many horrid crimes whereof they were accused did raise in mens minds one only of the offenders for want of friends at Court being executed but the principal actors of that wickedness restored to their former dignity and places so that instead of that Justice which if duly executed upon the offenders might possibly have averted or mitigated the Divine vengeance which hath since prosecuted his fathers guilt in his posterity he not only by neglect thereof but also by his own continuance of the like cruelties and for the same cause of Religion appropriated his fathers guilt to himself and with the addition of his own transmitted the same to his posterity with the Divine Vengeance further provoked attending it He began his Persecutions of the Protestants in the first year of his reign and continued the same to the last days of his life with that resolution that no sollicitation of neighbour Princes his allies could mitigate his fury He used his uttermost endeavour says Davila p. 40. to extirpate the roots of those seeds in their first growth and therefore with Inexorable Severity resolved that All who were found convict of this imputation should suffer death without mercy And although Many of the Counsellors in Every Parliament either Favouring the same Opinions or Abhorring the Continual Effusion of blood made use of all their skill to preserve as many as they could from the Severity of his Execution notwithstanding the Kings Vigilance and Constancy was such chiefly by the Incitements of the Cardinal of Lorain one of the Guises that he had reduced things to such a point as would in the end though with the Effusion of much blood have expelled all the peccant humours he means the Protestants out of the bowels of the Kingdom if the accident which followed had not interrupted the course of his resolution That which he calls an accident was the violent and in respect of the course of nature untimely but in respect of Gods Providence most seasonable death of that cruel King in the height of his Resolutions of Inexorable Severity against the Protestants by the hands of that same man whom he had but few days before imployed to apprehend and imprison some of the chief Senators for no other cause but their Religion and their free delivering of their Sentence according to the Laws in Parliament concerning the cause of the Protestants and at the same that Queen Elizabeth was 〈◊〉 Her Senators Consulting and Resolved to Establish that Religion which he persecuted which she happily by Gods Blessing effected and procured a Blessing upon her self and her Kingdom while he furiously fighting against God was in a Ludicrous fight running at Tilt by a Splinter of a broken lance which found entrance at his eye though his head and body were clad in armour cut off from further prosecuting his resolutions in the midst of his years and in the midst of his publick Solemnities of the Nuptials of his eldest daughter to the King of Spain which whom he had concluded to make a war against the Protestants and of his only Sister to the Duke of Savoy in the view of the Bastile where those Senators were kept in Prison and within two or three days if not less after one of the chief of them was declared heritick and delivered over to the Secular Power Leaving behind him a Curse upon his posterity and Misery and Confusion to his Kingdom principally caused and promoted by those very instruments whose Counsels and Instigations he had followed in his wicked and bloody practises year 1559 40. He left four sons all in a manner children the eldest Francis 11. who succeeded him under the age of sixteen who by reason of his youth Lib. 1. or rather as says Davila his natural incapacity requiring if not a direct Regent yet a prudent assiduous Governour till his natural weakness was overcome by maturity of years the Ancient Customs of the Kingdom called to that Charge the Princes of the Blood among which for nearness and reputation it belonged to the Prince of Conde and the King of Navarre But Katherine of Medicis the Kings mother and Francis Duke of Guise with Charles his brother Cardinal of Lorain uncles to Mary Queen of Scots whom the King in the life-time of his father had married severally aspiring to the Government to which neither had right by the Laws of the Kingdom and therefore despairing by their own power and interest to obtain and retain it alone they resolved to unite their several interests and powers and to share it among them and they quickly obtained she by her interest in the King her Son and they by the means of their Niece 〈◊〉 Queen that to the Duke was committed the Care of the Militia Davil l. 1. the Civil affairs to the Cardinal and to the Queen-mother the Superintendance of all the Princes of the blood and others of the prime Nobility being excluded not only from the Government but also by arts and affronts removed or repulsed from the Court it self The Guises having thus intruded into the Authority aforesaid continued the same Resolutions of Severity against those of the Reformed Religion which they had infused or at least fomented and agitated in the former King which they instantly put in execution And the same moneth that this King came to the Crown his Order is sent out for the tryal of the Senators imprisoned by his father Whereof one Anne du Boury was afterward for his Religion executed but the rest not being convicted were only degraded While these were brought to their Tryal by the command of the Cardinal Severe Inquisition is made at Paris Thu. l. 23. into all suspected of that Religion and many both Men and Women are taken and clapt into Prison and many to avoid the danger forced to fly many leaving their infants and little children behind them who filled the streets with the noise of their lamentable crys their goods taken out of their houses were publickly sold and their empty houses proscribed and to increase the Odium of the people against them the same Calumnies which were heretofore cast upon the Primitive Christians of promiscuous copulation in their Nocturnal Meetings the lights being put out were now renued against these and base people produced by the Cardinal to prove it who though upon tryal convicted of fraud and falshood were yet suffered to go unpunished The City being thus diligently searched the same Course is immediately taken in the Suburbes at S. Germans and presently after in the rest of the Cities of France especially at Poictiers Tholouse Aix and throughout the whole Province of Narbon Shortly after command is given to the Court to proceed severely against those who were suspected and with all diligence to attend to the tryal of them without intermission Whereupon the Prisons were all soon emptied some being condemned to death others banished and the rest punished with other mulcts and penalties Nor did all this satiate the
for that he had sent Ambassadors into England to treat of Peace with the new King Therefore despairing of their design as to King Philip the Conspirators fly to their last and desperate Counsels and in the first place they make it their business to satisfie their Consciences and that being done they confirm their resolutions to attempt some great Enterprize And thus their Divines discoursed To depose Kings to grant their Kingdoms to others is in the power of the Supream Judge of the Church But all Hereticks being ipso jure separated from communion of the Faithful are every year on Holy Thursday Caena Domini excommunicated by the Pope And this holdeth not only in Professed Hereticks but in those that are covertly such because being reputed ipso Jure Excommunicate they do incur the same Penalties which are ipso facto deserved by professed Hereticks From thence it follows that Kings and other Christian Princes if they fall into Heresie may be deposed and their Subjects discharged of their Allegiance Nor can they recover their Right again no not though they should be reconciled to the Church When it is said that the Church the Common Mother of all doth shut her bosome against none that return to her this is to be understood with a distinction viz. provided it be not to the damage or danger of the Church For this is true as to the Soul but not as to the Kingdom Nor ought this punishment to be extended only to Princes that are thus infected but also to their Sons who for their Fathers Sin are excluded from Succession in the Kingdom For Heresie is a Leprosie and an Hereditary Disease and to speak more plainly he loseth his Kingdom that deserteth the Roman Religion he is to be accursed abdicated proscribed neither is he nor any of his Posterity to be restored to the Kingdom as to his Soul he may be absolved by the Pope only Thinking themselves abundantly secured within by these reasonings they begin to seek outward strengthenings to their Conspiracy and chiefly Secresie which they sealed by Confession and the receiving of the Sacrament To this end there was an Oath drawn up amongst them May 1604. in which they did engage their Faith by the H. Trinity and the Sacrament which they were presently to receive that they would neither directly nor indirectly by word or circumstance discover the Plot now to be communicated to them nor would they desist from prosecuting it unless allowed by their Associates Thus being encouraged by the Authority of their Divines they be take themselves to the adventure as not only lawful laudable but meritorious This was done before John Gerard of that Society Unto this after Confession by the Sacrament of the Holy Altar were drawn in the next May at first five of the Conspirators Robert Catesby Tho. Winter Tho. Percy Kinsman to the E. of Northumberland John Wright and the aforementioned Fawkes called out of Flanders Catesby the Author of this Tragedy thought it not enough that this or that or any single person should be aimed at but that all together and at the same time should be comprehended in this Conspiracy For so he reasoned with himself The King himself might many wayes be taken away but this would be nothing as long as the Prince and the Duke of York were alive again if they were removed yet this would advantage nothing so long as there remained a Parliament so vigilant so circumspect to whatever might happen or if the Parliament could or the chief Members of it could be destroyed there would remain still the Peers of the Realm so many Prudent Persons so many powerful Earls addicted to that Party whom they could hardly resist and who by their Authority Wealth and Dependants would be able if occasion should be to restore things to their former state Therefore not by delayes but at one blow all were to be swallowed up and so laudable an Atchievement was to be brought to effect altogether and at once At Westminster there is an old Palace of very great Honor and Veneration for its Antiquity in which the great Councils of the Kingdom are used to be celebrated which by a word borrowed from us they call a Parliament In this the King with His Male issue the Bishops of His Privy Councel the Peers the English Nobility the Chief Magistrates and those that are delegated from particular Counties Cities Towns and Burroughs in short the Men of greatest Wisdom and Counsel do meet together Here Catesby thought a convenient place to execute his so long studied and digested Plot and having made a Vault and storing it with a great quantity of Gun-Powder to involve all those together who could not severally be taken together with the King and His Family in the Rubbish of the same Ruines Therefore when he had dealt with Piercy and he after many bitter complaints of the King through impatience broke forth into these words That there was only one way left to be delivered from so many Evils and that was to take the King out of the way and to that end as he was ready for any attempt did freely offer his own Service Catesby who was more cautious and cunning moderated the Gentlemans heat and God forbid said he that this Head of thine so dear to all good men should be so fruitlesly exposed to such danger The business may be undertaken and accomplished yet so as that you and such as you are may still be preserved for further consulting for Religion and the Publick weal. Then he opens his design in very plausible words and with like Artifice shews him the manner how it was to be effected Piercy agrees and presently hires an House nigh to the place and very opportune to work his Vault The Parliament that was called the year before was deferred till February following Nov. 1604. Mean while Tho. Bates Catesby's Servant a dextrous Fellow and one in whom his Master did much confide being least he should suspect any thing taken into the privity of the Fact when at first be seemed to be moved at the horridness of the thing he is sent to Tesmund alias Greenwell for those men that they might the better be undiscovered went under two Names sometimes under three by whom he was perswaded and strangely confirmed to the Execution of the design being made sensible of the Meritoriousness of the work Afterwards Roben Keyes and after him Ambrose Rockwood and John Grant were taken into the Plot. III Eid Xbr. the Vault was begun Dec. 11. Christopher Winhie and a little after Robert Winter being also taken into the Society The work being often intermitted and often repeated at length the Vault was brought to the Wall of the Court where a new difficulty ariseth from the hardness of the Wall and the thickness of three Ells so that under a long time the work could not be finished and there were now but a few dayes to the sitting of the
a contrary strength against those which were seditious and movers of troubles Therefore he comes into the City though many were greatly disturbed at it to whom when they importunately dehorted him both by letter and word of mouth he after he had given them thanks answered in one word That he was resolved now that Peace was concluded and things past forgotten to rely upon the faith of the King and that he had rather be dragged through the streets of Paris than to take up Civil Arms again 2. Among other letters there was one brought to him being now come to Paris written very smartly after this manner Remember that it is an established Decree of the Papists upon the account of Religion and confirmed by the authority of Councils that Faith is not to be kept with hereticks in the number of which Protestants are accounted Remember also that Protestants upon the account of the former Wars do lie under an eternal odium so that it is not to be doubted but this is the Queens resolution that Protestants be rooted out by any means whatsoever Add to this that it cannot be but that a woman that is a stranger and an Italian descended of the race of the Popes whom they oppose and of a Florentine and guileful nature should study all extremities against her enemies Consider moreover in what School the King was educated in which he drew in with his milk under his good Tutors this Doctrine that he should make it a sport to swear and forswear to use the name of God profanely to defile himself with Whoredomes and Adulteries to dissemble his Faith Religion Counsels to set his countenance according to occasion And that he might be accustomed to the effusion of the bloud of his Subjects he was taught from his childhood to behold the slaughters and butcheries of * And of men also v. l. 24. p. 275. beasts that he is setled in this perswasion to suffer no Religion in his Kingdom but that which may uphold his state according to the opinion of his Master Machiavel otherwise it would never be at Peace so long as two Religions flourished in it and that it was instilled into his ears that the Protestants did decree to spoil him of his Life and Empire And therefore he would never suffer the Protestants who had once whether upon a just or unjust cause taken up Arms against him to enjoy the benefit of his Edict but that he would with Arms revenge what was done with Arms against him nor would he look upon himself