Civitates evertit destruxit solo adaequavit quot Provincias vastavit quot Regna depredatum est quantum denique innocentis sanguinis prosundere non dubitavit dicat hoc Gallia dicat Belgium dicat Scotia dicat etiam vestra haec Anglia Siquidem omnis illa tyrannis barbarics crudelitas saevitia quae hodie apud vos obtinet aliud nihil sunt quam vestri Evangelii fructuâ— Quibus ita constitutis Evangelium adhue vestrum Deo attribuere ad illum reserre audetis Potestne blasphemia major ista reperiri Pet. Ribad Appendix sive Lib. 4. ad Nicol. Sanders de Schismate Angl. cap 17. You may see the same also in his Spanish Hist Ecclesiastica del Schisma del Reyno de Inglaterra lib. 3. cap. 17. Lying Perjury Deceipt Flattery Hypocrisie Tyranny Sedition Destruction Murther and what not is nothing but the fruit and result of our Religion upon which the man wonders how we dare intitle it to God or Christ but never remembers the treasonable Principles of himself and his Brethren with the Practices of his Church Jacobus Gretser another of the same stamp will have our Religion not onely to be the off spring but also the b Sectam vestram Martis Bellonae esse filiam parentem clarius est quam ut sine impudentia negare possis loquatur Gallia utraque Germania Anglia Scotia Jac. Grets Apol. pro vita Ignat. Loyolae lib. 3. pag. 475. Mother of War and Sedition to deny which he looketh upon as a grand piece of Impudence And c Ubique seditiones tumultus praetextu Religionis movent ubique jugum Principum quantum possunt excutiuâ—t sibi omnem gubernationem vindicant Discussio Decreti Magni Concilii Lateran pag. 129. Leonardus Lessius of the same Order but disguised under the false name of Guilielmus Singletonus is much of the same opinion and we need not doubt but these men speak the sentiment of their whole Order But to come neerer home No sooner was King James setled in the Kingdom here but the English Romanists drew up a d 1604. pag. 7 Supplication to his Majesty and the Parliament in which they do not a little vaunt of the loyalty of their Religion in these words The Catholick Subject is if any other the Glory strength and perpetuity of the Kingdom because he principally seeking Heaven in this world and will not for the world be diverted cannot be treacherous or disloyal or undutiful to your Highness but in every service and distress occurring valiant resolute and most faithful and all these fair words were to the same King and Parliament whose destruction they intended and had at that time contrived it Towards the latter end of the said King James his Reign Prince Charles was sent a wooing into Spain at which time the Romanists were fill'd with hopes though upon no certain grounds of the Conversion of the Prince a Free Toleration of their Religion or rather that the whole Kingdom would be at their Devotion As a preparative to this grand Expectation Father Pateson drew up a Book under the Title of Jerusalem and Babel or The Image of both Churches collected mostly out of the Answers to Anti-coton and Brerely This Treatise he dedicateth to the Prince the main designe being to vindicate the Popish Loyalty and to declare the Protestants to be absolute Rebels For proof of which he boldly affirms a Pag 347. Editionis Lond. 1653. Now it is manifest that in the short space of her Reign viz. of Queen Mary of England which was not much above five years she had more open Rebellions and Insurrections made agâ—inst her from such of her Subjects as were not well-affected unto her Religion then Queen Elizabeth had from Catholicks in full forty and five c. And to testifie farther what loyal people they were to Queen Elizaheth let Pope Spain or any other confederate against her never so much thus the same Penman taketh upon him the confidence to testifie b Pag. 491. Among so many Priests as by that time there were both in England and beyond the Seas and in so long a time as this pretended Confederacie was in framing when Spies and Intelligences were many and well paid by the State was there so much as one Priest nominated and accused to have been so corrupted or induced any way by these Princes or their Ministers to practice ought to the prejudice of their Country was there any one apprehended or convicted of such a Treason was there ever any subject of England call'd in Question for entertaining Priests that were sought after upon that account In a word when the Spanish Armado was under sail for England was there so much as one Priest or Seminary-man found or known to be in it Or at any time since discover'd to have been imploy'd in that service And lastly thus the same man characters the two Religions The c Pag. 560. Catholicks seek onely by way of Petition Supplication Prayer and humble Remonstrating of their sufferances the other viz. Protestants seek chiefly by Fire and Sword and Cannon-Bullet and by thundring of Ordnance With these Arguments or Weapons did Pateson endeavour to force the Prince from his Religion but they were too weak and blunt against such a noble and knowing Champion yet when he was in Spain he is there assaulted again and that by no less man then Zacharias Boverius the old Cappuchine who wrote a Folio Book call'd Orthodoxa Consultatio and dedicated it to the said Prince where he endeavours by might and main to bring a dislikeing in Prince Charles to the Church of England by hinting to him the Divisions of it as if forsooth the Romanists agreed in all things He would also perswade him to turn Romanist one of his encouragements being that the Pope can d Ortho. Coâ—sult part 2. Reg. 6. p. 286. Depose Kings a very excellent complementive Argument to convert a man out of his Rights and Dominions But this e Caeterum si Reges â—e oves esle aegre serent ac luporum more Ecclesiasticum Potestatem invadant sciant profecto eam potestatem Pontifici totius Ecclesiae Pastori à Christo esse collatam quae veâ—o Pâ—stori adveâ—sus Lupos gregâ—s vastatores ipso naturali jure permissa est nimitum ut Lupos à grege arceant Id enim postulat commissa sibi à Christo Dominici gregts cura qua Ecclesiae conservationi sedulo invigilare debet ut Lupos gregem invadences expellat ac modis omnibus Ecclesiasticae Reipub. utilitati atque incolumitati consulaâ— Praestat namque Principem à grege expelli quam gregem totum corruete Zach. Bover Demonstrationes Symbolorum verae falsae Religionis Tom. 2. Art 5. pag. 150. Doctrine Boverius had taught in his former Writings from which his Orthodoxa Consultatio if a man may be a Plagiary to himself is stoln for the nonce Dr. Benjamin Carier having plaid
depose him and declare him an Enemy nay and act against his very Person too he then ceasing to be a Prince Franciscus Fenardentius one of the most furious of all the Franciscan Orders doth somewhat agree with the former as you will easily judge when you hear him speak b Conventus legitimus Ordinum tâ—â—us Regni qui ex Eccleâ—asticis Nobilibus populi selectis viris coalescit cum universi Regni Majestatem potestatem faciem referat sicut Concilium Generale Episcoporum universam representat Ecclesiam Regem Religioni populo perniciosum Tyrannum infestum potest exauthorare alium ejus loco substituere Franc. Fenard Com. in Esther pag. 87. The Parliament composed of the Clergy Nobility and Commons representing the Majesty and power of the whole Kingdom as a general Council of Bishops doth the whole Church may depose their King being a Tyrant and hurtful to Religion and the People and then may chuse another into his place To these Divines we may add an old noted Lawyer Andraeus de Isernia who tells us that to whom the Government of the Kingdom is given to the same person is also committed all things that belong to the Government whereby the people deprive themselves of all Relations to such authority c Non remansit apud Populum qui non potest revocare nisi Rex male se gereret tunc expelleret Regem Tyrannizantem sicut Tarquinium Romani Andr. de Isern Comment in usus Feudorum Tit. Quae sint Regalia V. Monetae pag. 743. Vnless the King do not govern well for then forsooth they may expel him the Nation as the Romans of old did Tarquinius Adamus Tannerus a German Jesuit of great repute in his Country both with the Emperour and other Princes yet for all the many favours received from them he must not contradict the Principles of his Order and Church and therefore he positively maintains that Kings may lawfully sometimes be deposed and because he would not seem to do any thing without Reason he thus tells you upon what goodly foundation this bad Principle stands because forsooth d Ratio est tum quia Respub uti in Principem suam potestatem contulit ita ab eodem potest ex justa causa auferre Tum quia quaeque Respub habet potestatem sibi prospiciendi de legitimo Câ—pite quale non est hic quâ— ex Pastore populi in Lupum degeneravit Ad. Tanner Theolog. Scholast Tom. 3. disp 4. Quest 8. dub 3. Num. 32 33. as the people do deliver their power up to the King so upon just account they can take it from him again and also because every Common-wealth hath the Authority to see that they have a lawful head and he who from the Pastor of the people turns to be a Wolf is no lawful Governour But now let us see the Opinion of a Scotch-man and that held one of the learnedst of his time his Divinity he got from Sorbonne but where he got his Politicks I know not unless from the practice of his Church of Rome however take it as it is a Totus populus est supra Regem in aliquo eventu potest eum exauthorare quemadmodum Romani Tarquinium superbum imperio exuerunt sed non potest de jure sine maxima evidentissima causa Jo. Major in quartum sententiarum Dist 11. Quaest 10. The people are above their King and in some cases may depose him as the Romans did Tarquin yet this they cannot do lawfully but upon urgent occasions This was a fit man to be Buchanan's Master who trod his steps to an hair in these Principles as appears by his ungrateful b De jure Regni apud Scotos Dialogue presented to King James But the Scholar had not so good esteem of his Masters skill in History as appears by the Satyrical Epigram against him though Major deserved better Cum scateat nugis solo cognomine Major G. Buchan Epigram lib. 1. pag. 337. Nec sit in immenso pagina sana libro Non mirum titulis quod se veracibus ornat Nec semper Mendax fingere Creta solet Since as he saith he 's onely Great in name And with false trifles doth his story frame No wonder that he calls himself so right Since greatest lyars sometimes truth may write But that we might not at this time think our Neighbours worse A conference about the next succession of the Crown of England Imprinted at N. with License 1594. Part. 1. cap. 2. pag. 32. Id. Pag. 36. than ourselves let 's hear an English-man speak to this case and this shall be the noted Jesuit Robert Parsons under the Visard of R. Doleman Yea not onely in this point saith he hath the Commonwealth authority to put back the next Inheritors upon lawful considerations but also to dispossess them that have been lawfully put in possession if they fulfill not the Laws and Conditions by which and for which their dignity was given them And again So yet retaineth still the Common-wealth her Authority not onely to restrain the same Prince if he be exorbitant but also to chasten and remove him upon weighty considerations In one place he seems to vapour with his Compact though I would gladly know when where by whom and how in England for that 's his drift this Agreement was and made conditional and by what Laws the people are made Judges and Punishers but let us hear the Jesuit himself speak Yea with such plain Exceptions Promises and Oaths of both Id. Cap. 4. p. 73. Parties I mean between the King and Common-wealth at the day of his admission or Coronation as if the same be not kept but wilfully broken on either part then is the other not bound to observe his Promise neither though never so solemnly made or sworn for that in all Bargains Agreements and Contracts where one Party is bound mutually and reciprocally to the other by Oath Vow or Condition there if one side go from his promise the other standeth not obliged to perform his In another place he turns the Condition into an Obligation affirming that the people not onely may but that they ought depose their Kings thus Then is the Common-wealth not onely free from all Oaths made by Id. Pag. 77 78. her of Obedience or Allegiance to such unworthy Princes but is bound moreover for saving the whole body to resist chasten and remove such evil heads if she be able And then again to weaken the succession by blood and to make an Heir-apparent but a trifle and to make the outward Ceremonies too much essential to the Office he thus in his fury gives you his Infallible Decree I must needs affirm to be most absurd base and impious that flattery Id. Cap. 5. pag. 120. before mentioned of Belloy and his Companions where he holdeth that onely succession of blood is the thing without farther approbation which maketh a King and that
England then that our persecution hath been so great For name one Nation I know none can under Heaven where the Subject especially if they were Catholicks ever sought the death of their Soveraign though of a different Religion from them The conquest of their Native Land the subversion of the State the depopulation of the Weal publick the alteration and change of all Laws Customs and Orders and in few the utter Devastation Desolation and Destruction of all the Ancient Inhabitants of their Land in so unnatural unchristian uncatholick a manner as the Spanish Faction have sought it in our own flesh and bloud against this Realm c. e Id. pag. 278. which seeing her Princely heart hath forborn as no Soveraign on Earth would ever have suffer'd the like to have past unpunished as she hath I must conclude and end as we began THAT HER LAWS AND PROCEEDINGS HAVE BEEN BOTH MILDE AND MERCIFUL And at a Id. pag. 303 3â—4 last doth confess that she was even bound to do as she did such was their Treasonable Practices and Opinions for deposing of Princes To him we might add Clark the Priest who also suffer'd death with Wâ—tson for Treason against King James he b Reply to a Lybel fol. 43. â— confessing and declaring that the Queens Laws and Government were not to be defamed traduced and cryed out against so much for tyranny seeing their Treasonable Actions were the occasion of them And to them we might add Father c Concert Ecciel Angl. paâ—â— 2. fol. 39. b. Parsons himself when he writes his minde freely to his friend But leaving these single Testimonies take these following confirm'd and subscrib'd by above a Jury of true Sons of the Papal Religion d The Protestation it self you may see at large in Roger Widdâ—ingtons Theological Dispute concerning the Oath of Allegiance part 2. Sect. 1. pag 346 347 348 349. Having first thank'd the Queen for her Clemencie and testified that she desired nothing of them but a true Profession of their Allegiance We whose names are under-written in most humble wise prostrate at her Majesties feet do acknowledge our selves infinitely bound unto her Majesty therefore Whereas for these many years past divers conspiracies against her Majesties Person and Estate and sundry forcible attempts for invading and conquering her Dominions have been made under we know not what pretences and intentments of restoring Catholick Religion with the Sword a course most strange in this world and undertaken peculiarly and solely against her Majestie and her Kingdoms among other Princes departed from the Religion and Obedience of the See Apostolick no less then she by reason of which violent Enterprises her Majesty otherwise of singular Clemencie toward her Suctjects hath been greatly moved to ordain and execute severer Laws against Catholicks which by reason of their Vnion with the See Apostolick in Faith and Religion were easily supposed to favour these Conspiracies and Invasions then perhaps had ever been Enacted or thought upon if such Hostility and Wars had never been undertaken William Bishop All Secâ—lar-Priests John Colleton a a Concern'd in the Quarrels at Wiâ—bich wrote in behalf of the Priests John Mush Robert Charnock John Bossevile Antony Hebborne b b Such an one preach'd and dyed by the fall of the Chamber at Blackfrieâ—s 1623. Robert Drury c c Wrote against Mr. Mason Antony Champney d d I finde two Brothers of that name at the latter end of King James his Raign John Jackson Francis Barneby Oswald Needham e e Translated Theodorets History into English Roger Cadwallader Robert Button November 5. 1602. In short we have it from good a Cambden Eliz. anno 1581. Authority that the Queen used to complain with grief that she was driven by necessity to prosecute such Laws for the preservation of her self and Subjects And an honest b Roger Widdrington's Confutation es the intemperate Reply of Tho. Fitz-Herbert Preface pag. 66. § 81. Benedictan Monk doth assure us that the Queen designed a mitigation upon security of their Allegiance but that this toleration was both talk'd and written against at Rome as very disadvantagious to the Papal Cause If they thus oppose her Favours 't is not her fault If they be angry with her for banishing the Priests she did no more then France and Venice once did with the Jesuits If she did amiss in taking their lives away yet was she not so cruel as the Spanish Inquisition or the French Massacre nor so fiery as her Sister Mary If she be blameable why should the others be commended Her Prudence may be shown by her prosperous Reign Her Courage by overcoming all difficulties and assaults Her Clemencie by her often pardoning her Enemies Her good Government by the Love and Honour her Subjects bare her and the esteem which England yet hath for her And as she was beloved at home so was she indear'd and fear'd abroad and as she was bless'd and happy in all her undertakings here so let her not be vilified and bespattered now she is gone to another world honour'd with many years and triumphs CHAP. III. The Pope undertook to depose Queen Elizabeth which occasioned some troubles in England to the ruine of the undertakers QUeen Mary being dead her Sister Elizabeth succeeded in the Throne though White Bishop of Winchester and Watson Bishop of Lincoln were very forward and eager to have her Excommunicated which they would have undertaken to perform but that others more wary advised them against such rashness For some years of Queen Elizabeth's Reign we hear of no great troubles the Papists themselves privately within their own Houses exercising their own Religion quietly enough without any disturbance and others of them without any scruple but deeply herein charged by a De Schism lib. 3 pag 342 343. Sanders for their dissimulation going to the Reformed Churches there to hear and enjoy Divine-Service Nor could they perceive any thing in the English-Liturgy that might any way offend a wisemans conscience it being judiciously composed of Godly Prayers waving all Disputes and the nicer Points of Controversie And in this peaceable condition they might have long continued if Father Parsons and some such Zealots had not baul'd against such a security and got a beyond-Sea Order against their joyning with the Reformed in any of their Pious Devotions No sooner is Elizabeth acknowledged Queen but we are b Peter Heyliâ—'â— Ecclesia Restaâ—â—ata pag. 102 103. told that she sent to the English Agent at Rome viz. Sir Edward Karn sent thither by Queen Mary to acquaint the Pope Paul IV of her Sisters death of her own Succession desiring that all good Offices might be reciprocally exchanged between them But the Pope Answer'd that the Kingdom of England was held in Fee of the Apostolick See that she being Illegitimate could not succeed and therefore it was great boldness to assume the Name and Government of it without
