IF it be lawfull for any man to peruert al order of Iustice & lawe, then must it necessarily bee lawefull in atchiuing a kingdome, sayd he who ouerthrewe the estate of Rome, thereby eui­dently giuing to vnderstande that such as can brooke no peace, neyther be content with their owne, do highly estéeme the violation of laws and contempt of Iustice, also that there is no­thing so holy or sacred but they will profane, neyther any wickednesse or trecherie so great but they will commit, for the atteyning to so­ueraignitie, and after the atteyning thereof, for the mainteynaunce of the same, whereof him selfe soone after shewed the experience, as had done also Silla and Marius before: for am­bition and auarice are passions and euen prin­cipall grounds of all mischiefe, procuring the transformation of men into all formes and coulours, euen as feare forceth the Chame­leon, [Page] whereby the infernall furies doe driue them to spare neither parents nor friends, no not God himselfe, whose name they do abuse to the end with greater facilitie to deceiue, so as a man would suppose that being euen con­sumed with zeale to Gods house they were Helies which séeke nothing but reformatiō in religion or that touched with the miseries of the people they be Moses who endeuoreth on­ly to deliuer them from this oppression: But entring into déeper consideration of their dea­lings, we finde thē to be rather Berchomanes or Noyses of Candy as the successe doe shewe, though ouer late for the weale of those who with Esopes horse hauing admitted the snaffle and sadle, must of force passe on in the carrier. The shéep saith Archidamus, euer singeth one song, but the ambitious person neuer leaueth altering of tunes vntill hee hath atchiued his purpose. Cratenus and Antigonas proclaimed nothing but libertie to the Athenians, but ha­uing once obtained the mastrie, they fell into an other phrase. Those men that trouble this estate doe proclaime onely zeale to Catholike Religion, & affection to the reformation of the estate and reliefe of the people, yea if we will beléeue them, those are the only causes of their taking of armes: but if we looke into their ac­tions [Page] not onely passed but also present, wee shall finde that vnder this so faire a pretence, they séeke with Absalon to steale away the peoples heartes, to the ende so to vsurpe the estate, euen alreadie the most incredulous doe beginne to smell it out, yea and to feele it to their great damage, verie well perceiuing that the reunion which they speake of, is not ment of the Protestants to Romish Religi­on, but of their owne estate to the house of Lorrain whereto they haue long sought to per­swade the world y^t it doth appertaine: that it is not y^e reformation, but the vsurpation of the Realme: neither the reliefe but oppression of the communalty, and therfore do with one ac­cord séeing their goods embeselled, their hou­ses burned, their wiues and daughters deflou­red, and so many murders committed, ex­claime of them, declaring that although their pretenses were true, yet were the medecine more daungerous and intollerable than the disease, and that they are craftie Phisitions that drawe so much bloode, and do so extreme­ly purge their patients, to the end the same ne­uer recouering, they may become their heires. But least any shoulde suppose that I speake all this without cause, or of any particular passion, I will prooue it by that which passed [Page] at Marseiles this present moneth of Aprill, e­uen in such manner as an honourable person hath set it down in a letter to a brother of his: as followeth.

