MY Liege, I had made my selfe ready to write of the Pomps and Royalties at the Coronation of the Queene, from which pur­pose I am so altered, that I am at this time bound to speake of the [Page] great griefe of Fraunce, and of the faithful­nesse of the French Nation. But it greeues me to represent that vnto you, which is too much in your memory: yet the King your father hath left such an estimation of his life, that I cannot refuse the last duties of my pen.

It is true that there should be an Apelles to paint worthily so great and conquering an Alexander▪ and therfore I beare the prai­ses of his Palmes, to them that shall sit downe to write of his victories? if there can be a pen found to flie as farre as the brute of his armes, and the renowne of them doth sound. And if a tongue could haue as many good sayings, as this Prince had va­lour and clemencie to conquer and pardon his enemies, how many tongues could be heard of your subiects, that haue felt the fruites of the peace, the which his courage procured them, and which his grace pre­ferred them vnto? The remembrance of which, should call them to come and wa­ter his Toombe with their teares, and then [Page] render the testimonie of their faithfulnesse to your Maiestie, and beginning, by their plaints for their losses, an acknowledge­ment of the lawfulnesse of your succession.

My Liege, as the birds testifie by their silence the displeasure they haue, by the losse of the sunne, and how they doe salute the Spring, like reioycing Citizens with their melodious harmony; euen so your Sub­iects proue the iust sorrowes that they ap­prehend by the death of his Maiestie, and come at the beginning of your Reigne, cry­ing for ioy, Viue le Roy, long Liue the king.

And you, Lady, if you can promise to your selfe, that you may giue truce to your griefes, marke the losse of your Spouse, and the zeale of the Princes of your kingdome, that hauing no sooner seen the lying down of the king your husband, but are as soone come to salute the rising vp of your sonne, as their Soueraigne.

The Princes (I do not name them) haue beene the first that haue offered him their swords, so recommendable are the effects [Page] that haue beene seene, vnder whose defence he is so strengthned, they by him so suppor­ted, & all France defended, that not a heart that neede to feare, if heauen doe not fall.

The Officers of the Crowne, the Peeres of France, and all the noble French (that all other Nations may take example to o­bey their Prince) they haue witnessed cou­ragiously, that death hath had no power to shake their constancie and fidelity.

The chiefe of Iustice and the soueraigne Senate haue found & acknowledge, that you shewed them pitty, when you had all might to commaund.

And hee that hath the gouernment of policy, hath put order to disorder, that where it did appeare, the whole world was resolued to weepe for the dead Prince, they are now as ready to honour the liuing.

And you Frenchmen, that are come frō all parts, to see the Coronation of your Queene, are the eye-witnesses of her esta­blishment, the which you haue beheld ce­lebrated in greater glory and pompe, then [Page] you could imagine, on Thursday the thir­teenth of May (according to the French computation) yet you haue seene her on Friday the fourteenth following, in a more violent affliction, then may be named or expressed.

They then that had the curiosity to see her triumph on the one day, cannot chuse but haue compassion, to behold her wi­dowhood on the next.

But great calmes are euer the fore-run­ners of great stormes. The Marriners are not proud to make their sailes swell with a prosperous winde, neither loose they their courage in the violence of tempest. So, as you haue looked with great modesty on the Coronation of your Queene, regard her losse with constancie, and let the thought of obedience neuer slide from your duties; whereby it may appeare that the Vnion of France is a terror to all other Nations: that you can conquer, as well as fight, & know how to giue law to your enemies with force, as you can take it from your king with humility.

[Page] And that this may serue you as a proofe, that you haue had the most valiant king, the most mercifull, the most wise, and the most iudicious that euer was beloued of his people, feared of his enemies, and ad­mired of all the world: It is your duties, & by your duty a benefit to desire, that his Sonne succeede him in his perfections, as well as in his kingdomes; that the vertue of the Queene, established as Regent in those kingdomes, do supply the youth of the king, and he with her prudence make good to Fraunce the promises by the birth of a Son. In the meane time we shall endour cō ­plaining for him, whose losse we begin to find, and tell this history to our posterity.

In Paris the chiefe city of France, whom al Prouinces doe owe homage vnto, for the meruailes which be found in her, being more properly to be termed, & more soo­ne to be found, a little world, then a great City; A miserable Assasin, and a damnable Parricide, borne at Angoulesme, named Francis Rauaillart, hath bereaued vs of the Father of our Patrimonie, taken away the [Page] Pearle of kings, and vndone vs of the perfe­ction of the world.

This villaine, who hauing beene preuen­ted of the violence of this fatall blow, and the fury of his intent in foure seuerall attempts, by the protection of the highest & vigilance of his Guards, the Friday the fourteenth of May, waighting his opportunity, he found him in his Caroche in the end of the streete of Fer­ronnerie, who seeing the Caroche stayd by the meeting of a Caroche and a Cart, as the King should passe, he came out of a shop, where he had kept himselfe against the kings cōming, although somewhat distracted in shewe of face before the attempt, and so came to the Caroche where his Maiesty was, & as he was then in earnest talke with other Peeres, who were then present in company with him, & himselfe dreadles of such an imminent dan­ger, leaning on the Columne, hee gaue him two blowes with a knife, with so suddaine an executiō, that the murther was sooner found then the murtherer: yet in the end by diligent search he was taken, and the king caried back to the Louu're, with the teares of the Lords, & receaued with plaints at his cōming back.

