The fourth parte of Cōmentaries of the Ciuill warres in Fraunce and of the lovve countrie of Flaunders Translated out of Latine into English by Thomas Tymme Minister Seene and allowed ¶ Imprinted at London by Henrie Binneman for Humfrey Toy Anno. 1576. HONI · SOIT · QVI MAL · · Y · PENSE · OMNIA TEMPVS HABENT ¶ To the right honorable Lorde Ambrose Dudley Earle of Warwicke Baron of Lisle of the most honorable order of the Garter Knight Generall of the Queenes Maiesties Ordinance within hir highnesse realmes and dominions IT is cōmonly seen right honorable that all men occupy them selues most in the reading of those matters wherein they haue delight eyther for that they are naturally disposed therevnto or else well experienced in the same The which consideration being ioyned with the Argument of this my booke I coulde not deuise with my selfe a more fitte patron to whome I might dedicate the same than to your honour For such noble courage hath nature wrought in you found out by effecte in martiall affaires as I persuade my selfe you will delight and recreate your selfe muche with the reading of the valiant acts done by diuers courageous persons in these last ciuill warres of Fraunce Accept therefore ryght honourable my choyce and pardon my boldnesse which good will hath caused me to shewe presuming vpon your honourable curtesie by whiche I am drawne as by the loadstone to offer this simple present to your honours handes I wishe the same might in any part be answerable to your worthynesse VVherefore not to staye your honour with longer speach I take my leaue recōmending my poore paines to your honours protection Your honours most humble Thomas Tymme ¶ The Translatour to the Reader THe increasing of newe troubles and warres in Fraunce hath also increased the matter and giuen larger occasion of the publishing of this fourth part of Commentaries the whiche contayneth as the other three partes do three bookes the first of the three in the Latin Coppy reckoned the tenth But bycause we haue to our third part already a tenth Booke annexed contayning the summe of those things whiche are written in the first Booke of this fourth volume I haue thought good not to translate the same in order as it lieth but only to gleane out those principall matters which are different from the other for that it is superfluous in one work to print one and the selfe same thing twice This fourth parte comprehendeth the actes and gestes of the ciuill warres from the time of the last peace concluded in Anno 1571. vnto the death of King Charles the ninth who dyed in Anno. 1574. In the whiche there is set before thee righte Christian Reader a large discourse not only of the affayres of Fraunce but also of the lowe countrey of Flaunders as tyme and occasion offereth the same Accept my good will bestowed in translating thys parte to benefyte the English reader THE TABLE ADmiral misliketh the wickednesse of his soldiers Pa. 5. Affaires of the Prince of Orange in the low countrey Pa. 38. Articles of composition Pa. 116. Assalt diuers times giuen Pa. 50. 51. Assalt made by thē of Rochel Pa. 44. Answer of the Gentlemē of Rochell to the king Pa. 9. Answer of them of Nismes Pa. 24. B. Backsliders frō the kīgs power Pa. 44 C. Cities held by them of the Religion Pa. 3. Cities in Languedoc taken by pollicie Pa. 58. Commaundemente to beseege Rochell Pa. 42. Constancie in the Religious to defende themselues Pa. 4. Crueltie somewhat mitigated Pa. 3. Crueltie shewed at Harlem Pa. 59. D. Daulphine possessed by the kings garrison Pa. 27. Deanuil commeth into Languedoc with an armie Pa. 34. Deanuil trauelleth in vayne in Languedoc Pa. 35. Deanuil abstayneth from war. Pa. 58 Description of Rochell Pa. 43. 45. Discipation of them of the Religion Pa. ◠Diuers cities in Languedoc taken by policie Pa. 58. Duke of Anjou subtilly perswadeth to peace Pa. 44. Duke of Anjou receiued wyth triūph to the seege of Rochel Pa. 47 Duke of Anjou chosen King of Polonia Pa. 86. Duke of Anjou in perill of hys life Pa. 87. Duke de Aumal slayne Pa. 52. E. Earthquake Pa. 72 Edict proclaymed to call home again all fugitiues Pa. 28. Edict of peace published Pa. 89. Extremities in the kings camp Pa. 74. F. Falsehoode in the Catholiques Pa. 23. Famine in Harlem Pa. 68. Famine in Sanserre Pa. 100. Fast solemnly proclaymed in Rochell Pa. 8. Feare vppon all countries after the murder Pa. 1. Fish by Gods prouidence neuer seene before came into Rochel in the seege Pa. 85. G. Gadagne parleyeth with them of Rochell Pa. 48. H. Harlem defieth the D. of Alba. Pa. 40. Harlem beseeged Pa. 40. Harlem vitailed by the Prince of Orange Pa. 67. Harlem yeelded to the Duke of Alba. Pa. 69. Harlem put to the sworde Pa. 69. I. Irruptiōs made by them of Rochell Pa. 2. K. King persecuted thē of the Religion in Switzerlande Pa. 29. L. Letters sent to thē of Rochel Pa. 15. Letters hortatorie from the Duke of Anjou to peace Pa. 45. Letters concerning peace Pa. 48. Letters of Mongomerie to them of Rochell Pa. 85. Liefetenantships appointed in Languedoc Pa. 119. M. Messēgers of Sāser reuolted Pa. 36. Meelnine yelded to the Duke of Alba. Pa. 39. Milles ouerthrowen by the Catholiques Pa. 34. Mombrune a valiant manne of Daulphine Pa. 27. Mombrune armeth him selfe in Daulphine Pa. 60. Mongomeries Nauie within the sight of Rochel Pa. 78. 80. Mōgomerie lādeth at Belile Pa. 81 Mons Cosine slayne Pa. 82. Mons Sanroman general of the Religious Pa. 59. Mons Candale slayne Pa. 53. 54. Mons La Noe hardly escapeth death Pa. 49. 50. Mons Grandrise shirmisheth with the Kings campe Pa. 48. Mons La Noe general of Rochell Pa. 43. Mons La Noe commeth to Rochell Pa. 31. Mons Biron put into the bloudy booke Pa. 13. Monsterous calfe Pa. 42. Mountauban defieth the king Pa. 18. Mountes receyueth succours Pa. 38 Murder at Burdeaux Pa. 17. N. Narden in Calamitie Pa. 40. Negligence in thē of Sanser Pa. 62. Nismes refuseth to receyue the kings garrison Pa. 19. Noble men within Rochell are assayed to be brought to defection Pa. 33. O. Occasiō of peace with Rochel Pa. 86 Open warre proclaymed against Rochell Pa. 86. P. Peace cōcluded between the king and them of Rochell Pa. 88. Pibrach inuayeth against those of the Religion Pa. 4. Preparation of warre againste Languedoc Pa. 25. Prouision of warre Pa. 2. Pollicie practised to take Rochell Pa. 7. Q. Queene of England Godmother to the French kings daughter Pa. 30 R. Rochel assalted by policie Pa. 7. Rochel refuseth to receyue mons Biron Pa. 14. Rochel prepareth for defence Pa. 17 Rochell put to proscription by the king Pa. 30. Rochell beseeged Pa. 32. Rochel battered assalted Pa. 70. 71. S. Sanserre refuseth to receiue the kings garrison Pa. 26. Sanserre beseeged Pa. 63. Sanserre valiantly defendeth it selfe Pa. 63. Sāser oppressed with famin Pa.
100 Signe in the ayre Pa. 76. Securitie in de Gordes Pa. 61. Solēn fast proclaymed in Ro. Pa. 8. Sommiron beseeged Pa. 35. 53. Sommiron yeelded vp Pa. 54. Scaling ladders ouerthrowē Pa. 76 Smoke made in Rochell Pa. 76. Star neuer seene before Pa. 42. Succours sente by the Prince of Orange intercepted by the Duke of Alba. Pa. 42. Zwitzerland disqueted with the troubles of Fraunce Pa. 1. T. Treason practised againste Rochell Pa. 43. Truce taken for a parley Pa. 52. Truce broken Pa. 87. V. Villeneuf taken by treason Pa. 21. Villeneuf taken by them of the Religion Pa. 55. Victory gotten by women Pa. 77. VV. Warre prouided for Pa. 2. Warre most miraculous Pa. 6. War openly proclaymed against Rochell Pa. 17. War prepared against Langu Pa. 25 Fault escaped in Printing Page 3. line last saue three Reade the deepe iudgement of god And in the same line for begin reade began ¶ Additions to the tenth Booke of Commentaries necessary to be considered in the reading of the Tragicall murder committed at Paris and in other places of Fraunce THE Kings Edict beeing proclaymed as we haue sayde in the ninth Booke of Commētaries the forreine souldiers were dismist specially they of Germany Thē euery one with speede went home to their houses whiche they had not seene before by the space of three yeeres and as after a greate tempest all men desired a quiet and peaceable time as well the Catholiques as they of the Religion who also them selues felte the sore harmes of warres They of the Religion yeelded vp all their cities almost except those whych the King had graunted vnto them by his Edict as Rochell La Charite and Sanserre The garrisons whiche came in the Kings name were receyued into the surrendred cities who then more quietly behaued them selues than they were wont afore time vppon the conclusion of peace when warre was ended Thus by little and little mens mindes were glad to be at rest beyng weeryed with the bloudy and lothsome experience of long and tedious warres wishing peace in somuch that they of the Religion had forgotten the former iniuries the whiche was the harder to do bycause of the falsehoode and treason shewed against them yea the Catholiques seemed to loue peace and friendly to imbrace them of the Religion For it was reported that the kings will and mind was to haue the peace firmely established Therefore all men deemed that all thyngs tended to peace by this happy beginning THE Queene of Nauar came to Rochell with the Prince hir sonne and with the rest of hir family the Prince of Conde also and the Admirall and the rest of the peeres whiche professed the Religion came thither that they mighte there the more safely attend the proceedings of the late concluded peace But within fewe monethes euery one priuily got him home to his owne house being weery of so long delay THE King tooke the daughter of the Emperour Maximilian to wife the whiche all men sayd was a great occasion to further the peace The marriage was celebrated with great royaltie and the newe Queene was receyued of the men on both partes with great ioy as the happie beginning of fyrme and constant peace and fame opposed hir gentle nature and disposition against the troublesome and churlish inclination of the Queene mother men were in great doubt it would come to passe that the king for the fauour and liking that hee had of his newe wife whome he was sayde to loue entierly would growe in dislike of the Queene mother whose nature he could not brooke long before saying that he neyther woulde nor could beare any longer hir imperious ambition The common custome of humane affayres brought a speciall credit to this reporte that the newe Mistresse and Lady should put the olde dame quite out of fauour Herevnto were added the forces of domesticall reasons The King had two brethren the Duke of Anjou of whome we haue spoken often times before the Duke of Engolesme The Duke of Anjou was more in fauour with his mother and had gotten to hym selfe a name and singular credit among the nobles both by his seruice in the warres and also by his happy successe in the same besyde also the honor whyche the Catholiques gaue vnto him who had him in more estimation almost than the King him selfe in somuch that hee receyued a yeerely reuenue of two hundred thousande Frankes of the Cleargie vppon condition to bee the patrone and defender of the Churche The Duke of Anjou beeing thus plentifully mayntayned the King his brother as it is credibly reported had hym in suspition and that it appeared manifestly by euident speeches and deedes that the King bare priuie grudge againste hys brother Also that the King sayd that hee would not be weeried with newe troubles of warres and that of late they of the Religion had bin falsely accused vnto him On the contrary part the Duke of Anjou shewed hym selfe an enemie to those of the Religion boasted of hys victories ouer them dyd hurt them by all meanes that he could fauoured those whom the Kyng hated and hated those whome the Kyng loued Thus it euidently appeared that there was enmitie betweene those two brethren in somuch that it seemed necessary for the King to defende hym selfe agaynst hys brothers power least bee should begin any new trouble and to diminishe the authoritie of hys mother whiche had continued ouer long thereby to winne to hym selfe the hartes of those of the Religion for that it was more for his safetie to trust vnto the ayd and strength of them of the Religion than to the Catholiques These kindes of reasons stooke in the mindes of wise men mouing them to thinke that the King woulde encline to peace and also seeke to winne vnto him those of the Religion But the quite contrary was prouided for by so great subtility and craft of the Queene mother who beeing the chiefe workmistresse of these deceyts made the King the chiefe minister and instrument of them The King trauayled to bring this one thing especially to passe that he might throughly perswade and certifie the Queene of Nauar the Admirall by whose counsayles al the affayres of those of the Religiō were ordered of his assured good will both to obserue keepe the peace and also to defend them that so they might trust vnto him The subtill means practises whiche he vsed to bring this thing to passe we haue shewed in the .x. boke Only we are here to note the deepe iudgemēt which now begin to prouide great sharp punishmēts It is wonderful that after so many experiments of treson that the Admiral being of a pregnāt wit hauing experience of great maters could not beware of the subtil deceits of a and a yong man when as he him selfe often times sayde that he suspected the craftie wit of the Queene About this time letters came from the Princes of Germany as we haue
sayde in the tenth Booke to shewe their glad mindes for the peace concluded to whome the King wrote agayne of his willingnesse to establish the same NEVERTHELESSE the Catholiques coulde not temper and stay them selues in certayne places At Orange there was committed a great slaughter notwithstanding that the King had made warrantise of the contrary to the Prince of Orange For all they of the Religion whiche were fled away in time of the former warre were returned thyther agayne vppon trust and warrant of the Kings Edict vppon whome they mistrusting no such thing the souldiers beeyng let into the towne fell with violence the townesmen whyche were Catholiques setting them a worke and assisting them so that they slue without all pitie or mercy a great number of men women and children Notwithstanding the Kyngs garrison whiche as yet remayned in the Castell was a safegard for many the whiche if it had not suppressed the rage of the people a greater number of the Religious had bin slayne Notwithstanding the Prince of Orange vrged the Kyng to yeeld vnto him Orange and the rest of the dominion whiche he did at the last mons Berchon a wise man beyng sente for the same purpose who receyued in the Princes name both the Castell and the Towne and the whole Countie After the which commaundement was gyuen in the Princes name that the men of both partes shoulde liue euer afterwards peaceably according to the tenor of the Edict and that the vse of both Religions should be free Those whiche were giltie of the murder cōmitted at the firste stale away for feare of punishment notwithstanding being at the last perswaded both with the words and sufferance of mons Berchon they returned into the Citie agayne For mons Berchon wonderfully dissembled the loue which he bare vnto the Religion in somuch that he would not come to the sermons of the same as though he fauoured the Catholiques Thus the authors of the murder being allured to Orenge agayne were at the last apprehended and put to death About the same time also certayne of the reformed Church of Rhoane were put to deathe by the common people and in diuers other places also murders were committed agaynste the Edict Herevpon the Queene of Nauar the Princes and other of the Peeres sent Briquemald Teligni La Noe and Cauaignes whiche were noble and wise men to the King to complayne to his maiestie of these violations of the Edict and to require reformation of the same The King very louingly receyued them declaring howe great greefe the hearing of these things was vnto him and taking great othes according to his custome promised that hee would so punish the breakers of his Edict that they should be an example to all others Therefore at the kings commaundement certayne of the chiefe of the Senate of Paris were sent out of hand to Rhoane to syt vppon that murder and to punish the offenders according to lawe Marshall Momorencie also receyued charge concerning this matter Notwithstanding the greatest part of those murderers fled away at the rumor hereof Therefore many of their goodes were confiscate and three hundred of those whiche were absent were condemned to dye also certayne of the rascall sort were hanged After this certayne men were put in commission to see if there were any thing committed againste the Edict in any part of the Realme to heare also the complaints of the plaintifes and to satisfye them according to the fourme of the Edict But these commissioners euen as they had done afore time vsed onely in stede of iustice and equitie a counterfayte and outward shew of lawe IN a certayne village of the territorie of Valentz called Monboch a certayne yong man of the Religion of honest parentage found by chaunce in a mans house vestments and Coapes for Masse These in iest and derision he put vpon him running vp and downe the streetes making a iest and scorne of Popishe rytes He being accused for this to the Commissioners was apprehended and kept in close pryson for certaine dayes and afterwards a great fine being set vpon his fathers heade he was adiudged to the Galley the which punishment in Fraunce belongeth vnto vagabunds and theeues THEY of the Religion had a great summe of money to paye for the wages of the Reisters to whome a large summe was yet due the sureties for the which were the Princes the Admirall Countie Rochfoucault and certaine of the principall nobles some part the king had payde For the payment of this sum a great tribute was layd vpon those of the religion namely that euery one should paye towarde this summe the fifth part of his reuenues vntill the same were fully payde and discharged For the gathering whereof there were certayne Collectours appoynted by the kings letters in euery prouince notwithstanding with the appeale of the Queene of Nauar and of the Princes This burthen after so great spoyle waste made by wars seemed too many to be very great in so much that it kept backe a great many of those whiche had professed the reformed religion from comming into the congregation notwithstanding the greater part of them of the religion gladly payde that tribute vpon hope of peace and for the desire they had to enioy the religiō Besides this tribute there were other subsidies also to be payd to the king the greatnesse whereof foreyne nations would scarce beleue For there is no Christian nation vnder the sunne that beareth the burthen of so many subsidies and taxes as doth the realme of Fraunce whereby incredible summes are gathered Neuerthelesse these subsidies were payde with great willingnesse of mynde that within fewe moneths great treasure came vnto the king Besides these charges euerie Church was to maynteine their ministers and to prouide for other necessities Besides this the places appoynted for holy assemblies and preachings of the worde were verie inconuenient Therefore it is wonderfull that the Churches stoode amidst so many stumbling blockes and inconueniences Notwithstanding great was the number of them of the Religion in euery place growing and increasing notwithstanding these extremities VVE spake before concerning those whom the Queene of Nauar and the Princes sent vnto the king They as we noted obtayned not onely at the handes of the king that the violating of the kings Edict should be reformed but also suche familiaritie with the king that in ample manner he did expresse his mynde not only concerning the establishing of peace but also that he woulde for the more certaine continuing of the same gyue his sister Margaret in marriage to Prince Henrie sonne to the Queene of Nauar. But this was the beginning of the lamentable tragedie of Bartholmewtide The report heereof was no doubt verie acceptable to the Queene of Nauar and to hir sonne notwithstanding it is sayd that the Admirall at the first had this motion in suspition who going with Theligni to the Queene of Nauar about this matter the said Theligni shewing the
grounde belonging to the fame was remoued out of his place and houses that were strongly builte and trees also that were greate and talle were ouerthrowne Also the Suburbes of Lyons called Aguilot was almost quyte ouerthrowen with this vyolence of waters and the greateste parte also of the stonewoorke of the Brydge vppon the Riuer of Rosne An armie was prepared to goe to Burdeaux and to the famous hauens of Broages the charge whereof was committed to Mons Strozzi and to Baron d'Guarde The rumor concerning the warre to come encreased more and more euen as fame is woont to preuent things to come But it was giuen out that thys warre should bee in the lowe countrey Therefore the Spanish Ambassadors made often complaints vnto the King as though by his maiesties commaundement warre should haue bene taken in hande against the Kyng of Spaine his soueraigne But the Kyng excused him selfe with wonderfull dissimulation insomuche that they of the Religion by so doubtfull an aunswere deemed that the Kyngs mynde was fully perswaded concerning the warre of the low countrey About the same tyme also Lodowic Nassau brother to the Prince of Orange came to the Courte accompanying the Queene of Nauar and entred into league with the Kyng in his brothers name the same being subscribed and sealed At such tyme as the Nauie was preparing in the Occean Sea appointed with six thousand footmen and a great number of peeces there went a common ieste abroade that the Nauie went into the Isle of Florida to fetch golde but in very deed the simpler sorte of the commen people sayde that this preparation was not only by the Kings sufferance but also by his expresse commaundement for the lowe countrey This preparation pleased the moste parte of the people very well and all men of both partes were ready to ioyne together in the same warre with so good will as if they had neuer felte the calamities of warre On the other parte a great number of Catholiques and of those of the Religion accordyng as they were ioyned together by affinitie and acquaintance went to another warre namely into Italy against the Turke against whom he seeking to winne the Isle of Malta they bended their whole force power Therefore men went thither with a great trayne of noble men of France among which Marques d'Menie brother to the Duke of Guise was one Notwithstanding the greater parte went to the warre of the lowe countrey Captaynes being sent into all parts of the Realme to gather such Soldiers as would serue in that war of their owne accorde and their wages was payde them out of the Kings treasurie THE delay of this mariage seemed to be very long to all men but especially to thē which looked for desired the same the cause whereof was made the Popes prohibition notwithstāding the kings letters oftentimes sent for licence and his request to the Cardinal Alexandrin for the same purpose THE fyrst day of May in thys present yeare Pope Pius the fyfth dyed the which offered hope to the King as he sayd to obtayn of the new Pope licence to ende the mariage Yet notwithstanding the Queene of Nauar plainly shewed hir selfe not to regarde any suche lycence for the which cause were made so many delayes and shee complayned hereof oftentimes vnto the King. SHORTLY after the Popes death being noysed the King commaunded the Cardinall of Loraine to goe to Rome to be present as it was reported at the Popes election The King sayd that hee had giuen him in charge to procure the Popes dispensatiō that once at the last that mariage might bee finished The Cardinall promising faithfully to accomplishe the Kings commaundement concerning the Pope altogether renouncing the Courte seemed in the iudgement of the wyser sorte besyde common reportes to prouide for his owne safetie least he him selfe should bee in daunger in so great fauour of them of the Religion or in the proclayming of a new war. All which things were so handeled by the craftie dealing of the Queene mother the King also framing both his countenance and also his speach accordingly that euen the moste fine wittes in the courte thought that there was nothing but truth ment IN the moneth of May there was a Synode at a noble Citie in Languedoc called Nismes of the reformed Churches To thys Synode by the benefite of the Kyngs letters came the Ministers and chosen men of the reformed Churches from all partes of the Realme The question was moued concernyng ecclesiasticall doctrine At this Synode were present Theodore de Beza Anthonius Chandoeus Nicolaus Gelazius and dyuers other learned and famous men Gelazius was chosen to bee the moderator of this Synode THERE was at this tyme a great famyne in Languedoc and about the Sea coast being of it selfe a very fruitefull soyle and it continued so sore that dead bodyes starued with hunger laye in the streetes For thys cause the Synode brake vp theyr sittyng at Nismes and appoynted a vacation bothe for that victualles wanted to serue so great a multitude and also to prouide for the poorer sort least they should be at charge for lawe matters THE peace which men nowe more largely enioyed had almost losed the reynes of al libertie in so much that he which now professed the Religion seemed to differ nothing at all neyther in speache nor in manners from the Catholike And now there beganne to be a great famine of the word of God mens myndes being annoyed with tedious curiositie and in many also of luke warme zeale in suche wise that a great number of those of the Religion could nowe scarsely abyde to heare a Sermon of ordinarie doctrine as not eloquent and courtly inough Thus by peace and ease things commonly waxe worse and worse Is it then any maruell if the Church be oftentimes afflicted and ouerwhelmed with troubles and calamities when it abuseth peace and the happy successe of things THERE is vpon the sea coast of Flaunders a citie called Vlishing standing verie conueniently for trafike and entercourse to Andwerpe The townesmen of this citie being wearie of the crueltie of the Spaniards slue the Lieftenant which was set by the Duke of Alba to kepe the towne and certaine of his garrizon and tooke the citie And when the Duke of Alba sent a newe supply to recouer the towne they valiantly repulsed them and set them selues at libertie By their example many cities of the lowe countrey were incouraged and the noble townes of Zeland and Holland were sayde to fauour the Prince of Aurenge and to desire libertie THE Queene of Nauar being poysoned to death with a payre of perfumed gloues as is sayde in the tenth booke the King Queene and the whole court seemed to take hir death very grieuously The King to put away all suspition of poyson commaunded that the dead body should be ript vp by phisitions and so the causes of hir death found out The phisitions taking a viewe of the
body reported that she dyed of a pleurisie the more secret cause which was the poysoning of the brayne being not found for that they did not search the head Therefore to stop the rumour hir death was spread abroade in publike writings and billes Hir body was caryed to Vendosme and there sumptuously buryed according to the maner of the religion The King and Queene to declare their sorow and griefe put on mourning weed and commaunded all the court to doe the lyke The Queene of Nauar being thus deade the King so dealt with hir sonne Henrie with the Admirall and with the rest of the noble mē of the religion that hir death seemed to hasten forward the marriage Therefore within fewe dayes the mourning for the Queene of Nauar was layde aside in the court The King practized another subtletie to appoint the day of marriage for the which so many delayes had bene hitherto made He sayd oftentimes to the Prince of Nauar and to the Admiral that this time was differred by a certaine superstitious care of his mother of his sister and of the Cardinal of Borbon who mynded to marry them looking for the Popes dispensation by which they were to haue leaue to marry He fayned therfore that he had receyued letters from Rome from his Ambassadour by which he gaue them to vnderstande that the cardinal of Lorhain by his diligence had obtained the Popes dispensation which he would send with al speede possible and that he had sent him worde hereof out of hande that the King might not thinke the same long a comming Therefore the King shewed these letters vnto his mother to his sister and to the Cardinall of Borbon The Queene reioyced and sayde that the same was sufficient to ende the matter euen as if she had not knowne that they were fayned letters and that there was no impediment nowe but that the marriage might be solemnized Therfore it was agreed by consent on eyther part that the marriage day should be the .xviiij. of August THE towne of Mountes was besieged by the duke of Alba Lodowic Nassau was in the town with a great number of the nobilitie of Fraunce M. Genlis a noble man came with 500. horsemen and .4000 footemen with the kings consent to succour the besieged But the duke of Alba hauing priuie intelligence from the king of the cōming of M. Genlis of the which he suspected nothing encountred with him and distressed verie sore many of his souldiers being slayne some wounded and some taken prysoners Also monsieur Genlis and La Noe generalles of that armie were taken prysoners The rumour of this ouerthrowe seemed to be verie grieuous vnto the Kyng and to the whole court And by and by the King sent his letters vnto mons Monducet his Ambassadour in the lowe countrey which was with the Duke of Alba to see that no iniurie nor harme were done to mons Genlis and to the reste which were taken in battell ▪ Monducet did the kings Ambassage diligently to the Duke of Alba. The Admiral being certified of these commaundementes of the king and also of the diligence of Monducet with the Duke of Alba was wonderfully persuaded of the kings faythfull meaning to take warre in hande whome he heard oftentimes to say that he woulde one day be reuenged on the Duke of Alba and on the Spaniardes In the meane time the king gaue commission to the Admirall to leuie a newe armie that with a freshe supply of souldiers he might succour the besieged The myndes of them of the religion were greatly ioyous bicause of the marriage at hand Notwithstanding pitiful rumours went abrode dayly which they for the most part wold in no wise beleue construing al things to the best It is most certaine that many wise men after the death of the Queene of Nauar suspected that there was some fraude coloured vnder the pretence of matrimony and that the same deceit was specially practized to insnare the Admirall And it is certainly true that the Admiral was oftentimes admonished both by wordes and also by letters not to aduenture him selfe in so great an assembly and that too within the walles of Paris where the Guises were in great fauour and estimation And amongst other admonitions one deliuered vnto him a book the summe scope wherof was this Remēber that this is a decree of the Catholikes confirmed by authoritie That there is no faith to be kept with Heretikes by which name they of the religion are specially called Remēber that there is euerlasting hatred kindled against those of the religion by the enuie of the former warres so that there is no doubt but that the ful purpose and intent of the Queene is to destroy by all manner of means those of the Religion That an Italyan woman of the Popes progenie and of a subtile and craftie wit can not but seke all extremities against hir enimies consider in what schole the king hath bin trayned and brought vp that for this 12. yeeres space he hath learned of his scholemasters to sweare to blaspheme to forsweare to ioyne him self with whoores and harlots to dissemble his fayth his religion and his thoughtes to chaunge and frame his countenaunce and to reioyce in bloud that he might suffer his subiects to be slaine like beasts Thou knowest that the King is persuaded in the doctrine of Machiauel howe that he ought not to suffer in his realme any other religion than that vpon the which his state standeth and that he hath often learned this that it is not possible for his kingdome to be quiet so long as there are two religions at once in the same And it is certaine that hatred is planted in the kings mind being a yong man and he hath bin often times persuaded by false argumentes that they of the religion haue gone about to spoile him both of his kingdome and also of his life Thou art deceyued if that thou thinke that the king or any other such prince as he is will at any time suffer those subiects which shall by warre rise against him though vpō neuer so iust a cause to vse and enioy the benefite of his lawes But be thou rather persuaded of this that this is naturally ingrauē in the myndes of kings and princes to reuenge that by force of armes which is done against them by like force And that a Kyng and Princes will freely breake those couenants which they haue made eyther for feare or for necessitie so soone as those causes shall ceasse And that they holde this for a lawe That those conditions which the Prince hath made with the subiectes ought not to be kepte specially when he made them in warre the fayth ought to be broken for the kyngdoms sake That they make no conscience to deceyue the subiectes vnder the colour of a solemne othe These are the subtile sleyghts of Princes this is the discipline to preserue kingdomes Antonius Commodus at the last ceassing from his pleasures
