WHo shall giue me an yron-voice, that I may sound out to the foure corners of the Earth the grea­test peece of infamy, the strangest, the wonderful­lest treachery, the rarest treason which euer was since the foundations of the world were laid? But alas! who will beleeue my report? And now to repeat that which the very Infamy thereof, long since hath made so fa­mous through all Nations, Is it not in some sort most needles? Oh that it were so! But since so great, so pregnant, so extraordinary a cause, hath not yet produced conformable effects; Needs, needs I must remember you, as though you knew[Page 2]it not, or had forgotten it, That that King, that King of Fraunce, that great King of Fraunce, that mighty, that tryumphant, that victorious, that famous Monarch, that Thrice-great HENRY, ho­nor of his time, horror to his enemies, that faithfull one to his friends, is (alas shall I say is, when he is no more, or if he be yet, is nothing but a very nothing) dead, ô mischiefe! twenty yeares before his time, in the strength of his age, in the current of his glory, in the beginning of a new course for more & more victories, in the very time when most we needed him. He is dead, but (ô Lord) how is he dead? It is a great thing when a King, euen a meane King, dyes; a thing that shakes often the deepest founda­tions of his Kingdome, sometimes of his neigh­bours: a thing where of all the world will speake & thinke much, though dead euen leasurely and by the ordinary way. But when a great King, and such a great one as our great HENRY (If euer the like haue ben, or shall be) comes to an vntimely end, not by that easy course of Nature, but suddainly snatched & violently plucked away from his owne, from the very armes of his owne, by the base & des­perat attempt of a mad beast; who not able, not da­ring to endure the beames of his royall face, giues him his death before from behind; It is a case so strange, so rare, so vnheard of, that if there can be any such wonder, it were onely not to wonder at it: and would to God we might passe no further. We wonder at the furious fashion of Lyons, euen if tame, or when we looke vpon them thorow their grates; we wonder at the roaring of the waters euen[Page 3]a farre off: But if we see them once let loose, and en­raged vpon vs, If the streames ouerflowing their bankes haue once couered our champions, and we be caryed away by the currents, swimming between the apprehensions of a weake hope and the pangs of a deadly Ship-wrack; Then leaue we wondring and begin fearing, by so much more fearfull as the former wonder was great and full of it selfe.

Who shall giue me an yron-voyce that I may thunder out, the most high, the most lamentable complaint that euer was heard in the world, since our losse is the greatest that euer was in the world? Alas! not the Lyons, not the fiercest beasts of Affrick, but the infernall Furies, the enchained spirits of the bottomles pit, the Dogs, the Wolues, the Tygers, the Lyons, the Vipers, the Serpents, the Dragons of hell, are let loose vpon vs, walke and wander a­mong vs, vnder the shape and name of French­men to worke our mischiefe; for french must needs be that hand that must kill Fraunce, though Stran­gers thrust it on: as though they could find no where els, so much boldnes, or so much desperate wickednes. Alas! not one riuer, not many, but a whole Ocean of miseries hath ouerwhelmed our whole land, now that royall mound, now that bra­zen wall, now that sacred trench is broken; which with-held it from swelling against vs. What poore hope now (if feare may be so tearmed) but of a huge if not a generall flood of woes? Terror and death en­uiron vs round about, which could not enter vpon vs but by that gap. And we are left swimming toge­ther & among the direfullest monsters of the deepe[Page 4]in such a heauy case, as those which the merciles, mouth of the sea will spare, shall not escape their hungry bellies: And yet, French-men, there is a small sparke left vs, of a better hope, if we can be wise.

Who shall giue me an yron-voyce that I may break into their minds, whose eares the sound of my doleful cōplaint hath pierced? That I may stir them vp, no longer to a silent wonder, no longer to a mel­ting compassion; but to a bloody anger, and no lesse pittiles then iust reuenge; of so wonderfull, so pitti­full, so wrongfull a treason? The so miserable losse I say, of so great a King; a losse, alas! I cannot say it enough, so great, so publick, so generall, so vniuer­sall, so farre and wide extending it selfe, euen to those that thinke they haue no interest in it, euen to those that beleeue they haue gayned by it, That we may boldly affirme, all the world, knowne and vn­knowne, subiects and strangers, friends and foes, yea his greatest enemies, and who so trecherously furthered his end; haue lost in him: for where they thought to escape his victorious hands, which had no further end of Glory, then the sweetnes of his wonted clemencie; they must needs fall into ours, who more fierce now then otherwise we had ben, not as a Lyonesse, not as a Tygresse, rob'd of their deere yong ones, but as deere children trayterously depriued of their deerest father, will neuer graunt them that pardon, which they might easily haue ob­tained at his hands.

Cursed, ô cursed and dismall day, wherein we see the face of our Fraunce so sorowful, so glad but the day before; our Queene so pittifully lamenting, the[Page 5]day before so gloriously crowned; our Court so deepely mourning, the day before so highly reioy­cing; wherein, ô mischiefe, wee see a great King dead, which not onely the day before, but euen the same, and many after, made the furthest parts of Europe to tremble at his greatnes, that could not so distinctly haue heard the bruit of his fal. Cur­sed once more, ô cursed, no more worthy to be cal­led day, but black and dismall night, where French­men lost their King, Fraunce her father, the Church her sonne, the Nobility their maister, the people their protector, the whole world his ornament; wherein the greatest person of the world, was most vnluckily murthered by the least, the best by the worst, the most honored by the most infamous.

And thou ô eternall staine to the French name, scandall of mankinde, abhomination to the times, execrable Fury let out of hell to commit so haynous a parricide; remaine, ô sempiternally remaine in the deepest of thy darke dungeon, thou incarnate diuell for euer and euer accursed; And may thou neuer come out of those flames wherein thou art so de­seruedly tormented, but only to receiue the last doome of thy euerlasting and dreadfull damnation.

But thou, oh my deere Country, heretofore so glorious, now a shamefull and bloody Stage of so pittifull a Tragedy, wilt thou euer be a fruitfull mo­ther of trayterous King-killers? must cruell Affrica yeeld vnto thee both in quantity & quality of mon­sters, which now of late thou bringest forth, who neuer before didst beare any? wilt thou neuer haue a King but with this prouiso, thou shalt kill him[Page 6]with a knife? Good Lord! what an ouersight, what a blindnes in a Prince otherwise so sharp-sighted, to haue seen a like blow giuen to his next Prede­cessour, yea to haue receaued himselfe another v­pon his owne face, besides so many other desperate attempts, which he might haue reckoned for so ma­ny warnings; and yet make no more vse of other mens mis-haps, nor of his owne feeling?

The knife of that perfidious in-Clement (alas must I againe bring to memory those sacrilegious cay­tifs?) was yet scarce dry from the blood of the last VALOIS, when that of desperat Chastell was dyed in the blood of the first BVRBON; & the same was yet reaking hot, when this sauadge Bedlem imbrued his in the best blood of his hart: Ah wretch! what hast thou done? ô Guard where were you? French men whereof dreamed you? Cresus had but one son, and he dumbe, yet seing the life of his father in­daungered, hee could cry aloud Saue the King. Na­ture at that extremity vntyed the strings of his tong; and a silly childes affection, stronger then the very destinies, could effect with a simple word, and against many, that which so many men, so ma­ny French-men (truly vnworthy of so great a Prince) could not with-stand, neither with tong nor hand, opposing themselues against the weake attempt of one onely. And yet France lackes not a million of white soules, which would rather haue wished that impious steele red-hot in their owne bowels. But no man can saue where God hath once decreed to destroy; and surely we must looke for no lesse, since he hath taken to himself that valiaunt in­strum̄et, [Page 7]which was able to preuent our destruction.

Celestiall gardians, and thou ô mighty Angell, which hadst so happily led him through so many daungers, returned him victorious out of so many battells, why did yee not put by that blow, like the former? had yee so faithfully kept him hitherto, now to giue him ouer to the fury of this enraged beast? Lord! how the measure of our sinnes must needs haue ben heaped vp and running ouer, since thou thoughtst it fit to strike vs with so mighty a thunderbolt of thine anger? Lord! how much is that man voyd of iudgement, who knowes not this to be a iudgement of thine owne, most iustly giuen out against the fulnes of our iniquities?

