Aduise giuen by a Catholike gentleman, to the nobilitie & commons of France, to ioyne together, and take armes speedily (by commandement of the King) against theeues and robbers, which are now abroade ruining the poore people setting downe an order and policie how they should take armes, to auoide all disorder and confusion amongst them. Whereunto is adioyned, a declaration published by the Duke de Mont-pencier for the reclaiming of the cleargie and nobilitie of Normandie, vnto his Maiesties obedience, &c. With certaine newes of the ouerthrow of the Gautiers, and diuerse other rebels against the French King, by the said Duke of Mont-pencier, on the sixt, and on the twentieth daie of Aprill. 1589. Translated out of the French into English, by I. Eliote.

Aduise giuen by a Catholike gentleman, to the nobilitie & commons of France, to ioyne together, and take armes speedily (by commandement of the King) against theeues and robbers, which are now abroade ruining the poore people setting downe an order and policie how they should take armes, to auoide all disorder and confusion amongst them. Whereunto is adioyned, a declaration published by the Duke de Mont-pencier for the reclaiming of the cleargie and nobilitie of Normandie, vnto his Maiesties obedience, &c. With certaine newes of the ouerthrow of the Gautiers, and diuerse other rebels against the French King, by the said Duke of Mont-pencier, on the sixt, and on the twentieth daie of Aprill. 1589. Translated out of the French into English, by I. Eliote.

Aduise giuen by a Catholike gentleman, to the nobilitie & commons of France, to ioyne together, and take armes speedily (by commandement of the King) against theeues and robbers, which are now abroade ruining the poore people setting downe an order and policie how they should take armes, to auoide all disorder and confusion amongst them. Whereunto is adioyned, a declaration published by the Duke de Mont-pencier for the reclaiming of the cleargie and nobilitie of Normandie, vnto his Maiesties obedience, &c. With certaine newes of the ouerthrow of the Gautiers, and diuerse other rebels against the French King, by the said Duke of Mont-pencier, on the sixt, and on the twentieth daie of Aprill. 1589. Translated out of the French into English, by I. Eliote.

Table of contents

Title page

Aduise giuen by a Catholike Gentleman of France, &c.

Orders conceiued and set downe for taking armes for his Maiestie.

A DECLARATION PVBLISHED for the reconciling of the Cleargie and Nobilitie of Normandie vnto the obedience of his Maiestie, by the Duke of Mont-pencier Pecre of France, Gouernor and Lieuetenant generall for the King in the Duchie of Normandie.

NEVVES OF THE Ouerthrow of the Gautiers, &c.

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[Page] ADVISE, GIVEN BY A CATHOlike Gentleman, to the Nobilitie & Commons of France, to ioyne together, and take armes speedily (by commandement of the King) against theeues and robbers, which are now abroade ruining the poore people: Setting downe an order and policie how they should take armes, to auoide all disorder and confusion amongst them. Whereunto is adioyned, A declaration published by the Duke de Mont-pencier for the reclaiming of the Cleargie and Nobilitie of Normandie, vnto his Maiesties obedience, &c. With certaine newes of the ouerthrow of the Gautiers, and diuerse other rebels against the French King, by the said Duke of Mont-pencier, on the sixt, and on the twentieth daie of Aprill. 1589.

Translated out of the French into English, by I. Eliote.

LONDON Printed by Iohn Wolfe. 1589.

Aduise giuen by a Catholike Gentleman of France, &c.

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ALthough few daies since, I set forth a booke in print, containing foure Chapters, in the which I did at large aduertise my countrymen of France of that which they had to do, in this dangerous time of reuolting: yet seeing their ruine to draw nigh daily, and that the greatest harme falleth chiefly on the Nobles, and on the poore pesants, who as it were vtterly ruined and vndone, remaine benummed, not able to helpe them selues anie thing at all, poore men, beeing vtterlie spoiled of the forces that God giueth them for their maintenance & defence, I haue bethought my selfe, to open them a way, and to aduertise them once againe, how they may liue peaceably one with another, and to set them downe the meanes, howe they may disturbe and hinder the quartering & canto [...] ning of this state, that to their great preiudice, so many go about. It is then to you, my Lords of the Nobilitie, and to you poore Countrie people, that I addresse my selfe, labouring to make you knowe, how both your interests go in this matter, and that you must not now forsake one another (as you doe) considering that now you haue need to ioyne your forces together, for your common safegard & defence. [Page] It is to you, I saie, that I speake, Nobilitie of France, but yet more particularly to you, pore countrimen, full of affliction: for you make my soule full of pitie and compassion, seeing you beaten, pilled, and ransomed by the souldiers of this time on the one side, and seeing you on the other side pinched and gnawed to the very bones by these Townes-men, which laughe in their sleeues, and make a ieste, beeing safe themselues within the compasse of their walles, at your miserie and calamitie. You are the cause that the teares trickle downe from mine eies, when I consider howe all the worlde doeth cosin and deceiue you, and when I see none that doo take in hande to defende your cause: to bee short, you make mee die for verie sorrowe, seeing you onely beare the burthen of the greatest parte of miseries, that haue chaunced to light on this desolate kingdome. For although God hath made mee a Gentleman borne, and that I see those that are of the same qualitie, menaced to haue their part of the same dommage that you suffer, yet must I needs pitie you a greate deale more then them, for that a great parte of them haue beene so miserable, as to helpe to worke their owne mischiefe, and procured yours besides, by the rebellion which they haue practised against their king: they had wit and vnderstanding to know that they did ill, and neuertheles suffered thēselues to be blinded through their ambition & auarice, wherwith their aduersaries verie crastilie serue their turne, to draw them to their partie: some of them toke money, other some contented themselues with vaine promises, that they [Page] should haue some dignities and honorable charges: but those are yet possessed of them, whom the king hath thought good to place therein: and with these baites and deceitfull persuasions of the mutinous preachers (which are nowe infinitely scattered ouer this Monarchie) were they induced to offend God, to hurt their Prince, the libertie of their Countrie, their posteritie, their particular friendes, and by consequent their reputation, without the which they are vnworthie of the title of honour, that they beare: ye poore men did not offend vppon a iollitie, as they did, but if you haue borne armes for these rebellious persons, you haue done it onely following the exāple of your vnaduised superiors, who haue made you beleeue, that it was the only means to asswage the vehemency of the euil that did afflict you, & in that you haue done as he, who (feeling him selfe vexed with anie grieuous disease) taketh euerie thing that is proffered him in likenes of a remedie or medicine, although it be sometimes verie poison or death it selfe: so you thought that they were skilfull Phisitions, who knowing your diseases woulde heale them, & they are but counterfait fellowes, that making their profit by your disease, seeke to make it incurable, & to poison it: and that this is most true, you see that after they haue named the good medicines needefull for you, they haue applied other that are cleane contrarie, bringing you no ease or comfort at all thereby, as they did promise you, but so made your woundes to rankle, and growe more grieuesome and painefull vnto you dailie.

[Page] My friends, it is now high time, that you resolue your selues to withstand the tirannous proceedings and pretences of those, who haue hetherto deceiued you with faire promises, to make you consēt to their establishing & your own ruine: it is now high time or neuer, poore people, that ye go about to seeke some remedie for the euil you suffer: & I can see none more fit for you, thē to take armes, not with a confusion & disorder (as some amongst you haue done alreadie) but with some good pollicie, in vniting your selues together vnder the obedience of your King, & ioyning vnto you such Gentlemen, as you shall find desirous of your good: for euen as in extreame diseases, it is requisite oftentimes to vse extreame remedies: so the oppressions that you feele, being too rigorous and violent, you must needs disburden your selues of them by a forcible and violent endeauour; and this is the reason, why I would haue you to take armes, according to the order that I shall set downe anone, and not to suffer your selues to bee blinded and deluded by the faire promises of the Lorraine Princes and their adherents, for they are those counterfait Phisitions, that I spake of euen now, vnto whom the prolonging of your maladie is profitable. In the beginning of their reuolt, they made you beleeue by their bookes made for the purpose, and by the Sermons of their Apostaticall preachers, that they Catholikes had then great need to conclude a league & alliance among themselues, to ruine the heretikes, & to preuent the succession of anie heretical Prince after our king, leauing out, I warrant you, nothing that might make to confirme this proposition, & to [Page] make it be liked of al that they could. Which proposition is verie good, and most expedient for all Catholikes, if the effectes were correspondent to the wordes: but in stead of making an vnion of Catholikes, they haue vsed this holie pretext, to haue a cast onelie at the king, & to diuide the Catholikes by this meanes into sides, bringing in by this diuision al the disorder and riot that you see at this present in this Monarchie, & that yet you are like to see, if God put not to his helping hand speedelie. This is the cause that the Catholiks are now diuided, and at variance among themselues, & that the honester sort call this league an vnion of rebels, and a faction of conspirators: & the reason why they call it so, is, because they haue ioined their drifte to reforme the estate, with the pretext of the holie League, whereby they haue plainly medled with the king, and called his authoritie in question, that which the more vertuous and honester sorte cannot allowe, for that (as I haue said before, in the second Chapter of the book that I haue already setforth, and as I will shewe you hereafter more at large) is not permitted of God: & see for certaine that which hath caused all true Catholikes to hate & contemne this league & alliance, although they neuer found one word of truth in all that the Lorraine Princes promised, beeing the first authors of this conspiracie. They haue sworne and protested to you (to encourage you, & to make you thinke well of their factious fetches & proceedings) that they wish the ruine of heretikes, and vnder this false pretence they haue attempted against their King. They let their armies take vp the best places of [Page] this Realme, and lodge themselues and their souldiers, where neuer anie souldiers came before, and the profit that you reape therby is, their troupes of souldiers are round about your Cities; who vse and entreate you as Turkes, and not as their Catholike brethren, they promised to cause the Kings souldiers to kepe good rule, & yet you neuer saw more detestable theeues, then these that go to the wars now for thē: these are, say they, Catholiks of the holy League, & yet they force women, they rauish the daughters of Catholiks, they beat Priests, they prison thē, & hang them vp by the heeles, to make them giue money: they warre, saie they, to ruine heretikes, which haue retired themselues into their houses, & to cleere the Countrie of them, but if anie one shewe a countenance, as though he would defend himselfe, they let him alone, and seeke but those that are without all defence and cannot resist, and specially aboue all, those that are full of money, who haue reconciled themselues within the compasse of the Church, and are retired vnder her protection and safegard, those are they that they seeke, they take them first: he that embraceth the Church, with them hath no better assurance, than he that renounceth her: It is inough to be an heretike (say they) if a man haue at this present a good purse, and a naughty swoord: they made an abatement of taxes to be proclaimed, but for euery penny that they haue abated, they make it cost a crowne: for in many places they haue begun to leuie and taxe for the maintenance of their forces, & for the m unition of their fortresses: in summe, see how they haue performed nothing of all that they [Page] promised, and so farre are they from leauing their fellonie and rebellion, that they doo what they can, euery daie to make you commit their detestable insolencies and villanies. The Duke of Maine in stead of going to besiege Niort, that the Hugonites haue taken in, speaketh of nothing but assailing his King, if he could assemble but forces sufficient: his adherents cause now to be proclaimed in diuerse Prouinces (and chiefly in Normandie) that the pesants and Countrimen haue to arme themselues, without anie leaue or consent of the Nobles, who are not of their side: and they saie it is for the defence of the common people. Know you what craft and subtiltie they meane? euerie one of them which hath a good place already, hath no lesse hope than to make himself soueraigne Lord of the Bishopricke, Bailywicke, and Vicountie, where his fortresse is situated, yea, and to climbe higher if opportunitie serue, and for this occasion they would be ridde of those Gentlemen that dwell neare them, of whom they cannot be assured: but hauing no forces strong in ough to set vpon thē, they will make at your costes and deniers a company in euery hundred and vicounty at the least of twelue or fifteene hundred men well armed, and hauing once armed you by the helpe of your owne pursestrings, and appointed Captaines and gouernours ouer you at their owne deuotion & pleasure, they shal win quickly a great number of you to thē, who shall serue their turne to kepe the other vnder, and to ruine (if they can) euery one, whom they thinke is not for them, from whō, they thinke, you might haue some assistance, when you should be a weary of supporting [Page] their tyrannie; and euen as they haue set a great part of the Nobilitie together by the eares, so will they doo you to: that this is most true, ye see alreadie the great diuision that is happened amongst you, and how in diuerse places your next neighbours haue murthered one another in taking of partes, where they are diuerslie affected, and when you shall be armed and ioyned together vnder these Leaguers themselues, and when you shall haue helped to establish them to the preiudice of good Catholikes, the Kinges true and faithfull seruantes: to bee briefe, when they shall be setled peaceablie in their gouernments, doubt not, but yee shall fall into greater miserie then so, for the ambition wherewith they are carried headlong (receiuing no limite) will bring them on to warre one against the other, and euerie one will labour to make himselfe greater by suppressing his neighbour, and trust vppon his intelligence that he shal haue with forain Princes, in the meane while that these Princes of Lorraine shall iarre with those that they shall finde able to aunswere them: and as you see euerie Prince of Lorraine seeketh to haue as good parte in the Cake as another, and will not referre all that they doo to one sole mans authoritie: euen so, if you looke neere into the matter, do there adherents also, for euerie man thinketh hee hath as good right to haue a peece, as the Duke of Maine to haue all the whole himselfe.