all before them another Fleet is prepared to invade England and for a further encouragement as well of English as others to be assistants in this enterprise their Lord high Admiral draws up a Proclamation which was printed and published and you may Dr. Mat. Sutcliff's Blessings on Mount Gerizzim or the happy Estate of England pag 292 293 294 295. take it as followeth as I meet with it COnsidering the Obligation which his Catholick Majesty my Lord and Master hath received of God Almighty to defend and protect his holy Faith and the Apostolical Roman Church he hath procured by the best means he could for to reduce to the ancient and true Religion the Kingdoms of England and Ireland as much as possibly hath been in his power And all hath not been sufficient to take away the offence done against God in damage of the self-same Kingdoms with scandal of whole Christianity yea rather abusing the Clemencie and Benignity of his Catholick Majesty the heads and chief of the Hereticks which little fear God have taken courage to extend their evil Doctrine with the oppressing of Catholicks Martyring them and by divers ways and means taking from them their lives and goods b b He hath forgot the Spanish Inquisition forcing them by violence to follow their damnable Sects and Errours which they have hardly done to the loss of many souls Which considered his Catholick Majesty is determin'd to favour and protect those Catholicks which couragiously have defended the Catholick Faith and not onely those but such also as by pusillanimity and humane respects have consented unto them forced thereunto through the hard and cruel dealings of the said Catholicks Heretical Enemies And for the execution of his holy Zeal he hath commanded me that with force by Sea and Land which be and shall be at my charge to procure all means necessary for the reduction of the said Kingdoms unto the obedience of the Catholick Roman Church In Complement of the which I declare and protest that these Forces shall be imploy'd for to execute this holy intent of his Catholick Majesty directed onely to the common good of the true Religion and Catholicks of those Kingdoms as well those which be alreadie declared Catholicks as others who will declare themselves such For all shall be received and admitted by me in his Royal Name which shall separate and apart themselves from the Hereticks And furthermore they shall be restored to the Honour Dignity and Possessions which heretofore they have been deprived of Moreover every one shall be rewarded according to the Demonstrations and Feats which shall be shown in this Godly enterprise And who shall proceed with most valour the more largely and amply shall be remunerated with the goods of obstinate Hereticks Wherefore seeing Almighty God doth present to his Elect so good an occasion therefore I for the more security Ordain and Command the Captains General of Horse and Artillerie the Master General of the Field the Captains of Companies of Horse and Foot and all other Officers greater and lesser and men of War the Admiral General and the rest of the Captains and Officers of the Army that as well at Land as Sea they use well and receive the Catholicks of those Kingdoms who shall come to defend the Catholick Cause with Arms or without them For I command the General of the Artillery that he provide them of Weapons which shall bring none Also I Ordain and straitly command that they have particular respect unto the Houses and Families of the said Catholicks not touching as much as may be any thing of theirs but onely of those that will obstinately follow the part of Hereticks in doing of which they be altogether unworthy of those favours which be here granted unto the good who will declare themselves for true Catholickes and such as shall take Arms in hand or at least separate themselves from the Hereticks against whom and their favourers all this War is directed in defence of the honour of God and good of those Kingdoms trusting in Gods Divine mercy that they shall recover again the Catholick Religion so long agone lost and make them return to their ancient quietness and felicity and to the due obedience of the holy Primitive Church Moreover these Kingdoms shall enjoy former immunities and priviledges with encrease of many others for time to come in great friendship confederacie and traffick with the Kingdom of his Catholick Majesty which in times past they were wont to have for the publick good of all Christianity And that this be put in execution speedily I exhort all the faithful to the fulfilling of that which is here contain'd warranting them upon my word which I give in the name of the Catholick King my Lord and Master that all shall be observed which is here promised And thus I discharge my self of the losses and damages which shall fall upon those which will follow the contrary way with the ruine of their own souls the hurt of their own Country and that which is more the honour and glory of God And he which cannot take presently Arnis in hand nor declare himself by reason of the tyranny of the Hereticks shall be admitted from the Enemies Camp and shall pass to the Catholick part in some skirmish or battel or if he cannot he shall flee before we come to the last encounter In testimony of all which I have commanded to dispatch these presents confirmed with my Hand sealed with the Seal of mine Arms and Refirmed by the Secretary underwritten Though Father Parsons was very solicitous to understand the W. Clarkes Reply unto a Libel fol. 65. success of these preparations yet he did not expect any great matters to be performed by them and so it fell out to the no small grief we need not question of many Romanists And to augment the sorrow of the Hispanioliz'd Faction the death of the Spanish King hapned the same year to whom succeeded his son Philip III of whose attempts against Queen Elizabeth you may hear in the next Century The end of the seventh Book THE HISTORY Of the HOLY League AND Covenant IN FRANCE BOOK VIII CHAP. I. An INTRODUCTION to the HOLY LEAGUE THE Beginning of this Century had like to have been year 1502 troublesom to Germany by a mischievous League designed in the Bishoprick of Spire by a Company of barbarous clownish rustick High-shooes and so by the Germans t is Nicol. Basel Addit ad Chroâ— Naucleri p. 394. L. ur Sâ—râ—â— Com p 3â— call'd Bundiscuch These like our Levellers were to raise themselves into as high a Grandeur as any by swearing to reduce all other men to their meanness by equalling all mankind into the same condition by rooting out all Magistracy Dignities and Laws As for the Church which is continually struck at by Traitors and such Sacrilegious Wretches she was not to escape their Villanies they designing to rob her of her Revenues Titles and Decency to
the King in which after many fair words they demand That the King should really and briskly joyn himself with them and root out the Huguenots That he would put such persons as they should name from his Court Council and their Offices or Imployments That he would make the Council of Trent be received in his Dominions That he would grant some strong places unto the Covenanting Princes where they might keep Garrisons and make Fortifications at the charge of the Crown That he would maintain an Army near Lorrain under the Command of one of the Leaguing Princes That he would cause all the Estates of the Huguenots to be sold to satisfie the expences of the late wars and to assist the Covenanters in their future designs That he would settle the Inquisition in the chief Cities of his Kingdom and such like The King received the Propositions with a seemingly contented countenance but defer'd his Answer nor did the Duke of Guise care much whether he satisfied their demands or no the design being only to render His Majesty odious to the People as an Enemy to them and Religion and a Friend to the Hereticks And the fair and dissembling carriage of Guise for the Ease of the People Good of Religion and Scorn of the Kings pimping flattering upstart Favourites who rais'd themselves by cheating the King and the oppression of the Poor had in procuring favour and esteem far the advantage of the Kings carriage and actions whose only care was Luxury and Idleness Dancing Fooling with litâ—le Dogs pratling with Birds and such like childish gayeties All which were sufficiently known to the Guisards upon which they daily spread abroad as is usual upon such neglects and occasions their Pamphlets Libels and Lampons whilest the Zele and Honour of Guise is celebrated in every street and corner styling him the new David year 1588 the second Moses the Deliverer of the Catholick people the Prop and Pillar of the Holy Church the new Gideon the Safety of the Kingdom and such like In the mean time the secret Council of the Covenanters in Paris was not idle and having as formerly said for the better carrying on their Plots the City being divided into * Les Seize Quartâ—ers every one of which is usually govern'd by a Quaâ—tinier or Alderman XVI Wards or Quarters appointed a trusty Covenanter to supervise every Ward and the Leaguers in that Division from which number the chief and Council of the Guisards in Paris was commonly call'd The Sixteen Les Seize But Guise now perceiving the business daily to ripen for action thought this Division not close enough therefore sends back La Chapelle one of their busiest Counsellours to tell them his desire who forth with pulls out of his pocket a Map of Paris purposely divided into V Quarters every one of which had now by the Duke a Colonel appointed over it their names were Count de Brissac the Sieurs de Bois-Dauphin de Chamois d'Eschavoles and Colonel St. Paul and under every Colonel were several Captains and so to every one was given a Note what to do where any might have Arms that wanted Besides he had ordered the Duke of Aumale and other his Associates to be in readiness with their Forces at appointment And to the no small joy and encouragement of the Guisards now died Henry de Bourbon Prince of Condé poison'd he was as is confess'd by all and with him might that Branch have ended but that his Princess imprison'd upon suspicion as guilty of her Husbands death a little after was brought to bed of a young Prince and was call'd Henry The King of Navarres Life had formerly several times been attempted of which D' Aubigne will afford you a couple of odd stories And in this Year * Tom. 2 l. 5. ch 5 Monsieur de Calliere will tell you of another design against his person and we need not question but that his death be it any way would * Hist d M. â—u Matignon p. 219 220 221. have been very acceptable to Guise and his Party who about this time did †spread abroad that he was really dead whether to encourage their Associats to dismay the Hâ—guenots or that they knew of some Attempts * Ant. Colynet p. 214 against his Life and hoped they would accordingly take effect let others judge In the mean time the Parisians carry on their Plots and all things being now in a pretty readiness they resolve to take opportunity of the time of Lent it being the Kings custom then to go in Procession in the habit of a Penitent amongst the Whipping-Friars without any other Guards or Retinue and thus they thought they might without much difficulty seize on him clap him up in a Cloyster then the Duke of Guise to summon the States-General tell them of the Kings unfitness to rule and so the League might sway all as he pleased But Poulain discovering this to the King he feigned himself sick went not abroad that day and so escap'd the snare yet the Covenanters proceed make a secret Muster of their Forces which they find to be about XXX thousand stout men and perceiving their designs discover'd but by whom they could not tell thought it not fit to waste time or give the King opportunity to seize upon any of them or prevent their Contrivances wherefore they send to Guise to come without fail who promiâ—â—th and in the mean time sendeth many Officers to lurk secretly in the City against his coming The King inform'd of this adviseth for his own safety but the Factions at Court did somewhat weaken the Determinations yet he gets some Companies to strengthen himself in the Louvre procureth what Friends he can secretly to joyn with him yet after all he perceived himself not able to cope with his Enemies though they were somewhat cool'd at his Preparations About this time His Majesty being at Bois de Vincennes accompanied 5 May. not with abovn six or sevee the Sixteen design'd to intrap him in his return then to Alarm the City by giving out that the Huguenots had surpriz'd him and in tended his death thinking by this trick to raise up their Confederates but Poulain discovering this the King sent for his Guards and so this also fail'd In this designed Treachery Catharine Dutchess of Montpensier and Sister to Guise was an active Instrument The King being also inform'd by the same Poulain that the Duke of Guise was now resolved to come to Paris and the Covenanters ready to receive him sendeth several Messengers to him with express command not to approach to which he giveth cunning and doubtful answers with an intent to disobey and accordingly with all possible haste attended with but a very few of his Gentlemen and Servants not keeping the High road but through by and private passages that he might not meet any other of the Kings Prohibitions and so seem publickly to disobey His Majesty enters the City the people running mad with joy
the Turn-coat would gladly perswade King James to change too undertaking to make him believe that true Policie would really oblige his Majestie to it thus a Letter to King James vid. Dr. George Hakewell's Answer to it pag. 94. B. C. The first reason of my hope that Catholick Religion should be most available for the honour and securitie of your Majestie and your Children is taken from the consideration of your Subjects which can be kept in obedience to God and to their King by no other Religion i. e. then Popery But somewhat after he confesseth that there may be some few Romish Traytors but with this difference b Ib. pag. 102 103. It is certain there be Traytors against God and Man of all Religions and Catholicks as they are the best Subjects so when they fall to it they are the worst Traytors But if we look upon Examples or consider Reasons the Catholick is the onelie Religion which as it doth duely subordinate Kings unto God so doth it effectually binde subjects to perform all lawful obedience unto their Kings Another Runaway viz. Dr. Thomas Baily is very zealous for the loyalty of the Romanists and yet at the same time bravely tells us what good Subjects the Romanists were to Oliver Cromwell whereas the other people of England were against him but take his own words c Dâ— Baily's life of Bishop Fisher p. 179. Where should a man finde better Subjects i e. then Romanists and yet these are the men who have been traduced all along as inconsistant with politick Government And why should the same loyaltie be suspected at any time still to remain within the same breasts since that their Religion Laws both Civil and Ecclesiastical Custom Provision for the future present Practice Oaths and Protestations all along evermore obliging them to such Obedience especiallie whereas at this present all other Sorts and Sects of Christian Religion excepting those who are for all Sorts and Sects appear against this d 1655. present Government like Aries Scorpio Leo Sagittarius c. as if they would all and everie one of them wound each part and member of this bodie politick the Roman Catholicks like Pisces the emblem of the Fisherman are contented to remain quiet under foot A little after he renews the former comparison betwixt Queen Mary's and Queen Elizabeth's Reign thus e Id. pag. 183. 184. It is most notoriouslie evident that there were more open Rebellions during the five years of her short Government then during the four and fortie years of her late Majesties after Reign But Bailie need not talk much of Loyalty either to Kings or Queens since nothing liketh him so much as a Protector whom he hopes considering his vertuous actions will be no small friend to the Loyal Romanists and so alluding to Henry VIII his Cromwell he goeth on and tells us of his hopeful Oliver f Id. pag. 260. And who knows but that it i e. the Restoration of the Roman Religion may be effected by the same NAME And then observing that the then Pope Innocent X had as part of his Arms a Dove with an Olive-branch in her mouth he thus proceeds with his Worshipful hopes and comparisons between that Olive and his Oliver g Id. pag. 260 261. Oliva vera is not so hard to be Constru'd Oliverus as that it may not be believed that a Prophet rather then a Herald gave the Common Father of Christendom the now Pope of Rome Innocent the Tenth such Ensignes of his Nobilitie viz. a Dove holding an Olive-branch in her mouth since it falls short in nothing of being both a Prophesie and fulfilled but onely his h Oliver Cromwell Highness running into her Arms whose Emblem of Innocence bears him alreadie in her mouth Thus you see his hopes of Cromwell yet the same man can a His end to Controversie in his Epistle or Preface tell the world that the Beheading Banishment and other Miseries of our late Kings was a just judgement of God upon them because they were not of the Popes Religion But a great deal more might be said of this man but enough at this time if not too much One tells us that the effects of Protestant Religion in all Countries is b W. W. The Catholick Doctrine of Transubsiant pag 115. Licentious Libertie Rebellion and other horrid Vices and this is argued to the Lady to have a care of our Religion and to imbrace that of Rome as if they were all good people and never taught Rebellion yet it may be he will not allow the deposing of Kings to be Rebellion or Treason Another desiring of the bloudy and murdering Rump or the Remnant of the wicked long Parliament that the Papists might have a freedom or liberty for their Religion amongst others is pleas'd to give this encouraging Reason c The Christian Moderator part 2. p. 7 I am confident they will neither be such fools as to forfeit their Libertie nor so ungrateful to forget them that gave it since out of all our Histories not one Example can be assigned that they ever offer'd to move the least sedition in a time when they enjoyed but half the Liberties of Free born Englishmen And it is a wonder to see how this man doth magnifie the Rump and d Id. p. 12 29. declareth that most of the Romanists who seem'd to be of the old Kings side onely fled to his Garrisons for shelter and not to take up Arms to offend the Parliament I shall here say no more of him but that he calls the Rump the e Id. pag. 38. Renowned Parliament for delivering us from the Tyranny and Oppression of the Prelates And indeed our Reverend Bishops and their Clergy were the onely men that the Romanists stood in aw of the Ignorant Phanatick wanting Learning to cope with such penmen But to come yet neerer our present time since the happy Restauration of his Majesty there came into the World a Book under the Title of Philanax Anglicus who was the Author of it I know not but this I can tell the Reader that be who he will he was an arrant Plagiary it being all stoln out of Pateson's Image of both Churches The Publisher calls himself Thomas Bellamy but upon enquiry there is no such man found but f Annal. anno 1586. Cambden will tell him of two of that name Jerome Bellamy hang'd for Treason and his Brother hang'd himself to avoid publick Execution This pretended Fair-friend would make the world believe that g Phil. Angl. pag. 71. It is plain that in the poor five years of her viz. Queen Maries Reign there was de facto more open and violent Opposition and Rebellion made by her own Subjects then Queen Elizabeth had in fortie five years or any Prince before or since the Wickliffian Doctrine Thus what one boldly affirmeth others as ignorantly believe which is too common with such people whose designe is not
deposed That he was absolutely perswaded so in the latter the first we shall treat of in its proper place you may judge by his declaring these following Propositions to be Heretical I Qu'un Heretique relaps nommement Fran. de Verone Apologie pour Jâ—han Chastel Part 2. cap. 15. pag. 95. excommunie du S. Siege ne perd le droit de la Couronne II. Que tel est Roy legitime donne Ordonne de Dieu III. Que l'eglise ne le peut priver de ce droit ny les Estats ny generallement les Princes de leurs dignitez ou Royaumes pour crime ou Heresie quelcunque IV. Ny absoudre les subjects de l'Obeissance fidelite a eux deue V. Qu'il fault resister a tels jugemens qu'ils n'obligent en conscience VI. Qu'il ne se fault enquirer des actions ny de la Conscience de son Prince VII Qu'il n'est loysible de resister a un Prince Heretique VIII Qu'un Roy Catholique peut permittre deux Religions en son Royaume I. That a relaps'd Heretick and by name excommunicated by the Pope doth not loose the right of his Crown II. That such an one is a lawful King given and ordained of God III. That neither Church nor Parliament Estates can deprive them of that right nor that Princes for any Crime or Heresie whatever can be deprived of their dignities IV. Nor that subjects can be absolved from their obedience and fidelity they owe to their Kings V. That such sentences as these are not to be obeyed being not obligatory in Conscience VI. That the Actions and Consciences of Kings are not to be pry'd into VII That it is not lawful to resist an Heretical Prince VIII That a Catholick King may permit two Religions in his Kingdom What this Verone was I know not onely we may observe that about Id. Apol. pag. 29. the same time there was a French Jesuit of the same name who afterwards writ some Books And that the same year viz. 1595. that this Book was Printed one Le Bell was punished for endeavouring to convey one Franzois Veron a Student at Poictiers out of France This same Verone also in the same Book vindicates Jacques Clement for murthering Henry the Third The which horrid murder was also publickly maintain'd as an act most lawful and glorious by another French-man call'd Bouchier and he that will thus boldly affirm the greater you may justly suppose he will not deny the less viz. the deposing of them And this he tells us the Pope can do if there be need of it and the Prince Cum ille Christi vicarius sit ut videat ne quid Christo ne quid ejus Ecclesiae ac Religioni injuria fiet ne quid vel populi vel Regni vel Regum ipsorum salutem impediat cujusmodi sunt Haeresis schisma perjurium apostasia similia quae sine gravi Ecclesiae detrimento in Regibus esse nequeunt id ei licâ—re ut cum nihil leniter admo nuisse profuerit cum censuras contemni audierit cum periculum grave Ecclesiae è tali regimine imminere deponi denique utile commodum esse agnoverit tum populos Obedientiae vinculo eximat decque operam ut alteri commodiori grex à Christo redemptus commiâ—tatur De justa Henric III. abdicatione lib. 1. cap. 5. pag. 13. contemn his inferiour censures Nay probable that a greater Authority than this Boucher can more than Countenance the deposing of Kings For anno 1589 a little before the said King Henry the Third was murdered the Colledge of Sorbone in Paris being then present about seventy Doctors declared Id. P. 398 399 370 373. Jan. de Serres that all the Kings Subjects were freed from their obedience to him of which Pope Sixtus the Fifth was informed and desired to compleat by his Authority One tells us with confidence that the Pope can create and depose Vid. Phil. Horn. Thesaur Polit. p. 318 319 323 361 362. Kings Another wonders that some German Divines should deny him to have power to translate Empires And a third tells Cardinal Mont ' alto Nephew to the foresaid Sixtus the Fifth that amongst other Priviledges which belong to the Pope is to give Titles to Emperours and Kings to translate Empires from one Nation to another and to judge Princes And our Country-man Thomas Harding when he sees Childerick of France deposed by the Pope cannot refrain from telling us a Confutation of the Apology fol. 181. b. What a strength of Authority is in that See which is able with a word to place and displace the mightiest King in Europe And this is also approved of by his good friend and great admirer b A brief shew of the false wares in the Apology fol. 93. John Rastell And the Portugal c Quaestiones Regulares Tom. 2. Quest 40. art 1. Quest 63. art 7. Tom. 4. Tit. 4. c. 3. Emanuel Rodericus in several places of his Works fob'd up by the Canon-law tells how the Pope can alter Kingdoms and depose Kings What force either Loyalty or Obedience is with some Roman Catholicks may in part be seen by their cavilling at our Oath of Allegiance as where it saith that the Pope hath no power or authority to depose the King or discharge any of his Subjects of their Allegiance and Obedience to his Majesty upon any cause or occasion whatsoever They answer to the first A strange prevention to stir up humourâ— Answer to the Penal Statutes against Catholicks pag. 81 82. and to alter them with DANGEROUS Physick without necessity And to the second they thus retort Although the King should force them to be Mahometans Jewes Pagans or Infidels To that part of it which calls the opinion of the Popes power to excommunicate or deprive Kings Impious and Heretical They onely say How came the English Parliament by Authority to censure Doctrine who delivered them this power who made them assurance of Gods infallible Spirit To that part which saith That they do believe that the Pope nor any other hath power to absolve them of this Oath They deny the Article by their thus reasoning If they do not believe it NOR INDEED CAN BELIEVE IT WITHOUT GROSS IGNORANCE why should they inforce them to swear False or what get they by this And to the last part of it where 't is said that They do acknowledge this Oath to be administred unto them lawfully and by good and full Authority and that they do renounce all dispensations and pardons to the contrary They quite null the Proposition by this their answer He that sweareth false had need of absolution from the sin but needeth no dispensation because the Oath hath no force to bind as in this case By which means they declare their approbation of these following Propositions I. To affirm that the Pope hath no power or authority to depose the King is dangerous II. That in