Poore Prince! but more poore people! wee had ben so often threatned with a blow from heauen; now alas, now it is burst out vpon our miserable heads! who told it not, who heard it not, that thou shouldst dye when thy Gallery should be at an end? Who red not the to true and no lesse vnhappy predictions, that expressely said thou shouldst re­ceaue a wound behind? how many most vnfortu­nate, most vnlucky Cassandraes, had written vnto thee vpon the murther of thy predecessor, that thou mightst take it as a looking-glasse and a lesson; and the consideration of his so vntimely death, might be the preseruation of thine owne life? yet all that could not so worke, but that noble courage of thine, enemy to all mistrust, thine owne goodnes to-to accessible, thine owne easinesse haue ben so many kniues to pierce thy bosome.

If death had found this great king in his bed, and[Page 8]by a naturall way, it is an ordinary thing, which scarce one would wonder at; If he had found it in a battaile, least of all; for there euen most he sought it, which then most fled before him: But to be murthered in his owne Paris, in his Caroche, in the midst of his neerest seruants & by a base Pedant, not by one, but by two seueral wounds, with a short knife (as though it had ben at his full choyce) It is so wonderful & so prodigious an euent, & so far frō all likelyhood, that hitherto beliefe can scarce lay hold of it: me thinkes yet I am in a dreame, or for a while enchaunted when I remember it; and that mine eyes and eares (only deceaued for the time by some strong illusion) will presently be freed of their error, and I shall see my King againe.

How is so great a Monarch, the feare and terror of his Enemies, and who vpon the preparation of so great an Army held the whole world at a bay; How is so great a Monarch, passed euen in a mo­ment from this world to another? He that had but the day before crowned his Queene! he that was the day after to lead her tryumphant into Paris! he that was immediatly to march forth with that fearefull Army, which threatned to stampe all his Enemies to pouder! Good Lord! how many high dissignes o­uerthrowne? how many threds cut with that of his life? and what a wretched Remora staies now a great ship? He was so full of life and vigor, he had so many friends and so many meanes, so many men and so many horses, so many armes and so many cannons, besides so much courage and valour, so much iudg­ment and dexterity, so much resolution and wise­dome,[Page 9]so much experience and readines, in warre, in state, Campe, Counsell, and euery where; as it is vnpossible to discerne, whether he was more valiant or more wise, more polliticke or more mar­tiall, being a like excellent and perfect euery way. And all that could not helpe, but a forlorne wretch, a man of nothing, a nothing and not a man, hath stayed the course of so great, so mighty and so matchlesse a Monarch, to whom euen the most dreadfull elements had yeelded, & who sent a trem­bling Ague into the harts of all those, who were conscious to haue deserued his anger.

At Melun he shunned the attempt of Barriere; At Fontainebleau that of a Spanyard, who would haue rewarded him with a trecherous death, euen when he healed him of the Kings euill: At Paris that of a mad fellow yet liuing, and whom he would neuer suffer to be punished, so naturally was he giuen to compassion and clemency. Al these attempts, thogh missing indeed, together with that which really, and effectually, did beat out his very teeth, were suffici­ent to prouide him against this last and fatall blow. But alas, that to braue minde could neuer learne how to feare. And yet the very day of his death, had he some secret feeling of his end; Hee laye downe twise or thrise vpon his bed against his custome, & rysing againe as oft, kneeled and prayed hartely to God that morning, as if he had foreknowne it would be his last.

For that morning he was intreated not to stirre abroad, and fore-warned by a learned Astronomer, (called La Brosse) that that day was dangerous to[Page 10]him: but he, trusting his owne goodnes, and after so Christian a preparation, resolued to any thing his maker would lay vpon him, made so small ac­count thereof, as going after noone to the Arsenall, even he refused to take any Guard. Neuerthelesse an hower before, he could not well frame with him­selfe, if he would goe or tarry; being deuided be­tween the with-drawing counsell of his good An­gell, & the impulsiue force of his destiny; a thing al­together vnvsuall to the promptnes of his wit, ne­uer before hauing ben seen to stagger vpon any occasion: At last his courage and our mischance got the vpper hand. When he receaued the blow, he was reading a letter from the Arch-duke, who offe­red him passage for his Army, and to defray all charges through his Country; And in the very fee­ling of his ioy, our sorrow ouertooke him. Oh! how farre was he in the world when he went out of it? But sure, those cruell blowes were more against our selues then against him▪ and God in his wrath took that inestimable iewell from vs, whose worth wee neuer rightly valued. Yet O Lord, stay heere at the least; we, indeed, are worthy of a sharper punish­ment, but altogether vnable to beare it; Giue vs leaue now to lament for our worthy Prince, for whom forgiue vs, ô father, if perhaps our sorrow be more then is due to any mortall.

And yet, deere Country men, thus farre may we ioy in our sorrow, and thanke God for many com­forts which cannot easily be taken from vs; we suffer a great losse indeed, & most senceles & stony were we, if we should not feele it; But, I pray you, looke[Page 11]ouer me with mee, both the fortune and nature of our state. Whensoeuer any new line of our Kings hath ben about to set vp it selfe by his own strength, these great changes haue neuer ben without great troubles, and some extraordinary great conuulsion: For as in the naturall, so in the Politicke body, as a chiefe bone cannot be broken without much vio­lence, but when it comes once to knit againe, there growes a certaine hardnes & callosity, more strong then euer the bone it selfe was: So, when after such aebreach the Kingdome hath once taken root, & ben well established, the father euer left it surer to his fonne, and a fonne, greater then his father. aboue whome as per excellentiam, he alwaies got the sur­name of great indeed. We had but three lines since our stories began to be written by our owne men; for in those times our fore-fathers more carefull to do, then curious to speake, rather gaue then tooke occasion of writing: So that if euen those, that most would haue concealed it, had not ben forced to tell it vs, we should haue knowne nothing of our selues afore Faramond. But looke how soone came in our first Clovis? but the second after Merouee, from whom the first line tooke name; and how iustly deserued he the surname of great; if in that golden age of sim­plicity those swollen titles had ben in vse? And af­terward was not our Charles great indeed; the second of the second line, to which euen in double respect he gaue name? Now in the third, was not our Robert, both King and surnamed great, euen during his fa­thers raigne, who (neuer so worthy) had but a sor­ry surname; as though his sonne had ben the very[Page 12]soule of the Kingdome, and the father could not truly be a King without him. And howsoeuer the accession now of Bourbon to the Crowne, cannot rightly be tearmed the change of a line, no more then that of Valois (being iust both alike, after the successiue decease of three brethren, without heire male, successiuely Kings after their father) but only the ingrafting of a natiue bud vpon his owne stock; yet the example may hold, because it is a new branch and name: and more, especially because one braue Prince, was more stood against, more powerfully and more passionately, then euer any of all those before, or euen all they together. He had wonderful smal meanes whē he came to the crown, and no better friend but Dieu & son droit, with his owne sword; he was of a religion contrary to that which was formerly professed in his kingdome: he had not only the bodies, but, which is worse, harts, mindes, and soules, strongly preoccupated, & who­ly bent against him: all which oppositions he must needs ouercome one by one: And howbeit in the end he setled his affaires, & was a better Catholique then the Pope himself, yet the weake faith of some incredulous soules could not as yet well receaue it; and the wily craft of those deceitful Foxes, or rather rauenous Wolues, accustomed to make aduantage as ill of silly mens weakenes, as of desperate wret­ches resolutions; and whose wide clawes nothing escapeth, be it neuer so hot or cold, light or heauy, dissembling their owne knowledge, did foster and further the others vnbeleefe, & made away to make him away.

[Page 13]Yet his vertue & strength are not dead, but with a fame and a name which can neuer dye, and is able stil to win battels, as a new Scanderbeg after his own death, He hath left vs a successor, who as another Phoenix sweetly raysed out of those Ashes, and ry­sing vpon our darkned Horizon, as a new Sunne in his Oryent, faithfully promiseth to dry our moyst­ned eyes, and cleere vp all the mists of our sor­rowes. And as a Great one said once, since more a­dore the Sunne rysing then declyning; no doubt but this new Planet, now so happily beginning to shine vpon our heauen, shall one day be saluted and worshiped by many more subiects, then that whose course was of late so vnhappily shortned.