The chiefe gouernours amongst them doo saise vpon the receit of taxes for themselues in euery quarter, and vse them, as if they were their owne proper, they graunt out Commissions as they list, to leauie [Page] souldiers in their owne names, they enroll and cassere whome they list, they fetch downe the bels out of the Church steeples to cast them into Cannons, they take vp and dismisse souldiers, as they thinke best, they giue protections and safegardes as they please, they set prisoners at libertie, and they entertaine gardes for their owne bodies, at the charges of the poore people: and to be short, they do all things as soueraigne Lordes and maisters, and depende no more of the name of their Catholike Princes, but in this onlie that they find commodious for their own establishment: and in deede some I knowe amongst them, who counterfait to take part with these Lorrainistes, and yet haue intelligence with forraine Princes, whome they thinke allianced vnto them for their priuate gain, to hope for the destruction of this estate.

See, poore people, how these rebels by their vnsatiable ambition haue builded their owne ruine and yours together. See how they kindle amongst you the fire of a perpetuall ciuill warre, and how they spoile you by that means of the peaceable traffique, that you should haue in your owne Countrie by the concourse of Marchantes from euerie place, abridging you thereby of the libertie of humane societie: and this is all the good you shall get, to take armes vnder their authoritie, to helpe them to quarter out this Realme for themselues: to bee briefe, this is the verie meanes that they haue found out, to become maisters of your persons and of your goods: but they feare that your Lordes and you are ioyned together to hinder the course of their [Page] pretences, and to set you at variance, to make you malcontent with the Nobilitie, they perswade you to take armes, without euer crauing anie assistance of anie Gentleman, if hee bee not one of their owne broode and conspiracie, promising you that you shall not need to care, they wil saue you harmelesse, and that you shall be no more pilled and taxed so long as they shall haue the stronger partie, but by them and their companions: but after that you haue forsaken once your good gouernours and Lordes, and shall bee in disgrace with the greatest parte of the Nobilitie, (whome their honour and loialtie haue sworne enemies to this faction) God knowes, howe they will force you to contribute to those things that they shall haue neede of, and howe cruelly they will deale with you, when they haue taken from you all power to resiste their tyrannie. Refuse, I beseech you, to arme your selues in this manner, oppose your selues to the pernitious pretences of these Leaguers, and followe not the example of those of the Chappell of Gautier in Normandie: for all things done without order, are also done without reason, and that which is done contrarie to reason, hath for the most parte an euill issue, and cannot prosper long. The Gautiers toke armes, asking no leaue of their soueraigne Lordes, establishing amongst themselues neither rule, policy, or anie good discipline of war, and yet not content with that, were they so shamelesse and impudent (as it was told me) to haue giuen forth, that they would conspire and laie their heades together against the Nobilitie, wherein notwithstanding they shewe [Page] their grosse ignorance and want of iudgement: for truely there is no realme in the whole world, where the Gentlemen haue more aduantage ouer the pesants, then in France, and I will tell you the reason, to the end that you may knowe, that you cannot well attempt any thing without the nobilitie, and that you are not able to holde out, hauing once warre against them. First, you must graunt me, that it is not an easie thing to attempt against them, but they shal be by & by aduertised, by reason of the great number of them, and for that you haue no familiaritie with them, nor accesse vnto them, and by reason that they are lodged within their strong Citadels, castels and houses of defence, within the which you haue none intelligence at all, and whether you frequent verie seldome: and againe they neuer goe into the countrye, nor depart out of their fortes, but verie well mounted, very well armed, and well accompanied, and you are but footemen, & cannot keepe alwaies together, but you shall be greatly combred, and turmoiled. But if you conspire against them indeede, & they perceiue it once, what shal you gaine by that? You haue no places of defence, no cānon to batter, no man to teach you how you should make your approches at an assiege, howeyou should place all kinde of batteries, how you should make your trenches, how you should cut off a wing or tayle of an armie, how you should set in order your maine-battell, and how you should choose out a fitte place for your fight: you haue no cauallery: you haue amongst you neither generall of the field, martiall, maister of the campe, nor maister of the Artillerie: and to conclude, [Page] you haue no bodie at all that can teach you howe to match like men of warre, and so you can be, whē you haue al done, but a sort of pesants in armes, and clownes in souldiers coates, amongest whome falleth out for the most part disorder and confusion, euen then when you should do some good exploite: so that we see dayly by experience, that one hundred vnder good conduct ouerthrow a thousand of this baggage race: and to say, that in time these pesants woulde make good souldiours: admit that, yet that woulde helpe you nothing: for souldiours will neuer take armes for pesants agaynst the Nobilitie: for that the true souldiour retayneth the nature of a Gentleman, and the Gentleman is not properly, and ought not to bee more then a souldiour, and a man at armes in his perfection. None were made noble anciently in this monarchie, but souldiours of marke, who had made proofe of their valour, so that as soone as anie of you shall feele in himselfe the least sparke of the nature of a souldiour and man at armes, he will forsake you straight, to go to your enemies, and so you shall but make roddes for your owne tayles. We reade in the Chronicles, that in the raigne of king Charles the sixt, the pesants and the handicrafts men of Limosin and of Poictou, did rise in armes against the Nobilitie, who were hanged, almost euery one, & putto the sword by the Duke of Berry, and by the Nobles of these three Prouinces. This one example, with that I haue alledged alreadie, shall bee sufficient to learne you, that it is impossible by this meanes to preiudice greatly the Lords and seigniours of your countrie, [Page] & also ye may see al they that euer haue attempted the like, whatil successe they haue had, except the Switzers onely? but it was an easie matter for them, because their Gentlemen had no fortresses, no engins of warre, no souldiours at cōmandement, none other weapōs but such as pesants vse, but kept themselues for the most part pel-mell within townes and Boroughes with the pesantes, beeing little difference at all betweene them, which gaue great assurance and facilitie to these vile pesantes to conspire agaynst those, who were not noble but in name onely.