his Rebellion hath too much of Atheism in him to be a true Christian Thus would these men make the condition of Kings to be like that of Damocles with a drawn Sword hanging over their heads by a slender thred His and the Kingdoms settlement to lye at the mercy and alteration of every hot-brain'd Zealot For let him be of whatsoever Religion yet we see he shall not please and that which should have no Arms but Prayers and Tears must be made a pretence to prove the Devil a Saint and Treason an Article of Faith We have formerly seen how the Romish Favorites do hugely contend in behalf of their a Extra Com. l. 1. Tit. â— c. 1. Unam Sanctam Canon-law that the Pope is b Jer. 1. 10. set over the Nations and over Kingdoms to root out and to pull down and to destroy and to throw down But as if this were not enough to overcloud the Authority of Kings they will allow the people also the power to trample upon their Princes by deposing them and this in few words is acknowledged by c Jus deponendi abdicandi e solio Reges ac Principes non solum Ecclesiae sed interdum populis competere ratione exemplis ostenditur Rut. Benz. Comment in Canticum Magnificat lib. 3. cap. 27. dub 6. pag. 134. Rutilius Benzonius Bishop of their Miraculous Loretto Leonardus Coquaeus endeavouring to prove that the Pope hath power to depose Kings in one place brings his Argument by way of comparison that if d Examen Praefat. monit p. 102. Parliaments do sometimes depose Kings why may not the Pope much more do it And in another place speaks more plain That e Imo judicarem quod non expectata sententia Summi Pontificis posset talem Principem a subditis deponi Id. Pag. 49. without the Pope the subjects themselves may pull their Kings from their Thrones But I warrant you that King James against whom he wrote would never be converted by this French-man Here we have the Brabantine Jesuite Martinus Becanus keep a great deal of clutter about the old worne-out Argument of a mutual compact between King and People and so he would conclude that if Kings do not keep their Promises to their Subjects then the Controvers Angl. p. 133 134 135. people may slip their necks out of Coller and throw by their King and something to this purpose he affords you an old Rime Frangenti fidem fides frangatur eidem But this in this case is a false rule with us being no compact nor the parties equals so that do but translate his Riming Proverb to agree with the cause in hand and we shall see the consequence to be false Don breaks his Troth burns my poor house what then May I his slave go and burn his agen This used to be common Logick to the borderers or Moss-troopers but we see ours if held affirmatively cannot prosper in a setled Kingdom But he goeth farther yet to extol the power of the People affirming that when a King is deposed though there Plus dicam in haec re voluit concensus populi ut etiamsi superesset legitimus haeres cui Regnum deberetur hoc palam omnibus constaret tamen si populus praetermitto legitimo haerede alium delegisset ille alius fuisset verus Rex Mart. Becan Controv. Angl. pag. 120. remaineth a lawful Heir to whom the Kingdom of right doth belong and this too apparently known to all yet if the people do chuse another and throw this Heir aside the other so chosen is the true King Almost an hundred years ago an English-man who calls himself John Rastell Master of Arts and Student of Divinity then living at Lovan a A brief shew of the false wares packâ— together in the named Apologie of the Church of England fol. 9â— wrote against Dr. Jewel in behalf of Dr. Harding or rather as himself saith gathered out of Dr. Hardings Book and if so about this cause take both their Opinions For whereas every Common-wealth is greater than the Prince which governeth it and may depose the same upon lawful cause and whereas Riot and doltishness are causes sufficient so to do as making the Prince unable to govern it well it followeth consequently that if the whole Estate of France deposed Chilperick and erected Pipine there was NO FAULT committed in so doing Now certainly you would think that this Chilperick was a strange Tyrant or that his wickedness must be so great that 't was no fault to take the Crown from him and give it to one of his Subjects that had no right to it nor is this all but the Kingdom by this means changed from one Family to another But we shall finde his enormities not to deserve such punishment that he wanted discretion I believe but then they might have given him an assistant and as for his inclination b Hist de' personaggi illustri Religiosi lib. 3. cap. 18. Essenda di natura piâ— Egli menò vita Angelica Paolo Morigi tells us that he was Godly and peaceful and when he was put into a Monastery that he led an Angelical life Whether there was such an English-man or no as this John Rastell I know not because Pitseus maketh no mention of any such and doth tell us besides that c Pag. 764. William Rastell amongst other things wrote several Books against Bishop Jewel whosoever be the man 't is not much to our purpose though William the Lawyer would have given more credit to the cause though for so doing would somewhat have encreas'd the wonder those who are so much addicted to our Common-law not troubling themselves so much with the Romish Politicks or the niceties of the Schools And so much for Rastell and his friends Doctrine d Recognit lib. de laicis cap. 6. Bellarmine tells us that Martinus ab Azpilcueta the famous Spanish Lawyer was of Opinion that the people never transferr'd their power so much upon and into the Prince but that in some cases they might resume it again from him And of the same judgement doth the Cardinal shew himself in one place that if e Videmus in â—ebus publicis temporalibus si Rex degeneret in Tyranâ—um â—icet sit Caput Regni tamen a populo deponi eligi alium Bellar. de Concil l. 2. c 19. the King turns Tyrant the people may depose him and chuse another And again that f Pendet a consensâ— multitudinis constituere super se Regem vel Consules vel alios Magistratus ut patet si causa legitima adsit potest multitudo mutare Regnum in Aristocratiam aut Democratiam e contrariâ— Bellarm. de laicis lib. 3. cap. 6. 't is the consent of the people that constitutes Kings or other Governments over them and so if cause be given they may turn â—he Kingdom into an Aristocracy or Democracy or the contrary g Defens fid
ei de Obedientia tanquam Principi legitimo praestitissent posteque debere si vires habeant istius modi hominem tanquam Apostatam Haereticum ac Christi Domini desertorem Reipublicae suae inimicum hostemque ex hominum Christianorum dominatu ejicere Andraeas Philopater Responsio ad Edictum Reginae Angliae § 157. pag. 106 107. and Lawyers that if any Christian Prince fall from the Catholick Faith and would have others to follow him he himself thereby doth forthwith both by Divine and Humane Law though the Pope do no way censure him fall from all his Authority and Dignity and his Subjects are freed from all their Oaths of Allegiance which they sware to him as a lawful Prince and so they may nay and ought if they have force enough to overcome pull him down from the Throne as an Apostate Heretick a forsaker of Christ and an enemy to the Common-wealth This is excellent stuff fit for Rome and Spain who then had a Months minde to England and had many Irons in the Fire for that purpose which he did not question but to bring about having such good Instruments to work withal hoping in time to perswade the English to be brave Rebels and to believe this their Doctrine And the better to bring them about to this lure Philopater is at them again and again several times earnestly perswading them that this Proposition about the subjects thus deposing of Kings is c Atque haec certa definita indubitata virorum doctissimorum sententia doctrinae Apostolicae conformis plane consona est Ib. § 158. Id. § 160. Est igitur certissima indubitata haec communis Doctorum Catholicorum sententia de subditorum obligatione ad Principes haeretices repellâ—ndos Id. § 221. Certe opinat illa capita sunt doctrinae Catholicae quae omni Theologorum scholatot retro saeculis jarn docuit Christianorum omnium â—nanimis consensu c. the certain determin'd and undoubted opinion of all learned men and plainly agreeable and consonant to the Apostolical Doctrine Nay that it is not onely lawful but that they are a Certe non tantum licet ut jam dixi sed summa etiam juris divini necessitate ac praecepto imo Conscientiae vinculo arctissimo extremo animarum periculo ac discriâ—â—ne Châ—istianis omnibus hoc ipsum incumbit si praestare rem possunt Id. § 162. obliged to do so upon their Conscience and pain of their souls And as if with one stroke he would subdue two of the most potent Kingdoms of Europe by necessitating of them to submit to their then Enemie the Spaniard for then he endeavoured to make himself Master over them both he puts it down for a Rule that he who is not of the Roman Catholick Religion and not yet obtain'd the Crown Id. § 161. must not by any means be permitted to be King though his Title be good In this case he expresly nominates his design against France by perswading of them upon this reason never to admit of the King of Navarre for their Soveraign So that if that Nation have had any benefit from that Noble House of the Bourbons as they cannot deny but their obligations to be many they are no way beholden to this English Counsellor under the Spanish Habit. And for our selves we as little for the same Engine aims also against our Family of the Stuarts upon the same account of Religion and this is also used as an Argument upon the same account by his Friend and fellow-Rebel Father Parsons in his Book about the succession of the Crown under the counterfeit name of R. Doleman Petrus de Ledesma is willing in all things to harp upon the Authority of the Pope and therefore he would have the people before they warr'd against their King to have some recourse to the Pope or the Emperour so that here Kings have got another Temporal Ruler over them but if this be not so easie and convenient to be done what then b Poterit conventum agere talem Regem Regno pellere si opus sit vita spoliare Theol. Moral Tract 8. cap. 18. pag. 512. They may then he saith call a Parliament and depose their King nay and kill him too saith this good Spaniard And c De justitia Tom. 1. Tract 2. disp 29. col 213 214. Ludovicus Molina another Spaniard goeth much about the same way to consult his deposing And now let us see what a Portugal saith to this point and this shall be no less than Emanuel Sa one of a great name amongst the Jesuits he saith expresly in one place that if d Potest per rempublicam privari ob Tyrannidem si non faciat Officium suum cum est causa aliqua justa eligi alius à majore parte populi Em. Sa. Aphorism v. Princeps § 2. the King tyrannize and do not execute his Office and when there is any other just reason for so doing then the people may dethrone him and elect another and this he confirms again in e Tyrannicem gubernans juste acquisitum dominium non potest spoliari sine publico judicio lata vero sententia potest quisque fieri Executor potest autem deponi à populo etiam qui juravit ei Obedientiam perpetuam si monitus non vult corrigi Id. V. Tyrannus § 2. another place And you may suppose that he was very careful to finde out the truth and in this case what was the real meaning of the Roman Church from which you must think he would not swerve a jot I say you must take him here to be very exact since he tells us that he was about forty years in compiling this little Book Yet I durst fancy that his Mother would never have perswaded him with that earnestness to be a Disciple to the Jesuits had she thought that the Enemy of her Country Portugal would make use of such Principles as these to enlarge his own Territories and so to have made the Lusitanian Dragon a prey to the greedy-minded Lyon of Castile We had formerly Leonardus Lessius making the Pope swagger over Kings under the false name of Guilielmus Singletonus but here we shall see him without that Visard boldly shewing himself in his true colours but upon as bad a design as the former a Si tantum excreâ—caâ— Tyâ—â—â—nus he means one of true tâ—tle possession ut nâ—n videatur amplius tolerabilis nec ullum aliud Remedium supersit primum à Repub. vel commitiis Regni vel alio habente authoritatem esse deponendum hostem declarandum ut in ipsius personam quidquam attentare Tum enim desinit esse Princeps Leon. Less de justiâ—ia jure lib. 2. cap. 9. disp 4. § 12. If saith he the Prince grow so much a Tyrant that he seems intolerable and no other remedy appearing the People or Parliament or any other in authority may
should fall out for the weal and furtherance of this Cause c. But now I will sayone word of him and so come to some other purposes of our own If I had a thousand tongues with so many mouths with Cicero ' s Eloquence I could not be worthie enough to commend this Gentleman to you and all your company as I shall let you understand God-willing if ever we do chance to meet face to face and therefore whensoever you may prevent him with any benefit either by your self or any other abide not till he crave it of you for he is the worst asker in his own cause that ever you conversed with f f Here follows some private lawbusiness concerning some lands in the Lairdship of Spot My Lord Levingstone is departed out of this world You heard before that g g David Graham Laird of Fentrie yet there was also a rich Citizen of Sterling call'd David Forrester who was kill'd or murdred 1595. David Forester had one son and now hath another born in the Castle of Striveling where he is in custodie hardlie handled There is but one of our Nobilitie which hath of the King of Spain any pension well paid of twelve hundred Crowns the which apparentlie are evil bestowed for he nor any of his as yet hath ever done any kinde of good in the promotion of the Kings Matters wherefore such pensions were better bestowed on others who travel dailie and hourlie putting in hazard both their goods and lives as the Beareâ— hath done and dailie doth and others as he can shew you c. Because I have no other thing to write and have been long enough I commend me to your prayers and you to God Yours at his Power a a i. e. Rob. Abircrumby Robert Sandesoun At Scotland the XV of Decemb. M D XCII The surprisal of these Letters discover'd all and spoil'd the designe David Graham of Fintrie was tryed and found guilty and b 15 or 16 of February 1592. beheaded in the High-street of Edinbrough The Earl of Angus having been imploy'd by the King who then doubted not of his loyalty to quiet some troubles in the North not knowing any thing of the seising of Kar and the discovery of the Spanish designe returns to Edinbrough where he was presently arrested by the c The Mayor and Aldermen Provost and c Bayliffs of the City and sent prisoner to the Castle But from this imprisonment he escapes flees into the North joyns himself with Huntley and Arrol and raise what Forces they can But upon the report of the Kings marching against them year 1593 they fled into the Mountains and seeing no other help sent their Ladies to the King to intercede for them the King tells them he will shew them what favour he can but adviseth them to submit to a tryal In the mean time the Presbyterian Kirk grow very mally part and a Club of their Ministers being jumbled together on their own heads they forsooth would condomn them and so they Excommunicate the Earls of Anguss Huntley and Arrol the Lord Hume and Sir James Chesholme nor could the King by all his Authority and desires get the Brethren to forbear or stay the publication of their sentence Though the Earls had waited upon the King submitted themselves and desired a Trial. But the truth is the Popish Lords gave no signes of real repentance no though the King had used divers means to gain them and was willing to wink at their past crimes upon assurance of their good behaviour for the future yet all his Majesties endeavours were in vain the Jesuits prevailing too much over them with their bad counsels and feeding them daily with hopes of forraign aid No though the King through love exhorted them to enter themselves in custody to pleasure the Kirk and make some signes of a tryal would they give any obedience to the Kings desires These contempts rendring them more odious a Parliament is held and the Roman Lords brought to Tryal and are found year 1594 guilty of Treason and sentence was pronounced against the thrâ—â— Earls and Sir Patrick Gordon Laird of Achindown their Sâ—uâ—checas of Arms are torn by the Herald and their Honours Lands and Estates declared forfeited Yet the King had some favour for them but they grow worse and worse for joyning themselves with the Earl of Bothwell they make a Covenant or Bond amongst themselves at the Church of Memmore and so flee to Arms the main stickler in this business being Sir James Douglas of Spot And opportunately to assist them arrives a Spanish Ship at Montrose which brought some gold for their supplies The King informed of all by the apprehension of Allan Orme servant to Bothwell sends Argile Northwards to quell them Argile gets an Army of 10000 men but a The Battle of Clenlivat October 3. are beat by 900 commanded by Huntley who here lost his Uncle of Achindown and Arrol was sore wounded in his armand leg But for all this the Confederate Lords at the long run were so put to it that they desired liberty to depart the Kingdom giving security to practice no more against the King or Religion so away they went and Bothwell steals into France thence into Naples where he lived miserably and dyed beggerly about the year 1624. The banish'd Lords not finding themselves in that favour beyond Seas as they expected resolve to return home Huntley steals year 1596 over and being got into the North sends a supplication to the King desiring that he might be permitted to stay in the Country upon security to be no more troublesome the King is willing and conditions are consulting of Arrol thinking to slip through the Low-Countries is seis'd on and deliver'd to Mr. Robert Danielstone the Kings Agent there but from him he makes an escape and returns Huntley for some time keeps off the conditions the Kirk being his enemy And his Uncle James Gordon the Jesuit came into the year 1597 Country to perswade him from any reconcilement but at last not onely he but Angus and Arrol submit subscribe to the Faith of Scotland are absolved at Aberdene from their former Excommunications and received into grace and favour of the King About the same time there was discovered a designe to fortifie the Isle of Elsay in the West Seas This Island is a great Rock four miles in compass wherein an old ruinous Tower is built on the steep ascent of the Rock the plot was that by seising on the Island the Forces that the Spanish King had promis'd to send might here be received The main actor in this was Hugh Barklay Laird of Lady-land who having been the year before committed in the Castle of Glasgow had made an escape and fled to Spain and this year return'd to pursue his old designe Having got some followers he enters the Island with an intention to have well victual'd it But Mr. Knox the same who took Ker understanding his purpose
at Tornay Bruges and Dunkirk from which place it was boldly taken down by one William Locke a Mercer of London They were also posted up at Bolloigne and Diepe in France and St. Andrews in Scotland And so liberal was his Holyness that by a Breve he freely offers England to James V King of the Scots promising to assist him in the gaining of it and for a further incouragement by his Legat Giovanni-Antonio Compeggio presented him with many Ceremonies and Apostolical Benediction a Cap and a Sword newly before Consecrated on Christmas night But for all this sturdy King Harry who above all things hated a bassle kept his Crown Kingdom and Authority the Paper not putting him to the tenth part of trouble if it were any at all to him as some Northern Rebels did who being fob'd up that year 1537 Christ and his Religion were now a throwing down sell to Arm themselves with what Weapons they could get In Lincolnshire their number was supposed to be about twenty thousand who at last growing jealous one of another dispers'd themselves some being after taken and executed amongst whom was their Ring-reader being a stuâ—die Monk call'd Doctor Makerel though in this expedition he nominated himself Captain Cobler Yet no sooner is this stisled when another and that more terrible began in York shire and the other Northern Counties their strength supposed to be about forty thousand formed into a complâ—at Army not wanting a Train of Artillery They call'd their March The holy and blessed Pilgrimage and the Pilgrimage of Grace On the one side of their Bannerâ— was painted Christ hanging on the Cross On the other a Chalice with the Wafer in it The Souldiers upon their sleeves had represented the five Wounds of Christ and in the midst the name of Jesus And thus are they thought to be brave Roman Blades by a De Schiâ—m lib 1. pag. 155. Nicholas Sanders who would thus take up Arms for their Religion But for all this their designes came to nothing being perswaded upon better advice to creep home again which troubled Sanders so much that he cannot think on this opportunity without accusâ—â—g the King of Perjury and Knavery As for King Henry VIII it fareth with him as with other Princes most speaking of him as their interest lay being honour'd by some with as great Commendations as Fancie or Flattery could reach whilst by others he was look'd upon as the worst of Tyrants and loaded with all the Reproaches and Infamies that Satyr or Malice could invent for as the worst of Kings and Actions will never want Flatterers and admirers so the best will never escape the slanders of the envious The truth is though he was Learned above the custom of Princes yet if ever any man had his faults our Henry had his share to the purpose his Will being both Law and Reason as far as his Dominions reacht and to contradict his humour was little less then to be next door to another world and which might make him worse was that amongst all his Favourites and Courtiers there was scarce any but either Knave or Flatterer if not both since 't is hard to separate them So that in many things where that King did amiss whether he acted them by his own inclinations and judgement or by the suggestions and instigations of his griping and base-soul'd Courtiers and Minions shall be left to every ones opinion nor is it much material where the fault should be laid being both so guilty Yet this is certain that when he followed his own proper Genius viz. Martial exploits none came off with greater glory then himself for his personal Acts and Valour And the whole Kingdom is beholden unto him for the great Fame and Renown she gain'd abroad by her Victories and Warlike Atchievements under his conduct And what cannot Englishmen do under an Active and Martial Prince But in brief I shall not undertake to quit him from that short but comprehensive Character given him of old viz. That he never spared man in his Anger nor woman in his Lust As Henry VIII was no sooner set in the Throne but a In his English Traâ—slation of Dr. Sebastian Brant's Stultiferâ— Navis fol 205 206. Alexander Barklay endeavoured to declare his Renown and Vertues so no sooner was he dead but one William Thomas undertook his Apology This Thomas as himself words it being constrain'd by misfortune to abandon the place of his Nativity meets after the said Kings death several Gentlemen at Bologna in Italy against whom he enters into discourse in the Month of b 1546 7. February in which Month the King was buryed at Windsore in Defence of that Noble Prince whose honour had been wrongfully toucht as he expresseth it which he draweth up into a Treatise by way of a Dialogue which he directed to Pietro Aretino the well known Tuscan Poet as famous for his Satyrical Wit as infamous for his life and death This he did he saith the better to inform the said Aretine of the Kings worth telling him also that the King Hath remembred thee with an honourable Legacie by his Testament the which his Enemies pretend proceeded of the fear that he had lest thou shouldst after his death defame him But certain I am that the King in his Will and Testament maketh no mention of this Poet so in this Mr. Thomas was misinformed a thing of no great wonder And that the King stood in any fear of Aretines writing against him or that Aretine intended to write of him I cannot say but true it is that though this Florentine was no great Clerk yet in his Mothers Tongue he laid so about him and with that rage and fury that he was stil'd the Scourge of Princes and his Epitaph in St. Lukes Church in Venice will further tell the Temper of the Fellow in Italian I meet with it thus Qui giace l' Aretin Pâ—eta Tosco Chi disse mal d'Ognun fuor chedi Dio Scusandosi dicendo n'il conobbi But I think it is more true and Authentick thus in Latiue Condit Aretini cineres lapis iste sepultos Phil. Labbe Thesaurus Eâ—â—â—aph Fran. Sweetâ— select delit pag. 156. Mortales atro qui sale perfricuit Intactus Deus est illi causamque rogatus Hanc dedit ille inquit non mihi notus erat Here th' Poet Aretine Intomb'd doth lye Who ' gainst all let his spiteful Pasquins fly But God escap'd him and why being ask'd fro' him Thus clear'd himself 'T was cause I did not know him But d Orat. contra Aretinum Joachimus Perionius will assure us that he neither spared the Apostles Christ or God himself As some call'd him the Scourge of Princes so others intitled him the Divine both which a Venetia descritta Sansovino tells us Ariosto thus mentioneth in his Orlando Furioso Ecco il Flagello De Principi il Divin Pietro Aretino But as for the Title of Divine or Penitent I see little reason