Brother I writ vnto you at large eyght daies ago, since which time we haue had won­derful occurences in this towne of Marseiles, whereof although you may haue heard before the receipt of these presēts, yet I thought good to write vnto you the perticularities & trueth of al, to the end you may with vs praise God for the fauour he hath shewed vs. Knowe you therefore that the first Consull of this towne, being gone to the Court about two moneths since where he yet remaineth, the second Con­sull named Lewes de la Motte de Aries tooke the gouernement vppon him in the absence of the Lord great Prior, which Consull hearing of the late troubles of this realme, and in this countrey prosecuted by the Lorde of Vins, he cast with himself how to prepare a way wher­by he might vsurpe the soueraignitie of Mar­seiles and to that entent hee secretly practised the sayde Lorde of Vins to ioyne with him, as assuring himselfe that the pretence of warre and league against the contemners of Romish religion, whereto these people are wonderful­ly addicted, would cause them to like of what­soeuer [Page] his attemptes. And for the atcheiuing of his purpose he also practised two of the cap­taines of this towne, as good as himselfe, who easily condiscended to his aduise, especially the one called Captaine Boniface, who conditio­ned with him that first hee should make away his brother named Generall Boniface, a man accōpted worth threescore thousand Crownes: further, for the better compassing of his enter­prise he purposed to sease vppon the foretresse called Our ladie of the garde before he did in­nouate any other matter, and therefore the 8. of this present moneth hee went to the sayde foretresse vnder coulour of séeing whether it were sufficiently fortefied, the captaine there­of, although he held nothing of the towne, yet séeing it was the Consull, permitted him and thrée more to come in: he beeing entered tooke the sayd Captaine by the coller offering the dagger to his throat, in case he once stirred against him, and so caused the gate to be ope­ned and brought in souldiers to his behoofe, neyther would he suffer the sayde Captaine to go downe into the towne lest the people should haue notise of his procéedinges. Thus finding himselfe maister of the saide foretresse he pur­posed the next night to put his practise in exe­cution, and to the ende not to faile of his pro­mise [Page] to the said Boniface, he caused the afore­said general Boniface (who the same morning was riding to Aix to the Lord great Prior) to stay at the gate and so procured him to tarrie vntil the next morning vnder pretence of sen­ding by him a letter of very great importance for the kings seruice, to the saide Lorde great Prior, The poore generall not suspecting anie harme, & the rather because he had lately Chri­stened his child, did willingly alight and staie his iourney vntill the next day, but before the morning trauayled an other way then hée thought for: for the same euening about eight of the clocke, the said Consul togither with 4. of his confederates came and knocked at the said generals gate, demaunding to speak with his gossip, who immediatly came downe to y^e gate, where after vsual salutations he deliue­red him the said supposed letter to the L. great Prior, saying to them that were with him do your office, which was the watch word, and so presently they fell vppon the said generall and gaue him foure or fiue blowes with their daggers, who being so wounded got vp into y^e haule where presently he fel downe dead, this done his said brother not being far off entred the house méerely, and as enheritour began to rifle and sease vppon what he list, while the [Page] Consul for his part was not idle, for straight-way with a troupe of 25. Hargabuziers he rap­ped at the Protestants doores, and all that hee founde he imprisoned in Saint Iohns Tower, that done with all expedition hée wrote a let­ter to the Lorde of Vins, the tenure whereof ensueth.

THe next morning he deliuered two prote­stantes to the people to be murdered whom the children dragged vp and downe the towne while the honester persons remained shut vp in their houses, aswel to eschewe the viewe of such cruelties, as for feare least such Catho­lickes as had any thing to lose, might haue the like entertainment, besides their doubt y^e the Lord of Vins had alreadie brought his power into the towne, & their opinion that whatsoe­uer this Consull had done, was without anie commaundement from the king: for euen his familier friendes before knewe not of it, thus he raigned al that day and the next night. The next day the people knowing that the Lord of Vins his power was not yet entred the towne [Page] tooke heart & together with the chiefest among them determined to talke with the consul, & to enquire by whose authoritie & cōmandement he wrought these broyles: others began to re­port throughout the towne y^t the Consull did al of his owne head, in purpose to bring in the Lord of Vins & to make him master of y^e town, so that the people, not vsed to such subiection, & minding to maintain their liberty, began to quaile in that good opinion which before they had conceiued of the Consull, which he percei­ued or at the least greatly feared, & therefore for a remedy answered such as demaunded the reason of his doinges, that it was because hee had notice of some intelligence which the Pro­testants had practised in the towne, for y^e pre­uenting whereof, he had procéeded to the shut­ting of them vp in S Ihons tower, which hee could not so well performe, but y^t the cōmons had gottē those y^t were slaine out of his hands: Furthermore, that he thought good there shuld be after dinner a méeting of the most honora­ble in y^e towne house, there to determine ther­of, also