My friends, I beseech you then, follow mine aduise, humble your selues before the Lords & Seigniours of your Countrey, praying them to haue pitie and compassion vpon you, and that they would now assist and aide you: beare no armes without their consent, or at the least without leaue and consent of some of them, and of some of those of the honester sort, and aboue all things, my louing friends (whatsoeuer men may say vnto you,) keepe alwayes the faith and loyaltie, that you owe vnto your king: oppose your selues to all theeues and robbers which march contrarie to his commaundement, who obserue not the lawes of his Maieste, and care not a rush for the decrees of his Nobilitie: forso our preachers preach vnto them, and commaund them to do at this present day: but for Gods sake consider, in stirring vppe (as they doe) the Nobles to rebell agaynst their King, and the Commons agaynst the Nobilitie, they doe nothing but ouerthrowe all good lawes, and confound all good policie. In verie [Page] deed it were lawfull for Gentlemen to take armes agaynst their king, and for the commons to conspire agaynst the Nobilitie, if you can shewe them where God commanded it: for we must obey him aboue all. But if he forbid vs to to doe it, either we are verie Atheists, or else we must beleeue that he cannot teach vs to walke in his wayes and statutes: yea marie, but here some of our rebelles will replie and aske: who can teach vs better the will of God, then our mother the holy Church his spouse? We are not the children of God, if we be not the children of the Church, and the Church will not acknowledge vs to be hers, if we obey not her commaundements: as for vs, we beleeue that we walke in Gods lawes, when we follow the Church, the which teacheth vs to doe those things which we doe. Alas! poore friend, the eyesight of thine vnderstanding, blinded with the craft of thy verie enemies deceyueth thee. Thou takest the shadowe for the bodie: that which thou callest the Church, is not the true Church, the spouse of our Sauiour Iesus Christ: it is but a part of his officers, which are but men full of frailnesse, and subiect to corruption and many infirmities, who haue beene suborned by others and led cleane out of the right way of the Church: are but corrupt and naughtie men, who being once made ministers of God, are now become the ministers of the deuill: and the reason why, because they treade the lawes of God and of the Church vnder their feete, and make lawes and decrees at their owne pleasure, following their inordinate and vnbrideled lusts and passions, and nothing els. There is great difference [Page] betwixt the sweet mildnes of the Church, & the outragious vehemencie and heate of this rabble of wicked Doctors, whom thou doest take heere for the bodie of the whole Church. They saie, that the King hauing imprisoned the Primate of Lions, and caused the Cardinal of Guise to be slaine, is no more the child of the Church, but that he is banished and excommunicate out of the Church, that hee hath touched two that are Gods annointed, and laide his hands vpon two chiefe rulers of the Church, against his faith and promise made, and that hauing fayled & broken promise, his people are not bound to obey him anie more, & that all that assist him are also cast out of the Church, and out of the vnion of Catholikes. Vnto whom I answere, that they are themselues out of the Church, for that they do not agreeable to the commandements of Iesus Christ, of his Apostles, and other his Saintes, which haue written and preached his word, who haue bin the true Ministers of his Church. The Church is our true mother and not a stepmother, as they would perswade vs, she is full of pittie, and mercifull to her children, desiring and seeking their saluation, euen then most of all, when they haue done amisse, she shewes them gently their fault, she calleth them to repentance, and waiteth on them, she vseth no kind of rigorous correction towards them, she keepeth her doore alwaies open for them to enter in that sekener: on the contrarie side, these her officers, at the least, these of the league and conspiracie of rebelles doe shut her doore to all that would enter in, if they bee not partakers of their faction. They refused at the last Parliament [Page] holden by the three general estates at Bloys, to receiue into the Church the Countie of Soyssons, one of their lawefull Princes, who came vnto them, the teares dropping downe from his cheekes, confessing that he had done amisse, crauing pardon of God and of the Church, for that hee had a lyttle while assisted the Hugonites, repenting himselfe thereof from the bottome of his heart. The Church forbiddeth vengeance, and reserueth it to God: and yet they full of rage and furie, will reuenge (if they can) the death of two men, who haue peraduenture very wel deseruedit. The Church for no crime whatsoeuer, condemneth anie person to die, and yet these men replenished with rigour and crueltie, would indite the Countie of Soyssons and other Catholikes, who aske euery day pardon of God and his Church, for hauing taken armes, to their great griefe, against their Catholike brethren. They crie Crucifige, crucifige, after this young Prince, because he hath (saie they) drawen his sword vppon Catholikes, and these seditious fellowes, whome they allowe of and maintaine in their Sermons, ransome, besiege, kil and massacre good Catholikes (be they neuer so good liuers) if they refuse to beare atmes against their soueraign Prince. And albeit they cannot proue that such fellonie and riot is commanded any where by God or his Church, yet they holde it an hainous crime to speake well of the King, or to praie to God for his maiestie. The Church commaundeth vs to praie to God for our enemies, and these Leaguers will not praie so much as for their King, so full of impietie are they: although that it be expresly commanded [Page] of Gods owne mouth, and accustomed from the beginning in the Church. The seruantes of God, sayth Saint Paul, writing to the Corinthians, must bee humble to euerie one, fitte to teach, suffering and abiding patientlie the wicked, gentlie instructing those that are out of the waie: and our Church men are cleane contrarie, arrogant, rigorous, impatient, seditious, and rebellious to their King. The Church (as Saint Augustine sayth) doeth excommunicate no person before hee bee called to the confession and satisfaction of his fault, and before shee haue hearde, what hee can saie for him selfe: and yet our godlie Preachers curse their King (although they cannot doo it) for the death of the Cardinall of Guise, hauing not yet hearde what reasons hee can alleadge to iustifie himselfe, the which are peraduenture more tollerable, then they thinke they are. They saie, hee hath put to death a chiefe Prelate of the Church, ouer whome neither he nor anie of his had anie power or iurisdiction. I aunswere for his maiestie, that he hath power and iurisdiction ouer the life and goods of all his subiectes, of what qualitie so euer they bee, and if hee hath caused his life, of whome they speake, to bee taken from him, hee did it not as vnto a chiefe ruler and Prelate of the Church, but as vnto a wicked and vngodlie subiect, an enemy to the common wealth, a disturber of publike peace and tranquilitie, who had oftentimes attempted agaynst the lyfe and estate of his Soueraigne Prince. But if they replie that the Cardinall was not vnder the correction of the King, [Page] I praie you let vs see what Salomon the sage saith in his booke of Wisedome. The marke of a King and soueraigne Prince, saith hee, is the power to make lawes for all men in generall, and for all men in particular also, and this power he receiueth of none other but of God, who is the iudge of Kings, and who maketh informations against them, when they doe anie thing amisse, with all rigour. The Prophet Dauid (whom I should haue alleaged first) who did not speake, but by inspiration of the holy Ghost, said, that the King and soueraigne Prince hath such authoritie and power ouer his subiectes, that hee may dispose their liues and goods at his pleasure, and no man to gainsaie him in aniething. And Isidore in one of his passages vseth these wordes, The kingdome of God (saith he) draweth nigh, by reason of this terrestriall kingdome, to the end that those which are of the bodie of the Church, if they offend, may bee punished by the rigor of Princes, and that the discipline, to the which the Church cannot binde them, be neuerthelesse kept by the power & authoritie of Kings and Princes. This sheweth that the Cardinall of Guise might be iudged by his King, and being, as he was, guiltie of treason, it is not a thing nowe to bee called in question or doubt anie more. And yet this is the point, wherupon our mutinous Cleargie-men doe ground the reason and equitie of their rebellion, and yet they haue small reason, God wot, for to defend it. And that it is most true, to proue by all manner of waies that they are guiltie of fellonie, I will graunt them (against my conscience and the truth) that the King hath vniustly caused the Cardinall of [Page] Guise to be slain, but is it for them then to take vengeance, and to prohibit his subiects to shew to him that obedience, that they owe to the [...]r Prince? Let them reade what Saint Iohn Chrisostome saith in his booke of the dignitie of Priests: The Ministerie of the Church (saith hee) is a charge committed of God to teach louingly without any taking of armes, and not a power to giue or take away kingdomes, and to make lawes for ciuil policie. And Iesus Christ in his Gospel by Saint Mathew, said to his Apostles: The Kings of the earth raigne ouer nations, but it shall not be so with you. And in another place: Yee shalbe carried before the Princes of this world, and before their gouernours, &c.

If then the Apostles and other Saintes chosen of God, haue bin subiect to the power and authorities of soueraine Princes, as Saint Ambrose affirmeth: what are our Cleargie men more at this present daie then they were, who would, if they could, dispossesse their King? Who attempt publikely against his authoritie and honour? Are they priuiledged of God more then others are? Or hath Sathan more power ouer them, then he hath ouer others? For a truth I beleeue, they are not assisted with the holy spirite of God, for I cannot thinke that Gods spirit doth inspire them to speake so vnworthilie of him, whome his maiestie hath commanded them to obey. They call the King tyrant: and none ought to be accounted such a one, except hee violate the lawes of God, and the lawes of nature, as they do, or else vsurpe the soueraigntie ouer his fellowes and superiours, without expresse cōmandement from God, as the Duke [Page] of Maine doth. They say, the king is the protector of heretikes, and yet cannot proue that euer he refused to warre vpon thē, or that he did ayde them in anie of their affaires: but they knowe very well, and they cannot denie, but that he hath oftentimes hazarded his owne life, which is deare vnto him, against them. And that moreouer he hath day by day made edicts and proclamations against them, and greatly to their preiudice, if they were well put in execution, and if as great care were had to make them take effect, as they haue to rebell against his Maiestie. They say moreouer, that the king serueth his owne turne, and hath intelligence with heretikes, & that he seeketh nothing more then to establish their sect in his kingdome: yet can they not shew, tha this maiestie hath euer made any of them captaine of any of his forts, or that he hath any of that side, which is a seruant of his housholde, or an officer of his crowne: nay but say they, he serueth his own turne with their forces, which ill beseemeth a prince most Christian, such a one as hee is: and they can wish, so full of loyaltie are they, that he should cōmit himself to the gard & protection of his euill minded subiects, who seeke nothing else but his ruine: to be short, they alledge all things that they thinke might perswade you, that the king mindeth nothing els, but to plant heresie in all the territories vnder his obedience. But to shewe that, what they can say, are but lies and impostures, let them proue the intention of his maiestie, if they cannot content themselues with the profes, that he hath alreadie made of the feruent zeale that he beareth to the Catholike religion, by sending to him [Page] some that shall protest for them, that they shall reconcile themselues towards him, and that they shall obey him, as good and loyall subiects ought to doe, so that it would please his Maiestie to pardon them, and to permit them to warre vpon the heretikes: and I assure them if they doe so, the king shall receiue them into his fauour with al his heart, and shal augment their forces, as farre as his authoritie shalbe able to further so laudable a purpose: and if he do not, then shall they haue occasion to blame him worthily. But if they refuse this meanes of reconciliation, then may all Catholikes that are neare his royal person, and all those besides that are his seruants, thinke with themselues verie well, if they perseuer in their presumptious rebellion, no good Catholikes would be offēded, though he serued his turn with the heretikes of this realme, but cōtrariwise they would wish him to call the Turke to his aide, if he thought he might haue any help at his hand. See then all the benefit that their reuolt should procure, shal serue but to put the heretiks in assurance of their affaires, & to make them liue in tranquillity by reason of the great diuision, that shalbe brought in amongst the Catholikes. They preach vnto vs, as I haue told you, that we are quite discharged frō the obedience that we owe vnto our king: for that, say they, he is wicked, you must vnderstand that, if their false accusations & impostures be true) as though we were but boūd vnto him, cōditionally, & that our obligatiōs were limited according to his good & wicked life: moreouer they stop and take vp, & cause to be taken vp the taxes & tributes due to their king, & yet we read in S. Mat. 22 [Page] that on a time the Pharisies and Herodians seeking to entrappe our Sauiour Iesus Christ, went to find him out and vsed these speaches vnto him, Maister, tell vs, is it lawfull to pay tribute vnto Cesar or not? Shew me (sayeth he) the tribute money, and they gaue him a peny. Then he asked them, whose image and superscription is this? And they answered him, Caesars: then, quoth he, giue vnto Caesar those things which are Caesars, & vnto God those things which are Gods. See then, who tels them, that they do not well to saise vpon the tribute of the King. What are they able to answere him? It is Iesus Christ himselfe that speaketh those wordes, and yet he of whom hee spoke, beleeued not in him. Was there euer anietyrant more detestable then Nabuchodonozer, who hauing forced the Citie of Ierusalem, spoiled, wasted, and razed the houses and wals thereof, burned the temple, defiled the sanctuarie of God, and more than all this, caused an image of golde made after his owne likenes to be erected & worshipped vpon paine of being burned aliue, to those that would refuse the same: yet God called him his seruant, & promised to make him a greate Prince and gouernour. And the Prophet commanded the people to praie for this monster of nature, and for his children, that they might raigne after him, as long as the worlde should stand.