as the kings vndoubted commaundement As for the other commaundement sayth he it seemeth so cruell and barbarous that he would not obey the king if he were present to commaunde the same Notwithstanding this Countie d'Tende fought stoutly in the former warre against those of the Religion He which brought these letters and this bloudy commaundement to Countie d'Tende was called mons d'Mole a gentleman borne in Arles who within one yere after was beheaded at Paris by the kings commaundement Countie d'Tende within few dayes after being at Auinion was by some of the kings appoyntmēt poysoned to death Coūtie de Retz being appointed to succeed him Mons. Santherā gouernour of Auuergne answered to the same cōmandement that he wold not obey contrary cōmaundements being coloured and cloaked vnder the kings name affirming therfore that he wold satisfie the first of the two for that it agreed with the kings dignitie with his Edicts that he was no hangman but the kings lieftenāt to gouern the kings subiects with equitie peace The ninth day of Septēber the king being troubled with a sodaine feare cōmaunded his armour to be brought and the captaines of his guard to come vnto him he sweareth that he hath determined to destroy those that remained of thē of the religion willing thē to go euery man to his charge for he would first beginne with the prince of Conde Then the Queene his wife intreated him that he woulde not rashly take in hande a matter of so great waight The king being persuaded by the earnest beseeching of his wife laide aside his armour and dispatcht his guard The day folowing he called before him the Prince of Conde and offered vnto him three things of the which he willed him to chose one that is to say Masse Death or perpetuall imprysonment To this choyce the Prince of Conde answered that by the ayde and assystance of God he would neuer chose the firste and that he left the other two to the Kings will and pleasure But at the last he was by the meanes of one Rozarius a Minister sometime of the reformed Church of Orleans drawne to that abiuration the copy wherof is set down in the tenth booke of Cōmentaries By the subtile persuasions I say of this man he did fall away from the truth and openly renounced the Religion and went to the Masse and to other rytes of the Romishe Church Thus by the example of the Prince of Conde and the king of Nauar many whiche were accounted of the Religion fell from the same And the King of Nauar and the Prince of Conde solemnly set forth their defection by the Kings commaundement For when they had renounced the Religion at Paris they sent letters vnto the Pope in the which they declare that to their great sorowe and griefe they haue bene drawne away from the felowship of the Church by that false doctrine euen from their childhoode the blame whereof they layde not vpon their parentes but vpon those wicked men whiche had seduced them Notwithstanding they sayde it was come to passe in good time through the goodnesse of God that they shuld acknowledge their errour and seriously detest the same in mynd Therfore they humbly beseeched the Pope as a father to forgiue them their former offences and to receiue them againe into the bosome of the Church and they would shewe euer after all such obedience as became reuerent children to shewe and that it woulde please him to certifie them by his letters whereby their consciences might be assured of pardon graunted Therefore the Pope sent his pardon to the Prince of Conde and to the King of Nauar that they might not onely fight vnder his banner but also might be at continuall warre with the reformed religion such was the calamitie of those times After this the King of Nauar made an Edicte concerning them of Bearne concerning the abolishing of the reformed Religion By the commaundement of the Queene of Nauarre his mother when she was aliue the states of Bearne assembled themselues togither to take order cōcerning religion and by the free consent of the states the Masse was abrogated throughout all the dominion of Bearne Thither the king of Nauarre sent Mons Grammont wyth authoritie to preferre the Edict by whiche he forbade all that were within his dominion to vse the reformed religion notwithstanding he gaue leaue vnto them of the Religion to sell away their lande and to prouide for themselues in the space of one yeare and then to go whither soeuer they would THE Pope hearing of these murthers went himself with his whole Colledge of Cardinals first of all to the Church of S. Marke and gaue verie large thankes vnto god Then the next day after he celebrated a solemne Masse and commaunded a Iubile Thankes were giuen to God for the destruction of the enimies of the truth and of the Churche in the realme of Fraunce for the victorie gotten against the Turks and also prayer was made for the kingdome of Polonia that the king might proue suche a one as woulde seriously defende and mainteine the Catholike religion of Rome In the Euening there was a tryumphāt peale of Gunnes in the Castell of Santangell and the French men which were in the Citie made dyuerse ioyfull bankets in many places of the same as though nowe after so long contentions a full conquest were made and the euerlasting peace and tranquilitie of the Church of Rome gotten The French men had also a generall procession aboute the Citie in the which the Pope was present with his whole Colledge of Cardinals and a great number of dishes according to the custome were caryed in the same A Cardinal also sang Masse in the Churche of S. Lodowic where were a greate multitude of people assembled togither THERE were also about this time diuerse things written both in French and in Latine to commend the handling of that murther Antonius Muretus made an oration at Rome in commendation of the king and when he had done caused the same to be published commending the king for his haughtie and constant minde and also for his excellent wisedome Pibrachus set forth an Epistle in the which he maketh a very subtile discourse of al this hystorie to make the Admiral guilty of treason and the cause of the Religious hatefull Notwithstanding he pretended the loue of religion the whiche in tyme past he both knewe and had professed and had afterwarde abiured the same There was also an other Epistle spredde abroade of Peter Carpenter of Tholose a lawier who being a counterfeyt professor of the religion spake euill of the Admiral of the whole cause The which Epistle was answered by one Franciscus Portus a godly man and expert in the Greeke tongue Therfore amidst the tragical mournings of them of the Religion these were the triumphes of the Catholikes THE king also celebrated the order of S. Michael which was a feast dedicated to those noble men whiche were of the
and promise And Mongomeri was by and by brought vnto the king But what was decreed concerning him wee will shewe hereafter And within fewe dayes Saulo and Charent were yelded vp to the king This was the successe of Mongomeries warre He was taken the xxvij day of May of this yeere THE King was sicke dayly more and more And being sore greeued and payned certayne monethes dyed the thirtie day of May being Whitsunday otherwise called Pentecoste he being of the age of xxv yeeres All monumēts and chronicles will for euer declare that his raigne and tyme of gouernment was most disquiet and troublesome with cruell outragious garboyles of ciuill warres notable with examples of vnspeakeable treason and crueltie and most lamentable to all the inhabitantes of France all order being troden vnder foote by the subtill practises of straungers His sicknesse was wonderfully cloaked and in secrecie couered wherefore I cannot perticularly expresse any thing for certayne Tyme shall discouer and bewray euery circumstance Most certayn it is that he was sicke of a bloudy flixe And it is reported for truth among the greater parte that the bloud issued from diuers partes of his body that in his bed hee tumbled and tossed and could take little rest horribly cursing and blaspheming the name of God which he had vsed to doe euen from his childehood and that in great fume and anger hee called and repeated oftentymes the name of the Momorencies And bicause it was vehemently suspected that he was poysoned to make him with more ease to vomit men say that hee was bolstered vp with pillowes that his feete might lye hyer than his head whereby he cast out such abundant store of bloud that hee dyed within fewe houres after And he did nothing but blaspheme vntill the last gaspe Concerning his last will and testament as the Queene offered the same to the Senat of Paris we wil speake in another place VVE spake before of the victorie gotten ouer the Prince of Oranges parte at Neijmegen The Spaniards being proudly puffed vp with the successe thereof foure thousand of them to whom Don d'Auila Liefetenant of the Castell of Andwerpe and also Captayne of the armie had promised the paye of xxxviij monethes which was due vnto them if they gotte the victorie against Lodowic these foure thousand I say raysing sedition against the Citie of Andwerpe being the most famous and rich towne of Marchantes in all Europe brake foorth in the night by a bridge which they had set to the wals the Spaniardes which were in the Castel suffering the same Then comming into the market place placing watche and ward in diuers places made a great crye for payment of their money threatning the general spoyle of the Citie if they were not satisfied out of hande Concerning the which matter while the Citizens of Andwerpe consulted with the Kings deputie the Spaniardes in the meane tyme by the space of two monethes spoyled and tooke their pleasure of the Citie in moste shamefull manner The Duke Reguizens the Kings deputie fayning that he was greatly displeased with this sedition of the Spaniardes for there are some which beleue that he was the author and cause of all that tumult bicause the states of the low countrey had before that tyme refused to pay that money which he often tymes required of them hauing at the last obtayned of the Spaniards the summe of CCCC M Crownes pardoned the Spaniardes for the sedition and professed with taking an othe that he would neuer for that matter eyther generally or particulerly execute any punishment vppon them whereat all the States were not a little offended For of this tumult this happened that the Prince of Oranges parte being greatly abashed with the slaughter at Nijmegen receyued now agayne courage and boldnes all the whyle that the Spaniardes continued the tumult in Andwerpe Moreouer it happened that while the Spaniardes were occupied in receyuing paying of money on Whitsunday in Saint Michaels house which standeth vppon the key or shore of the Riuer of Scelde the Prince of Oranges Nauie tooke and caryed out of the chanell of Schelde in the sight of many standers by vppon the shore foure and twentie shippes of warre laden with gunnes armour and victual This is most certayne that there could happen nothing more conuenient to promote the affayres of the Prince of Orange nor any thing more effectuall to ouerthrow the force of the Spaniardes than that tumult raysed in Andwerpe The which shal dayly more and more appere by the successe of the same Yea come Lord Iesu Anno. M.D.LXX. The Queene of Nauar and other nobles come to Rochell The marriage between the King and the Emperours daughter Hartburning betweene the King and the Duke of Aniou Murder cōmitted at Orange vppon those of the Religion Murder at Roane Subsidies and taxes The first motion of the marriage Anno. M.D.LXXI A great frost A Sinode holden at Rochell The Queene of Nauar commeth to the Court. Lycence to marry sent for to Rome The Admiral marrieth his second wife Floudes of water An erthquake Anno. M.D. LXXII A Synode at Nismes Famine in Languedoc An admonitiō to the Admirall Mongomerie escapeth with others by flight Anno domini 1572. A generall feare insued that horrible murder Switzerland and Germany disquieted with the troubles of Fraunce Prouision for warre The greate dissipation of them of the Religion Crueltie somewhat mitigated Those Cities whiche were held by them of the Religion The purpose of the Religious condēned of many Those few of the Religion vncertayne what to doe Constāt purpose of defēce A notable myracle of this fourth motion after the murder The Admiral misliked the wickednesse of hys souldiers Pollicie vsed to take Rochell A solemne fast appointed in Rochell Rochel refuseth to receiue Monsieur Biron Murder at Burdeaux Open war against Rochel Rochell prepareth for defence The state of Montauban The richer sort mind to yeeld vp the Citie The better part of the Religious mind to hold the Citie Varietie of counsayles Villeneufe takē by treason The example of falsehoode in the Catholiques The answere of the citizens of Nismes Preparation of war against Languedoc The state of Sanserre The state of the religious in Daulphine Many fell away from the Religion The behauiour of the noble men in Daulphine Mombrune a noble and valiant man. The Kings Edict for the calling home of suche as were fled The King goeth about to dryue them that were fled for Religion out of Switzerlande The Quenes Maiestie Godmother to the French kings daughter They of Rochell are put to proscriptiō by the King. Mons le Noe commeth to Rochel The begynning of the seege of Rochell The noble men within Rochel are assayed to be brought to defection Certaine milles ouerthrowne by the Catholykes d' Anuil commeth into Languedoc with an army The vnprofitable warre of d'Anuil in Languedoc Sommiron is besieged The state of them in Languedoc The affayres of Sanserre The affayres
kings good wil expressed at large both towards the Queene of Nauar and also toward the Admiral him self is sayd to cōtend in word greatly against the same Notwithstanding letters being often sent concerning the dayly speach of the king the Admirals mynd began by little and little to be persuaded and to iudge very well of the king in all things thinking that a yong man which was of a milde nature and a louer of peace coulde not dissemble and although he feared the subtile and craftie wit of the Queene mother neuerthelesse the matter was come to that poynt that the king woulde not hearken to hir counselles in dispyght of his brother the Duke of Anjou whose power he had greatly in suspition It is sayd also that mons Momorencie who was cousin germane to the Admirall preuayled much in persuading the Admiral And the king to serue his turne made great account of Momorecie cōmitted vnto him the charge of waightie affaires dayly talked with him about secret matters of priuie coūsel For there is an olde and continuall hatred as we haue oftentimes sayd betweene the houses of Momorencie of Guise in somuch that Momorencie thought that not onely the Admirals death but his also was sought and that for thys cause he was alwayes suspected and out of fauour with the Queene THE Guises therefore seemed dayly more and more to be out of fauour with the King contrariwise he seemed to vse the King familiarly and protested his singular good will towards the Admiral also he cōferred with him about waightie affaires for the exployting whereof he sayd he had neede of the help and ayde of the Admirall The Queene also according to hir manner protested that she desired nothing more than that all former matters beyng forgotten an assured peace might be established And the summe of all their communications and speaches was this that the Queene of Nauar the Princes and the Admirall should come vnto the King and be throughly perswaded of his singular good will towardes them By whyche meanes it might come to passe that a firme friendship mighte be made their minds being reconciled by familiar speache These things being dayly brought both by letters of Momorencie and also by speaches of messengers the Queene of Nauar was not onely throughly perswaded heereof but also the mind of the Admirall fully vanquished and ouercome IN this yeere there befell suche a sharpe colde winter that the Riuer of Rosne was frosen quite ouer all along the chanell and whiche was neuer hard of before Countie Volt a noble man went ouer the riuer on foote with his whole family and others commaunding his Mules to goe before him laden with cariage out of the countrie of Viuaretz into Daulphine IN Languedoc and in Prouance most temperate Regions the Oliue trees fygge trees Orenge trees and Pomegranat trees were almost dead with colde Vines also starued in many places to the great spoyle of most fertile coūtries Whereuppon ensued a great dearth which the godly interpreted as a forewarning of Gods great iudgements IN the moneth of March of this present yeere there was holden a generall Synode of the reformed Churches at Rochell vppon graunt from the Kings maiestie by his letters There came to this Synode godly and learned men from all partes of the Realme as Antoni Chande a man of noble parentage Nicolaus Gelazius and many others Thither came also Theodore Beza vppon request of the Princes letters to the Senate of Geneua and was made chiefe in that Synode being chosen according to manner custome by voyces It pleased also the Queene of Nauar the Princes peeres nobles of the Religion to be present in this assembly In this Synode were specially handeled the manner of reforming the Churches the principall poynte of doctrine Ecclesiasticall discipline a new manner wherof Iohannes Morelius went about to bring in a little before diuers other things also were hādled cōcerning certaine other newe formes in the Lordes supper ABOVT the same tyme the messengers of the Princes returned from the King hauing large giftes giuen them and bringyng with them ioyfull tydings concerning the Kyngs assured good will towardes the Queene of Nauar toward the Princes the Admirall and the other noble men concernyng publique peace and the expected matrimony and concernyng preparation to bee sent at the Kyngs cōmaundement into the low coūtrey which the messēgers sayd they thēselues shuld vnderstād by the kings own mouth willing thē to go with all speed vnto the king which was the principal point of their ambassage Hereuppon the Queene of Nauar thought that shee could not but go vnto the King fearing least if she should deny the same or should defer the tyme the King would be displeased seeing also M. Biron was come vnto hir strayte after the returne of the messengers with the same message from the king to the ende she might make the more speede Notwithstanding the wiser sort suspected hir going to whō the mariage in persons of contrary religion seemed daungerous and contrary to the expresse word of god Neuerthelesse worldly reasons preuayled that the lamētable tragedy might go forward that is to say that the iust prouidence of god might fynde a way to bring great matters about and to punishe both their sins he vsed both their sins after a certaine wonderful māner Therefore the Queene of Nauar came to the Courte with a great traine which at that time was at Blay For whose honorable entertainment it can scarce be tolde what great preparation was made by the King the Queenes the kings brethren his sister and by the whole Courte insomuch that euery courtier went forth to meete hir as to receyue that which aboue all other things had a long tyme bene desired The King for his parte shewed all duties of humanitie in welcomming the Queene of Nauar that by any manner of meanes he might THE chiefe and greatest busines was about the mariage the contracte whereof could not be made without the presence of the Queene of Nauar. The King Queene by all meanes vttered their good willes The mynde of the Queene of Nauar was throughly perswaded of the same they disagreed not aboute the dowry For a large dowry meete for suche a State was offered and the Queene mother was very careful for the bestowing of hir only daughter shee making a shewe as though she would spare nothing to further the same Many things were handled concernyng the contracte of matrimony concerning the auncient societie and frendship betwene the house of Valoys of Borbon and of Aubeter and very notable things were at large spoken on both partes concerning the restoring of the kingdome into his former state by the meane of a fyrme peace There remained two doubts which seemed to trouble both partes namely the respecte of contrary religion and the place where the mariage should be celebrated For the Queene of Nauar would not haue the same at Paris which citie she
feared both for that the same was addicted to the Romish Religion and also an enimie to the house of Nauar. The King said that he would not haue the manner of royall mariages altered which were wont to be celebrated there and the rather bicause the same did greatly make for the assured signe of peace when the same should be seene to be openly celebrated in the Metropolitane citie of the realme as it were in the face of the whole worlde And now although both partes were perswaded that this maryage might bee made very profitably yet notwithstandyng there was great doubt concernyng the manner of celebratyng the mariage The Queene of Nauar beyng zelously addicted to the reformed religion would in no wyse consent that the maryage should bee celebrated after the Romish fashion neyther the Queene mother would condiscend that they should bee maryed after the order of the reformed Religion Thus there was greate dissention betweene the two women whereas they were agreed of the principall matter The King at the fyrst intreated the Queene of Nauar to graunt vnto him and to his sister this libertie for that it appertayned to his dignitie that the forme of the auncient Religion which he had receyued from his auncetors might bee vsed in the mariage of his sister When the Queene of Nauar had constantly excused hir selfe and that the King perceiued he preuayled nothing at all it is reported that vsing his accustomed othes he sayd that he would set his sister at libertie from the lawes of Rome and also from the rytes of the Religion and that hee him selfe would celebrate the mariage than the which there could not be a more pompous celebration The which rumor was spred abroad among the Courtiers and this new imagination pleased many very well for whatsoeuer the King saith or doth that doth the Frenchman lyke insomuche that they frame both their speach and their apparell according to the Kings guise To remooue this doubte respite was taken on eyther parte The Kyng sente letters vnto Pope Pius the fyfth to obtayne lycence for hys Syster to marry with Henry Borbon hys Coosyne leaste the respecte eyther of consanguinitie or of Religion might hinder the mariage for that it was for the wealth of the Realme Furthermore that it would please his holines to giue them leaue to vse such rytes in celebrating matrimonie as might best serue theyr turne The Pope altogether misliketh of the Kings request the which he often tymes denyed to graunt affyrming the same to be most vnlawfull On the other parte also the Queene of Nauar consulted with the ministers of the reformed Religion what might be done in this matter Of the which diuers verdictes and iudgementes were giuen Some vrging the simplicitie of the word of god thought it wicked by any manner of meanes to contracte such matrimonie the which was therefore muche more daungerous in noble personages bicause the affayres in hand did not belong to one house alone but also almost to the whole Realme The which speaches notwithstanding were not gracious and acceptable to the Queene of Nauar and to the rest of the nobles perswading themselues that they should all generally receyue great profite by that maryage Therefore the matter was committed to a fewe by whose determination the same was to be ended and they concluded nothing but that which they knew would please the Queene of Nauar the nobles Then the matter being approued vppon their sentence determination began to grow in greater likeing to please more of the ministers whose iudgemēts were afterward required in publique assēblies of the churches of Frāce Thus the woorser counsaile tooke place and not only the Queene of Nauar but also the greatest part of them of the religiō earnestly wished that mariage All the cōtrouersie stood on this poynte by what way most conueniently and with lest offence of eyther parte the mariage might be solemnized THE Admirals wyfe being dead hee maryed another of the noble house of Royen being daughter to the Countie of Entremont and heyre to greate possessions This stocke belongeth to the Countie of Sauoy and thys riche noble woman was desired in maryage of many noble men and peeres also of Sauoy Notwithstanding the Admirall preuayled both by the meanes of the Kings letters to Philibert Duke of Sauoy whose authoritie was greate in makyng that noble maryage and also by his owne fame and name of Religion which was most acceptable to that heroicall Lady and so tooke hir to his wife which many gathered to bee an argument of most fyrme peace THE Admirall thought it necessarie for the expedition of the affayres in the lowe countrey to enter into league with Elizabeth the Queenes maiestie of Englande And good occasion as he thought was offered for that hir maiestie is single and the Duke of Anjou the Kings brother wanted a wyfe The Duke of Anjou thought him selfe woorthy so great a maryage both for that hee was the Kyngs brother and also bicause he had wonne to him selfe great renowne and prayse by his valiant actes in martiall affayres The charge to bring this matter to passe was committed to M. Momorencie a wise man and one of the chiefe nobles and gouernours of France The ende declared the causes of this league both that by this practise the myndes of the Admirall and of all the rest which ought necessarily to be blynded for the better finishing of the wicked facte might be deceyued all the whole matter being cloked with prouident care for the dispatche into the lowe countrey and also that Momorencie a man of sharpe wit myght not through hys familiaritie and conference with the Kyng smell out the counsailes of the tragedy which was in hande and finally that England being bounde by the name of this league might not stirre as offended at the wickednes of the facte the which also came to passe These were the reasons why the league was made with the Queenes maiestie of Englande as hath since appeared by the successe it selfe AVTVMNE of this present yeere was very vnseasonable flowing with continuall vehement showers of rayne A great parte of the houses and buildings of Feraria fell downe to the present ruine of the whole Citie Nere vnto Geneua at the straytes of Ecluse a great parte of a hyll was broken down with the freat and violence of the waters and fel down into the Riuer of Rosne with the which the water was so stopte that it dyd ouerflowe and the sayd Ryuer was so checkte with the floude that the streame hauyng hys contrary course backewarde caused the wheeles of those milles that stoode vppon the same to runne amisse and to turne the Milstones the wrong waye to the woonder of suche as sawe the same the lyke whereof was neuer seene before There was also so greate an Earthquake in a certayne village neere vnto Geneua that all the houses in the same were ouerthrowne and a certayne peece of