And his Countryman Paulus Melissus seems as it were to bestow his whole time in her c Poet. Germ. vol. 4. pag. 342 418 425 428 440 441 443 452 462 468 478 486 493. praises and at last endeavours to go as high as his wit could reach so far will he have her above all other Goddesses d Id. pag. 475. Te Venerem te Junonem te Pallade quisquis Dixerit haud abs re dixerit ille puto Quin idem Charin Musam te dixerit imo Musa es Musarum tu Charitumque Charis Ignoscas Regina minus quam par sit aequum Dicenti laudis copia quanta tui est Divitiis Juno forma Venus Indole Pallas Dote Charis cedit nomine Musa tibi Junones Veneres Charitas Musasque Minervasque Omnes una simul tu superare potis Cui culper si te Divis ex omnibus unam Natam Pantheiam virgo Britanna loquar Amongst the Belgians e Poet Belg. vol. 2 pag. 681 718 719 721 Janus Gruterus so famous for his Learning is her great admirer And of later days f De laudibus vica Elizabetha Adolphus van Dans hath wrote a whole book in her Commendations Nay Johannes Bochius of Bruxels who was so inveterate against her Government and Religion that he assisted Richard Verstegan in the composing of his lying and bloudy Theatre yet cannot let her pass without this grand applause g Poet. Belg. vol. 1. pag. 800. Pallas Juno Venus nemorosae in frondibus Idae Discrimen formae cum subiere suae Inter formosas si tu Dea quarta fuisses Vicisses reliquas O Dea pulchra Deas Quam Juno jejuna foret quam pallida Pallas Quam Dea vana Venus quam Dea sola fores How ready she was to answer Ambassadors and other people in several Languages on the sudden Historians do h Edm. Howe 's enlargement of Stow pag. 813 814 815. testifie at large But one thing I finde Recorded of her which is not usual that when three Ambassadors viz. the Imperial French and Swedish addrest themselves to her at the same time she on the sudden i Rog. Ascham Epist Sturmio answer'd each of them in different Languages the first of them in Italian the second in French and the third in Latine k Epist dedicat ad artem Gram. Vossius l Hist Belg. l. 1. Meteranus m Lib. 82. l. 119. Thuanus and a world of other Learned Writers have weilded their Pens in her Commendations and though some Popes have endeavoured as far as in them lay to over-cloud her Reputation by commanding the Commendatory expressions in her behalf to be dasht out of n Index librorum Prohibitorum Cambden and some other Writers yet I finde Pope Sixtus V a very Zealous Assertor of his Pontifical Chair to bestow upon her and Henry the Fourth of France this following noble Character a Persaepe auditus est cum dicerat toto orbe se unum virum â—oeminam videre dignos nisi labe sectaria infecti essent qui Regnarent quibus cum ipse de ingeâ—ribus rebus consilia quae animo agitabat communi caret Navarrum Elizabetham Reginam intelligens Aug. Thuan. Hist lib. 82 and Perefixe Hist Henry le grand part 1. That amongst all the Princes of the world he could finde but two viz. Queen Elizabeth and Navar setting aside their opinions in Religion who were worthy to Rule and with whom he could most fittingly consult and take advice Having thus somewhat hinted on her Commendations and at last brought the Pope himself to be an Advocate for her Discretion Prudence and good Government we may now the more exactly perceive where the Shooe pincheth and what is the cause of the ill will against her Not denying but that she as well as the best of Monarchs might have some miscarriages and oversights in such a long Raign as she continued especially since the Earl of Leicester and some others had the Fortune to sway in her time it being granted that Robert Dudly was as great an Oppressor as ever breath'd for a Favourite and so let him and all such never be mentioned but with ignominy As for her Religion whether Haeretical or not As the Question is too large to be here discuss'd so is it nothing to the purpose seeing Religion doth not intitle one to Kingdoms nor is Dominion founded in Grace a Pagan having as much right to his Goods and Territories as the best of Christians to what is his As to her personal concerns no question but she thought her self in the best and surest way to her Salvation And as she was a Princess of great Ingenuity and Parts understood many Languages read many Books and was so studious as to translate some her self out of Greek Latine and French so we need not doubt but thus furnisht and industrious in Learning she was able to give a good account of her Religion and to vindicate it and her self And as for Religion as it related to the publick it hath had famous Champious and Martyrs to justifie it and to wipe off all the pretended blots of Schism and Heresie which malice or ignorance could throw upon it for a farther proof of which it being not material to my History in hand I shall refer the Reader to Bishop Bramhal Bishop Morton Dr. Hammond Mr. Hooker Mr. Mason and suchlike Learned Defenders of our Church Certain it is that every Kingdom is supream within it self and 't is as true that the Religion in England was reform'd in a peaceable and legal manner by the greatest Authority in it viz. the Prince Parliament and Convocation of Divines Regulation here did not begin at the wrong end it was not carryed on by any b Vid Chr. 〈◊〉 Câ—ta 〈◊〉 Relig. â—â—ag 11. Rebellious Leagues or Covenants The Soveraign was free and not fought to a compliance and as we may suppose the reasons to be just so are we certain that it was acted by the highest Authority in the Kingdom which is according to the Laws of God and Mâ—n and the practice of other Potentates both ancient and modeâ—â— As 〈◊〉 â—he alteration it self we may suppose it was done with dâ—e â—â—â—sideration being acted by such a considerable Body and Authâ—rity and not on a sudden but by degrees as they found just occasion to reject and admit And as on the one hand we may suppose it was agreeable to the Majority of the Laity considering it past their Representives the Parliament nor opposed by any considerable number after so year 1559 may we justly conclude it conformable to the sentiments of the Clergy seeing that the Parishes Headships of Colledges and Halls in the Universities with the Prebendships Bishopricks and the other Dignities of the Church in England and Wales did then amount to the number of very neer ten thousand Yet of all that number of Preferments adding to them the Lord
qui nos in hoc supremo Justitiae Throno licet tanto oneri impares voluit collocare de Apostolica potestatis plenitudine Declaramus praedictam Elizabetham Haereticam Haereticorum Fautricem eique adhaerentes in praedict is Anathematis sententiam incurrisse esseque a Christi Corporis unitate praeeisos Quin etiam ipsam praetenso Regni praedicti jure necnon omni quocunque Dominio Dignitate Privilegioque privatam Et etiam Proceres Subditos Populos dicti Regni ac caeteros omnes qui illi quomodocunque juraverunt a juramento hujusmodi ac omni prorsus Dominii fidelitatis obsequii debito perpetuo absolutos prout Nos illos praesentium Authoritate Absolvimus Privamus eandem Elizabetham praetenso jure Regni aliisque omnibus supra dict is Praecipimusque Interdicimus universis singulis Proceribus Subditis Populi aliis praedict is ne illi ejusve monitis Mandatis legibus audeant obedire qui secus egerint eos simili Anathematis sententia innodamus Quia vero difficile nimis esset Praesentes quocunque illis opus erit perferre Volumus ut eorum Exempla Notarii Publici manu Praelati Ecclesiastici ejusve Curiae Sigillo obsignata eandem illam prorsus fidem in judicio extra illud ubique Gentium faciant quam ipsae praesentes facerent si essent exhibitae Datum Romae apud S. Petrum Anno Incarnationis Dominicae Millesimo Quingentesimo Sexagesimo Nono Quinto Kalend b b Their Bullaâ—ia Edit Rom. 1638. by a mistake hath V K al. Maii but the former Edit viz. Rom. 1617. in this is right enough Martii Pontificatus nostri Anno Quinto Cae. Glorierius H. Cumyn The Sentence declaratory of our Holy Lord Pope Pius V. against Elizabeth the pretended Queen of England and the Hereticks adhering to her Wherein also all her Subjects are declared Absolved from the Oath of Allegiance and whatever else due unto her and those who hereafter obey her are hereby Anathematiz'd Pius Bishop servant of the servants of God for a future Memorial of the matter HE who Raigneth in the Highest to whom is given all power in Heaven and in Earth hath committed one holy Catholick and Apostolick Church out of which there is no Salvation to one alone upon Earth namely to Peter the the chief of the Apostles and to Peters Successor the Bishop of Rome to be govern'd in fulness of power Him alone he made Prince over all People and all Kingdoms with power a To pluck up destroy scatter consume plant and to build that he may continue the Faithful who are knit together with the bond of Charity in the Unity of the Spirit and present them safe and unblameable to their Saviour In discharge of which Function we who are by the goodness of God call'd to the Government of the foresaid Church do spare no pains labouring with all earnestness that Unity and Catholick Religion which the Author thereof hath for the tryal of his Childrens Faith and for our amendment suffer'd to be punish'd with so great afflictions might be preserv'd whole and uncorrupt But the number of the ungodly have gotten such power that there is no place left in the whole World which they have not endeavour'd to corrupt with their most wicked Doctrines Amongst others Elizabeth the Pretended Queen of England and the servant of wickedness hath assisted thereunto in whom as in a Sanctuary the most pernicious of all have found a refuge This very woman having seiz'd on the Kingdom and monstrously usurping the place of Supreme Head of the Church of all England and the chief Authority and jurisdiction thereof hath again brought back the said Kingdom into miserable distraction which was but even then newly reduced to the Catholick faith and an hopeful condition For having by strong hand forbid the Exercise of the true Religion which Mary a lawful Queen of famous Memory had by the assistance of this See restored after it had been overthrown by Henry VIII a Revolter from the Truth She following and imbracing the errors of Hereticks hath removed the Royal Council consisting of the Nobility of England and fill'd it with obscure Heretical fellows hath supprest the embracers of the Catholick Faith setled dishonest Preachers and wicked Ministers abolish'd the Sacrifice of the Mass Prayers Fastings choice of Meats unmarried life and the Catholick Ceremonies commanded all the Kingdom over Books manifestly Heretical to be read and impious Mysteries and Institutions according to the Rules of Calvin which she her self entertains and receiveth to be likewise observed by her Subjects She hath presumed to throw Bishops Parsons and other Catholick Priests out of their Churches and Benefices and to bestow their and other Church-livings upon Hereticks and to determine of Ecclesiastical matters to forbid the Bishops Clergy and People to acknowledge the Church of Rome or to obey the Precepts or Canonical Sanctions thereof Hath compell'd most of them to obey her wicked Laws and to abjure the Authority and Obedience of the Bishop of Rome and by Oath to acknowledge her to be sole Governess as well in Spiritual as Temporal Affairs Hath impos'd penalties and punishments upon those who obey'd not the same hath exacted them of those who persevered in the Unity of Faith and their foresaid Obedience and hath cast the Catholick Prelates and Parsons into Prison where many of them being spent with long languishing and sorrow miserably ended their lives All which things seeing they are manifest and notorious to all men and by the clearest Testimony of very many so sufficiently proved that there is no place at all left either for excuse defence or evasion We seeing that impieties and wicked actions are multiplyed one upon another and moreover that the Persecution of the Faithful and Affliction for Religion groweth every day heavyer and heavyer through the instigation and means of the said Elizabeth We therefore understanding her minde to be so hardned and obdurate that she hath not onely contemn'd the Godly requests and admonitions of Catholick Princes concerning her amendment and conversion but also hath not so much as permitted the a a Abbot Parpalia 〈…〉 Martiningo 1560 1561. Nuncio's of this See to pass into England are necessitated to betake our selves to the weapons of Justice against her not being able to mitigate our sorrow that we are drawn to take Punishment of one to whose Ancestors all Christendom hath been so much beholden Being therefore supported by his Authority who hath placed Us though unable for so great a burthen in the Supreme Throne of Justice We do out of the fulness of our Apostolical power declare the foresaid heretical Elizabeth being the favourer of Hereticks with all her adherents in the matters aforesaid to have incur'd the sentence of Anathema and to be cut off from the unity of Christs body And we also declare her to be deprived of her pretended Title to the Kingdom aforesaid and
not exempted from the guilt of the offence although he escaped the punishment But let others dispute the Priviledge of Ambassadors and so I leave him as I finde him CHAP. VI. The Spanish Invasion THe greatest Enemies the Queen had were those whose births oblig'd them to obedience but whether their Religion its interest or some bad Principles of the Parties prompted them to such Treasons let others judge 'T is certain the Jesuits and other English Priests were the occasion of the Queen of Scots her ruine they still thrusting her on to so many inconveniences against the Queen and Kingdom that Elizabeth was the sooner perswaded to consult her own safety by taking away that which sought her overthrow As for these people when they saw no hope of restoring the Roman Religion either by Mary of Scotland nor her Son they Camden anno 1586 began to finde out new Masters and none more fit for them then the Spaniard whom they vapour'd to be Heir to the English Crown And concerning this a Vita Vincent Laurei Card. pag. 72. Ruggerius Tritonius Abbot of Pinaro in his life of Cardinal Vincentius Laurens tells us an odd passage viz. that Mary the Queen of Scots the day before she suffer'd death did under her own hand in the French Tongue declare that her Son James should not Inherit England if he remain'd a Protestant but that the right of the Kingdom should be translated to Philip of Spain And these Papers were sent to the said Cardinal Laureus being by Sixtus V. made Protector of Scotland who gave them to Conde Olivares then Ambassador for the King of Spain at Rome with order to send them to his Master Philip and this did Robertus Titius publish though without Tritonius the Authors knowledge and then living in Italy 1599. dedicating it to Cardinal Montalto And this is somewhat agreeable to one of the charges laid against her at her tryal that she sent a Letter to Mendoza the Spanish Ambassador wherein she promis'd to give her right of England to the King of Spain if her Son James would not be of the Romish perswasion The first of these Stories b History of Queen Mary James VI pag. 120. Mr. Sanderson looks upon as a meer trick and fable and whether she was really so concern'd for her Sons Religion as to use any means for his conversion to Popery King James can tell best himself and thus he saith c Monitory Preface to the Apology pag. 34. In all her Letters whereof I received many she never made mention of Religion nor labour'd to perswade me in it so at her last words she commanded her d Viz. Melvyn Master-houshold a Scotish Gentleman my servant and yet a live she commanded him I say to tell me that although she was of another Religion then that wherein I was brought up yet she would not press me to change except my conscience forced me to it For so that I led a good life and were careful to do Justice and govern well she doubted not but that I would be in a good case with the Profession of my own Religion But whether she undertook to give away the Title of England from her Son was no great matter it being against all Law Justice and Reason she having no power to dispose of the Inheritance of England yet the Romanists when all other endeavours fail'd to rob King James of his Kingdoms and life had the confidence about the year 1613. to a Jesuitica per unitas Belgii provincias Negotiatio E 4. publish a book affirming King James to be but a meer cheat or counterfeit and a mock-King denying him to be the Son of the aforesaid Queen Mary But laying aside such Forgeries that the Spaniard hath had a designe not onely to rule these Islands but to be the Universal Monarch hath been the opinion of many men amongst others I finde b Dessein perperuel des Espagnols a la Monarchie Universelle Pâ—inted 1624. in quarte one hath made an Extract from their Original Papers whither I shall refer the Reader But whatever his former attempts have been of late he hath rather lost then gain'd And though Naples Flanders Arragon Catalonia c. might do him some injury if they were in the possession of others yet as they stand divided and in a posture of defence he can never grow rich by their Coyn. But to return home Where we happen in the year which above an hundred years year 1588 before the famous German Astronomer Johannes Regiomontanus had affirm'd would be most wonderful The Prophesie it self Originally in the German Language went about by Tradition and Johannes Schoenerus repeated them to the noted Bohemian Mathematician c Ephemeridum Novum Ec. 10. Cyprianus Leovitius who first publish'd them 1577 which because they have made a great noise in the world though I finde no great matter in them seeing such general predictions may serve almost for any year take thus in the Original Tausent funff hunderâ— achtsig acht Das ist das Jar das ich betracht Geht in dem die Welt nicht under So gschicht doch sunst gross merctlich wunder Often have I been troubled at the fate Of the year fifteen hundred eightie eight And if the world it self don 't end you 'll see For its events most wonderful 't will be In this year I think France was the greatest sufferer the Covenanters or Leaguers there by their Barracado's forcing the King Henry III out of Paris and he to prevent his greater danger cut off the Cardinal and Duke of Guise which occasion'd so much war and his own Murther And besides these two the third party in that Kingdom viz. the Hugonots received a great loss by the Death of the Prince of Conde suppos'd by some to be poysoned England was in some fear and at some charges by the noise of the Invincible Armada but Spains loss was inestimable by its overthrow The Lord Maitland Chancellor of Scotland undertook in short thus to give us the year a Poet. Scot. vol. 2. pag. 138. Papa Dei petit Orbis Iber Dux Guisius Orci Regna annus mirus si potientur erit And b Id. pag. 133. Andrew Melvyn hath a Copy of Verses somewhat to the same purpose Upon this great Navy c Poet. Germ. vol. 6. p. 310. Simon Stenius d Poet. Gall. vol. 3. p. 655. Adeodatus Seba Beza and several other Forreigners bestow'd their Poetry to the no small trouble of the Index Expurgatorius which was forced to take the pains to casheer some of them For some years had this great Fleet been in preparing from several parts in the world but the History of the preparations fight and victory I shall leave to other Writers and follow mine own designe Certain it is the Spaniard scarce doubted of a Conquest which made one thus to despise the Queen Tu qui Romanos voluisti spernere leges Hispano disces subdere colla