that the same should be generall & so it was at the last concluded. Howbeit séeing the people begin to quaile, to the ende stil to flesh them on he deliuered them an other prisoner whom he procured to be slaine and dragged all [Page] about the towne, therby wéening to encorage the people to prosecute their cruelties, and de­sired them stil to continue in their affection to the Catholike faith, hauing before made pro­clamation that all men should weare crosses in their hats: whē he perceiued that euery one resolued to appeare at the said assemblie, he & his confederates hoped y^e same to be the readie way to become the strongest, and thereuppon concluded among themselues to cut the throts of all that came, & to that purpose to place 60. Harquebuziers in y^e town house, also to stren­then the bodie of the gard y^t was beneath. The heads of famelies not fearing any such matter went boldly to the towne house, the whole as­sembly consisting at the least of 500. persons al in one haule easie to haue ben enclosed & made away. The Consul oftentimes ran in & out as one vncertain what to do, but in the end resol­ued to propound to the whole assēbly his iusti­ficatiō, wherupon by their coūtenances gathe­ring y^t they misliked his propositiō he thought it expedient to go forth & then to murther thē al, howbeit god, as it may be said, not permit­ting the execution of such crueltie, so alienated the sences and tooke away the wits of all the assembly that in liew of reprouing his doings they made no aunswere to his motion, as sée­ming [Page] to them that he had reason in all that he had done, and so they brake vp and departed w^tout other resolution, neuertheles being out of y^e house, gathering their wits togither, they began to feare the comming of y^e Lord of Vins and therefore resolued among themselues at night to ioyne with the watch, notwithstan­ding they had no such cōmandemēt, & so to be­come the stronger: on the otherside y^e said Con­sul knowing y^t the Lord of Vins could not that night bring in his power, & fearing to bée ouer reached commanded the M. of the great Priors galley of Tholouze to prepare the said galley, purposing if matters went amisse, togither with his associats to enter y^e said galley & so to depart: he also sent to y^e Duke of Florēce 4. ga­leys which as y^t voice went staied in y^e Iles to conduct the Duke of Neuers to Luke, willing them to send him 200. souldiers for the kings seruice, & augmentation of y^e Cath. faith, which they granted him in cōsideration of his trauel taken y^e day before against the protestāts, but god so quickned y^e minds of good men y^t they ta­king armes displaced y^e body of the garde & set others in y^e roome, & yet w^tout violence, so to sée what y^e captains of y^e town would do of whom two wer partakers in y^e cōspiracy, but they se­ing so many new mē which wold not obey thē [Page] began to quaile, as did also the Consul aforesaid, because wheresoeuer they became they still found such as would resist them, which caused the said Consul to get into the watch of Canaillon turning & tossing all night like a moth about a candle, and so comming within the view of the Tower of S. Iohn he drew thi­therward and so to the chaine where he purpo­sed to receiue the 200. Harquebuzieres which y^e forenamed 4. Gallies of Florence brought thither at the break of day, but in that place he found fiue hundred harquebuziers, whom whē he beheld he purposed to embarke himself in a Squiffe & so to haue fled to the said Gallies, but he was by them stayed, and word sent to the gard of the Lodge of his being at S. Iohns, wherupon thither resorted a band of mē, who demanded of him by whose authoritie he com­mitted these murders, but he séeing himselfe thus cast away could make no answere and so was conueyed to the towne house, where at y^e same instant euen before his face they chose 24. of the chief men of the town to order their affaires togither with y^e yongest Consul who was but an idiot, and they so chosen did im­mediatly appoint new Captaines, who had quickly assembled fiue or six thousand Harque­buziers in the towne, and the same once armed [Page] and the town assured to the king they present­ly dispatched a messenger to the Lorde great Prior then lying at Aix very sorowfull for the losse of a town of such importance, whom they desired spéedely to come to them, and in the meane time they seazed vppon the fort of our Lady of the gard, which was soone yealded when they that kéept it perceiued the towne to be lost, & so Claud. Boniface was also brought to the towne house, the rest saued themselues. The Consul being degraded from his hood & office, was committed to the kings prison with the said Boniface. The Lord great Prior ari­ued about a leuen of the clocke at night, & im­mediatly they began to prosecute the processe of the Consul and his adherents, which was not perfected before ten of clock the next night and within one houre after, the saide Consul and Captaine Boniface were both hanged be­fore the gate of the late general Boniface, the people hauing continued in armes from the time they were apprehended vntill their exe­cution, This was the end of these two Trai­tors, who were punished according to their de­serts, and reigned but 48. houres: The saide Consuls practise tended to become Lord of the towne, and not to vse the Lord of Vins power except vpon necessitie, being also determined [Page] to sacke the same, and he had chosen for him­selfe and his chiefe adherents thréescore houses the rest should haue fallen to his souldiers: but God would not permit such mischiefe, who as we may say, wrought mightely, and sauing vs preserued also the Protestants, whom y^e Lord great Prior did set at libertie the same night that he arriued.

