warres caused it to bee secretly spredde abroade among the people that hee was descended from Charlemaine and therefore had some right and title to the Crowne of Fraunce And as though hee meant one day to put in his clayme had so ordered the matter that great numbers of the Nobilitie and sundrie of the principall Citties of the lande were wholie at his deuotion but hee was cutte off in the middest of his hope as is alreadie sayde before Orleaunce and all his deuices came to naught sauing that he left behind him a sonne as hautie as aspiring and as ambitious as euer was the father Henrie duke of Guise his ambitious turbulent nature and one that attempted greater matters then euer did any of that line This man beeing growne into great credite with Charles the ninth and likewise with Henrie the thirde so aduaunced himselfe by their fauours that he gaue the lawe to Fraunce and did euery thing as he lysted And practising those rules which his father and vncle had left him was euermore deuising howe to trouble the state and to holde the King at continuall strife with his subiects as the readyest and speedyest way to compasse that which that factious and turbulent house had so greedily gaped after for these many yeares VVhereupon hee pondering with himselfe that if this late reconciliation which was made betweene the King and his subiects shoulde continue that the King of Nauarre and the Prince of Conde with their adherents and associates would quickely growe mightie and so with theyr power and authoritie easily ouerthrowe all his councelles and that in such sort as hee should neuer bee able to accomplish and fulfill his intended purpose thought it best and most expedient for his aduantages to beginne newe broyles and sturres and with a sixt ciuill warre to bring France againe into a Chaos and confusion The better to effect this and to lay as sure a foundation as might bee for so badde a buylding it was deuised that the Bishop of Paris and a certaine Aduocate called Dauid as craftie as wilie and as wicked a fellowe as anie lyued in those dayes shoulde bee sent to Rome The Bishop of Paris the aduocate Dauid sent to Rome to haue the direction of the Pope and his Cardinalles howe it were best to beginne and afterwards most circumspectlie to proccede and go forwardes in so hautie and weightie an enterprise There were many bitter complaints and sharpe accusations framed agaynst Henrie the third the French King against Monsieur his brother the king of Nauarre the Prince of Conde against the race of the Valoises the Burbons Accusations against the houses of Valois and Burbon all the princes of the blood and the auncient Nobilitie of Fraunce they were all either heretikes or fauourers of heretikes and by their late pacification entended the vtter subuersion of the holie Church of Rome There it was shewed to make the King and all his Princes the more odious howe the house of Capet had alwayes withstoode the Bishoppes of Rome and had in olde time maintained the Valdensis and Albigeons and nowe were either Hugonots or else great fauourers and abettors of them But on the contrarie that the house and lynage of Charlemaine which was wrongfully dispossessed of the Crowne had a speciall grace giuen them by the Papall benediction to support and helpe holie Church and that yet there were some of that ofspring left and those stoute maintainers of the Papall dignitie meaning those of Guise and such as had alwayes like notable Champions valiauntlie defended the Romaine fayth and therefore it was expedient nay most necessarie for the preseruation of the Catholike Religion to roote out the houses of Valois and Burbon and to restore the ofspring of Charlemaine which was endewed with all excellent vertues and throughly furnished with most notable gifts requisite for the execution of all commendable and honourable attempts The Councel holden at Rome for the rooting out of the blood Roiall of France And for the more speedie accomplishment hereof it was resolued that the Guises with their partakers should procure newe commotions in the lande and nourish the warres by all possible meanes that might bee That they should league the Nobililtie by oath to persecute the Gospel and to choose for their heade and principall of their league Henrie Duke of Guise whom the King shoulde bee counsayled to let alone and suffer him to proceede as he liked best seeing he was a man of that iudgement that knewe well enough what hee had to doo The Queene mother likewise should bee sent to perswade Monsiour her sonne to beat the assembly of the States which should bee holden at Blois Whither the king shoulde solicite the king of Nauarre and Prince of Conde to come by all the faire wordes that could be deuised And in the meane while there should be sundrie cunning fellowes and such as were most deuoted to the league sent abroad into the seueral prouinces who should secretly labour that such Deputies might be chosen as would further the designements of the Leaguers all that might be During which priuie practises the Friers and Iesuites shall incense the people agaynst the Hugonots by their seditious Sermōs The priests in their parish churches shal