France and Sister to Charles IX a Lady of excellent parts as appears by her writing though it may be truly said of her Memoires that she wrote them more to justifie her self and wipe off some stains then to inform posterity of what was true for all is not currant that she attests However it be having been married many years without either Children or Affection to her Husband she was at last divorced from him 1599 as being married against her will and to one that was then an Heretick and too near a kin to her besides the Spiritual Relation her Father Henry II. having been Godfather to her Husband and all these Nullities confirm'd and to the Divorse ratified by Clement VIII though Pope Gregory XIII had formerly dispens'd with them and approved of the Marriage But for all these pretences the truth of it was that this King naturally gave himself up to the pleasure of variety to which he wanted not many flattering promoters insomuch that some of his Dames of pleasure wanted but a litâ—â—e to fit in the Throne and Margaret having been thus for 27 years fruitless the people desired succession by some other means which afterwards happened from Maria de Medicis daughter to Francisco Grand Duke of Tuscamy married upon the Divorce to this Henry Margaret who yet kept the Title of Queen died 1615 who doth * Men oâ—râ—s p. 31. confess that the Contrivers of this Massacre did design it not only against the Huguenots but also against the Princes of the Bloud Royal and that they were not a little angry when they understood that the King of Navarre and the Prince of Condé were preserved from the slaughter And what vertue or goodness could then be expected in the French Court of which a late excellent Author doth give this Character Hard. de Perefixe Hist Hen. le 〈…〉 That then it never was there any more vicious or more corrupted where then Atheism Sorcery Impiety Ingratitude Perfidiousness Poisonings Murderings and such like horrible wickednesses did sway in the highest degree To which we might adde the designs of Catherine de Medicis the Queen-mother one that hath left a very bad and black Character behind her some making her the Authoress of the many miseries of that Kingdom and amongst many others I find one thus very biting against her Tres Erebi Furias ne posthac credite vates Tho. Lanâ— Consult Germ. p. 272 Addita nam quarta est nunc Catherina tribus Quod si tres Furias à se dimitteret Orcus Haec Catherina foret pro tribus una satis That th' Furies are but three now speak no more Since Catherine doth make the number four And yet should Hell cashier those three this Kate Alone would serve to plague grim Pluto's State And we might also suppose that the ill-will these Brothers of Valois bare one to another might be some advantage to these troubles and one tells us that they endeavour'd to ravish the French Crown one from Hist Hen. le Grand another on which he remarks as it were by a judgment that they all died unhappily And possibly these Garboils and miseries might be somwhat promoted by the natural humour of that Nation which is said to be very * Phil. Brist Geogr. vol. 1. p. 78. Fickle and Quarrelsom the Sieur Montaigne himself confessing and asserting That †Mettez 3 Francois au deserts de Libye ils ne seront pâ—s un mois ensemble sans se harceler esgrat ner Lâ—s Essais de Moâ—taigne l. 2. c. 27. p. 666. if three Frenchmen were put together in the wilde desarts of Libya where self-preservation might oblige them to assist and befriend one another before a months end they would be provoking scratching and falling out one with another As for the Brother Kings * Fuseb Philod lp Cosmopolit Dialog 1. p. 75 76 77 79. some think that the famous French Poet Pierre de Ronsard though a zealous Romanist did design their Characters and vices under counterfeit names in the end of his La Trançiade but whether so or not let others judge However though these accidents might make the way more easie for the following mischiefs yet we shall find that horrid League more highly carried on by those of the house of Lorrain of which pretended holy Covenant we proceed now to speak more particularly passing by in the mean time those worse then Civil Wars between the King and Huguenots where all things went to wrack and the Kingdome was almost ruined of which thus an †Tho. Daneâ—t Hist of France in Epist Dedic Dr. Pet. du Mâ—ulin's Vindication of the sincerity of the Protâ—stants Religion c. 2. p. 29 30 c. eye-witness doth testifie 1577. We found such a Wilderness in all the Countrey between Bayonne and Bourdeaux that whole Forrests and Woods were turn'd up and consumed the Towns utterly desolated the people dispersed the Churches quite subverted and the Children a lamentable thing to be recorded remaining unchristned by the space of ten years And wherever the fault lay I shall not Apologize here for the Huguenot who was too zealous in his way and too much byass'd by fury and indiscretion as it commonly hapneth to those holy people who cry up Religion with the sword in their hands as if it were lawful for subjects to rebel upon the account of any Religion or such pretence in the world But nothing here is intended against the Huguenot since 't is said in their Vindication that these troubles were neither upon the account of Religion nor between the King and them but rather a begun Quarrel 'twixt the Princes of the Blood and the Guises with their Minions the first taking it ill that the latter should sway all by excluding them from the management of publick affairs to whom as Princes of the Blood-Royal by the Custom of France it did belong especially in the Minority or indisposition of their Kings and so one time were willing to gain that which they thought their right and another time thought it best to defend themselves but of these things I shall not judge being at this time nothing to any purpose CHAP. II. The Articles of the Holy League and the Guisards Under plotting against the King SIgismundus II. surnamed Augustus King of Poland and much commended 1572 1573 for his Prudence Valour and Learning dying the people choose for their King Henry Duke of Anjou Brother to Charles IX King of France who accordingly goeth into Poland and is there * Feb. crown'd But here he stay'd not long for the same year his Brother †30 May. Charles dying year 1574 the Crown of France belong'd to him as next and so upon notice of his death he * June steals out of Poland to the no small trouble of the Natives and posts to his Hereditary Throne which he thought more worth then the other Elective yet in France he always kept the Title of King
the Covenant and declare himself the Head of it Having done this beyond their expectation he resolves to be as cunning as themselves and so he desires since they seem willing for war to furnish him with Moneys to carry it on At this they demur for though they loved mischief yet were unwilling to lay their Moneys at the Kings disposal by which trick Henry seem'd left to his own discretion The Covenanters thus non-plus'd try other means First they move that the Council of Trent might fully be receiv'd into the Kingdom but this is rejected by a Majority of Nobility and Commons and a great part of the Interested Clergy as thwarting the Privileges of the Gallican Church for though they love the Religion yet they care not for the Popes Authority over them This not fadging they consult how to restrain the Kings power for which purpose they propound that his Council might be reduc'd to the number of XXIV and that the King should not chuse them but the Kingdom but this was also rejected many of the Covenanters themselves thinking it not safe too much to exasperate the King And thus the design but half done the Assembly break year 1577 up And the King doubting the greatness of the Guisians might too much inlarge their Interest a little to clip their wings by publick * Spond an 1576. §. 11. Order confirms the Preeminence and Priority to the Princes of the Bloud The Covenanters perceiving that the King had seen too far into their designs conclude it safe for some time to forbear all open endeavours but were very sedulous in their private Consultations by which means they whispered the people into discontent against the King and his Government scattering abroad Libels bewitching many * Jo. de Bassieres tom 4. p. 205 Nobles and others to their Faction And several other Plots and Contrivances they had to carry on which they took hold of any opportunity insomuch that many Fraternities being now brought into use for Devotion as Processions Prayers c. the Guisians under this †Davila 16. p. 447. pretence would meet the more boldly and openly to disperse their poison by their seditious discourses amongst the people The King also did not want his ways of Devotion assisting often in their Processions undergoing Penances wear Hair shirts had his Beads openly hanging at his girdle would observe Canonical hours and by such like shews of piety some of the people were persuaded that for all the ill speeches given out against him he was a good Romanist in his heart and so were the more willing to have the better opinion of him Journal du Hen. III. Mart 1583. Spond anno 1583. § 11. But others who pretended to see a little further were of a quite contrary judgment looking upon it to be but Hypocrisie Amongst the rest Dr. Maurice Poncet a Benedictine at Paris preach'd very bitterly against his new-invented Brotherhoods and their Processions calling of them Hypocrites and Atheists And indeed it cannot be deny'd that this King hath sometimes carried on his * Vid. d'Aubigne tom 2. l. 4. c 1. Confession Catholique de Sancy c. 8. Love-tricks under these shews of Religion being too much addicted to ease and pleasures as appear'd by his other Carnival actions for which he was †Journal du Hen. III. Fevrier 1583. twitted in the Pulpit by Dr. Guillaume Rose afterwards Bishop of Senlis and others Yet necessity did force him sometimes to look about him and nothing did he dread more then the Guises and their League whose power must now be all his study to diminish To which purpose he promotes as many into Places of Trust as he could conveniently and whom he could confide in and knew to be no Favourites of the House of Lorrain The Guisards not ignorant of this design and knowing full well that the King had really no good affection for them endeavour what they can to have the Peace broken with the Huguenot to which purpose a Pâ—erefixe Hist Hen. le Grand thousand affronts are committed against the King of Navarre the Prince of Condé and their Adherents But passing by these things the number of Male contents was increas'd for though the King advanc'd some of his trusty Friends yet many times Preferment went more by favour then desert and others were discontented to see themselves slighted these Male contents the Guisards attaque and more easily won to joyn with them and enter into their League And that the House of Lorrain might appear in its greatest lustre the Antiquitiy and Glories of that Family are thought fit to be shewn to all To which purpose François de Rosieres Archdeacon of Toul putteth pen to paper and writes a large Book of their Pedegrees and Relations making them as ancient and as near related to the French Crown as he could invent and this was printed at Paris 1580. by the Kings Licence But sometime after the Book being more nearly look'd into several things were taken notice of which gave some great offence For besides the unseasonable timing of it considering the designs of the Guises and his declaring * Fran. Ros Stâ—mmatum Lothar fol. 451. Hues Capet to be an Usurper which sounded the harsher seeing some will have the Valoises issued from Hues his Line but besides he had several odd Reflections on the †Id. fo 369 1583 King himself of Idleness Luxury and bad Government In short Rosieres is cast in prison the Duke of Lorrain cometh to Paris to pacifie the King at last Rosieres publickly confessing his faults craving pardon on his knees by the intercession of the Queen-mother is released and the book torn before his face Yet was it carefully spread abroad that the Guises were descended from Charles the Great related to Hugh Capet and had Title good enough to the Crown But against this by the Kings Command Pontus de Tyard afterwards Bishop of Chalon Cabilonum writ but for fear of the Faction conceal'd his name and Matthaeus Zampinus a Lawyer also took the task And the same year also I mean 1583 came out a little French * Discourse sur â—e droict pretendu par ceux de Guise sur la Couroune de France Tract of about two sheets of paper in opposition to the pretence of the Lorrainers but for all this the people will believe as they please CHAP. III. year 1583 Francis Duke of Anjou the onely Brother to the King dying the Guisards rejoyce not doubting but to make themselves next Heirs to the Crown by wheedling in Cardinal Bourbon with the several Declarations and Proposals between them and the King THE Leaguers who for some time that the King might not be too suspicious of them had proceeded but leisurely had now an encouragement offer'd them to be more brisk in their designs For Francis Duke of Anjou of a fickle and hair-brain'd humour year 1584 the only Brother to the King died not without suspicion and
Nevers he posts to Rome though contrary to the Popes desire and growing daily more jealous of the Leaguers intentions is very sollicitous for a perfect Agreement and Accommodation writing several times to Cardinal de Bourbon not to press too much upon the Kings patience and at last being fully convinced that the Guises had more a private Interest then a publick good in their thoughts quite forsook them and their Cause and joyn'd with the King The King in the mean time somewhat inform'd of the troublesome and warlike designs of the Covenanters was persuaded to consult his own security and therefore by a publick Decree forbids all raising or gathering 28 March together of Souldiers unless by his express Command and Authority commanding all his good Subjects at the ringing of the Toquesaint the Alarm bell to fall upon the said Souldiers as declar'd enemies But the Leaguers proceed cunningly and vigorously having strengthned themselves as they thought pretty well were resolved to make an open Rupture according to their former determinations To which purpose they overpersuade Cardinal de Bourbon to quit the Court under colour of keeping Lent at his Archbishoprick of Rouen so he went to Gailon a Palace belonging to that See in higher Normandy where a great company of the Covenanters of Picardy waited upon him and for his more pretended security conducted him to Peronne where the League was first framed as aforesaid and here he was met by the Dukes of Guise Mayenne Aumale Elboeuf and other Covenanting Nobles where a large Declaration is drawn up in his Name whom they call the First Prince of the Ploud and subscribed by him the substance of it is as followeth In the Name of God Almighty King of Kings be it known unto all c. That a design to subvert Religion hath been the cause of the late troubles That it is fear'd the King dying childless the Church and Kingdom may be ruin'd over which they are resolved never to let an Heretick sway the people being bound neither to admit or obey any Prince but of the Roman Religion That to hinder all mischiefs some remedy is to be applied That the great preparations of the Huguenots are sufficiently understood That it is also not unknown but * * Chiefly â—â—ming at the Duke of Espernon some people have so possest themselves of the Kings affection that they have as it were seiz'd upon his Authority and excluded those who ought to be more near him That these Favourites or Minions have got the chief Governments and Places of Trust whereby they may command all by Land or Sea That they have imbezell'd the Kings Revenues thereby making themselves more powerful and obey'd to the great oppression of the people which daily increaseth That though the Amendment of Abuses was hoped for at the meeting of the Estats at Bloys yet Private Interests spoil'd all That these Abuses are now grown so great that the Kingdom is almost ruin'd by them the Clergy surcharged and despised the Nobles debas'd abus'd and ruin'd and all the people in a manner beggar'd and impoverish'd by strange Taxations c. Therefore We CHARLES de BOURBON first Prince of the Bloud assisted with the Princes Cardinals Peers Bishops c. being the best and soundest part of the Kingdom DECLARE that we have sworn and faithfully promis'd to continue in Arms till the Church and Roman Religion be establish'd in her former Dignity the Nobles enjoy their Privileges the people eas'd the new Taxes abolished the Parlements left to their wonted freedom and liberty c. These and such others are the causes of our Arming which by these necessities is made justifiable though otherwise we should disclame such courses and so believing we cannot have a more honourable Funeral then to die in so holy and just a cause Yet protesting that we do not intend any thing against the King but on the contrary in defence of his Person Life and Estate being willing to lay down our Arms when he shall remedy these evils in doing of which he shall be more honoured and obeyed by us That seeing the Laws and their good Intentions are clear enough therefore they will not force the King to declare a Successour though in so doing the Nation might hereafter be eas'd of Troubles and Factions about it That as they have all a grand Veneration for the Queen-mother so they hope she will have a good opinion of them Humbly desire all people to assist them in this their good design and to have a favourable construction of their actions Protesting never to lay down Arms till we have accomplish'd all these our desires and so desire all good Romanists to assist them in their Prayers and Devotions CHARLES Cardinal de Bourbon At Peronne 31 March 1585. But this Declaration was drawn up and confirm'd by the Cardinal some time before and also Copies of it sent abroad by the Leaguers the better to confirm their Party for I meet with a Letter sent by the Dukes of Guise and Mayenne to the Parlement of Province meaning Aix the chief City of that County where that Parlement sits in which they tell Memoiâ—es de Nevers vol. 1. them That they have sent the copy of the said Cardinal de Bourbons Declaration to them by which they might perceive how unwilling they were to take up arms yet that in the quarrel they were resolved to venture life goods friends too exhorting and adjuring that Parlement to assist them telling them that as they shall aid those who joyn with them so they will endeavour the ruine of those who oppose their League Your most Affectionate Servants HENRY de LORRAIN CHARLES de LORRAIN Joinville 19 March 1585. As for the Declaration it self it was rejoyned to by the King in another well and cunningly worded endeavouring to answer all their Objections desiring them to lay down their arms and admonishing all his Subjects not to believe their idle pretences but to confide in and joyn themselves to him But it was not words that were to befriend the Covenanters so they draw their Forces together rendezvouz at Chalons in Champaigne whither the Cardinal Bourbon is conducted to them by the Duke of Guise with as great demonstrations of Honour and Joy as could be the better to insnare and bewitch the old man whose Name and Interest they wero to make so much use of And now Guise tampers again with Nevers assuring him that all things go better and better desireth his speedy assistance and is much troubled that Rochette one of his cunning Agitators is taken and carried prisoner to Paris fearing thereby some of their Plots may be discover'd Yet they look upon themselves strong enough to defie any opposition having muster'd about 12000 men expecting daily Recruits of German and Spanish Forces hir'd to joyn with them and thus fortifi'd they seize upon several strong places As for the King he is at a stand what to do not having strength
enough to oppose his Enemies nor certain where to secure himself fearing if he left Paris it would rise against him and if he stay'd there he might be seiz'd on so zealously bent was that City for the Covenant However he gets a strong Guard about him and sends the Queen-mother to treat with the Confederates And what a grand conceit they had of their enterprise may in part be Gomberville vol 1. p. 648. seen by their Cardinals Letter to the Dutchess of Nevers wherein he tells her How pleas'd he is with the good will which she and her Duke bears to their designs which is onely for the honour of God though others traduce them as Ambitious That they shall shortly have the bravest Army that hath been in France these five hundred years That though the Queen-mother now talk to them of peace yet their demands are so many for Religion that she will not grant them c. Your most humble Uncle to serve you CHARLES Cardinal de Bourbon Chalons 23 May 1585. But in short the Treaty is carried on very cunningly on both sides and at last both Parties growing jealous of their own Force and Guise doubting the Cardinals constancy by reason of his easie nature a Peace was clapt up advantageous enough to the Covenanters for by Agreement 7 July the Huguenots were to be prosecuted several Cities and strong places given to the Guisards strong Horse-guards appointed and paid by the King to wait upon their Chieftains Guise himself is to have one hundred thousand Crowns his Forces paid and all things forgiven c. And for better satisfaction upon this Re-union of his Subjects as they call'd it the King in Parlement must publish an Edict which Perefixe calls a Bloudy one The summe of it was thus HENRY by the grace of God King of France and Poland c. 18 July Edict de Juillet How God and Man knoweth his care and endeavours to have all his Subjects of one Religion i. e. the Roman the want of which hath been the occasions of so many troubles Wherefore with the advice of his Mother and Council he doth ordain and command this unalterable Decree and Edict That in his Dominions there shall be but one viz. the Roman Religion under pain of confiscation of Body and Goods all former Edicts to the contrary notwithstanding That all Huguenot Ministers or Preachers do avoid and depart the Kingdom within one moneth That all his other Subjects who will not change their Religion shall depart within six moneths yet shall have liberty to sell and dispose of their goods That all Huguenots or Hereticks shall be incapable of any Office or Dignity That all * * Courts 〈…〉 in severâ—l plâ—â—ces by former Edicts 1576 1577. wherein half were to be Romanists and half Huguenâ—ts These were restored agâ—in by the Edict of Nantâ—s 1589. with maâ—y other favours to the Hugâ—enots mâ—ny or which have been since null'd and taken away Chambre mi-parties and tri-parties shall be taken away That all those Towns and Places formerly given to the Huguenots for their security shall by them be deliver'd up That what hath hitherto or formerly been done shall be pardon'd on both sides And that for the better preservation of this Edict all Princes Officers Governours Justices Mayors c. shall swear to keep it and their said Oaths to be registred HENRY By the King in his Council Broulart Read and publish'd in Parlement the King present De-Hevez The King of Navarre seeing himself thus aim'd at not only challengeth Guise to single Combat which the Duke answer'd only by Libels but also vindicated himself by an Apologetical Declaration drawn up by Philippe Morney Sieur du Plessis whose Pen and Learning that King used to make much use of as appears by his Memoirs and whose Life was afterwards writ by one of his Amanuenses and in whose commendations you may read a large Ode in Monsieur * Le Paâ—nasse des Poetes Francoises tom 2. fol 69 70 c. D'Espinelle's Collections King Henry III. perceiving that the Leaguers made great noise against him for not prosecuting the war against the Huguenots or rather against the King of Navarre told them his willingness to such a war and therefore desir'd them to put him in a way to have Moneys for the raising and paying the Armies but this they car'd not for being unwilling that he should be either strong or rich yet to stop their clamours he gave order for the levelling of three Armies to fight Navarre and his Associates Thus were their three several Interests in France at the same time I. The King and his Royalists II. The King of Navarre with his Huguenots in their own defence as a * Andr. Favyn Hist de Navarre p. 936. Davila p. 579. Romanist confesseth III. The Guisians or Covenanters designing the ruine of the two former and to advance themselves And now Pope Gregory XIII dying there succeeded in the Chair Sixtus V. who upon sollicitation of the Guisards thunders out a Bull against the King of Navarre and the Prince of Condé which being too long for this place I shall refer you to the reading of it in other * Pet. Math. Sâ—â—mma Constitut Rom. Pont. p. 901 902 903. Fran. Hoâ—oman â—ulmen Brutum Goldest Monarch Rom. tom 2 3 p. 124 125 126. Authors But because it is in none of the Editions of Cherubinus his Bullarium possibly since that time thinking it not convenient to exaspeâ—â—te that Kingdom as they have either fraudulently or politickly left out some other Bulls take the summe of it as followeth First it telleth us what a fine thing a Pope is that by his right and power can throw down and depose the greatest of Kings Then what favours and kindnesses this Henry hath received from the Pope for Gregory XIII abolished and pardoned his former sins and Heresies and gave him a Dispensation to marry his Queen Margaret and the like done to the Prince of Condé Yet for all this they have adhered to Calvinism opposed the Roman Religion and endeavoured to carry on that which they call A Refâ—rmation for which they have by Arms and Council withstood the Romanists Wherefore according to our duty we draw the sword of vengeance against these two Sons of wrath Henry sometimes King of Navarre and Henry Prince of Condé And therefore declare them and all their posterity deprived of all their Dominions Principalities Titles Places Jurisdictions Offices Goods Rights c. And that both they and their posterity are and shall hereafter be uncapable to succeed in or possess any of the premisses And we also absolve all Nobles Feudatories Vassals Subjects and all other people from their Oaths of Allegeance Fidelity and Duties they owe or promis'd to them And do hereby command and forbid all and every one that they in no wise obey the aforesaid Henries or any of their Laws or Commandments and those that do otherwise we excommunicate with the
