompt to chuse him to be kyng of Romanes VVherin his Maiestie should haue this aduantage that wheras other Princes were wont to buy and purchace it by all meanes and to offer all maner of condicions of aduauntage that they could deuise for the purpose like as the Emperour now present his Maiesties father in law had neuer ben chosen without earnest sute and solemne promises made wherof one among many other was that hee sware to maintaine euery man in freedome of conscience and exercise of the Religion
haue ministred vnto them with all vprightnesse and equitie Also to be aduised of such procurations as shall be necessary for the particularities depending vpon the sayd case to the end that by the xv day of December by which tyme his Maiestie hopeth to be retourned to his towne of Compiegne from the voyage that he presently maketh to the frontiers of his realme for conducting his brother the king of Polonia going towardes his kingdome his Maiestie being then aduertised of the whole by the sayd Lord Mareshal may giue order as to him shall seeme necessarie And where he is required by the sayd deputies to prolong the ceassing of armes his Maiestie will write to the sayde Lorde Mareshall to cause all actes of hostilitie to cease prouided alwaye that they of the religion giue order on their part that nothing bee atttempted to the contrary as of late hath bene done which his Maiestie doth expresly forbid At Villiers-Cotterets the 18. day of October 1573. Thus signed CHARLES And vnderneth FIZEL A request exhibited to the King by the Deputies of the third estate of the Countries of Languedocke Dolphine and Prouince SYr before we wēt in hande with the charge that was committed vnto vs by your most humble and obedient subiectes the people of the third estate of your coūtrie and Countie of Prouence Folcaquier the Landes bordering therevpon we wel foresawe three poynts which would make our sute odious or at leastwyse not so well fauoured as we gladly would haue desired that we might returne into our coūtrie with good speed of the thing for which we come present our selues sewters vnto your Maiestie The first is that it is an vnseemly thing for Subiectes to inquire of the peculiar affaiers of their King or to go about to demaund a reason why he doeth them The Second is that subiectes ought to haue a sure good opinion of their Princes good meaning towardes them and that hee will not greue them with extraordinary subsidies without great cause and vrgent necessitie and therefore that the sessing of them lieth not in the controlment of the Subiectes The third is that it is an vnseemly and intolerable rashnes of the Subiectes to intend to brydle or restrain the affaires of the state wherof they haue no knowlege but superficially and by coniecture And in very deed these three poyntes haue made vs to refuse our commission often tymes we had not condescended to haue receiued it but for three other considerations that were layed afore vs in the assembly of the three estates held in the Moneth of Iuly last past in your town of Aix One was the consideration of your natural goodnesse and clemencie sufficiently shewed by experience towardes your subiectes where through we ought to hope for gentle and fauorable audience in the wofull state of your sayd Countrie of Prouence wherof it may be that your Maiestie is not faythfully aduertised An other is that good Kings Princes and Potentates haue at al times not only harkened to the complaintes and griefes of their people but also receiued thē and gently disburdened the Deputies of such and so importunat charges The last is that in extremities mē ought to haue free and vnrestreyned recourse to him that is onely able to apply the needfull remedye Wherevnto we may ad that many things are don vnder the authoritie of Kings without their knowledg for which they be now and then displeased with such as haue not aduertised them of them Surely Sir all these considerations haue we set afore vs to the intent that all men may know that we come not as Mutiners Rebels or Sedicious persons to countermaund your treasure or to inquyre perticulerly of the imployment therof or to call in question the faithfulnesse and vpright dealing of such as haue the ordering of your receytes but onely to giue you true intelligence how great charges impositiōs aydes subsidies tallages taxes increases other contributiōs this poore miserable third state payeth and beareth But peraduenture Sir you will thinke it strange that we which are Deputies for Prouēce should also interlace the griefs and complaints of the Third estate of your Contries of Languedocke Dolphenie Neuerthelesse I which am the messenger am assisted by the Deputies of the sayd Contries here present who gaue me in commission so to do as we met to gether by chaunce at Tarrare bycause wee had all one message and sute Therfore sir it is done to the intent your Maiesty shuld not be troubled with the repetition of like matters And forasmuch as our griefes are all vpon the selfe same points and tend to one selfe same end they haue chosen me alone to speake indifferently for all the three countries alike which thing I haue so much the more willingly and boldly taken vpon me bicause your highnes hath had experience of my loyaltie honestie and sinceritie in your Countrey of Prouence where it hath pleased your Maiestie to aduaunce me to one of your chiefe roomes of your Counsel Sir your Countie of Prouence belonged of old time to the kyngdome of Austrasie and vntill the time of Reyner kyng of Sicili who made a gift of it to king Lewes the eleuenth it continued alwayes vnder the dominion of the Dukes of Lorraine Barre In the time of the sayd good kyng whom some haue seene that are aliue at this day the men of Prouence payd not any tallages impositions ayds subsidies gables or other maner of contributions at all but liued welthely merely of the reuenues of their demayns in peace withal their neighbors and passing their time in making those excellent kind of peytings which are yet still to be seene in the pallace of Aix the chiefe Citie of Prouence Kyng Lewes at his taking of possession of the countrey of Prouence graunted and confirmed all their priuileges which they had in the time of good kyng Reyner which continued so to the time of the great king Francis the first who vppon necessity of the defence of the same countrey when Charles the fifth came downe into it made the people therof taxable and subiect to other impositions of his Realme The countrey of Viennoys Dolphenie at such time as it was sold to your Maiesties predecessors by Sir Humbert Dolphine did enioye like fraunchises and liberties as the coūtrey of Prouence So likewise did the countrey of Languedoc in the times of Raymond Berrager Earles of Tholouze And to say the truth neither taxes ayds subsidies nor impositiōs were heard of any where throughout all the shires of the Realme till the Englishmen had gotten the better part therof for the dispossessing of whose vsurpations our kynges were constrayned to rayse great powers and armies of men And bicause the soueraigne dominiō was held by the Englishmen the Frenchmen whose faythfulnesse and loyaltie passeth al other nations of the earth graūted to kyng Charles the sixth to tax thē and cease them and that was the first time that tallages