obliged to keep his Covenants which he had entred into with his armed Subjects These are the Arts of Princes the Elements of Policy the Arcana Imperii So Commodus of old commanded Julian whom he owned and embraced as his Father to be slain Thus Antonius Caracalla under pretence of mustering slew the prime youth of the City So Lysander cut the throats of eight hundred Milesians called together under pretence of friendship and society So Sergius Galba raged upon six thousand Spaniards and lately by the command of Antonius Spinola the chief men of the Isle of Corsica were called together to a Feast and slain In our memory did Christiern a King of a barbarous nature use the same arts in the Massacre of Stockholm So heretofore Charles 7 though reconciled to the Duke of Burgundy yet abstained not from killing him though he begged for his life Nor are the discourses that the King lately had with his mother at Blois unknown For when in a jocular manner profanely using as his custom is the name of God he asked her whether he had not acted his part handsomely at the coming of the Queen of Navar the Queen answered that he had begun well but these beginnings would little advantage him unless he proceeded But I said he with often repeated oaths will bring them all into your toils From these words the truth whereof you may be assured of you ought to take counsel and if you are wise get out of the City and so from the Court as from a most filthy sink with all the speed as may be 3. Coligni having read this letter though he was not a little troubled at it yet that he might not seem altogether to neglect the admonitions and intreaties of his friends made answer That there was no place left for these suspitions that he could never perswade himself that so great perfidiousness could enter into so good a King than whom France for this many years never had a better That Anjou indeed was more averse to the Protestant party but that hatred would now cease even out of respect to the affinity contracted with the King of Navar. For the rest the League entred into with England and that which the King was now making with the Protestant Princes of the Empire did sufficiently shew how he stood affected to the Protestants when as he would have one of the Sons of the Elector Palatine in his retinue and some one of the English Nobles as Leicester or Burgleii who were most forward for Religion Moreover he had given his Faith to the Prince of Orange and Nassau his Brother concerning aids against the Spaniards and that a great supply was preparing in the place of those who were routed under Jenlis their leader That John Galeacius Fulgosius who lately returned from Florence did assure them that Cosunus would lend the King two hundred thousand Aurei towards that War That the King's Ambassador did carefully pry into the counsels of the Duke of Alva and daily acquaint the King with them That this he knew every day from the King That the Navy that Philip Strossy and Polinius Garda do command at Broage and upon the Coasts of Poictou was not prepared to any other use but to disturb the Spanish Fleet which being done it shall go to help the Prince of Orange at Flushing As for himself and his own particular safety all might be secure of that for that he through the King's means is reconciled to the Guises each engaging their Faith to the King that they would neither of them hereafter impeach one the other Lastly that the King did all he could to make Peace at home and War abroad and that he might transfer the War into the Low-Countreys and against the Spaniards Wherefore he prayed the Author of the writing and others that are of his mind that they would no more with these suspitions trouble his mind which was taken up with more weighty businesses and better designs but rather that they would joyning their prayers with his beg of God that he would prosper things so well begun and bring them at last to an happy end for the good of the Church and Kingdom 4. The same things were written to Coligni from the Rochellers which he did in as friendly manner take off with all moderation and constancy Therefore when they could not divert him from that mind they set upon the King of Navar with
of Anjou and the Duke of Alanson defended Paradise as they called it which many Knights Errant seeking to break into of whom Navar was Captain they were every one of them repulsed and at last thrown headlong down into Hell Then Mercury riding upon a Cock and together with him Cupid came sliding down to the defendants and then after much discourse with them returned into Heaven Then the three defendants came to the Nymphs wandring in the pleasant green fields and led them into the middle of the Hall where the Spectators were with much pleasure entertained with new Dances about the Fountain for a full hour Then the defendants being prevailed upon by their entreaties the Knights Errant that were shut up in Hell were released who presently in a confused skirmish break their spears at last the Gunpowder that was laid by pipes about the Fountain being fired fire-broak forth with a great noise and consumed all their Scenes and so all departed This shew was variously interpreted for that the assailants who were most of them Protestants did in vain attempt to get into the seats of the blessed and were afterwards thrust down into Hell for so they put a mockery upon the Protestants and others did bode that it portended some mischief However certain it is that Francis E. of Momorancy whether suspecting some evil or being indisposed by reason of the tossing of the Sea as lately returned from his Ambassy in England having obtained leave of the King went to Chantilly for his healths sake leaving in the Court Henry d'Anville Carolus Meruvius and Gulielmus Thoraeus his Brethren and that very happily for that most Illustrious Family V. Da. p. 370. for it was the general opinion that the plotters of the following Massacre would have comprehended them all in this conspiracy had they not feared that Momorancy who was now absent would have revenged it The next day being Thursday there was running at Tilts held in the Court-yard of the Louvre in which on the one side the King and his Brethren together with the Duke of Guise and the Duke of Aumale in the habit of Amazons and on the other side the King of Navar with his party in Turkish habits contended with their launces Scaffolds being set up on either side from which the Queen-Mother the King's Wife Lorain and all the Court-Ladies beheld the sports 8. Two days before the Counsel concerning the Massacre being not yet concluded the King with great shew of kindness bespeaks Coligni thus You know Father so he called him upon the account of his age and honour what you undertook to me that you would offer no injury so long as you are at Court to the Guises and they again engaged that they as they ought would behave themselves toward you and yours honourably and modestly I repose very great trust in your words but I have not the like confidence in their promises For besides that I know the Guises do by all means seek revenge I know their daring and haughty nature and in what favour they are with the people of Paris It would be a very great grief to me if they who under pretence of coming to the Marriage have brought with them a great party of souldiers well appointed should attempt any thing to your hurt for that would be an injury to my self Therefore if you think it expedient I think it convenient that the Regiment of the Guards be drawn into the City under these Commanders then he named those who were no way suspected who if any turbulent persons attempt any thing may be ready at hand to secure the publick Peace To such friendly discourse Coligni easily yielded his assent out of a desire of domestick Peace and being already overcome by the Court-flatteries therefore a Regiment is drawn within the walls without any suspition of the Protestants 9. This being done they enter into Counsel * Lib. 51. He mentions a former Consultation between the Queen-Mother Anjou Cardinal Lorain Aumale Guise Birage and others in the same Chamber wherein Guise was afterwards by the King's Command killed and afterwards in the same buildings where the King himself Henr. 3. here called Anjou was murthered by a Fryer again and after some debate the thing was left undetermined their opinions varying according to the condition of places and of the persons admitted to the Council For thus it was discoursed before the King with whom were in Council the Queen-Mother the Duke of Anjou and others There are two factions in the Kingdom one of the Momorancies to whom the Colignies were formerly added but now upon the account of Religion by which they have engaged many to them they constitute a new faction The other is of the Guises nor will France ever be quiet or that Majesty that is taken from Kings by the Civil Wars thence arising ever be restored till the chief of their Heads who disturb the most flourishing Empire and the publick Peace be stricken off They by the troubles of the Kingdom have grown to so great Power that they cannot be taken away at the same time they are severally to be taken off and set-one against the other that they may destroy one another Coligni must be begun with who only survives of his Family who being taken out of the way it would much weaken the Momorancies who lie under so great an odium upon the account of their joyning with Coligni But this is an unworthy thing and not to be suffered by you said they directing their discourse to the King that a man whom only Nobility commends one that is advanced to honour by the favour of Kings now grown burdensom to the Nobility equal to Princes in honour grievous to your self should come to that height of madness and boldness that he should count it a sport to mock at Royal Majesty and every day at his own lust to raise Wars in the Kingdom Certainly his madness is above all things by you if you be indeed King to be restrained that by his example all may learn to bear their fortunes decently and use them modestly Nor only shall the faction of the Momorances be broken by his death but the power of the Protestants shall be over-turned of which when he is the very heart and soul in him alone the Protestants seem to live and he being dead they will fall with him This is not only useful but necessary for setling the publick Peace when as experience doth shew that as one house cannot keep two Dogs nor one tree relieve two Parrots so one and the same Kingdom cannot bear two Religions This may be done without danger or blame if some cut-throat as there are enough of them to be had be suborned to take away the life of Coligni encouraged by some present reward and hopes of future who having done the thing may make his escape by the help of a light horse prepared for that purpose V. Dav. p 368 370. The opinion of
he remembred what great mischiefs had befallen him from them Navar and Conde who had headed a company of profligate persons and seditiously raised war against him That he had just reason to revenge these injuries and now also had an opportunity put into his hand but that he would pardon what was past upon the account of their consanguinity and the lately contracted affinity and lastly of their age and that he would think that these things were not done by the advice or fault of them but of Coligny and his followers who had already or should shortly receive the just deserts of their wickedness that he was willing that those things should be buried in oblivion provided they would make amends for their former offences by their future loyalty and obedience and renouncing their profane superstitious Doctrine would return to the Religion of their Ancestors that is to the Roman Catholick Religion for he would have only that Religion professed in his Kingdom which he had received from his fore-Fathers Therefore that they should look to it that they do comply with him herein otherwise they might know that the same punishment which others had suffered did hang over their heads To this the King of Navar did most humbly beg that no violence might be offered to their consciences nor persons and that then they would remain faithful to him and were ready to satisfy him in all things But Conde added that he could not perswade himself that the King who had engaged himself by solemn oath to all the Protestant Princes of his Kingdom would upon any account violate it or hearken to their enemies and adversaries in that matter As to Religion that was not to be commanded that his life and fortunes were in the King's power to do with them what he pleased but that he knew he was to give an account only to God of that Religion that he had received from God Therefore that he was fixed and resolved never to recede from his Religion which he knew assuredly was true no not for any present danger of life With which answer the King being highly provoked he called Conde stubborn seditious Rebel and the son of a Rebel and told him that if he did not change his mind within three days his head should pay for his obstinacy 20. Many of the Protestant Nobles had taken up their lodgings in the Suburbs of St. German and could not be perswaded to lie in the City Among these were Johannes Roanus Frontenaeus Godofridus Caumonlius Vidame of Chartres Gabriel Mongomerius Jo. Lafinius Bellovarius Segurius Pardallanius and others The destroying of whom was given in charge to Laurentius Maugironus and besides Marcells was ordered to take care that 1000 Souldiers of the City Trained-Bands should be sent thither to Maugironus who went but slowly on in his business While this was doing tidings came to Mongomery of the rumor of taking up Arms in the City who signified the same to the Vidame of Chartres and presently they met all together uncertain what was to be done for that many confiding in the King's faithfulness perswaded themselves that this was done without the King's command by the Guisians encouraged by the forwardness of the seditious people therefore they thought it was best to go to the King and that he would succour them against any violence In that doubtfulness of mind though the more prudent did not doubt that these things were done by agreement and by the King's command were many hours spent so that they might easily have been destroyed but that another impediment happened to the Conspirators for whiles Maugironus doth in vain expect Parisians to be sent from Guise who were all busied in plundering Guise impatient of further delays calls forth the King's Guards out of the Louvre intending whiles they passed the River to go thither himselfe And when he came to the gates it did too late appear that they had mistaken the keys therefore while they sent for others it being now broad day the Switzers and others of the King's Guards passing the Siene were seen from the other side and upon the discharging of a Gun on the other side of the River as was thought by the King's command the Associates take counsel to fly and before they came were gotten a good way off Guise pursued Mongomery and others to Montfort but in vain and meeting with Sanleodegarius he commands him that he should follow them with fresh horses There were some sent to Udencum and to Dreux who should intercept them if they went that way but all in vain Franciscus Bricomotius who could not be destroyed in the tumult flies to the English Ambassadors lodgings †In Bernardinorum caio. where he for some days lay hid Arnoldus Cavagnius also hid himself not far from hence with a friend who fearing the danger desired him to provide for himself but both being taken were cast into the Palace prison and with that event which we shall shew anon In the mean time Guise with Aumale and Angolesme return into the City where the King's Guards did commit outrages upon the lives and fortunes of the Protestant Nobles and Gentlemen even of those that were their familiars and well known to them This work being assigned to them in particular whiles the people incited by the Sheriffs wardsmen and tything-men that ran about did furiously rage with all manner of licentiousness and excess against their fellow-Citizens and a sad and horrid face of things did every where appear For the streets and ways did resound with the noise of those that flocked to the slaughter and plunder and the complaints and doleful out-cries of dying men and those that were nigh to danger were every where heard The carkasses of the slain were thrown down from the windows the Courts chambers of houses were full of dead men their dead bodies rolled in dirt were dragged through the streets bloud did flow in such abundance through the chanels of the streets that full streams of bloud did run down into the River the number of the slain men women even those that were great with child and children also was innumerable Annas Terrerius Chapius being eighty years old and an Advocate of great name in the Senate was slain Also Jo. Lomerius Secretary to the King having compounded for his safety was thrown into Gaol by Johannes Parisiensis Judge of Criminals and having sold * Versalium fundum his Estate at Versailles to his adversary with whom he had a Suit depending about it at a low rate and leaving his office upon the account of another was afterwards slain by the command of those with whom he had those dealings Magdalena Brissonetta the Relict of Theobaldus Longiolius an Irish-man Master of the Requests Neece of Cardinal Gulielmus Brissonettus and besides a woman of most rare accomplishments and of no mean learning when in old apparel taking with her her daughter Francisca and Johannes Spina a noted Preacher who was her