That the King of Navarre with the other Princes of Bourbon his Adherents should be declared to have forfeited their Right and Title to the Crown That a Form of Government should be made which the King should not have power to alter That such of the Kings Favourites should be banish'd the Court and turn'd out of all Offices and Places That War should be made against the Huguenots and the absolute Command of it committed unto him That the King should have no extraordinary Guards about his Person and so dismiss his Guard 45 Gentlemen That the Dukes of Aumale Elboeuf and Nemours should have the Government of Picardy Normandy and Lyons and that the Leaguers should have six other Towns as they should name That the Duke of Mayenne should be Admiral and his Creature De la Chastre be Mareschal instead of Byrâ—n That Brissac an active Leaguer should be Governour of Paris And at last concluded That he was resolved either to lose his life or secure Religion and the Estate of his Family The Queen-mother returneth and the King finding no mâ—ans by staying there to escape his snarâ—s of the Enemies who were now forming 13 May. a Siege against him resâ—lved to withdraw himself so stealing through the * So calâ—'d from the 〈…〉 of Tâ—les theâ—e formâ—rly Tuilleries the Gardens by the Louvre he took horse with a dozen Gentlemen posted to Trapes and the next day to Chartres where he was receiv'd with great demonstrations of joy 'T is said that the people were so bewitch'd with this Solemn League and Covenant that seeing him thus fly for his safety they * Jo. de â—â—â—ssieres tol 4. l. 21. p. 259. shot at him cross the River calling him all the Contumelious names that malice could invent And that the King was so troubled at these Villanies and Indignities that having got a little from Paris he turn'd him about uttering some threats and menaces against that ingrateful City The Courtiers hasted after the King with what speed they coâ—ld make most trudging afoot for in this burly-burly happy was he that could procure an horse though never so bad many Persons of Quality being content to make use of their own legs â—â— preserve themselves and amongst those who fled to the King was Niâ—â—las Poulain not daring to stay in Paris suspecting himself discover'd and well was it for him that he so escaped for the Leaguers were so mad against him for his Loyalty that they imprison'd his Wife threatned his Children rifled his house and as for himself he got to Chartres and the King without ever a Peny of mony nor do I hear of any reward excepting Promises that he received for his faithful service in so often saving the Kings life it being the custom for such good-natur'd or negligent Princes not to understand worth and vertue and so to be Misers in rewarding of such but Prodigals in heaping Riches and Honours upon their phantastical and flattering Minions or Favourites and it may be Poulain was too grave and serious for such a wanton and frolicksom Court as Henry III's was And here the Skill or Policy of Guise hath been much call'd in question for not speedily following his blow having all the advantages that possibly could be expected his great neglect being his letting the King escape the seizing of whose Person might have compleated his Triumphs and by his Enemies so wanting an Head might have brought France to submit to his pleasure all which might with ease have been accomplish'd had he but forthwith begirt the Louvre by which he might have taken the King but this nelect he remembred too late and afterwards repented of so grand an oversight Though here he had fail'd yet he resolveth to secure himself to which purpose having gain'd all the strong places in Paris put out and imprison'd the * Like the Lord Maâ—or of London Prevost des Marchands and others whom he suspected to favour the King and settled his own Creatures in their Places he surpriseth all the Neighbouring places and presently Orleans Bourges Amiens Abbeville Montrovil Rouen Rheims Chaalons and above twenty other considerable places submitted to him the mad people every-where crying out Long live Guise long live the Protector of the Faith And his Sister the Dutchess Dowager of Montpensier was so zealous against the King and Peace that she would brag how the King should be * Jo. de Buss vol. 4. p. 261. shorn for a Monk and shew the Scisars which should do the feat And for a good encouragement the Spaniard sendeth 600000 Crowns supposing that the League would make rare work for him And thus D'A bigne tom 3 l. 1. ch 23. Guise commanding all the King can find no safety for himself but by Peace though upon never so bad Conditions and that which was no small argument of his Compliance was the approach of the Spanish Armado by them call'd the Invincible and the vast Preparations of the Duke of Parma in Flanders which though in the main design'd against England yet he understood not what if Conquerours as most suppos'd they would they might act against him and France knowing full well the Catholik King to have all along assisted the Covenanters In short The King thus forc'd to shackle himself lest the Mischief and Rebellion should run too far he submits to Guise granting him and his Faction all the Proposals they desir'd and so by a Decree call'd the Edict of Union or July a Peace is hudled up between them The Edict it self being somewhat long take here the Heads of it HENRY by the Grace of God King of France and Poland c. We ordain and decree these following Articles as an unalterable and fundamental Law in our Kingdom We swear and renew the Oath made by us at our Coronation to live and die in the Roman Religion We ordain and would have all our Subjects to swear as we do and to joyn themselves with us in the extirpation of Hereticks We swear that we shall never favour or advance them and command all our Subjects to swear never to admit of an Heretical King or one that favoureth Heresie to reign over them We promise never to promote or imploy any but of the Roman Religion and expresly forbid any to be receiv'd into any Place or Imployment but who have proved themselves of the said Religion We swear and promise to protect and use our Subjects who joyn with us in these our undertakings as becometh a good King We would have our said united Subjects to swear to assist one another against the Hereticks And that our said Subjects swear to live and die in their Allegeance to us And that they swear to depart from all Practices and Leagues contrary to the said Union our Person and Authority We declare all to be Rebells who will not sign this said Union and all Towns who will not admit it shall be deprived of all their Privileges and Franchises And to
Regni Galliae possit liberari solvi à sacramento Fidelitatis Obedientiae Henrico III. praestito II. An tuta conscientia possit idem populus armari unâ—ri pecunias collegere contribuere ad defensionâ—m conservationem Religionis Catholicae Romanae in hoc Regno adversus nefaria consilia conatus praedicti Regis quorumlibet aliorum illi adhaerentium contra publicae fidei violationem ab eo Blesis factam in praejudicium praedictae Religionis Catholicae Edicti sanctae Unionis naturalis libertatis convocationis trium Ordinum hujus Regni Super quibus Articulis audita omnium singulorum Magistrorum qui ad septuaginta convenerunt matura accurata libera deliberatione auditis multis variis rationibus quae magna ex parte tum ex Scripturis sacris tum Canonicis Sanctionibus decretis Pontificum in medium dissertissimis verbis prodita sunt CONCLUSUM est à Domino Decano ejusdem Facultatis nemine refragante hoc per modum Consilii ad liberandas Conscientias praedicti populi PRIMUM quod populus hujus regni solutus est liberatus à Sacramento Fidelitatis Obedientiae praedicto Henrico rei praestito DEINDE quod idem populus licite tuta conscientia armari uniri pecunias colligere contribuere potest ad defensionem conservationem Religionis Catholicae Apostolicae Romanae adversus nefaria consilia conatus praedicti Regis quorumlibet illi adhaerentium ex quo fidem publicam violavit in praejudicium Religionis Catholicae Edicti Sanctae Unionis Naturalis Libertatis convocationis trium Ordinum hujus Regni Quam Conclusionem insuper visum est eidem Parisiensi Facultati transmittendam esse ad S. D. N. Papam ut eadem Sanctae Sedis Apostolicae autoritate probare confirmare Ecclesiae Gallicanae gravissime laboranti opem auxilium praestare dignetur In the year MDLXXXIX the 7th day of January the most holy Faculty of Theology at Paris was conven'd at the College of Sorbone publick prayers of all the Orders of the said Faculty being said and the Mass of the Holy Ghost there celebrated to consult upon these following Articles as they are extracted from the Petition of the Citizens according to the desire of the Illustrious Persons the Prevost de Marchands the Eschevins the Consuls and the Catholick people of the famous City of Paris testified as well by their words as by Instrument and publish Act signed by their Register and seal'd with the common Seal of the City Whether the People of France may not be discharged and set free from the Oath of Allegeance and Obedience made to Henry III. Whether the said people may with a safe conscience arm and unite themselves collect and raise moneys for the defence and preservation of the Catholick Roman Religion in this Realm against the wicked counsels and practises of the said King and all other his Adherents and against the breach of Publick Faith committed by him at Bloys to the prejudice of the said Roman Religion and Edict of Holy Union and the Natural Liberty of the Assembly of the three Estates of this Kingdom Upon which Articles having been had a careful advised and free deliberation of all the Masters of that Faculty being then LXX in number as also being heard many and sundry Reasons most excellently produc'd and deliver'd not onely from Holy Scriptures but also from Canonical Sanctions and Papal Decrees 't is agreed and CONCLUDED on by Master Dean of the said Faculty not any gainsaying it and that by way of counsel or advice to deliver the consciences of the said people FIRST that the people of this I. Kingdom are discharged and freed from the Oath of Allegeance and Obedience made to Henry III. SECONDLY that the said people II. may legally and with a safe conscience arm and unite themselves collect and raise moneys for the defence of the Catholick Apostolick and Roman Religion against the wicked counsels and practises of the said King and all other his Adherents seeing he hath violated the publick Faith in prejudice of the Catholick Religion the Edict of the holy Union and the Natural Liberty of the Assembly of the three Estates of this Kingdom Moreover the said Faculty of Paris do think fit to have their said Decree or Conclusion to be sent to our most Holy Lord the Pope that he would vouchsafe to ratifie and confirm it by the Authority of the Holy Apostolical See and afford help and assistance to the French Church now in great stress and hazard And accordingly a Letter was drawn up and sent to the Pope which take as followeth being now very difficult to be met with and at Paris it self all Papers concerning these insolencies were taken from the Registers or off the Files at the re-entrance of Henry IV. into that City whereby many Villanies of this League were lost S. D. N. SIX TO PAPAE V. â—EATISSIME PATER quae spes nobis ante aliquot dies sâ—mma erat fore ut post tot procellos quibus annos pene jam triginta jactati sumus constitutam in Galliae Ecclesia pacem aliquando videremus atque de â—a renuntium BEATITUDINI vestrae laetum brevi offeremus eam vero crudeli atque immani fortissimi ac pientissimi Ducis Guisii atque illustrissimi Cardinalis ejus fratris caede acerbissimo luctu commutatam esse tanto gravius pertulimus quanto durius est in medio ardore belli ereptum eum nobis esse cui ut hoc reliquum nobis Religionis ac vitae est acceptum ferimus ita eo amissâ— ne haereticorum faucibus prostituatur merito formidamas Quae si tamen Divini Numinis constitutio fuit ut invictissimi Principis labores gloriosissima morte consumaret latens dudum sub Catholica professione impietatis virus tam chari capitis praetio aperiret ut omnipotentis Dei judicia in ea re taciti suspicimus ac veniam Petimus ita Sanctitatis vestra pedibus provoluti opem vestram per viscera misericordiae Jesu Christi imploramas ut dum rem qualiter paucis exponimus tuum auxilium quod decet etiam impetramus Non enim ut Interfectoris ars atque existimatio fingere perfecto scelere necesse habet transversum optimum Ducem ambitio egit qui quod in Regem toties nullo negotio potuit hoc unum peccasse fortasse merito à multis dictus est quod noluit Quem si non usque eo domus Dei ac publica salutis Zelus â—omedisset ut in certissima pericula toties inermis se dederit si non conscientiae puritas animi candor ejus à quo ad necem petebatur dolis opportunum â—ecisset cum ille quae de paratis sibi insidiis dicebatur toties intrepidus contemneret sic nimirum affectus ut optimi probissimi quique solent qui alios
is saith S. John a sin unto death I say not that any should pray for it Which may be understood either of the sin it self as if he should say for that sin or for the forgiveness thereof I will that none should pray because it is not pardonable or else in the same sense for that man who committeth such a sin unto death I say not that any should pray for Of which our Saviour himself hath spoken in S. Matthew saying that He that sinneth against the Holy Ghost shall not be pardoned neither in this world nor in the world to come Where he setteth down three sorts of sins viz. against the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost and that the two first are less heinous and pardonable but the third unpardonable All which difference proceedeth from the distinction of the attributes as the Divines teach which severally are appropriated unto every several person of the Holy Trinity And although as the essence of all the three persons is but one so also is their power wisdom and goodness as we have learned by Athanasius his Creed where he saith The Father is Almighty the Son Almighty and the Holy Ghost Almighty yet by attribution power is ascribed unto the Father wisdom unto the Son and love unto the Holy Ghost whereof every several as they are termed Attributes so are they proper unto every several person that they cannot be referred to another By the contraries of which attributes we can discern the distinction and greatness of sin As the contrary to power which is onely attributed unto the Father is weakness and therefore that which we do amiss through infirmity of nature is said to be committed against the Father The opposite to wisdom is ignorance through which if any man sinneth he is said to sin against the Son therefore that which we commit through natural infirmity or ignorance is more easily forgiven us The third attribute which is the Holy Ghosts is love and hath for its contrary ingratitude a fault most odious for hence it happens that men do not acknowledge the love and benefits of God but do forget despise and hate them whence it followeth that they become altogether obstinate and impenitent And this way sin is committed against God with greater danger and peril then if it were done through ignorance or weakness of the flesh and therefore it is termed a sin against the Holy Ghost And because such sins are seldom or difficultly pardoned and that not without a great abundance of grace and so in some fort are said to be unpardonable whereas indeed they become simply unpardonable only through unrepentance For whatsoever is done amiss in this life although it be against the Holy Ghost yet by repentance may be forgiven before death but they that persevere therein till death are excluded from all grace and mercy And therefore for such sins and sinners it is that the Apostle hath forbidden to pray after their decease Now therefore because we understand not without our great grief that the aforesaid King is departed out of this world without repentance and impenitent to wit in company of Hereticks his a Suppose it did would any wâ—se man lâ—â—â—â— is Kingdom rather then borrow another mans sword who agrees not with him in every circumstance in Religion army consisting of such men and that by his last will he had commended the Kingdom and Crown to the succession of b And good reason being the lawful next Heir Navarre a declar'd Heretick and excommunicated as also when dying and ready to yield up his Ghost he desir'd of him and such like standing by him that they would c That this is false read Davila l. 10. p. 818. Spondan anno 1589. § 15. revenge his death upon those whom he judged to be the cause thereof For these and such like most manifest tokens of unrepentance we have decreed that his death be not solemnized with Funerals Not that by these we would seem to determine any thing concerning the secret judgments of God against him or of his mercies who could according unto his good pleasure at the point of his expiring convert and turn his heart and deal mercifully with him but this we have spoken moved by these external signs and tokens God grant therefore that the rest being admonished by this fearful example of Heavenly judgment may repent and amend and that it may further please him to continue and accomplish that which be hath so mercifully begun as we put our trust he will to the end we may give everlasting thanks to him for delivering his Church from such great and imminent dangers Thus with his blessing he brake up the Consistory and by this may appear with what * Davila p. 868. great demonstrations of joy he received the news of the Kings murder But here it may be we may meet with a blunt and bold Objector who possibly may affirm that there was never any such Speech made by the Pope To answer this we shall take Bellarmine for our Adversary First then the * Vnder the name of Mat. Tortus Respon ad Apâ—l Angl. p. 70. Cardinal doth not possitively deny there was any such Speech and if he had known there had been no such thing he would at this time being pleaded against him by King James have boldly denied it and he could not be ignorant being then famous and Praelector of Controversies at Rome intimate with the Pope and Cardinals and so not willing to be catch'd in a lie he endeavours to shuffle it off as well as he can One time he saith it was onely published by the enemies to the Roman Church But to this we answer that it was first published by the Romanists themselves presently after it was spoke and * Antifixtus in answer to this Speech was printed at London 1590. printed at Paris 1589. by Nicolas Nivelle and Rollin Tierry by Authority of the Holy Union and the approbation of these three Sorbonne Doctors Boucher Decreil and Anceline Then again the Cardinal argueth that the Pope himself did neither publish the Speech nor command it to be published This we may grant and yet never the worse this being no argument to prove he never spoke it Bellarmine proceeds intimating no such Speech could be divulged seeing none took notes of it as it was spoke To this may be answer'd that it is true that the Cardinal whose office it was to have noted the Popes Oration not dreaming of such a design neglected the providing of Pen or Ink but yet how it was taken this following story will tell The Oration and Consistory being ended and the Pope departed towards his Chamber certain Cardinals with a greedy desire flocked about Cardinal Allan an Englishman created 1587 there in the Chamber intreating him that he would call to remembrance and write down what he had heard there spoken Allan won by their importunity they being his friends promised to do his best
