ALTHOVGH the prince of Conde haue by good proofe suffici­ently inough declared nat alonely the great zeale & deuocion which he hath to y^e seruice of y^e kyng & quene, with the ful obediēce he beareth to their maiesties: but also y^e sin­gular affectiō he hath to y^e quiet & welth of this realme, chiefly herein, that not long sens he hath deferred euen to the vttermost extremitie and nede, to putte armour vpon him, for to resyst the vio­lence of these, who yet beeyng full of [Page] blood and threats, haue sent for and as­sembled people on euery syde: hauynge armed them selues againste their maie­sties commaundementes, and dyd with force enter Parys. Where at that tyme the said Prince was, who had neuer the lesse long before perfecte vnderstanding of their ententes and purposes. And after that, hauyng no respecte eyther to the degree he is of in this Realme, ney­ther yet to this, that he was not the first that armed hym self, was yet contented simply at the quenes commandement to departe the sayd towne with his traine, and repaire to his house mynding forth­with to breake vp his companye, vppon trust that the others should do the same: The which all contrary remained at the sayd Parys some dayes, and there ren­forced them selues: And after they had there doon sundry gorgeous actes, went with all theyr force where their maie­sties were, whome they haue enuiron­ned therwith, and therby brought their bodies and willes into a captiuitie.

Neuertheles the said prince who hauing nothing derer vnto hym than y^e publique [Page] tranquillitie, hath always ben most wylling to submit him self to such reasonable conditions of layeng downe that weapō which he for most iuste considerations so nedefully tooke in hande: That all they euē very those whom the other side hath dispatched vnto him on the behalf of the King & Queene, haue always sayd, that whosoeuer should refuse the condicions that he offered, shuld be in a great wrong Wherof at this present, the sayd prince neither maketh mention nor recitall, be­cause the same haue bene already decla­red in his former declaration. And fea­ring least his reasons and answers, that [...]ithe the offer of his condicions he hathe made touching that message which was sent vnto him and persuaded him on the behalf of the queene at the desire of those others, haue not bene faithefully repor­ted vnto her maiestye: or els that these who haue power about her, might [...]ap­pilye disguise the same, to make righte appeare on theyr syde: whereby they myght nourishe and continue this trou­ble, preferryng theyr particular facci­ons before the conseruation and quiet­nesse [Page] of this estate: The sayde Prince would by no meanes omytt the putting of the same into writyng, to the [...]de they myghte be truely vnderstande of their maiesties, published through all christendome and knowen to all the princes, po­tentates, allies, frendes and confedera­tes to this crowne, and to all the cour­ses of parliamentes of this realme, whō the sayd prince requireth (but chiefly the parlyament of Parys) to the whiche he hath of late sent his former declaration, to enregester the same with this his se­conde also, to thende he maye hereafter rendre the better accompte of these his doynges, by a moste certaine and perpe­tuall witnesse vnto his prince, whan he shall come to the age of iudgement be­twene the faulte or seruice that he shall haue doone hym in this his minoritie. The sayd Prince so muche assuring him selfe of the so rare integritie of that no­table companye so well esteemed of the whole worlde, that it will examine and way all thynges with the balance of iu­stice reason & equitie without inclinyng to any passion or affection of any parti­cular [Page] partie.

AND fyrst and formost to begin with al they ar not able nor may lay vnto the princes charge eyther to haue begun the trouble whiche at this daye is in this re­alme, eyther to haue ben the cause or continuance therof: in as much as it is ma­nifest, he was not the fyrste that put on armour. And for that he tooke weapon after them, which armed themselues a­gainst the kyng and quenes commande­ment: he had therin iust occasion, & suche as by nature belōged vnto hym: to wete the defence of his prince to the vtmoste of his power, the subiectes lykewise of his maiestie, and himself from violence. In as muche also as syns that tyme he hathe alwayes submytted hym selfe to the laying downe of weapon vnder rea­sonable condytions, suche as myghte tend to a good and sure peace for eyther partie, and the libertie of the kyng and quene. Wherby men may easily know that these be thonly causes which haue reiected the said conditions (who nat be­yng able to suffre the rule of the Quene which gouerned without force or violēce [Page] keepyng eche manne in quiete, and loo­kyng carefully for payement of the king her sonnes debtes, haue armed theym selues, haue entred the court, haue pas­sed euen to the kynges chaumber with their force contrary to his commaunde­ment to dispose of this realme at theyr pleasure, haue made slaughter of his maiesties subiects, who lyued vnder the sufferaunce of his Edictes: And conse­quently haue put all Fraunce in an vp­rore, euen than whan it grewe towar­des greate quietenesse, chiefely for the matter of religion, wherin eyther par­tie deemed muche cause of contenta­tion.