And indeed, if we may iudge of the fruit by the flowers, his buds are so many, and so faire already, that when it shall once please God to spread them, they cannot but exceed the most perfect beauties, and euen the very Gold of his own Lillies. Nothing can be imagined greater then the motions of that yong Prince; and me thinkes I see already in him a picture in litle of that worth of his father, which doth promise, I know not how much, more in this hopeful abridgement then in the original: as though God reuiuing in him not only all those former ver­tues, would ad to his number some other more, as yet to the world vnknowne. It is wonderfull to see him at this age, send out so many liuely sparkes of that powerfull Genius within him, saying already such things, as would contend in excellency with all those old sayings of Plutarch; as though he would put to schoole againe those famous men that fa­therd[Page 14]them: taking it of the father as wel as his king­domee. For who was there in the world more quick more sharpe; and of a more present wit then he, who could put down at his pleasure the most solid iudg­ments, by the readines of his answers? This young sonne of his is actiue, stirring, couragious, as he was; so delightfull, as one would neuer be weary to looke vpon him; Of such a natural towardnesse to al his exercises, as you would thinke Art can teach him no more; Of a man-like fairenes, and drawing already to be a man before mens expectation; through which manly lineaments yet shines a royal greatnes. It was a sorowfull Essay, yet very com­fortable to all his subiects in that publike desolati­on, to see his gratious fashion at the Parliament, sit­ting the first time on his royall Throne of Iustice, assisted with the Queene his Mother, Princes, Peeres and Officers of his Crowne; and to heare him speak with such a Maiesty as did gaine-say his Age, and o­uer-reach our reason: yet all that, nothing like to his faire presence, to his royall countenance, at his hap­py coronation, as though moneths had ben yeares, for his prentiship, and he had perfectly learned to be a King, afore he be a man.

He is carefully trayned vp, vnder the vigilant care of a wise mother, who could giue a good proofe e­uen in the brunt of this generall mischance, and in euery action since, how well her great minde was fitted to the greatnes of her charge; And will not be lesse blessed in the gouernment of this Empire, and in bringing vp our lawfull king in all vertues meet for his great rancke, then in the bringing him[Page 15]into the light of this world: A Princesse indeed most accomplished in euery thing, and whose he­roycall quallities surmount the ordinary feeblenes of her sex, beyond proportion.

He is seconded with two young brethren, who as two strong Pillars of the Realme, shall without wearynes faithfully lend their shoulders to the weight of his charge. He hath three faire Princesses to his Sisters, whose happy mariages wil strengthen more and more the firmnes of his Scepter; Besides so many great and ancient alliances of his fathers approued friends, whose only name will suffice to beate downe the power of such enemies, as would rise against him. He hath a mighty Army at hand at all times, many treasures to maintaine it, and many braue Generalls to commaund it; which, like so many thunders, are ready to fall vpon all that would offend him. So that if any had but the least knowne thought thereof, I do not say of his subiects onely, but euen among his greatest Enemies, he should sooner be crushed with the force of the blow, then heare the noise of it.

Away therefore, goe and hide your selues for shame, ye vaine bablers, blacke soules, infamous remnants of the League, infernal matches of our ci­uill fires, poysoned springs of all our miseries; be neuer seen, be neuer heard in the world with your Syren-Songs, that our enemies are moued with pit­ty through the strange cruelty of our accident, and that although their hatred were yet in his heate, it will now be cooled in the depth of our mischiefe; as though we were ready to call for their mercy, as [Page 16]though it were in their hands to be good to vs, and feare had taken such impression in our harts, as France were glad to kneele to the next Conqueror. O God! what a base slackenes, what a fayned faint­nes, what an open treason? & yet you dare mis-call it Policy and skill of State; Good Lord! what a hurt­full Policy, to show weakenes in this great body, where there is none? when rather (if there were any) it were true skill to conceale it. And how farr is that from emboldning vs, by the very weakenes of the enemy himselfe; who by that vnhapy remedy wher­with he was constrained to put by for a time his euil to come, hath so basely vncouered his shame, & be­wrayed the sores of his estate? All their safetie was set vpon the point of a bad knife, which if it had mis­sed our Kings royall bosome, our swords could not haue missed their execrable brests, vnlesse they had preuented vs with cutting their owne filthy throats.

O braue French-men, Those that in the sharpest of their sickenes, in the extremity of their weaknes and irresolution, carryed the fire and the sword into the very hart of Cleue-land, brauely to suc­cour their friends; should they not be able in the best of their health, in the height of their strength, and when the state hath taken firme roote and forme; should they not be able now more brauely to defend themselues against their Enemies? Nay, but there is another reckoning to be made. If we may euer smel out, that this mischieuous blow hath ben sent vs by any one in the world, ei­ther from the East, the West, or the South, (the North we need not feare, it is to white and to pure[Page 17]to vse such black remedies and hath no cause there­of) We must, we ought, and we will dye, men, wo­men, children and all, in our reuenge; we will goe and fetch them downe from the very tops of their hills, search them into the deepest holes of the earth, if they runne & hide them-selues thither; wee will pul them out, to their deserued slaughter: If not, we will rather destroy our whole seed, then leaue a generation which might remember and reproach to our taynted memory, that we were such Traitors to our King & to our selues, as to wincke at such an iniury. For if we be so faint-harted, as to suffer those attempts vpon our Princes, without making merci­lesse vengeance, to light as quickly vpon the Au­thors heads, we are gone for euer; there are no more French in Fraunce, no men, no Monarchy, none of that auncient freedome and franchise, from whence we deriue our name; there is no Fraunce in the world. They will boast we complaine, but dare not say who hath hurt vs. They will pronounce sentēce of death in their owne Chaires at their plea­sure against our deerest Kings, they will send to kill them when they list, and all our straightest guards, & all the cruellest punishments we can inuent, shall not be able to keep them: For the earth will neuer cease to bring forth murtherers, so long as it brings forth golde, or religious arguments; nor our ene­mies to set them against vs, so long as they stand in feare of our greatnes.

What must we doe then in so lamentable a case? Take onely a fearfull punishment of that cursed cay­tiue? Make euen with the ground the infamous den[Page 18]wherein he was borne; lay waste the vnhappy soyle that brought him forth; cut downe the trees of so hurtful a shade; sowe al the ground ouer with salt, & leaue no rēnant, no memory of al that cursed brood, most iustly punished, to haue any part in so porten­tuous a monster. Alas! & yet this hath not ben done; & yet it were but a small suplice, & a sory reuenge, farr farr inferiour, farr farr vnanswerable to our great ruine: It were onely to whip the clothes, as the Persians vsed, and to punish the instrument, without passing to the cause, as one that would breake the sword and forgiue the murtherer. Doe you beleeue if we had spared him, he would euer haue refrained the like attempt, since euen amidst the rack and tortures, and in the apprehension of a direfull death, he had ben so powerfully taught and perswaded, as he stood fast to his damned resoluti­on? what thinke you then of them that set him on worke, but that loosing such an Instrument (as they were well content) their losse is so little, their profit so great, as they will euer most gladly venture like losses, for like gaines.

Once more what must we do then? stay till that furious serpent, onely cut by the taile, returne more fierce then before, to sprinckle our Louure afresh with the blood of France? Ah! let vs rather dye, or bruise a thousand times his mischieuous head, then fall into the like extremity againe; and rather kill al in reuenge of the present outrage although there were none henceforth to be feared.

SIR, I must needs speak vnto you the first, though the youngest; you haue the first, the greatest, and the neerest interest in the quarrell: And I am your most humble and faithfull Subiect. Of al abho­minations in the world, treason is most to be abhor­red; The king your father hath often seen al christen­dome wholy bent to his ruine, ready to ouerwhelme him; & yet cold that neuer stop the current of his victorious fortune. But now as he was going, as a mighty whirl-wind to ouerthrow al his enemies, there he is stopt by one only Traytor; who shewed to truly (as Augustus sayd) that there is nothing so dangerous, as the resolutiō of a coward: A coward indeed, but such a one as hauing no particular quarrell, that might cast him into so high an extremity, must needs be moued to it by some higher powers. If that may euer be found (Sir) & if it were possible that the feeling losse of such a Father (to whose blessed memory all your subiects dayly sacrifice their deerest teares, all your Allies their hottest sighes, and generally all honest men their deepest mourning) could not moue you to take Armes against the Authors of our mis-haps; the meere reputation of your kingdome, the safety of your owne life ought to do it: And let not the consideratiō of your vnder-age hinder so iust a war. Your own father scare exceeded your yeares, whē he began to be a souldier; when both he and the Prince of Condé, in regard of their youth, were cal­led the Pages of the Admirall. Do not venture your life in an imaginary peace, more then in open warr; your life, I say, no lesse is the mark they aime at. The noble examples of your predecessors, yet recent and[Page 20]before your eyes, the best hart-blood of your so lo­uing father, yet hot-smoking vp to your owne no­strills, challengeth that duty of you.

