deputies of the said Court added wee can neither find by our registers nor by any antiquity that the Princes of France ever subjected themselves so farre to the authority of the Pope nor that the Subjects have taken such knowledge of the Religion of their Princes The Court therefore cannoe determine ought thereupon unlesse first of all the Pope can cause his pretended right in translation of Kingdoms to appeare which Kingdomes were established and ordained of God before the name of a Pope was heard of in the world that he manifests not to us what title he hath to intermeddle with the matter of the succession of a young and vigorous Prince who for ought the Pope knows may have his succession yet in his loynes that he shews not with what appearance of justice or equity he should deny that priviledge which is allowed to such as ate accused of heresie against the decrées of antient canons namely that no man ought to be held as an heretique untill his defence be fully and fréely heard till he have received often admonitions from many Synodes and there upon sentenced by a Councell lawfully assembled Further they added that séeing the pope in stead of instruction breaths forth nothing in his Buls but destruction changing his shepherds crooke into a terrible thunderbolt rather to scatter then swéetly to call the erring flocke into the Bosome of the Catholique Church the Court cannot safely admit of or entertaine a Bull so permitious and opposite to the generall good of all the Christian World and to the soveraignty of the Crowne of France yea they further were of opinion that this Bull deserved to be throwne into the fire and burned and the sollicitors or upholders thereof for examples sake to be severely chastifed humbly deséeching the King to maintaine his Edicts in his owne Kingdome in peace This remonstrance tooke small effect for not long after the King being sollicited by the principall of the league set forth a declaration the seventh of October upon the Edict published in Iuly next before going wherein having confiscated the body and goods of these of the Religion with their associates who in any Province had taken armes against the fury of the league it was ordained that those of the Religion within sixe moneths were to depart out of the Kingdome unlesse within fiftéene daies fully accomplished after the said declaration they should abjure The Parliament suffering themselves to be carried downe by the violence of this streame accepted and admitted of this Edict The Princes framed an opposition against the Popes Bull appealing therefrom as a wrong done unto them offering to make it appeare in a frée and lawfull Councell that the Pope had malitiously belied them in calling them Heretiques so as if he refused this faire and lawfull course by them propounded they would hold and estéem him for that great antichrist and would proclaime an openirreâ— concileable war against him This opposition was affired and set up at Rome the seventh day of November Not long after among those of the Religion which were imprisoned others were more severely handled Among many take notice here of two honourable Women whose memory ought to be celebrated in this History of the Martyrs namely Radagonde daughter of Master Iohn Foucoult Atturney in the Parliament of Paris Widow of the age of fourty yeares and Claude Foucoult her sister a Virgin about thiryt six who were apprehended the nine and twentieth of October 1585. the one of the Village of Pierrepit néere Paris and the other in the suburbs of Saint German and brought prisoners into Chaâ—â—elet because they denied to goe to masse and would not abjure and forsake the true Religion Being severed one from the other in prison they were examined upon sundry Articles * To wit touching the supper of the lord prayer to saints prayer for the dead about abstaining from meats to which they made their direct answer according to the word of God Then being put together they were accused for disobeying the Kings commandement which was that these of the Religion were either tode part the Kingdome by such a time or else abjure They answered that they were willing toleave the Kingdome if they might obtaine a convenient time to take order about that little which they had there but refusing to yéeld to their request they were shut up again and theseventh of November in the presence of the Lieutenant as also of the Advocate for the King and a sorbonist they pleaded their Innocency These men getting no advantage against them but being rather confounded by the Wisedome of Gods Spirit speaking by these two sisters went and complained to the King that they were obstinate Heretiques This was in the beginning of the yeare 1588. They continued in prison many wéeks being cumbred with many disputes yet remained unshaken The Friday before Easter the King Hen. the third himselfe was to sée them asking them whether they would conforme themselves to the Catholique Apostolique Roman church as he called it They with such reverence and obeisance as became them gave him their reasons why they could not so doe confirming the same by texts of Holy Scripture His second question was why they had not obeyed his last Edict The Widow answered sir saith she I have thrée small Children to care for and whereas your Majesty allotted those of the Religion the teaâ—me of fiftéene daies after six moneths ended to depart the Kingdome I have done my utmost to take up such monies as were due untome but those who were indebted unto me neglected to pay me Besides hee that kept my vineyards of Pierrepit to quit Anno 1588 himselfe of me accused me of heresie causing my sister and my selfe to be here imprisoned where we have lien six moneths and if so be our petition presented by us find no acceptance in your Majesties sight we most humbly beséech you to grant that we may be fréed out of prison and wee will be gone instantly out of the Kingdome according to your Majesties Edict The date is past said the King nor will I shew you any favour unlesse you will promise to goe to masse He was much displeased in séeing their constancy Now at the same time there was presented before him one sirnamed Richelot who had béen apprehended that very day in which the women were taken for the cause of Religion unto whom the King used not many words only in conclusion hee said there wanted nothing but fagots to burne him This Richelot abjured that day in which these two sisters were executed The King had five or sixe Sorbonists which attended on him there who offered to reason with the prisoners by occasion of a word spoken by the widow But the King preventing it said we are not come hither to dispute let them be laid wast and none suffered to come to them Within halfe an houre after the Duke of Longueville came to visit them saying he was sorry for their
being questioned at all This who done to draw in the simple people who wandred up and downe the fields The first president called Dasis a subtle headed man sent to the Counsellors abroad to come in promising them their safety upon his word shewing that their absence did but incense the Inhabitants of Tholouse the more against them It was granted indéed that there had been a Massacre at Paris but that was upon some private quarrell so as the King was not minded for that to breake his edict of pacification Some of them were perswaded and returned others casting some perill resolved to retire to Mountauban Realmont and elsewhere On Tuesday following that they might hold them whom they had gotten within the Walls and draw in such as yet kept themselves without they caused it to be published with sound of trumpets that the Kings will was that none of the religion should be molested but respectively used The presidents with sundry others were present at this Proclamation accompanied with a guard of souldiers which caused many of the Religion especially the Counsellors to suspect some trechery who therefore hastened to the first president to know what these things meant He answered it was onely to restralue the people from making a tumult But perceiving that they could not by their cunning catch the birds who kept aloose off they wrecked their malice upon those they had in their hands On Wednesday next then about ten of the clocke in the morning having separated their Troupes into divers quarters they caused them to enter into the houses of those of the Religion whom they imprisoned in sundry prisons of the City This businesse held them all that Wednesday The guard was doubled at the gates and one of the Parliament with a Merchant that was a Papist deputed as commanders at the said gates to examine all such as went out and to put backe such as meant to escape There was also a charge given that none should dare to conceale any of the said Religion as they would answer to the contrary By meanes whereof many being discovered were imprisoned Among which were five or six Counsellors men excellently learned who comforted the rest Thus were they detained thrée wéeks In the meane while the Massacrers set upon the neighbour Cities The thrée wéeks being expired they put all these prisoners together into the Consciergery which is a speciall prison After which they began to manifest themselves for the reason why they had deferred the slaughter of them so long was that they might obtaine authority from Paris the which was brought them by their Deputies whose names were Delpech and Madron rich Merchants of the City These came with a warrant from the King that if the Massacre was not finished then they should not deferre any longer to put his will in execution To which they shewed themselves but too forward and ready On Saturday morning before the Summe was up certaine schollers who were night walkers with other lewd fellowed to the number of seven or eight 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 entred into the said Consciergery and causing the prisoners to be called down one after another they massacred them beneath at the staires fast of the Consciergery not permiting them so much much leisure as to speake much lesse to pray It was thought that they massacred to the number of thrée hundred afterwards spoiling them of all they had stripping them out of their cloathes and shirts and leaving them naked their secret parts Three hundred massacred in the City of Tholouse in France being onely covered with a piece of paper They were exposed to the view of all for the spare of two daies whilest they digged great pits whereinto the corpses thus cruelly massacred were cast naked one upon another The Counsellors whom they had imprisoned after they were massacred were hanged in their long â—â—â—ones upon a great Elme which was in the Court of the Palace and in the meane while the houses of those of the Religion were sacked and pillaged Many among these by reason of the barbarous cruelties used against their Brethren adjured daily Now because the Sorbonists provided a forme of abjuration to that purpose for saving the lives of such as recanted it shall not be impertinent to insert the same in this place it being imprinted at Paris by Nicholas Roffet The abjured minding to returne into the lap of our holy Mother the Roman Church must present themselves first to their Parsons or Curats to be directed by them what they ought to doe Afterward to be sent thence to their reverend Bishop and Diocesan or his Officiall to pronounce the said adjuration in manner and forme following The forme of their Abjuration 1 I Such a one of such a Diocesse and dwelling in such a place acknowledge by the grace of God the true Catholique and Apostolike Faith from which I have wilfully gone astray and separated my selfe and now desiring to returne into the true Sheepsold which is the Catholique Apostolique and Romane Church I do professe to have adjured and here before you my superiour do abjure and detest all the Huguenote errors of Luther Calvin and all heresies whatsoever wherwith heretofore I have been infected and defamed consenting now to the doctrine of our holy Mother the Church be séeching you in the name of God and of his son Iesus Christ and of the glorious Virgin Mary his Mother with all the hee saints and she saints in Paradise that it wil please you to receive me into the fold of the Christian flock and people of God who live under the obedience of the Pope ordained Christs Vicar in the said Church submitting my self patiently to beare and willingly to performe the penance you shall think fit to impose upon me absolving me from all my offences committed whilest I lived in such errors for which I here aske pardon of God of the said Church and of you my Pastor set over mée by God the Creator to absolve me with such penance as you shall judge to be availeable for the satisfaction of my sins and offences And that it may be séen that from the heart I have made and doe make this abjuration 2. I further confesse before God and you that I beléeve all that is contained in the Apostles 〈◊〉 and Nicene Créeds with all the confessions of faith besides allowed and approved by the Councels of the Catholique Apostolique and Roman Church and so forth as it followeth in thâ—â—â— Créeds 3. I also beléeve acknowledge and confesse whatsoever is contained in the old and new Testament approved by the said holy Catholique Apostolique Roman church according to the sense and interpretation of the holy Doctors and by them received rejecting wholly all other Interpretations as false and erroneous 4 I acknowledge the seven Sacraments of the said Church to have béen instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ as necessary for the salvation of mankinde although all of them are not of necessity to be conferred
liked well only adding this request by way of protestation that whatsoever the event hereof might prove it should not be imputed to him as procéeding from too light and too suddaine an apprehension that he delivered this Letter being only moved thereunto for demonstration of his ready devotion and care for preservation of his Majesty and the State And The Lord Chamberlain made privy to the letter by the Earle of Salisbury thus did the Earle of Salisbury presently acquaint the Lord Chamberlaine with the said Letter Whereupon they two in the presence of the Lord Mountegle calling to minde the former intelligence already mentioned which séemed to have some relation with this Letter The tender care which they ever carried to the preservation of his Majesties person made them apprehend that some perillous attempt did thereby appears to be intended against the same which did the more néerely concerne the said Lord Chamberlaine to have a care of in regard that it doth belong to the charge of his office to oversée as well all places of assembly where his Majesty is to repaire as his highnesse owne private houses And therefore did the said two Counsellors conclude that they should joyn unto themselves thrée more of the Counsell to wit the Lord Admirall the Earles of Worcester and Northampton to be also particularly acquainted with this accident who having all of them concurred together to the re-examination of the contents of the said Letter they did conclude that how slight a matter it might at the first appeare to be yet was it not absolutely to be contemned in respect of the care which it behooved them to have of the preservation of his Majesties person Wherefore they resolved for two reasons first Thought meet by the Counsellors to acquaint the King with the Letter to acquaint the K. himselfe with the same before they procéeded to any further inquistition in the matter as well for the expectation and experience they had of his Majesties fortunate Iudgement in cléering of obscure riddles and doubtfull mysteries as also because the more time would in the meane while be given for the practise to ripen if any was whereby the discovery might be the more cléere and evident and the ground of procéeding thereupon more safe just and easie And so according to their determination did the said Earle of Salisbury repaire to the King in his Gallery on Friday being Alhallow day in the afternoone which was the day after his Majesties Upon Alhallow day the Earle of Salisbury shewed the letter to the King arrivall and none but himselfe being present with his highnesse at that time where without any other speech or judgement given of the Letter but only relating simply the forme of the delivery thereof he presented it to his Majesty the contents whereof follow MY Lord out of the love I beare to some of your friends I have a care of your preservation Therefore I would advise you as you tender your life to devise some excuse to shift off your attendance at this Parliament For God and man have concurred to punish the wickednesse of this time And thinke nor slightly of this advertisement but retire your selfe into your country where you may expect the event in safety For though there be no apparance of any stir yet I say they shall receive a terrible blow this Parliament and yet they shall not see who hurts them This counsell is not to be contemned because it may doe you good and can doe you no harme for the danger is past so soone as you have burnt the Letter And I hope God will give you the grace to make good use of it To whose holy protection I commend you The King no sooner read the Letter but after a little pause and then reading it over againe hée His Majesties judgement of the Letter delivered his judgement of it in such sort as hée thought it was not to be contemned for that the stile of it séemed to be more quicke and pithy then is usuall to be in any Pasquill or Libell the superfluities of idle braines But the Earle of Salisbury perceiving the King to apprehend it déeplier then he looked for knowing his nature told him that he thought by one sentence in it that it was like to be written by some foole or mad man reading to him this sentence in it For the danger is past so soone as you have burnt the Letter which he said was like to be the saying of a foole for if the danger was past so soone as the Letter was burnt then the warning behooved to be of little availe when the burning of the letter might make the danger to be eschewed But the King on the contrary considering the former sentence in the Letter That they should receive a terrible blow at this Parliament and yet should not see who hurt them Ioining it to the sentence immediately A terrible blow indeed at once to have wracked King Queen Prince and Progeny Religion State and all following already alledged did thereupon conjecture That the danger mentioned should bée some suddaine danger by blowing up of powder For no other insurrection rebellion or whatsoever other private and desperate attempt could bée committed or attempted in time of Parliament and the Authors thereof unséene except onely it were by a blowing up of Powder which might be performed by one base knave in a darke corner whereupon he was moved to interpret and construe the latter sentence in the Letter alledged by the Earle of Salisbury against all ordinary sence and construction in Grammar as if by these words For the danger is past so soone as you have burnt the Letter should be closely understood the suddainty and quicknesse of the danger which should be as quickly performed and at an end as that Paper should be blazing up in the fire turning that word of As soone to the sence of As quickly and therefore wished that His Majesties opinion for searching of the under roomes of the Parliament house before his going to the Parliament the under roomes of the Parliament house might be well and narrowly searched But the Earle of Salisbury wondering at this his Majesties commentary which he knew to be so far contrary to his ordinary and naturall disposition who did rather ever sin upon the other side in not apprehending nor trusting due advertisement of practises and perils when he was truly informed of them whereby he had many times drawne himselfe into many desperate dangers and interpreting rightly this extraordinary Caution at this time to procéed from the vigilant care he had of the whole State more then of his owne person which could not but have all perished together if this designement had succéeded He thought good to dissemble still unto the King that there had béene any just cause of such apprehension and ending the purpose with some merry jest on this subject as his custome is tooke his leave for that time But