And without taryeng onely vpon this whyche men see at this presente, if they woulde enter a lyttell further into the matter, and consyder the humors and dooynges that haue paste eche manne frome tyme to tyme, and looke yet fur­ther afore them, who they be that haue heretofore raysed and maynteyned the troubles sprong in this realme: They shall fynde that euen those, who of late haue begun to put on armour and styr­red [Page] vp this Ciuile warre, haue almoste from theyr byrthe vp, conspired to trou­ble the commune quiete of this kynge­dome, and that restfulnesse wherof they bee thennemies, because it is contrarye to the marke they shoote at, and cuttes awaye the meane of theyr ambicion, whoe thynke them selues in prison, and neuer in good ordre, but whan there is occasions of changes and enterprises. And without any mention making, con­cerning this mater of a iudgement whi­che king Frauncis the .i. that greate and wise king made of them, neyther yet of sundry other particularities of their do­ynges. Who knoweth not the selfe same men because they coulde not away with the benefyte of a commune quiete were the cause of breache of that honourable and moste profytable Truce made be­twene kyng Henry lastly departed, the Emperor Charles, and the Spanyshe kyng? (whereby not onely we feele the smarte, but all our posteritie shall feele the same. They putting by this meanes al Europe in trouble and confusion, and [Page] all Fraunce in ruine, that they mights therby come to their endes and intentes well enough vnderstanded? And who when they had ones embraced the hand­lynge of matters and the money, after the iorney of saint Laurence, whan sun­dry greefes one after an other had hap­ned by reason of that ouerthrow, began by tymes to make suche vnquietnesse in this realme, as the said kyng Henry de­parted, who was not able to suffre any more such violent sprights aboute hym, determined to send them home to theyr houses, had he not ben preuēted by deth.

After that duryng the reigne of kyng Francis the second of that name, when these stranger gouernors had contrary to all ryght, yea agaynst the lawes and customes of Fraunce, vsurped vnto theym selues the whole gouernemente, was not this poore realme in troubles and in armes? Dyd they nat in the sight of euery man fleshe the sayd yong kyng vpon his owne prepre subiects (who yet otherwise was both good & vertuous of himself) and haue they not done what in them lay to defile his memory & cronicle [Page] with their excedyng cruelties? Dydde they not cause hym to arme hym selfe and make a campe in the myddes of hys realme agaynste hys owne seruauntes wyth so horrible a shewe of myserye and heauynesse through all hys realme, that euerye manne yet doth abhorre to talke therof, and bryng it thereby to remem­braunce? And to make an ende of thys theyr Tragedye: haue not all men seene after the death of the sayde king Fraun­cis when their violente rule ceased: the Queene and the kynge of Nauarre, by one consente and correspondence to haue ruled together all this estate pea­sybly and wyth all Iustice and clemen­cy, thirtene whole monethes? tyll suche tyme as theyr ambition (whyche wyll neuer suffre theym to kepe in, and lyue in reste) hadde styrred theim vppe, and pusht them forewardes with theyr good agentes and ministers to trouble hea­uen and earth, as all men may see, and that to the great sorow of the said prince who doubteth not but all persones of good and sound iudgemēt, do right well knowe those that haue ben the occasion [Page] of begynnyng, maintaynyng, and con­tinuyng the troublyng of this realme: Wherby men can not without slander, charge them, that haue alwaies by good proofe shewed them selues as well the shunners of suche meanes and inuenti­ons, as also of those honors and ryches whych contrary wyse these others haue obteyned, by suche gaye meanes as is moste euident.