Open or suspected Enemies, our Kings haue al­waies laughed at; but secret and hidden ones euer made vs to weepe: and better it were to haue a mil­lion in an open battell before you, then one alone lurking in a corner. And better yet seeke a noble death in the midst of all daungers, through a thou­sand speares and as many muskets, then dayly looke for it in feare and suspition.

Suspition, Sir, is not the Element of the kings of France; They cannot be mued vp all day in their clo­sets, without taking the aire but at a window, or speaking to their people through a reed; They cannot liue but free, euer abroad, euer on horsebacke; fighting is more pleasing to them, and lesse daunge­rous then playing. They can dye in Tiltings, neuer in Battells; in their owne Citties, in their Chambers, & with a violent death; neuer in warr, but by sicknes or a naturall course. True it is, few kings dye in warr also, for few goe thither; but the kings of Frāce haue sought it in the remotest Affrick, carried it into the very hart of Asia, euer returning victorious, & tri­umphing ouer their vtmost extremities: while death durst neuer be so bold as to assaile them but by the ordinary way. There haue ben some sick, some priso­ners, some dead; Neuer any one killed, much lesse o­uercome; yet was it not for want of vēturing throgh the hottest perills; Neuer any Princes went more freely, nor further into them: But it was, that they haue euer ben inuincible, and, as it were, immortal,[Page 21]when they stood vpon their guard. But were it not so, and that our kings free and farre from all mis­trust and harme, could liue altogether safe, and out of the shot of all trecherous designes; into what contempt, I pray you, wold fal the blood of France, in times past so honorable among all nations, if they should but once see that it durst not reuenge it self against those that caused it so trayterously to be shed? If this should not nerely touch it, what would? & what iniuries would it reuenge hereafter, if this were now so lightly passed ouer? would it not belye it self, & with it self the publick voice of the world, afirming that neuer any offred it disgrace or iniury, without deere repentance? And would it not harten his enemies, to continue their mischieuous blowes, if they saw the whole vengeance light vpon one on­ly, the inferior and weaker instrument?

Our King Frauncis the great, had no other ground for that bloudy warr he made against the Emperor, but only the reuenge of a seruant of his, Merueilles; The death of that man alone cost the liues of an hun­dreth thousand, and shooke the very foundacions of Europe. And now shall the death of the greatest king that euer wore the Crowne of France, be so meanely regarded, so slightly past ouer, euen by his owne feruants, by his owne sonne; without more feeling, without more stirring, then for a glasse bro­ken? And shall all posterity see the story, & our Ne­phewes read therein, without blushing at the im­passibility of their Fathers? What would so many Nations say, which do so honorably esteeme of the French name, if they should see vs drinke vp such a [Page 22]shame? What would we say, our selues, to the sacred ghost of that famous Prince, if (as once that of Achil­les to the Greeks) it returned and would reproch vs, we sacrificed nothing vpon his Tombe? Wil we say it is want of mony? The Bastille is heaped full with it; want of men? Fraunce ouerfloweth with them; want of friends? Neuer any King had more or better; want of Armes and munition? Neuer store­house was better furnished, both for quantity and goodnes. What want wee then, but that rare King hath most aboundantly left it vs to reuenge his death?

Ah, Sir, I can well tell what we want; nine or ten yeares more & nothing els: & you should haue had them for vs, if that vnhappy wretch had not so vn­timely preuented the natural death of your health­ful father: But what? Did we neuer beat our Enemies, euen vnder yonger Kings then your selfe? what then vnder the infant Clotaire, whom our Queene his mo­ther carried hanging on her breast, in his swadling bands, at the fore-front of the battell, crying aloud French-men, this is your King? She was a Queene in­deed, and he a king neuerthelesse, though young; nor those olde French, daunted euer the more. And yet by the way, I would wish you to note, that this young King, this sucking babe, being scarce foure moneths old when he wonne battells, was the first afterwards, who for his greatnes, valor, and worth, got the glorious surname of great amōg his French, thogh yet in those dayes of a general goodnes, they were more ready to nich-name their kings for one onely vice, then to honour them for many good[Page 23]qualities; so rife were these, so scarce, those. What? and vnder Lewis your owne Ancetor, whose hap­py name you carry, as well as his Scepter? Did not he succeed in this same State, and very neere at the selfe-same age as your selfe? And did he leaue to chastise his Enemies abroad, his rebels at home, and afterwards to vndertake vpon Palestine and E­gipt; Then comming backe into Fraunce, make a new iourney into Affrick? yet found he at his entry to the Crowne, all his kingdome in trouble (neuer more quiet then at this present;) his Princes and great ones deuided from him, vnited against him, (which doe not deuise any thing now, but gene­rall vnion, and your seruice;) and did neuerthelesse most happily ouercome all those difficulties, his kingdome being not so great as yours by much, nor his renenue, the tenth part of that which you pos­sesse. Do you thinke, Sir, that that braue Prince, which so valiantly vndertooke so great warres, as farre from his interest as from his limits, would haue demurred vpon the reuenge of so high an in­iury? Foraine examples would euen shame our owne, being so faire and so worthy of imitation; as among many, I cannot heere deny due place to one most famous and very neere our case. Philip of Ma­cedon a great Captaine and a great king, as our eyes haue seen our great HENRY, hauing conque­red all Greece, as he, Fraunce; is murthered, euen as he, in his own chiefe Citty, in a publick reioycing, and vpon the very instant when he was to execute the greatest enterprise he euer had in hand. His sonne Alexander the great, yet a childe (for so Demo­sthenes [Page 24]cals him) ascended vpon the Throne of Philip as our LEWIS, vpon that of HENRY; but he feeles it shake vnder his feete; sees Greekes and Barbari­ans vp against him on euery side, his Counsell dis­mayed wish him to leaue off the affaires of Greece, and quietly compound the rest. Nay, saith he, but if I be perceiued to shrink at the beginning, I shall euer haue my hands full of them: and following this braue resolution, ouer-throwes the Barbarians in a great battaile, ouer-runnes all Greece, like a fire, and destroyes the Empire of the Persians, the grea­test then in the world, with a small Army of thirty thousand men at the first, and a stocke of thirty Ta­lents. Yet with so small meanes neuer would goe out of the Hauen, but he would requite olde ser­uants and get newe; giuing all away saue hope, which he only kept for himselfe: And when he had endeludged the world with a generall inundation of bloud, yet is not contented if Iupiter from heauen do not assure him, the death of his father is fully re­uenged, and his Manes fully appeased.

And you, Sir, who haue more Captaines, then he Souldiers; more Millions then he Talents; more stedfastnes in your estate, more obedience in your subiects, more loue in your Nobility, more wise­dome in your Counsell, then euer Alexander had; with so many aduantages, wil you not resolue your selfe to the execution of that vengeance? wil you not steele your selfe in that resolution? and will you ra­ther be faint-harted at this first tryal? will you winck at your Fathers murther? and tarry till another knife, forged (perhaps) vpon the same Anuile, send you [Page 25]the same way, tell his dolefull Shadow, that for con­temning the reuenge of his death, you your selfe lost your owne life? Oh! let me rather loose mine eyes then see it, rather my senses, rather my vnderstan­ding, rather all, then feele it, or at any time come to the knowledge thereof! This puts me out of frame, this kills me, when in the fit of this burning Ague, in the sharpnes of this paine, those who but yester­day armed them selues for some Duch, come & tell me now, we must not speake of warr for the Kings death: for what els then Country-men? for a foote of ground, for Cleves, or Iuliers, which are none of ours?

