WE Henrie of Monmorency, Lorde of Danuille Mares­chal of Fraunce, Gouer­ner and Lieutenaunt gene­ral for the King, in the con­trey of Languedoc, Desiring that euerie man may knowe and vnderstande, that the onelie dutie and fidelitie that we haue borne to the seruice of his Maie­stie, and to the profit and quiet of his sub­iectes and of his Realme, hath moued vs to entre into armes against the distur­bers and oppressers thereof. For this cause do declare to all Kinges, Princes, and Potētates of Christēdome, frendes confederates, and allyes of his Crowne, & to all his Maiesties faithfull subiectes of what estate, qualitie, or condicion soe­uer they be, that hauing perceiued these [Page] fourtene yere past, and frō shortly after the decesse of the late King Henrie of good memorie, how this poore and de­solate Realme hath in all sortes been af­flicted and oppressed with ciuile warres, grounded vpon the pretense and contro­uersie of Religion, and how vnder this pretense hath folowed the totall ruine of the more parte of the good Townes that haue been spoiled and sacked, and some of them ofter than once, as the di­sordred and vnsatiable passion of suche as were the authors of all these miseries hath had will to entreprise and put in execution: how the edictes and ordinan­ces made at the generall assemblie of the Estates at Orleans, and since that time so oft renewed, as well for the pacifica­tion of the Realme, as for the gouer­naunce thereof, haue in all thinges ben periurously broken: how impunitie of murders, slaughters, poysonninges, ray­singes of tumoltes of the people, defi­linges of women, and maides, burnin­ges, sackinges, and other haynous doynges, generally haue been, and be to­lerated in this Realme, by those that [Page] ought to haue stayed the same, euen so farre as that thei haue suffred that cruel barbarous, and vnnatural murder of the more part of the Nobilitie of Fraunce committed in the towne of Parise, on sainct Barthelmewes daye, in the yere 1572. how poore prisonners and person­nes errested in forme of lawe, within the concergeries of the Palace of Parise aforesayd, of Tolouse, Bordeaux, Roane, Lyon, and Orleans, and other Townes haue been burned, slayne and murdered, beside an infinitie number of persones of good estate, women, children, and other citezens of the sayde townes, and also their goods rauenously spoiled by these that are at this day honored, fauo­red, and auaunced.

How the King and his Realme are still possessed, as they haue been in the time of the late Kinges his brethren, by strāgers whiche haue conspired to the totall sub­uersion of his Maiestie, the Princes of his blood, and his Nobilitie, as they haue sufficiently made appeare by putting them to the assaultes of townes, to com­bates, [Page] and other hasardes at their plea­sure, to the intent vtterly to deface the memorie and wholy to vsurpe the estate and crowne of Fraunce.

How since the decesse of the good King Henrie, the Nobilitie hath been wholly defaced in France, and their merites and vertues despised: how straungers haue ben preferred before them to the charges and estates of the Crowne, and of the Kinges household, against the auncient lawes of the establishmēt of this Realm. Yea and whiche more is, the said estates haue ben geuen to some that be no gētle­men, nor haue shewed so muche, as any small profe of any thing nere to any de­seruing of suche charge. Wherof ensueth an extreme grefe to an infinite number of old Knightes and Capitaines of Frāce, in respecte of the longe seruices of their auncesters, and whiche themselues haue not spared their liues, their goods, their children, their kinred and their frendes, and all that they had, for the seruice of the King, and for the maintenaunce of his estate. So as brefely the countrey of the [Page] worlde that moste plentuously furnished good examples to all other, is now so dis­ordered and defiled, that in steede of reco­uering the auncient vertues that in time past there abounded in all thinges, now no man can otherwise iudge, but that the desolations and calamities, whiche we haue suffred, haue directly proceded from the wrathe of God, wholly powred out vpon the people of Fraunce, by the sub­uersion, whiche these straungers the go­uerners of the Estate haue brought in, and for lacke of obseruing the order and the rule, whiche of auncient time haue been so well established, as no prouince was comparable to ours, like as while the policie thereof was inueolably kept, it hath florished and ben renomed aboue all other nations, and since the disorder and subuersion haue ben brought in by these newe gouerners with their nouelties, they haue sought to make the Kinges subiectes liue like brute beastes, without doctrine, or obseruing of any thing that they ought, depriuing them of suche lear­ned men as were in the Vniuersities, ei­ther by murder, or banishement into [Page] straunge countreyes, permitting that the Ecclesiasticall persones (from whome ought to procede to vs the principall exā ­ples) neither studie, nor preache, nor be resident, nor exercising themselues in any part of their dutie, that their vnsatiable couetise in their pluralitie of benefices hath free course than euer it had, that the poore, the needie, and the orphane be wholly forsaken: and all other workes of charitie, are by the sayd Ecclesiasticall persones wholly reiected and eloigned: how thei let out their benefices to ferme, not caryng to whom, and by the same meane dooe in their absence leaue the charge of their owne soules, and of their flocke as it were to fermers and tenan­tes: and chefly how the elections ordeined by the holy Counselles, and confirmed by the sayd ordinances of Orleans, haue ben repelled and reuoked for the priuate pro­fit of strangers, whiche haue ben, and be suche as hardly they might be capable to be called by the people of Fraunce, to any charges and dignities spirituall or tem­porall.