Secondarily, so lyttell ought men to meruayle, yf the sayde prynce in this case woorke surely with those that haue the King and Quene at this day in their possession, that rather menne myghte thynke it a great foly in him, if he shold otherwyse vse the matter, and should so farre forgette hymselfe, as to putt hym to theyr mercy, remembring the strange maner of dealynge, wherewith he was intreated by them nat long ago, when through theyr taken on authoritie they commaunded all in this realme. In as muche also as it is moste certayne, the marke they shoote at, tendeth to none other ende, than to the whole ruine of the more parte of the nobilitie, and of [Page] all other estates what soeuer, that make profession of the refourmed Religion, chiefly that, of the prince and al his com­pany. Whiche thyng is moste euident­ly to bee wytnessed by the very mouthes of the duke of Guyse, and the Constable themselues, and by suche talke as they helde in the full court of the parliament of Parys, vsynge these propre termes, That fyrst of all, they must begyn with Parys, and that afterwardes they wold well ynough rule the rest, and so would deale, that men shold know of what re­ligion eche man was, chiefely suche as had any authoritie, and that the princi­pall meanyng of the kynge was, to de­part the company that was at Orleance & after that he wold not haue his handes tyed vp. But in as much as it hath lyen in the power of some, through theyr particular affections, to breake a lawe so so­lemnely made, as was the Edict of Ia­nuary last past, wherby all this Realme grewe to a quietnesse: And further that whiche of late was resolued on vpon a saterday nat long sens in full councell, whiche was, that the sayd Edict should [Page] bee published without any exception or restraint of the town of Paris, and that precinct: yf this I saye were broken and violated and the restraint for Paris pas­sed in the courte of parliament by their practises and thorough thautoritie they take vpon them: menne may therby ea­sily perceaue how the queene is obe [...]ed, What power she is of, and howe theyr wylles, passions and particular affecti­ons ar aboue her pleasure, and the determination of the councell: and it is lyke­wise easy to iudge by all their saiynges and doyngs that as spedely as they may they will cause the whole realme to doe as thei haue begun with Paris and that libertie or baylywick: and so consequently there is no trust nor assurāce to be had to their letters of proclamation, as may very well bee witnessed by the cry, that since that time was made the xx. of thys monthe, in the foure quarters or qua [...] ­foulx of Paris for the calling together of all the gentlemen of this realme to goe fight against and punishe the sedicious & new christians▪ and here it hath no like­lyhode of truth to saye that the people of [Page] Paris coulde neuer haue endured the e­dict, nor haue submitted thēselues ther­unto. For euerye man sawe three mon­thes together, first the prince de la roche sur Yon, and afterwardes the marshall Montmerency with only x. or xii. harque busiers, so to haue kept in order y^e whole people there, as there was no worde nor question of brawling the one with the o­ther. which thing peasably endured tyll the commyng of the sayd Duke of Guise to Paris. Wheruppon it is good is marke that when towards the ende, the said marshals bande was encreased and made stronger with certayne horsemen and footemen, to lette such metinges as men sawe were appointed purposelye to stirre vp the people: it was then persua­ded by the prouost of the merchants, and by those of the toune, y^t it was not nede­full to kepe such a force there, which ser­ued to none other purpose, thā to greue the people, whome it was easy without any such numbre, to kepe in order: & yet notwithstanding since the commyng of the sayd Duke of Guise, the sayde peo­ple haue soo chaunged theyr humour [Page] and it hath been so hard a matter to kepe them in (as these men at least wold make vs beleue) that of necessitie they muste leuie such nombres of enseignes of foote men, as men haue seene, and that with­out makyng the Queene priuie therto, yea and agaynste her pleasure also. Lastly the sayd Prince knoweth it to be the woorke of God, that the sayd Duke of Guise and Constable, haue nat bene able in publike and in so great a compa­ny to dissemble their meanyng, and that they haue no more said than they thinke for: a matter surely that muche confir­meth suche talke as is ordinarie among their familiers and household seruants, whiche also hathe been well knowen by an infinite numbre of letters taken vp by the way: that is, that they desyre no more than to dissolue the companye at Orleance, as they may afterwarde doo execution as well on the greate as the small, accordyng to their long deuised meanyng. Whervppon they make of­tentimes suche slaughters and cruelties as of late hath ben exercised in Parys as [Page] well in the presence of the sayd Consta­ble and vnder his priuate authoritie, as also suche as are dayely commytted in sundrye places agaynste those of the re­formed Religion, namely that horrible and detestable murther made at Sens, an archebyshoprike appertaynynge to the Cardinall of Guyse, whyche hadde neuer come to passe withoute this their