and they had the Author of it in Custody and Bonds The fame of this being spread abroad for in so great a matter of Joy it could not be concealed the Conspirators fly some this way some that way and meet together at Holbech at the house of Stephen Littleton in the borders of Stafford-shire Thither came those that were privy to the Conspiracy out of Warwick shire and Worcester-shire although they were ignorant of the discovery of the Plot having taken away by force from Gentlemens houses their Warr-horses thereby giving a manifest token what they would have done when they had got the power in their hands when as they ravaged with such boldness while the event was yet doubtful The Leaders of the Faction trusted that great numbers of Men and a considerable Army would flock into them as soon as they should appear in Arms. But the Lieutenants and Sheriffs being before while the Treason was only suspected Commanded by the King to ride about their Counties their attempts were all made void and scarcely an Hundred of all that number appeared in Arms. And they were encompassed by Richard Walsh High Sheriff of the County of Worcester who came upon them unexpectedly with a strong power of Men so that they could not escape When despairing of Pardon and their troubled Consciences putting them upon desperate exploits the Gun-powder that was drying by the Fire took fire by a sparkle that fell into it and so suddenly burnt the Faces Sides Arms Hands of the Besieged that they were rendered unable to handle their Arms and so lost their strength and courage together Catesby and Percy that were most active together with Tho. Winter while they betake themselves to a corner of the house are both shot through with a Leaden Bullet Winter being wounded fell into the hands of the Kings Party both the Wrights were slain Grant Digby Rockwood and Bates were taken Prisoners Tresham whiles shifting his Lodgings in London he sometime escaped yet at last was taken Robert Winter and Littleton a long time wandring up and down the Woods at last fell into the hands of the Guards and were all committed to the Tower at London Being Examined without the rack for only Fawks was put under this way of Examination and that but moderately they severally discovered the whole series of the matter as we have before recounted and taxed none in Holy Orders which many looked upon as purposely avoided because they were bound by Oath not to do it When as Francis Tresham had before he dyed in Prison of his own accord nominated Henry Garnet being admonished thereof by his Wife he wrote a Letter to the Earl of Salisbury and excusing his too rash confession he so discharged Garnet as much as in him lay by a solemn adjuration interposed that he did entangle himself in a notorious lye affirming †He took it upon his Salvation even in articulo mortis a lamentable thing for within three hours after he dyed Proceedings against the late Traitors C c 2.3 that he had not seen Garnet of sixteen years when as it did appear afterward by the confession of Garnet * And of Mrs. Anne Vaux who confessed that she had seen Mr. Tresham with Garnet at her house three or four times since the Kings coming in and that they were at Erith together the last Summer and that Garnet and she were not long since with Mr. Tresham at his house in Northampton-shire and stayed there Proceedings ibid. that they had often and for a long time together conversed one with another before the six Moneths last past MDCVI Digby confessing the matter as it was in truth endeavoured †He sought to clear all the Jesuits of those practises whith they themselves have now confessed ex ore proprio Proceedings ibid. Even at the time of Garnets Tryal was current throughout the Town a report of a Retractation under Bates his hand of his accusation of Greenwell Proceedings ibid. to excuse the horridness of the Fact which he acknowledged and seemed to detect by the desperateness of their condition For being made to hope that the new King upon his coming to the Kingdom would indulge liberty of Conscience to those of the Popish Religion and would permit the exercise thereof with some restriction This being denyed it drove those miserable men unadvisedly to pernicious Counsels Here the Earl of Northampton and Cecil who together with the Earl of Nottingham Suffolk Worcester and Devonshire did sit as Judges in that Cause interposed affirming that the King never gave them any hope of liberty nor ever engaged his word for it but factious persons did maliciously throw such a report abroad that they might have a pretence wherewith to excuse both themselves and such as they were for the Seditions which they raised in the Kingdom At length being Convicted and found Guilty they are condemned to the punishment wont to be inflicted by the Laws of the Realm upon Rebels and Traytors Everard Digby Robert Winter John Grant and Thomas Bates were Executed at London nigh the Western Gate of St. Paul's Church in the later end of January The day following Tho. Winter Ambrose Rockwood Robert Keies and Guido Fawks who confessed that they had wrought in the Vault were Executed at Westmonaster in the Old Palace yard near the Parliament house Upon this many who for this cause were banished or of their own accord changed their Native Soil were most courteously received at Calice by Dominick Wikes Vicus the Governour there for so the King commanded Of whom one was of such a perverse mind that when Wikes did shew himself to bewail his and his Companions fortune and for their comfort added Though they had lost their Native Countrey yet by the Kings grace they had a Neighbouring one allowed them Nay saith the other It is the least part of our grief that we are banished our Native Countrey and that we are forced to change our Soil because every good man counts that his Countrey where he can be well this doth truly and heartily grieve us that we could not bring so generous and wholsom a design to perfection Which as soon as Vicus contrary to his expectation had heard he could hardly for anger abstain from throwing that man into the Sea who gloryed in such a Plot as was damned by all men For so I remember I have heard Vicus often say when together with Alexander Delbenius he came courteously upon the account of our Ancient friendship to visit me a little before he went from us The Plot being discovered the Parliament among publick rejoycings was held with great security To whom the King made a most weighty Oration and set forth the inexpressible Mercy of God over all his works towards Himself his Family and His whole Kingdom largely aggravating the thing from its several circumstances This temperament being * And this conclusion with no less truth That as upon the one part many
blown over but the Spaniard also for divers years diverted by his wars with Portugal from molesting the Queen in that manner which otherwise 't is likely he would have done and from some such Invasion as though then intended was not actually undertaken till ten years after We might here also remember Don John of Austria in the heat of his eager designs upon England cut off by the Plague in the flower of his age Thuan. if his heart was not broken as was thought by the disappointment of his ambitious designs after he had fouly Raleigh by the Popes Dispensation falsified his Oath taken to observe the Treaty made with the States General And we might here likewise take notice not only of what some may think observable in the Death of the King of Spain Thu. l. 120. if not devoured yet in a great measure wasted and consumed by Lyce bred in his own body which in so great quantities issued out of four several tumours in his breast as that it was as much as two men by turns could do to wipe them off from him with napkins and cloathes but of that which others may think more remarkable in his Life which is that having twice most solemnly Sworn to the States General of the Low-Countries over which he held only a kind of Seigniory Raleigh to Maintain their Ancient Rights Priviledges and Customes which they had enjoyed under their thirty and five Earls before him and afterwards obtained from the Pope a Dispensation of his Oathes which Dispensation says Sir Walter Rawleigh was the true cause of the war and Blood-shed since when he sought contrary to his Oathes and all Right and Justice not only by new devised and intolerable Impositions to tread their National and Fundamental Laws Priviledges and Ancient Rights under his feet and both by Arts dividing their Nobility and by Force to enslave their Persons and Estates and make himself Absolute but moreover by introducing among them the Exercise of the Spanish Inquisition to Tyrannize also over their Consciences and in pursuance hereof had committed many barbarous Murders and Massacres among them by the Just Providence of God he was thrown out of all and those Rights and Priviledges which he sought to abolish and that Religion which he sought to oppress were by that people retained and enjoyed with greater freedom and liberty than ever so that in conclusion the recompense of that oppression and cruelty which he exercised upon them was the loss of those Countries which says Raleigh for beauty gave place to none and for revenue did equal his West-Indies besides the loss of an hundred millions of money and of the lives of above four hundred thousand Christians by him cast away in his endeavours to enslave them If besides this we reflect upon his many and various attempts against the Queen of England Thu. l. 120. some of them with so great study and vast expense of his Treasure his unhappy Wars in aid of the Rebels in France which his ambitious hopes had no less devoured than they had England all of them unsuccessful and remarkably blasted and himself at last so weary of them that he was glad to desire peace with both his fruitless wasting of 5594. Myriads of Gold as himself confessed without any other profit than the acquest of Portugal which he thought might be as easily lost as his hopes of the Kingdom of France had suddenly vanished and however was sufficiently ballanced with his loss in Africa and elsewhere the death of his eldest son by his own command as the Iesuite * 9. Ration Temp. 12. Petavius saith expresly and the less of all his other sons save only Phil. 111. who succeeded him and was the only son of all his four wives who survived him If we seriously I say reflect upon all these we may look upon the prolongation of his life in respect of himself but as a continuance of trouble and misery to him and in respect of this blessed Queen to have been designed by God for an Exercise of her Faith and Virtue and a necessary means to render his Favour and never failing Providence over her the more Manifest Conspicuous and Exemplary to encourage others to Fidelity to him and Resignation to his most Wise Powerful and Gracious Providence But though these things do well deserve our notice yet that which I call a Distinguishing Providence is yet more admirable and remarkable in her nearer neighbours in France 39. When Queen Elizabeth began her Reign in England Henry 11. was King of France His Father Francis 1. who in the beginning of his Reign which was about the time of Luthers first appearing against Indulgences had unhappily entred into a league with the Pope Leo x. which in the judgment of many says Thuanus brought destruction upon his affairs and family though in many things unhappy throughout his whole Reign yet certainly was he in nothing more unhappy than in the guilt of so much innocent blood Thu. l. 6. as was shed in the barbarous and horrid murders and slaughters which were made upon the Protestants of Merindol and Cabriers condemned meerly for their Religion by a most rigid and severe Sentence of the Parliament of Provence after which he never enjoyed himself says Raleigh nor indeed his life long after his approbation of that Execution wherein their towns and villages to the number of two and twenty were burned and themselves without distinction of age or sex most barbarously murthered But being touched with remorse of Conscience and repenting of it upon his death bed he charged his Son that the injuries done to that people should be enquired into and their murtherers who in the cruelty of their execution had exceeded the severity of the Sentence to be duly punished threatening him with Gods judgments Thu. l. 3. Davil p. 14. if he neglected it And among other Admonitions which he then gave him this was one to beware of the Ambition of the Guises whom he foresaw if admitted to the administration of the Kingdom would reduce both his Children and the People of France to great miseries But Henry 11. no sooner came to his Fathers throne but he presently began to practise the contrary to his directions Davila p. 15. 19 displacing those that before had any part in the government and substituting in their room the same men whom his Father had discharged and Guise with the first and at length the three brothers of Guise got into their hands all the principal governments and chief dignities of the Kingdom together with the super-intendancy of all affairs both Martial and Civil the Consequence of which did afterwards make good the truth of his fathers prediction Nor did he much better perform his fathers charge in doing Justice upon the bloody offenders for though he gave the cause a long hearing Thu. l. 6. yet did not the issue of the judgment answer the great expectations which the so