spente that time in deuising murders against the noble men of his Realme and at the last determined to kill Iulian whome in the sight of men he loued and reuerenced as a father Antonius Caracalla an enimie of Alexandria bycause certayne verses were soong agaynste him commaunded all the yong men of the citie to be gathered togither vnder the colour of a muster and to be slayne and that euery souldier shuld kill his host where he lay Thus the Citie beyng replenished with murders he had no other excuse to cloake the same but to write vnto the Senate that they had euery one deserued death and that this answer ought to suffice them Lysander the chiefe Captayne of the Lacedemonians calling fourescore of the men of Miletus togither vnder the colour of societie and friendship cōmaunded them to be slaine Seruius Galba shewed the like crueltie vppon sixe thousande Spanyardes Antonius Spinola calling vnto him colourably the chiefe men of the Isle of Corsica to make them a banquet commaunded their heads to be chopt off Charles the seuenth King of Fraunce after he had reconciled him selfe with the Duke of Burgundy and confirmed the same with a matrimoniall league had also solemnely sworne to forgiue all things past sent for him to the towne of Monterell vnder the colour of friendship and there slue him There are many other examples from among the whiche I haue taken these fewe to the ende thou mayest knowe that the King beeing a yong man hath diligently learned that doctrine whiche is contayned in the .18 chapter of that Booke which concerneth the doctrine of a Prince set foorth by Machiauell Euen as it cannot be vnknowen vnto thee that the kyng the very same day that the Queene of Nauar came to the Court of Blaij Iestingly demaunded of the Queene mother adding thervnto ▪ acording to his maner a blasphemous othe if he had not behaued himselfe exceeding wel To the which the Queene answeared agayne that he had begon very well but it woulde profit little except he went forward But I will sayth he addyng hys accustomed oathes bryng them euery one into thy nette These are the Kings wordes Heereby it may bee gathered what the ende of these familiarities and friendshippes will bee shewed towardes thee and to other noble menne of the Religion Looke diligently to thy selfe and bee assured that there is no other remedy for thee to escape theyr snares than to get thee away betimes from thys Court whyche is a most fylthy and vncleane Sodome THIS Booke beyng red the Admirall aunswered with angry moode the man in whose name the same was offered That these things serued not the time that they mighte haue bin spoken conueniently in time past but nowe there was no cause remayning of suspition God had altered the Kings mynde hee woulde neuer beleeue that suche falsehoode could haue place in his Kyngs mynde nay he was perswaded that Fraunce had neuer a better King than Charles the ninth and that although the Duke of Anjou were an enimie to the Religion yet at the last hee woulde forsake that hatred for the reuerence sake of that affinitie whiche hee shoulde haue with the King of Nauar. That a league was made with Englande into the whyche also hee minded to enter with the Princes of Germany whyche professed the Religion to shewe hys affection towarde the Religion myndyng to haue in hys company one of the sonnes of the Countie Palatine and some one of the noble men of Englande whyche was zealous in the Religion That he had gyuen his fayth to the Prince of Orange and to his brother to ayde hym agaynst the Spanyardes in somuch that he was the chiefe and efficient cause of the preparation of warre into the iowe countrey That in stead of the Armie whyche was committed to the conduct of Mons Genlis a newe supply was prepared that the affayres of the lowe countrey were in good cace That the Kyngs Ambassadour dyd dayly aduertise hym of the counsayles of the Duke of Alba. That the same Nauie of which Mons Strozzi and Baron de Guard haue charge is prepared for no other end than to remoue the Spanish nauie and to goe with speede to Vlishing to the Prince of Orange that there may be open warre in the lowe countrey Finally that the Kyng did all things with greate care for the confirmation of peace by the benefyte whereof there was no doubt but that the affayres of the Religion shoulde haue good successe Wherefore hee prayed him and all others of the same opinion that they woulde not trouble his mynde with those suspitions beeyng occupied with better thynges but rather that they woulde pray vnto GOD that he woulde bryng that to good effect whyche was happyly begun to the peace and tranquillitie of the Realme and hys Churche ABOVT the same time almost Mons Momorencie was returned out of Englande hauing entred into league in the Kings name with the Queenes highnesse of Englande concerning that marriage which was intreated in the name of Henry Duke of Anjou it is vnknowen what hindered the same It is said that hir maiestie vtterly refused the matche But howsoeuer the cace stoode I am perswaded that God of his singular goodnesse prouided for hir Maiestie and also for the Realme of Englande from the whiche hee hath turned away great calamitie THE Prince of Orange hauing gotten a great armie in the which were sayd to be twenty thousand footemen eyght thousand horsemen entred the lowe countrey At whose comming the Cities in diuers places were yelded vnto hym in somuch that within a short time he had in his power foure and forty Cities the greatest part of Zeland Holland Among these cities he had Mechline In the mean time the Duke of Alba beseeged Mounts in the which was Lodowic brother to the Prince of Orange with a great number of noble French mē Shortly after thys was the cruel slaughter of the Admiral and other noble men and gentlemen committed at Paris and in other places of the Realme whiche is at large set foorth in the tenth Booke of Commentaries already translated and therefore here omitted AFTER the murder the king commaunded the King of Nauar and the Prince of Conde to come before him Who being in his presence he sayeth vnto them That after so long time of warres by which his kingdome hath bin greatly endammaged he hath found out at the length vndoubted remedies to take away cleane all the causes of warre and hathe therefore commaunded the Admirall to be slayne the wicked author of mischeuous troubles and that the same punishment was prouided in the Citie for al lewde and naughtie persons infected with vngodly superstition That he remembred what great harme he had receyued both of the King of Nauar and also of the Prince of Conde who were the Captaynes and ringleaders of desperate persons and seditiously helde warre against him to reuenge so greate iniuries he had nowe cause and occasion offered him
Notwithstāding he sayd he would forgiue matters past and done for their ages and consanguinities sake deeming that they were not so much to be blamed as the Admirall and other moste mischeuous persons theyr counsaylers who eyther already had bin punished for their desertes or else were now vnder the same These thyngs therefore he sayd he would pardon vpon condition that they wold euer after amend their former faultes with more faythfull obedience and woulde returne to the Religion of the Catholique fayth that hauing renounced the doctrine of prophane superstition whiche had already caused so great troubles and warres they woulde wholly imbrace the auncient Religion and returne to the lap of the Church of Rome That he would euer after haue but one onely Religion imbraced in hys Realme and the same which he had receyued from hys auncetors Therefore he willed them to consider whether they would obay in these things or else suffer such punishmente as theyr fellowes had done The King of Nauar being abashed with these sharpe speeches aunsweared humbly vnto the king that hee remembred his fayth and the consanguinitie lately entred with hys maiestie and that he would do those things whiche might please and content his minde most hartily beseeching him to consider how great a thing a mans conscience is and how hardly he could renounce that Religion whiche he had learned and in the which he had bin trayned vp from a childe Notwithstanding he spake these things with great submission feare The Prince of Conde perceyuing the present perill answered the King but not without feare of mind that his maiestie had so solemnly giuen his faith to him and to the rest of the Religion that he could not perswade him selfe that he would breake so faithfull an oath nor harken to the counsailes of his aduersaries And as touching that obedience which his maiestie required of him and which he had euer hitherto faythfully shewed to the same he minded neuer to forsake it during life But as touching the Religion he had free leaue of the king to exercise the same and from God the true knowledge therof to whom he knew he shuld giue an account for the same Adding that him selfe and all that he had was in the kings power And he willed him to do what soeuer pleased him both with his life and also with his goodes yet neuerthelesse he was fully determined neuer to depart from that Religiō which he knew for certain to be true though it were to the present perill of his life The King was sore offended with this aunsweare of the Prince of Conde and calling him obstinate seditious and the sonne of a seditious person telleth him that if he do not repent him within three dayes he should suffer death for his peruerse obstinacie There were spared also certayne of the houshold seruantes of the king of Nauar which were gentlemē mons Grammōts Durase and certayne others which promised that they woulde do whatsoeuer the king commaunded them These being neuer earnest louers of the Religion were pardoned that they might be instruments afterward to withstand the same This garboyle and bloudy sturre being thus made in the Citie and in the Castell there were left as yet those whyche dwelt and aboade in the suburbes and some of the nobilitie as M. Chartres Mongomeri Briquemauld Bellouez Fontene and diuers other noble men Commaundement was giuen by the king to the Prouost of the marchāts to haue a thousand armed men in a redinesse to intercept those of the religion whiche were in the suburbes of Sangerman And hee had giuen the whole charge of this matter vnto M. Marcell one of the chiefe Magistrates of the citie Notwithstanding the prepared souldiours came not at the hour apointed through the negligēce of the said magistrate The king had appointed M. Mongeron chiefe ouerseer of the execution of his purpose He looking for his souldiors and seeking for the Duke of Guise to complayne to him of this matter certaine houres were spente In the meane tyme one of the Religion seing the citie all on a roare running vnto the riuer got in conuenient time a boate and so cut ouer the riuer and certified Mongomerie of the trouble in the citie This was about fiue of the clocke Mongomerie gaue M. Chartres to vnderstād hereof and so by opening the matter from one to an other it was generally knowne by and by to all that were in the village or suburbes Notwithstanding it seemed almost incredible The greatest part beleued that the king was not priuie to so great wickednesse so farre they were from thinking that it should be don by his commaundement othersome beyng as yet persuaded of the kings good will thought that the kings owne person was assaulted by the Guyses for the hatred that they bare to the Religion whiche he seemed to fauour Therfore amidst this varietie of opinions they knew not themselues what waye they were best to take Some thought it beste to goe oute of hande to the kyng to the Castell of Lowre least they myght be deceyued of the kynges will other some sayde that it was needfull and necessarie for them to goe and ayde the kyng The thyrde and wyser sorte nothing doubting but that this was doone by the kings commaundement betooke them to flight But while they made delay they might easily haue bin taken had not an other impediment happened The Duke of Guise seeing that he coulde not haue a band of souldiours of the Parisians they following the praye and spoyle deuised a newe way whiche was that he woulde goe himselfe with certaine souldiours to the suburbes of Sangerman whyle the shot and spearemen of the kings garde gaue an assault from the riuer vpon the whiche stoode the suburbes ouer against the castell of Lowre But his purpose and deuise tooke not effecte For when the Guise woulde haue gone foorth with his souldiours he was constrayned to staye the porter of the gates hauing deliuered the wrong keys the other not to be founde Before therefore the keyes coulde be brought suche delay was made that M. Chartres Mongomerie and others escaped away and yet not without further perill For they sawe on the other syde of the shoare bandes of souldiours approching to shippe and hearde cryes made from the Castell that they fledde and sawe also greate stoare of shotte discharged at them bothe from the Castell and also from the shippes Also it is sayde that the kyng hym selfe stoode vpon the top of his tower crying and swearyng and dischargyng shotte Then they whiche were in the suburbes leauyng all theyr goodes roade away without bootes and spurres wyth as muche speede as possible they coulde They were scarse out of sighte when the souldiours were landed on the other syde who brake into the houses and tooke their pray Neuerthelesse they whiche fled were pursued by the Guyse by Duke d'Aumale by the Earle of Engolesme and others to Monfort which is distant from Paris the space of
eyght leagues Wherevpon he returning belayed the countrey that suche as fledde awaye mighte bee taken Thus certayne of the noble menne of the Religion were preserued Also the Lorde Assier mons Sanroman Cugier and dyuers other noble men and Gentlemen were saued by the Guyses meanes To thys ende and purpose to laye all the enuye and blame vpon the king and people as though it had bin hys only purpose to reuenge his owne priuate spight vppon the Admiral and also that they whome he had saued in so greate peril might for euer by such a benefite be bound vnto him the which in deede came to passe THE Munday following whiche was the .xxv. daye of August the Sunne shined very bright and cleere Wherevppon the king looking out of his windowe of the Lower cryed with oathes that the fayre day did reioyce for the slaughter of the Hugonots Thus also sayd other of the court And Iames Carpenter by a publique bill called this bright day the lyghte of August About noone in the Churchyarde of Saint Innocent there sprang vp a bremble bushe which the Frenchmen call white thorne contrary to the time and season of the yeere Of the which when the people heard they ran thither in greate number to see this straunge miracle the like whereof hathe not bin seene Some say that this was made to growe by the practise of a certaine Priest whiche is not vnlyke But the common people sayd that God by a manifest signe did approoue the murther lately committed and that nowe both the Catholique fayth and also the kingdome of Fraunce had recouered theyr former glory and shoulde after this triumphantly flourishe Therefore the trumpets sounded in diuers places of the citie Notwithstanding it is certayne that the like kind of white-thorne or hauthorne sprang vp about the same time in other places also whether it were long of the temperatenesse of the season or no I knowe not Many seriously alluding to the names of the things affirmed that the white thorne sproong vp to the commendatiō of the Innocents not to approoue the murders bycause it florished in that place which had to name S. Innocēts But if so we mark this miracle what other thing doth the same signifie vnto vs thā this That albeit the Church seemed by this deadly wound to be quite slain yet notwithstāding it should come to passe that it being reuiued by a certaine singular extraordinarie power should flourish shuld firmely stand amidst these ouerthrowes It is not farre vnlike the myracles shewed to Moyses in the bushe the which though it were set on fire was not consumed THE King and the Queene determined by their priuie counsell to haue this murther proceede against other cities also thereby mynding to destroy vtterly them of the Religion least mons Momorencie by their helpe and ayde shoulde take in hande any newe enterprise He at this time was gone apart to Insuladam a towne of his dominion D'Anuil was at Paris who with the rest of his brethren had drunke of the same cup with the Admirall if they might haue bene brought altogether within the compasse of the same snare But it seemed not a sure and safe way to kyll one and to leaue the reste of the brethren aliue no so great power of the house and stocke of Momorencie The Thursday folowing being the eight and twentie of August the King commaunded a Iubile and a generall procession about the citie in the which he in his own person with the rest of the Court was present to giue God thankes openly as they sayd bycause their enterprise had such desired successe The same day the King caused it to be openly published that he was the authour of that murther forbidding the vse of the reformed religion throughout his whole realme vntill he had taken other order notwithstanding he sayd that he wold not haue these things so to be taken as though his Edictes of pacification were broken And this is the summe of the sayde late Edict The King desiring that all his peeres noble men gentlemen and others might vnderstand the true cause why the Admirall and his adherents were slayne of late in this citie bycause it may otherwise be reported than truth would he certifyeth all men generally That what so euer was done herein was done by his expresse commaundement and not for Religions sake or by any manner of meanes to breake his Edict of pacification which he woulde haue to stande in full force and to be faythfully obserued and kept but that he might preuent the wicked conspiracie of the Admirall and his felowes against his person his royall dignitie his mother his brethren the King of Nauar and against the Princes and other noble men which were in fauour with the king Therefore he giueth all menne to vnderstande that he willeth and commaundeth all those of the Religion to liue in securitie and peace at home with their families vnder his protection and garde as they had hytherto done And he giueth straight charge and commaundement to all gouernours of prouinces and other officers that no man doe oppresse them of the Religion eyther in life or in goods vpon paine of death Notwithstanding his will and pleasure is to take away those troubles and offences which may growe by sermons and other exercises of the Religion that none of the Religious noble man or gentleman of what state and condition so euer he be shall haue any priuate or publike assemblies for no cause vntill he hath otherwise prouided vpon payne of losse both of life and also of goods The which things howe well they doe hang together all men may see The King sayth heere that he would haue the former Edictes of pacification stande in force and yet neuerthelesse forbiddeth holy sermons and other assemblies vpon payne of death He affirmeth that he would haue all men to liue in peace and securitie at home and yet notwithstanding he playnely testifieth him selfe to be the authour of murthers And as touching the conspiracie made by the Admirall and the rest which were at Paris they themselues which take part with the Catholikes do scorne it as a forged lye GREAT murthers were committed at Lions and in diuers other cities so that within one monethes space there were at the least three thousande men slaine But of all the rest the wicked and cruell murther committed in the citie of Paris in the kings presence exceeded and farre passed the rest AND al gouernors of prouinces obeyed not those bloudy commaundements giuen by the king The Countie d'Tende answered the kings commaundement and his letters sealed with his priuie seale saying That he did not thinke this to be the kings deede but the deede of such as forged and pretended his name for that a fewe dayes before hee had receyued quite contrarie commaundements by the kings letters And he affirmed that he would obey those first letters as meete and worthy to proceede frō a king woulde fulfil the same
vtter destructiō Wherevpon the Kings officers were not so forwarde in theyr affayres as else they would haue bin thinking that they did but lose their labour in a matter most easie to be finished Notwithstanding an armie was prepared and the King by his letters instantly required Monsieur Beleur whiche was hys Lidgar in Switzerlande for the same purpose to sende with all speede a band of Switzers FOR there remayned as yet certayne cities whiche were held and garded by those that were left of the Religion as Rochel Sanxer and in Languedoc Montauban Castres Nismes Milliaud Aubenac Priuac Mirebel Ganges Anduz and certaine other townes of no fame in the territorie of Viuaueretz and Seuenats Notwithstanding it seemed to many yea and to the most part of such as professed the Religion greate folly ioyned with madnes after so great a slaughter almost of all that professed the Religion the kings power being nothing deminished hauing the whole kingdom redy at his cōmandemēt for thē to enterprise presume to defend them selues against the armie of so mighty a king after so great cōsternatiō feare whē as not only none of the Princes but also not one noble mā almost was lefte in Frāce which durst so much as professe the loue he bare to the Religion There were also and that not a few whiche sayd that it was great wickednesse vnlawful for subiects hauing no authoritie from princes or chiefe magistrates to beare armour agaynste their king though he were wicked that by the effect and successe it selfe it had appeared that the forceable resistance of them of the Religion hitherto was vngodly though it were collected by the authoritie of the princes and by lawfull titles both for that the king was in his minoritie and also bycause the breaking of the kings Edicts might be lawfully punished for that the kings wil was in expresse words declared That in this enterprise all things faile and that the king is a man that there wante Princes to whome the aucthoritie of gouerning the kingdome shuld belong and that the king doth playnely professe that he wil not hurt them of the Religion but that he commaunded that murder to be committed with purpose to destroy the Admiral and other the chiefe aucthors and instrumentes of the warre that the kingdome afterwarde might remaine in peace And that although in this matter he exceeded the rule of reason yet it was not lawful for the subiect to rebell against him or for the subiect to punishe his lorde and king for his offence There were also some which vtterly condemned the gouernment of the prince of Conde and of the Admirall in their actes and exployts of the yeeres past and through the enuie of the lamentable successe haue brought the whole cause in hatred And those false accusations of Carpenter and Pibrach in their Epistle to that famous man Stanislaw Heluidius were oftentimes obiected by exulcerated and gaulled mindes to make the remembrance of the former warres detestable So that a man woulde haue thought that the Religion had bin extinguished for euer in Fraunce and concerning this matter many of them disputed with odious wordes whiche in time of the former warres had highly commended the causes to take the same in hand And thus calamitie was counted for great reproch and shame such is the greate rashnesse of men in iudging of matters ALSO in those Cities whiche as yet had not receyued the Kings Garrisons these dissentions were very ryfe and the Citizens being distract and vncertayne what to do seemed not so much to delay and deferre the Kings Garrison as to spend the tyme to the ende that euery one myght get for him selfe the more conuenient oportunitie and occasion to flee and escape away or els to get fauour agayne thys was the common will and purpose of the Townesmen Notwithstanding God vsed the diligence of a fewe to bring the rest to a constant purpose and the feare of the cruell murders committed perswaded the people to defende them selues that for somuch as they were in vndoubted perill of death they myght if it so pleased the Lorde choose the more honest kinde of death by the lawfull right of necessary defence the Magistrate him selfe vrging them therevnto THEREFORE amidst so many and so great difficulties and extremities it seemed impossible that Religiō should stand by any manner of meanes and so euerlasting destruction seemed to be broughte vppon the Churches of Fraunce In these straits of great calamitie the prouidence of God of such beginnings as were so weake and so farre from the iudgemente of humane reason made a way for so much more glory as the disorder and confusion of all thinges was past hope of recouerie The chiefe Captaynes were gone the ayde and help of forreine Princes wanted yet notwithstanding the present helpe and helping fauour of God in due tyme fayled not Yet for all that there remayne suche greate things of so weake and feeble a beginning euen vntill this day that this same seemeth to be especially the counsaile and finger of God that the force and strēgth of noblemen beyng cut off he alone mighte be counted the author of his worke and mighte make manifest his manyfolde wisdome in this worke I may not dissemble and in making this a preface for the narration to come I swarue not from my purpose both those noble men and ringleaders which tooke vppon them the ordering and defence of this cause and also in part they of the Religion themselues in the former yeeres past offended many wayes Much disorder verily and many faults came by the ciuill warres in somuch that among those of the Religion the puritie of Religion beeing contaminated and defyled with true occasions of true accusations was euill spoken of For it is well knowen that the Admirall him selfe in those former warres protested not once but often That he had rather dye any kinde of death than he would be counted any longer a Gouernour and Captayne of such a leawde and wicked route of common souldiers most vnworthy of the bare name of Religion for such he knew many of his band to be God therefore iustly punished those mē which abused his Religion neuerthelesse hee dyd not neyther wyll hee leaue vnfinished the worke which he hath begonne But is there any man so blynde which seeth not what great punishments remayne for those which for the mortall hatred they beare to the poore Religion haue set to theyr helping hand to commit a most detestable fact seeing that to fyll vp the measure of extreme wickednesse all shewe of right and equitie is set asyde in so much that there remayneth no excuse for the same But to returne to our purpose agayne THEREFORE this fourth warre is more wonderfull than the three first bycause of most weake and feeble beginnings it had greater and more notable successe in so much that when the Prince of Conde the Admirall and other noble
a noble mā caried him into the citie After certayne dayes some soldiers being priuily come from the Shippes at the firste watch when the gates were shut and beyng passed ouer the ditch were assayled by the warders of the Kings campe In this tumult the Citie was raysed and the townesmen brake foorth by whyche occasion there was so sore a fyght and skirmish that a fewe only of the townesmen beyng slayne and wounded there was of the kings part a hūdred and fyue and fyftie slayne and many sore hurt Then the Catholiques began to practise by subtil meanes to intercept them of Rochel Mons Triabalde a noble man entred into the Citie vnder a coloured pretence of fleing to them of the Citie assayeth to bring the noble men which were there but especially mons Languillier who had the chiefe authoritie ouer Rochel to defection But seeing that he could not preuaile searing least they of the town would punish him for his falsehood returned to the kings Camp at the next eruption out of the citie About this time there were new platformes made for them of Rochel but those souldiers whiche were apoynted to gyue the enterprise were for the most parte slayne in the furie of the common people the rest after examination had by the Magistrate were brought foorth of prison and hanged The Citizens of Rochel made mons l' Noe their generall notwithstanding so that the chiefe authoritie and power of other matters shoulde rest in the hands of the Magistrate And certaine other speciall thyngs befell among them the which to thys day are knowen to fewe and to me also vncertayne that I dare not commit them to writing The Citizens came alwayes thyther where they thoughte they myght fynde the enimie Therefore there was a sore battayle fought at Tadon and at Netrè two villages neare to Rochel in whych the kyngs part was put to the worst And thus they neuer suffered the enimie to be at rest The twentie day of Ianuarie mons de Guarde brought the kings nauie to the promontorie called Chef de Bois and seeking to stop thē of Rochel of their passage sunke a huge emptie Shippe commōly called the Caraque in the sea and with great waytes and towes made the same immouable and ankerfast Vpō this he reared a fort called le Eguille from whēce he thundred discharged great shot against that part of the towne which was opposite to the same Ouer against one end of the Caraque ther was another fort called Corceille oueragainst the other ende of the same a thyrde fort called the fort of the newe hauen And thus the hauē was defended on both sydes the Caraque beyng in the middest There appeared in the ocean sea a little beyonde the hauen within the vewe of the towne two Shippes whiche seemed to beare sayle as though they would ariue at the Citie Therfore the townesmen went out of the Citie euen vpon a heape to the number of fourescore hauing certayne soldiers froonting them with targets and shields intending with matter that they caried with them to fyre the Caraque The which notwithstāding they attempted in vayne beeing terrifyed with the thundring shot which flew from the Eguille for t and also with the hardnesse of the enterprise and so returned into the citie The Duke of Anoiu sente letters from the towne called Samnessan to mons le Noe and commaundeth him to signify vnto the men of Rochel in his name that the king would forgyue them both their lyues and goodes so that they woulde yeeld them selues into his hands the which if they did refuse he would by force enter the Citie execute suche punishment vpon them as they should therby be made an example for al others There fled to Rochel from the Kings armie diuers whyche aforetime had followed the Religion and were constrained by the extremitie of the tymes to fyght vnder the Kings banner By these the kings counsayle was bewrayed to thē of Rochel The syxt day of February they of the towne made another eruptiō or violet assault vnder the conduct of mons l' Noe in the which they fought so valiantly that of the Legiō of Sammartine one whole band was almost slain many also were takē prisoners whiche notwythstanding were dismist withoute paying any raunsome Notwithstanding they which were knowen to be instruments of the murder found no such fauour The eight day also the besieged townesmē gaue another assault in the which they lost only fiue but the kings part many soldiers Mons l' Noe chose vnto himselfe a wel apppoynted strong band of noble and olde experienced soldiers choise men which offered willingly their seruice THE Duke of Anjou beyng come neare vnto the city sent againe two letters to the citizens of Rochell the first concerned the noble men the second appertayned to the townesmen and forreners which were fled thyther In the which letters he declareth that the king was not so vneasie to be reconciled and vnwilling to shewe grace but that if they would repent them and craue pardon at his handes he would receyue them to his fauour againe but if they did obstinately refuse hys grace they myght assure them selues to feele the power and seueritie of their most renowmed Lord could not impute the cause of that their destruction to any other than to thē selues They of Rochell answered the Duke of Anjou wyth thankes giuing beseeching him to labour with the King that the matter myght be brought to assured peace and tranquilitie that especially they myght haue the libertie of their conscience THE fiftenth day of this month the Duke of Anjou came with great authoritie and countenance into the kyngs campe being accompanyed with his brother the Duke of Alanson the king of Nauar the Prince of Conde the Dauphin whiche were of the kings bloud the Guise Duke D'Aumal Marques d'Meyne Duke d'Bouillon Monluce Count Rochfoucalt the Lord Acier who after the death of his brother succeeded hym in the inheritance and was called Duke D'Vzes who hauing forsaken the religion tooke parte with the catholikes There were many other noble men also there was so great a multitude of noble men that to besiege and assault one citie men came from al parts of the realme with al forces that might be possible But before we come to speake of the noble siege it seemeth necessarie that we make breef descriptiō of the situation of Rochel of the most famous places therein made notable by valiant exploytes Rochel by situation extendeth it selfe so farre into the Ocean sea that it is almost compassed about therewith and it is closed almost rounde about with salte maryshes very conuenient for the making of salte but that part whiche tendeth towarde the countrey of Poictou is fyrme and fast grounde On that part standeth the temple called L'temple d' Cogne the which was fortified with a countermure and now beareth
