most cleere sighted who make shewe to haue in horror As they should indeed this holy and miraculous chaunge For what is there in the world more admirable And what can God himselfe doe more strange then to see all turned vpside downe in a moment valets and varlets to become masters small ones made great ones the poore rich the humble insolent and proude to see them that obeyed to command those that borrowed to lend to vsurie those that iudged to bee iudged those that imprisoned to bee imprisoned and those that were faine to stande What man wither wilt thou to sit O meruailous case O great mysteries O the secrets of the profound casket of God vnknowne to mortall caytifes The yards elles of shoppes are turned into partisanes the penners into muskets the breuiaries or portuises into targets the copes into corselets and the hoods into beuers and salades Is it not another great and admirable conuersion of the greatest part of you Messieurs the zealous Catholikes among whom I will name for honours sake the Lords de Rosne de Mandreville la mothe Serand the cheualier Breton Mo then a good many and fiue hundred others of the most famous of our side which would make me make a hyperbaton and ouerlong parenthesis and that they whom I name not would not take it well at my hands Is not this I say a great matter that you were all not long sithence in Flaunders bearing armes politikely and imploying your persons and goods against the archicatholike Spanyards in the fauour of the heretikes of the Low Countries and that you are now so catholikely ranged euen all at once into the lap of the holie Romane league Fit fellowes for such seruice that so many good sots or fooles banquerouts saffron sellers desperate persons hault-gourdiers forgers or counterfeiters all people giuen to the spoyle and worthie of the rope should so couragiously set themselues forward and be of the first in this holie part to doe their affayres and should become Catholikes with double eares very long before others Very passionate exclamations O very patternes of the prodigall childe whereof the Gospell speaketh O deuoute children of the Masse at midnight O holy catholicon of Spayne that art the cause that the price of Masses is redoubled the holie candles and lights cherished againe and made more dead offerings augmented and saluez multiplied that art the cause that there are no more traitors robbers burners falsifiers cutthroates and theeues sith that by this holie conuersion they haue changed their name and haue taken this honorable title of zealous Catholigues Quid non mortalia pectora cogis auri sacrafames and of souldiers of the Church militant O deified double Duckets of Spayne that haue had this efficacie to make vs all young againe and to renue vs into another better life this is that which our good God speaking vnto his father sayth in S. Matthew the 11. Thou hast hid them from the prudent and wise and hast reuealed them to babes Certainly Messieurs me thinkes I see againe that good time in which the Christians to expiate and satisfie for their offences crossed themselues and went to make warre beyond the sea as pilgrims against the miscreants and infidels O holie pilgrims thou of Lansac and thy good brother the bastard Bishop of Comminges who haue caused to be inrolled by throngs and troupes in your quarters so many honest people who being like vnto minstrels had nothing in so great hate as their house I will not here comprehend many Gentlemen and others who are of the wood whereof some haue made them whatsoeuer it be and haue the shewe of it and shewe themselues valiant cockscombes vpon the pauement of Paris who hauing been pages on foote or seruing the Catholike princes If this bee not good tell vs what is or their adherents haue bound themselues in liuelines of heart to followe their parte yea if they should become Turkes liking better to bee traytors to their King and countrie then to fayle of their word to a master who is himselfe a seruant and subiect of a King In trueth we are greatly obliged to these people loe as well as to those who hauing receiued some storme or dammage of the tyrant or his followers haue thorough indignation and a spirite of reuenge turned towards vs and haue preferred their particular wrong to all other duetie and we ought also as much to thanke them who hauing committed some murther or notable wickednes and robberie on the enemies side haue catholikely cast themselues into our armes to escape the punishment of iustice and to finde amongst vs all freedome and impietie Hee would haue saide impunitie for these more than none other are bounde to holde good and that euen vnto death for the holy vnion And this is the cause why you must not distrust the baron d'Alegree nor of Hacquiville gardien of Ponteau on the sea nor of the Iailor of Vienne and others who haue giuen so faire blowes and stroakes to gaine paradise with the dispensation of their oath nor likewise those which haue couragiouslie put their hand to blood and to the imprisonment of politike magistrates in which Monsieur the Lieutenant hath a great deale of dexteritie to ingage them and to cause them to doe things irremissible and which deserue not euer to haue any pardon no more than that which he hath done Cursed counsell But let vs take heede of those nobles that say they are good Frenchmen and that refuse to take pensions and double ducketts of Spaine and haue conscience to make warre against merchants and labourers these are dangerous people I cannot tell you and are able to make vs false sleuces For they brag that if the Biarnois would goe to Masse their swordes should neuer cut against him or his Remember you the enteruiewes and parlements which some make so often at Saint Denis and of the