advice and direction of the rest as well to acquaint Owen with the particulars of the plot as also lest by my longer stay I might have growne suspitious and so have come in question In the mean time Percy having the key of the cellar laid in more powder and wood into it I returned about the beginning of September next and then receiving the key again of M. Percy we brought in more powder and billets to cover the same againe and so I went for a time into the Countrey till the thirtieth of October It was further resolved amongst us that the same day that this act should have béen performed some other of our Confederates should have surprised the person of the Lady Elizabeth the Kings eldest Daughter who was kept in Warwickshire at the Lord Harringtons house and presently have proclaimed her quéen having a project of a proclamation ready for that purpose wherein we made no mention of altering of religion or would have a vowed the déed to be ours untill we should have had power enough to make our party good and then we would have avowed both Concerning Duke Charles the Kings second son we had sundry consultations how to seize on his person But because we found no meanes how to compasse it the Duke being kept néere London where we had not forces enough wee resolved to serve our turne with the Lady Elizabeth ¶ The names of other principall persons that were made privy afterwards to this horrible conspiracy Everard Digby Knight Ambrose Rookewood Francis Tresham Iohn Grant Robert Reyes Commissioners Notingham Suffolke Northampton Marre Worcester Devonshire Salisbury Dunbar Popham Edw. Coke W. Waad ¶ And in regard that before this discourse could be ready to go to the Presse Thomas Winter being apprehended and brought to the Tower made a confession in substance agréeing with this former of Fawkes only larger in some circumstances I have thought good to insert the same likewise in this place for the further cléering of the matter and greater benefit of the Reader ¶ Thomas Winters confession taken the three and twentieth of November in the yeare 1605. in the presence of the Counsellors whose names are under-written My most honourable Lords NOt out of hope to obtaine pardon for speaking of my temporall part I may say The fault is greater then can be forgiven nor affecting here the title of a good subject for I must redéeme my Countrey from as great a danger as I have hazarded the bringing of her into before I can purchase any such opinion only at your honors command I will briefly set downe mine owne accusation and how far I have procéeded in this businesse which I shall the faithfullier doe since I sée such courses are not pleasing to Almighty God and that all or the most materiall parts have béen already confessed I remained with my brother in the countrey from Alhallow-tide untill the beginning of Lent in the yeare of our Lord 1603. the first yeare of the Kings reigne about which time Master Catesby sent thither intreating me to come to London where he and other my friends would bée glad to sée me I desired him to excuse me for I found my selfe not very well disposed and which had happened never to me before returned the messenger without my company Shortly I received another Letter in any wise to come At the second summons I presently came up and found him with Master Iohn Wright at Lambeth where he brake with me how necessary it was not to forsake our Countrey for he knew then I had a resolution to goe over but to deliver her from the servitude in which she remained or at least to assist her with our uttermost endeavours I answered that I had often hazzarded my life upon far lighter termes and now would not refuse any good occasion wherein I might doe service to the Catholique cause but for my selfe I knew no meane probable to succéed Hée said that he had bethought him of a way at one instant to deliver us from all our bonds and without any forraine help to replant againe the Catholique Religion and withall told me in a word It was to blow up the Parliament house with Gunpowder for said he in that place have they done us all the mischiefe and perchance God hath designed that place for their punishment I wondered at the strangenesse of the conceit and told him that true it was this strake at the roote and would bréed a confusion fit to beget new alterations but if it should not take effect as most of this nature miscarried the scandall would be so great which Catholique Religion might hereby sustaine as not only our enemies but our friends also would with good reason condemne us Hée told me The nature of the disease required so sharpe a remedy and asked me if I would give my consent I told him yes in this or what else soever if he resolved upon it I would venture my life But I proposed many difficulties as want of an house and of one to carry the Mine noise in the working and such like His answer was Let us give an attempt and where it faileth passe no further But first quoth he because we will leave no peaceable and quiet way untryed you shall goe over and informe the Constable of the state of the Catholikes here in England intreating him to sollicite his Majesty at his comming hither that the penall Lawes may be recalled and we admitted into the ranke of his other subjects withall you may being over some confident Gentleman such as you shall understand best able for this businesse and named unto me Master Fawkes Shortly after I passed the Sea and found the Constable at Berghen néere Dunkirke where by help of Master Owen I delivered my message Whose answer was that he had strict command from his Master to doe all good offices for the Catholiques and for his owne part he thought himselfe bound in conscience so to doe and that no good occasion should be omitted but spake to him nothing of this matter Returning to Dunkirk with Master Owen we had spéech whether he thought the Constable would faithfully help us or no. He said he beléeved nothing lesse and that they sought only their owne ends holding small account of Catholikes I told him that there were many Gentlemen in England who would not forsake their Countrey untill they had tryed their uttermost and rather venture their lives then forsake her in this misery And to adde one more to our number as a fit man both for counsell and execution of whatsoever we should refolve wâ— wished for M. Fawkes whom I had heard good commendations of hee told me the Gentelman deserved no lesse but was at Brussels and that if he came not as happily he might before my departure he would send him shortly after into England I went soone after to Ostend where Sir William Stanley as then was not but câ—â—e two daies after I remained with him thrée or
therefore asked again what they thought of the Masse they answered that they would stand to their first confession It was replyed That the Court would rest satisfied with that answer if so be they would now only go to Masse But with one voice they affirmed that they would never yéeld to come there where God was so dishonoured The Court to make it appeare that no advantage should be taken against them for this their answer gave them leave severally to shew their reasons This pleased the prisoners well and therefore they spared not to paint forth the Masse in its lively colours that all might perceive there was cause sufficient why they should detest it First one of them by way of opposition shewed The Masse deciphered in its colours how contrary the Masse was to the Lords supper The second declared it was blasphemy to affirme that there was any other propitiatory sacrifice for sinnes then the blood of Christ The third avouched that if the article of Transubstantiation whereon the Masse depends were allowed Christ his deity and his humanity should be abolished and therefore it must be flat idolatry to worship Almighty God in a corruptible péece of paste The fourth told them that the fruits of the Sacramant could not be received where the Word was not joyned with the signe where one of the signes were withheld or where there was no Communion Thus was the Masse anatomised with the abhominations thereof with all boldnesse so as some of the Iudges were constrained to averre openly that there was a great abuse in it indéed being a manifest wrong done to the institution of Christ as also that the Laity were there deprived of the Cup and the Bread only given the whole being performed in a language which the poore people understood not It was beyond the expectation of all men that so frée a confession would have passed for currant in that place in which whosoever came before them formerly and made the like was condemned to die But now the Truth so prevailed that against all hope and ordinary procéedings in times past yea contrary to the mindes of those which were Gods chiefest enemies the order was this That howsoever sentence of death had béen pronounced against thrée others of this company by the inferiour judges yet these foure should have their lives saved provided that they departed the countrey Foure witnesses of the truth gently entreated by their Iudges within fiftéene daies Which exception though it favoured of some injustice yet was it nothing in comparison of the former cruelties and this banishment turned rather for a benefit to them than an hurt for by this meanes they had liberty to go to such places where God was purely served ¶ The story of Peter Chevet Martyr BEing asked whether he durst affirme that he He was in outward appearance a silly poore man a vinedresser of the age of 60. years and upwards had the spirit of God Yea said he for I am one of Gods children and therefore have the spirit of God given unto me as the earnest of my adoption It is to be feared said some that you will bring your selfe in danger of the law and so be burned Truly said he I doe not thinke to escape better cheape and though you scortch and rost me alive yet will I never renounce Iesus Christ Is it not written He that shall confesse me before men him will I confesse before my Father which is in Mat. 10. 32. heaven c Being asked whether he desired not to be absolved confessed and to receive pardon having stood excommunicate now thrée yeares he answered I confesse my faults every day to my God but where is that goodly absolver that will take upon him to pardon me The Officiall answering said That is even I. Now poore man said Peter it is a question whether thou canst save thy selfe and wilt thou take upon thée then to save others The Officiall finding himselfe galled with this answer threatned him with longer imprisonment Alas alas saith he though I should rot in prison yet shall you still finde me the same man Being come to the place where he was to suffer the Executioner would not take the paines to Hee could say the new Testament by heart was so prompt therein in all his answers that the people who heard him said if hee were suffered to speake hee would convert all the City of Paris helpe him from off the cart but tumbled him downe with his head forward Notwithstanding all this and other cruelties he manfully overcame the same with invincible constancy And when they pulled off his cloathes he was heard to say intelligibly How happy how happy ô how happy am I with his eyes still lifted up to heaven He was burned in the place called Maubert nigh to the city of Paris the 11. of March 1559. ¶ A notable speech uttered by Anne du Burg Counsellor for the King in Parliament in the moneth of Iune An. 1559. AMong the rest there was a Counsellor called Anne du Burg◠a man of singular understanding and knowledge bred and nursed up in the bosome of the Church of Christ This man having rendred thankes to God for mooving the Kings heart to be present at the decision of so waighty a cause as that of religion is and having exhorted him well to consider thereof being the cause of Christ himselfe which of good right ought to be maintained by Princes spake boldly therto as God gave him utterance It is not saith he a matter of small consequence to condemne such as in the middest of the fiery flames call upon the name of Iesus Christ This I doe but note here by the way because the consequence is touched before by Master Iohn Foxe where he mentions the terrible end of such as were persecutors of the truth Only one thing more touching the said Anne du Burg I could not here omit and it is this A certaine woman being prisoner for the same cause right over against him had a little window in her chamber which opened towards that where In the History of the martyrs mention is made of one Peter Arundeau whose cōstancy was so admirable in suffering the extremity of death that it was the meanes to imbolden this worthy counsellor Anne Du Burg with others to suffer for the cause of the Gospell Master du Burg lay from whence either by words or signes when she was not otherwise letted she encouraged him to persevere constantly in the truth by whom he was so comforted that the same du Burg being importuned by some of his friends to recant used these words nay I trow not said he for a woman hath taught me my lesson how I ought to carry my selfe in this businesse to which God hath called me féeling in himselfe as it séemed the force and power of the godly admonitions of this poore woman Whose godly zeale was such as that her story may not as
soever might ensue thereupon He had an incredible desire to profit by the preaching of the Gospell And therefore being hindered by a naturall infirmity of deafenesse to understand what was spoken hée used this help commanding a Lad which he kept to hearken to the sermon attentively and at his returne home made the said boy to tell him in his eare all that he had heard Insomuch that he became excéedingly expert in the knowledge of the truth wherein he persisted constantly to the death and was after he had received the extraordinary torture burned for the same in the place called the Grave in the Moneth of December Anno 1549. Another relation of Anne du Burg. DV Burg being asked if he had conferred with any about certaine articles formerly mentioned answered That he had conferred with his bookes but especially the holy Scriptures Having framed a Confession of his faith which he intended to have presented to the court of parliament certain counsellors which were advocats in the said Court pretending friendship towards him being yet but time-servers shewing themselves also discontented therewith laboured with him to make another Confession not directly contrary to the truth but somewhat ambiguous and doubtfull so as it might give satisfaction to his Iudges Du Burg having of a long time resisted was in a manner overcome by their intreaties to consent to their Counsell telling him it sufficed that himselfe understood his owne true meaning though ambiguously expressed as also that his Iudges would not stand strictly to examine such a confession as had only an outward appearance of consenting to their doctrine Now this disguised confession was no sooner come into the hands of his Iudges but great hopes were conceived of his inlargement But when the assembly had got a true copy thereof they were greatly gréeved being more carefull of the saving his soule of Gods glory and the edification of his Church then of such a deliverance which could not be obtained without great dishonour to God And therefore they gave order to M. Augustin * Of the maner of whose death you shal read hereafter Marlorate to write a large discourse concerning the duty of such as were called of God to beare witnesse to his eternall truth before the Magistrate wherein were also set downe Gods threatenings and judgements against such as either directly or indirectly in what kinde soever did disavow the same Exhorting him more highly to 1 2 3 4 5 6 prize the glory of God than his owne liberty the truth of the Gospell than a short and transitory life That it beséemed him not now to give over having already made so happy a beginning and so good a progresse in his Christian course That the report of his constancy was spread not only through the kingdome of France but throughout all Christendome That he had béene a meanes to confirme many weak ones and caused others to enquire after the meanes of Salvation That the eyes of all were fixed on him to expect the manner of his comming out of prison So as if now through feare or faintheartednesse he should enterprise ought that might contradict his first confession he would thus become an occasion of much scandall and offence And therefore exhorted him to give glory to God to edifie his Church assuring him that God would never leave nor forsake him These Letters wrought in the conscience of Du Burg a sense of his sinne for which asking pardon of God without any further delay he sent a petition to his Iudges in which retracting this his last confession he protested to stand unto his first Slanders raised by the Sorbonists against the Protestants of Roan in France and what was the issue thereof THrée Doctors of the Sorbonists whose names were Secard Columbell and Fancillon in their collations to their parishioners accused those of the Religion with their wonted slanders as that they committed whordome one with another after the candles were put out and were taught to rebell against their King and governors which governors also these Sorbonists accused to connive and hold with them inciting the people to run upon those of the religion since the Magistrates forbare to do their duty But here God catched the wise in their owne craftinesse for by meanes hereof many began to looke into these matters whereof the godly were accused Namely to enquire both what they did and spake in their assemblies Where séeing and finding the clean contrary to these accusations before mentioned they were drawne to abhorre these lying spirits and by little and little came to cleave unto the said assemblies themselves yea many who were lewdly given and came in among them to another end But these accusers not content herewith went in the night into Churches not sparing to deface the images that stood therein and then charged the Protestants to be the onely actors thereof Whereupon the Cardinall of Burbon Archbishop of Roan was often faine to repaire them with many ceremonies But at last a Monke of Magdalens hospitall was taken with the manner of breaking downe these Images in the churchyard of Saint Marke For which he received no correction excusing the matter by saying that whatsoever he had done therein procéeded from a good meaning Yet among all these disorders the church of Roan still subsisted though not without great perill and danger ¶ The story of a Locksmith Martyr who being dry had holy water given him to drinke ABout this time was a Locksmith burnt in the city of Agen upon the clamours and seditious sermons of a frier called Melchior Flavin who denounced this Locksmith to be an heretike because he had made a Christian and good confession and therefore pursued him unto the the death A little before he was to die Redon the lieutenant of Agen asked him if he would drinke Sir saith the prisoner if you please to give me drink I will Then the Lieutenant brought him a glasse of water of which he dranke a little Now said the other unto him what hast thou drunke the prisoner answered Water Saith the other Thou hast drunke holy-water which I gave thée to drive the divell out of thée I know saith the poore man that every creature of God is good in its owne nature but had you told me it had béene such as now you say it is I would not have drunke it for it is defiled with idolatry At this answer the Lieutenant hurled the glasse of water at the poore mans face with such force that the glasse breaking to pieces hurt him For which inhumane act hee was reproved by his fellowes and amerced to pay ten pounds But the Locksmith tooke his death patiently and endured it constantly ¶ The miserable death of a Consul who was both an accuser and a Iudge IOstas Simler a learned Divine of our time in the life of Master Henry Bullinger a worthy servant of God and a faithfull Minister of the church of Zurick◠recordeth an history which he saith