Let vs proceede and see more particularly what the Apostles and other Saintes doe teach vs, concerning the obedience that we owe vnto our Kings and Princes, that she may certainly knowe, if it be lawfull according to Gods lawes, to warre against our King [Page] or not, or if you ought not (notwithstanding your mutinous preachers) to keepe inuiolablie the fidelitie, that is due vnto him: for this is the chiefest point, that you ought to know perfitly, before you take armes, to make choice of the best and surest side, for that in arming your selues it most necessarie to choose out some side to ioyne vnto, if you couet to hinder these great maisters amongest you, from quartering out the estate, which they would easily doe, if they had no souereigne heade to answere and make account vnto.

Saint Peter the chiefest heade of the Church, after whose example all true ecclesiasticall persons ought to rule themselues, did not teach vs, that wee ought to measure the faith & respect, that we owe vnto our king, by the equiualence and measure of his loyaltie: for when he sawe Nero the verie enemie of God commit a thousand execrable cruelties, yet did he cō mand Christians to praie for him, and in his first Epistle, his second Chapter, hee sayeth: Submit your selues vnto all maner of ordinance of man for Gods sake, whether it bee vnto the King, as vnto the superiour, or vnto gouernours, as vnto them that aresent of him: and in the same Chapter sayeth he: feare God, honour the King, and your Superiours. That which Saint Paul dooth commaunde vs also, vsing these tearmes: obey your Kinges, although they bee wicked. And writing vnto Titus, in his third Chapter, hee sayth thus: Pet them in remembrance, that they bee subiect to principalities and superior powers, and that they be obedient to their gouernours. And to the Romanes the 13. Chap. he saith: let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers, for their is no power but of god: and the powers which are, are ordeined of God: wherfore [Page] he that resisteth the higher power, resisteth the ordinance of God, & they which resist bring vpon themselues damnation: for the prince is the minister of God for thy good: but if thou dost euil feare, for he beareth not the sword in vaine, for he is the minister of God to take vēgeance on him that doth euil: wherfore ye must be subiect, not because of wrath onely, but because of conscience also: for, for this cause ye pay tribute also, because they are Gods ministers seruing for the same purpose. Giue to all men therefore their due: tribute to whom tribute, feare to whom feare, custome to whom custome, & honor to whō honor belongeth. These are the words of S. Paul, vnto whom the preacher agreeth: Eccl. cap. 20. saying, we must not speake ill of our king, nor offend him in any thing. Tertullian in the 30. & 37. of his booke called the Apologie, sheweth vs clearely, that true christians ought neuer to think, for any occasion whatsoeuer, to reuolt & rebell against their kings and souereigne princes. He saith that the Christians that liued in his time, did alwais so faithfully obey their Emperors, and pray vnto God for them, although they were the professed enemies of Iesus christ, & that they would not rebell against their maiesties, although oftē times it lay in their power to do, far surpassing therein the pagans & other nations, that were in subiection vnder the said Emperours: forasmuch as (saith this holy man) that they did not find this to be lawful by the permissiō of God. We pray vnto god, saith he, for the safe gard & prosperitie of our souereigne princes: for we know that the imperial maiesty is ordeined of God, and that it ought to be loued, honoured & reuerenced: for this cause also do we reuerence the Christian prince, whose maiesty is next after Gods, from whose hand he [Page] hath his authority. These words of this holy personage are inough to teach vs, (as I thinke) my deare friends, that the euil life of the prince doth no whit discharge the people of their fidelity: S. Amb. also did not blame the christiās that did yeeld their due obediēce to Iulian the Apostata: he bad thē not (although they liued vnder the most disloiall prince of the whole world) that they should rebel against him: but did pray thē only to do no thing against the honor of God, & rather to depart the territories of his empire, then to suffer their cōsciences to be forced. What will our doctors say to this? what wil they answer to these words of these holy mē? They do not say (as you may perceiue) that it is lawful for the subiect to attempt against the life & authoritie of his prince, if he be an euill l [...]uer: but they all command to the cōtrarie, that we obey our souereigne princes what soeuer they be, & that we pray vnto God for thē, without any prescribing to our selues the limits of the honor that is due to them, and to make it conditionall.

People of France, these words of God & of his seruants, ought to resolue you, to keepe firme footing in the loue, feare and fidelity that ye owe vnto your king, and moreouer you may see thereby, that our Clergiemen & other rebels that are leagued together, are out of the Church rather, then those that they condemne, whilest they go cleane against al that god & his church do command: and the preachers who doe dissuade the people frō the obedience, that they owe to their king, do as Ananias the false prophet did, who for prophecying against the obedience that God commanded the people of Israel to shew to Nabuchodonoser, died one yere after by the iust iudgemēt of God. Ye wold say to heare these mē preach, that their preisthod doth licēce [Page] to iniury those that are right honourable, and that it exempteth them from punishment for any fault that they shal commit: and besides that, it setteth them free from all homage and fealtie that they owe to their soueraigne Princes, whereas their dutie commandeth them the cleane contrarie.

But I would faine knowe of these good prelates of the Church, who causeth them to intermedle so farre with matters of state, sith that is no part of their vocation. Had they rather abandon the Church altogether, out of the which they are departed, then to forsake the affaires of this world? If they finde the King to be an euill liuer in their owne false iudgement, why should they refourme him, seeing it is no poynt of their dutie? What matter haue they wherewith to charge his conscience, seeing they cannot prooue that hee euer attempted any thing against the honour of God? Can any amongst them say truely', that his Maiestie hath punished or caused to bee punished any man for his honest behauiour, or for his good deedes? Is there anie Catholike to bee founde, that can say, and lie not, that his Maiestie hath wished him to become an heretike, or to doe any other villanie? Those that giue almes to the poore, that euerie day doe their deuotion at the Church, that spend the one halfe of the yeare in fasting and praier, & to be short, that seeke by al means to winne heauen, can they iustly complaine, that his Maiestie hath reprehended them at any time therefore, or that hee hath forbidden them to perseuer in their lawdable exercises of Christianitie▪ [...]pon what doe they ground themselues then to say, that the king is wicked, and a naughtie liuer: it is not vpon his cruelties, that hee hath done: for I doe not thinke, [Page] that there euer was anie Prince in this state, lesse giuen to seeke vengeance, and that tooke lesse delight to shed and spill bloud than he. I know diuerse vnto whom he doth good daily, and yet hee knoweth certainely, that they haue erst conspired against his authority, and resisted his magistrates. And when they shall alleage the death of the Cardinall and Duke of Guise, I will but desire all them that haue anie reason to consider aduisedly, how intollerable a thing it is for a great seignior and maister, of the qualitie of our King to bee misused, snapt vp, & controlled by his owne subiectes & by his owne housholde seruantes, and I assure my selfe, that those that would laie all partiall affections aside, to pause & consider of this matter aright, should see that the King coulde not, beeing a man and subiect to humane passions, wish any good vnto these two Princes, that had sought so neere his life and honour. To saie then, that he should not haue sworne vnto them so solemnly to pardon them, and yet to keepe hidden that mortall hatred in his heart, I thinke well, and woulde not excuse him, if I thought they had not extreamlie prouoked him since the promise, that it pleased his maiestie to make them, and since the assurance that he had giuen them: but forasmuch as I know the aduertismentes that the King had hourely of their sinister meaning, I cannot blame him, that hee hath sought by punishing them, to saue his owne life, his lineage, and his estate. In deede, say the rebels, the King did wel to preuent them, if hee were sure that they were but his owne seruants, but hee shoulde not haue proceeded against them, so as he did: but should haue let them bin tried by waie of iustice, and so to haue proceeded against them: as though it had bin in the Kings power [Page] to make two men prisoners, & to proceede against thē by the way of publike iustice, that a little before had chased him out of his principal citie, & being accompanied with an infinit number of theeues, came boldly before his Maiestie and all his magistrates and no man durst once lay holde on their collers. Further, as though it were not lawfull by the lawes of God to punish in the field, & without anie long ceremonie of inditement, to put to death those that are conuinced of treason towards their chiefe gouernors, as these were, of whom the inditement was ready drawen, whē their crime was proued, & they sound guiltie: & the proofe was & is so sufficient, that al French men, except those that be blind and of their conspiracie, may cleerly perceiue their naughtie driftes. To bee short, sith they had deserued death, it cannot greatly skill, how they haue suffered it, and there is no sufficient matter in that for vs to rise vp in armes against our King: but I feare me, it will fall out to the Duke of Maine, & to those that prouoke & prick him forward to reuenge the death of his brethren (if he can) as it did vnto Absalon, & to Achitophel his wicked counseller, who for cōspiring against their King, & seeking to bereaue him of his authoritie, had both most lamentable and tragicall ends.

I beseech you, let vs now speake of another matter: ye are preached vnto daily and pricked forwards to arme your selues against your King, yea to resolue to set vppon him, and to encounter against him, I aske you but this one question, if any one amongst you were so miserable as to haue takē his life frō him, were it either in battel or otherwise, what recompence, do ye thinke, he should haue at the hāds of the Duke of Maine, & other his confederates, the professed enemies of his maiesty: [Page] can you but thinke, that hee woulde like well of such a peece of seruice? No, no, maisters, perswade not your selues so: thinke that the reward he should haue for his labour, should be a seuere and rigorous punishment. Know then, that the first thing that an vsurper pretendeth, after that he hath established himselfe, is to ridde himselfe of such, who infringing their loialtie and faith to their natural Prince, haue aided to kill and murther him. And these are the reasōs that moue him, or ought at the least to moue him to do this, if he haue neuer so litle iudgement at all. First, to shew that he hath such trechery in horror, to purchase by this meanes among the best reputation & fame to be of a generous & lofty mind: secondly, to put the rest of his subiects in feare, and to make them take heed by this example not to attempt the like against his own person: thirdly, because he cannot liue in securitie of such persons, but alwaies standeth in great doubt of thē, fearing least they withdraw themselues from his seruice, with as much facilitie, as they had before sequestred the fidelitie and seruice due vnto their Prince. And this is the cause, why al rebels haue to looke to themselues, and chiefly those that are thrust forwardes to attempt against the life of their soueraigne Prince: for few of them, or none at all may be found, that at anie time haue committed any such wicked and villanous acts, that haue not bene punished with cruell deaths, & by the means of them, that had set them on to execute their wicked enterprises.