passeports that they receiue and that they send so easilie on the one side and on the other These people A heinous offence Messieures heare not masse but on one knee neither take they holy water in entring into the church but in their bodie forbidding it O would to God that they were all like to that holie pilgrime confessor and catholike zealous martyr Monsieur de la Mothe Serrand who being in the prisons at Tours for yeelding testimonie to his faith refused to dine and take his refection of porridge vpon a friday Stumble at a straw leap ouer a blocke fearing least they had put some fatte in his soppe and this champion of the faith this Macabee this deuoute martyr protested to suffer death rather than to eate any other soppe than that which was catholike O famous assistants chosen and tried at all aduentures for the dignitie of this notable assembly the very pure creame of our prouinces A country metaphor the very wine lees of our gouernement which
Beare with bragging and lying a little cost him more than they are worth For aboue all nations hee feareth the French as that which he knoweth to be most noble and to haue the greatest valure and impatience against the rest and rule of a strange people And that is the cause why being wise prouident and well counselled as hee is since that hee was constrained to make that miserable peace which was sealed and signed by the death of our good King Henry the second Ah wilie foxe but yet well discouered subtiltie and not daring either openly to gainesay the same or beginne warre whilest that France was flourishing vnited agreed and of the same minde and will together hee indeuoured to sowe diuision and discord amongst vs our selues and so soone as hee sawe our princes to be miscontent or to iarre amongst themselues he did secretly and closely conueigh himselfe into the action and incouraged the one of the sides to nourish and foster our diuisions and to make them immortall and to busie our selues to quarrell and fight one with another yea to kill one another that whilest these troubles were amongst vs hee might bee left in peace and so long as we did inweaken our selues to grow increase without losse and lessening Plaine pregnant proofes This was the course and proceeding that hee held after that hee sawe the princes of Vendosme and of Condie malecontent who also drew and caried with them the house of Montmorencie and of Chastillon and to set themselues against the aduantageable aduancements and proceedings of your father Bleare eyed men and barbers as it is in the prouerbe are acquainted therewith and of your Vncles Monsieur Lieutenant who had inuaded and vsurped all authoritie and kingly power in the time of young King Frauncis their nephew I speake nothing but that all Fraunce euen to the smallest and basest of them yea that the whole worlde knoweth For all the bloudie tragedies which since that time haue been plaied vpon this pitifull scaffold of France haue all of them been borne and proceeded from these first quarrels and not from the diuersitie or difference of religions as without reason men doe yet to this day make the simple and idiots to beleeue I am old and haue seene the affayres of the world as much as another yea by the grace of God and the goodnes of my friends I haue been Sheriffe and prouost of the merchants also in this citie in the time that men proceeded thereunto by free election and that they did not constraine nor vse violence to men for their suffrages and voyces as you haue done Plaine speech and particular application Monsieur Lieutenant not long sithence minding and purposing to continue Monsieur Boucher at your deuotion But I remēber yet those old times as if it were but yesterday past or this day present I can remēber well from the beginning of the quarell that fell out betweene Monsieur your late father and late Monsieur the Constable which proceeded from no other cause but from the iealousie of one of them ouer another both of them being the great minions and fauourits of Henrie the second their master Figulus figulū odit as it is in the prouerbe as wee haue seene also Messieurs de Ioyeuse and d'Espernō vnder King Henrie the third his sonne Their first falling out was for the estate of great Master which the King had giuen to Monsieur your father when he made Monsieur of Montmorency Constable who had been great Master before and who had the Kings promise that the sayd estate should be reserued for his sonne Another cause of their ill husbandrie or bad carriage of themselues was the Countie de Dampmartin which both of them had gotten after diuers sorts Sum ego mihi metipsi proximus I loue my selfe best and being entred into suite about the same Monsieur the Constable got it by an arrest or decree This did so alter and chaunge them that either of them indeuored to east his cōpanion out of the saddle or as we say to set him beside the cushion And from thence proceeded the voyage that Monsieur your father made into Italie where he did no great matter because that Monsieur the Constable who caused him to bee sent thither that so he might the more quietly wholly and alone possesse the King it may be hindred or slacked the affayres but he remained not long vnpunished for it for he was taken afterwards on S. Laurence day while your father was absent who being returned did by a certaine good happe and the same indeed very wonderfull It was well done of the Guise to ouercome euil with well doing take againe the townes of Picardie which wee had lost and Calais besides And that he might the better reuenge himselfe of the euill dueties that he knew were done against him in his voyage caused also the imprisonment of Monsieur the Constable to bee prolonged and forgot no arte that might hinder