newe enterprise, and the auowed ex­ample that these men haue geuen. Of whyche calamitie with all other desola­tions that Fraunce is thretned withall, the faulte can not bee imputed to other than theym selues onely. And concer­nyng that message, whych the Queene sent vnto the said Prince, to wete: That he shoulde vnarme hymselfe vppon her woorde and affiaunce, that he shoulde come to the courte, where he shoulde be wel receyued, and that further she wold by wrytynge, make hym all suche assu­rance as hym selfe woulde: The sayde Prince geueth to vnderstand, y^t he hath none other desire than to obey the wyll and pleasure of that good Lady, and to see euery man in quiet: but he right well [Page] vnderstandeth, that those dispatches and all others are at this day at thonly appe­tite of thabouesaid, and can not perceiue that her maiestie (howe good wil soeuer she haue) can make hym any suretie, so long as she remaineth in their powers, and whyle they shall abyde aboute the king and her. For what meane hath she to resist them, or any enterprise they shal attempt, being enuironned with theyr force and armour which thei themselues haue leuied and assembled, and whiche they haue presumed to brynge into the kynges house and chambre agaynst his pleasure, and expresse inhibition? As li­tell suretie is it also to saye, the kyng of Nauarre (whom the sayd Prince and al those of his company, doo acknowledge next after the king and quene) shall on­ly haue the force of the Kynges Lieute­nant generall, if a man marke theyr en­terprise of possessyng hym, and the abu­syng of his goodnesse. Withall it is not to be douted, but that the force and peo­ple which they haue assembled (in whose hande so euer they shall come) wyll bee at their deuotion, and wyll bee obedient [Page] to their willes and intentes. Whereby they shall alwais be able to serue theim selues with them against the will & ple­sure of the said quene and kyng of Na­uarre, yea against their persones whan so euer they will, as they haue right wel alredy made that to be knowē vnto that good Lady, and the aforesaid kyng whā they had power, authoritie and mean to hurt within their rule (wherof if it wold please them but a little to thinke on) thei shuld finde that thonly goodnes of God hath hitherto preserued theim. To bee short, the said prince can not with reson see any other suretie than their withdra­wing frō the court. And first of al the ful libertie of y^e quene, assuring himself y^t as often as there shall remaine presentely any other force in this realme (chiefly at this time of an vniuersal peace, thā thordinarie gard of the king with y^e frontier places accustomed, it can not be (consy­dering their dealings and councels suf­ficiētly discouered) but the same is to do some forcible & violent execution: for he doubteth nat but as thei haue presumed to assemble their said force, so wil thei as [Page] lytle feare to employ them for the bryn­gynge to passe of theyr purpose. whiche thng maketh those that must kepe them selues frome suche snares, not ouer ha­styly to beleue words, onlesse some good proues dyd ensue, whyche they see eui­dentely to bee all contrarie. For it ap­peereth, that the abouesayde vtter all tokens of stomacke and ennemit [...]e that they canne deuyse, agaynste the sayde Prince and these of his company, whom they proclayme thorough oute all the worlde rebelles, and thennemies of the kyng. They make prouisyons for their chiefe houses, they threatten them with no lesse than lyfe, they cause many false brutes and slanders to be sowen against the dedes of the sayde Prince, they doo moreouer make leuies of footemen, as well within as withoute the Realme, they practise with straungers and em­bassadours, partely vnder the name of the kyng and quene, and partly without the knowledge of any theyr maiesties. They make no difficultie in causyng the kyng to arme hym selfe agaynst those of his Subiectes, of whom he was before [Page] theyr gay enterprise and arriual, obeyd faythfully and wyllyngely, & so shall al­ways be to their laste. And for this pur­pose cause his Maiestie to entre into a charge that euyll commeth to passe, they thynke it good to bestow the money ap­poynted for his debts (which yet be such as eche man knoweth) vpon the driuyng out and destroyeng of the more parte of his nobilitie and all other estates, which is, as though a manne would cutt of his own armes and legges, and wold make an ende of the ruinyng of this realme, which by their goodly councell, conduict and gouernment, is brought to the state that all menne see. Finally, these wise heades of this realme care not to laye out this land to the pray, deuisyng with them selues how to bryng in strangers, and to withdrawe the bandes and moste notable souldiours frome the places of moste importance, as namely Caleys & Mets, vnto the which it is nat to be dou­ted, but oure ennemies looke narowly inough. And all this to serue their pri­uate passion, likyng better to folow the course of their ambition, and comme to [Page] to their appointed end what euer it cost, yea were it with y^e losse of al y^e realm, thā to fail any whit of their intēt. What su­retie thā wold a mā loke y^e prince should find hauing such demōstratiōs & effectes of their most wicked wills & meanings?

