HEnry by the grace of God King of Fraunce and Nauarre, to all men present and to come, greeting: Whereas since it pleased God to call vs to this Crowne, our prin­cipall desire and intent whereat we haue leuelled all our actions, hath tended only to the establish­ment of a good and assured peace within this our Realme, to the end that all disorders, violence and miseries of warre ceasing, God might bee serued ac­cording to his holy commandements: and the autho­ritie of our lawes and iustice restored, vnder the pro­tection whereof the three estates of our Kingdome might quietly and peaceably enioy such thinges as iustly vnto them doe appertaine. For the compassing whereof we haue (as it is well knowne) imployed whatsoeuer our habilities, our bloud, yea euen our life, nothing regarding death in respect of such re­proch and infamie, as iustly wee might be charged withall, in case we should endure the wrongful vsur­pation and dissipation which some men doe presume to make in this our Crowne of Fraunce. To the end therfore not to omit any thing cōsisting in the power [Page 2] of a good Prince, that may tend to the restoring of the so long expected, so necessarie & desired vnion, peace and tranquilitie among our Subiects, we haue with much patience supported, and in respect of common commoditie pardoned the offences and rash enterpri­ses of diuers, who (were it not for this respect) haue deserued to be chastised and repressed with most grie­uous, rigorous and exemplarie punishments. In con­sideration hereof, after all our victories, we haue par­doned & giuen life to those that leuelled at ours: And in regard of the great compassion that wee haue ta­ken of the capitall Cittie of our Realme, and to the end to eschew the sacke thereof, and to saue the bloud of many good Citizens, who were no partakers in the cursed driftes of the fauourers of this rebellion, wee haue chosen rather to frustrate our selues of that obedience that vnto vs is due, then to see the inno­cent inhabitantes, the women and yong children, to­gether with so many beautifull buildinges exposed to the violence, rage, and fury of fire and sworde. Wee haue therefore vppon the causes and considerations aforesaid, in the moneth of Iuly last, agreed and con­discended to a generall truce, for three monethes, du­ring which time the Deputies of the Faction of our disobedient Subiectes, haue giuen vs to vnderstand and assured vs, that speedely they would sende to the Pope, to haue his good aduice vppon such resolution as they were to take for the conclusion of a good and stedfast Peace, and reconciliation of vs, who are their King and naturall Prince. Wherein also for their partes they haue most expresly promised to im­ploy [Page 3] themselues with all loyalty and affection, for the restoring of the Peace of this Land, which made vs the more ready to yeeld to the said Truce, albeit wee were sufficiently enformed of such disaduantages as otherwise vnto them might arise, also that in matter of armes, wee had them farre on the hippe: yea and that during the said conference, wee had perforce ta­ken the Towne and Castell of Dreux, euen in the face of the principall Leaders of their Faction. Notwith­standing the assistaunce of the Spanish Protectors: as also that we wanted no meanes so to oppresse the saide Cittie of Paris, that the want of victuals should in the end haue counselled them to shake off the yoke of those, who for many yeares had tyrannized, and insolently abused their miserable patience. To all the which notwithstanding wee of our authoritie did yeeld, the rather in respect of the Pope, whome wee wished to be euery way satisfied, & to be truely enfor­med of our actions and behauiour, to whome also we purposed to haue recourse, to lay open our greuances, and to craue his aide, fauour, and assistance: and to the same effect had chosen our deere and well belo­ued Cosen, the Duke of Neuers, a Prince accompli­shed with all vertues, endewed with wisedome, pie­tie, and good desertes, who preferring the seruice of God, and benefite of this Estate, before the discom­modities of his health, and the daungers and tedi­ousnesse of the way, hath cheerefully vndertaken the voyage toward him: But as for the Deputies of the said Faction, who so assuredly promised with all dili­gence to send, we haue not perceiued that during the [Page 4] saide three monethes of Truce, they euer made any accompt to depart. Further, albeit that since the con­clusion of the said Truce of three monethes, we haue in all their actions founde in manner no desire to reestablish the publike Peace of this Realme, of the spoyle whereof they purpose to clothe themselues, and to grow ritch with the goods and bloud of all good and loyall Frenchmen: with all, that there is come to our handes a certaine Oath, taken by the principal of that Faction, almost at the very time that they signed the saide Truce, and had promised faith­fully to deale, and to consider of the meanes, how to conclude a good Peace, and to reconcile themselues vnto vs, and to that end, to send to Rome for the good and wise aduise of the Pope: the saide Oath impor­ting that they should