or delay his deliuerance which gaue an occasion to my Lords of Chastillon to desire the ayde and to cast themselues into the armes and protection of the King of Nauarre this Kings father and of Monsieur the Prince of Conde his brother who had married their neece Also these two great houses fell into factions and partakings which were yet stirred vp and incensed by the contention begun betweene the Prince of Conde Monsieur d'Aumale your vncle for the office of the colonel of the light horse there was as yet no mētion of religion or Huguenots Hardly did any know what was the doctrine of Caluin and Luther A little fire maketh a great flame but by the death of them that we sawe burne stiffe in their opinions and yet notwithstanding the matter of the warres and of the enimities that we haue seene were then in preparing and hath continued vntill this present time But the trueth is that when my Lords of Chastillon very couragious men and not able to indure the iniuries offered them saw that the fauour of your house did ouertoppe theirs and that they had not any meane to finde credite and fauour about the King by reason of the lets that they of your race house cast in the way they were counselled to withdraw themselues from the Court and as they were in their retraite they shewed themselues but whether it were in good earnest or of policie and prudence I know not to fauour the new Lutherans who till then preached no where but in caues and dennes and by little and little ioyned themselues with them in faction and intelligence It is not good to fall into the clawes and pawes of vnreasonable men the rather to defend and keepe themselues from your father your vncle then to attempt any stirring or bringing in of noueltie except then when the King at the prouocation of your vncle who had made the Pope to write vnto him thereabout did himselfe take
thou shalt be sure Its virtue that makes kings A worthie sentence their crowne alfor to indure In Latin and translated out of it Vnconquered prince and of thine age the glorie eke alone Euen GOD himselfe doth set thee vp True for kings reigne by him vpon thy grandsires throne And with a happy hād doth reach to thee two scepters braue Which takē from the Spanish foe thou shalt vphold haue In daies past one of the sisters three did spin this goodly thred But though they should denie to thee the gold crowne of thy head And eke the holie oyle that was vouchsafed of France to the King Which messenger both swift and faire from heauen high did bring That shal not let but rule thou maiest after thy fathers rate Virtue crowns the king virtue I say the king doth cōsecrate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 T.W. THE FRENCH PRINTERS DISCOVRSE TOVCHING THE exposition of these words Higuiero of hell and concerning other matters which he learned of the Author himselfe MY masters and good friends the profite that I haue made by the imprinting of this treatie and that which Iowe to this discourse haue made mee very desirous to knowe who was the author hereof For after that the French copie was first giuē me at Chartres at the consecration of the King by the gentleman of whom I haue heretofore made mention I did perceiue that sundry learned men yea and I my selfe did very easily iudge by the stile and language of the booke that an Italian was neuer able to make so good a french worke and so well polished as this is that sheweth an absolute knowledge of all the affaires and of the very natural disposition of all the most famous men of Fraunce Wherefore we must of necessitie conclude that hee was a French man that made it yea such a French man as had good vnderstanding and intelligence and was well trained vp at court that the Florentine which was about to cary it into his countrie from whom his seruant stole it together with the male had but only turned it out of French into Italian that so hee might cause it to be seene and read in Italie And this was the cause why I my selfe trauailed with a certaine wonderfull care to discouer and finde out him who had made vs indebted vnto him for this worthy worke that hath giuen so great pleasure contentment and liking to all good and honest people But not withstanding all the inquirie that I was able to make thereabout I could not finde a man that told mee any very certaine and assured newes touching the same but speaking only by presumptions suspitions and coniectures till one of these dayes last past when I was almost past hope to knowe any thing touching the matter there did by fortune come vnto me in the street a very aged man very leane also and pale which since I haue heard to bee called Master Polypragmon That is Master busie bodie who abruptly and vpon the sodaine demaunded of me if it were not I that had printed the Catholicon of Spaine At the first I made some difficultie and doubt to consesse it vnto him fearing that hee had bin some one of them that had bin named therein and had felt himselfe moued therewith as diuers had done no no saith he keep not close from me that that all the world knoweth I was at Tours when you first imprinted it and knowe andeed the name of them that gaue you the originall copie thereof but for all that it may bee that neither your selfe nor they which gaue you it knewe who was the author thereof Perceiuing then that he knewe so much of this matter I could not but confesse that in trueth I had printed it at Tours but that I was not able to finish it but in the very time that I must trusle vp my baggage to come in to this citic after that the Parisiens were returned to their former good vnderstanding and brought into the obediēce of the King That fell out well for you sayd he for before that you had set it abroad diuers men had seene sundrie