MY maisters, I shal not be, as I thinke, the first Reporter of the lamentable newes of the death of the Duke of Ioyeuse, and the ouerthrow of his whole Armie: and so consequently may reioyce that I shall not be the au­thor of your heauinesse, albeit I will not neuerthelesse faile in the discharge of my duetie, neither bee the last that shall giue you aduice vpon so straunge an accident, to the end to testifie vnto you, that for my owne part I bewaile this publike calamitie, howbeit, not so [Page 4]as to despaire of whatsoeuer this heauy day hath left vs, but rather to séeke af­ter the most firme and stedfast kinde of hope, that we may and ought to con­ceyue, to the ende to bring forth the peace of this miserable realme. In as much therefore as your selues are the most notable company among whome the principall point of the estate, name­ly religion, is intreated vpon, I doe di­rect my selfe especially to you, to the end you may iudge of my zeale, and if any profit may be taken thereof, you may impart the same to those that still harken after you for the vnderstanding of their saluation: also that it may bee the foundation whereupon againe to build vp our ruines to the common re­liefe of the people, and the discharge of your consciences. But before I come to these remedies, I will lay open vnto you the new wounds that we haue re­ceyued in the late battaile of Coutras the twentieth of this moneth by the King of Nauarre, with the assistance of the Lords the prince of Conde, the Earle of Soissons, the Lord of Turen­ne, Trimouille, and other Lords and [Page 5]gentlemen their partakers. The saide King being returned from Monsoreau where he had happely soiorned for the space of fiftéene dayes or more after the ouerthrow of the troupes of the late D. of Ioyeuse, and the Marquesse of Re­nel as they retired from their voyage of Poictou, also hauing through the conduct of the L. of Turenne seased vpon the rich carriages of the D. of Mercoeur neare to Saumeur, who was comming out of his gouernment of Bretagne to ioyne with his brother in law, the saide D. of Ioyeuse yet being at Tours, and withall had receyued the saide L. Earle of Soissons with all his troupes: after (I say) that the said king was thus vpon his return & led had his armie into Sainctonge, he tooke two Cannons from Rochell, and in the end determined to march into Ga­scogne as well for the reenforcing of his troupes, as to ioyne with his for­raine power vpon the borders of those prouinces that fauored him. Now because, as you know, that that was the onely thing which the K. did most feare, he gaue charge to the said D. of [Page 6] Ioyeuse to stoppe this his course by all meanes possible, yea if all other oppor­tunities failed, not to spare the extre­mitie of the battaile, which he vnder­tooke to performe, and to the same end marched with those troupes which hee had before, together with the other that his maiestie had newly graunted him, as well for the better strengthe­ning, as to banish from him all feare of those that the K. of Nauarre did leade. The ground of this enterprise con­sisted in the passage ouer the riuers of Droune and L'Isle, and the most dili­gent to feaze thereon was to prescribe law to the more slothfull. In respect hereof the saide D. of Ioyeuse after he had a while at the héeles followed and costed the K. of Nauarre his armie, in the end fet forwarde towarde Roche-Chalays, entending according to the good aduise giuen him by the L. Mar­shal of Matignon to seaze vpon Cou­tras, which was the place of most im­portance, in respect of the situation so fauourable to the passage ouer Droun, but he lost his time by reason that as his light horsemen were ariued and ta­king [Page 7]their lodgings, the K. of Nauarres being the stronger came vpon them, and became maisters thereof on Mon­day night the nyntenth of October. Thus besides the said kinges diligence which is the most necessarie parte in warrelike attempts, and the thing that hath bred him great credit among his partakers, his force was also preiudici­all to y^e said D. of Ioyeuse: who neuer­theles being desirous to yeeld al dueties of obedience to his maisters comman­dements, and imagining that the K. of Nauarre being inclosed betweene the two riuers, might be easily ouercome, [...] the next day to giue him bat­faile, and to the same end appointed his whole armie their méeting place betweene Roche-Chalays and Cou­tras, whither hee came earely in the morning, at leasure and without anie impeachment of the said kings troupes, and tooke his battaile ground within halfe a league of Coutras to his most aduantage possible. The K. of Nauarre as I was informed, hauing the first ad­uertisement thereof earely enough in the morning, stayed vntil he had also [Page 8]the second yea and the third before hee woulde once stirre, albeit hee made no lesse shew to be desirous of battaile than our selues: And in déed he had giuen vs occasion twise before, which wee found not to hee for our aduantage. Howbeit, so soone as the saide K. was by these diuers reportes assures there­of, he tooke horse, and departing from Coutras, went to méete the saide D. of Ioyeuse, set his armie in hattaile a­ray, and in the meane time comman­ded the L. of Clermont maister of his ordinance to passe it ouer vnto his side of the riuer, which hee cold not doe the day before. Then hauing brought it into the fore front, he so ordered it that without anoying any of his own part, about eight of the clocke it played for eight or nine belees verie conueniently vpon the first squadron of oure horse­men, and so carried away a great num­ber of our gentlemen, which made the rest to resolue rather to goe to y^e charge, then so miserably to dye without anie fight. Thus about nyne of the clock our light horsemen with foure, hundreth horse gaue vpon the K. of Nauarres, [Page 9]which after some blowes, was in the end shaken and our men made glasse windowes therein: the rest of the saide kinges army consisted of foure square battailes, whereof that of the L. of Tu­renne was smelt to by the L. of Lauer­dine. The other thrée wherin were the thrée princes of the blood, kéeping their standing did behold the ioyning, and by and by after the D. of Ioyeuse marched furiously to the charge for the generall conflict, whereto these three Princes each in the face of his squadron came a soft pace, only vpon the trot as close and with as good assurance as euer I see mē of warre martch. When they came to handy blowes, our men sodenly turned their backes, whether it were that the speares stopped them at the strait of the conflict, or that we were reencountered somewhat rudely. Finally, the fight was sharpe and so violent that it conti­nued the lesse while, and as warres are vncertaine, the whole victorie remai­ned with the king of Nauarre. And it is a maruellous matter that by ten of the clocke neuer a one of our men stood to the sight, neither so much as appea­red [Page 10]in the field, which lay couered with a great number of the dead, and those very notable. Such as escaped the ex­tremitie of the weapone, either fledde with shame, or fell into their enemies handes, some wounded and some not, whereas in so notable an ouerthrow there were lost on the king of Nauars part very few, and not so much as any one of name or commaundement: but of our part all the Captaines were ei­ther wounded or slaine or taken, bestoos the D. of Ioyense the Generall, whose only loue might suffice to make vs ear­nestly to lament, as for such a mishap as hath striken a shrewde blow at such of our affaires as were ordered and set vp again by the king vnder the con­duct of his fortune. Howbeit it is also replemished to infinite other our losses, whereby we haue the lesse meanes left to helpe vs to rise againe from so mise­rable a fall. I will name vnto you the most notable of those y^e I can remem­ber that are slaine, to the end that con­sidering of them, you may the better contemplate this mishappe which shall peraduenture be but the way to many [Page 11]more whereunto we doo runne, if God withhold vs not.