secretly take the names of all the able men for the warres and in their shriuings shall charge them to prouide them of all such weapons as shal be appoynted them by their captaines The States shal sweare to obserue and obey whatsoeuer shal be concluded And if Monsieur the king of Nauarre the prince of Conde and the rest of the princes of the blood do not appeare at the said assembly they shall be condemned as rebels and likewise all other that shal any way oppose themselues against the proceedings of the said States who shal sweare their obedience to the Sea of Rome and to obserue the Councell of Trent and withall a request shall be made to the king that if any man shall resist and refuse to giue his allowance thereto that he shall appoynt the Duke of Guise his generall and giue him authoritie to pursue him to the death who hauing so great forces shall cause them to be in a readinesse to march towarde Blois assoone as the assembly of the states is begun All things being thus contriued there shall be certaine commissioners chosen to enquier of the life and deedes of Monsieur and certaine iudges appoynted to condemne him for ioyning himselfe with the Heretikes and so his processe shal be drawene forthwith after the godly example of the king of Spaine who put to death Charles of Austrich his naturall sonne As soone as Monsieur is condemned then shall the forces march to strengthen the execution and shall set vpon all the Hugonots and put as many of them to the sworde as they can come by and the Duke of Guise beeing so strongly appoynted shall seyze vpon the persons of the King and Queene mother and by
carcases the thresholds gates and posts of the kings pallace were painted with the bloud of the slaine yea the chanels ouerflowed therwith and the water in the Riuer was turned into a red colour such and so horrible was the slaughter and butcherie which was made vpon the poore Hugonots The king the Queene mother the kings brethren with many Lords and Ladies of the Court went out in the euening to view the dead bodies and among others the Queene mother would needes see the nakednesse of Soubize The shamelesse fact of the Queene mother for that shee had beene enformed that hee was notable to get any children The king not satisfied with the slaughter of so many braue men within Paris sent letters to the Gouernours of all his principall Cities as Orleance Tours Meaux Angiers Bourges Tholoux Lyons and diuers others that they should likewise kill all the Protestants within their iurisdiction which commandement was forthwith put in execution and a most horrible slaughter followed in all places The number of protestants slaine in other places which bereaued aboue a hundred thousand of their liues within the territories of France in so much as that it was verily thought that all that were of the Religion were eyther slaine or else fled into forraine Countreyes CHAP. XVI Rochel holdeth out against the King The beginning of the fourth Ciuil warres The siege of Rochel The siege of Sancerre The Embassadors of Polonia come to the campe before Rochel Monsieur raiseth his siege WHo would not haue thought but that now the Gospel had bin vtterly extinguished in France that the Catholikes by this execrable deuise should haue attained to the full period of their desires no man of name remayning to make head against them or to crosse their fortune which nowe seemed so mightily to fauour their designes and indeede the king was verily perswaded that at this present he might haue accomplished whatsoeuer hee would and that not any durst haue shewed themselues to fauour the refourmed Religion The K. deceiued in his expectation Wherupon he wrote letters to sundry Protestant townes commanding them to receiue popish Garrisons and to liue after the Catholike manner but they vtterly refused to satisfie the king heerein and would not bee induced to condiscend vnto any such thing by all the perswasions that could bee vsed but fortified themselues as strongly as they could purposing to die rather then to yeeld and abiure their Religion The King partly by threatening and menacing the king of Nauarre and the Prince of Conde and partly by faire promises but especially by the wicked ministery of Rosier Rosier being a minister and of great credit with the Prince of Conde had recanted his Religion and by his perswasions causâ—d the Prince likewise to denie his who of late was become an apostate had caused them to abiure their Religion and to conforme themselues to the rites of the Romain church and thinking them to be fit instruments to gaine sundrie strong Townes who otherwise would not open their gates but by force of Cannon caused them to write their letters to such as hee thought meete and to vse all the seasons that might bee to draw them to his obedience by which deuise some relented and were content to follow the example of those great Princes seeing they had no hope to maintaine their cause hauing lost all their cheefetaines and principall commanders But Rochel Sancerre Montauban Nismes and some other held out standing vpon their guards and prouiding to fortifie themselues in all defensible manner that might be Many perswasions were