imperfect and defectiue copies which had very much stirred vp their desire to see the rest well polished and published But you are much out of the way when in your Epistle set before the booke you sayd that it was an Italian that made it at the assēbly of the Estates of Paris For I know very well the name of him that composed it who also lodgeth not farre from hence Whereupon I was very glad of this encountring and I did very earnestly pray him to name him vnto mee at the least wise if it were lawfull for me to know him because that I had very many thinges of great importance to tell him for his benefit and honor I will sayd he tell you his name and wil also shewe you his lodging vpon condition that you will not disclose it to any man for he is a person that doth not loue to be so much visued as many doe now a daies Those that told you that hee was of Italie were deceiued by one letter only he is not of Italie but of Alethie That is Truth which is farre differing from the other That is Libertie That is Free speakers That is Louers of mony That is Desirers of honor That is Vnknowne That is a hater of gardens and he was borne in a little towne that men call Eleuthere inhabited heretofore and built by the Parresiens who haue continual warre against the Argytophiles Timomanes a very puissant populous natiō His name is the Lord Agnoste of the familie and stocke of Misoquenes a gentleman of good estate and no deceiuer which loueth the counsell of wine better than the councell of Trent You shall know him by this that he is alwaies attired after one maner and neuer changeth his apparell or garments as if hee had nothing els but to thinke vpon and to gouerne Lions Hee is a great little man that hath his nose between both his cies his teeth in his mouth his beard vpon his chinne and willingly wipeth his mouth and his nose vpon his slecues You shall find him at this presem lodged in the streete of Good time at the signe of the Rich labourer and he goeth very often to walke in the blacke Friers because hee loueth them very well And hereupon I recommend me vnto you for I haue to deale in other places by reason of certaine packets that are come from Rome which assure vs that our absolution hangeth by no more but a twisted thread at this time of the yeere As hee had very brutishly thickly spoken these words he went his way and left me yet in suspence nor withstanding I was somewhat better satisfied than I was before sith I knewe the name and the lodging place of mine author And at the same time I went thorow all the quarters of Paris and inquired of
is the Lord of so many kingdomes that he cannot count them nor call them by the letters of the crosse rowe and so rich that he cannot tell what to doe with his treasures would so much as take paine only to wish so small a thing as the signeurie of France The foxe saith he will eate no grapes All Europe by a manner of speech is not so much as one countrie in comparison of the new Ilands conquered against the sauages when he sweateth these are his Diadems when hee wipeth his nose or face these are his Crownes when he tosteth himselfe these are his Scepters when he goeth about his affayres these are nothing but Counties Dukedomes that come out of his bodie he is so well stuffed and replenished therewith It should be then to very great purpose to suspect that hee would be King of France But what what I say not therefore to heale the kings euill or great poxe wherewith his Southerly countries are very sore infected hee maketh not any reckoning of the prayers of the deuout inhabitants of his good towne of Paris who haue besought him by plaine letters signed with their hands to receiue them as his good subiect and seruants to accept the weightie burthen of the Crowne of France or if his backe were so bowed and charged with other Crownes more precious that that of France could not finde place that yet at the least he would recompence therewith one of his Nobles or Princes who should doe him fealtie hommage and reuerence for it Marrie otherwise I beseech you for the honour of God A reasonable request thinke not that he thinketh thereof His behauiours in the Low Countries and in the new found lands should assure you that he thinketh of no euill no more then an old ape And though it were so Begin Cardinall with thy selfe and thy friends and then it may be thou shalt the better perswade that he had caused you all to kill one another and to perish by fire sword and famine should not you be very happie to bee placed on high in Paradise aboue Confessors and Patriarches and to mocke at these Maheutres which you should see vnderneath you to roste boyle in Lucifers fires Dye when you will wee haue Moores Africans Wallons and Foruscites to set in your place kil murder and burne hardly all Monsieur the Legate will pardon all Monsieur the Lieutenant will aduow all Monsieur d'Aumale will adiudge all Monsieur of Lions will seale all and Monsieur Marteau will signe all I my selfe will serue you for a father confessor and all France also if it haue the heart or spirit to suffer it selfe to dye a good Catholike to make the Lorraines and Spanyards her heires as I beseech you all in generall and particular assuring you next after Monsieur the Legate that your soules shall not passe thorowe the fire of purgatorie A gracious graunt hauing been alreadie sufficiently purged by the fires which we haue inkindled in the foure riuers and in the midst of this Realme for the holie League and by the penance fastings and abstinence which wee would make you doe in deuotion As touching the election of a King I giue my voyce to the Marquis of Chaussons Quaint qualities for such a place he is neither thicke lipped nor flat nosed but a good Catholike Apostolike