I neuer spoke of Naples, Millan, and Navarre, which are ours indeed; there they stand stil, & there shal we euer find thē. But where shall we recouer that great HENRY, who hath ben taken, & so traiterously taken from vs? Yet if we had lost him in war, where the heat of the fight spares none; Pacience; Armes are doubt­full, & oft-times number surmounts valour: But to haue him murthered in cold bloud, in a full peace, & before the eyes of al the world; & that we durst not, and that we should not reuenge it, it would be the shamfullest and greatest dishonour that euer hap­ned vnto vs, to cover, darken, kill, & bury for euer, the whole French name, and what-soever glorious we haue done heretofore. Moreouer, we do neuer so sensibly esteeme of other mens losses, as of our owne; All those peeces, were indeed lost for vs, not by vs, they were taken from our Fathers vpon some colour of right, at least right of warr, which as our Brennus was wont to say, is the most auncient and v­niuersall Law; The griefe thereof is past long since: [Page 26]But if any would encroch now but one foot of land vpon our Borders, in what an other sort would we stirr for it, then for all those kingdomes? And will wee not stirre for the death of our Kings? who woulde not without feare vnder-take against their sacred liues, if wee valued them cheaper then their Lands? Yet haue wee a kinde of comfort in those losses; they were so deerly solde, that the possessors dare not much boast of it: And shall we not make them pay more deerly for the pricelesse life of our deere Prince? Shall they laugh it out to our faces, whilst we sit basely weeping? And shall not their insolency sharpen our anger? O French-women, & no more French men, if that might euer be reproched vnto vs! But now, what relation, what proporcion, of the losse of some land, to the losse of a King, and of such a King as he was? Neuertheles, who knowes not but the least of those peeces, hath often set all Christendome in fire and bloud, our Kings them-selues not sparing their owne liues for them?

Againe, I neuer spoke in the yong daies of your Ma­iesties raigne; Then we could not choose but great­ly be amazed at the greatnes, at the suddennes of our blow, and somwhat yeild to the fury of the storme; Then were we rather to looke to assure our selues then to trouble others, rather to defend then to as­saile, and panting vnder the waight of our ruyne, take holde (as it were) for a time, of that hand that had drawen it vpon vs; as not knowing, or rather not seeming, or rather not striving, to knowe our ene­mies. But now, since there is nothing to be appre­hended, [Page 27]since in their lowest degree of weakenes & misery, they had no further end then onely to take him away, esteeming they had gotten enough, if we might but loose him, as to his perpetuall glory they feared him alone, more then all France besides; or els thinking that he being gone, all things would go away after him, & of themselues be turned vpside downe; Since it pleased God in his diuine mercy to confound their thoughts, shewing them, and vs, and all the world, that he can scourge and haue pitty, wound to death with one angry hand, hauing the o­ther still ready to apply the plaister, and against all hope, to heale; that he can kill and make aliue, bring downe to the graue and raise vp againe; since we are now as strong, and as strongly setled as euer in your fathers time, if not more; Why should we not speak boldly? Why should we not point at our enemies with the finger, and call them by their owne names? Why should we not goe, and yet more boldly fall vpon them all?

There is no more doubt, no more difficulty, who hath forged that parricidious steele; we know, alas! now we know to much their doctrine and practise; and cannot say worse against them then they haue written themselues. Time was, and in King Henry the thirds time it was, when we feared only secret con­fessions, priuate conferences, hidden chambers of Meditacion; All these works of darknes were as yet done in the darke, and could catch none but some weake and brain-sicke soules. But now, Time is, that he that can transforme himself in an Angell of light, hath set an open schoole thereof, and sent his black [Page 28]Doctors, thorough all nations (more safely to de­ceiue) falsely carrying the sweete name whose per­son they persecute, because when he put them out of hell he told them A Iesu ite: Now it is publikely taught, and as a thirtenth article of faith, maintained and commanded to be added to the Creede, vnder paine of eternall damnation. And if we do not at last open our eyes, if wee doe not set our selues a­gainst it, if we let it coole any longer, and not put it downe in hot blood, Time shall neuer be nor so good, nor so fit, as it is now. Mariana was the first who was bold to reduce it in art, and precepts, in three set bookes, De regis destructione; And though many, al­most as pestilent as he, both of his owne nation and Society, both before and after him, haue written v­pon that vnhappy subiect, as Ribadeneyra, Toledo, Va­lencia, Vasquez, Azor, Sa, and others; yet because, with them, he that can worke most mischiefe, is worthy of the highest title, this most vnworthy villaine shall goe in the fore-front, since he without them, and a­boue any of them, or rather aboue all them, hath wrought most villany, and kild so great a King: That execrable monster could not be borne very far from Affrick; And Indè prima mali labes. Yet, because Spayne shall not be disgraced alone, by breeding such royall Dragons, such venemous Basiliskes, which kill not men simply but kings; not with their sight (being not otherwise so resolute, or religiously minded as to venture so neere) but with their breath only and a farre off; And whose infectious stinck can still mur­ther, not during their liues onely, but a thousand yeares after their death, very farre from those old[Page 29]Prophets, whose dead carkases did raise others to life: There is no Nation in the world, but hath a share in the shame, Germany, euen honest Ger­many, that golden Latium of old Saturnus, and who hath kept herselfe more vnspotted of this newer world, wil acknowledge she hath no small part ther­in; There you shall find one of those, doting indeed, and yet no lesse proud, & yet no lesse wicked, ser­pents, who dares not onely vomit his venome a­gainst kings, but inueighing against them, vsurpe e­uen their very title and phrase, as in a kinde of com­parison, or as if he would play the king himselfe; But oh! how farre commest thou short, impudent Gret­zerus? No Iebuzit but one only Araunah could euer bring forth a Royall Gift; and farre better hadst thou done to keepe thy selfe within thine owne rancke, & adding the most crooked letter of the Alphabet, and most like thy serpent-like dealing, to thy title, more fitly call it, Basiliscon Doron. But God would not haue thee both wicked and wise at once; for when thou hast broke thy head at the very head and first word of thy booke, it is not enough, but thou must needes break thy neck also in thy foolish dedication, to such a one as thou neuer sawest, to such a one as thou shalt neuer see (for that great soule being departed penitent, no doubt, but where she is, Gretzerus there shalt thou hardly come) finally, to such a one as shall neuer heare of it; and if she should, could neuer but greatly abhorre to be cogged from heere below, & perswaded to make a party there aboue for the Loy­olists, and Cabalise with the blessed Virgin, with S. Brigid, S. Andrew (& why not S. George to?) with a high[Page 30]hand to carry from God such things, as she now vpō better information knowes most to be eschew­ed. Together & of the same feather, you haue there one Becanus, the more wicked because the more wit­ty; so apt are these monster-men to turne to ill vses the very blessings of God. A little lower there is Ca­rolus Scribanius, who most iustly ashamed of his tray­terous name, hath ben faine to faine another in his Ample Theater of dishonour, yet neuer forgetting herein the ambitious pride naturall to the society, in taking of the best when they choose: One, who as though he were not able of himselfe to be wicked e­nough, therein is he more wicked, that he praises the wickedest. Poland, Sweth-land, Trans-siluania, Bohemia, at their owne cost, will contribute to the publicke shame, those by whome they haue receaued, and stil receaue so much smart, though some haue paide deere enough for it. And after these farther coun­tries, the remotest part of that famous Iland, penitus toto orbe remota will not be ashamed to stake her peny (Haies and Hamilton) though not a peny worth, to the common reproch of Nations. But belike, her sister would be too proud, if she could not name for herselfe, or rather against herselfe, red-hatted, or ra­ther red-harted, Allens, Campion, Hart, Parsons, Cres­well, Hall, Tesmond, Gerrard, Hammond, all bloody or fi­ery Traytors, and their superior in all, Garnet. And now, Sir, among all them, perhaps you thinke your Fraunce will escape free; But alas! shall we not finde within our owne bowels, one Kakodemono-zannes, apoligising for this Garnet, and Franciscus Verona for Ian Chastell? both which, we know whence they are, [Page 31]but since they themselues condemne their owne deeds, by counterfeiting their names, and therein (the onely thing they haue done well) in some sort redeeme their Countries shame; let them dye for euer, vnknowne indeed and vnnamed; let those that haue any part in them, disclaime it; let them perish in their blood, & let me not haue their names within my lips. But oh! but we haue such as glory in their owne infamy, those cursed ones that call euil, good, and good, euill; who least they and their villanies should not be knowne enough by their writings, haue preached it openly, from Towne to Towne be­fore all the world, and shamelessely taught it with a brazen face in their publicke lessons; to showe that Fraunce owes nothing to the rest in treason & wic­kednes. But because holy father Cotton was come of late, as it were with a blast of his sweete breath, and in a sheete of paper, to gainesay and disanull all his predecessors mis-doings, and seeme to recouer the honor of the society (though if his Amphibolo­gious Equiuocations be rightly tryed, he speakes as trayterously as any of them all) yet, least they should take to much hold of him, and interpret his double meaning in the better part; or rather to checke him as a false brother, & one that had yeelded to much to the time; Behold, out of Italy the great Iebuzit Car­dinalised, the great Cardinall shortly to be Papised; who not contented with that which he hath former­ly written (as well he might, for any new thing hee sayes) but because it was onely done by the way, and among his other controuersies (a load to big for any man to carry) comes out now, as the Triarij in that[Page 32]great Army of forlorne hopes, with a booke by it selfe and of set purpose, sounding and denouncing from the Vatican to al Princes, they are subiect to the Pope in temporalibus. True it is that in Atheus tOrtus that is, he himselfe, had first made the way before him; but it was vnder an obscure name, & that could not carry great waight: But since the Chapleine was so bold, as to vndertake no lesse then a great king for his share, to write against; Do you thinke, Sir, that his Illustrissime, Lord and Maister, hath it against Bar­clay onely? No, no, poore Barclay is but the poorest part of his booke; yet his sonne takes it in hand as his fathers cause; and, I am sure, will not leaue the Car­dinall vnpaid. Neither is it against the king your braue father; They haue his hart fast, and haue don as some Barbarians were wont; They haue executed him first, & then comes forth this sentence of death against him: But there is nothing more to be had of him, but your selfe; your selfe, Sir, It is against your selfe directly that this booke is written, against all kings aliue, against al kings yet vnborne; The haukes of a Cardinall, will not flie for lesse, then at the birds of Paradice. And you, holy father, oh! is it after that maner you wil haue your sons harts? Sure, sure, that great father of mankind, of whom you pretend your self so wrongfully to be the general Vicar, did neuer meane it so, when he said, My son giue me thy hart. But you, sweet childe, since you see two Barclaies, two pri­uate men, & none of them a Protestant, nor nothing neere; the one, vndertake it so vertuously against the Pope, vpon no other particuler offence, but the meere loue of the truth; the other, follow it so duti­fully, [Page 33]against Pope, Cardinall and all, onely as his fa­thers quarrell, which yet is no such matter; you, I say, which are so great, so noble, so auncient, and so mighty a king, will you not reuenge your fathers death? will you not reuenge your owne quarrel, against one that was but a Cardinall fiue yeares ago? one, that was but a base priest once? It is he, It is he, that speakes in that booke, it is he that made it; Bel­larmin is vnworthy of your anger; He is but a meane instrument, he is but a slaue, and dares not do other­wise then his master bids: The Pope himselfe, the great Lord, the great God, of al, & not Acquaviva, a slaue too, hath viewed it, corrected it, allowed it, caused it to be printed at his owne charges, & vnder his owne nose, least there should be any fault in the print. To what end then, tarry any longer? what will you haue more? when they haue kild you also, you shal no more be able to take reuenge; Take it while you can, and while you may.