Saul being slaine in warre, and his head brought vnto Dauid, who was wrongfully persecuted by him, caused him to bee put to death that brought the same, saying that hee ought not to wash his vncleane [Page] hands in the bloud of him that God had annoynted. Theophilus caused all them to bee called before him, that had murthered Leo Emperour of Constantinople, to establish his Father in the Empire, beeing all come, and hoping to haue some good reward for their paines, hee caused them all to bee faire knockt in the head. Theodosius put to death those that murthered Gratianus & Valentinianus, vnto whō he did succeed in the Empire. Seuerus serued with the same sauce those that slew Pertinax. Vitellius, surnamed the cruel, put to death those villaines, that had cruelly murthered the olde Emperour Galba. Domitianus caused Epaphroditus to be strangled, for that hee helped Nero to kill himselfe. And Alexander the great caused him to be cruelly tortured, that had slaine Darius his mortall enemie. To conclude, the examples in all histories both ecclesiasticall and prophane are rife of the tortures and punishments, that haue bin inflicted to those subiects & vassals that haue cōspired to kill and murther their soueraigne Princes. Then my friends, flie the counsaile of such as perswade you to commit any such act of impiety against the persons of your lawful Princes and gouernours, whome God hath appointed to command and rule ouer you.

Orders conceiued and set downe for taking armes for his Maiestie.

HAuing shewed you alreadie by the lawes of God, and by all humane reason, how dangerous a thing it is, both for the soule and bodie, to rebell against the Prince and his authority. Now I would faine shew you the meanes, how ye may not onely defeat all the crew [Page] of these theeues and ransommers, which gnawe you to the hard bone, but also reduce your King into his former authoritie, & by this meanes shall ye moue his maiestie to graunt you that which ye so much desire for your owne good and contentment. See then heere, good people of France, the order that ye must obserue in taking of armes, to the end ye incurre no suspition of conspiracie against your King, and that his authoritie may remaine alwaies in the hands of the Nobles, without whom the pesants can doo nothing, to whom also they are commanded by the lawes of God to giue honour and obedience, as vnto their superiors, that is meant, only to those that are good members, the true seruants of God and of their Prince, & louers of common peace and tranquilitie: for as for others, it is very well done to inuade & set vpon them, & as they themselues haue denied their fidelitie to their soueraigne Prince, so to deny them the honor & respect, that they pretend to be due vnto thē, frō the which the common people are discharged by the last declaratiō of the king.

First, there must be in euerie Bishopricke, Bailiwick or Vicountie, one General or chiefe man chosen, who must be a Gentleman of mark, a good member, a good Catholike, and deuoide of anie suspition of fauouring anie part, but God and his Princes. This Generall and chiefe man must take a note of all the Parishes, Boroughes and villages that depende of his quarter or hundred, must leauie in euerie Parish the number of souldiers, according to the greatnesse and riches of the parish, must not leauie aboue 30. men in the greatest parish, must take a note of all their names that are leauied, and diuide them into squadrons, and his squadrons must he diuide againe into companies, [Page] & his companies must he reduce into one regiment or two, according to the bignesse of the Bishopricke, bailiwicke or Vicountie. This Generall and chiefe-man must name out the Captaines, their Lieutenants, and Ancients. He must choose thē such as be Gentlemen, or such at the least, that retain the name of Gentlemē: and he must looke diligently that he take none to haue charge vnder him, that is either of the Hugonites side, or taketh part with the Catholik rebels. And to auoid all troubles and diuisions that such men may stirre vp amongst you, he must giue commandement, that in al the boroughs and thorowfaires, where many houses are neere together, that euery man bee furnished with armes, that is able to beare them, & that rather the Parishes, villages, and hamblets next adioining shal contribute some thing vnto them, to helpe them to that which is needfull for thē. All these thorowfaires must be trenched in, & so fortified with barricados & places of defēce, that they may stop for a time the troupes of the enemy that would passe, till their next villages that are friends and confederate with them, may be assembled, to helpe them to repulse the said troupes. He must forbid to make any alarū by sound of any bel, but commād thē to haue drums in euery parish & village, to be kept in the house of the elder Sergeāt or Corporal of that squadron: hee must also forbid, that no man leaue his house, or forsake his affaires for any allarum that shall be giuen, if he haue not expresse commandement from the chiefe Commander, or from one of his Captains, that is meant, if he be not enrolled & prickt for a souldier, and this must be done, that the labour & busines of the common people be not ceased, & interrupted. And to auoide all disorder and confusion in [Page] marching like trained souldiers, and not as armed pesants, they must forbid vpon great penalties, those that are not enrolled, that they carrie not about them, or keepe in their houses anie armes whatsoeuer, except chasing staues, halbardes, pike staues and forkes to keepe their houses withall, but as for swordes, daggers, and harquebuzes which are portab [...]le, going to markets, or publike meetings, no mā shall haue any priuiledge to carry, except he be enrolled and prickt for a souldier: hereby to auoid cōbats, murthers, & vprores, which otherwise might fall out among the common people. Besides al this, he must appoint alwaies one or two cōpanies of foot mē in euery Bishoprick, bailiwick or Vicountie, who must be alwaies ranging abroad in the coūtry, ready at an houres warning to fight, if need so require. This being done, there is no Prouince in al this realme, wherin there may not be found thirtie or forty Ancients of footmen ready to fight & encounter with the enemie, besides those that shall bee armed for the gard of their owne houses: & this shall not so much charge the people, but for their finding, & some mony to haue pouder & shot, a matter of nothing: prouided, that they do not enrol more men in euerie Parish, then it shall bee able to finde and entertaine without anie complaint or grudging. And this is the waie for the pesants to keepe themselues in homage and amity towardes the Nobles. For if the pesantes take armes, as they haue done alreadie in many places disorderly, no man doubteth but wee shall see them and the Nobles quicklie together by the eares, and so they will straight vtterly ruine one another. In euerie Bailywicke they must choose none other Generall and chiefe, then the Bailiefe himselfe, so that hee bee [Page] a Gentleman, making profession of armes, and that it be knowen (as I said euen now) that he make accoūt of nothing more, then the seruice of God and of his Prince, & the tranquillitie of his Countrie. But if the Bailiefe be suspected for an heretike, a rebell or fellon against his King; or be vnwilling to take his charge in hand, then must they choose some Gentleman of the same bailiwick, if any be there capable of such a charge. But if there be found anie Gentleman that being more ambitious then wel affectioned to the benefite of the communaltie, will not suffer their tenants and vassals to follow this order prescribed, yet their sayd vassalles shall not let to ioyne themselues with other, that take armes, and so ioyntly, and by the authoritie of their Generals, shall declare such Gentlemen vnworthie of their qualitie, and enemies to the common wealth, according to the declaration of the King in that behalfe proclaimed. This is the order that yee must obserue in taking armes, that yee may not be odious and iniurious to your King, and that heereby yee may auoid al diuision & trouble which might arise amongst you in doing otherwise. I beseech you then that you would begin to put this in practise, as soone as ye possiblie can, assuring your selues, that when ye shall put this in execution, either by force or faire meanes yee shall make these Lordes and Gentlemen of the Townes that now do misuse you, and eate you vp almost, bee glad to ioyne with you. Courage then my Lordes of the Nobilitie, begin you, and your Tenants will all follow. What? doo ye thinke that your Tenants shal be ruined, & ye shal feele no smart? Know ye not that your interests & theirs go both together, and that their good is your benefit also? Why then do ye [Page] delay the time to succour & aide them? Do ye stand in feare, the Duke of Maine, who calleth himself a friend of the commons, will hinder you from the establishing of this order? Perswade your selues my friends, that if it lay in his power to doe, I would haue left this vnspoken, and I would haue taken better heede to keepe this matter secrete: but I see well inough that he cannot doe it, (and that for two or three reasons, that I will set you downe) and that it consisteth but in viewing & knowing your own forces to become peaceable, and so to set your king in his former authoritie again, maugre all the resistance that may bee made herein. For the power and forces of the rebels are not such, as they are presupposed to be: they haue in deede some townes at their commaundement: but their is not one of the towns that is for them, but is inuironed at the lest with a dozen great boroughs, the which in one fiue dayes you may make capable for the cannon: and this cannon must not be brought from place to place in post-haste, but with such reasonable charges and expenses, that they may be well able to furnish. Besides they haue so few souldiours, that ye are twentie to one: and yet the souldiours that they haue are no better men of warre, nor of more experience then you. To be short, ye haue many aduantages ouer them, that I will conceale, till such time as I see your armes in hande. Resolue then your selues to assaile them, or otherwise you will quickly curse the hower that ye did not credit me. Are yee not ashamed to see these leaguers to compell and force you as they list, who are farre your inferiours: I may well call them your inferiours, because the greatest Lords, & the third part of Gentlemen of marke in this Realme are enemies of this rebellion, and yet you see a [Page] a number of little pettie Captaines that pill, spoile, rob, beate and ransome the Priests and the poore people, and yet ye will not resist them: but let them take such heart at grasse, and such aduantage ouer you, that they presume to besiege, and to warre vpon Catholikes of great honour, that resist their insupportable insolencie and outragious dealing.

My Lordes, to conclude, I beseech you all make no delay to take your armes in hand, to make these troublers of our state to lay downe theirs, and do not doubt but shortly ye shall see, that those few men of qualitie, that they haue amongst thē now wil forsake them, and ioyne with you, confessing that they haue done amisse, and acknowledging themselues bounden by their loialtie and particular interest, to take your parts: I beseech God giue them the grace, so to doe, that altogether we may follow that way without any diuision, which is most honourable, and most profitable for restoring of the peaceable estate and gouernement of our Christian common wealth.

FINIS.