and Romane I recommend him vnto you and me for my selfe In the name of the father the sonne and the spirit Amen These words being finished all the Doctors of Sorbonne and masters of Arts there present strooke the palmes of their hands together and cryed Viuat that is let him liue sundrie times together so mightily that all the hall sounded with it and after that the noise was a little ceased the Prior of the blacke Monkes rose vp out of his place and mounted vpon his bench or seate from whence he pronounced very loudly and that with good grace also these foure little verses as if he had composed them ex tempore Or ex trumperie rather His eloquence he was not able to cause to be seene For fault of one booke in which all his knowledges beene My Lords the Estates this very good man excuse His Calepin at Rome he left and could it not vse And euen presently after a little master of Arts stood out on his feete and turning his visage towards Monsieur the Cardinall of Pelue replied vpon the same point in so many carmes or verses Adde but h. and it will be charms The ignorant Friers had very good reason To make you their head Monsieur most grand For they that haue heard your goodly oraison Haue beknowne you to be of other the most ignorant All the world thought this rime very pleasant and after they had made a second clapping of the hands yet not so long as the first was Monsieur of Lions rose vp made a signe with his hand that he would speake Great preparations to heare a goose hisse Wherfore after that all the world had sonorously and theologically coughed hauked spit and respitted that they might the more attentiuely heare him by reason of the reputation of his eloquence hee discoursed thus or thereabout The Oration of Monsieur of Lions MEssieurs I will begin my speech by a patheticall exclamation of the royall Prophet Dauid Quam terribilia iudicia tua c. O God how terrible and admirable are thy iudgments They that will very narrowly looke or take heede to the beginnings and proceedings of our holie vnion shall haue very good occasion with their hands ioyned together Ah mannerly Prelate and lifted vp into heauen to crie O God if your iudgments bee incomprehensible how much your graces are they more admirable and to say with the Apostle Where sin aboūded there superabounded grace also Is not this a very strange thing Messieurs yea zealous Catholikes to see our vnion now so holie so zealous so deuoute that was almost in all the parts of it composed of people that before the holie barricades were all beiewelled and enriched with some note ill solfaied Warre worketh wonders and also ill agreeing with iustice And as it were by a miraculous metamorphosis to see sodainly and at one blow Or rather ordure atheisme conuerted into ardure and feruencie of deuotion ignorance into science of all nouelties and curiositie of newes concussion and extortion into fastings robberie into generositie and valiantnes to be short vice and crime transmutated into glorie and honour These are the stroakes from heauen as Monsieur the Lieutenant hath sayd euen from God himselfe I say so fayre and beautifull that Frenchmen ought to open the eyes of their vnderstanding profoundly for to consider these miracles and thereupon ought the good people of this Realme and those that enioy goods to to be red with shame with almost al the Nobilitie the more sound part of the Prelats and of the Magistrates yea the
he that standeth well let him not remoue himselfe As touching you Messieurs the ecclesiasticall persons of a trueth I loose my Latin in speaking to you and I see very well that if the warre last there will be a shamefull number of poore priests but also hope not you for your recompence in this brittle and fraile world What text sheweth that but in heauen where the crowne of eternall glorie waiteth for them that shall suffer and dye for the holie League Let him saue himselfe that can As concerning my selfe I am capable enough to beare and weare a red hat but to remedie meete with the necessities and oppressions of the Clergie it is not in my power neither indeed will my gowtes giue me leaue or leisure to thinke thereupon Notwithstanding I feare one thing that is that if the King of Nauarre reuoke the passeports and striuings for benefices which he hath giuen to the Monasteries and Chapiters Prayer for their patrons there will be daunger lest ye all crie to the murther after the holie father and Monsieur the Legate and the most reuerend Cardinall here present that might well leaue the bootes in France if they did not in good time saue themselues beyond the mountaines I leaue it to my masters the preachers to holde alwaies in breath their deuout parishioners and to represse the insolencie of these demanders of bread or of peace They know the passages of scripture to accommodare cheni to their purpose and to turne them and to vse them to the occasions as they shall haue neede For it was nouer sayd for naught that the Gospell is A homely resemblance a foule abusing of scripture following a tripe wifes knife that cutteth on both sides according to that And out of his mouth there went a sword sharpened on either side And as the Apostle S. Paule saith The word of God is liuely and effectuall and more pearcing then a two edged sword Now that which for the present most importeth our affayres is to build and set vp a sundamentall lawe by which the French people shall be kept and held to suffer themselues to be coyffed biggened haltred and lead at the appetite of my masters that sit in chaires and pulpits yea they shall suffer themselues to be barked and pilled to the very bones and their purses to bee cleansed euen vnto the bottome without speaking a word or asking any cause why For you Messieurs