[Page] How since that iustice is administred for money, and that there hath ben suf­fred in Fraunce against our lawes, that the president Biragne a Millanois, hath been made Chaunceller of Fraunce, and that all the learned and sufficiēt French­men that might haue ben chosen to those charges haue been reiected, we haue had nothing but meschef in iustice, and al­lowance of all the murders, slaughters, and traitorous outrages that haue been executed and conspired, since he hath been in charge: brefely how all his edictes haue tended only to the subuersion of the No­bilitie and of the crowne of France, both in depriuyng them of the liberties, in erection of offices, and in new tributes and vngracious inuentions that he hath deuised with certaine other straungers his ministers, to praue the substaunce of Frenchemen, to mainteine (as he hath done hetherto) a diuision and confusion among them, and in the same to gather and mainteine armes leuied for the exe­cution of his practises, by whiche meanes he hath done what in him laye to create a straunger the Kinges Lieutenant ge­nerall [Page] in his Realme, disapointing my Lorde his Maiesties brother of the pro­mise that was made him by the late King, by occasion whereof and of the dis­contentmente that my sayd Lord gaue, to wite, that he cōceiued thereby, he is at this day as captiue, & all those that were thought affectioned to the seruice of the King, and to mainteine that which iustly belonged vnto him, and to my sayd Lorde his brother, or whiche haue bent them­selues against this tyrannie, oppression, and euell counsell, as well Princes of the blood, & officers of his Maiesties crowne, as other, haue been put to death, exiled, or be deteined prisoners.

Hauing be on all that they were able, vnder false and sclanderous persuasions, in the same time of the others empri­sonemente, they haue practised to cause vs to be slayne by the Counte Martin­nengues, and diuerse other expresly sent to this towne of Montpellier to make vs to be prisoned, or to be murdered in a tu­multe of the people (a thing so commonly knowen as euerie man can depose it) [Page] howbeit this is a particular matter wher with we will not now entermedle, dea­ling onely with the generall, and refer­ryng this to time and place for vs conue­nient, to debate this cause and all the rest concerning vs, and to make it knowen to his Maiestie that without iust occasion, this mischeuous treason and conspiracie hath been attempted.

Now we hauing lately iorneyed into Piedmont, to his Maiesties presence (by his commaundement, at suche tyme as he returned frō Poloigne into his owne Realme) to vnderstand his good pleasure, and to geue him aduise, as he required vs by writing from Venize, of the meanes that then were to appease the troubles of his Realme, accordyng to his inclination to so good intent by hymself sufficiently published, and made knowen to his subie­ctes, & to Princes and Potentates straun­gers and his allies, his Maiestie had di­uerse tymes doen vs so greate honour, to assure vs of this his so sincere and lauda­ble intention, to enter with peace, and to embrace the vnitie of his sayd subiectes [Page] of bothe Religions, to make them parta­kers of the benefite and quietnesse that he meant to them, in suche sorte that we loked for nothing, but this vniuersall good at our returne from the towne of Suze to this our gouernement, there to attend (as his Maiestie had expresly com­maunded vs for these, whome it shoulde please him to send to assist vs, & to seke the meanes of the sayd pacification. But he being still in the power of those that had counselled the late King, to the oppression and ruine of his Estates, hindering the fruite of his good purpose, they haue con­temned as they yet dayly do continue, the execution of their practises and deui­ses, consuming wholy the finaunces of France in the entertening of an armie in a maner all of straungers, as Suyssers, Reisters, and Piedmontois. One part of whiche armye is cōducted into this coun­trey of Languedoc by the lord d'Vzes, a man knowen among Frenchemen for one that vnder colour of the Religion re­formed, whiche he fained hymself to fol­low in times past, hath ruined, spoiled, and sacked all the good townes of this [Page] coūtrey, defaced and beaten downe all the faire monasteries, and Churches cathe­dral and collegiate, and taken and robbed the iewelles that were in them, whiche now fayling him, therewith also haue fayled his religion and godlinesse that he pretended to embrase, and also the cruel and miserable death of the lord of Bodi­nay his brother: and he hath accepted this charge to the intent to cōtinue with these oppressers and disturbers of France the ruine thereof.