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A DECLARATION PVBLISHED for the reconciling of the Cleargie and Nobilitie of Normandie vnto the obedience of his Maiestie, by the Duke of Mont-pencier Pecre of France, Gouernor and Lieuetenant generall for the King in the Duchie of Normandie.

FRRANCIS OF BOVRBON, Duke of Mont-pencier, of Saint-Fargeau, and of Chastelraud, Daulphin of Auuergne, Peere of Frāce, Soueraigne of Dombes, Prince of Roch-sur-yon, Marques of Meziers, Countie of Castres, of Morrain, and of Barfur Seine, Vicount of Auge & of Brosse, Baron of Beauiolois, Thiert, and of Mirebeau, &c. Gouernour and Lieutenant generall for the King, in his Duchie of Normandie, to whom these present letters shall come, sendeth greeting. Perceiuing since our arriuall in these parts the subiects of my Lord the King, fallen into an open rebellion, and the greatest part of them to take armes against his Maiesties seruice: hauing also intelligence, that since some meetings and skirmishes, wherin a great number of the inhabitants of the Cities, and villages of this prouince, haue bene defeated and ouerthrowen, they haue signified vnto vs by their humble supplications, that they desire to be receiued and reconciled into the obedience and seruice of his Maiestie: the which we tendering, desiring to preserue many of his Maiesties natural subiects, that by allerements & wicked perswasions haue intāgled & ioyned thēselues with many other naughtie & il disposed people, in the said rebellions & conspiracies. We haue made, according to the good pleasure of our Souereigne Lorde the king, a certain Declaration touching the revnion & recōciling of the inbitants of the said cities, & villages, [Page] and caused the same to bee read and published in this Citie of Caen. And forasmuch as diuerse of the Cleargie-men, and of the Nobilitie haue put in their finger, and bene fauourers, and adherents in these rebellious enterprises, so that we should haue great cause to prosecute th [...]m, and proceede agaynst them, as against rebelles and perturbers of the peaceable gouernement of our common wealth: yet considering somewhat nearer, that such way of proceeding might bring some preiud [...]ce vnto this estate, being all naturall subiects of his Maiestie: wee haue better aduised, that both the Cleargy men and Nobilitie might haue safe meanes to bring themselues backe vnto their naturall duetie and alleageance, and that we with all lenitie might further and helpe them therein, as much as possible might be: WE DOE TO VVIT: that by the assurance that wee haue of the mercie and clemencie of his Maiestie towards his said subiects: and after that we had fully taken deliberation of this matter, by the aduise of his coū sell assisting vs herein, We haue declared, and doe by these presents signed for the same cause with our own hand, declare, That we haue freely taken and receiued, and doe take and receiue into the safegard of my Lord the king, and into our owne protection all ecclesiasticall persons of what qualitie or condition soeuer they be, hauing taken the othe according to the forme prescribed by his Maiestie: or shall take the same within ten dayes after the publishing of this declaration, made before the bailifes or their deputies in euery vicountie. And if anie of the said ecclesiasticall persons shall refuse to take the said othe before or within ten dayes being limitted, the said tearme being once expired, all their goods and temporal reuenues shall be saised vpon [Page] and put in the handes of Commissioners that shall giue account thereof, &c. when, and to whome it shall appertaine: deducting alwayes their ordinarie charges, and so much as shall discharge their benefices and spirituall charges. Prouided further that the Bishops, their Vicegerents, or others that haue authoritie thervnto, shall procure that some person that is capable and not suspect, and such a one that hath taken the othe aforesayde, shall serue and supplie their turnes in their spirituall vocation and calling. And they shall moreouer enioine them to make prayers & supplications for the health of his Maiesty, and for the prosperitie and good successe of all his affaires, as they ought to doe, and are naturally bounde thereunto. And as for those of the Nobilitie, who haue not borne armes for his Maiesties seruice, and taken the saide othe of alleageance, we enioine thē in like maner within ten dayes to take the same othe administred by our owne hands: or el e before the Bailifes or their deputies, euery one in their owne iurisdiction, at their owne choice, and as they shall thinke best. In doing this we haue also receyued and taken them into the safegard of his Maiestie, and into our protection. But as for those of the Nobilitie which are reuolted, and haue taken armes against the seruice of his Maiestie, and be yet prisoners, if they desire to enter into reconciliation, and take the sayde othe, they shall haue their passeport from vs: the which shall be granted them, by the certificat of any Catholike Gentleman, seruant to the King, who shall haue taken the sayde othe. And of these passeports shall bee made and kept a true register: So may the sayd Gentlemen come before vs in all assurance, to take the sayd othe, as we shall administer it vnto them, by our owne [Page] handes, Vnto the which they shall be admitted, in putting in good and sufficient sureties to performe and continue the seruice that they owe vnto his Maiestie, not prohibiting them the vse of their armes, but after the said passeports are once granted vnto them. And if the said Gentlemen shall faile to doe this within the sayd ten dayes, the tearme of the sayd ten dayes being out, their goods shall be seised vpon, and be put into the hands of my Lorde the King, and remaine in the safe keeping of Commissioners, which shall giue an account thereof, and answere for them, &c. when and to whom it shall appertaine. Of which othes so taken, as well by the Cleargie-men, as by the Nobilitie: likewise of the [...]easing of their goods and reuenues, the said bailifs or their deputies in euery Vicountie shall frame processe in writing, and send them vnto vs within three dayes, after the said ten dayes be expired, vpon paine to answere for them in their proper names and priuate persons. And we do straitely charge and command the said bailises, or other deputies in euery Vicountie of this prouince, that they cause these presents to be read, published and registred, and that they keepe, obserue and fulfill euery poynt of the contents hereof, according to their forme and tenure, and that for this cause, they constraine all those whō these presents shal touch, by all lawfull meanes and reasonable order of iustice, that they assist & suffer the same to be executed: nō obstant all contradictions and appeales whatsoeuer, and and without all preiudice of the same: for the which it shal not be lawfull to defer the execution hereof, cō sidering the importance of that which is aboue sayde, is for the benefite and seruice of his Maiestie, & for the preseruation and tranquillitie of his estate. Giuen at [Page] Caen, the fifth of May 1589. Signed: Francis Bourbon. And on the other side: by my Lorde L'Amoureux. And sealed with the great seale of my Lorde in redde waxe.

The Contents of this declaration, made and dated the fifth of May by my Lorde the Duke of Montpencer Gouernour and generall Lieutenant for the King in Normandie, haue bene published by sound of trumpet in the chiefe & most vsual places of this Citie, to make cries and proclamations for our Lord the King: By me Peter Beauuoir Sergeant royall of Caen, accompanied with Iames Richer, ordinarie Trumpetter of the said Citie: and after the sound of the sayd Trumpet, this ninth of May 1589. I haue set to my hand in the presence of Michael Maillard: Iohn le Coq of Caen, and diuerse others for the same purpose there assembled in great number.

Signed BEAVVOIR.

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NEVVES OF THE Ouerthrow of the Gautiers, &c.