Earle of Home who died last gave an evident proofe of that true knowledge of God wherewith he was indued and in which hée had more especially increased in the time of his troubles and afflications ¶ An extract of a complaint with a protestation of the Prince of Orange and the Gentlemen of the Low countries touching their oppressions THis yeare in the month of Iuly the Prince of Ornage William and Nassau accompanied with many Lords and Gentlemen of the Low-Countries all professors of the Gospell for prevention of the slanders and pretences of rebelion put upon them by the enemies thereof published in writing a declaration that it might appeare to all that they were so farre off from plotting any treason against the Kings Majesty that on the contrary they did by all the meanes they could acknowledge him to be their naturall Prince and Soveraign The true causes indéed for which they tooke up armes under the authority of their Prince for their owne defence as also of those who professed the protestant religion were the extortions the confiscations of body and goods with the continuall condemnations and putting to death even of the most noble personages of the Countrey And that the Prince of Orange might make knowne to all what injustice and cruelties were exercised upon those of the Religion he discovered the notorious subtilties of the cardinall of Gravella and others who under the cloaks of the pretended catholique religion sought nothing else thereby but the diminishing of Gods glory the Kings authority and the welfare of the commonwealth shedding the bloud of many a true Christian by whose death followed the losse of their temporall estates and all forsooth under pretence of Iustice And for as much as tortures vexations banishments executions both by fire and water by strait imprisonments sword and gibbets did still increase more and more that for these considerations the cause was lawfull and good in taking upon them the defence of so miserable a people to whom the Dutchesse of Parma Governesse under his Majesty had expresly permitted the preaching of the Gospell for preventing of the perils and dangers which threatened the ruine of the said countries And as the said Prince had béen a faithfull and loyall servant to his Majesty in doing him many acceptable services without either sparing his person or goods so was he also ready prest to be imployed still in the like more then at any time heretofore And thus procéeding on further hée made it apparant to every one whose judgement was not forestalled that the Duke of Alva who in respect of the dignities conferred upon him ought himselfe to be a patterne and a protector of the Nobility and Gentry had notwithstanding put to death thréescore gentlemen with others of quality rich Burgemasters of Bruxels and of other Cities besides that this his ambition being risen to a notable height of cruelty durst put to death the Illustrious Earles of Egmond and Horne without any shew of law or equity who had so faithfully served the Emperour Charles of famous memory in his wars Yea that he might yet further debase the Nobility of the Countrey which is as it were the principall support of his Majesty hée caused the heads of the said Earles to be set upon poles and forkes By such spectacles charging upon their parents and friends much obloquy and disgrace Yea this horrible execution did strike such a feare and terror into many that to avoyd these oppressions they fled the countrey For a conclusion he added that all these things layd together the issue thereof tended to the extirpation of all true Religion and consequently the depriving of the faithfull not onely of their spirituall but corporall good also And therefore as a Prince being a native member of the Empire he held himselfe obliged in having compassion over the wrackes made among so many poore Christians to lend them his best helpe furtherance for the frée passage of the Gospell and the consolation of such of his Majesties good Subjects as were persecuted imprisoned and oppressed ¶ Before wée shut up the History of the yeare 1568. wée will adde to the former Martyrs some that were executed in the Low-countries at divers times in the said yeare without tying our selves to any strict order touching their death ¶ Schoblant the sonne of Barthel Iohn de Hues Ioris Coomans Martyrs THe eleventh of February there were taken and imprisoned in Antwerpe Schoblant the son of Barthel Iohn de Hues and Zoris Coomans After which they were all joyfull and glad in the Lord confessing that nothing fell out in this regard but by his divine providence as it appeares by Letters written to their brethren the seventéenth of March containing that which followeth Séeing it is the will of God that we should suffer for his holy name and in the quarrell of his Gospell we certifie you brethren that we are of good courage hitherto howsoever the flesh continually rebels against the spirit counselling it ever and anone according to the advice of the old serpent But we are well assured that Christ who hath bruised will also still bruise the Serpents head and not leave us comfortlesse True it is we are now and then pricked in the héele but that Ioh. 14. 18. Rom. 16. 20. Gen. 3. 15. Mat. 11. 35. is all the Serpent can doe nor are we discouraged but kéep our faith close to the promises of God who is the Lord of heaven and earth having created all things of nothing He forsooke not Ioseph in Egypt nor left the Gen. 39. 21. Dan. 3. 25. Dan 6. 22. thrée yong men in the fiery furnace no nor Daniel in the Lions Den. This is the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and of their righteous posterity so that we can without feare say with the Prophet David the Lord is my helpe tower Psal 1◠strength and refuge By such and the like Scriptures deare brethren we comfort our selves in our bands rejecting all confidence in any man whatsoever Be not dismaid then good brethren and sisters for our bands and imprisonment For so is the good will of God now towards us And therefore pray rather that he will give us grace to persevere constantly unto the end so be it ¶ The examination of Schoblant taken the 24. of March in the presence of the Marquesse of the Bailiffe of the Secretary and many others 1568. Marq. WHere were you borne Schob in Sommerswall Marq. Where did you marry your wife Schob At Middleborouth in Zealand Marq. Where were your children baptised Schob In the Church of Christ in which true Christians are bound to baptise their children Marq. Though you should say no more we have sufficient testimony from your owne mouth Have you received the Lords Supper Schob Ya sir Marq. Are ye not a Minister Schob No sir Marq. Ought not you to submit your judgement to that which hath béen decréed in a generall councell where so many learned
of Valence were executed seven and fifty persons whereof the greater part were Burgesses of the City only because they clave to the true faith of Iesus Christ This slaughter was distributed into thrée severall dayes Ten were beheaded on Munday the foure and twentieth day of Ianuary twenty on Tuesday following and the other twenty the day after that ane so the seven in their order after the rest not without much astonishment and lamentations of the poore people with the remainder of the Burgesses of that City ¶ A notable cruelty executed upon a good woman called Perrette Curtet in the yere 1569. AS she was travelling from Orleance to a place called Moutagris where she intended to méet her husband called Master Authony Chaâ—ornter des Meringes who had escaped the fury of his enemies she being in her Inne at supper two or thrée desperate villaines knocked at the dore and comming in asked of the said Curtet Art thou not Meringes wife shée answered yes Then rapping forth execrable blasphemies they said thou art she whom we looke for This done they stripped her into her smocke tooke away her montes and rings from her and brought her to the river side where after great blasphemies they said confesse thée The woman answered Séeing I must die give me leave to call upon God first They deriding her said Prap then let us heare what kind of prayer thou wilt make She having in her prayers commended her soule to God one of them sware Gods death is this all wilt thou say nothing else Then said one of them to another Let us cast her into the river which they agréed to doe some taking her by the head and others by the héels and so throwing her in heaped great pieces of yce upon her to cause her to sink and then went their way But understanding that the poore woman had got upon a great flake of yce to save her selfe thereon Peter Gouge returned who was one of the murtherers and had betrayed her into the hands of the rest notwithstanding her husband had covenanted with him to convey her to him in safety this Gouge I say finding her there gave her a deaths wound the which had never come to light had not the said Gouge confessed the same being imprisoned by the Duchesse of Ferrare for that very fact yet escaped he unpunished contrary to the law of Provosts albeit hée was sent to the Provost Marshall of Montagris to that end and was set at liberty for the hatred which these bare against the Doctrine of the Gospell whereof the said des Meringes was a Minister Now the dead body floating to and fro upon the water rested no where untill it came over against the lodging where the said des Meringes lay as if it had there demanded erecution of justice upon the offenders where being known and conveyed thence was buryed by some of the assembly who yet remained in the City ¶ Another cruelty committed in Orleance about the same time A Woman in the City of Orleance was constrained by the murtherers who broke in upon her husband in the night to stand and hold the candle to them whilest they murshered him ¶ Of the comming of the Queene of Navarre to the City of Paris in France with the manner of her sickenesse and death there BEfore I come to noâ—â—tion the bloudy Messacres of France especially that of Paris anno 1572. which made way to all the rest I cannot Anno 1572. omit to place here as an entrance thereunto the history of that noble and vertuous Lady Iane de Albert Quéene of Navarre because it containes much matter worthy of due observation This good Queene before she could be drawn to come to Paris to solemnise the mariage of her son the Prince of Navarre with the sister of Charles the ninth then King of France received letters upon letters from the said King to accompany the Prince her son in that solemnity now wheras she cast some doubts touching her sonnes mariage with one of another religion the King assured her that all things should be so wrought as should give her good satisfaction and content promising that he would get a dispensation from the Pope Pope Pius whilest he lived could by no means endure to heare of or give his coâ—senâ— to this mariage but he died then way was made for this mariage to bee concluded to that end But when the Quéen understood that the King was minded to have this marriage solenmized at Paris she would by no means heare of it for I will not said she put any confidence in that so mutinous a people being the sworne enemies both of my selfe and mind Still the King persisted in his sute for the obtaining of the same at her hands Also having intelligence by some of his agents that the quéen of Navarre began a little to waver he sollicited her yet once againe to come assuring her that all things should be caried in such peaceable sort that she should have no cause to complaine At length the Quéene came from Rochell to Bloyes in the moneth of March 1572. with great attendance where it is incredible to thinke what welcome she had on all sides especially from the King his brethren c. who yet when all was done could say to his Mother Now Madam have I not quit my selfe well Let me alone and I will bring them all into the net In Aprill following were the Articles concluded concerning the mariage of the Prince of Navarre with the Kings sister In the beginning of May the King wooes the Quéene of Navarre again to come to Paris for preparing of things fitting for this mariage which she accordingly yéelded unto and parting from Bloyes on the sixth of the said moneth came to Paris on the fifteenth of the same After which she went from place to place in the City into sundry houses and shops to finde out such things as might tend to the adorning of the day of so great a solemnity The queÌ„ene mother could by no means brooke this good Quéene and therefore not finding with what colour she could dispatch her with the rest and yet fearing the height of her spirit if shée should survive as also that she could not then so worke upon the flexibility of the Prince her sonne as she intended she consulted with one Rene whose practise it was to impoyson things who by such meanes adventured to poyson the Prince of Conde by the sent of a poysoned apple which upon some suspition was first tryed upon a dog and it had almost cost the Princes chirurgion his life by smelling too nigh thereto This Rene selling to the Quéen of Navarre his perfumed drugs found the way how to poyson her therewith although others thought the contrary But the said Rene was heard afterwards to make his brags that hée had the like in store for two or thrée more who suspected no such matter On Wednesday the fourth of Iune the Quéen
him not to be afraid of the fury of the Parisians nor of their threats which they had formerly uttered against him For he was not ignorant of the deadly hatred they bare him and therefore wrote unto the Maior of the City to looke unto it at his perill that the Admirall had no wrong offered him by the Citizens either at his entrance or continuance in the City For of all the Cities in that Kingdome it is the most superstitious and eassly moved to sedition and therefore the Admirall being of a contrary religion could expect but ill welcome at his comming thither especially because at his sollicitation the Crosse of Gastines was remoued out of the street of S. Dennis The Quéene mother and the Duke of Aniou wrote unto the Maior also and likewise to the rest of the Magistrates to the same effect but especially to their servants some whereof had a little light given them touching that device To be short they endeavoured to take all rubbes out of his way that he might with the lesse mistrust fall into the snare The Admirall not casting any perils resolved to take his journey to Paris Albeit he lacked not sundry advertisements from his owne followers and others his well-willers in the Kingdome who honoured him much desiring him that howsoever He gave this testimony in his answer to these advertisements that since France came to be a Kingdome it never enjoyed a better King then Charles the ninth he had no sinister opinion of the King of his mother or any of theirs yet at least he was to take into his consideration the place whither he went and amongst what enemies he was now to venture himselfe But he alwaies leaning upon the testimony of a good conscience and being confident in Gods providence not moved by these advertisements tooke his journey to Paris with very few Attendants Being come thither he was honoutably received of the King of his Brethren and of the Quéene mother with others also The marriage of the king of Navarre with the Kings sister being solemnised on the seventéenth and eightéenth of August 1572 and all the Triumphs and feastings accompanying the same being finished the Admirall determining to take his leave at the Court and so to returne homewards the Deputies of the Reformed Churches brought him their requests on a sudden to present the same to the King in regard of many wrongs the said Churches had sustained and therefore they instantly besought him that he would not leave the Court till some order might be taken for redresse thereof This with other impediments were the occasions of detaining him still there Mauravell comming to Paris whilest these This Mauravell was he that shot the Admirall Feasts lasted having presented his service first to the King and his mother the Duke of Aniou with those of the Guise aftersome spéech had with the King and the Quéene mother one called Chaill had a command to direct him to the house whence the blow should be given who left him with a woman in the said house which woman was forbidden not only to aske his name but also so much as to enquire for what cause he was lodged there On Friday the two and twentieth of August in the morning he trimmed up his harquebuse watching secretly the Admirals comming The Admirall at his going forth out of the Louure méeting the King comming out of a Chappell which is before the same passing thence to play at Tennise he scarcely had gone an hundred paces from the place but as he returned to his lodging on foot to dine there attended on by some twelve or fiftéene Gentleme reading a petition out of Mauravell hurts the Admirall the window of a lodging where Villemur tutor to the Duke of Guise usually lay he was shot with an harquebuse charged with thrée brasse bullets one of which tooke off the fore finger on his right hand and he was hurt with another in his left arme Féeling himselfe thus wounded hée willed some of his followers to enter that house and to enquire who it was that had done that or who set him on worke to doe it and then to advertise the King thereof giving him to understand how well his command was observed Now whilest they were busie to force open the doore the murtherer fled out by a back way escaping thence out of the gate of Saint Anthony where one attended him holding a Spanish gennet brought out of the Duke of Guises Stable whereon he galloped away yet not without some difficulty for flying thus in some feare he fell off his horse twice ot thrice A Gentleman séeing the Admirall hurt came to support his left arme binding up the hurt thereon with his handkerchiefe And thus was he conducted to his lodging which was distant from thence about some twenty paces In his passage a Gentleman said it was to be feared the bullets were poisoned to which the Admirall replyed All must be as it pleaseth God The King hearing of the Admirals hurt left his game where he was playing till then with the Duke of Guise and throwing away his racket as it séemed in an anger with a sad and heavy countenance withdrew himselfe into his Chamber the Duke of Guise following him within a while after The King of Navarre the Prince of Conde The King of Navarre and the Prince Conde complaine to the King with many other of the religion having notice of the Admiralls hurt complained to the King of this untimely accident entreating they might have leave to depart out of the City séeing they could expect little safety there The King made his moane to them of the mischance that hapned swearing and profesting that he would execute such impartiall justice upon the offendor and on all the complotters as should give the Admirall and all his friends content only he willed them to stay promising them ere long to provide for their security The Chirurgians and Physitians were presently sent for amongst whom was Ambrose Pare the Kings Chirurgian a man very expert He began first with the Admirals finger which put him to much paine in regard the scissers were not sharpe enough to cut it off at once besides hée was faine to stop and open the wound thrice Then he came to the left arme making incissons in two places into which the bullet had pierced The Admirall endured all this with an undaunted countenance and wonderfull patience whilest those which stood by and saw him so nangled could not refraine from teares Captaine Monins held him with both his armes about the middle and Cornaton held his hands He séeing them astontshed my friends said he why wéep you I thinke my selfe happy to be thus handled in the cause of The admirals speech while he was in the Surgeons hands God And anone casting his eyes upon a Minister called Merlin he said here ye see my friends Gods blessings I am hurt indéed but I know it is come to passe
