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 4] 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 5] 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 6] 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 7] 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 8] 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 9] 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 10] 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 11] 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 12] 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 13] 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 14] 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 15] & 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 16] 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 17] 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 18] 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 19] 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 20] 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 21] 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 22] 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 23] 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 24] 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 25] 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 26] 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 27] 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 28] 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 29] 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 30] 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 31] 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 32] 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.