By this little may we euidently sée that the words and writings of these men are no per­fite images of their euents, and therfore y^t we must rather haue recourse to their actions, which do more liuely expresse them, and as ef­fects do necessarily plead their cause. The dog and the Woolfe are very like, but their déeds do bewray the difference, the one being by thē knowne for a kéeper, the other for a murderer of the flock, and saith great Alexander, often­times, such as outwardly are clothed in white do vnderneath weare purple garmentes, so many times these preachers of religion, and reformation of the estate doe inwardly hatch Atheisme and destruction of the coun­trie: and herein we sée, that it is not religi­on, but ambition neither the welth, but sub­uertion of the estate that causeth them to take armes. This Consuls zeale was tyranny o­uer Marselles, and the religion of Captaine [Page] Boniface was successour to his brother, the rest of these zealous people togither tended to the spoile of their town and destruction of their countrie.

But nowe to enter into consideration of this hypocritical Consuls pretence. The Pro­testants, saith he, had intelligēce in the towne The like speech vseth the Cardinal of Vaude­mount in the discourse of the taking of Verdū which he hath procured to be printed, & Antra­gues vseth the same language to exclude the duke of Montpensier out of Orleans whether is maiestie sent him. Neither is it to be mar­uelled that they all agrée in one phrase, as be­ing wholly possessed with one & the same spirit who hath ben a lyer from the beginning: But least they should be daunted at ouer strait ex­amination of matters, I woulde aske them what intelligence the protestants had in Cha­alon, Diion, Rheins, Maisiers and Argenteau? It is all as true as the league of Magdeburge in Germany lately concluded by the Lorde of Segur, as they say, with the County Palatine, who dyed 8. years before Segar euer set foote in Germany, also with the protector of Scotland, who deceased 5. yeares before: yea & as true as that the protestants brake the crosse of S Mar­tins in the field néere to Paris, whē within few [Page] nights after, the Captain of that quarter sur­prised one that was making an end of the breaking thereof, thereby to prouoke the people to sedition. They must vse some better colours in their affaires, for God by his iust iudgmēt hath vndoubtedly giuen them ouer to a spirite of astonishment, and therefore O poore nation beware, least they vnder the like pretence, a­buse thée in the same maner. Consider in what predicamét this zealous reformer doth consti­tute the king, the princes of his blood, and ge­nerally al that follow not his faction, when he depriueth them of their titles of Catholike & Christian & appropriateth the same to his like. This is the honour that he yeldeth to his ma­iestie for his so often aduenturing his life in such a quarrel. Thou shal not slander the law, the Prince, or the people and yet these great zelators do not onely in words, but also in wri­ting continually slaunder the king, yea so far forth that the Cardinal of Vaudemont ende­noreth to perswade the king that he mindeth to vse the help of the protestants & Turks for the subuertion of Catholike religion: let vs therefore enter into the view of this Consuls conscience who for the establishing of his ty­ranny & renting this flower from the crowne of France, purposeth to vse the weapons of the [Page] Lord of Vins, though but as a scafolde which builders vse, and which when the building is done they pul downe againe, and these treche­ries do they learne of that euill spirite that di­recteth al their actions. We may therfore here­by see what may be looked for from them. Euen you ministers of the Clergie, Nobilitie & third estate who haue embarked you selues w^t them They vse you, but if God should so farre affect this realm as to permit them to attain to their purposes you should be entreated after y^e Mar­silian maner. We sée what Antragues hath al­redy done, how he first imprisoned, then bani­shed those captains that established his tyran­ny. Know you not those whom you follow to be such as are of an vnsatiable ambitiō, whom all the wealth in the worlde cannot content? They wil resemble this Consul, who for him­selfe and his associates reserueth all the best houses, appointing to his soldiers those wher­in nothing is to be had: but what stand I here vpon, when y^e whole house is shared out, what can be left for you? They vse your help in hun­ting for their pray, but in deuiding the spoile they will imitate y^e Lyon. The shares laid out they will sease vppon one, but if you reach to­ward the other, the lyons claws wil coole you: for men haue no fixed terme in their desire of [Page] atteining to