neuer treate of any Peace or a­greement with vs, wherein they suffered themselues to bee so farre carried away with the passions of the King of Spaynes agents, that they reserued not so much as the Popes authoritie, to whome they pro­mised to send: we were therewith grieued, and pro­uoked, accordinge to the exigence of the case: All which notwithstanding, vpon their desire to prolong the Truce for twoo monethes more. vz. to the ende of the moneth of December last, shewing vs that it was vnpossible vppon our refusall of this delay, for their Deputies to come to Rome time inough to be at y^e re­solution, which might be there taken for the revnion of our Subiectes to our obedience, we vpon a desire to iustifie whatsoeuer our actions in the presence of the Pope preferring our purposed respect vnto him [Page 5] before our owne profite, and the suretie of our affaires which we much hindered and prolonged, by reason of the said delayes and prolonginges of the Truce, wee yet graunted them the same for the monethes of No­uember and December. Howbeit gathering by the small desire that they had to see an ende of the mise­ries of this Realme, together with the authoritie that vniustly they haue vsurped ouer a parte thereof: iud­ging also by the delayes, so artificially by them pro­cured, that in all likelyhood they tended onely to pro­long the calamities of France, and to assure to them­selues the wrongfull vsurpation of the townes and Prouinces by them possessed. We vpon these causes hauing referred all these matters to the consideration & mature deliberation of the Counsel, haue resolued to deny them the prorogation of the said Truce, for the monethes of Ianuary, February, and March, which they craued with such instance, as we had cause iustly to beleeue, that such pursuite neuer tended to grow to any good conclusion of Peace, but rather to tempo­rize vntill the Spanish forces might arriue in our frontiers of Picardy, by whose comming into the Realme, they mighte haue the better oportunitye to prosecute warre against vs, to the destruction of our good & loyal Subiectes: which God of his holy grace would not permit, who hath opened our eyes to see, (by such their missiues as haue bene intercepted,) in­to their wicked deuises, and obstinate resolution to mainetaine a perpetuall mischiefe within this our Kingdome: his deuine clemency hauing taken into his especiall protection the defence of our iust cause, [Page 6] and enspired the hartes of an infinite number of our good vassalls and Subiectes, to acknowledge the duety wherein they are naturally bound vnto vs, as appeereth by the comming in within these three mo­nethes into our obedience of the townes of Meaux, Lyons, Orleans, Bourges, Pontoise and others, among all others shal neuer be forgotten the happy comming in of our good towne of Paris, the head Cittie of this Realme, which happened the two and twentieth of March, with such clemency, pollicy, good order and moderation, that not so much as one onely Citizen can iustly complaine of any iniury or offence against him any way committed: where the entry of our Ar­my shewed no discontentment, but rather resembled the ioyfull entry heretofore made by the Kinges our predecessors at their comming to the crowne, in that the ioy and applause of the people, vppon the sight of their so long desired King, were no whit lesse then if they had euen then enioyed the like surety, as by these presents is vnto them graunted of our grace, fauor, and protection, with forgetfullnesse of all thin­ges past, and assurance that we will neuer put in ob­liuion the desertes of such as in our seruice haue made shew of their vertue and stedfastnesse. The conside­ration hereof, together with the especiall goodnesse wherewith (vpon this occasion) it hath pleased God to fauour vs, hath, and still doeth bind vs more then any other mortall creature, to imagine, and continu­ally to deuise how we may make our actions and be­hauiours agreeable before the holy maiestie of his de­uine prouidence, who as hee surpasseth in goodnesse [Page 7] and clemency, whatsoeuer the spirite of man is able to comprehend, so hath he voutchfafed to leaue vnto vs as an instruction and testimony, the example and woord of his sonne Iesus Christ, to testifie vnto vs that whosoeuer will be accompted his children, must forget others transgressions. Vpon this occasion ac­knowledging that nothing is vnto vs a greater wit­nesse that wee are made to the likenesse of God, then courtesie and gentlenesse, freely forgetting all passed offences and transgressions: We haue, and by these presentes doe declare, that wee haue, and doe accept into our fauour, the Citizens, dwellers, and inhabi­tants of our good towne of Paris: Of our especiall fa­uour and autority royall, we haue and doe abolish all matters happened in the said towne during, and by occasion of these present troubles, wee will and or­daine, that the same doe remaine suppressed, aboli­shed, extinguished, and taken as thinges neuer hap­pened: and to that effect with the aduice of the Prin­ces and Lordes of our Counsell about vs we haue or­deined and decreed these thinges ensuing.