ende of the moneth of December ORANGE was helde by Berchon in the name of the Prince of Orange and Berchon with the inhabitants of Auinion which bordered about him and of Venais also abstayned of purpose from warre Notwithstanding many of the Citizens of Orange hauing M. Glundag a valiant man of Daulphine their Captayn tooke the Castell and towne of Orange Berchon mistrusting no such thing who wēt straight way to Cortes a litle towne in the territorie of Orange After this M. Glandag warred very sore against Auinion against the inhabitants of the countie robbing spoyling them yea and the marchantmen as they went about their affayres were robbed in the common high way The sayd Glandag him self for all this boasted that he did not like of the reformed Religion and that only the poynt of his sworde was religious meaning therby that he did not embrace the doctrine of the religion but the cause of the religious By such like examples great offence was taken against them of the Religion THIS newe yeere comprehendeth the beginnings of newe and waightie matters with diuers successe both of king Charles the ninth by whose strong and florishing youth infinite victories to the vtter destruction of the religiō were prognosticated and also by the death of Charles Guise Cardinall of Lorhayne a notable auncient enemy of the reformed Churches which we will set downe according to our maner and purpose MANY of the noble men enuyed the gouernment of the Queene for whatsoeuer was done by king Charles was attributed vnto hir for that she as it is said being through effeminate and rashe hastines moued to displeasure one whyle agaynst some another whyle agaynst other some sought by all meanes possible to hurt those which might in any case withstand hir gouernement and for that she being a woman and which was more a straunge woman should haue the gouernment of the state so many yeares already against the ordinance of the auncient lawes of France and to the great reproche of the realme of France Therefore she had prouoked many of the noble men to hate hir especially bicause the authoritie of the nobles to whom the prerogatiues of the realme pertayned being by hir taken away and translated to hir selfe alone she aduaunced base borne men and straungers to great honour and to large riches and possessions especially Countie d'Retz who being the sonne of a Florentine Promoter called Gordes and his mother a famous harlot himselfe also at the first being but a seruant to a Forraiger came to so great riches and authoritie that he was not only checkemate with princes and noble men but also far excelled them Now bicause these large promotions gifts could not but be drawen out of the kings treasurie that is to say from the bloud of the miserable people lately oppressed with intollerable burthens of tributes many of the noble men dayly complayned that the common wealth was betrayed and troden vnder foote And the foule troubles of new warres did greatly amplify and encrease complayntes through the which warres the Citizens being armed with mortal hatred one against another by the instigation incouraging of a straunge woman with shamefull madnes killed destroyed one the other to satisfy the wicked appetites desires of an vngodly Italian Hetherto she had pretended the cause of Religion notwithstanding she sought this one thing only by these ciuil discords namely That when she had destroied the Frēch mē she might bring in Italians into the kingdome of France and so she might easely raigne alone hauing gotten such men about hir as stoode subiecte bound vnto hir Also the great misliking of the murther on Saint Barthelmewes day made hir to be the more enuyed and despised adding all that might bee to that notable hatred ▪ conceiued against hir bicause by the same fall not only many noble houses were depriued of their brethren and kinsmen the more noble sorte of them of the religion being slayne but also that the death of the noble princes and peeres was sought notwithstanding that they alwayes had imbraced the Romish Religion and that a manifest way was made to the vtter destruction of the nobles of France by this enterance and that bicause this ambitious woman would leaue nothing vndone to shew crueltie that she might rule and gouerne after hir owne will. Amidst the garboyle of the murthers they which suspected their bloud to be sought were at rest and were gone at the kings commaundement to the warre to destroy those which remayned of the Religion who being but fewe and weake seemed to be brought easely to destruction within few dayes But when the Queenes counsailes and deuises tooke not effect and newe murthers were made when there was preparation of warre against Rochell Languedoc then men more freely began to speake against those murthers and to detest those ciuill warres stirred vp by the commaundements of the Queene when as the contrary successe had frustrated and deceyued euen as it were in the very entry the imagined victories concerning the vtter destruction of those of the Religion And there was none which did not greatly cōdemne the causers workers of those murthers Peace was earnestly desired and hoped for all men when as the space of two yeeres had almost drowned the memory of the former troubles and iniuries and after so many spoyles made by warres new calamitie was feared insomuch that all men feared the cause of newe troubles And the remembrance of the pretended mariage celebrated with falsehood was most detestable to the euerlasting reproch of France Therefore in steed of tryumphes for the destruction of the remaynder of the religious there sprang vp new enimies from among the Catholiques themselues and that of them also which were present in those murthers and were instrumentes of the same who being taught by tyme it selfe and by the euent and successe of the matter did not only detest that wicked facte but also prepared them selues to reuenge the same And there was no small number of these new enemyes but the factions were copious and plentifull hauing ouer them noble and famous Captaines So many as could not abyde to fayle their countrey in extremity being now at the last cast and which being free from the Queenes liberalitie prefermēt which misliked of the insolent promotiō of straūgers so many I say seemed to be called euē as it were with the soūd of a trūpet to the societie of this new counsail The greatest iniury seemed to be giuē to the king of Nauar for that his mariage was dishonored polluted with the funerals of his friendes familie and he himself had come in perill of life except by a foule and shameful shift he had forsaken the religion in the which he was brought vp instructed for the which by the ayde furtherance of his mother he had held war. The Prince of Conde was with no lesse prouocations allured beside the olde causes the
to be made Notwithstanding hee to whom this charge was committed was taken at Lions by the Lifetenant Mandelot and was kept in warde certayne monethes THE Queene was much troubled in mynde and very carefull for the auoyding of diuers dangerous straytes For she did perceiue that they of the religion were not only sproong vp in great number but also that they were more wyse and by the late successe also of matters more constant and couragious and that therefore shee should haue a sore conflict with them To these were added new enemies who hauing no regard to religion but only a care of ciuil affayres would haue the gouernment reformed and in better state And she was not ignorant how that the most famous of the nobles were both authors and also instruments of that counsaile Shee knew that hir sonne the Duke of Alancon was an enemy vnto hir gouernment furthermore that the King of Nauarre and the Prince of Conde were very angry with the perill and dammage which they had receyued in their owne persons therefore the ambicious woman suspected that they also were of this counsaile to remoue hir from the gouernment of the Realme The Kings health bring past all hope of recouerie and the neere approachyng of his death was giuen out by his soothsayers whose helpe and counsaile the Queene greatly vsed which caused hir to feare least according to the custome of the lawes and ordinances of the Realme the gouernement of the same should bee set ouer vnto the Duke of Alancon whereby the counsailes and deuises of hir enemyes had an open way made for them to take effecte To take away these inconueniences the woman by long experience of matters and by gouernement in great affayres being more circumspect and subtil than the wisest purposed to prouide all meanes and wayes She ioyned pollicie and force together that she might not faile to bring hir purpose to passe She pretended the kings name in all causes in euery place whom notwithstanding shee made very seldome priuy to hir counsailes bicause he was sicke as she pretended She very carefully prouided that the kings armies should bee in a readines at hir commaundement vnder the colour of warre against Languedoc the which was certainly sayde to be prepared excepte they of the Religion in Languedoc would receyue these conditions commaunded in the Edicte of Rochell And the Countie D'Retes hauing receiued a great summe of money gathered souldiers together in Germany Also the end of hir policies was that the authors of the new sturres should be destroyed by a new murther Aboue the rest d'Anuil withstood these mischeuous deuises who being far from the Courte seemed plainly to make delay notwithstanding that he was oftentymes commaunded in the kings name to come at what tyme he being in a great and large countrey most fitte conuenient for his purpose by reason of the power of them of the religiō seemed to be in possibilitie to enioy both the kings armie and also the noble cities therin he beheld dayly other enemies whō the queene sawe to be lesse appliant to do iniurie Therfore there came oftentimes letters of the king to d'Anuil that eyther setting all excuse asyde leauing the prouince in peace he would come vnto the king or els veryly that he should be apprehended amidst these communications of peace And for this purpose M. Sansulpis and M. Villeroy were sent to d'Anuil vnder the colour of peace speciall commaundements of the Queene concerning this matter being giuen to M. Suz and Mongeron who in those partes were of great authoritie among the Catholiques On the other parte the Queenes enemyes had their secret counsailes the ende whereof was that an assembly of States might bee had euen by meere commaundement and that the gouernement of the Realme might be restored to a better state concerning the which matter what we know wee wil speake anon Therfore while the Queene sent often messengers into Languedoc concerning peace both d'Anuill was diligent in his affayres and also they of the Religion wished peace Neuerthelesse they of the religion made new delayes dayly by those cōmunicatiōs of peace which they called a collation and messengers were sent to and fro from the Courte into Languedoc These things thus continued from Ianuary vnto the moneth of March. AT THE laste Henry Valoys came into Polonia and was receyued with great pompe of the Polonians And after that the royall Funeralles belongyng vnto kings was celebrated for Sigismond who notwithstanding dyed in Iune in the yeere M.D.Lxxij the newe king was crowned in a great assembly of the nobles and people of Polonia at Cracouia by the Arche bishop of Guesuen the eightenth of February of this present yeere M. Mombrune towarde the ende of the moneth of March came with his armie into that parte of Daulphine which lyeth vppon the coast of the Riuer of Rosune and tooke certayne smal townes as Loriol Liberon Ale◠Gran and Roynac and repayred the decayed walles of Liberon and Loriol After this he made an inroade and inuasion of all that countrey violently assayling the gates of Valence of L'Crest and of Montile And he conspired against the most noble Cities and specially against Montile the which conspiracies the Catholiques turned to the destruction of many Vppon this occasion the noble men of the Religion which lay in corners vntill the tyme seeing the present perill that king ouer their heades came and ioyned themselues with Mombrune VVE SAYD before that Orange was taken by Glandag to giue occasions of warre Whilest he was absent Berchon by the helpe industrie of certayne of the Citizens of Orange tooke the Castell and the Citie notwithstanding parte of the townsmen were sore afearde and they also of the Religion which dwelt there aboutes as if Berchan would haue restored the Romishe Religion and euil entreated them of the religion Neuerthelesse he going about no new thing gaue thē to vnderstande that hee helde the Castell and the Citie in the name of his Prince that all Citizens without difference of Religion might liue peaceably according to the forme of the Edicte And so their neighbours of Auinion which seemed to be in possibilitie to get that Citie to the which they bare alway a priuie grudge were put out of all hope to obtayne the same Berchon was sayd to be very familiar with Cardinall Arminiae the Popes Legate but not without great suspicion of a summe of money receyued ABOVT the same tyme the Catholiques thought that they had occasion offered them to get Nismes by treasō There is a little towne neere vnto Nismes called Margaret of the which M. Santaial a noble man had the gouernement with a strong garrison who by the meanes of certayne of the Catholiques of Nismes delt with a certain captayn of the townsmen named Deron and promised a great summe of money to tell him by what meanes he might get the Citie The captayne by and by bewrayed this matter vnto M. Sanroman
the Liefetenant who commaunded him to offer diligently hys traueile vnto Santaial to couenant with him for his rewarde and to appoint the day and the manner of the enterprise Then Deron without delay vnder colour of a priuy escape spake with Santaial receyued his reward and prescribeth the day the manner how hee might bring his purpose to passe The which being done he enformed Sanroman of the whole matter The manner of this treason should be thus namely that one of the gates of the citie should be lefte open for Santaial to enter Therfore the gate was left open according to couenant on the day appointed the warders vsing greate silence notwithstanding all things were prepared to receyue the enemy But none of the Catholiques appeared hauing intelligence of deceyt notwithstanding that for this purpose bandes of the catholiques were come out of the countrey of Viuaretz Daulphine and from diuers other places About the same time also D'Anuill should haue bene taken by treason which was bewrayed and the traytor hanged These were two practises of great wayght to furder the Queenes purpose if they had successe according to hir mynde ABOVT the same time they of Villeneufe of whom we spake before slue certaine bandes of the Catholiques without losse of any one of their men and tooke a little towne called Aubenac not far from the Riuer of Rosne and slue the Garrison almost which remayned of those that were slayne of Lions CHRISTOPHER sonne of the Counte Palatine ioyned himselfe with Graue Lodowic who vntill that day had borne no Armour accordyng to the forme of the othe whiche hee tooke at Mountes Who brought an armie of two thousand horsemen vnto his brother the Prince of Orange And while he taried at Mastricte the space of two monethes looking for his footeband of Gascoines and practising by counsail in the meane tyme to take the Castel of Andwerp was at the last very sore charged with the kings power in the territorie of Mokens within the dominion of Cleueland two myles from Nijmegen And hauing vntill the euening valiantly withstood their force tooke Sig. Lasso a man of great fame among the Spaniardes The daye following about the breake of the day the kings partes giuing a freshe assaulte at what tyme the Graue Lodowic had sent away parte of his horsemen to prouide forrage and the Launce knightes came on very slowly to the battaile the Spaniardes gotte at the laste the victorie but not without bloudshed the chiefe Captaynes Christopher and Lodowic being loste in that conflicte whose death was doubted a long tyme Notwithstanding this is certayne that they had receyued so many woundes before they were slayne that they being diligently sought for among the deade bodyes of suche as were slayne coulde not bee knowen Thys slaughter happened the seuentene of Aprill of thys present yeere About the beginning of Februarie there brake forth newe bandes of newe men in the countrey of Poictou which called themselues Politikes and Malecontentes of the which some professed that they sought the reformation of the realme other some the reuenge of their parentes and kinsmen which were slayne in the furies on Saint Barthelmewes day These ioyned themselues with those of the Religion who almost about the same tyme had begoon warre a freshe in the conntrey of Poictou hauyng Monsieur L'Noe theyr Captayne ALSO at the same instante almoste Countie Mongomeri comming out of England into Normandy tooke Sanlo and Charent townes neere vnto the Sea coast and in Normandy the lower he tooke the towne called Donfro Therefore these newe commotions of the Politikes and of the Religious caused newe musters of men in those partes and it was sayde that this was the beginning of great matters and that many noble men would come vnto this warre But whereunto this came we will shewe by and by Almost at the same tyme namely the last of February there was great feare in the Courte It was tolde the Queene that there was certayne troupes of horsemen seene ryding to and fro neere vnto Sangerman where the king at that tyme lay This so sodayne feare caused the number to bee thought the greater M. d'Guitri a noble man was Captayn ouer those troupes which cōtayned fiue hundred horsemen The Queene tolde the king hereof being at the poynt of death and caused him to bee remoued out of hande from Sangerman to Paris And shee sent messengers vnto M. d'Guitri to know of hym in the kings name what his entent was Who deliuered vnto the messengers certayne petitions concerning the reformation of the Realme and the restoring of the authoritie of the states and so within fewe dayes after departed not knowing what would ensue thereof In the meane tyme the Queene apprehended many in the Courte and in diuers places of Paris whom shee thought to bee giltie of this conspiracie among which of the nobilitie was M. Coconass and d'Mole of Arles one of the familiar frendes of the Duke of Alanson Also at the same tyme the Marshalles Momorencie and Cosse were in the Courte They within certayne dayes after were at the commaundement of the king and Queene apprehended by the Kings Garde and were openly in the sight of all men caryed into the Castell of Bastill The Queene also caused Rumors to be spred abroad that they were the authors of a bolde conspiracie concernyng the intercepting of the King and the settyng ouer of the kyngdome to the Duke of Alancon to the ende they might rule all things as they themselues lusted Therefore she commaunding the household seruants of the king of Nauar and of hir sonne the Duke of Alanson to be taken away caused them to be kept close prisoners that they might go no whether nor do any thing without keepers She depriued D'Anuil also of the gouernment of Languedoc as accessarie to the sayd conspiracie and she sent the Prince d'Alphine the sonne of Monpenser into Daulphine with great power to bee gouernour of Languedoc and she wrote vnto the Senat of Tholose concerning the same depriuation of d'Anuill Also shee commaunded the Lord d'Acier by hir letters who was an enemy to d'Anuill to ayde d'Alphine in the custody of Languedoc to bring vnto him all the power hee was able to make All these things were done in the kings name Mombrune about the very comming of the Prince D'Aulphine slew fiue Ensignes of footemen at a towne called Pontereaw In the meane tyme D'Anuill lay still doing all things in the kings name neyther did he enterprise any thing any whit the more when he vnderstood of the imprisonment of his brother But the kings letters which Prince d'Aulphine sent vnto the lord d'Acier were intercepted at Pusin and came to his handes and by that hee perceyued the treason wrought against him then began he more openly to deale with them of the religion and to talke also with mons Sanroman to take certayne cities but somewhat to late For he lost the more noble cities by his
of the Prince of Orange in Belgie Mountes receyueth succours Mechgeline yeelded by the Prince of Orange to duke of Alba. The calamitie of them of Narden Harlem persisteth in defiance of the duke of Alba. Succors sent from the Prince of Orange intercepted by the Duke of Alba A monstrous Calfe A new Star. Cassiopeia is a signe in the fyrmamente whych hath twelue stars and is figured like a woman sitting in a chaire Commandements to beseege Rochel Preparation for the seege They of Rochell are assayed by letters An irruption by thē of Rochell Another eruption Treason practised against Rochell Mons le Noe general of Rochell The fort called le Eguille 41. The fort called Corceille 42. The fort of the new hauen 43. The Duke of Aniou vseth subtill perswasions to peace Backslyders frō the kings power A violent assalt by them of Rochell A legion cōmonly conteyneth 6000 footemen and 732. men of Armes A band conteineth sometime more mē and sometime lesse Letters hortatorie frō the Duke of Aniou to peace A topographicall descriptiō of Rochell Salte maryshes 16. Cogne fort 10 The tower Moreille 13. Sannicolas tower 18. Sannicolas forte 19. Sannicolas gate and the bulwarkes 20. Sannicolas tower 21. The tower of the hauen 22 The Lantern tower 23. The Citadel 1 The tower of Gayor 2. The newe gate bulwark platforme 3. The forte of the Castel 4. The place of Cockslem 5. The bulwark le Euangile 6 Cogne bulwarke 9. Mons Grandrise skirmisheth wyth the kings campe Mons l Noe hardly escapeth death Another assaulte The kings souldiers begin the assaulte Duke D'aumall slayne Truce taken for a parley The siege of Sommiron Monsieur Candale slaine Sommiron yeelded vp vpon good conditions Villeneufe in the territorie of Viuaretz is taken by them of the Religion D Anuil abstaineth frō war. Diuers cities in Languedoc takē by policie Pusis taken Mons Sanroman chosen to be generall by them of the religion Monbrune armeth himselfe in Dauphine The securitie of monsieur de Gordes Of the affayres of Sanserre The negligence of them of Sanserre The seege of Sanserre The courage of the Sanserreans in defēding thēselfs An Engine was a foure square thyng made of boordes and quarters for men to goe vnder to defend thē selues from stones shot The Sanserreans send for succors Concerning the affayres of the lowe countrey The Prince of Orange vittayleth Harlem A famine in Harlem Harlem surrendred vp to the Duke of Alba. Crueltie shewed at Harlē MARCHE Palereau An earthquake April The extremitie of the kings campe The Cazemates taken and forsaken againe A signe in the ayre Smoke made in the Citie The scaling ladders are ouerthrowne The victorie gotten by women Mongomeries nauie within sight of Rochel Maye Mons Cossine slayne The forte l'Euangile almost wonne Letters concerning peace Iune Letters of Mongomerie to the Rochellians A new kinde of fishe in the time of the siege came to Rochel Duke of Aniou chosen king of Polonia Occasion of peace The Duke of Aniou is in peril of his lyfe Truce broken Peace concluded betweene the king and thē of Rochel The Edict proclaymed The Edict of peace made the .11 of August An. 1573 Euery souse is .i. peny ob Englishe The pounde Turn ys is about two shillings sixe pence English A Franke or pounde is about two shillings sixe pence English A Liard is the fourth part of a souse A Deniere is the twelfth part of a souse The Sanserreans come to composition Preparation for the viage into Polonia Nantoilet robbed by the new king of Polonia The affayres of the lowe Countrey The Ramekeins Castell taken by the Flissinners Bycause the countrey of France was called in olde time Gallia or Gaule and was afterward by the Francones of Germany cōquered he caleth it here by the name of a compounde word Francogallia and the people Franco Galli that is to say French Gaules The Coronation of the King of Polonia Two noble men beheaded The death of king Charles ¶ TO THE READER FOrsomuch as in this historie we haue in diuers places briefly touched the affayres of the low countrey wee thought it necessary to adde to the ende of this worke this Epistle following which contayneth a summe of the tumults of the low countrey The same being at the first published in the Dutch tong in the yeere of our lord M.D.LXXIII in the moneth of September afterward by a certaine Dutchman turned into Latine and sent vnto vs with this title as followeth ¶ A Supplication to the Kings Maiesty of Spain made by the Prince of Orange the States of Hollande and Zealand with al other his faithful subiects of the lowe Coūtreyes presently suppressed by the tyrannie of the Duke of Alba and Spaniardes By which is declared the original beginning of the commotions and troubles happened in the saide lowe countrey MOst Soueraigne Lord your Maiesties most obedient and lamenting subiectes of the lowe Countreyes as they haue often pondered with them selues the natural affectiō and fatherly good inclination whiche your Maiestie hath since the time that your grace by the power of almightie God receiued the dominion and regiment of the sayde countries alwayes and continually shewed so haue they had a sure hope and vndoubted affiaunce that your Maiestie as well vppon their daily complaintes and lamentations as vpon the pitifull declarations and remonstrances of some christian Princes and Potentates vnto your Maiestie mercifully haue considered of our pitiful and most miserable suppression wherwith wee by reason of the great and vnsupportable force arrogancy and wicked regiment of the Duke of Alba are suppressed and mercifully haue regarded the most miserable ruine and destruction of these your natural lowe countreys who alwayes haue bin most faithfull and obedient both to your Maiestie and also your Graces predecessours Not doubting but that your Maiestie woulde greeuously haue been moued that hee vnder pretence of protecting and defending the Romish religion vnder the colour of your Maiesties name shoulde presume to frustrate and breake all the priuileges customes rightes wherunto your Maiestie and your predecessours haue sworne persecuting your faithfull subiectes in body and goodes and destroying your countries in none other sort but as if he had declared himselfe to bee an open enemy of your Maiestie and the subiectes of the same Therefore haue they alwayes earnestly attended that your Maiestie no longer suffering the sayde force woulde haue prouided some conuenient meanes for the safegarde of your countreys and deliueraunce of your poore and suppressed subiectes and haue a respect to the duetifull office of a king whom the almighty God the king of all kings hath placed and ordeined as a protectour of the righteous and a fatherly pastor of the people vnder your subiectiō to defend and preserue them from all force and violence and likewise to remember the manifolde and faithfull seruices which your saide countries and subiectes haue from tyme to time most faithfully don to your Maiestie and your
order who bare about them the order of S. Michael fighting with the diuel At this feast were many noble men and amōg the rest the king of Nauarre and the Prince of Conde THE xxvij day of October the Senate of Paris pronounced a sore sentence agaynst the Admirall being dead and agaynst his memorie and children He was condemned as one guiltie of treason as an enimie to peace and a common troubler of the state as the authour of a conspiracie agaynst the king and against the state His memorie was condemned to euerlasting ignominie And to the ende there might remaine some monument of those faults it was decreed that his bodie if it could be found should be drawne through euery streete of the citie after it had stood in the Market place foure and twentie houres and if the same could not be found then his Image should be made stuft with straw and so be drawne in stead of the same as aforesayd and so to the place of execution called the Forkes of Montfalcon It was also decreed that his Armes Crest and Shield should be drawne in like maner to the fore named place And that in what places soeuer they were found they should be broken downe by the hangman as a token of his euerlasting ignominie Also that all his goodes that either he or his aunceters had receyued by the benefite and liberalitie of kings whether they were moueable or immoueable should come vnto the crowne His children were pronounced vnnoble and base and vnworthie to haue anye publike office or to enioy their goodes which if they had any within the Realme they were confiscate to the king His chiefe house Chastillon was beaten downe to the ground that neuer any thing might be buylded there againe The trees of the Orcharde were cut downe and the Gardens about the sayde house turned vpside-downe and it was decreed that a brasen pyller should be erected where the house did stande with this decree of the Senate in the same It was also decreed that the xxiiij of August euery yeare there shoulde be a generall procession about the Citie to giue thankes vnto God and to celebrate the memorie of that day in the which that cruel murder was committed AMIDST these troubles many of the Religion whiche sought to prouide for the safegard of their conscience and life fled into forraine nations Some into Englande Germanie Strausburge and Heidelberge also othersominto Switzerland to Basile and to the townes of Berne to Lausanna and to other Cities and the greatest parte to Geneua Also Rochel Mountauban Nismes and certaine Cities in the Countrey of Viuaretz and Seuenatz were left as places of refuge as wee will declare hereafter The two sonnes of the Admiral by the singular prouidence of God escaped imminent destruction and the Countie Laual the sonne of D'andelot with the daughter of the Admirall which was Thelignies widow came to Geneua after that to Berne and tarying certaine monethes at Basil they returned to Berne againe being very louingly enterteyned of the people ¶ The eleuenth Booke of Commentaries concerning the temporall and Ecclesiasticall state of the Realme of Fraunce in the raigne of Charles the ninth WHilest the whole Realm of France was woonderfully distract and confounded by that horrible and butcherly murder committed and amiddest the violence of contrarye motions when as some triumphed as conquerers and other some being ouercome were ouerwhelmed with sorowe and griefe all men for the most parte whether they were Catholiques or of the Religion were sore afeard and astonyed Yea the fyerbrandes of furies dyd burne euen in the very tryumph of victorie the authors and chiefe instruments themselues of that detestable slaughter in somuch that they being as it were out of their wittes at these fyrste beginnings pretermitted many occasions by whiche they mighte haue brought their purpose about conueniently Notwithstanding the outrage to bryng their cruell purpose to passe pricked them forward that the Religiō might be vtterly destroyed and extinguished in the kingdome of France But their diuelish counsayles had quite contrary successe afterwardes diuers practises also were vsed on both sydes as we will declare hereafter in order Furthermore the horror and feare of that garboyle was spread to all those countreyes bordering vpon France Strasburge very carefully held watch and warde In Switzerlande the Cities of contrary Religion shewed them selues playnely to stande in feare one of another and there were in dyuers partes musters made and rumors spread abroade for trueth That if the Kyng made a perfect conquest of hys subiects he woulde sowe ciuill discordes in Switzerlande that a nation not onely excelling heretofore in ciuill concorde but also hauing gotten great authoritie and credite with the kingdomes bordering therevppon and selling their friendship for greate stipendes and summes of money shoulde contende and be at warres in it selfe They of Bern seemed most of al to be assalted whose power is gret amōg the Switzers by reason of the amplenes of their populous dominion The cause of discord was for that the Cities in Switzerlād which were named to be of the Religion seemed not to cōdescēd and agree to giue vnto the king a band of Catholiques to ayde him to rase and roote out for euer the remnant that remayned of them of the Religion bycause they did much abhorre that butcherly murder of France for that seemed both to be againste the Religion whiche they professed and also to tende to their owne priuate perill as when that the King had destroyed hys owne subiects he myght cause troubles and tumult in Switzerland by the meanes of the townes in the which the Catholiques inhabited who were very desirous to receyue the Kings pay notwithstanding what happened afterward we will declare anon BY THE Kings commaundement horsemen were dispatched and sente into all partes of the Realme and euery man receyued charge to watch and ward diligently Also the Gouernours of euery prouince had commaundement not to be absente from their charge at any tyme without the Kings assured commaundement to looke diligently that there arose no tumultuouse trouble and with all care and industrie to seeke and syft out narrowly all conuenticles and assemblies of suche as professed the Religion and seuerely to punish them IN all partes of the Realme and in euery Citie of the same they were apprehended whiche kept their houses vpon trust and assurance of the Kings Edict Many were slayne and put to death and all men had their goodes put to spoyle by the Kings officers euen as if they had bin enimies lawfully vanquished Notwithstandyng many escaped and fled into forrayne nations There was scarse one man founde which professed hymselfe to be of the Religion all were eyther in exile or hydden in corners or els sauing a fewe constrayned to forsake the Religion and to lyue more catholykely than the Catholykes them selues THEY of the Religion beeyng after thys maner vanquished there seemed nothing to remaine but their