know that we haue to doe with our pensions But aboue all cause oftentimes to bee renued the othes touching the vnion vpon the precious bodie of our Lord and continue the brotherhoods of the name of Iesus and of blessed S. Francis for these are good collers for the rascall people with which matter wee charge the honor and conscience of our good fathers the Iesuites and wee recommend also vnto them our spyes to the end that they continue to cause to be held surely our newes in Spayne and receiue also secret mandates from his Catholike maiestie for to cause them to be kept for Ambassadors Agents Curats Conuents Church-wardens and Masters of brotherhoods and that in their particular confessions they doe not forget to forbid vnder paine of eternall damnation to desire peace Counsell fit for one that should be a Cardinall to giue much more to speake of it but to in◅ borne and make stiffe the deuout Christians to sacking to bloud and to fire rather then to submit themselues to the Biarnois though indeed he should go to Masse as he bath giuen in charge to his Ambassadors thereof to assure the Pope But wee know well enough the counterpoyson if this should fall out we would giue good order that his holines should beleeue nothing of it and though he should beleeue The end of all yet he should doe nothing and though he should doe that we would receiue nothing of it if I be not Cardinall Better a bad example then none And why should not I be seeing Master Piere de Frontac being but a simple aduocate of Paris of the time of King Iohn was so well for hauing diligently defended the causes of the Church And me that haue forsaken my master and betrayed my countrie to vphold the greatnes of the holy Apostolike sea should not I be so And I wil bee so yea I assure you I will bee so or my friends shall faile me I haue spoken After that the sayd Lord Archbishop had finished his Epiphonema It was fit it should be so with great mouing of the bodie and contention of voyce he did very basely demaund permission of Madame de Montpensier to withdrawe himselfe to change his shirt because he had ouerheate himselfe in his harnesse The beadle of Monsieur the Rector which was at his feete caused the prease to be reffed into two afterwards sliding downe by the seates of the deputies my sayd Lord the Rector Roze cloathed with his Rectorall habit aboue his roche and portable camail of a Bishop putting off his cap diuers times began thus The Oration of Monsieur the Rector Roze beretofore Bishop of Senlis MOst famous most noble As right as can be and most Catholike Synagogue euen as the virtue of Themistocles waxed hot by the consideration of the triumphs and trophees of Miltiades so doe I feele my selfe to haue my courage in warmed in the contemplation of the braue discourses of this riuer of rhetorike and flood of eloquēce I meane Monsieur the Chancellor of the Lieutenancie Oh what sorce there is in eluish examples who commeth to triumph in speech And after his example I am moued with an vntollerable ardure to set out my rhetorike and to set vpon a stall my merchandise in this place where oftentimes I haue made preacliments that by the meanes of the late King haue made me of a miller to become a Bishop Great preferments as by your meanes I am of a Bishop become a miller But I thinke that I haue sufficiently declared by my passed actions that I am not ingrate and that I haue not done any thing but that which I haue seene to be done by diuers others of this noble assistāce who yet haue receiued more benefites then me of the dead King and haue notwithstanding brauely chased him out of his kingdome and caused him to bee murthered for the good of the Catholike faith vnder hope to haue much more as wee were gently promised Now I will not here rubbe againe the things passed It needeth not nor catch your beneuolence by a long exordium or entrance but summarily I wil tel you Messieurs that the eldest daughter of the King I say not of the King of Nauarre but of the King that we shall chuse here if God be pleased and waiting for that I will say the eldest daughter of Monsieur the Lieutenant of the Estate and crowne of France the vniuersitie of Paris doth declare vnto you in all obseruance that
end he will become ban querout to the League if they promise him to bee Councellor of Estate to this Biarnois Let vs take heede of these people that turne their coates so easily and followe the winde of fortune when they see that their side goeth ill O worthie cōmendation Ha braue Machault Ha valiant Bourdeaux you are worthie to be as my selfe exalted to the highest degree of the honor of nobilitie Amongst the long gownes I loue none saue you and that famous president which I will yet name here by honor Monsieur de Nully who besides the couragious beginning and progresse that hee hath made for the League whereof he may be well sayd to be the putatiue father Wickednes wrought by euill meanes and therefore a double transgression hath worthily vouchsafed to expose his daughters and to prostitute their reputation to the brothell house that he might doe seruice to Messieurs the Princes and to my masters his Curats Preachers Shall I speake of also the heroical deed of that good man Baston that so valorously signed the League with his owne very bloud drawne out of his hand which afterwards by miracle remained maimed and benummed so much would this glorious martyr suffer for the holy vnion And thou noble are boutant of the vnion Lewis of Orleans thy catholike Englishman and thy expostulation and thy oration made in the fauour and for the honor of the Legate and of the Spany ards did deserue that they should haue put thee in the place of president Brisson A good sentence ill applied but men recompence not good people