riches. These are subtill Foxes, such as with the smoke of faire promises doe spoile you of al that you haue, that themselues may sease thereupon. They be Mermaids, who to the end to procure your shipwracke do with their pleasant songs seeke to ful you on sléepe, but with Vlisses stop your eares, and with the Troyans close your eyes against this Helein whom they bring into this country to bury vs vp in y^e ruines therof. Let vs in this discourse consider the fruites of couetousnesse and ambi­tion, the one procéeding so farre [...]oh horrible a­mong Christians) as to murther his own bro­ther, how Catholike so euer, the other to en­fringe his vowed faith to his prince and to im­brew his hands in the blood of his fellow citi­zens, and both togither to enrich themselues with the spoile of their countrie. By this ex­ample let vs iudge what else we may hope for of these reformers, sauing that hauing begun with the protestants they will ende with our selues, or rather that as this Consul beganne with the welthiest catholicks, so wil they pro­céed with such as among vs shalbe of best ha­bilitie: yea, who shalbe safe when the one bro­ther spareth not the other: and sith they begin with the Catholicks, yea with the king him­selfe, whose townes & treasure they daily seaze [Page] vppon, whether shall we hope for better? The Protestants goods are not sufficient to fill the broken bags or quench the insatiable thirst of these cormorants and this do not the chifest a­mong them conceale, who do account of this realme as of a booty, to the end after the exam­ple of Silla to exhibite our goods to y^e most giuer. If at the beginning of this banquet where to these craftie victioners doe enuite vs, they set before vs such wine, what shal we looke for in the midst, or at the ende? Let the rich men at the beginning account thēselues protestants, for their faire houses, goods, and lands are so already, & by this tyrants letters we sée what the poore country men are to look for. Tyrants saith Diogines doe vse their fauorites as bot­tles, they hang vp the full and cast of the em­ptie. If then they spare not those, what will they do with the rest? Doth not Antragues be­gin to expell the richest Catholikes out of Or­leans to the end to seaze vpon their goods? An­tisthenes did very truly accoūt tyrants worse then tormenters, for these put onely offenders to death, the others spare not y^t innocent. How happy therefore are those whom other mens harmes can make to beware. Finally I pray you a little with me to stay vpon the diligent consideration of the wonderfull deliuery of [Page] this poore towne, togither w^e many good people in the same. The tyrant hath the fortresse: the protestantes are chained vp in dongeons, the rest sometime shut vp in their houses, somtime besieged in the towne house, and somtime na­ked among his weapons: hee hath his power vpon both sea and land. All this notwithstan­ding, God who sheweth his strength in our weakenesse, & preserueth the weake from the lyons iawes, and in the firy furnace, hath fréed all good men, and kept this place being of so great importance to his maiesty. The tyrants heart faileth him at his most néede: the Lorde depriueth him of his senses, and he bandoneth his tiranny without any stroke stroken. None is more coward than a tyrant. God the esta­blisher of kings doth preserue them and their estates, and although somtimes he afflicteth thē with the rebellions of their nearest friends as he did Dauid, so that he bringeth them low as he did Manasses and Nabuchadonozer, yet doth he afterward deliuer and raise them vp a­gaine. We sée the smal continuance of this ty­ranny, which lasted but 48. houres: hardly did this tyrant giue his subiectes time to eate or drink, so short was this bloody tragedie. These were violent stormes, and soone ouerblowne. This conspiracie was no sooner sprong vp but [Page] it withered again: This is an example of gods iudgements, for saith the Apostle, Who so re­sisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God, and who so resisteth Gods ordinance do draw his cursse vppon them. These be the ty­rants which warre against God, and against whom he shooteth the darts of his wrath: Da­uid shall neuer want power and courage to pursue such Absalons, neither doth France want trées to hang them vppon, as was this Consull. France is yet sufficiently stored of true and natural frenchmen, both willing and able to deliuer her from those that haue sworn her destruction. To conclude, those that haue béene seduced will reclaime themselues & such good and honorable personages, as hitherto haue kept their houses, not for feare, but ex­pecting his maiesties commaundement will take the fields to the end alto­gether vnder his banners to follow the example of the Marsilians.