vsed to gaine Rochel Rochel and sundrie other townes hold out against the King which of al other was the place of greatest importance and that which the king most desired as beeing the principall retreat of the Protestants Diuers messengers were sent thither who promised golden mountaines and Mareschall Biron indeuoured by all meanes to put himselfe within the Towne but they vtterly refused to accept of any other Gouernor then theyr Maior purposing to maintaine their Religion customes and liberties and that with the losse of their liues When the king was aduertised heereof and that he euidently perceiued that faire meanes would not preuaile hee resolued to besiege the Towne and by force of Armes to bring them vnder his obedience Whereuppon hee commanded Biron to gather a great armie to inuest the Rochelers with al speed who did not onely by themselues crosse the designements of the Catholikes but were the occasion that many other townes in Gascogne Languedock Quercy Poictou Auergne and Dauphony beganne to plucke vp their spirits and to oppose themselues against the kings proceedings The beginning of the fourth ciuill warres Besides the forces that the Mareschall brought by land there was a great nauie of shippes appoynted to keepe the seas and to stop vp the hauen that no victuall or other necessaries should be conueyed in by water nor any be suffered to go foorth to giue any aduertisements to their confederates All things being thus appointed in a readinesse both by sea and land Rochel besieged the Duke of Antou the Kings brother and his Lieutenant generall throughout all his dominions departed from Paris the tenth of Ianuary 1573. accompanied with the Duke of Alenson his brother the king of Nauarre the Prince of Conde the Duâ—e of Montpensier the Prince Dauphin his sonne the Duke of Longauille of Bouillon of Guyse of Aumaile and of Neuers the marquesse of Maine the mareschals of Cossy Retts and Biron the Count Rochfaucont Chauigny Mouluc La Valetta Mauleurier Pauâ—y Puygalliard Clermont Du Gas Cosseines with many other Lords knights and Gentlemen who no sooner arriued at the Campe but they were saluted with a thundring peale of great Ordenance and all the battailons of footmen stood readie arranged who likewise welcomed him with their whole vollyes of small shot to the high contentment of his excellencie Monsieur vnderstanding that there were a great number of very valiant and resolute men within the Towne who were all commanded by the noble and pollitike chiefetaine Monsieur de la Noue La Noue of whose wisedome courage and valour hee had often times before made good experiment thought it best to assay if with smooth words faire promises mingled with some threats he could induce the Rochelors The Rochelors would not trust the faire promises of Monsieur to submit themselues wholly vnder the Kings obedience assuring them if they would so do the king would deale most graciously with them and requite their loyalty with such fauor as they should haue good cause to hold themselues well contented but if on the contrarie they stubburnely refused to condiscend hereunto and like a rebellious rable wilfully reiect and vndutifully contemne so great grace offered by their soueraigne then they should looke for no fauour hereafter but for all the extremitie that might bee and that hee would not desist from persecuting them both with
the permission of the sea Apostolike shall put them into some monasterie as Pepin dealt with Childeric And by this meanes the Crowne shall bee set vpon his head and so returne to the blessed stock of Charlemaine and he and his successors from thenceforth shall haue their kingdome of the Bishop of Rome and shall abolish the prerogatiues of the French Church Whilest these things were a working at Rome the Guises with their adherents fought by all possible meanes to breake the peace in France and by grieuous oppressions and wrongs to force those of the reformed religion to put themselues in arms to withstaÌ„d so iniurious proceedings Monsieur forsaketh the Protestants and goeth to the Court. And albeit they were but too forward to blow the bellowes of sedition before yet now vpon the returne of Dauid from Rome they went eagrely forward and with great earnestnesse endeuored to put those rules in practise which came from their holy father There wer leagues and associations made and those as strong as could be deuised The states were summoned and by the collusion of the King none admitted to be at that assembly but such as were vtter enemies to the Gospel Monsieur by the earnest intreatie of the Queene mother was brought to the Court and hauing made his benefite of the fauor of the Protestants left them when they had most need of him and associated himselfe with their sworne enemies The King likewise beganne to interpret his Edict after a straunge maner The complaints of the Catholikes and farre otherwise then was expected by the confederates Some articles were strained and racked out to the vttermost and other some snipped and curtailed that they seemed metamorphosed and changed into a new nature as farre differing from their former as might be imagined Many infamous libels were