fury of these cruel merciless men for dreading the very mention of an Assembly of the Estates which might correct the Exorbitances of their Usurped Power they accused all those as Rebellious and Seditious who desired it and when they perceived the Protestants who were now very numerous notwithstanding all the cruelties used against them to concur in the same desire new Arts and Snares were devised to apprehend them wherein also others who were not of their Religion were often unawares surprised For every where at Paris especially were erected Images of Saints in the Streets by-ways with lighted Candles set up to them in the day time and a deal of Superstitious Worship and boxes set by them into which they who passed by were pressed to cast in money for providing of the Lights and such as refused to do it or neglected to give reverence to the Images were suspected and instantly assaulted by the Rabble and happy was he that in such case could escape with his life though immediately thrust into prison All this was done the same year that Francis came to the Crown And although in the entrance of the next year about 12. Thu. l. 24. Mart. lest the Protestants exasperated by all these Cruelties should be provoked to joyn with them who at that time held a Consultation against the Guises to remove them and the Queen-mother from the Government this severity by the mediation of Colinius the Admiral and Olinier the Chancellour was by a publick Edict for the present in part remitted Yet no sooner was the danger of that Confederacy over by the defeat of the Enterprise at Amboise but the Edict was recalled 1660. and new resolutions concluded for the utter ruine and extirpation of the Protestants and that upon this further occasion and by the means following The Guises nothing doubting but that the late attempt at Amboise to surprise and remove them from the Government was secretly excited and managed by the Princes of the blood to whom the right during the Kings inability did belong and that the Protestants thus provoked by such unjust persecutions would favour the right of the Princes resolved to cut off both But considering that it would be difficult and hazardous by open Force to get the Princes into their power Davil l. 2. they resolved to essay to accomplish that by Art and therefore first by all means to conceal and dissemble their suspicion of them and to that purpose endeavoured to have the late business at Amboise imputed to the Protestants and to attribute all to Diversity of Religions which might also serve them to a further purpose viz. to render their own cause and proceedings more plausible to the people and the others more odious and to urge this yet further they endeavoured to possess the King with great apprehensions of the danger of his own person from that party and the people with an opinion that that attempt was designed against the King himself which was so gross a Calumnie that Davila himself though otherwise partial enough against the Protestants thought it not fit to be credited and at last having used all their Arts to beget a confidence in the Princes that they had no designs against them to accomplish their designs they cause an Assembly of the Estates whereat the Princes by their place were to attend to be appointed at Orleans Where against the Protestants in general Thu. l. 26. they presently proceed more openly and having obtained an Edict that all should exhibit a profession of their Faith according to a Form 18. years before prescribed by the Sorbon Doctors and that they who refused should be punished with loss of life and Goods such were sent out throughout the whole Kingdom who should apprehend all that were suspected to be of the Reformed Religion with command to pull down the Houses and Castles of those who made any resistance And the Princes being at length with much Art and difficulty wrought upon to come to the Assembly though contrary to the perswasion of their friends are instantly upon their arrival secured Navar under a kind of Guard but Conde close prisoner Having thus gotten them into their hands they without much difficulty resolve to circumvent Conde with Accusations of Rebellion and put him to death under colour of Law But for Navar they were not a little doubtful what to do with him and at last conclude to murder him secretly But when all these designs against both the Protestants in general and these Princes in particular were brought to the very point of execution and the Tragedy already begun It pleased God by the same means whereby he had decreed to prosecute his judgments and vengeance against this persecuting House of Valois to deliver those who were designed for slaughter and by the seasonable intervention of the otherwise untimely death of this young King before he had accomplished the age of eighteen to confound and disappoint all the subtile machinations of these ambitious unchristian persecutors As the force and violence of thunder says Davila useth in a moment to overthrow and ruine those buildings which are built with great care and long labour so his unexpected death destroying in an instant those Counsels which with so much art and dissimulation were brought to maturity and concluded left the state of things already in the way although by Violent and Rigorous Means yet to a certain and secure end in the height of all discord and more than ever they were formerly troubled wavering and abandoned Thus he but we may rather observe the unsuccessfulness of such violent and Rigorous Courses though for the attaining of never so good and lawful ends and that not so much of their own nature as by the special Providence of God who doth frequently suffer wicked and proud conceited men confident of their own wit or strength to proceed in their wicked policies and the exercise of their malitious practises till they be at the very point to receive their expected fruits of all and then by some little occurrence to frustrate and blast all their hopes and make them so much more miserable by their disappointment by how much they thought themselves nearer and surer of the enjoyment Such were the Popes and Spaniards disappoinment mentioned before Sect. 26. pag. 32. and that of 88. Sect. 33. and others Whereas Queen Elizabeths moderate proceedings but in a better cause were all along blessed with happy success 41. To this young King thus cut off in his youth and leaving no issue behind him though some years married to a beautiful young Lady succeeded his brother Charles the nineth a Childe of about Eleven years of Age who by reason of his Minority 1560. being incapable to exercise the Government by Agreement between the Queen-mother now sufficiently weary of the Ambition and Insolencies of the Guises and suspitious of their designs and the King of Navarre first Prince of the blood though the Guises used
them from all injury and the Protestants that they should hold no Synod or Consistories unless the Magistrate first called was present their Pastors should engage to observe the Edict to teach the people the pure word of God and nothing contrary to the Nicene Councel the Creed and the books of the Old and New Testament and that both sides should abstain from all reproachful words speeches and books against one another and when the Senate interceded against the promulgation of the Edict a mandate was sent out to them to promulgate it without further delay which being again and again reiterated they at last obeyed The Guises the Constable and others of their party in the mean time leaving the Court contrive to hinder the Execution of it and oppose the Hugonot Faction as they call it not doubting but having by the Arts aforesaid gotten Navarre to their party to obtain their desires And first they endeavour to insinuate into the Lutheran Princes of Germany and if possible to engage them against the Protestants of France who in a point or two wherein Luther and Calvin differed incline rather to Calvins opinion or at least to render them more slack in affording them their assistance Then after a three days secret consultation with the Duke of Witenberg to this purpose at Zabern to which they had invited him and an out-ragious violence committed in the way by the Duke of Guise his company upon an Assembly of the Protestants at Vassy met to hear a Sermon whereof sixty men and women were by them slain and above two hundred more wounded the Duke with a great retinue speedily repairs to Paris in an insolent manner without any respect to the King by the way and contrary to the Queens express will and pleasure and not contented to go the nearer way by S. Martins he goes about with his attendants being accompanied by the Constable the Duke of Aumale his brother and the Mareshal of S. Andre and enters by S. Denis gate by which the Kings of France in Royal State are used to make their entrance to that Metropolis of the Kingdom being met by divers of the Magistrates of the City with the acclamations of the Rabble in such sort as is used by the people to their Kings Hereupon the Queen after divers other insolencies of this party fearing that under pretext of asserting the Catholick Religion they would usurp the Supreme Power of the Kingdom and get into their hands the King her self and other Children She commends all Dav. l. 3. Thu. l. 29. and the whole Kingdom to the Care of the Prince of Conde the next Prince of the blood and earnestly and frequently importunes his assistance to stop the proceeding of the Confederates But they who upon longer Consultation had made sufficient preparation for what they intended easily prevented him and having exasperated the people with feigned rumours from all the Provinces of the Kingdom of pretended injuries done to the Catholicks by the Protestants an Artifice wherein the Cardinal of Lorain's greatest skill consisted the Duke draws out a party and at Fountain-bleau seiseth upon the King whom with the Queen and Her other Children they carry by force to Paris the King weeping to see himself his mother and brothers carried as it were into Captivity The Queen the same day they were seised renued her importunity to Conde desiring him not to abate his courage or neglect his care for the preservation of the Crown or suffer their enemies to arrogate to themselves the absolute Power in the Government The Confederates on the other side being come to Paris with the young King and the Queen having in the morning by a party led by the Constable fired one of the places without the Gates where the Protestants assembled to Prayers and Sermons and in the afternoon another whereby also the neighbour buildings were consumed and permitted licence to the Rabble to abuse and injure those they suspected for their Religion held frequent Consultations how best to Order their affairs for their own advantage In which Counsels the Duke of Guise openly declared that he thought it most expedient to proceed to a War with the Hugonots so to extinguish the fire before it burst out into a consuming flame and to take away the root of that growing evil Thus was the first Civil War begun the Confederates pretending the Authority of the King and Queen Regent whom they had by force gotten into their power and the Prince alledging the express Authority of the Regent and that the Orders sent out in the Kings Name against him were by the Confederates obtained by force and dures This I have related the more largely because hitherto the Protestants had been onely passive that since now they had engaged in Action as many of them did in this service of the Prince it may the better appear upon what grounds they did Act which was not upon pretense of Religion though no doubt that was a great motive to them but for defence of the Laws and for the Liberty of their Prince and Lawful Governour and against those who did aspire not to the Regency onely but to the Crown and Kingdom it self by a long train of policies and violent Cruelties But this War was rather sharp than long which besides the slaughter of eight thousand men in one battel at Dreux besides great bloodshed and mischief in many other places was in short time the destruction of two of the principal Authors of it Navarre and * He was shot returning from the Camp to his Quarters by Poltrot who being taken upon his examination said he was imployed by Colinius and exhorted to it by Beza but being brought to the rack he utterly denyed it and concerning Beza persevered in his denyal to the last but concerning Colinius being brought to execution and with the terrour of his approaching execution being besides himself he one while affirmed and another while denyed it Colinius and Beza calling God to witness utterly denyed it and Colinius wrote to the Queen that before his execution the business might be further examined but he was in few days after executed Thuanus lib. 34. But was it really so Who employed and exhorted Parry not against a Commander of an Army but against his Prince who Lopez who so many more against Queen Elizabeth who James Clement to murther Henry the third of France who Jo. Chastel to murther Henry the fourth To mention no more Guise being both slain and the Constable the only surviving Triumvir being taken Prisoner thereupon an Accomodation followed without difficulty upon these Conditions among others That all free Lords not holding of any but the Crown might within their Jurisdictions freely exercise the Reformed Religion that the other Feudataries might do the same in their own houses for their own families provided they lived not in †So Davila but Thuanus lib. 35. modo ne in pagis aut municipiis habitent quae majori
by the association of the Politicks with them there was at last a Peace concluded upon such terms as Thu. l. 62. Davila l. 6. had they been granted in sincerity and justly performed might have produced much happiness to that Kingdom For besides what related to the particular concerns of Alancon D'Anvil and others of the Politicks and male-contents to the Protestants was granted full liberty of Conscience and free exercise of their Religion without exception of times or places c. and Towns for their security till the Articles should be fully and perfectly performed And these Articles were concluded by the Queen-Mother her self in person and confirmed by a publick Edict with all the solemnity that could be the King himself being present in Parliament sitting in his Throne of Justice But these Articles says Davila as soon as they were known to those of the Catholick party exasperated most of their minds in such manner that they not only murmured freely against the King himself and the Queen-Mother but many were disposed to rise and would have taken Arms to disturb the unjustness as they call it of that Peace which was generally by them esteemed shameful and not fit to be kept if within a-while they had not manifestly understood that the King and Queen purposely to recover and draw home the Duke of Alancon had consented to conditions in words which they were resolved not to observe in deeds For as he presently adds having exactly performed all things promised to the Duke of Alancon none of the other Articles were observed either to the Protestants in general or to the King of Navar and Prince of Conde in particular but the King permitting and tacitly consenting to it the Assemblies of the Protestants were every where violently disturbed c. And the Guises who were not slack in laying hold of any opportunity to augment their own greatness and to secure the state of that Religion which was so streightly linked to their interests began upon the conjuncture of so great an occasion secretly to make a league of the Catholicks in all the Provinces of the Kingdom under colour of opposing the progress and establishment of heresy which by the Articles of the Peace was so fully authorized and established And this was the Faith of a Catholick Prince whose Conscience was directed by the religious Jesuites and so great a votary that though a King he would often make one of the Flagellantes and was believed would have changed his Kingdom for a Cell Thu. l. 61 Busbeq epist 20. though Guise had never attempted to force him to it this the obedience and loyalty of his Catholick Subjects But this was nothing to what followed for this was but the beginning of that Holy League which may justly put to silence all clamours and answer all calumnies against the Protestants in France upon occasion of any miscarriages of theirs under so long and grievous oppressions and unjust persecutions and was the pattern and precedent which was followed by that faction here which the Romish Emissaries and Agents partly raised and partly ruled or secretly influenced to promote their own designs as may be perceived by comparing such evidences and testimonies as are to