As touching the persuasion vsed to the prince wherin it is said, y^t he ought to for get his particular profit for y^e cōmon: he thinketh y^t wer fitter to be persuaded vn­to thē, who hauing first & most greuously fauted hole on so welfauoredly that they had rather see a great part of the realme perish than (for the cōseruation therof, & to giue suretie to those that haue occasi­on to seke it) they wold once stirre from the court, where as yet there is no good subiect that had nat rather chuse to ab­sent hym self thens all his lyfe for to re­deme suche an inconuenient than to see (thorough his presence) his countrey in danger, & his king anoyed. But to color their obstinate wil in biding at the court they allege their offices & estates, saying y^t for somuch as they be officers vnto the croune, no mā ought nor can cause them [...]o withdraw thēselues frō about y^e kyn­ges [Page] person, being specially in his mino­ritie. Nay they haue ben so loftie as thei haue not let to say, that the kyng in his vnder age had none authoritie to cause them to depart as though the quene did not supplie the tender age of the kyng: yea and haue thoughte it more mete by reason of their callyngs to tarie styll at the court to disobey and trouble the state than by their departynge to leaue good example, to geue authoritie vnto the kynges commaundemente, and to al­lowe the gouernement of the Queene, wherin they lack all good and iust groūd if they wold well wey the present neces­sitie and occasion. For it is moste certain they neuer had rule geuē thē ouer theyr charges, to employe them at their plea­sure, nor to vnquiet the realme, by transgressyng the lawes, armyng themselues not onely without the kynges comman­demente, but againste his pleasure, nor to doo suche violences, but to mainteyn the lande in peace and quietenesse, as it was before their comyng, and afore they putte on armoure by theyr owne com­myssion, abusynge theyr charges, and [Page] presuming more than at any time durste any of the propre brethern of any of our kynges, who yet thoughe they returned from the battaile, durste neuer enter the court, but they were first disarmed. Now forasmuch as thorow their arriual and presence at the court together, with their goodly behauior, they se they haue made suche a stirre as thereby they haue set all Fraunce in trouble and fyer, and haue moued a Ciuile warre, and that contrarywyse thonely attonement and quiete of this land dependeth vpon their withdrawyng frome the courte, in as muche as the sayd prince can see no no­ther meane neyther for the common suretie, nor for the libertie of the kyng and Queene. And that for hys parte he is resolued neuer to commytte hymselfe to theyr mercie (as no man woulde thinke it reasonable he shoulde) it is moste cer­taine, that if they bee good and louyng seruauntes and officers to this croune, they will in this case forget all particu­laritie: In as muche as the sayd prince also, who is not onely an officer and ser­uant, but hath this honor to be accomp­ted [Page] a kynsemanne, and is issued of the howse and bloudde: who by thys oc­casyon hathe greatter pryuiledge and righte to tarye aboute his maiestye. be­sydes this also that he was not the firste in armes: And that contrariwise thother side haue nothing satisfied the request of the estates as they be bound before they should be admitted of the kings councel doth notw^tstanding offer to w^tdraw him self into his house and gouernment, and likewise to procure that all the other lor­des and officers of the croune which bee in his company shall do the lyke. Wher­vnto if the abouesaid do not condescend, The sayde prince assureth himselfe that there is no man onelesse he bee to muche passionate, but will thynke that it is not he, but only they that profer the priuate afore the publike cause.