men wyth helpe and ayde from forreyne Princes tooke part no suche worthy effectes ensued the reason and grounde of the cause neuer more euidently shyned from out of the deepe pit of extreme calamitie without any ayde of strangers and wythout the meanes of greater helpes than it shall appeare by the cōmemoration of this historie This then was the Kyngs state and this was the cace of them of the Religion after that butcherly murther committed on Saint Bartholmewes day being the foure and twentie of August For as we haue sayde that small remnant of them of the religion were brought to this exigent that seeing them selues far vnequall to matche with the Kings power they were ready of their owne accorde to yeelde them selues into his hande Notwithstanding when they sawe that murthers were committed vpon them of the Religion with no lesse crueltie than before in dyuers cities all they which were in the Kyngs power and in the danger of the Catholiques beganne to loke about them and at the length to deuise some honest way whereby they myght defende them selues So that in the deepe desperation of all thyngs seruing for necessary defence desperation founde out a way and a sure and certayne persuasion to bring the same to effecte supplyed most effectuall reasons of defence in this confusion and nakednesse The happy defence of Rochell dyd not a lyttle incourage the myndes of other men to fyrme and valyant constancie Fyrst of all therefore we wyll begynne with Rochell and then we wyll speake seuerally of the rest in order MONSIEVR Strossi and the Lorde de Guarde receyued charge to take Rochell and we haue oftentimes sayde that a nauy of shippes was prouided there already to the same end They then goe about to get in their souldiers into Rochell sometyme vnder the coloure to buy marchandise and sometime vnder the colour of visiting theyr frindes Notwithstandyng they of Rochell were alway vigilant and warie and hearyng of the cruell murther committed at Paris caused more dilygent watche and warde to be kept In the meane tyme monsieur Strossi ▪ and de Guarde vrged them of Rochell with the authoritie of the Kyngs letters both to receyue into the towne the Kyngs garrison and also to gyue vnto them great plentie of victuals to furnysh their shippes This they of Rochell denyed and withstoode that the nauy myght departe from thence affyrming that they dyd nothing agaynst their dutie and auncient pryuiledges by whiche they were exempted from al garrisons sauyng from that which they should leuie within their owne citie and wherby they had leaue to defende them selues by force of Armes and that they coulde not spare any of their prouision of victuals Then they which were for the Kyng founde fault with the townesmen of Rochel bycause many came vnto them from diuers partes of the realme and were receyued into the citie without any let To this they of the towne answered that they admitted no strangers but onely the inhabitantes of the realme whiche came about their affayres and marchandise the whiche was nothyng contrarie eyther to their office or custome whenas the Kyngs souldiers had leaue to come into the citie They were also required by the Liefetenant of Guian mounsieur Monpaz which was their neighbour not to shew thēselues obstinat wilful in refusing to receiue the kings garison shewing them that the king was carefull for their safetie and that therefore he dyd so prouide for them and that it was not lykely that he woulde bryng any detryment or dammage to hys Cyties also that hee had iustly punyshed the wyckednesse of Rebelles by the slaughter at Paris not minding continually to be seuere against his subiects Therefore he affyrmed that it was more for their safetie to deserue the Kings fauour by obedience There came certayne noble men of the Religion to Rochell from those places whiche were nearest adioyning therevnto as from the territories of Santonge Onic Poictou and Lymosin which sought the safetie of their life there came also about these fyrst beginnings about fiue and fiftie Pastors or Ministers of Churches and of the common sort of people about a thousande and fyue hundred souldiers out of dyuers parts of the Realme and many which were escaped from the slaughter of Paris The nynth and eleuenth daye of September there was appoynted at Rochel a common and solemne fast to be helde the whiche rite the Church obserued in olde time in time of trouble to a laudable and fruitefull ende They of Rochel hauing obtayned at the hands of Monsieur Strossi and Baron de Guardes safe conduct sent messengers vnto the King beseeching him that the nauie mighte bee remoued from that parte by his commaundemente for that the countrey thereabout had receyued great dammage thereby THE King had gyuen commandement to Monsieur Biron a noble man to gouerne Rochel who as we haue sayd before had taken great paynes in the former warres about the intreatie of peace This noble man deliuered to them of Rochel very friendly and louing letters by which he exhorteth them to obey the king and to commit them selues quietly to his trust bycause he had receyued authoritie from the king to gouerne them in so doing they shoulde see by proofe that he esteemed nothing more than of their safetie Strait after this came Monsieur Audenarz a noble mā also in the Kings name with very large letters of the Kings in the which the king exhorted them to shewe theyr obedience giuing them to vnderstande that hee determined in his minde nothyng more than to keepe and defende them in their houses in peace and safetie vnder the gard warrant of his Edictes requiring them herevpon to acknowledge him to be a true and faythfull interpreter of his owne minde Monsieur Audenarz being admitted into the Senat of Rochel perswaded very much to this ende and purpose certifying them of the singular good will of the king towardes them He promiseth that the king wil graunt them the libertie of Religion vpon cōdition that they would receyue Monsieur Biron and woulde graunt free recourse and trafique to all straungers whatsoeuer inhabiting the realme To this they of Rochel answered the king by their letters the true copie whereof is as followeth The answere of the Gentlemen Captaynes Burgeses and other beeing in the towne of Rochel to the commaundements that haue bene giuen them in the name of the king to receyue garrisons WE the Gentlemen Captaynes Burgeses and others now being in the towne of Rochel doe giue answere to such commaundements as are giuen to vs in the name of hys Maiestie that we cannot acknowledge that the same which is signified vnto vs and the publishing of the proclamation requyred at our handes doe proceede from his Maiestie And thereof we call to witnesse his Maiestie himselfe his letters of the .xxij. and .xxiiij. of August his owne signet and the publishing of the same letters by which his sayde Maiestie layeth all the fault of all the
trouble lately happened and of the cruel slaughter done at Paris vpon those of the house of Guise protesting that he had ynough to doe to keepe himselfe safe within the Castle of Loure with those of his garde And we shal neuer suffer our selues to be perswaded that so foule an enterprise and so barbarous a slaughter hath at any time entred into the mind of his maiestie much lesse that the same hath bene done by his expresse commaundement as the paper importeth which you haue exhibited vnto vs nor that his Maiestie hath bene so ill aduised as himselfe to cut off his owne Armes or to defile the sacred wedding of Madam his owne sister with the shedding of so much noble and innocent bloud and with the shame of so eruel a fact to distaine the nation of France and the bloud royal which hath heretofore euer among all nations borne the name of franke and curteous nor that he hath had minde to deliuer matters to writers to set forth a tragical hystorie such as antiquitie hath neuer heard spoken of the like and such as the posteritie cannot report without horror But that it was first layde at Rome and afterwarde hatched at Paris by the Authour of all the troubles of France And howsoeuer it be we are readie to maintaine that out of the mouth of his Maiestie doeth not proceede whote and colde whyte and blacke and that he doth not nowe saye one thing and by and by another as he shoulde doe if the Paper that ye presented vnto vs had passed from him protesting that hee wyll inuiolably kepe his Edict and immediately breaking the same in declaring that he commaunded those murders to be committed hauing also made protestation before that it is to hys great greefe and done by the outrage and violence of those of the Guise agaynst whome he was not able to make resistance in tyme as hys Maiestie desired And in this quarell we the Gentlemen Captaynes and other that make you this answer are readie to trie it by combate man to man or otherwyse to mainteyne the honour of our king agaynst all those that so prophane holy things and as much as in them lyeth do by such words and tytles vyllanously defile the excellencie of his maiestie and of the noble princes of his bloud Which wee may right well coniecture and estimate by the slaughters that are yet in doyng as well in the towne of Paris as else where vpon so many noble men gentlemen and other men women and children vpō a great number of yong scollers the maintenance vnder God of Realmes and common weales in time to come and by many other barbarous vnnaturall and vnmanly actes generally committed We thinke therefore and iudge that herein treason is enterprysed agaynst the person of his Maiestie and of my Lords his brethren that the Guisians meane to inuade the crowne of the realme as they haue of long tyme practised and howsoeuer it be we say that his Maiestie is forced by the power that they haue taken vpon them and vsurped by meane of the rebellious styrre of the commons of Paris As for that which they say that the Admirall and those of the Religion had conspired agaynst the kings Maiestie and his brethren these be allegations of as great truth and of as good likelyhoode as their maner of proceeding in iustice hath bene orderly beginning at execution before the examination of the fact But it is now no nede to tary for tyme to discouer it for the matter is plain to be sene with eye groped with hand and all those of the Romishe religion that haue remayning any drop of nature of man do confesse it holde downe theyr heads for shame cursing both with hart mouth the cruel executors of this abhominable enterprise the wicked disturbers of cōmon quiet which can yet no more suffer thā they hitherto haue done that this poore realme should long enioy the benefit of that peace which the king alone next vnder God had wisely caused to be made to be accordingly obserued whereof thys realme began to feel the good tast to the great cōtentment of al persons except the enimies of peace of this realm namely the Guisians Finally whē his maiestie being out of their hands power shal declare what is his pleasure we wil endeuer vs to obey him in al things wherin our cōsciences which are dedicat to god alone shal not be woūded in which case we wil rather forsake the earth than heauē our fraile transitorie houses rather thā the heauēly mansions But hitherto the law of nature the dutie that we owe vnto our natural prince to the preseruation of his crown to the safetie of our liues our wiues and children doth cōmaund vs to stand vpon our gard and not to put vs in the mercie of thost that haue receiued the same bloudy cōmission from the Guisians vnder the pretended name of the king to vse vs in the same maner as they haue wickedly trayterously vnnaturally done to those about his maiesty and as it were vnder his wings vnder the skirts of his robe which the trayters strangers haue stained with the true French bloud without that his Ma. hath bin able to remedy it nor to slay their cursed attempts so much lesse is he able nowe so farre off to defende vs as he woulde which his Maiesties good wil being knowne vnto vs doth arme vs for our defence and for the safegarde of our liues and of the priuiledges which he hath giuen vs vntill such time as he shall be able by himselfe to defende vs against his enimies and ours This answer being made by them of Rochel Monsieur Audenarz caused them to sende vnto the king putting them in hope to receiue an answere in due and conuenient time Therfore they sent with him another to intreate with the king on their behalfe And Monsieur Audenarz according to his charge left nothing vndone to perswade them of Rochel to yeelde themselues vnto the king all the while he abode there making vnto them many fayre promises thinking that as he had done therin his faythful dutie towardes the king so they also should do him no lesse seruice Monsieur Biron came to the Citie verie diligently visited those noble men of the religion which as yet kept their houses and with vehement speeches seemed greatly to detest those murders committed earnestly requyring them to perswade with the Citizens of Rochel to put themselues into his garde and tuition which should be as he sayd for their profite He sent the kings letters to them of Rochel by whiche he commaunded them to submit themselues out of hande to the gouernment of Monsieur Biron and to obey him Monsieur Biron also procured the king of Nauarres letters to be sent vnto them dated at Paris the tenth day of September in the which he required the lyke at theyr handes and very greatly commended Monsieur
Biron Wherevpon they of Rochel sent two messengers to Mons Biron to salute him for they stoode doubtfull what to doe whether they should receiue Monsieur Biron yea or no for it was reported that they of Rochel would incline vnto him the which to do was not without great perill Monsieur Biron talking with the messengers of Rochel in a secrete place bewayled and lamented wyth many teares the outrage of the murders committed shewed how greatly he was grieued for the fame and gaue thankes vnto God that his name could not be regestred and expressed in so infamouse an hystorie desired the messengers to certifie Rochel from him that he wished them to consider in what peryll they were and that they should wisely vse take those meanes for their safetie which God offered vnto them least they repented them to late with great dammage that they alone were not able to stande agaynst the Kings power the whiche beyng complete was ready to vanquish and ouerthrow the remaynder of them of the Religion shewyng also that this was the only remedie for them to submit themselues to hys authoritie or at least to admit and suffer hym with one or twoo more of his trayne to come into the towne that he might thereby certifie the kyng of theyr obedience the whiche beyng done he would bryng to passe that they shoulde sustayne no hurte by the kyngs Armie but would out of hande dispatch away the Nauie which was prepared to assayle them by force There were also certayne of the chiefe Citizens whiche fauored Mons Biron and his iudgement was well lyked of the two messengers who returnyng shewed bothe the imminent mischiefe of the great perill and also that the onely remedy to withstand the same rested in the counsayle of M. Biron whom report blased not only to be distayned and defiled with horrible furies of murders but also that he himselfe was brought into great peryll Notwithstanding in this matter he did only make a counterfeyte lamentation to pleasure the kyng euen as aforetyme he had employed his mortall labour in perswadyng the Admiral Neuerthelesse it is certayne that the name of Monsieur Biron was wrytten in the bloudy booke that he might haue his parte with others in the butcherly murder of Paris Therfore to get vnto hymself the kyngs fauour by some notable seruice he went about to yeelde vp thē of Rochel vnto the kyng The which if it had come to passe it had bene a hundred to one that the extreme slaughter should haue made a lamentable ende of that rēnant of the Religious so that not one shuld haue bene left aliue But Rochel was a great let to hinder those mischieuous coūsayles practises occasions to preuayle notablely were offered to them of the Religion both by these delaies also by the happy successe of the affayres of Rochel The messengers as wee sayde beyng come into the towne tolde the matter vnto the Senate and as they were in consultation deuising what way they were best to take woorde was brought to the Maior of the Citie which is the chiefe gouernour that shippes were to be seene at the promontorie or poynt cōmonly called Chef d'Bais the which beyng entered the hauen by the cōmandement of M. d'Guard letters were brought also by which he giueth them of Rochel to vnderstand that he was certified by the kyngs letters that Mons Biron would be at Rochel the same day with power admonisheth them to take diligent heede that they gaue him honorable entertaymēt as it was agreeable to his person and withall to remember that they had to do with a great and moste mightie kyng of whose goodnesse it should be better for them to taste than of his seueritie for that he intēded to punish them accordyng to theyr deserts which would impugne and resist hys cōmandements At this very instant while they hong doubtfull and knewe not which way to take in these extremities the open threatnyngs of Monsieur d'Guard hauyng confirmed the increased opinion concernyng the kings will in this poynt they agreed and concluded with one consent not to receyue Mons Biron that vpon this occasion At the very same tyme there came a messenger frō Montauban with letters by which they certified them of Rochel that Castre a citie in Languedoc the which was held by them of the Religion after many fayre promyses of the kyng concerning theyr safetie beyng yelded into the hande of Monsieur Creuset a noble man dwellyng vnto them was sacked and the Religious in the same most cruelly murdered Amidst so great distresse they of Montauban were sore afeard and very careful concernyng theyr owne priuate peril they admonished them of Rochel what they were best to do in so great extremitie namely to take wyse deliberation The present peryll of the inhabitants of Castre troubled and disquieted them of Rochel wherevppon they determined not to receyue Monsieur Biron vntil such tyme as they had prouyded for theyr owne safetie and securitie of which theyr determination they gaue Mons Biron to vnderstand out of hande MONSIEVR Biron aunswereth them agayne that he was very sory that they were bent to that which would bryng theyr owne destruction yet notwithstādyng he sayd he would hyde the matter from the kyng by speciall excuses vntill suche tyme as they had aduised themselues better willyng them not to hurte themselues by this daungerous determination and to beware least theyr rashe wilfulnesse turned them to displeasure Finally he promysed that he would endeuour hymselfe all that he coulde to perswade the kyng that the Nauie might be dismist and sent some otherway LOVING letters were sent vnto them againe from the kyng the Queene mother and from the Duke of Anjou by seueral messengers though the letters tended to one effect The kyng sought to perswade them of hys singular good will towardes them and promised vnto them al fayth humanitie in preseruyng them They of Rochel answere by letters agayne They giue thankes vnto the kyng and beseeche him that he would commaund the nauie to auoyd that coste for they were in such great feare at that present that they knew not what to do The which if it would please the kyng to cōmaunde they myght certaynly assure themselues of the kyngs good will towardes them and should also the more duetifully obey him By reason of these delayes of the kyng occasion was giuen to them of Rochel to cast away feare and to take vnto them better courage whereas if the kyng had set vpon them with all his force at the first brunte of the murder theyr ouerthrow had bene the more lykely Therefore beyng admonished by common counsayle beyng taught both by the general euill also by the present exāple of the men of Castre they of Rochel prepare themselues to theyr defence They make accordyng to the māner new Magistrates they create Captaynes for the warre they muster men both of the towne and also forreyners which
came thyther for refuge they appoynt that certaine ministers and also strangers shoulde be of the counsayle concerning matters for the towne Monsieur Sanstephen a noble man was made general of the horsemen The Captaynes were of more fame as Mons Essarz mons Riuier Mons Lyzi Mons Norman Mons Virolet Mons Nouel and diuerse others whose names we expresse bycause of the siege folowyng Agayne Mons Biron sent letters to them of Rochel from Broage a famous hauen where the Nauie roade Mons Strossi and Mons d'Guarde sente letters to them also but the letters of mons Biron were more friendly than the other in the whiche he affyrmed that he woulde procure the kyngs commaundement for the dismissyng of the Nauie so that they of Rochel would promise to the kyng to obey suche gouernours as he woulde appoynt ouer them Monsieur d'Guarde wrote more sharpely vnto them willyng them to receyue one condition or other eyther of peace or of warre affirmyng that the kyng should haue his authoritie by eyther They of Rochel answered that many things were promysed them but little or nothing performed that it was euident to all men what great cause they had to imbrace loue peace and what dammage and hurte they had receyued by warres and therfore how greatly they ought to deteste the same That they had hearde oftentimes that the kyng was very carefull for theyr safetie yet notwithstandyng the kyngs officers dyd annoy and endammage them very muche and that they in the meane tyme behaued themselues modestly and obediently towardes the kyng as all men might see Mons Biron and d' Guard practised after the same manner by letters and caused Mons Ouarz a noble man of that part and named to be of the religion to wryte to them of Rochel after the same effect and to shewe in howe greate peryll and danger they were in and to admonishe them to beware least by their obstinacie they cast them selues into presente destruction The Kyng also commaunded monsieur Durans whyche was a Solicitour in the affayres of Rochel being at the same tyme at Paris to goe vnto Rochel to perswade the Townesmen to receyue monsieur Biron and with him he sent to them of Rochel louing letters of bountifull good will. Monsieur Thecan the chiefe gouernour in the Senate of Paris wrote vnto certayne of his friendes of the chiefe Citizens that they would take diligent paynes in this matter would bring to passe that they of Rochel myghte receyue the conditions offered by the king They of Rochel write vnto monsieur de Guard complayning both of the sundry dammages done vnto them in time of the intreatie of peace also which wer yet done vnto thē dayly AMIDEST this intercourse and passage of letters too and fro there was a cruell slaughter made vpon those of the Religion at Burdeaux vppon whiche occasion they of Rochel demaunded whether they coulde looke for peace seeyng violente and outragious murders were still committed and seeing assaults of greater and more vehemēt slaughter were made vpō them For the Shippes of the Marchants of Rochel which had made their voiage and were returned from forrayne countries wer diuersly spoyled and their marchandise taken from them Now the kings power with open warre assayled them of Rochel in somuche that marchantes were restrayned of theyr passage and entercourse and the Kings nauie abode vpon the coast of Rochel robbing and spoyling all partes thereaboutes whyle the Armie whych shoulde come by lande was a preparing IN the meane time they of Rochel diligently applied theyr grape gathering for the wine presse and brought into the Citie fyue and twentie thousande tunnes of wine whyche did them great pleasure at what time they were besieged And all men both townesmen and also strangers laboured paynefully in in fortifying the towne with rampiers and bulwarks AND thus the state of Rochel beeyng knowen before wee come to the noble besieging of the same the order of the story requireth that wee shewe the state of other Townes also in the whyche the remnauntes of the godly religious were preserued They of Montaubane had the kings letters sent vnto them notwithstanding they continued in their former purpose by whiche during all the former ciuill warres they were very circumspect in not admitting any one that came from the kyng into the Citie but amidst the greate treasons and lyings in wayte of their neighbours of Tholouze preserued them selues vntill these hard and extreame beginnings NISMES the Townesmē not knowing what way they were best to take was almost ready to bee yeelded vp to the king Many of the principalles of the Religion stale out of the Citie carying their families to another place and got thēselues into such places as were neere vnto the same Also some of them hauing forsaken the Religion got them speedily to the Cities of the Catholiques hoping thereby the more conueniently to obtayne pardon of the King and many of them to shew that they were seriously returned to the Catholiques detested the Religion all that they could with odious words MONSIEVR Ioyeuse Lefetenant of Languedoc writ oftentimes to the inhabitants of Nismes to receyue the Kyngs Garrison Who at the first answered by delayes that they woulde obey the king yet notwithstāding bicause of the late murdering of their brethrē felow partakers with thē of the Religiō they had great cause to be careful for their safetie Notwithstāding Monsieur Ioyeuse perswaded them of the singular good wyll of the king by his letters often times affyrming that they should liue quietly in safetie by the benefite of the kings Edict of peace There is in Nismes the Kings court kept nowithstandyng it is lawfull for a man to appeale from the same to the Senate of Tholouze in the whyche Citie there was more plenty of Lawyers and more store of rich Citizens Many of them were almost at the same poynte to yeelde them selues in tyme to the Kyng and with speedy obedience to win the kings fauour Notwithstāding the greatest part of the commō sort of people certayne also of the chiefe men amōg whom was Mons Clauson a Counsailer of the court who as he was wise godly so also he was of great authoritie withstoode this purpose not minding to put thē selues into present perill of death And lest those of the kings side shuld take the Citie and let into the same the souldiers which wer vnder the cōduct of Mons Ioyeuse which lay in waite about the citie night and day sought diligently al occasiōs to take the same the said mons Clauson himself very carefully held watch warde with the townsmen of the gates of the citie least any mā shuld come in or out without their knowlege Mons Clauson being the author of this manly wise purpose notwithstanding that he was a learned graue man yet he endeuoured him selfe to play the souldier hauing alwayes a diligent eye in gouerning the