Yet am not I of those hot-burning spirits (though a strong Protestant, I confesse) that would set Rome all in blood and fire; and dig vp her foundacions a thousand fathomes vnder the ground. I would haue Rome reformed, not Rome ruyned. And what can the poore walls do withal for the inhabitants sinnes? Yea, I will vnparcially deale with the Pope, and with more kindnes then he dares looke for at any Prote­stants hand. Let euery Prince, according to the law of God, of Nature, and of Nations, establish a good and holy Patriarch within his owne dominions, to whome all his Church men shall answer, & to none els without, and he answer for them; Let the Bishop[Page 34]of Rome reduce himselfe, or be reduced, to that e­state, wherein he was when the Councell of Nicea did graunt it him, and then let him haue the prece­dency of al our Patriarchs, as the ancientest; Let him keepe still the keyes of his owne gates, as an ecclesi­asticall Prince; yea and the sword within his owne scabberd, as a secular Prince to; And let him draw it when he list, and flourish with it, in his owne territo­ries. I am sure this is the best, this is the shortest, way to reforme many abuses, which the reasonabler sort auow are crept into the Churche; the surer way to reconcile that wilfull diuersity of opinions, which hath so long distracted the harts and mindes, yea & the bodies, of Frenchmen, into seuerall factions; bringing your two flocks againe into one folde, and vnder a shepheard of your owne: And there shall not be a Huguenot in Fraunce.

For the Iebuzits (which I wil neuer grace with their vsurped name) If you will not deale with them, as all Christian Princes did once, and at once, and vpon farr lesser reasons, with the poore knight-Templers: If you will not renew that wise sentence of your fa­ther, pronounced against them with his own mouth, yet full of blood when they did beat out his teeth; & rather imitate his hurtful clemency, that call'd them againe to strike at his hart: If you wil not followe the laudable example of that graue Senat & Common-wealth, whose Catholicity none can cal in question: Then at least, at least, & for a great worke of supere­rogation, & transcendency of kindnes, let them be brought vnder a new General of our own Natiō, let them take a new oath to him, he to your Patriacrh,[Page 35]your Patriarch, to your selfe; & so let it be seuerally through al Nations, without hauing any thing, either to medle or correspond one with another.

But Sir, the Tyrant is in such & so long a possessi­on of his vsurped power, as he will thinke these most equall conditions, vniust; and there is no hope of all this to take effect, without the sword: If faire meanes would do it, the better; It is written Beati pacifici, and most happy be they indeed. But if peace cannot be had with peace; If an vncertaine, but honorable, war be to be preferred to a certainly dangerous, but dishonorable, peace; To the sword then, in Gods name & to the fire, if need be: And blessed, ô thrice-blessed be the war & war-makers, whose end is, so happy & desired a peace. But all the fier that can euer be kind­led, all the blood we can euer shed, will not giue vs our king againe; True, but let vs be wise, after the blow at least, since we haue receaued so mighty a one; That which can not bring back HENRY, may preserue LEWIS; you shall make your own life sure, by reuenging the death of your father; and yeeld vn­to whome you owe your selfe, the iustice you owe to all. So Cesar made sure his owne Statues by setting vp againe those of Pompey.

And if any crooked soule, or weake minde, will still wilfully contend, that you are young, and your affaires engaged to other ends; Once more for all I aunswer, whatsoeuer they be, they cannot, they must not, they ought not, to admit other or more conue­nient and necessary ends, then those of your honor, life, and safety, wherein all ours is included, and with yours and ours, that of all Christendome. For[Page 38] [...] [Page 39] [...] [Page 36]your person, I haue shewed, you are great, both for your age, & Kingdome, fauoured besides of heauen and earth in so iust a quarrell; namely of other Prin­ces your good friends and neighbors, all touched in this murther.

KIng, you ô most mighty, most wise, most excel­lent, King of yonder fortunat Ilands, which by nature (as so many little worlds) most fortu­nate in themselues, are yet more fortunate by your gouernment: Bright morning-starre of humane learning, holy Oracle of heauenly wisdome, puri­fied light of the finest and most refined iudgements; vnto whome there is not any crowned head at this day, liuing, but will & must needs stoope in acknow­ledgement of superiority; Thrice worthy Monarch, whose name I need not otherwise set downe, since euen those that most are loath, must needs acknow­ledge you by your own marks. Do you not really, & feelingly lament for our losse? Do you not aboue all take it in deed as your owne? Haue I not often heard you tel it to others? Haue you not often told it to my selfe? Alas! & so very wel you may; Our braue father your deare brother was taken but in exchange; It was but his lot to goe before; The enemies did, & yet at this time do, pretend no lesse against your life. You knowe it of olde by the blessed miscarrying of their hellish plots; and you knew it of late, euen by him­selfe, who more carefull of his friends safety then of his owne (as though he had done enough to warne you) was since negligent in garding himselfe: Mo­narch, o double Monarch, equally ouer soules, by [Page 37]that worth which makes you a king, thogh you had not ben borne so, as ouer bodies by right of blood: Time is now past writing; forbearance, longanimity, clemency, pardon, and all pen-worke are now out of season: the sword, the sword must cut the knots of this busines. They make themselues worthy to write against you, who are most vnworthy you should looke vpon them: And while you striue to cut their taile, contrary to the weakest Serpents, their venom lies in the head. They get a name by being ouer-come by so famous an Aduersary, and yet liue. They dare bite you againe, they dare ruffle your honor, who were better to be ruffled by a hangman, a most fit decyder of their quarrels. Alarum, Alarum, Hee himselfe hath throwen into the Tiber his most lawful weapons (as too kinde) setting all his rest vpon Pauls sword, but S. PAVLS sword, euen that sword of the spirit is ours, and will not cut for him. His sword is but vaine imaginary, blunt, broken, borrowed, though very hurtfull. Yours is your owne, euen the royall, euen the reall, and sharp sword of the iust re­uenge of God, which shall breake his asunder like brittle glasse: and that scepter of yron, which the sonne of the Almighty hath put into your hands, shall crush his in pieces, as a Potters vessell. On, on, sword against sword, let's try which cuts best.