King yet is not to this day held or reckon'd amongst their Kings And the better to make all cock-sure the Duke of Mayenne sendeth forth an Edict or Declaration wherein He desires all to stick close to the Holy Union for the preservation of Religion and the Crown And seeing it hath pleased God of his mere goodness singular providence and justice to deliver us from him who had joyn'd himself with the Hereticks contrary to the holy admonitions of the Pope Therefore waiting for the liberty and presence of our King and Soveraign Lord we desire and command all year 1590 good people to joyn themselves with us and to swear to die in the Roman Religion SENAULT Paris 5 Aug. 1589. And the Parlement of Tholouse is as brisk as any for no sooner had they news of the Kings murther which was committed on the first of August but they put forth a Decree wherein They command all to unite in defence of the Roman Religion That all Bishops within their Churches give thanks to God for the deliverance of Paris and other places Ordain that the first day of August shall for the future be every year celebrated with Processions and publick prayers in acknowledgment of the great benefits they received that day Forbid any to accept or allow of Henry de Bourbon for their King or to assist him du TORNOER Tholouse 2 Aug. 1589. Nor is it the French onely but other busie people will not by any means allow this Henry to be King Amongst the rest I find our Father Persons or Creswell if not both layeth it as a grand fault upon Fit manifestissimum nullo jure neque Divino ne ue Humanno Regis Gallia nomen aut dignitatem Navaâ—raâ— posse competere Responsiâ— ad Edictum Râ—ginae Angliae sect 2. § 148 153. p. 184 190. Queen Elizabeth for acknowledging him to be King of whom they are so confident as to affirm that 't is not possible for him to be truly King of France by any Law either Divine or Humane But to return to France where the war is carried on vigorously but to the loss of the Covenanters to whose aid Pope Sixtus sends Cardinal Cajetano as Legat into France and with him amongst other Scholars came Bellarmine but what was most powerful they brought with them Bills of Exchange for large summes of money to be disposed of as the Legat thought best for the advantage of the Cause King Henry IV. being inform'd of the Legats coming caused to be publish'd that if he came towards him that then he should be received with all honour aad safety but if he went towards his enemies the Covenanters then none should acknowledge him for a Legat or receive him under pain of Rebellion But Cajetan after many turnings and windings at last arriveth at Paris where he is received in great pomp lodged in the Bishops Palace richly furnished with the Kings goods taken year 1590 out of the Louvre In the mean time the Kings Parlement met at Tours declareth against the Legat on the contrary the Paris Parlement or Rump with the Sorbone Doctors stand for him order all to acknowledge to him and that he being then the Supreme Spiritual Authority in the Kingdom no power there could meet and act in opposition to him For the Legat did not a little fear that the Royallists considering how much the Pope favoured the Rebels would chuse a * Jac. Fuligott vit Card. Bellarmin â— 2. c. 9. Patriarch for that Nation which would have spoil'd his Holinoss markets And now concerning this Legat the Pens on both sides are more busie then the Swords Amongst the rest who expected to gain by these Troubles was the King of Spain who also had assisted the Leaguers and for their further encouragement sets forth a Declaration the summe of it being Philip by the grace of God King of Castile Leon Arragon c. Is sorry for the Troubles and Heresies in France Therefore commands all Christian Catholick Princes to joyn with him to extirpate Heresie and deliver the most Christian King of France Charles X. that France being once cleared of Heresie they may proceed to purge other Heretical Countries all which being exterminated they may recover the Holy Land from the Turks Protesteth that he designs nothing but the exaltation of the Roman Church the repose of all good Catholicks under their lawful Princes the extirpation of all Heresies the peace and concord of Christian Princes to obtain which he is willing not onely to imploy his means but his life also Juan de Vasquez Madrid 8 March 1590. A little before this some of the Royallists spread abroad such like Propositions as these following That Henry of Bourbon might or ought to he King That with a safe conscience the people might assist him and pay Tribute That an Heretick though relaps'd and put out of the communion of the Church may have right to the Crown of France That the Pope of Rome hath not right to excommunicate Kings That now it is not only lawful but necessary to make a Treaty or League with the Bearnois and his Hereticks Which Propositions were presently condemn'd by the Sorbone Doctors the Decree of theirs was confirm'd by the Cardinal Legat and subscrib'd 10 Feb. Spond an 1590. § 3. and sworn to by the Bishops and Curats Yet their courage was somewhat cool'd by the Kings success nor was the League prosecuted with that eagerness as was expected by reason that the Duke of Mayenne and the Spaniards mistrusted one another besides the great jealousies amongst the Covenantiug Chieftains themselves every man seeking his own Interest all expecting to make themselves great and several designed the Crown for himself Adde to these the unwieldiness of Mayenne their General being very fat heavy and slow in all his actions and one that spent much time in eating and sleeping And the truth is the most vigorous and earnest promoters of the League were the Priests and Women the first acting as well by the Sword as their Seditious Preachments the later encouraging and gaining by their boldness and insinuations nay so zealous were they in this Caus that from the highest to the lowest they were not asham'd to act any thing to gain Proselytes so that the King suppos'd that what his Armies wan in the Field they lost by these Love-tricks several of his Officers being now and then wheedled over to the League when they came under the lieur of such attractive baits at Paris Yet the Leaguers were quite crest-fallen after the King had totally routed Mayenne and his great Army at the battel of * 14 March 2590. Yory of which Du Bartas hath a long Poem But as a little before when Henry conquered the same Duke at * Septemb. 1589. Arques the better to keep up the hearts of the people and Parisians the Dutchess of Montpensier had the confidence to publish abroad that the Covenanters were Conqueronrs that Navarre himself was taken and
c daughter of your Catholick Majesty upon whom for her rare Vertues the eyes of all men are fixed and set as a most pleasant object and in whom most gloriously shineth the Bloud of France and Spain to no other end or purpose but by a perpetual Alliance to fraternize and joyn in one brotherhood as it were these two great Monarchies under their Government to the advancement of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ the beauty of his Church and union of all the Inhabitants of the world under the Ensigns of Christianism As your Catholick Majesty with so many notable and triumphant Victories by the favour of God and his aid hath mightily prevail'd and advanced the same so we most heartily pray to God who is the Lord of Battels to continue your proceedings therein with such accomplishment that the whole work may be finished and perfected in all points To which end and purpose that it would please him to prolong your Catholick Majesties days in perfect and happy health accompanied with daily success of Victories and Triumphs over all your Enemies From Paris this second of November 1591. The reverend Father Matthew this bearer who hath greatly comforted us and fully instructed with the state of our affairs shall satisfie your Catholick Majesty in all things which may seem defective and wanting in our Letters Beseeching your Majesty most humbly to credit him in whatsoever he shall report unto you from us Whether this Matthew Aquarius the Agent of the League was a Jesuite or no I shall not possitively affirm though there be good Authority for it but the best Authors may have their mistakes I shall onely observe by the by that there was at this time one Matthaeus Aquarius a Dominiâ—an and in vogue as well for his Philosophy as Schoolmanship both in Rome and Naples so a trusty servant both to Pope and Spain And though the Jesuites will attribute the title of Fathers to themselves yet I find this Aquarius as oftentimes others are also before his printed books so intituled that any might mistake him for a Jesuite because called Father I shall not say nor can I affirm that this Aquarius the Dominiean was the same man with the Leaguers Agent This Letter was intercepted near Lyons by Gilbert de Chaseron Governour of the Province of Bourbon and by him sent to the King whereby their Honesty Religion and Loyalty was discovered Now as the Sixteen and their Associates had laid the Design to humble the Parlement of Paris to them which they thought to depend too much upon Mayeune they began to stir up the people persuading them Religion was betrayed their Cause and good Covenant quite undone that the Parlement intended to deliver the City into the hands of the Navarrois i. e. the King And to obtain their designs with greater ease and facility they consulted about a new * 5 Novemb Jo. de Bâ—ssieâ—es vol. 4. p. 364 3â—5 Gomberville Meâ—â— de M. de Nevers Tom. 2. pag. 623. Oath whereby all that favour'd them not should be driven out of the City and all the Bloud Royal to be excluded from the Succession and the Crown In the mean time they take an occasion to be stark mad for one Brigard once a violent Covenanter being suspected by them of too much favouring the King was hurried to prison resolving to have him hang'd for it but the Parlement not agreeing in this with their humours cleared him in a full trial and he at last finding means to escape from their fury out of the City they in a giddy zele turn their malice upon his Judges Thus resolved they hurry the people to Arms seise upon Barnaby 15 Nov. Brisson the Chief President Claude l'Archer Counsellour of the Chastelet with Jean Tardif whom they carry to the Sessions-house there in a haste condemning them without rule or reason Brisson desireth them to spare him a little time till in prison he had finished his book De Formulis so much cried up by learned and knowing men but no favour or mercy being granted they are all three instantly strangled in prison scarce a quarter of an hour being allow'd to Brisson to confess in Thus murder'd he is presently hung out of his own Chamber-window and the next day hung on the Gallows publickly to be seen of all Such was the end of the learned but unfortunate Brisson who before had in * Poet. Gal. v l. 1. p. 713 714. verse bewail'd the mischiefs of a Civil war and it may be in relation to this League This done they meet at the house of Pellettier the Covenanting Lecturer of S. Jacques de la Boucherie where they conclude that a Court of 17 Nov. Justice shall be form'd of men of their Faction to proceed against Hereticks and the Favourers of the King that the moneys and Treasuries how expended shall be look'd into that the Council of State shall be fill'd up and the men were there named by them that a Council of war shall be chosen upon whose consent the Governour de Belin left by Mayâ—nne should act nothing that the Seals of the Crown which Mayenne carried about with him should for the future always remain in the City c. To these they adde the sending of the Letter to the King of Spain formerly writ with which they now forthwith dispatch Mathieu Yet Thuanus dates the Letter the 20th of November and * Memoires en suite de ceux de Vâ—lleroy tom 3. p. 24 25. another the 20th of September but herein I follow Arnauld who maketh a particular observation upon the timing or dating it the Jesuits themselves not objecting any thing against his date viz. 2 Novemb. and Davila saith it was sent this day viz. 17 Novemb. and so most probably writ before this day they being too busily implied in other mischiefs However the day is no great matter the difference being but small and probably a mistake in the writing or printing This done they arise from Council get the Council of State presently to assemble to whom they propound the Articles to the end to have them confirm'd and executed but at this time they are put off it being alledged the day was too far spent and the Dutchess of Nemours carried her self so powerfully with them that they were willing to let the execution of them alone till they had heard from her son the Duke of Mayenne who being inform'd of these hurly-burlys thought it best to quell them before they went any further for which purpose well guarded he hastes towards Paris at whose approach the Sixteen discouraged 28 Nâ—v crave pardon let him enter the City the Bastile is also yielded to him then he seizeth on Lauchort Emmenot Auroux and Ameline great Sticklers amongst the Sixteen whom he caused to be strangled in the Louvre and publickly hung on the Gallows and others had tasted the 3 Dec. same sauce had they not fled for it At this the Priests and
Doctors of Sorbonne were wonderfully terrified but he not willing to lose them quite knowing such men to be dangerous enemies amongst the people waited upon them himself gave them good words told them all was pardoned and Justice satisfied which he ratified by an Edict At the same time he also decreed year 1592 that upon pain of death no more Councils Meetings or Conventicles should be had any way except the Ordinary one of the Union with the sense of the lawful Magistrates which being registred in full consent of Parliament put an end to the power and greatness of the Sixteen and somewhat spoil'd and cool'd the designes of the Spanish Ministers And an Oath was also drawn up and read in Parliament for all the Souldiers in the City to take the better to keep them in Obedience Whilst these things were acting Pope Gregory XIV dying Innocent IX succeedeth him who allowed the League fifteen thousand Ducats a month desiring them to fall to work and chuse a King of the Roman Religion aiming as 't is thought at Cardinal Bourbon the Head of the third party but what his other designes were his * 30 Dec. death after a two months Popedome would not let be known And after him succeeded Clement VIII The Parliament at Rouen now puts forth a severe * 7 Jan. 1592 Edict against any that shall adhere to Henry of Bourbon as they call'd him yet the prosecution of the League was somewhat hindred by the Jealousies arising betwixt Parma and Mayenne the latter fearing to be out-vapoured by the Spaniard was not so averse as formerly from an Agreement with the King to carry on which the great Statesman Villeroy who as yet kept himself with the Leaguers and du Plessis Morney the Kings faithful friend had divers meetings but the Covenanters Propositions were so high and lofty getting all into their own hands leaving his Majesty a meer shadow that it brake off without any determination though the King was willing to grant much to be at rest and quiet This Treaty was presently made known thinking to do Mayenne a displeasure and so it did both the Spaniards and Leaguers being offended at him in offering to treat without their consent or knowledge and so made jealous as if intended to leave them in the lurch But on the other side the King gain'd not much by the bargain the Romanists who followed him next that it should be carried on by an Huguenot viz. Morney began to have the same suspicions of His Majesty And in this zeal and humour having consulted themselves they forthwith gave Mayenne to understand that it was fitting for the common safety that all the Romanists should be united and so to require of the King to change his Religion within a prefixt time and then they would acknowledge him otherwise they would joyntly proceed to the Election of a King of the Roman persuasion for such an one and none other they would have Adde to this Pope Clements favour of the League allowing it 15000 Ducats a moneth exhorting them to chuse a new King of the Roman belief alledging none to be capable of a Crown but one of that Religion commanding the Nuncio Cardinal Piacenza to forward the Election Upon all these and other such like considerations the King is perplext beyond measure now clearly perceiving that all of them were gone to that height of Conditional Subjection as never to receive him for King unless he would be of their Religion nor was his force sufficient to oppose The case is hard but a Kingdom is not to be lost yet the war goeth on vigorously on both sides In the mean time the Pope having sent to his Nuncio in France to hasten the calling of the States General that a Catholick King an enemy to Hereticks and a Defender of the Church might be chosen the Duke of Mayenne took heart fancying that the Pope might aim at him year 1593 and thus entertaining some thoughts of being King he resolved to convocate the States General the Spaniard would have it at Soissons that Parma might the sooner assist or awe them from Flanders the Duke of Lorrain desires Rheams where his greatest Interest lay but Mayennâ— thought Paris best his own Authority being greatest there by his former weakening the Sixteen In the mean time all care is taken by them to exclude Henry and nothing could thwart them more then his turning Romanist of which they had some fears several earnestly solliciting him to it To prevent this October 't is spread abroad how unlawful it is for any to desire his Conversion how it is against Divine Civil and Canon Law the Decrees of the Popes Mem. de M. de Nevers vol. 2. pag. 634. the Fundamental Law of the Kingdom the Holy Union c. and therefore conclude that those who propose or endeavour such a thing are wicked Citizens unstable perjur'd Politicks seditious Disturbers of the Common-weal favourers of Hereticks suspected of Heresie Excommunicated ought to be driven out of the City lest they should corrupt the rest And those of Chaalons having put forth a * 18 Novemb Decree against Cardinal de Piacenza the Popes Nuncio as also the Popes Bulls as they did formerly against Pope Gregory XIV Those of the Parlement of Paris publish an Act whereby they Declare the said Decree of Chaalons null of none effect or force being published by those of no Right or Authority to be a Parlement being Schismaticks Hereticks Enemies to God and his Church disturbers of the State and publick peace of the Kingdom Order the said Decree as full of Scandal Schism Heresie and Sedition to be torn and burnt by the Hangman Forbid any to receive or obey the said Decree Injoyn all to honour and obey Pope Clement VIII and acknowledge his Legat. Affirm that their intended General States design nothing but the Preservation of the Roman Religion and to choose a true Christian Catholick French King Forbid any to hinder or molest the members coming to the said meeting of States DU-TILLET Paris 2 Decemb. 1592. Accordingly to summon the said States-General the Duke of Mayenne 1593. 5 Jan. Publish'd a large Declaration in which he undertakes To Vindicate himself Desireth the Romanists to unite That though the Leaguers had too much cause to desire the late Kings death yet they had no hand in it it being a blow from Heaven That Navarre could not be King because an Heretick Obedience being only founded upon the of the Roman Religion So they cannot be blamed for their Actions nor can be Rebels seeing they fight only against Hereticks and their Associates who have despised the Popes Bulls and Admonitions c. And so throwing an odd blot upon the King concludes To this the Popes Legat Piacenza thinking that of Mayenne'â— not plain and severe enough added another Declaration Desiring all to be obedient to the Pope who will never assent to an Heretical King or the ruine of the Church
these not sure enough designeth a Treaty with Cardinal Bourbon and lest this also should fail cunningly dealeth with the Parliament of Paris to make a Decree that the Crown should not be transfer'd to strangers and the nulling of all Treaties held to that purpose as contrary to the Sulique Law which some think a Cheat and other Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom And this trick was soon obtain'd by the hands of Jehan le Maistre chief President who as if the Duke knew nothing of the business 28 June waited upon Mayenne with a good Company of Councellors to inform him of their Order which Action and Decree the Duke seemed to take in ill part as if they had been too bold in medling and this had some effect not a little dashing the Confidence and Plots of the Spaniard The King understood all this Cabal and also he perceived that though they agreed not amongst themselves yet were they all resolved against him and to adde to his trouble the Romanists whom he most trusted were falling from him as a Prince not to be converted These and other * Camdeâ— an 1593. Inconveniences forcing him to be more apprehensive he thinks himself now necessitated so far to comply with them in securing the Kingdom to himself as to hint the Roman Religion to be the best and so at Mante having talked between * Spâ—nd 1593 sect 17. 23 July five and six hours with some Prelats he seem'd well enough satisfied and thus thrust from his failings he declareth he will publickly go to receive Absolution and hear Mass at St. Denys within two days Now is Mayenne at his Wits end he had been at some pains and trouble to lay aside his Nephew his Dutchess perswading him rather to make peace with Navarre then to be a subject to young Guise But here he perceives himself out-witted all his Pretensions against the King being because he was an Heretick but now by this declared Conversion he is left without excuse Well finding no other remedy he consults to get a Truce with the King for some time to which his Majestie shews himself willing hoping by the sweetness of a little peace to gain upon the people though Mayenne had other designs against him As for the Duke of Guise considering well how things went he excused his Election to the Spanish Embassadors as a thing that would prove ridiculous to others and ruinous to himself In the mean time the Legat inform'd of the Kings design to convert and be absolved at St. Denys pulls out his Paper-Tools and falls to the old Work declaring Navarre to be an Excommunicated Heretick being so pronounced by Sixtus V. and therefore not to be absolved or admitted into the Church but by the Pope himself That all shall be null and void that they shall do that waywards and that those who shall appear there shall be excommunicated and deprived to these Mayenne addeth his good-will by forbidding any man to go to St. Denys 25 July unâ—er great penalties But all to no purpose for the day being come all sorts of people croud thither the King clothed in white with a black Hat and Cloak nobly attended goeth to the Great Church the Gates being shut the Lord Chancellor knocks they are opened and within appeareth Renaud e Beaune Archbishop or if you will * A Litle losa attributed to the Archbishop of Bourgâ—s Pope Nicolas I. calling S. Rodolphus the 47. Prelat of this City a Patriarch Caus 9. Quest 3. c. Conâ—â—â—stus Gloss Patriarch of Bourges sitting in his Chair in his Pontificalibus environ'd with a great number of Prelats He ask'd who he was and what he would have The King replied that he was Henry King of France and Navarre desiring to be received into the bosome of the Church the Arch-bishop ask'd him if he heartily desired it and was truly sorry for his former Errours which the King affirming on his knees repeating the Confession of Faith with some Prayers and being sworn after secret Confession he received Absolution then sat under the Cloth of State to hear Mass so all being done he returned an excellent Romanist to his Palace but with what bad words and maledictions the Priests of Paris could throw upon him In the mean time at the Conference of Surein a Truce being concluded between the King and Mayenne the Legat shewed himself very zealous and furious against it threatning to be gone but he was somewhat appeas'd by Mayenne's getting a Decree from their illegal States for the receiving the Council of Trent though a little before the Council being treated on in the same States the Parliament opposed its Reception producing XXVI Articles in it contrary to the Gallick Spond on 1593. sect 9. Church Mayenne seeing the Covenanting Cause thus at a stand if not quite lost thanks the Spaniards for the honour they had done his family by honouring their Infanta to his Nephew Guise and for their assistance to the League but tells them withal that it is fitting to defer the Election to a more convenient time then Assembling the States he made them all take an Oath to persevere in the Holy Union and so adjourn'd 8 August them for some months and then to meet again at the same place hoping yet with himself rather to raise then diminish his greatness The King having as aforesaid taken away all Objections at home about his Religion endeavours the same at Rome to which purposes he sends Lodovico Gonzago Duke of Nevers Embassador thither with several Vid. Gombervâ—lle Memoiâ—es de M. de Nevâ—rs vol. 2. P 405. c. p. 638. Davila pag. 1220. Divines amongst whom was Jaques Davy Sieur du Perron the Elect Bishop of Eureux who had already thrown off the interest of his former Master Cardinal Bourbon the Head of the third Party for whilst he Negotiated the Cardinals designs with some great ones at Court he grew acquainted with the King pleasing him with his Learning Eloquence Mirth Wit and Poetry thus commanding the Kings Ear and Humour and perceiving his own greatness might more easier be attain'd to by the King especially his Conversion then the Cardinals Exaltation quitted his old former service and became very active for his Majesty Nevers and his Company go towards Rome whilst Arnand d'Ossat though but of mean Parentage yet of great Wit and Judgment as his Negotiations and Letters testifie now living at Rome and afterwards a Cardinal secretly and wisely on his own head agitated for the Kings advantage The Pope sends Possivino the known Jesuit to Nevers not to approach the Duke returneth many Reasons and goeth on at last the Pope allow'd him but he must enter the City privately and not stay in it above ten days He waiteth upon the Pope but Clement will grant him nothing nor absolute nor confirm the former Absolution of Henry nor permit the Bishops who came along with him to kiss his Toe because they had