[Page] The Counsell rose, all the City was in an vprore at this vntimely accident, while his Guards with a mournful diligence, came and yeelded themselues before the Louu're, to re­ceaue (& be ordred by) the commandements of the Counsell, which appointed vnto them this especiall charge, that they should let none passe but the Princes of the bloud, & men of eminent place. Then came the Soul­diers and Court of Guard, offering volunta­rily both their Armes and liues, and to com­plaine & mourne the most monstrous mur­ther of their deceased king, and for the firme establishing of the liuing Prince his sonne.

On Saterday the fifteenth of May (accor­ding to the French computation) the young Prince Lewes the thirteenth, and of the off-spring of S. Lewes, did transport himself cloa­thed in purple to S. Augustines, where the Court of Parliament had formerly been kept, concerning the Coronation of the Queene, and the former triumph. When being set in his Chaire of Iustice, he was proclaimed king in the presence of the Queene mother, being set by his side, vailed ouer in a vayle of blacke Cypresse, assisted with foure Cardinals, foure [Page] Peeres of the Church, sundry Bishops, Pre­lates, & some princes of the bloud, and other princes who were then resident in Court, the Constable of France, diuers Dukes, the Mar­shall of France, officers of the crowne, and gouernours of the prouinces, where was de­clared by an act, pronounced by the mouth of the Lord chancelour, by the aduice of the cardinals, the princes, peeres, and Lords heereupon named and of this Court of parliament, that the Queene receaued the ti­tle of Queene mother regent of Fraunce, for the gouernment of the king her sonnes bo­dy, his kingdomes, and his needfull affaires. After which, the gates were opened, that the people might see the yong king in his throne. When Mounsiere Seruin the kings Attourney generall, made an admonishing Oration to the people vpon the businesse in hand, and in especiall of the good that France should re­ceaue by the gouernment of the said Queene, concluding that what was past should be no­tified in the prouinces, and withall requiring them [...]o pray, that God may preserue vs our king Lewes. And that his age may make him gather the fruits of our obedience, wee do sweare him so [...] [...]ulnes of constancie [Page] and of zeale, that we find we haue more paine in the speaking of it, then we know we shall haue in the executing of it.

And to begin in good time, let vs in his glory pray that he may in good time come to the protection of Christ, and in this hope we must bee contributarie with teares on the Hearce of the dead King, since the will of hea­uen doth leade vs thither, saying, that since he hath dealt with vs like a father and like a prince, we entreate of the diuine Maiestie, that hauing established him to be a shield to his people, it would please him to receiue him to his glory. And as hee forgaue them that had offended him, so he will forgiue him his offences, vsing his mercies sooner, then his Iustice, that hauing had so many and so faire victories in the world, both in forraine Countries and at home, hee may bee yet victorious raigning in heauen, and hauing en­ioyed the peace of so flowrishing an Empire, he may enioy the felicitie of the happy.

After which, let vs offer our vowes and our suffrages, for the continuing prosperity both of the king and the Queene, that it may please God so to further and prosper the king, [Page] that he may hold his people vnder the yoake of his Commaundements, and so see him augment in perfection as in age, alwaies to bee beloued of his subiects, fauoured of his Allies, and feared of the Nations barba­rous; that one day he may spread & hang out his ensignes in the Land of Misbeleeuers, and that he may keepe the promises of his birth in the ouerthrow of the Ottomans.

That the Queene asssisted with the gra­uity of the Counsell, may reape the rest of the fruits of his vertues, that she may inioy his au­thority with so much prosperitie, that it may prooue to the aduancement of the king to the honour of her, and to the comfort of the people. That the atchieuements the which the dead king her husdand held from heauen, may serue her for a Model and be the faire example for her to imitate, applying her selfe to the occasions of them that haue most merite, and not of them that vse most importunity: that shee may hearken to all mens requests but not to all mens flatteries, whereby all may haue occasion to say, that she is capable to raigne. That as the Moone holds her light, which she hath borrowed of [Page] the Sunne; yet stild [...] [...]eth her Orbe to com­municate it vnto vs: So she hath held the perfections, shee hath seene practised in the dead king, to serue herselfe in his ab [...]ace, in her glory, to the profit of her sonne and his sub­iects. And also that as the Touch-stone that [...]oueheth the gold, the siluer and tryeth it, she may keepe in properly this prudence and this goodnesse which she hath borrowed of his dead maiestie.

Ve [...]uri [...] had grea [...] [...]nour in Rome to haue returned the armie of his sonne, which he had prepared for the ruine of his Country, and Mary of Medices, our Queene shall receiue a great praise of al the world to haue gouerned the state of our king her sonne, with so great wisedome, that there shall bee no difference found in the raigne passed and the raigne to come, that no sexe may hereafter speak of the raigne of a woman more then of hers, seeing an others haue not preceded her by [...], & she aduanced by merit, & that the fayrest a­ctions of others [...] the predictions of the effect; of her that [...] may see the [...] time of her raigne through her sorrow and S [...]e [...]e sees her [...] through a [...] and say by Augurisme that which you shall expect and we ioy in.