1 First we will and ordeine according to the Edict of pacification established by the late King our deere brother and Lord in the yeare 1577. together with the Declarations since by vs made for the obseruati­on of the same, that within the Citty and Suburbes of Paris, and within tenne leagues round about, de­termined by the said Edict, there shall be no exercise of any other then the Romish Religion: We doe also expresly forbid all maner of persons, vnder the paines in our Decrees contained, not to molest or disquiet the [Page 8] Clergie in the celebration of diuine seruice, in the en­ioying or receiuing of the fruites, and reuenues of their benefices, or of any other the rights or duties vnto them appertaining, whereof to that purpose wee haue, and by these presents doe giue the ful possession. Also our wil and intent is, that whosoeuer since these troubles haue seased vpon any Churches, houses, goods or reuenues appertaining to the said Clergie, resident within the diocesse of Paris, as well of such as are resident in our saide towne, as elsewhere throughout our Realme, and which doe detaine or occupie the same, shall redeliuer vnto them the full possession and free vse of the same, together with all rights, liberties and priueledges that they enioyed before they were disseased of the same.

2 Also for a more full and perpetuall declaration of the singular affection and loue that we beare to our good towne of Paris, we haue remitted, reintegra­ted, and restored, and doe remit, reintegrate and re­store the same to all her auncient priuiledges, rights, graunts, franchizes, liberties and freedomes wher­with she hath heretofore beene endued by the Kinges our predecessors, all which we doe by these presents a new graunt, confirme and continue the same to vse, and from henceforth to enioy well and duely as in times past and before these present troubles, as well in all matters concerning the vniuersitie, the body and towne house, the prouost of Marchaunts, the Shriuewicke and officers of the same, as all other bodies, Colledges and Commonnalties of whatsoeuer title or qualitie, which heretofore and be­fore [Page 9] the said troubles haue bene established.