Amongst our dead there are besides the D. of Ioyeuse, the L. of Saint Saui­our his brother, the L. of Bressay who carried the white Cornet. The L. of Ronsay the yonger Pienne Guidon to the said D. of Ioyeuse. The Earles of Suze, Gouuelo, & Aubigeou, the L. of Fumell, the L. of Neufuy the elder of Perigord, Croyset sonne to the L. of Rochfort, the L. of Gurat Cornet of Maumont, The L. of S. Fort Guidon to the L. of S. Luc. The L. of Vaux Lieutenant to the L. of Bellegarde. The L. of Montignyes Ensigne, Tier­celin maister of the field, Chenet his chiefe Captaine, Vallade one of his Captaines, Captain Baccullard, yong Campels, who carried a cloth. The L. of Pluuault and Brangerie, al Officers in our army. More there were whom I cannot well call to minde: but my masters, those were braue Gentlemen, those were the kings good seruants: these were the good pillers of our coun­trey, whom we haue lost in this battel, whose death doeth also make our liues [Page 12]so wretched, that vndoubtedly they are happier than we that breath foorch this aire that is infectes with our miseries. I thinke that they whom this losse doth most concern, shuld also be most fouth­ed with the griefe that they ought to conceaue therof: and your selues doe I accoumpt so affectionate to the benefit of your country that for your partes you will powre forth a whole riuer of teares which will not bee dried vp a great while, considering that the losse which you receiue doe stretch so farre, and spreadeth farther than the most passionate can well imagine. Wee doe well know what assurance we had con­ceiued, that all should haue succéeded o­therwise to vs then it hath done, wher­by wee are to bee the more sory because we were deceiued. And albeit Gods will was apparant therein, also that it were our partes rather to yeeld thereto than to murmure against it, yet can I not but feele that such was the pleasure of God, to the end sharply to punish vs for reposing more trust in our fleshly arme then in his inightie power, yea and which is more, because wée haue [Page 13]fought and neuer asked counsell at the mouth of the Lord. Would you haue any more notable testimonies to con­firme my saying, then the death of this braue nobilitie? The same is but too sufficient to wrest from you this belief: and if you doo but beholde the rest that remaineth captiue with the king of Nauarre, you shal as a man would say sée our sorrow more liuely, as if their captiuitie should vnchaine those mis­chiefes which come in poste to our op­pression. The most notable of them wil I also name vnto you. There is the L. of Bellegarde, Gouernor of Xantonge and Angoumois, who was wounded, taken and since deceased. The L. of S. Luc, Gouernour of Brouages & of the Iles of Xantonge taken. The Mar­quesse of Piennes: The Earle of Mon­soreau wounded and taken. The L. of Sansac taken. The L. of Cypierre, The L. of Saultray of the house of Lude. The L. of Montigny Captaine of the kings gate. The L. of Ville Comblin Lieutenant to the L. of Souuray. The L. of Castle Renaud Guidon to the L. of Sansac. The L. of Maumōt Cap­taine [Page 14]of the light Horse. The L. of Pa­triere Guidon to the L. of Lauerdin. The L. of Ould Castle. The L. Cha­stelu. The L. of Lauuerdiere Guidon to the L. of Suze. All these were Cap­tains & men of authoritie, & so acknow­ledged of all, among when I recken not the Captaines of the foolemen, nei­ther many other priuate Gentlemen that had no charge, and are either ta­ken, wounded or slaine. As for those that yet liue, it may be ye shall hereaf­ter haue some comfort of them, as ho­ping they may returne into the kings seruice: but I do much feare their com­ming to the spéech of y^e king of Nauar, whose particular seruants they all, or the most of them, haue long béen, neither did euer beare armes against him, but against their willes: such at the least are their ordinary protestations, which in effect they haue often confirmed. Yea did they beare but one sparke of good affection to the said king of Nauarre, he is skilfull inough thereof to kindle a whole flame: so shall he winne from vs these relikes of our ruines, where with to preuaile against our selues, if not di­rectly [Page 15]against vs, yet indirectly for him selfe, but not for vs. For you know what a voice is generally giuen out of his wonderfull grace in winning mens minds and quenching the malice of his enemies, in case hee can but once come to let them taste of his courtesie. Yee may belieue that most of these our ma­sters being so much bounde vnto him, will hereafter continue their bonds, al­so that there be but few amongst them to whom the curtesies of this Prince may not prescribe whatsoeuer lawes he lift. In the meane time he shall haue his passage frée: For as for the L. Mar­shall of Matignon, how good a seruant so euer hee be to the king, hee is tied to Gascogne: and besides his forces are not sufficient to stop the said king from executing whatsoeuer his purposes as easily as he would wish, neither can he at this day desire or put in execution a­ny thing whatsoeuer with greater ho­nour, hauing obteined such a braue vic­tory against vs, which is perfect in all notable parts. The death and impri­sonment of all the chiefe Captaines, ex­cept the L. of Lauerdin who séeing our [Page 16]conflict a far off, went to saue him selfe and few others, the winning of the field, the taking of the artillery, the bur­ning of our armies lodgings, the chace pursued foure leagues, and a thousand other particularities which I heere o­mit. Concerning the king of Nauarre, I haue heard credibly reported that hée was one of the sharpest in fight, & buck­led earnestly, yea so farre foorth as by force to cary away Chasteau-renauds Cornet, also to haue receiued a taint in the necke with a speare & other blowes that bruised his hands and face. To be briefe, that hee shewed himselfe a Cap­taine in ordering his battailes and a souldier in fight. As for the Prince of Conde that hee fought valiantly & had one horse killed vnder him, also that be­ing horsed againe he tooke the L. of S. Luc prisoner who had before borne him downe. That the Earle of Soisons in this first reencounter shewed so good proofe of his courage that he greatly cō ­tented his partakers & gaue them good hope of himselfe, for he ioyned earnest­ly, and with his owne handes tooke the Marquesse of Piennes prisoner, so as [Page 17]these thrée Princes fighting with their enemies, fought so reciprocally whose vertue should best appeare, that they haue no cause one to enuy an other, sith they all shewed all duetie according as the occurrences ministred occasiō, Nei­ther is it to be doubted, but these so assu­red Captaines did greatly assure their members, among whom the L. of Tu­renne also had his horse slaine in the battell and entered verie farre, as also did the L. of Trimouille who was no­ted of great courage and assurance in the front of his light horsemen. Finally that there was no troope in all their ar­my but had a share in the glorie of our ouerthrow. Herein haue wee cause to be sory, sith the hurt that we do to them do but prouoke our men, and that either early or late they will finde meanes to requite vs: howbeit at this time it is much more then a requitall, neither is there any comparison betwéene all the harme that we haue done them, yea al­beit you set togither all that haue hap­pened since the beginning of the trou­bles, and the same which wee haue re­ceiued in this battell. One onelie short [Page 18]day hath recompēced all that they haue lost in two yéeres and a halfe, which is the time since the league was reuealed, and as farre as I sée, wee are yet farre in their debts. We haue séene all the mightie armies which the king hath sent out of all y^e prouinces of the realme to make an ende. But shew mee now what fruit hath come of them? The ta­king of townes? wee haue taken none but such as they made no great account to kéepe, and all but loures which were neuer, as a mā should say, of any name, but through mishap. And how haue we gotten them? with large time, exces­siue expences, and a world of labor and pollicie, which heeretofore would not haue béen practised at the siege of Metz, S. Quintins, and other good Townes in our daies. What haue we gained? we haue taken nothing by assault, and all our sieges haue ended by profitable and honourable composition for the be­sieged. Neither haue our sieges any whit diminished their number, sith the lawes of warre haue freed them from the fury of our weapons. And which is worse, Castillon the Duke of Mayns [Page 19]proudest trophee, the taking whereof cost sixe weekes worke and six hundred thousand francks hath the Lord of Tu­renne recouered in one houre, & with­out any expense. The king of Nauarre hath in lesse then thrée wéekes taken Tallemōt, S. Messan, Fontenay, Mail­lezay, Mauleon, & fiue or sixe good Ca­stles more. The said D. of Ioyeuse came to recouer these losses, but hee spent most of his time in preparatiues, and in the end at the siege of S. Maissā was driuen to discharge 113. Cannon shot, against y^e which it had not cost the said▪ king two hundreth Harquebuze shot: and had it not béene for the ouer­throw that the said D. of Ioyeuse gaue to the Mothe of his two regiments of Collters and Clounes, togither with the controuersies among the besieged, we had not had it so soone or so easily. As for Maillezay which the said Duke of Ioyeuse also tooke, he did rather suprize then take it, besides that the smal num­ber of souldiers therein feared his pur­poses. But Fontenay was of ouer hard digestion, & the Catholike forces gaue place to the Protestants, of whom wée [Page 20]made so small account. And whereas there died a good number of them, as could not be otherwise chosen, so if wée peruse the rowles of our army, we shal find, y^e the rule of substraction may séem sufficient to finde out our accounts. The swoord, the bad weather, pouertie, pestilence or other diseases haue taken away so many that wee haue but fewe left to habandon to the like mishappes: and the woorst is, wee neuer séeke to spare, but rather doo séeme to practise this detestable saying: Let our friends perish, so as our enemies may perish also. Moreouer, wherein are their af­faires empaired? Wee haue kept the field, but how? For the most part in such seasons as the retraite into the Townes had béene more fit and safe a­gainst the iniuries of wind and snow: in such a season I say, as albeit they had béene as well able to haue kept the field as we, yet had it béen wisedome to to habandon it vnto vs, so to suffer vs to consume our selues, with a million of inconueniences which fought against vs, although they meddle not at all. Likewise when the time fauoured our [Page 21]voyages, besides that the same was but ouer short, we haue found such resistāce in them, & they haue giuen vs so small hold, that our selues haue beaten our selues with our owne paines, and haue reaped but the dishonour of doing no­thing, and blame for working too much mischiefe: and to be briefe, all our fires are in the ende conuerted into smoake which hath choked vs. The raising vp of our bucklers were haughtie, but when we came to the matter & to take hold, wee brought foorth nothing but confusion & disorder, wherein the king of Nauarres part hath béene rather vp­held then shaken, so as we séeme to bee but the winds which breake vpon their constancy or magnanimitie. Twentie yeares ago & more might I haue lear­ned how hard a matter it was vtterly to ouerthrow him: but I neuer thought it vnpossible vntill these our last trials, wherein he hath taught vs that hée ei­ther is a greater one then wée, or else that he hath more supporters then wée haue force: or both. I will not be asha­med to confesse that at the beginning of these troubles our great preparatiues [Page 22]for war against him did make me sted­fastly to belieue that hee could haue no means to kéep himselfe from vs, where­vpon my selfe as well as many other did according to my duetie bring in whatsoeuer I was able togither with my own person: and notwithstanding all our delaies and the lingering of our purposes, yet did I not neuertheles dis­paire of good successe: but now am I forced to pluck my pin from the stake, and earnestly to open mine eies to per­ceiue the causes of our misfortune, to­gither with the necessitie of a farther cause of mischiefe, wherof this late one is but the first, or at the least the most apparant beginning. Not my maisters that I will resemble those foules which so soone as colde weather commeth on doe habandon euerie climate, by anie rash alteration of my wil which so long and resolutely I haue alwaies kept. For I protest, that of all the reasons that may bee imagined in this noueltie I do admit onely the same which set­teth before me the preseruation of that estate, for the which so farre I am from all feare of the losse of my first pretence, [Page 23]that I wish rather to lose my selfe: and in the name of God doo exhort you so wel to try my aduice, that you may al­low therof, and ensuing the same, shew so good an example to the rest of Frāce, that sith your selues are the light that should lighten vs, this estate may also by your meanes recouer her auncient brightnesse, and this oppressed people perfect reliefe from all their afflictions.