not yet satisfied But going from house to house with their associats Anno 1569. where they thought to find any Huguenots they brake open the doores then cruelly murthered whomsoever they met sparing neither sex nor age The pretence was this Report was raised there that a treason of the Huguenots was discovered who had conspired to kill the King his Mother his brethren having already killed fifteene of the guard Carts were laden with dead bodies of yong maidens women men and children which were discharged into the river covered in a maner all over with the slain and dyed red with their bloud which also streamed down the stréets from sudry parts thereof whereat the Courtezans laughed their fill saying That the warres were now ended and that hereafter they should live in peace c. But it would take up too much time to recite all the lamentable passages of this so sad and tuefull a tragedy ¶ This with some others which follow belonging to this History because they could not bee omitted are here under inserted TO begin then with Monsieur Pierre de la Place President of the Court of Requests whose story we will relate somewhat at large because his singular piety requires the same On Sunday morning about six of the clock one called Captaine Michael harquebusier of the king came into his lodging into which he had the more easie accesse for divers private respects This Captaine being armed having a harquebuse This was a token by which the murtherers were distinguished form others on his shoulder apâ—stoll at his girdle and his handkerchiefe tyed about his left arme presenting himself before the said De la Place the first words he spake were that the Duke of Guise had slaine the Admirall by the Kings appointment with many Huguenots besides and because the rest of them of what quality soever were destinated to death he was come to his lodging to exempt him from the common destruction onely he desired to have a sight of that gold and silver which was in the house The Lord de la Place somwhat amased at the audacious malapartnesse of the man who in the midst of ten or twelve persons which were there present in the roome durst presume to utter such language askt him if he knew where he was or whether he thought there was a King or no To this the Captaine blaspheming answered that he willed him to goe with him to know the kings pleasure The said Lord de la Place hearing this fearing also some danger to be towards by sedition in the City slipped forth at a backe doore behind his lodging purposing to get into a neighbors house In the meane while most of his servants vanished out of sight and this Captaine having stored himselfe with a thousand crowns was intreated by the Lady Marets daughter to the said Lord to convey her father with the Lord Marets her husband into the house of some Romane Catholike which he consented to doe and also performed it After this de la Place being refused at thrée severall houses was constrained to retire backe againe into his own where he found his wife very pensive and grieved beyond measure fearing lest this Captaine in the end would cast her sonne in law and daughter into the river as also for the imminent danger wherein her deare husband and all his family were But the said Lord de la Place being strengthened by the spirit of God with incredible constancy in the inner man sharply rebuked her and afterwards mildely demonstrated unto her that we must receive these and the like afflictions from the hand of God and so having discoursed a while upon the promises of God comforted her Then he commanded such servants and maids as remained in the house to be called togeher who being come into his Chamber according to his custome on the Lords dayes he made a forme of exhortation to his family then went to prayer and began to read a Chapter out of the booke of Iob with the exposition or sermon of Master Iohn Calvin upon it So having spoken somewhat of Gods mercy and justice which as a good and wise father useth to exercise his elect with sundry chastisements lest they should bée intangled here below with the things of this World he shewed how néedfull afflictions were for Christians and that it was beyond the power of Satan or men to hurt or wrong them unlesse the Lord of his good pleasure gave them leave What néed have we then said he to dread their authority which at the most can but prevaile over our bodies Then he went to prayer againe preparing himselfe and his whole family rather to endure all sorts of torments yea death it selfe than to speake or doe ought that might tend to the dishonour of God Having finished his prayer word was brought him that Senecay the Provost Marihall with many archers were at the doore of his lodging commanding the same to be opened in the Kings name saying that he came to secure the person of the Lord de la Place and to preserve his house from being pillaged by the common sort The Lord de la Place having intelligence of this spéech commanded the doore to be opened to him who entring in declared the great slaughter that was made upon the Huguenots every where in the city by the Kings command adding this withall in Latine that he would not suffer one to live Qui mingat ad Parietem Yet have I expresse charge from his Majesty saith he to sée that you shall sustaine no wrong but only conduct you to the Louvre because the King is desirous to be informed touching many things about the affairs of those of the Religion which he hath now in hand and therfore willed him to make himself ready to goe to his Majesty The Lord de la Place answered That he alwaies thought himselfe happy before he left this life to gaine any opportunity by which hée might render an account to his Majesty of his behaviour and actions But in regard such horrible Massacres were every where committed it was impossible for him to passe to the Louvre without the certaine danger of his person praying him to assure his Majesty of his willingnesse to come the whilest leaving in his lodging as many Archers as hee thought fitting untill the fury of theâ— people was somewhat pacified The Provost agréed to his request and left with him one of his Lieutenants called Toute Voye with some foure of his archers Not long after comes into his lodging Prestdent Charron then provost of the merchants with whom conferring a little in secret going his way he left with the foure archers which were there before foure more of the city archers The whole night following was spent in stopping up and fortifying of all passages from entring the house with logs and provision of Flint-stones damming up the windowes so as if séemed by this so exact and diligent a defence the
was adventured to goe downe and opened the same to these tygers who presently stabbed her husband in his bed The midwife séeing them bent to murther the woman also now ready to lie downe instantly intreated them to tarry at least so long till the infant which would be the 20. Childe that God had given her was borne Having contested some while with them they tooke this poore woman halfe dead with feare and thrust her into the sundament with a dagger to the very hilts She finding her selfe mortally wounded and yet desirous to bring forth A barbarous cruelty her fruit fled into a corne-loft whither they pursued her giving her another stabbe into the belly with a dagger and then cast her out of a window next to the stréete upon which fall the childe came forth of her body the head formost gaping or yawning to the great astonishment and confusion of the Papists who were constrained often with detestation to acknowledge and confesse the cruelties of their butchers ¶ Behold here another ONE of the Massacrers having snatched up a Whatiron heart would not have been moved to compassion herewith little childe in his armes the poore baâ—â— began to play with his beard and to smile upon him but in stead of being moved to compassion therewith this barbarous wretch wounded it with his dagger and so cast it all on a gore blood into the river so as it was a good while ere it could recover the own colour againe To procéed on further and fully to relate all the tragicall acts committed in this Massacre at Paris to set downe the thundrings of Guns and Pistols the lamentable voices and outcries of the slaine the roarings and horrible blasphemies belched forth by these Massacrers and devils incarnate were enough to cause the Paper whereon they should be described either to blush or wéepe Not to stay the Reader therefore any longer in this having many things of the like nature to present unto thy view we will passe from the dolorous City of Paris to other cities in France and set before thee as in a glasse a company of horrible and rufull spectacles ¶ Massacres committed upon those of the Religion at Meaux in Brie LEt us begin then with those of Meaux in Brie which is not above a daies journey from Paris The poore Protestants in this City were destinated There was a roulâ— drawne where the massacre should begin continus and end to drinke of this cup of Martyrdome after their brethren and sisters in the aforesaid City of Paris Therefore on the same Sunday the foure and twentieth of August about foure of the clocke in the afternoon a post was sent to Meaux with letters accompanied with a seditious fellow called le Froid Being come thither the Packet was presented to Monsleur Lovis Cosset the This Cosset was then branded for notorious villanies and a misshapenfellow Kings Atturney there Upon the receit whereof this Atturny hasted hither and thither in his own person to advertise such cut-throats as had had their hands in the pillaging and robbing those of the religion in the first second and third troubles with command that they should be ready to come forth of their houses armed at the stroke of seven of the clock and then cause the gates instantly to be shut The time prefixed being come which was about supper time the gates were shut and then they began to execute their cruelties in sundry parts of the City Thus was that night passed not without uprores and strange events On the next day which was Munday about thrée of the clocke in the morning these good Catholikes began to pillage the houses of the Protestants of the best things they had which continued till eight of the clocke their trading liked them so well But the principall of all the spotles were conveyed into the Court and house of this noble Atturney Cosset yet these were only the beginnings of sorrows For after robbing and spotling they fell to shut them up in prisons which being filled the massacrers having Cosset for their Captaine who usually carried in each hand a Pistoll ready to discharge went into the said prison on Tuesday the six and twentieth of August about five or six of the clock at night with swords daggers and butchers knives Nigh to this prison there was a great Court enclosed on every side with walls and a very strong Gate In a corner whereof is a large paire of winding staires containing five and twenty or thirty steppes by which they goe up to the Iudgement Hall to the Seat of Iustice Into this Court were the murderers assembled which done Cosset went up into his seat Then they had a scroule or bill containing the names of the prisoners there imprisoned who were called over one by one to the number of two hundred and upwards as some of the murderers themselves have since reported when as they impudently made their brags of these their horrible impieties and injustices Then the Atturney laughing began to call for the first man named in the bill who being brought forth and séeing naked swords before him falling downe and craving forgivenesse of his sins at the hands of God was suddenly butchered by five or sixe One Quintin Croyer an Eiver of the reformed Church being called forth and séeing many of his companions massacred before his eyes knéeled downe praying God to pardon thesée murderers at which prayer they fell a laughing and not being able with their daggers to pierce a Ierkin of double Busse which he ware and which they were loth to spoile for it was a good booty they cut asunder the points and then gave him five or six ftabs with a dagger into his body and so this good man wounded to death calling upon God rendered up his spirit into the hands of him that gave it Faron Haren a man zealously asserted to religion who had béen Sheriffe of the City in the first troubles having by his endeavours chased the Masse out of Meaux for a time was mortally hated of these seditious Papists and therefore they were not contented simply to kill him but first cut off his nose eares and secret parts then giving him many small thrusts into divers parts of the body they constrained him to and fro among them as if he had gone thorow the pikes But being weakened and not able any longer to hold out in regard of the blood that issued from all the parts of his body he fell with his face to the ground and instantly calling upon the name of the Lord received infinite gashes and wounds after he was dead By this time it grew late therefore these blood-suckers having almost wearied themselves in worrying these poore lambes and shéep of Christ deferred the execution of the rest till after supper as well to take some breathing and refection as also to murther the residue with the greater alacrity For in as much as the blood of the slaine shined yet
upon the swords and armes of the murtherers their sléeves being tucked up which something hindered their procéeding after they had drinke wine their still they meant to returne and make themselves dranke with blood also which that they might shed the more fréely they tooke with them Butchers great axes wherewith they smite downe their Oxen and in the presence of this honest Atturney felled these poore prisoners one after another who called upon God and crying so loud for mercy that all the City in a manner rung thereof This massacre lasted from nine of the Clock at night till it was midnight And for as much as there yet remained many prisoners alive they deferred this their bloody businesse till the next day But this may suffice to have béen said as touching this massacre at Meaux in Brie passe wée on now to the City of Troys in Champaigne and there take notice as it were by the way what cruelties were executed in that place ¶ Persecution of the Faithfull at Troys in Champaigne NEwes comming to Troys of the Massacre executed at Paris the greater part of the Iudges and Officers of the King were sent to the Bailiffe of Troys with commandement diligently to make scarch for all those of the Religion from house to house and to imprison as many as they could méet withall In this city there was a Merchant called Peter Belin a man of a turbulent nature This Belin was at the massacre in Paris on S. Bartholomews day from whence he was sent with Letters from the King dated the eight and twentieth of August to the Maior and Sheriffes of Troys to cause all these persecutions to cease and the prisoners to be set at liberty On the third of September he came to Troys with these two letters which had béen first published in Paris with commandement to deliver them to the foresaid Magistrates to be proclaimed there also But at the first entrance into the City he began to enquire that all might heare him whether they had not executed the Huguenots there as they had done in Parts which was his language thorow the stréets till he came home But even some of the Papists who were not so cruelly minded demanded of Belin the contents of the K. letters whereof they had some inkling before But he like a Bedlam swelling with choler sware that whosoever said they contained any thing tending to varification lyed Hasting therefore to the Bailiffes house at Troys after he had delivered him the packet and buzzed somewhat in his eare he put him on to sée this execution done Now that the same might passe the better for currant the help of the Executioner of Troys was requested whose name was Charles Yet he shewing himself more just and humane than the rest peremptorily refused to have his hand in an act tending to so great cruelty answering that it was contrary to his office to execute any man before sentence of death had first béen pronounced by the Magistrate If they had such sentence to shew against any of the prisoners he was ready to doe justice otherwise he would not presume without a warrant to bereave any man of his life and so with these words he returned home to his house Now albeit this answer procéeding from such a kinde of person whose office and custome it was to shed blood might somewhat have asswaged and taken off the edge of the most