Euen the greatest, euen the best part of Christen­dome, & all the honest Catholicks & not papists wil followe you; who looke for nothing els but to see somebody in the field to break the first yce. Now they grieue, now they are ashamed, to haue bene so long nusled vp in so many grosse errors, now they confes[Page 38]them; now they begin to see somewhat cleere; and where they had of old an Aegiptian darknes before their eies, they haue now but cobweb-lawnes, which yet God will remoue in his good time. Long since haue many great & learned men, earnestly long'd for reformation in their owne Church; who yet affirme they cannot hope for so great a good, vnlesse the Ty­ranny of Rome (for so they sticke not to call it) be put downe. And I might name a great person a­mong them, a true Catholike, Apostolike, and not Roman, of whose worth, and great vertue, not only his owne country, to whome it hath ben most bene­ficiall, but euen Germany, Italy, Flanders, and by re­flection, Spaine, finally England it selfe, takes an ho­norable notice of, with whome talking not long ago after a free opening of the soares of their Church, (which he could not well conceale, otherwise hee would) he tolde me a common saying of his, to shew how freely and honestly soeuer he acknowled­ges the simple truth, he is not crackt in his own be­leefe and religion, That he thankes God with all his hart, that hauing had great dealings at Rome & Ge­neua, and great friends of both sides, yet God hath e­uer kept him, in that truest & surest middle, that he e­uer was a good Catholike & nor a Huguenot or a Lea­guer. I answered him, good my lord, oh! would to God we were all catholiks, after your fashion: & for me, if I were borne so, I would scarce beleeue I could change my religion for a better.

Come then, come out, most noble king, come out by so much the sooner as you see the matter easy; you haue so many men & so many meanes; you are the[Page 39]only Monarch in the world, who can set vp as many & as good, both horse & foot, of his owne subiects, without begging supply, either of Albanians or Ruy­ters, of Landsknechts or Suytzers. And yet, need you not much trouble your selfe; you need not stirre out of your royall Whitehall; There we wil send you the newes of the ruine of your Enemies: Your arms are long enough to chastise them all a farre off; most es­pecially your right Arme, the sonne of your thigh, the flower of your strength, the excellency of your dignity and power. Let's but haue him, let him but haue himselfe, and he will come to vs; let him goe for the publique good of all Christendome, for your interest, for his owne: We haue none else to be the head of our Croisado.

ANd you, young Sunne, rysing to all glory and happynes, hope of the earth, ioy of the sea, eye of the world, wonder of mindes, loue of harts, sweet comfort and delight of mankinde; my most noble, my most braue Prince, all hart; God for­bid I should forbid learning, and lesse in a Prince then in any priuate man, and where it may easily be gotten without hinderance to further and more ne­cessary ends. But thus much I dare say, with their good leaue, who are more wise then I; As times stand now, as vrgent occasions require, you are lear­ned enough for a Prince; and if any Prince in the world euer had lesse need of learning it is your selfe: [Page 40]you shall neuer want it, as long as you giue vp your self wholy to be ruld, as a second wheele, as an inferi­or Globe, by that first Motor, by that heauen of wise­dome, by that matchles Father of yours, which hath learning enough for you both. And let it not grieue you needs to yeeld vnto him in that kinde; It is a wonder scarce seen in many ages, to see a king lear­ned, a wonder that was neuer seen but once, to see a king so learned as he. Our great and our first Fraun­cis had scarce more learning then you, and yet did not leaue to be a great king, & yet did not leaue to be called the great father and restorer of learning. And that great Prince also for whome we now mourne, was he not a great Captaine & a great King, though not a great Scholler? True it is, he euer fauoured true learning where he found it, without any acception of persons, no not of his rebells if they would be re­conciled. And euen in his latter daies (greedy of A­polloes bayes, as of the palmes of Mars) had he not vn­dertaken (I dare say, by the Councell of a great Car­dinall, for all Cardinals are not Iebuzits) to build in euery Citty a great Colledge and free-schoole for all kinde of learning; and to that end hire and gather to himselfe all the famous learned men of Christen­dome? Which royall designe our wise Queene now most aduisedly following, there is a mighty great one already building in Paris, which, euen by antici­pation, some call the Cut-throte of Iesuits. It is enough for a Prince (though otherwise not so extreamely learned himselfe) if onely he fauor learned men; and so he shall be sure neuer to want learning at his need. Once more, farr be it from my thoughts, to diswade[Page 41]learning in a Prince, I know he can scarce fauor lear­ned men, if he haue no learning himselfe; And great Alexander with his braue Grecians, great Cesar with his brauest Romans, tell me, the Souldier who hath it and manages it well, hath a more easy, a more o­pen, a more ready way, and a greater aduantage o­uer him that hath it not, to be a better Soldier; the Captaine, a valianter Captaine; the Prince, a greater Prince. But that it is not so essentially indiuiduall, & vnseparably incident to a King, as without a great a­boundance thereof, he cannot be a great king indeed, and truly performe the duties of his great charge, It is onely that which I stand vpon; A thing whereof the contrary hath ben seen in euery age; And our owne fathers, and we our selues, can yet remember the same.

Do not therefore mold any longer among your bookes, no not among your tiltings and fained com­bats, though otherwise in peace, honorable, de­lightfull, needfull; To horse, to horse, the quarter is broken, the bloody Trumpet hath sounded; True & mortall warre is open. They haue killed your valo­rous God-father, who missed to kill your selfe; yea euen him who by mutual agreement was appointed to be your second father by your first, if the vnhappy blow had lighted vpon him: so assured were these two great Princes, & greater friends, that their liues were sought. It is time, it is high time to put on your Armour, and make your Enemies and ours, iustly to feele the smart which so much they feare, and by so vniust meanes seeke to preuent. Our young LEWIS will not be long after you, and though he can not[Page 42]yet accompany you hand in hand, (as he would, if we would let him) in the thickest throng of the ene­mies, to scatter and ouerthrow them, both vpon a couple of their best Gennets, both in like Armor, both in huge mighty feathers, all blacke with their burnt blood at the cōming out of the battell, white before for your mutuall loue and faith; yet he wil not be farre off, He will visit you in your Campe if need be; And will euen glory and ioy, to lend his tender hand to gird your sword when you goe out, meete you on horsebacke when you come in, bring you victorious vnder your Tent againe, and weeld your bloody sword after the battell, as if he thought by that to enter into part of your glory, as the profit must needs be common.

The noble presidents of your royall Ancetors, yea in the very time of their thickest darkenes ought to moue you. Do you not amōg many heare the migh­ty voice of that braue Coeur de Lyon, a French man by father and mother, and the first Prince, orderly born English, since the conquest? How strongly doth he call vpon you? How farre went he to conquer the holy land? How many daungers, how many trou­bles, how many paines, did he passe and ouercome? But now, since it is Gods pleasure, the holy land is by two third parts neerer then it was then; A most fit, a most holy, a most easy subiect of your conquest. And wil you not take the crosse on you to go thither, now in this shining brightnes of the Gospell? There is no more a doe but go and take possession. And what land now in the world, more sacer, more holy, then holy Rome, which hath ben so much watred[Page 43]by so much holy blood of so many Saints and Mar­tyrs? Behold, and why els doth shee call herselfe Romala Santa, he Padre Santo, or his holynes?