as they should no more then thy companion in office for hauing written so curiously the lawes of the vncle against the nephew These are iust and virtuous men and not those dunghill churles and beshitten fellowes who seeing that there was nothing more to be grabeled and sifted in their palace of this towne and that all their sacks were voyd and emptie or hung vpon the hooke departed from hence and went to Tours and to Chalons where they knew that the manger was full and the racks garnished A readie it may be a right iudgement Briefe take away fiue or sixe of al this mislead troupe all the rest is nothing worth and the best to the diuell I cannot tell what these persons and people of iustice haue done vnto me and yet I loue them not I did once shewe my hand vnto an olde Gypsie woman who tolde me that I had a round thumbe and that I should keepe my selfe therefore from the round and halfe round I beleeue that she ment to say from these people that weare the round cap. In fine Messieurs I haue charge from the Nobilitie to remonstrate vnto you that you must once againe abate and take downe the insolencie of these hochebrides and swallowers of mysts and doe your affayres whilest the weather is fayre If the law Salique be maintained and vpheld I feare least Monsieur the Legate will be sore troubled therewith and the infant or daughter of Spayne be in daunger to be shauen But for this matter I referre my selfe to Monsieur the Lieutenant who hath good skill to breake the stroake and totricke his cousins beard yea and shaue it to and that without a razor Furthermore if you must needes chuse a King I pray you thinke vpon me and my merits Some haue made me beleeue that there haue sometimes been chosen worse then me If that can be The Lydians but I knowe not what kinde of people they are made one that did driue or holde the plough The Flemmings made one their Duke that was a brewer of beere the Normanes a cooke the Parisiens a piller of the barke of trees I tell you I am more then all these for my grandfather was a ferrier in France or of France and if he got hell I shall gaine paradise Consider I beseech you Monsieur de S. Paul now Countie of Rethelois Mareschall of the vnion and Archbishop of Reims who indeed had his father not long sithence dwelling in a caue or odde corner couered with straw nigh vnto Nangy A noble race and worthie descent and who as yet hath his sisters married one of them with a tauerner and the other with a tysser maker and yet behold he is Peere and Mareschall of France and one that lendeth money but yet vpon good pledges to Monsieur de Guise his master and good benefactor By this reckoning you may well make me King and so you shall doe well for if you doe I will let you doe all you would I will abolish all these stables of iustice I will suppresse all these Sergeants Proctors Pettifoggers Commissaries and Councellors except them that be of our friends but there shall bee no more speech of summoning nor of seazing nor of paying mens debts ye shall be all as rats in the chaffe and it shall suffise mee if you call me Site And good reason to But ye shall aduise hereof For the least I knowe well that I am as well worthie of it as another and I will say nothing more of it but this that I am thrust forward to goe and execute mine enterprise vpon Noyon after that I shall haue combated with the gouernour of this citie and hereupon I kisse the hands of your mercie After that the Lord of Rieu had finished his militarie or souldierlike sermon euery one of the assistants declared by his countenance that they had taken pleasure in his naturall eloquence for a man that had no letters or learning and who might make good fruite if he did so a long time in this world Hereupō rose vp one of the deputies named the Lorde Angouleuent who very loudely caused them to vnderstand that he had a charge from the new nobilitie on the behalfe of the honest men masters of the vnion to remonstrate vnto them some thing of importance touching this qualitie and that it was reasonable that he should be heard before the third estate which was not composed or made but of towne dwellers requiring Monsieur the Lieutenant to cause audience to bee giuen vnto him and calling vpon the people of the King of the vnion and namely the aduocate generall of Orleans who sometimes before had written in the fauour of the saide nobilitie to cleaue vnto his request and speaking that he rose vp and stoode altogether vpright vpon the seate where he was set and began to say A very vnmannerly interruption of a wise noble man Monsieur the twelfth but sodainely hee was interupted by reason of a great noyse of pesants that were behinde the deputies which noyse being a little ceased hee began againe Monsieur the twelfth and by and by the noyse arose more great than before and yet he ceased not the third time to say Monsieur the twelfth of May. And afterwarde arose vp the Lord of Aubray which had in charge to speake for the third estate and contested that