in the Dukedom of Bar and in the Diocess of Toul in Lorrain who throwing off his Cowle or Hood and under the disguise of a Beggerly habit being found in the Court upon examination giving no good account and Convict by Testimony was also condemn'd and suffered upon the Wheel Such like murtherous designes of the Friars occasioned many Poems against them amongst the rest upon the stabbing of Henry III. who is said to have loved them most affectionately thus one of them concludeth Jamais il n'y eut Roy par qui la Moinerie Respectee fut plus par qui plus cheria Si les Moins ainsi tuâ—nt leurs grands amis Bon Dieu que ferent ils à leur grand Ennemis Never did King carry more kinde defires Than Henry unto all sorts of Fryers If Monks to friends will give such deadly blows Good God! what will they do unto their Foes Thus much for the French Popish Solemn League and Covenant by Retorting of which is enough to stop their mouths concerning our late Rebellions seeing The Romanists there safely pretended the danger of Religion as well as our Presbyterians did They entred into a Solemu League and Covenant as our Non-conformists did They forced their King to take it and it is not unknown what our villainous long-Long-Parliament would have done and what the impudent Schismaticks in Scotland did do They spred abroad that their King was an enemie to their Religion and in this were worse then our Puritans who though they slandred our King yet had it rather been a scandal for him to have been of their schismatical perswasion They had their Priests and Jesuits sacrilegiously to abuse the Pulpit and People with their seditious lying and treasonable Discourses as our Rebels had their blasphemous Lecturers ignorant and impudent Tub-Thumpers and 't is hard to tell which of these Covenanters were the greater Villains though I 'le grant ours to be the greater Dunces They falsely gave out that many thousand Huguenots lurk'd in Paris to kill them thereby to incense and inrage the people as our Puritans did of God knows what Cavaliers and Papists mustred under ground and such like tales They had their several Juncto's and Cabal's as ours had their Committees c. They null'd and made void all their Oaths of Allegiance as ours did They declared that Allegiance was but Conditional viz. to a Romanist as ours did to a Covenanter They made many Oaths in behalf of Conditional Subjection and Rebellion as out late Zealots did They had their Doctors or Divines of Sorbonne to countenance and vindicate their wicked Actions and to declare for good whatever they would have them As ours had their Club of Assembly of Divines to prove new Governments and King-opposing to be by Divine Right and Predestination They made Banishment and other Penalties for those who would not take and subscribe their Oaths as our Rebels did for their Covenants and Engagements They had their particular Processions and such like Set-pieces of Devotion to crave Divine Aid and Assistance as ours had their monthly Fasts to desire God to bless their sins and Rebellions as also their Thanksgiving like the old Irish who used to thank God if by Theft or Robbery they had got a good booty They had their Oaths of Abjuration as well as ours had They would pardon and authorize all those who acted for their cause as ours could indempnifie one another some may think with as much right or true Authority as the * Mer. Casubâ—â—'s Necessity of Reform p. 75. French Priest consecrated the Sacrament in the name of the Devil They call'd their League against their King Loyalty and ours thought as well of the Covenant They would have the Council of Trent revived as ours would the Covenant Directory and Presbytery and such like schismatical and treasonable Principles Some of them would have their Chieftain Mayenne to be King as others in England would have had Oliver As their Mayenne would not take upon him when offered to him the Title of King because his Interest was not then sufficient to vindicate it and so would only be Lieutenant of the Crown of France thus Oliver upon the same account refused the Kingship but would be Protector of England They commended Guise and Mayenne as the only Prop of their Church as ours by their Addresses did sacrilegiously magnifie Oliver and his son Richard They had their Rump and secluded Members as well as we but in this the French were worst of the two they turning out honest men whilst ours excluded only Conditional subjects i. e. Traitors so one Knave turn'd out another They sent to the Popish Princes large Complaints against their King as ours with their Schismatical Assembly against King Charles I. to Holland and Geneva They would alter limit put out and in as they pleased their Kings Council as our Puritans desired to do in England They would take away the Kings Negative Vote and make the States superiour to him so would our Roundheads here They sent a Letter to desire Protection and Assistance from Spain an enemie to their King and Countrey as the Scotch Covenanters did from the French King Lewis XIII against their King Charles I. as appears by their Letter subscribed by their Chieftains They in Triumph conducted Guise and his friends into Paris as our Presbyterians did the five Members c. to the affront of King and Government They by their Tumults forced their King to flee from his chief City and Court Paris as our Puritans did King Charles I. from London for his own safety When their King offered them and their General Mayenne Pardon Favour and desired a Peaee they reject both it and him as ours did with King Charles when he offered the same to them and their General Essex They censure all who sided with the King and sat at Tours or Chaalons as ours did those who sat at Oxford as a Parliament They broke the Kings Great Seals making new ones as ours also did They declared it Treason to aid or favour their King as the English did They murthered any who sided with their King as well as our Rebels here They defaced all the Kings Pictures and Statues as the Phanaticks did here They had their Women of all Qualities to promote their Cause by their Love-tricks and Contributions as the Puritans in England had their Wives holy Sisters and zealous Ladies hurried along with as much Chastity and Religion as Honesty Moderation or Loyalty They renounced all obedience to Henry III. and his Queen ordered he should not be prayed for as our wicked Presbyterian long-Long-Parliament declared the Queen a Traitor renounced the King by their abominable Votes and Declaration of Non-Address and it was afterwards death to pray for him They often attempted the death of Henry IV. contrived and procured the Murther of Henry III. as ours designed King Charles's death in the Isle of Wight and at last murthered him on the
would bring up and marry according to their Interests thinking thereby also to oblige many of the Nobility to their Cause upon hopes of having her to Wife and with her the Crown She was now at Comb the Lord Harrington's House in Warwich-shire where to secure her they contrived a great Hunting-Match to be the Sixth of November on Dunsmore-Heath under which pretence many Romanists would meet well Appointed and surprise her by force As for a present supply of Moneys Sir Everard Digby promised Fifteen hundred pounds Mr. Francis Tresham Two thousand pounds and Piercy all that he could get of the Earl of Northumberland his Kinsman his Rents which was about Four thousand pounds They also contrived how to keep the Slander of such a Villany from themselves and Religion so determined to throw the Crime upon the Puritans a sort of people bad enough of themselves that we need not load them with other mens Faults by declaring them to be the Traytors who blew up the Parliament To carry on which false report they had framed a Proclamation which they had got printed and ready for publishing upon the Sign given which they supprest and burnt upon the discovery though some of them by chance came to view and were seen and read by Dr. Parker Dean of Lincoln Sir W. Ellis Recorder of the said City and other persons And the better also to get the same Credit with the people Keys Brother-in-law to Mr. Pickering had a few days before either borrowed or bought the swift Horse well known in London and thereabouts of Mr. Pickering of Tichmarch-grove in Northamptonshire a noted Puritan whom they also designed to kill upon which Faux having fired the Match and Touchwood leading to the Train was to escape as they bore him in hand but their design was to kill him at his taking Horse for Pickering's Man which the people would easily believe seeing the Horse so well known to them and the multitude once perswaded of this would be more facil to joyn with them under notion of doing Justice upon such supposed Traytors and Wretches They also consult how to keep the Romish Lords from going that day to Parliament the better to strengthen their Cause by their preservation But in the height of all their hopes and expectations a discovery is made thus Some of them supposed by Monteagle to be Piercy but Bishop * Ans to Sir Ant. Weldons Court of K. James pag. 73 M. S. Goodman saith it was Tresham who wrote the Letter having a great affection to the said Lord Monteagle Son and Heir to the Lord Morley had a mind to preserve him also from the intended slaughter So one Evening a Letter sealed is delivered in the Street the Strand by an unknown Fellow to one of the Lord's Foot-men charging him to deliver it with care to his Lord. Monteagle opens it finds it without Date or Subscription writ with a very bad hand and in a stile he knew not what to make of thus My Lord OVT of the love I bear to some of your Friends I have a care of your Preservation therefore I would advise you as you tender your life to devise some excuse to shift off your attendance this Parliament For God and man have concurred to punish the wickedness of this time And think not slightly of this Advertisement but retire your self into your Countrey where you may expect the Event in safety For though there be no appearance of any stir yet I say they shall receive a Terrible blow this Parliament and yet they shall not see who hurts them This Counsel is not to be contemned because it may do you good and can do you no harm for the Danger is past as soon as you have burn'd this Letter and I hope God will give you the Grace to make good use of it To whose holy Protection I commend you Monteagle wondred at the Letter and its delivery and thinking it might relate to some mischief thought it his duty to make it known so away he goeth to White-Hall shews it to the Earl of Salisbury then Secretary of State who tells some other of the Privy-Council of it and the King being returned from his Hunting at Royston they deliver it to Him His Majesty having seriously considered it and all other circumstances concluded that it might relate to some Design to blow up the Parliament and in this jealousie ordered the Rooms and Vaults about the House to be searched which was done the night before the Sessions when in the foresaid Cellar under the Lords-House were found the Barrels of Powder and at the door standing Guido Faux booted and spurr'd with a large Dark-Lanthorn now to be seen in Oxford Library with Matches Tinder-Box and other Materials for his Design Faux was presently carried to Court and examined where he appeared sturdy and scornful maintaining the Design to be lawful That James was not his King because an Heretick was sorry that the Plot fail'd and that he had not blown up the House with himself and those who were sent to search affirming That God would have had the Plot conceal'd but it was the Devil who reveal'd it At last Faux himself confest all that he knew of the Treason Thus far discovered the King suspecting some Commotions or Risings sent with all speed to prevent them by timely notice by Lepton and others This was that Mr. John Lepton of York-shire who rid so often betwixt London and York in one Week viz. in May 1606 who though he won his Wager yet was a Loser never getting his winnings Piercy Wright c. who now lurked about London to expect the fatal Blow informed of the discovery take Horse making what haste they can to their Companions appointed to be at the Rendezvous on Dunsmore In brief according to their abilities they run into open Rebellion but to their own Destruction The High-Sheriffs with other Magistrates and Loyal Subjects so hunting them that they were either all dispersed slain or taken and the chief of them afterwards condemned and executed Mr. Osborn whose Observations and Principles are not always approvable Memoires of K. James pag. 38. tells us that his Catholique Majesty sent an Agent on purpose to congratulate King James his great preservation A flattery so palpable as the Pope could not refrain laughing in the face of Cardinal D'Ossat when he first told it him Thus he This Agent was Don Juan de Mendoza who brought very rich Presents with him Whether it was Flattery or Hypocrisie or no is no great matter it being the custom of Princes though Enemies to use such Ceremonies And I can tell him farther That a little after the Plot a sudden report being spread that King James was kill'd and Sir Lewis Lewkenor then Master of the Ceremonies being sent by the Council to certifie the Forreign Minister of the King's safety and health Don Pedro de Cunigo the Spanish Ambassador at London seemed almost mad for joy and for
Worth and Quality attempted through the Undertaking spirits of some more fiery and turbulent than zealous aâ—d dis-passionate Catholicks hath made the general state of our Catholique Cause so scandalous in the eye of such whose corrupted Judgments are not able to fan away and sever the fault of the Professor from the Profession it self as that who now is found to be of that Religion is perswaded at least in mind to allow though God knoweth as much abhorring as any Puritan whatsoever the said former most inhuman and barbarous Project And whereas some of his Majesties Council but especially your Lordship as being known to be as the Philosopher termeth it a Primus Motor in such uncharitable proceedings are determined as it is feared by taking advantage of so foul a scandal to root out all the Memory of Catholique Religion either by sudden Banishment Massacre Imprisonment or some such unsupportable Vexations and Pressures and perhaps by decreeing in this next Parliament some more cruel and horrible Laws against Catholiques than already are made In regard of these Premises there are some good men who through Good men and Roman Catholiques their earnest desire for the continuing the Catholique Religion and for saving many souls both of this present and of all future posterity are resolved to prevent so great a mischief though with a full assurance aforehand of the loss of their dearest lives You are therefore hereby to be admonished that at this present mayâ— murther Privy-Councellors there are Five which have severally undertaken your Death and have vowed the performance thereof by taking already the Blessed Sacrament if you continue your daily plotting of so Tragical Stratagems aginst Recusants It is so ordered that none of these Five knoweth who the other Four be for the better preventing the discovery of the rest if so any one by attempting and not performing should be apprehended It is also already agreed who shall first attempt it by shot and so who in order shall follow In accomplishing of it there is expected no other than assurance of death yet it will willingly be embraced for the preventing of those general Calamities which by this your transcendant Authority and grace with his Majesty are threatned unto us And indeed the Difficulties herein are more easily to be digested since two of the intended Attempters are in that weak state of body that they cannot live above three or four Months The other Three are so distressed in themselves and their Friends as that their present Griefs for being only Recusants do much dull all apprehension of Death None is to be blamed in the true censuring of Matters for the Nor are they to be blamed for it undertaking hereof For we protest before God We know no other means left us in the World since it is manifest that you serve but as a Match to give fire unto his Majesty to whom the worst that we wish is That he may be as great a Saint in Heaven as he is King on Earth for intending all Mischiefs against the poor distressed Catholicks Thus giving your Lordship this Charitable Admonition the which may perhaps be necessary hereafter for some others your Inferiors at least in Grace and Favour if so they run on in their former Inhuman and Unchristian Rage against us I cease putting you in mind That where once True and Spiritual Resolution is there notwithstanding For 't is a True and Spiritual Resolution all dangers whatsoever the Weak may take sufficient Revenge of the Great Your Lordship 's well-admonishing Friends c. A. B. Câ— c. It may be your Lordship will take this but as some forged Letter of some Puritans thereby to incense you more against Recusants But we protest upon our Salvation It is not so Neither can any thing in human likelihood prevent the effecting thereof but the change of your course towards Recusants This Letter at the beginning offers fair seeming to detest the Gunpowder-Plot but little of truth and sincerity may be expected from it when we consider that the design of it is to Apologize for Murther to which it appears there is a Club or number of them consenting and attempting and they are not ashamed to assert That though they murther Privy-Councellors yet the Murtherers may be good men nor are they to be blamed for it for 't is a True and Spiritual Resolution But enough of this Letter to which the Earl himself was pleased to give an Answer The Oath of Allegiance was prudently drawn up and confirmed by Act of Parliament which Oath being the Foundation and Sum of this Treatise take as followeth word for word and for distinction sake divided into several Branches or Articles The Oath of Allegiance Anno Tertio Jacobi I A. B. do truly and sincerely Acknowledg Profess Testifie and Declare in my Conscience before God and the World That our Soveraign Lord King is Lawful and Rightful King of this Realm and of all other his Majesty's Dominions and Countreys And that the Pope neither of himself nor by any Authority of the Church or See of Rome or by any other means with any other hath any Power or Authority to Depose the King Or to dispose any of his Majesties Kingdoms or Dominions Or to Authorize any Forreign Prince to Invade or Annoy him or his Countreys Or to Discharge any of his Subjects of their Allegiance and Obedience to his Majesty Or to give License or Leave to any of them to bear Arms raise Tumults c. Or to offer any violence or hurt to his Majesties Royal Person State or Government or to any of his Majesties Subjects within his Majesties Dominions Also I do swear from my heart That notwithstanding any Declaration or Sentence of Excommunication or Deprivation made or granted or to be made or granted by the Pope or his Successors or by any Authority derived or pretended to be derived from him or his See against the said King his Heirs or Successors or any Absolution of the said Subjects from their Obedience I will bear Faith and true Allegiance to his Majesty his Heirs and Successors And him and them will defend to the uttermost of my Power against all Conspiracies and Attempts whatsoever which shall be made against his or their Persons their Crown and Dignity by reason or colour of any such Sentence or Declaration or otherwise And will do my best endeavour to disclose and make known unto his Majesty his Heirs and Successors all Treasons and Trayterous Conspiracies which I shall know or hear of to be against him or any of them And I do further swear That I do from my heart Abhor Detest and Abjure as Impious and Heretical this Damnable Doctrine and Position That Princes which be Excommunicated or Deprived by the Pope may be Deposed or Murthered by their Subjects or any other whatsoever And I do believe and in Conscience am resolved That neither the Pope nor any Person whatsoever hath