barbarous Tyger in the world yet the Bailiffe sleighting it was the further enraged Upon this he sent for one of the Iaylors of the prison who kept those of the religion but he being sicke of a Tertian Ague Martin de Bures was sent to know his pleasure The Bailiffe telling him at large what Belin had signified to him in private as also that on a sudden all the prisoners of the Religion must bée put to death that so the place might be purged of them This he said you must not faile to doe But said the Bailiffe that the blood may not run into the stréets you shall cause a trench to be digged in the middest of the prison and at the two ends thereof set certaine vessels to receive the same But this de Bures for some considerations as namely thinking the Kings Letters whereof he had had some intelligence might be proclauned made no hast to performe his charge acquainting no man with ought that had passed betwéene the Bafliffe and hâ—m no not Perennet the Kéeper who then lay sick in his bed The next day being Tuesday which was the fourth of September the Bailiffe came into the prison about seven or eight of the Clock and calling for Perennet asked of him with a smile Perennet is it done Perennet knowing nothing either more or lesse asked of him what Then saith the Bailiffe Why are not the Prisoners dispatched and thereupon was ready with his dagger to have stabbed him But comming a little better to himselfe he told Perennet what his purpose was and now he was to behave himselfe concerning the execution thereof willing him by all meanes not to forget to make the said Trench At which words this Perennet standing amased though otherwise he was a fellow forward enough of himselfe to commit any outrages against the Protestants certified the Bailiffe that such an inhumane act could not be committed over to him fearing lest in time to come Iustice might be followed against him by the Parents or Allyes of the Prisoners No no said the Bailiffe feare not I will stand betwéene you and all harmes Others of the Iustices have consented thereto besides my selfe and would you have better security than that Within a while after the Iaylor comming into the court of the prison where the prisoners were abroad recreating themselves caused every one to resort to his cabbin or hole because said he the Bailiffe will come by and by to sée whether the Kéepers have done as he commanded them which they did Then began these poore shéep to feare they were destinated to the slaughter and therefore went presently to prayer Perennet instantly called his companions about him reporting to them what the Bailiffe had given him in charge Then they all tooke an oath to execute the same but approaching nigh to the Prisoners they were so surprised with feare and their hearts so failed them that they stood gasing one upon another having no courage to act such a barbarous cruelty and so returned to the Iaylors lodge whence they came without doing any thing But in stead of laying this to heart as an advertisement and warning piece sent them from above as if of set purpose they meant to resist against the checks of their owne consciences and so kick against the prickes they sent to the Taverne for sixtéene pints of the best wine Troys measure with shéepes tongues and other viands and intoxicating their braines with wine they drew a list or Catalogue of all the prisoners which they delivered to Nicholas Martin one of their
Confederates who was to call them forth as he saw their names set downe in the scroule and thus as they came forth they massacred them Ludot one of the prisoners being called forth as his turne came presented himselfe before them with a chéerefull countenance calling upon the name of the Lord. Now as he was to receive the stroke of death from these desperate blood-spillers he prayed them to forbeare him a little till he had put off his doublet being oiletted which he was wont to put on when any tumult grew in the City and having himselfe unlaced it presenting his naked breast unto them he received the blow and Anno 1569. fell downe dead But poore Meurs escaped not so good cheape for his turne being come he was no sooner in their sight but one of them let drive at him with the point of his Halbert redoubling the same oft to have killed him yet could not The poore man séeing himselfe thus dealt withall by the Caitiffe and no end made tooke hold with his hands on the point of the halbert and himselfe pointing him to the seat of the heart cryed to the murderer with a stedfast voice Here souldier here right at the heart right at the heart and so finished this life Howsoever in this massacre these two formerly mentioned are for brevities sake only named yet by that which immediatly followes you may perceive they were not a few who suffered in this tragedy The Massacre saith my Author being ended the murtherers made a great pit on the back side of the Chappell of the prison whereinto they cast the bodies one upon another some of them yet breathing So as one called Maufere lying in the midst of them was espied to raise up himselfe above his fellow Martyrs in this pit upon whom they forthwith throwing earth as was reported stifled him being but halfe dead But because the order which the Bailiffe set downe was not observed namely the making of a trench in the prison to receive the blood which was shed it ran in such abundance out at the prison doore and thence through a channell into a river nigh thereto that it was turned into the colour of blood Which some of the Papists themselves taking notice of being ignorant of the fact were so terrified therewith that they ran along the stréet crying and pointing at every one they met withall to behold this horrible and lamentable a spectacle Whereupon many hasting to the prison by this occasion could conjecture no other but that the prisoners had slaine one another This was presently noised through the City insomuch as some went to informe the lieutenant and bailiffe thereof But what it was as if they had run to the Wolves to tell them the Shéepe were devoured Whilest this so savage a cruelty was committed in the prison one Bartholmew Carlet a Cooper prisoner there for debt who of all the troupe of murtherers in Troys was one of the principall having in the former troubles exercised most notorious cruelties against those of the Religion was called in by these massacrers to be one of their associates who executed his part in so bloody a manner that as himselfe afterwards often acknowledged he with his owne hands slaughtered thirty of these poore innocents So far was he growne past shame or common honesty But this his fact was so pleasing to certaine of the Popish Religion at Troys that for a recompence thereof they payed his debt and set him frée out of prison which was done as the report went by making a collection for him in certaine Parishes The next day after which was the fifth of September this worshipfull Bailiffe of Troys that he might apply the plaister when the parties were dead causes the Kings Letters which he had received the thirtieth of the moneth of August before going to be published in all the corners of the City with sound of Trumpet The Bailiffe as we have béen credibly informed was present in person at the publication and as the Notary read the contents thereof to him he pronounced the same jéeringly and not with a full and audible voice as matters of such consequence ought to be read ¶ Of the massacre at Orleance IT now remaines that we procéed unto the City of Orleance and to take notice whether the papists there were lesse cruell than those of Paris But saith the Historian when I call to mind what hath béen the report of those that were present at that time in Orleance it causeth the haire to stand upright on my head Yet for as much as it is convenient that posterities to come may be acquainted with the fury of these monsters in nature we will commit that to writing whereof we have credibly béen informed On Saturday the thrée and twentieth of August Letters were sent from the King to Orleance unto Sieur de la Renic President of Diion to prevent all disorders murthers c. With command that he should advertise the Citizens how the Admirall was hurt as also to assure those of the religion that ere long such justice should be executed on the actors as all France should take warning thereby not to enterprise the like This was carefully performed by the said Sieur de la Renic the same day who caused those of the best rank of both religions to be present at the publishing of the Kings minde The faithfull thinking themselves secure were quiet and on the Sabbath day assembled in the place appointed for their méeting to the number of 300. persons men women and children But on the same day towards night came a new order to the Iustices Maior and Sheriffes of the said City by which they were injoyned to be up in armes and to gather to them what strength they could with expresse charge to make havock of those of the Religion To this purpose the Captaines of twelve companies were appointed to be the leaders to the rest divided into eight and forty squadrons ¶ The cruell massacre of Dechampeaux a worthy Counsellor in the City of Orleance by a wretched Villaine his neighbour ONe of these blood-suckers called Texier came with a small troupe to a Counsellors house of Orleance whose name was Dechampeaux Lord of Bonilli bidding himselfe and his company to supper with him Dechampeaux bid them all kindly welcome making them good chéere being ignorant of that which had hapned at Paris But supper being ended and all of them being risen from the table Texier bad him deliver his purse Dechampeaux laughing thereat thinking that he had béen but in jest this cruell and unthankfull guest with blasphemous oathes told in few words what had hapned in the City of Paris and what preparation there was among the Romane Catholiques of Orleance to cut off and root out the Protestants there Dechampeaux séeing there was no time now to contest with him gave mony to this théefe who to requite the curtesie and good entertainment he had had embrued his honds in the blood of
into his hands Having made a short prayer he willingly presented his body to the murtherer who shot him in with his pistoll and so he died by and by Not long after the King sent Puygaillard who drowned nine or ten and amongst other the wife of this Minister de la Riviere above named who expressed a singular constancy of faith even to her last breath This Minister and Martyr formerly mentioned sirnamed Launay was the eldest son of Sieur de Launay a man excéeding rich and wealthy but an obstinate Papist When as the old man observed how his son was inclined to be a professor of the Gospell he threatened to dismherit him unlesse he would abjure promising on the contrary to bestow great matters upon him and to marry him honorably if he would be ruled by him All which his son refusing his fathers love began to be turned into hatred insomuch that the young man was forced to fly to Paris where in time he was called to bee a Minister of the first reformed Church planted in that City under the raigne of King Henry the second from which reformed Church other Churches in divers Cities in France fetched their light ¶ Persecution at Rovan WHen the Massacrers began to play their parts in this City they counselled those of the religion to get themselves into the prisons as into places of greatest security from the fury and rage of the people But such as followed this advice were there even ready to be devoured as poore Shéep by these gréedy wolves at their pleasure Those who were murthered in the city in a few Six thousand massacred in few dayes at the city of Rovan dayes some in their houses and others in the prisons amounted to six thousand besides more than fifty women upon whom they exercised no lesse cruelty than upon men Their names for brevities sake are here omitted The dead bodies being piled together were conveyed in tumbrils out of City and throwne by heaps one upon another into great pits digged for that purpose Their garments being washed in the river from their bloud by certaine poore women were afterwards distributed here and there to the poore by the Papists that they might séeme with their unjust cruelty to mingle some workes of justice and charity ¶ A Note touching the shamefull revolt of a Minister called Du Rosier with the event of it WIthin a mile of Paris there is a place where those of the Religion which dwelt thereabouts were wont to assemble to heare Sermons and to participate of the Sacraments Over this flocke was Huges Sureau called Du Rosier placed as overseer Being in times past Minister at Orleance he was discharged from thence as one of a contentious spirit and given to affect novelties In processe of time he came to be established the Minister of this foresaid Church nigh unto Paris Hearing newes of the Massacre hée fled with the rest for company Being apprehended he began to waver perswading many prisoners to revol◠as he had done which caused him afterwards if his repentance was sound to utter these words in a booke which I have wherein hée bittérly lamented his wofull fall The murtherers saith he by their cruell hands murthered mens bodies whilst their souls escaped safe but I by my perswasions have béen a killer of soules in turning them from the truth which before they professed The Iudge who had him in bonds sent letters presently to Paris to give notice of his apprehension as also of some apparent signes which gave him hope of the Ministers conversion The King by and by sent for him who being brought into his presence subscribed instantly to an abjuration with detestation of the Huguenots profession before the King of Navarre and the Prince of Conde maintained the Romish Religion consented therto with the Sorbonists at that time there present against whom a few yeares before he had learnedly defended the truth In this abjuration he endeavoured to confute many articles which were maintained by Calvin and Beza against the Romish Religion In these disputes this Minister being of a prompt wit and having ability to expresse himselfe well handled the matter so cunningly that the King of Navarre the Princesse his sister and the Princesse of Conde so far yéelded that within five or six dayes after they went to masse and received absolution of the Cardinall of Bourbon The points about which this Roster disputed were these First concerning the markes of the Church Secondly of the Trinity of Persons Thirdly of the Incarnation of Iesus Christ Fourthly of Christs descent into hell Fifthly of originall sinne Sixthly of the providence of God Seventhly of predestination and reprobation Eightly of mans frée will Ninthly of Iustification Tenthly of succession Eleventhly of intercession of Saints Twelfthly of the sacrifice of the masse and lastly of Transubstantiation The Sorbonists caused this confession to be printed to which the Ministers of the reformed Religion would not vouchsafe an answer knowing that hée who made it did it contrary to his own conscience adding nothing thereto which had not béen confuted a thousand times All this upon his repentance he afterwards revoked as is to be séene by his booke printed here in London in the French tongue in the yere 1573 which confession of his contrary to his abjuration I have in my custody Now touching the Prince of Conde the King propounded to him thrée things either to goe to masse to die or else perpetuall prison and therefore to bethink himselfe well which of the thrée he liked best The Prince answered as it is reported That by Gods grace he would never chuse the first as for the two later he referred himselfe to the Kings pleasure ¶ A massacre at Tholouse in France ON Sunday which was the eight day after the massacre of Paris about eight of the clocke in the morning the chiefe of the Papists received advertisement of that which had passed with letters directing them what they were to doe Then a Councell was called at the breaking up whereof the great gates of the City were shut only the wickets left open at which there was set such to watch as they thought fitting Soone after it was noysed through all the City that the Lords and Gentlemen of the Religion were massacred at Paris Which the Protestants at Tholouse nothing being gone forth about five of the clocke in the morning to heare the Sermon at Castanet some thought it fit not to returne but to resort to some other place others resolved to goe backe againe that they might take order about their affaires These being ill advised were suffered to enter in peaceably leaving their swords and daggers at the gate At evening souldiers were placed Anno 1527. here there but in regard many Counsellors of the Religion were abroad that they might the better entrap them the next day the gates were not so carefully looked unto but who would might come in and goe out at their leisure without