be met with of their mysterious practices in their works of darkness with their Principles laid down to undermine this Church and State extant in printed Books Lib. 6. p. 449. Lib. 8. c. 2. p. 496. Thu. l. 63. The form of the League may be seen in English at large in Davila and Fonlis to this effect The Covenant of the Princes Lords and Gentlemen of the Catholick Religion for the entire restitution of the Law of God and preservation of his holy worship according to the form and rites of the holy Church of Rome abjuring and renouncing all errors contrary to it 2. For the preservation of King Henr. 3. and his Successors in the State Honour Splendor Authority Duty Service and Obedience due to them c. 3. For the restitution of their ancient rites liberties and priviledges to the Provinces of the Kingdom c. In case there be any opposition against this aforesaid or any of the Covenanters their friends or dependants be molested or questioned for this cause by whomsoever it be all that enter into this Covenant shall be bound to imploy their lives and fortunes to take vengeance upon them either by way of justice or force without any exception of persons what-ever They who depart from this Covenant shall be punished both in body and goods All shall likewise swear to yield ready obedience and faithful service unto that Head which shall be deputed and to give all help counsel and assistance as well for the maintenance of this League as for the ruine of all that shall oppose it without exception of persons and those that fail shall be punished by the authority of the Head c. All the Catholicks of the several Cities Towns and Villages shall be secretly advertised by the particular Governors to enter into this League and concur in providing Men Arms and other necessaries c. Into this League framed with so much art Davila p. 451. that making a shew to obey and maintain the King it took from him all his obedience and authority to confer it upon the head of their Union as Davila notes when many were engaged in France they began secretly to treat at Rome for Protection and in Spain for men and money nor did they find in either place any aversness to their desires Da. p. 461. V. Thu. l. 63. And though they thought it unfit to dispute openly whether the States were superior to the King or no yet while these things were acted in secret without his knowledge or consent they sought cunningly by a kind of cheat to take away his prerogative and with his consent to settle it in a certain number who should have power to conclude and determine all business without contradiction or appeal and to that end * At the Assembly of the States at Blois which consisted most of such who had subscribed to the Catholick League petition the King that for the dispatch of all business with speed and general satisfaction he would be pleased to elect a number of Judges not suspected by the States who together with twelve of the Deputies might hear such motions as from time to time should be proposed by every Order and conclude and resolve upon them with this condition that what-ever was joyntly determined by the Judges and Deputies together should have the form and vigour of a Law without being subject to be altered or revoked which had been in effect to unking him and leave him little more than the title But the King not ignorant of the importance of that demand Thu. l. 63. became sensible of their designs and of his own danger which more manifestly appeared in certain secret instructions to Nic. David with which he was sent to the Pope
concerning the deposing of the King and thrusting him into a Monastery and setting up Guise in his place c. which being taken with David in his journey and published by the Protestants were not believed at first till the same being also sent to the King of Spain the French Ambassador there happened to get a copy of them and sent them to his Master as Thuanus relates from his own mouth The King therefore returns them a wary answer such as though not altogether denying their demand yet gave them no great satisfaction But though they failed in this attempt to unking the King with his own consent yet they resolved though without or contrary to his consent not only to moderate the last articles of Peace but to break them utterly and again with more force than ever to begin the War against the Protestants whereby they brought the King to this necessity that he must either plainly and openly break his faith given to the Protestants which he had done before only by connivance or engage with them in a more dangerous War against the Leaguers And divers disswaded him from breach of his Faith among the rest William Lantgrave of Hesse Thu. l. 63. besides the reason he gave him in mind of that late and memorable example of Ladislaus 4. King of Hungary who having sworn a Truce with the great Turk Amurath 2. being perswaded by the Pope and Cardinals out of a vain hope that they could absolve him from the obligation of it perfidiously broke it Whereupon in the first encounter the Turk lifting up his eyes to Heaven and calling to Christ to behold and punish the perfidious dealing where-with his followers had dishonoured him he was himself slain with 30000 of his men on the other side the French Theologists did openly both in Sermons and printed Books contend that the Prince is not obliged to keep Faith with the Hereticks alledging to that purpose the Decree of the Council of Constance and therefore War is to be undertaken to extirpate them And by the advice of the Bishop of Lymoges and Morvillier sometime Bishop of Orleans the King determined since he could not by open resistance hinder the designs and progress of the League which already had taken too deep root to make himself Head and Protector of it and draw that authority to himself which he saw they endeavoured to settle upon the Head of the League both within and without the Kingdom which accordingly he did causing it to be read published and sworn in open assembly and with high protestations declared that he would spend his last breath to reduce all his people to a unity in Religion and an entire obedience to the Roman Church which done he without much difficulty prevailed with Navar and the Protestants to yield to some restraints of the publick exercise of their Religion And thus by a new Edict of Pacification were things in * For in the midst of peace nothing but the persecution of heresie was daily threatened Da. p. 479. some sort quieted for some time 52. But after the death of Alancon the King's youngest Brother who died without issue and not without suspition of poison in the flower of his age being about thirty wherein we may take notice by the way of the Divine Vengeance by degrees extirpating that Family which so wickedly sought the extirpation of the Protestants the King having no issue nor like to have any Busbeq ep 5. notwithstanding all his visits and supplications at the Monuments of Saints and Religious places whereby the Crown was likely to descend to the King of Navar a Protestant Prince who was next heir to it the Leaguers presently begin new troubles Thu. l. 80. the Preachers from the Pulpits fill their hearers minds with fears and jealousies meetings are every where held Souldiers secretly listed and Officers appointed and the more to enrage the people while the Preachers fill their ears with the noise of approaching dangers Thu. l. 81. dreadful and horrid representations of most terrible persecutions which the Catholicks are said to suffer in England are presented to their view both in printed Books and also in Cuts and Pictures which are set up in publick places and persons appointed to relate the sad stories of them and tell the people that thus it will be also in France if the King of Navar be admitted to the Kingdom and therefore to secure themselves of a Catholick King they resolve to set up the Cardinal Bourbon for head of the League at present and to succeed the King in case he should die without issue And the better to strengthen themselves they renew their League with the Spaniard Da. p. 526. and having suddenly raised a considerable Army contrary to the King 's express prohibition by his Edict Da. p. 535. they begin to make themselves Masters of many Cities and Fortresses some by secret practices some by open force of Arms Da. p. 550. driving out the King's Governors and Officers and in short time through the fury of the people and great converse of the Clergy in favour of the League became so formidable to the King that he was forced to a new agreement with them against the Protestants Da. p. 557. to banish their Preachers confiscate their estates and with all speed denounce a War against them wherein such men should be made Commanders as the League should confide in and a great deal more partly against the Protestants and partly to strengthen their own party Da. p. 598. This agreement was made by the King only to comply with his present necessity and not with any intention to perform it For being now out of hope of issue himself he resolved to further Navar 's right and to unite himself with him as his lawful Successor and make him partaker in matters of Government to which end he held secret correspondence with him Da. p. 600. But the Leaguers force him to go on with the War and upon the score of his treaty with Navar raise great clamors and calumnies against him that the cause of Religion is betrayed the Protestants openly favoured the course of the War interrupted and that the King shews openly that his mind is averse to the Catholick party and that he desires by all means to cherish and maintain heresy Da. p. 606. And now the minds of the people are more than ever inflamed against his person and proceedings which were publickly inveighed against in the Pulpits and particularly slandered in private meetings Thu. l. 86. but especially by the Priests at the secret confessions of the people whom they refused to absolve unless they would enter into the League and for the more secret carrying on of the business intrusted in this new Doctrine that as well the Penitent who shall reveal what he hears from his Confessor as the Confessor who reveals what the Penitent confesseth doth incur the guilt of mortal sin
From calumnies and slanders they proceed to conspiracies and actions And at Paris they set up a new Council of sixteen Da. p. 606. Thu. l. 86. which hold their secret meetings first at the Colledg of Forlet commonly called the cradle of the League afterwards at the Colledge of the Dominicans and at the Jesuites Colledge they plot to surprize Boulogne and there to admit the Spanish Fleet prepared against England Da. p. 609. Thu. l. 86. They also consult about taking the King himself as he returned from the Boys de Vincernes with a small guard And both these enterprizes being discovered to the King failing Thu. l. 87. they set up a seditious Preacher to inveigh against the King and his Counsellors and not doubting but thereupon the King would send to apprehend him they determine upon that occasion to stir up the people and thereupon take up arms and destroy both him and those about him who were faithful to him Which in part proceeded and perhaps had been accomplished if the King had not timely recalled those he had employed whereupon he was advised to depart from Paris which he did but not long after returning thither he is presented with a Petition which at a Consultation at Nancy where it was concluded that Guise and the other confederate Lord Da. p. 668. Thu. l. 90. should not enter to oppose the King at the very first was so contrived that if he granted it their desires would be effected without noise or trouble and if he refused he should thereby give them occasion and opportunity to make use of arms and to acquire that by force which he would not consent to of his own accord And though the King did not so much refuse as by excuses delay to answer it the Preachers labour to cast all the odium they can upon him inveigh against him as favouring the hereticks and on the other side highly extol and magnify the Catholick Princes so they called the Guisians And Guise his coming to the City is by frequent Letters much importuned which though according to the former conclusion he at present deferred yet were some experienced Souldiers sent to them he not being willing to trust to the City Commanders alone And now reckoning their strength 20000 men there is a new Conspiracy to fall upon the Louvre and killing the guard and all about him whom they suspect to seize upon the King But this was also discovered and the Council of sixteen who thought there might be some hazard in that resolve upon a more safe course to seize upon him when he should be in procession as he was wont in the habit of a Penitent among the whipping Friars and shut him up in a Monastery with a strong Guard and in the mean time a report should be spread abroad as if the King was taken away by the Protestants at which the people should take up arms and fall upon the Politicks and those they suspected And this being also discovered the King consults how to secure himself against the Conspirators In the mean time the Duke of Guise unexpectedly comes to Paris contrary to the King's command And while the King seeks to strengthen himself and preventing the Leaguers to secure the most important places of the City the Parisians are raised at the ringing of the Bells make Barricadoes cross the streets come up to the Louvre and begin to assault it Whereupon the Queen-Mother goes to Guise in her Sedan being denied passage in her Coach and confers with him but brings back nothing but complaints and exorbitant demands But the siege pressing much on the one side when it was feared they would likewise besiege it on the other the Queen-mother going again to Guise and having notice by the way that 15000 men were preparing to enclose the Louvre on the other side holds him in a long treaty while the King with 26 Gentlemen steals secretly away to Chartres to the no small grief of Guise and the Leaguers who had lost so fair an opportunity Whereupon they secure and strengthen Paris lay siege to the Boys de Vincernes which yielded without resistance as did also St. Cloud Lagny Charranton with all the other neighbouring Towns The King being again reduced to his former straits of accepting the assistance of the Protestants or yielding to such terms as the Leaguers would please to give him after long consultation at length resolved to use the same means against Guise which he remembred had been used in the reign of his Brother Charles against the Admiral Coligny and his Adherents and to that end feigned to consent to the opinion of those who perswaded him to unite himself to the Duke of Guise And having upon a treaty concluded a Peace upon almost the same conditions which were contained in the Petition framed at Nancy Thu. l. 91. he receives Guise much after the same manner that his Brother did Coligny with great expressions of honour causes the Edict of the Union to be presently published the War against the Protestants proclaimed for the prosecution whereof according to the Articles of the Peace two several Armies were appointed Guises atchievements were highly magnified by the Leaguers in France and no less by the Pope at Rome who sent to him and to the Cardinal Bourbon his Congratulatory Letters full of high praises which were presently published in print and dispersed abroad Wherein he commends their piety and zeal in promoting the business of Religion comparing Guise to the Holy Maccabees the defenders of the people of Israel so highly extolled in the Sacred Scriptures and exhorting him to continue succesfully and gloriously to fight for the advancement of the Church and the total extirpation of the Protestants acquaints him with his own uncessant prayers for the Divine assistance to him adding that nothing could be more seasonable for the present occasion than that he should have his Legate in France by whose means and authority their endeavours might be promoted for the good of the Kingdom and of the Catholick Religion And if any thing more be necessary to be done by him he desires to be certified of it who shall never be wanting to their cause Guise and the Leaguers being not a little animated by these things Thu. l. 93. the Assembly of the States at Blois which was called upon this late agreement and were most of the faction of the League especially the Order of the Clergy which did in a manner wholly incline to that side with great heat pronounce the King of Navar for his crime of heresy unworthy of the succession of the Kingdom which being decreed by the Clergy and upon their signification and admonition universally subscribed by the other two orders holding it a great fault in the cause of Religion to dissent from the Ecclesiasticks the Arch-Bishop of Ambrun with twelve of each Order repair to the King and desire that by his authority and a publick Edict the Decree may be