On the other side, into Prouence is conducted a part of the sayd armye by the Mareschal of Gondy, a straunger to this Realme, to whome this charge (as it is easy to perceiue) hath been committed for the distrust that hath been had of those of that contreye, whiche wolde be executio­ners of so mischeuous purposes for the subuersion of the same.

Wherupon hauyng been made to vs sondry declarations and exhortations, as well on the behalf of the Princes of the blood, officers of the Crowne, and Pairs [Page] of Fraunce, as also of all the prouinces of this Realme, whiche know the immi­nent destruction of the King and of his estate at hād, if necessarie remedie thereto be not spedily prouided. We as an offi­cer of the Crowne, a naturall Frenche­man, and descended of the first Chri­stians and barons of Fraunce, whiche from time beyond all memorie haue had before their eyes in singular recomman­dation the protection, preseruation, and defense of their Kinges & their Crownes, whiche we desire by the helpe of God, to follow in all that we possibly may:

Hauing well considered that the cōtro­uersie which is in this Realm for matter of Religion, neither can nor ought to be determined by armes, but by a holy and free coūsell general or national, and like­wise that it is most requisite that there be an establishment of all things in their first estate, by the aduise and deliberation of an assemblie of the states generall, the onely remedie to appease troubles, and the only piller and vpholding of the King and of his Crowne, whatsoeuer the ty­rantes, [Page] flatterers, and clokers of truthe can say to the contrarie.

We hauing an extreme greef to see his Maiestie possessed, by persones that haue so small regard vnto him, that they publikely abuse his sacred name, to couer their vngratious intention, vnsatia­blenesse and ambition, Haue embrased the common protection, preseruation and defense of the Crowne, and of the sayd good and naturall subiectes, as well of the one Religion as of the other, of what qua­litie or condition soeuer they be, against the sayd straungers, euell counsells, op­pressers and violaters of the vnitie and common quiet of this sayd Realme, and of the libertie of my Lord the Kinges bro­ther, the King of Nauarre, my Lord the prince of Conde, and other Princes of the blood, officers of the Crowne, Lordes, Gentlemen, and other Capitaines pri­soners and exiled, as is aforesayd.

Calling to our succor and ayde all Kinges Princes, and Potentates of Christen­dome, frendes and confederates of this [Page] Crowne, and all the faithfull subiectes of the same, hoping that God will geue vs the grace by armes to come to a good ac­cord of Religion, to the vnitie and resto­ring of this Realme in the former estate, by the determination of a holy and free counsell generall or nationall, and by the deliberation and aduise of the general as­semblie of the estates of Fraunce.

We notifie to all the sayd subiectes of his Maiestie, of what estate, condition or qualitie soeuer they be, to all the Pro­uinces, Townes, and Commonalties of this Realme, that will fauor, ayde, and as­sist vs in this so good, so iust, and so ver­tuous enterprise, for the publike weale of his sayd Maiestie, and of all his Realme, that they shalbe pre serued, maintened, and kept in all liberties of their cōscience, exercise of their Religion, as well Ca­tholiks as Reformed, according as shalbe particularly aduised at this next assem­blie general, by vs assigned in this towne of Montpellier, and in the full and free enioyyng of their dignities, estates, goods fruites, reuenues, and profites, as well [Page] Ecclesiastical as other, without exception of any whatsoeuer, and from this time as also from thenceforthe wee haue taken and do take and admit them vnder the Kinges and our protection and safegard. As also we declare that they whiche shall shew themselues contrarie to vs, and our commaundementes to the purpose aboue sayd, shalbe runne vpon as enimies of the estate and crowne of Fraunce, and di­sturbers of the vnitie and common peace.

At Montpellier 1575.