Consulls for so the Magistrates of the towne are called least any treason shoulde be wrought by those which were enclined to the king he gaue the souldiers their watchword appoynted to euery man hys charge place viewed the walles rounde about and was very diligente and necessary about all things apperteyning to a Captayne THE people assembled together in the Guild haule by the warning of the Consulls oftentimes And then the most wise men and of greatest experience consulted what was best to be done they looked one vppon another doubted what to determine and deuising many wayes coulde lyke of none to take The greatest part of those whiche were counted wysest disliked the purpose to defende the citie againste the force of the Kings army as proceeding from bolde and madde rashnesse most perillous thinking that better meanes might be deuised by which the Citie might be yelded vp and so a general safety prouided for wishing that this way should be taken with al speed Notwithstāding the authors themselues of this counsaile while these things wer in consultatiō went about to prouide priuately for their families and caried them out of the citie and they them selues went out also by heapes In this diuersitie of contrary Iudgementes and affections of all sortes and estates of men the dissentions diuersly rising betweene the people and the gouernours seemed out of all doubt to make a way and entrance for the kings power and amiddest these controuersies to gyue occasion to the enimie sodenly to ouercome them to their great calamitie destruction NOTVVITHSTANDING thys purpose preuayled namely that there shoulde be no hast made in this matter that consultation should be had about the same hereafter that God most assuredly woulde ayde hys seruaunts in hys owne cause but if so be they must susteyne the force of their enimies and suffer death that nothing coulde happen more better vnto them and that the same should be farre more tollerable than to put them selues into the handes of murderers of whome they mighte looke for the same pardon whiche they had giuen to others of the Religion in Paris in Lions in Tholouz and in dyuers places els Therefore that it shoulde be a more honest and easie deathe whiche they shoulde suffer in defending them selues againste the violence of theyr vniust enimie than to be slayne and executed by the hangmen That the same defence was iust both by the law of God and man that they vsed not violence in setting vpon the enimie but withstood iust violence with iust defence That theeues and murderers were armed in the Kings name and by the kings authoritie and that therfore they withstoode not the king That if they dyed in this defence their death should be pretious before God and haue the honour of martyrdome And that there is no doubt but that God at the length will haue compassion vpon them and wyll help them by one way or other vnlooked for that patience and prayer was needefull that in delay there was lesse perill but in haste there was moste presente destruction seeyng by delay those occasions myghte growe whych myght gyue them abilitie to bryng notable thyngs to passe Monsieur Clauson declaring these thinges at large it was agreed by the consente of the greater number not to receyue at all the kyngs garison but to tarry for a more conuenient time and yet notwithstanding to occupy the mynde of monsieur Ioyeuse with conuenient answeres THEN they certified the indwellers of Seuenatz and Viuaretz their neyghbours which wholy depended vpon them of their purpose and exhorted them to constancie of mynd and to a better hope For they were assaulted in like sorte by the kings instruments Monsieur Leuger a noble man and knight of the order was sent into Viuaretz to take and hold the same IN these first beginnings they of the religion helde these townes Aubenac Priuac Pusi Villeneufe Notwithstanding it was not long ere the Catholiques had taken Pusi the cōuenient situation wherof much annoyed thē And monsieur Leuger practised this way to take Villeneufe Villeneufe is but a small towne yet notwithstanding it is situate very conueniently for that part being appoynted for a lower court from whence the appeale is to Nismes and it belongeth to the kyngs Excheaker The Religious of Villeneufe agreed with the Catholiques of the towne to ioyne together and to defende one another with mutuall heartes and handes saying that they were brethren and felowe citizens and that those barbarous and outragious murthers were to be resisted with all their power And taking an othe one to the other they indent that two captaynes should be chosen by generall consent and that the same should watch and warde day and night by turne and so that the Catholiques shoulde haue for their captayne one of them of the Relygion and the religious a Catholique to the ende all suspition might be taken away They of the relygion named for their captayne monsieur Baron and the Catholiques named for thē monsieur Mirambel both good and expert Captaynes This good and laudable purpose had yll successe by which it appeareth how yll two Religions agree together and abyde in one seate The townesmen thinking that they had heereby prouided very well for theyr safetie and they of the Relygion being persuaded of the fayth of the Catholiques are thereby neglecting theyr businesse beholde the cytie was taken by monsieur Leuger thus Captayne Mirambel tolde monsieur Leuger that there was an easie way made for hym to take the citie in so much that he should onely neede to approche somewhat nearer the citie with some ambushmēts of souldiers so cōmyng to the gates of the citie he should be let in by hym promysing so to order the matter and to appoynt such warders about the gates that he should easily haue his purpose Monsieur Leuger preparing his souldiers out of hand drew neare to the citye and came with a troupe of horsmen vnto the gates gaue monsieur Mirambel to vnderstande that he was come thyther with the kings power commaunding him vpon his allegeance to set open the gates vnto him There at that time monsieur Biron walked before the gates vnarmed with certayne of the chiefe townesmen him all amazed monsieur Leuger saluted at hys so sudden cōming vpon them Monsieur Mirebel commaunded the gates of the citie to be set open and mons Leuger entred the citie then the armed troupes of the Catholiques came flockyng rounde about hym he fortifyeth the gates and by and by the troupes of horsemen and of foote men whyche stayed at a vyllage harde by ranne vnto hym Amydst these salutations the Catholiques and they of the Relygion fleeyng together vnto him monsieur Biron stale away priuyly and came to the next towne by called Mirebel which was by the Kings Edict an appoynted place to receiue the holy assemblyes of the professours of the Religion of Villeneufe and tolde to mons Pradel a noble man whose lande lyeth in and
about that place what had happened in the citie and so they agreeing together tooke them to the Castell of Mirebel which afterward did them great pleasure Mons Leuger at the first intreated the chiefe of the Religion very gentlely seeking to persuade them that his purpose was to gouerne them wyth peace and equitie vnder the protection of the Kyngs Edicts and to trouble no mans conscience In the tyme of this truce many that professed the Relygion stale awaye to Mirebel and fortyfyed the same out of hande By the meanes heereof Villeneufe being afterwarde recouered as we wyll declare heereafter dyd greatly further the affayres of the Relygious in Languedoc Of the whiche I speake particularly that men may vnderstande and see of howe weake and small begynnings the affayres of the Religion grewe and tooke so good successe The inhabitantes of Aubenac and Priuac followed the counsell of the cytizens of Nismes concernyng the wayes of defence Notwithstandyng that monsieur Leuger in the meane tyme vrged them to receyue the garrizon They neyther made playne denyall nor yet admitted the Kyngs garrizon but they so handeled monsieur Leuger that for theyr money they should buy and delay the tyme of receyuing the Kyngs garrizon For this cause the Consulles of Aubenac hauing obtayned truce at his handes wente to Villeneufe and payed the money required Notwythstanding one of them beyng a verie honest and ryche Citizen named Valeton and of the Religion also was helde captyue by monsieur Leuger against the lawe of Armes for that he came vnder truste and was put also to his raunsome euen as if hee had beene taken in battell the whiche beyng payed hee was helde captyue neuerthelesse vntyll suche time as Villeneufe whiche they of the Relygion had taken was delyuered vp to him as wee will declare heereafter These experimentes of Catholique falsehoode confyrmed the Relygious as it were in obstinate constancie in so muche that they chose rather to suffer any thing than to come into the handes of theyr false forsworne enimies This was the state of many places in Languedoc AND bycause they of Nismes were vrged oftentimes by the letters of mons Ioyeuse to abstayne from holy Sermons according to the forme of the kings Edict left by that occasion they might be founde giltie before the king after deliberation had of the matter they determined for the present necessitie not to haue Sermons in the day time but in the night It can not be expressed howe muche weeping and lamentation the people made at that last Sermon Yet neuerthelesse men came to the preaching of the worde more plentifully and earnestly than they dyd before for the more that afflictions doe increase the more precious is the word of God vnto the godly The inhabitantes of Viuaretz and Seuenatz folowed the example of the citizens of Nismes in those cities whiche they helde they had theyr Sermons in the night the whiche notwithstanding continued but for a fewe dayes NEVERTHELES monsieur Ioyeuse was not contēted wyth this argument of obedience oftentimes hee vrged them of Nismes to receyue the kings garizon the whiche if they would doe he promised them that within fewe dayes they should be both free from the same and also shoulde haue libertie and peace both of body and conscience The citizens of Nismes answered very copiously in wryting that they coulde not receyue that garrizon shewing the reasons wherefore not that they refused to obey the king but that they myght prouide for the safetie of their life and for the libertie of theyr conscience Bycause such occasions had already falne out as seriously required them to seeke the same at this time Therfore they beseech monsieur Ioyeuse not to interprete the same otherwyse than they purposed and meant That they desired nothing but peace and tranquillitie and to shewe their obedience to the king That if so be lawfull remedies might be prouided to take away theyr iust feare they were ready to yeelde them selues into the handes of the kyng theyr Lorde and Prince But if so be old treasons and snares were practised and if so be they could obtayne no more than they had obtayned in tyme past they were ready to suffer all manner of extremitie rather than that they would willingly cast them selues vpon the cruell and bloudy swordes of spoyling murtherers for that it was great madnesse for any man willyngly to cast him selfe into peryll Then hauing amplifyed the iniquitie of those murthers committed and also hauing declared the dishonestie of the foreshewed falsehoode they shew that it is lawfull for Christians both by al law of God and man to defende them selues againste force and iniurie and that they doe not beare armoure agaynst the kyng but against theeues and murtherers furiously abusing the authoritie of the Kings name without punishment That they dyd plainly perceyue what they them selues were and also what and howe great the force of their enimies was That present death was before their eyes but yet that they did not doubt but that God which is most righteous and iust would helpe them miserable wretches in due time that eyther they might defend their lyfe against the violence of murtherers or else by martyrdome myght dye an honest death the which should testify to al posterities for euer both howe great the iniquitie of their enimies was also howe great their constancie and vertue in standing strongly valiantly in a good godly cause That they cōmitted the successe of the whole matter vnto God and that this was their only ioy in so great perplexitie namely that they were vniustly afflicted also that they were encouraged by the testimonie of a good conscience the happy successe whereof they looked for both in lyfe and also in death ARMIES were prepared in the Kings name in dyuers places in Languedoc in Guian in Dolpheny in Prouance coūtreys bording vpō Languedoc for the war of Languedoc Notwithstanding they of Nismes were firste assaulted the whiche being destroyed the Catholiques thought that the rest would more easily giue place Also d' Anuil was looked for to come with a power for that he hath chief gouernmēt of Lāguedoc They of Nismes prepare for their defence al that they can they fortify the city ouerthrow the suburbes as hurtful to the same carry in victuals and do diligently set al things in order euē as if they should be besieged by the diligence and prudence of mons Clauson Notwithstanding Nismes was not besieged by the kings power the occasion wherof we wil shew in order NOwe we are in this place to note the state of Sanserre which we sayd the relygious held also at the first beginning of the cruell slaughter whose constancie in wonderfull extremities is worthy to be remembred for euer The history of these our times is ful of many and of such rare examples on both partes the whiche we will briefly note accordyng to our purpose obseruyng so much as we may the order of
tyme. They of Sanserre beyng styrred vp with the newes of that horrible slaughter of Paris and beyng assaulted wyth continuall lyings in wayte of the bordering enimie kept theyr citie wyth diligent watch and warde thyther those of the Religion whyche were escaped the murthers fled from the places there about from Burges for Sanserre is in the territorie of Berry from La Charite from Orleans from Gijon and from other places Notwythstanding commaundement was gyuen out of hande to them of Sanserre in the Kings name by mons Castres gouernour of that part to admit and obey the Kyngs decree by which he forbad the seruice of the Relygion and accordyng to the fourme thereof to abstayne from holy Sermons and to receyue a garryzon to keepe the city The same forme of commaundemēt also had the same answere of the men of Sanserre whiche they of Rochel Nismes had gyuē as we haue sayd namely that they neyther could nor ought to receyue the armed enimie agaynst them selues And that therfore they must wayte for that tyme in the which they myght safely commit them selues to the externall and foreine souldier also they affyrmed that they were by theyr auncient pryuiledge exempted from that burthen Wherefore they fortify them selues all that they may and repayre the breaches of theyr wastes whych were sore battered in the former warre They sende a messenger to the Court commendyng theyr cause to monsieur Fontenei one of theyr corporation and libertie that he would make intercession to the Kyng for them and would excuse them Notwythstanding all things were prepared for mortall warre and what happened thervpon we wyll shew when we come to the time and place belongyng vnto the same IN Daulphine they of the relygion had not one town in theyr possession no not so much as a village All the cityzens were taken by the Kyngs garryzons the greatest part of them of the relygion beyng desirous to saue theyr lyfe eyther fayned an abiuration of the relygion or else fled into the next cities of Viuaretz and into forreyne countreys To tell it is incredible howe many defections and Apostacies there were in a very shorte tyme euen in the greatest cities where the congregations were most peopled At the first very many wythout constraynt euen by the very reporte of the murther at Paris at Lions fel away and came by heapes to the catholikes some beyng scarsly threatned became weakelyngs and turne-coates So that a man myght see great heapes of hypocrites and dissemblers of the Relygion which frequented the temples and vsed all the rytes of the Catholiques euen as it were with stryuing who should be most forwarde Many of the nobilitie also whych had folowed the relygion and had valiantly behaued them selues in the tymes of the former warres abiured now the relygion others were dumbe at home wyth great astonyshment of continuall feare leaste they shoulde be intercepted and taken by monsieur d' Gordes Lieftenant who notwithstanding went about to persuade them of theyr secure and safe estate and to seduce them from the relygion by louing letters MONS Mombrune one of the most noble men in Daulphine came not to the assembly of the funeral mariage For the prouidēce of God reserued him to do him great seruice as we wil declare whē we come to the time of the same But he hauing by his seruice in the former warres diuers sundry ways emploied gotten great fame among thē of the religion mons d'Gordes at the kings cōmandemēt only labored to intercept him fearing that he wold be another occasiō of new troubles Mombrune kept his house therefore mons d' Gordes sent verie louyng letters vnto hym seekyng thereby to persuade him of the singular good wyll and beneuolence towarde him Only keeping him selfe quiet he should be in rest and securitie and in the Kings high fauour Thus Mombrune seemed to many to haue giuen ouer the care for religion to be quyte discoraged with the vnhappinesse of the time notwithstanding he at the last cast aside al negligēce as we wil declare hereafter THE kings Edict is published to reduce thē home again which were fled away eyther into forreine nations or else into those cities which they of the religion held That by the prescript of the kings Edict pardon shuld be graūted for al things past to such as would returne home againe with prouiso for the safety of their life and conscience so that they woulde lyue peaceably at home And in the same Edict the king threatned those that would not obey his commandement to make their goods confiscate as if they were rebels And he testified that he did not punish the Admiral and his adherentes to this end and purpose that he might shewe seueritie for euer vpon his subiectes of the newe opinion for so he called the Religion but rather to prouide a necessary remedy for the disordred kyngdome though the same in outward shewe seemed to be sharpe Also whereas many of his people through feare were fled eyther into those cities which the rebels held or else into forrein nations that he earnestly lamented their case euē as it becōmeth a good master of a house for that they receiued so much hindrance losse by being banished frō their houses Therfore he willeth and straightly commaundeth them to repayre with al speede vnto their houses being assured that they should haue peaceable cōming so that they came within twentie days the religious leauing the cities which they held seditiously to giue their names vnto the lieftenant of the Prouince and to promyse faythfully that they woulde be heereafter the trustie subiectes of the king But if so be they would obstinatly absent them selues and carelesly contemne his clemencie then to be assured that he would be seuere in punishing them according to their desertes Also excepte they appeared at the daye appoynted that hee woulde confyscate theyr goodes to the end they myght knowe what it is to abuse the clemencie of their prince That he did offer and proclayme thys in time least any man should sustayne the punishment afterwarde for his presumptuouse boldnesse and rashnesse Thys was published the .xix. of Nouember But howsoeuer the kyng by those words of the Edict would seeme to prouide for the consciences of the Religious it cannot be of any wayght or credit in the iudgement of wise men For a little before many of the kings letters patents were sente abroade thorough out the Realme by which most vniustly he constrained those which had not once set theyr foote out of the Realme and whose condition for that cause ought to haue bin much better to renounce the Religion and to imbrace Papistrie Many there imagined and coniectured that the great masse of money gathered out of the proscription of the Religious woulde bee sufficiente to mayntayne warre and so they of the Religion should be wounded with their owne swordes Therefore the goodes of the Religious were dayly
vewed and put in inuentorie the whiche is alwayes the beginning of Confiscation so that the goodes of the Religious beyng absent were almost put in an Inuentorie but yet were not confiscate the cause whereof was the contrary successe whyche the Kyng looked not for If the Kyng had had such successe in his warre at Rochel as hee desyred it seemed that confiscations shoulde haue flowed wyth murders beyonde all measure thoroughout the whole Realme vppon them of the Religion to theyr vtter destruction Vnder the collour and pretēce of that Edict the king sought to bryng to passe by hys Legate mons Belleure with the Switzers which professed the Religion that those Frenchmen of the Religion whych were fled into theyr countrey myght be constrayned to forsake the same for many were fled especially to Bern and to Basile Notwithstandyng the Ambassadour lost hys labour for they extended still that same humanitie that they dyd before towards those fugitiues Almost about thys tyme a daughter was borne to the king Wherevpon he intreated Elizabeth the Queene of Englande that she would promise for his yong daughter in the holy Sacrament of Baptisme whiche we call the office of a Godmother To this request the Queenes Maiestie graūted and sent the Earle of Worceter into France to the king to be hir deputie for the same There was no man but he saw well ynough that the kyng at that doubtful time wēt about to coorry fauour with the Queene of Englande least she shoulde help the poore Inhabitants of Rochel and to this end the league was made We said before that they of Rochel answeared mons Biron that they woulde not receyue him into the Citie before suche time as the kyng hadde prouided for theyr securitie by assured pledges not minding to come to composition with bare words But the Kyng purposed to make those at his commaundemēt by dint of sworde and open force whome he could not wynne with wordes and deceyt Therefore hee deliuereth letters to mons Biron by whych hee banisheth them from his protection and fauour except they obey this his last commaundement as Rebelles traytors and the troublers of the common peace protesting that he woulde persecute them with mortall warre accordingly he commaundeth all hys gouernours and officers to persecute them with warre and by al other meanes euē as if they were giltie of high treason and pronoūceth that whatsoeuer they do herein against them shal be allowed and maynteyned At the same time mons Noe a noble man and in the former warres one amongst the rest most valiant came out of the lowe Countrey of Flaunders called Belgic and was reconciled to the Kyng and in token of his recouered fauour the king gaue vnto him the goodes of Teligni whose Sister mons Noe had maried whyche otherwise had bin confiscate as the goodes of others that were slayne were in the slaughter of Paris The king gaue hym in charge to perswade with them of Rochel that hee mighte bring them if it were possible to take those conditions of peace which he offered vnto them They of Rochel wondering at his comming after thys sorte sente vnto hym their letters of safeconduct that he might come to the village called Tadon the fyfth day of Nouember and to do vnto them that message which he had brought vnto thē from the king Thither came mons l' Noe and the Burgeses of Rochell Lāguilleir Rechenart Villers and Merelle Mons l' Noe declared vnto them that he had receyued commaundemente from the King Queene to tel thē that it appertayned greatly to their profite to yeeld vp the Citie into the kings hand and power that they mighte thereby deliuer themselues from that destruction presently like to ensue by the siege at hand and might also obtayne great peace for other Churches that he propounded thys condition in the kings name whome if they woulde admit to be their Gouernour according to the kings appoyntment they had free libertie to vse and enioy the Religion Notwithstanding mons l' Noe hauing declared hys good wyll and loue whiche he bare to Religion priuately perswaded them of Rochel to admit none in the kings name into the Citie before such time as they were sufficiently assured of their securitie and safetie The Burgeses of Rochel had onely authoritie and leaue to heare but no licence at all to determine any thing Wherefore they returning certifyed the Senate of the condition offered by mons l' Noe and mons l' Noe being come into the Citie receyued this answer That Rochel would not admit mons Biron beseeching the king that hee woulde poynt some other whiche loued the refourmed Religion to be their ouerseer or els to suffer them to lyue peaceably vnder the obedience of hys lawes In the meane time mons l' Noe being solicited both by the Senate it selfe of Rochel and also required by certayne other Ministers of the Church to imbrace the Religion sayeth that he was no lesse feruent towards the Religion than he had bin afore time and that he determined in him selfe to returne vnto them so soone as he hadde done his ambassage vnto the king The whiche hee perfourmed within few dayes after and was louingly enterteyned of them of Rochel After this they of Rochel cōsulted how they might get the Isle of Rhe the whyche was both neere and also commodious for them The charge to atchieue thys enterprise was cōmitted to mons Essarz He beeyng furnished wyth certayne Shyppes loosed from Rochel hauen about the dead tyme of the nyghte that he myghte deceyue the enimie ryding at anker not farre from hym Nowe there were come nere to the Citie two Shyppes of the Kyngs nauy vnder a colour to bryng letters to them of Rochel in the name of mons d' Guarde but in very deede they were sounding or plumming for the depth of the water for the whych cause they had one wyth them very expert in the same Whyles they were thus occupyed they were boorded by the Shyppes of Rochel the whych hauing slayne one of theyr chiefe Cpptaynes tooke one of the Shyppes and sente all theyr tackeling and cariage into the Citie the other Shyp being afeard escaped away Then they of Rochel returned into the Citie agayne Thys was a foretoken that they shuld haue good successe in the warre whiche was prepared against them THE fourth day of December mons Biron came to the citie wyth seuen cornets of horsemen and eyghteene ensignes of footemen hauyng also wyth hym two great brasse peeces to begin the seege In the meane tyme dyuers came dyuersly to this warre frō al parts of the Realme of those also not a fewe which aforetime had serued the Prince of Conde in the war and had nowe forsaken the Religion shewyng them selues to be more mortall enimies to the same than the Catholiques them selues They of Rochel held those villages that bordered vpō theyr Citie as Maraim Mose Nouaille whych were vnder the charge
of Captayne Norman and Andiui and the Isle of Rhe vnder the charge of Captayne Virolet. They determined not to abyde the force of so great an army but to make hast vnto the Citie notwithstandyng Captayne Norman purposed first to assay the enimie Therefore he marched foorth with his bands of footemen hauing accōpanying him only fyftie horsemen and so approched nere the enimie but being to weake he had the repulse and was constrayned to flie into a Countrey place belonging to a noble man the whiche notwithstanding was of sufficient strength and was called Grimelde whither also Captaine Virolet sought to come Then Mon. Biron beset the house and battered the same with his fielde peeces insomuch that there seemed to be no way for them to escape destruction had not captain Norman taken this last shift For he leauing his horses went forth with his men on foote in the dead tyme of the night and breaking throughe the scoute watches got to the citie with his men in safety But captain Virolet seeking too carefully to saue his horses was taken himselfe notwithstanding he turned by and by to the Catholiks side hoping that if he woulde seene in that war he should haue great rewards but the ende falling out otherwise than he was promised he got him home into Brittain where within a while after he was slaine being recompenced with that rewarde of the new warres Then there came dayly new bands of souldiers M. Strozzi being general of the french footmē tooke Pilleborean M. d'Goast with six ensignes of footemen tooke Ronsel and M. Biron tooke Santandre which were the suburbs of Rochel These they fortified with ditches and bulwarkes against the sodaine eruptions of those within the Citie The townesmen from al quarters villages and farmes nere vnto them caried into the Citie so much as they could all maner of vittaile notwithstanding the kings side founde great plentie in those places for the cariage whereof they of Rochel had not prouided in due tyme. Bicause the king perceiued that those noble men which were come out of other parts of the realme to Rochel would much profit them of Rochel and would indammage much his intended siege he assayed those noble men by his letters promising vnto them that if they would come forth of the Citie they should be in safe securitie and shoulde also receyue a large recompence Notwithstanding this perswasion tooke not effect For not one of them at that tyme fell vnto the king There was a generall fast appoynted at Rochel according to the vsuall maner of the French Churches Mons Biron went about to breake the chanels and conduyt pipes which conueyed water to the fountain or conduit which serued the citie therby to take away from the citizens the vse of water But although they had brokē the conduit pipes in many places yet notwithstāding they lost their labor by reason of the great plenty of diuers springs which came from sundrie places By this occasion there was a great skirmish betwene both partes in the which the Lieutenant of Captaine Normans bande was slaine and of mons Birons part his Standardbearer called Saintgenez and diuers other on both sides A ship of Rochel being remoued to the entrie or mouth of the hauē was assayled by the kings ships but so that they gayned nothing at al therby They also ouerthrew .iiii. milles which ioyned to the city and caried from them great plentie of corne which they of Rochel had by negligence left in them BVt before we come to the forceable besieging of Rochel and to enter into a newe yeare the order of the hystorie begun requyreth that we note by the way what was done in other places by the Religious About the end of Nouember d'Anuil being come into Languedoc at the kings commaundement and hauing receyued great charge and cōmission to warre against those remnants which remayned of the Religion marched forth with his prepared armies minding as it shoulde seeme to besiege Nismes Notwithstāding this occasion disappointed him of that purpose There is a little towne nere vnto Montpellier called Sommiron the which though it be but smal yet notwithstanding it is of sufficient force strength both for the apt situation therof and also bicause it hath a wel defenced castel in the same In this towne mon. Ioyeuse had left certain great bard horses with a garison of certain soldiers suspecting no force to be offered by them of the Religion which seemed to be almost dead but beholde vnlooked for a notable captain called mon. Saintgremian tooke the city the castle and the horses of mon. Ioyeuse Therfore d'Anuil hauing giuen a vain assault to Vzes the which is an ancient city of Languedoc in the territory of Cursol hauing gone throughout the whole territory of Vzes hauing taken the castel of Sangene by surrender and woon a little town called Cauuis seeming now to come to assaile Nismes with a great armie he first of al purposed to assault Sommiron with his whole force least he should haue Montpellier a neare enimy vnto him or least he might be stayed from the pray and bootie any longer which lay open to the sight of his armie D'Anuil therfore besiegeth Sommiron omitting nothing by which he might giue a strōg assault to the same notwithstanding the vnhappy succes of that siege as it diminished the strēgth of the Catholiks in that coūtry so also it greatly enlarged the power of thē of the Religion which thenceforth began to haue better successe and the feare of those first attempts being set apart they of the Religion behaued themselues in their affayres much more constantly than they did before in the former ciuil wars hauing takē a large plentiful coūtry not so much by the forces of great armies as by diligēt painfulnes Sommirō was thus besiged by d'Anuil four moneths a great masse of mony being wasted by the Catholiks in vitailing so populous an army insomuch that they were wery of war beside the losse both of cōmon soldiers also of those noble mē which were mortal enimies to the Religion being brought thither euē as it were against their wils that they might be slain To be short they of the religiō in Lāguedoc had an opē way made for thē to bring notable things to passe frō thenceforth as we wil shew hereafter Of Sanserre we haue spoken before To intercept and take the which the same subtil practises were vsed that were practised in the Cities mentionrd before They of Sanserre had intreated monsieur Fontene a certaine noble man as we haue sayde to speake vnto the king on their behalfe and not to suffer their name to be dishonested by slaunderous reports Mons Fontene tooke this for an occasion to begin greater familiaritie He sendeth vnto them M. Candaillet a certain old courtier to assure thē of his good wil but that he himselfe was onely earnestly busied in working their safetie that