hearing this rebuked him sharply saying that then he thought himselfe wiser than the King and all those that professed as his Majestie did Insomuch as they who stood about Le Blanck began to handle him roughly so that hée had much adoe to escape with his life had not Montpessat rescued him from that danger because he was come thither upon his word The Governour said if he had béen there he would have slaine him The Governour being pressed to dispatch this massacre at Bourdeaur wist not well what to do For on the one side La Sieur de Vesins with sundry others comming from the Court assured him from the King that he wondred why the businesse was deferred so long shewing that he could not performe a more acceptable service unto him than it On the other side Strossi who hovered about Rochel to take it wished him to be well advised what he did what command soever he had to the contrary Foreséeing belike that if he went forward with this execution the Rochellers would have had the said Strossi in such a jealousie that his project would have béen defeated and so would be no small prejudice to the Kings affaires putting him in hope that he would stand betwéen him and all perils For the truth is the army by sea which was prepared against Rochel lying for a time at Burdeaux under pretence of conquering Florida would have béen ready enough to have made a generall massacre there but that they were afraid the Rochellers would be incensed thereat Yet in conclusion the Governour having ballanced things on both parts was perswaded by the Sieur Montpessat to put the massacre in execution To which purpose an oath being taken a catalogue was made of such as they meant to spoile On Saturday then which was the third of October 1572. the Governour having assembled together all the scum of the City to aide and assist him in so barbarous an act commanded them with other souldiers to be ready presently after dinner to put the Kings command into execution To which they were very forward comming in their Liveries attended on by Captaines of tens to direct them touching that they had to do The greater part of the massacrers had red hats given them by Peter Estounach and for the blood wherwith they dyed their armes they were called the Red Band others called them the Cardinalls Band. The Governor commanded them to kil all those of the Religion especially such as had taken armes and not to spare one And himselfe intending to shew them the way went to the house of Master Iohn Guilloch Lord of Obiere counsellor in the Court of Parliament to execute the hatred he had long since conceived against him who being about to escape away out at a backe doore they caught and brought him into the outer court before his house in the presence of the Governour who with a short sword massacred him which done his house was wholly pillaged At that time they brought a certaine Minister out of the Consciergery who a few daies before comming from the country Saintong to Bourdeaux for his better safety as he thought was there apprehended and imprisoned and as soon as he was come out of the prison they massacred him before the gates of the Palace Master William Savins house a Counsellor of the said Parliament who was one of the Religion was forced open pillaged and spoiled and himselfe cruelly murthered His Clarke called Simonet séeing his master about to be massacred embraced and comforted him and being asked whether he were of the Religion he answered yea and would die with his master for the same Thus they were slaine one in anothers armes The cruell Martyrdome of Du Tour a Deacon of the Protestant Church A Deacon of the reformed Church called Du Tour an old man who in the daies of his ignorance had béene a Priest in the popish church being sick in his bed was haled forth into the open stréet of whom it being demanded whether he would go to Masse and thereby save his life he fréely answered No especially now drawing so néere his end both in regard of his yeares and gréevous sicknesse I hope saith he I shall not so far forget the eternall salvation of my soule as for feare of death to prolong this life for a few dayes for so I should buy a short terme of life at too déere a rate They hearing him say so massacred him instantly It was lamentable to sée the poore Protestants wandring up and downe not knowing where to save their lives some were rejected of their owne parents and kinsfolkes who shut their doores against them pretending as if they knew them not others were betrayed and delivered up by those to whose trust they had committed themselves many were saved even by Priests and others from whom a man would have expected no such security Some were saved by their very enemies whose hearts abhorred such detestable outrages All the City was full of terrors and horrible threats against those of the Religion saying that the Kings commandement was that he would not have so much as one of them left in his Kingdome And if any refused to goe to Masse that an hole should be digged for him in the earth in which he should forthwith be buried without any more adoe Scoffing Ballads sung in contempt of the Admirall of Chastillon and other Protestants NEare the Palace and thorowout the City were defamatory Libels sung against the Admirall of Chastillon and the Huguenots In which regard such in whose hearts God had reserved but any sparkle of piety were so terrified and vexed with their blasphemies that the condition of the massacred séemed to be much better than theirs who were left alive who heard and saw those things without ceasing which to an honest minde was more bitter then death it selfe The Governor was very carefull after the massacre was ended to advertise the Sieur Montpessat by a Gentleman of all things which had passed according to the promise he had made unto him Which Montpessat was suddenly surprised with a disease wherein féeling Gods hand heavy Anno 1573. Montpesat suddenly surprised with a strange disease upon him he uttered such lamentable outcries that his bloud and soule were poured out at once a judgement justly inflicted upon him for all the innocent bloud the which he had shed without a cause The judgement of God upon one Vincent THe like judgement of God fell not long after upon another of these massacrers called Vmcent Advocate of the Court one who had had his hand déepely dyed in this bloudy enterprise not sticking to boast that with his own hands hee had murthered Agraulet doore kéeper of the Court This man also fell dangerously sick but in the end recovering againe and as he thought being in good health he told some of his friends that hée felt his armes strong enough to handle his Coutleare or short sword as well as ever he had done But within a
affliction counselling them to go to masse alleadging it is written Thou shalt obey thy Prince and if he therein force you to it against your conscience he shall answer◠for it adding that they were to remember their sexe and therefore to be teachable upon the point of obedience They answered that no earthly potentate had any warrant to command Christians to sinne against their consciences They further besought him to be a meanes for them to the king that they might be delivered but all the answer he gave them was this That if they would not turne the King would not deliver them also there was great likelihood after their long detension in prison that they must be executed in the end The next day being Easter Even the Quéen with the Duchesse of Ioyeuse came into Chastelet to visit the prisoners But in stead of speaking to the two sisters her selfe she sent unto them a wicked Apostata called Mathew de Launy who being a Minister turned popish priest and one whom the league made no small use of who loading these honourable sisters with injuries and reproachfull spéeches calling them dogges and Devils incarnate and worthy to be burned so left them and never came any more unto them Soone after the day of the Barricadoes which is a defence made of earth and stones heaped up serving to stop a stréet or any passage the Iudges of Chastellot adjudged them to be hangd and their bodies to be burned to ashes From which sentence they appealed to the Court and were brought into the Consciergery which is the name of a common Gaole belonging to Paris or any other prison On the Even before Saint Iohn Baptists day in the moneth of Iune the common people in Paris making fires as they were wont to doe amongst other insolencies burnt in divers parts Queene Elizabeths picture burned in Paris of the City a picture representing the Quéene of England The next day the curates and preachers began in their sermons to thunder saying That it was not enough to burne the pictures of heretiques but to burne the bodies of the obstinate prisoners which so inraged the tumultuous sort of people that the day following flocking together into the court of the palace they threatned the Presidents and the Counsell that some mischiefe should follow unlesse they condemned these two prisoners to dye A gentle answer was returned to this factious crue with promise also that the busines should not long be delayed The next day the eldest son of Radegonde presented a petition to the Duchesse of Nemours daughter to the late lady of Ferrare Her grace sollicited the Duke of Guise her son for the prisoners whose answer was That his comming to Paris was not to petition the King in favour of those of the Religion and if he would doe so in regard of the services which the prisoners had done his grandfather yet he could not fearing lest the mad multitude might set upon him The eight and twentieth day of the same month of Iune the Court having confirmed the sentence given at Chastellot sent them backe thither to be executed so as about noone they were gagged because the maid professed that if they brought her into any Idols Temple shee would extend her voice so loud against the same that every one should heare it About thrée of the clocke they were led as shéepe to the slaughter where they constantly persisted in the profession of the true Religion The widow being ascended the Ladder shooke out of her hands a woodden crosse which they had by force affixed thereto whereat the multitude were so provoked that they began to throw stones and staves at her so as the hangman having turned her off the Ladder cut the rope by and by letting her fall halfe dead into the fire wherein she yéelded up her soule into the hands of God as also her sister did ¶ Being now come to the yeare 1588. it gives us just occasion to call to mind that miraculous deliverance of our noble Quéene and Countrey from the intended invasion of the Spaniards the same yeare The memoriall whereof that it might the rather be continued to the ages succéeding deserves by way of history here to bee inserted as in its due and proper place Of which deliverance it may truly be said all things considered that it was the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes The true relation whereof here followeth ¶ A briefe discourse touching the great preparations made by the Spaniards and other Romish Catholikes for that invincible Navy intended for the invading and surprising of the Realme of England together with their utter overthrow HEr Majesty of England having had intelligence from sundry places of the great and diligent preparation of the King of Spaine in divers parts both by sea and land not onely of the strongest ships in all places within his dominions but of all sorts of provision necessary for so mighty a Fléet as hee intended to set forth and these rumors of warre which before were but The Spanish navy prepard to invade England sleight daily increasing at last it was certainely confirmed by the newes on all sides that in Spaine there was an invincible Navy preparing against England that the most famous captaines in military knowledge and the best souldiers were sent for into Spaine from Italy Sicily yea from America For the Pope and some religious Spaniards and English fugitives now recalled the Spaniard to the cogitation of surprising of England which purpose was interrupted by the Portugall warres They exhorted him earnestly to doe God this service that had done so much for him now that he enjoyed Portugall with the West-Indies and many rich Islands to adde England to all were an especiall service of God fit for his Catholike Majesty By this meanes hee might adde these flourishing Kingdomes to his Empire and so kéepe the Low-countries in peace and secure the navigations to both Indies That the preparations of Spaine were so great that no power was able to resist it They made him beléeve that it was an easier matter to overcome England than to overcome the Dutchland because the navigation from Spain to England was much shorter than to the Netherlands And by surprising of England the other would easily follow Hereupon the consultation began to be had of Consultation about the best way means how to oppresse England the best way and meanes to oppresse England Alvarus Bassanus the Marquesse of S. Crosse who was chiefe commander in the Navy advised first to make sure some part of Holland or Zealand by the Land forces of the Duke of Parma and by sending before some Spanish ships so to take some place on a sudden where the Spanish Navy might have a receptacle and from whence the invasion might with convenience begin For in the English sea which is troublesome the windes oft changing and the tides unknowne the Navy could not be in safety With him agréed Parma who
such particular acclamations the whole army in every quarter did so deboutly at certaine times sing in her hearing in very tunable manner divers Psalmes put into forme of prayers in praise to Almighty God no waies to be misliked that she greatly commended them Anno 1588. and with very earnest spéech thanked God with them This that I write you may be sure I doe not with any comfort but to give you these manifest arguments that neither this Qéene doth discontent her people nor her people doe shew any discontent in any thing they be commanded to doe for her service as heretofore hath béen imagined The same day wherein the last fight was the Duke of Parma after his vowes offered to the Lady of Halla came somewhat late to Dunkerk and was received with some opprobrious words of the Spaniards as if in favour of Quéene Elizabeth he had slipped the fairest opportunity that could be to doe the service He to make some satisfaction punished the purveiours that had not made provision of beere bread and victuals which was not yet ready nor imbarked secretly smiting at the insolency of the Spaniards when he heard them glorying that what way soever they came upon England they would have an undoubted victory that the English were not able to endure the sight them Bernardinus Mendoza did indéed by Bookes in France sing a foolish and lying triumphant For which a Papist sticks not to taxe him writing upon this subject to Mendcza The Spaniards dismaied flâ—e away for feare song before the victory The English Admirall appointed Seimor and the Hollanders to watch upon the coast of Flanders that the Duke of Parma should not come out himselfe followed the Spaniards upon their backes untill they were past Edenborough frith The Spaniards séeing all hopes faile and finding no other help for themselves but by flight fled amaine and never made stay And so this great Navy being thrée yeares preparing with great cost was within a moneth overthrown and after And all their preparations blasted the English receiving small losse viz. not one hundred men in all nor one ship but that of Cockes many were killed being chased away of English there were not one hundred lost nor one ship lost saving that of Cocks was driven about all Britaine by Scotland Orcades Ireland tossed and shaken with tempests and much lessened and came home without glory Whereupon some money was coined with a Navy fléeing away at full saile and this inscription Venit Vidit Fugit Other were coined with the ships fired the navy confounded in honour of the Quéene inscribed Dux foemina facti As they fled it is certain that many of their ships were cast away upon the shores of Scotland and Ireland More then seven hundred soldiers and Mariners were cast up upon the Scottish shors who at the Duke of Parma his intercession with the Scots King the Quéene of England consenting were after a yâ—are sent into Flanders But they that were cast up upon the Irish shore by tempests came to more miserable fortunes for some were killed by the wilde Irish others by the Deputies command for he fearing that they might joyne themselves to the wild Irish Bingham the Governor of Connach being once or twice commanded to slay them having yeÌ„elded but refusing to doe it Fowle the under Marshall was sent and killed them which cruelty the Quéen much condemned whereupon the rest being afraid sick and hungry with their torne ships committed themselves to the sea and many were drowned Quéene Elizabeth came in publike thankesgiving to Pauls Church in a Chariot drawne Queen Elizabeth giveth thankes to God for so unexpected a deliverance with two horses her Nobles accompanying her with a very gallant traine through the stréets of London which were hung with blew cloth the companies standing on both sides were in their liveries the Banners that were taken from the enemies were spred shée heard the Sermon anpublique thankes were rendred unto God with great joy This publique joy was augmented when sir Robert Sidney returning out of Scotland brought from the King assurance of his noble minde and affection to the Quéene and to religion which as in sincerity he had established so he purposed to maintaine with all his power Sir Robert Sidney was sent to him when the Spanish fléet was comming to congratulate and to give him thankes for his propense affection towards the maintenance of the common cause and to declare how ready she would be to help him if the Spaniards should land in Scotland and that he might recall to memory with what strange ambition the Spaniard had gaped for all Britaine urging the Pope to excommunicate him to the end that he might be thrust from the Kingdome of Scotland and from the succession in England and to give him notice of threatning of Mendoza and the Popes Nuncio who threatned his ruine if they could worke it and therefore warned him to take especiall héed to the Scottish Papists The King pleasantly answered That he looked for no other benefit from the Spaniard then that which Polyphemus promised to Vlysses to devoure him last after all his Fellowes were devoured ¶ To close up this whole relation heare what The odore Beza writes in certaine gratulatory Verses written in Latine and sent unto her Majesty the effect of which Verses is this in English WIth Navy huge the Spaniard proud The English seas had spread And all to set the English Crowne Upon the Spanish head And would you gladly understand The cause of all this rout Ambition first did lay the plot And lucre brought them out How well this pride thus puffed up A puffe did overthrow And swelling wave such swelling wights How well did overflow How well that Worrier of mankinde That Spanish cruell Wolfe Was tost and tumbled up and downe Within the Ocean gulfe And you for whom both all the windes And all the waters fight O noble Queene of all the world The only true delight Goe forward still to rule for God Ambition laid aside Goe forward still for Christ his Flocke In bounty to provide That thou maist England governe long Long England thee enjoy As well a love unto the good As to the bad annoy From Geneva besieged by the Duke of Savoy the twelfth day of August Anno 1589. Your Majesties most humble Orator Theodore Beza ¶ The death of the Duke of Guise and Henry Anno 1598. the third King of France IT was not long after that the Duke of Guise who was slain by the Lord Lougna at the kings Chamber doore and King Henry the third were taken away he being the last of the house of Vallois and dying without any lawfull heires of his body begotten The manner of whose death was thus A Frier of the Order of Saint Dominicke called Iames Clement pretended hee had matters of great consequence to impart to the King who being admitted into his presence upon his knées presented the King with