To enter therefore into the matter, my selfe haue alwaies béene through zeale to religiō thrust for ward, & when­soeuer there fell out any spéech of the defence thereof, I came as hotely as might be desired. Now this religion I alwaies held in such sort as I receiued of my predecessors, and as I account it true saluation of my soule, I preferred it before all other whatsoeuer worldly considerations. Wherein I was confir­med not onely by this domesticall ex­ample, but also by that doctrine which your selues haue alwaies deliuered vn­to vs, referring al that possibly I might vnto y^e authoritie which long you haue obteined and kept among our nation. I will not bee ashamed to say that in [Page 24]this case I haue willingly reposed my selfe vpon you, as imagining that you would not damme your selues in sport, as also that in so good company I could not doo amisse. In consideration wher­of I neuer troubled my selfe much a­bout the search into the depth of these misteries and difficulties wherein your schoole is as it were plunged, leauing to you the arguing in words, and reser­uing to my selfe the decisions in action, wherewith as néede required, to yéeld authoritie to your decrées, and for my part stoutly to oppose my selfe against all those that woulde withstand you, howbeit vnder the authoritie of the so­neraigne magistrate, to whom I neuer doubted of my due obedience. Hereup­on I alwaies supposed that our warre was not lawful against al such as shot against you and sought to subuert your doctrine, accounting them verie here­tikes & Apostataes from the Church, with whom we were to striue euen for life, considering that their opinions did for the most part kill vs, by rauishing from vs through their frowardnesse, that which I supposed you had impar­ted [Page 25]vnto vs in sincere and faithful con­sciences. For this which I haue often heard you say, did I take for an infa­lible principle: that is to say, That our Church can not erre, also, that to ac­cuse you of error, was such an error as deserued to be pursued with fire and sworde. Thus was I neuer of a­ny other mind, but that we had a most firme and more than necessarie foun­dation euery way to persecute those whom men tearme Protestants. So presumpteous a title could not I like of: & as in these latter ages, Gods spirit threatneth vs with sundrie seducers, so haue I alwaies accounted these men to be, whereupon I haue detested their companies: so farre haue I béene from sparing, whatsoeuer I could possibly doe, to vse against them all rigors whereby to roote them out. For this cause doe I make great account of the deuotion which diuers of our kinges haue at sundrie times shewed. But séeing that the more we striue, the more this people increase: the large expert­ence of these affaires maketh mee the more stacke in these matters, and their [Page 26]late victorie which God hath giuen them, causeth me to imagine that hee doth wholy fauor their cause, also that whatsoeuer crosses hee doth by our hands lay vpon them, hee doth neuer­thelesse reserue vnto them a happie & a comfortable end. Disorder (saith a certaine auncient) breedeth good de­crees, and the reiteration of our transgressions when wee finde them doe worke vs, to our knowledge, wisedome: yea the apprentiship of our owne losses is more strong and forceable then that which procee­deth of others harmes.

I doe therefore willingly suffer my selfe to bee carried away with that whose effects doe teach me to procéede further, not that I will search out all the contentious pointes betwene the one and the other: for as yet I haue not taken so much paines: but onely in respect of the proceedings vsed a­gainst their persons and goods. First you are all to debate in matter of reli­gion: you differ in sundrie articles, and yet doe agrée in the ground, which is, one onely Iesus, Christ mediator be­twene [Page 27]God and man, and sole head of the Chruch. I pray you, is this a matter to be decided by your murders? is it such a controuersie as may bee so determined? how can you graunt life to his soule, whose bodely life you haue taken away? how can you saue those to whom you graunt no time to belieue? or how would you haue them to be­lieue without preaching vnto? These be the ordinarie complaintes where­with they vsually appeale from our pursutes, which notwithstanding they séeme iust, yet doe we stop our eares a­gainst them as against the maremaids song. But why doe you denie them all frienndly conference for the decision of your controuersies? I know you will answere that it is a matter that hath already beene preferred, and yet hath not profited. But the Lawiers haue taught me, that whatsoeuer hath béene fraudulently done, is accounted as wonne: for in all our assemblies our procéedings haue béene vnperfect, for proofe whereof I referre my selfe to the acts of the Councel of Trent, and late­ly to the parley at Poyssy. Concerning [Page 28]the first, there was neuer action more impertinent, then that wherein they were condemned, and yet neither were or could be heard, considering that their aduersaries were also their iudges: as also your selues doe know, that the French Church did neuer in all and through all alow of it, witnesse the ap­peales there against made: albeit I say nothing of the opposition of our kings, whereby this counsaile may not be ad­mitted as irreuocable in Fraunce: o­therwise we shall reueale our partia­litie in ruling their condemnation after our owne fantasies, and not according to the nullitie of the iudgement which vndoubtedly is generall, vntill by the reformation of those articles which we allow not, there can bee no fault found therein. For otherwise by taking and leauing what wee list, wee shoulde play too open. Such also the like priuiledge groweth of the same reason, why will you not suffer the professors of the pretended reformed religion to enioy the like libertie of iudgement as your selues? As for the parley at Poys­sy I remember that the chiefe contro­uersie [Page 29]which concerned the sacrament of the altar, was in a manner agréed: also that looking into our owne con­sciences, wee shall finde that our owne partakers vpon a politike discretion interrupted it, lest the ouerthrow of that foundation shoulde haue pulled downe the whole building. Euer since that time, I imagined that it was well doone to sticke to antiquitie, but since calling to mind that the ministers plea­ded their cause out of the holy scrip­tures and the auncient Doctors con­formable thereto, I can not thinke but that, except in respect of the time, in case they verifie their allegations, they can not be but well grounded, and con­trariwise, that if wee speake but of the opinion of our Popes only, who besides for the most part haue not béene the ho­nestest men in the world, we shall lose our cause outright. But when I doe more nearely consider of your selues, I doe runne into some further mistrust: for can you that professe the vnderstan­ding and teaching of the scriptures, want iudgement to comprehend them, or fidelitie to deliuer them? Shall these [Page 30]reformed persons haue that priuiledge aboue you, to whome it hath béene purchased so long agoe? Are you lear­ned like to those high priestes mentio­ned in the holy scriptures, among whom Gods law was perished? Will God conceale his mysteries from your greatnes, and reueale them to their basenes? Can you forge vnto your selues anie Cabal in lew of the doctrine of Gods spirite? Haue the subtilties of the serpent made you to rebell against your creator? I dare not imagine thus much of you, albeit your aduersaries doe sufficiently cast it in your téeth. But I coulde rather wish them to ab­staine from iniuring of you, and to bee content simply to expound their owne sayings, as also that you did the like by them: howbeit you haue growne so far into wordes with them, that we haue beene at handiblowes for your sakes, whereby these braules doe séeme to bee the more irreconciliable, wherein I said that hetherto we haue taken a ve­rie wrong course, in ministring a cor­siue to the wound before we tryed such suppliant ointments as might perad­uenture [Page 31]haue yéelded some ease. The mischiefe was but in bréeding, but we through our hastie and headlong procée­dings haue sodenly brought it to extre­mitie: so that in lew of appeasing these troubles of the Church, wee haue also brought in the troubles of the Estate; as if our peace depended onely vpon confusion: yea we haue so shusled the Cardes, that we can not finde againe the principall. We all haue beene for­ced to grow so obstinate in your obsti­nacies, that for the preseruing of you, some haue hazarded, and others quite lost them selues: for the maintaining of your rents, we haue spent our owne: for your amitie, we haue entred enmi­tie with our owne kinsmen: vnder the pretence of the honour of God, men haue shamefully entreated men: to be briefe, Religion hath caused vs in the insolencies of our warres to treade all religion vnder foote: also whereas it had béene more méete and profitable gently to haue reduced those that were strayed, to the folde, wee haue beene their butchers. In lew of shewing the way to those that went amisse, wee [Page 32]haue thrust them into the mire: in lew of presenting Ioseph vnto Iacob, wee haue shewed onely his garment tain­ted in bloud, whiles him selfe mour­ned in the pitte: in lew of receyuing the angels with the conuersion of these miserable persons, we haue made them sorrowfull through their deathes, ne­uerthelesse, God desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may bee conuerted and liue. The holy Ghost speaketh of the spirituall death, where­of we are the cause when we preuent their repentance with their destructi­ons. What profit haue you found in giuing vs counsell, euen from the be­ginning to take arme against the pre­tended reformed? Did you not meane that they should haue béene rooted out and we preserued? haue yee your de­sires? Are not you, I pray you, guiltie of the deathes of so many as vpon sim­plicitie haue followed your counsels? with what consciences doe you staye vs to kill others: are not you the execu­tioners to both parties? sée you not that in lew of diminishing