the death of the King 's youngest son Sept. 8. following to the murder of Henr. 3. Aug. 1589. the very same space of time which Queen Elizabeth happily and prosperously reigned in England and most of it contemporary Wherein it is very plain and observable a triple difference between her and them viz. a different cause or end and aim of their actions a different manner of proceeding and a different success As to the Cause they designed and endeavoured the suppression of the reformed Religion and extirpation of the Professors of it in their territories she established and promoted it in her Dominions As to their manner of proceeding they fought to attain their ends by fraud and violence slaughters and inexecrable severity either without Law or contrary to Law or by executions exceeding in severity the very rigour of the Decrees Laws or Edicts against the Protestants and all for no other cause but their Religion a Religion which teacheth nothing dishonourable to God or Christ or injurious to man which embraceth all that can reasonably be proved to have been taught by Christ or his Apostles receiveth honoureth and commends to the diligent study of all the sacred Scriptures such a Religion as they who persecute it confess to be true in what it affirms and is the most essential part of their own only believes not what they are not sufficiently convinced to be true and with no little reason suspect to be false or not proposed to their belief by Divine authority She did nothing without Law or contrary to the Laws was very moderate in making and no less in executing any Laws against Papists The first she made in the first and fift years of her Reign being so far from introducing any new severity that they take off from the harshness of what was in force before and those and the rest not being made against their Religion in general but upon special and particular necessary and urgent occasions for the necessary asserting and preservation of her own just authority against those who endeavoured to set up a pretended foreign jurisdiction against her to absolve her subjects from all duty and obligation of obedience to her and excite them to rebellions and to joyn with foreign enemies or by assassination to destroy her whereby she was necessitated and forced through their continual wicked seditious and rebellious practices for the curbing and restraining of them to proceed contrary to her own disposition to more and more severities of Laws which though none of them made without just cause and some special provocation yet were executed with admirable moderation the next after those above mentioned which was made in the thirteenth year of her Reign V. Camd. an 1577. p. 286. being occasioned by the Northern Rebellion and the Pope's Bull to absolve her subjects from their obedience yet notwithstanding in six whole years after was not put in execution against any one though there were those apprehended who had offended against it and in ten years after that rebellion were there but five executed till the further provocations before mentioned in the 29 th and following Paragraphs necessitated the execution of the Laws then in force and the enacting of some others in the 23 27 29 and 35 years of her Reign and yet did not the severity which was exercised in all her Reign against Papists equal what was done against the Protestants in two years of her Sisters Reign and oftner than once in few days in France and professedly for their Religion only whereas it cannot be proved * Sir Fr. Bacon in his Observations upon the Libel point 3. and Collection of the Queens Felicities and the late Treatise of the Grounds Reasons and Provocations necessitating the Sanguinary Laws Edit Lond. 1664. quarto that throughout her whole Reign there was any one executed meerly for their Religion Such certainly was her lenity and moderation in this respect considering the daily and high provocations against her as plainly argues an admirable magnanimity and piety in her and is scarce to be parallell'd in any History not to be denied but by such as have cast off all ingenuity and sense of their own credit and reputation and hath extorted the †V. Watson Widdrington c. apud Foulis l. 7. c. 2. The Jesuits Reasons unreasonable confession and provoked the free acknowledgment of her more candid and ingenuous adversaries There might also be observed a great difference between the actions of the Protestants in France and the Papists both here and there too but that for brevity sake shall be left to the Readers own observation from what hath been related of each Therefore lastly as to their success they while by fraud and violence they sought the utter extirpation of the Reformed Religion and Professors of it in France were themselves extirpated there and the last of their race cut off by his own Subjects of that same Religion which by those wicked courses was sought to be established and the Religion which they sought to suppress and extirpate took deeper root and flourished more notwithstarding all their opposition and persecutions She while with rare moderation and a generous plain-dealing constancy and resolution established the Reformed Religion both easily and happily attained her end and was her self established in her Throne and in a long happy and prosperous Reign as long as all theirs from the beginning of their persecutions preserved from all the secret plots and machinations and open rebellions and assaults of her enemies made victorious over all and at last brought to her grave in peace and in a good old age leaving her Kingdoms in peace and in a flourishing condition and a blessed and glorious memory behind her while they were cut off in the flower or middle of their age and left their Kingdom embroiled in Civil Wars Confusion and Misery and an infamous memory of their no less unsuccesful than perfidious and barbarous actions 55. Nor was this distinguishing Providence thus visible only between her and those who persecuted the Reformed Religion but also between her and those who deserted the same as is to be seen in the next succeeding King of France Henr. 4. the greatest part of whose Reign was contemporary with her 1561. See before Sect. 41. p. 67. and in his Father before him Antony King of Navar who being drawn in by the Pope's Legate and Guises in hopes to recover his Kingdom of Navar or satisfaction for it to desert the Protestants and become Head of the Popish party within the space of about one year after ended his life by a shot before Rouen Had he lived longer says * P. 22. Perefix the Hugonots had without doubt been ill dealt with in France But having received his deaths-wound he became more †Thu. l. 33. solicitous for his own salvation than for his Kingdom for which he had thus wavered in his Religion and at last declared that if he recovered he would
openly embrace the Protestant Profession and live and die in it His son Henry 4. of France was bred up from his childhood in the Reformed Religion and when he was grown up * 1569. professed himself Head of that party and so continued till his †Thu. l. 45. 1572. unhappy Marriage with a Popish Lady Margaret Sister to Charles 9. then King of France which though for its warrant it had the specious colour and pretence of confirming the Pacification and begetting and establishing a better accord between the two parties by so near an alliance between the two Heads of them yet proved as it was intended by the others a snare to the destruction of the chief persons and of great numbers of the rest of his own party and to himself not only unsuccesful in respect of his wife and that not so much through her sterility as her inconstancy and unfaithfulness to his bed but also a snare whereby after he had seen the lives of his best friends and of great numbers of innocent people of his own Religion most barbarously and inhumanely taken away he was himself forced for the saving of his own life to change his Religion in shew and appearance at least But this being by constraint Thu. l. 96. and only in appearance for Religion as was well perceived by Henr. 3. after he had received his deaths-wound which is planted in mens minds by God cannot be commanded or forced by men year 1576 Upon the first opportunity he returned again to the open profession of that Religion which in the mean time he retained in his heart and constantly professed and maintained the same till after the descent of the Crown of France to him This happened very seasonable for him in many respects being then not a child or youth unexperienced in the World year 1589 but of mature age about 35. and firm judgment well experienced in affairs both Military and Civil of State and Government being then reconciled to and in perfect amity with the deceased King who upon his death-bed acknowledged him for his lawful Successor Thu. l 69. recommended the Kingdom to him and exhorted the Lords there present to acknowledg him for their lawful Sovereign notwithstanding his Religion and obey him accordingly being then not in Bearn or the remoter parts of the Kingdom with small or no forces but before the chief City of it in the head of a great Army under his command many of those in the Army who disliked his Religion yet being by the consideration of his undoubted right the recommendation of the deceased King and their own fresh experience of his virtue since his coming to the Army reconciled to his person acknowledging his sovereignty and submitting to his obedience now not as General but as their lawful and undoubted Prince This was 20 years after he had first professed himself Head of the Protestants 13 years after he had again returned to the profession of that Religion wherein he had been bred and educated when he had been all this while preserved notwithstanding all the power of France against him and had withstood all the tentations which after the death of Alancon whereby he became next heir to the Crown of France could invite him to change his Religion and when after all opposition he was as it were led by the hand to the possession of the Kingdom Yet was he not so entirely possessed of it but that there was still matter and occasion left him to make him sensible of that Providence which having preserved him all this while had at last raised him to the Throne and to exercise his dependance upon the same for the future for his entire possession of the Kingdom He was like David after many and long trials advanced to the Throne but yet like him not presently put into the full possession of the Kingdom For the Leaguers who thought his being an Heretick as they reputed him was a sufficient disability to his right to the Crown thought the same a sufficient warrant for them to keep him from it and to continue the rebellion against him which they had begun against his predecessor Thu. l. 98. Foul. 8. c. 7. And to remove or prevent all scruple of Conscience in that respect the Colledge of Sorbon gave them their solemn resolution May 7. 1590. That they who opposed him should merit much before God and Men and if they resisted so mindful were they of the Apostles Doctrine Rom. 13. to the effusion of their bloud should obtain a reward in Heaven and an immarcessible or never-fading Crown of Martyrdom And lest this should not be sufficient they institute a Procession which was made in the presence of the Pope's Legate Cardinal Bellarmine and all the Bishops who came with him from Italy wherein Rose Bishop of Senlis and the Prior of the Carthusians holding in one hand a Cross and in the other a Halberd led the Van the Fathers of the Capucins Foliacens Paulians Franciscans Dominicans Carmelites following in order all accoutred their Cowles hanging back upon their shoulders and having on instead of them Head-pieces and Coats of Male and after them the younger Monks in the same habit but armed with Muskets which they frequently and inconsiderately fired at those they met with a shot whereof one of Cardinal Cajetans domesticks was killed who being slain at so religious a shew was therefore held to be received into the blessed companies of the Confessors After this was made another Procession by the Duke of Nemours and Claud Brother to the Duke of Aumale who commanded the Infantry and the rest of the Officers of the Army who upon the great Altar of the principal Church renewed their League and Covenant and swore upon the Gospel to live and die for the cause of Religion and to defend the City against Navar. The Pope also that this Rebellion might want no authority which his infallibility could give it though there was no other scruple to his right and title but only his Religion fought against him with both swords by his Monitory against the Prelates c. who submitted to his obedience by his Legate Cardinals and other Emissaries sent to encourage the Rebels and by his forces and mony whereof in about 10 months time he wasted 5000000 of aureos Thu. l. 102. most upon the French War when there was more need of it to have relieved the poor who in the mean time died of famine at home and Clem. 8. who not long after succeeded in that Chair Thu. l. 103. said he was resolved in himself to spend all his treasures and bloud too if there was need to exclude Navar from his expected possession of the Kingdom Nor was their good son the Catholick King of Spain wanting to the promotion of so just a cause And in his own Army though many Thu. l. 97. otherwise of the Romish Religion submitted to him without any conditions or delay and