the name of Cogne fort So that the temple was ouerthrown that the steeple might serue for a watch tower and the rest of the matter of the temple for a fort Ouer against the salt maryshes standeth the tower of Moreille whiche defendeth that region in large compasse by reason of the tall and hygh munition of the same Next after this foloweth the tower of Sannicolas the which is compassed about both with a naturall moorysh ground and also with wittie skyll for on the right hand the Ocean flouds beate vpon the same and the swelling floud of the sea filleth the dytch thereof whether at the length the floud maye come for from that place vnto Cogne gate the dytches of the citie are almost drye From Sannicolas gate to the gate d'Moulinez the Sea extendeth it selfe with all one course and leuell and to defende that part against the assaultes that myght be giuen by the nauie there was a verie strong bulwarke made which was called Sannicolas fort Next to this stoode Sannicolas gate with bulwarkes adioyning to the same and then Sannicolas tower ouer against the which was the tower of the hauen the saide hauen diuiding them both And to the ende the Kings nauie might haue no passage into the hauen there was fastened a strong yron chayne from one of the sayde towers to the other Betweene the tower of the hauen and the Lanterne tower there was reared a very strong wall made by Masons and furnyshed with ordinance The Lanterne tower serued to giue lyght in the night to saylers or to suche as came into the hauen in time of peace Next vnto this was placed a notable forte called the Citadel being no lesse strong than it was greate and large in so much that it was to that part of the citie as it were an Armorie or storehouse of Artillerie This Citadel was compassed about with a wall of mayne strength at one corner whereof the tower of Gayor hath his place Betwene the whiche and the nexte poynt towarde the Kings campe were framed dyuers bulwarkes and fortes as the newe gate bulwarke and platfourme the forte of the Castell the place of Cockslem and the bulwarke called l' Euangile nowe battered downe At the other fourth corner of the wall was a very strōg bulwark called Cogne bulwark Many other fortes were reared which are to be seene in the platforme belōging to this discription Also it is to be noted that the hauen called Chef de bois where the Kings Nauie roade is two myles distant from the gate of Rochell THE Duke of Anjou therefore being receyued with tryumphant peales of the great fielde peeces went to Neullj to abyde there where he tarryed the whole time of the siege with the rest of the Princes and greatest part of the nobles The same day hee tooke a viewe of the walles of the Citie and mustred the Armie The day folowyng the townesmen brake out at three seuerall places of the Citie and hauyng slayne an hundred of their enimies returned into the Citie agayne with losse of a fewe of their men Then was there a place appointed from whence the walles of the citie might be conueniently battered the batterie being layd to the gate of Cogney and by the cōmaundement of the Duke of Anjou a countermure was made and fortified with hurdels to beare and defende the shot Also he forgot not to practise subtily mischief vnder the pretēce of parley to the end the city might be assailed with two engins namely by outward force by inward craft deceit For the citizens did not wel agree among thēselues some enclining to peace of the which the duke of Anjou at that time had made an offer vnto them others thinking it better to stand manfully to their own defence saying that the offered peace was nothing but a snare to betray them according to the olde maner Captaine Norman going to spoile rob with two galleys toke a ship laden with fifty tun of wine of Burdeux and fiue and twentie tunne of wheate and returned with his men in safety into Rochell hauen notwithstanding that he was assayled by mons d' Guarde wyth great force THE Duke of Anjou hauing taken a viewe of the Bulwarke whiche bordered on the sea coaste and mynding to returne into the Kyngs campe sent before hym two hundred horsemen commaunding them to skyrmishe wyth the townsmen that hee in the meane time might passe by with the more safetie Whyle these and certayne troupes of the townesmen were in skyrmish at that place certayne horsemen ouer whom mons Grandrise a noble man was captayne carying behynde euery of them a foote man with callyuer shot set vpon the Kyngs souldiers vnprepared in another part of the campe of whom they slue many and tooke some prysoners and brought with them certayne horses into the citie SHORTLY after they of Rochell beyng dyuersly sollicited were contented at the length to parley wyth the Kyngs Lieftenants mons l' Noe with Pierrez Mortie and Maurisson beyng chosen for this purpose came into the Kyngs campe and so entred into parley with mons Biron Strozzi Villequier and Gadagne and to this parley also came the Countie d' Retz and at the length certayne of the chiefe townesmen GADAGNE hauyng spoken at large to mons l' Noe and to hys felowes of the singular good wyll of the Kyng towardes them of Rochell offered at the last to them in wryting the summe of those conditions vpon the which the King woulde come to composition of peace the whiche conditions were these Fyrst that the inhabitants of Rochell though they had grieuously offended his maiestie for that they beyng abashed with a certayne vayne feare woulde not obey his commaundements oftentimes sent vnto them were notwithstanding freely pardoned so that they woulde receyue mons Biron into the citie and would obey hym Secondly that he wold graūt vnto thē the free vse of Relygion according to the forme of the pacificatorie Edict in the which he woulde haue nothyng neyther diminished nor altered for thys he would make them most ample and large assurance Thyrdly that he would gyue vnto those whiche woulde departe to any other place full leaue and libertie to depart and to carry theyr goodes whether soeuer they woulde or otherwyse to vse them at theyr owne pleasure They which were deputed for Rochel made answere that they had hytherto in no poynt disobeyed the kyng but had euer shewed themselues hys faythfull subiectes That by the daungerous and troublesome state of the tyme they were constrained to this necessarie defence of thēselues least they should fall into the handes and willes of theyr enimies as others had done which had imbraced with them the same religion That they desired of the king this one thing namely that they might enioy the libertie of their consciences by the benefite of the Edict of peace But seing the cause in hād was not their alone but belongyng
also to the rest of the reformed Churches they also earnestly requyred this thyng that consideration of them might be had in like manner Forsomuch as they could do nothing of thēselues without theyr cōsent And thus they parted The day followyng Mons l'Noe beyng beset with sixtene horsemen hauyng encountered and charged a greater troupe and was pursuyng the chase was so neare hys death that if a Captayne had not put hymselfe betweene the enemie and l'Noe he had bene slayne But the Captayne thereby purchased hys deaths wounde The deputies of Rochel beyng returned into the citie tolde the whole matter vnto the Senate The Senate called before them the Pastors of the Church to haue theyr iudgement concernyng these matters The Pastors answeared That for so much as they were demaunded of those thyngs whiche specially belonged to conscience and to Gods prerogatiue it was a matter of great wayghte and therefore that they ought not to make answere to the same before they had craued wisdome of god Affirmyng that peace was to be wished but not such a peace as should be more perillous and mortall than warre as might playnly inough appeare by those former and late examples That it was not likely that the kyng commyng vpon them with his whole power proclaiming open warre would make conuenient and profitable conditions of peace notwithstandyng that they ought to endeuour themselues to forslow nothyng that might be for the peace of the Churches seing they sought not warre but their needefull and necessarie defence Notwithstāding that those conferences parleys did not seeme to be safe and without peril wherfore they thought it better to deale by wryting whereby they might also haue a more conuenient meane to deliberate Furthermore that they ought to haue a consideration of the common vtilitie of all Churches and that therfore they ought to do nothyng for their owne priuate cause except the vse of the same peace shoulde be extended to other Churches The next day the people were called togither that a finall determination might be made concernyng this matter And the people lyked of that iudgement of the Pastors wherof we haue spoken euen now This assembly was scarse dismiste when as the kyngs Armie was approched the gate of the citie whiche ran forceably togither on a heape to breake open the same Wherevpon they of the towne brake foorth and repulsed the kyngs power by little and little and ayde commyng still on bothe partes there was a sore skyrmishe at that place bothe sides valiantly quittyng themselues This skyrmishe continued verye whot the space of sire houres Monsieur l'Noe was in great perill of his lyfe his brest plate beyng broken with diuers violent strokes and his horse slayne vnder him The speedy commyng of the night ended this battayle Of the townesmen twelue were wantyng and seuen and twentie were wounded But of the kyngs parte there are sayde to be a hundred and fiftie slayne Wonderfull was the boldenesse and courage of the women in the middest of the fight comming almost into the daunger of the conflict bringyng to suche as were wounded wine and other comfortable things The nexte day whiche was the last of Februarie the thundryng Cannon shot beganne to batter the walles and gate of Cogne Wherby the cōsultations of the disagreyng townsmen were disturbed and constrayned they were by necessitie to defende themselues The same day the townsmen gaue an assault hauing mons l'Noe and Norman theyr Captaynes at the whiche assaulte many on bothe partes were slayne Mons l'Noe contrary to the agreed and concluded determination brought to passe that the sayd determination being reuoked in the publique assembly of the Senate and people it was agreed that the kings Deputies should be heard againe that the matter might be rather ended by peace than by warre Wherevpon Monsieur Strozzi and Mandreuille were sent into Rochel for hostages And Monsieur l'Noe and Iames Henrie Mayre came vnto the Duke of Anjou as it was agreed by the senate and people Neuerthelesse the batterie proceeded agaynst Cogne forte whose fortification within fewe dayes were beaten downe When the Duke of Anjou had hearde the Deputies of Rochel answered in the Kings name that the kyng woulde adde nothyng vnto those former conditions rehearsed vnto them already by Gadagne That if they were wise they woulde imbrace them betymes whyle the kyngs grace and goodnesse was offered vnto them and not to presume vppon vayne confidence to haue helpe and ayde out of Englande With this answeare they of Rochel returned to make reporte and then came agayne to the Kyngs campe requyryng that bothe the Citie and also the territorie of Rochel mighte haue one and the selfe same vse of the Religion and also that the same benefite mighte belong to the reste of the Churches dispersed throughout the Realme To the which Countie de Adretz made answer that the kings pleasure was to haue the Citie onely partaker of that benefite as for the other Churches that he woulde prouide for them at his owne pleasure and accordyng to hys wysedome willyng thē of Rochel to receyue the benefite offered the which the kyng would afterward graunt vnto theyr fellowes This answere was not liked The which being brought to the Citizens they al agreed that al wayes of defence lawful were to be sought that rather than they should runne into present peril they ought rather to prefer iust warre than to imbrace reprochful and suspected peace for God would defende theyr cause Whyle these things were in communication the greate gunnes shooke and battered the walles of the towne The townsmen also hauyng theyr peeces and shot well defenced with bulwarkes and rampyers discharged lustyly from the Citie in somuch that many on the kyngs parte were at diuers tymes hurt and slayne Among the reste from that forte which we sayde is called l'Euangele there was discharged a Canon shot whiche runnyng through hardell trenche not sufficiently fortified with earth slewe Duke d'Aumall as he stoode priuily behynde the same beyng vncle by the fathers side to the Duke of Guise And so the funerall exequies of thys noble peere was ioyned with the dayly slaughters of noble men and common souldiers Alwayes the thunderyng shot went off agaynst the townsmen laboryng to repayre the breaches of theyr walles notwithstandyng to the smal hurte of the townsmen busily occupied there aboutes Neuerthelesse a truce was taken for one day for a parley duryng whiche tyme the dischargyng of shot was forbidden on eyther parte Monsieur l'Noe and Meniuuille went foorth to the parley in the name of the townesmen The day followyng the thundryng shot wente off afreshe and the townsmen makyng an assault to Tadon made a light skirmishe in the whiche they had good successe and in the dead tyme of the night the townsmen clothyng themselues with whyte shyrtes wente foorth and had taken the trenche of defence when they were repulsed by the kyngs souldiers and many beyng slayne and
to sustaine the force of warre whiche they were assured would shortely be moued against them For this treatie mons Calueri and Valli strong wise men in the midst of the continual assaults of the enimie were sent They went especially to the countie Pallatine of whose cōpassion good wil in pittying their estate in redinesse to help thē they certified their felowes put them in hope of aide But for the present necessitie they receiued nothing And as they returned home againe making a longer iourny bicause of the lyings in waite of the enimies mons Valli came home in safetie but mons Calueti was taken by mons d' Gordes in Dauphine being kept in ward certaine monthes was at the length by reason of a peace which came in the meane time and by the intreatie of d'Anuil restored Al which things we will intreate of together hereafter in one place WE spake before of mons Monbrune and of the noble men of Daulphine He lying secretly at home seeming to haue no care for religiō but to prouide for his own priuat ease profit to seke to win the kings fauor came forth at the last contrarie to the expectation of all men and armed him selfe Mons d' Gorges sent vnto him straight after sugred letters promising vnto him euer and among in the kings name both domesticall peace and also libertie of conscience feeding him with friendly promises if so be he would serue the king or at least if he would be quiet and seeke his own profite Neuerthelesse in the meane time he went about to betray him seking to spoyle him of al the succours of his friendes and so to intercept him Mons Monbrune being certified hereof hauing both conscience towardes the religion and hauing abandoned out of his mynde the whole conceiued feare of the butcherly murder and they of Languedoc hauing good successe of their constancie began to persuade with his priuate friendes of the nobilitie which fauoured the religion and kept their houses to come abroade and after deliberation had they agreed together to take Valentz Mōtil Leucrest which were noble cities in Daulphine by them of the Religion whiche as yet were in them And they made their neighbours of Viuaretz acquainted with this matter But when their purpose fayled in taking those townes certaine bands of the inhabitantes in the territorie of Viuaretz also when they were come ouer the riuer of Rosne being intercepted by the horsemen of mons d'Gordes the sayde mons Monbrune tooke certain smal emptie towns of no fame in the hil country of Daulphine neare vnto the Diocesse of Dien as Orpier Diofet and Serra which were kept with no garizons Mons d'Gordes being in securitie and nothing at all fearing the styrring of them of the Religion and the townesmen whereof fauouring also the Religion And then mons Monbrune hauing with hym a fewe of his friends to the number of eyghteene horsemen and two and twentie olde souldiers only wente out of his house not knowing certaynely what to do hauing no sufficient trust in the strength of those fewe so great feare remayned by the remembrance of that lamentable tyme. About the same tyme by hys trauayle in the parts of Troiz whych lieth among the hilles of the Alpes and yet no barren soyle these noble men mons Ledigner Champolian Morge tooke the chiefe Citie called Meuza and dyuers other small townes and gathered togeather a great multitude of the Religious whyche are many in those parts which at that tyme lay hyden in secret places after the cruell slaughter committed MONS d' Gordes notwithstanding not deeming the perill of that hill countrey to be so greate in so weake and small beginnings sent out certayne troupes of horsemen only to intercept Mombrune and his fellowes but hee preuayled not Wherevpon he certifyed the King of a new commotiō Notwithstanding euen at these fyrst beginnings Monbrune tooke certayne troupes of Souldiers belonging to mons de Gords straggling heere and there and offered vp the fyrst fruites of greater slaughter to come OF these smal beginnings it can scarse be told how greatly his strength increased within fewe dayes insomuch that the kings syde had not a more terrible and fearefull enemie in the Realme of France whiche wee will briefly note hereafter in due tyme and place VVE sayde before that the Citizens of Sanferre were in great extremities by reason of domesticall dissentions and that a Castel was taken from them and recouered also by them the same day agayne Being taught by this dangerous admonition they begin more exquisitely to order and appoynt all things in the Citie and ordaine mons Ioanneau the Lieftenant of the towne and a payneful man to be their General and gouernour by his name and authoritie and their captaynes for the warre they chose mons Flore and Mine and certayne others they mustered the townesmen and appoynted bands of Souldiers Notwithstādyng as yet they were not beseeged by the kings armie and many but especially mons Ioanneau coulde not be perswaded that the king amidst the extremities of Rochel and Languedoc warres would beseege the Citie Neuerthelesse the more wise and prouident sort considered and thoughte that hee would not leaue that vnassaulted which was in the very harte and middest of the Realme Thys securitie brought to passe that they of Sanserre left many necessary things vndone but especially it caused them to neglect the prouision of corne for the Citie of whiche they might haue prouided great store in so fertile a countrey in the which their store houses so neare after haruest were replenished almost with all manner of fruites The pulling downe also of the suburbes and other villages adioyning vnto them was pretermitted whiche notwithstandyng was necessary to be done against the seege least the same places myghte serue theyr enemies tourne whyche they dyd afterwarde in very deede to the great anoyance of the towne But principally their carelesnesse in prouiding corne brought vpon them so great a famine that the same myght seeme to be nothyng inferioure nay rather to exceede the famine of Hierusalem and that of Samaria Besyde thys they erred in hopyng for succors by whyche they persisted constant to theyr owne hurt and detriment they whyche ought to haue ayded them eyther not doyng theyr duetie or els so vnfurnished that they could not help Notwithstandyng both their constancie and also theyr wonderfull industrie is woorthy to be remembred of suche as shall come heereafter and specially beeyng in a good cause it deserueth great prayse and commendation Thys history is written in French by one named Lerry an approued witnesse to bee credited beyng at that seege euen to the last moment from whose writing and others information we will according to our manner and purpose set downe that which is only necessary After that they of Sanserre had skirmished certayne dayes with theyr neyghbours of Cosne and had taken from them the
restore them to the owners for the price which they payd And as touching the profites of vnmoueable goodes as wel each man shall enter agayne into his house and shall enioy on each part the fruites of the collection of this present yeare notwithstanding all seasures and lettes made to the contrary since the sayd 24. of August as also euery one shall enioy the arrerages of the sayd rents that haue not bin taken vp by vs or by our commaundement or the permission and ordinance of vs or of our Iustice Likewise that all titles writings instructions and euidences which haue bin taken away shall bee rendred and restored on eyther part to those to whome they belong We also ordeyne that those of the sayde Religion shall bee subiect to the politike lawes of our Realme that is to saye the Holydayes shall be kept and they of the sayde Religion shall not worke sell or make any shew on the sayd dayes with open shop and on fasting dayes in which the vse of flesh is forbidden by the Catholike and Romish Churche the Butcheries shall not be open And to preuent all doyngs to the contrary that may happen in many of our townes The Bayliffes Seneshals or theyr Lieutenants shall cause the principall inhabitants of the sayde Townes to sweare to the mayntenaunce and obseruation of this our present Edict and the one syde mutually to gyue assurance to the other and to binde them selues enterchangeably and by publique Act to answeare to such disobediences as shall be committed against the said Edict within the sayd Towns by the inhabitants of the same or at the least to bring foorth and deliuer the offenders into the hands of the Iustice We also charge all our welbeloued and faythfull people holding our Courtes of Parliamente Chambers of our accompts Courtes of Assistance Bayliffes Seneshals Prouostes and other our Iustices and officers to whome it shall appertayne or theyr Lieutenants that they cause this our present Edict and Ordinance to be read published and registred in their Courts Iurisdictions and to keepe maynteyne and inuiolably to obserue the same in all poynts and that all those to whome it shall appertayne maye enioy and fully and peasibly vse the content thereof Ceassing and causing to be ceassed all troubles and empeachments to the contrary for such is our pleasure In witnesse hereof we haue signed these presents with our owne hand and to the ende it may remayne a thyng sure and stable for euer wee haue to the same caused to be set our Seale Giuen at our Castel of Bollogne in the Moneth of Iuly in the yeare of grace 1573. and of our raigne the thirtenth Signed CHARLES And more lower was written By the King beyng in his Counsell Signed DENEVF-VILLE And sealed with a Labell of red and greene silke and with greene waxe with the great Seale Read published registred and the kings Atturney general being therevpon heard at Paris in Parliament the .11 of August 1573. Signed DE HEVEZ. Collation made with the originall Thus signed DE HEVEZ. THIS was the end and successe of the warre of Rochell at what time the kings power being complete and they of the Religion of small force and as it were vtterly vanquished there seemed to be a perfect victorie and conquest offered the which if it had come to passe as by Gods wonderfull prouidence it fell out otherwise according to the kings will there woulde haue bin no lesse outrageous murders committed in all parts of the Realme to destroy those that remayned of the Religion than afore time in somuch that the bloud of the same would haue flowed euen into forreyne nations also But cōtrary to all hope and reason it fell out otherwise the ministers and instruments of the murders them selues comming to thys warre to receyue the iust vengeaunce of God for the innocente bloud which they had shed So that certayne noble men and also of the common sort were slayne in greate number whyche came by heapes to this warre CONCERNING the Sanserreans wee haue spoken before howe that the Lorde Chastre leauing off to assalte the towne any more intrenched the same rounde about and made diuers bulwarkes and rampiers placing in the sayd trenches a very strong garrison to hemme and inclose the townesmen on euery side Also we sayde that by reason of their negligence in prouiding corne vittayle aforehand ther ensued a wonderfull almost incredible famine whiche the translator thoughte good to set down at large as the same is described by mons Lyrre who serued in the towne euen vntill the same was yelded vp as is sayd before Therefore whereas in the moneth of March vittayles began to waxe shorte and skante within Sanserre and specially Beefe and such other fleshe whiche men vse to eate ordinaryly The xix daye of the same moneth a Carthorse of Monsieur le Vailly de Iohanneau gouernour of the said towne being killed with the shot of a Canon at the assault as he was drawing of fagots and Earth to the Rampire was cut in peeces slayne carried away and eaten by the common people and the poore laborers and handicrafts men who made report to euery man that they neuer eat better beefe in their liues which thing made diuers that could not easily come by other fleshe to be desirous of it who the fourth day of April next folowing killed an Asse which was sold presently for .iiij. pound Turnois a quarter foūd to be good meat of al such as did eat of it boiled rosted or baked specally the liuer of it being rosted with Cloues was like the liuer of Veale Truely at the first some feeding more of it thā they were wont to do of other meates were sory that they had eaten of it But within few dayes after and before the .xx. day of the same moneth it was a common food euē among the dayntiest sorte And although there were many Asses and Mulets in Sanserre by reason of the high situation of the place whiche was il for Charets to come vnto yet within one moneth they were all killed dispatched and eaten in sted of Beefe so as ther was not one left By meanes whereof hauing made too greate wast of theyr flesh in hope they should not haue indured so long a seege they were very sory afterward that they husbāded the matter no better In the month of May they began also to kill their horses which thing was the cause that aswell to preuente the stinche and infection that mighte ensue by reason of the panches and dung in seuerall houses where euery man killed them at theyr pleasure as also to take order that the flesh shoulde not bee deuoured so in corners nor sold at excessiue price the councel toke order that the Horses should bee killed and sold in the ordinary shambles appoynting the fleshe of a fat horse to bee solde but at iij. sowses the pound and the leane at two sowses which thing was don by reason