their num­ber you lessen ours? that wee lose as [Page 33]many friendes on our owne partes as enimies of theirs? that we can not wea­ken them without weakening of our selues? what profit is there in this e­qualitie? They render you blow for blow: assault for assault: battell for bat­tell: victorie for victorie: and in the end you are alwaies forced to accept of their conditions of peace: yet is there nothing that can make vs giue ouer. We still play the kites with their bo­wels, which neuerthelesse doe dayly grow vp againe: we ordinarily draw away their bloud, which neuer dryeth vp: and which is worse, we still incurre as much losse as we procure them, and consuming our enimies, doe wast our owne bloud, and yet can not perceiue that you be any whit moued at our mi­series, as if our labours were your rest, and our sorrowes your contentation: you laugh when others wéepe, and ne­uer cease thrusting forward the wheele of these calamities, whereby to assure your felicitie. But I can not finde that we haue any profit in all this, and I wonder that our long expence which we haue had these twentie or twentie [Page 34]and fiue yeares can not instruct vs in our lesson. This is the seuenth ciuill warre that wee haue leagued against these reformed, and yet we are now to beginne. True it is that we haue wun some victories, but all is but vanitie: if we haue gotten the field, alas! wee haue séene it couered likewise with a great part of our owne men: and retur­ning into our tents, wee haue heard the mournings at our owne families. At our departure thence, what haue we done but made warre to the end to purchase peace? what is become of all our purposes to roote out this people whom wee haue found so resolute in their defence? we haue returned thence into our closets then with shame and misfortune: then haue we sodden them againe, but they that haue endeuoured to digest them, haue found them to bee but fish. And yet are wee so farre be­witched, as among all these diseases to thinke that we be in health: still there are some firebrands readie to kindle our dissentions, and they that shoulde cast on water, doe poure on oyle, brim­stone, and pitch, least the fire should goe [Page 35]out. When I examine all these pro­céedings, I leaue to the persecuted, and in my doubt of religion, I doe the more fauor their cause because of the onely token of persecution. Thus haue I learned to iudge by a place that lately I redde in S. Hierom heretofore, one of the famous priests of the Romish Church. He (saith he) that is pursued, doth imitate Christ, but he that pur­sueth or persecuteth is Antichrist. Not that I meane to iustifie all those heretikes whom our kinges haue sup­pressed, as the Gothes who were Ar­rians, and of late the Anabaptists, for they were monsters, of whom the first subuerted the groundes of our saluati­on, namely the diuinitie of Iesus: an intollerable case among Christians, and yet the warre that hath béene lea­uied against them, had other founda­tions than religion. The Anabaptists besides their apparant errors in religi­on did also peruert the right of magi­strates, and both the one and the other were by one consent condemned euen in the most reformed Churches. As for the Albigeois following such ancient [Page 36]recordes as I haue found contrarie to the writings of our Historiographers, I feare they were oppressed rather vp­pon stomacke then equitie. But I wil leaue those passed examples and come onely to the reason of things present. I could well like to haue our Church purged from heresies and heretikes: but I must withall mistike the pollu­ting of it with our owne bloud: neither can I thinke these so violent meanes to be either lawfull or sufficient. Iesus Christ tooke a whippe to driue the mo­ney chaungers out of the temple, but wee are farre inough from doing the like. For those men did not falsifie the Law, or the Prophets: but verie vn­fitly, they made the house of God which was ordained onely for prayer, their market place. They did abuse the holy place, with profane trafike, and so consequently this punishment of Iesus Christ was but politike. Con­sidering that in the meane time he was ordinarily conuersant among y^e priests, Scribes, and Pharisies, entring and disputing in their Sinagogues, and yet neuer laying hand vpon them, albeit [Page 37]they were the verie falsifiers of the doc­trine of Moses and the Prophecies of his own coming. Our sauior Christs kingdom is not of this world: the wea­pon wherewith he fighteth with his e­nimies, are spirituall: neither is his sal­uation purchased by mans arme: how much more necessarie then were it to defend religion by the true vnderstan­ding of the scriptures, by reformation of our liues, by prayers and holy deuo­tion to the seruice of God, by teaching the ignorant, setting reasons against opinions, and antiquitie against no­ueltie: and to be briefe, by hearkening to the voice of our shepeheard, in lew of those who to the end to bewitch vs with their dreames doe shroude them selues vnder that title? This is the cause, why from henceforth I doe pro­test to depart from these cruelties which are but too ordinarie among vs, and to begge pardon of the God of mer­cie, whom I beséech with the truth of his word to shine into the bottomlesse gulses of my ignorance, to the end that leaning no longer to the outward shew of men, I may behold the righteousnes [Page 38]of this cause, for the which these poore reformed persons doe so long and so constantly abide whatsoeuer the tor­ments to them afforde: notwithstan­ding all our torments, they shake not, and that is it that shaketh me, yea and I wonder that the losse of their goods, maketh them not to abandon their re­ligion. Their benefit must be verie great, sith so many calamities can not make them to giue it ouer: and we may well say, that they haue a verie bright and large knowledge, in that notwith­standing whatsoeuer hope of domesti­call ease we propound, they can neuer mistake. I sée them lurke in euerie place, depriued of their rents, and be­seeged with a thousand necessities, and yet can neuer be banished their assem­blies and patient bearing of their opres­sions. Surely they are not so senselesse as vpon pleasure to suffer so many in­conueniences, so that of necessitie they must bee inuited and strengthened by some stronger matter then the frailtie of this world. Willingly could I ioine with Gamaliel, and say, That if this reformed religion be of God, it is in [Page 39]vaine for man to labour to destroy it, if it be not of him, it will vanish of it selfe. Howbeit, I séeke not to take the sword from the magistrate, but gladly I would beat iudgement into his head, wherby he might discerne the bonds of his duetie: for it is not inough to doe a mans duetie, but he must doe it conueniently, according to the cir­cumstances of time, place and persons which are the ordinarie rules of our actions. Extreame law is extreame iniurie, say the lawers, and that vpon good reason. Nothing can be more iust then to punish the rebels of a common wealth, as men guiltie of treason: but it may so happen that this iustice may be pernitious, and as a man may say, vniust. If the whole bodie of a towne or prouince shoulde rise against their Soueraigne, yet if they should fall a­gaine into his hands, he ought to pre­ferre the conseruation of so many per­sons before their destruction, because of the great benefit that would ensue ther­of, namely the preseruation of one portion of his realme, as lately did the L. Constable at Burdeaux, and the Ro­mane [Page 40]Senate many times with the peoples mutinies: whereas contrarie wise the violences of Silla and Marius who put their fellow citizens euen by thousands to the sword, were detestable and almost vnworthie to be spoken off. When the mischiefe is so great as it can not be cured without euident dan­ger, it is better to tollerate it in the weake parte, than to lose all: as it hap­peneth to those, of whom when the palsie hath taken hold of halfe the bo­die, no wise phisition will counsell to diuide it from the other halfe that is yet in health. Now if this considerati­on may take place in all diseases sim­ply, much more then in such as are of long continuance, and lightly more vn­curable then the later: euen so then when one parte of a state is by what­soeuer meanes deuided from the other, wee must bee verie warie of making them to méete, especially when such means bringeth now vtter confusion to the whole bodie, and that the infected partes be noble and essentiall: for in a mischiefe, in a maner vniuersall, tolle­ration in it selfe is farre more necessary [Page 41]then the triall of the vtter rooting of it out when it passeth our strength, & that there is so great equalitie that the com­bat ought still to be in doubt. And such are those which we terme necessarie e­uils, which beeing preserued, doe also preserue the subiect whereto they are adioyned, and ought as a man should say, to be more curiously entreated then health it selfe. Howbeit this similitude may in one respect be maimed: for such an inconuenience may grow in a state, that it will be most necessarie to oppose the whole for the whole, and not before trial of the gentle & most louing means. And in a monarchie wee must aduen­ture euē the crown and scepter against him that aduentureth wrongfully to take it away. And why? because that euerie defensiue warre is most lawfull, and especially when your whole state is called into question. Yea, which is more, you are by nature bound therto, and in case you bee retchlesse therein, you do inwardly betraie your country. The like is it in all matters wherevp­on dependeth your authoritie, togither with the preseruation of your rightes, [Page 42]which ought to be inuiolable. It is ther­fore the duetie of euerie soueraigne ma­gistrate diligently to watch, and vpon necessitie stoutly to employ himselfe. But so long as the state is not touched, there can be no cause sufficiēt to set the Monarke against his subiects, so farre must hee be from shrowding himselfe with the vaile of religion to oppresse his realme, notwithstanding whatsoe­uer the diuersities thereof, especially if the number of the contrarie partie bée