GReat men, if you be but, men & not worthy of a higher title, whose braines harbor so much wisdome; whoso breasts, so much temperance, iustice & faithfulnes, vertues so rare now adaies, any­where els; which haue wrought in the world the on­ly miracles of these latter times; fauorits of heauen, spirits of lead, of brasse, of hard steele, purer then the very gold, seauenty times refined in the fornace; who (as it were) fetching euery yeare, by thousands, whole ships laden with a new wisedome out of India, are wiser then their auncient Gymnosophists: you that shaking off a most cruell, and yet more vn­iust yoke, are risen from a base and seruile bondage, now to be equall with Princes, by your owne hands making your selues such as you would be, & setting a most lawfull bound to your high desires (as though anything besides your selues were not worth your ambition) were contented to haue but your owne selues; Generous Helots, farr better and more noble then your proud Lacedemonians. If euer you did kindely and faithfully helpe vs at our neede; If euer our great king did Kindly, faithfully, and gratefully, helpe you againe at yours, if vertue liue euen after death, and a loyall loue grounded vpon the same to so royall a friend: Come, come, ioyne hands with vs; Our case, our cause is your owne; your strong bull worke, the Rampier of Christendome, hath ben most vnluckily throwen downe; Ere it be long, the[Page 44]enemy will giue you a furious, if not trecherous, as­sault. And euen though you would, though you could, forbeare loue to others, yet shew now your wisdome for your selues, if euer you had any. You al­so peereles couple of Princely bretheren, both flo­rishing in age, much more in worthy and warlike deeds; you great, not Citty-razer, as the other was, but Citty-rayser, strong Nestor, wise Aiax, the ho­nour of armes, the loue of Souldiers; now without controuersie the first Captaine in the world: your taske is not yet at an end: To the field, to the fire, to the sword once more, as glorious as I haue seen you many times; the sicknes is more sharp then euer, it is in relaps. And you martial Henry, Henry, doth not your hart rise, at that great name? Doe you not remem­ber who gaue it you? as though our great HENRY would not grace with it other then great Princes, and such as he fore-knew, would be most worthy of the same. Henry, if yet you remember his personall kindnes to you; Henry, if yet you haue a drop of French blood, of that right noble blood of that high: Admirall your Grandfather, in his time the Cap­taine of Captaines: And after these high respects, if priuate ones may take place, If yet you remēber these innocent plaies, but still sauouring of warre or lear­ning, wherby we were wont to recreate and stirr vp your minde, while you were a childe; If yet you re­member your many promises, so kindly made to me since you are a man; Vp, vp, I lay downe al particular pretentions, I claime all for the publique; Come & auenge the death of your royall God-father, & with­all, remember your owne father was killed so: And [Page 45]that a trayterous murtherer euen before you saw, did for euer bereaue you of the sight of that most excel­lent Prince, who had giuen you the power of seing; and whome to haue seen, so many eyes would haue thought themselues most happy.

IMperiall Princes, right honest Sycambrians, our an­cient Bretheren, from whome when we departed, with dint of sword to get vs a new habitation, hap­py we, if we had not left our integrity & plainenes be­hinde, or rather had kept aswel as you, that which in­deed we brought with vs! Happy soules, blessed rem­nant of the golden age, if euer you pittied our hard case, who thinking to conquer other mens lands, lost our owne mindes, and were ouercome euen by those we ouercame; If there remain in you any spark of that ancient loue which once made vs all Germans, when we liued vnder the same heauen: But if old re­spects serue not, if that feruent loue our most Chri­stian King did so lately witnes vnto you, who set vp so great an army, endangered his whole estate, ventured his owne life, lost it, euen in your quarrell, and for your sakes; if the help we brought you at so fit a time, if the neuer enough lamented damage we suffer yet, and shall suffer longer, for your occasion, can be of some effect in your noble harts: Come, come, and let vs all gather, as one man, to reuenge our common losse, & preuent the common euill; for though o­therwise the losse must still be of our side, yet looke how much your dearest honour remaines ingaged[Page 46]therein. And you braue Ernest of Brandenburgh, Illustri­ous Prince, whose princely aspect told me once you were such, when most you would haue hid it, and for your better concealement, made me an hundred times sit at the vpper end of your table, while I told you as often, I was scarce good enough to waite at it: Neuertheles did it, though with a willing kinde of shame and vnwillingnes, when you commaunded me once for all, it must needs be so. If euer you loued our nation in generall, If euer most especially you admired, and protested affection to that hart-raui­shing Prince, as many times as I brought you to the sight of him, as a priuate Gentleman, If euer you re­peated at night with loue and passion, that which you heard, that which you saw of him that day: Ernest, I earnestly beseech, Ernest, I earnestly adiure you, And with you, and in you, and by you, all your most noble house, and those of your princely name, Come out to reuenge the publique iniury; And let me see you at the fore-front of our Croisade; No Princes haue such an interest in this quarrell, nor among them, any so much as your selfe.

VVOrthily worthy, and all praise-worthy Heroes, True remnant of those old euer­liuing Troians, who inuincible to all force, had neuer dyed, if subtilty and treason, the worse, because masked with Religion, had not surprised their simply-honest soules, and sooner burn'd their bodies, then ouercome their mindes; [Page 47]you that now trenched within your owne waters, (as it were for feare of an other such accident) where also neuer any body could come to hurt you, no bo­dy can; And euen when that great Deluge of the Gothes spred it selfe round about you, were left to your selues, safely swimming in your land-no-land, or rather so many Ilands; Sacred Ephores, sharp-sigh­ted Areopagits, graue Senate, who not to haue one King, subiect in a deadly stroke to wound all his sub­iects, haue a Prince, as it were in name only, but are so many Kings your selues, and Kings indeed, since you commaund Kingdomes; which yet you should command in no lesse quantity, then once that aunci­ent Monarcichall Common-wealth, (a part of your Type) seeing your MarTial power, is no lesse then theirs, if your Marcial equitie had not made you as moderate, as they were greedy; Truly sonnes of Mars in deed, for valour; Truly children of Marc, for piety; and againe, of Mercury, for industry & riches. If euer you remember that auncient alyance between both our States, If euer you remember the recent loue & true friendship of the fourth his offers & endeauours to you, and for you, when the third and the fift see­med to plott your ruyne; If you haue, euen of late, felt the sharpe stings of that Tyrannicall ambition; seen and felt trayterous murthers within your own bowels, though not against your King (when you haue none) yet against your best men, and those that most soundly haue maintayned your Kingly autho­rity; If the innocent wounds, of that learned wise, and good Padre Paolo, yet aliue in spight of their hart; If the holy ashes, yet almost hot, of that happy[Page 48]martyr, your worthy Fulgentio, burned in yonder hilly Citty, for that quarell, though vpon other farr fetched, fayned and most false pretences; If the roy­all blood of your greatest, of your best friend, crye yet aloud Vengeance, Vengeance, in your eares: Come, come, braue and wise men, shake hands with so many and so great Princes, Be none of the last to take the Crosse on you; The matter is of State, not of Religion: And let not that staine, for the first time, be cast on your spotles name, that you once forsooke your friends, euen fighting for your quarel, as much as for theirs; that you once forsooke your owne selues. And when was such a thing euer seen, either in you or others? Come, come, I say, you shall be still as good Catholicks, as you were afore, if not better; They tremble already for feare, They are ours; And though they cannot stand against vs, and though (thanks be to God) we haue no need of more help, hauing equitie, strength, valour, riches, and all ad­uantages of our side, yet we call, yet we summon you, not to exclude you of your part of the glory.

Conclusiō, to the yoūg King of Fraunce.NOw Sir, if any will yet grudge, saying, I take to much vpon me, and that yourselfe and all those great Princes are wise, & ready enough in that which concerneth them, without neede ei­ther of my counsell or summoning. First I say, I pray God, in this sence, I may be a needles Herald in­deed, and you gather your selues without calling, though otherwise truth be euer truth, well besee­ming[Page 49]and to be followed, in any mans mouth. For the rest, I am neither a Councellor, nor worthy to be so, but a silly worme, and poore Soldier as once I was, I am a piece, not only of your State, but of the Christian Common-wealth; and as a feeling (though vnprofitable) member of that great bodie, interessed in the losse of so excellent and needfull a head: by so much the more as I euer preferred the publike good, before my priuate welfare; the honor of my Coun­try, before my perticular aduancement; and the life of my Soueraigne and of all good Christian Kings, aboue mine owne, & all others of my neerest & dee­rest kindred: who yet being already crosse-signed, and the least of an hundred thousand which are ready to crosse-signe themselues for so lawfull and so gene­rall a cause, when either by this my summoning, or some other more effectuall meanes, I see a iust army in the field, am most ready to embrace againe my auncient profession, which I had forsworn; to scowre my old weapons, rusty with our [...]ong peace, which I thought neuer to vse againe; And taking in hand my sharpest speare of all, most boldly venture my life, as farr as any; most happy to be lost in this quarrell, the right quarrell of God and Gods annoynted.