3 To the end also to take away all cause of enqui­ries, processes & quarels in time to come, vpon occasion of any thing happened, during the said troubles: vp­on a more ample declaration of our will concerning the discharge and abolishment afore contained, wee haue ordained and decreed, and by these presents doe ordaine and decree, that the remembrance of whatso­euer hath passed in the said towne of Paris and ther­abouts, so farre as the same may concerne the saide inhabitaunts and others that were present in the towne at the yeelding of the same, who shall within eight daies after the publication of these presents, ex­hibite their othes and promises contained in our de­claration heretofore published in our Parliament at Paris, from the beginning of these present troubles, & vpon occasion of the same vnto this day, shall remaine extinct and quenched, as well for taking of armes, sur­prize of Townes, forcing of townes, Castles, houses or fortresses, razng of the same, leuying of Coyne of the recepts generall or particular, of Tenthes, Gable, and sale of Salt, taxes imposed vpon the same, and all other impositions and leuie of Coyne, as wel in the said towne as neere there about, all treaties and for­raine imposition exacted vpon wares, Marchan­dize, Victuals, casting of Ordinaunce and Bullets, making of Poulder & Saltpeter with other instru­ments of warre, coyning of mony, practisings & leuies of Souldiers, conducts and exployts of the same, leagues, negotiations and treaties either in the Realme or without, sale of mooueables, selling of [Page 10] woods, either vnderwood or Timber, amends, boo­ties, raunsomes or any other acts of hostilitie: And generally all other thinges that haue beene done, wrought and negotiated after whatsoeuer forme or manner, publike or priuate, during these present trou­bles or by occasion of the same: So as neither the said inhabitaunts, neither any of them shall from hence­forth be troubled, molested, disquieted or sifted in any maner or sort whatsoeuer: Willing that to that effect they remaine quit and discharged, and in such cases imposing perpetuall silence to all our atturnies gene­ral or any other Parsons whatsoeuer. Our meaning also is, and (expresly) we doe enioyne them that they giue ouer all Leagues, treatise, assotiacions, practi­ses or intelligences as well within the Realme as without, that may any way be repugnant to our au­thoritie, vnder paine to be punished as guiltie of trea­son. Likewise for the auoiding of all occasions of qua­rell or debate that may arise among our Subiects, we haue inhibited and forbidden, and by these pre­sents doe inhibit and forbid them any way to iniury, reproch, offend or prouoke one an other, either by deede or word for any thing passed or during these troubles, enioyning them to continue themselues, and to liue quietly together as good brethren, friends and fellow Citizens vnder the obseruation of our Edicts, vpon paine to all offenders presently to bee punished without farther forme of law or processe as disturbers of the common quiet.

4 Furthermore we will & ordaine that all arrests commissions, and executions of the same, all decrees, [Page 11] sentences, iudgments, contracts, and al iudicial acts passed betweene parties of one faction, and between all such as voluntarily haue gone to law as well in Soueraigne courtes, in the prouostie of Paris, in the presidiall Sea, and in other courts and iurisdictions of the said towne, prouostship and vicomptie during the said troubles, shall be good and in force: Neither shall there be any enquirie taken vpon executions of death that haue passed by the authoritie of iustice or course of warre and commandement of leaders. Also as concerning decrees, sentences and iudgments graunted against the absent of contrarie factions, whether in criminall courtes or ciuill, or in any the Soueraigne courtes of this Realme or the iurisdicti­ons of the same, they shall remaine voide and of none effect vpon any cause or occasion whatsoeuer: Like­wise all iudgements passed against the Countie Brissar in respect of the partie that he followed, shal be cancelled and reuoked, as also shall bee whatsoeuer giftes by vs or our predicessors of any the goods to him appertaining made or granted, & that in conside­ration of the great Loyall and most commendable seruice done to vs & to the whole estate of the Realme, in reducing of the good towne of Paris vnto our obe­dience. Also as concerning all executions of death passed against any the inhabitants for any matter depending vpon the said troubles, our will and mea­ning is that the saide executions shall be no way pre­iudicial to the honor or memory of the dead: Also that such confiscations as our attournies haue or may pre­tend vnto, shall take no place to the preiudice of their [Page 12] widdowes children and heires.

5 We will and our pleasure is, that all the said in­habitants that shall performe the said promises, sub­mission and Oath, shall reenter into the enioying of their goods, offices, dignities and demaines whatso­euer situated or being, wherein we reuoke all giftes and graunts of any such things that may be preiudi­ciall to those to whom they did appertaine, or to their widdowes, and heyres.