innumerable, also that tolleration may be a manifest occasion of rest. Where­fore albeit these pretended reformed, were the most damnable heretikes in the worlde, yet considering the multi­tude of them, the good Townes, and al­most all the good prouinces which they enioy, with the mightie & valiant Cap­taines that support them, it were but in vaine for vs to enterprise to assaile them, from whō we can bring nothing but the tokens of their stomackes, not­withstanding whatsoeuer forrain suc­cour we haue had to support vs, & that they haue hitherto resisted vs with the faction onely that they haue in France. [Page 43]So far shall we be from doing them a­nie harme at all, if they get their forren helpe. Besides this, we cannot well cast them off from amongst vs without ex­treme inhumanitie: for, for the most part they be conioyned vnto vs by con­sanguinitie, and all generally by like participation of one selfe countrie. Far are we from conforming our selues to the Israelites, who by a certaine iust permission of God suffered the Iebu­sites to dwell in Ierusalem: albeit the proportion betwéene vs and the refor­med, were without comparison grea­ter then betwéene them: either to the great Emperor Theodosius, who as witnesse Epiphanius and Tertullian, Doctors of the Church and men woor­thie credite, during his Empire tollera­ted an hundred sectes, but especially the Arrians, whom thrée or foure Empe­rors before him had fauoured, who wer founded both by prescription of time, and by eight Councels which had con­firmed their heresie after the same of Nice, and namely the Councell of Ari­mini, where sixtie Bishops maintei­ned Arrianisme, & onelie thrée persons [Page 44]stucke to the trueth: and yet Theodo­sius himselfe perseuered constantly in true religion, wherin he caused his chil­dren to bee instructed, and so did more weaken Arrianisme then hee coulde haue done by anie violence of decrées, which he surceased. I will not bring in for example the Turke, who tollera­teth all kindes of religion, for that I minde to kéepe the Christians within Christendome, but surely he doeth the more stedfastly establish his estate, for that men being glad of libertie, care not for troubling his estate that graunteth them peace. Behold Germany & Pole­land: you shal sée no nation so diuers in religion as they, and yet can they ioyne in a common peace, neither doo the di­uision of opinions diuide their estates. As for the Catholike king, he at the first established his Inquisition so surelie that these reformed haue had no great opportunitie to settle themselues in Spaine, but for the low Countries hée cannot yet compasse it there, which re­doundeth to the great detriment & con­fusion of his affaires, how good a face soeuer hée set vpon the matter.

[Page 45] But God hath giuen him that bone to gnaw vpon, least he should imploy his great wealth to the destruction of any his mightie neighbor, which with the incredible treasure that this Fle­mish warre hath wasted, he might per­aduenture haue done: yet doe I not thinke but euerie of you doe abhorre the infinite mischiefes which his obsti­nacie hath bred: for through the natu­rall loue that is rooted in vs, we iudge more fréely of others then of our selues: and in déede wee haue taken pittie of them: witnesse the French troupes at sundrie times led thither, and euen late­ly the same which the late Monsieur brought, albeit the whole haue had but had successe, either for our honors or the profite of those poore tirannized peo­ple. Howbeit, we haue alwaies in ap­parance shewed what griefe wee haue conceyued of their desolation: and ther­fore notwithstanding whatsoeuer con­trouersie of religion the Catholike French could runne to their succour, albeit we haue conuerted our furie a­gainst the same faction among vs: so diuers haue wee beene to helpe some, [Page 46]and to oppresse other some, euen those to whom we were more bound to shew fauour and curtesie. Neuerthelesse I will not say, that the Catholikes tended chiefely to aide the reformed in Flanders, simply in respect of their re­ligion: but I pretend thereby onely to shew that they haue all great reason to maintain their felow countrimen, who shroud them selues vnder the same cloake of reformation, as to succour strangers. Concerning these men, they propound to them selues charitie to­wardes their neighbors, and hatred of the Spaniard with the desire of his de­struction: neither haue wee feared to make the Catholikes protectors of the Reformed against the Catholikes, and yet doo we make a conscience to vse the like curtesie to ours against our selues, which wee might with much more ease, profit and commoditie, doe: considering that thereof doe depend the preseruation & eminencie of the estate.

Thus much haue I thought good now to say vnto you concerning this matter, beséeching you, my maisters, to examine my reasons, & thereto to adde [Page 47]suche as your discretions are able to performe, whereby wee all may pro­cure the restoring of our affaires. In the name of God doe I exhort you to enter into so déepe consideration of our miseries, and the difficultie or rather impossibilitie of our purposes, that we may shortly after manie stormes taste of some tranquillitie, bearing faithfull counsels to the king in this matter, ac­cording as by the duetie of your func­tions you are bound. The kingdome of Christ is destinate to troubles: true: but woe vnto those that are the causers thereof. This sacred shepeheards shéepe ought not to become wolues: or they to whom Christ hath comman­ded peace, to make warres: or Gods children to murder their bretheren.

But I speake only to you my mai­sters, whom I acknowledge to bee the principall court which at this day doe minister whatsoeuer motion you list to our affaires: consider that it is your parts to become mediators in all these funerall diuisions: to reunite, if not in religion, yet at the least in peace al these partakers, which are so fleshed one a­gainst [Page 48]an other. Hitherto haue you béen content to cast your torches betwéene our armies, and sodenly after the ma­ner of the auncient Priests of Rome, to retire into place of safetie. Now is it time for you to run and quench them: otherwise you shall daily lose your great supporters, and in the ende grow so weake, that they whom you thinke weakest shall ouer rule you: your force dependeth onely vpon peace, whereas in the warres, besides that these refor­med doe catch from the Clergie infinite treasures, euē those that are left do va­nish with the aire, & séem only to fatten vp such as vnder colour of fauouring of you, doe but séeke to get their liuings. Many of our Popes haue agreed our kings with the Emperors and English men, when we had but forren warres: greater reason then haue you in these ciuill and domesticall dissentions, the most intollerable or odious in y^e world, to séeke some way so to do. Whosoeuer shall say to his brother, Racha, is by God himselfe accursed, what then shall you hee, if not onelie in wordes, but in déede also you build the dissipation of [Page 49]your neighbours? And what clemency can you looke for of God that are so cru­ell to men? so cruell I say euen to your selues? I will speake boldly vnto you my maisters. I feare if you long conti­nue this sauage life, it will happen to you as it did to Esau, that for want of being in Gods house, you wil loose your birthright. For so long as you pursue these reformed, you are as it were in the wildernesse, where you runne thir­sting after their blood, and the whiles haue no care to serue your heauenly fa­ther. So as vnlesse I bee deceiued, at your returne the gate of his mercy wil bee shutte against you: you shall bee knowne, but not acknowledged to bee his children: and finally these cruelties will inherite crueltie, these oppressions oppression, and these iniquities ven­geance. Beware my maisters, for albe­it you deceiue men, God seeth your hearts, and to him all secrets are open: suffer not religion to be the belweather vnto the subuerters of this state, and as the shortest follies are the best, so con­tent your selues that you haue brought things into that dispaire wherein wée [Page 50]now sée them, and so long as there is a­ny likelihood of recouerie, delate not your abilitie anie longer, least it fléete away in the violence of our mishaps. As for the league whereto you haue lent the vizard of religion, consider that you cherish y^e serpent that killeth you: you haue swallowed henbane which maketh you to die without féeling. Re­member you not that when it was first reuealed, you were not named? as in­déed what religion could they think on that purpósed onelie impietie? Could they that shot onelie at your kings per­son your head & protector, and his state to order it after their fantasies, call you to warrant their religion? you y^t should preach nothing but obedience to the magistrate? Hereunto doo the blind sée as clerely as the daie. These shamelesse persons thought vpō nothing lesse then religion: The death of the Lords an­nointed, the spoile of his crown did they leuell at: witnes their practises against the best and most Catholike Townes in France, for they neuer medled with the reformed or attempted against anie thing to them apperteining. And I [Page 51]maruaile how beeing so fierce against these partakers of common quiet, as ye were at the beginning you can now be so drunke with their hipocrisie as yee are, albeit you serue thē but for a vailet and to say truth, you haue but the fooles part in the tragedie that they plaie vp­on the Theater of France. What pro­tection néeded you when no man seemed to molest you? who gaue them this of­fice ouer your soueraigne? néeded he to be constrained to your defence, which hee euer so willingly tooke vpon him? could not you be defended but by war? had you not for certaine yéeres tried the defence of peace? was it not possible to liue in so faire a path without murthe­ring all the world? All France before the last troubles did wee sée in so good peace that the controuersies in religion did nothing impeach the concord of one or other: trafick was growne common againe, the waies were frée through all parts of the realme, what losse had