a Letter which he drew out of one sléeve which whilst the King attentively read the Frier pulled forth a poysoned knife out of his other sléeve wherewith he stabbed the King into the lower part of his belly The King féeling himselfe hurt therewith snaching it out of the wound strucke the same into the Friers eye who hasting to get away the King crying out His Lords and Gentlemen perceiving what the Frier had done slew him presently with rapiers and swords The King before hee died having raigned fourtéene yeares and seven moneths called for the King of Navarre all the Princes Lords and Noblemen that were in his campe and declared that the King of Navarre was the true lawfull heire to the Crowne of France willing them all to acknowledge him for their King and that notice should likewise be given throughout all his camp and Kingdome also Thus the soveraigne Iudge of the world made The raigne of Henry the fourth over the kingdome of France way for the entrance of Henry the fourth to have dominion over the Kingdome of France Now howsoever from the yeare 1589. to this present yeare 1598. the Churches of Christ have séene marvellous changes and how the league for a time made many furious onsets yet it pleased God so to moderate things that the faithfull were preserved from being persecuted yea they obtained of their Prince many priviledges and favors For the King in the first yeres of his raigne continuing in the profession of the true Religion wherein he had béen bred and brought up did manfully resist both these of the league and the Spaniards the great God of battels blessing the right and just wars undertaken by this Prince to the confusion of all his enemies till he fell to side with Popery though the affairs of his Kingdome gained but little thereby ¶ A Note touching the Popes Bull. THe Leaguers séeing what prosperous successe God gave King Henry the fourth in his wars undertaken against them fearing that in the end all would yéeld unto him they procured a new excommunication from Rome against him and all his faithfull subjects causing the same to bee published at Pontâ—e I'Arch in Normandy by Marcellus Laudriaâ—us a malapert Iesuite The king being advertised thereof commanded his Court of Parliament holden at Cane to proceed against Pope Gregory the fourtéenth who sent it and his Nuncio that brought it as against Tyrants conspirators with Rebels perturbers of the state sowers of seditions and the common and notorious enemies of God and all goodnesse Then taking the Popes Bull he caused it to be fastened to a Gibbet at Tours by the common hangman of the towne and there to be consumed to ashes to the great rejoycing of all the beholders ¶ The History of one Margaret Pierrone who chose rather to be burned her selfe than willingly to burne her Bible Anno 1593. THere was one Margaret Pierrone borne in a village of Cambray called Sansay who with her husband retired into the City of the Valencians Now because she could not endure the bad qualities of a maid servant of hers shee was by her said maid accused to the new sect-Masters sirnamed the Iesuites for that shee had not béen in many yeares at the masse as also for kéeping in her house a Bible in reading whereof was her whole delight They acquainting the Magistrate herewith she was by and by apprehended some friends sent her an inckling thereof before hand once or twice that shée should get her some where out of the way but the errand was not done God having a purpose that she should beare â—vitnes of his truth to fill up the number of those that were to die for the name of Iesus Being in prison the Iudges calling her before them said Margaret are you not willing to returne home unto your house and there live with your husband and children Yes saith she if it may stand with the good will of God They added further that they had so wrought with their Fathers the Iesuites that in doing a small matter she might be set at liberty If saith she it be not a thing contrary to Gods glory and mine owne salvation you shall heare what I will say No such thing Margaret said they for a scaffold shall be erected in the chiefe place of the City upon which you are to present your self and there to crave pardon for your offending the Law then a fire being kindled you must cast your bible therein to bee consumed without speaking any word at all I pray you my masters tell me saith shee Is my Bible a good booke or no Yes we confesse it is said they If you allow it to be good said the woman why would you have me cast it into the fire Only said they to give the Iesuits content Imagine it to be but paper that you burne and then all is well enough doe so much for saving your life and we will meddle no more with you you may buy you another when you will They spent about two houres in perswading her hereunto shewing how she might doe a lesse evill that a greater good might come of it By the help of God saith shee I will never consent to doe it What would the people say when they sée me burne my Bible will they not exclaime and say yonder is a wretched woman indéed that will burne the Bible wherein are contained all the Articles of our Christian faith I will burne my body sure before that I will burne my Bible Then séeing she would in no sort conforme her selfe either to the will of the Iesuites or to theirs they caused her to be committed close prisoner and to be fed only with bread and water none to be permitted so much as to speake unto her thinking by this hard usage to overcome her but all was to no purpose Being thus long shut up and no newes heard of her one way or other every one imagned that they had put her to death privily Her Iudges were wiâ—â—ing to have saved her life sending often a Doctor unte her called N. of Vivendyne to turne her from her resolution Anno 1593. but he found it too hard a taske for him to effect often confessing to them that sent him that he found no cause at all in her why they should put her to death But on Wednesday the two and twentieth of Ianuary 1593. shee was condemned to be brought upon a stage set up in the Market place before the towne-house there to sée her books burnt then her selfe to be strangled at a post and her body dragged to the dunghill without the City Shee comming to the place and ascending the Scaffold distinctly pronounced the Lords Prayer Then seeing her books burned in her presence she uttered these words with an audible voice you burne there the word of God which your selves have acknowledged to be good and holy Having againe repeated the Lords Prayer she was strangled and died peaceably in the
to minde what I have often told you namely how God prolonged King Hezechias Isa 38 5. life for fiftéen yeares But he hath preserved my life much longer for it is many yeares agoe since you saw me at the point of death and through Gods goodnesse I am alive and I hope yea I am assured that he will so long preserve me as shall be for his glory and my eternall good through his only frée grace From the prison of Ast the sixteenth of September 1601. The Bishop of Ast was somewhat troubled about this his prisoner for if he had let him go he feared it would bréed some scandall and many might thereby be emboldned to open their mouths wide against the Romane religion Besides there was a clause in the Contract made betwéene his Excellency and the people of Vandois which exempted those of the religion from offence in these words And if it shall fall out that they be asked or questioned withall in Piemont about the cause of Religion by any of his excellencies subjects it shall be lawfull for those of the said Religion to answer without suffering any penall or personall punishment for the same Now Copin had a question put to him in which respect he ought to have béen cléered But the Bishop would by no meanes heare that hee had unâ—ustly imprisoned him and therefore that his death should not be laid to his charge nor yet that hee should be sent away absolved he sent the cause of his Endictment to Pope Clement the eighth to know what should be done with him We cannot learne what answer the Pope returned to the Bishop but not long after this good man was found dead in prison not without some apparent suspition of his being strangled there lest if they had executed him in publique the people should have been edified by his constancy Being dead he was condemned to bee burned and therefore having caused him to be brought out of prisoâ— they read his sentence openly and the body was cast into the fire Thus have you the last among the Vandois which is come to our knowledge that were persecuted to death for the cause of Religion ¶ Mention hath heretofore been often made of sundry bloudy massacres in forreine parts but wee are now come to fall upon the report of a businesse neerer home which if the most wise and watchfull providence of God had not timely and graciously prevented it would have to the ruine of our Church and state proved such a massacre the like whereof the heart of man never conceived the care of man never heard of nor the tongue or pen of man could scarse ever have utteted namely at one blow to have blowne up not onely the King Quéene and royall posterity but the whole body of the state in generall Now as the Church and State had each of them a share in this so admirable a deliverance from God upon the fifth day of November Anno 1605. so each of them shewed their care if it might be for ever to perpetuate the praise of God for the same on the said day the one by stablishing an act of Parliament for it the other by publishing a forme of thanksgiving the better to effect it some expression whereof the Reader may hap to méet with at the end of the discourse following ¶ A discourse touching the manner of the discovery of the Pouder-treason with the examination of some of the Prisoners WHile this land and whole Monarchy flourished in a most happy and plentifull peace as well at home as abroad sustained and conducted by these two maine pillars of all good government Piety and Iustice no forraine grudge nor inward whispering of discontentment any way appearing the King being upon his returne from his hunting exercise at Royston upon occasion of the drawing néere of the Parliament time which had béen twise prorogued already partly in regard of the season of the yeare and partly of the Terme as the winds are ever stillest immediately before a storme and as the Sunne blenks often hottest to foretell a following showre so at that time of greatest calme did that secretly hatched thunder begin to cast forth the first flashes and flaming lightenings of the approaching tempest For the Saturday of the wéeke immediately preceding the Kings returne which was upon a Thursday being but ten daies before the Parliament the Lord Mountegle sonne and hoire to A letter delivered to the L. Mountegle the Lord Morley being in his owne lodging ready to goe to supper at seven of the clocke at night one of his Footmen whom he had sent of an errand over the stréet was met by an unknowne man of a reasonable tall personage who delivered him a Letter charging him to put it in my Lord his Masters hands Which my Lord no sooner received but that having broken it up and perceiving the same to be of an unknowne and somewhat unlegible hand and without either date or subscription did call one of his men unto him for helping him to read it But no sooner did he conceive the strange contents thereof although hee was somewhat perplexed what construction to make of it as whether of a matter of consequence as indéed it was or whether some foolish devised Pasquil by some of his enemies to â—karre him from his attendance at the Parliament yet did he as a most dutifull and loyall subject conclude not to conceale it what ever might come of it Whereupon notwithstanding the latenesse and darkenesse of the night in that season of the yeare hee presently repaired to his Majesties Palace at Revealed to the Earle of Salisbury Whitehall and there delivered the same to the Earle of Salisbury his Majesties principall Secretary Whereupon the said Earle of Salisbury having read the Letter and heard the manner of the comming of it to his hands did greatly encourage and commend my Lord for his discretion telling him plainly that whatsoever the purpose of the Letter might prove hereafter yet did this accident put him in minde of divers advertisements he had received from beyond the seas wherewith he had acquainted as well the King himselfe as divers of his privy Counsellors concerning some businesse the Papists were in both at home and abroad making preparation for some combination among them against this Parliament time for enabling them to deliver at that time to the King some petition for toleration of Religion which should be delivered in some such Purpose of the Papists for delivering a petition to his Majesty to crav toleration of religion order and so well backed as the King should be loth to refuse their request Like the sturdy Beggers craving almes with one open hand but carriing a stone in the other in case of refusall And therefore did the Earle of Salisbury conclude with the Lord Mountegle that he would in regard of the Kings absence impart the same Letter to some more of his Majesties Counsell whereof my Lord Mountegle
dead a time of the night he resolved to apprehend him as he did and afterward went forward to the searching of the house where after he had caused to be overturned some of the billets and coales he first found one of the small barrels of powder and after all the rest to the number of thirty sixe barrels great and small And thereafter searching the fellow whom he had taken found thrée matches and all other instruments fit for blowing up the Powder ready upon him which made him instantly confesse his own guiltinesse declaring also unto him That if he had happened to be within the house when he tooke him as hée was immediatly before at the ending of his worke he would not have failed to have blowne him up house and all Thus after Sir Thomas had caused the wretch to be surely bound and well guarded by the company he had brought with him he himselfe returned back to the Kings Palace and gave warning of his successe to the Lord Chamberlaine and Earle of Salisbury who immediatly warning the rest of the Counsell that lay in the house as soone as they could get themselves ready came with their fellow Counsellors to the Kings Bâ—d chamber being at that time néere foure of the clock in the morning And at the first entry of the Kings chamber doore the Lord Chamberlaine being not any longer able to conceale his joy for the preventing of so great a danger told the King in a confused haste that all was found and discovered and the Traitor in hands and fast bound Then order being first taken for sending for the rest of the Counsell that lay in the towne the prisoner himselfe was brought into the house where in respect of the strangenesse of the accident no man was staid from the sight or speaking with him And within a while after the Counsell did examine him who séeming to put on a Romane resolution did both to the Counsell and to every other person that spake with him that day appeare so constant and setled upon his grounds as wée all thought we had found some new Mutius Scevola borne in England for notwithstanding the horror of the fact the guilt of his conscience his sudden surprising the terror which should have béen stricken in him by comming into the presence of so grave a Counsell and the restlesse and confused questions that every man all that day did vexe him with yet was his countenance so far from being dejected as he often smiled in scornfull manner not only avowing the fact but repenting only with the said Scevola his failing in the execution thereof whereof he said the Devill and not God was the discoverer answering quickly to every mans objection scoffing at any idle questions which were propounded to him and jesting at such as he thought had no authority to examine him All that day could the Counsell get nothing out of him touching his complices refusing to answer to any such questions as he thought might discover the plot and laying all the blame upon himself whereunto he said he was moved only for religion and conscience sake denying the King to be his lawfull Soveraigne or the annointed of God in respect he was an heretique and giving himselfe no other name then Iohn Iohnson servant to Thomas Percy But the next morning being carried to the Tower of London he did not there remaine above two or thrée daies being twice or thrice in that space re-examined and the rack only offered and shewed unto him when the maske of his Romane fortitude did visibly begin to weare and slide off his face and then did he begin to confesse part of the truth and thereafter to open the whole matter as doth appeare by his depositions immediatly following ¶ The true copy of the declaration of Guido Fawkes taken in the presence of the Counsellors whose names are under-written I Confesse that a practise in generall was first broken unto me against his Majesty for reliefe of the Catholique cause and not invented or propounded by my selfe And this was first propounded unto me about Easter last was twelve moneth beyond the Seas in the Low-Countries of the Archdukes obeisance by Thomas Winter who came thereupon with me into England and there we imparted our purpose to thrée other Gentlemen more namely Robert Catesby Thomas Perty and Iohn Wright who all five consulting together of the meanes how to execute the same and taking a vow among our selves for secrecy which vow was this You shall sweare by the blessed Trinity and by the Sacrament you now purpose to receive never to disclose directly or indirectly by word or circumstance the matter that shall be proposed to you to kéep secret nor desist from the execution thereof untill the rest shall give you leave after which being confessed and receiving absolution the forementioned received the Sacrament thereupon by the hands of Gerrard the Iesuite there present Catesby propounded to have it performed by Gun-powder and by making a Mine under the upper house of Parliament Which place wée made choise of the rather because Religion having béen unjustly suppressed there it was fittest that justice and punishment should be executed there This being resolved amongst us Thomas Percy hired a house at Westminster for that purpose néere adjoyning to the Parliament house and there we begun to make our Mine about the 11. of December 1604. The five that first entred into the worke were Thomas Percy Robert Catesby Thomas Winter Iohn Wright and my selfe and soone after we tooke unto us Christopher Wright having sworne him also and taken the Sacrament for secrecy When we came to the very foundation of the wall of the house which was about thrée yards thick and found it a matter of great difficulty we tooke unto us another Gentleman Robert Winter in like manner with oath and Sacrament as aforesaid It was about Christmasse when we brought our Mine unto the wall and about Candlemasse we had wrought the wall halfe through and whilest they were in working I stood as sentinel to descry any man that came néere whereof I gave them warning and so they ceased untill I gave notice againe to procéed All we seven lay in the house having shot and powder being resolved to die in that place before we should yéeld or be taken As they were working upon the wall they heard a rushing in a cellar of removing of Coles whereupon we feared we had béen discovered and they sent me to goe to the cellar who finding the Coles were a selling and that the cellar was to be let viewing the commodity thereof for our purpose Percy went and hired the same for yéerely rent We had before this provided and brought into the house twenty barrels of Powder which we removed into the. Cellar and covered the same with billets and fagots which were provided for that purpose About Easter the Parliament being prorogued till October next we dispersed our selves and I retired into the Low-Countries by