others were satisfied with his word and promise which his former faithfulness had made of great authority even with his enemies v. Perefix p. 112. that he would refer all matters of Religion to a Lawful General or National Council and others with his Oath yet many having more regard to their own private interest and concerns than to their duty deserted him and either stood neuter to see which way the scales would turn or turned to the Leaguers Nevertheless not only of the Nobility Gentry and Laity but also of the Clergy Prelates Arch-Bishops Bishops and others many were more sensible of their duty than either to be drawn with such false though specious pretences or to be affrighted with the terrors of the Pope's pretended authority from it And therefore when the Pope's Mandates were read in the Parliament which sat at Tours Thu. l. 101. they made an Act of Parliament whereby the Monitorials made at Rome Mar. 1. were declared Nul Abusive Seditious to be damned full of impieties and importunes contrary to the sacred Decrees Rights Immunities and liberties of the Gallican Church and it was decreed that the Copies of them sealed with the seal of Marsil Landiranus and signed by Sextil Lampinetus should be by the common Hangman publickly torne and burnt before the Palace Gates c. that Landiranus who pretending himself the Popes Legate brought those Mandates should be apprehended c. and Gregory calling himself Pope the 14 th of that name was declared an enemy of the publick Peace of the Vnion of the Catholick Church and of the King and Kingdom a partaker of the Spanish Conspiracy a Favourer of Rebels and guilty of the cruel detestable and inhumane parricide treacherously committed upon the most Christian and truly Catholick King Henr. 3. And this was required to be published by the Arch-Bishops and Bishops through their Diocesses The like was also done at Chaulom and Caen. The next day after this was an Edict made in favour of the Protestants with the general consent of all as necessary published whereby the Edict of July was revoked and the former Edicts in favour of the Protestants restored And very fair they were to have created a Patriarch of their own in France which the Senate urged but was opposed by the new Cardinal of Bourbon a man of no worth who was out of hope of being the man himself and was a promoter of a new faction of the Thirdlings among the King's party yet in those things which concerned the Collation of Benefices they gave that power to the Arch-Bishop which the Pope had usurped or pretended The King in a speech to a great Assembly of the Nobility and Officers of his Army upon the death of the former King had told them that of those things which Thu. l. 97. as they knew his Predecessor had at his death recommended to him this was the chief That he should maintain his Subjects of the Roman Catholick and of the Reformed Religion in equal liberty aequabili in libertate till by the authority of a lawful Oecumenical or National Council something should be decreed concerning that difference which he would religiously observe and professed before them all that he had rather that day should be his last than to do any thing whereby he might be said to waver in his Faith or to have renounced that Religion which hitherto he had professed before he should be further instructed by a lawful Council to whose authority he did submit himself and therefore he gave free leave to those who were not satisfied with this to depart adding and when they have forsaken me yet God will never forsake me who I call your selves to witness from my childhood hath as it were led me by the hand and heaped upon me great and unconceivable benefits Nor did the beneficence of God toward David appear greater or more miraculous than when beyond the expectation of all through so many difficulties and dangers he brought me to the Throne so that I ought not in the least to doubt but he who breaking through so many obstacles hath called me to the Kingdom will preserve me in it and defend me against all the assaults of my enemies c. I value not the Kingdom of France no nor the Empire of the whole World so much that for the obtaining of them I would make any defection from that Religion which as true I have from my tender years imbibed with my Mothers milk and embrace any other faith than what as I have said before should be resolved in a lawful Council The like confidence in God Da. p. 900. Perefix p. 147. Thu. l. 98. with resignation to his will he afterwards expressed in a pious Prayer in the head of his Army before the Battel of Yvry after which he obtained a very notable Victory over a much greater Army Yet notwithstanding after all this whether through the importunity of the Roman Catholicks of his own party or the violence of his enemies who were assembled to elect a Catholick King which was much urged by the Pope and the King of Spain he fell off from his constancy Thu. l. 106 107. and without the determination or instruction of any lawful General or National Council changed his Religion and at last also submitted himself to the Pope The report of this being brought to Queen Elizabeth who had been very liberal in her assistance to him upon the score of Religion Camden an 1593. and was very solicitous for him she presently dispatched Th. Wilkes to know the truth of it and if not already done earnestly with reasons which she sent in writing to disswade him from it To whom the King excused himself from the necessity of his condition which he also did by Morlantius to the Queen her self with great offers of amity and kindness calling her his Sister as is usual whereat being much grieved and troubled she presently took her pen and wrote the ensuing Letter in what Language I know not but thus in English out of the Latine in Camden Alas how great grief what a floud of sorrow what sighs did I feel in my mind from those things which Morlantius hath told me O the faith of men is this the World Could it be that any earthly thing could drive the fear of God from you Can we expect an happy issue of this deed Or can you think that he who with his right hand had hitherto sustained and preserved you was now about to leave you It is a thing very dangerous to do evil that good may come of it Yet the good Spirit as I hope will inspire a better mind into you In the mean time I will not cease in the first place of my Prayers to commend you to the Divine Majesty and to beseech him that the hands of Esau may not spoil the blessing of Jacob. That you solemnly offer me your Amity I know that I have indeed well deserved it nor truly
would it repent me had you not changed your * * This hath respect to his submission to the Pope and to some passages wherein he called her Sister or himself her Brother Father Certainly now can I not from thence be your Sister by the Father However I for my part will always more dearly love my own than our adscititious Father which God best knows whom I beseech reduce you to the right path of a more sound judgment Your Sister if it may be after the old mode With the new will I have nothing to do ELIZABETHA R. 56. Thus this good Queen but the King who had before loosened the ties of Conscience for the saving of his life and began now to break through the same for the satisfaction of his lust and the enjoyment of a †Gabrielle d'Estrees v. Perefix p. 194. woman it is no wonder if he did the same for the enjoyment of a Kingdom which perhaps he might have better secured otherwise and his life with it It is true he never went so far as to persecute the Protestants as his Predecessors in the Kingdom of France did and his Father began to do and perhaps had proceeded further had he escaped that fatal wound but while he took liberty to himself to change that profession gave them the liberty to retain and enjoy it and under better conditions than ever they enjoyed or were granted them before which was a principal cause which made his Reign so much more prosperous and happy than theirs Yet as in those two particulars for his lust and for his Kingdom he did forsake his Conscience and Religion so did God at last after several fair warnings forsake and leave him to the * V. Perefix p. 400 461 462. ruine of his health by the satisfaction of his lusts the disappointment of his counsels by the treachery of the Jesuits and the loss of his life by the hand of a zealot of that Religion which he had chosen whereas this blessed Queen who gave him this pious admonition and her self continued faithful to her God and constant in her pious resolutions to the last was to the last blessed and preserved notwithstanding all the Plots and Conspiracies Rebellions and Invasions and attempts of her enemies the Romanists against her By this act of his he broke indeed the faction of the Leaguers and so more easily quieted his possession of the Kingdom yet had he soon an occasion to immind him how uncertain and short his enjoyment of it was like to be unless still preserved in the midst of Peace by the same Providence by which he had been hitherto preserved in his Wars and advanced to it through so many dangers and difficulties Thu. l. 107. For within a month after his conversion to the Romish profession was apprehended an assasin Peter Barrier who from place to place had followed him to kill him This fellow had confered about it with a Carmelite and a Capuchin who both encouraged him to it and when he made some scruple by reason the King was turned Catholick as he said he was confirmed in it by Chr. Aubre Curate of St. Andrea who for his further confirmation led him to Varade Rector of the Jesuites Colledge who eased him of all scruples and further animated him to perform the undertaking and when he had been confessed and received the Sacrament in their Colledge dismissed him to that purpose Having provided him a knife for the purpose it was not long before he had an opportunity to have done it but was strangely restrained being pulled back as it were with cords tied about his heart as he afterward confessed The like opportunities he often had at other places whither he followed the King for that purpose but was by some little accident or other still prevented or had not the power to do it though otherwise a fearless man At last being discovered and apprehended and brought to his trial he confidently confessed the whole matter railing upon the Sectaries and his Judges Before his execution he was ordered to be racked to make him confess his complices but in the mean time it was thought fit to send some to him to admonish him of his error whereof he was so throughly convinced by Oliver Barengarius a Dominican who had all along been of the King's party that acknowledging his error he reckoned himself happy that he was prevented from committing so great a wickedness as he intended though by his own most miserable death detesting his purpose and those who had perswaded him to it and told him that if he died in the enterprize his soul should immediately be received by Angels into Heaven there to enjoy an eternal happiness with God and admonished him that if he should happen to be taken and tortured he should not name any of them who had perswaded him to it for then he must know he should incur the pains of eternal damnation and before his execution he gave notice of two Priests who at Lions had undertaken to kill the King and for the greater caution described their persons This renewed the odium of the Jesuits who were reputed not only to have been the * So Dav. in the Story of Chastel calls them the first authors and continual fomentors of the League p. 1232. first inventers of this mischievous War but also what by their profane Sermons what by the poison of their naughty Doctrine secretly in confession instilled into the minds of the inraged people to have exposed by a pernitious example the sacred persons of Princes to be murdered by every one The next danger of this kind which he was in came yet a little nearer to him Thu. l. 111. when in the Chamber of his †Perefix p. 229. beloved Mistress happily at the instant stooping to salute a Gentleman that came in he received that stroke only at his mouth and without greater hurt than the loss of a tooth which was designed at his heart by John Chastel a Scholar of the Jesuites who through a flagitious life grown desperate hoped by so heroick an act for the cause of the Roman Catholick Religion to merit though not Salvation whereof he despaired yet some mitigation of his punishment perhaps from the eighth degree to the fourth He was educated and studied in the Jesuites School and was assistant in Philosophy to John Guerret a Priest of that Society and though vitious above his age yet was in esteem with those Fathers who used to admit him among their choice disciples to their more secret conferences and religious exercises and had often heard in that Society that it was not only lawful to kill the King but a thing much conducing to the cause of Religion whereof it seems he was so throughly perswaded that notwithstanding the terribleness of his execution he expressed no signs of sorrow or repentance but on the contrary being first put to the rack gave out such assertions as the Court
of this sect and taught that be who is once chosen Pope although of the Spanish Nation or Faction and a sworn enemy to the French may notwithstanding give up the whole Kingdom for a prey and absolve the French from their Faith and Obedience which they owe to their Prince That this is a schismatical and detestable opinion altogether contrary to the word of God who hath divided the spiritual power from the secular as far as Heaven is from the Earth and as much repugnant to the safety and conservation of Kingdoms as it is certain that the true Christian Religion is necessary thereunto That these monsters have kindled these furies in the minds of the French and excited so many slaughters and horrid confusions every where Hence that publick assertion of Tanquerellus 33 years since V. supra sect 41. p. 66. that the Popes may declare the King's subjects free from their Oath of Fidelity Hence that resolution 5 years since by the greater number of the Colledge of Sorbon that is those who were new moulded in the shop of the Jesuites that Subjects may be absolved from their Obedience to their Prince V. sect 53. That this Vow instituted by the Castilians of Spain which with so strait a tye binds mens consciences to the perpetrating of any kind of enterprize and to the killing of Kings themselves by suborned emissaries hath dissolved and wholly abolished the glorious institutes of our Ancestors the Laws of the Realm and the liberties of the Gallican Church whereas we have received this Law from our Ancestors that the Oath of Fidelity whereby the Subjects of France are obliged to their Kings can by no censures of the Popes be dissolved which is so conjoyned with the safety and weal of the Kingdom that without certain ruine it cannot be severed from it that the Royal Power in that suffers no rival nor admits any equal Jurisdiction That these emissaries and assertors of this excessive power in the Pope crept in insensibly at first in small numbers into France but in short time filled the whole Kingdom and with secret frauds and seditious Sermons have stirred up the wars That the first Conspiracies more pernitious than the Bacchanals and that of Cataline were hatched in their Colledge at Paris that the Spanish Agents did often secretly convene there that there the Nobility at their secret Confessions were enjoyned for the expiation or satisfaction of their sins to engage for the League viz. by a special commutation of penance into an heroick act of virtue and those who refused were denied the benefit of absolution That by them was the sedition at Vesuna stirred up and the rebellions at Agen Tholouse c. and the Spanish Souldiers brought into Paris that by their counsel the Council of xvi emboldned by the forein Forces offered the Kingdom of France to the King of Spain and 13 daies after ensued that detestable butchery of the principal Senators That at their Schools at Lions and afterward at Paris was made the late Conspiracy for the murder of the King as is attested by the confessions of Barriere for among them they are held for real Martyrs who lay out their lives for the killing of Kings Hence F. Commotet the last Christmas taking for his text out of the book of Judges the example of Ehud who slew the King of Moab and fled away cried out We have need of another Ehud whether Monk or Souldier or Lacquey or Shepherd it matters not Hence the furious speeches of Bernard and Commotet calling the King Olofernes Moab Nero Herod and every where bawling in their Sermons that the Kingdom may be transferred by Election c. That among these counterfeit Priests it is a symbol of their profession One God one Pope and one King of the Christian World meaning the Catholick King to whom they design the universal Monarchy of the whole World stirring up every where wars and rebellions that thereby the vast body of that Empire may grow up and devour the lesser Princes That by them Philip King of Spain when he had long gaped after the Kingdom of Portugal and foresaw that so long as the King and Nobility continued in safety he could not obtain his desires perswaded the young King Sebastian having removed his intimate and faithful friends from him to sail into Affrica and rashly engage in fight upon great disadvantage contrary to the opinion of all his party wherein