SIr it grieueth me not a little, that I haue heard no newes from you of long time, fearing lest in this so miserable a time (the which I must needs confesse is the verie father & affourder of the greatest afflictions & most intollerable calamities that euer were seene in our poore nourse and mother the Countrie of France) you haue met with some ill rencounter, which hath hindered you so long from imparting vnto mee your letters, whereby I might vnderstande howe you had your health and welfare all this while, the which I beseech the good Lord long to preserue vnto you, and once to do me this fauour, that by some good token I may shewe the great affection that I beare to your seruice: for I protest vnto you, that next after the honour and feare that I beare vnto God, the obedience that I owe to my prince, the respect and loyaltie, whereby I am bound to my Lord and maister, there is nothing in the whole world that I desire so much, as the cōtinuance of the mutuall amitie betwene vs two. By the meanes whereof I liue content, and reioyce in my heart as oft as I call it to my remembrance. And although as yet I haue not manifested it vnto you, yet you must thinke, Sir, that it hath not beene for lacke of good will, but by reason of some occurrences, the true guides of all humaine actions, the which haue not permitted mee to execute and performe the singular affection that alwayes I haue borne vnto [Page] you. But sure I had written to you ere this time, had I not since mine arriuall in this Countrie of Normandie found the said Countrie so diuided by the factious and entising perswasions of many wicked ministers and pastours: but why doe I call them pastours? rather rauishing wolues disguised vnder sheepe skins, who being wonne with summes of money and faire promises to the rebell conspiratours, enemies against his Maiestie, haue so long and so much broched their detestable villanie, and infected this poore Countrie, so that there is not one town or fortresse, not so much as a village or borough cleere, but hath drunke & tasted of their poison wherewith they haue filled them so full, that all the subiects of his Maiestie burst out into an open rebellion against him: and vnder the pretext of religion and pietie that they haue at euerie worde in their mouth, and of a fantasticall libertie wherein they make these poore and miserable soules beleeue they are set, they haue made them so drunk & berest of all common reason, that there is no place in all the Countrie, be it neuer so little, where a man may not find some of this cursed crue of rebels in all estates and qualities: for the verie Bishops themselues are the chiefe pillers of this rebel [...]ion in most places: all the Nobilitie and most of the Countrie townes assisting them herein. I except certaine townes which haue contained thēselues within the obedience of his Maiestie, because those of the better sorte haue stood fast. But I cannot see anie one Towne at all, wherein some haue not bin found that haue swarued in some points: & some there are amongst the rest, that haue declared themselues open enemies to his Maiestie, renounced his obedience, and giuen forth such villanous, vnworthie, [Page] and traiterous speeches of him, as nothing more vile may be named or spoken. The onely Towne of Caen may exempt it selfe, to be one of the constantest, and one of the least attainted in this disloialtie: for by the good order that Monsieur de la Veronne, gouernour, and Captaine generall of the said towne hath taken, who by his loialty towards his Prince hath wonne himselfe immortall reputation, beeing assisted with Monsieur de Beuuron, who came thether moued with a seruent zeale and desire, that he had to emploie himselfe in the seruice of his Maiestie, in such affaires and occurrences as should fall out, and besides of many other honest personages, as wel of the Magistracie as of the inhabitāts of the same citie, it hath contained it self within the obedience of his Maiestie, and in this may vaunt to haue preserued the whole Prouince, wheras all other townes, as Roan, Lisieux, Falaize, Seez, Bayeux and Argenten, haue all shaken off the yoke of obedience, & set open their gates to the chiefe captains of the rebels, who haue in euerie place bin receiued & obeyed, except in Caen aforesaide, Allenzon, and in some other townes towards Constantine, so that I assure you, if Caen had reuolted too, all Normandie had done the like. That which his Maiesty foreseeing, aduised to send my Lord the Duke de Mont-pēcier Prince of his bloud, his Gouernour and lieuetenant Generall in this Prouince, and sending him with great expedition from Tours commanded M. de. S. Cire, one of his Counsellers and maister of Requestes of his house, to accompanie and assist my sayd Lord. Who departing from Tours, accompanied with the Lords of Bacqueuille & de l'Archant came to Lucé, where hee had intelligence that Sir Boisdaulphin, la Moth-serrant, and [Page] other rebels which had surprised, and doe holde the Towne of Mans, had purposed to meete with them by the waye. Neuerthelesse although they were farre stronger and better appointed than he, this generous heart of the House of Bourbon, whome no feare could euer daunt, determined to passe, and did in deed passe hard by the nose of his enemies, and came as far as Allenzon, where hee founde the inhabitants of the towne sore amated, for the surprising of the towne of Mans, next neighbour vnto them, and besides beeing inueigled to enter into this supposed vnion (or to speak better) rebellion, reduced them wholie, and confirmed them in their good meaning and obedience towards his Maiestie, declaring vnto them how hee had forgiuen them and all the inhabitants of Normandie, the third parte of taxes due vnto him, hoping a better opportunitie and more happie season woulde come, when hee might gratifie them in some greater matter. There my Lorde imitating the feruent zeale of his predecessours, most Catholike Princes of the royall familie of Bourbon, did keepe his Easter with greate deuotion and solemnitie, and was present at diuine seruice, as were also all those that were of his suite and traine, with greate reuerence and deuotion. Hauing giuen order the twesdaie for the sayde Citie, and to assure the inhabitantes thereof, made prouision of forces for the Castle, and leauyed two companyes of shotte on horsebacke to remaine in garrison in the same Towne to keepe it, and the villages rounde about, to repulse the rebelles that woulde come to forrage and constrayne the inhabitants to paie them taxes and other tributes due vnto his Maiestie. [Page] My Lord hauing committed the charge thereof vnto the Lord of Rentie gouernour of the said place, he departed thence, and for that it was signified vnto him that those of the town of Sees were minded to ioyne with the said rebels, & had not in deed taken the oath, according to the forme prescribed by his Maiestie, as it was sent vnto them by my said Lord, he purposed to passe that waies and sent word before vnto the Bishop and to the inhabitants there, that they should set open the gates for him. Wherevpon after a little consultation had amongst them, they made him answere, that they were readie to receiue him. Which they did, a great part of the Citizens meeting him a good way out of the town: into the which my Lord entred with Monsieur de Bacqueuille, L'Archant & their troupes, and passed through the said towne without anie stay, purposing to march on straight, and to enterprise nothing in this Citie, but to signifie to the Bishop and other the inhabitants here, the cause of his voiage, and how the King meant to deale well and fauourablie with al his subiects, and to acknowledge and make account of them according to the dutie and obedience that they sh [...]uld shew towards him. Then euerie man protested himselfe to bee most loiall and affectionate subiects of his Maiestie, but I thinke some of them spake with their lippes, that which their heart neuer thought, as by and by ye shall vnderstand. Departing from Sees, we met with my Lords de Hallot, and de Creuecoeur, accompanied with a good and honorable troupe of the Nobilitie (who were assembled before, staying for our comming, and had had some skirmishes & meetings with the rebels) vnto whom they did offer with many protestations to serue the King [Page] faithfully as long as breath was in their bodies. Who were straight entertained of the Duke, and the souldiers of both companies ioined together: then were we aboue 300. horsemen, all men of warre, and a most braue and resolute troupe of Nobles. Ye must imagine that there was none that with all his heart did not detest the ingratitude and sinister meaning of therebells towards his Maiesty, and did not condemne them, and menace their ouerthrowe. From thence my Lorde the Duke determined to go to lie at Escouché, which is a borough well fenced, some two leagues from Argenten (whether my Lord did mind to go: but hauing intelligence that those of the said town, through persuasion of Monsieur de Brissac and the Magistrates of the City, had taken the rebels part, hauing no peeces of artillerie, nor anie footmen to force them, went further) The morow which was the wednesday, being the fifth of this moneth, the Duke departed from Eschouché, & drew towards the Citie of Falaize. Out of the which Monsieur de Touschet, Anger-Ville, Normandiere & diuerse other rebels, who had saised on that Citie a little before (by intelligence that they had with the lieuetenant of the said Lord of Brissac Captaine of Falaize) did depart, hauing a good number of horsemen, with many lanciers, & a number of footmen to stop our passage, and they marched on til they came neere a village called Pierrefite, two miles distant frō Falaize, where they being met withal by the Lords of Bacqueuille, de L'Archant, & Creuecoeur, who lead the coursers, they had a braue charge, and stood litle to the fight: for my Lord the Duke leading the maine battell, beginning to appeare, they tooke their heeles and began to flie: yet left behind thē de Touschet, Angerville, & Normandiere, [Page] their chiefest leaders, who were taken prisoners, and brought before the Duke, who redeliuered them into the hands of those that had taken them, till such time as hee shoulde call for them againe, all the rest of their companie being hewen in peeces, or else laide in rout, not one of our side being lost, and but only Monsieur de Chaumont, who was hurt in the head with a cortl [...]s, and his horse slaine with a thrust of a lance. But now, God be thanked, he is recouered againe, and feeleth no more paine. From thence my Lorde came to Falaize, where they made a false shew, as though they would set vpō the gates for him, but they neuer meant it, so that being not able to force them, hee came into this Citie, where I can assure you he was honourablie receiued and with great shoutes of all honest men, criing: God saue the King, and my Lord the Duke of Mont-pencier. All the Towne kept that daie holie-daie, the chiefest of the Citie, with whome was Monsieur de Beunron accōpanying him to his lodging, which was in the house of the Lorde President d'Aubigny, a verie honourable personage, and besides an honest man and a true true subiecte to his Maiestie. Whether came vnto him my Lorde de la Veronne to salute him, and to doe his reuerence vnto him, whome he receiued courteouslie and honourablie, and commended him highly for his good minde and loyaltie that hee had shewed to the seruice of his Maiestie, in garding this Towne within his obedience. There arriued on the morrow the Countie of Thorigny, and a little after him Monsieur de Longaunay with a great troupe of Gentlemen, who were all welcommed and embraced by my L. the Duke de Mont-pencier with greate thankes for theyr good affection towards him, [Page] whereof hee did protest to aduertise his Maiestie, and to requite it in particular, as occasion shoulde serue. Heere my Lorde seeing himselfe to be strong, determined by the aduise of the Lorde de S. Circ, to warre vppon the rebelles, and to make them to leaue that they helde so fast in that Countrie, and for that they had the greatest parte of the Townes and Cities, hee resolued to carrie along some peeces of Artillerie, to force them, if possiblie hee might, although his footmen were not manie. He sent awaie before Monsieur de Hallot, Bacque-ville, and l'Archant, to saise vppon the Citie of Falaize, with the regiment of Monsieur de Tracie, the companies of Monsieur de Saint Denis Maillot, and of the Captaines le Radier, Chauuain, Daulphin, Roque-ville, Glaize, and other voluntarie Captaines, and on the Sundaie the sixteenth of this moneth, my Lorde caused a generall procession to bee made, and caused a Sermon to be preached, with certaine praiers that they made for the safegarde of his Maiestie, and the good successe of his affayres, the which had beene but a little before discontinued. On the mondaie the eighteenth daie, my Lorde appoynted officers ouer his treasure and money, and ouer his victuall and artillerie, and departed himselfe with two Cannons, and one bastarde Culuerine, not hoping so much to force Falaize, for that hee had not sufficient munition and pouder, as to drawe the enemie out into the plaine fielde. The same daie hee arriued at Falaize, and was lodged at Saint Iohns Abbie. The artillerie was planted the same night, but on the morrowe beeing Twesdaie, the eighteenth [Page] of the moneth, finding that the batterie coulde not wel be made in that place, they displaced them againe, & laid them lower right ouer against the house of Monsieur de la Fresnay, Lieuetenant generall in the Bailiwick of Caen. So on the wednesdaie the batterie began, and continued till three a clocke in the after noone. By that time three towers being bat [...]red down, lay open outwardly: Vnto euery one of which towers, they thought good to send a Sergeant & ten souldiers to take a view thereof, to see whether they might lodge there or not, that on the morow they might further those that should come to the assault and breach, which they meant to make betweene the two towers, and to dislodge the enemie from the trenches if he had made anie, and that the rest of the two companies, whereof were the two Sergeants, should keepe themselues in batt [...]ile raie in the rampier, lying ouer against the ditch, to safegard the other souldiers into the towers. These Sergeants with their souldiers went boldly hard to the bottome of the wal of the said two towers, and taking a viewe of them, founde that they were too deepe, to lodge in anie wise within them, and by reason that those within made little resistance, the Captains of the sayd companies were of opinion, that the towne might be forced and taken that waies, whervppon they stouping a litle, entered boldly into the ditch that was deepe and without anie water: and after them followed all the Nobility that was there present without anie aduise or commandement from their Generall, and ranne into the ditch, some armed, some vnarmed, and some with their swordes only in their hands, and walked so boldly harde by the walles, and with such a courage and resolution, that I may assure [Page] you if their had beene but one hole thorow the wall, that a man or woman might haue crept thorow, the said towne had bene straight our owne: but that good God that is carefull to preserue those that be his, would not suffer so great a mischiefe to fall vpon vs: but rather hauing respect to the right & equitie of the cause that we maintaine, left no possibilitie for vs to take the said citie: and caused that the retraite being sounded, al our men retired with verie little losse: for the enemie that had another drift and conspiracie against vs, made no account to repulse our men, but would willingly that they had entered in, that they might haue executed their naughtie fetch, cōtriued by the Countie of Brissac, the Lordes of Pierrecourt, and of Long-champ, the Barons of Vernie, of Eschauffour, of Tubeuf, and other ringleaders of the Rebels, who when they durst not come into the field to encounter with vs, thought by this surprise to haue entrapped vs at Falaize, and for the same purpose had they assembled the flower of all their rebell forces, and hauing taken frō about l'Aigle, Orbec, Seez, Argenten, Vimoutier, and other places neere thereabout, a companie of more then sixe thousand men, Gautiers, as well appointed for muskets and harquebuzes, as may be said, amongest whom they did mixe some seuen or eight hundred common souldiers, such as they could come by: some Nobilitie also of the weaker sort, but a great number of Priests, Canons, Monkes, and other ecclesiasticall persons, hauing conueyed all their forces neere to Argenten, where the tho Lord de Brissac, accompanied with the Barons of Eschauffou, of Tubeuf, the Lordes of Vieupont, Roquenual, of Beaulieu, of Aunay, and other chiefe captaines of the said rebels receiued them, and conducted [Page] them the right way to Falaize, thither came the Baron of Vernier with his forces from about Damfront, thither came also the Lord of Pierrecourt with those that he could make out frō Pontau-de-mer out of the coū try of Auge, and from Honnefleur, thinking now to atchieue their wicked enterprise: But they were deceiued, for the Duke hauing aduertisement the Wednesday night of their pretence, prouided for them, and taking aduise of the Nobles that were with him, remooued the Artilleric from the trenches, and sent away his cannons to Courcy (a castell very well fortified, two leagues from Falaize) and resolued with the said Coluerine to meete the enemie in the plaine field to encounter with him, which he did, after that the Lorde of Emery, one of the Marshals of the field had taken view of them, and by his report, as also of diuerse others, it was knowen for certaine, that they were lodged in three Villages very neare adioyning the one to the other. He appoynted the Lord Countie of Thorigny, of Longaunay, and the Lord of Vicques the elder brother, to lodge with their troupes betwixt the said villages and Argenten, to keepe them in on the one side, and the Lords of Bacqueuille, de l'Archant, and de Beuuron with their companies to enuiron them on the other side, and the Duke himself came full vpon them marching with the whole army, ayded with the Lords of Hallot and his owne brother, and being on the top of a little mountaine, commaunded the Lords of Emery and of Surene, Marshals of the field, to aduaunce the Infanterie which was vpon the left hand with the Coluerine, the which they soone did: For although our footmē were very few, yet those that we had were so hardy, and their leaders who were the [Page] Lords of S. Denis, Maillot, du Radier, de Roqueuille, Chauuain, Daulphin, Glaize, and other voluntary, so hardy and sure men, that they made no delay, but skirmished straite, and their enemies did the like, shooting many musket & harquebuze shot from both sides, but as soone as our Coluerine beganne to play in their faces, the rebels began to be much amazed, and my Lorde Brissac himselfe caused his Cornette to turne brydle, and retyred with some number of horses and horsemen as hardy as himselfe: yet did these rebell troupes after the first Coluerine shot, which had not much hurt them, stande to the fight: but when they heard the Coluerine roare the second time, and sawe the Lorde of Vaumarte, one of their chiefe leaders and fourteene or fifteene others caryed away with the shotte, they beganne to shake: Then my Lorde the Duke commaunded a fresh charge, which was giuen so hot and fierce, that all the sayde rebelles were put to the chace, most of them put to the edge of the swoorde, and some taken prisoners. There might you haue seene a gallant companie of noble Gentlemen affectioned to the seruice of their Prince. But it is vnpossible to speake with what resolution and valour these troupes, and those of the Lordes de Hallot & of Creuecaeur his brother, which followed him hard, did enter perforce among the thickest of these miserable and mutinous rebels, nor with what resolutiō my Lord the duke de Mont-pencier did leade them to the fied, and marching formost in battaile did encourage those that followed him, so that this race and scumme of rebels not able to abide the brunt, were forced to yeelde and fall downe vnder [Page] their most victorious hands, some flying this way and some that way, to escape death, but all in vaine, for the slaughter was so bloodie and so great, that of all those that they found at the first village called Pierrefite, which were about two thousand men, there escaped not one onely man, or verie fewe ifthere did any, but were either slaine or taken prisoners all. The troupes assembled againe, my Lord the Duke set vpō the second village, called Villiers, where hee found another great companie of Rebels, vnder the conduct of the Baron of Tubeuf, who escaped not so well as the former: for whatsoeuer wee met withall there, felt either fire or sword, without any mercy, the Baron of Tubeuf and few others excepted who were takē prisoners. And because the night drewe on a pace those which were lodged in the their villages called Commeaux, who were not aboue a thousande or twelue hundred men, amongst whom were diuers gentlemen, as Monsieur de Beaulieu, and other Clergie-men of Seez, many of them being Curates, (and amongest others there was the Curate of Vimoustier, the most pestiferous mutinous and seditious fellow in all Normandie) held out a while and skirmished a little with the Captaines le Radier and Chauuain, but Monsieur de Beaulieu was by and by taken at the entrance of the fort, and being caried by the sayd Captaine Chauuain, before my Lord the Duke, tolde for certaintie that there were at the lest eight hundred men well armed and wel appointed in the said fort. Wherefore my Lord seeing it was then late, commanded the Lords de Bacqueville, and l'Archant to get into the fort, and to find some meanes to force it, with the Infanterie, and the Coluerin that hee left them, and he went to lie that night at Escouché, [Page] where he arriued about eleuen a clocke at night. As soone as he was gone, these miserable rebels hearing how their companies were ouerthrowne, yelded their liues being saued onely, and were by and by disarmed, and afterwards cōducted to Escouché, where the duke soiourned all the morrow to take a view of the prisoners which were in great number of al qualities of persons. The same day the Lords of Hallot & Bacqueuille, du Breuill, de Bellefontain & de l'Archāt went abroad, to see if they could meete with any ranging rebels, & missed not much to haue taken the Baron of Vernie, who hauing some number of Cuyrasses retired in great speede to Argenten, with the County of Brissac, and the rest of his complices, which are so discouraged, that they dare not appeare in any place, where they heare of our troupes, who doe nothing but go from place to place seeking out rebels to fight with them, to make them acknowledge their fault. [...]he morrow being Saterday, the xxij. of the sayd Moneth, leauing the Lordes of Harcourt, of Saint Mary Venoix, and of Sassy at Escouché, we came to lie at Courcy. Where hauing intelligēce that Monsieur de Pierre court was lodged not farre off with some Lanciers, our troupes mounted straight on horsebacke, and went to find them out, but they mist of them, for they had dislodged, and we had tidings how they made no great tarying: so that in all the plaines ten leagues round about this citie, two rebels are not be found in the field togither, they haue bene hit on the hips so kindly these two sundry times. But the last ouerthrow was farre greater then I haue set downe. For that those which were defeated were the flower of all their forces, were it of men at armes, or of capitall caitifs that persisted in their sinister meaning, [Page] and wicked rebellion against their prince. From Courcy my Lorde the Duke came directly to this Citie to bring backe his Artillerie, and purposeth within few dayes to be in the field againe, and to tary by it, till he h [...]ue by the grace of God reclamed all the baze Normandie to the very gates of Roan into the obedience of his Maiestie. Sir, this is the true discourse of all that is past and done since the arriuall of my Lorde the Duke de Montpencier in this Countrie, which is greatly bound and beholding vnto him: beeing most certaine that if he had not come, this Countrie had bene in poore and miserable estate ere now: but God be thanked, the amendement is now most certain. And euery man may clearly see, that all enterprises of rebels are like the y [...]e of one night, which melteth away in the morning: and so by consequence their malicious practises cānot long endure: for their meaning being so sinister & peruerse as it is, it is impossible that it should stand long time to take effect: and we see daily the experience thereof, and in this we must needes know and confesse the goodnesse and mercy of our God, who maketh vs verily to confesse and acknowledge his greatnesse and power, when it pleaseth him. For this poore country which by the subtiltie and craft of these wicked spirits, the leaguers hath bene so much diuided within it selfe, & the Inhabitants therof so for the most part seduced, and bewitched, that they knew not them selues, and by that meanes had cleane forgotten their true and naturall dutie towards his Maiestie, now that they see by the comming of my Lorde the Duke of Mont-pencier, howe their complices and adherents haue beene handled, they will seeke to reconcile themselues, so that I haue good hope that [Page] shortly the rebelles force shall be verie slender, albeit those of their partie haue sowed so many false bruites, lies, and pure inuentions of their owne heads, and do not sticke to spread them abroade in all the Cities of this Prouince: notwithstanding the greatest parte of them, employing all the friends they haue to reclaime and reconcile themselues into the good fauour and obedience of his Maiestie. So I beseech God, Sir, to graunt you your heartes desire. From Caen this 23. Aprill. 1589.