you by it: wherin were you troubled? who molested you, either in your goods or persons? Enioyed you not your church rents euen among these reformed? did [Page 52]you not eate and drinke togither with­out outrage? who euer complained of this contentation? As for these refor­med, which of them during this time refused the obedience that the subiect oweth to his Prince? who haue defrau­ded him of his roiall prerogatiues? what taxes or ordinarie Subsidies haue they reiected? who amongst them followed not the ordinarie course of iustice? who conspired against the state? your selues my maisters will confesse there was no fault in them. If by obseruing their re­ligion they did amisse, it was by y^e con­sent of the king and all the soueraigne Courtes of this realme: by the consent, I saie, so solemnely sworne: the infrin­ging whereof séemeth to mende their cause: not that I will laie the blame vpon the king: but onelie vpon those whose violence haue brought him to this extremitie, to falsefie his word for the breaking of their pernitious drifts, and to turne to these rebels, so to turne the storme that they had moued against him into the innocencie of these peace­able persons. Thus doe such as are in danger of shipwracke, abandon their [Page 53]owne goods to relieue their vessell, albe­it this forced will be a will, sith the first motions rest in him that executeth it. But I will enter no farther into the considerations which the king may haue had to gainsay himselfe, and yet will I boldly say, that hee neuer did thing so preiuditiall to his state, wher­of he hath most euident proofes, and I beséech God to bee content with that is past, and to withdraw his hand from of his people, and grant vs some release from these oppressions. As also your selues doe in déede know, notwithstan­ding the pursuit of the Pensioners of the leagued remaining about his per­son, what adoo there was to make his maiestie resolue himselfe thereto. This his cléere iudgement perceiued the per­nitious consequence of assotiation, but hee wanted supporters to vphold him­selfe, considering that the chiefe Offi­cers of his counsell, who before had bound their faith to these Princes, ne­uer desisted from bending of him that way, neither haue I alwaies béene of that minde, but did long persuade my self that the stedfastnesse of our affaires [Page 54]consisted in this inconstancie, howbeit I was forced to bee as it were sheitle witted, and by diuorcement from vani­tie to marry with reason. For sith the king knew well inough that there was no quarell but at his estate, hee should haue made no difficultie to call about him such as haue most interest therein, as the Princes of the blood and their power, at the least vpon extremitie, ac­cording to their own offers. That was the way to haue suppressed the insolent proceedings of these partakers, who fish only in puddle water, and vse our con­fusions to their own establishment. For the people would easily haue belieued that in truth there was no quarrell but at the state, if the king had vnderprop­ped himself with the pillers of the state and not béene beaten downe with the winde of religion, albeit some of y^e prin­ces of his blood do professe no other then himselfe: also that they which professe anie other, are so affectionate to his ser­uice and the seruice of his crowne, that they would not haue béene anie whit more slacke in effect then in will. Had there not béen more apparance that hée [Page 55]should haue ioined with these, thē with the leaguers? that is, with his friends then with his enemies? with y^e French then with the Lorrains? with his own blood then with these bastardes? with the true Officers of his Crowne, then with those that haue béen so vndutifull to him? The Romans alwaies appea­sed their domesticall quarrels, to agrée against those that assailed them, whe­ther the Gaules, the Thuscans, or the Carthaginians. The like did the Spa­niards, when the late king Frances the first, during their reuolt from the Em­perour Charles the fift gat from them the realme of Nauarre. The discent of the English at Newhauen, 1562. bred the reunion of the Frenchmen, so to re­turne them away: and when wée haue séene these monsters of Lorrain waste our country, must we néeds ioyne with them to help to destroy our selues? what is become of that auncient French ver­tue that was woont to goe to fight with the enemy at his owne doore, where now we call him in, wee nourish him, we flatter him, and the more harme hée dooth vs, the more we binde our selues [Page 56]to him? This nation which heretofore hath triumphed ouer the Emperours, the Solimans, the Sarasins, the Gothes, and the Normans, hath not now béene able to withstand a handfull of Gui­zards, and this scepter exalted ouer a million of trophees, stoopeth to these re­bels, yea they haue almost trod it vnder foote. All the honor of valiancy and cou­rage which our predecessors haue in twelue hundreth yeares atchieued and kept, haue wee wretchedly lost in one houre, and these Lions that feared no bulles, are now terrefied only with the crowing of a Cocke? Our estate doo I now compare to the Rocke mentioned by Pliny, which if ye thrust with your whole bodie neuer shaketh, but when you touch it onely with one finger, or rather to that stone which being whole fléeteth vpon the water, but broken sin­keth. The whole world, as a man shuld say, was not able to make France to shake, and now these Mushromes doe quite ouerthrow it. We altogither haue fléeted vpon the floodes of infinit forrein warres, yet our diuisions doo drowne vs. This miserable realme séemeth to [Page 57]be growne to her last periode, and as that auncient Astrologer by the noyse weules that did gnaw the posts, iud­ged of the destructiō of the house where­in he was, so many wee boldly say, that sith these vermine still consumeth vs, our fall is at hand. What then? must the French men become strangers one to an other? can we finde any soules so disloiall as to abandon the true stock of S. Lewes, to embrace these wrongfull vsurpers of their right? Those y^t haue béen our true and lawfull Lordes these thrée hundreth and sixtie yeares, (for so long is it since the raigne of S. Lewes head of that race, who also gathereth his discent from Merouee) to those whom we haue not knowne these fiftie yeares? shall we carry vpon our Tar­gets & shoulders, those whose vnwor­thinesse and vniustice should make to cleane to the earth? shall wee plucke a­way these braue branches of the Flow­erdeluce which yet remaine, to graft in their places these wildings, who as they haue begun, will yéeld foorth nothing but thornes? Oh, who can wish this horrible chaunge? This onelie reason [Page 58]might mooue vs to detest the ambition of these busie bodies: they aspire to the Crowne, but they cannot haue it with­out murther, and the death of a million of men: those that vphold it, are like to be the first that must stoope: and they that imagine by their meanes to get preferment, shall haue peraduenture no other recompence then the losse of their liues. To be briefe, for the fulfil­ling of their ambition, we must heape vp our tombes w^t carkases: the heapes of their oppressed partakers are y^e staies whereby they climbe vp to heauen. Ought wee not to abhorre these cruel­ties? to spit in the faces of these shame­lesse persons that bereaue vs of our li­bertie? To honor those that may peace­ably and without disorder ascend vnto the type of that authoritie which the lawes of the realme & their desert haue purchased for them? Let vs hardlie touch the chiefe string of this game, and sith these men are not ashamed to doe, let not vs be ashamed to speake. The Guizardes would, to the preiudice of y^e house of Burbon, inuade this realme, euerie man knoweth it, neither is there [Page 59]any thing so common in the peoples mouthes: wherefore, because the king of Nauarre, who is the néerest and the Prince of Conde, doo professe the re­formed religion, and so cōsequently are are heretikes. I am sory that I am no great Doctor, that I might finde out this point of heresie which so oft is cast in their téeth: but in my mind the chief disputations of these reformed, doo tend only to make the simple word of God of more force then mens traditions. That is it whereto they call vs, and I belieue they haue great reason, neither that wee are so sufficiently shrowded vnder the cloake of the Church, as to thinke that the beautifull title can in effect stop all errors: neither is there a­ny thing so easie to corrupt as the my­steries of religion, whereof I report my selfe to Noa hes family, which was so holily instructed, and yet whence grew all the Idolatrie of y^e Chaldeans, and consequently of all the rest of the worlde, except those whom God re­serued for his people? yea I referre my selfe to the same people: was there euer thing so fraile as those wret­ches? [Page 60]whence then came the foure hundreth false Prophets against one onely Micheas? the worshipping in the high places, and the abhominable superstitions wherein these libertines did ouerflow? neither was it euer o­therwise, but that the trueth vpon the beginning of the light thereof, hath had the darknesse of lying opposite thereto: yea, if I durst be so bolde, as to passe common spéech, it is the trueth that of necessitie bringeth forth lyes, euen as light bringeth forth a shadow. For this cause, so soone as Jesus Christ reuealed him selfe to be the sonne of God, al men accounted him a blasphemer, and the whole course of his life séemed to those blinde people but a merrie enterlude: so soone as the Apostles had preached the pure doctrine, the diuel sowed his im­purities: yea no man driue them more out of the Church, then they that na­med them selues the Church. Simon y^e magitian opposed himselfe against S. Peter: Cerinthus against S. Iohn, and so consequently sundrie heretikes a­gainst the Church, as Ebion, Basili­des, Marcion, Montanus, Carparates [Page 61]Sabellicus and many other, who all for the most part endeuored to ouer­throw the ground of our saluation, Ie­sus Christ: neither hath the Church wanted exercise onely against her eni­mies, but also she hath, as I find, béene often molested by her owne