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
with any thing what soeuer it be shal be bound to verifie theyr accomptes of their dealinges by those that haue had generall authoritie ouer them and to the sayd councels prouincial And that the like be done of all those that haue had the handeling charge administration of money during the former trobles since the yeare 1567. And the remaine that shal be found due by the sayd accomptantes and other detters of the sayd moneys shal be employed to the acquital and discharge of those of the religion for charges by occasion of the trouble and maintenance of the warre And this done the sayd accomptantes shall remaine acquited of their sayd administration and dealinges and wholy discharged thereof bringing the aquitance of those that had the commaunding of them in these last trobles made by the aduise of the sayd councels Prouincial and according to their rule so as in time to come neyther they nor their successors shall in any wise be put to answere therfore forbidding to al your chambers of accountes other Iudges ordinary or extraordinary all Iurisdiction and conusance and to youre attorneyes generall or perticular al power to sue for the same That also those of the religion remaine acquited and discharged for all actes of hostilitie leuyeng and conducting of men of Warre founding and taking of artilerie and munitions making of pouder and saltpeter takinges dismantellinges and rasinges of townes and Castles enterprises against the same burninges and destroyings of Churches and houses and fortifications and reparations of Townes places holden in their holding generally of all that hath bene by them don and practised during the aforesayd and the former trobles although the same be not perticularly expressed and declared so as for any of the thinges abouesayd nor other that haue happened in the sayd trobles none of them nor of their posteritie in generall or in perticular be charged nor in any wise reproched with any matter of Rebellion Disobedience or Treason notwithstanding all declarations Edicts and ordinances which your Maiestie may haue made to the contrarie and that the same according to the case may be reuoked and declared of no effect and value as wel in this respect as in respect of all other thinges proceding or depending vpon the sayd trobles That all thinges taken by priuat persones without publike authoritie Magistrate Gouernoure Consull Captaine or other by their commission or by the assemblies of the Comunalties on both parties and against the rules of the sayd assemblies be restored to those to whome they apertaine if the things be found remaining in their former kinde and if not then the value by iuste appraisment And as touching moueables and other thinges taken by hostilitie although they be found remaining in their kinde they shall not be chalenged nor subiect to restitution That the fruites of this present yeare that haue ben taken and leuied vntill the daye and date of these present Articles be declared not to be subiect to any restitution on the one part or the other to the intent to stope all variances processe that by this occasion may arise amonge your subiectes That these of the Religion be not constrained nor drawen into that lawe for payment of impositions ordinarie and extraordinarie assessed by the Catholikes during the present and former trobles but shall thereof remaine acquited and discharged And for asmuch as in all places where we haue warred for our defense the charges haue bene so expressed and importable that the moste part of vs are greatly in detted and charged It may please your Maiestie to giue vs leaue to haue an imposition and taxe to be sett among all vs of the Religion at the least to the some of sixe score thousand poundes payable in two yeares to be employed to the ful discharg of our sayd deftes And for the leuyeng thereof to grant vs necessary meanes of constraint as it were for youre owne money It may please your Maiestie to grant to those of the Religion which in the trobles passed haue bought any thing Temporall of Eclesiasticall persons truly payd the price therof that they may continue the possession and enioying of the thinges by them bought for the assurance of their Money vntill they be recompenced by the sayd Ecclesiasticall persons or other that will or may redeme the same with this condition that they shall leaue the possession immediatly after such repayment to them made Now Sir resteth the principal point namely the meanes of a true iuste suretie for the holding enduring assurance and perpetuall inuiolable mainteyning of your Maiesties promises and ordinances touching al the matters aboue sayd by a firme and continuing peace wherin we are most sorie and much agreued to propounde and to demaund of your Maiestie by our most humble supplication such meanes as seme to vs pertinent and reasonable yea necessarie to the establishment for euer of a good and firme peace in this Realme For we had rather that these meanes had bene offered vs of your Fatherly good will and fauor and of your owne proper motion But for asmuch as it pleaseth your Maiestie to permit vs and to do vs that honor to demaund it of you we most humbly beseech your goodnes that it be your good pleasure for the commoditie of your estate the reste of your consience the greatnesse and assurance of this Crowne and the common benefite and quiet of your Subiectes to contracte an vnitie League of new promise coniuncti on and Amitie to endure with all the Princes Potentates and estates of Almaigne and Swisserland that be of the Religion and the Queenes of England and Scotland to this intent with one common hand and consent to maintaine vnitie aswell betwene them and their Subiectes as betwene your Maiestie and all your Subiectes entierly both those that be called Catholikes and those that be named of the Religion reformed this to be don in all ciuile and humaine thinges That al these allies promise swear to mayntaine the sayd vnitie coniunccion and amitie for the common continuing of all in the sayd estate and communitie of all Ciuile humaine thinges in like manner as if they were all of one religion and this to be done in euery estate of the Countries Landes and Seignories of the sayd Kinges Princes Potentates or common weales That they swere and promise that none of the sayd Lordes Kinges or theyr successors Princes Potentats or common weales shal breake the sayd vnitie nor violate the publike faith and promisses as well betwene the sayd allies as betwene any of their subiectes that those which shall obserue it on their part may by all wayes of force constraine him or them that shall doe to the contrarie And that they be bound to do the like at the only request of those whō it shall concerne truely obseruing the sayd vnitie of whether soeuer religion they be That for eschewing a conspiracy of a Sicilian euensong as they
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