Information about this book

Title statement

Aduise giuen by a Catholike gentleman, to the nobilitie & commons of France, to ioyne together, and take armes speedily (by commandement of the King) against theeues and robbers, which are now abroade ruining the poore people setting downe an order and policie how they should take armes, to auoide all disorder and confusion amongst them. Whereunto is adioyned, a declaration published by the Duke de Mont-pencier for the reclaiming of the cleargie and nobilitie of Normandie, vnto his Maiesties obedience, &c. With certaine newes of the ouerthrow of the Gautiers, and diuerse other rebels against the French King, by the said Duke of Mont-pencier, on the sixt, and on the twentieth daie of Aprill. 1589. Translated out of the French into English, by I. Eliote.

Edition statement

1589

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Text Creation Partnership,

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Date

2003-11 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A01143

ID [STC]

STC 11256

ID [STC]

ESTC S120926

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99856119

ID [PROQUEST]

99856119

ID [VID]

21641

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Early English books online.

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A01143)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 21641)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 304:10)

Source

— Aduise giuen by a Catholike gentleman, to the nobilitie & commons of France, to ioyne together, and take armes speedily (by commandement of the King) against theeues and robbers, which are now abroade ruining the poore people setting downe an order and policie how they should take armes, to auoide all disorder and confusion amongst them. Whereunto is adioyned, a declaration published by the Duke de Mont-pencier for the reclaiming of the cleargie and nobilitie of Normandie, vnto his Maiesties obedience, &c. With certaine newes of the ouerthrow of the Gautiers, and diuerse other rebels against the French King, by the said Duke of Mont-pencier, on the sixt, and on the twentieth daie of Aprill. 1589. Translated out of the French into English, by I. Eliote., Eliot, John., Montpensier, François de Bourbon, duc de. Copie d'une lettre contenant le progres des choses advenues au voyage de duc de Montpensier. English..

Extent

59, [1] p.

Printed by Iohn Wolfe,. London :: 1589.. (Includes "A declaration published for the reconciling of the cleargie and nobilitie of Normandie vnto the obedience of his Maiestie" and "Nevves of the ouerthrow of the Gautiers, &c." which are translated from: Montpensier, François de Bourbon, duc de. La copie d'une lettre contenant le progres des choses advenues au voyage de duc de Montpensier.) (Reproduction of the original in the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery.)

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