household seruants: Nouatian the Priest, deny­ed to receyue, such as had reuolted, to penauce: and so with the helpe of Nico­stratus a Priest of Carthage, caused a great schisme in the Church. Samosa­tenus, being Bishop of Antioch, re­newed the errors of the Ebionites. Ar­rius a Priest of Alexandria, had the assistance of many Bishops and Em­perors, yea, and since of whole nati­ons in his heresie. Now if in these be­ginnings, the treasons of such as sée­med to serue God were so great, there is no doubt but this mischiefe hath still slipped in and béene maintained in the Church. Yea if you can well thinke vpon it, it may bee you will not iudge your selues cleane exempt from all cor­ruptions: but I will say no more for feare of incurring your censures. How­beit I am sory you neuer proue the de­cision [Page 62]of the processe which the refor­med haue entred against you, and haue long hung vpon the file, also y^t we must belieue some rather then other some w^tout any further notice of the matter: for so should we be no longer troubled to know whether these two princes be heretikes or not. Howbeit admit they be (which hardly and without preiu­dice to their replication I can belieue) is it your partes to shrinke from their obedience? So did neuer any Christi­ans in the Primitiue Church against the heathen Emperors, to whom in all publike gouernment they submit­ted them selues, albeit there could bee no greater difference in religion than was betweene them. Did they reuolt against Constantin the great, who in the end fauoured Arrius? against Lici­nius? against Iulian the Apostata: a­gainst Valentinian and many others that exercised tyranny against their re­ligion? But the king of Nauarre is farre from dealing so with vs: for he is not yet come to that which wee feare. Thus we cry without a cause before we be beaten: not that foresight is not [Page 63]an effect of wisedom, but because it is in vaine to preuent that which wee neither can nor ought to eschewe. Howsoeuer God giueth vs our kings we must suffer it: neither is there anie law or lawfull example in the world, that teacheth vs to doe otherwise. Here­in the reformed may séeme to beare themselues but badly, in that they take armes against their soueraigne, in de­fence of their religion. But besides that they are iustly grounded vpon the de­fensiue vnder the magistrats authority: also that nothing is more naturall then to expulse violence, they doe besides al­ledge the peremptorie reasons which often enough they haue giuen vs to vn­derstand of, neither is their any fault but in our negligence that wee are not sufficiently enstructed thereof. Moreo­uer, the king of Nauarres and the P. of Condes maner of dealing with our Catholikes, might make you to hope of all good entreatie, whensoeuer things may come to that passe. Truely the king of Nauarre hath alwaies tollera­ted Catholike religion in his Realme, which is the lawer Nauarre, that is to [Page 64]say, a portion of all Nauarre, the rest thereof lying beyond the Pirinean mountaines, the Spaniards vniustly detaine from him. And this can myselfe testifie, as hauing séene it with my owne eyes: for vpon a certaine curio­sitie I trauailed thither two yeares since, euen to know whether that which I had heard to the contrarie, were true or no. True it is, that matters are o­therwise ordered in his soueraignetie of Bearne: which is, because at his com­ming thereto, he so found them: yea & so well established for the space of cer­taine yeares during the life of his late mother the Quéene of Nauarre, that it were very hard, yea vnpossible to make any alteration, which also is dange­rous vnlesse any greater benefit be ve­rie apparant. Secondly, his house is full of Catholike gentlemen which serue him, euen in his most priuate and notable offices, neither did hee euer make anie difficultie with great cour­tesie to receyue all those that offered them selues. This is no token that he will otherwise deale whensoeuer hee shall obtaine our estate, neither will I [Page 65]vse any more then one reason gathered of the likelihood, yea, vnlesse I be decei­ued, of the verie trueth. It is not likely that this Prince séeing himselfe exal­ted vnto the throne, would after so ma­ny troubles, séeke other then peace, so farre would he be from taking occasion of warre with his subiects, whose af­fections he had rather captiuate, then estrange: whereupon he will alwaies like that his subiects should maintaine their accustomed religion, prouided, that the insolencie of these harebraines who séeke but to trouble the water, and then to blame the lambes, least they should faile of some pretence to deuoure them, doe permit him the like. He may alwaies consider that the Catholikes parte is well vnderpropped: that if his were inuincible, so is the other, and therefore that hee shall haue a better hand by maintaining of it, then by drawing vpon his estate the cursse of the people, and vpon his conscience the destruction thereof: as also I will adde the other of his house being Catho­likes, hauing so good part therein, hee will be the more careful for their sakes. But what? we doe, according to the prouerbe, striue for the Bishops cope, [Page 66]and to no purpose doe deuide the inhe­ritance of the liuing, who peraduenture may outline all those that dispute of thinges to come after his death: yea it séemeth, we share out the webbe of his life at our pleasures: but albeit it bee not lawfull to moue this question, yet may we resolue it, to the end to take a­way all doubts from those that bréeds preiudice to peace and the common wealth. And indéede, it is as much as to complaine of ease. Well you sée that the king of Nauars troupes doe at this day consist as well of the one as of the other sorte, likewise that concord re­maineth amongst them, whereas the best of their profession that cometh a­mongst vs must bee imprisoned & ran­somed from all his goodes, yea and fi­nally suffer that death which hee hath not deserued. These be monsters, they must be choaked vp: and many times for the satisfying of the rage of the eni­mies to the State, we are forced to in­iurie our owne selues. I know that the most malicious among them doe vse to gird at this the king of Nauarres facilitie, as if the same were the baites wherewith he séeketh to draw vs into his nettes: but no man can doe so wel [Page 67]as to please all men: still there is some thing to be misliked, and mens fansies must be tormented for their pleasures. How would it haue béene, if in the be­ginnig abandoning his owne religion for our pleasures, he had taken ours? Then would they haue said it had béen to curry fauor with vs: that he so coun­terfeited to the end to deceiue vs: that outwardly hee had beene a Catholike, and inwardly reformed in his consci­ence: that he had not cast his olde skin: that yet he smelt of the faggot: that we must waite for his perseuerance, so to know whether he were to bee trusted: In summe, the poore Prince had beene wide in his account. And in truth, that had béene the onely way, to haue vnhorsed him outright: for the refor­med would not haue trusted him, but would haue plaied their partes alone: and the Catholikes woulde not at the first blow haue committed them selues to him, no peraduenture not at all. Yea if the Captaines of the league were be­fore their ghostly father, they would say they should haue béene verie sorie if they thought that the Catholikes would take his part: and I am sure they would soone labour to be of the o­ther [Page 68]side as heretofore they haue done, so to lay a foundation for their ambiti­on. But surely thereby the king of Na­uarre could haue reaped neither honor nor profit: and therefore I doe not thinke it had béene any good counsaile for him so to haue done, least he might by that means haue lost those of whom he is alreadie assured: neither can it be any let to any that affect onely the pre­seruation of the state to ioine with him, as of late did the Earle of Soissons. Al­so in as much as which way so euer he turne him, the present state of his af­faires will still furnish him of enimies, it wil better beséeme him to cleaue con­stantly to that wherein from his infan­cie he hath béene brought vp, then light­ly to intrude him selfe into pernicious and vncertaine nouelties. Moreouer, the lesser is neuer to prescribe lawe to the superior, and except the kings per­son (whom I speeke not of) it is grea­ter reason that all Frenchmen ende­uour to conforme themselues to the K. of Nauarre, then he to stoupe to their discretion, and bend to their violences: as also his dignitie and courage can not digest such reproches as they pro­cure him, or rigor as they vse towarde [Page 69]him. This hath he alwais shewed, but now more then euer. You sée how God hath lately blessed him, in deliue­ring vs into his hands, so as if his for­raine helpe should once ioine with him, his discretion, valour, and dexteritie would set our spurres close inough to our héeles. It is therefore most neces­sarie for you to dispose your selues to preuent the mischiefe which God hath prepared for vs in the reencounter of these armies, the hazard whereof can not but redound greatly to the kinges losse: for if he get the victorie, it wil be with horrible slaughter of his subiects: and if he lose it, his state is gone, nei­ther shall wee peraduenture hereafter finde such fauor at the Conquerors hands as we would desire. Take heede it fall not out with vs, as it did with the Tyrians, who refusing the honest com­position that Alexander offered, were afterward taken by assault and cruelly entreated: rather leade the way to these reformed in this godly work of compas­sion by offering vnto them such vnion and concord as heretofore haue beene among you: or els follow their steps, who from the beginning haue cryed for, and desired nothing but the way to [Page 70]be ioyned againe vnto you, namely a Councell lawfully called, wherein all points of religion may be decided of the scriptures, and not by opinions: by rea­son, not by rage: by the quietnesse of a­mitie, not by the bitternesse of malice: neither alledge that, as is aforesaide, that is done alreadie: for the Councell of Nice, the first general after