6 In consideration of seazures heretofore made vpon the goods, inhearitances, rents and reuenues of the said inhabitants of Paris, or elsewhere within the said prouostship or vicoumpt, who shall fulfill the said promises and submissions, in whatsoeuer place the said goods be situate or remaining, they shall re­maine voide: And we doe graunt to the saide inhabi­tants ful and perfect recouery of the said seazures and haue acquitted and restored vnto them whatsoeuer may be vnto vs due in respect of the same, notwith­standing whatsoeuer graunts that may bee passed, which we haue cancelled and reuoked, and by these presents doe cancell and reuoke, without respect of a­ny promises or bondes not discharged, made by the labourers or fermers as well to the graunts as to the Commissaries and Fermers in law, which are and shall stand voide: Also as concerning Debts or credit due to the said inhabitants, our pleasure is that with respect of gifts that therof may haue bene granted, al which we haue, and doe cancell and reuoke, they may compell or cause to bee compelled all such as are to them bound by bond, promise, Obligation or setting [Page 13] ouer to pay in like forme as they might haue done be­fore the said troubles.

7 All prouisions of Offices graunted by the Duke of Mayenne shal remaine voide and of no effect. How­beit such as haue obtained the said prouisions by the death or resignation of such as haue beene of their owne faction (except the estate of presidents in our Soueraigne courts) shall bee continued in the saide Offices by our letters of prouision, which to that end shall be dispatched vnto them, without paying any thing as also shall be continued in like forme all new Officers by vs erected in matter of salte, that haue purchased their prouisions of the Duke of Mayenne, which also shall remaine voide and of no effect.

8 Such as by the Duke of Mayenne haue bene pro­moted to benefices not consistoriall, being within the saide Cittie voide by death shall bee continued in the same by taking of vs their dimissories necessarie, whereby such as they haue had from the Duke of Mayenne shal rest voide and of no effect.

9 In respect of such the inhabitants as were not in the towne at the yeelding of the same, wheresoeuer they were or might be, they shall enioy the like benefit as others that were presēt, in case within one month after the publication of these presents they doe come in, and make the said submissions and promise to liue vnder our obedience.

10 All such inhabitants as vnder our Pasports shall depart the towne and betake them into any o­ther parts of our obedience, bearing them selues mo­destly and committing nothing repugnant to the fi­delitie [Page 14] they owe vnto vs, vpon their submissions and promises afore mentioned, shall enioy their goods without trouble or molestation,

11 For the ease of the saide inhabitants, during this present yeare, the Debters of set rents shall not be compelled to paie more of their arreareges quar­terly then the yearely stint, without preiudice to other former arreareages, for the which there shall be order set downe, as much to the ease of euery man as may be.

12 That the accompts made at Paris during the troubles by any that were accomptable before the officers of accompts there resident, shall not be subiect to the reuiew, but onely in case of ordinance.

13 We meane not notwithstanding in these pre­sents to comprize any thing committed in forme of thefte or without aduowe: In consideration whereof we haue permitted and doe permit vnto euery man all free libertie by course of law to seeke their remedie as they shall thinke good, as also we doe except all such as shall be found guiltie of the horrible murder committed on the Parson of the late king our deere Lord & brother or of any conspiracie against our life: As also all trespasses and transgressions punishable betweene men of one selfe faction.

We doe therefore commaund our deare and trusty Chauncellor, the officers of our Crowne, all Dukes and Peeres of Fraunce and all the Lords of our Counsell and the ordinarie maisters of requests of our house, to the same end by vs appointed and deputed, to cause these presents to be read, published, and en­rowled [Page 15] in the registers of our courte of Parliament, in our Chamber of accompts, in our courte of Aides, in our generalls of Moneys and in all other places expe­dient: Willing and commaunding that the contents of the same be inviolably kept and obserued, and that notwithstanding whatsoeuer oppositions, appellati­ons, edicts, declarations, arrests, iudgements, let­ters, precepts prohibitions and other matters hereto contrarie, to all which in respect hereof we haue and by these presents doe derogate together withall dero­gatories of derogatories thereunto contrarie. For to the end the same may remaine firme and stedfast for euer, we haue to these presents Signed with our hand, set our Seale, giuen at Paris in the Moneth of March the yeare of grace 1594. and of our Raigne the fifth.