townesmen shoulde pay vnto the Lorde Chastre forty thousand frankes for the payment whereof they shoulde haue theyr goodes preserued from the spoyle of the Souldiers and it shoulde be lawfull for them to carry or sell the same else where at theyr owne pleasure the whiche money was distributed to the Souldiers by the appoyntment of the Lord Chastre That the Kyng should confyrme thys agreemente by hys authoritie And last of all that the townesmen should promise vnto the King al obedience euer after And that they shuld giue twelue such hostages as the Lorde Chastre shoulde name vntill these things were fully perfourmed and accomplished Therefore the last day of August the Lorde Chastre entred into the citie with a greate trayne of armed men And by by were taken away from the Sanserreans their drummes trumpets and ensignes Mons Ianneau within certayne days after was secretly slayne and neuer knowne how There was placed in the towne a verie great garrizon And ouer and aboue the foresayde summe of fortie thousande Frankes they were very straightly charged to pay newe tributes And concerning the vse of Religion the which notwithstanding was promised in the first article of the agreement there was neyther speach nor performance to this day The king sent the armies of the Switzers into Daulphine to terrifie the inhabitants of Languedoc and mons Monbrune that they might receiue the couenant of the peace of Rochel Notwithstanding when they had remayned certayne weekes in Daulphine when also Monbrune had trauelled diligently to and fro to withstande them and could not rayse them of Languedoc in so much that a great masse of money shoulde haue bene spent to no purpose those returned againe into their countrey which were returned from the siege of Rochel had escaped the perils of their iourney ¶ The twelfth Booke of Commentaries concerning the Temporall and Ecclesiasticall state of the Kingdome of France in the raigne of Charles the ninth THE Rochelleans had made a peace with the King withoute the knowledge of them of Nismes and others of Languedoc although they also were expresly contayned in the couenants of agreemente Notwithstanding the Edict beyng read did not satisfye them but affyrmed that the experiments of the former tymes replenished with diuers murders did proue that these pacificatorie meanes were snares to intercept and intangle those with the pretence of peace whome they coulde not by force of Armes with warre ouercome Therfore they thought good to consult and participate this matter with their fellowes and perceyue it needefull to prouide for the same by a common assembly of the Churches whiche were left So that after tydings was brought vnto them of the Edict made they sente into the Armie a messenger to the Duke of Anjou to giue him thanks on their behalfe beseeching him that for so muche as the cause in hand was generall and bycause it belonged to many of the reformed Religion to know these things in conuenient time that he would giue them leaue to assemble them selues together in a fit place and that to the same ende he woulde graunt them his letters patents for their assurance These letters patents were graunted and made and all they of the Religion to whome knowledge might be gyuen were warned to be at Milliaud in Languedoc Wherevpon there came many from all partes of the Realme according as the tyme would suffer them THIS was a notable occasion to prouide for thinges againe time to come For in this assembly they considered and scanned how they might order their affayres afterwarde and so prouided for thē selues both lawes ciuill and also martiall In the large prouince of Languedoc there are many prouinces the which were replenished with a great number of the Religious whiche helde diuers cities and Townes in sundry parts of the same hauing also amongst them the Catholiques in somuch that the keeping of those places was very perillous by reason that their enimies were so mixed with them Therefore to the ende their affayres might euer afterwarde be ordred after a more firme constant maner they appointed two generalties or Lieftenantships for the territorie of the Religion in the whiche all the Religious of that prouince were contayned namely the Liefetenantship of Montauban and the Liefetenātship of Nismes Montauban to haue the preheminēce ouer those parts of the higher Languedoc and Nismes of the lower in the which the territorie of Seuenatz and Viuaretz were coprehēded They apoynted to euery Liefetenantship a Liefetenant which was some famous noble man And they appointed the office of these Liefetenantships to endure so lōg as the ciuill war should hold eyther opēly or secretly that they might haue the chiefe authoritie in martiall affayres notwithstanding so that their power might be subiect to the iudgemente of the Senate Euery coūtrey or diocesse had his senate according to the ancient maner of France and they continue in vse especially in that part euē vnto this day these Senats they call particular states But the Liefetenātship in the which many diocesses are contayned is called the chiefe or high Senate whiche consisteth of certayne choice men out of euery countrey or shyre notwithstanding so that the sentences of euery Senate in matters of great waight were examined and straightly ouerlooked It was also ordeyned that by the decree of that high Senate or court the Lefetenant shuld rule and gouerne those affayres which belonged vnto the warre These Liefetenants had a certayne stipend assigned vnto them the whole rule and charge of the treasure belonged to the Senate the Liefetenant by his office hauing nothing to do with the same AND to mayntaine warre they tooke these wayes namely that the people might be restrayned so muche as might be from martiall robbing and that countreys might not be wasted and spoyled they charge the townes and villages by a writ out of the kings Excheaker to pay tribute yea and those townes also in the whiche the Catholikes inhabited lenying suche a summe as might be sufficient to mayntaine garrizons in them They call for a Cōtribution Thus they were gently intreated which payed the commaunded tribute husbandry also was permitted and mayntained So that those places inhabited by the Catholikes did obey for feare of robbing spoiling and burning Thus they went about to cut off all occasion of martiall libertie so much as might be taken away among so many outrageous furies of warre and they prouided for the continuance of longer warre if so be no reasonable and indifferent condition were offered by the king Furthermore they gathered the tythes and reuenues of the priestes and appoynted collectors for the same Hytherto all occasion to holde warre seemed after so great slaughters of men made to be taken away from the Religious but this way which they nowe deuised brought to passe that they of the Religion were able to mayntaine garrizons in diuers places the which when neede required being come together in one by the commaundement of the Lieftenant
woulde haue made a sufficient armie by this meanes also the catholikes power was weakned Vicount Pauline was made Lieftenant of Montauban and mons Sanroman of whome we spake before being come from Switzerland to Nismes was made Lieftenant of the same after he had taken his othe The comming of Sanroman brought to passe that the discordes of the captaynes disagreeing among them selues hitherto being appeased their affayres had more happy successe in Nismes and in the cities adioyning therevnto all men obeying with all their heartes the commaundement giuen by him and also by the Senate Therefore nowe at the last necessitie and experience the schoolemistresse of fooles taught the religious for their necessary defence a new kind of order not vsed in the time of the former warres and more conuenient And these things wer handled very well in the assembly or conuocation at Milliaud These things being thus prouided to establish a certaine order the men of Languedoc also determined in this conuocation to require certaine things of the king for the confirmation of peace for the former Edict did not satisfie them as we saide before neither did the name of peace so moue them by and by that without consideration and respect all conditions were receiued bycause the light credit of the Princes afore time taught them to beware Therefore they sente vnto the king Mons Yolet Philip Cherenac and others whiche were actiue and prudent men The summe of their message was To giue thanks vnto the king for singular good will which he declared that he had to establishe peace in his kingdome That the same remedy was so necessarie the kingdome by so long warres being in decay and almost ouerthrowen that it could not be any longer deferred without present destruction That they were minded to shew all obedience to their Lord king But bycause the tragicall and lamentable memorie of the murders lately committed on S. Bartholmewes daye doth shewe how dangerous a thing it is for the king theyr soueraigne to be ruled by the euill counsayles of wicked counsaylers they most humbly beseeched his maiestie not to thinke it strange that they to whom it specially belonged sought the most conuenient wayes for the establishing of peace That it was lately broughte to passe that the king by the practises of euill counsaylers contrary to hys good nature declared him selfe by his publique letters to be the author and chiefe cause of that wicked fact the whiche notwithstanding a fewe dayes before he openly detested the contrary shew whereof was too shamefull in the sight of al nations That they were perswaded of his own good will towards them but they greatly feared least his mind shoulde be led by his counsaylers as aforetime and that therfore they would prouide for them selues and seeke to saue their liues and the liues of their friendes beeyng taught by the pitifull example of their fellowes THESE things being vttered First of al they require that for the securitie of peace and to auoyd newe troubles they might keepe those Cities whiche they had already in possession with their owne garrisons of men and the same to haue their wages payed them out of the kings treasurie Secondly that beside those Cities the king woulde giue vnto thē two Cities in euery prouince of the Realme which might be thought most meete and conuenient in the iudgemente and opinion of foure men two of the whiche foure to be Catholiques and the other two Religious and the same two Cities also to haue garrisons of the Riligious maintayned in them by the kings pay Thirdly that the vse of the reformed Religion bee free through out the whole Realme without exception of any place for al those which shal require the same of the king Fourthly that they of the Religion may haue graunted vnto them new parlaments in euery prouince and that by suche iudges as imbrace the reformed Religion Fifthly that to maintayne the ministers of their Churches they may haue leaue togather those tithes which arise of their lands Last of all that they whiche were the authors of the murder committed on Saint Bartholmewes day mighte be punished as murderers spoylers and disturbers of the common peace These seemed to bee large petitions and in very deede their speech to the king extēded farther in so much that the Queene saide in displeasure and anger That the prince of Conde him selfe if he were aliue and were euen in the very middest of the kingdome with twenty thousand horsemē and fiue hundred thousand footemē had also in his hands the chiefe Cities of the Realme would not craue the one halfe of those things Wherefore shee came to euery one of these messengers sought to win thē sometime by faire promises otherwhile by threatnings But it was so prouided in the assembly at Milliaud that the messengers of themselues should do nothing but only offer the letter vnto the king should refer the kings answeares vnto the Senate that the whole matter mighte bee allowed by the authoritie of the same Dayes of respit wer takē for a moneth a halfe so the messengers being honorably receyued into euery Citie returned home againe The Catholiques coulde scarsely be perswaded but that the most mightie princes fauoured the cause of the Religious and pretended that the great libertie which the Religious had was the cause why they so thought The king was said to desire peace being warned by the successe of the warre at Rochell and in Languedoc In the meane time preparation was made for the voiage into Polonia the Queene and the new King prouiding al things for great magnificēce notwithstanding they had not money according to their wil. About the same time in the which the Ambassadors of Polonia wer at Paris a very bold wicked fact was cōmitted Ther was a certayn Citizen in Paris of greate wealth named Nantoilet a Catholique one of the chiefe magistrates of the Citie To this mans house came the new king of whom he was very courteously entertayned But the Duke of Aniou being in the house begā to quarel with the said Nantoilet first with words at the whiche the other had great marueile Then his seruāts begā to spoile caried away his plate iewels brake opē his cofers and caried away a greate masse of money Thus the outrage of murders brake the raines of shame running into all impudent boldnesse AFTER that Harlem was taken the Prince of Orāge tooke Alcmar a Citie of Holland the Citizens being deuided within thē selues at what time one gate was takē by that part which held of the Duke of Alba and bāds both of horsemen and footemen sent from the said Duke wer now within the vew of the Citie Notwithstāding the Prince of Orange putting to flight the sayd power enioyed the Citie The Flisshingers tooke the Castell Ramekins the fifth of August Also the sayd Flisshingers the thirtenth day of the same moneth encountered with the nauie of the
late perill of his life in the furious murthers the remēbrance of the war of Rochell to destroy those who had valiantly behaued thēselues vnder his cōduct to defend his house stock Also vehement causes stirred vp the house of Momorencie For by the death of the Admirall which was so cruelly slaine the bloud of Momorencies brethren no doubt was sought they were not ignorant the their names were valde in the nūber of those which were slayne on Saint Barthelmewes day that if they might haue bene shut vp altogether they had dyed with the Admiral and his fellowes For the Queene enuied the authoritie of the house of Momorencie And it euidently appeared the Marshall Cosse and all other which by consanguinitie affinitie or by any other meanes belonged vnto these houses were appointed for the same slaughter Yea there was occasion of these newe matters sowen in the kings own lyne The Duke of Alancō the kings yongest brother being hated of his mother greatly misliked his in others gouernment and detested that wicked and horrible facte of the bloudy mariage So that the Duke of Alancon seemed to be of their side Therefore for this cause hee was hated of his mother These were the beginnings of great matters the which what successe they had we will shew hereafter The countreys being wearyed with long calamities of warres required of the king that there might be an assembly of the States that extreame necessitie at the last might prouide a remedy for so great troubles The Queene answered that the king she did like very well of this request for the king being dayly more and more sicke the Queene of hir selfe had the gouernment of all things and shee appoynted the assembly of States at Compien The Prince of Orange helde the greatest parte of Zealand as we sayd before except Midelburge the chiefe Citie of that countrey and Armac the most famous hauen of that Citie and of the whole Isle The same he beseeged with all the forces of the inhabitants of the Islelande and with other succors appertayning to the same The kings Nauy to succour them of Middelburge loosed from Andwarpe the xxv of Ianuary In this preparation the kings Souldiers sustayned great dammage and hurte For sodaynly a great Iron peece brake in the Ship by the violent breach wherof thirtie mē were slain certain also which stood vppō the shore The Ship it self was by and by dasht in peeces vppō the flat another ship after this was ouertakte with waues And when they came within the sight of the towne of Mountes the Souldiers of the Nauie to salute the kings Garrison gaue them a peale of shotte By occasion whereof fyer being vnwittingly cast into the goonpoulder which was in one of the shippes most horribly brent all the Souldiers that were in the same For all this they went forward with their iorney toward Middelburge The Nauie of the prince of Orange encoūtred with thē the Duke Reguisence the kings Lieftenāt in the low coūtrey loking vppon thē frō the shoare of the towne of Barrow Then began a fierce battaile betwene them both partes manfully quiting thēselues Notwithstanding .v. of the kings Shippes being at the first ouercome the Admirall hir selfe also was constrayned to flee and to forsake hir fellowes The chiefe Captayne whose name was Iulian Roman a man of great fame among the Spaniardes sliding out of the ship by a roape into a skiffe forsooke the Nauie The Prince of Orange his Nauie being conquerers pursued the chase tooke ninetene Shippes of warre The Admirall himself was slain All the Spaniardes and spectally the olde Souldiers of seruice which were taken were cast ouer boorde to feede fishes Then the Prince of Orange more vehemently vrged the siege of Middelburge and so within fewe dayes it was brought to passe that Moundragon being without all hope of helpe yelded vp the Citie of Middelburge and Armac This was the ninetene of Februarie of this yeare The trueltie shewed at the seege of Harlem was not here recompenced The Prince of Orange rather conquered with lenitie and gentlenes than otherwise he graunted lyfe also to the morrow masse Priestes but the Captaines Centurions he sent prisoners to Elishing hauing giuen leaue to Mountdragon their chief Captaine to redeeme them for the which cause he leauing behynde him assurance of faith and twelue hostages went to Andwerpe that he might make exchaunge of Captiues This Mountdragon so highly commended the humanitie clemencie fayth of the Prince of Orange vnto the kings Lefetenant Regnisence that he brought himselfe in suspicion with him and also into great perill ABOVT this tyme Mongon an experte Captaine in the fyrst ciuill warres of great name fame for killing of Mottecondrin tooke certayne small townes in the countrey of Velay and certayne strong Castelles and he was now approched to the Citie of Puij which was full of riche Marthants hauing already taken the Castell Espaule which was within see sight of the Citie by the subtill practise of Guiard of Puij a man of no religion and yet pretending to be of the religion Now the spoyling Souldier being made rich with the praye bought of the Souldiers of the Castell of Espaule one of the Captayne 's being corrupted with money by the men of Puij both the head of mons Guiard and the Castell it selfe Also M. Mongon himselfe on the other parte was by treason slaine And thus within fewe dayes they of the Religion were driuen out of the countrey of Velay by the treacherie and wickednesse of the spoyling irreligious Souldiers There standeth vppon the bancke of the Riuer of Rosne a Castell called Perand This Castell did the Lord of the same who from the tyme of the slaughter at Paris fayned the abiuration of Religion take a little towne also called Andace fortifying the sayd Castell with a Garrison of Souldiers of the Religion About the same tyme also by his meanes was taken the Castell Maleuall in the countrey of Forrest By reason whereof the entercourse of them of Lions was much endammaged Therefore they being styrred vp by this their anoyance beseeged the Castell Perand and within certayne dayes assalted wonne the same M. Sanroman making small hast to succour it ◠and then ouerthrew all the forces thereof that it might neuer anoy them afterward CONCERNING the assembly of states appoynted to be holden by the Queene we haue spoken before The auncient manner of France is that before the generall assembly of States the perticular assemblies of the states of euery prouince Assie together that by deliberation they might determine what should be handled in the generall assembly This manner the Queene shunneth of purpose and geueth charge to certaine exquisite persons to go into euery prouince and to heare the complayntes of the people and to bring the same vnto the king and to hir The same authoritie she gaue also to them of the Religion for whose affayres special prouision seemed
long delay But he tooke Mountpellier Boucar Lunell and Pozenac and from Pozenac he was repulsed by the treason of a certaine Captayne to whom hee had committed both the Citie and also his daughter which was but two yeeres olde At the last by the kings commaundement M. Coconass and d'Mole were arayned in the Senat of Paris and were condemned of high treason against the kings person the state for which they were put to death and their goods confiscate to the King Rumors were spred abroad that the Momorencies and Marshall Cosse were the chiefe authors of their conspiracies and yet notwithstanding it is euidently knowen that neither Cononas nor d'Mole nor any of those which were apprehended had committed any such thing Men sayd that the Duke of Alanson sought to flee vnto Lodowic Nassau bicause he knew that treason was practised against him The Senate doubted to condemne them for this cause for that the house of Nassau were called by the king in his Edicte his frendes But to the ende the treason might appere by the confession of those that were apprehended the king pronounced Lodowic Nassau to be his enimy And so the Senate gaue sentēce against them Amidst these domesticall confusions of the courte all things were ordered either by blinde treason or els by mad violence Wyse men blamed much the lingering delay of the Marshals who deferring the tyme loste all occasions to bring any thing well to passe and so behaued themselues that they seemed neuer so much as to haue those matters in their thought Notwithstanding it was certainly reported that a great number of the nobilitie of France abhorring long ago the gouernement of the Queene and of straungers bicause they were not only reiected but were also in daunger of their lyfe to fill vp those furies on Saint Barthelmewes day had determined to reuyue againe the authoritie of the States and to reforme all things according to the prescript of the auncient lawes of the Realme To this also there was added a newe cause namely the dispayred health of the king Therefore he being dead it was sayd that their purpose was to giue the gouernement of the Realme vnto the Duke of Alanson in the absence of his brother which was next heire vnto the Crowne It was also necessarie for the peace and tranquilitie of the Realme that Religion should be prouided for We will in another place set downe the forme of that protestation in the which d'Anuill declareth the causes why he armed him selfe Treason also was practised against the Prince of Conde Who at that tyme was at Amiens the chiefe citie of Picardie And hauing intelligence of the treason went out of Amiens a hunting as he pretended according to his woonted manner and so comming home to his house making M. Tore one of the brethrē of Momorencie acquainted with his purpose came with all posting speed into Germany where he was very curteously receyued Within few dayes after the king of Nauar published a bil by which he clered himself from all suspiciō of the said cōspiracie against the king Men said that this was made by the subtil practise of the Queene that the hatred spite of the whole matter might light vppō the heades of the Marshals And thus he beginneth Bicause I vnderstand that certaine deceyuers haue dishonestly and wickedly spred abroad false rumors concernyng mee by the which to the dishonour of my name that duetie which I owe vnto my soueraigne Lord the King is brought in doubt as though I were partaker of that conspiracie lately reuealed at Sangerman I haue I say for this cause intreated the Kings maiestie to giue me leaue to write these things thereby euidently to signify my will vnto all men Therfore my desire is that all men know that the same matter is most false fayned such as neuer came in my mynde And I am so far from being giltie of this facte that I am rather perswaded according to the bonde both of nature and also of deuine and humane lawes to spende my lyfe and goods and to loose my frendes for the dignitie of my soueraigne Lord the King and the safetie of his faithfull subiectes and by all manner of meanes to withstand their enterprises who being Rebelles to the King doe trouble the peace and tranquilitie of the realme The lyke bill also was seuerally published by the Duke of Alanson VVE spake before concerning the comming of Countie Mongomerie into Normandy And hee was not long in the towne of Sanlo but M. Matigon the Kings Lefetenant of the lower Normandy beseeged the same So soone as Mongomerie sawe that the same was beseeged after deliberation had he went out of the towne with a hundred and threescore horsemen for he had not two hundred in all and came to Danfro which as we sayd before he had taken Danfro is a little town of the lower Normandy in the territorie of Passi the Duke of Alansons dominion which towne was hitherto obscure and now by the calamitie of Mongomerie made famous beyng walled rounde about with a weake wal yet notwithstanding fortified with a strong Castell all along the same ran the riuer of Meisne Mongomerie purposed for the refreshing of his horses to tarry there certayne dayes and then to ioyne him selfe to the succours of his fellowes which came dayly out of diuers partes of Normandy and of other quarters therabouts So soone as Mons Matigon heard hereof how that Mongomerie was within the walles of Donfro he came without delay to Donfro leauing parte of his armie at the seege of Sanlo and with the sounde of Trumpets gathered together from all partes a great number of those countrey men and sent vnto the King for more ayde There came therefore vnto him of the Kings Souldiers from all places the citie was beseeged and the walles sodenly battered with great guns Mongomerie at the first sought to deliuer him selfe out of the towne the which when he could not doe hee lefte the Citie and tooke the Castell He had with him scarce a hundred and fyftie Souldiers who being out of hope sought all occasions eyther by colour of eruption or by parley to flee vnto the enemie The Castell was battered with ordinance The fyrst charge Mongomerie valiantly withstoode to the great hurte of his enimies but when he sawe that his men fell away from him and that hee wanted things necessarie for the defence of hym selfe and the Castell hee desired to parley with M. Matigon and yelded him selfe and his men vnto hym vppon certayne conditions namely that hee and his might departe with their lyues that for certaine dayes hee might go whether hee would and that hee should departe without losse of lyfe in safetie so soone as he had deliuered vp the Castell And thus hee yelded vp the castell and hym selfe to M. Matigon Then the Kynges Souldiers runnyng through the breaches of the walles into the Castell slue whomsoeuer they met contrary to their fayth
of the alterations of such good quiet prosperitie into such miserable commotions and extremities wherwith the countries are now suppressed your maiestie shall find them to spring out of the malice and enuie whiche some being about your Maiestie do beare to the prosperitie and welfare wherwith God almightie hath blessed your countries and subiectes Which enuie and cancred malice being further incensed stuffed with vnsatiable auarice vnmeasurable prodigalitie hath brought thē to such crueltie and tirannie that they altogether forgetting al affection seruice which they did owe vnto the countrey wherein they haue gotten great honour benefites haue to the great preiudice of the seruice of your Maiestie and common wealth of these countries prooured by all meanes and practises this most haynous fyre of commotion to thintent to aspire to the dignity surpassing the states of the lande yea of your maiestie And knowyng wel that to compasse that deuise it was a matter impossible the customes and liberties of the coūtryes remayning in force which do altogether contrarye their wicked pretence considering besides howe diligent and faithfull they of the saide countries were euery one in his vocation according to their othe to stand to the maintenaunce of the same they attempted in peruerse manner to interprete to your Maiestie the doings and procedings of the Lordes gouernours and states of the land tending to the mayntenaunce of the sayd rightes and liberties in suche sorte as if they tended to disobedience or rebellion towardes your Maiestie Amongst which specially some being spirituall persons haue by all meanes attempted and sought vnder pretence and shadowe of religion to confederate wyth other foraine prelates and so by secret attempts and practises to bring the countrie in hatred of your Maiestie to thintent that they with their confederates which are by oth allyed not with your Maiestie but with straunge rulers and countries in Italie and else where specially with the Pope of Roome might here beare rule and gouernaunce c. and as possibilitie and commoditie serued to enlarge and confirme the same For when they first perceiued that in all the countries here abouts yea ouer all Christendome their rude and manifest abuses and errours by reason of the negligence and auarice of the priestes were discribed and specially whē it began to greeue the chiefe notablest persons that they which ought onely to meddle with instructing of the people in the faith and feare of God and to execute his seruice with all fidelitie according to the example of the Prophetes and Apostles did in steade therof not onely contrarye to God his commaundement but also to the decrees of the former Popes and to al ordinances of the old counsels yea against all statutes and vsages of Princes and countries take vppon them to deale in worldly and Ciuil pollicies yea also in matters touching warfare and rule of countries seeking to suppresse all degrees and to reserue the generall gouernement too themselues taking in hande too bring all estates in disdaine and hatred of the Princes aswell the subiects of your Maiestie as of diuers other kinges and Potentates accusing them slaunderously with sedition and rebellion whereby they haue styrred and prouoked in all cuntries troubles and dissention warres and bloudshed setting the subiectes at discorde with their rulers and the rulers against the subiectes and generally turned all things vpside downe and brought in execrable confusion errour not esteeming who was endamaged so as they might atchieue the accomplishment of their rule and dominion and bring all things vnder their rule and aucthoritie And to that intent haue they sought to plant in this countrey the inquisition deuised and inuented in Spaine by certaine Iewes and Renegados by that meanes to breake all priuileges rightes and auncient customes and to make frustrate all sworne contracts vsages and counselles and so to get a full power and dominion ouer all your Maiesties faithfull seruants which stand to the othe whiche they haue made to your Maiestie not acknowledging any foraine Lords spiritual or temporal which might seeke by false accusations to impute vnto your subiectes heresie rebellion to the intent thereby to attaine to their purpose For better accomplishing whereof haue they by force vrged and brought in the newe Bishops contrary to all landrights and sworne priuileges to the empairing of your Maiesties aucthoritie chosing them not for vertue prudēce or learning being most of them of the most rude and vnlearnedst sort but onely for that they take them as faithful and true assistentes in the executing of their tiranny and crueltie Their saide vngodly enterprises and consequences of the same being the longer the more espied haue the most notablest Lords Gouernours and Gentlemen with the townes and countrey giuen intelligence knowledge to your Maiestie by continuall supplications remonstrances and other possible meanes howe much the aucthoritie of your Maiestie should be empaired shortened and deminished by the said Inquisitors and Bishops being most of them strāgers and outlanders by othe bound vnto foraine Princes and as they pretende exempt of your iurisdiction and by the same haue alleged the euident impossibilitie to bring in such innouations and nouelties but that it would tend to the vtter ruine and destruction of the whole countrie seing that it was most apparant that the bringing in therof was but a borowed cloake to shadow their doings in abusing of your Maiestie and suppressing of suche as would controle their wicked and moste notorious procedings and abuses whiche they themselues can scarce conceale Of which the number in these countries is so greate and manifolde and dayly doth yet more encrease that if your Maiestie would haue bin ruled by their persuasions and counsel in executing of rigour and extremities they would haue made your Maiestie a king without subiects and your subiects without rulers as is most notorious by the innumerable number of those which in these countries haue vnder pretence of religion bene executed and murthered aswell with fyre and water as with the sword besides an infinite multitude whiche are fled out of the countrie bearing with them all occupations and notable sciences to the instructing of others vnspeakeable preiudice of your Maiestie and countries Whereupon your Maiestie was in the ende occasioned to a myld moderation of the placardes by the same declaring that your meaning was not to bring in the Inquisition which likewise was by the Duchesse of Perma and the Lordes and Gouernours of the countrie in the behalfe of your Maiestie solemnly promised to all the Townes and subiects and accordingly published by open proclamations by commaundement of the Magistrates But shortly after all that was ouer turned by meanes of the aforsaide persons who in deed seeme to haue firmely perswaded your maiestie that such was to the diminishing of your maiesties reputation and dignitie vniustly alleadging that your subiects woulde withdrawe them selues from the duetifull obedience of your maiestie So that it is euident that