the Apo­stles time within y^t space of thrée hun­dreth yeares, was no preiudice to the calling of diuers other according to the exigents of the affaires, as the same of Constantinople, egainst Macedonius bishop of the same citie, who denied the diuinitie of the holy Ghost: of Ephesus against Pelagius & Nestorius bishop of Constantinople, who denied the diui­nitie of Iesus Christ: of Chalcedon a­gainst Eutiches also a priest of Con­stantinople, who confounded the two natures of Iesus Christ: the second of Constantinople against Anthemius bishop of the same place, who denyed that the virgin Mary had brought forth Iesus Christ Man & God: to be briefe, many other generall Councels, often called. Besides all which, our kinges haue also béene careful to call some par­ticularly for Fraunce. Vnder Pelagi­us [Page 71]the first, there were two holden at Paris: seuen or eight at Orleance: two at Tours vnder Paule the first, and an other by the authority of Pepin against the Greekes, concerning the trinitie: vnder Adrian the first, and by the au­thoritie of Charlemaigne seuen at Magence, Reimes, Tours, Chalais, and Arles for the reformation of the state of the Church: vnder Gregory y^e fourth, by y^e authority of Lewis y^e méek, one at Aix the Chapel, wherein the superfluitie of the Clargie was restrai­ned, whereupon they grew to mutiny, & procured the cursed reuolt of Lewis his children. Others haue there béene holden for the reformation of the Clar­gie vnder Leo the ninth at Rheims: but since as the Popes authoritie in­creased, the Kings diminished, and so consequently, disorders were more tol­lerated in the Church: and vnlesse I be deceiued, of the corruption of maners, which euery one confesseth, and all hi­stories doe testifie, some part may haue crept euen into the doctrine, either throug ambition or couetousnes of the Doctors: howbeit I also said that Vr­bane the second came personally into Fraunce to hold the Councel at Cler­mont [Page 72]in Auuergne: Pascall to holde that of Troy: Innocent the fourth to hold that of Lyons: Gregory the tenth to hold another in the same towne: as for Clement the fifth, he held his seat at Auignion, and celebrated the vniuer­sall Councel at Vienna in D'Aulphin. Afterwarde Sigismund the Emperor procured the holding of the Councel of Constance vnder Iohn the 23. who was there deposed. That of Basill vn­der Eugenius the fourth who also, was there deposed. That of Florence vnder Amedee or Felix the fifth. After all these there was one holden at Orle­ance by the French Church against Pius the second, who would haue abo­lished the Pragmaticall sanction, as an heresie which was but the dependance of the Councell of Basill: an other at Tours against Pope Iuly the second: an other at Lions by king Lewis the twelfth, & the last at Trent afore men­tioned. You sée then my M. whether the first Councels were euer any law to the second, the second to the third, & so forth as néed hath required. It is w^c the Church as with our bodies: if the bodie be sicke, we must call the phisiti­on: if the Church be diseased, we must [Page 73]haue recourse to the Councels, & therin to cōsult vpō most cōuenient remedies:

But as it is not enough to haue once heard the Phisitions opinion, but that according as the sicknesse encreaseth, we must also haue still recourse there­to: euen so must we vpon euerie occasi­on gather againe togither these soue­raigne Phisitions of whom the Coun­cell must consist, heare them without passion, commaund the diseased to si­lence, take reason in paiment, and per­seuere to the ende in their firme resolu­tions. If the Church fall againe, wée must again call for these helpes to raise it vp, and so continually without inter­mission vnto the end of the world, whē the head of the Church shall holde his last Councell. Not that I would at e­uerie word so trouble the Bishops, or for the least ache that may happen to our fingers end: but when the mischief is vniuersall, we must séeke the like re­medie. The Gréeke and Latine Church met fouretéene or fiftéene times to con­clude vpon an agréement: and albeit there rested some difficultie, as yet there is, they neuerthelesse neuer denounced warre each to other. There are nous but these reformed who haue swallow­ed [Page 74]vp all iniurie, in being debarred this soueraigne salue of reunion by a Coun­cell: I saie by one onely Councell, so farre are wee from graunting them many vpon necessitie. What can you terme this refusall but stomake and in­iury. I would neuer haue thought they had had so much reason on their side. Wee haue wished to arme the king of Nauarre, yea euen by force to compell him, rather then to straine our selues to cōdiscend to so iust a demand. Touch me hath he said to you if I be ignorant, and ye haue beaten him: hee hath har­kened to you and ye haue stopped your mouthes: hée hath asked you the way to heauen and yee haue stopped your eares. Your voice hath béen like to the voice of the Edomites, at the taking of Hierusalem, and all men haue heard you cry: on, sacke, blood and fire. Out of your schooles as out of y^e Troyan horse haue sodenly stepped forth these armies wherewith ye haue threatened this prince, yea they haue béen almost vp­on his armie before he hath béen readie to beate them of. This is a matter in fresh remembrance, and euery man can beare me witnesse of the truth: the more I consider it, the better ground doe I And for their taking of armes, yea there [Page 75]was neuer thing more iust then their procéedings. He defendeth himselfe, but being assailed. He pursueth vs, but after he had reculed: hée taketh reuenge, but being iniured. He calleth the stranger, but when his haue driuen him away. Who then can mislike his resolution after so long patience? Wee shoote at him, who can then blame him for loo­king to himselfe? Wee vndermine his honours and dignities, why then shall not hee rampier them vp againe? Oh, how deare will these brawles bee to France? all the forces of the world doe séeme on euerie side to fall vpon vs for our confusion and dissipation. And al­beit I can comprehend the domesticall, yet doe I more feare the forrein, name­ly the Spanish, who by little and little groweth licorous of the delicaties of our country. Long haue they enuied vs, neither wil they obserue the league vn­till their enuy be contented. For these enemies of the peace of France, where they can by nothing but by vniustice & violence, will make a good peniworth of so much as shall be at their discreti­ons to cast it into the throates of these Marans, in hope still to retaine the su­perioritie. But that nation is subtill e­nough [Page 76]to vse this meane to their owne aduantage, and as within these fewe yéeres while they haue had a faire wind they haue not accustomed themselues to serue, so wil it be hard for the French men to escape their dominion vnlesse they looke the sooner to it. And this is it that king Philip barketh at: this it is that he wanteth to accomplish his most large conquests: this is the floure that hee wanteth in his nosegaie: hee hath long since cast an eie at it, and now is the time that hée will stretch foorth his hand to take it. And indéed France is now but an Antes nest of Espaniolized persons, that is to say, of Traitors and periures to France: their cofers doe swel with Spanish Duccats, and these wretches are not ashamed for readie mony to sell the libertie which our Fa­thers so painfully purchased, yea vnles God breake off the purposes of these corrupt persons, we shal in the end find our selues the Turkes Ienissaries and this Pirats slaues. If it were as ea­sie to shake off the yoake as to take it, I could wish these goodly perturbers a while to try the tiranny of these Bu­sires, and so I hope we should soone sée them runne back to their franchize: but [Page 77]it lieth is vpon to kéep them from that, yea from making euen the least motion that may be: for these Foxes wil easily set fast wheresoeuer they can but reach their nailes, & all the bodie where they set their féete. And sith part of vs do al­readie stoope vnder the burthen, I hope that God will so strengthen the king of Nauar, and all the princes of the blood, y^e these staruelings shall loose but their longing. Also if the princes do but con­tinue their braue exploits, I wold wish these pernitious Counsailors of y^t state to put vp their pipes & sounde their re­trait betimes, lest the night of our com­mon mishaps ouertake them. And as for you my maisters I doe once againe beséech you to take pitie of this misera­ble realme. Consider of what impor­tance it is to kéepe a stranger armed a­bout you: giue eare to the wofull cries of so many widowes, Orphanes, and friendles, laide desolate by the warres. Measure not others mishappes by your ease, neither vnder the pretence that the blowes touch you not, thinke that those of your neighbors should not moue you to compassion. If euer you loued this realme in her greatest eminency, alas cherish those small beames that yet re­maine: [Page 78]Reare vp the old walles of this building with all your power: suffer not these Erostrates to waxe noble in our ashes. And behold the king of Na­uarre watcheth vpon the conseruation therof, beware ye sléepe not in your mi­series, when carefully you should looke for the meanes to make vs all to take rest in y^e swéetnes of peace. Otherwise my masters looke for nothing but Gods iudgemēts against your hardned harts, and for the fire of your seditions which you haue kindled, the flame of condem­nation which neuer will be quenched, also y^e like punishment as Chore, Da­than and Abiram, for going about to diuide the Lords Tabernacle. For my part I will get mée to my owne home, as into a safe port, from whence I may behold your shipwracke, and if in short space I can not sée you disposed to your safetie, and that by your industry these warres do continue, I protest to yéeld my selfe to these princes, to encurre like fortune as they, vntill they haue reaped the fruits of those labors which you laie vpon them, which shalbe a peace crow­ned with contentation, by the helpe of God, whom I beséech, my maisters, to enspire you with his grace, and gene­rallie to take pitie of his Church.