Now if those good officers of the croun shall not contente themselues with thys reasonable offer, and wil nedes vrge ex­amples, thei must than in spight of their bearde confesse this meane offred to bee reasonable expedient and acustomed, in as much as it is the same way which mē [Page] know by a nūber of examples past, y^t our predecessours kings haue folowed, who whē there arose any such controuersy betwene y^e princes their subiects as y^• ther­by they toke armes y^e one prince against thother of theyr priuat authority: by and by they wer cōmaūded to lay doun wea­pon on either side, and to w^tdraw thēsel­ues into their houses, y^t afterward they might come & geue accōpt of their doin­ges, & their cōtrouersies & reasons to bee heard when they shuld be called thervn­to. At the leaste if against all reason and custome they haue determined to suffre those at the court, which are but offcers of the croune withall the force they haue assembled of their owne priuate authoritie: They canne not then deny, but that they shall do an euident wrong vnto the sayd prince (who hath this honour to be­long to the kyng, and who did not firste arme himselfe but put them on after the other for none other purpose thā to kepe their maiesties, and hymselfe frome vi­olence) yf he may not haue the like priuiledge to be at the court with those of his band who owe as well their othe to the king as the others, and who he will as­sure [Page] of his honor and life, to be the most faithfull and obedient seruants and subiectes of his maiestye (as they both haue and hereafter will make it right well to be sene) And than beyng there they may receiue the king of Nauars commaūde­mentes as the kings lieuetenant gene­rall, and assist him as wel as the others, & withal help him to maintain the liber­tie and authoritie of the king & Queene with all their power, for whose seruyce they are readye to bestow their bodies & goods to the last peny & vttermost breth. But if it happē that y^e abouesaid wil not suffer the quene to vse this equality most reasonable without it may appeare that there is more partialitie towards thone thā y^e other (although in dede if there be ani affectiō born, y^e same wer chiefly due to y^e prince, who hath this honor to be of y^e bloud) and y^t for y^e meting w^t so presēt a desolatiō the said lady do not w^t so iust a cause otherwise ētermedle her auctoriti thā hitherto she hath, mē cānot sai y^t ther hath lacked any good wil in her to do the same, being so wise & vertuous a lady as she is, and one that so coueteth y^e great­nes of her sunne and the preseruation of [Page] his estate and surety, that she would not spare any person in a mater of such im­portance and that threateneth so great a ruine: but yet they wil put them selues out of all doubte, that it is the feare she hath of them, who kepe their force conti­nually about her, and will not suffer her to do a thyng so nedefull, whiche thynge they haue sufficient proue inough of that her maiestie is brought into such termes y^t she leaueth to do sundry things, & pas­seth a mayny againste her pleasure, as it may right wel appere by the new electiō of those which haue lately ben called to y^e priuie councell: whiche men righte well know to haue bene chosen to make vp a number, & to kepe the sayd Lady in sub­iection vnder pretence of a councel: For men do otherwise sufficiently inough vnderstand the said lady to be very choise in admitting any person to the degree of a counceler. Men doo also know the small respect these persons haue towards her, whiche at this time make their councels to gether aparte, and afterwarde cause her to set forth those thinges themselues haue agreed on: they send out the dispat­ches, [Page] and after tell her the matter: they force the courte of parliament to passe at their pleasure, whatsoeuer they enter­prise, and what so seemeth good to them manifestly shewyng to haue more credit and authoritie therin than euer the king and quene could haue. To be short, who is he that wyll not thinke it at this pre­sent more than meete, that the sayd lady shold take vpon her again her authoritie without beyng any longer thus compas­sed with these men of warr, and that the aboue named doe withdraw themselues with all their force, for the remeuyng of that feare and suspicion that they haue (not without occasion) geuen to so many and withall to remedye those miseries, wherewith this state is threatened: and this the rather because the said prince beyng assured of his companye, who be of the best seruaunts of this croune, and o­thers with hym of all other estates, are determined once for all, to prooue theyr fortune, and to bestowe their liues euen to the laste droppe of theyr bloud, rather thanne to see the force of thys realme in the handes of suche as it nothynge bee­longeth [Page] vnto, who haue abused the same afore time with so great losse of the kin­ges subiects, and now of late haue made such boucheries and oultrages agaynste those of that religion, which the Prince is of, wythout any regarde hadde to the kinges decrees, that at the leaste he will be wel ware while he liueth how he shal commit hym selfe to their mercy, where­with he hath afore tyme founde himselfe euill apayd.