himself and almost all the flower of the Portugal Nobility perished Nor did they cease till they had also ruined Don Antonio and till the King of Spain * V. Harlaeum apud Thu. l. 132. not so much by his Arms as by their Arts had made himself Master of the Kingdom Nor ought it to impose upon the credulous that they are vulgarly reputed serviceable for the †V. Sim. Marion apud Thu. l. 119. instruction of youth whose manners they rather corrupt instilling evil principles into their tender minds which in that age make the greater impression upon them and under a shew of Piety teach them to embrue their hands in their Princes bloud to be disobedient to Magistrates to stir up seditions among the people to cast off all affection to their own Country and be affected with an adulterous love to foreigners and being thus seasoned with pernitious errors they will in time when grown up bring the same into the Church and State And indeed already since this new sect hath as it were seized upon the youth the manners of our Ancestors have not by degrees insensibly degenerated but like a torrent been precipitated into corruption Nor have whole Families escaped ruine by them by their arts youths being enveigled from their Parents and the inheritances and estates of their Ancestors transferred to these new Lords The complaints and examples of divers Noble Families thus spoiled are known as of Petrus Aerodius Mombrunius Godranus Bollonius Largilactonius the Marques Canilliacus whose Brother was not admitted to his vow in that Society till they were certain of his succession to his elder Brothers Estate And for this purpose they have now their Book of Life as they call it wherein they describe the secrets of Families which they learn from confessions These things and much more having largely discoursed in conclusion he urges the necessity of a speedy remedy and therefore prays that according to the supplication the Jesuites may be decreed to depart the Kingdom within 15 days after denunciation to the several Schools Some days after was Ludovicus Dolaus heard for the Curates or Ministers who also became Plaintiffs in the Suit Id. Jul. 1594. who among many other things urged That by the Popes were many things inconsiderately and blindly granted them by Paul 3. Power to make new Statutes and to change those which their Founder had established also to absolve hereticks which if the Pope contend is more than the whole Gallican Church can do By Paul 4. To absolve penitents from
the King and after some secret conference at the Monastery of St. Vincent in the King of Spain's Territories he returned again into France year 1599 where being again apprehended he was condemned and executed At his Trial being asked how he could think of such a thing as to kill the King he answered that by the frequent Sermons from the Pulpit and daily Disputations in the School which he heard and moreover the praises of James Clemont as of a glorious Martyr who had devoted himself for the liberty of the French every where resounding not only at the Churches but in the Markets Streets and at Feasts he was easily perswaded that he should do a thing pleasing and acceptable to God who should kill the cruel Tyrant who without any right tore in pieces that most Christian Kingdom with the loss of so many souls and therefore when Malavicinus did moreover furnish him with the authority of God and the Pope to that purpose he readily undertook it being put to the rack he made no other onfession than he had done before At the same time was also executed one Nic. Anglus a Capuchin Frier of St. Michel in the Diocess of Thoul in Lorrain being convicted and condemned for the same crime The next year after Ridicone was first apprehended and while he was in prison Ledesma a Minister of the King of Spain employed one Pet. Owen a Carthusian Frier who Thu. l. 118. 1597. for his dissolute manners being censured in his Monastery had fled into Spain to suborn an emissary to murder the King Owen having treated with a Souldier in the King's Army about it to whom he had made great promises was himself the next year after apprehended and convicted both by witnesses and by his own confessions but was pardoned by the King in respect to the Carthusians being satisfied to have taken the evidence in a judicial manner whereupon he might when he pleased expostulate with the Spaniards But shortly after these things ensued the Peace with Spain at Vervins and not long after some hopes given of the restitution of the Jesuites which was at last granted as we have seen whereupon one might have thought that his enemies being all either subdued or reconciled having reconciled himself to the Church to the Pope to those of the League who remained unsubdued to the Spaniard and to the Jesuites that he should henceforward have enjoyed his Kingdom his new Religion which had brought all these blessings with it and his Misses too at least his life in safety But alas it may be feared he had forgotten to reconcile himself truly to his God which made the rest but male facta gratia que ne quicquam coit refcinditur For when a mans ways please the Lord he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him But while he was thus endeavouring to engage the Jesuites to himself the Spaniard on the other side spared neither pains Thu. l. 132. 1604. nor cost nor promises that by their emissaries they might allure to themselves the minds of those who through the late Civil Wars were alienated from him and under the specious colour of Religion might invite them to disturb the publick peace and quiet of the Kingdom laying hold on all occasions for that purpose and that they might discover his arcana secret counsels and from the knowledge of them the better order their own designs made it their main business to corrupt those who were employed by the principal Officers and Ministers of State Thus among others Nic. L'Oste whom the Secretary Villeroy employed in decyfering letters being corrupted by them with an annual pension of 1200 Crowns continually discovered all the secrets of them to the Spanish Embassador L. 128. They had before corrupted the Mareshal de Biron and some other persons of Quality which being discovered brought him to his end about two years since and now they not only again set upon the Count d'Auvergne who had been convicted of Biron's conspiracy L 132. 134. and pardoned but also the Seigneur d'Entragues and the Marquise de Vernevil his beautiful and witty daughter the King's Miss to corrupt them and that by no meaner or other agents than their Embassadors in France Jo. Taxis and his successor Batth Sunica who to introduce him at first made use of an English fugitive Th. Morgan an actor in the Conspiracies against his own Princess Queen Elizabeth L. 134. 1605. The next year this same Embassador Suniga first in person and afterwards to avoid suspition by his Secretary Brunellus treated and at last agreed with Lewis Merargues a Gentleman of Provence to betray Marseilles to the King of Spain which both Merargues and Brunellus confessed being apprehended in private conference in Merargues's Chamber and in Brunellus his hose under his garter was a paper found written in Spanish with his own hand which confirmed the same Vn memoire contenant le plan de son entreprise Perefix These things I the rather note because of use as well to confirm the truth of their like practices in England as to help to ground some conjecture on concerning the murder of this King 60. While the Spaniards are thus active to continue their old and make new friends in France it is not likely they would be unmindful of the Jesuites whom they had always found such ready instruments to serve them and in other Countries were still as well affected to the interest of Spain and the house of Austria V. l. 135. 136. though contrary to that of their own Countrey as ever Nor is it to be thought that the Jesuites would be so easily drawn off from their old Friend and Patron by those little expressions of kindness not sufficient to compensate their injuries received and besides might be doubtful whether proceeding from any real affection to them or not especially considering their subjection to the same F. General by whom the motion of their society in other Countries under their several Provincials is in a correspondent uniformity steered only 't is probable as becomes wise men they would be cautious and wary how they did hazard the loss of what they had gotten and therefore act upon pretty sure grounds yet we meet with some instances of their affection to their old friend For to say nothing of F. Cotton a prime man of the Society and the King's Confessor his consulting a supposed Daemoniack concerning the * L. 132. King's life the same Father is reported to have †P. du Moulin Answ to Philanax Ch. 5. brought and recommended to the King a certain Spaniard of whom the King a while after received from Monsieur de la Force Vice-Roy of Bearne and Navar a description with an advertisement that such a day he went from Barcelona into France with intent to kill his Majesty and shewing his letter to Cotton commanded him to bring the man again but Cotton returning a good while after told him
ancient Apostolick Creed and what-ever other rule of Faith is mentioned by Irenaeus Tertullian or any of the Ancients and were held to contain the sum of the Christian Faith are to this day generally received and believed by all the Christian World so that Christ hath still a Church upon Earth what-ever become of the Church of Rome the like may be said of the sacred Scriptures but in none of these is the least mention of any such infallible authority of the Church of Rome no nor of any such authority of the Church of Christ as the Church of Rome does pretend to Nor is there any colour or pretence of proof that that authority was ever in any one age to this day the general belief of the Christian World no nor so much as of the Church of Rome it self for 700 years I may truly say for 1100 years and more 2. That they will likewise well consider the prudence of such undertakings the Nobility and Gentry especially of these Nations who embrace the Roman Religion They have had almost an hundred years experience of the ill success and unhappy consequence of such attempts to themselves and their party whereby they have only made a rod for their own backs provoking and exasperating the severity of Laws against themselves and when the Romish Agents had lately dissolved the Government and brought all things into confusion as is not a little apparent they did when they had crept into the Court and insinuated themselves into the several Factions of the Kingdom by underhand dealings incensing them one against another what did they advance their cause by it but only involved themselves in the same publick calamity wherein they embroyled the Nation The Emissaries are men who have neither Estates nor Fortunes to lose or hazard nor wives and children to suffer with them and if their attempts prove unsuccesful can easily retire to their Colledges again beyond Sea And their motions and actions are steered by foreigners who sit far enough out of all danger and in great security expect to make their profit and advantage of us all So that both these have hopes of advantage without any or any great hazard only the more honest and well meaning Nobility and Gentry do certainly run a very great hazard without any probability if things be rightly calculated of much mending their condition at the best For did they now suffer something in their Estates according to the Laws which certainly would never much be pressed did they not continually incense the Kingdom against them by restless attempts through the instigations of the Emissaries endangering the peace and quiet of it yet is that in some measure recompenced by their freedom from the trouble and charge of divers publick employments and the rest would be dearly bought off by enslaving the Kingdom again to the Roman Usurpations and that with so much hazard both to themselves as in respect of conscience and the justice of the undertaking for there is but little of true Christianity in him who will not readily suffer a greater loss rather than venture upon an unlawful or but doubtful action so also of the prudence of it for the higher they go in their attempts there is no doubt but it will fall more heavy upon them after so many and great provocations if they miscarry therein and of that the danger is greater than can easily be foreseen and to the Kingdom in general the peace and prosperity whereof they ought to desire and endeavour upon the account both of natural duty and of interest For whatever some who do not well consider it may promise themselves those who have Estates and Fortunes here be their Religion what it will are like to have their shares of whatever publick calamity or mischief is brought upon the Nation which they who at Rome and from other foreign parts do steer the motions of the Emissaries and other sticklers here in that cause are not much concerned to consider *** 4. And lastly to those who either through weakness and inconsiderateness are scandalized at these and such like wicked practices of the Romanists or any others professing Christianity or through wilfulness and wickedness do make use thereof to confirm or encourage themselves in their affected infidelity who having first sinned themselves into despair of any good by the observance of Religion at last seek to encourage themselves against all fear of evil by the neglect of it This last sort I intended not among Christians in general and yet do here joyn them with the other sort here mentioned because what is to be said to those may be said also to these The scandal and ill use that is made of these practices is either more particular from abuse of pretended miracles and martyrdoms whereby some may be induced to doubt of the ancient Christian Miracles and Martyrs and for satisfaction in this particular I shall here for brevity sake refer them to the writings already written and extant in print some in the English Tongue of the verity of the Christian Religion or from such practices in general of men in great place in Church or State or repute for Learning as are thought inconsistent with a real belief of what they possess whence some who affect to know more than the vulgar will needs perswade themselves and others that all such are Atheists and Infidels and thereupon bring all Religion under a suspition of being nothing else but a more refined piece of policy and because I have found by experience that many have no better arguments for their affected infidelity than this and yet few of those who have written of the verity of the Christian Religion have taken any notice of it or thought it worth a particular answer I shall recommend these things to their consideration 1. That this is no argument or evidence against Religion but only a bare supposed opinion and judgment of such persons without any evident and express ground or reason for it 2. That the opinion or judgment of great Statesmen or Scholars meerly as such is of no greater authority in this particular than the judgment or opinion of other men for such men may in general well deserve that reputation which they have and yet be utterly ignorant of those Principles which are necessary to be known to ground a judgment in this case There are very rarely found any men that are well skilled in all the parts of Learning or of some one profession as for example of the Law some are good Conveyancers who are very unskilful in Bar-Practice many good Chancery-men who are no great Common Lawyers c. So in Divinity some are well skilled in Textual some in Polemical or Scholastical some in Casuistical Divinity and yet but meanly skilled in the other parts of it and this part which considers the evidences of Religion is but rarely studied by any but such as have to do with Infidels each man ordinarily applying himself especially to