Iames the Quéen the Prince and all the royall branches with the nobility clergy and commons of this realme assembled together at this present in Parliament by popish treachery appointed as shéep to the slaughter and that in most barbarous and savage maner no age yéelding example of the like cruelty intended towards the Lords annointed and his people Can this thy goodnesse O Lord be forgotten worthy to be written in a pillar of Marble that we may ever remember to praise thée for the same as the fact is worthy a lasting monument that all posterify may learn to detest it From this unnaturall conspiracy not our merit but thy mercy not our foresight but thy providence hath delivered us not our love to thée but thy love to thine annointed servant and thy poore Church with whom thou hast promised to be present to the end of the world And therefore not unto us not unto us Lord but to thy name be ascribed all honor and glory in all Churches of the saints throughout all generations for thou Lord hast discovered the snares of death Thou hast broken them and we are delivered Be thou still our mighty protector and scatter our cruell enemies which delight in blood infatuate their counsell and roote out that Babilonish and Antichristian sect which say with Ierusalem Downe with it downe with it even to the ground And to that end strengthen the hands of our gracious King the Nobles and Magistrates of the land with judgement and iustice to cut off these workers of iniquity whose religion is rebellion whose faith is faction whose practise is murthering of soules and bodies and for oof them out of the confines and limits of this kingdome that they may never prevatle against us and triumph in the ruine of thy Church and give us grace by true and serious repentance to avert these and the like judgements from us This Lord we earnestly crave at thy mercifull hands together with the continuance of thy powerfull protection over our dread Soveraign the whole Church and these Realms and the spéedy confusion of our implacable enemies and that for thy deare Sons sake our only Mediatour and Advocate Amen ¶ Franco di Franco an Italian made away in secret in the City of Vilne IN the yeare 1611. on the day which the papists call the feast of God a young man of six and twenty yeares old being miraculously called unto the knowledge of the Gospel was by certain Italians led through a Church where masse was to be sung and being urged to shew how he liked it began to refuse their Idolatry with great zeale admonishing the people there present not to suffer themselves to be so seduced by the pompous splendor of such vaine superstitions Telling them That that God which the Priest held up was no God as those seducers made them beleeve but a méere Idoll séeing it was not able to remove it selfe from one place to another unlesse it were borne Iesus Christ the Son of God â—ir Saviour is to be sought saith he at the right hand of God the Father Almighty This yong man was forth with compassed about with an innumerable company of people who buffeting him often on the face and spurning him with their féete haled him thence into the common Gadle of the City After many daies the Bishop with sundry other Lords calling him before them asked him if the heretiques had not perswaded him to use such words as he had spoken also whether he had not a resolution to kill the Quéene or her son the King or the Bishop of Vilne The prisoner wisely and resolutely answered That no man had set him aworke to doe it but only the zeale he had of Gods glory his conscience provoking him thereto holding it impossible for him any longer so suffer that men should attribute that honour to a dead Idoll which is only due to Iesus Christ his Saviour As touching their other demand his answere was that Christian Religion teacheth us not to murther men as Papists have hitâ—erto done in France England in the Low-Countries and elsewhere as histories doe daily shew The prisoner also admonished the Biship of Vilne to forsake all Idolatry to preach Gods truth and verity and cease to be witch the poore people with humane inventions moreover this faithfull witnesse did with much vehemency and constancy maintaine the truth of God that the Bishop of Vilne droâ—e out of his Hall his servants and such as came in there to heare him But he â—oot little by it for as they went here and there in the City they thid it abroad how in all their lives they never heard man speake with that courage and boldnesse of divine things to so good purpose as this young man had done Not long after he was againe brought before the same Iudges and questioned as before but in stead of yéelding he â—ardened his face against the impudency of his adversaries They purposing to quaile this magnaâ—unity caused him to féele the forture When he had suffered the utmost of their cruelty he was so far off from abjuring the truth that on the contrary his confession discovered in him a greater resolution then ever before being desirous and shewing himselfe ready prest to receive the Crowne of Martyrdome To be short the last of Iune 1611. which was the same day twelve-month 1610. where in the City of Vilne being the capitall City of the great Duchesse of Lithuany at eight of the clock in the morning there happened as terrible a fire as hath béen heard of at the houre in which the said Bishops and a great company of Iesuâ—â—es there going on procession the fire was so vehement that within the space of seven houres it deboured â—â—re thousand 〈◊〉 hundred and 〈◊〉 houses which tell out as the Iesuites supposed because they spared the Hereâ—â—ues there Where upon the 〈◊〉 of Christ was cruelly butchered there by the enemies of the Gospell not in a publike place â—or by day though he instantly requested the same at the 〈◊〉 of his Iudges but privatly in the night hi apeare walled about nigh to the Governours house Before they put him to death he was â—ruelly torâ—â—ned and then bound by the executioner to a post where they drew out his tongue under his chinne which done cutting off Anno 1595 his head his body being divided into foure quarters was carried the next day through the City upon so many poles ¶ An history of three Englishmen put to death at Rome THrée English men méeting together entered into a conference concerning the state of the Church at that time complaining that the zeale of Gods glory was wonderfully cooled among men yea and that even those of the religion were growne but too worldly wise that satan by little was sowing the séeds of Atheisme every where by rocking men asléep in the cradle of security whereupon having in humble manner commended themselves into the hands of God they determined to take their voyage
while after he was overtaken by the hand of God with such a flux of bléeding at his nose as could not be restrained nor diverted by any of the remedies that were then used It was an hideous sight to sée him still bowing his head over a basonfull of bloud which without ceasing issued out of his nose and mouth This bloudy wretch then who breathed forth Vincent dies drenched in his owne bloud nothing but bloud in the time of his health nor could have his eyes satisfied with séeing the bloud of innocents poured out was forced whilest he lived to sée himselfe drenched in his own bloud even untill his last gaspe Another of them thirsting after bloud as much Another of this wretched crew swelled so long that he burst in sunder God meets with the Governor himself at length as any of the rest was taken with such a swelling in all the parts of his body that there was scarcely to be discerned in him the forme of a man and so continued swelling more and more till at the length he burst in sunder The Governour himselfe who was the chiefe actor in this massacre about two yeares after gathering all the forces he could to besiege Genses with an intention to doe wonders there presenting himselfe ready for the purpose was chosen to goe in the ranke of five and twenty or thirty brave Gentlemen and he onely shot with an harquebuse dyed The rest by and by retiring came off safe without doing any further exploit Thus we have taken a view of the extreme afflictions and oppressions of the reformed Churches in many parts of France wherein within a Thirty thousand massacred within a few weeks in the Cities of France few wéeks well nigh thirty thousand were put to death Now in the yeare 1573 many places whither the faithfull were fled for refuge were assayled by open warre namely in the first place that of Sancerre the History whereof you have here in a short view presented before you in that which followeth A relation of the extreme famine which happened in the City of Sancerre in France being besieged with five hundred horsmen and about five thousand footmen the ninth of Ianuary 1573. with their deliverance The Siour of Chastre was then Generall of the Kings army BEing saith the story compassed about with irreconcileable enemies from about the beginning of Aprill the want of victuals having caused them to gather together all the asses and mules they had in the City they were eaten up in lesse than a moneth Then they came to horses cats rats moules mice and dogges After these were spent they fell to eat oxe and cow-hides sheep-skins parchment old shooes bullockes and horsehoofes hornes of lanthornes ropes and horse harnesse leather girdles c. In the end of Iune the third part of the besieged had not bread to eat Such as could get hemp séed ground it or stamped it in mortars and made bread of it the like they did with all sorts of herbes mingling the same with branne if they had it There they eat meale of chaffe nut-shels and of slate excrements of horses and men yea the offall which lay in the stréets was not spared The nine and twentieth of Iuly a poore man and his wife were executed for having eaten the head braines and entrailes of a young childe about thrée yeares old which died of hunger having made ready the other parts to eat at another meale An old woman lodging in their house eating a part of this mournefull dyet dyed in prison within a few houres after her imprisonment They were found guilty of other offences but this aggravated the same the more All children under twelve yeares of age dyed It was lamentable to heare the pittifull voices uttered by poore parents for the misery wherein their eyes beheld their languishing and dying infants To which purpose you may take notice here of a memorable accident A boy of ten yeares old being ready to yéeld up the ghost séeing his father and mother wéeping over him whose aâ—nes and legges when they handled felt as if they had béen dryed stickes said unto them wherefore wéepe ye thus in séeing me famished to death Mother saith he I aske you no bread I know you have none but séeing it is Gods will I must die this death let us bee thankfull for it Did not the holy man Lazarus dye of famine Have I not read it in my Bible In uttering these with the like spéeches he yéelded up the ghost the thirtieth day of Iuly That all the people died not of famine in the end of this moneth it was by reason of certain horses which were reserved for service if néed should be and six kine which were left to give milk for the sustenance of young infants These beasts were killed and their flesh sold for the reliefe of such as were living with a little corne which by stealth some brought into the City so that a pound of wheat was sold for halfe a crowne There died by fight in Sancerre but eighty four persons but of the famine more than five hundred Many souldiers getting forth as they could out of the City flying from the famine chose rather to dye by the sword of the enemy whereof some were slaine others imprisoned and the rest put to death by the executioner But when all helpe of man failed the King having sworne that he would make them eat up God sent these good men in due season from a farre countrey to preserve this distressed city thom utter ruine one another the King of Kings delivered them by his wonderfull providence For at this instant the embassadors from Poland came into France to accept the duke of Anjou for their king at whose intreaty which could not well be dented poore Sancerre more than halfe famished was now set at liberty by raising the siege who otherwise were determined to leave their bones there rather than to yéeld themselves into their enemies hands in regard they had oft threatened them with a generall massacre Whereas now by the Kings appointment they were permitted to passe out of the City armed if any would tarry that they should Anno 1574. not be molested having liberty granted them to dispose of their affaires as they pleased with promise of conserving the honour and chastities as well of virgins as women c. Now let us come to the City of Rochel which Of this siege Marshall Mon Luc said that it was great long and sightly but though well assailed yet better defended being at this instant strongly besieged by the forces of France both by sea and land with about forty or fifty thousand men was yet in the end also delivered though not without many hot conflicts by the immediate hand of God namely thus The Embassadors of Poland arriving in France the seventéenth day of Iune atruce was made on the sudden articles of peace drawne and sent to the King who consented
to them and returned answer in forme of an Edict granting to those of Rochell Montauban Nismes and others which stood upon their defence liberty for the exercises of Religion the rest to live peaceably in their houses and therein to minister the sacrament of â—aptisme and marriage as they had wont to doe so as their assemblies excéeded not the number of ten besides the parents He restored to the Rochellers and others their rites and priviledges letting fall all the decrées given out against them approving of their defensive war giving them leave according to their ancient custome to retaine in their Cities Towers and Fortresses men and munition yea to receive in Governours among them provided that they were such as they had no cause to suspect or except against By vertue of this Edict upon the tenth day of Iuly about ten of the clocke in the forenoone the Sieur of Biron entred into the City at the gate called de Coigne with an Herauld of armes and foure of the Kings Trumpetters at which houre peace was proclaimed in the most eminent places thereof accompanied with the Lieutenant of the City and with the Lord of Villiers After which dining at the Maiors house he soone after retyred being conducted along till he came without the City The same day many small Vessels laden with Biskets Corne Meale Fish and other provision Acertaine Gentleman Nephew to Puygaillard Governour of Angiers bragging that he had beene one who murthered the Admirall shewing a short sword which he had used in that slaughter threatenâ—d the like to the Rochellers but God cut him short also at the siege of Sancerre entred into the Haven At this siege the Duke D' Amaule lost his life with Cosseins who had broken into the Admirals Lodging and began the massacre at Paris besides many great Lords Gentlemen Captaines Lieutenants and Antients to the number of thréescore the greater part of which having their hands embrued in those other bloody massacres being come thither received their reward namely either present death or wounds so incurable that they escaped not with life One thing ought not here to be passed over in silence to wit the provision of victuals which God furnished this besieged people withall when all other provisions began to faile them namely an infinite number of small fishes never séene before in that haven which every day yéelded themselves to the mercy of the necessitons inhabitants But as soone as the Edict was published and the Rochellers set at liberty by the arriving of the Polish Embassadors these sea fishes withdrew themselves ¶ Although this relation following touching another siege of this City of Rochel sutes nothing at all with the order of time happening as it did in the yeare 1628. yet forasmuch as it seemes to have some affinity with the terrible famine where with both the City of Sancerre and it were afflicted let not the reader be offended for placing the same here somewhat out of place being a thing so worthy of note ¶ An extract of a Letter written on board the Saint George his Majesties Ship in Saint Georges Island THere dyed in this siege of Rochel the thirtieth of October 1628 sixtéen thousand persons the rest enduring a world of miseries most of all their food being hides leather and old gloves other provisions being very scarse were at an excessive rate viz. A Bushell of wheate xx li. A pound of bread xx s. A quarter of Mutton vi li. od mony A pound of Butter xxx s. An Egge viii s. An ounce of Sugar ii s. vi d. A dryed fish xx s. A pinte of Wine xx s. A pound of grapes iii. s. A pinte of Milke xxx s. Also it is reported that through the famine yong maids of fourtéen or sixtéen yeares of age did looke like old women of an hundred yeares old The famine was such that the poore people would cut off the buttocks of the dead as they lay in the Church yard unburied All the English that came out looked like Anatomies They lived two moneths with nothing but Cow hides and Goats skins boiled the dogs cats mice and frogs being all spent And this with a world of other miseries did they suffer in hope of being reléeved by others Thus much I thought good to let you understand ¶ A description of the manner of the death of Charles the ninth King of France IN the yeare 1574. Charles the ninth King of France in the time of whose raigne these forenamed execrable massacres were executed fell sicke which sicknesse seised upon him before his brother the Duke of Aniou tooke his voyage into Poland from which during the winter season he obtained some recovery But that which then séemed to lie hidden brake forth again afresh in the Spring so as this Prince after he had languished thrée whole moneths viz. February March and April drew his Physitians to a consultation about the state of his body who in the end concluded to purge and let him blood But these remedies tooke not such an effect as the King and they expected for he still wasted and consumed away being in the flower of his age to the wonder of many Some guessed he had taken a surfet either in eating or drinking others that hee was enchanted The thirtieth of May he dyed in the presence of his mother and of the Cardinals of Bourbon and Ferrare c. He was borne on the twenty seventh day of Iune 1550. He began his raigne the first of December 1560. and so reigned as that it gives to posterity iust cause both of admiration and detestation Thus this Prince lived not forty yeares fully compleat Now if any desire to be further Anno 1588 satisfied as touching the manner of his death I referre them to that which Master Iohn Fox hath written thereof not many lines before the conclusion of this booke commonly called the booke of Martyrs A note touching a Bull of Pope Sixtus the fifth wherein the King of Navarre and the Prince of Conde were declared Heretiques c. with the censure thereof by the Parliament of Paris IN September 1585. Pope Sixtus the fifth by a Bull sent from Rome condemned the king of Navarre and the Prince of Conde for Heretikes excommunicated them degrading them and their successors from their dignities especially laying claime to the Crowne of France absolving their subjects from their oath of alleigiance and exposing their Countries for a prey to them that could first subdue them The Court of Parliament of Paris made a notable remonstrance to the King concerning these Buls in the which they sought to maintain the priviledges of the Gallicane Church Among other things these words that follow are very remarkable The Court thinks that these Buls are set forth in a stile altogether of a new stamp and so contrary to the modesty of former Popes that they can in no sort discerne therein the spirit of a successor of the Apostles And therefore as the