his royall estate he that is King indeed put himselfe in possession of Dunoys of Vendosmois of Maine of Perch and of the better part of Normandie in so much that at the last wheÌ„ hee had in conquering compassed the third parte of his kingdome you were constrained partly thorow shame Fit motiues for such manner of men partly thorow despaire partly thorow mens importunitie towards you to come before him or into his sight then when hee besieged Dreux where hee shewed you a tricke of an old souldier that so he might haue the better meane to fight with you For he raised his siege made shew to retire into Perche to draw you on more forward to cause you to passe the riuers in following of him but so soone as hee sawe you were ouer and incamped in the plaine he turned his face directly vpon you gaue you the battel It is all one with God to ouercome by few or by many which you lost more for lacke of courage and good guidance than for want of meÌ„ the number of those on your side farre passing his And yet in this great affliction you could not refraine your selfe from giuing vs a newe deuised tale which is a common thing with you you and your sister feeding vs with lies and false newes and the more to comforte vs in this losse you went about to make vs beleeue that the Biarnois was dead whose face you durst not looke vpon They were wont to â—aâ—â—a dead maÌ„ hutteth none nor attende his recountring of you But wee saw this dead man quickly after nigh vnto our gates and you your selfe were so afrayd of his shadowe that you were not at leisure to repose or rest your selfe till you were passed into Flanders where you made that goodly market with the Duke of Parma which sithence hath cost vs so deare which hath so ruinated your reputation and ouerthrowne your honor that I see not any meane at all able for euer hereafter to raise you vp againe The Spanyards he meaneth and it is no lye as also in particular the Prince of Parma For in steed of being a master you went and made your selfe a seruant and a slaue of the most insolent and proudest nation vnder heauen and you your selfe serued the most cruell and ambicious man that you were able to chuse as afterwards you proued wheÌ„ he made you to serue him as a boy doth his master at tennise yea to lackey after him and to waite at his gate before he would giue you an answere though when it came it was of very small importance also Which thing the gentlemen of France that accompanied you despised and disdained and you alone were not ashamed to make your selfe vile and obiect dishonouring your linage race nation so much were you transported with a desire of reuenge and ambition But in the middest of these indignities and dishonest submissions which you made to the preiudice of the name of France and of your qualitie Carefulnes painefulnes two good vertues our new Kings staied not nor kept holie day as we say for want of worke for he shut vp our riuer aboue and below by taking Mante Poissy Corbeil Melun and Montreau after that he came tooke from vs the plaine of France by the taking of S. Denis That being done there was no more difficultie to besiege vs as indeed we were by and by after What did you to succour vs or rather what did you not to cast vs away and to make vs most miserable A kinde and carefull Captaine I will not speake that which some haue reported of you that ye did commoÌ„ly say that the taking of this citie should be more hurtfull to your enemie than profitable and that his armie should bee destroyed and dispersed in taking of it I could neuer beleeue that ye would haue taken pleasure to see your wife your childreÌ„ your brother your sister to fall into the enemies hand and to stand at their mercie And yet we must needs say that the time which you set to come to succour vs was so long Hee giueth twise that giueth in good season then what is the contrarie that it made vs readie many times to fall into despaire and I beleeue that if the King had demanded some terme or time of you to take vs in he would not haue demanded more than you would haue giuen him Oh how happie had we bin if we had bin taken the morowe after we were first besieged Oh how rich should we haue bin now had we made that lost But we haue burned in a smal fire we haue languished and yet we are not healed A worthy no vnfit comparison Then should the valiant and victorious souldier haue taken away our moueables but we shuld haue had siluer to haue ransomed and redeemed them againe but since we haue eaten vp our moueables and our money also It may be hee would haue inforced some women and maides yet surely he would haue spared the most noble and theÌ„ that had had any abilitie to heale or to helpe their chastitie by respect or by friendes but sithence they haue of themselues put themselues into the stewes and are yet therin thorow the force and power of necessitie which is much more violent and of longer infamie and ill name than the transitorie and short violence of the souldier which is dissembled and is presently buried forgotten wheras this is spread abroad is continued and becommeth at the last a very shamelesse custome without returning Nothing spared in an anarchie or confusion Our reliques had been safe and sound the auncient iewels of the crowne of our Kinges had not beene molten as they are our suburbs had been in their former estate and inhabited as they were whereas now they are ruinated forsaken beaten downe and spoyled our citie had been rich wealthie and well peopled as it was our rents due to the towne house should haue been paid whereas you drawe out the marrow thereof and the last pennie our farmes in the countrie had beene laboured and tilled and we should haue receiued the reuenewes thereof whereas nowe they are abandoned forsaken and vnoccupied We should not haue seene die a hundred thousand men by famine A pitiful spectacle and yet who had remorse sorrow pouertie who died within the space of three moneths in the streets and in the hospitals without mercie or succour We should yet haue seene our vniuersitie flourishing and frequented where it is now altogether solitarie and left alone seruing now for no other vse but for peasants and for the kine and beasts of the villages nigh thereto We should hauc seene our palace replenished with honourable persons of all qualities and estates The differeÌ„ce between good gouernment and tyranny and the hall and the gallerie with Mercers Haberdashers c. continually full of people whereas now we see none but idle loyterers walking