And for the remeuing of all such slaunders and complaintes as the abouesaide cause to be made agaynst the said prynce (chiefly this which they greatly sett for­wards) that he and those of his company arest and open the pacquets of y^e king: he hartely wisheth men would vnderstand that he hath alwais born such a reuerēc [...] and will do all his life, to that which be­longeth vnto his maiestye: As he hathe from the beginning expressly forbidden any man to lay handes on the kings, the Quenes or the Kynge of Nauarres let­ters. True it is that the same hathe not bene obserued, (as also it were not rea­sonable) with the pacquets of the other [Page] particulers whiche haue both ben staied and opened: In the whych menne haue seene a worlde of iniquitye of vntrue reportes, slaunders, false Brutes, prac­tises, pourposes, and enterpryses in­credible, all contrarye to that goodlye talke of suretye, wherewyth they daye­lye feede the sayde Pryrnce, who no whytte repenteth hym of that he hathe doone, neyther would for thys respecte the thynge shoulde haue beene other­wyse vsed. In as muche as thereby he hath the more depely knowen their can­kred willes.

Touchyng the breakyng doune of y­mages cōmitted at Tours & Blois, the said prince and those of his cōpany haue benmuch offended therwith, in such sort as he hath sēt word to the kings officers in the sayd tounes that he wyll help thē and assiste with strong hande to see those punished, in the example of others that haue cōmitted that crime. His behauior that he hathe vsed, in this toune of Or­leans with the commendation of all ec­clesiasticall personnes and the publyke [Page] thankes geuen hym by all sortes of men here, and other estates doo ryghte well witnesse the good order of his lyfe, with that modestie and myldenesse whyche bothe he, and all his companye haue, and doo vse, withoute any blasphemie, without any rigour, wrong, or violence offered to any persone, or transgressyng the Edict of Ianuary last paste. And e­uen nowe of late, vppon the breakyng of an Image, he hathe caused those that stande charged therwith, to be putt into the handes of Iustice to bee punysshed oute of hande. And as concerning the complaynte made againste suche tou­nes as the inhabitauntes theym selues keepe and are seased and assured of, the meanyng is none other thanne the ser­uice of the Kynge and Queene, and to lette those who abuse the authoritie of theyr maiestye, and compasse theym a­boute wyth armes, from the possession of them, whereby they mighte force the same to serue theyr tournes and parti­cular passions. For as soone as the sayde ladye shalbee restored to that for­mer libertye whyche she enioyed twoo [Page] monthes paste, she shall wel vnderstand the sayde tounes to remayne in the lyke obedience and subiection that afore time they haue doone, and will doo for euer: and that they wylle geue place to none in all this Realme in theyr fydelitie to­wardes theyr Maiesties: And least of all, to them, whome they haue knowen a long whyle synce to haue practised the begynnyng and maintenance of this ci­uile warres, vnder the pretence of re­ligion euen with particular promyse to furnishe money to that intent.