printed contayning most villainous matter agaynst the Protestants and a rumour was spread abroade that they had surprised sundrie Townes and fortes in Poictou Languedocke Guyen Xantoigne and Dauphine and therefore that it was impossible to holde in the Catholiques anie longer who with so manifold iniuries saide they were mightily incensed agaynst those of the reformed Churches Those of the Religion were exceedingly troubled with this strange kind of dealing and knowing that it proceeded of a mortall hatred and that it did euidently argue that there was a secrete purpose to catch them at aduauntage and then to make hauocke of them and to roote them and their Religion out of Fraunce they beganne to looke about them and to prouide for their owne securitie especiallie considering howe the Catholiques were leagued togither and were readie as it were at an instaunt to inuade them on all sides VVhereupon seeing that Monsieur after hee had gotten the Dukedome of Berrie Touraine and Aniou as is alreadie sayd had forsaken them and left them at sixe and seuen the King of Nauarre was chosen chiefe of the Confederates and the Prince of Conde seysed vpon Bowrage Marennes The beginning of the sixt ciuill warre and other Islandes beeing places of great importaunce and verie auaileable for the aduauncement of the Protestant affayres Thus the peace hauing endured but a small time the sixt ciuill war ensued immediately vpon the report that it was concluded by King in the assembly of the states that there should be no other but the Romane Catholike religion tollerated within all his territories and dominions for then began the warres to be open on all sides The Catholikes seysed vpon Du Pont S Espirit Merpin Tallemond Burdeaux and as manie other townes as they could get The Protestants surprised Pons Royan Reole and Cinray and making a counterleague among themselues couragiously withstood the attempts of their enemies and foreseeing the stormie tempest which threatned the ship of their safetie likewise Pilots and skilfull Mariners they stoutly stoode to their tacklings endeuouring by all possible meanes to saue their beaten barke from drowning and to bring it to some safe port and quiet harborrow Each side alledged sundrie reasons for the iustification of their actions the Catholikes layd all the blame vpon the Protestants saying that they were men that would not be satisfied with any indifferent fauor but espying their aduantage had forced the King to yeeld to vnreasonable conditions Besides that the Edict was but prouisionall and might be disanulled at the Kings pleasure and that it was now determined by the Estates generall that no other then the Roman religion should be tollerated within all the French Dominions The Protestants alledged that they were murthered and killed in euerie corner and no punishment inflicted vpon the malefactors The complaints of the Protestants That the Catholikes did dayly breake the Kings Edict which had beene made by the consent of all the noble personages of the land who had solemnely sworne the obseruation thereof and that if such Edicts were accounted prouisionall who would repose any trust hereafter in the Kings worde and promise seeing he helde it lawfull to breake his oath when hee lysted And as concerning the estates generall they sayd they were not lawfully assembled and therefore they protested of the nullitie of them and of whatsoeuer thing they concluded These and manie such reasons were obiected on both sides and they had not long contended in wordes but they fell to blowes and each endomaged other all that euer they might The King of Nauarre and Prince of Conde withdrew themselues to Rochell and hauing gotten some 3000. footmen and 400. horse they dayly enterprised vpon their enemies The D. de Maine The duke de Maine generall of the Catholikes accompanied with Puygallâ—ard Ruffec Roches Baritand and many others to the number of seuen hundred horse besides a strong power of footemen did continuallie vexe and molest the Protestants by spoyling their fieldes and burning theyr houses and beeing maisters of the Champaigne couped in the Confederates verie narrowly and hauing all things in a readinesse planted their siege before La Charitie which in the ende they gayned Yea Rochell it selfe began in a maner to bee besieged enduring maruaylous losses by the continuall roades of the Catholikes who wasted all without pittie or mercie La Charite The Protestants being so hardly vsed offered the like measure where they preuayled dealing verie rigourously with such as fell into their handes The Duke de Maine following his good fortune The prosperous course of the Duke de Maine tooke Tonnay Charentie and Rochford which yeelded vnto him vpon the first summance and so farre hee preuayled that he made himselfe Lorde of all the Riuer of Charente in lesse then fiue dayes and vsing great expedition got Marans from the Rochellors who were sore grieued with the losse of a place of so great importance Now as the nature of most men is to bande with the stronger and euermore to iudge of the end according to the beginning so many at this time began to slippe their neckes out of the Coller and to