As touchynge the reste, the sayde Prince, and all his company, are so farr frome layeng vnder foote, and kepyng in sylence that whyche hathe passed in this matter (whyche thyng yet he hathe beene persuaded to dooe, and that he shoulde also withoute anye doubte or dreade, speedyly comme to the Courte, that rather they wylle make a memo­riall thereof for euer, and paynte it [...] Tables, wryte it in Letters of golde, make it bee proclaymed and cried loude, thorough all Christendome of the dutie [Page] and fidelytie they, to soo good purpose, haue yealden to theyr kynge, (a Prince layde abroade in thys hys tender age, to all iniurie and violence) to make there­of an examuple and a perpetuall testi­mony of the maner, wherewith the sayd Prince & the nobilytie of France were so readily, in so good numbre, and so with one accorde assembled together, for the suretie and libertie of theyr Lorde, and for the preseruation of his personne, and estate. Neyther canne the sayde prince thynke, that hereafter there may bee offrred vnto hym a more goodlye and woorthye to bee thoughte on occa­sion to doo his maiestie seruice, neyther a better or worthier meane to pourchase vnto him selfe trewe honour and praise. At the least he hope the to obteyne the fauoure of God, and of his prynce, for this faicte when he shall attayne to that age, wherein he shall bee able to iudge, knowe, and vnderstande thys acte, of trewe and faythfull affection, whych his Subiectes haue borne hym at this tyme.

[Page] THESE thynges consydered, the sayde Prince who hathe doone all duetie to pacifye thys trouble, whyche semeth to tende to none other end than to a ma­nyfeste ruyne and subuersyon of thys state: Who hathe also submytted hym­self to all the reasonable conditions that in hym lye, to laye down al weapon as well on the one syde as the other, with­oute hauynge regarde to any thyng, o­ther than the libertie of the Kyng and Quene: And the cōmune suretie whiche he hath good cause to seke, doth agayne protest, afore the Kyng and Quene, and all the courtes of parliament, with all the estates of this Realme, that of the mischiefs, miseries and desolations that maye hereafter come to passe, the faulte thereof oughte to bee imputed to those that be the aucthors and thonely cause, who haue determyned rather to trouble all thys state, by taryenge in courte, and in the counsayle (where as yet they nei­ther can nor oughte remayne, neyther be admytted) yf they woulde folow the requeste of the estates) tyll suche tyme [Page] as they had satisfied them) than by departynge thence to leaue there a common quiete and reste.

The saide prince further requireth all the sayde courtes of parliament, all the tounes and communaltes of this realme that they will diligentlye way all the a­bouesayde, and to doe al the duetye they owe and that shall be possible vnto them to dooe for the seruice of the kynge, the suretye of his personne and state, and to maynetayne the auctoritye and rule of the Queene: to the ende they maye here­after rendre so good a compte, and sufficient witnesse of theyr dooynges in thys present necessitie (as the said prince also myndeth to do of hys vnto the king beynge comme to the age of commaun­dyng by hym selfe) that his maiesty may haue occasyon rather to praise theym, e­steeme them and thancke them, than to blame theym for theyr lacke of duety, or for the to much folowyng their passions for flatering or gratyfieng any particu­ler persons, who would at this tyme ra­ther colour, autorise and make ratified [Page] theyr fautes than looke to the conserua­tion of hys estate.

Further the sayde prince hartely bee­secheth all the good and laufull subiec­tes of thys croune to lende him ayde, fa­uour and assistence in a cause so good and iuste: callyng GOD to wytnesse, that onelye the griefe he hathe to see the Kynge and Queene so vnworthelye handeled by theyr owne proper subiec­tes, and compassed wyth theyr force and armes, otherwise than euer before thys tyme hath bene sene in this realme, and the desire to mayntayne the honour of God, the gouernment of the sayde layde together with the conseruacion of thys estate, and the more parte of the kynges good subiectes, haue constrained hym to sette hym selfe agaynste theyr violence. Whiche thynge at the leaste wayes hy­therto hath so preuayled that as yet they neuer durst execute theyr enterprises sufficientlye enough discouered, whyche surelye woulde haue broughte her sayde maiestye in suche extremitye and thral­dome as of longe tyme no Queene hath [Page] bene seene, and the moste parte of the sayde subiectes of the kynge in most pi­tyfull estate and greuous oppression. He thanketh almightye GOD greate­ly, that it hathe pleased him of his in­finite goodnesse and prouidence to put into his hand the meane to resist them hitherto, whi­che he trusteth and as­sureth him self he wil geue him the grace to being to a good and happy end for his seruice sake and that of bothe their said maiesties